Western Florida to Marathon

 

Received 12/06/05

Cruisers making the jump from Caple Sable and Little Shark River have always had a bit of a navigational challenge. It can sometimes be looonnnggg runs between aids to navigation. Of course, a GPS chartplotter makes this ever so much easier.
Now we hear from fellow cruisers Mary and Paul that there is another hazard to worry with, courtesy of the recent hurricane season – "crab pots."

Heading south from Marco to Little Shark River and beyond to Cape Sable and across the Florida Bay (near the park border), there are relatively few crab pots this year at this time. What few there are, are quite orderly and have obviously been placed in 'lines' after the recent hurricanes.
However, as one moves across Florida Bay, one will encounter a veritable maze of hundreds upon hundreds in totally random fashion. Many are still bound together in small rafts, with branches, boards, and other flotsam from the last two hurricanes. The crab boats are busy working to retrieve their own lost pots and to restore some order to the chaos. Fortunately, we have not yet been required to test our line prop shaft cutter.
Mary & Paul
on the SolSean

More On Key West Hurricane Recovery

 

Received 12/20/05

Looks like recovery from Hurricane Wilma is proceeding apace in Key West.

We're in Key West and as far as we can see, Hurricane Wilma has either done very little damage or else the repairs are all done. We're docked at the Galleon Marina from 12/18/05 through Christmas. I know that A&B Marina and Conch Harbor Marina are also open with almost no visible damage from Wilma. Marina rates in Key West aren't cheap—at theGalleon it's $2.95/foot until Christmas when it goes up to $3.50/foot. But what a fun place to be!!
Jan Nelson
Wanderin' Star

Marathon Hurricane Damage Update

 

Received 12/08/05

We sincerely thank Lanier Merry of Marathon Boatyard for providing this update on hurricane recovery in Marathon. Let's all hope that the 2005 hurricane season is soon nothing more than a very bad memory.

Just an update since Morgan Stinemetz was down last week. Most of the derelict vessels in Boot Key Harbor have now been removed to the City Marina for disposal. There are a few still in the mangroves and two that are sunk, but they have been marked for removal soon. The City Marina is still working on completing the dingy docks (and adjacent transient dockage area), but they are mostly finished and a great handicapped ramp is almost completed as well.
The "white dump" [actually a HUGE pile of flooded refrigerators, washers and driers - CSY] at the City Marina is less smelly with the cooler weather. The last day for Marathon storm debris removal is the 15th of this month (Dec), so hopefully the dump will begin to dwindle in size from that point forward.
Banana Bay has announced that they have been sold and will be going condo. Marathon Boat Yard is working on replacing the West Marine dingy dock that was damaged in Wilma and hope to have it operational again by the first part of the year.
Will try to update as things arise. I live in the harbor on my boat (since June 2003) and work at Marathon Boat Yard (since Jan 2004).
Lanier Merry
Marathon Boat Yard

Key West Post Hurricane Wilma Info

 

Received 11/16/05

Thanks to for sending along this late breaking report on conditions in Key West several weeks after Hurricane Wilma. It looks like things are beginning to get back to normal in this popular port of call!

Claiborne,
Never found my way to another internet cafe while in Key West. The Hilton Marina was trashed. As of Monday the 14th, the docks wereabout half rebuilt using the existing pilings but everthing else new. Iwould guess wiring and plumbing will take another month.
The marinas in [Key West} Bight are fine but didn't see any vacant slips. Further east at Garrison Bight and around the Key West Yacht Club, saw 1or 2 boats sunk in their slips but otherwise things looked like life as usual.Everything on Duval St. was operating full speed.
The properties(hotels, restaurants, etc) right out on the ocean from Ft. ZacharyTaylor Park all the way to the airport are a mess. most of those places are still closed with very heavy damage. Atlantic Avenue and RooseveltBlvd along the waterfront west of the airport are still closed due to debris.
Best,
Chuck Amos

Florida Keys – Hurricane Wilma News

 

Messages below received 11/07/05 to 11/09/05

All Florida Keys cruising news is, for the moment, concerned with the effects of Hurricane Wilma. Thanks to everyone in the cruising community who responeded to our special request for Keys cruising info. I have pasted these messages below.
Beginning on 11/28/09, my "Cruising the Florida Keys" co-author, Morgan Stinemetz, and yours truly will begin a week long survery of the Florida Keys to survey damage for ourselves. Upon the completion of that task, we will incorporate the data we gather in the second edtion of "Cruising the Florida Keys," due for release in March of 2006.

This is land based observation from last weekend. Not many boats aremoving in the Keys. Only one cruiser was at Holiday Isle marina, whichis open by the way. Bud and Mary's look fine too. The fishing issupposed to be awful after the storm, and not many boats were going outlast weekend in Islamorada. The damage was worse on the bay side. TheLorelai and the Islamorada Fish Company restaurants are both damaged andclosed. The draw bridges around Islamorada are working. Debris removalis going on seven days a week. I heard that Key West is really damagedbut don't have any specifics and did not try to get down that far.
John Pryor

I came back from Jacksonville , Can tell you Jewfish bridge, blackwater sound, and tarpon basin are all ok.
See you in Paradise!
Capt. Sterling

We are residents of Big Pine Key and have spent the last two weeks cleaning up from the storm with no time to cruise about. We hear about a lot of damage to marina facilities, but have no real first hand knowledge.
What we do know is that the water is full of hazards. Lobster and stone crab traps, or trap ropes are floating about. Lots of floating debris, big logs, trees, roots, parts of docks, large power poles and furniture. We spent a large part of today along with our neighbors retrieving water hazards and dragging them up on land.
Boaters beware…we have decided not to venture out with our boat for quite a while, there is just too much risk.
Susan Hlavin

Hi
I spent Hurricane Wilma on my boat in Marathon. Bay side of Marathon was hit badly. Heard Banana Bay was wiped out. blackfin suffered damage to docks, houseboat sunk in their channel. Damage at Keys Fisheries marina to dock, restaurant reopened but no one allowed out on back deck.
Marathon Marina had boats fell off pilings and downed electric cords.
Boot Key Harbour city moorings fared well. Some anchored boats broke loose. The Dockside slips being sold for $350,000 are all trashed.
Quay restaurant on US1 had all its furniture in middle of US1. It looked like it and its little shopping area are totaled.

The Keys came through the storm fairly well. There was some channel movement but it was mostly on the local unmarked channels. I understand that Banana Bay Resort may be down for repairs but the Hawk's Cay Resort and Marina is 100% open.
Most of the damage was caused by a storm surge on the bay side leaving most ocean side resorts untouched.
Our most lingering problem is our normally green folliage has been singed by the high winds and are now showing uncharactoristic "fall" colors.
Come on down!
George

Claiborne,
I saw this in the on-line edition of the Key West paper (Keysnews.com)and thought it might be of interest to you in light of your recentemail.
John Watson
http://www.keysnews.com/284657626604802.bsp.htm

The Miami Macs are heading out into the keys in a few days for a 5 days sailand we just found out that our destination resort is closed for repairssee the link below
www.loreleifloridakeys.com
Bill Kubiak