Dingy Rescue X2

Being on a mooring ball gives us the opportunity for lots of observation. Yesterday, when it was cool and very windy, we saw a couple in a dingy trying to paddle against the wind to get to their boat. Assuming their motor was not working, Peter went to the rescue and towed them to their boat. It turns out they had a very unlucky series of events. Upon returning last Wednesday from family Christmas visits they were getting back onto their boat with carry-on packs. The husband lost his balance and fell in the water with their backpack full of computers and back up drives. On the way into the water he grabbed out to catch himself and cut his hand on a cotter pin. At least his wife is a physician and was able to fix his hand at 6PM in the evening. So, when Peter found them yesterday his hand was well bandaged but their motor had stopped running.
Today we made a last grocery store run on the marina bus. When we returned Jane spotted a single man in his drifting dingy trying to start his engine. He actually stood up to pull the cord and almost fell in...without a life jacket. So once again Peter went to the rescue. He was very concerned about this elderly gentleman because he was really out of breath and just lay back in his the dingy while Peter towed him. He did not seem well at all and his dingy needed air pumped into it. The man insisted he was fine but when Peter returned to our boat he called the marina office to report the incident and express concern. so hopefully they were going to check on him.

This afternoon we walked across the lift bridge to a small boat show. It was a chance to get out in the cold fresh air but it is geared toward smaller fishing boats that run on the river. So now we sit trying to stay warm and wait for the Patriots game tonight at 8PM. We are joining friends ashore in the marina captain's lounge to watch on their big TV.

Wind chill a brisk 45'.

Guy Harvey is a popular  item here!

Beautiful Weather, More Work

Finally we woke to find clouds overhead!  Without our canvas dodger it was hot trying to sit or work in the sun. (Really...not complaining!) The prediction was for rain late morning and thunderstorms in the afternoon. We decided to get going with our boat chores. Jane thought she would give the boat a wash using soap and salt water since it was going to rain and rinse it off anyway. Once that was done Peter decided to go to the dock.We needed to pump the holding tank, fill with diesel, and water. Since it was very windy and a weekday the fuel dock was empty so we stayed for about an hour to get more things cleaned. Jane was able to fully scrub the cockpit seats & floors and rinse the whole boat with fresh water.  Moving back to our mooring ball was tricky since the wind was blowing hard but we managed to get tied up on the first try.  In the afternoon we borrowed Mary's car again and made another trip to West Marine and to fill a propane tank which emptied yesterday. We bought a roasted chicken at Publix so a hot chicken dinner was most appreciated!

Thursday was suppose to dawn with rain showers but instead it was sunny with a high of 78'.  It is so deceptively calm here just 6 miles up river from the ocean. Our weather window for crossing the Gulf stream has gone and now it looks like it might be next Tuesday. The winds are NNW-NNE and the gulf stream is churning. We have talked to 2 other sailboats who will also be crossing so it would be nice if we have company. We won't wait though. If our weather router says go then we go.  It's getting hard to wait it out since we have been here for a full week. To pass the time we walked into town for breakfast then back to the marina to do more washing. We spent time aboard m/v The Good Life with Mary and she told us a story about the Kady Krogan "rats".  Apparently it's an initiation of sorts to pass around this horrible stuffed rat and have the owners find it in unsuspecting places.



How would you like to find this in your microwave?...or bed?..or anywhere?

 We did collect our repaired dodger this afternoon...none too soon. Tonight a "cold front" is passing through with overnight temps in the mid fifties!! So we put our canvas back up and zipped in for the chill.  Tomorrow we have a marine electrician coming aboard to check out our remote for the windless, which is not working, and the canvas man to give us a quote on a completely new dodger. If we want them to do it for us by May we have to order it now with a deposit. So we will see....

It's a Working Day

Monday dawned another perfect day to work on the boat. We first went in to do laundry by 7AM and had fun talking to a few cruisers either going our way to the Abacos or have been there and have good advice. After the laundry was done and packed we borrowed Mary's car (Mark flew back to MA. for work) to get some errands done. First stop was the bank to stock up on cash for the Bahamas. You need $300 cash as a 90 day cruising and fishing fee for Bahamain waters. Second stop was West marine to stock up on some supplies and spare parts for our outboard, generator, and engine...AKA oil, filters and spark plugs.

