The Dry Tortugas is a magical place to visit as a child. Imagine first seeing Fort Jefferson rise out of the azure waters of the Gulf of Mexico as a young mind. The excitement is palpable. There are some things to consider however, although clear skies and calm winds make for great snorkeling it can be very hot on the island. Make sure to bring plenty of high SPF sunscreen and apply generously throughout the day. Hydration is so important especially for children so take advantage of the water coolers both on the boat and dock provided by Yankee Freedom II. Sandals are another great idea for kids, as the sand and dock become very hot in the afternoon sun.
Perhaps your child would enjoy The Junior Ranger program. Children are given a booklet en route to Fort Jefferson which they complete as they explore the fort. Upon successful completion they are sworn in and issued a Junior Ranger badge. There is fun to be had by all at the Dry Tortugas and I hope we are in your plans this summer. We look forward to seeing you aboard the Yankee Freedom II.

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Lots going on at the Dry Tortugas. The installation of new finger docks began this week on Garden Key. A docking area for vessels making day trips to the Dry Tortugas is the intended use of these new piers. It will allow visitors on boats not traveling with a dingy to visit the beaches and explore Fort Jefferson on Garden Key. The expected completion date for the project is the end of May and they are to be in service shortly thereafter.
We typically see a greater number of center consoles in the 25’ to 35’ range transiting the Tortugas in the summer months when the wind and seas are calmer than winter. Visibility and water temperature are also ideal for snorkeling. A word of advice, bring an adequate supply of fuel for the 140 mile round trip.
If you are someone who doesn’t own a boat or perhaps you’d rather someone else do the driving then consider a day trip aboard the Yankee Freedom II.

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By: Debra Hess
Yankee Freedom II Naturalist

General Joseph Totten, Chief of the Army’s Engineers from 1838 – 1864 designed the Totten Shutters used on the gun ports of Fort Jefferson. These large slabs of wrought iron complete with iron shutters were designed to protect gunners from small projectiles and musket fire while loading cannons weighing several tons per gun opening and integrated into both the exterior wall and the interior of the fort, these embrasures were crucial to fort construction during this time period.

Over time in the salt environment of Dry Tortugas, the shutters have oxidized. Swelling in width and pushing the bricks off the outer walls of Fort Jefferson. The fort is a veneer of brick-filled with coral boulders, rubble, sand and concrete. The outer brick veneer is crucial to protect Fort Jefferson from storms and hurricanes.

The founding legislation of Dry Tortugas National Park mandates the National Park Service to “protect, stabilize, restore and interpret Fort Jefferson, an outstanding example of nineteenth century masonry fortification” for future generations without undertaking serious action to stop further degradation, it became obvious to the National Park Service personnel that the walls of Fort Jefferson were in serious trouble.

Underway for about 5 years now, a multiyear preservation project is underway to stabilize the outer walls for Fort Jefferson. Iron embrasures are removed, the walls stabilized and re-bricked, concrete (made with local sand and coral) and historic bricks are used. Lastly, replicas of the historic Totten shutters are placed in the gun ports.

Construction workers are housed and fed at Fort Jefferson during the renovation work.

While visiting Fort Jefferson, a walk around the moat will show sections of the fort wall where stabilization has been completed. Scaffolding is present where work will take place this spring. The west wall of Fort Jefferson shows the damage for future repairs.

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Dig Location in Paradeground

From March 13 – 16, 2009 visitors tot the Dry Tortugas National Park aboard the Yankee Freedom II were treated to an archaeological dig of an 1850’s storehouse foundation located in the paradeground of Fort Jefferson. March is Florida’s Archaeology Month and this weekend’s even allowed the public an opportunity to help sift and search soils taken from under a storehouse destroyed by fire in 1857.

Volunteers

Park Staff Sifting Soil

During construction of a brine concentrate reverse osmosis drain field in June 2003 National Park Service archaeologist Margo Schwadron found large concentrations of pipe stem fragments and bowls (most of the men stationed at Fort Jefferson smoked tobacco in clay pipes). Construction of the drain field was shifted to a new location and plans were laid for this archaeological dig. A joint effort of the National Park Service S.E. Archaeological Center, the Florida Public Archaeological Center, and the South Florida National Parks Trust resulted in the 4 day event. Bags and bags of artifacts were collected and catalogued from grids in the study area.

