I Moved Today!!!!!!!!!

SHIP'S LOG:

I have really been rooted here in Fort Pierce and I have had no reason to move. But a reason showed up today - I had to get the holding tank pumped out. It didn't entail all that much and the municipal marina is about a mile away but it was an interesting trip.

First of all, I had to get the boat ready to move. All of those things I have been doing almost every morning for the last three moments I suddenly had to think about and make sure they all got down. Nice to be sure for instance that there is lube oil in the engine and the raw water seacock is open. things like that.

Next I had to haul up the anchor which was really fixed in the sand/clay/mud bottom. Not the easiest pull out of the trip by a long shot but after about 15 minutes, she came up. At least it didn't have the "malodorous fragrance" of that mud up in North Carolina!

Next I had to wend my way out from Faber Creek to the ICW. Sounds a simply thing but the channel and the depth sounder were at odds with one another. Luckily, I still had the track I used to get in here on the GPS and so I simply followed it out, even though the soundings made me nervous.

Next was crossing the ICW Channel into the Municipal Marina. I hailed them and found that the channel on the chart was no longer usable. It was a victim of the winter of 2004 and is shoaled badly. They didn't dredge it because it is now loaded with sea grass the favorite munchie of the Manatee and so is as protected as they are. There is a new channel to the marina but according to the GPS/ Chartplotter, it is only between 2 - 4 foot deep. It creates a rather uncomfortable feeling going down a channel where the cart says there is no channel and not a hell of a lot of water either. I took that one really slow but there was really plenty of water.

Got to the marina and got pumped out - free! Bought 25 gallons of diesel - $90.38! and then went right back to Faber Creek and anchored petty much where I have been for the last few days.

It really was strange moving after all this time. I didn't quite feel comfortable or all that confident and yet I only went about a mile and docked( and un-docked) like an old pro. I also have to say that I feel more comfortable on the boat now than I ever have before. Actually, when I am off too long, I feel antsy to get back. Part of it is nautical paranoia - worrying about the boat and whether it is still there and OK, and part is just that it is home now. Perhaps it is just "The Rapture of the Deep!!