Click This Chartlet to Open a Chart View Page Centered on Boot Key Harbor

Regular visitors to the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net will remember that about four weeks ago, we published an article authored by our very special Florida Keys correspondent, Captain Charmaine Smith Ladd, which warned of possible new anchoring restrictions in Boot Key Harbor (BKH) outside the mooring field. The reaction from the cruising community was swift and vocal, and the Marathon City Council seems to have heeded that outcry. As Captain Charmine reports anew below, it looks as if anchoring on most of BKH will not be impeded.
On an even broader scale, Charmaine also provides a link to Monroe County’s (all of the Florida Keys) plan on how they will implement their participation in the Florida Pilot Mooring Field Program. This is MUST reading for any who cherish the idea of anchoring anywhere in the Florida Keys, and, trust me, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of idyllic anchorages in this region. So, follow the link below, and let us know what you think!

April 10th 2012
Florida Pilot Program UPDATE: Monroe County Proposed PP Ordinance
by Charmaine Smith Ladd
The most recent draft of proposed ordinances for Monroe County (including the municipalities of Marathon and Key West) are now online for your perusal and comment. Please read thoroughly and let your concerns be heard. There will be a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on April 18th where the final draft of proposed ordinances will be on the table for approval to go forward through the protocol of the FWC administered Pilot Program.
All boaters and cruisers will be happy to know that anchoring in the most protected Harbor in all of the Florida Keys, Boot Key Harbor, will remain available.
Please download the proposed ordinances from the following link: http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/agendacenter

With the city charging $22 plus tax for 1 days dinghy dockage, NO one in their right mind is going to anchor there! It is so sad Marathon insists on a exorbadant dinghy dockage when other Florida comunities provide FREE dinghy dockage. Miami Beach is building a free dinghy dock, Ft Myers Beach has a free dinghy dock, Cape Coral has free dinghy dockage. LaBelle has free dockage. Marathon has to get with it or loose out!
Harv

Click This Chartlet to Open a Chart View Page Centered on the Entrance to Boot Key Harbor

We are very pleased to report that as of this morning, 3/27/12, the once sagging utility lines crossing the primary entrance to Boot Key Harbor have been repaired, and returned to their normal vertical clearance of 65 feet. Our sincere thanks to Captain Peter F. TenHaagen for this report, and for the dramatic photo attached to this message. To see more of Captain Peter’s utility line repair photos, click the “Photo Gallery” icon/link below!
The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net would also like to express a sincere thanks to the cruising community for their help and cooperation in getting the word out about this formerly dangerous situation over the past several days. Working together, there is little the combined forces of the SSECN and the Cruising Community cannot achieve!

Just wanted to let you know they finished making the wires the correct height again today (ribbon hanging down is their measuring device!) at the Knights Key Channel entrance to Boot Key Harbor and sailboats are now coming and going freely.
Peter

Cruising News:
THE WIRE IS FIXED to 65′ Clear M.H.W.
Edwin Spomer

The sagging lines appeared to be fixed about 3 PM Monday afternoon. We were heading back from lunch and passed under the bridge/cables while the barge with two men up in the crane finished. There is a new yellow/red circle attached to the middle of the cable, I guess to show it’s been fixed? Anyway, as we watched, the barge lowered the two men in the crane back to deck, so hopefully all is well again in Marathon.
Cheers!
Jan,
sv Winterlude
http://www.commutercruiser.com

I witnessed the incident [that originally caused the utility lines to sag]. It was Sunday, March 18. I was in my dinghy heading toward the bridge. A big catamaran with a 75 foot rig was trying to enter the harbor. Suddenly she reared back like a motorcycle doing a wheelie. If she had been going any faster, she would have flipped herself onto her back.
Unfortunately I didn’t get the vessel name, but I did talk to the people on board. They were 6 teenagers there for the sailing regatta. They tied off at the old abandoned marina next to Burdines.
Dick Mills

Hello All,
Has anyone noticed if they put a tide reading scale [ 24-25-26 ] on the EAST , mooring field side of the bridge ? Am I missing it. I dont think I have seen one on that side.
THANKS
TOM

As part of the recent string of messages concerning the sagging utility lines over the primary entrance to Boot Key Harbor (see /?p=84015), a side discussion has come about concerning depths on Sister Creek. The “primary” entrance to Boot Key Harbor (“BKH”) is a more or less straight shot from Moser Channel. This is the passage over which the sagging utility lines cross.
Sister Creek is an alternate entrance to BKH, which runs, more or less, north from Hawk Channel. In the “sagging utility lines posting,” both yours truly and our very special Florida Keys correspondent, Captain Charmaine Smith Ladd, cautioned that boats drawing more than 4 feet should not attempt to use Sister Creek to access BKH. This admonition resulted in some dissenting points of view:

