Motoring the Intracoastal (ICW)

On the ICW Near Hobe Sound
March 15, 2024

 Taking advantage of the incredibly great weather, yesterday was a day for motoring the ICW with friends. 

During the morning hours the water was calm, but by afternoon there was a moderate chop on the St Lucie River which made the ride back to the marina a bit sporty. Fortunately, I was able to get in behind a much larger boat and enjoy the relatively calm waters in its wake. 

Chris and Carola
Jupiter Island, Stuart, FL
March 15, 2024

I took our friends on a tour of the ICW from the St Lucie River Inlet down to Jupiter Sound to look at both the natural beauty and the expensive homesteads along the waterway. After motoring for about an hour or so, we headed to my formerly favorite beach, anchoring our trusty boat along the eastern shore of Peck Lake and walking about 100 yards to the ocean on the Atlantic side of Jupiter Island. I say formerly because the beach is usually deserted, but yesterday it was actually crowded. The beach is best accessed by boat and while we were one of three boats anchored on the ICW side of the island when we arrived, by the time we departed a few hours later there must have been easily 12 boats anchored on the beach--and the ones next to me were closer than cars in a parking lot. It was a mess and I was fortunate to have some experienced help to get away from the island without incident.

Michael Preparing the Lines
Manatee Pocket, FL
March 15, 2024

As it was a beautiful day, I decided to head up the St Lucie River with a tour to the north. The wind came up as we motored north and the water developed a moderate chop, which with the wind caused some spray occasionally across the boa. The situation became worse as I headed south into the wind. This is where I was lucky to fall in behind the larger boat as we headed back to the marina.

The waters smoothed as we entered Manatee Pocket where the marina is located. About 6 hours after we set out, we returned to the dock and unloaded after a really great day on the water. Michael and Carola were a great help. 

I had been excited about taking out one of the newest boats in the fleet, Capt Crunch. I had been looking forward to motoring about in the boat since it arrived, but was a bit disappointed. The boat did not have the electronic throttle to which I have become accustomed and the throttle assembly was loose, meaning I had to keep a hand on the throttle while we were on plane and cruising. That can be really hard when crossing a wake and in the moderate chop we experienced on the St Lucie River. It is possible that we were the first members to take the boat out, which was cool. 

All-in-all, another great day on the water. Warm temperatures moderated by a pleasantly cool breeze made for a very enjoyable day.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL