It has been almost a month since I last left an entry on this blog. We are in Stuart Florida, at the recently opened Sunset Bay Marina just above the bridge on the St. Lucie River. We have about a 4 hour trip to the final destination of Indiantown Fl. where the boat will be prepared for her trip back to Fenelon Falls. We are sitting here at the marina this morning because the lock that we have to go up along the Okeechobee Waterway is on a reduced schedule because of the fairly severe drought that the state has experienced. I will note, however, that we have had heavy rains regularly pretty much every day since we began our trip back from the Exumas. We are about 8 miles from the lock and it will only be opening at 1:00 this afternoon so our "free" time is being spent catching up. It has been relatively hard to maintain the blog because internet service, while available in some places, is usually over satellite services and is not really fast enough for our needs.
We have covered a lot of ground since Nassau. I will try to fill in some of the highlights and get a few photos up when I have a bit more time. As it is, my goal is to try to get back to Fenelon Falls around the middle of June.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
We're in the Bamahas
After Kent and Karen started on their trip north, we prepared the boat and left the security of the marina the following morning and headed for an anchorage in No Name Harbour across Biscane Bay. It was a very protected area located in a state park. We anchored there for 2 nights where we ran into a couple who we had met on another boat- Molano, on the trip down back in the fall. We arranged to meet with them and another couple - Tom and Jerry for a BBQ the following afternoon. Terry and I did a walking tour of the park and climbed to the top of the lighthouse on Cape Florida. We had a great view of the channel leading out into the ocean and spied schools of rays cavorting in the shallow waters near the beautiful beach.
We felt that the conditions, while not perfect for a crossing, were a bit more promissing than those over the past few days so we decided to go with the crossing of the Gulf Stream on May 3rd. It would be a full day and our destination would be the Island of Bimini. At 6:40 a.m. we pulled the anchor and headed out into SE winds of 10-15 knots. For the first 15 miles or so we dealt with confused seas of around 4 feet. Things settled down a bit once we were into the Stream but it was still a moderately rough crossing since the wind was right on our nose all the way across. We did have the mainsail up and that had a bit of a steadying effect. After about 10 hours, we finally spotted the Island of Bimini and 12 hours after we left, we were tying up at the Bimini Bluewater Marina. We stayed there for 3 nights, and soent the days exploring the island, visiting the local restaurants including Sherry's Bar which was right on the beach of the west side of the island. They fed us a great drink and we enjoyed a sample of her conch fritters. Sherry and Terry struck up a conversation and soon, we had committed to dinner there the following night. It was great. We were joined by another half dozen or so people from boats. A large bonfire was lit on the beach; the local lads brought out their drums, and we had a bit of a "junkanoo" right outside Sherry's bar in the middle of the road.
We struck out for Chub Key - a 2 day trip, on Wednesday morning, crossing the Great Bahama Bank and then about 15 miles of the Tongue of the Ocean. Our choices for wednesday night were to either anchor on the banks, or continue through the night. We elected to anchor on the banks in about 12 feet of water near the Russell Beacon. It was a rocky night since the winds that we have been dealing with were still on our nose about 10 to 15 knots.
We got up about 6 the following morning after a largely sleepless night and continued on to the Chub Cay Club Marina where we took a slip for the night. The location was fabulous; the marina basin very protected, the swimming pool out of this world, but the services for the boater left a lot to be desired. I had a chat with the manager - he had been appointed just a few days earlier; the marina was in receivership, the banks on the hook for $106 million!!!!
We stayed there only 1 night ($190.) and left the next morning for the 35 miles crossing to Nassau which we reached at about 3:45 on Friday afternoon. We tied up at the Harbour Club Marina which is where Dan and Sue leave their dive boat when in Nassau. After arriving, we enjoyed their pool, and made our plans for the work that had to be done here before we left for the Exumas - likely on Monday.
We felt that the conditions, while not perfect for a crossing, were a bit more promissing than those over the past few days so we decided to go with the crossing of the Gulf Stream on May 3rd. It would be a full day and our destination would be the Island of Bimini. At 6:40 a.m. we pulled the anchor and headed out into SE winds of 10-15 knots. For the first 15 miles or so we dealt with confused seas of around 4 feet. Things settled down a bit once we were into the Stream but it was still a moderately rough crossing since the wind was right on our nose all the way across. We did have the mainsail up and that had a bit of a steadying effect. After about 10 hours, we finally spotted the Island of Bimini and 12 hours after we left, we were tying up at the Bimini Bluewater Marina. We stayed there for 3 nights, and soent the days exploring the island, visiting the local restaurants including Sherry's Bar which was right on the beach of the west side of the island. They fed us a great drink and we enjoyed a sample of her conch fritters. Sherry and Terry struck up a conversation and soon, we had committed to dinner there the following night. It was great. We were joined by another half dozen or so people from boats. A large bonfire was lit on the beach; the local lads brought out their drums, and we had a bit of a "junkanoo" right outside Sherry's bar in the middle of the road.
We struck out for Chub Key - a 2 day trip, on Wednesday morning, crossing the Great Bahama Bank and then about 15 miles of the Tongue of the Ocean. Our choices for wednesday night were to either anchor on the banks, or continue through the night. We elected to anchor on the banks in about 12 feet of water near the Russell Beacon. It was a rocky night since the winds that we have been dealing with were still on our nose about 10 to 15 knots.
We got up about 6 the following morning after a largely sleepless night and continued on to the Chub Cay Club Marina where we took a slip for the night. The location was fabulous; the marina basin very protected, the swimming pool out of this world, but the services for the boater left a lot to be desired. I had a chat with the manager - he had been appointed just a few days earlier; the marina was in receivership, the banks on the hook for $106 million!!!!
We stayed there only 1 night ($190.) and left the next morning for the 35 miles crossing to Nassau which we reached at about 3:45 on Friday afternoon. We tied up at the Harbour Club Marina which is where Dan and Sue leave their dive boat when in Nassau. After arriving, we enjoyed their pool, and made our plans for the work that had to be done here before we left for the Exumas - likely on Monday.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Chapter 2: Off to the Bahamas
It is April 28th and Terry and I are sitting in a bookstore in Coconut Grove Florida, a few miles south of Miami. Resolute is safely tied up in the Dinner Key Marina and will sit as we wait out a spell of quite strong winds - too strong and from the wrong direction to get to the Bahamas. But I am getting ahead of myself. This chapter goes back to April 6th.
