Blowing Off Steam on the Big Blue

” I'm always happy when I'm surrounded by water, I think I'm a Mermaid or I was a mermaid.” ~Beyonce Knowles

Memorial Day weekend...already!

Memorial Day weekend is just a few days off now…and that means I will most likely be avoiding the local waterways this weekend.  Sadly, 3-day holiday weekends tend to bring out the worst in boating.  Many people are getting out for the first time of the season.  So in the very least, it means crowds (my least favorite thing).  But it also comes with other baggage, like hot, humid weather, long lines at the ramps, short tempers, and that fine lot of folks that are doing their official de-winterization on the boat ramp.  How many times I have seen a boat backed part way down the ramp, with the cowling off the outboard, and two or three clueless adults looking at it like a magical solution to their boat’s lack of startability will show itself like a lit billboard.  Meanwhile, their cooler ice is melting, kids are getting cranky, grandma is about to pass out in the sun, and the dog has gotten loose.  These are definitely unpopular folks at the ramp!

In an effort to avoid Amateur Day on the water this coming weekend, I decided to make the most out of this past weekend.  A lot has been going on in life lately.  The weather was uncharacteristically perfect for this time of year in South Florida.  So what else was there to do than blow off an entire day to go riding?  I’ve said it over and over, and it still rings true…nothing beats blasting around out in the ocean on a warm, sunny day for blowing off some steam!



The water color change from bay to ocean



My ride always starts with a decently long minimum wake zone between my dock and Haulover inlet.  However I do not mind.  Rather, it is my time to stretch, put on sunblock, eat a banana, let my mind drift as I watch the trees of Oleta River State Park along the way.  It is a tranquil time.  But once I reach the inlet…it all changes.  The water color changes as the clear, tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean collide with the darker water of the Intracoastal Waterway.  Suddenly downward visibility through the water increases to 30 feet, through an aquamarine viewing portal.  The wave energy picks up…as does the speed at which I can now travel. 

Crashing through the waves in the inlet, and clearing the jetties, the scenery now gives way to open ocean.  The horizon is dotted with various fishing boats, and the wakes of distant yachts traveling to unknown destinations.  The swells smooth out to just a few feet.  For the next 8 or 9 miles, the shoreline of Miami Beach entertains my field of vision with swimmers, parasailing adventurers, jet ski rentals, sunbathers, and row upon row of delightfully unique art deco hotels, many revived and kept up to their authentic styles from the 50’s.  I think Miami Beach is one of the few places on earth that can make pink and baby blue buildings appealing!  After a time, the jetty at South Beach’s Government Cut comes into view.  It is a wide inlet to cross…as the entrance to Miami’s shipping channel and port, it needs to be wide enough to handle container ship traffic and cruise ships.  Alongside it is Fisher Island, an uber posh and exclusive island full of luxury residences and condos, accessible only by boat or car ferry.



Sandbar perfection...



However my first destination is a little further south.  In the turquoise waters along the north side of Key Biscayne is a treasured sandbar.  It is not like the rowdy and crowded sandbars elsewhere around town.  The submerged land is a patchwork of seagrass beds and sugar-white sand, and covered in water that is crystal clear.  At low tide, there are places that have only a few inches of water covering them.  And it is for this reason that this sandbar isn’t as crowded.  Boat size is limited due to the shallows all around.  Works for me! 

After a few relaxing hours at the sandbar, it is time to head to another favorite place…a hidden lagoon on the Biscayne Bay side of Key Biscayne.  It is actually the entrance into a high-end waterfront neighborhood, but it is nicely hidden from view due to the sharp entry angle and its border with a state park.  There is a small sandy beach and a large, deep boat basin that never hosts more than a half dozen visiting anchored boaters.  On a hot day, it is a most refreshing place to take a swim, surrounded by beautiful mansions, some natural shoreline, and never too many people.

A perfect mangrove hideaway



Rounding out the day’s ride, on the return journey along the ICWW, was a brief stopover at a good friend’s waterfront house for a bite to eat and a few drinks.  As the sun dropped in the sky, home dock began to call.  I reluctantly surrendered to the dutiful need to head home.  Sunsets over the water are something I do not tire of.  Everyone is different, and they are never dull!

A day on the water was just what I needed…the calm before the summer crowds.  It will be more difficult to find any kind of personal space out there in the coming months, so I am very glad I blew off other chores for the day and took advantage.  For those of you riding this coming holiday weekend…be careful.  Have eyes in the back of your head.  Make sure you have your boat properly de-winterized and running BEFORE you get to the ramp, and make sure your safety stuff is all present and working.  Law enforcement just LOVES to harass you on holiday weekends, so make sure you have a working extinguisher, proper registration numbers and decal shown, a whistle on all life jackets, and whatever else your state requires.  Pack some patience.  A lot of bad behavior tends to show up.  Be a good representative of our boat genre…watch those wake zones and be courteous of other boaters and fishermen.  Myself?  I plan to stay off the water.  Something big is in the works for me anyway, so I need time to prepare.  Enjoy…Happy Memorial Day!