The Admiral is finally retiring so she and I are interested in trailering our from Texas to the Florida Keys in January and berthing it there for perhaps a month.
We are interested in recommendations from any of you with experience in the area. Great but affordable marinas (that don't charge 40' minimum rates), must see destinations, general advice and gotchas.
i live there so its my cruising area. i can tell you about anything but marinas since i dont make use of them.
my favorite places:
ohio key district, anchored in the cuts on either side of the bridges depending on weather, the west side preferred. there is gas (not rec 90) and limited supplies, and a small marina here. its mostly for the use of the travel trailer resort. id call them before hand to verify availability if you are depending on this location.
the content keys, marvin key, tarpon belly keys and waltze key basin. youll have to move slowly, be able to read the water depth by eye and work the tides in this area. the scary looking * * * denoting coral
heads on the chart do not appear to exist, but i have seen other uncharted coral heads in the small cove on the east end of Sawyer key. if you study this key on google earth you can see some strange groups of large pipes. those can be hiked to. only the keys directly bordering the gulf waters have any land. most others are mangrove. tarpon belly key is the exception. it has the most dry land but is entirely man made. its popular with day trippers. the harbor is suited for large boats, using the marked channel onto the shallow banks from gulf. there are no trash cans anywhere around here, nor supplies. the fring reefs just offshore of Sawyer key, content key and the other keys bordering the gulf definitely exist. be very careful if attempting to use the unmarked tidal passes between the keys. id avoid most of them. some keys have lowtide white sand beaches on the gulf side. do not anchor over night anywhere on the gulf side of these islands no matter how calm the weather. it can become a lee shore hazard quickly. only overnight on the shallow banks side tidal creeks on two anchors (bahamian moor) youll be very protected
boca Grande Key: not too far from key west, and has a better beach than the marquesa keys, which look cool on the chart but arent that interesting.
havent made it out to ft jefferson yet
big pine and newfound harbor: there are some picnic islands here and several protected places to anchor. i have not been to the near shore patch reefs shown on the chart.
bahia honda state park: the harbor is deep, tide ridden, and exposed from the west. lots of places to walk around, they do have a small marina. best call ahead. nice beach by keys standards. they have a snack bar and gift shop. trash disposal. not sure about gas.
long key, long key bight: not much in the bight except protection from bad weather. i anchor off one of the small beaches after working my way into the shallows, in mild weather. lots of hiking and beach combing.
indian key: there are moorings to pick up. i dont. i anchor in the shallows on the west side of the island. good place to walk around, lots of history. the dock was damaged in a storm, i doubt its been fixed yet. there are no trash cans.
tavernier key: this detached key is surrounded by shallows, but on the west side one may find sheltered anchorage. there is a trail on the key, but its hard to locate.
dove creek, dove key, rodreguiz key:
dove creek could offer severe weather refuge and there is some dry land back there, but check the area out by dinghy first. dove key has a scrap of land, and a tiny hardwood hammock ecosystem. there is a not well marked pass between it and the shallows to the west of rodreguiz key. you can anchor on the north east side of dove key in waist deep water.
rodreguiz offers protected anchorage on the west end. the north east side is preferred. note the shoals that extend out from the key in a similar manner to tavernier key.
old mandalay public water access: inshore of rodreguiz key there is a public small boat/fishing access. its on "east 2nd street" google that, then cruise over there and anchor outside the marked channel for the mariners club. youll see the empty lot where you can beach a dinghy. there is a bakery and circle k with rec90 a short walk away.
key largo harbor: full service boat yard, fuel dock. may have slips available. busy busy location.
pennekamp and largo sound: ramp, day trailer parking, state park. no anchoring anywhere in largo sound but they do ofger moorings. worth a day to explore the area. west marine within walking distance.
garden cove: two good restaurants in the canal. i would just take the dinghy in. there is the wreck of a cement barge just offshore.
angelfish creek, cesars creek: lots of exploring by dinghy or with the boat, with caution.
elliots key district: i prefer sands key, west side. its posdible to anchor in the shallows for protection from strong fronts. better then elliotts key. theres a ranger station on elliotts key with restrooms and water.
boca chita, with its lighthouse has a marina for day use. plenty of walking. some historic buildings. soldier key is a nice day anchor spot. there are some fish havens in the small harbor
alabama jacks, barnes sound district: Alabama jacks is along the canal on the west side of the high span bridge. its a popular spot, a lone holdout from the time when the area used to be a hardscrabble fishing village of houseboats and unpermitted shacks.
