Cruising Coastal Cities
Dec 8, 2023
Upon waking up this morning blue sky was visible through our stateroom windows and small glints of sunlight danced through the hatch above our heads. Jules and I laid in bed debating on what to do today with our nice weather. Eventually we grew restless enough to emerge from below deck, only to find that we had been bamboozled. The sun had been showing through a small hole in the gray sky and disappeared as soon as we showed our faces. We also got a rude awakening from the wind as we stepped onto the unprotected bow.
Windy mornings require backwards hats
The plan for the day is nothing special: we need to go to the grocery store and pick up a couple of Amazon packages my parents ordered. However, nothing is as simple as it sounds when on a boat. First, we had to lower our skiff into the water from the roof using the remote-controlled crane. We loaded our grocery bags, a cooler, and ourselves into the skiff and made our way to a small beach. We had a short climb up to the highway above us and, all of a sudden, we were in the city of Palm Beach Gardens. Luckily, Publix and the UPS store are fairly close together, and not far from where we parked the skiff, but avoiding traffic felt like speaking a foreign language.
We scrambled across the highway and into Duffy’s Sports Grill for some lunch…talk about a sensory overload. Every inch of wall was coated in TV screens and signed sports memorabilia, I definitely got my dose for the month. Grocery shopping was quick and painless. Once we were done, my dad and I went to the UPS store and left Jules and my mom to carry all of the veggies and beer back to the skiff. They were a bit loaded down but, with the help of the rolling cooler, they made it just fine.
My dad and I made our way back from picking up our package and met them at the small beach. We all loaded up in the skiff and returned to the Altitude Adjustment. Once again, we formed a bucket brigade and made quick work of getting the groceries inside. As soon as we got the skiff back on the roof we got hit with rain. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to push us below deck to watch a movie and relax after our big day.
Dec 9, 2023
Every time I think the houses or boats can’t get any bigger, they surprise me. We left Lake Worth this morning and very quickly became dwarfed by massive yachts. It seems like the pinkies keep getting higher the further south we go. We even passed a cruise ship early on which made the Altitude Adjustment look like a bath tub toy.
That a four story building beside the ship
Today we stopped at the Pickle Rick fuel barge and took on fuel, turns out he had the cheapest diesel we could find at $3.99 a gallon. They have a pretty sweet set up out there! Using them to fuel seemed much easier than trying to squeeze into and tie up at a marina. Their barge anchors into the ground with huge poles so they’re definitely not going anywhere when you tie up. Apparently, they have fueled yachts as large as 150 feet which take all 10,000 gallons of fuel that they hold…I bet it is a sight to see.
Fueling up at Pickle Rick’s barge
Almost immediately after departing, we had another near-miss on a sandbar. The route back into the ICW was not very well marked and we ended up gently touching the sand bottom again. Luckily, we were barely moving and the current was able to push us back into deeper water.
As we continued south, the waterway became increasingly busy. Almost getting stuck was only the tip of the metaphorical iceberg we ran into today. The ICW was littered with watercraft of all sizes, paddleboards to mega yachts, and not all of them were courteous. One boat decided to pass us right before the ICW narrowed; it then proceeded to slow to a near stop directly in front of us under a bridge. My dad had to back up in order to not run into the back of their boat!! Meanwhile everyone on the other boats remained entirely casual as if nothing was wrong.
Squeezed in like sardines on the ICW
Shortly after that incident I was reprimanded by a fisherman who passionately believed we were speeding (we only run about seven knots/eight mph). He also seemed to think that I, standing on the very stern of the boat, had full control of the throttle and steering. I simply threw up my hands in a “what do you want me to do” fashion and he repeated his concern for our speed. I yelled back at him that I obviously wasn’t driving, and the rest of his charming words failed to reach me as we putted out of range.
Our third encounter was a captain who was paying no attention to his surroundings whatsoever. He was in a small boat and somehow remained completely unaware that two much larger boats had begun overtaking him on either side. I can promise you, this is a sandwich that rewards the bread and punishes the filling. Multiple voices shouted at him to “MOVE”! Of course, in that instance he immediately slowed down and put himself and his boat in an even more precarious position. Luckily my dad and the captain of the other large boat reacted in time to keep him from becoming a bug on anyone’s windshield.
I’m now of the mindset that, like driving a car, there should be a license to drive a boat. The crowded waterway had tensions raised for everyone involved, but I think we were all still enjoying the sunny day. It amazes me that so many people can be angry on a boat when life could be so much worse.
What an office
The anchorage we used for the night is one my parents are unfamiliar with. It’s a small pull-off from the main ICW channel and there isn’t much room for more than a boat or two. It’s also surrounded by multi-million dollar homes and the boat traffic around us is less than ideal.
