Stuart Florida🌴🐬

April 5th-8th,  2019

3 nights at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart Florida

We chose a marina that was right in downtown Stuart.  It’s a cute little old town with good restaurants and live music.  The name reflects the amazing sunsets we have seen every night.  We had gotten a few recomendations to stay here.  We would also recommend it.  Great location close to town and easy to get around.

When we pulled into the Marina, we arrived just in time for a pretty good squall to hit us.  We had dodged all the rain squalls all the way up the ICW until then.   I got pretty soaked tying lines and so did the dockhand.  It lasted maybe 15 minutes and it was done.  So much for timing.  We checked in and settled in.  A few hours later it rained.  Not rained,  more like dumped buckets,  the hugest raindrops I can remember seeing.  Everything got soaked.  Then the lightning and thunder started.  It scared the shit out of me being on the water.  We watched lightening bolts hit right into the water around us.  So many flashes of bright lights in the dark clouds.  I watched for one to hit a sailboat masts and light up and catch fire.  The crashes of thunder shook the boat and rattled the windows.  It went on for an hour,  then the sky cleared and turned into a gorgeous sunset.  Spectacular.  Even if I was shuttering under a blanket watching it trying not to chew off my fingernails!!

The first day here we rented a car to run errands.  One of the things we needed to find was a tall chair for me to sit in next to Andy on the flybridge.  Before we started this trip we looked at every possible option to put in a double chair but nothing made sense or worked.  We knew we would have to address the problem once we got started and see if it really was an issue.   It is!  Andy needs my good distance vision to spot channel markers.  I cannot stand next to him the whole time.  I also get a bit anxious not watching the navigation charts.  I start chattering and questioning every turn,  driving Andy CRAZY,  and not knowing where we are. (He is such a good man!😩).  I need to be able to watch the charts.  We had met a fellow looper last year (Sherry and Allan Johnson)  doing this trip in our same boat and she had simply bought a directors chair to take up and down and sit next to her husband.  Seemed a simple solution but getting one delivered proved difficult.  Andy found a camp chair style one at Bass Pro shop about 20 miles away in Stuart.  We rented a car (way cheaper for a day then a round trip Uber ride)  and went for an excursion to get the chair.  We decided to drive up to Fort Pierce,  and see the inlet,  bar hop local beach bars with live music,  and a few other stops since we had a car.  Great day.   It’s a funny reality to think we can drive to the next marina or town in 30 minutes or take 3 hours in the boat up the ICW.   We could ride our bikes faster.  Well, that’s part of this journey,  not to rush but enjoy the ride.  We have nothing but time.

Today we got up and did a little boat cleaning.  It cleans so fast.   I just love it!   It makes me feel so accomplished in so little time.  Andy returned the car and we took a bike ride to downtown because there was a farmers market.  The ride was literally less then a mile.  I bought the prettiest muffin and a quiche from a French baker (He even had the thick accent).   We headed back to the boat to eat it for lunch.  It was AWEFUL!!!!   It had a consistency of pudding,  not eggy and I hated it.  The muffin was dried out.   I threw it all away.  Oh well!   We decided to ride our bikes back into town and find a GOOD lunch.   We went to the Boathouse and enjoyed a bowl of chowder and some Rose and Sangria.  There was a live band playing and the weather is amzing!!  Not hot,  not cold,  slightly breezy and just perfect.  Those snow birds have it all figured out.

We had some Dolphin action next the boat.  Pretty cool.  I heard them breathe before I saw them.  Then we had a small group. Posting this for my cousin Karen Cormier!! ❤️🐬

Last night I got a text message  from a fellow looper and NEBO follower.   They are in the same harbor.  We had gone up to hear the band play at the restaurant.   We were trying to connect and find each other.  Suddnely we hear the band call out  “Where is the Captain of AQUAMAN, you have someone looking for you.”   I quickly went into NEBO text her to see how to find them.  The place was packed.  We found each other!!!  Yay a fellow looper!!   We made our way to a quieter table and chatted for over an hour.  Actually, the latest I have stayed up in a long time.  This is what I have wanted.  A GIRL!!!   It is the best.   You have an instant connection.  I just love hearing the life story,  what brought people to this trip,  where they are from,  their history and what kind of boat they have.   It really is a totally awesome to connect.  Thanks Deborah and Kurt Kristmann aboard Honey Badger for the conversation and friendship. Looking forward to meeting up again as we travel up the coast!