recent Marqueses keys visitors

[Ixneigh]

I've decided to take the boat down to the marqueses after looking at the charts and on line. Since I live in key largo its a bit of a hike. I am willing to use the boat as a powerboat if the winds are unfavorable, and want to spend at least a week there. Anyone here visited that area in the past year or so? Advice, tips, things to avoid ect.? Thanks
Ix

[DanInCanton]

Robert F. Burgess has a short chapter detailing a late-1980s cruise to Key Largo and the Marqueses Keys in his book "Handbook of Trailer Sailing". Stumbling across that book at the local library so many years ago is one of the things that inspired me to take up sailing. It's long out of print, but Amazon.com has some used copies available for around $5.

http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Trailer- ... er+sailing

I hope to make my own trip there early next year, so please do post some photos and stories somewhere for us to enjoy.

Dan

[Ixneigh]

First stop Tavernier Key. Oceanside upper Keys. It's a nice anchorage. Our boats can anchor at the west end in 3 ft of water.
there is good holding and the only bad exposure is from the n or ne.
Be careful to stay outside the no motor bouys because of obstructions
Winds are moderate but forcast to pick up later in the week.
the cruising guide I have takes a dim view of my destination. They dont think its worth the trouble.
I plan to pick up Indian key tomarrow.

[Ixneigh]

Skipped Indian key and anchored in long key bight instead. Had a good breeze in the morning but it subsided so I finished the day motoring in sloppy conditions. Hit the daggerboard on some grassy areas leaving tavernier but I only had the main up. No damage except for slight denting of the back edge. I will beef that up this summer while the boats out. Boat was well behaved under reefed main and working jib. Could have used a genny later but then the wind gave out completely. Had to tie stuff down below but got things sorted out eventually.
The water is like bathwater here, and the bottom is firm mud and grass. Not bad. Going to be buggy though.

[Ixneigh]

Parked at Marathon behind Boot Key. I have changed my destination due to unfavorable weather. If the wind abates I may visit Big Spanish harbor, otherwise i will stay in the middle keys. It would appear that the marqueses area is of more interest to fishermen. There is an island with a beach on it but most of the rest is marsh. Still would like to see it, but in settled weather.
Ix

[fdeoreo]

Ixneigh,

thanks for posting. I have been following your journey. I live outside of Tampa and have always dreamed of going to the marquesas/dry tortugas but it may end up being on a tour by big boat or seaplane. Glad to see someone out enjoying the weather, it has been a very nice spring up here around Tampa this year.

francis joshua

[Retcoastie]

I have been there several times. It is an easy trip (if weather holds). There are inlets on the SE, S, and NW side, but you can see that on your charts. I have not used the NW inlet. The others lead into the interior lagoon. Access is in channels. Go very slowly, they end quickly as the entire area is shallow.
The SE has the largest anchor hole and will offer good holding and protection. No-see-ums are a problem. They don't bite me too bad but made a feast of the buddy boat admiral one night. She refused to stay a second night. Entering the SE, stay well to the S in the channel.
The shoreline to the E and N is very shallow way out. Macs love it. If the winds are kind the north beach is great. It goes for miles and no-one will bother you. Just watch the tides. I have spent restful nights aground there.

Have fun.

[DaveB]

I origanaly had noseam screens on hatchway and forward hatch , the mesh is so fine it restricted air to cabin. I redone it with reg. screen and spray a anti bug over it.
This prevents noseams and gives good wind flow.We also use the wick type and wax anti bug control.Also have the belt clip on when on beach.
All screen aler velcro with the non sticky self adhisive
We have fans that keep us cool. and sugust plain backing with fast cure 3m 4200 .
Here in SW FL the bugs are out there in full form last few days.
Dave

I have been there several times. It is an easy trip (if weather holds). There are inlets on the SE, S, and NW side, but you can see that on your charts. I have not used the NW inlet. The others lead into the interior lagoon. Access is in channels. Go very slowly, they end quickly as the entire area is shallow.
The SE has the largest anchor hole and will offer good holding and protection. No-see-ums are a problem. They don't bite me too bad but made a feast of the buddy boat admiral one night. She refused to stay a second night. Entering the SE, stay well to the S in the channel.
The shoreline to the E and N is very shallow way out. Macs love it. If the winds are kind the north beach is great. It goes for miles and no-one will bother you. Just watch the tides. I have spent restful nights aground there.

