Lake Worth, Ft Lauderdale and No Name Harbor

2/25/16    To 26 45.498N    80 02.583W    Lake Worth Anchorage    62.1NM

Knowing the current heading out the Ft.Pierce Inlet would only get worse as the morning progressed, we we dropped the mooring at 0545.  It might be referred to as 0'dark hundred, as the dawn hadn't progressed enough to provide much light as we got underway.  With the chart plotter things are easier than they used to be, since the ICW has both a magenta line and is shown in white (more than 12'), as opposed to some shade of blue indicating shallow water.  We could just spot the unlit marks as we approached, and most turns have a lighted buoy to aim toward.  As suspected, even with an early start, we saw current up to 2.5kts as we headed out the inlet.  It was easier than some years when we've buried the bow in standing waves thanks to wind against current. This year we battened down the hatches ahead of time, just in case.

Dawn on the ICW on the way to Ft. Pierce

The wind forecast was pretty accurate, 15-20kts WNW with gusts, plenty of wind, at for once at a good angle.  We ran out part of the jib as we headed out the inlet and sailed almost to the Lake Worth Inlet before restarting the engine.  Conditions were great since we sailed within a couple of miles of the shore so the wind waves didn't build.  There was a good 4-6' swell from the NE, but with a 8-10 second period was more of a rocking motion, that made for easy sailing.  

Once clear of the inlet, we had current with us and Leonard was concerned we'd arrive at lake Worth at maximum ebb.  Not to worry, it switched as the day progressed and the wind laid back a bit in the afternoon slowing our speed further, so unrolled the whole jib.   It seemed every time I looked at the 'time to waypoint' on the chart plotter after lunch, it read 3 hours to go as our speed varied.  I was all for arriving before dusk. Luckily the wind held, blowing harder every so often to keep us moving.  We turned into the channel a bit after 1700 along with a sailboat coming from the S, and the current was about as close to slack as it gets.

We watched a freighter as we approached the Lake Worth big ship anchorage as it rocked fore and aft in the swell - Leonard timed it at 12 seconds from bow up to bow up (the bow bulb coming about  1/2 way out of the water before getting buried again).  I don't ever remember seeing that obvious a motion in an anchored freighter in the past.

Swell breaking on the beach as we approach Lake Worth Inlet - the swell was more obvious closer to shore 

We headed in with the lowering sun glare shinning directly out the inlet, making it difficult to see.  Since the other sailboat was bigger and motoring faster, we let them pass, and saw the pilot boat out bound headed toward us.  As it passed, a woman went to the stern to warn us of an obstruction in the channel, an outbound freighter that had blended perfectly into the shore background in the glare. We'd been concentrating on finding the day mark off the main channel where we turn into the anchorage.  We were well clear of the freighter, but also glad for the heads up!

By 1730 we had the anchor down and called it a day, just a few minutes shy of a 12 hour day.  It had been a fairly easy sail and we'd seen several other sail boats offshore taking advantage of the wind and somewhat protected waters.  We're hoping for a repeat Friday when we head down to Ft.Lauderdale.   Dealing with occasional wind gusts offshore is much easier than dodging shoals, timing bridges and dealing with traffic.  We plan to spend the weekend at Cooley's Landing, up the New River, in the center of town and avoid the weekend traffic.  It will be a chance to restock the larder before hopefully hopping over to Bimini, hopefully next week.

While doing the laundry in Fernandina Beach I read an interesting article about Lake Worth in an old fishing magazine.  Lake Worth was a fresh water lake until our European ancestors arrived, filled with a variety of fish and widely used by Native Americans.  One of the first settlers decided he needed a way to ship his crop, so he made a cut into the Atlantic,  causing untold damage to the fresh water ecology of the lake.  He left soon thereafter for greener pastures, but the cut remained.  Over the years Mother Nature did her best to adapt to the changes and the 'lake' evolved into a spawning area for the ocean.  The surrounding land became 'prime' real estate over the years, with over fishing and development degrading the water quality until it became a 'dead area' unable to sustain a viable fish population.

One of the early environmentalists (and a fisherman) decided to try to help improve the water quality to see if nature could heal itself with a bit of help.  With a lot of volunteers, 1800 mangrove plants were individually hand planted along the shores to help filter and stabilize the banks.  Over the years, the fish population rebounded in spite of the dense development, both residential and commercial, on the shores.  Peanut Island, formed from dredge spoils, has been in the process of being lowered more recently, to help sustain the ecosystem (apparently it was unnaturally high , causing additional runoff problems).  The Lake Worth Inlet is a Class A inlet, and has one of the easier and shorter channels along the Florida coast.

2/26/16 - 2/28/16    To and at  26 07.035N,    80 08.948W    52.0NM    Slip 25, Cooley's Landing Marina Ft Lauderdale
We waited until dawn before pulling the anchor at Lake Worth to head on our way S, and by 0700, both sails were up and drawing as the morning breeze filled in.  It was an off again, on again type day, requiring a bit of help from the iron jib when the wind went light.  Ideally we would have liked to arrived up the New River by 1200, but knew that couldn't happen since it was 45 - 50NM.  We settled for arriving by mid afternoon, before the bridge restrictions between 1630 - 1800 began.  Although we wouldn't be able to get into our slip due to the current, we could tie up at the free park floating dock, about 1/4NM down river, while we waited.

