The first day we only went about 12 miles and anchored off the ICW in Peck Lake. A couple of people had recommended this anchorage, one we had not stopped at before. We took the dinghy to the beach and walked across the dunes to the beach on the Atlantic Ocean. This is a long deserted beach and we collected shells. Back on the boat that evening we had to bring out the hatch screens as the “no-see-ums” came out in force. For you non-Floridians a no-see-um is a tiny, tiny gnat that is so small that you can barely see it (the size of a period on your computer screen!). BUT it’s jaws are the size of an alligator’s!!! They live in the mangroves (trees that grow wild along the shore and can tolerate salt water) and we were anchored too close to the mangroves.
Here is a nice photo of the lighthouse at Jupiter Inlet that Linda took as we passed by:
The next day we moved on down the ICW to North Palm Beach, one of the places we had anchored a couple of years ago and liked. There is a convenient little beach to tie up the dinghy and go ashore and lots of shopping within walking distance. We spent two days there to wait out the weekend as we did not want to be on the ICW with all the “weekend warriors” (those poor boaters who can only go out on the weekends as they have to go back to work on Monday! Naa-naa-na-na-nah!!
We then moved on down to Lantana. We mailed some things at the post office, did a little shopping, and ate dinner at the Old Key Lime House Restaurant (which claims to be the oldest waterfront restaurant in Florida) and got our French fries fix!
Then it was on to Lake Boca Raton and the next day on to Fort Lauderdale. We anchored in what we call “Taser Gun Anchorage” as this is where two years ago the Fort Lauderdale police (AKA “water Nazis“) wanted to arrest me and impound the boat for anchoring in their waters despite their actions being in violation of state law. So we came back this time with a copy of an even newer state law in hand that prohibits them from enforcing any regulations or restrictions on our right to anchor. Unfortunately, we were only there one night and the marine patrol boat never came by so I didn’t get to have a fight with the damn water Nazis or have an opportunity to “educate” them on the new state law, VERY disappointing!!! We went ashore to a waterfront Borders bookstore that has it’s own dinghy dock, very convenient.
As we cruise down the ICW, we pass by unbelievably large and elaborate houses. It is always amazing to see how many rich people there are. It is too bad they aren’t as happy as we are!
We moved on down the waterway the next day to a beautiful cove surrounded by a park with a beach on one side and the campus of Florida International University on the other. Then it was on past the big city of Miami and it’s skyscrapers. Here is a photo of the skyline.
And a photo of one of the cruise ships with a tug boat in front of it. Linda LOVES tugboats!
We had a long 40 mile day down Biscayne Bay as the wind was up and there were no suitable anchorages until we got to Pumpkin Key in Card Sound at the northern end of the Keys. We anchored in the lee of the key and the next day motored on down to anchor in Tarpon Basin in Key Largo. We were trying to get there and go ashore for groceries before a predicted cold front came through with high winds. We made it in plenty of time but that evening the front came through. Although the harbor is enclosed on all sides, it is way too big and waves can build up. We had a very bumpy night with 2 to 3 foot waves and howling wind. Fortunately, our anchor held but we awoke the next day to find that two cabin cruisers anchored near us (with no one on board) and gone missing!! No wait, not missing, just over there washed up on the beach!! It was predicted to blow hard for several days so we were stuck holed-up in the harbor as it would be too rough to proceed down Florida Bay. Here is a photo Linda took of me in my harness and foul weather gear after I went forward to check the anchor line:
I have a theory that these cold fronts are sent down here by people up north who are jealous of our usually wonderful weather!!! By northern standards these “cold fronts” are not that cold but to us they are and our low temperatures in the morning got down to 62 degrees!!! They are mostly a nuisance due to the high winds that accompany them and usually last a couple of days.
We were stuck holed-up for three days and then our patience ran out and despite the weather service predicting high winds to continue and issuing a "small craft advisory", I did not believe it could continue to be that bad, so we headed south down the Keys back towards Marathon. Fortunately, I was right and the weather service was wrong so we had a nice sail down to Matecumbe Bight and tucked away in the NE corner of the harbor to shelter from the winds. The next day we had a rollicking downwind sail under just the genny (the front sail) doing 4.5 to 6 knots all the way back to the Seven Mile Bridge at Marathon. Of course, once we went through the bridge and headed the 3 miles back north to the Boot Key Harbor entrance, we had to "pay the piper" and motor into heavy waves taking lots of salt spray to get into the harbor at Marathon. We had a difficult time picking up the mooring bouy (line on the permanent anchor we attach to) in 20 plus knots of wind. But we had arrived safely back in Boot Key Harbor on a mooring out in the harbor where we will spend the winter. We had a great 7 month cruise but were glad to be back "home" in paradise in the Keys!!
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Welcome Home!!!
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