Flying Time

Thurs-Wed, March 20-26, 2017

This past week has been flying by!! 

Friends Dan and Jean on Time Out arrived at Brunswick Landing Marina so we visited over dinner. But the next day we left -- we were ready for new opportunities. We passed by the old lighthouse at Doboy Sound.

We made a long run to Walburg Creek and anchored out. We waited until noon Saturday to slowly make our way to Hell Gate. Look it up, that is the official name on the chart! At the wrong time this short channel is very narrow and can have a swift current. We planned well and went through with no problems. After that another relaxing night on the hook.

A few days in Savannah to see the sights although we did get lost trying to find the Tybee Island Lighthouse. But we found it and the old Cockspur Lighthouse.

It was a beautiful day for cruising on Tuesday, lots of sunshine with the temperature in the 80s. And before we know it, we crossed from Georgia to South Carolina. We dropped the anchor in Port Royal Sound for another relaxing evening. 

We were only 1 hour from Lady's Island Marina near Beaufort, SC. They have a courtesy car so trips to the grocery store will be easier. 

I googled what to see in Beaufort and near the top of the list was the Kazoobie Kazoos factory. It was a fun tour and we got to make our own kazoo! 

Next was local seafood and we really enjoyed eating fish and oysters then buying crab for dinner! 

Time 'n Tide

Sun-Wed, March 19-22, 2017

We slowly made our way out of Florida. There is no perfect way to time the tides, but we did really well the last part of the St. Johns River. The outgoing tide pulled us down river over 9 mph! Really fast for our old boat!! 

We pulled into a free dock-Jim King State Park on Sisters Creek. Fantastic floating dock, no piling to try to not hit! And guess who catches our dock line--Christy from Folly Girl! We met them at Ft. Pierce! Then Lorenzo and Lois show up! He was the one that told us about this free dock and many other helpful hints about transiting up the East Coast.

The next day we departed Jim King Park and headed north. We pulled into the channel in front of a tug boat but it did not have any barges. Well it didn't take us too long to run into mud. The tug went on by and provided just enough wake for the boat to back off the mud. We followed the tug for several hours til it looked like it stopped. We slowed down, then stopped, then turned circles until the tug got out of the mud and moved forward. That happened two more times, and we were all in the channel!!! This part of the ICW needs dredged. But there is never enough money allocated to dredging all parts of the ICW. Maybe we should have timed it to wait for a rising tide.

This part of the ICW got hit pretty bad last year by Hurricane Matthew. This marina in Fernandina Beach is still closed although cleanup and repairs are in progress.

St. Andrew Sound looked like a big body of water, but again we had to follow the markers to stay in deep water.

We managed to put 60 miles of water behind us today. Even if it was 20 degrees colder (like it is supposed to be tomorrow), it would still be paradise here at Brunswick Landing Marina with FREE beer and wine. Oh, and free washers and dryers! Self serve though.

St. Patrick's Day

Fri-Sat, March 17-18

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Hope you had plenty of green beer! The fog was really thick this morning, but the sun cleared it by 9:30 so we headed down river.
                           

A very uneventful cruising day, even the vultures just watched us go on by! Even the osprey (I think that's what they are) turned their back to us. 

We think the cruise ship was heading to Green Cove Springs for repairs.

We stopped in Palatka at the Boathouse Marina. After a taco salad, I walked to the Hawg Wash BBQ Joint for tommorow's dinner.

Saturday morning was clear so we headed to Doctors Lake Marina. My friends Sally and Ron are coming over for bbq. I have to report that the bbq was excellent!!

Brrrrrrr

Tues-Wed-Thur, Mar 14-15-16

We are still in Sanford Florida mainly because the wind would play havoc with the boat trying to get away from the dock. AND the temperature at night is below what we are comfortable with if we are away from the dock with no electricity and heat. Yes we have a generator but it is sooo noisy.

We were brave Tuesday and walked to the local German restaurant because the sun was shining! Great weiner schnitzel!!! And enough food for 4 people! And the very best honey mustard walnut dressing I ever tasted. I even bought a pint to dip everything into it! And at the checkout counter was a box of Ice Cubes. You remember??? the square of chocolate that tastes like it is icy cold! A great dessert.

Same weather Wednesday--sunny, cold and windy! No going out to eat today because we have leftovers!

