Preparing to Cruise (again)

Since my last post, just after returning from the Keys, we have made several short trips to Charleston, Hilton Head, and a few remote overnights.  We had Dubhe in the Beaufort "Light up the Night" Christmas Boat Parade and had a blast.  Otherwise, we have just been enjoying life, especially with Lilly and Lane.

Yesterday we returned Dubhe to the water after a week on the hill for a bottom job and minor repairs.  We are planning to depart on another cruise shortly after New Years, but it may be mid January before we get away.  We are not in a hurry and we are not sure where we are going.  Nancy has a better idea where she wants to go and I guess she will let me know in time to make the turn.  In general, we are headed down the ICW, then across the Okeechobee Waterway to the Florida west coast.  I just want to gunkhole from about Fort Meyers Beach to Tampa, but Nancy really wants to make Tarpon Springs.  Our favorite part of cruising is just the daily riding on Dubhe, seeing new places and people, and anchoring in remote areas.

For this trip, we don't seem to be making the preparations we did last year as we are taking a much more laissez-faire attitude.  We are fired up about the trip but the effort to get everything ready does not seem to be as much fun...it's more like work!  But we will get it done and get away.  One major addition I would like to make is some kind of on-board power generation such as solar panels.  We expect to spend more time at anchor and at moorings on this trip and need to be able to quietly generate power.  We have a 2000w "Honda" generator, and the engine, but neither is good for daily use.  Our greatest power consumer is the refrigerator and I am looking at more efficient options there as well.  Solar power is the obvious choice but to get a system installed in a matter of a couple of weeks around Christmas is not likely.  We may stay here for a couple of weeks or look at buying and installing a system somewhere else "down the river" where there is more availability.  Of course, weather will also be a factor in when we leave and how fast we go at first.  The El Nino is supposed to make winter a little cooler in the south, but so far that hasn't happened.  I hope to return to more regular blogging once we cast off.

The Cruise - Week 18, Home - April 27, 2015

Monday, April 27, 2015

Departed Savannah, Herb River Anchorage                         1000

Arrived Port Royal Landing Marina - Home                         1740

Total day’s run 47 statute miles (41 nm), 1506 miles total.

The anchorage in the Herb River is very good, protected, not too much current, and good holding in firm clay.  We passed under the Causton Bluff bridge without opening at about half tide.  The current was against us at first, but was favorable most of the day.  The weather was very cool (60's) and overcast then partly

Port Royal Sound

cloudy so we steered from the lower helm (inside) all day.  We waved at "Quandry" as we passed Skull Creek Marina on Hilton Head, then crossed the familiar Port Royal Sound and up the Beaufort River - Home.  Dubhe has taken us 1500 miles without complaint and only about 200 gallons of fuel.  She never failed us when underway or at anchor in a storm. 

After all our planning and traveling, it does not seem possible that our cruise is now only a memory.  Over the past few weeks, Nancy and I have had a lot of discussion about what is next.  The answer is "we don't know".  What we do know is that we will travel/cruise on a boat again.  We don't know when, where, or on what boat yet.  We've talked about putting Dubhe on the market and looking at other, larger boats.  Anything is possible at this point.  For a while, I have work to do on Dubhe and on our house, and most importantly, we need to soak up Lilly and Lane.

Port Royal Landing Marina - Home

I feel like I should provide some analysis of our trip, thoughts, likes, dislikes, etc as I will use this blog as my extended record of our trip (in addition to the written "official" logbook on board)...so here goes.

What we liked:  

Traveling.  i.e. driving Dubhe from one place to another.  We especially enjoyed starting out in the mornings, having coffee on the flybridge (weather permitting), and having breakfast on the move.  The moment when you set the anchor or tie up to a dock at the destination is very satisfying. We enjoy seeing new places.  Although the Keys are considered to be the most beautiful, there were other areas we liked more, particularly Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach and the east coast of Florida; Canaveral National Seashore, New Smyrna Beach, and Vero Beach areas.  From a natural beauty point of view, Cumberland Island was the most impressive.  We liked the Everglades and the isolation, but we did not have much opportunity to get off the boat because of mangroves and weather.  Although we missed our families and church, we loved the freedom of not having any other commitments, and the ability to go wherever whenever we wished. 

