Hi All,
Just back from Boca Raton! We decided to extend the trip a little. The
weather was gorgeous. A "Chamber of Commerce Weekend." A northeaster blew up
Monday and churned up the Atlantic, so we stayed in the ICW for the most
part. The first night we tied up at the Municipal Pier in St. Augustine, and
had a fine dinner in the Santa Maria Restaurant. Up early the next morning,
The first mate made breakfast (or boatfast) while I attended the boat's
needs, and we were off to the fuel dock. Gas was $2.44 a gallon. (Thank you
Mr. Bush and oil crony pals!) After a leisurely 7 hour putt south we arrived
in Daytona. There was no dock space available anywhere. I felt like Joseph
and Mary must have. I ran across a friend from home, and he and his first
mate invited us to tie up alongside him for the night. (Thanks Dave and
Shelly aboard the "Peli-can".) We called for a taxi and went to dinner at
"The Charlie Horse" in North Daytona. Best steaks and crab legs in the
state. Daytona was madhouse with all the spring breakers and bikers
competing for space in any restaurant or other public place. The four of us
went back to the boats and hid for the rest of the night. Next morning, Amy
made another of her fine "boatfasts," of grilled porkchops, grits and
pancakes. of course inviting our dock-hosts. During breakfast I proposed we
head further south to avoid the spring breakers, and the idea was well
received. Another stop for fuel, (2.63/gal) and it was southbound. We went
outside to the ocean and cruised offshore for 6 hours until we passed
Titusville. We had to swing wide to the east to avoid Kennedy Space Center's
security zone. The Coast Guard was with us until I identified myself as a
coastie-a and invited them aboard for coffee and cake. They politely
declined (Much to the first mate's relief.) and zoomed off to interdict the
"Pelican." Dave and Sherry were just a little too close to their "zone" and
a couple of miles astern of us. I called my blue-shirted buddies and
explained that Dave was a lousy navigator, which is why he was following us.
You see, Dave, thinks GPS stands for "Guess Position Sailor." After that bit
of excitement, we pulled into Boca. Found a spot to tie up and dragged out
the grill. After lounging around in the warm sun for a couple of days, we
decided to head home. Dave and Sherry decided to stay a few more days. The
Northeaster had whipped up the seas, so we took the ICW north. There are a
bunch of new minimum wake zone to protect sea cows, which we did not see
even one of. So it took 2 days to get home at mostly idle speed. Not that
puttin' along is a bad thing, but there were times when we were fighting a
current and our "land speed" was down to 2 miles per hour. Also our boat,
"La Dolce Vita" (Formula 26 PC) tends to "wobble" on the prop at low speed
so its a constant battle to stay on course. The ICW also has a lot of
shifting sand bars, so the coxswain has to stay on his or her toes, and read
the water. Amy did get us into shallow water once, but the 6 foot alarm went
off, and she headed for center channel. She tends to hang onto the right
side of the waterway as though she was driving on an expressway. I have to
gently remind her from time to time, to follow the channel markers. We
stopped for the night in Port Orange. Did not tie up for the night but just
anchored in a sheltered cove. Next day we stopped again at Marineland for a
short shore excursion to watch the dolphins dance for their dinner and
refuel. (2.49/gal) The marina at Marineland is a nice place. We pumped out
the holding tank and took a nice hot shower in their (spotless) bathhouse. I
also took the opportunity to do an oil change. (I change oil about every 50
hours. It keeps the expensive engine around longer.)
We headed north again the next morning and made Mayport by 2:00. I let the
first mate off at the car, fueled up again and ran the last 40 miles down
the St. Johns to our dock. Amy was there to meet me and lend a hand tieing
up and hauling out the food, laundry, ect.
All in all it was a great trip.
--
Capt. Frank

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"Capt Frank Hopkins" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Well, I have been threatening to do it so I did, Last night I moved
the
"Vita" to a slip near the St. Johns and ICW intersection. Friday
afternoon,
I start south. Destination Daytona. I will spend a night or two with the
spring breakers and head back up to St. Augustine.

--
Capt. Frank

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