He wasn't planning on diving so soon...

The day shone brightly with coffee and pastries from the Nettles Island Marina Grocery.  Looks like we're off to a swimmingly good start.  Dressed in layers (again) as it is freezing a** see-your-breath cold (again), we set about preparing the boat to leave. Today was Day One of a new system.  I take the helm while Donnie manages the dock lines and jumps on the boat before it leaves the dock, which is normally MY job.  It seems to make more sense to have a big strong guy managing a 15,000 lb. boat, than  little ol’ me.  All was going well until the wind carried the bow away from the dock far too quickly.  Donnie yells, “Reverse!” and I did…too hard…the stern of the boat crashed the dock via our kettle grill off the stern rail.  No harm, no foul, it seemed.  I kept saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” And Cap’n kept reassuring me that it was fine, for my first time.  We do much better setting and pulling the anchor- we’ve got that down to a science.  Trying to park (sometimes parallel, it seems) with 32 feet of “hood” in front of you obviously takes some getting used to.  I am clearly not there yet.

Back on to the ICW by 8:30am, it seemed we were well on our way, until not more than an hour down the river and we here an awful banging sound.  I must preface this all by saying that when you live on a boat 24/7, you become accustomed to each and every sound she makes…and there are LOTS of them.  When something does not sound right, your senses immediately pick up on it, along with a shot of adrenaline for good measure.  I think it’s the engine, (bless Bessie’s ever lovin’ soul), Donnie thinks it’s the prop or shaft.  He puts it in neutral, revs the engine, no banging sound. In gear, she bangs.  Not good. Time for me to take the helm and for him to drop anchor.  Next, he tears apart the locker to get to the scuba gear, and dons it all in a cold north wind. 

Man, this water's gonna be cold!

Seeing how we’re in a pretty good current, I ask him to hang a tag line to grab on to, should the current decide to take him.  I cannot imagine how COLD that water was…I wouldn’t have lasted two minutes.

I was keeping watch, with a float cushion in hand to pitch
to him in case he lost his grip around the rudder for support.



Willis was keeping watch, too.

The problem was the support flange for the prop shaft…I don’t know what all that means, but I know it’s not good news.  There were two bolts holding it, one forward, and one aft. The forward one was missing, and the aft one was sheared off.  It took an hour in the water, trying various bolts and screws, and no way to drill underwater.  In the end we had just one bolt that potentially fit, it was too long, but we had four washers that build it up. With only one washer left to spare, and no other bolts the same diameter that would work, Donnie descended repeatedly with a socket wrench in hand, and thankfully he was able to get it tightened down.   While he got changed into dry clothes and got all the tools and scuba gear put away, I set to work frantically in the galley to get a pot of homemade chicken and wild rice soup going while we were still at anchor.  Cap’n was beyond cold, and I cannot afford for him to get sick!  By 11:30am, we were back underway. Clearly we weren’t going to make Ft. Lauderdale today.



Willis got bored with it all and elected to
'flop' in the cockpit. Such a flopper!



The view of the day was of the St. Lucie
Inlet Lighthouse...gorgeous!

The other excitement of the day was our first two looks at manatees.  I didn’t have my camera either time.  They’re so ugly; they’re cute! We clearly have entered into the Golden Coast, as the mansions have gotten even bigger yet.  I’d like to know who owns these homes! Crazy.



What a gazebo...with ironwork!



Love the outdoor curtains...and the private beach, freshly raked.

So we missed a draw bridge, due to open at 3:30pm, because Barney Fife was the bridge tender.  So we hung in the water for thirty minutes, killing time.   

Cool story here, here’s big barge loaded with sand.  They were digging the sand up to make a lagoon and inlet which will become a state park. The sand was then being hauled by a barge to Trump Towers in West Palm Beach to build three islands for an outdoor walkway.  Pretty cool.

This was one of 13 drawbridges we passed through today.  This one lead us into West Palm Beach where we anchored for the night at MM 1019.  Only 40 miles today, but an interesting 40 miles. 

Here’s the view from our anchorage…take note of the mega power yachts in the background that are shrink-wrapped.  Guess the rich and famous don’t like the salty air on their boats in the off season.  Speaking of, we need a good rain shower to wash the salt of Marquesa.  We hope to hit Miami tomorrow, but we have 29 draw bridges to successfully hit at the right time…I seriously doubt we can do it.  Just looked at the map to see about ‘going out’ to the Atlantic to sail.  The problem we have is the Gulf Stream flows within one mile of West Palm Beach where we are anchored at this evening.  We could potentially have a three knot current we’d be bucking, it flows north, we’re travelling south.  So decisions, decisions…deal with a current slowing us down, or dealing with the drawbridges slowing us down.  Stay tuned tomorrow to find out!