The Bridges of South Florida

         Last time we did this trip I remarked about the prevalence of bridges the further south you go in Florida.  It’s crazy!  They are all different heights, from 6’ to 90’, but it seems the vast majority of them are in the 18-22’ range.  Willie Dawes has a height of 22’ 8” with the mast up.  Some of the bridges add a couple extra feet in the center, so if the chart says it’s 22’, it’s possible it might be 26’.  But you have no way of knowing until you get right up to the bridge, and often (probably for liability reasons) the bridge tender won’t tell you what the height is.  The bridges all have their own opening schedule - some on the hour and half-hour, some on the quarter and three-quarter hour, and one of them opens every twenty minutes.  The further south you travel on the ICW, the closer the bridges.  There could be four bridges in five miles.  It’s difficult to time the cruising distance between bridges efficiently; often we’ll end up waiting fifteen-twenty minutes for the next opening.  And, just to keep things interesting, all the bridges use the same radio frequency so you get to listen to all the nearby bridges talking to north and southbound boats while you try to hail the one you’re approaching, to let them know you’ll be passing through.  

Bridge listing - with notes

We had two long days on the waterway on Wednesday and Thursday and only got from Stuart to Pompano Beach, averaging 35 miles/day.  The cruise is interesting - you pass by some spectacular homes that try to outdo each other with statuary and infinity pools - but it was also tedious and hot as we turned circles in front the bridges waiting for the next opening.  Wednesday and Thursday afternoon Dan abruptly pulled off the ICW and said “We’re done.  We’re here.”  Wednesday night we were in Cocoanut Grove, and were entertained by a laser light show and Christmas music to celebrate the Solstice.  Thursday we anchored in Lake Santa Barbara, a small man-made basin with several little canals, all lined with expensive homes.  Space was at a premium here, so we put out a stern anchor to keep from swinging, settling into a spot directly in front of someone’s lawn display of the Nativity.  

Solstice show in Cocoanut Grove

Nativity in Lake Santa Barbara

So this morning, Friday Dec 23 - after we’d dawdled in front of the next two bridges - we decided to go out the Fort Lauderdale inlet and cruise the ocean instead of the ICW.  There was a strong onshore wind, but much of it was blocked by the tall buildings from Ft   Lauderdale right down to Miami. 

Government Cut

We skipped at least a dozen bridges and had a beautiful, if somewhat bouncy cruise along the beaches.  About three pm we turned into Government Cut, which led to Biscayne Bay, and by 3:45 we were anchored in Biscayne Bight.  We’ll make Key Largo tomorrow.

Biscayne Bight Sunset