28 March 2021 | Dismal Swamp Canal
20 March 2021 | St Augustine Municipal Marina Mooring Field
16 March 2021 | Saint Augustine, Florida
13 March 2021 | Key West, FL
10 March 2021 | Garrison Bight Mooring Field, Key West, FL
05 March 2021 | Fleming Key, Key West, FL
25 February 2021 | Fleming Key,Key West, Fl
21 February 2021 | Big Marco River, Marco Island, FL
16 February 2021 | Fort Myers Beach, FL
13 February 2021 | Pelican Bay
09 February 2021 | Pelican Bay, Caya Costa, FL
06 February 2021 | Pine Island, FL
04 February 2021 | Glover Bight, Cape Coral, FL
30 January 2021 | Ft Myers Beach, Fl
28 January 2021 | Fort Myers Beach, FL
26 January 2021 | Fort Meyers, Fl
24 January 2021 | Marco Island, Fl
20 January 2021 | Big Marco River Anchorage, Marco Island, FL
17 January 2021 | Fleming Key, Key West, FL
Onward to Fort Lauderdale
01 December 2019 | Fort Lauderdale, Fl
glenda groome
Not wanting to participate in the battle of the bridges, we decide to make an early exit from Lake Worth and head to Fort Lauderdale on the outside (ocean). With about an eight hour trip, Jaxon is enjoying the window shopping for houses as we make our exit. The rest of the day won’t afford him that opportunity until we get to the inlet at Fort Lauderdale. The anchorage is emptying out with more folks getting farther south and staging for their cross to the Bahamas or maybe their stay in the Keys. We have no competition in the channel this morning as we leave so it is a most pleasant departure.
Most of the day you could set your autopilot and enjoy the ride. We have both sails up for a bit but still needed some rpm’s to help maintain a 6 knot speed. The remainder of the trip we find ourselves weaving through fishing boats. Some sport fishing boat came as close as 100 feet and seemed to enjoy making a huge wake for us and the little guys in the smaller boats. This is a different world than the Chesapeake that is for certain.
When we arrive at Fort Lauderdale it is “mayhem” or utter chaos. No one cares that you have less maneuverability for a bridge and all the little boats for some reason want to process through the bridge opening along with the big boats which just creates more chaos. We have the police telling us to stay close to the bridge as the cruise ship is leaving and then we have about twenty five small boats and a catamaran all waiting on a bridge opening. We are all finally through and the next bridge opens in fifteen minutes yet the parade of boats is keeping us at too slow a speed. When we finally see the bridge, she is opening.....there is no way we can make it. We radioed ahead and the bridge tender said to get up there and increase our speed. With that I am at the front of the boat trying to yell at folks to move so we can get through the bridge. These guys don’t have a clue. Greg sounds the airhorn and that got their attention. I then asked if they would let us by and they did. It is amazing how many people don’t think about what is going on around them but just what is happening in front of them.
We get through Las Olas Bridge and make an immediate turn to starboard for the Las Olas Marina where we have a slip for a day or two. The staff here is great and the facility is close to the beach and retail therapy.