Information presented on this page is offered as guidelines and non-professional advice only. No liability is assumed by the contributor or this web site. Regardless of information presented here, the captain is solely responsible for the safety of craft and crew.

A Cruising Guide to the Dry Tortugas

There has been some discussion recently concerning a trip to Florida's Dry Tortugas Keys. I thought perhaps I could offer some useful information learned on a 7-day cruise my brother and I took in March 1999 in his swing-keel MacGregor 26, whose draft is similar to our boats. Though I've been there, and my M-17 Vixen has been there, we haven't been there together. Believe me, if we can do it, just about anyone can do it.

This information is related from memory, but I believe it's accurate. However, nothing is as valuable as my buddy—LK, Local Knowledge, whom I suggest be consulted here and there in the narrative below. If you're thinking of a group sail, I suggest someone arrive a day early and ask some pertinent questions, scout the area, etc.

1. Though we all know to sail to the weather and not to a schedule, I don't have that luxury. I have to plan a vacation period months in advance and go, hoping to hit the right weather. A perusal of historical buoy records appears to indicate good sailing weather almost all of the time. The National Park Service site (at bottom) states: "There are two seasons: Winter storm season (December-March), windy with rough seas, and tropical storm season (June-November). April and May are idyllic." Yikes. Two seasons—storms and storms. But it's not nearly as bad as it sounds. Mid-March was as calm as could be. You can check current and historical buoy data for Sand Key (SANF1) and the Dry Tortugas (DRYF1), as well as other US locations, at the National Data Buoy Center web site. If it doesn't work out the way you plan, there are plenty of great places to daysail or cruise out of Key West or adjacent Stock Island (named because it was where Key West and the Navy kept their livestock), or anywhere up the east side of the Keys. What's great is that there is regular bus service on highway A1A, the only route down the Keys, so you can catch a bus anywhere to get back to your car. It worked like a charm when we sailed from Marathon Key to Stock Island (two days sailing down, an hour back by bus). See the section on alternative cruises at the end of this page.

2. As you probably already know, there are no facilities at the Dry Tortugas, so bring everything you'll need. They suggest a gallon of water per person per day, which, in my opinion, would be plenty. We took six gallons for two people over six full days (two half days) and returned with three of them. A case of soft drinks wasn't so lucky, though. We don't use freshwater to wash ourselves or dishes (Joy dishwashing liquid is the only one that will mix with saltwater). There is (or was) a drinking fountain outside the Ranger's Office at the fort. I also discovered a miracle by accident. I never liked to wash and dry off from salt water because of that sticky feeling you get. We happen to have some baby powder on board (left over from trying to find a leak); I tried it after drying off and wham! The stickiness was instantly gone. It's available in a travel size.

3. You may well run into some true big-time cruisers at the Tortugas or Marquesas. So while shopping for supplies in beautiful Key West, you may want to pick up a couple of extra vacuum bags of pre-mixed salad, eggs, or fresh fruit that will keep for the trip. Those items are the best bartering items you can have. On the last day of the return trip, we ran into some cruisers at the Marquesas who had been out for several weeks as we ran low on gas, due to no wind for much of the trip. We traded a loaf of bread on its last legs for a couple of gallons of gas, which we ended up not needing. They were hoping for some fresh fruit or vegetables. You can probably trade for water, ice, beer, or whatever.

4. You will definitely be the smallest boat at the Dry Tortugas. Our 26 was the smallest while we were there. You will be out of sight of land for several hours. It was wonderful. Sail in the right weather and it's a snap, not to mention unforgettable.

My brother Bruce and I were trying to decide where to sail for our annual spring trip and were thinking of Bimini, Bahamas, a cruise I didn't think I was ready to make. I was taking a couple of sailing courses from Annapolis Sailing School in St. Petersburg, FL. in February and asked the instructor what he thought of our making the crossing. He didn't really think a MacGregor 26 was the best boat to do it in, and suggested the Dry Tortugas instead. The School regularly offers a 7-day Learn to Cruise trip from St. Pete to the DTs for people with no more than the Basic Sailing course. So off we went.

