There are actually many sailboats with drafts of 7' in the Florida Keys. They come and go as their lesser draft counterparts, they simply watch the tides and their charts. We all do.
Getting in and out of Boot Key Harbor has been an issue for any draft over 5-1/2' since Hurricane Wilma silted much of the entrance channel. A decent sized engine can power right through it, the bottom is very soft. The controlling depth of Boot Key Harbor is at least 8-11' in the mooring areas. If you draw over 6' it would be wise to let the City Marina know you need plenty of water. When coming into the Harbor with a deeper draft, don't use the dogleg of the channel inside the Harbor. It can get quite shallow in that part of the channel as water often blows out of it. Instead, stay heading east (straight ahead) after clearing the bridge (the bridge is permanently locked in the open position at all times now) and go through the middle of the mooring field. If you are going to either B-Dock of The Sombrero Dockside Marina or over to Sombrero Lighthouse Marina, pay close attention to the area immediately north of The Sombrero Dockside's dining area. It can get very skinny there. Make sure you've got a nice high tide when navigating through there with a deeper draft. Once again, it's mainly silt...but it sure is disheartening to hear the low water alarm blaring. LOL Beware of the grassbeds which are clearly marked but have overgrown those markers in the silted in areas we again owe to Hurricane Wilma. Give the grassbeds wide respect. All marinas inside Boot Key Harbor have plenty of water at their slips for deeper draft vessels. No worries there. There are no facilities Bayside in Marathon since Wilma wiped them all out. September Sea draws 5'8 and we've lived and sailed down here in the Keys for seven years. We go in and outside of Boot Key Harbor often and enjoy the beautiful sailing and cruising areas all along the Keys. When we first arrived, we were told so often by others to stay away from Bayside as it would be too shallow for us. As I type this, I'm anchored on Bayside (predominately 8-9-10 ft. water depths) loving the solitude away from the daily routine hustle surrounding marinas and harbors. There is no problem with a 6-1/2 ft. draft or even deeper when in the Keys or southern Florida. Check your charts and you'll see there is plenty of water...you simply need to pay attention and avoid the areas too shallow for your vessel. So come on down here to the Keys and enjoy the turquoise waters of the Caribbean right here in the good ole USA. Hugs, Charmaine Aboard s/v September Sea "Life's a Gift... Unwrap It!" - C~ www.SeptemberSea.com From: [email protected] >> >Sent: Apr 14, 2009 5:09 PM >> >To: [email protected] >> >Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] Advice regarding Florida >> > >> >6.5' draft would make SW Fla tough I think? _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
