Delivering My Boss's Boat

[Pascal]

thks Charlie... are you talking about heading NNW from Pigeon Key, then along Madeira bay at the north end ? it's marked 3 1/2' rep 1970 along the dotted twisted cut there... ?

[Jaxfishgyd]

Pascal,
That sure sounds like it !! The actual depth we encountered was 5' but again that was 2001......
The owner who's boat I was delivering has a PHD and spends HOURS analizing everything and I mean EVERYTHING. A nice guy but a huge PITA when its just very minor details.
I told him about the "shortcut" and as I had just fished the area a few months before knew it would work. He spent 2-3 hrs looking at the chart and compared the "safe route" and agreed to it.
And again it was in June, the weather was perfect, no wind , sun behind us and an incoming tide...
Would I make the same trip right now ?? I doubt it as I have no idea what the condition of the area is now days..
Besides, why rush away from the Florida Keys if you don't have to...

[DeeRow]

I heard an announcement today that the CSX bridge in Indiantown will be locked down for repairs starting today. I did not hear the duration but I talked to someone at the fuel dock and they said 3 days. Check the website before you commit.

Mark

[Nonchalant1]

Pigeon Key is just south of Marathon. There's an unmarked passage under the bridge there, but it's only about 2 miles from from the huge, well marked crossing at the Moser Channel, where you can go straight up to the west Coast of Florida through the Gulf. We just went that way, almost straight from Naples and the Little Shark River down to Marathon with no problems with a 54 inch draft. If you have good, recent charts and good GPS, you can watch depths easily. If you go that way, the Little Shark River is a very nice spot to anchor after the open water crossing of the gulf (actually called "Florida Bay" there). However, shut the windows before dusk because there are plenty of bugs. Also, the tea-satined water flowing out of the Everglades through Little Shark will stain your anchor line and your decks if you lay the anchor line on them when you haul the anchor and don't wash down with fresh water.

Marathon Key is an excellent place to anchor or stay in a marina if you have to wait for waves in Forida Bay before the crossing.

Doug Shuman

[Pascal]

there are 2 pigeon keys :-) one is on the bay side at the south end of Key Largo, just before tavernier. the ICW passes on the north side and then turns 90deg towards tavernier.

tehre is a lot of water north of there... 5 to 6'... you can anchor behind some of the empty keys there and feel like you're hundreds of miles from civilization.

there are passes on the north end of the bay there which can get you to flamingo and the gulf, but i woudln't risk my props ! or maybe anchor out and recon the route with a dinghy first... probably woudln't save time but an interesting route.

the "Yacht Channel" is well marked and starts off Long key at the end of Islamorada. it's a safe and quicker route than going all the way to marathon.

[DeeRow]

Today's Stuart News has an article about low water. States that navigational depth is 4.03 ft. Indiantown marina has many boats there that were damaged when they ran aground.

I would avoid Lake O.

Mark

[Genesis]

4.03' is too low - go around!