Meeting people.  We met dozens of new people, mostly couples in our general age group, who were also living and traveling on a boat.  Just this gave us much in common.  The new people and social interaction kept us entertained and justified(?) the trip.  Like in other aspects of our lives, some of the people we met we will never see again, a few we don't want to ever see again, and a few will probably be friends we will see many more times.  Our time in the Keys was fun, primarily due to the great folks at Harbor Cay Club.

What we didn't like:

Bad weather, especially at anchor.  In a way it is exhilarating and it is inevitable; something that has to be endured if one is to cruise even a little.

Rude, inexperienced, or just plan reckless boat operators, especially those in large power boats who seem to want to prove they are better and faster than everyone else.

Over eating.  We seemed to treat every day of this four months as vacation, which certainly added to our fun, but we ate and drank way too much.  I gained 10 pounds and now can't wear my 36" pants.  When we cruise again, we will have to live more like we do at home!

What we learned:

We love cruising and will do it again.

We do not want to sell our home, buy a boat and live on it full time.  We met a lot of people doing this, but a few months at a time is enough for us.  

Although we have been married 40 years, we learned a lot more about each other.

Dubhe is a wonderful boat, but for future cruising of any length of time, we will need a slightly larger boat with a shower, two staterooms, and a double/queen size bed for us.

We probably do not need to cruise the Keys again.  There are limited anchorages and too many people in the winter.  We want to make the Bahamas again, the Florida west coast, and possibly north to the Chesapeake Bay area. 

It is done, we are home, we will do it again.  If you have been reading this blog, thanks for being a part of our cruise.

The Cruise - Week 17, Cruising Georgia - April 20-26, 2015

Monday, April 20, 2015

Departed Fernandina Beach Marina                      0750

Arrived Cumberland Island – South

            Anchorage at Sea Camp                             0945

Total day’s run 8 statute miles (7 nm), 1313 miles total.

Today, we left Florida and entered Georgia as we crossed the St. Marys River.  This is a short hop and fairly easy with the current in our favor most of the way.  We took showers before we left which was the main reason we wanted to stop!  Our next boat will have a real stand up shower.  As we came into the anchorage at the south end of Cumberland Island I saw “Quandry” anchored.  We met Tom and Vivienne last year in Beaufort when they stopped at our marina.  They had just come in from the Bahamas a couple of days before in Fort Pierce. 

 

I tried to anchor in shallower water but wound up too close to a shoal and had to move later.  We dingyed to the dock with our bicycles, rode to Seacamp Beach, and talked to Tom and Vivienne (about noon) who invited us to supper on their boat.  A line of thunderstorms was approaching so we returned to Dubhe  expecting to go back ashore shortly. The storms held off and seemed to slow down so they did not reach us until late in the afternoon.  When it did finally arrive, it has weakened but had wind gusts of 25 kts and a steady rain started.  We went over to “Quandry” anyway and had a great time visiting with friends.  The wind continued 15 kts or so against the current which made for a long night. 

Cumberland Island is one of the most beautiful places we’ve been.  It is 20 miles long and looks untouched by man for the most part.  Huge Live Oak trees covered in Spanish Moss, palms, and miles of beach with no development.  Wild horses roam free and they are a sight to see on the beach.  The mansions built by the Carnegie’s would otherwise seem out of place, but here, they seem to fit in a strange way.  Dungeness is in ruins but the Peach Orchard mansion is still there and open to the public (except the day we were there).  We also saw the wild horses and a turkey in full strut.

Add caption

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Departed Cumber Island - South                            1050

Arrived Cumberland Island - North                         1430

            Anchorage in Brickhill River

Total day’s run 17 statute miles (15 nm), 1320 miles total.

Spent the early morning riding our bikes south to Dungeness and the beach nearby where Brendan took his first steps 31 years ago.  We had to leave by 1100 to catch the tide, which we did.

