Hi, List,

So, we're inching toward our departure. Circumstances have it that we'll
need to try to time the Gulf Stream from St. Pete so as to land at Marathon
and hop directly across, being constrained in the time we have available -
waiting a month for the "next" right window won't get it. However, we don't
have to leave on any specific schedule - other than to hightail it once we
weigh anchor.

So, we need to go as directly as possible from St. Pete to Marathon. We
draw over 6' and looking at the detail charts of the Marathon area, it seems
that it's going to be very challenging coming directly from the gulf to the
bridge. The channels we see marked aren't reliably deep.

What's the local knowledge about coming from the north through the bridge
with a deep draft? When we went from Marathon to Key West, going out from
KWW to Charlotte Harbor was no problem (clearly marked, adequate depth),
being a very short ICW ride and the rest a clear shot sailing. Looking at
the charts of the Marathon area don't give me nearly the same warm fuzzy
feeling...

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, in shoulder rehab and PT, and Lydia, continuing to build the boat
kitty until departure, all else sold or given away and the remaining 4
storage buckets moved aboard

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about in
boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's
the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."

"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach at gmail dotcom wrote:

Hi, List,

So, we're inching toward our departure. Circumstances have it that we'll
need to try to time the Gulf Stream from St. Pete so as to land at Marathon
and hop directly across, being constrained in the time we have available -
waiting a month for the "next" right window won't get it. However, we don't
have to leave on any specific schedule - other than to hightail it once we
weigh anchor.

I don't know how familiar you are with the Gulf Stream here, but I
wouldn't be too cavalier about it.

So, we need to go as directly as possible from St. Pete to Marathon. We
draw over 6' and looking at the detail charts of the Marathon area, it seems
that it's going to be very challenging coming directly from the gulf to the
bridge. The channels we see marked aren't reliably deep.

What's the local knowledge about coming from the north through the bridge
with a deep draft? When we went from Marathon to Key West, going out from
KWW to Charlotte Harbor was no problem (clearly marked, adequate depth),
being a very short ICW ride and the rest a clear shot sailing. Looking at
the charts of the Marathon area don't give me nearly the same warm fuzzy
feeling...

Are you talking about 7 mile bridge? Moser Channel?

The real problem with this bridge is that it is not tall enough if you
have a 65' mast, and needs to be a low tide. We only draw 5' and most
of the other folks that we know are the same - not really a problem
for most people. I've not done it myself.

If you are talking about getting into Boot Key Harbor then you have
two choices - going under the Boot Key Harbor bridge, which is a
bascule bridge, but has a power line right inside the bridge. I think
if you can get under 7 mile bridge you can probably clear that. The
other entrance (Sister Creek) is sometimes a problem if you have a
draft over 4 feet, although if the tide is right and you are lucky you
can do it with as much as 6 feet (I've heard)

There are very few channels that a deep draft boat can get from the
Gulf to Hawk Channel other than Moser Channel. It might be just as
easy to go around Key West rather than trying to cut through.

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, in shoulder rehab and PT, and Lydia, continuing to build the boat
kitty until departure, all else sold or given away and the remaining 4
storage buckets moved aboard

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about in
boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's
the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."



grandma Rosalie

On Sun, 20 Nov 2005 14:56:57 -0500, "Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach at
gmail dotcom wrote:

So, we need to go as directly as possible from St. Pete to Marathon. We
draw over 6' and looking at the detail charts of the Marathon area, it seems
that it's going to be very challenging coming directly from the gulf to the
bridge. The channels we see marked aren't reliably deep.

================================================== ===

We can carry 5 1/2 feet of draft down the west coast into Marathon
with plenty of room to spare, shallowest water in the 9 to 10 foot
range.

Coming south, aim for an imaginary way point at roughly 24-55 by 81-09
in about 11 to 12 feet of water, and yes, that IS deep water in SWFL
:-)

From there proceed due south about 6.7 nautical miles leaving Bullard
Bank to starboard. Next, run a course of 213 magnetic for a distance
of 3.7 NM leaving Red Bay Bank to port. Continuing on, go south again
towards Moser Channel and the bridge, taking a small westward jog
around the 7 foot spot just north of the bridge.

All of this comes with the usual caveats of course but it works for
us.

