Down at Mile 0 in the Florida Keys where it's always Saturday night

After the week of work we had on the boat we decided to take the bus to Key West yesterday (I think it was Friday). Key West Transit runs a lower keys shuttle between Key West and Marathon about 8 times a day for the 50 mile trip. The neat things is that as a bona fide senior citizen the fare is only $1.50 per person. So we walked a couple blocks up the highway to the nearest bus stop and waited for our ride to Margaritaville.

The bus appeared almost on schedule and we boarded. There was another couple aboard who were cruisers from North Carolina on a mooring ball over in Boot Key Harbor. So we chatted about sailing and living aboard.

Leaving Marathon we crossed over the 7 mile bridge. The longest span over water in the Keys. It is also one of only 2 bridges with openings high enough for most sailboats at 65'. The other is Channel 5 that we came through last weekend. Above is a picture of the old bridge that was part of the original railroad bridge built by Henry Flagler when trains running to Key West was the primary transportation. During a hurricane in the 30's part of the 7 mile bridge was destroyed when the railroad was bankrupt so the state took it over and built the Overseas Highway to replace the Overseas Railroad.The highway crosses a series of bridges and islands before making its way to Key West.

One of the many islets on the way. The bus was a mix of locals and tourists all heading west for one reason or another.

We rolled into Key West right about noon and made our way to the terminus by Duval and Caroline Street.

Being hungry from the long ride we headed to Schooner's Wharf which is of course right on the dock by all the touristy schooners but is the place the marina rats like us like to hang out. So we grabbed a table on the roof in the sun and ordered up some beer and oysters for starters.

Aqui es mi esposa Linda with some of the ships in the background. The place was packed with people off a cruise ship when we got there. Fortunately they were leaving to get back to there ship.

We wandered around to famous Mallory Square. We avoided going there at sunset when all the tourists are there. We see enough sunsets. Although some of the folks here saw the green flash last night. We missed it.

  

Of course we had to see the iconic:

And the legendary:

But since we don't usually do tourist places we needed to get serious and we found the Rum Bar. The Rum Bar is our kind of place. Small, quaint and packed with 300 kinds of rum. The bartender Bahama Bob

http://bahamabobsrumstyles.blogspot.com/ is a real rum aficionado and international rum judge. He makes his drinks with real stuff, not mixes like most bars. Linda enjoyed a Pusser's Painkiller just like I make them and Bob offered me 2 very good rums. The first one was Don Pancho but I don't recall the second one which was really good. I just asked Bob to surprise me. I didn't want to drink something I had at home.

After a great time at the Rum Bar, a place we will definitely visit again, we went by Willy T's for dinner. There were lots of tables available because all the tourists were at Mallory Square photographing the sunset over the water. As we were finishing the place filed up. Most of the restaurants and bars have live entertainment so there's always a party going on someplace.

We found our way to the bus stop only to find that the keeper of the schedule misread it and was looking at AM times. Since there was no bus when we thought we went to Margaritaville to sit at the bar and watch the Miami Heat game. The Band started just as we were getting ready to leave. No JB tonight. Ironically it was just last Friday that we were there at the Heat game talking about here.

Well we managed to get the bus back and stumbled into the boat tired and worn from our day at Mile 0. I think next time we take the 5 PM bus to KW and the 6 AM bus back. Nothing starts until 9 and it all goes until 0400.

Today was more boat chores and I got up and did a run first thing. Tomorrow, our friends from Chicago will be here and I'm making painkillers. Yumm!

Establishing the New Normal

The last couple days we have been trying to get about to a routine but  we have a ways to go. This morning I got up and ran for the first time since St Augustine. Of course I haven't worked out regularly since we got this boat. Want to get back to it. Since I can't run everyday I'm hoping for 2x a week. Only ran about 4 miles this morning. Maybe I can run Saturday and get up to 6 miles.

