We drop the mooring line at 0745...later than planned as usual. The one thing we are consistent about is getting a late start.
The morning is cool and winds are from the east at 15 mph. The wind is on the nose as we head down the St. Lucie River towards the Crossroads and the ICW. Once we make the turn northward, the east wind gives us a nice broad reach to fly the jib as we motor the narrow channel. We reach boat speeds up to 8.2 mph and make good time and distance.
The plan was to stop at Jones Fruit Dock or a nearby anchorage but it was so early in the day we decided to keep moving hoping to reach Rocky Point or Melbourne. Instead of dying in the afternoon, the wind persisted and actually increased a little. When we reached Rocky Point the wave fetch across the river nixed anchoring in the open there so we continued on. The GPS predicted we would reach Melbourne about 30 minutes before sunset. We actually arrived about 15 minutes before and dropped the hook in the quiet lee of the bridge causeway. Probably our best distance day ever with 78 miles. It was great, but very long day.
Location: Anchored near the Melbourne High Rise Bridge, Melbourne, FL MM 918
Started: 0745 Stopped: 1930
Distance Traveled: 78 mi
March Update
This has been a busy month. We’ve had a few tolerable days to enjoy. The temperatures are still running 10-15 below normal and weather fronts pass through but take their sweet time moving out. Trips ashore in the dinghy are typically nasty wet going or returning depending on the wind direction. Only when the wind is out of the East are we somewhat protected. NW & SW winds have lots of fetch and create a rough ride for the dinghy.
Donna is still doing knitting and crocheting to occupy her time. Me, I’m starting to do some boat projects as time is growing short before we will be heading home. The new Rocna anchor arrived and I got it attached to the chain rode and mounted. The problem now is where to store the Danforth anchor that the Rocna replaced.
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I finally ordered the solar panels and they arrived real quick as they came from eMarine near Ft. Lauderdale. Naturally the weather wasn’t too cooperative in providing calm days for hanging off the stern to install the mounts and panels. Got them installed just in time to see them work before we took a road trip down to the Dania Beach Marine Flea Market.
We drove to a “touristo” hotel near Orlando on 3/19. We arrived late in the afternoon after a lousy trip. We were the unfortunate object of a hit and run driver in Kissimmee, Fl. We weren’t hurt and damage to the rental car was only a scratched bumper. We spent an hour and a half just getting a police report. What a bummer!
On 3/20 we went over to Winter Park to the art show. The show layout seemed a little disorganized and was smaller than the show in Coconut Grove, but the quality of the artists was top notch. Donna really enjoyed the show. For me Winter Park is a nice town to visit, but if you have seen one art show, you have seen this one. I think it would be a great place to visit during the week when there are no “festival” activities. Buddy enjoyed the hotel digs while we did our tourist act.
Well, here it is the last day of March and I’m still working to finish this update. That’s not the only thing that needs attention…still haven’t finished filing our taxes either.
I’ve started doing some pre-departure chores like change the engine oil and filter, change out the fuel filters, run through the safety equipment checklist, etc, etc. One last fixit job to do is change out the dead cooling fan in the refrigerator compressor unit. I’ve put it off because the temperatures have been low, but as the weather begins to get warmer, the fan becomes more important.
Donna has been busy making “trading stuff” for the artist retreat she will be attending at the end of May. The project consumes most of the salon at times. I guess it’s a good thing Buddy and I don’t take up much room. Hah!
The marina threw a big “thank you” bash yesterday for all the folks here in the marina and anchorage. Crowd looked to be over 200 strong. There was lots of catered food, a live band and dancing. Mother nature smiled on us and gave us lots of sunshine and softer breezes for the late afternoon event. Everyone had a great time.
Donna’s birthday present arrived today (3/31). Her bday isn’t until 4/12, but she wanted this Razor Scooter real bad after riding on our friend Don’s. Sure made my shopping real easy…thank you Amazon.com.
