The Crossing

1.31.11 Monday

We leave at 11 pm to head offshore from the Rivera Marina which is located on Lake Worth just inside the inlet west of Peanut Island.  The island has gone through some changes and was formed originally as a spoils bank from dredging the inlet.  The Coast Guard station has since moved off but John F. Kennedy’s fallout bunker is still there.  It is now a park with nice beaches and a small marina for day tripper use.  Just some historical tidbits.  Out into the ocean we go with a light ESE breeze, motoring into the darkness.  Our course to West End is about 100 degrees but we have to account for the Gulf Stream which moves north at around 3 knots in the center. We decide to take a more southerly course before entering the stream so it will carry us north as we pass through.  We’re watching the course over ground on the GPS and sure enough, as we enter the stream we have a considerable set to the north.  Passing through is really not a problem but the wind is now more east and building a bit, of course on the nose.  The big problem is that the waves are very close together with a period of about 4 seconds making for a very bumpy ride.  The main goes up at around 4 in the morning, drop the centerboard and this smooths things out a bit, still slamming around in the short chop.  Now the breeze builds into the 10 to 15 knot range and its ENE, here we go again.  Make it until about 6:30 in the morning when I detect a little slowing of engine RPM.  No, no, no; not now.  Of course it packs it in so we head south and roll out the jib, reef the main and we’re sailing, sailing over the Bounding Main.  As soon as the jib is trimmed tight, the lead block slides all the way aft and the jib is almost ineffective upwind.  Clip in and reset it, grind it back in only to have it happen again, leave it to Lewmar.  Out comes the short sheet and I crawl back up to secure the jib in it’s present angle so I don’t have to grind so much sheet in again.  I’ve got it all the way forward now and tie it to the chainplate so as not to have to repeat this exercise.  Alright already, 20 knots upwind again and not to our destination.  We call the layline and tack at about 9:30 am, turns out we overstood a wee bit.  Cracked the sheets and we’re rocketing along at 7 knots.  Land Ho, our first sight of a sparse coastline in the morning sun.  Now it’s time to be a mechanic and get the engine to run again.  A check of the filter reveals no water, there is fuel in the tank (didn’t fill before leaving, a mistake), so it must be air in the lines.  This is the case but this engine is not a friendly beast when it comes to bleeding.  We have arrived  without an engine and I don’t dare to sail into the harbor so we tack and leave the jib backed to slow us and the motion as I crawl in and out of the engine compartment.  Success finally (did you have any doubt?) at just before noon then back to West End after dumping the sails unceremoniously and hoisting the quarantine flag.  At 1230 we’re in the harbor and tied up at the fuel dock next to the customs house.  Forms are filled out, a short walk with passports to customs and we’re here in the beautiful Bahamas.  After topping off the tank, we get a slip for the night at the most beautiful Old Bahama Bay Marina (40 foot minimum @ $2.00/ft. plus the mandatory $15 water charge).  Worth every penny.  Welcome, Mon.

Rivera Marina @ Rivera Beach, Florida

1.29.11 Saturday

I’ve stripped all the cushion covers off to wash out the salt and wiping all surfaces for the same purpose.  Emptying out lockers and reorganizing to accommodate more stores I find, yet again, more wet shit and condense a myriad of parts and tools jammed in every which way upon leaving.  It’s starting to come together and when I finally get the watermaker installed, quite a few more boxes and parts will be assembled in a useful order freeing up a bit more space.  When Joe arrives we tackle the “Spartite” mast collar that has been on “The List “ for 2 years, kit purchased then.  A bit involved as it’s a 2 part pourable polyurethane that forms a collar around the mast to fill the space between that and the partners in the deck, replacing the normal array of wedges.  We and paper and tape the area surrounding in preparation for the ‘pour’ and build a clay dam underneath to contain the compound.  As they’re no wedges to keep the mast from moving, a few lines are run in various directions to lock the mast in the desired position.  Once everything is set, the 2 part mix is concocted and the pour begins.  All goes according to plan except for a little spillage, to be expected, hence the involved paper and tape job.  After checking that we have no leaks we find that a trickle is running down the sail track groove and into the mast step, oh shit.  A fast jamb of more clay with the aid of a chop stick stops it up and return to deck to pour more only to find the left over in the bucket has already started to kick and the process is done; oh well, plenty of stuff in the space but no lip on top.  Now it’s time for the Tiki Bar at the marina.  Very nice spot, with excellent rum drinks as we pass an hour or so of the afternoon with Joe enthralling the waitress with his wit and repertoire of jokes; very entertaining.  Back to the boat to admire our work, we strip off the paper and rerig the centerboard pennant to get the board off the bottom in the falling tide; nice job with no leaks through the paper.  We’ll wait until tomorrow to take off the stabilizing lines and reattach the boot and vang fitting.   Joe and I head back up to the restaurant for dinner where he provides the wine (with an uncorking charge of course), and a very nice selection it is.   A good day with lots of items checked off “The List” with the cushion covers laundered and dried, it’s an all evening affair fitting them back on the cushions, what a pain in the ass.   Finally fall into bed at about 1 am, but I am here in South Florida and wearing shorts, no shoes.  Ohhh baby, no heater tonight.

