We are experiencing some
technical difficulties with getting pictures on the blog from my ipad so I
guess I'll have to use the laptop, any suggestions would be appreciated!
We had planned on taking
the dinghy to shore to do some exploring this morning but the noseeums were
driving us batty and would have been worse in the mangroves so we decided to
move on! As we were preparing to go the boat beside us started to head out only
to become firmly grounded on a shoal so we stayed around to offer assistance.
He was finally able to get off by dinghying an anchor out off his stern and
with the help of a rising tide, this technique is called kedging.
Our destination was
Peanut Island Anchorage in Lake Worth a distance of 25 miles, we do an average
of about 6 knots motoring so it
would be an easy day. One of the frustrating things about the ICW (other than the
possibility of running aground in the narrow channels or the inconsiderate big
motor yachts that like to throw us a wake) is the numerous bridges, our mast is
53 feet so we can get under alot of the fixed bridges that are usually 65 feet,
which is great. Today we had to go through 8 bridges, only 1 was a fixed
bridge, three were on request so as we approached we asked for an opening, and
the other 4 were restricted which means they are on a schedule usually every
half hour so that usually means going full out to try to make it in time, we
did great today except for one bridge... we were about a 1/4 mile back as it
opened and he wouldn't keep it open for us :( so we ended up having to
wait 30 minutes for the next opening.
Lot's of huge houses and boats along the way today, a fair
share of derelict boats as well. Passed by a large nest in a tree, it looked
like the tree would topple with the weight of it.
The lighthouse is Jupiter Inlet Light built in 1850, over 500 tons of
material had to be brought in to build it. Since the inlet was too shallow for
navigation, supplies had to be unloaded from larger sailing vessels and then
ferried up river using shallow draft boats which was done in 50 trips, all
while fending off insects and Indian raids. When the lighthouse was complete
someone stole the lens, supposedly Confederate raiders hid the Fresnel lens as
an attempt to confuse blockading Union ships. At the end of the Civil War the
lighthouse keeper conveniently found the lens, buried in Juniper Creek…. Such
interesting history!
As we passed through Lake
Worth Inlet we were hit by a squall with heavy rain and limited visability,
thankfully it was short lived and was over by the time we entered our
anchorage:)
Ken and Merydie from Quick
Sticks out of LaHave Yacht Club were already here so we got together on our
boat after we were settled in, lots of other boats in the anchorage as well.
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