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Anyone Been Through Caesar Creek Lately?

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Freeebird

Freeebird

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41' DOUBLE CABIN (1962 - 1965)
It’s been a few years, and I’m going to be in Biscayne Bay in a few days on a 53ED and plan to anchor around Elliott Key.

Thinking about taking the dingy down to Gibert’s as I’m not sure I’m adventurous enough to take the Hatt. Will end up in Key West and beyond, but am definitely not brave enough to try an inside run to Marathon.
 
Went to Key West a year ago, on the outside. Half my friends said the inside would be okay . The other half said that I would definitely touch bottom with 4 ft 10 draft . Used Hawk channel. Lots of pots in some areas by Marathon. I think that you would get to Gilbert’s okay, but not much further.
 
Haven't been through Ceasar Creek. At 5'2" draft when going to Elliott key, I normally duck in at Stiltsville then through the very well marked channel through featherbed bank.
Ceasar creek would be an easy escape to the south, but it's a bit thin for my taste without much confirmation of actual depth. Let us know if you run it and what water depth / tide you see.
 
Don’t try Caesar, too shallow. Not worth the risk
It’s a long dinghy ride to Gilbert’s, not sure it’s worth it. Nothing that special about it.
4 or 5 years ago I went past Gilbert’s with an 84 footer drawing 5’. No issue but we were going to the owners house, didn’t go thru Dusennerry creek which has a shallow spot or the entrance.
You can safely take 5 to 5 1/2 inside all the way to long key unless north winds push the water out of the bay although you ll Have to go slow in a few spots to avoid squatting
I don’t think it s worth it… just take Hawk’s channel at cape Florida.
Weather permitting, make a stop at the Christ Statue, cool snorkeling spot.
 
I have taken the ICW from Ft Lauderdale to Marathon many times with 4 ft., generally when weather not so good. I have to go slow, bit above idle. Props leave a trail of sand behind but always a foot or so to spare. Hawk Channel is the easiest and you can go fast and use autopilot. Lots of crab buoys both ways. On ICW going by Everglades Park you can often avoid pots by going just inside the Park boundary markers where fishing prohibited. Watch your depth and go slowly as running aground there can get you in trouble!
 
Pascal said:
Don’t try Caesar, too shallow. Not worth the risk
It’s a long dinghy ride to Gilbert’s, not sure it’s worth it. Nothing that special about it.
4 or 5 years ago I went past Gilbert’s with an 84 footer drawing 5’. No issue but we were going to the owners house, didn’t go thru Dusennerry creek which has a shallow spot or the entrance.
You can safely take 5 to 5 1/2 inside all the way to long key unless north winds push the water out of the bay although you ll Have to go slow in a few spots to avoid squatting
I don’t think it s worth it… just take Hawk’s channel at cape Florida.
Weather permitting, make a stop at the Christ Statue, cool snorkeling spot.
Click to expand...
I took Dave’s 60MY several years ago after coming in at Stiltsville and had no issues, but I know how those inlets can change.

Had another Captain on THT tell me it would be easy enough to get the Hatt to Gilbert’s but suggested not going any farther south. Said the food sucks now too.

He didn’t address Caesar, so that didn’t help much. It’s definitely not worth a round trip from Stiltsville to get back to Hawk Channel, so we may just pass.

If the seas are flat, we could always drop the hook outside and dingy in. We have a nice big RIB with a 40 Honda that carries all five of us just fine.
 
You can also anchor at Rodriguez key and dinghy thru largo sound /penekamp park and the canal. There are a couple of restaurants along the north shore of KL there before Gilbert’s too
 
You can go from inside to Hawk channel at Angelfish Creek, no problem.
 
I don’t like to take routes like that in the Hatt. There’s something about the hull design on these, when you have 3’ or less under the keel the boat sucks itself down onto the bottom and bends the props if you run much above idle. You have to take your schedule into account because there’s no way out of crawling along on routes like that.

She does give you plenty of warning though. When that suction thing starts happening, the boat will veer sharply back and forth for no apparent reason. That’s it’s way of telling you to back off the throttles before it gets expensive.
 
Left WPB this morning at sunrise and ran outside to Stiltsville. Mike and the crew decided they wanted to see the lights of Miami, so we’re anchored south of the bridge.

The THT boys seem to think we’re good to run inside all the way to Marathon. That would tickle me as I’ve never done that before.

I guess worst case scenario would be bumping and backing and maybe waiting for high tide in the skinny areas. We’ll see.
 

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cww said:
I don’t like to take routes like that in the Hatt. There’s something about the hull design on these, when you have 3’ or less under the keel the boat sucks itself down onto the bottom and bends the props if you run much above idle. You have to take your schedule into account because there’s no way out of crawling along on routes like that.

She does give you plenty of warning though. When that suction thing starts happening, the boat will veer sharply back and forth for no apparent reason. That’s it’s way of telling you to back off the throttles before it gets expensive.
Click to expand...
Yep, they’ll lean when you’re about to do some dredging. We’re in no hurry, so I may just take the little sixes up to 1,000 and creep the creek.
 
May, not make. What happened to the edit button?

EDIT. Found it! :D
 
You ll be fine inside. Keep it just around 7 1/2 to 8 kts and slow down to idle if you get in spots 6 to 7 ‘ deep. Most of it is deeper.
 
Pascal said:
You ll be fine inside. Keep it just around 7 1/2 to 8 kts and slow down to idle if you get in spots 6 to 7 ‘ deep. Most of it is deeper.
Click to expand...
I routed it through Navionics and changed my draft setting from 6 to 5, and it refused to take me inside from Gilbert’s to Marathon.

We’ve decided to pass and just run Hawk Channel.
 
Well I ve done that run dozens of times with a number of boats. But it s a nice calm day today so Hawks should be fine.
 
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