Onward to Fort Pierce and the Olsens (Mile 915 ICW)

     Apparently manatees, the makers of those strange bubbling/swishing sounds, don’t sleep much at night because we heard them a number of times during the night and early this morning.  Hopefully, Pete will see a manatee today. 

     Heartbreaker, one of the anchored boats with us, and we pulled up anchor at 8 this morning.  It was clear with a 5-8 NW and temps in the 60’s. What we thought was a good morning turned questionable when we tried to pass Heartbreaker.  The increased RPMs caused a hesitation so Pete started an investigation.  Things were OK for a little while, but then it started to miss again at our normal cruising speed.  So we hoisted sail and Pete tried to siphon off any water from the fuel line in hopes that that might be the culprit.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t. He then called the Sabastian Marina, which is questionable for

The obervation gallery as we had our repairs
 at Sabatian Marina

sailboats, to see if they might be able to accommodate us, since they were the closest.  They said they could after confirming our draft. We figured that we would have to lie up for at least 3 days since today is Sunday; wait to see the mechanic tomorrow and order any necessary part to arrival and installation on Tuesday. Worst of all, we might need to call our friends, Lin and Bruce Olsen in Fort Pierce to say we won’t be seeing them for a couple of days.   Well… Vic helped us tie up at the fuel dock (with less than a foot under the keel) and immediately started to discuss the possible problem. He then requested to come aboard and proceeded to pull apart the engine.  In 90 minutes he had the engine running like a top, 2 new fuel filters installed, Pete educated on how to change the filters and way to set up an electrical switch to assist in the process, plus a few other suggestions I missed while above deck.  He also said to run the engine at higher RPMs as we left so if we were going to have problems, since we are Boat US members, call and he will come get us as he is also running that service as well today. Talk about great service.    As we left the marina, the cold front had arrived.  The clear blue skies were gone and the clouds were looking ominous.  Once again the enclosure is proving it true value; even for just the light misting and winds, we were very comfortable. It turns out the heavier rains split to the north and south of us.

Wabassco was curvy
and bush lined

   The prettiest area we traversed today was through Wabasso Beach.  The expensive homes appear to have been built in the past 10-15 years. The cut is curved and the banks are lined with what appear to be low mangrove-type plants. That area gives way to the Mega Mansions that would be at home in Newport. Pete keeps wondering what these homes go for in today’s market. I believe that in any market they are in the “I can’t-shop-here market!”

A colorful single-handler in a home-made boat

     About 15 miles from Fort Pierce, the skies cleared and with the sun the temperatures climbed a bit, but the 10-12 NW wind kept things cool.  We spoke with the Fort Pierce Municipal Marina for tonight’s reservation and let Bruce and Lin know our ETA.  We are so looking forward to seeking them. We followed Lin and Bruce as they traveled aboard Alize throughout the Caribbean for 5 years.  They were the ones who helped take our dream from “Perhaps someday” to “We can do this!” because they lived it.  Thank you, Lin and Bruce!

     We tied up around 3:45 to the fuel dock where we are permitted to spend the night. We were greeted by Lin and Bruce.   After securing, we opted for an early dinner and glanced at the Holiday Parade that passed by the restaurant near the waterfront.    The floats were considerably different than what you would normally see in the north.  Many are on boats, which are on trailers. The parade was over an hour long, but it appeared that everyone had a good time.  It was fun to catch up, but being on the water, cruisers’ midnight was catching up fast. We also needed to stop by an ATM as well as pick up a few items before heading back to the boat.  We said our farewells to the Olsen’s with a promise to call them once we are settled in West Palm Beach/Lake Worth later this week, so we can spend more time together.

  The boat’s doing great.  We made it to our destination long before dark.  We met up with Lin and Bruce and went to dinner, and the town threw us a parade!  What could have been a really bad day, turned into a great day!

41/ 1166   Total Statute Miles                                ~  ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete