BSA Sea Base Sailing Adventure Insider Tips and Knowledge

Sea Base location, on Lower Matecumbe in Islamorada Thousands of adults and scouts have gone on Sea Base Keys high adventure sailing, snorkeling and fishing trips, with overnighting at sea and on islands! Here are their collective tips, tricks and insider knowledge from their trips. Just what you need to know, before you go!

First, other pages you will want to see:

Note - we are NOT affiliated with BSA or Sea Base, just scouts and scouters trying to help other scouts and scouters!

Tips, Tricks and Vital Information

Pre-Departing Home:

Remember cash to pay transport van. (Arrange with Franklin ahead of time.)
Also bring cash to tip the captain. $20 pp is usual)
Practice snorkel gear skills: put on a snorkel, get in the deep end of a pool with flippers and swimm and tread water and practicing snorkeling.
Learn before you go -
Practice sailing terms (port, starboard, aft, bow, stern, etc.) ahead of time. See this page of boating and sailing terms.
See the Sea Base Fish Identification Guide and learn the reef fish ahead of your trip
This guide Majestic Depths is fascinating
Learn about sailingGuide to High Adventure Sailing

Arrival

Required Paperwork: Please be sure to bring a physical copy of all required paperwork. Find forms here.
Restrictions: Make sure that everyone has checked the box on the health form that says “no restrictions”, or they will ask you about it.
Immunizations: You must have an actual date for the tetanus shot. The year is sufficient, but you can’t just write “up to date” or “current”.
Check in on the boats is easy, if you make sure your paperwork is sorted by crew ,each boat and each individual had a folder with their name and all associated paperwork (all copies, no originals were brought) See forms organizing tips here.
Leave on land: Sea Base provides your group with lockers (you must bring your own lock) and you can leave things in the lockers that your will not need on the boat: car keys, clean clothes for the trip home, electronics, anything not allowed on the boat, any other bags for travel, etc.
Swim checks no big deal, minimal and nothing to worry about
Captains: Keep in mind that the boat is both their home and their source of all income. Ya gotta follow their rules...
You work!: Youth and adult participants will cook, clean, hoist sails and more.

Medical and group supplies

Bring extra carabiners, for those that break or go overboard. Do NOT use plastic carabiners. They break too easily, and there are no problems with noise from the metal ones.
Sleep in a T-shirt or long sleeve and keep its dry and only worn at night. Ditto for a pair of shorts or light pants for sleeping to avoid bug bites. "Cool" or Heat Gear aare wonderful inexpensve brands sold at Costco.
First aid items: keep these readily accessible:
Dramamine or Bonine, pretty much just on your first day on the water. Most people adapt quickly.
Ace wrap and gauze bandage are useful.
Aftersun, or Aloe Vera. Note: MANY of these items are rarely used, so your crew may want to simply include them in the crew kit.
Solid vs. Liquid form: Pills/gelpacks/gummies work better on boats than liquids which will spill on a rolling boat!
Don’t let scouts self-medicate
Clothespins - Bring wooden clothespins - much better for the sea environment if one of those falls off the boat rather than the plastic clothespins for hanging suits and towels on railings and boat lines to dry.
Choices are: heavy duty plastic clothespins, or Large Wooden Clothespins, or Metal clothes clamps or Strong Grip Clothes Pins or Strong wooden clothespins. A pack of 50 regular size pins is about $2 at Wal-Mart.
Apparently, Sea Base and the boat captains are all over the map of this: some say bring wooden ones as they are much better for the sea environment if one of those falls off the boat rather than the plastic clothespins. Others tell you the plastic or metal ones are better. I'll ask around when I'm at Sea Base in a few weeks.
You MAY also want Paracord 550, especially if you are using clamps.

