Miami

Finally made it to Miami.  Left Ft. Lauderdale because the marina was booked for the boat parade.  We had a fun and quiet sail.  Caught a Gulf Stream counter current and were sailing along at 9 knots.  You are limited on ingress at Government Cut if any cruise ships or large tankers are coming out of Miami.  We skipped Government Cut and went to Key Biscayne.  No large ships and an easier place to anchor.  We anchored in Key Biscayne Bight, just outside hurricane harbor.  Got ground tackle down and had dinner.  Looked up and there was a boat parade starting and we had a front row seat.  Large mega yachts and small motor boats and some sailboats went by.  Music and scantily clad dancers were a big part of the parade.  A fun time was had by all.

We are waiting and waiting for a weather window so we can cross the Gulf Stream and go to the Bahamas.  The Gulf Stream is a river of water in the ocean that was described by Benjamin Franklin.  The Gulf Stream flows south to north off of the east coast of North America.  The Gulf Stream can be easy to cross with south or southwest winds.  If winds are from the east, you have the wind on the bow of your boat as you head east.  North winds produce so called 'square waves'.  As the Gulf Stream is heading north and the winds are heading south the winds pick up the water and cause large waves.  It is best to avoid all but the calmest of north winds.  The trend the last week or so has been for low pressure systems to move off the east coast.  Lots of blustery winds, and very short weather windows.  As of today, it looks like Wednesday of next week is a good possible crossing day.  We will keep checking!

One of the forecast lows was coming in with lots of wind.  The anchorage was unprotected.  We called Crandon Park Marina.  They are a city run marina that has mooring balls.  We got a mooring ball and settled in for the blow.  The mangrove areas of Crandon Park are rookeries for many birds.  It was neat to watch pelicans feed their young.   We have seen cormorants, storks and terns.  A no wake zone is strictly enforced to protect the birds and other wildlife.  Aquatic friends are also abundant.  Dolphins, manatee and a croc or two.

On the way into Crandon a fisherman in a small open boat flagged us down.  He said his motor stopped and he had been out on the water for three hours without seeing another boat.  He was in shallow water and with a 6 foot draft I was inching my way toward his boat.  Matt grabbed his anchor rode and pulled the anchor up and attached it to our winch. I backed out and turned around before guy had a chance to say anything.  He looked like he was starting to panic.  We got him to the dock safely.  A few more coins in the Karma bank for our good deed of the day.  

We have discovered the wonderful bus system in Miami.  For $2.00 you can travel all over the city.  We went grocery shopping one day, out to dinner another and now we are at the library.  Library's are such a great resource for a community.  We can use the free wifi.  Check out books and movies and just hang out and read books.

Christmas was a quiet celebration with folks we met at the marina.  Glasses of wine were shared and toasts were made.

Hopefully, we get a weather window.  If not we will just wait and enjoy the beauty of Key Biscayne.

Forecast?

Time to do some ocean sailing.  So we decided to sail down the ICW and leave from Ponce Inlet.  The trip to Ponce was uneventful.  Anchoring was a different story.  The tide and current was ripping and after checking out the inlet we made the decision to travel the ICW to Ft. Pierce and use that inlet to go out to sea.  We have a saying that the inlets we use to go to and from the sea have to be capable of having large ships come in at night or it has a Coast Guard Station.  Ponce Inlet has a Coast Guard Station, but the inlet was shoaled and recommended to be used with local knowledge.  Ft. Pierce is a major inlet for commercial ships.  You can go in and out at night.

Ft. Pierce is a great little town.  We put the dingy down and went to Ft. Pierce Marina.  The marina was damaged by Hurricane Florence.  The floating docks were destroyed and over 100 boats sank.  The dock master said that it took two years just to clean up the debris.  Now they are rebuilding and installing 'barrier islands' to act as a break wall.  We put the dingy down and were going to get fuel.  Unaware, we went right thru the construction zone.  Power boat came from around the corner and told us to 'use the channel', we said OK, now? his response could not be understood over the yelling and gestures.  We smiled and went to the fuel dock.  We got fuel, water and threw away our trash.  We went to the restaurant and had a wonderful lunch.  Every Wednesday they have a farmers market.  Was a treat to buy fresh fruits and veggies and organic meat.  Coming back to the boat we used the channel.

