The Adventure Continues: Fort Lauderdale to Miami

FROM: The Captain –

Conditions: Mostly cloudy to start, occasional showers, then mostly sunny, 75-80 degrees  Winds from the south/southeast 10-15 mph. Seas confused 2-4 feet offshore, intracoastal calm. 

Distance traveled: 32.5 nautical miles

Time underway: 5 hours 15 minutes

Average Speed: 6.5 knots

Max Speed: 19 knots

Fuel used: 23 gallons

After OLOH was put back in the water after one week of lots of projects and scheduled maintenance we had two days of intense prep to get ready for our run to Key West which we plan to do over three legs.  But before we could officially point the bow south we had the final item of a sea trial for OLOH’s new stabilizers (detailed write-up on that project coming soon).  The plan was to do the sea trial, which was only expected to take about an hour, then, assuming all went well, motor down to Miami   The day began with the early arrival of Jim and Ray from Yacht Equipment & Parts.  We’ll have much more to say about these two incredible guys in our forthcoming entry on our work with them but separate from having to have them along for the sea trial, it’s always good to spend time with them.  Simply great people.  Also joining us was our dear friend, Captain Andre (an outstanding broker with Worth Avenue Yachts).  We were thrilled he was able to join us for the trip down the New River and for the sea trial.

The good people you meet along the way… The evening before we left we were fortunate to be paid a visit from Jim & David of M/Y Cupecoy. We met them around eight years ago up north and – you may remember – coincidentally passed them as we were crossing the Gulf Stream on our way to the Bahamas as they were returning. Great to see you guys!

Goodbye Yacht Haven Marina and RV Park. A different kind of place to keep your boat, for sure. Our thanks to the nice people we met there.

We had an easy departure from Yacht Haven Marina and RV Park which was our home for the summer and again for a few days after our yard time nearby.  You’d never know this little RV oasis was in Fort Lauderdale’s backyard with boat and yacht-filled docks lining the park filled with RV’s of all kinds and sizes.  The place is filled up with RV’s for the winter and our understanding is it’s tough to come by a spot.  Meanwhile, all us boaters are moving on out.

Hey Queen. We were docked right across from the Jungle Queen which does tours and dinner. We thought the bird and monkey noises coming from their compound was a recording. We were informed it was very real.

Had to snap this the night before our departure.

I find the New River to be one of the most fascinating stretches of water I’ve ever encountered and certainly one of the most challenging.  It winds its way westerly from the intracoastal and from its entrance in Fort Lauderdale to Yacht Haven is only around four nautical miles, but it takes around fifty minutes.  Up the New River are the majority of major yacht yards in the area, many of which service the megayacht and superyacht industries.  Boats up to 130′ can run the river on their own but beyond that they are towed by two towboats.

There are tour boats, water taxis, the occasional floating tiki hut and all imaginable water craft moving all about.   Now imagine that kind of traffic in a river with extraordinarily narrow stretches, blind turns, several bridges to open and a current that can really rip.  When we ran up the river back in June, Captain Andre came along to give guidance and run the radio (you are constantly announcing your position, making arrangements with other traffic and requesting bridge openings) while I ran the boat.  For the trip down-river I was more than happy to let Andre take the helm while I took over radio duty and paid close attention to a pro in action.  Andre has run the river countless times in boats up to 130′ (not to mention being on board a 170 footer while in tow) so running a sixty footer was simply fun for him.  And he never came close to spilling his coffee.

The trip down the New River begins with a pass under I-95. Captain Andre in complete control, of course.

Jasper keeps an eye on the shoreline where he’s certain there’s something for him to chase.

New River done… on to the sea trial.

Once clear of the New River I took over and we motored towards Port Everglades inlet.  The wind was honking and we knew the seas would be a bit rough just off-shore.  As much as we didn’t want to get the now pristine OLOH all salty, we needed those kinds of conditions to test and evaluate the stabilizers.  We’ll write more about the sea trial in our forthcoming stabilizer write-up but suffice to say we were pleased, it appears the system is a vast improvement and Jim and Ray were smiling because we were pleased.

We headed back in and docked briefly at Lauderdale Marina to drop off our crew.  If you ever plan to do a drop-off there, check with us first so we can fill you in on our experience.  In the hustle to leave we only hope that we were able to properly express our gratitude and appreciation for all that Andre, Jim and Ray did for us.

Parting shot… Tim and A.J. flank Jim and Ray from YEP. These are the guys you want working on your boat!

OLOH’s return to cruising after a long summer and fall break was everything we could have hoped for, save the few rain showers we endured.  But it’s Florida.  With Jasper on deck, we eased OLOH back into the ICW for our leisurely 3+ hour trip down to Miami.  Because of the unruly conditions in the ocean and given how calm it was on the inside, we opted for the calm.  There are several bridges in this stretch of waterway but we only had to open four, able to scoot under a few by lowering our antennas.  It’s mostly no-wake speeds on the way down but that was OK — you want to time your arrival at bridges so as not to have to wait too long as they open on schedules.  We never had to wait for more than about seven minutes – and that is also why you see the 6.5 knot average speed for our trip along with the impressively low fuel burn.

Once the light rain abated we ran from the bridge and really enjoyed the calm of the day leaving behind the tense couple of weeks of work getting done.  There was very little boat traffic and once we crossed into North Miami the water turned that shade of blue we had been waiting for.  We had received a few excellent recommendations for Sunset Harbour Yacht Club in Miami and fortunately there was room at the Inn.  The only hangup in the trip came when we were just arriving at their basin with a 15 knot cross wind. A fuel barge had just pulled into the marina and was blocking the channel.  The dockhand on the VHF apologetically asked us to stand by so we floated around for around ten minutes until we were given the all-clear to enter.  The recommendations were not overhyped as this is a spectacular marina.  The dockhand who greeted us and settled us in was friendly and welcoming and as good as they get.  The facility is impeccable, everything you could need is within walking distance and they love dogs (yes, Jasper found the office and the treats right away).

Happy Dog: Jasper is really enjoying the Miami warmth and the fine hospitality at Sunset Harbour Yacht Club.

With Miami in the background, OLOH and crew are settled in for the start of an amazing adventure.

Once we were tied and powered, we retreated to the bridge deck for our first arrival OLOH-Rita of the season.  We had been running non-stop up until that moment but a calm washed over us (even Jasper) and we talked about how all of the familiar satisfaction of this life on the water came rushing back.  One more stop and then Key West!

See you out there…

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And that concludes your OLOH instructions. M/Y OLOH back to 1-6.