Indian Rocks Beach

Yesterday was a lazy morning as we had no real plans other than staying in Bradenton another day to play with our friends and take a dinghy ride to explore the area.  That changed when Ray told Linda she better get out of bed and look at how the weather forecast had changed to looking better for a Tuesday-Wednesday Gulf of Mexico crossing rather than the Wednesday-Thursday forecast that looked better the night before.  At nine o'clock we pulled away from the lovely community dock in Riviera Dunes.  Five hours later we pulled in to Madeira Beach Municipal Marina for fuel.  Our first fill up since Marathon, and this was only necessary to have enough to cross the Gulf. This resulted in an average of 3.85 miles per gallon.
An hour and a half later Bob was catching our lines to help us tie up to the free dock at Indian Rocks Beach in which you are not supposed to stay over night but we decided to test our luck.  Friends came and met us at Mike's Pizza for dinner.
Early this morning we checked the weather again because last night the weather forecast had changed for the worse so we thought we would be leaving earlier than originally planned.  The weather forecast was even worse so we decided not to cross the Gulf yet.  Every time we get beat up we say we are going to wait until the weather is perfect to do it again and it is definitely not predicted as perfect.
We are going to try our luck again tonight at staying on the free dock.  Tomorrow we will move north to Dunedin Municipal Marina for the best weekly rate in the area unless we get kicked out of here before that.

Sarasota and Bradenton

We pulled anchor out of Pelican Bay at 7:30 Friday morning.  It was a long uneventful 53 miles to Sarasota, which was farther than originally planned, but Ray feels more secure on a mooring ball and he promised a dinner out since Thursday night's plan didn't work out. We hooked up to mooring ball number three, got the dinghy down, and checked in at Marina Jack, where we learned that only three mooring balls are for transients. We walked into town where a couple caught up to us that Ray met last year in Marathon. We proceeded in to town to eat at Mattison's City Grille, where we both had an excellent meal.
This morning after eating Ray's left over pizza for breakfast we untied from the mooring ball at 7:45.  Another uneventful day, but shorter than yesterday.  Once we got into Tampa Bay we headed up the Manatee River to Bradenton, which we have never done before.  We made arrangements to meet up with a couple we met last year in Marathon.  We were supposed to stop by and see them on our way down this past fall, but that was when Ray was under the weather.  We timed it right now though as their boat is up on the hard for a couple weeks, so they graciously offered us the use of their boat slip.  We plan to stay here for the weekend to also visit with another couple we met in Marathon this year.  They are just caddie corner across the river.

Pelican Bay

Departure was delayed this morning since Spike decided to disappear on a morning stroll.  Upon looking for and calling him for over an hour, he finally decided to appear out of nowhere once we ignored him.  Therefore at 9:30 we left Paradise Marina where we had a lovely visit with old friends and made new ones.
Most of the afternoon was spent on the wide open Pine Island Sound.  We finally turned off of it to anchor in Pelican Bay for our first time, despite it being a popular anchorage.  Thanks to the guidance and waypoints from the Bishops, we are way up in a cove close to Punta Blanca Island where not too many boats dare go.  Immediately upon our arrival Ray got the dinghy down so we could go explore another small cove where Dr. Bishop promised we would see lots of manatee.  Just about the time Ray said sarcastically out loud "Sure, lots of manatee!", several popped their noses, tails and backs out of the water.  We spent quite a bit of time just watching several manatee look like they were wrestling, even seeming to have each other in head locks at times.
Once we decided we were hungry, we realized that neither of us brought our shoes in our rush to go look for manatee.  Ray decided we better go back to the boat to get them since it was a long dinghy ride to Cabbage Key only to find out we needed shoes.  Good thing we did as the sign at the bottom of the steps on the way in indicated no service without them.  Come to find out though it didn't matter.  There was a fishing tournament going on there, so no outside guests were allowed.
With that the case, we were hoping to catch some better fish than the bluefish we caught prior to our arrival.  Ended up nothing better or legal was caught although there was quite the variety, including a trout, a lady fish and an ugly lizard looking fish like we caught in the keys. 
Linda decided to try some more fishing while Ray cooked breakfast for dinner.  Nothing but a few catfish were landed on that effort.