On that date, I left with a loaded car, in a late spring snow storm, heading for the U.S. border. I had my sister Mary Anne with me and after dropping her off at her workplace in Toronto, I continued on. I took 2 long days and 1 short one to get to Indiantown Florida, where Resolute had been stored last December. The boat was moved to the work area where I installed another 80 watt solar panel and did a few other minor maintenance jobs. I had the boat launched after a week and made my way to Fort Lauderdale where Terry was scheduled to arrive on April 20th. On the way there I anchored out at Peck Lake, a popular anchorage and took slips at 2 marinas when threatening weather was forecast.
We stayed in F.L. for 3 days, tied up to a dock that was offered to us by Terry's friends Dan and Sue, who live on the south branch of the New River in F.L. Because of strong winds, we stopped at the Turnberry Isle Resort Marina for 3 days and awaited a decrease in the wind speed. We pressed on despite the wind yesterday and arrived at the Dinner Key Marina, near Coconut Grove in the early afternoon. Biscane Bay had a moderate chop to it but because of the direction of the wind, it was not too bad and we were in fact able to sail for about an hour.
We were greeted here by Kent and Karen Caraway who I had sailed with for several weeks on the way down here back in the fall. It took us little time to get into our habit of sundowners starting around 5:30. They had spent a few months over in the Bahamas since January, so we had a lot of questions for them.
I will get a few photos up as soon as I can.
ttyl
Mike
Monday, December 15, 2008
The end of this line
Saturday' weather forecast was for strong winds again but that would not concern us since we would be in a protected waterway for most of today trip - the last one of this adventure. It was going to be a bit chilly by south Florida standards - highs in the 60's but more than pleasant considering the alternative. When I spoke with Weezie she told me about the 18 or so inches of snow that they had just received back home. We delayed our start this morning until the dockmaster arrived shortly before 8 - I was a bit concerned about the wind blowing me into another boat in the tight confines of the marina as I had to reverse out of my slip and then do a very quick 90 degree turn to port between a couple of closeby boats. It turned out to be a fairly easy departure and we were soon moving along at 6.5 knots with a strong following current but into an equally strong headwind. Lat was to last only about 5 miles - until we cleared out of the St-Lucy River and turned into the Okeechobee canal itself. Once in the "ditch" we were Protected from the wind and very soon, after a passage through the St Lucy lock, immune also to a tidal currrents. Beyond the lock, the water was fresh so the engine, which had been cooled by saltwater for the past 3 months, was now on a diet of freshwater. The Bukh would have a good rinsing from the remaining 15 mile passage through the canal to Indiantown. As we moved along, the air temperature gradually rose so that by Indiantown I was down to short on my sleeves and on my legs. There wasn't a lot to see along the Okeechobee - we passed through agricultural areas where huge pumps drew water from the canal for irrigation, and passed by a few residential developments where houses were grouped on suitable land. There was very little other boat traffic along here, and the canal was wide enough for "auto" to do much of the work.Passing through the narrow and short channel into the marina's basin and tying up just beyond the fuel dock was my last boating operation of this voyage (except for the 200 foot trip to the travelift for the haulout sometime later in the week. We arrived around 2 p.m. My lines were caught by an employee of the marina and another boater - Bob who along with June were preparing to head off on their 27 foot Erickson to the Exumas after the weekend.
Saturdays, I was informed, the marina hosts a BBQ so after sharing a celebratory drink with my neighbours, I read for a bit, walked the dog through the boat storage area, and relaxed, completely.
The boat storage area has a couple of hundred boats there, most of them sailboats, and from all over North America. There is a separate boat work area where boaters can, for up to 2 weeks, so any kind of work on their vessels. There, they are allowed to stay on the boats. In the storage area, it is not allowed.
The BBQ had about 40 attendees, and featured pork and chicken and a huge assortment of appetizers, salads, and desserts. It was a nice way to cap this adventure - enjoying the company of 6 others who very freely shared their "stories" and advice for the less experienced (me)
I contacted Terry at home around 10 pm, they had just returned from Bernie's birthday party. They will depart tomorrow (Sunday), and likely get here later Tuesday evening - weather permitting.
Sunday started off cloudy with some promise of showers later on so I got up early and took down the genoa and main sails, and stowed a few of the lines that I would no longer be needing. Once the showers started, I returned to my Robert Ludlam novel and spent the rest of the day there, at least until around 4 when people began to gather in the lounge to watch some of the football games. Dinner was therefore a bit late getting going but quickly put together in the pressure cooker. I am down to cleaning out the fridge and getting rid of the last of my provisions. I will not starve but my choices are now made for me. Caja, with the warmer conditions has chosen to sleep in the cockpit. It is nice to have pleasant conditions at night. I contacted Terry via Dan's Blackberry. They are on their way and well into Ohio. There appears to be yukky weather on either side of them. They just might be able to squeeze down between the systems and make it here without weather delays. They should be able to pick me up Tuesday evening - I will accompany them to Fort Lauderdale for overnight and we will return to the boat Wednesday evening; and ready to be hauled out first thing Thursday morning. I notified the marina of that plan, walked the dog into Indiantown to pick a some apples - there was very little else in the way of fruit or veggies in the food store there, and returned to the marina for what should be a day of gathering together items for the return trip to Fenelon Falls.
Around the parking lot at the food store were gathered dozens of people, most of them Hyspanic-looking. My guess is that they were there awaiting the opportunity to get a day of work in the surrounding farms.
It is sunny and warm. This marina has good facilities for those who need to be here for a short period of time. I am pleased with my choice of the Indiantown marina, and I will now sign off from this chapter of this blog, hoping to return to the activity if I am able to decide to add another chapter.
Caja and I have survived it well. We will see you all in a short while
This is resolute. Out.
Saturdays, I was informed, the marina hosts a BBQ so after sharing a celebratory drink with my neighbours, I read for a bit, walked the dog through the boat storage area, and relaxed, completely.
