Wow, what a great in-depth look at the marina facilities in Marthon. As usual, our fearless roving reporter, Captain Jane Tigar, does a superb job!!!!!!

Dockside, from the road. What you see is what you get. Joe Mama sings here on Thursdays

Captain Jane’s Report on Marathon, Part 2: Marathon Marina Roundup
There’s no accounting for taste in the Keys, and I mean that in almost any way you want to read that phrase. As one CIty Marina employee said — you either love it here in Marathon or you hate it.
I think the same goes for taste in Marathon Marinas. I give up even trying to rate the choices. I passed by one Marathon marina and shrunk in horror at its roadside visuals and amenities or lack thereof, but a credible liveaboard said people love it there. I visited another with clearly happy community minded people, put it near the bottom of my list — but I have to say, it’s at the top of their list and they are all repeaters. So, I’m going to do my neutral best, which won’t be neutral, but please know I’m trying.
I focused on the Hawk Channel, sometimes known as “ocean side” side of Marathon, because we’re sailors and there’s only so much I could look at. We went by kayak and we went by car, nosing around, talking to people.
I’ve already reported on our probably apparent love affair with the City Marina. It is the happening place, seems to have the greatest diversity in median boater age with a healthy number of children around and their parents in addition to the retiree group of which I’m a partial member. Adjacent to the municipal park, within walking distance of plenty of restaurants and food shopping — it’s a superb choice. It’s a less than superb choice if you must have a slip and electricity. It’s short on slips and very long on mooring balls and that probably has a lot to do with the demographics. For our non-neutral taste, there’s nothing like its huge cruisers and activity lounges. Just walking through the lounge a few minutes ago, I saw two tables of people playing some kind of domino game that had been announced on the morning cruisers net on VHF 68. The Marathon City Marina is its own thing — we happen to love the life style and sense of community. I didn’t mention in my earlier report that in addition to the Wednesday potluck “meet and greet”, Saturday night’s at the Tiki Bar has an often unannounced but regular music gathering. If you’re a musician, or like listening to your talented fellow cruisers, this may be a great place for you.
Next, Dockside Marina. It’s got slips for sale, but from what we hear on the cruisers net and from chatting with people, you can get transient dockage and people who love it love it. The restaurant and bar were smoke filled when we passed by. I tried to talk to a dock master but no one knew if one was around. Oh well, there are boats there. From what I could see, amenities are slim to none with minimalist and rusty looking laundry set up. I did not find the land heads, if any.
Not to be confused with the city marina is Marathon Marina. Judy, who was on duty when we passed by, said it is home of the best sunsets in Marathon. This looks likely given the unobstructed Western exposure on one side of the marina (the other side offers slips in a more protected canal.) My first mate queried a liveaboard whose boat is docked on the open water Western side of the marina who said yes, the sunsets are unsurpassed, and that he loves the community spirit at the marina. The liveaboard said the open fetch West was not much of a problem even in a blow. Good to know. Judy says approach depths are 9 feet all round and that major upgrades are underway. Brand new laundry machines went in a few weeks ago and she says the new restaurant LazyDays is superb and has a great chef. We checked out the LazyDays lunch menu — a touch more expensive than the usual Keys shacks, but I think you get real plates and there were references to Japanese panko bread crumbs… That should give you the idea. Judy also said that a pool should be in by next winter and the slips are being upgraded. Dockage includes water, wifi, cable and electric and you can reserve ahead. While it doesn’t feel as central as City Marina, we noted it’s an easy walk to Porky’s Bayside restaurant in one direction and Burdines and its ChikiTiki Bar & Grille in another. Not a bad walk to a used bookstore and you’re near what looks like the local Keys bus stop.
Burdines, features the afore-mentioned ChikiTiki Bar & Grille, slips, fuel and cute little grass huts by the docks with picnic tables. People seem to really move into these little huts for socializing and meals. Looks like a nice place to us if you require and don’t mind paying for a slip.
Sombrero Marina is a completely different look. Parking lot, low-rise apartments and slips; a cementy-looking affair. Folks staying there seem to be predominantly power boaters and every night at 5 PM it’s happy hour on the dock, bring your own glass/mug. It’s a smaller community than City Marina and judging purely from visuals on one visit, an older crowd. I spoke to several people who love the place

Marathon Marina's inside slips

and have been coming there for five years. One told me that the reason no one answered our hail when we came to Boot Key Harbor and were looking for dockage because there is no dock master right
now. She said the place was full anyway, not a slip available for the rest of the season. She went on in some detail about the financial history of Sombrero and what it’s name might really be. Since I have no idea what’s true and what isn’t, in summary she said the place was her favorite in Marathon and in an “ahem” state of transition and things were looking up. Facilities are “adequate” my informant said and there is a pool and a restaurant on site. Another liveaboard there said the onsite restaurant won’t win any awards but it’s nice to have it so close.
Sombrero and Dockside are adjacent to each other and are the closest to Publix supermarket of all the marinas I’ve mentioned. This takes on some significance for car-free cruisers as the former dinghy dock at Publix is closed and under construction. I’ve yet to hear from anyone what is being constructed and the visuals there do not give any hints.
To get a good sense of the lay of the land and water here and all these marinas, go to: http://www.bootkeyharbor.com/boot_key_harbor.htm
I hope this helps. We landed at City Marina partly because they answered our hail and also because we liked what Ann said — this is a real community, you’ll love it. We have no regrets.
Jane Tigar
S/V Lady Jane