No Ordinary Motel: A visit to the Turtle Hospital, only a fifteen minute walk from Marathon City Marina.

The former Hidden Harbor motel rooms housed guests again during the recent cold snaps -- 178 cold stunned sea turtles received a warm welcome

If it looks like a motel, that’s because it was and sort of still is… The Turtle Hospital is located in the former Hidden Harbor motel, but the residents now are mostly rescued sea turtles. During this winter’s record cold snaps, during three of the coldest days, the Turtle Hospital admitted 178 cold stunned turtles (Loggerheads, Greens and Hawksbills). Eight of the cold stunned sea turtles stayed in kiddy pools in the motel rooms. Rescue, rehab and release is the motto of the Turtle Hospital, a one of a kind institution and the largest sea turtle rescue operation in the United States.
The tour we took with a veterinary technician who works for the hospital was fascinating, eye opening, mind opening and touching. The normal patient load of over 50 sea turtles makes this the largest such facility in the United States. Come fifteen minutes before your tour to sign in and go through the informative displays. I recommend the trivia questions. My favorite question was how long can a sea turtle hold its breath? Another question revealed that sea turtles, which are reptiles, were originally land-based creatures that evolved into sea-based creatures.
The Hidden Harbor motel’s former glory, if it had any, is now dim and its swimming pool, thanks to a healthy crack is now a tidal pool and houses a variety of rescued sea turtles and minnows that come in and out with the tide. Until recently, some tarpon lived in the pool as permanent residents, but they died from the recent cold weather.
This is a great opportunity to learn about sea turtles, ecology and be reminded just how our human carelessness with waste can harm creatures we do not often see. Many of the turtles are

wounded by boat propellers that gash them as the boat runs them over at excessive speed in the grassy flats, by fishing line, by swallowing children’s balloons, fish hooks, plastic gloves, and other bits of our trash that make it into the water.
Sea turtles, all five varieties that can be found in US waters, are endangered creatures. If you find one floating at the surface and it doesn’t skitter away from your boat or dive down quickly, call the Turtle hospital and tell them what you see and where. WIthout their instructions to do so, it is against the law to touch the sea turtles.
The tour costs $15 for adult

s, $7.50 for children and is worth every penny, if not more. The tours and gift shop sales (they have great T shirts in a large variety of colors with the hospital logo on the back) are the principal means of support. When

the motel was still viable, the motel provided a significant portion of the funding, but several years ago, a hurricane damaged the motel beyond the organization’s means to return it to motel condition standards. The veterinarians volunteer their time and the paid staff is skeletal. By the way, the T-shirts have a a striking graphic of the hospital logo — they make great gifts that support a worthy Keys organization.
Tours are offered seven days a week, except holidays. Call (305) 743-2442 for tour reservations. Log on at http://turtlehospital.org for more information.
The Turtle Hospital, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is only a fifteen minute walk from City Marina. You won’t be sorry, except for the state of turtles world wide, but you will feel good knowing people are helping the turtles and that you, by your very presence and interest, helped, too.

The Harbor Cay Club is a great find in Marathon. Having been here, I know this is actually a private club, but one that choose to accept visiting cruisers, an unusual but welcome arrangement. Harbor Cay Club is located on the northern shores of Marathon. Click the link below to our Florida Keys Marina Directory Listing for this facility to check out its exact location. See you there!

We have discovered an unbelievable “secret paradise” here in marathon called Harbour Cay Club. They are a private club owned by the boat/slip owners but they rent any absent owner slips to loopers etc. by the week or longer. The facilities and grounds are excellent. every slip is a lay along with W-E-Cable TV & pumpout, Laundromat,clubhouse, bike rack, tiki hut and the most fantastic unobstructed sunsets you can imagine.Very quiet and relaxing Short walk to many restaurants & bars (mm47.5) super markets and K-mart about 2 miles, easy bike ride.Very friendly and helpful liveaboard boat/slip owners.they usually have slips for rent.When we arrived we found 6 other loopers here. we like it so well we have decided to stay an extra week!
Call Dock Captain ED SKINNER 410-570-5089 for reservations.
Jeff & Cheri Conniff
aboard Annie Lee III.

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Florida Keys Marina Directory Listing For Harbour Cay Club

Marathon Marina and Boatyard is the first facility cruisers will encounter as they begin their approach to Boot Key Harbor from Moser and Knight Channels. Don’t confuse this marina with Marathon Boatyard, which lies east of the now permanently open Boot Key Bridge. Marathon Marina and Boatyard lies west of the span.

We brought Cabana to Marathon Marina and Boat Yard on 03/01/2010. We have made a monthly lease arrangement since we plan on using Marathon as our base for a month or so.
The Marina is a bit run down but many repair and upkeep efforts are underway. The staff is very friendly, professional and helpful.
The open views to the west come with a bit of vulnerability against west winds, so tenants have advised us to really secure the boat against strong western blows.
There is a nice restaurant right on the premises, some kind of transportation (bikes in our case) is highly recommended to reach other restaurants or stores.
Reinhold and Sabine Probst
M/V Cabana
Mainship Trawler 40

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Florida Keys Marina Directory Listing For Marathon Marina and Boatyard

Excellent info about one of the premiere facilities in the Florida Keys.

We have spent 2 1/2 months in the City Marina. We were lucky to get a mooring right away although there are good places to anchor if the moorings are full when you arrive.
The marina staff couldn’t be nicer and are very helpful. Laundry facilities are frequently very busy but it’s a good way to met fellow cruisers while waiting your turn at the 6 washers and 6 dryers (when all are working). There are plenty of activities like yoga, tennis, softball, crafts, games and music. Two large areas for dinghy parking are provided. It’s a mile walk to grocery shopping but West Marine has donated several shopping carts that you can take from the marina to the store and back for those larger shopping trips.
We would definitely return here another year.
Larry and Suzi

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Florida Keys Marina Directory Listing For Boot Key Harbor City Marina

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