Captains Log 01/09/07
Departure Point / Start Time Ft. Pierce, FL 10AM
Arrival Point / End Time Stuart, FL 4PM
Distance Traveled 25NM
This was a quick ICW ride under power alone to the next anchorage in Stuart FL. Coming in around St. Lucie inlet we ran aground for a bit, but in the middle of the channel. Luckily, it was a sandy bottom and strong northern winds floated us off by way of heeling the boat. But our draft is a problem here. Coming down the ICW, we were doing fine. Unfortunately, the Okeechobee River is shallower. Stuart is about 5 NM west on that river. Motoring deep in the river made me nervous. Will we ever get out of this hole? We were constantly reading under 8 feet of water. The channel is not guaranteed for any depth and at any moment we could have gotten into a shallow patch and stuck in the mud. Charts were indicating that some areas are 6 feet deep. Luckily the bottom is muddy and there were no hard groundings all the way in. Getting out of here will depend on the tide, which is only about a foot. Also, if we load up on water, gas and supplies we might sit couple of inches deeper in the water and have a more serious problem getting out of here. But that remains to be seen. In Stuart, we cleared a draw bridge and the anchorage was just behind it. There was plenty of water 10-15 feet in the anchorage. We had to wait couple of days for the mooring to free up. Stuart has plenty of stores and supplies. South Point Anchorage is a nice marina with showers, WIFI, laundry and many friendly cruisers planning their own Bahamas voyage. We ordered some parts and have to wait for them to come in. Then we’ll make our next move which is further down the ICW to LakeWorth/West Palm Beach. That is a commercial inlet and the best place to leave for Bahamas. It also gives us a shortest distance (55NM) and easterly heading for West End/Settlement Point in Bahamas.
Arrival Point / End Time Stuart, FL 4PM
Distance Traveled 25NM
This was a quick ICW ride under power alone to the next anchorage in Stuart FL. Coming in around St. Lucie inlet we ran aground for a bit, but in the middle of the channel. Luckily, it was a sandy bottom and strong northern winds floated us off by way of heeling the boat. But our draft is a problem here. Coming down the ICW, we were doing fine. Unfortunately, the Okeechobee River is shallower. Stuart is about 5 NM west on that river. Motoring deep in the river made me nervous. Will we ever get out of this hole? We were constantly reading under 8 feet of water. The channel is not guaranteed for any depth and at any moment we could have gotten into a shallow patch and stuck in the mud. Charts were indicating that some areas are 6 feet deep. Luckily the bottom is muddy and there were no hard groundings all the way in. Getting out of here will depend on the tide, which is only about a foot. Also, if we load up on water, gas and supplies we might sit couple of inches deeper in the water and have a more serious problem getting out of here. But that remains to be seen. In Stuart, we cleared a draw bridge and the anchorage was just behind it. There was plenty of water 10-15 feet in the anchorage. We had to wait couple of days for the mooring to free up. Stuart has plenty of stores and supplies. South Point Anchorage is a nice marina with showers, WIFI, laundry and many friendly cruisers planning their own Bahamas voyage. We ordered some parts and have to wait for them to come in. Then we’ll make our next move which is further down the ICW to LakeWorth/West Palm Beach. That is a commercial inlet and the best place to leave for Bahamas. It also gives us a shortest distance (55NM) and easterly heading for West End/Settlement Point in Bahamas.
posted by sundowner-cruise at 10:54 AM
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