1.30.11  Sunday

And another day begins with a much more stuff to do, major item being replacing the busted engine mounts.  Fred shows up with the parts I had shipped to him in Stuart and we shoot the shit for a while.  He wants to come along but can’t get free until Thursday so I guess it’s just me and Charlie who is due tonight around 10 pm.  The mount replacement entails lifting the engine high enough on one side to replace the mounts, no easy task as it’s a 500 pound hunk of iron.  I devise a way of doing it with the aid of straps, halyard, various lines and winches; it goes off pretty well after much winching but when I let it down the forward mount hangs up on the threads of the stud and finally crashes down on the bed.  No damage but a little deformation of the threaded stud making the nut a bit stiff to turn down, no big deal.  Engine is realigned in no time as I don’t have to deal with the port mounts at all; within 2 thousands of an inch at the coupling, all good.  With everything all bolted back together, run in gear (after another spring line rigged) and no problems.  Big check mark on “The List”.  The day goes on with a few stops to chat with my neighbors about adventures in cruising and other boat related issues.  I’m getting used to the Florida weather, easily I might add.  The marina next door, Cracker Boy Boatyard, is home to an array of high end race boats.  The biggest one is Rambler at 100 feet with a 200 foot mast and 20 foot keel, all carbon fiber.  What a sight!  The smaller ones including ‘Titan’ come in at around 70 feet and look like outsized J-80s, all with twin rudders.  They’re gearing up for the Ft. Lauderdale to Jamaica race; 800 miles and they complete it in 2-3 days, now we’re talking FAST.  And so it goes for the remainder of the day, back to the Tiki Bar for a sundowner (sun being down for a while) and meet up with a prospect for additional crew.  Randy seems a promising guy with enthusiasm, he builds golf courses for a living all over the country and beyond, lives in the Keys and has a boat of his own.  The finals in golf are on the tube and near the end.  Other patrons are enthralled as Mickelson has his caddy ready to lift the flag on a highly unlikely last shot but he misses; second is nice but not a win.  After more golf stories I retire to Yawateg to await Charlie’s arrival which he does at around 10.  Restaurant is closed so I raid the galley for a nosh.  Yet another day at the dock.

1.31.11 Monday

More stuff to move as today we do the big provisioning and Randy has wheels so no car rental is required.  We’re talking a month's worth of stuff.  Beer is expensive in the Bahamas at $50-60 a case so that’s going to take up some space.  Paper goods are also expensive and this will take up quite a bit more space.  After a morning of little projects and shifting yet more stuff around, we decide on lunch at the bar while we wait for Randy’s arrival.  Randy finally shows up and we pile into his truck (club cab thankfully) and stop at the marine supply store, the liquor store and finally Winn Dixie where we fill three carts with stuff, one is just beer, soda and water.  I’m talking full carts here and the bill hits $600, Yikes!  We get to the truck and totally fill the bed.  OK, this is good but when we get back to the boat, all this has to go aboard and I work up quite a sweat lugging and stowing with Randy and Charlie shuffling the goods down in the only rickety cart available.  Hey, I’ve got it all away; time for a cold one.  Randy takes off to hit his bank for some money and is never heard from again.  Charlie and I decide on dinner right there and the prime rib special is selected by both of us; good meal as we plan on leaving at 10 or so for our crossing at night.  This will put us at West End in the morning for entry into the harbor.  Repeated calls and texts to Randy produce no results, hope the guy is OK.  He did contribute to the stores and I wouldn’t think he would just walk away from a gallon of rum.  We finally slip the dock lines and head out at 11 pm, into the ocean through Lake Worth inlet, dark with no moon and a light ESE breeze.  But that’s another chapter in the continuing adventures of the mighty Yawateg.

