Vero Beach

     Vero Beach has the nickname "Velcro Beach" because once cruisers get here they simply want to stay.  The town knows what cruisers want and cater to their needs.  The municipal marina is conveniently located and has free shuttle buses that can carry cruisers either to down town where there is a grocery store and West Marine or to the beach for a somewhat more touristy boutique shopping and dining experience.(but we did not see even one junky made in China beach trap!) 

                        Spencer had a watchful eye on the dolphins constantly swimming behind the
                        boat while at the marina.                                     

     We took advantage of the free shuttle and headed for the beach and breakfast at "The Lemon Tree", a well run restaurant with reasonably priced home cooked food.  It passed the Admiral's first test....there was a line up of people waiting 30 minutes to get a seat...therefore must be good food!...it was ...but...I'm getting older by the minute and time flies...seemed like a half day to me!  We walked the beach to the Farmer's Market which was filled with vendors selling fresh fruit, vegetables, honey and jams.  After sampling the orange juice we couldn't resist and bought two bags to take back to the boat.  If you haven't tasted fresh picked Valencia oranges...you should.  They are the juiciest sweetest oranges I have ever tasted.

                                                                Vero Beach

     Since it was only a little over a mile, we walked the back streets to the marina.  The foliage was unique.  Oddly bent old oak trees with their thick limbs covered in ferns giving them a "fuzzy" look, lined the streets.  It appeared to me that probably because of the thick humidity present during the summer (thank heaven not now!) that mold covered the branches and small ferns have taken growth in the mold.( Later found out these are known as Resurrection Ferns as they wilt during the dry season and resurrect when they get rain.)  This must have been what old Florida flora was like before development.

                                                                 Spanish Moss


                            
                                                             Resurrection Fern


     Spencer was not impressed with the nearby dog park.  It was open, clean with a large area to run but when I released his leash, he simply looked up at me as if to say....Oh! No!  If you think I am going to run with these big Doberman Pinchers you are nuts...Pick me back up!....What a weenie!!
     Cocktails and dinner were at the nearby Riverside Bar and Grill.  A spacious bar situated on the water with small boat dockage right in front.   The mussels in a  white wine sauce was followed by fresh almond crusted grouper with a mango sauce. Dinner was delicious.  Several cubra libras later and the in house Blues Band sounded better.  We met the guitar player who knew Johnny and Edgar Winter from playing in Austin, Texas years ago.  He informed us this was the only bar in Vero Beach that had live music. I informed him that he needed to turn the mike up for the singer! (Hmm cubra libras do make one feel bolder!)
      Later I met the bouncer.  Hee! Hee!  Now I know what y'all are thinking...Oh! No! Ralphie...what did you do now!  Well, not this time!  This time I was innocent.  He had my name, damn it and I wanted to meet him.  Well I should say he had my boat's name...Doc Holiday!  (I think I wanted it back!). A nice fellow who seemed quite capable of doing what he said he did....Cleaned up the brawling in this bar in 6 months time, a few years ago.  The bar caters not only to the well behaved boaters but later on in the evening (since all the boaters have retired early) caters to the younger college crowd who used to get a little out of hand. Not any more and of course since Doc cleaned it up the business has blossomed.

                                                   Which one is the real Doc's Holiday.

    The Admiral said it was time to go back to the boat since we were planning on leaving as soon as the next storm passed through tomorrow, so we said goodby to our new friends and retired to the boat.
    Given that the winds were still high we decided to stay in Vero Beach another day.  Off to the art museum to view a showing of "Hyper-realism art".  It was impressive.  At first I thought I was looking at photographs that were enhanced, since the colours were deeper and more vibrant than even the best photos I had ever seen but the detail was deeper than a photo.  No,the artists painted these from scratch, one taking over a year to produce a replica of the front hood, grill and fender of a sports car.  I would love to have any car that had the rich deep blue finish appearing in this painting on aluminum.  You could see the reflection on the fender of people standing and admiring the car. Another piece was a bronze sculpture of a thin ballerina which detailed even the slight wrinkles around her smile, and you could not tell it was bronze as it was painted in such fine detail.  Another sculpture of an elderly lady attracted Beth's attention. Holding her hand next to the statue, she said, "Look the veins and age spots on her hands look as real as my own hand!"  That's the Admiral not a trace of vanity in her whole body.
    When I walked Spencer in the dog park after the museum, I met Sue and her two boat dogs Jaimie and Speedy.  Since she was alone I invited her to join us later for a walk to nearby "Mulligans" beach bar.  As we enjoyed wine and of course cubra libras from Adirondack chairs on the beach, we learned that Sue was a recently retired paediatrician from Clearwater, Florida.  Only retired a few weeks she purchased a 32 foot  boat to do her dream of cruising the east coast of Florida down to the Keys. Seems a little lonely to do this solo (maybe what I unconsciously detected when I first talked with her) but she seemed content, although welcomed the opportunity to spend time sipping wine on the beach with something other than "dog talk". It was an enjoyable evening and nice to know that other physicians are able to give up there life long endeavour and commitment to enjoy their retirement. Only time will tell if I can do so.

