We have been at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart for over a month, spending the first few weeks converting the contents of Seas the Day from cruising mode to condo mode.  We’ve often called our sailboat a “floating condo” because it is very roomy and has the livable space of a small condo.  At the dock we are plugged into shore power which means we are not relying on solar power and/or using the generator as we did while cruising. Showers are longer with unlimited hot water now.  We can use the convection oven, ice maker, lamps, hair dryer, air conditioner, etc. without worrying that we are using up all our stored power.  In fact, we don’t use any of the above appliances when not plugged into shore power.

Last March we had to clean out several areas on the boat so the French workers could convert our propulsion system from hybrid to diesel.  To make more room, we decided to get a small storage unit in Ft. Lauderdale. Since we planned on cruising for a few months before heading north to Stuart, we also stored items we only use while at a dock. Before we left Ft. Lauderdale, we transferred those items to a unit here in Stuart. Once we tied up to the dock at Sunset Bay, we began making trips back and forth to the storage unit as we changed from cruising mode to dock mode.  Next October, we’ll reverse the process, storing items we won’t use in the Bahamas. 

The longer we are here, the more we discover we chose the right marina for us.  Sunset Bay is just a few years old therefore the facilities are clean and in very good repair.  As shown above, we are on a long dock, rather than in a slip.   “A” Dock has slips across from us but the slips are too narrow for our almost 25 ft. width.  There are other long docks inside the slip area, but all spaces are currently taken.  Our part of the marina does not have floating docks, but the inside slips do.  Another advantage of being “inside” is there is less rocking when it is very windy or stormy. 

A few weeks ago we had winds of 35 kts sustained to gusts of 50 kts from the bands of a  tropical storm. This went on for three days. The wind was coming from the southwest pushing us against a pillar on the dock.  We were unable to keep the boat off the side of the dock until the wind died down.  Mark has now made a fender board (photo right) which should eliminate the problem when the wind is from that direction again.  Mark also has to replace part of the rub rail (metal rail just above where the fenders are in the photo) which was damaged during the banging.

Daisy likes it here too.  There are benches to sit on and other dogs to sniff.  While there is no dog park across the street like she had in Charleston, Daisy actually liked the dog park people more than the dogs.  There are lots of admiring people here for our diva dog. 

Most importantly, Daisy has her favorite spots to sleep. When it’s hot, she stretches out in front of an air conditioning blower under the salon table.  She also likes to be in the cockpit where she has a second bed and can see the people and dogs walking down the dock.

The main reason we are in Stuart is because my daughter Jennifer lives a little north of here and visits my ex-mother-in-law frequently. Since we’ve been here, Jennifer has stayed on the boat with us several times. She loves to swim and there is a very nice water park two miles from the marina.  We got season passes and she enjoys swimming laps in the 25 meter pool.  We also like the water slide and a long “lazy river” ride where we float with the current on inner tubes.  Jen was here on the 4th and we didn’t have to go far to enjoy a great fireworks display. They were set off right next to the marina, over the Roosevelt Bridge.  We sat on the roof of the salon and had a perfect view.