December 1, 2008
Monday
Sunny
Mid 60’s
1318 engine hours at day’s end
No fuel purchase today
It is a beautiful day and decide to head out again to gets some shots of St. Augustine, the oldest city of the nation. We have seen some very nice places along our way south and St. Augustine is no exception. It is a bit cool, but as the day progresses it warms up and was quite comfortable for our stroll. I even managed to get the non-shopper to go into one of the art galleries. Gorgeous pictures and sculptures were within and if there was room on the boat would have enticed Barry to buy something. The boat is filled to the gills and no room for such stuff. Our walk was very long and all around the city. At noon we are back at the boat and prepare to shove off. Along the way, while waiting for the Crescent Beach Bridge to open for us, I spotted a sea turtle swimming around the boat! He was so cute! Our travel time is only a couple of hours to Mantanzas River. The river is narrow and not very long. There is only enough room for about 6 boats. There was one sailboat here when we arrived and a sailboat traveling behind us joined in. One other power boat made and attempt, but there was no room and they left. There is an old fort here with a small pontoon–type boat that takes visitors from one side of the river to other to visit the fort. The activity is entertaining. We are also just a bridge away from the ocean that is also on this river. Great spot. Hoping the weather will be a bit warmer, or at least less wind and we will take the dinghy down for the first time and cruise around. There is also a walking trail that we want to explore. Tata for now!
December 2, 2008
Tuesday
Sunny
40’s
1322 engine hours at day’s end
It is freaking cold! The current is whipping around and we are out of here! Our thoughts of venturing out and around here will not be a happening as it would be a very cold and
wet ride. Off to Daytona with departure at 9:30. A lot of slow traveling today starting at the very beginning of entrance to the ICW with 4 sailboats and 2 trawlers ahead of us. It took and hour to pass all of them. After finally getting by them there were many no wake zones due to homes and manatee no wake zones…still have yet to see one though! It warmed up very nicely as we moved along (80* on the bridge) and we were able to do much of our traveling with the bridge window open. So very nice! Incredible that it starts out so cold and warms up to very nice highs, and tonight it will drop down to the 20’s….burr! The trip was great until we hit the Main Street bridge and requested an opening as the height of the bridge was only 24’ and we need 29’. The biotch bridge tender refused to open the bridge and instead made Barry lower the antennas. This bitch put us in peril! But Mr. Nice Guy complied. He had to leave the helm unattended and climb out to on top of the boat to unhook the antenna while I stood on the bow to catch it as it was coming down. Sea Fox was drifting around by the bridge, unattended. We did get thru with a 3’ excess, but this was totally unnecessary on her part. There was another bridge ahead that would need to be opened so I decided we would just go thru it with me holding the antenna so he did not have to leave the helm again to put it back in place. We made it thru that one with about 1 ½ feet spare. This is the first time we have ever encountered someone as defiant as her. Barry does mention that if you can put the antennas down you must, but I still thought it was very risky. I held the antenna for a good 20 minutes until we finally got to the anchorage about a couple of miles up ahead. Once we stopped it was discovered that there was so much stress put on the wires and insulation that they both broke. I was so tempted to call her and thank her for our anguish! Barry had to repair the wiring, which should not have been something he had to do! Augh!!!! We continued to listen to her on the radio arguing with other boaters about them having enough room to pass. This was so very bad and I cannot believe she can get away with her actions. So, moving on, we do have a very nice spot for the evening and tomorrow just of the ICW canal. Nice to watch all the boats go by and we are also just a dinghy ride away from Halifax Harbor Marina. We finally unleashed the dinghy and were able to take a great ride. We checked out the marina that has a West Marine, restaurants, and access to many other stores. We will head over there tomorrow and explore the town. The marina is absolutely beautiful and is home to many large ships…like 100 footers! Dinner and TV on the agenda soon and beddy bye