Below is an overview of the entire course (green arrows) that was recommended to us and that we took. The edge of Key West is on the East, and the DTs are at the western side. The course is broken down piece by piece through the narrative. You can create your own sections or see them at different scales, zooms and pans by linking to the Mapchart site (requires Internet Explorer 4+ or Netscape 6+)

The Marina - Arrival, Launching, and Departure

We asked LK about a good place to rig, launch, and park. Most people told us the Garrison Bight Municipal Marina was the best place, so off we went (Garrison Bight is marked as "Charter Boats" on the map below, take Roosevelt Boulevard, a main drag, or just ask where the Charter Boats are, they line the North docks right next to the ramp). There is a yacht club that shares Garrison Bight with the municipal marina. There are a couple of shopping centers on the left side of Roosevelt before reaching the docks where you can drop the boat temporarily to scout, eat, or get groceries or supplies. There's a tackle and bait shop across from the municipal marina where actual BLOCK ice can be bought. Ten pounds lasted four days in a standard cooler (we keep food in that one, and drinks in a small one that is frequently opened. At anchor, we tie a line to a nylon net bag that we put drinks into and drop deep overboard to cool).

There was plenty of parking and room to set-up the boat on the hard and the ramp is excellent with room to tie up temporarily, but don't raise the mast here. Here, and at one other place, is where you'll appreciate the advantages of a trailer-sailer, since most sailboats can't use this most convenient launching area.

You may want to explore other departure points, but the ones we checked involved sailing around Key West through or around shoals, through heavy traffic, or in Navy-restricted waters, all of which looked too complicated and time-consuming. You may want to explore other options, though.

The area above shows the relationship of Garrison Bight Marina, anchorages, the exit route, and Fleming Key. Individual sections are shown on the following sections.

Fig. 4 Breakdown of Area Above

There are a couple of low overpasses (one's a pipeline) that you need to go under before raising the mast. The dockmaster will show you exactly what to do and where to raise the mast (see chart below).

Obviously, there is a cut through from the inner area, apparently covered by text on the chart (charts needed for trip: NOAA Charts 11434 & 11438, 11441 for Key West area). Make a right, following the well-marked channel. There is a marina to starboard between the green markers (those are finger docks sticking out on the chart) and we were told we could tie up at the tee docks at the end of a couple of them to raise the mast, which you may or may not want to do, depending on your day's plan (see Fleming Key below). We weren't sure if we could clear under the next overpass in the Mac 26, but the Montgomery should make it under fine. I believe this is the bridge that the chart says has 34' vertical clearance, but check with the dockmaster at Garrison Bight marina prior to launching for verification of all this.

Once you're through the second overpass, the channel runs parallel and close to the south shore shore (dashed, and day-markered, shown here with "4½ Feet 1996"). The channel runs all the way out beyond Fleming Key. There are a couple of anchorages if you plan to stay overnight and get started in the morning. You should make the trip to the Marquesas during the day and it's a good 6-8 hour trip. We anchored, since we arrived at Key West around 2 PM.

On the chart above, one anchorage is starboard of this shoreside channel around Garrison Bight Channel. A good view of this area is here. Six to 10 feet depth, well-protected and good holding ground (there was a minor blow in the evening and we held with no trouble) and this is where we raised the mast. This is where the dockmaster kept his small sailboat and he lived aboard, and there should be a few boats anchored there. Upon returning, we passed through another, larger and crowded, anchorage that is west of Fleming Key (not shown here). Ask the dockmaster exactly where it is, since we accidentally took a different route back through it that I don't recognize on the chart. I think it's War Harbor though. A good view of this area is here.

This where a droppable mast really pays off. Notice the bridge at the south end of Fleming Key. I believe the clearance is 18'. Boats that can't make it under must go north all the way around Fleming Key and back down again, maybe an hour each way. You may choose not to raise the mast at all until you clear this overpass. The air was thick with envy. On the return, we dropped the mast here and left it down until we got to the tee docks, where we stowed it properly. For these reasons, you may want to stow your mast cradle onboard for the trip. Though it sounds like a hassle, it really shortens the trip significantly.

There is one thing you must take into account when passing through this Fleming Key pass—tidal current. On departing, we must have hit slack or ebb tide because there was no noticeable current. Upon returning though, it became a bit dicey. This is obviously the only route that a lot of water can take into the area east of Fleming Key, which apparently goes through to the east side of Key West. The current was quite strong against us. The Nissan 9 HP on the Macgregor barely pushed us through. For about two minutes, we were making maybe a foot every five seconds, going through a fairly narrow (~20 feet wide) passage, between overpass supports, with a mast in my lap, and the boat threatening to broach against a support. We made it through, however. This would not be a problem most of the time, and the Montgomery's more substantial rudder would probably hold her straight on better. But I would time the pass- through in either direction when the tide is favorable. According to tide charts, it doesn't appear that one need be concerned with tides otherwise, and we saw no other noticeable tidal or current effects on the trip. Tide tables for these areas are here.

