Ft. Pierce to Vero Beach, FL

Today:    15 miles, 2.2 hours, ICW St. M 1617.8

Total:     1657.4 miles, 272.7 hours

     As we awoke this morning, I had an email from Marilyn, SV ESCAPADE.  They will be heading up to Vero Beach this morning and perhaps we can meet them up there.  I tried calling her phone but had the wrong number, so I left a message on Jon’s phone hoping they would return my call before we traveled too far north. Our plans were to drop anchor around 4 in Melbourne, hoping we would beat the storms forecasted for later today in that area.

    We left the marina at 8:30 and already passed through Ft. Pierce’s North Bridge by about 10 minutes, when we heard Jon’s voice calling the bridge. Pete called them on the radio and asked them to hail us once they were cleared for the bridge. Jon said “OK, but who is this again?”  It was funny when Jon recognized “PEKABU.”  Due to ESCAPADE’s head unit not working, Jon  was using the hand held. Unfortunately, it was having problems with reception.  I called again on the phone and we agreed to meet in Vero Beach.  

     Once at the mooring field, we were able to get a pump out before joining ESCAPADE sharing the mooring ball with Keith, from SV STRIKER.

     Pete was working and I did some small chores, then read for the afternoon, while Jon and Marilyn left to clear customs.  During the afternoon the breezes freshened and were somewhere in the 15-mph range. While reading, I heard a splash from around STRIKER's aft.  I looked to see the line released, and the dinghy was now starting to drift away. I called to Keith and Pete, but only Pete heard. We were starting to drop our dinghy when fellow cruisers saw what was happening and came to the rescue. During the afternoon, the winds in Vero continued to increase.  I clocked the lesser ones at 18 mph, while Keith said his instruments recorded gusts to 24 mph.

     Around 2:30 pm, I received a weather alert for Melbourne on my phone.  They were under a sever thunder storm warning and a tornado watch. We made a very wise choice getting together with Jon and Marilyn here in Vero. Had we continued, we would have been traveling in that storm, or anchoring before we made Melbourne.  Hopefully, we would have been clear of the Sebastian Inlet!  I don’t remember any really protected waterways further north of Wabasso.

     Jon and Marilyn returned around 4:30. Unfortunately, the left for customs without all their papers, so they will need to clear tomorrow.

The rains came

     All 5 of us took the dinghies over to The Riverside Café.  Marilyn and I has a Seared Tuna Nachos, while the others had Fish’ n Chips. Yum!  During dinner, we were watching the radar, monitoring the approaching storm.  We were able to settle our bill, and dinghy back, as the lightning was approaching and the first drops of rain were starting to fall. The storm was moderately intense for the better part of an hour.  Once it passed, the winds were calm, but showers continued on and off for a while.  Pete and Bailey were able to find a break long enough to get to shore for her final walk. Then it was time to call it a night.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~ K & P