The boat storage area has a couple of hundred boats there, most of them sailboats, and from all over North America. There is a separate boat work area where boaters can, for up to 2 weeks, so any kind of work on their vessels. There, they are allowed to stay on the boats. In the storage area, it is not allowed.
The BBQ had about 40 attendees, and featured pork and chicken and a huge assortment of appetizers, salads, and desserts. It was a nice way to cap this adventure - enjoying the company of 6 others who very freely shared their "stories" and advice for the less experienced (me)
I contacted Terry at home around 10 pm, they had just returned from Bernie's birthday party. They will depart tomorrow (Sunday), and likely get here later Tuesday evening - weather permitting.
Sunday started off cloudy with some promise of showers later on so I got up early and took down the genoa and main sails, and stowed a few of the lines that I would no longer be needing. Once the showers started, I returned to my Robert Ludlam novel and spent the rest of the day there, at least until around 4 when people began to gather in the lounge to watch some of the football games. Dinner was therefore a bit late getting going but quickly put together in the pressure cooker. I am down to cleaning out the fridge and getting rid of the last of my provisions. I will not starve but my choices are now made for me. Caja, with the warmer conditions has chosen to sleep in the cockpit. It is nice to have pleasant conditions at night. I contacted Terry via Dan's Blackberry. They are on their way and well into Ohio. There appears to be yukky weather on either side of them. They just might be able to squeeze down between the systems and make it here without weather delays. They should be able to pick me up Tuesday evening - I will accompany them to Fort Lauderdale for overnight and we will return to the boat Wednesday evening; and ready to be hauled out first thing Thursday morning. I notified the marina of that plan, walked the dog into Indiantown to pick a some apples - there was very little else in the way of fruit or veggies in the food store there, and returned to the marina for what should be a day of gathering together items for the return trip to Fenelon Falls.
Around the parking lot at the food store were gathered dozens of people, most of them Hyspanic-looking. My guess is that they were there awaiting the opportunity to get a day of work in the surrounding farms.
It is sunny and warm. This marina has good facilities for those who need to be here for a short period of time. I am pleased with my choice of the Indiantown marina, and I will now sign off from this chapter of this blog, hoping to return to the activity if I am able to decide to add another chapter.
Caja and I have survived it well. We will see you all in a short while
This is resolute. Out.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Alligators and the Indian River
It is Friday, December 12th and I am sitting in the cockpit with Caja at the Mariner Cay Marina near Stuart Florida. We turned off the ICW about a mile ago and all that is left is about 30 miles along the Okeechobee Waterway to Indiantown Florida, where I have decided to leave the boat while we return home for the Christmas and ski seasons. A fair bit of distance has been covered since I last wrote. Today's slip is right outside the marina office so my wi-fi reception is excellent. Time to get caught up.
I left New Smyrna Beach with a good current behind me and made it to Titusville in the early afternoon on Sunday the 7th. The trip down for the most part was along the Mosquito Lagoon, a body of water that was several miles wide and about 20 miles long. It was generally shallow except for where the channel was dredged out. The channel was wide enough that I could use the autopilot to do most of the steering. This is my most valuable piece of equipment. After going the length of the Mosquito Lagoon, we crossed over to the Indian River Lagoon and the balance of the trip along the ICW to Stuart was along this body of water. It was similarly structured - i.e. a few miles wide, shallow and long.
After arriving, I had time to change the oil and filter and still get to take Caja for a long walk along the waterfront. A great deal of the waterfront there was devoted to parkland. There is a huge municipal park that stretched for at least a mile along the waterfront; another park was a tribute to those who contributed in any way to the US space program - we can see the huge erector building at the Kennedy Space Centre from the Titusville waterfront. Another really well-done park pays tribute to those who have fought for the US is recent wars. The rest of the town, however, is far from the classic beauties that we visited in the Carolinas and Georgia. I wandered around looking for a wi-fi spot and struck out wherever I went. I did manage to get stocked up on food and even found a vet where I was able to get some of Caja's regular food - it was about a mile away, though. We had a quiet day on Monday; I found a used book store and picked up a few more paperback "who dunnits",and got to bed early since Tuesday we had a 40 mile day planned- to Melbourne and the city Marina.
We left early again and soon found ourselves pounding into headwinds that increased in strength through the day. The chart indicated that the winds were going to be right into the mouth of the harbour where the marina was located. I tried to call the marina on VHF and on my cell phone but I was unable to raise them, so I decided to cut the trip about 5 miles short and took a slip at the bottom end of the Banana River which was very sheltered from the wind. We tied up for the night at the Telemar Bay Marina. Once we were tied up, I walked and fed Caja and went down to the local sports bar for a quick dinner of hoagies, washed down with a Yuengling beer. We again crashed early since Wednesday would now be the 40 mile day - to Vero Beach.
We left before 7 on Wednesday and again travelled down the Indian River. The wind was again on the nose and fairly strong -15 to 20 mph but the marina at Vero Beach was up a very well-protected river. I had booked a slip there for 2 days but when we arrived, I was told that there was no record of the reservation. This was critical since the weather was forecast to be really bad on Thursday and Vero Beach was a favorite spot to hide. They had no slips available. I protested and they found me a spot in a 3 foot deep lagoon where the dinghys tie up to a floating dock. I had to power into the slip through the silt at the bottom of the lagoon - but - this was a really secure spot to be if the weather got really nasty. The big question was how easy or hard would it be to get out. That would be answered in 2 days.
I treated myself to a great dinner of breaded conch fritters, fried shrimp, and key lime pie at a nearby waterfront restaurant. Vero Beaach is a great place to stay for a while - the county provides free bus service to the shopping areas in the town across the river. There is a very large park where people with dogs meet each morning and evening to exercise the dogs and chat. In many of the marinas visited recently there are found more and more people who live aboard their boats and who stay in marinas for months at a time. The other thing that was very striking about Vero Beach is that many more boats are tied up to mooring balls - in fact, most of the moorings had 3 boats rafted together - there is no anchoring allowed in Vero Beach. The storm came and went - the wind was strong - the rain was heavy, but by about 7 p.m. on Thursday, things had settled down and we had a quiet night. I made up a dinner of tuna and pasta - enough for tomorrow as well.
