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Please Note That Postings Below From Fellow Cruisers Are Listed in Chronological Order, Based on Publication Date
NE Cowpens Anchorage - Click for Chartview
The northeastern anchorage is on the northeastern reaches of charted Cowpens Anchorage. This body of water comprises the southeasterly section of Cotton Key Basin and borders on Plantation Key. Wouldn’t want to get caught here in fresh western or southwestern winds, but otherwise, this spot makes for a good Florida Keys place to drop the hook!
Anchored 3/31/13 off south west anchorage. We were located right outside Plantation Yacht harbor in about 6 feet of water. A short dinghy ride to the beach at Founders Park.
Russ
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Cowpens Northeastern Anchorage
Islamorada Anchorage - Click for Chartview
Islamorada Anchorage is found in Barley Basin on the northwest side of Upper Matecumbe Key, north of Little Basin and southeast of marker #86. Lor-e-li Restaurant, Cabana Bar and Marina lies within dinghy distance, southeast of the anchorage on Upper Matecumbe Key.
Anchored in the Southwestern part of Barley basin in light winds. Good holding and more than adequate depth for 5′ sailboat draft. Took 10 minute dinghy ride into Lor-e-li restaurant dock which was the quintessential beach restaurant/bar experience. Good food and service. Crowded at sunset. Live music on a Tuesday evening. Many more land patrons than boat patrons. All in all a very good experience.
Victor
Click Here To View This Facility’s Full Listing of Services on the Florida Keys Marina Directory
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Islamorada Anchorage
Bowlegs Cut - Click for Chartview
Capt. Victor confirms earlier reports that all hazards have been removed and markers in place in this narrow channel through Peterson Keys in Florida Bay. Channel Five Bridge is 4.5 nautical miles southwest of Bowlegs Cut. BTW, any idea why several official charts spell “Bowlegs” with a “y” – “Bowlegys”?
Bowlegs Cut
Headed through Bowlegs Cut without a problem and again at low tide there was more than adequate draft for 5′ sailboat. After Bowlegs Cut there was no problems heading out to Hawk’s Channel through the Channel 5 bridge on our way to Marathon.
Victor
I can’t speak about “bowlegys” but my Garmin chartplotter has mispelled signs as “sings” in multiple places.
Al
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Bowlegs Cut
Click Here To View the Florida Keys Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Channel Five Bridge
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Channel Five Bridge
Lignumvitae Key Mooring Field - Click for Chartview
The Florida State Park mooring field reviewed below lies off the northwesterly shores of Lignumvitae Key, which is itself found near the Indian Key Channel and Lignumvitae Channel, off the Florida Keys Inside Route near Islamorada.
We spent a night on the western side of Lignumvitae Key due to east winds of 18-20 knots. We were well protected in the lee of this island with good holding in sand with our Delta plow anchor. There was again, only one mooring ball at the northern tip of the key and since it was very exposed to the east wind we decided not to use it.
Victor
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Lignumvitae Mooring Field
Steamboat Channel and Shell Key
From Plantation Key we headed towards Steamboat Channel. Prior to the Steamboat Channel, there was some sailor angst about shallow water at low tide even on the ICW Magenta line, but we never touched bottom. Steamboat Channel had adequate depth and we went through without any problems. Spent overnight on the northwest side of Shell Key. Good holding with a Delta plow anchor. There was only one mooring ball visualized and of course taken by late afternoon.
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Shell Key
Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina - Click for Chartview
Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina, owned and operated by the city of Plantation Key, Florida, is one of only a handful of facilities, south of Jewfish Creek, and north of Channel Five, which offer ready transient dockage on the Florida Keys Inside Route. We have always found Plantation Yacht Harbor to be a superior facility in every sense, and yours truly recommends this marina without hesitation. Just understand that the word got out long ago, so make your dockage reservations early!
Overall nice marina with slip pump-outs, nice showers, and laundry room. Tim is helpful and friendly, but the pool, tennis courts, and beach are a pay for use city facility. The resteraunts are a mile away, bt you can dingy to one of them(1 mile). $3.00 a foot.
John Pholeric
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina
Our good friend, Captain Sterling has done it again!!!!!! Really, fellow cruisers, do NOT miss this one!!!