Third stop was a boat canvas shop operated by a boat couple here at Sunset Bay Marina. Our front canvas piece, the dodger, has broken zippers in the center panel and some of the stitching is disintegrating due to sun damage. So that will be fixed in a few days.

Our boat minus the dodger.
Looking good though!

Once back aboard Peter serviced the Honda generator while Jane started dinner. Around 7PM we looked over the bridge and saw a huge moon "rising". We tried to take pictures of it but they don't do it justice.

Tuesday,  started off with a walk to town and breakfast with Mary. Historic downtown Stuart is quaint and fun to walk around.

Waterfront amphitheater

Steamboat leaving the dock for a tour on the
St Lucie River

Then it was a day to work aboard. Peter changed the main engine oil and fuel filters while Jane cleaned, waxed, and polished some deck surfaces and the stainless dodger frame. It was sunny but a nice wind to keep us cool enough to get things done.

Polish and buff!

In the afternoon around 4PM we went with Mary to see Bathtub Reef on Hutchinson Island. There was evidence of a lot of wave damage along the mile stretch of beach. the pictures actually show tree stumps where the land used to be and now they are in the ocean! We wonder how people ever got permits to build homes literally on the sand dunes. Now they are just one storm away from total destruction and more shoreline polution.



House for sale
By Owner
Any takers?

See the tree stumps where the shore used to be?

After we left Hutchinson Island Mary took us to a wonderful produce market where we could buy 10 grapefruit or honeybell oranges for just a dollar. Honneybell oranges are one of the first new crops to ripen in January and some of the juciest and sweetest oranges grown in Florida. Then we drove to the "New England Fish Market for dinner. Delicious fresh fish cooked any way you like!

Love this sign

New England fish in the heart of Florida
including fresh Maine Lobsters...not much more
expensive than what you would pay in NE.

Classic!

Football...Beer...and Pickles

Sunday, January 8 was another fabulous day. We were up by 7 but had a lazy morning and full cooked breakfast aboard. By 9AM we moved off Kinvara and decided to walk around the waterfront path to downtown Stuart. It is a pretty river walk ending up at a farmer's market which sets up every Sunday. There was a variety of fresh produce, dips, jars, jewelry, crafts, etc. We picked up a few vegetables, some "pirate pickles" and headed back to the boat.

The pirate who pickles the pickles!

Along the walk is a river front cafe with tables sitting in sand...much like a beachfront tiki bar. We can hear their music on some nights when the wind blows our way.

Walking the dog island style

This is for you, Patricia and Willy!!

On the river, under the bridge on the St Lucie River

     Once back Mark and Mary called to take a dingy ride up the river. We each took our own dingy and motored about 1 mile up the St Lucie River. It didn't take too long to see why we can not do the cross Florida route through the Okeechobee Lake. the bridge is only 58' clearance and we need 62' to clear. So if we ever want to go to the Gulf side of Florida we would have to head to the keys and make the trip around.

     After the "up river trip" we motored across from our marina to the other side of the river and beached the dinghies in front of a little beach cafe called The Deck. The boys loved our seats...smack in front of the football wild card game on TV. So we settled in for a lunch with $5 pitchers of beer to watch the end of the game.
     It was another great day in paradise!

