Fort Pierce is a very nice marina.  There are 500 plus slips some floating some fixed docks. It sits right downtown Fort Pierce and it seemed like there was always something going on.

We were tucked away on the fixed docks and the back of our boat was right on the sidewalk that faced Indian River Road.  The front of the boat faced the fuel docks, so we could watch boats coming and going. We also got to see many of the locals and visitors passing by the back of the boat – maybe we should say- they got to see us.  At times, we felt like we were an exhibit at a zoo, especially when Boner was on the upper deck.

Every Saturday they have a Farmer’s Market. There are many craft and food vendors.  They also have a band that plays from 8AM – 12 PM.  Our favorite spot was the Cider Donut tent.  They made bite size donuts covered with sugar and placed in a “Walk Around” cone.  This became a routine for Saturday mornings. We would make coffee and then go get a Walk Around cone of donuts!

The full moon in February was called a Blood moon because of a lunar eclipse.  It was pretty cool to watch from the boat.

We found this Marine Liquidation store that was huge.  We must have spent 3 hours there.  They get parts in from boats that have been taken apart and also some new parts.  We think you could build a boat from scratch with all the different parts and supplies they had.

We visited the Manatee Center which was right beside us. We actually saw more manatees in the marina area than at the center. One needed to be guided by the Fish and Wildlife guys out of the marina.

We decided to drive to Lake Okeechobee and on the way we stopped at a “You – Pick-Em” farm.  We enjoyed walking the fields and looking at the tomatoes, peppers, egg plants, etc.   We wanted to pick jalapeños but they were all picked through so we ended up purchasing pepper that were already picked. We like to save the seeds and grow plants for the summer.

We watched a fishing boat called the “Fort Pierce Lady” come and go during our stay. We decided that we would go along on a fishing trip with them.  It was like “Herd Fishing” the crew herded us like cattle on to the boat and lined us up on either side. It was a nice day, but a bit windy.  We went out to the reef about 5 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.  We were surprised by the number of other fishing boats that were also out there.  The crew dropped anchor and provided us with fishing poles and bait and we dropped our lines over board. It was a bit crowded so we could not move up or down or to the other side of the boat.  The side we were on did not catch anything other than a few bait fish.  There were about 20 fish caught on the other side of the boat.  Even so, it was a nice boat ride and we met a couple nice people on the way. 

We watch the weather closely as our boat moving date approaches. We were suppose to head for Fort Pierce City Marina on January 22 but the winds were going to be 20 mph and above.  We contacted Fort Pierce to see if they could get us in on January 18^th and they said that they could.  We had a great day to move the boat.  It was sunny 78 degrees and low winds.  We invited some new friends (Bob and Erin) along for the 30 mile ride.  They had not been on a cruiser before so it was a special treat. Bob and Erin live near the Erie canal. We hope to see them again this summer. It was a beautiful ride.  There were a number of boaters out taking advantage of the weather.  We got docked by 2:30 PM then time for cocktails! Hello Ft. Pierce!

We had an opportunity to meet up with our good friends and neighbors from Northern Kentucky.  Our buddy Cliff was coming down to look at and possibly purchase an air boat.  They were two hours north so we decided to meet up with him.   Bob and Glenn also made the trip down.  They stayed at our friend, Tommy’s place in Leesburg.  We met them at the location of the air boat and delivered Florida oranges and corn to them.  They brought our mail down to us so it was a good exchange.  Cliff test drove the air boat and the purchase was agreed to.  After 2 plus hours of paperwork to get the title in the correct name, the deal was done!  Look out Ohio River boaters there will be a new boat in town this summer!

During our stay in Stuart, we observed a pair of Osprey’s making a nest on top of a boat across from us. The boat was up for sale and no one was living on it. The broker came and took the nest down and then the very next morning the Osprey’s would begin to make their nest again. We watched this for a couple weeks. The broker then decided to add blue gloves to some string to try to keep the pair off the boat. BUT….it did not work! This was too funny to watch.

We have had a great month in Stuart, FL.  For New Years, we strategically parked the car so that we only had less than a mile to drive and we started at a normal Happy Hour Time so we could celebrate the clock strike on the boat.  It was fun hopping all the different bars and since it was just us two, we could easily get a seat at the bar while others were waiting on tables.

Our neighborhood Tiki – the Deck – was a great place to go for the happy hour and sunset.  We did this a number of times and quickly became “locals”.  We met a couple (Bob and Erin) that live near the Erie Canal where we should be later this year.  We made plans to meet up with them when we pass through.

