JANUARY 27: LEAVING PUNTA GORDA: Due to the low water level in the marina, we had to leave very early in the morning so that we could catch the rising tide.
The seas were calm and we were the only boat out on the water as the sun rose to greet us.
We were accompanied by a family of dolphins. Two adults and two juniors! Hard to take photographs of these beautiful mammals. Hope you can at least see the outline of one of them. They swam next to our boat for about 30 minutes.
The other wild life that we encountered was an Osprey perched on its nest and enjoying a fish snack.
As it was a Sunday and a beautiful day, we encountered the other wild life that was out and about: dozens of small boats plying the water. It felt like Grand Central Station as we traversed a particularly narrow section of the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW).
Our destination today was Legacy Marina at Fort Myers. It is a great marina but only a one night stop for us. Three large bridges to pass under to get to the marina.
January 28: Bridges & Locks: Sounds like the title of a Country & Western Song
We have a very long run today to Moorehaven, so it was another very early start for us. We were treated to a beautiful moonset as we left Legacy Marina.
And another lovely sunrise.
Our first bridge opening of the day. A railroad swing bridge with only 9 feet clearance when closed.
It is always a relief to get to the other side!
Our passage today takes us down a fairly wide canal. Cattle farms on one side of the canal banks.
And citrus farms on the other.
Second bridge of the day: Bascule bridge that opens upward.
This boat that was parked on the canal bank has definitely seen better days!
This is a view of the canal. Fortunately for us, it was a nice calm day.
A multitude of speed signs for bridge approaches and Manatee zones make for slow progress.
The third type of bridge that we encounter: Railroad bridge that is lifted by large weights on either side. Going up!
And up all the way!
Entering our second canal, we noticed numerous "drowned" trees that manage to survive in several feet of water.
Hard to get lost on these canals-there is nowhere else to go but forward.
This part of the canal is built up on one side and provides a path for cyclists and hikers.
The other side of the canal is for the birds!
Finally, we arrived in Moorehaven, our stop for the night. Very quiet town dock in this one horse town.
January 29: Across Lake Okeechobee again!
Up early again to negotiate our first lock of the day which is just beyond this bridge.
The weather gods blessed us again today with good weather to cross Lake Okeechobee. The lake can get really rough and it will take us about four hours to cross. Once across the lake, we have another lock to cross, a bridge opening and then back to our old haunt at Indiantown for the night.
January 30: Weathered in: Well, we had hoped to only spend one night in Indiantown but we awoke to strong winds and rain. The weather is predicted to improve tomorrow, so we decided to stay put for another night. The rain stopped around midday and brought out some visitors.
This friendly creature swam right by our boat. Not a good place for a swim.
This heron looked a little less threatening!
Red skies at night mean a sailors delight-so we were hoping for good weather on the morrow.
January 31: The Weather Liars strike again! When we woke, we found that the good weather that was predicted for today had not materialized. So we moped around for a few hours hoping things would improve. The wind died down slightly after a few hours so we decided to leave and head for an interim stop at Stuart. Once we were underway, the wind did diminish somewhat. We made slow progress due to a multitude of slow zones. Fortunately, we did not have to wait to lock through our final lock and eventually made it to Stuart.
We picked up one of the last mooring balls in a very busy mooring field and settled in for a one night stay-we hope!
The Captain returning via dinghy after a quick trip to pay the mooring fee.
The wind died down and we were treated to a beautiful sunset.
February 1: Back onto the Intercoastal Waterway and onto Vero Beach: The wind forecast did not look too bad for today, so we dropped our mooring lines and headed for the last two bridges that we will need to have opened between Stuart and Vero Beach.
Approaching the bascule bridge.
Rear view of the first bridge (bascule) and second bridge-railway bridge. Fortunately, they open in unison.
View of bascule bridge closing.
The wind picked up when we turned north to head up the ICW to Vero Beach so we had a bit of a bumpy ride. However, we made it to Vero Beach safely and were welcomed by their local mascot, Harry the Heron. He hangs out on our dock and is quite territorial-he chases all the other herons and pelicans off his turf.
This will be our home for the rest of February as we continue our house hunting exercise and prepare the boat to resume our trip up the East Coast of the Untied States and complete our Loop.