December 3, 2008
Wednesday
60’ish
Sunny
Still in Daytona and we head out today to investigate. First some cleaning to be done and that is accomplished by cleaning the aft deck. The isinglass on the inside is cleaned and it makes a big difference. Barry fixed the weak water pressure by removing a piece of plastic in the shower head…God only knows how that got there, but that problem is solved. He thought we had a water pump problem, but not! Thank God again for small favors yet again! We need to wash the outside isinglass prior to 210ing that. It is way to dirty for just 210 cleaner. The diesel fuel makes such a mess by imbedding the windows and stern with soot. We head to the marina and dock the dinghy at the West Marina dinghy dock and venture into town. The sun is shinning and all is well. Such a supreme day! We took a long walk along Beach Street which is the main drag of Daytona. A bit of shopping and a stop at an outdoor café for lunch…Caesar salads with seared Ahi tuna was very nice. As we walk back we come along an embankment along the water and see flamingos, seagulls and a duck. The duck approached us along with the flamingos. They are very friendly and obviously looking for food. They actually came up to us with no fear at all. I will be back tomorrow with bread for them…they were so cool! More strolling to walk off lunch and we head to West Marine for more shopping for provisions for Sea Fox. From Daytona south it is strongly recommended that the dinghy be locked at any marina or landing to ward off theft. It is so sad that we have to do this, but it is a must. We have a lock for the dinghy, but Barry wants chain for other areas where the lock may not be amenable. Lots of stuff purchased at West Marine…Barry’s happy place! We are also looking for a wire shopping cart on wheels that is not available there, but Carl, the manager, feels our pain as he is also a cruiser and offers to go to Walmart after work and buy one for us. We have met many helpful and wonderful people along our venture and he has now been added to our list. We will venture back to the marina tomorrow to pick it up and also feed Daffy the duck and his flamingo friends. Back at the boat we painstakingly download pictures and send emails….2 hours worth of work, but well worth it! It was nice to get another glimpse of our near past adventures. It is nearing 9:00…dinner and bed! Tomorrow will be another wonderful day!
December 4, 2008
Thursday
67* on the bridge
Sunny and warm
1324 engine hours at day’s end
140 gallons of fuel @ $2.57 per gallon
$339.00
Carl from West Marine awakens us with a call that he could not find the grocery cart that we have been looking for at Target or Walmart. Since there is now no real reason to go to the marina by dinghy we decide to move on. Daffy the duck will have to rely on someone else for a handout. We do have to go to Halifax Marina for fuel, oil, water and stuff. We leave the anchorage at 11:00 and head over and do what we need to do. It is a glorious day. Warm, calm and sunny. Our next stop is New Smyrna and a river that
Barry has researched to be a great place. It took a mere 1 ½ hours to get there even with the slow going due to manatee, marina, and home no wake zones. It does not matter. The bridge window is open and it is a superb day. Sunny and warm nearing 80* on the bridge. We reached our destination of Rockhouse Creek and it is lovely spot. There are already 5 other sailboats and not sure we can anchor here. Barry does manage to find space for us. We anchor and clean off the bridge which is the normal routine. All equipment gets put away for the evening. We take off in the dinghy to find a fish market 3 miles up the ICW, but find that it is closed for renovations. Not a problem as we have a lot of other choices for dinner on the boat and the ride here was well worth it. Lots of dolphins playing along the way. A call on the phone alerts us that the security system has been set off. We very quickly find our way back only to find there is nothing wrong and that is a good thing. Zone 1 of the security system is very easily tripped and that is the problem. Barry is going to have to try to tweak that. This is the second time that has happened for no good reason. Directly in front of us we can see the inlet to the ocean and boats passing by. Hoping to head to the beach tomorrow with chairs, umbrella and books if the weather cooperates. I blog, and Barry power naps! Nighty night till tomorrow.
