Work and Play...

The work - and play - continues. We are still at Loggerhead Marina in Stuart, Florida and while we continue to think about leaving, we admit that it has been just an inkling of a thought at the back of our minds. Instead we've continued to take the opportunity to get a few things done. The big project was the fuel tank. A baffle had come loose in the tank on the way down and when the waves hit the bow just right we were getting some clanking as the metal baffle hit the sides of the metal tank. Captain Dave decided to take a look and see what he could do. Unfortunately, on inspection, there is little we can do without taking the tank out to get it rewelded. That is not going to happen right now so instead we opted for Plan B which was to set the baffle in such a position that it would make minimal noise. That solution appears to be holding us for now but when the 'Breezer' reaches port for its spring haul, we will need to look at dismantling the windlass and pulling the tank for a repair.

Our projects around the boat did not come without cost. Captain Dave had a major blowout with his shorts and was in quick need of some carpentry work as he was going about boat repairs. It was duct tape to the rescue or let him flaunt his buns and briefs to the neighborhood. As you can see I opted for the duct tape route.

With the project done it was time for some well deserved fun. Of course our optimal work to fun quotient is always leaning in favor of fun - big time. So, it was up to the marina pool and hot tub for a bit of R&R. We sampled our first fish tacos and now we have become fish taco converts. If you haven't tried them, definitely add them to your list of a must try!

So as you can see, we are really roughing it again this season and between the pool, hot tub and bar service direct to pool side, we are really struggling to drop the dock lines and move on.

The Admiral

Home Base...

As in years past, we are using Stuart as a home base for a while allowing us to get mail, take care of repairs, provision etc. Our first stop was provisioning. Thanks to friends Blair and Laurie on Odissea XX, we had access to a car and were able to make a run to the local Sam's Club for all the important stuff. You can tell from the dock cart what we deem important. The Yuengling beer and limes for gin and tonic would be on the Admiral's priority list. The Captain, on the other hand, is more inclined to prioritize the Rice Krispie treats and M&M cookies.

The Admiral

We woke the next morning with a dilemma. Should we stay inside and continue south on the ICW or pop outside to the Atlantic waters. The wind was out of the north suggesting a good offshore run, but most of the buoy reports (farther offshore than we would be) were indicating some big waves out there. We made the safe choice and opted to stay inside.

We were glad we did. We hadn't traveled the waterway from St. Augustine to Ft. Pierce in quite some time and had forgotten how it widens out enabling sailors to take advantage of the space and in the right winds hoist sail. For the next three days the winds held firm and we felt like we were speeding down the ICW. Each day we made over 60 miles of headway south. I know this doesn't sound like much but we normally average about 50 miles a day on the ICW in the fall so to us the 60+ mile days were huge.

On reaching the Ft. Pierce and then the St. Lucie inlets on the third day we saw something we've never seen before. We saw the line between the muddy river water and the clear Atlantic waters meet. It was clear as day. As if someone had colored the waters brown on one side of the line and a very pale green on the other side. The pictures really don't do it justice as we could look in front of us and behind and as far as we could see was this division of the waters forced by the changing tide.

The Admiral

Happy New Year!

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. We apologize for falling woefully behind on the blog and confess that we have not been in Fernandina Beach, Florida this whole time. Instead we continued down the waterway and then took a hiatus for the holiday. So as a first order of business, let's catch you all up over the next several blog entries and then let you know what is in store for the rest of the boating season.

First stop - St. Augustine!

St. Augustine is one of our favorite waterway stops and with the new mooring field it is all the better. This time we met up with friends Kevin and Marlene for the day. We enjoyed a tour of San Sebastian Winery and learned some things about wine that we did not know. The winery uses a lot of moscato grapes in their wines so since our visit Captain Dave has been sampling various wines using moscato grapes as a base. We also bummed around the pedestrian district doing some shopping. From there it was off to Pizza Alley for lunch. Kevin and Marlene also introduced us to something new (to us) in St. Augustine - a gelato place - oh my!!

