3. No Name Harbor Anchorage
3. No Name Harbor Anchorage
Statute Mile:1096
Lat/Lon: near 25 40.611 North/080 09.769 West
Location: on the waters of the tadpole-shaped harbor, which indents the westerly banks of south Key Biscayne, near Cape Florida
Minimum depth: 10 feet
Special Comment: as of February 2015, overnight anchorage fee of $20.00 ($8.00 at the seawall), honor system
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 50 feet
Foul Weather Shelter:superb
Rating: 
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Comments from Cruisers (14)
[…] Jim and Rosemary were not there because they sailed their 34 foot sailboat Alberta Rose down to No Name Harbor earlier in the […]
No water. Dinner lousy to be truthful. Smoking permitted. $4.75 for a domestic beer. Menu high priced we thought. Oh well. It’s so crowded here we must leave – good stop to provision at the most expensive Winn Dixie I’ve ever been in. Had everything we needed though and only 3/4 of a mile away. Pizza at same strip mall below grocery store is outstanding. That’s my report sir!
Best,
Mo
Maura Mulcahy s/v Mi Amante
Sebago Sailing, Inc.
Is there free water at No Name? I forget. Thanks!!
We anchored here on 4/3/13. There were about 13 sailboats in the harbor. It seemed a little crowded although we didn’t have any problems. It was very quiet but weekends might be a different story.
Awesome anchorage! We could not use the local mooring fields because of our 51 ft length & weight so No name was our only choice to avoid strong winds from ALL DIRECTIONS.Yes the bottom is soft mud however properly set hooks will hold at least to 30 mph no problem. In regards to the weekend party this is Miami’s back yard and should be expected near any large boating community. The actual fee is $20.00 per night to anchor and $8.00 to tie up to the wall until 11 P/M. Our personal comment is No Name Harbor is if not the best anchorage we have been in it comes close.
Our Lord’s Blessing to All
Ed & Bonnie S/V Almost Heaven
We stayed in No Name this past year for several days waiting out weather and enjoyed this stop…never saw any problems with holding in strong winds either. But did have issue with seawall being taken up which made it impossible to go and get pump out…don’t know why they have it if that area is not free from the local loud boaters. We had one incident where 5 local boaters were told to get off the wall well after dark, (rules are off at dark) and they proceeded to come off about 10 feet and do a 5 boat raft late evening playing loud music and forcing a sail boat who had been anchored for two days to have to pick up anchor and move to avoid being hit…no authourity did a thing about it nor did anyone pay to stay the night..so I guess the locals control the area. We learned one thing, never go there on a weekend. During the week it was less problematic and a beautiful place to be. Loved walking aroung the park and going to the beach. Also enjoyed a very old large manatee that stays in that harbor.
Susan Dawson aboard S/V Colleen Mae
May 20, 2011
$20 fee for anchoring overnight. No mooring balls as of yet. Still on the honor system, we saw 12 boats come in and not pay. No one checked to see if all had paid. Still nice, the grill is expensive. More than $6 for a beer.
As of July 29, 2010 there is a fee to anchor in No Name Harbor. Two dollars for a day use and $20.00 per night. This is on the honor system.
Captain Cheryl Martin aboard Fair Winds
I just called the park and no moorings have been installed. It’s a very nice park to visit with an award winning beach, two great restaurants, bike, kayak and catamaran rentals, hiking trails and a restored historic light house open to the public with amazing views from the top. For the overnight boaters, showers, laundry and free pumpout so it’s well worth the very nominal anchoring fee.
Yes of course in summer it will be hot and buggy in a small landside anchorage and like all anchorages there is a capacity limit, this one being very very small fills up fast. I have stayed in fall and winter and found it to be very enjoyable and all chain rode keeps the meandering to a minimum and I never have had problems with neighbors swinging to close. Also a good deal of the boats that anchor during the day are locals don’t spend the night. Outside of summer if there is space I will go in. When it is full I anchor in the channel and dingy in to take advantage of all the park has to offer. There is little or no traffic in the channel at night so you can still get a good night sleep there, just be sure your anchor is well set as a strong current runs but I have never dragged.
I know that anchoring in a channel seems like the wrong thing to do but the channel is wide and it is common for boats heading to the Bahamas to anchor in the channel to one side when the harbor is full.
Cap. Jules
Claiborne,
The Hurricane Hole you mention can be one of two places both of which are located in the Cape Florida channel. The one most frequently used is No Name Harbor further to the East. In the past you could anchor there, but recently I have heard they have installed moorings. In any case, it is a small, hot, muggy, airless harbor that most would not want to spend too long. The boats meander with the changing currents and the only positive is that there was an excellent Cuban restaurant at the harbor wall. Many first time cruisers who feel insecure about anchoring in a semi-open anchorage find this harbor appealing. When you want to depart, especially at night, you have to weave through the tightly packed boats to enter the Cape Florida Channel.
Ron
No Name [Harbor Anchorage] can fill up or cause swing anxiety for the newbie. As mentioned, the anchorage at “Nixon Cove” (nickname, not on the chart) off of the Yacht Club, northwest of Hurricane Harbor on your chart, is good, and popular, or we have anchored several times just outside and slightly south of No Name, just stay to one side of the rather broadly defined channel. The sport fisher will wake you now and then if too close. Then you can take the dinghy into No Name and have a meal at the excellent Cuban/Carribean restaurant that over looks the harbor and take a nice walk in the park.
Lots of nice spots to anchor from there on south to Marathon, take your time! How big is your boat and how much do you draw?
George
I think you would find Hurricane Harbor preferable to No Name Harbor on the southern tip of Key Biscayne.
It is much larger, uncrowded, has better holding ground, and you can use a longer scope and swing at anchor without ending up near another vessel. It is also a whole lot quieter. Also, there are no fees for anchoring in Hurricane Harbor as opposed to No Name.
Just be careful to watch the water depth and avoid the shoal that extends out to the north and west as you make your approach to the harbor. When actually entering the harbor, stay close to the north wall where the channel is deepest.
Martin I. Veiner
No Name Harbor now charges $20 for overnight anchorage and $2 for day anchorage.
No Name Bay [Harbor] is another option for Key Biscayne — also pretty crowded on weekends. I prefer to pass up Key Biscayne and anchor off of Elliot Key. Wear plenty of repellent if you go ashore as the mosquitos are KILLER.
Adam
Subject: TOW AWAY ZONE IN NO NAME HARBOR
Cruising News: No Name Harbor at Biggs State Park in Key Biscayne is now enforcing the “no overnight mooring” policy that has been in effect but largely ignored. There are now “Tow Away Zone” signs and any illegally moored vessel (i.e. those staying overnight at the wall or those not paying the fee) will be towed by SeaTow “at the owners expense”. Rangers may ask to see your receipt from the envelope used to pay fees. A ranger will also make patrols at No Name after dusk to ensure boats have vacated. To recap the rules: you can tie your boat up at the seawall during the day for $2 or anchor overnight for $15/night. You cannot stay overnight at the wall. The pump out is free.
Bobbi and Warren
s/v Grand Eagle