Melbourne, Florida to Stuart, Florida

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Island Hopper left the dock at 8:20 AM heading to Stuart, FL. The temperatures were in the low 80's, sunny with some overcast, winds, 20 - 25 East with gusts to 30, seas a rough chop on the ICW. It was a windy and rough day on the waterway. Island Hopper arrived at Sunset Bay Marina (http://www.sunsetbaymarinaandanchorage.com/ ) in Stuart, FL at 2:00 PM. After fueling Island Hopper traveled to the dock. The crew ate dinner aboard.

Sunset Bay Marina

Island Hopper Tied At The Dock

Key Lime Cafe

Great architecture with the old buildings.

Island Hopper will spend two nights in Stuart, due to the high winds.

WEATHER UPDATE...

This Afternoon: E wind around 20 kt, with gusts as high as 30 kt. A slight chance of sprinkles. Seas 1 ft or less.

Tonight: E wind 16 to 19 kt, with gusts as high as 25 kt. A slight chance of sprinkles before 7pm. Seas 1 ft or less.

Monday: ESE wind 17 to 19 kt, with gusts as high as 25 kt. A slight chance of showers. Seas 1 ft or less.Monday Night: E wind 13 to 17 kt, with gusts as high as 25 kt. A slight chance of showers. Seas 1 ft or less.

HISTORY OF STUART, FLORIDA... In the 1700s, several Spanish galleons were shipwrecked in the Martin County area of Florida's Treasure Coast. The multiple wrecks were reportedly the result of a hurricane, and the ships were carrying unknown quantities of gold and silver. Some of this treasure has since been recovered, and its presence resulted in the region's name.

In 1832, pirate Pedro Gilbert who often used a sandbar off the coast as a lure to unsuspecting prey, chased and caught the Mexican, a US merchant ship. Although he attempted to burn the ship and kill the crew, they survived to report the incident, ultimately resulting in the capture and subsequent execution of Gilbert and his crew.The bar from which is lured his intended booty is named "Gilbert's Bar" on nautical charts.

The Treasure Coast area that became Stuart was first settled by non-Native Americans in 1870. In 1875, a United States Lifesaving Station was established on Hutchinson Island, near Stuart. Today, the station is known as Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

From 1893-1895, the area was called Potsdam. This name was chosen by Otto Stypmann, a local landowner originally from Potsdam, Germany. Stypmann, with his brother Ernest, owned the land that would become downtown Stuart. Potsdam was renamed Stuart in 1895, after the establishment of the Florida East Coast Railway, in honor of Homer Hine Stuart, Jr., another local landownder.

When Stuart was incorporated as a town in 1914, it was located in Palm Beach County. In 1925, Stuart was chartered as a city and named the county seat of the newly created Martin County. The city of Stuart is known as the Sailfish Capital of the World, because of the many sailfish found in the ocean off Martin County. From 1871 to 2005 there have been 19 hurricanes that passed through Stuart. This included Hurricanes Wilma, Jeanne and Frances.