SHIP'S LOG:
I haven't move a foot since yesterday so the Lat/Lon hasn't changed but I must have cruised a few miles back and forth at the end on my anchor rode. The wind basically howled all day. It was a steady 20+ with gusts up to 35 and those were just the ones I was able to record! And ABISHAG has a lot of windage(above water structures) and tends to "sail" at anchor. She swings from one side to the other until the rode brings her up short and then does it again. I spent the whole day going back and forth in, thankfully, an empty anchorage. Who knows, perhaps I did a couple of miles 90 feet at a time!
I did lay in my course for the next hop. It will be up to Daytona. It will be a jaunt of about 41 miles and shortly after passing New Smyrna Beach, I will re-visit a spot of my last grounding. I have no desire to visit the actual spot as I have no desire to see the guys in the Red Towboat again, but I will slowly and carefully cruise by it. Hopefully, and this is a terrible thing to say, another boat will be just ahead of me and proceed through the spot so that I can be sure I have the right line. This particular spot of my grounding is the one where the shoal is actually in the channel between two buoys. Thus it is not even a matter of staying in the channel, it is also a matter of staying in the right spot in the channel.
I saw less than a dozen boats pass by while I was anchored today. Most of the traffic was sailboats moving north. I would surmise that the great northward migration has begun. This is also supported by the fact that most of the north bound boats were Canadian.
I could stay here a couple of more days but the anchorage in Daytona is a little small and with the weekend coming, I want to try to get a good spot. I will be there for several days as the next stop will be Palm Coast just a hop, skip & a jump up the Magenta Highway and I can't get there before the 5th of April. And it's a good thing too. It is preventing me from rushing back too fast and "forcing" me to enjoy each day and everything it has to offer. There are a lot of worse ways to spend my time!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Another Glorious Day!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
Current location: Titusville 28'36.787N/ 080'47.752W
For the first time on the trip, I thought that I would have to use radar. When I got up this morning, it was clear but by 8:30 the fog had rolled in and it was thick enough such that I couldn't see the end of the dock. Not great weather for moving on the ICW what with the togs and barges and recreational boats and not a lot of space to maneuver. So I decided to wait it out, but I couldn't wait too long as I hadn't the ducats to pay for another night in the marina. If it did burn off before noon, I was going to have to feel my way out from the Banana River into the Indian River an anchor there. Not having a lot of experience with the radar and with the Banana River so narrow and crowded with boats, the prospect wasn't something to warm my soul. During this foggy time, I got to watch the kiyack races done my the members of the Gold Coast Canoe & Paddle Club. They raced along the Banana River disappearing from sight, strangely trailed by a pod(?) of dolphins. I gathered they raced a couple hundred yards and then came back to the start and did it all over again, tailed all the way by the pod of dolphins. I don't know if this is a regular occurrence but it was interesting to watch. Before the last race, the dolphins appear at the starting line before the boats got back and waited for the boats and then followed them again.
However, by 10 am the fog was fading fast and it was clear enough for me to head out and up the ICW to Titusville. I was hoping for a repeat of Mondays weather, speciofically the winf and its direction. NOAA stated unequivocally that it the wind would be out of the south east at 10-15 which would mean another day of pure sailing. It is not that NOAA is really ever wrong but they were just a little off today. The wind was 10 knots out of the Northwest, basically on the nose, or close enough so that sailing was out. I did try a couple of times when the wind swung around to the west, but when it did , it was very light and every time it picked up in intensity, it swung back to the north west/ north. SO it was a day of motoring.
It was a pretty sparse day for boats but a great day for names: SURREEL; FLOATING PROFIT; SOAKIN; BILL COLLECTOR; BOWL OF CHERRYS; SEAQUEL; LAST MOVE; WE'LL SEA U; MY PRIORITY. My particular favorite was a 25 runabout with four "little old ladies" aboard, each of which sported a beer. The name of the boat? SEA BAGS.
I passed by the Cocoa Village Marina where I had spend a cold Christmas week and called in to Bob the Dockmaster. We had a great chat and I thanked him again for all he and his wife, Chris, had done for me will I was there. He reminded me that he still owed me a bag of ice and I told him that I would stop in and pick it up the next time through.
