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It’s Tuesday morning and we are sitting on the hook in a beautiful oxbow off of the Intra Coastal Waterway about ten miles north of St. Augustine.  An oxbow, for inquiring minds like yours, is a bend in a river where the channel has been cut straight across to leave the bendy part unused.   In this case, the Army Corps dredged a channel to keep the ICW as straight as possible.  As a result, there is a nice little “bow” off of the channel that is connected both on the north and south ends.   The name “oxbow” comes from the traditional yoke used to harness Oxen, with a “bow” in the middle to go over their necks.  These make for quite nice spots to stop and spend time. 

Still scratching your head on what I am talking about?  Here’s as shot from my chart plotter.  And the little boat icon is exactly where Pandora is as I write this. Don’t forget that the “where’s Pandora” button on the top of this page can show you a recent location as I post this several times a day when we are traveling.

The view from Pandora here is very beautiful and serene.  Even though we are in one of the most populous states in the Union, there isn’t a home or building to be seen.  And, we are the only one in the anchorage, save a very small sailboat anchored a few hundred yards from us.

Oddly, we are now into our second day of dense fog, something that isn’t normally associated with sunny Florida.  Normally, I don’t mind fog, but making our way along a narrow channel with sandbars lining the area, sometimes in the middle of the channel, is pretty challenging.

However, the fog, as unusual as it might be in these parts, makes for a beautiful sight as the marsh comes and goes from view.Yesterday, for several hours, the visibility was only about 350’ which meant that without our chart plotter and radar, to help us find our way, we wouldn’t have been able to move at all.  There were several times that I found myself with navigation marks on either side of the boat that I only saw as they were literally 200’ from me when I could see them clearly.  It was a white knuckle deal much of the time.   And, once the fog lifted in the afternoon, the fog was replaced with a driving rain that lasted late into the night.   The one good thing is that with the rain came warm temperatures in the upper 70s.  Very pleasant, rain or not.

In spite of the fog, we made good progress although I won’t talk about the times that we bumped the bottom as I strayed a bit too close to the edge of the channel in the poor visibility.  While most of the bumps were very minor, more of a slowing down a bit as I plowed through the mud, I did end up solidly on a sandbar for about 20 minutes at one point.  In my defense, that sandbar was inside the channel and while it was on the chart, it was much larger than it appeared.  In fact, it’s an area that had caused quite a number of others problems who had also found themselves in the same predicament.  I was pretty sure that I was going to be stuck till the tide rose again but was finally able to work myself off.  Fortunately, a large powerboat happened by as I was stuck and he told me where the deeper water was so I could at least point myself in the right direction to get off.  Anyway, I did finally get underway again.  What a pain.  As soon as we were back on the move again I got online and renewed my towing insurance that had lapsed a few months ago.

However, in spite of the fog (Did I say that it was dense?) the trip was very beautiful with sights like this along the way. It’s also interesting, that with homes along the marsh in some areas, they have to put their docks quite a way out from their homes to get into deeper water and avoid damaging the delicate marshes.  I can only imagine how long it took to get the permit to build this dock.  It must have been well over 1000′ long and must have cost as much as a modest home. I was treated to the sighting of a bald eagle as well as a number of dolphins that swam by.  Just after this shot he sounded with his tail straight up in the air.  Very peaceful in the fog.Along the way we were also enjoyed watching pelicans, both grey and white. They may look a bit ungainly with their big beaks but they glide along very gracefully.

One of the reasons that we wanted to cover ground in spite of the fog, as opposed to just staying put, is because Thursday is Brenda’s birthday and it’s CRITICAL that we be in a place to properly recognize such an important national holiday event.  Besides, it’s a particularly important milestone this year as it’s the last year that she will be in her “mid to upper 50s”.   Next year, well, she’ll be in a different “age band”, not to put too fine a point on it.

Well, the day is getting away from me so I had better wrap this up.  It’s still pretty foggy but hopefully visibility will improve soon.

Almost forgot. After nursing our house batteries along for several years after their expected lifespan, it appears that they have finally given up the ghost so we’ll be in a marina in a few days to get some new ones.  As each of the four batteries weigh over 100lbs, I’ll need help to get the old ones off and the new ones back on board.  I wish there was someone to help me with the $2000+ price tag.  Oh well, that’s not that much money, as it’s only 2 “boat dollars”.   I guess it could be worse.

Fog or not, St. Augustine, here we come.

It’s Sunday afternoon and it’s been a grey day here in St Mary’s GA.  Earlier today I headed to Jacksonville to drop our rental car at the airport after some 2,250 miles of driving in the almost two week since leaving our “land home” in CT a few days after Christmas.

