New Home at St. Johns Yacht Harbor on the Stono River

So Dave Arnold and I stayed at the Cooper River Marina for about 3 weeks.  While there we installed both a oil guage and a temperature guage.  While testing the oil sensor we found that the prop had become separated from the shaft once again so the fix we had at Amelia Island only last about two weeks.  Moved  the boat to Pierside Boadyard to do the bottom and have the prop reinstalled.  Nelso at Palmetto Props had a bronze bore reducer made for me and a new key machined to bid the shaft and prop.  I will never go back to Pierside as they really screwed me at the end of which I will not go into on this form.

After vacation with China in Florida and house sitting for Carol I moved back on the boat and
moved it to St. Johns Yacht Basin on the Stono River.  Really nice marina, very comfortable with floating docks, pool and bar/restaurant.

Charleston provides a good market so I have pretty much decided to keep the boat here and put it on the market.  In the meantime I will purchase a more comfortable livaboard boat for my slip in Boca Chica.  Have looked at a few boats already in Florida and plan to look at a couple more this week.

Fernandina Beach to Charleston

So let me catch up with this adventure or more aptly "tale of woe".   Left Fernandina Beach at about 6:30am on Sunday morning.  Had a beautiful day sail. Weather was 5-10 out of Southeast   Made great time all day with GPS predicting our Charleston arrival at around 6:30am. Great 24 hour run, but not to be. Even caught a nice blackfin tuna.  

The winds predicted approaching Charleston 5-10 out of the north turned out to be 20 out of the northeast, right on our nose.  Waves and wind slowed us to 1-2kts putting us in Charleston at somewhere late afternoon. Too much pounding to weather for two senior citizens.  We turned around and headed for Port Royal Sound, 33 miles away to the south. We were 25 miles from Charleston at the time.  Neither Dave nor I had ever entered Port Royal so it was daunting with a steady 20 kts out of the Northeast.  The channel approach is due North for nearly 5 miles, then a turn of about 30deg to the west for 6 miles putting the waves on our beam. Thankfully the channel is well marked and deep.  We made it in though, fueled up at Port Royal Landing, where I now have some of the rubber from their floating dock on the port side of my boat.  Kissed it a little hard and Dave forgot to put out the fenders.  Took a ball at Beaufort town marina for $20 and had dinner at Luthers.  

Dropped the ball at 6:15 and requested bridge opening with 2 boats following us through.  Let them pass thinking they were more familiar. Great move until we tried to enter the Ashepoo Cooshaw cut.  The boat we were following went aground and us right behind him.  I tried to go right but too late we went into the mud.  Luckily I was able to back off.  We anchored, thinking we would wait for more tide as it was very low.  A passing trawler gave us a heads up on the proper course so we tried it again snd made it. 

  

Fernandina Beach

Wednesday 5/16/14.  Left Amelia YB around 9:30.  Found that my RAM mic did not work now.  How much more can fail.  Engine hours when we left was 145.   Added one qt of oil.   Purchase 40 gallons of fuel and put in about 32.  Total hours in 32 gallons was about 32.  Took a slip at FB City marina. Winds gusting to 26kts out of the west.  

Amelia Island

Yesterday was not a good day. Ran aground again in an area that should have had water. Tried to get off and must have had the prop in the mud because it sheared off the prop to shaft key.  TowBoat to the rescue again as they had to get us off the mud, then tow us into Amelia Island yacht basin.  Have the boat on the travel lift now and the yard mechanic is having to make a custom key out if key stock he had at home.   Cloudy and rain today.   Saturday looks like a good day to make for Charleston to offshore.  Enough of the running aground  bullshit. 

Anchored in Rockhouse Creek

Left Cape Marine around 08:00. Had to wait on the bridge for an ambulance to go over then had to wait on the locks to open.  Only real fupah of the day was tying up to the locks.   Dave didn't understand that there was no one to take our lines as there is on the ICW in NC so we missed the first pass, then the wind kept pudding me away when I tried to back Ito to it.  We finally MADD it.  Everything Endymion pretty smooth from then on.  Winds in the 20 plus on the Indian River.  Anchored for the night in Rockhouse Creek in New

Smyrna.  