All of this looks scary on the chart, but it really isn't, and it's all extremely well-marked. As you clear the headland on your port, turn to port and head southwest, following the markers. You are heading for the Northwest Channel, which runs parallel to the "Middle Ground" (only the word "Ground" is visible on this section, halfway down and on the far left). You essentially have to loop around the southernmost portion of Frankfort Bank, of which the two islands, Wisteria and Tank, are a part, before heading northwest to the channel. Figure 3 above has a good overview of the islands. As your heading around the islands, the cruise ship terminal is on your left.

Below you can see the relationship between Tank Island (a little corner of it's on the lower right), the Middle Ground, and the Northwest Channel running along the Middle Ground. You can see the word "Channel", of "Northwest Channel", at top left. It's pretty much a straight shot up Northwest Channel, at about 330°, I think. The Channel is very well-marked, wide, and [motor-]sailable, if you don't have to tack a lot. There's a bit of power boat traffic here and the charter boats take it out to good fishing grounds, but nothing to worry about.

Now here's the thing. If you look back at Fig. 1, you see that, if you follow the channel to the end, you are going well north of where you want to go. Being rules followers, and not knowing one way or the other, we stayed in all the way to Red "2", then headed back west-southwest to the Marquesas, while watching boats cutting out early on a more direct line. For instance, it looks like one could head off between Red "8" and Red "6", in terms of depth. I don't recall seeing any sailboats along this section, but I've read other accounts of people cutting out of the channel early. A Montgomery might have no trouble taking a more direct line to the Marquesas, but I would carefully study the charts and depths and ask LK what they think before trying it. The restricting factor looks like depth as you approach the Marquesas. I'm not endorsing it, just suggesting it as something to look into. On the other hand, it's a nice day—who's in a hurry?

From Key West to the Marquesas, you're never completely out of sight of land. If you take the channel all the way, I believe it's a straight shot to Boca Grande Channel marker Green "1" (depths must be fathoms on this chart, I don't recall any problems, but check). The channel is sparsely marked, Green "1" and Red "2". We stayed off the Marquesas by depth navigation, and headed for the 3½ fathom tongue.

Fig. 8

Fig. 9 Approaching the Marquesas Keys

Now this was the fun part. There is one proper entrance to Mooney Harbor, between Gull Key and Mooney Harbor Key. I don't recall the exact location, but the blue line shows the approximate way in, the point being to run a bit west of the opening and loop back to the entrance. We discoverd this coming out. Or you can just kinda feel your way in, watching depth, as we did, not knowing there was an entrance. We slid to nice easy groundings a couple of times, so I can tell you that the water is warm and the bottom is a course white sand that you sink into about shin deep (don't lose your shoes). There appear to be a couple of rocky areas, but I don't recall them being a problem. You could also go in the way we came out, farther west, but we had fun feeling our way in. One route might be from due south, equidistant between the rocks, then along the 7-foot depths, but we didn't see it.

Since no one else was around, we anchored right in the entrance, between the Keys, but there appears to be room inside for 3 or 4 boats. Water depth is easy to discern by eye. We watched a squall approach that night with a little thunder and lightning and the rig singing, but were very snug.

Fig. 10 Mooney Harbor Approach

Fig. 11 Sunset from Mooney Harbor Lagoon

If you choose not to go inside, an established anchorage is around the northwest side of the ring. Continue around the island ring and look for a narrow sandy strip of beach. There will probably be a boat or two anchored there already. We anchored in 6 feet in front of the cut that's blocked by a small island. One might be able to putt in through there with an M-boat. We took this opportunity to re-attach the pendant to the swing keel. This was also where I cleated a Wal-Mart backpacking hammock over the side, fore and aft, floating at the waterline on the shady side, and just laid in it, reading and snoozing.

A trip to the Marquesas is a fun trip in itself. There is snorkeling, fishing, sailing, or beachcombing around the Keys (see day 4).

If you choose to overnight inside the lagoon, you can exit to the right the next morning, close to the direction you'll want to go. There is a beautiful little channel that you can just thread your way through to 12 feet of water. Really cool. You can obviously enter that way, too.

