Hey y’all, what’s up and stuff! 

My name is Hans and I’m a Captain and co-owner of Sea Monkey Charters, and I’m just a lifelong island boy who loves the water. 

My partner in crime—both in life and on the water—is my legendary wife, Courtney, but most just call her CoCo. 

She’s not just my better half; she’s also the head athleisure wear specialist, and brains behind it all, over at CoCo’s Monkey. This is a cool little shop at 103 Simonton St. and If you’re into ocean vibes, love the animals, or just enjoy a refreshing drink, you’ll feel right at home there.

CoCo’s Monkey is where all of our monkeys started, and where the name of our charter business comes from. 

Coco has been my wife’s nickname since she started playing tennis in grade school. And her four legged side kick, Molly, was nicknamed Monkey. Molly was a Boxer breed dog and her squishy little monkey face was how she got that nickname. As the store took form it became a source of animal and ocean inspired clothing, gifts and drink wear. And in short became CoCo’s Monkey. Once that took form it was a short road for me to become my family’s Sea Monkey. And here we are today, with Sea Monkey Charters. A key west dog friendly charter business. 

FROM ALASKA TO THE KEYS

I started my life in the keys as a transplant from Kodiak Alaska at the age of 9. And my sea legs didn’t kick in until I was a teenager working as a sailing instructor and parasail mate down at Smathers Beach here in Key West. From that first salty breeze, and that crazy sun bleached lifestyle, I was hooked. Fast forward 35 years—I’ve been a parasail captain, a mechanic, a business owner, and a wandering beach boy - you name it. I’ve had the honor (and a whole lot of fun) introducing folks to the wild, wonderful world of the ocean all around the country and the world. But, in my experience, nothing beats the colors changes in the shallow complex waters of the Lower Florida Keys Backcountry. 

Back in the day, my buddies and I used to tear around the mangrove islands, zipping through shallow water channels that didn’t even have markers. We’d get lost, laugh about it(“helloooo….compassss?!”- Paxton😆), and then find our way back. Those adventures sparked my love for exploring—finding those hidden gems off the beaten path. That’s what I still love doing: showing people spots they’d never find on their own.

One of the best parts of this gig? Meeting new people. CoCo always jokes that I like chatting up strangers more than hanging with folks I already know. Maybe she’s right—that’s probably why I moved from quick one hour parasail trips to laid-back four, six, and eight hour private sandbar charters. There’s just something about sitting in cool, shallow water with a cold drink that gets the conversation flowing. Sometimes it’s with the people on your boat, sometimes it’s with someone floating over from the next boat—if there even is one nearby.

My love for dogs came from a life raised by a dog loving hippy. I was born in Longmont Colorado, because that’s where the hippy van stopped to let us out. And throughout my entire life we were never without a dog, or two, by our sides. 

Living briefly in Kodiak Alaska until I was six or seven, we once had a beagle named Ray. And no matter where I was Ray was always by my side. If my dad whistled for Ray to come home, Ray would bark at me until I fallowed him home. And if I didn’t fallow, Ray would latch onto my pants and pull me until I did. 

I’ve never been without a dog by my side, ever. Even to the point where I raised a Chocolate Lab, Soggy was her name, from 8 weeks old. And she would go to work with me every day on a parasail boat, meeting new people every hour. 

And there is no better place to see your best friend run, swim, play, and have the time of their life,  than on a shallow water sandbar in the middle of nowhere. 

And this is the mindset behind a dog friendly sandbar charter business. Because you can have fun on a sandbar, and so should your dog. 

Key West is home now, but I’ve had my fair share of adventures elsewhere—from the busy beaches of Jersey to the laid-back shores of Ocracoke, NC, and Countries beyond. Every place has added a little something to my love for the salty life. Whether I’m hosting a boat party Key West style or reminiscing about learning to kneeboard in the now speed-limited Mud Keys, it’s all part of the story.

I’ve spent years tracking down the coolest, most scenic sandbars and islands to share with my friends and guests. If sneaking through shallow water channels and finding hidden sandbars tucked away in the mangroves sounds like your kind of thing, hop on board with me and the Sea Monkey Charters crew. We’ll show you the Lower Keys like you’ve never seen ‘em.

And hey, if you catch me at my favorite watering hole during happy hour, don’t be shy—come say hi! I’m always down to swap sea stories over a cold drink.

Thank you,

Hans Lindsey 

Sea Monkey Charters