February 12-25, 2018

Miles Traveled: 0

Total Miles Traveled: 3651

A little more history about Fort Pierce is in order.  One morning on our walk, Nancy and I visited the Historical Fort Pierce Park.  In 1838 the U.S. government built a Fort here on the beach with the idea of forcing the Indians up and out of FL, preferably west of the Mississippi.  Many of the native tribes were extinguished or went west but the Seminoles persevered and although a peace treaty was never signed, a formal truce eventually ended the conflict.  A respected and protected Indian mound of human remains is located near the center of the park.  The fort lasted only four years as it burned to the ground in 1843.  It makes me wonder about the histories of other fort cities in Florida, ie., Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, etc.

Secondly, today we saw the annual Cracker Parade come through Fort Pierce.  While I don’t have many details, the parade commemorates a cowboy tradition of driving cattle across the State from the Gulf coast to somewhere on the Atlantic, probably to auction or sell.  Story has it that the name Cracker stems from the loud (and scary) cracking sound of the whips these Florida cowboys used to drive the cattle herds.

See the whip?  I was delighted to know the noise did not come from any contact with the horse!

  Our/Jim’s major project this week has been getting the dinghy operational for grandchildren visits and anchoring out as we head up the inter-coastal.  Although cleaned and inflated, our stubborn little 6 horsepower Mercury engine wouldn’t start again this year.  Jim tried everything he and everyone on the dock could think of but to no avail!  A trip to M & M Marine where they worked their magic and she is humming once again.  Additionally, unlike sailboats, trawlers carry their dinghies on the stern or swim platform instead of simply trailing them behind in the water.  The Namaste was already equipped with half of the davit system needed to haul her out and keep her attached to the boat.  However, we needed to purchase an outrageously expensive pair of “dinghy thingies” and then use a two-part adhesive system to attach the expensive hooks to the side of the inflatable.  The complex directions required that the dinghy be deflated, that the temperature be below 70 with low humidity and no direct sunlight or rain (kidding, right?) and that the adhesive would take 48 hours to cure under pressure.  Mike and Nancy offered their much longer and wider dock space which is sometimes in the shade.  Jim began the process in the late afternoon for coolness and when finished he and Mike weighted the davits with logs and wrapped the whole thing in a tarp just in case and yes, it did rain!  All the while we hoped for the best as we really, really didn’t want a do over!  Success, it appears that the adhesive has bonded the hooks to the dinghy and we are in business!

 Nate said, “Grandpa, if you were in the same State, I would be there to help you!”

 “Dinghy thingies” attached and holding.  Captain engineers are great!

Speaking of Mike and Nancy on “California Lady,” we continue to spend time together at dock-tales, meals, the laundry, shopping, jazzercize, and are heading to the movie today to see “Post.”  We also found a gelato place serving from 7 am to 9 pm along with an exploratory trip down South Hutchinson Island turning up a dog beach and several other gorgeous spots to share with our upcoming guests.  Tonight Mike and Nancy are at a Haitian Church fund raiser but, not being Haitian or Catholic, we opted out of the $100 per person tickets.

Dog Beach!  Four of the most well behaved dogs I have ever seen! 

Son Mike and Lee (Liam 12) flew in for a weekend visit, adding desperately needed family energy and spirit to the new Namaste.  It was three days of catching up for us and bantering relaxation for them.  Beach time was the priority and the weather was beyond Florida perfect with sunny highs of 79-83 and a balmy breeze. We also visited the Navy SEAL museum, ate at local Tiki restaurants, played cribbage and rummy, took the dinghy for a trial ride and simply hung out together on the fly bridge.  The final morning on the way to the airport I coerced them into watching a sunrise over the Atlantic followed by a picnic breakfast on the beach.  From the eyes of proud parents and grandparents, they are a great father/son combo!  Although all was perfect, we missed Veta, Klava and Oscar.  Maybe next time?