It’s been a whirlwind with visits to survey the boat we hope to purchase in Miami and a frantic few days of provisioning to get Pandora in the water.  How is it that groceries and “stuff” cost so much?  We had planned to launch her today but the weather report gave us a start with rain in the forecast for today and Monday.  Fortunately, Rocky at St Mary’s Boat Services, was very accommodating and didn’t seem at all concerned when we changed the launch date for the third time in so many days.

The yard where Pandora has been since early October is much like other yards, with some really nice boats as well as some that look like they haven’t seen the water in years.  Unlike northern yards, most of the boats in this yard are stored for the summer and then launched in the fall and winter.  In fact, most of them are from northern states and it seems that there were a good number from Canada.

In addition to being very accommodating, the yard provides something that I have never seen in a yard and that’s really fine boarding stairs which I understand are made right in the yard. The design is quite nice, compliments of Rocky’s creative bent.  In fact, they would fit right in as boarding stairs at a small airport. These staircases are made of galvanized steel with wooden treads and there’s even a grate on the bottom tread to knock off the sand from your shoes.  They even put a door mat at the bottom.  Very nice.    How’s this for a “real” boarding ladder?And, if you want to enjoy the view and have a beer at the end of a long day of boat chores, there’s even a sitting area, complete with palm trees.  For the trip south last fall, I had put the dink on deck as I don’t carry it in the davits when we are offshore so had to find a way to get it onto the ground and back up into the davits, with the engine no less.  However Jeff, the do-it-all guy at the marina came to my rescue with his forklift.  What a great idea.   We put the dink on the lift and he picked it up a few feet so that I could install the engine and then lifted it up to deck level so I could attach it to the davits.  Voila, wasn’t that easy? 

I can’t recommend St Mary’s Boat Services enough as they are reasonably priced, flexible on launching etc. and have a very attentive staff.  Just don’t drive too fast with your car in the boatyard as you’ll get Jeff’s wrath because he doesn’t want you to run over his little dog that is always on the move around the yard.

While Pandora was on the hard I had the hull buffed and waxed.  They did a great job.  How about this shine?  Oh yeah, and Terri, the boatyard office manager, will even take you to the Jacksonville airport if you need to drop a car or get picked up from a flight.

On top of all that, there’s a great view of the marsh to boot.  Even Pandora got a good view as she was right near the water.Last night we had a nice simple meal aboard for our first night on Pandora.  It was pretty windy so I can’t say that we slept very well. It always takes a few nights to get used to the noises of being aboard but I am sure that we will settle in in a few days. We went for a nice walk in St Mary’s and then had lunch.  Doesn’t Brenda look great? There are some very pretty homes in town and the live oaks are beautiful.  It’s a bit odd to see camellias in bloom and other flowers budding out in mid January.   You know you are in the south when you see sights like this shrimp boat aside palm trees.After lunch, we headed down the river, with the tide, the 8+ miles to Fernandina Beach where we hope to do some exploring on Monday.  After that we’ll make the 50+ mile run down to St Augustine, one of our favorite cities.

Besides, it’s Brenda’s birthday on the 15^th (mark your calendar boys and girls) so it’s important that we be in a good location to celebrate.

Rain or not, and it’s pretty unpleasant outside, it’s nice to be back in the water and heading south.   With temperatures in the 70s forecast for later this week, we are ready to put the winter behind us, once and for all.

Here’s to warm and sunny.  I think that I have said that before but it’s worth repeating.  Warm?  Yes, warm.

 

 

It’s Friday morning and the temperature outside is an unseasonable low 30s.  When we got here on Wednesday afternoon it was a LOT warmer and then the cold front that has been blasting the US with cold air and snow pushed down, bringing strong COLD winds to coastal Georgia.  It was amazing to us to see how quickly the winds picked up and changed a sorta balmy boatyard into a grey cold and windy miserable place.  You know, the sort of weather that northern sailors deal with each fall and spring when they are working on their boats.

The view late in the afternoon Wednesday was very beautiful from our vantage perched up on Pandora’s bow overlooking the nearby marsh.   Views of palm trees aren’t something that I am used to seeing from a boatyard.  How about a panorama of the spot?  What perfect late afternoon lighting.  Yes, a beautiful view, but don’t look behind me as it’s just your typical yard jammed with yachts in various stages of seaworthiness.  Then, it got REALLY COLD. Believe me when I tell you that the next morning there was no way I would want to be out in the wind.  Happily, our brand new Espar diesel heater did it’s job and made Pandora all toasty inside.   Good thing, as there was no way that a little space heater could have kept up with the strong winds and cold.   

We made great progress down below getting things back in shape with Brenda’s help as a bit of mildew seems to pop up when a boat is stored for a few months. As my solar panels keep everything running, even when she’s on the hard, the freezer and fridge needed a bit of cleaning as well.  I found some things in the fridge that I had missed when I left her back in October that were, well, they were a bit scary.  All better now.

