Voyaging America's Great Loop Aboard Still Waters II

Tag: Florida

The Emerald Coast
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

Eric here catching you up to date on the latest travels of Still Waters II. Click on this link to see the day- to-day travel log.

Summary of week:

The crew departed Pensacola and cruised three days last week as they headed east along the Emerald Coast. The first stop was in Fort Walton Beach. The crew continued east and stopped in Destin to dock and dine for lunch at Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant. Then they made their way across Choctaw Hatchee Bay and dropped anchor near the HWY 331 bridge. Next stop was Panama City where the crew held up to allow some nasty weather packing high winds and rain to pass.

Monday, January 16, 2017

The cruise to Fort Walton Beach was uneventful. Along the run though the crew passed a sailboat, Lacuna, while running in the Santa Rosa Sound.

Lacuna in Santa Rosa Sound

About two hours after our crew landed at the Ft Walton Beach City Marina, the sailboat pulled in also. A good example of the adage in boating, “everyone ends up at the same place, the only difference is how much did you spend on fuel to get there.”

Still Waters II in Fort Walton Beach City Marina

Turns out the crew of the Lacuna, Mike and Jen, left from Wisconsin back in October to start the loop but are not members of America’s Great Loop Cruising Association. They are a young couple who are working onboard via the internet as they do the loop. The definition of Lacuna is gap or hiatus. They explained that they are taking a lacuna from their dirt dwelling life to cruise the loop. Very inspirational.

Dock neighbors for the night

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Before the crew got started this morning they welcomed some folks from Kentucky onboard. They were doing a photo shoot at the City Park and Marina.

The young man is on Instagram at braden_shannon for any of the single virtual crew members who might be interested.

Braden, the model

The crew also spent some time with Mike and Jen, the crew of the Lacuna, comparing notes and stories. Seems the two crews are on about the same schedule to move east along the pan handle of Florida and stage for the Gulf crossing.

Mike and Jen in Choctaw Hatchee Bay

Dewey Destin’s Seafood

The crew shoved off a bit after 1000 a.m. and made the hour run over to Destin to stop and enjoy a Dock and Dine at Dewey Destin’s Seafood.

They landed at the end of the T-dock. The restaurant does not look like much but the food was very good and the portions for lunch were unexpectedly huge. The crew took a to go box and have enough food left for another meal.

As the crew was walking back down the dock to leave, a couple stopped the crew and asked if they were doing the loop. The crew answered yes, and had an interesting conversation with the couple. Turns out the couple are neighbors with Ron and Eva Stob, the originators of the Great Loop Cruising Association. Small, small world.

After the conversation, the crew shoved off from the dock and headed back to the Bay. The dolphins were ready to play today and this one was very acrobatic as he jumped out of the water several times.

The crew ran another 20 miles, and dropped anchor for the night near the Choctaw Hatchee Bridge. (HWY 331)

Anchored a quarter mile from bridge

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

The crew woke up to heavy fog this morning. The crew could hear vehicle traffic on the bridge but could no see the bridge. The skipper was getting impatient with the fog, so at 1000 he called the Panama City Marina and learned that the fog had cleared over there. The crew discussed their options and decided to go ahead and leave at 1100 even if the fog was still present.

Looking at the bridge at 1100

At 1100, the fog was still socked in so the crew raised the anchor and headed east four miles with the hope that when they entered a narrow 16-mile channel that less water would mean less fog.

As they approached the canal opening the crew could not find the green day marker that was supposed to mark the entrance of the channel. They could not see the day marker on the radar either. Finally they saw a small object on radar that turned out to be a small Coast Guard boat in the position of the missing green day mark. Looked like the Coast Guard was deploying a floating green can. After passing the Coast Guard boat, the skipper noticed the green day mark washed up on shore.

Within a half mile of entering the narrow channel, the fog was completely gone and the crew cruised in partly cloudy skies the rest of the day. The channel turned out to be a big surprise with good scenery.

Finally no fog

Some pretty shoreline and reflection

While running through the narrow channel, also referred to as the ‘Grand Canyon,’ the crew passed a man paddling a canoe. Not all that unusual, except this canoe had Guinness World Record painted along the side of the canoe.

Adventure Aaron

The crew stopped in the channel and the man paddled over to Still Waters II. His name is Aaron. He started his current adventure on the Missouri River in Montana. He is paddling to raise awareness about adoption. His goal was to paddle the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, and then the Mississippi River down to the Gulf.

