Chuck Landis, my usual weekend paddling partner, and I put in at Phil Foster Park under the Blue Heron Bridge that connects Singer Island to Riveria Beach just north of West Palm Beach. The park is on the Intracoastal, actually the northern end of Lake Worth, but so close to the Palm Beach inlet that the water is usually crystal clear.There are a number of ramps but we dropped in off the wide sandy beach. Just south of the putin is a small island called Peanut Island. This is where JFK's fallout shelter was located and other then the Coast Guard station on the South end, was completely undeveloped. It was formed with the spoils of the dredging of the Intracoastal and must be 50 feet at the highest parts. It's abeam of the inlet so the water is ideal for swimming and the area abounds in coral reefs, ideal for snorkelers. I had no problem seeing bottom for most of the time around the island, even when in 30 or 40 feet of water. There are dozens of sailboats moored around the area including some real scows used as live-aboards for the functionally homeless. There were a few boats sunk or in the process of being salvaged, probably from last year's hurricanes. Peanut Island has recently been turned into a par and the county has planted hundreds of coconut palms, set up picnic shelters and camping grounds. The work is on-going but the island is being transformed into a tropical beach. A couple of docks and a fishing dock has been installed and there is a regular water taxi service. Chuck and I did a leisurely paddle around the island and then headed South towards West Palm Beach. We stayed close to the Eastern shore which is the city of Pam Beach. The Breakers and many other Palm Beach landmarks were visible. We passed the MV Medusa, a 200+foot boat complete with Dual jet helicopter on the upper deck. We also passed a 200+ foot sail boat. Hey, it's the season... On the return we skirted the western side of Peanut Island which sits opposite the Port of Palm Beach, home to a small container port and a few casino ships. There were a few more clearings for picnicking and more plantings underway. We bypassed our putin and took out at a beach next to one of the ramps which put us closer to a water tap for rinsing the boats and gear. The weather was perfect! A light breeze and a few puffy clouds made for excellent paddling conditions. total distance was around 6 miles. This weekend I'll be in Toronto..brrrr. cya Bob Denton Aqua-Gulf Transport bdenton_at_aquagulf.com www.aquagulf.com <http://www.aquagulf.com> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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