Lake Worth to Vero Beach

On Sunday morning we got up and headed for Stuart, Florida. We had missed this town on our way south, and it had been recommended by many as a cute little place to stop. In order to get there, we had to travel about 25 miles north on the ICW, then turn up the St. Lucie River and follow it about 4 or 5 miles inland. While underway, I checked the guidebooks, and online Active Captain which gives you the opportunity to read other cruisers comments about marinas, anchorages and the best way to get places. Both sources recommended calling for 'local knowledge', because the river is narrow and subject to shoaling (moving of sand with the tides and current). As we neared the St. Lucie Inlet, Greg hailed TowBoatUS and asked them if they had any recommendations for our route. He asked our draft and once he heard sort of chucked and said 'well, for starters, you're going to want to try it at high tide'. He then gave a bit more information about where to favour the red or green side along the way. We checked the tide tables, then our watch and realized that we would be approaching the turn up the river at about exactly LOW tide. We decided to give it a try anyway. Sure enough, as soon as we turned west into the river, the depth immediately went to 8'. We knew this was the deep part of the river, and with the busy boat traffic, decided to carry on to Vero Beach. Within about 20 minutes we saw a manatee beside us in the channel, that was definitely a highlight. Another 30 miles made for a long day, but it was all worth it once we arrived knowing that we had easy access to shopping, good showers and laundry, and a busy mooring field full of interesting people. We rafted up with Sandy and Bill aboard their Hunter 'Southern Belle', and soon after headed ashore for the showers.