there are various places to anchor in barnes sound depending on weather. at worst a snug anchorage is never more than an hour away. the canal leading to county line marina passes by what must be the highest point of land in the keys, a very large pile of dredged material. manitee bay is no longer a full service boatyard, it appears to sell new powerboats now.
jewfish creek, blackwater sound: the gateway to the keys. dining, bar, fuel, limited dockspace. plenty of places to anchor out. near by is lake surprise, a good harbor for bad weather. very limited shore access.
further south is rowells park, with bath rooms trash and water fountains. nearby waterfront dining, the carribean club bar, and several resorts. this whole stretch is busy night and day. the adams cut allows mast down passage to largo sound, ocean side, and pennekamp
tarpon basin. used to be a popular cruising stopover, but the county closed the dinghy landing. some holdouts remain. protection from bad weather can be found here, on the west side of the icw markers.
sunset cove: some waterfront dining, upper keys sailing club, good departure point for nest key and florida bay. no shore access for cruisers. sailing club has friday meet, but is otherwise private.
butternut key district: quiet, off the main travel
route anchor spot. shore access forbidden (bird sanctuary)
cowpens cut, toilet seat pass:
toilet seat pass is sail-able in certain winds. cowpens never is.
snake creek bridge, coast guard station:
mast up passage to ocean side. bridge opens hourly.
cotton key, crab key: various anchorages depending on your needs. no dry land on any of these mangrove islands.
islamorada: the jewel of the gulfside, offers many services for cruisers, including shopping, repairs, fine dining and siteseeing. has a good public shore access with trash disposal. the harbor is exposed to the west and northwest but our boats can shelter in the nearby shallow areas provided you have good ground tackle.
lignum vitea key; State park, historic buildings, tours
robbies marina and dining: feed the tarpon
south from long key viaduct bridge: not many harbors until you pass burnt point, and the prominent house on it. just past that is bamboo key, somewhat protected anchorage.
marathon: main population center of the middle keys. boot key harbor offers moorings for a fee. on the gulf side, few anchorages, none for bad northwesterlies. if i was looking at eminent 35 knot cold front, id go down to ohio key and anchor in the creeks, or go under the 7 mile bridge, and try to pick up a mooring in boot key.
pigeon key, mollasses keys; pigeon key is a state park. it has some historic building on it. mollassas keys, out to seaward of the 7 mile bridge, offer a pretty, settled weather harbor. the island is private property.
cape sable, flamingo: a bit more rigorous and certainly leaves you exposed to bad weather. the cape beach is amazing. probably more of an october/november excursion.
When I am in waters unknown to me, and am looking for marinas, I use these two apps: Dockwa* and Snag-A-Slip. Waterway Guide also has an app about marinas, but I believe it shows marinas in whatever your location is at that moment; not much help in planing when you are a thousand miles away.
You might also do a search for SKIPPER BOB ANCHORAGES ALONG THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY ICW. It lists marinas from the Hudson River to Key West.
* If you are a member of BOATUS, you get a discount at Dockwa
re: launch and leave: try Countyline Marina. Its way off the beaten path but it seems like they deal mostly with trailerable sailboats. There is a storage lot in key largo which seems to offer longterm storage of vehicles. It should come up on a google search. Its only a few miles from pennekamp state park which has a good ramp. there is also a place called the yellow baithouse which has a small storage lot. this is even closer to pennekamp.
heres a few other spots of interest to cruisers also:
there is a public ramp, and poorly maintained park about a mile or two south of Bamboo key. leave Bamboo key anchorage, and proceed along the shore, past a very small private island and keep on until you see some coconut palms and a small lighthouse. which i dont think is actually lit. theres a basin, and ramp with a dock, and trash desposal. there is a decent restaurant next door, and a gas station across the quite busy highway.
the restaurant also has docks, much nicer ones, for its patrons to use. if you did not like the look of the parks ramp and dock, you could leave your dinghy here while you did other errands, for the price of a burger. this area is quite busy so if you anchor, expect wakes. youll see a nearby detached rock in this area. its only a few feet out of the water. there are several of these very low obstructions, as you make your way along this stretch of shore.
this is not an area to be poking around at night, say, looking for a place to anchor.
