The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and crew...

Jim,

I just spoke with Dixie and Brent. (1300 27th.) I had been reading your thread. Penny and I have enjoyed your account of your travels. I was prompted to call with suggestions of an anchorage and activities in Miami. I learned that you had passed through. Next I suggested an anchorage in Ft. Lauderdale. Brent said they had passed Lake Sylvia.

If you are going as far as Lake Worth, there are some good anchorages near the inlet (Both sides). We have anchored there in our sailboat and I think it is sheltered enough for the C-Dories in most weather.

Have fun!

Penny and George
 
Jim,

I almost forgot about Bahia Mar Marina in Fort Lauderdale. I used to be a big John D. MacDonald fan and his hero, Travis MacGee, lived on a houseboat, The Busted Flush, which he won in a poker game. It was docked in slip F-16 at Bahia Mar, fictionally.

As I approached the marina, I called for dockage and requested F-16. The dockmaster groaned and said, "Oh, no! Another one of those!"

I actually was able to dock in F-16 and there was even a Florida Historical Site brass marker commemorating the fictional character.

I don't know if you're a MacDonald fan or not, but it made for a good story.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
Jim.....Yall keep on posting Brother. Today for sure you have been a nice C-Dory fix for me.

It was great of Starcraftom/SusanE to show you the proper beaching methods on your "C-Trial" when up at the SBS06... That is what makes this C-Brat wonderful.... folks going the distance to ensure you are properly trained before we even buy our boats, knowing that beaching is a big part of enjoying the Keys!!!

Byrdman
 
Today, we were gawking and making miles... definitely not fast cruising. The ICW from south of Miami to north of Ft Lauderdale. Manmade "canyons" make for some interesting scenery... especially with some of the fabulous boats/yachts that decorate their docks.

Some folks think this portion of the ICW is slow and boring... I am amazed at all the sights. Truly the boating capital of the US.

I'll let this photo essay tell the story of today's cruising...

FL7e.jpg

FL6e.jpg

FL5e.jpg

Some of those "canyons"...
FL4e.jpg

Lots of bridges along this section...
FL2e.jpg

FL1e.jpg
Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
It was a lovely day - sunny and warm. The flash and glitz of Miami and Ft Lauderdale were replaced by the "old money" feel of the Palm Beaches. More boat traffic today, plenty of bridges, and lots of pretty things (scenery, homes, boats, waterfowl, a lighthouse, little coves that branched off the ICW) to look at along the way. Still truly enjoying the ease of the ICW.

We passed by Cosmic C on their journey on the loop... a short visit, as they were meeting folks in Ft Lauderdale. We let them know we have been following their trip log.

We are on a mooring ball tonight in Stuart. Walked in to the old town area, window shopped, and had a wonderful Italian meal at a place off the main drag (Jerry's la Famiglia). :thup Southpoint Anchorage is a nice place - showers, washers/dryers, ice, and wi-fi (you may hear from Brent and Dixie). We'll spend a couple days here then head into the Okeechobee Waterway.

February has gone by so fast!

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Jim B,
Whidbey Island (South) got abot 4 inches of snow stuff today right out of the blue (Thanks weather wizards)
Keep the pictures coming for we surely do believe that one day we shall have spring. We have a dream..

Roll on retirement

Merv
 
I just passed Cosmic C at Moore Haven on the way back from Okeechobee to home (N. of Tampa 40 miles), they're still doing fine.

At the juncture of the Kissimmee River and lake on the N. shore is Lightsey's Restaurant (better than Roland's) and a park, docks ($60 a month with power!) and my transient use has always been free (I usually just beach at the park and eat).

They're burning the lake bottom when I left so watch for that -- heavy smoke. I'd just go the direction opposite of the smoke (hard to get it out of a boat).

Good luck!
 
