Fort Lauderdale Part I

Tuesday, December 17th, after neither one of us had a good night's sleep 💤, we woke up at 7:30 am, which is late for us, especially since we wanted to make the 8:00 am bridge 🌉 opening.  We sprang into action, unhooked the electric ⚡ and water, untied the lines, pulled in the fenders, and made the bridge opening all before having coffee ☕.  The funny thing is the tide was low enough and we didn't need an opening.

Of course, we passed gorgeous homes today bigger and more extravagant than the ones I have previously posted.  I only took a couple of pictures today the first house is for sale for a measly $4.9 and the other had the biggest Trump flag I have seen. We have traveled over 1060 miles on the ICW and have seen about as many "Trump 2020" flags as American flags (just an observation, not a political statement).  The one thing I noticed was a lot of the homes were decorated for Christmas and I thought it would be nice to see at night when everything was lit up.

For sale and recently reduced to $4,995,00

We had to deal with 21 drawbridges 🌉 today. The only good news was they were pretty much timed to open as we arrived at each one by averaging about 7 knots. We have seen a lot of wildlife but today was the first day that we did not see any dolphins 🐬, but as usual we did see plenty of pelicans. As we arrived early at the Atlantic Boulevard Bridge we decided to pull into the Taha Marine Center to fuel up, first time since Hilton head, SC. As Rob was fueling I actually saw my first manatee, sorry no picture. We have been passing sign after sign "Manatee Zone No Wake" and in Vero we saw bubbles, an indication of a manatee, but I had not yet actually seen a manatee until today.

Pelicans

Manatee Zone

Welcome sign at Commercial Blvd. Bridge

Cooley's Landing has been great about keeping in contact.  They had called Rob as they thought we were coming in Monday instead of Tuesday.  When I spoke to James he gave me explicit directions on where our slip was located and informed me the current could be as high as 4 1/2 knots, try to time with slack tide and his lunch is 1:00 pm.  Of course high tide is @ 12:49 pm. What he did not tell me was the traffic that goes up and down the river.  The traffic is dinner cruise boats and mega yachts that need tug boats to maneuver. Thank God we did not encounter one while we were going upriver.

Mega yacht

Jungle Queen Riverboat

To get to Cooley's Landing you have to leave the ICW and go west on the New River and under 4 bridges (part of the 21), one is a railway that is normally open but today, of course, there is a train going by as we arrive.  The New River looks like a canal, but just a little bigger, but there is a lot of traffic. We originally thought we would arrive around 1 but due to all the bridges it was about 2:10 pm and of course the current was pretty strong.  After several attempts we went into the slip bow first. Safely tied and all secured.

On Wednesday Rob called a hand specialist that was provided to us from Rosalyn at Indian River Rehabilitation Center. He called around 9:45 and he was able to get a 10:30 appointment. We raced around to get ready and took an Uber 🚗 to see Robin at Fort Lauderdale Hand ✋ Clinic. Robin was very surprised at the movement Rob had in his fingers and that he was not experiencing any pain.  Robin gave him a hand massage, explained exercises he could perform, and remolded his cast.

Since half the day was gone we decided we might as well do boat work which included doing laundry, inflating the fenders and beginning to secure items for our 2 week absence.  We haven't done laundry since Jacksonville so I had 4 loads of laundry.  This is the first place we did not use coins for laundry -- it required a credit card or apple🍎pay.

So much laundry I needed the cart

We are located in Old Fort Lauderdale which is a quaint little area.  There is Riverwalk, Broward Center for Performing Arts, Museum of Discovery and Science, Historic area, and plenty of restaurants.

Map of area

New River Inn (c.1905)

Today after completing our chores we explored the Museum of Discovery and Science.  Rob attempted flying a paper airplane ✈ and I attempted a simulator plane, both of us crashed and burned ♨. We both were able to see what it felt like to fly, Rob could only use one arm.  We seen the Brink of Extinction in the IMAX theater, foxes, monkeys, and red crabs were saved. Pretty cool museum.

Paper airplane flying attempt 

Simulator airplane

We are flying ✈ home to Maryland tomorrow morning.  Next update will be January 2020.  Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Jupiter and Lantana

Sunday, December 15th we did our first underway with one hand ✋ Captain Rob.  We traveled from Vero Beach to Jupiter.  It was a gorgeous day to be out on the water.

Today we really began noticing the blue waters on our travels, it has been changing constantly and this is the bluest we had seen so far.  Since it was Sunday, traffic was a little busier than we like.  We passed a couple of spots that would have been nice to anchor ⚓ .  Right now we cannot anchor ⚓ or grab a mooring ball, because Rob would not be able to assist me.

