Why Boating Accidents Happen

Lake Worth, Florida, N 26 45 32 W 80 02 38

Saturday, March 17

We hit Jupiter Inlet just after noon. It was midday. A lovely sunny day. Saint Patrick's Day. Saturday, and peak of spring break season. There are three closely spaced drawbridges there and we had to wait for two of them. There was more boat traffic than just about any place we've ever seen. It made Libby nervous so she asked me to take the helm.

I'm not sure it was a good idea. You see about half of those small boats going past us were filled with coeds on spring break. They were dressed in the skimpiest bikinis one could imagine. They were all drinking beer and jumping up and down in time with the booming music. Poor old me. My eyeballs were lika deer's in a shooting gallery. Bang - look at those to port. Bang - there's more on starboard. Ahead. Behind. In every direction there was jiggling teasing girl flesh. The only reason
that I didn't run us aground or ram any other boats was that I was stopped dead in the middle of the waterway waiting for the bridges. Believe me though, if there was any critical task for me to do at that moment needing any fraction of brain power, I would have flunked.

Women don't believe how little control men have over their behavior in such situations. Just because the men enjoy the gawking so much, women assume that they can not gawk. Fortunately for me, Libby doesn't get mad when I gawk. That, and a thousand other reasons, are why I love her so much.

The blood is starting to return to my brain once again and, oh yeah, there were other things we saw today.

We left Stuart around nine. It was cold and blustery, but as the sun rose higher in the sky, the weather turned delightful.

Before coming to Jupiter, we passed through Hobe Sound. I love the beauty of that place. The waterside homes are so beautiful and the vegetation is so lush and green. I think it is one of the most beautiful scenes we've seen south of Maine.

We're at anchor in Lake Worth near the inlet. It is almost exactly the same spot as our very first night at anchor on Tarwathie two years and one week ago. Our plan is to wait for good winds to go offshore and make a day's run to Miami. The weather forecast is unfavorable for a passage to Bahamas up to and including next Thursday. We might as well take our time.