2011-11-19 - in Vero Beach, FL

Well, here it is! - Dylan's new Beach Buggy. We ordered a Folding Beach Cart from Wheeleez and added his bath chair from home. These beach carts are great as they have large balloon tires that are supposed to take you over sand, etc. We toyed with many options over the course of our preparations to see what the best method would be to get him in the water. He loves the water and waves - what 6-year old wouldn't. We had to get something that would be portable and functional in the water. Also, it had to be foldable as we have so much stuff on the boat already. For Dylan he has a walker, wheelchair seat, 3 foam positioning chairs (tumbleforms), bike trailer, and now....a Beach Buggy! We spend a lot of time at the beach - or expect to...so this will, hopefully, be great for all of us! We were going to do a trial run with it with a very nice family we met from (of all places) Mississauga, Ontario. They are on a boat called, Cee Gem and have two young girls similar in ages to our two.  Connor was excited to finally have a play with some other kids as we haven't seen too many so far.  But, first we needed to get to shore to pick up  some supplies for the motors.  Kerry took the dinghy down river to take care of that, and I took the boys for a walk.  We ended up at a little garage sale down the street from the marina.  It was a great find as the lady was a teacher and

 

Captain Connor drives us back home!



had wonderful books, little hand instruments, craft supplies, etc that we just couldn't resist (although, I probably should have) taking all of it.  As we were loading up our finds into a very large bag a small lizard popped out of the bag and landed on Connor.  This was very new to him, but he just loved it.  The  lizard stayed with him for several minutes.  We finally had to release our little friend back to the wild and walk back to the marina.  Cee Gem had arrived back from shopping and were eager to find the beach.  We had looked on GoogleMaps to see if there was a place to go to land our dinghy.  GoogleMaps is a great tool for this as you can see what is actually there on the map.  We headed down and the landing spot was a success.  There was a couple of trees ready to be tied to and off we went to the beach.  The waves were high and the red flag was flying indicating danger for going swimming in the water.  We would just be on the edge of the water for our trial run.  I figured, we would just see how the wheels worked and how it handled being in the water.  The waves rolled in and we inched him a bit forward so that Dylan's toes would get wet.  He loved it!  You could tell that he was really enjoying the experience and being with the other kids.  Just then a large wave broke and went up and over his chair and over his face.  He squealed louder and absolutely loved that!   He was soaked.  This chair was definitely a success!  I can't wait to head  the into calmer (well, not too calm as he is a bit of a daredevil!) water so that he can really get wet and enjoy himself.  Not too far off now.  Bahamas is right around the corner.   Warm, clear waters!  

The rats are getting bad...but, still manageable

When we got home we ended up having a nice chat with our new neighbours on the mooring ball.  They have been travelling since 2003 and have 4 ferrets on board.  The boys loved the little critters...and now, Connor is no longer wanting a snake...but a ferret (or maybe two)!  I told him to wait off until he sees more animals and decides that he wants.  Maybe next a Shark or a whale perhaps?  Kerry and Connor also went back to Cee Gem tonight to chat about anchorages and routes in the Bahamas. They may do the crossing with us as they have never done it and we are on the same route.  I hope that we can make that happen!

2011-11-18 - in Vero Beach, FL (still)