Gear

Water bottles: Metal and aluminum water bottles are prohibited for Sailing Programs. Glass water bottles are prohibited on all Sea Base adventures. You are expected to get a Nalgene 32 oz BAP-Free Wide Mouth Water Bottle and an insulated matching insulated carrier / coozy.
Snorkel and mask: The sea bass mask is adequate. But compared to comparable alternatives it's expensive and not the best you can get for the same money . It's just a generic mask. See this page for mask and snorkel alternatives . You can either get something cheaper that is probably a little bit better or you can buy something that's substantially better for the same or a little bit more money. But either way the sea base masks are one size fits all and if it doesn't fit you very well it'll be uncomfortable or leak or fog. At least if you find a mask before you go to sea base you can find one that fits or return it and get a different one .
Electronics - You'll want to keep the phone dry with a waterproof phone pouch, mini dry bag for phone, keys, wallet, etc.
You will also want some battery power packs.
Underwater photography gear: If one person in your crew has a good ( GoPro, DJI Insta360 ) underwater camera, you will probably only want an inexpensive underwater camera, like a single use camera or generic underwater camera (both under $50) kind of camera. Which could be a phone. See this page for everything you will need to know about underwater cameras, cases, photography and the gear to get. Some troops supply each crew with these Fujifilm One-Time-Use cameras; this keeps the scouts off their phones or damaging their phones in the water!
If you do want an underwater action camera, don’t go cheap on knock offs, some failed quickly, GoPro Hero12 or 13 worked great (was able to charge batteries on boat). There are equal and better now brands now, too, like Insta360 Ace Pro 2 and DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro.

Human dynamics

Buddy pairs are more effective when the scouts choose each other (with a few exceptions)
Favorite things included the Luau as a group and final RBT.
Crews: How well your crew works together really depends upon each of you. Get next level protection most scout troops have the best adults I've ever seen and we'll work together naturally but if you have a dysfunctional individual or two, you may consider a crew contract - being respectful, language, shared duties, etc.
Rose bud thorn - done every evening with a quiet crew
Awards: discuss with crew leaders ahead of time (duty to god, captains club, SCENE, snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking) so those chosen were based on agreed attributes.

Meals

Galley Duty: Every crew member should also participate in cooking and cleaning. Sample Galley Duty Roster and menu. Create a meal plan and menu first thing when you are on the boat. Small spaces mean it's best to cook in pairs.
Start Meal Prep EARLY: Meal preparation always seems to take longer than you would expect. Encourage your Scouts to start cooking earlier than they think they need to.
Food is typically pork chops, burgers, hotdogs, pasta, chicken, Mac and cheese, potatoes, eggs, turkey bacon, milk, apples, oranges, pineapple, lettuce, tomato, onion, nature valley granola bars, Cheerios, fruit cups, pringles, bread, mayo, mustard, oatmeal packets, pop tarts, pancake mix, plenty of spices, cookies etc.
Cooking: some boats have propane grills and a stove, other boats have a stove and oven.
Meals: Sea Base provides meals, eating utensils, dishes, and cooking equipment. Crews do not need to bring additional items for meals or cooking.
Snacks: Bring snacks! Scouts are always hungry and the gift shop snacks are expensive!
Food storage - The refrigerator is small and packed tight. Vegetables placed too close to the cooling plate or in the very bottom can freeze and be ruined.
Water management: There are two large water coolers mounted near the mast. Fill your water bottle before getting underway each day
Other comments concerning food and drink:
Onland: Bring electrolyte packets, as only water is provided in the cafeteria
At sea: Liquid water flavor enhancers/electrolytes were prefered, less messy than powders and encourage hydration.
Food: There was a lot of bored eating, so consider hiding the snacks...
Have a discussion during parent meeting about being respectful of food and aware that it’s for everyone - consider a crew contract.
Captain's rule: No eating downstairs in the cabin

Evenings

Bring decks of playing cards for on boat fun, or for on-land, a football or Frisbee, for something to do in evening

Sleeping

Onboard Sleeping: Most sailing participants choose to sleep on deck. Below deck housing is HOT and cramped. Adults took cockpit and boys took everywhere else.
It often rains every night, so you might want a 6' by 8' waterproof tarp or emergency blanket or cover to use at night.
Sleeping is cramped... but that’s the fun of it,
Sleeping gear, (see this page) crews report:
any inflatable pad will work,
all used Sleeping bag insert / liners that were thin like bed sheets, plenty warm,
inflatable pillows work fine, just be sure to tie them down or put them inside the pocket in the liner. That said, some report that most didn’t strap any gear down, and didn't lose any gear overboard. I find that hard to believe, tough.
Anchor Watch: Every member of your crew will take part in anchor watch. See this Sample Anchor Watch Schedule.

