Part two, stopping for the night at Jekyll Island

Hello 

Monday 4/13/15

We are getting rained on right now, no great gust of wind or lightening thank goodness However... If we had gone outside right now there is a considerable storm going on just 3 miles off shore with 30 kt winds and waves to go with it. My spider weather sense paid off. Tomorrow we will go outside, in calmer weather and hopefully a good breeze and make the last leg of our journey to Lady's Island SC.

It always amazes me the art work that is under bridges.

view from our slip in St Augustine

we stopped for the weekend in Jacksonville Beach at the Beach
Marina.  They had a wood stork there feeding at low tide in the
mud flats. WOW 

Red skies at dawn sailors be warned 

the storm is coming. you could feel the dampness
in the air before the rain started to fall 

Tides, Weather and Time, ICW Ft. Pierce to Jekyll Island

Hello again

We relaxed, went to a farmers market, ate out, visited the Manatee center, and walked around the Oyster Festival at Fort Pierce. We waited the until Monday after Easter to start out again. Weather in the Atlantic was not conducive to smooth sailing, in fact as usual the wind was in the wrong direction, waves fast and rambunctious, and we like the ICW (well kind of... I think it is a love hate relationship.)

Monday releasing lines in a slight drizzle, scooted out of our slip with no drama with a wonderful addition of beautiful rainbows. We had some skinny water ( a polite way of saying where in the hell did the water go... it says 10' on the chart... damn... there I found it again... )  I am talking about depth, we draw 5'6" and anything close to 6' sets my teeth on edge. If you have never grounded in a boat it is hard to explain that halting shutter that runs through the hull then the maneuvering to find a way off what ever your stuck on. We have been very lucky that we have only bumped on to soft sand or mud and never rock.. 

Our trip went from Fort Pierce to anchoring out for the night off Georgiana Florida, which is south of Coco Florida.  I didn't know Florida has a wild peacock problem, we heard their unique cry late into the evening. Our anchor held and the next morning we made New Smyrna Beach marina and had a slip for the night. There were two Mangrove islands close by filled with pelicans, egrets, and herons. we also were entertained by the dolphin feeding in the same area. 

From New Smyrna we stopped in St. Augustine, Tom slid into the dock a neat Captain Ron maneuver, a long walk into town for pizza and a few grocery's.  I love direction you get from Marinas. The store we wanted was only "three Blocks" into town. Six blocks later and we were still more than 3 blocks from the store. The pizza was good and it was a nice walk through old St Augustine.
I think I will make this into a couple of post... I still have more photos to show off

Dolphin feeding off St Augustine inlet

I love to watch the Green Herons balance on the lines strung from boat
to boat

a perfect rainbow

Pirate ship in the making... Every one needs to build one

Sun rise, misty haze 

vulture  --- surprised to see one out in the water 

Osprey nest on the top of a house 

random chair on a sand bar island ... nothing else around

pelican island

Back to the USA

Thursday April 1

We are back, admittedly a lot earlier than originally planned, one scuba dive, no fishes caught, however we are glad to be back. Taxes will soon be signed and sent, new anchor installed and a lot of other little annoyances taken care of. 

We left Hope Town on Monday. Fifty six degrees, gray cloudy skies nevertheless there was a very good weather window forecast. First stop, Treasure Cay which was not all that far away, four hours and we were snugged into a slip, talking with Tom and Joy. We enjoyed lunch on a fabulous beach, walking around, long chat, bingo and a good nights sleep.

We had lines cast off and were on our way my 8 AM this day simply beautiful, mottle blue sky, fabulous sunrise, the promise of a good day. First stop Great Sale Cay to anchor (yep we were giving our fickle anchor another try) and planned to leave the afternoon, next day. First leg was 60 nm, second leg 128 nm long hauls for us. To arrive at the Fort Pierce inlet in daylight we needed to leave late in the afternoon, making a majority of our crossing in the dark. 

Unlike our adventures in the Bahamas our crossing was uneventful, weather was as predicted, a little on the cool side, moon bright, few light in the dead of night.  

So new adventures begin. First to Lady's Island in Beaufort SC. There we will rent a car, drive to Boca Chica, get our car, talk to some marinas about a 6 month lease, drive back, close up the boat, fly to Muskegon,  Yeah MEGHAN AND ERIC ARE GETTING MARRIED.  Get some Dr appointments out of the way, fly back around the middle of June and WE THINK head for the Chesapeake Bay area.....

who really knows

we live in a boat.

John and Joe tossed likes as we left Hope Town...
we will return 

perfect traveling day the next day as we head to the Whale Cut

sunset off Great Sale Cay

almost full moon 

sunrise -- time to just wait and nap, wait and nap

Full moon 3 am Gulf Stream Atlantic Ocean

trying to take a photo of the moon light dancing
on the waters in a moving boat  The effect and the
scene were fairy like 

with tall buildings, wi-fi, fishing boats, customs, inexpensive laundry

entrance to Fort Pierce

this was odd, we were at the marina restaurant, the Tiki Bar in
2012 and Tom was wearing the same shirt. 

there was a small crowd gather around this diver going to do
some maintenance on the new docks under water... and he just stopped
would no go any further

a Manatee was swimming through the docks 

welcome home