Monday April 6, 2015
New Smyrna Beach , FL
City Marina
Clean Clothes
Today we left Cocoa and clipped off another 52 miles. We stopped at Titusville and got diesel and water which we were running low on. We had a few drops of rain and overcast skies but pleasant temps. The only negative was the no seeums. Those little varmits eat me up. We ended the day at New Smyrna Beach City Marina because we desperately needed clean clothes, now that we are back in the states and wearing them again. This marina got good reviews on laundry facilities. I did the laundry and we went out to dinner at a nearby restaurant. As we were leaving the restaurant a large man behind me said, "I pooped, I can poop!" I turned around and looked at him and he was laughing. Then he explained to us and some one he was with that he had just walked by a little boy who was proudly announcing his accomplishment. He apparently was being potty trained. It was pretty weird having a 6'2" man 2 ft behind you say " I Pooped, I can Poop."
Lee dropped my folding steps between the dock and the boat. Making another donation to the water gods. We bought them so I could get in and out of the boat when the dock was not a floating dock. Instead we had to use the hanging ladder we have so people can board on the side of the boat from their dinghies.
Voyages of Sea Turtle
Monday, April 6, 2015
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Still Plugging Along
Sunday April 5, 2015
Cocoa, FL
Still Plugging Along
We left Vero Beach at 7:45 and started North again. We got winds of 20 kts around noon and were able to put out a sail. Several sail boats had sails out. The waterway here is quite wide so you can sail if you have the wind. We stopped at Cocoa and anchored around 4:30 expecting a front to move through and bring 25-30 kts of wind tonight. We plan to try to get 50 miles knocked off per day while in the waterway and still hope later in the week to get off shore.
We talked to both our sons for the first time since Christmas. Seems the younger one wrecked his mountain bicycle and tore up his shoulder in Jan. It required surgery to repair. He is still in rehab. He would not elaborate much more than that. He did the other shoulder in a mt bike accident 10 or 12 yrs ago. Wish he would take up chess or something less dangerous.I am irritated he didn't tell me when it happened but I guess I could do nothing but worry about him. He says the healing seems to be going well so I will hope he is as good as new before long. Having watched my friend Terri go through shoulder surgery and rehab I know what an ordeal it can be.
We calculate if nothing goes amiss we will be home a day or two before closing even if we never make it off shore, but we hope we do. Tomorrows goal is New Smyrna, with a stop for diesel and water along the way.
Cocoa, FL
Still Plugging Along
We left Vero Beach at 7:45 and started North again. We got winds of 20 kts around noon and were able to put out a sail. Several sail boats had sails out. The waterway here is quite wide so you can sail if you have the wind. We stopped at Cocoa and anchored around 4:30 expecting a front to move through and bring 25-30 kts of wind tonight. We plan to try to get 50 miles knocked off per day while in the waterway and still hope later in the week to get off shore.
We talked to both our sons for the first time since Christmas. Seems the younger one wrecked his mountain bicycle and tore up his shoulder in Jan. It required surgery to repair. He is still in rehab. He would not elaborate much more than that. He did the other shoulder in a mt bike accident 10 or 12 yrs ago. Wish he would take up chess or something less dangerous.I am irritated he didn't tell me when it happened but I guess I could do nothing but worry about him. He says the healing seems to be going well so I will hope he is as good as new before long. Having watched my friend Terri go through shoulder surgery and rehab I know what an ordeal it can be.
We calculate if nothing goes amiss we will be home a day or two before closing even if we never make it off shore, but we hope we do. Tomorrows goal is New Smyrna, with a stop for diesel and water along the way.
Chugging Along
Saturday April 4, 2015
Vero Beach, Fl
Chugging Along
We left Hobe Sound at 8:30 and started up the waterway. We soon left the traffic behind. We spent a lot of the day going on one long straight line. Depending on the current motoring at 4 to 6 knts. We passed Ft Pierce around 5 and stopped and dropped the anchor in Vero in mangroves near Hole in the Wall at 6:10. Being FL the mosquitoes and no see 'ums were here to greet us. Do they make screens fine enough to keep no see 'ums out?
