December 7 - 12, 2007

Weather: Each day is a carbon copy of the previous. Highs in the low 80’s, lows in the mid 60’s, winds have had an easterly component (NE, E, SE) @ 10 to 15 knots. On each of the days, we’ve had periods of sun and clouds. We even had a sprinkle on December 8.

Comment: Our daily routine includes daily walks throughout the island, boat chores (we tending to some minor maintenance tasks, cleaning and securing all the outside items or putting them away until we return) visiting with Larry and Sharon (“Lead Free Too”) who have given me a tremendous amount of information about the Bahamas in general and the Exumas in particular (here’s hoping I get to use the info!), and attending happy hours in the Tiki Hut.

We have hired Scott (A-1 Canvas) to build a cockpit enclosure for the boat. It’ll have isinglass and screens. He promises to have it installed by the time we return in January.

One morning, we joined Larry and Sharon (they have a car) for breakfast at Mulligans. Sharon (Lead Free Too) took Ana Marie to the laundramat. It was a great help. Our clothes will be clean and the boat should smell sweeter when we return. We also joined then and a bunch of other people for ribs at a local establishment. It was a great time. The folks at this marina are really friendly and they help with any project. I’m wondering if someone will volunteer go up the mast to fish a new cable for the wind meter! Before I ask, I’ll need to get the cable.

We joined Larry and Sharon (“Lead Free To”), Greg and Leslie (“Amalia” – a shippy looking 1968 steal trawler), Charlie and ????? (Waugh Point – PDQ M/V 34), Ron and Susan (Tanah-Keeta III(PDQ M/V 34) (they also have TK II, a PDQ 36 sail) for sale, and Colin and Ruth (“Cadenza” – a PDQ 36 sailboat), at Park Avenue Bar-B-Q for Rib Night. While docked at Nettles Island Marina, Larry and Sharon do rib night each Monday evening. They’re great about inviting other boaters to join them. We had a grand time. The ribs were spectacular (a full rack for $14.95) and the company was even better! Several folks told Anna Marie that the Exumas were the place to be! I’m hoping that she’ll buy into the idea!

Before leaving the boat for the holidays, I wanted to rig lines on the starboard side to hold the boat off the dock. Because the piling was about 12 feet from the boat, I used the dinghy to get close. After securing the lines, we hauled the dinghy aboard. After an hour, the port side became soft. It hasn’t lost air since we inflated it way back in Deltaville. I’m concerned! We pumped it back up and in an hour, it was soft again. I’m really concerned. We’re on our way out for the evening, so we’ll have to address the problem tomorrow (12/11).

We’ll pick up the rental car ($68 for a one way drop) on Tuesday (the 11th) and use it to go to dinner (Conchy Joe’s) across the river, run some errands and check out the area a bit. We have the car for 24 hours and will drop it off at Fort Lauderdale Airport at 1800 hours. Our flight to Atlantic City is 2030 hours.

NOTE: We had a great meal at Conchy Joe’s. We both enjoyed the house specialty, Grouper Marsala. It was out of this world!

Larry and Sharon are leaving for Detroit on the same day we lave for ACNJ. They’ll be back to the boat before December closes out and they expect to be on their way to the islands by the time we return on January 2. We’ll miss them… they’ve been so helpful. I hope we’ll see them at the PDQ Parking Lot in Elizabethtown Harbor outside of Georgetown, Great Exuma Island.

Speaking of a PDQ parking lot, this marina must be the stateside PDQ parking lot. In addition to SUNSHINE, there are four PDQ Motor Vessels (“Lead Free Too,” “Sno’ Dog,” “Beach Magic,” and "Waugh Point" (arrived Monday, December 9) in the marina. I think they’re all headed to the islands!

This is our final entry until we return on January 2, 2008!

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year to all!

Space Shuttle Launch!?!

Weather: Temp range – 60 – 75 degrees; N wind 10 – 12 knots – cool on the water!

Comment: Our mission is to view the launch of the space shuttle “Atlantis” for mission STS-122, the 24th mission to the international space station. “Atlantis” will deliver the Columbus European Laboratory Module. Lift off will take place on launch pad 39A at 1631 hours.

We rented a car (the marina office also does Avis car rentals ($40.00/day); drove up to Titusville to meet Joe and Dee Fritz. We’re going to have a picnic lunch, watch the shuttle launch and go out to dinner. Some time between 1200 and 1300 hours, our launch viewing neighbors inform us that the launch has been scrubbed. OH NO! After our brief disappointment, we enjoyed our picnic lunch and devised “Plan B.”

We toured the Kennedy Space Center. The bus trip included two stops. At the Saturn V building one cannot only view the huge completely restored Saturn V rocket, but one can attend a spectacular simulated Apollo launch program and a lunar landing simulation. We have seen both before, but they remain spectacular! The Kennedy Space Center is awe-inspiring!

The second stop was the dedicated to the International Space Station. One can “roam” through mock-ups of various modules of the ISS. Most people seemed fascinated by the bathroom facilities and sleeping quarters.

Our final bus driver was quite a character. He knows a lot of facts about the astronauts, various launches and particular fascinating details. He had a most engaging personality.

After a visit to the missile park, we departed the space center and headed off to Cocoa Beach to find a seafood restaurant. Surprisingly, we didn’t find a seafood restaurant is this seaside community. We settled for ribs at Sonny’s Bar-b-que. It was a fun meal.

Joe and Dee took us on a tour of the famous Ron Jon’s and their competitor across the street, the Cocoa Beach Surf Company. Both stores are real surfing stores on steroids. They are huge and sell all kind of beach stuff, surf boards, trinkets, foot wear and clothes. This Ron Jon’s is much larger than the New Jersey store in Ship Bottom.

Our drive back to the marina was uneventful and gave plenty of time for reflection on our space program; the wonders of exploration and the benefits society has reaped. One that stands out in my mind is communications. NASA developed the first world wide communications system so that mission control was able to stay in constant touch with the capsules. It was the start of a communications revolution that is in full swing today!

A Mixed Bag

Weather: A cold front moved through overnight. The temperature ranged from a low of 60 to 77 degrees. It was blustery on the Indian River but we were protected from the westerly wind.

