Have any of you anchored at ...

corky · Feb 14, 2011

Sum,
Try this site for some information on that area. It is an excellent resource.
Hope it helps.
https://www.activecaptain.com

Ray Bowles · Feb 14, 2011

Sumner, I assume that you will be taking your M26 and with that draft you will have no problem with any place you should stop in the Keys. Our draft on the IP 38 was 5 foot and our mast height was 56 feet. The mast dictated where we crossed from the Gulf side to the Atlantic side. Other that that consideration there were places everywhere to anchor. The wind was the biggest factor.
Since you can run around in 3 feet of water you can find a place out of the wind almost anywhere. With your limit on backing down you anchor to bury it I would dive on it at every place you stop. When frequent rain/lightening storms come up it can, and will, blow up to 50 knots in 3 to 5 minutes. We found that dragging the anchor was the most common problem boaters experenced.
Enjoy your trip, we sure did.
Ray.
P.S. Maria and I will be down on the salt for the USFRA runs in Sept and I'm really looking forward to the experence. Thanks for your info on the salt last summer.

Terry in Naples · Feb 14, 2011

anchoring in florida Bay

If you stay in shark river and then cross florida Bay to Marathon it is not a long trip and in your boat with an ourboard you should be able to cross anytime you have a good 1/2 day weather window. You probably scoot along under power at 6 or better so you are only out of sight of land a couple of hours. So I would not worry about tucking in below cape sable and if you go to Marathon there are places along in inside and outside keys you can anchor in or geta slip. That whole lower coast along cape sable is sand and is marked with bouys telling you the boundary of the Park.
I might add this is the bottom of the everglades and really wild. they do have crockodiles there as well as alliagators. I am not one to dive there on my anchor. (you may be able to see bottom anyhow)
I have made this trip several times just watch the wweather and if it looks bad stay in the little shark river.

seadaddler · Feb 15, 2011

Criusers Net

Try going on Cruisers net lots of great info for cruising and anchoring,when will you be visiting.
Nick

med2463 · Feb 15, 2011

Cruising keys

We just leflt Marathon 2 days ago and will never return. It is impossible to get a slip or mooring ball during high season. If you are there during strong north wind, anchoring is very uncomfortable, no place to hide. Motoring across FL Bay and rest of upper and middle keys was very stressful due to large number of crab traps. If you read my blog of this trip, you will see the problems we had. Hope your trip is better. Here is link to my blog.
http://dixoncruise.blogspot.com/

Sumner said:
...either of these two locations?

We are interested in the two locations at the top of the chart, Carl Ross/Sandy Key and to the east of East Cape Sable in an inland channel there.

We are hoping to go from Little Shark River down to either Marathon or Long Key in one day, but would like some options where we might find some shelter if needed in that stretch.

So has anyone on here ever been to either of the two places shown. I have better images, both from NOAA charts and satellite views here.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-navigation/Navigation Aids-3.html

....I didn't want to use up a bunch of band width posting the images here.

Thanks to anyone that can help with this,

Sum and Ruth

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

Bill1565 · Feb 15, 2011

Sumner, you really do need to watch the weather. We have had North winds from 10 to 25 for four days. before that , calms for 6 days. There are islands all over Florida Bay that 18 inch draft will let you hide behind. May get boring. The settled parts of the keys is full. Slips and mooring balls are scarce. Marco/Goodand/Everglades City will give you lots of passes, sandy beaches and the possibility of a slip, even at high season.

RichH · Feb 15, 2011

An easy passage (for boats of 6' draft) from Biscayne Bay to Marathon / Boot Key is:
Day 1 - (From Dinner Key, etc.) Sail down Biscayne Bay to Anglefish "cut" and either anchor off of Pumpkin Key or in Anglefish Creek (reversing tide flow).
Day 2 - Leave Anglefish and sail down the Hawk Channel to Rodriguez Key in any wind other than an 'easterly' and anchor at Rodriguez. Rodriguez gets 'lumpy' on an east wind.
Day 3 - Continue down the Hawk Channel to Marathon/Boot Key.

each 'leg' is about 25 nMi.

Note - the ocean side of Angelfish Cut is VERY NARROW, usually only ONE boat at a time can pass through - use your VHF to 'clear' before entering. There is nothing 'soft' on either side of the ocean side cut - the narrow cut was 'blasted' through Cocina (Rock).

RON20406 · Feb 15, 2011

Sumner, we have made the trip from Shark River to Marathon numerous times. The anchorages off Cape Sable are open, choppy, current ridden with most areas being thin sand over coral bedrock. The only safe haven is off the state park at Flamingo where the bottom is mud, but I would only use it in an absolute emergency. Better yet, wait for a good weather window and sail directly to Marathon or Long Key. Florida bay is notorious for short, choppy seas with any sort of wind and it can be a bumpy ride even in a large boat. The crabpots are everywhere and are difficult to see if it's choppy. There is a good anchorage at the mouth of Marathon Harbor if the wind is not too strong but with your size boat and draft you could enter Marathon channel before the Boot Key Bridge and anchor in sand to the south and east of the bridge on the edge of the channel in 4 feet of water. The bayside, Fanny Keys, have considerable boat traffic and you'll swing on the tide and it is an open anchorage to anything other than the lee of Marathon. Why not pass Marathon and go directly to Newfound Harbor which has excellent anchorages in good holding sand. Also, the Long Key passage has some thin spots not shown on the charts. We sailed it once and bumped a couple of times at high tide. Our boat draws 4 feet. It is impossible to chart the meandering sand bores and banks that shift with the strong winds and currents and I'd pass that route unless you have some current local knowledge on the passage. There is, however, an excellent anchorage at Matecumbe Bight with excellent holding and near 360 protection. Good luck and good sailing. Ron

