Publish Date: Sunday, April 5, 2009
Location: Old Port Cove Marina, North Palm Beach, Florida
Coordinates: 26° 49.900′ N 80° 03.290′ W
Welcome to the ICW in South Florida. In the last two weeks we’ve made the run from North Palm Beach to
Ft. Lauderdale twice. It’s an easy run between Lake Worth inlet and Port Everglades in the ocean when the weather cooperates. However, the wind and waves were not cooperating with our plans, so we chose to cruise down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). Say what you will about the ICW (it does have a few challenges), but it also allows you to keep moving on days you otherwise might be stranded due to the weather.
The run was 45.4 nautical miles and took us 9 hours and 10 minutes (~4.9 kts per hour). Yes, there are plenty of no wake and idle speed zones to keep you moving slowly, but the real reason for the slow time is the number of bridges. We passed under 23 bridges, 19 of which we needed openings. It definitely makes for a slow day which requires constant navigating vigilance, but there is a lot to see as well.
One of many yachts we saw like this...
This stretch of water way is filled with nature preserves, high-rise condos, elegant mansions and boats of every size and shape. I’m completely enamored with all the “working boats” like tugs, pilot boats and barges. Ayla loves the “mega” yachts (< 80 ft.), “super” yachts (<130 ft.) and now “giga” yachts (<300 ft. – isn’t that called a small cruise ship). Dave just loves them all (except for the occasional rude boater throwing a big wake and cutting you off).
I reflect back to last November (just four months ago), when we called for our first bridge opening just outside of Norfolk, VA. The whole experience was nerve wracking for me. I was learning to
handle the radio at that time, and was filled with questions and anxiousness : What channel do I call on? What do I say? What if they talk back to me? Dave had his own things to worry about, like holding the boat in position with wind and current for 25 minutes because we had miscalculated our speed and now needed to wait for the next opening. We hadn’t even begun to contemplate which of the three levels should we have our antennas in to clear the bridges. 🙂
The ICW down here is narrower than in Virginia, and the amount of boat traffic is some thing to behold. But this run was different – we enjoyed ourselves. Although busy
Standing on the boat deck, looking up to make sure our stack was going to clear.
navigating, being safe, trying to time our bridge openings, and raising and lowering our antennas; we also talked, enjoyed the scenery; and chatted with other boaters along the way (you’d be amazed at how often you run into boaters you’ve seen in other places). The bridge operators were friendly, and truly appreciated a brief thank you as we cleared each bridge. I felt bad for the car traffic, but I guess that’s the price for living in the “Venice of the U.S”.
When we returned to North Palm Beach from Ft. Lauderdale we were able to run outside. With very nice weather and a boost from the Gulf Stream, that 50.1nm trip took only 6 hours and 15 minutes. (~8 kts/hr). I’m glad we had the chance to experience the trip both
Super yacht to go with your mega mansion....
ways, as they both had their highlights.