We waited at the Old Port Cove Marina until 8:00 to get a pumpout and a help out of our tight slip from one of the dockhands.  However, when we called them at 8:00 we found out no one came into the marina office until 8:30, so we got everything else done and were out of the slip at 8:25 with no help and no pumpout.  (The marina people had to turn on the pumpout station before we could use it.) There was little current so we backed out easily.  With any wind or current, we would have wanted someone holding on to the lines until we were at the end of the dock.  We had to avoid two tall posts on the port side, but had no problem.

It took us 50 minutes to get to the Lake Worth inlet to the ocean.  At the left, you can see how calm the day was as we entered the inlet, so we had a very pleasant motor south to Ft. Lauderdale.  We didn’t bother to raise the sails as there was only 1 kt of wind.  Still, we made good time, averaging 7 kts.  Such a change from the old days with the hybrid system!

When we reached Ft. Lauderdale, we had a fifteen minute wait to go under the 17th St. Causeway bridge.  Just as it was opening, a sailboat whipped around us and went under the bridge just as it was going up.  Since we were first in line to go under, it was not proper etiquette for them to go around us.   We suspected that they were headed for the same anchorage in Lake Sylvia as we were.  In the photo at the right, a small power boat cut in front of us after we went under the bridge and proceeded to ignore us, in fact they never looked at us while they went very slowly looking at the large megayachts next to the channel.  This has happened to us before in Ft. Lauderdale, where small boats are sightseeing and ignore the fact that a boat is right behind them. not sightseeing.  One time we were held up going under a bascule bridge on the New River, and had to yell at a small boat filled with guys flirting with girls on the shore telling them to move so we could get under the bridge that had gone up for us. Ahead of this powerboat in the photo is the sailboat that cut in front of us.

As we were going to the anchorage, the Jungle Queen passed us in the channel. Normally, if you want to pass someone in a channel, you should call on the VHF radio and ask their permission, then tell them which side you would like to pass them on.  What is it with Ft. Lauderdale?  I swear we have seen some of the rudest boaters here. 

As we entered the anchorage, the sailboat that cut us off, zipped back to the last good spot.  The anchorage was packed, but we were able to get between another catamaran and a large monohull.  Since everything was a bit tight, we only put out 60 ft of chain in the 12 ft depth lake.  Putting 5 to 1 anchor chain out is the least we ever do.  We called over to the catamaran next to us and asked how much rode they had put out.  They answered that they didn’t know.  That was not comforting, as the current is very strong in this anchorage and we knew we would be swinging around several times with the tidal changes.  We had no place to move in the crowded anchorage, so we watched them closely and hoped they hadn’t put out a lot of chain.  We plan to leave early in the morning as there is only one day of good sailing weather before a strong front comes through Florida on Friday.  We do not want to be stuck here for days.