As always, transiting the New River was exciting. given the bridges, twists and turns lined with docked mega yachts, and boat traffic. I spent much of the trip up river rigging dock lines and fenders.  We followed  Dakota II, a Sabre 38, and were followed by a mega yacht.  There aren't many places to pass on the river, so after sitting on our stern for a bit, the yacht backed off.  Usually the bridges are quick to open, but for some reason Andrews Bridge, the 2nd of 3, was very slow and we didn't hear the bridge tender respond to any calls.  Andrews lifts the entire span from the S bank, so we folks with masts like to hug the N bank to get the best clearance.

I'd talked to the dock master to get our slip assignment and was told to stop on the park dock with a big trawler also waiting for slack water.  All the park docks had a boat on them, so we aimed to tie up behind a runabout on the next dock ahead of the trawler.  As we approached the dock, the combination of the wake from the mega yacht passing us and a current swirl (the river curves here) caught Leonard by surprise, and we just slipped past the trawler by inches.  Much closer than we we like!

Once tied up, we walked to Cooley's to check out our slip and sign in with the dock master.  It appeared our best option would be to wait until after 1800 to clear the 7th Ave Bridge.  We spoke with the trawler who didn't need the bridge to open, and planned to move around 1730, low tide (however, low tide doesn't mean the current has switched).  He was just starting the "Loop", having purchase the boat in Ft. Meyers and heading up the Atlantic coast. He was single handing most of the trip, one sister was with him for this first portion and another would join him in Norfolk.  A Carver 44' is a lot of boat for 1 person!  When we saw him cast off, we made a bee line to the marina to catch his lines.  He did a good job (bow thrusters really help).  His sister said it was only his 5th time docking.

The current was still flowing at 1800, so we waited until 1825 and even then the current was still running downstream - we wanted to be in our slip before dark.  The folks from the trawler came to help, as did the 3 guys from the boat in the next slip, a Beneteau 42 from Nova Scotia.  My toss of the mid ship line wasn't dead on, but got to the dock.  Unfortunately, the guy missed it, so with a bit of current still flowing, our docking wasn't the most graceful.  It was an end slip, and wider than most - easy if the line had been caught.  With a bit of help and some work, we managed to get tied up without touching any pilings or the dock.

Fort Lauderdale always has something happening, and this year was no exception.  The Annual Blues and Music Festival was in the process of setting up while we waited at the park docks, and we heard the first group before we moved (we also heard them at the marina).  The concert hall next to the park was celebrating a 25th anniversary with a concert Saturday night, and was also fenced off for pre-concert activities.  On a walk, we found a jazz festival underway in another park along the waterfront.  Sunday was Farmer's Market day on Las Olas - as always, lots to see and do which is why a number of boats spend the winter at Cooley's.

Sailboat mosaic on the 7th Ave Bridge next to our slip at Cooley's Landing 

Our slip was close to the bridge, giving us a front row seat for watching the boat traffic and the bridge operate.  It was  noisy when the bridge closed, involving several jerks, clanks and bangs as the spans locked in place.  Surprisingly, neither the traffic noise (speed and tread on the tires make varying sounds, almost musical) nor the bridge operating kept us awake.  I woke up around 0600, surprised by the lack of noise, brief, but absolute. 

Don't see many of these on the road, a McLaren -
one of the 'over the top' cars we saw walking to the beach

Looking N along the ICW from the Las Olas Bridge

Fort Lauderdale beach on a Saturday afternoon

This year our timing was off this year and the Chupacks, friends from Cape Coral, weren't be able to join us.  So Saturday, after making a trip to Publix, we went for a walk.  We checked out both music festivals along the Riverwalk, headed over to Las Olas, and walked to the beach, some 4 miles, a bit further than we anticipated, but it was a beautiful day for a hike, sunny and in the 70's.  The beach was packed and we decided Cooley's Landing was preferable to the city marina by the Las Olas bridge, or the nearby city moorings along the ICW - it's more convenient to everything. The finale to the day was at  2200, fireworks for the music festival launched from the park docks.  Another long, full day!

Pembroke Corgi sporting a visor at the Ft. Lauderdale Farmer's Market

Bees gathering nectar at a shaving brush tree

Sunday we went to a bakery for a loaf of fennel/raisin bread (yum!) before heading to the Farmer's Market to stock up on fresh veggies.  The market was nice, much smaller and with less produce than Burlington - unlike at home,  none of the vendors grow their own produce, but get it from local farmers.  A stop at a nearby auto parts store to pick up oil for the outboard,  also provided us with a replacement for our water hose.  Leonard has been complaining about the unintentional showers caused by various pin holes in our old fabric  roll up hose.  Now he has no excuse not to wash the decks.

During the afternoon the dock master stopped by to say a young couple recognized Antares from the lake and were looking for us.  We eventually connected, it was Bev and Sam aboard Perigee, an O'Day 34, who spent time at the LCYC dock last spring when they began the 'Loop'.  Sounded like they had an interesting journey, and are now in the process of selling the boat and returning to life, with jobs and grad school on the horizon.  They won't quite close the 'Loop' - they're located up the Hudson River beyond Albany, and think the boat is more likely to sell further S.

