Visiting Marathon Florida

For all of you Florida boaters that opt to take the Okeechobee Waterway to get to the Ocean from the Gulf, or vice versa, then you must realize you’re missing out on tons of fun to the south. The Florida Keys are a great spot to travel down to as a launching point for island hopping throughout the Caribbean or as a place to spend a weekend. Here are a few places to visit and things you can partake in while visiting.

Sombrero Country Club

If you’re a bit weary and want to stretch your legs out a bit when in the Florida Keys, consider joining the Sombrero Country Club, so you can play golf in paradise at any time. If possible, try to find someone that’s a member of the club who wouldn't mind taking you out as a guest.

Stone Crabs at Key Fisheries Market & Marina

These are where the stone crabs come into the area, and having stone crabs is a must if you haven’t had them before. You can stop by their restaurant, which also has fantastic Florida Keys key lime pie, or you can order them online and have them delivered to wherever you are.

Turtle Hospital

A great way to meet turtles up and close is to go to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. It’s one of the few turtle hospitals in the world, and they offer daily tours where you can meet turtles up and close where you sometimes have the opportunity to feed them. It’s a great educational experience and gives you an appreciation for them.

Sombrero Beach

One of the best beaches in the Florida Keys, Sombrero beach is open to the public and has pure white sand, making it a paradise for beach goers. There’s also plenty of benches and picnic tables for everyone, so you can easily find yourself spending a whole day out on the beach.

Sombrero Marina

Nestled in Boot Key Harbor, Sombrero Marina is one of the most protected marinas from the weather in all of the Florida Keys, and a great place to leave your boat while you enjoy the activities of the Florida Keys. Also, guests of the marina have access to use the Sombrero Country Club golf course, tennis courts and their other facilities which was mentioned above.

Selling Your Boat

Unlike selling a car, selling a boat isn't quite as clear cut as one might expect. There are only so many physical places you can bring your boat to with the hopes of finding a few prospective buyers, and there are only so many interested buyers for your specific boat type in your given area. This makes publicizing your boat extremely important, and we've listed our tips for cutting a deal on your boat as quickly as possible.

Clean Things Up

In the literal sense, your boat needs to be cleaned and in tip top shape before you promote it or put a for sale sticker on it. Fix all mechanical problems with the boat, to ensure the buyers won’t be dealing with other unearthed problems you haven’t attended to. Most of these things should be easy and do it yourself tasks, like fixing a broken light or tightening up a handrail. Quite often your first potential buyers are your most valuable ones, so it’s important to do this step first.

Advertising Your Boat

These days, people are resorting to technology to either find the most available buyers in their area or to find the most options on the market if they’re looking for a boat. That’s been eliminating the need for a middle man and results in more cash for both the buyer and the seller. Picking the right site to list your boat is important however, and there are a few things to consider. Sites will have their own way of charging people for listing their boats, and everyone has their own preference. I prefer sites where you pay one fee upfront and then you get to list your boat on it as long as you like. Also, pick a site where there’s no limitation or extra charge on the number of photos you can upload, as they will be a big part of the reason you will get leads and there’s no need to skimp on the photos you want to upload. Finally, be sure you have the ability to update your listing as often as you like without any hidden charges for doing so. If you’re looking for an example, Boatdealers.ca which has New and Used boats is a safe and reliable site and gets a large amount of traffic from both buyers and sellers every day.

Closing the Deal

Once you find the right buyer, it’s time that you make sure you close the deal and finalize the transfer of ownership. Visit your state Department of Motor Vehicles website or other governmental organization that controls your area’s boat sales, and check to see all the paperwork needed in the transfer. A bill of sale is almost always required and includes information like the purchase date, hull number, price and signatures. Like a car, your boat needs registration, and a boat title needs to be created for the new boat owner. Be wary that loans on a boat don’t get carried over to the new owner and they need to be cleared before the new boat owner can get their title. Quite often if you go through an online listing website they are able to help you out with all of this paperwork to ensure nothing is missed.

Night Sailing

If you've never done it, night sailing is an experience that you’ll never forget. The calmness (usually) of the water, the incredibly bright and starry skies on a clear night, and sometimes unexpected dolphin visitors if you’re in the right area makes night sailing an awesome experience. Quite often it’s the only option you have when you have to take advantage of tidal gates or get to your destination at a certain time. Here are a few tips from us on sailing throughout the night.

Experience is Nice

If you have a buddy or a connection with someone that has a bit more experience than you do, bring them along for the ride, especially if it’s your first time sailing at night. Plan things out in advance even for the simplest of trips, and chart out each waypoint in your GPS. Navigation at night is much more about trusting your compass and chart more than trusting your eyes.

Staying Awake

Probably the most difficult part of night sailing is staying awake throughout the night. Much like driving on a desolate highway at night, things can get a bit boring when you’re sleepy and it’s easy to accidentally drift off on a warm and comfortable night. Plan shifts out in advance with your crew, and make sure someone is at least attempting to sleep in the late afternoon if they have a tough late night shift. Coffee or tea in a thermos is always a good idea, and getting up and moving around periodically also helps combat sleepiness.

Safety

Lifejackets are always a must when on the cockpit and deck, and it’s a good idea to have ones equipped with a whistle and/or a flashing LED light. Make it a rule that anyone on deck and in the cockpit is clipped onto a jackstay especially when moving around the boat or if the weather is a bit rough. Also, keep a VHF radio handy and make sure that it is tuned to the right station, and listen in to weather forecasts if anything nasty might be coming in.

For sailing tips and advice, visit Salty Sailors, which is packed with excellent information on all things sailing related.