Jacksonville Beach to St. Augustine

A great trip today.  Sunny with a good wind from the west so we motor sailed and timed the currents right and made good time down the Intercoastal Waterway getting back to St. Augustine.  We were doing 8+ over the bottom on a few occasions. We are still amazed at the currents that we have encountered in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.  I have always been aware of timing our trips through Hell Gate in NYC and up or down Delaware Bay.  I didn't think it would be necessary down here, but it is.

We spent a couple of hours securing the boat and getting ready to fly north for a few weeks.  It's great to have Jay and Pegg watching the boat for us and we are already looking forward to sailing on in 2009 to Key West and then to the Bahamas.  We aren't sure that there will be many entries to our Blog between now and the beginning of 2009.  I hope you all signed up for the email notification that Sam has provided...along with everything else he has done to publicize this adventure.  Thanks Sam!   Hopefully we'll see most of you while we are home for December.  For those we miss - - - - HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  ~~~_/)~~~D&M
Google Earth track file

Here we are at mile marker 750 on the ICW and who should be right behind us but a trawler from Mears Point Marina at Kent Narrows, MD!

We are flying (with the tide) toward the Vilano Bridge with the St. Augustine lighthouse coming into view . . . back to our temporary home.

Blount Island on the St. Johns River to Jacksonville Beach

A very short day.  Storms were predicted to come in at 1:00 PM and so we got underway at daybreak hoping to get to St. Augustine before they did.  At Jacksonville Beach we decided that we were probably not going to beat the storms so we signed up for a night at Beach Marina.  Since this was the first time in a long time with a hose hook-up I washed down the boat while Martha did some cleaning below.  At 11:30 the front came through and gave the boat another freshwater rinse.  We are glad we wimped out on going on.  Winds were over 30 and rain was by the bucket-load.
~~~(\_~~~ D & M
Google Earth track file

The black cloud approaching was more dramatic, but I forgot to grab
the camera in time.