Click her to see our winning entry
_FRIGHT B4 CHRISTMAS 2012 – YouTube_
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY4gFOO0H3Y
See you in Paradise!
Capt. Sterling
SterlingLadyIII
Over the week of August 13-18, several posts appeared on the T&T (Trawlers and Trawlering) Mail List concerning the general cruising characteristics of the Florida Keys Inside route. Those messages are reproduced below. Incidentally, the entire SSECN staff highly recommends the T&T list if you own one of these roomy, fuel efficient vessels.
Just to add my 23 cents worth, I have always considered a 5-foot draft to be the cutoff for safe cruising of the Florida Keys inside route. On numerous occasions, I have sounded 5-feet directly between the markers in the Key Largo region, particularly where the main channel passes the marked entrance to Tavernier Creek.
If your vessel draws 5-feet or preferably less, don’t let these soundings discourage you. Some of the most wonderful anchorages, not to mention the views, you will ever enjoy lie off the FLK inside route!
Looking for info on the practicability of taking the inside route from Miami to Marathon.
I draw 5 feet. What is the opinion of the boaters that have done this route. Is it doable?
Thanks
Larry
Larry,
We’ve done the inside route and we draw 4’9″. Never had a problem, but then we watch the water, not a screen. It is marked adequately. Neither Jill or I can recall anyplace where another 3″ would have made a difference. There is a tide down there, though I doubt it is much more than 2 feet. If those 3″ might make a difference, plan to transient at high tide during a new or full moon, might want to consider spring tides too.
Rudy
Briney Bug- Panama City, Fl
Larry,
I have gone the inside route from Miami to Marathon a number of times, both in Pooh (draft 4’8″) and my previous sailboat with 5′ draft. Should be little problem. Not to say the water isn’t skinny; we often are reading
depths of 5.0 to 5.2 feet on parts of this route (shallowest is just north of Islamorada), but haven’t touched bottom.
Steamboat Pass, just south of Islamorada used to be a problem, but this has been dredged and is now good for around 6 feet (deep water 
.
Mark Richter
Sorry Larry, but I disagree. I carry 5′ draft and have soft grounded in the center of the channel on two different trips on the inside route several years apart. I won’t try it a third time.
Paul
Time of year can make quite a difference. In the winter, northers will blow water out of Florida Bay. But don’t let that discourage you. It’s wonderful cruising!
Regards,
Randy Pickelmann
Morning Star
The trick is to wear polarized sun glasses, use you eyes.
The water is usually clear, and it looks scary shallow, it is, but with 5 ft u can make it.
The channels are well marked. The tide is about 6 inches in the upper keys,wind can effect water levels more than the tide.
Go for it!
See you in paradise!
Capt. Sterling
I don’t know where Mr. Kennedy traveled in the ICW on the inside, we have found the inner passage from Miami to Spanish Key to be a chalky green only rarely clear. We obey the day markers backed up by GPS. If your draft is 6-plus you are cruising for a bruising. If you need Sea Tow they are not allowed to move you until the environmental police arrive. The fines are prodigious..
We have made the trip back and forth seven times.at different times of the year. Mr. Kennedy obviously has had a different experience.
One thing is beyond dispute If you need Sea Tow you are in bad trouble
Peter Denton
Susie Q
42′ Draft 4′
Now that I know that Captain Sterling runs a tourist boat in the Keys, I must defer to his greater experience. I guess I was there at the wrong time. But it remains true that if you are passing over water that is 4,5or 6 feet it is impossible to tell the difference even if the water is crystal clear. Several of the passes are that shallow. Call me naive but I advise extreme caution. Remember you do not have advantage of some one who has local Knowledge.
Peter Denton
Susie Q
Shell Key Anchorage and Mooring Field is a series of 5 five mooring buoys off the Shell Key’s northwesterly shoreline, maintained by the State of Florida.
We had good holding here in 5-15 knots from ESE through SW. Nice quiet anchorage that was almost bug-free too.
John Byrne
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Shell Key
Hmmmm. Kind of concerns me to hear Captain Dixon’s report below concerning Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina. This is one of only a handful of facilities that offer transient dockage on the Florida Keys Inside route between the southerly mouth of Jewfish Creek and Channel Five!