It is not possible to comprehend how large Cumberland Island is unless you go from one end to the other on a slow boat.  It is about 20 miles long but we wound around a lot.  We stopped for lunch at a dock for Plum Orchard Mansion. It is hard to describe the size and we could only see the outside (and peak in some windows) because it was closed Tuesday – Thursday.  One wing encloses a pool.  It would be worth a trip back to see it.  We continued as far to the north end of the island as we could, and still have an anchorage.  We loaded our bicycles onto the dingy again and set of for “The Settlement” which also includes the First African Baptist Church where John F. Kennedy Jr was married in 1996.  However, the soft sand and distance of 2 miles were too much for us and we turned back before getting there.  Oh well, we had drinks and a wonderful supper and sunset, anchored in a creek by ourselves. 

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Departed Cumberland Island - North                      0730

Arrived Frederica River Anchorage                        1100

            North End just off ICW

Total day’s run 31 statute miles (27 nm), 1351 miles total.

We had a quiet night at anchor and made an early departure, again primarily because of the tide.  I checked the steering hydraulic fluid which is down some but to the add point yet.  Dubhe has been performing very well and this is our first potential mechanical issue so I am somewhat anxious about it.

About all of Fort Frederica you can see from the water.

Our crossing of St. Andrews (Jekyll) sound was much better than the one in January…only a moderate chop.  We cut over to the Frederica River to take a look at Fort Frederica.  Originally, we intended to anchor just below the fort where we did 31 years ago but since it was early and we were not going to go ashore anyway, we continued to the mouth of the Frederica just before it goes back into the ICW.  We anchored near high tide in 17 feet of water and a strong current, but the holding is good.  I spent the afternoon catching up on this blog and other chores. 

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Departed Frederica River Anchorage                  0730

Arrived Darien City Dock                                        1100

Total day’s run 24 statute miles (21 nm), 1375 miles total.

Difficult start this morning.  When raising the anchor, there was a lot of resistance before there should have been, but I continued and pulled up an old crab trap tangled in the chain.  Having the anchor hang up on an   In the worst case where the anchor itself is hooked on an object, the chain would be cut and the anchor abandoned.  Fortunately, this was not nearly that bad.  I could not bring it on deck, so I had to use the dingy to get to it.  After some untangling and cutting of the trap buoy cord it fell away fairly easily. 

obstruction has always been a concern of mine.

Dubhe in lower center - Darien, GA

The trip to Darien was pleasant, with favorable tide much of the way.  Darien is not a routine stop on the ICW, because it is almost 8 miles up the Darien River from the ICW.  I timed it so that we would have the current with us and it was a very nice ride.  We docked at the Darien City dock which is free and provides water and electricity…but no showers!  I did wash down   We biked to Bi-Lo (a store which I detest but that is another story) for a few groceries, looked around town, and had had supper at Skippers restaurant.  The happy hour beer was cheap and the food was good.  When we returned, the extreme ebb tide current was jerking Dubhe around so we had to move her back and add more spring lines.  I haven’t seen current like this in a while.

Dubhe, which she needed after so many anchor retrievals, and we generally cleaned her up.

Friday April 24, 2015.

Hydraulic fluid reservoir, note four site "glasses"

It is nice to stay put for a day, sleep late, and have a lazy start.  Our hydraulic leak continues to be a concern, but the rate of fluid loss does not seem to have increased.  Today, I added almost ½ quart of fluid and repressurized the system.  We did a little more sightseeing by bicycle, had lunch at the new Mexican Restaurant, filled our water tanks, and did happy hour at Skippers again.  As usual, when we have been in one place for a couple of days, we are ready to go, especially being so close to home.  Thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow but we will go on to Sapelo Island in the morning anyway. 

Site of hydraulic leak - steering ram.

View from Skippers

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Departed Darien City Dock                                 0645

Arrived Blackbeard Island Anchorage                 1205

            Sapelo Sound

Total day’s run 32 statute miles (28 nm), 1407 miles total.