We had a bridge or two but no long waits so all went well. We have friends at a marina here in Vero in a trawler but by the time we settled in, I made dinner, we ate and I washed dishes, we listened to the news on my phone it was too late to call. If I can remember maybe I can call in the morning.
Rain is predicted the next couple of days. Hard to see markers in the rain. Looks like off shore weather will be wild til at least Tues so guess we are stuck in the ICW for now.
I am over whatever it was. Went back to bed at 9:30 this morning and slept til noon after sleeping all night. I was still running a fever when I got up this morning but by noon with some aspirin and more rest I seemed ok. Guess some 24 hr bug. My stomach was torn up yesterday and still this morning. Hope Lee does not get it.
Live like every day is your last.
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Friday, April 3, 2015
Bridge Day
Friday April 3, 2015
Hobe Sound, FL
Bridge Day ( 7 to be exact)
We got up intending to listen to the weather guru and catch the Flagler Bridge 8:45 opening. Lee hunted and hunted by the time he finally found him he was almost finished. We were in sight of the bridge so we started the motor, pulled up anchor, with 10 min to make the bridge. When I called to tell the bridge tinder I wanted his next opening he said 9:15. I asked what happened to 8:45 and he said it had been once an hour and that was 15 after for over a year. So we sat and waited 40 min. Great way to start. We arrived early for the next bridge and we saw on the chart a little park on Munyon Island with a dock and it said trash. We pulled out of the channel and dropped anchor. We had too much draft to take the sailboat in but we put our 4 bags of garbage in the dinghy and Lee went over to the dock. You may not think about it but doing something with your garbage is a constant issue on a boat. Lee went with no shoes and only a tee shirt and his cotton knit boxers on to put the trash in a barrel. Yes there were other people around.
Lee came back to the boat and checked the water intake filter. It had not been checked in a while and sea weed etc can clog it and over heat your motor. He started the motor, I brought up the anchor and we started off. In a few minutes the over heating alarm went off. Lee had closed the thru hull when he checked the filter and not opened it back up when he replaced the filter. If you know Lee very well you know he does not always close what he opens or open what he closes, turn off what he turns on, or replace what he gets out. Stopping to deal with that caused us to miss the bridge opening that we had been so early for that we had time for the garbage and filter check to start with. After that things went better.
We managed the rest of the bridges with no more than a 10 min wait and pulled into an anchorage area in Hobe Sound for the night. We were both feeling a little crappy. Maybe a delayed response from the overnighter, who knows. His back was worse than yesterday or day before and I was running a little fever.
Tomorrow we had hoped to go off shore a while in the afternoon but no wind. This being Good Fri weekend there is a lot of traffic on the waterway and some of them are crazy if not tanked. Lots of partying going on. We should make Ft Pierce or maybe Vero Beach tomorrow.
Sent from my iPad
Hobe Sound, FL
Bridge Day ( 7 to be exact)
We got up intending to listen to the weather guru and catch the Flagler Bridge 8:45 opening. Lee hunted and hunted by the time he finally found him he was almost finished. We were in sight of the bridge so we started the motor, pulled up anchor, with 10 min to make the bridge. When I called to tell the bridge tinder I wanted his next opening he said 9:15. I asked what happened to 8:45 and he said it had been once an hour and that was 15 after for over a year. So we sat and waited 40 min. Great way to start. We arrived early for the next bridge and we saw on the chart a little park on Munyon Island with a dock and it said trash. We pulled out of the channel and dropped anchor. We had too much draft to take the sailboat in but we put our 4 bags of garbage in the dinghy and Lee went over to the dock. You may not think about it but doing something with your garbage is a constant issue on a boat. Lee went with no shoes and only a tee shirt and his cotton knit boxers on to put the trash in a barrel. Yes there were other people around.
