Just splashed Valkyrie in Fort Myers today!

Valkyrie

Good evening Brats,

I launched Valkyrie in the Caloosahatchee River in Ft. Myers a few hours ago and am amazed what a hot shower, clean clothes, a nicely grilled rare steak eaten at sunset and three cold ones can do for one's disposition! Especially after battling spring break traffic on I-95 and 75 for three hundred miles.

I left home on Tuesday and headed for NC to pick up Valkyrie at her winter home - Mobile East Marine, where Gene and Carrie took good care of her with routine maintenance and a few new tweaks and improvements to make life aboard better. Kudus to Mobile East, as always! After spending a few days there it was on to FL and a visit with an old Coastie buddy of mine before getting to Ft. Myers.

In a few days I'll take the rig to Beaufort, SC and rent a car to return to Valkyrie. Marcia flies in on the 10th and the next day we'll head east to the Okeechobee and pick up the ICW at Stuart and then head north, with our final destination at Marcia's parents' place in Beaufort, SC for a total trip of between 600 and 650 miles.

We hope to spend a few days in St. Augustine, Jekyll Island in GA and also some time Savannah before hauling the boat and heading back home. Our Carolinas cruise last year was Marcia's first taste of longer distance cruising and we both are very excited to get under way.

Unfortunately, there will be a few glitches in FL. Two locks on the Okeechobee Waterway are on restricted opening and could cause a two hour wait on each one, but hanging on the hook for a few hours on the water is MUCH better than dealing with spring break traffic. Also, I thought that the anchoring law garbage had been handled by the courts down here a few years back, but the city of Stuart has put some heavy restrictions on anchoring in Manatee Pocket, a beautiful anchorage a half mile west of the ICW. They insist that you must anchor 300 feet from any building, dock or shore, which pretty much negates anchoring in Manatee Pocket.

Jensen Beach, just north of Stuart, has just decided to not allow anchoring at all and a number of small towns are making anchored boats leave if they don't have a CG Aux Safety sticker, which LE says indicates that their boats aren't seaworthy or safe. Strange, I thought that was a voluntary sticker. Go figure.

Anyhow, I plan on keeping my fellow brats posted on our wanderings and will add pictures to our album, too.

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"

tomherrick · Guest

Guess I spend too much time on Facebook. I was looking for the "Like" button. Have a great trip.

Pandy Girl · Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2012 11:37 pm Post subject:

Hi Nick, We left Fl. Friday, sorry we missed you, we are back in NC. now. I heard that at one of the Locks on the Water Way over to the Big "O" they were going to close it to do work to the gates to protect the Matnitze. Might want to check this out. Have a great time. Jim

Valkyrie · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:08 am Post subject:

Jim,

Sorry I missed you, too.

They were going to close one of the locks from April to June, but at a meeting the locals who depend on the northern-bound boat traffic at this peak time pressured the Corps of Engineers and they changed the time frame to late May to mid-July for the repairs.

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"

C-Nile

Will-C

A lot of the towns in Florida have established their own mooring fields.
Sometimes the anchor regs seem to want to force you to use their mooring balls. Getting the C.G. AUX to give you a free inspection should be an easy task. I know there have been members of the boating community which were slime balls and creep shows disrespecting the enviroment by dumping raw sewage while living like squatters in general soaking up local services and not providing any sort of revenue for the local governments. I think some of this has caused good boaters to suffer. Enjoy the trip I hope the winds stay down.
D.D.

thataway · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:39 am Post subject:

Nick--good cruising! We really enjoyed our visits with earlier this year. I encourage any C Brat who can meet up with Nick (and Marcia) to to so!

The anchoring issue in Florida is in a state of flux. There are experimental programs, which have state sanction--but there are also some local renegades which do not have state sanction.

Pint out and have aboard these:

http://www.boatus.com/gov/pdf/GA005FLAnchoringPaper2011.pdf

An important part of this is:
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has already chosen four of the five locations for the pilot project. They are: Monroe County, which has mooring fields in Key West and Marathon; the City of St. Petersburg; the City of Sarasota and the City of St. Augustine. During the Commission's June meeting either the City of Miami/Dinner Key or the City of Stuart will be selected as the fifth participant.

Local governments, with the exception of the five test locations, still cannot restrict anchoring outside a mooring field. This prohibition against restricting anchoring will be in effect until at least 2014.

Both Salty South East (Clairborne Young) and Waterway Guide web sites will have up dates, as does Seven Seas Cruising Association discussion board.

10sne1 · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:39 pm Post subject:

Hi Nick, this is my first post. I am a c-dory want to be. About Stuart and a place to anchor up. There is a place called the Sun Parlor, it is in between two island and has limited depts thus very little boat wake or traffic. Ask a local where this area is located. It is approx half mile outside the pocket. Many locals spend the day in this spot to relax and socialize as it is out of the main channels. Good luck with your trip. I will be around learning from you and others til I get my chance to go exploring. But don't feel sorry for me as I get a lot of great Florida boating and fishing! Have fun, Tomm

Cfoster · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:52 pm Post subject:

Nick,
Don't forget to leave some time for Fernandina Beach, Fl. One of my favorites. Plus makes a great side trip to Cumberland Island. Enjoy.
Chris

Cfoster · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:52 pm Post subject:

Nick,
Don't forget to leave some time for Fernandina Beach, Fl. One of my favorites. Plus makes a great side trip to Cumberland Island. Enjoy.
Chris

Valkyrie · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:52 pm Post subject:

Dr. Bob,

Thanks for your kind comments and Marcia will print out the page from BOAT US and bring it down with her next week.

Tomm,

Thanks for the tip on the anchorage. I'll check it out.

Chris,

Fernandina Beach is one of my favorites, too, and on our list. We plan on taking a mooring in their new (to me) mooring field if the wind doesn't make it too choppy.

All,

I had dinner with Jim and Loree (Jennykatz) tonight and we'll meet Roger (SuzieQ) next week. I just love being in sunny and warm Florida!

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"

Levitation · Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:49 am Post subject:

We just left that area of Florida to get back to Michigan for spring planting, arriving here 29 March... On the morning of the 30th I was surveying my boat which was covered with a half inch of wet snow and sleet - I wished I was back on CHarlotte Harbor...
Enjoy your trip...

jennykatz · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:00 am Post subject: florida boating

Nick thanks for the boat ride nice seeing the river again hope to see you next week JIM

Valkyrie · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:13 pm Post subject:

Hi Brats,

I had an interesting day today here at the marina in Fort Meyers.

Early this morning a gentleman came up to Valkyrie with an inquiring look on his face and asked if we had been in the Chesapeake in June of 2008. We had and he mentioned that we had passed their boat and that he and his wife really liked and remembered our boat! He assured me that I hadn't done anything stupid or unsafe to cement our boat into their memory.

Then I was in the boaters' lounge this afternoon and while talking to a couple there I mentioned that I was on a C-Dory and they exchanged glances and asked, "Are you on Valkyrie? We saw you on the ICW in the Carolinas last May when we were heading north! We love those boats!"

Interestingly, both couples were on sailboats, but remembered seeing a C-Dory. That has to say something for the brand.

Anyway, Marcia flies in tomorrow and then we head across the state and then north to SC. We'll spend tomorrow afternoon exploring the Edison and Ford winter estates here in town. Also, tomorrow evening we'll have dinner with Roger, a C-Brat who owns Suzie-Q, a 22 cruiser.

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"

C-Gypsy · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 11:25 pm Post subject:

Dang Nick, you & your boat are becoming famous! Smile

Tell Marcia we said hello. Hope your trip goes wonderfully!

Fair winds,

Al