"2001 Feb 2-4 A Scare in the Keys" Top 5 Page for this destination Marathon Travelogue by grandmaR

Marathon Travel Guide: 238 reviews and 384 photos

Four big motors on the back of the gofast boat

The pictures in this narrative were not taken at the time of the incident.

Friday, Feb 2, 2001 to Sunday Feb 4, 2001

East (north) of Marathon 2003

We get underway a little after 8. There is very little wind. We motor sail and motor. Bob wants to get north of Marathon so that we can get north of Rodriguez Key so that we can get back to the mooring in plenty of time. So he doesn't want to stop at Marathon. We go up to Coco Plum and motor in to anchor, but the ground is very hard and the anchor doesn't set. So we go out and anchor in about 13 feet. It is very rolly. The picture shows the shore of the area where we anchored

Coast Guard boat being hauled for repairs in 2002

We have dinner and put on the anchor light. The rollyness doesn't really bother me, but it makes Bob's knee (which he wrenched when we came in to Oceanside Marina in Key West) hurt. So he goes out to sit in the cockpit and I have the computer in the cabin to do the planning for tomorrow's trip. It is dark, and we can hear music from shore, so we are playing the radio into the cockpit speakers.

Who Is It?

non-flash picture of gofast customs boat

Then a long low boat with three big outboards comes out right to us. They stop and then circle around us and put the spotlight on us. We can't see them. Bob tries out the spotlight that came with the boat and plugs into the pedestal, but it doesn't work (later find that it only runs if the engine is running).

Then the boat motors off, and is joined by two more boats, one with no lights. We have been hearing all about Coast Guard intercepting drug traffickers and people smuggling illegal immigrants, so we are concerned. We don't want to be shot in a drug war.

Customs boat comes in to Marathon for dinner 2004

I call our daughter in Miami on the cell phone, and ask about a phone number for the Coast Guard. But she doesn't have it. I don't want to call on the radio - anyone could listen. Then I remember - I have a Keys phone book.

So I look up the number and call the Coast Guard. The people on the boats are now transferring stuff from one boat to another. The CG says they will call me back.

The same boat coming in for fuel in the daytime

About 10:30 I hear a call on the radio, and call the CG again. They tell me that the boats are Customs boats and they are working!!!

The top photo and the fourth and fifth pictures were taken of a similar Customs boat to the one that scared us, with FOUR big engines, and the pictures were taken in the evening in January 2004. I took them with a digital camera without flash because I was afraid that they would be upset if I took a flash picture. They did have guns. They were coming in to get dinner where we were eating.

This photo is of the same boat the next day at the gas dock.

Saturday - 2001, February 3

Channel Five bridge 2003

Bob got up early and wanted to leave asap. His knee is still bothering him.

We motored north -tried to sail a couple of times, but it was futile. Originally we were going back to Pt. Willie where we anchored on the way down. But I think last night cured Bob of staying at rolley anchorages. So we stopped at Rodriguez Key where we wanted to stop on the way down.

There was one boat there when we got there (and when I looked over with binoculars later to see the name of the boat (which was DANS LE VENT) I saw a man with no clothes and no tan lines in the cockpit).

Four more boats came in later. Bob said the anchor landed on sand, but didn't appear to set - we were being held more by chain than anything. There are lots of rocks and high spots - depth goes from 8 feet to 6.4 and back almost immediately.

We put together the portabote on the deck, and then launch it using the whisker pole. This works well, even though the whisker pole gets hung up.

Sunday, Feb 4, 2001

Rickenbacker Causeway bridges 2003

We get underway early and motor sail back. We seem to go faster even towing the dinghy.

Next: Back to the mooring

Page Updated Apr 16, 2009
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Comments (10)

iandsmith Sep 15, 2008 at 10:47 AM Report Abuse

You must spend all of your time in port writing tips! Thank you for sharing - liked the bridge story.
carrottop21 Jun 26, 2008 at 2:35 PM Report Abuse

Sparkeys has a great happy hour on Thursday and Fridays. Beers are cheap and there is music.
Jim_Eliason Aug 6, 2007 at 6:41 AM Report Abuse

great page!
hammersc Mar 7, 2007 at 11:01 AM Report Abuse

The Keys Fisheries is well known up here in Toronto. I have had a craving for a lobster reuben since my stay in the Keys. We sat at a picnic table overlooking the gulf and washed down the Reuben with a few Key West Lagers, the overall experience was 5*.
XenoHumph Jul 5, 2005 at 11:10 AM Report Abuse

Beautiful sunset! Excellent page! I know Marathon, Texas, which is very dry in the middle of the desert... very different from that one!
sprdak11 Sep 17, 2004 at 9:30 AM Report Abuse

Great information and pictures! Greetings!
mafootje Aug 10, 2004 at 10:06 AM Report Abuse

Well...that's a more extensive page as mine :-). Good tips
sinequanon Feb 25, 2004 at 8:44 AM Report Abuse

good to know there is a Marathon in the US which (most probably) looks much better than the original Marathon.
deecat Feb 24, 2004 at 9:44 PM Report Abuse

You must eat out a great deal! This is an impressive list of restaurant tips. Detailed, informtive, and a unique kind of travel. Sounds heavenly.
JudyinPA Jan 28, 2004 at 2:09 PM Report Abuse

Ah, the life of boat people. Sounds like a fantastic way to travel. We stayed at a condo on the beach and traveled by bikes from there.