You can never have too many horses (can you see the fuel gauges sweep toward E)

With plans to head down to Miami Monday, we made use of the marina pump out system, a do it yourself unit with connections at each dock.  A bit awkward, but it did the job and didn't require us to move, a real plus since slack water only occurs twice daily doesn't last long.  We topped off the water tanks, cleaned the cabin, rinsed the salt off the hull and did laundry.  With the 'fridge packed (2 more trips to Publix, fortunately only 1/2 mile away), and everything done, we walked to Briny's, a pub on the Riverwalk, for dinner,  I can only imagine how packed the Riverwalk would be if all the shops and restaurants were still open.  Other than the various boat tour operators, Briny's is the only place still operating in the complex, and they were packed.  On our first stop, all the stores in the large complex were occupied and  the Riverwalk was a major tourist attraction.  The recent recession has emptied the storefronts over the past few trips, although the walkway is still usually filled with a mix of tourists and locals.  Both banks of the river are lined with visiting yachts, part of the city's marina complex, so there's plenty to see.

2/29/2016    To   25 40.607N,  80 09.746W  35.5 NM   No Name Harbor, Key Biscayne

With slack water around 0930 Monday morning, we cast off and headed for Miami.  The trip down river was interesting - The RR bridge, usually open, was closed briefly for a short freight train.  Two tow tugs, several water taxis and a big yacht joined us as we negotiated the bridges.  The tugs were picking up a mega yacht at the junction of the ICW and the river whose tender was a small sport fish, almost as big as Antares.  A bigger sport fish had run aground on the shoal just off the channel,  and we watched a tow boat approach to pull  it off.

Two tugs heading out to pick up a yacht -
the  RR bridge is just opening with Andrews Bridge closing beyond

Pagoda at an estate on the S bank of the New River

Tarpon Bend on the New River

Tug attaching a line for a tow upriver, another tug was at the astern -
their tender is in the foreground

Sea Tow  pulling a sport fish off the shoal at the New River junction

By 1045, we were headed S along the coast under full sail, the E wind having filled in for the morning.  We weren't in a hurry since it was a fairly short distance so we motored less than 30 minutes to keep moving when the wind went light.  The entrance into Miami was easy with only the occasional boat racing past - weekends would be another story.   After quick stop at Miami Beach Marina to top off the fuel tank, the captain decided to go to No Name Harbor on Key Biscayne to wait for a weather window to hop to the Bahamas.  After sailing down Biscayne Bay, the anchor was set by 1710, another day with some good sailing.  By dark, 15 boats were anchored in the harbor with us, and 6 outside, so I suspect we may have company when we cross to the Bahamas. This year we'll try departing from the Florida Channel, the cut S of Key Biscayne rather than returning to Miami.   Tuesday night looks like a good time to head to Bimini, arriving at the Grand Bahama Bank around dawn and hopefully sailing most of the way across before stopping for the night (it's a BIG bank), and eventually clearing customs at Nassau - about 160NM.  With a bit of luck, the weather window will allow us to head for the Exumas before the next front arrives.

Looking back at Miami as we head for Biscayne Bay

Sunset from No Name Harbor

An interesting note.  Most of the beaches along the coast have been refurbished, or what ever term locals use for replacing sand on the beaches that has been removed by nature, to attract tourists.  From my prospective while it provides a walk-able beach, the dredging process breaks up any shells and makes for a 'boring' beach walk with little to see.  The process appears to be ongoing and unending, not unlike painting one side of a house every year.  An article in one of the Fort Lauderdale tourist brochures put the price tag at $10M/mile (there are a lot of miles of beach) which provided a 10 fold increase in tourist revenue.  Interesting, but I wonder how they did the math - was there a dramatic drop in visits, or is part of the increase due to a better economy and more Baby Boomers retiring (there does seem to be more boaters this year)?  Owning ocean front property looks less and less attractive between insurance issues, rising sea levels and storm induced erosion.

Enhancing the beach involves a lot of big equipment -
back hoes, bulldozers and lots of dredge pipe

Lynnea

Vero Beach

2/21/16    27 39.283N,    80 22.199W    To Vero Beach Municipal Marina Mooring #5    42.5NM

After cool start, it quickly warmed up into a beautiful day, time to shed blue jeans and fleeces.  We were pleasantly surprised at how light the boat traffic had been Saturday.  It appeared more  locals were out for a sail than tooling around in runabouts.  Not bad for a weekend day in Florida.  Sunday was a different story.  An early start gave us some peace and quiet as we headed on our way, but by 1000, the local runabouts started to appear everywhere, like fish flies in July, both more irritating than a problem.  Good thing we didn't stop early yesterday, we had fewer miles to go with all the folks out recreating at speed.

The onshore breeze began to fill in  around 1100, allowing us to catch some wind with the jib to help us on our way until the channel turned more to the E and began weaving through some spoil bank islands as we got closer to Vero.  All in all, a pleasant day on the water.  Fewer miles would also mean a chance to launch the dinghy with time to go for a walk after we squared away on the boat.

