“I’m getting in my grove”; the repeated phrase as we took turns at the tiller trying to keep the motion semi-predictable. We were en route to the Marquesas and Dry Tortugas with high winds on our quarter stern. Sailing with just our jib and going 7+ knots, it was a fun ride! I got a speed record of 7.3 while surfing down a wave. Our grandson Travis spent three weeks sailing with us in the Florida keys during the summer of 2019. Going to the Dry Tortugas was high on his list of places he wanted to explore.
On our way to and from the Dry Tortugas, we stopped at the Marquesas. The Marquesas and Dry Tortugas are remote, quiet, peaceful spots not far from the FL Keys. Being disconnected from technology was very relaxing. But, we didn’t want Christie (Travis’ mom) to worry so we kept our total time away from cell coverage to under a week. (Luke (Travis’ dad) doesn’t worry as he grew up with our sailing adventures).
Watching the flying fish on our sail to Dry Tortugas kept me entertained. Tony took a few “power naps” when he wasn’t at the helm. Travis worked on composing and recording one of his songs using the ukelele and garage band on our iPad. Have a listen:
Ferry
There are basically three ways to visit the Dry Tortugas; private boat, seaplane, or ferry. We watched the ferry come and go and were struck by the absence of cell phones in the hands of all the visitors (unless they were using it as a camera to take a picture). It was a stark contrast to the usual scene in restaurants or around town where everyone is looking at their phones instead of enjoying their surroundings. Those who come to the Dry Tortugas experience the national park with the family or friends they traveled with, not with others via social media (although I’m sure that happens as the ferry nears Key West and they have cell coverage again).
We joined the guided tour of Fort Jefferson given by the ferry tour guide. He was very passionate about history, told great stories, was personal and engaging. With a military background, he knew his content well!
One of the ferry visitors came with a big tripod and camera with a substantial telephoto lens for bird photography. She spent the whole day taking pictures of birds. Sometimes from the top deck of the ferry and sometimes from atop the fort.
For Tony’s 63rd birthday, we splurged and ate out for lunch, on the ferry boat! The picnic-style spread with sandwiches, chips, cookies, and pop tasted delicious, although it could have been due to the fact we were sitting in an air-conditioned room. It was a treat to be in the AC for an hour! On the other hand, with the large crowd of people on board, we felt a bit disoriented and tired quickly. After lunch, we were ready to hop in our dinghy and head back to our place of quiet refuge onboard Terrapin.
Preparation
Regardless of how you travel to the Dry Tortugas, any visit requires some amount of pre-planning. There is no drinking water available, limited bathroom facilities (ferry has bathrooms and there are outhouses on the island for the campers), and you carry in and out your food and trash. Unfortunately, not everyone abides by the rules. The gift shop employees occasionally find trash a visitor has stashed in the most unusual places. Onboard Terrapin, we had topped off our water tanks and fuel tanks in Key West. We also developed a system to compact and compress our trash by hand. Of course, we had already discarded the majority of our food packaging while stowing our provisions.
Dinghy Parking
Onshore there was a clear sign indicating where to land our dinghy. Dinghies go to the left of the sign and seaplanes park to the right of the sign. As we were leaving the fort in our dinghy, rounding the front end of the ferry, “here comes a seaplane!”. We didn’t want to collide with the seaplane so we turned around and headed back to shore. We had a nice view of the seaplane approach and landing next to us. I needed to cover my ears due to the loud engine noise.
Snorkeling at the Dry Tortugas
The waters at the fort are much clearer than the FL Keys. It’s easy to snorkel right from the beach or along the moat walls. Because the water is so clear, even a walk on the moat wall will give you a view of the fish and coral! One day, we took our dinghy to Loggerhead to snorkel “Little Africa”. It was a long dinghy ride and wavy conditions. Our dinghy landing was more like surfing up onto the shore. The waves were breaking over our stern into the dinghy, so we quickly hauled it up onto the beach and emptied our things. Once we walked across the island, the water was super calm on the other side and the clarity of the water was the best we’ve seen. After feeling like prunes from hours in the water snorkeling, it was time to head back. With no protection from the wind on this side of the island, we were in for a very wet dinghy ride back.
Daily Rhythm
We fell into a comfortable, very relaxed daily rhythm at the Dry Tortugas: sunrise, morning coffee in a very quiet and remote anchorage…soon there was activity in the air with the seaplanes coming and going, then the ferry boat arrived and the island was filled with visitors for the day, the ferry leaves, the last seaplane leaves, and it’s quiet again. Just us and another cruising boat along with some campers and the ranger and park staff on the island. We might spend time snorkeling or walking around the fort or relaxing on our boat. Near sunset, we watch the fishing boats arrive and anchor for the night.
We fell in love with this magical place and can’t wait to return!
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