CRUISING TO THE DRY TORTUGAS by Randy, Kim & Corey Kalisik CRUISING TO THE DRY TORTUGAS
RANDY Introduction - About us and about Blue Turtle, our trawler KIM About the Dry Tortugas - History, facts, things to do, and park rules Pre-trip - Provisioning and pre-trip checklist RANDY Getting there - Cruising considerations and scenarios Arriving - Anchoring, checking in (boat permits/fees) and sooty terns Snorkeling & Diving - Equipment check, snorkel & dive sites and getting the most out of it COREY Fishing - Park & state regulations, fishing spots and type of fish caught INTRODUCTION ABOUT US
Full time live aboard for 5 years on Fort Myers Beach with our son, Corey and dog, Sophie Both work full time - Kim owns a web design business, Randy is a manufacturer’s rep for industrial products Cruising around southwest Florida, the Keys and Dry Tortugas Very active in fishing, diving, snorkeling and other water sports Randy is a U.S.C.G. Licensed Master Captain Blog about living aboard and cruising at www.blueturtletrawler.com ABOUT BLUE TURTLE
1974 40’ DeFever Passagemaker Trawler Single screw (185hp Perkins) with bow and stern thrusters Cruising speed 6 - 7.5 knots 1.5 gallons per hour fuel consumption Full displacement hull 200 gallons water capacity 500 gallon fuel capacity 40 gallon holding tank 9 foot dinghy with 15 hp motor
ABOUT THE DRY TORTUGAS
SMALL GROUP OF ISLANDS
Small group of islands located 70 miles west of Key West 7 Islands total - Loggerhead Key, Garden Key, Bush Key, Long Key, Hospital Key, Middle Key, and East Key Only 2 of them can be visited year round - Garden Key and Loggerhead Key Bush Key is seasonally closed during the sooty tern nesting season East Key, Middle Key, Hospital Key and Long Key are closed year round for nesting wildlife
DRY TORTUGAS HISTORY
Named Las Tortugas (The Turtles) in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de León
Labeled “Dry Tortugas” on mariner charts to indicate it offered no fresh water
America realized fortifying the Tortugas was an essential step in controlling navigation on the Gulf of Mexico
Fort Jefferson - active naval base and prison for criminals and deserters throughout Civil War
Famous prisoner Samuel Mudd who had been convicted of conspiracy in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
Fort was later used as a a quarantine station for Marine Hospital Service and coaling station for war ships
The Tortugas major shipping channel became known as a “ship trap” because of the number of wrecks in the shallow waters GARDEN KEY Second largest island, about 14 acres in size Home to Fort Jefferson, park headquarters, visitor center, campgrounds and great snorkeling areas Fort Jefferson is the largest brick masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere Six-sided, four-tiered building made up of16 Million bricks! Garden Key lighthouse was first constructed in 1825 to help guide ships through shallow waters Beware of loose bricks and wall edges when exploring the fort LOGGERHEAD KEY Located 3 miles from Garden Key, it is the largest of the Dry Tortugas islands. It’s the site of amazing snorkeling and diving at nearby reefs and wreck - Little Africa & Windjammer Wreck The Dry Tortugas Light (on Loggerhead Key) along with the Garden Key lighthouse were the only lights on the Gulf coast throughout the American Civil War Home of a cutting-edge marine laboratory from 1905 to 1939 - the most significant scientific research of the Dry Tortugas was conducted there ABOUT THE PARK
Designated a National Park in 1983
Called “Dry” because of the absence of surface fresh water on the island
Noted for abundant sea life and coral reefs, tropical bird breeding grounds, and legends of shipwrecks Corals reefs are the least disturbed of the Florida Keys reefs making for amazing snorkeling and diving Tropical bird breeding grounds - Over 299 species including the Sooty Tern and Brown Noddy Accessible only by ferry (out of Key West), seaplane or private vessel Ferry visitors are at the fort from 10:30 am - 3pm Credit: Jennifer Macaulay via Flickr
Since the Dry Tortugas islands are closer to Cuba than Miami, Cuban migrants attempt to land here on homemade boats called “chugs” THINGS TO DO
Explore Fort Jefferson
Camping
Fishing
Kayaking/paddle sports
Swimming, snorkeling and diving
Wildlife viewing / bird watching
Explore Loggerhead Key
Stargazing
Watch the sun rise and set on the Gulf of Mexico A FEW PARK RULES
Pets are allowed on Garden Key but not inside the fort
Collecting of lobsters and Spearfishing is prohibited
Fishing is permitted on Garden Key in specified areas and outside the Research Natural Area (refer to park map)
Pack in, pack out park – all campers, visitors and boaters must take out what they brought in ISOLATION
No water – i.e. “Dry” Tortugas
No restaurants or shops of any kind; only lodging facilities is a primitive camp ground
No cell or WiFi service – Park Ranger office posts printed 3-day weather forecasts
Park recommends campers bring two gallons of water per person per day as well as extra 2 days of food PRE-TRIP PROVISIONING
The Park recommends 2 gallons of water per person per day and an extra 2 days of food in case of bad weather
If you have adequate freezer and storage space, stock up on non-perishable foods (Canned goods, frozen meat, dry goods like rice and pasta)
Utilize your fresh produce and perishables first at the beginning of the trip and rely on non-perishables as you run out
