Keys Hawk Channel Advice

camaraderie · #1 (**permalink**) 10-04-2002

Hi all... Contemplating doing the FL Keys this fall after an ICW run. With 5.5 draft this confines me mostly to the Hawk Channel. The cruising guides are not really specific enough or are a bit out of date I fear.
Does anyone out there out there have deep draft experience in the Keys that can give me a recommended itinerary and good protected stops along the way. Thanks in advance...GB

Sailmc · #2 (**permalink**) 10-04-2002

Have you checked out Capt. Frank Papy''s cruising guide to the keys? I think it gets updated every few years.

Winterlude · #3 (**permalink**) 10-08-2002

We did the ICW south from Annapolis to Ft. Myers in the Fall 2001 & enjoyed the Hawk Channel immensely. The day we were there was perfect sailing & the wind was actually in the right direction!

We have a 5''3" draft, but we had trouble finding places to stop. We ended up anchoring off Key Largo, just out of the channel to get a few hours of sleep. Then up early the next morning & sailed on to the Boot Key Harbor entrance at Marathon. Anchored outside Boot Key Harbor the first night. Then under the Seven Mile Bridge & up Moser Channel to Charlotte Harbor.

You might want to get Claiborne Young''s Cruising Guide to the Keys -- it''s fairly new & is pretty detailed. We didn''t have it at the time we did the Hawk Channel & we might have been able to find places to anchor between Key Largo & Marathon -- we didn''t get to Marathon until about 8 PMish,
shortly after dark. Wasn''t a problem with radar, but not sure I''d want to be running that channel in the dark regularly!

We just wish we could have taken more time along the Keys part of our trip!

Claiborne Young''s cruising guides are available at his link:

www.CruisingGuide.com

Fair winds & have a great time!
Jan

camaraderie · #4 (**permalink**) 10-10-2002

Thanks Jan/Winterlude...your experiencence confirms what I''ve thought about the passage from my reading...will take a look at the Clairborne Young guide. Will be heading south after the boat show and will post here if we find any new stopping places along the way. Thanks again...GB

bill hicks · #5 (**permalink**) 10-24-2002

South of Largo is Rodriguez Key. It is about 30 miles north of Marathon. Good anchorage. This time of year you must look out for crab pots. This is stone crab season in Florida and unless you have a full keel cruiser, you must be very dilligent to not "hook a pot" good luck and enjoy. bh