Today: 58 miles 9.5 hours S/M 830.6
Total: 985 miles 149.3 hours
We had another 8-hour day, so we were up at 7. Skies were overcast, temps in the low 60s and winds light 5-8 from the west.
While walking Tillie, Pete met Annie, a 2-year old golden retriever. Both furry kids were excited to have the another to romp with. They played for about a half hour and both were exhausted. Due to their playing, we didn’t leave the dock until 7:50. Since it is Sunday, we didn’t have to wait until 9 am for the commuter closings.
As we approached the Bridge of Lyons, a tug and barge was approaching from the south. Thanks to him, we were also able to transit the bridge at 8:15, but that extra 15 minutes didn't help with our time today. We had to fight the current for over 3 hours.
Sunrise, St. Augustine's north mooring field, tug and barge with derelick boats,
Bridge of Lyons and the bridge tender.
Matanzas Inlet with the current, working barges, submerged, but marked pipes
and the silted in finger to the inlet.
Sunday boaters, some without a clue!
We spoke with Chris this morning. This was their last camping weekend adventure of the year. The campground celebrated Halloween with a costumed parade and trick-or-treating. Yesterday, after the parade, Kelli was exiting the camper and somehow lost her balance. She landed on the end of the handlebar for a scooter. At the hospital, she was diagnosed with 4 broken ribs, 3 of which are displaced, and a punctured lung. Ribs are somewhat stabilized and a chest tube has been inserted to re-inflate the lung. Right now, she’s an exhausted and hurting puppy.
When traversing the Palm Coast area around noon, the cicadas could be heard over our engine, which means they were very loud. We had to wait for the JB Knox Bridge. It was surprisingly busy with lots of motorcycles crossing the bridge. One rider decided to dismount on the center span and look around. We had to wait about 10 minutes for him and the rest of the traffic to clear the bridge.
Palm Coast and the sights along the intercoastal, including HUGE boat houses.
The last is easily 40 x 40 feet!
Fox Cut and the rocks at its shores
Monday, October 23, 2023 ~ Day 2 ~ Daytona
A thin cloud layer covered the sky, and temps started in the low 70 and rising to 85. Gentle breezes came from the SW. Tillie and I took off for a walk around 9:30 while Pete was working. We met Pierce and his 18-year-old Chihuahua. He is a native Floridian, retired and a live-aboard for a long time. He loved to talk and shared many boating stories. As a result, we didn’t get in the extra mile that was planned on our walk.
Marina reflections, a PINK TowBoat US and the newest Daytona Bridge
Sea Grapes, Mama Foo Foo Restaurant and Lady Dolphin of Daytona
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| PEKABU in Halifax Harbor |
Between prep for and the actual conference call, Pete was busy most of the day. Once I started, I wound up spending 6 hours on photos and blog. My reward was the beautiful sunset I was able to capture after dinner.
Tuesday, October 24, 2023 ~ Daytona to Titusville, FL
Today: 58 miles 9.8 hours S/M 878.0
Total: 1043 miles 159.1 hours
Temps were in the low 70’s and the skies were partially cloudy when we left at 8:15. We finally caught the current again! We were lucky to have the current down the Halifax River to Ponce De Leon Inlet, cruising in the mid 8's to 9.
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| The small chop |
As we called in for Haulover Canal Bridge, we were informed that the power just went out on the bridge. Work crews were on the poll next to the bridge and on the ground trying to identify and repair the issue, but there was no idea of how long. We were told to keep to the far eastern end of the canal. Making ovals for 2 hours was frustrating, but we were treated to many manatee sightings.
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| No problems clearing the bridge |
The bridge finally open, the sun heading to sunset and an unusual motor sailor
We finally made it through the bridge at 4:30. Titusville Marina is open until 7, so we had help docking in half-fingered slip when we finally came in to dock at 6 pm. Since we arrived much later than planned, I made grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, Tillie was insistent that the squeaks coming from us rubbing the pilings due to the wind, needed to be dealt with…immediately! She was much happier with the quiet.
We have also decided to walk Tillie only in areas without grass. The thistle, burrs and seed pods need constantly attention so they can be removed from her fur. The spiky, sharp burs on her feet are the worst. We knew she was in trouble when she limped.
Arranged to meet with Oz and Rita tomorrow at the dog park. Then it was time to chill and early to bed.
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 ~ Day 2 ~ Titusville, Fl
Tillie woke us at 2:30 am, when the winds increased and the squeaking returned. Pete had to adjust the lines in order for all of us to go back to sleep.
