Five Days on the Hook

Having spent over $600 in slip fees during the past seven days, the accountant/captain deemed that we will be anchoring out for the next five days. This is always fine with me because I really do love anchoring out as long as it is not too hot. In fact I have to say that I was really looking forward to some gentle rock and rolling in secluded locations. These were long days and by the time we ate dinner each evening, it was time for bed. Therefore, it seemed prudent to incorporate all five days at anchor into one blog entry.

Captain Mark has been intently listening to the weather reports as he is dying to travel in the Atlantic Ocean. There are two reasons why Mark wants to go up the Atlantic Coast rather than travel via the ICW during this next stretch through Florida. First of all, we will encounter several bridges that will need to be opened for us. Secondly, I think it was just a macho thing. So, northbound travel via the Atlantic was our goal when we left the huge slip in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday morning. We made our way out to the Atlantic only to find that the waves that were reported to be 2-3 feet were really 4-6 feet. For the short time that we were in the Atlantic, it was really really rough.

Here is the Lolligag going out to sea:



And here is the Lolligag returning from sea:





Palm Beach/Lake Worth Anchorage

It took us over an hour to make our way back to the spot were the Hall of Fame Marina was located in Fort Lauderdale, but that was okay because at least the waters were calm, but that was not to last very long. While our daughter Beth worries about our encounters with pirates, we have found that all of the pirates we have met have excellent boating manners. From our last experience of traveling the local waterways on a weekend we expected some rude boaters but we were not prepared for what we encountered as we traveled from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach. The channel is very narrow in most places and no wake postings were everywhere but this did not prevented quite a few boaters from acting like complete idiots. We were not almost hit like before but we have never seen or experienced such a total disregard for posted water rules and boater courtesy. As we reached the central area of Palm Beach, we discovered that there was a music concert and lakefront festival taking place. This area was very well policed and we got through the congestion without incident. The area of our anchorage was pretty much out in the open but at least 30 other boats had already taken their places at anchor so we knew we had the correct location. The day ended with a nice surprise of fireworks to close the lakefront festival. As we watched the fireworks, we both said at the same time how much we will miss the twice weekly fireworks in Chicago.

Fort Pierce Anchorage

When we were leaving the Palm Beach anchorage we saw two boats from Sea Tow trying to raise something from the water. As we approached we could see that it was a large part that had fallen from a commercial vessel.




Shortly after leaving Lake Worth we entered the Indian River. We will travel on the Indian River for approximately 150 miles.

As we made our way north we came upon my dream vessel. This boat has everything that I feel is needed on a boat. It looks fantastic, it is a powerboat, but has a mast with a sail, and a TV satellite dish. I could travel the world in a boat like this.

Then, we saw another Nordic approaching us. We were so excited because we had not seen another Nordic on the water since leaving Chicago. Just in Time (Nordic 37) was just as excited to see us and it was fun to talk with each other on the radio. They were on their way home to Long Boat Key on the western coast of Florida.








It looked like it was going to rain all day but the rain never did come. Storms were predicted for the evening so it was comforting that our anchorage was sheltered by a subdivision. We were literally anchored in a water cul-de-sac.




By golly, we are anchoring in Eau Gallie

First thing in the morning we entered Harbor Town Marina to fill up with fuel. As we were at the fuel dock, a couple came by to introduce themselves to us and let us know that they too owned a Nordic. Now, we have seen two Nordics in two days. Tug-A-Long is a Nordic 42 and they soon caught up with us as we both traveled north on the ICW.

These pictures are for our grandson William and Fireman Jim. We happened to pass this fireboat as they were practicing maneuvers.






Eau Gallie is pronounced Oh Golly and I could not stop laughing when Mark told me the name of the town. There is a RV park south of Indianapolis on US 37 that I make fun of each time I pass it because I can not imagine how or why anyone would want to stay overnight in an area that is next to a major highway.



Well, since spending the night at anchor underneath the I-57 bridge on Mississippi River, I have become accustomed to spending the night in plain sight and out in the open. So here I find myself anchored out next to a major highway in a town with a funny name …I guess I need to be more careful about what I make fun of in the future.





