7 February, 2020 Stuart, Fl anchorage

One lock down of 11', 21 SM and 3.3 engine hours

Heavy rain and wind at 0400 till about 0700. Nice to be in a protected harbor securely tied to a floating dock at Indiantown marina.  Folks all around us have been so nice.  The small sailboat at our stern captained by a 80 year old woman, does not have a mast, but she has a small outboard and intends to cruise west and east on the Okeechobee waterway.   We started laundry, walked the boat storage/grave yard and prepared Serenity for departure this afternoon.

Very interesting custom build TUG with interesting story

Funny sign among the junk--errr treasures

A past dream...

We visited with a couple from RI who we met while visiting this yard looking for loop boats last year.  They were just getting ready to put their Cape Dory motorsailer up for sail.  I liked the boat--still very appealing, POC not so much.  They have the boat under contract to a couple who are planning to do the loop.  They helped us get out of our tight parking spot.

 Laundry clean, folded and put away.  Stores also put away.  Navigation planning and weather review complete, it was time to get going again.  The wind had shifted 180 degrees after frontal passage and was blowing us off of the face dock.  We fired up the diesel at 1245, released the bow line, and as the nose swung port with the wind, a little forward throttle with a full to port helm, we eased away with a few feet to spare from the sailboat at our bow.  Once in the waterway, stiff 15-20 mph winds were at our stern as we set the throttle at 1850 RPM, quickly reaching our cruising speed of 7 MPH and headed toward the Atlantic coast.  Prior to reaching the last lock, we saw cows along the water way.

Okeechobee waterway cows

We also passed under the Florida turnpike bridge and I-95 bridge.

Florida turnpike

We had our final lock down today at the St Lucie lock and dam.  It will be many miles before we have another lock.  We dropped 11 feet back to sea level.  Sadly, we left fresh water back into brackish and finally salt water.  Significant vegetation change from the west side of the lock to the east side.  Fresh water grasses, generally stable water level to tidal mud flats, bigger houses and bigger boats and more waterway traffic.  We exited the waterway to the NW approaching Stuart, FL and have anchored in Pendarvis cove at 1605  (map).  Protected from the north winds forecast tonight, a park to our front and large McMansions left and right, it should be a quiet night.  Many derelict sailboats clutter this otherwise beautiful anchorage.  Tomorrow, only 8 miles remain of the Okeechobee waterway and we will join the Atlantic Inter-coastal Waterway.

1364.8 Hobbs; 1764 SM elapsed