February 20th- Hobe Sound to Lake Worth/ Palm Beach FL

We got an early start on the day to try to avoid some of the traffic. We didn’t have far to go but had to deal with 7 draw bridges. We ended the day in Lake Worth. We’ve anchored here a few times but not near the inlet. The Lake Worth inlet has a lot of water surging in and out due to the tide. It’s a little bouncy. We won’t be here long.

Evergreen will head out in the middle of the night for our passage to the Bahamas. It’s only 56nm but the trip should take us between 10 and 12 hours due to the Gulf Stream current.

We are excited. This has been a dream of ours and we have spent many hours preparing for it. Onward!!

Hopefully I can keep this blog updated when we are over there. Communication is a little more complicated and the whole experience is new to us.

Jupiter Light.

Bon voyage!

February 19- Stuart/ St Lucie River to Hobe Sound FL

Our original departure was planned for Saturday but a heavy north wind kept us at anchor for another day. After wrestling with the anchor, we departed Pendarvis Cove, only to be delayed by the railroad bridge for about an hour. The bridge is old and used heavily. It is being repaired or replaced.

We try not to be in transit on the weekends in Florida but it wasn’t to be avoided. There is a busy cross roads where the St Lucie River bisects the ICW. It was packed with water craft going every which way today. In general this whole portion of the ICW is very busy. We motored along until just after midday and anchored in Hobe Sound. I jumped in the dinghy for an Oliver beach commando raid and took a look at the bottom of the boat. The antifouling paint is working well but there were many barnacles on the propeller which was slowing Evergreen down. Lynne donned snorkeling gear, grabbed the scraper, and went to work on the problem. Eventually I joined her and noticed the sacrificial zinc was gone from the propeller shaft. This is a very important hunk of metal that protects the prop and shaft from corrosion. We have an aditional zinc on the bottom but this one needed replacement. We’ve hired a diver to do this in the past but today I managed to get the thing on without donating the zinc or any tools to Neptune. The whole job lasted an hour and we lounged around for the rest of the day.

Despite a few hurdles we felt good to be on the move again.

Back on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Evergreen anchored in Hobe Sound.

February 17th- St Lucie River/ Stuart FL

Monday. Monday might possibly be the day. Maybe.

Lynne is bringing Ollie to a local veterinarian to obtain his Bahamas health certificate on Saturday. Afterwards, the plan is to head towards West Palm Beach/ Lake Worth. The weather next week looks fairly benign so we hope to cross over to Grand Bahama Island on Monday. There are a few variables to contend with so the plan is fluid.

Evergreen has been drifting around in circles (mostly clockwise) for almost 2 months. Our anchor chain had developed a significant twist to it. This would complicate retrieving our anchor. I spent a few hours untangling anchor chain yesterday. Lynne bought a few last minute supplies.

Water. Check.

Diesel. Check.

One concern is that Evergreen’s bottom might have some fouling. Another problem is barnacles growing on the propeller. The waters of the St Lucie are completely opaque so I can’t actually see the propeller. We were unable to find a diver that would service the anchorage. We hope to stop in Hobe Sound where the water has more clarity. I should be able to scrape some of the barnacles from the propeller if needed.

Some scenes from Stuart.

No pink birds up North.

Do we live here now?

Good bye Chapman Way (our street address at Pendarvis Cove Park).

February 4th- St Lucie River/ Stuart FL

Evergreen still lies at anchor in Pendarvis Cove. We’ve been in the Stuart area for over a month. Originally, we had planned on taking a mooring over at the Sunset Bay Marina but decided we like our spot near Pendarvis Park. The Admiral is on a first name basis with most of the residents of the anchorage. I’ve started to call her,”The Belle of Pendarvis Cove.”

We’ve had a few visits from family and have had some great meals together. The Admiral is also on a first name basis with Tucker, our waiter at the Osceola Street Cafe. Since we’re not spending cash on a dock or moorings, we’ve been renting cars to go for a ride or resupply. Stuart is a nice town and we’ve enjoyed our stay.

Sculpture garden at Memorial Park.

Some of the locals.

