Day 136 Feb 27 Las Olas Marina Ft. Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a city of water with canals, rivers and marinas.  You can go to stores, restaurants and just about anywhere by boat.  You get around by your own dinghy or by the Water Taxi.  The Water Taxi is the best public transportation for cruisers.  They run hourly along the ICW and New River and have a stop at our marina.  You can buy a day pass for $20/Seniors $17.

Water Taxi

 

Las Olas Marina is a city marina and is reasonable for Fort Lauderdale.  It is also close to the Port Everglade Inlet which we will go out of to the West End.  They have a US Boat special for 10 days per year....$1.83/ft but after that the price goes up to $2.15/ft....plus $15 per day for electricity  Fixed docks in our area so we use Saddi's ramp on the starboard side.  We have seen some prices....$4.00/ft....but surely that's for Mega Yachts.

 

 

Across from us

 

 

This one came in yesterday

 

 

Sunset coming over Cedar Island at the end of our dock

 

There is nothing marina you can't buy or hire in Fort Lauderdale.  So we are taking advantage of it.  Winzel is cleaning the boat and dinghy.  Fernando is replacing zincs and cleaning the bottom.  Plus we have Keith coming to change the oil and filters.  How about the inside Captain?????

 

 

Winzel

 

 

Now this is a clean dinghy

 

 

A job well done

 

 

Fernando

 

 

Replacing the zinc

 

 

Good job Fernando

 

Bridges have scheduled openings so you have to adjust your speed to their schedule to prevent a bottleneck at the bridge.  At West Venetian Bridge (12-ft) we had to wait 15 minutes for the half-hour opening.  After that the Captain was able to time our approach to Broad Causeway Bridge (16-ft) for the three-quarter hour opening. We were able to go under the rest of the 12 bridges without waiting for an opening.  The Bridge Tender monitors channel VHF 09 and sometimes he will answer you but most of the time he will ignore you. 

You need to know your boat's clearance height above the waterline before you start down the ICW.  (We need 19 feet)  Drawbridges have "Clearance Gauges" to show the closed vertical clearance with changing water levels. YOU need to look at the gauges because you are subjected to a fine if you ask for an opening and you don't need it.....

 

 

Las Olas Bridge 31 feet

 

 

Most marinas do not have fuel docks.  You can get fuel from a truck that will meet you at certain docks OR you can get fuel from a barge that will meet you at certain places on the ICW.  Peterson Barge quoted us $4.10 per gallon.  He can not come into our marina (EPA) but we can go out to him.  They pump 160 gallons per minute since they fuel the Mega Yachts....don't know about that for us.  We only need about 250 gallons.

 

 

Fuel Barge

 

Fort Lauderdale Beach is 2 blocks from our Marina.  Lots of shops, restaurants and people walking the beach.  The last two days have been rainy so I think most are inside.

 

 

Ft Lauderdale Beach....when is Spring Break?