Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday March 15, 16 and 17, 2011

We are getting used to sitting in the dark; gives us time to reflect on the day. We are adjusting our schedule and trying to get everything done before 19:30 when we turn the generator off.  The nights here are very quiet.

We took the dinghy out and explores the area.  Tuesday night we took the dinghy to the Riverside Cafe, a short ways from the marina, but the dock was too high for me and I couldn't get out so we went back to our dinghy dock and walked to the restaurant. The restaurant was very busy for a Tuesday night. We figured they were all tourist.

We walked to Vero Beach, round trip about 2 1/2 miles. It was a very warm day with lots of sunshine. We stopped and had lunch at the Ocean Side Cafe and watch all the people.


Sunset on 3-15-2011
Vero Beach, FL



Street we walked every morning
in Vero Beach-thought it was beautiful

First time at the beach
on the Atlantic

Monday, March 14, 2011

We  left our anchorage on the Okeechobee Waterway around 09:30 and only had about 5 hours to go to Vero Beach, FL.  At 10:00 we entered the ICW and started Phase 10 of our journey.  The last few days we didn't see any dolphins but as soon as we got on the ICW we saw several just within 1/2 hour.  They are so much fun to watch.

Today was a beautiful, calm, sunny day without many boats on the waterway.  At Mile 951.7  on the Indian River we went into the Vero Beach mooring field and tied up.  This was the first time we used a mooring ball and we were a little apprehensive but all went smoothly.  You get a cheaper rate on a mooring ball but, of course, you have no electricity.  You have to dinghy to the dinghy dock and then have use of all the facilities at the marina.  The only thing I don't care too much about on the mooring balls here is that you can not run your generator after dark.  In my opinion; after dark is when you need your generator.

Sunset on 3-14-2011

Mooring Ball

Sunrise on 3-15-2011; Vero Beach

Nuclear Reactor along the ICW

Mooring field at Vero Beach

View from our porch at the
Mooring field

CO' comments: With the XO at the helm, leaving our anchorage this morning, all went well. Before we arrived at the mooring field we made a plan and rehearsed it in our minds. I had made a bridle to use and attached it to the front of the boat. We were ready. Upon arrival I placed the nose of the boat just where my XO wanted it and Bobbie latched onto the pendant and attached it to the bridle and we were set. The whole operation was text book.

N27 39.679
W80 22.312

Sunday, March 13, 2011

We spent 3 night at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart.  It was a very nice marina but pretty pricey.  We got caught up on a lot of things; washing, grocery store, and we rode bikes to the West Marine store; a total of 6 miles.  That was the first time in years that I have gone that far on a bike.  The City of Stuart has a beautiful boardwalk along the river and it takes you to historic downtown Stuart.  It was a very nice walk.  We ran into two loopers that we crossed the gulf with; Dream Fever and High Spirits.  It was good to see them and visit for a while. 

On Friday, the 11th, Keith was sitting in the porch and yelled for me to bring the camera up.  We saw a rocket blast from Cape Kennedy (pictured below); pretty cool.

Today we left the marina about 10:45 and just went about 5 miles or so down to an anchorage at Hooker Cover at Mile 2.5 on the Okeechobee Waterway.  It is an OK anchorage except it is right off the channel and it was Sunday afternoon and there were tons of boats going by.  After 18:00 things calmed down quit a bit.

CO's comments:  Since leaving Lake Okeechobee and heading east, we have found the most disrespectful boaters that I have seen so far; especially, Sport Fishers from 30 to 70 feet in length.  They have no respect for any other boaters or the damage that their wake does to the environment.  Not only on the narrow channels was it bad, but sitting at our marina, they would come by full blast with a huge wake and then stop for 15 minutes because they had to wait for the bridge to open.  The trawler and the motor yacht owners that I talked to all had disdain for those types of boats and boaters.  I hope it gets better as we go up the east coast.  So far the Gulf boaters have been the most courteous.

N27 11.399
W80 12.297

Sunset at Sunset Bay on 3-11-2011

Delta 4 Rocket launch from
Cape Kennedy on 3-11-2011

Sunrise at Sunset Bay on 3-12-2011

Roosevelt Bridge at night from our slip

City of Stuart Boardwalk
along the St. Lucie River

Kim Jo III at Sunset Bay Marina

Beautiful Sunday afternoon at Hooker Cove anchorage

Wednesday and Thursday, March 9 and 10, 2011

On Wednesday we had the bridge opened right out side of Moore Haven and we were on our way by 07:50.  We followed the Caloosahatchee Canal close to the lake shore for about 14 miles to Clewiston.  Since we were not going into town we did not have to go through the Clewiston Lock so by 09:20 we took a left and started cross Lake Okeechobee.  What a ride that was.  We had to be very careful to stay between both the red and green marker; both in front and in back of the boat.  It was very windy and 3'+ waves.  The Port Mayaca Lock is right on the other side of the lake and it was pretty tricky putting the fenders out in those waves and then the lock only went down about 2"s.  We followed the St. Lucie Canal about 13 miles  to Indiantown Marina for the night.  It was a very nice and friendly marina but after all that wind and stress from crossing the lake it was an early to bed for the both of us.

Sun rise 3/8/2011



View from our bow at
Moore Haven Town Dock

View from our stern at
Moore Haven Town Dock

Sail boat tied up to dolphins;
front tied to one dolphin and
back to the next dolphin

Thursday we left  at 07:45 to try to get ahead of the storm that was coming.  We only had 23 miles to travel to Stuart today.  Only problem was we forgot that the St. Lucie Lock was only opening every 2 hours on the odd hour so we got ahead of ourselves.  We went slow but we still had an hour to wait before the lock opened at 11:00 so we tied up the the "dolphins" just before the lock and waited.  So far the weather was holding;  it was sunny to partly cloudy and 74 degrees.  Just when we entered the lock a thunder storm hit with lots of wind so we had another interesting time in a lock; which is kind of par for the course for me.  We went down 15' and by the time I got back into the boat I was soaked and had to change clothes.  My boat shoes were so wet I had to dump the water out of them.  The last 12 miles to Sunset Bay Marina was rain and thunder but we managed.  This is another very nice marina that I would definitely recommend.  I saw my first jelly fish today at Mile 11.

Met this barge in the middle of
Lake Okeechobee; it's carrying a large,
new, boat hull

Keith can't figure out how these sail boats
with a 10' draft can get down a river
that only has a 6' depth

Very crowded marina

This is the narrow exit from the marina

This old "Woody" probably hasn't
left the slip in 5 years +; at one time
it was a beautiful yacht

The "Woody" is still being lived aboard
and is in there so tight they would have
to move at least 10 boats to get it out

The Indiantown Marina has a kitchenette, a lounge with
2 flat screen TVs, and a large social area outside for
get together's and party's-pictured at night

CO's comments:  Arriving at the fuel dock it was raining, wind was blowing the boat away from the dock, the XO finally got a line onto a cleat and I was keeping the stern into the dock but the XO could not get off the boat to secure the lines.  I asked the XO to come up on the bridge and use the engines to keep the stern against the dock while I jumped off and secured the stern to the dock.  I think after a few more months of maneuvering the boat, I'll be out of a job.

N27 12.038
W80 15.673