FL: Howard Creek Anchorage to Fort Pierce City Marina

Sunday 3/11/2018

Depart: Howard Creek Anchorage, St. Lucie 10:00

Fuel Stop: Harbortown Marina 1:40

Arrive: Fort Pierce City Marina 2:30

Distance: 31 nm

When we retired at night, the boat was bouncing on the anchor line due to the wind. Around 1:00 a.m. I woke to no sound and no boat movement. I got up to check our surrounding area to be sure we had not gone aground as no boat movement can be a very bad sign! Nope! The wind had died out and left us with total calm for a good night’s rest.

Even with reminders in my calendar I woke at 9:00 this morning thinking it was 8:00 due to the time change.  What a disappointment to be leaving the anchorage at 10:00. I really wish that the time change would be abolished.

On the way to Fort Pierce, we passed through Stuart.

Mega Yacht in Stuart
"Sea Falcon"

Bridge opening - Stuart
3 bridges here with RR bridge in middle!

SUCCESS!
Got that "view down the track" picture Clark likes!

 As we approached Fort Pierce we heard weather warnings of severe lightning storm potential in the Fort Pierce area starting at 2:00 p.m. Clark and I debated whether or not to stop for fuel. It was either now or when we left. Since I wanted to see my friends and I did not want to be tying up lines in a lightning storm, I preferred to go later. Based on looking at Rainy Days radar, Clark preferred to go now. We went now.

Some fuel pumps are incredibly fast and some are as slow as molasses in February. I think the fuel pump at Harbortown Marina is the fastest I have ever experienced. We finished pumping over 250 gallons of diesel fuel in under 20 minutes. That same amount at Keys Fisheries, for example, would have taken us at least an hour.

Given the fueling took so little time, we arrived at the Fort Pierce City Marina in record time. We had a bit of a hiccup connecting to the electric on the dock as the breaker kept tripping. It took Clark three times working with the electric on the boat to get the connection to stay up. Talking to other boaters, we heard that FPCM required them to pass an electrical test before they could dock at the new docks. I suppose just listening to Clark talk proved to the dock hand that he could pass any electrical test they might offer up at the marina.

After we got the electric connected and the lines secured, I wanted to go see my friends on California Lady and Namaste. Clark, on the other hand, struck up a conversation with the couple on the boat docked next to ours. I thought he would never stop talking so I finally just gave up and left him to seek out my friends without waiting for him to checki n and get restroom and gate codes. Armed with the gate code to get back to our boat (the couple Clark talked with told me), I set out to find the folks I wanted to talk to.

I had no clue where Namaste might be docked, but I knew exactly where to find California Lady as we docked near them when in Fort Pierce in November. My brain, however, refused to acknowledge that we had arrived in Fort Pierce. As I tried to get my bearings on where our dock sat compared to where we were in November, I could not figure it out.  Instead of the Fort Pierce dock layout, my brain was convinced we were in St. Petersburg. I felt very disoriented.

Walking past the Tiki Bar towards the FPMC marina office, my brain started to accept that I was in Fort Pierce as things started to look familiar. Eventually it all kicked into place, and I knew where to go to find California Lady. I guess this is what comes of being a nomad. It all blurs together after a while.

I found Mike and Nancy on California Lady, and they invited me onboard to sit and chat. We got caught up briefly and then Nancy walked me over to Jim and Joann’s boat, Namaste.  Joann greeted me with an invitation to her boat-naming ceremony at 5:00 today followed by docktails. The invite surprised me since I thought I had probably missed this big event.

Having never participated in a boat-naming ceremony, Clark and I found the event to be quite interesting. As the ceremony started, Joann admonished the group to treat this ceremony with all due respect to appease the boating gods – Poseidon, Neptune, et al.  Nancy poured wine for the attendees with the exception of Clark who had water and myself who had a glass of Fresca with which to make our toasts.

Master of Ceremony - Joann McFall

"The Thinker" - Jim McFall

Solemn Participants

Dog Participant - Sammy

Before the naming ceremony could begin, we needed to have a “de-naming” ceremony to remove the name Gypsy Spirit from the gods’ directory of boat names.  The previous owners of the boat stood by to watch the de-naming proceedings

Previous Owners of Gypsy Spirit
Jenny and Dan

To remove the soul of Gypsy Spirit from the boat, Jim tossed an "ingot" to the gods bearing the boat’s old name.

Jim with "Gypsy Spirit" ingot

Once the de-naming concluded, we could proceed with the naming ceremony. Joann told us all to, upon signal, raise our glasses, say “Avast”, and drink a toast. She advised us to take small drinks as the ceremony included multiple toasts. Jim held a full bottle of wine in his hand ready to serve the gods their due. To appease the gods, wine must be offered east-to-west, west-to-east, south-to-north, and north-to-south

Offering wine to gods – East to West

Reading of the Ceremony

"Avast!"

After serving wine to honor Poseidon and Neptune, a glass of wine was poured to honor Boreas – the great god of the north wind and winter. As Jim prepared to “fling” wine from the cup, Joann recited, “Oh great Boreas, ruler of the north wind, spare us the scurge of your overwhelming and frigid breath!” After which Jim proceeded to “fling” the wine into the water.

The only problem with flinging wine when at dock in a slip next to other boats is the potential to fling wine all over someone else’s deck. The owners of the neighboring boat peaked out their door for a look at the proceedings to be sure no wine was flung onto their decks.

Preparing to “fling” the wine

Flinging the wine

Even missed the neighbor’s boat!

Having completed the toasting portion of the ceremony, Jim and Joann moved to the stern of their boat while the attendees moved to a nearby dock to get a view of the stern. The next step in the ceremony required the unveiling of the new boat name.

Preparing to unveil the new boat name
(on dinghy bottom)

Boat Name "Namaste Too" unveiled
“ta da” and “Avast”

Zoomed In ...
 Namaste Too

After the “solemn” ceremony (we really tried to be respectful though we failed on occasion), Jim and Joann invited us aboard their boat for docktails. Joann said, “Now the boat feels like it belongs to me!”

Jim, Joann, Sammy (dog), and Mike (California Lady)

Jenny and Dan (Melody in C)

Clark and Sammy

As we enjoyed the lively company onboard Namaste Too, the sun started to set, so Clark took his nightly picture.

Sunset in Fort Pierce, Florida

At 7:30 the party ended, and Clark and I hurried back to our boat for a previously-scheduled Facetime call with our son and his family in Idaho for 8:00. We did not eat dinner until after the call, so we finally sat down to eat around 9:30.