Adventures on Slàinte Mhath

Day 197: January 31:  We picked up anchor and motored out of Melbourne Beach Pier at our usual time of 8:30 a.m. The wind has been relentless and today is no different, requiring us to keep the flybridge windows closed. With them zipped up, it's easy to forget how chilly the wind can make it, but when I head down below or just try to sit on the bow, I am quickly reminded that we still haven't reached 80.  Once in the channel, we passed under the Melbourne Causeway. In no time we were surrounded by dolphins, including a really small one, taking lessons from his more experienced friends. Several times during the trip we saw dolphins and seabirds working in the same area. John wanted to stop and cast a line, but knowing his track record I suggested we keep on moving. The Dr. Sally Ride Memorial (NASA Causeway) was surrounded by machinery and materials. As of January 2024, the original bridge has been replaced with new construction but work is still going on to clear up the debris...

Day 196: January 30: We pulled up anchor and headed out of our very nice anchorage off the Indian River around 8:30 a.m. Having reached Stuart, FL we have left the Okeechobee Waterway behind and will be traveling on the Intracoastal Waterway. Travels today were pleasant. Major sights included a large cargo ship, one of the largest travel lifts we have seen, more derelict boats, dolphins and of course beautiful homes. We've traveled approximately 5384.61 miles and can say without a doubt Florida wins the prize regarding derelict boats, abandoned and deteriorating.  We hailed the North Fort Pierce Bascule Bridge on VHF 9. With a reported vertical clearance of 21 + 3', we did not want to risk the antenna hitting so it made sense to contact the bridge tender. Within minutes the bridge opened up.  Aware that we were close to Cape Canaveral, our friend Matt Palmer sent us a text notifying us of a an impending rocket launch. At 12:07 p.m. a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to lau...

Day 195: January 29:  Having crossed Lake Okeechobee we were now in the Saint Lucie Canal. We released ourselves from the dolphins and about 8:30 a.m and left Port Mayaca. With mild winds, the canal was calm and travels were pleasant.  The St. Lucie River is 35 miles long and has two major forks, the North and the South. In the 1880's, the system was basically a freshwater stream flowing into the Indian River Lagoon. In 1892, local residents dug an inlet to provide direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, changing the St. Lucie from a river into an estuary.  The first thing we came to was the Port Mayaca Railway lift bridge, located at Mile 38. Resembling a guillotine, it is an unusual sort of bridge in that the center section lifts straight up. With gears and weights on either side, it looked a bit ominous, especially with clouds hovering overhead. The bridge was built in 1925, spans a 56 foot wide canal and provides 48 feet of vertical clearance. Folks on sailboats with tal...

 Day 194: January 28: What we thought was going to be a quiet night turned into a crazy one. At about midnight, we were awakened by voices right outside the boat. With the aft hatch open, we could hear every word; it sounded like people were standing on our back deck. The conversation mentioned boats, fire and lines. John initially thought it might be police making their rounds, checking on the city dock. Wondering if something was wrong, he got up and went outside. When he opened the door an incredible sight met his eyes. Across the river, a huge boat was engulfed in flames. Firemen were on the dock, dousing the blazing fire which continued to roar.  The lady on the dock standing behind us apologized for waking us up, explaining the man standing with her owned the Yacht Club property across the river. She noted they couldn't get to the area because the bridge was closed due to a fatal accident. We looked above and sure enough, police, ambulances and firetrucks were everywhere...