Lake Worth, Palm Beach, Florida

Happy New Year!! We didn't quite make it to Miami but we are in Florida and we wore shorts yesterday :)). Our weather didn't hold and the Gulf Stream came in to meet us, so we didn't make very good time. Our speed through the water was 6.5 knots but our speed over ground was only 1.0 knots. We realized this when a fishing boat came out and was kind of eyeing us and circling then he went away. He came back a couple hours later and asked us when we were going to leave cause we were still in his fishing spot.....time to go closer to shore.

We didn't want to get that close to shore but we had too, so we turned in until the current wasn't against us so much. By this time we checked the weather again and there was a small craft advisory for after midnight. The winds were going to pick up 20-25 knots from the North. That would mean that the seas would really pick up, at least 5-7 but probable more. North was on our aft and we just did not feel like riding waves all night so we made the decision to head to Lake Worth in Palm Beach. We have been here before, when we came from Bimini in the Bahamas, we new the inlet was big and well light and also knew the anchorage so we went in at night.

We arrived at the inlet at exactly 1200 on New Years - Palm Beach puts on one of the biggest, best and longest fireworks show I have ever seen, unfortunately there was a lot of greens and reds exploding in the channel. Mike would say, I found the green - oops no it just exploded. I found the red - nope it just went 200 feet in the air....great. We actually made it in fine and once inside it was dark but we were able to see well enough to go into the anchorage and set anchor. At this point it is about 0200 and we are both exhausted. Kim goes to toss the anchor and realizes it is stuck, the chain has collapsed on itself as it often does when we are at sea. Finally, Kim frees it and lets it drop, pheeeww, we are anchored and its New Years Day and we have ourself a well deserved Beer!!!

We will get some rest, fuel and groceries here then set off for an overnight trip to Miami in a few days.

Hope everyone enjoyed their New Year celebration. We are well, cheers Kim and Mike.

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