Cape. Canaveral

Arrived Cape Canaveral early around 03:45.  Wind and seas had freshened around 23:00 so made for very uncomfortable conditions.  Red/green navigation light bulb burned out so no nav lutes to enter inlet.  Decided to hang out and dodge traffic until daylight.   Night time ssiling on a clear night with gentle seas are great.  Night time with  wind and rough seas are a pain in the ass.  Entered port around 07:30 and took a slip at Cape Marine.  Engine hours 123.  Total of 50 hours.   Distance traveled 290 miles.   Plan is to take ICW up to Jacksonville.   Photo is sunrise coming unto Cape Canaveral inlet.  

Lake Worth to Cape Canaveral

Anchored south of Peanut Island for the night. Tried to go into Riveria Beach Marina but they are doing renovations.  Went to Sailfish marina instead.  Strong current with outgoing tide but docked without incident.  Only got 7gallons of fuel.   Took some pretty good side rollers until we got out away.   Motored for 7 hours with reefed main and full jib.  ETA put us into Cape Marina at between 12:30 and 0200. Decided to turn the engine off and sail overnight in order to arrive in daylight.  So the sun just set.  I cooked a batch of Speghetti for dinner.  Just took this of the sunset. Current location just opposite the Indian River 27 46 505N 080 20 235W.

Leaving Miami

Woke up to find all batteries were dead.  $300 fresh water pump must have hung up and ran all night. Called Tow Boat for a jump start and they were there in 30 mins. Underway at 07:10.  Calm seas off Miami Beach with a light east wind.  

Miami Skyline

Miami, Off Fisher Island.

With the wind in our nose all day we decided to not shoot for Ft Lauderdale but to go into Miami for fuel, ice and water.  Made It to Miami Beach Marina and took on 20 gallons of Deisel and 5 bags of ice at a cost of $117.  Dave bought a half gallon of milk for $5.   Washed the salt off the boat and took on water.   Came across Government Cur to Fisher Island and anchored in 18ft.  Dave went exploring on the deserted island next to our anchorage.  

Sunrise May 5

Woke up at 3:30am to the anchor drag alarm. Had it set for 50ft but we must have swung enough with a wind and tide change to make it go off. Decided since we were both awake to pull the anchor and head out.  Hopefully we can make Ft Lauderdale before end of day.  Dave took the 1st watch.  I took it at 6:45 just as the sun peaked over the horizon

At anchor

With Dave Arnold Left Boca Chica yesterday at 10:10am.  Winds 18-20 out of the south clocking around to the west in early afternoon.  Made Marathon Boot Key City marina at 5:30 and took a mooring ball.  Departed this morning at 7:10. Winds north at 18-23 all day.  Made Rodriquez Key anchorage about 5pm. Anchor system seems to work good.  Worried that engine sucks up top much oil.   New engine hour meter started at 73 hours (approx) number put on engine done purchase.   Hours at purchase were 3100.  Engine hours today 

87.  

Installed new Windvane

A couple of views from masthead. 

Bit Coin

So the IRS is going to treat Bitcoinas property not currency.  Interesting, do if you sell Bitcoins and make a profit you take it as a capital gain but it is not income.   

Anchor Detail

Yesterday I inspected the anchors and rode.  The CQR is good but the chain did not fit the gypsy on the windlass.  The windlass requires a 3/8" chain which was in the Bruce.  That chain is rusted and not trustworthy.  The rope rode is also suspect due to rust from the chain but should be ok for and extra anchor.   Decided to put the smaller chain on the Bruce and use it as the backup.  Need to order 60' of 38" chain for the CQR.  Rope rode looks good as it is stored In chain locker in front of head.  

Scouted out route for new wash down system.  Tested reserve pump, seems to work good.  Need 12' of water hose plus valve and 3way fitting.   Plan to rig it so I can use the same hose for both sea and fresh water wash down.  

This is a link to the owners manual for the Standard Horizon WS50 wind instrument.  WS50 Owners Manual

Completed installation of Norcold refrigerator.  Installed into a built in cabinet.