What’s the rush? With only a short 20nm leg ahead of us, we savored the morning laziness on the mooring ball, relishing the tranquility. No fancy breakfast today, just a bowl of extra-rich cereal—simple, but satisfying. We lingered right up to the last minute of our check-out time, casting off just before 11am.
The adventure began almost immediately as we navigated the razor-thin, shallow waters around the mooring field. At low tide, we had mere inches under our keel, and, of course, this was when our depth sounder decided to throw a fit. Blind sailing! It felt like driving a car through the pitch-black night with nothing but a GPS to guide us. But I had confidence—if we made it in yesterday, we should be able to retrace our path out. And just like that, we cleared the shallow zone, just when our timid depth sounder decided to find its courage again.
The day was smooth cruising from there—or as smooth as 22-25 knots of wind on the stern and a narrow, shallow channel allow. The cross-currents made navigation a dance of precision, requiring constant focus not to stray and risk running aground. But the two bridges along the way posed no hurdles, standing tall enough for Koko’s air draft, and the power lines crossing the ICW were so high they barely warranted a glance.
Arriving at Fort Pierce City Marina brought its own challenges. The docking staff was busy assisting another sailboat, leaving us spinning circles outside the marina in strong winds and a stubborn current pushing us quickly towards another bridge. But patience—and a good bit of muscle—paid off. The approach to our assigned T-dock slip was no joke, sandwiched between two glistening luxury motor yachts. Nervous? Oh, absolutely. Damaging Koko—or those yachts—was not on today’s to-do list. With the help of two dockhands, we slid in fine, securing Koko without incident. Relief!
With Koko snug at the dock, we discovered an Aldi nearby—just a 40-minute walk each way. Chocolate and fresh bread beckoned. Out came the shopping trolley, and off we went, wandering through strange neighborhoods to reach our prize. True to form, the trolley was fuller than we’d planned by the time we left. Who knows when the next Aldi stop might come?
Back onboard around 8pm, we crammed our spoils into the fridge and settled in for a well-earned dinner. Nothing fancy, just a quick, delicious meal in Koko’s cockpit, serenaded by floating tiki bars lazily drifting by. Life on the water—a mix of challenges, simplicity, and little joys that make it all worth it.