Fig. 12 Rebecca Shoal (center) is marked

Set your course for the south side of Garden Key (shown on left edge of chart above with the words "Old Tower"). The north entrance, between Garden Key and Bush Key and the way we entered, is now shoaled in. Departing from, and re-approaching, the Marquesas from this west side is an excellent opportunity to practice reading water depth by sight.

We motored almost the entire way out. Along the way, we were passed by a couple of other sailboats also motoring, not to mention the big catamarans and monohull tourist boats travelling at 25 knots. The monohull's 5-foot-high wake was a fun wave to ride, we took it on our stern quarter and rode up and over with no problem. I bet riding over it in an M-boat would be even more fun. Judging from their schedule, look for them behind you between 10 and 10:30 AM and returning around 5 or 5:30 PM. A seaplane or two makes the trip a couple of times a day and though the first time you look behind you and notice you're totally out of sight of land (what an incredible realization), it's nice to be reassured you're still on course and haven't entered an aqua-colored Twilight Zone. There are enough traffic, markers and landmarks to steer by sight, but we kept an eye on the compass and GPS anyway.

What a great sail. Only we didn't. Except for maybe 30 minutes, there was zero wind. Don't believe it? Look:
Fig. 13

There's only one possible hazard on the way, Rebecca Shoal (middle of chart above), but your course should take you south of it, and it is marked. I can't tell from the chart if the Shoal is the entire large area marked in blue, or the area right around the name, at any rate, we headed maybe a mile south of the name and went over most of the larger area, with water depths no less than 6 feet. I think a Montgomery would pass over any of it, anyway.

A couple of wrecks and an old structure or two are all north of your course and easily visible. Compass bearings were marked on our chart, and returning, we took a straight-line course from the northern approach of the DTs to the northwestern anchorage of the Marquesas. This course is still doable since you must approach the DTs the same way, but now circle south behind the Garden Key and head back east from the south side (more below).

Approaching the Tortugas
Because we used this northern, or eastern channel, now closed, I e-mailed the DT ranger station as to the best approach. Their answer:

"You will only have to make a small change on entering the same harbor you were in before. I assume you are asking because of the closure of the north channel by the landbridge.
"As you are traveling west from Key West, continue past the channel you previously entered and past Fort Jefferson. At this point, pass Marker 2 and begin circling the fort heading south, then east. This brings you to the same harbor."
[MSOG Note: I believe the north channel referred to above is actually called the East Channel on the charts, marked as closed due to shoaling.]

The Map Chart web site doesn't offer a scale of the whole approach, but the course I've marked in green appears correct. There are two markers called Red "2", but ignore the one due east of the keys and north of the labeled Southeast Channel. The one I believe they're referring to is at the second turn, the turn to the east. It's easy to see on the next chart section below. I assume the "BK" markers are for Bird Key. My preferred method: hang around outside and follow another boat in. There is a marked anchorage a bit remote from Garden Key (the right fork of the green line) about which I know nothing.

Fig. 15 Northeast Channel

The charted depths are very old, I believe the chart was drawn in the 80's, because it's showing the depths in the East (or north) Channel in the 25-35 feet range, but it is now shoaled in (the "landbridge" referred to above) we anchored in plenty of water east of Garden Key and just off the shore of Bush Key (left fork of green line), and a closeup view shows depths in this anchorage ranging from a couple of feet to 20 or so.

Fig. 16 East (or North) Channel, now completely shoaled in and closed.

We chose to anchor close in to Bush Key, maybe 60 feet off in about 6 feet of water. The anchorage deepens to as much as 20 feet in some places as you move away from Bush Key. One thing to be aware of— at anchor, we were facing Bush Key, which means an anchor may be set on a sloping bottom, pulling toward deeper water at your stern. I'd dive after setting to be sure. Besides, the water is warm, crystal clear, and beautiful here. We had no problem with this, but it's worth noting. There were some good-sized motor yachts out in the deeper water, sixty or seventy footers with room to swing. It would be most important to check on the anchorage situation beforehand, or call the Garden Key Ranger Station for information while approaching.