Came back and made my Saturday breakfast, Mexican Eggs. I chop fresh jalapeno and habanero peppers and throw them in some eggs with mexicheese, salsa, cilantro, cholula sauce, oregano and chipotle. Eat them with a tortilla. Gets digestion going for the whole day.

Today we got on with boat chores. Did a pump out actually right after I got back from my run and then got on with changing the engine oil and fuel filters. When I actually checked the hours theyw ere less than I thought but I went ahead because the next time might not be so convenient. Since our initial bout with fuel filter issues we haven't had any and when I changed the filters I noticed they weren't real dirty so I'm hoping we are over the engine choking dirt coming from the tank. Always best to keep ahead of things like that.

After finishing the engine service got cleaned up. During the day Linda made a flaxseed meal bread from scratch and played in her elimination shuffleboard competition. Fortunately she lost so we can go to Key West tomorrow.

We then walked across the street to a Yanmar repair shop and bought some replacement fuel and oil filters on our way to Burdines where we were the other day. Today enjoyed an early hour of beer and french fries. We then walked back to the HCC happy hour. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing on this side the island so everyone was ready to head in early.

Weather has been blustery and hopefully it will come down in the next few days. Also looking for warm-up as it has only been in the 60's and low 70's. Way below average for this time of year. At Burdine's they had the Weather Channel on and noticed more snow coming to the northeast.

Sorry guys. We have an extra room for anyone wants to visit. We have lived in snow country, enjoyed it, but hopefully never again.

Since we've been so busy all week tomorrow we plan to take the bus into Key West tomorrow and spending Saturday again working on the boat.

We're still working tasks that should have been done before we left along with recurring maintenance issues. Once we get through these we will be able to get to the days of rum and kicking back. Hopefully it will be warmer then.
 

This is our real life

As we noted we got here to Marathon on Sunday and spent yesterday doing some exploring and getting about our sojourn on the Island. We started out slowly because it was our first day in weeks with no pressing agenda and enjoyed our usual Sunday morning breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Hmmm, Sunday was the day we got here. Yesterday the wind was blowing in the 20's most of the day. Was great to have our wind generator pump out amps for us. Pretty much since we've been here the boats been rocking very comfortably.

Today we got down to work and the number one project was to replace the long hose that runs from our aft head to the holding tank. About Christmas we discovered that the hose was blocked even though we hadn't used it. So today we got down to it and replaced the hose. It was a major project and a big relief to have it done. So tonight we went out to celebrate our getting here and getting this project done.

This afternoon the Manager of the Association here came by and we met at the tiki hut for happy hour and sundowners as people here do everyday. This week in leading up to the Superbowl there is a shuffleboard tournament and tomorrow we get our chance to be eliminated.

Tonight while visiting at the Tiki Hut I was asked what I did in real life and I replied this is our real life. Each day is a new adventure and the name of the day is unimportant except to know what specials are being offered for happy hour. There are no Mondays and every night is Saturday night. For months we worked to beat the calendar to get the boat south before winter and stay ahead of the cold. We did that and with any luck will have no reason to see cold weather anytime soon. The chill here is cold enough for us. The good news is in a few days it will be warm again.

Tomorrow, more projects, shopping and shuffleboard.

Living the Dream - Just the Beginning

Here we are, nestled in a slip in the Keys for a month with so much ahead of us to explore, new sights to see and new friendships to begin. After many years of careful planning and giving up all our landlubber possessions we are finally here, living on our boat, sailing to wherever we want to be. It's still amazing to me and seems a bit unreal. Everyday is a different adventure. Not every day is or will be a good day. There will always be unwelcome challenges to face. All we can hope for is that most days will be good. Fortune has been smiling on us lately as we've had a string of what's turned out to be good days. Today was among them. Sleeping a little later today we went out and explored Marathon a bit ending up enjoying a beer in a little place with a great view of the Boot Key Harbor Channel.

                                                     View from the bar at Burdines

Tomorrow we will begin to do some needed work on the boat. A few things that we've been putting off till we got here. The forecast will be unseasonably cool in the high 60s the next couple of days so it will be a good time to work on the boat.

