A launch delay

The back issue has improved but is not resolved.  Bear cannot enjoy the cruise as much as possible with the problem unresolved.  Accordingly, we made the decision that we would contact a spine clinic and pursue a course of action that will, we hope, resolve it once and for all.  That might be optimistic but we need to reduce the discomfort to the lowest level possible.  We spent the day at the clinic and an MRI facility and will have treatments every day possible for the next few weeks.  That will not keep us from cruising north but it will hold us in places for a few days at the time so we can get back to Jacksonville.  Thus, the agenda shifts from purely cruising to a combination of that and medical visits since Bear has little confidence in the ship's doctor. 

A Bit of a Tussle

Another night of sleep challenge.  Stay with me on this.  As the Bear and I took a ride up the coast, we came upon Fort Caroline.  Nawh, this is not a third system fort but one which was put in place to basically tick off King Philip II of Spain in the 1500's.  Here is the deal:  as previously noted, Espana sent some dudes off to find and settle the "New World", not to mention perhaps plundering same for a few tons of gold and silver from the Incas and anyone alleged to have the stuff anywhere else.  The French, being somewhat jealous and equally as greedy, decided to mirror Spain's efforts and perhaps beat them to the punch and the added benefit was to be the religious redoubt of the Huguenots, a group of outcasts in the old world.   At the time the Spanish had a very sturdy fort in St. Augustine and thought themselves to be alone in the New World.  Columbus fell a bit short of being a player in this play.  Unknown to them was the fact that old King Charlie IX had his eye on the prize.

Not to get too deep here, the French decided, with the knowledge of the Gulf Stream that the Spaniards, having stolen the gold and silver of the Incas in Mexico and points south, would need to ride the "stream" north of here before making the turn to Europe.  If they put a fort close to the "stream" they could "day trip" out there and thump the  fleet and take the goodies.  Seemed like a good idea at the time---- not.

French Fort Caroline

Seems that with a way better fort and way more resolve, the Spanish had the upper hand.  The French put up a whimpy fort made of dirt and wood on the St. Johns river some thirty miles north of St. Augustine.  When the Spaniards learned of that little endeavor, they decided to rid themselves of those pesky French.  They went defcon and whipped out a can of whupasse by the name of Admiral Menendez, one bad General Patton type of guy.  In September old Menendez took a few hundred troops north and smote the French, killing all but a few dozen women and children and also sparing anyone claiming to be Catholic.  They took no mercy on the musicians (actually mentioned in a narrative).  Methinks the sparing of the women might not have been purely humanitarian.  There were a few back and forths in this tragedy play  but the bottom line is that the French, with a whimpy fort, little resolve and some really beautiful but nonfunctional cannons managed to get several hundred dudes and dudettes along with some loyal Timucuan Indians (Native Americans) dusted.  Fort Caroline is still there, faithfully recreated by the National Parks Service.  The Fort at St. Augustine stands as proof that the dog with the bigger teeth will win the fight.

Inside the French fort

Looking up river on the St. Johns toward Jacksonville

Not long from now we will sail past the biggest dawg in the pound, the boomer pins in Kings Bay.  For those that need some clarification, a boomer is an SSBM, submarine, ballistic missile.  How's that for a really cool big dawg thing?  Kinda don't see Spain or France in the picture any longer.

St. Augustine to Jacksonville Beach

Bear at the actual Fountain of Youth

After spending three days touring St. Augustine with the gusto of a young family at Disneyland, we were tired and ready to leave.  The historic district of that city was on our bucket list.  We had a three day pass on the guided tour train and by the end of the visit, we knew the spiel.  The heat took it's toll and the cruise to Jacksonville Beach yesterday gave us a chance to rest. 

The fort sea

Before departing St. Augustine, a little voice told me to check the cooling system of the engine.  Since Why Knot communicates with us via many methods, not the least of which is engine noises, we know to listen and take action.  We discovered a partially failed sea water impeller and it would not have been long for it to completely fail.  It is always better to find these things at the dock.  I also cleaned many impeller parts out of the heat exchanger, so we were good to go.

A shot astern just south of Jacksonville Beach

We left St. Augustine at 0900 by passing the Bridge of Lions bascule.  The view on the other side of that bridge was impressive.  The Atlantic inlet to the right and the fort to the left.  The trip up the ditch presented a different type of scenery than that of the last two months.  Most of the ditch was in an ancient river bed, thus lots of curves through low marsh like areas.  Palm trees are giving way to pines and oaks along that route and there are many parks and wildlife reserves that hold back the developments.  Due to the relatively wide tidal range, we had following currents part of the way and opposing currents the rest.  Since there were two high and two low tides yesterday, we saw a doozie outgoing as we approached Beach Marine for the nights. 

