Florida Keys Moorings

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You have to be ripped off as a visitor for it to work, by ripped off I mean paying a little extra for everything, the locals need / have to make a profit off of you. I am fine with that myself, however of course I am not signing up to be grossly overcharged for nothing either.
Personally I will just transit through areas that I am sure used to be paradise, but are now in fact floating trailer parks. To a great extent, we have met the enemy, they are us.
If we are to pass on a cruising type of lifestyle, then we must all start a movement of always leaving a place better than it was when we got there, and start working to change the locals opinions of us.
Live aboard has a nasty connotation to it in South Fl I have noticed, it didn't used to be that way, cruisers is next if we are not careful

Well said, Pilot! Well said!
Rognvald

[zboss]

I have never been on the West Coast of Florida but I hear it's worse over there as far as perception goes. I've also heard from fellow cruisers that this is deservedly so. Anyhow, prices for moorings and for marinas are both going up. It's funny how many marinas you go into that have no policy for just selling you water. I guess they can't conceive of not also needing fuel and/or a pump out.

[capt-couillon]

Just sayin... 5.5' draft is gonna be tough on the Bay side. At least from Ram's Horn Cut to Cow Pens. Rest of the way down the middle keys it will work ok.

Boot Key is only 325/month for a very protected harbor with good facilities included in the rent (showers, garbage, waste oil recycle, parking, etc) Water is not cheap (at least they don't meter the showers) but considering every bit of it has to be piped down from the mainland. Meter on the water dock is "honor system" and the potable water line at the inside dinghy docks for those "jugging" it doesn't even have a meter.

Waiting list if you get here later in the season, but if weather is good, lots of boats leaving for Caribbean will run through the waiting list in a few weeks.

[Hudson Force]

There are well over 200 moorings in Boot Key Harbor. It is difficult for Nancie and I to imagine why any cruiser would be interested in this as a long term destination. Other locations that have a high concentration of cruisers are Vero Beach, Key West and Georgetown in the Exumas.

We do sometimes stop in these locations for a few days for provisioning, especially Vero Beach with it's excellent public transportation. When passing by Marathon we usually anchor outside Boot Key Harbor and often on the bay side.

I know that many cruisers tend to aggregate in large numbers, but this is the antithesis of our motives for cruising. We do enjoy meeting other cruisers, but most often in places where three or four boats are anchored.

We see the same concentrations at some northern areas of the US East Coast. We enjoy Annapolis, P-town and Gloucester, but we will not return to Nantucket due to the crowds.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

There are well over 200 moorings in Boot Key Harbor. It is difficult for Nancie and I to imagine why any cruiser would be interested in this as a long term destination.

SNIP

Not sure how you define "long term destination" but I spent months there and would point out there are several reasons others do the same thing. Many cruisers need to maintain their boat; things like replacing battery bank, install solar, and serious repairs, not to mention re provisioning. There is also what I will call a great social life with pot luck dinners and quality group meetings on topics like cruising the Bahamas/Cuba where experienced folks will help you mark up your charts. The weather can be delightful in season in a location that allows US shopping, repair folks with US insurance, and car rentals at US prices and fairly easy access to air ports; most all with in easy walking distance from the marina.

It is also a great place to start a shake down cruise to say the DT before heading out of the country to the Bahamas knowing if there is a problem Sea Tow coverage is there. There is also what I will call great day sailing to several great diving and fishing spots from a 360 degree protected harbor where it takes maybe 15 minutes till you are past the last red marker and in open water with no bridges to clear.

Lots of pros of BKH.Gets three thumbs up from me.

[Captseashanti]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Not sure how you define "long term destination" but I spent months there and would point out there are several reasons others do the same thing. Many cruisers need to maintain their boat; things like replacing battery bank, install solar, and serious repairs, not to mention re provisioning. There is also what I will call a great social life with pot luck dinners and quality group meetings on topics like cruising the Bahamas/Cuba where experienced folks will help you mark up your charts. The weather can be delightful in season in a location that allows US shopping, repair folks with US insurance, and car rentals at US prices and fairly easy access to air ports; most all with in easy walking distance from the marina.

It is also a great place to start a shake down cruise to say the DT before heading out of the country to the Bahamas knowing if there is a problem Sea Tow coverage is there. There is also what I will call great day sailing to several great diving and fishing spots from a 360 degree protected harbor where it takes maybe 15 minutes till you are past the last red marker and in open water with no bridges to clear.

Lots of pros of BKH.Gets three thumbs up from me.