December 5, 2008
Friday
Sunny 63*
Barry is sick this morning after getting text messages regarding the stock market. It is sooo bad. We head to the beach at 10:00. The morning promises full sun, but clouding in the afternoon. We pack the dinghy with chairs, umbrella, cooler and miscellaneous items for the day. It is sunny and the ride is fun. After a bit of contemplation as to where
we should set aground, we decide on a great spot. It is on the beach of a park. We have no idea what the name is as there is no name on any signs in sight. Nice area with bath houses, grills and picnic tables. Every thing anyone would want for a great day at the beach. We parked ourselves in a great space….no one else around….and commenced relaxation. I chose a Nicolas Sparks adventure and Barry vies for Clive Cussler…as usual. The morning was beautiful..so much so that I had to retreat under the umbrella. We need to take the sun one day at a time. We head back to Sea Fox, as the clouds….they are a coming. Still quite warm in spite of the clouds. We retreat to the aft deck and continue the same pattern of reading…this was such a relaxing day. Tuna
sandwiches around 4:00. By 5:00 the bugs are getting to us and we have no choice but to move inside. I have to continue to read. Barry opts for a movie while I finish this book…it was that good. I could not put it down…and you all should pick it up. I love Nicholas Sparks. The book was great. Tomorrow is supposed to continue in the clouds. A good day to travel and move on to yet another wonderful day in the neighborhood.
December 6, 2008
Friday
Cloudy at 9:00
68*
1329 engine hours at day’s end
We move on from New Smyrna Beach to Titusville as there is a market there and we need to replenish. Pasta for dinner last night was good, but very fattening. We shove off at 9:30and the trip was very slow going. This is usually the norm for the weekends. Many people fishing along the waterway, along with the never ending no wake zones for manatees that we have still yet to see. There are even men wading in knee deep water fishing along the way and 5 kts. is the speed of the day. By 11:30 the sun is shinning and it is very warm on the bridge. It is now in the high 70’s. Even when we get the opportunity to speed up there is a trawler ahead of us going about 7 kts. and just cannot seem to get by him as he is either ignoring our requests or just has his radio off. So, so
many dolphins along the way and they are not only swimming but playing with one another rolling around. We actually got sight of their fins because they came so far out of
the water. Way cool, to say the least, and they were our entertainment on this slow going journey. There was suppose to be anchorage at Haulover Creek, but we laughed when we came upon it…maybe anchorage for dinghies! The trip thru Haulover was very cool. It was a long narrow channel lined with pine trees and so many people fishing all along the way. We finally make it to Titusville and are anchored by 1:30…not bad for a 32 mile trip. We drop the dinghy and head to town. First stop is Dixie Crossroad for something to eat. It is world known for their rock shrimp. Lunch was wonderful. We shared rock
shrimp (they are tiny tails and taste much like lobster…delish!) and Pomona fish that was light and buttery…YUM! Off to Save a Lot (only market in walking distance) we go with green bags in hand…thanks Pam…we use them all the time. Picked up some essentials and back to Sea Fox by 5:30. It is still warm, but head inside to blog and check email. Barry has to plot more courses this evening. Night night.
December 7, 2008
Sunday
60’s…chilly
1331 engine hours at day’s end
Still no fuel needed…nice!
We awake to chilly temps this morning. We head out early to 711 for fuel for the dinghy as none of the 3 marinas here have fuel. It is a brisk walk to town, thankfully not too long. It was worse going back to the boat as opposed to coming in as the wind is against us on the way back…but we survive. Barry wanted to explore a neat little island across the way, but with the chop and wind it is not a happening so we are off to another port. We head out at 10:00 with expectations of Eau Gallie. The ride was very nice with not too many no wake zones today. Lots of smooth sailing thru the Indian River. Eau Gallie promises lots of shopping and an historic area to explore…right up my alley. We pull into Banana River around 1:00. There is not much anchorage at all as it has been taken up by many other boats, but manage a spot. There is also limited dockage for the dinghy as the guide tells us so. We settle and head out to explore around 2:00. First an adventure up the Banana River…very nice, large homes and pelicans joining us along the way. We head over to what is supposed to be a beach where we can land the dinghy, but it is a scary thing. There really is no beach and no where to lock up the dinghy. Tying a dinghy to any slip in a marina here is prohibited. Thoughts of going ashore are diminished and we head back to Sea Fox. Better to be safe than sorry. Prior to leaving the boat Barry noticed the shower on the swim platform is leaking…another issue to deal with. He plays around with that while I make polenta and cod fish with cream (yum). Fixing the shower is not going to be a happening. Not good as that was replaced only 2 years ago and we thought we were good to go for a while. Barry hunts for a West Marine (and finds one) where a replacement can be purchased tomorrow. It is very slowly draining the water supply and we cannot afford for that to happen, especially with the water maker not working just yet. The day turned out to be beautiful in spite of impending issues. After all it is a boat (Break Out Another Thousand), but thankfully not this time. Our issue is a minor one and will be repaired soon. That is all for now. Quite evening with another adventure tomorrow…Vero Beach on the horizon.