About four miles from the marina, we passed a small fishing boat with motor up and several small children sitting in the sun watching dad paddle the boat with one paddle.  They waived at us and he kept digging, but going nowhere,  We turned around and offered to tow them at least to Beach marine. which we did.  The tow brought a cheerier look to the crew of that boat.  Turns out that they were going to the launch ramp right at the marina.  We were able to land them at the ramp and proceed to our slip without incident.

We docked next to a boat just purchased by an elderly couple (like us) with their grandson along for the experience.  They were the boat about an hour ahead of us the entire trip yesterday.  They told us that they plan to take the boat to a lake in the Carolinas to support their yacht club youth sailing program and that the grandson was a graduate of that program.  He said they had over 100 students this summer.  Good to hear about such programs since it appears old fogeys are the only folks out here. 

The highlight of the day was a visit by a good friend and my former company commander from Vietnam, the Republic of.  It has been many years since our last visit.  Unlike our last visit during which we discussed in detail our time in the jungles, we discussed current politics.  We are of like mind.  We will visit again before leaving this place. 

Bear has an appointment on Tuesday with a back clinic.  We have scheduled a week here which we hope will be enough time to solve the problem.  Resolution of the issue will certainly improve the cruise for both of us.  Fingers crossed here.

A Shot Across The Bow

Imagine this: it is 1630  hours on a bright sunny day in the Mantanzas River just inside the inlet from the Atlantic.  You are just waking up from a much needed sleep after an all night passage from elsewhere.  Just as you stumble topside with the idea that this is on very beautiful place, especially the fortress just two hundred yards to your west, the peace is shattered by a six pounder erupting in your direction.  You are showered by day old bread used for wadding in the cannon.  The National Park Service demonstrates the Spanish gun drill with all commands faithfully given according to the drill of the time in Spanish.  All commands in Spanish except for "cover your ears".  The six pounder  was most likely not used at this fortress since much larger siege guns were required, yet this little doozie would, according to the ranger, but a ball in the lighthouse some 1.5 miles away.  The crews of the time enlisted at age fifteen and the enlistment was for life.  Thus, they got pretty proficient at gunnery.  The twenty pounder would put a ball on target over three miles away. 

Inside the oldest house in the oldest town.

All Spanish houses were single story and had no street side doors.  One entered a courtyard then the house.  This one was built that way.  When the British took over, they added second stories and street side doors.  There are 31 such houses in St. Augustine which is all that is left after the British tried to burn the town down. 

We whipped by the Fountain Of Youth yesterday.  Had some of that water and today we are wrinkle free and thinking about a marathon this weekend.  The tour driver told us of a elderly lady he met sitting on the curb at this place holding a cute baby.  She was sobbing uncontrollably.  She told him that thirty minutes ago, after consuming the water, this was her husband.  The park has a planetarium that explained how the ancient mariners used the stars to navigate.  Briefly, they would mark the position of a constellation as it descended in the morning sky.  They used the astrolabe to fix its angle in the night sky.  They would keep the star at the same angle as they sailed east to west.  St. Augustine is at 29.59 degrees longitude.  Leaving Spain and keeping that star at that angle, they could hit this place fairly accurately.  If you consider that in the sixteenth century, they still were not sure about that flat earth thing and had no maps.  Talk about blind faith. 

St Augustine

Seldom seen on these schooners is a "Full Press" of sail, not that this is "over canvassed".

Just how much teak or mahogany is enough?

Where to start?  Methinks that as a history freak, this is Mecca.  We left
Daytona Beach at 0700 and headed up the ditch toward a long anticipated place.  Having visited this place by car a few days ago, we looked forward to getting the harbor right at the east end of The Bridge of Lions.  That happened after getting past the Matanzas Inlet, a notorious place that traps boats on constantly moving shoals.  It happens also to be a sixteenth century location for Ft. Matanzas.  After planning, meditating, the way through that pass, it was a non-event.  We had three feet under our keel the entire passage. 

The approach to St. Augustine was in the Matanzas River and it was outgoing tide.  Chosen carefully by the masterful crew of WK to arrive at slack tide, the tables were wrong.  One might say that they are merely guidelines.  The current outbound was almost 2 knots.  Fortunately, the dock master put us in a slip that we could approach up current.  Not two hours later, the current reversed and it is really strange to see a knot meter reading while tied up. It is almost 2 knots the other way. 

We decided to have dinner ashore.  We did so in an establishment that was founded in the very early 18 th century (1705).  The food was good but one can't help but wonder what grog and the fare of the day was when the Spanish or Brits were here.  If one can do the Walter Mitty thing and squint ones mind and eyes enough, one can see this place before electricity and bridges.  What a sight this must have been in the day. 

We are only a few dozen miles from Georgia,  We might not leave Florida (or La Florida as Ponce put it) for some time since we will get Bear fixed before we continue past Jacksonville.   

This dude has received much publicity since he goes where the current takes him.  He calls this boat the Earth Ball or something like that and it is "off the grid"

More on St. Augustine tomorrow.  http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-02-14/living-simple-life-high-seas

Know that the crew of WK are living our dream and we hope you get to live yours.

