Marathon, FL and Boot Key Harbor

By Capt. Scott Buckley

Position: 24 42' 19"N, 081 05' 32"W

Progress towards destination: 1050 nm

We left Naples, FL about 5:30AM to head to Little Shark River to anchor for the night.  We passed Marco Island to port and transited SE passed the Thousand Island area.  The crab and lobster traps were everywhere but not so contested it was difficult to pass.  That would come later in Florida Bay. 

Leaving Little Snake River 

Little Shark was pretty easy to approach however I was apprehensive after reading the Active Captain reviews of this anchorage.  All the warnings about shoaling had me on the edge of my seat.  No shoaling was noted and there was plenty of depth and good holding.  A weak front blew thru that night and Kooky Dance did not drag her anchor an inch.  We still set the anchor alarm and I was up every couple of hours to check on things.  The sailing boat next to us drug anchor about 300 ft but there was plenty of room and she got into no trouble.  They were working their way north and left early in the AM for Marco Island.  

The anchorage was beautiful and we would have liked to stay longer to explore it further.  The coming weather was favorable for getting to Marathon and delay would mean we would miss that weather window. We set sail around 7AM which is late for us.  We headed south to round Cape Sable and turned slightly to the east toward Marathon.

We arrived in Marathon as previously scheduled on 16-Nov (Sunday) as planned. The weather was just about perfect.  In fact we had to run the engine for most of the trip because the winds were so light.  The challenge on this leg was the crab and lobster traps.  In some places they were so dense there was little room for Kooky Dance to pass.

Getting this far is a major milestone for us.  We had to sail into the Atlantic Ocean to get to Boot Key Harbor.  We have left the Gulf of Mexico behind and there is a possibility we will not see it again for a long time.
We are now reviewing our options.  There is a very lively cruiser community here in Marathon and one option would be to stay here.  I connected with an old school mate from Rock Hall MD that I have not seen in 35 years.  It was a real pleasure to run into Bill and Anita Jamar.  They have been very generous with their time and their home.



 The original option of going onto the Bahamas is still in play but we both would like a break from voyaging and would like to explore and enjoy a location before moving on.  We also need to watch the weather.  To cross the Gulf Stream requires a specific set of weather conditions before it can be crossed easily.  It is not to be taken lightly.  I may say more about this in another blog that is more technical than this one.