We went to the Stuart Farmer’s Market and ended up at the Sneaki Tiki for brunch.  This meant $15.00 all you can drink Bloody Mary’s and Mimosa’s.  A local distillery set up a booth for rum tasting. Janis tasted through them all and got to know the pirates in attendance. 

We squeezed in a trip to Gulf Stream and the Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood.  Chris had a comp room which did not end up being a comp in the end (if you know what I mean).  It was a good time. 

Our friend told us about Mrs. Peter’s Fish dip which is sold at a number of resturants in the area. We decided to check out the where it is made. It is just a small store with a number of smokers in the back. The dip is really good and we had to take some back to the boat for appetizers.

Stuart held their boat show right across from where our boat was.  We attended on Friday and went to a couple seminars.  After the seminars, the sponsor was providing free admission tickets for the next day, so we got a couple and returned each day of the show.  Lots of boats to see nothing huge like you see at the Miami boat show but nice.  Janis found a pink motor for her next boat.  It was a fun weekend and we could walk everywhere so no car was needed.

While we waited for the prop to be repaired, we spent time cleaning the boat, hanging out and catching up with friends.

We met up with some boating friends from Pier 99 – they were in their “Land Yacht” and were camping at a campground at the St. Lucie Lock.  

GWe met a great couple (Erin and Chris) on a boat named “Barefeet” they were prepping to head out to the Bahamas. They had spent 4 years on a sailing vessel going around the world.  Very fascinating couple to talk to.  We told them about how we bent our prop and Erin said optimistically “If you have not gone aground, you have not been around!” We like that saying!  Erin and Chris also introduced us to a local Galaxy café that they had been having breakfast.  We visited it again a week later and Janis had the best quiche she has ever tasted.  It was amazing.  Sorry no photos.

During our wait, we had made plans to have new electronics installed.  It took most of the day to get the wiring run and antennas up and working.  We were able to remove a lot of un-needed wires from the previous set up. 

The prop was repaired and painted and was ready to be put back on, so back out of the water we went early on a Thursday morning.  We were glad it was done at that time because the winds were going to kick up to 20mph and Paraiso is like a kite and would be hard to maneuver with one engine.   We were all set and ready to move to our next location once the winds die down.  Thanks River Forest, again.

Sad to leave Fort Myers but we had a weather window before a front with high winds came in so we left a couple days early.  We pushed off at sunrise and headed East towards Stuart, FL. 

Seagulls wished us good luck and followed us for a few miles. We passed a in water based boat wash system that looked like it would be a good idea for on the Ohio River.  Just like a car wash it washed the bottom of your boat.

After two locks and one bridge we arrived at Moore Haven.  This time we went to Anglers Grill and Bar and had the steak.  It was great two huge steaks and we had enough to take home for a second meal.  On the way to dinner we stopped by a marina that is just next to the City Docks.  The owner leases it from the city and charges the same amount for an over night stay.  While there we bought a beer and the owner showed us an old 1957 fishing reel that someone was throwing away.  It still worked and looks pretty cool.

Next morning we pushed off at sunrise and got through the lock first thing.  On our way up the canal to the lake we noticed two airplane diving down and then going up into the sky.  We found out that they were spraying something on the fields around the lake. 

We also saw several air boats coming out of Roland Martins Marina – not sure if it was a tournament or if they were rentals.

Going across the lake was not too bumpy but Boner felt it and did not feel very good. On the other side of the lake, we found the Port Mayaca Lock open and we only had to pass through.  The canal was calm and it was a nice ride. 

We passed the presidential boat again and determined that it was in fact the JFK Presidential Yacht named, Honey Fitz.  It is a classic 93 foot wooden yacht built in 1931 and served presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.  

We arrived at River Forest around lunch time and shortly afterward they pulled the boat out to inspect the prop we damaged and the shaft.  The prop definitely needed to be repaired.  The shaft tested with in specification so that was good news.   They put the boat back into the water so we could stay on the boat while the prop was being repaired. We are here for a few days now.

Tommy and his friends stopped by after they had gone on a cruise to the Bahamas.  It was a short visit, but we had a good time exchanging stories, watching the sunset, and having dinner.

Fort Myers always has something going on during the weekends.  We walked up to see a car show and was impressed with the number of cars that they had on display.

Since we have our car, we decided to check out the American Sand Sculpting Championship.  It was just south of Fort Myers Beach downtown area.  Wow!  What amazing sculptures.  They had food, beverages and music going and an amateur section if you wanted to try your hand at sculpting.  Pretty cool!