Finally! The adventure begins!

[SFS]

Well we finally shoved off from Ft. Myers, and have cruised up the Caloosahatchie River. We locked into the Caloosahatchie canal at the Franklin Locks (total lift, about a foot). It's a very scenic cruise, though lots of it has waterfront homes. Only saw on alligator, though he was a big one. Saw some other things that made me smile:

Some others that made me sad:

Made it to the little town of LaBelle for tonight. Walked into town and had a great dinner.

The plan is to go to Clewiston, on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee, and out into the lake, to say we've sailed on it. I don't think we will go across, as the clearance at the Port Mayaca RR lift bridge (on the east side) is 49 feet, and our air draft is about 47.5, plus a TV antenna of unknown height. I don't worry about the radio aerial, it will bend. I am keeping an eye on lake levels though.

 

[Tom J]

Well we finally shoved off from Ft. Myers, and have cruised up the Caloosahatchie River. We locked into the Caloosahatchie canal at the Franklin Locks (total lift, about a foot). It's a very scenic cruise, though lots of it has waterfront homes. Only saw on alligator, though he was a big one. Saw some other things that made me smile:

View attachment 148308

Some others that made me sad:

View attachment 148309

Made it to the little town of LaBelle for tonight. Walked into town and had a great dinner.

The plan is to go to Clewiston, on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee, and out into the lake, to say we've sailed on it. I don't think we will go across, as the clearance at the Port Mayaca RR lift bridge (on the east side) is 49 feet, and our air draft is about 47.5, plus a TV antenna of unknown height. I don't worry about the radio aerial, it will bend. I am keeping an eye on lake levels though.

We crossed from Ft. Meyers to Stuart in 2006. Like you, we were worried about our air draft at the lift bridge. Back then, you could call ahead to the Indiantown Marina, and they would come to you at Port Mayaca. They would strap a barrel to your side deck and fill it with water. You would heel over, and when the air draft was around 48', you would motor under the bridge.

 

[SFS]

There is a similar service still, involving 55-gallon drums on the side deck. The gentleman charges $200, and he mostly available only on weekends.

 

[SFS]

Made it to Moore Haven today. We are tied to dolphins (man those things are quick, and hard to lasso) about 100 yards west of the entrance to the locks.

 

[SFS]

Short ride to Clewiston tomorrow, to the world famous Roland Martin Marina. Friday we should cross the lack, and attempt the Port Mayaca RR Lift Bridge. Clearance has been gaining a few inches each day, and tomorrow I'll go up the mast and remove the pesky TV antenna the PO put up. That should leave u in good shape.

 

[SFS]

Made it to Clewiston today, and will motor across the lake tomorrow (likely not enough wind to sail). Nice scenic ride, with another alligator every 100 yards and a ton of birds.

Only one bad moment, when we were being overtaken by a large stinkpotter, who poured on the power about 30 yards off our port quarter. The canal is narrow, and I was off to one side with the levee close aboard. I heard him throttle up, and looked over, watching the wake get higher and higher. As soon as I could take his stern, I throttled up and turned into the wake, as much to stay off the rock-lined shore as quarter his wake, but there was just not enough room to make much difference. We got rocked pretty violently to about 30 degrees in both directions. The three guys on the bridge never looked back.

On a brighter note, I winched Karen up the mast, and she was able to remove bulbs from light fixtures (for LED replacements), and take down the TV antenna (which is the round one at the top of the mast). I'm fortunate and grateful to have a competent, confident partner.

 

[SFS]

Crossed Lake O today with the wind mostly on the nose. Got to the Port Mayaca locks and they were open, do we just drove on through.

The Mayaca RR Lift Bridge was anticlimactic. With the Corps saying the clearance was 49.9 feet, we were under (very slowly) without the VHF aerial touching.

We are outside the West end of the St. Lucie Locks, and will pass through tomorrow, and finally be at Atlantic sea level.

In the past 3 weeks, there have been a couple of times I would like to have sprung off a dock, but we both agreed that our largest fenders were inadequate for reasons of geometry - bow shape and height, anchor roller overhang, pulpit overhang, etc. So we have begun thinking of buying a single large round fender. Coming up the St. Lucie Canal today, we spot a party balloon on shore, in the middle of nowhere, that turns out not to be a balloon. Karen hops in the dinghy, we recon for alligators, and off she goes to claim the prize. Problem solved!

 

[jmce1587]

Great find. Keep the posts coming. As another H31 owner, I’m glad to see the H31 is a good coastal cruiser. Keep up the posts on your sailing adventure. Hope you have safe travels and fair winds.

 

[Southpaw]

Are you going to the Bahamas or up the east coast? We are at marathon heading towards the Bahamas in the next couple of days.

 

[SFS]

We are going up the east coast, at least as far as NC.

 

[SFS]

In Vero Beach tonight. If I had snapped this two seconds later, there would have been a dolphin in the foreground:

And a few minutes later:

 

[SFS]

Looking southeast isn't half bad either.

 

[Tom J]

Great pics. We enjoyed our stop at Vero Beach.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Following you on your trip sure brings back memories. I use to have dreams about crossing the big lake only I was always doing it without the boat and there were plenty of alligators. The ICW is one of my favorite scenic trips. We were cruising South somewhere along the South Carolina or Georgia coast when a deer leapt out of the woods and bounded along beside us in two feet of water for at least two minutes before disappearing back into the woods again.

You know, once you get to NC, it's only a few short days to Bermuda. Pink sand beaches, the Carriage House in Georgetown, for a fancy dinner with red jacketed waiters and towels draped over one arm . The food was good but the experience was better.

Anyhow. If you like birding, stop at Merritt Island and the Brevard Zoo, just North of Stewart, is the best small zoo I've ever seen.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Justin_NSA]

Did you bring your passports just in case?

 

[SFS]

Yes, we always have our passports, because...well just because.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Yes, we always have our passports, because...well just because.

Because you never know when you will find yourself sailing offshore to do a little banking in Liechtenstein.

http://www.globalfinances.net/liechtenstein/
Offshore banking in Liechtenstein

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[SFS]

We just spent two nights in a small, well-protected (think hurricane hole) marina in Melbourne, FL. Arrived there shortly before 1pm two days ago, and had just enough time ahead of weather to get all the lines on the boat, grab a backpack, climb off the boat to walk to the restaurant, and got hit by a 39 mph gust. It almost knocked me into the water.

We are now at anchor in Cocoa FL, probably for two nights. Then onto Port Canaveral for three days to watch two different rocket launches, one on Saturday, and one on Monday, weather permitting. I'll try to get some good pics.

 

[SFS]

We are now in Port Canaveral:

I would like to upload a video of the launch that just happened. Does the limit on file size apply to videos as well?

 

[SFS]

Moved north to Titusville today, and got to see a serious rocket launch. SpaceX Falcon 9 Full Thrust putting the TESS into orbit. It was spectacular, and if I could load the video I would. Do I have to post it to youtube then link to it?