The Admiral

St. Mary's and Fernandina...

From Jekyll Island we continued south passed the submarine station. For the first time ever, there was actually a submarine in port. The home port of the sub remains a mystery as neither the Captain nor I recognized the courtesy flag it flew; it was not a US ship.

Turning up the St. Mary's river, we made a stop in St. Mary's Georgia. Here we enjoyed all the Halloween decorations that were out with the Captain particularly taking an interest in a pirate in search of ice cream. We did a bit of shopping and stepped into our favorite used bookstore to mull around a bit and signed the wall of the boater's room.

The next stop was Fernandina Beach and - yes - Florida! Here we had a very important purchase to make at the Advance Auto Parts store. One of the engine start batteries failed and we'd been motoring along with only one engine, unable to start the other. The team at Advance was great. We bought two batteries - one replacement and one spare. They delivered them to us right to the dock. Thanks so much!!!

With the chores out of the way, we enjoyed some window shopping around town. The Bulldogs and Gators were playing - quite the rivalry - and all around town people were dressed in colors supporting either their Georgia or Florida team. The Captain decided to get into the action also, and did a photo opp with the team's mascots.

So we made it to Florida. A bit of a push, but it certainly felt great to be in the Florida sun.

The Admiral

Jekyll Island...

Those of you who have followed our blog for a while will recall that during our stay at Jekyll last year lots was happening. The old gas station had been torn down and a new gas station/convenience store was under construction. The old strip mall housing the grocery store and gift shops had been demolished and the merchants set up in temporary trailers. Lastly, we were one of the last people to see the old convention center as it was scheduled to be destroyed the day we were there.

Well, I am happy to report that lots has been happening and it is all good - make that great!! First (and most important in the Captain's eyes) is that the new convenience store / gas station opened for business in February 2011. But know that this was not just any ordinary gas/convenience store as it housed.....wait for it.... a Dairy Queen. Yes, a Dairy Queen. So you can imagine where our first stop was on our arrival at Jekyll. Afterall who can pass up a blizzard treat. We were going to earn it, after all, with our pedaling about the island.

But there is more! The grocery and shops were still housed in their temporary location, but the convention center....holy cow! We were surprised at the sight and in speaking with a couple of the construction workers it sounds as if the new center will be completed around February 2012. Pretty quick work if you ask me.

No new news on the future strip mall which will again house the grocery and gift shops, but we have no doubt it will come along quickly as the convention center is completed.

As for the ambiance of the island. I know many of the residents, us also, were concerned that with the new construction the island would lose much of its charm. I am happy to report that as of yet that does not appear to be the case. The two lane road with surrounding trees that serves as access to the island remains intact and all over the construction area greenery has been fenced off in an effort to preserve it.

It really is looking great and we can't wait for our next stop at Jekyll to see what more good things have come from the renovation.

The Admiral

Offshore...

We left Beaufort, NC during twilight, exited the inlet and set the sails. During the mid-morning hours we were greeted by a pod of 15+ dolphins who surfed around the boat. They stayed and played for about an hour and we applauded their performance. The more we applauded the more, it appeared, that they wanted to show off for us. Before we knew it they were leaping straight out of the water doing flips. It was really quite something.

Our journey continued into mid-day then into evening. We continued to move along well passing south of Charleston by the next morning. Then again about mid-morning on our second day another large pod of dolphins discovered us and performed to our delight.

This is our fourth year enjoying the travels south and while we have had groups of 2-3 dolphins swim with us previously, we have never experienced the large pods and the fun and games that they provided.

By mid-morning the third day we were in southern Georgia. No dolphins today, but land ho. We had reached our destination and we were both ready for some shore leave. We'd been aboard since Virginia and we were both anxious to step on terra firma. But first, a good nights rest.

The Admiral