Lake Worth to Miami

Wednesday, Dec 8 there was a short weather window to head to the Bahamas.  We are a slow boat so decided not to take the chance.  Quite a few boats that were waiting in Lake Worth headed over to Lucaya late in the day.  We decided that it was time for us to get a move on too, so we moved to Peanut Island near the Palm Beach inlet for the night.  On the way down we came across POLAR PACER limping back to Lake Worth with engine troubles.  This was very sad as Tom and Chris were looking forward to making the crossing and had been organizing timing and places to go with the other boats.

We had heard on the radio that ITS ABOUT TIME, an Island Packet, was planning to head down to Miami the next morning at the same time we were thinking about leaving so we made arrangements to travel with them.  Thursday we were up dark and early at 3:15 a.m. and left the anchorage at 4:00 a.m.  There was a chilly north wind at 15 - 20 knots so we made fantastic time.

About 5:30 a.m. Bill caught a flying fish by the ingenious method of having his forehead in the fish's flight path.  Luckily the fish was only about 4 inches long.

Later in the day we were listening to the radio announcements about the Navy's surface operations in the area we would be going through.  They requested that mariners stay out at least 2 miles.  We were about 2 miles offshore when we saw the submarine.  At about the same time the wind shifted a little so we had to rig the pole to hold the jib out.  As soon as we sorted that out a patrol boat came out and asked us to alter our course away from the sub as it was getting ready to make a turn.  Since they had nuclear weapons we did as they asked!

On our way into Miami we came across an impressive group of boats racing.  It was fun to see the fast boats maneuvering around the buoys. 

By 3:30 in the afternoon after traveling 70 nautical miles in 11 1/2 hours we were anchored in Miami next to STAR.


Friday we spent the afternoon exploring South Beach with Bob and Gail from STAR and Sally and Conrad from ITS ABOUT TIME.  Gail taught us how to use the bus system and acted as a tour guide through the Art Deco district and along the beach. 
 

Saturday Gail and I had a girl's day and went shopping in the morning.  In the afternoon Bill tried out his new wetsuit and prescription goggles while scrubbing the bottom of the boat.  The water is quite warm - probably around 80 degrees - and it is clear, a nice change from the murky ICW water. 

In the late afternoon their was a cruiser potluck on monument island, about 40 people showed up all bearing yummy treats.  Unfortunately, a very handsome but nervous looking man in a nice suit had arrived before we all showed up.  He had spread flowers in a path from the shore to a clearing with the plan that a yacht was going to drop off his girlfriend who would follow the flower petals to find him so he could propose to her.  After about 20 minutes of waiting and watching the crowd of cruisers at the end of the path he scrapped that idea, had the captain come get him in the dinghy and went to Plan B which was to go out to sea and propose from the boat.  We all felt horrible about ruining his romantic plans.  He was a very good sport about the whole thing, was very nice and polite to us, and we all wished him well.  About an hour later the yacht came cruising back by the island and he and his new fiancee gave us the thumbs up.

Monument Island