Went from Ft. Pierce Inlet to West Palm Beach.  Since Miami was our destination we had to make a night time approach and anchoring.  There were some Navy exercises in the area and we would of had to increase out trip by 20 miles.  Better to stop at Palm Beach than to around the 'live fire' training.  Whenever we come into an unfamiliar place at night it looks so intimidating.  All you see are lights and shadows.  Distance is hard to judge.  We just looked for the double spreader masts and anchored around them.  Anchor down, all is well.  The next day was warm and sunny.  Matt put on
his wet suit and dove on the anchor.  The anchor was dug in well.  He tried to pick up a shell, but it moved!  Matt spent most of the day poking at small marine animals.  All that snorkeling training in the pool paid off.

Checked the weather forecast, seas 2 to 3 ft, winds S 5 to 10 mph.  We left at 3am so we would get into Miami during daylight.  We found the seas were 8 to 10 ft and the wind was 15 to 20 knots and gusts to 30 mph.  Total slog, traveling at 3 knots.  Never going to make Miami while sailing into a washing machine.  A new plan was needed. How about Ft. Lauderdale?  We headed for Ft. Lauderdale.  Got through the 17 st bridge at the scheduled opening and found Lake Sylvia.  Anchor down. 

Don't know if we will make it to Miami this week.  We will keep trying.

New look at surroundings

We finally finished the big clump of laundry.  Took all day! It is nice to have a washer and dryer, but only one washer and one dryer is tough to share.  In between our load, folks snuck in and washed two shirts or two towels...wth...it slowed down our ability to get it all done.  One last load.  I got it in before the sneakers.

One of the local places we found was Killkenny Marina on Killkenny Creek in Georgia.  Georgia AICW is traveled down wild rivers joined by man made cuts.  The Killkenny Marina is located on the site of the old Killkenny plantation founded in the early 1800's.  The same family has owned the land since then.  The marina is a local fisherman/waterman stop.  We needed fuel.  I called and asked if they had diesel.  The said sure and come on over.  He told me not to bother with the radio because they were real busy and would be on the docks, off we went.  As we entered the creek, I ran aground.  Got off and found the deep water and progressed toward the marina.  Looked up the creek and saw a floating dock constructed of wood with 2x4's sticking up near the water edge side.  A man was waving and pointing toward the dock.  Matt looked at me and said...this must be it, take it in slow.  We pulled in, dock master helped us tie up and looked a bit perplexed.  He said, 'why didn't you use your fenders, you wouldn't have scraped the rub rail?'  Matt replied, 'that teak is sacrificial, fenders are expensive'.  The dock master laughed.

We filled up and went up to the office to pay.  The marina operates a sling lift to launch small boats.  A family was getting into a just launched boat.  An older gentleman walked up and extended his hand.  Matt shook it and wished him a great time on the water.  The man said he had never been on a boat before.  We told him that we hadn't been off our boat for two weeks.  We had a nice talk about boats and living aboard and waved to them as they sped off.  At the top of the ramp, there were two tanks.  What are these?  Bait, was the reply.  There were shrimp and little fishes swimming around. ' Are these snapping shrimp?'  The dockmaster shook his head and told us that he had heard about those snapping shrimp all is life but never saw one.  He said he thinks the noise you hear on the hull is from the reaction of tides and tempertures.  He pointed to the office and said his brother would ring us up. 

The office was a great little store.  Must have biting bug problems because they had lots of kinds of insect repellent.  Got some sodas and some beer and went to pay.  His brother was a bit cool to us until I said, 'this is such a beautiful place' he smiled and started telling us about the store and the marina and his family.  The atmosphere was warm and friendly.  His first impression of me must have been as a stuck up yachty.  I complimented him and his family on their good choice to make this beautiful part of Georgia their home and business.  He rung up our purchases on an adding machine with a tape.  He told us we were welcome back anytime.  We were tempted to stay.  They have a restaurant next door that cooks up what the local fisherman bring in to the marina.  They have live music and everyone just sits around and enjoys.  What a concept...people enjoying and talking and being neighbors. 

At Marineland yesterday we met a fellow boating couple from Germany.  They have been traveling up down the east coast of the USA on their way to Rio Dulce, Guatemala.  Walking back on forth to the laundry, Matt was stopped by a family walking around the docks.  They said, it is so peaceful here.  He agreed and said this was one of our favorite places.  The father shook his head and replied,' we are from Israel, and the USA just always feels so peaceful and calm.  The people are kind and generous.  You all seem to get along.'  'We try' , Matt said.  As the family walked toward the beach, Matt and I were a bit overcome by their statements.  We had just finished one of the most contentious elections in our memory.  It seemed that our country was torn up and at each other throats.  When you look around, you see that we are ok.  The parts of the world that are in turmoil look to us as a place of peace.  We are lucky.  We should be thankful.

