November 25. We slipped our mooring in Vero Beach this morning around 0800 hours. We made our way up to the fuel dock to top off the fuel and water tanks, pump out the holding tank and settle up the mooring charges. After 30 minutes or so we were on our way south to Stuart, Fl.


We fought the tide the entire day but we were able to get a little boost from the mainsail as we headed south. We had to deal with a nasty little storm cell that dumped about a ton of rain on us but we quickly ran out from underneath it. After about 5 hours the wind shifted from close on the nose to dead on the nose. We had to drop the sail altogether and motor for the last 12 miles of the day.

To get to the mooring field in Stuart you have to head up the Saint Lucie River for 6 miles or so. At the last bend before the anchorage there’s a series of 3 bridges in quick succession. The first is a 65 foot fixed bridge that you have to pass under at an angle rather than perpendicular to the bridge. A hundred yards later is the second bridge, a narrow railroad drawbridge that remains up unless there’s a train coming. Immediately after that is the Roosevelt Lift Bridge, a drawbridge that splits in the middle with both sides going up.

We’ve got the setting sun in our faces, a cross current running and 15 knots of wind spinning and whistling through the bridges abutments. Oh yeah and throw in 2 power boats headed the opposite way through the bridges and you really have the potential for some madcap fun. It all went smooth enough but it did have my full attention as we crabbed through the railroad bridge as the current and wind had they’re way with us.

We’re on a cheap (10 dollars a night) mooring. There are 86 moorings here and there are only 2 or 3 without boats on them. Being on the mooring gives us someplace safe to leave the dinghy while we go into town. The building that houses the moorings managers’ office has pretty much everything, laundry, television, Wifi, small kitchen and showers. It’s a real nice setup.