What an amazing sight from the Atlantic! Mile after mile of modern high rise condo buildings from Fort Lauderdale to Miami Beach. And yes, we were greeted by a Cigarette Boat(a/k/a a Go Fast Boat) after we entered the Port of Miami itself. We could already here the music from Miami Vice!

Once again our run offshore was directly into the wind. Waves were slightly higher than forecast and from the southeast so this leg was somewhat uncomfortable if you were below deck. And again, the effect of the Gulf Stream was pronounced. Two miles offshore we made almost 8 mph vs. 5.5 mph when 3 miles offshore. As is often the case, our transit of the the inlets, in this case Port Everglades from Fort Lauderdale and Government Cut into the Port of
Miami, resulted in the bumpiest ride. This is usually a function of tide vs.wind in
the relatively narrow channels.

The Port of Miami itself is quite large. After entering the harbor and refueling
at the Miami Beach Marina, we were required to motor south of Dodge Island to
approach Miami as there were 4 cruise ships tied up north of Dodge Island. Boats are not permitted in the north channel when cruse ships are in port. As this was our first time here by boat, we elected to take a slip for 2 nights at the city owned Mia Marina at Bayside.

After relaxing in the marina the first night, we spent the next day on South Beach. The highlight was our lunch at the world famous Joe's Stone Crabs. I
had eaten there with my brother Frank several years ago when we attended the
Super Bowl. This was Sylvia's first time. Joe's did not disappoint. Very attentive waiters in tuxes and mouth watering succulent seafood, especially the stone crabs, make Joe's quite an experience.

Afterwards, we walked at least some of lunch off people watching while we strolled the length of Ocean Drive on South Beach. Tonight we are planning the next few days of our voyage.

There is a cold front coming through starting tomorrow, so we will need to monitor the forecast closely. So far it looks good so our plan is to continue south. The cold front should at least lessen the current high level of humidity. Today the heat index on Miami Beach was 91 degrees.

Florida Keys, here we come!