Back to Florida and Heading North!

Sunday, March 30, 2014
It was a restful night docked at Pelican Yacht Club in Ft. Pierce, FL.  No waves...yeah!
Our systems are still a bit shaken up, and we are looking forward to a few hours on land.

I have included a picture (below) of the salon with debris scattered as a result of the wave action when we crossed the Atlantic Ocean from the Bahamas.

Ft. Pierce, on the Indian River Lagoon, is known as the Sunrise City on the Treasure Coast.  Ft. Pierce was founded as a military base during the Seminole War.  During WWII, servicemen were trained on the beaches for amphibious assaults.  Occasionally, Navy SEALS train in the area.  The Navy SEALS museum is located here, but was not open on Sunday or Monday, so we will miss it. The Manatee Observation Center is located here and is a great place to see manatees as they love the warm water coming from the electrical plant on Moore Creek.

We were up early, dressed, and on our way to Archie’s Bar located about a mile away, next to the Ft. Pierce Beach.  Serving the community since 1947, Archie’s on South Ocean Drive is an old outdoor biker bar with great food, live bands, and no dress code.

It was a quick walk and we arrived early, so we split one of their delicious breakfasts.  It tasted so good!   We had our appetites back!

The bar was packed by 8:30.  About 9 am, the music leader dressed in shorts and bare feet began the service with “I Will Follow Him”, one of the songs from the 1992 movie Sister Act.  The music was fabulous, the biblical teachings were great, and the crowd of 200+ was inspired.  People of all sorts had joined the two hour gathering:  typical snowbirds, bikers, and even the unusual types. 

We were so glad we had come!   Thank You, Susan (a fellow looper) for telling us about Archies!
A quick walk on the beach by Archies completed our terrific morning!

We had 24 hours to check in with customs after returning to the U.S. from the Bahamas or possibly receive a 5-10 thousand dollar fine so, we took a taxi to the customs office at the Ft. Pierce International Airport.  Check-in took less than five minutes, and ten minutes later the taxi dropped us back at the marina.  
About 1 pm, Dream Chaser slipped into the ICW and headed north passing many colorful, large, beautiful homes along the way.  Being Sunday, we shared the ICW with numerous boats and typical weekend activity on the small islands along the way.
Pelican Island is off our starboard side (to the east). Established in 1903 by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt, it was the first piece of land set aside by the national government to protect wildlife and has grown to 5,000 acres.  This three acre island is a bird sanctuary for ibises, egrets, cormorants, blue herons, and brown pelicans.  It is a breeding grounds for 16 bird species.  From this refuge 550 other wildlife refuges have networked. 
About 7 pm, we anchored outside Sebastian near Melbourne Beach on the edge of the ICW channel in a quiet spot by an island.  Before Steve went to bed, he heard the dolphins talking/making noises-cool!  Another beautiful sunset.

Monday, March 31, 2014
We woke to sunny skies and temps in the 50’s in the Melbourne Beach  area (ICW mile 917).  The weather has cooled , and we had to search for our sweatshirts and fleece jackets this morning as we hadn’t worn them in a very long time.
We have been on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway since we entered the St. Lucie Inlet on our return from the Bahamas.  Our distance from from St. Lucie to Norfolk (our projected next long stop) on the ICW is 987 miles.   We will be motoring down the “Ditch” as the ICW is referred to from the St. Lucie Inlet to the Hudson River.
About 10 am, we were excited to meet Dream Chaser’s twin, Ivanhoe,  in the ICW channel, and we chatted with the captain over the marine radio. Ivanhoe is headed south to the Bahamas.  “May you have calm waters!”

About 11am, we were hailed on the VHF marine radio by Don and Anita on Limelight.  We were docked together in Marathon, FL for several weeks and now, they were right behind us.  They cruise at a higher speed in their Tiara, so we waved goodbye, as they motored on ahead.

We caught up with Don and Anita at Cocoa Village Marina in the inviting Cocoa Village.  Old Cocoa Village is redeveloped in remembrance of the 1920’s-1950‘s in Florida.

It is very inviting with historic downtown of fun shops, interesting architecture, and tree lined streets.  We had great lunch together at Ossoris, a quaint little eatery, and caught up with all the latest.  So fun to see them again. 
While the ladies popped into some of the cute boutiques and unique shops in town, the guys visited the old time S. F. Travis Hardware store.  For over 125 years, this family owned and operated store has been providing products to the area.  Entering their store is like a step back in time.  In 1885, great-grandfather Colonel S.F. Travis (Civil War) had a sailboat going up and down the rivers delivering supplies from Jacksonville to Ft. Pierce.  Due to their location, they have provided hardware for the space shuttles and rockets.  They have an amazing inventory.

                                                        
Back on the boat, we continued our long day of motoring.  The ICW runs straight along the western edge of Indian River, and there is a maize of mangrove islands.  Due to the shallow wide bays,  you must stay in the channel and watch for shoaling. South of New Smyrna, we passed numerous RV parks, modular home parks, and some mansion sized homes.
Not much activity on the water as far as boat traffic, but we did see our first two pink flamingos.  Dolphins entertained us periodically along the way, and I’m quite sure some manatees were lurking under the water.  We have seen signs for manatees all along the ICW.

The Space Coast Area (mile 878-943) contains Cape Canaveral and Titusville which is known for Florida Citrus. Titusville is, also, the gateway to the space center and Merritt Island. The Kennedy Space Center is the big attraction in Port Canaveral and worth the visit.

                                      Titusville space buildings as viewed from the ICW .

