Key West to West Palm Beach

We left Key West Thursday, 30 April after fueling up, pumping out and paying our final month. Three months at Conch Harbor Marina cost us almost the same as two years at Herrington Harbour South! But it was worth it. We said our goodbyes to our dock friends and the marina staff. We were sad to go but happy to be underway again. Our boat had not moved for three months.

Once we were out of the harbor and in Hawk Channel, we were greeted with three foot waves and 12 knot winds – all on the beam. We knew it would be like this for two-three hours until the wind died down and shifted to the southeast (behind us). That gave us an apparent wind of about ½ a knot. We shifted from the fly bridge to the lower helm hoping it would make the rolling feel less extreme. We were both queasy (even though neither of us gets seasick). Things settled down after a few hours and it wasn’t bad for the other half of the trip. We were originally headed for an anchorage called Long Key Bight but severe weather popped up and we made a beeline for an anchorage right next to us. We were definitely in the right place at the right time and got in as the winds were really picking up. There was only one other boat in the area where we anchored. The name of the anchorage is Curry Hammock.

We got settled in, made a drink and grilled fresh Cobia (that we bought) along with potatoes and a salad. It was a great spot and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset! The next morning we took our time to let the wind die down. Sharon made a nice breakfast and baked a banana bread – the best I have ever had! (Sorry mom.)

The Galleon Resort leaving Key West

Views at our anchorage

Our original plan was to go from Long Key to Key Biscayne (just south of Miami) and have two long days in Hawk Channel (the ‘outside’). Friday’s winds looked ok to go to Rodriguez Key, then to Key Biscayne but Saturday’s winds didn’t look good to be in Hawk Channel. Soooo… since we have absolutely no schedule and like to shoot for four to six hours of underway time, we decided to go ‘inside’ in Florida Bay. We went up Hawk Channel and under Channel Five Bridge (65’ clearance) to the 'inside' to Cowspen anchorage in north Islamorada.

Manatees are also referred to as cows and cow pens were created to ‘house’ manatees for food. They are now endangered although many that we’ve seen have scars on their backs from boat propellers.  

The Cowspen anchorage was really nice too! It was well protected from north to east winds. West winds, forget it. There was one other boat there. Presumably a live aboard that rarely moves his boat. He hopped in his dinghy, motored over to us, said hello and asked if we needed anything. How cool is that!?! We ended the day with another beautiful sunset.

Saturday we traveled through the Gulf side of the Keys winding through shallow channels, mangroves, sounds and Biscayne Bay. Once we hit Biscayne Bay, the boat traffic picked up and was a little overwhelming considering we haven’t been around a lot of boats or people in quite a while. Our destination was No Name Harbor. This is a popular staging area for boats waiting for a good weather window to cross to the Bahamas. There is a park, beach and lighthouse. We knew it was closed but we didn’t know the harbor was closed as well. There must have been at least a 100 boats anchored outside the harbor. We took our chance and checked out South Basin right ‘next door’ and dropped our anchor in another great spot (although crowded)! It was so nice seeing people having fun and kids playing and swimming! The homes surrounding the basin were unbelievable! We grilled chicken, enjoyed our boat drinks and another sunset.

Lowering the Conch Republic courtesy flag. It's was flying for over three months.

Sunday we went ‘outside’ and paralleled the coast of south Florida. Why are we not back on the ICW? Between Miami and St.Lucie is crazy! The homes, scenery and mega yachts are beautiful – I’ll give it that. But it seems half the world has settled here and bought a boat! And the bridges – bascule bridges – are, in some spots, every two miles. Most are pretty much timed to open for someone cruising at 7 knots. So between the bridges and traffic, going outside is a rational choice. Outside may be a little ‘rolly’ at times but it’s soooo much easier. Just set your course, enjoy the skyline and being out of the water.

We came in at Port Everglades Inlet. OK. That was a challenge. It was crazy busy! The boat traffic in Ft. Lauderdale was thick and we found a nice anchorage in Lake Sylvia. This was definitely a popular spot! Florida law (during the Chinese Plague) says boats have to be 50 feet from each other. FWP (Florida Water Police) made a boat that was anchored too close to another boat move and they weren’t even together. What a world we live in now.

Monday we went back out Port Everglades Inlet to Lake Worth Inlet and anchored in West Palm Beach just north of Mar-a-Lago. This was definitely the most enjoyable time we have spent on the Atlantic. Out of the last four anchorages, this is our least favorite. It's very exposed and just a stop over for the night. This will now make five nights that we haven’t left the boat and stepped foot on land. We have burned just over 100 gallons of fuel. We also haven’t spent a cent and are loving every minute of it!

Water while underway.