As the jumping-off point from the Florida mainland to the Keys, Key Largo is a fabulous introduction to what lies farther down the Overseas Highway. Its clear blue waters, abundant marine life and great dining options make the island a welcoming port of call for all.

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

The country’s first undersea park, covering a sprawling 70 nautical square miles within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, is a prime destination for all sorts of water fun. Paddle through the mangroves on a rented kayak, canoe or paddleboard. Chill out at Far Beach or Cannon Beach. Cast a line for mutton snapper and grouper. The park’s reef—part of the third-largest reef system in the world—is its top draw, with more than 80 species of coral and more than 260 species of tropical fish, including barracuda, parrotfish and damselfish. There are nearly 20 PADI dive facilities on Key Largo that offer trips to some of the park’s most popular sites, such as Molasses and North Dry Rocks. Non-divers can try a glass-bottom boat ride.

Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center

Since 1991, this nonprofit has been dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured native and migratory birds. Its Mission Wild Bird Hospital has a small shop and visitor-education center. The Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary serves as a home for more than 60 non-releasable birds representing almost 30 species, from raptors to songbirds to shorebirds. Try to time your visit for the daily brown-pelican feedings.

Harriette’s

At this restaurant, always start with dessert. Opened in 1982, this favorite local breakfast and lunch spot is famous for its enormous muffins. Key lime is the top seller among the 26 flavors, which range from bacon maple to German chocolate to guava cream cheese. The restaurant’s biscuits, omelets and eggs Benedict also earn frequent praise.

Check out more Island Icons: Saint-Martin and St. Maarten and Curaçao

Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill

Pick your vibe at this waterfront sports and tiki bar from legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson. Hang out inside to catch the big games of the day on the multitude of TVs. Or grab a table on the deck for Florida Bay and sunset views, and nightly live music. Menu selections include New York-style pizza, pub grub and seafood.

The Fish House Restaurant & Seafood Market

A fantastic seafood meal is a must while in the Keys. Since the 1980s, The Fish House has been a landmark dining destination in the Upper Keys for its fresh and delicious seafood, generous portions and swift service. Daily catches are offered in five preparations, including the Matecumbe style spotlighted by Food Network stars Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri. If you can’t make up your mind on an entree, opt for one of the combination platters.

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When it comes to making memories and celebrating good times, it’s tough to think of anyplace better than the Florida Keys. These islands are known for kicking back and relaxing all year round—and during the winter holidays, they take the fun to a Frosty-worthy level.

No, there’s no snow here; typical temperatures during December are in the mid- to high 70s. But that doesn’t stop merry-makers from Key Largo all the way down to Key West from getting their Santa on. The island attitude blends with the holiday spirit like a finely mixed cocktail of joy.

Arguably, the event that best epitomizes this spirit within the boating community is the annual Schooner Wharf Lighted Boat Parade on Key West. This will mark the 31st year of the event, on December 11, starting at the Historic Seaport and continuing past the Schooner Wharf Bar for judging.

All kinds of boats, from kayaks to schooners, typically participate, with a backdrop of island musicians belting out holiday tunes and other fan favorites. Never heard “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” played by a steel-drum band? Well, then, you’re in for a treat.

Boaters who participate in this parade often go for the gusto with their decorations. In recent years, boaters have decked out their decks with giant inflated characters, glistening mermaids and fish, fake forests full of twinkling white lights, “dolphins” pulling Santa’s toy-filled sleigh, and a Rudolph so big that it filled the entire bow of a U.S. Coast Guard boat. Real, full-size Christmas trees are sometimes set up in cockpits for paradegoers to peruse along the docks, and boaters, of course, lend their own musical signature to their displays, sometimes with competing speaker setups.

Yes, there are some other lighted boat parades in Florida, but Key West, as with so many things, always puts its own spin on the fun. As they say at Schooner Wharf, “We don’t need snow to make our holidays bright.”  

