To Daytona Anchorage ~

Sunday, 3/29/20 ~ We were able to drop the mooring ball around 8:30.  Once again we passed a pod of dolphins heading up to Haulover Canal.  As we approached, we learned that the bridge was stuck in the down position.  Crews were working to repair it.  There were 4 boats ahead of us anchored in the canal.  We became boat number 5.  The bottom is quite scoured, but Pete was able to finally get the anchor to set.  There were 3 other boats including SV HAPPY TRAILS anchored behind us.  Thankfully, we only had a 40-minute wait.  We did see a mother and baby manatee along the shoreline as well as a number of fishermen casting from shore. 

Two of the multiple islands on the Indian River that are rookeries for a number of birds. I have seen Herring Gulls, Brown Pelicans, Great Blue Herons, Green Herons,White Egrets, Wood Storks,  Double crested Cormorants, and the pink birds are Roseate Spoonbills. ~

              

The Haulover Bridge was broken ~  and the crew that did the repairs ~

        

     As we cleared Haulover Canal, we turned north, and everyone let out their jibs to make use of the great breezes and make up time. We sailed up Mosquito Lagoon and partially through the fishing camps before the winds changed direction. 

        

Our entertainment in New Smyrna,
as we waited for the bridge

SV HAPPY TRAILS

     Once again, there were lots of recreational boaters on the water.  We were passed by HAPPY TRAILS as well as some of the other sailboats once the sail was down.  Since we have less power and shorter waterlines, we were not able to make the opening of the Munson Bridge.  We missed it by about 3 minutes, so we just held position for the half hour and made the next opening. 

Enjoying the water from their boats ~

  

  

   

     We were able to drop anchor in Daytona around 4 PM.  As we searched for a place to anchor, Pete noticed on the GPS and Sonar Charts, that this area has dramatically changed as far a depths.  A lot of shifting has occurred and is not documented.  As a result, we had to anchor about ¾ mile from the park where Pete walks Bailey.  

     Once anchored, the wind temperature noticeably dropped.  The clouds formed a dramatic line of distinction between clear sky and light clouds.  I have never seen such a straight and long line.  After dinner above, we settled in for the night.

    

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K

To Titusville ~

Saturday, 3/28/20 ~ It was a great night for sleeping; breezes out of the SSE and mild temps. However, for about an hour and a half last night, the jets over at Melbourne Airport were testing the engines. Thankfully, they stopped around 10 pm.

The anchorage in the morning

     While Pete walked Bailey, I watched a number of fishermen casting nets in various parts of the anchorage. It was amazing how many fish were jumping since dawn.  At times I could see about 5 fish in different areas splash as they reentered the water.  Of course, it was impossible to capture in a photo, despite my efforts. 

Pete and Bailey heading for a walk ~

  

Casting a fishing net ~

        

 Departing the anchorage and looking back ~

    

     The winds were out of the SSE at 10-15 as we left the anchorage.  During the day, we traveled with 4 other sailboats and was passed by 4 boats.  Only day fisherman were heading south.

     Pete made docking reservations at Camachee Cove Marina as well as the car rental for pick up by 5 on Monday.  We need to move the car from West Palm Beach to Charleston, a process that will take 2 days.

    At the bridge prior to Titusville, a sailboat needed to sail through the opening due to engine problems.  We offered to tow, but he felt confident that they would be underway shortly once he fixed the fuel injector problem.

     There was no problem picking up a mooring ball in Titusville. We were able to top off the fuel tanks and pay for the mooring ball at the dock before heading out to pick up a ball.  Once settled, called Deb and Hugh.  They will pick up salads and pizza on their way over around 6 pm.  We watched others come in for mooring while the small boats were heading to the ramps for haul-out.  There were plenty of dolphins playing in the mooring field between 4 and 5:30. One family had a dog on the bow, who became the dolphin finder. It appeared as if the dolphins knew it and played hide and seek with him.  The kids on board were thrilled with the sightings. 
Playing with the dolphins ~

  

     We headed to shore with Bailey in the dinghy around 5:30. Bailey was walked while I staked out our picnic table. As we arrived, we met Mike and Kathy from SV HAPPY TRAILS.  They are a motor-sailor also heading north, with the hopes of doing the Great Loop. Mike gave me their card, but I didn’t have one to give him.  I told him that I would email our information.  With any luck, hopefully, we will catch up in person while heading north.

