"2003, December 3 Melbourne to Miami via Ft. Pierce" Fort Pierce Travelogue by grandmaR

Spray droplets on the dodger

We see wind gusts from the SE of up to 25 knots although the weather is still saying the wind is east. We run the engine driven refrigeration and it is making a funny noise.

0823 - As we come past an anchorage at the spoil islands, a grey hulled sailboat named ELAN came out and passed us. They pulled out their jib and eventually Bob pulled out the staysail. He says the wind is borderline too strong.

We are getting too much spray on the windward side of the boat for me to risk the digital camera.

Houses near the ICW near noon

ODYSSEY, the power cat that passed us in Bucksport and again after McClellansville passed us again at 0950. We are about halfway to Ft. Pierce now.

Little barge -1215

We had hot dogs for lunch. Ominous clouds are building up. It is still really windy. We pull in the staysail when we get to Wabasso where it is a bit more protected. Bob goes out and washes off the curtains so he can see a bit better.

Vero Beach rafted boats

1400 - ABOUT TIME, an Albin 40 passed along with GNATLOOP (another trawler). I see a pontoon boat from the Harbor Branch marine studies laboratory on the east. We go by Vero Beach and I finally get a picture of the boats rafted on the moorings.

North Ft. Pierce and barge

We get to the North Ft. Pierce bridge, which has a barge anchored in front of it - in front of us are two more sailboats and the two trawlers. ABOUT TIME asks about the clearance and the bridge tender says he won't be able to see because of the barge, and just to wait that he is opening. So the bridge opens for the trawlers and the sail boats also eventually get through.

We can't make it so we throttle back. Eventually two more power boats pass us so the bridge opens again.

We get to our slip (H15) after a certain amount of maneuvering - there are two slips and Bob doesn't know which one to go to - since the dodger (windscreen) is buttoned down he can't hear me.

That means that he has to turn the boat sharply in a restricted area to get in the nearer of the two slips (there is a big power boat in the way so he can't see). This causes the sailboat on the other side of the power boat to think that we have bow thrusters!!!

Anyway, the end of the finger pier is right next to the shrouds so we have to go out the gate and walk along outside the lifelines and then step over onto the finger pier.

We get tied up after a total of 887 nm and a trip this day of 46.9 sm at an average of 5.9 mph.

ABOUT TIME is here too over on D dock (also leaving tomorrow), and AFTERNOON TEA (we saw in Dowry Creek and Georgetown among other places) is here getting some hoses replaced.

Late birds on the boatyard dock

I went up and did email. Bob was upset when I came back because he can't make the 110 refrigeration work. The pump works, but won't turn on. He has fixed the problem with the electric plugs on the port side though.

There was a short brief shower with the sun still up which gave a nice rainbow. I took a film picture of it (top).

Then we went and ate dinner at the marina restaurant - Since I knew to ask for the early bird specials (4-6 pm), we each ate for $9.95 which included soup or salad, one of four entrees (crab cake, broiled flounder, strip steak or pasta primavera) rice, pasta or baked potato, vegetables and key lime pie. I had crab cake which proved to be fried and VERY large, and Bob had flounder.

Then I went and got the black Dell and hooked up to the internet to get it's virus definitions updated and took some night pictures of the pelicans in the trees.

Cat looking at birds near restaurant

Bob washed the boat, and I wrote emails. The 110 refrigeration is now working again. I was thinking of going up to use the pool, but I didn't - I did go up and get a shower and we ate dinner at the restaurant again.

The weather report says that there are going to be strong winds and big waves on Friday, plus possible showers and it will be even worse weather Sat and that a front will go through.

We had planned to go to Miami on Friday, getting there on Sat. But I think we will stay here until the wind dies down and the waves subside.

Next : Offshore to Miami