He said once he arrived at the Gulf he still had gas in the tank so he turned east and started paddling the Gulf Intercostal Water Way. His new goal is to paddle to the Atlantic Ocean. He has a website if you would like to learn more about Aaron and/or his cause. http://adventureaaron.com

www.imadopted.org

The crew found this interesting since their own daughter and son-in-law just started their own adventure by adopting a sibling group of four in 2016.

After talking with Aaron the crew pressed on to Panama City Marina.

Sunset from sundeck of Still Waters II at Panama City Marina

Shore Excursion – Panama City

The crew decided to rent a car for the weekend and explore the area.

This next photo is of a four headed palm tree. Thought to be the only one in the world. It is located in a city park in St Andrews.

St Andrews Park

The next two pics show why this area is called the Emerald Coast.

Beach at St Andrews State Park

While shelling along the shoreline, the crew found this rare shell back turtle coming ashore. Turtles should not arrive until March so this must be a scout.

The Governor Stone is the last known working Gulf Coast schooner. She served during WWII, and has worked as an oyster buy boat, a rum runner during prohibition, a resort day sailor, a private yacht, and a sponge boat. She is now a floating sailing museum.

She was built in Pascagoula, Mississippi in 1877, and has actually been sunk three times.

Next Week – The weather and wind is predicted to be bad through Monday, winds at 24 mph and gusts over 30. The crew will stay put till mid week and then make their way over to Port St. Joe. They will stay at Port St Joe until a weather window opens to cross the Gulf. When a weather window opens they will move further east to Carrabelle, Florida where they will launch their Gulf crossing to Tarpon Springs.

Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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January 22, 2017
Pelicans in Paradise
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

Welcome back onboard as we begin to cruise in 2017

Eric here catching you up to date on the latest travels of Still Waters II. Click on this link to see the day- to-day travel log.

Summary of week:

After spending a month at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama the crew finally cruised a whole day last week. They left The Wharf on Friday the 13^th and made their way to Palafox Pier in Pensacola, Florida.

But before we get started cruising, the crew would like to give a shout out and congratulations to LeryLynn for crossing their wake as they made the run to The Wharf.

Wayne and Lynn with their Gold Burgee

Celebrating new Gold Loopers Lynn and Wayne. Brenda and Scott also at the party.

Friday, January 13, 2017

The crew had planned to cruise along the panhandle of Florida with The Lord’s Provision. However, Roger came over in the morning and informed our crew that Grace was ill and was headed to the hospital. The skipper helped Roger move The Lord’s Provision over for a pump out and get resettled in her slip before setting out for Pensacola.

Still Waters II at rest at The Wharf

Leaving The Wharf

The cruise was exceptional for dolphin watching. The crew counted about 35 dolphins swimming and playing in the water today.

Just before noon, the crew re-entered Florida waters after leaving them in April 2016. Little-by-little, the crew is sneaking up on their goal of crossing their wake in Ft Myers. Today was a major milestone in this quest.

Cruising along the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Entering Pensacola Bay.

After crossing Pensacola Bay, the crew landed at Palafox Pier. After securing the boat, the crew headed out to learn about the history of Pensacola.

Luna who landed in Pensacola in 1559

The Pensacola colony got off to a rocky start. In September 1559, they were wiped out by a hurricane. The survivors continued to try to make a go of it for two more years but finally abandoned the colony in 1561 and returned to Veracruz.

The Spanish settled the area again in 1698 to guard Florida from the French who were expanding eastward from New Orleans. This Spanish period lasted till 1719.

The French then controlled the area 1719-1722. As with the first colony, a hurricane destroyed Pensacola and the French burned what survived. The French then moved back west to New Orleans.

The Second Spanish period was 1722-1763. The Spanish reclaimed the area and moved Pensacola from the barrier islands to its present location.

The Treaty of Paris-1763, transferred Florida to the British following the French and Indian War because the Spanish had sided with France.

The Third Spanish period was 1781-1819. Following the Revolutionary War the British gave the land along the coast all the way to the Mississippi River back to the Spanish.

Spain sold the Louisiana territory to France. The French then sold the land to the United States in 1803. This basically surrounded the Spanish area known as East and West Florida by the growing United States.

Andrew Jackson led the US invasion to Spanish West Florida

In 1819 the United States invaded Pensacola and took control of the area. In 1821, Spain sold Florida to the United States.

On January 10, 1861, Florida became the third state to leave the United States and join the Confederate States of America.

Following the Civil War, Florida was readmitted to the Union on June 25, 1868.

While walking around historic Pensacola the crew began sighting Pelicans in Paradise, a public art display scattered around Pensacola. The crew found 14 of the Pelicans that were within walking distance of the marina.

Some of the crew’s favorite pelicans:

A few feathered friends that were too far away to go find on foot.