When I got up to the Addison Point Bridge(NASA Causeway Bridge) and looked at the cars crossing the bridge and cause way as I approached. Since this bridge opens on request, I called and the tender told me to just keep coming and he would open when I got close enough. AS s i approached, I noticed that the cars seemed to speed up. They went faster and faster evidently trying to beat the opening of the bridge they knew was coming. I suppose that this was always the case on these bridges, but I just never noticed it before. I don't think the bridge was open for more than 2 minutes as the tender had great timing and I doubt those who "beat the bridge" really got all that much out of it.
The next people I have to visit are up in Palm Coast, about 70 miles away, but they won't be back before April 5th. SO I will spend an extra day here and do a couple of really short trips to c\get there on time. There is no rush on my part to get back up north to get snowed upon!
Current location: Titusville 28'36.787N/ 080'47.752W
For the first time on the trip, I thought that I would have to use radar. When I got up this morning, it was clear but by 8:30 the fog had rolled in and it was thick enough such that I couldn't see the end of the dock. Not great weather for moving on the ICW what with the togs and barges and recreational boats and not a lot of space to maneuver. So I decided to wait it out, but I couldn't wait too long as I hadn't the ducats to pay for another night in the marina. If it did burn off before noon, I was going to have to feel my way out from the Banana River into the Indian River an anchor there. Not having a lot of experience with the radar and with the Banana River so narrow and crowded with boats, the prospect wasn't something to warm my soul. During this foggy time, I got to watch the kiyack races done my the members of the Gold Coast Canoe & Paddle Club. They raced along the Banana River disappearing from sight, strangely trailed by a pod(?) of dolphins. I gathered they raced a couple hundred yards and then came back to the start and did it all over again, tailed all the way by the pod of dolphins. I don't know if this is a regular occurrence but it was interesting to watch. Before the last race, the dolphins appear at the starting line before the boats got back and waited for the boats and then followed them again.
However, by 10 am the fog was fading fast and it was clear enough for me to head out and up the ICW to Titusville. I was hoping for a repeat of Mondays weather, speciofically the winf and its direction. NOAA stated unequivocally that it the wind would be out of the south east at 10-15 which would mean another day of pure sailing. It is not that NOAA is really ever wrong but they were just a little off today. The wind was 10 knots out of the Northwest, basically on the nose, or close enough so that sailing was out. I did try a couple of times when the wind swung around to the west, but when it did , it was very light and every time it picked up in intensity, it swung back to the north west/ north. SO it was a day of motoring.
It was a pretty sparse day for boats but a great day for names: SURREEL; FLOATING PROFIT; SOAKIN; BILL COLLECTOR; BOWL OF CHERRYS; SEAQUEL; LAST MOVE; WE'LL SEA U; MY PRIORITY. My particular favorite was a 25 runabout with four "little old ladies" aboard, each of which sported a beer. The name of the boat? SEA BAGS.
I passed by the Cocoa Village Marina where I had spend a cold Christmas week and called in to Bob the Dockmaster. We had a great chat and I thanked him again for all he and his wife, Chris, had done for me will I was there. He reminded me that he still owed me a bag of ice and I told him that I would stop in and pick it up the next time through.
When I got up to the Addison Point Bridge(NASA Causeway Bridge) and looked at the cars crossing the bridge and cause way as I approached. Since this bridge opens on request, I called and the tender told me to just keep coming and he would open when I got close enough. AS s i approached, I noticed that the cars seemed to speed up. They went faster and faster evidently trying to beat the opening of the bridge they knew was coming. I suppose that this was always the case on these bridges, but I just never noticed it before. I don't think the bridge was open for more than 2 minutes as the tender had great timing and I doubt those who "beat the bridge" really got all that much out of it.
The next people I have to visit are up in Palm Coast, about 70 miles away, but they won't be back before April 5th. SO I will spend an extra day here and do a couple of really short trips to c\get there on time. There is no rush on my part to get back up north to get snowed upon!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
SHort Trip, Great Day!