Kinvara Meets The Good Life in Stuart, Florida

Friday morning dawned sunny and much warmer than previous days. We got our act together about 8AM, launching the dingy...after having to inflate it again. The cold weather certainly made it a little limp. Once ashore we checked in and made a trip to the showers for a good wash after 3 days of "too cold to shower"!!
(Would you take a shower in 36' temperatures?) we then made for our friend's boat m/v "The Good Life". Mark and Mary welcomed us with Barry's Irish tea and home made muffins. Yum! We sat and talked until nearly noon time.
Around 2PM we borrowed their car to take Jane to a walk-in clinic. Her allergy symptoms were turning into a sinus infection so we wanted to take care of that before going to the Bahamas. After that plus errands to Publix and CVS we made our way back to "Kinvara" to unpack and head over to "The Good Life" again for sun downers. The sunsets from this marina are so spectacular!! By 7PM we were hungry so we walked across the street to a tiny Thai restaurant. Our meals were freshly prepared, hot, and delicious!! Not bad for a trio of young men running it and only apx. seating for 30 people. What a nice find!
By the time we made it back to our respective boats it was 10PM and cruisers bedtime!!

Friday was even warmer in the morning. We might be able lose the flannels to sleep in! After a morning walk we got to the business of cleaning the boat. When we left Harbortown in December we did not have time to do a thorough cleaning so we dug in and completed everything by about 3:30. By 5PM Mark and Mary came to our boat for sun downers and appetizers. A beautiful sunset once again...after the sun disappears the colors of red, orange, and purples is breathtaking. We were able to sit inside the enclosure in short sleeve shirts!

Mark and Mary arrive for cocktails.

Peter blowing his conch shell at sundown

Jane and Mary enjoying their sun downers.
(Wish you were here Rich to share the Sandyman!)

A 60 Mile Day

     This morning we were up at 6:30AM with coffee in our hand and hauling anchor just before 7AM before the sunrise. We anchored in 7'of water. leaving only 1.5' under our keel. This morning the depth read .8 feet! We departed back to the ICW path with haste. Our trip was very calm and somewhat warmer than yesterday. We had no heat this morning but the temperature was a little warmer and the sun again created a greenhouse inside our enclosure. By the early afternoon we had removed hats, long underwear, turtle necks, and fleeces. Let's hope that's the last we see of them.

     Along our trip we encountered playful dolphins 4-5 times. Every time they rode just under our bow. It's fascinating...watching them you would think they look right at you when they tilt to the side. Today we were lucky enough to have the camera ready!

First encounter

Second time there were 3 dolphins
riding the bow wave

A close encounter the third time!

After traveling about 40 miles we decided we would make a run for Sunset Marina in Stuart. It was another 20 miles but we figured we had 4 good hours before sunset at 5:40. Lucky for us the current and tides favored our trip all the way. We picked up a mooring ball and will stay through Sunday night. Friends from New England made their first trip south and are spending the "Florida winter" here so we hope to have a good visit.

Sunset was spectacular this evening!

Looking toward the stern of our boat.
We had cheese and crackers watching the sunset.

A New Beginning for 2012

     Our new year begins aboard s/v Kinvara at Harbortown Marina Cape Canaveral, Florida. We moved aboard on January 2 to get a start on Tuesday. However, like all boaters, weather won the day. Our temperatures overnight fell to the 30's but the wind started blowing 20-25 with gusts to 30 making our wind chill in the 20's. We decided to stay aboard at the dock to stay warm. So today, January 4 we left at 10AM to get our bridge opening (after closing for commuter hours) at 10:30. We were able to travel 26 miles to our first anchorage just south of Melborne. This is the last anchorage deep enough for us before Vero Beach, 25 miles further. We would not make it there before dark so we stopped and dropped the hook at 3:30. It was a sunny day and the enclosure kept us warm with the green house effect. Temperatures maxed at 58' today but are only dropping to the mid 30's overnight with no wind. It's warming up into the 70"s after today so we are good to go.
     2012 is a new beginning aboard Kinvara without our faithful little companion so it will be all new having the freedom to travel further and longer both on the boat and off. It's like the empty nest syndrome. Sad but exciting at the same time.
     Our excitement of the day was traveling with 2 wonderful pods of dolphins. Both had babies with them so we figured the protection of the ICW must be where they have their babies. The larger ones were swimming alongside the hull and a few times we had a dolphin riding the bow wave. Too fast for a good picture but really fun! We will have a spectacular sunset tonight while Peter grills pork chops for dinner. Early to bed to stay warm then we hope to be under way by 6:30AM at first light.