April 13 & 14 Coral Ridge/Ft Lauderdale to Stuart (the unaBRIDGEd version)

Sunday morning dawned rainy & dreary - with a promise of winds of 15-25 mph by the time we would reach our planned anchorage in Lantana. Being prudent yachtsmen and not savoring the thought of a sleepless night watching an anchor, we elected to push harder and dock at Lake Park Harbor Marina on the northwestern border of Lake Worth.  It would be a long day considering the distance (40 NM), number of no wake zones, and 19 bridges of which we required 8 to be opened.  We were not disappointed - 7 hours of cruising.  We learned a lot about East Coast bridge etiquette, which is different than the West Coast of Florida.  Coast Guard regulations require that every vessel approaching a bascule bridge must contact the bridge tender and provide him/her the name of the vessel and whether an opening is required.  The bridge tender will then acknowledge you and, if you have requested an opening, will inform you of the next opening time or in the case of an "opening on demand bridge" begin the opening process.  That procedure is usually followed on the West Coast.  Due to the number of bridges and the constant traffic on the East Coast, no notice is given to a bridge tender unless you require an opening, but if you do, make sure you request it well before their scheduled opening.  We heard many frustrated bridge tenders scold other boats for requesting late openings.  Also, do not block the channel waiting for the opening as many boats do not need an opening and you just make their passing more difficult.  Navigator had a close call with a sailboat blocking their passage, which made for an exciting few moments. Finally, do not enter the area of the bridge structure, including the wooden channel structure, until the bridge is completely open.  Bridge Tenders are generally nice folks but don’t get crosswise with them. They have the ability to fine you for your violations!

It was truly a day of bridges and as we approached Palm Beach, they got prettier!

Take note of the Marathon Yacht Club burgee and the AGLCA burgee proudly flying on the bow of Ivory Lady.

I

Now take note that the burgees & flagstaff are missing!  Chinese stainless at its finest - with 20 knot winds and four years, the flagstaff broke at the mount. Fortunately, CB immediately called for assistance & AJ was able to retrieve burgees & staff!  Now just another trip to our favorite store - West Marine!

At the end of a long day, what you wish for are friendly & knowledgeable dock-hands. Such was not the case this time, as the hapless dock-hand had obviously never handled a line before or understood how to take instruction from the captain & crew of the vessel.  With the wind blowing hard from the east, docking was interesting enough without an inept line handler.  For the record, Lake Park Marina is a fairly protected marina with new floating docks and all the services required.  Just be sure to request a slip close to the Dockhouse - we didn't, so the walk would have been a healthy one!

Navigator coming under Indiantown Bridge

Off again by 0900 to a much easier day.  Our destination is Stuart with 25 NM, sunny skies and gentle breezes!  Cruising remains around 6-8 kph, with many minimal wake zones, but what's the hurry anyway! As we cruised through Jupiter, CB & AJ had wonderful memories of the first trip down the East Coast aboard Golden Dawn in 1990, with Uncle Bun & Georgia waving at us as we passed under the Indiantown Bridge in Jupiter. This year, Navigator is seen coming under the bridge.

A favorite landmark at Jupiter Inlet with the fabulous lighthouse!

As we traversed north of Jupiter, the landscape changed dramatically.  From mega-houses & mega-yachts to Hobe Sound National Wildlife Preserve.

Then we broke into Port Saint Lucie Inlet and had to make the decision whether to turn left, go through Lake Okeechobee and return to Marathon - completing the "Little Loop" or continue on our journey northward. All agreed to press on! We docked about 1300, cleaned the vessels and prepared for guests this evening.  PC & CA's friends, George & Cathy and CB & AJ's friends from Marathon, Rich & Eileen Dugan.