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

Wow, Captain Jane has really made a find here!!! What an incredible Florida Keys resource to stock the galley with the freshest of fruits and vegetables!

You’d think I was hired by the City of Marathon Public Relations Department, but the full disclosure is no, I’m not, there’s just a lot of really good things happening in Marathon here in the Middle Keys. Today’s prime example, which I type just as the First Annual Keys Traditional Music Festival opens for its second day a mile or so away and a week before the Pigeon Key Art Festival, is the weekly Farmers Market.
Location: One mile walk from City Marina — turn right, walking past the Marathon Community Park, cross over the main road when you see a traffic signal, keep on walking. Starting at 10 AM (across the main road from K Mart) you’ll see cars pulling over to the side and a big truck dispensing free key limes and your box top that will serve as your shopping basket. On our visit this morning, egg plants, water chestnuts, water melons, exotic carrots in multi colors in ziploc bags (good for snacking and really fine!), kirby pickling size cucumbers, zucchini, sweet red peppers, bok choy and I’m sure I’m missing plenty in this recital…
I spoke to Pete, one of the organizers who said the proceeds benefit the community in a variety of ways. The leaflet he gave me says the sponsor is the Educational Coalition for Monroe County (ECMC) and it supports Marathon Sk* Association, Collegiate Arts Magnet Program & Careers, Project Green environmental project, Youth leadership workshops and Dancing Classrooms. For more information, to volunteer, or give a donation, call (305) 743-6215.
Why the free key limes? A volunteer said: Because we love you. Pete elaborated: After Hurricane Wilma, the fourth Cat 5 hurricane of the 2005 season and, from what I’ve read, the most intense, the key lime crops were destroyed and folks really missed this quintessential Florida Keys symbol and fruit. So, the Incredible Fruit Stand found a supplier and gave the limes away to make people feel good. The feel good continues to the tune of — I think he said 70 bushels a week.
Get there early for best selection, advises Tina Belotti of the ECMC. Tina says the Incredible Fruit Stand gets about 250 customers every Saturday. Take a look at our haul and you’ll see why.
Captain Jane
S/V Lady Jane

Our fearless roving reporter, Captain Jane Tigar takes an in-depth look below at what may be the most popular port of call in the Florida Keys, Boot Key Harbor!

We aboard S/V Lady Jane now understand why people heading for the Bahamas, Bimini and elsewhere just happen to get “stuck” in Boot Key. From all I have read of Marathon’s not so long ago history and attendant cruising quality (or lack thereof) life, this truly is an example of how people can make change in the world. This is one of those ICW stops that is now clean, welcoming, fun and a “real community.” If you love Vero Beach Municipal Marina, you may want to check out Boot Key for your next Keys adventure.

Marathon City Marina, sea wall dockage

First, getting into Boot Key harbor: We draw 5, so we did not even think of using the Sister’s Creek entrance and most folks we’ve heard from don’t suggest it without local knowledge or a really shoal draft vessel. We used the West entrance which, heading North takes you quite close to the 7-mile bridge.
Once in the marked harbor entrance, we followed the clearly numbered markers. We have read some recommendations that you not follow the marked dog-legging channel into the harbor, past the open bascule bridge, however, we followed the City Marina’s live radio advice and kept inside that channel. We draw 5 and while I don’t remember the exact depths we found, there was no pitter patter of the heart as I did my periodic glances at the depth sounder. Perhaps the advice I’ve read to go through the mooring field is out of date — I’m not sure.
The very friendly and capable staff, from what we’ve experienced and heard on the VHF to others, give very clear and good directions to your mooring ball, or to the sea wall if you are taking one of the along-side ties with connections to electricity and land.
When you check in, be sure to take your included goodie bag — a sturdy thermal shopping bag with useful vendor contact numbers on the outside and a bunch of literature, coupons, and information about the marina and Marathon.
Your first morning we recommend that at 9 AM you tune in to VHF Channel 68 for the daily morning Cruisers Net program. This is a moderated morning “VHF radio show” that begins with a call to new vessels to the harbor to introduce themselves and say where they came from and what their plans are. Next up a call to departing vessels. Then news announcements — and these are often really worth listening to as it can range from announcements about the closure of the dinghy dock folks used to use for Publix and West Marine to free yoga gatherings at 10 AM next to the tennis courts, a tennis court event, the weekly softball game (equipment provided!), music offerings, cruisers offering free presentations or workshops about something they do or love — this morning it was foot reflexology lessons, tomorrow I’m offering a Native American flute demonstration and talk, last week a couple offered a “concert” from their stern and dinghies from 30 vessels gathered round in late afternoon to enjoy it…
After the announcements, there’s buy trade and sell; after that cruiser comments and questions about pretty much anything from hair cuts to medical care; then there is time for cruisers needing help or assistance. It ends with Trivia questions — cruisers offer trivia questions and sometimes West Marine posts the question and gives a prize to the first correct answer.
Now that you’ve been introduced to the community, dinghy in, or if you’re at the sea wall, walk over to the marina office and the giant cruisers’ lounge. It is huge and open only during marina office hours. It’s where you can receive your mail and parcels, buy ice, swap books, sit at a table with your laptop and use the free wifi, work on quiet clean projects (there is a sewing circle going on since we’ve arrived). For big noisy, dirty boater’s projects, walk a little further down the dock to the project rooms. You will probably see someone repairing a dinghy or tinkering with some other boat project. There are lockers there to store your supplies…

