The Return North

Cleaning and packing for the trip north.

After weeks of "pausing" our trip in Stuart, Florida, we left for our return north Saturday, March 8, 2014.  In the days preceding our departure we did all the laundry we could, restocked all our groceries--especially the heavy items and dried and canned goods while we could borrow a car from friends--removed all unnecessary packaging to cut down on future waste, filled our propane, water, and fuel tanks, cleaned Evelyn inside and out, went for last walks and bike rides, and said our goodbyes.  We spent our last night in Stuart with our friends Fred and Jamie, whom we'd come to Stuart to visit, and the next morning did a last grocery run for fresh food before slowly beginning our trip north.

We went under the bridges into the St. Lucie for the last time, raised our sails and cut the engine, and caught the breeze for our last sail on the river that we'd spent our winter enjoying.  We sailed out the St. Lucie and through "the Crossroads" that connect the river with Manatee Pocket to the southwest, the ICW north and south, and the St. Lucie inlet to the east.  We had fun navigating the tricky intersection under sail, and then turned north along the ICW...and directly into the wind.  The ICW north was narrow and shoal outside of the small channel, so we dropped our sails soon after and plodded along to Fort Pierce.  There we anchored just as the sun set, and as darkness crept over us, we noticed the flash of high beams from a vacant lot along the shore.

We'd begun out trip back to Maine, and though we'd traveled for six hours we had--by land--not gone that far.  So our first night on-the-go was spent in the company of family, and we rowed ashore to enjoy dinner with Lou's Aunt Margaret and Uncle Ed, the sister of his grandmother Evelyn, for whom our boat is named.  They had managed to find us by stopping at a local marina and asking directions towards where a boat heading north might anchor for the night.  They found us again the next morning as we traveled north, waving farewell from a bridge as we passed beneath it.

With winds from the north we powered upwind all day, for a beautiful, sunny ride up the Indian River.  We passed the many spoil islands that decorate the river, originally created from dredge spoils when the ICW was dug in the 1950s, and now pretty spots covered with trees and bush, each with their own unique atmosphere.  We anchored that night along the River in a spot we had not stopped before--accomplishing on our first two nights and then again the next a goal of our return trip: to explore new stops and anchorages.  While there are anchorages, towns, and cities we hope to visit again, we also want to stop in new places as often as possible.  There is something comforting and reliable about re-visiting a spot--knowing how it is protected, how well it holds your anchor, and how you will enjoy your time there--but there is something equally exciting about spending time in a new place, and becoming familiar with another part of the coast.  One of the goals of our trip is to experience the East Coast and get to know it better, and stopping in new spots is a fun way to become more intimate with the waterways along the way.

Haulover Canal, between the Indian River & Mosquito Lagoon

So we hope to explore new places whenever we can, though the return trip will be shorter and less meandering than the voyage south.  Heading south we had no destination or timeline, but heading north we do--we hope to be back in Maine the first week in May so that we can begin our summer sailing season with the Friendship Sloop Helen Brooks, which Lou will captain again for his fifth year.  That gives us seven or eight weeks to make our way back--ample time to enjoy ourselves, though we will have to keep steady progress north in mind.  About mid-way through we will find ourselves nearby our families, and because we would like to spend about a week visiting them, we will probably try to make faster progress in the early parts of our return north.  Likely we will sometimes skip meandering along the ICW and visiting towns and anchorages at points to make faster runs outside, when weather and distances make it seem more worthwhile to do so.  Our return north will remind us of how it is to travel with a destination in mind, while our trip south was wonderful because it lacked that restriction.

Last night at anchor in Florida

More photos...

Traveling the ICW in Florida

The Haulover Canal, connecting the Indian River to Mosquito Lagoon

Rowing around mangroves.

Changing the masthead bulbs in preparation for any night-time runs.

Previous posts about our time in Stuart...
Farewell to Stuart
Winter Sailing in Stuart

Related Links...
Treasure Coast Sailing Adventures in Stuart, Florida
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