Dave and Kelly's Boat Trip: Friday, March 16

We're up, once again, at sunrise! Another beautiful day to cruise. Yesterday we traveled 50 miles in seven hours. Today we will travel 40 miles, taking us five hours. Cruising the ICW is very slow due to manatee speed limit zones. Most of the time we're cruising between six and ten miles an hour.

As we pull out of the marina, we see a mega-yacht shrink wrapped and

one with A LOT of scaffolding around it!😲

And then there's this poor guy!😟

Soon after we get out onto the ICW, many boats cruise past us on plane, not really caring as to how big their wake might be! Dave says they have an appointment to get the boat to the boat show

and can't be late!!!

This guy decides to let others pass him and take his time cruising!

We like the way he thinks!😉

REALLY?! All of these boats have appointments?!

Nope, the bridge around the corner just opened up!😄

Cruising along, a row of condominiums separate us and the Atlantic Ocean.

As we enter North Palm Beach, we begin to see some multi-million dollar mansions, once again!

Check out the mirrored windows!!! This one's for sale, too!

Dave thinks this must be Neil Diamond's house!😄

Hmmm . . . not sure the architecture in this home takes full advantage of the water view!

Like all the other neighborhoods that we have seen since Fort Lauderdale, they are separated by canals. Not only do residents need to know their street address, but they also need to know their canal address!

Where there are homes, there are places for fun, like:

beautiful golf courses,

marinas,

and tiki bars!!!💗🍹

We go under 14 bridges today. Many of the bridges are brand new like this one

and have only one span that lifts.

Captain Dave doesn't need any of the bridges opened, however the timing

on this DOUBLE bridge just worked out.

As we get to Jupiter, Florida, there's a very small island for boaters to picnic at . . .

as well as a park on the Atlantic side. Check out this unique moss covering many of the trees!!!

Even though the channel isn't very wide, there are still crab pots!!! REALLY?!

Well, at least they're slightly outside the channel!

Soon we come to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum.

Check out the water color that everyone is enjoying!!!💙

And this is why the water is the color it is . . . here's Jupiter Inlet;

another gateway to the Atlantic Ocean!

The water is so clear that we can see the bottom and manatees!!!

We see a total of five!

Right by the manatees we see someone has their own personal

tiki hut with water toys; what a sweet setup!

A little further upstream and we see some things popping up

through the tops of the mangroves, and homes:

On the Atlantic side we see hills . . . what?! Since when are there hills in Florida?!

And, of course, a mansion here and there! Seriously, Dave and I thought this was a resort!!!

Right after the "resort-style" home, we see this cute home on their own peninsula!!!

And check out this "gingerbread" home with it's mega-yacht right in front!

Soon the ICW widens.

The grounds of each home becomes larger and more lush. It's interesting how this home doesn't have any type of sea wall; just a beach . . . tide doesn't change much here.

And we know that these homes are right on the Atlantic as well as the ICW,
as we see the plane with the advertising banister fly by!

Further upstream this beauty passes us!

Just when the ICW gets REALLY wide, it then shrinks and narrows!

Looking at our navigation screen, we can see the Atlantic Ocean
is separated from us by just a small strip of land.

This pontoon is pulling into land to enjoy the ocean on the other side!

As we head north, it seems that the ICW dead ends!

Looking at our navigation screen, however, we see a man-made canal gets us through!

Here it is.

As we come to the end of the canal, the ICW really opens up to some chaos!

To our right is the St. Lucie Inlet, another pass to the Atlantic Ocean.

The ICW continues straight north along the coast, but we take a left, watching for the SMALL red and green buoys (which now switch sides on us since we are off of the ICW).

Towboat U.S. sits anchored waiting to help a struggling boater, as there are so many different markers, it is easy to get out of the channel into very shallow water.
Side note: check out the HOUSE directly behind Towboat U.S.!!!

Well this is a pretty picture: big fishing boat with a matching dinghy!

One more turn to the right and we're on the St. Lucie River. This river will lead us back to the Caloosahatchee River which cuts horizontally through the state of Florida and will take us back to our marina in Fort Myers.

More hills in Florida?!

The St. Lucie River widens and we pass under three bridges to get to our destination; Stuart.

Right after the bridge we see Stuart Marina,

but we take a right and decide to anchor for the night.

Since it is only 2:30, we decide to go for a dinghy ride. As I go to the aft platform, I see this clear creature lying in the corner. I'm thinking it's a jellyfish, but don't touch it, just in case!

As we travel around the "lake" where we are anchored (a finger of the river that dead-ends),
we notice sea nettles in the brackish water. Perhaps that is what might be on our platform.