On The "Road" Again!

SHIP'S LOG:

It is good to be on the move again. Three days in the marina was nice, especially the hot showers on those cold, cold mornings, but it was and is time to move.

I got a bit of a late start and had to battle the river current all the way down. Going through the bridges is and around Jacksonville is a bit of a trip as the eddies and currents and swirls make for some interesting navigating, especially when you are sharing the river with some big ships. The waves breakers and piers focus the current and it can really slow you down and twist you round as you are passing under and/or though bridges. Still it was great to do the miles and the wind even cooperated so that sailing could be done. Still, it was more than a bit chilly even in the sun. As I write this though, it doesn't seem all that cold and I think I might escape a overnight temperature of less than 32. Perhaps it will even be in the 40's!

The dinghy has a small, slow leak in the forward tube. I don't think it has anything to do with the patch or the repair. It has had it for awhile and I just can't locate it. So every few days it needs pump up. With the cold of the last few days, it seems to have lost more air than usual and I lazily neglected to take the time this morning to do the pump up. As a result, it started to drag in the water and took on a whole bunch. I had to stop in the middle of the river, detach it from the davitts and tied it along side. When I got to Blount Island and anchored, I had to untie it, re-hook it to the davitts and pump it up. If I can find it, I think I'll try some of that tire inflator stuff that the sell for flat tires. Perhaps it will find and seal the leak. I think they actually make stuff for inflatables too and my next trip to West Marine will have it as a purchase item.

The next couple of days are supposed to be "seasonal" so perhaps I can get far enough south to have the approaching cold front give me a miss. I should be in St. Augustine or Daytona this coming week and if the weather is warm, I may just anchor in a nice spot and soak up some sun. If not, I'll push on and see what lies ahead.

The new water pump works just fine and hopefully will be the last major replacement part for the trip. Then again, I do have a wish list and a few odds and ends that need buying. Ah, the fun of boat ownership.