Gfretwell wrote:

I take my boat to the Keys and other places ...

Where did you go if you don't mind telling me? Did you go to Florida
Bay and try fishing in the flats? How things went?


We are primarily interested in diving the reefs but on calm days I have been
offshore a ways (with other boats) looking for dolphin or whatever other blue
water fish might show up. I have chased a few bonefish around in the Contents
but I am not interested in just fishing to toss them back.
A pontoon is a very stable dive platform.

One of the delights of the Middle Keys is that even the smallest
reasonable boat can get you out to the reef line. Heck, you can wave to
friends on shore from the reefs. Great fishing, too.




--
* * *
email sent to will *never* get to me.

One of the delights of the Middle Keys is that even the smallest
reasonable boat can get you out to the reef line. Heck, you can wave to
friends on shore from the reefs. Great fishing, too.

Absolutely true. I just wish there weren't so many people who knew.

Glad to hear that you have a good use of both the pontoon boat and the
monohull.

Seem like each one is useful for specific environment and the intended
use.

A monohull can go off-shore, while a pontoon boat can go to very
shallow water. I am wondering whether the reason why there are only a
few ads on used pontoon boats may have to do with more people want to
go off-shore than people want to go fishing in very shallow water.

Jay Chan

We are primarily interested in diving the reefs but on calm days I have been
offshore a ways (with other boats) looking for dolphin or whatever other blue
water fish might show up. I have chased a few bonefish around in the Contents
but I am not interested in just fishing to toss them back.
A pontoon is a very stable dive platform.

I am surprised to hear that you used your pontoon boat in the ocean
side of the Keys. The reef must be very near shore in that part of the
Keys, and the water got to be very calm at that day.

Jay Chan

I am surprised to hear that you used your pontoon boat in the ocean
side of the Keys. The reef must be very near shore in that part of the
Keys, and the water got to be very calm at that day.

I would rather be on my pontoon boat than a 16-18' bowrider in this water.

Jay Chan wrote:

We are primarily interested in diving the reefs but on calm days I have been
offshore a ways (with other boats) looking for dolphin or whatever other blue
water fish might show up. I have chased a few bonefish around in the Contents
but I am not interested in just fishing to toss them back.
A pontoon is a very stable dive platform.

I am surprised to hear that you used your pontoon boat in the ocean
side of the Keys. The reef must be very near shore in that part of the
Keys, and the water got to be very calm at that day.

Jay Chan


Depends on where you are on the "ocean side" of the Keys. In some
places, the reefs are almost within range of a frisbee toss.



--
* * *
email sent to will *never* get to me.

Depends on where you are on the "ocean side" of the Keys. In some
places, the reefs are almost within range of a frisbee toss.

In the Big Pine area we like, the reefs are a tad over 3 miles out. The blue
water is more like 7-8. You see ski boats tied up to the buoys at Looe Key

In the Big Pine area we like, the reefs are a tad over 3 miles out. The blue
water is more like 7-8. You see ski boats tied up to the buoys at Looe Key

Is 3 miles away from shore considered as "very close"? I don't go
near-shore or off-shore that often. Therefore, I don't have a point of
reference as of how far is considered as too far to be safe for small
boats.

Jay Chan

"Jay Chan" wrote ...
Is 3 miles away from shore considered as "very close"? I don't go
near-shore or off-shore that often. Therefore, I don't have a point of
reference as of how far is considered as too far to be safe for small
boats.

Depends upon where you're at, I guess... If you're in an area where the reef
provides a lot of protection from the seas / surf, then it's acceptable for
a small boat... If there is no reef, that 3 miles can be a rough trip in
even light to moderate seas... I have a 16 ft jet boat (actually probably 14
ft since the swim platform really shouldn't have been counted by the
manufacturer) and with 2 ft seas, I can keep up a pretty good speed... Once
it gets to 3 ft or more, I have to slow down to hull speed or it will beat
me to death on those drops when the troughs are not evenly spaced... A 4 ft
following sea can be kind of fun if you can get the speed matched right so
that you can basically surf it into shore... A head sea will slow you down
to a crawl unless you can go fast enough to be able to just skip over the
tops of the waves (but this can be a painful ride when you encounter a rogue
wave/trough)...

Depends upon where you're at, I guess... If you're in an area where the reef
provides a lot of protection from the seas / surf, then it's acceptable for
a small boat...

I would like to know how deep the water in the reef that you have
mentioned. Is it like 10-ft? If this is so, I can understand why the
reef can provide a great deal of protection to a small boat. Thanks.

Jay Chan