Hi F&F
Woke up to a Northerly wind, quite common here so causes slapping noises on the side of our boat during the night .Ear plugs do the trick! Started our journey at 9 am.We decided to go up the West Florida coast ICW ,which is called GIWW meaning the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway . As we started heading North along the Gasprilla Island
( that is the name of the Island ,Boca Grande is on) we saw huge flocks of white pelicans resting in the bays.White pelicans tend to be in the south more. Although the channel is wide , the actual path we take is narrow.Managed to get through the first 9 ft bridge just as it was opening then carried on sometimes in slow no wake areas and other times no restrictions .We averaged about 10 knots. As it was the weekend there were lots of small pleasure boats out zipping around some not even slowing down.The worst was two women in a big boat who just ploughed on by even though I was signing slow down with my hands.The driver just smiled and waved! I guess they are more macho on this side of Florida!As we passed the Venice Inlet ( which is very close to the entrance out into the Gulf of Mexico ) a police boat came past us flashing and siren blaring.First time we have seen that.
Passed Marina Jacks where we kept our boat last year in Sarasota and arrived at the Longboat Key Club Moorings around 2 pm.Graeme decided to fuel up.He always likes to have his tanks full when we are staying put for a while.Just so no bacteria grows! Then we headed to our designated slip.When we arrived we realized we had full afternoon sun in the cockpit area .Not ideal especially if you entertain out there. so we asked to move and got a lovely slip close to the club house with lovely views of the club golf course.This is a lovely spot, heated swimming pool, free shuttle service and bikes , a gym , fitness classes ,beach access and another golf course on the other side of Longboat Key Island.Also several restaurants you can use. After settling in we chatted to a few of the residents.Many people are living aboard their boats here for several months. Also a guy called Bill came by who had just bought a Sabre 48 boat just like ours. We invited him on board and had quite a long chat.All part of the Sabre family! Then we headed to the closest restaurant and had wonderful handmade pizzas ( even watch the guy make and cook them) while listening to a great guitarist playing in the restaurant.
So there will be a break now for at least a month til we leave Longboat Key/ Sarasota area.
Take care till then, over and out,
Erica.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Day 25 A little slice of Paradise in Boca Grande
Hi F & F (in case you don't know Family and Friends)
Well today Graeme and I set off in the golf cart we had hired for the day.First stop was breakfast beside a bayou and we indulged ,omeletes , muffins and coffee. The sun was shining again ,no clouds just another perfect day! How blessed we felt! Then we went off to explore the island all 7 miles of it. They have a special track just for golf carts ( the most common mode of transport apart from cars) and bikes.We ended up at Uncle Henry's marina where we saw our first manatees on this trip They truly are weird looking creatures and I think only a mother could love them! Also saw a funny sight , an osprey bird had built a nest on top of a small canopy on one of the boats and was sitting there proudly.In the Chesapeake Bay if a bird builds a nest on your boat , you are not allowed to remove the nest until the bird no longer inhabits it. I imagine the same rule applied here!
Then we turned round and went down to the southern tip of the island passing through the village of Boca Grande. Turns out the lighthouse has a wonderful little museum and lots of history about the island the surrounding area. There has been a lot of Spanish and Cuban influence originally and also the Seminole Indians were in the area also after they were forced out of their places in the South Carolina's. We stopped back in the village had an icecream at the Loose Caboose. There used to be a railroad that ran right through the island! Phosphate trains were used to carry shipments of the fertilizer to places all over. Visited Hudson's the grocery store ( you could buy fresh caught that morning there) the Post Office and Fugales , the local gift store. It was such fun just to drive your golf cart up to the store and park right outside. Then we headed back to watch some of the Australian Tennis on TV.in the late afternoon I went back on foot to take some photos of the big Baynan trees that lined on of the streets and also took a walk to the gulf side of the island.It was just fabulous , the sun was soon to be setting , and sparkling on the water and the gentle breaking of the waves on the shores was soothing to the soul. I so love this place.It has the feel of the 1960's its small and intimate there is a simple and slower pace of life and although there certainly is wealth here it doesn't feel so ostentatious as other parts of Florida to me.
In the evening we got together again with Mary and Bob for dinner at the Eagle Grille right at our marina.it had lovely old style decor with ships and all things nautical. We shared our different adventures for the day, with each other.
The chef was Spanish , so we couldn't pass on the paella ! It was the special for the evening!
Only one thing so far has been upsetting along this West Coast of Florida and that has been all the dead fish we have seen.Some floating in the water around the marinas and others lying on the shoreline in both Naples and Boca Grande.This is due to something called Red Tide.It floats either on or in the water and is poisonous to fish and also can cause respiratory problems for people. This year there has already been four incidents of it .They don't really know the cause although I was told it possibly comes from fertilizers which come down from states in the middle of the country .Perhaps down through the Mississippi? Who knows!
Over and out.
Erica
Well today Graeme and I set off in the golf cart we had hired for the day.First stop was breakfast beside a bayou and we indulged ,omeletes , muffins and coffee. The sun was shining again ,no clouds just another perfect day! How blessed we felt! Then we went off to explore the island all 7 miles of it. They have a special track just for golf carts ( the most common mode of transport apart from cars) and bikes.We ended up at Uncle Henry's marina where we saw our first manatees on this trip They truly are weird looking creatures and I think only a mother could love them! Also saw a funny sight , an osprey bird had built a nest on top of a small canopy on one of the boats and was sitting there proudly.In the Chesapeake Bay if a bird builds a nest on your boat , you are not allowed to remove the nest until the bird no longer inhabits it. I imagine the same rule applied here!
