Research and Local Knowledge

As with most things in life, we find it comforting to return to places we’ve been before. Revisiting takes a lot of the guesswork out of the trip-planning process. This is especially true when traveling by boat. With that said, it can also be exciting, rewarding in fact, to try something new. I do a lot of research before we venture out on the road to launch the boat in a new territory.

Before heading out I check several mapping resources, such as Active Captain and Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net. I then review the charting resources. These include Navionics and my Garmin GPS. My preferred method of research is by contacting locals in the area where we plan to cruise. We do this either ahead of time or as we are cruising. This most valuable resource is called “Local Knowledge.”

While we docked in Key Largo, I checked with several boaters native to the area. One was a good friend, and Eco Tour Guide, Captain Sterling Kennedy. We asked Sterling about good anchorages between Key Largo and Marathon and came away with several good ideas. After reviewing and comparing that information with my charts and other references, we settled on two. Wilson Key for our first night’s anchorage and Curry Hammock for the second night’s spot. I picked these two over others because they offered a natural setting with few, or no, houses. They also appeared to provide good wind and wave protection from almost all angles. We are happy to say, both anchorages met our needs and expectations. We can always judge our satisfaction level by how well we slept at night. We can say the research paid off – a good night’s sleep was had by all.

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