Terror!

From: Pine Island (about 10 miles north of St. Augustine), FL MM 765.0

To: The Cement Plant, 6 miles south of the Palm Coast Marina, FL MM 809.1

L/L: 29 29.81N 8109.02W

Distance Traveled: 46.3

Hours Motoring: 8.2 hours

Average Speed: 5.6

Weather: Sunny; temp range 69 - 81 degrees; NE to E wind @ 10 - 15 knots; light chop on the waterway

Comment: Although slow because of foul currents, the day’s travel was relatively easy except for one spot of terror! We had to negotiate the Bridge of Lions (St. Augustine) with max current on our stern. It was a bit of a challenge because only one half of the span was opened. The fenders that protect the bridge were not completed. Huge spikes were sticking out, waiting to puncture any hull that was swept into them by the current. Not a particular problem for tug boats and barges, but those things could do serious damage to a plastic boat. We came within a foot of the spikes before clearing the closed span and turning away.

After a few stiff drinks, we motored down the waterway, passing through the Crescent Beach Bridge and then past Fort Matanzas. We took on fuel at the Palm Coast Marina. Less than an hour later the anchor was set in the “Cement Plant” anchorage. The anchorage only has one foot of tide, almost no current, quite a change from places we've anchored in recently. For the first time in a long while, we were swinging to the wind rather than the current. What a difference!

Although it is not a particularly scenic anchorage, it was great not to have to worry about anchor drag for a change!