Everglades Wilderness Waterway

We are now on the mooring ball at Boot Key Harbor, on Vaca Key (town of Marathon florida).  We spent three days going down a portion of the wilderness waterway in Everglades national park.  It is a wilderness and thus no cell so there were no blogs during the trip.
Some highlites;
1. its really shallow, we learned a new measures of shallow water operation.  The depth sounder shows depth 1/2 foot shallower than it actually is.  Depth sounder at 4' = full speed, 3' slow down and tilt motor up slightly, 2' slower still with motor tilted up but still giving propulsion, 1.5' get motor out of water and drift over the shoal.  We hit bottom on the prop a couple of times and dinged up the prop a little.
George checking depth and clarity.

Bottom visible when you get shallow.

2. its very tight in a couple of places.  There were two creeks connecting bays that were trouble for us.  about 12' wide (boat is 8.5' wide) and winding, with overhanging trees.  We got caught up a couple of times and when we were done the boat was covered with twigs, leaves, and branches.
3. water varies in clarity.  most places you could see the bottom at 2', but a couple were clear to 4-5'. 
4While eating lunch we watched a pelican eating his lunch;  flying, diving, and orienting the fish for swallowing, over and over.  too far away for pictures but great to watch.
5  we saw a dolphin swim by in 3' of water, normally you only see them surface to breath but its so shallow he left a wake.  I suspect he was lost and looking for an exit.  But its real confusing, all mangrove islands look alike, without the chartplotter we would have been lost quickly.
6. While going thru Alligator creek, we see an alligator sunning himself on the bank!
7. when we get to Flamingo at the south end of the everglades we see a crocodile in the canal next to the marina.
Sometimes its hard to see the channel until you get very close.



The park provides camping areas.  some on land but many are raised covered platforms called Chickees!

The park puts in signposts to help guide travelers.  these are not NOAA standard navigation markers but post with simple signs.  Without a GPS it would be very difficult to go from one to the next.

We spent two nights on the waterway and used an anchor and a stern tie to the trees or bushes.