Day #9 St. Augustine

The day was dawning as we dinghied to shore to meet up with Ken’s sister Pam, and brother-in-law Kat. From New Hampshire, they came to St. Augustine in December for a one-month vacation, and liked it so much they not only stayed the winter, but they bought their own place as well. Now that I’ve been here I can understand why!

Tonight, sitting at the table in our galley, Ken and I are adding up the miles we’ve covered (360), and the miles still to come (1,400) to reach our home port at Monument Beach in Bourne, Massachusetts. It took us only a few days to get into the rhythm of living on the water and we’re both wishing we didn’t have to stop. There’s so much ahead to look forward to: the varied beauty of the ICW coastal terrain; the wildlife (that ‘s wildlife NOT wild life!); the new friends we’re meeting from all over the country; delightful port cities and towns to explore (Savannah! Charleston! Cape May! Fire Island!); and the continued adventure of experiencing the unknown. But for now the Periwinkle will remain in wet storage on a mooring in St. Augustine until our return in May.

If I were to write a one-word memoir summing up this trip and my feelings tonight it would simply be this: GRATEFUL.

Day #8 Daytona Beach to St. Augustine

Our last day cruising before flying back to Massachusetts on Monday night, we covered 46 miles and arrived in St. Augustine by mid afternoon where we tied to a mooring at the municipal marina. We were eager to walk the historic district, and after a long dinghy ride we stepped out onto the dock, walked up a short ramp, and we were there.

According to our cruising guide, St. Augustine is the oldest city in the nation and was founded by the Spanish in 1565, the year after William Shakespeare was born. Beautiful by day and breathtaking at night , the city boasts ancient architecture, pedestrian-only streets, quaint shops, horse-drawn buggies, galleries and cafes, restaurant musicians with music spilling onto the streets, and lots of tourists dressed as pirates! This is such a lovely place, and I’m delighted that we’ll be here for 2 more days!

Speaking of Shakespeare…it’s March 15th. The Ides of March. The first ‘Ides’ since my dad passed away. Each year, on this date, I would call him to say, “Beware the Ides of March.” Today there was no call.

Day #7 New Smyrna Beach to Daytona Beach

When we woke up this morning we had every intention of cruising 70 miles to St. Augustine, our destination harbor. That is until our ‘neighbors’, a looper couple from Michigan, said they were planning a stop in Daytona until they learned it was Bike Week. Bike Week! Bike Week! I looked at Ken, and he looked at me, and we said, “We’re going to Daytona!”

I called the Chamber of Commerce to ask about marinas within walking distance of the Bike Week events, and then I reserved a slip at Daytona’s Halifax Marina. 2.5 hours later we were there.

Oh, the scent of exhaust, the sound of revving engines above a background of live bands, denim and leather, beer and breasts, art at its best on bodies and bikes. And, honest-to-goodness ‘good times.’ That’s what biking is, and that’s who bikers are.

But this is a blog about boating. And, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it takes to own a boat. As I was bending backwards off the fly bridge before breakfast this morning, hand stitching an awkward area of canvas, I made a mental list of skills required to be a boat owner. One needs to be an electrician, a plumber, a mechanic, a navigator, chef, tailor, and a contortionist with a burning desire to ‘scrub.’ And then there’s the money thing. And the twisted sense of humor. After sharing boat break-down stories the other night, a young couple shared a story with us of how they were told the best way to determine if you’re ready to be a boat owner. “If you can set fire to a hundred dollar bill and not flinch, you’re ready to buy a boat.”

Day #6 Eau Gallie to New Smyrna Beach

After 5 days in short shorts and tank tops today’s weather reminded me too much of home. With gusting north west winds we were forced to wear our warmest clothes. (And to think I made fun of Ken for packing our winter coats!) The seas were rough but the Periwinkle proved seaworthy with excellent directional stability, and we motored nearly 70 miles. Needless to say there were very few boats on the water but we had over a dozen dolphin sightings.