Toilet, the "head"

Toilet, aka, "the head": NOTHING other than poop and pee may be deposited into the toilet. I've heard there are exceptions; On some boats, crews were told toilet paper was to be flushed and not put in the trash. Most boats toilets have a hand pump that pumped the ocean water into flush.
Direct your vomit overboard. The fishies will appreciate it, and it will be less mess and smell onboard, and less trash to haul off.
Paper products, including toilet paper, must be bagged and deposited in a trash receptacle. Many crews bring dog poop bags for this.
Listen to the captains, no one wants to unclog a toilet with minimal water, Bring dog poop bags so each person could tie off their used toilet paper before putting it in trash, That really helps control the smell. Also best if each scout brings wet wipes, which helps reduce paper usage.
Teach scouts what a courtesy flush is: flush half your poop before finishing the other half, This helps prevent clogged toilets.
If there is more than one Head: Assign specific people to each head at the beginning of the trip. If everyone uses whichever one they want, you’ll fill one holding tank long before the other and create problems.

Miscellaneous tips

Bring wooden clothespins - Strong wooden clothespins are much better for the sea environment if one of those falls off the boat rather than the plastic clothespins.
Have a "dry outfit" for the boat - different from sleepwear, to have when you are done being in the water for the day, like dinnertime.
Snorkel comfort - Make sure everyone is comfortable with the exact snorkel they are bringing on the trip.
Tip captains? Bring cash as a tip for the captain.
Souvenirs: You can make Class B rash guards for your group via Custom Ink.
Solar chargers do not work well enough. Keep phones turned off as much as possible and bring backup batteries.
Other useful stuff to bring:
Clothespins, extra spices and hot sauce, personal adult coffee cups
Pennekamp State Park has washing machines available at if you have a mid-week stop there.

Sun, Snorkeling, Swimming and Bugs

Snorkeling: bring defog for masks, much better lasting than "spit". See this page about masks, snorkels, defog solutions and related info.
Swim suits without liners reduce chaffing, Wear compressions shorts under. You will wear the same bathing suit/swim shirt from sun up until done swimming in the evening,
Dry shorts (and undies) to lounge in and sleep in make the evening/nighttime more comfortable.
Sunscreen: blue lizard worked best according to many participants, and it is reef-safe.
Deet - Don’t forget non-aerosol insect repellant, like the Deet towellette packets kind! You won’t need it while sailing, but you will definitely need it mid-week at Pennekamp State Park, or if you camp on Big Munson Island or at Camp Jackson Sawyer before or after your adventure.
Participants must wear a snorkeling PFD, stay within arm’s reach of their buddy, and never take, touch, or harass underwater species including coral. Participants must provide their own mask & snorkel. Sea Base will provide fins, a snorkel vest and mesh bag. You should practice using a snorkel, mask and fins before coming to Sea Base.

Fishing

Fishing Licenses: You do not need to purchase a fishing license for sailing/ boat adventures. This ship holds one for all on the boat.
Midweek: Some vessels may make a midweek call at John Pennekamp State Park, Safe Harbor Marathon, or Banana Bay Resort and Marina. V
If the vessel stops for midweek, crews will clean the vessel, take out the garbage, and ensure that the vessel is secure. Participants will then have access to marina facilities Including restrooms and showers. Crews must stay together during the midweek and may not leave the midweek location. It is the responsibility of the crew leader and adult leaders to ensure that marina rules are followed. Crews are responsible for leaving the facilities better than they found them. Youth and adult participants often like to purchase snacks or drinks at their midweek destination.
Please plan to bring a limited amount of cash if you would like to purchase snacks. Youth must ALWAYS be accompanied by an adult at midweek destination.
Bait storage: The bait cooler works well, but the Florida heat can be relentless. Your bait can become cooked and useless from the sun by the second day.

Final Day at Sea & Departure:

Participants will return to Sea Base between 8:30am-9:30am on their departure day. Upon docking your crew will be responsible for cleaning the vessel, disposing of trash, and gathering personal gear. Your unit will then check in any Sea Base provided gear. Crews will have the opportunity to shower and visit the Ship Store.
Tipping the captains: it is convention for crews to tip the captain of their boat. The consensus is $20 per crew member. Some tip $25 per person.
Departure Time: Crews are asked to depart Sea Base no later than 11:00am.

Official 2026 Participants Guides

In addition to these tips from former participants, see the Participants Guide for your specific trip, such as the "Sailing Participants Guide", which I highly recommend you read! Click on your adventure's PDF guide at right.