Life Aboard a 40' DeFever Trawler
The Florida Keys is a wonderful destination for anything on the water, from fishing and boating to scuba diving and snorkeling. It's a popular cruising destination because of its wonderful anchorages and marinas. We almost always stop to anchor in the Keys or head to Key West to stay in a marina for a few days when we cruise to the Dry Tortugas.
Below you will find all the blog posts that we've tagged as 'Florida Keys.'
The last couple of weeks have been busy on Blue Turtle. We've been gearing up for our annual trip down to the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. This year will make our 4th year heading south to our favorite cruising destination. We've been working diligently to get Blue Turtle ready and stocked up … [Read more...] about Provisioning for the Dry Tortugas
It's been about a week since we returned from our super-awesome trip to the Dry Tortugas and Florida Keys, and we wish we were back in that crystal clear water! Adjusting back to our normal work routines has been tough and it's been even tougher finding the time to edit my dive videos from Looe Key. … [Read more...] about Diving Looe Key [Video]
On Wednesday, we left Newfound Harbor in the a.m. and headed out to Looe Key to dive. The seas weren't as bad as the day before, but visibility was still stirred up on the reef. After diving, we headed to Bahia Honda to anchor for the evening. Bahia Honda is a Florida State Park … [Read more...] about Bahia Honda and Looe Key
After 2 great days (Sunday and Monday) diving, we were psyched to continue with our routine. On Tuesday and Wednesday we headed out early in order to grab a mooring ball at Looe Key. Both days weren't quite as calm and clear as the previous 2 days, but the diving continued to not disappoint. Since … [Read more...] about Eat, sleep, dive … repeat!
We arrived at Newfound Harbor on Saturday afternoon and anchored the Blue Turtle. Corey set out for a paddle on his kayak while Randy and I cleaned up the boat and I got dinner ready. When Corey returned, he told us he met a group of folks on Picnic Island who were playing ukelele and invited us for … [Read more...] about Loving Looe Key and Newfound Harbor!
Once we left the Dry Tortugas, we headed to the Marquesas Keys where we knew there was an anchorage. We spent a night there knowing that we were only 25 miles from Key West and it would be a fairly short trip the next day. On Saturday morning, we left for Key West and landed there around 12:30pm. We … [Read more...] about A week in Key West Bight Marina
After we spent 5 nights and 6 days in the Dry Tortugas, it was time to start thinking about heading to Key West. For the latter part of the week, we were expecting higher winds and wave reports. We decided to leave a day earlier than planned because the next day was calling for 3-5 ft. waves (no … [Read more...] about Key West bound and Dry Tortugas trip wrap up
Randy set an alarm for 2 a.m. Saturday morning and he pulled up anchor and started our journey to the Dry Tortugas while Corey and I slept. We estimated DT was about 18 hours from New Pass and we knew it would be a long day. Randy drove the dark hours at the helm below so he could keep his eye on … [Read more...] about New Pass to Dry Tortugas – a long passage and a big announcement!
It's Friday and we are off the dock! Our current plan is to head south to New Pass to anchor for the night. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, we will begin our trip to the Dry Tortugas. If all goes well, we should be in the Dry Tortugas by Saturday evening. I won't have cell or WiFi access … [Read more...] about T-O-R-T-U-G-A-S Bound!
As I mentioned in my last post, we've been traveling (by car) the last couple of weeks and now coming up this weekend, we leave for the Dry Torugas. So this week, we are working with laser-sharp focus trying to tie up loose ends with work, plan our trip and provision the boat for anchoring out most … [Read more...] about Working, planning and provisioning…
