Key Largo Boating?

[Georgia bubble blower]

Hello everyone.The wife and I recently bought ourselves a 23 foot Yamaha AR230 and we are planning on visiting Key Largo some time in April for some diving and most likely will be staying at the Holiday Inn. Since we now have a large enough boat and we own all of our own gear including tanks we were thinking about pulling the boat down and doing our own diving. Here is where I can use some advice. I would like to be able to launch the boat and then just keep it in the water (preferably as nearby as possible) the entire time we are there so that we do not have to launch and then load each day. Can anyone give me advice on a marina where I may be able to dock overnight? Also, it will be just my wife and I so while we are diving the boat would be left unattended (I'm a little nervous about this). We are familiar with the Keys and will be using the mooring balls as much as possible. What is everyone's opinions on this? ANY advice at all on this subject will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[matts1w]

Wouldnt it be cheaper and safer to simply do your dives with any of the numerous dive boats at the Holiday Inn? By the time you tow the boat down and back, pay $3.75 a gallon for fuel on the water, pay for dockage, risk diving from an unattended boat (What happens if you break a mooring or surface way down current?), and not have the benefit of pros who dive and know the water around Key Largo every day, it MIGHT make more sense to leave the boat at home.

I cant blame you for wanting to have your boat down there as it is fun to tool around the back water...have a drink...eat some dinner...etc....

 

[Georgia bubble blower]

Those are all very valid points. All of which we have considered. We very well may just do the majority (or all) of our diving with Horizon Divers. My wife has a habit of getting sea sick sometimes and she seems to do very well on their large boat and we always enjoy diving with them. We have been down to the keys several times with friends who brought their boat which we did our diving from. However, their was always someone left on the boat while others were diving so that was certainly one of my main concerns. Especially from a safety standpoint. We very well may still bring our boat regardless of whether we dive from it or not. Seems pointless to have such a nice boat (to us at least) and not use it. We certainly don't live just down the road from Key Largo but the trip isn't too bad so we don't mind. We always enjoyed having a boat to use as we choose when we were there with others who had a boat. We think it would be worth the hassle and cost to have that option. However, before we went as a large group and rented a house where we could dock the boat when not using it so it was not an issue. We won't have that luxury if just the two of us go and stay at the Holiday Inn. As you mentioned in your post the ability to just spend the entire day on the water if we choose is the real attaction. Thanks for the comment.

 

[deeper thoughts]

I am not sure but you can check with Plantation yacht harbor in Islamorda and maybe Bud and Marys. There are plenty of marinas but I am not sure if they have short time slips. Also check Mangrove Marina and Tavernier Creek marina. If you are going to leave the boat alone at the reef you should use 2 lines to hook up to the ball(just in case).
I dive from my own boat and I love it compared to the dives ops and we have some really good ops down here.

 

[deepstops]

I am not sure but you can check with Plantation yacht harbor

PYH Marina offers transient slips at $2/foot per day, call 305-852-2381 to reserve if you go that route.

 

[Georgia bubble blower]

deeper thoughts and deepstop,
Thanks for the tip on PYH Marina. I will absolutley keep that in mind. I did finally get the chance to do a little more research on the internet and I did find some resources on local marinas. I will just have to give them each a call to see which ones offer the service I need and their cost.

deeper thoughts,
Since you have experience diving from your own boat do you have any other do or do not's that you would be willing to share. IF we decide to dive from our own boat it will be the first time we have done this while by ourselves and as I mentioned above we are nervous about leaving our boat unattended for that length of time. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[F106A]