Lake Peck to Vero Beach,Fl

     Tom warned me. I forgot! The dingy motor wouldn't start. The dog Spencer glared up at me and I knew what was going on in his tiny head by the look in his eye. Come on Daddy I want to go to the beach....I have to Peee! The Admiral glared up at me and I knew what was going on in her (I won't say tiny) head by the look in her eyes.  Come on, I want to see the sunrise and get some exercise on the beach, but I forgot what Tom had warned me about and it should be a warning to any of you reading this blog that have outboards, 4 wheelers, motorcycles, lawn mowers or anything that runs on the bullshit crap they are claiming is saving us money. I am talking about the ethanol they are putting in gas!   Tom worked on the dingy motor before we left Texas to clean out the carburetor, filter and fuel lines and told me to make sure before I shut the motor off to disconnect the fuel line and let the motor run dry of  what I am now terming "FRAP" (fuel crap!).  In anywhere from 20 days to 6 weeks this frap will separate the fuel into water and a congealed substance and will actually varnish the inside of the carburetor, jets, fuel pump and can cause the gaskets and the fuel line itself to disintegrate! This will immediately lead to your family and pets getting "that glare" in their eye! You shouldn't even leave this frap in your car or big boat for more than a month.  I suggest if you don't want water in your fuel that you only put as much frap in your tank as you can use up in a month....or better yet fill up with fuel that has NO ETHANOL...you can find it at some marinas and yes they charge more for it!  Just think the idiots running the EPA have just ok'd going to 15% ethanol.... I call it the.Mechanic's security program!!
     We pulled and washed down the anchor and chain and idled out of Peck Lake.  As we turned our nose north we couldn't help but admire the beauty of the area.  Lush green mangroves were sharply contrasted by the light sand beach and the Caribbean blue water of the Atlantic now lighting up with the rising sun.  Forcing myself to concentrate on the markers I increased the motors to our cruising speed of 1200 rpms and with the incoming tide we cruised at 10 knots.  No automatic pilot today.  There were strong currents conspiring to push Doc's Holiday out of the channel on to the notorious shifting shoals of the St. Lucie inlet and I was determined not to do any more damage to the props.
     It was a good day to navigate from the fly bridge.  We could see many boats anchored out fishing in the side channels with some nestled in behind the many small islands just off the ICW.  It would have been a nice day to go slow but I had checked the XM weather and NOAA and knew there was a chance that thunderstorms might hit in the afternoon. 
     The sky darkened. The sun began to fade as it was shrouded by the angry looking grey- black clouds that approached from the north.

                                                                               

      We quickly went to the fly bridge, folded up and tied down the bimini top, closed all the windows, secured all the doors and held Spencer.  With the first low rumble of thunder he began to shake slightly.  The wind picked up and quickly reached 60 miles per hour as the rain started.  At first it was just a sprinkle but quickly became a deluge so hard that we couldn't see the other boats around us.

                                                                                
       Fingers of lightning cracked through the sky lighting up the entire inside of the boat and Spencers slight shaking jumped to the level of vibration!  The boat rocked and rolled and the rain struck harder and noisier as it had turned to marble size hail.  We laughed.  We weren't scared!  Why? .... We had made it to the Vero Beach marina and were securely tied up in a slip.  Maybe we were learning, but most likely we have been gaining enough experience to realize that we are better to secure the boat and crew if there is a hint of unsettled weather. 
     We easily rode out the storm at the marina but as it was calling for high winds we elected to stay at the marina for a couple of days and explore Vero Beach.  
  

