Afternoon in Titusville...

Well, many of you warned us that it might happen and after four years of cruising it did.  We were attacked by pirates!!  Fortunately for us it was the Good Pirate Max (aka our nephew) and his crew of misfits (aka our family  =)).

'Tropical Breeze' was rechristened 'Chips and Salsa' for the afternoon as the group of us motored - due to no wind - about the waterway taking in the dolphins, seabirds and manatee.  Captain Max took the wheel, but had a bit of a problem steering us clear of markers and other vessels as he hasn't quite reached the height to see over the windshield.  No matter with his sword and hook he took command.

At the end of our journey we got a real treat.  NASA launched an Atlas rocket and we were all able to enjoy the spectacle.

Quite the day.

The Admiral

Morning in Titusville...

The - still rather - elusive manatee is elusive no more!!!  The Captain and I were anchor down in Titusville one morning when suddenly Dave yelled that there was a manatee at the stern of the boat.  Well he/she was there all right just hanging out in hopes that we would throw something his way.  Sorry buddy.  He eventually swam away; probably disappointed that his appearance didn't garner him a treat but you know the rules - Don't feed the wildlife.

Now this would be the first of many manatee sightings we've had on the northbound journey.  So yes folks, I've finally found the manatee.

The Admiral

Miami Beach...

No trip to Miami Beach would be complete without an actual visit to the beach!!!  So off we went and we weren't alone.  There were people everywhere.  On the beach.  On foot.   On rollerblades.  On bicycles.  On motorcycles.  In cars.  And more. 

We bummed around checking out the art deco architecture before stopping at Big Pink.  The restaurant is a bit off the beaten path but came highly recommended by our friend Rick.  And boy was he right.  Pictured with Dave is the garlic brie appetizer.  It was so filling the Captain and I didn't have room for an entree - not even dessert!! 

The Admiral

Rick's Place....

Welcome to Rick's Place!!  We arrived in Miami Beach and tied up to Rick's dock.  There we were able to spend time with Rick, enjoy his pool and take in some of the interesting sights from the waterway outside his home. 

But don't let the title of this post fool you into thinking that Rick is the Admiral of his domain.  No way....the REAL in charge of the homestead is Herman - the four legged cutie who is as powerful as he is lovable.

So a day in the life of Herman is trying to get to go for a ride in the car - and moving up to the front seat when nobody is looking.  After a ride around town he likes to get in some play time.  Herman favors wrestling as pictured with Dave as his latest contender.  After a tough workout it is out to the pool where he enjoys the water - both wading and drinking.  Finally, when in need of TLC he climbs into somebody's lap and gives lots of kisses. 

Hmmmm..... could a dog's life be even better than a boater's life?  Perhaps the perfect answer is to be a boat dog.

The Admiral

Leaving Lauderdale...

After a great time in Ft. Lauderdale we continued south through the bridges and towards the cruise ships. It was here that we spotted our first ever life boat drill where a Royal Caribbean ship had launched most of their lifeboats and were testing the engines. So strange to be cruising down the waterway and suddenly see all the yellow pods in front of us.

We travelled a whopping 15 miles before easing into Maule Lake in North Miami Beach. Here we spent several quiet days aboard enjoying the splendid weather - mid 80's each day and hot hot hot in the sun.

After several days of lazy - like that is anything new - we were off again this time stopping at Duffy's Sports Bar (still in North Miami Beach). We tied up to their dock and decided to take in a late lunch.

The Admiral

4/2/2012 3:16pm

Currently enjoying lunch at Duffy's and relishing in the fact that the blog is COMPLETELY current.

In Fort Lauderdale we dropped the hook in Lake Sylvia which was surrounded by residential homes. As you can see from the photo we definitely weren't roughing it as every home was big and the one immediately behind us could only be called a sprawling mansion.

We launched the dinghy and decided to do some gunkholing. Up the New River we found the downtown area with expansive residences on the water and tall condo buildings inland.

Wherever we went there were surprises. Up and down canals it was either houses, landscape or boats which would peak our interest.

Back aboard the 'Breezer' the Captain decided to check out our new floaties. Pictured here is him sitting in a float with his fins on (he'd been in for a snorkel) while enjoying a beer. Tough day.

The Admiral

Supersizeville (aka Ft. Lauderdale)...

Welcome to the land of big, bigger and biggest. There is no doubt that on our arrival to Ft. Lauderdale there was a bit of a competition going on as to who had the biggest yacht. It was no surprise that when we arrived, there were cruise ships in port. Ft. Lauderdale is home of the Port Everglades inlet and boasts a sizable - nix that - supersize cruise ship port. What I always find amazing though is just how big the cruise ships are. Photo 1 shows the stern of a cruise ship next to a freighter. The freighter looks pretty minimal next to the people carrying ship.

Around the bend we headed for the bridge and off to starboard we found a special surprise. CAKEWALK was in port. She is the largest US built pleasure vessel ever - at 281 feet - and holds 97,000 gallons of diesel. Ugh....glad I don't have that fuel bill to contend with. Of course, the only reason I known this is that Captain Dave who is a marine trivia whiz - but can't remember his phone number - took one look at her and said "do you know what that is???" So photos 2 and 3 feature CAKEWALK. I found her toyhauler capabilities quite interesting.

Once through the bridge we continued to be overwhelmed by big boat after big boat. Which makes me wonder....is everyone in Ft. Lauderdale really this rich or are they just over-leveraged?? Hmmm.

The Admiral