Pelvis

Buck

Peg Leg Pete

While walking around historic Pensacola looking for Pelicans, the crew stumbled upon this modern piece of history, The Morrison Family Homestead. The home was built in 1906. The Morrison family bought the home in 1932. The lead singer of the Doors, Jim Morrison, was born and raised in this home. Who would of known?

Next Week – The crew plans to continue along the panhandle of Florida and visit Fort Walton Beach, Panama City, and Port St. Joe. The crew will stage in Port St. Joe and wait for a weather window which will allow them to cross the Gulf over to the west coast of Florida.

Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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January 15, 2017
All We Lack is Finishing Up
Ahoy Mates!

Eric back, with a little update on the crew of Still Waters II.

Foggy morning at the marina

Our crew has been working diligently on getting the boat ready for the 2016 cruising season. New furniture, new rugs, refurbished cabinet, updated stairs, and many other smaller items on the Admiral’s To Do List. Yes, the skipper has been busy this winter!

The skipper also added a 2015 map that links to the stops along the journey last year. You can find the link near the top right corner labeled mysteriously as “2015 Map.” The good news is that the Admiral has just about completed her over haul of the interior decorating and the summer cruising season is just around the corner.

Walking around the local neighborhood

Current thinking is that the crew will leave Jacksonville March 29 and head south down the St Johns River for a few days. After exploring the River, the crew will head north back to Norfolk for the spring rendezvous of the America’s Great Loop Cruising Association (AGLCA).

One of many local little parks

The crew will then make way for Cape May, New Jersey where they stopped their forward progress in October 2015 due to cool weather. From Cape May, the crew will head to NYC, up the Hudson River, and then cross Lake Ontario into Canada. Eventually making it to Chicago about Labor Day Weekend.

Shake a leg and let’s get going. Boat from Christmas parade.

Hope to see you back aboard as a virtual crew member!

Enjoy the ride, maintain course and speed.

The skippers favorite local historical marker
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March 17, 2016
The Relunctant Boater
Hello fellow adventurers and virtual crew members!

Eric here gladly posting a log from the perspective of the guests Dave Weyandt (aka Fender Boy) and Martha (aka Best Mate Martha) who took a five day adventure on Still Waters II. In their own words:

Fender Boy and Best Mate Martha are reporting on their best adventure ever!!

BMM in Life Jacket with First Mate on day 1

BMM was very reluctant about the trip when FB said he wanted to go. She
finally agreed and off they went to Jacksonville, Florida to meet the crew
on Still Waters II. The boat was awesome and the crew, from the minute
we arrived to the minute we left, was outstanding. We can’t say enough
about the crew. The next morning, BMM strapped on her life preserver and the boating adventure began.

Day 1 ended at Jacksonville Beach with lots of rain, but it didn’t matter because we had a skillet cookie topped with ice cream to end our first leg of the trip.

FB playing in the Atlantic Ocean

Day 2 started with a walk/run to the Atlantic Ocean beach where FB had to
get in and ride the waves. Still Waters II got underway and headed south to
Palm Coast and the Hammock Beach Resort. (BMM got brave and put her life preserver away). Dolphins were spotted swimming with the boat. It was amazing, as were the houses all along the waterway. The resort was so nice we stayed there two nights.

BMM at the helm

During our stay, much time was spent at: the beach, the largest hot tub we’d ever seen, the lazy river, and the game room. The skipper introduced us to the ping pong game called, “Around the World” that turned out to be lots of fun to play. (Especially when BMM was the champion of all the games.)

FB, First Mate, and skipper enjoying the hot tub

Card games were played back on the boat where the skipper loves the first mate so much he lost the game of Hearts so she could be the winner.

Enjoying a little ping pong in the game room

Day 4 on the water led Still Waters II back north to St. Augustine, known
as the oldest continuously occupied city in the nation – 450 years and counting. A sight seeing tour on the Little Red Train and a tour of the St. Augustine Lighthouse were the hi-lights of the day.

Day 5, the last leg of the adventure, turned out to be the best traveling
day of the week. The weather was perfect for a 30 mile run in the ocean, so
the skipper and FB said, so off we went. The water was beautiful, filled
with jellyfish and dolphins. It was the perfect way to finish a great
adventure, one we’ll never forget!!!!!

The last supper back in Jacksonville
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November 18, 2015
D & M Loop
Hello fellow adventurers and virtual crew members!

Eric here reporting on the latest travels of Still Waters II. David and Martha (D&M) Weyandt arrived onboard Saturday, November 7, from Granbury, Texas. They had to be headed back to Texas on Friday so a plan was made to cruise south and loop back to Jacksonville on Thursday.

