January 15th- Coconut Grove to Black Water Sound, Key Largo, FL

It was time to get out of the Miami area. City life was fun but I enjoy being “out there”. We stocked up with food, water, and ice over the past couple of days. We didn’t fill up on diesel but I feel we have enough. Time to go.

Lynne with morning coffee.

We had a weather window for moving south. We have approximately three days till an approaching front will bring winds gusting to 30 knots. It’s been windy around here lately. Maybe it’s part of Florida’s winter weather pattern. Just like Massachusetts, only 80 degrees instead of 20.

Plan A was to go around the outside of the Keys via the Hawk Channel. This channel is bordered by the Keys on one side and a giant reef that separates it from the rest of the Atlantic and the Gulf Stream. The waves are less due to the reef. Plans change. The problem was an East wind. Good for pushing us along but our evening anchorage was open to an East wind. There are limited anchorages on the outside route and most are exposed to ocean breezes. Plan B, the inside ICW route has more anchoring choices BUT it gets very shallow. The navigation is more difficult. The charts get worse further south. The company that produces my electronic charts actually removed the Magenta Line which is the recommended ICW route. Meaning: It’s not recommended. Choices. I don’t like the idea of being in an open anchorage. Plan B it is. Inside route. Hopefully I don’t get stuck.

After making the actual decision I felt better. I’d been thinking about it for a day. This day actually turned out to be one of the best sailing days of our trip. We had a great breeze. Both sails up. Catalpa moving along at 5 to 6+ knots. We flew down Biscayne Bay. We probably burned a gallon of diesel all day. Days like these are why I sail.

Good bye Miami. You can barely see it on the horizon.

We had a few different anchorages to pick from after exiting Jewfish Creek. We chose to anchor off of a big park (in Key Largo) so Ollie could get a workout.

Sunset at Key Largo.

January 16th- Key Largo to Barley Basin, Islamorada, FL

Four months. We’ve been living on a boat for four months. I’m starting to feel like I’m on a whaling voyage. Today was challenging. It was very scenic. It also got very shallow. Today also introduced us to extremely clear water. It’s amazing.

We navigated some narrow cuts through the mangroves. I felt like I was piloting the African Queen on the Ulanga River (I’ve never stepped foot in Africa).

Before we hit the section that I was really unsure about I almost grounded Catalpa. With the clear water I could see the bottom easily but I just couldn’t find the deeper water. I pushed on. We left a lot of mud in our wake. We then hit the spot that was notoriously shallow but it went well. I could see the sand and rocks so I just kept to the deeper water. I don’t think a keel depth over 5 feet would have made it. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. My electronic chart has me crossing over land but an internet search says there is a dredged channel, Steamboat channel. There is another spot called Bowleggys Cut that looks bad but I’m getting used to it by now.

Clear water.

The end of the day had us at Islamorada. We had plans to have a late lunch at Lorelei’s but the dinghy motor had problems. After a long row back to the ship I fixed the motor and we stayed onboard. We were serenaded with music coming from the restaurant. Maybe we’ll eat there another time. I heard they have a good conch chowder.

January 12th- Miami Marine Stadium to Coconut Grove, FL

Saturday night in the stadium was entertaining. It basically turned into a big party zone. We had about 1/2 dozen boats rafted up near us. They all had similar but different dance music playing. It was all over by 10:00pm. The rest of the night was quiet.

Ollie had a great time at the stadium.

We needed to get provisions (healthy food) before heading further south so we took a short sail over to Coconut Grove. It’s part of the city of Miami. We had a choice of grabbing a mooring at the City’s Dinner Key Marina. It has good moorings but they are somewhat exposed to the wind (still blowing around 15 to 20). We took a chance and called the Coconut Grove Sailing Club. They have limited transient moorings available to sailboats only (under 40′). We got lucky. We were escorted into a really protected mooring field right in The Grove. It is one of the tightest mooring fields I’ve ever been in. Comparable only to Vineyard Haven (inside the breakwater). If Catalpa were a few feet longer we wouldn’t fit. I was informed they were turning away most other boats due to lack of space. I had to push a boat out of the way while Lynne tied to the mooring.