I'm sure we will enjoy our stay in Marathon. We're looking forward to exploring more of the Keys, especially Key West. Just the beginning of a continuous journey exploring new places and making new friends. Just the beginning - living the dream.

Destination Achieved

Today about 1600 we pulled into Harbour Cay Club on Marathon which completes our first destination. We left Oxford, MD about 7 weeks ago and despite some setbacks along the way we made it more than 1300 miles on this our first adventure in our new boat. We have lots of work to accomplish here before we head off in about a month.

This is looking across from our slip to one of the Fanny Keys with it's owners home.

We had a great sail today after a wonderful evening last night anchored off Key Largo. Getting into our anchorage was challenging because the water was shallow and so we were limited in how close to shore we could anchor. Of course having 30 kt winds blowing us off in the dark made it more exciting. But, after wishing we were back in Miami we got the anchor hooked and it was all uphill from there. Linda made a great dinner that we enjoyed in the cockpit. Despite the cold front that came through it was still in the low 70's at dinner time headed down to the 50's. Then just as we finished we got a phone call from the HHSA Banquet. Thanks for all the well wishes from everyone and you can follow us on this blog.

The night turned out very peaceful. The wind continued blowing in the high teens with gusts over 20 but the boat floated and gently rocked as the anchor held us in place. We thought we might need to sit up to keep an anchor watch, but I watched Saturday Night Live and checked everything and all was well so I joined Linda who was already committed to deep sleep. The cabin stayed comfortably warm so we didn't even need any heat.

This morning had a cool but beautiful sunrise. So to get an early start (since we didn't get up early) we just hauled anchor and left doing our morning routines and breakfast underway. Wind was blowing nicely out of the north so we went to sail very quickly and shut off the engine doing a very nice 8 kts with a gentle sea. This had to be one the best sails we had in a long time. Kept it up until we had to pull in the sails to go under the Channel 5 bridge to cross into the Florida Bay.  The Marina we are in is on the north side of Marathon. Here is a view of Islamorada in the distance.

After we got back into the inside channel we pulled out the sails and sailed until the wind fell off. Here we were passing the Long Key Viaduct on the Bay side.

We motored for the last hour or so with little wind and as luck would have it the wind came up when we were a few miles from the marina and stayed up while were trying to dock.

Fortunately, all the HCC folks who were home came out to help us dock as we had wind and current to contend with as we backed into a bulkhead with boats in front of and behind and across the channel. Very interesting trying to parallel park a 45' boat with wind and current and conveniently placed pilings to avoid.

Well, we're here. Tucked away for a few weeks as we begin to get work done and visit with old and new friends with the HCC shuffleboard contest this week leading up to the Super Bowl.

Oh well,back to island life until we leave for a visit up Florida's west coast.

Got out of town on a boat for the southern islands...

This morning we left Miami sort of as we expected but it was all a bit tentative and problematic.

Our plan was to leave Miami today to head south to Marathon but as with many things reality got in the way. Forecasts for this weekend began going down hill early and threw in some excitement to our planning. Island Packet's are all weather boats. They perform well in bad conditions unlike some boats that are strictly fair weather sailers. But then that's why our last 2 boats have been IP's.

The forecasts indicated that winds this morning were going to be 15-20 out of the south southwest. Just our kind of forecast for going east but we were going south southwest. But the forecast also indicated it would be turning to the north and northwest after noon. So we dallied a bit this morning as we got ready to leave. We left our slip and pumped out our holding tank and sort of roughly planned to stop in Long Key by the Channel 5 Bridge this evening.

Well, I was hoping to take the quick way from the marina and take the main channel through the port of Miami. As they say the easy way is always mined. Well, this morning there were 6 cruise ships docked along the port any more than 2 makes it a security risk and the channel is closed. As we were turned back by the Miami PD the railroad bridge behind us that is usually open closed. So there we were stuck in the channel with no where to go while a train crossed over our route of egress.

