Through the Okeechobee Waterway to Stuart, FL -- June 2

We didn't need to worry about lock timing today, as there were just two locks to transit, the first of which, where the St. Lucie canal exits Lake Okeechobee, usually being just a "drive through" with no actual lockage occurring. We also only had 57 miles to cover, as we planned to stay at the Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart, which we knew from our trip two years ago was very nice and within walking distance of a good Italian restaurant. We would also be within walking distance of a hardware store, which we needed so we could buy some tools to repair the head switch. That important little item broke yesterday while we were underway, and it's repair is a matter of some urgency, as it is needed to flush the toilet. 

We got underway at 10:15 with very pleasant weather -- temps in the mid-80s with some cloud cover. The one lock passage (near Stuart) took 45 minutes because we had to wait for the lockmaster to fill the chamber for us (as the boat before us must also have been heading downstream). We didn't see much boat traffic along the way, but we did see plenty of boats in dry storage for the summer. We both admired this yacht in a big boatyard just outside Stuart. Janet looked it up and found that it is Eric Clapton's yacht (the 150-foot Blue Guitar launched in 1982) and is for sale. 



This big storage yard is located in Indiantown, which has a number of boat storage facilities. We plan to store Craunological II in this area for the summer, though at a different marina that handles smaller boats.


We arrived at Sunset Bay Marina at 3:30 but had to wait a while for our dock assignment as the dock crew were overwhelmed with traffic at the fuel dock (it being a nice Sunday afternoon). A resident boater ended up helping us dock, which was nice. As shown below, this is a very big marina. Craunological II's ensign can barely be seen on the right side of the dock (we tied stern in) about halfway down. 

Once we got settled, the Captain hiked into town to Pete's Hardware and was able to find the necessary parts and effect the necessary repair so that we can now flush the head again. It's very important to have that working to keep a happy crew. Dinner at Casa Bella where we ate last year was quiet and very pleasant.  

Comments

  1. Mary LouJune 3, 2024 at 11:40 AM

    Sounds like smooth "sailing" so far!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Greg WilliamsJune 4, 2024 at 8:32 AM

    We can go ask Clapton about the boat next time here in Columbus . . . if we can get by the gate lol. He has one of his prime residences in Dublin. His wife is from Columbus. Makes sense he had a boat down there. Clapton did a stint in Florida at 461 Ocean Blvd, Golden Beach for album of same name in 1974. At his advice, The Bee Gees took over the location forthright when Clapton went back to England and they never left as their prime Miami residences. This is where their whole disco recording scene started and was highly influential as you well remember. Barry remains the lone live Bee Gee and continues to live in Miami. Today's trivia

    ReplyDelete
  3. John & Janet CraunJune 6, 2024 at 2:05 PM

    Thanks for this bit of 70s trivia!

    ReplyDelete

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