After breakfast, Tillie and I went over to the dog park. There were 2 other dogs and their persons. We were joined by 4 other dogs over the hour. Leeloo, Rita and Oz could not come because Leeloo wasn’t feeling well – possible UTI. They are looking for a vet. Tillie loved wrestling and chasing others, but her favorite turned out to be a dirt hole. She not only obsessed the hole, but then rolled and shimmied back and forth on her back in full abandon. She dropped pieces of dirt all the way back to the boat. Oh, the miracles of water and soap! The mud flowed for more than 10 minutes, and then the shampooing began. Once dried, she had all her white spots back. Now it was my turn for a shower!
The fun 
The dirt
Bridge clearance and the "judges" overseeing the passages
It is fun reading name of boats. We have come across a number of memorable ones in our travels. The very first one that caught our attention was BOB-ALONG. Bob was the brother who donated a kidney to the owner. Now, the owner will always have something of Bob’s along with him. PAIR-A-DOCS belonged to a couple who were both PHDs. SAILS CALL, RAGTIME, SHEET MUSIC for sail boats. REEL PLAY and FISHFUL THINKIN’ for, of course, fishing boats. HYDRO-THERAPY, PIER PRESSURE, FANTASEA, VITAMIN SEA, SEADUCTION for power/cruising boats. KNOT 4 SAIL for former sailor who has gone to the “dark side.” And, then there is the one we saw in 2011:
Today in our travels, we saw another very memorable one! The Riviera 65 MY called out “Damage Control” to PEKABU for a slow pass,” but as he passed “DAMN-AGE CONTROL” was on his stern. We both love it! By the way, PEKABU is another name that others remember when they find out the origin. It is not a misspelling or meant to be cute. It is derived from our names: PEte and KAthy BrUzik.
Leaving Eau Gallie
For a Saturday, there were surprisingly few small boats on the water. We weren’t passed by any cruisers southbound until Sabastian Inlet and further south . There were a couple of northbound power boats and 2 sailboats. SV TRILOGY, the other sailboat with us at Sisters Creek, must have laid over a few days like we did due to the winds. We passed him southbound once again.
Speaking of winds, this current weather pattern as been caused by a high sitting over the mid Atlantic, a trough in the Gulf and remnants of TS Tammy out east of Bermuda. This pattern should be changing as Tammy heads to the NE.
Sabastian with the islands and unusual boats (and a large catamaran on a boat lift!)
Enjoying the islands and Vero Beach mooring field before the migration
The very fast trimarian, ULTIMEMOTION 2
With the mainsail, we were doing against 7.2 current, rather than 6.5 we did when in a wind shadow. Once we were about 5 miles passed Vero Beach, we cruised at 9.6 with current, wind, and engine. The mainsail was downed before the bridge and we needed to do donuts while waiting for the opening. The current was too strong to try to maintain position.
Heading to our slip in the marina, a small boat cut in front of us, heading to the fuel dock, totally clueless. Pete was able to back into slip, even with the wind and current. The new dock master and a dockhand caught our lines. Sue Ann & Ray were waiting to welcomed us “home.”
Pete walked over to office while I took Tillie for walk. On his way back, Pete saw Janea, one of the Freedom Boat staff, fall overboard while cleaning one of the boats. She was wet and mad, but unhurt.
Took an hour and 10 to set lines for the long stay. Though we had planned on it, there was no Cobb’s tonight. We were just too tired. Quick dinner, walk Tillie, showers, then crash.
Total Days of Travel: 23 / 35 including layovers
Total Miles: 1137
Total Hours: 172.3
We are looking forward to being “home” for the next 6 months with our friends here on I-Dock.
We have also decided to walk Tillie only in areas without grass. The thistle, burrs and seed pods need constantly attention so they can be removed from her fur. The spiky, sharp burs on her feet are the worst. We knew she was in trouble when she limped.
Arranged to meet with Oz and Rita tomorrow at the dog park. Then it was time to chill and early to bed.
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 ~ Day 2 ~ Titusville, Fl
Tillie woke us at 2:30 am, when the winds increased and the squeaking returned. Pete had to adjust the lines in order for all of us to go back to sleep.
Florida's Halloween decorating ideas
After breakfast, Tillie and I went over to the dog park. There were 2 other dogs and their persons. We were joined by 4 other dogs over the hour. Leeloo, Rita and Oz could not come because Leeloo wasn’t feeling well – possible UTI. They are looking for a vet. Tillie loved wrestling and chasing others, but her favorite turned out to be a dirt hole. She not only obsessed the hole, but then rolled and shimmied back and forth on her back in full abandon. She dropped pieces of dirt all the way back to the boat. Oh, the miracles of water and soap! The mud flowed for more than 10 minutes, and then the shampooing began. Once dried, she had all her white spots back. Now it was my turn for a shower!