Comment: Today’s activities included:

• Arrangements made to rent a car (The marina office also runs an Avis car rental agency… most convenient) so we can travel about 90 miles north the view the space shuttle launch. I’ve always wanted to experience a rocket launch. This’ll be my chance!
• We cleaned the “Chesapeake Smile” from the hulls of the boat. The brown stains were beginning to look rather unsightly. The boat looks much better. Unfortunately, we were unable to get to the outside of the port hull. We’ll do that when we get back.
• We hauled the dinghy on land so we could put the name “SUNSHINE” on the port side.
• When the dinghy hangs from the davits, it hides the name on the stern of the boat. This way, overtaking boats should be able to read our name and hail us on the radio. We took the opportunity to clean the dinghy a bit and we’ll finish our dinghy project on Friday.
• We had a mini cocktail hour with the crew of “Lead Free Too,” a PDQ 34 motorcat.
• We took an evening stroll around the island to look at the Christmas lights.
• We have spent a few hours catching up on e-mails and checking out some web sites. It’s great to have reliable connectivity!
• We enjoyed a special treat for dinner – cheese ravioli and meatballs, garlic bread and a fresh salad. The grocery store, also located on the marina premises, makes dinners each night. They have a different meal each day of the week. The meals are ready for pick-up after 1630 hours. The food was very good and plentiful.

Nettles Island

Weather: Temp range 70 – 80 degrees.

Comment: We walked around Nettles Island today. The owners' association sports a very nice recreation area that includes a meeting room(s?), library, large pool, hot tub, tennis courts, badminton court, shuffleboard courts, handball court, several bocce ball areas and six horseshoe pits. This in addition to their ocean cabana and very large pool!

Connectivity in the marina is a great treat and we spent several hours catching up on e-mails and checking out some interesting websites (i.e. nasa.gov re: the shuttle launch).

Each day, the boaters (many live aboard and are here for the season) gather daily at the Tiki Hut to enjoy fellowship, drinks and snacks. We joined them today. Everyone seems very friendly and very helpful.

Underway Again!

Weather: Partly Sunny; Temp range 70 – 84 degrees; West wind 10 – 15 knots

Comment: It feels good to be underway again!

We started the morning by catching the 0805 bus out of the marina to take care of some last minute business. Anna Marine went to the Publix for some shopping. I took another bus to take care of other business. We met back at the marina at 1000 hours. After riding the dinghy back to the boat, we stowed some gear, hauled the dinghy up on the davits and got the boat ready to head out in about 30 minutes.

At 1100 hours, after a few squeezes on the primer bulbs, we fired up the engines for the first time in quite a few days. They started easily. Anna Marie dropped the mooring line and we were on our way… to the fuel dock to take on water, pump out the holding tank and settle up with the marina.

We left the fuel dock at 1130 and were on our way to Nettles Island Marina in Jensen Beach, Florida (ICW Mile Mark 979.3). We completed the 30 mile trip in four hours (average speed 7.3 mph). We broke 9 mph for a sustained period of time while motor-sailing in the 10 – 15 knot west wind.

Today’s travel was uneventful. We enjoyed the scenery on both sides of the waterway. It included the usual McMansions and a power plant. There were some natural areas along the way as well. Observed wildlife included Osprey, dolphins, a manatee, fish (they jump clear out of the water around here) and other shore birds.

We received an e-mail from Reflection. They have successfully negotiated the Okeechobee Waterway and are enjoying the West Coast. We may see them next year in Marathon.

We will slowly put the boat to bed for our three week hiatus when we go home for the holidays! The boat will stay here in Nettles island Marina. We fly out of Fort Lauderdale on December 12, 2007.

A Clean Bottom

Weather: The temp made it down to the low 70’s… a good sleeping night! We awoke to a bright blue, sunny sky. It clouded over late in the afternoon.

Comment: The diver we hired to clean the bottom arrived as scheduled at 0800 this morning. He scrapped off a few barnacles and scrubbed off all the grass we were growing. His job was completed in about one hour (His fee was $40.00.)

We spent the remainder of the morning relaxing aboard. Reading was the order of the morning. At 1300, we went ashore to watch the Eagles play the Seattle Seahawks. At half time, we took off through the residential neighborhood and made our way to the beach, We waked up and down the 1/3-mile long boardwalk and returned in time to see the last four minutes of the game. The Eagles lost (again).

We dined on the boat and spent the night reading. Tomorrow, we’ll take our last Vero Beach bus rides for the year. After tending to some business, we’ll depart Vero for points south!

The Vero Beach Christmas Parade

Weather: Overcast and showers all day, even had a thunder shower. Weather cleared by nightfall – the parade and outdoor concert went off without a hitch. Temp range was mid 70’s to low 80’s.

Comment: It was a gray day; the first in a long, long time. We had a fair amount of rain overnight and into the daytime hours. Between the drops, we went ashore several times. We spent time in the cruiser’s lounge and walked around the marina.

We also did a lot of reading today. I completed C.S. Forrester’s “Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies,” and Anna Marie put a good dent in Homer Hickam’s “A Coalwood Story.” On our next visit to a bookstore, we’ll try to find Hickam’s “Sky of Stone,” the final volume in his trilogy about growing up in Coalwood, West Virginia.

The Holiday Season in Florida

As previously mentioned, the Florida Christmas season begins before Halloween. Christmas decorations and carols could be seen and heard in stores in October! Since Thanksgiving, Christmas activities have been in full swing. Blue Spruce tree sales are booming. We can’t imagine how those trees will survive until Christmas in this hot weather. It seems that every other house has a plastic snowman and “Think Snow” signs (as if there’s a chance) can be seen in the stores, on the busses and just about any glass surface. It short, it’s like Christmas at home, except, it is hot (at least comparatively so)!

The warm temps feel like summer. In fact, every time we take a beach walk, we observe people swimming in the ocean. Shorts, bathing suits and tee shirts are the uniforms of the day. If it weren’t for the decorations, we’d have no idea that Christmas was around the corner. To us Northeasterners, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas.

