December Update - 27 December 2009

My apologies to everyone for not posting during the past couple of weeks. We’ve been busy doing lots of everyday things most of us take for granted in our normal lives. The big difference is it seems to take a lot more time to do them while your are cruising or living on a boat. Along with the apology, our thanks for all the Christmas cards and well wishes
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Our local friends Walter and Maggie loaned us their car one day and we visited Wal-Mart and Publix to restocked the boat with groceries and a few other items. After that came a day devoted to catching up on the laundry. Mother Nature always likes to help so she threw in a couple of cold fronts and lots of rain. Over two days we got 3.5“ of rain which really helped in our fight to control a mildew explosion on the boat. Sure glad we weren’t in Miami as they got 14” over the same period.

Donna got struck with the Christmas spirit so we reacquainted ourselves with the TCC (Treasure Coast Connector - public transportation buses) and went to the local mall. I took advantage of the trip and visited West Marine to get a patch kit for the dinghy (more on this later). The following day Donna walked to the local shops downtown and the post office to mail the booty to family back home. She got caught in some rain showers and was a whipped wet puppy when she returned.

While Donna was gone I tried to fix a problem with the dinghy. The dinghy is leaking water! The air tubes are holding up fine, but water is coming into the floor area. Thanks to a helpful (?) boater who pulled on a line as we were attempting to back away from the dock back in Palm Coast (Day 34), the dinghy got squeezed against a piling. There didn’t seem to be any damage until we put it in the water later. The squeeze caused the floor boards to push against the seam where the floor is glued to the tubes. Anyway, the patch job is helping, but a more permanent fix is going to be required as soon as an ordered repair kit arrives.

Donna spent Christmas Eve making rum balls and ham biscuits. These were to be our contributions to the marina party and Christmas dinner with Walter & Maggie. My contribution was to volunteer(?) to do some laundry while Donna slaved away in the galley.

Christmas day started off quietly with just the two of us exchanging gifts. Donna got a Sunset Bay T-shirt and a pair of earrings. I got a magnifying glass and dark chocolate covered cherries, Yum! We also opened a package from Donna’s mom and my sister which contained special gifts for both of us. Later that day we went to a pot luck Christmas party at the marina and then to Walter and Maggie’s for dinner.

Yesterday was spent fighting the mildew war again and another walk to the Publix for cat food and other incidentals. Today we went to the local flea market and wandered through all the shops. Some of the shops were closed for the holiday so our single purchase was fresh oranges.

That about catches us up. It’s not as glamorous a life as you might expect. But, all-in-all, we’re having lots of fun and enjoying this fabulous way to enjoy life.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Have a safe and Happy New Years celebration. More to follow in a few days.


Dick and Donna

Day 37, December 14, 2009

Another glorious morning greeted us. More sunshine and warm temps are expected today. We take the time to have a full breakfast so we can ride the incoming tide on the run to the St. Lucie Inlet. Hey, how else are you going to get rid of that can of Spam we opened last night. And what a breakfast it was, fired potato cakes, fried eggs and fried Spam. My cardiologist will love me for that.

Underway at 0845, we ride the incoming current southward toward Jensen Beach. It was a really pleasant day. Being a Monday, there was a lot less local traffic than yesterday. The other nice thing was the distance to travel today was short.

We arrived at the St Lucie Crossroads and turned up the river. Now we were fighting the outgoing current and our speed dropped. It took us another hour and a half to make it to the last opening bridge of this journey. The bridge tender was prompt with the opening and we never even slowed down as we passed through.

Just on the other side of the bridge was our destination, Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage. We called the marina on the radio, spoke with our old friend Buzz Billue and requested a mooring at the south end where we stayed in 2007/08. We were assigned mooring #66 and proceeded to tie on to the ball. Buddy came on deck as soon as the engine was shut down. He seemed to recognize the place and proceeded to make himself at home on top of the bimini.

We lowered the dinghy, attached the motor and headed in to register and take showers. On the way in our friend Maggie called and informed us we were dining with her and Walter that evening and she would pick us up at 1715. Wow, we haven’t even set foot on shore and activities are starting.

We had a lovely evening with Maggie, Walter and Mickey (their new dog). Wine, dinner and good friends, you can’t beat that.

Back at the boat, we both crashed and went to bed. It was a nice peaceful sleep knowing that we have arrived and tomorrow will be our first full day here in Stuart.