Liam is a good swimmer but grateful for Grandpa’s watchful eye in big waves.

Lee (Liam) Working out on the Navy Seal training equipment!

Hanging out on the Fly Bridge.

A sunrise to remember!

Gwen (Brooker) and Bill Klenk also visited from Satellite Beach,  50 miles north.  The story here is that Gwen and I were baptized on the same day in Livonia at the Rosedale Gardens Presbyterian Church and have maintained a friendship over a life-time, mostly to her credit.  It was a fun day of remembering people and events from our childhood while looking forward to our 55^th high school class reunion in September.  Bill and Jim talked boats, engines, marinas and helmsman-ship!

Three out of four Livonia Bentley graduates and one Viet Nam Vet!

This weekend has been a particularly difficult time to be away from home due to missing great family  fun.  Pat (49), Mike (46) and Curt (39) have played hockey together on the Biggby Bombers for more than 20 years.  This weekend was the Labatt Blue Tournament in Lansing, which they have played in every year and have won twice.  They just won a third championship this morning – the Stanley Cup of over 30 hockey where most of their guys are over 40.  Proud hockey mom and dad forever!

Self Explanatory

Enjoy the moment!

Then Ashleigh (16) is skiing in the Michigan High School State finals at Boyne Mountain on Monday with all the girls living in our Boyne House this weekend.

Go Milford!

On the wildlife side, there are manatees nearby including almost turning into one as we left the fuel dock this morning.  Liam fed the marina fish and we watched a Green Heron catch and eat four minnows live in about 15 seconds. Strike, gobble, strike, gobble, strike gobble. . .

Marina fish

Strike, gobble, strike, gobble. . .

Sammy Sayz:  Guess what – the other night J put a platter of chicken on the table in front of my nose.  Best taste ever! I got a good scolding and had an upset tummy for days but come on, I’m a dog!

Photo re-enacted

Good Boat Name:  “Gotcha” on the biggest and prettiest 50′ Grand Banks Alaskan we have ever seen.

Quote:  “Any day with a grandchild in my arms, on my lap, in my home (on my boat), or on my mind, is a very good day.” -Love Style

Happy Birthday:  Shawn, Ollie

GO LADY MAVERICKS SKI TEAM!

February 1-12, 2018

Miles Traveled: 51

Total Miles Traveled: 3651

Namaste departed Indiantown marina on a gorgeous February 1^st.  There were a couple of bridges to pass under and a lock to manage, all of which we had done coming the other direction in Spring 2016.

Railroad swing bridge in the foreground followed closely by a highway bridge

 As we exited the St. Lucie River turning left onto the ICW (Inter-coastal Waterway) we passed through the “crossroads” (where the St. Lucie River, ICW,  St. Lucie Inlet, and Manatee Pocket all come together) into new territory for the first time in 20 months!  We are back in the land of sunrises where our adventure grows a new leg.

  Because it was 51 miles to our destination of Fort Pierce FL, we decided to make an overnight stop at the Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart and enjoy the incredible hospitality on the docks and the lovely River Walk into town.  We were asked to say hi to friends of friends on the “Free to b”.  We walked the docks, as we always do, but didn’t see the boat until the following morning when we discovered she was two boats down the dock out of hundreds docked and moored close-by.

Coming into Sunset Bay Mooring & Marina, Jim waving from the River Walk, and the Namaste Too nestled at the dock with “Free to be” two boats to our stern.

The trip from Stuart into Fort Pierce was relaxed except for slight concern about current in the marina.  We had calculated slack-tide (the time with minimal water moving in or out and thus the lowest current) and timed our arrival accordingly only to find that the marina used the tide charts of the next station north instead of the Fort Pierce readings.  Thus, the current was stiff but we managed to dock for fuel and a pump-out in preparation for our month-long stay.  As we re-boarded to move into our slip, Captain Jim turned the key to a soft click instead of a robust roar.  After just having spent $800+ for new batteries there was no good explanation for why the engine wouldn’t fire up so the busy fuel dock requested that we move as soon as possible requiring a hip-tow from another boat into our assigned slip.  Nancy and Mike on “California Lady”, friends from Faro Blanco two years ago, were awaiting our arrival to assist, commiserate and serve up a chili supper on their back deck, better known as the porch.