Speaking of cold, when we were in Portugal this fall, Brenda did a bit of knitting and had made good progress on a sweater but it still wasn’t finished.  On the way driving south she finished it just in time to enjoy the unseasonable cold weather here in GA.  It’s great that she has gotten to a point where she can knit while we are driving.  Back before she was such seasoned sailor, that would NEVER have been possible.  Can you say car sick?  Not now…   She was determined to finish the sweater, so she’d have something warm to wear, before we made it to sunny Florida, and she did.  Doesn’t she look like a happy knitter?  I guess it was finishing the piece up that brought on the cold weather.  

I’ll bet the other locals would not like to know that she really did “bring the cold weather with her”.    Good thing it wasn’t a raincoat that she was making.

Yes, it’s plenty cold but today things are supposed to warm up to a balmy mid 50s so I can work on the “outside” of Pandora to finish scrubbing off some of the dust that coated her decks while we were away.   Anyway, sitting here doing this post isn’t getting her any closer to launch.

Oh yeah, we are staying in hotel for a few days.  Not quite ready to move aboard till things are more settled.  Hopefully, we’ll shove off in a few days.

Wish us warm fair winds, and soon.  Yes, soon would be perfect.

It’s Sunday afternoon and we are heading down I-95 toward South Beach Miami to be there for the survey of Ariel, the Aerodyne 47 we are hoping to purchase.   I say “hope to” as you never know what you’re going to find in a survey of something as complex as a sailboat.  However, Brenda and I are very optimistic that everything will check out OK as Miles and Loreen, the owners are just about as particular as we are and don’t hesitate to spend what it takes to keep Ariel in good shape.   Picky and a willingness to spend $$$ is a good combination for boat ownership.

As I begin this post we are in South Carolina with about 300 miles to go to St Augustine, FL.  I pick that particular city as it’s what is on the GPS telling us where our next road change will be and it’s where we hope to find a hotel to spend the night.

It’s interesting to drive distances outside of the Boston, New York, Washington corridor and see how many miles are between road changes and cities compared to the New York area, where making a ride of a few hundred miles usually involves dozens of road changes, not to mention terrible traffic.

Our ride today takes us from Baltimore MD where we visited with our son Rob and his new fiancé Kandice and our younger son Christopher for nearly a week.  What a treat it was to spend so much time with them.  However, after all the eating and drinking it will take some time for my stomach and liver to recover.  As I said, great fun, perhaps too much fun.  Last night, when we took Christopher to the bus for him to head back to NYC it was pretty emotional for me and Brenda, knowing that we won’t see him until May when we head back north.     Hopefully, Rob and Kandice will meet up with us in FL or the Bahamas, between now and then.   That will be great.

The next few days will be pretty interesting as we go over Ariel with a fine tooth comb.  Yes, we’ve seen the boat many times but I can’t say that we have rifled through cabinets and drawers like we will on this trip.

After a day or so in South Beach, where Ariel is now, we’ll head north again to St Mary’s GA to spend a day or so getting Pandora back into the water.  I am particularly excited about seeing her again as I had someone “detail” the hull while we were away to make the hull as shiny as possible.  I had decided to do this prior to deciding to sell her but it will be good that she will show her best for anyone that looks at her this winter as word gets out that she’s available.

When we left CT last week, it was quite chilly, in the low 20s.  Not my first choice of weather.    After Christmas, we had to work double time to get everything down and put away from the holidays so we could get ready to close up the house for the winter.  Putting everything in order to leave a house vacant for 4-5 months isn’t all that simple as you have to plan for the possible loss of power and really cold weather.  With this in mind, when we moved in two and a half years ago, we decided to put in a new furnace and charge the system with antifreeze.   That would assure us that the pipes wouldn’t freeze if we lost power.  In addition, we also blow out all of the domestic waterlines with compressed air so that there is NOTHING in the water pipes that could freeze.

Let me assure you that all of this is simpler to describe than it is to accomplish as it takes about three hours to blow out every drop of water from the hundreds of feet of pipes.  And, on top of this, we also have to put antifreeze in all of the toilets and run a rinse cycle on the washing machine and dish washer to be sure that the pumps are also protected.

And, as if that’s not enough of an explanation, well… let’s just say that there are a lot of details.

When we left Baltimore this morning, we drove away at the wee hour of 06:00 with the goal of driving 12-14 hours today and the balance to South Beach, on Monday morning as we’d like to be in town by mid- afternoon Monday.    So far, so good.

