Storms blew in and blew out, and pretty soon it was time to make our run across the Gulf Stream back to Florida.
A few hours later we were in Fort Lauderdale, and as always seems to happen—like a sign—when we return to the States, a squall popped up. We were going to grab a slip for a night or two, but just as we approached the docks, the wall of wind and rain hit, so we turned and grabbed a mooring instead. It was more fitting, anyway, as that was exactly where we had started and ended every other trip in and out of Florida.
The plan hadn’t always been to return to Florida for hurricane season—not by a long shot. But weather and family obligations conspired to make it the easiest choice.
Ali and the kids got their room ready to leave for a couple months of family visits. Tape off the walls, random candy (Tic-Tacs from Christmas?) thrown away, and book piles gone through.
Las Olas City Marina moorings. Just twenty bucks a night come summertime.
While the rest of the family flew off to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Minnesota, I spent two days moving up the ICW and Okeechobee waterway towards Indiantown.
This place, on a weekend, is nuts. Just hundreds of boats anchored right next to each other having a barbecue and swimming in questionable water.
Our boat name runner-up.
Palm Beach—a place for the riff-raff and the ultra-mega-yachties to co-exist?
The St. Lucie River Inlet was an absolute madhouse on a Sunday afternoon. Literally thousands of boats must zip in and around that area on the weekends. I putted along, though, and pretty soon hit the bridges, after which everything goes back to normal.
I tend to have a hard time picking up the camera when I’m in the States. I know that this sort of perfection is supposed to be beautiful, but I find it incredibly boring, unoriginal, and uninspiring. Ali will read this and tell me to cheer up, I’m sure. We’ve had discussions, and I’m supposed to keep my chin up on this visit to the States. It’s become more and more difficult for me, through the years, but I’m going to give it my best—so, here’s a picture of a clean white house on a clean green background.
This guy’s fin has obviously had some speedboat run-ins.
This was the one spot I had to pay some attention to. It’s a narrow area to navigate through, with a bit of current and the bridges to contend with. As I motored along and the bridge went up, two jet-skiers roared up and stopped right next to the railroad bridge. The girl got on her phone and the guy kept doing donuts, or whatever, then continued through the bridge. Meanwhile the girl sat gabbing on her phone, and floated directly in front of me right where the white boat in that picture is. I yelled, but she didn’t hear, so I hit the horn. I was only about fifty feet away at this point—the horn just about sent her flying into the water. Distracted drivers with phones, even on the water. Ugh.
I wonder how many boats like this are sunk in Florida inland waterways. Hundreds? Thousands? They are everywhere.
I got up to the St. Lucie Lock and called for a lift. The lock master let me know that the railroad bridge, two miles before the marina, was closed for repairs for two days. So, nothing to be done about that, I guess. I tied up between two “dolphins” and settled in to wait. It was actually a pretty nice spot to hang out and get some work done for a couple of days—and free. After two days I was back on my way.
25 Comments on “Florida… Again.”
Between Islamorada and Amelia Island there were 23 sunken boats visible on the ICW in spring of 2017.
There’s a marina in the delta near me with three wrecked, partially sunken boats just sitting in slips. The place looks like a dump! I really wonder how they stay in business.
I couldn’t agree more about the US. We’re a society in decline and it’s sad.
Deb
SV Kintala
http://www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com
I truly understand your feelings about being back in the US. I haven’t been out of Mexico for over two years and have no desire to return to US. My kids don’t understand, but they are coming to visit in PV this fall. Maybe then they will see why I don’t want to endure the hassle anymore.
I don’t mean for my comments to start a dump on the U.S. discussion. Really, I just don’t feel like I belong here any more. Returning to the States always fills me with a sense of dread. Not really sure why it is, and am not trying to pin it down on anything or anyone in particular, but the longer I’ve been gone the more I simply don’t agree with, or find my values line up, with others. I doubt that so much in others has changed, so much as the change has happened to me. Right or wrong. Hell, maybe I’m just getting old and grouchy. 🙂
“I just don’t feel like I belong here any more.” Of course, the beautiful thing is that you’re pretty tight with a couple of Mexicans, so that when/if the day comes you and Ali seek a land base, you’ll have the privilege and opportunity to consider buying property south of the U.S., without restriction, in the name of said Mexicans. That’s a pretty cool thing to have going for you. All the best and hope to get together with you guys in person again. We’re in Fiji now, but by the end of this year we’ll be living full-time on a small island of humanity in the middle of the Sonoran desert, in Arizona, just 40 minutes from the Mexican border and 2 hours from the Sea of Cortez. Plan to stop by if you’re ever in the area.
After living and working overseas for more than 20 years I agree with you. We always found that adjusting to US life was much more difficult than adjusting to overseas life. At the time I always felt that it was just being overwhelmed by the choices in grocery stores, and the highways, and the sort of mundaneness of it all when we returned for visits after being gone for long periods of time. However, now, being older and wiser, I enjoy the differences I find in our country too. You have to search a bit harder in the places you visit, and within yourself, to see the beauty and appreciate the diversity of our landscapes and people, but they are there. That said, I still love the adventure of travel, and I’ll always count the days until my next journey begins. It is always what you make of it. Enjoy your time with family.