This area is great for viewing rocket launches which we almost witnessed, but due to bad weather the launch needed to be rescheduled.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge covers 140,000 acres and the ICW channel goes by this area. Osprey are numerous in this area and disrupt boaters with their high piercing whistles. Their huge bulky nests of sticks and moss can be seen on navigational day boards.  These nests can weigh up to half a ton.  Manatees are thick in the basin and feed on grass early morning or evening up to 8 hours per day.

We have observed a variety of fishing techniques along the way!









At the ICW (mile 855-870), we passed through Mosquito Lagoon, an open, shallow mass of water.  It is a popular place for fishing due to the breeding ground for mosquitos and deer flies.  There are flocks of white pelicans that feed by flapping their wings on the water, herd the fish together, and gobble them up before they can escape. The grass beds are also home to crabs, clams, and shrimp.
At 7 pm, we were docked at the New Smyrna City Docks which is free dockage for tonight.  It will be a quick overnight as we will be leaving early in the morning.  So nice to get tied up and secure before the darkness falls. 
It has been a long day of motoring, so we are ready to call it a night.  We had a very light dinner and an early lights out.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

     (above)  Our view across the ICW to the area of anchorage where Limelight is anchored.

    Dream Chaser was tied, overnight, to the floating dock in the foreground with the yellow line.

At 6 am, we woke to fog and darkness with only dim lights from the war memorial in the park and scattered street lights.  Other than chirping birds, it was quiet at the dock.  With the generator started and coffee made, we prepped for departure to St. Augustine, FL.  About 6:45 am the engines started and as the fog lifted, ropes were untied and Dream Chaser slipped back into the ICW channel.  We shared the water with  dolphins, pelicans, and other sea birds as the sun begin to light up the sky.

                             Daytona Beach as we entered from the south on the ICW.

About 8 am, we passed through Daytona Beach where the water was like glass as we motored passed apartments, beautiful homes, and other anchored boats.  The last few days, we haven’t had to worry about bridges being too low, other than about 5 minute wait for a bridge to open with a 15 ft. clearance.
Daytona Beach (ICW mile 830) has 23 miles of beach which was once proving grounds for automobile engines in the early 1900’s.  Today, with an access free, you can experience a 10 mph pace on the hard packed sand beach.  We have driven the beach in earlier travels.  The racing venue has moved to Daytona International Speedway (opened in 1959) on the west edge of town.

Much of the channel is a cut with trees and shrubs along the edges.  (see above)
We have met several sailboats headed south, but haven't seen many loopers along the way.

                This morning, we saw several people along the river busy net fishing for bait fish.

 This is a very typical scene along the ICW.  The covered boat areas have lounge chairs, eating areas, grills-everything for a party!

South of St. Augustine, the land narrows between the ICW and the Atlantic Ocean, and we see the houses elevated on stilts due to the storms and high tides.

The picture (above, taken from the ICW) is of Fort Matanzas south of St. Augustine which is now a national monument. In 1742, it was built by the Spanish to guard the south inlet into St. Augustine.  Originally, the fort was constructed of conquina (shell stone material) by convicts, slaves, and troops from Cuba, and later restored over a period of time by various U.S. government services. 

About 4:30 pm, Dream Chaser pulled into River's Edge Marina in St. Augustine.  Soon after being secured and registered, Limelight pulled in also.  The marina is in a great location with a Winn Dixie and West Marine within walking distance.

 This is our path where we walk the floating docks past our neighbors to reach shore.  Notice the steep incline of the ramp at the end of the walkway.  It moves up and down with the tides.

About 5:30 pm, we rented a car and Don and Anita joined us in running errands for provisions and boat needs.
About 7 pm, we entered the old town of St. Augustine and found Taberna Del Caballo, a fun outdoor dinner spot.  Tonight was Trivia Night, so Fun, Food, and Games!

We finished our dinner and trivia game by kerosene lamp light and even won a $10 restaurant certificate!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014
After a cool quiet night, the day began with brilliant sun and temps predicted in the 80's.
We plan to explore the old town of St. Augustine today and then drive out to Green Cove Springs.

First thing this morning,  Steve changed the oil in Dream Chaser and filled her up with diesel!
We ran errands and then found Harry's Seafood Bar & Grill in old St. Augustine for lunch.

The food is a mix of Cajun, Creole, and Southern flavors.  We found the perfect table in a shady spot outside to celebrate Mary's birthday.  We started with Fried Green Tomatoes:  cornflake crusted with chipotle aioli and feta cheese.  Mary chose Shrimp & Scallop Orleans: lightly blackened over a crisp grit cake with tasso ham cream sauce and collard greens.  Steve chose Jambalaya and sweet corn grits.  And...for dessert, Oreo Beignets:  oreo cookies coated with a fluffy "beignet" batter, topped with white chocolate bourbon sauce and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Magnifique!

The ladies walked through the narrow old streets of the Spanish Quarter while the men took care of boat needs.  This area has been recreated to help visitors experience this time in history.  St. Augustine was founded in 1565 as a Spanish military outpost and is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in North America.

(shown above) Near the city gates is the oldest wooden schoolhouse in the U.S.  It was constructed, during Spanish control, of red cedar and cypress and held together with wooden pegs and handmade nails. 

          There were many shops with interesting goods for sale, like the pottery shop shown above.

               Before we left the village, we cashed in our restaurant certificate from last night.

Another area to visit is the Castillo de San Marcos (fort) which was constructed of conquina in the late 1600's and withstood bombardment for many years.  In 1821, the Americans took over the area.  In 1837, the Seminole Indians were subdued creating a inviting area for settlers. In the late 1800's, Henry Flagler impacted the city's economy and built impressive buildings in St. Augustine.
After walking the village, we drove to Green Cove Springs.  It was a pretty ride which took us over the St. John's River.     It had been a wonderful day!