Friday morning arrived and we again planned to leave around 7. The tide was out and I was stuck in my slip. I managed to push myself back about 10 feet and then put the engine in reverse, and got on the dock and pushed and we slowly moved out into deeper water. We left without incident and started off on the last day of ICW travel. It turned out to be a great one since the wind- at 15 to 20 mph, came from behind, over my shoulder. We were able to put out the genoa and move at an average of about 6 knots for the entire trip. We arrived here in the Manatee Pocket near Stuart, after fighting a bit of current, and wind, were tied up by around 1:30. I think that I may try to upload some photos here later tonight, but now, Caja is begging for a walk. Dinner is leftovers from yesterday and tomorrow, we take our last boat ride ...for a while.
TTYL
Mike
I left New Smyrna Beach with a good current behind me and made it to Titusville in the early afternoon on Sunday the 7th. The trip down for the most part was along the Mosquito Lagoon, a body of water that was several miles wide and about 20 miles long. It was generally shallow except for where the channel was dredged out. The channel was wide enough that I could use the autopilot to do most of the steering. This is my most valuable piece of equipment. After going the length of the Mosquito Lagoon, we crossed over to the Indian River Lagoon and the balance of the trip along the ICW to Stuart was along this body of water. It was similarly structured - i.e. a few miles wide, shallow and long.
After arriving, I had time to change the oil and filter and still get to take Caja for a long walk along the waterfront. A great deal of the waterfront there was devoted to parkland. There is a huge municipal park that stretched for at least a mile along the waterfront; another park was a tribute to those who contributed in any way to the US space program - we can see the huge erector building at the Kennedy Space Centre from the Titusville waterfront. Another really well-done park pays tribute to those who have fought for the US is recent wars. The rest of the town, however, is far from the classic beauties that we visited in the Carolinas and Georgia. I wandered around looking for a wi-fi spot and struck out wherever I went. I did manage to get stocked up on food and even found a vet where I was able to get some of Caja's regular food - it was about a mile away, though. We had a quiet day on Monday; I found a used book store and picked up a few more paperback "who dunnits",and got to bed early since Tuesday we had a 40 mile day planned- to Melbourne and the city Marina.
We left early again and soon found ourselves pounding into headwinds that increased in strength through the day. The chart indicated that the winds were going to be right into the mouth of the harbour where the marina was located. I tried to call the marina on VHF and on my cell phone but I was unable to raise them, so I decided to cut the trip about 5 miles short and took a slip at the bottom end of the Banana River which was very sheltered from the wind. We tied up for the night at the Telemar Bay Marina. Once we were tied up, I walked and fed Caja and went down to the local sports bar for a quick dinner of hoagies, washed down with a Yuengling beer. We again crashed early since Wednesday would now be the 40 mile day - to Vero Beach.
We left before 7 on Wednesday and again travelled down the Indian River. The wind was again on the nose and fairly strong -15 to 20 mph but the marina at Vero Beach was up a very well-protected river. I had booked a slip there for 2 days but when we arrived, I was told that there was no record of the reservation. This was critical since the weather was forecast to be really bad on Thursday and Vero Beach was a favorite spot to hide. They had no slips available. I protested and they found me a spot in a 3 foot deep lagoon where the dinghys tie up to a floating dock. I had to power into the slip through the silt at the bottom of the lagoon - but - this was a really secure spot to be if the weather got really nasty. The big question was how easy or hard would it be to get out. That would be answered in 2 days.
I treated myself to a great dinner of breaded conch fritters, fried shrimp, and key lime pie at a nearby waterfront restaurant. Vero Beaach is a great place to stay for a while - the county provides free bus service to the shopping areas in the town across the river. There is a very large park where people with dogs meet each morning and evening to exercise the dogs and chat. In many of the marinas visited recently there are found more and more people who live aboard their boats and who stay in marinas for months at a time. The other thing that was very striking about Vero Beach is that many more boats are tied up to mooring balls - in fact, most of the moorings had 3 boats rafted together - there is no anchoring allowed in Vero Beach. The storm came and went - the wind was strong - the rain was heavy, but by about 7 p.m. on Thursday, things had settled down and we had a quiet night. I made up a dinner of tuna and pasta - enough for tomorrow as well.
Friday morning arrived and we again planned to leave around 7. The tide was out and I was stuck in my slip. I managed to push myself back about 10 feet and then put the engine in reverse, and got on the dock and pushed and we slowly moved out into deeper water. We left without incident and started off on the last day of ICW travel. It turned out to be a great one since the wind- at 15 to 20 mph, came from behind, over my shoulder. We were able to put out the genoa and move at an average of about 6 knots for the entire trip. We arrived here in the Manatee Pocket near Stuart, after fighting a bit of current, and wind, were tied up by around 1:30. I think that I may try to upload some photos here later tonight, but now, Caja is begging for a walk. Dinner is leftovers from yesterday and tomorrow, we take our last boat ride ...for a while.
TTYL
Mike
Saturday, December 6, 2008
The sunshine coast
We again planned our departure from St. Augustine early - before sunrise to take advantage of the lack of tidal current at departure and the presence of current as we made our way south. Even though we only had 25 miles to go to our next stop, it is really good to get in early - it pretty well adds another day to our time in port and provides the time to get some of the boat jobs done. Our first afternoon in Palm Coast, we walked over to the "European Village", a hotel-condo complex that is built in a triangle around a large open plaza. Small stores, bars, and restaurants occupy the ground level and the hotel rooms are in the 3 floors above. Once inside the triangle, we were protected from the cool breeze and we warmed up quickly, and then pigged out at an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. We also then decided to return to one of the other restaurants for dinner. While we ate our lunch we were serenaded by a "crooner" who took to the stage in the middle of the plaza and belted out old standards while the few people who were there ate. This is really getting to be tourist and resort country. The terrain has gradually moved to include less marsh and more solid ground with a larger variety of trees, including various types of palms.
Later, the 10 minute walk led us back to the village. We stopped for a beer ($2.00) - I think that the shops here are hurting; dinner comprised local food at what seemed to be the most popular restaurant in the village. Our return was after dark and it took me very little time to crash, even though tomorrow morning we would have a liesurely get-up.
