31-MAR-2021 Wednesday Titusville Municipal Marina, Titusville, FL (0.0329 nautical miles 0.0379 statute miles)
28°37’16.8″N 80°48’35.2″W 28.621332, -80.809771 Elevation: sea level States (1): Florida
Good Morning
Along the Way
Severe weather, winds and rain, is forecasted for the next couple of days so decided to stay in the marina till Saturday. To do so we needed to move to a new slip two docks down. We moved diagonally about 1.9 seconds of latitude and 3.5 seconds of longitude (about 200 feet).
Fresh off the dinghy dock…
‘leaf blower’ sized gas motor
pre 1950’s antique gas motor
Neighbors
A brand new flag. Day 1 on the Loop for MS Hanne.
Easter decorations
Nauti Words
28°37’16.8″N 80°48’35.2″W [latitude] [longitude]
Latitude is the measurement north or south of the equator. One degree of latitude equals approximately 364,000 feet (~69 miles), one minute equals 6,068 feet (~1.15 miles), and one-second equals ~101 feet.
Longitude is the measurement east or west of the prime meridian. At the equator, one degree of longitude is the same as one degree of latitude (~69 miles). But it decreases as you move closer to the north or south pole. The distance corresponding to a second of longitude depends on where it is geographically located.
Drolleries and Yuks
Why doesn’t James bond fart in bed? ~It would blow his cover
30-MAR-2021 Tuesday – Tom and Ninette’s, Merritt Island, FL to Titusville Municipal Marina, Titusville, FL (24.8 nautical miles 28.5 statute miles)
28°37’14.9″N 80°48’31.7″W 28.620804, -80.808799 Elevation: sea level States (1): Florida
When Tom the landlord walked down his dock this morning at 8:30am I thought for sure we were being evicted. Heck! We got invited for breakfast!
There was a lot of serious boating talk over breakfast. It was decided Tom, Jeff and Toni were coming with us to Titusville. Ninette said she would pick them up after her appointment.
Along the Way
With a talented crew and experienced navigators on board we headed out up the Banana River.
Toni, Jeff and Dale
Dale and Tom
Goodbye Cape Canaveral till next Fall
Closed Sea Ray factory on the Canaveral Boat Canal
Tiki Boat
Plane Crazy Jeff at the helm
We are being chased by the tiki boat. They must have thought we needed a drink.
God Bless America
New tiki bar in progress
777 Tom at the helm into the Indian River
Best low tech flight deck Tom’s ever seen
This boat must have been on a sea trial test drive. It blew by us then turned doughnuts on our wake.
NASA Causeway greeting committee
side runners
Going into Titusville Municipal Marina was a breeze with the best crew we’ve ever had! I just stood by and watched Toni and Jeff man the fenders and lines, just like they handle their 4587 Bayliner.
Goodbye Ninette, Tom, Toni and Jeff. It was fun.
Neighbors
For real, Pretty Lady is a live aboard boat.
barnacled scuba hose
Working on a windlass. All the anchor rode is pulled out.
Good Night
A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway
Ponder this
People with beards are just the same as people without beards, with beards.
29-MAR-2021 Monday – Tom and Ninette’s dock, Merritt Island, FL (0 nautical miles 0 statute miles)
28°18’44.6″N 80°39’26.7″W 28.312398, -80.657419 Elevation: sea level States (1): Florida
Along the Way
Breakfast on yes dear…
Paul, Jeff and Toni
Micki, Tom and Ninette
Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Paul and Micki as they were off to visit other friends on the other coast of Florida. We are looking forward to having them back when we are further up the ICW.
Tom and Ninette’s dock is another one of those velcro docks. Once the lines were tied yesterday we knew it was going to be hard to leave. Since Tom said he liked seeing a boat off his dock, we stayed another night.
A Florida man lives here
Thank you Tom and Ninette!!!
Drolleries and Yuks
What do you call a hotel on the ocean? ~A Marri-Yacht
28-MAR-2021 Sunday – Port Canaveral Yacht Club, Port Canaveral, FL to Tom and Ninette’s, Merritt Island, FL (13.2 nautical miles 15.2 statute miles)
28°18’44.6″N 80°39’26.7″W 28.312398, -80.657419 Elevation: sea level States (1): Florida
27-MAR-2021 Saturday – Port Canaveral Yacht Club, Port Canaveral, FL (0 nautical miles 0 statute miles)
28°24’26.2″N 80°37’43.9″W 28.407282, -80.628856 Elevation: sea level States (1): Florida
Along the Way
We were delighted to have Paul and Micki, friends from Twin Cities Marina, Inver Grove Heights, MN, stop by to visit us for the weekend!
We’d planned anchoring out but Jeff’s neighbor on the Banana River (east side of Merritt Island) invited us down to spend the night on his dock. He wanted to see if a boat our size could get into the dock and fit. If it didn’t fit we could still anchor out.
But first we needed to check out Port Canaveral inlet.
Micki, Dale, Paul heading out!
Top of a submarine
Trident Wharf used by U.S. Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines
entrance to submarine pen
1,200 passenger Victory I Casino Cruise ship. Gambling can’t start until the boat is three miles off the coast
Port Canaveral Jetty
A Micky Mouse perspective – Port Canaveral inlet
This is what it would look like if you came into Port Canaveral on one of the Disney ships.
