Well, Key West is a dump... moving on

[natraps116]

My wife and I sailed down to Key West this past week to meet up with friends who werr flying in. When we got there we expected it to be a lot different, we anchor out a lot of the time, So when we went to the west side of Wisteria key we were surprised that we will be anchoring in a junkyard. We ended up paying to stay in the Key West City bight marina for the week but as we pulled out of the marina this morning, I checked the weather looked at the winds and decided, ah screw it, let's head back up north. we made it to marathon in a few hours and anchored and are looking forward to get back to Fort Lauderdale. We can't wait to actually get to Bahamas and a place where we can see the bottom where were anchored.... All this murkey water sucks

Facebook.com/seawolfadventure

Sent from my D6616 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[MarkJ]

Key West is more cultural tourism than location wonderland.

[Saleen411]

It was GREAT 40 years ago when I first went.

I'm of the school where most ALL the nice places in the US have been RUINED by overcrowding and subsequent issues such as crime.

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by natraps116

My wife and I sailed down to Key West this past week to meet up with friends who werr flying in. When we got there we expected it to be a lot different, we anchor out a lot of the time, So when we went to the west side of Wisteria key we were surprised that we will be anchoring in a junkyard. We ended up paying to stay in the Key West City bight marina for the week but as we pulled out of the marina this morning, I checked the weather looked at the winds and decided, ah screw it, let's head back up north. we made it to marathon in a few hours and anchored and are looking forward to get back to Fort Lauderdale. We can't wait to actually get to Bahamas and a place where we can see the bottom where were anchored.... All this murkey water sucks

Facebook.com/seawolfadventure

Sent from my D6616 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Seems you were the last sailor to get the word on Key West 'sucking' Its been sucking since 1977 when the hippies fled and the rich gays took over and made it the true tourist trap it has been since-- kind of like a smaller version of Venice-also an Island from which immediate escape isn't possible-which had been a tourist trap since 1803 when Napoleon pulled his artillery up on the mainland shore adjacent and demanded surrender or blow the place away-kid of sad as Venice had been a world power for 800 years. Anyway its a place to go in a boat and Im sailing down in 6 weeks from Tampa.

[gah964]

if you are to cheap to pay 20 a night then don't blame the hobos for trying to live there. keep your smug self in ft Laderdale where the crystal clear water is.

[DeepFrz]

The OP expressed the opinion I had of the place when I was there 20 yrs. ago.

[brownoarsman]

This is sad to hear, I was planning on being down there in a couple of weeks! Won't be able to see it on the way back north as I'll be going up straight from the Bahamas. Maybe I'll just cross the Okeechobee and head for the Bahamas instead if it's really not worth the visit.

[Lazy Geckos]

The wife and I love Key West. Lived there for about two months for work...wouldn't want to live there but it's a fun place to visit for sure. Sorry to hear that opinion, it's our first stop when cursing from St Pete to the Caribbean for sure. We met, got engaged and married there.

[Group9]

We were in Key West a few months ago (flew in not boated) and it has definitely jumped the shark. It's still pretty, but your're right, the water sucks.

But, the rest of the Keys, except for what's on each end (Miami and KW) are great.

And, the Bahamas are even better.

We're heading out in May and we've just about decided to not even visit Key West. There aren't any great anchorages and the marinas are all high as hell.

If we stop it all, we will probably pony up for a couple of nights in a marina, and then move on to someplace nice.

[natraps116]

Originally Posted by gah964

if you are to cheap to pay 20 a night then don't blame the hobos for trying to live there. keep your smug self in ft Laderdale where the crystal clear water is.

If not wanting to be anchored next to derelict boats makes me smug than I'm guilty as charged.... I like the city and all its just the wife and I don't feel comfortable leaving the boat unattended with homeless boaters surrounding us

Sent from my D6616 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[JerseyJoe]

[QUOTE=natraps116;1749313]If not wanting to be anchored next to derelict boats makes me smug than I'm guilty as charged.... I like the city and all its just the wife and I don't feel comfortable leaving the boat unattended with homeless boaters surrounding us

/QUOTE]
I'm sure the 'homeless hobos' as you call them feel their boat is as much their home as your 'liveaboard' status, if not more. Surprised you have home port of Philly with Camden being in such close proximity. But I guess you never leave the boat unattended there, right?

[natraps116]

[QUOTE=JerseyJoe;1749328]

Originally Posted by natraps116

If not wanting to be anchored next to derelict boats makes me smug than I'm guilty as charged.... I like the city and all its just the wife and I don't feel comfortable leaving the boat unattended with homeless boaters surrounding us

/QUOTE]
I'm sure the 'homeless hobos' as you call them feel their boat is as much their home as your 'liveaboard' status, if not more. Surprised you have home port of Philly with Camden being in such close proximity. But I guess you never leave the boat unattended there, right?

Dude, if you have tires strapped to the side of your boat, it's covered in trash, your dinghy is two kayaks and a pallets strapped together and no sails what so ever... Im pretty sure you don't give a crap about your property. If they lived on land then yes, they would probably live in Camden or Philly, on the STREET. Anyone who's lucky enough to get on a mooring ball or at one of the better spots might not know about west side of Wisteria key. A guy has literally rafted together a sailboat and a few dinghys with plywood pallets and tarps and created a water world esq flotilla. I guess he's a proud live aboard... No criticism here of the trash he throws overboard everyday.

Point is trashy people ruin places, and trashy people come from everywhere

Sent from my D6616 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[natraps116]

Originally Posted by MXer54

The wife and I love Key West. Lived there for about two months for work...wouldn't want to live there but it's a fun place to visit for sure. Sorry to hear that opinion, it's our first stop when cursing from St Pete to the Caribbean for sure. We met, got engaged and married there.

It's a great place to visit on land or if your in a marina or on one of the few legal mooring balls. Other than that... Not so much

Sent from my D6616 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[DotDun]

[QUOTE=natraps116;1749334]

Originally Posted by JerseyJoe

Dude, if you have tires strapped to the side of your boat, it's covered in trash, your dinghy is two kayaks and a pallets strapped together and no sails what so ever... Im pretty sure you don't give a crap about your property. If they lived on land then yes, they would probably live in Camden or Philly, on the STREET. Anyone who's lucky enough to get on a mooring ball or at one of the better spots might not know about west side of Wisteria key. A guy has literally rafted together a sailboat and a few dinghys with plywood pallets and tarps and created a water world esq flotilla. I guess he's a proud live aboard... No criticism here of the trash he throws overboard everyday.

Point is trashy people ruin places, and trashy people come from everywhere

Sent from my D6616 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

But, west of Wisteria isn't the only place to anchor??

Plus, the mooring field isn't/wasn't full??

[gonesail]

key west was a great place 40 years ago but not much comfort left there today. it's like a dirty smelly rat infested version of disneyworld for adults i'm with the consensus of moving on to marathon or beyond.