Hobie Cat Forums

I live in Boca Raton and i am looking for places to sail my Hobie. Is Lake Worth a viable option? Are there launch sites to the ocean? Is Ft Lauderdale the only ocean option and if so how does one go about it?

Take a look at the "Places to Sail" topic. You can search by terms and within a specific topic using the search function. I didn't see anything specific on Lake Worth, but lots of Florida posts.

Florida: http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/search.php?keywords=FL+-+&terms=all&author=&fid%5B%5D=19&sc=1&sf=all&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

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Matt Miller
Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Hobie Cat USA

Try here.

http://www.cat44.com/

or here

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/ubbthre ... =19&page=1

When I was at FAU in 1974, we rented a Hobie 14 on the beach and it started my fascination with them.

I live on the west coast of Florida but I bought my 18 in Palm Beach so I know the area a little. A quick google shows there are at least 4 ramps in Lake Worth but one is currently closed for renovation and another has limited parking. Apparently the County requires you to buy a $35 sticker to use them. I doubt there are any launches directly on the Atlantic but I'm sure there are a lot up and down the Inter-Coastal and then you sail out through a pass or inlet. You might also look for beach access where you could use wheels.

You'll probably want to check out the local draw bridge protocol. Some open at set times, some on request by VHF or horn.

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The ox is slow but the earth is patient

Probably your best bet is a ramp on the west side of the inter-coastal just south of Palm Beach 798 which might also be called Palmetto Park Road.

Launch there and you're about a mile across Lake Boca Raton to Boca Inlet. There's a drawbridge on 1A. It's on demand VHF9 or horn.

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The ox is slow but the earth is patient

The intercoastal, inlets, bridges and tides can be great challanges on a Hobie.

I know what you mean. My part of the intercoastal is called "Sarasota Bay" so I have it pretty easy but traffic in the marked channel and the inlets can be tricky. When I was looking at the Palm Beach area I realized how lucky I am.

We usually go out Big Pass because it's where the closest beaches are and there's no bridge but we've done some of the others with bridges and I've only run into one real jerk bridge operator. But the winds can get tricky around them them.

You're right about the tides too. If the tides not going to change while we're out so I get a favorable tide both ways we just stay in the bay. One of the first times we went out I had to tack back in Venice Inlet against a falling tide. It took me an hour to make 100 yards

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The ox is slow but the earth is patient

I'm in Lighthouse Point. I sail out of Fort Lauderdale beach with the Cat44 guys. Also I found a place Just south of the Hillsboro inlet to launch from the beach. There is a place there you can leave the boat on the beach for about $100 a month. There are three Hobies there now. I'm going to put mine there for a while. (easy access for me. About 10 mins from my house)