Stateside Once Again

In contrast to our first crossing of the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas in December, this crossing proceeded without fanfare. Back in December we huddled with the mob of other boaters preparing to cross, fretting over the forecasts, carefully listening to each and every weather update and Herb's analysis (Southbound II on single side band). When we finally got up the nerve to leave, it was with plenty of company. But as we contemplated this crossing, we were anchored alone and we ended up crossing alone. No tension, no hype, no over analysis, we just did what we thought was right.

Timing is everything sometimes. As we headed west through the Northern Abacos, we almost stopped to join up with our friends George and Julie on Seaquel who were anchored in Double Breasted Cays. As we passed nearby, we chatted on the VHF and was almost persuaded to stop by the offer of conch. But were already in the mind set of leaving and decided to keep going. As we had such a pleasant crossing, we talked with another boat several days later who did leave the next day from that area and they didn't have such an easy time of it as the wind picked up strongly ahead of the next front.

The best passages are the boring ones and we were plenty bored on this trip. The wind was nearly directly astern and often less then ten knots. We sailed when we could, but mostly we motored across calm seas even in the Gulf Stream. Only a couple of freighters crossed our bow, but we otherwise had the sea to ourselves.

During that day we had the inspiring occurrence of a dolphin family of four playing in our bow wake. For over 15 minutes they jumped, rolled, dodged and darted around the bow and each other in water so clear that all detail was visible. Just before sundown, a small bird came to rest on Watermark. But the little guy never seemed to get quite comfortable with the motion, trying six or seven different perches before taking off for good. It even flew briefly down below causing much excitement with the cats. Of course one look at Apollo and Atlas may have convinced the bird to seek safe shelter elsewhere! Speaking of the kitties, they were such good company during the night watches. While each of us were on watch, Apollo and Atlas spent time with us in the cockpit helping us keep watch and stay awake at night.

A half moon came up around midnight during Joyce's watch. Even forewarned, she mistook the rising moon for the lights of a ship on the horizon as so often happens. A nice breeze picked up around 10:00 PM permitting us to shut the engine down for about four hours until the wind abruptly stopped. Then around dawn, the wind sprang up again with some vigor such that we were able to close the coast under sail alone.

We made our landfall at Ft. Pierce, Florida around 10:00 am after 155 nautical miles, 75 across the banks and about 80 across the Florida Straits. As we approached the coast, we began seeing these curious large green and red floating steel structures in the water. Some had bells, some had gongs, others had whistles and some even had lights, but what were they? A quick check of Chapman's "Guide of Seamanship" refreshed our memory. "Oh right, they're buoys for marking channels and the like!" We hadn't seen any of those our entire time in the Bahamas so we were understandably confused.

Once inside the inlet, we turned north and ran up 10 more miles on the ICW to the municipal marina at Vero Beach. Overall, the trip across was pleasant and we each caught some sleep during our off watches. But we are melancholy about being back; the water is now brown and murky, the scent of civilization fills the air and the noise crowds into our ears from all directions. We feel lucky to have crossed when we did because that nice breeze that got us in during the morning steadily built all day long. By the evening, it's blowing 20-25 knots from the southwest which would have had us heeled way over on an uncomfortable close reach. It remained breezy throughout the night and the next day until a cold front passed the following night.

After we hook up to one of Vero Beach marina's mooring balls, we begin the task of launching the dinghy to go ashore. Minutes into the task, we decide we need a break first and go below. Three hours later, we groggily awake and stumble around trying to get the dinghy together. We register, take showers, fix a quick meal and tumble into bed for a good nights sleep.

When we check our email, we learn that Starlight is still in Ft. Pierce after having crossed a week prior. Thus we hope for a chance to catch up to them or they us.

Vero's free shuttle bus carts us off to our much anticipated visit to an American style grocery store the next day. Have you seen what they have in these places? Oh yeah, I guess you have, but we were thrilled to buy fresh milk, vegetables and fruit at state-side prices. I had to drag Joyce out of the store as she just wanted wander around and look. While out exploring, we also visited the public Library and had Internet access for the first time in 5 months. Afterwards we treated ourselves to lunch out at a Chinese Buffet.

Back at Watermark, we were in the middle of putting away our groceries when a familiar voice calls out from above, turning out to be none other then our long lost buddies Brian and Susan on Starlight. It is a cheery reunion and we raft together just as we did 6 months ago in Vero Beach before our trip to the Bahamas. The downside however is that Starlight is anxious to move along, having spent over a week in the area. They've done all the things that we long to do ourselves at our leisure; cleaning up the boat, shopping, laundry and a general decompression and reacclimation. But our desire to travel north with Starlight wins out and we make plans to leave the next day together.

We get underway heading up the waterway at 8:00 am, but by 10:00 I'm in a rage. A nice breeze meets us head on, we slosh through a multitude of boat wake, we must pay close attention to the waterway markers and I'm not adjusting well. I curse at the wind. I curse at the other boaters. I curse the bridge tenders. Even the multitude of dolphins and bird life do nothing to brighten my mood. The Buffet chorus about being "I wish I was somewhere other then here" cycles through my mind. It's all happening way too fast and we're still too tired and in need of a serious attitude adjustment. Fortunately we stop after 38 miles at Eau Gallie and have a calm night at anchor to get some sleep. We were looking forward to seeing the Atlantis shuttle launch, but unfortunately it was canceled for the third day and now postponed for several weeks.

By the next morning, we realize that we now have no option, but to press up the waterway to Jacksonville. While not happy to be motoring up the waterway, a little sleep has greatly improved my disposition and we carry on under a better mood. We make 37 miles that day to Titusville, 70 miles the following day to an anchorage called the "Cement Plant" in which lies an abandoned factory, 32 miles the next day where we stop early at St. Augustine. It's a nice stop, the weather has been delightful.

We finish up the week doing the final 32 miles to Jacksonville Beach where we will stay a couple of days to visit with Joyce's brother Mike and family here. And we're in desperate need of cooking fuel (CNG-compressed natural gas), down now as we are to a 3 day supply after trying without luck to get it on the way north in Florida. We had 500 pounds of gas left when we crossed, which in the Bahamas under strict conservation lasted weeks but we've been using it up quickly.

As places to anchor are very limited in Jacksonsville without going the extra 20 plus miles up the St. John's River, we decide to stay at a marina for the couple of days right off the ICW. The marina is undergoing renovations, getting new docks with all new power and water. We've little need for shore power, but much anticipate being able to hose a least a few layers of the salt crud build up off of Watermark. However, the only slips available are ones that do not have the water hooked up as yet so the bath for the boat will have to wait.

I suppose it really was time for us to leave the Bahamas, having been there since early December. Just in the past few weeks, so many things on the boat seem to have gone on the fritz. Our single side band receiver that we used almost daily to gather weather information and news failed such that we could only tune in between 10,000 and 10,999. The battery on our handheld no longer will hold a charge. Somehow the compass in the binoculars is now askew, tilting about 30 degrees no matter how you hold them. Our engine has developed an oil leak, probably from the rear main oil seal. The loran gives a strange message when we turn it on, not that we've use it recently anyway. The top batten in the mainsail has broken. But the boat is not the only thing with problems. Even my 6 month old shoes have gotten holes in them. A little pressure point on one of my teeth tells me I need to see a dentist soon.

For the rest of the trip up to the Chesapeake Bay, we hope to cover lots of ground offshore allowing us to spend some time in places that we really like such as Charleston and Beaufort. Offshore passages this time of year are nicer in that we'll have many more daylight hours and hopefully much more stable weather. We shall see.