Question re: Florida Keys "inside route"

[z28jimi]

From most of what I read, it seems like traveling parallel to the east side of the Keys is a risky proposition. With a nearly 5 foot draft, is this a route to be avoided, or is it doable without too much drama? Seems like there are more anchorage/marina options inside, but they won't do me any good if I'm gonna get stuck trying to get there.

 

[pizzazsdaddy]

Hey z29jimi. I ran my 58 Hatteras inside. More draft than the Ocean. Shallow and slow. Sand kicked up near Islamorada, but never ran aground.

 

[pizzazsdaddy]

While you're here z28jimi, I've dug out of my photo file, a 56 Ocean I spotted about a year ago. The window frames were painted white instead of black, and they added a weatherboard to part of the forward rail.

I wasn't sure what make or model it was until she came close.

 

[Angela]

You can go to Blackwater Sound (Key Largo) no problem. At the entrance to the "river" that cuts through the mangroves into the next sound, there is a hump that I'm not brave enough to challenge. I was in a 46' power cat that had a draft of almost 3', and he put the trannies in neutral and skidded over it. He was a local and knew it was there, and knew he could coast over it in that boat. So long as I'm the one writing the check for new running gear, my boat just isn't going over, or through, that hump. If you do go on through, there is plenty of water for quite a way thereafter. We came out to the ocean side around Tavernier, I think, through Snake Creek. That was shallow at the end where it lets you out into the ocean.

The inside to Key Largo is some of my favorite water. I anchor the Hatt in Blackwater Sound and use the dinghy to explore for hours and hours and hours all through the sounds south of there and into the skinny waters of Everglades National Park. We never see anyone out there, so no tan lines by the end of the day. It's very peaceful.

 

[Pascal]

The most important thing about the bay side route is that winds affect the water level. Strong and prolonged northerlies will drop levels by as much as a foot. Also tidal range is less than on the east coast.


It s been a few years since I be run the bay side route but I am not aware of any changes. The hump at the Dusenberry creek entrance is about 5' MLW. Again it s been a few years but I i ve thru there many times with my 53 and a couple of times with other boats too incl a 54 MY.

After the creek and just south of buttonwood sound you have a couple of shallow spots at about 6' MLW so you need to take it slow to avoid squatting

Like everywhere else you have to pay attention and not stray off course

 

[z28jimi]

While you're here z28jimi, I've dug out of my photo file, a 56 Ocean I spotted about a year ago. The window frames were painted white instead of black, and they added a weatherboard to part of the forward rail.
View attachment 19718View attachment 19719
I wasn't sure what make or model it was until she came close.

I sort of like the white frames. Looks like he glassed in those always-leaking trunk cabin windows like I did. I hated those things.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I sort of like the white frames. Looks like he glassed in those always-leaking trunk cabin windows like I did. I hated those things.

I think its just dodgerboard attached to the railing in front of those windows.

 

[magnawake]

The most important thing about the bay side route is that winds affect the water level. Strong and prolonged northerlies will drop levels by as much as a foot. Also tidal range is less than on the east coast.


It s been a few years since I be run the bay side route but I am not aware of any changes. The hump at the Dusenberry creek entrance is about 5' MLW. Again it s been a few years but I i ve thru there many times with my 53 and a couple of times with other boats too incl a 54 MY.

After the creek and just south of buttonwood sound you have a couple of shallow spots at about 6' MLW so you need to take it slow to avoid squatting

Like everywhere else you have to pay attention and not stray off course

X2.....We went through on a strong NE. Hawks channel was out with huge waves. I was very surprised at how shallow the depth. We draw 3.5 and was kicking up lots of sand. I was thinking what in the world a sail boat would do but we didnt see any that day. I know one time we idled past an area of 4 ft with only 6" below the keel. It wasnt just one spot either, it was all over the place. Active Captain was accurate on the shallow spots. I wouldnt do it on a stronge NE.

