Good Day, Good Water, Good Friends, Good Food and Good Times

We really enjoyed our stay at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart, FL.  Yesterday we walked into the Old Town section of Stuart and explored all the shops and eateries (ice cream) and took a walk along the fitness path at the water's edge.  Next morning we dinghied the garbage ashore and brought back a 10-lb bag of ice from the Ships Store.  After securing Jazzy on the stern we fired up Viridian, slipped our lines off Red #68 mooring ball and idled out to the channel to call the Old Roosevelt Bascule Lift Bridge to request an opening.  A train was crossing the channel on the track just below the lift bridge so we had to wait for that to clear.  But soon both bridges were opened, and Viridian passed through and turned south for the St. Lucie Inlet to the Atlantic Ocean where we passed last Fall on our way to Key West; this time we turned to port and pointed the bow north.  The water was that perfect viridian color, and for the first time in quite a while we were not sailing directly into the sun.  Our eyes celebrated the squint-free view of our northward bearing, as everything looked sharp and brightly lit by the sun that was now on our stern.

Today's passage took us 31 miles to Ft. Pierce, FL, where we found a nice protected hole called Fabor Cove to drop our hook.  We are sharing this great anchorage with 5 other vessels, none of which are Loopers.  As it turned out, several of our Looper friends were docked just across the channel at Ft. Pierce City Marina, so we contacted them and we all met on board Unruly with the crew of Dash Away and Good Life.  War stories were exchanged at the docktales gathering on Dock A, as we heard of Bahamas Island cruising and the never- ending stories of boat maintenance issues.  We really enjoyed getting back together with some of our Looping mates we haven't seen for months.

As the tide began to turn we said our goodbyes, as it was time for the crew of Viridian to get into our dinghy and make our way back across the channel 2.5 miles to where our ship lay at anchor.  The channel water was pretty choppy but as soon as we entered our cove it flattened out and we glided back to our floating home on the water.

That's the news and here's the views:

We are here

Today's Passage from Stuart, FL to Ft. Pierce, FL

Our well protected anchorage location in Fabor Cove

Early morning in the mooring field at Stuart, FL

Busy, busy, busy at the turnaround at St. Lucie Inlet

This will be our heading for the next few months

Passing northbound sailboats heading home for the summer

Other boats sharing our anchor location

Local wildlife checking us out

Great scenery

"Docktales" with Looper Friends

Evening on the hook

Swimming in Paradise

History of Islamorada, FL

Still full from last night's supper, we waited for the tide to rise and slipped away from Key Largo toward our next anchorage at Islamorada, FL.  Instead of large open water cruising like yesterday, we meandered through quiet channels among mangrove islands and sailed through water so clear it was hard to look down because it looked like we should run aground at any moment.  Today's passage took us south from Key Largo, FL in Blackwater Sound, through mangrove islands into Tarpon Basin, through another mangrove-lined channel into Buttonwood Sound, through a narrow cut between islands and into Upper Cross Bank where we turned off the AICW to the east and dropped the hook about 1/2 mile off the coast in front of Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina in Islamorada, FL.  Tomorrow morning we will slide into our slip and spend two days here to wait for the cold front with its wind and rain to pass.  Also, some laundry and some exploring will be on the agenda.


And now, here's something you'll really like!

Yesterday at Key Largo, we anchored in a spot that was close to a restaurant and also a short walk from a Winn-Dixie.  I, for one, was ready to get off the boat for a while and walk around.  We found a dock to tie our dinghy to and were ready with both of our backpacks to carry our groceries home in.  We began our 1.9-mile walk to the store and there was a really nice breeze blowing on us as we went, but it was hot outside.  There was a nice wide sidewalk along Highway 1 for walkers and bikes.  All was good, but....I started feeling kind of queasy and I was fussing at myself for eating those cookies and shortly after, George said he felt a little queasy, too.  We both felt like the ground was moving ever so slightly under us.  This happens to us after we have been on the boat awhile and then go ashore.  So we decided we must be experiencing land sickness since we've been on the boat almost 24/7 for the last 4 or 5 days.  On top of being hot and feeling queasy, it occurred to us that it was around 4:30 and would be getting dark soon and we didn't spray ourselves for bugs.  We have experienced no-see-ums at dusk that sent us running inside and closing all the windows!  So we decided even though we didn't feel too great and we were really looking forward to a leisurely time in the air conditioned Winn-Dixie, we felt we better get a move on to get there.  We got our groceries, paid for them, packed them in our backpacks and headed back for a 1.9 mile walk hoping that the mosquitos and no see 'ums wouldn't notice us.  Good news!  We didn't see a single one!  Happy dance!!!