Once the train cleared we motored out the alternate channel and made it to the ocean where the wind had started clocking round to the north and we were on our way.

The other disconcerting thing about the forecast was the possibility of big surf when we  tried to negotiate the Channel 5 bridge. But it now looks like we will be ok.

We managed to sail to an anchorage by Key Largo where we  dropped the hook in winds just shy of 30kts and had a nice quiet dinner although the winds are howling around us. There are actually several other boats anchored here. Tomorrow the temps are supposed to get chilly so we may need some heat in the morning. But right now the wind turbine is keeping the batteries topped off. So no need to burn fossil fuel tonight.

Thanks to all who commented or liked Linda's pix last night. We enjoyed the game and it was a fun thing to do on our last night in Miami.

Tomorrow on to Marathon and then we start to undo the boat and begin several additional projects.  

In the Heart of Miami

Our plans to stay at Dinner Key after leaving our Biscayne Bay anchorage were foiled as all the marinas there were full. So we found a slip in the heart of Miami at Miamarina. We're in the midst of a large shopping complex with lots of restaurants and bars. There is a concert stage where music begins about 8pm every night and doesn't quit till about the time I used to get up for work. It's a pretty cool area to stay in for a few nights. We've met several interesting fellow boaters. The architecture is very colorful and modern, just the way I like it! 

          Here's Amekaya in her slip with the very urban background of downtown Miami.

We're only about 6 miles from famed South Beach so we got out our bikes and went for a ride. The Art Deco area was intriguing and beautiful. We enjoyed our lunch at the Yard House. The streets and beaches were jam packed with people on this gorgeous sunny day with temps reaching the low 80s. Feels great!

Above Maris taking a rest in a park with Art Deco buildings in the background. Below is a shot of the white sand beach.

I hear a Beatle Band playing on the concert stage. Time to grab a drink and enjoy the breeze.

We made it to the end of the Intracoastal

We pulled out of Port Canaveral Sunday morning after making numerous adjustments to get ready for an offshore sail. So we left a bit later than desired but given the distance it didn't seem to make much difference and in the end it really didn't.

We motored out the channel past several cruise ships including Disney Magic and Emperor of the Seas that passed us overnight as they headed off to their destinations with their customers on holiday. Also saw some views of the launch facilities at Cape Canaveral.

Forecasts had us all set for a great sail down to Miami. We were anxous to see how our new/old prop performed under sail. Once we got out of all the traffic in the channel we set sails and took off at about 8 kts. But, then the wind shifted behind us and died. At times we saw 2 kts dead behind us. For the rest of the trip the wind stayed dead behind us in the low single digits. Occasionally it got up to about 10 but not for long so not far from the channel exit we were forced to go to power for the rest of the trip.

But it was a great trip. The Florida Coast runs generally southeast until just about Palm Beach and then goes due south to southwest. We set our first way point which was about 100 miles that was just off Palm Beach. We made it there about 1 AM. Then we set the next point just off of the Government Cut in Miami that was only about 50 miles.

The sun went down around Ft Pierce and came up as we were passing Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale.

The weather was gorgeous and reminded me of why we came this way. Sailing overnight offshore is truly inspiring. I can sleep when needed but find the trip so exciting I don't want to miss any of it. The stars in their glory illuminate the heavens.Since we weren't that far offshore this time we could see the lights on shore and the sheen of south Florida was visible for miles. We also had plenty of company from other ships including the cruise ships, several barges and as we passed Port Everglades and close to Miami several cargo ships and pilot boats.

We made it from our slip in Port Canaveral to Miami in less than 24 hours. We picked our way through Government Cut which is the main channel into Miami Harbor past dredges, working boats, ferries and the ships at docks to Biscayne Bay where we stopped for fuel and decided to anchor for the night. We had hoped to get a slip but the local marinas are full so we decided to enjoy the beauty and anchor out near the Hurricane Hole in Key Biscayne. It has been great! We were welcomed by the locals on jet skis and go fasts making wake to be sure we didn't miss the open sea. We warmed up the boat and took showers after which Linda made a great pasta dinner. We are now sitting in the cockpit finishing off a great bottle of wine and enjoying the Miami skyline and the beauty of Biscayne Bay.

