Packet Inn In Florida 12/13/1010

After spending time in Melborne, we thought that we could get across the gulf stream but the weather has been very unusual for Florida at this time of the year. Temperatures have been unusually cool, the winds coming from the north against the gulf stream creating high waves and very poor sailing conditions to be far out at sea. So, we decided to head further south looking for warmer weather.

We continued down the ICW passing through Malabar, Sebastian, Wabasso, Winter Beach, Vero Beach, Oslo, Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach, St. Lucie, Hobe Sound, Jupiter Inlet, Riviera Beach, West Palm Bay, Lake Worth, Boyton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale and on to Miami with numerous anchorages along the way.

While in Miami, we took an afternoon to look at the boat that George wants to buy. The next morning, we headed further south to Pumpkin Key. It wasn't really Florida warm but it was comfortable. And, then we head to Key Largo and Gilberts Marina. George had been to Key Largo before and remembered the resort from his prior trip there. Food at the Tiki bar was as great as George had described and there is a small private beach close by.

The following morning, we left for Duck Key when we discovered an error in the navigation charts for Blackwater Sound. Where there was suppose to be 6 and 7 feet of water, according to the charts, but there was only about a foot and we ran hard aground in 20 knot winds. After trying every trick in the book, we called for Tow Boat to come and get us moving again at high tide the following morning. We were having alternator problems at the same but resolved that issue after finding a broken wire. A new terminal end in place on the wire and a less than gentle tug from the Tow Boat and all was well.

We continued on down to Duck Key and Marathon Key through a concentration of pods for crab or lobster traps like I've never seen before. Even though we had planned to go on Key West, we decided to turn around and head back to Key Largo for fuel, a good nights sleep and relief from the attack of the pods.

Following our adventure in the Keys, we crossed Card Sound again and entered Biscayne Bay to anchor with Miami skyline for our evening view once again. Leaving Miami, we tried to head out into the Atlantic through the Port of Miami but quick found out that the Dade County Police preferred that we not do that. Something about getting too close to all of the cruise ships makes the police a little bit cranky.

Going on north on the ICW to Fort Lauderdale, we left the ICW for the Atlantic where we had a very nice sail up to Hillsboro Inlet in 2 to 4 foot swells and a gentle reaching wind. Winds were building and small craft warnings were being issued toward evening hours and so we headed back north on the ICW. We finally pulled into Sailfish Marina for the night near Riviera Beach. The winds had to increase to 60, maybe even 70 miles an hour that night. We found it necessary to adjust our lines several times because of stress on the lines and changing tide levels.

The forecast was for more of the same the next day and we decided that we didn't want to spend another night where we were so we headed north again. After about 30 miles or so, we found a small, nice, secluded and protected marina in Hobe Sound, Loplolly Marina. That's where we are as I write this.

Passing through Bascule Bridges, bridges that hinge on each side and open in the middle, is a way of life when traveling on the ICW. The bridges have operators, "Bridge Masters", that can be helpful.....or not. Some Bridge Masters open the bridges according to the time schedule for that bridge; 1)on the hour or half hour, or 2)on the 1/4 hour and 3/4 hour, or 3)on demand pending traffic. However; other Bridge Masters seem to like watching boaters fight the wind and strong currents of the ICW. Even though we had more good Bridge Masters than not, it is the other ones that we are sure to remember.

Something else that I'm sure we will all remember is all of the wrecked and sunken boats along the way. We saw masts sticking out the water, mostly submerged, some with sails still in the raised position. Others boats were upside down on shore and still others were in the trees well back from the shoreline. It makes me realize why there are some 20,000 Canadian boats and an undetermined number of US boats that make this journey ever year. They know better than to be here in hurricane season! You can be sure that we'll be out of here before that season rolls around!

We have seen thousands of other boats and ships. Some are much smaller than our vessel with the other extreme being the large mega yachts. Still larger are all the cruise ships and container vessels. But as far as sailboats, we're probably about average in size. Some, maybe even a lot of the boats, have been all over the world. This one will not be! This has be a challenge and an adventure that we have enjoyed and struggled through. And we are only a third of the time through it. But, it has been everything and more that we've expected it to be.