Boot Key Harbor - Marathon, FL

[motion30]

I looked at my chart book and even google earth When traveling south on the ICW what is the route into boot key harbor? Looks like under the 6 mile bridge and then turn north Is there markers?

[Christian Van H]

Coming from the Bay side, yup...go through the bridge, bang a left to go East and find the channel straight into the harbor. The channel is plainly marked on the chart and real life. See here: ActiveCaptain - The Interactive Cruising Guidebook There is another way to enter Boot Key Harbor; thru Sisters Creek on the South side of the island. Slightly harder and shallower...

[motion30]

I can see the markers at the bridge and markers into boot key There is no markers in between? Is the water deep?

Thanks

[Christian Van H]

I dont want to question your navigation ability, but the depths are marked on the chart just as plain as the nose on my face...you will see them if you use the link I posted and zoom into the area.

[motion30]

You can challenge my nav ability but I have never been aground......for more then one day My chart does not have the detail Thanks for the link

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by motion30

but I have never been aground...

Funny thing...I have been aground (as in couldn't get off 'til the tide comes in) once; right where Sisters creek opens up into Boot Key Harbor! How's that for a strange coincidence?

[Alan Brown]

Hey, everybody runs aground, sometime!

My best story revolves around anchoring out in a creek on Hilton Head Island while a frontal systen moved through. I anchored in 12 ft of water, without factoring in the 12 ft. tidal range.

Oh well, you've got to lose your cherry sometime.

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by Alan Brown

Oh well, you've got to lose your cherry sometime.

Amen. I've been there. Go to sleep in something that looks like a wide river...wake up in a small winding channel. If your lucky!

[ActiveCaptain]

Cool...ActiveCaptain was brought up and we just got a mooring ourselves in Boot Key Harbor yesterday - mooring V4 - so ActiveCaptain is in the house. I can definitely help. Everything is very well marked into Boot Key. We had to stay outside of Boot Key for 3 nights waiting for an open mooring so I got pretty used to the aids to navigation outside the channel too.

It's quite simple. If you go to the link below for the Boot Key Harbor mooring field, you can scroll around and see the rest of the NOAA chart and the approach from Seven Mile Bridge. The channel into Boot Key Harbor is clearly marked with R/G buoys leading you in. The bridge is in an always up position now and won't cause any problems (there are overhead wires). Depths are pretty good and got to 7.5' with a foot of tide when we passed through (we draw 6').

If you get here, come by and say hello! We're hanging on the mooring for a month.

[motion30]

In hollywood now hope to make boot key first of the week So the mooring field is full?

[ActiveCaptain]

It's wicked full. It is starting to ease up a bit - waiting list was over 30 boats a couple of weeks ago. If we get a good weather window, I think there are Bahamas-bound boats waiting to jump across.

[Christian Van H]

Hey Jeffrey! Great job on your latest version...it's a winner, and a great tool for passage planning. Thank you!

BTW, here's the Marathon harbor webcam: The City of Marathon FL - Official Website - Live Webcam & Photo Gallery Works better in the daytime

[motion30]

I hope to make boot key early next week I will say if I can find you

[lorenzo b]

You can anchor just outside and to the south of the entrance to the harbor and dinghy in to the city dock if the mooring field is full. You'll see a big old white shrimp boat there sort of beached on the shore, the water is about 8 to 10 with good bottom.
If you take 6 mile bridge go south 2 nm before hanging a left to the east, there are shoals close to the highway.
Key Fisheries has great seafood, also Barracuda.

[motion30]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

You can anchor just outside and to the south of the entrance to the harbor and dinghy in to the city dock if the mooring field is full. You'll see a big old white shrimp boat there sort of beached on the shore, the water is about 8 to 10 with good bottom.
If you take 6 mile bridge go south 2 nm before hanging a left to the east, there are shoals close to the highway.
Key Fisheries has great seafood, also Barracuda.

Where are you now?