All silliness aside, this was a wonderful anchorage. The water was calm and the sunset gorgeous. We were so tired when reaching Eau Gallie, that we grilled some steak and fish and fell asleep very early.

Titusville Anchorage





Before reaching our anchorage area we came upon a swing bridge that opens on demand. It has been a while since we have seen a swing bridge as most of the bridges in Florida are bascule bridges which means that they lift open. The bridgemaster of this bridge was so charming and would wish each vessel a safe journey as they passed his bridge.

Titusville is the area that many boaters come to watch launches from Cape Canaveral. It is our hope that when we return to Florida in the fall that we will be passing through this area when a launch is scheduled.

Wild fires have been a problem while we have been traveling through this area. Several times we could smell the smoke but today was the first day that we could actually see the smoke.

Again it was a long day and we were exhausted when we reached our anchorage this evening which is just outside the opening of the Titusville Marina. The Titusville Marina is very accommodating to transient boaters in that they have a dinghy dock and a pump out service both of which are free to boats both inside the marina and anchored out in the basin. The marina staff were extremely friendly and helpful with suggestions about the town and shopping while in Titusville.

Shortly after we arrived the wind switched direction and a small craft advisory was issued so we decided to stay another day at anchor. The actual thunderstorms passed us by but the wind howled all night long. We bounced around at anchor more than we ever had before but the Bruce anchor held just fine. On Thursday since we were at anchor, we were limited on the chores that we could perform, so we decided not to do any at all. It was nice to have a whole day to just rest and relax.

Hours on the water: 27.5
Nautical miles traveled: 178
Number of bridges that needed to be opened: 9
Time spent waiting at bridges: 1.25 hours
Next Destination: New Smyrna Beach City Marina
What we're listening to: Finished Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
and started The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks
What we watched: Nothing
Lesson for the day: Our saturation limit for anchoring out is five days
Obligatory knitting report: Finished the hat and sweater for baby Maxwell

This is how the other half lives

These pictures were taken as we traveled between Miami and Palm Beach. Each home is a single family dwelling and each boat is a non-commercial vessel.

























Also, each of these items is for sale. It seems like everything in Florida is for sale...

Two Days in Fort Lauderdale

Mark and I have long said that when we grow up we want to be just like our friends Kathy and Bob who cruise aboard Wild Wind. From the get-go both Kathy and Bob encouraged us when they learned of our desire to cruise and complete America’s Great Loop. Before we left Chicago they were helpful in providing us with information, tips, and sage advice that would make our trip easier and more comfortable. I remembered Kathy telling us of a marina that they stay in while in Fort Lauderdale but I could not remember the marina’s name. A call to Kathy not only provided me with the name of the marina but a wonderful chance for us to talk and compare experiences. Unbeknownst to me following our telephone conversation, Kathy called Hall of Fame Marina to let them know that we desired to stay in their marina while in Fort Lauderdale.

I was flabbergasted later when I called Hall of Fame to find out that they did not have a slip for a boat of our size but they would be happy to accommodate us in an 80 foot slip at no extra charge. Mark and I have never played with the big boys before and we were wowed by the prospect of being an 80 foot slip – even I could dock the Lolligag in an 80 foot slip. I am not exaggerating when I say that the Lolligag was smaller than most “auxiliary craft” aboard these big boats.









We arrived and were greeted wonderfully by the marina staff. This marina is named Hall of Fame Marina as the International Aquatic Hall of Fame is housed within the marina grounds. As both of our daughters (and now our granddaughter) swam competitively, we were very familiar with swimming and diving meets. We looked for their names as we were sure that with all of the swim meets that we attended while the girls were growing up that surely they would be in the Hall of Fame…

The famous “Where the boys are” Fort Lauderdale beach was literally right across the street from the marina. Upon arrival and settling in, Mark and I walked all along the beach. The temperature was warm but the water and sea breeze was wonderful. It was a fantastic afternoon at the beach.



We had plenty of work to get caught up on since we spent all of our time in Miami playing. This was the first time that Captain Mark could really wash the boat since Sanibel. All of the water in the Keys is transported from mainland Florida so we were unable to wash the boat during our stay in the Keys. I did the laundry, paid bills, and attempted to get the blog current.

