Pursuit S35837' 4"
View Specs & ReviewThe southernmost harbor — Old Town to the Marquesas
Yachting in Key West
A Minted Location · Key West, Florida
If you've ever wanted your slip to be the start of the story — sunset a block away, the reef seven miles out, and a hundred-mile wilderness of flats and forts to the west — Key West is the harbor that delivers it. The Coast Pilot calls Key West Harbor the town's front yard, entered through breaks in the reef by channels 13 to 34 feet deep, and the city itself runs the waterfront: 33 deep-water transient slips at the Historic Seaport, 245 more at Garrison Bight, and a 149-ball mooring field between Fleming Key and Sigsbee Park.
Minted Yachts works this harbor from the Bight to Stock Island, and everything below comes from each facility's or agency's own published information — the same standard behind every yacht review on this site.
For an owner, Key West is really three harbors: Old Town's resort slips a walk from Duval, Garrison Bight's working charter row, and Stock Island's deep-water basins and boatyards — the largest wet-slip basin in the Keys among them. Pick your Key West, and the boat follows.
Where to keep a yacht in Key West
Key West dockage sorts into three clusters. The Historic Seaport puts you in the postcard — the city's own Bight Marina, the Galleon's breakwater basin, A&B's stern-to berths and Conch Harbor's fuel dock, with Opal Key's resort slips around the corner near Mallory Square. Garrison Bight is working Key West: the 245-slip City Marina, Charter Boat Row and the mooring field. And Stock Island is where the serious tonnage and every boatyard live — the Perry's 288-slip basin, the Hilton's sportfish marina and the yards on Shrimp Road. Figures below are what each facility publishes about itself.
Marinas
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key West Bight MarinaThe city's marina inside the Historic Seaport — 33 deep-water transient slips a dock line from the Harbor Walk restaurants and the charter fleet. | Historic Seaport — city-run | 140 ft | 33 | — |
| City Marina at Garrison BightWorking Key West: 245 city slips straddling the Palm Avenue causeway, historic Charter Boat Row, and the mooring field between Fleming Key and Sigsbee Park — every mooring inspected twice a year. | Garrison Bight — Charter Boat Row | — | 245 | — |
| The Galleon MarinaThe most protected basin in Old Town — 91 slips behind a breakwater jetty with resort privileges: private beach, heated pool and a 24-hour dockmaster. | Historic Seaport — behind the breakwater at Front St | 150 ft | 91 | Fuel dock on site |
| A&B MarinaFloating docks and stern-to megayacht berths steps from Duval, with the Bight's premium diesel — the lobster house upstairs shares the name. | Historic Seaport — 700 Front St | — | — | Premium diesel fuel dock |
| Conch Harbor MarinaSuntex's basin at the Bight entrance pairs the fuel dock with a pool, ship's store and the West Marine store right on the property. | Historic Seaport — Caroline St, at the Bight entrance | — | — | High-speed ValvTect fuel dock |
| Opal Key Resort & MarinaThirty-seven deep-water slips for yachts 25–200 ft, closer to Duval Street than any other berth in town — dockage carries the resort's pool, jacuzzi and charging privileges. | Old Town waterfront — near Mallory Square | 200 ft | 37 | — |
| Stock Island Marina Village at The PerryThe largest wet-slip basin in the Keys: 288 floating concrete slips wrapped around the Perry Hotel with 18 ft of draft — its two official pages cite 450 ft and 300 ft as the top end; call the dockmaster for your boat. | Stock Island — Safe Harbor Channel, Shrimp Rd | — | 288 | Diesel fuel dock with discount program |
| Oceanside Marina at Hilton Key West ResortThe sportfish marina behind 400-plus IGFA world records, reborn under the Hilton flag — 111 deep-water slips (25–140 ft), 52 dry racks and a full-service fuel dock. | Stock Island — Atlantic side, Peninsular Ave | 140 ft | 111 | Gas, diesel & ice, 7–6 |
| Stock Island Yacht Club & MarinaThirty seconds from open Atlantic water: 101 wet slips, 192 dry racks, its own 50-ton lift and a stocked ship's store — a commercial marina despite the club name. | Stock Island — end of Peninsular Ave | — | 101 | Diesel & REC-90; complimentary pump-out |
| Safe Harbour MarinaEstablished 2000 among the last working shrimp docks — the old-Key-West liveaboard holdout, independent and unrelated to the national marina chain of similar name. | Stock Island — the shrimp-dock district | — | — | — |
| Hurricane Hole MarinaThe small-boat basin splitting the difference between ocean and Gulf — ethanol-free gas, a dry barn, bait, a dive shop and a dockside bar, capped at 34 feet. | Stock Island — Cow Key Channel | 34 ft | 42 | Ethanol-free gas |
Yacht clubs
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Slips | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key West Yacht ClubFounded 1938 in a Flagler bridge tender's house — the southernmost private club in America, with 68 wet slips, a dining room and reciprocity for traveling burgees. | Garrison Bight — N Roosevelt Blvd | — | 68 | — |
Figures are as each facility publishes them on its own site; blank cells mean the facility doesn't state a number. Confirm slip availability and current rates directly — or ask us to make the calls.