A sea of masts.

January 13th and 14th- Coconut Grove, FL

We’re feeling quite cosmopolitan. The sailing club has 24 hour launch service to bring us to shore. Lynne and Ollie have been going to a cafe in the morning (the Captain has been sleeping in). We’ve toured much of Coconut Grove. Had more conch chowder and shrimp. We even had our laundry done. To clarify: we didn’t do it!

Coconut Grove was also the home of yacht designer, Ralph Munroe (mentioned in a previous post). His home (The Barnacle) is now a national park. I now have a Barnacle hat.

The workshop.

Marine railway for hauling boats out.

A gazebo with a proa on the ceiling. A proa is a South Seas sailing canoe. This is a replica of one Munroe built. Apparently they are very fast.

We toured the waterfront of course. Miami City hall is surrounded by a park and Dinner Key Marina. It used to be the Pan American terminal building for sea planes.

What the hell is that??? I must not be in New England any more!

There are many parks in the area. Ollie had a ton of exercise and met many people and dogs.

We saw a lot of sailing going on. A nice change. These were the smallest. They are remotely controlled models.

January 9th – 11th: Miami Marine Stadium, Virginia Key, FL

The wind has been gusting up to 30 knots out of the East (and SE) for the past few days. This anchorage is sheltered from the wind. We can hear the wind whistling through the upper rigging but the harbor is largely flat. There are many boats anchored in here but it is a big space and could fit more. After some of the tight anchorages we’ve been in, over the past few days, it seems capacious. There are a number of unoccupied, derelict, boats. This is a problem we’ve noticed in most of our travels through Florida. Some of them seem like they’d be decent “fixer uppers”.

Virginia Key is connected by a long causeway to Miami. While we can see the city in the distance, there really isn’t much here. On one side we have a peninsula. It has a long jogging trail. Good for walking Olliver. We had to curtail some of his athletic activity. Much of the ground here is broken coral. His pads take a beating when he starts flying through the air.

Blocking the wind…

Please throw it.

On the other side we have a variety of things. There is a big crew installing floating piers for the Miami Boat Show.

Then there is the grand stand for the Miami Marine Stadium.

The stadium was originally named the Ralph Munroe Marine Stadium (a better name in my opinion). Commodore Munroe was the Nat Herreshoff of Florida. He was friends with Herreshoff. For those that don’t follow early yacht design (who does?), these guys were giants. Captain Nat designed sleek, deep keeled, ocean boats. Munroe designed sharpies, suited to Florida’s shallow waters. Munroe was an early settler of Miami and lived in Coconut Grove. Enough about boat designers.

The Stadium was built in 1963 specifically for powerboat races. Many famous performers had concerts here. It was closed down and condemned in 1992. There have been various attempts to restore the stadium.

Next to that is the Marine Stadium Marina (run by the city). We’ve been going over there daily for water, ice, and provisions. Not much in the way of provisions. Mostly beer, wine, and potato chips. They don’t have regular milk but they do have both vanilla and strawberry flavored milk. This morning I had vanilla milk with coffee and strawberry milk with cereal. Probably not the most healthiest choice. They make a great Cuban sandwich.

There is a rowing club whose rowing teams compete in the Olympics. We see them rowing back and forth or jogging on the trail.

Then there is the Miami skyline across the bay.

Today is Saturday so we expect the harbor might get a little wild. We are going to head over to Coconut Grove either tomorrow or Monday when the wind subsides a little.

A big longboat filled with paddlers. The water is very blue, even when the sky is grey.

This little island looks beautiful but it is a popular party spot so we didn’t anchor near it.

January 5th- Lake Worth to Lantana, FL

We woke to another windy morning on Lake Worth. At least the wind was out of the North so we’d be getting pushed in the right direction.

Rybovich Marina. Mega marina for mega yachts.

5 bridges later we were in Lantana. The anchorage is right in front of the Old Key Lime House. We had evening music from the Tiki bar. There was a bakery nearby so we picked up some fresh bread and pastries in the morning.

Old Key Lime House.

