Running from Miami to Key West, ANY ADVICE?
10-27-2011 | 06:35 PM
#11
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From: Channel Islands, So. Cal.
As others have said, if you're running inside it is tricky at times and like Brandon said, there's a LOT of crab pots through out (why the state allows the crabbers to put the pots in "the road" is beyond me!)
Hurricane Wilma took out many (read "most") of the visual markers so your GPS is of the utmost importance. Use the screen that shows the channel like a road and stay inside the lines!!
Stop at Gilberts in Key Largo and at the Tiki Bar in Islamorada. Two spots to get a refreshment and use the head. Gilberts is about 60 miles south of Miami (and they have fuel) and Islamorada is about 100 miles South. 150miles one way. It's an awesome run that everyone should do once in their life but to be honest...150 miles starts to feel a bit mundane like you're riding in a car about 100 miles into it.
Have fun man.
Hurricane Wilma took out many (read "most") of the visual markers so your GPS is of the utmost importance. Use the screen that shows the channel like a road and stay inside the lines!!
Stop at Gilberts in Key Largo and at the Tiki Bar in Islamorada. Two spots to get a refreshment and use the head. Gilberts is about 60 miles south of Miami (and they have fuel) and Islamorada is about 100 miles South. 150miles one way. It's an awesome run that everyone should do once in their life but to be honest...150 miles starts to feel a bit mundane like you're riding in a car about 100 miles into it.
Have fun man.
Last edited by thisistank; 10-27-2011 at 06:55 PM.
10-27-2011 | 06:53 PM
#13
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Crab pots are annoying but keep in mind they are also good depth indicators, usually in 10 ft of water +/-.
NORTH OF GILBERTS- Biscayne bay/Card Sound there is one spot in the middle of nowhere that is a very tight channel (like less than 50 ft wide). Think of a bottle neck, it is wide open then super narrow then wide open again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALw-SALL4to
A KW Poker Run video could help too!
One of FL powerboat's videos shows a few boats running outside the channel at a high rate of speed in an area with a ton of skeg/prop marks on the bottom....you cringe watching it but they all make it through
NORTH OF GILBERTS- Biscayne bay/Card Sound there is one spot in the middle of nowhere that is a very tight channel (like less than 50 ft wide). Think of a bottle neck, it is wide open then super narrow then wide open again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALw-SALL4to
A KW Poker Run video could help too!
One of FL powerboat's videos shows a few boats running outside the channel at a high rate of speed in an area with a ton of skeg/prop marks on the bottom....you cringe watching it but they all make it through
10-27-2011 | 07:11 PM
#14
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Joined: Jun 2005
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rqhw..._order&list=UL
5:45 mark is what you DON'T WANT!
Note the color change in the water
5:45 mark is what you DON'T WANT!
Note the color change in the water
10-27-2011 | 07:38 PM
#15
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,142
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From: Miami Beach
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rqhw..._order&list=UL
5:45 mark is what you DON'T WANT!
Note the color change in the water
5:45 mark is what you DON'T WANT!
Note the color change in the water
10-27-2011 | 07:38 PM
#16
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 1
From: LOTO
Crab pots are annoying but keep in mind they are also good depth indicators, usually in 10 ft of water +/-.
NORTH OF GILBERTS- Biscayne bay/Card Sound there is one spot in the middle of nowhere that is a very tight channel (like less than 50 ft wide). Think of a bottle neck, it is wide open then super narrow then wide open again.
NORTH OF GILBERTS- Biscayne bay/Card Sound there is one spot in the middle of nowhere that is a very tight channel (like less than 50 ft wide). Think of a bottle neck, it is wide open then super narrow then wide open again.
10-28-2011 | 07:16 AM
#18
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 163
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From: Middle River, Maryland
As others have said, if you're running inside it is tricky at times and like Brandon said, there's a LOT of crab pots through out (why the state allows the crabbers to put the pots in "the road" is beyond me!)
Hurricane Wilma took out many (read "most") of the visual markers so your GPS is of the utmost importance. Use the screen that shows the channel like a road and stay inside the lines!!
Stop at Gilberts in Key Largo and at the Tiki Bar in Islamorada. Two spots to get a refreshment and use the head. Gilberts is about 60 miles south of Miami (and they have fuel) and Islamorada is about 100 miles South. 150miles one way. It's an awesome run that everyone should do once in their life but to be honest...150 miles starts to feel a bit mundane like you're riding in a car about 100 miles into it.
Have fun man.
Hurricane Wilma took out many (read "most") of the visual markers so your GPS is of the utmost importance. Use the screen that shows the channel like a road and stay inside the lines!!
Stop at Gilberts in Key Largo and at the Tiki Bar in Islamorada. Two spots to get a refreshment and use the head. Gilberts is about 60 miles south of Miami (and they have fuel) and Islamorada is about 100 miles South. 150miles one way. It's an awesome run that everyone should do once in their life but to be honest...150 miles starts to feel a bit mundane like you're riding in a car about 100 miles into it.
Have fun man.
Chuckie & Samantha
See everyone in Key West next week!
10-28-2011 | 02:15 PM
#19
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,228
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From: SoCal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rqhw..._order&list=UL
5:45 mark is what you DON'T WANT!
Note the color change in the water
5:45 mark is what you DON'T WANT!
Note the color change in the water
10-28-2011 | 02:51 PM
#20
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 7,663
Likes: 2
From: Edgerock Baby!!
The water on both sides of the channel at the featherbeds can be as low as 1 foot. The first year we did it we were right behind the pace boat in that channel and there were boats 100 feet on either side of it. The chart plotter read 1-3 feet of water all around us. If you watch in the video you can see prop marks in the sand, likely from others on earlier days of that poker run.
(Stu loses his mind over that area during the captain's meeting and people still don't listen).
