s/v Far Niente - Cruising Log

Spring 2015 - The Florida Keys

11 March 2015 | Marathon, FL
19 February 2015 | Marathon, FL
09 January 2015 | Vaca Key - Marathon, FL
10 December 2014 | West Palm Beach, FL
01 December 2014 | West Palm Beach
20 November 2014 | West Palm Beach, FL
05 October 2014 | Port Royal, SC
24 February 2014
17 February 2014 | South Carolina
01 June 2013 | Port Royal Landing Marina
16 May 2013 | Anchored Cocoa, FL
26 April 2013 | Marathon, FL
21 December 2012 | Harbour Cay Club, Marathon, FL
07 December 2012 | Mooring #30, St. Augustine Municipal Marina
31 August 2012 | Dataw Island Marina, SC
13 June 2012 | Conch House Marina, St. Augustine, FL
08 June 2012 | New Smyrna Beach, FL
03 June 2012 | Harbour Isle Marina, Ft. Pierce, FL, USA
29 May 2012 | Old Bahama Bay Marina at West End

Ft. Lauderdale, Fl

06 February 2011 | Bahia Mar Marina, Slip B220
Jeff / 76 degrees
PHOTO ABOVE: Far Niente departing Palm Harbor Marina and approaching the Flagler bascule bridge on the way to Lake Worth Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean. Photo courtesy of Keith Van Zile, Marjorie's younger brother who resides in West Palm Beach.

TRIP DATA:
Distance: 45.4 nm
Travel Time: 7.5 hrs
Average Speed: 6 kts
Number of Jellyfish Spotted (Portuguese Man-O-War): millions!


We departed Palm Beach Harbor Marina at 9:15 am and arrived at our destination, Bahia Mar Marina, Slip B220 at 4:45 pm.

On the way south today we ran into the edge of the north bound Gulf Stream and it slowed us at times as much 2.4 kts. It was nip and tuck as we pushed Far Niente to make the 4:30 pm opening of the 17th Street bridge in Ft. Lauderdale. I called the bridge tender just as we entered the Port Everglades inlet to confirm a 4:30 pm opening and he alerted me to the fact that a cruise ship was departing just before 4:30 pm. Sure enough, a massive Carnival Cruise Lines ship was pulling out of her berth as we entered the inlet. It was quite a site.

That was really the only excitement for today. It was just a nice, relatively calm day on the water. Thousands of fishing boats. And of naturally our course was just this side of straight south (185 degrees). Where was the wind coming from? 180 degrees.

SO it was motor all the way as we needed to hit the inlet before 5:00 pm. The parade of massive cruise ships departing their berths in Ft. Lauderdale starts at 4:30 pm and goes until 8 or 9 pm. In hindsight, entering Port Everglades, as it is called, on Sunday afternoon, in peak cruise season was not a great idea. But we had the nice weather and we want to get to Marathon. It all worked out anyway.

After a nice dip in the pool at this huge Bahia Mar Megayacht complex, we are relaxing aboard with cocktails and one of Marjorie's masterpiece meals.

Weather looks iffy for heading to Biscayne Bay until Wednesday. So we'll enjoy Lauderdale and the many great sailing stores in the area before we make the day sail to Coconut Grove on Biscayne Bay.
Comments
Vessel Name: formerly - Far Niente
Vessel Make/Model: formerly - Island Packet 45 (#33)
Hailing Port: Beaufort, SC
Crew: Marjorie and Jeff Graham
About: CRUISERS June 2010 to May 2015.
formerly - Far Niente's Photos - Main
A collection of photos from spring in the Bahamas
6 Photos
Created 1 April 2012
4 Photos
Created 26 January 2012
A collection of photos taken along the way as we made our way from the Chesapeake to South Carolina
17 Photos
Created 9 November 2011
Pictures of the newly installed cockpit grate.
10 Photos
Created 7 July 2011
Photos of JFK's Presidential sailing yacht, Manitou
10 Photos
Created 26 June 2011
Photos of the various places we are stopping as we make our way back north for summer 2011.
3 Photos
Created 28 April 2011
A collection of photos, including some from the Turtle Hospital.
5 Photos
Created 26 March 2011
Pictures of a variety of projects underway or completed on Far Niente
3 Photos
Created 7 March 2011
Photos from the Florida Keys.
19 Photos
Created 19 February 2011
Photos from Florida 2011
10 Photos
Created 1 February 2011
First batch of pix from our stay in Beaufort and a few from our previous stop, Charleston. Maybe the 2 best stops the entire journey.
18 Photos
Created 2 December 2010
We really like Georgetown.
12 Photos
Created 10 November 2010
A couple photos taken by Tom Jones (original owner of Far Niente when it was Christiana) Tom was on a fall delivery on a Grand Banks Eastbay 38 from the Great Lakes to Annapolis. On a very windy, cool early Sunday morning 50 miles north of Annapolis, they were motoring south on the Chesapeake at 23 kts and just happened to spot us exiting the Sassafras River headed for Annapolis for the sailboat show. What are the odds? A chance but great encounter none the less.
2 Photos
Created 1 November 2010
2 Photos
Created 17 October 2010
Photos from our stop at Cape May, NJ
10 Photos
Created 27 September 2010
Photos from our stop in NY and NJ (Liberty Landing)
5 Photos
Created 14 September 2010
A selection of photos from our stay in Troy and Catskill, NY including stepping our mast.
18 Photos
Created 10 September 2010
10 Photos
Created 20 August 2010
5 Photos
Created 19 August 2010
A couple of pictures of our ongoing excellent dining experience and the Credit Village Marina we are staying at
10 Photos
Created 11 August 2010
A few photos from Port Dalhousie.
6 Photos
Created 9 August 2010
Pictures from our transit of the Welland Canal, down bound from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario
11 Photos
Created 9 August 2010
Photos from our leg from DeTour to Lake St. Clair
8 Photos
Created 27 July 2010
A couple pix from our stop at DeTour.
2 Photos
Created 24 July 2010
Photos from the Mack Island and the after regatta party
7 Photos
Created 20 July 2010
Collection of photos from June 22 to July 17 from our travels around Charlevoix, Beaver Island and Mackinaw.
17 Photos
Created 18 July 2010
A few photos of some of the things we changed/added to Far Niente in the summer of 2009.
3 Photos
Created 3 April 2010
5 Photos
Created 21 March 2010
Interior photos for friends and family who have not been aboard....YET!
18 Photos
Created 22 February 2010
Pix from the summer 2009 sailing season
8 Photos
Created 21 February 2010