SHIP'S LOG:
Current Location: Docked in the Banana River:28'08.924/ 080'36.287
It was not a far trip today, a little over 2 miles. I docked at the Telemar Bay Marina and spent the day with friends that I haven't seen in 35 years. We caught up on a lot of lost time and it was certainly a wonderful way to spend a wonderful day.
I will be headed off tomorrow up toward Titusville as I wend my way north. I am hoping that the wind will continue as it it has for it will mean another day of pure sailing!
It's late and I am once again beat. I'll write more tomorrow.
Current Location: Docked in the Banana River:28'08.924/ 080'36.287
It was not a far trip today, a little over 2 miles. I docked at the Telemar Bay Marina and spent the day with friends that I haven't seen in 35 years. We caught up on a lot of lost time and it was certainly a wonderful way to spend a wonderful day.
I will be headed off tomorrow up toward Titusville as I wend my way north. I am hoping that the wind will continue as it it has for it will mean another day of pure sailing!
It's late and I am once again beat. I'll write more tomorrow.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sailing, Sailing, Sailing ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Current Location: 28'06.488N/ 080'37.128 W
Today was a day that I hoped would be typical of all the days on this trip. So far, that hasn't been the case but today was a start. I left Fort Pierce about 8:30am and sailed, thgat's right SAILED, to Vero Beach Municipal Marina. I had to do a pump & dump & a fuel pimp and it was "on the way." I was in and out in 15 minutes which is a record, at least in my expereince, and then sailed, that's right SAILED, to Eau Gallie and Dragon Point in Melbourne. It was a perfect day. The wind was a perfect 15 knots out of the East/South East and I didn't have to touch a sail once they were set. The weather was sunny and the temp was in the high 70's, maybe even low 80's. There was little or no "traffic" on the ICW except for an occasional fisherman. There was no opening bridges, except for the one at Ft. Pierce and the fixed bridges, well I just sailed right through the openings. It was a spectacular day!
The most interesting thing I saw today was a young couple in a pinky schooner. It was painted red & white and it was really something to see. I had never seen one before , in the flesh so to speak, only in pictures, but this one, made of steel and probably home built was really beautiful.
This was the most empty I have see the ICW. I had long stretches when no one passed and I passed no one. I would think that the time for the great northward migration has come and i expect to see more boats in the days ahead.
I got a call from Brad. He went over his plans for the day - he was currently in a boatyard looking over some abandoned boats to see if he could acquire some teak for his deak. He was surprised that I was already up and gone when he called. He asked all saorts of questions about all sorts of projects he has to deal with on the boat. I guess I am going to become his "Gerry."
I really beat so I am going to hit the rack.
Current Location: 28'06.488N/ 080'37.128 W
Today was a day that I hoped would be typical of all the days on this trip. So far, that hasn't been the case but today was a start. I left Fort Pierce about 8:30am and sailed, thgat's right SAILED, to Vero Beach Municipal Marina. I had to do a pump & dump & a fuel pimp and it was "on the way." I was in and out in 15 minutes which is a record, at least in my expereince, and then sailed, that's right SAILED, to Eau Gallie and Dragon Point in Melbourne. It was a perfect day. The wind was a perfect 15 knots out of the East/South East and I didn't have to touch a sail once they were set. The weather was sunny and the temp was in the high 70's, maybe even low 80's. There was little or no "traffic" on the ICW except for an occasional fisherman. There was no opening bridges, except for the one at Ft. Pierce and the fixed bridges, well I just sailed right through the openings. It was a spectacular day!
The most interesting thing I saw today was a young couple in a pinky schooner. It was painted red & white and it was really something to see. I had never seen one before , in the flesh so to speak, only in pictures, but this one, made of steel and probably home built was really beautiful.
This was the most empty I have see the ICW. I had long stretches when no one passed and I passed no one. I would think that the time for the great northward migration has come and i expect to see more boats in the days ahead.
I got a call from Brad. He went over his plans for the day - he was currently in a boatyard looking over some abandoned boats to see if he could acquire some teak for his deak. He was surprised that I was already up and gone when he called. He asked all saorts of questions about all sorts of projects he has to deal with on the boat. I guess I am going to become his "Gerry."
