Spent Overnight in So. Daytona; Now in St. Augustine

Wed., April 14:  We were anchored in Titusville waiting for Bum's Rest to arrive. They stayed on the other side of the bridge, about six miles south of us. As they were coming through Max Brewer Bridge, we pulled anchor and headed for Seven Seas Marina in South Daytona.

We pulled a reefed main sail. Winds were NE at 18-22 knots. At 3000 rpms, SOG was 6.5. The wind was gusting and too much for us, so we pulled in the main sail. And it was like that all day. We put the sails out and pulled them back in half a dozen times on the way to Daytona.

We went through Haulover Canal. It's very pretty. I missed that on the way down because I had hand surgery in Ocala. So I was happy to see new scenery (although, Chuck would tell you I don't have my nose out of Nora Roberts' circle trilogy long enough to see anything!)

We saw some manatees. They were on both side of the Haulover Canal bridge. After we went through the canal, the ICW turned to the left and opened up.

I took this picture, but you can only see the back of the manatee. See the hump in the middle?

We raised both sails. It was too much with the gusts, so we reefed the main. Our speed hit 8.01 knots with 20 knots of wind. That may be our fastest speed yet! Maybe it's the new head sail.

Bum's Rest docked at Seven Seas Marina and we went another three miles to Aquamarina Daytona to get fuel and pumpout. Seven Seas doesn't have pumpout and we needed it. Didn't have to worry about that in the Bahamas!

It was beautiful, so we turned off the motor and sailed back to the marina, sans the motor. We saw dolphins on the way back and noted a nice big anchorage right before Aquamarina. We docked at 5:30 p.m.

Patti cooked a delicious seafood chowder with the rest of the mahi mahi and some shrimp. I took over the rest of our sliced Italian bread. Delicious.

Thursday, April 15:  Alarms went off at 6:15 a.m. and we readied the boat for another day. I took Jazzy for a quick walk. At 7 a.m., we went to breakfast at Pat's Riverside Cafe at the marina. We arrived after the marina closed yesterday, so had to wait for their 8 a.m. to pay dockage fees.

We eased our way out of the dock at 8 a.m. on our way to St. Augustine. We were heading for an anchorage for two nights because the marina we stayed at on the way down had no slips available.

Memorial Bridge opened for us on request. Right after that was International Speedway Blvd. Bridge, a beautiful bridge with tiled graphics of dolphins, sea turtles and manatees on the bridge columns. Next was Main St. Bridge, another bascule that opened on request. Then came Seabreeze Blvd. twin bridges and Ormond Beach bridge, both fixed 65 ft. bridges. Highbridge Road Bridge was a bascule opening on request. Flagler Beach and Palm Coast bridges were 65 ft. fixed. Crescent Beach bridge was a bascule opening on request and S.R. 312 twin bridges were 65 ft. fixed. Florida sure has a lot of bridges!

At 9:45 a.m., Chuck pulled a reefed main sail. Winds were 20-22 knots. SOG was 6.2 knots. We motor sailed at 2900 rpms. We're in Northern Florida and there's a chill in the air already. I wore shorts and had bare feet, but needed a fleece by mid-morning. The captain was wearing a sweatshirt and shorts and added a windbreaker. It's cooler at the helm because you don't have the benefit of the dodger blocking all the wind.

We pulled our sails in because the ICW is narrow at this point. Winds were 15-20 with gusts to 30 in the afternoon, so I took the helm for a little while so Chuck could secure the solar panels and strap down the bimini.

There's been a shift in the channel between mm 82 and 81C, so Tow Boat U.S. gave us guidance over the radio: Stay 100 ft. off the beach and you'll be find. We had the keel down 15 turns with the bell on it, so if we "bumped" we would know it before going aground. We made it through fine. Whew!

There were white caps and it was rough, so we decided to not anchor and stay at Oyster Creek Marina in St. Augustine on the San Sebastian River. We're on a T dock and it's nice here.

I started making beef stew while underway, but the restaurant here smelled really good, so we're eating there tonight and I'll reheat it with cornbread tomorrow.

