JETSKI JAMBOREE
12/18/2007 9:15:53 AM by Sandy Lindsey
Jump aboard with us as we take a tour of the Intracoastal Waterway aboard a zipping jetski. Warning: You’d better hold on for the ride.
Photos courtesy of Sea-Doo
It’s all about the ride. The era of Malcolm Forbes and his elite Capitalist Tools motorcycle club who toured the exotic locales of the world on two wheels may be over, but those looking for truly unique yet accessible adventures may want to consider jetski touring. Like its motorcycle counterpart, the schedule can be as simple or complex as the participants want and one can go alone or with a group of their favorite “water hogs.” We decided to start with the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). This relatively straightforward route offers plenty of things to do and see “off-road” — sights not found on land-locked Route 66.
|
TOURING ESSENTIALS
Whether you’re going out for a day or a week, storage space is limited on a PWC so it’s important to pack carefully. Here are some things you need to make sure you have aboard. |
||
| The right ride. Our favorite is Sea-Doo’s 2008 GTX 215 Limited complete with standard on-board GPS and waterproof cellphone case. To reserve yours, go to Sea-Doo.com. |
 |
|
| Your wallet. Make sure to including ID, cash and credit cards. Whatever you do, make sure you bring along a durable one. Stewart Stand’s Steel Wallet is one such billfold. Available for $75 at StewartStand.com. |
 |
|
| Secure sunglasses. These Wave Shield Amber Lense Sunglasses will not only protect your eyes from the elements, but they will stay in place through even the roughest wave splashes. Get a pair at MaximumEyewear.com. |
 |
|
| Sunscreen. Make sure to get a brand that will not only protect you from UV, but will moisturize your skin while it does the job. We recommend Sun Perfect UV by BioActive Skincare, a silky, grease-less, full-waterproof sunblock. Get a bottle at BioActive-Skincare.com. |
 |
|
| If you decide to tour the Intracoastal as we’ve suggested here, invest in the compact, handy reference, The Intracoastal Waterway: Norfolk to Miami, A Cockpit Cruising Handbook. If you’ve got enough space on board, try the much more comprehensive Intracoastal Waterway Chartbook. Both books are available from McGraw Hill’s International Marine or at Amazon.com. |
 |
|
| A foul-weather jacket. No matter how bright the forecast, the weather can change, and on a jetski the only protection you’ll have is what you’re wearing. This waterproof jacket from Fuzhou David Garments will keep you dry even when you’re getting soaked from all directions. Get one at David-Garments.com. |
 |
|
The ICW totals over 1,000 miles from Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida, in a combination of natural waterways and manmade canal sections maintained by the Army Corps. of Engineers. It continues throughout the Gulf Coast. For our purposes, we put in at Jupiter, Florida, and toured our way south to the clear tropical waters of Miami. Unlike cruising the same waters on a large boat, we didn’t have to worry about any areas where depths went under the standardized 6 to 8 feet nor take bridge openings into account when planning our days — which gave us an additional sense of freedom. We did, however, mark off potential fuel stops and lodging selections.
It was only in this past century that the ICW at Jupiter Inlet was consistently opened. Before then, nature was allowed to take its course and the inlet was often found closed. One year, legend has it, the locals took out their shovels and dug their own channel to get the water moving again.
| Mr. World Record
Breaking a world record is no small feat for the average man, but for John Moffatt, it was a piece
|
||
This past Oct. 14, the world record for PWC touring was broken by John Moffatt and his Sea-Doo GTX, upon completing a course that exceeded 12,000 miles. The impressive jaunt started in Miami where Moffatt proceeded to cruise up the Intracoastal Waterway along the east coast to points north, including New York City and eventually culminating at Montreal. But that wasn’t enough for this water-adventurer, who faced such hazards during his world record quest as gusting winds and seven-foot waves breaking over his head. Next, he headed, via Ottawa, through the Great Lakes Ontario and Erie to Chicago. The journey continued to zig-zag across the major inland waterways until he finally headed south on the Tennessee River to the Gulf of Mexico. Back in the waters off Florida, Moffatt cruised close to the coastline until he reached Fort Myers where he then took Lake Okeechobee back across the state to Vero Beach. His route took him north to explore the St. John’s River, then south once again to culminate in Miami. “I was so close to the record, I just couldn’t take the day off, even though that might have been the most prudent course of action,” says Moffatt, reminiscing about his last few days at sea, which involved some pretty rough water. “I only had another three weeks or so to pad the record and put it further out of reach, so the last thing I wanted to do was sit around.” In addition to this massive undertaking, Moffatt broke the PWC watercraft distance world record (since re-broken) by completing 5,602 miles in 80 days. His credentials also include being the associate producer of the popular television series Full House. “I just want to be the best in the world at something, and this is it,” he concludes triumphantly. “This is my record!”The Loxahatchee Sandbar is the place to go during the weekend and we found it filled with dozens of boats with 10 times that amount of people. The east end is for the party animals, while families congregate on the western tip. The Loxahatchee River is not well-marked, so beware of the shallows, though it’s worth the trip. We found some excellent jetski spots that attract avid waterskiers as well. While Jupiter is growing day by day, the majority of the real action is still in Palm Beach.
