Maybe The Best Marina Ever

Well, we finally peeled ourselves away from Vero Beach.  The forecast for Easter Sunday was for sunny skies and lighter breezes and so, with much excitement, we cast off our mooring line and set our sights on Cocoa Village.  Yes, you remembered correctly, we don't like to travel on the weekends because we have to share the water with too many rude boaters.  However because it was Easter we thought they might have family obligations and so we ventured out and it was fine.

As is often the case with the weather, it wasn't exactly as forecast.  In fact Mother Sun never showed herself and the winds were strong from the North - which is to say they were right on our nose as we motored north.  Actually the winds built as the day wore on and we were covered in salt spray by the time we got to Cocoa (not Larry & I, just the boat).  No big waves, just about a foot or a little more and breaking.  The wind on the nose slowed our speed as well.  All in all not a pick boating day, but hey, it didn't rain!

Our luck changed when we pulled into Cocoa Village Marina.  This was a completely new (to us) stop and oh my goodness we were impressed before we were even docked.  One of my pet peeves is calling a marina on the VHF radio and not having them respond; the second component of this gripe is them having no idea what slip we are to be assigned and asking us to hold on while they figure it out, or giving poor or difficult to understand directions on how to get to the proper slip within the complex (marinas can be like a maze).  Not only did Cocoa Village respond quickly but they gave good and easy to understand instructions; I liked this place already!  After they literally talked us in they had not one, but three staff members on the dock to help take our lines and get us tied - unbelievably wonderful.*  Yes, it was windy, but not dangerously so, we just got the impression this is how they do things there.  Did I mention they were smiling and joking with us.  Oh, and it didn't hurt that they complimented the deck help - umm, that would be yours truly.

Then we went into the office to sign in and, well, I'll let you judge for yourself.



There were game tables & a computer center complete with laser printer



A large conversation/TV area

With a big screen TV and a selection of DVD's

More conversation seating with no TV



A separate room for quiet activities and a game area.

I think I forgot to take a photo of the kitchen area and serving bar for potlucks and parties.  The bathrooms were just as amazing - I didn't take pictures there either.  And the laundry area, well after the last time I mentioned laundry I just want to say that this one was boater heaven.  Four shiny clean washers and the same number of dryers, all in good working order that dried in one cycle, folding table, a cart to move the load from washer to dryer without dropping things on the spotless floor.  I can honestly say that in the past 8 years we have not found a nicer boater's lounge anyplace. 

 

 The little village of Cocoa is charming.  The downtown is just a block from the marina.  There are numerous boutiques, gift shops, galleries, and restaurants.  The historical museum was closed on the day we were there but we'll check it out  on our next visit.  The most special store downtown was Travis Hardware, established in 1885.  This three-story hardware store covered about half of a square block and they had everything from cookware and kitchen items to gasoline powered brush cutters, to boat supplies.  Of course we left a little cash there; we also had a good conversation with the clerk who's son is starting basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, in Missouri next month.

 

 

 

We enjoyed a terrific  lunch at  Ryan's Irish Pub where a generous slice of pizza was only $4.00.  Despite the name, and the Irish décor,  pizza seemed to be their house special and what most folks were eating! 

All in all the entire experience just felt nice, we will be back to Cocoa Village,

 

*almost as good as Columbus Marina T. Caldwell!

 





Life On The Boat

Many aspects of living on a boat are just like living in a house.  I mean we still have to cook, and clean, and just as there is routine home maintenance the same is true for maintenance on board.  It's just that sometimes these tasks are different on a boat than on shore.

As an example, our refrigerator does not have an ice maker - it also is not "frost-free", but that's a topic for another day.  Some boats have an snazzy ice maker/freezer installed, Lauren Grace does not.  We like ice in our drinks - tea, soda, water, rum.  The solution to this has been a portable, counter-top style ice-maker that makes ice but does not store it or keep it frozen.  We simply empty the basket and transfer the nice cubes to the freezer section of our fridge.  This has worked very well for us - until today when the ice maker failed to produce those magic cubes.  Yep, we have a problem.