Ham and eggs warmed up the cabin and filled my tummy on Thursday morning. That day was one of domestic chores - finally getting around to doing the dishes (they had piled up for about 3 days); and then laundry. The latter gave me time to finish off one of the pocketbooks that I had picked up a way back in Belhaven. I now have only one more book to finish - it is the relatively "heavy" one dealing with Islam. Kind of academic and sometimes boring but I am determined - even resolute.
Kent and Karen and I had decided that our last night in PCM would present the chance to pool their and my remaining "goodies" for our sundowner. We polished off 3 part bottles of wine, loads of cheese and crackers and we all found that we had had enough to satisfy our appetites. I was in bed by around 7:30. Tomorrow, it is the land of the Daytona 500 and raucous spring break goings-on. Kent and Karen were delivering their boat to a boat-yard to get some work done on it and I had booked a slip at the Halifax Harbour Marina - the municipal marina right on the Daytona waterfront and next door to Breezaway's boat-yard.
The trip was about 28 miles and we again left early and were assisted by the tidal current, arriving in Daytona shortly after noon. The HHM is huge - over 500 slips. After signing in at the slip I walked over towards K and K's marina and met them along the way. We took a short walk downtown, scoped out a likely restaurant for dinner and found out that we had arrived on the day of Daytona's Christmas parade. The downtown of Daytona is about a mile removed from the barrier island on which the famous beaches are located. It looked as though this town in suffering - there were many empty stores and the remaining ones were almost deserted. We wondered what the Christmas parade would bring.
After a quick visit to West Marine for some engine oil, I walked Caja on the waterfront trail and met K and K - our first stop - an Irish pub for a pre-dinner drink. I had a dark ale - Murphy's - somewhat like Guiness, and then we continued onm down to the restaurant for our excellent dinner. Live jazz entertainment started just as we were finishing up-very skilled players; and we went outside to join the fairly large crowd that had gathered for the parade. It was like most such events - fire trucks, police cars, a few bands, a few decorated floats, marching groups from some of the schools, and local dignitaries out "glad-handing. It was fun, though to see a large group of people enjoying themselves. After a phone conversation with Terry, I crashed shortly after 9 and in my dreams planned my first day for some time, unescorted.
Because my trip to New Smyrna Beach Marina was only about 18 miles, I slept in for about half an hour, and after the usual morning activities, left around 7:45. I was again lucky enough to have a current pushing me all the way and arrived at my destination by about 11:00 a.m. For the first time in a long time, there were light showers to mark my departure from a stop. It soon eased up and the sun finally emerged, raising the temperatures to the mid-70's. I had a quick lunch and did the typical tour of downtown New Smyrna Beach, managing to find a bakery where I stocked up on a few "sweets", and a farmers' market where I stocked up on some fruit - oranges, apples and grapes - the only items that I ran out of this morning. Even though the dockmaster told me that there is no wi-fi here, he added that one can usually piggyback on another unprotected wireless connection. This blog is coming to via that means. It is about 2 in the afternoon right now and boats around me are being decorated. It turned out that my visit here coincides with NSB's Christmas parade as well as with a boat parade later in the evening. I will be "Christmas'ed" out if this continues. However, I still have not started my Christmas shopping and there will be no time to do it once I get back to Fenelon Falls. I had better get moving!
That's it for now; tomorrow I move along to Titusville where I have a slip booked for 2 days. Time to do some engine maintenance. It is about 32 miles so my get-up will return to 5:00 a.m. I wonder what I will do when I get back home?
Mike
Later, the 10 minute walk led us back to the village. We stopped for a beer ($2.00) - I think that the shops here are hurting; dinner comprised local food at what seemed to be the most popular restaurant in the village. Our return was after dark and it took me very little time to crash, even though tomorrow morning we would have a liesurely get-up.
Ham and eggs warmed up the cabin and filled my tummy on Thursday morning. That day was one of domestic chores - finally getting around to doing the dishes (they had piled up for about 3 days); and then laundry. The latter gave me time to finish off one of the pocketbooks that I had picked up a way back in Belhaven. I now have only one more book to finish - it is the relatively "heavy" one dealing with Islam. Kind of academic and sometimes boring but I am determined - even resolute.
Kent and Karen and I had decided that our last night in PCM would present the chance to pool their and my remaining "goodies" for our sundowner. We polished off 3 part bottles of wine, loads of cheese and crackers and we all found that we had had enough to satisfy our appetites. I was in bed by around 7:30. Tomorrow, it is the land of the Daytona 500 and raucous spring break goings-on. Kent and Karen were delivering their boat to a boat-yard to get some work done on it and I had booked a slip at the Halifax Harbour Marina - the municipal marina right on the Daytona waterfront and next door to Breezaway's boat-yard.
The trip was about 28 miles and we again left early and were assisted by the tidal current, arriving in Daytona shortly after noon. The HHM is huge - over 500 slips. After signing in at the slip I walked over towards K and K's marina and met them along the way. We took a short walk downtown, scoped out a likely restaurant for dinner and found out that we had arrived on the day of Daytona's Christmas parade. The downtown of Daytona is about a mile removed from the barrier island on which the famous beaches are located. It looked as though this town in suffering - there were many empty stores and the remaining ones were almost deserted. We wondered what the Christmas parade would bring.
After a quick visit to West Marine for some engine oil, I walked Caja on the waterfront trail and met K and K - our first stop - an Irish pub for a pre-dinner drink. I had a dark ale - Murphy's - somewhat like Guiness, and then we continued onm down to the restaurant for our excellent dinner. Live jazz entertainment started just as we were finishing up-very skilled players; and we went outside to join the fairly large crowd that had gathered for the parade. It was like most such events - fire trucks, police cars, a few bands, a few decorated floats, marching groups from some of the schools, and local dignitaries out "glad-handing. It was fun, though to see a large group of people enjoying themselves. After a phone conversation with Terry, I crashed shortly after 9 and in my dreams planned my first day for some time, unescorted.
