Integrity Cruise

Day 321 - Fort Lauderdale to Boca Raton, FL

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Day 321 - Monday, March 13th: We turned in the rental car this morning and got underway about 10:00am. We were looking forward to our trip down the New River with mixed emotions. The river twists and turns in snake-like patterns and is very busy and crowded with boats and many low bridges. We had to go 5.5 miles to the mouth.

A couple of minutes into the trip at a complex turn through several bridges, we met this big fellow coming head on (the guy in the little inflatable was ahead of us the whole way):

The big guy negotiated the turn and the inflatable got out of the way (as did we):

Just after we got under the railroad bridge, it started closing. It's normally open unless a train is coming:

The river is host to one of the busiest boating centers in the country. There are numerous yards set up to work on the 100+ foot boats:

We caught up to Patriot, a catamaran tour boat that was about 130' long and very wide:

This picture will give you a feel for how narrow and crowded the river is:

The next thing that happened is a railroad bridge with a train crossing halting Patriot:

It was a thrill every time there was an oncoming boat. Here, Jungle Queen and Patriot negotiated a passing. We ducked in behind:

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and surrounding grounds were very attractive:

And this park-like area next to it added a feeling of an urban oasis:

As we moved farther downstream away from town, the pretty (and expensive) homes began to line the river again:

It's sad that even the wealthy get their boats bounced around by wakes from passing boats. This sleek modern version of the old runabouts is a good example:

This more modest home looked more affordable. Someone will bulldoze the house and build a mansion on this land:

At first glance, this looks like several houses. Nope! It is one huge home on a point of land:

This gazebo/bell tower combo in the front yard was quite unusual:

The city provides waterbuses that ply the river. It's quite convenient and a different way to move around:

Nearing the mouth of the river, we were greeted by the Goodyear blimp with its lighted sign (caught between words):

We decided the owner of this home liked columns!

Now, this house took the prize for "unusual." We dubbed it "ugly.":

The giant open entry of this house would cost a fortune to keep cool. It's still under construction:

We finally left the New River and turned north up the Intracoastal Waterway. In a few miles we arrived in Boca Raton and passed the Boca Raton Tower and Club. This complex was built in the 1920s and was originally called the Cloisters:

A few more miles north we arrived at a small round man-made lake called Pelican Bay (also called "Bal Marra') just off the waterway. It was lined with docks, yachts and condos, but was quiet and peaceful. We anchored there and spent a nice evening in glitz land for free.

Position tonight: N26 25.409 W080 04.052

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