2019 Cruise - The Drive

The Drive - NJ to the Keys

Wednesday, January, 2, 2019 - Happy New Year! 

The DRIVE began at 0900 after hugs with Geoffrey. Our first stop occurred minutes later at the town hall to secure Slip 13 at the town docks. In a matter of minutes, that mission was accomplished and we were off to Sunshine Forest to pick up my forgotten snorkel gear and attend to two tasks we forgot to take care of yesterday. While Anna Marie was attending to those tasks, I adjusted to mirrors of the F 250, swinging them out to towing mode. Both stops cost use about thirty minutes of travel time delays.

We were finally underway toward our destination at about 1000. The drive was uneventful and included two stops for diesel fuel and a dinner break at the Machipongo Clam Shack. It has become one of our “must stop” places on our winter migration route. The oysters were fabulous as usual.

We made it to the Red Roof Inn in Emporia, VA. We stayed in this motel last year during the blizzard. Fortunately, this year is warm. The temperature as we left West Creek was in the low 50s and it might have been a bit warmer when we stopped at the motel.

DAY 1 TRIP AT A GLANCE:

433 miles in 10 hours

Thursday, January 3, 2019 - The Longest Day!

AM checked us out while I started the truck and set up the GPS. This is the longest day of the four day drive to Blackfin Resort and Marina in Marathon, FL. We pulled out of the driveway at 0730. Today’s drive featured rain, heavy at times. There were a couple or three hours without rain, but the overcast sky stayed with all day. We stopped at McDonalds to pick up a couple breakfast sandwiches and coffee and then stopped again for diesel fuel. The fuel stop featured a 15 minute wait for the guy in front of us at the pump to appear and then pump his gas. It took another ten minutes to fill both tanks with fuel. The pump was that slow!

There were two significant stoppages today. Both involved truck that ran off the road, apparently from speed and a slippery road surface. There was also a slow down that lasted seven or eight minutes with rolling speeds of 25 - 35 mph.

Before going to our campsite at Crooked River State Park, we stopped for dinner at Ship2Shore, one of our fav spots in Kingsland, GA. We arrived at the campground at 1830. One of the trailer guide bars caught on a object while I was making a right hand turn. I never saw the object.

Day 2 TRIP AT A GLANCE:

533.2 miles in 10 hours

Friday, January 4, 2019 - Florida!

Up at 0600 and underway at 0645. Filled up with diesel fuel before getting on I95. In a matter of minutes, we crossed the Georgia Florida Line and were rumbling down the highway. We encountered two slow downs due to construction work on I295, the beltway around Jacksonville.

After a couple hours we stopped for breakfast at McDonald’s and a little rest for me. The sun made an appearance and as the day progressed, it got really bright as there were few clouds. 

It was 85°F when we arrived at Phipps Campground a little after noon. We cleaned the Portland starboard topside in preparation for waxing tomorrow. When we get to Blackfin, we’ll wax the topsides and the we’ll strip and wax the hull. We’ll also put up the canvass. After that, we’ll be ready to splash. I doubt we’ll get that all done tomorrow. If we do, we’ll splash tomorrow, if not, we’ll get the boat wet on Sunday.

The forward starboard guide bar got bent yesterday. I reset it this afternoon, although it is still bent, it won’t affect the used of the trailer, or launching/retrieving the boat. In fact, I doubt you’d even notice it.

They’ve done a significant amount of work to the park, especially around the waterfront just below the St. Lucie lock. Besides landscaping, they laid sod and put in a concrete path. It looks great and enhances the facility.

Day 3 TRIP AT A GLANCE:

295 miles in 6 hours

Saturday, January 5, 2019 - Keys Bound!

I woke up at 0330 and although I tried, I had no luck getting back to sleep. It’s a good thing I went to bed at 2130. AM woke up at about 0500. Since sleep wasn’t happening, we packed up. We exited the campground at 0545 and arrived in Marathon at 1010. 

The first order of business was to say hello to our friends and dockmates. Then we set about cleaning and waxing the boat. We finished by about 1700, having stopped only for lunch and a few minor drink breaks. We’re all set to splash tomorrow morning.

The truck ran fine this trip. I’m always happy to say that. In fact, it feels good to say that because we’re over 243,000 miles now. True to form, we did have one “breakdown” of sorts. The left low beam headlight burned out. We’ll get a replacement in the next couple days.

Day 4 TRIP AT A GLANCE:

215 miles in 4 hours

2018 - West Creek

Coastal flooding, torrential rain and 50 mph wind

Looking South

Looking North

Easterly Panorama

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2018 Spring Break

Spring Break activities took place on one day this year! We made the most of it with the traditional trip to Margaritaville (this time in Atlantic City) and then a ride (for most of us) on the new "Wheel" at the Steel Pier also in Atlantic City.

