boating on florida
waterways, a cruising guide to the florida intracoastal waterway
Boating on Florida
Waterways
About Yelen Blvd.
Memories
Our wonderful houseboat, Yelen Blvd,
a 37' Holiday Mansion, was destroyed by Hurricane Irene, in October
1999. We had cruised portions of the Florida Intercoastal
Waterways on both the east and west coasts, including the St. Johns
River. The Houseboat had a 12 Ft. beam and was powered by two 225
HP Evinrude Ocean Pro outboard motors. Although we preferred to sail
at a slow pace in order to enjoy our surroundings, we had planing
capabilities when necessary. She was equipped with a nine KW generator,
two pilot stations, VHF radios, depth gauges, a GPS and best of all,
an air conditioner. You can see that we had all the comforts of home.
We do miss her.
The New
After 18 years of sailing and 14 years of house boating,
we now find ourselves at the helm of a 34 foot Searay Sedan go-fast
boat. Since it is doubtful that any other boat has the same name,
we are still the Yelen Blvd. If you see us on the waterway you won't
know know that we can plane at 22 miles per hour, because we still
amble along at 7-10 MPH. We enjoy the scenery and notice many things
that we wouldn't see at a faster pace.
The boat is powered by twin Chrysler 450 gas motors. We immediately
installed gas sniffers for our peace of mind. We wanted dual stations,
but settled for one (the flying bridge). Although the boat is smaller,
the sleeping accommodations are more comfortable. However, I do
miss our reclining chairs that we had in the house boat. They do
not fit in the main salon.
A real plus is the 14½ foot height. We do not have to open
as many bridges. We have had the boat for over 3 years and it performs
well.
We wish
to share our cruising experiences and provide knowledge to those
who cruise on some of the best inland waters of our nation
All
information on this web site is provided as a free service. Under
no conditions does it constitute professional advice. No representations
are made as to the completeness, accuracy, comprehensiveness or
otherwise of the data and information provided