St Augusting tomorrow

J Dock Halifax Harbor Marina, Daytona

Checked in the rental car and now we are boat people once again.  This area has been fun but we look forward to St. Augustine which puts us closer to a pain clinic and relief for Bear.  We have an appointment on Tuesday in Jacksonville for her and we won't leave until that situation is resolved or substantially so.   She has put a very good face on the pain and it is greatley reduced from that experienced in Marathon and Key West.  If we can resolve it, then we will start using the dinghy  which has not been off the boat for some time. 

While walking the dock, I managed to get a shot of a manatee.  Those critters are amazing by how they live--- Talk about life in the slow lane.  Then, I think I saw the most unattractive sea bird ever.  You be the judge. 

We are out of here tomorrow bound for the high currents of St. Augustine Municiple Marina.  Said tides tomorrow will be around five feet low to high.  We are shooting for an arrival at slack.  That means a 0600 shove off.  Bear likes to take her time to wake up but she is on duty when we agree to leave early. 

Dear, can you see the channel?

A Day Ashore Way in the Past

We decided to rent a car and do some sightseeing yesterday.  The destination was St. Augustine, the oldest town in America.  Having wheels is a real treat and besides that, it was good for Bear to sit in what we now call a real seat.  The distance to the past was only fifty or so miles.  The old part of St. Augustine is a bucket list item.  What a wonderful place.  Bear and I signed up for a trolley tour and in the heat it was the right thing to do.  Not wanting to temp the back thing, Bear stayed on the trolley while I toured the old fort guarding Matanzas inlet from the Atlantic.  It was state of the art during the era and was never captured even though it was more or less under siege up to the Civil War.  Of that time, the Confederacy merely asked for the keys and were give them by the caretaker.  Then the Union asked for the keys and the Confederates handed them over, thus it was not damaged in that war. 

The area was first visited by Don Juan Ponce de Leon on Easter Sunday 1513.  The Spanish Admiral, Menendez actually established the settlement in August 1565, Feast Day of St. Augustine and named it after him.  There were some unruly French that established a fort on the St. Johns River to the north of St. Augustine and old Menendez decided to do them in so that there was clean claim to the area.  He was successful thanks in part to the assistance of a hurricane.  To calibrate one, St. Augustine was in place forty two years before Jamestown and fifty five years before the Pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock. 

Flagler College once the Ponce de Leon Hotel

I mentioned that Florida seems to worship a fellow named Flagler.  It is even more so in St. Augustine, his favorite place.  Turns out that not only did he run a railroad the length of Florida but he was also the co-founder of Standard Oil. That explains much.  Anyway, he built churches, at least three grand hotels and many other buildings of the most grand type in town.  One such grand hotel, the Ponce de Leon, is not Flagler College, a liberal arts institution of only two thousand students.  What a grand place it is.  In essence, Flagler finished what the Spanish monarchy envisioned over five hundred years before, except of course without electricity. 

Another Flagler Hotel

If there is any such thing as a pretty cannon, this is it.

The fort guarding the Matanzas Inlet has seen some happenings.  Soon it will see the arrival of the sailing vessel Why Knot.  Scratch that on some monument in town.  Actually, we plan to stop there this week.

Cocoa to Daytona

Way good

Way Bad

The trip up the ICW from Cocoa to Daytona yesterday was enjoyable.  The day started, as usual, in calm winds and clear skies.  We hauled anchor at 0745 and cleared the first bascule bridge thirty minutes later.  The next area was the Titusville/ Cape Canaveral area where we sailed near the huge NASA launch assembly building and the launch pads.  There were no rockets on pads so that is all that was visible of the area.  That building was visible for over 20 miles. 

NASA Assembly Building

Being Sunday, the waterways were very busy.  Of course there were more than a few knuckleheads.  As we approached Smyrna and Ponce de Leon inlet, the traffic increased exponentially.  Add a few hundred forty feet sport fishing boats, and a few hundred ski and small fishing boats to a narrow waterway and one needs to consider the waterway every bit as rough as a sea crossing.  Big wakes coming at you and big wakes passing you at the same time and one could churn butter easily in a jar.  Throw in a huge thunderstrom following those passing and it was a lively day.  We had several rolls past twenty five degrees.  That sorts out all the stuff that is not secured properly.

Mysteriously unmarked ship aground near the ICW (no flags, markings or crew aboard)

We decided to spend a day or two in Daytona to visit the historic parts.  Halifax marina is large and our slip is the most distant from the office.  It is easily a three quarter mile walk to the office so they dispatched a dock attendant to the slip to catch our lines.  He came equipped with the paperwork and credit card machine thus saving that walk.  It does not hurt that West Marine and several restaurants are a block or two away. 