While Mark was washing the boat he was given the most wonderful compliment that we have ever received. A gentleman who owned a 100 foot boat down the dock from us came by to see the Lolligag. Pointing to our boat he said “That is the best boat in the harbor. I have a little 26 Nordic in Bermuda and I just love mine.” Pointing to his large boat, he said “That is business, the Nordic is fun.”

Finally it was time for Cinderella Lolligag to return to reality. We left the 80 foot slip with ease and headed to the Atlantic.

Hours on the water: 4
Nautical miles traveled: 23
Number of bridges to be opened: 2
Time spent waiting at bridges: 30 minutes
Next Destination: West Palm Beach anchorage
What we're listening to: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
What we watched: Nothing - we cleaned the boat
Lesson for the day: Once again we learned that bigger is not always better
Obligatory knitting report: Baby Sweater for Maxwell

On the way to Fort Lauderdale

As we left Miami we passed all sorts of cruise boats.




But as we approached Port Everglades we saw several international ocean going vessels preparing to depart.










In additon three US Navy ships were in port. Again, I am sure that I was being photographed as I photographed the Navy ships.













Several cruise ships also depart from the Port Everglades which is immediately south of Fort Lauderdale.






I was also excited to see the Bahamian Mail Boat in port. As this is the boat that brings supplies and mail to the Bahamas I am sure that I will be more excited to see it next Spring.

Two Days in Miami

As we approached Miami, we could not help but think of the Chicago. While we are prejudiced and think that there is no skyline as beautiful as Chicago’s, we did find Miami’s quite welcoming. After passing under the causeway to Dodge Island we entered the port of Miami. The first vessel we met was a working barge and it seemed so odd to see a working barge in Miami. It was wonderful to see the giant cruise ships lined up all in a row waiting to take guests to exotic ports of call.

Originally, it was not our intention to spend time in Miami. We thought that it would be too hard to get a slip and if a slip was available, that it would be too expensive.
As it turned out we were able to get a wonderful slip and of the three Miami marinas that we called, the city operated Miamarina was the most reasonable at $2.40 per foot plus tax which works out to just shy of $95.00 per night for the little Lolligag. This marina is located immediately downtown and was very conveniently located to public transportation and wonderful shopping.

Rather like Chicago’s Navy Pier, the Bayside Market is a nice shopping area with lots of restaurants linked to Miamarina. My sandals have been in the process of dying for the last couple of weeks and I dearly wanted to purchase a pair of Reef Sandals. I had tried on a pair last summer and just could not bring myself to purchase them at that time. Reef Sandals have the most wonderful support and are a delight to wear but they are expensive as far as sandals go. Well low and behold, the first store that we came to in the Bayside Market was a store that sold Reef Sandals. So not only did I get one pair, but I got two pair – a black pair and a brown pair. What makes the black pair special is that they have a bottle opener built into the sole – the salesman kept telling me what a great idea and how handy this would be and I kept looking at him like he was nuts…then Mark said “If you want to impress her, show her the sandals that have a corkscrew in the sole…”

Wanting to see the city, we hopped aboard the Miami Metromover on our first afternoon. This is exactly like being on the monorail at Disney World except there is no engineer. There are several routes and these cute little electric powered cars silently glide high above the downtown streets of Miami. Not only are they fun to ride, but they are free.

Each evening on the pier there was live music until 10p. It was nice to sit outside to enjoy the music and people watch.



We had a rather large vessel docked in front of us – do you think it was really them?

Captain Mark was in search of a chart book for the eastern US seacoast and I needed some yarn. This meant that we got to ride the Miami bus system. Again the bus stops were very conveniently located and the transit system was easy to navigate. We found West Marine and JoAnn Fabrics with no problem at all. Of course West Marine was in one area of the city and JoAnn’s in another but this was fine with us because we really do enjoy riding public transportation when we are in new cities. It is a wonderful way to really see the city as well as the people.

Hours on the water: 4
Nautical miles traveled: 28.5
Number of bridges need to be open for us: 0
Time spent waiting for bridge openings: 0
Next Destination: Hall of Fame Marina in Fort Lauderdale
What we're listening to: Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
What we watched: Sights and sounds of Miami
Lesson for the day: Who ever heard of sandals with a beer opener
Obligatory knitting report: Baby Sweater for Maxwell