Planning to cruise the Keys this winter

M

mainiac

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We are thinking about chartering a powerboat out of Key West the week after Christmas and have a number of questions for the locals. The boat is a 2000 Mainship 430 aft cabin "Sellebration" that seems to be a perfect fit for our family. Draft is 3.5 ft. This is a bareboat charter. We have chartered in the USVI/BVI in the past, but would like to explore the Keys from Marathon to the Dry Tortugas this time.
Questions: 1. What can we expect for weather and seas in late December? 2. How availible are transient slips in the lower keys? we usually anchor out but would like to get a slip or mooring occasionally. 3. How are the insects? 4. Is there a good cruising guide you can reccomend?
I'm sure I'll have more questions but thought I'd get the topic started.
Thanks
 
To me its always a good time to go to the Keys.That time of year I have seen it pretty cold for Fla. 32*F Usually wind blowing hard from the North to North West. But who knows. It could also be mid 80's and calm. Just make the best of any situation. It's all good! No bugs that time of year as long as there has been a cold front or two. Sorry I couldnt be more helpfull
 
The temps are usually pretty good in the lower keys that time of year. The average high for Key West in December is 77, and the average low is 67. The average high for Key West in January is 75, and the average low is 65. The all time lowest temperature ever in Key West is 41. Bugs will be few, if any that time of year. You might also want to check out the upper keys. The lower keys are tricky to cruise on the "inside".
 
Your right, I was in Flamingo when there was frost on the ground not Key West.
 
teh keys are always mild, even in winter.

weather in So fl is impacted by cold fronts coming down. As they pass (usually a few hours) they bring some pretty strong northerly winds which will make traveling to/from teh tortugas just plain miserable. the northerly winds usually last a day or so. right after a front, temps will dip as low as the 50s in the mornign, but quickly climbing to the 70s during the day. each day, temps come back up 5 to 10 degrees so after 3 days, it's back to normal.

shoudl be plenty of options for a boat with such a shallow draft. anchoring our is often nicer than going to a marina, except maybe KW. plenty of anchorages and place to gunkhole in the lower keys. don't overlook the bay/gulf/north side of the lower keys, some nice spots there.

donty' forget that the tortugas have NO facilities whatsoever. you're on your own down there so plan accordingly. it's also a 40NM open water passage.

bootkeyharbor .com has good info on the lower keys
 
I'll add a couple of things, having spent the last two winters down there. and having used a chartered Mainship 430 a lot in California.

A week is not a long time. If you are going to the Tortugas, that's essentially three days: 1 out, 1 there, 1 back. So my opinion is, if the weather is good when you first get the boat, go out there immediately.

Ask the charter company now about both recommended AND prohibited cruising grounds, based on how you like to cruise.

The inside, or bay side of the Keys is much more wilderness-like with more gunkholing than the Hawk Channel side, especially between KW and Marathon. I have only explored the bay side west of Marathon on my Whaler, as it is too shallow to comfortably take the 5 foot draft of the Hatt. If the charterer allows the boat inside, find out if the boat will fit under the 20ft new highway bridge at Bahia Honda. The boat we used in CA was 19ft, but double check. A nice cruise would be to go to Bahia Honda from Key West on the inside, anchoring out somewhere in between (lots of choices), then anchor at Bahia Honda and enjoy the park and fantastic oceanside beach, then out out Hawk Channel, anchor in Newfound Harbor, then back to Key West. A fun dinghy ride is to the little "marina" by the bridge between Big Pine and No Name Key, then walk to the No Name Pub for very good pizza and some very "Keys-y" atmosphere.

Another great alternative if you like wilderness boating is to head up to Cape Sable and into Little Shark River and explore the wilds and endless waterways via dinghy from there, then up to Indian Key/ Russell Bay/ Everglades City. This area is all part of Everglades National Park.

Do not assume the boat comes with a dinghy, ask! A dinghy is critical unless all you are going to do is go to marinas, in which case going by car is a better choice. Key West is the only town worth spending extended time in on a short vacation. As for marinas, for a boat that size there are plenty in and around both Key West and Marathon, but not much at all in between. Finding a transient berth shouldn't be a problem. The moorings at Marathon are an alternative. While Marathon has served as our base and is a fun place to settle in for the winter, I wouldn't go out of my way to visit it on a short, one week vacation, though they too have an ok oceanside beach accessible by dink. Expect to pay about $2.50 a foot for dockage in Marathon and more than that in Key West, where we anchor out quite happily west of Fleming Key. Where is your charter boat based?

