My experience proves using a some kind of "soft rack" to protect a 4-door
rental car can work. My soft rack is two pieces of 3-inch thick rubber
which are strapped to the board. The board is then secured to the car with
ropes that go through the doors and over the board several times and are
eventually tied to the door posts. (This system does not work with a two
door car.) Then the nose and stern of the board are secured with additional
ropes to the front and rear of the car. Each time the soft rack is put on
the car it must be brushed off. Carefully check for and remove any sand or
grit before putting the soft rack on the car. The mast and boom are tied to
the board. Soft foam is wrapped around the mast at the contact points and
secured with line of some kind. Whether foam is needed to protect the board
from the boom depends on the boom.

I used that system on a trip that covered about 500 miles of driving with
the board loaded. In the 7 loadings and unloadings the rental car did not
suffer any visible damage.

About 4 years ago, I bought a complete used set-up from a rental place on
the southern Oregon coast for $300, windsurfed 4 times along the coast and
then went inland to Hood River for 3 more sessions. I spent less than $50
more to ship home the boom, sail and fin. The one-piece aluminum mast was
left at a consignment shop which eventually sent me a little over $30. The
board was donated to a group in Hood River that teaches kids. The stuff I
bought was inexpensive because it was "very used". But it worked.

My only experience in the Keys was about 8 years ago in March. I think the
only place I saw where windsurfers could be rented was around Key Largo or
Islamorada. If I was going to the Keys again I'd seriously check out what I
could buy cheaply in Miami. Or what I could rent cheaply in Miami.

Good luck

Del Carpenter







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