April 7 – Hogg Cove to Vero Beach anchorage
Departed Hogg Cove at 0830 and were slightly delayed by
excessive mud on anchor and chain. Went
to St. Lucie marina about 2 miles further up the intercoastal to have R J
Marine group replace our autopilot hydraulic pump. Arrived at 0850 as Kevin, the installer was
there to catch our line. It is wonderful
when a plan comes together. Kevin was
wonderful and very nimble as he actually crawled into the dashboard compartment
to work on the pump. Being young and
flexible allowed him to do this. At 1052
the repairs are complete. Kevin showed
Tom how to calibrate the autopilot so he did not do a sea trial with us. (saved us an hour of labor on the bill). Also the wind had us pinned against the dock,
and we did not want to go out and come back in again in those conditions to
drop him off. With the help of Kevin and
another dock hand, we pulled the boat away from the dock to the adjacent slip
to give us more room to maneuver given the high winds and narrow shallow
channel. After a few tense moments and
lots of muscle power, we left the slip, turned into the wind and gave it the
gas. Made it out safely. Colletta and I went thru the procedure to
calibrate the auto pilot, gyrocompass and true north. All were completed successfully and for the
first time in a long time all the instruments agreed. We happily retraced our course back thru
Stuart to the intercoastal waterway (ICW) and headed north. It was an uneventful trip – except for one
idiot who passed too close. Arrived at
our anchorage in Vero Beach at 1617. We
looked toward the bridge; saw a boat with blue canvas, only to discover the
boat belonged to our friends Tim and Pam from Sweetwater. We dinghied over for a beer and more
conversation catch up. It is fun when
cruising paths cross with friends you have met along the way – one of the best
things about the Loop.
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| Tim and Pam Christensen on Sweetwater |
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