Because of my Achilles issues we have fallen behind. We are determined to make it all up, however. Here is Section I of our three part trip up the ICW - 11 May to 16 May from West Palm to Fernandina Beach.
Yesssss! I have finally done it. I am prepared to die and go
to heaven for I have seen an alligator in the wild. I know! You are thinking
how brave I must have been, as this thing was huge. Ok, maybe not huge, but he
was big. Ok, maybe not big, but he certainly wasn’t small! He was at least bigger
than a breadbox – maybe as much as four feet long. Yea, it was death-defying: facing such a challenge in my 52 foot power
boat, fifteen feet above the water on the flybridge. Well, you just keep
thinkin’ that way and we’ll get along just fine! Once again, though, I am ahead
of myself. I need to tell you about the nights in West Palm Beach, Vero Beach,
Marineland Florida and the Shrimp Capital of the world, Fernandina Beach
Florida.
The dinghy on the left, equipped with an external engine and wings, becomes the airborne dinghy on the left -- at West Palm Beach Florida.
When we got back from the Bahamas we left Traveling Soul in West Palm (as we
cognoscenti in the boating world call West Palm Beach, Florida) and headed up
to the DC area to see more doctors – and this time we finally had some luck!
No, the infected area is as bad as ever, but we found a doctor who seems to
know what he is doing. I have surgery scheduled for 3 June at Walter Reed
National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. Present will be an orthopedic
surgeon, a plastic surgeon (to close the wound after the operation) and an
infectious disease doctor. OK, enough
about that.
While in West Palm, we completed Phase II of our three-phase
Head Recapitalization Plan. We have the following:
o
Forward Head: New toilet, old Lectra San waste
processing system and new macerator pump.
o
Mid-Ship Head: New toilet, new Elecra Scan waste processing system (basically the same as the old Lectra
San, but it now costs more) and new macerator pump
o
Master Stateroom Head: Old toilet, new macerator
pump, and new Pura San waste processing system. (While the Electra Scan creates
hypochlorous acid from seawater and electricity, the Pura San uses a tablet so
you don’t need sea water. We got one of those so we can go places where the
water is brackish and use the head without adding salt as we flush).
The plan is to replace the forward head with a new waste processing
system next year. Then we will have replaced almost everything that can be
replaced.
We also had the bottom cleaned by a diver. Later this year
we will have the bottom repainted. I will wait until then to explain how the
paint keeps marine life from growing on the boat’s bottom. But the diver, as
you might imagine, just kind of scrapes the algae, other tiny sea creatures and
barnacles off the hull. Keeping the bottom clean makes the boat cut through the
water more easily, increasing speed and/or saving fuel.
On 12 May we left West Palm and immediately headed to Port
Consolidated in Fort Pierce, Florida to fill up with fuel. Port Consolidated
sells diesel at a substantial great price; it is sort of the Costco of the
marine fuel industry in Florida. At Fort Pierce, we got it for $3.85 per
gallon, about 50 cents less than all the competition within 50 miles or so –
and believe me, I checked.
 |
| Lobstah roll, homemade potato chips and Killians ... MMMMMM |
After our fuel stop we continued our trip north to Vero
Beach. Some of you are thinking, “hmmm … I think I have heard something about
Vero Beach before,” and you would be right. According to Ann, Vero Beach is the
home of the best lobster rolls outside Maine … excuse me, that should have been
“lobstah rolls.” Anyway, Ann’s Mother’s Day present from me was a lobster roll
from the Red Onion. It is a good thing we went because, sadly, the Red Onion is
closing its doors and moving. We won’t be able to walk from the mooring area to
its new location and, as a consequence, may have to forego their Rolls forever.
(Deep Wistful Sigh.) We’ll continue to visit Vero Beach, however, as the
mooring balls are plentiful and they only charge around $12 per night. I know,
I know. After I just dropped nearly a grand on fuel, why am I so happy save a
few bucks by tying up to a mooring ball as opposed to staying in a marina? I’ve
got no idea – but I am!
While at Vero Beach we saw our friends Vic and Gigi aboard Salty Turtle. We didn’t get to visit
with them for long, but are looking forward to seeing them again next year.
Also, we saw Jim Guy aboard Ocean Dance.
Jim is heading west through the Okeechobee waterway to the west coast of Florida.
We hope to see him again next year, too.