Tried unsuccessfully to reach PYH marina for 2 days by phone or vhf. They didn’t even return a message we left on their answering machine. We wanted to get fuel, water & pumpout. Also wanted to get a slip so we could go buy new boat batteries. We finally moved on to Coral Bay Marina at Lorelei anchorage who were very accommodating. Coral Bay is more like a boatyard, but they have ordered our batteries and we are in a nice slip. A mini grocery store and liquor store are right behind the marina. Afternoon of second day I was able to reach PYH by phone and they said they are in and out, and in the future just tie up at the fuel dock and they’ll get to us. I kept calling because I wanted to know what is going on with them because we’ll be back up that way. We had hesitated to do that because the fuel dock is not easy to get to and there isn’t room for more than one boat. We’ll do that in the future because there aren’t many pumpout places on the bay side of upper keys.
Mary Dixon
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina
Coral Bay Marina is one of several marinas clustered around the FL Keys Inside route, in the heart of Islamorada. It overlooks the southeasterly banks of the canal cutting off from the extreme northeasterly corner of Little Basin.
Called this marina because we needed new boat batteries, they answered the phone right away. Marina was very accommodating, even ordered the batteries for us with one day service. The Trading Post and a liquor store is a 5 minute walk through a path behind the marina. Not a resorty type of marina, it’s a boatyard, but they have a pumpout which is nice since there are few on the bay side of upper keys. We are in a nice big slip with long finger piers on both sides.
Mary Dixon
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Florida Keys Marina Directory Listing For Coral Bay Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Coral Bay Marina
Matecumbe Bight Anchorage is located off the Florida Keys Inside Route, just south and west of Lignumvitae Key. This is not a spot where you want to be if fresh northerly winds are in the offing, but there’s good shelter during times of southerly breezes.
I’m familiar with the “creek” described below by Captain Dixon. It’s a tiny, SMALL CRAFT ONLY cut-through from the Lignumvitae Channel. During daylight hours, I’ve used this passage myself as a short-cut, but running it after dark at planing speed, well, the thought of this activity gives me the shudders.
Matecumbe Bight. Anchored here May 5, 2012. Things were good until shortly before dark. Fishing boats started buzzing us. One came so close to our bow that I thought he was going to hit us. One boat stopped by and told us we were in the fishing boats “runway.” So, even though it was dark, we pulled up anchor and moved farther NE behind the mangroves. There apparently is a creek that you can see on the chart, but not the naked eye, the fishing boats use.
Mary Dixon
Click on Chartlet Below to Open a Chart View Window,
Centered on the Location of This Anchorage:
We are currently at Plantation, arrived yesterday. Could not get anyone on 16 but a phone call got quick response and we were met by two dock hands who were very professional and knew their stuff. Slips are big for our 2665 Regal but everything is very nice and set up to protect your boat. This is a marina attached to a park with everything but a restaurant on site, pool, tennis, soccer, baseball, volley ball. Showers, laundry in top shape. POUTs at each slip. Nice beach part of park, check for sunsets. Fuel and ice available, fuel $4.98 yesterday. Walked to Chilly Willys last night 1/4 mile walk, $10-20, good food.
M & M Rhett
“Lady Soul II”
Tried unsuccessfully to reach PYH marina for 2 days by phone or vhf. They didn’t even return a message we left on their answering machine. We wanted to get fuel, water & pumpout. Also wanted to get a slip so we could go buy new boat batteries. We finally moved on to Coral Bay Marina at Lorelei anchorage who were very accommodating. Coral Bay is more like a boatyard, but they have ordered our batteries and we are in a nice slip. A mini grocery store and liquor store are right behind the marina. Afternoon of second day I was able to reach PYH by phone and they said they are in and out, and in the future just tie up at the fuel dock and they’ll get to us. I kept calling because I wanted to know what is going on with them because we’ll be back up that way. We had hesitated to do that because the fuel dock is not easy to get to and there isn’t room for more than one boat. We’ll do that in the future because there aren’t many pumpout places on the bay side of upper keys.