Then we turned round and went down to the southern tip of the island passing through the village of Boca Grande. Turns out the lighthouse has a wonderful little museum and lots of history about the island the surrounding area. There has been a lot of Spanish and Cuban influence originally and also the Seminole Indians were in the area also after they were forced out of their places in the South Carolina's. We stopped back in the village had an icecream at the Loose Caboose. There used to be a railroad that ran right through the island! Phosphate trains were used to carry shipments of the fertilizer to places all over. Visited Hudson's the grocery store ( you could buy fresh caught that morning there) the Post Office and Fugales , the local gift store. It was such fun just to drive your golf cart up to the store and park right outside. Then we headed back to watch some of the Australian Tennis on TV.in the late afternoon I went back on foot to take some photos of the big Baynan trees that lined on of the streets and also took a walk to the gulf side of the island.It was just fabulous , the sun was soon to be setting , and sparkling on the water and the gentle breaking of the waves on the shores was soothing to the soul. I so love this place.It has the feel of the 1960's its small and intimate there is a simple and slower pace of life and although there certainly is wealth here it doesn't feel so ostentatious as other parts of Florida to me.
In the evening we got together again with Mary and Bob for dinner at the Eagle Grille right at our marina.it had lovely old style decor with ships and all things nautical. We shared our different adventures for the day, with each other.
The chef was Spanish , so we couldn't pass on the paella ! It was the special for the evening!
Only one thing so far has been upsetting along this West Coast of Florida and that has been all the dead fish we have seen.Some floating in the water around the marinas and others lying on the shoreline in both Naples and Boca Grande.This is due to something called Red Tide.It floats either on or in the water and is poisonous to fish and also can cause respiratory problems for people. This year there has already been four incidents of it .They don't really know the cause although I was told it possibly comes from fertilizers which come down from states in the middle of the country .Perhaps down through the Mississippi? Who knows!
Over and out.
Erica
Back on again Day 17 to 24 Plus Boca Grande
Hi there F&F ,
Well, back on the trip again after a wonderful 8 days in Naples.Caught up with Exxon Mobil Friends, Karen and Bob and Curtis and Judy.Also our Canadian friends who we had Christmas with, Barbara and Stephen plus their Florida friends, the Murray's . We stayed 5 nights at the Naples City dock, a basic marina but we had a great face dock with wonderful views of the water and then 3 nights at the Naples Boat Club which was more fancy including a daily newspaper delivered each morning to our boat.Also had a heated pool and lovely club house .Of course it was twice the price! The City dock had lots of sightseers coming to look at the boats so not a lot of privacy on occasions.The Naples Boat club slip we had was opposite a working marina , so we got lots of noise and activity from about 8 am til 5 pm with cranes and boats being pulled out of the water .But these things didnt affect our stay too much.Naples is a clean , well planned and nice city.Lots of entertainment and restaurants.We went to a play called Barefoot in the Park which was cute.Houses are amazing ,lots of money in this place! And nice beaches too.
So we left Naples around 10 am on the 24 th , winding our way back down past the huge waterfront homes to Gordon's Pass and out to the ocean of the Gulf of Mexico. Lovely sunny day and waves about 2 ft with a headwind. We saw our first sea turtle shortly afterwards and then encountered lots and lots of crab pots .Some of the crab pot markers (usually round floating balls of various colors )were difficult to see especially if they were painted black.So instead of putting the boat onto autopilot, we needed to keep alert and steer between them. Fortunately we had the sun behind us which made it slightly easier. Nice trip though and we saw very few boats out. At the Boca Grande inlet we saw another sea turtle and some dolphins and a few fishing boats.The area is know for its tarpon fishing.In fact they call it the tarpon fishing capital of the world! The area teems with many fish varieties such as flounder, pompano (an area favorite),snook, grouper snapper , sheepshead, king fish , and mackerel just to name a few!
As we entered into the Boca Grande marina, who should we see,friends we made a year ago when we were at Lake Okeechobee, Mary and Bob MJM boat owners.In fact they were docked right next to us.It was a fun reunion and after drinks on our boat we all went out to dinner on the golf cart to PJ' s Sea Grille and had the wonderful freshly caught Pompano fish. Truly delicious.
Then it was back to our Marina to watch some of the days golf on TV and bed.
Over and out
Erica
Well, back on the trip again after a wonderful 8 days in Naples.Caught up with Exxon Mobil Friends, Karen and Bob and Curtis and Judy.Also our Canadian friends who we had Christmas with, Barbara and Stephen plus their Florida friends, the Murray's . We stayed 5 nights at the Naples City dock, a basic marina but we had a great face dock with wonderful views of the water and then 3 nights at the Naples Boat Club which was more fancy including a daily newspaper delivered each morning to our boat.Also had a heated pool and lovely club house .Of course it was twice the price! The City dock had lots of sightseers coming to look at the boats so not a lot of privacy on occasions.The Naples Boat club slip we had was opposite a working marina , so we got lots of noise and activity from about 8 am til 5 pm with cranes and boats being pulled out of the water .But these things didnt affect our stay too much.Naples is a clean , well planned and nice city.Lots of entertainment and restaurants.We went to a play called Barefoot in the Park which was cute.Houses are amazing ,lots of money in this place! And nice beaches too.