Santa arrived via the parade at Vero’s beachside in full North pole garb. He sported a red velvet suit and cap with the traditional white fur trim. He sat in his chair and listened to the hopes, wishes and desires of children dressed in shorts and tee shirts. At the time, the temperature was in the high seventies. I thought he might have sported a more “tropical” Santa suit, but, other than the temperature, it is like Christmas at home.

The parade was spectacular! Hundreds (if not thousands) of people lined both sides of the two mile parade route. The parade was led by the Vero Beach High School Marching band. The highlight of the parade for us was the troupe of majorettes. The girls were all of three and four years old and marched in two lines in their green uniforms. At the direction of their leader, they marched down the street doing a routine that included various baton positions. There was even some twirling. Cute kids all!

We reflected back on our experiences at Ship Bottom Christmas Parades past. There were crowds, but the cold went right to the bone. Invariably, we’d have to leave before the end of the parade because the kids got too cold to continue watching. After the Vero Beach parade, people just strolled down the street. Some ducked into the stores that remained open until at least 2100 hours, to by a few holiday gifts.

We watched a few of the floats and broke off from the parade to enjoy a pizza at Nino’s. This pizza parlor is just a few steps from the beach and right across the street from Humiston Park, site of the Christmas concert that we would attend after dinner.

The concert was performed by the Vero Beach Charter High School Level VI Jazz Ensemble. We enjoyed a few songs before hoofing it back to the marina.

Both Anna Marie and I agree that it’s hard to have the “Christmas Spirit” in the warm weather. Of course, we’re longing to be with family and friends back home. I suspect it won’t feel like Christmas until we are home. As the song says, “There’s no place like home for the holidays!”

NOTE: Yesterday, we made arrangements to leave the boat at Nettles Island Marina in Jensen Beach, FL for the holidays. We’ll fly home via Spirit Airline, from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to Atlantic City International on December 12. We’ll return to the boat on January 2, 2008!

New Neighbors

Weather: Most of the day was overcast and we had several periods of rain showers; there were periods of bright sunshine to remind us we were still in Paradise; temps ranged from the high 60’s to the mid to high 70’s

Comment: We enjoyed a lazy day today. We spent considerable time ashore, watching the comings and goings of various boats. We also spent some time in the cruisers’ lounge, watching a couple of football games – the NY Giants played the Minnesota Vikings in the early game. The Giants got trounced!

We returned to the boat for dinner and welcomed two new vessels to our mooring ball. As they approached our port side, the crew of “Rum Tum Tiger” a Leopard 40 (catamaran) asked what our hull number was. They had owned PDQ hull number 17, but felt they needed something a bit larger. “Rum Tum Tiger” towers over “SUNSHINE.” She makes our boat look very small! They have been traveling with the Hunter 44 monohull, “Albie II.”

After diner, we went back to the cruiser’s lounge and had an enjoyable evening watching the Eagles play the undefeated Patriots. They Eagles played a great game, but the Pats remained undefeated.

During the day, I just about finished reading “The Coalwood Way” by Homer Hickam, the second in his trilogy about the mining town in West Virginia. I previously read Volume I of the trilogy, “The Rocket Boys: A Memoir,” on which the movie “October Sky” was based. It is one of my all time favorite books and movies.

One of the pleasures of cruising is reading. I don’t take enough time to read when I’m home.

A Dinner Party

Weather: We continue to enjoy very pleasant weather. Temps range from 70 to 78 degrees; the days provide plenty of sunshine, although there are periods when the clouds come out to play. Tonight, we have a 30% chance of showers and thunder showers. As or 2000, only a very brief shower ( a duration of perhaps two minutes) breezed through te anchorage.

Comment: Last night, we heard that the last two or three tables to reach the Thanksgiving Buffet table had slim pickings and no turkey. We were disappointed to hear that realizing that their meal couldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable as ours. We also felt bad, because we didn’t know what to expect or what to bring to the feast. We brought a pie, but it seemed rather insignificant when compared to the culinary efforts others put into their contributions. We learned our lesson and will be better prepared next year.

As it happens, Anna Marie and I like to enjoy the left over Thanksgiving turkey and trimmings throughout the weekend. Our River House feast was most enjoyable, but we certainly didn’t have any leftovers. While shopping last Tuesday, we purchased a three pound turkey breast that would serve as our “leftovers.”

John and Diane (“Duetto”) accepted our invitation and came bearing wine, shrimp and turnips. I had rubbed the turkey with a secret mixture of garlic and rosemary (and other spices) and roasted it on the grill. Anna Marie prepared sweet potato casserole, corn, gravy, stuffing. The meal was served with dinner rolls. It was delightful. We had pleasant conversation with our guests and shared stories about cruising experiences, favorite anchorages and anchoring techniques.

The meal was capped off with angel food cake and fresh strawberries.

John and Diane bid farewell boarded their dinghy and headed back to “Duetto.” Such is cruising; good wine, good food, and above all good friends. We look forward to enjoying John and Diane’s company at other stops along the way and hope to do the same when we reunite with the “Flock.”

Black Friday

Weather: Mostly Sunny, high in the mid 70’s, low in the low 70’s

Comment: Happy Black Friday! That is how the waitress greeted us at the little café by the boardwalk. We seldom eat out, but today we were up for a treat. After morning chores, we took off in the dinghy and made way to the dinghy dock which always seems to be crowded. We pushed our way into an opening and tied off with about a nine foot tether. A long tether is most helpful as it allows the dinghy to be pushed aside to make room for new arrivals. If everyone uses a long tether, it is a simple matter to push other boats out of the way in order to bring the dinghy up to the dock for boarding. Generally speaking, when crew tie up their dinghies on short tethers, it is assumed that they are inexperienced cruisers.

We were in the mood for a long walk today. Our trail led us from the marina to the north end of the boardwalk. Near the north end of the boardwalk, we found this air-conditioned lifeguard station. It is a state of the art unit and superior in everyway compared to the giant lifeguard chairs common on the New Jersey Shore.

We walked the length of the boardwalk and then walked along the beach for about a mile. We exited the beach near the beachside center town and enjoyed a cool beverage at an establishment named the “Working Cow.”