Having swapped out yes dear…’s bent props earlier this week for the set we have on now, we looked like we had never locked before in our entire life as we locked through Cape Canaveral lock. The back-up set of props has the same pitch as the ones we took off but are slightly larger. The extra .5 inches makes a huge difference maneuvering at slower speeds. Neutral speed is much faster with our back-up set of props on, making it harder to finesse the boat docking or in close quarters.
We ran cautiously on the Banana River as there are no formally marked channels and the water is shallow. The ICW follows the Indian River on the west side of Merritt Island. Any traffic heading to Cape Canaveral cuts across on the Canaveral Barge Canal, as we had traveled before.
We did look good at the end of Tom and Ninette’s dock.
(Argh! I took pictures with my phone and accidently deleted them.)
Neighbors
Toni, next door, LOVES Halloween. She literally has a skeleton in her closet.
(Thx for sending me the picture Paul)
Why are skeletons so calm? ~Nothing gets under their skin.
Just Bananas
In spite of its name, the Banana River is not actually a river with a directional current. It is a 31 mile long lagoon where the water’s movement is provided by wind.
Banana River lagoon supports the largest pelican rookery on the Atlantic Coast.
Captain Mills Olcott Burnham was appointed as the Cape Canaveral lighthouse keeper in July 1853. He named the Banana River after the wild bananas that grew along its banks.
The presence or consumption of bananas is universally regarded as inviting terrible luck, especially on ships or fishing boats. At the height of the trading empire between Spain and the Caribbean in the 1700’s, most cases of disappearing ships happened to be carrying a cargo of bananas at the time. Captains of charter fishing boats are especially superstitious.
26-MAR-2021 Friday – Port Canaveral Yacht Club, Port Canaveral, FL (0 nautical miles 0 statute miles)
28°24’26.2″N 80°37’43.9″W 28.407282, -80.628856 Elevation: sea level States (1): Florida
Along the Way
Earlier in the week Dale received a surprising phone call. It was from Jeff, the owner of yes dear…’s 4587 Bayliner sistership Plane Crazy.
Jeff and his wife Toni had been at Holly Bluff Marina on the St John’s River when we had passed through last week. They had seen yes dear… We briefly met Jeff several years ago while cruising in the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior and exchanged numbers. When Jeff saw the Minnesota port of call on the transom of our boat he had to check it out. There aren’t a lot of 4587 Bayliners as they were only produced for only two years during the mid-1990s.
The unlikely chance occurrence continued. Jeff and Toni have a house in Merritt Island so we invited them over to see yes dear… Jeff is the original owner of Plane Crazy. He and his friends Bill/Yvonne bought new, identical 4587 Bayliners and had them delivered to Duluth. The boats are 1 serial number apart! Yes Dear…’s original name was Moonlight 5. (When Bill died Moonlight 5 was sold to Paul/Andrea who renamed her to Andreas Fault. We bought the boat from Paul/Andrea, renaming her to yes dear…)
Toni and Jeff
It was so much fun having Jeff and Toni over. Toni’s first comment was ‘Your boat looks exactly like our boat!’ While the men crawled around the engine room and helm while Toni and I went through the pantries and cupboards sharing ideas and swapping stories.
Both boats have the same quirks! I suppose it’s like identical twins having the same mole. The drawer under the refrigerator won’t stay closed in waves, the back step needs to be squeegeed because the boat occasionally lists to the port so water doesn’t drain out the scupper, transmissions don’t line up even when both engines are running the same RPMs………
Transmissions don’t line up even when both engines are running the same RPMs
The coincidences were not yet finished. When we out for supper we ran into Ryan, the grandson of yes dear…’s original owner. Jeff and Toni knew him. Ryan was on vacation down here in Cape Canaveral. He said he remembered the first time he was on Moonlight 5, age 12 at Washington Island.
Mary’s bright idea was to take a picture with Ryan
23-25 MAR-2021 Tuesday-Thursday – Port Canaveral Yacht Club, Port Canaveral, FL (0 nautical miles 0 statute miles)
28°24’26.2″N 80°37’43.9″W 28.407282, -80.628856 Elevation: sea level States (1): Florida
Being back at Port Canaveral Yacht Club gave us time do a little cleaning, run a few errands, do a little paperwork and sit around enjoying life.
Along the Way
When we left Minnesota I thought I’d never be scraping ice again in my entire life. Wrong.
I’m most of the way through ice off.
One of our errands was to buy a new power pack for the dinghy lift. Our old 650 amps power pack was replaced with a new 900 amps power pack. Hang on Mooch! The lift cable is going to look like a giant spaghetti noodle being sucked in.
I can’t wait to try sucking up The Mooch using the new dinghy lift power pack.
Neighbors
I was told his name is Stanley
Our neighbors to the north threw one hell of a party Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday, March 24 at 4:28 a.m. EDT, SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This was the sixth launch and landing of this Falcon 9 first stage booster.
Floccinaucinihilipilification
The City of Cape Canaveral hasn’t always been named City of Cape Canaveral.
A post office was built in the area of Cape Canaveral and listed in the US Post Office application as Artesia, FL. It retained this name from 1893 to 1954. It then went into service for Port Canaveral from 1954 to 1962, and lastly renamed to the City of Cape Canaveral around 1962-1963, when a larger post office was built.
