Cat Inn Around - 48-foot Luxury Power Catamaran

Cat Inn Around Cruising

Mile Marker 1,155 – Taviener Key

On Tuesday March 20, 2012, Cat inn Around transited the Intracoastal Waterway from North Biscayne Bay (Mile Marker 1,084) to Taviener Key (Mile Marker 1,155).

Cat Inn Around pulled anchor at 9:55 am to clear Bay Harbor’s Broad Causeway for the scheduled 10:15 am opening. Waiting a few minutes, the bridge opened on schedule and we passed through. North Biscayne Bay is beautiful; crystal clear waters offer a rainbow of blues in the bright morning sun. The temperature is about 85º and the there is just a light breeze. Progressing south we see the skyscrapers of downtown Miami growing on the horizon. North Biscayne Bay opens-up and becomes a wider body of water and the ‘no wake zone’ is gone. We push the twin Yanmars to 3,300-RPM and are cruising at about 18½-knots. With only a 12-foot clearance, we are pushing to make the 10:30 am scheduled opening of the Venetian Causeway at Mile Marker 1088.6. At Mile Marker 1084.6 we approach the 79th Street Causeway. The clearance maker reads 26-feet and we slide under the causeway.  Next is the Julia Tuttle Causeway with a 56-foot vertical clearance. We arrive at the Venetian Causeway a little a head of schedule and wait just outside the channel. The current is strong and it takes a bit of maneuvering  to maintain our position. A Northbound Yacht has already requested an opening. Behind us a southbound emergency vessel hails the causeway attendant and she immediately starts the bridge opening procedures. We follow the emergency vessel through the opening and maintain a speed of 7-knots. A slight turn to starboard and we align with the channel of the 65-foot MacArthur Causeway that runs along the northern shore of the ‘Government Cut – Port of Miami’. This is the inlet to the Atlantic Ocean used by the massive cruise ships, sitting at berth busily loading passengers. We are now ‘in’ Miami and the skyscrapers seem to rise directly from the edge of the  waterway. There are many boats in the busy harbor. We pass the Miami River, which Cat Inn Around transited in 2006 for her ‘inspection survey haul-out’ at the Merrill Stephens Boatyard. We pass the two iconic skyscrapers on the south bank of the Miami River, prominent in every show/movie filmed in Miami. Soon the regulatory signs says ‘resume normal safe operating speeds’ and we power-up to about 18.5-knots. Biscayne Bay is wider now as we approach the 76-foot Rickenbacker Causeway at Mile Marker 1,091.6. Clearing the bridge, Biscayne Bay gets much wider, the eastern shore is hardly visible. The western shore slowly gives way to the famous ‘stilt home’ community on the shallow bay known as ‘Stiltville’. Only seven stilt homes remain, now property of the National Park Service. With nothing to stop the wind, there is a 3-foot chop hitting our port hull almost broadside. Pressing-on, the spray from the chop makes it to the bridge and we trim our speed to about 16-knots. Checking below, there is spray and water everywhere on the aft-cockpit. At 28-miles Biscayne Bay is a long body of water; we settle-in for a couple of hours of choppy conditions. The Day-markers are widely spaced; it would hard to imagine navigating the ICW without a GPS. The Day-markers are invisible on the horizon; the Day-marker location on the GPS screen and the green ‘heading line’ are the only way to be certain we are in the ICW channel. The waters are about 10-foot deep so there is little fear of running aground, but staying on course is a priority. We proceed on a course of 194º-true for about 16-miles. At Mile Marker 1,108 four Day-markers define the narrow channel through Featherbed Bank. The water’s brown ‘sea-grass’ color shows that there is no water on either side of the channel. We press-on at about 17-knots. The GPS identifies the next ‘invisible’ marker off on the horizon. We proceed ahead for about 7-miles on a course of 187º-true. After clearing red Day-marker “8″ we shift course to 216º-true and continue on at 18-knots. At Mile Marker 1,118 a series of Day-markers guide us through the narrow channel of Cutter Bank.  