Burning the lake bottom?? :crook

We intend to head towards Okeechobee tomorrow. Just so y'all don't think everyday is a holiday, today was another "get stuff done" day. Joan and I are early risers, and we were on our way into the laundry/showers around 7:00 this morning. Very convenient - load the clothes into the machines, go shower, and you're back out in time to move the clothes to the dryers. Dixie and Brent came in about the time we were finishing up. Back to the boat for breakfast, then the 8 blocks or so to the grocery store. That's the easy part... then the 8 blocks or so back to the boat carrying the groceries (I hauled the heavy stuff in our folding cart).

Traveling by boat, I figure most activites take a day... a day to do laundry... a day to go shopping... you get the idea. So, having wrapped up two day's worth of "stuff" in one, we treated ourselves to supper at a nearby Mexican restaurant. You may be interested to know that Joan and Dixie did keep it to one margarita each. :wink:

We also had the pleasure of meeting another C-Brat today: Tony, from Y-NOT. He came by our boat to see how "the other half lives in their big boats". I had to look around, but then figured he meant our 25. Perspective, huh? 8) I also found out the story behind the name on his boat: the "N" is backwards. Well, so are the other letters. Look at it in a mirror.

Mostly cloudy today, with some sunshine (especially when we were walking to and from the store); warm (low 80s), winds 10-20.

We have more fun things planned for the morning before we head out: pumping out the poop tank and topping off the fresh water! I know, how can we stand all this excitement? :mrgreen: Not to gloat, but it beats shoveling snow. Anyone can join us... give up the security of a good paying job; haul your boat south in the winter, north in the summer; be willing to tote groceries, water, etc from the store to the shore, to the dinghy to the boat; be willing to live in a space equal to a good-size bathroom; mail doesn't come to you, you go to it; bills still have to be paid, but there isn't much to buy when you're swinging on the hook. We're seeing things you can't see from the land, visiting strange and exotic restrooms, and meeting lots of folks; paying for machines to do laundry when we have a perfectly good washer/dryer at home; playing "toesies" in the v-berth when there's a Select Comfort at home; cooking on a Wallas and a butane cooker, when there's a... well, you get it. Solar showers, conserving water, hauling a dinghy, "lumpy" nights at anchor, crappy tv signal... on and on.

In return, we get some priceless sunsets, incredible scenery, getting ourselves in better physical condition, meeting some truly wonderful people, and feeling like we've accomplished something new everyday. Did I mention it beats shoveling snow? :wink

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
JamesTXSD":3q0j4lr4 said:
You may be interested to know that Joan and Dixie did keep it to one margarita each. :wink:
Jim B.
Click to expand...

Were they the 1 liter sized margaritas? :crook

In an effort to make your cruising in the "tropics" more enjoyable, I'll add that this morning, I shoveled the 6 inches of snow that had purified the concrete apron in front of our shop. :disgust

(However, that Hot Buttered Rum sure was tasty after the shoveling chore!) :wink
 
I really enjoy your posts I have covered a lot of that area in years past. We hope to boat in Florida again next winter. Snow is not fun.

If you go to Clewestion and stay a Martins be sure to visit the Clewiston Inn, good food, reasonable prices, they even come with their van to pick you up and deliver you home. A very neat old place. It looks and feels like the price should be double.

I worry about you doing both laundry and shopping in one day. We like to spread the fun out as much as possible.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, Pat and Fred. We have actually made another reservation: for tomorrow night at Indiantown. The winds are supposed to be blowing 15-25 NNW, so we are expecting the lake to be really kicked up. If it drops off on Saturday, we'll make the run across the lake (the south rim is less than 2' right now, so that's out). Assuming it will still be lumpy, we'll be looking for a place to stay when we get across - we'll check out Martin's (that and Clewiston Inn are mentioned in our cruising guide. They mention that the area and the marina took a big hit from Hurricane Wilma, but has mostly been repaired.)

We definitely appreciate any suggestions from those who have been there, done that. Our plans have changed somewhat due to some family stuff, so we may not be able to spend as much time on the west coast of Florida as we had hoped. We'll try to make it back this way again in the not so distant future.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Burning the lake bottom??
Click to expand...