Because my trip to New Smyrna Beach Marina was only about 18 miles, I slept in for about half an hour, and after the usual morning activities, left around 7:45. I was again lucky enough to have a current pushing me all the way and arrived at my destination by about 11:00 a.m. For the first time in a long time, there were light showers to mark my departure from a stop. It soon eased up and the sun finally emerged, raising the temperatures to the mid-70's. I had a quick lunch and did the typical tour of downtown New Smyrna Beach, managing to find a bakery where I stocked up on a few "sweets", and a farmers' market where I stocked up on some fruit - oranges, apples and grapes - the only items that I ran out of this morning. Even though the dockmaster told me that there is no wi-fi here, he added that one can usually piggyback on another unprotected wireless connection. This blog is coming to via that means. It is about 2 in the afternoon right now and boats around me are being decorated. It turned out that my visit here coincides with NSB's Christmas parade as well as with a boat parade later in the evening. I will be "Christmas'ed" out if this continues. However, I still have not started my Christmas shopping and there will be no time to do it once I get back to Fenelon Falls. I had better get moving!
That's it for now; tomorrow I move along to Titusville where I have a slip booked for 2 days. Time to do some engine maintenance. It is about 32 miles so my get-up will return to 5:00 a.m. I wonder what I will do when I get back home?
Mike
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
We made it to Florida
This entry has been a long time coming, primarily since on our travels through Georgia, we were very often out of cell phone and internet range. Even now, in St-Augustine Florida, the internet access is spotty. It is often difficult to stay connected as the wi-fi systems are in some locations, pretty primitive.
Since I last wrote, because of strong winds we decided to stay an extra day in Beaufort South Carolina. That was no hardship since the town is very attractive. I did try to upload photos to the last blog entry but the access being what is is, it was not possible. I may have to wait until I get to a "real" wi-fi location to do that. In fact, this afternoon I'll get to a coffee shop and bring along the Mac.
After we left Beaufort on Wednesday Nov. 19th, we stopped at the Palmetto Bay Marina, on Hilton Head Island. It was a bit out of the way, but gave us a protected spot to spend the night. The marina was located adjacent to a resort so there were small cafes and bars where we had dinner after our long day on the water. We were again lucky to have found a spot frequented by locals and treated ourselves to a simple dinner - no dishes to wash. My day typically starts around 5 a.m. when I grab a good breakfast, make my lunch, and then take Caja for a good walk. Our departure is usually just before sunrise, around 7 a.m. We have been pretty lucky with tidal currents - we are in an area where the tides are around 9 feet in height. That means that when the tide is either coming in or going out, there is quite a current generated. I can slow us down to around 3 knots, or it can boost our speed up to about 7 knots, depending on how close we are to the inlet. Things have usually evened out, however, so that our average speed has been about 5.4 knots - about 6 mph - about 10 kph. The other thing that the high tidal range has allowed us to do is safely navigate the shallow parts of the ICW. There are spots where the water is no more than 2 feet deep at low tide. Our boats draw around 4 feet, so we need to be very aware of the state of the tide when we leave to cover any of those areas.
In Georgia, there are 3 areas where the water is very shallow, and yet we we had absolutely no problems in terms of running aground. I had been informed by other sailors, that I would definitely run aground in Georgia. I do admit that going through those areas is stressful - one eye is always on the depth sounder- but here we are in Florida and the only time that I touched bottom was in North Carolina when I strayed a bit out of the channel. And even then, I just put the boat into reverse and easily backed off the soft muddy bottom into deeper water.
The other challenge that Georgia presented is the relative lack of marinas along the way. Had I been alone, that would have presented no problem but with the dog - there is a problem. Much of the waterway's path through Georgia as through swamps. The sides of the waterway are made up of swamp grass sitting in mud. There are often no places where a dinghy can land or where a dog can go ashore and "do his business". Skipper Bob gave recommendations on where to anchor so that dogs may be taken ashore but his directions were usually skimpy with insufficient specifics. More on that later.
The other feature of Georgia is that we are regularly required to traverse sounds - fairly large bodies of water with access to the ocean, and very often, quite shallow areas where the sand has been moved around by the rushing tides. Again, close attention to the buoys kept us on the straight and narrow and in deep enough water. One advantage of having to go through larger bodies of water is that then, it is often possible to put up at least 1 sail. Whenever the wind is right, and the waterway wide enough, I launch the genoa. It allows me to keep up with larger boats which are generally, quite a bit faster than I am. Because of my relatively small side, the sails are smaller and easier to quickly launch and retrieve.
When we left Palmetto Bay, our next stop was at the Isle of Hope Marina. This Marina was located near Savannah Georgia; in fact, the Savannah bus route ran very close to the marina. This would be a good spot to dock if one wished to pay Savannah a good long visit. While there we made arrangements to use their courtesy car and made a trip to the local grocery store, and then stopped at an authentic local diner for a southern lunch of pulled pork sandwich. It was a very busy spot so we knew that we would luck out. Strong winds were predicted for Friday, so we made arrangements to spend another day at this spot. It is a real luxury being able to do that. It has generally turned out that our travel days are sunny and with light winds - perfect.
The next 2 days were anchor out days. The first stop at Walburg Creek; the second at Duplin Creek. Both of these anchorages were excellent. The creeks were several hundred yards wide and protected on at least 1 side by trees. The other side featured the typical Georgia swamp grass. So at least we would not have to put up with wind-generated waves. Both of these areas are supposed to be doggy-friendly but in each spot, one had to know is advance where the landing areas were and then drop the anchor close to those spots. I did not and so, although I put the dinghy in the water at Walburg, Caja did not get a trip to shore. I did take him in to Duplin where he had a pee and got himself good and muddy.
We left Duplin Creek early on Monday the 24th and had a quick run down to the Jekyll Harbour Marina where we had booked in for 2 days. Jeckyll Island is a State Park that was once the winter playground of the very rich and very famous. The state bought the whole island and has worked to maintain the old "cottages" as they once were. They are very grand. The Millionaires Club is now a luxury hotel and the island is a huge tourist attraction. We enjoyed nice walks around the historical area and a couple of meals in the restaurant that was attached to the marina. While there, we made plans to stay for a couple of days at St-Mary's Georgia. This community for about 9 years, has been hosting an American Thanksgiving dinner for boaters. So we left the comfort of Jekyll Harbour and made for the anchorage at St-Mary's. There is a small marina there but since our plans were made late in the game we figured that our only option would be to anchor out. That was no problem since the anchorage is very large - last year there were over 100 boats there. And, the holding was very good, as soon as the anchor touched bottom - it grabbed and held. That has been the case each time that I anchored. And, the next morning, the anchor has come up clean - no mud or weeds attached. The bottoms must be sandy or gravelly.
