A STRESSFUL MOORING at Vero Beach on the Great Loop (cruising from Stuart)

[@debakey7111]

I think Ollie deserves an award for the best behaved boat dog ever.

[@SchoandJo]

Aww thanks Deb! She is a fantastic travel companion… we are so lucky!

[@tomreid5184]

Just finished this video Your positive attitude makes watching the challenges you face enjoyable. I know it doesn't always seem that way while you're dealing with issued, but your observations after the fact are spot on. I know you can't/won't comment about other sites, but the crew of Mermaid Monster could learn that a positive attitude contributes too a more pleasant viewing by their followers. Enough said.

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks so much Tom! We really appreciate your kind words!

[@AdventuresofAplusK]

Oh my gosh the thought of having to park (is that the correct boating term?) right next to a stranger’s boat is so anxiety inducing! Wow! Way to go!!!

[@SchoandJo]

Park, dock, moor, raft... all very similar haha it was! They were honestly a super nice couple and were fantastic neighbors! We were lucky though because our first foray into rafting we were next to our friends so it was a great experience. This was the just the next step 😁

[@buckpowers4837]

No step for a high stepper. you a adding to your learning curve and all is good. Great video. Enjoy

[@SchoandJo]

Love this phrase Buck! Gonna use it in the future 😁 cheers!

[@carolwestermann5309]

Thanks for the Stuart tour. Good job rafting up with the tug. 👍

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks Carol! ❤️

[@larrybuse6254]

Y’all are fast becoming pros. Your videos are some of the best, very interesting. I remember how much trouble you had with your dinghy motor. Your new electric motor is impressive and there is no telling how many y’all have sold !! Let the good times roll😎

[@SchoandJo]

Haha it's amazing the difference a solid dinghy motor can make 😁 Thanks for watching Larry!

[@frankrice5364]

Great job riding off guys

[@jamesknape2883]

Hey. Thanks guys, you filmed me in my little laser sailboat as you passed by Jensen beach

[@SchoandJo]

Oh so cool!!

[@frankrice5364]

Again another awesome vedio

[@steveandereggen3182]

Lady and Angel say Hi to Ollie. Glad things calmed down and dried up a bit. Good to get a walk break, Ollie loves it. In Alaska, we used to tie up to other boats all the time, great social meetings, dinners, great food and people. That's what boating is all about. I don't know how friendly people are today boating, but people have changed, turned inward here in Hawaii. Take care, Aloha.

[@SchoandJo]

That sounds really cool up in Alaska! Possibly Vero Beach has that sort of vibe, the cruising community is very welcoming and rafting is normal! Thanks for watching - Aloha 😁

[@scimi7994]

Keep smiling guys love your vlogs x

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks so much 😁😁

[@suzanneaydelotte801]

Thanks showing us Stuart…I love cute towns! 🥰 You both seemed so calm when you were doing the tie up to the other boat…great job! I would have been a nervous wreck! 😬

[@SchoandJo]

Haha thanks Suzanne! It was definitely stressful.. would be for anyone 😁 Just gets a little better over time with more and more experience... thanks for watching 😁

[@haroldconnell2973]

Another great video

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks Harold!

[@jacktyler7599]

Nicely done. And those are 'hawsepipes' thru which you passed your lines. One related thought for you to ponder: When handling lines over the water, working the boat, handling the dink and more, are you comfortable keeping your rings on? They will see wear over time you might want to avoid...or kerplunk! Just a thought...

[@SchoandJo]

Oh sweet, thanks for sharing the proper name Jack! We haven't had any sort of issue with rings for the past year and a half but I could see where that could be a problem. I'll ask the admiral 😁

[@SchoandJo]

Spoke to the admiral and she said with her rings they don’t cause any issues! But as always dependent on the situation. Cheers!

[@GoldenAcersMichigan]

Nice job doing the tie up.

[@SchoandJo]

Thank you! One of our more stressful ones because of the stakes!

[@pap91rt50]

Love the laid back commentary and approach to everything.

