We left Fort Pierce and headed down the ICW instead of the ocean. We’re taking two days to get to our next stop, which is in Hypoluxo FL.
The first night, we anchored in the St. Lucie River in Stuart FL. This area is called the cross roads because the Okeechobee canal intersects with the ICW. You can keep heading south on the ICW, or take the Okeechobee canal to Ft. Myers, crossing the state. There’s also an inlet to the ocean if you want to go off shore.
The ICW changes south of the St Lucie River. The population is increasing and so is the amount of boat traffic. The courteous motor boater who calls on the radio to offer a slow pass are getting fewer and fewer. Most seem to blow past ignoring the effects of the monster wake they leave behind.
The other big difference is the bridges. There are a lot of them, and most are draw bridges with scheduled openings only. Until now, the bridges have been far apart and most are 65’ high (no opening required). The few draw bridges we encountered opened on demand. I’d call about a mile out, the bridge tender would time the opening so I wouldn’t have to slow down. No more.
Our 20 mile trip from Stuart to Lake Worth had 8 bridges. The first 2 were on demand, 5 had scheduled openings, and one was 65′. For one of them, we were two minutes late and they refused to open until their next scheduled opening. So we had to circle in front of a bridge for 30 minutes with several other sailboats. It was sunny and in the 80’s, so I can’t complain too much.
We’re currently anchored in Lake Worth in the town of West Palm Beach. We’re across from Rybovich Marina, which is a Mega Yacht marina. At first I thought it was docks for small cruise ships, but it isn’t. Maybe I’ll dingy over and see if they’ll let me in the bar.
Kurt & Sue Sail 