Florida!

But first...

Well, it turns out that we’re not very reliable bloggers.  There are some gaping holes in our account that may or may not ever be filled.  Suffice it to say that we spent a weekend in Charleston after Masonboro, then sailed down to Hilton Head Island to visit our friends Judy and Bob Powell.  We arrived in HHI just ahead of a cold snap that saw temps drop to the low 30’s on the boat!  Judy and Bob were kind enough to offer Ken’s mom, Marie, a cozy guest room and she quickly warmed (no pun intended) to the idea.  Walks on the beach, lunch at the yacht club, and an afternoon at the coastal museum gave us a taste of the island, then and now.  We watched the old Jon Voight movie, Konrack, in honor of the Gullah people who settled these islands, and enjoyed two nights of fresh-caught shrimp.  Our friends pampered us silly and we left with warm feelings and promises of a rendez-vous; along with a full fridge and clean laundry (two of our in-port priorities!).   Marie stayed behind and flew home to Fresno the next day with assurances that she will rejoin us in the Bahamas at some point. 

Boat Monkey

Lovely Charleston home

Swing bridge coming into Charleston

Beautiful Hilton Head

Marie, Ken, J, Bob, and Judy

Bob and Ken trying on their "captain" hats

Sculpture at the Coastal Center

24hrs On the Ocean

We left HHI knowing we’d spend the next 24 hours out on the ocean. The wind wasn’t overly cooperative, but at least it wasn’t howling.  The full moon was obscured by clouds, but lightened up the sky considerably.  We wound up motoring for much of the trip with Ken taking the late night watch until 2AM before I took over until 6AM.  The highlight of the trip, for me, came around 3AM when I bent down to take in the jib sheet and a dolphin surfaced just 2' away from my hands.  It was comforting to know that there were other travelers at that hour!  We arrived mid-morning on Sunday, 11/17, with time enough to go ashore and tour the fort (Castillo de San Marcos) that afternoon.  St. Augustine is lovely and its Spanish history is evident in its architecture.  We were glad to have had the opportunity to get ashore that day as it began to rain on Monday as a front moved through.  

Cannons at the Castillo

Castillo de San Marcos from the water

Manatees, Dolphins and Rays – oh My!

We gave up waiting for good weather and left St. Augustine that Wednesday with a blustery breeze at our stern, resigned to a couple of days on the ICW.  The trip down to Melbourne was beautiful and a chance to experience “Old Florida;” the part of Florida that most people never see and which keeps me coming back for more. 

The Matanzas River was new territory for me and I was constantly scanning the water and shoreline for wading birds, dolphins, and manatees; and the beautiful vistas of hammocks, marsh, and cypress.  A short cut across the Haulover Canal and we were in the Indian River and the home stretch to Melbourne.  We arrived Thursday evening, 11/21, and anchored by the Pineda Causeway Bridge. 

It’s All Relative

My brother, Joe, picked us up the next morning and we spent a long weekend with him, my sister-in-law Debbie, niece Amanda, and great-nephew Ethan.  Jeanette was in kid heaven, having a cousin her own age to play with after several weeks of adult company.   It was difficult peeling them apart at the end of each day!  On Saturday, we decided to move the boat down to a marina in Eau Gallie because of a big blow forecast to move through the area.  Joe, Debbie, and my cousin and his wife, Jim and Pam Wheble, joined us for the short sail down river.  The wind was light, but we were in no hurry (for once!) and savored the tranquility of the river and the fun of being together as we skimmed along.  Sunday was a double birthday celebration – Ethan’s (the Thanksgiving baby) and an early preview of Jeanette’s (our New Year’s Eve girl).  It was difficult saying good-bye to the warmth of so much family after having been en route for so long, but we were eager to make more progress south so that we could position ourselves for the crossing. 

Joe, Pam, Debbie, and Jim

Jeanette and Ethan with his favorite gift!