Sunday, November 8, 2015 – Maroon Line

David Weyandt at the wheel

The weather was misty rain when the crew left the dock, but the crew did not let that dampen their spirits. By the time the crew travelled the 26 miles back to the ICW from the Ortega River, the weather began to break and the sun finally peaked out. The crew headed seven miles down the ICW and took advantage of the dry spell to pull into the Palm Cove Marina to refuel. After refueling, the crew motored across the ICW to dock at Beach Marine at Jacksonville Beach.

Dolphins headed to the boat

Dave Weyandt was out on the bow when some dolphins came up and headed to the boat. Our crew has noticed the dolphins swimming to the boat in the past but never went out to the bow to look for them. After this discovery, the crew started going to the bow when dolphins were spotted and the dolphins almost always start surfing off the bow.

Click on pic above to watch the dolphins swim.

The plan was to walk the mile and a half to Jacksonville Beach but the weather did not cooperate. The rain came wave after wave with high driving wind. The crew spent the evening on the sundeck playing cards and wiping up water from a few leaks that showed up around the windows.

Monday, November 9, 2015 – Orange Line

The weather finally broke during the night so the crew made their way to the beach first thing in the morning.

Dave and Martha out on bow of boat while underway

The crew then headed 54 miles south down the ICW to the Marina at Hammock Beach. The crew arrived about sunset which made for a beautiful dock setting. The dock master explained to the crew that the marina was part of a Resort that was a couple of miles down the road. The dock master provided a phone number that the crew could call to get a courtesy van ride to the Resort. The crew took time to eat and then set out on a reconnaissance mission to check out the Resort.

The “Fish Story” statue next to our dock

The Resort turned out to be a big surprise with multiple swimming pools, hot tub, lazy river, and beach access. They also discovered a ping pong table and played a little ‘Around the World.’ Martha took home the trophy after beating the skipper on match point. The crew headed back to the boat and decided that they would spend Monday at the Resort.

After eating a large breakfast, the crew made their way to a fun filled day at the Resort. The crew spent time in the hot tub and the lazy river.

One of the many pools

They also spent some quality time relaxing on the beach.

Ladies enjoying the beach

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 – Green Line

The crew headed back 24 miles north to explore St Augustine. With only half a day to take in the sites, the crew decided to buy tickets on the Red Train Tour. Due to it being Veterans Day, the skipper and Dave Weyandt got free tickets. The crew took a courtesy van out to the lighthouse.

View from top of Lighthouse

The crew spent about an hour on the grounds and then headed back to the Red Train Headquarters for the St Augustine tour. The tour was about eight miles and lasted an hour and a half. The conductor was Smokey and he provided details of over a hundred sites as he drove around historic St Augustine.

White Peacock with baby chick

After the tour the crew walked around town and finally stopped to have dinner at an Irish Pub. All enjoyed the fish (fresh cod) and chips.

Magnolia Street lined with Oak trees and Spanish Moss

Seems all the Magnolia trees died and the locals replanted with oak trees over a hundred years ago.

Thursday, November 12, 2015 – Blue Line

The crew shoved off early to make the run back to Jacksonville. The wind was predicted to be out of the west at only 4-6 mph for the day. So when the crew got to the St Augustine inlet they looked at the Atlantic Ocean and noted the smooth conditions.

Riding the bow in the Atlantic

The skipper took a vote to ensure that all onboard felt comfortable heading out into the Atlantic. After all agreed to make the run north in the Atlantic, the crew made their way out three miles offshore.

Approaching downtown Jacksonville

The crew turned north and travelled 35 miles north to the St Johns Inlet. The ride was smooth with the wind coming from the shore. After arriving at the inlet it was about 5 miles back to the ICW and then another 26 miles back to the Ortega Landing Marina.

Near the end of the journey

The crew got docked just before sunset and then celebrated a fun filled week by grilling burgers and eating dinner under the stars at the marina clubhouse.

Friday morning before heading home
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November 18, 2015
Passage South to Jacksonville
Hello fellow adventurers and virtual crew members!

Eric here reporting on the southbound voyage of Still Waters II. The crew has travelled 400 miles over the last 6 days and now have pulled into Ortega Landing Marina in Jacksonville, Florida.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

This turned out to be a beautiful sunny day to cruise 67 miles over eight hours. About mid-day the crew turned into the Osprey Marina to take on fuel. After a full day of cruising, the crew dropped anchor in the South Santee River (STM 420) for a good night’s rest.