The Tiki Hut, Marathon City Marina. View of the mooring field and one of the dinghy dock areas

Your first Wednesday — don’t miss the Meet and Greet potluck at the marina’s Tiki hut, or in inclement weather, inside the marina office. It starts at 5:30.
Good new land heads and showers and a big laundry facility are just a little further down the dock near the humongous floating and new dinghy docks.
There are only two things I can criticize here and neither would keep me from staying here again. One is that the recycling doesn’t seem to get picked up as quickly as boaters can fill the bins. But I’m so thrilled that there are recycling bins and people are using them, that I feel curmudgeonly even mentioning that it can get a little unsightly near the garbage area in the far end of the parking lot. Could simply have been the glitch of a holiday weekend. The second is the problem of dinghies being a little more enthusiastic to get to land than they should. The marina staff is working on that in a characteristically kind but firm way.
One of the great things about the City Marina is its location. You are literally adjacent to a great city park with the afore-mentioned tennis courts and soft ball field. We hear you can even borrow tennis rackets from the park. This is municipal service at its best.
It’s a short walk from the marina to several restaurants — Annette’s Lobster and Steakhouse is right across the street and gets great reviews and a lot of cars in the parking lot for the modestly priced daily buffet lunch is a good sign. The Upper Crust Pizza, just a little to the right up the road from Annettes was also hopping when we passed by, and a Thai and Sushi place just next door. We can vouch for the Thai curries and pad thai — really good and authentic. Or walk left from Annettes to Key Fisheries; it’s a short walk and you can eat at the outdoor covered tables of the restaurant or buy smoked and uncooked fish from the attached fish market. So far, these are the best fish sandwiches we’ve had in the Keys and the spiny lobsters grilled outside to order are excellent and fairly priced. Have several movie titles in mind because you will need one to order your food and Casablanca and Avatar are usually taken. Or hop in your dinghy or kayak and scoot across the harbor to Burdines — they serve great seafood at reasonable prices and it’s a beautiful spot.
Publix supermarket is only a mile away and for the aerobically hardy, West Marine donated several shopping carts you can wheel to Publix and back to the marina. For the less aerobically inclined, folks on the VHF Boot Key Cruisers Net recommend a taxi service that charges $5 to get you back with your groceries; there will be information in your welcome goodie bag
Rental cars are available several miles up the road at the Marathon Airport. Budget and Enterprise have some good deals if you shop carefully and check the internet prices as well as the in-house prices — you never know which are better. As we discovered, it can be less expensive to rent a full week than a weekend. With wheels you are within 10 minutes of lots of great places to eat and provision.
Stayed tuned for Part 2, for a glance at different marina options and maybe even a snorkeling review of Sombrero Reef. Can’t make any promises. We’re in the real Keys now.
Jane Tigar
S/V Lady Jane

One quick correction! At Keys Fisheries ‘” it may not be a movie title you need to place your order; check the white board for the requirement du jour. Today, you needed the name of a cartoon character’¦
And, while I’m at it ‘” I learned from experience that the City Marina Wednesday night Meet and Greet is an understatement; when they say bring a dish to pass, they mean major pot luck. Last night, the marina staff set out a big long table for the food in the huge cruisers lounge. First timers, like us, bring snacks, and anyone more than one week in residence, brings in real dinner food’¦ It was a big crowd!
Jane

We are now on a mooring ball having not visited here since 7 yrs ago. What changes and all for the positive!
I will ditto all of Capt Janes comments, plus add that a weekly pumpout is included in your mooring fee (they come by your boat on a schedule and you do not need to be on your boat), and water is modestly priced at just 5 cents/gal. This mooring field should be the model for others in FL to follow. The rules are not overbearing and they really cater to the cruising community’“a novelty sometimes in the state of FL.
Kathy and Jim