We get an early start for our ocean sail along the Gulf Stream to Fort Pierce of 49 miles. The sun is shining bright already but there is a lovely breeze and we enjoy looking at the fabulous houses along the entrance. We see an osprey sat on one of the channel markers before we even get out on to the ocean.
Beautiful houses line the waterway
Osprey surveys the waters from starboard channel marker
We are able to put up full sail for the first time in months and have one of our best sails ever on flat calm waters with a steady breeze and the Gulf Stream in our favour giving us 6-9 knots over ground all the way. The water is literally alive with fish with ripples all over of them breaking the surface and fish sometimes very large clearing the surface in escape from predators. This is also demonstrated by the large number of fishing boats around. We are only about 2 miles offshore and all the smaller ~20-30ft craft are near us and on the horizon Kevin counts 30 plus sports fishing boats out on the ocean shelf contour for the big fish. However, it certainly doesn’t seem to be having any effect of fish numbers. Kevin puts out lines in the water but we only only manage a Spanish mackerel, the lures we have for the small inshore fish are not really designed for this boat speed.
Invincible under full sail at long last
It is not long before Kevin spots the first loggerhead turtle fairly close to the boat and easily identifiable by it’s size being double the size of those we have seen in the Caribbean. Kevin is also the one to spot a large shape break the surface of the water and shouts me to come and see but I am not quick enough. We later work out from various posters in the area that this must be one of the protected Right Whales which breed along this coastline, recognisable from the lack of a dorsal fin. A manta ray then chooses the moment I go back below about an hour later to glide past the slide of the boat as Kevin futilely shouts me to come back on deck. We have never seen such a variety and abundance of life on one trip before and realise how luck the people of Florida are to have the Gulf Stream on their doorsteps.
Arriving at Fort Pierce
We arrived in Fort Pierce early afternoon and took a spot in the anchorage outside the marina and in front of the lifting bridge. We were amused to see Jason another cruiser we met in Riviera Beach moored nearby, though he wasn’t onboard. Fairly soon after anchoring the squall which had been threatening with strong winds and black skies hits so we retire inside for some food. We managed to get an internet connection and decided to check the NASA site for launch updates as our next ocean hop would take us to the Port Canaveral entrance and I was worried by previous reports it might be shut from a couple of days before the launch. I find the website and read the press release about the closures. It seems that the security restrictions started on Tuesday, 4 days before the launch and it is really unclear whether the Port Canaveral entrance (lifting bridge and locks) are operating. The detour if they aren’t is massive, there is also talk of an exclusion zone in the ocean 64 nm out to sea. We decide to call NASA in the morning to confirm and may take the “inside” route up the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) instead to get as close as we can.
Escorted in by Pelicans
Kevin goes out on deck after dark and calls me out, we can hear the distinct sound of something breaking the water and breathing. It sounds like either manatees or dolphins. I hope it is a manatee which I would love to see, such beautiful and innocent looking creatures.
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