This replica has been anchored off Grant Farm Cay for a number of years

We requested a mooring through Tuesday, giving us time to do chores and hopefully for the next front to slide past.  Apparently some weather offshore has been producing an easterly swell, causing     bigger seas than local wind conditions would warrant.  Small craft advisories for 6' seas have been part of the daily forecast while the wind on the ICW has been under 12 kts, most of that an afternoon onshore breeze.  We're hoping once the front passes and the wind switches to the W, the sea state will drop and provide good sailing conditions for heading S.  We'll see.

We arrived at Vero before 1430 and after a brief wait for a couple of pontoon boats to clear the fuel dock, topped off our fuel tank, got a pump out and registered before we picking up our assigned mooring.  Rafting is normal here, so we weren't surprised a vessel was already on the mooring.  The captain had been in the office with us and requested to be reassigned to a  mooring closer to the dinghy dock since he didn't have a functioning outboard.  We were told the mooring would be free if we waited a few minutes.  However, even after taking our time, we  didn't see any one coming to move the boat, so we rafted alongside, and began the process of launching the dinghy, putting the outboard on and getting lines on the mooring.  After 45 minutes there was still no sign of the other captain, so after confirming we were on the correct mooring and the other boat was moving, we went ashore.  Obviously the captain had gotten side tracked - the boat had moved by the time we got back. 

Antares on Mooring #5 at the municipal marina in Vero Beach

We walked over to the beach and were surprised the swell was under 3'  rather than the forecast 6'.  Conditions offshore looked considerably better than forecast, a good thing to know.  A walk along the beach at high tide got our feet sandy and the bottoms of my peddle pushers wet, but no shells.  After sharing an orange slushee, a mixture of fresh frozen orange juice and yogurt, we  listened to a group preforming at restaurant before heading back to the boat. 

2/22/2016  Mooring #5

Monday was a lazy day. After doing a bit of cleaning, we went ashore to go for a walk, but arrived in time to catch a bus, so we went shopping instead, reversing the order we'd planned.  The bus was about 10 minutes late and the driver was trying to make up time, so we did a very fast spin through the store, just catching it on it's return trip to the marina.  Usually there is about 30 minutes to shop, checkout and get back to the bus stop.  The next shopping trip will take longer.

A little blue heron along the path at the Veteran's Memorial Park

After stowing the groceries, we packed a lunch and went back ashore of our walk.  It was a beautiful day, and a SE breeze filled in to temper the heat of the sun.  We haven't adapted to temperatures in the upper 70's yet. The area by the marina is a mix of parks, quiet streets with well maintained homes and nice shops along the beach that is interesting for walks.

The forecast for the next few days has an increasing chance for rain, so we'll keep an eye on the weather while we do chores the next few days to look for a good time to head on our way.  Since we hope to hop offshore for a couple of day sails to Lake Worth and then Ft. Lauderdale to avoid a passel of bridges, we'd prefer W or NW winds, which may lengthen our stay here. Today's forecast would have us departing on Thursday, we will see.

2/24/16-2/25/16    Vero Beach City Marina Mooring #5

Mooring #5 looks like good a place to sit while waiting for the arrival of the cold front.  With temperatures in the 80s and a mix of sun and clouds there are worse places to hang out.  A number of boats spend the winter, taking advantage of the shore side amenities until they head back north in the spring.  We're playing it by ear, extending our stay day by day as warranted by the wind  and weather.  For the most part, the weather has been fine, with a few heavy showers arriving after our walk yesterday and again during the evening, raising the humidity level.  The predicted rain on Wednesday arrived a bit later than forecast by an hour or so, with a few short breaks between showers, allowing us to dodge most of the rain while we were out and about.

A Portuguese man-o-war with a full 'sail' - the tentacles were about 4' long 

We received a note from Doug White that the Mary and Chris Lintermann, fellow LCYC cruisers, were currently in Vero, suggesting we give them a call.  So we did and discovered they were in a condo about a mile from the marina.  Mary invited us over, so on our morning walk ,we went over and had caught up on their latest news.  Their plans may include a boat hunting trip to Europe later this spring, and possibly cruising the Med - great  timing with the dollar up and some interesting vessels on the market.  Sounds like a great trip - we seem to share whatever gene it is that draws some people to the water and boats.  We're looking forward to hearing what unfolds.

View of the bridge at Vero Beach, looking SW from our mooring

Mary suggested she pick us up Wednesday morning so we could do laundry at the condo (considerably more upscale than the machines at the marina).  Mary and I could go for a walk (we're both walkers) during the wash cycle and she'd run us to the store for provisions while things dried.  Hard to resist an offer like that!  That meant I 'd have time to check out both Fresh Market and Publix, and select, rather than grab, as I ran down my list.  The rain held off until we headed out the door at Publix.  She fed us lunch while the rain bucketed down, and drove us back to the marina during a brief break in the rain. 

We hoped to have Mary on board for a drink later in the day, but then the wind gusted into the 30's with rain,  and whitecaps in the harbor, cancelling any plans!  I was glad I wasn't not Chris who was taking an intensive diving course in Fort Pierce this week. He says it's much calmer under the surface than on top.  Thanks Mary and Chris, we appreciate everything you did and had a great time visiting!