STM 390, Waccamaw River

Boat Name of the Day – On a 36 foot Carver motor yacht, “My Chelle’

Sunday, November 1, 2015

The crew put in a long day on the water and cruised 85 miles over ten hours. The crew passed back through Charleston and reminisced docking on the Mega Dock. As they passed the Marina there were several Mega Yachts on the Mega Dock.

STM 470, People enjoying Charleston Harbor

There were also four small sailboats circling a motorboat. Looked to be kids learning to sail with a coach in the motorboat giving instructions.

STM 500, South Edisto River

The crew dropped anchor in the South Edisto River (STM 505).

Boat Name of the Day – On a small tug boat, ‘Miss Alignment’

Skipper hopes the owner of the tug also owns a tire store.

Monday, November 2, 2015

The crew was met by a Bald Eagle as they left the anchor spot to get back on the AICW. They cruised 68 miles over eight hours. They passed through the town of Beaufort, S. Carolina.

Crew getting the Eagle Eye

At the end of the day they were greeted by another Bald Eagle who observed them anchor in the Wright River. (STM 573)

Bald Eagle eating fish

Boat Name of the Day – No good names today

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

As they were leaving the anchor location the crew was greeted by the third Bald Eagle.

The crew put in 67 gloomy miles over eight hours. The sun never broke through the clouds and there was a thick mist that just hung in the air all day.

Following the herd south

On a brighter note, the mate spotted a big log in the water. Upon further inspection the log turned out to be a Georgia Manatee. First one spotted on the southern voyage.

The dolphins have also started showing back up at most of the inlets that the crew crossed. The crew always enjoys spotting the dolphins.

The crew dropped anchor in the Crescent River (643). Only about 100 miles to go to Jacksonville.

Boat Name of the Day – Still no good names today

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

The crew was greeted by another Bald Eagle as they weighed anchor and proceeded south.

While cruising through some shallow water the boat started to churn up some fish so the birds settled in behind the wake for a free lunch. This is a video sequence at the end of the feeding frenzy. Click on pic to watch the birds.

The crew put in another 67 mile day with little to report on. They dropped anchor in the Cumberland Sound (710) with about another dozen boats.

Boat Name of the Day – still no good boat names

Thursday, November 5, 2015

The crew was greeted by restricted visibility due to a heavy fog that was sitting on the Sound. A couple of boats left the anchorage in the heavy fog. Our crew waited an additional hour but conditions did not improve much.

Foggy, Foggy Morning

Per the Coast Guard Navigational Rules, every vessel is supposed to have a ‘Look Out” while navigating the waterways to spot vessels and help avoid collisions. Normally the helmsmen is also the Look Out. The mate stayed in the fly bridge and acted as the Look Out while the skipper was keeping an eye out for the navigational aids. The fog finally started to burn off and was finally gone by 0900.

The crew arrived at the St Johns River at 1124 and made a right turn to head down river to the marina. The marina is located off the St Johns River on the Ortega River, 26 miles downstream.

Downtown Jacksonville

The crew passed downtown Jacksonville and then arrived at a closed railroad bridge that was advertised to be normally open. The skipper hailed the Bridge Tender and requested a bridge opening. The Bridge Tender informed the skipper that a southbound train was headed for the bridge and that he would open the bridge after the train crossed.

So the crew actually got to watch a train cross over one of these railroad bridges. Another first for the crew.

The crew then passed through the Fuller-Warren Bridge and headed into the Ortega Landing Marina. The Coast Guard had an active rescue in progress so they were all over channel 16 on the radio talking with the Captain in distress. That made hailing the Marina impossible. While trying to call on the phone, the battery decided to play dead. The crew had their dock and slip assignment already (B38) so they just went on in to dock. The skipper found the B dock and then idled down to slip 38. The fit was tight and the wind and current were strong. The skipper started to back into the slip and managed to get her backed in, but with no dock hand on the pier the plan was to have the mate jump over to the pier and tie them up. However, the wind was blowing them off the pier and the skipper could not get the boat over close enough for a safe leap. Luckily a few boaters came down and assisted getting the vessel tied down.

Winter resting spot, B38

Ortega Landing will be where the crew winters for 2015/2016. They have signed a three month slip lease that will expire the first of February with options to extend the stay.

However, they will spend next week cruising with new mystery guests who will arrive on Saturday and fly back to Granbury, Texas on Friday.

Boat name of the Day – ea harp, owners are both music majors, the man graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary.
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November 9, 2015
Run to Brunswick, GA
Hello fellow adventurers and virtual crew members!

Eric here reporting on the latest movements of Still Waters II. With a week long lay over in St. Augustine, she is on the move to Brunswick, Georgia. Our crew is fond of Georgia after spending two years living in Atlanta from 2011 to 2013. They are eager to get back to the ‘Peach State.’

