April 19, 2010

We got a great start on the day with the anchor up at 0705. The rest of the day was spent fighting the tidal current and wind on the nose. Try as we might, there was just no way to make passage through a real trouble spot at a safe tide level. Fort Matanzas Inlet area is shoaling badly and we had difficulty getting through back in December. Cautionary advise says to transit at high tide or at least on the rising tide. Our arrival there would have been on the bottom side of the falling tide so we opted to stop at Palm Coast Marina. The good thing is we were on the pier with shore power and hot showers.

We enjoyed the facilities and down time at Palm Coast. We even got some laundry done. Buddy was not too happy as he is not allowed on deck when we are pier side as he will jump ship.

Tomorrow we will be leaving late morning to time arrival at Fort Matanzas just before high tide. Hopefully we will make safe passage.

Location: Palm Coast Marina, MM 803
Started: 0705 Stopped: 1430
Distance Traveled: 28 mi

April 18, 2010

Up early thanks to Buddy. He sleeps in the v-berth all day so he’s up all night. The good thing is we get started a little earlier than we usually do. We also get to see a fabulous sunrise. Too bad that didn’t last. Clouds moved in and it looked like rain most of the day.

The light breeze that was noticeable only occasionally was always on the nose so there was no jib sailing. The rain finally got to us as we approached New Smyrna Beach. It sprinkled on and off all the way to Daytona Beach.

We had to go real slow through the Haul Over Canal from the Indian River to Mosquito Lagoon. There were a couple of manatees just swimming along in front of us and there wasn’t room to pass them. It looked like it was a momma and a young one. They were so neat to watch, we forgot to take pictures for a while and when we got the camera out, they seemed to disappear.

When we reached Daytona Beach, we decided to stop as there are not too many anchorages beyond for several miles. We dropped the anchor at 1600 and just chilled for a bit.

This anchorage, which is only about 100 yards off the channel, gets a bit rough when the local Johnny Rockets come through the channel at 25+. Donna was none too happy when she was boiling pasta and we got waked big time.

The new Rocna anchor is working great. It sets quickly and solidly. Makes you feel more confident about the set when you try to sleep through the night. It almost makes you feel as secure as hanging on a mooring ball.

Location: Anchored off Daytona Beach, MM 831
Started: 0730 Stopped: 1600
Distance Traveled: 47 mi, Avg Spd: 5.5

April 17, 2010

Tried to do better on leaving early and what do you get? An even later departure. Oh Well, the day was sunny and warm but there was also no wind. Without the wind we did not make good time and distance.

There were lots of boats traveling the ICW, both snowbirds and locals. We did a lot of slowing down to allow faster boats to pass without waking us too bad. Of course there were lots of locals who just blasted by you and could care less about their wake and what it did to you.

We reached Titusville and decided to stop as there are not too many anchorage spots beyond for several miles. We dropped the anchor at 1530 just in time for happy hour.

There was a carnival on shore and bands were playing. We could hear them real good. Some were quite good and others made you want to just groan.

Later, Donna performed her culinary magic and we dined on garlic & cheese sausages, three bean salad and apple sauce. Tomorrow we push for Daytona Beach.

Location: Anchored off Titusville Municipal Marina, MM 878
Started: 0815 Stopped: 1530
Distance Traveled: 41 mi, Avg Spd: 5.6

April 16, 2010 - The Journey Home Begins

We drop the mooring line at 0745...later than planned as usual. The one thing we are consistent about is getting a late start.

The morning is cool and winds are from the east at 15 mph. The wind is on the nose as we head down the St. Lucie River towards the Crossroads and the ICW. Once we make the turn northward, the east wind gives us a nice broad reach to fly the jib as we motor the narrow channel. We reach boat speeds up to 8.2 mph and make good time and distance.

The plan was to stop at Jones Fruit Dock or a nearby anchorage but it was so early in the day we decided to keep moving hoping to reach Rocky Point or Melbourne. Instead of dying in the afternoon, the wind persisted and actually increased a little. When we reached Rocky Point the wave fetch across the river nixed anchoring in the open there so we continued on. The GPS predicted we would reach Melbourne about 30 minutes before sunset. We actually arrived about 15 minutes before and dropped the hook in the quiet lee of the bridge causeway. Probably our best distance day ever with 78 miles. It was great, but very long day.

Location: Anchored near the Melbourne High Rise Bridge, Melbourne, FL MM 918

Started: 0745 Stopped: 1930
Distance Traveled: 78 mi

March Update

This has been a busy month. We’ve had a few tolerable days to enjoy. The temperatures are still running 10-15 below normal and weather fronts pass through but take their sweet time moving out. Trips ashore in the dinghy are typically nasty wet going or returning depending on the wind direction. Only when the wind is out of the East are we somewhat protected. NW & SW winds have lots of fetch and create a rough ride for the dinghy.

Donna is still doing knitting and crocheting to occupy her time. Me, I’m starting to do some boat projects as time is growing short before we will be heading home. The new Rocna anchor arrived and I got it attached to the chain rode and mounted. The problem now is where to store the Danforth anchor that the Rocna replaced.