Another choice for you would be to jump off from Angel Fish Creek, just north of the Ocean Reef
Club. You will still have
enough southerly set to give you a decent angle for Bimini, from there. The creek there is deep
enough, but the tidal current
is strong, so you have to set two anchors for the change in current direction. Although I only
visited Ocean Reef Club with
my dinghy (waiting for the winds to swing around), you could possibly jump off from there, but you
probably have to clear
it with them, as it may be a private club.

Although I drew only 4 feet with my 22 footer, I had enough depth of water with some to spare coming
off the
Intracoastal and going around the bridge south of Marathon. You should not have any trouble if you
time it for high tide, just
to be on the safe side.

Sherwin D.

Skip Gundlach wrote:

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
"Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach at gmail dotcom wrote:

Hi, List,

So, we're inching toward our departure. Circumstances have it that we'll
need to try to time the Gulf Stream from St. Pete so as to land at
Marathon
and hop directly across, being constrained in the time we have available -
waiting a month for the "next" right window won't get it. However, we
don't
have to leave on any specific schedule - other than to hightail it once we
weigh anchor.

I don't know how familiar you are with the Gulf Stream here, but I
wouldn't be too cavalier about it.

I'm hardly cavalier - that's why timing it right is so important, and
Marathon, being the closest way from St. Pete (at least for a 62' air draft
boat), the route we'd thought to take. However, it will cost us about 7
grand (tax issues) to park in the Marathon area while waiting for a weather
window, so timing our arrival from the couple (almost) days earlier
departure from St. Pete will be critical. Our departure, however, will be
whenever that weather window works out. It's *after* the departure from St.
Pete where the clock's ticking.


So, we need to go as directly as possible from St. Pete to Marathon. We
draw over 6' and looking at the detail charts of the Marathon area, it
seems
that it's going to be very challenging coming directly from the gulf to
the
bridge. The channels we see marked aren't reliably deep.

What's the local knowledge about coming from the north through the bridge
with a deep draft? When we went from Marathon to Key West, going out from
KWW to Charlotte Harbor was no problem (clearly marked, adequate depth),
being a very short ICW ride and the rest a clear shot sailing. Looking at
the charts of the Marathon area don't give me nearly the same warm fuzzy
feeling...

Are you talking about 7 mile bridge? Moser Channel?

Yes, I think it's 7 mile bridge. Charts show two bridges, both with what
should be plenty of air draft. It's our bottom I'm worried about.


The real problem with this bridge is that it is not tall enough if you
have a 65' mast, and needs to be a low tide. We only draw 5' and most
of the other folks that we know are the same - not really a problem
for most people. I've not done it myself.

If you are talking about getting into Boot Key Harbor then you have
two choices - going under the Boot Key Harbor bridge, which is a
bascule bridge, but has a power line right inside the bridge. I think
if you can get under 7 mile bridge you can probably clear that. The
other entrance (Sister Creek) is sometimes a problem if you have a
draft over 4 feet, although if the tide is right and you are lucky you
can do it with as much as 6 feet (I've heard)

We're well over 6', though we've not yet splashed to know just exactly *how*
much over. That's our concern.

We most likely would anchor out further - the place from which we hailed you
last year in March when we were on the way around. Our intent would be, at
the recommendation of the Gentleman, to head out about lunchtime, so we'd
arrive in daylight, sleep, and then head on out to the Bahamas.


There are very few channels that a deep draft boat can get from the
Gulf to Hawk Channel other than Moser Channel. It might be just as
easy to go around Key West rather than trying to cut through.

That's sort of what we were wondering - and then, rather than the extra time
to get up to Marathon, what the best target would be if we were to head over
from Key West. We're not paranoid, but trying to be extra prudent in not
pushing our time envelope in our need to document leaving FL in no more than
20 days from our departure from St. Pete. Ideally, we'd have time to park
at whatever place we wanted, and wait out the weather window there, but
that's not what the law allows. So, we'll have to take our best shot from
St. Pete, and ride herd until we're finished.

L8R

Skip and Lydia, getting closer
--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

The Society for the Preservation of Tithesis commends your ebriated
and scrutible use of delible and defatigable, which are gainly, sipid
and couth. We are gruntled and consolate that you have the ertia and
eptitude to choose such putably pensible tithesis, which we parage.

Stamp out Sesquipedalianism