Hobe Sound to Vero Beach

A long straight shot from Hobe Sound to Vero Beach.  The water today was smooth, the sky was blue, there was a gentle breeze and we only had a few bridges.  Such a simple day to drive that it gave us a chance to consider some of the legalities of navigating the waterways.  For example: is it legal to park your pontoon boat in the middle of a very narrow channel, or to group several small fishing boats in a place where larger boats will barely fit?  I think it may be legal, but it’s not smart – and you certainly don’t get to be angry when a boat wake rocks you back and forth.

Furthermore, Is it legal to drive your sailboat along the Intra Coastal Waterway stark naked?  The boat is your personal space, but the waterway is public.  Don’t know if this is legal but we did see such a boater today.  I’m pretty sure you get a nice even tan using this method.

One more: if you drive through a manatee zone at high speed, throwing a huge wake, will you get a ticket?  You will if the police boat has to chase you down with lights and siren to get your attention.   Yes, watching all of these things helped us pass the time today.  Let’s be perfectly clear – they were NOT our boat.  Reunion breaks all her own speed records when the incoming tide lifts us up to 9.5 screaming miles per hour.

A tow moving spoil from a dredging operation

We came through a much more rural landscape today except for the cities of Fort Pierce and Vero Beach.  We are at the Vero Beach City Marina tonight and it’s a great spot.  We adjoin a nice city park and there are big trees, sturdy docks and a fine laundry and shower area.  Bob and Martha on Field Trip helped us get the only open slip here and we are docked right next to them.  Tonight we all went out to dinner at the Ocean Grill, overlooking the Atlantic, and ran then some errands since they have a car for a couple of days.  Vero Beach is a nice city with only two high-rise condos.  After those were built all the sitting city council was voted out of office and the citizens passed laws forbidding any future buildings over 4 stories high.  They are working hard to keep from being another big city in the Florida East Coast chain. A local theater, free bus transportation with a bus stop at the marina and a great folder of information about the area move this marina way up our list of favorites.

Pretty houses and boats

Part of the day was very calm, nice reflection