CRUISING TO THE DRY TORTUGAS by Randy, Kim & Corey Kalisik - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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

• f 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

Since the Dry Tortugas islands are closer to Cuba than Miami, Cuban migrants

attempt to land here on homemade boats called “chugs”

Credit: Jennifer Macaulay via Flickr

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

• f 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,

• r fronts to make sure you have

an optimal weather window

Summer has afternoon

thunderstorms

Winter has cold fronts

North Side South Side

Departing or returning to Key West - cruise on north or south side of islands

depending on wind and swell direction

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

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.

Credit: snorkelingtravel.com

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