The best overall guide is Claiborne Young's "Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys". It is very detailed and provides a lot of navigational tips coupled with a lot of on-shore history and tourist info. He also has a good web site, cruisernet, that has thumbnail info on anchorages and marinas, publishes fuel prices, and more importantly has a forum like feature that people post current news and views on.

The Mainship is a good honest boat with a nice layout; is yours 3 staterooms, galley up, or 2 w/galley down? It is easy to do checks in the ER. The master stateroom is very nice for a 43 footer, the bow stateroom is similar to your SeaRay's, maybe a tad bigger, and the middle room is really just bunks, ok for kids. We used one many times all through the California Delta and out the Golden Gate to Half Moon Bay, the Farallons and Drakes Bay, and I can attest to its sea-worthiness if things get rough out there. Still, don't do open water passages to the Tortugas or Little Shark unless the weather is going to be good. The boat will take all but the very worst of it but your crew will not be so content.

Whatever you do, I advise you reserve that boat now; you gonna have some fun no matter what!

George
Hatteras 56MY
Boston Whaler 130 Sport
 
"A week is not a long time. If you are going to the Tortugas, that's essentially three days: 1 out, 1 there, 1 back. So my opinion is, if the weather is good when you first get the boat, go out there immediately."

I agree. Unless you have more time it's a waste of time, IMHO, to go there for just one or 1 1/2 days. Better to just enjoy Key West and the lower Keys.
 
Thanks for the feedback. We are chartering from Florida Yacht Charters. They have a base at Kings Pointe Marina in Key West. We are planning on a 9 day charter with a sleep aboard the night before we start. We did this in the BVI and found it cheaper than a hotel room, plus we got to go over the boat and the manuals in detail before the briefing. The boat is the 3 cabin galley up model that work well with our two teenage children (boy/girl) and the Admiral and I. It does come with a dinghy.
More questions:
Provisioning- the base is east of KW, closer to the airport. Any grocery stores nearby?
Sat phone- out in the Tortugas, VHF is out of range I was thinking of renting a sat phone for a few days.
Fishing-I've heard of some pretty strict laws about fishing/lobstering in the area around the Marquesas and Tortugas.
Thanks all!
 
You are only a couple of miles east of all the shopping centers, including Publix (the nice supermarket chain), on Route 1. The marina or charter company should be able to help you with that, otherwise a cheap cab ride. King's Point is on the ocean, or Hawk Channel side. If you don't do the Tortugas, then you can head up east quickly from there.

If you can, add another day or at the end of the trip to your plane flight and enjoy Key West without having to pay for the boat at the same time.

Wishing you great weather, but regardless, you won't be confusing it with Maine!

George
Hatteras 56MY
Boston Whaler 130 Sport
 
Thanks everyone for the useful information. We have booked our charter and the flights. The Keys cruising guide is on order. With NOAA online charts, Maptech and Marinas.com, I feel like I'm cruising already. In laying out some possible routes, I'm amazed at the skinny water and low bridges. At least your tides are small relative to Maine. Our charter's bridge clearance is 18.5ft, just enough to squeeze under the bridge at Bahia Honda. There doesn't seem to be many locations where one could transit from bay to ocean and vice versa.
Any don't miss destinations, anchorages or gunkholes? Also, any recommendations for classic lower Keys restaurants and dives?
Thanks again
 
As said in a previous post, we really enjoy Bahia Honda and it's great beach, and taking the dink to No Name Pub for great pizza and a popular but funky "dive" atmosphere. Take your time and get the anchor set right.

I was reminded by the spouse that you can anchor off the north side of Marathon and dink into Keys Fisheries or Porky's Bayside for another great dive with good food. Or call Keys Fisheries and see if they have a spot for you to tie up (outside shot of that in a 43 footer).

If you have a night allotted for just you and the wife, Louie's Backyard in Key West is as good as it gets anywhere. Don't let the name throw you off, this is gourmet eating in a beautiful, elegant setting.

If you have never been down there the terrain of the Keys may well be a little disappointing. But the whole gestalt makes for a funky good time.

The best plan in the Keys is to have no plan, and stick to it!

I'm envious, looks like we won't be getting down there this year.

George
Hatteras 56MY
Boston Whaler 130 Sport
 
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