That’s about it for now. BTW, it’s finally getting to be near normal Florida weather and it’s time to head home. We’ve sort of set a drop dead date for departure NLT April 12th. It may be sooner, depending on the winds and weather. More to follow later.
Donna is still doing knitting and crocheting to occupy her time. Me, I’m starting to do some boat projects as time is growing short before we will be heading home. The new Rocna anchor arrived and I got it attached to the chain rode and mounted. The problem now is where to store the Danforth anchor that the Rocna replaced.
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I finally ordered the solar panels and they arrived real quick as they came from eMarine near Ft. Lauderdale. Naturally the weather wasn’t too cooperative in providing calm days for hanging off the stern to install the mounts and panels. Got them installed just in time to see them work before we took a road trip down to the Dania Beach Marine Flea Market. 
We rented a car for a week so we could go to the Flea Market and to the Winter Park Art Show. We took Walter and Maggie with us to Dania Beach. The Flea Market was like most… lots of stuff, but very little of anything you were interested in. Still, it was a fun day.
We drove to a “touristo” hotel near Orlando on 3/19. We arrived late in the afternoon after a lousy trip. We were the unfortunate object of a hit and run driver in Kissimmee, Fl. We weren’t hurt and damage to the rental car was only a scratched bumper. We spent an hour and a half just getting a police report. What a bummer!
Well, here it is the last day of March and I’m still working to finish this update. That’s not the only thing that needs attention…still haven’t finished filing our taxes either.
I’ve started doing some pre-departure chores like change the engine oil and filter, change out the fuel filters, run through the safety equipment checklist, etc, etc. One last fixit job to do is change out the dead cooling fan in the refrigerator compressor unit. I’ve put it off because the temperatures have been low, but as the weather begins to get warmer, the fan becomes more important.
Donna has been busy making “trading stuff” for the artist retreat she will be attending at the end of May. The project consumes most of the salon at times. I guess it’s a good thing Buddy and I don’t take up much room. Hah!
That’s about it for now. BTW, it’s finally getting to be near normal Florida weather and it’s time to head home. We’ve sort of set a drop dead date for departure NLT April 12th. It may be sooner, depending on the winds and weather. More to follow later.
February Update - 28 Feb 2010
Let’s see, what do I tell you about our activities? First I’ll tell you about the miserable and uncharacteristic weather we’ve been experiencing. Unfortunately the weather scenario seems to be affecting the entire country's activities this winter.
Instead of the usual low to mid 60s at night and mid to upper 70s during the day, it feels like we’re living in an icebox. Night time temps have been in the 40’s with a few extreme nights in the 30s. Daytime temps are only in the 60s. Its not exactly what you traveled south 1000 miles for. About once every two weeks or so we get a warm, bright sunny day with temps in the mid to upper 70s. Only then do we break out the short, t -shirts and sandals.
Donna has forsaken some of her art and craft work and taken to doing knitting and crocheting. That’s how cold it is! It had been so long since she had done those things, she had to teach herself how all over again.
I haven’t done much in the way of work on my list of boat projects either. The dinghy still needs the floor re-glued, we’re still waiting on a hose for the engine and negotiating prices for adding solar panels. We did make several “boat” purchases this month. First we purchased an Alfa WIFI adapter and now have excellent WIFI reception on the boat. Second, we went to the Miami Boat Show and got a new foul weather jacket for me and a Rocna 33# anchor. Maybe now I can stay dry now and sleep better when we are anchored out.
Despite the chilly weather, the trip to Miami with Walter and Maggie was a lot of fun. Walter drove us down early Saturday morning and we went straight to the boat show. We looked at a bunch of the new sailboats and talked with lots of accessory vendors. After the show we went to a motel over in Kendall to spend the night. We also went to Kegs, a locals hangout, played pool and had dinner. The next morning we took advantage of the motel’s free breakfast and then went to Coconut Grove for the big art show. Donna and Maggie cruised the art exhibits, while Walter and I mostly walked along and talked boat stuff. It was a great weekend, especially the sleeping in a warm roon with a real bed.
