30 April 2010. A very nice marina, close to Hillsboro inlet, handy for an early morning departure out the inlet. Local knowledge – the dockmaster and personnel on the Boat US boat located there – assured us there was quite adequate depth in a recently dredged, well marked, short channel out to the leading sea buoy, only cautioning not to turn off before reaching it and that currents could be strong. We timed our departure for the trip north to Lake Worth Inlet for slack water, two hours after low water to avoid wind against current in the face of a 15-20 kt SEer blowing up the channel. We had to punch out against a seaway, at half throttle, with no problems except for bouncing the cat out of her forepeak bunk in the incoming chop! After turning north, we had a fast wing-on-wing run to Lake Worth.
Typical of marinas near inlet entrances, the clientele was mostly pleasure fishing boats and we were somewhat of an oddity but the banter between them,– the stink-potters and us, the “rag sailors” – was friendly. As expected, the fish at the on-site restaurant was fresh and cooked well.
The $10 charge for electricity was the highest encountered to date and I declined the service after first trying to strike a deal, pointing out our lack of refrigeration, corroborated by buying 30 lbs of ice from the marina. Pointing out our metered rate of usage averages $.30 per day made no difference. An attempt was made to justify the high price by saying it was a general charge for the facilities available – primarily the swimming pool (no wi-fi) – which as transients we did not have time to use.
We were allowed to decline a power hook-up without being charged, however, unlike at some marinas we have encountered.
Fair winds and following seas,
Austin Whitten
S/Y “Discovery II”, Vancouver 27