OK, the laundry machines are free, time to again dominate. I found another load.  May as well get the linens washed. We shove off tomorrow for new track on the chartplotter into the heart of Florida.  Miami, here we come! 

From Maryland to Florida

We are now in Marineland!  This is how far we got last year.  The weather is warm and we are washing the boat and our laundry.  It is amazing how much laundry you can accumulate when you are traveling. 

Last year we were so tentative about the depths and about anchoring.  We would agonize about running aground.  Then when it was time to anchor, we would stay awake and monitor the position of the boat with graphs and charts.  Although it was so wonky and fun to make the charts and graphs, we were tired the next day and slept instead of traveling.  We went sightseeing and generally donked around.  We loved every minute of our trip.

This year, tides and currents are our friends.  We are covering 50 or more miles a day.  We sailed in the ocean twice.  We watch the sunrise, then anchor up and away we go.  It seems that every other day we run aground.  We work to get off or we make a pot of coffee and wait for the tide to come up.  Both work equally as well.  We battled 20 days of north winds and clouds.  We have gotten groceries in Beaufort, SC and here in Marineland.  We have cooked on the boat.

Over the summer we added an hydrolic (simrad) autopilot and a set of simrad chartplotter and an echo sounder.  The new instruments are such a good addition to the boat.  The autopilot is easy to use and we can let it steer and give us a rest.  The chartplotter is big and easy to read and the echo sounder shows the characteristics of the sea floor.  We can see fish and our anchor chain.

The things that have worked well: simrad instruments
                                                   windlass
                                                   washdown
                                                   Trader Joe Vacuum packed meats
                                                   freeze dried vegtables
                                                   camping meals

The camping meals are a welcome treat for lunch when the wind is cold.  Matt goes below and heats up some water and a nice warm meal comes delivered to the helm.  The last time we had camping meals they all tasted the same, lots of salt and something to chew.  Now the meals have taste and low sodium.

The election is over.  So glad we are done with all the commercials and signs.  All the towns and people seem to be less stressed and looking forward. We missed the whole Black Friday madness.  Since we live on a boat, buying 'stuff' takes on a new meaning.  You have to throw out a blouse or pair of pants if you get new ones.  A 50 inch flat screen will not fit on the boat.  There are also no big box stores out on the water.  I don't feel deprived.

Onward we go!  Can't wait until we get to the Bahamas.

on the move...2012

We are heading south again, this time to the Bahamas.  

First we got to go thru super storm Sandy.  We had been watching the storm develop for at least a week before it hit.  We knew we were going to be on the NE quadrant of the storm.  The storm surges and fiercest winds are in the NW quadrant of a hurricane.  New Jersey got hit by the NW quadrant.  We stayed on our boat during the storm.  The strongest winds we saw were in the low 50's.  We did a bit of surfing.  We left two days after Sandy.  The bay was full of all the commercial traffic that had been waiting out the storm off shore.  We played freighter dodge all the way to Norfolk. 

The weather has been cold.  Each day we got dressed in heavy pants, sweaters, double socks, and foul weather jackets.  Gloves and hats were a must.  Each time we go out in the fall I am so glad that we had the cockpit enclosure made.  We anchored out each night.  We did our best to run in front of the nor'easter roaring up the east coast.  We rode the storm out in Slade Creek, just north of Oriental.  Two days of blowing cold.  Rain was cold. 

As the sun returned we made our way down to south river, across from Oriental.  The river is wide and beautiful.  We saw eagles and pelicans.  No motor boat traffic.  Night time stars were putting on a show just for us.  Tried to look for meteors.  Didn't see any.

We got to hear the election results on XM radio.  It was a good night for the common people.  I was glad to see that the American people could not be bought by millionaires and billionaires.

