Thwarted!

Lay Day: Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, Florida OWW MM8.0

Weather:   Rain; east wind 15-25 gusts to 30; high 80, low 70

Comment:   Our planned early departure from Stuart was thwarted by wind and rain. We awoke at 0630 and shortly thereafter the showers started. The wind was already whistling in the rigging and the forecast predicted even more rain and wind. We had hoped to leave the mooring field before the wind picked up. Motoring SUNSHINE into the teeth of 20+ knot wind makes for pretty slow going. With only eight miles to the crossroads, we figured we needed reasonable wind (say 15 knots or so) for an hour and one-half before we turned north on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and away from the wind.  If the ESE wind picked up after that, it would just blow us toward Ft. Pierce or maybe even Vero Beach.

After deciding to postpone our departure from Stuart, we rode the marina bus to WalMart. The bus also made stops at Harbor Freight, West Marine, Publix and Nautical but Nice. Our trip took an hour and a half and was followed by a 20 minute walk, lunch and then a one hour walk across the draw bridge that we'll have to ask to open for us tomorrow.

John and Honey invited us over for dinner. We had another delightful evening with them before John took us back to the marina. Thanks, Honey and John!

Tomorrow promises to be a better sailing day. In fact, I'm looking froward to sailing in a 15 knot breeze all the way to Ft. Pierce and, if the wind holds, perhaps all the way to Vero Beach.