Florida Sea Base is anxious for your arrival and participation in the Coral Reef Sailing Program for the upcoming season. To aid in your preparation for the trip, we would like to go over some programmatic and physical aspects for the week that you will spend with us.

When you arrive at the Florida Sea Base between 1 PM and 3 PM, you will check in at the Registration office. You will then be met by a Sea Base staff member who will lead you through the orientation process for your adventure ahead. You will then go to the quarterdeck for the issuing of snorkeling equipment. Each participant, both youth and adult, will be issued a mask, fins, snorkel, and a Sea Base dive bag that you will use for the remainder of your week long adventure. You will also receive a bag to transfer all of your personal belongings into to take on your vessel. You will be assigned a storage locker for your effects you will not be taking with you. Everyone will then participate in a BSA swim review and a snorkel instruction lesson so you are comfortable with your gear and swimming in the ocean. If you have your own snorkeling equipment, you may prefer to bring it. Masks, snorkels, and fins sometimes give you a better fit if it is your personal equipment. After dinner, you will board your vessel and stay your first night on board the boat at the dock, or you may sail into the sunset if time permits. You will also have the option to have our professional photographer take your crew's photo. The first evening you will have dinner at the base. You will be housed your last evening in bunk beds in air-conditioned bunkhouses. Hot water showers, coin operated laundry facilities, and pay phones are available for your use. The Ship's Store carries souvenirs and many items you may have forgotten.

The following morning, you will untie your vessel from the dock (if you haven't already left the night before) and head off for five days of unforgettable adventure aboard a large sailing vessel. The next night you will sleep aboard your vessel, anchored in a safe harbor ... the third night will be spent in a marina at Key West. The next 2 days will be spent snorkeling and fishing on your return to Sea Base. Your vessel has a head (that's a nautical term for a bathroom) and a small galley (kitchen). The food on your sailboat is fresh, frozen or canned and can usually be supplemented by fresh catches while fishing underway. Breakfasts consist of eggs, cereal, French toast, etc. Lunches are sandwiches; dinners are steaks, hamburgers, and spaghetti. Advise your leader if you have special dietary needs. The program is very flexible in nature. You may decide to stop and snorkel many times in one day or just sail as much as you can, many crews like fishing more than snorkeling and the Captain can cater to those wishes. Your crew might plan on performing a service project for your vessel while underway or at the dock. As with all service projects, leadership and teamwork are essential.

All our vessels carry a fishing license that will cover you during your week aboard. Generally, the fishing tackle aboard Coral Reef sailboats is two heavy-duty trolling rods and reels with 40 to 50 pound test line. These are supplied as well as a small tackle box with several large saltwater lures and a variety of hooks and weights. This should be more than adequate to catch any of the large saltwater fish. If you are a gung-ho fisherman you might want to bring a medium weight freshwater rig - no more than 2 per crew. This tackle can be used while at anchor in several locations.

The fishing tackle aboard Coral Reef sailboats is two heavy-duty trolling rods and reels with 40 to 50 pound test line. These are supplied as well as a small tackle box with several large saltwater lures and a variety of hooks and weights. This should be more than adequate to catch any of the large saltwater fish. If you are a gung-ho fisherman you might want to bring a medium weight freshwater rig - no more than 2 per crew. This tackle can be used while at anchor in several locations.

Your vessel has limited fresh water, so you will typically take "Joy" baths. A "Joy" bath consists of bathing in the saltwater with Joy dish soap and then having a friend pour a bit of fresh water over your head. Upon your return to Sea Base, you will return your snorkeling gear, clean your boat, prepare for the evening luau, patch presentation, and reflection. Some crews like to bring Hawaiian type shirts for this...we may do the Limbo.

Crews often ask about spending money. $100.00 per person is adequate unless you want to buy a lot of souvenirs or eat lunch and/or dinner off the boat. Fishing licenses are included for all participants on Coral Reef vessels.