Location: Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, FL MM 995
Started: 0845 Stopped: 1350
Distance Traveled: 31.3 mi, Avg Spd: 5.7 Max Spd: 8.1
Odometer Reading: 1038.3 (Total distance traveled Portsmouth, VA to Stuart, FL)

Day 36, December 13, 2009

It was in the low 70s when I got up at 0600. It rained a couple of times during the night and there were still some low hanging clouds being blown northward. That meant the wind was out of the south. Yea! The sun started peeking through the clouds a little after 0700 and you could tell it was going to be a glorious day.

There were four boats in the anchorage and we were the first to depart. By 0930 I shed the usual sweatshirt and donned a T-shirt. Actually, the jeans I had on were a little warm, but I kept them on just in case one of those low clouds decided to dump some rain. We seemed to stay in the cloudy zone and chased the sun until we neared Vero Beach. Things really warmed up then and the temp shot up to 84F.

Our destination today was Ft. Pierce and we made it to the anchorage about 1515. The problem was the anchorage was slam full plus the depths were much less than noted on the charts. It took three tries to find a marina that had space for us. We got a slip at Harbortown Marina and refueled too. The slip is a bit oversized and we have long lines out everywhere. There is a restaurant here and it is really busy.

We won’t be dining there tonight because we’re having grilled Spam with pineapple, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and green peas. The galley stock must be getting low. That’s OK because tomorrow we will be in Stuart. Yeah!

Location: Harbortown Marina, Ft. Pierce, FL MM 965
Started: 0730 Stopped: 1600
Distance Traveled: 50.2 mi, Avg Spd: 5.9 Max Spd:6.8

Day 35, December 12, 2009

It was rocky in the slip until sometime after midnight. When I got up around 0300, things had calmed down and the wind had shifted to the east.

I’m awake at 0600 and decide that we need to get underway ASAP. True to form it takes us until 0740 back out of the slip. Once out side of the marina harbor, we confront the first of two bridges that require opening for us to pass.

Another boat, Makani joins us and we travel together most of the day. On southward we go passing Titusville, the NASA Causeway Bridge, Cocoa, and Eau Gallie. The wind is just right for a port weather run. We reach speeds of 7.9 and make good time. We are approaching Melbourne when the warm front moving northward begins to pass over us. The winds pickup, the sky darkens and it starts to sprinkle just as we reach the area where we planned to anchor.

We got the hook down and it was only 1400. It was too far to make it to Vero Beach and there were no good anchorages between Melbourne and Vero Beach.

We open a bottle of red and enjoy the warm temps and the gentle rain. Buddy is out on deck and enjoying himself too. We get a call from our friend Maggie and we let her know we should be in Stuart on Monday.

We spend the rest of the afternoon just chilling.

Location: Anchored near the Melbourne High Rise Bridge, Melbourne, FL MM 918
Started: 0740 Stopped: 1402
Distance Traveled: 41 mi, Avg Spd: 6.2 Max Spd:7.9

Day 34, December 11, 2009

Today, I pulled a classic. I forgot to untie a line and then tried to leave the slip. Oh, well, if the weather guessers can keep getting it wrong, I guess I’m entitled to screw up too.


Ok, the second attempt to depart was more successful. Back in the ICW, we rode the outgoing tide down to Ponce de Leon Inlet with good speed. As always, we got the reverse effect as we passed the inlet. I rolled out the jib and it did help overcome some of the effects of the adverse current there.


We departed the Halifax River and continued on through Mosquito Lagoon. The wind was increasing as we went. Actually it would have been great sailing except for keeping the boat within the confines of the dredged channel. Go outside the channel and you’ve got trouble big time. By the time we were half way down the lagoon, the combination of wind and fetch had things really churned up. At this point, Otto (autopilot) became useless and manual helm was required.


We reached the Haul Over Canal and proceed through the bridge into the Indian River. There was a brief respite from the wind in the short canal due to trees on both sides. As we crossed the Indian River over to the western shore, the wind and fetch nailed us and things got uncomfortable again. The wind was now out of the north at 20 kt and gusting on the port quarter. A weather check told us that anchoring was out for the night. We called and got a slip at Titusville Municipal Marina. Seems like every time we pass this area we get forced into this marina by foul weather.


We are docked at 1530, but not without difficulties. As I write this entry, the wind is still out of the north at 20+ and is expected to last until late tomorrow morning. The boat is really rocking and Buddy is not happy. So much for the forecasted east at 5-10. Wonder what the weather guessers have in store for us tomorrow.


Oh well, two brews, chips and salsa and everything will be all right. I guess we’re better off than those trying to travel in the blizzards in the north.


Location: Titusville Municipal Marina, Titusville, FL MM 878
Started: 0745 Stopped: 1515
Distance Traveled: 49 mi

Day 33, December 10, 2009

Talk about a change in the weather, it was 74F and there was no breeze when I got up. We headed to the shower and when we got back to the boat the temp was 62F and the wind was blowing 12 mph. Sheez!
 