We slow to 7-knots and leave Biscayne Bay behind. Clearing Day-marker Green ’15′ we enter Card Sound and alter our course to 228º-true. Again the markers for the next small channel are too far away to see, the GPS points us on a heading of 184º-true. The water depth is a uniform 5-foot below our keel, and with the waves now on our stern, 3,300 RPM propels us at about 19½-knots. In the distance is a tall bridge and the GPS seems to point to the west end of the bridge. At about 2:00 pm a series of red and green day-markers define a narrow channel. There is sea grass visible just below the surface on both sides. We slow to 7-knots and clear the channel. We are now at the entrance to the Card Sound Bridge at Mile Marker 1,126.9 with a 65-foot vertical clearance. We hail a northbound sailboat on the VHF and ask them to come through first as we wait just outside of the channel. Clearing the bridge again starts the ‘GPS only’ navigation through Barnes Sound on a course of 191º. Barnes Sound is only 4.75-miles long. At the end we clear Green Marker “29″ and the Red Marker “30″ and enter Jewfish Creek at Mile Marker 1,133. At the end of the creek, we pass under an iconic bridge that marks US-1 entrance onto Key Largo. “We are in keys now!”  Now we enter Blackwater Sound, part of the Everglades National Park which protects most of the keys as a ‘particularly sensitive area.’ Marker Red “40″ lies dead ahead. The depth gauge shows only 1.9-feet below our keel. Looking behind, two long rows of churned-up sand confirm the depth sounder’s scary readout. We proceed at 7-knots, hoping we can recover from a slow ‘beaching’ vs. running aground at full speed. The beauty of the keys is unsurpassed. Seeing so many islands conjures a line from Lee Shore, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: “From here to Venezuela, There’s nothing more to see, Than a hundred thousand islands, flung like jewels upon the sea…’ After passing Red “40″, we enter Dusenbury Creek which connects Blackwater Basin to Tarpon Basin. A short run in Tarpon Basin leads to Grouper Creek which spills out into Buttonwood Sound. At Mile Marker 1,144, the southern end of the sound leads to Baker Cut, a small channel between two mangrove islands off the southern shore of Key Largo. A long straight run past Marker Green “61″ takes us past Pigeon Key where the channel turns southeasterly toward Taviener Key. The channel turns again with Day-markers “65″ through “69″ guiding us through Ramshorn Cut. On our port we pass the Day-makers for Taviener Creek which we have traversed many times before, but never in Cat Inn Around. The next series of Day-markers “73″ through “76″ guides us through Cowpens Cut, a narrow channel through the the islands known as Cross Bank. It is now almost 4:00 pm and we are tired of the 7-knot grind and the constant fixation on staying on the ICW’s ‘magenta line’ in these shallow waters. The chart shows 7-foot water well outside of the channel. We head out to the deeper water tucked-in behind the islands of Cross Bank. At 4:04 pm we set a secure anchor, easily visible in the pristine, shallow waters. Today we traveled about 70 nautical miles and surly have ended-up in paradise. We settled-in for a glass of wine, a nice dinner and watch a fabulous sunset over a small mangrove island on the horizon.