Speaking of name changes…
From 1963 to 1973, the geographical area of Cape Canaveral had a different name when US President Lyndon Johnson by executive order renamed the area “Cape Kennedy” after President John F. Kennedy. After Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, suggested to President Johnson that renaming the Cape Canaveral facility would be an appropriate memorial. President Kennedy had set a goal of landing a man on the moon. Johnson recommended the renaming of the entire cape, announced in a televised address six days after the assassination. Accordingly, Cape Canaveral was officially renamed Cape Kennedy.
Although the name change was approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names of the Department of the Interior in December 1963, it was not popular in Florida, especially in the bordering city of Cape Canaveral. In 1973, the Florida Legislature passed a law restoring the former 400-year-old name, and the Board went along. The name restoration to Cape Canaveral became official on October 9, 1973. The Kennedy family issued a letter stating they “understood the decision”. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center retains the “Kennedy” name.
Drolleries and Yuks
Did you hear about the worker at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center that wanted to make a sandwich? ~He went to the deli to buy some launchin’ meat.
20-MAR-2021 Saturday – Ted Porter Park, Ormond Beach, FL to Callalisa Creek, New Symrna, FL (23.1 nautical miles 26.6 statute miles)
29°00’57.7″N 80°54’44.4″W 29.016028, -80.912330 Elevation: sea level States (1): Florida
We danced on the anchor all night long. Wind and waves. The apex of the wind is RIGHT HERE where we are and it’s heading south. We too are heading south.
Windy app
Our weather station agreed with Windy. 24mph Dis Gusting to 29 mph
Along the Way
First things first. Off to get my covid-19 vaccine in the wind and the rain and the waves.
Dale lent me his FrogTogs rain suit.
Bruce helped us off yes dear… and into The Mooch
We are on our way
It was a little over a mile walk in the wind and drizzle. Other than ‘the shot’, getting the vaccine was practically painless.
Thanks Lisa!
Back to The Mooch then on our way to yes dear… (in the background)
It was an ugly run on the ICW. The wind continued to build. We have all turned into Floridians and have Florida blood. It’s 57 degrees and we all are totally freezing cold.
We towed The Mooch as we didn’t trust the dinghy lift power pack to completely lift The Mooch without running out of power. It would have been a real bummer to have The Mooch stuck hanging only half way up in this wind.
AAAAAAAARRRRRRRHHHHHHHHH! We hard grounded as we pull into an anchorage. The chart says 12 feet. We plowed into a sand bar at 7.3 knots, stuck hard in about 1.5 feet of water with waves on the beam.
Inspecting our situation using Google maps, we could see from satellite view that the charted river channel had relocated. The channel (white area above) moved where the shallow (blue area above), close to the island in the picture below. (We typically don’t use Google maps when we’re traveling. Up till now we’ve always been fine with charts. We do use Google maps to check out marinas before we go in.)
yes dear… is the red dot. The new channel is along bottom.
TowBoatUS was called. TowBoatUS is kinda like AAA but for boats.
Our hero arrived
TowBoatUS scoped out the water around yes dear... to determined which direction was best for pulling us clear. LOL He temporarily got stuck on the sand bar too while checking out our port side. It was a little harry for a while. The best approach was to put two lines on the stern and pull straight back.
Tow lines were dragged close to yes dear… We snagged them with our boat hook then hooked them on the stern cleats
line was tighted
and off we went. Very slowly.
I’ve had it with the weather! It’s going to be a rough night.
The wind is Dis Gusting up to 37 mph, holding at 26.
Good night.
Oh yah. There was a loud cluck about 10pm. The anchor bridle broke, frayed through. Let’s just say I got to try out my gripping hitch skills in the wind, the rain, the waves, the cold and the dark.
DIS GUSTING
Ask Doctor Science
What kind of plant is this?
pterodactyl of paradise
The plant is called a ‘pterodactyl of paradise’. It is thought to be an extinct ancestor of the ‘bird of paradise’ plant.
The pterodactyl of paradise (a.k.a. for real strelitzia nicolai, giant white bird of paradise or wild banana) is a species of banana-like plants with erect woody stems reaching a height of 20 to 30 feet, and the clumps formed can spread as far as 12 feet.
19-MAR-2021 Thursday – St. Augustine Municipal Marina, Matanzas Bay, St. Augustine, FL to Ted Porter Park, Ormond Beach, FL (39.9 nautical miles 45.9 statute miles)
29°53’02.7″N 81°18’17.0″W 29.884086, -81.304726 Elevation: 0 feet States (1): Florida
Along the Way
I’m back to being ‘just a pretty face’. Everyone else is working.
Dale checking oil
Dianna cooking and doing dishes
pump out boat guy pumping our black water septic (poop)
Bruce helping lift the Mooch
Me?
I painted my toe nails (but not very well)
If you were paying attention in the pump out photo you’d have noticed The Mooch ‘hanging out’. The battery charger Dale uses to run the lift crapped out. It is at EOL, end of life.
I proposed a burial at sea for the charger but Dale wouldn’t let me. He claimed something about pollution??? Fake news.
He’s got himself a dinghy
Now that’s a boat house
Practically Perfect Park
Last Wednesday I scored a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 appointment for tomorrow, Saturday. It was the first time over 60 year olds could sign up in Florida. By the time is was my turn options and locations were limited. I was hopping for near Cape Canaveral where our condo is. Luckily, Publix at Ormond Beach on the ICW had an opening so I grabbed.
Ted Porter Park, Ormond Beach, FL
Tomorrow I’ll dinghy into the park and walk a little over a mile to Publix for my shot.