Tried to stop along the ICW to get fuel.  Wind and tide were sending us straight for a gnarly metal bulkhead.  Hit reverse and backed out of danger.  On to the next fuel station.  We started sailing with the light air head sail  The winds decided to pick up.  I blamed Matt, he had been whistling earlier and just whistled up a blow.  As we dropped the sail the halyard escaped and sail, sheet and halyard took a swim.  Put the engine in neutral and wrangled the sail on the deck.    Got the boat anchored for the night and started to clear the decks.  Wet sails dried and stowed.  Next task crank Matt to the top of the mast, all 55 ft.  I am not that strong and it took a while with many breaks for rest.  Glad Matt is not afraid of heights!  He said the view was great, but we forgot the camera.  I was glad when his feet reached the deck. 

Pulled into Morehead City Yacht Basin.  Got fuel, got a shower and washed all our clothes.  Had a burger in town.  Our wash down hose nozzle got a hole in it and was spewing water every time you cleaned off the anchor.  Walked to the hardware store and found a Veteran's Day Parade.  Pulled up a piece of curb and were treated to marching bands, scout troops, mayors, small boats driving down the main drag.  What a fun time!  Senior housing vans filled with Vets were waving and trowing candy to the crowd  The street was lined with families cheering and shouting, "thanks for your service".  After the election, wasn't sure that everyone could come together and show love and support for each other.  The feeling was all positive.  People were cheering and enjoying each others fellowship.  Made me smile from ear to ear.

Summertime in Galesville, MD

We got back from our travels and realized that we needed a few things.  When we bought the boat we kept it simple and decided to add parts/systems as we needed them.  As we were sailing into Beaufort, NC we got our autopilot smoking, as in could smell the burning. 

We did some research and decided to buy a Simrad non linear autopilot, and an AIS displayed on a NSE8 chart plotter.  We thought about getting a touch screen chart plotter, but were worried about not being able to use the chartplotter in the rain or if it was cold enough that gloves were needed.

We had to create two shelves affixed and fiber glassed to the hull.  Matt and I made the shelves and strung the electric wires.  MTS, our electronic gurus, came buy and hooked up all the parts and made sure they were working.  Matt and I have no problems doing the grunt work of installations, but when it comes to getting all the parts to talk to each other, we call in the experts.  MTS does a great job.  They are professional and cost appropriate. 

Just had the boat pulled.  We are getting new zincs, the bottom painted, and a set of Spur Sharks installed.  Over the years we have drug crab pots with us until we could safely dive on the prop and cut the fouled line.  The spurs will hopefully cut the fouling line and keep the prop free of tangled stuff. 

Planning on going on a bit of a shake down cruise after we get back in the water.  There are so many places on the Chesapeake we have yet to explore. 

Summertime in the Chesapeake

Getting through the Virginia Cut was fun and beautiful.  We sailed over night in the Chesapeake and arrived in Galesville as the sun was setting.  Got a nice welcome home from the folks on the dock.  Good to back in home waters.

Being in Galesville is great!  We have a car, a slip, metered electric and know the stores and vendors.  Time to get some work done.  When we bought the boat we weren't sure what electronics we wanted to install as the final choice.  We bought an internal antenna chartplotter and a wheel pilot autopilot.  The chartplotter has been a good choice, but the wheel pilot is a bit undersized for large sea applications.  Time for a new autopilot.

We chose a Simrad system.  We are getting an AP24 autopilot with a hydraulic drive, an 8 inch chartplotter and a sonar/depth system.  We saved the money from our original purchase six years ago.  We always planned on upgrading our electronics when we REALLY went cruising.  The time has come for some serious electronics install.  We are working with MTS, a company located in Herrington North.  We have worked with them before in having our SSB radio installed.  We meet with them, they acquire the hardware, we run the wires, and they do the hookups.  We get their expertise and save money by doing the scut work.  Works for us. 

We have become a cruising station for the friends that are moving north.  Annapolis has made some restriction to the anchoring areas.  Galesville has no restrictions.  We have a town dock and we let the cruisers use our marina head and showers.  There are two restaurant/bars close and we let people use our car if needed for laundry or groceries.  Dirk and Silvie stopped by and used a slip while the went back to Germany.  They just finished their circumnavigation and need to get back to Michigan, to sell their boat and their house before starting new jobs in Germany.  Kenny is a fellow Valiant owner we met in Beaufort.  He has family in the area and was hanging out before his trip north to Massachusetts for a major rig refit.  He left his boat in the basin and went visiting.  Matt and Karen, Valiant owners, were in Herrington North.  They stopped by.  Lots of good meals, good conversation and good libations.  Had barbeques and pot lucks with our boaters in transit and our friends from the marina.  It is like cruising and being home at the same time. 