Daytona Beach to Lake Worth

1.27.11 Thursday 1.28.11 Friday 

Still 50 degrees but it’s early yet and I get the dinghy back aboard and tied down.  Start stowing gear for a little sailing (hopefully) offshore and down the Florida coast.  Breeze is light from the Northwest as I head out at just after 9.  Had to swing by the fuel dock and toss the key on the dock as no one responded on the VHF.  They normally have someone with a long net to retrieve the key as you drive by, nice system as the fuel dock is a long walk all the way around the marina.  By 10 it’s up to 60 degrees and by 11 I make the turn towards Ponce de Leon inlet.  I’ve cleared the breakwater by 11:15 and clip in to get the sail cover and ties off, shackle in the halyard and hoist the main.  Breeze is still light so I power up and sheet the main hard to slow down the roll.  By 6 o’clock I’m at “The Bull”, # 8 bouy off shore and the breeze is now WSW at 10-12 so the jib goes out, centerboard down and the engine is shut off, nice and quiet for my close reach down the coast.  By 9 pm the wind has increased to 15 plus and gone a bit more west so I’m now sailing at 7 knots, really sweet.  I keep working up closer to the coast to shorten the distance and by 5 am I’m rocking right past Fort Pierce Inlet, one of my choices to cut back in, nah.  At 6 am I pass inside the St. Lucie shoal and I’m headed right to Lake Worth inlet.  The breeze has dropped down to about 10 knots as the sun rises lighting the sky with a series of pink back lighted clouds on the horizon, welcome to south Florida.  Speed is way down in the dieing breeze so it’s engine on at 11 and the jib gets rolled up.  You have to love roller furling, makes the foredeck uninhabited for the most part which is a very good thing at night offshore.  At a little after noon I’ve cleared the inlet where a huge dredge is working the south side of the channel.  Into the Rivera Marina where I tie up to stage for the crossing to the Bahamas.  Only thing I forget is the centerboard which I discover is fully down and won’t let me turn in front of the marina, whoops.  No damage done but do carve a little trail in the bottom visible easily in the clear water, hope I didn’t bonk a manatee.  Here I am at the end of a long intercoastal voyage. MM1018

I’m here and the Tiki Bar is calling but much to do to prepare for the next phase of my cruise to the Bahamas.  The aft locker and lazzerette are totally emptied and the hose comes out to do a total douche of everything to desalt.  The boat is piled with gear, hard to believe all this stuff fits with room to spare.  Not only the lines and bumpers but 2 more anchors and rode (I carry 4 setups), brushes and boat hooks, BBQ, more line, paddles, spare hoses, cushions, battens, etc., etc.; you get the idea.  My friend Joe is in Florida for a job and contacts me, he’s to arrive the following day; oh goodie, more help with a project or two.  OK now it’s time for the Tiki Bar and a shower, bar first while my mess dries out.  After a bucket of rum punch, I forgo the shower and head back to crash, after all I’ve been up for over 36 hrs; lookin’ good Billy Ray.

St. Augustine to Daytona Beach

1.24.11 Monday

Still starting my days with temps around 50 degrees, enough already.  I’m out of St. Augustine at a bit after 8 and the anchor gets dragged for a while at slow ahead to rinse.  Once up, I throttle up to 2000 RPM; don’t forget or the anchor will try to carve a hole in the bow!  Ditchin’ again down the Matanzas River under a new twin span bridge at Cresent Beach and past the Matanzas inlet where it gets a little tricky.  Speed is up and down with the conflicting currents as the water doesn’t quite know which way to go.  This happens at most inlets, especially when there are a few rivers converging.  This is defiantly the case here at the north end of Rattlesnake Island and a few extra bouys are in place to get you through the shallow spots.  Here again, the GPS puts me on dry land.  Past Marineland and then Palm Coast with a hundred canals scored into the land.  Under the Flagler Bridge at just after noon brings me past mile 810, then another bascule bridge at around mile 816 and into Halifax Creek.  It is all dredged cuts carrying about 12 feet from here on down to Daytona Beach with the Ormond bridge by 2 pm.  Now the creek is the Halifax River, wider but still a dredged cut with very few turns.  By quarter to 3, I pass the first of 4 bridges in Daytona Beach, 2 fixed, 2 bascule.  All bridge operators from Georgia south monitor channel 9 and 16 (it’s 13 further north) on the VHF radio and have their timing down.  I’m through all in minutes and then do the marina tour of the Municipal, Halifax Harbor and Aquamarina sharpening my boat handling skills.  Decide to anchor up for the night and after consulting Skipper Bob, head across the channel and get into a place with 13 feet of water close to shore just south of the Memorial Bridge, my own little spot.  It’s a little noisy with traffic on the steel gratings but dies down at night.   The dinghy gets launched with anticipation of a ride into town the following day. MM831

