Location: The Hobe Sound pipe crossing anchorage (sandbar) is located on the Intracoastal Waterway (statute mile 1000) at Green Marker #44 and Red Marker #43.
Look for the �Pipe Crossing� sign on the sandbar to the west and the white New England style house protruding from Jupiter Island to the east.
A large speed sign here announces the beginning of the �fast zone� for northbound boats (the start of the �slow zone� for southbound traffic.)
See Hobe Sound Sandbar photos.
Ever want to know how the other half lives? At the Hobe Sound Pipe Crossing you can see how the other .00001% of the populations lives! Jupiter Island is America�s wealthiest place. Anchoring here affords spectacular views of the mansions on Jupiter Island to the east. To the west is unspoiled preserve. Few boaters venture here (I assume it�s because it�s a fair distance from both the Jupiter and St. Lucie inlets.) You will find that only a handful of boats stop here on weekends. On weekdays you will have the entire place to yourself.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Be careful of water depth as you approach the shore. Charts show the area outside the channel has a depth of 9 feet. It quickly becomes 3 feet near shoe and the cable crossing area.
Water color here is always brown. This location is too far from an inlet to get clear ocean water on an incoming tide.
The bottom is mostly grassy, with bare sand near the shoreline and cable-crossing sandbar. Manatees can be found in this area (they like the grass.)
Fast boating is only allowed in the ICW channel north of the cable crossing. Even though the Hobe Sound waters are deep, fast boating is not permitted outside the channel.
The fast zone is a good place to ski or tube. Lack of traffic and the wide sound make this place safer than most.
Watch out for the change in speed zones here. Many boaters miss the speed zone sign (it�s in the middle of the sound. There are no speed signs on Markers #44 and #43, which would be the more logical places.) Jupiter Island Police monitor this area carefully.
Also see information on nearby Peck Lake.
