Outer Mole

[neilbuono19]

It looks like the ship we are on is going to be getting off on the outer mole dock. Does anyone have any experience with this pier?  I looks like we cannot walk from the pier to Duval because it's a Navy Base.

[CT Sean]

The last outer  mole post covers is pretty well i think - feel free to ask anything not covered here.  short answer is no - you cannot walk off the ship, you have to take a shuttle into town

 

 

[cltnccruisers]

On 11/3/2018 at 8:35 AM, neilbuono19 said:

It looks like the ship we are on is going to be getting off on the outer mole dock. Does anyone have any experience with this pier?  I looks like we cannot walk from the pier to Duval because it's a Navy Base.

We were just there on 10/29.  Fear not, dear cruiser.  Both the Olde Town Trolley and Conch Train are pressed into service as the free shuttle to Mallory Square.  If you get a good driver you'll get kind of a mini-tour with running commentary.  For the return trip you just wait by the curb in front of the red town hall.  It is extremely efficient.

[Grumpy Husband]

I made a new video to show the ride as you exit the Outer Mole (I could not get in) to the drop-off areas of the trains and trollies.

 

[Capt_BJ]

another way to slice the pie .... to walk it would be about a mile to the nearest point on Duval and another half mile up Duval to Mallory  .... which if summer in KW can be a bit of a bear from the heat and humidity ... the only downside IMO is it would be nice if there was a more centrally located drop spot or more than one .....

[cltnccruisers]

47 minutes ago, Capt_BJ said:

another way to slice the pie .... to walk it would be about a mile to the nearest point on Duval and another half mile up Duval to Mallory  .... which if summer in KW can be a bit of a bear from the heat and humidity ... the only downside IMO is it would be nice if there was a more centrally located drop spot or more than one .....

Except you can't walk off the naval base,  can you?

[keywester33]

On 12/14/2018 at 5:06 PM, cltnccruisers said:

Except you can't walk off the naval base,  can you?

 

That is correct.  You can not walk off the base.  You must take the shuttle service from the dock to the drop off point near Mallory Square.  You have to return to the dock the same way. 

[Capt_BJ]

did you watch the video that's posted?  Today, with the way the fences have been moved, much of the former base is parks and open roads .... the Navy retains the 'mole' pier as a controlled access area and that's with a gate that's really at the foot of the mole.  You COULD walk from here - the video guy is riding his bike I believe - but the 'trolley/tour train'' is either not allowed or simply WON'T stop here and let you off.

 

As a retired USCG person who spent plenty of time in Key West on ship visits (and visits to JIATF) I recently got curious about the location of the USCG Cutter INGHAM museum/memorial and how one could get to IT, being inside the former confines of the base.  Jumping to the end of my research (short of a drive to KW to check things out) .... if you use Google Maps, the imagery currently available will show the fences if you have a good enuf monitor, and eyesight!

 

 

 

Back a while the Navy Base encompassed the Mole and everything inside the Mole Basin and all the adjacent shoreline, and most everything south of here. Today you see how a BIG slice has been given back to the state.  For history buffs in WWII this was a sub base,  as late as the 70's this was home to Navy Sonar School (I knew USCG sonar guys who went here) and in the early 90's was still home to a squadron of US Navy 'PHM' hydrofoil missile boats originally intended as a Cuba defense tool but at the end of their life were primarily used to carry USCG law enforcement teams in the war on drugs.  The ship seen above my label 'Parks' is USCG Cutter INGHAM museum (a WWII veteran). It sits next to a kids water park! ... the 'notch' just below was the haul out facility for the PHM's.  They were small enuf to be lifted (with the right equipment) rather than dry docked which was needed because those hydrofoil wings weren't really the best idea out there .... kinda high maintenance

Edited December 16, 2018 by Capt_BJ

[Grumpy Husband]

1 hour ago, Capt_BJ said:

did you watch the video that's posted?  Today, with the way the fences have been moved, much of the former base is parks and open roads .... the Navy retains the 'mole' pier as a controlled access area and that's with a gate that's really at the foot of the mole.  You COULD walk from here - the video guy is riding his bike I believe - but the 'trolley/tour train'' is either not allowed or simply WON'T stop here and let you off.

 

Capt...you are right..I was riding my tricycle to shoot the video, and after talking with people at The Conch Train, they told me there is NO getting off the train when picked up at the Outer Mole. You will be taken to Mallory Square for drop off.

Edited December 17, 2018 by Grumpy Husband

[Capt_BJ]

and I would say that 'not allowed' is NOT a Navy thing ..........

 

Once you are past the Navy gate, they could care less!