I really beat so I am going to hit the rack.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
More Fun Than I can Stand! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Current Location:27'27.404N/ 080'18.251W - Fort Pierce
Yesterday(Saturday) I laid out the course for my Monday departure, weather permitting, for Melbourne and a visit with some more firends. I also ended up helping Brad finish installing his radar dome. I had to haul him and it up the mast. He fed the first wire( power cable) through the framing and into the dome no problem. The second one wouldn't go into the hole in the framing because the connector on the end was too large. This is the data cable and it has somewhere between 10 and 16 individual wires in it that come together in a type of plug. I found out from Brad that to get it down the mast(inside) he had cut off the other end and was intending to use some special stripper he had acquired to reattach a new connector/plug. Now, 30 feet in the air, he decided to do the same thing with the other end and did it. Snip!I really hope he knows what he's doing as screwing around with those cable is likely to make the radar not function properly. Then he bolted the bracket holding the dome to the mast. He complained that it wasn't square but I reminded him that everything about a boat is a compromise.
I went ashore and had dinner at a place on the beach called "Archie's." It is hard to describe. Think of the worst, most run -down beach side bar you can imaginer. Compared to ARCHIE's, it is a palace! Ithas been knocked down by hurricane a couple of times and been rebuilt . . .well, more like put back together but it still looks terrible. But it is a great place. It has a wonderful atmosphere, it's clientel runs from bikers to bankers and everyone in between. The food is good, the beer is cold and the bands are excellent. It sort of feels like a big family get together. Patty McGee, who owns and runs the place, is spectacular. If she was on Letterman once, she would be a national institution. Not the most attractive of women, she can just hold your attention. She truly is one of a kind.
Today(Sunday) I decided to change the engine oil. I figured an hour at the outside. I started at 10am and finished at 4pm. It was more fun that I could ever have imagined.
First mistake, I didn't run the engine and heat up the oil to thin it. I couldn't draw out the oil, which had the consistency of peanut butter, either with the hand pump on the front of the engine nor the portable pump running a hose through the did stick. I called Gerry and he gave me a bunch of good advice the best of which was "run the engine for 20 minutes." This I did and while waiting I taped over the connections on the hand pump less seeping air kill the pumps vacuum. After the 20 minute run, I tried the hand pump and got no joy. I push the hose from the portable pump down the dip stick hole, got to star drawing but it stopped rather quickly. Damn!
I called Gerry again and he was out So I call Chuck Wargo and he was in. He suggested I run the engine again for a little longer, pour a little oil inside the front pump on the engine - if it hadn't been used in a long time, it might need priming - and if it still didn't work, connect the portable pump the hose currently connected to the hand pump. I ran the engine for 30 minutes. I tried the hand pump, still no vacuum. I removed the hand pump but instead of attaching the portable pump, I led the hose from the hand pump, which went directly to the sump of the engine, and let gravity do the work. And it did a fine job. It emptied the engine in no time. I reconnected the hand pump to the hose.
Current Location:27'27.404N/ 080'18.251W - Fort Pierce
Yesterday(Saturday) I laid out the course for my Monday departure, weather permitting, for Melbourne and a visit with some more firends. I also ended up helping Brad finish installing his radar dome. I had to haul him and it up the mast. He fed the first wire( power cable) through the framing and into the dome no problem. The second one wouldn't go into the hole in the framing because the connector on the end was too large. This is the data cable and it has somewhere between 10 and 16 individual wires in it that come together in a type of plug. I found out from Brad that to get it down the mast(inside) he had cut off the other end and was intending to use some special stripper he had acquired to reattach a new connector/plug. Now, 30 feet in the air, he decided to do the same thing with the other end and did it. Snip!I really hope he knows what he's doing as screwing around with those cable is likely to make the radar not function properly. Then he bolted the bracket holding the dome to the mast. He complained that it wasn't square but I reminded him that everything about a boat is a compromise.
