The latest weather model was telling us we needed to be on the move again. We planned our departure for midnight so that we could arrive to the inlet during daylight. Our boat buddies on B4Checkout, David and Sarah, would be joining us on this leg of the journey. The night was pretty calm, and we settled in for what would be a 15-hour passage down to Key Biscayne. We ended up motoring the whole way as the wind died.
David and Sarah were picking up a friend in the Miami area, so we motored on to No Name Harbor. This would be the first time for us to visit this area, so we were of course very cautious. Based on feedback from Michele on Vista Vida we anchored just outside the entrance of Bill Baggs State Park.
Like so many other places we have visited, Bill Baggs also has a lighthouse. The historic Cape Florida Lighthouse was built in 1825. Cape Florida has long served as a beacon of freedom from Seminole Indians seeking to remain in their Florida home, to fugitive slaves and Black Seminoles who secretly gathered before taking safe passage to the British Bahamas. Cape Florida was named by the explorer Ponce de Leon during the first Spanish expedition in 1513.
As we got closer to the inlet and park, we could see something in the distance. We could not tell if it was other boats or ships, so I got the binoculars out to take a look. Low and behold it was Stiltsville. We had heard of Stiltsville from watching other cruisers videos on YouTube but had no idea where exactly they were, so it was a surprise to be so close to them.
Stiltsville is a group of wood stilt houses located one mile South of Cape Florida on sand banks. It has a colorful history that dates back to the 1930’s. At its peak in 1960, there were over 27 structures on the flats but hurricanes, fires and ravages of being exposed would determine their fate. In 1985, the bottom land the stilt structures sit on were deeded by the state of Florida to Federal Government as part of Biscayne National Park. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew left only seven buildings standing, none of which existed during the heyday.
Before we left for the Bahamas, we needed to secure a grill. We got feedback from several cruisers on their favorite grill, none of which said the Magma brand. We should have done this sooner in our journey, but we were going try to use our Ninja oven instead. We have since learned that our solar and AGW batteries can’t support it. It would just so happen that one of our other cruising friends on Ten Seven Freedom (retreat) also needed a grill as well. I called two local businesses, found one that had the grill we were looking for. It was confirmed that I could purchase 2 grills, so I called an Uber and was on my way. If only it were that easy, I arrived at the location to be told that yes, he had them in stock, but he would have to get them from his Tampa location. That was a piece of information that would have been helpful to know beforehand. My Uber driver Jose was great, he waited as I called the second location to be told they too would have to order them. I was not giving up, I found a West Marine and picked up two Magma grills.
So, we grill in tow Jose drove me back to Bill Baggs state park. Bubba met me at the park in the dinghy. We loaded them up and then walked over to Boaters Grill for some lunch. Of course, Bubba never pays close attention when ordering at restaurants. He decided to go with the catch of the day Yellow Fin Tuna with Cuban beans and rice. Out to the table comes the whole fish. A common bad habit of Bubba’s is not asking how much something costs. This was an outrageously expensive lunch and I hope he has learned his lesson. Meanwhile, I enjoyed a hamburger and fries.
