When we reached the Myakka Lock and the Indiantown railroad bridge, they were both open, just waiting for us, I'm sure. We didn’t even have to tie up in the lock, just zip through. But the St. Lucie Lock was a different story. It’s on restricted opening, due to low water levels in the lake, so we had to wait until 3 p.m., along with a half dozen other boats. Just as we were taking our place in line to proceed into the lock, Tom noticed a fuel slick near the hull, amidships on the starboard side. After a moment of panic, he figured out the reason and put a quick stop to it. Earlier that day he’d shut off the fuel tank on the starboard side in order to equalize it with the port tank. Since no diesel had been coming out, the engine’s fuel return line had filled the starboard tank, it got too full, and started to spill out. I’m glad it happened when it did, not after we were already in the lock. I don’t think the lockmaster would have been too happy with that. Weather alternated between dark clouds with rainsqualls and sunshine. At 2:15 another squall headed our way but it finished dumping on us before I had to go out for the 3:00 opening. I thought I was lucky for not having to stand out in the rain, but just as we eased up to the lock wall, another wet one came along and soaked me. Still, that was much better than a fuel leak!

Wildlife along the Okeechobee Waterway - eagles have made a comeback.

We slipped into our ever-faithful Manatee Pocket anchorage near Stuart just as the sun was setting and thousands of birds made their nightly migration across the sky. The night was so calm it was like we were floating in a pool of oil. When the anchor came up in the morning it looked as if the chain had laid in the mud all night and the boat never moved.

We were halfway expecting a thunderstorm somewhere around the power lines between Stuart and Fort Pierce – it happens every time we come that way – but, miracle of miracles, seas were calm and skies stayed sunny. The Fort Pierce dock master was waiting to take our lines when we got in and all went well. If we’d arrived a day later, after the cold front moved in, we would’ve had to endure a frigid north wind in choppy seas, so we were lucky. It’s good to be back in Fort Pierce where we’ll stay tucked in until spring.