4/29/2018


We arrived Palm Cove on Tuesday 4/24 for 1 night.  It seems after leaving the bigger cities behind we are meeting courteous boaters again.  On the entire trip we heard them asking permission for a slow pass & asking which side was preferable.  Have not heard that since we left the rivers.  The trip was pretty uneventful.  We needed to fuel when we arrived at Palm Cove. The fuel dock proved a challenge.  The captain was fighting wind & current while avoiding another boat at the dock.  He, of course, did just fine.  My performance left a little to be desired.  I had to throw a line 3x before the dock hand was able to catch it.  Moving to our dock for the night was no issue.

We left for Fernandina Wednesday 4/25.

We headed out at 8:45AM & low tide was 11:45.  NOT our best move.  Very skinny water along the way.  My eyes were darting back & forth between the depth & my various charts the entire trip.  Tim was in the same mode, but watching water, his charts & depth.  When it got low, I was calling the depth out loud.  In addition to all that, there crab pots IN the channel.  We did see grounded boats & heard numerous calls to Tow Boat.  At one particularly skinny area, a boat that was grounded was blocking our view of the channel marker.  I knew there had to be one & we finally found it.  I was able to pull up Bob423 on my phone & see the exact course to get us through.  Not fun.

The fun was never ending that day....At one point we could not figure out which way to go!!  My old eyes,  coupled with the sun made it difficult (read impossible) to see the yellow marks on the channel markers.  The yellow on the markers indicated ICW.   Tim "requested" that I use the bull horn to ask some local fishermen which way to go.  I patiently explained that I could ask, but since they did not have a bull horn, we would not hear the answer.  I acquiesced to his "request".  They  pointed & I eventually was able to see the yellow on the channel marker.  That was not the only bullhorn incident that day, but I will leave it at that.

We also passed under a 65' bridge.  No problem as our air draft is 14 feet.  The added bonus to that bridge was a 5' Rail Road Swing bridge immediately after it.  It is "usually" open, is not manned, does not answer the VHS.  "If you hear a train whistle, do not proceed, because it automatically closes for trains.  Really?? Who thought that was a good idea?

Anyway, we arrived Fernandina unscathed at 1PM.  They suggested we pick up a mooring ball till the tide came up & then proceed to our dock.   Sure, why not?  I was anxious for another try at my new hook.  It didn't work any better.  The ball's eye was at the end of a 4' line which was totally submerged.  Had to go back to my old way & grab it from the swim platform.  When we eventually went into the dock, there were no problems.

We had been toying with the idea of running outside of GA & that run made the decision for us.   The only question was weather.  It looked okay, but I still insisted on calling our friend, mentor & guardian angel, TJ.  He gave the go ahead & that was all that was needed.  Thank you TJ.😍

We left Fernandina by way of the St Mary's inlet on Thursday 4/26 @ 7:30AM.  We had a beautiful day on the ocean & we docked at Port Royal at 3:15PM.  A slight chop & swells started  & ended the run.  It was like being back on the lakes.  Deep water & auto pilot.  An added bonus, we saw a whale breaching!!

We are staying Port Royal Landing Marina for 3 days.  Nice place.  Courtesy car & an on site restaurant.   We are lucky to have floating docks.  The tide here is 7-8 feet.  It would certainly be a challenge for me & Riley to get on & off the boat.

 Our next stop is yet to be determined.  Stay tuned.

Odds & Ends:

We had a diver clean the bottom before we left St Augustine.   It was time & maybe the prescription sunglasses he lost could be found.  Tim heard crackling while in the engine room, & was concerned for the zinc anodes.   The zinc anodes were fine.   Good to know.  Crackling was a salt water thing.  Some little creatures munching?!?   Sun Glasses are still being worn by some unknown aquatic creature.

As I think I have mentioned, I am directional challenged.  We have many books & charts.  I read & follow them.  Now for my problem.. All the books assume a south bound direction.  That worked for me when we were south bound, but now we are north bound.  It gives me a headache to say the least.

