For the past three years, since we began cruising OLOH between the northeast and the…
Key Largo to Fort Lauderdale
FROM: The Captain –
Conditions: Sun and clouds. Winds from the southeast 10-15 mph. Seas 2-3 feet.
Distance traveled: 56 nautical miles
Time underway: 7 hours 33 minutes
We had a blast at Ocean Reef Club topped off with some of the best stone crabs we’ve eaten on our last evening there. A very warm and special thanks to our hosts who showed us an exceptional time – we really enjoyed being together and could have continued to share life and boating stories for days. Can’t wait to see you again!
So after a night of sleeping off the stone crabs (and crab cakes and gazpacho and ceviché and key lime pie) we were up just before 7am to get underway for our run up to Fort Lauderdale. The weather had become a bit unstable and although the winds were only forecast at 10-15 mph out of the southeast there was a threat of isolated showers and thunderstorms throughout the day and seas forecast to be 2-3 feet. I plotted three routes – one that would take us straight to Port Everglades inlet in Fort Lauderdale that there was little chance we were going to use unless the conditions were ideal, one to Government Cut, the big inlet at Miami and one giving us the shortest distance to a respite from the ocean through the Biscayne Channel into the relatively protected waters of Biscayne Bay. We had an easy departure from Ocean Reef but the wind was strong and steady as we moved out into the Hawk Channel and once we were clear of Ocean Reef’s entry channel the sky opened up thanks to a small cell that had formed in the twenty minutes since I last checked the weather radar. We quickly retreated from the bridge to the comfort of the pilot house.
Then as we began to turn to the northeast to follow the coastline the three-foot waves were squarely on our starboard aft quarter, a condition that causes the boat to move around in a way that causes Jasper a great deal of anxiety. The decision to head for Biscayne Bay was an easy one even though it would mean a five-hour slow-go up the Intracoastal Waterway to Fort Lauderdale. But our comfort and moreover, Jasper’s comfort is of the utmost importance. While on our way to the bay we kept a close eye on the radar and actually managed to adjust our speed to dodge a couple of rain cells.
Once in the Biscayne channel, the seas calmed as did Jasper. What a relief. While we have never traversed this channel it is well charted and well marked and we passed through without issue. Boats with drafts deeper than our five feet will want to plan with the tides.
[videopress 5DeZdKbA]
This is also where Stiltsville is. Stiltsville is a group of wood stilt houses on sandbanks dating back to the early 1930’s. There are seven remaining structures which stand on wood or reinforced concrete pilings, generally ten feet above the shallow water which varies from one to three feet deep at low tide. I’ve seen Stiltsville quite a bit in the media but passing right through there was pretty cool.
As we turned back to the northeast to join the ICW the Miami skyline sharpened. We were back in civilization. The run up the ICW between Miami and Fort Lauderdale is mostly slow-going with many no-wake zones. But it is straight-forward navigation and there’s lots to see. Plus it was calm and we were able to return to OLOH’s bridge for the rest of the day. The toughest part about this stretch of the waterway for many cruisers is the number of bridges you have to pass under and all of the lift bridges open on a schedule, not on request. Fortunately, with her antennae down, OLOH only needs 24′ to clear a bridge and all but three were passable without an opening. The first was the West Venetian Causeway which opens every half hour on the hour. By a stroke of good luck, we arrived at the bridge with only around five minutes to wait.
The second opening was at the Broad Causeway Bridge which opens at :15 and :45 past the hour. We didn’t time this one right and arrived twenty-five minutes early (or five minutes too late). The signage through Miami isn’t terrific in terms of letting you know when you are able to bring up your speed so we erred on the side of caution when we weren’t sure which inevitably caused our delay. But while it is frustrating, we view having to wait for a bridge to open for our boat a happy problem ?. The third opening was at the Sheridan St. Bridge in Hollywood (which has excellent signage) and we arrived just six minutes before an opening.
As you pull into Fort Lauderdale the boats get bigger. Much bigger. Mega-yachts and Super-yachts are a dime a dozen. In fact, when we hailed Bahia Mar Yachting Center and asked if there was space at the fuel dock for us before we settled into our slip they replied that there wasn’t. Not because boats were fueling but because the 150+ footers they squeezed in there were taking up all the space (they make a whole lot more from dockage than from fuel). So after a long haul, we got OLOH tied up and toasted our colorful day with an arrival Heidi Guavarita (go to the Libations section of our home page for the recipe).
If the weather holds it looks like we could cross to the Bahamas within a few days. Jasper’s pre-trip vet appointment is set, boat preps are underway and there’s much provisioning to be done.
See you out there!
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