Refreshed, we continued our walk throughout the town and did a little window shopping. These are very upscale shops and many stock unusual items. We actually made a purchase! We bought what can best be described as a hot plate seemingly made of plastic. It would appear that a hot pot would melt the thing, but oh contraire, it stands up to the hottest pot!

Our walk was completed when we arrived back at the marina. We hopped aboard the dinghy and made our way back to the mother ship!

Before we left for our walk, we helped Andrew and Vanessa (“Tally Ho”) cast off from our port side. They are off to Fort Pierce. Their departure marked the official disbanding of the “FLOCK.” Each vessel is off to seek its own adventure. I expect that we will renew acquaintances in Marathon, if not sooner. We waved goodbye and wished Andrew and Vanessa pleasant sailing.

We enjoyed a delicious grilled steak and sautéed broccoli for dinner.

We continue to enjoy pleasant weather and are having a great time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Weather: Sunny and warm; overnight temp 70 daytime high 82 – a beautiful Thanksgiving Day!
Comment: Happy thanksgiving! We’re in Vero Beach to celebrate the holiday. We started the day with morning chores, included running the generator for an hour. Our mooring mate, “Tally Ho,” also ran their generator. Andrew and Vanessa invited us to join them for coffee/tea and we enjoyed talking to them about the day’s festivities and our plans for the next few months. There has been much talk about “jumping” over to the islands.

After our morning beverages, Anna Marie and I prepared to depart for the better part of the day. We rode the dinghy a short distance to the county boat launch area adjacent to the River House, site of the nautical swap and our Thanksgiving feast.

The swap meet consisted of about a half dozen boaters who either set up little tables or placed pieces of material on the ground on which to display their wares. We purchased a few DVD’s for the assortment of nautical equipment and original jewelry that was for sale. During the sale, we met and talked to several more boaters and shared stories of their adventures and ours.

Ray and Pat (“Reflection”) were the first of the flock to arrive and they reserved a table for all of us. We eventually made our way into the river House, found the table and took up our seats. Our Thanksgiving mates were Pat and Ray, Andres and Vanessa (“Tally Ho”), and Joe and Sigi (“Sigi VII”). It was a delightful group. Your already know that Andrew and Vanessa came to the states from Great Brittan 26 years ago. Joe and Sigi came to the states from Germany in about 1960. Our initial conversation was about accents, word pronunciation and differences in language.

The Thanksgiving buffet table was chock full of delectable food. There were several turkeys, hams and a pork roast, mashed potatoes, cheese potatoes, several different presentations of sweet potatoes, including a sweet potato praline soufflé that was out of this world! There were several varieties of stuffing including a cheese, sausage, squash and other goodies, about one dozen different kinds of salads, an assortment of rolls, not to mention an assortment of pies, cakes, cookies, and brownies. Most all of the victuals were homemade.

Our pre-meal conversation was accompanied by several varieties of wine and our table, as did others, toasted to friendship, fair weather, good food, smooth sailing and safe passages.

After grace was said, tables were called to the buffet line in random order. All in all, we counted 14 tables each with about eight people for a total of about 112 boaters.

The meal was as good as it looked and the camaraderie was enjoyed by all! It was a delightful holiday meal. Anna Marie and I enjoyed ourselves immensely, but we thought often of our family and what everyone was doing. We hoped they found the holiday as special and enchanting as we did. We missed them immensely.

After dinner, which was served between 1300 and 1500 hours, we headed back to our boat for some R&R. We were to convene on “Reflection” to bid farewell to Pat and Ray, who planned to slip their mooring ball in the morning. We started the farewell party with our traditional playing of Arlo Gutherie’s “Alice’s Restaurant.” Andrew, Vanessa, Joe and Sigi were not familiar with the piece, but Pat and Ray joined in the choruses.

Just before dusk, the party broke up with well wishes and hopes for future meetings. By 0900 tomorrow, the flock would be dispersed to various ports. We hope to meet after the holidays in Marathon.

A Most Unusual Thanksgiving Tale

It has been said that pictures are worth a thousand words. The situation I am about to describe is just such a case (look for more photos in the november 2007 file).

Late on Wednesday, November 21, 2007, a sailboat entered the harbor. This was no ordinary sailboat. It sported a long, shiny black hull that sparkled in the fading sun. Hanging from its eighty foot tall mast were two large yellow balls.

We had heard rumors that a sailboat with an eighty foot tall mast was navigating the Intracoastal Waterway. Knowing that the waterway’s fixed bridges provided a clearance of only sixty-five feet, we thought it incredible that a skipper would take on such a challenge. Still, here, entering the harbor was a boat with a mast that appeared to be all of eighty feet tall!

On Thanksgiving morn, Andrew approached the vessel and found a most gregarious skipper who informed him that the boat would soon be leaving the harbor and passing under the adjacent bridge. He would get to see the spectacle if he wanted.

Upon hearing the report from Andrew, Anna Marie and I jumped into the dinghy and proceeded to the far side of the bridge with camera in hand. Sure enough, the vessel appeared and began the process of canting the boat in order that it fit under the bridge.

Somehow, the large yellow balls swung out to one side to the vessel. As the tethers were let out, the balls gently moved further from the boat until the grazed the water’s surface. At this point, the boat was heeled over to an angle of about thirty degrees off of its vertical position. It fit under the bridge with perhaps about five feet of clearance. The process was so smooth and efficient, that it wasn’t hard to imagine that the crew had perfected the procedure and have repeated it frequently. Once on the other side of the bridge, the balls were hauled in and up; the boat was once again vertical and steamed to the next bridge, less than a quarter mile distant, where it would repeat the process once again!

It was a most incredible sight!

Boat Repairs

Weather: It sounded as though we had a shower or two last night, but the decks were dry when we got up at 0730. The day started out very overcast, and there were showers on the mainland, but none here in the marina. The sky cleared by 1200 and we basked in the bright sunshine and 80 plus degree temperature.