To save space and fit more food, remove items from boxes and large cartons and repack in plastic
If you have a small fridge, keep beverages in a separate cooler for the first couple days and move them into the refrigerator as space is made available
Water-conservation tips: washing dishes in salt water followed by fresh water rinse; using salt water and a bucket to rinse your decks
Carry extra water by purchasing jerry cans or bladders to fill with fresh water as well as using solar showers PRE-TRIP CHECKLIST
Check running lights (if cruising at night)
Have bottom and running gear dove and cleaned
Check engine maintenance
Bring spare fuel filters and impellers
Bring extra oil, transmission oil and coolant
Fill fuel and water
Pump holding tank
Check diving and snorkeling equipment
Keep in mind that there are no stores to buy food, water, spare parts, etc. GETTING THERE CRUISING CONSIDERATIONS
Located in the Gulf of Mexico at the end of the Florida Keys, about 70 miles west of Key West
Check the long term weather forecast for winds, hurricanes, or fronts to make sure you have an optimal weather window
Summer has afternoon thunderstorms
Winter has cold fronts Departing or returning to Key West - cruise on north or south side of islands depending on wind and swell direction
North Side
South Side CRUISING SCENARIOS
Our trip from Fort Myers to the Dry Tortugas was 120 miles and took 18 hours Cruising 1-day vs. 3-days (depending on your location) We anchored out in a pass the night before to make it easier and quicker to leave in the early a.m. ARRIVING ANCHORING
Vessels anchor at the Tortugas Anchorage or Bird Key Anchorage
Anchorage is 20-30’ deep and coarse sandy bottom. Scope 5-7 times depth.
We have an anchor designed for a 50’ boat and 100 feet of chain.
It’s common seeing boats drag anchor
Keep 16 on at night as rangers hail when a boat is adrift BOAT PERMIT & FEES
The entrance fee for the park is $10.00 per visitor. This fee covers entrance to the park for 7 days. You may stay a maximum of 14 days at one time.
A free-of-charge boat permit must be obtained and can be acquired from park rangers on site or contact VHF Marine Radio Channel 16 SOOTY TERNS
About 80,000 Sooty Terns nest annually on Bush Key near the anchorage
Bush Key is closed seasonally to the public because of the nesting ground
The birds can present a messy problem for boaters anchoring in the area with their droppings
We used an osprey kite last year and it seemed to keep them away very well
SNORKELING & DIVING EQUIPMENT CHECK
Test snorkel and dive gear in a pool to make sure everything works
Bring spare equipment if you have it — things break and there are no local dive shops to visit for repairs
Bring enough dive tanks for your trip since there’s no where to get air fills SNORKELING SITES
Garden Key
Little Africa
Windjammer Wreck
Brick Wreck
Credit: snorkelingtravel.com GARDEN KEY & FORT JEFFERSON Closest snorkeling spot is around the fort moat wall and coal dock ruins. You can night snorkel around the mote as well.
LITTLE AFRICA Located on the west side of Loggerhead Key is a huge shallow reef perfect for snorkeling.
3 Ways to visit Little Africa 1. Dinghy to dinghy access area on calm day and walk across the island 2. Grab mooring ball on east side and ding to shore and walk across 3. Grab mooring ball on west side of island and snorkel to area
WINDJAMMER WRECK Located less than a mile southwest of Loggerhead Key In 1907 a 261 ft., 3-masted vessel named Avanti struck the Loggerhead reef after a navigational error and sank Wreck lies in 18-21 feet of water and makes a great snorkel or dive. Watch the current, it can be swift at times AVANTI Windjammer Wreck
BRICK WRECK Sometime between 1857 and 1861 a flat bottom steamboat carrying bricks for the fort ran aground Lies in 4-6 feet of water. There is a very strong current there No mooring ball, must anchor DIVING SITES
Off Ramp
The Maze
Davis Rock
Texas Rock OFF RAMP Isolated reef outcroppings with staghorn coral on the western side Depths 25 feet and shallower THE MAZE Coral caverns, swim-through pinnacles and straight up vertical relief Depths 20-60 feet DAVIS ROCK Large crevices run through the middle of this pinnacle reef Depths 20-45 feet TEXAS ROCK Large crevices, caves, swim-through, cracks, pinnacles and lots of vertical relief Look for the giant anchor Depths 20-60 feet GETTING THE MOST OUT OF SNORKELING/SCUBA
We dove only half tanks in order to conserve air and get to see more spots We would dive a half tank in the a.m. and then stop at Little Africa on the way back to snorkel for a long as we wanted Little Africa is one of the best snorkel spots we’ve seen. It is 3 miles from anchorage and dinghy’able (on plane) on a calm day. Make sure to bring a hand-held VHF radio FISHING FISHING
Fishing is permitted within 1 mile of Garden Key
1 mile is marked by yellow buoys
Spearfishing is not permitted anywhere in the park
Follow Florida Gulf of Mexico fishing regulations
We fished by dinghy and it was helpful to have a snorkel ready
Yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, grouper, bonefish, tarpon, shark
We caught snapper with a jig
From Garden Key, you can only fish on the ferry dock
From the ferry dock we saw tarpon and mangrove snapper
Q&A
Learn more about our Dry Tortugas trips at: www.blueturtletrawler.com
Presented by Randy, Kim & Corey Kalisik