As the birds welcomed us to Nettles Island, we became acquainted with a duo of long-time boaters. Suzie & Ron(they were in constant motion and I couldn't nab a photo!) have been living aboard their boat, REEL ESTATE, for 17 years and had plenty to generously share with us. Suzie took charge as we docked, telling me which lines to throw her and how and where our fenders needed to be. Simultaneously, and without hesitation she was instructing Ross as to which way he should steer and when to use the bow thruster. Before either Ross or I could get defensive, we realized she was 100% right on all counts and we did as we were told. She knew a lot about a lot and was able to impart her wisdom with kindness and without ego, and we absorbed it all like sponges. Apparently she's also the Martha Stewart of boating; she stopped me in my tracks from spending hours on my hands and knees scrubbing the deck. She gave me her tips on what to use inside and outside the boat not only for better results, but by using much less time, effort and money to boot! She told us how she and Ron communicate before and during docking to avoid hazardous mistakes as well as embarrassing screaming bouts that could be heard all along marinas. Now my Captain, who knows his stuff, is always opened to learning. He was impressed with her knowledge of wind and current and the effects on a boat and took her advice when she suggested we should adjust our fenders before heading in for the evening. She even sent over the local Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Safety Inspector, who apparently makes the rounds each Saturday there. We passed with flying colors and appreciated the opportunity.
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| Safety Inspector Maccarone |
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| Electrician we keep in the engine room. If only... |
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| Enjoying Nettles Island |
After Nettles Island, we headed out to make our way about 200 miles to St. Augustine. Our first stop, was an anchorage at Eau Galle, about 65 miles away. It was another gorgeous night and morning and we looked forward to anchoring again the next day.
We stopped in Titusville to fuel up, and saw this character spraying some playful manatees with a water hose. They loved it!
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| Happy Cappy! |
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| Weeeeeee! |
300 gallons later, we merrily went along, following charts and cruising books including Skipper Bob's Anchorages Along the Intracoastal Waterway and Managing The Waterway to determine where we'd drop anchor next. Based on these, we thought we would end up at the not inspiring sounding Mosquito Lagoon. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a spot that looked safe and didn't feel comfortable with the water depth. The charts and books weren't accurate about the conditions and downright pissed us off. We ended up going 85 miles to an anchorage in Daytona Beach and were tired and hungry when we got there. For fun (NOT), the anchor pulled up some sludge and gave me another deck cleaning endeavor to look forward to. Whoopee ding-dong! |
| Boat Buddies on the Intracoastal |
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| Awesome indeed! |
Also, not a small concern, are critters. Me no likey critters, though I am the designated Bug Huntress. Captain Awesome can put a Pirate in a choke hold, but truth be known he screams like a little girl at the sight of bugs.
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| Bridge of Lions. |
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| Flagler Statue |
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| Oldest school house |
'Twas a fun day riding our bikes the 2 miles to downtown. We explored, ate and enjoyed doing what the Loopers are meant to do!
Speaking of Loopers, I finally met one! At long last a couple noticed our burgee and told me that they completed the Loop on October 6th, and loved every minute of it! I was happy to hear their stories and see the memories light of their faces as they gave me some tips on upcoming pieces of our journey. I also met the Doyles who write Managing the Waterway, and held my tongue about their less than accurate notes on the Mosquito Lagoon.
We used our first "loaner car" from a marina and did some major replenishing of supplies. This marina, Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor, offers guests of the marina 2 hours of free use of their courtesy car. I feel another ride coming soon, as both of us need haircuts something awful! "Something awful", I fear, is exactly what we'll get, but we're starting to get a little unkempt and aren't quite ready to look like Crusty Sea Dogs yet.
We are expecting my brother Michael to join us in a few days for a night or so of Looping fun! We are really looking forward to our first official guest while Looping and, as suggested by the AGLCA, have decided it's time to post some tips for potential guests:
For Visitors:
Just a few thoughts about what to expect, what to bring, etc.
Above all else, our boat trip will be dependent upon the weather. We have weather radar on our laptops in addition to NOAA radio, so we’ll usually have a pretty good idea about the weather each day. We will not travel on stormy days – so be flexible and bring a good book or Nook /Kindle to read.
We’ll do the best we can to be at your pickup place on schedule – but please understand that it may not happen. You may have to wait for us or make alternative travel plans. Most places have taxi service or car rentals. Also, some marinas will pick up or deliver guests from local airports. As your time with us approaches, we’ll be in touch by e-mail or phone so you will be able to make travel arrangements. Please don’t make air reservations that can’t be changed or cancelled.
