Work day

Continued with some varnish work, then headed below to work on the sanitation system. I need to have the option to discharge waste at sea, as pumpout facilities are practically nonexistent in the Bahamas. This involved some plumbing and electrical work and I had the interior all torn apart in order to accomplish it. I was done by noon. After lunch I made another provision run and lugged about 60 or 70 pounds worth back to the dinghy. Made another Medicare call. I am officially on Medicare starting tomorrow morning. I feel like a member of the club, so excited! Yeah, right..... Later, I walked 2 miles one way to buy another blanket so my guests can stay warm. Bought it at a Sears, no less, which is bankrupt but apparently still operating. It was actually a really nice store.

I have been surprisingly unsuccessful in finding a place to sell me a couple of Bahamas cruising guides. I specifically waited on getting these so I could get the latest editions and no one has anything available
 I mean the Bahamas are 50 miles away, and even West Marine doesn't have any. I am also in need of a portable radio that receives SSB and AMFM, with nothing found so far. Tomorrows quest.

Traffic here is unbelievable. But I took solace in the fact that everyone had to wait on these 6 and 8 lane roads when I passed under the other day in the boat. Literally hundreds of cars waiting.

Best to everyone, Charlie

Conveyor belt

T'was a bit of a nip in the air this morning, along with a cranking stiff breeze, so you may rest assured I was well swaddled in every article of clothing I could find. The chill kept the Floridians inside so the ICW was pretty well deserted. I pulled in to North Palm Beach and anchored around 2, after having negotiated 7 opening bridges, with all the attendant drama. I rowed ashore and headed to West Marine to pick up my new anchor and was happy to see it had actually been set aside as promised. Now, the only challenge was how to get it back to the boat. No taxi for a cheapskate like me. Blessed with a strong back, and a relatively weak mind, I simply hoisted it over my shoulder and nonchalantly headed down US 1 towards the anchorage. The highlight was crossing the 6 lanes of traffic at the light. I can only imagine the conversations in the cars. "Whoa, look at that idiot! What the heck is that?" And so on. But I did it.

Oh yeah. The conveyor belt. It felt like I was on one as I approached the Jupiter federal bridge this morning during maximum flood tide. Man, was that a strong current. I kept doing circles while waiting for the opening, and it was amazing how I just kept getting swept closer and closer. But it opened, and I shot thru the span like a ball from a cannon. Never in any real danger but it would be a very poor time to have a mechanical malfunction.

All the best, Charlie

Jensen Beach

Dropped the hook in a nondescript part of the ICW just south of a bridge to get some protection from a chilly north wind. Left Vero Beach around 9 AM and had an easy run today. Not much boat traffic. Talked with my daughter Mary, and she and a friend will be coming to meet me in the Bahamas for a 3 week cruise in  January. Mary is hoping to stay aboard for longer. Tomorrow, I hope to make Palm Beach where I will do some more provisioning. Food is double the price in the islands, so best to stock up now. And I will pick up my new anchor.

Best to all, Charlie

A view from the cockpit of White Seal a few weeks ago.

Foggy river shakedown

Headed out on the Indian River this morning in fine conditions but within a half hour I was socked in with pea soup fog, the likes of what one might see in Maine. I was even sounding the foghorn for a bit. Eventually, it lifted and turned into a delightful day. There was enough wind to hoist the sails but not enough to shut the engine down because I had made reservations for a mooring at Vero Beach and had to get there before dark. Got to be pretty busy out there what with it being Sunday and all. So here I am at Vero, with a shower and fresh laundry under my belt. Tomorrow I pick up that package, do an oil change, and maybe some other chores.

Cheers, Charlie

A bit belated, but here's a shot from biking around Jekyll Island in Georgia a few weeks ago!

Cocoa

Another short day, coming down about 12 miles to Cocoa. There is a West Marine store a very short distance from where I am anchored and I was looking to buy a Rocna anchor. Yes, it is time to embrace new technology and replace the CQR. Sadly, they do not have them in any size in stock. I have called ahead and should be able to get one in Palm Beach. It can be challenging to obtain equipment when you are on the move like this. Will try to get to Vero Beach tomorrow where I have a care package from my darling wife waiting for me. Had hoped to do some sailing on the Indian River but unusual southerly winds prevented me from doing so. Might get westerlies tomorrow which would be great. Haven't been able to sail since Cumberland Sound.