Comment: We were up at 0730, had pancakes for breakfast and made it to the bus stop at 0900. We took bus route 1 to the mainland and transferred to bus 2 for a trip to the super WalMart. We purchased some supplies, among them spare fuses (mini 5A’s) for the refrigeration cooling pump/fan. For some reason, the fuse blew. We bought ice yesterday because we shut the refer down until we could get the cooling apparatus working today.

We were back to the boat by 1200 and after a brief lunch, set about repairing the refer and the water heater. After running a few tests, we found that the refer cooling water pump was the culprit. Apparently it has developed a short which blew the fuse. I disconnected the pump, allowing the refer to be cooled by the internal fan. We’ll order a new pump and install it when we return after the holidays.

The water heater was problematic. There’s not much to go wrong with it and certainly not much to repair. After checking the propane line and joints, it looked like we might need to call in a professional. Andrew and I discussed the problem and he asked about the solenoid. I only checked the wires to the switch. While talking to him, I checked the solenoid itself and found that both the positive and negative wires had become dislodged. After crimping them and reconnecting, the water heater problem was solved. We toasted Andrew with frozen Margaritas!

Anna Marie and I rode the dinghy back to the marina to check out the cruiser’s lounge and to visit with our friends. They are leaving tomorrow and we wanted to be sure to say good bye. Problem is, they aren’t home. We’ll check back later.

We rode over to tell “Reflection” that we are going to try the theater tomorrow. They’re interested in attending the show as is the crew of “Tally Ho.” “Duetto” motored by in their dinghy and said they were interested and that they were hosting a cocktail party tomorrow. After a full day, we returned to “SUNSHINE” for dinner and some down time. We talked to “Tally Ho” for a bit and among the four of us, we have plenty of detail questions about the Thanksgiving bash. We'll try to get answers to our questions tomorrow.

Vero Beach

Weather: Temperature range 66 to 82 degrees; overcast in the morning giving way to partly sunny and then mostly sunny by afternoon; winds were out of the north @ five knots the ICW waters were flat calm.

Comment:
This is a great day for traveling. The overcast sky means that we won’t be looking directly into the golden path of the morning sun. At this time of the year, it’s always nice to leave a bit later. It gives the sun a chance to get higher in the sky which is easier on our eyes. Today, we broke our raft with “Tally Ho” and were underway 0800. We rafted for the first time in a very long time; our last time was probably a decade and a half ago when we used to tie our Tanzer 26 “Sea Quester” to the stern of George and Pat Henkel’s Tartan 27, “Goose I.” We had great times exploring Barnegat Bay in those days.

Speaking of Pat and George, we are looking forward to spending some time with them. They winter in a campground in Sebastian, a mainland community not too far from Vero Beach.

There were plenty of dolphins playing in the Indian River today. We probably saw hundreds of them over the course of our 39 mile run. We also saw five sky divers and shortly after they landed, we heard a frantic call that one had landed in the water just off of Hiram’s Marina. We kept a close watch, but didn’t see anyone. After about ten minutes, a happy sky diver reported that the errant diver was found.

We also made radio contact with friends aboard "Hielan' Lass II." I worked with the Captain John for twenty years and we have shared many sailing adventures. It was great to hear him and we’re happy to hear that he and his wife are doing the trip. It’s pretty impressive because John is still gainfully employed on a full time basis. With judicious use of accumulated vacation time and holidays, they are able to do the trip in segments with some trips back to the job in PA.

We pulled into the mooring field at Vero Beach at 1340 hours. We were promptly notified of a gam and cocktail party planned for 1630 hours on the marina grounds. We met some interesting characters to be sure. Many of these folks are heavy duty cruisers, some full timers, who have done the islands frequently. I talked to more than one about the trip. I’m getting increasingly interested in making the trip, but Anna Marie is still hesitant.

We bid a fond farewell to Larry and Fran (“Kallista”). They will leave the marina at 0900 and will reach Fort Pierce, their final destination tomorrow afternoon. It was a sad farewell. They are the second of the “Flock” to leave. Dave, of “Canvasback Too” stayed behind in Oriental. I think we all thought that he would catch up, but we last heard that he was in Brunswick, GA for a few days. We all wished Larry and Fran safe travels and hope they enjoy the holiday season with their family. We will miss them!

We returned to the boat just in time to view a beautiful sunset and relax in the cockpit for a while. Tomorrow, we'll tend to some boat chores.

Dragon Point

Weather: Not nearly as cool as predicted! Temp range 60 – 77 degrees; North wind @ 5 clocked to east and then southeast and built to 10 knots; skies were clear and bright, a few clouds developed along the ocean in the afternoon.

Comment: We sailed for almost two hours today! We haven’t had the main up and the engines off since the Chesapeake! Our speed ranged from about 3 to 6.3 mph in the light winds and puffs. This section of the Indian River has depths of ten feet outside of the marked ICW channel. As the wind clocked to the southeast, the river was deep enough to allow us to take several tacks across the channel.

We anchored at Dragon Point, where the Banana River dumps into the Indian River. the "Dragon" from which Dragon Point got its name has gone into ruins. I found a photo of the "Dragon" in its former glory.

Friends in the PDQ power cat “Duetto” caught up with us today. We first met them on our Catboat Adventure aboard “Fodder’s Cat.” They left Connecticut on or about October 1 and had a lengthy side trip to Washington, DC.

We hosted another cocktail party and the crew of “Duetto,” John and Diane, joined the “Flock” aboard “Sunshine.” It was great to see John and Diane again and hear about their travels. They gave interested crew of the “Flock” tips on doing the Bahamas.

Tomorrow, everybody will arrive at Vero Beach and all but “Kallista” will enjoy an extended stay. “Kallista” will be off for Fort Pierce where they lay up for the winter.

Happy Birthday Fran!

Weather: Cold (high 40’s to low 60’s); Blustery 20 knot winds out of the North clocking to the NE in the afternoon; sunny

Comment:
Our plan was to slip our lines between 1100 to 1200 hours. Ray stopped by to tell us he decided to stay and that Pat had already baked Fran a birthday cake. Happy 39th (perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned her age) Fran!!! A celebration was planned for 1600 hours.