the city of layton, more like a village, has a quikmart sundries store which is accessible by dingy on the gulf side. if you locate the city on google earth, and zoom in. youll see the roadway, and where it goes closer to the water. there is a seawall there and right across the road is the sundries shop. the seawall isnt very dinghy friendly but you could anchor it off. no trash cans here.
regarding trash disposal: there are trash cans on the bridges used as fishing spots. those are the remains of the old railroad bridges, and theres usually some parking, trashcans, and sometimes a boatramp)
Cow key "harbor" and creek
this area is where the famous key west houseboats of years past where moored, before a wealthy land developer convinced the city to remove them. now its a collection of small derelict boats most of which dont appear to be occupied. not much space to anchor and still be clear of the well traveled creek. its pretty protected from weather though. there is a very high seawall on the sw shore, with limited dinghy access. above it is the roadway which leads completely around the island. !!!BEWARE!!! of the old pipes sticking up, some yards offshore of this seawall. these were used to secure the houseboats, and are just below the surface. i hit one with my boat, luckily i was going very slow.
this area is one of the very few places to access the shore from a boat, without getting a slip. so if i seem to go on about it, thats why. i had groceries delivered from a local small supermarket and met the driver at the seawall. i do not recommend leaving the yacht, or dingy, bicycles, children, pets or spouses unattended in this area. a private island called Thombson key has a nice house on it. if you travel further long cow creek channel, youll see some commercial buildings, and docks. a jet ski rental, boat rentals. i did get gas here once, but i anchored out and took the dinghy in. by all means study google earth for this location. there appears to be an "11th st boatramp" accessible under a small bridge and down a long canal. dropping someone off there instead if the aforementioned high seawall might save them a lot of walking.
boca chita channel and key haven ramp: this is your best bet for protection from severe weather in the key west district. it is shallow and well protected on all sides. on the ne side of the derelict vessel strewn lagoon is a fancy looking marina. because of this, i assume, the entrance to the lagoon is well marked. there are commercial fishing boats docked on the sw shore. as far as i can tell there is *no* tourist appeal to this place. the numerous derelict or abandoned boats give the whole place a sketchy vibe. ive anchored in here a few times before due to weather and did not investigate the key haven boat ramp. but ive been by it while driving. just as sketchy looking from land. it is a place to call and meet an uber or something if needed. proceed with extreme caution due to possible submerged wrecks. pass on swimming, too.
ive not been to boca chita beach because the only time i stop here is when the weathers bad. looks nice from google earth though.
islamorada cove: a little sw of indian key, oceanside, its possible to anchor in shallow water and wade or dinghy to the shore. theres a gas station and cuban deli a short walk away. obviously use care in windy onshore conditions, but if you have a lee, you can nearly beach the boat and hop off.
tavernier old settles park:
day use park in walking distance to ace hardware, dining, fun thrift shop, phone repair place. you can anchor the boat a little ways off, and dingy in, but youll also have to anchor the dinghy off the rocks. the parks gate is locked at dusk. this is a pretty well to do neighborhood, but i wouldnt leave the dinghy there for more than an hour or two, only because of curious park users.
Greetings. I have trailered my V25 down from the Chesapeake 4 times, staying from 2-3 each time. Once in Jan-Feb, once mid March, once mid April and once April-May. While the temperatures were much better than back in Maryland, the winds were mostly on the high side for nice, comfortable sailing in our boats ( it would be perfect for my Island Packet). And depending which direction you sail, you might have to wait for days to be able to go back the way you came. The Gulf side will be more comfortable, but doesn’t offer wide open long sails like the ocean side, except in Biscayne Bay, which was by far my favorite sailing area. I launched, and left my tow rig at South Dade Marina. It’s a pretty basic, no frills place, but was the best value. Bahia Honda park is also a good deal. You’re just about in the middle of the Keys, and can go ocean side or bay side without sailing too far (you can get Bay side there if you drop your mast or sail North towards Marathon where part of the Seven Mile bridge has enough height). Check the historical wind speeds and temperatures to be sure January would suite you. My next trip will be mid May-June I think. Let us know what your experience was when you return.
In fact, this gives me the idea that maybe we should have port captains for other locations. Someone new visitors can call on for expert advice on the region they are planning to visit.
from Texas to the Florida Keys in January and berthing it there for perhaps a month.