Got to go to Liam's t-ball game.  Watching 4 and 5 year old kids play ball is like watching cat herding.  The boy and girls watch the ball roll by and them scramble to get it.  It almost looks like a rugby scrum.  They lose their hats and gloves.  When they get bored the kids dig in the dirt of the infield.  They watch birds and butterflies in the outfield.  The cute factor is almost too much.  Thank goodness the games are only three innings long.

Galesville Welcome

Our wonderful crew...

Marshall at the ball field

I think Liam found a bug!

Don't even think about stealing second

Liam rounding second

Got to visit my parents and good friends in the Shenandoah Valley.  It feels funny not planning a course and moving around the next bend.  We will just have to take some road trips till all our boat chores are complete.

From Charleston to Beaufort,NC

We left Charleston, SC on April 25, 2012 at 4pm  We picked up Chris and Philbert, got them settled and were on our way.  We cleared the seawall and I got immediately sick.  I have only been seasick twice and both times it was predicated by fumes.  This time it was gasoline fumes from the tank we had stowed under the dingy.  We opened the hatch under the dingy and the cabin was filled with fumes.  We forgot to close the air vent on the top of the tank.  The fuel splashed out.  I immediately closed the vent and the hatch, in between hurls.  The NOAA weather channel predicted 3-5 ft swells, we had 7-10 ft swells.  That was fine, the wind was on the stern, we pulled out the headsail and were nicely making 8 knots with a push from the Gulf Stream.  Matt, Chris and Phil were having a great time sailing.  I kept them fed and hydrated.  They were wearing foul weather gear, harnesses and tethers. 

The night was uneventful.  Just good sailing with the guys on 4 hour watches.  I was still sick, but could function.

dolphins playing in the waves

Captain Matt enjoying the ride, headsail still flying.

The morning light brought a cloudy sky and bigger waves.  The seas were now above the arch.  The boat was handling the motion.  Matt was taking a break and Chris and Phil and I were watching the dolphins swimming around us.  Some of the dolphins were black, some were grey with spots, some looked like compact dolphins.  They would jump out of the waves and spin.  Some did somersaults, some twirled.  You would look through the wave above your head and see a dolphin swimming.  I was too mesmerized by the display to remember to be scared of the big seas.  I still was seasick, but paused long enough to watch the show.  Chris and Phil were taking videos.  For three hours were enjoyed the dolphins sharing their water world with us.  Then we arrived at Cape Fear and the thunderstorms were are the horizon.  We decided to reel in the head sail.  The sheet got tangled in the roller spool and the sail started to tangle and come apart.    We needed to get the sail untangled, cut the sheets off the roller and get the sail off the headstay.  Matt and Phil started working.  Chris and I tried to turn the boat into the wind and against the Gulf Stream.  We partly succeeded.  Good thing Chris is used to working out and is very strong.  It took 20 minutes to accomplish the headsail removal.  We stuffed the sail down the front hatch and pulled the wet sail into the salon of the boat.  Thank goodness I had the cushions covered by a water proof mattress cover.  I pulled the sail onto the floor and folded it up as much as possible.  I yanked the sheets off the vberth.  We had to walk on the sail, but everyone had a dry place to sleep.  I was still sea sick.


We debated if we should try to go into a closer inlet than Beaufort, NC.  We turned on the TV and were able to see the weather radar showing that the storms were staying south of us.  If we kept going to Beaufort, we might out race the thunderstorms.  We headed for Beaufort.  We saw a large ship on the radar.  Then it disappeared. We saw a warship approaching.  Great.  We tried to hail them on the radio, but no reply.  They passed within 3 miles of us.  It was quite surreal.

We could only see the red and green marks when we both were on the top of the wave.   We managed to get into the channel and find the seawall.  We anchored right off the coast guard station.  Everyone shucked off their wet gear, found a berth and got some much needed rest.

When we are traveling down the ICW our boat seemed a bit stout for the task.  In the ocean the boat performed beautifully.  We slid down the waves without getting water in the cockpit.  The stainless lifeline cage gave you many hand holds.  It was one of those moments in sailing when the awe of the oceans power was everywhere.  It was terrifying and amazingly beautiful at the same time.

