Onward Northward

SHIP'S LOG:

Current Location: St. Augustine : 29'53.175N/ 081'18.245W

Today got off to a rather exciting start. About 7Am, a fire truck, siren howling and lights aflashing,came roaring into the marina. Naturally it got every one's attention. I look around to see what boat was on fire, after first checking my own, and it turned out that none were. Several firemen went rushing down the far dock carrying, not fire fighting equipment, but obvious medical equipment. As they did so, an ambulance roared up, so it became clear that it wasn't a fire but a medical emergency. Eventually, word got around that the wife of one of the boaters had had what appeared to have been a "small stroke." At last report, is was alive even if not too well and in the local hospital.

What actually woke me up this morning were the birds. Not the gulls and pelicans and other sea birds, but real birds, song birds and they were singing up a storm. Last night it was the peepers. They too were singing long and loud. Spring is definitely here for "love is in the sir." It is probably not the case further north, but today, down here, it certainly was!

It was an easy jaunt from Palm Coast to St. Augustine, a little over 20 miles. The only place of concern was the Matanzas Inlet. There has been a lot of shoaling recently and the buoys in the water are far different than those on the charts. I remember that when I came down here in December, it was a hairy passage of a little over a mile which ran you, or appeared to, right up along side a bank on the western shore. Taking the passage slowly and following the track I made in December that was still in the GPS didn't necessarily take the jitters away but it turned out that it took me through with no real problems at all.

Speaking of the GPS, it seems to have developed a"glitch." As it loads each new map section, it slowly "greys-out" the top 10% of the screen and they clears it, only to do it again a few seconds later. And again, and again. If I set it out at a range of 200 feet or more, it does do it, only at 120 or closer. Of course, right now the most useful settings are those of 120 or less. Of Course. It is more of a nuisance than a real problem. On the way down, it went through a couple of hours of feezing( didn't everyone in December) but eventually unlearned that trick. I am will to bet that the same will happen this time. Maybe it just doesn't like the maps of northern Florida.

Had a great time with Martha and Rich last night, along with their friends Kathy, Frank and Debbie. It was well worth the wait for them to get back from the Left Coast. Rich is/was a dentist who loves to kid around. He even looks like a dentist. You know, the one played by Laurence Olivier in "The Marathon Man," . . . . "Is it safe?" Truth be told, he and Martha are really warm and wonderful people who opened their home to me. And I am honored to call them friends.

The northern migration has definitely started. Lots of boats heading north including some I encountered on the way south. Among the more original names: Hops & Scotch; Wings & Jeans; Knot Too Late; Sea Yawl; Doyle's Elbow; Ol' Spice; Tourist; My Time Too; The Office; Cat Ching(a catamaran) ; Biech to Beach(from Beich, NC) Sea Dick & Jane; Happy Feet; Chubby Ducky; Iffin; Reel Luv; Liquidity; Official Business; Bewitched; Long Haul; Gravity Storm; Run Tum Tiger; Moonlight; Moon Struck; Tropical Blend; Gail Winds; Anadante; Two Gether; Brat; Watts New( an electric powered boat).

Most marinas have a book exchange. Cruisers drop off books they've read and pick new one for the trip ahead. I picked up three, though one I'll never read. It was a James Clavell book Guaw Jin . . .. but what I didn't realize until later was that it was in SWEDISH! ! !! ! ! !