 

[z28jimi]

I appreciate the comments and suggestions. I'm leaning toward waiting for appropriate weather, and making our way south on the outside. I see no reason to raise the pucker factor if I don't have to.

 

[dottieshusband]

I've done it twice in the last couple of months. We ran Hawks Channel once and outside one. Hawks Channel is much nicer and draft is not an issue. Marathon is a good stopping point and we stayed at Marathon Marina, and Fara Blanco Hyatt Resort. Fara Blanco is much nicer. We stayed at A&B Marina in Key West which is next to Galleon Marina. Good luck getting in any of the Key West Marina's but there is a large mooring field just offshore and a dinghy dock at the Bite...good luck getting in there as well.

 

[mike.s]

I think its just dodgerboard attached to the railing in front of those windows.

No, the front windows are glassed. That was my parents boat then I bought it from them in 04 when they bought a new Pacific Mariner. Then in 2010 I was going to sell it and my dad was so attached to it he sold the Mariner and kept the Ocean. The forward windows were a constant battle from day one so he had them glassed in.

 

[bobk]

I have run both sides of the Keys many times and still I'm getting a bit confused by the terminology in some of the posts. To try to clarify (at least to my way of thinking) 'outside' and Hawks channel are the same thing. This starts out as the eastern side then becomes southern side after the string of Keys turns westerly past Marathon. Inside is the Florida Bay side, initially the west side, then north side past Marathon. Clear as mud, right? Oh, and there is plenty of water on the Hawks channel side.

Bobk
Chateau de Mer
48MY Series I

 

[GJH]

It's actually the west and north side of the Keys. Absolutely disagree there is "more water than the ocean", not by a long shot. We took that route once with 5 feet of draft as far as Marathon. Was skinny, but OK as far as Channel 5. We hired a diver to clean the bottom and running gear a couple weeks later. When he came up he commented "I see you came down here on the inside" how'd you know? "The bottom six inches of your keel paint is perfectly sanded away".

There were also a lot of crab pots in the channel to dodge. From then on we either went as far as Channel 5 and then outside, or took Hawk Channel all the way. We did enjoy dawdling for a few days at all the various anchorages on the inside.

As far as past Marathon, I explored a lot of that with my sounder equipped Whaler and there was no way I was taking the big boat that way.

 

[Nonchalant1]

Keep to Hawks Channel. There is some minor protection from open ocean waves in a few places, but just wait for decent weather. Marathon is a good stop. If you stay at the first marina in the entrance channel and get a slip way out at the end of the docks, you can see sunsets into the Atlantic from your aft deck this time of year. Then on the way to Key West, anchor in the huge 360 degree protection of Newfound Harbor, half way between Marathon and Key West. From Newfound, you can go out for a day anchor and dive the reef at Looe Key, or dinghy to the dive shop on the Gulf side under the bridge there.

 

[dottieshusband]

I have run both sides of the Keys many times and still I'm getting a bit confused by the terminology in some of the posts. To try to clarify (at least to my way of thinking) 'outside' and Hawks channel are the same thing. This starts out as the eastern side then becomes southern side after the string of Keys turns westerly past Marathon. Inside is the Florida Bay side, initially the west side, then north side past Marathon. Clear as mud, right? Oh, and there is plenty of water on the Hawks channel side.

Bobk
Chateau de Mer
48MY Series I

I've always thought of outside, as outside the reef, as in the Atlantic, inside the reef, is Hawks Channel. The inside the reef route is marked on the Chart as Hawks Channel. For those that haven't run " outside" the reef, Hawks Channel, and the "outside" are different as night and day. We were in 8 to 10 foot seas outside, while the Hawks Channel route was 3 to 5 at the same time. I haven't run the Florida Bay side, and the marinas we stay in favor approaching from the East. Round the Southern most point, line up the range markers, follow them it til you pick up the channel markers. Piece of cake...finding a berth, not so easy!