Larry, who can fix nearly anything, investigated and determined that the muffin fan which carries hot air off of the condenser had quit turning.  Fortunately we were still at Vero Beach, or as I sometimes think of it, cruiser heaven.  Also fortunately, we discovered this Friday evening and the bus runs on Saturday - only part of a day, but it runs.  I remembered that there was a Radio Shack near the grocery and a phone call Saturday morning confirmed that they had a fan of the size and voltage we needed. Into the dinghy, and off to the bus stop and in a while we had a new fan.

Not just any fan, this one also has a light; yes, a plain fan probably would have been less expensive, but they did not have a plain version in stock.  Yes, they could order one for us; no, we did not intend to wait for it to arrive. 

Back aboard, an hour or so of tinkering and we have light!  And ice cubes!  Come to find out that these fans are very sought after by some computer geek types who replace the plain fans with these spiffy lighted versions; yes they are available in different colors, if you want to order them.  Hmmm, we must be really behind the technology curve here, we didn't have any idea such a product existed....and we still can't figure out why anyone would take a perfectly functional fan out of any device and replace it...could it be we are so out of touch, I wonder... or maybe we're just cheap.  I'll tell you a secret though, Larry does enjoy looking at this little wonder and he never fails to marvel at it when he passes by.  He keeps saying "I can't believe it's blue".

Making a Plan

We have been spending a little time trying to focus on what we would like to see and do as we travel up the coast and it looks like things are starting to fall together.

One place that we haven't explored too much is North Caroline, we have just sort of followed the "magenta line" through NC in the past.  So we have decided to spend a bit of time exploring the towns of New Bern, Washington and Bath.  Perhaps we will head over to the Outer Banks and check out the Lost Colony of Manteo but that trip is more weather dependent and we will have to see.  This will delay our arrival in the Chesapeake by a few weeks but the journey is just more fun than too much focus on a destination.

Perhaps I should mention explain that "magenta line" comment;  on nautical charts the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) is highlighted by a magenta colored line that runs along the channel, hence the terminology.  Now you know!

We have also been checking ahead for the best prices on diesel fuel.  Fuel is a significant expense for us therefore we try to plan ahead and purchase in places that will give discounts for volume, cash payment, or to members of the various organizations.  It's worth the time it takes to do our homework on this as we can often save as much as $60 to $90 depending on how much we need to take on and how big the discount.  And besides, what else do we have to do!

Cruisers call it "Velcro Beach"

As much as we love a stop in Ft. Pierce it is not a great place to grocery shop, at least not without a car.  So when we left there we decided to stop in Vero Beach for groceries...that was Monday, it is now Thursday night.  Several factors are at play here:  a) we don't keep to a strict schedule, hell, we don't even have a schedule 2) the weather has been a little iffy 3) it's so easy to love it here. 

This is  the welcoming view from the ICW; that enormous flag lives in a little park dedicated to the memory of all who have given their lives in service to our Country.  We reach the park by way of a free bus that picks us up at the marina parking lot, the same bus that will also take us to the grocery - both Publix and Fresh Market are nearby, the marine supply store, the thrift shop - to replace a couple of glasses that got broken, the beach, and numerous restaurants.  If we care to go farther we can even get to Walmart and Home Depot or take in a movie at the theater in the mall.  Did I mention it is free?!

We are once again on a mooring in what is probably the best managed mooring field in all of Florida.  The staff are courteous and pleasant, they answer the VHF radio and give good directions, and their computer system is so efficient that they told us "welcome back" despite the fact that it has been six years since we were last here!  The moorings themselves are well maintained and don't have barnacles growing all over them.  Yuk, how I hate picking up a crusty mooring pennant!  Add to this the fact that the entire location is well protected from the winds in nearly every direction - which has been important this week, and it about spells perfection.  In fact our only gripe is the darn noseeums, now if they could just control those....   Well, perhaps you are starting to understand why cruisers stick around here at Velcro Beach.