Lee came back to the boat and checked the water intake filter. It had not been checked in a while and sea weed etc can clog it and over heat your motor. He started the motor, I brought up the anchor and we started off. In a few minutes the over heating alarm went off. Lee had closed the thru hull when he checked the filter and not opened it back up when he replaced the filter. If you know Lee very well you know he does not always close what he opens or open what he closes, turn off what he turns on, or replace what he gets out. Stopping to deal with that caused us to miss the bridge opening that we had been so early for that we had time for the garbage and filter check to start with. After that things went better.
We managed the rest of the bridges with no more than a 10 min wait and pulled into an anchorage area in Hobe Sound for the night. We were both feeling a little crappy. Maybe a delayed response from the overnighter, who knows. His back was worse than yesterday or day before and I was running a little fever.
Tomorrow we had hoped to go off shore a while in the afternoon but no wind. This being Good Fri weekend there is a lot of traffic on the waterway and some of them are crazy if not tanked. Lots of partying going on. We should make Ft Pierce or maybe Vero Beach tomorrow.
Sent from my iPad
What a Difference a Month Makes
Thurs April 2, 2015
West Palm Beach, FL
What a Difference a Month Makes
Today began in the ocean in international waters. We were both up and in the cockpit. We were about to go into the Gulf Stream. The moon was nearly full so we could always see a horizon.
I was having mixed feelings, happy to be where my phone was workable and did not cost extra to use and where there is always milk & bread at the grocery store and there is a roomy frig to put food into after you buy it, and sad to leave the lovely people and beautiful waters of the Bahamas. We will likely be back.
It was more expensive than I expected. Everyday things cost 2 to 3 times what we normally pay.
We had an easy crossing but did have to motor the whole way. As we came down the ICW to the place we anchored before we saw a lot activity, in the water and on shore. We also saw boats anchored opposite the anchorage off the waterway. Apparently they were just disassembling the making of a boat show. We were not sure if we could use the same dinghy docks or not. We called the city hot line and they said of course.
We anchored with some crowding and dinghied to shore. Lee got his glasses fixed, the store my phone was repaired in left, so Lee did not get his new charging cord for his i pad. But we did go to the grocery store. We returned to the boat intending to nap and go back in the evening for dinner with Handleys. The nap never happened. We did get our reentry stuff taken care of and did go back and to town for fish.
We came back to the boat to plan tomorrows travel. Plan A & B depending on what Chris Parker says. We then turned in since we were both sleep deprived. Tomorrow is onward and upward.
Live like every day is your last.
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Thursday, April 2, 2015
Good Bye Bahamas
Wed April 1, 2015
Chub Cay
Exumas. Bahamas
Good Bye Bahamas
We left Chub bidding good bye to the clear water and lovely people. We had a village of starfish under & around our boat. The water was as smooth as glass and was that way all day. We motored across the Bahama Banks under sunny skies and could see every detail on the bottom in 30 ft of water.
At dusk we continued to have comfortable conditions and kept right on motoring thru midnight. Which is where todays log ends.
Live like every day is your last.
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No Fools Day for Us
Wed. April 1, 2015
Chub Cay
Exumas , Bahamas
No Fools Day for Us
We started the day at 7:30am. The water looked like glass. There was supposed to be no wind and there wasn't. I said goodbye to the Exumas and the clear water and starfish.
We had a perfect day motoring on flat seas with water so clear you could see every detail of the bottom at 30 ft. This easy travel continued after dark. It is after midnight and we have left the Bahama Bank and are entering the Gulf Stream. We should reach West Palm Beach FL by around noon on Thurs. So far the return crossing has been much easier than coming to the Bahamas.
That is it until we are back in the USA.
I
Live like every day is your last.
Live like every day is your last.
Share the love.
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