July 21—Lake Worth Inlet, West Palm Beach to Ft. Lauderdale

Our dismount today from the New Port Cove Marina slip was a bit tricky with winds on port blowing our starboard side into the dock finger.  Captain attached two lines on dock post on the port which I held tightly as he reversed.  A fisherman came to our rescue when Dennis asked him earlier to be ready to fend us off of a pretty little trawler with beautiful but fragile wood railings in the slip to our starboard.  The two line system worked great holding starboard close to the post until Dennis reversed to get us out of the slip without drifting into the other boat.  One of the biggest challenges of the trip has been learning how to maneuver Aurora in and out of slips when there is wind.  It is finally getting easier, and a little less scary, but I must say anchoring, even in wind is never as challenging as the marinas.      

The best laid plans do not always work out.  As we headed south today the waves kept building with the forecast for the next several days calling for winds in excess of 20 knots.  So as we fought rolling waves created by 15-20 knot easterly winds we decided to stop in at Ft Lauderdale instead of going on another 30 miles to No Name Harbor in Miami.  It looks like we will hang here in Lake Sylvia for a couple of days until the winds and storms subside then venture back out on Tuesday.  

It kind of feels like we are back on Mark Twain Lake here in Lake Sylvia; boats rafted up for the day, people on assundry floatation devices with assundry drinks, chatting and having fun.  We joined them and Fritz enjoyed cooling down, jumping in the water, clinging to his life ring just like the old days.  Being here makes us remember the all the fun times with Mark Twain and Mariner boating friends.  Hope to be home to the Mariners soon, and hope MTLSA sailors are having a wonderful summer on Mark Twain Lake.  Thanks for the memories! 

Skipper Bob:  A spiral bound booklet giving anchorages along the ICW.  Information on the best anchorages, free docks, bridge and lock restrictions and waterway problems from Troy, NY to Key West, FL. Includes the Hudson, New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway, Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, Potomac River, Atlantic Coastal Waterway, Okeechobee Waterway and the St. John’s River.