Oops, almost forgot mention one other important purchase. We got tired of lugging around the big camera and trying to keep it from getting wet. Consequently, no pictures of our activities. So…we got a new pocket sized digital camera. It’s easy to use and carry around so hopefully we will be able to put up more pictures on the blog.
The “Buddy” report finds him well and a bigger PITA than ever. He’s up a daybreak wanting to be fed and allowed out on deck. Turn you back and he’s in the dinghy. He even expects a clean litter box every time he needs to use it. And complain about the weather…Sheez, he gets really vocal, like now when its cloudy and the wind is blowing 25+ and he can’t sun himself on top of the bimini. He sort of yells and looks at you with a “why don’t you do something about this” look.
That’s about it from chilly FL. More to follow later.
January Update - 31 January 2010
We’re getting complaints from friends and relatives wanting to know why there have been no updates to the blog. Once again I must apologize to everyone for not posting more frequently.
Life in paradise isn’t all parties and fun although there is a some of that too. Things we take for granted at home become real chores while living on a boat. Take for instance, flushing the toilet…at home you press the lever and if you haven’t overloaded the bowl, everything disappears down the drain and you never think of it again. Out here on a mooring, when you pump the bowl empty the contents are transfered into the boats holding tank. Unlike the sewage system at home, the tank doesn’t have near infinite capacity. After a while that tank gets full and must be emptied. Believe me, this is not a chore to be neglected. Read on to see what this little task requires.
First you need a day with the wind speed and direction are appropriate for a safe or easy docking approach. Then you get out the binoculars and check to see if the pump out facilities at the dock are clear. If they are a quick call on the radio to the marina office will usually get you clearance to proceed. Next you start the engine and prepare to leave the mooring ball by lowering the dinghy and moving it forward to the bow where you tie it to the mooring ball. This makes it easier to catch the mooring line when you return. Then you cast off the mooring lines and motor about a quarter mile to the pump out dock. When you arrive, if you are lucky, there will be a dock hand available to help you tie up to the dock.
Once secured to the dock, you commence the pump out process, which essentially entails using a big vacuum hose to literally suck the tank empty. Once that is done it’s a good time to attach a your “drinking water safe” hose to a water connection on the dock and fill up the domestic water tank on the boat. With that done its time to return to the mooring ball. Again, if you are lucky, the dock hand may help with your lines, otherwise you’re on your own.
Motoring back to the mooring you always seem to encounter different wind/current conditions than when you departed. Approach to the ball must be dead into the wind and slow enough to allow the bow person to grab the mooring line, get it aboard and get your bow lines secured to it. Miss the ball grab and you’ll have to go around and try again. Second and third tries bring out big audiences on neighboring boats out to watch the folly. Once the boat is secured to mooring ball, you move the dinghy back to its usual position, tied to the stern cleat.
Let’s see now, somewhere between an hour and two hours have elapsed and you have managed to take on 50 gallons of water, get rid of 20 gallons of sewage. Just think, at home you turn the faucet and press a lever to do the same things. Oh, well only 7-10 days until we do it all again.
Lets see, there has to have been some more interesting or fun stuff during January.
I know…the weather, we can always talk about the weather. The whole east coast got an artic blast and we suffered for two weeks in bitter cold for Florida. Record night time lows in the 20’s and 30’s were set and also a record for the number of continuous days with temperatures never exceeding 45. We consumed copious amounts of denatured alcohol using the stove just to put some heat into the boat. Our gas consumption for the Honda generator also increased as we also used a small electric heater we have onboard. I caught the bus and went to Wal-mart where I purchased two sleeping bags so we could zip them together and sleep warm and toasty, me, Donna and Buddy. The cold had a real bad affect on some species of fish in the river too. We saw lots of them swimming upside down at the surface and then dead a day later. Someone estimated the weight of one near the dinghy dock at 150 lbs. This wasn’t like the weather we experienced on the last trip.
