"Vaca Key and Boot Key Harbor" a Marathon Travel Page by grandmaR

Above is a trawler going out the entrance channel at sunset across the Marathon Marina's new docks - taken in 2002 while they were still under construction. We were impressed by the new docks, which have phone jacks and pumpout facilities at each slip.

Send Photo to a Friend

Child chasing birds on Sombrero Beach

There is no such key in the Florida Keys as Marathon. Marathon was named by Henry Flagler's railroad workers who were rushing to finish the railroad to Key West while Flagler was still alive. They were working 10 hour days 7 days a week, and one of them called it 'a marathon'.

The actual keys included in the City of Marathon, starting at Vaca Cut are Vaca Key where I have pictures of the Crane Point Museum, and next to it Boot Key. Off Boot Key on the ocean side are East Sister Rock and West Sister Rock, Treasure Key and Tingler Island. Between Vaca Key and Boot Key is Boot Key Harbor which is where many cruisers wait out the winter or wait for a weather window to the Bahamas. On the bay side of Vaca Key are the small Fanny Keys and Stirrup Key - the latter attached by road to Vaca Key. West of Vaca Key (i.e. towards Key West) is Knight Key which is primarly the location of a large campground, and then about 2 miles west of Knights Key is Pigeon Key and then at the other end of the Seven Mile bridge is Bahia Honda where there is a lovely state park. East (toward Miami) is Key Colony Beach, Grassy Key and Fat Deer Key.

When the railroad was being built, the local inhabitants lived at Crane Point.

We've been to Marathon by boat several times. On the first occasion - January 2001 we tied up at a friends dock for a few days before going to Marathon Marina. Then on the way back, we anchored off Fat Deer Key, and had a scary experience.

Send Photo to a Friend

SIL's boat fueling at 'new' fuel dock

On the next trip down ( December 2001), we anchored twice on the way down to Key West (Stock Island), and the second time we were just off Hawk Channel north of Marathon. On the way back ( January 2002) we were in Marathon Marina for a week on our way to the Bahamas.

This time, we are based in Marathon for the winter. We would have been quite happy here, except for the major irritation of the marina policies. So when we come back to the Florida Keys, it won't be to this marina.

Our trip back started on March 21, when we went to Indian Key