Land of the Majestic Live Oaks

 

Once again we had a weather system moving in on us that was going to make things rough at the City Marina in St Augustine. The forecast was for gale force winds out of the north beginning on Friday. Safe to know that a gale is a lot of wind and something you don’t want to be in either at anchor or at a dock if you can help it. So we decided to go into the St John’s river to Jacksonville where there is a first class marina called Port 32.

So on Thursday morning we rolled out at 7 am for the 54 mile cruise to Jacksonville. Our route took us through the Tolomato River and on into a long dug section of the ICW. We passed by many beautiful waterfront homes especially in Palm Valley and Ponte Vedra. This is waterfront living at its finest. We then turned into the St John’s river and headed 20 miles to the mouth of the Ortega River where Port 32 is located.

The St John’s river to Jacksonville is mostly large scale industrial with numerous shipping ports of all types. As you pass Jacksonville it turns largely residential and then remote.  Port 32 Marina is full service providing free laundry, beautiful pool, gas grills and a wonderful boaters lounge. Not to mention everything a boater would need was almost within walking distance. We saw La Vida was moored just across from us.

We Looped a couple of different sections with them and enjoyed their company. So we connected and had a wonderful dinner at a great local Indian restaurant. The Canadian crew from Grand Vue also joined us. On Saturday we jumped on the bikes and rode five miles to downtown. The ride took us along the river front where stately old homes adorned with majestic live oaks some of which were around at the time of the civil war.

The live oaks are an ecosystem in and of themselves as they are home to beards of Spanish moss, ferns and many types of succulents. Birds, squirrels and lizards make these trees home. You can’t help but think Deep South when you are amongst these curly armed giants. These trees were highly prized by shipwrights as they utilized their curved branches to shape boats. Our ride also took us through the small area of Avondale which is about two blocks long and packed with eating and retail options. Down Jacksonville is a bit of an enigma. It has all the right bones to be a thriving Florida city but it just can’t seem to find its footing. There is a beautiful waterfront area but many of the commercial spaces are shuttered. However based on what I saw I believe it is currently a Florida bargain. There is signs that things are on the move. Only time will tell. 

On Sunday we rolled back out of the St John’s river to join back up to the ICW where we anchored just off to the side slightly north of Kingsley Creek which in total was about 25 miles. As we turned onto the ICW we noticed an unusual amount of small boat traffic. When I say unusual I mean like a steady stream of them miles long. When we went past Kingsley Creek all of them were turning into the creek.

We could see a mass of boats pulled up onto the shallows. Our objective was to go to the Kingsley Creek Plantation which is another national park. We dinghied to the park dock and did a self guided tour of buildings and slave quarters. The planter that owned this place was a bit different. First he married a slave and then gave her her freedom.

He then put her in charge of the whole operation as he traveled and conducted business around the country. He was also a believer that slaves were to be treated with dignity and respect at least to the level of that time. Eventually when Florida became a state and being married to a black man or woman became a crime he packed up his family and mover to Cuba. It was a real interesting stop.

After we hopped back into the dinghy and went to see where all the boats were. Well did we see them. There must have been no less than 3-400 boats of every shape and size hanging out enjoying Memorial Day. We anchored about a mile away in a beautiful spot over looking miles of marsh. It was so peaceful and serene. It was hard to leave the next morning. 

                                                         Slave quarters

     Note the cloud cover. This was a very rare cloudy day over the past year. 

God Must Love to keep me entertained

 

On Sunday May 21st we dropped lines and headed to St Augustine 54 miles north on the ICW, or so we thought. It was yet another beautiful day as we worked our way up the Halifax River and into the Mantanzas River where we saw a bunch of boats beached over by the inlet. Well it was warm, sunny and only half past one. We decided last minute to pull off the ICW and anchor right in the bend before the Matanzas Inlet.

It was a bee hive of activity and also a National Park site of Fort Mantanzas. Once settled we dinghyed over to the park and took the Ferry over to the Fort. We were given an excellent presentation on the Forts History by a very enthusiastic young park ranger. Fort Mantanzas was key fort for the Spanish to maintain a strong hold on St Augustine as it guards the back water entrance where they could get supplies in for fort Castillo de San Marcos.

Prior to the building the fort the Spanish had to overtake the French that had a small encampment there but were poorly outfitted. When the Spanish came in they killed all of the Frenchmen thus the name of the fort, Mantanzas which means Massacre. An interesting fact about the fort is that it is the only Spanish piece of architecture built by the Spanish in the United States.