1.25.11 Tuesday

A Southerly kicks up in the morning and is opposing the current making for an uncomfortable ride on the hook as the boat is askew.  A bit overcast but it’s 65 degrees. Setting about some tasks and emptying the forward lockers I find a bit more damage from trying to make the boat fly; I’ve cracked some bulkhead tabbing under the forward berth but not real structural.  More soggy boxes get tossed.  Now it’s blowing in earnest at 20+ and forecast to gust to 35 that night.  Engine gets fired up at a bit after 3 and I head back out the way I came in, across the channel and into Halifax Harbor Marina for fuel and a dock.  Nice place with cement floating docks, the Blue Grotto restaurant, and a West Marine on the property;  7-11 is a block away.  Kevin is on his way down delivering a car and stops for the night.  Shortly after his arrival the wind starts to howl, the sky opens and soaks us before we can get the hatch boards in.  Tornado watch!  Glad I got the dock.  After some tall tales we hit the restaurant which has blue lighting everywhere including backlit menus and some nice fish tanks.  Back to the boat, done for the night.

1.26.11 Wednesday

Forecast calls for wind from the south at 20 all day today so I decide to take advantage of the dock.  After Kevin leaves, I set about chipping away at “The List”.  The list never really gets done but does grow for some reason.  More laundry, another trip to West Marine, recycle my waste petroleum products, etc.  Worked a bit on my writing for the blog, tomorrow I’m out of here.

            

Fernandino Beach to St. Augustine

1.22.11 Saturday

Well I’m here in St. Augustine and it’s freezing!  What’s up with that?  Leaving Fernandino Beach, wearing everything I own in the early hours, I got out of the South Amelia River and into Nassau Sound.  After cutting across and into Sawpit Creek, I had the current and got through the bridge at the end of Sisters Creek with a call for an opening.  Once through, Atlantic Marine Drydock on the St. Johns River had this awesome navy ship under construction.  Talk about stealth!  This thing was all kinds of angles, like James Bond stuff, and BIG.  Huge dry dock there also as they build and service the cool navy ships.  Across the St. Johns River through the swirling current as I made my way into Pablo Creek for a long day through the boredom of mile after mile of the straight cuts of upper Florida.  I did change the chip in the GPS before I fell off edge of the earth.  Some fast times towards the end and when I made the last turn out of the Tolomato River, the tide was ripping.  I was hitting 9 knots when it suddenly was perpendicular to my course. Talk about sideways; finally I had to drive!  The depth reads 10 feet, uh oh, just for a minute though.  The autopilot drove all day for the most part with only a few degrees of change here and there and now the boat was all over the place.  Against the tide towards the open Bridge of Kings, I called the operator to keep it open, and he was nice enough to do so. I pushed the engine to the stops.  After making it through, the oil pressure was down and the temperature up, I slowed to idle and found a place to drop the hook.  Poor motor; recovered though after giving it a shot (and me) upon anchoring in the mooring field.  The engine took a quart, me not so much.  As they say, sailing is hours and hours of boredom followed by moments of stark terror.  Ah the wonders of the ICW.  MM716.5