So we left Naples around 10 am on the 24 th , winding our way back down past the huge waterfront homes to Gordon's Pass and out to the ocean of the Gulf of Mexico. Lovely sunny day and waves about 2 ft with a headwind. We saw our first sea turtle shortly afterwards and then encountered lots and lots of crab pots .Some of the crab pot markers (usually round floating balls of various colors )were difficult to see especially if they were painted black.So instead of putting the boat onto autopilot, we needed to keep alert and steer between them. Fortunately we had the sun behind us which made it slightly easier. Nice trip though and we saw very few boats out. At the Boca Grande inlet we saw another sea turtle and some dolphins and a few fishing boats.The area is know for its tarpon fishing.In fact they call it the tarpon fishing capital of the world! The area teems with many fish varieties such as flounder, pompano (an area favorite),snook, grouper snapper , sheepshead, king fish , and mackerel just to name a few!
As we entered into the Boca Grande marina, who should we see,friends we made a year ago when we were at Lake Okeechobee, Mary and Bob MJM boat owners.In fact they were docked right next to us.It was a fun reunion and after drinks on our boat we all went out to dinner on the golf cart to PJ' s Sea Grille and had the wonderful freshly caught Pompano fish. Truly delicious.
Then it was back to our Marina to watch some of the days golf on TV and bed.
Over and out
Erica
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Day 17 and beyond
Hi F&F
Just to let. You know I will have a break now til the 24 th when we leave Naples!
Over and out
Erica
Just to let. You know I will have a break now til the 24 th when we leave Naples!
Over and out
Erica
Day 16 off to Naples
Hi F&F
Well the fabulous weather continues.We woke up to a glorious day and after a quick foray to
Publix supermarket , we set off for Naples.It was very busy heading out of the channel into the Gulf of Mexico but once through that we had an easy run down to Naples which only took 2 1/2 hours, before we entered at Gordon Pass .We wound our way up the channel very slowly with minimum wake and passed huge fancy houses lining the channel.This is indeed a place for the rich not necessarily famous! Several Exxon Mobil CEO 's have found this is a good place to retire or at least have a 2 nd home.Very nice town with lots of restaurants and fancy art galleries and jewelry stores.The area is lovely with lots of palms trees and blue / green water and sandy beaches. We were given a great face ie (side tie dock ) at the end of a T head at the Naples City Dock and so have wonderful views of the water and all the activity. At 5.30 pm Judy and Curtis came on board for drinks and we sat outside in the cockpit enjoying the last of the sun . Then we walked over to the French Blue Provence restaurant for dinner and had a fabulous meal Judy and I had the Mediterranean Sea bass with we both thought was outstanding.We were seated outside and enjoyed the atmosphere and had a real fun evening together. So good to get together with old friends !
Walked back to the dock, the stars were out and the moon was a horizontal crescent shape.Most interesting. So ended another blessed day.
Over and out,
Erica
Well the fabulous weather continues.We woke up to a glorious day and after a quick foray to
Publix supermarket , we set off for Naples.It was very busy heading out of the channel into the Gulf of Mexico but once through that we had an easy run down to Naples which only took 2 1/2 hours, before we entered at Gordon Pass .We wound our way up the channel very slowly with minimum wake and passed huge fancy houses lining the channel.This is indeed a place for the rich not necessarily famous! Several Exxon Mobil CEO 's have found this is a good place to retire or at least have a 2 nd home.Very nice town with lots of restaurants and fancy art galleries and jewelry stores.The area is lovely with lots of palms trees and blue / green water and sandy beaches. We were given a great face ie (side tie dock ) at the end of a T head at the Naples City Dock and so have wonderful views of the water and all the activity. At 5.30 pm Judy and Curtis came on board for drinks and we sat outside in the cockpit enjoying the last of the sun . Then we walked over to the French Blue Provence restaurant for dinner and had a fabulous meal Judy and I had the Mediterranean Sea bass with we both thought was outstanding.We were seated outside and enjoyed the atmosphere and had a real fun evening together. So good to get together with old friends !
Walked back to the dock, the stars were out and the moon was a horizontal crescent shape.Most interesting. So ended another blessed day.
Over and out,
Erica
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Day 15 Fort Myers
We got up fairly early realizing it was going to be another 6 hour run. We went back through the open lock entrance of the marina and then headed further west. The first lock was not a problem as we were the only boat waiting , and again it was fairly shallow ( about 2 feet)Now that we were on the other side of the lake , instead of going up in the locks we would be going down. Again good running with deep canals and we managed to go at about 20 kts. We were caught up by two other larger boats and tried to keep up with them so we didn't have to wait ages for lock openings again. The second lock was a drop of about 8 feet.After the third lock with a drop of about 3 feet ,we struck a strictly enforced slow manatee zone near a large power plant. Apparently the manatees love the warm water flowing out from the plant , so tend to congregate there.Again we didn't see any! But it meant that during the months of November to March, boaters are required to go slow all the way up to Fort Myers . It was very pleasant and sunny and warm so not a big deal.
We entered the Legacy Harbor Marina and were given a nice face floating dock ( my favorite ) and were soon tied up securely . As we had stayed here before, we were warmly welcomed and relaxed for the afternoon.Well , Graeme washed the boat and I did laundry! Also look a long shower , bliss! There is always something to do on a boat ,Infact its true most people do more cleaning and fussing with their boat than they ever do with their house!
In the evening we wandered next door to Joe's Crab House for a great meal of garlic mussels, snapper and paella . Then back to the boat for an early night.
Over and out,
Erica.