I went ashore and had dinner at a place on the beach called "Archie's." It is hard to describe. Think of the worst, most run -down beach side bar you can imaginer. Compared to ARCHIE's, it is a palace! Ithas been knocked down by hurricane a couple of times and been rebuilt . . .well, more like put back together but it still looks terrible. But it is a great place. It has a wonderful atmosphere, it's clientel runs from bikers to bankers and everyone in between. The food is good, the beer is cold and the bands are excellent. It sort of feels like a big family get together. Patty McGee, who owns and runs the place, is spectacular. If she was on Letterman once, she would be a national institution. Not the most attractive of women, she can just hold your attention. She truly is one of a kind.
Today(Sunday) I decided to change the engine oil. I figured an hour at the outside. I started at 10am and finished at 4pm. It was more fun that I could ever have imagined.
First mistake, I didn't run the engine and heat up the oil to thin it. I couldn't draw out the oil, which had the consistency of peanut butter, either with the hand pump on the front of the engine nor the portable pump running a hose through the did stick. I called Gerry and he gave me a bunch of good advice the best of which was "run the engine for 20 minutes." This I did and while waiting I taped over the connections on the hand pump less seeping air kill the pumps vacuum. After the 20 minute run, I tried the hand pump and got no joy. I push the hose from the portable pump down the dip stick hole, got to star drawing but it stopped rather quickly. Damn!
I called Gerry again and he was out So I call Chuck Wargo and he was in. He suggested I run the engine again for a little longer, pour a little oil inside the front pump on the engine - if it hadn't been used in a long time, it might need priming - and if it still didn't work, connect the portable pump the hose currently connected to the hand pump. I ran the engine for 30 minutes. I tried the hand pump, still no vacuum. I removed the hand pump but instead of attaching the portable pump, I led the hose from the hand pump, which went directly to the sump of the engine, and let gravity do the work. And it did a fine job. It emptied the engine in no time. I reconnected the hand pump to the hose.
Now all that probably sounded pretty simple and straight forward, but it also involved a lot of bolting and unbolting, moving thiongs around to get at other things, removing the ladder and putting it back again, and dropping things into the bilge which need to be fished out. It took a rather long time just to get that part of the job done. On top of that, it was also oily. No matter how careful you are, oil will escape and get in the darnedest places. It of course needs to be cleaned up.
Mistake two was in changing the oil filter. There are three filters on the engine, two for fuel one for oil. The one I though was for the oil wasn't. well, I just took it as a sign that it was time to change the fuel filters too and so I did. I also changed the oil filter which actually turned out to be a snap. I refilled the engine with oil and started it up and it didn't explode which I took as a good sign.
Doing all this work on the engine, I discovered that the stuffing box nut( the nut around the drive shaft to the prop) and was admitting too much water. The bilge pump had been working lately but I thought that it was just ice melt from the fridge. Well, corrected that problem and all seems ready for the trip to Melbourne.
Tomorrow I will do a pump and dump and fuel up and I hope to be in Melbourne tomorrow night. As much as I enjoy being here, I am wary of getting "trapped" again. Good harbors rotting ships and men and all that.I have about 980 miles to got before I hit Hospital Point(ICW Mile Marker ZERO) in Virginia. Strangely, it doesn't seem to be all that far away.
Mistake two was in changing the oil filter. There are three filters on the engine, two for fuel one for oil. The one I though was for the oil wasn't. well, I just took it as a sign that it was time to change the fuel filters too and so I did. I also changed the oil filter which actually turned out to be a snap. I refilled the engine with oil and started it up and it didn't explode which I took as a good sign.
Doing all this work on the engine, I discovered that the stuffing box nut( the nut around the drive shaft to the prop) and was admitting too much water. The bilge pump had been working lately but I thought that it was just ice melt from the fridge. Well, corrected that problem and all seems ready for the trip to Melbourne.
Tomorrow I will do a pump and dump and fuel up and I hope to be in Melbourne tomorrow night. As much as I enjoy being here, I am wary of getting "trapped" again. Good harbors rotting ships and men and all that.I have about 980 miles to got before I hit Hospital Point(ICW Mile Marker ZERO) in Virginia. Strangely, it doesn't seem to be all that far away.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Home Again . . Sort Of
SHIP'S LOG:
Waking up this morning and having coffee at dawn in the anchorage at Ft. Pierce, why it is almost like being home . . . . sort of. After a month in Miami, Ft. Pierce seems a more neighborly place. My friend Brad is but a stone throw away, still working on his boat and this morning I rowed into Gerry's to do laundry and borrow his car so that i could go get my shear pins. I knew just where to go and what to expect. It was just like coming home.