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ICW Mile Marker 1084 – North Biscayne Bay

On Monday March 19, Cat Inn Around transits the Intracoastal Waterway from West Palm Beach (Mile Marker 1015) to North Biscayne Bay, Mile Marker 1084.
Cat Inn Around pulled anchor at 9:01 and passed under the Parker Bridge entering the waters of lake Worth. The ICW is now a ‘slow, no wake’ zone and we realize why last night’s anchorage was so uncomfortable; even the big cat was rock by boats ‘pushing the throttle down’ after finally passing miles of no wake zones. Just beyond the bridge are attractive peaceful anchorages. The channel makes a swing to the west as we round ‘Peanut Island’ and the Lake Worth Inlet (MM 1014). Now there are scores of vessels that can only be called ‘floating condominiums.’ In comparison, Cat Inn Around looks like a small tender. A bit further, there are lots of boats the just sitting in the channel or idling around. As we try to pick our way through we are accosted: “Why are you getting so close, man?” “We are heading south and you are in the middle of the channel!” “So are they, why you expecting me to move?” his Hispanic hiss as he begrudgingly moves closer to the docks to the west. Making a wide swing to the east we slide between him and another boat; biding the pendejo adios. We realize this is preparation for the West Palm Beach Boat Show this weekend. No one wanted to give an inch for fear another boat would take their ‘slot’ requiring an extra few minuets to get docked and set-up. The ICW is now marked with opulent homes and luxurious mega-yachts parked at their docks. At Mile Marker 1021 we approach the Flagler Memorial Bridge with a vertical clearance of 17-feet that only opens at 15 and 45 past the hour. We request an opening and wait just outside the channel. After clearing the bridge we rush through the no-wake zone to reach the Royal Palm Bridge (MM 1022.6) that only opens on the hour and half-hour. Lake Worth becomes wide, picturesque and bejeweled with numerous small islands. The ICW channel is narrow and it is obvious there is little water outside of the channel. ‘Manatee Zone no wake’ markers are everywhere outside of the channel. At Mile Marker 1031 we approach the Lantana-Ocean Bridge a 13-foot vertical clearance that opens on the hour. We request an opening and idle for a while. Just four miles further we approach the Boynton Beach-Ocean Avenue Bridge (MM 1035). The bridge shows a 21-foot clearance and with no regard for my copilots white knuckles, we proceed ahead. The ICW is now a canal lined with concrete bulkheads and condos. No wake signs keep us crawling along at 7-knots. Soon we are approaching Delray Beach and the George Bush Boulevard Bridge (MM 1038.7) with a 9-foot vertical clearance. A sailboat ahead of us has already requested an opening, after a short delay we follow them through. Just a mile later, we approach the Atlantic Avenue Bridge (MM 1039.6) with a 12-foot clearance. We request and opening and there is no response.  The bridge is scheduled to open at 15 and 45 minutes after the hour. We wait and she opens on schedule. At Mile Marker 1041 we approach the Linton Boulevard Bridge with a 27-foot clearance and easily pass under. About 4-miles further (MM 1045) we are approaching Boca Raton on Lake Boca Raton. We approach the Palmetto Park Bridge, 19-foot clearance, and we wait for the on the hour and the half-hour scheduled opening. The ICW continues as a concrete bulkhead with docks and boat lifts along both sides. Just 3-miles further is the Camino Real Bridge (MM 1048.2) with a 9-foot clearance. It actually opens 3-times per hour, at the hour, 20-minuets and 40-minuets past. After passing the bridge, we enter the Hillsboro River with numerous ‘no wake zone’ signs. We continue crawling at 7-knots. At Mile Marker 1054 we bear to the starboard, passing the Hillsboro Inlet to our port. The 136-foot tall lighthouse stands on the north side of the inlet, with a powerful beacon visible up to 28-miles offshore. Soon we approach twin bascule bridges, both with 15-foot clearance, (MM 1055 and MM 1056) which identify Pompano Beach. Between Mile Markers 1059 and 1064 we encounter three more bridges. We wait for one and pass under the next two. At Mile Marker 1064 we slip under the Las Olas Bridge, marking the southern boating mecca of Ft. Lauderdale. In 2006 Cat Inn Around was featured in the Ft. Lauderdale boat show, in a slip just under the bridge. Passing the Bahia Mar resort Cat Inn Around feels at home. We are now in Ft. Lauderdale’s famous Miracle Mile (actually about two miles), lined with mega-yachts that defy description and spectacular estates. At Mile Marker 1065 we pass the Port Everglades Inlet. Clearing a tall cruise ship on our starboard we finally push our speed to 19-knots. All this no wake stuff is not good for a cat that wants to prowl. At Mile Marker 1070 we approach the Sheridan Street Bridge with a 22-foot clearance. We are back to our 7-knot crawl. We pass under the bridge leaving Dania Beach and then at Mile Marker 1072.2 pass under the Hollywood Boulevard Bridge with a 22-foot clearance. Next we pass under the Hallandale Beach Boulevard Bridge (MM 1074) with a 31-foot clearance; fortunately we did not have to wait again. Occasionally we catch a glimpse of the tall skyscrapers of the City of Miami looming in the distance. We pass under the 65-foot Golden Beach Bridge, (aka Northeast 192nd Street) entering Dumfounding Bay at Mile Marker 1076. Finally the ICW has some breadth again. Next we enter Biscayne Creek, passing under the Sunny Isles Bridge (MM 1078). At Mile Marker 1080 we enter Upper Biscayne Bay. The water displays a kaleidoscope of turquoise hues, deeper blues marking the channels and light colors identifying the sand bars along the channel. After a couple of attempts to find an anchorage, our chart shows 8-foot deep water several yards out of the channel near the mouth of Indian Creek. At 5:36 PM we set a good anchor at Mile Marker 1084 having traveled 69-miles in 8½ hours. We settle in to a nice glass of wine and dinner hoping the jet-skis realize it is getting dark.