2018 Cruise - Week 13

The Final Days and the Drive Home

March 31 - April 4, 2018

Work Stuff - It’s Saturday, March 31, and our task for the day is to wash, remove, clean and stow the canvas for the trip home. It took a couple hours to accomplish but we got ‘er done. I removed the panels but AM helped on a couple of the front ones that I couldn’t reach. She did the yeoman's work of cleaning, rolling and packing the bundles in the truck.

We decided to haul the boat at (or near) high tide on Easter Sunday, April 1st. The task was easy pleasure, especially compared to last year’s fiasco. The one glitch was the V Stop. Recall that it was tweaked by the factory. This marks its first use since. The tweaking made it not fit as well as it had. We even raised it up one hole. That was problematic because the holes don’t line up exactly. Kevin and Tim were able to ratchet it home. All in all it took about fifteen minutes to load her up.

Fun Stuff - In the evening of the 31st,  we went to the ‘Cane to see Villanova final four game. I was so tired that we left before five minutes had expired. We live streamed the rest of the game using our Pyle Projector. Nova won the game handily, setting an NCAA record for three point shooting.

The North Dock group invited us to their Easter supper. We had a great time conversing with everyone. There was even an adult Easter Egg hunt.    

Following the festivities we bid everyone a fond farewell. There were lots of hugs and kisses.

Friends/Acquaintances - Brian and Coleen hauled the Gansett Ranger on March 30. They stayed aboard on the hard and left on the morning of the 31st.. we are now surrounded by fishing machines! The closest cruiser is Liberty (Ethan and Tammi) four slips up the line.

As it happens, Liberty is departing tomorrow, but on its own bottom. They are heading to the Bahamas for two months. They promised to call us when they get to NJ. We take them out to dinner and/or shopping,

The Drive Home Day 1 Monday (5/2/18) - It’s 0800 and I’m awake and ready to go after a night devoid of sleep, on my part at least. After saying good bye to Barry, we were on the road. While driving, we made arrangements to stop at FloatOn Trailers again. The recently adjusted V Stop is a worse fit for the boat. Tim said to bring it in and he would rework it. After three hours, the V Stop fit perfectly and he put a roller on as well to protect the bow from a pair of bolts that were sticking up. 

The time spent at FloatOn paired with my lack of sleep meant we would not make our destiny, St. Mary’s, GA. We got a room at the Howard Johnson’s just a mile from the trailer factory. Hopefully we’ll watch Villanova win the NCAA BBall Championship and I’ll get a great night’s sleep! 

Marathon to Vero Beach - 250 miles, 5 hours

The Drive Home Day 2 Tuesday (5/3/18) - It’s make up distance day. Our target destination is South of the Boarder on the SC - NC line. If we make it, getting home on Wednesday is still a possibility.

Despite stop and go traffic on I95 in SC and our insuring 60 Mile bushwhacking expedition to avoid much of the slow down, we made it 49 miles beyond South of the Boarder into NC, stopping at the Days Inn at Exit 49 in Fayetteville, NC.

Aside from the traffic, the rest of the drive was uneventful.

Vero Beach to Fayetteville, NC - 605 miles, 13 hours elapsed

The Drive Home Day 3 Wednesday (5/4/18) - Our day started at 0630 with breakfast at the Fayetteville Days Inn. At 0700, we were on the final leg of the long road home. As usual, we headed east toward the east toward Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  Conditions were good for the crossing. The predicted 25-30 knot winds hadn’t yet materialized. They would however prevent us from taking the Cape May Ferry.

We ordered oysters for lunch at the Great Machipongo Clam Shack and they were as good as ever! Sirius radio kept me entertained and I only got tired for a few minutes during the entire drive. A two minute cat nap and an ice cream cone took care of the tiredness in short order. We arrived home at 1930 hours.

When we got out of the truck, we were greeted by 30+ knots of wind and biting cold. I guesstimate that the temperature was in the high 40’s.  It was on with the winter coats to unload just the front of the truck. We’ll off load everything else and unhitch tomorrow.

Fayetteville, NC to West Creek, NJ - 576.4 miles, 12.5 hours elapsed

Return Trip Total - 1431.4 miles, 30.5 hours elapsed 

Sami getting yet another treat from Anna Marie.

Sit Sami!

Good girl!

Easter dinner with the North Dock group

Easter dinner with the North Dock group

Easter dinner with the North Dock group

There was even an Egg Hunt!

2018 Cruise - Week 12

Week 12

March 24 - 30, 2018 

Friends/Acquaintances - Kismet, Jim and Lisa Favors, departed the marina this (Saturday, 3/24) morning. They are headed for Key West. Unfortunately we didn’t get to say goodbye because we were up early to get some supplies from the organic sale at the church on Big Pine. Jim and Lisa left us a note. They have made reservations for next year. Their departure has reduced the number of Ranger Tugs to Two, Liberty and Gansett Ranger.