Drolleris and Yuks
Did you hear the joke about the germ? ~Never mind, I don’t want to spread it around.
What should you do if you don’t understand a coronavirus joke? ~Be patient.
Ponder This
You know what they say: feed a cold, starve a fever, drink a corona.
18-MAR-2021 Wednesday – St. Augustine Municipal Marina, Matanzas Bay, St. Augustine, FL to (0 nautical miles 0 statute miles)
29°53’02.7″N 81°18’17.0″W 29.884086, -81.304726 Elevation: 0 feet States (1): Florida
We’re killing time for a day. Yesterday morning I was able to score a J&J COVID-19 vaccine at Publix for Saturday, March 20 in Ormand Beach, Florida. Florida just opened up vaccines for 60 and older last Monday. Ormand Beach is on our ICW path back to Cape Canaveral. Being true senior citizens (over 65), Dianna, Bruce and Dale have had their first Moderna shot and are getting their second one shot next week.
St Augustine is as good a place as any to kill time. Actually, it’s a pretty cool town.
Along the Way
Camo rain gear. Dianna was afraid she was going to get wet taking The Mooch to the dinghy dock.
Heaven’s Door???? Too much time on a mooring ball.
Example of how a boat is tied to a mooring ball. The boat’s lines are tied to the end of the pennant (the small ball-like thing close to the boat).
Foldable dinghies intrigue me.
enough said
WOW! They have an actual AGLCA burgee cover. They don’t use a sock.
There are a lot of homeless people in St Augustine. I was pretty impressed with this set-up. I didn’t realize there were 2 people sleeping under the blanket until after I had taken the picture. Dale pointed it out to me.
The town is filled with art galleries and quaint shops.
We found the Gold Finch painting!!!! (‘The Goldfinch’ by Donna Tartt is a good read)
Not in our house!!! Absolutely no pictures of crab trap fisherman.
A day late for St Patrick’s Day
I had to go in the store to see what other mer people were for sale.
Bridge of Lions lions
COVID-19 Trolly
We returned to yes dear… about 2:30pm due to the high winds and predicted rain.
Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354 – 430) was an Algerian-Roman philosopher and theologian of the late Roman / early Medieval period. He is one of the most important early figures in the development of Western Christianity, and was a major figure in bringing Christianity to dominance in the previously pagan Roman Empire.
Augustine believed a physical Hell exists, but that physical punishment is secondary to the punishment of being separated from God. He proposed humans have free will, and only those who choose to follow God will be forgiven and able to avoid Hell. He also proposed Adam and Eve’s choice to sin was free choice, and that humans are left unable to resist sin.
Augustine maintained that humans can only be saved from original sin if they choose to receive the grace of Jesus Christ, and that this choice is formed by the character of individual humans. Augustine proposed that those who choose God’s grace will still go to Hell for a time to purge them of their sin, before going to Heaven.
Drolleries and Yuks
St Augustine was a pirate’s town too.
Why don’t pirates shower before they walk the plank? ~Because they’ll just wash up on shore later.
Why is pirating so addictive? ~They say once ye lose yer first hand, ye get hooked!
What has 8 legs, 8 arms, and 8 eyes? ~8 pirates.
What do ye call a pirate with two eyes and two legs? ~A rookie
Where can ye find a pirate who has lost his wooden legs? ~Right where ye left him.
17-MAR-2021 Wednesday – Ortega River Marina, Ortega River, Jacksonville, FL to St. Augustine Municipal Marina, Matanzas Bay, St. Augustine, FL (55.1 nautical miles 63.4 statute miles)
29°53’02.7″N 81°18’17.0″W 29.884086, -81.304726 Elevation: 0 feet States (1): Florida
Happy St Patrick’s Day
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields, And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Along the Way
Fuel Tanker
I doubt this is sea worthy
More Toyotas. Backing out.
No room to turn around. Assistance backing out of the channel.
Just a push
walking the plank
just watching
Amazing. Over 1600 rmp no wake
life boat
Looking at lifeboats made me think of Tom Hanks in the movie Captain Phillips.
BIG drop
more practical approach
Interesting. Ectasea yacth of navy ship. Wonder why it is in the navy ship yard. Impounded from a Russian oligarch??
Wind in the spinnaker sail
volcano roof
Anchorage
We sprung for mooring balls tonight instead of a slip. I hate mooring balls because they can be hard to catch. yes dear… has a lot of free board (5ft) and the mooring ball pennant lines are short scoped. Dale did an amazing job bringing us in with the wind!
Mooring ball with the burgee in full blow.
Put a sock on it
The wind makes the burgee chatter too loudly to sleep in the bow V-berth. I put a sock on it so Bruce and Diana can sleep tonight.
PIRATES!!!!!!
OMG He’s going to attack!
The cannon ball missed
Return fire! See the smoke?
Around to the port for a second attack
This commercial has been brought to you by Robalo boats
Retreat!!!!! (Check out the flag)
Nauti Notes
St Augustine Municipal Marina’s mooring ball cheat sheet. We tied with two lines through the eye.
Drolleries and Yuks
When does a leprechaun cross the road? ~When it turns green!
Why did the leprechaun climb over the rainbow? ~To get to the other side!
What do you call a leprechaun who broke the law? ~A lepre-con!
How can you tell if a leprechaun likes your joke? ~He’s Dublin over with laughter!
