A Windy Wait in the Dry Tortugas
Author: Shirlz
The Dry Tortugas is a small group of sandy cays about 60 miles west of Key West forming a natural harbour and what once seemed like the ideal place from which to control the sea traffic in the Gulf of Mexico.
The main island, Garden Cay, is dominated by the enormous, slowly crumbling ruin of Fort Jefferson. Construction of the fort started in 1846. It was never finished as before the second floor could be built the sandy base proved too weak to support the heavy structure. Master craftsmen produced exquisite brickwork which can still be admired. Iron reinforcements for the gun embrasures corroded in the salt laden sea air and played their part in cracking open the brickwork. A clever rainwater catching system fed into filtered cisterns below ground, but unfortunately the sagging sandy base caused these to crack and the fresh water became polluted with salt.
It is currently being looked after by the National Parks Service and is open to tourists during daylight hours. A ferry brings day trippers across from Key West, those more pressed for time arrived in regular seaplane deliveries. For me, it was an easy row ashore from Speedwell. I spent a morning doing the self-guided tour of the fort. It was cool and shady with views of the anchorage and the surrounding reefs. Two open boats were on display. Both about 16ft long with a rusty inboard engine. They had successfully made the crossing from Cuba a few years ago each filled with about 20 hopeful immigrants.
The fort has a surrounding moat and the wall provides a lovely walk all the way around. The day trippers were snorkelling in the clear shallow water. Beautiful coral growing against the outside of the foundations and lots of colourful fish cruising about. The ferry boat stays moored to the dock and provides a comfortable base. There are no snack shops on the island but food and drinks are available on board as well as toilet facilities for all visitors. It provided a cool haven after a sweaty walk around the fort.
Ken and Belinda on their catamaran ‘Free Spirit’ arrived from Isla Mujeres and took me for a day sail around the cays to see the masked booby colony on Hospital Cay. Just a barren sandbank but the boobies seemed happy and proprietorial. We also landed at Loggerhead Cay with its towering lighthouse and a resident peregrine falcon. There was also a resident lighthouse keeper and some volunteer workers weeding out invader plants in the dunes.
Back at the anchorage, Bush Cay was alive with sooty terns, brown noddies, magnificent frigate birds and pelicans, all who use it as a breeding ground. Other migrant birds join the throng, enjoying it as a convenient stopover on the way to their final destination.
One reason for my decision to make a stop in the Dry Tortugas was to avoid being caught up in some strong northerly winds which had been forecast. Because of the relatively shallow water and strong currents in the Gulf of Mexico these winds cause the seas to pile up dangerously. I preferred to wait it out in safety. And the weather arrived just as forecast. Half a dozen small fishing boats had come in before it started. I put out some extra chain. An incredibly violent squall blasted the anchorage late on Friday afternoon bringing heavy rain and causing a few boats to drag. After a while it calmed a bit and settled down to blow steadily at 20 to 25 knots for the rest of the weekend. The campers ashore couldn’t have been too happy.
Early on Monday the wind had turned more easterly and the sea looked reasonably flat. I set off on a slow trip up to Fort Myers.
April 21st, 2015 at 19:37
Shirley so great to catch up with your blog. I’m still here fighting for broken boat extensions. Wrong parts shipped then lost, FINALLY arriving this week! I do my advanced sailing training next week then a friend will be my crew to Rio. Then I head to Colorado for summer to help finish our cabin. I think of you often, hugs, Karen
April 23rd, 2015 at 08:23
you will probably be state-side when you read this , glad all is well , enjoy…
The Glades boat storage is an interesting place to stop just before you get to Okeechobee. I bought a boat round the corner in Turkey Creek…
lots of “abandoned” boats there…
Love your Blog 🙂