firstbase
Guru
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2016
- Messages
- 1,644
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Black Eyed Susan
- Vessel Make
- Grand Banks 42' Classic
Soon after getting my captains license in 1973 I ran a 55' steel crew boat with a pair of Detroit Diesel 12V 71 engines in and out of that same inlet for two summers. I was taking crew to a dredge off the beach for beach re-nourishment, four trips a day, so 8 trips through Jupiter Inlet each day.
The Atlantic Coast pilot then stated that it was not a navigable inlet and there was a big sign post on the ICW warning not to use the inlet. I knew where the shoals were and where the waves would build, but if there was any kind of a big swell I would go south to the Lake Worth (Palm Beach) Inlet. That added a lot of time to the trip but I always has passengers and never wanted to take a chance. The dredge guys would complain about the extra time but none ever had to swim to the beach.
And that sign is still there although if I remember right they took out the part about "Non-Navigable" and it simply says "Dangerous". Before I got the trawler I had a 24' Pursuit CC. Many times I would cruise down the alley to the inlet and just turn around and go play on the ICW for the day. Just not that dedicated. Sometimes I reminded myself that I would have to come back in even if going out seemed OK. More than once I came back to the inlet and didn't like what I saw or felt. Did as you did, go down to Lake Worth and come back up on the ICW. Jupiter Inlet sucks a significant portion of the time and ALL the time with an east wind and ebb tide. Will say that with the trawler it is a different game but still feel like I am rolling dice at times.
After looking at the video again...there were some waves and what looks like an ebb tide but that inlet can be far worse than that.
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