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| Sailboat trying to dock in the wind |
We are still seeing some cloudy, rainy, windy days, but the temperatures are climbing up. In fact, as I write at 10:30 in the morning, temps are already in the low 80’s and the breeze is super light. I don’t know how long I will be able to sit here in the cockpit working on the blog. After the storms that rolled through here 2 days ago, the ocean has finally created a 48-hour, calm, weather window for those making the jump over/from the Bahamas. This is the longest window we have seen all winter. There have been probably close 4-5 other much smaller windows during the month.
March 3rd with one of the passing storms
A day for birds ~ Seagulls along the shore line of the inlet
and a C130 above the Indian River outside of the marina
I checked with Maria and Mike, SV BEDROCK. They didn’t jump. Instead, they are currently in The Keys with plans to possibly head to The Dry Tortugas, then head back north. With all the mechanical issues, this is a shakedown cruise and the mechanic wants to check everything before they cruise further.
Fort Pierce had a few days with some traffic modifications and lots of speculation due to the Trump Trial. The town had to block the streets around the courthouse while he was here.
Barb and I continue to walk twice a week. Breakfast has morphed into lunch. Barb loves Cuban coffee and there is a great small shop, Havana George Café, on Second. We tried their small appetizers ~ yum! The next time we graduated to an egg, ham and cheese panini. The Sunrise Café for a great Greek salad. We seem to be averaging 3 miles, mostly around town and the river, but also across the bridge onto Hutchinson Island with great conversations, and LOTS of photos! We even enjoyed the Dave's Diner next to my laundromat. Mid-month we saw not one, but 3 photographers with very long lens along River Walk Park. They are trying to spot the Harlequin Duck I saw last month. A few days later there was a posting on Facebook of a Puffin had flown way off course. Instead of staying in New England, it was rescued on a beach in Vero. Unfortunately, she was probably blown off course due to the storms rolling through the Atlantic states, and was too weak to survive.
Barb and I continue to walk twice a week. Breakfast has morphed into lunch. Barb loves Cuban coffee and there is a great small shop, Havana George Café, on Second. We tried their small appetizers ~ yum! The next time we graduated to an egg, ham and cheese panini. The Sunrise Café for a great Greek salad. We seem to be averaging 3 miles, mostly around town and the river, but also across the bridge onto Hutchinson Island with great conversations, and LOTS of photos! We even enjoyed the Dave's Diner next to my laundromat. Mid-month we saw not one, but 3 photographers with very long lens along River Walk Park. They are trying to spot the Harlequin Duck I saw last month. A few days later there was a posting on Facebook of a Puffin had flown way off course. Instead of staying in New England, it was rescued on a beach in Vero. Unfortunately, she was probably blown off course due to the storms rolling through the Atlantic states, and was too weak to survive.
Some of the flora and fauna of our walks ~
Barb capturing the ferns atop the curved branch of an old Live Oak tree
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| Barleria and Cacti surrounding a Palm Tree |
Morning Glory close up, Brazilian Pettertree and Clockvine
Fire on the Mountain, Hairy Beggarticks and Coral Hibiscus
Spider Lily, a prickly seed pod, and Richardia Grandiflora
Urn Plant flower, cacti, and blooming Air Fern
Clockvine close up, yellow Rose, Sea Grape leaf on the sand
Dessert Rose, Pseudobomax and Dessert Rose buds
NO WONDER ALLERGIES ARE ALSO IN FULL "BLOOM!"
Cool backlit feathers in a fence post, scattered Sea Grape leaves and a piece of a turtle's shell
Ramsgoat Dashalong and the mural outside Mosher Law offices
Barb's photo of me surrounded by Indian River waves
Speaking of food, we had another a couple of great Taco Tuesday. Not to be outdone by us ladies, the guys had lunch at Cobb’s. They had a great time. So much so that they made plans to do it again in 2 weeks. Pete enjoys his great hamburgers.
Charlie (RED SKY), Mike (ELAN), Dave (CILCIA),
Mike (BOLD RASCAL), Pete (PEKABU) and Dave (ARGONAUT)
Yes! "Dave" and "Mike" are popular names on I-Dock!