I reminded Matt that I never wanted to be in seas that big again.  He laughed.

good morning in Beaufort,NC

Beaufort SC fun

We are having a pot luck dinner with the cruiser's here at the Butler's and the Rae's.  Both the Butler's and the Rae's are so generous with their time and property.  The provide transportation, a place to put your trash, water, electricity and a floating dock to tie your boat to.  The other cruiser's, Mike and Anne, are from England and have been cruising around the world for the past few years.  They had a transmission/engine problem and our hosts found them a welder that worked on a Saturday!   Ken, their buddy boat captain, is cruising up from the islands, on his way to Maine.  He has a Valiant 40.  It was so fun to compare boats and modifications.  I always get such good ideas from other cruisers. 

We were in the grocery store in Beaufort, SC with the after church crowd.  I was looking for stuff and people in the store were so helpful.  Not just the store employees, but the other shoppers went out of their way to help me find the stuff on my list.  I guess they took pity on me.  I must have looked very lost.

Have been watching the swallows catching bugs all around the boat.  I wonder if you could have a swallow as a pet to eat all the mosquitoes, flys and other critters that are such a pain.  There probably is a rule about keeping swallows as pets.

Here are some pictures that were taken along the way that I didn't get to post.  We are off tomorrow am to find an anchorage for a few days.  The weather is warm, but the wind is a bit cool.  TTFN

saw this little plane land on the water while we were anchored in MacKay Creek, SC

the blimp hovering over Hilton Head Island for the RBC Classic golf tourny

Back in internet zone

We have been traveling and anchoring out the past week.  We finally have gotten comfortable using our ground tackle.  Ground tackle is the anchor and chain or rode (rope) you use to secure the boat to the bottom of the river or body of water you are cruising through.  We carry a 65 pound Delta anchor and 250 feet of 3/8 inch chain.  Before we left we marked every 30 ft.  Before that, we had a very shaky idea of how much chain we put out.  The 'books' say you should have a 7 to 1 scope.  That means, for every foot of water under your keel, you put out 10 feet of chain.  So seven feet of water means 70 feet of chain.  We also carry a 55 pound Bruce (claw) anchor.  Attached to the Bruce is 30 ft of chain and 200 ft of rode (rope).  We have a small stern anchor.  It is a 25 pound danforth with 10 feet of chain and 100 ft of rode.  The stern anchor is used to keep the boat from swinging into a channel.

We are traveling to Charleston to pick up our boys Chris and Philbert.  The guys arrive on the 25th of April so we are donking around.  We anchored in the MacKay Creek, across from Hilton Head Island.  Hilton Head is jumping this weekend.  The RBC golf tournament is going on.  The blimp is circling.  Boats are zooming everywhere.  Staying tucked in a creek seemed like a good way to avoid the activity.  The first place we anchored, at high tide, seemed great.  The tide went out and we were VERY close to the shore.  We raised the anchor and were making for deeper water.  Of course I did not see the small sand bar and we ran aground.  Waited about 15 minutes for the tide to come up and went searching for a good place to move.  Got the anchor down in 12 feet of water and put out 120 feet of chain.  We checked the weather report and saw that some wind was supposed to come up about 2 pm the next afternoon.  We had dinner and got tucked in our beds.

Both of us bolted from our berths at 2:15 am.  Seems mother nature decided to trick us and sent the wind in about 12 hours early.  The wind went from 5knts to 20 knts in a minute, and it was still building.  We checked the GPS and we were in the same position, but with the wind howling, we could drag on the anchor and end up on the shore.  Matt got dressed and headed for the bow.  He got the Bruce ready and deployed.  The Bruce was at a 45 degree angle from the Delta, so if the Delta came loose the Bruce would catch and we wouldn't drag into the shore.  We got the little stern anchor ready just in case.  We checked the GPS every 10 minutes and we were still in the right place. I checked the wind and the velocity was up to 47 knots.  Ok, so of course, I went to get some sleep, while Matt stayed up and kept anchor watch.  The wind died down about sun up.  We took around the boat to see if there was any damage.  We looked over the grasses, behind the red mark and saw a mast at a 30 degree angle.  The folks that had anchored there must have drug into the shore and were now on their side.  It was low tide.  We saw some fisherman come by us.  The asked if we were ok and we told them we were fine, but could they please go check on the boat behind the red mark.  The fisherman said they couldn't see any one aboard.  We got on the radio and heard them, and many others, calling for TOWBOAT US (like AAA for cars).  TOWBOAT showed up.  They asked 'how did you stay anchored last night?'  the boat captain said the was towing boats that had drug all morning.  We told him what we were using for ground tackle.  He laughed, and shook his head.  'You must be one of those crusiers....they know how to anchor'. He asked about the wind last night and we told him.  The other sailboat finally got off the ground during high tide.  They said they were local sailors and had never had any problem before.  We told them home was Annapolis and they said....'WOW, you are one of those cruiser folks!  We saw them passing through, but never met any. ' 

I guess that makes us part of the cruiser's group.  The amount we have learned in the past months is amazing.  It sure is nice to tackle new challenges and actually learn something.