Party… there’s going to be a party? We’ll just have to stay to join the “Flock” in wishing Fran a happy birthday. A fine affair it was with a delicious cake and fresh, homemade whipped cream.

Before the party, Anna Marie and I went for a walk. We talked to the neighboring marina about the possibility of leaving our boat on the hard, doing some bottom painting and having some canvas work done. Their fees seem to be among the most reasonable in the area. We also met fellow PDQ’er Don Wilson aboard “Next Exit.” He shared some information about the marina and tried to talk Anna Marie into sailing to the Bahamas. Maybe next year!

We even found time to clean our living quarters, and sand and varnish the outside teak.

We’re hoping for a quiet night. The 20 knot northerly has clocked around to the northeast and we are pinned to a lee dock. The large inflatable fender is doing the trick, but we’re hoping the wind will lie down as forecast.

New Smyrna Beach

Weather: Bright sunshine; East @ 12 knots; temp mid 60’s to max of 73 degrees

Comment:
The Daytona Beach anchorage was exposed to the wind and chop on the ICW. Fortunately, the fifteen know winds, only caused a gentle rocking motion. We slept well.


The day dawned bright with the promise of an easy trip to New Smyrna Beach Municipal Marina. We motor sailed in 15 knot northerlies and enjoyed the scenery. As we passed under the Denaughton Bridge, we observed mangroves for the first time along the waterway. Shortly thereafter, we passed the Ponce De Leon Lighthouse.


We pulled into the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Marina. The $1.25/foot charge is reasonable by Florida standards. The marina itself provided an excellent floating dock and it is the first time of the trip that we are assigned an actual slip. The facilities were neat and clean. The marina is on the small side, but it is nice and provided easy access to the quaint little town.


Speaking of the town, we took a quick walk and stopped into the drug store complete with a lunch counter and soda fountain. We sipped sarsaparillas and returned to the boat to await the Fritz’s. We’ll be visiting with Joe and Dee for a couple of days.

We were whisked away by our hosts at the appointed hour we toured the area and had a great lunch at Norwood’s Restaurant. The ambiance is a bit of lodge meets shore, with plenty of rough wood and huge window walls. The service and food are excellent.

The New Smyrna Beach area is fantastic! Not only is there a mainland village, there is a beachside village as well. Both provide nice areas for strolling along the main drag and window shopping. The ocean beach is suitable for walking, biking and driving a car. Cape Canaveral National Seashore is a short drive away and provides boating access and wildlife outlooks and trails. We were fortunate to see several varietes of Herons, a couple of aligators, and a pair of Roseate Spoonbills.

We enjoyed a great visit with Joe, Dee and daughter Erica, a terrific young lady. We had a great time sharing stories and experiences. In fact, we so enjoyed our discussions, we forgot to go to bed! It was a fantastic visit. Thanks, Joe, Dee and Erica! We hope they will be able to join us for a few days on the boat!

Southbound Manatees

Weather: Temperature range – 68 – 73 degrees; sunny skies; southeast winds 5 – 10 to about 12 knots at the anchorage; smooth seas.

Comment:
We are underway at 0730 after a pleasant evening. Despite the very strong current, “SUNSHINE” was well behaved in the anchorage, even though the wind picked up in the wee early morning hours.

The highlight of the day occurred at 0908 hours, when we observed four manatees working their way south in the ICW! Our on board gauge measured the water temperature at 67 degrees Fahrenheit, probably a bit cold for them. We hope they get south quickly!

We estimated their speed to be about three miles per hour. We radioed the boats behind us to keep a sharp eye out for them. We were doing about 6 mph and it was easy to see the manatees from about one-half mile out. All the cruisers we observed kept their distance and crept by at idle speed. One motor yacht wanted to know the manatees’ exact position and, after receiving the coordinates, realized he was three mile past them. I guess they're not so obvious when you’re cruising along at 15 knots. I can’t imagine how any gnats (our nickname for small speed boats) traveling at speeds in excess of 25 mph could see them. It’s no wonder manatees get prop scars!

We see dolphins regularly throughout the day. This morning, several graced us with a performance right out of Marineland! They jumped clear out of the water on several occasions and spouted and snorted with impunity. It was quite a morning show.

We dropped the hook in Daytona Beach for the evening. We relaxed with cocktails, enjoyed burgers straight off the barbie, and had a very relaxing evening. After sundown, the wind picked up as it has for the last week or so. I expect we’ll see a steady 15 to 20 knots before dawn.

Fort Matanzas

Weather: Winds were 10 -15 knots out of the west; we enjoyed another bright, sunny day although some clouds arrived late in the afternoon; the temp range was 63 – 70 degrees; compared to the past few days, it felt marginally warmer.

Comment:
We awoke early and had chores on our minds. Anna Marie was off to the grocery store by 0750 while I began a project to make a temporarily lock down for the port engine. This repair will allow us to use the port engine in reverse, something we haven’t been able to do for a couple of weeks.

After piecing together a few pipe clamps, a couple of shackles, a short length of chain and a ratchet tie down, the repair was complete and the initial test was deemed a success. I met Anna Marie in the parking lot and together, we loaded the groceries on the boat. After morning showers, we bid farewell to Andrew and Vanessa (“Tally Ho”) who help us shove off.

We exited the marina without fuss and motored down Oyster Creek. We had a busy and very enjoyable one night stay in St. Augustine. Once out in the Matanzas River, we unrolled the jib and headed south. We rolled up to pass through the Crescent Beach Bascule Bridge in the company of another sail boat (Sans Souci out of Norfolk).

We had the hook down about one hundred yards off the old Spanish fort by 1200 noon. This is another anchorage with strong currents. Fortunately, the wind and the current were on the nose; “SUNSHINE” lay at anchor with hardly any motion.

We launched the dinghy and landed on the beach next to the National Park Service Dock. We watched a movie about the area and the fort and then boarded the ferry for a tour of the old fort. The interpreter was excellent! He was extremely knowledgeable and was a great storyteller!

