Marathon, FL vs Stock Island / Key West

[lorenzo b]

No jets at night, but there is a lot of traffic during the day, and a great show when the Blue Angels are in town. Yes, it is the first yard to port.

[Kettlewell]

My two cents are that Key West is fun to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. Too exposed, too many flakey boats in the anchorage you have to watch out for, too many hassles for living aboard (dinghies, exposure, supplies, etc.). Very nice bus from Marathon gets you there easily. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind spending a few weeks hanging out in KW.

[NCountry]

Just a warning. Watch out for the guys at robbie's marine. We had a VERY BAD experience with them during a delivery last November. They tried to take the owner of the boat for THOUSANDS. The Harbor may be a super safe place for your boat BUT I wouldn't let my enemy do business with that yard.
We had a small leak in the transmission and they tried to convince us that there were bits of metal in the transmission. The everything was loose and falling apart. That the shaft was warped and out of alignment and on and on. They tried to tell us they wouldn't even trust it to get us back to the bight. I turned the boat around at the base of the lift (47 foot boat, about 60 foot of space) using the transmission forward then back several times, then motored out and raised our sails. Another mechanic the next morning looked at it and was able to fix it in the water. We then transisted the Gulf to Galveston with out a problem one.
These guys are either crooks or incompetants. Either way, there was not a serious problem with the tranny as their theatrics tried to convince us....

[lorenzo b]

I can kinda see that happening at any boatyard. You've got to remember that all the trash on the continental USA that isn't nailed down or currently in jail washes down to the ocean and only those of us collecting SSI or a military pension can afford a boat to float around on. The rest hang out at boatyards and marinas and circle incoming boats like rats around a piece of cheese. That said, Stock Island is a great commercial fishing port with lots of good support contractors. I'm up on the hard and have asked a dozen guys about my cutlass bearing and gotten a dozen different answers. I'm going with the advise from fishermen that go out in boats just like mine.

[Weehappy]

Wow!

Sounds like cons to each and every option!

Stock island: planes taking off and landing overhead all the time
West of fleming key: poor holding and strong current
East of stock island: no protection from the northeasters

hmmm. This is all great information and I can't thank you all enough for sharing it all! The post about listening to the fun on ch. 16 when the wind picks up made me laugh out loud!!!

Makes me think that perhaps we'll just go to Key West to visit for a few nice days but not plan to anchor or moor for March. I really like to sleep well at night and to share in the friendly boating community lifestyle that we've found here in Marathon.

Capt'n K

[Khagan1227]

You can lock your dinghy at Murray's Marine at Stock Island and catch the bus across the street to Key West. Also the Stock Island anchorage isn't directly under the NAS runway. But, if I remember correctly the 25 runway is the primary runway for the base. Which means one of the landing patterns will be just to your south.

[cfarrar]

Rwy 7 is the most often used runway (takeoff and land to the east).

If you're an early riser, or if you enjoy the "sound of freedom," then the jets out of NAS Key West won't bother you. When a squadron is in town the first launch is around 0700 and they're done flying by mid-to-late afternoon. That said, if you're in Key West it's because you want to be near town (ie, Duval St), and Fleming Island is a good location.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by cfarrar

Rwy 7 is the most often used runway (takeoff and land to the east).

If you're an early riser, or if you enjoy the "sound of freedom," then the jets out of NAS Key West won't bother you. When a squadron is in town the first launch is around 0700 and they're done flying by mid-to-late afternoon. That said, if you're in Key West it's because you want to be near town (ie, Duval St), and Fleming Island is a good location.

Just a little clarification for the non-aviator types, runway 25 and 7 are the same runway, but the name changes depending on which direction the runway is being used.

Because of this, most of the planes using 7 will be at a lower throttle setting when passing near the anchorage, since they will be landing.

[jbright]

I live in the Key West mooring field. Yes, a NE or N wind out here can be quite rough, but larger boats suffer less in those times than smaller boats. There is less of a cruiser community than Marathon, but there is still a community amongst the people here. You have everything from serious sailors, yachts, cruisers, and straight up live aboards that never move. We look out for each other and the facilities are decent, with most everything you could need just a short distance away. Dinghy trips during storms suck, but Salt Life baby! You take the bad with the good. The mooring field is clear, clean, and inviting on a hot day, fishing is decent, and the island of Key West is a short dinghy ride away. Work is plentiful for those needing money for repairs, and most anything you need is available near by. We live here for under $500 a month and that includes dinghy gas, rent, and two cell phones with unlimited everything. Not bad for Paradise. Sailing around here is nice too. Advice is if you see an open ball closer to shore jump on it. Took us a year to be 3 balls from shore, 3 minute ride to dock. Marathon is cool too, but I like the open feeling and ease of sailing from here. We'll be heading back to sea in 2 months or so, keep an eye open on our ball!...lol

[jbright]

Oh, yeah, don't anchor off of Wisteria island or Fleming unless you ground tackle is way over sized. Bad holding, lots of derelict boats. Plus the CG, FWC, etc love to mess with people that are anchored out amongst the channels

[motion30]

I left key west and have been islamorida for the past 5 weeks. , it is very boring here with not much life on Shore, I am heading back to Key West soon

[Sailor Jer]

I've lived both places and they both do the same program, literally but do said program (mornings) in such different ways LMAO!!!

