Day #253 – Ft. Pierce, FL

Last night we went to a great Mexican restaurant in Stuart named Dos Amigos.  The food was terrific and the place was really eclectic as you can see in these signs that were everywhere.  They give you the feel of the place.

This morning we woke to clouds but the weather is getting warmer.  It is another sad day on Good News as our buddies John and Karen are leaving to go home.  They spent the morning getting organized and packing.  Andy and I were given the use of their rental car and spent the morning sorting things out with Verizon, AGAIN, and shopping at Publix AGAIN.

They left about 12:30.  We were sad to see them go and they were sad to leave.  We just have to keep our memories of their visit and Ted’s visit and wait until they can all join us again.  They are long time DEAR friends.

Shortly after they left, Andy and I threw off the dock lines and headed to Ft. Pierce.  The traffic on the St. Lucie River and the ICW is wild.  Boats are everywhere and everyone is zigzagging through the channels.  The water is very shallow in some places and it is very windy.  The sailor on the Sunfish below was actually standing in the water.

There are many types of boats out here today including this house boat

and even a boat selling Coney Island hot dogs among other things.

There are several small islands in this shallow water and many people were picnicking on them this weekend.  Being that it is Easter weekend, things may even be busier than usual.

It was a pretty run as the weather got warmer and sunnier and we enjoyed the day.  We passed through Indian River which is known for their citrus fruits.  I remember receiving boxes of them in the mail when we were kids.  As we entered the Ft. Pierce channel we ran aground and tide was going out.  Fortunately, the Captain was able to maneuver off the bottom and we called in to the marina.  They then told us that the charts have not been updated and they show the old channel which is no longer maintained.  They guided us in and it was very tight in here as the channels in the marina are narrow and the winds were high.  We made it into our slip 29.5 miles and 3.25 hours after we left and glad to be here.

We sure miss our friends and hope they all come back soon!