After the tour we walked the nature trail and then took the dinghy over to the beach where all the action was. Our Canadian friends we met in Daytona also decided to follow our lead and met us in the anchorage. When we got back to the boat I had a few minutes so I decided to do my engine room check early. Well good thing. When I went in I saw dried salt crystals on the rubber mats. “Well that’s not good,” I thought to my self. As I looked around for the source I discovered the oil cooler that has sea water passing thru it sprung a leak.

S#%t! So I went to work and pulled the cooler off. I was fortunate to have a propane torch, some solder and flux. Now could I get it hot enough but not too hot to flow some solder over the hole? Too hot and the existing solder would let go and we would be down an engine. Well luck was on our side and I was able to seal up the hole and get the cooler re installed. Disaster averted once again. God so loves to challenge me. 

On Monday we had a short 14 mile cruise to get to the city marina at St Augustine. Staying at the marina is a real treat as it is literally at the foot of the main part of St Augustine. Besides we were flat out of clean clothes and in need of water. So the first day was about getting chores done. Sue had a mountain of clothes , towels and bed linens to scrub up. I had to give the boat a good bath. We actually had rain move in so it was a pretty low key day.

It had been a very long time since we saw an measurable precipitation during the day. It was actually nice. We spent the next two days exploring the city. I don’t know what it is about the place but it has such a good energy about it. We went to a unique museum on King Street called Villa Zorayada which is done in the grand gilded style with a moorish style blended in from Spain.

Incredibly detailed furnishings and finishes. We highly recommend a visit if ever in the area. Our last night we went to a close by restaurant that someone recommended. We planned on only having an appetizer and drink as Sue had already prepared dinner. Well after the delicious appetizer we had to have dinner. We sat at the bar where there was another couple. Before it was over we were sharing samples from each others entrees. It was really fun. We have been to St Augustine a couple of time before but somehow it never grows old even though it is the oldest city in America. 

All the following pictures are Moorish Revival Museum

It may not be pretty but it sealed up and kept us moving up the ICW. 

Mosquitoes and Race Cars

After surviving our rough night on the dock we were treated to a beautiful sunny day on Thursday with a nice north east breeze which kept us nice and comfortable on the fly bridge. Our next planned stop was New Smyrna Beach about 50 miles to the north. We had been to the beach area by car with my sister a couple of years ago but never really spent time in the small downtown area on Canal street. 

We anchored just to the south of the south causeway bridge at about 2:30. It was pretty warm but we made the effort to launch the dinghy take the short ride to the town dock. Canal street really had a lot to offer along its live Oak trees lined road. There was a real artsy feel to the place. There was an artist enclave of sorts the had a quite a number of different booths. The art work was definitely upscale.

We ended up having a beer at the waterfront restaurant  and decided we needed another day to fully experience the town. That night somehow our stateroom was invaded by mosquitoes and noseeums which made for a very rough sleep. Now the minute my sister found that out she was pier side by 11am the next morning. She lives less than an hour away so it was great she could come. She sweetened the deal by bringing homemade Tamales.

Boy were they good!. We spent the day exploring by both foot and dinghy with an eventual goal of having dinner at the famed Garlic. Now let me tell you, if you go even close to New Smyrna DO NOT MISS the Garlic. It is a dining experience both gastronomicly and in atmosphere. We had a fantastic dinner filled with stories and laughter. We sat at the bar where the bar tenders took great care of us.  

In Daytona we had a conversation with a general manager of another establishment who knew all about the Garlic. He said there annual gross is over $17 million with a profit margin of 18%. Bottom line is don’t miss it. The next morning we went to the Farmers Market off Canal Street and picked up some fresh produce. After that we were off to Race Town, or so we thought. Daytona about 17 miles north. Our cruise took us past Merritt Island and then Cape Canaveral  followed by Mosquito Lagoon, one of my favorite sections of the ICW. It is one of the few remaining undeveloped sections that probably looks much like it did a hundred years ago. When we go by next time we will anchor out and explore the many little coves and islands along the eastern shore. From there we entered the Halifax River and then our destination, Daytona Beach.

We have been to Daytona on our last trip up the ICW and were not wowed. So this would be primarily an overnight stop. While I was checking out a place for dinner by dinghy I was flagged down by another Looper couple Glen and Janet from Toronto. Well before you know it they came over for Happy Hour. She was actually born in North Tonawanda in the same hospital as I but just 4 years later. Well we really hit it off and went to dinner together. A funny but typical scene occurred when it cam to where we were going to sit, in or out. The women wanted in, the folks from Mars, well wanted out. The waiter over heard and told us not to fret. He brought us to an area where he lifted a large garage door that allowed the girls to sit inside and we outside. Perfect! A good night was had by all.