Hawks Cay

This resort destination on Duck Key, in the Middle Keys, has a marina and fuel dock for boats up to 110 feet length overall. Holiday packages are available this winter, when you can go ashore for a few nights and celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. Santa’s Workshop is open for making Christmas ornaments.   gingerbread houses are available for decorating. Mrs. Claus hosts story time with hot chocolate. Carolers will come by a villa or hotel room and spread some holiday cheer for guests who sign up in advance. Elf tuck-ins are available for the kids, with Santa’s elves stopping by to offer a bedtime story and gift.

The Big Meal

Want to get out of the galley on Christmas Day? You can do it in Key West, where numerous restaurants are taking reservations for the holiday.   

• Prime Steakhouse at Conch Harbor Marina pairs steaks with local favorites such as lobster and Key lime pie.   
• LaTeDa on Duval Street serves up freshly caught fish, crabcakes, caramelized duck and more.   
• Four Marlins on Simonton Street is decorated like a 1930s fishing lodge. It offers main courses of fish, ribs, lobster ravioli and risotto with jumbo shrimp.   
• Grand Cafe on Duval Street is known for its wine list, which is 35 pages long. Favorite dishes include seafood pasta and steak frites.

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St. Augustine, on Florida’s northeast coast, is a popular stopover for yachtsmen cruising up or down the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s a good run either from Charleston, South Carolina, to the north, or from Key West, Florida, to the south. The combination of history, fun and marine services that St. Augustine offers is tough to beat, no matter the final destination on the itinerary.

The city dates to 1565—the age of Spanish galleons—and the historic district still has buildings that were constructed in the 18th century, for fans of architecture on foot tours. It’s worth a trip off the boat to explore Castillo de San Marcos, a national monument that’s preserved under the watchful eye of the National Park Service. The Spanish built this fort to defend the city after a raid by an English privateer. Today, it is the oldest masonry fort in the United States, open seven days a week. Visitors can look around on their own or take tours, including an artillery tour, which focuses on the cast-iron and bronze weapons on the gun deck (no sitting on the cannons, please).

There is more modern fun to be had in the heart of the historic district, where all kinds of restaurants, shops and bars welcome tourists with a smile. Yes, there is a high season here: Expect the most tourism activity from June through August. If you want to avoid the crowds—or perhaps get off the boat for a few nights at a lower-rate hotel—consider tying up at one of St. Augustine’s marinas during the months of March through May.

Some of the more unique local spots include the Hyppo, which makes gourmet ice pops (try to order a Banilla Vanana without tripping over your tongue), and the Maple Street Biscuit Co., whose biscuits include the Squawking Goat (served with fried chicken, fried goat cheese and house-made pepper jelly).

Shops in the historic district also have a creative flair: Anchor Boutique makes custom rings, and it repairs pieces that got damaged aboard the boat. After all, sometimes the deepest beauty can be found in preservation.    

Where to Stay

St. Augustine is on the Intracoastal Waterway. Camachee Island Yacht Harbor is 2 miles from the historic district, with nightly or monthly rates. English Landing Marina also takes transients and has slips for catamarans.  Marineland Marina has 20-plus slips for transients. St. Augustine Marine Center has dockage for boats up to 100 feet length overall. It has a 110-ton Travelift too. St. Augustine Municipal Marina has maps online of its mooring fields.

Make the Climb

A climb up the 219 steps of the St. Augustine Lighthouse for towering views of the surrounding area is included with every admission ticket. Children must be at least 44 inches tall to make the attempt; younger kids can head to the climb-in puppet theater. Service animals are welcome on the lighthouse grounds but not inside the historic building. There also are interactive exhibits such as learning how to tie knots.

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There is a lot of talk these days about the need to rebuild infrastructure. Florida’s Town of Palm Beach Marina is leaning into that thinking, having just completed a $40 million upgrade.

The marina has been popular with transient and local boaters alike since it was built in the 1940s. It is steps away from the Worth Avenue shopping district and is now equipped to welcome yachts from 60 to 294 feet.

The marina officially reopened on November 1, with annual, seasonal and transient reservations being accepted. All guests receive complimentary access to an oceanfront par-3 golf course, health-and-wellness facilities, and premier tennis courts.