March for Our Lives - after making our purchases at the aforementioned organic flea market, we scooted back to Marathon so we could participate in the March. I estimate there were over one hundred participants including musician/Councilman John Bartus. There weren’t many children or young adult marchers. It seems the Marathon March was planned rather late in the process. The HS kids had already planned to join the larger rally/March in Key West.    

Weather - Well well, as predicted, the wind clocked to the east and dropped to a gentle 12 to 15 knots. The high temp reached the high 70s and, on this day, Saturday, March 24, the sun is   out and it is just a delightful day!

Fun Stuff - On Saturday, the first day of Week 12, I took AM to lunch at Key Colony Inn. We splurged on Seafood Italians (shrimp and scallops over pasts and homemade sauce. It was exceptional an the scallops were the best ever. The dish was $14.95.

On Monday, we found ourselves back at a Burdine’s Chiki Tiki for perhaps the last time this year. While there, an F-31 was heading out of the harbor.

We also took a stroll on Coco Plum Beach. The Irma made significant changes to the beach. 

On Wednesday, the 28th day of the third month of 2018, we enjoyed a special evening. We dine at the Lorelei in Islamorada. The place was hopping. By the time our meal was served, all the tables were occupied. A three piece band along with a computer drummer and computer bass entertained. They were loud, but good. The food is always top notch. 

Following dinner, we went to the Jewish Community Center in Tavernier for a concert by David Feder. He is described as a flamenco/folk guitarist and is he ever talented. We enjoyed the concert. Read more about him here: http://www.davidfeder.com and you can learn more here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=na9R_9kiS8U 

What a  Birthday Celebration! - early to rise... We’ll, maybe it wasn’t that early, but it was earlier than what has become our new norm! To celebrate my 70th trip around the sun, we went to the Island Fish Company for breakfast. Anna Marie concocted this plan that we would enjoy breakfast on the eastern end of the island to enjoy the view and the warmth of the rising sun. We’d cap off the evening over a sunset dinner at the Sunset Grill on the western end of the island. 

The first part of the plan worked well as we had a great breakfast at a very nice restaurant with a fabulous view. Of course we were too late to see the sunrise, but it was still well before noon, so technically, it was still rising! It was a great start to our day.

Returning to the boat, we relaxed a bit on the boat, then in front of the boat, and finally, at the Point. While watching the comings and goings of folks walking past our boat, we watched a cow and baby manatee hanging around our boat. We first saw the baby playing with the zinc fish dangling from Brian’s Ranger Tug, Gansett Ranger. The baby played with the zinc for well over thirty minutes. The cow was hanging around the boat ramp. Eventually, they got together on the port side of our boat and played with each other for quite awhile. It was pretty special to watch.

It was the final part of the plan that had a glitch. We were looking forward to a sunset dinner at the Sunset Grill while listening to the Marathon All Stars. Upon arrival, an hour before sunset, we were advised that there was an hour and a half wait for a table. We listened to the band, which sounded great and walked the beach. Ultimately we decided to pick up stakes and go to the Key Colony Inn. Our meals were fabulous and our server was very personable. I’m afraid he got in trouble for not following protocol after bringing our salad so our dinner was delayed. We didn’t mind in the slightest as we were having a delightful time. The waiter apologized profusely as did the hostess who seemed perturbed with the waiter for having made the faux pax. On the way out I mentioned how happy we were with the service. The hostess reiterated his mistake. Regardless, we enjoyed the meal! Editorial Note: The next day, it dawned on me that I never received the New Potatoes that were supposed to come with the meal. Could it be the hostess was correct in her evaluation of the server?

Thank you to Anna Marie for a wonderful birthday celebration!

Work - I cleaned the bilge, bilge pump and float on Monday. It was very dirty and cruddy. It took a while to accomplish the dirty task. I found that the float switch was glued down. Not wanting to drill holes into the bottom of the boat, I cleaned the old adhesive and then applied fresh sealant to keep it in place.

On Wednesday, the 28th, we cleaned the dinghy, folded and bagged the bikes, organized the back of the truck and stowed the dinghy, bikes and gear. We managed to accomplish all that in only a couple of hours. I had intended to do a little bit over three days. The didn’t pan out. It’s just as well because to pack the dinghy and bike we had to do all the other stuff.

Sign from the March for Our Lives

Another sign from the March for Our Lives

March for Our Lives crowd

John Bartus, musician and councilman participating in the March!

Our favorite March for Our Lives sign

Here comes an F-31

There goes an F-31

A new, larger Coco Plum Beach after hurricane Irma

Birthday Breakfast

Baby Manatee

Mother Manatee

Chilling' at the Tiki on my birthday