Life Aboard a 40' DeFever Trawler
The Dry Tortugas National park is a small group of islands located 70 miles west of Key West Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. It is home to a history of sea turtles, sunken wrecks and one of the largest coastal brick fortresses, Fort Jefferson. It is an amazing cruising getaway to unspoiled reefs, shallow water wrecks and fantastic star gazing. It's no wonder that it is Blue Turtle crew's favorite place to cruise in Florida. Below, you will find blog posts about our experiences cruising to the Dry Tortugas.
Blue Turtle crew has presented seminars on Cruising to the Dry Tortugas at tYachts Miami Beach boat show in 2017 and TrawlerFest in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Another TrawlerFest is in the books! Two weeks ago, Randy and I drove to the east coast of Florida to participate in our third TrawlerFest in Stuart, Florida. Unfortunately, this year we didn't have Corey with us. Being a teenager now, we've realized that we just aren't cool enough for him to hang … [Read more...] about TrawlerFest Stuart 2019 a success
As you might already know, two weeks ago Blue Turtle crew presented at TrawlerFest in Stuart, Florida. This was our second time attending the show as presenters and we had a fabulous time staying at the Hutchinson Island Marriott where the show was being held. We also got to have dinner a couple of … [Read more...] about TrawlerFest 2018 trip wrap-up
For anyone not following us on social media, we recently posted that my article, "Tortugas Bound!," has been published in the March 2018 issue of PassageMaker Magazine! It's so exciting to see my article and photographs in print! This was such an amazing opportunity to share our experiences … [Read more...] about Blue Turtle & crew published in PassageMaker magazine!
TrawlerFest is PassageMaker’s stand-alone series of boat shows designed for cruising enthusiasts that feature an in-water selection of new and pre-owned cruising powerboats, the latest in marine gear and services, and first-class education & demonstrations. Last year, we were invited to give a … [Read more...] about Blue Turtle crew slated for TrawlerFest Florida 2018
June 11-17, 2017 June 11, Dry Tortugas to Marquesa Keys - a bumpy ride + a stow away! It was finally time to leave the Dry Tortugas and our plan was to head to the Marquesa Keys to anchor for the night before heading into Key West. The weather forecast called for 2-4ft seas which may not sound … [Read more...] about Dry Tortugas to Key West and home
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 8-10, 2017 Thursday - Weather forecast is looking better After 4 days of cloudy skies, high winds, and rough seas, we finally had a decent day forecasted. Although Thursday morning called for SW winds near 20 knots and seas at 5-7ft it was to calm down … [Read more...] about Finally some decent weather in the Dry Tortugas!
Tuesday and Wednesday, June 6-7, 2017 While our hometown of Fort Myers was getting hammered with unusually large amounts of rain, we too were facing the same conditions in the Dry Tortugas. Since there is no wifi or cell service in the Dry Tortugas, it's difficult to predict the weather. To get … [Read more...] about Poor weather conditions continue in the Dry Tortugas
Monday, June 5, 2017 Sukha and crew departed on Monday morning to head back to Key West, while our weather forecast continued to look grim. It was a cloudy, gloomy morning with SSE winds at 15kt and 2ft seas. We decided that this would be the best day to try to get in some diving since the … [Read more...] about Spearfishing at the Tortugas Bank
Sunday, June 4, 2017 On our second day in the Dry Tortugas, the weather still wasn't cooperating with high winds and seas that makes for poor diving conditions. With the winds coming out of the southeast, we decided to try snorkeling Little Africa since it is on the northwest side of Loggerhead … [Read more...] about Snorkeling the Dry Tortugas with Sukha and crew
Friday - Saturday, June 2-3, 2017 Once we got our generator fixed, we were ready for the Dry Tortugas. We had been watching the weather and it was forecasted to be a bit on the lumpy side (15-20mph winds and 3' to 5' seas) for our departure so we decided to head to the Marquesa Keys to anchor … [Read more...] about Marquesa to the Dry Tortugas: Weather watching and meeting up with Sukha
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