Sunday, March 12, 2017

Sunday
3/12/2017

We will be leaving Cooley's Landing City Marina, Ft. Lauderdale, tomorrow.  Before we go just a little  history of the area and a few more pictures.

William Cooley was one of the first American settlers, and a regional leader, in Florida.  In New River (right where we are staying)  Cooley sustained himself as a salvager and farmer, cultivating and milling arrowroot.  Arrowroot is a starch made from the root of the coontie plant.  It was used to make bread dough, wafers and biscuits.  It had a high resistance to spoilage and was favored for use on ships.  Cooley became the first lawman and judge in the settlement, besides being a land appraiser.  Local Indians held him responsible for what they saw as a misjudgment involving the murder of one of their chiefs and attacked the settlement in revenge on January 4, 1836.  The local Seminoles killed his family and the attack, known as the "New River Massacre" caused immediate abandonment of the area by whites.  Cooley was out salvaging a Spanish ship and as a result survived the attach.  


Talked with the owner, he said he made this craft himself...

It runs at about 4mph on just the two solar panels, one on each side...
 

He does have battery back up for it...
The boat starts at 35K

There goes another cruisen Tiki Hut...

Sits pretty good in the water...

He said it doesn't take waves that good...

Cory and Mike at Flippers restaurant for lunch...


Elwood is wearing a St. Patty's day hat during the St Patrick's Day festival, held in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday...

Elwood, open your eyes for the camera... come on...

Our friends, Ms. Bailey and Sanctuary, at Cooley's Marina...

A good size lizard here...