An attractive mini-trawler underway

We are finding that sixty mile days back to back require a stop every now and then just sit still for a day or two.  We trap ourselves in places like Key West, Marathon and Fort Pierce for convenience.  If we are to get north before August we need to stay less and move more.

The Villes

Ok, I will admit it:  can't sleep.  It is well past cruiser's bed time (sunset) and here I am sitting in the cockpit feeding noseeums my ankles and toes watching thunderstorms in the Northwest sky.  Why am I doing that?  Well, for one thing, I am on anchor watch for a bit and watching whether or not we are in for another close encounter of the lightening type.  Bear, trusting me like a foxhole buddy to keep her safe, is in the rack below.  Us wimps chose to turn on the generator and keep the sleeping quarters cool this time of year.  For the purists, we anchored well away from those with open hatches so as not to irritate them. Now the thing is that I have a sort of ear worm this evening in that I cannot keep from thinking about the villes.  What?  We are near a place called Titusville, the edge of space insofar as our efforts to escape earth are concerned.   Founded by a Confederate General Titus, I am sure he did not have any idea how important this place would  be a hundreds years thereafter to space.  That brought other villes to mind this evening.  There is Niceville.  Interesting place where one Ensign, now Lt. Commander Brian Skubin was transferred after buying Lady J, our Cal 28.  He went there to further his skills at blowing stuff up as a Navy UDT sailor.  Then there is Nashville, where my good friend Willie Bill Holmes' son Ross is making headway toward a great career in Blue Grass Music. He almost matches Charlie Daniels in the fiddle. Or is it the violin?  Not sure about the distinction.  Then there is Halletsville where, according to Robert Earl Keene, they pay money for armadillos of the dead type.  See how that can capture a mind dead sailor on a dark and stormy night in Florida? 

This cruising thing has taken on an aspect of the surreal.  We are just now starting to really appreciate it.  Our house back home has high weeds; most like more than a few squirrels in the attic and deer living in the carport yet we have no compulsion to check on the place beyond that which Poozak and our youngest son accomplish.  Further, and perhaps most important to our intense loyalty to Texas, is our decision that as long as Why Knot survives, she may well never return to her home port ---- or not.  For now, methinks I will remove the food supply to those no seeums and go below. Nightall. 

Ft. Pierce to Cocoa Beach

We left the slip we have occupied for a week today at 0800.  Keeling Time stayed behind to repair the lightening strike.  We guess that they may not catch up with us for some time due to some family personal stuff that will take them away from KT for several weeks.  The trip from Ft. Pierce was an ejoyable one in light, cool winds and mostly cloudless skies.  Certainly, the traffic and size of boats is far less than south of here.  We witnessed at least two regattas along the way and more sea birds than we have seen in some time.  Speaking of that, we think there are more seagulls and pelicans in Port A than in the entire route from there to here.  Could it be that the remote nature of Port A makes better nesting places than say the mega yacht world around Ft. Lauderdale?

We anchored in Cocoa Beach around 1700 and had some of Bear's King Ranch Chicken and a beautiful sunset.  There are many boats anchored here but few have signs of life.  Most that do have foreigh flags.  Tomorrow, we plan to head north past Cape Canaveral toward to St. Augustine.

Change of Plans

As mentioned earlier, we planned to sail north with Keeling Time.  Such is not to be for some time.  KT took more of a hit last evening than originally thought.  We were waiting for the arrival of their new battery charger (check out Clark Industries) to arrive so that we could both get underway.  Said charger arrived this morning along with a very competent Technician, Tim Allen.  It took no time at all for the investigations, not associated with the battery charger installation, to reveal more damage to KT.  Virtually all the electronics aboard, now less than a year old from the last direct lightening hit, are non-functional.  Said electronics are all new and now all junk.  Raymarine electronics are not inexpensive.  Now it appears there is little left of them.  The course computer died along with wind, depth, speed and autopilot are not working.  Fortunately, the electrical stuff like a/c and refrigerator/freezer still work.  There is only one boat between us so now I will do a major function test tonight of all our systems. 

The damage to KT will put them in port for some unknown time.  If they can get the parts, they might be underway in a week or so.  There are lots of if's in lightening damage such as wiring in the mast and below decks and such things as possible damage to through hull fittings. I don't think the hit was that strong but KT will still need to have a diver check out the hull.  We will definitely offer to stay with them and help any way we can but methinks there is little we can do.  If the offer is declined, we will move on tomorrow and hopefully, they can catch up.  Such is life aboard.  We wish them well and hope that we can sail with them soon.

