CHART 5
Sebastian to Ft. Pierce
CHART 6
Stuart Area
Cruising Florida's TREASURE COAST
The Treasure Coast is aptly named - In 1715 a Spanish treasure fleet was blown onto the reefs along the shore by a hurricane, scattering wrecks and their cargoes of gold, silver and artifacts for miles. Even now, beachcombers still find occasional doubloons or pieces of eight after storms.
The coast is said to begin at that point south of Cape Canaveral where " ... the birds begin to outnumber the airplanes ..." We're still cruising the Indian River and we'll pass through more scenic areas with cities and towns like Vero Beach, Fort Pierce (the largest, with its good, all-weather inlet), Stuart and Jupiter. All kinds of boatyards and marinas cater to cruising folks in this area. Stuart is also known for its sportfishing fleet and tournaments and is home to several boat builders. The St. Lucie River is a nice side trip into Stuart and beyond ... to the Okeechobee Waterway. (We'll cross the Okeechobee from the Sun Coast ...)
The St. Lucie Inlet is one to save for calm weather and/or local knowledge. The Loxahatchee River goes off to the northwest from Jupiter, but we'll keep " ... going for the gold ... "