We were planning to dinghy our groceries back to Viridian, then freshen up and go to Sundowners for a nice outdoor supper.  Instead, we decided to go straight to the restaurant and hoped our yogurt would be ok.  We sat outside and had a sweet waitress who had moved to Key Largo from New York.  She gave us great suggestions from the menu, which we took.  I thought about having conch marinated in coconut milk, then lightly breaded and fried for an appetizer because we've never tried conch but then I remembered my octopus experience.  George and I decided not to try that but had a Thai spicy shrimp instead for our appetizer.  It was kind of like Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish.  They served a homemade Coconut Honey Loaf of bread with whipped honey butter to go with our meal.  It was very good.  Next we had a garden salad that had everything in the garden and then some in it..  It had fresh crisp romaine, kale, niblet corn, shredded carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, real chopped bacon, perfectly cooked diced eggs, croutons and homemade blue cheese dressing.  

The main course was Parmesan-encrusted grouper with crab topping.  The crab was so sweet and buttery and the grouper was crisp on the outside and moist inside.  We had key lime-buttered asparagus, too.

We were both so full but our waitress told us they had The Best Key Lime Pie in the Keys, and she had not let us down with her suggestions so far, so we had a piece and asked her to bring a to-go box because we knew we could not possibly eat it all.  The pie had a homemade graham cracker crust with condensed milk filling and a beautiful, thick meringue topping with pretty wispy swirls. Then they lightly drizzled fresh-squeezed lime juice over the slice. This was a tasty addition we've never had before.  Well, we waddled back to our dinghy with our warm yogurt and other groceries and headed to Viridian, which had no lights turned on, but we got aboard safely, put away our provisions, turned on the generator and the air conditioner and basked in the coolness.  

This morning we ate a bite and got underway to Plantation Key.  We went through open waters and some pretty shallow waters and several passageways through the mangroves.  We were talking about how this looked like a perfect place for crocodiles and pythons.  You can see right through the water to the bottom, so I was looking to see what might be swimming around us and saw a manatee!  It's so exciting to see one when you've seen so many signs about going slow and watching for them. 

Well, we are anchored at Plantation Key now and the water is a beautiful, clear light green.  George couldn't wait to put on his snorkel and fins and go for a swim.  The water was very refreshing (I know because I took a 5 -second dip.)  George saw what he thought was a sponge on the bottom and dove down to find there was a lobster hiding under it.  He got closer and found it was a piece of coral, and there were several lobsters under it.  No, we aren't having lobster for supper :-( It has been a very pleasant afternoon.  George is now fishing but has had 3 plastic worms bitten in half.  That's why I'm not jumping in the water out here!
That's the news and here's the views:

We are here

Today's Passage from Key Largo to Islamorada, FL

Bird's Eye

  Morning at Key Largo Anchorage

 Entering the Mangrove canals

More channels

George's new snorkel and fins

I was finally able to verify exactly what Viridian's water draft is by taking a tape measure under the boat with my snorkel on and physically measure it.  Turns out it is 4.0 feet, not 4.5 feet.  I'll take it!

Demopolis to Upper Cooks Cut-Off Anchorage

22 September 2016

Every morning since we left St. Petersburg, FL, the captain performs the same inspections without fail on Viridian.  He gets up at 4:30 AM, careful not to disturb the sleeping admiral, closes the doors to the berth, turns on the lights in the galley and lights the 3-eyed galley stove.

Water is poured from one of several gallon jugs we keep on board for drinking/cooking.  While the water is coming to a boil, he cracks the hatch to the engine compartment and switches on the lights to illuminate the below-deck machinery.   He checks all fluid levels for both the main engine and the generator.  Next, the fuel sight glass tube valves are opened and fuel levels noted in both port and starboard tanks (then closed again).  Then, each fuel filter is inspected for signs of dirt/water for both engines.  Next, with flashlight in hand,the captain must duck walk and belly crawl over sharp hose clamps and battery boxes to inspect the bilge for any signs of excess water or oil leaks from the various sources.  All water hoses are inspected as well as electrical for any obvious issues.  Lastly, the shift/throttle cables are inspected to make sure they are in proper working condition.  Once everything passes inspections, he closes the three hatches to the engine room and takes the boiling tea kettle of fresh water off the stove.  Two cups of coffee are made, one is taken to the admiral who is now stirring around in the berth, and the other is consumed by the captain while he updates the ship's log and plots a course for the day's destination.  By the time this is all done, the multi-talented galley chef has prepared a breakfast fit for a hungry captain and crew.   This is how each day begins on board Viridian.  When the time comes to start the engine, the captain uses a checklist developed by his brother, Richard, while crewing in St. Petersburg.  (One of Richard's former occupations was an aircraft airframe and power plant mechanic/technician.  He developed a very thorough start-up procedure for Viridian and the captain has used it ever since).

As the captain was making his rounds on deck, he noticed a pontoon boat two slips over that had three unshaven men who appeared to have been sleeping rough the last several days.  They were in a huddle discussing some important matter, so naturally I wondered over to their area and eventually introduced myself.  It turns out the three men had launched their pontoon boat somewhere around Paducah, Kentucky and were on their way south to Mobile.  Once there, their wives were to pick them up and carry them back home to KY.  When I finished picking their brains, they picked mine.  It is good to get a current situational awareness brief about where you are going so it was a win/win for both Captains.  I can appreciate a trip like the one they were on.  I often dreamed of doing the very same thing.  Glad I waited and got a boat that had a more home-like feeling though.  We quickly exchanged emails as we all had itchy feet about getting back out on the water.