North Fort Myers

We got a little later start than planned.  We kept forgetting to get Newcomb Construction business cards made.  I guess those might help business?!  After Linda created them & ordered them via smart phone, we got underway a little before nine o'clock.  A two foot drop in Franklin Lock put us back at sea level where we will not encounter another lock until Coffeeville on the Tenn-Tom.  That will be a while.  Especially if flood conditions persist for those we are praying for in the mid-west.
Not too long after departing Franklin Lock, we passed a boat we knew called "Q's End".  We met them three years ago in Marathon, and have seen them down there and elsewhere every year since then.  We hollered at them on the VHF radio after waving to them.  Upon calling Tom by name they seemed to realize who we were.  We knew the Canadians were going to store their boat in Florida this summer, but we did not know where.  They left Marathon this year on April 1, the same day we started out of there on the delivery of "Our Time".  They knew our plans of going up the east coast, and we figured they were long gone by now so we were both quite surprised to see each other.  Come to find out they enjoyed Ft. Myers Beach so much, they were just leaving there to store their boat up the Okeechobee.
Shortly after two o'clock we pulled into Paradise Marina in North Fort Myers where live aboard friends we met in Kentucky five years ago keep their boat.
At happy hour Linda started telling how Spike was famous in Marathon this year.  Another couple said, "Oh yeah, we heard about him on the Net."  They were in Marathon at the time Spike disappeared.  The Net is a Cruisers Network forum that is broadcast over the VHF radio every morning their to make announcements and what not.  So they heard Linda pleading for help in looking for her lost cat.  This boating community really is a small world.
By the end of the evening it was decided that we would stay here at least until Thursday morning to get through all the activities we want to do and those that these busy retirees already had planned.

LaBelle

Again not in a hurry with only 25 miles planned today.  We didn't leave Moore Haven until nine o'clock.  By 11:30 a.m. we were coming out of Ortona Lock after an eight foot drop.  An hour and a half later we were docked sideways to the piers on the dock at Bob Mason Park in LaBelle where Gary Lee, a sail boater already alongside the end pier said we could tie up.  No, we couldn't tie up alongside the other end pier because there is a slow speed sign in the way, and according to Gary Lee, the slips are only 11 feet wide.

Moore Haven

After photographing our morning visitor we untied the lines from Indian Town Marina at eight o'clock.  We saw no less than eleven alligators today, all in the water, unlike one yesterday was sunning itself on the bank.  We did not see a lot of sunshine except mostly crossing Lake Okeechobee.  There were grey skies in the morning prior to arriving at Port Mayaca Lock for a three foot lift before the lake, and it just stopped raining in time this afternoon to go through Moore Haven Lock for a two foot drop on the other side of the lake.  We passed "Godspeed" today on the lake, whom we met on the Tenn-Tom on the way down year before last.  It did not look like the same person at the helm however.  Just after Moore Haven Lock, we were the second boat to tie up at the city dock, the first being the boat we locked through Port Mayaca with this morning.  Four other boats pulled in for the night after our four o'clock arrival.

This morning's visitor

This morning upon checking outside the hatch, Ray found himself a visitor right beside the boat.

Fast Sailboat

Forgot to post this picture of a sailboat at a high rate of speed considering it is a sailboat.  It looked like it had a 125 horsepower outboard on it.  This is the second one we have seen like this. Last time it was near Panama City.

