Duck, Duck, Goose

Jane, Sandy, Rich, Rick, Mary, Joe

After we left Titusville we headed a short distance down the ICW to Cocoa where we met up with Mike Pitzer and Tom Baker.  Went over to Port Canaveral where Mike keeps his Nordic44 (Diva).  We had a wonderful dinner of Chicken Parmesean prepared on the boat by Mike we enjoyed beer and a couple of bottles of wine  what a fun evening we had with Mike and Tom.  On Monday Mike came and picked us up and we all went for a sail on Diva out into the Atlantic Ocean.  Wind was blowing very briskly and we were cruising on 4 foot swells about 4 seconds apart.  It was a lively lumpy ride.   We thank Mike for his hospitality and good eats.

Tom, Mike, Joe

Back at Cocoa where we were still anchored we had to wait 3 days to get good enough weather to get going again.  It was very cold in the 30's and 40's at night and 50's during the day winds were 20 to 25 out of the SW.  We knew we would not make much progress with the wind on our bow so we stayed put.  Finally on Thursday we take off and there were freeze warnings out that morning but the wind switched to the north.  It warmed up during our next leg to Vero Beach, about 65 degrees which was a welcome change.  Our plan was to spend the night at the Vero Beach Municipal Marina.  When we arrive there are no mooring balls available so we have to raft up with another boat,  Kallisto, her owner Chris and his girlfriend Jen came out and assisted us.  Now that was nerve racking rafting up to someones boat I tell you.  It is the way that Vero Beach does their marina which isn't all bad just frightening the first time you have to raft up.  This was a very cruiser friendly harbor and we stayed an extra day so we could check it out.  We like the area and there is a free bus to get you to the grocery store and back.  We will go back there some time and take in more of the area.  Sunday we headed to Stuart Florida our cruising buddy and friends on Spindrift had already arrived 2 weeks prior.  Sunset Bay Marina is where we are at now the weather has been in 80's since we arrived mostly sunshine and good weather.  What a relief to be able to wear shorts and a t-shirt.  Here it comes ladies and gentleman we are in the No Sock Zone at last.  WOOP WOOP!!!!.  Lots of cruisers here for the winter both sail and power boats.   We are out on a mooring ball so we dinghy in everyday to take showers and get errands and laundry done.  yesterday the Budweiser Clydesdales were in Stuart.  All those years we lived in Carlyle and we never saw them and we come to Florida and here they are.  We met for the first time Rich and Jane Huhn, relatives of Dave and Barb Huhn members at CSA, they live about 8 miles from here. Joe and I Rick, Sandy, Rich and Jane met here at the Marina and walked to downtown Stuart saw the Clydesdales briefly and decide we all needed drinks so we head over to the boathouse restaurant find some chairs by the water and proceed to have wonderful conversation and good drinks with new friends. We also discover a new rum called Black Coral made around here locally.  I love Mojitos.
Today we are in the cruisers lounge doing computer work and staying out of the heavy winds we are experiencing today.  It is 80 degrees here and partly sunny.  We are about 100 miles north of Miami.  We are heading to the keys next week to get some much awaited snorkeling and diving in I can't wait.

Oh you are probably wondering about my title of this blog.  On several occasions we have witnessed ducks swimming near the boat and then we will see a dolphin come up under the duck and goose him the duck goes crazy and flies off and the dolphin I am sure is getting his jollies from goosing the duck.  Just a funny thing  we have seen.  TTFN