16-MAR-2021 Tuesday – Corky Bell’s Restaurant, Gator Landing, East Palatka, Florida to Ortega River Marina, Ortega River, Jacksonville, FL (51.5 nautical miles 59.3 statute miles)
30°16’32.8″N 81°42’58.1″W 30.275774, -81.716136 Elevation: 0 feet States (1): Florida
Along the Way
fueling
Proving Dale wrong. Not just a pretty face. Handy too.
OMG. I never knew how popular Chick-fil-A is.
There must be 40+ cars in this double/triple car line!!!
A whole grocery store end cap is JUST Chick-fil-A
Ask Doctor Science (Tobin version)
Why is river water tan colored?
River water is tan colored because it is indeed tan. The scientific term for this is ‘tannin’. Sun on the water turns individual water molecules tan, just like the sun turns your skin tan. The use of boat motors are encouraged as it helps churn the water to ensure the river is evenly tanned.
If you haven’t heard of ‘Ask Dr Science’ on NPR, Google him.
Drolleries and Yuks
What happens if a leprechaun falls into the ocean? ~He gets wet, of course.
Why shouldn’t you borrow money from a leprechaun? ~Because they’re always a little short.
Do leprechauns make good secretaries? ~Sure, they’re great at shorthand!
15-MAR-2021 Monday – Lundgren Island, Astor, FL to Corky Bell’s Restaurant, Gator Landing, East Palatka, Florida (41.5 nautical miles 47.8 statute miles)
29°38’39.6″N 81°36’12.9″W 29.644339, -81.603570 Elevation: 0 feet States (1): Florida
Along the Way
Lots of fixer uppers in need of fixer up.
Nature made organic, thatched roofs 😉
Looks like the sea hawks put this roof on.
new growth
four fishing poles and check out his net
She’s just in the boat to keep him company. Hope she has a good book.
Crabbing on Lake George river mile 117, quite a ways from the Atlantic.
he’s got himself a mouth full
houseboat life
We had to stop at Corky Bell’s for supper at statute river mile 81. It’s a Looper thing.
1000lbs stuff fish of some kind
Largemouth lack bass 22lbs 4oz caught in 1932
spotted eagle ray and sea turtle
sign from the parking lot
This is Harold
Harold and his group have been meeting here 4-5 times a week for the past 15 years. The group size ranges daily from 10 to about 20. They are all over 70 now. For another month, Dale’s too young to join them. We had to sit at the ‘kids table’ next to them. The pink drinks on Harold’s table are called ‘The Harold’, cranberry, grapefruit and vodka. The group’s fishing advice was to use dynamite.
Corky Bell’s graciously allowed us to stay free on their dock for the night.
Ponder This
Drolleries and Yuks
What kind of spells do leprechauns use? ~Lucky Charms!
Why do leprechauns hate running? ~They’d rather jig than jog.
Why do leprechauns love to garden? ~They have green thumbs!
14-MAR-2021 Sunday – Blue Springs State Park Manatee Preserve, Orange City, FL to Lundgren Island, Astor, FL (20.5 nautical miles 23.6 statute miles)
29°08’45.4″N 81°30’57.3″W 29.145942, -81.515902 Elevation: 0 feet States (1): Florida
Last night was filled with croaking sounds of frogs, loud splashes, hooting of owls, grunting alligators and who knows what else.
I had the most unusual dream last night. I dreamt I saw a SpaceX a Falcon 9 rocket launch at 6:01am from Cape Canaveral. It wasn’t a dream! We set our alarms and got up to watch it. Amazing.
PI Day π (3.14)
This mornings leftover blueberry apple cobbler from last night’s supper.
Along the Way
top of the morning
I haven’t even had my first cup of coffee yet.
It started early
Alligator switching sides
Diana and I went back to the park while Dale and Bruce fished.
outside the park
inside the boat park
trees knees
alligator eyes are watching you
manatees
manatees with tags
Blue Spring (dark crack in the water)
Qualified SCUBA cave divers are allowed descend into the spring cave during certain times of the year. The spring is 120 feet deep, but only certified cave divers are allow to dive to that depth. Open water certified divers can dive to 60 feet.
Dale and Bruce collected us for alligator hunting and more fishing.
on boarding
Wind in the reels
‘The Lagoon’
Bruce logged in (to the trees)
You’ve got alligator eyes
What’s making all this noise in my neighborhood?
The alligators were fun to watch, slowly surfacing to check us out then slowly submerging below the water line.
Anhinga (“devil bird” or “snake bird”)
Anhinga
red shouldered hawk
sand hill cranes nesting
Little egret
snowy egret (yellow feet)
black vulture
back to yes dear... time to head out
Blue Spring State Park is at St John’s River statue mile 144. Monroe Harbour, our original target, is another 26 miles up river. We decided to call it enough and head back north. Here and back again. No mutiny was needed.
jungle print camo
flag boat. Florida people do love their flags
interesting personal water craft
DeLand, FL – Homeward bound. Daytona Beach Bike Week has ended.
Good Night
I quit taking pictures. Good night.
Floccinaucinihilipilification
The manatee population is under pressure this year. A total of 637 manatee died last year. 432 have already died this year already. An average of 146 typically die the first quarter of each year. The deaths are attributed to starvation (the sea grass is not coming back), pollution and cold. Brevard County, in which Cape Canaveral is located, has been hit the worst. Ugh! Can you imagine a dead manatee floating up around your dock or boat?