Wherever you anchor, remember that Bush Key is a bird sanctuary, and you cannot approach it, either by boat or individually, closer than a depth you can stand up in, about six feet. We were as close as we could legally be and OK'ed by the ranger, and we sat in the cockpit and watched tourists swim over to it three or four times a day, only to be ordered off by the rangers. There is a large sign facing the fort that warns people not to set foot on the island, under which folks would sit for shade (but not for long). We found out personally about the water depth limit; since we were well-anchored and didn't want to move, we decided to wade over in neck-deep water to see Fort Jefferson, figuring we were far enough off the shore. Not so. After being told by the ranger we had erred, he then offered to run us back to the boat in his skiff after our tour, but became busy and we ended up swimming back to the boat.

Also be aware that Florida has instituted a strict policy concerning marine ecological damage. Not only can you be stiffly fined for hitting coral (besides the other costs), but also for running aground in sand, grass, or even mud; basically, for hitting bottom anywhere.

There is two hours' dockage on Garden Key while touring the fort, and we were told we could pull up on the beach next to the docks if we wanted (in a 26' boat). A Montgomery could do it and avoid the dock hassles, the south end of which is where the tourist boats and seaplanes dock. It might be easier now that the northeast entrance is shoaled in (shown here still as a gap between Garden Key and Bush Key).

Fig. 18 Northeast Channel

There are other islands to see like Loggerhead Key, or snorkeling and diving was allowed when we were there, though I'm not sure if it's still allowed. And of course, lots of room to sail. There is normally camping on Garden Key, but the campground is currently closed due to flooding of the septic field. Check the Park Service web site below for the latest information on all activities.

Though I've only taken five or six cruises, this was by far the best. It also marked a watershed for me, as it was the first trip in which I was more comfortable away from shore (hazards) with plenty of water under the keel. If you get the right weather window, it's just two daysails. If you don't, hang out and take an alternate trip, below. Whatever you choose, I promise it will be an unforgettable experience.

Links:

Dry Tortugas National Park The National Park Service's Official Site.
Sailnet article
Sailing the Florida Keys - Tradewind Yachts - Itinerary from Marathon Key to Marquesas or DTs, day-by-day. We sailed Marathon to Key West, overnighting in Newfound Harbor, as did they.
Dry Tortugas and Back A cruiser's account of their trip.
Key West Boating General sailing information about the Keys in general. Also a bunch of good maps of the Keys. Key West Marinas A page from the previous site.
Fast Cat DT Trips If you can't or don't want to sail to the DTs, take the Fast Cat. Looks fun to me.
Article from Sailnet with info on the area, trip, cruising guides, charts needed, and more.
Accuweather 10-day forecast for Key West
Real-time wind, wave, and weather info from the National Data Buoy Center

Alternative Cruises

Marquesas and Back
It's a short 25 mile trip to the Marquesas where you can explore, fish, sail, or just relax and watch the sunsets. A nice trip in itself, but you can also decide whether to go on or go back and hang out in Key West. See the directions above for the Marquesas.

East Side of the Keys: Hawk Channel
An alternative plan can be made to sail up (or down) the East side of the Keys between Marathon Key and Key West, in the Hawk Channel, the lower portion of the Intracoastal Waterway. It's an easy sail to Newfound Harbor for an overnight, then return, or continue another day up/down to the other end. We had trouble finding a ramp in Marathon. There are a couple at private/expensive Yacht Clubs or on the west side of the Key, but we asked LK and someone told us about Cannon (I think) Boat Yard, on Boot Key Harbor. It's not a full-service marina, but there was lots of room, a great ramp, plenty of cheap parking, and some temporary docks to tie up to to get ready. It is east of the hospital back off the road behind what was a closed furniture or towel outlet.

A great map of the area is here. Cannon is almost at the very east end of the Harbor, and just a few minutes' putt to one of a couple of good marinas across the Harbor along Sombrero Blvd., or you can anchor out in the harbor. It's just a short hop out to cruising grounds, Hawk Channel, and Seven-Mile Bridge.

At the Key West end, staying at Stock Island, connected to Key West, is a great way to avoid the congestion and prices of Key West. We found a little homey marina called Safe Harbor Marina that's within walking distance of the essentials: a liquor store, a couple of seafood restaurants, a Burger King, and the bus stop. It had a little bar on-premises, and a manatee swimming around the boats. There is a really nice marina called Oceanside Marina less than a ten-minute walk from Safe Harbor, where you can stay or, as we did, just use the ramp. Both are in very well-protected waters, an inlet the Navy designates as a hurricane hole for smaller Navy craft. Here's some quick contact information, and here's Oceanside Marina.

Fig. 19 Two Stock Island Marinas