This Winter, the Key West Boat Won't Leave From Marco Island

Most winters, Key West Express runs its Marco Island season from Rose Marina, from Dec. 26 through March. This winter it won't. Construction at the marina is expected to take up dock space, so the company is pausing its Marco departures for a year and running only from Fort Myers Beach, WINK News reported.

Of all the trips that start at Rose Marina, that's the only one you'll lose this winter. Rentals, dolphin tours, the fuel dock, the shuttles and the charter captains all still work out of 951 Bald Eagle Drive. If you're planning a winter calendar or hosting family in February, one outing has moved off the island and the rest of the Marco Island water routine stays where it was.

Why the Dock Space Is Spoken For

Rose Marina is in its 60th year on the island. When Hurricane Ian came through in 2022, storm surge destroyed Jack's Lookout, the bar that boaters used to tie up at. The marina plans to rebuild on the same site as a restaurant for about 200 people. General manager Daniel High was candid about what the old place was. "Well, calling it a restaurant is a little bit of a stretch," he told WINK News. "It was a dive bar, but a very loved dive bar, and we're trying to rebuild on that on that same site."

The restaurant is only part of the plan. High listed the rest for WINK: "major parking improvements, major stormwater enhancements for not just our site but the neighbors and the Bald Eagle stretch of road," and "a lot of seawall work." He also said the site plan had been under review with the City of Marco Island for about two years. Seawall and dock work takes up exactly the slips a large passenger ferry needs, which is why the Key West boat is the one that moves.

City Council took up the requests on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. The meeting ran until about 1 a.m. Friday, according to the Naples Daily News. Coastal Breeze News reported that the room stayed packed past midnight and that much of the public discussion was about cruise ship operations at the marina. City staff and marina representatives said repeatedly that the council was not being asked to approve those.

The official minutes show three separate approvals:

According to Coastal Breeze, the storage permit includes a screening plan that alternates sections of eight-foot fencing with landscaping. It also includes language about an off-site parking area across Bald Eagle Drive. No construction start date has been announced. The schedule people have been planning around is Key West Express's: one season off, with the Marco departures expected back for 2027–2028.

The Key West Day Now Starts on Main Street, Fort Myers Beach

Key West Express told WINK that it runs from Fort Myers Beach all year and has only ever run from Marco during the winter season. So the boat you'd ride this winter is the year-round route, leaving from a terminal some Marco households have never used. Here's the morning as the company currently posts it on its fares page:

The biggest change is the start of your day. If you're leaving from Marco, the 7:30 boarding cutoff and the drive up to Fort Myers Beach decide what time you're out the door. Guests who aren't used to Southwest Florida roads will want that worked out the night before. Times and parking rates on a live operations page can change, so check them again on keywestexpress.net when you book.

You can still book on Marco. WINK reported that the Key West Express office on the island is open and staffed for anyone booking trips, even though no boats will leave from it this winter.

Everything Else Still Leaves From Bald Eagle Drive

WINK reported that construction will not close the marina, though some businesses that use it could feel the effects. Key West Express is the one operator that has announced a pause. Rose Marina's own listings describe what's still based there:

• Rentals. According to the marina's site, the rental fleet has 18 boats. That covers the shelling run or sandbar afternoon that guests usually ask about.
• Fuel. A 95-foot fuel dock sells non-ethanol gasoline and marine diesel.
• Island Coastal Outfitters. The 6,000-square-foot store posts hours of 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM from October through April, an hour later than its 4:00 PM close in August and September.
• Charters and tours. The marina's charter directory says more than 20 fishing captains operate from the docks. It also lists Dolphin Explorer, Marco Island Princess, Hemingway Water Shuttle and Sunshine Tours.

These listings are general. None of them says whether any particular service will have interruptions once crews start on the seawall and docks. For a fixed date, such as a birthday cruise or a charter booked around a guest's flight, confirm directly with the operator closer to the day, especially since no work schedule has been published.

Planning a Winter Around One Missing Boat

For a household that usually puts Key West on the winter calendar, the change comes down to a few decisions you can make now:

1. Pick the Key West day early and plan it as a Fort Myers Beach morning. The 8:00 AM departure and 7:30 boarding cutoff set the schedule, and the 3.5-hour crossing means you'll have a short afternoon in Key West before the return.
2. Decide on parking before you leave. At $20 per vehicle per day, one car for the whole group is the simplest plan. Reserving is optional, but the company recommends it.
3. Keep the other guest days on the island. Dolphin tours, the Marco Island Princess, a rental boat and a stop at Island Coastal Outfitters still all happen at one address, without the drive north.
4. Pencil in 2027–2028 for the boat's return. That's the season Rose Marina's general manager expects Key West Express back on Marco.

Over the longer term, the rebuild puts a gathering place back on the water where Jack's Lookout stood before Ian. Charter captain Dustin Beatty told WINK News that "it was nice having a local restaurant here located at the marina," and his son Caleb remembered the hot dogs. Until that opens, the marina keeps running its usual business during construction, and the trip to Key West leaves from Fort Myers Beach.

If you're expecting guests this season or thinking about how a working waterfront like Rose Marina fits into daily life on Marco Island, Maria Oddy is happy to talk through the details with you, calmly and on your schedule. Schedule a Consultation.