We got an early start to catch the ebb tide current, under overcast skies.  I was a little apprehensive because of the speed of this current and the large patches of debris floating, mostly reeds and logs.  All went well and we anchored behind the south end of Sapelo Island, a couple of hundred yards north of the ferry dock at 0920.  We were too late for the tour and there was no other way we could see the island in a few hours…so based on that and the fact that our anchorage was wide open to the S and SW, we decided to move on to the north end of the island which is actually Blackbeard Island. We have wanted to come here for some time.  The thunderstorms that were predicted to arrive after 1700 came upon us as we were entering Sapelo Sound.  At times, visibility was near zero and I had to steer to a waypoint with the GPS.  The wind picked up but only to about 15-20 kts and there was some lightening.  We were able to pick up the green daymark at the mouth of the creek behind Blackbeard Island and we had a break in the rain to get in and anchored before more storms came through.  About 1400 the sun came out but it is quite windy from the SW (15kt).  More storms are predicted to arrive about Wednesday, so we have decided to stay only one night here and head on tomorrow which will but us home on Tuesday.  There is no apparent change in the hydraulic fluid level today...great news.

 Sunday, April 26, 2015

Departed Blackbeard Island Anchorage                            1000

            Sapelo Sound

Arrived Savannah, Herb River Anchorage             1740

Total day’s run 52 statute miles (45 nm), 1459 miles total.

When I made my post yesterday, I thought the thunderstorms were over, but as it turns out, another wave came through about 2200 hrs with strong gusts of wind and heavy rain, but not so much lightening.  After the storms, the wind picked up from the southwest so I did not sleep well at all.  Based on our position this morning, it looks like some of the stronger gusts (maybe 30+ kts) moved us some.  The bottom is shell with some mud so I think we dragged the anchor some 20 to 50 feet…Spooky.

Today it was very windy, consistent 15 to 20 kts with higher gusts.  Because of the weather, we decided to not go ashore at Sapelo and not to stay at Saint Catherine’s Island, but to head home.  We were not sure how far we would get, but the currents were favorable most of the way so we made good progress.  At times the water was quite choppy.  Now we are in Savannah! Oh how I love Savannah and sometimes wonder how things would be if I had stayed here many years ago.  Cruising makes me wonder about a lot of things and the end of this cruise makes me a little melancholy.  This is a good anchorage and the wind has died so hopefully, I will sleep.  Tonight is our last night on Dubhe for this cruise…tomorrow we will be home.

 

Sunday at the north end of Saint Catherine's Island.

We passed by this beach and anchored nearby

when we cruised 31 years ago. 

The Cruise - Week 16, MTOA, Daytona and North - April 13 - 19, 2015

Monday, April 13, 2015

Departed New Smyrna Beach                               0715

           

Arrived Daytona Beach                                          1030

            Halifax Harbor Marina

Total day’s run 16 statute miles (14 nm), 1180 miles total.

We really like New Smyrna Beach, I do especially.  I have never had a desire to move back to Florida, but I could live here.  It seems more small town, less condo-ish, and less pretentious than most of the Florida we have seen.  

We made the short uneventful run up to Daytona Beach to Attend the Marine Trawler Owners Association (MTOA) rendezvous.  I say “uneventful” but we are now beginning to encounter significant currents again.  We spent most of the time traveling north on the Halifax River, away from Ponce Inlet during an ebb tide.  Most of the time, were only moving 5 kts or less over the bottom.  From now on, we will need to consider the tides when planning our trip.

Of all the times, I have backed Dubhe into a slip, this one should have been easy, since there was no wind or current in the marina.  There were four or five people on the dock to help, so I needed to do this right or maybe even show off a little.  I went in a little too fast so when I reversed to back in, I overshot the slip and got a little crossways on the end of the finger pier…and with such an audience. Damn! 

We have met a lot of new people, but were surprised to find that many we have already met along the way.  We have two more days of meeting and socializing before a long day run to Saint Augustine.

Tuesday and Wednesday, we attended the MOTA rendezvous and met a lot of couples about our age, doing the same thing.  Most had bigger boats and some were permanent liveaboards but we had more in common with these people than any other group I could think of.  I also learned a lot from some of the seminars, especially about insurance.  We drank and danced more on Tuesday night than we have in a very long time.  We had an opportunity to look at other boats and work on what we would like in our next boat. 

A great bunch of folks acting like they did 40+ years ago!

The MOTA is very tuned into our needs as cruisers.  Individuals with cars volunteered to provide transportation to the grocery store, which we took advantage of.  (Not everyone came by boat; many drove and many lived in the Daytona area).  I got to talking to the gentleman who was taking us to the store and when I told him we were on a Willard, he said that he knew someone in Georgetown, South Carolina years ago who had a Willard.  Mike Harris who we bought Dubhe from had purchased her from a man in Georgetown, SC in about 1996, who as it turns out is the same person that our “chauffer” knew.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Departed Daytona Beach                                       1245

            Halifax Harbor Marina

Arrived St. Augustine mooring                              1620

Total day’s run 55 statute miles (48 nm), 1235 miles total.

