Miami - Marathon - Fort Myers

[Buster007]

Hi.
We are sailing east coast Fla to Fort Myers
I understand you can cut thru Marathon with 5,5
draft and 60 foot mast??

Any tips or comments appreciated.

[Captain Bill]

You should have no issues doing that. You will probably not see less than 9ft north of the 7 mile bridge. The biggest issue will probably be the lobster pot floats this time of year. Definitely something you want to go through in daylight. There are a few shoals that you'll have to avoid before you can head straight for Marco Island. My boat takes about 13-14 hours to get to Marco from Marathon at 7 knots. With the short days this time of year and dodging pots I prefer to stop at Shark River and then head for Marco the next day. It's a longer trip but it's a lot easier in daylight. I have done it at night but you really need a good spotlight. A full moon helps too. But I don't recommend it. On a east or NE wind you can anchor on the west side of Cape Sable anywhere above NW cape. On any other winds I suggest going all the up to the north side of Shark River Island. Watch the shoals at Cape Romano as on a SW wind they can get a bit rough if you get too close. This time of year getting all the way to Ft Myers from Cape Sable in daylight is a bit iffy on a sailboat, but Marco Island is an easy stop anchoring in Factory bay. Ft. Myers is a short day from Marco.

[GordMay]

You might be interested in the:
“Guide to Anchorages in Southwest Florida”
Sea Grant Document Number: FLSGP-H-99-001
➥ https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/35404


Excerpted from the Guide:


CAN YOU GET HERE FROM THERE'?
There are three routes to the Southwest coast from the keys; de-
parting from Channe lFive, Marathon or KeyWest. Of the three, Chan-
nel Five is the easternmost, so let's start there.


The channel goes under the bridge just east of Fiesta Key, Jewfish
Bush Bank is to port and mustbe given lots of clearance,but there is a
nice anchorage southof "Gl X" just north of Fiesta Key. Ashore there
is a KOA campground groceries, ice etc.!. The course proceeds west-
northwest from "G IX" to a pair of flashing aids, You must make a
hard button-hook turn to port between these two aids, but other-
wise the channel will hold no surprises,so it'» hi-ho for Little Shark
River and points north on the southwest coast of Florida.
Thc second point of departure is just west of Marathon via the Moser
Channel, and your chart will show the way under the "7 Mile Bridge"
and north on a course that also leads to Little Shark River. This is the
mostdirect route from the Keys to the southwest tip of mainland Florida,
The channe lis well marked and your chart show sall you need to know.
Just keepalert for strong currents setting athwart your cours eover its
southernmost portion. And don' tforget the mosquito repellent.'

Now for key West and a short explanation:
The goal of any vessel making for Florida's southwestcoast must
be the Romano Shoals seabuoy. A dog-leg course to Little Shark be-
cornes much too long to be efficient, even though you may have to
anchor offshore overnight which is what most single-handers do! get-
ting up at dawn for the ru nto the seabuoy and thc shelter of Coconut
Island, the first anchorage in this guide.
Leaving Key Wes tby the Northwest Channel, it is a straight shot
from the frnal mark "Fl Gl"! at Smith Shoal to Cape Romano and
Capri Pass.
Thc folks who anchored in Little Shark overnight have a pleasant
day's run ahead of them across the shoals to the seabuoy and north to
Coconut island.