Lunch and fancy drinks at Cobb’s Landing with Debbie and Tom

Happy Hour supper aboard the Namaste Too adding Mike and Nancy

Now, neither the engine nor the air conditioning were working!  Over the next few days the engine issue was diagnosed as a starter problem which was removed from the engine room, a solenoid replaced and a fork adjusted at the nearby alternator shop and then reinstalled by the captain.  When the key turned this time it was music to our ears.  We had to wait a few days on the air conditioner guy but eventually we connected and that issue was an easily replaced fuse that we would never have found ourselves.  Back in business just in time for Debbie and Tom, our Great Lakes boating buddies, arrival from Michigan.  But first, we were treated to watching the Space X – Falcon Heavy Rocket take-off from the Kennedy Space Center.  From 94 miles away, the pictures aren’t as dramatic as the feeling of watching live as the 27 rocket engines lifted into the air.  If you haven’t seen the pictures taken of Earth through the windshield of the Tesla aboard the spaceship, you are missing something.

Space X – Falcon Heavy Rocket

Now back to a word about Debbie and Tom.  We cruised Lake Erie with these guys for about 8 years when we were both new to the big boat thing making many buddy trips to Put-in-Bay, Pelee and Kelly’s Island before we moved Namaste to Lake Charlevoix.  They have visited us three times while on the loop (Gulf Port, Marathon and now Fort Pierce) and report that they are in favor of the Namaste Too as much improved accommodations.  While they were here we stopped working and began to explore Fort Pierce, a slightly tired but rejuvenating, inter-coastal city whose claim to fame is hosting the Navy SEALs beach reconnaissance training ground during World War II (1943-46).  Think preparing for the invasion of Normandy!  We toured The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum commemorating the work of these amazing men.  I just learned that the SEALs also train for winter weather water operations in Alpena, MI.

In addition to our educational experience, we also had two trips to the State Park beach where we watched Tom play with his favorite Christmas toy, a drone camera.  Next was lunch at the Disney resort on Hutchinson Island, the barrier reef protecting Fort Pierce from the Atlantic.

A beach. . .

A drone. . .

A captive audience

A beach. . .a drone. . .a captive audience!

Drone picture of the Namaste Too at rest

We walked through town and had a memorable Tappas dinner listening to singer and pianist Antonio York.  Two Tiki bars, a trip to Best Buy, lady shopping in Vero Beach and getting our smart TV set to watch the Olympics (thanks Tom!) were rounded out with a trip to the most amazing Farmers Market 100 yards from the boat and creating a Debbie feast of roast pork tenderloin (cooked in the insta-pot), sweet potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, pea-pods, a green salad++, roasted tomato/rosemary bread, and red wine with strawberries for dessert.  It was sad to see them go off into the abyss of snow awaiting them in Grand Rapids but more visits are promised!

Jim has found a true captain’s shopping extravaganza called the Marine Connection right here in Fort Pierce.  It is a liquidator of marine supplies, both new and used. Housed in huge barns with helpful staff, they sell anything and everything a boater could  possibly need except for the ridiculously expensive davit system we need for our dinghy.  Pictures tell the story best!

A basket ride, buildings, biminis, and benches

I joined a three-time-a-week jazzercize class with Nancy (no pictures available).  It seems I am getting better at the jazz part but my feed don’t always follow what my brain suggests.  What I know for sure is that I was hot, sweaty and tired at the end of the hour today so I am sitting on the fly-bridge looking out over the inter-coastal to Hutchinson Island in a cool breeze drinking La Croix, eating trail mix and feeling quite healthy thinking about all those amazing Olympians!