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks Larry! Hope to show more of the realness in the future! 😁

[@michaelbruder5610]

Great job mooring. 👏 Congrats on how much your skills and confidence have progressed over the past year.

[@SchoandJo]

All that experience adds up but definitely gotta still take each time seriously!! Thanks for the comment!

[@tmac709]

Enjoyed the video.

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks for watching T Mac 🤙

[@karlbass7895]

Another informative, fun and down to earth video. A bit of stress with the wind and a new activity in Vero, but it looks like you did really well. Thank you for sharing! Any chance you can share a screenshot or "mapshot" of the anchorage you used in Stuart near the city dock for future reference? As someone else noted in a previous comment, the holes for lines on the tug are called "hawse holes", sometimes "hawse pipes" and the ones with the "ears" to tie a line onto are known as "hawse cleats", at least that's what I call the ones on my trawler. Stay safe. Hello to Ollie :).

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks Karl!! I’ll try and get you some coordinates later but basically if we anchored slightly NW from the last marker into the historic town dock. It’s all pretty much the same depth all around so you can pick your spot. No protection and there’s wake but can’t beat the closeness to the waterfront district!

[@karlbass7895]

@@SchoandJo Thanks very much! Looking at Navionics and Aqua Map, it looks like it's between 4 & 5 ft (maybe a smidge more) just NW of the R4 marker by the city dock. I draw just under 5 ft so I might be sitting on the bottom at low tide. I suppose I might have to pivot and wait for a little water to get going. Wouldn't be the first time :). Thx again.

[@chenegabfree7617]

You guys do a great job of producing videos just about daily! Great resource to learn about ICW. Thanks! SV Fascination Lyme, CT

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@holgerlafrenz2895]

Great video! Yep, docking and coming alongside are the trickiest, slow and easy as you've well displayed.

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks Holger!

[@DavidHathaway]

Can I say, I really like your intro. The map and location map are terrific. It's the small things, ya know?

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks so much for the compliment David! Cheers!

[@richardbatten7133]

Y’all are doing awesome. I learned those holes are called hawse holes. 😊

[@SchoandJo]

Oh very cool - thanks for sharing the proper name Richard! Cheers!

[@HopeOfJoe]

Great episode guys and great raft-up sequence 🎉 See you next time.✨🌊💨🛥🏝👙🌞✨

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks so much for watching Richard! 💯

[@russgaulke1364]

You guys did great rafting up, especially with the wind.

[@SchoandJo]

Thanks so much Russ! It was a bit stressful, with that beautiful Lord Nelson Victory Tug we wanted to be extra careful 😁

[@beechvflyer]

Brown, brown, run aground… White, white, you just might… Green, green, in between… Blue, blue, go on through!

[@SchoandJo]

Haha right on! Gotta add these to the list 😁

[@karenwallace1567]

Your videos are really well done! Love all the info and the beautiful sights. Love Ollie!

[@SchoandJo]

Aww thanks so much Karen 😁

[@allan8004]

Hi, great content guys, you may consider purchasing some remote head pieces for better communication while docking or anchoring etc, they are often regarded as marriage savers, I enjoy seeing the intercoastal and loop type videos, like " WHAT NOT TO DO" on you tube, bye the way I must say how lovely you are, real down to earth, All the very best from Aus, Al

[@SchoandJo]

Hey Al - thanks for watching! Who knows maybe we will need those one day…

[@veromikes]

I live in Vero Beach.

[@BobEstler]

I have seen more than one shirt with "Sorry for What I Said While Docking the Boat" printed on it.

[@SchoandJo]

Haha yep… one of those days!

[@captainrosie6738]

You made that raft up look easy, goodonya. Was the tug you moored up to a Lord Nelson Victory tug?. What a great tug design. I haven't seen many of them in person but I'd sure like to be able to get on board one. We love our Nordic but the Nelson sure is a head turner.

[@SchoandJo]

Good eye! It was a Lord Nelson Victory Tug - a beautiful boat! Nordic Tugs are awesome as well!