We entered the Legacy Harbor Marina and were given a nice face floating dock ( my favorite ) and were soon tied up securely . As we had stayed here before, we were warmly welcomed and relaxed for the afternoon.Well , Graeme washed the boat and I did laundry! Also look a long shower , bliss! There is always something to do on a boat ,Infact its true most people do more cleaning and fussing with their boat than they ever do with their house!
In the evening we wandered next door to Joe's Crab House for a great meal of garlic mussels, snapper and paella . Then back to the boat for an early night.
Over and out,
Erica.
Day 14. Lake Okeechobee
Hi F&F
We had one last get together with our new friends Deb and Dan.In fact they drove us in a car friends had given them to use while at the marina.We were on a mission to find a boat water filter and a new plastic soap dispenser which fits under the sink that had snapped off.We were successful with the water filter but it appears these bottles that house hand soap liquids are all different sizes . So,we made a call into our trusty Sabre family up in Maine to find out where we can purchase one. While in Stuart we also had our first successful mail forwarded to us from a company that operate in Florida.After 4 weeks the post office will not hold your mail and we needed to find an alternative way to get our mail.So far so good.The next mail delivery should be Naples.
We set off at 11 am down to the first lock system, St Lucie. Unfortunately we had to wait over one hour as there were two other boats already in the lock ( west bound like us) and after that the lock keeper needed to let east bound boats in as the lock was already up to that level! What to do while we were waiting! I made lunch! Then we struck a low rail bridge and there was a train coming , so we had to wait again!Oh well patience is a virtue! After that we had a good run. The canal is deep and easy to navigate. One more lock to go , a very little difference to deal with only one foot raise.Then it was off over the Lake.Good run we sidnt see one boat on that part of the journey. We came off the lake through a small open lock to our marina .The journey had taken 6 hours , normally would be 5 without all the shenanigans with that first lock.
The Roland Martin is a fun basic marina, complete with a tiki bar. We decided to relax, and indulge in a nice cocktail on the deck after the long day.Even George Bush senior has been here as it is really known for its great fishing opportunities. Then it was let's Dish meal and ready for bed !
Over and out,
Erica.
We had one last get together with our new friends Deb and Dan.In fact they drove us in a car friends had given them to use while at the marina.We were on a mission to find a boat water filter and a new plastic soap dispenser which fits under the sink that had snapped off.We were successful with the water filter but it appears these bottles that house hand soap liquids are all different sizes . So,we made a call into our trusty Sabre family up in Maine to find out where we can purchase one. While in Stuart we also had our first successful mail forwarded to us from a company that operate in Florida.After 4 weeks the post office will not hold your mail and we needed to find an alternative way to get our mail.So far so good.The next mail delivery should be Naples.
We set off at 11 am down to the first lock system, St Lucie. Unfortunately we had to wait over one hour as there were two other boats already in the lock ( west bound like us) and after that the lock keeper needed to let east bound boats in as the lock was already up to that level! What to do while we were waiting! I made lunch! Then we struck a low rail bridge and there was a train coming , so we had to wait again!Oh well patience is a virtue! After that we had a good run. The canal is deep and easy to navigate. One more lock to go , a very little difference to deal with only one foot raise.Then it was off over the Lake.Good run we sidnt see one boat on that part of the journey. We came off the lake through a small open lock to our marina .The journey had taken 6 hours , normally would be 5 without all the shenanigans with that first lock.
The Roland Martin is a fun basic marina, complete with a tiki bar. We decided to relax, and indulge in a nice cocktail on the deck after the long day.Even George Bush senior has been here as it is really known for its great fishing opportunities. Then it was let's Dish meal and ready for bed !
Over and out,
Erica.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Days 11, 12, and 13 (3 days in Stuart)
Hi F&F
We had a wonderful 3 full days in the Sunset Marina Stuart Florida. This is a great marina!.It has a real attention to detail, starting from the guy who cleans the docks every day (from the never ending seagull and bird poop ) to the free bikes, a shuttle service ,the very friendly staff and the events they offer such as pot luck dinners , meet and greet happy hours, lunches out for the ladies, and yoga classes for all the boater staying at the marina .There is also very good restaurant on site which has live music every night.
Every day there was sun and warm temps usually around 80 degrees F.
We met up with Captain Dan who originally taught us the ropes of boating in Stuart even before we owned our boat. Had dinner out with him and his lady friend Josie. Had the boat serviced with an oil change using Joe a young an efficient guy who has worked on our boat before when we were in Florida.I did quite a lot of biking and washing! We also went to the Stuart boat show and found a couple of handy gadgets to use on the boat. Also took in a show "Capital Steps",which was very funny.Its a comedy show that takes a light hearted poke at politicians. We made some new friends there Deb and Don who are on a 55 Nordhaven Trawler type boat , and hail from North Carolina..We had a couple of evenings together and as boaters usually do, we exchanged cards and hope to keep up the friendship. Having name cards made ( usually with a picture of your boat) is a very popular idea when traveling on your boat. Boaters are usually very friendly on the whole and this way you may get to meet and keep in contact with new friends made along the way.
Stuart has a lovely little downtown area with several interesting stores as well as the lovely marina.. All in all a good place to stop, either for a few days or longer, in my opinion.
Over and Out
Erica
We had a wonderful 3 full days in the Sunset Marina Stuart Florida. This is a great marina!.It has a real attention to detail, starting from the guy who cleans the docks every day (from the never ending seagull and bird poop ) to the free bikes, a shuttle service ,the very friendly staff and the events they offer such as pot luck dinners , meet and greet happy hours, lunches out for the ladies, and yoga classes for all the boater staying at the marina .There is also very good restaurant on site which has live music every night.