ICW Mile Marker 1015 – West Palm Beach

On Sunday, March 18, 2012, Cat Inn Around pulled anchor just north of the St. Lucie inlet and transited the Intracoastal Waterway to West Palm Beach (Mile Marker 1015).

Once clearing the St. Lucie inlet the ICW transforms from a wide river system to a narrower waterway. The ICW has many regulatory signs along the channel; most stating this is a manatee zone speed is restricted to 25-MPH in the channel and no wake outside of the channel. The smaller channel combined with countless boats enjoying the fantastic Sunday weather demands more attention to pilot Cat Inn Around. At Mile Marker 996 we enter Hobe Sound named for the Jove Indians whose name the Spanish pronounced, “Ho-bay.” The eastern bank of the ICW is lined with manicured lawns and luxurious mansions. The western bank is part of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. It is a striking contrast! At Mile Marker 995.9 we approach the Hobe Sound Bascule Bridge with just a 21-foot clearance. Technically, with all of our antennas lowered Cat Inn Around should slide under a bridge of 19½-feet. We notice the tide-gauge marker on the starboard side shows only 19-feet and we request a bridge opening. At Mile Marker 1004 we enter the Jupiter Inlet. The water is a translucent aquamarine as we navigate the strong current, small channel and many boaters.
We pass through a narrow RR bridge opening with the outgoing tide rushing toward us. The bridge has a 40-foot horizontal clearance but Cat Inn Around’s 21½-foot beam looks pretty big compared to the narrow opening. We have now entered the Loxahatchee River Florida’s only designated wild and scenic river. There are scores of small boats pulled-up on the sandbar along our port side. The channel is narrow and the depth gauge only shows 2-feet below our keel. We push along touching bottom several times in the middle of the channel. We proceed about 2-miles constantly staring at the depth gauge. Finally, we are aground! The tide chart shows that the tide is still running out and high tide is about 8:00 PM; it is now 12:57 PM. It is a good time to work on the water-maker installation while we wait for the incoming tide. Many projects were put aside or we would never have left the dock and started this adventure. At 3:29 we have just enough water to power Cat Inn Around off the ground. While working we paid close attention to how the other boats navigated this river. Following their course we are able to get back to the narrow RR Bridge. Clearing the bridge with the strong in-rushing tide, we are pleased to say goodbye to Loxahatchee River.
Proceeding south along the ICW the river is a no-wake zone and we are making about 7-knots. We easily slide under a couple of bridges. My copilot is now fixated on the fuel gauge which shows about a quarter of a tank. At 4:45 PM we clear through an open bridge and spot a convenient fuel dock on the starboard bank called the North Palm Beach Marina. After tying-up the boat we ask the attendant for fuel. He says: “We close at 5:00 PM.” “Do you think you can make an exception it is just 5:01!” The management agrees and we take on 200 gallons of diesel. With the tanks showing about 80%, the co-pilot is happy and we are underway again making about 17-knots. We are now in Lake Worth and the waterway is wide again. We pass the Lake Worth inlet and start looking for an anchorage for the evening. At about 6:00 PM we spot a cove with many sailboats at anchor. We drop the hook and settle in for the evening. We are now at Mile Maker 1013 having only made 27-miles today. We enjoy a drink and watch the sun set behind a condo. Welcome to South Florida!

