Hello!
I'm hoping to gain some knowledge from some of our experienced members here. We are getting ready to head down to the Keys for spring break the first week of April (I do realize the keys may be crowded this time of year, but my wife is a teacher so we either go over spring break or don't go at all). I have done some searching on the forums and found some good info on Marinas and places to go in the keys. However, I'm still in need of more information to get this trip planned out. I'm hoping that someone who is either from the Keys or has spent some time puttering around those parts would be willing to talk to me for a bit and answer some questions. Ideally, I'd like to live on the hook or at a mooring for a couple days, pull into a marina for a night to recharge and freshen up and go back out for a couple days. I'd like to discuss good day sail destinations, sailing conditions, packing lists, trailer parking, SCUBA diving, and whatever else pops into my head. Please feel free to post if you have some good tips, or even better PM me if you would be willing to chat on the phone for a bit. I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,
Joel
Help planning Keys trip
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gatorzip02
- Just Enlisted
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:10 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Cocoa Beach, Fl
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Chinook
- Admiral
- Posts: 1730
- Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2006 7:20 pm
- Location: LeavenworthWA 2002 26x, Suzuki DF60A
Re: Help planning Keys trip
The spot we enjoyed most in the Keys was Bahia Honda State Park. There's a high bridge there, so you can cross from outside to inside waters there without lowering your mast. The anchorage, just outside the marina entrance, provides fair protection, and the marina is nice. The beaches there offer good places to walk, and there are some trails as well. If the seas are calm enough and the waters have warmed up a bit, you can snorkel a nearby coral reef. The fishing in that area also seemed pretty good.
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drams_1999
- Chief Steward
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:04 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: S/V Aquarius Miami, FL
Re: Help planning Keys trip
It just so happens that I am "almost" local to the Keys, being in Miami. I have done some research and scouting for a similar venture, and can offer the following:
Trailer Parking: Either park at South Dade Marina, Pennecamp State Park, Bahia Honda State Park, City Marina at Key West, or Black Point Marina in Homestead. South Dade Marina is probably cheapest. There is also a little-known ramp at Mile Marker 33 bayside that is free, but it is literally at the end of a road, has no security, and no dock. All the other public ramps on US-1 have signs that specifically tell you not to park overnight. I learned all this about 6 months ago when I drove all the way to Key West just to find places to launch.
IMHO, the best diving is in Key Largo. Awesome reefs and awesome wrecks. They have mooring bouys so you only need to have gps coordinates to find them. Don't miss out diving the Speigel Grove and the Bibb or Duane, if you are an experienced diver. Plenty of shallow reefs, namely Molasses reef, the Christ Statue, plenty more. All of them are great. You can moor or dock at Pennecamp, make sure to have a reservation. You can't moor overnight at the reefs.
I prefer to stay Ocean side, my research tells me that the bay side is full of shallows, but with a Mac you can probably manage. The diving is on Ocean side, as are the state parks. If you launch from Black Point, as I have done, you can enjoy a peaceful night at Eliott Key before going out to Hawk channel, which is like I-95 but on the water, and will take you right down to Oceanside Key Largo and all the way to Key West if you stay on it. Alot of people anchor off Coon point in Eliott Key, and off Rodriguez Key in Key Largo. I prefer to pay for a mooring at Pennecamp. There is fuel at Key Largo, but not at Pennecamp. You can also get provisions at Key Largo as well as Bud & Mary's. You can also provision at Key West, within walking distance of the City Marina. You probably want to bring a bike or two, unless long hikes appeal to you. Some parts of US-1 are miles from the grocery store. I had to walk from Pennecamp about 2 or 3 miles to a grocery store. Bahia Honda is very nice, but I haven't sailed in the lower keys yet. I have only made it as far as Islamorada.
Depending on wind speed/direction or motoring, you can get from Miami to Key Largo in about 8 hours and from Key Largo to Islamorada in about 8 hours, much less if you use the iron genny. I use google earth to plan my distances and simple math to do the rest. Winds can be tough to predict, that has been my greatest challenge when planning. Won't know until the actual day which direction it will come from. If you stay inside the reef line, the water is much calmer. As soon as you go out the reef line, you'll feel the difference in most days. My friends prefer to stay inside the reefs and only go out when necessary. I actually don't care but some people are more suceptable (SP) than others to mal de mer.
It sounds like alot of fun, Let me know if you have any questions, if I know the answer I'll be happy to help. Good luck!!
Trailer Parking: Either park at South Dade Marina, Pennecamp State Park, Bahia Honda State Park, City Marina at Key West, or Black Point Marina in Homestead. South Dade Marina is probably cheapest. There is also a little-known ramp at Mile Marker 33 bayside that is free, but it is literally at the end of a road, has no security, and no dock. All the other public ramps on US-1 have signs that specifically tell you not to park overnight. I learned all this about 6 months ago when I drove all the way to Key West just to find places to launch.
IMHO, the best diving is in Key Largo. Awesome reefs and awesome wrecks. They have mooring bouys so you only need to have gps coordinates to find them. Don't miss out diving the Speigel Grove and the Bibb or Duane, if you are an experienced diver. Plenty of shallow reefs, namely Molasses reef, the Christ Statue, plenty more. All of them are great. You can moor or dock at Pennecamp, make sure to have a reservation. You can't moor overnight at the reefs.
I prefer to stay Ocean side, my research tells me that the bay side is full of shallows, but with a Mac you can probably manage. The diving is on Ocean side, as are the state parks. If you launch from Black Point, as I have done, you can enjoy a peaceful night at Eliott Key before going out to Hawk channel, which is like I-95 but on the water, and will take you right down to Oceanside Key Largo and all the way to Key West if you stay on it. Alot of people anchor off Coon point in Eliott Key, and off Rodriguez Key in Key Largo. I prefer to pay for a mooring at Pennecamp. There is fuel at Key Largo, but not at Pennecamp. You can also get provisions at Key Largo as well as Bud & Mary's. You can also provision at Key West, within walking distance of the City Marina. You probably want to bring a bike or two, unless long hikes appeal to you. Some parts of US-1 are miles from the grocery store. I had to walk from Pennecamp about 2 or 3 miles to a grocery store. Bahia Honda is very nice, but I haven't sailed in the lower keys yet. I have only made it as far as Islamorada.
Depending on wind speed/direction or motoring, you can get from Miami to Key Largo in about 8 hours and from Key Largo to Islamorada in about 8 hours, much less if you use the iron genny. I use google earth to plan my distances and simple math to do the rest. Winds can be tough to predict, that has been my greatest challenge when planning. Won't know until the actual day which direction it will come from. If you stay inside the reef line, the water is much calmer. As soon as you go out the reef line, you'll feel the difference in most days. My friends prefer to stay inside the reefs and only go out when necessary. I actually don't care but some people are more suceptable (SP) than others to mal de mer.
It sounds like alot of fun, Let me know if you have any questions, if I know the answer I'll be happy to help. Good luck!!