A question you might ask, why are you staying a month in Fort Pierce?  Well, there are many answers depending upon the day but mostly to savor the perfect Florida weather (average high temps vary between 79 and 82) and the low slip fees which are cheaper by about 25% on a weekly or 50% on a monthly basis.  When we begin moving every day or so anchoring frequently will allow us to enjoy a more peaceful life at reduced costs.

Sammy Sayz:  I finally got a groom last week from a really nice lady in this cute little pink shop.  J & J say that it is the best haircut ever so I guess I look pretty good but they haven’t yet held up a mirror.  It was great to have Debbie and Tom aboard for a little diversion and lots of petting and treats but I am sad because the beaches around here aren’t dog friendly so I had to stay on the air conditioned boat. Can you imagine?

So pretty?

Good Boat Name:  “Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust”

Bad Boat Name:  “Ultimate Bitch”

Quote:  “Walls Keep everybody out.  Boundaries teach people where the door is.” -Mark Groves

Get well:  Craig

Happy Birthday:  Bernie, Karen, Ollie, Colleen,

Sending love to all of my Valentines!

January 24-January 31, 2018

Miles Traveled: 140

Total Miles Traveled: 3600

On January 24^th we unfurled our brand new AGLCA Flag (America’s Great Loop Cruising Association), a Christmas present to Captain Jim as we continue our Loop on the newly acquired Namaste Too.  Our original flag, ceremoniously raised on day one (June 28, 2015) when leaving Lake Charlevoix, is safely stored aboard after many attempts to un-bleed the colors and remove the stains from her underwater experience.

It was a gorgeous morning and we created an uneventful departure from the River Forest Marina heading east across the Okeechobee Waterway toward Clewiston and Lake O.  Our destination was about 30 miles so we continued to practice maneuvers, approaching every available dock along the way as well as getting a lift in the Moore Haven Lock.  Since we had done this lock last year we weren’t terribly concerned until the Lock Master informed us of a “restriction” –  the port lock door was currently not functioning.  Fortunately, we were on the starboard (right) side of the lock and theoretically could simply move forward and slip on out through the right door.  Well, the turbulence as the one working door opened caught us off-guard and wa-la we were moving sideways toward what was becoming a more narrow opening by the second. Captain Jim got a hold of things and slowly brought the bow of the boat around to head us in the needed direction.  Whew, what a first lock experience in this trawler which handles quite differently than our full keel mono-hull sailboat!  No pictures.  I was way too busy scrambling.

On the other side of the grass lies Lake Okeechobee, this canal begins the rim.

On our way again, we had a lovely trip along the rim canal of Lake “O” to Clewiston where we didn’t see another boat until about a mile from the marina. At that point a faster boat passed us and a third boat came upon our stern, making us the middle boat.  Well, boat number one missed the obscure entrance as did we so three boats were now all vying for the narrow entrance and limited dockage.  Fortunately, Captain Sam was on the docks slowly and safely directing everyone. with Jim landing the Namaste in a small space between a large boat and many small bass fishing boats lining the dock.  Beautiful.  Hey, I think we are getting the hang of this!

Squeezed in pretty tight but at least we got turned around (flipped) for an easy exit

The weather turned so windy that our crossing of Lake O was delayed by 5 days.  It is 28 miles across and a very shallow, often narrow channel that can be treacherous in high winds.  We happily stayed put experiencing the FLW (Fishing League Worldwide) Bass Fishing Tournament – called the Super Bowl of bass fishing – a much bigger deal that I had ever imagined.  We witnessed every aspect of the four day event which my Dad would have loved!  When in Rome. . .

Daybreak on day one.  Boats and cameras everywhere.

Chilly and very windy start every single day.

More civilized start on day three.  Namaste Too’s anchor bottom right.