I spent most of the day helping Brad with some repairs. He is ripping up his side decks to get rid of the rot and replace them with new wood and fiberglass. I like Brad but the man really has no plan. I would have thought that, even though things go slowly when you are working on a boat, more so than you even expect, he really hasn't done all that much since I was last here. He did finally run the data cable and power cable for his new radar, but it entail removing the connectors from both to feed them through the mast. He is counting on his ability to replace the connectors to complete the job. Still he has not yet gotten the new radar up on the mast and has not yet wired the receiver in the boat. The inside of the boat looks like someone set off a bomb in a West Marine store and tools are scattered everywhere. Now I am not "Mr. Neat" myself, but I don't know how he finds stuff in the midst of all that chaos. When we talked yesterday, I mentioned writing down a plan of what he want to accomplished today. He didn't and so we jumped from one part of a project to another getting a lot less done than we could have. He really needs a "Thinking Chair," a place to sit and think out what he is going to do next and come up with the steps, then get the tools and stuff he needs and THEN got and tackle it. I am sure that he will get it done eventually but I am not sure that he will get it done before Hurricane Season and that could not good.
I will spend part of tomorrow laying in the course to Melbourne for my visit with friends there. I will also replace the stainless steel shear pin with one of the bronze one I just bought. That was I can hit something without worrying about taking out the tranny. I will probably also help Brad a little more on his projects. Hopefully we will finish what we started today before he flies onto something else. I would really like to see his boat all done and sailing. It looks like it should really move and it is quite lovely. It would be great to see her done done up Bristol.
Waking up this morning and having coffee at dawn in the anchorage at Ft. Pierce, why it is almost like being home . . . . sort of. After a month in Miami, Ft. Pierce seems a more neighborly place. My friend Brad is but a stone throw away, still working on his boat and this morning I rowed into Gerry's to do laundry and borrow his car so that i could go get my shear pins. I knew just where to go and what to expect. It was just like coming home.
I spent most of the day helping Brad with some repairs. He is ripping up his side decks to get rid of the rot and replace them with new wood and fiberglass. I like Brad but the man really has no plan. I would have thought that, even though things go slowly when you are working on a boat, more so than you even expect, he really hasn't done all that much since I was last here. He did finally run the data cable and power cable for his new radar, but it entail removing the connectors from both to feed them through the mast. He is counting on his ability to replace the connectors to complete the job. Still he has not yet gotten the new radar up on the mast and has not yet wired the receiver in the boat. The inside of the boat looks like someone set off a bomb in a West Marine store and tools are scattered everywhere. Now I am not "Mr. Neat" myself, but I don't know how he finds stuff in the midst of all that chaos. When we talked yesterday, I mentioned writing down a plan of what he want to accomplished today. He didn't and so we jumped from one part of a project to another getting a lot less done than we could have. He really needs a "Thinking Chair," a place to sit and think out what he is going to do next and come up with the steps, then get the tools and stuff he needs and THEN got and tackle it. I am sure that he will get it done eventually but I am not sure that he will get it done before Hurricane Season and that could not good.
I will spend part of tomorrow laying in the course to Melbourne for my visit with friends there. I will also replace the stainless steel shear pin with one of the bronze one I just bought. That was I can hit something without worrying about taking out the tranny. I will probably also help Brad a little more on his projects. Hopefully we will finish what we started today before he flies onto something else. I would really like to see his boat all done and sailing. It looks like it should really move and it is quite lovely. It would be great to see her done done up Bristol.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Being Third Can Be A Good Thing!!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
Wednesday's Location: Hooker Cove -27'40.163N/ 081' 30.009W
Got out of Lake Worth at the crack of 9:30 to begin my relatively short trip up to Jensen Beach, north of Stuart. It was a relatively light bridge day, a mere six with three more that didn't need to be opened. It was an even split, three I made and three I missed. . . .
