2023-11-19 Further south - visiting family

We left Fernandina in a cloudy windy cool morning, and motored down to an anchorage close to the Marina we were going to on Monday.

Part of Fernandina waterfront is very industrial looking

Fernandina waterfront. Military ship with patrol boat out in front, making sure we don't get too close.

We anchored Sunday night, just off the ICW, and early Monday headed to the marina.  Needed to leave early, as did not want current against us, and worried about some bridges at high tide, and water is higher than normal, which makes bridge clearance tight sometimes.
We timed our trip with the currents well, and saw good speed on the trip.

Doing 9.7 knots with one engine motoring - that is 4 knots of current in our favor

Monday we spent a wonderful day with Deans cousin Linda  and her husband Phil.  We look forward to seeing them every year on our journey south, and had a good visit.  Linda also chauffeured us around town getting some thread for our salon cushion project, and a stop at Costco.   They were also kind enough to let us ship numerous packages to their house before our arrival - which is always great and much appreciated.   Linda  is a marvelous cook, so we both gained a few pounds during the visit 😁

Our stack of packages

Tuesday morning, we were up early, ran across the street from the Marina got some groceries, and then a quick two loads of laundry, at the very cheap marina laundry.  Only $1 per wash and $1 per dry, in excellent clean machines.  

We headed south, next stop would be St. Augustine, where we anchored for a night, then up early and motoring south again to Daytona Beach.   Cloudy days with some rain, but at least the lows are above 60 degrees, and the highs in the 70's.

Quite the varied scenery between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach

Quite a few large homes

After a while, they seem normal size, there are so many of them

Also some nice undeveloped land

And of the other side of the ICW from the undeveloped is packed with homes

Water level is high.  Some of the homes look close to flooding

Think this place may have water on the floor

As we motor along, you see many things.  We always see some sunken boats - which is sad.  This trip we also saw numerous boats aground.  We will stop and help if we can, but most times, you simply have to wait for high tide.    Always glad it isn't us that has gone aground.   Sometimes we wonder how it happend, like the below photo.   Clearly on the wrong side of the sign.  Maybe it was intentional?

Aground, but was off soon after we passed, as it was near high tide.

Looks like wind damaged his sign, thank goodness the fish survived

Homes getting bigger the further south we went

The ICW can be quite scenic, but you do have to deal with other boaters, most very courteous and will slow down when they pass you to not create a large wake.   Some don't.

This guy did not slow at all passing us.  Large wake

The trip takes us under several bridges.  We are lucky, we can clear 62'.  Many boats can not, and end up spending time just waiting for the water to go down so they can proceed.

This was the least clearance we saw on our trip.

We spent two days anchored at Daytona Beach.  Had over an inch of rain so just hung out inside, read books, played on computer and Kris made cookies.  

Friday we upped anchor and headed south along with 9 other boats who were waiting out weather in Daytona Beach.   Another cloudy day, with a few sun breaks.

Could see the Starlink launch ready on the launchpad at Canaveral.

Anchored at Cocoa, and finally off the boat for a walk in town.  No rain, and some sun.

Nice mural on the wall.   Wheres Dean?

Pretty open square in Cocoa

We had a nice walk, got some ice cream and watched people for a while before heading back to the boat.  Back at the boat, watched a guy come out and anchor a small mono hull.  He drug his anchor back at least 200' before he decided he was good, and then got in his dinghy and left.    Another cruiser came by and told us that that the same boat had drug into him the other day and warned us to be wary.  Since the dragging boat was behind us we did not worry too much.  Later in the day more boats came into the anchorage, and then the winds built so we jumped in our dink to warn the boats behind about the dragger.  They both moved, and sure enough, the little boat kept dragging, and would had hit them both given the chance.  

We will stay another day here, and then move further south.