Anytime the lake gets low enough that the bottom gets exposed and dries, they burn it now. It actually helps the fish I understand. The fires were huge, multi-mile in length (a few days ago -- I went Okeechobee to Orange River (6 miles E of Ft Meyers) camped behind the spoil on the W. side of the bridge (3 feet) after going up the Orange to Cracker Barrel, then from Orange to Clearwater next day, then Clearwater to home (Hernando Beach) today since the weather rapidly deteriorating). 499 miles, 7 days.
 
When we left Stuart today, the wind had picked up to 15-25. Rather than head across Lake Okeechobee in what is sure to be lumpy conditions, we called it a day in Indiantown. Another working boat yard; there were no actual slips, so we are tied up at the fuel dock area. We knew we made the right decision when a 55' motoryacht came in late this afternoon... "It's downright nasty out there!" The St. Lucie Canal wasn't bad at all; we have about 13 miles to go to get to the Okeechobee in the morning. The plan is to get out before the wind comes up. We'll see how that works out.

We also are no longer "lock virgins"... never been through a lock before with Wild Blue.

locksE.jpg

A warm, humid day today - mid-80s, mostly sunny. The marina has a sign that says the local pizza place will come pick you up and take you back. Didn't work out that way, so we walked the mile and a half or so. Before we ordered, we made sure that we could get a ride back! 8) The pizzas were HUGE and tasty - plenty left over for a gourmet breakfast. :thup Back at the boat, Joan made strawberry shortcake for dessert. We visited with some marina residents, watched the news, and paid the most per gallon for fuel on this trip. But on the up-side, it took over 45 minutes to pump 40 gallons... so it was slow AND expensive ($3.49/gal)! :crook

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Won't help you now, but for anyone else following, the Moore Haven Municipal Marina (all beat up from the hurricanes) has fuel. The guy gets it in a 55 gallon drum. If you need anything from the grocery, one of the old guys playing cards will likely take you down in a golf cart (just make sure they're sober (I didn't realize that). A buck a foot with power if there's room (and he said, "Just make it an even $20.") Don't leave your boat on the canal dock -- some of the mega-yachts are absolutely unmerciful and I've seen them almost toss a Grand Banks 32 over the banks.
 
JamesTXSD said:
A warm, humid day today - mid-80s, mostly sunny.

We're thoroughly enjoying your trip updates. Here's even more reason to appreciate your weather and trip. Iam leaving in a few minutes to drive 50+ miles to work, its 5 below 0 outside and has snowed almost 2 feet in the last week with high winds and blizzard conditions. On Feb 28 we had a low of -20.

Jay
Click to expand...
 
Ah, Jay, the "white death"... I remember it and don't want to go back. Warm is good. Run to the warmth, Jay! Cast off your earthly things, like: snowblowers, tire chains, snow shovels, and engine block heaters. Hook up your boat and trailer and run to the warmth! Save yourself before the brain freeze set in.... arrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhh!

Sorry, I got carried away. :oops:

Hope spring comes soon for you, Jay (and all the other folks in the frozen northland).

We just got word last night that this trip is going to be cut short. We will be going back to Texas soon to deal with some family stuff. Nothing bad, just some duty that calls. Fortunately, it's warm back there, too. In the meantime we will be enjoying the last few days of Florida. We've had a ball; hope this thread has helped some of the snow-bound folks; or that you've enjoyed a chuckle, or felt the warmth of a sunset image. This isn't quite a wrap, yet.

Best wishes,
Jim & Joan B.
 
Finally have a connection again. Jim has kept you up to date on things.

Feb_2007_211.sized.jpg

This is a pix of Wild Blue as we passed Miami.

Feb_2007_210.sized.jpg

and another pix of Wild Blue. They have posted a lot of shots of Discovery, just trying to show our view.
 
Brent and Dixie - those are really nice! Thanks for posting them! Of course, I could just lean out the window and tell you that... ain't technology grand? :lol:

Time for another "photo swap" session.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Back
Top