Inside SOTW Mag: East Versus West, Florida Style

[Speed on the Water]

What side of the Sunshine State is better for high-performance powerboat enthusiasts? You make the call, https://speedonthewater.com/in-the-...ide-sotw-mag-east-versus-west-florida-style.*

All in good fun. For those who prefer to skip the intro, here is the direct download link for the issue,*https://speedonthewater.com/in-the-...il-2018-issue/march-april-2018-issue/download.

 

[Ratickle]

I think everybody has made a few major errors on the facts here:

First, if it is truly east versus west, the Florida Keys are half east and half west. The border of east/west would be close to Islamorada. Marathon and west would all be West Florida. There is no way that Key West can be considered on the East side of Florida.



The next issue to consider would be how almost all of the events on the East Coast leave to go somewhere else. If that's not proof that West is better for boating, I'm not sure what is.

Almost every event on the east side goes to the Bahamas, Key West, Marathon, etc., (with the exception of the Jacksonville run). Because the boating is so bad on the east side of the state, (except for large yachts to take you elsewhere), the performance boaters have tried to make a case that all of the Keys are on the east side. :toetap05:

More proof that the keys are mostly West Florida, distances;







For boaters, it's only a short 1 1/2 to 2 hour run from Marco to Key West. From Miami it's double that.

More Poker Runs are on the Western side of Florida and more offshore races are on the Western side of Florida. There's a reason for that, better boating!! Other than the upper Keys and the Jacksonville area, the only way to enjoy performance boating on the east side of Florida, go somewhere else.:sifone:


So, once the facts are straightened out, it's no contest!!

WEST WINS!!!!!!:cheers2:

 

[Ratickle]

Somehow, we need to stop the Eastcoasters from trying to steal the West coast for their own. Not our fault they have almost no good places to run performance boats.


The ferry to Key West is only a 3 hour ride from Fort Meyers. Yet they want to say that Key West is an East Coast destination?

 

[fund razor]

They would have called it Key East.

 

[Speed on the Water]

They would have called it Key East.

OK, that's really funny. But it begs a question: Would you rather run down to Key West from Miami or from, let's say, Naples? My understanding is its more navigable from the east side of the state than the west. But that's an honest question.

 

[Ratickle]

Well, it depends.

If I wanted to take an all day, or a couple day, trip to get to Key West I'd do the East side of the state. More places to stop and eat etc.

If I wanted to get to Key West for lunch, then come home for dinner, I'd leave from the west side. There is a reason the ferries to Key West run down from Naples and Fort Meyers. You can catch a ferry down at 8 in the morning, spend the day in Key West, and catch a ferry back at five in the evening. It's like running across Lake Michigan from Grand Haven to Milwaukee, less than two hours for a boat that cruises around 50 to 60. I think it's 3 hours for the ferry from Naples.

A much easier trip from Naples than from Miami. Straight line across the Gulf for an hour and a half and you're there. Plus, the water is almost always calmer than running down from Miami. Just no land in sight for awhile. But, I thought we were talking about offshore performance boats here.

But, the point is, half of the Keys are on the West Coast of Florida. They are not on the East Coast. And the ones on the West Coast are most of the ones people want to go to.

 

[fund razor]

OK, that's really funny. But it begs a question: Would you rather run down to Key West from Miami or from, let's say, Naples? My understanding is its more navigable from the east side of the state than the west. But that's an honest question.

I would rather run down the east side, because I have a clinical level addiction to the Burdines fresh Black Fin Tuna Melt, which is only available on Marathon.

 

[Ratickle]

But, if you left Miami and I left Naples to meet at Burdines, I'd be there and done eating before you made it.

So, I'd have to eat yours too......

 

[fund razor]

But, if you left Miami and I left Naples to meet at Burdines, I'd be there and done eating before you made it.

So, I'd have to eat yours too......

Only if you borrow a really fast boat.

 

[Ratickle]

My slow-ass 39' against your really fast 28'...….

 

[fund razor]

I figured you'd use a Skater and drive the point home.

 

[fund razor]

Elian Gonzalez went east.

 

[Ratickle]

Didn't he start in Cuba though?

 

[fund razor]

Yeah. it's like Naples, but with older cars.

 

[Ratickle]

There are over 6,000 reefs and 800 islands in the Keys. Lots of places to run aground between Miami and Marathon. That's why it's much easier and faster, (no NO WAKE zones), to go to Marathon or Key West from Marco or Naples.....

 

[Ratickle]

Interestingly enough, according to the experts, almost the entire Keys are in the Gulf, even Key Largo.

I did not know that.....

Here's one of the maps showing the Gulf...…

 

[Ratickle]

Another

 

[Ratickle]

So, as shown, the entire Keys south of Key Largo are completely in the Gulf of Mexico. That would be more proof they are part of the West Coast of Florida.

 

[Ratickle]

I keep finding out more.

Now, I've found out none of the Keys border the Atlantic Ocean. They are all either in the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea. Here is a map outlining the basic border of the Caribbean Sea.

 

[fund razor]

I'll keep reading this, but at the three year mark I want a PhD.