Hello Georgia! Mile Marker 677

St. Augustine was a comfortable two night stop. We ate at a local favorite, The Floridian, a great little farm to table place near the college. Rivers Edge Marina was adequate and a ten-minute walk to downtown or groceries. From there we moved to Palm Coast Marina. We selected it as part of tide/bridge planning, and while it fit the bill for location, the marina and its eight foot approach were highly overstated. The channel was frighteningly narrow and but we managed to fuel up and get tied to the face dock. When low tide set in, we were in trouble. We sucked mud into our heat pump system and had to shut her down. In the morning, we left at first light which was high tide and we crept out of the channel. Despite their hospitality to include us in their annual slip holder picnic, we cannot recommend the marina to any cruising friends, it’s just too shallow to be safe.

Our run in Florida ended in Fernandina Beach on Sunday May 19. It was a four hour run and we timed our arrival carefully so there was a slack tide for docking. Rick hired a guide to take him fishing Monday morning and I picked up a rental car for two days of exploration. Monday dawned grey and breezy, a front complete with fog dominated the next twenty four hours. We could tolerate it because: Miracle of miracles, our intake valve cleared itself and we had air conditioning without a repair bill!

We went out to Amelia Island to see how the other half lives, checked out real estate, sifted for shark teeth on the beaches, toured historic Fort Cinch and found the lighthouse. While antiquing at the edge of town I discovered a new quilt shop near the bakery. In all, we had a good two days on land. But wait, it was too good to be true, right? Our shower and AC sump pump failed the morning of our departure. Not to worry, there are mechanics in every port, or so we thought.

On Wednesday May 22 we motored a whole five miles to St. Mary’s, Georgia. Insurance was now one less thing to worry about. We always wanted to see the town and this was the only place to catch the National Park Service ferry to Cumberland Island. So, two nights at Lang’s Marina it was- but never again. To other cruisers, this place is almost unsafe. They have limited power and an aging infrastructure. Current made docking a challenge and our propeller screamed all night. To add insult to injury, we hired a mechanic who never showed up to replace our pump. Town is pretty but small. Oh, well, we don’t need to return there.

A check of the weather and winds convinced us we could not anchor this week off of Cumberland so the day trip on the ferry was a taste of the island we couldn’t pass up. The island is carry-in-carry-out, so we schlepped backpacks, camera and bathing suits in to see the ruins, wild horses and the most gorgeous beach on the Atlantic.  We were exhausted by 92 degree heat and bright sun but so happy we made the trip. We can’t wait to return in the fall to spend a few days at anchor.

The lure of wooded Cumberland Island is that Thomas and Lucy Carnegie (of the Carnegie Brothers, Ltd.) built a mansion here to raise their nine children as an oasis from the Pittsburg winters. They eventually lived and farmed the 7,000 acres full time. Thomas died a year after they built the home but Lucy remained until her death. She engaged in the high society social scene, her contemporaries all had summer “cottages” at Jekyll Island, a half day’s sail up the St. Mary’s River and across Jekyll Sound. Upon her death, she willed her horses be allowed to roam free and they still do today. There is rich history here from the days Indians lived on the island as well as the history of slavery and servants, lumber farming, and then the fall of the untaxed millionaires. Lucy’s children eventually had to give the island up, save a few rights they hold today. PS This is where John Kennedy married his beautiful bride in a tiny chapel adorned with Spanish moss and candle light.

We left the town of St. Mary’s and made our own passage up to Jekyll but did not stop, electing to move at high tide through skinny (5-10’) waters and  make way across two rough sounds before pulling into Morning Star Marina in St. Simons. By now the winds (15-25 knots) caught up to us and we could tell the predicted front from the west was moving though. Hence, we chose to take a lazy two night stay here until winds shift to the east/southeast and drop to a modest 10-15.

THIS is a marina. Courteous staff, clean conditions, a newspaper and muffins delivered in the morning. We’ve had a great dinner at the Coastal Kitchen (on site), caught up on chores, chatted with lots of nice people today, everyone letting the wind blow out. They had a wonderful mechanic from the Catalina dealer on site to replace our pump and sell us a spare within an hour of docking. How lucky were we?