Every day there was sun and warm temps usually around 80 degrees F.
We met up with Captain Dan who originally taught us the ropes of boating in Stuart even before we owned our boat. Had dinner out with him and his lady friend Josie. Had the boat serviced with an oil change using Joe a young an efficient guy who has worked on our boat before when we were in Florida.I did quite a lot of biking and washing! We also went to the Stuart boat show and found a couple of handy gadgets to use on the boat. Also took in a show "Capital Steps",which was very funny.Its a comedy show that takes a light hearted poke at politicians. We made some new friends there Deb and Don who are on a 55 Nordhaven Trawler type boat , and hail from North Carolina..We had a couple of evenings together and as boaters usually do, we exchanged cards and hope to keep up the friendship. Having name cards made ( usually with a picture of your boat) is a very popular idea when traveling on your boat. Boaters are usually very friendly on the whole and this way you may get to meet and keep in contact with new friends made along the way.
Stuart has a lovely little downtown area with several interesting stores as well as the lovely marina.. All in all a good place to stop, either for a few days or longer, in my opinion.
Over and Out
Erica
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Day7 and 8 Cocoa ( got way behind on the Blog!)
Hi there F&F ,
Well I let the blogging have a holiday! Anyway this will be a bit of a catch up.
I keep a running journal as well so good thing I can read over my notes !
Left Daytona and followed down the ICW as there were not really any inlets from the Atlantic Ocean we thought would work to our destination .As it turns out there is a big inlet where all the cruise ships coming in involving a big lock but is quite do able just before Cocoa and our Cocoa Village Marina. So another time we may look at that. The first part of our journey was quite slow with areas of no wake or minimum wake .This is the start of the Manatee zones.The big gentle creatures that are often too slow to get out of the way of fast boats.Also lots of fishermen were out to get their daily catch many of them standing up in their boats while fishing and again with our wake that could be an interesting scenario ! We occasionally saw some circular movement on the surface of the water often a sign for manatees, but we have never seen one while in the ICW even last time we did this trip.Arrived at the Marina mid afternoon and checked out the facilities .this is a popular place to stay especially for sailors and those staying a few days rather than overnighters. Later went off to wander the little town .I realized this was not Cocoa Beach but just Cocoa.I had hoped to eat at Yen Yen a great Chinese restaurant Bev Lewandoski had taken me to , but turns out it was 9 miles away in Cocoa Beach. Oh well next time we hope to see Bev and Ed and will go then. We found a fun Thai restaurant instead , popular with the locals.We also checked into the Travis Hardware Store. It was a big old building with just about everything you could possibly want in it.They are now up to 6 th generation running it and the next generation is triplets who are 6 yrs old , two boys ( one named Travis) and a girl.I am sure one of them will carry on the tradition. Its been operating since 1875! Graeme and I made a few trips to the store over the next two days and always found something we needed and they were always able to give us great advice.
Also found a nice coffee shop and a framing shop which had the very hook system we were looking for to hang our wedding anniversary gift. The next day we took the local bus ( 60 cents for those over the age of 60) to Merritt Island where there was a Publix supermarket and the bigger stores.The stop was right outside the Marina. On the second night we had dinner on board and enjoyed the lovely water view setting.
Over and Out
Erica.
Well I let the blogging have a holiday! Anyway this will be a bit of a catch up.
I keep a running journal as well so good thing I can read over my notes !
Left Daytona and followed down the ICW as there were not really any inlets from the Atlantic Ocean we thought would work to our destination .As it turns out there is a big inlet where all the cruise ships coming in involving a big lock but is quite do able just before Cocoa and our Cocoa Village Marina. So another time we may look at that. The first part of our journey was quite slow with areas of no wake or minimum wake .This is the start of the Manatee zones.The big gentle creatures that are often too slow to get out of the way of fast boats.Also lots of fishermen were out to get their daily catch many of them standing up in their boats while fishing and again with our wake that could be an interesting scenario ! We occasionally saw some circular movement on the surface of the water often a sign for manatees, but we have never seen one while in the ICW even last time we did this trip.Arrived at the Marina mid afternoon and checked out the facilities .this is a popular place to stay especially for sailors and those staying a few days rather than overnighters. Later went off to wander the little town .I realized this was not Cocoa Beach but just Cocoa.I had hoped to eat at Yen Yen a great Chinese restaurant Bev Lewandoski had taken me to , but turns out it was 9 miles away in Cocoa Beach. Oh well next time we hope to see Bev and Ed and will go then. We found a fun Thai restaurant instead , popular with the locals.We also checked into the Travis Hardware Store. It was a big old building with just about everything you could possibly want in it.They are now up to 6 th generation running it and the next generation is triplets who are 6 yrs old , two boys ( one named Travis) and a girl.I am sure one of them will carry on the tradition. Its been operating since 1875! Graeme and I made a few trips to the store over the next two days and always found something we needed and they were always able to give us great advice.
Also found a nice coffee shop and a framing shop which had the very hook system we were looking for to hang our wedding anniversary gift. The next day we took the local bus ( 60 cents for those over the age of 60) to Merritt Island where there was a Publix supermarket and the bigger stores.The stop was right outside the Marina. On the second night we had dinner on board and enjoyed the lovely water view setting.