2011-11-17 - in Vero Beach, FL

 We are still in the mooring field and enjoying Vero.  We decided to take another run at the shopping to try to stroke some of the items on our list.  The bus came and we decided to head to the mall.  The mall was air conditioned and, if nothing else, we would  be comforable.  It's just now starting to feel warm and tropical here in Florida.  For the last month it just didn't seem to be warming up - we were still bundled up at night and sweaters and coats during the day while travelling.  Now, we are offically hot  - no complaints here though.  The mall was fun.  They had a tornado machine, where you go inside to feel the affects of 75 mph wind.  Connor and Kerry went in and got the dust blown off of them.  We didn't get too much off our list though...so, we may have to stay another day.  One thing that we are looking for is a Wifi antennae.  We need something that boosts the signal from marinas, etc. when we are in the anchorage.  In most places in the Bahamas you can pay for internet access, but you typically have to head into the marina and sit close to have any connection.  I typically, like to stay up after they all go to bed to catch up with the internet....so, heading to shore at 10:00 probably won't work.  We jumped off the bus at a few locations to see if some stores had them, but they didn't.  Looks like we may have to order off of the internet.
Tonight, there was a gathering of the crusiers at the clubhouse.  It was quite the collection of people and we enjoyed hearing some of their stories.  One couple from Canada has been going for 3 years now and enjoy going to Cuba.   We had thought about Cuba, but put it off for now. We had heard stories about how hard it is to travel in Cuba with regards to the officials and procedures.  He said the complete opposite and just loves Cuba.  He avoids the tourist destinations and gets right in with the local families.  He also spoke of 1 cent slushies and 4 cent ice cream cones .... which got Connor going.   We'll have to have a talk about what we might do.  Insurance is one thing that we would need to look into first.
The musical boaters jammed with guitars and harmonicas - Dylan was thrilled.
I didn't bring my camera today - shucks - missed a lot of good photos!  Tomorrow!

2011-11-16 - to Vero Beach, FL (mile 952)

Vero Beach was our destination today.  This has been fondly named 'Velcro Beach' as people tend to stay/ or be stuck here or a while.  We will find out if this is really true.  What we have just figured out is that we really are down to the wire now.  All of sudden, we are essentially only 4 travel days away from Miami and the jumping off point.  AHHH!  There are a lot of things still, yet, to be done.  Vero Beach is the place to do a lot of these things  at least the provisioning.  First, the city has a free bus system that will take you all over the city of Vero Beach.  We had called ahead to make a reservation for their mooring field.  This is very popular location and the whole marina caters to the cruisers.  We got our mooring assignment and headed for the ball.  There was already one other catamaran on the ball.  We just basically pulled alongside and tie onto their boat.  They are, of course, tied to the mooring ball.  The maria has a wonderful dinghy dock, captains lounge, showers, and a full complement of washers and dryers. It's a cruisers paradise.  The first thing we did when land is to get online to order a beach cart from Beachcartusa.com.  We have been looking for something for Dylan so that we can get him to the beach and in and out of the water.  The small wheels on the stroller just don't cut it in the soft beach sand.  Also, once Connor starts splashing about....Dylan, of course, wants to 'jump in' as well.  This unit that we ordered, is basically a dolly with large balloon tires (from Wheeleez) that we are going to strap a supportive chair to.  This way, we can pop it in the dinghy and head to a beach with the full anticipation that Dylan will enjoy the water as much as he wants.  It should arrive on Friday!  very excited.

After that, we headed to shore.  Once we familiarized ourselves with the bus system, we decided to jump on and start buying food for the trip.  We need to provision as there are not many locations to purchase food in the Bahamas.  We did almost two cars full of food and then headed home in a cab.  The buses are great but they only allow you to carry packages on the bus that you can pick up and carry yourself.  We wouldn't have gotten away with that for sure.   Although we had a very full load, we probably have at least one other trip for groceries and then I must get a few things for Christmas.  I have a feeling that we may be here for a few more days than expected!

2011-11-14 - to Titusville, FL (mile 878)

It was a great day for sea life!  In the morning, we saw a large Sea Turtle in the water  after pulling anchor and heading out of Halifax Harbour in Daytona.  It was very neat to see.  Immediately after, however,  a boat approached us from behind.  It was a motor boat and, usually, we slow down a bit to let them pass quickly.  Kerry slowed and then waved them on.  Strangely, they just kept getting closer to our stern.  When they got close enough to have a chat they introduced themselves as the police and wanted to board our boat.  What they wanted to check is to ensure that our sewage tanks were closed to the outside. Another cruising boat, Silverheels III, had warned us of this, so we were slightly prepared. (thanks Silverheels!)  Instead of checking to see if the valve was tied off - they put a dye in the head and flushed.  The remaining officer in the boat checked to see that nothing was leaking.  We passed...phew!  We got back to our schooling when Kerry called us out again for dolphins.  It is hard to resist.  We see so many of them but each time, it is still wonderful.  As we were checking out the dolphins, I looked closer to shore and saw a much darker creature in the water - that looked very close to a small whale.  We turned the boat around so we could have a closer look.  There was two of them and they were quite active.  We watched them swim about in the water and we figured that it was a pair of manatees. 

