Sailing North to Stuart

We left North Palm Beach with the idea of making it all the way up to the mooring field at Stuart but passed this interesting looking anchorage and looked it up on Active Captain and it sounded intriguing so we found a wide spot in the channel and turned back.  Good decision.  It was a safe anchorage along the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge.  This spot is inaccessible by car so the beaches were secluded.  I'd like to say they were pristine, but any beach close to an urban area is going to show signs of trashy people leaving their junk behind or throwing it overboard to wash up on the beach. Other than that, it was a fantastic overnight sojourn.

The boundary was clearly marked with the usual dos and don'ts

The weather stations were also clearly marked "Do not disturb" Since
we rely so heavily on accurate weather, we complied.

David said this was my "money shot" the arching sea grapes made
a beautiful bower.

More sea grapes

This NWR is so critical to many endangered species including sea turtles.
Rangers mark the nests and keep a close eye on them to prevent poaching.

Sea oats are all over the dunes.  Just one of the salt tolerant plants
holding the barrier islands together.

These seed pods are wicked looking but this is the first time we've seen
them open and full of seeds.  They belong to a vine.  I called them man-eaters
because they reminded me of the man-eating plant in the Little Shop of Horrors.

Beautiful beach vine in bloom.

A trail along the middle dune system

The middle of the dune systems are full of small critter habitats.

One hairy, empty coconut shell.

Crab holes are everywhere.

You can see the tracks of so many types of birds and other animals in the sand.

Turtle patrol tracks.

Our dinghy patiently waiting for our return