13-MAR-2021 Saturday – Murphy Creek Conservation Area, Horseshoe Bay, Palatka, FL to Blue Springs State Park Manatee Preserve, Orange City, FL (55.8 nautical miles 62.2 statute miles)
28°56’30.8″N 81°20’33.3″W 28.941893, -81.342579 Elevation: 0 feet States (1): Florida
Along the Way
Florida men fishing – new invasive species
Nest tastefully decorated with Spanish moss
Pergola on nest
Check out the palm tree
Horton found a who
no worries about spring thaw flooding
Spring azaleas
A little something for everyone on a double wide circus. (Check out the old fishermen statues)
Trail Boss Campground and Marina (Fish Camp)
Interesting day marks. They are platforms with ladders, not single poles.
There was a near mutiny when we got to Lake George. The ‘B’ word was sounded (boring). It didn’t come from my lips but I was thinking it. Lake George is big. Lake George is the second largest lake in Florida, after Lake Okeechobee. It will take a little over an hour to cross the 11 miles at our cruising speed. We are approx 108 miles up river and it hasn’t really been that exciting.
We decided to keep going. What else did we have to do.
North end Lake George
home making
South end Lake George
swarms of jet skis
car on the pontoon
Has Been Hotel
airboat
4788 Bayliner!
He drives like Stevie Wonder and has double dinghy
Glad we continued. It got more interesting.
Holly Bluff Marina – houseboat and pontoon rentals
Accident on the DeLand/Whitehair Bridge. We had ~1 hour wait for cleanup
dropping lines till the accident clears
Bakers dozen of “Aquaman’s Angels” passing us by
they can pass under the bridge
shore lunch (I wouldn’t get off the boat)
Wood storks
big birds
The Neighborhood – Blue Springs State Park
Tonight’s anchorage is just outside Blue Springs State Park.
manatee tail 8 feet off portside
Vultures – Lots of them. I’m actually quite fascinated with the black vultures. The turkey vultures are just plain ugly.
committee of vulture
Black vultures – Females have the smaller hood
fresh water drink
black vultures and turkey vultures
bath time
mixing it up
Turkey vulture
Blue Springs State Park shoreline
tagged manatees swimming just outside the park
GPS tags are deployed on a small number of manatees to provide information on individual movements and habitat use that is helpful in promoting the recovery of the species. The the tags look like floating crab trap buoys, but smaller. They have a rigid antenna protruding from the top of the tag.
Inside Blue Springs State Park
walk way along Blue Springs Creek
gar
Black fish – about 20 pounders
2.5 foot long snapping turtle
Alligator
No manatees. We were shut out of luck as far as manatee viewing was concerned. There were 76 in the creek 3 days ago.
Due to its relatively warm temperature of 73 °F, the spring attracts many Florida manatees seeking shelter from the during the winter months mid-November to March. About 102 million US gallons (390,000 m3) of water flow out of Blue Spring into the St. Johns River every day. The weather has warmed up and they’ve taken off.
Bruce and Dianna showed us the below pictures from their last visit here in December, 2019.
Back to yes dear…
tagged manatees off the stern
Disambiguation
A group of vultures perched in a tree or sitting on the ground are called a ‘committee’, a ‘venue’ or even a ‘volt’. When the vultures feed on a carcass they’re called a ‘wake’..
Drolleries and Yuks
What’s Irish and comes out in the Spring? ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ Paddy O’Furniture
Floccinaucinihilipilification
Lake George is also known as Lake Welaka. The name of Lake Welaka is taken from “Welaka” (meaning “chain of lakes”), the name for the St. Johns River in the language of the Timucua, who inhabited the region prior to European settlement. The first European to visit the lake was Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who as the Spanish governor of Florida, explored the St. Johns River in the spring of 1596.[2]
Later, the Florida territory was sold to Britain. The royal botanist in America to King George III, John Bartram, explored the St. Johns River in 1765. It was John Bartram who gave the lake the name Lake George, in honor of his king.
12-MAR-2021 Friday – Mandarin Holiday Marina, Julington Creek, Jacksonville, FL to Murphy Creek Conservation Area, Horseshoe Bay, Palatka, FL (48.6 nautical miles 55. statute miles)
29°35’59.8″N 81°39’03.5″W 29.599932, -81.650982 Elevation: 0 feet States (1): Florida
Along the Way
The deckhand (Bruce) took out the trash while Dale and I went for a quick walk around the marina.
There’s a lot of aquaculture intermixed with the boats. Mandarin Holiday Marina is an absolutely no frills marina. No internet, no showers and no pump outs. Their pump out hasn’t work since the last hurricane came through over a year ago.
‘volunteer’ on board aquaculture/camouflaged motor
skeleton on pole
Many of these boats are live aboard and seriously look like they haven’t moved since the last hurricane either. Just saying …..
We headed to Doctor Bay Marina across the river for a pump out.
Bruce has been promoted from deckhand to pilot
Eastern shoreline
mural
A stinking crab trap. We are 80 miles up river!
Western shoreline
St John’s River is definitely different than intercoastal. The ICU seems grittier. Definitely no mangroves here. We were surprised there were so few houseboats on the river. It seem like an area ripe for houseboating.
We anchored at about St John’s River mile 88 near Murphy Island. The Mooch was dropped and we headed up Polly Creek. It was an amazing backwater ride.