     There were other boaters on the other 2 tables, and we talked until Deb and Hugh arrived.  It was so good to catch up with them. We haven’t seen them since January. The deluxe pizzas they brought were delicious and of course I really enjoyed the large salad.  Too soon, the sun set and darkness was beginning to fall. We needed to head back. Hopefully, we will have a chance to get together before next fall.  We will definitely keep in touch.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K

To Melbourne ~ Eau Gallie Anchorage

Friday, 3/27/20 ~ While Pete took Bailey to shore, I prepped the boat for departure. As we pulled up anchor, I spotted a number of rays on the surface as the water was so calm.

     As we passed Fort Pierce inlet, we had the current in our favor. The temps were mild and winds were out of the SSE at around 10, which was sufficient to keep air moving around us. Many of the islands near the San Sebastian Inlet were full of boats and people. Some of them forgot the social distancing part, but the authorities are patrolling and reminding people. 

 
  

      On his way south, Pete had come into this secluded port to the Marina to escape a weather front.  Today, we just came into anchor.  There were a number of live-aboards and a few anchored smaller sailboats.  It was a wonderfully picturesque and protected harbor with a county park at the entrance. We watched the dolphins, the seabirds and a osprey cleaning his talons by skiing across the water.
Entrance to Eau Gallie River ~

       

     Spoke with Deb and Hugh, SV SIMPLICITY, who are at Port Canaveral and will drive up to Titusville if we can get dockage or a mooring tomorrow.  Pete had called both Cocoa Beach and Titusville, but they are not accepting transient boaters in the marina. We realized after hours that we didn’t check if the mooring field was available. We will call in the morning.

 ~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K

To Fort Pierce ~

Thursday, 3/26/20 ~ We departed at 8:45 this morning.  The boat is sitting low in the water, due to the extra provisioning. There are lots of boats anchored and many others on the move north.  Monroe, Miami-Dade and Port St. Lucie counties have now closed the fishing piers, beaches and marinas.  Apparently, it is city/county marinas, but not private marinas.

The first of many . . . .

Houses of many colors

     Today, we begin again with the bridge openings.  While waiting for one of the bridges, Pete saw a 2-foot ray jump about 3 feet into the air. The strangest occurrence happened as we were approaching the Donald Ross Bridge, there was a 45-50-foot Sport Fish in front of us.  He was just crawling up to the bridge. We had already called in and the bridge tender called out to the Sport Fish to get him to increase speed as we also were trying to make the opening.  He didn’t know that we were behind him, but also, he didn’t need the opening as he could pass under with no problems.  DUH!!! 

     Fort Pierce City Marina is closed, but there is a great anchorage just across the ICW which is great.  It is deep, wide, and out of the heavy current.  We have recommended it to others, but we have never before used it.  It is a bit of a trip to get Bailey to shore, but doable.

     While getting items from the refrigerator for dinner, I noticed that the butter was soft.  When checking the internal temperature, the reading was 58 degrees!  Somehow the fridge was turned off last night along with the propane solenoid.  Since it was defrosted, but the food and condiments still cool, I turned it back on, emptied the lower fridge, pumped out the water, and dried the moisture at the bottom, and refilled it again.  Whew! That was close!

Each sunset is different

      The Honda is working great. We were fully charged by 10 pm and the fridge was just about back to normal temp. Time for bed.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K

To West Palm Beach ~

Saturday, 3/21/20 ~ It was a great night for sleeping.  The breezes continued all night but no rain, so the hatch was open all night.

   

Miami at sunrise

We love this skyline!

Bailey's last walk before we leave

   As we headed over to Government Cut, we could see about 8 cruise ships docked, with their generators running.  As Pete mentioned, they don’t want to also have to pay for electrical while sitting idle.  The crews have remained on board.  The original plans cancelled all cruises until mid-April. As we turned into the commercial cut, there were tugs turning around the new Virgin cruise line.  I would guess so that they could dock, refuel and perhaps take on additional supplies. We had seen it anchored outside of Miami as we approached on Wednesday. We also had to avoid the incoming container ship that was also docking.

