Hot! Hot! Hot!

 Have I mentioned that it's been hot? Everybody says we brought the cooler weather, but we don't think so. If the locals think its cooler, what must it have been like in the weeks prior to our arrival?

The high temps are in the high 80's to 90. With the humidity, the "real feel" is in the high 90s. Today, for example, it was 97!

It's a good thing it goes down to about 84 at night! It does, but I am being facetious. It's really not good, just barely tolerable. The forecast shows a cold front arriving on Thursday. The highs will be 80 or a little above and lows around 68. That will be more to our liking!

Vero Beach!

Vero Beach is one of our favorites places along the waterway. It's very popular with cruisers too. The marina only has a few vacant slips but the mooring field is virtually empty. That'll change within the month when the cruisers arrive. The mooring balls will be full with three boats per ball.

Anna Marie took off for the vegetable market while I stayed behind trying to nurse this sore throat. She returned a couple hours later loaded with fresh veggies and fruit. 

After the victuals were put away, we rode the bus to the boardwalk, discovered that one of our favorite restaurants was no longer there, had lunch in the new establishment that took its place and walked back to the marina. I had been doing exercises to ease the pain of plantar fasciatus and it must be working as this is the first walk in over a year that I had no pain in my heel.

Back at the marina, we talked to Jackie (Sea Otter II) for a while in the captains lounge after which we returned to SUNSHINE. 

While Anna Marie tended to the laundry, I fired up the dinghy motor. It hasn't been started since we were here last Spring sometime. It took six pulls to start it. Most were just getting fuel into the carb. After that, one pull every time.

Depart Stuart Yacht Harbor!

It's 0600 and we're up! We're looking forward to shoving off, but it's dark outside. After a mini bagel and coffee, we began our departure procedures which included starting the engines, unhooking the electrical cord and removing the spider web of dock lines that have held SUNSHINE to the dock for the past six months. 

After a quick check of all the navigation lights, we found that the only ones not working are the steaming and deck lights. Both are in the same fixture, about midway up the mast.

At 0700, we were underway. It was already 85 degrees, the sun was shingling brightly and there was only a wisp of air. We past three scullers out for their morning exercise as we traveled down the St. Lucie River. Just past the Sunset Bay Marina, the Roosevelt Bascule Bridge tender opened without delay. We didn't even have to throttle back.

In just under nine hours of motoring and motor-sailing over calm waters, we were tied up in slip A-14 of the Vero Beach City Marina.

After one week, The yacht broker finally returned my call. Not being able to hear him with the motors running, Anna Marie told him I'd call back after we got settled in at Vero Beach. When I called at 1705, no one answered. The office must be closed for the day. I'll try again tomorrow.

I've had a sore throat for several days. It was really bad today. The throat lozenges aren't helping. If I don't get relief soon, I'll need to seek other remedies.

Final Tasks!

Just three things left to do: 

• Wash the deck
• Pump out
• Finish cable replacement project.

If it's not too hot, I'll see if I can get the nav lights to work. It was HOT! I didn't get to the nav lights.

We're Committed!

We assembled the bicycles this morning. This afternoon we picked up the canvas and reinstalled it on SUNSHINE. In the evening, we rented a car so we could drop the truck and bikes off at the Vero Beach City Marina. We returned to SUNSHINE with the rental car which we will return tomorrow.

We have a full list of tasks to perform tomorrow and, assuming Daigle's Marine completes the cable replacement project as scheduled, we will head for Vero Beach on Friday.

Cables!

We arranged for a Yamaha tech to stop by today to measure the shift, throttle and choke cables that need to be replaced. The rigging company is stopping by to do a final inspection.

This Is Cruising!?!

Just about everything is stowed aboard. The interior of the boat is clean. The canvas is in the repair shop for restitching.