There was a break in the wind today so we left Sanford. We had a great relaxing week here, but we are ready to move. It was a very uneventful cruise--we saw a few alligators trying to get a suntan. I did get some good pictures of the Stetson University crew team.

I know all you guys up north have no sympathy for the cold weather here in Florida. We have been watching tv and glad we are not up north with you! 

Love ya, mean it!

Sanford (but not "And Son")

Wed-Mon Mar 10-13, 2017

Very nice weather has made Sanford a great place to walk around. They have a beautiful sidewalk called Riverwalk along the southern part of Lake Monroe. Historic Sanford had a weekend full of outdoor activites. Friday night was "Alive After Five". Muscle cars on display on one street, motorcycles on another, each with their own music. Local stores and individual had tents and displays or crafts and a few food vendors.

Then on Saturday morning we went to the farmers market. Nice vegetables and some food vendors and more crafts. Later in the afternoon, several streets downtown were blocked off with many food trucks and lots of crafts. Saturday's theme was local and home brewed beer and bring your dog! Great weekend!

Sunday's weather was a little cooler and we relaxed at the marina visiting with fellow boaters Buddy and Mary. Mary made beautiful books of their great loop adventure. And we bought some charts from the boat FBI! 

Rain will show up later on Monday, but at noon we went for an airboat ride. We saw quite a few young alligators and a couple big ones. We did get to go really fast!!!!

Going South Again

Tues 3-7 to Thurs 3-9

You know Kelly --he says he is "normal" but always "half a bubble off". Well, for a good long while the boat has been a full bubble out of level. He remembered today that he had moved an extra battery to the opposite side of the boat. So he moves the battery back to the port side of the boat and "waa-laa" the boat is level again!

Coffee anyone? With a little bit of frothy milk? That's what I think every time I look at the color of the St. Johns River.

We have had several good days of cruising. Tuesday was a little cool and windy because we were still in the wide part of the St. Johns. We got past Palatka and the river narrowed. We just picked a spot off to the side of the river and anchored.

Wednesday we were up and cruising by 8. We went 62 miles and stopped at St. John's Marina near DeLand. It is almost a brand new marina and they had very good seafood at the restaurant. It was bike night so it was a nice crowd with some loud 60s and 70s music.

We had a lazy morning and didn't leave til 11 but we only have 23 miles to Sanford. This part of the river is narrow and we got to see a few alligators!!!

Jax

Sun-Mon Mar 5-6

A really nice sunny day for traveling although still windy. Many twists and turns on the Tolomato River north out of St. Augustine. Then there was a perfectly straight stretch that connected the Tolomato to Pablo Creek. We stopped at Palm Cove Marina but it was a real struggle with the wind to safely dock. But of course Kelly did!

We left Palm Cove the next morning about 8:30 hoping to get a boost with the tide in our favor--but no help for us. When we got to the eastern end of the St. Johns River it was a choppy rough ride for 30 miles til we got to Doctors Lake. The sights along the way were a mixture of commercial, industrial, and military.

Friends Ron and Sally that live in Middleburg picked us up for dinner at Whitey's Fish Camp. Great seafood and a much different restaurant from the 1980's when I first ate there!

Sightseeing

Tues-Sun 2/28 - 3/5 

Tues 2/28: we departed Halifax Harbor in Daytona Beach to go to Hidden Harbor in St. Augustine. Really have to watch the marked channel all the time to make sure we don't go aground. The current from the inlets and the wind can move the boat sideways while we are moving forward! It is so neat to occasionally see a lighthouse while we are on the intercoastal waterway. But who would expect to see a totem pole?

Wed 3/1: walked to Sailors Exchange to look for a little brass square for a handrail rest. They have lots of stuff we don't need so we bought a new long line for the boat. Later we took a trolley around town to know what to see the next day. Last stop was the St. Augustine Distillery-happy hour tour! Good stuff!

Thurs 3/2: rain rain go away Kelly wants to sight see. It rained all day so we stayed on the boat and Kelly replaceded the shower sump bilge pump (say that fast!) Oh no, it will be down in the 40s tonight and we will have to use the heater. I have enjoyed these 80 degree days.

Fri 3/3: we absolutely played tourist today and went  to the Fountain of Youth. It was really a lot of area history. If I learned this history in my youth, I have forgot! The good part of taking the trolley in St. Augustine is that it goes in one big loop. No getting lost here!

Sat 3/4: time for laundry and going to Walmart to get ready to leave St. Augustine tomorrow.