You'll be walking before your GPS tells you anything. Too shallow for alarms too. Basically, if you come out of that harbor (very narrow, rock lined opening) then hug the bridge/US 1 heading north towards it's opening, then bang rt and pass under it heading for the Atlantic, and follow the marked channel the 2 mls to open water, your in like flint ;)

The back water behind the hotel infatuated the crap out of me but I tried several times to get into it and chickened out every time. If you look straight out from my boat (can't see them in the pix's or from a boat!) about 200 yds past the harbors rocks, there are shoals you could set up volley ball nets on. I think there may be a Clorox bottle or two to mark it but doesn't tell you which side to pass and when you get close enough to see birds standing up........
The younger family member working there (Gary too I think??) rents small boats and knows the area very well and he coached me but I still turned to a girl when I got close.

Theres also a small commercial fishing business that shares the harbor w/the hotel. Their 40' boats cruise right threw it but still, watching and doing are two different things.
I even tried to time it where I could follow them out and never pulled it off.
I tried that last time down, coming out of a harbor in Islamoroda that we'd been in/out many times but always off plane. Similar sized twin O/B boat left so I figured what the hey. From shore it appeared he mirrored our track which was locked on my GPS. I made it half way to deep water then Cheryl and I spent the next hr pushing.
The law now charges you by the foot for the damage you do to the bottom too. Protecting the coral and what not...

Problem w/the GPS is (I have a good one too) that you have to zoom in so tight to see any definition it only shows an area the size of your stupid boat!

What I have found is the farther south you get in the Keys, the less marked they are and the better the locals like it. A good marker for them is a pc of 1" diameter PVC.
Oh yeah, and it's white! And does not tell you which side to pass on.

Best take your rubber propellers.

Don't want to scare you but you both have too nice of boats to tear up and better to be prepared. I did send a buddy down in his twin I/O 30' Velocity and he had no problem but also did not venture very far at all.

On a lighter note....
That place is the ****! One of very few in the Keys w/ramp, dock, hotel all at same spot. It has a killer, private tiki bar w/TV (we drank Quervo and watched a Gators game from there), and a completely private beach. Also has a delli in their office w/reasonable prices. Even for beer and the first time I've seen that anywhere.
The harbor is deep water as well and we had two giant sea turtles swim through every day.

You really don't feel bad about leaving your hard earned Benjamins there.

I was down there staying in Tavernier with Brownie, I used a 12' Inflatable with a 50hp Yamaha to go from Tavernier to Islamorada, I got into some "Skinny Water" and had my girlfriend sitting on the front to keep the lower unit out of the weeds, We where putting along doing 1-2 mph kickin up soot and Grass, Some dudes in a 33' Powerplay came Zipping by doing 75-85 mph about 10' away through 10" deep water, seems like they hardly kicked up any soot they where going so fast :)

Thats maybe the worst part for me when the locals go blowing by you while your scared ****less.
There are two cuts down there lined w/toilet seats on surveyors stakes! 20' wide, deep canal through ankle deep water. One deeper/bigger than the other.
I was following a budies flats boat when he got confused and lead my 24' Sonic through the shallow one. I did not think we'd make it but you had to commit because there no way it was deep enough at idle.

I may do alot of slow speed idling til I hit open water!! lol

I really wish I could meet you guys down there. I'm Jones'n bad.

Had a great day on the water yesterday w/a couple of Cajun buddies (Lake Trash and his friend Rick) along for the ride. Did some prop testing too and definitely went backwards.
Tried a set of 26" 4 blade Choppers I just bought off the board and the stinkin boat hates em! Too bad too cuz they look way cool ;)
Motors are all the way down and they still scream their guts out (5K) to get on plane. A best of 68.5 which ( 3 people and 3/4 tank) 3 MPH's off my best of 71.5 w/a pair or Rakers if you can believe it.
Was also running my Lightnining housings too so the extended bullet length may be costing me some speed. I know nose cones on the old boat cost my 3 MPH's.
We went out through the Sebastian Inlet and it was the worst I've seen. Sold 6' - 8's. Was white knuckle too because as soon as I let off for the first wave, the props cavitated so bad the boat would came off plane. Did a bunch of work on the old boat so it would launch on plane just for that reason while in Lake Erie.
Almost ZERO steerage in those conditions. When a wave would pass us, it would completely stop the boat and turn us towards the rocks.
Once through the inlet is was rolling 4' - 5' swells and that was big fun. I know we had 20' of the air off of one that I misjudged just a tad ;)
Came back in, picked up my wife and then ran down to Vero Beach for lunch. Put 50 mls or so on the boat and had a blast.

Took the time to get some good shots of the boat today showing off the new interior. I am making side panels to tie the front and rear seats together but everything else is done. Can hardly tell in the pix's but the middle section is white and the outside is silver. All in the carbon fiber pattern. The silver really pops in the sun.
Boat is now on my new to me aluminum trailer. Torsion axles w/disc brakes on both. After selling the old steel trailer (built for this boat in '85) I have $300. in this one

It does need a Keys fix though.

Hope you like the pic's.

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps61045e3f.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps654e6423.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...pse64864b9.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps3a9f1899.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps9cecfede.jpg

Gary, the Sonic looks great!! I'm hoping to have my new cockpit/cabin finished by years end..but for the time being I'm mechanically sound. Motors run great, just have to get my trim pumps matched up and some indicators on the dash! It would be cool if you made it down to the key with us!!

Gary she looks great! Hope the props get dialed in soonish. I like the upholstery, but why does your boat have a swim platform and the one I showed you does not?

Digging the A-Team van!! :coolcowboy:

looks nice but black seats in FL you must like pain, ouch! What is behind the rear bench?