Wednesday morning I took a last trip to downtown Lauderdale with our friend Chris to get some last minute items and check out some local dive shops. We decided to pick up at least one dive tank to keep aboard in case we need to dive on the boat. We found a local shop near the Yacht Club and did pick up a tank at a reasonable cost. We now have one complete set of dive gear aboard. We’re still short a regulator and gauge set, and a second tank.
We said our goodbyes to Chris and Joyce and left Coral Ridge about 1:30 PM with winds still blowing out of the NW at 20 kts. We made the 2 hour cruise south to Hollywood and arrived there early enough to land very close to our anchorage spot, took a nice walk to the beach and hit the high spots. The area is rather depressed in spots, lots of boarded up buildings, and some halted construction. The beach walk area is the exception, with a beautiful promenade fronting the ocean and beach. Dog-unfriendly, as most of the beach areas in Florida. (There are 13 areas in the whole of Florida where dogs are permitted on the beach, many of which require a “permit” as in Ft. Lauderdale where you may take your dog onto the beach during limited times if you purchase a “permit” for $7.00 each!!) Although we visited the dog beach in Lauderdale, we didn’t participate, and in Hollywood, we were given a heads-up by some local chaps who advised that the cops usually issue fines rather than warnings.
We left Hollywood after 9:00, bound for Miami.