Hawks Channel or ICW to Key West?

timinfla2

New Member
Sep 22, 2008
578
Folks,
I'm looking for some advice here.

We do an annual guy's trip and this year the group has settled on Key West as our destination, and we're arriving via my boat.

FYI, if anybody from the forum would like to tag along, the more the merrier - March 4th-9th.

Anyway, we are going to leave early morning from the Ft Lauderdale area and are hoping to make it into port in Key West the same day. We'll have to plan on a fuel stop somewhere along the way.

I'm wondering if anybody has any suggestions on the best route to take, i.e. ICW or Hawks Channel being two of the most popular that I've seen.

I don't want to get stuck in a series of no wake zones (not sure if there are any in that section of the ICW) but I also understand that the ICW is the best option depending on weather.

Just looking for advice here from the folks that have made this run before and what their thoughts were.

Thanks,
Tim
 
Tim,

I've got a 330 that I keep in Pompano and have made many trips to the Keys <but not Key West>, some have been guy trips just as you have planned. Just got back from a week in Key Largo with the Mrs to celebate New Years. Here's my comments: FTL to Key West in one day is a looooong day, plus you miss a lot of good stuff along the way. With your size boat, I definately recommend the inside route from Miami to the Keys. Biscayne Bay is a great place to boat. Getting from FTL to Miami is a diffenerent story. That time of year, it's almost ALL no wake from Lake Santa Barbara until you get to the Rickenbacker Causeway <during the week it's not as bad in FTL as you know>. It's 26 miles from Pompano to there and it took us 4 1/2 hours on Sunday. If the seas are good, you can run outside down to Stiltsville and head into Biscayne Bay, then south. If this is a guy trip, you might try to stop at Holiday Isle <they have fuel> in Islamorda for the first night. Bring some steaks and grill out with an ocean view or eat ashore, then head to Key West the next day. Let me know if you have any other questions.
 
Tim,

I've got a 330 that I keep in Pompano and have made many trips to the Keys <but not Key West>, some have been guy trips just as you have planned. Just got back from a week in Key Largo with the Mrs to celebate New Years. Here's my comments: FTL to Key West in one day is a looooong day, plus you miss a lot of good stuff along the way. With your size boat, I definately recommend the inside route from Miami to the Keys. Biscayne Bay is a great place to boat. Getting from FTL to Miami is a diffenerent story. That time of year, it's almost ALL no wake from Lake Santa Barbara until you get to the Rickenbacker Causeway <during the week it's not as bad in FTL as you know>. It's 26 miles from Pompano to there and it took us 4 1/2 hours on Sunday. If the seas are good, you can run outside down to Stiltsville and head into Biscayne Bay, then south. If this is a guy trip, you might try to stop at Holiday Isle <they have fuel> in Islamorda for the first night. Bring some steaks and grill out with an ocean view or eat ashore, then head to Key West the next day. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Wow, that's exactly the type of 'been there done that' advice I was looking for - thank you very much.

I'm planning on a 8-9 hour day cruising at an average of 30mph, not including the stop I'll take in Islamorada for fuel. That will of course reduce my average speed.

My amateur calculations using Google Maps Distance Measurement Tool showed roughly a 189 mile trip on the Hawk Channel route - does that seem right?

Also, when you say the 'inside route' does that mean the ICW or inside the reefs i.e. Hawks Channel? The reason I was leaning toward the idea of Hawks Channel was the lack of wake and the ability to let George, the autopilot, do most of the steering. Of course, weather will be the determinant factor here, but if seas were flat, Hawks Channel seems to be the way to go.

As far as taking my time getting there, I'm allowing for a 2 day safety buffer on the trip so we don't travel in risky conditions. However, we are meeting a group of folks down there so I'm afraid that precludes a leisurely trip south or we'd miss our friends waiting for us in KW.

I will definitely check out Holiday Isle - I was wondering where I could stop for fuel. That would be great.

Thank you again,
Tim
 
In March both routes can get very rough depending on wind speed/direction. If you can run outside as far as the inlet south of Key Biscayne and then come inside you can save about three hours.

The only "no wake" zone on the ICW south of Rickenbacker Causeway is at Jew Fish Creek, near Key Largo. However, with sport fishing being what it is you might have to slow down to avoid washing boats into the Mangroves.

Your distance from Ft. Lauderdale to KW is about 175 miles. There are many fuel stops along the way, but some require a lot of local knowledge to access.
 
FYI, here's the text of the evite should anybody from CSR want to join up!

Guys,
This is going to be FU**ING AWESOME! I'm really pumped to get the crew together again. Key West won't be hit like this since Hurricane Ike!

Now, down to business - After doing the route planning, weather assumptions, and accounting for the various other logistics involving immigration and foreign entry, Bimini isn't a logical choice for us. There's really not a party atmosphere like you find in the Keys, so after talking it over with Matt, our destination is Key West.

The channel entrance to our harbor in Key West is about 200 miles from my boat slip. At cruising speed, we'll average about 30 mph with a range of about 120 miles, so we'll likely be stopping in Islamorada for a fuel stop.