Walter and Maggie invited us to attend a Mardi Gras costume party at their condominium one Saturday Night. We all dressed as gypsies, carried little instruments and went as a Band of Gypsies. There were lots of hors d'oeuvres
and wine, then a sit down dinner and dancing afterward. We didn’t win the costume contest, but we did have lots of fun.
We’ve been making good use of the folding bicycles this trip. We’ve mastered the art of balancing bags of groceries hanging from the handle bars on our trips to Publix for groceries. I even found the max carrying load on the rear platform…a 18 pack of beer. Riding along Federal Highway is a little daunting though. Crossing intersections with right turn lanes are the most dangerous. We stick to the sidewalks where ever possible and even walk the bikes across some intersections using the pedestrian crosswalks. Riding the side streets is much more pleasant.
Our friends Fred and Phyllis stopped by for a short visit one weekend. They were on their way to Miami to catch a big cruise boat for a trip to the western Caribbean. We enjoyed margaritas and noshes in the cruisers outdoor lounge area, walked through the shops along Osceola Street and then dined at Flannigans, one of the local watering holes. Afterward, they took us to Wal-Mart which helped us re-supply the boat with a couple of heavy items…cases of beer and bottled water.
Jan 2 - The New Year
Happy New Year to everyone. We’re still here in Stuart, FL. We got a few days of typical FL weather and really enjoyed the warmth on New Years Day.
They have a “meet and greet” with all the boaters every Tue, Thur and Sat at 1645 hours. We attended the New Years Eve get together and carried ham salad and crackers to share. Thank goodness it was all consumed. The eight pounds of Christmas ham is finally history. The turnout was down as lots of people are still away for the holidays, but the crowd numbered about thirty and included people from just about everywhere. We said so long and headed back to the boat around 2100 with thoughts of returning around 2300 to celebrate the new year with the party crowd. Back at the boat it didn’t take long for sleep to overtake us and I awoke with only about twelve minutes to go before midnight. I woke Donna, we rang in the new year and then went to bed. No late night party for these wimps.
I guess that was a sign of how our New Years day activities were going to progress. A planned visit to Wahoo’s for happy hour and customer appreciation food got canceled when Maggie couldn’t make it. So for excitement we started on a 500 piece puzzle (darn you… I mean, thank you Shirley G.) We were about half done with the puzzle when we lost our warm weather. It turned cloudy and a cold front blew in (20- 30 mph winds) near sundown.
We awoke to 52F inside the boat and predictions of only lower 60’s for the day. Actually things are expected to be that way for several days. Maybe we need to go south for the winter.
They have a “meet and greet” with all the boaters every Tue, Thur and Sat at 1645 hours. We attended the New Years Eve get together and carried ham salad and crackers to share. Thank goodness it was all consumed. The eight pounds of Christmas ham is finally history. The turnout was down as lots of people are still away for the holidays, but the crowd numbered about thirty and included people from just about everywhere. We said so long and headed back to the boat around 2100 with thoughts of returning around 2300 to celebrate the new year with the party crowd. Back at the boat it didn’t take long for sleep to overtake us and I awoke with only about twelve minutes to go before midnight. I woke Donna, we rang in the new year and then went to bed. No late night party for these wimps.
I guess that was a sign of how our New Years day activities were going to progress. A planned visit to Wahoo’s for happy hour and customer appreciation food got canceled when Maggie couldn’t make it. So for excitement we started on a 500 piece puzzle (darn you… I mean, thank you Shirley G.) We were about half done with the puzzle when we lost our warm weather. It turned cloudy and a cold front blew in (20- 30 mph winds) near sundown.
We awoke to 52F inside the boat and predictions of only lower 60’s for the day. Actually things are expected to be that way for several days. Maybe we need to go south for the winter.