As we were watching in amazement, the pair started to come to our boat.  They both popped up right at our bow and nudged the boat.  I called to Kerry and he shut of the motors just in case they somehow got underneath.  I wanted to ensure that they didn't get hit.  All was well.  They went on their way and so did we.  It was quite the discovery and Connor was thrilled to have seen an actual Manatee in the wild!  We arrived in Titusville later in the day.  We pulled to the dock to refuel and noticed a mast sticking out of the water a couple of docks down.  It had appeared that a boat had sunk right in position at the dock.  Later we found out about the full story.  What we got from two marina employees was that that boat was lent to a couple of friends who, decided to leave the boat at anchor for 35 days.  At the beginning of October a no-named storm ripped through and tore this boat from his anchor.  He ended up dragging through the moornig field, and onto a dock in the marina.  The waves and wind were so powerful that the boat ended up on top of the dock slamming hard down and tearing a hole in the hull.  The unfortunate thing was that the owner did not insure his boat and there is going to be a lot of issue on who pays for the salvage.  Titusville has a large mooring field now that costs only $15 for the night.  It allows for the use of showers, pump out machine, trash, laundry, etc.  Not a bad deal! 

2011-11-13 - to Daytona Beach, FL (mile 830)

Off we went for Daytona at 7:30am.  The travel time was only 7 hours.  We caught a bit of a favourable current early, but was fighting the current the last third.  It was a beautiful day.  We had to catch up on school (even though it was Sunday) as we had been very busy with the sites at St. Augustine and hadn't completed a lot of their work.    Connor took his book and a seat cushion to the top of the 

hard top and enjoyed the warm breeze while he finished up his novel.  It was nice to be on the go again as we are all quite anxious about getting to the Bahamas to enjoy the warmer weather and clear water.  We arrived

in Daytona at 2:30pm and within the hour jumped into the dinghy to head to shore.  It is often difficult to land your dinghy in places like this.  There are a lot of condos and, otherwise, private property that make it difficult to find a spot to land.  We ended up crossing to the other side of the channel to see what they would have.  Some marinas charge a dinghy docking fee, which would be fine as well.  Kerry ended up chatting it up with a police officer who allowed him to tie to their dinghy docks.  You can't find a more secure spot than that, I suppose.  We headed on foot over the bridge to the Atlantic Ocean side.  This would be our first Atlantic ocean beach.  Connor took no time to jump into the waves.  Dylan would not be left out.  I tried first to wheel him into the surf which actually  worked well.  I could soon see that he wanted more of the action so we got him out and let the waves pound into him a bit.  He loved it.  It was starting to chill off as the sun went down so we needed to get them out of the water and dry.  Not an easy task.  After a bite to eat we

started walking back.  About half way home, Kerry hailed a cab and we continued on that way.  It was really starting the chill and we still had the short dinghy ride home.  We piled back into the boat got them into their jammies and called it a night.  Another wonderful day!

2011-11-12 - in St. Augustine, FL



Crocodile Connor



Today would be our final day in St. Augustine.  We couldn't pass up the opportunity to check out he Alligator Farm and Zoological Park.  It was quite the place and we enjoyed it up to the very end of the day.  We took all of the shows and demonstrations and even got to hold some reptiles ourselves.  It was another great opportunity to not only have a wonderful time, but also to learn something.  Connor was spouting out facts all of the way home.  We would be leaving tomorrow for Daytona Beach but have really enjoyed the stopover here in St. Augustine.  It was nice to stop and kick up our heals a bit...but, if we want to make it to the Bahamas and back....we must get cracking!

Dundee Dylan



a real Komodo dragon!





why am I still wearing my hat?



2011-11-11 - in St. Augustine, FL

Burrrr.....are we really in Florida?