Our plan is for an early morning departure heading offshore to Lake Worth.  Another early start Friday and an offshore hop will get us to Ft. Lauderdale where we plan to stay a day or so before continuing to Miami to wait for a weather window to head to Bimini.  Meanwhile, we watched while the radar showed a large blotch of green sprinkled with yellow, orange and red spots.  Around 1800, the sun popped out, displaying a beautiful rainbow behind the boat.  The wind finally switched more to the W and quieted down, making it easier to haul the dinghy back on deck.  After dinner radar showed the possibility of another batch of showers during the night, but with luck, they'll miss us, giving us a quiet night before we depart.

Lynnea

New Smyrnra Beach and Pineda Causeway Bridge

2/19/16   To  29 00.992N,    80 54.797W    "G45" Anchorage, New Smynra Beach    52.3NM

Around 0530 Friday morning the anchor alarm went off, a shrill siren that would wake the dead, and a false alarm.  The wind had been light and the anchor set well, the probability that we'd drug was slight.  Leonard used the app on the tablet instead of the cell phone and it apparently lost GPS signal. It took a moment to re-acquire a GPS position to see how far we were from where the anchor was set (the easiest way to see if you've moved - we had not) with the alarm blaring away.  Maybe it was a good thing no one else was near us.  While it's nice to know it 'works', I'd have rather slept.

After that less than stellar start, we had a day for the records, with a favorable current most of the day.  Other than a very short segment N of Ponce de Leon Inlet, the current averaged over 1kt in our favor, this should happen more often!  We'll try to remember this the next time we spend the entire day fighting current.

The day was spent traveling with 2 sailboats (we were in the middle) and Mojito, the sport fish that had gone through Bridge of Lions with us yesterday.  As Leonard commented,  Mojito was unusual for a sport fish.  They were polite, motored at trawler speed, and anchored out (they anchored again at New Smyrna Beach just S of us).  Usually sport fish roar by doing 20+kts, throwing huge wakes, act like they don't see you, and stop at marinas so they can plug into power.  This crew looked like a father and 2 sons on fishing trip with a Bahamian flag along with the Stars an Stripes

Dirigible N of Daytona - I thought we'd see it again,
but perhaps it had been tethered for the jet flyover

It was race week at Daytona, and we saw both a dirigible and a fly over of military fighters as we puttered along on the ICW. All but 1 of the 4 opening bridges were on demand so the day wasn't spent trying to time arrivals.  Unfortunately our timing at the New Smyrna Beach bridge was off - maybe if we'd pushed, we could have caught the 1520 opening. Instead, we slowed down and and waited until 1540.

We hoped the floating town dock in town would have a spot for us, but a good sized trawler was already there filling the dock, and neither if us wanted to tie up at the nearby slightly curved fixed dock, an invitation to scratch the new paint job.  Instead, we scoped out a spot further south to drop the hook where some of the locals moor just off the channel.  We've seen numerous dolphins on the ICW the past few days, and a couple surfaced alongside us as we settled in for the night.

2/20/16    To  28 12.676N,    80 38.742W    Pineda Causeway Bridge Rt 404    57.8NM

A flock of white pelicans on the Mosquito Lagoon

With a bit of current still flowing S, we were underway by 0715.  It held until we cleared the Haulover Canal and were headed down the Indian River where current becomes less of a factor.  It was a cloudy morning, and as we headed S, the clearing skies  just  N of us, indicating the day would improve.  A N breeze would have been nice so we could have sailed, but with the high slipping off the coast, the next wind direction will have a southerly component, dead ahead, so we weren't complaining, the calm conditions make for easy motoring.

An alternative life style for retirement, although not everyone gets a spot on the water

A few of the anchored fishermen at the E end of Haulover Canal - the bridge was open for Mojito

Being a Saturday morning, the local fishing fleet was out in force, especially as we approached the Haulover Canal.  Dodging anchored runabouts, I lost count around 18, made for an interesting passage since the channel makes a dogleg at the entrance and it was difficult to see which side of the channel they were anchored.  The parking lots, both by the bridge and the W side of the island, were packed with cars and boat trailers.  Both sides of the canal had numerous fishermen trying their luck casting from shore.  I'm surprised we didn't have a lure land on the deck.  It must be a prime spot for fishing!

These fishermen were a long way from shore -
the island behind them is a rookery filled with nesting birds

With the assembly building and launch site in sight, Leonard checked for the next scheduled launch date on the cell phone, Feb. 24, longer than we want to wait.  It was a bit of a surprise to see the rocket, ready for launch, when we got further S.  Several trips ago our timing was perfect and we had grand stand seats at a night launch - being anchored nearby makes great viewing.

Wednesday's rocket, ready for launch

A bit after noon, when an onshore breeze started to fill in with a bit of E in it, we raised the main.  Eventually as it shifted a bit more to the E, and we unfurled the jib.  Not quite enough wind to turn off the engine, but enough to save some fuel while motor sailing.  Unfortunately Leonard spotted a twist in the jib at the furler that hadn't been noticeable offshore while running downwind, but it was with the jib sheeted in tight.  An attempt to correct the problem while underway wasn't successful, we'd need to unfurl and lower the sail a bit, easier to do once anchored.

We passed Cocoa shortly after 1400, and the Captain declared it too early to stop, so we did another 10NM, anchoring in the lee of the Pineda Causeway (most anchorages on the Indian River are on one side or the other of the river at a causeway, depending on the wind conditions).  Seemed we traded last night's sound of the surf breaking on the shore for traffic crossing the bridge.  Given my druthers, I'd pick the more constant sound of surf .