We still miss our buddies on Donna Mae everyday.😢

We saw a deer walking/swimming across the ICW.  We were on an intersect course, when the deer decided to turn around & go back to shore.  Good move.

SMART DEER

SAME SMART DEER

FERNANDINA SUNSET

RUFF DAY

RAMP TO LAND FROM OUR BOAT AT LOW TIDE

TRICKY  RAILROAD BRIDGE

4/22/2018

We arrived Palm Coast on 4/12 after a fairly uneventful 6 hours on the A- ICW.  The A-ICW has been changing since we left southern FL.  There is more open land.  The houses are generally (not always) smaller & most have docks reaching out into the A- ICW.  The A- ICW, itself is much more narrow.

Our dock at Palm Coast marina is fixed😞.   The tide is not bad here, but it can still present a problem for Riley.  The walk to The European Village ( This area's claim to fame) is about 10 min.  A few shops & some restaurants are there.  We stopped at Farley's Irish Pub as it claimed to have good Craic.  Sadly, it did not.

While taking Riley on morning walk we found a great park with shade & a walking trail.  The woods around it made me think of the Amazon.  Very heavy foliage & water all around.  I was keeping Riley on a short leash in case of critters.  Snakes, gators or whatever else lived there.  I looked down the path a bit & saw a blond creature about as tall as Riley, but heavier coming out of the woods.  The mind works in mysterious ways.  ( At least mine does).  I said, "What the heck is that?" & stopped.  I'm thinking a yellow bear or a bobcat.  At that point, a man came out of the woods behind said beast.  The "beast was on a leash & it was a golden retriever.  Did I mention my sunglasses were fogged?  I started laughing.  The  guy probably thought I was crazy because he quickly went down another path away from us.

The highlight of this stop was our company.  Our friends Walter & Jeanne come to FL every year about this time.  They stay in Siesta Key.  They altered their course to intersect with us for the day.  We had a great time catching up.

We stayed an extra day at Palm Coast due to weather.  High winds & possible tornadoes were in the forecast.  It was windy & torrential rains, but no tornadoes.

Speaking of high winds.... I had noticed the guy on the sail boat across from us would come back from the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist.  The wind confirmed that was all he wore!

We left 4/16 for St Augustine.  We were advised to time our arrival for slack tide as the current at St Augustine can be treacherous while trying to dock.  We arrived a little early,  but as usual the captain did just fine.  He did have a little mishap.  While reaching down for something (I know not what) his prescription sun glasses fell into the water, never to be seen again.  So if anyone sees an aquatic animal with cool sunglasses, you know where they came from.😎.  Speaking of difficulty docking, we know of 3 & saw 1 boat that had problems.  They were headed bow into the dock & were turned sideways while attempting to dock.  That explained why the people  docked next to where we came in were standing on the side of their boat ready to fend us off.  Tim came to the rescue of the one we saw, but he still ended up stern in & not bow in as he started out.  Luckily there was no one next to him & the slip was wide enough to accommodate his swing around.

Our friends Marsh & Linda were driving home from Avon Lake & stopped to see us.  We had a great time checking out the city & having dinner.  They also drove us for some provisioning.

Tim decided on Saturday 4/13 it might be time to start working on our taxes!  Walter was kind enough to drive us to Staples at 8:45PM to purchase the Turbo Tax program.  Tim brought a flash drive from home with all our past taxes. Or so he thought.  When he finally started working on it Tuesday 4/17, he realized it was not the flash drive with  the taxes.  Alas, he filed for an extension.😝

St Augustine is a city rich in history.  A violent history.  I will not turn this into a history lesson, but will add some pictures.  Some of the pictures need a little explaining.
The Cannon Ball Oven:  They heated up the cannon balls so as to set the ships on fire when they hit their target.

Magnolia Street:  Was once lined with magnolias, but is now lined with oak trees.  It is also where the Fountain of Youth can be found.  The picture does not do it justice.  It is beautiful.