Pretty blue water

Too much traffic

Fun place to anchor

Rob's first docking since being injured was at the Blowing Rocks Marina. Of course, the wind 💨 is really blowing and he did great getting into the slip, I however did not do great with the lines 〰.  There was a guy on the dock who took my stern line as I was trying to get the spring line on.  He tied the stern line off and just left.  The wind 💨 was blowing us into the boat next to us. Between Rob and I, we managed not to hit anything and finally got our lines situated. This marina was the most expensive marina we have been to so far and it was the worst. Right on the ICW so we had no protection even in the slip.

The marina was very busy as their amenity (their only amenity) was a popular Tiki bar 🍻. We decided to watch the end of the Redskins game 🏈 on board, shower 🚿 and check out the Tiki bar. As Rob is in the shower there is some commotion out on the dock, a fishing boat has returned and the fish cleaning station is right behind us.  As you can imagine the guys had enjoyed their day of fishing, next thing you know one of the guys is peeing off the finger pier right on the side of our boat.  Rob is now out of the shower and telling me to open the door, I'm like NO he is right there with his zipper down and a stream is flowing. I did open the door once he was finished. I think he was too hammered to even notice me.

At this point it is time to check out the Tiki bar.  They had live music, people everywhere, and cold beers 🍻.  They did not have a liquor license so they only had beer, wine, and spiked seltzers.  After a couple of beers we went back and had dinner on the boat.

 

Our adventure for Monday, December 16th took us under 11 bridges (some we barely cleared without opening), passed people kayaking, a Washington fan, and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse.

 

So we talk and post about the beautiful waterfront homes that we see but today, OMG the yachts that we passed were unbelievable of course we were in West Palm Beach

We went through the Presidential 🇺🇸 Security Zone and right by President Trump's Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach home.

Mar-a-Lago

Our home for this evening is the Loggerhead Marina South Lantana and our slip is on the T-head (end of the dock) right on the ICW, again no protection.  They sent a young man over to assist us with docking, which I really appreciate, he tied off 1 line 〰 and offered us a ride on the golf cart to the office to check in and left.  We said no thank you and we will come over after getting all situated.  We did not realize the office was about 1/4 mile away, finally getting some steps 👣 in.  At this point we decided this marina sucked, our slip is located at The Moorings (condominiums), with nothing in sight including a restroom. After checking in the gentleman told us about the amenities we could use at The Moorings, the slip is now a little more appealing but being on the T-head ensures a night of rocking and banging.

We explored The Moorings, which included a pool 🏊, a hot tub 🛀, restrooms, a gym with showers 🚿, and their clubhouse.  We spent some time in the hot tub before heading back to the boat for showers and dinner.

Billiards 🎱 Anyone?

Gym pic 

Bar in clubhouse

My view of the pool

Jupiter to Lantana

Vero Beach A Nice Place To Break A Bone

Saturday morning, December 7th we left Eau Gallie Yacht Basin and headed to Vero Beach.  It was a beautiful sunny 🌞 day traveling the Indian River and just as most days now we had our dolphin 🐬 escort (just doesn't get old). As I have mentioned in earlier posts we had passed many beautiful homes and they are getting bigger and more extravagant. I'm not sure about you, but I've never come across a stop sign on the water so definitely a first for us.

Stop sign in the river

We called ahead and were able to reserve a mooring ball at Vero Beach City Marina. At times this marina is so busy they place up to 3 boats on one mooring ball.  When we arrived, we found out we would be tying up to Tarka (40ft ).  It was a bit trying to tie up as no one was on board, they had no fenders out (they are supposed to), and their line on the mooring ball was so tight we could not attach our line.  My nerves were completely in a tizzy by the time we finished.

Our niece Brianna (Bri), her husband Zach, and their handsome son Jett live in Vero. They picked us up at the marina and took us on a little sightseeing tour and then we all had dinner at 12A Bouy. Rob and Zach ordered Jack's Miami Vice (mixture of New England clam chowder and conch chowder) which was very delicious as you can see from Jett's picture.

Jett enjoying his Miami Vice

On Sunday we propositioned our dinghy 🚣 at the dinghy dock (for later) and Zach picked us up on his boat.  We had a delightful boat ride to their house and enjoyed watching the Ravens 🏈 and eating burgers. Afterwards Bri dropped us off at Riverside Cafe, where we had the best tuna nachos.

Zach, Bri, Jett, and me

Monday started off really great! Bri took us to Walmart so we could restock our refrigerator (thank you so much and the first of many).  Later we scootered to the Beach ⛱ area, about a mile from the boat.  We explored the area and had a snack at Cravings before going to the beach.  Bri and Jett joined us for some beach time, it was a perfect afternoon.

After leaving the beach we went to Waldo's for an appetizer and a couple of drinks. We met a nice couple from Illinois and Roxy (a local) she was pretty funny. We were only there about an hour before heading back to the boat for dinner.

