N
W
We were due for a night at a marina to get some washing and drying. Plus we had a potential buyer who wanted to meet us and tour Tide Hiker. So we booked a slip at Fort Pierce, about 20 miles north of where the Okeechobee joined the Intracoastal.
It was a crappy day with really strong Easterly winds. We even suffered a bit of canvas damage which was frustrating. We arrived at Fort Pierce on time but they messed me around for 15 minutes, then directed us to a slip way back in a corner off a narrow fairway. I was not prepared to attempt the slip in the conditions, and refused the slip. The dock hand pointed out an alternative but in my opinion it was less accessible. I did not want to scratch Tide Hiker, especially after spending several "boat units" fixing 5 years of dings and scratches. So we declined and departed.
Vero Beach was only 12 NM north and we expected to reserve a mooring ball for $15.00, and Vero Beach is one of my favorite destinations anyway. (They have a very positive attitude. Once when we called them for a ball, they responded that they were full, but if we did not mind rafting up with another boat, they would call around and make it happen, and they did.)
We also called the "interested party" and told them we had changed location. (An extra 10 miles is a hassle for us on the water, but for a car its nothing. The only disadvantage is that we had to launch the dinghy to pick her (yes, her) up. On the other side, I think visiting a boat at anchor is a lot more romantic than at slip. The visit was OK, but obviously not a strong prospect.
No comments:
Post a Comment