Day 135 Feb 26 70 miles Las Olas Marina Ft. Lauderdale

Yes, there are crocodiles on Key Largo protected within Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  Remember they are protected ..... You aren't!!!!  Alligators have a broad flat snout and Crocodiles have a long skinny snout if you get close to one.

We are in the Upper Keys.....Key Largo is over 30 miles long and is the largest island in the Florida Keys.

8 AM departure....we're getting good at this....of course....you get up, walk Saddi, have a bowl of cereal and get ready to go........We leave Blackwater Sound and go under Jewfish Creek Bridge.....a new 65 ft bridge completed in 2010.  Blackwater Sound gets its name from the mangrove roots and cypress that make it look black.

Jewfish Creek Bridge....US 1

This is new cruising ground for us.....we have always cross the Jewfish Creek Bridge on US 1 and headed south when we arrived by the motorcoach.  Today we head across Little Card Sound, Card Sound,  Barnes Sound and into Biscayne Bay.  We are on open water with winds pushing us down the waterway.  The Atlantic is on Starboard and the mainland is on Port.  But we are not close to land.  The Sounds are shallow and you must follow the markers as we are on the ICW and our path is well marked.

Card Sound Bridge

 

 

Card Sound

 

 

Captain is moving on

 

 

USCG at work

 

 

Stiltsville

 

 

Stiltsville is a cluster of structures built on the finger flats of Biscayne Bay.  The homes in Stiltsville survived decades of hurricanes, but the National Park Service wants them removed.  They had bay bottom leases that expired in 1999 but the legal battle continues today whether they stay or go.  We couldn't get close because you need to go by dinghy and the captain was on the move.

 

Biscayne Bay is a renowned park, preserved as Biscayne National Park and is over 35 miles long.  On the Atlantic side you have Key Biscayne which is divided into two areas: exclusive homes for the rich and famous and preserved lands open to public access.  The southern end of Key Biscayne is one of the state's most coveted parks: the Bill Braggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area, famous for its beaches, sunsets and views of Miami.  Again a dinghy ride would be the best way to get there.

 

 

 

Miami Skyline....WOW

 

 

 

I read the book "A Land Remembered" by Patrick D Smith about Soloman MacIvey who as a boy sold 24 baby buzzards in cages for Carolina parakeets in West Palm to the rich folks.  He and his father then traveled to Miami to invest money in land.  The Land Man said "Well, there's a right nice beach over there if you push through the mangrove swamps to get to it.  Plenty of skeeters too.  It ain't fittin' to plant crops on but if you want some land over there, I can drop the price to 50 cents an acre."  And Soloman had sold enough baby buzzards to buy 12 hundred acres.  And today........

 

 

From Rickenbacker Bridge to Boynton Canal, this 57-mile stretch is the most congested collection of narrow canals, opening bridges, personal watercraft, and "weekend warriors" of our ICW experience.  So get ready for the picture show!

 

 

Rickenbacker Bridge here we come

 

 

More boats than we have seen today

 

 

Hello Miami

 

 

We are Downtown

 

 

This is a Yacht

 

 

What a sight

 

 

West Venetian Causeway 12 feet  11:30AM opening

 

 

We're still on Biscayne Bay

 

 

Broad Street Bridge 16 ft  12:45AM opening

 

 

Miami Beach

 

 

Sunny Isles

 

 

Nice little shack

 

 

Golden Beach

 

 

Nice View of the Beach

 

 

Hollywood Beach

 

 

Dania Beach Bridge at 22 feet

 

 

 

They are getting smaller?

 

 

 

Port Everglades

 

 

Want your boat in the water?

 

 

Cruise Ship

 

 

Port Everglade Inlet....to the Bahamas

 

 

Better view...waiting for bridge to open

 

 

79th Street Bridge  55-foot

 

 

And it opens we're in Ft. Lauderdale

 

 

Ever want you own patio

 

 

Mega Yachts everywhere

 

 

Lots of Canadian flags

 

 

Am I back in Naples?

