We made to St Augustine, Fla at about 3:30. A good smooth run down from Georgia. We covered about 130nm. The boat is in The Municipal Marina just south of the Bridge of Lions which is close to downtown. Kelly is off to explore the old Spanish architecture. This one of or the oldest occupied cities in the US. There will be lots for her to see.
Tall Ship in St. Augustine Harbor
We fueled up and pumped out and washed down the boat. It was just three weeks ago that I was here on a 45' Chris Craft coming up from Cape Canaveral. Very nice, friendly and clean marina.
The boat performed well in the six foot seas leaving the river in Ga. We managed to maintain a speed of 23kts most of the way. It did calm down for the last 60 miles tho and we made better time then.
Tomorrow we should get down to the Stuart area for the night. The forecast looks favorable for another offshore run or we could stay inside and see the sights along the way down the "ditch". Decisions, decisions, decisions....
Horse Drawn Carriage in Town
Beth should be posting some more pictures this evening from home.
Captain David
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It was great to leave the ditch today. It was a whopping 24 degrees F this morning! Can you believe it! I feel more hardcore than sailing in Alaska. As we left Wassaw Sound, GA we were rocked by 6' seas off the shoals. By afternoon the seas flattened out making for a smoother ride. It was nice to get offshore and cover lots of ground. The water was a brilliant blue and about 50 degrees F. By the time we reached St. Augustine the water warmed up to 59 degrees.
St. Augustine is by far my favorite port town we have stopped at. After scrubbing down the boat and fueling up I took off for a tour of the town. It felt good to stretch my legs and get used to land again! I instantly fell in love with the Spanish architecture of old! Everywhere I went the locals were ever so friendly! It reminds me of Annapolis in someways. I get the same feeling of peace and joy walking the brick streets as I do in Annapolis. Sheer smiles.
Dolphins also make me smile and laugh. I giggle each time I spot one off our bow! They make all the long hours at the helm and navigating through challenging waters seem small. Maybe I should become a captain and a dolphin trainer...two of my childhood dreams!
Kelly Jo
Day Seven Morning
The winds have finally died down to a manageable degree. We will be exiting the "ditch" at Wassaw Sound in Georgia and laying in a course towards Fernandina Beach, Fla a distance of about 80nm or one of the inlets a bit north of there.
A TYPICAL DAY ON A YACHT DELIVERY
Up early again this morning (4:30 or so) as is now the routine aboard the delivery of TOYS to her winter home. And winter it is! Temps in the 20s but winds are calm. Each morning the engine block heaters have to be turned on about two hours before starting them or they produce large amounts of smoke. Kind of typical of diesel engines. Then there is coffee to brew, breakfast to eat and blog entries to make. We usually cast off by 7:00 or 7:30am. Then it is an hour of helm time alternating with an hour of navigating and spotting ATONS (aids to navigation). About midday a hot lunch is prepared while underway and served on the bridge. The afternoon is much the same with the additional decision of where to stay the night. A call ahead to a favorable marina to arrange for a slip reservation and to add fuel and pump out. Then a quick wash down of the exterior of the boat which has accumulated a lot of salt etc along the way. Then it's off to get a hot meal shoreside at a local eatery. This brings us to seven in the evening and some quiet time aboard reading or watching a hockey game on TV (Go Bruins!). We are usually in our bunks by 9:00 and asleep by 9:05 after a busy day.
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