Heavy Seas

For the past two days we have been in Titusville Florida.  Picked up a mooring ball on Wednesday night then came into the marina for some much needed showers, and light provisioning.  The Titusville Municipal Marina is on mile marker #878 of the ICW.  They have very well run facility here and it is very clean the staff is friendly.  Sun is abundant and it is in the high 60's  no clouds anywhere in sight.  Outside across the dock a pair of Osprey are sitting on another boats spreaders making their bird noises at each other.  Pelicans are sitting on the posts waiting to dive into the green water for their next fish victim.  A very pleasant place to be on a Friday afternoon in February.  Joe has his head in the engine compartment working on the ever elusive water heater hoses trying to get it working with the engine.  He has a mess spread all over the boat "again".  LOL. Tools and parts are everywhere I am afraid to move to far. 
We have been to Fernandina Beach, St. Augustine and Daytona.  Didn't do the tourist stuff but we did get some shore time at St. Augustine and Daytona.  When you get off the boat you have your first priorities.  Showers, laundry, provision, take on water, fuel, diesel, pump out and wash down the boat. If there is time after that we go do things.  Most days we wake up get the boat ready and take off down the ICW chasing the sunshine.
As you can see from the photos included we brought our cat (Kooper) along.  I caught him looking out the port light.  He wants to go explore but we do not let him off the boat.  He does go out on deck and walks around the boat though and he hides under the nav. station cover.  We have been in some rough seas and he has gotten seasick twice.  I was cleaning up after him for a couple days.
One of those days was when we left Jekyll Island we had to go out through St Anthony's Sound, St. Anthony is the Saint of lost things, during high tide during heavy seas through a very narrow passage. The passage is clearly marked, only about 50 yards wide and 13 to 15 feet deep but if you veer one way port or starboard you would run aground and end up on the rocks.  I took the helm to head out of harbor and when we got to the sound, which is looking at the Atlantic.  The waves were coming at us at 3 to 5 seconds intervals at an average of 5 to 6 feet some of them were 8 feet hitting us from the port bow and trying to push us out of the channel.  Did I tell you that the winds were blowing at least 20 to 25 knots did not make the situation any better.  I only got nervous when at the narrowest part of the channel the depth got to 13 feet and we draw 6.5 if the wave troughs were any deeper we would have hit bottom.  With Joe by me coaching me what to do we made it through the channel turned at our mark turned and the depth of water went to over 30 feet.  Joe took the wheel after that one.  It was something I needed to accomplish is driving the boat in heavy seas. 
Tomorrow we are heading to Port Canaveral to meet up with Mike Pitzer and Tom Baker from CSA.  It will be nice to see some familiar faces.TTFN

KOOPER

DRACO "OUR HOME"

Fort Matanzas

Hidden Treasure on Jekyll Island

HIDDEN TREASURE

Saturday night we made it to our last stop in Georgia, Jekyll Island.  We specifically stopped here to visit the Georgis Sea Turtle Rescue Center.  Moored out in a beautiful spot within sight of Jekyll Harbor Marina where we pulled into yesterday and we are spending a couple nights here.  Yesterday after we docked up we borrowed the lime green Schwinn bikes provided by the marina and took off down the bike trails towards the turtle hospital.  The bike paths here are awesome nice and wide and made of concrete and seashells.  Everywhere you look there are palm trees old live oaks dripping  with spanish moss.  Nothing is far from the wide expanse of salt marshes here they are always in view.  Sun was shining and we had good 60 degrees temperature.  As we rode along the pristine paths we came to the historic district of Jekyll Island we rode past one of the oldest hotels in Georgia and see beautifully groomed lawns, a group of people playing croquet in back of the hotel and people just laying in the grass soaking up the sunshine.  What a sight that was. We make it to the Turtle sanctuary and go inside pay our fee and proceed to learn all about turtle and how endangered they are and how what we do a a human race that affects their future on this planet.  We peer into a procedure room window and see one of the turtle veterinarians placing a feeding tube down the mouth of one of the turtle patients.  It only take about a minute and the turtle is fed.  Next we step outside and down the walk to the turtle tank area where they keep the sick and injured turtles that are brought into the hospital.  It is small but very impressive (see pictures).  If you ever get this way it is worth a stop.
We left the Turtle center and go back out into the sunshine back to our lime green bikes.  We ride for a little bit find an ice creamshop and we stop and enjoy our ice cream cones under the moss covered oaks.  Back on the bikes again we hit the bike trails winding and twisting through the island.  We are on this dirt path and I spot something on a tree stump.  We stop Joe jumps the ditch and it is a hand blown glass globe from a local artist with a tag attached saying We found a Jekyll Island Treasure and it is yours to keep just call the visitors center and let them know you found it.  So we found real treasure here.  Not buried treasure but it is pretty nice(see picture).  Gotta go Joe needs computer to work.  TTFN

And we're off!!!