We'll arrive at Vero Beach by mid afternoon tomorrow where we'll pick up a city mooring (with less current and more protection the moorings don't tend to tap on the hull and anchoring is prohibited).  It's not clear how long we'll stay with the arrival of the next cold front due sometime Tuesday or Wednesday.  We prefer to do the next leg to Lake Worth offshore, avoiding shoals and a number of restricted bridges.  So we'll try to time things to avoid strong S winds and inclement weather.  Vero is a convenient place to wait for a window, the moorings offer good protection from the weather, there's a dinghy dock, and the free shuttle bus makes it easy to provision.

 Lynnea

Mantazas River R38

2/18/16   To 29 48.430N    81 17.014W    R38 Mantazas River

I can't say I surprised as we approached the St. Johns River that Leonard changed his mind.  He said we'd stay in the ICW, with only the Sister Creek Bridge and no flagged shoals, the distance to St. Augustine is shorter on the ICW, and theoretically the currents should even out, it should take less time to stay inside.  However with the tide ebbing and the river flowing out,  it wouldn't take long to reach the Atlantic, so we turned to port to check out conditions offshore.  The fly in the ointment was the forecast for a building NE breeze as the day progressed, building the seas into the 5' range, enough to issue small craft advisories through Friday afternoon.

Sisters Bridge just N of the St Johns River - new 65' bridge under construction

#6 at the shipyard on the St Johns River

It was a bit lumpy getting out the inlet- wind against the current does that.  We hoped the wind would be enough off port to sail once we cleared the breakwater and by 0930 we were having the first sail of the season, averaging 5-6kts toward the St. Augustine inlet under the jib in 15-20 knots of NE breeze. Not bad other than the occasional bigger waves pushing us around.  There was little to see other than a lot of northern gannets and white caps building behind us.

Sailing in the St.Augustine inlet - note the breakers N of the channel

By 1400 we had the St. Augustine sea buoy in sight and Leonard consulted our SE Atlantic Inlet book.  The inlet at St Augustine, like many in the SE, isn't notated on the standard charts since it's constantly changing.  The book, while not totally up to date, gives a reasonable idea of what to expect.  When I'd talked to  the NH folks at Tiger Point, the captain said the buoys were on station this year and the depths good (they'd just come from there), all we had to do was find the sea buoy and follow the marks.  As we headed in, we slurped a bit of the jib for better control, and sailed into the harbor.  Unfortunately our timing for Bridge of Lions was off, so we drifted with the flood tide and wind after rolling up the jib once we were in the harbor.  We cleared the bridge at the 1500 opening with a couple of big sport fish boats.

Waiting for an opening at the Bridge of Lions

With no definite anchorage planned, we headed on our way, taking advantage of the current and wind.  Our first choice was considerably deeper than charted and filled with local anchored vessels (not surprising since when the city installed mooring fields, it forced the locals to move a bit further out).  So we continued a bit further.  We were a bit surprised to see the sport fish who'd cleared the bridge, south bound, with us, heading N as we approached our next spot.  Apparently they weren't happy with where they' planned to anchor.

Early morning light as we pull anchor by R38

Once again, neither paper nor chart plotter chart resembled reality when we reached our destination.  It's deep where the charts show marsh, and skinny where they indicate more water,  and the area's littered with well spaced bobbers.  After feeling our way around, checking the depths (known as the anchor dance), and after the 2nd try, it looked like we'd have both depth and swinging room (just!) between the shoals and bobbers, especially if the wind blew as forecast all night.  The anchor set well, so we should be fine, we just don't want to try to pick our way out between bobbers after dark!  We have a fairly full moon to help illuminate things, but I'm not sure I want to see how close the shoal behind us looks at low tide (we were up 4', almost high tide, when we anchored).

With another early start, we'll slip past the shoals at the Mantanzas Inlet while the tide's up. It would have been ideal if we could've run this section offshore, however arriving at Ponce De Leon Inlet around midnight wouldn't be a great idea.  Tomorrow's forecast is for more easterly winds of 20K and sea of 5 to 7 Ft which make going out and in the entrances a bit tricky.  So we will stay inside for a far as Fort Pierce.  With the forecast decent through the weekend, we'll see how far we get.  Much as we prefer to sit tight on weekends in Florida, we'll continue on our way toward Vero Beach, dealing with the weekend warriors.

Lynnea

George River

2/17/16    30 26.432N    81 26.182W    George River Anchorage    20.9NM
Today during breakfast, I caught a glimpse of a bird bathing across the creek.  At last we a sighting of an elusive clapper rail.  We've heard them daily in the marshes on every trip, but being shy creatures, seeing one, much less getting a photo (albeit a bit blurry), was a treat.  It was the first day it was warm enough to have breakfast in the cockpit.  We watched as pod of dolphin swam past catching their breakfast, always fascinating to watch as they cruise by.

