cruise time from Stuart, FL to Ft Lauderdale?

chazaroo

New Member
Dec 4, 2006
415
Florida
Boat Info
1996 Sundancer 250
Engines
single 5.7 w Bravo III
Anybody done this? We're trying to figure out how long it takes. Hard to gauge because speed zones vary.


Chazaroo
 
Stuart to Ft. Lauderdale

Which way will you be coming, ocean or Intercoastal? It will feel like forever on the ICW because of all the minimum wake, slow speed, manatee zone areas...
 
The ICW will be a nice scenic trip, but slow slow slow.. You won't have to raise many bridges but the speed zones are everywhere.

If you are traveling this week, try it off shore. Stay about 1/2 mile off the beach and "let it rip". We are looking for small seas presently. A note on the weather, plan your stops to be tied up around 4:30 as we are getting serious afternoon storms every day this week.
 
YEs, the weather is a little scary at the moment. Those storms in the afternoon have been pretty mean. We haven't set a date for the trip yet but it will be after the weather calms down a bit. As for inside vs ICW, I'm not sure. We may go down on the ICW and back outside. The big question is how long does it take inside with all those speed zones?
 
icw

wow.. inside...figure you'd average about 7-10mph with all the slow areas especially on weekends...It's what, 70 miles from Stuart to Fort Lauderdale? You are looking at a long time. I'm not sure what the speed zones are once you are past Broward County but very few areas you can open up in down here. I'd take the outside route down first to make sure you got here before any of the afternoon storms then figure out your time from there and know it will be at least double going on the inside.

Let me know when you're coming down, which way you went, and how long it actually took. I'm wanting to go up to Peanut Island in West Palm, and I know I'd have to go outside to get there and back in one day and still enjoy the time there.

Good luck!
Barry
 
I'll let you know how it goes. One of our thoughts was leaving Stuart in early morning and making it to the Boca Raton Resort & Club that night. then we'd go to Bahi Mar or Pier 66 in Ft Lauderdale the next morning, stay a couple days and then head back.

-Chazaroo
 
Times

When I'm going to Boca from Ft Lauderdale in the ICW I allow three hours for the trip up. I figure have to loose 30 minutes to bridge openings. Nearly the entire trip Boca to Lauderdale will be in Minimum wake areas or in 25 MPH or 15" wakes, but don't expect to get much of that.

From Stuart to Boca I don't knowas I've only made that run in the ICW once in 15 years, because I just jump out side and run up the coast, because it just takes too long.

Lake Worth Inlet to Pt Evergals is about 4 hours running off shore @ 15 knts
 
I have to wait for more bridge openings and probably can't go as fast in the no wake zones, but it took me around 6-7 hours to go from Shooter's (Ft.L.) to Delray Beach this spring. It looks like stuart is about 1/3 more so I would say it will be a loooong day. I would look to go eary in the AM and go outside as Asureyez suggested as the scenery is very redundant after a couple of hours. Beautiful homes I can't afford and some nice mangroves. Lots of Manatee signs that take 10 minutes to read and comprehend. Outside, gets you there, gets you docked, and puts a slushy drink in your hand much earlier.

briman
 

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