. . . .. . At this particular moment in time last night(Wednesday) the local water police came by and asked me to move my boat farther from the travel channel in the Okeechobee Water way. So I moved and the whole blog that I had written disappeared into the ether and I was so tired to start again, so I waited until now. . .. . .
I traveled most of the day with two other sailboats, a Island Packet 35(ISLAND MOON) and a Gemini 32 (DESTINY). It was good to travel this way for you had someone to talk to when we waited out bridge openings. Things are changing as i move north. The Spanish Hacienda/ Italian Villa architecture has been replaced for the most part by more normal styled housing though lots of it is still much too large to be useful, except as a small hotel. The concrete walls lining the ICW have also disappeared which means that when some lowlife in a powerboat speeds by, you are only shaken up by his way and not by the three or four it causes bouncing off the walls.
Among the ugliest of housing are the condos built for the retirees, at least those who lack a lot of assets. The look almost prison like, or at least like country jails. Some even have bars on the windows and all the porches are covered with screening. They seem all painted the same dreadful min green/lime green mix. They are so depressing and "the inmates" must thin k so too. They all seem to line the walkways staring out at the boats passing by, waving and seemingly desirous of rescue. It is sad. Terribly so.
Our three craft got to the bridge at Jensen beach where we all had planned to anchor. We must have read the same guides. Island Moon led the way and promptly went soft aground. He was utterly amazed as he said that he had anchored there just a few years before with a boat that had a deeper draft. I asked what he was drawing and he said 4'2" which wasmore than a foot less than ABISHAG so there was no way I could get in or even close enough to him to help him out. As he worked out, I check out another cruising guide spot a little further on and found it shoaled up as well. It was pretty clear that I wasn't anchoring here and while there were some other spots a little further on, I had no idea what there condition was, so I decided that I would head for the St. Lucie River where I anchored on the way down and where I knew IT was plenty deep. Island Moon said he would try the spots further on and took off. Destiny, which draws 2' with he boards up, anchored in a drop of dew.
It took me an hour and a half to get to Hooker Cove and I dropped the hook and steeled in and had almost finished the blog when the Police came by and asked me to move. I did, and as I said, it vanished into the ether. Got the hook up and then down in the dark and I slept the sleep of the just.
Boat Names of the day: Breaking Wind; Passing Wind; My Other Love; Dock Crasher; Sea Ya; Sea - E - O; Sea Wheels; For All The Wrong Reasons; Primerry; And The Horse You Rode In On. And I saw a PWC with a Bimini on it. That was a first!
THURSDAY March17, 2001
Left Hooker Cove at 9:30 for the run up to Ft. Pierce. Call Brad Smith, the guy who had been working on his boat when last I was up there and he was still there and still working. He was thrilled that I would be stopping by and shared all the work he expected "us" to accomplish during my stay. My stay should only be til Monday, weather permitting as I have a "visiting friends" window of the 20th thru the 30th in Melbourne.ned, til Monday, and then weather permitting, it is off to Melbourne where I have a 10 winbdo
I called Brad Smith, the guy who was working on his boat when last I anchored here and he was still there and still working. He was thrilled to hear that I would arrived and shared all the work "we" would accomplish during my stay. I only have a short stay planned and will be leaving on Monday, weather permitting, to catch a of opportunity for visiting with some friends in Melbourne. I hope to see Gerry here in Ft. Pierce and to catch a shower, do laundry and to pick up some real shear pins I have on order.
It was a beautiful run to Ft. Pierce and I had been hoping to make it a sailing day as there were no opening bridges and it was pretty much a straight course, but after weeks of south eat winds, which would have been perfect, the wind was on the nose, just slightly east of north. Oh well, at least it was sunny and warm. That hasn 't changed!
I anchored in the same spot, right next to Brad and we shot the breeze for a while as I got top see what he had accomplished on his boat. He is ripping up the deck in parts to rep[lace the underdeck which is rotted and he plans to do some glassing work and I'll help him. I love the smell of styrene in the morning. It smells like . . . . like . . . .victory!
Wednesday's Location: Hooker Cove -27'40.163N/ 081' 30.009W
Got out of Lake Worth at the crack of 9:30 to begin my relatively short trip up to Jensen Beach, north of Stuart. It was a relatively light bridge day, a mere six with three more that didn't need to be opened. It was an even split, three I made and three I missed. . . .
