Captain Richard's Musings and Other Things

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...

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.  

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. 

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.  

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.  

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 46 505 N 080 20 235 W.

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.  

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.  

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

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.