In the morning we cast off for Sunbury Crab Company and Marina. The adventure continues on to Hilton Head, SC. We are no longer able to get into Harbour Town as the entrance and harbor have silted to four feet at low tide. Instead, we’ll try Hilton Head Harbor Mariana for two nights. Then, on to Port Royal Landing near Beaufort, SC., for a night with friends. By then it will be Wednesday and we are due in Charleston. Yeah . . . These days are a little longer than we would like but the Chesapeake is calling, and high boating season is here in the south making reservations a little hard to get in some marinas. A week of cooler, drier air is before us so we will take an opportunity when we can get it.

We'll share some photos on a second post.

Best Laid Plans: Daytona Beach, MM 831

About once a year we get complacent and trust last night's weather when we leave our slip in the morning- and that always fails us! True to form, we left Titusville early Monday, confident we were starting a good five to seven day run, and just an hour out of the marina a 20 knot wind blew up, gusting to 30 all day on the Indian River to the Halifax River. Usually, we can sail this stretch but not this time. It was a chore just to stay in the channel and get to protection. It appears the cold front had not passed and it blew itself out over the next 36 hours. Hence we made an on the spot decision we could not dock in New Smyrna in those winds with current moving in from Ponce Inlet. So, we kept moving on up to Daytona Beach. Halifax Harbor is very safe but there is little to do if you don't make your way over to the beach, which we decided not to do. Instead, we washed the ton of salt off of Promise and ourselves, and we took in a foreign film at a theater within walking distance.

End of visit to Daytona. Tomorrow, fair winds but lots of bridges, St. Augustine the destination.

Lesson relearned, check the weather before you leave the harbor.

Happy Mothers Day from Titusville, FL MM 877

What a great week we've had- almost too good to be true. Our first day out from Miami was flawless. An empty inlet leaving Government Cut, a 5 foot roll on the ocean with no waves, and a ten hour run to Lake Worth Inlet north of Palm Beach. We anchored in North Lake Worth in 60 degree temps at night . We were rested and eager to repeat the ocean run. Unfortunately, the captain announced the north swell on the Atlantic was holding and we should stay on the inside for a day or two.

So, the ICW it is. We are in the routine of bridge signals and bridge boards again and three days later we can say we are tired of the stress of our 64 foot mast that is "clinking" on half of the bridges. On the stretch we've completed so far, the water is influenced by wind and rain, not tides that we can make accommodations for. Instead, we have emptied the starboard tanks, moved everything we can from aft cabins to the middle of the boat, loading the port side and sitting on the port side as we ghost under the bridges. Yes, Promise has a lean to her, but she is less stern heavy and her mast is in tact. We should see the ICW influenced by the tides in about 40 miles at Ponce Inlet so the boat can level off again.

We spent single nights in Fort Pierce and Melbourne to get out of afternoon storms. Stronger rain potential has kept us in a slip in Titusville for two days, and we confess the rest from the sun and heat have been good (though it has rained little.) The harbor has its own pod of manatees who greeted us when we docked and they revisited us when they found our air conditioner discharge! Two days here is enough, we are bored and ready to move on.

Our next adventure tomorrow is an "old Florida" town of New Smyrna Beach. We plan to explore a  little. Red sky at night, sailors delight- five or more great days ahead. We hope there is more wind, too, as we could stand a little more sailing and it would be cooler, less exhausting in the cockpit. Florida is getting very hot!

Field trip: to the Biltmore Hotel
for High Tea and a tour, April 14, 2013

Hello Family, Good Bye Coconut Grove!

We never recognized how busy we were in Coconut Grove until we returned our rental car a week ago. Suddenly, there was time for walks in pretty parts of the city, time to read more, and time to anticipate our return trip home. One could say we officially became Grovites this winter and we have embraced all the greater Miami area has to offer. Just like our former life, we have behaved like foodies, sought out art and culture, and said yes to every opportunity presented.

