Thoughts on Stock Island Marinas, just East of Key West
Here is a very interesting message copied from the AGLCA Forum, concerning marina recommendation on Stock Island. Those who have already visited Key West know that Stock Island is the next body of land east (think of that as “north”) of Key West. By auto, it is only a 4 miles or so drive to downtown Key West, but Stock Island is too far from Key West Bight or Garrison Bight for a dinghy ride, and it’s a bit far for walking as well, though city bus service is available.
The dockage rates here are certainly more reasonably than those found at the marinas in Key West proper, so the Stock Island facilities are well worthy of consideration!
We’ve stayed on Stock Island several times and know of Stock Island Marina Village. This particular marina area is a little rustic and very eclectic. There is a bar/restaurant on sight, the Fish Buster fish market near and a short walk to West Marine, several more restaurants and the bus stop for catching a ride into Key West. We would stay here as long as we did not get a slip up close to the bar area as it can get a little noisy from the music and bar patrons.
If you like things a little quieter and you do not want to be in downtown Key West, try Sunset Marina or Key West Yacht Harbor on Stock Island.
If you’re only going to be in Key West for a few days I think you’d get more from your visit it you stayed at one of the downtown marinas.
Jim & Lisa Favors
We stayed at Sunset Marina on the bayside of stock island for one year and were quite happy there, very nice clean modern floating docks, bathrooms / showers OK, very quiet at night, very clean and reasonable rates. Draw back was that in our slow moving sailboat it took a long time to get to a reef on the ocean side, Had to go around Key West to the west to get to the ocean. Navigation entering the marina is tricky but once we did it a few times it was easy. Also don’t mind the Sheriffs headquarters/jail and juvi detention center next door. These are new modern county buildings and don’t bother the eye. There was a homeless shelter on the grounds of the Sherriff’s HQ which caused the homeless folks to gather up the road from the marina which there were complaints about but they never bothered us, but I believe that shelter has been closed down as of this time but have to confirm.
To reduce time to get out to the ocean we moved to Key West Harbor yacht club on the ocean side of stock island, this only after finding out rates had been reduced to the same as Sunset Marina. This is a high end resort style marina with a fine restaurant, bar, pool, brick paver parking lots, nice new docks, and condos for short term rent. Also very clean and quiet at night. Second story restaurant has spectacular view of the Atlantic and best bathrooms/showers of any marina I have stayed at.
I would highly recommend both of these marinas and a cab ride to Duval street was 20.00 one way and there is also a bus or you can rent bikes nearby. We chose stock island because annual slip rates are 50% or less of what they are in Key west bite and these two marinas were as good or better than any in Key West Bite.
Jules Robinson
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Stock Island
Click Here To View the Eastern Florida Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Sunset Marina
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