Yachting Capital of the World, Fort Lauderdale, USA

Posted on May 18, 2016 by by

Big Sailboats Passing Under the 17th Causeway Bridge, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

Fort Lauderdale is known as the Yachting Capital of the World. The whole city is boat oriented: boat brokers, boat related retailers, boat insurance, jobs, services, and etc… You name it. It is here.

Being a resident of Fort Lauderdale, entering the Port Everglades, is like coming back to my sweet home. I remember the sea breeze on the beach and I know lots of restaurants, bars, and stores to go. There are dear friends and neighbors, I want to meet. The only problem is that there is not enough place to anchor the boat. This means staying in a marina which is expensive. The first day when we arrived, we anchored in the Lake Sylvia anchorage, near Pier 66 Hyatt Hotel. There were eight sailboats anchored when we arrived. We were the ninth one and we stayed overnight.

Lake Sylvia Anchorage and Pier 66 Hyatt Hotel (Tall Building) in Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

We left the Lake Sylvia Anchorage next day and the eight boats were still there. When we left Lake Sylvia, we hit the bottom because it was low tide. We got stuck in four different places for two hours before we made it out into the intercoastal waterway. I was so embarrassed being stuck in front of those multi-million dollar houses, as if anyone was watching. For the next five days, we docked at the Las Olas Marina and enjoyed the convenience and comforts staying in a marina.

Las Olas Bridge by Las Olas Marina, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

Las Olas Marina is run by City of Fort Lauderdale. It is located by the center of Fort Lauderdale beach. Laundry room, shower room, and meeting room were very nice. It cost us US$543.55 for five nights stay. For a night, it cost US$108.71 (including daily US$10 unlimited electric usage) in the Las Olas Marina. Compared with the US$250/month (electricity extra) in Guatemala, it isn’t cheap staying in Fort Lauderdale.

Ample Laundry Room Facility in Las Olas Marina, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

Living here all the time, we wouldn’t know how lucky we (the Americans) are. After sailing from Guatemala, I appreciate being a US Citizen. We ran the A/C and enjoyed luxury cool air while staying in the marina. Our two cats are curled into tight balls of fur when we run the A/C. After staying at the Las Olas Marina, we moved to an anchorage a little north of the Las Olas Marina and prepared for an early departure next day morning.