“Palm Beachers expect the best,” says assistant town manager Carolyn Stone, “and that’s what we’ll have when the completely upgraded and renovated marina opens.”

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Bump it and take it slow,” Capt. Robert “Tiger” St. Romain said as I reached for the throttles.

We were on the flybridge of the Beneteau 44 NautiGator. The metallic steering wheel reflected sunlight in all directions as the 10 a.m. breeze cooled us from the day’s encroaching heat. We had just pulled the bow and stern lines aboard, and we were headed off the coast of Cape Coral, Florida, toward “the Miserable Mile,” a gauntlet of shallows and boat traffic. It stood between us and a day of cruising.

That is, if I could get the boat out of our marina slip. I tapped the port and starboard throttles forward for a half-second before returning them to neutral. I could feel the gentle grumble of the twin 300 hp Volvo Penta D4 diesels. The momentum carried us forward enough that I had room to ease us out. I took a deep breath and shifted the portside throttle into reverse, the starboard throttle forward. We cleared the dock without drawing any attention, which I took as a sign that, so far, I was doing things correctly.

Then, boats were everywhere: sailboats, trawlers, express cruisers, dayboats, tenders, pontoons, powercats. A 30-footer was unwisely at wide-open throttle right outside the marina and made an abrupt stop as it found the bottom—props busted for the day. I checked our depth sounder again, gave another glance at the GPS, and made sure I was still where I should be in the channel. I kept the bow pointed where Capt. Tiger told me to point it. Our speed was a steady 2.5 knots.

Finally, we made it to the far edge of “the Miserable Mile,” and Capt. Tiger gave me the OK to take us up to 9 knots; it may as well have been 40. This stretch of water seemed like freedom itself. With the wind on my cheeks and the gentle sounds of the light chop against the hull, I felt pure joy.

And to think: Just 48 hours earlier, I had zero experience running any kind of boat at all.

I’m one among the countless people who have been flooding into US boating schools since the start of the pandemic, which brought a record number of new boaters onto the water and gave many owner-operators time to learn new skills or prepare for a bucket-list cruise. NautiGator is part of the fleet at Southwest Florida Yachts, which offers power and sail courses aboard its fleet or your own hull. My liveaboard schoolmate for the week was Greg Bergman, a father of seven from Georgia. He’s a single-engine pilot who had passed the written portion of his US Coast Guard captain’s license exam, and he owns a 33-foot center-console back home.

While I was learning the basics, he was accumulating sea time and learning coastal navigation along the Intracoastal Waterway.

“I wanted hands-on experience in navigating the ICW, docking in various conditions, working with marinas, radio communication and anchoring,” Greg says.

Boating courses are available for just about anything nowadays. America’s Boating Club offers courses in junior or advanced navigation, engine maintenance, weather, and more. The BoatU.S. Foundation, along with Boat Ed, offers state-specific boating courses. There are even courses specific to personal watercraft, kayaks and canoes, all with links available online from the US Coast Guard.

I took Southwest Florida Yachts’ Basic Powerboat Handling and Inland Powerboat Cruising courses, which, combined, are prerequisites for the Offshore Powerboat Cruising course. Students also make new friends and go ashore to experience all the fun of the cruising lifestyle.

In NautiGator’s salon, Capt. Tiger showed us navigational charts, dismantled boat-engine parts, and sketches that explained how the boat’s engines interacted with the water. In the engine room, we crouched as he showed us how to check fluid levels prior to departure (and then quizzed us to make sure we’d been listening). On the flybridge, he taught me not to be overly eager with the steering wheel; the slightest nudge of the wheel to port or starboard was all I needed to change the boat’s heading, lest I wanted to spend my whole day overcompensating at the helm.

Practicing docking on a 45-footer for the first time is a humbling experience. Greg took his turn and brought the boat into the marina slip easily enough, and I was surprised to hear applause when I did it too. But my second attempt included a minor collision (oops) between a pylon and the stern’s starboard side. I nudged NautiGator forward, and the pylon bounced upright.

Capt. Tiger took control and readjusted the boat into the slip.

“One more time, Victor,” he said.