Turning North

We decided to make the trip back to the Chesapeake.  We turned the boat and headed north.  The Travon Martin incident happened about 30 miles from Marineland.  We got tired of seeing confederate flags and only being able to hear right wing radio.  We never met any people that were rude or mean.  The tension and feelings were palatable and we just didn't want to venture further south into the land of bars and high price marinas.  There are many articles that deal with the anchoring fights between Florida land owners and boat owners.  Time to head to Maryland.

We headed north and were, of course, had to deal with a head wind.  We made it through the two bridges we had to open.  This time the Bridge of Lions was an easy opening.  No pushing through the yellow light.  After we passed St. Augustine we heard aircraft.  A fighter plane with a red star on the side was doing acrobatics.  The plane barrel rolled, did loop de loops,  and buzzed our boat.  We waved and cheered.  For over a half hour we were treated to an air show.  I throttled down and just watched and cheered.  The sky was clear and beautiful.  We had shorts , flips and tshirts on. We were motoring on our boat and were being treated to a free air show.  Such fun! We made it to the oxbow anchorage and had a quiet night.  

The next day, wind wasn't strong until past noon.  The wind hadn’t gotten up yet and we heard a lawnmower noise in the air.  It was an ultralight.  After yesterdays’ fighter jet, this was a totally unexpected scene.  He dove at the mast and we clapped and cheered.  Another air show ensued.  We slowed and engine and just watched.  Some fisherman joined us and we laughed, and clapped .  The ultralight pilot waved back and headed away.  The fisherman went back to fishing and we throttled up and kept moving north.  Never know what you will see on the water. The wind came up and the wind indicator registered 20 to 33 knts apparent wind.  The first place we stopped to anchor, Ft. George, gave us the hee bee gee beees.  No real real reason we could pin point, but we have learned to trust your gut.  I have always thought that our boat has ways of letting us know when we might be making a mistake.  This was one of those times.  We turned out of the river and went back up the ICW.  We had 10 miles to go to the next anchorage.  We battled the wind and made it to a cut behind an oxbow it the Amelia river.  Dolphins were jumping and greeting us.  Seems like we made the right decision to push northward.  We anchored in 14 feet of water at low tide.

The new Kraft Alfredo and cheese dinner mixes are easy to store and make a fast and easy meal.  I have pre cooked hamburger, chicken and ground turkey in the freezer.  It is easy to boil the pasta with the meat and freeze dried vegetables that we keep in the pantry.  It gives us a warm one pot meal.  Easy cleanup and a warm meal after a long day makes you feel so much better.

We sleep until we wake up.  No set wake up time means that you sleep as long as your body needs to recover.  There are times that you need to get up on a schedule, but it seems like we are healthier and thinner.  No stress and fatigue means no cortisol and extra fat build up in your body.  Cortisol is used by the body to cope with stress.  It is one of the limiting elements that keep fat around your belly.  I always thought some of the hype about stress was just a way to sell diet pills on infomercials.  Without the 21st century version of stress in our lives, we seem to be coping much better.  It feels like I have lost around 20 lbs.  My clothes fit better, I sleep better and seem happier, while living and traveling on our boat. 

Arrived at Fernandina Beach.  Got fuel, water and paid for a mooring ball.  Fernandina Beach is a destination for bus tour groups.  As we pulled up, we were asked questions by the visitors to the dock.  We got quite a few, "you really live on your boat?", the biggest question was, " don't you miss your stuff?".  The dredging is finished at Fernandina Beach, and the price is reasonable, but I would rather be on a mooring ball away from the dock walkers.  You start to feel like you are part of the tourist attractions. 

