Sailing, kayaking and swimming with dolphins
In the Florida Keys there are water sports for every passion
By Lucy Komisar
 There was a brisk breeze, what sailors dream about, not
rough enough to be scary for a neophyte like me, but swift enough, about 20 mph,
so that you didn’t have to engineer sophisticated tacks to move through the
Atlantic waters. Craig Yokal, head of the sailing school at Hawk’s Cay, said it
was normal for Duck Key, which had faster winds than elsewhere in the Keys.
We climbed on the two-masted Colgate training boat,
designed with a comfortable cockpit (where you sit), so that Craig can take out
four students. He had two learners this morning, and after we slipped on the
yellow splash jackets, we got a short class in what a tiller does. First, I
maneuvered the boat through the channel, past some gorgeous Duck Key homes, and
into the Atlantic. Then came some lessons about the sails, as Craig pulled on
the ropes to raise them.
After that, tacking, pushing the tiller to the other side,
ducking under the boom to switch sides. A few times as my companion worked the
tiller, I held the line of the jib. By the end of 2 ½ hours, I was aching to
take the 3 or 5-day course Craig gives. And wondering if I’d ever be good enough
to sign up for the advanced class that prepares people to charter their own
boats.
 Hawk’s Cay Resort is a paradise for people who love water
sports. At the marina and on the property, head out for fishing, sailing,
kayaking, scuba, snuba, snorkeling, water skiing, wakeboarding cruises,
parasailing, glass bottom boating, and more.
Snuba? Never heard of that? It’s for people who want to get
deeper down than snorkelers, but don’t want to carry around oxygen tanks on
their backs. You have a breathing tube that is attached to an oxygen supply that
floats on the water. Beginning snuba divers get an hour of instruction, then go
by boat 45 minutes to the reef where they dive for an hour. Wish I could tell
you more, but my snuba excursions at Hawk’s Cay were cancelled because of
weather: storms had caused rough seas or poor visibility.
 However, it wasn’t very rough in the enclosed salt water
lagoon alongside the hotel. It was full of dolphins and the people who like to
swim with them. They’d been given 20 minutes training and explanation about the
dolphins and then for about 25 minutes they splashed with the friendly sea
animals, under the watchful eye of a trainer who helped the interaction along.
Kids loved it; so did everyone else.
 We left the dolphins to enjoy a leisurely patio lunch, with
the strains of live West Indies music filtering out between the tables and the
pool.
Hawk’s Key is a private village, with groups of villas set
along the water, a clump of tennis courts, scattered restaurants, several pools,
and the dockside for water sports. The villas are privately owned, but there are
generally rentals available. With two floors, several bedrooms, and patio and
porch, they are perfect for families. Or you can stay at the hotel.
If you don’t go kayaking at Hawk’s Cay, you can try it
further south. It’s about 60 miles to Key West and Stock Island, where we spent
another couple of days, heading back into the water.
Kayaking
 Stock Island is Key West’s lower-rent neighbor, a place
where artists and fisherman find places they can afford, though that won’t last
long. It’s also the jumping off point for a kayaking tour through the mangrove
swamps, an excellent way to see the swamp’s stunning sights. We took the
two-hour trip by Lazy Dog Charters, going through mysterious corridors overhung
with twisting verdant boughs.
 We choose a double kayak rather than a single. I thought my
partner, seated behind, would use his greater strength to give me an easy
journey. Then I twisted around and discovered he had pulled in his paddle and
was sunning himself as I did all the work!
There were just three boats in our small expedition, and we
were led by a skilled naturalist who explained in detail the plant and sea life
we saw along the way. We stopped on a sandbar for a break and more explanations
from our guide.
The sunset cruise
 It’s almost a cliché of Key West that you have to see the
sunset. We’d done that plenty of times from the harbor, but the distance between
us and the departing sun seems great and the crowds spoil the intimacy. We
discovered a better way: from a 65-foot sail boat in a wine-tasting sunset sail
by Danger Charters. There were only about a dozen people aboard. The wine was
serious, described and poured by the boat’s captain before we set sail, with
plenty of refills as well as cheese and other tasty snacks after we got under
way. The sunset was brilliantly red, seeming to surround us and giving a magical
hue to the experience.
Imagine yourself on the boat! (Is the blur from the wine?)
 Hawk’s Cay Resort
61 Hawk's Cay Blvd
Duck Key, FL 33050
http://www.hawkscay.com
(800) 432-2242 information and reservations.
(205) 743-9000 water activities.
Steve and Doris Colgate’s Offshore Sailing School.
http://www.offshoresailing.com.
sail@offshoresailing.com.
(800) 221-4326.
Dolphins information and reservations,
dolphins@hawkscay.com.
(888) 814-9154, (305) 743-7000 x 1220.
Advance reservations recommended and accepted 6 months in advance.
 Lazy Dog Kayak Guides
2-hour kayak tour; 4-hour kayak/snorkel tour; also kayak rentals.
Hurricane Hole Marina (MM4) on US 1
www.lazydogkeywest.com.
(305) 295-9898.
Danger Charters Wine Tasting Sunset Sails
Hilton Marina Slip #7.
http://dangercharters.com.
(305) 296-3272 or (305) 304-7999.
Photos by Lucy Komisar
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