Heat Relief Turns Knarley

The clouds and attendant thunderstorm shown in our last blog did not produce a funnel cloud but it did produce frequent lightening and it targeted this harbor.  We received very high microbursts and rain the likes of which occur in hurricanes.  The portlights I repaired all held and did not leak except for the one over our berth.  It was a real test of the gaskets.  Looking out our companionway doors, we saw a fifty+ feet Formosa Ketch in the slip astern of us heeling about fifteen degrees.  That is one heavy boat.  Rain was moving horizontally.  It was a pfrogue strangler.  About five minutes after the rain started we were bracketed by God's own artillery.  For the most part it was impacting at some distance.  I turned the computer and all electronics off but not the a/c.  Just as all the electronics went to sleep, a doozie hit so close there was no time lapse between the flash and the thunder.  It was definitely reminiscent of real artillery incoming.

We were late to dinner aboard Keeling Time but we were sure they would adjust the event because of the maelstrom outside.  Shortly, Rick knocked on the deck and said they had some damage.  Mind you, this is the second time they have been hit.  The first fried all electronics and electrical stuff aboard Keeling Time including even their refrigerator.  It cost them two months for repairs.  Anyway, both crews felt the strike was easily within a hundred yards or so of our boats. 

Keeling Time's damage this time seems to be isolated to a failed gas solenoid circuit breaker and their radio which comes on and shows proper operation but no sound.  Our damage so far appears to be the a/c thermostat stuck permanently on 72 degrees cooling.  More parts to acquire at some port up the coast.  The a/c does work.  Perhaps that fuzzy looking gadget on the mast head that is supposed to dissipate near lightening, might have worked.  Thanks Robert for putting it up there in the first place.  Thanks Seabrook for installing one on our new mast.  Now, both KT and WK crews will be looking for and expecting anomalies which may show up weeks from now. 

At first light, crews in the marina emerged and started fiddling with stuff not normally fiddeled with (bad grammar).  That means that the local West Marine will be busy today.   For those not aboard, surprises await. 

We plan to visit my former CO from Vietnam when we get to Jacksonville.  His mate suffers from severe back pain and they gave us the name of the clinic they use.  We are hoping to see the back specialist so we can get Bear's problem resolved.  For now, she is better but still having some pain. 

We can do without yesterdays "event of the day".  We are looking forward to the mail pouch Poozak sent out yesterday and to setting sail at first light tomorrow, barring some discovery of lightening demons.  We are glad we were not underway at sea when that wooley booger storm came by. 

Heat Relief

Ok, so today started like any day in the past three weeks.  It was a windless hot day from the start.  Now, things have changed a bit, and we think it is for the better, that is of course if we do not get a tornado or lightening.  A few minutes ago, nature gave us a break: the Florida afternoon thunderstorm.  This one is a bit different and promises to get someone very wet. 

All boats entering the US from foreign ports must "clear in" at a Customs facility or, if properly equipped, it can be done via telephone.  US Flagged boats can acquire a Customs decal after providing certain information to the US Government.  That stamp, if referenced on the telephone, might just keep one from having to bundle up all the crew passports and crew and waltzing down to the actual facility.  In some cases it might be a very long cab ride.  Another item available from Customs at heavily entered ports is what is called a "Local Boaters Card"  which enables local boats to whip over to the Bahamas and back without the hassle of the formalities of "entering" port.  We were told to whip by the Customs office at the Ft. Pierce airport to obtain these documents/decals.  We got there at 0900 the day Keeling Time had to return their rental car.  Sign  on the door said no deal until 1000.  We did some local shopping, including another trip to West Marine, then returned at 1000, just two hours before the rental car return.  We stood in line for half an hour then noticed a "Ring bell for service".  A push of that button brought a uniformed, humorless young Customs officer to the bullet proof banker's window.  He promptly informed us that neighter of those two items were available at this location.  He further informed us that we had to take our carcasses to Miami or one of two other places, with ship's papers, passports, and actual everyone on board, to get the Local Boaters Cards.  We could, of course, get the sticker with the all important number on line.  Imagine doing that on foot.

Still in Fort Pierce

Bear and Bligh

Since meeting up with Keeling Time, we have been in this marina. We were waiting for parts, both crews. Ours arrived yesterday and we repaired and installed the prop. Keeling Time is waiting for wizbang 100 amp battery charger and it has not arrived yet. We plan to "buddy boat" (sounds sort of whimpy huh?) with them at least to the Florida/Georgia line. We are told that the Georgia coast is, with few exceptions, something we can skip offshore. Fort Pierce is about a third of the way up the Florida coast. We now know that we will be following hot weather north for the rest of the summer, so there is no expectation of sleeping much with the hatches open. The surprising thing is that we have yet to get really "buggy". Our guess is that they are digging in along the Carolinas waiting for us.

It is getting brutally hot here with very little breeze. That means that Bear has knocked out about a book a day sitting below in the cool. I manage to continue to do topside stuff as long as the Gatorade holds out. Hydration in this climate is a must in port. At anchor, the impact is lessened since whisps of sea air keep arriving.

Early yesterday morning, we heard something exhaling under our boat. It did it twice and then bumped the hull. It was a manatee we think because it took it's time wollering along the hull under us. Or, could it have been some sea monster sizing us up?