Anchored in Titusville, FL; Tomorrow: Daytona Beach!

Alarms went off at 6 a.m. and Chuck rowed the dinghy to untie our lines from Adagio's cleats. At 7 a.m. we unhooked the mooring and left Vero Beach City Marina, but not before snapping a few photos of the sunrise.

Winds were NE 16-21 knots and it was sunny. The temp was high 70s as the day progressed. We were making a lot of ground today, so pushed along motor sailing.

I called Sara Ryan Turner, a former colleague who lives on Merritt Island, to see if we could get together tonight, since we'll be near her. But she and Mark are on their way to New Jersey for a wedding. Darn!

We saw the U.S. Coast Guard members changing a light on mile marker 60.

It started to pour right before the Merritt Island Bridge, so I took all the books, charts and camera downstairs and we dropped anchor for 10 minutes to wait it out. It quickly passed, so we pulled up the anchor and continued on.

We had two more heavy showers after that, but they were quick, so we kept going.

The wind was kicking and we were heeling over when the gusts caught us, as you can see by this photo.

Around 4:30 p.m., we reached the NASA Causeway Bridge, which opens on demand, except during rush hour. Since it was not opening until after 5 p.m. and Bum's Rest arrived around 4 p.m., they dropped anchor for the night. We were circling around trying to figure out if we wanted to press on or anchor, and Chuck lost his Sheet Music hat!

He lost his Winter's Sailing Center hat last week and couldn't afford to lose another hat. So we circled around a few times and I spotted it. We kept circling around, all the while keeping an eye on it and I grabbed it with a boat hook. I told Chuck it was his lucky day.  Prior to that, he was not having a good day, but that sure put a smile on his face!

We saw Don Bowman sailing on SeaQuel as we were waiting for the swing bridge to open. We met him on the way down, on a day when we were going through a whole lot of bridges.

Chuck wasn't thrilled with the anchorage where Bum's Rest is in case the winds are high tonight, which one site predicted, so we waited for the opening at 5 p.m. and went on to Titusville. We're anchored outside the marina. We dropped anchor around 6 p.m. Bum's Rest has to wait for the bridge opening at 8 a.m., so we'll wait for them here. It will take them close to an hour to arrive in the morning, so I may actually be able to sleep in a little tomorrow.

I steamed some shrimp and we had a cup of soup, a little salad and some shrimp cocktail for dinner.

Tomorrow: Daytona!

Fun with Our Friends from Adagio in Vero Beach

Monday, April 12:  We left Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage a few minutes after 8 a.m. Wayne went to the dinghy dock to pick up his cousin, Martin, and two of his children, who joined Bum's Rest for the ride to Vero Beach.

Shortly after getting underway, Chuck pulled out the new head sail. I LOVE the captain's navy suncover. It matches the rest of our canvas and looks really good on Sheet Music.

It was an overcast day, but warm temps...low 80s.

We arrived around 3 p.m. to the Vero Beach City Marina. We rafted to the port side of our friends sailing on Adagio, Beth and Art. I cooked dinner and they came over with dessert. We were surprised to see Ben sailing on Loon moored there and Muffin and Will sailing on Antares. Chuck rowed the dinghy over to say hello. Bum's Rest took a dock for the night as Martin's wife, parents and younger child were meeting them there for dinner.

We had a great visit with Beth and Art. We met them in St. Michael's and had drinks with them in Solomons and have been keeping in touch by e-mail. They are heading to The Keys and planning a trip to the Bahamas next fall, so we gave them some pointers. After dinner on Sheet Music, we stepped onto Adagio for the grand tour. And grand it was. Adagio is a 42 ft. Catalina and has all the comforts of home and a big beam. You could dance in their boat!

It was great to see them.

Tomorrow, we're leaving 7 a.m. because we have a long day ahead of us.

Happy 9th Birthday, Nicholas! Fun with Friends in Stuart, FL

Happy 9th Birthday to our grandson, Nicholas! We heard he had his first sleepover with 15 friends. Joe and Eva are brave souls.