Sleeps six, parties thirty
We hoped as the sun set that the traffic would subside, but as the day-boaters retreated, the party animals emerged. Some of the houses around us that seemed vacant suddenly became the place to be. A nearby bar amplified what I am only guessing was music. Tons of boats, large and small, continued to fill the dark waterway, and one upstanding citizen decided it was an appropriate time to break out their civil war era cannon; we heard its throaty KABOOM throughout the night. Apparently we had parked ourselves in downtown party-central.
Needless to say, sleep was, at best, a fleeting desire. My nervousness reminded me of driving on I-25 in downtown Denver at rush hour. I wasn’t concerned about us. My concern was more so on the potentially inebriated boat drivers constantly passing by us in the dark. When anchored, we have plenty of lights on to identify our presence, however a momentary lapse in concentration from any driver can cause damage to property or injury to anyone involved. I was a nervous wreck all night.
My parents abruptly woke Jules and I up while retrieving the anchor around midnight. We had drifted dangerously close - within ten feet - of a neighboring boat in the anchorage. My mom was also struggling to sleep due to the unideal nature of our parking spot. She heard voices very near our boat and went above deck to investigate, describing it as “too close for comfort!” My parents sucked in some anchor chain to reduce our swing and the other boat repositioned themselves further from us. No harm no foul I suppose, but the commotion was definitely nerve-wracking. I’m not sure any of us got much sleep after that.
Dec 10, 2023
The moment the sun was up our anchor followed suit. I think I speak for the whole boat when I say we couldn’t wait to leave.
Getting out of dodge
The early morning traffic was nonexistent, not a single boat passed us for at least a mile or two. It was such a reprieve from yesterday. The first drawbridge we passed under welcomed us to Fort Lauderdale.
We passed through the city with towering buildings in every direction. The huge boats and houses seem infinite, I’m beginning to get desensitized to the sight. We even saw a house modeled after the White House today; unsurprisingly, it was for sale.
This sold for $24.5 million in 2022
Shortly after passing it, the ICW became a massive shipping channel so large that five cruise ships were parked at the dock…five! These steel beasts seem impossibly large, I can’t imagine what it would be like to try and drive a floating city. The first one we passed had a crew that was attempting to load one of the massive lifeboats back onto the ship. It was about the same size as our boat.
That life raft holds 223 people!
If that wasn’t enough to make us feel small, multiple freight ships stacked with containers neighbored the cruise ship pier. Huge steel cranes loomed over them like Imperial Walkers from Star Wars. The control houses were so far off the ground, just looking at them triggered my fear of heights.
I hope the operators get paid well
Eventually, Fort Lauderdale gave way to Biscayne Bay. It was a breath of fresh air! The waterway widened tremendously and became noticeably clearer. Traffic got heavier when we entered the bay, but the 220 square miles gave everyone plenty of elbow room; at least until we all got squeezed back together under the bridges.
Bridge tender control room in Fort Lauderdale
We also passed an ocean inlet that has a brutal reputation, it’s named Haulover. The combination of strong ocean wind and opposing rushing tides can create some incredibly treacherous waters. Local knowledge is a must when navigating it as the bathymetry changes daily. Haulover Inlet claims boats from inexperienced captains every year, but it is also safely navigated every day by those who know the waters well. (There’s a YouTube channel devoted to this subject called Boats vs Haulover)
We plan to use the Cape Florida Channel to reach the ocean which I have been told is a breeze in comparison. To get there, we have to go south of Miami. The immense city skyline was discernible from miles away.
The Miami skyline dwarfs Denver’s
We mistimed our arrival at one of the drawbridges and ended up having to hold for half an hour. Not only did this burn unnecessary fuel, it also forced traffic to build up behind us. Eventually the bridge operator sounded the horn to open. My dad eased the boat under the gaping bridge and once again we entered a huge shipping channel. On our right, glass towers shot vertically into the clouds while on our left, mammoth ships awaited passengers and cargo.
Waterfront living in the city
The waterway beside Miami choked down to a pinch point under some derelict bridges before opening back up into the huge bay. We headed for Key Biscayne, still within sight of Miami but long out of earshot. The beautiful weekend weather had boats of all shapes and sizes out to enjoy. From a distance we saw what looked like dozens of sail boats scattered in small clumps across the bay. My mom informed me that they were all kids learning to sail. Upon closer inspection the boats were tiny, maybe ten feet long at best, and each occupied by a child.
Best summer camp activity ever!