Cruising from Key West
The harbor. Main Ship Channel is the only deep-draft approach — a 34-foot federal project depth from the Straits, 30 feet to the upper turning basin off the Bight, then 12 feet into the Bight itself, all under International Rules with security calls on VHF entering and leaving. The classic anchorage is Man of War Harbor north of town: the Coast Pilot calls it the best anchorage for vessels to 150 feet, in 14 to 26 feet of water, with small craft anchoring east of Wisteria Island. Holding near the Bight channel entrance is poor and the currents strong — the Coast Pilot says so plainly.
Garrison Bight. The marked channel wraps the north end of Fleming Key into the turning basin — mind the overhead cables (50 feet at the entrance, 34 feet elsewhere). Fleming Key Cut is the shortcut and the trap: about 6 feet, very strong tidal currents, an 18-foot fixed bridge, and a Coast Pilot recommendation against low-powered vessels. Five miles per hour is the law in the Bight and every constricted channel.
Stock Island. Safe Harbor — the Coast Pilot's name for the basin, under Monroe County Port Authority jurisdiction — is the medium-draft harbor behind the island's south shore, entered from Hawk Channel past its marked private channel. Southerly weather stacks heavy surf at the entrance; time it accordingly.
The reef and the west. Sand Key's 286-acre Sanctuary Preservation Area spreads under its 1853 iron lighthouse seven miles out — buoy-only diving, with a catch-and-release trolling exception unique among SPAs. Western Sambo's ecological reserve allows anchoring only landward of the high-relief reef. Beyond Key West the backcountry turns federal: Boca Grande, Woman Key and the Marquesas all sit inside Wildlife Management Areas with idle-speed, no-motor and no-entry zones, and Calda Channel north to the Gulf reported 3 feet in 1983 — local knowledge only.
The Tortugas. Almost 70 miles west lies Dry Tortugas National Park and Fort Jefferson, the marquee expedition run from this harbor. The park requires boat permits for all vessels except those transiting without stopping, and overnight anchoring is limited to sandy bottom within one nautical mile of the Garden Key Harbor Light — confirm the current rules with the park before you go, and treat the crossing with Gulf Stream respect.
- Man of War Harbor — North of the city — inside Frankfort Bank, Pearl Bank & Fleming KeyKey West's front-porch anchorage — protected on three sides, with charted wrecks to respect and poor holding near the Bight channel entrance, per the Coast Pilot; the city's Port Operations office supervises the harbor.
- Garrison Bight Mooring Field — Between Fleming Key and Sigsbee ParkThe city's engineered mooring field, every ball inspected top-to-bottom each 180 days, served by a pump-out boat — Monroe County waters are a no-discharge zone, so use it.
- Sand Key Reef (Sanctuary Preservation Area) — 7 miles west of Key West — under the 1853 iron lighthouse286 acres of protected reef beneath the historic light — buoy-only diving on the sanctuary's first-come balls, with the original 1846 lighthouse's remains in the shallows.
- The far backcountry — Boca Grande, Woman Key & the Marquesas — West of Key WestThe wild run west: flats, channels and empty beaches inside federally managed wildlife areas — the zone buoys are the law out here, and Calda Channel north reported 3 feet in 1983.
- Dry Tortugas National Park — ~70 miles west — Garden Key & Fort JeffersonThe expedition run: the largest masonry fort in the Western Hemisphere, reachable only by boat or seaplane — confirm the park's current permit rules before you make the crossing.
Service, refit & supplies
Shipyards & refit
| Name | Where | Max yacht | Dockage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robbie's Marina of Key WestStock Island's big working yard — 25 acres of haul-out, fiberglass, paint and refit trades with deep-water access, family-run since 1992 (distinct from Robbie's of Islamorada). | Stock Island — 7281 Shrimp Rd | — | Service dockage & storage; DIY allowed in designated areas |
| 3D BoatyardThe no-frills DIY-friendly yard — travel-lift haul-outs (emergency hauls included), bottom jobs and owner-managed refits without the resort overhead. | Stock Island — 6801 Shrimp Rd | — | Short-term dry & wet storage subject to availability |
Chandleries & specialty suppliers
- West Marine — Key West — Historic Seaport — Caroline St, at Conch Harbor MarinaThe southernmost full-line chandlery in the Keys, a dinghy ride from any Bight slip — rigging, tackle and same-day pickup.