Chuck slept in for a change. Wayne brought over the propane lines we ordered from West Marine. When Chuck tried the fitting he picked up at Ace Hardware, it didn't fit the hose. So, a phone call to John and they were heading to West Marine to return the hoses and Ace to return the fittings. First, he changed the oil on Sheet Music.

Joan and John arrived with Mocha. The guys went to make the returns and Joan and I walked the river walk with the dogs. We stopped to listen to a free Blues concert on the river walk.

The guys joined us when they were done. The sky was getting dark and it was getting ready to pour, so we walked up town and ducked into a store. Chuck bought a few New Orleans music CDs.

Then we walked to Kilwin's Ice Cream shop. Kilwin's was rated #1 on the Food Network and we could see why. They made the waffle cones in front of you and the cones were still warm. I chose chocolate caramel cashew and Chuck had cookie dough. Yum!

We sat under the awning until the rain stopped and hopped in their car for a short ride back to the marina. We gave them our Bahamas cruising guides, a big bag of clothes and a 35 lb. battery we were getting tired of moving around for my Bi-Pap. That took about 60 pounds off the boat. We'll meet them for dinner when we get home and get our stuff. Thanks, guys!

Mocha and Jazzy were tired and laid down on the back seat of the car side by side. It was cute.

I cooked dinner: Hot Roast Beef subs with au jus, homemade cole slaw with mandarin oranges and strawberries with cool whip for dessert.

Tomorrow: Meeting with friends sailing on Adagio in Vero Beach!

Lots of Photos on Facebook; Fun in Stuart, FL

I just upload a bunch of photos to Facebook. If you'd like to see them, go to my Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/kathymcg25#!/kathymcg25

Here's an update from the last few days:

Thursday, April 8:
We walked to customs with the dogs. We were in and out in 10 minutes. On the way back, we detoured to three marine stores, looking for new propane hoses with the correct fittings, to no avail. It's a Trident Marine Systems hose and none are available within 50 miles, according to their online system. Ours went bad and so did Bum's Rest. So We called West Marine and had them shipped to Alan and Patti's house in Stuart. $52 overnight shipping for Saturday delivery for two 22.99 parts, all because West Marine doesn't have it in stock. So we'll stay in Stuart for another day and get errands done, laundry, groceries, etc.

I called a friend and former co-worker, Debby Starr, who relocated to West Palm Beach to see if we could get together, but our schedules wouldn't work. We were both disappointed. Maybe next time, Deb!

We went to dinner at the Tiki on the beach. The special was filet mignon with grilled shrimp. Yum!

Friday, April 9:
We left West Palm Beach at 9 a.m. heading for Stuart. We're taking a mooring ball at Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage. We pulled up all the lines and fenders, lengthened the painter and off we went. I forgot to close the hatches and a big power boater went by and a huge wake washed over and through the hatches and everything got soaked! I had an inch of water on my bed. What a mess!

I cleaned up that soggy mess and took a  shower and washed my hair while we were waiting for the Parker Bridge to open. Openings are quarter of and quarter after the hour and we missed it by 5 minutes. It was much easier to shower while waiting, than trying to balance while underway!

We went through seven bridges to get to Stuart. I called a few dockmates from home. They are starting to get their boats back in the water.

It was 84 degrees, winds were WSW at 12 knots. We arrived at the mooring field at 3:45 p.m. We're on mooring balls 26 and 27.

At 5 p.m., John Conover picked us all up with the dogs and our laundry. Patti and I did our wash while we enjoyed visiting with John and Joan. We munched on all kinds of goodies...Joan really put out a spread. Patti and Alan arrived and Alan made a salad. Then we dined on salad, grilled chicken breast and roasted vegetables with potato salad on the side. Dessert was butter pecan ice cream and brownies with coffee. (Yes, my clothes are too tight from all this eating!)

The dogs had a blast. They have their daughter's dog, a pomeranian/poodle mix. Mocha is just adorable and Jazzy, especially, loved racing around with him.