Starting a bit south of the Blue Heron Bridge and north of Palm Beach/Lake Worth, we discovered the must-see Peanut Island. This manmade, 80-year-old dredged-sand oasis was built for a peanut oil shipping terminal that was never constructed on it and has served as the President Kennedy Bunker and Nuclear Bomb Shelter. The well-situated spot now hosts the very interesting Palm Beach Maritime Museum as well as snorkeling and swimming opportunities, picnic areas, showers, camping and Sailfish Marina. Dockage is only available to those paying for a campsite. Be prepared for strong currents when navigating.
The modern Palm Beach bears no resemblance to its 1878 incarnation when a shipwreck caused a cargo of coconuts to wash ashore onto the pristine white beach and sprout. The Intracoastal widens considerably upon entering Palm Beach to form the Lake Worth lagoon. This open, balmy area features the mutli-million-dollar mansions of the world’s notables that give Palm Beach its élan to the east on the narrow barrier island. The bustling downtown Palm Beach is currently enjoying a renaissance to the west.
As we approached, the open waters just cried out for some fun PWC-play and we were more than willing to oblige, offering an impromptu show of jetski skill for those on the shore. It was after a half-day of downtown shopping that the females amongst our pack realized how little storage space there is on even a multi-rider PWC, and also how easy it is to smile at the guys we were riding with and steal their storage compartments out from under them. Before we headed out, we cruised the mansions along the shore for a glimpse at our futures.
Our stomachs began to grumble as we passed the Lighthouse Point Inlet and its famous red lighthouse (see Splashback page, this issue), so we headed over to Cap’s Place just south of the cut. Don’t let the unassuming exterior of this national landmark, which is also the oldest restaurant in Broward County, fool you. The site, which started out as a 1920s casino and rum speakeasy can only be reached by Cap’s motor launch and serves some of the finest, freshest seafood on the East Coast. Although locals love it, they’ve managed to keep it a secret from outsiders so if you show up and get some awkward looks from the regulars, tell them Wave sent you. That alone should be enough to get you a round or two.
A short hop down to Fort Lauderdale found us waterfront bar-hopping with locals and tourists alike. We left our jetskis docked at a friend’s house and took advantage of the Water Taxi to take us to our libations at the rustic Bahia Cabana, yuppie Bimini Boatyard, historic Downtowner and to fabulous dessert at the 15th Street Fisheries. Good thing we had two hours to spare before jumping back in the water.
Just south, the manatee hotspot — literally — from November through March is the warm waters that are found in the Port Everglades Florida Power & Light discharge canal. The area is not as easily accessed by boaters as it once was, though the manatees have no problems getting in.
The next morning found us in Condo Canyon, an area nicknamed for the choppy waters caused by the seawalls of Intracoastal condo after condo. The Miami section of our journey brought us firmly back into the “big city” and consisted of enjoying the sun on our faces, wind at our backs and the sight of everything we’ve come to love about the area. The weekend Haulover raft-up complete with floating vendor stand, mansion after mansion and under-construction luxury residential towers served as our backdrop.
Our journey concluded at Miami’s famous Monument Island. A renowned developer wanted to thank Henry Flagler for his railroad, which put South Florida on the national map and consciousness, so in 1920 he hired artist John B. Orr to craft a memorial to the railroad tycoon and his all-important railroad. The resulting 110-foot Obelisk monument still resides on its small man-made island in the Intracoastal, just west of the beaches. The lack of speed zones makes the area a prime spot for jetskiiers.
As with the infamous South Beach, the waterways of Miami are known for fine dining. A wide variety of selections abound at the always-hopping Bayside Marina, nearby Miami Beach Marina and at such casual haunts as Big Fish on the ever-scenic Miami River. We opted to go to the all-out funky Jimbo’s on Virginia Key. Even though we were on shallow-draft, jetskis were sure to call ahead for full directions just to be on the safe side, as the inlet leading to the mini-lagoon that houses this unique waterfront eatery is surrounded by shallows beckoning the unwary to run aground. On the way, we got to drive alongside a mammoth cruise ship leaving the Port of Miami…talk about learning that size matters!