Seventy nautical miles from the nearest settlement in Key West the Dry Tortugas are the westernmost of the Florida Keys, the most remote and, in some respects, the most fascinating and beautiful. With careful preparation a voyage to the Dry Tortugas can be most rewarding.

Because of erratic and sometimes severe weather in the area (unpredicted fronts packing high winds are not that unusual) passage to the Dry Tortugas requires planning for the unexpected. Weekend trippers, Caribbean-bound cruisers and fishermen alike often find themselves holed up for a week or more in the modestly protected harbor off Garden Key in persistent 25- to 35-knot winds from stalled fronts in the Gulf of Mexico or off the Cuban coast. If weather conditions are less than ideal a trip to the Dry Tortugas should be postponed. (Or opt for a seaplane ride!)