Brunswick to Fernandino Beach

1.22.11 Saturday

Another cold morning but what else is new.  Nice showers here at the Brunswick Landing Marina and I take full advantage.  After some writing and cleaning, I fuel up with the high speed pump and manage to spit some fuel out of the vent.  Being somewhat prepared with a rag under the vent exit, I catch the majority but still have a bit of a mess.  None hits the water though as the vent is located in the coaming, just some oily teak to deal with.  Depart just after 11 which was the plan as I don’t want to buck the tide out into St. Simons Sound.  After passing under the huge suspension bridge, my course is to Jekyll Creek.  As I head across the sound, I’m visited by the Coast Guard for an inspection, great.  Slowing the boat and opening the gate to ease the Coasties entrance, I continue (on autopilot) as 3 of the life jacketed, gun toting boys ask ‘may I see your papers please’ but without the German accent.  Life jackets, fire extinguishers, etc., etc.  Nice enough guys with lots of unrelated questions and they keep referencing their handbook.  Quite a few things they didn’t ask about like the waste system, flares, horn, and the placard instructing about disposal of garbage at sea that is supposed to be stuck somewhere in plain view.  I’ve got it but it’s not stuck.  Anyway, I’m given my ‘get out of jail free’ card, good for a year or so, stating no violations.  They tumble back into their bright orange inflatable craft and I throttle up into Jeykll creek and around the back side of the island with the same name.  This sends me way out into St. Andrews Sound for a long ride towards the ocean to get around Horseshoe Shoal.  This place is riddled with sand bars and breakers to the left and right as the ocean sweeps in.  I’m out around 2 miles before I turn back south and get behind Cumberland Island.  Slow going now against considerable tide.  Real slow.  After a while I do catch up with the boat I’ve been following all day as they unfurl their jib for the 6^th time.  The breeze is up to 10 knots at around 2 PM so I hoist the main for a little boost (hopefully) and more for something to do.  I does help but needs constant tending as I wind down the Cumberland River.  After a tricky turn that the  shows I’m on dry land according to the GPS, I’m zipping through Cumberland Sound at 9 knots past the King’s Bay Naval Base with it’s submarine pens.  A bunch of confusing ranges here but lots of deep water.  Time to ditch the main and I do so at the entrance to the St. Marys River and then start to head that way only to see that is not the Intercoastal; whoops.  After reorienting myself, it’s another couple of miles into the Amelia River and another couple to my intended anchorage.  It’s getting on 5 o’clock as I pass this huge factory spewing steam from a dozen stacks and monster piles of what looks like sawdust. A jumble of big tubes, conveyors, silos, cranes, etc.; all on the edge of a long deep water bulkhead.  Into Bells River opposite the marina and around the bend to find boats anchored all over.  I pick my spot in 15 feet of water and get the hook set in the tide opposing the wind.  Sitting pretty as the sun sets over the marshes of the Tiger Basin. MM716.5

Teakettle to Brunswick, GA

 1.21.11 Friday

A gray start with the thermometer not quite touching the 50 mark and the anchor is up at 8.  Had to clear Kon Tiki off as the tide brought rafts of weed through the creek overnight.  One such ‘raft’ went by the previous evening giving me a start as it scraped along the hull.  Out into Doboy Sound and across at a reasonable clip, through the creeks and rivers past Doboy, Queens and Wolf Islands exiting Mud Creek to Altamaha Sound. The back range was missing so I had to pay close attention to stay on course.  Then Buttermilk Sound to Makay River and around the back side of St. Simons Island.  As I exited into St. Simons Sound my speed was phenomenal but it couldn’t last.  Can’t have it both ways and as I turned into the Brunswick River I thought I’d never get to the huge bridge ahead.  Found a few new bouys not indicated on the chart but an uneventful slog, under the bridge and into the East River to the Brunswick Landing Marina.  Went past the broken down Port Authority docks and shrimper fleet. After tying up it was off to town for a few essentials and a walking tour.  Some beautiful old buildings, trees draped with Spanish moss, and an effort to keep the public plots tidy, but overall looking very worn.  Back to the boat for some chores (like polish the dodger window so I could at least kind of see through it).  The Cargo Dockside Grill came highly recommended (6^th best in the state) and strolled over there after cleaning up. The place was packed with standing room only at the bar so I sidled up and ordered a Johnnie Cochran (that’s a vodka tonic with a splash of OJ).  Well that started the conversation and finally some seating became available so me and the two guys I was talking with scoffed them up.  Scotty, after buying the drinks, said he had to go next door to the bar he owned to check up and invited me over for a pop.  Wouldn’t you know, it was the “Gentleman’s Club” in town.  You can’t make this shit up.  Hell of a nice guy by the way.  He had to take off and I went back to Cargo for an excellent meal.  Got talking to a couple dining at the bar with me who insisted on buying me a pound cake purported to be the competition winner 3 years running.  Very nice;  Brunswick is on the list of nice stops along the journey. MM680