Over and Out
Erica.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Day 6 Daytona Beach
Hi F&F
Today was going to be our longest journey and with the favorable North wind again we headed out to sea from Fernadina Beach through the local inlet . We headed down to the Ponce De Leon inlet. This journey took about 5 1/2 hours going around 20 knots.There was a swell in the ocean of about 2 to 3 feet , but not difficult sailing. We took turns driving the boat and enjoyed the sunny weather and spent the time chatting and telling stories and having lunch. Before we got near the inlet which is know to be tricky and is suggested good only for those who have local knowledge of the area, Graeme called Sea Tow ( the nationwide equivalent of AAA or AA in NZ). He wanted to seek some advise on how to tackle the entrance, and the guy kindly offered to escort us in as we were Sea Tow members. It turns out this is a service they provide free of charge for its members! So as we approached the entrance ,there was the little distinct yellow boat waiting for us. He guided us in for about a mile and then came along side us for Graeme to sign his work paper. This service would have cost us $300 normally for a non member. Once we docked after our 6 hour 45 minute journey ,Kevin headed off to get his rental car as he was leaving us and we went for a walk to investigate the town.I found a nice coffee shop and ordered a coffee and a vegan cup cake.Never had one before , but it was delicious.
Our local football team the Redskins were playing an important game so we watched that on TV,had a Lets Dish meal and then early to bed.
Over and Out,
Erica
Today was going to be our longest journey and with the favorable North wind again we headed out to sea from Fernadina Beach through the local inlet . We headed down to the Ponce De Leon inlet. This journey took about 5 1/2 hours going around 20 knots.There was a swell in the ocean of about 2 to 3 feet , but not difficult sailing. We took turns driving the boat and enjoyed the sunny weather and spent the time chatting and telling stories and having lunch. Before we got near the inlet which is know to be tricky and is suggested good only for those who have local knowledge of the area, Graeme called Sea Tow ( the nationwide equivalent of AAA or AA in NZ). He wanted to seek some advise on how to tackle the entrance, and the guy kindly offered to escort us in as we were Sea Tow members. It turns out this is a service they provide free of charge for its members! So as we approached the entrance ,there was the little distinct yellow boat waiting for us. He guided us in for about a mile and then came along side us for Graeme to sign his work paper. This service would have cost us $300 normally for a non member. Once we docked after our 6 hour 45 minute journey ,Kevin headed off to get his rental car as he was leaving us and we went for a walk to investigate the town.I found a nice coffee shop and ordered a coffee and a vegan cup cake.Never had one before , but it was delicious.
Our local football team the Redskins were playing an important game so we watched that on TV,had a Lets Dish meal and then early to bed.
Over and Out,
Erica
Day 5 Fernandina Beach
Hi F&F ,
When we woke up in the morning, there on the cockpit were freshly made muffins and a newspaper. a lovely touch from the Marina.
As this was a shorter distance to go, we went into the ICW. It was good for Kevin to experience the boat in the narrow canals and see what the wake would do, and how the engines would perform at varying speeds.We passed by Jekyll Island with its lovely old hotel .It was the playground for the rich and famous, the Vanderbilts, Rockerfellers , and Morgans
When we arrived at Fernandina Beach Marina , we noticed the two big paper mills there we steaming away and fortunately with a northerly wind , we were up wind from them! The trip took a mere 3 1/2 hours. We went off to investigate the little old town which doesn't take long.All the streets off the Main Street were labelled First Street, Second Street and so on.Very Easy!
We turned down Fourth Street to see that our favorite Espana Restaurant was open! Booked to have dinner later on then relaxed for the afternoon.The meal especially the famous Fish Stew we remember so well, was wonderful.We wish we had several days here to sample more of the menu. The owner is also the main chef and they specialize in Spanish and Portuguese dishes.
Graeme and Kevin decided to watch the Green Bay Packers verses the Vikings American football game , so headed off for the local bar with a big TV .I went home to read.
Over and Out,
Erica.
When we woke up in the morning, there on the cockpit were freshly made muffins and a newspaper. a lovely touch from the Marina.
As this was a shorter distance to go, we went into the ICW. It was good for Kevin to experience the boat in the narrow canals and see what the wake would do, and how the engines would perform at varying speeds.We passed by Jekyll Island with its lovely old hotel .It was the playground for the rich and famous, the Vanderbilts, Rockerfellers , and Morgans
When we arrived at Fernandina Beach Marina , we noticed the two big paper mills there we steaming away and fortunately with a northerly wind , we were up wind from them! The trip took a mere 3 1/2 hours. We went off to investigate the little old town which doesn't take long.All the streets off the Main Street were labelled First Street, Second Street and so on.Very Easy!
We turned down Fourth Street to see that our favorite Espana Restaurant was open! Booked to have dinner later on then relaxed for the afternoon.The meal especially the famous Fish Stew we remember so well, was wonderful.We wish we had several days here to sample more of the menu. The owner is also the main chef and they specialize in Spanish and Portuguese dishes.
Graeme and Kevin decided to watch the Green Bay Packers verses the Vikings American football game , so headed off for the local bar with a big TV .I went home to read.