We got away from the dock and headed back to the ICW. The plan for the day was ambiguous at best. We wanted to get as far as we can, but we also don’t want to push our safety if the weather goes sour. As usual the weather guessers get it wrong again. It was supposed to be warm with a chance of showers late in the day. What we got was cool and a deluge about 1100.

By the time we were nearing Daytona Beach, I had limited visibility and was running with navigation lights on. We decided to stop at Halifax Harbor and take the afternoon off.

We docked, secured the boat and then walked downtown to Stavro’s, a pizzeria we visited during our last trip. We enjoyed a pitcher of beer, salads, and a small pizza. Afterwards we walked the main drag, visited an antique mall and then went to CVS Pharmacy for a couple of items. On the way back to the boat we stopped at West Marine for some holding tank treatment. Extravagant shoppers aren’t we?

Sorry about no pictures lately. We haven’t had a wifi link lately and we’ve been using the air card. For some reason the air card connections seem to be slow and we can’t upload the picture files. Guess we’ll back fill the entries when we have a good wifi connection.

Location: Halifax Harbor, Daytona Beach, FL, MM 831
Started: 0830 Stopped: 1400
Distance Traveled: 28 mi

Day 32, December 9, 2009

We depart St Augustine at 0830 with sunny skies and the temp already in the upper 70‘s. Although it’s the bottom of the tide, the current is still running hard against us. The wind is up too, blowing 15+ from the southwest which means there will be no sailing today. Let’s see, wind on the nose + current against us = going nowhere slowly. We proceed on hoping to get below the rain line.



Although our speed is less than 5 mph, we are enjoying the warmer temps and breezes. We come upon two sailboats hard aground and they tell us where to find the deeper water and we pass them safely. Later one of them gets himself free and passes us a few miles further south. We catch up to that same boat at Matanzas Inlet where there is another sailboat aground. We all do our little dance right, left, and up the middle and cannot find enough water to proceed. In desperation, Villianie tries to the right of the red buoy, in other words outside the channel. By this time we have been joined by two trawlers and another sailboat. Villianie finds enough water to get through and we all fall in behind him.


By the time we are through passing Matanzas Inlet, the wind is blowing 25+ and our speed drops some more. Our destination today was Daytona Beach, a total of 53 miles. At 1430 the GPS was telling us we would not reach Daytona until 2000. Since night time travel is not in my plans, we try to find an anchorage or marina that we can stop at before dark. Choices are slim and none. Slim being a marina a couple of miles away and none being no marinas or anchorages after that one marina until the Daytona marina. We opt for Palm Coast Marina and stop for the day.


Donna does some laundry, we do dinner and then chill. The weather forecast for tomorrow is more wind and rain and temps back in the 50‘s. Will the darn jet stream ever move northward again.


Location: Palm Coast Marina, MM 803
Started: 0830 Stopped: 1415
Distance Traveled: 25.4 mi, Avg spd: 4.6 Max spd: 6.2

Day 31, December 8, 2009

Getting out of the anchorage wasn’t easy. We got underway at 0800 and eased out with the depth meter showing 4.9’ until we reached the channel. Whew!




Today’s destination, St Augustine, wasn’t far. We had planned to stop here and visit with Linda W., one of Donna’s old high school chums. Except for the chilly breeze, the temperature was almost nice and the best we had experienced so far this trip.


We arrived at the Bridge of Lions and had to wait about 10 minutes for the opening. Once we were through the bridge, it was a quick right into the municipal marina. A quick cleanup of the boat, a pump out, showers and we were ready for Linda‘s arrival. When she arrived, we had a glass of wine, talked for about an hour, and then walked into town and had a late lunch at Harry's. A short walk after lunch and Linda had to leave. Donna and I then walked some of the Historic (tourist) district.


Back on the boat, a check of the weather forecast confirmed plans for tomorrow. Continue south to find the warm weather.


Location: St. Augustine, FL, MM 778
Started: 0800 Stopped: 1100
Distance Traveled: 14.4 mi, Avg spd: 4.8 Max spd: 7.4

Day 30, December 7, 2009

Showers the evening before, shore power to charge the batteries, heat in the boat and a decent nights sleep. What more could you ask for? Not sure, but the quest for warmer weather drives us on as we head south.



The problem with an inside slip was we were bottled in by all the boats who came in after we did yesterday. After a couple of boats departed, we were able to slip out and tackle the skinny waters of Kingsley Creek.