On the Key West calendar
Key West World Championship — early November, when Race World Offshore brings the offshore powerboat world title to a course laid inside Key West Harbor, with Truman Waterfront Park as the race village and the "world's fastest boat parade" down Whitehead Street.
The Southernmost Regatta — five days of keelboat racing each January on the blue water off Key West, the modern heir to the storied Key West Race Week (which its organizer, the Storm Trysail Club, lists as on hold since 2017).
The Schooner Wharf calendar — the Bight's own bar stages the Wrecker's Cup race series to Sand Key across four winter Sundays, the Lighted Boat Parade each December with the judges' stand on its dock, and May's Minimal Regatta, where plywood-and-duct-tape vessels race in the Bight.
Conch Republic Independence Celebration — ten days each April marking the island's tongue-in-cheek 1982 secession, schedule on the Republic's own site.
Yachts we'd shortlist for Key West
Reviewed the same way as everything on this site — specifications verified against the builder's own numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Garrison Bight mooring field work?
It's city-run: 149 engineered moorings between Fleming Key and Sigsbee Park, each inspected top to bottom every 180 days. The city publishes the rates — $25.64 a day or $450.98 a month, tax included — for vessels to 50 feet with dinghies to 13 feet; proof of insurance and registration are required at check-in, and a pump-out boat serves the field (all Monroe County waters are a no-discharge zone). Reservations through the City Marina office at 305-809-3981.
Which Key West restaurants can I reach by boat?
Stock Island owns the direct welcomes: Salty Oyster at the Perry Marina says it outright — dock the boat and pull up a seat — and Matt's Stock Island Kitchen overlooks the same basin with a catch-and-cook program. In Old Town the answer is the city marina plus your feet: tie up at Key West Bight Marina's transient slips and the Harbor Walk hands you Half Shell, Schooner Wharf, A&B Lobster House, Conch Republic Seafood and Dante's within a five-minute walk. Hogfish on Stock Island is the famous exception that publishes no dock — check local dockage options first.
Where do large yachts berth in Key West?
Stock Island, mostly. Stock Island Marina Village at The Perry is the largest wet-slip basin in the Keys — 288 floating concrete slips with 18 feet of draft; its two official pages cite 450 and 300 feet as the top end, so call the dockmaster with your specs. The Hilton's Oceanside Marina adds 111 slips to 140 feet with a full fuel dock. In Old Town, Opal Key takes yachts to 200 feet and the Galleon to 150.
What does the Dry Tortugas run involve?
Almost 70 miles of open water west to Garden Key and Fort Jefferson — the largest masonry fort in the Western Hemisphere, reachable only by boat or seaplane. The park requires boat permits for all vessels except those transiting without stopping, and overnight anchoring is limited to sandy bottom within one nautical mile of the Garden Key Harbor Light. Confirm current permit rules with the park (305-242-7700) before you go, carry real fuel reserves, and treat the crossing like the offshore passage it is.
Where do boats get hauled and serviced in Key West?
Stock Island — nothing in Old Town hauls boats. Robbie's Marina runs the big working yard: 25 acres of haul-out, fiberglass, paint and refit trades with deep-water access and a DIY-friendly policy. 3D Boatyard on the same road handles travel-lift hauls, bottom jobs and owner-managed projects. And Stock Island Yacht Club & Marina operates its own 50-ton lift with a certified bottom-paint center alongside its 101 wet slips.
Where can I anchor at Key West?
Man of War Harbor, north of town — the Coast Pilot calls it the best anchorage for vessels up to 150 feet, in 14 to 26 feet of water, protected by Frankfort Bank, Pearl Bank and Fleming Key, with small craft traditionally anchoring east of Wisteria Island. The same source warns of wrecks in the harbor and poor holding with strong currents near the Bight channel entrance. The city's Port Operations office supervises the anchorages, and the no-discharge rule applies at anchor too.
Where can I dock in downtown Key West?
The Historic Seaport cluster. The city's own Key West Bight Marina runs 33 deep-water transient slips for vessels to 140 feet, year-round. Around it: the Galleon's 91-slip basin behind its breakwater (yachts to 150 feet), A&B Marina's first-come public slips with the Bight's premium diesel, Conch Harbor's ValvTect fuel dock, and Opal Key's 37 resort slips for yachts to 200 feet near Mallory Square. Every figure is from the facility's own pages, and all of it walks to Duval.
Is Key West a good home port?
If you'll actually use the water, it's one of the great American home ports: a real city waterfront with published rates, three distinct harbors at three price points, boatyards that still work, the reef seven miles out and the Tortugas seventy. The trade-offs are real too — slips book out for race weeks, and the good ones go early. Tell us how you'll use the harbor and we'll match the boat: TS@MintedYachts.com or +1 (404) 805-9819.