The fun
The dirt
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| The clean and exhausted |
Our daughter-in-law, Kelli was released from the hospital. She is slowly on the mend, but she will continue being a hurtin’ puppy for a while. Broken ribs are treated with a tincture of time, a long time.
Spoke with Ft. Pierce Marina and we can arrive on Saturday, 10/28. Since the winds will once again freshen tomorrow afternoon, we booked an extra day here and moved Eau Gallie to Friday.
Pete spent the day deep in a new work project. After lunch, I tried to work on the blog, but a nap called.
After dinner, I went over to SV DELI MAVI and spent a nice evening with Rita and Oz. Pete had to beg off due to a headache.
Thursday, October 26,2023 ~ Day 3 ~ Titusville, FL
Pete and George spent another full day on the project. I spent most of the day on the blog. I still have photos to place into the blog before posting week 4 of our journey.
After dinner, Rita, Ox and Leeloo, their 2-yr-old golden doodle, came over for desert. It was fascinating to hear how Oz updated his electrical system to lithium batteries. They can go days without shore power and can run systems no problem. He can even run the air conditioning off of a separate 3 batteries specified for that. Of course, there were lots of adventures and experiences to talk about. We enjoyed the evening and look forward to seeing them in the future.
Friday, October 27, 2023 ~ Titusville to Eau Gallie, FL
Today: 37 miles 5.7 hours S/M 915.0
Total: 1080 miles 164.8 hours
Winds were light, but still out of the ENE at 5. Temps were in the low 70’s, mostly cloudy and very comfortable. There was a chance of showers, but we never saw them.
We were on our way by 8:30. More power boats were passing us. Most try to be considerate, but really have no clue how and when their boats create waves. Hint: When you slow down fast, the waves you created catch up. When your stern sits low in the water and is traveling slow, it leaves a deep hole. After passing, please be mindful that accelerating at about 50 feet from us not enough. It just creates a big hole that we have to quickly steer into. If the radio was used to communicate, we would request you stay at speed & on plane. That usually leaves a much smaller wake and we can anticipate our compensation. Unfortunately, many other sailors prefer a slow pass, so it makes things more complicated and confusing for the power boats. Sorry, enough venting.
Spoke with Ft. Pierce Marina and we can arrive on Saturday, 10/28. Since the winds will once again freshen tomorrow afternoon, we booked an extra day here and moved Eau Gallie to Friday.
Pete spent the day deep in a new work project. After lunch, I tried to work on the blog, but a nap called.
After dinner, I went over to SV DELI MAVI and spent a nice evening with Rita and Oz. Pete had to beg off due to a headache.
Thursday, October 26,2023 ~ Day 3 ~ Titusville, FL
Pete and George spent another full day on the project. I spent most of the day on the blog. I still have photos to place into the blog before posting week 4 of our journey.
After dinner, Rita, Ox and Leeloo, their 2-yr-old golden doodle, came over for desert. It was fascinating to hear how Oz updated his electrical system to lithium batteries. They can go days without shore power and can run systems no problem. He can even run the air conditioning off of a separate 3 batteries specified for that. Of course, there were lots of adventures and experiences to talk about. We enjoyed the evening and look forward to seeing them in the future.
Friday, October 27, 2023 ~ Titusville to Eau Gallie, FL
Today: 37 miles 5.7 hours S/M 915.0
Total: 1080 miles 164.8 hours
Winds were light, but still out of the ENE at 5. Temps were in the low 70’s, mostly cloudy and very comfortable. There was a chance of showers, but we never saw them.
We were on our way by 8:30. More power boats were passing us. Most try to be considerate, but really have no clue how and when their boats create waves. Hint: When you slow down fast, the waves you created catch up. When your stern sits low in the water and is traveling slow, it leaves a deep hole. After passing, please be mindful that accelerating at about 50 feet from us not enough. It just creates a big hole that we have to quickly steer into. If the radio was used to communicate, we would request you stay at speed & on plane. That usually leaves a much smaller wake and we can anticipate our compensation. Unfortunately, many other sailors prefer a slow pass, so it makes things more complicated and confusing for the power boats. Sorry, enough venting.
