We relished the salt air caressing our faces as the boat putt-putted out the channel from Port Salerno. The excitement that grips the soul at the start of a day on the water - the anticipation of good fishing, good diving or just plain good times with family or friends - had us smiling.

Our goal this trip involved a photo safari. Armed with film and digital cameras, my fiancé and I snapped pics of wading birds, passing sailboats, waves slapping onto jetties and rustic islands framed by emerald-green bay waters. We were entranced by beautiful shoreline homes with landscapes complementing the water's edge, and we secretly hoped our hosts wouldn't cut the day short.

We needn't have worried. Jon and Lisa McGehee, who team up to run Daddy's Girl Too, a 36-foot charter boat out of Pirates Cove Resort & Marina, gushed with enthusiasm. They showed us landmarks and numerous points of interest well into the dinner hour, and we envied their close proximity to an amazing number of facilities.

We cruised by two other marinas before eyeing Sandsprit Park near the mouth of Port Salerno. Sandsprit is a huge county park with the widest boat ramps we'd ever seen, plus a wide expanse of green-grassed picnic grounds, kiddy areas and pretty much anything one could want or need to launch a boat or to spend the day with family.

Minutes later, Jon ran to St. Lucie Inlet as Lisa described the excellent snorkeling and fishing opportunities around the jetties at the mouth. When only about 200 yards or so from the mouth, Jon spoke of a recent day when three fish were hooked up at the same time: two sailfish and a redfish. I've never heard of anyone getting multiple hookups of both offshore and coastal species. And yes, Jon's fishing party caught and released them all.

Jon gunned the engines and we ran north up the coast a few minutes before reaching Bathtub Beach. The area features natural patch reefs, a sand bar and a lovely beach - a great place to fish, dive or just feel the sand between your toes.

We returned inshore through St. Lucie Inlet and idled past a sand bar all along the inside channel. It is here that locals and out-of-towner boaters alike often come to sunbathe on bows, socialize, see and be seen, and basically frolic in the sense of a "road rally" for boaters. "It's so popular and crowded at times," Lisa says with a grin, "they have boats delivering pizzas and offering Mexican fast-food... it's a hoot!"
I can tell you that as a globe-hopping angler and diver, I've had the good fortune of visiting countless ports, harbors and marinas, and I've never seen a more boater-friendly area than what we encountered off Martin County.

Our photo safari continued as we chugged into the St. Lucie River less than 10 minutes later, where we spotted a pair of huge blue marlin mounts "jumping" over the Blue Marlin restaurant's roof. Nearby, we viewed a huge dock with numerous slips just a short walk from the revitalized downtown area. It's a unique convenience for boaters wishing to break up the day - just pull into the dock, tie up, and in minutes you're browsing and shopping for whatever one might desire.

"We've certainly been geographically blessed," admits Gary Guertin, general manager of Pirates Cove Marina." Our 136 miles of shoreline includes the Indian River Lagoon, Intracoastal Waterway, the Okeechobee Waterway, north and south forks of the St. Lucie River, plus spoil islands, rivers, lakes, lagoons and of course the Atlantic Ocean. And since we're only 68 miles from West End, Grand Bahama Island, we're the most jumping-off spot for those traveling to and from the northern portion of the Bahamas."

I can tell you that as a globe-hopping angler and diver, I've had the good fortune of visiting countless ports, harbors and marinas, and I've never seen a more boater-friendly area than what we encountered off Martin County. And that's why I'm already planning a return visit.