The view from our back porch.

Traveling down here last night made me realize how difficult it really was getting here. As we got closer to Miami we needed to get close to shore because the Gulf Stream is less than 3 miles from shore at points and all the southbound traffic crams into the small amount of open water available. But then the easy way is always mined. Close in to shore the many local authorities have built artificial reefs to attract divers. At those reefs they have installed mooring balls for the dive boats to tie up to. So now, not only do we have to contend with current and other traffic we have to dodge the mooring balls. which we did by going around the reefs that were marked on the charts. Once daylight arrived it all became easier.

We have made arrangements for a slip downtown beginning tomorrow night that is right in the heart of the entertainment district so we plan to go out and enjoy what there is. Also will need to wash the boat and do some maintenance. Always work to do.

Our 380 is also scheduled to leave her old slip tomorrow for Deltaville.We will miss her and wish the new owners fair winds.

We are sitting at mile 1095 at the end of the Atlantic  Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) having crossed mile 1 in Norfolk. Our journey began in Oxford, MD with temps in the 30's and brought us here over 1200 miles later with temps in the 70's.

After our brief sojourn here and visit with some of Linda's family it will be on to Marathon Key for a scheduled hiatus, work on the boat and rendezvous with friends before moving on.

They say that home is where your heart is and mine is wherever our boat and my honey is. It will be nice after the past year's efforts to finally kick back in Marathon and drink rum everyday. Matter of fact, I think it's time for one right now.

We finally broke the gravitational pull

of Daytona Beach and we are now in Port Canaveral waiting to depart for Miami in the morning.

We had a great 80 mile trip down the ICW today. The new/old prop we put on handled well. There was absolutely no vibration in the shaft and the stuffing box was totally cool the entire trip. The engine sat on its mounts as if it wasn't even running. What a contrast to yesterday's beginning with the vibrations and rocking engine. This experience pretty much confirms what we thought that the bulk of the problem was the oversized prop the previous owner installed and an accumulation of damage it inflicted that culminated in the failure on the way to Daytona Beach. So at our convenience we will sell the prop and buy a new smaller folding prop that is better suited to our boat.

The trip started out cold but during the day warmed up nicely and I'm now sitting in the cockpit as I write this.

Along the way we saw schools of dolphins nearly everywhere. Several played in our wake and at one point we had 2 that followed us for a few miles jumping our wake and swimming under our boat from side to side. I think Linda got some pix and will share them.

                                                     Dolphins playing in our wake

                                                               New Smyrna Beach

We came down the ICW with only a few slowdowns at bridges and then turned into the Canaveral Barge Canal to cross Merritt Island and the Banana River. Coming from the Banana River is a lock designed more for barges than smaller craft. But, we got in and tied up while the water level rose. In fact when they opened the gate to flood the lock several dolphins came in and played.

In the morning we depart for Miami by heading out the channel and travel straight down the coast offshore. Weather so far looks promising for sailing and it will be our first opportunity to experience sailing with the new/old fixed prop. If all goes well we should be able to make Miami by Monday afternoon and then spend a few days there before pushing on to Marathon next weekend.

Hopefully, next post from Miami,

Yes we're still here

I was reminded today that it has been a while since I posted but it's not for lack of action. Last night I was all set to write that we were prepared to leave Daytona Beach with all the repairs completed but I fell asleep at my keyboard before I could write what would have been premature.

This morning just after o dark 30 we left the dock and headed down the ICW was the morning chill was giving way to just overcast and cool as I watched carefully to ensure things were working well. On the second trip down below I noticed that the charge going in the batteries did not reflect the engine input. So after some puttering around we decided to head back to the yard to get it checked out rather than go to another yard down the road to get it done.