In PERFECT conditions this will be about a seven hour trip from startup to shutdown. If adverse weather or currents should pop up, the trip could be extended, and if it got bad enough it could include an unplanned overnight waiting out the bad weather in sheltered part of the keys like Marathon, IslaMorada, Key Largo, etc. But the fun is in the journey, right!?

For those that feel they'd want to skip the boat cruise down to KW, you could fly directly into Key West International or even arrive in Miami and rent a car to drive down.

For those that want to cruise with the boat, we should have a great time. We'll have plenty of music, food and drinks and George (the autopilot) will be doing most of the driving with the radar calling out any signs of other objects that would require human attention.

My job is to stack the deck in our favor for an uneventful crossing and arrival in KW. Therefore we're going to allow for an extra day of travel before and after the planned Thursday-Sunday trip. That way we won't take undue risk rushing down there in non-optimal conditions just to meet the rest of our party in KW. The extra day bookending the trip is a good safety buffer to account for an unexpected delay.

We'll shove off before sunrise on on Wednesday 3/4 - Those making the run on the boat should plan on getting into FLL Tuesday night. For those of you flying and driving directly to KW, plan on getting into town Thursday night.

In a perfect scenario, the boat party will get into KW during daylight, at about 3P local Wednesday afternoon and we'll have plenty of time to tie up. I'd like to avoid entering the KW marina which is totally unfamiliar to me at night, though I've been told it's well-lit and the charts are accurate for entry.

So that's that - anybody wanting to be a part of the ride down is more than welcome, though I'd like to limit it to about 6 people in the unlikely event that the weather turns south - the idea is to give everybody enough room for comfortable seating in uncomfortable sea conditions.

Please let me know if you have any questions - I am thrilled at the prospect of this trip and hope it's the first of many.

-Tim
 
In March both routes can get very rough depending on wind speed/direction. If you can run outside as far as the inlet south of Key Biscayne and then come inside you can save about three hours.

The only "no wake" zone on the ICW south of Rickenbacker Causeway is at Jew Fish Creek, near Key Largo. However, with sport fishing being what it is you might have to slow down to avoid washing boats into the Mangroves.

Your distance from Ft. Lauderdale to KW is about 175 miles. There are many fuel stops along the way, but some require a lot of local knowledge to access.

Thank you for that - Can you help me understand what you mean by saving 3 hours? You mean as opposed to taking ICW the entire way, run outside and then come in to where the only no wake zone is Jewfish Creek?

I think that's what you mean, but I want to make sure - my old feeble mind... LOL.

-Tim
 
Tim,

Your write up is exciting! I do enjoy the guy trips!

Here's more info: PS is right, there are no major no wake zones south of Miami. There is no reason for you to run Hawk Channel. First, the only people that do have large boats that draw too much water or can't make a bridge they need to clear, Second, the inside route <Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, Blackwater sound, Button wood sound, et> will always be calmer then Hawks. And if you look at the chart, the inside route is actually shorter. Also sea conditions will be less of an obstical if your plan is the inside route. If the seas of 4-6, the inside will be 2-4. You do have to do some navagating, but it's easy. BUT, once you get far south, Marathan, I believe, you have to go outside to Hawk Channel to make the final miles to Key West, but as I said, I have not been farther south then Islmorada.

Larry
 
Boys trip huh?

I've been to Key West a few times. Never by water though. I towed jet skis and a 25 foot Checkmate on various trips. Fun trips, nice weather and beatiful water. A few days is all you need walking up and down Duval street, renting scooters and getting drunk at Sloppy Joes. You might want to plan a day snorkling at one of the reefs or deep sea fishing. If you do visit a reef, make sure you know the rules about using a mooring and not dropping your anchor. The marine police (or what ever they are called down there) "visit" alot of boats on the water. I met a few of them :grin:.

As for single heterosexual women, there aren't any.. (at least if you want to find one with teeth). So tell your wife not to worry. If any of your friends are looking a for a gay guy on the island they shouldnt have any problems. :smt043

I once asked a waitress for advice on finding a bar/nightclub that wasn't all gay and she told the name of some place and then finished up with.. "Dont worry, WE don't go there". :wow:

Pretty funny.. even the women waiters were gay..

But it is a fun, laid back place.

I took this picture of my friend and his boat in Key West in 1995. (I blew the engine on this boat later that day. That's another story though.)

KeyWest205_edited-1.jpg
 
Stayed at the A & B Marina on the father-in-laws boat a couple of years back. Had a great time. Jimmy Buffets fishing boat was there then. IMHO, good place to be for 2-3 days, then, unless you are drinking all day, it gets a little boring.

I cannot recall where he boated From, I'll ping him to find out. Ultimately he came from Washington DC to key West to the Bahamas.
 
Tim,

Your write up is exciting! I do enjoy the guy trips!