To navigate the 88 miles to Brunswick, they plan a three day cruise with stops in Palm Cove Marina located in Jackson Beach, Fernandina Harbor Marina on Amelia Island, and then on to Brunswick.

Voyage to Palm Cove

The crew departed the dock at 1000 and then immediately went under the Lions Bridge. The bridge claims a height of 25 feet, the cruising guide said 22 feet, and the water level marker said 21 when she slid under due to tides. Seems the bridge tender was a little nervous though because she stepped outside and watched the vessel pass under. With an air clearance of 17 feet 6 inches, there was plenty of room to spare.

A right turn towards the St Augustine inlet gave a pretty view of the Atlantic Ocean off of the bow. But with the strong currents, there was little site seeing for the skipper as he negotiated the navigational aids in the inlet.

Next obstacle was the Villano Beach Bridge as they left the inlet but entered the headwaters of the Tolomato River. They stayed in the river for about 16 miles when they then entered the Palm Valley Cut.

One of two boat barns

Lift to move boat in and out of the water

The waterway guide mentioned strong currents at this bridge that tend to push your boat sideways. This was a spot on warning. To compound problems passing through this bridge, there also just happened to be a young lady fishing in a kayak in the middle of the bridge. She began to paddle out of the way as the crew approached. As luck would have it, she caught a fish on one of her poles and the fish made a run directly under Still Waters II. Not sure what pound line was on the pole, but the boat snagged her line and pulled the kayak towards Still Waters II before the line finally broke. Our skipper does not need these kinds of special challenges while crossing under bridges.

The rest of the voyage proved uneventful as they motored the cut and admired the homes lining the east side. After passing under the final bridge of the day, our crew arrived at the Palm Cove Marina and docked at C-Dock on the T head at 1445.

After taking a short break and cooling off, our crew took a swim in the pool and then headed to Publix to buy a few groceries since the store was only a half mile down the road. They then finished off the day by listening to a pod cast of a 12 Stone Church sermon.

Voyage to Fernandina

The crew was up and about making ready for the trip to Fernandina. They left the dock at 1000 and headed north in very calm and glass like water. The 5 miles along Pablo Creek, before crossing the St John’s River, were eerily calm. Oh, and did I mention that the chart plotter stopped working just as they got ready to cross the St John’s River.

The skipper had his paper charts out already, but one could tell he was more than a little stressed with the chart plotter incident. He quickly called Claudia to the helm as he went below to get a different chip for the chart plotter. Hmmmmm, that one did not seem to work either. Oh well, guess the crew will just cross on the paper charts.

With a big tug coming to meet them, they moved further to the west in the river. Problem is they were looking for a right turn up Sisters Creek. They missed the turn, but quickly recovered when they found red marker 26 which was north of the creek. They made a U-turn and found Sister Creek on the second try. After passing under the Sister Creek Bridge, Claudia took the helm again as our skipper found the chart plotter smarts book and tried to trouble shoot the plotter problem.

He called it troubleshooting, I call it Easter egg hunting. But it seems if you push enough buttons and flip enough pages in the smarts book, the chart plotter will respond and come back to life.

Sister Creek ran for about 5 miles and the joined Sawpit Creek which ran for another 5 miles to the Nassau Sound.

A ‘sound’ refers to a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land. In this area, and all the way to Virginia, the crew will cross many sounds. With the chart plotter working, this crossing was a piece of cake.

On the North East side of the sound, our crew found the navigational aids and entered into the South Amelia River. They navigated to Kingsley Creek and then into the Amelia River. At the transition from the South Amelia River to the Kingsley Creek, the waterway guides warn of shoaling. Well our skipper found some shallow water. The depth sounder was consistently showing 7 feet of water when suddenly the depth went to 3 feet. The skipper immediately took the throttles to neutral and there was a small thud sound as the props hit the mud bottom. Claudia was down below fixing lunch and came up to see what that sound was. They slowly started hunting for some deeper water and found some to starboard.

I overheard the skipper tell his mate that it is days like today that make you understand why the crew has ‘docktails’ once they safely reach port. You need a shot of something to calm the nerves.

View of downtown Fernandina

After reaching Fernandina, the crew went ashore to see the sites. The first stop was the visitor center at the end of the pier. The lady working the desk had just gotten back from the DFW area visiting her grandkids. After talking Texas for a few minutes, she gave the crew the skinny on Fernandina, and the crew set off exploring.

The skipper is nicknaming this the fish & chips, fudge, and cream loop. He seems to be trying to find the best in each category. To find the best though you have to sample all in each area. And yes there was both a fudge and ice cream store in town. The name of the joint is Fantastic Fudge and they have been in business here since 1988.