Charlie

Adios, Titusville

I bid my auntie farewell this morning and drove the rental car back to Titusville, dropping it off a bit before noon. It had been a great visit but I was anxious to return to the boat. After rowing out to the mooring with yet another load of low cost groceries I was shocked to see the decks covered with an amazing amount of bird poop. I mean they looked like the bottom of a bird cage. It took a considerable amount of effort and many buckets of water to remove the aftermath of the ultimate avian party hangout. Finishing that unpleasant task I got fuel and a pumpout, and headed out on the ICW. Only went about 8 miles and anchored for the night by the NASA causeway that leads out to Cape Canaveral. The adventure will continue in the morning!

Charlie 

Titusville

I am presently hunkered down for 5 days on a mooring in Titusville. My plan is to rent a car tomorrow and drive to Leesburg to visit my Aunt Dutch and my cousin Carl for Thanksgiving. And this town is a good place to lay in provisions as well, with the lowest prices I have seen anywhere for food. Examples include a carton of eggs for 59 cents, 8 ounces of cheddar cheese for $1.69, and and a bag of McIntosh apples for $2.69. I don't know how they do it. I mean, there aren't any apple orchards in Florida that produce Macs, and the cheese is half the price we pay back home, but just about everything is half price
 I will use the rental car to bring a large amount of food to the dock. I have already transported about 8 bags but it is slow going by foot. I also managed to get the propane tank filled. Since leaving Ferrisburgh a bit over 2 months ago I have used $8.03 worth of propane, cooking at least once a day. And, importantly, I was able to acquire a large stack of used books. Because Titusville is  particularly dreary town, these are proving to be a real blessing. Am about 600 pages into my first Tom Clancy novel. Not my typical genre, but really enjoying it.

Coming down this way gave me a look at a bit of Florida that hasn't been shattered by overpopulation and development. There was about 10 or 15 miles with practically nothing manmade,  along Mosquito Lagoon, and it was quite lovely. But I will be heading into the crucible of congestion again soon and expect that to change.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Charlie

Thanks for comments!

Thank you all- Marvin, Ellie, Plum Orchard friends, Buzz, Silas, Betsy, everyone! Trying to figure out how to respond to the comments and have not yet been successful. Please know that I greatly appreciate them ALL!

Charlie

Dystopia

Anchored in Daytona Beach, one of the most unappealing places I can think of. Hope none of my followers are from there..... The most noticeable thing is the noise. Traffic over the bridges which will likely be going all night. Caribbean Jack's bar, with Loud, bad music. That will probably keep going till 1 or 2, seeing that it is Saturday night. Throw in a dollop of ghastly, soul sucking architecture, lots of poorly muffled trucks and motorcycles,  and you begin to see why Charlie is not a big fan of Daytona. I will clear out in the morning!

Best, Charlie

St. Augustine

Not much to report. Hanging out here in St. A., having limited success getting chores done. Problem is no car. I was hoping to fill propane tank but suppliers equipment is broken down. Making some calls in Medicare Advantage plans. Got some groceries, but very long walk. Am going to help my friend Emily install some cockpit suppers on her boat tomorrow. Getting cold tonight, low 40's! Hope all is well with you readers out there. Oh, also, I am looking into a Rocna anchor, after a couple of dragging episodes.

Best, Charlie

Delightful Florida weather

Actually, there hasn't been any yet. Last night at Fernandina was like sleeping in a washing machine. For a big chunk of the night the strong tide opposed the 25 knot wind and it is hard to say who the victor was. The boat lay sideways to both forces while getting pummeled by the mooring ball on the bow, and bludgeoned by the dinghy on the stern. And I had to pay $21.40, for the privilege.  So I cleared out in the morning, saying goodbye to Doug, heading south in the rain. But there was only so much rain I could take, as well as a dearth of anchorages so I dropped the hook at 1:30 in another tide ridden spot. This time I deployed 2 anchors. My eyelids grow heavy, it is 7 PM and I am tired. Goodnight all, Charlie