MY BACCHANAL
heading out for a day cruise

     We medicated Bailey just before we left.  That meant that she had quite a while of stress, first with the outgoing current and incoming winds of 15-20 mph creating standing waves of about 4 feet, then the confused ocean waves and swells.  She panted for what seemed like a very long time. 

    

                      

Docked Cruise Ships ~

  

Large yacht waiting to traverse the commercial cut

        

A busy port ~ Ever wonder how they ship cars?

The turning of Virgin Cruise ship

    
  

Additional 2 cruise ships at anchor

      We didn’t see any turtles today, but we did see 3 Man-O-Wars, a flock of flying fish, a 2-foot long fish that jumped about 10 feet into the air.  If I had thought about it, I probably had time to grab the camera or phone to take a photo, but I was in awe!  There were at least 4 cruise ships in Fort Lauderdale, one of which dwarfed the 3 apartment buildings on the inlet. Further north, we saw a large sport-fishing, yacht kite fishing.  Yup, they use 2 kites pulled behind the boat with lines attached.  Why?  Heaven only knows, but these fishermen are a hazard to us sailors.  With the canvas above our heads, we can’t see the kites, nor are we looking for them.  There is nothing visible on the boats to indicate the kite fishing.  In the past, we have been the recipient of yelling and cursing from the fishermen as we almost took out their lines (which are clear and drop down from the kite that is somewhere about 30-50 foot above our heads!) We also saw 2 “lighter” ships between us and the beaches.  We were only out about ¾ of a mile, but Pete thought they might be replenishing the beaches, hence their closeness to land.  There were also 2 wind surfers on boards with hydrofoils, cruising probably 30 mph. They flew by us a second time, within 10 feet of our boat.  Looks like fun, but requires a lot of strength and skill. A sailboat, made by Nimble, passed us in their journey south.  It is a 2-masted boat with Junk-like brown sails, a bowsprit, a canoe stern and an elevated cabin top for more room down below.
      We have been joking that the medication for the anxiety, once it kicks in, makes her mellow and marvel at the “rainbows, butterflies and birdies.” The most unusual sighting today was a small Carolina Wren, who came aboard for a visit.  She first landed on our lines by the mast. She slowly made her way around to the cockpit and onto the seat next to me.  She was actually against my hip for a few moments and was not afraid.  She began to explore and decided to try a more, furry perch.  She landed on Bailey’s neck and then head. Bailey didn’t even know she had a buddy until the bird flew away.  She might have thought this was one of her birdies with the unicorns and rainbows.

           

     Our ride became more comfortable once we headed into the Lake Worth Inlet.  We have reservations for Riviera Beach Marina for 3 days beginning tomorrow.  Tonight, we will be at anchor, along with about 50 other boats in this anchorage.  As we were dropping anchor, a private 70-foot plus yacht was heading out with a number of guests for a sunset wedding.

     Pete took Bailey over to Peanut Island for her walk.  It is a lot closer than heading over to the marina.  After dinner, we watched the sunset, then went below to straighten up and then read. 

Sunset from the anchorage in West Palm Beach

Social distancing ~
Governor didn't think so!

     We are concerned. After running for 11 hours, our batteries were not fully charged.  Pete is frustrated to say the least! We will have to keep an eye on the charging ~ again!  Pete hooked up the Honda generator, but it quit after about an hour.  It is running rich, so it blew though the gallon of gas.  We ran the engine to finish the charging.  Once docked, Pete will do some investigating on the internet as to solving the problem.  He thinks it might be a clogged fuel jet.  Fingers crossed that that is the problem.

     When checking Facebook, there was a posting of a photo taken in Lake Boca.  Florida is under a social distancing order.  Apparently, these boaters though they beat the system creating a huge raft-up.  The Mayor has now banned all pleasure crafts from Miami Dade County. 

Sunday, 3/22/20 ~  Bailey was walked and we had a great breakfast of bacon and eggs. We charged the batteries and watched the dolphins around the boat. Did a little bit of reading, then it was time to head over to the marina. 