Sitting outside Fantastic Fudge

Our crew made the stop at Fantastic Fudge on the way back to the boat. Seems the mate purchased a drop leaf table for the dining room and the skipper is carrying the table back to the boat. He claimed he needed to stop to get some energy to make the trip all the way back to the boat. Likely story, and he is sticking to it. And yes, the fudge and ice cream were great.

The sun is setting on the Florida adventure

Voyage to Brunswick

With a little further to travel today, our crew was up and leaving the dock at 0905. They have Georgia on the mind. By 0928, they were entering the Cumberland Sound and into Georgia waters.

The sound played a few mental tricks with our crew though. They had been warned of this back in their training, but this was the first time they actually saw these strange markers.

Up until now, as they travel north, they have kept red markers to port and green markers to starboard. The red markers also have a yellow triangle, and the green markers have had a yellow square. The triangle and square denote the marker as an ICW marker.

Today, as they were crossing the Cumberland Sound, they were actually in a channel from the Atlantic Ocean, so the markers were in the red right returning mode. Red markers to starboard and green markers to port.

Wild horse left by the Spanish on Cumberland Island

However, the yellow markings stayed the same, so now the green markers had yellow triangles and the red markers had yellow squares.

Tricky marker

Very tricky and confusing for our skipper. With a little help from the mate, they managed to cross with no issues.

Interesting place for a channel marker

The next obstacle was crossing the Jekyl Sound. The markers here took an interesting set of twist and turns as the ICW made its way north.

By days end, the crew entered passed through Jekyl Creek, which was very narrow and shallow. Five miles of five feet of water makes for a weary skipper.

Narrow and shallow Jekyl Creek

After exiting the creek it was an easy cruise over to the Marina for docking. Once docked, they discovered their electric cord did not reach, so they got to practice docking again and moved over one slip.

Time to take a day of rest before moving on to Savannah.
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July 29, 2015
Shore Excursions – St Augustine
With a week spent in St Augustine exploring the history of the area, it is time to chronicle the visit and prep for cruising further north.

As last reported, our crew entered the port last Sunday, July 19 and wandered the streets to get the lay of the land.

Ponce de Leon greeting you as you enter the plaza.

Two ships docked directly behind Still Waters II. They go out twice a day. The pirate ship is ‘The Raven’

MONDAY

A 2 mile bicycle ride took our explorers to the lighthouse. One gets to climb to the top and take in the surrounding views if you can make the 219 stairs. The climb also gives you a better perspective for the keeper who had to make the climb once every two hours carrying a 5 gallon pail of hot oil to keep the light shining, all night long, every night. Not an easy life. The lens in the lighthouse today dates back to 1874 and was built in Paris, France.

Views from the top.

The Keeper House was built in 1876.

The original selfie, mirror with lighthouse in the background.

Tuesday

We find our explorers headed to the Castillo de San Marcos, the fort to protect the spainish from those pesky British who are just north of here in modern day Georgia. The fort was completed in 1695. The Brits attacked two different times but never could take the area. In disgust, they burned the civilian part of town to the ground in the early 1700’s.

” Protecting the harbor

In 1763, the British finally get Florida as part of a peace treaty. They do not hold on to the territory very long. As part of losing the Revolutionary war with the young Americans, the Brits give Florida back to Spain.

In 1821, Spain cedes Florida to the U.S.

Wednesday

A new adventure was in order to start looking for decor and design for the boat. That is right, adventure shopping. Not really sure what is up with that, we never decorated our Viking vessels. Interested to see how this ends up, but looks like the mate is just getting started. First the crew had to figure out how to navigate the bus system to get to the stores on the shopping list. Then shop till you drop. Then make it back to the Marina before the last bus run of the day. And yes, articles of decoration have been purchased. Seems the mate is just getting warmed up though and I suspect the skipper has a few more of these adventures in his immediate future.

Old City Gate

Thursday

The crew went to the Lightner Musuem. Interesting display of late 1800’s household items. The musuem was originally the Hotel Alcazar, built in 1887. The Hotel was built by Henry Flagler, who was one of John D Rockefeller’s original partners at Standard Oil.

Lightner Museum

City founder, Don Pedro Menendez

Friday

Hard day of work cleaning Still Waters II. Not much adventure in that, but she is starting to look better and better. The skipper got an early start by walking 2 miles for supplies because his bike had a flat. On the hike he found a bike shop and got new tubes. He also found a bike better suited for the mate. After walking back 2 miles, the crew decided that they would go look at the bike after cleaning and working on the boat. They decided to buy the bike, but on the way back to the Marina they got caught in a downpour. They managed to get under an awning, but the wind was so strong the rain was just blowing sideways. Needless to say, not a dry spot left. The flooding was severe, and was reported about two feet deep in the old part of town.

