There were about a dozen of us on board from all walks of life. As we departed on the giant catamaran (it has a capacity of about 40+!), we were given our snorkeling equipment and had our first (soft) drinks, getting to know the other people. It was good that there were so few of us, as it seemed a lot more personal than it would have with a large group. In high season it is important to remember that they ask you to arrive an hour before cast off--it does have a large covered area with seats and tables, but many people on a full trip would be sitting on the deck outside, so be early if you want good seats!

It took around 45 minutes to get to the snorkeling area and, as we approached, we had a quick lesson on how to snorkel safely with the equipment provided (mask, snorkel, flippers, and inflatable buoyancy vest). At the snorkeling site, we snorkeled for about an hour, which went very quickly. We saw many types of beautiful tropical fish, and some great coral formations. The reef here is very close (3-4 feet) to the surface in some places, so we had to be careful not to damage it--or ourselves!

Even in February, the water was fine, if a little choppy and we’d definitely had a good work out by the time we got back to the boat for the (now) alcoholic drinks! On the return, I got a chance to pilot the vessel, which was great fun!

Mother Nature provided us with a spectacular ‘final curtain’ on the evening in the form of a sublime Key West sunset, giving us a spring in the step for the balmy evening as we made a beeline for Duval St.!

On the day of our sail, we arrived an hour before our departure time, as requested. This hour was used to check in, board the boat, get our snorkeling equipment, learn the rules, and get a quick picture taken of our group. Some words of advice: get there on time to get checked in so you can be one of the first people on the boat, so you can get a seat and a table. The free "drinks" included draft domestic beer, wine, soft drinks, and water. Mixed drinks, bottled beers, and "premium" wines cost $4-$5. None of the alcoholic beverages would be available until after the snorkeling. The boat was a huge, fairly new catamaran, with a large covered area with tables and benches and the bar, and a deck around the outside of the covered area. On our particular sail (Weds from 1:30 to 4:30), the boat was filled primarily with college-aged girls, a few guys, and a few families.

It took about 45 minutes to get to where we would snorkel. Beforehand, we had a quick lesson on snorkeling with the provided equipment (mask, snorkel, flippers, and inflatable "buoyancy" vest), and how to get off/on the boat. At the snorkeling sight, we were allowed to snorkel for about an hour. The hour flew by as we saw many types of coral, underwater caverns, many very colorful tropical fish, and all kinds of neat stuff. The coral reef is very close (3 feet) to the top of the water in some places, so we had to be careful not to touch it.

Once back on the boat, we just relaxed. We were too exhausted to even drink beer. After we got back, the pictures they had taken were available for $10, with extra copies for $5. We all bought one... we couldn't resist. The other three girls in my group also bought Sebago t-shirts for $14 each.

Sebago also offers parasailing and some other stuff. Go to their website @ http://www.sebagocatamarans.com/.