The lesson learned was that things don’t always go as planned on boats. A marina may direct you to a slip different from the one you were expecting when you prepped the lines on deck. Another boater may not know the rules of the road, forcing you to adjust course. The air conditioning may act up when you try to switch over from shore power to the generator. You may have to alter your plans so you can remain cool and comfortable.

That’s the main lesson I learned about boating: It’s a whole community of people who seem cool and comfortable. Everywhere we cruised, it didn’t matter what kind of boat people were aboard—small or large, fast or slow, chartered or owned, fishing or cruising—everyone waved hello. I was the new guy (almost everyone I met was at least 30 years my senior with lots of onboard experience), but the biggest concern others seemed to have was that I’d never ordered a Cabbage Creeper rum drink on the island of Cabbage Key. Because of the boat, we were able to find all kinds of common ground, especially when Ozzy Osbourne was blaring from the flybridge.

On our last day, we headed back to the marina. Once again, we found ourselves entering “the Miserable Mile”—only this time, it was Saturday, and the traffic was considerably more chaotic.

And yet, the boats all around no longer intimidated me. I felt confident enough to dole out waves to every passing skipper—albeit, at my comfort-zone speed of 3 knots.

“Wanna bring us in?” Capt. Tiger asked.

I gripped the wheel and let the wind guide me into the marina’s channel, bumping the throttles as necessary. As we made the last turn into the final straightaway, Capt. Tiger headed down to the main deck to prepare the lines, leaving Greg and me on the flybridge; it was now my ship to command. I lined up the boat with the slip and eased in NautiGator.

“Give it a little reverse. We gotta get all the way back,” Capt. Tiger instructed from the stern.

I knew enough to let momentum do most of the work. One bump on each throttle was all I needed to stop the boat, with bow and stern thrusters centering us as the lines were set.

Capt. Tiger sounded proud as he congratulated me on the docking job.

This was the opposite of miserable. And I can’t even imagine what I’ll learn in all the nautical miles I want to explore next.  

Nice To Meet You

The NautiGator’s 45-foot-6-inch length overall played a major factor in the development of my relationships with course mate Greg Bergman and Capt. Robert “Tiger” St. Romain. The stairs belowdecks led straight to the en suite master stateroom in the forepeak: Greg’s room. My stateroom was to port, across from the day head and about two steps away from Greg’s hideaway. Meanwhile, Capt. Tiger graciously slept on the couch aft in the salon. We each had our own space, and we developed the kind of organic bond that is such a big part of boating.

All Are Welcome

At boating schools all across the country, classes are tailored for boaters of all experience levels. I was brand-new to the sport, but Greg Bergman, my course mate, owns and operates a 33-footer. He focused on learning different things than I did, showing the wide range of information that’s part of the program.

Worth it

Southwest Florida Yachts’ Basic Powerboat Handling course ($1,695) and Inland Powerboat Cruising course ($1,895) cost $2,695 combined for six days living aboard a twin-screw boat 42 feet or larger. Students pay for their meals and the instructor’s. Prices include fuel and dockage.

Take the next step: swfyachts.com

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Curvelle Quaranta powercatamaran

The International Superyacht Society recently held its annual gala in Fort Lauderdale, where winners of the 2014 Design and Leadership Awards were announced.

Winners in the design category included the 107-foot Baltic Inukshuk (Best Sail 24 to 40 meters), the 185-foot Alloy Mondango 3 (Best Sail 40 meters and up), the 197-foot Abeking & Rasmussen Dream (Best Refit), the 111-foot Curvelle Quaranta (Best Power 24 to 40 meters), the 151-foot Feadship Como (Best Power 40 to 65 meters), the 213-foot Heesen Galactica Star (Best Power 65 meters and up) and Como again for Best Interior, by Redman Whiteley Dixon.

The 2014 Award for Excellence in Innovation went to Waterscapes. Business Person of the Year was John Percival of Hoylake Sailing School and John Percival Marine Associates, posthumously. The Distinguished Crew Award went to Capt. Russell Pugh and his team aboard the motoryacht Arctic P.