HISTORY LESSON… HISTORY LESSON

Matanzas Inlet was the scene of crucial events in Spanish colonial history. The massacre of French soldiers here in 1565 was Spain’s opening move in establishing a colony in Florida. The construction
of Fort Matanzas in 1740-42 was Spain’s last effort to ward off British encroachments on St. Augustine. The fort was built to guard St. Augustine from a “back door” attack.

Soldiers were rotated from St. Augustine for one-month duty tours, the normal complement being the cabo (officer-in-charge), four infantrymen, and two gunners. More could be assigned to this remote outpost when international tensions increased, up to the planned maximum of 50 during a crisis. The soldiers lived and ate together in a sparsely-furnished room off the gundeck; the officer lived in the vaulted room above.

The fort could bring five guns to bear on the inlet: four six-pounders and one eighteen pounder. All of the guns could reach the inlet, which in 1742 was less than a half-mile away. Loopholes in the south wall of the tower allowed infantrymen to fire their muskets from inside the fort. Besides warning St. Augustine of enemy vessels and driving them off if necessary, the fort also served as a rest stop, coast guard station, and a place where vessels heading for St. Augustine could get advice on navigating the river. Its primary mission, though, was maintaining control of Matanzas Inlet. After thwarting British attempts to gain the inlet in 1742, the fort never again fired its guns in battle.

On a couple of occasions, our trip has been punctuated by sadness and loss. We have come to learn that seperation from family and friends can be difficult. Our best friend lost his mother and another friend lost her husband. We were unable to secure arrangements to be by their sides to offer support during their times of need. We offer the following words in the hopes that they may provide some small measure of comfort.

I am standing on the seashore; a ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, “There! She’s gone!” Gone where? Gone from my sight — that is all. She’s just as large in mast and hull as she was when she left my side and is just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her; and just at the moment when someone at my side says, “There! She’s gone!”, there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes!”

Good bye from Fort Matanzas.

St. Augustine, FL

Weather: Still cool, but much better than yesterday! Temp range 61 – 70 degree; North winds started @ 10 but built to 15 – 20 knots by late morning; It was another bright sunny day in the Land of Sunshine!

Comment:
We are on a milk run today. We departed the anchorage at 0815 and arrived at the Oyster Creek Marina on the San Sebastian River in St. Augustine, FL at 1125. We enjoyed another day of motor sailing. The wind was behind us once again, and our rather short distance of travel gave us the opportunity to let the engines to loaf a bit; the sail did most of the work until we reached the St. Augustine inlet. We rolled the jib up so we'd have a better view of the buoys marking the ICW, the inlet and the Salt Run.

Once past the inlet, we goosed the engine rpm’s to allow us to make the 1030 opening of the temporary “Bridge of Lyons” lift bridge. We only made it because a large motoryacht was headed north. He had a considerable current pushing him along so it was a quick passage. Quick as it was, it bought us just enough time to get in position for our passage through before the bridge closed.

The trip up the San Sebastion River was picturesque. Of note, we passed the Mainship/Luhrs Factory.

Once we were securely tied up, we walked to the old city where we took in the sights, sat for a few minutes on a park bench, sipped a sarsaparilla and browsed a used bookstore. As luck would have it, they had Morrison’s “Admiral of the Ocean Sea.” I’ve been reading v II during the trip, but I didn’t have v I. Now the story will be complete. We picked up a coule of others books including one of the Hornblower series by C.S. Forrester.

We stopped at a liquor store and took the opportunity to pick up a few bottles. Now we’ll be able to host a proper “happy hour.” As luck would have it, we saw Vanessa (“Tally Ho” – one of the “Flock”). We invited her and Andrew over for frozen margaritas. Isn’t life grand!

They regaled us with stories of the Flock, including “Reflection’s” unfortunate grounding. The other half of the “Flock” is staying at a marina about three miles from town. We’ll probably catch up with them in Vero Beach, if not before.

Bald Eagles Revisited

Weather: It’s windy again! - out of the north @ 15 – 20 knots and COLD 57 – 63 degrees; bright sun, but it was winter jacket and gloves all day!

Comment:
We were underway at 0800 after a scrumptious pancake breakfast. The other sailboat at our anchorage was off about one-half hour before us. Low and behold, he was at the Pine Island Anchorage when we arrived at 1435.

About a mile south of the anchorage, we came upon the flock of White Pelicans. North Florida is the northern most part of their range. We passed this flock on our Catboat Adventure two years ago.

At about 1000, we made contact with one of the “Flock.” “Tally Ho” reported that they were going to anchor at Nassau Island in Nassau Sound. We just passed that anchorage.

Throughout the day, we were able to motor sail with the wind either behind us or on the quarter depending on our direction of travel. We passed through Sisters Creek Bascule Bridge without any fuss and made our way toward Jacksonville Beach in a foul current. Passing the second bridge at 3.6 mph, we reminisced about “Fodder’s Cat” barely making way at that point. The GPS was reading a speed of 0 knots!

We passed Palm Cover Marina, where we left “Fodder’s Cat” for a six week hiatus during our fist ICW voyage. We almost turned in, but decided to keep plugging.

As we approached Pine Island, we kept a sharp eye out for the pair of eagles and their nest that we spotted two years ago. Sure enough, the nest and the eagles are still there! It was great to see them again. We are happy knowing that they are surviving. We presume they are reproducing as well and hope their progeny are doing well.

We dropped the hook on the south side of the island. We are well protected, but the wind is still honking! By nightfall, the wind calmed to 10 knots and we were looking forward to another quiet night at anchor.

Oh! What a Night!

Weather: Blustery, North @ 20 – 25 knots diminishing to 15 – 20 in the afternoon; Chop in the anchorage; sunny – a beautiful, windy day!

Comment:
Last evening we participated in a planning session/gam aboard “Tally Ho.” The crew of “Capable” (David and Phoebe) was waved over and invited to join us by Cap Andrew.

We planned to do shore side activities tomorrow; a hike and perhaps a picnic lunch. We’d put in a full day, spend another night in the anchorage and depart the next day for points to be determined.

We enjoyed cocktails and a beautiful sunset. The wind died out to flat calm. It looked to be a serene night in the anchorage. As we departed, the wind picked up, making it a splashy dinghy ride back to “SUNSHINE.”