 

[dottieshusband]

Hey, if you do stop in Marathon, I can't say enough good things about the Faro Blanco Marina. It's fairly new, perhaps 2 years old and part of the Hyatt Resort. You'll have 8 to 9 feet all the way in, and they even have a lighthouse to guide you in at night. Attentive and helpful dock hands, and MOST important, a great Bar! The restaurant is a little too "upscale" for my liking. Heated swimming pool, and the Hyatt Breakfast buffet is included. The Islander is a great restaurant at Marathon Marina and we Uber'd over there for dinner (5 bucks). We had power issues at Marathon Marina, as in the dock power didn't work, but still had to pay the full rate while running the genny for power. Faro Blanco is the only place I'll stay in Marathon from now on.

 

[GJH]

Locals and veterans all refer to the bay side as "inside". It depends on the cruising you like to do. We enjoyed dawdling along, anchoring for a day or two and exploring the surroundings in the Whaler. Some nice marinas along the way as well, if that's your style, such as Plantation on Islamorada has a good reputation and nice amenities (no personal experience, but have toured it by land and lots of first hand endorsements from people I trust). There's a lot to see and do from Biscayne Bay on down and skipping on by completely is a big miss in our strong opinion. So we'd typically go down on the "inside" to Channel 5, and back on the outside in Hawk, sometimes ducking in at Channel 5 to hang out off Lingnum Vitae and Shell Keys or off Islamorada at Lorelei's. We did come back straight down on the outside from Marathon to Key Biscayne )Florida Channel once but made for a long day at our speeds. Preferred stopping at Rodriguez or jumping back in at Angle Fish.

We also preferred staying in Marathon on a mooring and taking the bus or one of our cars if we had one into Key West. Anchored off once at KW (west of Fleming Key) just because we were passing through. The dinghy dock is often completely jammed.

Newfound harbor is nice, but can get pretty sporty in a north or south wind, as we learned first hand. Holding was pretty good. Bahia Honda between the old and new bridges was a favorite spot, great beach and good Whaler exploring (like going up to No Name Pub and getting pizza). Also there are bathrooms and snack bar and concession stand right there and nice dinghy dock. Set your anchor patiently and carefully there as the current runs pretty good and there are a couple of small patches where holding is sketchy, which you can tell when you are trying to set. Been in there several times and always had fun.

 

[kjcampos]

It's actually the west and north side of the Keys. Absolutely disagree there is "more water than the ocean", not by a long shot. We took that route once with 5 feet of draft as far as Marathon. Was skinny, but OK as far as Channel 5. We hired a diver to clean the bottom and running gear a couple weeks later. When he came up he commented "I see you came down here on the inside" how'd you know? "The bottom six inches of your keel paint is perfectly sanded away".

There were also a lot of crab pots in the channel to dodge. From then on we either went as far as Channel 5 and then outside, or took Hawk Channel all the way. We did enjoy dawdling for a few days at all the various anchorages on the inside.

As far as past Marathon, I explored a lot of that with my sounder equipped Whaler and there was no way I was taking the big boat that way.

hi George...we took that route when we took the boat home from Morehead City Yacht Basin to Bradenton FL. ... the inside was the most nerve-racking of the whole trip....i think WE DREDGED the channel from Gilberts Marina all the way to Cannel 5 bridge ....then we went on the outside...we stayed in Marathon Dockside Marina and i had a diver come to check my bottom for damage he told me just a few scrapes on the keel....we will never do the inside again....we will be going to the North East this summer and we will make sure we that stretch in Hawks Channel...

 

[Thelog]

I've enjoyed boating on Biscayne Bay since I was a kid. But, never in this size boat ('78 46C) so I never gave much thought to draft. Is there enough water to get into Caesar's Creek on the bay side, or do I need to go through Angelfish to get to the outside? Are there any issues getting through Jewfish Creek? I approached the inlets this last weekend, but didn't have the guts to keep going.

 

[Fanfare]

Went both ways through Angelfish last month, no problem. Just a little shallower at the ocean end. There is a temporary buoy there but still plenty of room. I would guess 7 ft.