December Update - 27 December 2009
My apologies to everyone for not posting during the past couple of weeks. We’ve been busy doing lots of everyday things most of us take for granted in our normal lives. The big difference is it seems to take a lot more time to do them while your are cruising or living on a boat. Along with the apology, our thanks for all the Christmas cards and well wishes
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Our local friends Walter and Maggie loaned us their car one day and we visited Wal-Mart and Publix to restocked the boat with groceries and a few other items. After that came a day devoted to catching up on the laundry. Mother Nature always likes to help so she threw in a couple of cold fronts and lots of rain. Over two days we got 3.5“ of rain which really helped in our fight to control a mildew explosion on the boat. Sure glad we weren’t in Miami as they got 14” over the same period.
Donna got struck with the Christmas spirit so we reacquainted ourselves with the TCC (Treasure Coast Connector - public transportation buses) and went to the local mall. I took advantage of the trip and visited West Marine to get a patch kit for the dinghy (more on this later). The following day Donna walked to the local shops downtown and the post office to mail the booty to family back home. She got caught in some rain showers and was a whipped wet puppy when she returned.
While Donna was gone I tried to fix a problem with the dinghy. The dinghy is leaking water! The air tubes are holding up fine, but water is coming into the floor area. Thanks to a helpful (?) boater who pulled on a line as we were attempting to back away from the dock back in Palm Coast (Day 34), the dinghy got squeezed against a piling. There didn’t seem to be any damage until we put it in the water later. The squeeze caused the floor boards to push against the seam where the floor is glued to the tubes. Anyway, the patch job is helping, but a more permanent fix is going to be required as soon as an ordered repair kit arrives.
Donna spent Christmas Eve making rum balls and ham biscuits. These were to be our contributions to the marina party and Christmas dinner with Walter & Maggie. My contribution was to volunteer(?) to do some laundry while Donna slaved away in the galley.
Christmas day started off quietly with just the two of us exchanging gifts. Donna got a Sunset Bay T-shirt and a pair of earrings. I got a magnifying glass and dark chocolate covered cherries, Yum! We also opened a package from Donna’s mom and my sister which contained special gifts for both of us. Later that day we went to a pot luck Christmas party at the marina and then to Walter and Maggie’s for dinner.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Have a safe and Happy New Years celebration. More to follow in a few days.
Dick and Donna
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Our local friends Walter and Maggie loaned us their car one day and we visited Wal-Mart and Publix to restocked the boat with groceries and a few other items. After that came a day devoted to catching up on the laundry. Mother Nature always likes to help so she threw in a couple of cold fronts and lots of rain. Over two days we got 3.5“ of rain which really helped in our fight to control a mildew explosion on the boat. Sure glad we weren’t in Miami as they got 14” over the same period.
Donna got struck with the Christmas spirit so we reacquainted ourselves with the TCC (Treasure Coast Connector - public transportation buses) and went to the local mall. I took advantage of the trip and visited West Marine to get a patch kit for the dinghy (more on this later). The following day Donna walked to the local shops downtown and the post office to mail the booty to family back home. She got caught in some rain showers and was a whipped wet puppy when she returned.
While Donna was gone I tried to fix a problem with the dinghy. The dinghy is leaking water! The air tubes are holding up fine, but water is coming into the floor area. Thanks to a helpful (?) boater who pulled on a line as we were attempting to back away from the dock back in Palm Coast (Day 34), the dinghy got squeezed against a piling. There didn’t seem to be any damage until we put it in the water later. The squeeze caused the floor boards to push against the seam where the floor is glued to the tubes. Anyway, the patch job is helping, but a more permanent fix is going to be required as soon as an ordered repair kit arrives.
Donna spent Christmas Eve making rum balls and ham biscuits. These were to be our contributions to the marina party and Christmas dinner with Walter & Maggie. My contribution was to volunteer(?) to do some laundry while Donna slaved away in the galley.
