Where is the Archimedes?

We've been putting in long days behind the helm.  We have experienced a few problems that we have been able to overcome without to much difficulty and keep the ship moving.  This is a shake down cruise and Carter shook the sh!t out of the solar panels today!  The winds had been what I would call blustery for the entire trip so far and the panels held up fine. 

We entered the St. Lucie Lock first thing in the morning on Sunday and all was well.  We raised 14' without any incident and headed up the St. Lucie river. It was very windy but the ditch was calm and we steamed all day to get to the Port Myakka about 3pm. Carter decided it was too late to make passage accross Lake 'O' because he didn't want tp arrive in Clewiston in the dark. The exit channel off the lake is tricky enough in daylight. plus the wind was blowing a gail. We decided to lay over in the Port Myakka basin and cross the lake in the morning. The next morning, according to all the weather reports, we anticipated the winds to die down and the temps to warm up.  Boy were we fooled. 

The lock was open with the water levels the same on both sides so we steamed on thru. Even sheltered by the lock, it seems a little windy but at least the water was calm. However,  we exited the lock to find ourselves in the middle of a hurricane!  Not really a hurricane but some very serious winds and rough waves crashing over the bow.  The panels held up superbly but I can't say the same for me!  This was my first time in rough winds and water this strong and it was an experience I won't soon forget. Radar and I were very scared but we made it through pretty good...even if I do say so myself. Although Radar did hurle his breakfast, poor puppy.

 After about 2 hours of severe weather, it slowly began to ease up.  By the time we got to Clewiston, the weather and the lake were nice and calm,  almost glasslike, and the tempurature warmed up too.  What a day.  We got to The Glades Boat Dock at about 8 pm and dropped anchor for the day.

We are anchoring out at the Glades tonight and put our next arrow on the map.  Carter is pointing to Ft. Myers, where hope to be tomorrow night after a quick stop in LaBelle to say hello to friends and pick up a few things we need.  

Leaving Stuart, Florida

Beginning of the Okeechobee Waterway on the east coast

St. Lucie Lock, one of the many we will go through on the Okeechobee Waterway.

We always get lots of looks from everyone.

Hey!  We're in Florida!  What happened to the heat?  LOL  It's been cold.  I have on a long sleeved shirt, sweat shirt, light weight hoodie with watch cap underneith, my winter coat and gloves.  Temperature here was in the 40's with stiff winds.  I have been to Quebec City and Montreal in the winter time...now those places know cold.  Quebec City was 20 below (with wind chill) when I was there.  But hey, this is Florida and 40's with winds out on the water can be bone chilling cold...and thatt's how it's has been.

                          One of Carter's problems he overcame.  I'm going to let him explain

I'n submitting this one for the Rube Goldburg of the Week Award.

The fuel injector on the #1 cylinder began to leak a while back so I took it apart, tried to reseat the flair better and tightened it up several times. I never did quite fix it as it would periodically begin dripping slowly again, then quit, then start again. It was just a tiny leak when it was leaking so I put a little rag under it and that kept the diesel fuel from going all over the place. Well, since we've been running the diesel pretty hard to get to Fort Walton Beach in time for the Expo, it began leaking profusely. To keep the boat moving that day I rigged a little piece of PVC to channel the drippng fuel into a bucket. It worked and I caught about a half pint of fuel.

I got the leak fixed the next day but I'm keeping the bucket and PVC tube handy. 

I'm a bad doggie Mom.  It never occured to me that poor Radar would get cold and need some kind of sweater or coat.  So  after keeping the mutt wrapped up in a blanket all day, I sat down Sunday evening and sewed him a doggy coat.  This is the pattern I made for it.  I had some left over flannel so I quilted it and covered it with some faux brown leather material I picked up at Wally World.  

 

Radar is now styling and profiling with his quilt lined brown leather bomber jacket!

Sunset Sunday night at Port Myakka Lock where we tied up to a dolphin for the night.

Going through this lock, do you see anything that menacing at the end? I was too busy holding on for dear life once we got into the lake to take any more pictures after that.

Tonights sunset just east of The Glades

 

For my wildlife shot of the day. I got a picture of a jellyfish as we were leaving Stuart. I thought it was pretty cool.