Our three days in Ocean Reef were wonderful, relaxing and HOT! Whatever unseasonable winds had been blowing the past few weeks came to a sudden stop. When the air doesn't move and the humidity rises, Florida can be an uncomfortable place, even on a boat. None the less, a little golf cart ride around the gorgeous Ocean Reef neighborhood, a dip in the oceanside pool, and a cold cocktail (or two) always help make the day better.
Since the winds had subsided, and the forecast was for more of the same, I started looking closely at the predicted offshore wind and waves and the possibility of running outside. And it looked good... really good. In fact, the more I studied it, the better it got. I began to realize we could actually run past our next planned stop at Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale and go all the way to Palm Beach. This would not only give us an entire extra day in our float plan, but it would avoid one of the worst (and slowest) sections of the waterway through Miami and north through Fort Lauderdale. A few phone calls, a few changes in dockage reservations and we were on our way.
The run was everything the forecasters predicted -- which doesn't happen all that often! We had gentle 1-2 foot "rollers"with following seas and the wind (what little there was) was at our backs. While the Admiral is not fond of the ocean passage ("there's nothing to look at"), I find it rather enjoyable. Set a few way points, turn on the auto pilot, and keep a watchful eye. Much less stressful than the ICW twists and turns along with waiting for bridges to open, no wake zones and slow going vessels. Just four hours after leaving Ocean Reef we made the turn into the Lake Worth (Palm Beach) inlet, turned north for a few miles and soon we were at an old favorite of ours, Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach.
Tomorrow will be a relative short day as the final leg to Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart where "Endless Summer" will spend the next few months (or until it is sold - whichever happens first).
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| Ocean Reef is filled with beautiful homes and ..... |
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| ..... gorgeous landscaping |
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| And an obviously a "boating oriented" community |
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| A perfect offshore run from Key Largo to Palm Beach |
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| But there are few precautions you don't expect along the route! |
If you get to avoid a stretch of the inside in Florida, interesting as it can be, what a good choice. Glad to hear the winds cooperated. Hope the melancholy of these few days is colored brightly by the excitement over what's next!
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