On travel days, we will plan to go anywhere from 40 to 70 miles, which will put us at our destination early enough to explore the area or sit and relax. We will be staying in marinas most of the time, which have power hookups and water. Sometimes we will be “on the hook” or tied to a wall somewhere that will require the use of our generator or inverter for any power that may be needed, and water use may be limited.
We eat dinner out when we can. We think that it is an important part of the experience and are looking forward to many interesting local specialties. We almost always eat breakfast and lunch on the boat and have the ability to carry food for at least a week or two. We have a full-size refrigerator and freezer. We mostly drink water, coffee or tea, and we try to carry a small selection of soft drinks and beer and wine. Many marinas have loaner cars, which can be used to go out to eat or to get provisions.
When we have internet service, we will continue to update our BLOG - about twice a month - so you’ll be able to keep up with our progress and view our pictures. Many marinas have wireless internet. We’ll have our laptops and a small printer on board. Feel free to bring your laptop or other electronic equipment. Just be sure whatever you bring is easy to stow. We have a TV, DVD/Blueray player, CD player and stereo. Some marinas will have cable hookups but we don’t watch a lot of television when we are on the boat – there are just too many other interesting things to do.
WHAT TO BRING - - - most importantly, pack light. There is not a lot of storage room.
• Passports– if you will be in Canadian waters (though I was told jokingly that we'll need them in Mississippi too!)
• Casual clothing - maybe one outfit other than jeans or shorts
• Warm jacket or sweat shirt and windbreaker
• Rain gear if you have it – if not, don’t buy – we have extra on board
• Hat, sun block & sun glasses
• Swimsuit
• Clean non-skid shoes for on the deck – white soles or deck shoes preferred
• Soft soled shoes (or no shoes) inside the boat
• Walking shoes – we plan to hike when we can or walk to villages, restaurants, etc.
• Camera and/or field glasses
• Reading materials
• Medicines, toiletries and over the counter items you may need
WHAT NOT TO BRING:
• Hard sided luggage -- we have no place to store it – please use a duffel bag or other soft-sided bags that can be folded up
• Hard soled shoes
• Please note- the wind and sun play havoc on your hair/makeup so we encourage a“natural look”. We have a hairdryer on board if you need one.
SAFETY:
Remember to keep your personal items stowed. The boat may be in motion even when tied up at a dock. Be sure to hang on when walking around, especially on the deck. Don’t be insulted if we yell at you to sit down or hang on. We are not being rude –we just don’t want you to be injured if we see an approaching problem. Fire extinguishers are located throughout the boat and we will point them out to you. Life jackets are located in the locker on the fly deck. Life jackets must be worn when going through locks in the US – at least on Core of Engineers waterways. That may not be the case in Canada. We’ll be going through a couple of hundred locks on the trip. Hopefully, your visit will include one or more,as it is an interesting experience.
Emergency calling instructions are posted beside the radio by the drive station. Please read this over upon boarding so that you will have some familiarity in case of an emergency.
First Aid kits are located in the head by the “V” berth. We have a pretty good supply of emergency meds etc. but be sure to bring what you think you might need.
HEAD:
Flush or fill with water by pushing the toggle switches on the side of the sink cabinet.
Keep the lid closed to prevent anything falling into the head. DO NOT put anything other than the provided toilet tissue into the head. It is a special paper that disintegrates. Other materials stop up
the delfinhinger,which causes the doohickey to implode, which causes a big mess. (just kidding) but this is all very costly to repair. Also, please note that the water from the sinks goes down the drains and just goes out the side of the boat, so please make sure no food scraps go down the drain when doing dishes. Remember that water will be limited; we only have what we can carry so don’t run the water while brushing your teeth, etc. so. Most marinas have public showers.
HOW TO HELP:
Please do not try to help with the boat operation unless we ask you to. Often, we need to make fast decisions and move quickly and will probably prefer that you not be in the way. Remember that if we speak loudly and with intensity, we are not being rude or angry. Shouting means fast action is required.
We LOVE help with the housework (or should I say boatwork). Help with food preparation and clean-up is always appreciated. The boat will need to be hosed off at least once a day while we are in salt water and several times a week in fresh water. General boat cleanup is a daily task.
ENJOY – most of all, enjoy!
We are so very glad that so many of our friends and family are interested in joining us for parts of the trip and think that these visits will be trip highlights.
We think this will the trip of a lifetime and are looking forward to each and every day. Please come to us with a spirit of adventure; prepare for new activities, new foods, new faces and exciting new places. And most of all - - relax and enjoy!”
More to come on cruising life realities, including my occasional crying jags, insecurities, and crew miscommunication...until then, happy holidays to one & all! Onto Georgia next....