In case you are wondering, a Pro Bass Fishing Tournament goes something like this:  On day one 188 bass-boats ($70-90,000 each) go fishing from 7:30-3:30, on day two the top 100 boats go out, day three the top 30 boats and day four the top 10 boats fish.  Each day they bring in their 5 heaviest fish (alive for release at the end of the day) with the cumulative number of pounds indicating their competitive placement for the day and ultimately the tournament winner. If you happened to be watching the fishing channel on TV you may have seen me sanding on the deck of the Namaste as I realized during the national anthem at 7:15 am that I was in direct line of the TV cameras. The boats left the dock in orderly fashion, one by one after the first day when 188 boats seemed to be ants swarming in no particular order.  There was plenty of loud, very lou music and food around along with a children’s fishing tournament held in a nearby pond.  Did you know there are now high school fishing teams?  Anyway, the weigh-in each day in is an experience in fishing culture that I cannot even begin to explain but suffice it to say that there are numerous and repetitive words to explain bass fishing. There is more to say but I will close with the important note that the winner walks away with $100,000 (or $125,000 if driving a Ranger Boat).  The top 60 boats all receive cash prizes and points toward their season standings.

. . .and the winner is

While we were there I made my first Insta-pot (Christmas present) meal of lemon chicken.  It was easier and faster than I imagined, tasted great and yes, it is important to read and heed the directions.  Jim and I spent hours doing “line art” or practicing our docking theory at the Namaste’s kitchen table.

Our model for practicing line art or docking.  Amazing, it does exactly what you want it to do.

An 80′ Trumpy similar to one we saw last year in Marathon.  Rumor has it the owner once also owned the Washington Redskins.

 We made friends with Bill and Carman aboard “Low-Budget” who were also waiting for a weather window.  As it turned out we buddy boated on Monday (January 29^th) across a calm Lake O starting out in a bit of a drizzle but arrived in bright sunshine.

We uneventfully locked through at Mayaca onto the Lucie Canal and then moved on to Indiantown.  You may remember that this is where we lost the Namaste so we had  to retrieve our dinghy and motor but also visit friends Bob and Carole aboard “Time Enough” and enjoy a raucous Taco Tuesday at JR’s the local bar ($1.00 per taco and I had 3).

Bob and Carole brought homemade Key Lime pie for lunch, Bill on the way to JR’s in the back of a Volvo, and the crew at Jr’s eating tacos.

During the two days here we have worked hard!  Jim inflated and scrubbed our sad and dirty dinghy to make her like new, finished varnishing windows and had important dock conversations with other captains.  I did laundry, paid bills, visited with friends and walked by the Namaste yesterday, gave her a pat on the side and said a final good-bye.  We learned that she was sold at auction and that there is someone interested in rebuilding her.  YAY!

It is a beauitful thing!

Good by to Carmen and Bill who are headed south to help the rebuild effort in the Virgin Islands!  Great people and great fun.

And then there was the super moon, the second full moon in January.  It has been a clear view to be enjoyed  the last two nights!

Sammy Sayz: I have the coolest neighbors here, two beautiful golden retrievers on the boat across the dock, Pippen and Mary.  We have called a barking truce but nosing one another is a must with each passage.  I know this place and all is good but J & J need to get their acts together, quit working all the time and take me for longer walks, maybe a little ball playing too.  I know, I know careful of the alligators.  I cannot wait to get to Fort Pierce for a much needed groom – my hair looks terrible!

Good Boat Name:  Lady Belle (a stately Nauticat 33  with the two Goldens nextdoor).

Bad Boat Name: Lost Marbles

Quote: “The expert in anything was once a beginner.”-unknown

Happy Birthday: Carson, Kevin

Get Well:  Captain Sam, the dock-master of Clewiston’s Marianne Martin Marina, who was hospitalized during our stay and the entire Bass Tournament.  He is amazing and was sorely missed!

Rest in Peace:  Dr. Tulin whose parents had an arranged marriage in Russia and came to this country unable to speak English.  He died in La Jolla CA, a psychiatrist, a veteran, a lover of modern art, married 68 years.  Only in America!