Love this way of thinking ^^^

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Not sure how you define "long term destination" but I spent months there and would point out there are several reasons others do the same thing. Many cruisers need to maintain their boat; things like replacing battery bank, install solar, and serious repairs, not to mention re provisioning. There is also what I will call a great social life with pot luck dinners and quality group meetings on topics like cruising the Bahamas/Cuba where experienced folks will help you mark up your charts. The weather can be delightful in season in a location that allows US shopping, repair folks with US insurance, and car rentals at US prices and fairly easy access to air ports; most all with in easy walking distance from the marina.

It is also a great place to start a shake down cruise to say the DT before heading out of the country to the Bahamas knowing if there is a problem Sea Tow coverage is there. There is also what I will call great day sailing to several great diving and fishing spots from a 360 degree protected harbor where it takes maybe 15 minutes till you are past the last red marker and in open water with no bridges to clear.

Lots of pros of BKH.Gets three thumbs up from me.

Well, you're absolutely right, but I usually do my big repairs and maintenance up in Jacksonville or Fort Lauderdale where prices are usually less than the Keys and after 32 years on this boat, I'm not "shaking down" or doing much in the way of marking charts from others. It's just me! I don't want the crowds or all the newly retired organizing the the pot luck dinners or meetings. My great diving spots are not near places where there are hundreds of boats and my best anchorages are where the night is very dark and isolated. If you want the support and interaction with many people thrilled with the new adventure of cruising and you want to share with hundreds of others then Marathon will suit you well.

It's just my choice not to be there. It's a great place for people that want that stuff! I'll do my sharing on the forum.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

SNIP

If you want the support and interaction with many people thrilled with the new adventure of cruising and you want to share with hundreds of others then Marathon will suit you well.

SNIP

Forgot to mention it is also a babe magnet.

[Captseashanti]

Too funny!

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

Well, you're absolutely right, but I usually do my big repairs and maintenance up in Jacksonville or Fort Lauderdale where prices are usually less than the Keys and after 32 years on this boat, I'm not "shaking down" or doing much in the way of marking charts from others. It's just me! I don't want the crowds or all the newly retired organizing the the pot luck dinners or meetings. My great diving spots are not near places where there are hundreds of boats and my best anchorages are where the night is very dark and isolated. If you want the support and interaction with many people thrilled with the new adventure of cruising and you want to share with hundreds of others then Marathon will suit you well.

It's just my choice not to be there. It's a great place for people that want that stuff! I'll do my sharing on the forum.

I planned a contrary response to Tom's submission, but the above remarks by Hud excellently describe my feelings in regards to cruising. Perhaps those like Hud and myself represent a differing POV that is quickly changing with today's cruiser. . . although, I'm seriously thinking of investing in a high-quality video camera and recruit a hard body hottie who cruises in a bikini off the coast of Newfoundland/Labrador to launch my new video channel: Rognvald Races to Dementia . . . Not! Good luck and safe sailing.

[smj]

I would personally spend more money and do my boat projects in the Keys than spend any time in Ft. Lauderdale. But it's all a personal preference.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by rognvald

SNIP

. . . although, I'm seriously thinking of investing in a high-quality video camera and recruit a hard body hottie who cruises in a bikini

SNIP

Well that gets four thumbs up from me.

[Drift Woods]

I just pulled out of BKH yesterday to head home. ( Ft. Lauderdale) I spent 3 months this time because it's so easy there. Last year we did both Key West and Marathon but Key West was like a roller coaster with a North wind. I take a couple of weeks getting there and we go sailing once or twice a week. Honestly 95% of the boats mooring there full time are simply used as low income housing not cruisers.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Drift Woods

I just pulled out of BKH yesterday to head home. ( Ft. Lauderdale) I spent 3 months this time because it's so easy there. Last year we did both Key West and Marathon but Key West was like a roller coaster with a North wind. I take a couple of weeks getting there and we go sailing once or twice a week. Honestly 95% of the boats mooring there full time are simply used as low income housing not cruisers.

We didn't see a lot of those boats on the moorings when we were in Key West but the cormorants made fast work of those that were!

[smj]

Originally Posted by Drift Woods

I just pulled out of BKH yesterday to head home. ( Ft. Lauderdale) I spent 3 months this time because it's so easy there. Last year we did both Key West and Marathon but Key West was like a roller coaster with a North wind. I take a couple of weeks getting there and we go sailing once or twice a week. Honestly 95% of the boats mooring there full time are simply used as low income housing not cruisers.

Quite a few of the people on the "low income housing boats" were at one time cruisers who found their paradise. Some others find it the only affordable living in the Keys.