The 2014 Leadership Award was given to Tom and Henk de Vries of Feadship, while the ISS Fabien Cousteau Blue Award went to the International SeaKeepers Society.

ISS was founded in 1989 to represent the large-yacht industry. Learn more at www.superyachtsociety.org.

The post And the Winners Are … appeared first on Yachting.

Trinity motoryacht Skyfall

Here’s your big chance to sit at the helm of a secret-agent-worthy yacht: The 190-foot Trinity Skyfall has just been listed for sale with Worth Avenue Yachts at an asking price of $36.5 million and will be available for tours during this month’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

Skyfall was built in 2010 and is being marketed at what Worth Avenue calls “an aggressive price [by] an experienced and realistic owner.” News of the Trinity listing comes about a month after delivery was taken on the 150-foot Palmer Johnson Skyfall II, which we reported in September. The owners are John and Jeannette Staluppi, who are longtime yachting enthusiasts. They also recently announced they are stepping aside from the under-construction, 223-foot Project Skyfall at Sunrise Yachts.

Skyfall accommodates as many as 17 guests in seven staterooms. She has a touch-and-go helipad, a wheelchair-capable elevator that accesses three decks, a split-level, full-beam master suite, air conditioning on her aft deck as well as indoors, a custom-designed wine cellar and interior décor by Patrick Knowles featuring Honduras mahogany, maple burl and wenge.

The yacht received a new exterior paint job earlier this year.

“With a draft of only 8 feet 6 inches, a top speed of 21 knots and a maximum economical range of 4,600 nautical miles, she combines true oceangoing capability with the versatility of reaching those shallow secluded bays and marinas that are impossible for most yachts this size,” broker Peter Thompson stated in a press release.

To arrange a tour with Thompson, visit www.worthavenueyachts.com.

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The 210-foot Perini Navi_ Felicita West_, originally launched in 2003, has completed a substantial refit ahead of the winter charter season.

Work was done at Rybovich Shipyard in Florida, where Felicita West arrived this past April. It was her second major yard period in recent years, including another one in 2011.

This time around, the yacht received a new paint job, inspection of shaft lines and rudder bearings, installation of new air-conditioning and exhaust systems, and installation of a state-of-the-art security system.

Felicita West is expected to be on display at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this week, after which she is expected to move to the Caribbean for the upcoming charter season. Her weekly base rate will be $165,000 for 12 guests in five staterooms.

Learn more about Felicita West at www.northropandjohnson.com.

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Benetti Yachts office in Fort Lauderdale

The Italian yacht builder Benetti, which earns about half its business from the United States, has opened a new U.S. headquarters on 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale.

The office is designed not only as a showroom, but also as a gathering place for owners and brokers. Its design is based on the look of Benetti’s showroom in Viareggio, Italy, with dark-tinted rosewood, ivory leather and bronze details. Floors are marble with teak inserts, and Yachtique showcases are crystal. Furnishings are from Italian designers including Stefano Ricci, Armani, Yachtline and more.

“We have had significant commercial success here, and the new offices confirm our local presence,” Tommaso Bilotta, brand manager of Benetti Americas, stated in a press release. “We have welcomed our clients to the great Benetti family, and now we want to keep them in our house, as comfortably as possible.”

Learn more at www.benettiyachts.it.

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Chris-Craft Catalina 34

Chris-Craft is planning to unveil the new flagship of its Catalina range, the center-console Catalina 34, at this week’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

Simrad officials will also be on hand to demonstrate features of the boat’s navigation system, which includes dual 16-inch multitouch NSO evo2 displays at the helm.
The Catalina 34 is powered by triple 300-horsepower Mercury Verado outboard engines. Fuel capacity is more than 300 gallons, making cruises possible from Florida to the Bahamas, or from New York to Martha’s Vineyard.

“The Catalina 34 was developed after high demand from hundreds of our Catalina owners,” Jeff Ellis, vice president of sales and marketing, stated in a press release. “We have combined all of our customer and dealer comments to deliver a product that is sure to be a winner in its class.”

If you can’t make it to Fort Lauderdale , you can learn more about the Catalina 34 at www.chriscraft.com.

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