Key West Mooring Field

For those heading south to Key West for the winter I highly recommend the Key West City Mooring Field just north of Garrison Bight. The moorings are plentiful and reasonably priced. Last time there I paid, as I recall, somewhere around $316/month for a mooring. That included one free pump-out/week, use of the secure dinghy dock and vehicle parking area, laundry facilities, free shore-side water, showers, bathrooms, etc. Downside? You're exposed to north winds, so when a front blasts through, it gets a bit rocky. Otherwise there is excellent protection from East through Northwest in 10-12' of water. Tip: bring your own penant as the moorings have none.

I spent a month there one weekend.

El Sea said:

I spent a month there one weekend.

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Bad experience? If so, sorry to hear it. Perhaps it would make you feel somewhat better if you'd attempted to anchor around the usual spots NW of Key West...Christmas Tree Island, or west of Fleming Key. Holding is horrible...like a foot of sand on top of a solid layer of coral. You'd have better luck trying to anchor on a sidewalk!

I have anchored off of Fleming Key and what an experience. Twice a day, everyday, the charter boats travel through there as fast as they can go. We had TV's flying, dishes breaking and enough bruises to trigger a spouse abuse investigation.

Amen! At least in the Key West Mooring Field there's relative peace and quiet from wakes. But when those "blue" norther's blow through it gets pretty active until they clock to the NE. Another slight drawback I forgot to mention...it's a bit of a haul to the dinghy dock from the mooring field itself. About a mile or so I'd say. Not the best situation if your dinghy uses muscle power. Still, it's one of the most secure anchorages anywhere around Key West...and there's a serious discount over the daily rates if you're able to stay for at least a month.

I've had no trouble anchoring west of Fleming, stayed a month 3 yrs ago (Danforth HT). I did see a sailboat drag across the channel and into the CG base sea wall however (CQR).
I also tried anchoring at the Marquesas on my way to Dry Tortugas, now that was an experience...

In the Northeast, many harbors are now full of town owned moorings and exclude anchoring altogether. Income source you know. Coming soon to a harbor near you...

Hi Brooksie--Yeah, if you can tuck up into the small cove formed by the little peninsula on which the VOR radio beacon sits on the west side of Fleming, you're OK, even in those "blue northers" that blast through starting this time of year. Are you Irish? Sounds like you were plenty lucky! Pity they're clamping down on cruisers who anchor out. Freedom has its price I guess. According to Boat US, the Florida Legislature has officially recognized Admiralty Law as trumping those petty local laws in the state which try to limit anchoring. I've never had an issue myself, but have heard of several who have. Problem seems to be educating the local Gendarmerie, most of whom apparently never even heard of Admiralty Law.

Regarding the anchoring laws here in FL...one of the best or rather the two best sources of "factual information" is on Boat/US website and the Salty Southeast Cruisers net.....

http://www.boatus.com/Assets/www.boatus.com/gov/pdf/2013 BoatU.S. Florida Anchoring Information.pdf

The recommendation has been made that one print the actual Florida Statute, which overrides local ordinances....unless you are in one of the anchorage buffers approved by the FWC.... It when shown to local LEO's in the unlikely event that they are bowing to political pressure to roust all those "icky boaters" clogging the anchorages....tends to get them to leave you be. They know the local rules does not override the state statute.

People living in waterfront condos just seem to have trouble understanding that their "property rights"....stop at their window.

People living in waterfront homes just seem to have trouble understanding that their "property rights"....stop at their property line/seawall/or the 100 year floodmark....

For instance...if one owns "property" on any body of water that falls under the aegis of the USCG....then your property line is the waterline or the seawall....unlike those who live on lakes that are isolated as single bodies of water...where the lake bottom is portioned out in the plat maps to the owners surrounding the lake.

Thanks JAT. I have a 2010 copy, but that updated site is great. Will print several copies for friends and pass along your link! Extremely useful!!

Captain K said:

Thanks JAT. I have a 2010 copy, but that updated site is great. Will print several copies for friends and pass along your link! Extremely useful!!

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You're welcome!!