Over the past few weeks preparations for the Bahamas has continued. So far, the hardest part has been the paperwork. Since paperwork is not one of my strong points, Lynne took over the task. We obtained passports before leaving Dartmouth. Next was the Pet Import Permit. In order to expedite the process we had a guy (Wellington) take care of it in the Bahamas. He did an excellent job and we’d recommend him to anyone bringing a pet over there. — bahamaspetpermit.com — Ollie had to get a tracking chip before leaving home and proof of vaccinations. We still need to bring him to a veterinarian in Stuart for a health certificate. This has to be done shortly before crossing over. Lynne then conquered the required Cruising Permit from the Bahamas Customs Department. This was able to be done online using Click2Clear which is basically answering a ton of questions and paying the fee. Doing it this way avoids having to fill out the papers on the dock at the customs office when we check in. At this point I thought we were done but then found out we needed to inform the US Customs and Border patrol of our return. To do this we (actually Lynne) filled out more online paperwork and she familiarised herself with the CPB ROAM app. Done. Nope. In order to get back in (legally) we also need to pay a fee and get a DTOPS decal (Decal and Transponder Procurement System). This decal is issued to boats over 30′, planes, and commercial vehicles.

Happy to be done with customs paperwork.

While she has been wading through the difficult process of crossing borders I’ve been soaking up the sunshine and drinking beer. Just kidding!

The Admiral wanted an increased measure of safety by having a reliable way of tracking us and communication. To that effect I purchased a Garmin Inreach Mini 2. This device transmits to the Iridium satellite network. We are able to text from anywhere in the world without needing to be in range of a cellphone tower. It also transmits our location to an online map located here: share.garmin.com/weirsailing (link also at side or bottom of blog page depending on screen size). This map can be zoomed in or out to see the details of the area we are in. There is also an SOS button to alert the cavalry should something cataclysmic happen.

I also bought a cheap Nokia phone. When we get over there we’ll be able to purchase a local BTC sim card, install that in the Nokia, and make calls. I’ve learned a lot about communication.

I then spent my time learning about weather windows. Florida’s winds are heavily influenced by the fronts that move through the area. Wind direction is very important to factor in for a Bahamas crossing. The Gulf Stream is essentially a river of warm water flowing northward. This “river” flows between Florida and the Bahamas. If the wind is out of the North large waves develope (bad). There are also the Easterly Trade winds (very common). This direction is also not great since that would put the wind on Evergreen’s bow as we are heading East. That leaves us with a South through West wind direction being favorable. Also common to Florida’s coast is -no wind- which would also work. The wind directions basically go clockwise as high and low pressure fronts move through the area. To predict the weather/ wind state I have been using an application called Windy . I also monitor the National Weather Service Marine Forecast. In addition to those tools I have recently subscribed to a weather routing service from the Marine Weather Center. They send me custom detailed forecasts daily. We had a few really good weather windows but were unable to leave before February 1st.

“A sailor with no schedule always has good weather.”

Right now the weather isn’t good to cross (gale warning). Next week isn’t looking good so far. So we wait. Patience. Stuart’s a nice place to wait. Grilled Tilapia and rice pilaf for dinner tonight!

Some scenes from Stuart FL.

January 13th- St Lucie River/ Stuart FL

Every once in a while I grab a scrub brush, hop in the dinghy, and attempt to clean off some of the green goo growing on Evergreen’s waterline. I fear if I don’t keep up with this it will spread and Evergreen will turn green. The waters of the St Lucie are opaque, so I have no idea how bad things look below the waterline. It concerns me. Another hobby of mine is adjusting the anchor chain. We are anchored in around 6′ of water and normally I’d have around 30′ to 40′ of chain in the water. This is attached to a 45lb anchor. One of our anchorage neighbors (he lives here) has 130′ of gear out. He has a pair of big motor vessels and they swing all over the anchorage on a long rope rode. For the most part, our vessels are far apart but every once in a while…. I then let out more chain. I think I’m up to 75′. We have a few 100′ in reserve but I resist using it.

There is a woman who feeds the two cats that live in Pendarvis Park. There is also a man that feeds the big turtles that live there. The turtles will actually follow you if one is presented with a piece of fruit. Oliver is very suspicious of the turtles.

Today we have some rain moving through the area but the weather has been consistently warm and sunny. We often head across the river to downtown Stuart and see the sights. We’ve had lunch at the Osceola Street Cafe several times. The soup of the day has been good regardless of type (black eyed pea being my current favorite). We enjoy walks on the river front boardwalk and through the town. The Admiral found a nice dress in a local shop. Life has been good.