Once underway again, we expect to make the Cape Canaveral area fairly soon, perhaps two days. Then we anticipate stops in Daytona Beach, St. Augustine and Jacksonville before leaving the state with endless coasts. We remember with fondness those places now under seige by oil. Most of the ports we visited were almost fully recovered from the hurricanes and looking forward to an active tourist season.

Wrong Parts and Peaceful Sunday

The biggest Hinckley I ever saw. I am wondering if at $15K per foot or so, how long it took to pay it off? The UDT/ Seal Museum of Fort Pierce. Small but complete.
The harbor restaurant and bar that is crowded at sunset.

Crew of Keeling Time at market days, Fort Pierce.

We pulled the Autoprop yesterday and was eager to repair it with the parts we received from the vendor. All went well until we found that one of the parts did not fit, the bearing. While we can use the prop now adjusted again with the old parts, we will wait until we can get the right part and then install the prop. That way, I only have to rig for diving one time vs two.

Early yesterday afternoon, the crew of Safari called and said they would be passing our way on their road trip from Texas to Miami where Safari is docked. We had dinner and a very good visit with them and the crew of Keeling Time last evening at the harbor restaurant here. It is always good to see them. Keeling Time was most entertaining with their tales of the Abacos. They have some great shots of underwater stuff from there. Rick mentioned that they seldom anchored in water over about eight feet and it was always very clear. We very much look forward to visiting the islands in the fall. For now, we must make our way up north for hurricane season.

Speaking of that, we were watching news this morning when a bonehead weatherman expressed excitement at the new disturbance in the Atlantic. Said he looked forward to a very active hurricane season. Gee, I wish he would come to this, or any harbor, and say that out loud at happy hour. Then again that is how it affects those not in the zone.

We are docked next to several other boats that have fuel cans, solar panels, and general cruiser clutter. It is always interesting to walk the docks and see how others have solved, or attempted to solve issues such as storage, dinghy handling, cockpit comfort and the like. The thing we miss the most is a comfortable way to sit in the cockpit. Still, the cheesy bean bag we have is the best so far as long as one does not have to move quickly to get around it. That thing can be sitting there looking fairly stable and if you step on it, plan to go anywhere other than planned. It is like stepping on a bag of marbles. Don't even think of stepping on it with refreshments or food in your hands, lest ye paint the cockpit with them.

Sunday is our day to call family. Most of the time they are out doing stuff so it is a game of tag. We are told that Skype is a useful tool to communicate with family but we have not tried that yet. Maybe we will catch up to the 21 st century soon. The question of the day is who stole all those moon rocks?

Mail and Old Friends

We heard that Keeling Time was back in the states from the Abacos. In fact, they made port just 20 miles up the coast from St. Lucie yesterday at 0730. We decided to take our Autoprop parts that arrived this morning at 0930 and sail to what we hoped would be cleaner water at Fort Pierce. It was an easy, albeit hot, very hot, day. We made it to Fort Pierce at 1430 and were assigned a slip only one boat away from Keeling Time. As we tied up, Rick came to the slip to help tie up. We have not seen him since helping push off in Corpus Christi almost two years ago. Much has happened along their way including a lightening strike that fried all ships electronic and electric parts and a mystery hand that stopped them mid Gulf. They have managed to put thousands of sea miles under her keel and do not look any the worse for wear, not does Keeling Time.

Poozak is kind enough to forward our mail, assuming we are in a place long enough to receive it. As we were going through the mail pouch yesterday, it occurred to me that this event is duplicated every day somewhere in the military. I remember eagerly waiting for the mail bag to fall from the sky and then distributing said mail to the troops. Bear and I were going through the stuff that needed shredding, those unsolicited checks that if cashed, subjects the dummy that did it to unbelievable interest rates, and separating the good stuff. The shredding, by the way, is the ships bilge coolie with scissors hovering over the trash can. Given enough of that stuff, one can get blisters on the scissor fingers, but the bilge coolie consistently cuts small random confetti. That's a good thing. The stories of ships passing at sea exchanging mail bags could not be more vivid.

Day Waiting For Parts

Ok, so plans do change. Due to the fact that I have little confidence in the Autoprop in it's current condition, we decided to order the parts to repair it. Since the machinist mate aboard WK did a poor job of installing old standby, we are stuck until the knucklehead gets the parts to fix our only "screw". Whilst waiting for said parts, the cost of which we do not know (more on that later), we decided to see some of this place, Stuart. I mentioned last blog that this is a cross road, so to speak, for the boating world. Half of the boats we have seen here have the swamp water grin on the bow and half look as though they have not left the dock since birth. Why Knot is in the former condition.