December 8, 2008
Monday
63*
1335 engine hours at day’s end
Diesel $2.58 per gallon
45 gallons @$118.
Wow, Vero Beach is beautiful. We will spend a couple of days here. It was pretty much smooth cruising all the way. We were up and under way by 7:30. Not too many sailboats to pass and no “no wake zones” other than the usual manatee stuff…still no sightings. It warmed up considerably by 9:00. About ¾ of the way there I headed down to shower as we would be topping of the water tank in Vero Municipal Marina. Want to drain as much water as possible prior to. Also, not too many dolphin sightings today either. We pulled into Vero Beach Marina at approximately noon. We made great time as this was a 40 mile trek, but lots of long legs and no wake zones impeding our journey. We pulled into Vero Marina and there is no anchorage here, as we well knew. Mooring balls or slips only. We choose a ball for $11.00 per night knowing that we may have company as they do a lot of rafting here. We are originally assigned to another boat (from Canada) but there is a free mooring ball right next to them and they allow us to hook up there with the notion that we may not end up alone…that is fine. We have lunch and unleash the dinghy for a ride. The sky is full of sun and it is in the upper 70’s. Great ride all around this place. We took many pictures of birds and even snatched some oyster shells hanging from the mangroves that are all around us. It is wonderful. This marina is very accommodating with laundry facilities (much needed at this point) along with a free bus that will takes us just about anywhere we want to go. We need a new hose for the swim platform shower so we will head to Home Depot for that and it is 3 miles from here. There is also supposed to be shopping, market, etc. We will explore tomorrow. We head back to Sea Fox around 4:00 and find that the marina has assigned another boat to raft with us. William pulls up (captain’s name is Randall) and he is a very nice guy. We help him attach himself to us and all is good. The grill goes up for the first time and chick chick it is for dinner. The sun is finally starting to set at 5:30…simply amazing sunset.
It does not take much persuasion to get Randall to join us for dinner…and in exchange Barry sucks in his wealth of information as he has done this run many times. Good conversation and company for the evening. We have pretty much lost contact with all other cruisers along the way, but notice that Blue Moon and Plumpuppet are on a ball not to far away from us. They were 2 couples that joined us in St. Mary’s for Thanksgiving.
It is an early evening….night to all.
December 9, 2008
Tuesday
Sunny and 80*
It is a beautiful day and around 11:30 we head to the dinghy dock and the GoLine which is a bus that is available to anyone for free and it takes you just about anywhere one would want to be in the Vero Beach area. Nice, very nice. It picked us up at the dinghy dock and we head out on our mission. New hose for the swim platform shower and some more provision for the boat. Our destination is Home Depot for that and then to Publix for some essentials. What could have been a ½ hour journey by car took 4 hours….but it is what it is and we were able to get what we needed. We stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant and consumed probably way too much food, but it was good. We make our way back to Sea Fox and the shower ordeal began. It took a bit of time, but the mission was successful and it no longer drips…for now. Barry is not to confident this will be a true fix, but prevents us from having to turn off the freshwater pump unless we need it and that can be a real pain in the butt. It is still quite warm…so nice. Two more weeks and we will be heading back into the cold for Christmas. Tomorrow Barry will head to West Marine on the GoLine and I will do laundry as there is a Laundromat at the marina and the dirty clothes are accumulating at a fast pace. Time for some TV and bed soon….nighty night.
