Passenger cruise ships now include this island among their ports of call, and recreational cruisers often head for Key West's bustling harbor to prepare themselves and their boats for a Caribbean journey. The southernmost city's ports have traditionally been gracious, welcoming tall ships, steamships, ferries, barges, powerboats, and seaplanes. Navigation Despite Key West's deepwater harbor, shallow offshore areas exist, particularly toward the island's northern backcountry area.
Nautical charts are some of the best tools to map routes and determine water depth.
Novices who wish to ply the waters surrounding Key West would do well to enroll in one of the many free boater safety classes offered throughout the country by the U.S. Power Squadrons and Coast Guard Auxiliaries. If you plan to spend time on the water in Key West, the U.S. Coast Guard recommends you use navigational chart No. 11441 for the harbor and its approaches or chart No. 11447 for Key West harbor itself. Regular updates are automatically sent to the hundreds of mariners on the Coast Guard's mailing list, but it is the individual's responsibility to keep up with changes. Throughout this chapter, we provide information on boat rental facilities that have navigational charts and on places where boaters can purchase their own charts. Be sure to always verify that any charts you purchase or use are indeed up to date.