2025 April: Arrive Vero Beach FL

 7 April 2025
Depart: Lake Worth, FL anchorage 8:00
Arrive: Vero Beach FL private dock 3:45
Distance: 65 nm

Clark wanted an early start today and set 8:00 a.m. as the objective. We were underway at 8:01! 

Sunrise at Lake Worth anchorage

Underway heading towards Palm Beach inlet

As we approached the Palm Beach / Lake Worth Inlet to head back out into the ocean, we received a call on the VHF advising us that a container ship was entering the area, so we needed to sit by and wait for the passage to clear. 

Pilot Boat and Tug 
assisting the container ship

Container ship "Safesea Rama" Panama
with tug assisting

Container ship now out of our way

After the container ship passed, we still had a bit more commercial traffic coming through the area that, fortunately, did not block our transit.

"Sea Cypress", Morgan City, LA

Forty minutes after getting underway, we were on the ocean with a view of Palm Beach as we headed for the Fort Pierce inlet.

Palm Beach, FL

Compared to our last ocean voyages, today's waters were relatively calm. Once again we got a push north and saw speeds ranging from 9.5 to 10.5 knots to help speed us to our destination.

We listened to an Audible book to help pass the time. At 1:30, five hours after starting our ocean travel, we entered the Fort Pierce inlet. Unfortunately, we had tide going out and wind blowing in to give us an interesting ride.

I tried to capture the wave action with some pictures.

Buoy bouncing in the waves

Once we got some protection from the sea wall, things calmed down considerably.

Bicyclist on the jetty

End of the jetty

We traveled the Indian River to Vero Beach. A friend with a dock behind his house invites us to stay here as we pass through on our way to / from Marathon. Tying up at the dock was interesting as the wind was forcing us away from the dock and away from the land. As we worked to get the boat tied to the dock, I heard a loud crunch. 

Looking to the cockpit I saw that a piling on the dock had come in contact with our starboard gate / door to the cockpit and forced it open. The latch that holds the door closed had broken off under the force. I opened the door and latched it in that position to get it out of harms way while I continued to work the lines. 

As I struggled with the lines, our friends, Cathy and Franklin, appeared to help us tie up. Phew! After several minutes of adjusting, we finally had the lines where we wanted them and could sit down to chat. Clark later added fender boards and plugged in our electric cable. 

The latch damage looked bad, but Clark found that, although the screws had been ripped out when the pole hit the door, he could screw them back in. It is at least functional for now. Time will tell if it will hold. 

After sitting and talking with Cathy and Franklin in the cockpit of our boat for a while, we all went out to eat at Bonefish Grill and had a lovely dinner together. 

We will be in Vero Beach for a few days as we take care of some boating chores and visit with our friends.