Indian Town

We were in no hurry to leave Stuart this morning as we knew we only had 21 miles to go today, and we still had not checked in. Ray dinghied to the marina to get us squared away and we left mooring ball number ten at about a quarter after nine.  An hour and a half later we were approaching St. Lucie Lock where an 11 foot lift took us about a half hour with two other boats.  During the rest of the trip there was not a whole lot to see, but some notable things were a few alligators, some derelict boats, and an amphibious four wheeler that we were not able to get a picture of as we were too busy with lunch each time he passed by.
In just over four hours we arrived at Indian Town Marina where we immediately got the a/c going, did a few chores like laundry, clean up, and minor repairs.  It was still too hot to walk to town so we just made dinner on board, played a game of rummy, and watched a movie with some popcorn.  Ah these modern conveniences when you have power.  Although we did run the generator last evening for a/c and business purposes.

Paying Attention?

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

We slept in a little bit for no real good reason other than the north end of the mooring field in Vero Beach is a peaceful place, except for the dog barking on the sailboat, in the mangroves.  We unhooked from the mooring ball and headed north around 8:45 a.m.  We traveled 39 miles today in six hours to tie up to mooring ball number 50 at Vero Beach City Marina.  It was Linda’s first time of driving while Ray picked up the mooring line.  So if you are paying attention, you should realize that we turned around and headed south around noon.  Upon receiving a phone call that our business partner in Murphy, North Carolina is getting too busy excavating to do work for us.  You know what they say, if you want things done you have to do them yourself, or something like that.  We decided we should go back to Chattanooga with the boat so that we can hopefully make some money instead of spending it going up the east coast.  We have already made arrangements to stay at C Dock at Gold Point Marina for the summer, if not longer if things are really picking up in Murphy like we have been hearing.  Once we arrived back at Vero Beach we checked in again and then took the free city bus to the beach where we enjoyed the setting of Waldo’s Restaurant at the Driftwood Inn that has been there for 75 years and then we walked back.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Continuing south, we retraced our path of two days ago, just in the opposite direction.  Six hours into the trip we turned west on the Okeechobee Waterway, which is how we are going to cross Florida to get to the west coast.  We have not done that trip in eight years, back when we first brought the boat to Chattanooga.  At 3:45 p.m. we dropped anchor in the St. Lucie River North Fork near Bessey Creek.  A little over an hour later we realized we were dragging anchor as we were planning our trip across the Okeechobee.  We picked up anchor and moved back two miles to Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart to mooring ball number ten for more security.  This mooring attempt was our worst ever in the wind that caused us to drag anchor.  Linda had to drop the boat pole, which was still attached to the mooring line to make another attempt.  Ray was successful at retrieving the mooring line and boat pole while Linda did the driving instead.  I think this might start a new trend.

Vero Beach

We did get to go out and check out the town of Stuart last evening after the rain.  We walked the boardwalk and town, which did not take too long.  After circling the main block once we decided Duffy's Sports Bar was the most happening place.  We actually timed it right for once as everything on the menu was $11.95 on Mondays.  No wonder it was so happening.  Of course Ray picked the most expensive thing on the menu, which was a full rack of ribs.  He said they were good and that I was a cheap date.  Other than that, we did not find a real reason to return.
So we untied from a mooring ball in Stuart, then tied up to a mooring ball in Vero Beach seven hours later.  Once we arrived in Vero Beach we took the dinghy down and toured the mangrove islands and neighborhood canals trolling for fish the whole time.  One Pompano was all that was landed, and it was a half an inch too short.  Story of Linda's life.  After all that fun we headed in to the office to check in, get ice and dinghy gas.  Blackened snapper was enjoyed on board thanks to Jill and Richard on "Finally" back from when we were all in Marathon.

Stuart, Florida

With the tide against the wind last night we did not get a good night's sleep until after midnight when the tide turned around.  It kind of looked like rain in the distance this morning, but we did not get much besides a pretty rainbow which I will post another day via camera/computer.  We pulled up anchor just before eight o'clock this morning.  It was an uneventful but pretty trip, especially once we got into some of the sanctuary areas.  We saw a couple places we might like to anchor on the way back down in the fall. 
We traveled 36 miles, including about eight miles out of the way up the Okeechobee Waterway to get on mooring ball number eight in Stuart, Florida.  By two o'clock we were checking in at the office and getting directions on where to go.  Thankfully Ray decided to go to the grocery store first.  He figured we would never make it to the grocery store if we went to play first.
By the time we got a couple bags of ice at the marina on the way back, we had just enough time to dinghy back to the boat before an incredible thunderstorm and downpour came, which is currently still happening.  We are thankful to be on a mooring ball as hard as it was and still is blowing and the lightening so close.  Not sure how traffic on the US 1 bridge can see as we cannot even see it at times and it is probably less than a quarter of a mile away.  Then someone in a dinghy just went by.  I guess he needed a shower.
We're hoping the storm passes through eventually so we can still go play.  I guess if it doesn't tonight maybe we will just stay another day. 

forgot to mention

On Saturday after our anniversary at The Pirate Republic we went to The Cheesecake Factory for dessert.  Neither of us had ever been to one.

Anniversary Weekend

We decided to do chores on Friday so we could have fun on Saturday for our anniversary.  After Ray cleaned the outside and Linda cleaned the inside of the boat, we gathered laundry and walked to the office to check in on the way to the laundry facility.  While in the office, Norm from "True Loev" walked in.  He was picking up a package he had delivered there but their boat was back in Miami.  So they drove to the laundry facility and sat with us while we did laundry, then drove us back to our boat so they could show us all of their favorite anchorages in the southeast. 
On Saturday we were getting cabin fever with the morning rains.  We headed to the beach via bicycles and got sprinkled on just a little bit.  We sat at Quarterdeck for a snack and waited for our friends from Murphy to walk by like they did last time we were sitting there.  With no such luck we walked out to the beach to see what the waves were like for anchoring off of the Tortuga Music Festival including Kenny Chesney for the last act on Saturday.  The waves were only about two footers, but the other boats did not look like they were getting a comfortable ride out there. 
Somehow it always happens to Linda.  She had a flat tire on her bicycle when we started off back to the boat.  We hoped the self fixing tire would work and it did after a couple stops to pump it up.
This morning we left the New River in Ft. Lauderdale just ahead of one of those huge yachts being towed out at eight o'clock.  We continued to see mega yachts all day up the Intracoastal Waterway.  This was the first time we have ever traveled it from Ft. Lauderdale to Delray Beach.  When we did the Great Loop, we left Ft. Luaderdale to go to the Bahamas and returned at Lake Worth.  We originally wanted to stop in Delray Beach today, but dock prices are now more than three times what they were four years ago.  I guess we can live without Mellow Mushroom for now. 
We continued for a total of 54 miles in nine hours today with a lot of bridges having to open for us.  We are now anchored at the north end of Lake Worth just like we did four years ago since we never saw another place to anchor today that was more appealing without being over crowded with local weekend boaters.

The Day Wasn't Over

Once we were settled on the mooring ball in Ft. Lauderdale Beach, we dinghied over to check in at the marina.  We found the doors locked and were comically informed by a French Canadian couple that had been on a mooring ball for three weeks, that the city workers pretty much make up their own hours, but the office was now closed for cleaning.  They also informed us that the massive house on the corner with the spiral slide into the pool and the 165 foot yacht out front was Steven Spielberg's.  After chatting with them for a while and the doors still being locked, we decided to take the dinghy through some of the canals to pass the time and continue to see how the other half live.
When we returned to the marina we were informed that the mooring ball fee there was the same price as docking up the New River.  So why pay for a mooring ball with now power and no water.  We still haven't washed the salt off the boat from our first day out.
For the second time today Ray put the dinghy back in place and we untied from the mooring ball that I guess we got a few hours free use out of.  Hopefully the third time is the charm for today's trips.  We put three more miles under the keel going up the New River to pump out first, then back tracking just a little bit to tie up at Slip 64.  Just about the same place we were four years ago.  The mega yachts still being towed in and out of this narrow river.  What a sight to behold.

