Fort Lauderdale to Key Biscayne 

We finally got back to internet access and can update things again. The water has that wonderful aquamarine shade every where in this area. We have been anchoring out more down here and have enjoyed finding wonderful parks in almost every stop. At Key Biscayne we anchored in Key Biscayne Bay with wonderful views of the Miami Skyline.

Miami at night

We then moved to the south end of the key to No Name Harbor, a very well protected basin in Bill Baggs Park. There were bike trails and hiking trails right by the dingy tie up and we walked just about the whole thing. We saw an iguana over two feet long, our first such siting.  Off to the south and over a mile offshore is a place called Stiltsville. The houses are built on stilts in shallow water and some have been there since the 30's or 40's.

Stiltsville

This was our turnaround point as time is going by and we have decided to sail up to Charleston and take a train back to Maine mid-April. Things move slow when cruising and there are many places that once we stop, we want to spend a few days to see some of the sights and get to know the area somewhat.

Key Biscayne to North Lake Worth

From Key Biscayne we sailed north to South Beach and anchored between two islands which gave us some protection from the wakes of passing boats. There is a canal that one can dingy up and tie up by a bridge then walk to South Beach with its big walking mall with every store conceivable. We found a great little grocery store that had a whole dairy case of goat cheeses and a wonderful anti-pasta bar. We sailed outside the next day to Lake Sylvia in Fort Lauderdale where we anchored again in a protected spot. The house closest to us put on a show for us to watch. First just before dark, they lit up the gas torches and fire-pits; then when it was dark, the turned on the lights. We were expecting a lot of people to show up but only saw one person and two dogs!

House with fire

House with lights

The next stop was North Lake Worth anchorage where we met some folks from Massachusetts on Mon Ami. We had talked with them on the cruising radio net but had not met them in person before. Nice folks who invited us to stop by later as we passed through Onset on the way home. A beautiful sunset followed.

We have had some of the best sailing yet since we started north from Key Biscayne. The Easterly trades have kicked in and reaching is the norm. Emme has been doing well and seems happy to be sailing along in the trade winds again.