. . . .. . At this particular moment in time last night(Wednesday) the local water police came by and asked me to move my boat farther from the travel channel in the Okeechobee Water way. So I moved and the whole blog that I had written disappeared into the ether and I was so tired to start again, so I waited until now. . .. . .
I traveled most of the day with two other sailboats, a Island Packet 35(ISLAND MOON) and a Gemini 32 (DESTINY). It was good to travel this way for you had someone to talk to when we waited out bridge openings. Things are changing as i move north. The Spanish Hacienda/ Italian Villa architecture has been replaced for the most part by more normal styled housing though lots of it is still much too large to be useful, except as a small hotel. The concrete walls lining the ICW have also disappeared which means that when some lowlife in a powerboat speeds by, you are only shaken up by his way and not by the three or four it causes bouncing off the walls.
Among the ugliest of housing are the condos built for the retirees, at least those who lack a lot of assets. The look almost prison like, or at least like country jails. Some even have bars on the windows and all the porches are covered with screening. They seem all painted the same dreadful min green/lime green mix. They are so depressing and "the inmates" must thin k so too. They all seem to line the walkways staring out at the boats passing by, waving and seemingly desirous of rescue. It is sad. Terribly so.
Our three craft got to the bridge at Jensen beach where we all had planned to anchor. We must have read the same guides. Island Moon led the way and promptly went soft aground. He was utterly amazed as he said that he had anchored there just a few years before with a boat that had a deeper draft. I asked what he was drawing and he said 4'2" which wasmore than a foot less than ABISHAG so there was no way I could get in or even close enough to him to help him out. As he worked out, I check out another cruising guide spot a little further on and found it shoaled up as well. It was pretty clear that I wasn't anchoring here and while there were some other spots a little further on, I had no idea what there condition was, so I decided that I would head for the St. Lucie River where I anchored on the way down and where I knew IT was plenty deep. Island Moon said he would try the spots further on and took off. Destiny, which draws 2' with he boards up, anchored in a drop of dew.
It took me an hour and a half to get to Hooker Cove and I dropped the hook and steeled in and had almost finished the blog when the Police came by and asked me to move. I did, and as I said, it vanished into the ether. Got the hook up and then down in the dark and I slept the sleep of the just.
Boat Names of the day: Breaking Wind; Passing Wind; My Other Love; Dock Crasher; Sea Ya; Sea - E - O; Sea Wheels; For All The Wrong Reasons; Primerry; And The Horse You Rode In On. And I saw a PWC with a Bimini on it. That was a first!
THURSDAY March17, 2001
Left Hooker Cove at 9:30 for the run up to Ft. Pierce. Call Brad Smith, the guy who had been working on his boat when last I was up there and he was still there and still working. He was thrilled that I would be stopping by and shared all the work he expected "us" to accomplish during my stay. My stay should only be til Monday, weather permitting as I have a "visiting friends" window of the 20th thru the 30th in Melbourne.ned, til Monday, and then weather permitting, it is off to Melbourne where I have a 10 winbdo
I called Brad Smith, the guy who was working on his boat when last I anchored here and he was still there and still working. He was thrilled to hear that I would arrived and shared all the work "we" would accomplish during my stay. I only have a short stay planned and will be leaving on Monday, weather permitting, to catch a of opportunity for visiting with some friends in Melbourne. I hope to see Gerry here in Ft. Pierce and to catch a shower, do laundry and to pick up some real shear pins I have on order.
It was a beautiful run to Ft. Pierce and I had been hoping to make it a sailing day as there were no opening bridges and it was pretty much a straight course, but after weeks of south eat winds, which would have been perfect, the wind was on the nose, just slightly east of north. Oh well, at least it was sunny and warm. That hasn 't changed!
I anchored in the same spot, right next to Brad and we shot the breeze for a while as I got top see what he had accomplished on his boat. He is ripping up the deck in parts to rep[lace the underdeck which is rotted and he plans to do some glassing work and I'll help him. I love the smell of styrene in the morning. It smells like . . . . like . . . .victory!
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