Day 19 - West Palm Beach

Lyn and I were up at 06:30 this morning so that we could have breakfast and get off the dock at Hutchinson Island Marriott Resort and Marina before the strong east winds kicked up. The were supposed to start howling by 09:00, and we wanted to be out of the slip by 08:00. We quickly ate breakfast and Peter walked out to the the dock master office to settle our bill and get help with our dock lines as we departed. Kite was easing out of her slip at 07:45 in mild, 10 knot easterly winds. As she left the harbor entrance channel and joined the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) southbound, the easterly wind freshened and soon it was blowing 20 to 25 knots. (I love it when a plan comes together.)

Today being the Saturday before Easter, and this being south Florida, we soon started seeing ever increasing numbers of recreational power boats speeding through the narrow ICW channels. Weekenders are the most unconscious boaters ever, and most didn't even consider that they were throwing huge wakes as they sped by us with only 30 feet of separation. Another advantage of leaving early in the morning, is that we covered nearly half the distance to our destination before the "crazies"started showing up in large numbers. We made it to our destination, Soverel Marina, in West Palm Beach by 13:00 and tied up in a slip next to Ringle. This is a secure little marina about 5 miles north of the Lake Worth inlet. We hope to pass through this inlet when we leave so that we can sail, not motor, in the ocean to Fort Lauderdale where we will meet Kevin, our deck monkey from Alaska for our trip through the Florida Keys.

Lyn and I enjoyed yesterday, our last day with our family at Hutchinson Island. In the morning we all went to the beach where Jason dug a couple of foxholes next to each other, and the kids took them over. They were pretty high up on the beach, near the high tide line. On the other hand, the tide although high, was still coming in. After playing individually for quite a while, the kids got the idea to join the two holes with a tunnel. They each started digging from their respective sides hoping to join in the middle.

Digging tunnels to join foxholes

They eventually did join their tunnels, but as they enlarged them the sand bridge at the top caved in. Tiring of that activity and with hunger for lunch, we all went up to their suite. After lunch we spent the entire afternoon at the Marriott pool, which is sheltered from the chilly wind and consequently warm and inviting. Zack made great progress in his swimming abilities, traveling as far as he can on a gulp of air, then surfacing for another gulp and traveling on underwater. Sonja has already mastered this technique and swam the length of the pool and back in this manner.

After swimming, it was back to the suite to grill hot dogs and hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob for dinner. The food tasted wonderful after a day of activities in the sun. Just before sunset, we all went out to the beach for the last time to make a family picture.

Family photo at Plantation Beach Resort

Lyn and I stayed while the kids had a special bath - a bubble bath - thanks to the jacuzzi bathtubs that were standard features of this resort. Add a little bubble bath soap and you have the stuff of old Hollywood films!

Zack and Sonja enjoy a bubble bath before bed

Lyn and I said our goodbyes and returned to the marina, from where we would be leaving early in the morning.