Click Chartlet Above to Open a Chart View Page Centered on the Entrance to Boot Key Harbor

Good to hear the alert but Sister’s Creek is deeper than 4′. I have come in and out of Boot Key via Sister’s Creek and have never experienced less than 6′. Take your own chances ‘“ I’m just saying.
Always FOR SAIL too

I disagree about Sister Creek ‘“ large sportfishers and sailing craft enter the harbor from Sister Creek daily. There is a spot at the entrance that might preclude 6’ from entering at MLW, but half tide and rising there is no apparent problem. I am anchored on Sister Creek with two other craft as I write this.
Peter TenHaagen

So, I asked Captain Charmine to comment further on the soundings to be expected in Sister Creek. Here is her reply:

Regarding SISTER CREEK. Sister Creek at mean low tide is 4’1’³. That’s FOUR FEET ONE INCH. From that point, as usual, you have to do the math with the tides as far as one’s draft is concerned. Obviously if you have a two foot tide you’ll be fine if you draw less than six feet. With that said, whatever someone has experienced in their vessel is highly subjective and there are dangerously hard groundings that occur in Sister Creek because of this. Each Captain has to make his or her decision based on their particular situation.
This is why I am extremely cautious with suggesting using Sister Creek to others. Some don’t watch tides as closely as others. Therefore, I merely report its mean low tide depth. Those who traverse Sister Creek with 6′ drafts have done their homework’¦and that is all that is necessary in order to decide to use it or not. Just know that it is not quite a no-brainer unless you have a shallower draft vessel.
Hugs!
Charmaine

Remember if you enter Sister Creek from Hawk Channel, it’s a normal red-right-returning as you enter Boot Key Harbor.But the channel colors `reverse’ where Sister Creek meets Boot Key Harbor. That’s because the markers near that entrance are really a continuation of the markers from the main entrance channel at Seven Mile Bridge, and thus are `reverse-colors’ from the Sister Creek entrance. That can cause confusion and potential grounding if the skipper is on the `wrong’ side of the markers as they enter Boot Key Harbor where the water at that intersection is shallow.
Joe Curley

I agree with Captain Charmaine. Our boat draws 4 feet and our depth sounder is accurate to within 2 inches. We departed Sister Creek in February of 2012 at dead low tide and our depth reading was 4 feet. Sister Creek itself is deep enough. The shallow area is east of the entrance to Sister Creek between the Red and Green marks.
James Angel

We recently entered Boot Key via Sister’screek in our sailboat. It was at mid tide. Our dept sounder is set for actual water depth and is accurate. We saw readings or 4.1 on the sounder. The draft on our boat is 5 foot but we never even felt a bump let alone run hard aground. I wonder if there is a heavy grass growth that may be bouncing the echoe sound up from the tall grass. This occurred just off the beach in the channel. The rest of the way was all over 5 foot or better
Capt. Mike

I just returned in my dinghy from the marked channel entering Sister Creek from Hawk Channel ‘“ I found at dead low tide some 4.5′ spots between markers 2 and 3/4, nothing under 5′ after that and nothing under 7′ once past the marked channel. I don’t know the exact tide range but it is well over 2’ ‘“ I would say 3-4′ depending on winds and other conditions that affect the tide. I did this for friends in a 5′ draft sailboat planning to meet me here over the weekend.
Peter TenHaagen

Boat using sister creek this morning reported at least 6′ at near high tide. Local knowledge is needed as there are shallow rocks reported to be inside one of the red markers. Local boat US will charge $400 to escort you thru.
Ted

For the past 12 years I have lived on Sombrero Blvd. For the first 5ive years I had a Shannon 43 drawing when cruising 5′ 2’³ that I took in and out of Sisters Creek. I have read the warnings and looked at the charts but have yet to run aground. My neighbor had a Gulfstar 50 that he took in and out numerous times. He did bump once or twice but never ran aground. I took my boat in and out regardless of the tide level although never at a low low tide.
Joe Hamrick

Re Sisters Creek: I lived in Marathon for 11 years, and always used the Sisters channel coming and going on my 50′ Gulfstar with 5.5′ draft. I recall a light bumping once or twice during very low tides, but most locals consider the channel good for 6′ in normal high tides.
The old charts do say 4’ at MLT, but local knowledge is pretty well established on this one.
Ed Loke

Recently, my good friend and host at last fall’s MTOA Rendezvous in Chesapeake Bay, Captain Ken Chumley, arranged for a Florida fuel wholesaler to bring an entire truckload of diesel fuel to Marathon’s Boot Key Harbor. Here, he and a number of other MTOA members, took on 4,200 gallons of diesel, at a really good price! Another fellow cruiser chimed in, and said they had made arrangements with the same company for a truckload delivery to Duck Key, to the tune of about 900 gallons.
Of course, for anyone to take advantage of this service, they will have to put together a group of fuel thirsty vessels, at a Florida Keys marina where a tanker truck can back close enough to the wet slips so that a hose can be easily snaked to the waiting boats.
If you can overcome these hurtles, give Urbieta Oil at 305-884-0008 a call, and stand by to save a significant chunk of change!

Isn’t it encouraging to find a city owned and operated mooring field that ENCOURAGES cruisers to anchor just outside of the field until a mooring become available. Other municipalities in Florida would be well advised to take note!

At Boot Key the dockmaster generally will have you anchor out until a mooring becomes available. Depending on weather and the number of folks staging to go to the Bahamas, your wait can be hours to a few days. Just remember to look at the tide charts (especially now, coming off of full moon) and gage where you anchor with
your draft.
PS Russell
M/V Ocean Breeze

We are in Marathon and while the mooring field is busy there are openings. A number of boats just headed out for the Bahamas and that makes for available openings. With your mooring you get pumped out once a week and you can pull into the Marathon City Marina and get water. You can also check with the City Marina for dockage.
Good Luck
Marty and Jerry Richardson
onboard M/V Monarch

The boats in Boot Key Harbor come and go all the time. They might be full today and have a half dozen moorings open by weeks end if a good weather window opens up. There is usually someplace to anchor in Boot Key Harbor. Depending on your boats draft, you can anchor in Newfound Harbor on the way to Key West, and depending on the weather, if the southerlies are not blowing too bad, you can anchor just outside Boot Key Harbor. There is also the anchorage in Key West. Marina availability will be a different story this time of year.
Chuck Baier

Cruising News:
City of Marathon is in the process of passing Resolution 2012-21 which will restrict all anchoring in Boot Key Harbor to one small area. This Resolution can be viewed on City of Marathon website.
Patrick Carter

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Florida Keys Marina Directory Listing For the Boot Key Harbor Mooring Field

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Boot Key Harbor Mooring Field

The note Captain Kettlewell has copied us on below, was inspired by the earlier article here on the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net by our very special Florida Keys Correspondent, Captain Charmaine Smith Ladd (see /?p=79332). John’s words, as they usually do, speak eloquently for themselves!

Claiborne:
I sent the following message to the chamber of commerce in Marathon. Charmaine suggested I forward a copy to you in case you might want to use it on your website. I have no objections.

Subject: Boot Key Harbor fees
From: “John J. Kettlewell”
Date: Sat, February 04, 2012 5:35 pm
To: ceo@floridakeysmarathon.com, visitus@floridakeysmarathon.com
Dear Mr. Samess:
You and your member businesses should be very concerned about the recently instituted dramatic increase in fees at the city mooring field and city dinghy dock. Snowbirding boaters in Boot Key Harbor spend lots of money in Marathon businesses on things like marine supplies, fuel, ice, groceries and shopping of all sorts, restaurants, and entertainment. The last time I was there on my boat I spent three weeks in the harbor, renting a space at the dinghy dock. In total I believe I spent several thousand dollars on refitting my boat, restaurants, and other supplies. However, as of February 1 the city has raised the daily rate for the dinghy dock by 69% to $22 per day! Imagine what it would do to business in Marathon if a parking fee of $22 per day was instituted on your streets. This fee seems particularly unfair when you note that the use of the two public boat ramps in Marathon is completely free, as is all day parking at the boat ramps. In addition, weekly and monthly fees also increased dramatically, while mooring fees also increased. In short, not many boaters will pay this extortionate fee just to tie up a dinghy and go ashore to be able to spend money–I certainly will take my business elsewhere.
Boaters have a very well-established and efficient communication system that is spreading the word rapidly about these outrageous fees, and the unfriendly nature of Marathon. I know some boaters have already cancelled plans to visit Boot Key Harbor this winter. Marathon businesses should let the city know that the recent fee increases are bad for business.
John J. Kettlewell

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Florida Keys Anchorage Directory Listing For the Boot Key Harbor Mooring Field

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Boot Key Harbor Mooring Field