The Thanksgiving dinner is a story in itself. Over 200 people were served. 21 turkeys were cooked by the local organizing committee. There was no cost to the boaters. It was a chance to sit down with many other people who are doing what we are and pick their brains, or listen to their stories. Amazingly, at the table next to where Karen and Kent and I sat down, were 4 people, one couple who passed around their boat card. Their address was on the card. It was ...Fenelon Falls, On Canada. They were the Tracys. I had taught their daughter Nancy, when I worked at I. E Weldon. Tiny world!!! Next stop Florida!!
We stayed at St-Mary's Wednesday and Thursday and left before sunrise on Friday the 28th - this time bound for Palm Cove Marina, near Jacksonville, Florida. There was a fairly shallow entrance channel which we hit a low tide but managed to get in early enough to grab a needed shower, and walk over to the food store and stock up before our "sundowner" hors d'oerves and drinks. The temperatures are warming up - the days are still sunny - we are catching up with the summer.
The start to St-Augustine was again before sunrise so that we could take advantage of the daylight hours and the favourable tidal current. The trip was easy; the water unshallow and wide; the scenery becoming more of what one would expect in Florida - less marsh grass and more condos and large homes along the waterway. We had planned to stay at least 2 days in St-Augustine but that stretched out to 4 days - the 3rd because of heavy rains and winds; the 4th because Kent and I had to make a trip to the sailors' exchange where we both had items to get. Our first day in St-A. sunny and very warm. We arrived early enough to have time to take the trolley train around the old section of town for an hour and 20 minutes. It gave us the "lay of the land". This is a very old city - the oldest settled by Europeans in North America - around 1513, I think. This is the place where Ponce de Leon discovered the "Fountain of Youth". It is also a town full of old tourist traps like the Ripleys's Believe it or Not museum and about 100 other museums. There were loads of people here on Saturday because of the Thanksgiving weekend but the other days have been a lot quieter. We have busied ourselves by reading, taking the shuttle bus to Amelia Island where there is a picturesque lighthouse, planning the rest of our time in Florida, and doing boat-related jobs. Caja has been spoiled with 2 good walks per day and I with restaurant meals at least once per day.
I will be leaving the boat in about 3 weeks and it will be left here for at least two and a half months. Other boaters have been advising me that I should make arrangements to have it hauled out and stored on dry land while I am away. A convenient spot often mentioned and one, I think, where Bob and Jane Ellis left their boat is at Indian River Marina on the Okeechobee. I will have to think about that over the next week or so; if I decide that I will not go over to the Bahamas in the winter, then it might be 3 or 4 months before the boat gets used. Kent and Karen are suggesting that it might be easier for me to do the Florida Keys than the Bahamas. Lots yet to sort out. I am getting a bit tired so I do need to take a bit of a break from the cruising life.
Anyhow, that brings me up to date. The sun is shining again; the winds have dropped, but so has the temperature. Tonight there might be frost but things warm up again staring tomorrow. We are off for Palm Coast Marina where we have slips reserved for 2 days, and then it is on to Daytona Beach. That will be the end of the line for Kent and Karen. They will be hauling their boat and returning home to Oklahoma for about a month before they return and press on to the Keys.
They have been very good travelling companions. I will be sorry to leave them.
On my visit to the sailor's exchange, I picked up a couple of used burners that I think might fit by cooking stove. That is my job for this afternoon. But first, an excellent lunch.
So long for now.
Mike
Since I last wrote, because of strong winds we decided to stay an extra day in Beaufort South Carolina. That was no hardship since the town is very attractive. I did try to upload photos to the last blog entry but the access being what is is, it was not possible. I may have to wait until I get to a "real" wi-fi location to do that. In fact, this afternoon I'll get to a coffee shop and bring along the Mac.
After we left Beaufort on Wednesday Nov. 19th, we stopped at the Palmetto Bay Marina, on Hilton Head Island. It was a bit out of the way, but gave us a protected spot to spend the night. The marina was located adjacent to a resort so there were small cafes and bars where we had dinner after our long day on the water. We were again lucky to have found a spot frequented by locals and treated ourselves to a simple dinner - no dishes to wash. My day typically starts around 5 a.m. when I grab a good breakfast, make my lunch, and then take Caja for a good walk. Our departure is usually just before sunrise, around 7 a.m. We have been pretty lucky with tidal currents - we are in an area where the tides are around 9 feet in height. That means that when the tide is either coming in or going out, there is quite a current generated. I can slow us down to around 3 knots, or it can boost our speed up to about 7 knots, depending on how close we are to the inlet. Things have usually evened out, however, so that our average speed has been about 5.4 knots - about 6 mph - about 10 kph. The other thing that the high tidal range has allowed us to do is safely navigate the shallow parts of the ICW. There are spots where the water is no more than 2 feet deep at low tide. Our boats draw around 4 feet, so we need to be very aware of the state of the tide when we leave to cover any of those areas.
In Georgia, there are 3 areas where the water is very shallow, and yet we we had absolutely no problems in terms of running aground. I had been informed by other sailors, that I would definitely run aground in Georgia. I do admit that going through those areas is stressful - one eye is always on the depth sounder- but here we are in Florida and the only time that I touched bottom was in North Carolina when I strayed a bit out of the channel. And even then, I just put the boat into reverse and easily backed off the soft muddy bottom into deeper water.
The other challenge that Georgia presented is the relative lack of marinas along the way. Had I been alone, that would have presented no problem but with the dog - there is a problem. Much of the waterway's path through Georgia as through swamps. The sides of the waterway are made up of swamp grass sitting in mud. There are often no places where a dinghy can land or where a dog can go ashore and "do his business". Skipper Bob gave recommendations on where to anchor so that dogs may be taken ashore but his directions were usually skimpy with insufficient specifics. More on that later.