My favorite slice of today’s journey was Mosquito Lagoon; often referred to as the Redfish capital of the world. The name wasn’t too inviting but with the winds I didn’t think we’d have a problem. 15 miles of a lake-like nature reserve swamped with heron, egrets, ibis, and fishermen. So many fishermen. And, not a single fisherwoman!

We arrived at the New Smyrna Beach city marina just before dark and a couple in the boat next to ours came out to help us dock. We swapped trawler stories and toured each other’s boats. They’re from Minnesota and are traveling the Great Loop. (That makes them ‘loopers.’) This means they’re circumnavigating eastern North America and will motor somewhere between 5, 000 and 7,500 miles depending on the course they choose.
Half way through the loop they just bought a new boat and 32 miles into it their engine quit. They’ve been in this marina a week waiting for parts.
As we said good-night they warned us about the rodent-like scratching we’ll hear in our boat tonight. After three nights of tearing their boat apart to find the source of the sound they learned from a local it’s the shrimp feeding on creatures attached to their hull. Shrimp. It’s the shrimp. Who would have thought?

Day #5 Eau Gallie Yacht Basin Marina, Melbourne

A White Ibis hung out on our dock this morning. One of the pleasant surprises that came of our layover.

After changing the fuel filters, bleeding the systems, and consulting with the local mechanic, Ken concluded there was nothing major wrong with the engines. The fuel we saw in the water (which came from the exhaust) may have been the result of a faulty injector pump (the one we just had rebuilt), or it could have been dirty fuel. Our delay allowed Ken to tighten the alternator belts, clean the pulleys, and tighten the stuffing box. While he worked inside I restitched some of the fly-bridge canvas, scrubbed the decks, and cleaned the port lights. I also did a load of laundry (a nice amenity provided by most marinas), and accepted an offer to go food shopping with one of the live-aboards.

There are 4 couples in this cozy marina who live here year round. One couple, Harry and Karen (from Maine and Australia), gave us a tour of their 43′ Gulf Star and they were happy to check out our 36′ model. We also toured a 49′ DeFever, owned by a couple from Ontario. We met them tonight at the marina’s Wednesday night potluck supper. They had an interesting story to share: Gordon and Judith were high school sweethearts. They split up right after high school and lost touch for 45 years. Four years ago Gordan found Judith on Facebook and they’ve been together ever since. They’re 70 now, and going strong. Next month they’ll be motoring their boat to the Bahamas!

Today marks the second anniversary of my mother’s death. That loss, and most recently my dad’s passing, has changed everything. The Ibis on the dock, the fiddler crabs used as bait by the fishermen this morning, the shine in my port light windows. I want to relish it all.

Day #4 Stuart to Melbourne

It was almost another perfect day. Sixty five sunny nautical miles. Very little boat traffic. Three dolphin sightings. Easy access into a quaint marina in Eau Gallie. Perfect until we smelled a heavy stench of fuel, and noticed rainbow rings of oil spreading across the water behind the stern. It’s after 10:30 pm and Ken is changing the oil filters in the belly of the boat. He figures there’s a 10% chance that will do it. He ruled out everything else and thought he’d start there. Early this morning he replaced two broken clamps on the exhausts, and then replaced the ‘O’ rings on the ‘head’ pump. Sunday morning he replaced an alternator belt.

On a recent boater’s forum a sailor wrote in that he ‘missed his boat because he enjoyed tinkering and repairs.’ Hmmm. I’d like to know if he also enjoyed sailing.

Day #3 Boca Raton to Stuart

Only 18 bridges today and clearly a shift in traffic and scenery. There were pockets of high-risers on the starboard side, but the port side was lined with private homes manicured to perfection. There was so little boat traffic and the seas were so smooth that at times, it felt like we were gliding into a painting. Oils. Colorful, rich, and textured.

So far, navigating the ICW has not been a challenge. We’re using charts and a chart plotter, and staying within the well marked channels. We’ve been warned of shoals and low depths, but so far, so good. The trick seems to be in learning to read the water. According to most books written on the ICW, “there are two kinds of boats: those that have run aground, and those that are going to.” A pleasant thought.