Hello everyone.The wife and I recently bought ourselves a 23 foot Yamaha AR230 and we are planning on visiting Key Largo some time in April for some diving and most likely will be staying at the Holiday Inn. Since we now have a large enough boat and we own all of our own gear including tanks we were thinking about pulling the boat down and doing our own diving. Here is where I can use some advice. I would like to be able to launch the boat and then just keep it in the water (preferably as nearby as possible) the entire time we are there so that we do not have to launch and then load each day. Can anyone give me advice on a marina where I may be able to dock overnight? Also, it will be just my wife and I so while we are diving the boat would be left unattended (I'm a little nervous about this). We are familiar with the Keys and will be using the mooring balls as much as possible. What is everyone's opinions on this? ANY advice at all on this subject will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Do it! I towed a 21-25 footers from NJ many times. There is nothing like having your own boat in K.L. during a vacation. As far as an unattended boat while using mooring buoys at, e.g. Molasses or French, that was a non-issue for me. (Though I wouldn’t do it with the deep wrecks.) Plenty of other divers and boats around if the unexpected should happen. Maybe you could even hook up with some of the locals who are ScubaBoarders and take them out. That might be a possible solution to your boat sitter concern. (BTW, I’m not one for relying on others but if you’re responsible, use serviceable, redundant lines, and know what you’re doing when diving, the likelihood of a problem is low.)
Check with "speargirl" ((Becky) here on ScubaBoard. She has several K.L. condos at very reasonable prices and there is a marina there which might meet some of your needs. I’ve also stayed at Ocean Pointe (MM 92.5 O/S, daily rates). They have a nice ramp, trailer parking and overnight mooring in their marina. And QUICK access to the ocean. Moon Bay, (weekly rates) Condos is also nice. They have a docks with some of the units but no ramp or trailer parking so you’d have to make arrangements.

 

[moneysavr]

Make sure to make arrangements ahead-Parking extra items any were in Florida is hard not to
say real hard in the Keys!
Make sure to get the current chart plotter for your GPS unit- and order hard copys (charts) I am looking at my Keys ones now= The water in the Keys can go from 15' to 0' fast! and that will cost you more than a skeg when the authorities get done with you .

Now you have done that read the rules and regs, make sure you understand the difference from a local lobster trap float to a wreck or reef mooring.

That said diving from your boat is great I do it all the time, Tie off properly as said (2)lines if boats unattended proper size dive flag should work. First Aid kit,Marine Radio,Is your boat fresh water? flush kit for the motor. Tow Ins Sea Tow?

In closing the waters of Florida are much different than the bodys of waters we have local and when I see even experienced skippers have problems I give due credit to licenced local Capt's.
Brad

 

[deeper thoughts]

Make sure to make arrangements ahead-Parking extra items any were in Florida is hard not to
say real hard in the Keys!
Make sure to get the current chart plotter for your GPS unit- and order hard copys (charts) I am looking at my Keys ones now= The water in the Keys can go from 15' to 0' fast! and that will cost you more than a skeg when the authorities get done with you .

Now you have done that read the rules and regs, make sure you understand the difference from a local lobster trap float to a wreck or reef mooring.

That said diving from your boat is great I do it all the time, Tie off properly as said (2)lines if boats unattended proper size dive flag should work. First Aid kit,Marine Radio,Is your boat fresh water? flush kit for the motor. Tow Ins Sea Tow?

In closing the waters of Florida are much different than the bodys of waters we have local and when I see even experienced skippers have problems I give due credit to licenced local Capt's.
Brad

True, we we coming back from conch reef(oceanside taking pix of dolphins) maybe no more then 100 yards away from the reef and next thing I know my shallow water alarm is going off. We were going real slow luckily and I look down and I am in no more then a foot of water(sand bar). Backed up and all was fine but out here you never know(especially the bayside!!!)

 

[Georgia bubble blower]

Thanks for the replies. All very useful information from my standpoint. We are very excited about the option of having our own boat down in the keys. Although I am an experienced boater on our local lakes and rivers and even in our intercoastal waterways here I know that boating in the Keys is totally different. That being the main reason for my concern. Although, I figure if I do some research and learn the do and don'ts/rules and regs of boating in the Keys as moneysaver mentioned and take my time and be careful when I do get there I feel like I will be okay. I have a Garmin chartplotter with the most up to date Bluechart G2 Vision card for the area so that will be an invaluable tool I am sure. I think we're definitely gonna try it and see what happens. We have decided however that we are only going to attempt to dive from our own boat if the weather cooperates and is really nice. Otherwise, we will probably dive with Horizon and save the boat for simply cruising around and enjoying being on the water in the keys. How awesome is that? We can't wait. Thanks again for the replies and feel free to offer up any other tips you may have.