 

 

Canals everywhere..these aren't fishing boats

 

 

We could be their dinghy

 

 

Crew in basement

 

 

We are docked Las Olas Marina

 

 

Dark Sky wash the salt off please

 

 

Pretty...more to come.....

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 



Day 134 Feb 25 72 mi to Gilberts Resort & Marina

8 AM departure......the whole dock was there to see us off.....think they were ready for us to leave or they are going to miss us.???????

Connie and Skip came by

 

 

Skip George  Frank  Eleanor Sally & Connie



Our plan is to go out Sister Creek to Hawk Channel and cruise to the Channel Five bridge where we will cross over to the ICW.  Sister Creek was showing 9 foot at high tide which was good.....Hawk Channel had waves and when the Captain said we would have a beam sea Saddi and I were not impressed.  When we turned north we indeed had beam seas and waves 3 to 4 feet.  This was not the way to go so we turned around, came back through Sister Creek to Boot Key Harbor and headed toward the Seven Mile Bridge.  Much better!!!!!!

Moser Channel look good

 

 

Old Seven Mile Bridge

 

 

Little has changed on Pigeon Key since 1912

 

The houses on Pigeon Key have the same pine floorboards that went down over 100 years ago.  This was a construction camp for the original Seven Mile Bridge.  Pigeon Key is less than 5 acres in size, yet during the construction period (1908-1912) it housed some 400 construction workers in barracks type housing and in tents.  Today you take a tram, walk or ride your bicycle 2.5 miles over the old highway from Knight Key to Pigeon Key there and repeat the trip coming back.  There is NO water access due to the surrounding shallows......

 

 

This is nice Captain!

 

We are on the ICW once we come through Moser Channel.  You need to follow the markers and stay between the red on port and green on starboard (ICW rules).  The old saying comes in mind because of the water colors....

"Old Sailing ditty"......Water that's Blue is deep and true (40 ft +).....As it shades to Green, the water gets lean (3 - 20 ft).....White or Yellow will ground a fellow (1 -3 ft sand).....If the water is brown, you'll run hard aground (rocky bar)....If the water is Black, you'd better turn back (coral head)

 

 

You can see the bottom

 

 

Stirring up sand

 



Well we are reading the charts.....following the markers.....and watching the colors of the water.....Sunny......less than 10 MPH winds....what a day!!!!  I turn around and there is a boat with blue lights flashing behind us.......US Customs boat.....Captain stops and they come along side...."We would like to board your boat and check you papers"......Saddi gives them permission and two come aboard.....and check the Captain's passport and boat documentation.  They do not even ask Saddi or Nancy for any paperwork.....They want to know where we have been.....where we are going....and did we know a cold front was moving in over the weekend.....and off they go......

 

 

US Customs and Border Patrol

 

 

You are next Mr Sailboat

 

 

Long Key Viaduct

 

 

 

Long Key Viaduct spans a width of 2 1/4 miles and is composed of 180 concrete semicircular arches, each some 50 feet wide.  There was no other bridge in the USA of this type in those days and it was considered a marvel.  Today a new bridge has replaced Mr. Flagler's remarkable achievement but the old Viaduct is still quite visible.  Although Henry Flagler built "his" railroad all the way South to Key West he was proudest of the Long Key Viaduct.

 

 



Bowlegys Cut

 

 

Read the water colors

 

 

Cowpens Cut

 

 

Pigeon Key...nice anchorage

 

 

Key Largo

 

 

Buttonwood Sound Cut to Blackwater Sound

 

 

Gilbert's Resort & Marine by US 1

 

 

Live Music

 

 

Gilbert's has a special spot to watch the sunset.  Just like Sandy, Rik's cousin, everyone gathers at sunset with a toast in hand.  A group of campers from tha nearby campground drove over to watch the sunset and have dinner and added "spice" to the event.  Campers and boaters are alot alike....they are friendly folks....

 

 

Gilbert's Resort & Marina Sunset

 

 

The old Boat Bums

 

 

Group of Campers adding to the event

 

 

This place hops on weekends

 

 

Captain is ready for Nite Nite  Long Day!