Marathon (boot key harbor) is almost like a 3/4 mile wide by 2 mile long lake with two Inlets to the harbor, still a tide, still currents but it's so flat it's like glass when there is no wind.

marathon city marina being so protected all you need is a 8ft roll up/2 hp honda as the whole harbor is a non wake zone, you'll get promptly kicked outta boot key harbor for planing a boat, at least kicked outta city marina marathon anyways.

Marathon city marina is a small, overly populated place come season, as I write this the wait list for a ball is 53 ppl today! Being over populated it has a lot of ppl. Who at bored and don't boat but live aboard and gossip to pass the tme as they're so bored. Very cliquish also as it's so small, everyone knows and gossips others buisness hahaha. Sad how this awesome harbor is a "vulture harbor" meaning so many people who will take advantage of you as well as insincere people misleading others for a laugh.

Marathon also isn't a place for people under 50 IMO, after key west/largo Marathon is where most keys jobs are.

Most liveaboards in city marina marathon are pensioned or struggling on SSI as city marina marathon is the cheapest legit place to live in marathon period! no rich people in city marina they are more classy than to hang with the dysfunctional people of city marina marathon. Beware if you tell local merchants you're at city marina marathon they will look down on you as city marina has a bad reputation among locals, look at monroe county sheriffs office website under arrests/calls for service and look at "800 35st ocean marathon florida 33040" and you'll see all the arrests that happen at the marina. Place needs a security guard at night IMO.

Key west garrison bite/key west mooring field is the polar opposite of city marina marathon, both in attitude and presentation.
Key West garrison bight mooring field has you in the sigsbee bay! Rough/choppy place on a calm day! You'll need at least a 9ft RIB/9.9hp dink to make the mile plus journey ashore safely!!! The last half mile you're in garrison bight (like a single enterance mini bay/lagoon)
You'll need fowlies cuz the fetch seas as well as sea sick pills for the touch ride back and forth, can't leave anything in your dink at dock as it'll be stolen, also wanna chain/paddalock everything secure as high theft area, there are cameras recording BTW.
Plus side is you have best lobster fishing in sigsbee channel/where the us army special forces holds there underwater combat diver school. You'll see them parachuting into the water occasionally. If you aren't eating lobster in garrison bight you're not living in paradise right? In city marina marathon you'll have to go out into the 7 mile bridge area bay or ocean off sombrero beach better yet go to reef 4 miles offshore.

Key west garrison bight marina has no shop room for projects/boat repairs unlike marathon city marina which does as well as a lot of people with knowledge/BTDT to help you but then in key west you don't have the kooks like marahon overstepping your boundaries/overbearing people who have been in port too long/live on a sailboat but haven't sailed it in 5+ yrs like marathon either.

Key west garrison bight is a lonely place where it's difficult to make genuine friends as so many are sallow/overly cautious/overly suspious due to the hedonistic/corrupt attitude amoung key west types vs marathon city marina wher you'll be in constant guard against people misleadng you/taking advantage of you're good intentions/generosity.

Key west has a more diverse/affluent/leftist crowd, key west is like NYC vs Marathon is more like Palm Springs full of greedy self centered/selfish republicans, one place has diversity and the other runs off those who don't fit the mold of the selfish bratty in crowd trying to hijack control cliquish creeps, they conspire to kick out people from the city marina whom they see as a threat to their power & control of marina staff etc. funny how we have a guy who has circumnavigated in his vessel and he's demonized, ridiculed, treated as public enemy #1 to the bratty local clique LMAO! (Insecure jealious brats)

Like I wrote, the two mooring fields do the same thing, cost th same but are run so differently as well as the experience is so different!

Security of anchorage in key west I'd say secure/lock ur hatches better yet leave someone onboard, always anchor next to best looking boats as they prolly won't steal from you. Lots of places to come ashore for free in key west, it's whether your dink will be there when you return is another question...l

As for some solitude of anchorages in marathon, anchor in sisters creek if it's windy, or outside sombrero beach in the ocean and go ashore at the fishing pier of sombrero beach (outside beach shower and potable water available too)
pull ur dink up to shore at the kayak launch north of the sombrero beach fishing pier/lock it to the fence by the traffic circle/turnaround, call "Bob Narly" taxi for 2 mile ride to town/city center where you have 2 grocers, booze, Kmart....west Marne is other end of town but still a $5 cab ride, which in marathon all cabs are $5 flat rate anywhere on island as many people you can fit in cab (double up with others to share fare)

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Sailor Jer

SNIP

marathon city marina being so protected all you need is a 8ft roll up/2 hp honda as the whole harbor is a non wake zone, you'll get promptly kicked outta boot key harbor for planing a boat, at least kicked outta city marina marathon anyways.


SNIP

Wish it was so.

[Sailor Jer]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Wish it was so.

Denial isn't a healthy thing Tom...8ft roll up and a 2hp honda is all one needs for boot key harbor.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Sailor Jer

Denial isn't a healthy thing Tom...8ft roll up and a 2hp honda is all one needs for boot key harbor.

What I was denying is that you get kicked out of the harbor for being up on a plane. Not to mention the multiple jet skis that infest the place, or the larger sports fishermen boats that can throw up a two or three foot wake slogging around.

The worst wake I ever saw in BKH was when the USCG and FWC came out to one eyed Tom's boat when he fell down drunk and got stuck between the steering pedestal and cockpit bench and could not stand up.

While I would like to see BKH a no wake zone experience has taught me there is plenty of wake there.