I finally ordered the solar panels and they arrived real quick as they came from eMarine near Ft. Lauderdale. Naturally the weather wasn’t too cooperative in providing calm days for hanging off the stern to install the mounts and panels. Got them installed just in time to see them work before we took a road trip down to the Dania Beach Marine Flea Market.

We rented a car for a week so we could go to the Flea Market and to the Winter Park Art Show. We took Walter and Maggie with us to Dania Beach. The Flea Market was like most… lots of stuff, but very little of anything you were interested in. Still, it was a fun day.

We drove to a “touristo” hotel near Orlando on 3/19. We arrived late in the afternoon after a lousy trip. We were the unfortunate object of a hit and run driver in Kissimmee, Fl. We weren’t hurt and damage to the rental car was only a scratched bumper. We spent an hour and a half just getting a police report. What a bummer!

On 3/20 we went over to Winter Park to the art show. The show layout seemed a little disorganized and was smaller than the show in Coconut Grove, but the quality of the artists was top notch. Donna really enjoyed the show. For me Winter Park is a nice town to visit, but if you have seen one art show, you have seen this one. I think it would be a great place to visit during the week when there are no “festival” activities. Buddy enjoyed the hotel digs while we did our tourist act.

Well, here it is the last day of March and I’m still working to finish this update. That’s not the only thing that needs attention…still haven’t finished filing our taxes either.

I’ve started doing some pre-departure chores like change the engine oil and filter, change out the fuel filters, run through the safety equipment checklist, etc, etc. One last fixit job to do is change out the dead cooling fan in the refrigerator compressor unit. I’ve put it off because the temperatures have been low, but as the weather begins to get warmer, the fan becomes more important.

Donna has been busy making “trading stuff” for the artist retreat she will be attending at the end of May. The project consumes most of the salon at times. I guess it’s a good thing Buddy and I don’t take up much room. Hah!

The marina threw a big “thank you” bash yesterday for all the folks here in the marina and anchorage. Crowd looked to be over 200 strong. There was lots of catered food, a live band and dancing. Mother nature smiled on us and gave us lots of sunshine and softer breezes for the late afternoon event. Everyone had a great time.

Donna’s birthday present arrived today (3/31). Her bday isn’t until 4/12, but she wanted this Razor Scooter real bad after riding on our friend Don’s. Sure made my shopping real easy…thank you Amazon.com.

That’s about it for now. BTW, it’s finally getting to be near normal Florida weather and it’s time to head home. We’ve sort of set a drop dead date for departure NLT April 12th. It may be sooner, depending on the winds and weather. More to follow later.

February Update - 28 Feb 2010

Let’s see, what do I tell you about our activities? First I’ll tell you about the miserable and uncharacteristic weather we’ve been experiencing. Unfortunately the weather scenario seems to be affecting the entire country's activities this winter.

Instead of the usual low to mid 60s at night and mid to upper 70s during the day, it feels like we’re living in an icebox. Night time temps have been in the 40’s with a few extreme nights in the 30s. Daytime temps are only in the 60s. Its not exactly what you traveled south 1000 miles for. About once every two weeks or so we get a warm, bright sunny day with temps in the mid to upper 70s. Only then do we break out the short, t -shirts and sandals.

Donna has forsaken some of her art and craft work and taken to doing knitting and crocheting. That’s how cold it is! It had been so long since she had done those things, she had to teach herself how all over again.

I haven’t done much in the way of work on my list of boat projects either. The dinghy still needs the floor re-glued, we’re still waiting on a hose for the engine and negotiating prices for adding solar panels. We did make several “boat” purchases this month. First we purchased an Alfa WIFI adapter and now have excellent WIFI reception on the boat. Second, we went to the Miami Boat Show and got a new foul weather jacket for me and a Rocna 33# anchor. Maybe now I can stay dry now and sleep better when we are anchored out.

Despite the chilly weather, the trip to Miami with Walter and Maggie was a lot of fun. Walter drove us down early Saturday morning and we went straight to the boat show. We looked at a bunch of the new sailboats and talked with lots of accessory vendors. After the show we went to a motel over in Kendall to spend the night. We also went to Kegs, a locals hangout, played pool and had dinner. The next morning we took advantage of the motel’s free breakfast and then went to Coconut Grove for the big art show. Donna and Maggie cruised the art exhibits, while Walter and I mostly walked along and talked boat stuff. It was a great weekend, especially the sleeping in a warm roon with a real bed.

The party life here at Sunset Bay still continues despite the cold weather. “Meet & Greet” socials with beverages and finger foods happen every Tuesday and Thursday. The women have a luncheon get-together at different restaurants on Wednesdays and a few men have a breakfast get-together on Thursdays. Everyone gets together for a cookout on the grill each Saturday afternoon. The Canadians were big on watching the Olympics in the boaters lounge so that added two weeks of informal parties to an already full schedule. We also now know more about “Curling” than we ever wanted to.