John drove up back to the marina about 10 p.m. with our new sail that was shipped to Alan and Patti's and our clean laundry. Thanks for your warm, Southern hospitality, John and Joan! We love your new home.

Jazzy passed out on mommy's pillow when we got back to the boat.

Saturday, April 10:  The gas line arrived and is the wrong fitting! Damn. Now Chuck and Wayne have to run around looking for an adapter.

I washed all my bedding at the marina laundromat and bought coffee and a breakfast sandwich in the marine store. Sunset Bay is a beautiful marina. We love it here.

Chuck picked me up in the dinghy and I helped Chuck put up the new head sail. We're really happy with it and can't wait to try it out. Thanks to Don at Winter's Sailing Center for helping us order it form Ullman Sails.

Alan picked me up and we went to West Marine,  Public and PetSmart. I bought Jazzy a new collar because the S hooks that hold her tags all rusted and ruined it. Her hair keeps getting brown from it.

Chuck met Alan and I at the dinghy dock and we loaded up the dinghy. It took two rides to get everything back to the boat. Then he and Alan went looking for a fitting for the propane. Meanwhile, I cleaned out the refrigerator and put the groceries away, which took 2.5 hours! To save space and not bring any insects into the boat that may have been at the grocery store, and cut down on trash while traveling, we take everything out of boxes and put it in ziploc bags, rip the label off and stick that in the bag as well. It also helps keep food fresh, because the humidity level is so high onboard.

Chuck came back with fittings he thought would work, but it turns out that they rigged the hose to make it fit at the factory and what he bought wouldn't fit. Damn. So he's putting it back together as is for now and putting rescue tape on it to make sure there's no leak.

Since Alan and John were running us all around town, we bowed out of our dinner plans with Ralph and Bette, since we'll see them all summer at the marina and made plans to take the Conovers and Blumbergs out to eat.

We walked the riverwalk to La Famiglia, an Italian restaurant downtown, with the Blumbergs and Conovers. What great people. We had a lot of fun with them. The food was wonderful.

Back in the Good Ol' U.S.A.

We crossed back into the U.S.A. today and took a mooring overnight in Palm Beach. But let me catch up on the last few days:

Saturday, April 3:  We ran out of propane while I was cooking breakfast. On these small islands, you leave your tank and the boat takes it to get filled on Thursdays. That won’t work, because we’re leaving tomorrow.

Chuck dumped the water jugs into the tank and took the jugs to shore with the dinghy and got 22 gallons of water.

We went halves with the Bumms and rented a golf cart for the day to explore the island. We left Jazzy on the boat because of the potcakes here (wild dogs). They are friendly, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Our first stop was for ice cream. The roadways are actually double-wide sidewalks for golf carts. Pretty cool. We rode all around on the bumpy, limestone roads. There are ruts everywhere.

We stopped at Jolly Roger Marina in White Sound and Patti and I had a mango daiquiri on their dock. Yum.

We stopped at a grocery store and I bought a few things.

After five hours of exploring, Chuck's back had enough of riding in the back of a golf cart, so we headed back to the boat.

Patti made hot dogs, beans, sauerkraut and chips for dinner. We borrowed a few small propane canisters from them and we’ll use the adapter to fit on the hose for the stove.

That evening, Chuck and I spent a few hours looking at the charts and marking our planned route to West End, where we’ll cross back to the States. It’s about four days away.

A few more photos from Green Turtle:

It was the day before Easter, but their Christmas sign was still up in Green Turtle.

This is one of the many rocky trails we rode on in the golf cart.

















Sunday: April 4:  Happy Easter to all! This is the first time I can remember in my life that I’m not attending church on Easter Sunday. We’re on the move and we’ll land on a remote island with no settlement. It feels strange not going to church on Easter.

Chuck hooked up the portable propane tank and I cooked breakfast. When I was done, he checked it and gas was leaking everywhere! He unhooked the tank and saw there was a leak at the crimp. Scary.

Before getting underway, Chuck saw a dolphin in the harbor swimming around our boat.