Lake O to Peck Lake

     Crossing Lake O with its shallow waters was stressful, but not as stressful as our escapade in the last lock we had to traverse to enter the Lucie Canal.  Sanctuary entered first and deftly tied to the starboard side....no problem.  Doc's Holiday gently eased in behind them and just as Beth was tying to the cleat the wind came up and began to push the stern of the boat away from the wall and toward the other wall. Thankfully there were no other boats in the lock at the time.  No matter how I tried I could not get the stern to pull in....the wind had me.   With the line attached to the bow instead of the mid cleat (at the insistance of the lock master!) there was no way I could walk the boat side ways...finally a short tempered Lock Master ordered us to the downwind side of the lock.....YIPES! All the bumpers were quickly transferred to the port side of the boat and we gently drifted on to the cement wall.  To make things worse there was a Manatee caught in the lock with us!  Fortunately, the boat, the crew and the manatee survived without a scratch!.........Except Beth's Sunglasses!

                              Minus my lost "PRESCRIPTION Sunglasses in the lock.    

     The rest of the trip was uneventful but stressful, with continuous depth readings in the 3 to 4 foot range do to the choppy water and the low tide.  We stayed right behind Sanctuary who kindly lead us into Peck Lake near the Lucie inlet on the Atlantic side, and showed us exactly where to anchor.  It took 3 tries at setting the anchor but we set firmly and remained that way for two days. 
     This anchorage is one of the most popular for boats trekking north for the summer.  The barrier island is a turtle sanctuary, so no pets allowed on the Atlantic side of the island but a sandy beach with an easy place to land the dingy was available on the ICW side of the island.

                                                               Sunset Pecks Lake                         

                                                               Sunrise Pecks Lake
        
      Mike and Valli picked us up in their dingy for a brisk walk along the Atlantic beach the next morning.  Flat calm water, 80 degree temperature, numerous shells in soft sand and half buried Man o Wars jelly fish....What's not to like!  Surprisingly we spotted a tall pole topped by a remote tv camera that turned to watch the beach for,I suggested with a laugh turtle egg snatchers, but most likely  illegals trying to make it to the USA. It also turned to watch the anchorage.  Sure glad we spotted that before we tried skinny dipping!  After a brisk walk we returned to the boat to watch the afternoon adventures in the lagoon.

                                                          Man O War Jelly Fish                       

     It made me feel somewhat better to watch others ground out and get stuck in the shallow water. Not that I wished ill on anybody.  I was just relieved to know that not only can it happen to non professional cruisers...it can happen to experienced tug boat captains.  We watched as a tug boat came in to remove a barge next to a dredge. (They are dredging the St. Lucie inlet.)  The tug boat bottomed out and and was firmly stuck in the mud, eventually freeing  himself from the sandbar the captain hooked on to the barge and got the tug and the barge stuck in the exact same spot!  Hours later with the help of a second tug boat they all got out.
 

    

Finally Released

Grounded again!

Help arrives.

     Tomorrow we begin our trek north.  Bad weather is predicted for the weekend so we will plan on staying at a marina in Vero Beach.  Sadly we said good-bye to Sanctuary, wished them well and truly hope we meet up with them in the future.

Naples to Lake Okeechobee

    
     Getting out of work at 9:30 on a Friday night was a relief.  I knew the potential for trauma cases to start pouring in could start anytime. My colleague Dr. Ponnuru, was more than capable of handling the volume and I smiled when he released me to go home.  A few more items to pack in my one carry on bag, a quick snack, a half of a sleeping pill (even though exhausted from working since 7 am, I knew I was too excited to sleep) and off to bed.
     My eyes snapped open as the morning sun glared in through the bedroom window.  Damn it!   I paid an extra $150 to fly out of Port Arthur Airport since it was free parking for  the month but if I didn't get a move on  I would miss the plane altogether and it would cost me more to try and drive to Houston to catch the connector to Fort Myers.  To anyone standing on the street the Volvo was just a blur that blew past.  I made it on time.
     Beth had been working on the boat for two weeks.  She cleaned inside and out, washed and ironed all the drapes, washed all the bedding and tried to hang screen doors. On top of that, she started provisioning the boat with food and drink.  She was busy every day for two weeks, tired and not done...it took another two full days before we felt we were ready for this part of the adventure. Fortunately Jennifer brought Cameron over and he was immediately appointed "Swabby", given a mop and pointed towards the upper deck.   Even though he moaned a little about his arm being tired from swabbing the upper helm and deck, he did a good job.  However, he declined when the boat next to us offered to let him do their boat as well!