It’s amazing how much the temperature has gone up since leaving CT last week.  Even today, in the 8 hours we have been on the road, the temperature has gone from a rainy 40s to the , well rainy upper 70s.  Actually, right now it’s raining really hard, torrent actually.  Hopefully, this will let up soon.

After all these months of “thinking” about sailing, it’s hard to believe that the “doing” part is less than a week away.

We are looking forward to spending about a month heading down to Ft. Lauderdale so that we can enjoy the sights along the way. However, GA can be pretty cool this time of year so we will likely want to make as many miles as we can in the first few days so that we can be in warmer climes.  Interestingly, there is generally a bump in the temperature when you get south of Cape Canaveral , for reasons that I don’t  understand.

One way or the other, we’re in for some chilly weather for a few days as there is a huge cold front coming through that will chill much of the US and bring pretty cold weather to the South East US coast.  Perhaps we’ll just “cool” our heels  for a few days until more seasonable weather comes our way.

In the meantime, we can think about some of the fun places that we’ll be visiting soon.

Well, Brenda’s driving and probably won’t want to for much longer as she’s much more interested in knitting than driving so I’d better wrap this up.

How about a photo of the intersection heading to Charleston?  Yes, I am sure that’s at the very top of your day for today. Well, it’s at least is evidence that we are heading in the right direction.  And no, I didn’t take it last year…However,  I am much more interested in the memory of sunny Florida.  Yes, that’s much better.   Warm and sunshine, here we come, soon.   Well, at least warm, even if there is rain in the forecast.   Warm is better, for sure.  Yes, warmer by the mile and I’m counting them down, one by one…

It’s Thursday morning, the first day of 2015.  It seems that last time I looked I was forced to read George Orwell’s 1984 and thought “wow, I wonder what things will look like so far in the future.  I wonder if we’ll have flying cars?”

Well, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration as I wasn’t so naive to think that we’d have  flying cars.  EVERYONE certainly knew that we wouldn’t have them until at least the New Millennium.  Hmm…  No wait, we’re there now and I don’t see one of those on my radar.

Speaking of radar, (nice segue Bob) one thing that I never expected to have was just that, radar.  Yes, like everyone else, I too take technology for granted but WOW, radar.  The smallest boats of today have technology that the most powerful navy in the world could only dream of in WWII.  And, I won’t even talk about cell phones.  Maxwell Smart would have loved hiding behind a bush talking into an iPhone.  “Can you hear me now?” I have absolutely no idea where I was going with all that.  Never mind. 

Perhaps the most amazing thing to me is that I sit here on New Year’s Day, on our way south to spend the winter in Florida and the Bahamas.  Yes, I know that I have said that I don’t know if we will make it to the Bahamas this winter, but heck, spring is months away.  And, as Brenda has often said, “Bob and the dog, ever hopeful”.  “Can I have a cookie?”  “Sure Bob, here you go.”

Speaking of puppies, Brenda has recently been telling folks that she feels like she lives with a puppy.  Yes, that’s me.  Always jumping around with lots of smiles and drooling.  Well, that’s what I do most of the time anyway.   I do have “my moments” when I am less puppy-like.  Well, occasionally…

I guess it’s only natural to look back when you begin a new year.  Unfortunately, I’d have to dig pretty deep to come up with some photos from the “olden days”, but I do have a few that really bring back some memories.

Here’s me and Brenda leaving our wedding reception. Love the polyester sport coat.   1977 seems like a very long time ago. A few years later we bought our first boat, a little 20′ Cape Cod sailboat.  Then, a half dozen years later we acquired Sappho, a 22′ Marshall Catboat.  This boat, now some 40 years old, is owned by a good friend of mine, Eric, that keeps her in perfect shape in Wickford RI.  Brenda posed for a shot on board Sappho a few years ago.  It’s been a long time since those years cruising Long Island Sound on a 22′ boat with “sitting headroom”.  Years later we owed a Tartan 37, our first “modern” boat.  She was great looking but still a 70’s vintage design. Then we moved up to the “big times” and purchased Pandora.  Here she is in Wickford RI in Sappho’s neighborhood.  It’s hard to keep track of how quickly the years have gone by as it seems only yesterday that we were just kids in high school.   Well, this photo is of us a few years after graduation, but not that many. It’s hard to believe how much has happened in the last 40+ years that Brenda and I have been together.    From spying her in the high school library to spending the winters sailing in warm waters.

Perhaps if Brenda had known what the future was going to hold if she hung around with me she might have said, “It’s nice to meet you but I really have to study for tomorrows exam in Mrs. Hand’s English class and I can’t talk now. Bye!”  Glad she didn’t.  

Yup, I have been a lucky guy.  Very lucky indeed.

So far, so good.   That’s my story and I am sticking to it.

Here’s to a terrific 2015.  Yahoo!