Passed by a sailboat again!

Although today was the final day of the MOTA rendezvous, we departed at daylight to continue our cruise.  I left early to try to catch the tail end of the rising tide and favorable current which we did.  For the first hour or so, we ran at about 6½ kts over the bottom, but then we encountered current the other way and our speed fell to about 4.9 to 5.1 kts.  Then just before Matanzas Inlet, we picked back up to well over 7 kts and held that to Saint Augustine.  After months of little or no current, we are back, and it sure makes a difference.  From now on, departure times will be heavily influenced by tides and currents.  It was a little windy, overcast, and cool (low 70’s) because of the weak cold front that passed last night.  I didn’t mention that we had numerous thunderstorms during our stay in Daytona as a result of the front.  This was the first long travel day in a while and we enjoyed it.  We made the Saint Augustine Municipal Marina at about 2:00 pm, docked at the fuel dock, and pumped the holding tank before moving to our mooring.  The moorings here appear to be well maintained and are much less expensive than a slip.  We have stayed on Dubhe but plan to go in for showers and wifi tomorrow morning.  We like being on a mooring. 

St. Augustine mooring

Friday, April 17, 2015

Departed St. Augustine mooring                          1215

            Halifax Harbor Marina

Arrived Pine Island anchorage mm 765              1530

Total day’s run 14 statute miles (12 nm), 1249 miles total.

2 knot current (the wrong way)

This morning, we awoke fairly early and dingyed to the dock for showers and some wifi time.  We have about given up on decent wifi at marinas.  Even in the boaters lounge the connection was spotty and slow.  I managed to post to my blog from yesterday, check email, and backup my computer.  We got back to Dubhe at the mooring about 10:30 so we stayed there until about noon, then caught the 12:30 opening of the Bridge of Lions.  This was a little earlier than I had wanted to because the tide would not be low until about 2:30.  As a result, once we turned back to the north after passing the St. Augustine inlet, we had a strong current against us.  Since we did not have far to go, I did not push too hard and we only made 4 kts or less most of the way.  Ron and Marie on “Elixir” passed us a couple of miles from our anchorage.  We wish they could have stopped but Ron had to get back for work on Monday.  At our speed, we could never keep up, so we separated.  We anchored at Pine Island (mile marker 765) with two other boats, but three more came in after us.  This anchorage is remote with no houses and beginning to look like home; marsh with mud and oysters at low tide, and lots of current (but no bugs!).  So many people do not like this or do not know how to deal with the tides and current, but I love it.  It looks like a quiet night so we should rest well.  This mud makes for good holding too.  The weather today has been overcast, misty, and cool.  Rain is predicted for the next few days. We have a hydraulic leak in the ram that turns the rudder.  This has been going on for a while, but seems to be getting a little worse.  I have a cup to catch the leaking fluid under the ram, and I check the reservoir every day.

You see all kinds of things on the ICW

Friends on Elixir

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Departed Pine Island Anchorage                         0745

            Halifax Harbor Marina

Arrived Fort George River Anchorage                1245

Total day’s run 36 statute miles (31 nm), 1285 miles total.

Dingying around.  Kingsley Plantation in the background.

Restful night with little or now wind and no bugs!.  More hydraulic fluid leaking in the cup, but no noticeable difference in the reservoir level.  If the reservoir is emptied or if the seal around the ram shaft gives up completely, we could be without steering.  I will check the level several times during the day from now on. There were five other boats anchored with us.  We got an early start and enjoyed a favorable current much of the way.  We decided to go to an anchorage where we were 31 years ago, in the Fort George River near Kingsley Plantation.  The guide (Active Captain) says that the charts are wrong and to go over an area that is shown as bare.  We had a falling tide so I was somewhat apprehensive, but Google Earth on my iPhone showed that the guide was right and we made it in without a problem.  We anchored a little east of the big white house of Kingsley Plantation but the water was a little deeper than I would like; about 20 feet at high tide.  I put out about a 4:1 scope.  The current is strong.  We dingyed to the Kingsley Plantation which is very interesting…check it out online.  We also dingyed around a large sandbar area just east of our anchorage where many locals were hanging out…just as I would like to do.  About 1800 a strong thunderstorm came through with some wind and lightening but not too severe.  Tides here are very strong and about 6 feet, much like home.  Opposing wind and current, with Dubhe’s long keel, cause her to sail around the anchor and can be somewhat disconcerting. 