So you think you might like to Loop? Well we met these folks in Daytona and they are on their 33rd Loop! 30 years ago the Loop would have been truly an incredible feat. They of course hold the record for most Loops. Nicest people you could ever meet. We were sorry we could not spen more time with them. 

Waterfront New Smyrna Beach

                                                          Unlike a car before every cruise I do an engine check if nothing else to just look around. Well I found this broken clamp on a hose that connects cooling water to the engine. I the hose had come off, bye bye engine. 

 

Reunion on the Space Coast

On Tuesday morning we headed to Melbourne to meet up the the Gavonie’s, the Shirleys and Uncle Nip. It was a short ride just under 23 miles where we tucked into a marina just off the Eau Gallic river which happened to be just 3 miles from where the Gavonie’s live. Steve and Denise are another lucky couple that that took Denise’s parents retirement home over after their passing. Nip and the Gavonie’s showed up almost minutes after we got settled in the slip. The fun started and did not stop until well into the evening. The Gavonie’s were kind enough to host us at their house over night and fed us a fabulous breakfast.

We told them we decided to stay a week as the accommodations and hospitality was so good. It was only the second time in over a year I had slept on land! It was so much fun reminiscing about all the fun times we have had in the past together back in good old Virginia Beach. A special shout out to the Shirleys who made us feel very special by trekking across the state to see us one last time before we head out of Florida. 

On Wednesday Steve Gavonie took Sue to the grocery store and then dropped us off at the boat. They decided to drive up to Coco Village to meet and spend the afternoon with us.

It turns out that Coco Village is a neat little Florida town. They have a nice courtesy dock that you can stay for free however there is no power or water. From there it is steps from the village. We also did the pilgrimage to the original Ron Jons. When I was 20 I actually went to the original store which was a small low slung surf shop that you would never notice if you drove by. It is now a massive surf shop department store. So as all who go in we all came out with the obligatory tee shirt. After we explored the village and called it a day as we were all a bit “tired” from the previous day’s reminiscing with old friends. There was a bit of a threat of thunderstorms which looked like they would miss us. They didn’t. We watched the storm brew up to our south east and then proceed to track up wind. We saw a water spout about 2 miles down Indian River as the storm approached and slammed right into us. It was about an hour of wind, rain and frequent lightning. I gave a hand to  both sailboats one to my stern, one to my bow as they were really getting beat up. They were getting tossed so hard at the dock they could not get off  their respective boats. Mind you there was a bit of self preservation involved. Well the storms finally moved off and things settled down quite nicely. The good part was it dropped the temps and made sleeping quite nice. 

Heading North on the ICW

 

After three days in West Palm Beach we began our journey north on the ICW on Friday heading 39 miles north to Stuart, Fl. It was a section of the ICW we have not been on. We are now only missing the portion from North Key Largo to West Palm to having done the whole ICW which officially runs from Norfolk, Va to Miami for a total of 1250 miles. The cruise was great as the ICW was lined with incredible waterfront homes ranging from palatial estates to homes you just want to own and move into.

When we reached Stuart we went to anchor in Hobbs Cove. We then headed to the city dock by dinghy and walked around Stuart which has a really nice Main Street. We were scheduled to meet up with Brien and Harry Harrison. Harry being the famed lawyer that was run out of Virginia Beach after his fiasco term as city counsel member back in the day. Just to give you a sense of his escapades he had the audacity to appoint me to the parks and recreation commission of VA Beach. Sorry Harry had to take a pot shot!

Actually Harry is quite a respected attorney and just recently fully retired. Congrats Harry! I have enjoyed his friendship for a number of years. OK I’m lying again, it is his lovely wife Brien who is the star of the show. Anyhow we met up with them for dinner at a great restaurant in town and enjoyed good food and awesome company. We had to beat our way back to Next Chapter in some spirited water but we made it none the less. The next morning we went to Pirates Cove in Manatee Pocket. We desperately needed clean laundry.