Over and Out,
Erica.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Day 4 st Simmons Island
Hi There F&F
After fueling up with a good price at Windmill Marina ,we entered the lock and then out to sea with a favored North/North West direction sea. Was a bit soupy initially but once we were underway down the coast and the wind behind us Kevin took the helm testing out the engines and height of the bow ride as we motored down a nice 3 hour run , before turning into the St Simons Sound. I did manage to make us sandwiches for lunch on board along the way although it was an interesting exercise. I should have made them before hand when going on a sea journey , but forgot.Usually not a problem when going down the ICW.We docked at the Morningstar Marina at Golden Isles.Place was a bit dead , the curtesy car fully booked for the day ,so we couldn't explore the area around St Simons Island.Several big boats near us 60 ft plus mainly Outer Reef boats were parked.Heading later for the Bahamas .The docks were great and we had a wonderful view from the cockpit out towards St Simons Sound .We watched the sun set. had a nice Lets Dish meal on board Moroccan Chicken .Watched some football on TV .Well ,Kevin and Graeme watched .I read a book .
Over and Out
Erica.
After fueling up with a good price at Windmill Marina ,we entered the lock and then out to sea with a favored North/North West direction sea. Was a bit soupy initially but once we were underway down the coast and the wind behind us Kevin took the helm testing out the engines and height of the bow ride as we motored down a nice 3 hour run , before turning into the St Simons Sound. I did manage to make us sandwiches for lunch on board along the way although it was an interesting exercise. I should have made them before hand when going on a sea journey , but forgot.Usually not a problem when going down the ICW.We docked at the Morningstar Marina at Golden Isles.Place was a bit dead , the curtesy car fully booked for the day ,so we couldn't explore the area around St Simons Island.Several big boats near us 60 ft plus mainly Outer Reef boats were parked.Heading later for the Bahamas .The docks were great and we had a wonderful view from the cockpit out towards St Simons Sound .We watched the sun set. had a nice Lets Dish meal on board Moroccan Chicken .Watched some football on TV .Well ,Kevin and Graeme watched .I read a book .
Over and Out
Erica.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Second day in Windmill Harbour Day 3rd
Hi F&F
Another lovely day here in this tranquil Harbour. We took the car to visit Shelter Cove to check out a booking for March / April when we will be back here.Also went by Coligny shopping center to eat at our favorite lunch place .Fun to be back in a place that is now very familiar to us. Decided to have a meal at the Souh Carolina Yacht Club.Check it out.Well, CYC we have some competition! The decor was very nice and the food outstanding, but wait staff not as good as ours , although the hostess and Manager on duty were very friendly.Well that's my impression anyway.
.After dinner Graeme headed off for the airport to drop off the rental car and pick up Kevin the Sabre designer / architect of our boat.Kevin has managed to get some time away from Maine and is making a short journey with us on Lady Erica for 3 days. It will be fun for him to experience his product and for us to give him some hopefully valuable feedback.
Over and Out,
Erica.
Another lovely day here in this tranquil Harbour. We took the car to visit Shelter Cove to check out a booking for March / April when we will be back here.Also went by Coligny shopping center to eat at our favorite lunch place .Fun to be back in a place that is now very familiar to us. Decided to have a meal at the Souh Carolina Yacht Club.Check it out.Well, CYC we have some competition! The decor was very nice and the food outstanding, but wait staff not as good as ours , although the hostess and Manager on duty were very friendly.Well that's my impression anyway.
.After dinner Graeme headed off for the airport to drop off the rental car and pick up Kevin the Sabre designer / architect of our boat.Kevin has managed to get some time away from Maine and is making a short journey with us on Lady Erica for 3 days. It will be fun for him to experience his product and for us to give him some hopefully valuable feedback.
Over and Out,
Erica.
Classy Windmill Harbour Day 2 & & 3
Hi there F & F,
So our next port of call is Hilton Head just for two nights.Again through the generosity of Craig our Sabre dealer we got a free slip at Windmill Harbour Marina.What a delightful spot.Completely enclosed with homes surrounded it. It also houses the South Carolina Yacht Club. To get in,you have to go through a small narrow lock so there are no tide fluctuations once inside the Harbour.
We had a great trip on the ICW to get here, only slow part was going through Beaufort area and the no wake zone it enforces .No wake means that you can't not have waves forming on the wake of the stern of the boat Hope that makes sense for the non boaters!The trip took 4 1/2 hours but was very pleasant.As we approached Windmill Harbour we were confronted with a group of kids in sailboats having a mini regatta right in front of the lock entrance to the marina.Unfortunately Graeme ran over their buoy marker , but fortunately it was all ok and it bobbed up again having gone right under the boat! phew , now to negotiate the lock! I had covered the fenders with Graeme's old tee shirts ( as was recommended by the lock keeper in Dismal Swamp) , but it proved not to be necessary as the lock was well protected on its sides. Once settled we explored the Yacht Club and facilities. Very nice and as we have reciprocal rights we got to use the facilities After a quick call to Sharon (our assistant manager ) at CYC for a covering letter.
Craig came on board for drinks and then we went off together to Santa Fe a favorite restaurant and met up with the Flynns who we got to know when we were in Sarasota and they test drove our boat there.After trying out our boat making one sharp turn they decided that this was the boat for them and they told Craig ( who was with us) to sign them up! Had a great time catching up over a lovely meal. Then off to the airport to pick up a rental car for 24 hours, and then off to bed
Over and out
Erica.
So our next port of call is Hilton Head just for two nights.Again through the generosity of Craig our Sabre dealer we got a free slip at Windmill Harbour Marina.What a delightful spot.Completely enclosed with homes surrounded it. It also houses the South Carolina Yacht Club. To get in,you have to go through a small narrow lock so there are no tide fluctuations once inside the Harbour.