December 10, 2008
Wednesday
Sunny and 80*
It was supposed to be cloudy today….duh, if this is cloudy bring it on. The sun is shinning and it is another gorgeous day. We leave the boat with laundry onboard the dinghy…masses of it. He jumps on the bus and I head to the laundry area. Five machines are needed for all that has accumulated. Thankfully no one else is there and for the most part I have the room to myself for the duration. At noon Barry returns with provisions in hand and I am just finishing up. We head back to the boat with no room for an ant on the dinghy…it is loaded with stuff. My first need is to arrange the flowers in the vase…a beautiful red and white variety just in time for the season. I have taken to wanting fresh flowers…they are beautiful and last for weeks at a time. The groceries unloaded, laundry put away and great salad for lunch. We took a long dinghy ride to explore more of the area. It truly is a beautiful spot with massive homes all along the water way. When we returned there was time to read a bit on the aft and that was relaxing. The generator is started after 2 days. It really has not been needed until today,
but we are pretty much out of hot water and that will fix that situation. I run the vacuum around to freshen things up. Dinner is next. We have pork tenderloin and chicken marinating and we will have prepared items for the next few days. The forecast for tomorrow is rain….we shall see. We have rainy day projects in line just in case this is true. That is about it for now.
December 11, 2008
Thursday
Cloudy
75*
Our last day in Vero Beach and we will miss this place. It is cloudy and rain is on its way. The grill gets taken in and cleaned and the dinghy pulled up. It is warm and humid…I believe there is 87% humidity…damp and not so good. Wilma, the coconut that we found within the canals we have traveled the past few days, spares her life for a mango, coconut, banana beverage. The drink is quite thick so we thin it out with Korbel champagne that Aunty Ida gave us…it does the trick. The meat of the coconut was not as sweet as we anticipated and put that in the trash….no use eating fat we do not need when it does not meet our expectations. We sit on the aft addressing the few Christmas cards that we will send this year…a far cry from the mass mailing of days gone by. By 1:30 the rain commences and lasts for the entire afternoon…no down pours, but just a steady rain. It gives us time to relax. The day waned very quickly and it is time to head in for the night. We ran the generator for 4 hours today with the hopes of charging the batteries to their max. There is an issue with charging the batteries now due to Wickford Shipyard not keeping the boat hooked up during last winter to keep a charge on the batteries as they promised. They are brand new batteries and should last for 8 years. It should have been a given. They have a full charge by days end, but we shall assess in the morning.
December 12, 2008
Friday
64*
Cloudy
Fuel 111 gal. @ $2.35 per gallon
$261
1342 engine hours at day’s end
We head out at 9:15 and we have no idea as to where, as that will depend on the day’s travel. Barry is not happy with the charge of the batteries as they have dropped below 12 volts over night and that is not good. No wake zones, sailboats, etc…slow us down a bit,
but not too bad! It warms up considerably along the way to the point of bathing suit weather…very warm on the bridge. We stopped at Ft. Pierce for fuel and move on. We are not sure how far we will go today, but I am on a mission to get as far south as possible. We pass thru Ft. Pierce, Jupiter…many gorgeous homes…and on to Palm Beach. We traveled a total of 63 miles today passing under many bridges, all that we were able to get thru without them opening as anal man dropped the antennas. Barry spotted a couple of manatees….finally, as we thought they were a figment of our imagination!! Our destination as 4:00 approaches is Lake Worth. As we approach our last bridge, Lake Worth is a happening. It is gorgeous and a wonderful anchorage for the night. We are all set by 4:45 with the anchor set for the night. Finally, Barry gets in contact with Dick, the water maker guy, and thankfully he offers to meet us in Lake Worth. This saves us from going into a marina for big bucks…probably 3 dollars a foot in this area. This is certainly the home of the rich and famous with mega yachts and mansions all around us. We will scoop him up tomorrow morning so he can make the appropriate repairs and allow us to make water again….a very good thing. So tired at this point….it is time for dinner and down time. Beautiful sunset. Good night for now.
