Vero post scripts

At one point we counted 53 dinghies at the dinghy dock. 
Last night we had a 45 foot sailboat from New Hampshire on one side and a 34 foot sailboat from Montreal on the other.  The Canadians spoke very, very limited English - we could have used Eileen and Harold as translators.
We got over an inch of rain last night, pretty much the first major rain we've had in several weeks.
And so people up north won't feel so bad, today we had to deal with a wind chill factor of 73 to 76 degrees!

We got a late start this morning (9:30) after taking showers, breaking up our threesome (the rafted boats), getting diesel, and filling the water tanks.  We had strong headwinds yet again, 15 to 20 knots right on the nose.  Originally we planned on a short day, but once we got started and looked at distances to stops up ahead we decided to keep moving.  Some of you might recall the bridge malfunction incident a few days back.  Today's bridge story is even better.  We were approaching a lift bridge that opens on demand - you call them on the radio, and they stop traffic to open the bridge for you.  As we approach a closed bridge we always watch to see when the traffic crossing arms start to come down so we can time our approach.  Today as I'm watching the arms start to come down I see a mini-van that is not slowing down.  Just as I'm thinking to myself the driver is going to beat the barriers and not have to wait for the bridge, WHAM!!  There were bits of the crossing arm flying through the air, just like in the movies.  Then, with perfect timing a cop car pulls up behind the mini-van.  At the same time the bridge tender is on the radio telling us there has been an "accident" and they can't open the bridge until the arms are replaced!  Never mind that the cop car is blocking traffic.  Initially the bridge tender said it would probably be an hour before the repair crew showed up and replaced the crossing arm - Bummer!  After about 30 minutes the bridge operator calls us back and says they are going to try a "test" opening with a flagman stopping traffic.  The "test" worked, and we got through.

Right now we are anchored just off the ICW in the St Lucie River.  The St Lucie River is part of the Okeechobee Waterway which runs through Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast of Florida.  It cuts off lots of time getting to Fort Myers, Florida - if that's where you're going, and you don't have a mast taller than 49 feet.  Though apparently with creative use of barrels of water hung from your boom a 55 foot mast might make it under the bridge!

Another for "Strange and unusual boat" collection.

Typical double and triple boats moored at Vero Beach.

Our $7.50 solution to our leaking dinghy bottom.  The part that leaks is like an
air mattress that would go where the wooden slats are.
We still plan to try to fix the leak if we can, but in the mean time...