Cruise to Florida's West Coast March 2016

Wednesday, March 2 – 16 – Jupiter to Indiantown

 

Departed Jupiter Cove marina, headed to Indiantown 0845.  Sighted our first dolphin, which is a good sign, and 1000.  At 1055, arrived at St. Lucie inlet and made a port turn into the St. Lucie River.  At 1245 we arrived at the first lock, St. Lucie lock, which is about 15 miles upriver.  Entered lock at 1324 and exited at 1355 with a 14 foot lift.  As we exited the lock, we saw Dovekie owned by Mel and Jean, as the small marina just west of the lock.  We crossed the Gulf with Dovekie, Dec 1^st, 2014, from Carrabelle.  Uneventful cruise thru Florida’s interior, horses wading in the canal and cattle grazing the green slopes.  Arrived at Indiantown Marina at 1545 and docked our usual spot along the wall.  To avoid colliding with sailboats, we turned about, and sterned in.  Crowded marina, a lot of Canadians pulling boats out the water, preparing to return north.  Traveled 39.7 nautical miles.

This is the St. Lucie River after you get thru civilization around Stuart and head to Lake Okeechobee

 

Thursday, March 3, 16 – Indiantown to Moore Haven

 

Departed at 0802 with very calm winds. At 0930 we approached the Port Mayaca Lock, 15 miles west of Indiantown.  Upon approach is a railroad lift bridge with a clearance of 49 foot.  This bridge is a challenge for sailboats with tall masts.  In order for some boats to get under it they need assistance.  This assistance comes in the form of a local boat tipping service – not what you think.  The service attaches plastic barrels to the side of the boat and a weighed line to the top of the mast.   The barrels are filled with water until the attached line touches the water to heeled the boat to one side. At that point, they have enough clearance to get under the bridge.  Once under and thru the bridge, the barrels are emptied, the boat is up righted and the travel continues.   We have read about this process, but this time we got to witness it firsthand.  This boat happened to belong to a couple of snowbirds from Hungary.  The lock gates will both open, as they were last year because of high lake levels, so we proceeded thru smoothly into Lake Okeechobee.  Very light winds, lake flat, wonderful conditions for a crossing.  During the crossing we made plans and called ahead to Ft Myers to reserve a slip for the weekend.  At 1225 we arrived at Clewiston lock on the southwest side of Lake Okeechobee and traveled along the rim to Moore Haven.  Saw a gator at 1244, water skiing plans were cancelled.  Arrived at Moore Haven lock 1351, good timing.  Out of lock in less than 10 minutes with a 3 foot lift, but had to wait for a train going over the channel before we could tie at Moore Haven municipal dock.  Paid for dockage at City Hall $1 a foot.  Traveled 43.1 NM.  Stretched our legs, went for a walk, stopped at library, Agape thrift stop (pocket t-shirts for Tom), and chatted with locals. 

A palm tree blown over in a storm but still growing. Make trimming the top easy.

Moore Haven Dock and Town Hall



Entering Port Mayacca Lock



Exiting Port Mayacca Lock and entering Lake Okeechobee



 

The Admiral steering a true course across Lake Okkechobee



Entering the channel to exit the Lake

 

 

Friday, March 4, 16 – Moore haven to Lofton Island, Ft. Myers

 

Departed at 0846 and ran with generator running because refrigerator was not running on 12 volts power.  This is also a shakedown cruise prior to our travels up the east coast this spring  See what works, what needs fixing, and what need to be tweaked.  Windy conditions, we are glad we crossed the Lake yesterday.  0928 we passed an east bound boat called Arawak.  This boat is featured in Power and Motoryacht magazine as a “project boat” which means they are refitting it cause it is an older boat that needs updating and refurbishing.  At 1030 we arrive at the Ortona Lock, with an 8 foot lift and out at 1055.  Arrived at La Belle.  We considered staying at the free docks there.  No boats in the marina and with strong winds and poor mooring arrangements we decided to keep moving. Arrived Ft. Denaud Swing Bridge where the bridge tender walks to the center of the bridge, opens the bridge, records the name of the boat and waves as you go by.  1345 we arrived at the last lock on the traversing of the state with a 1 ½ foot drop with a young, female lock tender, originally from southern Illinois.  At 1540, the anchor was down north of Lofton Island by the Ft. Myers Yacht Basin.  Traveled 47.8 NM.  First anchoring out of new boating season.
 

Saturday, March 5 thru 11, 16 – Ft. Myers Yacht Basin

Called Yacht basin and were assigned a slip in the east basin .  0950 pulled up anchor, clean with no mud, off we go the marina.  1015, in our slip.  Traveled ½ NM. 

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin was a good spot for us.  We were planning on staying 3 days but the facilities, town, management and the central location made it favorable, so we changed our plans and stayed a week.  One of our objectives while on the Gulf coast was to catch up with friends.  We had that opportunity while staying here.  We reconnected with Dan and Terri Rissler from the old Lake Calumet Boat and Gun Club from back in the 1970s.  We caught up with them, met their twin daughters, Meghan and Colleen, and enjoyed their friendship and hospitality on a number of occasions.  They are fun to hang around.  Enjoyed lunch this week with Bruce and Pat Leshinski from Chicago who are wintering in Vanderbilt Beach.  They are boating friends from our home port of New Buffalo MI.  Our favorite cousin Wally and Deb Sommer are staying on Sanibel Island and he agreed to fight the traffic and pick us up for a visit to the island for the day.  A nice treat.  We spent the day with them and their daughter and family, Emily, Trevor, and Baby Nora, at a mini family reunion.  Deb, always the gracious hostess, served us delicious food and great hospitality.  In preparation for departing on Saturday, we filled water tanks, pumped the head, dropped the dingy and checked the outboard motor, went to the grocery store, got ice and enjoyed our last day at the Basin.