November 13, 2008
Saturday
75*
Partly sunny
We are up early as Barry needs to pick up Dick at 9:00. Nice day, but I wish there was more sun. Stuff to do today. I repaired the dinghy pouch and replaced one of the Velcro straps that was on its last leg. Barry and Dick tweak the water maker and he feels it will work to perfection making 16 gallons per hour…such a relief. When all is done we head to the dinghy dock to head to town for some shopping. There is no dock….but a beach where you just land the dinghy and lock it up. Not fun as everyone is crammed into one spot and they are bow to stern all over the place. Finding a spot was not easy, but we did manage. Palm Beach Gardens is quite lovely with an outside mall full of shops and restaurants. Our first stop is the Habitat Grill for lunch…yummy fish Rubens and fries. Not figure friendly but so good. Very nice wait staff and the chef, Phil, even came out to our table to be sure all was good. We learn that he is originally from Long Island and happy to be here in the warmth. We head to Stein Mart (similar to Marshalls) and make a few purchases for Christmas. I am going to need another bag to bring stuff back home! We also hit Publix for stuff we needed for the boat including Tilapia…now one of our favorites. When Dick and Barry were in transit from the dock Dick filled Barry in on a lot of what is here and who is here. Jack Nicholson has a house and a boat just across the Lake from us. Very small home and boat compared to everything else around us. The boat is about 60 feet and called the Molly Megan. We wonder if he drives it! He is crazy
enough and I would imagine so. Also, Tiger Woods has an estate here that stretches from the ICW to the ocean and paid 38 million for it. He also frequents Palm Beach on his 160 foot yacht called Privacy. Back at the boat we enjoy a few games of Upwords….no dinner as we were still stuffed from our late lunch. Late night as we competed for the winner’s spot. Two to one…Barry’s favor of course.
December 14, 2008
Sunday
75*
Cloudy
Today was supposed to be better than yesterday, but it was not. We hung on the aft deck checking email and then decide to head back to town. Evidently I forgot a pair of jeans and jammies back at Vero Beach Marina as I was doing the laundry…thought we had everything, but not! Back to Stein Mart to try to replace them to no avail…I will have to suffice with other items that I have and that will be fine. Barry is hungry so we decide to dine at the Bonefish Grill. It was a suggestion in the guidebook. Absolutely one of the best meals we have ever had. The sesame-encrusted, seared Ahi was like nothing we have ever had. It just melted in our mouths. We also tried their special crispy
shrimp…outstanding. Barry had a corn and crab chowder that was fabulous. My trout and Barry’s sea bass were the same. Only wish we would be here longer so we could dine there again….so freaking good. Another thing we found about this place is that every establishment is closed no later than 9:00 pm, and that we find it strange but they way they do things here. It is nearing dusk as we get back to the dinghy and head back to Sea Fox. TV and to bed early this evening. Tomorrow we will head for Ft. Lauderdale as Barry has secured a slip for Sea Fox while we are away. It is at Leslie’s….Barry said she was very nice on the phone and she will make arrangements for us to have a slip at her home at the beginning of the week. $400 for the month including the use of her pool and tiki hut sounds nice, although not sure if we will be using the pool at this time of year. It will be nice to have the convenience of a slip and hopefully Pam, Tom, Deanna and Jay will come up from Naples and Marco Island to visit before we leave for home on Tuesday. Time to relax and early to bed so we can have an early departure tomorrow. Night all!
December 15, 2008
Monday
80*
Sunshine galore!