We had a great trip on the ICW to get here, only slow part was going through Beaufort area and the no wake zone it enforces .No wake means that you can't not have waves forming on the wake of the stern of the boat Hope that makes sense for the non boaters!The trip took 4 1/2 hours but was very pleasant.As we approached Windmill Harbour we were confronted with a group of kids in sailboats having a mini regatta right in front of the lock entrance to the marina.Unfortunately Graeme ran over their buoy marker , but fortunately it was all ok and it bobbed up again having gone right under the boat! phew , now to negotiate the lock! I had covered the fenders with Graeme's old tee shirts ( as was recommended by the lock keeper in Dismal Swamp) , but it proved not to be necessary as the lock was well protected on its sides. Once settled we explored the Yacht Club and facilities. Very nice and as we have reciprocal rights we got to use the facilities After a quick call to Sharon (our assistant manager ) at CYC for a covering letter.
Craig came on board for drinks and then we went off together to Santa Fe a favorite restaurant and met up with the Flynns who we got to know when we were in Sarasota and they test drove our boat there.After trying out our boat making one sharp turn they decided that this was the boat for them and they told Craig ( who was with us) to sign them up! Had a great time catching up over a lovely meal. Then off to the airport to pick up a rental car for 24 hours, and then off to bed
Over and out
Erica.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Back on the Water Again! Day 1 of the second stage of our journey south.
Hi the Family and Friends,
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. We exchanged water journeys for road journeys and covered 46 hours of driving between Charleston and Ottawa and in between from
19 th to 30th of December.I think we could get a job as long distance truckers now!
Our boat was in great shape when we arrived back in Charleston and we were so grateful to Craig a Sabre dealer for allowing us to keep the boat at Bristol Marina.A very handy spot with a free trolley bus service right outside the marina .However Charleston is a great walking town and we covered many miles walking and admiring the lovely old buildings in the city.
We left Charleston around 11 am as we had a short run to St Johns Island right beside Kiawah.
We debated leaving earlier but had a low bridge to go under.As it turns out we easily could have got under it at high tide. Definately the benefit of not have a mast or fly bridge on our boat, shows up when traveling on the ICW.
After a 2 1/2 hour easy trip we arrived at Bohicket Marina where the current was running towards us very swiftly.We had to maneuver the boat so it was facing the other direction like all the other boats moored here.Normally you try to face the direction of the current but of course this river changes with the tide, so goes in complete opposite direction every 12 hours. As the marina was closed for New Year's Day this proved a little challenge and I had to jump off and secure the lines plus try to bring the boat into the dock. Amasing that we can have the ability to move a boat around considering it weighs 35,000 lbs.That dealt with , we got ready to welcome friends on board .The Chapels from Virginia ,the Carlton's from New Bern ( we had just visited them earlier on our journey) ,and Bill Carlton's brother and family , who live on Kiawah Island.We had a delightful cocktail out in the cockpit on Lady Erica , then headed off with Bill and Carolyn for homemade pizzas at his brother's lovely home on Kiawah Island.We had such fun experimenting with different toppings including a sliced pear , feta cheese and arugula one, my favorite!
Bill and Carolyn dropped us off back at the boat just after 10 pm. Although it was dark out we could see how nice Kiawah Island is , lots of greenery ( trees and shrubs ) and houses set back into the wooded areas. Passed the famous Sanctuary hotel ( $450 per night at least!) Definitely a lovely playground for the wealthy ! Fun we get to try out these places without the cost!
And so to bed after a lovely day.
Over and Out,
Erica
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. We exchanged water journeys for road journeys and covered 46 hours of driving between Charleston and Ottawa and in between from
19 th to 30th of December.I think we could get a job as long distance truckers now!
Our boat was in great shape when we arrived back in Charleston and we were so grateful to Craig a Sabre dealer for allowing us to keep the boat at Bristol Marina.A very handy spot with a free trolley bus service right outside the marina .However Charleston is a great walking town and we covered many miles walking and admiring the lovely old buildings in the city.
We left Charleston around 11 am as we had a short run to St Johns Island right beside Kiawah.
We debated leaving earlier but had a low bridge to go under.As it turns out we easily could have got under it at high tide. Definately the benefit of not have a mast or fly bridge on our boat, shows up when traveling on the ICW.
After a 2 1/2 hour easy trip we arrived at Bohicket Marina where the current was running towards us very swiftly.We had to maneuver the boat so it was facing the other direction like all the other boats moored here.Normally you try to face the direction of the current but of course this river changes with the tide, so goes in complete opposite direction every 12 hours. As the marina was closed for New Year's Day this proved a little challenge and I had to jump off and secure the lines plus try to bring the boat into the dock. Amasing that we can have the ability to move a boat around considering it weighs 35,000 lbs.That dealt with , we got ready to welcome friends on board .The Chapels from Virginia ,the Carlton's from New Bern ( we had just visited them earlier on our journey) ,and Bill Carlton's brother and family , who live on Kiawah Island.We had a delightful cocktail out in the cockpit on Lady Erica , then headed off with Bill and Carolyn for homemade pizzas at his brother's lovely home on Kiawah Island.We had such fun experimenting with different toppings including a sliced pear , feta cheese and arugula one, my favorite!
Bill and Carolyn dropped us off back at the boat just after 10 pm. Although it was dark out we could see how nice Kiawah Island is , lots of greenery ( trees and shrubs ) and houses set back into the wooded areas. Passed the famous Sanctuary hotel ( $450 per night at least!) Definitely a lovely playground for the wealthy ! Fun we get to try out these places without the cost!
And so to bed after a lovely day.
Over and Out,
Erica
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