Key West
From CruisersWiki
Key West
An online cruising guide for yachts sailing to Key West.
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| 24°33.28′N, 81°46.89′W |
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| Local chartlet |
Key West |
Key West is the name of both a city and an island, the county seat of Monroe County, and an island in the Florida Keys. It is considered the southernmost city in the continental United States.
The island was used by fishermen from Cuba and from the British Bahamas, who were later joined by others from the United States after the latter nation's independence. While claimed by Spain, no nation exercised de facto control over the community there for some time. The island was considered the "Gibraltar of the West" because of its strategic location on the 90-mile (140 km)–wide deep shipping lane, the Straits of Florida, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. On March 25, 1822, Matthew C. Perry sailed the schooner Shark to Key West and planted the U.S. flag, physically claiming the Keys as United States property.
Key West was relatively isolated until 1912, when it was connected to the Florida mainland via the Overseas Railway extension of Henry M. Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway (FEC). The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed much of the railroad and killed hundreds of residents. The FEC could not afford to restore the railroad. The U.S. government then rebuilt the rail route as an automobile highway, completed in 1938, which became an extension of United States Highway 1. The portion of U.S. 1 through the Keys is called the Overseas Highway.
Charts
- Source
- Chart Number - Chart Name
- Chart Number - Chart Name
- Source
- Chart Number - Chart Name
Radio Nets
Also see World Cruiser's Nets.
Weather
Precipitation is characterized by dry and wet seasons. The period of November through April receives abundant sunshine and slightly less than 25 percent of the annual rainfall. This rainfall usually occurs in advance of cold fronts in a few heavy or light showers. May through October is normally the wet season, receiving approximately 53 percent of the yearly total in numerous showers and thunderstorms. Rain falls on most days of the wet season. Early morning is the favored time for these showers, which is different from mainland Florida, where showers and thunderstorms usually occur in the afternoon. Easterly (tropical) waves during this season occasionally bring excessive rainfall, while infrequent hurricanes may be accompanied by unusually heavy amounts. At any rate, Key West is the driest city in Florida.
Sources for Weather forecasts:
Islands
This section does not apply for most islands, if that is the case for this one remove it. You may, however, list ismall islands adjacent to this one or list one or two of its neighbors.
Details?
Check-in facilities (Customs and Immigration)
If there is no port of entry in the island omit this section, otherwise submit details about facilities for checking in - where to dock, location of immigration & customs, etc.
Berthing Options
Ports
List larger ports and harbors. If there are more then 2 paragraphs for a given port, create a dedicated page in the list for it (Port/Stop Template).
Note: Please indicate which ports are a port of entry.
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
Use this section only if there are few marinas not covered in pages under Ports. Remove if not applicable.
Anchorages
List anchorages except the ones covered under Offshore Islands below. If there is more then 2 paragraphs for a given anchorage, create a dedicated page for it (Port/Stop Template) We use headings for these so that other pages can link to them. Remove if not applicable..
Yacht Services and Repairs
List services. If no services are available on the island write "None" and remove all the subsections (Marine Stores, & Repairs/Yards, & Fuel, Water, & Electricity.
If services are included in specific port pages, the following line is appropriate, otherwise remove it.
Also see each Port.
Marine Stores
Submit addresses and contact details of marine related businesses that are of interest to cruisers.
Repairs/Yards
Fuel, Water, & Electricity
- Fuel
- Give details on fuel
- Water
- Give details on water
- Electricity
- Give details on electricity
Things to do Ashore
Tourism
List places of interest, tours, etc.
Grocery & Supply Stores
Eateries
Internet/WiFi
Available?
Laundry
Motorbike & Car Rentals
Garbage Disposal
?
Transportation
List transportation (local and/or international.)
Routes/Passages To/From
List popular passages/routes, timing, etc.
Cruiser's Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forum Discussions
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
External Links
References & Publications
Books, Guides, etc. Use the Reference template or not at your discretion. For example:
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{{Reference|Rod Heikel|Greek Waters Pilot|Imray|Laurie and Wilson, Cambridgeshire (2010)|9780852889718}}
, expands to - Rod Heikell, Greek Waters Pilot, Imray Laurie and Wilson, Cambridgeshire (2010), ISBN 9780852889718
- Author, Title, Publisher, ISBN ISBN number
- Author, Title, Publisher, ISBN ISBN number
You may want to remove the above entries and use instead a link to the Country or Region that lists the relevant references. If so enter, after removing {{MagentaText|xx}}, the following:
See [[Country or Region#References_&_Publications|Coutry or Region]].
If you do not use the above link, please remove it.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit. Personal experiences?
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Key West and this page's details validated: Date of member's visit to this Island & this page's details validated:
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Contributors to this page
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Names: Lighthouse |