Here's more info: PS is right, there are no major no wake zones south of Miami. There is no reason for you to run Hawk Channel. First, the only people that do have large boats that draw too much water or can't make a bridge they need to clear, Second, the inside route <Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, Blackwater sound, Button wood sound, et> will always be calmer then Hawks. And if you look at the chart, the inside route is actually shorter. Also sea conditions will be less of an obstical if your plan is the inside route. If the seas of 4-6, the inside will be 2-4. You do have to do some navagating, but it's easy. BUT, once you get far south, Marathan, I believe, you have to go outside to Hawk Channel to make the final miles to Key West, but as I said, I have not been farther south then Islmorada.

Larry

Excellent - thanks again. I'll try to find some charts online and form up the nav plan for running the ICW then. If the navigation isn't too troublesome and the No Wake zones aren't really an issue, I think I'll be happy with that route.
 
Stayed at the A & B Marina on the father-in-laws boat a couple of years back. Had a great time. Jimmy Buffets fishing boat was there then. IMHO, good place to be for 2-3 days, then, unless you are drinking all day, it gets a little boring.

I cannot recall where he boated From, I'll ping him to find out. Ultimately he came from Washington DC to key West to the Bahamas.

I'll check it out. My buddy that is coming was in the Navy and he was stationed there for a couple years. He said the municipal marina was pretty much right down town in the middle of the action. Any experience there?

-T
 
Boys trip huh?

I've been to Key West a few times. Never by water though. I towed jet skis and a 25 foot Checkmate on various trips. Fun trips, nice weather and beatiful water. A few days is all you need walking up and down Duval street, renting scooters and getting drunk at Sloppy Joes. You might want to plan a day snorkling at one of the reefs or deep sea fishing. If you do visit a reef, make sure you know the rules about using a mooring and not dropping your anchor. The marine police (or what ever they are called down there) "visit" alot of boats on the water. I met a few of them :grin:.

As for single heterosexual women, there aren't any.. (at least if you want to find one with teeth). So tell your wife not to worry. If any of your friends are looking a for a gay guy on the island they shouldnt have any problems. :smt043

I once asked a waitress for advice on finding a bar/nightclub that wasn't all gay and she told the name of some place and then finished up with.. "Dont worry, WE don't go there". :wow:

Pretty funny.. even the women waiters were gay..

But it is a fun, laid back place.

I took this picture of my friend and his boat in Key West in 1995. (I blew the engine on this boat later that day. That's another story though.)

KeyWest205_edited-1.jpg

We'll definitely rent some snorkeling gear and make way to the mooring bouys - that sounds really fun.
 
"Any experience there?"

No, but A & B is at the center of all the action, 5 mins or less to everything.
 
Tim,

Your write up is exciting! I do enjoy the guy trips!

Here's more info: PS is right, there are no major no wake zones south of Miami. There is no reason for you to run Hawk Channel. First, the only people that do have large boats that draw too much water or can't make a bridge they need to clear, Second, the inside route <Biscayne Bay, Card Sound, Blackwater sound, Button wood sound, et> will always be calmer then Hawks. And if you look at the chart, the inside route is actually shorter. Also sea conditions will be less of an obstical if your plan is the inside route. If the seas of 4-6, the inside will be 2-4. You do have to do some navagating, but it's easy. BUT, once you get far south, Marathan, I believe, you have to go outside to Hawk Channel to make the final miles to Key West, but as I said, I have not been farther south then Islmorada.

Larry

Larry,
You mention quite a few landmarks above and I can find them on google maps, but finding the ICW channel itself on google maps is a bit difficult.

Do you go anywhere online to see the channel identified clearly for route planning purposes?

Thank you,
Tim
 
Tim-

A&B, Galleon, etc. are all centrally located marinas within walking distance of Mallory Square and Duval St. Unless you have IDEAL conditions (unlikely), you will not likely be able to average 30MPH cruise.

Islamorada / Holiday Isle and Hawk's Cay on Duck Key are both great stopovers that are, in and of themselves, worth the stop/stay.

Good luck and have fun.... I'm jealous.

M
 
Yeah, the weather can always knock us back in our schedule but since we're leaving a day early, we really don't mind that - there's no huge rush to get there, other than the fun we'll have once we do!
 
Thank you for that - Can you help me understand what you mean by saving 3 hours? You mean as opposed to taking ICW the entire way, run outside and then come in to where the only no wake zone is Jewfish Creek?

I think that's what you mean, but I want to make sure - my old feeble mind... LOL.

-Tim

Tim

Before trying to make this trip you need a good NOAA chart or better yet a chart and some good charting software. Don't try it without!! Hawks Channel or ICW. In some places the channel markers are 3 to 5 miles apart.

If you run outside from Ft Lauderdale to Biscayne Channel not Jew Fish Creek (it's one mile off the southern tip of Key Biscayne) it should take about 1 1/2 hours. If you stay in the ICW it will take 4 1/2. Hence you save 3 hours.

You can take the ICW all the way to KW. Again you need a good chart. It will show two routes starting at Marathon. (Moser's Channel & 7 Mile Bridge) The "Bay" route is fine to run, weather permitting. The last time I went through there the skinniest water I saw was 7 feet.
 
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Thank you very much - I will definitely be relying on my chartplotter and charts for this trip!
 

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