Waldo's Fish Dip

Now is where the fun begins, about a block from the marina Rob and his scooter go down hard.  It was so sudden and unexpected I almost ran over him.  I got off my scooter and he is on the ground moaning and I'm asking him if he is okay and he just groans. I finally got him up and the scooter out of the middle of the road. At this point he had no clue where we were, how we got there, and what happened.  We were able to walk back to the marina as he is continuing to ask where are we and how did we get there."Did we come by boat?" "Where is the boat?" 😵

I locked the scooters (barely)  and then tried to get an Uber (no clue).  I finally just called Bri (thank you again) she came and picked us up at the marina and took us to the emergency room (ER) 😷. The ER was very busy so not the best time to be there.  I was very concerned and thought for sure he would be spending the night in the hospital. He was pretty beat up, his left hand ✋ and side of his face was all scraped up, along with his right knee and toe.  Three hours later after being diagnosed with a broken finger and no concussion we took an Uber back to the marina.

He looks a little loopy

Once back to the marina we (I) had to get the scooters and Rob into the dinghy 🚣.  It was not an easy task.  Back to the boat and now the scooters and Rob have to get on the swim platform and into the boat without falling overboard.  Everything and everyone safely back on board and we are both exhausted 😳.

Considering the fall he took, Tuesday morning he woke up feeling decent.  We thought for sure he would barely make it out of bed.  Rob made an appointment, amazingly for that afternoon, to see an orthopedic specialist to have a look at his hand. Did I mention it is his left hand and he is left-handed? Also in 55 years he has not had a broken bone. We were trying not to impose on Bri any more than we already had, so we took the Vero Beach free bus to CVS to get prescriptions filled then an Uber to the specialist's office.

The waiting room was pretty full with mostly older people.  His appointment was at two o'clock and the nurse 😷 called him about 20 minutes after our appointment time. This time ex-rays were taken of both hands, the ER only did his left.  His right hand was almost as swollen as the left. The doctor barely looked at his right hand and told him his left hand had two fractures.  The doctor talked about putting on a cast and there was also the option of surgery, more for cosmetic purposes as his pinky will be slightly bent because of the way it was fractured. We explained our situation and he offered to do the surgery on Thursday, wow. He opted not to have the surgery.

Now to get the cast we had to go to another location doctor suggested an Uber but when looked on the map we only had a 10 minute walk, big mistake. First we believe Rob's right toe is also broken, second no sidewalks, and third lots of seniors driving. We went to the Indian River Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation they took him right back and started figuring out how to properly secure his hand while being on a boat.  Rosalyn gave us a list of items to get at a nearby medical supply store and we had an appointment to return on Wednesday.  She also told us it was not safe to walk there. Thankfully again Bri to the rescue.  Bri took us to the medical supply store and then to Zach's business as they were loaning us their extra vehicle.

Rob's medical supplies.

Rob's boat friendly cast

Wednesday December 11th, we woke to a very foggy morning. Back to the hand rehabilitation center.  I really wished I would have gotten a video of Rob getting in and out of the dinghy, pretty comical 😂.  We  were taken right back they removed Rob's cast and attached pads to his hand for electric ⚡ shock  to reduce the swelling.  I really wanted to control the amount of electricity but they wouldn't let me.  After the shock treatment he had 2 different women massaging his hand, he was love n it.  I was given lessons on what I would need to do for the next 5 weeks.  Rob was provided information on contacting a hand specialist in Ft. Lauderdale and the Annapolis area.

Later that evening we met Zach, Bri, and Jett at the Green Marlin for oysters and drinks.  Zach and Bri had us over to their house for a delicious home cooked meal. Her Cesar dressing was amazing, hopefully she will share her recipe so I can add to my on board recipes.

Thursday was a pretty boring day as it rained and I mean poured all day long.  The excitement of the day was me playing nurse 😷 (I'm not very good), having to bail\pump all the water out of the dinghy 🚣(water was above my ankles) and Ravens football.

Since we still had Zach's car on Friday we decided to do some shopping. I picked up new wine glasses from Pier 1 and Rob got us a new charger from Best Buy.  We went to Mr. Manatees for an appetizer before heading to the boat for dinner.

On Saturday we went to the arts and craft fair at Riverside Park. There were some really nice items for sale but we definitely did not have the space for anything.  We left just as the rain started. We also went to the Vero Beach Farmers Market Oceanside, we waited for the rain to stop before exploring the goods.  We bought strawberries, blueberries, green beans, tomatoes, avocado,  corn, cheese, and bread.

Oceanside Farmers Market

Cheese stand

After Rob's nap 💤, he has taken 1 hour naps 😴all week (not normal), we went and spent the afternoon with my sister at her new Vero Beach house.  Later we went to the Kilted Mermaid where we had tuna wontons and the flat bread of the day, dates, blue cheese, caramelized onions, and prosciutto it was so good.  We then went over to Southern Social before calling it a night.

My sister (Brenda) and I

Finally Sunday morning after spending more time than anticipated we left Vero City Beach Marina. It was good that the accident happened in Vero with family to assist and medical services galore. Rob called it "God's Waiting Room.

Leaving Vero Beach City Marina

 

Map Eau Gallie Yacht Basin to Vero Beach