The other feature of Georgia is that we are regularly required to traverse sounds - fairly large bodies of water with access to the ocean, and very often, quite shallow areas where the sand has been moved around by the rushing tides. Again, close attention to the buoys kept us on the straight and narrow and in deep enough water. One advantage of having to go through larger bodies of water is that then, it is often possible to put up at least 1 sail. Whenever the wind is right, and the waterway wide enough, I launch the genoa. It allows me to keep up with larger boats which are generally, quite a bit faster than I am. Because of my relatively small side, the sails are smaller and easier to quickly launch and retrieve.
When we left Palmetto Bay, our next stop was at the Isle of Hope Marina. This Marina was located near Savannah Georgia; in fact, the Savannah bus route ran very close to the marina. This would be a good spot to dock if one wished to pay Savannah a good long visit. While there we made arrangements to use their courtesy car and made a trip to the local grocery store, and then stopped at an authentic local diner for a southern lunch of pulled pork sandwich. It was a very busy spot so we knew that we would luck out. Strong winds were predicted for Friday, so we made arrangements to spend another day at this spot. It is a real luxury being able to do that. It has generally turned out that our travel days are sunny and with light winds - perfect.
The next 2 days were anchor out days. The first stop at Walburg Creek; the second at Duplin Creek. Both of these anchorages were excellent. The creeks were several hundred yards wide and protected on at least 1 side by trees. The other side featured the typical Georgia swamp grass. So at least we would not have to put up with wind-generated waves. Both of these areas are supposed to be doggy-friendly but in each spot, one had to know is advance where the landing areas were and then drop the anchor close to those spots. I did not and so, although I put the dinghy in the water at Walburg, Caja did not get a trip to shore. I did take him in to Duplin where he had a pee and got himself good and muddy.
We left Duplin Creek early on Monday the 24th and had a quick run down to the Jekyll Harbour Marina where we had booked in for 2 days. Jeckyll Island is a State Park that was once the winter playground of the very rich and very famous. The state bought the whole island and has worked to maintain the old "cottages" as they once were. They are very grand. The Millionaires Club is now a luxury hotel and the island is a huge tourist attraction. We enjoyed nice walks around the historical area and a couple of meals in the restaurant that was attached to the marina. While there, we made plans to stay for a couple of days at St-Mary's Georgia. This community for about 9 years, has been hosting an American Thanksgiving dinner for boaters. So we left the comfort of Jekyll Harbour and made for the anchorage at St-Mary's. There is a small marina there but since our plans were made late in the game we figured that our only option would be to anchor out. That was no problem since the anchorage is very large - last year there were over 100 boats there. And, the holding was very good, as soon as the anchor touched bottom - it grabbed and held. That has been the case each time that I anchored. And, the next morning, the anchor has come up clean - no mud or weeds attached. The bottoms must be sandy or gravelly.
The Thanksgiving dinner is a story in itself. Over 200 people were served. 21 turkeys were cooked by the local organizing committee. There was no cost to the boaters. It was a chance to sit down with many other people who are doing what we are and pick their brains, or listen to their stories. Amazingly, at the table next to where Karen and Kent and I sat down, were 4 people, one couple who passed around their boat card. Their address was on the card. It was ...Fenelon Falls, On Canada. They were the Tracys. I had taught their daughter Nancy, when I worked at I. E Weldon. Tiny world!!! Next stop Florida!!
We stayed at St-Mary's Wednesday and Thursday and left before sunrise on Friday the 28th - this time bound for Palm Cove Marina, near Jacksonville, Florida. There was a fairly shallow entrance channel which we hit a low tide but managed to get in early enough to grab a needed shower, and walk over to the food store and stock up before our "sundowner" hors d'oerves and drinks. The temperatures are warming up - the days are still sunny - we are catching up with the summer.
The start to St-Augustine was again before sunrise so that we could take advantage of the daylight hours and the favourable tidal current. The trip was easy; the water unshallow and wide; the scenery becoming more of what one would expect in Florida - less marsh grass and more condos and large homes along the waterway. We had planned to stay at least 2 days in St-Augustine but that stretched out to 4 days - the 3rd because of heavy rains and winds; the 4th because Kent and I had to make a trip to the sailors' exchange where we both had items to get. Our first day in St-A. sunny and very warm. We arrived early enough to have time to take the trolley train around the old section of town for an hour and 20 minutes. It gave us the "lay of the land". This is a very old city - the oldest settled by Europeans in North America - around 1513, I think. This is the place where Ponce de Leon discovered the "Fountain of Youth". It is also a town full of old tourist traps like the Ripleys's Believe it or Not museum and about 100 other museums. There were loads of people here on Saturday because of the Thanksgiving weekend but the other days have been a lot quieter. We have busied ourselves by reading, taking the shuttle bus to Amelia Island where there is a picturesque lighthouse, planning the rest of our time in Florida, and doing boat-related jobs. Caja has been spoiled with 2 good walks per day and I with restaurant meals at least once per day.
I will be leaving the boat in about 3 weeks and it will be left here for at least two and a half months. Other boaters have been advising me that I should make arrangements to have it hauled out and stored on dry land while I am away. A convenient spot often mentioned and one, I think, where Bob and Jane Ellis left their boat is at Indian River Marina on the Okeechobee. I will have to think about that over the next week or so; if I decide that I will not go over to the Bahamas in the winter, then it might be 3 or 4 months before the boat gets used. Kent and Karen are suggesting that it might be easier for me to do the Florida Keys than the Bahamas. Lots yet to sort out. I am getting a bit tired so I do need to take a bit of a break from the cruising life.
Anyhow, that brings me up to date. The sun is shining again; the winds have dropped, but so has the temperature. Tonight there might be frost but things warm up again staring tomorrow. We are off for Palm Coast Marina where we have slips reserved for 2 days, and then it is on to Daytona Beach. That will be the end of the line for Kent and Karen. They will be hauling their boat and returning home to Oklahoma for about a month before they return and press on to the Keys.
They have been very good travelling companions. I will be sorry to leave them.
On my visit to the sailor's exchange, I picked up a couple of used burners that I think might fit by cooking stove. That is my job for this afternoon. But first, an excellent lunch.
So long for now.
Mike
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