This picture will give you an idea of why it is called a mooring "field".  The moorings themselves are anchored deep in the seabed so that they will withstand the weight of the boats pulling against them in the wind and the waves.  They are planted much deeper than a boat's anchor would ever set, and they are arranged in rows much as field crops are planted in rows.  This arrangement, a set distance apart, assures that when boats "pick up a mooring" and attach it to their cleat  all of the boats there will swing the same way and maintain a safe distance apart to allow for swinging with the changes in the wind and tidal current.  This is a much more efficient use of the available space than having 100 boats anchored because of a bunch of boaty kinds of explanations that would probably bore you to tears.

We are spending our time reading, chatting with friends, riding the bus and just hanging out because it is so easy to do that here in Vero Beach.  Oh, yes, we've been to the grocery store too.  Now if the darn refrigerator would just defrost itself..... but that's a topic for another day.

OK We're Here - Now What

So we looked at one another and said, well where do we want to go now that we’re here.  And it seems we don’t have much of an agenda.  One thing we know for certain is that we don’t want to travel on the weekends when all of the local boaters are out in force trying to cram all the fun they can find on the water into two days.  Our motto is “be off the water” no later than noon on Friday.

Thus Friday morning found us running for Ft. Pierce, FL, just a few hours north of Stuart.  Our enthusiasm for this destination stems from the fact that Ft. Pierce has one of the best Farmer’s Markets we have ever been to, and it is just across the street from the City Marina.  Sometimes things are not always as you remember them but happily that was not the case here.  This market only seems to get better.  I wish I had taken some pictures of the exceptional offerings to share with you.  We were able to get some beautiful tomatoes, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, jalapenos, and red & green sweet peppers.  The asparagus didn’t look so good so we passed on it, although I had hoped to make a great pasta that I needed asparagus for.  Another vendor had the best breads, not to mention their pastries and muffins looked heavenly – but I resisted, mostly.  I found a vendor who had all kinds of dip and salad dressing mixes that contained no MSG (which I appear to have developed sensitivity to) and several selling local honey.  There were several offering live plants and herbs, one of them had the most beautiful and unique orchids.

There were also many booths offering prepared food, everything from omelet rolls & sausages to gyros, to chicken on a stick, and of course hot coffee and  smoothies.  Larry got an omelet roll and I had a cinnamon-raisin roll from the bakery booth; we sat on a low wall on the waterfront and had our breakfast while we did some people watching.  All the while listening to a local band that was doing a really good job and had everyone’s feet tapping.

After breakfast we investigated the arts and crafts offerings of the market and bought some Iguana Oil.  No it is not made from iguanas!    Actually it is a blend of neem oil along with several other essential oils and jojoba oil.  Wow, I can’t believe how many times I used the word oil in that sentence!  The guy who sold it swears that noseeums and mosquitoes will not come near anyone who has it on their skin; further if you don’t get it on before they arrive that using it after the fact will take away the sting and itch.  Now I just hope he wasn’t selling snake oil!

When we returned to the boat to stow our treasures we found lots of tourists watching the manatees who were swimming in the empty slip right next to us.  Before you ask I didn’t get a photo of them either!

After realizing that it will soon be May we have decided to work our way northward fairly quickly, well quickly for us, and leave time to explore a bit in North Carolina.  Perhaps tomorrow we might even work on making some kind of schedule…nah, it will all unfold in due time.

Crossing to the "Other Side" - Again.