Fernandina

Happy to report that I sailed down to Fernandina Beach this morning. It was only around 14 miles but there was a cranking good north wind and I took advantage of it. I had an anchor dragging incident last night which was disconcerting to say the least. Apparently, at the change of the tide last night at about 3, the anchor did not reset. There is a strong current and my guess is that the anchor got fouled in some way, like by a sunken branch, or similar. So I ended up 2 or 3 hundred yards north on the river, where it finally held. Doug had risen on his boat around 4, noticed things looked different, and texted me. In retrospect, given the current, I should have had 2 anchors out, in Bahamian fashion. I have gotten lazy, I am afraid. Since the wind has picked up and the current is strong here as well, I decided to rent a city mooring. I just hope it is better maintained than the one I rented on the Hudson!

Best, Charlie

Beach day

Much cooler today, a real relief after temps in the 80's. Gentle northerly breeze with increasing sunshine as the day proceeded. Doug and I walked about 2 and a half miles to the ocean beach and it was well worth the effort. We crested the dunes and we were the only beings there, save for a couple of groups of wild horses, who regarded us with suspicion.  We walked and beachcombed for a considerable time and eventually sighted a couple of people off in the distance,  heading our way. When they came up we had a nice visit and found they had been camping further north on the island. We made our way back to our boats and rested our weary feet for a few hours before getting together for a final evening gam and hot cocoa on my boat.

It doesn't sound like a particularly exciting day, but the pleasure of walking through a mature live oak forest like this is pretty special. I must make a confession,  however. As a woodworker, I am constantly looking at these beautiful trees and imagining cutting them up for lumber. I need to be kept on a short leash!

Charlie

A Special Place

I left Jekyll Island early this morning and headed out St. Andrew's Sound in foggy conditions with very little wind. The tide was in flood stage which made for relatively safe crossing conditions. My focus was in making it safely to the outermost buoy before beginning my turn into my destination, Cumberland Island. Once around the buoy the northern bluff of the island loomed through the mist, wild and untamed, save for a lighthouse, and a small unobtrusive camp clinging to the incline. Surf generated from the Atlantic pounded the shore. An otherworldly forest of live oak, southern pine, and draped with Spanish moss rounded out the picture. I continued inland, away from the ocean, and paralleled the shore for a few miles and left the intracoastal waterway to head up the Brickhill River. No aids to navigation, but the few shoals were easily  avoided by referencing my chart. The fog increased in intensity and added to the feeling of darkness and foreboding. And yet, it was beautiful. After several more miles I anchored at Plum Orchard, a mansion built by the Carnegie family, who used to own most of the island. I was the only boat. By this time the fog was burning off, and I went ashore. Truly massive live oaks grace the grounds and create a stunning setting for the 24,000 square foot cottage. Wandering wild horses, foraging armadillos, and a plethora of bird life complete the picture. A bit later on, several other visitors showed up and the caretaker gave us all a tour of the house. My friend Doug came in on his boat in the afternoon and we toured the house again. We will likely hike across the island tomorrow to see a wild ocean beach unlike any other on the east coast, mainly because it is typically devoid of people. Looking forward to reporting more tomorrow!

Charlie

Jekyll

Short day today. Decided to spend it at Jekyll Island, which is yet another beautiful sea isle. It was an opportunity to do some laundry, which was waaaaay overdue, and grab a shower as well. I also had the use of a bicycle which was included in the landing fee. This is about as nice an area I have ever seen for riding, with excellent paths going everywhere. Live oaks and Spanish moss dominate. Lovely beaches, laid back residents, what's not to like? I would stay longer but I am not crazy about the anchorage, so will leave in the morning for Cumberland Island. Hoping to meet up again with Doug from VT on Breakaway.