A little slice of Paradise

We worked our way south to Marineland Marina.  The marina has been newly rebuilt in August 2011.  The old marina was destroyed by the storm surge from Hurricane Floyd years ago.  The channel is well marked and easy to navigate.  We arrived at mid tide and had enough water.  At low tide we sink into the murk. Tied up to the face dock, the view of the channel/ICW is great. 

Marineland is part of the Georgia Aquarium research facility.  Across  the street from the marina is the main Dolphin building.  They give people the opportunity to interact with dolphins (for a fee).  The dolphins in the exhibit were either raised in captivity or were injured and were brought to the facility to heal.  Dolphins that could not be returned to the wild stayed with Marineland.

All around the marina there are salt water ponds that house all sorts of marine life.  We walked around all of them and tried to figure out what some of the big things were in the middle of the pond.  A fresh water pond located in the former campground is home to turtles, fish and an alligator.  Nature abounds at Marineland!  You can go across the street to the beach, take a kayak tour of all the preserve islands across the ICW, walk the nature trails or just sit on the stern of the boat and watch the dolphins play by the green marker.  There are no bars or restaurants.  A few of the  restaurants from the Hammock do deliver to the marina.  We borrowed the dock masters' car and went to the Publix to pick up a few things.  To us, this is a paradise.  We happened to arrive during Daytona Bike Week.  Motorcycles of all shapes and sizes were blasting down A1A.  We went over to the Marineland garden area, sat down and enjoyed the show.  Next came the Spring Break crowd. The bikini's and surf contests were a great spectator event. 

The winds have shifted from the North to the South-East.  It is time to head back to the Chesapeake.  The winter this year has been mild so the bugs are out in force.  Bugs in muggy anchorages are NO fun!  We are going to try and make it to Beaufort and send plane tickets to two of our three sons, Chris and Philbert.  We'll grab onto the Gulf Stream and book to the Chesapeake Bay. 

Florida-St. Augustine

We meandered down the ICW in Florida.  We passed by some amazing homes.  We noticed that most of the docks do not have a floating dock platform.  The power boats speed by with out taking any notice of the boats or areas around them.  The summer must be filled with noise and wakes.  The full moon was amazing.  With the full moon came the lunar tides.  Lunar tides are tides during the full moon that are lower or higher than usual.  Lower than usual tides cam be a problem.  Luckily we came into the Oxbow anchorage during low tide.  We knew we had enough water to leave in the morning.  We anchored and had a quiet night.

If I had a land home, this is the kind I would want.

 We made a marina reservation at Chamachee Cove Island Marina.  It is one the the fancier marinas, but they have a courtesy car and marine services.  We wanted to use this stop to provision and change the oil in the engine and the generator.  They also had a special, that if you buy one night of docking, you get the second night free.  The marina is home to some mega yachts.  When they have 50 feet of dock space leftover they try to fill the slip with one of us small boats.  One of the first times that our 42 foot boat felt 'small'.  We pulled into the marina and took on fuel.  I got the boat to the fuel dock, turned it around in the narrow alley surrounding by mega buck fishing boats and got it docked in our slip.  We had the fenders on the correct side, the dock lines and spring lines out.  Our electric cord was nicely coiled. We handed the lines and the electric cod to the dock hand.  Matt jumped onto the dock and we were tied up in no time.  We even got a thank you from the dock hand.  He said he was impressed, no yelling, hand signals and everything was ready to go.  What a change from the beginning of the trip.  We have progress from total newbies to seasoned ICW travelers.  I guess you can teach old folks new tricks.  We stayed at the marina through a blow.  Winds got to around 30 knts +.  Glad were were tied up.  We waited for the tide to come up and left for Marineland.

 


We had to open two bridges on our way to Marineland.  The first bridge, The Bridge of Lions, is in St. Augustine.  Other cruisers have told us about the bridge tender.  He doesn't hold the bridge.  The bridge only opens on the hour and half hour.  Many people said that they have had to wait the full half hour between openings.  We got to the bridge at 3 minutes before the hour, the light was still green. Matt was talking to the bridge tender and saw the light change to yellow.  I gunned the engine a went full speed ahead.  The light turned to green and we made it through the bridge.  Never ran a yellow light in a boat before.  I think all the driving in the DC area teaches you to be fearless.  The next bridge was easy.  You hail the bridge tender and he opens the bridge.  No need to gun the engine to make the light.  Matt was much happier. 

Got to Marineland without a problem.  Pulled into the slip and got all tied up.  Going to do exploring tomorrow.