Goodbye to Florida
February 27, 2026
Wednesday, we returned to our boat after being home for week. The time at home flew by; never even had a chance to meet up with friends. More snow fell on top of the several feet already on the ground. The snow-covered trees do look beautiful.
Our return flight was delayed almost 2 hours as the fueling crew couldn’t get one of the valves open. After all passengers were seated, buckled and ready to go, the ground crew sprayed the plane with a de-icer agent so that we could take off. It was an uneventful flight. Picked up a rental vehicle at the Orlando Airport as we were staying at the marina at least until the first of March.
After provisioning the boat the next morning, Brian spent most of the day keeping busy. He installed new fender holders on the bow of the boat; that cleared up the aft section. This section of the boat is surrounded by 9 panels of Eisen glass and screens. It gives us a nice view when we are anchored out or in a marina watching all the activity around us. Brian also put the wire rope on the new winches. So, now we will be able to easily get our dinghy lowered and raised, giving us more opportunity to use it for exploring when we are anchored or tethered to a mooring ball. He also put in a new charger for the thrusters, because the old one kept heating up, even when it wasn’t overly used. Brian put the old charger with his spare parts, for a ‘just in case’ day.
Early evening we got to say a quick hello to Paul and Jill on Pelican. They had recently moved their boat from the Cocoa Village Marina to Fort Pierce to be hauled out; it is now up for sale. They were picking up a vehicle that was left here. We made plans to get together at their home on Saturday; looking forward to spending time with them. We also met up with Rodger and his new girlfriend. We met Rodger and Dawn (his then wife) in Marathon about 12 years ago and buddy-boated with them for a while in the Bahamas. It was great seeing Rodger. We had a wonderful visit.
At 4:00, we are having guests; Steve & Millie on For Heaven Sake and Justin & Vi on MV Penny Rue. Since the visit cuts into our dinner time, Lauren prepared a late lunch/early dinner of Chicken thighs, garlic/lemon asparagus and corn muffins.
Brian reading: The Edge by David Baldacci
Lauren: Total Control by David Baldacci
March 1, 2026
Yesterday was a busy day on the boat doing the usual maintenance. Brian took the dinghy davits off the stern since our dingy is now on the fly deck. The sheaves need to be replaced, but someone could use the davits. Brian will put them up by the garbage bins for the taking. He painted the sections where the davits came off; there was a small can of paint on board from the previous owner. Also, by taking off the davits, it shortens our length-over-all which the marinas need to know for docking in the appropriate slips and for the fee, as they charge by the foot. Late afternoon, we took a little over an hour drive to Longwood to visit with Paul and Jill who were on Pelican. Their boat is now on the hard in Fort Pierce and for sale. We had a wonderful visit; played cards and went out to dinner; ate outdoors so Heidi could join us. She was really good; she stood the whole time under the table watching all the activity. Paul and Jill want us to give them a two-week notice before we get to Oriental, NC. They want to be there when we cross our wake. We both felt pleased that they wanted to be there to celebrate with us.
Today we bought a few groceries and returned our rental vehicle. Lauren caught up on laundry and planned meals for when we leave; we will be on the hook (anchored) for a few days. The marinas can be expensive, though if you stay for about a month, the discounts greatly reduce the slip fee. Brian changed the oil in the generator and created a spread sheet for the generator. He has several spread sheets he uses to keep track of maintenance such as one for the engine. We are planning on heading out tomorrow, but the winds have been pretty stiff. Just getting out of our slip may be a challenge since we have to take two starboard turns to get out into the channel and the winds would be pushing the bow of the boat in the opposite direction. It’s most likely doable, but why not wait for better conditions. We had a doozy of a thunderstorm the other night; sounded like a freight train coming through. Glad we are snug in the Western-bay and not the Eastern-bay – better protected by the sea wall.
