Indiantown, Indiantown, and more Indiantown

The good news:  We had the repairs done at Indiantown Marina.

The bad news:  We were there for 27 days.

We returned to Indiantown Marina on April 30^th for the splash and sea trial.  Eric, the yard foreman, and Graeme, the mechanic were as anxious as we were. The boat handled well at cruising RPM.  The real test came when Rusty was asked to bring the RPM to maximum (which is about 2350).  The RPM’s just kept going up.  Graeme was in the engine room and was floored when the temperature reading shot up to 385 degrees.  Something was wrong!  We returned to the marina and as we approached the boat would not go in reverse.  Fortunately by that time we were almost at a stop and close to the dock.  Graeme jumped off with a rope and brought us in.

Eric and Graeme both suspected a problem with the transmission.  Upon inspection they found the clutch plates were warped.  They surmised that the underlying problem happened when we hit the submerged rock(s).  The transmission needed to be rebuilt and that meant another week delay.  We could not face going back to Naples again and decided to stay put.

Things were humming along until a supplier sent the wrong O-ring, and then sent the replacement to the wrong address.  With the work around solution needing a day to set up, we lost three more days.

The sea trial took place on Friday, May 12.  We paid the bill.  And had a wonderful 8 hr. cruise to an anchorage in Fort Pierce, FL.

We want to acknowledge the wonderful care we received at Indiantown Marina.  Eric took care of us from beginning to end, making sure we were informed every step of the way, and liaising with the insurance underwriter.  Yes, we were covered.  Still the deductible was a chunk.  The policy comes up for renewal in September - fingers are crossed!

Now you would think this has all been a bit of a downer.  It was. But isn't that part of life?  The good and then the stuff that grows us.

The entrance to Indiantown Marina - from land

This is the road from the marina leading into town.  We walked this many times. In fact, we became known to the residents.

And in the center of town were...

Indiantown's claim to fame is the Seminole Inn where Wallis Simpson, niece of the owner and future wife to Edward VIII, played hostess to the rich and famous.

The original cypress wood ceilings are still intact.  Just beautiful.

On the second floor of the inn we found painted wall murals with a chronological story of the history of the area.

A few days before we left Indiantown, we discovered a dog friendly beach in Jupiter Beach, FL