Viridian was fired up and the multi-talented firstmate unplugged the 50A power cable (otherwise known as the "yellow dock line", untied all the mooring lines and brought all the fenders on board to avoid ripping them off on the dock hardware.  Viridian backed slowly into the mirror-calm waters of Kingfisher Marina, and with a few burst of bow thruster she was pointed into the departure channel. Viridian was shifted into forward, and with a satisfying clumk, we eased out of the marina and back into the Tenn-Tom River, headed for our destination.

Our cruise to Upper Cooks Bend Cut-Off anchorage would be about 62 miles and require locking through the Howell Heflin Lock at MM-266.  We passed under the I-20/59 bridge at MM-239 and cruised within 3 miles of the Heflin Lock, where we called the Lockmaster on CH-16 by saying, "Howell Heflin Lock, Howell Heflin Lock, Howell Heflin Lock, this is the vessel Viridian."  The Lockmaster would respond by saying, "Heflin Lock, switch to CH-12".  I would respond by saying, "Roger, CH-12", and the multi-tasking radio officer would hand me our other radio, a mobile marine handheld, already tuned to CH-12.  I would say, "This is the upbound vessel Viridian, 24 minutes out.  Can you get us through?"  The Lockmaster would respond (sometimes minutes later) and tell us what the situation was and if there was going to be a delay due to commercial traffic or not.  We would continue on at 6.5 kts to find the gates open and the green light on.  All we had to do was enter the lock and maneuver Viridian to the innermost bollard and tie up.  Once tied, the captain would radio the Lockmaster and say, "Viridian is secure and ready to rise.”  The Lockmaster would respond, "Roger", at which point the gigantic steel gates would slowly moan closed.  Not long after, strange noises could be heard deep within the lock and the water would start stirring as Viridian was lifted skyward at a rate of inches per second.  At the top of the lock we would wait for a spell and then see the gates ahead of us start to creep open.  We waited, engine idling, for the LOUD blast from the lock horn situated too close to the gate.  Once we crawled back into our skins, the multi-tasking firstmate would release our homemade lock loop and say to the captain, " You have her now, captain".  At that point I wouldradio the Lockmaster on CH-12 and say, "Heflin Lock, Viridian is free and is exiting the lock.  Thank you for your help,”  The Lockmaster responds saying, "Roger, Viridian, Have a nice day.”  I would respond by saying, "Viridian.”  This is pretty much the dialog along the Tenn-Tom Waterway with the numerous Lockmasters.  We were told to remember that the Lockmaster was BOSS.  If we kept that in mind it would make our trip a lot more pleasant.

After exiting Heflin Lock, Viridian headed for an "oxbow lake" called Upper Cooks Bend Cut Off.  According to Active Captain, this was a highly recommended anchorage.  We approached the oxbow on the port side and followed the navigation recommendations given in the comment section of Active Captain.   We kept to port and slid over the sandbar with a foot to spare.  Once in the oxbow, we found a deep and wide channel that slowly bent to the left.  At the point where it turned due south we decided to drop the hook.   We anchored in a wide spot with plenty of swing room, and the view was a nice sea wall with several upscale houses situated among the trees.  There was no current or wind that we could detect.  The anchor set on the first attempt, the ship's engine was shut down, the generator was cranked and the air conditioners were turned on full blast.

It didn't take long to cool down the Salon (or Saloon).  The multi-tasking galley chef prepared a scrumptious dinner complete with adult beverages, and we watched the sun set on a perfectly calm location.  We talked about things like, if we had our dinghy we could..... and such till our eyes got too heavy to stay open.

We are here

That's the news and here's the views:

Route from Demopolis to Cook's Cutoff Anchorage

Cook's Bend Anchorage Location

This is the Tenn-Tom Waterway form Demopolis to Corinth MS

Heading North for our second anchorage at Upper Cooks Bend Cut-Off

Approaching the Howell Heflin Lock & Dam with Blueline Hwy 39 just behind

We have no idea either what this picture is trying to show

White cliffs along the waterway.  Haven't gotten my videos working yet

Howell Heflin Lock and Dam – Mile 266.0

• Lift of 36 feet
• 2nd highest lift on the Tenn-Tom
• Located in Greene County near Gainesville, AL
• 6,400-acre Gainesville Lake
• Cost $32.3 million
• 8 recreation areas

The Heflin Lock and Dam is the southernmost structure on the Tenn-Tom. From here, commercial and recreation vessels reach the connecting Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway some 53 miles away on an improved Tombigbee River and the impoundment created by the Demopolis Lock and Dam. From Demopolis, it is 215 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Its impoundment, Gainesville Lake, is 40 miles long and covers 6,400 acres. The lock and dam is named in honor of former U.S. Senator, Howell Heflin, of Alabama. (ref: http://business.tenntom.org/using-the-tenn-tom/locks-and-dams/tennessee-tombigbee-waterway-locks/#heflin)