Well said. Like you were listening in on those talks Ali has with me before we return Stateside. 🙂
I’m sure you and the family will make the best of your time back stateside, Pat. I’m hoping it won’t adversely affect your insights into the market or the really educational quality of the brilliant Wanderer Financial newsletter you and Lorin produce. I’m not a newbie to trading, but I’ve learned a lot from you guys and sincerely appreciate all the work that must go into putting the newsletter together each week.
Reading this reminds me of taking exactly that same trip, but past Indiantown, on the way to the Tampa Bay area, except in a 30 foot sailboat. Indiantown is THE place to be in hurricane season for sure and as you probably know, a great place to work on your boat.
Yeah, seems like a great place. Good people for sure. Seems to be about as safe a spot as you’re going to find in Florida. And the price is right, too. We were given multiple free months just for being new here, and for letting them know so-and-so recommended us to them. I’m pretty sure they’re banking on the fact that most people won’t return to their boats for years, if ever, but it works great for those of us that are sure to be back soon. Plus, we’ve got gators swimming around the boat. You don’t get that every day. And… one of my favorite things—we get to run fresh water through the engines before we store them. Boats love fresh water.
Whereas I agree with your assessment of So Florida water-zoo. We always tried to get through on a weekday and get out – Bahamas or Keys; I feel sad for your assessments of this beautiful country. As for sunken boats – we’ve had two hurricanes over the last two years and many, many docks and marinas were damaged as well as the boats and are still trying to recover. You lucked out in St Aug when you bought your boat – if it had been just a little further south it may have been a different story … underwater.
That wasn’t meant as a dig on Florida. I’m well aware of the hurricanes. It’s was more a comment on how many boats were sunk, not an assessment of how well govt is doing at digging them out of the muck.
HA! HA! We left the states in 2009 & now live in a camper van in Europe, so I know what you mean…what’s really funny is that the people living in the clean white McMansion think you’re as weird for living your lifestyle as you think they’re boring living theirs! How great that we each get to be weirdly wonderful in our own ways! Keep enjoying your life & teaching your kids what truly matters-having FUN!
Spot on.
I live in a clean white McMansion and don’t think you are weird at all. I understand completely… and to reply about your earlier comment above about “pinning it down on anything or anyone in particular”… I am pinning down my sense of dread to one person in particular. Enjoy your summer!
I worked in Antarctica for 12 years, and spent a lot of time in New Zealand before and after. It was always hard to come back to the US… one of the things I can’t get out of my ears – car wheels on roads – everywhere.
Funny the things that get our dander up. The constant hurry is what drives me crazy. It’s one of the reasons I like driving really old cars in the States—it seems to be the one thing that people are willing to chill out around. People rarely get mad at me for moving so slow when I’m in a 50 year-old vehicle, but drive that same speed in a new car? Whew, look out.
I think a growing number of people find their daily lives to be at odds with their conscious wishes of what they truly believe life should be like but don’t know where to start, or how to change their compulsive patterns they have been taught are for the greater good of society. A great deal of what we do each day doesn’t even relate to sustaining ourselves, its just things we do, which is why we have become the greatest consumer society. When one steps aside from a processed culture for awhile, its quite hard to fit back into the cog. Your the normal one Pat.
Willie, I belong to a Facebook group called Women Who Sail and I see this all the time, women struggling with the desire to transition from the consumerist society to the minimalist voyaging life but lacking any knowledge on where or how to start. It’s been a long while since we did it, but I remember struggling with discarding so much “stuff” that I had wasted money on and now was throwing away because no one wanted it. I had spent a good deal of my life working to buy things I didn’t need and hours tending to stuff I never used. It’s been liberating to live on the boat full time these past years where nearly every moment is directly dedicated to your immediate sustenance or mental peace. Your observations are completely spot on.
Deb
SV Kintala
http://www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com
I really enjoyed reading this this post and all the insightful comments…while photographs are nice to look at (pretty pictures are a dime a dozen), it is your words that bring them to life…and they reveal the inner workings of your mind…your humanity. That goes for everyone that wrote in.
With regard to using your camera in the states – I’m thinking of all the incredible photos you’ve taken of small towns, county fairs, farm land and so many more things when you were rambling around the country awhile back. You’re smart to follow your heart and show your kids the world and I understand you’re not dumping on the US. There are good people everywhere – some like the hustle and bustle and some don’t. Some of the previous comments referenced the consumer society we’ve become (and I agree) but, man alive, the buy-more-stuff mind set has spread around the world.
Thanks for sharing you beautiful trip. I enjoyed the photos and the commentary. Looking forward to next.
Hey guys!
Have been a longtime reader and really enjoyed the ride! Imagine my surprise when I looked to my left yesterday at the park and saw Ali! Did a double take and then saw the kids playing. My two (younger) kids were there too. Didn’t want to bother but was surprised at how star struck and lost for words I was!
Hope everything is groovy on the boat.
Best,
James, Wies, Zoe and Muir
I have found your site from The Cynical Sailor blog. Most interesting article and comments. We truly live in very strange times with a lot of noise and clutter. Fair winds!