Coral Gables and Miami

March 14, 2021:  Finally a couple day break in the winds so we pulled out mid-day on Sunday the 14th and got 25 miles up Hawks Channel to anchor by Five Mile Channel and Lower Matacumbe Key (on the inside).  A cool sandbar and some nice canals to investigate.  Water was beautifully clear and stars were amazing.  

​Pulled anchor about 8 (just light with the new time change).  Started out a little rocky but as we got further toward Miami, seas flattened & had a nice ride.  Passed the Stiltsville area into Biscayne Bay, where we saw one of the few stilt houses remaining had burned very recently.  These cannot be rebuilt and are so unique that it's sad to see this loss.

Arrived to our friends, Jody and Normans at Gables by the Sea, where they had arranged a place to tie up at a neighbors as they are building their sea wall.  Neighbors George and Ana were so kind to share their space.  We stayed for 5 nights here and and got to participate in the neighborhood happy hours, meeting a great group of people.  Joe spent a good day of fishing with Norman and a few friends and caught enough for dinner for the group, which we brought a couple days later to the Coral Reef Yacht Club and had them fix them.  The catch included Mahi, tuna and a few others. 

We toured the South Miami area with Norman and Jody and saw lots of houses (ideas for our new home) and some of the nicest areas of Miami.  

Boca Chita, Biscayne Bay

On Thursday morning early we headed out in Biscayne Bay to Boca Chita, a state park.  The island was owned in the early 1900's by Marc Honeywell and he built a harbor and large estate for his family.  In the first days of occupancy his wife died on the island and Honeywell never returned and eventually gave the property to Miami for a park.  IT has a nice little harbor and lighthouse and gets quite crowded on the weekends.  It was pretty tame when we were there with John and Nancy from Just US and Norman & Jody, who stayed with us but brought over their center counsel for us to run around on.  Biscayne Bay is a great cruising area with nice anchorages.  ​

Headed north through Miami, Marine Stadium and downtown.