To catch up we had to wait for parts due to the holiday and in the interim we got an offer on our old boat and on New Year's Day reached agreement to sell it. So last week we traveled back to the land of ice and snow to prepare the boat for and do the survey. As a result the sale of our 380 closed today.

They say the 2 happiest days in a boat owner's life are the days he sells and buys his boat. But, selling our 380 became personal as we really loved that boat and at least once a day we lament that we wish we had kept that boat instead of buying this one. But I digress.

While we were up north the yard here called and said they discovered that 3 of the motor mounts had sheared off so they had ordered them from the distributor and expected them probably Tuesday.

So Thursday (yesterday) we got the motor mounts replaced, new shaft installed and launched. We did a short sea trial and declared victory. All was repaired. I paid the bill and we were ready to go.

So we got up this morning and shoved off later than I wanted but were making great time as the tide was with us. After about an hour we were concerned that the vibration was still excessive but we continued. On my next trip to check I found the alternator was not charging the battery. Figuring that perhaps in the work a wire got disconnected we thought it best to return to the yard for review. Called them and discussed the alternator issue and our idea to reinstall the OEM prop.

Upon arrival they began looking at the alternator but couldn't find the cause of the issue and pulled it to take it to an electrical shop. They then hauled us to replace the prop. We got all the work done in about 2 hours and relaunched. By this time it was after 1330 and it would have been impossible to make the first reasonable anchorage. After the Daytona area the next anchorages are about 50 miles south.

So we're back here again for the night and plan to leave early early so we can make it to an anchorage near Port Canaveral tomorrow where there is a key lime pie festival. We will probably miss it but my daughter and her family were planning to come so we hope to make it there and have dinner with them. If all goes well we will go offshore Sunday straight to Miami. Should make it late Monday.

So next stop Port Canaveral, then Miami and then Marathon Key around the 25th where we plan to hang out for a month.

Our trip so far has consisted of long quick passages with long sojourns in locations. Now that our old boat has sold we have one less thing to be concerned about or to drag us back to cold country.

Tomorrow the sun will be out, it will be 70 and we will be on the water. We've found some very good restaurants in places we've visited. After we secured the boat we had lunch at a very good place called the Dancing Avocado. I had a vegetable stuffed chili relleno and Linda had a vegetable burrito. Nice to find alternative food choices.

So tomorrow is a moment of truth. Do we make it to Port Canaveral? Film at 11.

Technical Details

As we've mentioned our prop shaft broke just short of our destination last weekend.

We were about 5 miles north of Daytona Beach and heard a loud pop and lost power. We quickly got the anchor down and I went below into the engine compartment to investigate. I found the prop shaft broken right by the coupling.

After we got hauled we were able to really review the issue. Apparently the previous owner had challenges with the shaft coming out of the coupling. I'm guessing that because of the prop he installed that was massively over-pitched the force of the prop would pull the shaft out of the coupling. To remedy that someone drilled through the shaft and installed a 3/8" bolt to hold it in place. I totally missed this issue as did our surveyor and the yard at Oxford. It's pretty obvious the previous owner knew of this and the risk. By drilling through a 1.25" shaft with 3/8"the strength was reduced to 7/16". It's no wonder that under the stress of 3000 rpm the shaft eventually broke.

We are lucky that it didn't happen when we were 100 mi. offshore or when navigating some of the challenging channels we've been in. Fortunately we were in a mild current with water deep enough to anchor but shallow enough that had we sunk we would have been on the bottom with about a foot or so of water in the keel doing little or no damage.

During the entire trip we have had an issue with the bilge pump cycling on and we were unable to find any source of water incursion but water has been coming in through the shaft log since shortly after we left Oxford.

This past Tuesday we removed the shaft and drive assembly and hopefully will be able to get the replacement parts early this week. The shaft log will need to be epoxied in to seal it and then I can put some paint on the bottom and prop after we return from the cold.