We watched a couple of episodes of Seinfeld and hit the sack at about 2200 hours. We drifted off to sleep as the wind continued to build… and build. By 0230, it was howling. I went out to check the anchor. It was dark and WINDY! The boat was sailing at her anchor. On either side of slack tide, “SUNSHINE” was driven around her anchor several times. I was concerned that the anchor would drag. The mast was “pumping,” the wind was ripping and howling through the rigging and we were bobbing a bit in the chop that accompanied the wind and changing tide.

We kept the anchor watch until 0430, when, once again, we were lying properly to the forces of the current and wind. We returned to bed and arose at 0830. Anna Marie made eggs and spam. We enjoyed the blustery morning and discussed the possibility of moving to another anchorage in the afternoon. After last evening, we wanted a calm anchorage.

We met the “Flock” ashore at the Cumberland Island, GA, Sea Camp Dock. Before starting out on our adventure, we discussed our sleepless night. Apparently everyone had a similar evening. I told the group that I was “pulling up stakes” as I wasn’t satisfied with the forecast which predicted winds of fifteen to twenty knots (down from the twenty to twenty-five of last night).

Pat discovered that there was to be a guided nature walk at Dungeness Camp, so off we went to find the Ranger. We arrived at the “Ice House Museum” where Ana Marie and I toured the museum and then enjoyed our picnic. We met up with the Ranger at the appointed time. The Ranger (Renee Noe) was very knowledgeable and an excellent story teller. By using the participants as “actors” she was able to make history come alive!

At 1500, Anna Marie and I begged off the walking tour to return to the boat. We were moving to the quieter anchorage on the Amelia River which was about 12 miles away and wanted to have the anchor set by sunset.

After hauling the anchor aboard, we motored out of the anchorage in 20 knots of wind, crossed Cumberland Sound, passed Fort Clinch and stopped for fuel at Fernandina Harbor Marina in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

The fuel dock was occupied by M/V "Sirena" a large motor yacht. The Capt. was asked to vacate the fuel dock so we could tie up for fuel. We purchased 15 gallons; he might have burned that and more by leaving the dock, idling, and then returning to the dock to pick up his crew.

We really liked Cumberland Island and will visit and explore more on our northbound journey, but we’ll only stay at that anchorage if the weather is right. If not, we’ll try the Buttermilk Anchorage at the north end of the island. The Ranger mentioned that it was much more protected but that the entrance was shallow. A quick check of the chart indicated that it might be doable for us.

We spent another blustery night in the Amelia River, but we were well protected from the wind and chop. We slept well.

Cumberland Island, GA

Weather: The temp range was 55 – 77 degrees, but it felt cool on the water; we enjoyed another bright, sunny day with nary a cloud in the sky; the wind was out of the south and southwest @ 12 – 15 knots; there was a light chop on the waterway.

Comment:
It is 2030 and dark in the anchorage at Cumberland Island. The wind is humming through the rigging; the water is churning below the bridge-deck. It sounds ominous and it sounds cold!

We arrived at the anchorage at 1330 hours. The wind was about 15 knots and the tide was rushing in. We spent the first hour enjoying lunch while watching the anchor set, wanting to be sure that we were firmly attached to the bottom before hopping into the dinghy to go ashore. We took the time to watch several wild horses roaming the beach just about one hundred yards off our transom.

After a bit, we lowered the dinghy off its davits and readied it for a trip to shore. The dinghy fits nicely on the davits and is very easy to deploy and retrieve. We have developed a procedure yhat allows us to easily transfer the outboard to rhe dinghy. We took the three-quarter mile ride to the ferry/dinghy dock. Almost immediately after our arrival, we saw three wild turkeys walking down the bayside beach.

As we were setting off to walk to the beach, we (Anna Marie and me and the crew from “Kallista”) met the crews of “Reflection” and “Tally Ho” who were just returning from their walk to the beach. They were on their way back to their boats but stopped for a brief exchange of pleasantries. We walked the one mile trail to the beach marveling at the beauty of the live oak and palmetto forest that we transited.

After our exploratory walk, we visited with the gang aboard “Tally Ho,” and enjoyed another in a long line of gams.

The day started when the alarm sounded at 0530. The plan was to leave the Fort Frederica anchorage at 0700, but I knew everyone was a bit nervous about navigating Jekyll Creek on a falling tide. I suspected that they would be leaving at first light. Sure enough, “Tally Ho” was already underway at 0630 and the other two boats were just breaking up their raft. We were right behind the crowd and motored out the south end of the Frederica River into the main channel of the ICW on the MacKay River that led to St. Simon Sound where we unrolled the jib and immediately increased our speed from 6.5 to 8.0 mph. As we were able to bear away, our speed increased to over 9 mph. It was a great ride but when we turned to head up the south side of the sound toward Jekyll Creek, the wind and current were on our nose and we had to roll up the jib and proceed along at about 5 mph.

We hit Jekyll Creek at about two hours after high tide. There was plenty of water. “Tally HO” and “Reflection” reported that the “skinny” section by mark “19,” was a “no-brainer.” Indeed, none of us had any problems in the “shallow” area.

We aren’t stopping at Jekyll Island today, even though it is one of our treasured stops. We plan to dock there on the way back north in the spring.

On the south side of Jekyll, we unrolled the jib again and enjoyed a fast motor sail through St. Andrew Sound. As we motor sailed down the Cumberland River, observing the west side of Cumberland Island, Anna Marie spotted about five wild horses. The sighting was a nice treat.

Turning west, we navigated through Cumberland Dividings into Kings Bay and then Cumberland sound. We unrolled the jib in Kings Bay and motor sailed about 6 miles to the anchorage. The wind was blowing at about 15 knots; our speed, with the jib out, was close to 10 mph! during this stretch, we passed two sailboats that had been miles ahead of us. Both entered the anchorage after us.

“Reflection” and “Tally Ho” got a bit confused by the chartplotter and marks in the Cumberland Dividings around mark 60. “Reflection” reported that they made temporary contact with the bottom before they figured out the marks. Other than that, it was an easy day.