This morning was quite chilly.  We got the first water taxi and headed to shore.... We didn't realize how cold it was but, luckily, I had packed a hat and extra socks (gloves) for Dylan.  Connor was bundled up too, but an extra jacket wouldn't have been a bad idea.  We jumped on the train trolley and headed for the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum.  Kerry had to stay behind for this one.  We had to take our sails in for a general check and repair and St. Augustine seemed to be the place to do it.  The sail maker comes down to the marina as well to pick it up which was very handy!  The Ripley's museum was full of all the strange and wonderful that is Ripley's - we all had a great time.  Kerry, arrived over on his bike once we had completed our tour of Ripley's.  We decided to jump on the Trolley again to see what the afternoon would have in store.  We ended up getting off at the park to enjoy a little time there.  The park came complete with a carousel which Dylan enjoyed over and over and over.....again.  Very dizzy mommy!  We went back to the pedestrian mall to wander about and to grab a bite to eat.  After, back to the marina to chill for an hour before heading back to the boat.  Another great day!

Riding the trolley to the museum

say no more!

A few tears are shed when it was finally time to go!

Connor joins in with the chain gang outside the 'olde Jail!

2011-11-10 - in St. Augustine, FL

 

Castillo de San Marcos





Castillo de San Marcos



This was the first full day in St. Augustine and what a full day it was.  First, the boys enjoyed the Castillo de san Marcos which is the oldest masonry fort in the United States. Construction began in 1672 by the Spanish when Florida was a Spanish territory. It changed many hands over the hundreds of years. The site was never taken by force despite multiple periods of attack.   I, on the otherhand, jumped on my bike to pick up a package that we sent to the post office listed in the 'Waterway Guide' that was listed to accept packages from boaters.  This was about a 7-mile bike ride which wasn't bad but the it was very warm today.  It was just enough time to get there and back before the boys were done the fort.   After the fort, it was off to the Pirate and Treasure Museum. 

The Pirate and Treasure Museum  was great!  They had true pirate treasures throughout the several Disney-like rooms.   Some rooms were Port Royal, Tortuga, a Ship, the Captain's Quarters, Execution dock etc.  They had a real Jolly Roger from the 1800s as well as the treasure chest belonging to Thomas Tew complete with its own secret key lock.  They also had props from many pirate movies, including Hook, the Goonies, and Pirates of the Caribbean.  Connor especially enjoyed seeing the actual sword used by Captain Jack Sparrow and the guns used by Barbossa.  We also enjoyed the audio experience of the last moments of Blackbeard.  They have you put on earphone s and dim the room.  It is like the ghost of Blackbeard is retelling his story.  It comes complete with cannons going off, splashing water and a cat that you could swear is sitting right beside you.  Connor must have done that 5 times...he just loved it.  After the pirate museum we sat in a lovely outside patio enjoying the warm



Mike Gorun !



weather.  The pedestrian area full of shops and is great to walk around and poke in and out of them.  After a while we found ourselves in a little pizza place in the main square.  Then, who

should walk in but Mike Gorun and his daughter.  We all used to work together at DuPont.  What a small world.  It was so great to see him again and catch up.  He is also an avid sailor as well!  We all wandered down to a deliciously smelling ice cream store where we all enjoyed a little treat! Great to see you Mike.  After that, it was back to the marina to chill out in the lounge watching catching up on a little TV that we have not had in a long time. 



Watching Spongebob in the lounge after a busy day!



2011-11-09 - to St. Augustine, FL (mile 778)

We were up bright and early this morning and underway by 6:45am.  It was supposed to be a fairly long day, but with the current with us for most of the way...we ended up pulling into St. Augustine at 1pm.  The St. Augustine Municipal Marina has undergone some changes to their operation a year ago which is good.  There used to be a lot of liveaboard boats in the harbour that would anchor there full time.  These boats would rarely leave their spot and a lot were, generally, in rough shape.  The marina now has a few mooring fields that take up probably 80% of the previous anchorage.  The mooring is only $20 for the night and, for that fee, you get a water taxi straight from your boat, pump out at the boat, washers, showers, lounge, Internet...etc.  It is quite convenient and reasonable.  They do stop taxi service at 6pm, so you need to be organized and be back by then. So, we were really happy with this marina we decided to stay for a few days and enjoy what St. Augustine had to offer.  We picked up trolley ride tickets which is a little train that takes you all over town.  We decided to purchase our tickets and just take the last run of the night.  It was good to see the town and figure out our plan for the next few days.