The starboard windows are now replaced. Pete found a great super concentrated detergent that is supposed to make removing sticky “gunk” much easier. It did, but it also etched a bit into the plexiglass. A good polishing with the buffer and Meguiar’s 205 and 105 Finishing Polish helped to clean, remove a good deal of the etching, and buff the windows. It looks so much better, AND no leaks!
Pete has also put the new grooming tools to work on Tillie, This is some of the aftermath, but Tillie has been great for us to groom. There was a lot of snuggling is involved!
Tillie, her hair and her antics. She loves to be almost upside down!
Sunday, 3/10/24 ~ After some pretty heavy rain, Pete, Tillie and I went out to the inlet for a while. On our way back, the traffic was barely moving. As we approached the Coast Guard Station, we saw a life flight take off from its field. We later learned that a sheriff deputy was thrown by either a bad wake or rogue wave and sustained serious injuries from props. According to Officer Dave (MV PUMERIA, the boat opposite us here on the dock), the injuries were bad, but the officer is doing better. Will keep him/her in our thoughts.
Tuesday, 3/13/24 ~ We were supposed to meet at Ocean Grill in Vero with Marilyn, Jon, Connie, and Ed, but unfortunately, Connie and Ed needed to back out due to medical issues. We sent healing hugs and wishes for a speedy recovery. It was a beautiful day to overlook the ocean, from a really cool restaurant. It was decorated with wood that speared to come from old wooden boats, complete with worm holes. The lights were all gothic raw iron and, in many ways, it felt like we were eating down below on an old tall ship. Thankfully, their food was so much better that the grub served way back when. Their New England clam chowder was every bit as good as our favorite from The Union Oyster House in Boston. They went a step further and served a portion that is half New England and the other half Manhattan Clam Chowder. Marilyn and Jon really enjoyed theirs. The rest of lunch was equally as good and the conversation wonderful.
Jon, Marilyn, Kathy and Pete
Tonight was also Taco Tuesday and another great success!
Mike eventually had to call in a rigger. It was a twisted line that was causing the problem.
Ladies March lunch was at Waldo’s located at the Driftwood Inn in Vero Beach. As it was her husband’s birthday, Diane and Dave went out to lunch separately. Happy Birthday Dave! Barb also had to decline. She and Mike had a wonderful time with their son and his girlfriend, who came down for the weekend. Teresa was also busy. So…Elisha (SV RED SKY), Sue Ann (MV DESTINY), Melissa (BOLD RASCAL) and I headed up. Melissa found a great parking space on the street just outside of the restaurant. The restaurant is part of the historic and rustic Driftwood Inn. We arrived just as the last table was seated. It wasn’t punishment to wait 20 minutes for a table. We were on a deck overlooking the beach. Great photo op! Once seated, we enjoyed the scrumptious food and wonderful companionship. Our waitress, Heide, was very busy, but she made sure to share her quirky sense of humor as she took care of us.
We took the opportunity to see if Elisha could find a new handbag and Sue Ann needs a dress for an August wedding. It was fun shopping. They didn’t buy anything, but I did! I found a wonderful hat that is not sporty (like my ball caps and Tilly). The only negative was that we didn’t realize that there is a 2-hour limit on parking. It was disappointing to find a ticket on the car as we returned.
Kathy, Melissa, Sue Ann and Elisha
Saturday, 3/23/24 ~ Yesterday, another front came through complete with heavy rains and winds. Later in the day, the winds fluctuated between lulls of 5 and gusts to 30. Just before midnight, winds approached 60 mph, rattling the boats for about an hour.
Come morning, we found the shampoo bottle fell in the shower, bottles jiggled in the cockpit, the plant fell over, and the bike rearranged position on the dock, but thankfully, not into the water. On other docks, there was torn canvas on one of the boats. SV ALEXA, who just moved from I-Dock’s innermost slip out to the floating L-dock, spent a miserable night pinned against the dock due to the winds out of the south and the current rushing in from the north. The boat healed so much that his toe rail was catching under the dock lip. Putting out all his fenders didn't help. They got squashed! To add insult to injury, the wooden chocks securing the keel-stepped mast were working themselves out of position and allowing the mast to rattle. The winds continued to blow, but thankfully only gusting to 30 mph. As the storm blew out, we had a beautiful, and a very different sunset. There were a lot of postings on Sailing and Cruising on Facebook. The winds caused a number of folks to drag anchor or the mooring balls, while lightening struck 6 boats in Georgetown.