ICW Mile Marker 986 – St. Lucie

On Saturday March 17, 2012, Cat Inn Around transited the Intracoastal Waterway from our anchorage in Cocoa Beach to an anchorage just north of the St. Lucie Inlet at Mile Marker 986. From Cocoa Beach the Indian River is a wide river marked with numerous tall bridges (typically 65-foot) that cross the waterway. Navigation is easy with long straight courses in relatively deep water. The ICW channel is typically 8-foot to 10-foot deep and Cat Inn Around only draws 3½-feet (42-inches). We have been blessed with fabulous weather, it seems that ‘spring has sprung’ as we sit in the bridge in tee shirts and shorts. Frequent applications of sun block protect our knees and legs, heated by the sun poking through the forward opening in bridge enclosure. There is a pleasant 10-knot to 12-knot wind from the East, enough to power a sailboat race. We slow for the regatta offering a change from the 19-knot cruising speed. In short order we pass through Melbourne, the Sebastian Inlet, the city of Sebastian and Vero Beach. About 4:20 PM we approach the Fort Pierce Inlet (MM 968) and reduce or speed to 7-knots for this congested area. After clearing the area, we resume cruising at a speed of 17½-knots (19.4 mph). The waterway is still wide and straight as we pass Hutchinson Island and Jenson Beach. At Mile Marker 980 we pass under the Ernest F. Lyons Bridge with a fixed vertical clearance of 65-feet. Our speed is reduced to 7-knots as we enter the St. Lucie inlet area with many boats enjoying the great Saturday evening weather. We spot a small island with deep water near the channel and decide to set anchor for the evening. We have reached Mile Marker 986, having traveled 77.4 nautical miles today.
The St. Lucie inlet marks the convergence of the Indian River and the St. Lucie River, which is, also known as the Okeechobee Waterway. From here vessels can transit the waterway to Lake Okeechobee. The waterway provides a short cut to Florida’s West coast and the Gulf of Mexico. Lake Okeechobee water levels fluctuate but is reported to provide about 5-foot depths that would let Cat Inn Around safely through. Maybe a future trip; for now we will leave the waterway to our starboard when we head south tomorrow. 