On the way back to yes dear… The Mooch screamed like a jet boat. Those extra 2 horse power really make a difference.
If you encounter a ghoul, kill it and burn it. Then you can have ghoul ash for dinner. We had goulash for dinner.
11-MAR-2021 Thursday – Pablo Creek Chicopit Bay, Jacksonville, FL to Mandarin Holiday Marina, Julington Creek, Jacksonville, FL (33.5 nautical miles 38.6 statute miles)
30°08’01.9″N 81°37’54.0″W 30.133847, -81.631675 Elevation: 0 feet States (1): Florida
A quick cast before pulling anchor
Along the Way
Navy dry dock
Oh! Oh! Don’t look in back of us!
It’s a massive car carrier vessel. It’s amazing how little wake it throws.
Helper boats
Interstate 295 bridge
Turning into a waterway alley
On into Jacksonville
Jacksonville Jaguars Stadium
Veterans Memorial Stadium
Downtown Jacksonville
St John River is 2.5 miles wide on the northern end
Jacksonville Naval Airstation
Cargo planes and tankers
141 cargo plane landing
used parts reclamation
Pan! Pan! There’s a boat burning in Old Bull Bay on the Jackson River.
Exactly in the direction we were headed for fuel. Of course we needed to stop and watch.
Fire department to the rescue
Some boat from EVERY local agency was present.
Dragging the ~24 foot boat to shore.
Ewh. You could smell the burnt fiberglass as it passed by.
Dropped by shore and waiting for a tow truck to pull it out.
The toothpick convention is the marina we headed to for fuel.
The depth finder read a little shallow for our boat. We need four feet of water.
The charts said it should be 5-6 feet of water. Dale called the dock master for advice. He said “Keep coming. The bottom’s not shallow. It’s just loose.” LOL. We kept going.
The ‘lights’ on the mast is reflection from the sun.
Mandarin Holiday Marina
It was tricky getting on and off the boat.
One of us stayed to wash the boat while the rest of us walked for groceries.
We spent the night on the fuel dock.
Floccinaucinihilipilification
St John’s Rivers is Florida’s longest river at 310 miles. With a drop of less than 30 feet from its origination point in the swamps south of Melbourne to the Atlantic Ocean, it is known as one of the world’s laziest rivers. It flows through Central Florida at about one knot (1.15 mph).
Fewer than 30 rivers in the United States flow northward. The St. John’s River flows from south to north.
Troops of Rhesus Monkeys can be found along the St. Johns River where it meets the Wekiva River. The origins of the Rhesus Monkeys remain a mystery. Many believe they were brought in during the 1930’s filming of Tarzan.
10-MAR-2021 Wednesday – Inlet by Fort Matanzas National Monument, St Augustine, FL to Pablo Creek Chicopit Bay, Jacksonville, FL (45.0 nautical miles 51.8 statute miles)
30°22’24.9″N 81°26’54.1″W 30.373592, -81.448347 Elevation: Sea Level States (1): Florida
10-MAR-2021 Wednesday – Inlet by Fort Matanzas National Monument, St Augustine, FL to Pablo Creek Chicopit Bay, Jacksonville, FL (45.0 nautical miles 51.8 statute miles)
29.716203, -81.238858 Elevation: Sea Level States (1): Florida
We had a late start this morning. There’s a funny thing about guests onboard. It seems everyone is Minnesota Nice, too polite. We all laid around in bed this morning until well after 9am waiting for the others to make the first sound.
10:00am last look at the fort and we were off.
Along the Way
Wow. A barge. We haven’t seen on of these for a while.
fish head
Olympic sized dock
The St. Augustine Light Station is still a working lighthouse. It was built between 1871 and 1874 at the north end of Anastasia Island.
St. Augustine, founded in September 1565, is the nation’s oldest city.
The 19 acre Flagler College in St Augustine was founded in 1968. The centerpiece of the college is the Ponce de León Hotel, built in 1888 as a luxury hotel.
The Bridge of Lions spanning the Matanzas Bay was built in the mid-1920s as a way for automobiles to travel from St. Augustine on the mainland to Anastasia Island, where significant development was just getting underway. A pair of copies of the marble Medici lions guard the bridge. In 1982 the Bridge of Lions was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Social distancing line at Castillo de San Marcos
Castillo de San Marcos
The Castillo de San Marcos, built by the Spanish over 300 years ago between 1672-1695, is positioned strategically on Matanzas Bay to protect the town of St Augustine. The Castillo, made from coquina, a locally sourced stone-like compound made of shell and limestone, is nearly indestructible. It played a pivotal role in protecting Spanish St. Augustine from the 1700s to the late 1800s. In 1924, the Castillo, or Fort Marion as it was known at the time, was declared a national monument by President Calvin CoolidgeThe Great Cross, erected in 1965 for the city of St. Augustine’s 400th birthday, is a real heaven-scratcher at 208 feet in height. It marks the approximate site where in 1565 the cross of Christianity was first permanently planted in what is now the United States. Yup. Jesus arrived in America first, over a half-century before the Pilgrims even touched their toes to Plymouth Rock.
St Augustine Inlet
Story Time
Story time: The sheriff boat and the other surveillance boat, both ~30 footers, cuddled up very closely up to yes dear… one on each side and matching our speed. We were certain we were going to be boarded! I was holding my breath waiting for them to hail us.
