Ft Myers - Key West Florida

[Boroda]

Hi everyone.
I am new one here and new in Florida.
I know that many of you use to make this trip down to Keys from Ft Myers area.
I m very interested in any kind of story, suggestion, direction, e. t. c.
Please, tell me more about it. I plan to make it this spring, what time of the year is the best?
Very new, but very curious!
Thank you!

 

[Mystic Dreamer]

I have done this trip many times and will be doing it again this April as I will be leaving my boat in Key West for a couple of months. The best time of year to go, in my opinion, would be May or June. Winds are more generally calm and the afternoon thunderstorms are not as active as later in the summer.

I ususally have three courses set for the Keys: Key West, Marathon and then the upper keys via "Yacht Channel". Key West and Marathon are the easiest and provide the most water. Yacht Channel is really neat as it brings you very close to the tip of Florida (Flamingo). With Yacht Channel just be sure you have correctly plotted the waypoints as there are some skinny and tricky areas. I have never had a problem in my 380. If this is your first time, consider Key West or Marathon.

Before making a long open sea run like this be sure to have you boat running in top condition and of course be prepared with full fuel, spares, VHF, EPRIB, etc. I usually fuel in Marco- they know they are the last stop between the mainland and the keys, so be prepared for very high fuel prices should you choose to stop there.

Good luck and have fun! The Keys are a great place to go boating!

 

[Boroda]

Thank you very much!
So, as I understood, I have to take open water just straight to the key west from Marko?
How many hours usually it takes? I have sundancer 300 and usually cruise at 30 mph....
The gas I got in Marco is for both ways or any gas station down there ?
If I get full tanks at home(Ft Myers) is't it enough all the way down?
Is there any traffic along this way, or I can stay just myself all the way down?
Thank you again, and sorry for, maybe naive questions!

 

[Big Island Lifer]

I have made the trip 1 and a 1/2 times. I'll explain. The first trip was early June. We planned to leave Sanibel in a Formula 400ss by turning south at the lighthouse and not stop until we got the Key West. Long story short it was not the day to do it. We spent 12 hours on the boat. Our plan to head directly there was thrown overboard when we were bucking a rough quartering sea from the onset. We decided to make our way to Marco through the channels. Continued inside until we had an open run of about 40 miles. We took a shot at it. The third time we stuffed the nose we turned for home- 8-10 ft seas. It was a long twelve hours to make a big circle. A year later we did it again on the same weekend. It was like a lake. We averaged 36 mph and didn't stop. It took a little more than 2 hours dock to dock.
Our lesson- boating on a schedule is a bad idea.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jimandsue60]

We did that trip in the spring of 2011. We used our 2003 Sea Ray 240 Sundeck. We departed Ft Myers with a planned overnight and refuel on Marco Island. We stayed at the Esplanade Marina and Resort. That leg was about 2 hours. The following morning we departed Marco for Marathon which was about a 3.5 hour trip. We had some amazing glassy water. We spent one night on Marathon and were the smallest boat in the marina. The following morning we went to Sombrero Lighthouse off of Marathon for some snorkeling. After snorkeling we cruised down to Key West Harbour Yacht Club on Stock Island, that took @ 3 hours. We stayed a couple of nights. After leaving Key West Harbour Yacht Club we headed to Sand Key Lighthouse (a few miles off of Key West) for more snorkeling and lunch, that probably less than an hour cruise. After snorkeling we docked at The Galleon in Key West Harbor for a few nights. We caught up with some friends in a much larger boat and we decided to buddy boat with them direct from Key West to Marco for a refuel to get back to Ft Myers with an early morning departure. I think that leg was about 4.5 hours. All in all it was a very non eventful trip, I did hit one crab pot on a slack tide which I was able to disconnect without getting into the water. My prop also sucked up a white nylon seed bag that I was able to remove by putting the drive in reverse. We had an unlimited amount of time to complete this trip, so waiting out weather or tides was not an issue. Our weather was almost perfect! I would not have made the direct crossing from Key West to Marco without a buddy boat. We spent 9 days and 8 nights on our little boat. It does have an enclosed head and a portable air conditioner. Here is a google earth photo of our trip course. This is a trip we will do again with the right conditions. Jim __________________ Sanibel Island, Florida Sea Ray 240 Sundeck http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimandsue

 

[Hampton]

Excellent posts above.

Here is my journal from 2 1/2 years ago. Start on Page 9 for Venice Inlet to Marco Island, then to the Keys via the 7-mile bridge just West of Marathon. For the trip back, we took the North route to Marathon - Wouldn't do that again without just going deep on the North side and staying deep - we tried the ICW for the 2nd 1/2 of the leg from Key West to Marathon - too skinny for almost any boat.

Starting in Venice: http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/31392-Month-Long-Cruise-PCB-Key-West-340/page9

Key West to Marathon and back North: http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/31392-Month-Long-Cruise-PCB-Key-West-340/page26

 

[Boroda]

Thank you very much!
Great post with pics and earth map!
You guys get the fuel at Marco Island, there is no gas at Key West or it's much more expencive?
What rate for overnight dockage down there?
Thanks again!

 

[jimandsue60]

We fueled at Marco only because we have a 60 gallon fuel tank. I think Marco Island fuel prices were higher than Keys. I think we were paying about 100 a night for our 24 foot boat at the Galleon in Key West.

 

[searsb]

Boroda,
I am right there with you, similar boat, recently located to the area and dying to make the Key West trip from Ft. Myers. Glad you started the thread and will be following with great interest. Hope we can share other boating related experiences in the Cape Coral/ Ft. Myers area.

 

[Boroda]

Cool, searsb!
Maybe we can even arrange this cruise together?
What are your plans?
There is only an issue for me I'm a full time worker and have to get vacation or a few days off for this trip.
Plan to make it in july. Hope to spend a week or so.

 

[timjet]

Hey Jim, we're headed back to Key West in May, you guy's up for doing it again.
Tim

 

[jimandsue60]

"Hey Jim, we're headed back to Key West in May, you guy's up for doing it again. Tim"We are planning on a trip also, we do not have exact dates yet. When are you going? We are also planning a Bimini trip June 7th -10th. Nice to hear from you!

Jim

 

[timjet]

Jim,
Mid May. We'll go through the O' waterway to the east coast then down to Key Biscayne where we'll spend a couple of days. On to the mid keys and Key West after that.

We did the Abacos last May, check out our blog: flyinlowboat.wordpress.com

 

[searsb]

Cool, searsb!
Maybe we can even arrange this cruise together?
What are your plans?
There is only an issue for me I'm a full time worker and have to get vacation or a few days off for this trip.
Plan to make it in july. Hope to spend a week or so.

Not sure boat will be ready by then and yes I'm still working full time too! so I'll be planing around vacation time also. But, July would be a ordinarily good time.

 

[Boroda]

Not sure boat will be ready by then and yes I'm still working full time too! so I'll be planing around vacation time also. But, July would be a ordinarily good time.

Let's keep in touch then. Would be nice to have fellow traveller, anyway, and especially for the first time