Doing the ICW the Hard Way

We left early Monday morning, 11/25, with 30 kts of wind behind us, and squalls lining the horizon.  It was a wet ride down the Indian River to Fort Pierce, where we anchored in strong winds and spent a rolly night.  We weighed anchor at first light, with the wind finally abating and I caught sight of a spinner shark in mid-air as we pulled out of the anchorage.  The weather gradually cleared and by the time we were south of St. Lucie Inlet, the sun was breaking through and shining on emerald green water.  Hammocks and mangroves were slowly replaced with mansions and soon we were gawking at the homes that line the ICW as it passes Jupiter Island and the North Palm Beach area.  We slipped into Old Port Cove Marina in time for dinner with Joe and Debbie, who were in the area for business.  Our location also gave us a chance to catch up with my friend Dede, spend time with my brothers Chris and Phil, Chris' wife Debbie and son Bobby, and share a wonderful Thanksgiving with even more family!

Jupiter Lighthouse

Dad, Connie, Matt, Carmen, Becky, Mike, Ken, Debbie, Chris, and Beth

Hollywood, Here We Come!

After a week of rubbing elbows with the Beautiful People in North Palm Beach, we headed south on the 2^nd to Hollywood, my childhood home.  We left N. Palm on a picture-perfect morning – the kind of day that sells beachfront condos to Snowbirds.  We passed Peanut Island and marveled at the clarity of the water and the sea life beneath us.  Lake Worth was a hodge-podge of gorgeous yachts and abandoned derelicts, their fuzzy skirts revealing time spent too long at anchor.  Leaving Lake Worth Inlet, we trailed behind a luxury motor yacht with a helicopter buzzing close and hovering at all angles to catch the perfect shot.  Later, coming through Port Everglades, we passed another mega-yacht with a sizeable “sailing dinghy” on board. 

Florida has been a wonderful respite, with long weekends spent with friends and family and warm days for fun and, of course, boat chores.  I’ve managed to connect with a few of my long-time friends here and have soaked up the companionship and comfort of friends who’ve known me through good times and bad.   No matter how many years pass, we always pick up right where we left off.  For the past week, we’ve been anchored in South Lake.  The homes, many of them quite modest, are beautiful here, framed by lush foliage and open to the east and south for the best breezes.  We’ve been sharing the lake with a French Canadian couple on their 60’ trawler and a solo sailor on his 30’ sloop – 2 sides of the cruising coin.  It’s been fun practicing my French and getting tips on how to make “the crossing: (i.e., crossing the Gulf Stream) from a regular.  

There is no dinghy landing on this lake, so we must take a 10-minute ride under the bridge (Hollywood Blvd.) to North Lake and the public boat ramp.  From there, it’s a short walk to my dad’s house and it’s been great having this time to spend with him and Connie.  We’ve had fun decorating the house for Christmas – something Jeanette and I have sorely missed this year.  While I brought a few ornaments for the boat, it’s not the same as making the trek to Jones Family Farms for a live Christmas tree and a case of wine.  Still, we’ve opened the door to new rituals and I suspect we’ll be stringing up decorated shells and finding novel ways to celebrate the holidays in warmer climes. 

Luxury Yacht photo shoot

Cerulean blue water

...with a little sailing dinghy "tumor" in its side

Anchored in South Lake, Hollywood

An old Hollywood institution

Bahamas Beckon

The northerly winds have abated, for now, and the gentle southerlies that filled in their place served to usher out the rain and calm the seas.  Ideal sailing weather continues to evade us, however, and we have been forced to motor sail for much of our time here.  Still, the sight of so much wildlife – dolphins, leopard rays, flying fish – and the gorgeous water – aquamarine, jade green, cerulean blue – have more than made up for any disappointment.   Our plans are revised daily as the forecast changes, but it looks like we’ll be heading down to No Name Harbor in Biscayne Bay on Thursday and then make the crossing to Cat Cay or Bimini on Sunday.