Then we can be launched and the engine realigned.

The actual parts replacement are the shaft, engine coupling and we are replacing the cutlass bearing while it is out.

We have some other work to do while we're waiting for the parts so the time isn't wasted. Eventually when we get all the work done there will be beach days or time to just kick back in the cockpit on anchor with a nice rum drink.

Meanwhile the weather has been warmer than up north and Daytona is a nice town. The yard so far has been great and I feel comfortable with the work being done. The damage done by the previous owner is just another example of how some owners do really stupid stuff that they don't understand and emphasizes the need to do all work competently and check everything thoroughly.

Road Trip!

Totally unexpected on New Years Day we received a sound offer for our 380, on the hard in Deale, MD. The buyers are in a hurry so they have scheduled a survey and sea trial for next week. We are leaving tomorrow by car to head up to the land of the cold again. Just as we're settling in and enjoying the warmth of the south we're now digging out our long undies and cold weather gear which we buried deep in the bowels of the boat. The forecast for the day of the sea trial is a low of 12 and and a high of 31. Hopefully, this will be the shortest sea trial ever. We're not looking forward to freezing.

                              Our lovely 380. She will soon be gone but not soon forgotten.

We are looking forward to seeing a few dearly missed friends. Unfortunately we won't be in the area long enough to see more of our good buddies. We have to get back to finish the work on the 420 so we can head further south. We don't want to miss our rendezvous in the Keys scheduled near the end of the month.

A Day at the Beach!

Being on the hard at Daytona Beach isn't all that bad. Today we had a visit from my step-daughter, her husband and three grandkids. Our destination was a couple of miles east to the Beach! With the sun shining, the temperature soaring into the 80s and a nice breeze the kids built a castle with a moat, tested the waters and some of us went for a walk. Water temp was in the 60s, much to cold for me to dip anything but my feet. It's always so cool to see the cars driving on the beach!

We finished our excursion with a very late lunch just off the beach at Ocean Deck. Then it was off to the boatyard for Maris and I and back to Sanford for the kids. It's great to be in sunny, warm Florida!

After 2 weeks we left St Augustine

Well I have been remiss in updating our blog. But, hope to get caught up over the next couple days.

Happy New Year to all.

We spent 2 great weeks in St Augustine and left on Sunday past for Daytona Beach,.

Above is a picture of the St Augustine Municipal Marina. This is the man fairway with the dinghy docks off to port.

We intended to leave STA early but when we got off the mooring the fog was fairly heavy but visibility was reasonable so we motored to the fuel dock to pump out, take on fuel and water. As we serviced the boat the fog actually got worse so we waited a bit hoping it might lift. About an hour after our arrival at the fuel dock it began to lift so we took off. But a few miles down the river it got intense so we slowed and with Linda on the bow we went mark to mark for about an hour until the fog lifted. Once it did it turned into a beautiful day. Temps got up to the 80's and we cruised past some beautiful homes.

We were passing Ormond Beach with just 5 miles to go Daytona and we were talking to a trawler who had been following us since back in the fog when we heard a loud pop and suddenly lost power.

I cut the engine and got the anchor down before the current could push us into shallow water. I then investigated and found the prop shaft had broken. We called Towboat US and made arrangements with the Daytona Beach Marina and Boatyard for a slip and after a few hours towboat arrived and took us into the marina.

During the tow we were unable to steer because the prop had fallen back into the rudder. After we got into the marina we discovered that the shaft log had cracked and there was water leaking int the bilge which identified a mystery source of water incursion since we left Oxford. We tried to find it and had made numerous fixes but this was one we hadn't seen until now.

I stayed up most of the night dozing off occasionally to ensure that the bilge pump kept running to remove the water. I found the hand pump handle and got it ready in case it failed and we needed to pump by hand. But, morning came and things were under control.

The yard folks came by in the morning and saw the issue and later in the day on Monday we got hauled and are now sitting on the hard.

More to follow...