Clapper Rail taking a morning bath

Then we were off to the laundromat to do a week's worth of laundry, a boring, but necessary chore before we departed.  We managed a short walk to the Greenway while the dryers were doing their thing, 30 minutes being just enough time to walk to the trail junction and back for a bit of welcome exercise before we become boat bound for a few days.  We picked up some fresh, local shrimp on the way back to Tiger Point and while I stashed the laundry, Leonard returned the car.  We were underway shortly after 1100, just as Bill was launching another sailboat.  Busy place, and Dave, one of the workers, helped cast off our lines since he was on the dock.  Since it was just after low tide, we eased our way past the shoal at the entrance of the creek and headed S.

It was interesting to see many of water depths on the this section of the ICW didn't jibe with either our now ancient paper chart, or a newer version on the chart plotter.  There were still plenty of shoal areas, just not necessarily as charted, so we adhered to the dictum of following the markers, dropping the RPM when the depths dipped under 10'.  Even with a rising tide we'd rather not run aground.

An Army Corps of Engineers survey vessel checking the depths N of the George River -
 they made multiple passes between the shores -
 a welcome, but uncommon sight

It was a short day to ease us back into cruising mode.  With few anchorages beyond the St. Johns River, we entered the George River about 1440, almost too early to stop.  We'd seen little traffic other than local fishermen most of the day, but another sailboat was anchored at the mouth of the river.  The depths weren't as charted or remembered, but Leonard managed to get us to the 'X' on the plotter indicating a previous anchorage just E of the Kingsley Plantation a bit under a NM from the entrance.  We'll need to depart by 0800 to have sufficient water to get back to the ICW, otherwise the sections we crossed with readings under 8' would become problematic with 3'-4' less water and a falling tide. 

The Kingsley Plantation

We could have launched the dinghy and toured the park, or been brave and tried tying up at the park dock, posted as moor at your own risk, but it was nice to relax after a very busy week.  We've toured the plantation in the past, both by boat and car.  Other than a few local fisherman puttering past, there was no traffic since the charts show green, indicating shallow marsh, rather than a navigable entrance at the Atlantic.  This evening, with little wind, it was warm enough to eat in the cockpit and enjoy the wildlife on the salt marsh as evening fell. 

Evening light at the George River anchorage

We'll  check for an updated forecast in the morning before making the decision to stay in the ICW or head offshore.  While the NE wind at 10 - 15 would make for a good sail, the wind has been stronger than forecast most of the past week, it's a long fetch from the NE with few places to tuck back if it gets rough (predicted wave height of 4-6' offshore).

Lynnea

Launched

2/16/16 At Tiger Point Marina

Ibis - immature and adult on Egan's Creek

It blew like crazy in the middle of the night when the latest cold front went through.  With the mast and sails up, we shuddered and shook in the cradle, neither of us getting up to check the wind speed, but both agreed it was in the 30's.  This was verified by our neighbor from New Hampshire, a Hylas 47, who was hauled yesterday and in a nearby cradle.  He was surprised how it felt since we're in 'hurricane cradles' - they didn't have the sails on as  added windage - don't want to think how it would feel in a hurricane.  It rained a bit as well which helped wash some of the dirt from the decks.

About 0900 we started the launch process.  First the transporter picked up the cradle and boat to make it accessible for the travel lift, then it's off to the launch dock.  Since the current really runs here, launches usually take place at slack water on either tide.  We had low tide - not a problem with our less than 5' draft.  What was a problem was the wind.  The forecast was for 10-15 but we had 15-20 with gusts.  The tricky part was easing the boat out of the slings and slot and onto the adjacent dock - a 90 degree cross wind turn.  The last thing Bill (or we) wanted was to scrape the hull on one of the pilings and messing up the new paint job.  It was a bit touch and go, but with the help of the full yard crew, we got tied up without touching the pilings.  Bill was impressed with our snazzy fender covers, visible on the deck, especially when he learned we'd made them Sunday to meet his launch requirement.  The whole process would have been much easier without the gusty wind.

Launch - we're eventually tied up at the dock to the right of the pilings,
a long way down at high tide!

Much of the day was spent cleaning and polishing the decks and cockpit cushions.  The job would have been easier if we could have used boat soap which seems to help suspend the dirt once it's been scrubbed loose, however it may also loosen our vinyl name until it's cured.  By mid afternoon the boat was looking respectable.  At least we had a warm, sunny day so the inevitable getting wet in the cleaning process was tolerable (our roll up hose is like a soaker, with pin holes spraying geysers of water from various spots, convenient for storage but not otherwise the most useful hose).

A green heron watching us clean and polish

With those chores done, it was time to take a closer look at tides and conditions for heading on our way.  The weather for the rest of the week looks great, tides more so-so, with low tide mid day.  Since we aren't in a great rush and have the car until 1100, we'll depart just after low tide, with time to do laundry and last minute provisions before turning in the car.  We'd need to leave at first light to run offshore to St. Augustine, about 60NM by the time the distance of the inlets are added, before dark, so we'll putter along on a rising tide (needed at Nassau Inlet just S of here) and stop shy of the St. Johns River for the night by Ft. St. George.  We can go outside in the morning and arrive at the St. Augustine Inlet with enough daylight to continue on our way if the conditions look good, or stay on the ICW.  