The city of Stuart has a tram which is more like a long golf cart. Said tram is without charge and if there is room aboard when it passes, one can get on an ride at will. We took an hour ride on it today during the Thursday Tour. Not only did we see most of the old town, we had a narrator giving local knowledge. Stuart has done a fine job of preserving the water front and building of significance dating back to the end of the nineteenth century. Mostly driven by pineapple groves in the early years, this place pays great homage to Henry Flagler who brought the railroad here in 1895. For that matter, almost every east coast town we've seen so far has a Flagler street. As mentioned, pineapples and fishing were king here through the Great Depression and WWII. Much of that is gone and pleasure boating has taken over. Seminole Indians did much trading here due to the Parks General Merchandise store still standing today.

WK has a few dings to the toe rail but we do have the stuff to bring it back to cutesie state but, in this heat, little enthusiasm for actually applying the Honey Teak. I got the bow rail and three stanchions waxed yesterday then decided that it was too hot to be devoted to the task. We are really starting to have a profound respect for crews that arrive from months ways with the boat looking as though it never left the dock (Querencia as an example). We have said before that we are amazed at the amount of dust and actual dirt that lands on deck. Birds are not an issue here and really have not been since getting to the pan handle of Florida. It is rare to see a Pelican and even more rare to see a seagull. I intentionally did not capitalize seagull since we think of them as "air rats". Anyway, the point is that as small as this boat is, it gets dirty and mildew is the constant war. Even with air conditioning which we do not run underway or sometimes at all during the day, mildew can grow fast. If we do not look at a surface for a few weeks, we can count on it having mildew of some type when we do. Some is black, some is green and some is yellow. So far, we win.

The water in the Saint Lucie river is just nasty looking. It was not always that way. Before the canal crossing Florida was built, this place had clear ocean water, Florida style. Now it is very ugly. There are signs posted that folks should not swim in the river due to some hostile bacteria that causes the flesh eating ailment. One would bet that one person got it and now the sky is falling. I talked to a professional diver today that has been scrubbing bottoms (boats that is) for two decades who said "Look at me. Do I have any weird skin stuff growing?" So, the question to meditate, cogitate and ponder is whether or not to dive the boat tomorrow and fix that darn prop? While thinking about it, we might just have to have a re-do on the escargot at Sailors Return tonight.

Stuart- St. Lucie River

The so called Okeechobee waterway that crosses Florida is a routh from the Gulf to the Atlantic that avoids the Keys and about twenty five percent of lower Florida. It is a busy place certain times of the year. This is off season so it is not too busy now. The Atlantic terminus is the St. Lucie Inlet at Stuart, Florida. Yesterday, we motored up from Lake Worth, a distance of 29.5 nautical miles through some really beautiful areas. Some of the ditch was through several parks. The ditch intersects the outlet of the St. Lucie River and that intersection was lively. Forgetting the many boats heading out the inlet, the river flow was opposing the incomming tide. At times, in short order, we were fighting just to maintain course and speed. The trip up river was about five miles and opposing the tides, we could keep speed at abou t 3.5 knots near full throttle. We decided to take a slip, do laundry, get mail and do some prop research. The marina is Sunset Bay which has a huge mooring field in addition to slips. There are some really huge boats moored here and most have for sale signs on them. Hailing ports are from all over the US and the Caribbean.

Footnote to June 7,2110

Anchor down, Old Port Cove, Lake Worth, Florida

Sitting here at anchor in Lake Worth, the thunderstorms in the area have provided some relief from the heat with shade and cool breezes. It occurred to us today that we are no longer in the swimming pool clear waters of the Keys. In fact, we left the Keys when we left Key Biscayne a few days ago. Now, the water is dark tea colored, except at the Atlantic inlets. Methinks it is because of all the homes along this waterway. While we are glad to be here, the water of the Keys is remarkable and we shall not see again such clarity for several months. The swamps of Georgia and the Carolinas will put the "river grin" stains on the bow of WK just as did the water of the ICW in Texas and Louisiana. Since we had some health issues and a desire to move along (feeling the hot breath of hurricane season upon us), we took little time to dive and dink in those clear waters. We spent days looking at the shadows of WK and ourselves on the bottom of Hawk Channel, the Keys and those isolated places that we visited. We did not bar hop or do the normal stuff that cruisers have to do to keep Phydeaux happy, hence our dink has been wet only a few times underway. That will change and we will use it to explore, but the memories of the crews of Heart of Gold and the surprise vist of Safari has made memories of the Keys so good.

Had to edit this post after popping topside and noticing that most boats in this anchorage are flying the US Flag from their starboard spreader, meaning as a courtesy flag. For the non sailors in the audience, when visiting a foreign port, it is custom and in some cases law that the foreign vessel display from their starboard spreader the flag of the host country. Whipping out the binoculars, with cat like reflexes, and training same on the boats around us, there are very few US flag vessels in this anchorage. Two boats are from Germany, Hamburg to be exact; one boat from Sydney, a boat from Istanbul, two boats from countries that are unreadable at the distance. Then there is that boat from Texas, The Republic Of.

