We Finally Left Ft. Lauderdale

March 18th, we finally were released by the dock monster at Marina Bay Marina in Ft. Lauderdale. This is the longest we have stayed in one place since we left Knoxville in October, and we were ready to move on and see other places in this great country. We had heard from other boaters about how the dock monster can grab hold of a boat and not want to let go. One thing after another comes up that makes you decide to stay just a little longer, and before you realize it, you have become a permanent resident. Well, we have successfully fought off that dock monster, and we are on our way north.

We had all the work that we wanted done on IRISH AYES that we wanted done, such as new canvas, some fiberglass repairs (don't ask), windows taken out and rebed with new sliders, the decks painted with non-skid, and so on. Our boat is ready to go.

Our first stop was Patrick Air Force Base where we stayed for several days. Our friends, Eric and Ellen Provost had generously traveled to Ft. Lauderdale to drive our car back to Patrick AFB, after Pat’s mother came down with pneumonia a couple of days before she was to fly to Ft. Lauderdale. The plan was for her to spend a few days with us on the boat, and then drive our car back to Jacksonville, AL. When she became ill, and our arrangement at the marina was coming to an end, we needed a Plan B. Eric and Ellen provided Plan B by taking our car to Patrick AFB, while we took out boat on a two day sail from Ft. Lauderdale (a three hour drive by car) to Patrick.

Along the way we saw a number of interesting sights. For example, we saw Alan Jackson’s boat, NEON RAINBOW, docked right on the Intracoastal Waterway in Jupiter Sound. Unfortunately, Alan was not around.

Another boat we saw wasn’t doing very well. Anytime you see a boat cocked over on its side, they are not having a good day!!

We have seen some beautiful lighthouses along the way. One of them was this one that we passed in Jupiter Sound. It was a beautiful day, which made the lighthouse even more spectacular.

As we were heading toward a Bascule Bridge, we heard the bridge tender talk to a southbound boat, and the boat he was talking to was a brand new Mega-yacht that was absolutely beautiful. This is the boat going through that bridge.

We arrived at Patrick AFB on Monday, 19 March, and Pat departed early the next morning with our car, headed for Jacksonville, AL. She spent a few days there with her mother, and then flew from Birmingham to Orlando, where the Provost’s daughter, Hillary, retrieved Pat from the airport and drove her to the boat. Needless to say, being on a transient boat can sometimes get complicated logistically. In any event, Pat returned to the boat on Friday, and bright and early Sunday morning we motored out of the Patrick AFB Marina, heading north.

Leaving Patrick AFB on 25 March, we passed the Kennedy Space Center and could see the Shuttle Vehicle building in the distance. It was too far away to get a good picture, but here is the bridge that leads to NASA.

Our first stop was an overnight stay at the Smyrna Yacht Club, in where else, Smyrna Beach, FL. It was a nice place, but we should have anchored out. Mike was under the (wrong) impression that as members of the Fort Loudoun Yacht Club in Knoxville, we would have reciprocal privileges at other yacht clubs, which is often the case. If a member of another YC stays at FLYC, we only charge them about ten dollars to spend the night. Mike made the mistake of not asking the cost, and after we were tied up and had committed to spend the night, we discovered that our stay would cost $1.95 per foot. At 44 feet, you do the math. We won’t do that again without asking the right questions.