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Bring comfortable light colored clothes for sailing, these keep you cool. Shorts and short sleeves for any season but bring a light jacket or a sweatshirt if you come in the winter months. We sometimes get cold fronts that last a day or two with temperatures in the 50's (brrrr!) otherwise our temperature is a pretty constant around 80 degrees. Bring a light rain jacket for tropical showers (they last about 15 minutes!) if you come in the summer months, our rainy season. Don't forget clothes for Key West if that's your destination!
You'll need soft soled shoes, sneakers, or sandals with a light colored rubber tread. Please don't bring dark or hard soled shoes as these are slippery and mark up the deck. You can of course go barefoot on deck too! You'll need shoes for shore if that's your destination.
Pack light! You don't need many clothes for this trip, at least while we're sailing. It's important NOT to bring hard luggage. Pack your stuff in soft luggage that can be collapsed and stowed in lockers. We have some limited hanging locker space but not for more than one or two items per passenger. It's best to try and limit your luggage to carry on size.
Be sure to bring sunglasses, a hat, a bathing suit or two, personal hygiene items, medications, your camera with enough film, batteries, or memory, and book or two. Don't forget your chargers for battery powered devices, we have limited AC power on board for charging. If you think you might be prone to seasickness be sure to bring some Bonine or Dramamine or other remedies if you prefer, see the seasickness question for more on this.
It's a getaway vacation! Cell phone coverage is best described as spotty. We'll usually be in range of cell towers but not always. We don't offer an internet connection on board and a lot of people thank us for that! And we have a strictly enforced NO TV policy! (but we do have a DVD player for your favorite movies) There is limited AC power on board for charging cell phones, ipods, etc. so bring your chargers.
We have a great sound system and an extensive library of music from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and more recent stuff as well as some older popular classics, a lot of good blues, rock, alternative, country, folk, and very very little rap. Bring your Ipod and we can dock it. We also have satellite radio for whatever kind of music you're into. Like we mentioned in the previous question we have a DVD player and a limited collection of sailing related movies. Bring some DVDs if you like or we can rent some for you if you let us know in advance. There's a small library of classic books, plenty of Hemingway, Steinbeck, Fitzgerald, Bukowski, Vonnegut, and Conrad as well as many others. We have cards, including a poker chip set and a cribbage board, dominoes, checkers, chess, and backgammon and a scrabble game. And we have a guitar on board if you play. This is great opportunity to spend the kind of time you don't forget with your friends and family.
We'll do our best to avoid sea conditions we know are likely to trigger seasickness. There are many regions to sail here that are protected from choppy conditions. If you know you get seasick or if you are not sure we recommend you take Bonine the NIGHT BEFORE we depart and then again on the day of departure. Usually this is effective at preventing the onset of seasickness. Most cases if they occur usually occur early on the first day of a trip and are usually gone by the afternoon so getting the medication into your system before hand helps.
Our greatest concern is with your safety and satisfaction. If we determine that weather conditions will be too severe for a safe trip we will notify you and reschedule the trip within a reasonable amount of time. If we are unable to reschedule within a 60 day period due to our schedule or yours we will refund your deposit in full. We also reserve the right to alter our sail plan to seek shelter or safe harbor in the event of adverse weather and sea conditions. We'll do everything we can to keep you comfortable and safe. In the event of a named storm that approaches to within 300 nautical miles of our position or is highly likely to within 24 hours or in the event of a forced evacuation we will cancel the remainder of the trip and return you to shore and issue you a credit for the balance of your trip that can be used any time in the future.
In the event your trip is canceled before departure due to a named storm we will offer to reschedule your trip within a 60 day period. If we cannot reschedule due to our schedule or yours we'll refund your deposit. If you wish to cancel your getaway weekend or Key West Vacation reservation for any reason you can do so up to 7 days prior to your departure for a full refund of your deposit. If you cancel 7 days or less before your departure on these trips we will issue you a credit in an equal amount that you can apply to a future reservation. You can cancel a daytrip or a sunset sail up to 1 day before the trip for a full refund. If we cancel any trip for any reason we'll give you a full refund
Living aboard a boat is physically different than a building or home. You'll need to climb small ladders to get in and out of the cabin and you'll have to step up, over, and around the deck and rigging of the ship to move around and board the boat. We recommend that people over 325lb consider if they will be able to get around comfortably aboard ship. If you plan on snorkeling you'll need to be a fair swimmer and be able to swim at least 100 yards and then remain floating or treading water for 15 minutes, you should be comfortable in the water. We have had handicapped passengers and we will be glad to discuss how we can help to get you aboard and enjoy these getaway vacations with us, just give us a call or send an email before you make your reservations to be sure we are prepared for you.
