Islamorada To Key Largo

FROM: The Captain –

Conditions: Sun and clouds.  Winds from the east 10 mph. Seas a moderate chop on the nose. 

Distance traveled: 35.1 nautical miles

Time underway: 4 hours 3 minutes

Average Speed: 9 knots

Max Speed: 15.5 knots

Fuel used: 46 gallons

We decided on Key Largo, specifically Ocean Reef Club for our next stop.  We would have liked to have continued on to at least Coconut Grove just south of Miami but once again we ran into lack of availability for a boat our size at the places we tried.  Once you get into Miami you are looking at around $6 to $8 a foot per night for dockage and we decided that if we were going to spend close to that kind of money we would rather stop at Ocean Reef Club and visit with friends who are members there and have long been inviting us to come.  We knew it would make for a longer day running to Fort Lauderdale after the stop in Key Largo but on balance and with limited options it seemed like a good plan.

We had to time our departure to hit our exit from Snake Creek back out to the Hawk Channel at the right time as we were backtracking from our previous day’s run.  This meant an early afternoon departure and a 5:00pm arrival at Ocean Reef.  Unfortunately, the tide hadn’t quite come up at the marina when we were ready to shove off.

We made our way out and simply retraced our track from the previous day since we knew we had all good water then, albeit shallow.  Once we were through Snake Creek and back in the Hawk Channel we set our speed at ten knots and had an easy run up to the northern end of Key Largo.  There was a two to three foot short chop sending occasional spray over our bow but a head sea like that is something that OLOH handles quite comfortably and Jasper was undisturbed.

As we arrived it was fun to see our friend Barb waving at us from the pool which sits along the entry channel.  Ocean Reef Club is like no place else.  It is easily one of the most exclusive residential communities and marinas in the country with commensurate pricing.  But we’ve been told it was worth experiencing by our friends who are longtime members there and by friends who have visited and this whole adventure is all about all different kinds of experiences at all ends of the spectrum.  You can only stay here if you’ve been “sponsored” by a member and the marina, its facilities and service are absolutely top-tier.  And dock-walking here is better than any boat show we’ve been to.  As it would be impossible to describe the scope of Ocean Reef we strongly encourage you to visit their website if you’re intrigued.

We’ll have two nights here and then it’s back on the water as we complete our journey up The Keys and our bow begins to point in a more northerly direction towards Fort Lauderdale where we’ll prepare for our next big chapter.  See you out there!