Winter in FL is a bit disconcerting. It is warm, breezy and
sunny at a time when friends and family are struggling with gross weather. We
have had a wonderful time!! We are sunny and sort of relaxed.
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| Leaving Ft. Myers |
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You know you are in ft. myers
when you pass this thing! |
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| Working while watching scenery pass |
When last we reported in, we crossed the Gulf of Mexico and
meandered down Florida’s west coast. We were long past our original goal of
being at our Fort Pierce dock by 11/1 so we went slowly. We saw friends in Ft.
Myers then headed east through Lake Okeechobee to the east coast.
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| Kids at a fishing tournament |
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| Along the river |
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| Seen along the river |
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| Along the river |
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| We drove from up top!! |
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| This was a lovely marina near Alva |
It took us 2 days to cross Florida along the Caloosahatchee
River through the lake to Stuart FL. It is very peaceful.
Our first day,
February 2, we traveled on the top station for the first time. The view was
great!!
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| In Lollipop anchorage |
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| The Honey Fitz, JFK's yacht! |
We stayed the night in a cool hurricane hole called “Lollipop”
right next to a winter storage place called River Forest on the west side of
the lake. It doesn’t look like much. We turned left off the river down a narrow
channel with about five or six feet under the keel. Eventually we entered a
large round pool with depths of 20 to 25 feet where we dropped an anchor.
Actually it took a few tries because despite the distance away from the river
the water was too deep to safely anchor!
In our tradition, we took our drinks out to the bow to
ensure the anchor secured properly. It was sundown. The stars came out. So did
the alligators!! Plus there were cows around the field. Nature at its best!! The
sounds, the sunset, the stars! It was lovely!!
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| Lollipop |
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| Lollipop |
We got an early start the next day, passed Moore Haven on
the immediate west side of the lake and crossed Lake Okeechobee on a flat calm
blue-sky day. Lake Okeechobee is quite controversial these days. Like the
western basin of Lake Erie, runoff from agriculture, sugar cane, and cattle
farms is impacting this lake. Polluted water is poisoning the waterways on both
sides of the lake causing Red Tide that kills fish and big algae problems. Plus
the water is very low.
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Tiny lock controlling
entrance to Lake Okeechobee |
We crossed at our usual slow speed of 9 or 10 mph, seeing 2
to 3 feet under keel. We could handle that if we went slowly but sometimes a
fast boat would throw a big wake that sucked the water from under our keel. Scary
stuff!
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| The lake, flat as can be!! |
We arrived at Stuart at about 5pm, at sundown. We had
trouble putting down an anchor so we had to stop at Sunset Bay’s fuel dock for
the night. This active marina invited us to participate in their Super Bowl
party but we were too tired.
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| Leaving Stuart |
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| Sunset Bay Marina |
Next day, February 4, 2019 we finally arrived at Fort Pierce
City Marina to a welcoming committee of Dick and Dee from Sareanna, Mike and
Judy from One September and Jim’s Joy tied up on B dock, just across the fairway
from our C dock slip.
It feels good to be settled in Fort Pierce for the winter!!
Next up, I promise, we are very active!
We stayed the night in a cool hurricane hole called “Lollipop”
right next to a winter storage place called River Forest on the west side of
the lake. It doesn’t look like much. We turned left off the river down a narrow
channel with about five or six feet under the keel. Eventually we entered a
large round pool with depths of 20 to 25 feet where we dropped an anchor.
Actually it took a few tries because despite the distance away from the river
the water was too deep to safely anchor! 
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