Magnificent sunset from our bow
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| Lightening to our east |
Since we were still up at 11, Pete and I caught the launch of the Falcon 9 for the ISS supply run. We gave up looking for the boosters to return and headed back to the boat. Once on the dock, we saw the flame from the one booster slowing down for landing. Apparently, the ship was to the SSE of us.
Sunday, 3/24/23 ~ With nothing special to do, Pete, Tillie and I headed up A1A north to Vero Beach. We finally visited their great dog park. The small dog was about an acre and had about 10 dogs with their owners. There was an area that is only about 50 by 50 feet that had 3 dog siblings investigating the goings on. This was inside about 5 acres of grass with trees and pavilions that provided shady places for us “homans” to sit. Tillie had a blast with all the dogs. There had to be at least 50 dogs in the larger enclosure. She even met and played with 3 other Bernedoodles an a mess of other doodles.
Sunday / Funday atVero Beach Dog Park
Back in Fort Pierce, we headed out to the jetty and watched the kite-surfers crisscrossing and grabbing big air in the channel, We spent about 45 minutes in awe of their skills and ability to fly to close to 30 feet above the water for 4-6 seconds at a time. Once back, Pete gave Tillie a much-needed bath. When she started shivering, we brought her below and I placed her into a tee shirt. It kept the spray contained when she shook and helped keep her warmer. It also worked as a reminder not to get on the sofas while she had it on and was still damp!
Monday, 3/25/24 ~ The guys had their second lunch at Cobbs. This time Mike (BOLD RASCAL), Dave (ARGONART) and Pete were joined by a man from one of the boats who came in for the storm. He and his wife just bought the boat and are taking it to Guantanamo Bay, where they both work at the school. She is the principal and he is the maintenance supervisor. Pete later spent some time showing him how to download Bob’s tracks while sharing information and suggestions for crossing over to the Bahamas.
It is that time of year when folks start heading north. Since Elisha and Charlie (SV RED SKY) leave tomorrow, we had docktails here on I-dock. I had some Dubliner Cheese, hard salami and apples taking up space in the fridge, so I made up a tray for us to nibble while having our drinks. With their departure in the morning, no one wanted to head back to our boats, but the north winds made it really chilly once the sun went down. I was too busy enjoying the company and trying to stay warm, that I completely forgot to snap a few photos!
Tuesday, 3/26/24 ~ Today was a memorable day for both bad and good.
We woke up to horrible news that will be the major topic of conversation for a while. Early this morning, around 1:30 am, the fully loaded container ship, DALI, was outbound from Baltimore, heading towards the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the mouth of the Patapsco River. As it was approaching the bridge, it suffered complete electrical failure twice, causing this thousands-of-tons ship to veer off course at 7 mph, With the ship’s MAYDAY sent, police were able to stop south-bound traffic on 695, but unable to get the work crew off before the ship hit the bridge It hit dead on into the main bridge support on the south side of the span, causing an immediate collapse of the bridge. Two workers were rescued (one in critical condition) while recovery continues for 6 others from the work crew. The amount and nature of the debris in the water, the 50-foot plus depth and the muddy bottom makes recovery extremely dangerous and difficult. Thoughts and prayers are with them, their families, and friends. Our son, Greg, will be on the USCG TATE out of Phili, that will serve as command and support for patrol boats on scene. Apparently, this duty will be rotated between USCG ships from Baltimore, Portsmouth, and Phili. Logistically, not only is automotive traffic affected, but the bigger impact will be for the ships trapped in Baltimore and the ones due to arrive and unload their cargo.
The moment of impact with the bridge beginning to fall and the sights that daylight brought.
(Photos taken from the internet with no credit for the photos listed)
the largest and strongest crane on the east coast. It can lift 100 tons.
Lunchtime, we met Marilyn and Jon at Taco Dive for probably our last of the season. It was wonderful to hear about their grandson’s wedding this past weekend.