Lantana Bridge

Catalpa anchored at Lantana.

January 6th- Lantana to Lake Boca Raton, FL

Originally the plan was to head down to Fort Lauderdale. With all the bridges we had to pass through I decided to split the difference and end the day early in Lake Boca Raton. There are bridges over the ICW that are less than a mile apart. There are far more draw bridges in Florida than the rest of the entire ICW.

Today’s list

• Ocean Ave
• South East 15th St
• George Bush
• Atlantic Ave
• Linton Blvd
• Spanish River Blvd
• Palmetto Park

This whole portion of the trip is through mansions and condos.

Do they have this many Spanish mansions in Spain?

Christmas Candy Land Mansion.

The end of the day had us in Lake Boca Raton. The anchorage was a little crowded but we found a spot for Catalpa. I was able to get Ollie to shore over in Palmetto Park. Other than that, there is limited shore access. The lake is extremely crowded on the weekends with partying day boats but supposedly quiet during the week.

My Boca story- Around 3:00 A powerboat with a bunch of people on it anchored next to us. Soon after another boat tied up to them, joined by a few jet skis. Then the party started. It turned out to be a loud Monday afternoon. We didn’t really mind. I figured they’d leave around sundown. They didn’t. The party continued into the night. Eventually one of the boats left but the one that stayed had the loud dance music and booze. Around 9:30 or so the music cut out and the revellers seemed agitated. There were no lights on. No music. They drained the boats batteries with the stereo. Eventually they towed the boat (around 30′) off into the night with a jet ski. In lieu of running lights, they danced on deck with flashlights by some auxiliary music source. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned. Probably not.

Boca Raton

January 7th- Lake Boca Raton to Lake Sylvia, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Onward south! We feel like fish out of water down here. The phrase that comes to mind is urban sprawl but it’s more of a “wealth sprawl”. How many mansions and super yachts can there possibly be? Up north big houses are generally on large pieces of land. Down here they seem to be piled up on one another.

This one was unique.

Approaching Ft. Lauderdale

The bridge list.

• Camino Real
• Hillsboro Blvd
• NE 14th St
• Atlantic Blvd
• Commercial Blvd
• Oakland Park
• Sunrise
• Las Olas Blvd

The plan was to grab a mooring at the Las Olas Marina in Fort Lauderdale. The mooring basin was totally empty so we felt lucky to be able to grab any one of their 10 moorings. We called the marina to let them know we’d be in shortly to pay for the mooring. They informed us, the mooring field is closed for repairs. We felt less lucky. We dropped the mooring and headed a little further on to an anchorage in Lake Sylvia. The books say there is room for about 10 to 15 boats at the anchorage. I counted 36 before losing count. We wedged Catalpa in. I anchored with short scope and tied out a few fenders “just in case”. A few other boats came in after us. The lake was packed. Thankfully it was a calm night (and quiet).

Ollie’s commando runs lived up to the name. There is nowhere to go ashore in Lake Sylvia as it’s surrounded by big houses. A trip down 2 canals and across the ICW had us at a seedy boat ramp. It was a long ride and we are running low on dinghy fuel. I tried to find fuel but didn’t want to leave the dinghy for long. Maybe the next stop.

The next morning I had a different plan for the shore run. We had to get the dinghy under a road bridge with only a couple feet of clearance. I’d done it the day before so, no problem? The tide was up. We didn’t quite have enough clearance. Everyone layed down in the bottom of the dinghy. We got through. The top of the outboard housing has a little more character now. We went down a different canal and found a convenient spot on the side of a road to stop.

Lake Sylvia.

January 8th- Lake Sylvia to Miami Marine Stadium, Virginia Key, FL

Originally this was going to be a shorter day to end at Oleta State park but I pushed on further due to some upcoming windy weather. We wanted to get to an anchorage with some access to ice, water, and fuel. Miami. A measly 1700 miles from Buzzards Bay.

Port Everglades.

We continued down the ICW and negotiated more draw bridges.

