Great Loop Date 03.24.2011: Bridges, Bridges, Everywhere Bridges...

Day #224 (Thursday): 3375.4 total miles (34.4 miles)
Port #78: Hall of Fame Marina; Ft. Lauderdale, FL

The crews on N II Wishin and OB were up at sunrise.  Our long journey the day before made for a shorter day as we headed to our final destination before the Bahamas, Ft. Lauderdale.  The plan was to spend as many days as it would take to get a good weather window with flat seas between the USA and Grand Bahama.  Our understanding was the waters historically grow calmer from April on through the summer months.  Our excitement was growing as well.

Miami is both beautiful and interesting to pass on the water.

It's not as magnificent as Chicago but still has it's own appeal with many tall buildings and a few green spaces mingled between them.

This park and the buildings immediately behind it are actually located on Brickell Key.  It didn't become obvious until we passed by and saw the Miami River Inlet take off down it's north side.

The Tequista Indian statue on the north side of Brickell Key was amazing and very big.

He must not have done very well with his conch blowing since he had no clothes!

This is the Miami Inlet of the Miami River running west from the ICW.  Our travel continued north on the ICW and did not venture down the river.

This building caught my eye with it's colorful deco art.

This captures the old and the new in Miami with the Freedom Tower on the left and the American Airlines Area on the right.  I wasn't sure if the high rises behind were condos, offices or possibly both.  The Freedom Tower was the tallest building in Miami between 1925 and 1928.

The Port of Miami with a cruise ship alongside.



As we waited for the Broad Causeway Bridge, we spotted a boat just like Dick and Jane's (friends at our home port, Bay Point).  It did make me pause for a moment thinking it was them!



N II Wishin coming through the Broad Causeway Bridge. 

OB on her way to the Hollywood Bridge.

We went through 13 bridges between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.  N II Wishin had to wait on 7 because of her mast height.  We only had two so low we could not clear them.

OB did get a bit ahead of N II Wishin.  We needed the extra time to take OB down the Dania Cut Off Canal.  We wanted top off our diesel anticipating our upcoming trip to the Bahamas.



As we approached Port Everglades Shipping Docks and and Dania Cut-off, we saw a huge yacht being muscled up the ICW toward us.



Once in the Dania Cut-Off, it was interesting to watch these two small towboats work to keep Panaea in the middle of the channel.  It looked odd to see the stern towboat running along backwards!



Back underway and out of the Dania Cut-Off, Todd and I got a closer look at the container ships loading at the Port of Everglades docks.

 

One ship was being loaded while the other was unloading. It was interesting watching these big containers picked up like building blocks and conveyed back to the yard where trucks waited to take them elsewhere.

 

Immediately across from Port Everglades was the US Coast Guard Station for the area.

 

The Star Princess was sitting at Port of Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale waiting her cruise to the Eastern Caribbean.

 

We had no doubt we were in the Big Boat Capital.  Next up...the huge yachts moored along the seawall on the South Beach side of the ICW. We had no doubt we were in the Big Boat Capital.  This one is CakeWalk, a privately owned yacht (281 feet long). She looks small until you check out the workers in the bay at waterside.

 

Here's another...Seven Seas (282 feet long with a 46 foot beam width). The crewman is on the lower back deck.



Heading toward our final destination for the day (Hall of Fame Marina), we passed so many canals with big yachts moored behind private residences.  A local person told us most of the folks here are successful business people....when we thought they were movie stars.



This fellow had just upgraded to a larger yacht and had a for sale sign on the smaller one.

 

Making our turn into the New River, OB began feeling very, very small.  The yacht on the left has a helicopter perched on top.

 

Finally docked in Hall of Fame Marina, OB felt a little more at home among boats her size.  She still had to look at mega yachts across the way moored in Bahia Mar Yacht Basin.

 

Hall of Fame Marina is named for the huge swimming complex along the north side of the marina.

 

The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Pool Complex us dedicated to all dedicated to the history, memory, and recognition of the famous swimmers, divers, water polo players, synchronized swimmers, and persons involved in life saving activities and education, throughout the world, whose lives and accomplishments serve to inspire, educate, and act as role models. 

 

The last week we were in Ft. Lauderdale, the ISHOF hosted the USA YMCA Swimming Nationals.  The town was full of young swimmers hoping to take home a medal and recognition as one of USAs finest swimmers and divers.

 

The only time we saw the Ft. Lauderdale beach empty was our first night there.  Spring break was still in full swing.  Then with the addition of a mega-load of young swimmers and their parents, the beach became shoulder with beach dwellers. 

 

OB had been having problems with her depth sounder until it finally quit working.  We navigated from Shell Key to Ft. Lauderdale with no depth sounder.  Todd had an electronics mechanic pay OB a visit to diagnose the problem.  A great deal of struggling ensued to make one of the three thru-hull transducers to work.  It was determined we would need a new thru-hull installed.  So OB was scheduled to be pulled out of the water once again.



In the meantime, we moved OB to a mooring just south of the Las Olas Boulevard Bridge.

 

We were not disappointed with our new surroundings...and the wonderful sunsets we witnessed.

 

We took the dinghy to church on both Sundays we were in Ft. Lauderdale.  All Saints Episcopal was very handy for us with a dock and seawall just off the New River.

 

All Saints was a beautiful church with another very welcoming congregation.

 

 After church, Todd and I took the Sun Trolley to Riverwalk Park. Ft. Lauderdale was celebrating their 100th birthday with a huge festival in Bubier Park near the New River.

 

They had a huge cake that fed everyone at the celebration.

 

The celebration encompassed the last 100 years in Ft. Lauderdale with pictures from each decade flashed on a big screen on the stage.  There was singing....

 

...and dancing....

 

...and singing (Elvis lives!)...





...and dancing...



...and singing (The Rat Pack was very good!)...



...and dancing...



...interrupted by fireworks.  All in all, it was a very good recreation of each period.  The city of Ft. Lauderdale did an excellent job making their celebration fun for all ages.  We had to leave before the show ended.  The trolley and the buses had stopped running for the night, so we took a cab back to Las Olas Marina where we had left our dinghy.



The next day (Monday, March 28th), OB was pulled out of the water at Harbour Town Marina, the same place we had taken on fuel four days earlier.



It was a good time to examine OB's undersides.  The transom zinc was badly eaten away, so Todd replaced it with a spare we bought in Key West.  Everything else looked pretty good.

 

Back in the water and starting to feel like we might be making some headway for our trip to the Bahamas, Todd and I went to dinner with Joan and Jerry from N II Wishin.

 

Todd was relieved to have OB's navigation back in tip top shape.  Not so happy with all the money spent on repairs between Marathon Key and Ft. Lauderdale.

 

One more night on the town.



This time we were at the Rok Burger, known for it's delicious hamburgers.



While we were in Ft. Lauderdale, Judy and Dan on Quest came into Hall of Fame Marina.  We hadn't seen them since October in the Tennessee River.



We moved OB to the Las Olas Marina the day before a huge weather front was due to come through the area.

 

We were glad we did.  The skies really grew really dark...followed by the big winds.

 

Next came the hail and the sideways rain.



By the end of two weeks in Ft. Lauderdale, N II Wishin and OB were ready to cross the Atlantic for the Bahamas.  Unfortunately some family matters arose.  Compounded by the costs we had incurred in repairs and the amount of time spent having the repairs made, Todd and I made the decision to abort going to the Bahamas.  We had one more night out with Joan and Jerry and wished them smooth seas on their journey to the best waters in the world.  Someday we too will see those waters....someday.