1347 engine hours at day’s end
It is a gorgeous day…prime for traveling. We shove off at 10:30 after Barry has plotted our course. As we past thru South Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and Delray the homes are as before; huge. Still much more home construction going on, but here not too many homes for sale. We traveled 30 miles today thru 10 bridges strategically timed to spend as little time waiting for an opening. We have not seen any dolphins since we entered Palm Beach, nor the infamous manatee. The temperature crept up into the mid 80’s and it was actually hot on the bridge. The water thru the ICW at this point is blue and beautiful and 74*. At the end of our last bridge passing we leave the ICW and enter the Boca Raton River. OMG, and when one thought they had seen it all. These are the most massive homes and properties we have seen so far. I take back Palm Beach being home of the rich and famous….they are all here. We anchor by 4:00 and relax on the aft. Oddly enough, no sunset tonight…strange. That is about it for the day. Nighty night.
December 16, 2008
Tuesday
69*
Cloudy
Not such a great day when we got up, but the day got better as it went along. I cleaned the bridge big time as Barry hunted for birds and fish in books we have that we have seen in the Boca Rotan River. We had intermittent rain until 2:00. As we sat on the aft I saw a fish, unknown, that Barry thought may have been a sailfish, along with a turtle peaking its head out of the water. We showered, had lunch and headed out. The sun was trying to peek thru the clouds as we headed out in the dinghy. We drove over to Silver “something” Park, to hook the dinghy up and take a walk. Along the way we had sightings of a manatee right at the side of the boat along with a white spotted sting ray as we approached the dock. The water in Boca is so clean we can see the bottom with no problem. We head out for our walk to the Palm Plaza which encompasses 100 store fronts….mostly nail salons, restaurants and boutiques. On our way back to the dinghy we stopped in at The Meeting Place. This is an upscale meat market, much like one would find on the Hill. There were so many wonderful offerings that we could not resist. We are not big meat eaters, but there was no way we would leave here without. Two
wonderful cured strip steaks (to the tune of $30 a lb), chicken patties and chicken sausage, along with their mushrooms and green beans in tomato sauce were added to the tab. At the end a sour bread dough loaf of bread is packed on….OMG….so decadent. As we
load on to the dinghy a gentlemen on the dock alerts us to 2 iguanas that are basking in the sun on the fenders of the bridge. Amazing! One of them is somewhat small and green….but, the other is magnificent…yellow and orange in color and at least 4 feet long. So cool. We managed to dinghy up to them and Barry took the best possible shots until the iguana jumped into the water to get away from us in fright! We certainly would not have hurt him….just so great. We head back to Sea Fox, unload the groceries and head out for a ride. We head out to the Boca inlet for and adventure and we certainly get one. Going out was calm, but as soon as we approach the ocean the seas are roaring…so much fun. We encountered 4 foot waves that trashed us big time…so much fun, but a tad scary as we are down on fuel. The current is furious as we have an outgoing tide and an incoming wind. We can go out just so far before needing to turn back and we are drenched and the dinghy is full of water. I drive and Barry bails. Love it, love it, and love it. So much fun being in those seas in the dinghy. It reminds me of a time we were in Cutty Hunk, MA doing the same thing. On our way back the rain begins to fall again. Whatever, as it is warm and who cares about the rain. It is a light rain and washes the salt off us from the crashing waves. We are not going to find this in the Bahamas, so need to enjoy this here. We have to head back due to being low on fuel….we hang on the upper aft for a while. Sunsets are not a happening here probably due to the tall condos that are to our west. We head down to set up for the beef feast. It was great, although I would prefer fish. It was good, but not sure $44 dollars worth….oh well. I preferred the grilled peppers and sweet potatoes. It is still a wonderful evening…at 75*, and who would possibly complain. Nighty night for now and Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow and getting closer to returning home to family and friends for Christmas….
