"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
I've posted some pictures from our cruise to the Florida Keys last
weekend for those who might be interested.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hoonos...lbum?.dir=75c3

Our itinerary was Cape Coral to Marco Island; Marco Island to Key
West; New Years day in Key West; Key West to Boot Key Harbor at
Marathon via Hawk Channel; Marathon to Marco via Moser Channel, Red
Bay Bank and Florida Bay; and Marco back to Cape Coral with a side
trip into Gordon Pass and the harbor at Naples.

The trip was relatively uneventful but we did have a few days of very
brisk easterly winds in the 20 to 25 knot range. Seas in Florida Bay
were in the 2 to 3 foot range on the trip south, calm on the way back.
Seas in Hawk Channel were a solid 3 feet on the day after New Years
when 5 to 8 feet was being reported outside the reef. There were few
boats under 45 feet out that day.

We found plenty of well sheltered anchor room west of Flemming Key in
Key West but Boot Key Harbor was definitely on the tight side,
especially for a 49 foot boat. There are several good marinas on the
way into Boot Key that looked like they may have had space. At Marco
we anchored behind Coconut Island both coming and going. The charts
for Coconut Island are not entirely accurate and it is important to
enter that anchorage from the shore side, well past the Manatee signs.

Very nice Wayne. Thanks for sharing the pictures and story with us.