I’m noticing that Ollie seems to work his way into every picture.

Downtown.

There is a great farmer’s market on Sundays. It was cancelled for a few weeks due to the holidays but has resumed again. We stocked up on fresh produce, bread, quiche, dog treats, a good steak, and another dress. The quiche was the best we’ve had in a while. We’re looking forward to next Sunday.

Lynne finding edible treasures.

It hasn’t been all fun and games. We’ve also been doing some work and preparing Evergreen (and ourselves) for another trip. The Bahamas. This process started before we left Dartmouth with procuring passports and getting the proper flags.

Yellow quarantine flag for before check in and Bahamian courtesy flag.

We have charts for the northern Bahamas and various guide books. I’ve studied the navigation and believe it to be an easy trip with the right weather. The difficulty has been the paperwork. Importing Oliver, veterinary certificate, customs declarations, cruising permit, US customs, the list goes on. It’s all new to us so there is a learning curve. We have purchased a Garmin inreach satellite communication device since cellphone coverage is spotty. It has a SOS button that I hope to never use. This week we have a rental car and have been stocking up on supplies.

The plan is to head out of West Palm Beach FL and check in at West End on Grand Bahama. We’ll then make our way over to the Abaco Islands and spend some time there. We’ll probably do this in February with the right weather window. We enjoy being in Florida but it is very busy around here. There is always the sound of planes, trains, automobiles, and boats. We’re looking forward to being in a more rural setting. Last but not least, we want to swim in the amazingly clear waters of the Bahama Bank. Another adventure!

Some scenes from Stuart.

The Frazier Creek dinghy dock.

Hutchinson Island Beach.

There are a lot of trains that pass through Stuart.

Sunset Bay Marina.

Evergreen still anchored on the St Lucie River.

December 25th- St Lucie River/ Stuart FL

Evergreen is still anchored in Pendarvis Cove. The anchorage is working out for us and we will probably stick around here for a few weeks. The Pendarvis Cove park is a short dinghy ride from the boat and is ideal for Ollie’s commando raids to shore. Stuart is a longer trip in the dinghy but there is good place to tie up on Frazer Creek.

A few days ago the temperature was 83 F and it was hard to believe we were going to see any of this “cold blast, blizzard, bomb cyclone, winter storm,” but it happened. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. We have 30s at night and 40s during the day. The change was just a bit of a shock. A week ago I was thinking about ditching some of the extra firewood and charcoal stored on board but luckily we kept it as the woodstove was recommissioned and put back in use. Captain and crew have mostly stayed on Evergreen while waiting for the weather to improve.

Some scenes from Stuart.

This rail bridge is very busy.

Morning at the park.

We have explored some of Stuart and enjoy the town. When it warms up we’ll get over there for more shore leave. There is a nice boardwalk along the waterfront with a garnish of restaurants, stores, and parks.

We are preparing for Christmas dinner. Lynne has fabricated some Christmas decorations. Tonight’s menu includes a roasted pork loin with couscous, green beans, a bottle of wine, and brownies for desert.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! From the boat gypsies on Evergreen.

December 20th- Jensen Beach to St Lucie River/ Stuart FL

When we got to Jensen Beach we weren’t thrilled with the idea of spending the holidays there. After a couple of days we started to warm up to the place. There are a bunch of restaurants, a grocery store, hardware, pharmacy, all the necessities.

A rain shower on the way.

For the Admiral’s birthday we went to the Tako Tiki. It had a very old Florida vibe. We brought Ollie with us since there was outdoor seating. The tacos were good.

Ollie and I went on an expedition over the giant bridge to Hutchison Island. We walked 6 miles (round trip). Both Captain and pirate dog were tired by days end. His leash walking skills seem to be improving. He’s always in a state of rebellion.

The mooring field.

The view is good. The facilities are clean and locked. On the down side, the adjacent park gets a little wild in the evening. We were going to keep the mooring through the holidays. Unfortunately, someone else reserved the mooring before I called in the extension. There were always several open moorings during the week we spent there but all had been reserved. People just pay for moorings only to leave them empty. We were cut adrift (figuratively).

