Day 61 - Miami to Fort Lauderdale - The Parade of Boats

We got up to a little warmer temperature and more of the magnificent Florida sun.  It was already in the 70s at 8am.  At 10:05 am we left Miami Beach Marina on our way to Fort Lauderdale via the ICW.  Fishers Island and Dodge Island were on our port and Miami Beach to the starboard.  The Miami skyline was beautiful from our vantage point and, of course, there were more humongous homes on the water.  There are a number of causeway bridges over the ICW near Miami.  We were able to fit under the first one, but had to wait at the Julia Tuttle Causeway Bridge.  For some reason, only half of the span was raised, making it a very narrow passageway. 

As we approached Indian Creek Marina, we saw a line of boats exiting into the ICW.  The Miami Boat Show ended on Monday, so all the boats docked here for the show were leaving.   A few of the larger boats were towed out rather than running under their own power.  The larger boats formed a parade heading south and others formed a line headed north to the 79^th Street Causeway Bridge, the same way we were going.  We soon found ourselves IN the parade!  This lasted through the Broad Causeway Bridge and out to the Atlantic via Baker’s Haulover Inlet at Hallandale Beach.  The approach to the Inlet was shoaled and an ICW Patrol boat sat on the west side of the channel where it was very shallow, and we were glad of that.  The Inlet itself was fine and then we were in the Atlantic running north to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

 

 

The Hollywood Beach and Dania Beach shoreline is lined with sleek mid and high-rise hotels and condominiums.  The water was somewhat choppy with one to two foot waves.  We saw a few crab pots close to shore, but not enough to bother us and we kept outside of them.  As we entered Port Everglades, the shipping and industrial port is to the south and to the north is the residential area and pleasure boat marinas.

 

Fort Lauderdale is truly home to the Mega-Yachts!  One after another after another, 100 foot plus yachts everywhere!  I felt like I was in a dinghy rather than a 42 foot boat.  The only thing larger than the yachts, were the gorgeous homes along the rivers and channels.

We pulled into our slip at Hall of Fame Marina (right next to the Swimming Hall of Fame) at 1:30 pm.  The marina is a block from the ocean, so we took a walk to the beach and stopped to have some refreshments at Sangria’s Café. 

 

Later we walked to Tuscan Grill on East Las Olas Boulevard (the main shopping and restaurant street) for dinner.  There we ran into more of our dock neighbors/friends from Chicago, Zach and Jodi Strauss, Zach's father, and the rest of their group.  Zach s and Jodi's boat is just a few slips away from us on our dock in Diversey Harbor.  I guess we should not be surprised to see so many boaters from Chicago here in South Florida in February, especially considering the weather at home.