2011-11-08 - in Fernandino Beach, Fl

We woke up on the dock this morning....it's great to be able to get on land.  It was more of chore / administration day today, however.  Connor and I biked 5 miles in total to the grocery store.  We filled our bike trailer again with lots of goodies and headed back. We have also been busy securing our insurance for the Bahamas portion of the trip. Our current coverage is only for Canada and Continental US and 20 miles offshore.  Getting the whole thing organized is an excerise in itself.   Getting the printer to print, scanning in the filled out documents, and arranging payments would probably taken only an hour on shore - at a desk....but...it took almost all day.  We ended up pulling away from the dock at 4:15pm to an anchorage only 10 miles down the way, one of our shortest sailing days. 

2011-11-07 - to Fernandina Beach, FLORIDA! (mile 717)

 

our bird friends were back!

  

...Arghhh Maties!



Connor catching 'dinner'

We finally made it to Florida.  We pulled anchor this morning and made it over to the dock at the marina for fuel and water.  The dockmaster was telling us of all the locations we should hit along the way.  The first was only a short distance away - Cumberland Island.  It is supposed to be beautiful and have wild horses (If you are lucky to spot some).  But, the thought of being in Florida today, made us want to push on.  It was only another 30 miles.  The water was a little tricky today.  We had passed one boat that made a wrong turn, missing a marker, and was high and dry in the shallow water.  He would have to wait about 4 hours until the tides could lift him off.  The boat we were following also grounded - so we did well, I suppose, for making it all the way without incident!  Connor actually took a turn at the wheel again during an especially wavy period.  He handled it so well riding up and down waves keeping his heading and checking for the next marker on the GPS.  Kerry was, of course, right there monitoring/guiding the whole thing...but, he was so impressed with the control Connor had at the helm.  We had to get back to school, so our little captain came back in.   The day was relatively short.  We called ahead to the marina and reserved a spot on the dock.  Now and again, its great to pull up to a dock, have a shower, do some laundry (without loading up the 'ol bike trailer) and just walk around without having to load up the dinghy.  What a treat. 

2011-11-06 - to Jekyll Island, GA (mile 685)

These birds follow us throughout the day.  We figured that it
was due to the small fish that we stir to the surface.  When
Connor came out we asked him what he thought....he said,
'Because they want to go south!' 

The wind was howling last night in the anchorage.  Kerry got up a few times to make sure we still had a lot of room around us, and all was well.  As soon as day broke, the engines started and we were off again.  We had a long day ahead of us, so we wanted to ensure lots of time.  Kerry was at the helm all day and the wind and currents were strong, but in our favour all day.  We zig-zagged across the Georgian 'wilderness' (nothing but Georgian marshes the whole way).  But, with a north wind all day, and sails up, we did 57 miles in 7 hours. (an hour less than expected).  Georgia is notorious about not upkeeping the ICW.  It was shallow in areas, but we kept to the charts and off of the bottom.  An hour and a half into the day, we went through Hell Gate.  This is one of the most shoaled area that you need to watch where you are.  We looked up the entries on 'Active Captain'.  None of the entries claimed less than 7 feet of water.  We showed 6.9, but we only take up to 3 feet, so we weren't as nervous about it.  I just read out the depths to Kerry as he kept in the channel.  No problem.  The only messy moment, was when 6 sport fish boats went streaming by in a tight procession.  This rocked us good, just as we were heading out St. Simons sound where the waves were already starting to pick up.  We had to round a marker to head back into the channel and a large wave came across our port stern.  I had hung out a bit of wash on our safety lines and, needless to say, we need to redo a few items!  All in all it was an intense day.  We pulled into Jekyll Island anchorage at 3:00.  We wanted to get into the marina so we can enjoy Jekyll Island.  (here's a bit of history) Jekyll has a fascinating history dating back to the end of the nineteenth century. The island was purchased1886 for $125,000 by some of the wealthiest men in America as a hunting resort: J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, Marshall Field, John J. Hill, Everett Macy, William Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Richard Teller Crane. The club members commissioned a sixty room Clubhouse. The owners would usually spend a couple of winter months at Jekyll Island, arriving by yacht from New York. The Jekyll Wharf where they tied their yachts is still used by boaters, sailors, and small ship cruise lines today.  Between 1886 and 1928, the owners built "cottages" along the marshy side of the island where they would be protected from the ocean. Many of these beautiful cottages (mansions) have been restored or are currently a work in progress. The largest "cottage" is almost 8,000 square feet. The Jekyll Island Clubhouse is now a romantic Victorian hotel. With the onset of the Great Depression, the Jekyll Island Club members became disenchanted with the island. They began traveling to European spas and elsewhere for their entertainment. After the 1942 season, the U. S. government asked the members not to use the island for the duration of World War II due to concerns for the security of the powerful owners. They never went back. The island was sold to the State of Georgia in 1947. The state attempted, until 1972, to operate as a hotel complex, but its efforts were unsuccessful and the buildings were closed. Today the 240 acre National Historic Landmark is often called "Millionaire's Village."   We are considering getting over there tomorrow to have a quick look. 