The weather was so nice Jules and I decided to spend some time on the bow of the boat. Day boaters from Miami enjoyed the weekend sun all around us. The water is by far the cleanest we had seen so far. We even saw a Portuguese man o’ war floating alongside the boat. They resemble jellyfish but are actually colonial organisms. However they still produce a powerful sting and can occasionally kill humans.
Look, but don’t touch
We enjoyed our time on the bow well into the evening. People watching was entertainment enough. Jet-skis raced through a minefield of moored boats, music was cranked up to eleven, and liquor was flowing generously. The majority of boaters fled the scene just after sunset, one by one hightailing it back to Miami.
Get your boats out of my picture!
Dec 10, 2023
Now we wait. The crossing to Bimini is about fifty-five miles of open ocean. For us, that means there is no protection from bad weather and whatever conditions we do encounter will likely persist until we reach Bimini. We would like it to be a very nice, calm day - is that so much to ask? Apparently so. Our best chance at crossing was originally Monday the 18th, a week from today. However, when the weather is predicted that far out it is always subject to change. Yesterday, our beautiful and calm Monday changed to high winds and large swells.
Ideally we want no wind and less than two foot waves
My parents say it will take about seven hours to reach Bimini from Key Biscayne. If the waves are five feet tall, we will be thrashed by them the entire way there. Currently, I am crossing my fingers in hope of better conditions; if it remains the same we will be stuck here for at least a week. As it stands we are all friendly, but seven days stuck on a boat together, with little to nothing to do, might change that.
Not a lot of elbow room with four people on board
Our main priority is fixing/replacing the microwave that I broke. A few days ago I accidentally bumped into one of the arms that holds the door closed, of course it is made of the world’s flimsiest plastic and popped right off. Since then, it has been glued and reglued twice, the door disassembled and reassembled, and has driven our frustration levels through the roof.
After a little research I learned that microwaves have a multitude of manual and electromagnetic locks that work in unison to turn on the magnetron - that’s the part that generates the microwaves. My best guess is that we managed to impede at least one of those locks from disengaging and now, due to the safety features, it won’t turn on.
The unfortunate part is that we have to go to Miami to find a replacement. Also this particular microwave also functions as our convection oven. That of course makes the price tag more than four times that of a conventional one. They say boat stands for: Break Out Another Thousand… I’m starting to see why.
Dec 12, 2023
It seems like the sun may not show itself today. Rain isn’t in the forecast but clouds and wind certainly are. Originally, our final supply run was supposed to be at Lake Worth, but seeing as how we are stuck at Key Biscayne for a while we might as well take advantage of their Winn-Dixie.
At Lake Worth, we were fortunate enough to have a grocery store near our anchorage. Here in Hurricane Harbor on Key Biscayne it’s a bit more of a trek. Our main issue is finding somewhere to park our skiff. If we could use someone’s personal dock to tie up we could be spitting distance from the Winn-Dixie, but generally that is frowned upon without permission. Instead we have to go the opposite direction to No Name Harbor.
There we can tie off our skiff without upsetting any home owners, but the grocery store is about two miles from the dock. After being cooped up on the boat for a few days the long walk didn’t sound so bad. We hoofed it into town and had lunch before shopping. Carrying our groceries back was about as much fun as it sounds, we were all loaded down.
I swear it was uphill both ways
Initially our route took us along the south side of Biscayne Key and the water was like glass. All of the wind from the north was being blocked by the island and it was smooth sailing. However, in order to get to the Altitude Adjustment we had to leave the sheltered side and go around a massive sandbar before turning back into Hurricane Harbor. Immediately after we lost the cover of the island the waves intensified; it wasn’t enough to deter the trip, but definitely started getting us wet.
When we left to go to town the tide was high and we managed to skate just over the sand without getting stuck, but, on our way back we were not as lucky. For a short time it seemed like we were going to make it just fine, but the water rapidly decreased in depth and sure enough we got stuck. Immediately I hopped out of the boat to reduce the draw and was followed by my dad and Julia. With the weight reduction the skiff had no problem floating, now we had to drag it across the sandbar to deeper water. It wasn’t hard to pull the skiff, but the high winds and constant waves made it a pain in the ass. Eventually we found deeper water and were able to continue toward the boat.
Shortly before we arrived we decided to detour to where my parents had seen manatees in previous years. We meandered back into a calm cove and killed the engine, right on cue huge shapes became visible under the surface. We floated right above them patiently awaiting a greeting. Very slowly we watched as they surfaced for breath, only a tiny snout peeking above the water line.
Manatee babies are called calfs and will stay with mom for around two years
We noticed that one of them even had a calf, it was so tiny compared to mamma. We were so excited, none of us had ever seen a baby manatee before. What a reward after having to drag the skiff across that sandbar!