Oops, almost forgot mention one other important purchase. We got tired of lugging around the big camera and trying to keep it from getting wet. Consequently, no pictures of our activities. So…we got a new pocket sized digital camera. It’s easy to use and carry around so hopefully we will be able to put up more pictures on the blog.

The “Buddy” report finds him well and a bigger PITA than ever. He’s up a daybreak wanting to be fed and allowed out on deck. Turn you back and he’s in the dinghy. He even expects a clean litter box every time he needs to use it. And complain about the weather…Sheez, he gets really vocal, like now when its cloudy and the wind is blowing 25+ and he can’t sun himself on top of the bimini. He sort of yells and looks at you with a “why don’t you do something about this” look.

That’s about it from chilly FL. More to follow later.

January Update - 31 January 2010

We’re getting complaints from friends and relatives wanting to know why there have been no updates to the blog. Once again I must apologize to everyone for not posting more frequently.

Life in paradise isn’t all parties and fun although there is a some of that too. Things we take for granted at home become real chores while living on a boat. Take for instance, flushing the toilet…at home you press the lever and if you haven’t overloaded the bowl, everything disappears down the drain and you never think of it again. Out here on a mooring, when you pump the bowl empty the contents are transfered into the boats holding tank. Unlike the sewage system at home, the tank doesn’t have near infinite capacity. After a while that tank gets full and must be emptied. Believe me, this is not a chore to be neglected. Read on to see what this little task requires.

First you need a day with the wind speed and direction are appropriate for a safe or easy docking approach. Then you get out the binoculars and check to see if the pump out facilities at the dock are clear. If they are a quick call on the radio to the marina office will usually get you clearance to proceed. Next you start the engine and prepare to leave the mooring ball by lowering the dinghy and moving it forward to the bow where you tie it to the mooring ball. This makes it easier to catch the mooring line when you return. Then you cast off the mooring lines and motor about a quarter mile to the pump out dock. When you arrive, if you are lucky, there will be a dock hand available to help you tie up to the dock.

Once secured to the dock, you commence the pump out process, which essentially entails using a big vacuum hose to literally suck the tank empty. Once that is done it’s a good time to attach a your “drinking water safe” hose to a water connection on the dock and fill up the domestic water tank on the boat. With that done its time to return to the mooring ball. Again, if you are lucky, the dock hand may help with your lines, otherwise you’re on your own.

Motoring back to the mooring you always seem to encounter different wind/current conditions than when you departed. Approach to the ball must be dead into the wind and slow enough to allow the bow person to grab the mooring line, get it aboard and get your bow lines secured to it. Miss the ball grab and you’ll have to go around and try again. Second and third tries bring out big audiences on neighboring boats out to watch the folly. Once the boat is secured to mooring ball, you move the dinghy back to its usual position, tied to the stern cleat.

Let’s see now, somewhere between an hour and two hours have elapsed and you have managed to take on 50 gallons of water, get rid of 20 gallons of sewage. Just think, at home you turn the faucet and press a lever to do the same things. Oh, well only 7-10 days until we do it all again.

Lets see, there has to have been some more interesting or fun stuff during January.


I know…the weather, we can always talk about the weather. The whole east coast got an artic blast and we suffered for two weeks in bitter cold for Florida. Record night time lows in the 20’s and 30’s were set and also a record for the number of continuous days with temperatures never exceeding 45. We consumed copious amounts of denatured alcohol using the stove just to put some heat into the boat. Our gas consumption for the Honda generator also increased as we also used a small electric heater we have onboard. I caught the bus and went to Wal-mart where I purchased two sleeping bags so we could zip them together and sleep warm and toasty, me, Donna and Buddy. The cold had a real bad affect on some species of fish in the river too. We saw lots of them swimming upside down at the surface and then dead a day later. Someone estimated the weight of one near the dinghy dock at 150 lbs. This wasn’t like the weather we experienced on the last trip.

Walter and Maggie invited us to attend a Mardi Gras costume party at their condominium one Saturday Night. We all dressed as gypsies, carried little instruments and went as a Band of Gypsies. There were lots of hors d'oeuvres
and wine, then a sit down dinner and dancing afterward. We didn’t win the costume contest, but we did have lots of fun.

We’ve been making good use of the folding bicycles this trip. We’ve mastered the art of balancing bags of groceries hanging from the handle bars on our trips to Publix for groceries. I even found the max carrying load on the rear platform…a 18 pack of beer. Riding along Federal Highway is a little daunting though. Crossing intersections with right turn lanes are the most dangerous. We stick to the sidewalks where ever possible and even walk the bikes across some intersections using the pedestrian crosswalks. Riding the side streets is much more pleasant.

Our friends Fred and Phyllis stopped by for a short visit one weekend. They were on their way to Miami to catch a big cruise boat for a trip to the western Caribbean. We enjoyed margaritas and noshes in the cruisers outdoor lounge area, walked through the shops along Osceola Street and then dined at Flannigans, one of the local watering holes. Afterward, they took us to Wal-Mart which helped us re-supply the boat with a couple of heavy items…cases of beer and bottled water.