Cruising to Key West

[hd12121]

We are considering a cruise to Key West this summer from our home port near Clearwater Fl. It is 250 miles following the coast. Has anyone done the trip? Is cutting the corner from Marco Island, weather permitting, a better idea? What about depth, sandbars and reefs? Whats a good marina near Duval Street? How 'bout water depth near shore? Any other suggestions? We are a 310 Sundancer. (expected fuel burn is 833 gallons)

 

[Asureyez]

We are considering a cruise to Key West this summer from our home port near Clearwater Fl. It is 250 miles following the coast. Has anyone done the trip? Is cutting the corner from Marco Island, weather permitting, a better idea? What about depth, sandbars and reefs? Whats a good marina near Duval Street? How 'bout water depth near shore? Any other suggestions? We are a 310 Sundancer. (expected fuel burn is 833 gallons)

Not sure how to help you on the cutting the corner at Marco, as you didn't stae what your first port in the keys was to be.

In KW, The Galleon, A & B Marina are both good facilities on floating docks. Conch Harbor also in KW Bight is third on the list. Thes eare just blocks from Duvall and well within "stumble home" distance.

 

[Mystic Dreamer]

I did this trip last year and it was a very enjoyable cruise. It took me about 10 hours from St. Petersburg- I followed the coast down to Marco where I stopped for lunch and fuel- then it was on to Key West where we stayed at the Galleon Marina, which is right next to A&B. I would highly recommend the Galleon.

Just plot out the course on the chart- you will need to leave the coast and go out around the sea bouy of Boca Grande Pass to avoid some shoals. Other than that, it is a very easy trip to navigate.

Brian

 

[earthmover17]

We are considering a cruise to Key West this summer from our home port near Clearwater Fl. It is 250 miles following the coast. Has anyone done the trip? Is cutting the corner from Marco Island, weather permitting, a better idea? What about depth, sandbars and reefs? Whats a good marina near Duval Street? How 'bout water depth near shore? Any other suggestions? We are a 310 Sundancer. (expected fuel burn is 833 gallons)

I do it all the time from Tarpon springs just North of you.
We stay about 5 miles off shore all the way to Sanibel. Then once you get past sanibel you get a little further away from shore as to make a more direct course for Marco. Do you carry enough fuel to make it? If not the obvious place to fuel would be Marco.
As the others said stay in key west bight(a+b or Galleon) it's close to everything. You will make you course for the northwest channel, once you hit that you are home free as it's huge and very well marked.
The only thing I can tell you is watch the weather. I've got caught in some bad seas coming out of the channel going home. Made for a long day.
Jack

 

[ChuckW]

I did this trip last year and it was a very enjoyable cruise. It took me about 10 hours from St. Petersburg- I followed the coast down to Marco where I stopped for lunch and fuel- then it was on to Key West where we stayed at the Galleon Marina, which is right next to A&B. I would highly recommend the Galleon.

Just plot out the course on the chart- you will need to leave the coast and go out around the sea bouy of Boca Grande Pass to avoid some shoals. Other than that, it is a very easy trip to navigate.

Brian

Boca Grande Pass isn't too bad. You only need to maintain 3 miles off shore without local knowledge. That's my FL home port channel.

I haven't been south of Marco yet. But have plotted out many courses into the keys. The biggest ? is the Cape Romano Shoals. As I understand you either have to head off shore and well below them before coming back in, or take an inland route behind Marco Island down the Big Marco River to Coon Key. See the attached chart image.

Is there a better way through the Cape Romano Shoals? I didn't think they were passable without very local knowledge.

 

[earthmover17]

Once out from Marco approx. 4 miles if he heads directly for Key West it's all open deep water. Now going to Marathon is a different story as you have to stay far enough away from Cape Romano.
I guess if I understand the question There is no way to hug the shore going to any of the Keys.
Jack

 

[ChuckW]

That's what I thought, you have to deal with the Cape Romano Shoals. You can go straight out into the blue water, or come around behind Cape Ramano via Big Marco River. There are viable coastal routes to the keys. The purple lines on the chart below depict the routes, both blue water and coastal. There are two coastal stop overs south of Marco that can be done. Everglades City via Indian Key Pass and Flamingo behind Cape Sable. The inner most coastal route here maintains 8-10 feet of water.

 

[Fishnut]

Most of the small boat folks here use Goodland or Everglades for departure to the keys. The waves on the west side of the Shoals can get a might exciting on the way home.

 

[Aerobaticflyer]

From a boater with a similar size boat.......we just returned from KW with the Marine Max group...our second time making this trip. It's a very easy run and pretty straight shot from Marco (we have to be fueled there with our 170 gallon capacity) to KW Bight and The Galleon. I believe it's about 85 NM and almost due south with no shallow water. Watch the weather and you'll be fine. Generally we see 1 to 2 foot seas but have seen as bad as 4-5 if the weather doesn't cooperate.

We cruise with larger boats so we're restricted to running 20 to 24 knots and that's not our boat's most efficient cruise speed but fuel is still no problem. At those speeds we take about 4 1/2 hours.

Enjoy the trip and remember the float plan if going solo.

 

[berth control]

I made a shorter version last winter in my boat, from Homestead to Key West. There was plenty of sheltered water for us, it was never uncomfortable. We stayed at the Municipal in Key West Bight, it was very comfortable and a great location. We stayed there for just over a week and really enjoyed it.

 

[Asureyez]

Marco to Northwest Channel into KW is a deluigthful run. You're going to never carry less than 28 ft. of water to the Channel. Make the run from Marco and leave at first light. Run the 1st hour or so in the dark (5:00 am) and plan to lay NW Channel around 9:30-10:00AM wioth some height to the sun. Entering NW Channle form the Gulf, just make sure you are lined up dead on the middle of the channel as the rock jettie/groins are submerged and are rarely awash. It's well marked, but for your first landfall there having good light will add to your confidence.

Have a great trip!

 

[missnmountains]

OK, I decided to chime in. This is our run. We have run down to key west dozens of times.

The run down in the summer is usually smooth as glass. You can fuel in Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, or Marco if needed.

The best run in the summer is straight south from Ft. Myers to the Northwest Channel.

The normal problem is heading north when you go home. The winds typically will be out of the northeast. As a result, you can have a very sporty trip home.

I personally have had to hole up in Key West for days before we could head home.

I have heard, but never tried until a few weeks ago, (Jack and I aka earthmover and missnmountains) headed north via the moser channel across the florida bay.

If you get 10 to 15 knot winds out of the northeast, you might consider the hawk channel to moser channel route. It is pretty easy to follow.

Now Key West... our favorite place.

Stay at A&B for the best slip rates, or Galleon or Conch Harbor if you want to be close to the pools.

All three are pretty close to the board walk and duval street. aka the West Bight is the best place to stay.

PM me if you are interested in July 4th weekend. We will be at A&B for four nights.

We are going to head down to Dry Tortuguas on the high speed cat and ride out bike around to Smathers Beach.

Ken

 

[Fishnut]

Maybe I could follow you home. I said it was advertursome headed home.

 

[missnmountains]

Maybe I could follow you home. I said it was advertursome headed home.

We will be there the 4th through the 6th and head home the 7th if you are interested.

I agree advertursome = sporty. It can really blow up with that Northeast wind between the northwest channel and cape romano. When it does, we usually head a little more to the east toward cape romano rather than directly north toward Ft. Myers. That gets us near shore a little sooner which if it is a northeast wind will flatten the nearshore seas out.

Ken