Miami to Lake Worth via the ICW - YUCK!

Due to horror stories of the Intercoastal Waterway’s numerous bridges with restricted opening times designed by some nefarious, sailboat hating entity to ensure any vessel with a mast unable to travel faster than 7 knots will arrive at the next bridge minutes after the span closes, we have always managed to transit the area between Lake Worth on the north and Miami on the south by “bumping” out into the ocean.

July 22 we departed Miami headed north in the ICW. The threat of small craft advisories offshore and deteriorating conditions as TS Bonnie closed in on south Florida gave us reason enough to brave the gauntlet of ICW bridges.  Anne took on the task of listing all the bridges names, schedules, and restrictions in order from south to north (see image included).  Her list, 33 bridges in 64 miles, proved valuable.  Once clear of a bridge we would check the list and either start a sprint to the next bridge in hopes of making a scheduled opening or set a leisurely pace that would consume our ample time easing up the waterway rather than joining in the flock of boats pacing to and fro awaiting a draw bridge span to open and allow transit.

We covered 40 miles and passed thru 22 bridges in our sprint northward to clear Bonnie’s path.

Bonnie’s arrival in the morning of Friday, July 23, found us securely tucked into Pelican Harbor.   A near perfect circle with canals leading outward every 60 degrees and condos or McMansions lining the banks,  Pelican Harbor is the antithesis of a natural setting, but it’s mud bottom and 10 foot depth provided a secure hole for Anne and I to wait out Bonnie’s passage.  It is with a thank you to the weather gods that we can report Bonnie passed by our position with little more than a couple intense squall lines and 30 knot winds.

By 15:00 on the 23^rd we were hauling the anchor and checking Anne’s bridge list to see if we needed to sprint or lope on up the waterway.

By dusk on Friday we were meandering through the Lake Worth Anchorage looking for a good place to drop the hook.