Fort Lauderdale Intracoastal Waterway

#FortLauderdaleIntracoastalWaterway

Here i am entering a section of this famous man-made waterway nicknamed the "Venice of America" 
 This portion is by far the most scenic and extravagant part of the 4,500 km (2,800 mile) route in my humble opinion, hence the blog
One example why, in Italy there are only 42kms (26 miles) of canals and here it has over 480kms
(300 miles) of navigable inland channels to explore

School is in Session 😂
This is a common mistake and why you are reading my travel blog(s) to learn, or so i hope
Most spell it as "Intercoastal" Waterway
"Inter" is used when travelling between different countries
"Intra" when motoring within the inland waters of a single country

Water Garages
Most neighborhoods are designed so residents can park their boats at
 their backyard docks

I have had sailing friends who have done the Florida Fort Lauderdale Boat Show (to purchase)
then navigate it up to Hells Kitchen New York, via the Hudson River as a journey

Fun Fact
Legend has it that the New York neighborhood earned its name Hell in 1881
 First from a reporter to describe the crime ridden area, then when a local policeman told
 his rookie partner
"Hell is a mild climate, This is Hells Kitchen"

The waterway was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1900s, first to protect the American cargo and military ships from the open ocean storms
But also from the German U Boats that were patrolling along the Atlantic coast

Facts
First World War
Only four U-Boats crossed the Atlantic to raid coastal shipping,
 but they sank over two hundred US vessels 

Second World War
Canada
The U-Boats were engaged in an unrestricted warfare along the entire East Coast of North America
In the 1942 they entered the inland waterway of the St Lawrence River
 where than sank twenty one ships
My City of Halifax would anchor submarine nets to either side of Georges Island to protect its
harbor from attack 
( for more of this story #GeorgesIslandHalifaxCanada)
Gulf of Mexico
Over fifty six  American merchant ships were sent to the bottom in this body of water, plus another
 thirty nine off the coast of Texas and Louisiana

So you can see the importance of making this waterway route during these
 turbulent times

Canal Transportation

With many stops along the route, the local Water Taxi is also a great way to tour the area at
 a very reasonable cost
Bonus
Unlike standard public transit, they allow you to purchase and enjoy alcoholic beverages onboard,
 while you see how the "Other Half Lives" 😎

Water Traffic Jam
The city has over 50,000 registered boats plus large vessels and also is home to 2,000 mega-yachts,
so easy to see why we are "backed up" 
There is an App called the Marine Traffic Live Ship Map to track movements, especially around the causeway spans which are needed to operate for the "normal" automobile flow
 The Bridges
They stay closed during peak times of 7.30 - 8.30am and 4.30 - 5.30pm
  With the remaining prime hours, only opens on the top of the clock
  Exceptions are made for law enforcement, vessels in distress or tugboats with tows 

Millionaire Row
Passing many of the huge mansions as i leave, with the estimated value of between $15 to $100 million just for the property and not including the mega yachts parked nearby

Peanut Island
It is a laid back 1 to 3 hour sail for most 70kms (40 miles)
For me, who is watching time jajajajja so longer

 Early History
The island was completely man-made from the dirt dredged during the construction for the port of nearby Palm Beach, with the plan to use it as a shipping terminal for peanut oil
It is only accessible by water and so no cars are allowed on the island, which is refreshing
JFK Secret Bunker
Because he wintered in nearby Palm Beach, the government built a subterranean blast shelter here in 1961 in case of a nuclear attack.
Unfortunately its been closed since 2017 due to safety concerns, with plans to
 restore the facility 

Today
The area underwent a huge $13 million renovation in 2005 to transform it into the public park,
 which decades later is for all to enjoy

Pizza
Hey traveling and writing gets you hungry, so ordered a pie to be delivered on / from the water,
what better way to close out this latest chapter of this adventure