Earlier I wrote about crossing to the other side of the Gulf of Mexico.  This week we crossed to the other side of Florida, and I would add that it is not nearly as big a deal as the Gulf crossing.  For several reasons: it is an easier location in which to forecast the weather, it does not require overnight travel, we aren’t out of sight of land (well, not for long anyway), it is shorter distance at only 135 miles from Ft. Myers to Stuart.The Caloosahatchee River flows past downtown Ft. Myers so it was quite easy for us to drop our lines at the marina and set out up the river to Lake Okeechobee.  At that point the river is broad and bordered by the city high-rises, the Edison and Ford Estates, and other manmade sights.  But within ten miles it becomes a narrow river, and sometimes a bit of a ditch, as it makes its way through about 60 miles of mostly wilderness and scrub to the lake.  We did pass a couple of small town docks, but mostly we saw trees, water hyacinth, alligators, manatees and more of the same.  One thing there is no shortage of is ‘gators, they are everywhere sunning on the banks and cruising along the edges of the river.  When we passed this campground that appeared to be host mostly to motorhomes and large travel trailers I snapped this picture of a lone little tent pitched near the water.  Larry remarked that perhaps it was a “bait station”, he may be right – you would never catch me sleeping in a tent with all those alligators around.

 

We were treated to the sight of one beautiful lady as we started upriver; the spectacular “S.S Sophie”, a beautiful 80’ wooden yacht built by John Trumpy and Sons in 1947.  http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/other/greta-van-susterens-trumpy

If you are of a certain ago (our age for example) you may think that she looks vaguely familiar.  If so you may be remembering another Trumpy yacht, the legendary presidential yacht “Sequoia”, used by Presidents from Hoover to Carter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sequoia_(presidential_yacht)

 

In fact we shared the first lock of this journey with the Sophie and another 90’ yacht.  There are a total of 5 locks on the Okeechobee Waterway between Ft. Myers and Stuart.  The first three are on the west side of the lake and lock boats up to the level of the lake, the final two are on the east side and they lower boats to the level of the Atlantic on the east coast.  The locks on this system are unlike any others we have been through in the U.S. or the Canadian Trent-Severn Canal in that they are not filled or drained by the opening or closing of valves but by a much simpler method.  When the boats are in the lock chamber and the gates are closed on both ends they simply open the gates on the high end a bit to allow water to flood into the chamber and raise it. How fast the water cascades in depends on how much the lockmaster opens the gates, sometimes it makes for a bouncy ride up!   If they are lowering the boats they simply open the gate on the low end and allow the extra water to flow out until the depth is equalized.

 

We traveled 55 miles and locked through 2 locks between Ft. Myers to the small town of Moore Haven and tied to the city dock for the night.  Like many small towns in rural America this one is down on its luck, recently even the grocery store closed and now they have to make do with a Dollar General or drive the 16 miles to the town of Clewiston. 

When we arrived in Moore Haven we knew that rain and thunderstorms were almost a certainty the next day and so we had planned to spend a day relaxing since we (read Theresa) don’t like to travel in the rain. The rain was ahead of a cold front, the wind came after the front passed and since Lake Okeechobee is a large body of water we decided to sit out the wind event as well, especially when NOAA called Small Craft Warnings for Lake O.  All was not lost, I used the time in Moore Haven to finish the taxes and put that task behind us for another year.

After two days in a one day town we were more than ready to be moving again, so at 7:30 we were in the Moore Haven lock and locking up to the level of the lake, then down a 15 mile canal to the town of Clewiston and out into Lake O.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Okeechobee

 

 

 

We have crossed the lake before in 2007 and at that time the water level was near a historic low and it was a nail-biter as we started out the channel knowing we had only about 15” of water (sometimes a bit less) under our exposed props.  This time the water levels were nearly normal and we enjoyed a cushion of about 3’ under us!  At over 700 square miles Okeechobee is a big lake, in fact it is the second largest lake contained entirely within the lower 48 United States (Michigan is larger, of course).  With an average depth of only 9 feet it is also very shallow for a body of water this large and the waves can build fairly quickly, which is one reason we wanted to get an early start before the winds built for the day.  In fact much of this lake is less than 3 feet deep, and it is balanced by the 12' areas, so it isn't suitable for exploring in a boat like ours.

  Once upon a time Okeechobee was well know as a destination bass fishing lake, and hosted many tournaments.  It was often featured on television with the well known Bassmaster, Roland Martin. Even with all that going for it Okeechobee is not a very pretty lake, the water is brown and yucky looking, and because it is so large a boat crossing the lake is not able to see the shoreline except as a distant horizon.  In short we don’t find it a place to linger.