2011-11-05 - to Wahoo Creek, GA (mile 630)

...nothing but marsh!



This boat missed the turm!  Actually, upon closer inspection, it was intentional. 
The fisherman was scrubbing the bottom!




10-4 good buddy!



2011-11-04 - to Herb Creek, GA (mile 584)



Lovely old homes on the water!



It was a very dramatic day!  Kerry woke me up  this morning a little earlier than usual.  He had been already and had been monitoring the swinging boats around us.  All boats were dancing around the anchorage, floating on top of their anchors and into the path of other boats.  I felt like we should turn off our anchor light and throw up a disco ball!  The catamaran beside us was one that was getting too close to us.  He was also up in his cockpit, monitoring the situation.   Later, Kerry contacted them by radio to let them know that we were also monitoring things and could move if necessary.  He had told us that he had actually moved in the night to get away from another boat that was in his way but, in the process, moved to closer to us.  The winds were quite high as well adding to the situation.  The sun was just about to rise and we decided to start our day as soon as day broke.  We plodded on towards Savannah, GA.  I popped downstairs to start school, when Kerry tapped on the door to let us know that it was going to be a bit choppy and uncomfortable for the time that we were in Port Royal Sound (an area of open water).  He knew this, not only from the direction of the wind and the prediction of the sea state...but, from a boat called Grace who hailed him on the radio as they were turning back?!   We had met up with them along the way as we travelled around Charleston and we anchored together that night.  They seemed like very nervous / cautious sailors and their boat did not have any forward protection from the elements.  Kerry had noticed that the captain was all bundled up in foul weather gear at the helm as well.  When you are getting waves over the bow, a windshield and enclosure sure come in handy.  We realized this as we made the turn into the sound.  Waves were spashing the windsheild but it wasn't really too bad.  Uncomfortable, yes...but it was only for 4 miles.  We could hear some boats approaching the Sound behind us and worried about what to expect.  Kerry got on the radio to let them know that we were through and that it was tolerable.  They seemed thankful for this advice. 

The next bit of (potential) excitement is crossing the Savannah River.  This river is frequented by very large container ships and crossing the river can be tricky if a ship is coming.  Luckily, a ship was not in our way and we made it across.  Winding through the last part of the trip today we approached an extremely large mast just in front of a building at the Thunderbolt Marina.  At one point, I thought that it was just a structural feature of the building made to look like a mast.  It just seemed far too large for a sailboat.  Sure enough, as we approached the other side of the building we could see that the mast did, indeed, belong to a sailboat.   The name on the boat was Mirabella V.  We did a quick search and found that it was the largest sailboat in the world.  Here are some round number stats: it is 246 feet long, the mast is 250 feet, the beam is ~50 feet, and it has a draft of 13 feet when keel is up (33 feet when keel is down).  It was quite impressive.  We finally pulled into the anchorage.  It is just a small creek.  A couple of other boats had already landed for the night.  One of the first boats, a Canadian one, came out and waved us in!  We had a nice dinner (If I can say so) and cuddled up for movie night.