Flagler College:  Was once a hotel.  There was some serious money here back in the day.  I Imagine there still is.

Submerged sailboat:  We had to try & stay in the channel while avoiding it & going under a bridge.

Stained glass window:  We were told we "had to see the stained glass at the Episcopal  Church."  We found the church & walked around trying doors.  They were all locked.  A lady was inside working in the office.  She was kind enough to let us in.  I told her I would let her know when we were leaving.  She said no need, there are cameras everywhere.  Although the church & its windows were very nice, I was not sure why it was a must see.  It was the next day we realized it was the wrong church!  When  we found the right church it was closed.


Maintenance never ends.  Tim worked 2 days on the shower sump pump, but finally fixed the leak.  It was in a very tight spot, so difficult to see & reach. Also had to fix a leaky galley faucet.  A bilge switch was replaced.  Tried to soften our lines.  Salt & sun takes it's toll.  First by soaking in water & then soaking in Downy water.  Not a big improvement.  Riley got a bath.

Our plan was to leave St Augustine tomorrow, but once again it seems weather has the last word.  When we do leave the plan is Palm Cove & then Fernandina.  We are contemplating running out side & skipping the A-ICW in Georgia. That of course depends on weather.

CANNON BALL OVEN

CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS

CEMETERY

EUROPEAN VILLAGE AT PALM COAST

 ';

CANNON AT CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS

SERIOUS FENCE

FLAGLER COLLEGE CEILING IN LOBBY

FLAGLER COLLEGE LOBBY

A-ICW WEST SIDE

A-ICW EAST SIDE

MICHELANGELO'S DAVID AT RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT MUSEUM

MAGNOLIA STREET

BRIDGE OF LIONS & THE VIEW FROM OUR DOCK

MARSH, LINDA ,TIM & RILEY

MY VIEW WHILE TRAVELING

OLDEST TREE IN THE USA "THE OLD SENATOR"
MORE THAN 600 YEARS OLD

PIRATE TIM

OUT FOR A WALK???

SUBMERGED SAILBOAT IN CHANNEL UNDER A BRIDGE

STAINED GLASS WINDOW

FRIENDS WALTER & JEANNE WITH TIM

4/10/2018

We left Melbourne & arrived Cocoa Village Marina on 3/31.

Left the dock at Melbourne at 10:10.  By 10:15 we were hard aground in the channel.  BTW,  "Mr Personality" (the dock hand) knew nothing about problems with the channel.  We could not move.  Whenever the captain put Craic in gear she would stall.  Called Tow Boat.  Norman came to our rescue.  He pulled us off stern first.  It was not an easy task.  He told us it was hard packed sand & his outboard would dig a trough to get us through.  The whole thing, from grounding to moving on, took about an hour.

A few other issues cropped up.  Tim finally figured out why we had water in the bilge:  generator hose with a crack in it & a float switch that was not working.  Tim sealed  the hose until it can be replaced &  replaced the float switch.  He has also been working on the shower.

Cocoa Village Marina was by far one of my favorites.  Staff was friendly & helpful as were our dock neighbors.  There was a great place to walk Riley.  Residential on one side of the street & the Indian River on the other.  The houses ranged from fabulous to scary.  One especially stood out.  It appeared to be uninhabited.  The yard was over grown.  Some windows boarded up, but the wind chime on the porch could always be heard.😱

The hardware store was amazing.   S.F. Travis & Company, circa 1885.  It was huge.  One could get lost in it, but all you had to do was ask & an employee would take you right to whatever you wanted.  For people from home, Tim described it as Buck Hardware in Avon, on steroids.  I would say mega steroids.  I asked if at one time they had to do an actual physical inventory & the answer was yes.  That had to be a Herculean task.

It seems the loopers are backing up again, due to weather.  So there was an evening of docktails & dinner & discussions of where to go next & for how long.