[@ClassXIRoads]

Good video, You both look like your much more relaxed with the boat. Was the crew not on the tug you rafted up to when you were rafting up.? how does it work, you knew which boat you were going to , do they assign you a rafting up boat. I I was moored and came back from the beach and found another boat rafted up to me I would be concerned. No barking commands at the Admiral or you could get a cold shoulder

[@SchoandJo]

💯 on the admiral comment! We called the marina about an hour before they closed and they told us to raft up to the tug and, in case something changed, they gave us a plan b rafting as well. I think its pretty standard to be rafted in the mooring field, most boats just have fenders out at the ready. It would have been so much easier if we had them on board to help but we made do! Thanks for watching James!

[@lesterwicklein717]

awsome ..so did you install solar?. thanks for vids

[@SchoandJo]

Yep! We installed 350W before we departed for the loop in ‘21 and another 350W before we headed South last winter in Maryland!

[@lesterwicklein717]

@@SchoandJo awesome solar technology really getting good..

[@SchoandJo]

For sure! It’s fantastic!!

[@walterdavis4808]

While in Vero Beach check out Captain Chris. He has a boating channel. Be nice to see a calibrations

[@SchoandJo]

Oh cool didn’t realize he was in Vero Beach! Will have to say hi next time 😁

[@LibertyTrawler]

Question: Assume everyone knows in that mooring field that rafting will be required. How did you get sent to that boat?

[@SchoandJo]

Yep, rafting is pretty standard practice there! I think if you are lucky to have your own ball, you mostly set out fenders preemptively! When I called the marina and said we were going to come in after hours, they said no worries, and told us to raft on that ball with the green tug "Kedge". They then gave us a second option in case it didn't work, or someone else snagged it, as a plan B!

[@timbedker3474]

What type of trawler do u own

[@SchoandJo]

Pivot is a 34’ Marine Trader

[@tomreid5184]

Ollie is awesome. He is so agile when riding in/on the dinghy. I'm several vlogs behind but loved how he stayed on the fly bridge during the rain. Katie, my dog, hates being inside my 5th wheel trailer during a storm. She has no trouble being outside even with thunder and lightening. I know it doesn't make sense. Probably just feels confined???? Safe travels.

[@SchoandJo]

I guess that makes sense! Easier to run to safety from outside than being stuck inside 😂 luckily for us, Ollie can be outside in a storm and we don’t have to worry about her leaving the boat, on land I’m sure that would be very different!!

[@billjeffery2419]

if it wasn't for wind ,docking and mooring would be easy

[@SchoandJo]

haha exactly! Wind and current 😁

[@ninehundreddollarluxuryyac5958]

You're going the wrong way! Bahamas is beautiful. The great loop is one body of water after another that is so contaminated you can get sick from swimming in it. Not exaggerating! I was hospitalized and three others died from swimming in the channel between Elliott Key and Sands Key. Its full of bacteria from fertilizer runoff.

[@SchoandJo]

Wow thats terrible to hear what happened to you and your friends! We haven’t done much swimming on the loop to be honest but do enjoy visiting the small towns and locations we’d never go! The Bahamas will be a future adventure that I’m sure we will enjoy too 😁

[@joshuagriffin4375]

I want to see the video of all the yelling and fighting.... how do yall get along so well under all that stress?

[@SchoandJo]

Haha normally we really don't yell or fight... Jenn is the spicy one and I am a bit calmer so we balance out a bit. There will always be stressful situations sometimes (no matter how much experience you have) so we try to communicate well and trust each other - we're definitely not perfect though 😁

[@frankrice5364]

It should be all captains required to HAVE Lic. Might not help but it gave ma a better mind set. KNOWING if I pass to fast and it damages your boat are person I am responsible for the damage Lots of idiots running boats

[@SchoandJo]

It's surprising that not much is required!

[@seadog6351]

Ok Elliot, I'll say this once and then we don't have to go there again: The camera strap attaches to your camera and then goes around your neck. Seriously. Stop that carrying your expensive camera that way.

[@SchoandJo]

We use the peak design camera clips / strap but unfortunately we only have one strap... we do have a clip that we use most of the time, just forgot to bring it today! Its a good system we highly recommend!