Loopers on the Eastern ICW

As we slowly made our way towards our slip at the Fort Pierce Municipal Marina yesterday afternoon, a AGLCA burgee came to view on a boat with its owners outside moving about.  From Velsignet's deck, Mike greeted them with "Hey loopers!  Dinner tonight?"  Their response, "Sure! The nearby Tiki Hut has good food!"  At 6:15 p.m., we met Dave and Penny at the marina's Tiki Hut.  Dave and Penny replaced their home with a beautiful 61-foot Ocean Alexander and started their Looping adventure earlier this month from their hometown near Tampa, FL.  Like us, two years ago they'd never heard of "America's Great Loop."  Like us, their office is now on their boat.

We are now on the Eastern ICW!  We're appreciating the blue water, perfect temps, and lots of
beach-y towns and luxury waterfront homes.  We didn't plan to cruise today (instead, we thought we'd be experiencing Fort Pierce's Navy Seal Museum), but we are.  Why?  Because after today, the wind is going to pick up from the north and may be as high as 30 mph.  That means--to avoid sleepless nights and take advantage of good weather cruising--we are moving today and will seek shelter at a marina in Melbourne, FL until things settle down.  We expect to continue on our way towards Smyrna Beach on Friday.  Stay tuned!

Near the Saint Lucie Lock on the Okeechobee Waterway towards the eastern coast of Florida, we tied onto dolphins and stayed 2 evenings near a park and campground.  Our closest neighbor was this 20-something single camper.  What made Jim, our camping neighbor, interesting was that he waved a confederate flag at his camping site (it's hard to see in the photo), wore a "redneck" t-shirt, donned his car with a vanity "REBEL" license plate, "redneck nation" stickers, and another confederate flag.  When we stopped by his campsite, we asked him about these "things."  Jim told us that the Confederate flag has gotten a bad reputation.  He said that he shows off these things because they are part of his heritage, nothing more.  They don't mean "hate" or "white supremacy" or anything like that to him; they're kind of like the old TV show "Dukes of Hazard."  They are a part of his upbringing.

In this photo, we are waiting for the Saint Lucie Lock to open and give us the green light (literally) to enter in.  The Okeechobee Waterway Locks are different from all other locks in North America in that they don't use valves to let water into the lock.  Instead, the front gates on the high side of the canal are opened about a foot and the water pours into the lock. While not a big deal, it took longer to get through each lock (as compared to the locks on the Tombigbee).

We are seeing Florida from "the back door."  All along the coast and waterways (Gulf, Okeechobee, and East Coast), we see all kinds of homes, many (if not most) are very large and beautiful.  We wonder, "Who are these people?"

This is the Saint Lucie Nuclear Power Plant.  It is a twin nuclear station near Port St. Lucie, south of Fort Pierce, FL.   If you're in the area and have the time, you can take a free tour of the plant on Tuesdays.

"Southern Cross" and "Velsignet" left the Fort Pierce Marina at 9:30 a.m. this morning.  This is "Southern Cross" with captains Dave and Penny as they cruise past us on the ICW.

This is a cute little "key" that we saw off the ICW.  If you look closely, the boater can be seen walking on the sand (he's actually using a metal detector!). It's important that we pay attention and stay on the ICW as marked; the waters are shallow outside of the "ditch." 

This past Sunday, March 24th, some very special people had birthdays.  One of them was our daughter, Allison.  Allison celebrated her birthday at Steamboat Springs with her husband, Brent, their daughters with their dear friends, the Gaisers.  We are remembering our time with Allison, Brent and the girls LAST YEAR as we enjoyed skiing Steamboat with them.  Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

We celebrated the birthday (although from afar) of another special person in our lives, Jane Summerfelt.  We met Jane and her husband, Todd, at a Rotary District Conference in Victoria BC more than 15 years ago.  We've shared Thanksgivings and New Year's Eves with the Summerfelts.  Jane's warmth and hospitality provides us "our home away from home" when we are in Seattle.  Happy Birthday, Jane!

Another person who shares a March 24th birthday is Doris Muir of Crookston, MN.  We think of Doris and our years of involvement at the First Presbyterian Church.  Happy Birthday, Doris!