The incoming tide helped us most of the day as we continued on to Nassau Sound, Sawpit Creek and Sisters Creek. A quick opening of the Sisters Creek Bridge allowed us to proceed across the St Johns River and into Pablo Creek. We had a few rain showers and a patch of heavy rain as we passed by Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach.

As we reached the Tolomato River, the rain showers stopped. Five miles further on we stopped at Pine Island, an anchorage we have used before. There were three other boats already there so we slipped in and dropped anchor in an open area between the second and third boats. It wasn’t long before there was total of nine boats in the anchorage, six of them between us and the ICW channel. Getting out early wasn’t going to be easy.


Location: Pine Island, Tolomato River, FL, MM 765
Started: 0800 Stopped: 1530
Distance Traveled: 49 mi, Avg spd: 6,4 Max spd: 8.7

Day 29, December 6, 2009

I got us up early this morning, fixed some oatmeal and hot coffee. It was 46F inside the boat and about 38F outside. We got underway at 0715 and followed the Mackay River south to St. Simons Sound. The wind and tide were opposing so there was some chop. Fortunately the wind was less than 10 knots. Our speed picked up as we turned southwest and then west as we headed toward Jekyll Creek. Things went well in the creek because the water was rising.


When we exited the creek into Jekyll Sound the wind was picking up and opposing the tide here too. The fun began when we rounded Jekyll Point and headed out into St. Andrews Sound. I had the jib out to help give us some speed. We began taking a pounding. As we neared the turning buoy to head southwest behind Cumberland Island, the engine suddenly started stalling. We were healing so much, the fuel pickup became exposed and cavitated. The motor died so we continued sailing, rounded the buoy and surfed our way into the Cumberland River. As we got into calmer water, I got a fuel can stored forward and added 5 gal of fuel to the tank. We had to start the engine several times and let it run rough and slow until the air was worked out of the system. I guess I should have added fuel to the tank before we started out.

I kept the jib out for the remainder of the day. It helped us speed through the Cumberland Dividings and past Kings Bay Naval Base and into Cumberland Sound. The choice now was either go to St. Marys or to Fernandina Beach. I wanted out of GA so Fernandina was the choice. It’s not so funny how Murphy makes you pay for this kind of decision. As we approached the inlet from the north, the wind was from the north and the tide was going out. Pretty smooth sailing until we reached the point where the Amelia River flowed into the sound and out the inlet. The wind now opposed the tide and it became real choppy. The boat was smacking into waves and almost stalling. Then the wave would pick us up from behind, push us forward and we’d surf down the wave. Fortunately we only had to endure a couple of miles of this before we reached the turn to Fernandina Beach City Marina. We were assigned a inside slip where it was much calmer.

All-in-all a rough but exciting day and we covered a good distance. Most of all, we were out of GA and into FL. Hooray!!!

Location: Fernandina Beach City Marina, FL, MM 718
Started: 0745 Stopped: 1430
Distance Traveled: 51.8 mi, Avg spd: 7.1 Max spd: 10.4

Day 27-28, December 4 & 5, 2009 **REVISED**

I slept in until about 0630. Did the usual, feed the cat and then make coffee. We get underway at 0740 and begin the day fighting the incoming tide as we head out into the Sapelo Sound. It’s cloudy and not a ray of sunshine in sight. Wind is from the NW about 10+ and the temperature was only 54F. Not exactly a great day for sitting at the wheel for eight hours.


Once we reach our turning mark in the sound and head west the pace picks up and so does the wind. Motor sailing with the jib out helps us make good time. We reach the Creighton Narrows at the top of the tide and have no trouble with water depths.


We make it to the Little Mud River just before mid ebb tide. The Little Mud is notoriously shallow and is not even impassable for us at low tide. I decide to push on and the shallowest water encountered was 7 feet. Tidal range today is 9.2 feet so that spot will be around 3’ at low tide.


The swing westward into Buttermilk Sound puts us at odds with the tide and wind so we poke along at 3.8 mph until we reach the Mackay River. It started raining and visibility began to drop so we pulled into Wallys Leg and anchored. We’ve been here before in 2008. It’s not the best holding bottom for anchoring so I will have to watch for possible anchor dragging. Two other boats join us in the anchorage for the night.


Donna is making dinner as I write this log entry. Buddy has been on deck inspecting and drinking rain water. Today’s description: Long, cold and wet.


Well, we ended up staying another day due to bad timing on the incoming tide high winds and rain. We couldn’t make it to Jekyll Creek and run that shallow water at mid to high rising plus I wasn’t keen on getting soaked. I ran the generator and we charged everything up and put a little heat in the boat. Donna also enjoyed some TV while the generator was running.