Mary Dixon
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina
Snake Creek is the northernmost (and easternmost) channel in the Florida Keys that provides reasonably reliable access from the Florida Keys Inside (Florida Bay) Route to Hawk Channel, or the other way around. Several earlier articles here on the Cruisers’ Net, as well as my own soundings, indicate that MLW soundings on the extreme Hawk Channel end of the Snake Creek channel, have risen to 5-foot levels.
Snake Creek, is one of only three passages (the other two being Channel Five and Moser Channel) between Miami and Big Pine Key that cruisers can (reliably) use to cruise between the inside and outside Florida Keys routes.
So, timely operation of the bascule bridge crossing Snake Creek is an important consideration for cruisers. Below, Captain Dennis found the bridge tender a bit balky, and he also comments on some nearby powerlines.
I just went through Snake Creek bridge yesterday in a Hunter 285. They publish that they open on demand other then restricted hours. They have change the restricted hours a couple times in the recent past so I won’t quote those hours now, but during the restricted hours they still open on the hour and on the half hour when requested. After just missing the 10:00 am opening, when we could not get a response on the VHF radio from the bridge attendant, we whistled for passing at 1030 at 11 and again at 1130 before we finally got an opening. The bridge attendant’s phone number is 305-664-3632. the mast on our hunter is 44 and a half feet above the water. I estimate that we cleared the power lines by 6-10′ so your 70′ stick is way too high. I tried to call just to see for cities reference, but all I got was a recording.
Capt Dennis with Sailshare
We went through the snake creek channel twice in a leopard 46 with a 70′ mast without incident. The lower wires are telephone and data cables. This was done in Feb 2011.
T. Macpherson
We have taken a 50′ Prout 3 1/2′ draft with 70′ bridge clearance under the Snake creek bridge wires at low tide. The bridge tenders said we were pretty close to the lowest wires, maybe within a foot or two.
Captain Harold Ochstein
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Snake Creek
Little Basin is a semi-enclosed body of water, just off the Florida Keys Inside (Florida Bay) route. Its shores are overlooked by World Wide Sportsman – Bayside Marina, and several other smaller facilities. IN addition to “Ma’s Fish Camp,” listed below, also give Islamorada Fish Company a try, just next to WWS. GREAT grouper sandwiches and dockside dining!
Little Basin is a nice anchorage if you don’t draw too much. I was able to hug the channel with a wing keel catalina drawing 4 feet. Stay close to the channel. Across the street is a great little restaurant. Ma’s Fish Camp. Great Bahamian Conch Chowder and fish dip. I am a snob for both and they have some of the best of both in the keys. The Key Lime pie is great and they will also make a salad and put grilled fish on it for you. North about one block up the street is the Keys Hurricane Memorial Park which is worth a visit for the history. Also a decent package store.
Bob
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Little Basin Anchorage
Bayside Marina is the (what else) marina part of the mammoth World Wide Sportsman’s operation, in the heart of Islamorada. There’s lots of neat restaurants, shops and provisioning possibilities within walking distance.
HOWEVER, Captains Brooke and Susan are quite correct in their comments about the shallow entrance passage to this facility. We have often sounded 4 feet during MLW, while cruising into Little Basin. Deep draft vessels need not apply, but for those whose draft does not exceed 4 feet, give this facility a try!
Today it was a short trip to Islamorada and are at the World Wide Sportsman Marina. Diesel is $4.09 and slip is $2.00/ft including free pumpout and electricity too. This is an EXTREMELY shallow approach 4′. Tide is 1 hour after Alligator reef if you want to come here. It really is nice once you get in.
Brooke & Susan
A Week 31 LOCAL NOTICE TO MARINERS warned of an exposed I-beam in Bowlegs Cut, creating a dangerous situation in the passage and warranting a Navigation Alert on Cruisers’ Net. That danger has apparently been removed and the area returned to normal, as Capt. Grass assures us with his two passages.
Went through Bowlegs cut on August 5 and everything appeared to be back to normal.
Capt. Martin Grass
Currently anchored in Cowpens. I returned northbound through Bowlegs Cut this afternoon (8 August) at idle speed and everything appeared normal to me.
