Troop 24 is Going Sailing in the Keys!

Troop 24 is going on a high adventure trip to BSA’s Florida Sea Base on Lower Matecumbe Key in the Florida Keys (Islamorada, Florida) over the Fourth of July weekend of 2015. Why are we bugging you about it now? Because we need to confirm our spots and pay our 50% deposit by October 1.

Who Can Go: Boys who are 1st Class or higher, have finished 8th grade and have the Swimming Merit Badge. We have spots reserved for up to 18 boys. We will also need six adults to accompany the boys (you do not need to be an Adult Leader to accompany the trip).

Where Are We Going: BSA’s Sea Base High Adventure Camp in the Florida Keys on Lower Matecumbe Key, Islamorada, FL.

What Are We Doing: We are going on a Coral Reef Sailing adventure. We will be spending the week on a 40-50 foot sailboat(s). We will explore the Keys and associated Coral Reefs, snorkeling and fishing as we go (no SCUBA on this trip). The entire trip will be overseen by an experienced captain and there will be an opportunity to learn basic sailing skills.

When Are We Going: July 1 to July 9, 2015 (the adventure runs from July 2 to July 8, 2015, with the additional time being travel). Our tentative itinerary starts and ends at the Ft. Lauderdale airport with travel to and from Ft. Lauderdale being arranged separately to allow planning flexibility (there will be an organised group from Chicago or you can use frequent flyer miles, drive your self, travel by Portkey, etc.). When we know who is going we will work out the final itinerary as a group.

What Is It Going to Cost: If we fill all of our slots, the cost should not exceed $1,250 per person, plus the cost of airfare to Ft. Lauderdale (currently $325, but the cost for next July is unknown). The cost will go up the smaller the group gets, a small group may be several hundred dollars more. These are preliminary estimates and probably the total cost will be closer to $1,000 per person in the end.

If your son is even a little bit interested in going on this once in a (Scout’s) life trip, please talk to Michael Murphy (mjmurphy64@gmail.com). We will need a commitment to the trip by Monday, September 29. Commitment will be in the form of a check to the Troop for the initial, nonrefundable, deposit of $500.