St Lucie & Lake Worth Inlets

[Gone Gypsy]

Good Morning, Cruisers!
Can anyone offer advice on the St Lucie Florida inlet for our sailboat as a home harbor?

We have been on the Gulf side of Florida just south of Tampa Bay for a year and looking to relocate to the East coast. Wife wants no frost and I am looking for Bahama access and a reliable inlet. We will use the new boat location to survey moving our home south from our current Ocala area.

Have a dock arranged at Ft Pierce to start but looking south to St Lucie or Lake Worth as potentials. Any opinion on these areas for a sailboat would be appreciated. We are 47’, 6’4” draft and 69’ tall.
Many Thanks,
Mike

[Kettlewell]

St. Lucie Inlet is "treacherous". Even if there may be enough water for you in calm conditions it is not one to attempt with wind and waves, especially when the current is outbound. I would not call it a "reliable" inlet. https://www.floridaocean.org/sites/d...ucie-inlet.pdf

[Gone Gypsy]

Thanks Kettlewell! The guide books suggest it could be considered.

Anyone have experience with Lake Worth inlet?

[Kettlewell]

Lake Worth Inlet is one of the better ones in Florida. Well marked and straightforward. I've done it in the dark before and it is easy, assuming the weather is decent. Keep in mind that any of these Florida inlets can be thrilling if an outgoing current is meeting a strong incoming wind. Your problem at Lake Worth is you are limited to how far you can go due to your 69-foot air draft. In fact, there are very few places you can go for long up and down the ICW without encountering a bridge problem.

[GordMay]

What Kettlewell said!
Lake Worth Inlet [AKA:Palm Beach Inlet] is one of the most reliable, and heavily used inlets, on the Eastern coast, of South Florida.
OTOH, the St. Lucie Inlet has a reputation for being one of the most treacherous in all of Florida.

[sailorboy1]

Lake Worth is a first class entrance and is used by freighters and cruise ships

like on Florida east coast entrances you need to be aware that the current can be 5+ knots

[CSYChip]

Having sailed in St Lucie at slack high tide on a flat calm morning with a 6 1/2' draft, don't even think about it! I made it in only to run aground in the middle of the ICW where the river crosses.
Palm Beach inlet (Lake Worth) on the other hand is an excellent inlet. There can be a bit of a standing wave at the end of the jetty when the wind and tide are wrong but I have always found it passable.
Jupiter inlet which is between the 2 is fine in calm weather but I have had the waves on the bar just past the jetty sweep my deck when there was an east wind.

[bgallinger]

Gone Gypsy, it's unanimous! Use Palm Beach Inlet!

[Kettlewell]

Keep in mind you can't go north from the Lake Worth Inlet beyond the Riviera Beach Bridge (65 feet officially, probably a bit less based on reports).

[Cheyne]

We used Lake Worth or Fort Pierce, but we have a 57ft mast on our Lagoon.

Cheyne

[s/v Jedi]

Port Everglades, Lake Worth, Ft Pierce, Pt Canaveral are your prime choices.

[Kettlewell]

If I were looking to base a boat in Florida I would certainly consider the Keys. The best sailing in Florida, fun places to visit, a great angle for sailing to the Bahamas, much warmer than further north, more of a Caribbean feel, and in general a better cruising ground. Your draft will make things more difficult though.

[Tin Tin]

Lake Worth is way better. Can even head south down ICW some ways with opening bridges. If you look closely at the charts, even Google Earth it will be obvious.

[MIRELOS]

Lake Worth (Palm Beach) is easy under most conditions, you can inter coast down to Ft Lauderdale, bridges friendly. Lots of space to anchor, marinas and shopping

[Shanachie]

Lake Worth Inlet is the easy answer, but there are other issues.



The challenge is to find dock space in South Florida. Waterfront property mostly goes for high-rise condos and mansions, not marinas, from West Palm on south.


Private docks behind someone's house are the way to go, but you have to make sure you don't lock yourself into a two-hour-long ICW trip every time you want to go sailing. Try to stay close to your inlet.



By the way, don't be tempted by docks along the New River. There is a reason they're affordable. The river is narrow, congested and has two drawbridges in downtown Fort Lauderdale that don't open during rush hours.


The current can reach three knots, which makes it really fun when you just miss the last bridge opening.



If cost concerns you, think about the Pompano Beach/Lighthouse Point area and Hillsboro Inlet. It's between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm. I sailed out of there for many years. There are tons of private docks.


The inlet itself is well-maintained, with a dredging tax district to keep it navigable. But, as others have noted, east coast inlets get pretty dicey when a strong outgoing tide opposes a decent easterly wind.


You can motor down on the ICW to Port Everglades or Lake Worth Inlet -- the major inlets -- in a couple of hours if you find yourself in a fix.



In my opinion, the area also is a little less crowded and more livable than the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm areas. Housing is also a little less, but the prices will still make your hair stand on end.