Capt. Martin Grass
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Bowlegs Cut
Captain Charmaine’s article below is a follow-up to her earlier story here on the Cruisers’ Net, entitled, “Channel Key Pass – Navigational Conundrum (Florida Keys Inside Route, Statute Mile 1179.5).” If you have not yet red this article, please do so by following this link (http://www.CrusiersNet.net/channel-key-pass-navigational-conundrum-florida-keys-inside-route-statute-mile-1179-5) BEFORE delving into Charmaine’s story below. This account will be far more meaningful once the background has passed before your eyes.
May 18, 2011
Channel Key Pass (ICW through Channel Key Banks) – Navigational Conundrum Resolved
N 24 48.768 W 80 54.708 (Green #5 & #7 and Red #8)
by Charmaine Smith Ladd
The navigational conundrum posed in my article of May 11th has been resolved. Love when that happens! LOL
To quickly refresh your memory, see the illustration below. This is in the waters of Florida Bay, which average 7-9 feet. While traversing the Bay between Channel Five and the Seven Mile Bridge, we aboard September Sea came across what seemed to be an unusual navigational aid configuration along the ICW at Channel Key Pass:
Channel Key Pass (ICW through Channel Key Banks) N 24 48.768 W 80 54.708 (Green markers #5 & #7 and Red marker #8)
It seemed as per the chart, going outside Red marker #8 would keep my 5’8 draft in consistently deeper water and away from the shoals. I wondered why the marked channel was so narrow, seemed to come so very close to the southern shoal of Channel Key Bank, and was in a slight “S” configuration. That’s a lot more to think about than merely opting to go outside Red Marker #8 and be in what the chart shows as 7 ft. waters. Then I thought about the possibility of navigating this area at night or in foul weather! I had to know more about this area before either of those scenarios ever became a reality. Therefore, being daytime, I decided to follow the marked channel. With good daylight it was easier to see the shoals. Yet still, when passing through the marked channel, my keel was in only inches of water. That’s when I began to doubt whether I had made the correct decision.
Since that time, I have researched to view satellite images of the area (seen side-by-side below). The images show distinctly lighter colored areas outside Red marker #8. This is an obvious indication of inconsistent depths. The black and white image on the left reflects a yellow ring I have drawn around the questionable depth area. The Google Earth image on the right, being in color, does not show that contrast as clearly. The yellow pins I’ve drawn flank the northern and southern boundaries of Channel Key Pass per NOAA charts. It is apparent the yellow ringed area lies within those boundaries.
Satellite Image Comparisons of Channel Key Pass
In the future, I will take the marked channel through Channel Key Banks. It is my belief that while navigating the “S” curve, I allowed the stern to swing a bit off the centerline. This would explain why my depth sounder went off and showed only inches of water. I was a bit too close to the shoal of Green Marker #7. When navigating this Pass, be sure to stay in the center of the passage. It is quite narrow and confusing, but it is totally accurate. The chart does show that a bit of shoal overlaps the Pass. Stay a bit more north when passing Green Marker #7 and you’ll be just fine.
Most boats in Florida Bay do not have the worries about depth as we who draw 5’8 or more. The other sailboat observed that day which decided to pass to the North of the marked Channel (outside of Red Marker #8) was more than likely as confused as we were. His choice was probably decided as per the chart showing enough depth within that course. His thinking was to not risk any dealings to the shoal off Green Marker #7. But now that I have seen the satellite images, it is clear that is not the safest course to take. The satellite images also reveal the logic behind the configuration of the Channel Key Pass markers.
My next trip there will include going out in the dinghy and taking some depth soundings of the yellow ringed area with a handheld sonar. Even though the satellite images indicate some shoaling there (enough at this point to avoid the area with my 5’8 draft); this writer’s curious nature would love to know what truly lies beneath!
The NOAA satellite image used here was obtained from a fellow cruiser who has a program on his chartplotter which allows him to overlay such images. Google Earth images were easily obtained by downloading the resources directly from Google Earth. However, the side-by-side comparison shows that the contrast images on Google Earth are not always clear enough to be used for detecting navigational hazards at sea. It is evident that in this case, the NOAA satellite image most clearly reveals the answer to what once was the Channel Key Pass navigational conundrum.
Cruisers helping Cruisers = Conundrum Resolved!
Charmaine Smith Ladd
SSECN Special Correspondent, Florida Keys
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"Blue Run Springs Park Manatees – St. Johns River"
by: Glen and Jill Moore