We’re sailing the Sea of Abaco to Allans-Pensacola Cay today. We unhooked the mooring at 8:45 a.m. The water was really shallow leaving the harbor. We were only seeing 3.4 ft. in some places!

We motor sailed at 1500 rpms to charge the batteries. SOG was 4.8 knots with 8 knots of wind. The temperature is in the mid to low 70s all week in Abaco. Beautiful!

The day started out as overcast, but the sun was out by 10 a.m. We were heading NW and our waypoints were Green Turtle Cay to Powell Cay to Angelfish Point to Crab Cay to Allans-Pensacola, where we’re anchoring for the night. The water was 14 ft. deep and crystal clear.

At 11 a.m. we saw a school of dolphins. Around noon or so, Chuck turned the motor off to sail for a while. We arrived at the anchorage at 1:30 p.m.

I did some cleaning and Chuck rowed the dinghy all around and over to the beach.

Wayne scrubbed the bottom of his boat and checked his zinc. Patti held the line for him (see photo at left).

I made tacos for dinner with baked apples, raisins and walnuts for dessert.

Monday, April 5:  I went to bed at 8 p.m. last night, so I was up at 6:15 a.m. We pulled anchor around 8 a.m. heading for Great Sale, Abaco. We were motor sailing at 1900 rpms. The wind was 6 knots and SOG was 4.5. Our waypoints were Foxtown, Carter’s Bank, Sale Cay Rocks, Little Sale Cay and Great Sale Cay.

I read a novel all day and it was so good, I couldn’t put it down until I finished. “We’ll Meet Again,” by Mary Higgins Clark, was a murder mystery. I've read so many books on this trip. How great to be able to read again. I just didn't seem to have time to read when I was working.

We motor sailed most of the day, but the motor was on idle. Chuck experimented with the sails, trying to pick up speed. He finally turned the motor off at 2:45 p.m. We arrived at the Great Sale Cay anchorage at 4 p.m. We can’t wait to get the new head sail we ordered. It’s at Alan and Patti’s house in Stuart, FL, and we’ll be there in a few days!

Chuck put on his wet suit, dug out the Hookamax and jumped into the water to the check the zinc. It was gone. So he put a new one on. While he was in the water, he scrubbed the wheel of the depth finder and scraped a few barnacles off the bottom, but he only saw a few. No growth. It pays to buy good bottom paint!

Tomorrow is an early day…we’re going more than 50 miles. We’re heading for West End and skipping our planned stopover at Mangrove Cay because Wednesday looks like a good day to cross back to the States. We’re crossing to Lake Worth, West Palm Beach. Then we’ll have cell phones and Internet again!

Tuesday, April 6:  The alarms went off at 5:15 a.m. We pulled the anchor at 6:15 a.m. and headed for West End. The sun wasn’t up, but it wasn’t too long before it was. I took a much-needed shower and washed my hair. Boy, that felt great! Our waypoints today were Mangrove Cay, Barracuda Shoal, Church Bank, Goodwill, Indian Rock and West End. I read Nora Roberts, “Night Shadow.” I fried a chicken breast and made myself a salad with sliced chicken and made Chuck a ham and tomato sandwich.

The wind was 8 knots. We were motor sailing at 2600 rpms and SOG was 6 knots. At 1:15 p.m., we pulled in the sails. As we were approaching West End, the water turned a vibrant, beautiful blue. Wow, I didn’t know water could be so colorful until we sailed the Bahamas. (see photo at left). And you can see the bottom!

We docked at Old Bahama Bay Marina. Dockage was $122 for the night with no electric, plus a mandatory $15 water fee.

The boat was in desperate need of a good bath, since we have been paying for water for eight weeks and didn't "waste" it to clean the boat. Chuck took advantage of the water fee and washed Sheet Music.

I caught a few rays while we were underway on the bow.

We topped off the fuel tank and the jerry jugs. This is a beautiful place, with a beach with lots of welcoming lounge chairs, a beach bar, a pool and more. I took Jazzy for a nice walk, then donned my bathing suit and headed to the pool for a swim. It has a waterfall with two levels and is so pretty.