After 9 hours and 55 nautical miles, we docked in Stuart tonight. Last night we anchored, and our first night we moored. We never really know where or how we’ll settle in because we don’t know how much water we’ll cover. Too many factors come into play. For example, earlier today a motor boat passed us and a passenger on board pointed to our stern. That prompted a 20 minute delay while I throttled the boat to a standstill and Ken inspected the engines and transmissions, only to discover our swim ladder wasn’t secured. Yesterday, the boat seemed to be running rough so Ken dove down to check the props and found a bag trapped on one, and a rope wrapped around the other. Another delay, but luckily an easy fix.

Historic Stuart is a real treat. We taxied into town, enjoyed grilled mahi-mahi at Mulligan’s, and stretched our sea legs on the Riverwalk. A perfect end to another perfect day.

Day #2 Coconut Grove to Boca Raton

Ten minutes into today’s journey 2 dolphins waved to us off our port
side. It was a great omen and another great day. Wealth and beauty in a modern day, Americanized version of Venice. That’s how I would describe the 44 nautical miles through Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Bordering the main channel were high-risers, mansions, nightclubs, restaurants, palm trees, cruise ships and yachts, while the side-street canals were lined with impressive private homes with a vessel tied to every pier.

We shared the water with sun bathers, swimmers, canoes and kayaks, paddle boards, jet skis, sail boats, and mega-yachts. The sun, the seas, and the sights were glorious! We cruised under 19 bridges, and waited at times in a convoy of boats for 10 of those bridges to be raised.

Most boats have delightful names. A few that I recorded today were Mambo, Blue Heaven, Sea Legs, Papa Bear, Tommy’ s Girl, Blue Moon, and Irregardless. Irregardless. The only person I’ve ever known to use that word on a regular basis was my dad. He would have loved following this adventure. Perhaps he is.

Day #1 Key Largo to Coconut Grove, Florida

So, here we are in Coconut Grove, safe and sound, the Periwinkle tied to a mooring ball in the city marina surrounded by boats in every size and shape from home ports around the globe. As we motored the 48 nautical miles to Miami and the cityscape grew bigger and bolder so did the boat traffic. The seas were calm with the exception of wake from commercial vessels, weekend sailors, and snow birds heading north. For a short time we had two dolphin escorts; one behind and one at the bow.

As our first day on this new journey comes to a close I am grateful for today’s warm sun, our friends Paul & Jen who helped ready our vessel, and to my partner, Ken, who continues to crave adventure.

Welcome Aboard!

The Periwinkle is our new home away from home, and tomorrow begins our journey up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) from Key Largo, Florida to our Cape Cod home port of Monument Beach Marina in Bourne, Massachusetts. For this first leg we have 10 days to cruise the Florida coast; a marina awaits in St. Augustine where the Periwinkle will moore till our return in May.

Periwinkle is a white, 1975, 36′ Gulfstar trawler with 2 cabins (bedrooms); 2 heads (bathrooms); galley (kitchen) equipped with sink, oven, stovetop, fridge, micro, & dinette; salon (livingroom); a spacious back deck (spacious enough for our grill and ‘patio’ dining and open enough to bathe under a sun-shower bag hanging from the boom; and last, but not least, it includes a comfortable fly-bridge. That’s my description.

Now here’s Ken’s description:
Periwinkle is a 1975, 36′ Gulfstar Mark II trawler powered by 2 Perkins 62-horse 4-154 diesel engines with Borg Warner Velvet drives. Navigation and Communication equipment includes RayMarine multi-screen display; a hailer; fish-finder; VHF radio and radar. Vessel accessories include 5KW Genset, 200 ahr house batteries, Lewmar windlass attached to a fortress FX 23 anchor and 200′ of rhode. Mast with stabilizing sail is included.

We’ve read the books, we’ve charted the course, now bring on the adventure!