On our own

Finally, we got back from our getaway to the Keys and the Bahamas. It was a wonderful time. And now, the next adventure awaited us. The boat now had a clean tank and we were ready to go.

We moved aboard Tranquilizer again on Thursday 06/11. We wanted to leave the dock on Friday morning early. The weather was fantastic. But the temperatures were in the 90s during day time and it did not cool down much over nights. Knowing that we would not use the generator to run the AC at night, I decided to try to sleep at the dock, without running the AC from the shore power either. Well, let put it this way, we were brave and did not get much sleep because of the heat...

Nevertheless, we were ready to go on the Friday morning. e left the dock at 8.30 am, a little later than planned. The first stop was the near by gas station to top up the fuel cans, stored on deck. A pump out was due as well. At about 9.15 am, we headed south on the ICW. Unfortunately, low tide was just around 8.30 am, and Cross Roads was difficult to pass. With our 5 foot draw, and steering well in the marked channel, we had to fight with a soft grounding. Some wakes of fishing boats helped us, to break loose again. It was not bad at all, but certainly not the thing you are looking for, when you have just started your cruise minutes ago.

We followed the ICW and had to deal with another soft grounding near at St. Lucie Inlet State Park. Again well in the marked channel, we touched ground. This time, no big fishing boats were in sight, letting us hope for some wake to wiggle the boat off the sand bar. So we had to help our self with the engine a bit. Again not bad, but a bit annoying.

After a while, we had to time our way through the 6 bridges, which we had to ask for an opening, until we could reach our first stop in Lake Worth. If you time your trip well and adjust the speed according the opening schedule of the bridges, it is an easy thing. The only thing which can put you in trouble is the current in the sometimes narrow channel (at least for a 41 foot boat, with a 5 foot draft), when waiting in front of a bridge for the next opening. Crossing other boats at the bridge with a 63 foot mast height can be an issue as well, especially, when the bridge operator decides, not to open the sigle span of the bridge completely... It is so hard to judge your clearance when looking at the mast top, while approaching a bridge. We always take a close look at the water level board at the bridges. This helps to get the confidence, that your mast will not hit the bridge.

Some 5 hours after we left the Manatee Pocket, we arrived at our anchorage in Lake Worth. We picked our spot while sounding the area a bit. There is plenty of water and we anchored in 12 feet of water. Even on a Friday, there were almost none party boaters around and we had a quiet place, surrounded by some other sailboats on their way to somewhere.

The scenery in North Palm Beach

Getting a refreshment