We arrived at Sunset Marina in Stuart fuel dock to pump out and Ed and Sue from Angel Louise were there to meet us 
The marina wasn’t sure they had a mooring ball available for our size boat. By the time we finished the pump out they decided we had our choice of two. We chose the one closer to the marina (shorter dinghy ride). We did a great job catching the mooring ball and getting settled. We were quite proud of ourselves. We dinghied in to register only to discover we had been misled as to the ball we chose. Only the second choice was safe for our size boat. Since it is first come, first serve, we had to hurry back out and change moorings. The wind had picked up in the mean time, but we still managed to catch the ball and get secured. The process goes like this:
1. Set up two lines on the transom (back of the boat) ready to attach to the ball but out of danger of getting caught in the propellers.
2. Put on headphones to talk to each other (VERY important)
3. Locate mooring ball
4. Bob lines up the boat to approach the ball on our starboard (right) side.
5. As the ball disappears from his view I give him directions on staying close to the ball. We have worked out a series of phrases that lets him know which way to turn the boat.
6. When the ball is positioned at our swim step, Bob puts the boat in neutral and I climb down to the swim step.
7. I catch the mooring ball and thread the two lines previously prepared through the eye on top of the ball.
8. Bob comes down from the bridge and takes the two lines and “walks” the boat backwards so the ball is at the bow (front) of the boat. If the wind is too strong (it was) I briefly put the boat in forward or reverse to aid in this maneuver.
9. Once the ball is in position we attach each line to opposite sides of the bow. During this process the wind would blow us too far and I would hurry (not too fast) to the helm and give us a bit of power.
10. It’s such a good feeling when we are successfully attached!
Since the mooring balls are first come, first serve, you don’t want to take a chance on losing it, so if you need to leave for a short while you need to leave something attached to it to show it’s taken. Usually a dinghy or a fender. Here is our dinghy while we made a quick trip to a boat yard to have our engines looked over before heading across to the Bahamas.
She looks so lonely!
Note: Mooring ball versus anchoring. A mooring ball is a buoy attached, usually using chain, to something that won’t move, often a very large block of concrete. The benefit to using a mooring ball is that it keeps your boat in place – no dragging anchor in the middle of the night. Also, more boats can be moored in a given area than can anchor as the moorings are carefully spaced. You do have to pay a daily rental to the owner of the mooring ball, usually $20 to $30 a night, but that is a lot cheaper than a slip in a marina.
The marina had arranged a potluck that night, so after a wonderful visit with Ed and Sue, a quick trip (10 blocks) to the grocery store, whipping up a fruit salad, we had a lovely dinner meeting more new friends.
We both fell into bed that night exhausted!
Sunday is the farmers market here, but we were disappointed to find only 1 fruit/vegetable stand. The rest is all arts/crafts/food. It was still fun. We found a free trolley that will take us nearly anywhere in historic Stuart 7 days a week! No grocery stores on their route, but the marina has a free shuttle twice a week to the grocery store.
We did find this vendor at the market that had a familiar name!
Since we were on a mooring ball, this entitles us to dinghy back and forth at least once if not twice a day. We were as far away from the dinghy dock as possible except for one other ball. Luckily, most days the water was fairly calm and only one really choppy day that we received a lot of bow spray. The best part of the dinghy rides was seeing the dolphins and jumping fish around us. Still no manatees however. The dinghy dock where we “parked” the boat consisted of a U shaped dock that was usually nearly full. We often had to push a few boats apart to squeeze in. The other boaters were very courteous and would leave enough line from their boat to the dock so we could climb onto the dock and tie off, leaving enough line out so another boat could squeeze in!
The marina dockhands have an unusual way of getting around. It’s not unusual to see dockhands at most marinas to use bicycles, but here they have a cross between a Segway and a scooter! It also has an attachment to pull the dock carts behind it. Ingenious!
Our second night the marina hosted a pizza and movie night on their outdoor screen. The movie was a sad one based on the 19 firefighters killed in an Arizona wild fire 4 years ago. The setting was exquisite though.
Our view above the screen.
Here is the pile of pizza boxes after the movie
Ed and Sue have bikes and the marina offers free bikes so we went out a few times together. I’m a little nervous still with the busy streets and learned to walk my bike when I’m uncomfortable. Stuart has lots of great shops and restaurants - the most wonderful marine store that we could easily spend a fortune in, a lovely breakfast restaurant with unusual items (lemon pancakes as well as brisket hash), a Japanese/Chinese buffet that is to die for (the best sushi ever!), and of course fun tourist shops everywhere.
The wild life in Stuart is fun to watch for. These orange headed lizards blend into their environments. Can you find him?
The local Ibis are hoping for a handout for lunch.
We had some incredible sunsets while we were there and our last one came too early as we decided to take the good weather window that popped up and make the crossing to the Bahamas a little earlier than planned.
Farewell Stuart! You are a fun town!
Bahamas – here we come!
Moored at Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, FL – 2/10-2/14/18
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