At this point, we don't plan to stop at St. Augustine.  It's an interesting place, but it's been irritating in the past to hear and feel the hard buoy bump along the hull when the current switches, something we don't want on the freshly painted hull  (maybe we could design and market 'mooring ball covers'...).  It's a down side to the convenience of picking up a mooring when strong currents are an issue.

Lynnea

Spring 2016 - Back Aboard

2/10/2016 to 2/14/2016 Tiger Point Marina, Fernandina Beach

A view of Mount Mansfield from Jericho in late January

Air travel is great when the weather cooperates and the airline is running on schedule.  We lucked out on both counts (and will will use Jet Blue in the future), arriving in Jacksonville on time, on a cool, breezy, sunny day.  The only problem with the flight was we flew well inland, possibly due to the storm swirling along the coast, and didn't get a view of our coastal cruising grounds once the clouds parted.  While we escaped Vermont before the cold snap, the temperature in Fernandina Beach dropped to the low 30's as the front swung through Thursday night.  Some of the first things we grabbed out of storage were the heater and fleece blankets.  Both  necessary, especially with a cold wind whipping around the boat.

A Victorian in Old Towne Fernandina overlooking the plaza

We arrived at Tiger Point to find Antares bright and shiny, but nameless.  The graphics guy wanted to check with us before finalizing the name and warmer weather to apply the vinyl name and hailing port.  Thankfully the temperature cooperated, rebounding into the 70's Friday allowing him to work, before dropping back into the 50's over the weekend.  

We planned to step the mast Friday during the morning calm, but decided to wait until Monday when the wind kicked up to a steady 15-20, gusting into the 30's when Bill and the crew were available after lunch. The bottom paint at the water line needed to be touched up where the bottom paint had been removed during painting the hull. It looked good when we'd been hauled in December, but now had places down to the bare hull, right where the grunge grows best.  Since we're retired and don't have a schedule, it doesn't make a lot of difference if we depart Tuesday or Wednesday, besides Tuesday's forecast is another cold front bringing possible thunder showers and wind - hardly ideal.   We have plenty to keep busy getting all the systems up and running. 

Bill, the  marina owner, threatened not to launch us unless our fenders had covers to protect the new paint job.  He'd been  promoting painting the hull for several years and is justifiably pleased (as are we) with how good she looks.  Now we'll  have fits when approaching docks and pilings until we get a few of the inevitable dings that happen to the best of us.  Bill suggested using sweat pant legs as an easy fix, but even  men's XL didn't fit our big fenders.  A check on line indicated a 3-4 week wait for custom covers from West Marine (at $70 x 4).  Our solution was a light weight sewing machine and fleece fabric from JoAnnes.  We're not sure how well they'll hold up, but they look nice, can be removed for washing and were considerably less expensive than anything we could have purchased.

Black skimmers flying along the beach - they scoop up fish with their lower mandible as they fly 

Black skimmers and gulls huddled on the beach in the wind

Friday afternoon, after deciding not to step the mast, we went for a walk on the beach and Egan's Creek Greenway, enjoying the sunny, breezy, afternoon.  The weather has been sunny, but the days have been busy getting chores done, with little time or energy left for fun things.  

One of many turtles basking in the sun on Egans Creek Greenway

Saturday was shopping day.  After deciding on a  solution for fender covers, we headed into Jacksonville to West Marine, Costco and Trader Joe's.  Given the crowds, (the population of the Duval County is far greater than all of Vermont, and everyone was out shopping) everything took longer than expected.  Dinner in town was a fitting end to a busy day.

Sunday we fabricated fender covers, ran a few errands and made another trip to pick up a load of gear from the storage locker.  Leonard replaced  fire extinguishers (not quite the same size as the old ones) and some of our LED lights. A number of years ago he fabricated mountings to replace the incandescent bulbs in our overhead fixtures since there wasn't an easy swap on the market without replacing the entire fixture.  They work great and save on battery usage.

The plan was to step the mast first thing Monday morning before the wind picked up, along with doing another coat of bottom paint along the waterline and touching up the keel. It was a bit past 0900 when Bill picked up the mast with the hoist and brought it alongside the boat.  We were glad we'd decided to wait.  It's exciting enough when it's calm and the mast is dangling by the boat and being spotted for dropping through the deck.  The thought of a strong wind gust at the wrong time would be worthy of a nightmare, with visions of the hull cracking open like an egg.  Bill said they'd scrapped plans Friday afternoon to move a 40' dock brow realizing it would have been difficult to control in a ill timed gust.

Bringing the mast alongside - the mast opening is between the hatch and the dinghy

Captain Bill maneuvering the mast for stepping

The mast was up and stayed by 1000, and we spent much of the day working through the list of remaining chores.  Our luck held and the wind stayed light, allowing us to get both sails up.  By mid afternoon the list was nearing the end, the decks would  wait until we were in the water to get washed.  We were warned to go light on boat soap until new vinyl decals were well set, a couple of weeks, but a thorough hosing would help remove much of the accumulated dirt on the deck.  It remains to be seen if we get the topsides polished before we leave.

Antares before launching, looks like a new boat

We'll keep the car for another day for clearing out our storage unit, laundry and a last provisioning run and any other last minute errands. We'll launch Tuesday morning (could be interesting since thundershowers are in the morning forecast) and head on our way Wednesday.  This, like most of our plans, is subject to change.  We'll keep you posted.