Welcome to The Dry Tortugas!

Sitting about 70 miles West of Key West The Dry Tortugas is a 100 square mile National Park made up of 7 small islands:  Garden, Loggerhead, Bush, Long, East, Hospital, and Middle Key.  Fort Jefferson, which sits on Garden Key and is one of the most recognizable historic forts in the United States, sits on the edge of the main shipping channel between the Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean.  It was originally built in the mid 1800's to protect and monitor access to the United States through the Gulf of Mexico.  Today Fort Jefferson is the park's centerpiece for history buffs and boating adventurists alike looking to escape the day-to-day grind and get away from it all.

JOURNEY TO THE DRY TORTUGAS

Stock Island Marina Village in Key West is the perfect launch location for an extraordinary sail to The Dry Tortugas.  Situated just outside of Key West city limits this marina is one of the newest in the region, boasting a brand new 100-room boutique hotel, dog park, fitness center, dockside pool, as well as a stunning new bar and restaurant amongst other amenities you'll love to both start and end your bareboat charter.

We recommend your bareboat charter journey to The Dry Tortugas begin during the morning hours as you'll be able to enjoy a leisurely Key West sunrise while sipping on some morning coffee or tea.  If the wind is coming from the north you'll find your first few sailing hours to have generally calm waters as Stock Island Marina sits south of Key West, which means wind is mostly blocked by the island.  This steady northerly wind (or no wind at all) offers an extraordinary opportunity to enjoy some morning yoga on deck, which many of our guests rave about!  If your morning starts off with a brisk southerly wind, though, don't worry you'll still enjoy some incredible time sailing at speeds of 7.5 knots or more!  

As your bareboat charter departs the marina channel and heads west toward The Dry Tortugas you'll see several points of interest off your starboard side (right side of the boat when facing forward).  Immediately you'll see airplanes landing and departing from Key West International Airport and the nearby Key West Naval Air Station.  The rumbling of aircraft engines will quickly fade into the background as you pass Smathers Beach, the largest public beach in Key West and a very popular spring break destination where you'll find jet ski rentals, windsurfing, volleyball and more.  Within a few miles your bareboat charter yacht will pass