Boating with Sunset Delight: Port Mayaca Lock -- Dolphin Tie Up

Depart: Fort Pierce, FL 9:45 / 10:20
Arrive: Port Mayaca Lock 6:00
Distance: 54 NM
Locks: St. Lucie Lock ~20 foot drop

Early morning fishing at Ft. Pierce Marina

Boats, boats, and more boats at Ft. Pierce City Marina

As planned, we visited the Farmers Market before leaving Fort Pierce. I did not need much in the way of vegetables although they had a nice supply, but I did find a vendor with scones so I purchased several of them! Nancy from California lady stopped by and we went together. I asked Clark to come along as the photographer and the package carrier.

Fort Pierce Farmer's Market

2 Sections - Lots of Stalls (food vs. other goods)

Live Music

Handmade Crafts

Mike and Nancy - California Lady

After Nancy and Mike saw us off at the dock, we stopped at the fuel dock for a pump out. As we pulled up to the dock, Clark used the bow thruster which failed. We docked without it, completed our pump out, and prepped to leave the dock. When Clark went to start the starboard engine, it would not start. Apparently our starter battery and one other may also need replacement. Clark managed to start the engines by using the generator.

With it being a Saturday in Florida, we saw a lot more boat traffic than we've been seeing on other days. Most of this traffic was the run about kind. However we did see one interesting vessel - a tug pushing a barge carrying a tug.

Capt Bud (on barge) and Mr. Mike (tow)

I thought one of the speed boats zipping around had an interesting name - Aquaholic.

Sometimes the small craft can be quite annoying. We needed to have the Olde Roosevelt Bridge opened for us. The current was with us and there was no room for more than one vehicle to pass through the bridge at a time, but the small craft kept coming and blocking our passage. We had no chance to progress without running one over. The bridge tender was becoming impatient and called to us to tell us that we should proceed. Clark told him small craft were in the way, and he reminded Clark, as if Clark didn't know, that he had the right of way. I guess we were supposed to plow them under.

Small craft in the way of getting to the bridge opening!

On our trip along the Okeechobee Waterway today, we saw Riverland, went under the I-95 Bridge, and under Florida's Highway.

Riverland, Florida

I-95 Bridge over the Okeechobee Waterway

Because of our late start with the farmer's market and pump out, we started to worry as the day progressed about making our anchorage destination for the night before the sun set. Our timing was poor by about 15 minutes arriving at the St Lucie lock. We had a 30 minute wait before the lock opened and then a 30 minute ride up in the lock. This hour of time spent locking definitely made us worry about our trip.

24 Statute Miles to go to get to the Port Mayaca Lock

When we exited the lock, we passed a trawler with a Gold Looper flag on a boat named Ivanhoe. As we passed each other, we pointed each other's gold Looper flags and waved like crazy. We're always very excited to see other Loopers even those we don't know. Perhaps one day we'll meet the folks on Ivanhoe.

We hoped for clear sailing after we left the lock until we reached our destination for the night, but that was not to be the case. We arrived at the Indiantown railroad bridge surprised to find it closed. Unless the train is coming the bridge is normally open. When Clark called the bridge tender, he told us that a bridge was on its way in about 15 minutes.

Looking into the sun glare waiting for the railroad bridge to open

After waiting what felt like forever, we were dismayed to see that the train was a freight train with three engines. This was very bad news. As I did when I was a child in a car waiting at a railroad crossing, I started counting cars. I counted somewhere around 125. We thought we'd never see the last of it.

Finally! Looking back at the open RR bridge!

Given the late hour and the distance left to travel, Clark decided we should try to get a slip for the night at the Indiantown Marina. He tried calling the office, calling the service desk, and calling via the VHF radio. Late afternoon and no one was home! We kept going.

To make up lost time Clark decided to push the throttles up for a while. This serve two purposes: 1 get us there faster and 2 blow some of the carbon out of the engines. At 2800 RPM we got up on plane and were moving. Of course the major drawback to this mode of operation is fuel consumption. We went from 8 Kts. @ 4.5 gallons per hour to 15 kts. @ 26 gallons per hour.

We did make it to our planned destination at just about sunset. Clark had called ahead to the Port Mayaca lock to request permission to tie up between two dolphins. (The definition of dolphin in this case is a piling used for mooring a boat.) Along the way we captured some end-of-day photos.