FL Keys Vacation.. help thx

[Happy Dayz]

So the plan is June 4 week we are heading to the Keys. Kind of last minute time off...

going to trailer down 1st day to Key West stay 2 days in a slip, trailer up and head up the Keys stopping and staying a day or 2 hear and there on the hook/slip...

Can someone recommend, help, guide:

- a marina i can park my truck and trailer and get a slip close to entertainment in Key West?
- good ramps can leave truck/trailer overnight with great places to explore in "other" keys?
- last stop more northern key to head out to the reefs for snorkeling?

- do's, don'ts, be careful's, watchout's, etc....

thanks in advance! 1st time down with our own boat.

 

[Ididntdoit]

Check Bahia Honda state park - they have a ramp - I think it will be tough to find a place in KW to keep a trailer.....A&B would be the best place to start there though....The Hull truth (THT) is a great resource for the questions you are asking - go to the Florida Forum - a lot of guys trailer there boats down.....just don't tell them you have a sea ray.....

Try Looe Key for snorkeling near KW - Molasses Reef is further up near Key largo.....also dry rocks/Christ of the deep.....There is a ramp at port largo marina as well as sharkeys - I think there is a ramp in pennenkamp park too (in largo sound).....Hawks Cay in Duck key has a great ramp, not sure if you have to be staying there though......worth a shot - good luck and have fun

Get a gps tracker for you truck and one for your trailer too - TONS of theft

 

[M Prod]

just don't tell them you have a sea ray.....

No kidding. Those guys are... Sea Ray-cists!

Thank you, I'll be here all week.


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[Happy Dayz]

well posted on THT.. so far not much help...lol

 

[401Kation]

Bahia Honda is a great spot to spend a night. They have electric and water. Last time there we made friends with a manatee who tried to taste our GoPro taped to our boat hook. They love the fresh water out of the hose!

 

[copb8tx]

Sea Ray-cists!

That's funny. I'm stealing it.

 

[Boater420]

Bahia Honda is a great spot to spend a night. They have electric and water. Last time there we made friends with a manatee who tried to taste our GoPro taped to our boat hook. They love the fresh water out of the hose!

Please don't feed fresh water to the Manatee. They fall under the Federal Endangered Species Act and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act. Feeding them fresh water can get you a $500 fine and 6 months in jail if convicted on a state level.
http://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/manatee/viewing-guidelines/

 

[Slimcobra]

Happy Dayz, Im trailering down to Marathon June 2nd and will be there for a week. We rented a house with a dock. Let me know what days you might be in the area and maybe we could meet up. I have a spread sheet I created with all the great snorkeling spots and their coordinates. If your interested let me know and I can give you a link to it.

 

[True North]

We were just there over spring break, albeit a little further north (Key Largo-Islamorada). Rented a 21ft center console for 8 days. Our condo had a marina right in front. We boated intercoastal and ocean from N of Pennekamp State Park to S of Tavernier. Many cool places to visit. We saw manatees, dolphins, sea turtles and caught yellowtail, cuda and a small shark in the ocean. Our boat had a good GPS with many points of interest already noted, but you can just start googling places of interest, get GPS coordinates and put them in as waypoints. Really cool sandbar oceanside by Tavernier. Keep track of the intercoastal markers and stay in the channels, the water can be less than 2 ft deep in parts. I printed out detailed paper charts of the area as well, wanted a back up to the GPS since it wasn't our boat. I "2nd" the Molasses Reef, Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. We also went to an uninhabited island (Nest Key). Water looked just like the bahamas, white sand, clear water, shallow for a long ways out. That all may be further north than you want to be, but so much to do if you have a boat with snorkeling/fishing/swimming/anchoring. We went to Key West, but by car for a day (we had the kids), but enjoyed our time on the water the most! Good luck, have fun!