Bill1565 · Feb 15, 2011

Re: Cruising keys

Sumner, another option that we much prefer is to cruise/sail/anchor bayside of Key Largo area, specifically the 4 Sounds (Card, Barnes,Blackwater,Buttonwood). There are very few crab traps, lot of places to anchor in any wind direction. To get there from the bay side of Channel Five bridge, go East in ICW. At MM1155 there is a great marina for fuel, pumpout, trash disposal, water. It is Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina.

soling42 · Feb 15, 2011

Last season in May we laid over at ft Myers beach/Mantanzas mooring field for 3days waiting to make the 130mi/24hr jump down to Marathon or Key west while a S wind blew straight on the nose at 18-20kts. Having come down the coast from Sarasota we decided to instead head back North casually riding through the islands on the same southerly for the next 3 days. Flexibility paid off in spades.

Fl bay is exactly as described above, simply an outside run between nicer sailing spots. Mosquitoes, Deer flies(rabid horse flies) and No-see-ums can carry you out down in the canals, beaches, mangroves of the Glades and they don't call it Shark river for nothing. It's a very exposed run for your trailer boat with little relief so pick your passage weather very carefully.

In your blog you mentioned crossing Charlotte harbor as your longest passage in open water and being unsure about sailing downwind in short chop. If your boat's still there, with all the nice stops and experience to be gleaned on the west coast of Fl I'd sail a season discovering the area between Sanabel and Sarasota to test your boat and the willingness of your crew to do longer offshore runs that may get uncomfortably long/challenging. You may decide to just trailer it to Bahia Honda and sail around the lower keys without the hassle of two Fl bay crossings or a night(or more) stuck in the Glades.

Good luck and fair wind,
Mike and Kelli

Chuckbear · Feb 15, 2011

I posted this on another site that you ask this question,

Sum and Ruth, You don't say when you are going. There is some construction going on around the Cape. Here is the Local Notice..........Chuck

Shallow draft barges will move equipment and materials from large barges anchored offshore of East Cape through the Flamingo channel, East Cape Canal and Ingraham Canal to one of two inshore staging areas within Everglades National Park: 1) Near the junction of the East Cape and Ingraham Canals, approximate pos 25.1353N -081.0661W and 2) Near the west end of the Ingraham Canal, approximate pos 25.1439N -081.0812W. Barges will anchor at these sites day and night and will transport materials to the construction sites during daylight hours. The Homestead Canal and East Cape Canals north of the Ingraham Canal junction will be closed to the public during the construction period and “No Wake” zones will be established near the two inshore staging areas and also at times within the Lake Ingraham Channel from the second staging area to the Homestead entrance channel. Boaters will be able move past barges anchored in the staging areas but may not be able to transit the eastern part of the Lake Ingraham Channel while barges are also transiting this area. During part of the construction period a well marked hydraulic pipeline will be installed adjacent to the northern edge of the Lake Ingraham channel and the eastern edge of the Homestead entrance channel. During the period from October 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011 large barges will be moving construction equipment and materials between Key West and an offshore anchorage just outside the Everglades National Park boundary near the channel leading to Flamingo. Barges will be anchored day and night within an “L” shaped area about 1.9 miles southeast of East Cape bounded by the following points: 1) 25.0922N -081.1064W, 2) 25.0938N -081.1064W, 3) 25.0938N -081.1058W, 4)25.0930N -081.1058W, 5) 25.0930N -81.0998W, 6) 25.0922N -81.0998W. Smaller barges will periodically move equipment and materials through the Flamingo Channel then up the East Cape and Lake Ingraham Canals to work sites within Everglades National Park.

For more information contact Mr. DeWitt Smith at 305-224-4218.
__________________

soling42 · Feb 16, 2011

Wow what a screen room. The Admiral looks very comfortable. Didn't read your link but standard screens won't work for no-see-ums. There is a very fine mesh that will(hopefully it's what was used) but maybe you could hose a regular screen with bug spray too(but I doubt it). Don't underestimate these teeny-tiny bad dogs of the saltmarsh. Preparation and patience is a key and you seem like the guy to do it.

Good luck in your travels down here. M&K

MrBill_FLL · Feb 16, 2011

has anyone tried to enter the lake Ingram from either the west side or the south channels? (blue 2 - 3 ref marks)

I thought these were for non motored vessels. but maybe its ok w/ aux engine?

I only draw 2' with boards up...

and any idea of depth once inside lake ingram?

TIA.

ps: I would also have 2 of these aboard... just in case you get over run, or need to go out in the dingy.... http://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Head-Net-Olive-Drab/dp/B0000B12HF

soling42 · Feb 17, 2011

"Lake" Ingram might be a stretch. Down there I'd suspect it's an ultra shallow kayak type salt marsh/mud flat at low tide. For restrictions in that area I'd try the National park website or a 10,000 island kayak forum with a search for Lake Ingram. Here's quick result:
http://www.seakayak.ws/kayak/kayak.nsf/8db4c87cad13b187852569ff0050c911/4585c900217a0e2485256d1100489d4d!opendocument

And a link to what the barges are up to:

http://www.nps.gov/ever/parknews/everglades-national-park-arra-cape-sable-canals-dam-restoration-project-moves-to-the-next-step.htm
Mike

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