Once back at the boat, I had vegetables to prepare for I-Dock’s last Taco Tuesday. It was most of our core group here on I-dock: Barb and Mike (BOLD RASCAL), Melissa and Mike (SV ELAN), Diane and Dave (MV ARGONAUT), Dave (SV CILCIA), Sue Ann and Ray (MV DESTINY) and Pete and I. We missed you Barb and Mike (SV ELAN) and Elisha and Charlie ( SV RED SKY)! We learned how Dave’s SV CILCIA name came to be. Dave designed and built this lovely vessel. As he worked to finish it up and search for a suitable name, he spent many long hours listening to Jimmy Buffett songs. His favorite turned out to be “Changes In Latitude Changes In Attitude,” hence CILCIA!
Once back at the boat, I had vegetables to prepare for I-Dock’s last Taco Tuesday. It was most of our core group here on I-dock: Barb and Mike (BOLD RASCAL), Melissa and Mike (SV ELAN), Diane and Dave (MV ARGONAUT), Dave (SV CILCIA), Sue Ann and Ray (MV DESTINY) and Pete and I. We missed you Barb and Mike (SV ELAN) and Elisha and Charlie ( SV RED SKY)! We learned how Dave’s SV CILCIA name came to be. Dave designed and built this lovely vessel. As he worked to finish it up and search for a suitable name, he spent many long hours listening to Jimmy Buffett songs. His favorite turned out to be “Changes In Latitude Changes In Attitude,” hence CILCIA!
Always fun on I-Dock's Taco Tuesday!
Wednesday 3/27/24 ~ While I was on a call and Pete was reading in the cockpit, Tillie decided to take a walkabout. Apparently, she heard Melissa giving Maggie, their German Shepard, a bath on their finger pier. As soon as the dogs bounced around in an attempt to play, Tillie fell off dock. Mike jumped off his boat, laying on the dock while Tillie swam directly to him for help. Mike grabbed Tillie’s harness while Pete and I hurried over. Lying on their bellies, it took both men to lift her up to where I could grab her. Then Mike had to help Pete to get up from lying on the dock. Between nothing to use as leverage and torqueing the knee yesterday, it was a real challenge. Tillie shows no trauma nor is she any worse for wear, just wet from her second bath in 3 days! I think Melissa was the one most traumatized!
Tillie, wet and trying to stay warm with my tee shirt.
Thursday, 3/28/24 ~ Since there was nothing important on the calendar, we decided to head up to Titusville for the 16th and final launch of a Delta IV rocket. It was scheduled to launch at 1:40 pm. The weather was a concern. A front was moving though the area with the usual rains and winds. It had mostly past by launch time, however, they delayed it by a little over an hour. We were there in plenty of time to find a great spot right by the water on Rt 328/A1A. It was interesting to see all the cars and people arrive to also catch the historic launch. Unfortunately, with 4 minutes on the launch clock, the flight was scrubbed due to high winds, but also a nitrogen pump failure. It has been postponed indefinitely. I hope we will be able to see the final launch of one of the world’s largest rockets.
We spotted a manatee a few feet from shore, can you?
The crowds begin to build and so does the amount of cars.
Remarkably, the parking situation somehow resolves in less than 15 minutes!
Saturday, 3/30/24 ~ Speaking of rockets, today there were 3 launches from Cape Canaveral of Falcon 9 with Starlink satellite payloads. Each launch is awe inspiring. The night launches are spectacular and easy to watch, even here in Fort Pierce.
This morning we headed over to the Farmer’s Market. Tillie was super and sat very patiently while Pete waited in line for his pastries from Importico’s stand, while I headed over to the Reggie Bowl for my omelet and home fries. She then sat patiently and politely as we ate, hoping for a sample.
Today's Farmer Market sights
Yesterday, was busy. The boat was cleaned inside and out and laundry was done. So, with light breezes and mild temps, we decided to read and chill for the day.
Thanks, Diane.
Sunday, 3/31/24 ~ Tillie became such a nudge! She was just so full of energy that needed to be burned off. Pete and Tillie headed over to Vero’s dog park. She had a blast and was chilled for the rest of the day.
Diane stopped by and gave us some home-made, delicious, chocolate covered strawberries. They were the perfect dessert for our shrimp and sausage dinner.
I spent the afternoon working and finalizing the blog. For the first time in just about forever, I am posting it on time!
~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~ K & P
~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~ K & P