Ft Lauderdale Beach

Ray woke up at four o'clock this morning to discover we drug anchor a little during the night.  It was nothing dangerous, we had just slid back to where we had actually started upon our arrival before moving up a little.  The guy in the sailboat next to us must have heard the commotion of Ray getting the dinghy back into position on the swim platform in case we did have to move again.  He started yelling at us and flashing his spotlight on us to tell us that we drug anchor.  Ray kindly told him that we knew, that's why he was on watch at the helm.  After about the third or fourth time of him yelling at us and then threatening to call the Coast Guard because we were adrift, we decided to get out of there.  Not because of any immanent danger, but just so we wouldn't have to listen to him any more since he was not accepting the fact that we were watching and would leave at first light.  Must be something of a requirement to be a jerk in Sunset Lake whether you own a home there or not.  So we left in the dark a little after five o'clock.  Thankfully it was not that dark with the city lights of Miami reflecting off the low clouds.  We were just going to continue slowly up the Intracoastal Waterway, but then discovered a bridge that didn't schedule opening until eight.  Therefore we dropped anchor between DiLido Island and San Marino Island.  We got a little bit of sleep before departing at 8:15 a.m.  The travels were fairly uneventful with lots of sights on how the rich people live between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.  We picked up a mooring ball in Ft. Lauderdale Beach where we hope to get a sneak peek at the concerts going on on the beach this weekend including Kenny Chesney for our anniversary on Saturday.  We are hoping the weather will be nice enough to anchor off the beach and hear it.

An example of how the other half live in Ft. Lauderdale

South Beach, Miami

Today didn't go as planned, but when does boating? We were going to grab a mooring ball at Dinner Key, but the east winds changed our minds after seeing the mooring field so expoxed. Instead of turning back we decided to go on ahead to see what we could find. Our third choice of anchorages ended up being in Sunset Lake.  Not 20 minutes after being anchored, Laury & Bill came by in their dinghy wondering how our anchorage was because this is the spot mentioned in boating magazines as the place that a home owner has a grudge against boats anchoring here and ruining his waterfront scenery that he paid good money for.  We figured this was the place because there are at least 20 little plastic sailboats moored here with solar lights on them, presumably in front of his place.  Who would want to see that though compared to a boat or two anchored off?  Oh well, to each his own.  It has still turned out to be a wonderful anchorage.  We dinghied to shore the first time to get grocetries.  We dinghied to shore the second time to get gas for the dinghy.  After taking a small side trip by Star Island & the monument, we got the idea to take the Collins Canal all the way around South Beach and back to our anchorage.  We came back to the boat to get more liquid refreshments and the anchor light for the excursion.  It seemed like that would be more fun than going to the Burger & Beer Joint.  It was a very interesting trip and we still ended up at the restaurant.  Well worth the daring trip.

The Monument

Typical boats at the Yacht Club

Star Island

It really wasn't that rough!

This was the funniest thing!  Just after we got underway Ray headed down into the cabin and came out laughing.  He said I had to go see my cat.  I couldn't imagine what would be so funny because
Spike always hides when we are underway.  He must have gone into his house that was on that step you see in the background.  Obviously it was too close to the edge and it must have flipped over off the step, landing upside down, but Spike stayed in it, even with the "floor pillow" on top of him.

Boca Chita Key

Almost an exact repeat of yesterday. Same times, same miles. We tied up at Boca Chita Key which is a National Park in Biscayne Bay.  The pictures should tell the story.
We heard from "True Loev" via VHF today. Come to find out they did have troubles is why they were at Gilberts.  Norm slipped on the salt sprayed deck and cut his hand which needed attending. They pulled into Boca Chita Key when we had walked over to the lighthouse.

