Almost 70 miles west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. Along with the surrounding shoals and waters, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park. The area is known for its famous bird and marine life, its legends of pirates and sunken gold, and its military past.

In 1523 the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon discovered the islands. He gave them the name Dry Tortugas due to 170 sea turtles taken on the islands and shoals by de León’s men. Soon afterward, the word “Dry” was added to the name, to indicate to mariners the islands’ lack of fresh water.

The Dry Tortugas is the most isolated & least visited national park in the United States; it can only accessible by boat, ferry or seaplane from Key West. There are no services out on these islands so you should plan to be self sufficient while in this remote area.

The Dry Tortugas are surrounded by fantastic reefs great for snorkeling & diving. Bush Key offers great bird watching; from your yacht you can watch its wonderful bird sanctuary.

Built in the mid 1800’s Fort Jefferson, located in Garden Key, was used by Union forces during the Civil War. The fort was converted to a prison whose most famous inmate was Dr. Mudd of Lincoln’s time.

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Standing in 25 feet of water in Dry Rocks reef about 6 mi East-northeast of Key Largo is “the Christ of the Abyss” an 8.5 ft, 4000lbs bronze sculpture of Jesus Christ made by Italian sculptor Guido Galletti and donated to the park in 1966.

The main attractions at John Pennekamp Park are the coral reefs and the abundance of marine life. Fishing is permitted in designated areas in accordance with Florida law, saltwater fishing licenses are required. Spear-fishing and collecting of tropical fish is prohibited inside the park.

A truly wonderful underwater world like no other

The largest most populated islands in the Bimini Chain are North Bimini and South Bimini with less than 1,500 inhabitants. North Bimini is the more populated of the two and is 7 miles long & 700 ft. wide. This is where the great American author, Earnest Hemingway spent so much time and was inspired to write the classic novel “Islands in the Stream”. The main town on North Bimini Island is Alice Town. There you will find small shops, the Bahamian Straw Market, restaurants, and bars. All are situated along a single road known as “The King’s Highway”. Further up the road is Bailey Town and a bit further is Porgy Bay. On the very north part of the Island is “Bimini Bay Resort & Marina”, a 350 million dollar development that has finally changed the island that was once thought to be stuck in time.  At Bimini Bay Resort you can find world class restaurants, bars, pristine beaches, jet ski rentals, dive operators, and a state of the art marina.

It is recommended to rent a golf cart so you can see the entire island in as little as one afternoon. Don’t forget to stop by the “End of the World Sandbar”, complete with a sand floor. Ring Toss is the local past time at this well worn eatery and watering hole. Conch is served at almost every restaurant and bar in Bimini and if you have never had it or think you might not like it, think again. The different preparations have completely different tastes and textures. Go on a Conch Safari and try conch salad, conch fritters, conch chowder, cracked conch, and conch pizza. Some of the best places for conch and other seafood specialties are “Joe’s Conch Shack”, “Sheri’s on the Beach”, “Edith’s Pizza”, “End of the World Sandbar”, “Big Game Club”, and the “Anchorage Restaurant”! The local fresh fish and spiny lobster are easily found favorites as well.

South Bimini is mostly residential with less commercial activity than North Bimini. South Bimini was visited by the famous Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, and there is a fresh water spring on the island that some say is the “Fountain of Youth”. There are two Marinas on South Bimini, “Bimini Sands Marina” and “South Bimini Marina”. Both are full service marinas with restaurants and various services. Bimini offers many opportunities for fun & entertainment with its secluded beaches, coral caves, coral tunnels and reefs. You can hide out at nearby islands such as South Cat Cay and immerse yourself in the gorgeous turquoise waters. You can snorkel and / or dive the “Sapona Wreck” and “The Bimini Road”, which some say is the ancient lost city of Atlantis. Check it out for yourself and decide if you have witnessed the fabled lost city …;-)

The Florida Keys are the only place you can cruise within the continental United States with Caribbean-like climate and conditions- and around this area, the farthest point of all the keys is the Dry Tortugas, best accessed from Key West at a distance of 70 nautical miles/80 land miles. The Dry Tortugas is a collection of reefs, shoals, and islands founded by conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon, including Loggerhead Key, Bush Key, Garden Key, Middle Key, Hospital Key, Long Key, and East Key.

Heading to the Tortugas is a great day trip, but night time trips are not recommended as there are lobster pots. Marquesas Key is a convenient anchorage for the Tortugas, since it provides protection against the prevailing easterlies. Visual bottom navigation is crucial for this journey!

Those sailing to the Dry Tortugas find that every imaginable vessel seems to end up here: most of the visitors are sailing vessels followed by commercial fishing ships, and it is not uncommon to see tall ships, sea planes, ferries from Key West, and shuttles of the National Park Service. Depending on the weather, the anchorage can be extremely crowded or nearly vacant.

The main attraction at Garden Key is the richly historical Fort Jefferson, the largest all- masonry fort in the United States, which stands incomplete due to interruptions by the Civil War. Touring the moat, snorkeling around the fort, and climbing to the top of the fort to get a close-up view of the lighthouse are obligatory expeditions once you enter this territory. East of the fort, on the sandy Bush and Long Keys, is a bird sanctuary closed to visitors during the terns’ nesting season, February through September. Spectacular sunrises and sunsets, clear waters with tropical fish and birds, and this National Park remind those out at sea why this quick trip to the most remote Key continues to be delightful.