Now while we are on the subject of laundry let me explain something. You know how there is an unspoken rule of how long you wear certain items like underwear. One time Shirts, maybe two times and shorts or pants a couple times. Well on a boat that all goes out the window. You wear it all till the seagulls wont come near you or they stand up on their own. Not to mention you wear the same “outfit” Multiple days until one or the other happens. So when we got to the marina Sue was on a mission. My sister and her son Mason decided to also come pay a visit also. We explored the area and even took the dinghy out to see the town by water.  After dinner aboard we took Mason, who recently turned 21, to the Twisted Tuna. Good music, fun cornhole and probably too many beers. He and I actually ran the cornhole boards and left many with their head hung low. Fortunately the next day I was able to get a late check out so we could hang out a bit longer on Sunday. After the goodbyes we headed off to Ft Pierce to have a Mothers Day Dinner at 12A Bouy. The highlight of the dinner was the Peanut Butter Pie. Sooooo good. We ate on that for three days. We spent the next morning tooling around the small downtown area. Ft Pierce really has a lot to offer the boating crowd. I see why our friends Jim and Lisa spend the winters there on their boat. Late morning we weighed anchor and headed to Sebastian Inlet where the famous Captain Hirams is located. Captain Hirams is one of those iconic Florida dive bars that sprawl along the waterfront. We had a bit of a challenge finding a place to anchor as anything off the channel get shallow quick. Being that there is only 1/2’ tide here if you go aground the only way off is to get towed. Fortunately we avoided that as we were able to find a place that gave us 1’ under our keel and a short dinghy ride to Captain Hirams.  Certainly it was a fun place. Dinner was on board where we had our last lobster tail and a nice steak. 

Crossing the Gulf Stream Part Two

 

Monday May 8th we hung out at the marina until 11am and then departed for the West End of Grand Bahama Island. The cruise was only about 29 miles and the conditions were ideal. Sunny, light winds and pleasant temperatures not to mention we were going straight to an anchorage. The trip was completely uneventful as we did not get even a single strike on the fish pole.

We pulled into a man made cut and canal system thathad been done decades ago. All the roads are in complete with stop signs but not a single structure has been built. Really quite odd but provided a great protected and quiet anchorage. There was three other boats in the anchorage. We hopped into the dinghy and headed to Old Bahama Bay Marina on the very west end of the island.

This is where all the big yachts and sport fish boats come into or leave out of. Very nice development. They also have nice land accommodations for the land lubbers. We met a couple of guys that were there moving a large yacht back to Florida who were quite fun. We were invited back to their boat for a barbecue but we did not want to make the four mile dinghy ride back to the mother ship in the dark.

We went to bed expecting a very calm quiet sleep. And it was until about 2am when we were attacked by mosquitoes that had somehow got their way into the aft cabin. After going on the assault trying to kill as many as possible we gave up the fight, turned on the fan and finally went back to sleep. As I have always said, “sleep is overrated.” The next morning we were on our way at 6:30am to make the crossing. The weather and sea state was about ideal except again no luck on the fish pole.

We arrived Lake Worth Inlet at 3:30. We stopped at the fuel barge and picked up a couple gallons of diesel. Fortunately we only bought 150 gallons in the Bahamas. We then headed down the ICW and went to anchor. Sue’s brother Andy came to visit and have dinner on the boat. He ended up staying the night. In the morning we moved Next Chapter to the City of West Palm Beach day dock. It is right downtown and best yet free. Only stipulation is you can’t stay overnight. We wound up staying three nights as there is so much to do. We went to the Flagler Museum which was his house completely restored with 95% of the original furnishings. We learned that Flagler was one of the unspoken icons of the men who built America. He was one of the original major shareholders of Standard Oil. John Rockefeller is on record stating that if it was not for Flagler Standard Oil would have never been so successful. The house is all done in the extravagant Guilded style. Opulent to the max. Even in its time it was considered museum quality. 

As many know West Palm Beach is well just west of Palm Beach where some of the richest people in the world own property. Someone told me that the combined wealth of the property owners is that of 1/3 of all the private wealth in the country. Riding thru the streets it doesn’t take long to believe that. If you are in doubt just take a stroll down Worth Avenue. The doors of some of the most exclusive shops in the world open to the Avenue lined with exotic cars like diamonds adoring a bracelet. On our last night we had the great fortune of hosting our nephew Mason and Sue’s sister Mary for dinner. Later her brother Andy and Brenda came to visit.

It was great hearing  Mason talk about all his accomplishments dreams and ambitions. Oh to be young again. After dinner we walked into town where they had a great cover band playing in the street. Everyone had a great time. We really loved rubbing elbows the rich and famous. I know many tend to look down on them but hey that is what is so great about this country. Opportunity!

     A humongous Kapok Tree

                           The house had every modern amenity of the day

Some interesting facts about this house which by the way was 100,000 sq ft, was worth $100,000,000 in the day and was built in 18 months. Construction went on 24 hours a day by 100’s of craftsmen. Much of the interior finishing were fabricated off site, brought in and installed. This ceiling mural was one of them. All the plaster relief moldings were done much the same way. And if that is not enough it was wired by Thomas Edison!