A collection of some interesting artifacts were found:

Bowl Pieces

Gun Flint

Ceramic Doll Hand and Woman’s Dress Clasp

Other items found were pieces of pottery, glass fragments from bottles and hurricane lamps and lots of coal. All will be carefully sorted, analyzed and curated at the S.E. Archaeological Center in Tallahassee, FL.

Yankee Freedom II passengers Erik and Susan Peterson from Columbus, Ohio participated in the dig on Saturday March 14th.

They first learned about the the dig from Park Service personnel and spent several hours sifting soil and helping collect artifacts. “A fabulous experience of history and nature – thanks very much!” they commented. “We can’t wait to come back again.”

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Vessel New Orleans, an Army LCU (Landing Craft Vessel), visits Dry Tortugas National Park on January 10-13th 2008 in a cleanup operation. Hurricane damage from the four hurricane strike summer of 2006 left Dry Tortugas National Park with lots of rebuilding and repairing. The remoteness of the park makes garbage service a challenge, especially for larger items such as air conditioning units, old appliances and such. The New Orleans carried Waste Management dumpsters and a large Front End Loader to assist the Park Service personnel in eliminating trash items. The New Orleans has a permanent crew of four and is assisted by fourteen Army reservists.

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By Wayne Landrum

After 26 years of working in National Park areas across the country, I moved to the Dry Tortugas; a unique and remote sub-tropical park. It is located in South Florida at the southwestern end of the Florida Keys. I was assigned the position of park manager for the 100 sq. mile park, a small group of islands surrounded by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

It was 1992 when I packed my bags and moved to the Dry Tortugas from Biscayne National Park in Homestead, Florida. This was shortly after hurricane Andrew had blasted the southern tip of Florida.

That year, 1992, was the year Fort Jefferson National Monument, was designated by Congress as Dry Tortugas National Park. My position as manager was to supervise and take care of the operations in the park and to supervise the employees living there. Usually there are about 15 people living and working in the park at any given time. There are maintenance employees to operate the facilities and equipment, including boats, generators, water systems and all other types of equipment, to keep the “small city” operational and there are law enforcement rangers, naturalists and biological researchers, to interpret care and protect the parks natural and cultural resources.

What is it like to live in a remote location, 70 miles at sea from the nearest town with access only by boat or seaplane?

There are the hurricanes that visit the place and have frequently over the past 150 years. The park closes to the public before the arrival of predicted hurricanes but the employees usually stay in the fort. The walls are 40 feet high and made of brick. There are designated shelters for employees on the second floor in the power magazines. These rooms were built with walls eight feet thick and are stocked with food water and all necessary provisions to exist through the storm and until outside conditions are again safe. During hurricane Georges in 1998, all the park residents chose to ride it out in the park. It is probably safe to say that Fort Jefferson is the safest place to be in the Florida Keys during a hurricane.

Communication with the rest of the world was spotty at best; the one radio telephone we all shared in the office was often out for months at a time. The marine radio allowed us to communicate with the boats in the area and we had our own park radio system often reaching only 8 to 10 miles.

Technology changed considerably from l992 until I left the park in 1999. Cell phones did not work in the lower keys with adequate coverage until about 1995, and still don’t at the Dry Tortugas. However, other improvements have made life easier at the park. Each resident now has satellite television if they want it. There is now a satellite phone for use in emergencies and overall communications have improved.

There are other differences out at the Dry Tortugas from living in a place with a road. Planning for food and supplies had to be based on the park supply boat coming out to the park once a week from Key West. If you ran out of basics you just had to wait for the boat to return the next week and it occasionally did not make it out due to repairs or storms too strong to allow safe passage. The supply boat also takes employees to and from the park for days off, park business or private travel.

Living in a remote National Park has some great benefits for those who enjoy the outdoors. The park is a birding paradise, with Spring and Fall migrations of rare birds passing through the park. The park is also a premiere nesting area for frigate birds, masked boobies, noddy terns, and sooty terns. Species of birds are often seen in the Dry Tortugas National Park that are extremely rare in the continental United States.

Sea turtles cruise through the area and Loggerhead and Green Sea Turtles are commonly seen next to the beaches inside the park. Fish and tropical reefs are attractions to divers and swimmers.

From Garden Key one can watch the sun rise from the sea in the morning and set in sea in the evening. At dark the night sky lights up with stars and planets because there are no cities obscuring the sky with their light and air pollution.

Many park employees are attracted to the more remote national parks because the natural setting is still intact, remote and exciting. It has been a good career for me and my family spending our time working in places where others spend their vacations.

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