One of the issues we have had the last couple of weeks is that whilst we have had the main down and tarted up, trying to get the full sail fibreglass pole battens back in has proved to be an impossibility with just the two of us. Slightly restricting. However, needs must and with the waste tanks getting a little full, we needed either to get to a pump out station or have a quick trip out beyond the 3 mile limit, a legal necessity if you are clearing out.
On the basis that time wise it was one or the same, we decided that we would go out, at least use the time to check out engines, genset and a host of other bits and pieces.
We ran down the inner waterways, past Las Olas Bridge and then through 17th St Causeway. Both are timed raises and the 15 minutes between bridge raises turned out to be about 5mins too much for us so we had the chance to wander about in the last basin looking at some of the magnificence/extravagance on show. Two boats stood out
http://www.teamp2.net/Â which past us coming back in from charter
and then http://www.burgessyachts.com/en/sale-purchase-category/yachts-for-sale/motor-yachts/cakewalk-00005340.html . Currently on sale for the small sum of $148m!!
There were plenty more. God knows how much money there is tied up here in Ft Lauderdale but the figure must be enormous.
Once we were out we had an uneventful trip  until having done the necessary, on being asked to turn Skylark for home, Lou announced she couldn’t turn the wheel. After a few minutes of “oh shit…”, a look under both hulls looking for the seemingly inevitable rope jamming the rudders (finding nothing – used the GoPro properly for the first time – magnificent!) we found to our embarrassment that the autohelm had been knocked on at some point. A couple of red faces later and we headed for home, smelling somewhat better than we had in the morning.
skylarkingaround 