Fort Pierce to the Keys Observations

[ArmyDaveNY]

Hello everyone. I am sailing down the east coast of Florida early next week and was interested in hearing your thoughts on things I need to see as I sail down, and things I need to be careful about. I will be leaving Fort Pierce going to the Keys somewhere.

This is a very low key trip with no schedule nor any specific destination. The plan is to have no plan, and I am sticking to this plan! I just started to look at the charts, so I am wide open to your suggestions as well as your cautions. What do you recommend that I stop and see, and what should I avoid or be careful about.

Thank you very much in advance for your thoughts.

P.S. My friends cat wanted to contribute to this thread also, thus the abundance of plus signs in the title!

[ArmyDaveNY]

Another item of note, what is the manatee situation on the east coast when on the outside and the inside? Is there a point north of which I am less at risk of hitting one?

[jimbojonesbos]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

Another item of note, what is the manatee situation on the east coast when on the outside and the inside? Is there a point north of which I am less at risk of hitting one?

The odds of hitting a manatee in your Dufour outside is pretty low. Possibly in the keys but if you are traveling at 4 kts in an area deep enough for a keel boat I think you should be fine on the manatee front.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by jimbojonesbos

The odds of hitting a manatee in your Dufour outside is pretty low. Possibly in the keys but if you are traveling at 4 kts in an area deep enough for a keel boat I think you should be fine on the manatee front.

Thank you very much for your very quick reply. I am quite happy to hear that. Thanks again.

[Cheechako]

Just keep your eyes on the water ahead and you may be able to see any manatee issues on the surface. Slow speed is probably not a big problem. High speed is. Will you tuck inside at maybe Biscayne then to the keys in the waterway (pretty shallow in places) or go outside to Key West?

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Just keep your eyes on the water ahead and you may be able to see any manatee issues on the surface. Slow speed is probably not a big problem. High speed is. Will you tuck inside at maybe Biscayne then to the keys in the waterway (pretty shallow in places) or go outside to Key West?

The preferred route, as of now, is on the outside. That will vary depending upon the weather, and in particular as we find things to stop for and see. For the past week the weather has been somewhat lively, so that may cause some changes. I don't mind a more "active" sail but I am not so sure about the others.


Thank you for your insights!

[stormalong]

This is not Ebay! Please don't use all the pluses to get attention. Thank You.

[John_Trusty]

Great trip. Outside, southbound, stick closer to shore - there's a little current out there you may have heard about, and it's only 4-5 miles off at some points - https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/Forec...US52.KMFL.html.

One issue is draft - you draw about 5.5 ft? Stuart and Jupiter inlet are right out, so Palm Beach / Lake Worth is next. After that, it's Pt. Everglades/Ft. Lauderdale, then Miami/Haulover. All these inlets are east facing, so if there is a sea running or east wind (most common) the inlet is like a washing machine during outgoing (ebb) tides. If you're in Ft. Pierce, you know this. Long passages between deep water, so make sure you're comfortable. This is still in season, so things are fuller, if you want a slip.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by stormalong

This is not Ebay! Please don't use all the pluses to get attention. Thank You.

Hello, it seems that you missed the PS in my original post. I didn't use the pluses. A friend's cat walked across the keyboard. I was able to edit the post to make that note but not get rid of the plus signs.

Not to worry though, I have dispensed an appropriate punishment. I cooked the cat and made a stew out of it. It was yummy. If you are nearby, I still have some left if you would like to try it!

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by John_Trusty

Great trip. Outside, southbound, stick closer to shore - there's a little current out there you may have heard about, and it's only 4-5 miles off at some points - https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/Forec...US52.KMFL.html.

One issue is draft - you draw about 5.5 ft? Stuart and Jupiter inlet are right out, so Palm Beach / Lake Worth is next. After that, it's Pt. Everglades/Ft. Lauderdale, then Miami/Haulover. All these inlets are east facing, so if there is a sea running or east wind (most common) the inlet is like a washing machine during outgoing (ebb) tides. If you're in Ft. Pierce, you know this. Long passages between deep water, so make sure you're comfortable. This is still in season, so things are fuller, if you want a slip.

HI John, thank you very much for your insights. I greatly appreciate them and will keep these things in mind.

I have also been looking at various sites such as Windy, and others, to keep an eye on prevailing conditions. Thanks again.

[sailorman7225]

One suggestion to consider; a fun sailing area to explore is the Biscayne Bay area (No Name Harbor; Dinner Key Marina & mooring field and many other places).
At that point you have to decide whether to take the inner-coastal route or Hawkes Channel route to the keys. No time frame and no plan = a good plan to travel the inside from Miami.

[Dave22q]

lots of bridges Miami and Lauderdale. Go outside to minimize. North of Lauderdale lots of nice places to stop and explore. Manatee risk exaggerated at best, not likely inside even less so outside. anchored in the keys you are likely to see some. South of Miami the ICW is nice until you need to go outside at channel 5 bridge. note red and green convention switches at an ocean entrance like 5. learned that one the hard way. its a nice trip but watch the weather on the outside legs.

[CappyMac]

If you don't need to rush, Hawk's Channel after leaving Biscayne is easy to navigate, deep enough, lots of nice spots to pull into to sightsee or get out of the weather. The gulf side channel is not a preferred route from my experience.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Sailorman, Dave, and Cappy, thank you very much for taking the time to help. I have made note of your suggestions also, and am marking them on the charts. Thanks in particular for the note on the markers at the Channel 5 Bridge.



Thanks again to everyone.

[sowwaninii]

Maybe stating the obvious, but check the tide/wind before departing Ft. Pierce inlet. Incoming tide and offshore wind can result in some pretty nasty square waves at the mouth of the inlet.