While the boat is docked and connected to shore power there is air conditioning. So in places like Key West or other marinas where we stay overnight we'll have AC. There is no AC while the boat is at sea. This usually is not a problem since it is MUCH cooler on the water (no heated land mass warming the air near the ground) and there is a great breeze that is very comfortable. In the summer months on very still nights it would be uncomfortable but we can always get to a marina if we decide to and hook up to shore power for the night.
We DON'T spend the night in open water! Your captain will find a sheltered bay, bight, or harbor to spend a comfortable night anchored out of the wind and seas. There are many to choose from here in the Keys. We can also spend a night in a resort marina but there would be an extra charge for the dockage, usually around $150 per night.
It depends on the weather and if it's a 2 or 3 day trip. On a 2 day trip we generally stay in the Key Largo area so we can snorkel in the John Pennekamp coral reef park during the day. Then for the night we'll either be on the ocean side of the Keys or the wayside depending on the strength and direction of the wind. We'll head for a protected anchorage in the afternoon so we can get our anchor set and get dinner cooked preferably by sundown. If it's a 3 day trip we can get a little further than the Key Largo area to either Indian Key or Long Key to our west or up into Biscayne Bay as far as Boca Chita to our east.
Living aboard the Midnight Dragon is a unique experience for many people. It's an interesting place to be. We'll teach you anything you would like to know about sailing, navigation, the geology of the ocean and islands here in the Keys, some Keys history including pirates and shipwrecks with treasure and we can take you to many of the places where you can see them. And if you like you can lend a hand working the sails or even take the wheel! So there's plenty to do and talk about on board. We will be snorkeling and fishing too so there's a lot of opportunity to spend time in the water seeing our coral reefs firsthand. Our captains are experienced guides and can take you to reefs where you are likely to see just about any kind of tropical reef fish that can be found here. We recently added kayaking! We'll be able to reach some remote shores to paddle and explore the shallow waters and mangroves along the ocean and Florida Bay shores of the Keys. In the evenings we have DVD movies on board and we can even serve fresh cooked popcorn! There are plenty of books, card, and games on board or if you would rather be outside the Keys are an excellent place for stargazing. We like to go to anchorages with dark skies so you can see the stars like you may not have ever seen them before. We can give you some basic astronomy too while we're lying on deck staring up into the heavens. Or if you like we can do nothing which for a lot of people is one of the best things they could do!
We Do! Kayaking is available on our Kayak Daysails, Kayak Sunset Sails, and all our overnight trips including our Getaway Weekends and Key West Vacations. Kayaking from the Midnight Dragon is a perfect combination of adventure and comfort. We can sail to out of the way locations and still have all the comforts of the boat right there with us!
Since we travel with 3 tandem kayaks on board we use high grade inflatable sea kayaks. They are rated for 650lbs and can carry up to 3 passengers. And they are wide and stable so it's easy for beginners to board and safely move around in them. We also provide comfortable kayaking life jackets, paddles, and even a cooler with ice and soft drinks!
On our Kayak Daysails we stay in the Key Largo & John Pennekamp area kayaking in places such as...
On our longer Getaway Weekend trips we can reach areas further away and get around to the Florida Bay for some great locations. We can't get up into the back country on the Midnight Dragon due to draft restrictions but we can reach some of the nearer islands in the bay and all of the creeks that run between the bay and ocean. On our Key West vacations we can reach practically all location in the keys with the exception of the shallow areas of the northern bay waters.
You should bring light colored clothes with a long sleeve shirt to protect you from the sun. Be sure to bring a hat and sunglasses and plenty of sunblock. We don't recommend the spray kind, you'll need something that is more waterproof. Water shoes are recommended if you plan on exploring the shoreline. We have sharp rocky beaches so you'll want something that can get wet and protect your feet. Bug spray is a good idea too. Bring a waterproof wetbag to carry your belongings with, remember this bag can get completely submerged so be sure to get a good one. We provide meals on our overnight trips but you should bring what you want to for lunch on the Daysails. You can store food in the cooler and we'll provide the ice and soft drinks. We do not allow alcohol on board the kayaks.
