Anchoring in Daytona

We did our 52 miles to Daytona Beach under georgeous sunny skies (Jon really has to get sunglasses). We saw dolphins several times, each time I try to get my iPhone to cooperate and each time I fail to capture their picture. I have just decided to enjoy them.  So we've put our time in on the water and we're ready to anchor and I thought you'd enjoy how the anchoring process usually goes. It starts out with me taking the wheel and Jon hovering to help me to pick the best spot. He then gathers his equipment (a windlass handle, we have manuel - less to break don't ya know, and his handy snubber that goes on the chain so that it doesn't jerk up).  While he is up on the bow of the boat(35 feet away from me) it is my job to follow his pointing finger to the best spot---make sure I'm not moving forward anymore then ugh we are to close to this guy--or ugh we're almost on top of a crab pot-- finially we look good, Jon looks at me and signals that he's going to drop the anchor-- I'm yelling for him to hurry because the two knot current is pushing us back closer to the other boat-- ok it's holding--Jon looks around, ugh we are in the channel--crap, and the anchor is holding so well-- ok, pull the anchor up...watch the crab pots and that boat...let's try over here.,,,no no no over this way...come up, come up... Stop the boat from going forward...ok I'm going to drop it.. I think you get the idea. It takes us atleast half an hour to 45 minutes to get the anchor set each time.  Each time we talk about it will get better and easier and maybe we should use the head phone things so we don't yell or atleast so we understand what the other is doing.  We' ll keep you posted. 

        So sunny and bright all day

Our anchorage in Daytona--very pretty

       Good morning ..yep dad, we were pretty close to staying under the bridge. 

    Going past Daytona...lots of condos. 

Merry Christmas at St Augustine

Well sorry that time got away from me. The Christmas rush and all   Haha. Not really. Just really enjoyed St Augustine, the oldest city in the United States. The Spanish influence is everywhere, especially in the architecture. The city is definitely a vacation destination at Christmas time ( they brag that they are top ten in the world for Christmas lights). It's true too, it's like daytime at all times of the night. Christmas Eve things were bustling--everyone was out and Merry.  There were dozens of trolleys and horse drawn carriages with singing and shouts that we all have a wonderful Christmas. The candle light service was standing room only and when we all lifted our candles together and the pastor claimed light has come into our world, we all sang Silent Night and believed. We put a lot of miles on our legs walking the steet mall and biking to Anastasia State Park. Oh yeah don't forget the almost two mile walk to Winn Dixie and West Marine (each way- we did that three times on our eleven day stay).  With all that excersize you'd think we lots a few pounds, but no, we had to good of a time at the many pubs and grills. Well, again sorry for the delay in updating. Hope to keep you better informed of our adventures. 

     The column at Flagler College

      Court yard at the college. 

Jon at French Fry Heaven at the walking mall. 

One of the many street performers in St Augustine. 

Jon and I at the warf by Bridge of Lions

       Quicksilver on her mooring

One of the turtles we saw on our bike ride to the beach. 

The beach at Anastasia State Park.  

    Some of the lights

     The Black Raven Pirate Ship

    Another pirate ship tries to over take her.   Arrrrgg, the Black Raven stood her ground. 

 

This guy could make it sound like he had a full drum kit. It was amazing.  

Sixty Miles of Sunshine

 We had such an easy sixty miles on Florida's intercoastal from dropping our mooring line in Fernandina to picking up new one in St Augustine. We enjoyed the canal like ease and the scenery. The hardest part of the whole trip was going across St John's River, which we gladly followed another boat across the swift current.  Coming into St Augustine's inlet you need to keep your wits about you and as always once you do it it all makes sense.  To bad we couldn't have an arial view. Maybe satilite maps next leg.  

  The red flowers were so pretty ..,flowers

Look closely you may see "our' crane

 We couldn't get over how green the grass was

Florida At Last!

Yeah we made it!!  Well at least we made it to Fernandina Beach. We made good time after the two last "dangers" in Georgia   One was at Jeckle Creek and the other was at Cumberland Dividings. Both went well with plenty of water.  I think the anxiety before is usually worse than the pass.   Fernandina Beach is a industrial looking place from the water, but on closer look ashore we found it to be really sweet. We were allowed to leave Quicksilver on the marina dock and fill our bow tank with water. (We had a leak under the bathroom sink. 50 gallons of water went under the sink and into our bilge. At least it got a good rinse. ). So we got directions to a great hardware store where we got a replacement facet nut. And then took a walk through the town. It was such a nice walk on such a beautiful day. (Not to rub it in with our friend in New York, but it was about 65 degrees and only going to get better this week)

We celebrated our arrival to Florida with pan fried catfish and sweet potatoes  and cold cold beer.  By the way we saw a dolphin in the Marinia about 5 feet away from us and it made is just light up. We never get tired of seeing them everywhere.  

     Fernandina Beach from the water

     A beautiful walk through town

    Had to do it ....sorry New Yorkers !

      Moon coming up last night

     Moon going down this morning 

Brunswick, Georgia

We got into Brunswick on Thursday just before noon. We needed to get rid of garbage and buy groceries. Our friends Benny and Lisa, Rhiannon, were at the same Marinia waiting for their rudder and keel to get repaired. We were anxious to talk to them and find out more out their run in with the jetty at Jeckle Creek.   After talking with them , it wasn't real clear on what happened..,, some how they ran on top of the jetty even though it was marked. Benny said is was like a bad dream and all of a sudden you wake up and he was on the jetty and couldn't steer.   They had a rental car and were nice enough to take us to St Simon's Island and to get groceries.   We ended up eating at a hole in the wall kind of place that served local seafood in Darion. 

They boasted that they had the best shrimp in Georgia.  They had a trophy to prove it and after sampling their shrimp basket I can tell you it was outstanding.   We spent the next couple of days cleaning and reading as a cold front was tearing up the east coast. We felt lucky to have rainy weather in the high 60s, low 70s. While everyone up north was getting 2 feet of snow.  Sunday night as we watched the sunset "our" crane landed on the end of our dock. We know he is saying its time to leave.  Next stop Florida   

Coming into St Simons Sound a shrimp boat with all the birds following it. 

An old boat in the boat yard that will soon be stripped and used for a reef.  Seems the husband had a heart attack and passed away and the wife had a heart attack. The people that were suppose to look after it never showed and after several years of total neglect it was beyond help. So sad, you can see it was spectacular at one time. 

Benny and Lisa st St Simons Island

Lisa wanted to climb the great oak

Cool tangle tree

Jon at one of the emergency stairs they have, in case you fall in 

Light house at St Simons Island..with Jon and Benny 

Butterfly I caught on  a veterans memorial in Brunswick   

Very interesting architecture in Brunswick 

Sherry, Dockmaster, at Brunswick Landing. She has a back for remembering all her customers and their boats ( sometimes dogs) even after 14 years

This picture can't do the blood reds we saw in this sunset from the Marinia