It’s my turn to cook tonight: Stuffed pork chops with peaches, peas and applesauce.

Tomorrow we cross to the good ol’ U.S. of A. I have mixed emotions. I loved touring the Bahamas, but it will be good to start heading home to our family and friends.






A few more photos from West End:

The entrance to the harbor of Old Bahama Bay Marina.

Here's the pool I swam in at Old Bahama Bay Marina. The round pool is a waterfall into the pool below.

Wednesday, April 7:  The alarms went off a few minutes after 4 a.m. and we left the dock at 4:45 in the dark. We saw the red and green marking the mouth of the harbor, but a rock jetty curved into the harbor so we had to watch out for the rocks and snake around to exit. It was a little tense to say the least.

With light beam in hand, I sat on the bow and scanned back and forth looking for the jetty and the opening. The skipper kept his GPS tracks from coming in, so we used that as our guide. The seas were 4-6 ft. and choppy getting out. After about 10 minutes, I scooted my way to the cockpit. It was took rolly for me to stay up there. I don't understand how some cruisers like to travel at night. We hate it!

We heard announcements that the U.S. Coast Guard was performing live fire training missions at 24 46.35, 079 46.77. That was five miles from where we were going to be and they required a three mile clearance area. Chuck plugged it into the GPS to make sure we stayed clear.

At 11:30 a.m., we were in the Gulf Stream, which really slowed us down. SOW was 7.3 knots, but SOG dropped to 4.7, with 15 knots of wind and the motor running at 3200 rpms. Our jib was full and our main was reefed. The seas were calmer, 2-3 ft. Our arrival time was estimated at 2:30 p.m., but changed when we hit the Gulf Stream. It really slowed us down. We changed our heading to compensate for the current and brought the keel mostly up, which changed our arrival time at Lake Worth Inlet back to 2:33 p.m.

A few miles from the inlet, we took down the Bahamas flag and put up the quarantine flag. Here's the captain holding the tattered and torn Bahamas flag. Notice the tan lines on his legs!

The inlet was a bit rough, but the current pushed us along. We took a mooring ball for the night in West Palm Beach and called U.S. Customs to report our arrival. We relayed our information and received our arrival number and were told to report to Customs within 24 hours with our passports and arrival number.

I sent a text to our kids, my mom and my sister to let them know we arrived safely. Tomorrow we'll move over to Riviera Beach Yacht Center, a stone's throw from here. We'll get a taxi from there to Customs.

Great Guana Cay, Green Turtle Cay

Thursday, April 1: The sun was bright and shining. The solar panels are recharging the batteries. I cooked breakfast and got ready to leave. At 8:55 a.m., we unhooked the mooring and headed to Great Guana Cay to join Bum's Rest. We were motor sailing with 9.5 knots of wind and 8000 rpms to charge the electronics: DVD player, computer, video camera batteries and digital camera batteries. Bum's Rest was in Great Guana Cay already and trying to locate someone for slip availability.

At 10 a.m. we turned off the motor. Wind was 10 knots and SOG was 3.8 knots. It was a beautiful sunny day.

The water is 11 ft. deep. It is a pretty green and you can still see the bottom. Chuck caught a little bluefish at 11 a.m. He threw him back.

We stayed at Guana Hideaways Marina for $30, no electric or water. We had a fun day at Grabbers and Nippers. The Nippers special has four kinds of rum and two kinds of juices. Nippers has a beautiful beach and we walked quite a distance. Then we had a lobster dinner at Grabbers. Yum.

Friday, April 2: We left the dock around 8:45 a.m. goig through the oceann and The Whale today. We were back in navy blue and rolling seas. We were heading for green turtle. Today is Good Friday.

When we were within two miles, we turned off the motor and sailed. We were charging the electronics earlier, so left the motor on. We took a mooring at Other Side Marina and will get fuel in the morning.
We started to take a dock, but the tide was so low, our stanchions were going between the deck boards!

l