It has been a very windy winter and we have only been able to sail Biscayne Bay in the last month. We made a mid-week trip to Boca Chita Key and enjoyed the serenity of the Key, evening bugs and all. But this leg of our adventure has come to an end. In the morning, (May 8) we leave our slip, taking our dock lines with us, saying good-bye to Miami and setting out through Miami Harbor Entrance via Fisherman's Channel to the Atlantic. Winds will switch from NW to SW, knocking down the northeast swell we've been watching for a week. That swell would have given us a really bumpy ride. By waiting, we will have light winds, 2-3 foot waves, and gorgeous dry weather for a week. Our first stop looks like Lake Worth in Palm Beach but we have no firm agenda except to clear the Florida-Georgia border by June 1.

The Chesapeake is calling and we miss our families, especially grandchildren, so it will be great to get back to Maryland. Our friends up north are launching for the season, our cruising friends are heading home, and Florida is heating up. It is time to say good bye to Florida and enjoy the journey home. Stay tuned, we have new adventures to share in the months ahead.

A Day Sail on Biscayne Bay

We've been working on that Miami Bucket List but a brief two day window opened for sailing. It was very reassuring to get out on the Bay if even for just one day. We thought we would enjoy a run straight out to Stiltsville to shoot the houses, and then maybe get over to shoot President Nixon's house on the other side of Key Biscayne. The latter didn't happen. As it was a beautiful day, every other boater went out on this Tuesday and anchored in front of the glass Nixon home, obstructing our view. We found Steven Tyler's house around the corner, well out on the point, the best privacy we've seen, with an amazing view of the Miami skyline at night!

Sailing was wonderful, reassuring at 10-15 knots all day. You'll see we picked up a hitchhiker about three miles out. Thirty minutes later he tired of me, not Rick, and exited close to Florida Light about a mile away in Bill Baggs State Park.

Our shots of Stiltsville were somewhat hazy. We could see a large smoke plume in the everglades all day, and added to the haze of the day on the water, clarity was hard to achieve. The brush fire lasted for days. 

To my reading friends, I recommend the 2010 novel by Susanna Daniel, Stiltsville. As a native of Miami, Susanna grew up in Coconut Grove and her family owned one of the original houses in Biscayne Bay. This novel makes a great beach read and you get the flavor and history of our stomping grounds. It is authentic and enjoyable in so many ways.

We have not sailed since, and it looks doubtful we will. Many of our local friends have taken off to Bimini or have headed north, insurance dictating that they make certain locations by specified dates. Summer heat has set in with the threat of strong storms and high winds (22-25 knots) keeping us tied in our slip. Waves at a moderate chop are 2-4, some to 6 or 8, with winds out of the east, not in our favor. Our travels include a flight back to DC to meet our new grandson at the end of the month. When we return in May we'll start back with a new itinerary and more blue water sailing. In the meantime, we'll get more blogs out of our "field trips" to sights in Florida! 

Rumor has it: Steven Tyler's House

Happy Easter from Miami

One of our favorite places to lunch-and-shop is Merritt Park Mall in Coral Gables. As rarely as we shop, this one is close and Villagio is just about Rick's favorite restaurant in all of Miami. As you can see, the seasonal decorating took on a new twist: giant rabbits constructed from recycled plastic. Six artist from South America have created the bunnies, alligators (which adorned the Cuban Freedom Tower last month,) snails we find around town, and a colorful collection of frogs. You can start your own "lawn installation" for $125 and add to the sublime if you have deep pockets. A gallery (one of many) in the mall represents them, hence the local display. For us, it was charming to find bunnies among royal palm trees, and we spent a lazy afternoon over a pizza in gorgeous weather.

 

The weather has taken another cold turn here and everyone is seriously bundled up, griping as are we, that you can't leave the slip. We made a Miami Bucket List and we've been able to keep busy, waiting for the weather to get out on Biscayne Bay. Another holiday without family will be strange, but it looks like we might get to a beach that day if not out for a sail.

It appears our last two postings didn't make it to the web, we'll try to figure that one out!

A Rough Day on South Beach

 

The Nikki Bar

This is the logo for the City of Miami.

 

Newly constructed in Art Deco style, the main office
for the professional guards who man the Life Guard Stations
sits off Ocean Drive behind Lumus Park.



Just about sunset, the cruise ships get underway.