Key Largo

Last Night's Sunset

It was a peaceful night near Islamorada.  We unhooked from the mooring ball there just past eight o'clock this morning after Ray made breakfast.  Another fairly uneventful five hour trip to anchor in Thursday Cove in Barnes Sound near Key Largo just north of Jewfish Creek.  So far no one else is in here but maybe that's because we are here on the wrong day since it is only Monday.  We did see two manatee in Dusenbury Creek and passed "True Loev" at Gilberts.  They did not see us, and we did not know that to be their plan, so hope everything is okay.

"The Second Noelle" heads north

We waved good bye to the few friends left at Sombrero Marina this morning around eight o'clock.  It was not a perfect weather day that we were hoping we could have and go out fishing beyond the reef while heading east.  Therefore we stayed close to shore in the one to two foot chop, but at least they were at the bow.  We ran into some rain, but that helped to wash off some of the salt spray that was flying over the bow on occassion.  "True Loev" went on ahead of us as they were making better speed than we were against the wind.  We turned into Channel #5 around one o'clock this afternoon to cross under the bridge into Florida Bay where it was quite a bit smoother.
If you haven't figured out by now, we are not traveling the same direction we usually do at this time of year. We are not planning to return to Chattanooga this year but are instead intending to spend the summer in Chesapeake Bay.  We have not been this way in five years, are ready for a change, and hope to see things we did not get a chance to while we did The Great Loop.
Our plan this afternoon was to get on a mooring ball at Lignumvitae Key but only found one and it was quite exposed to the east wind.  So we continued on to Shell Key just a little farther east and again only found one mooring ball but it is better protected.  We did not make good time today barely averaging five miles per hour, but it was still fun to see things like sea turtles mating.  That was a first.  Quite an illusion trying to figure out what it was.  By the time we did, it was too late for the camera. Sorry!.

Return from "Our Time"

This morning our friends who live aboard their boat "The Miss Nansea" in North Fort Myers drove over to pick us up for breakfast and then dropped us off at the car rental agency so we could drive back to Marathon.  That was about a four hour uneventful trip other than the frightening 70 mile per hour speed you have to do on a highway.

"Our Time" day 3

Last night at Umbrella Island Ray noticed a black line drifting out behind "Our Time".  He tried to pull it out from the swim platform, but it was stuck.  So he searched through outside hatches and found a diving mask thankfully.  We had to drop the dinghy in order to get the swim ladder down so he would be able to get back aboard the boat after diving in to try to release the line.  He needed to use a knife, but was able to get it off the prop.
At 6:45 this morning we pulled out from the Umbrella Island anchorage before the sun was up.  By the time we were in the Gulf of Mexico the sun was starting to rise as we headed north.  We waved to our friends at Fort Myers Beach as we went by.  Just about that time "Cutie Girl" was right on our stern and followed us all the way to our destination at Legacy Harbour Marina in Fort Myers.  Bob and Barbara from "The Bar-B" drove down by car from Indian Rocks Beach and were there waiting for us when we arrived just before 2:00 p.m.  We almost immediately walked downtown with them and checked out some sister restaurants including Ford's Garage, The Firestone, and their Mexican one that I cannot recall the name of.

"Our Time" day 2

We pulled anchor out of Shark River this morning at 7:00 a.m.  It was foggy to the south, but did not get foggy for us for the first couple of hours heading north. Then it was intermittent all the way until 1:15 p.m. when we had Marco Island in sight.  Confirmed via text that "Finally", "Q's End", and "Floating Stone" got out of Marco around 9:00 a.m.  We pulled into our claimed anchorage at Umbrella Island just north of Marco at 3:00 p.m.  We had "Optimystique" in sight and on radar for most of the day although they had fallen a few miles behind.

"Our Time" day 1

We departed Marathon at 7:30 a.m.  It was a flat calm Florida Bay all day. We talked on the VHF radio to "Finally" and "Q's End" who were going on to Marco Island.  We dropped anchor a little after 2:00 p.m. in Little Shark River in the Everglades.  It was a lovely evening and kept the bugs away at nightfall with all of the screens.  Lots of boats were anchored in the river and just outside the river including "Optimystique" and "Cutie Girl".