We could have anchored adjacent to the moorings but decided to move on. The dinghy dock on the north side of the bridge was dismantled and being rebuilt and I didn’t like limiting my options to the South side due to weather. I also had a chip on my shoulder.

We took a starboard turn off the ICW, up the St Lucie River (for the first time). While Jensen Beach is technically a part of Stuart, geographically, they are two different places to us boat people.

We went through a trio of bridges and pulled into the Sunset Bay Marina’s mooring field on the off chance that there was an available spot for Evergreen. Many boats. Not looking good. Lynne was in full lookout mode. WAIT! What’s that? An EMPTY mooring! Get on the phone and call the marina, QUICK! Alas, it was all a mirage. The mooring was reserved.

We anchored Evergreen in Pendarvis Cove near Stuart. There is a park to walk Ollie. Stuart is a long dinghy ride but doable in good weather. We’re having some rain so exploration was brief. The Admiral is looking into marinas. Most are full. We’ll scout the area and see if Pendarvis Cove is going to work out over the next day or so.

The park. Very tropical.

Evergreen anchored on the St Lucie River.

December 11th- Vero Beach, FL

We’re still floating around in Vero Beach (Sunday). Our original departure plan (Thursday) seemed rushed so we decided to stay through the weekend. Lynne had an art museum to visit on Friday. Saturday’s plan was to attend an excellent local farmer’s market. We filled up with fresh bread, mahi, shrimp, ravioli, homemade dog treats, and produce. As far as produce is concerned we find that spinach keeps for a long time on board and add it to many meals.

A few days ago, while sipping sun downers on deck, another cruiser pointed us in the direction to witness a rocket launch. The captain from SV Lupo was passing by at around the same time and explained different aspects of the launch to us. It was the first time we’ve ever seen a Space X launch. The rocket arced right over Vero. The whole thing was exciting.

Space X rocket with a payload of satellites.

Second stage separation. The second stage flew back to the pad while the first stage continued its trip to orbit.

Today we had a good friend over to Evergreen for lunch. We don’t often have company aboard. I spent some time cleaning the decks and getting the stainless steel reasonably polished. I resisted the urge to touch up the varnish. A good time was had by all and it was a nice way to spend our last day in Vero. I even learned a little “fancy” knot work. Much additional practice is needed. Our guest retired from boating a few years ago and lives in Vero Beach. We always enjoy chatting as he has an encyclopedic knowledge of boats and rigging. Before leaving he gave us a gift for the ship- his handmade rigging bag, filled with his tools of the trade (most of which are also hand made). To say we were deeply affected by this gift would be an understatement. Thanks.

We really enjoy Vero and could have easily spent more time. We’ll be Back!

Some scenes from Vero Beach.

Ollie also loves Vero. Lots of play time!

December 12th- Vero Beach to Jensen Beach FL

A while back we decided we wanted to moor Evergreen in Stuart for the holidays. We’ve not been there and have heard good things. Unfortunately, they don’t take mooring reservations. We called the office at Sunset Bay marina today and (of course) they are full. I thought we’d just anchor but the person in the office said there is no room. We abandoned that plan for today and grabbed a mooring in Jensen Beach. We’re going to take it day by day until I come up with a new plan. A mooring might open up. We might just go up the Saint Lucy River and see if we can find a spot to drop the hook near Stuart. Manatee Pocket is another possibility. Maybe, back to Vero? Who knows? We have diesel, food, water, and sails. The possibilities are endless (I hope).

Evergreen moored at Jensen Beach on the Indian River.

December 2nd- Saint Augustine to Daytona Beach FL

Our last couple of days in St Augustine were characterized by a strong front moving through. We were devouring some Minorcan chowder and a shrimp po-boy sandwich when we noticed some really dark clouds on the horizon. We just made it back to Evergreen when the squall hit. We had winds gusting to 40mph and heavy rain for a brief period. Two boats dragged anchor and almost hit the Bridge of Lions. A very large catamaran came within 150 yards of the bridge before being boarded by a very heroic soul from another sailboat. He somehow managed to re-anchored the craft before disaster hit! Very exciting stuff.

Our final day in St Augustine was mostly spent aboard ship as wind and waves were too intense for shore leave.

Some scenes from St. Augustine.

Lunch at the St. Augustine Seafood Company.

