That, for me, is amazing progress.
It's also been nice, as this fall has been a cold one. We've had some really chilly days - but today at Peck Lake, just past the St. Lucie inlet, we anchored up and went to the Atlantic shore, which was perhaps 100 yards away over the dunes - and in shorts no less!
Aduana got to chase shorebirds, roll in the sand, dig her way halfway to China, and generally stretch her legs after so much time on the boat. I sat and sipped a beer while looking at the waves roll in, and laughed at Aduana. She's now conked out beside me, one tired little pup!
Now that we're past Stuart, we're starting to see the stereotypical Florida powerboater - we were waked seriously twice today, and it will only get worse as we get south, and powerboater IQs diminish accordingly.
However, there IS sometimes justice. Earlier this week, a boat called Stardust was running the ICW, waking everyone very heavily, including our boat. Worse, according to the women, the guy running the boat was grossly overweight and naked - well, naked except for a captain's cap. Fortunately, I missed seeing that as I was below, cursing the idiot while hanging on as he went by.
So he gets to New Smyrna Beach just after high tide, and gets pulled over by the Coast Guard for excessive speed in a no wake zone. He gets a ticket, and along with it, since the Coast Guard likes to discourage these twits, a very close inspection of safety gear, etc., along with the appropriate comments about how many complaints the guy's boating caused.
Here's where it gets good: after the Coast Guard is done with him, the guy drifts onto a shoal, and the Coast Guard wouldn't tow him off. He had to call for towing, and since the tide was going out (3.5 feet!), he was stuck there for at least 12 hours. Karma does bite, doesn't it?
Now, here's where it gets magical - the following day, Stardust passes all the same boats he passed the day previously, but this time very politely, at slow speed, no wake, and, with a shirt and pants on - oh yes, the Captain's cap also.
Sometimes, you just have to smile!
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| Anchoring at Titusville... |