This afternoon, we had an invite to tour Justin & Vi’s boat, Penny Rue. Their boat is a 1984 Kady-Krogen Manatee. Our Kadey-Krogen 42 was built in 1985. The Manatee Kady-Krogens are a 36-foot coastal cruiser renowned for maximum interior space and high fuel efficiency. They love their boat, but wish they had side decks. Eliminating the side decks give them a full-beam salon.
Matt and Lee on Slow Poke arrived back this afternoon from an extended time away from their boat. We met them during our travels on the Tombigbee River many months ago. Tonight we will meet them up near the marina office and watch a space rocket take off.
March 2, 2025
Last night we sat on the upper deck outside the marina office catching up with Matt and Lee. At about 10, we saw a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Didn’t get a great pic, but it was something to see at night.
Lauren woke up feeling miserable; caught the cold Paul had when we were visiting them. We left Cocoa Village Marina about 7:30 and traveled 2.5 hours and dropped anchor at Titusville. The winds have finally abated and made a smooth travel day. We weren’t interested in getting off the boat; Lauren rested and Brian polished the Eisen glass.
Brian reading: Daylight by David Baldacci
Lauren: The Third Grave by Lisa Jackson
March 4, 2026
Yesterday we traveled 4.5 hours to New Smyrna and dropped anchor. There’s quite a current here, but we have heavy ground tackle, so the anchor is set well. With the tide change, the boat has been turned around a few times, but the anchor has not budged. There is also a no-wake zone and for the most part, the passing boats have been considerate. Lauren was still not feeling great, so we just tooled around the area in the dinghy with Heidi. Getting the dinghy off the fly deck is so much easier now that we have an electric winch. Today, we will be meeting up with Matt and Lee on Slow Poke. They came in yesterday, but are staying at a marina. We will have a meal together and explore the downtown.
March 5, 2026
Yesterday we toured around New Smyrna with Matt and Lee and had lunch. This morning, we left our anchorage at 6:30 and traveled 8.5 hours to St. Augustine. We saw quite a few dolphins and pelicans along the way. The weather was great. There was only one boater who came so close to our boat and rocked us pretty good; there was absolutely no reason for him to get so close and he was also in a no-wake zone. Guess he just didn’t care. We were originally going to stop and anchor at Matanza Inlet anchorage, but we were so close to St. Augustine, we continued on. Getting into our assigned slip made us both a bit nervous as the winds had kicked up and there was a moderate current running. We had read that the current here can play havoc in trying to maneuver boats in and out of the marina. Lauren easily got the boat into the slip and was congratulated by the dock hand telling her “Great job skipper.” After two days on the hook, we were looking forward to getting off the boat and checking out the town. When we hooked up for electric, we kept tripping the circuit. The electric cord that came with the boat needs to be replaced; we’ve had this issue a few other times only in Florida. The marina gave us a cord to use for the duration of our stay. Lauren was thrilled as she was itching to get some laundry done. Heidi was taken out for a walk which she always enjoys. Late afternoon, we took a walk into town and found an Irish Pub and had dinner. There were a lot of bikers in town. Daytona was featuring Bike Week from February 27th – March 8th and part of their celebration was coastal cruising which would explain why we heard and saw bikers during our ride to St. Augustine.
Brian reading: First Family by David Baldacci
Lauren: Still Alice by Lisa Genova – I would highly recommend this book for anyone who has a loved one suffering with Alzheimers or Dementia. Heartbreaking!
March 6, 2026
St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States. It was founded by the Spanish in 1565 and is known as “The Ancient City”. St. Augustine is known for its rich history, cobblestone streets and historic landmarks. There is a mix of historical sites, modern attractions and a lively downtown area. There are numerous self-guided tours to keep one occupied.
March 7, 2026
Yesterday, Brian took an Uber to West Marine to buy a new electrical cord ($$$- yikes!) and bought some fresh produce before returning to the boat. No issues with the new cord. Last night we walked and toured the art district; a lot of talented people out there. A few Loopers came in yesterday; we had actually met two of the couples back in Chicago.