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| ...and the winner doing it under sail! |
Bridge clearance and the "judges" overseeing the passages
It is fun reading name of boats. We have come across a number of memorable ones in our travels. The very first one that caught our attention was BOB-ALONG. Bob was the brother who donated a kidney to the owner. Now, the owner will always have something of Bob’s along with him. PAIR-A-DOCS belonged to a couple who were both PHDs. SAILS CALL, RAGTIME, SHEET MUSIC for sail boats. REEL PLAY and FISHFUL THINKIN’ for, of course, fishing boats. HYDRO-THERAPY, PIER PRESSURE, FANTASEA, VITAMIN SEA, SEADUCTION for power/cruising boats. KNOT 4 SAIL for former sailor who has gone to the “dark side.” And, then there is the one we saw in 2011:
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| Hopetown, Bahamas 2011 |
The old NASA Addison Bridge is being dismantled. As we passed through where the bridge opening used to be, much of the cement has been chipped away and the iron rods stick out in all directions. The road is completely gone and the bases for supports are being removed. Next time through here it will probably be just a memory and a new fishing pier.
It was an easy ride today. We could have motored sailed when the wind freshened, but we were getting close to Eau Gallie.
This marina is unique. We have rarely seen staff. Hailing or calling hasn’t helped in the past. At least now with Dockwa, we can communicate by text. The face dock is in an area where wind is limited due to land rise, homes and trees, and there is no real current, but we still appreciated the docking help from the Hatteras in front of us.
If I had enough quarters, I probably would have done laundry. The heavy-duty washer and drier were in the shed next to the boat. Instead, I worked on the blog, while Pete worked down below. By dinner time I was able to post week 4 to the blog. YEA!!!
Tomorrow, we arrive in Fort Pierce. I hope to have week 5 ready to post by Wednesday. Boat cleaning and scrubbing, reorganizing as well as laundry and food shopping need to be done after being on the move for a month. Pete will be gone Wednesday and Thursday to bring the car down from Maryland.
We chilled after dinner and called it an early night. Tomorrow, we have 7 hours to get to our winter home.
Saturday, October 28, 2023 ~ Eau Gallie to Ft. Pierce, FL
Today: 51 miles 7.5 hours S/M 965.1
Total: 1137 miles 172.3 hours
We were underway by 7:30 as the sun rose. Clouds dotted the sky, temps were in the low 70’s and the winds continue out of the ENE at 10-12. Once turning south onto the ICW, up went the main and we increased our speed against the current from 6.7 to 7.5.
It was an easy ride today. We could have motored sailed when the wind freshened, but we were getting close to Eau Gallie.
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| Entering Eau Gallie River |
If I had enough quarters, I probably would have done laundry. The heavy-duty washer and drier were in the shed next to the boat. Instead, I worked on the blog, while Pete worked down below. By dinner time I was able to post week 4 to the blog. YEA!!!
Tomorrow, we arrive in Fort Pierce. I hope to have week 5 ready to post by Wednesday. Boat cleaning and scrubbing, reorganizing as well as laundry and food shopping need to be done after being on the move for a month. Pete will be gone Wednesday and Thursday to bring the car down from Maryland.
We chilled after dinner and called it an early night. Tomorrow, we have 7 hours to get to our winter home.
Saturday, October 28, 2023 ~ Eau Gallie to Ft. Pierce, FL
Today: 51 miles 7.5 hours S/M 965.1
Total: 1137 miles 172.3 hours
We were underway by 7:30 as the sun rose. Clouds dotted the sky, temps were in the low 70’s and the winds continue out of the ENE at 10-12. Once turning south onto the ICW, up went the main and we increased our speed against the current from 6.7 to 7.5.
Leaving Eau Gallie
Speaking of winds, this current weather pattern as been caused by a high sitting over the mid Atlantic, a trough in the Gulf and remnants of TS Tammy out east of Bermuda. This pattern should be changing as Tammy heads to the NE.
Sabastian with the islands and unusual boats (and a large catamaran on a boat lift!)
Enjoying the islands and Vero Beach mooring field before the migration
The new North FBridge in Fort Pierce and an On-the-water play house
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| Our last bridge for the fall |
Pete walked over to office while I took Tillie for walk. On his way back, Pete saw Janea, one of the Freedom Boat staff, fall overboard while cleaning one of the boats. She was wet and mad, but unhurt.
Took an hour and 10 to set lines for the long stay. Though we had planned on it, there was no Cobb’s tonight. We were just too tired. Quick dinner, walk Tillie, showers, then crash.
Total Days of Travel: 23 / 35 including layovers
Total Miles: 1137
Total Hours: 172.3
We are looking forward to being “home” for the next 6 months with our friends here on I-Dock.