There was a space  launch on 4/2 which we watched from the dock.  Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so the view was not as good as it could have been, but still awesome to see.  The pictures are courtesy of  Jonell from Getting Looped.

Speaking of space.....I got to see & have dinner with some of my  former co-workers from Kennedy.  I looked forward to & enjoyed that.

Fellow loopers Mike & Jonell asked if we wanted to join them for an air boat ride.  We did.  It was on the St John's River Marshes.  We have never been on an air boat.  Way cool!  They can run in only inches of water, are fast,  can turn on a dime, & are very loud.  We all wore headsets with microphones attached.   The only way to hear/talk while underway.  The captain did complement me on my large brimmed hat with chin strap, but said it was not going to work.  He was right.  Headset would not go over or under the hat.  Darn, I thought that hat was good thinking on my part!  At one point we stopped & took off the headsets  so the captain could talk.  When he started up again, I was slow putting them back on.  The noise was deafening.  The marsh was surrounded by grazing land.  Cows were every where.  We were told the gators did not really bother them & they seemed to be very relaxed! The only sad site was a downed cow at the edge of the water with Vultures feasting on it.  The captain surmised she had a breach birth & that is what put her down.  An Indian mound & its use was pointed out to us.  When the area flooded, the Indians would use these as way points & to be able to stop on land.  Our captain also told us, when in Florida waters, assume there are gators.  Tim had just seen one that morning while walking on our dock.  In addition to things in the wild, there was a small menagerie of other animals kept on the grounds.

All good things must come to an end.  It was time to move on.  Our dock partner, Jack, played the violin on the dock as we left.  We were headed to Titusville for an overnight on our way to New Smyrna.

We arrived New Smyrna 4/8.  It was about 4.5 hour slow run on the ICW.  It was cold, cloudy & windy.  The channel was narrow & the captain was wary of shoaling.  Lots of getting waked.  We made it without incident.

Sue (a co-worker of Tim's at United) & Vic were in town & came to visit.  After catching up with a few cocktails on the boat, we all went to dinner.  A good time was had by all.

Our dock at New Smyrna Beach City Marina is nice.  We are out on the end.  The view from our boat allows us to watch the dolphins.  Riley is getting more bold & now stands guard.  We also saw a very large turtle surface a couple of times.

We walked to the beach.  Once again over bridges.  It was the 1st time we had seen a beach that allowed cars.  The hard packed sand & traffic signs!!

THE WALK TO NEXT BUILDING OF HARDWARE STORE

TIM WITH RESIDENT PIG AT MIDWAY AIR BOAT RIDE

EAGLE SPOTTED ON AIR BOAT RIDE

GATOR SEEN ON AIR BOAT RIDE

AIR BOAT

NEW SMYRNA BEACH

NEW SMYRNA BEACH

TRAFFIC SIGNS NEW SMYRNA BEACH

DEMOLISHED DOCK ALONG ICW

DEMOLISHED DOCS ON ICW

BRIDGE SENTINELS

HARDWARE STORE

HARDWARE STORE

HARDWARE STORE
MAYTAG DEALER?

KENNEDY FRIENDS
STEVE, SUSAN & NANCY

MY NEW FRIEND
CAN I KEEP HIM?

TIM'S NEW FRIEND

SNAKE AT MIDWAY

SNAKE AT MIDWAY

TIM ALWAYS MAKING FRIENDS

TREES ON THE WALK AT COCOA

LAUNCH

LAUNCH

LAUNCH

Something I forgot to mention in a previous post.

We visited the Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce.  If you are ever in Fort Pierce it is not to be missed.   I knew these guys were tough & the best of the best, but I had no idea just how tough.    I left there with a whole new level of respect & awe.  One more thing I learned at the museum.  I am a proponent  of the 5 P's.  Prior planning prevents poor performance.  The SEALS subscribe to 7 P's, proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance.  It remains to be seen if Tim will finally listen & join the club!?!?