Crowded Anchorage with folks waiting . . . 

Lots of people enjoying the water

      We stopped first for fuel. Previous visits here we had met this particular dock hand. He was always courteous and helpful.  Today, he was too busy talking on his phone. I had to grab the diesel nozzle and give it to Pete.  When Pete asked if it was a fast or slow nozzle, his answer was “I don’t know. Just came off break. Don’t know when they changed nozzles.”  Pete became frustrated and let him know that this is something he should know. After he made a wise crack remark, he walked away and let us to cast off without help in a high current area.  Thankfully, Pete is very good and had no problems.  We even docked ourselves as he never showed at our slip to help.

     Once settled, Pete was able to rinse all the salt off the boat. A few other chores were completed, then we read.  I am still reading the 5^th book in The Outlander Series.  It is a great read, but after hours on the Kindle I am only at 14% of the book!  These books are very involved, detailed, interesting and l-o-n-g!  I prefer to continue the story than do chores, but I somehow manage both.

     Pete found a great YouTube explaining how to clean the fuel jet on the Honda. After about 30 minutes, he had the Honda working perfectly!

     After dinner we caught some TV. Pete had a quick prep for work tomorrow.

Work continues on
 Riviera Beach City Marina

Monday, 3/23/20 ~ I headed off to do laundry while Pete spent the day working. 

     Word came down around 11 this morning stating that all marinas, beaches and parks in Palm Beach County were closed. However, working/fishing boats can refuel at the docks.  Cruisers still are on the move. No one reported problems while heading north.

Coral growth on floating docks

Tuesday, 3/24/20 ~ Today is provisioning.  As we were walking down the dock, we met another couple who had just waited in line at Costco, but managed to get most of what they needed.  We decided to head further west than Boyton Beach to a BJ’s.  It was a smart move.  There were no lines, they were sufficiently stocked that we were able to get all on our list, with the exception of sanitizer.  There was a limit on 1 case of water and a notice that paper products were non-refundable.  There was also a wide selection of meats, though not as well stocked as usual and plenty of fresh produce. Then it was on to Publix, Walgreens, the bank and a stop for lunch at Chick-fil-A.

       Speaking about Chick-Fil-A, we were very impressed.  There was only drive-thru and curb-side pickups.  There were 4 employees taking orders and credit card payments from those in line.  The lines moved quickly and our orders were brought out to the cars by others working inside.

        Once back, it was putting away of our purchases while Pete did an engine check.

Wednesday, 3/25/20 ~ Today was another day of errands. We stopped by the office to pick up our mail which had been forwarded; then to the Post Office, and back to BJ’s. Since we need more water for our trip north, we went in individually so we could each purchase a case of water.  BJ’s has a lane created that we all must line up and keep our distance. The line moves quickly as each shopper heads to an empty register. Then it was off to Boat Owners’ Warehouse to pick up another diesel can and gas can, but forgot to purchase the extra package of toilet paper.

     We had to head down to Miami for my medical appointment.  This is the echo cardiogram that has been postponed twice.  I received a call from then as we were approaching the parking lot, thankfully, only confirming that I was on my way.  The tech was making a special stop just for me.  The plan was for the doctor to receive the report later and would call me with the results  Instead, he made sure he was available to give me the results immediately:  No clots, no more Coumadin (Warfarin) and no more weekly blood tests!!!

     When I went for my blood work on Monday (by the way, we finally got my INR numbers in the right range – only the 2^nd time in 6 months! Now, I don’t need it anymore.) The lab is next door to Lola’s Seafood Deli.  There was a sign on the front door that day stating that they were open for take out only.  Today, we stopped by hoping for a final great Lobster Roll, but they are now closed for the duration.  So, we headed over to Panera’s for takeout. No complains here. 

     We still had to stop to fill up the fuel cans, top off the car’s fuel, and Pete tighten up the alternator belt, which has begun to squeak.  Thankfully, that was quickly accomplished.  The water tanks were also filled and we are ready to continue north. . .but monitoring the very fluid CoVid-19 situation.