Palm Beach- Lake Worth

Where on puts one's thirty feet tender

That is a mast sticking out of the water.

That is a helicopter on the quarter deck.

Ocean Avenue Bridge, Delray, Florida.

We slipped our dock lines this morning at 0900 (and the shore power) bound for Lake Worth, which is on the ICW. The morning was hot, very hot without any breeze whatsoever. We had ten bridges between our start and our anchorage. We worked on timing today and hit all but two on time with no wait. Not sure it is was superior planning or just dumb luck. Methinks the latter is more accurate. We had the ICW to ourselves today until we got to Lake Worth inlet. The inlet is a combination of commercial dockage and hidey holes for folks waiting for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream and get to the Grand Bahamas. Sailing boats are everywhere around Lake Worth.

We started calling bridges but different bridges answered sometime. As it turned out there was another Y Knot underway south bound. We met them between two bridges and I am sure there might have been a moment or two of confusion on the tenders parts.

The trip today was uneventful except for that lop eared prop we have. It rattles a bit at slow speed but does not seem to vibrate much. We arrived at the anchorage at 1330 and actually thought about going on futher. The big question is whether or not to anchor out in this heat. Although we have the capability to run our a/c at anchor, it requires the generator. We decided to anchor out. After all, if the afternoon showere occur today, we will see cooler temps later today.

Our solar panels are doing a fine job of keeping up with the refrigerator and other dc requirements during the day at anchor. Thus we do not have to run the generator unless we have a melt down. Tomorrow we head north for more of the ICW.

66 years ago

This is the day that sixty six years ago a few folks took a little swim on behalf of freedom. The beach was just fifty miles long so it was crowded on the water side and on the beach side. There were no beach chairs or floaties as such but there were lots of boats; over 5,000 of them. The skies above the beach was filled with over 13,000 aircraft. Give or take, there were about 160,000 fellows in funny clothes caught in one hell of a rip current simply trying to get to those beaches. Some made it and some did not. A few folks stepped out of aircraft and had an incredible view of the actions. They all landed for sure, but many never moved from the spot of their impact. D-Day, Normandy, June 6, 1944 cost America and our allies 9,000 souls so that we could have today. Ask me us if we are planning to make the most of what they gave us?

Think we will put the dink in the water today. It has not been wet since Ft.Myers. Since we have no pets aboard, a daily dink ride is not required. We will not tow it offshore due to the possibility of swamping and it slows the boat by about a knot. However; in the ditch we can tow it fairly safely, except for those knuckleheads that must make the biggest possible wakes who might flip it.

I spent much of yesterday working on a pesky water leak. After replacing the accumulator tank, the new connection would not stop dripping. I tried combinations of teflon tape and yucky puck to no success. Finally, I launched the bicycle and found a hardware store where I got the fix. Bottom line: the drip cost me a 3 mile bicycle ride in the heat and boy was it hot yesterday.

I met a fellow yesterday on the dock that just got back from the Abacos. He loved it. That is our destination when it gets cold up north. The mobs head south when there is a chill in the air on the Cheaspeake. The guides say that if you open the hatch one morning and there is a chill in the air, you waited too long to start south. I think the crew of Rima discovered that a few years ago. Anyway, the fellow keeps a boat in Delray but lives in Connecticut. He mentioned many places that are "must see" places. Some like Mystic and Newport we have seen by land. Some like Cuttyhunk and Martha's Vinyard are accessible only by boat. That will be some time away. First we have to see several places along the way like St. Augustine and Savanah.

Enjoy every minute of today because a lot of fine folks paid dearly for us to have it.

Miracle Mile

We decided to "do the ditch" from Fort Lauderdale to Delray yesterday. The two mile stretch from the inlet at Port Everglades north along the ditch is called the Miracle Mile. Along the banks of the ICW are unbelievalble homes and yachts. One publication mentioned that million dollar homes are being raised so that more expensive homes can occupy the space. There were dozens of yachts over 150 feet and hundreds from 75 to 150 feet. Many were parked out back of those homes. The ICW winds around marinas and high rise condos and through waterfront homes that heally do not like to have small boats around.

As usual, the winds were very light and afternoon thunderstorms were the only relief from the heat along the way. We had to negotiate eleven bridges. All were on restriction meaning they do not open on demand but on a schedule. Some openend on the hour and half hour, some on the quarter hour and one every twenty minutes. Given their spacing and our boat speed, we found ourselves waiting for several opening times. We got the chance to practice what I call hovering. Imagine a busy weekend at a bridge where boats of all kinds are waiting for the opening. Most have two screws (propellers) so they can deal with wind, current and other boats, but sail boats have a different problem. So yesterday, rather than motoring around during the wait, we worked on hovering. Got fairly good at it and confidence grew. Certainly, we do not twitch at the approach to bridges any longer. That's a good thing.

We will move along on Monday.