                                                                 Jennifer and Cameron           
 
     We finished fueling up the boat at 3:30 on Monday and although the winds were reported to be  15 to 20 knots, we decided to stick our nose out into the Gulf and take a look.  If it was too rough we would turn around and anchor in a cove just inside Gordon's Pass. If within  our tolerance we would go to Fort Myers.

                                                               Leaving

                                         Our last Gulf sunset on DocsHoliday until the fall.                                       


      A warm south breeze pushed us over rolling waves and Caribbean blue water all the way to the Caloosahatchee river and by dusk we were anchored in a scenic well protected cove and cracking open a frosty cold ale. Not a bad start to this portion of the adventure.
       As I was plotting the course at 6:30 the next morning I heard engines fire up and watched as the motor yacht "Sanctuary"  pulled slowly by.  Remembering that this boat was anchored behind us at Cayo Costa Park and seeing a Canadian Flag on the stern, I jumped up and hailed them on the VHF. Yes, they were from Toronto, had been cruising for 25 years and would be happy to let us tail along behind them through the locks and across Lake Okeechobee.  "GET UP BETH!" I yelled down to the aft stateroom. "WE'RE LEAVING!" 
     It was a beautiful spring morning with temps in the 80's, no humidity during the day,and temps in the 60's at night...meaning no air conditioning and a Happy Admiral! As we followed Sanctuary several other motor yachts pulled out from different marinas along the river and fell into line behind us.  Apparently we wouldn't be the only ones trying to cross the lake, but of the 5 that entered the first lock with us, only two would cross the lake..Doc's Holiday and Sanctuary. Two pulled off at marinas and the 3rd , a couple from Minnesota doing the loop, we're heard calling on the VHF for Sea Tow...we heard them say they "blew a motor!" I hope it wasn't because they were trying to keep up with us as we were pushing to get to the lake before dark.

                                             Sanctuary in the WP Franklin Lock.                                 

      We were much more comfortable doing the locks since we met the challenge of the locks in New Orleans but the the second lock we went through was difficult..  As the doors opened to raise us 13 feet, we held the lines tight. The boat on the wall across from us however, had difficulty.  The girl holding the stern line couldn't overpower the surge of water coming in through the lock doors and the back of the boat began to flounder and swing wide. It was eventually controlled with help from other crew. Whew! We breathed a sigh of relief when we finally exited the lock. I guess the old adage is true "try as you may...shit happens!"
     The last lock pushed us out into a canal beside the lake where we anchored for the night.  Later Mike and Valli Scheuring owned by the trawler "Sanctuary" dingied over to join us in a bottle of wine and meet the "newbie cruisers" who had been tailing them across the river.

                                               Sunrise at Moore Haven Canal  Anchorage
           
     What a delightful and interesting couple.  Mike who bears an uncanny resemblance to my brother in law Danny Kennedy thrilled us with interesting places we should visit, such as Eleuthra in the Bahamas and Cumberland Island in Georgia. His wife Valli agreed that the thing they like to do best was anchor out, hike the island trails, and enjoy the solitude of the natural surroundings. This they have been doing full time for over 10 years.  Mike was once head of the Marketing Board in Toronto, Ontario working 18 hours a day until he eventually had a heart attack. Deciding enough is enough, now he and Valli are completely enjoying taking their boat up and down the east coast and to the Caribbean.  They are a wealth of information not only about touring but about boating and safety in general.  They certainly helped us with getting to the east coast of Florida.  Thank you Mike and Valli and may you both have many more years of doing what you love most....cruising in Sanctuary.

                                         Mike and Valli on Sanctuary                                                                           

     The Okeechobee Waterway is rich in wildlife. My good friends Chuck and Kelsey Mason, avid fishermen would be ecstatic to see the number of fish rolling and jumping along the waterway. In several areas the water was "boiling" with fish.  They were even trapped in the locks but I didn't have enough time to get a line wet and try and snag one.  Numerous birds including owls, hawks and vultures sat in the trees shrouded by the morning mist, watching Doc's Holiday glide by.  Eeerie! and gave me a strange sense of foreboding.  Maybe it was a forewarning for what was about to happen.
     We entered the lake at an idle.  It was well advertise that this area of the lake was shallow.  Almost immediately we came across a 35 foot boat hard aground with two locals waiting for someone to come help them get floated.  I swear I stayed directly behind Sanctuary...but they didn't hit bottom....and we did!  ..and in the channel!  I see a reworking of our props in our future.