The following morning, the wind was still blowing from the north-northeast when we set off again, sailing buoy to buoy but making sure our track didn’t stay too far from the channel. The catamaran was sailing all the way like an absolute dream. By noon, we were around Duck Key with hard winds blowing, sailing southwest past the Davis Reef. When the 20 mph breezes subsided we found the full main and jib to be the perfect combination. I easily adjusted to the motion of sitting on the starboard, up on the hull, and steering by the telltales: the tracking was smooth, and the helm responsive and quick. By evening, a considerable chop was whipping up at our anchorage at Boot Key near Marathon. The next day we sailed on to Newfound Harbor. We stopped at Looe Key where we tied up to a mooring ball and snorkeled the pristine reef. After Lunch we took a short sail into the anchorage at Newfound Harbor and spent the night. The next day we sailed the final leg all the way to Key West. As we approached Key West I fired up the diesels and motored into the Galleon Marina in Key West Bight. We enjoyed a great meal and libations in the old town of Key West on our final night of the trip. The journey had truly flashed before my eyes, I couldn’t wait to plan a new adventure on these exciting Florida waters.

Further south in Biscayne Bay is Boca Chita.  This harbor is similar to No Name Harbor but a bit smaller and has a faux lighthouse as a landmark.  Here you can tie off to the seawall when spending the night. Again there is a fee collected on the honor system for anyone spending the night on their boat here. There are no services on Boca Chita only a small rocky beach, park benches, BBQ grills, and of course the Faux Lighthouse.

Be careful in Biscayne Bay and pay attention to depth as fines may be issued in Biscayne National Park for groundings. The only entrances and exits from the bay to open water that is navigable by sailing vessels is Old Biscayne Channel just south of Key Biscayne and Angelfish Creek located at southern Biscayne Bay.

If you plan to fish from your boat or dive for lobster (when season permits) you will need a saltwater license (crawfish stamp for lobstering), which you can obtain online, at local bait shops, dive stores, and marinas. Lobstering is prohibited in most of the bay, and fishing regulations are enforced- seasons apply to many species. Divers can fill their tanks at Divers Paradise (Crandon Marina, Key Biscayne; 305-361-3483) and moorings mark popular dive sites in Biscayne National Park (www.nps.gov/bisc/home.htm) For a cultural and historical fix, visit any of the following on your trip: Cape Florida Lighthouse (305-361-8779), the Commodore’s former home, “The Barnacle” (3485 Main Highway, Coconut Grove; 305-448-9445), Fairchild Tropical Gardens (10901 Old Cutler Road, South Miami; 305-667-1651) and Viscaya- the home and gardens of James Deering (3251 Main Highway, Coconut Grove; 305-250-9133). Be sure to try local Cuban food around the marina!

For more information, the following are all available through Bluewater Books and Charts: Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys by Captain Frank Papy, Florida Keys and Everglades Cruising Guide by Captain Freya Rauscher, and Maptech Embassy Guide to the Florida Keys and Gold Coast 

Florida Keys, FL: Monroe County, which envelops all of the Keys, is also set to participate in the pilot Florida FWC mooring program. Key Largo, Marathon and Key West, all of which have mooring fields, are being explored for potential anchoring restrictions. All three sites have held workshops, allowing the county to gather public commentary on the various possibilities. As is policy in the FWC program, any restrictions on anchoring in the vicinity of mooring fields will need to be approved directly by the FWC.

In past years, anyone who cruised through the Keys noticed the Boot Key Harbour anchorage prior to its cleanup and the placement of moorings by the city of Marathon. Now, rather than dishevelment and abandoned boats, the area has been transformed into an organized mooring field replete with boats that any of us would be happy to live by. The city of Marathon provides a secure mooring, pump-out service, dinghy dockage, shoreside facilities with laundry, bike rakes, trash collection and other services for a modest fee. This is only one instance of moorings improving an area, and overall, as long as restrictions on anchoring are limited to populated regions with a large amount of boaters, a mooring field with its amenities can offer advantages over anchorage.

Sailing from Fort Lauderdale into Green Turtle Cay by way of Great Sale Cay and West End is the preferred route. Once there, an ideal week around Abaco might begin with a departure from Marsh Harbour, on Abaco Island, and sailing over to Hope Town. A famous candy-striped lighthouse is one of three kerosene-powered lights still in the world. From there to the northwest, a village in Man O’ War Cay has preserved its traditionalWest Indiescharm, where snorkeling, bonefishing, and plenty of drinks can be enjoyed. Sail to the gorgeous Baker’s Bay, at Great Guana Cay, and explore the 5.5 mile long, scenic, sandy beach. On Sundays, Nipper’s Beach Bar and Grill hosts a pig roasting with live music and dancing that should not be missed.

For some relaxation, sail from there to Green Turtle Cay and take advantage of the resort facilities at the Bluff House marina, including live music, amazing beaches, deep-sea fishing, and diving opportunities. Head back towardsAbacoIsland’s Little Harbour- here, a narrow sandy spit separates theAtlantic Oceanfrom the harbor. (A group of artists has lived here since the 1950s) At this point the more curious traveler can still find a multitude of historical and other sights at Green Turtle Cay’s village of New Plymouth. Make sure you stop by the inlet at Treasure Cay, where you can walk barefoot along the beach.

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