Bruce nonchalantly looked down at them to see one guy visibly laughing nudging another and pointing to our boat’s name. He glanced up at Bruce, gave him a thumbs up and both boats pulled away. Whew. (In reality, I think one of their crew saw our up-to-date US Coast Guard/US Power Squadron Vessel Safety Check sticker and let us go.)
private rail
matched set of boats
North of St Augustine you start to see a lot of saw grass marshes.
to the east
to the west
clamming
floating docks bottomed out in low tide
2 little ducklings
Docks. Let’s talk about docks.
Fixed docks with small float docks are the way to go.
A female lives here. Check out the shutters.
Lots of docks. Six miles of docks along the Tolomato River.
First blue
The Guana River Wildlife Management Area is on the other side this stretch of the ICW.
The ICW goes through some large sections of swamp.
Canadians
Neighbors
Navy dry dock
Mayport Naval Station
Mayport Naval Station
It might not be a quiet night with all the helicopters practicing. Update: It wasn’t a quiet night. They targeted our boat as a marker for their practice sorties. Fortunately they finally quit about 11pm.
Fisherment
Wishermen (no fish were caught)
Dianna and Bruce
Dale
Disambiguation Rebate – What you do after a fish steals the worm off your hook.
9-MAR-2021 Tuesday – Mosquito Lagoon, Indian River, Oakhill, FL to Matanzas Inlet by Fort Matanzas National Monument, St Augustine, FL (59.4 nautical miles 68.4 statute miles)
29.716203, -81.238858 Elevation: Sea Level States (1): Florida
Along the Way
I have never seen a great blue heron sitting on a day mark.
I can still rant about derelict docks (but not boats)
The lovely town of Ariel (like the mermaid)
looks like an aquatic bus
nice shed
New Smyrna
Pay close attention to the buoy. Yes, it is both green and red indicating a fork in the waterway. It also has a yellow square indicating it is an ICW marker.
Port Orange
Daytona Beach bridges
Orange Avenue Bridge
International Speedway Bridge
It’s bike week in Daytona Beach. The entire town rumbled with the sounds of motorcycles as we passed through.
Motorcycles on Main Street bridge
Basilica of St Paul
Almost a derelict boat. I wonder what the story is.
Intercoastal west shore condosfor sale. The starting at $250k condos are bottom floor facing west.
Intercoastal east shore, looking at hotels/condos on the Atlantic.
Do you think the neighbors know each other?
The picnic table is not level
fishing
jungle docks
Halifax Creek. Missing palm tops are courtesy of Irma and Mathew
Out the door, down the dock skate board ramp.
Passed and waked.
I doubt there is a diver in the water. I think the buoy diver flag is a decoy to make boaters slow down.
Black vultures. They remind me of chickens.
white tail deer
huge driftwood display on dock
Neptune
Below are abandoned and condemned houses just north of Marineland, FL. They were built on sand, swamp and dredge. Hurricane Mathew and Hurricane Irma silted in the houses, destroyed the infrastructure water and sewer. The pavement crumbled away.
Low tide
Neighbors
We are anchored in Matanzas Inlet.
Anchors better be set well for tonight. There is a strong current and a 3 foot tide.
Fort Matanzas National Monument
Fort Matanzas is a coquina (a soft limestone of broken shells) watchtower, completed in 1742, which defended the southern approach to the Spanish military settlement of St. Augustine.
Drolleries and Yuks
Why did the orange stop rolling down the hill? ~It ran out of juice
8-MAR-2021 Monday – Port Canaveral Yacht Club, Port Canaveral, FL to Mosquito Lagoon, Indian River, Oakhill, FL (37.2 nautical miles 42.8 statute miles)
28°52’13.6″N 80°49’58.8″W 28.870446, -80.832989 Elevation: Sea Level States (1): Florida
We are on the water again! This time for a two week cruise up to Jacksonville, down the St John’s River then back to Cape Canaveral so Dale can get his second COVID-19 shot. Being a trophy wife (under 65) I’m still not eligible for the shot. Dianna and Bruce are cruising with us.
I have ranted out
Things I am not going you talk about anymore in the blog: ~Derelict boats ~OMG unaffordable boats ~OMG unaffordable houses
With that out of the way, Along the Way
Leaving Port Canaveral
Heading out. Our marina is on the right
They just started dredging the port yesterday
Port Canaveral Lock
Albert Einstein hair
Bruce lending a hand
Into the Banana River
hanger ons
NASA
Readying tomorrow’s launch
Clear and sunny with a 100% chance of bow spray
Spoonbill
Canal into Mosquito Bay (sounds ominous)
Nice monkey tail beard Bruce!
This looks like Gilligan’s Island
muscle and clam beds
Floccinaucinihilipilification
Cape Canaveral became the test site for missiles when the legislation for the Joint Long Range Proving Ground was passed by the 81st Congress and signed by President Harry Truman on May 11, 1949
The first rocket launched at the Cape was a V-2 rocket named Bumper 8 from Launch Complex 3 on July 24, 1950.
Cape Canaveral was chosen for rocket launches to take advantage of the Earth’s rotation. The linear velocity of the Earth’s surface is greatest towards the equator; the relatively southerly location of the cape allows rockets to take advantage of this by launching eastward, in the same direction as the Earth’s rotation. It is also highly desirable to have the downrange area sparsely populated, in case of accidents; an ocean is ideal for this.
