I bet you thought we would get stuck in "velcro" beach for a few more months. Well it is never easy to leave, but we did it. We're motoring toward Fort Pierce right now. After a final weather check, if everything goes right we'll go out to sea from Fort Pierce and head south.
Today looks like the beginning of a wonderful 5 day long window to sail South. Not East to the Bahamas but rather South to the Keys. We could probably be in Marathon in 36 hours, but we're in no hurry. We would like to explore Conconut Grove and Biscayne Bay south of Miami. Other cruisers speak well of the Dinner Key area.
I would also like to consider going to Marathon on the Bay side. There's a lot more to see and more stops to make on the bay side of the keys. In the past we've heard that it was too shallow and we were afraid of running aground. The feedback from others is mixed. Some day we can do it drawing 5 to 5.5 feet, others say no. I'd appreciate some email and advice from others who have done it.
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Greetings Dick - Over the course of a couple of years, I led three boats from Jew Fish Creek Bridge to Channel 5 where we crossed to the ocean side. There is a sign in Key Largo that says the controlling depth is 5 1/2 feet. The deepest draft boat that followed me claimed to draw 5 1/2 feet. The Captain reported that he scrapped bottom near the Steamboat and Bowlegs Cuts. He reported that his depth alarm sounded frequently, many times in deeper (7') water. He hypothesized that the bottom grass caused the alarms. Hope this helps!
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