December 17, 2008
Tuesday
80*
Sunny
1350 engine hours at day’s end
It is a beautiful day again and we head out at 10:00 with our sights set on Ft. Lauderdale. As the day progresses it gets hotter and hotter with a temp of 100* on the bridge. We took out the fan for the first time…very much needed today. On our way we receive a call from Leslie with bad news that the slip she was preparing for us is no longer available. Evidently, the boat that is there has not paid her for the last 3 months and she has not received payment and he has not moved the boat as he promised her yesterday. She is putting a lien on the boat and it cannot be moved. She did refer a boat broker to us who will search for another spot for us. Many manatee sightings today, especially at the NE 14th St Bridge where we had the great opportunity to see a family of 3. They travel very slowly so we are able to great a view. I began calling marinas as alternatives and
the costs were astronomical. More than triple of what we would have paid at Leslie’s. Mike, the broker, finally gets back to us with another option and we scoop it up very thankfully. We still need a slip somewhere for tonight and tomorrow night as Chet is coming to fix the fuel polishing system. The city marinas are the best rate and decide on one on New River. Let me not forget to mention more and more massive homes and mega yachts along the way. New River is amazing with more and more mega yachts tied up to docks all along the way. We are looking for Cooley’s Marina, which is one of the city marinas. Totally unbeknownst to us New River IS one of the marinas. There are 4 separate areas we could have been in and our spot is in front of Lady Lucille, dock space 75. We had no idea and I am sure Barry is not too much of a happy camper. He prefers simple and quiet. There is boat traffic up and down this river with boats/yachts docked on either side. I think it is spectacular. There are also water taxis bringing people to all of the attractions available. Many of the yachts are decorated for Christmas with lights galore. We are on the river with so much going on. Shopping and restaurants are all along the River Walk and there is so much to see. This also is a very popular place for the locals to walk their dogs, and there are so many doing it. We even met John, originally from Providence, walking Lexy. This is a great spot! Mike comes a while after to pick us up to check out Sea Fox’s dockage and to meet Bob the owner. The slip will work and Bob is great…this will be a good, safe place for the boat while we are gone. Back at the boat we relax for the remainder of the evening….
December 18, 2008
Wednesday
75*
Partly Sunny
Barry is finally getting acclimated to being on the river. It is so cool. Mega yachts just cruising by all day long trying to manipulate the 80 foot wide river is quite a feat. Now he is liking it, especially when the alternative will be sitting on the boat in Bob’s backyard! Today is boat cleaning day. We gave Sea Fox a well-deserved bath and also waxed the transom. She sparkles and we love it. The transom waxing has been a long time coming. Chet and partner showed up at 4:30 with regards to the fuel polishing system and gave Barry guidance on what needs to be done. About a 4 hour, dirty job that he is not looking forward to. His hope was that they would DO the job….but not. Maybe something we can do while we are in Bob’s backyard. Augh! Tomorrow we head to the confines of Bob’s backyard and really not looking forward to that. Lexy comes to visit Aunty Paula at least twice daily to give me some kisses….she is so cute.
December 19, 2008
Thursday
80*
Sunny
We took a great dinghy ride down the river to check things out. It is really so nice here. Yachts line the entire river with other boats similar to Sea Fox tucked in here and there. We found a fuel station and filled up the container for the dinghy as we will still want to cruise around while at Bob’s. Time is creeping up on us as to departure. It is a bright sunny day as we head back to Sea Fox to prepare. Lexy and John came by to say good bye and we are off in search of the “back yard.” Stopped at a pump out and got that taken care of. Our new home is not far from New River and we can probably travel back there by dinghy. With not much ado we set up at the dock and relax for the remainder of the day. It is an okay spot with lots of iguanas around to entertain us and the boat certainly will be safe here and that is our main concern.
December 20-22, 2008
Sunny every day
75*-92*
We have spent the last few days restocking the boat, pickling the water maker and a great afternoon riding around in the dinghy. The iguanas are remarkable and Barry loves taking pictures of them. They are everywhere along the river walls, docks, and even bows of boats sunning themselves. We decided to restock the boat when a trip to Wal-Mart cost $50 round trip via taxi. Lots of dollars spent, but we should be good to go as far as food and booze is concerned when we return to head for the Keys. Pickling the water maker means it will be ready to run when we return and Bob will not have to come onto the boat to back flush the system every couple of days…something Barry really did not want to bother him with. That is all for now. Today we will pack and finish up odds and ends around the boat and perhaps another dinghy ride. So long for now, and for those we do not get to see on our trip back home we wish all a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year!