Our mooring reservation ended on the 2nd so we moved further down the ICW to Daytona. The wind calmed and we were rewarded with some of that perfect Florida weather we sail south for. We had another exciting dolphin encounter during the passage. The dolphin raced along with us for a while and zig-zagged under the keel from port to starboard. At the end of this performance he/she leaped out of the water 5 to 6 times in quick succession. We were amazed. Clearly these are very intelligent animals that like to play and have fun.

We anchored near Bethune park. There is a convenient dock for Ollie’s evening commando raid. Hurricane Nicole did a lot of damage around here. Many boats are washed up in the mangroves others are just masts sticking out of the water.

Some scenes from Daytona.

Evergreen anchored on the Halifax River in Daytona Beach.

December 3rd- Daytona Beach to Titusville FL

Not much to report on. Perfect weather again. Crazy Ivan (our autopilot) did most of the steering, I just hit a button every now and then to adjust course. The autopilot is working well. The autopilot remote is absolute garbage and may wind up in the ocean someday. Titusville has around 10 boats washed up on shore or sunk. We both forgot to take pictures today (these things seem to happen down here).

December 4th- Titusville to Melbourne FL

We fueled up and filled the water tanks before leaving Titusville. Today was another day spent on the Indian River. The river is wide and mostly straight with almost no tidal current. We are able to roll out our genoa when there is enough of a breeze. Easy sailing for the pirates on SV Evergreen.

We had planned on anchoring at the town of Eau Gallie but the anchorage just didn’t feel right. We moved on to Melbourne. We’ve been to this anchorage before. It’s just a good, protected, spot on the side of a big bridge. The bridge has a park (common around here) which I bring Ollie to.

Sunset over Melbourne.

December 5th- Melbourne to Vero Beach FL

Another day basking in the sun on the Indian River. Lynne did some sewing repairs to our upholstery. I kept an eye on things and avoided hitting any navigational markers or pontoon boats.

The mangroves are getting thicker.

We weren’t sure what we were going to do once we got to Vero. I had some intel, from a friend, that the moorings were full. Vero Beach Municipal Marina has a rafting rule. Once the mooring field is full then multiple boats raft up on the same mooring. We were concerned that this might be a problem for us due to our hypervigilant Boarder Collie. Anchoring was a possibility but we decided to “go for it” and acquired a mooring assignment from the marina. We rafted up to SV Elan for a few days. Attaching Evergreen to Elan was a little complicated as the boat is empty. On the other hand it’s great to be here and Elan is empty so it’s like we are on our own private mooring anyway. No complaints from Ollie.

We are happy to be in “Velcro” Beach again. We spent so much time here on our last trip that it feels like a home away from home. Shore leave! We’re meeting up with our friend from SV Loon for breakfast. The frisbee will be deployed for Ollie. Beer and wine supplies are in the red so acquiring more is a priority. Perhaps a stop at Mr Manatees is warranted.

Some scenes from Vero Beach.

Evergreen rafted up in Vero Beach.

November 28th and 29th- Sisters Creek to Saint Augustine FL

More sun and warm weather. No complaints from this boat. I looked at the weather forecast for our home port (Dartmouth). Wednesday night is going to be 36 degrees, rain, and wind gusting to 50mph. Brrrrr.

We made good time on our trip from Jacksonville to St Augustine. We were able to roll out the genoa (sail) on the Tolomato river. Evergreen seems to fly (to us) with her 30hp diesel and big sail pushing her along. We passed several boats on our way to the port. Passing other boats, was unheard of during our last southern voyage.

We had lunch while racing along on the river. We were joined by a pod of dolphins. They swam along with us for almost half an hour. Seeing dolphins never “gets old” for us and I hope it never does.

Last week we managed to reserve a mooring for a few days. St Augustine is a fun city to spend some time in. We are “front row” to the Christmas light display the city puts on during the season. In the evening, many tour boats cruised around the waterfront. The whole scene was very festive.

Sunset was prelude to the rest of the show.

In the morning the captain rolled out of his bunk and got Ollie to shore for his AM commando raid. He particularly enjoys running around at the Castillo de San Marcos (big old fort). While here we’ll take care of a few boat chores and check out the shops in town. I hope to find a bowl of Minorcan conch chowder today.

Quiet morning scenes from Saint Augustine.

Evergreen moored off of Saint Augustine.