We are getting back onto the ICW today aka " the ditch" getting a late start due to tides and errands to finish off.  Boat is ready to go and we are ready to move on.  This is a great place to put in for an extended amount of time.  We will come back here if we are passing through this area again.

Tim & Morgan and puppy came up on Sunday and we went sailing out on Port Royal Sound.  Winds were good it was in the high 50's we had a great sail and time with our family.  But you can never go out and something not happening.  When we were dropping our tired old mainsail and it ripped, not a little tear but a 4 foot tear across the sail,  and that's how things seem to go when you are getting ready to head out to a new place.  We were leaving yesterday but the winds and weather were not cooperating. I dug out my sewing machine yesterday, had sail repair material with us, and sewed it up.  Winds were too high yesterday to put it back on.  We will put it up when we we are under way and when the winds are calmer, right now it is in the lazarette.
Tim took our truck back to Savannah with him and he will take care of it until we get back.  If we come back !!!!! 
Not on a time schedule any more so we go and do what we want.  Don't get me wrong here living on a boat is hard work and constant vigilance to anything that breaks, tears or falls off.  It is not all blue water, cocktails and parties.  But freedom is one of the biggest perks.
Will write again when we get across the border.  ttfn

sunset over Lady's Island

No Sock Zone--- Not Yet

Hello everyone
We are still in Lady's Island South Carolina.  We are leaving Monday or Tuesday to head south to the "No Sock Zone".  In a few days we will be in warmer weather enjoying the sun on our toes.  The weather here has been from 50 to 70 during the day and in 40's at night.  Not too bad for January but we are shooting for abundant sunshine and balmy nights when you can sit out on deck and have cocktails until the stars come out.  Soon my friends soon.
In the last two weeks we have built and finished our new cockpit table.  Joe has installed our hot water heater,  That project was long and painful to get done as Joe had to do yoga moves and squeeze into the starboard lazarette to get it installed. I bet he climbed in and out of there thirty or more times.  I honestly have never seen him bend that many ways.   But the end result was that we now have hot water on the boat.  It will make daily tasks  much easier.  Joe also installed a new fuel fill hose,  more yoga moves. Had to ask the assistant harbor master, Tolan, to help we needed his strength We then decided to build doors for our companionway with acrylic windows and screens.  This will let more light in and more air through.   Our boat has 3 hatch boards and we are tired of pulling them out and putting the in every time we get in and out.  Those are turning out nicely. We will have them completed enough before we shove off we can finish and install them later on.  It sure is nice to have a wood shop here!  Another project that got done this week was epoxy and paint under the salon settees.  Last spring we had to cut out the water tanks, they are stainless steel, and had them welded.  They were reinstalled and now the paint is on and it looks wonderful.   I did some significant sewing on our jib, dodger and nav. station cover.  Made curtains for the boat so it has been busy busy. Just have to finish up what is started now so we be on our way.
I have finished up my physical therapy for now on my arm.  I have some more motion back but not all.  A few more weeks and I am sure it will get better.
There is a bar here called the Fillin Station that is within 2 blocks of the marina.  Thursday is fried pork chop night, you get 2 huge pork chops, potatoes, corn and beans for 5 bucks.  Friday is Ribeye steak night and you get a gigantic steak, baked potato and a vegetable for 10 bucks.  Yes we have hit this spot several times during our stay.  another place we liked was a burger joint called Fat Patty's  yummy burgers there.   Fresh shrimp and seafood we buy from local fishermen and the local farmers market are awesome. Mostly I cook on the boat but it is nice to eat out too.  No dishes to do.

We will miss all of the fun at the commodores banquet tonight.  Hope everyone has a great time.
Next time you read the blog it should be from the "NO SOCK ZONE". 
TTFN

Sailing on January 3rd with Jim & Ashley