Saturday

More shopping adventures, and dinner out on the town.

Time to get ready to cast off. The Float Plan for the next few days is to head north to Fernandina, and then cross over into Georgia and stop in Brunswick.

Sea Turtle feeding by the boat

This guy shows up at 7 pm to feed the fish every night
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July 26, 2015
Run to St Augustine
Hello fellow adventurers and virtual crew members!

Eric here reporting on the latest movement of Still Waters II. She journeyed from Palm Coast to St Augustine on Sunday, July 19, 2015. Her journey entailed 32 miles, 3 bridges, and lots of beautiful views.

Lucky for the crew the voyage was all pleasure and no surprises. Mostly cruising in good deep water. There was one interesting site along the way. An old spainish fort, Fort Matanzas at mile 793.

Fort Matanzas

The fort was built by the spainish in 1782 to protect St Augustine’s southern approach. The fort is now a national monument.

The next major structure was the St Augustine Lighthouse.

Built in 1874

As the crew turned the next bend the old city came into view and the view was breathtaking.

St Augustine, established 1565

Docking is getting easier for our skipper and crew, and once they were tied up they noticed they were docked just south of Phase II. This is the third port that the two crews from Texas have crossed wakes.

After docking, the crew made things ship shape and went exploring into St Augustine. With 450 years of history to explore, this port call will be for a week as the crew tours all the sites around St Augustine.

The following link is a video of the run to St Augustine. It takes about 2 minutes to load the 3,500 pics taken on the voyage. So please be patient. The video is also 8 minutes long. This is a work in progress as we experiment with timing of the time elapsed pics. However, I hope the virtual crew members find it interesting. Any suggestions to the budding videographer are welcome.
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July 20, 2015
Run to Palm Coast
Hello fellow adventurers!

Eric here reporting on the leg of journey from New Smyrna Beach to Palm Coast, Fl.

The journey included 43 statute miles, 9 bridges, the Ponce de Leon Inlet, passing thru Daytona Beach, and a few surprises for our crew.

The first surprise was about a mile north of the Marina. The George E. Musson, Coronado Beach Bridge was reported to have a clearance of 24 feet. With the antenna down, our air clearance is 17.5 feet. No problem getting under this bridge, except as they approached and got close (maybe a little to close) the skipper began to think there was not enough clearance to get under. He put the engines in neutral and began looking for the level marker on the bridge. With a little help from his binoculars, he found the current conditions with only a 15 foot clearance. He hailed the bridge and requested an opening, the bridge tender stopped traffic, and Still Waters II cleared the bridge.

We stayed at the city marina and headed out north.

As the crew made the left turn towards the Inlet, the lighthouse came into view. While observing the lighthouse rather than the navigational aids, our skipper missed the left turn at red marker ’18’. As the skipper reached the next red marker is was ’12’ and without the ICW yellow triangle. He quickly made a u turn and went back and found ’18’ and got back in the ICW.

Ponce de Leon Lighthouse

The tide was rising so the Atlantic Ocean was pouring in the Inlet and the crew rode the current all the way to Daytona Beach. The water in this area was a pretty tourqoise.

Claudia with lighthouse in background. Oops, we missed our turn trying to get this pic.

In Daytona Beach, there were two more bridges that the boat should have slide under, but because of the rising tide they were in the 16 foot range. The skipper hailed the bridge, traffic was stopped, and she maneuvered safely thru the current. However, at the Main Street Bridge, the crew was informed that only half of the bridge was working, so proceed at your own risk. The skipper once again maneuvered the boat safely thru the bridge, but I think he was holding his breath most of the way thru.

Stopping traffic on Main Street

Since the skipper was a bit nervous, he was going slow and cautious. Once clear of the bridge the crew looked to see how far the traffic was backed up. Yes, it was backed up for as far as they could see. Hope nobody was in a hurry.

Nice tile work on bridge in Daytona

By the time the crew reached the L.B. Knox Bridge (only 15 foot clearance), the crew hailed the bridge in plenty of time to cruise right thru with no issues or waiting. Amazing what a little practice can do for our new skipper.

From this point (mile 816) to the Marina (mile 803), the east side of the ICW was lined with large beautiful homes, pools, and boat docks. The west side, was raw undeveloped land. These folks have a great view.

West side of ICW

Example east side home

On the east side, there is always one in every neighborhood
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July 19, 2015