Down the ICW Soverel Harbor Marina to Miami

All good things must come to an end and our time in Palm Beach Gardens was over. We had made a one month marina reservation and had hit our month.

Before leaving we were able to meet up with Lynn and Larry, the prior owners of Seaquel and also meet their friends René and Mike on another SeaRanger trawler.  Both couples are onboard at Harbortown Marina in Fort Pierce. They drove the hour plus to visit us in Palm Beach to see our SeaRanger and then we drove back up to Ft. Pierce to see their boats and have dinner together. It was a lot of fun. Seeing the subtle differences between the boats from different years. All three boats are 47’. Seaquel III is ‘85, R Time is ‘81 and our Seaquel is ‘87. We had a lot of laughs at dinner and were a little sad to leave. We agreed that we need to do a cruise together at some point in our futures.

On Saturday morning we started our cruise south. The next part of our trip was to get to Miami. While it is not very far, there are 35 bridges between Palm Beach and Miami. We were aiming for the 8am PGA Bridge opening. However, it was super windy and we took some extra time to figure out lines for getting out of the slip. So then we were aiming for the 8:30am opening. Eddie no sooner started the engines when the skies opened up and it was pouring. Turned the motors back off and settled down. Make the 9am bridge opening. I was so happy to be cruising again. True that the bridges were a pain but we did get good at timing them for their next openings. There were 19 bridges today and all but 2 needed to be raised for us to pass through. 

My parents wanted to see us cruising on the ICW. It didn’t seem like the timing was going to work, what with our delayed starts and their needing to deliver my brother and family to the Ft Lauderdale airport.

Imagine my surprise when we were at the Atlantic Avenue Bridge and I looked over and said to Eddie, I think that’s my parents on the bench over there! Sure enough!!! We both got choked up. So special to have such great support and love. So while they took our pictures we took their picture! 

Saved my favorite shot for last! Seaquel looking so pretty on the water. 

My Mom waving while my Dad takes our picture! 

39 nautical miles later we anchored on the pretty Lake Santa Barbara right off the ICW. We were exhausted, basically ate dinner and crashed. But ohhh, not before taking in the sound of the water on the hull again. It’s a lullaby to me!

On Sunday I woke the Captain early. I wanted to catch the 7am Commercial Boulevard bridge opening and maybe have less boat traffic at the bridges. It worked! We were the only ones for a while. So pleasant. We chased through 17 bridges to catch openings on the half hour, hour or quarter hour. We didn’t miss a single one! There were 4-5 that were 55’-65’ and we didn’t need them opened. At the Hallandale bridge we called in but we were behind a cruiser that didn’t call in. The bridge tender started closing the bridge just as we approached it. Eddie called up and said - hey what are you doing. The bridge tender said we had to announce our intentions! LOL We let him know that we did and that he had responded to us. He admitted to being wrong and reopened the bridge for us! 

In the boat parade down the ICW. 

Many homes like this. One after another. Tons flying Trump 2020 flags :(

We cruised through Port Everglades and just as we were about to cross the inlet here comes a container ship coming in. It forced us to head out towards the ocean to allow it to pass and then turn around and get back on track. 

Coming through Port Everglades

Huge, and gorgeous yachts everywhere.

Making way for the container ship!

Our last bridge was the Rickenbacker Causeway and then open water until No Name Harbor at Cape Florida. The Bill Baggs State Park anchorage was too crowded with boats waiting to cross to the Bahamas. We expected that to be the case so we anchored outside the park with the sailboats and catamarans at an anchorage called, appropriately, Outside No Nam.  From there we were able to see the remaining Stilt Houses known as Stiltsville and also lots of kite boarders.