Today is another blustery day on the water. Once off the boat and walking through the town, the wind is blocked and it’s actually a bit stifling especially with so many people walking about. It is enjoyable, though, to people watch. There have been quite a few groups (crews) dressed as pirates; men and women doing a walk-about last night. The costume styles ranged from functional to richly decorated. There are various pirate crews in the area who are involved in community service and charities that they support. Some crews take charity very seriously; some are party crews barhopping through the Ancient City.
Lauren wasn’t feeling great all day, but she still managed to fix a hearty breakfast, get Heidi off the boat a couple of times, take a long walk to a different part of town we hadn’t yet explored and fixed a delicious meal of lamb chops, mashed potatoes and carrots. She may be fretting about getting the boat out of the slip when it’s time to leave Monday; going to time our departure with a slack tide. We’ve watched several boats coming into the marina when the winds are whipping and the current is running pretty fast. The marina staff, thankfully, is well trained in helping with docking. They will also be on hand if requested when a boat is ready for departure.
March 8, 2026
This morning, we took a walk to the local Ace Hardware – a little over a mile away to buy parts for the galley sink drain. It was leaking again. It was a fairly comfortable walk because of overcast skies, the fog on the water, giving the air a comfortable coolness. We worked up a sweat on the way back to the boat though, because the sun was out with a scattering of clouds. Stopped at a French bakery and bought a few raspberry-filled beignets. It was like biting into air; delicious! Brian started work on the sink while Lauren took Heidi out for a walk. On the way back to the boat, she met up with Sarah and Jeff on Why Knot. Actually, they recognized Heidi and stopped to chat. We had met back in Moore Haven; very pleasant. Apparently, they came into the marina yesterday late afternoon and are parked behind us two slips over. Never even noticed. When Lauren returned to the boat, Brian was gone; left a note that he had to return to the hardware store. Lauren was glad to see he took his new sun hat; it has a wide brim to better protect him from the sun.
March 9, 2026
Easily left our slip at St. Augustine at 7:45 (slack tide). On exiting, Brian called the Bridge of Lions bridge tender requesting at 8:00 opening. The bridge tender replied that on Mondays it doesn’t open at that time – not until 8:30. Good grief! We always do our homework checking and rechecking. Nothing in the navigation books or on the chartplotter states this. So, since we were already out of the marina, Lauren puttered around for 45 minutes. Then to find out, we may have been able to actually squeak under the bridge because of low tide; it would have been too close, though. Better safe than sorry.
Last night we walked to a Mexican restaurant near the marina with Jeff and Sarah on Why Knot. All of our meals were good; it was a bit more upscale than most Mexican restaurants that we’ve ever been to.
Our travels today went smoothly. Saw many white pelicans, some beautiful homes and vast swaths of marshland.
We were going to anchor in Sister’s Creek but, couldn’t find a spot we were comfortable with. Once it hit low tide, we would have been aground. There was one other boat anchored, but unless you have a shallow draft, there’s no room for more than one boat. The decision was made to continue on. We picked up a mooring ball at Fernandina; 9 hours and 54 miles. We averaged only 6 knots, probably because we puttered around for 45 minutes waiting for the bridge to open. Noticed Slow Poke was docked at the marina. Dinner was easy; a smorgasbord of leftovers – yum! Fernandina marks our last stop in Florida.
March 10, 2026
Now that it’s day light savings and is darker in the mornings, it’s a bit harder to get up and get going. This morning, we had a light breakfast and caught up on our reading. Late morning we took the dinghy down from the fly bridge (so much easier with the electric winch), docked it at the marina and took a walk into town. Fernandina Beach is the main city on Amelia Island. It is known as the “Island of 8 Flags”. The island has frequently changed possession and been under eight different flags; the only United States location to have done so. This city is also known for its Victorian architecture, charming downtown with shops, restaurants and historic sites. We enjoyed our time walking about looking at the buildings, landscaping and perusing the shops. Our lunch was just okay, but sitting out on the veranda in the shade with a light breeze was enjoyable. This is our last stop in Florida. Tomorrow, we head to Georgia.
