Here We Go - Lesson Plan takes on Florida

Here we go again, but first a review. Lesson Plan and I have traveled a total of 6,622 statute miles since leaving Jacksonville, FL on March 28, 2017. There has been 121 travel days during that time. Lesson Plan and I have had six guest crew on board for various legs of the trip. Gary joined us on the Erie Canal and Lake Erie (698 miles). Steve joined us on the Great Lakes to KY lake (1,448 miles). Carol and Frank rode the rivers with us from KY lake to Mobile (640 miles). Carol and Steve (different Carol and different Steve) joined the crew from Niceville to Mobile (117 miles) And finally Zach joined us for the round trip from Mobile to New Orleans (331 miles). It has been a good ride, so far. The saying goes, the good Lord watches out for sailors and fools and I have had to rely on that a few times. I posted the map below.

The next leg of our journey is one of the segments I have been looking forward to since beginning the trip, island hopping. I will depart Tarpon Springs to head toward the Florida Keys.

In total there are over 1,700 islands in the archipelago known as the FL Keys (from Miami to the Dry Tortugas). There are 68 major (named) islands. Forty-three of the islands are connected by highway and bridges (Soldier Key to Key West). Lesson Plan hopes I avoid unintentional touching of any of those 1,700 islands. 

By automobile most people come onto the Keys via US Highway 1 at Key Largo. It is 111 miles from bridge at Key Largo to mile marker 0 on Key West. I hope to sail on past Key West to the Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles past Key West.

I am looking forward to island hopping. But first I must get there. Weather permitting, I will go on the outside and sail down the coast to Tampa Bay to avoid the many lift bridges along the Intra-Costal Waterway (ICW) between Tarpon Springs and Tampa BAy. I am sure that I will miss some of the popular looper stops taking outside route, like Clearwater and Gulfport. I have visited them from the land side, so maybe I won’t miss to much. 

My Great Loop Map (so far)