• 17th St (56′ clearance so we didn’t need it to open for us)
• Dania Beach Blvd
• Sheridan St
• Hollywood Blvd
• Hallandale Beach Blvd
• NE 163rd St
• Broad Causeway
• West 79st
• West Venetian Causeway (I believe this is the last one)

We went under other bridges over the past few days but they were fixed bridges with enough clearance for us to pass under. The West Venetian is the last ICW draw bridge for us until we turn North.

The fabled Biscayne Bay. This picture was taken near the Oleta State Park. A fun little tidal island for locals.

The buildings are getting bigger.

The little West Venetian Causeway bridge.

Miami.

At the end of the day we anchored in the Miami Marine Stadium. It is in Virginia Key which is right across the water from Miami (it’s part of the city). It’s an interesting place and a good, well protected, anchorage.

….and WHAT A VIEW

January 2nd – 4th. Lake Worth, FL

After a fantastic breakfast at the Paris In Town French cafe we moved Catalpa about 5 miles south down Lake Worth toward West Palm Beach.

We passed the Port of West Palm Beach. It’s a busy spot where cruise and container ships come in from the ocean.

They exit through the Lake Worth Inlet. Near the inlet are many sail boats waiting to cross the Atlantic to the Bahamas. It’s only 55nm between West Palm and the Bahamas. I’ve been told that it has been a while since there was a decent weather window for the crossing. The Gulf Stream runs between Florida and the Bahamas. If the wind and current are wrong the ocean can produce big waves out there.

We decided to go out the inlet and bounce around in the Atlantic for a while.

Wait a minute! I don’t even have charts for the Bahamas! We turned around and went back in the inlet. The current was strong.

Our main reason for moving was the Palm Beach Sailing Club. For a fee, they allow visiting sailors to use their dinghy dock and facilities. We were also getting very low on water. We filled up. The anchorage area is a bit open to the wind but it is convenient to have a safe place for the dinghy and hot showers.

Ollie and I explored some of the surrounding neighborhood. There are a number of small parks along the waterfront. One had a dog park.

Scenes from the Palm Beach Sailing Club.

Club house.

Catalpa is in the background (somewhere).

Dinghy dock.

Catalpa anchored in Lake Worth (West Palm Beach).

This next picture was taken by my brother-in-law on Hobe Sound. It may be the only picture with all three of us on the boat.

December 31st- Hobe Sound to Lake Worth (North Palm Beach, FL)

We inched a little further down the ICW today. Being New Years Eve, it was quite busy with small boat traffic.

Jupiter Light

Jonathan’s Landing

Giant Banyan

This portion of the waterway is populated mostly with mansions and condos. From Jupiter to Miami there are 35 draw bridges we have to negotiate. Today we had 6.

• 707
• Jupiter Federal
• Indiantown Road
• Donald Ross
• PGA
• Parker

Many of the bridges have specific times that they open. We find ourselves either pushing Catalpa to make the next bridge or going very slow so we don’t have to wait at the bridge for too long. I think I’ve been over every one of these bridges when visiting Jupiter and Palm Beach (in a car).

Our anchorage for the evening was North Lake Worth. We had lots of distant fire works but otherwise it was a quiet evening. Steak on the grill. Fresh Ravioli. Salad. Eclair for desert and Champagne. A perfect New Years Eve.

January 1st, 2020 New Years Day- Lake Worth, FL

Happy New Year from the Captain and Crew of Catalpa.

So far we have no plans for today. We need both ice and water so maybe that’s the plan.

December 28th- Jensen Beach, FL

Not much to report on. The wind was still up with periodic rain squalls. The park is a little crazy so we didn’t really feel comfortable leaving the dinghy tied to the pier for long periods, unattended. The stop is not ideal but it does provide adequate protection from the wind.

December 29th- Jensen Beach to Hobe Sound, FL

Today the weather was more of the same. Wind and Rain. I felt the wind had moderated a little so it was time to go. From Jensen Beach to the St. Lucie inlet we had to contend with an adverse tidal current, a head wind, large boats, and rain about every 15 minutes. After the inlet we pulled into a narrow cut along Jupiter Island and everything calmed down. The wind was absorbed by the mangroves. It’s a “no wake, manatee habitat”, so the traffic quieted down. It was still raining but with the temperature at 75 degrees, who cares?