The catamaran anchored behind us dragged anchor as the winds piped up to 20+ and gusting higher. Another long miserable day in GA.


Location: Wallys Leg off the Mackay River, GA, MM 665
Started: 0745 Stopped: 1500
Distance Traveled: 40 mi, Avg spd: 4.3

Day 26, December 3, 2009

We couldn’t get our act together this morning. Removing all the extra lines, re-stowing things and breakfast occupied things until about 0800. It was 0810 when Donna guided us away from the dock. It was a cool morning with lots of clouds and little sun. Donna took us through the Skidaway Narrows Bridge and then I took the helm.



Hell Gate, a typical trouble spot was not a problem. Our arrival with tide and recent dredging made passage easy. Onward we went through the Florida Passage, past Kilkenny Creek, into St. Katherines Sound and past the Medway River where we had such a difficult time in 2007.


It was a typical Georgia day, fighting or riding the tidal current. We pushed the daylight to a safe limit and pulled into the Wahoo River and anchored at 1700. It looked like it was going to be a cold night.


Location: Wahoo River, GA, MM 630
Started: 0810 Stopped: 1700
Distance Traveled: 50 mi, Avg spd: 5.6

Day 24-25, December 1-2, 2009

The threat of nasty weather is keeping us here in Thunderbolt, GA. There was fog this morning (Dec 1) but later it cleared and it warmed up a little. It was a great morning to stand in the hot shower and just let the water wash away some of the tension. Later, Donna struck up a conversation with a live aboard couple and was invited by the lady to ride along to the post office and some other stores. Donna jumped at the chance to visit the post office and the Piggly Wiggly to get some fresh fruit and vegetables.

Dec 2: The forecasted nasty weather is now a little delayed. What was predicted for late last night and this morning is now predicted to arrive this afternoon. We enjoyed a slow morning with a newspaper and Krispy Kreme Donuts (compliments of the marina). By noon, the threat of high winds (70 mph in thunderstorms) and some damage was somewhat assured. By 1500, the marine repair facility had shut down due to high winds and a tornado warning. All the transient boaters got busy putting on additional lines and more fenders. When the town tornado siren went off, everybody knew it was time to finish securing and get below or inside the marina buildings.


Well, the wind blew 24-25 on our meter and then the rain started. It lasted about an hour and then things died down. Thank goodness it wasn’t what had been predicted.


Everyone retired early that evening leaving all the extra lines and fenders in place.

Day 23, November 30, 2009

The evening passed quietly. Despite the aggressive tidal switches, the anchor held firm. Tidal range overnight was eight feet. Just after dark we had 20’ of water beneath the boat and when I got up at around 0200, we only had 12’. It’s an awesome thing to think about the volume of water it takes to make an 8’ difference in the water level over some much area.

We had a “Beirut Breakfast” at daybreak. All hell broke loose as we were eating. Seems the marines were on the small arms firing range and it reminded me of the middle east fighting you hear on the TV. After breakfast we got rolling to take advantage of the out going current in the Beaufort River and Calibogue Sound. The Calibogue was not kind to us because the southerly wind opposed the outgoing tide and created considerable chop until we turned into the Cooper River. The current here reduced our speed to about 4.0 to 4.5 mph.

All this outgoing tide and our progress was setting us up for arrival at several trouble spots at near bottom or bottom of the tide. Not Good! We had to reduce speed to idle in several areas and “feel” our way through several shallow areas. We met a sailboat who had turned back and was going to wait for the water to return. We then came upon “Abu Dai”, a sailboat, hard aground between the marks at the entrance to “Fields Cut”. We hugged the green mark and idled through with depths of 4.1 to 4.5 on the depth meter. It took about 200 yards of nail biting travel to finally reach 9’+ depths.

We had good depths at the southern end of the cut where we crossed the Savannah River. Our afternoon check of the weather confirmed a nasty low was expected to form and bring heavy rains, thunderstorms, high winds and even the possibility of tornados. All this expected to occur when we would be in the same area we had severe weather back in 2007. For the most part, the marshy areas of Georgia south of Thunderbolt are not the places to be anchored in these kind of storms. Taking this into consideration we called cancelled our plan to anchor in the Herb River and got reservations at Thunderbolt Marina.

That’s where we are as I write this entry.

Location: Thunderbolt Marina on the Wilmington River, Thunderbolt, GA
Started: 0730 Stopped: 1600
Distance Traveled: 44 mi, Max spd: 11.5, Avg spd: 4.4
Total Distance Traveled to Date: 584 Statute Miles