Haul-Out Day: Missing Buoys, Dolphins, and a 56,800-Pound Reality Check

 

Leaving Stuart for Fort Pierce felt like the calm after the storm—or maybe the calm before the next one. Either way, Plot Twist was headed for haul-out, and we were determined to arrive on time… 

We eased out onto the ICW and almost immediately found ourselves questioning our choices. Or rather, questioning the missing buoys. For a brief moment, we were pretty sure we were about to make a wrong turn and end up in the inlet instead of the waterway. A little chart-checking, a little staring at the horizon, and a whole lot of please let us be right later, we figured it out and stayed on course.

Crisis one: avoided.

Once we were pointed north, we did what every trawler captain dreams of doing—we went full speed. Yes, that’s laughable by most standards, but for us it meant something magical: we were finally moving over six knots. Turns out not fighting the tide makes a difference. Who knew?

After our dramatic bridge exit from Stuart (see previous post), we were a little on edge. Everyone had warned us that Fort Pierce currents could be brutal. We braced for chaos.

Instead, the voyage was… calm.

The water behaved. Dolphins played alongside us. We even passed a research team out on the water, documenting marine life as we cruised by. It felt like the universe had decided to give us a break.

And then—by some small miracle—we arrived in Fort Pierce on time for our haul-out.

I radioed ahead to ask about our approach, and the man on the other end said he’d let the yard know we were coming. Great. Feeling confident, we eased in.

Except… no one was outside.

I started waving and shouting toward the men on the fuel dock, asking where we should go. One shrugged. Another pointed vaguely. Helpful.

We spotted the lift with its straps open, and Chris did what Chris does best—kept Plot Twist steady and slow while we waited for guidance. Those minutes stretched long. Hair-raising long.

Finally, someone came running out and waved us over to the lift.

Now, let me remind you:
No stern thruster.
Fourteen feet down to the dock from the bow where I stood.
And a travel lift that does not care about your feelings.

But to my absolute delight, Chris maneuvered Plot Twist like a pro. Smooth corrections, steady hands, and somehow—miraculously—we slid right into the lift straps.

The yard crew did their thing, carefully positioning the straps and avoiding the stabilizers, and then… up she went.

Out of the water.
All of her.

The scale read 56,800 pounds.

Yep. She’s a heavy girl.

By the end of the day, we were exhausted but riding high on accomplishment. We grabbed an Uber, raced to pick up our rental car before the office closed, and collapsed at the hotel feeling like we’d survived something big.

Little did we know…

The next morning brought the real surprise. As every boat owner knows, once a boat is out of the water, she starts telling you secrets. Things that didn’t make the survey. Things that were apparently just waiting their turn.

Because there is always something else.

Always.

B.O.A.T.
Break Out Another Thousand.

Stay tuned… because next up is the list. ⚓️😬