We went through the Hobe Sound Bridge. It’s the first of about a million draw bridges we have to pass under between here and Miami. Hobe Sound is bordered by a nature reserve on one side and Jupiter Island on the other. Jupiter Island is home to the rich and famous (Tiger Woods is on the list). We anchored on the nature side and were richly rewarded. I saw one manatee in Vero but we have both seen several while in Hobe Sound. When they surface, they exhale from their nostrils. They then begin their slow dive, exiting the scene with a lazy push from their big horizontal tail fin. They seem almost prehistoric.

We have our own private beach off of the back porch.

December 30th- Hobe Sound, FL

We were enjoying ourselves so much we decided to stay another day. Today we had visitors! Some friends and family rented a power boat and tied up with us for the afternoon. Lynne served up some hors d’oeuvres. A fun time was had by all. The rain even stopped (mostly).

Ollie has been a swimming beach bum at this stop. Catalpa is a salty, sandy mess (as is Ollie).

More late day showers brought on the inevitable rainbow.

December 27th- Vero Beach, FL to Jensen Beach, FL

Goodbye Vero Beach. We enjoyed our stay but this is an adventure we’re on. It’s time to move on. In all honesty, we probably should have stayed a few more days. The current weather pattern is not ideal for traveling. 15 to 20 knots SE winds, interspersed with rain squalls. I think we were in Vero for so long we forgot about adverse conditions and small craft advisories.

Goodbye Vero, we’ll be back.

We made some friends during our stay. We hope to run into some of them during our journey. Others stay in Vero for the winter so maybe we’ll see them on our way back North in the spring. We’ve gotten to know the town well, so it will make a good provisioning stop. Catalpa is loaded up right now. The bottom is clean. The diesel tanks are full.

This evening we are anchored in the lee of a big bridge and causeway. There is a park under the bridge for Ollie’s late day commando raid. Originally we planned on dropping the hook in Manatee Pocket or further up the St Lucie river in Stuart. We opted to end the day in Jensen Beach. Captain and crew were tired. The Indian River was kicking up a lot of spray today. We’ll access the weather conditions in the morning and make a decision about tomorrow’s itinerary then.

December 25th- Vero Beach, FL

Merry Christmas from the Vero Beach boat gypsies. Today’s weather was a mixture of sun and rain. More importantly, it was 80 degrees. We don’t miss the cold weather.

Xmas morning. A brief shower then sun and a rainbow.

This week we rented a car for a few days. Today we drove to Jupiter for Christmas dinner with family. Driving the car felt like piloting a jet. I’ve only driven once in the past 3 months.

We’re getting ready to move on. I’ve gotten a number of boat projects completed over the past few weeks. Tomorrow, more projects and packing gear. We’ve used the rental car to restock Catalpa. We’ve also contracted a local diver to clean the hull and check the zincs. The plan is to leave Friday.

Vero Beach is living up to its reputation (velcro). We’ve been here over a week and it looks like we are staying for Christmas.

Out on the town with family.

Lynne and another cruiser found a Christmas tree at a thrift shop. They set it up in the lounge. They got together the next day to make ornaments with some of the children that are living at the marina. So far we have paper snowflakes, ornaments made from wine corks, mini boats made from walnut shells, etc.

A creative group of tree decorators.

We are enjoying the convienences of marina life. We needed a few pieces of equipment for Catalpa. I was able to order everything and have it shipped here. We’re also having our mail boxed up and sent over. We haven’t had mail in months. The town has a free public transportation system. This makes it easy to get groceries or pick up gear at West Marine. We’re also looking at getting a rental car for a few days.

Vero Beach City Marina.

Nice neighborhood surrounding the marina.

Banyan trees!

Dog park fun. It’s about two blocks from the marina.

The large dog area is 4 acres.

Tonight the admiral and I are going out for birthday dinner at Mr. Manatees. It’s accessible by dinghy, up a canal. I hope we find our way back to Catalpa later.

Catalpa moored at Vero Beach City Marina.