Christmas day started off quietly with just the two of us exchanging gifts. Donna got a Sunset Bay T-shirt and a pair of earrings. I got a magnifying glass and dark chocolate covered cherries, Yum! We also opened a package from Donna’s mom and my sister which contained special gifts for both of us. Later that day we went to a pot luck Christmas party at the marina and then to Walter and Maggie’s for dinner.
Yesterday was spent fighting the mildew war again and another walk to the Publix for cat food and other incidentals. Today we went to the local flea market and wandered through all the shops. Some of the shops were closed for the holiday so our single purchase was fresh oranges.
That about catches us up. It’s not as glamorous a life as you might expect. But, all-in-all, we’re having lots of fun and enjoying this fabulous way to enjoy life.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Have a safe and Happy New Years celebration. More to follow in a few days.
Dick and Donna
Day 37, December 14, 2009
Another glorious morning greeted us. More sunshine and warm temps are expected today. We take the time to have a full breakfast so we can ride the incoming tide on the run to the St. Lucie Inlet. Hey, how else are you going to get rid of that can of Spam we opened last night. And what a breakfast it was, fired potato cakes, fried eggs and fried Spam. My cardiologist will love me for that.
Underway at 0845, we ride the incoming current southward toward Jensen Beach. It was a really pleasant day. Being a Monday, there was a lot less local traffic than yesterday. The other nice thing was the distance to travel today was short.
We arrived at the St Lucie Crossroads and turned up the river. Now we were fighting the outgoing current and our speed dropped. It took us another hour and a half to make it to the last opening bridge of this journey. The bridge tender was prompt with the opening and we never even slowed down as we passed through.
Just on the other side of the bridge was our destination, Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage. We called the marina on the radio, spoke with our old friend Buzz Billue and requested a mooring at the south end where we stayed in 2007/08. We were assigned mooring #66 and proceeded to tie on to the ball. Buddy came on deck as soon as the engine was shut down. He seemed to recognize the place and proceeded to make himself at home on top of the bimini.
We lowered the dinghy, attached the motor and headed in to register and take showers. On the way in our friend Maggie called and informed us we were dining with her and Walter that evening and she would pick us up at 1715. Wow, we haven’t even set foot on shore and activities are starting.
We had a lovely evening with Maggie, Walter and Mickey (their new dog). Wine, dinner and good friends, you can’t beat that.
Back at the boat, we both crashed and went to bed. It was a nice peaceful sleep knowing that we have arrived and tomorrow will be our first full day here in Stuart.
Location: Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, FL MM 995
Started: 0845 Stopped: 1350
Distance Traveled: 31.3 mi, Avg Spd: 5.7 Max Spd: 8.1
Odometer Reading: 1038.3 (Total distance traveled Portsmouth, VA to Stuart, FL)
Underway at 0845, we ride the incoming current southward toward Jensen Beach. It was a really pleasant day. Being a Monday, there was a lot less local traffic than yesterday. The other nice thing was the distance to travel today was short.
We arrived at the St Lucie Crossroads and turned up the river. Now we were fighting the outgoing current and our speed dropped. It took us another hour and a half to make it to the last opening bridge of this journey. The bridge tender was prompt with the opening and we never even slowed down as we passed through.
We lowered the dinghy, attached the motor and headed in to register and take showers. On the way in our friend Maggie called and informed us we were dining with her and Walter that evening and she would pick us up at 1715. Wow, we haven’t even set foot on shore and activities are starting.
We had a lovely evening with Maggie, Walter and Mickey (their new dog). Wine, dinner and good friends, you can’t beat that.
Back at the boat, we both crashed and went to bed. It was a nice peaceful sleep knowing that we have arrived and tomorrow will be our first full day here in Stuart.
Location: Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, FL MM 995
Started: 0845 Stopped: 1350
Distance Traveled: 31.3 mi, Avg Spd: 5.7 Max Spd: 8.1
Odometer Reading: 1038.3 (Total distance traveled Portsmouth, VA to Stuart, FL)
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