Moss – MV Simple Life

As we cruise out of the anchorage in the AM we get a good look at some of the boats anchored. It’s a great wide open anchorage but many of the boats taking up space appear to be derelict rather than actively transiting the ICW.

I don’t believe anyone is actually on this anchored boat

Having traversed the Okeechobee Waterway a few times, I should have checked the water height of Lake O before even starting down the Saint Lucie River. I figured that Hurricane Eta dumped so much rain on the watershed that dumps into Lake O … it would not an issue. I do a quick check of the USACE website and it is 16+ feet. The highest I have ever seen it.

The ICW is a federal waterway so there is lots of debate about weather “No Wake” signs are enforceable. Either way… “Do unto others as you would have done unto you”. I find it rude when I’m in an anchorage and a passing boat does not slow to reduce their wake and items in my salon go-a flying. You will always find a few ICW boaters who turn off their AIS boat name broadcasting as well as mount their dinghy so nobody and read their boat name. After feeling anonymous they blast through “No Wake” areas. You always hear someone from the anchorage attempt to hail them on VHF CH#16 but they never answer. They don’t answer because they know nobody is going to have anything nice to say to them.

As I pass this marina that is full of Fleming Yachts.

I can’t help but think it’s a Fleming dealer?

I just did a quick search of Fleming dealers and low and behold… There is a Burr Yacht Sales Fleming Dealer in Stuart, FL.

I do understand why they have resorted to placing this sign out front of their dealership.

There are many beautiful homes and properties in this area. I’m digging the oversized stork lawn art.

Very quickly you are passing beneath the route 95 bridges that us northerners cross over on our drive to southern Florida.

American Custom Yachts has many beautiful custom yachts and a protected boathouse.

MV Yes.. I think it should have been “Yes, Yes, Yes!”

We arrive at the first lock going west on the Okeechobee Waterway. It’s the Saint Lucie Lock with a 14′ drop.

Stylin in my work Pajamas and lock required life Vest.

Soon a sailboat passes us and I think the captain and crew look really relaxed as they pass.

Sitting on the side deck, feet up on phone

Then after it passes I notice that TowBoatUS has them on a hip tow.

At this point my track looks something like this as we approach Lake O

The weather is beautiful

After crossing Lake O and arriving in Clewiston we must go north around the rim channel to Moore Haven. The natural landscape and birds are something to see in this area.

There are many construction vehicles on the dike. It appears as if they are increasing the height of the dike.

Leg #18 of Winter 04 looked something like this…

We got a lazy start and the boat that was anchored next to us (captured in the photo below taken just after anchoring) was long gone by the time we weighed anchor.

Last night’s view of the sky was amazing. The stars popped like I have never seen. It would seem that being devoid of any extraneous light makes the cosmos seem even larger and us even smaller.

We navigated beneath several bridges.

Ben Sawyer Swing Bridge located at SM 462 along the ICW in Sullivan’s Island South Carolina.

Wappoo Bascule Bridge located at SM 470 along the ICW in South Carolina.

Both of these bridges had about 30′ of vertical clearance so no need to hail the bridge tender for an opening.

We also passed several ADVs (Abandoned or Derelict Vessels) along the way.

NOAA has a website dedicated to helping with ADVs.

Abandoned boats are a problem everywhere. When she is new everyone flocks to see her. When she falls into disrepair, her value can be upside down. The cost to junk an old boat or the salvage fee after an accident or storm only adds to the abandonment problem.

As we sailed into Charlestown, SC, you could see the tall steeple of what I think might be St. Philip’s Church built in 1836.

While the thought of exploring Charleston was buzzing in our heads, we remarked that we could stop on the return trip. There are so many great stops along the ICW but if we stopped at all of them we’ll never make it to Florida.

The moss on the trees reminds you that this is South Carolina and not Rhode Island.

The type of tree that surround this home are everywhere along the shore. Maybe a type of oak tree?

I’m dying to see one of those live oaks that look like something out of a fairytale down here.

We passed many crab boats that would race between the crab pot floats that line the channel. You can always tell the boat up ahead is a crab boat because the birds follow them wherever they go. As the pot is pulled to the surface, the crabs are measured and those to small are discarded back into the sea. The flock of sea birds use this opportunity to nab an easy lunch.

Don’t you just love that man’s best friend is tucked up behind the windshield absorbing whatever warmth from the sun could be found?

Kelly & I got a kick out of seeing this “flats boat” with a man on the back pushing it through the shallows with a push pole. I could only imagine how difficult it must be to balance on that small platform as the boat rocks. We slowed as we passed so our wake would not flick him into the cold water.

As the sun got low in the sky it became clear that I needed to pick which anchorage I was going to drop the hook in tonight. Kelly requests that I research anchorages ahead of time that have strong Verizon cellular signal strength so she can watch the football games using the NFL Mobile app on her iPhone. While cruising we consume cellular data like teenagers stranded at the adult party.

We anchored in a creek called Toogoodoo just in time to watch the Patriots game.

Tag: Moss

Lake Okeechobee

Sunshine Highway