Our next stop was Titusville, FL. Within the cruising
community there is something of a Buzz around Titusville. The Municipal Marina
there is trying to make itself a natural stop for cruisers like us. They have
taken a number of steps including adding a huge mooring field and charging only
$10 a night for tying to a mooring ball, making a courtesy car available, and several
other things. We had intended to stay there for a couple of days so we could
see what the hubbub was about, but we really didn’t have the time. We needed to
keep moving north, so we only stayed one night. We’ll be back and try again,
but I gotta tell you that it is very wide open with nothing to break up the
wind. In Vero, the mooring field was between a wooded island and the mainland
creating a somewhat cozy mooring field; in Titusville, not so much. Well, maybe
if they have a courtesy car …
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| We saw more dolphins on this trip than just about any other. Moreover, the dolphins liked to play in our bow wake! Ann always goes out and talks to them. Me? I nod, thank them for keeping my crew happy and drive on. |
Although we are very good at catching mooring balls, the
wind made it somewhat difficult and a little piece of their Styrofoam float –
technically called the mooring “pennant” – came off and is now proudly
displayed in our curio cabinet. In
mooring, the difficult part is not so much catching the pennant and bringing it
on deck, but keeping the pennant on deck while you run the snubber lines
through the pennant (for both sides) and then back to the cleat can be a major
issue – especially if the wind is blowing.
Anyway, we got it done and spent the rest of the night in Titusville.
The next day we were on our way to Marineland, Florida. We
had passed Marineland a couple of times on our way up and down the ICW, and
lamented that we did not have time to stop and check it out. This time, we decided
to heck with time schedules, we needed to find out about it. Financially, it
was a pretty good deal at $1 per foot – certainly more than a mooring ball, but
$1 per foot isn’t bad. Now most of you think you haven’t heard of Marineland
Florida; but you have. Formed in 1938 it was the first “marineland” and
apparently did very well. It was the first oceanarium in the world and the predecessor
to all the “Sea Worlds” and “marinelands” that exist today. Moreover, it was
the backdrop for several episodes of the TV show Sea Hunt, starring Mike
Bridges, and it was the set for … (drum roll please) … Creature for the Black Lagoon.
After Marineland, it was on to Fernandina Beach. It was during
this section of our voyage that I reported last year on the historical
significance of Fernandina Beach and won’t go into it again this year. I will
say, however, that Fernandina is important to us for four reasons. First, it
has a very pricey marina. Second, it has an outlet to the ocean. Third, at Port
Consolidated, it has the cheapest diesel fuel in the state of Florida and
finally, it has several very nice anchorages. Put that altogether and it gives
us an opportunity to ignore the overpriced marina by staying at one of the
anchorages (take that you greedy *%#$#$&@#^*@#&) and still make it in
time to fill up with fuel and get into the ocean to head north to Charleston.
And that is what we used it for. Next time I’ll tell you about our adventures
on the high seas. But I want to get this entry out before you thought we had disappeared.
ANN’S NOTES: Michael
did a good job summing up the past month or so…we were on a mission to get back
into the VA/MD waters and get settled into a slip before the surgery. Glad we are here with family and friends
close by and our little Miata to get us around.
Vero Beach and the lobster roll were wonderful and it will
NOT be the last one I have…I have the new address and the number for the local
taxi. I can be one determined woman when it comes to lobster.
I do have a very large wildlife count so I will get to that
and let Michael send this off tonight.
§
Saturday 11 May 2013 Ft. Pierce
o
Dolphin pod of 5
§
Sunday 12 May 2013 Vero Beach FL Mooring field
o
4 dolphins seen on two different dinghy rides
o
2 dolphins in the mooring field
§
Monday 13
May 2013 Vero Beach FL to Titusville FL on the ICW
o
Pod of 2
o
Pod of 3 x2
o
5 singles
o
Pod of 5 following us on the side of the boat
o
1 very pink Flamingo flying
o
1 single dolphin playing in our wake
§
Tuesday 14 May 2013 Titusville FL to
Marineland FL on the ICW
o
Lots of butterflies all over the place
o
Pod of 4 dolphins
o
11 single dolphins
o
Pod of 3 dolphins
o
Pod of 3 playing dolphins x2
o
1 stingray
o
1 very Large manatee
o
3 smaller manatees
§
In the Haulover Canal
o
11 Manatees some in small pods, some single
o
4 very playful dolphins that I sprayed water on
from a wash down hose on the boat. They loved it, jumped into it, and generally
had a great time!!!!
§
Thursday 16 May 2013 Marineland FL to Fernandina
Beach anchorage
o
7 single dolphins
o
Pods of 3…4…6…10 x2…12
o
Playing dolphins
1…2…3…4
o
1 Bald eagle
o
1 GATOR!!!!
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