Dubhe in the Fort George River

Weather is always a big deal when cruising!

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Departed Fort George River Anchorage              0730

Arrived Fernandina Beach Marina                       1100

Total day’s run 20 statute miles (17 nm), 1305 miles total.

Quiet night after the thunderstorm.  Although a short run today, we started early to take advantage of favorable currents which we carried most of the way.  We decided to stop at Fernandina Beach Marina although our plan was to go on to Cumberland after taking fuel.  I needed a shower and wifi! And strong/severe thunderstorms are predicted for tonight.  After the shower, we took a walk through town and had ice cream.  I haven’t mentioned it in a while, but we are continuing to eat and drink too much, resulting in significant weight gain for both of us.  This will stop with the cruise in a couple of weeks but I expect we may binge before then!!  Hydraulic fluid is still leaking but slowly; no appreciable loss.  Tomorrow, we leave Florida and go to Cumberland Island.

The Cruise - Week 15, Back on the road - April 6-12, 2015

Today, Monday, April 6, we are driving back to Dubhe in Fort Pierce.  We expect to turn our rental car in tomorrow morning and head north on the ICW.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Departed Fort Pierce                                              1245

Nancy's  cruising style

            Harbor Town Marina

Arrived Anchorage, mm 943                                  1620

            Wabasso Bridge

Total day’s run 23 statute miles (20 nm), 1083 miles total.

The past week we were in Beaufort and North Augusta.  Friday we kept Lilly all day which was about as much fun as any grandparent could have.  Saturday we had a Hallman reunion and afterwards Brendan, Tara, and Lilly came to Beaufort “to the beach”.  Sunday, Easter, Lane was baptized at Saint John’s Lutheran Church in Beaufort.  That afternoon, we had the whole family together, Brendan, Tara, Lilly, Kevin, Courtney, and of course Lane.  One of the happiest days of my life.  I now understand why my mother loved to have us all together.  We should have done it more. 

Anyway…today we are back underway and it feels good even if for a fairly short ride.  We took a brief detour through the Vero Beach marina and mooring field for old times sake.  We anchored just south of the Wabasso Bridge which was nothing fantastic, but the holding was good and I got a good nights rest.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Departed Anchorage at mm 942                                0850

           

Arrived Cocoa FL                                                     1630

            NE side of Merritt Island bridge mm 897

Total day’s run 48 statute miles (42 nm), 1108 miles total.

Passed by a sailboat!

A great day.  The weather was perfect and we were able to ride on the flybridge most of the way.  We got off to a relaxing start, not hurrying because we intended to go only to Melborne, a distance of 29 miles.  When we got to the Eau Gallie Bridge (mm 914) we turned eastward to an anchorage in the mouth of the Banana River that I described in my log from 31 years ago.  Several times I have mentioned looking for places (Vero Beach marina was one) that we stopped on our cruise in 1981.  For some reason, I have a few clear pictures in my mind of places we stopped 31 years ago and I am driven to going back to see them again…just a quirk of mine.  There are lots of places, say in North Augusta that I remember from farther back than that, but I have been back often and they seem familiar.  What intrigues me is going back when I haven’t been there or seen it for so long.  My logbook describes the location and says that it is Melborne, but the location is in fact Indian Harbor Beach.  We took a ride around and up the Banana River up to the swing bridge, but since it was early, we decided to continue to Cocoa.  We arrived at the Merritt Island Bridge at Cocoa and decided that it was too rough on the south side, where we had stopped on the way down, due to the southeast wind.  We continued to the northeast side of the bridge and found good holding in the lee of the causeway.  The holding is very good in mud, in about 7 feet of water.  We met a nice couple cruising aboard a Krogen Manatee “Cool Beans” and went aboard their boat for a while.  