Best, Charlie

It's not perfect

This morning I encountered a certain little insect that resides in these parts and is known as a no see um. I had spent the night aboard with nary a problem and so I nonchalantly made my way up on deck to get underway. They materialized instantly, from nowhere, going immediately into my hair, mouth, ears, and nose, biting relentlessly as they went. I retreated quickly to the cabin and procured a can of Off, which I figured would poison the little cretins. Alas, the spray nozzle didn't work. I fiddled around with the orifice, contemplated cutting the can open, but decided that the potential for injury and toxic shock was too high. After a heartfelt curse delivered at the Off corporation, the designer of the spray can, and his forebears for 10 generations, I hustled back on deck and retrieved the anchor at warp speed. The bugs bit incessantly and since both of my hands were occupied I shook my head wildly to keep the bugs away. It didn't work. Finally, I secured the anchor, left the muddy mess where it lay, ran aft, shoved the engine into gear and gave it full throttle. The breeze created by the movement blew them away.

It turned out to be another lovely day, but I couldn't stop thinking about all of the spray can nozzle failures I have had in my lifetime....

Cattle pen creek

That is the colorful name of my latest anchorage, next to St. Catherine's Island. This is a rather remote area that has seen only a light touch of the human hand, mainly in the form of navigational aids. One thing that really impressed me was St. Catherine's Sound. This is a good sized inlet that remains untouched. Ossabaw Island on the north side, St. Catherine's on the south, both uninhabited as near as I can tell, and they form a place of great beauty. It was pretty special to traverse that body of water.

I only did 40 miles and decided to take advantage of another fine anchorage, rather than push on at dead low tide. I still managed to run aground at the creek entrance. No big deal . Got in the dinghy and took soundings to ascertain the deeper water. A 5 minute delay. Tides rule around here.

All the best, Charlie

Day tripper

That's what I was as I boarded a city bus and headed into Savannah this morning. It was raining, and rather bleak out if I may say. A long ride, close to an hour, through some rather gritty parts of town. As we passed over the ICW bridge I thought about the amazing infrastructure we have in this country. A couple of days ago that bridge had opened for me, shutting down 4 very busy lanes of traffic, so the lowly White Seal could pass, with no delay at all. Quite remarkable and no charge is levied.

When I arrived in the city I went through a small museum at the visitors center and then went walking for miles until my feet and legs begged me for relief . It is a lovely town, particularly with the regularly spaced small parks in the old section. A docent insisted that the historic district was bigger than the one in Charleston. Well, I hate to rain on her parade, but I am going to stick my neck out here and submit that there is no comparison with Charleston.

I was also hoping to find some information on Edward Langworthy, who had been a delegate to the Continental Congress from Georgia, but did not find anything new. We do not appear to be related , especially as most of the Langworthys started out in New England. But fun to look.

Probably head out in the morning. Next cold front will be here before I know it.

Best, Charlie

Gentle rain

Hunkered down, here on White Seal, in a very secure anchorage near Savannah. Did a bit of maintenance this morning before the rain. Went ashore and picked up a copy of the NYT. That has kept me occupied for hours, but has also been quite depressing. Sometimes it may be better to be out of the loop, anchored in a swamp, and nothing to read but fiction.

But all in all, it is rather satisfying to be on your own small boat, many miles from home, casting an eye on a part of the world that is different and exciting and new. I guess that is why I find myself engaged in this sort of exercise from time to time.

I do hope to get in to Savannah tomorrow. It is a lovely town and I look forward to describing it to you tomorrow evening.

Best, Charlie

Savannah

Left Beaufort under sail, which was nice for a change. Favorable tide helped. But the bulk of the day was under power. Nice sunny day, and on the cool side. Slept poorly last nite due to a cold front that blew thru. Did not drag at all, but the sound of the gusts all night kept me unsettled. Anchored this evening in Turner Creek, just past town of Thunderbolt. Pretty beat, and ready to turn in. May try day trip to Savannah tomorrow.

Charlie

Factory Creek anchorage

Pulled in to Beaufort yesterday around noon and decided to spend today staying put. Been a bit rainy on and off, but not too bad overall. I made 2 trips to the supermarket, 1 mile each way, lugging back sustenance for a few more days. My fellow singlehander Doug showed up and we had a nice gam ,discovering just how many other Vermonters we both knew, always an amazing exercise.  And, drumroll please, I signed up for Medicare. One of those things you are always dimly aware of in the back of your mind, but never believe you will actually get there.

Forecast looks pretty good for tomorrow so I guess I will head out for Georgia.

Best to all, Charlie