ICW Mile Marker 897 – Cocoa Beach

On Friday March 16, 2012, Cat Inn Around left the anchorage in St. Augustine (MM 777.9) and journeyed South along the Intracoastal Waterway arriving in Cocoa Beach (MM 879) near dusk. Even with all of our antennas lowered, The Bridge of Lions clearance was to low for us to pass underneath. We requested a bridge opening and captured this image of this majestic bridge in the open position. She is one of the most beautiful bridges on the ICW. South of St. Augustine, we passed Fort Matanzas (MM 793) at the Matanzas Inlet. The Spanish used to control the inlet with this ‘little’ fort situated to easily discharge cannon balls at unwelcome vessels. At Mile Marker 796 we pass Marineland, offering a nice marina for boaters to experience the Oceanarium. The ICW continues down the Matanzas River through the Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas National Estuarine Reserve where a small island was completely taken with nesting pelicans, egrets and cormorants. The ICW continues through Flagler Beach. At Mile Marker 816 is the Knox Bridge with only 15-foot clearance. We request bridge opening and are quickly cruising again at 18-knots (20-mph). The ICW passes Palm Coast, Ormond Beach (MM 825) and then Daytona Beach (MM 830). We are able to clear Daytona’s Main Street Bridge with a 22-foot clearance but have to request an opening for the Memorial Bridge with only a 21-foot clearance. Further South at the Ponce de Leon Inlet, this stunning 175-foot Ponce Inlet Lighthouse looms on the horizon. Near Mile Maker 846 the ICW changes from a narrow dredged channel to a large lake as we enter Mosquito Lagoon. It is late afternoon and the wind is starting to blow making choppy waters on the lagoon. At Mile Marker 869 we enter the Haulover Canal, a narrow dredged canal that connects Mosquito Lagoon to the Indian River. Now the river is wide as we pass New Smyrna Beach in a light chop. At this point we are looking for an anchorage for the evening but ‘continue on’ hoping to find calmer waters. The chop has little effect on Cat Inn Around, not the same for her passengers. To the East looms the building that used to house the space shuttle at the NASA Kennedy Space Center. The ICW passes the Canaveral Barge Canal (connecting the ICW to the Banana River and Port Canaveral) as we pass under the 65-foot high bridge. At Mile Marker 897 we arrive at Cocoa Beach with the distinctive water tower painted with the American Flag. Here we find a calm anchorage on the East side of the channel. We enjoy the last ‘glow’ of the sunset and settle down for the evening. Cat Inn Around has traveled 119-miles and her passengers are ready to rest. Day 2 comes to a close.

ICW Mile Marker 777.9

March 15, 2011 Cat Inn Around left home port at Oyster Bay at (mile marker 724) and transited the ICW to St. Augustine. We set a secure anchor at mile marker 777.9 in front of the Bridge of Lions overlooking the fort and downtown waterfront.

Bald Eagle near Fernandina Beach Florida

Along the way we saw this beautiful symbol of America perched atop a day beacon near Fernandina Beach. This wonderful old sailboat cruised in front of St. Augustine’s  Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marcos. The old Cross was especially beautiful in the morning sunrise.

Partying with the crew from Southwest Airlines

Partying with the crew from Southwest Airlines near Cumberland Island on Cat Inn Around. Anchored close to shore in Cumberland Sound, the Island’s wild horse’s natural curiosity beckoned them close enough for everyone to appreciate the rare sight. After enjoying plenty of food, drinks and Island Music; everyone gathered on the bow for a group picture. The day trip proves: you don’t have to travel far to feel a million miles from home. Check out this video of the the day.

From Oyster Bay to Cumberland Island in One Hour

On the eve of another invitation to visit Cumberland Island, I realized that I haven’t even told the story of the first trip over there which we undertook last month. Shaun H. invited my wife and myself to accompany him and a friend on an overnighter on Cat Inn Around,… his 48 foot South African build Power Cat. Even though I am a full blooded wind sailor, for some reason I haven’t had too much time in recent years to explore the wild blue yonder, so when Shaun launched the idea, my docksiders started to itch as if a midlife crisis is a God given right.

Read more: http://oysterbayharbour.com/from-the-marina-to-cumberland-island-in-one-hour/

Cat Inn Around is now available

Cat Inn Around is now available for the discriminating buyer offering long-range cruising luxury with four staterooms and exceptional fuel economy. Cat Inn Around will cruise over a thousand miles at trawler speed on speed you along at over 21 knots. She cruises efficiently at 18 knots.  Multi-hulls or Catamarans are prized for their fuel economy and Cat Inn Around is no exception. For example, she cruised from Dinner Key (South of Miami) to Fernandina Beach at 20 knots (except the no-wake zones in South Florida) on 340 gallons of fuel. In essence, traveling over 350 miles while using less than one gallon per mile, exceptional for 22 mph!