It is 25 miles across the lake taking the most direct route available, about 3 hours at our speed, and by about noon we were entering Port Mayaca lock on the east side of the lake.  It was a beautiful day to be on the water and aside from the wakes of the faster boats passing us we had a great ride across.  The best part of the trip came when we were approaching Mayaca Lock.  We called to ask for a lock opening and the lockmaster asked our position, when informed we were about 15 minutes out he said “captain I don’t know if you’re going to make it, we have divers here and we have to get them back in the water.  How far out are you again?”  Larry advised him that we could speed up and make it in 10 minutes.  The response came back, “well, I’ll see how soon this westbound gets here”.  With that we pushed our throttles up and met the westbound coming out of the lock.  Needless to say we thanked him profusely for holding for us.  We heard him tell the boat 30 minutes behind us that it would be about 3 hours before the lock was back in service.  Luck was with us because our only other option would have been to put out an anchor and wait!

From Port Mayaca lock it is 40 miles (and one more lock) up the St. Lucie canal and river to the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway.  It was our intent to anchor in a creek a few miles before we came into Stuart, unfortunately the creek and the wind had other ideas and we were not satisfied with the anchoring situation - mostly due to the direction of the wind.  So after a couple of attempts we decided to move on.  A phone call to the mooring field in Stuart yielded the information that they were “full up”.  Being a bit frugal we were not excited to plunk down $2/ft, plus an electric charge for the privilege of tying to a dock for 12-15 hours so we scouted for an anchorage and Active Captain, an online crowd-sourced guidebook, pointed us to a great spot that afforded us plenty of swinging room and protection from the east winds; not to mention a great view of some of Stuart’s finest homes.

In all we had traveled 130 miles, 75 of it one day, and we were on the “other side”!  Funny thing - the sunsets are about the same over here.

Beautiful home seen from our anchorage in Stuart.

Sunset on the "Other Side"

 

 

 

 

 

Moving On

Sometimes our schedule (I use this term very loosely because we generally just mosey without much of a schedule at all) kind of jams up.  That has happened this past month and it left me little time for checking in here.  The only thing that is generally cast in stone is our breaks to visit with our granddaughters because their free time is now determined by the school calendar.  And so it was this past month; early in March we realized that Spring Break in Columbia was coming up - sooner rather than later - so we interrupted our playtime on the west coast of Florida and made for a marina Ft. Myers.  We arrived there with 9 days before it was time for us to leave for Missouri.  What a busy time scrubbing and cleaning, making travel plans, and visiting with old friends and new friends.

Because it was spring break season in Florida air fares were off the charts, and because our truck was up in Port St. Joe and had to be moved before the "season" starts there, we found one of the few rental cars left in south Florida and headed north on our 3 day odyssey back to MO. In three quick days there we both had checks by the docs, Larry had an eye appointment for new glasses, and he spent a day helping my brother-in-law with a carburetor while I shopped.   Then it was off to see the girls, who, as most everyone knows, are the highlight of our lives.

Our little family of six all enjoyed a weekend at Tan-Tar-A, playing at the indoor water park, bowling at the resort's lanes, feeding the ducks and geese that came begging in the yard by our lakeside condo, and generally having a fun time.  Then it was back to work for mom & dad and we spent the week hanging with Lauren & Anna.  Those are the best times, just spoiling them, making memories and watching them grow and change.  The continually amaze and delight us.

Soon enough it was time to reverse our steps and head home.  We arrived back in Ft. Myers quickly dumped the detritus of the trip back aboard, and hurried off for a big provisioning trip before we had to turn the car in at 0900 the following morning.  By late in the day I found myself staring at a mountain of food, supplies, dirty laundry, suitcases, mail - a general mess- wondering where to start.  With the perishables, obviously.

We were now down to only four days left on our month marina reservation - and did I mention I still had taxes to do!  Somehow most things got done, although those darn taxes are not quite finished yet, the last minute hugs and visiting done, we got underway.  Heading East and moseying.