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.

To Miami ~

Wednesday, 3/18/20 ~ Pete de-haired the car (even though we used the protector, hair still needed to be removed), returned it to Enterprise and walked back.  I prepped the boat and was ready to start the engine when he returned.  After refueling and filling the jerry cans, we were on our way around 9 am.  

     It wasn’t quite low tide, but we did find a rock dead center of the entrance. Thankfully, though it was noisy and jarring, nothing was broken.

     The winds were still out of the E/ESE between 10 and 18 mph.  That meant had less bouncing.  I also gave Bailey her meds at 7 this morning so by the time we were underway, she was completely mellow.  She just laid on the cockpit floor for most of the day.

     Pete had no problem with work today. We don’t have his lap desk board, but I suggested he use one of the Styrofoam boards we use for the door as a lap desk and it worked perfectly. (In fact, that is what I am using now as I write this!)

Miami on the horizon

     By the time he was finished with work, our heading changed, and we were able to put up the jib. We went from 7 mph, which was pretty wonderful, to 7.9 - 8.1 mph. YEA!!!  As we approached Miami, we could seed a lot of cruise ships docked in Government Cut.  There was also one cruise ship at anchor outside of Miami. We opted not to take the longer route though Stiltsville.  We did pass a lot of boats at anchor.  The sailboats were outside of Hurricane Harbor while the power boats were on the flats NE of there.

    

Spring Break with all the toys!

     By 4:30, we dropped anchor south of the Rickenbacker Causeway- one of our favorite anchorages.  There are two large yachts also anchored here, probably spring breakers.  The 150-foot yacht left before sunset, but the smaller 90-foot stayed.

     When I spoke with our friend here in Florida, she told us that her husband has a high fever, cough and sinus pressure. He also feels as if he was run over by a Mac truck. They tested both of them for CoVid-19. They will know later this week, once the tests results are in. They are now in self-quarantine. We are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.

     Once Bailey was feed, Pete took her to shore.  He pulled the dinghy on shore so Bailey could jump off. As she stood on the pontoon with both feet, just simply rolled sideways, off the dinghy and into the water.  Pete said it was like slow motion! She wasn’t worried (which itself is unusual) and just waited for Pete to get her. We were wrong in thinking she was back to normal after the meds this morning.  It is a shame he couldn’t video it. 

Miami Waterfront and Sunset ~

   

 Still a beautiful place to catch sunset! ~

        After dinner, watched the sunset.  We love watching the lights of the city turn up. We probably sat up above until after 8.  Pete took Bailey to shore for her last walk around 9:30 as we were closing up for the night, we could hear the dolphins blowing as they surfaced around the boat, but it was too dark to see them.   

Thursday, 3/19/20 ~ It was wonderful sleeping with the hatch open. The fresh air, the breeze and the constant motion of the boat is the perfect prescription for a good night’s sleep.  Well, that is until the rain came at 3 am.  Then we had close up the hatch, the berth began to get stuffy and warm, and then the rain stopped.  We checked radar, but the shower never made it to radar. Time to reopen the hatch and go back to sleep.

     The batteries dropped to 64% over night.  We knew we needed to recharge them.  Since our house generator is in dire need to major repair, we brought the Honda 2200 portable back with us. We had this before we had the larger generator installed.  It is a great back up. However, since Pete needed to start work earlier than planned, he opted to run the engine to recharge rather than have to fill and set up the portable.  We were at 98% with 3 hours of the engine.

     After exercising, I sat up above and began book 5 of The Outlander Series.  Around 10:30, the police came around by the beach, announcing over the PA that the beaches are closed.  Over the past couple of days, the governor requested that spring breakers head home.  Everyone had been asked to keep social distance. Apparently, they have no clue what that means, and they, of course, feel invincible.  Since they didn’t take the suggestion, he made it mandatory. It is a shame as schools are closed for spring break and the beach here had lots of families with kids.  They also closed the fishing pier, which is an additional shame.  Fisherman usually keep their distance to insure their lines don’t get tangled.  Also, I imagine that many in this area work in the service industry and will not be receiving a paycheck.  Here, they could have free, fresh fish for dinner.

Bailey and her therapy person

    Pete was able to join me in reading late afternoon. He checked out and made sure the portable generator was hooked up and could run.  We ate dinner and watched the sunset, started the generator, then we came down below to watch some TV as the batteries charged.

     By 10, the batteries were topped off, Bailey walked and time for our showers. With the winds still around 10-15 from the E/SE. It should be another great night for sleeping.

Friday, 3/20/20 ~ There were clouds last night as we headed for bed, but once again, there was nothing on radar.  Around 2, we had some “spritzing,” but it was gone by the time we had closed the hatch.  We waited, checked radar again, then reopened the hatch.  The wonderful breezes and rocking continued.

     Heather called around 8:30 this morning. Since she is working from home, there are also conference calls that last an hour or two.  She wanted to make sure that her adapter and earpiece worked, before having to use it with a client.  It gave us a great opportunity to visit for a short while before she had to start work.

The beaches are officially closed due to CoVid-19 concerns.
Police come around with the PA systems telling folks to leave the area.

     While Pete took Bailey to shore, I cleaned up the cockpit.  Bailey’s hair is everywhere. We always seem to forget it catches around the hatch to the aft cabin, because the seat folds down over it and it can’t be seen.  Today, I found large mats of her hair as I checked it before opening it.

      During their walk, Bailey spotted her favorite beach toy.  Though there were plenty on the sand and under the trees, she “told” Pete she wanted the one in the water.  Pete gave in and walked in to retrieve a perfect coconut.  She loves to strip the “hair” from the coconut.  She was so excited and went right to work.  Pete needed to get back to work, so he picked it up and put it in the dinghy.  All the way to the dinghy and once in it she carried on like a fool.  However, once on board, she hurried down to eat her breakfast and then promptly forgot how important the coconut was to her.  She ignored it all day, so after dinner, Pete tossed it back into the water.

     Pete worked while I exercised and read.  I also caught up with all the emails that are flying between my siblings now that they are confined at home. There were 15 between 9 and 10:30 last night.  My phone is set up to go silent between 9 pm and 8 am, ever since some commercial emails came in during the wee hours of the morning. They woke me and then I couldn’t go back to sleep. Now I have it set so that just family calls and text will come thought during the night.

      We tried calling our friends here in Florida numerous times today, but didn’t get an answer. We have been very concerned. She finally called late this afternoon.  Her husband’s test came back positive for CoVid-19. They were reassured that they were doing everything right, given additional instructions and told it will take time to run its course and to call if anything changes negatively.

    The Keys have essentially closed. No new reservations for hotels, BnB’s, RV parks or marinas. They are also checking IDs at the top of the Keys. Only residents and supply trucks are permitted to continue south. Here in Dade County, they marinas will remain open and have fuel available. Pennsylvania has essentially closed to all but vital services. Definitely concerning times.  Pete and I continually discuss options as things keep changing. As they say, “One day at a time. . . .”

   

       

A beautiful way to end the day!

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  P & K