“It keeps looking like we’re in the same place!”

Violet is always good for a great line, and yesterday was no exception. After a day of going up and down the companionway steps a dozen times while underway, always asking about geographical whereabouts, by the afternoon she was exasperated: “It keeps looking like we’re in the same place!” And she’s right. While it’s hypnotic gazing at the gigantic houses along the intercoastal for days on end, everything starts to blur, and unique architectural components lose their shine. Even the 100 foot yachts seem small and less interesting held up to their 200+ ft peers. Amazing what perspective can do amidst this opulence!

We lost our shine when we anchored in Middle River in Ft. Lauderdale after a long day on the water, and were immediately visited by the police, telling us that no matter what the cruising guide said, we were not to anchor there overnight. We instead used it as a parking space for a quick shopping trip, and one soaking dinghy ride later (much to Andy’s chagrin, we opted for the worst weather window possible to get ashore since we were trying to hustle to weigh anchor before sundown and another visit by the authorities), we found ourselves mall-side.

I was instantly reminded of a time about 20 years ago, when a friend of mine joined my father and me for a leg of a southbound trip on our sailboat. Upon arrival in Miami, my dad hauled us into town to eat. While we were dressed for tacos and burgers, he opted for a much higher end venue, and as we watched the coiffed patrons make their way to the door, we held each other back, aghast at our appearance. Since there was little we could do about our salt-streaked, wrinkled clothing, we picked and preened at one another like apes in the reflection of the neighboring storefront, an image I’ll never shed. I remember very little from the meal itself, a testament to either over-exhaustion from the trip, or how much we must have had to drink to get through the embarrassment of our situation.

Though a Williams-Sonoma and a Finish Line shoe store didn’t quite necessitate the dress code of a fine dining restaurant, memories flooded back as our octet squeaked and dripped our way through the bright, shiny mall amidst sensibly dry shoppers. The flip flops were the worst. I’ve started calling V “Little Mouse”.

A few key mall essentials, a quick motor around the corner to a legitimate anchorage, and bam, that was our first Ft. Lauderdale experience of the season. We woke up this morning and caught an early opening at our first bridge, and worked our way south to where we now sit, just south of Belle Isle near Miami Beach.

The trip today was much more varied- wider openings in the waterway with little islands dotting the bulges to the north of the city, blue-ing water, and the busy basin of Miami with plenty of activities to ogle.  As soon as we anchored we launched the girls’ kayaks and they were off, splashing and carrying on in the many wakes of passing jet skiers and speed boats. We have a weather window for crossing that starts early tomorrow, so Andy changed the fuel filter and did a few tasks in preparation for our trip, and then we were off to explore.

Through a canal system we were able to make our way to a dinghy tie-up spot not too far of a walk to South Beach, so we made that our goal for the afternoon. Plenty of people watching en route, and plenty more on the beach itself, where the girls took advantage of their first beach day and dove right in.

Now I sit in the cockpit while the lights of the city surround us, and the planes take off overhead in a constant eastward march. I love this city and the fact that we can be so close to so much action yet so removed out here on the water. The thick sliver of the moon is rising through the clouds over a multi-colored skyscraper across the bay, and the bands are starting to play here on the beach side. The night is young for many, but is a great-grandmother aboard Chickadee; good night!

*We’re heading straight for Nassau, a roughly 30 hour trip, so don’t expect an update until Wednesday night or Thursday!