"Melborne" - not what I remembered

We plan to stay here for a couple of days then head to New Smyrna Beach and to Daytona for the Marine Trawler Owners Association (MTOA) Southern Rendevous. 

Cocoa Anchorage

Thursday, we stayed over at Cocoa, took it easy, and explored around town.  Stopped in at Travis Hardware store for a couple of items.  This is an old time hardware store that focuses on real hardware and service.  I wish there more of this kind of store and less Walmarts and Lowes.  We had Russell and Jill Sanders over for drinks on Dubhe.  We met them on the way down in January when they came over to the dock to admire Dubhe. 

Friday, April 10, 2015

Departed Cocoa Anchorage mm 897                               0745

           

Arrived Mosquito Lagoon Anchorage mm                       1340

           

Total day’s run 39 statute miles (34 nm), 1147 miles total.

VAB at KSC. Note calm Indian River, compare to January

Wonderful cruise today; warm, sunny, dolphins, and manatees.  I have always been infatuated by this part of Florida, primarily because of the space program.  In the 1980’s I spent a lot of time trying to get a job either at KSC or Patrick Air Force Base.  I went through Federal Service channels and applied to I don’t know how many contractors, eg EG&G, Lockheed, etc. but it seems everyone else wanted to be here too and those who already had jobs were not leaving.  Whenever I am in this area, I imagine what it would have been like.  This however, is not regret, since all has worked out well for us anyway…I just like to dream.  The real draw for this area now is the natural beauty.  The Indian and Banana Rivers and the Cape Canaveral National Seashore are beyond description.  The preservation of these areas is a major positive spin off of the space program.  

Another selfie on a deserted beach.

We anchored in Mosquito Lagoon at about two miles east of the ICW (mile marker 860).  From here, we can dingy to land and walk over a high dune ridge to the wide beach that is pristine for miles in both directions…not a house in sight and not many people.  The anchorage is shallow (5’) and exposed to the southeast through northwest and wouldn’t you know it…we had w  Until about 0130 it was quite choppy but then settled down.  For the first time on this trip, I set a second anchor (Danforth) with the dingy primarily because of the chop.  It really wasn’t necessary, but we needed the drill anyway. 

ind from the south at about 15kt last night.

Mosquito Lagoon (Dubhe is the speck)

Exposed - two anchors

We plan to stay an extra day here and leave Sunday.  

Saturday, April 11, 2015.  We stayed at our anchorage through the day and overnight.  At about 1600 hrs  we were hammered by a thunderstorm then another one about 1800 hrs.  The first one produced sustained wind of near 20 kts and gusts to 30 kt (NOAA weather radio indicated 34 kts).  It is hard to estimate wind  at this speed but as the pressure applied by the wind is proportional to the square of the velocity, a little more wind can be exciting. Also, the wind was coming from the south, our most exposed quarter, with a fetch of more than 5 miles.  The chop quickly built to 3-4 feet and cresting.  During the peak gusts, water was blown off the tops of the cresting waves.  Dubhe swung to lie at the second anchor I had put out; a 20# Danforth with 20’ of chain, and a scope of at least 9 to 1.  We didn’t move an inch.  I can do something about the wind by anchoring well, but I can’t do anything about the lightening which was fierce; one very close strike was simultaneous with the bang.  Of course, rain was heavy, in some cases reducing visibility to near zero.  This will not be our last severe thunderstorm at anchor but we will be prepared.

First Storm, note time.

Second Storm

 

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Departed Mosquito Lagoon Anchorage                            0745

           

Arrived Smyrna Beach City Dock                                     1340

           

Total day’s run 17 statute miles (15 nm), 1164 miles total.

After another line of thunderstorms passed to the south of us about 0100, we had a calm night.  We made the short run to Smyrna Beach easily, without incident and tied up at the free dock provided by the city.  It is free, but has no services like water, electricity, or pumpout so it’s a lot like anchoring.  There are two fixed docks and one floating dock.  A couple of guys on a sail boat at the fixed dock said that other boats have been staying at the floating dock overnight.  We went into town for lunch and back later to a sports bar to watch the Masters.  I like to spend money in the town that so nicely provided this free dock.