Have fun.

[Ixneigh]

My trip was scrubbed due to strong winds, a few days of feeling poorly and a fubar at work that got sorted out but not before I had motored back to long key from marathon in horrible east winds. I am.now back in marathon but on the bay side by bamboo key. I plan to spend a few days at what had been my original destination, the Content keys and area. Bamboo key and surrounding area has been a delight in easterly winds. I spent all day motoring right up along the shore sight seeing all the beautiful houses, even houses built on tiny islands. I sailed back to bamboo key for tonight with just a main, in brisk winds but no waves at all. I can highly recommend this anchoring spot (fat deer key) in summer wind patterns, east south. There is a nature trail on shore (not the little bamboo key, that's liturally for the birds) and a public ramp and park less then a mile away. Also a dockside grill ( no dogs) and ice and jiffy marts across the road. Plenty of water for our boats. Lots of places to anchor in the lee of the marathon vaca key area.
The one down side is highway noise. You can hear it pretty much everywhere in this stretch. The water seems very clean though. That's a plus for me since I like to swim. There are plenty of places to bring dogs ashore. Several small keys have no buildings on them, and along shore there are places where hard land and not just mangroves and muck, is right there. Rachel key is one, it does not look as covered with bird poo as bamboo key, obviously a rookery. There is an unnamed key not too far from Rachel key that looked good for dogs too. But I did not go on that one. I can't report on dockage and marinas since I avoid docks. Everything is hard to figure out since there is NO water front signage whatever. I only found the grill by coming right up close to shore where I could see the fining area. Likewise with the ( not shown on my charts) ramp. The one easy landmark, the faro Blanco light house, still is out of operation. The lighthouse structure remains though. Although lots of places to drop a hook in the western end of marathon, there is little privacy. That's why I returned to the fat deer key- bamboo key anchorage for tonight. I would spend my southwest, west and north winds in big Spanish channel and come back here in the north east east and south east winds to grab ice drinks a meal ashore and fuel.
on the ocean side of this area, boot key has a pleasent lee in.easterly winds without having to enter the harbor that is cheek to jowls crowded. There is a radio tower on boot key and a canal that goes to it. This canal is deep and might provide serious shelter from strong northers. With caution I'd try it at any rate. The canal is used but there are spaces to get out of the way.

[Sumner]

Thanks for the update, good info . We stayed down at Fanny Keys on the Gulf Side for a few days and enjoyed it, but would like to try the area you mentioned next trip. We also want to go down past Big Spanish to the area between there and Key West just past Content Keys. I just can't find much info on that area but it looks very interesting on the charts. Have you ever spent any time in that area?

We found we could take our dinghy to Keys Fisheriers .....

http://www.keysfisheries.com/

.... and go ashore there while on the Gulf side. We walked to some places but found out that it is about $5.00 to take a cab anywhere in that area which worked well while replenishing supplies.

Sum

[apsaunders]

My wife and I would like to trailer our down to Marathon to spend a week sailing around that area. Is there any place that you know of where we could leave our vehicle and trailer? It would be great to access our vehicle for the occasional eateries in the evenings. Any help would be appreciated. We will be there mid to late June.

[wincrasher26]

Growing up in Florida, I always found June thru August to be miserable. Humidity is at it's maximum and rainstorms every single afternoon. Wouldn't the keys be alot more pleasant October-April?

[apsaunders]

I grew up in Homestead, which is about as far south as you can get before reaching the keys with the exception of Florida City. I know the humidity and temps are not the best, but the wife is a school teacher. Not too many choices left to us.

I have found Sumner's logs and information so valuable. He and his wife should write a book. Hope to be able to meet them one day to thank them personally. We bought our 2007 after reading their trip journals.

We have decided to either stay at the Marathon City Marina or at the Marathon Marina and Boat Yard. Any one who would like to voice their opinion on either one would help us make our decision.

[Russ]

I have found Sumner's logs and information so valuable. He and his wife should write a book. Hope to be able to meet them one day to thank them personally.

Sumner's blog is a valuable resource. He has a donate button for those wishing to thank him and help keep his blog financed.

--Russ

[Russ]

I have found Sumner's logs and information so valuable. He and his wife should write a book. Hope to be able to meet them one day to thank them personally.

Sumner's blog is a valuable resource. He has a donate button for those wishing to thank him and help keep his blog financed.

--Russ