Florida Spelunking sail boat!

Great South Fl. Sailboat: Florida Spelunking sail boat!

Just after I moved to Marathon in the Keys I bought my sailboat. I saw it at the side of the road with a for sale sign on it, and what I liked about it was the boats lines. I bought it without ever sailing it. As I said it just looked good. It is a British Jaguar 21.

I really lucked out. I did not know anything about the Florida coastal waters or how well the boat would sail or if it was sound. I have had boats before, so I had some idea what to look for and since it was on a trailer I could see the hull. The previous owner had taken great care of it, and even the trailer was in good shape.

My background with sailboats was from up north, and my experience was with centerboard sailboats. I assumed this was one since I did not see a fixed keel underneath. The little boat was a drop keel boat that cranked up and down. This I soon learned was better than good for the Florida waters. I soon found that much of the water depth is 5’ or less. The boat with keel and Rudder pulled up can slide over 25” of water. The 3 sails were in good shape, and it had a in cockpit motor well that had a 5 horse motor.

The boat has a mini cabin with a porta-potty, mini galley and nav. area that was good for an overnight trip. It had older navigation instruments, but they all worked. As I said, I lucked out and got a great boat.

The boat needs only about a 4 mph. breeze to sail and will handle 25 to 30 mph. wind with the sails reefed. The boats biggest constraint is the 35’ mast. 

I have had the boat for now over ten years and I can say the boat has aged gracefully, better than I have. The boat has sailed in the Atlantic and the Florida Gulf and now is haunting the Caloosahatchee River. The boat is small enough you can sail on the river, and the River like much of Florida waters is thin in a lot of places. The 35’ mast is still the biggest constraint. 

For anyone looking for a great Florida Spelunking sail boat, you will want to consider drop keel or centerboard boat that the mast can be lowered easily without major work. An 18’ to 20’ boat is easily trailered, can sail on a light breeze, and can sail on our Florida Rivers. A small 3 to 10 horse out board can easily move it in areas you cannot sail. I use a small trolling motor (45 thrust) on my boat now. That way I do not have to carry Gasoline on the boat. An extra deep cycle battery is about the same weight as a gas tank. For a long trip I can use the gas outboard. I can pull the trolling motor out of the well when sailing for less drag on the boat. It being 1/3 the size of the gas motor, make stowing it easier also. It also has much less drag if left in the well then the outboard.

Spelunking around Florida can be great, and a shallow draft sail boat is a great way to do it. You can go where BIG SAIL BOATS fear to go. 8-)