Just as well the pontoon posts at this end are concrete and we were well tucked in or we could have easily lost the stern platform or worse – the back couple of feet of Beez. Bad to the Bone had to do some stealthy maneuvering to gain control. The surface of the water suddenly became a washing machine on rinse cycle. Soon all was quiet and we could slip away, unnoticed except for a dinghy who came at speed to take, of all things, our photograph. The man loved the girls stripy accessories and thought he had met us before in Marathon – Nope. But we smiled sweetly and waved.

Our final look at St Augustine and the Bridge of Lions. This whole area is now devoted to mooring buoys; the city is one of the chosen to “try to abolish anchoring”, we know Titusville is another in the trial. Official reports will be in a few months as to what it has done for the economy, litter, pollution etc. Personally, we feel its not the yachties that councils have to be concerned about.

We could see our first fixed bridge not to far off, so we settled into this forty seven mile journey, Bear first watch. The steering is very heavy, I’m convinced something has got wrapped around on something below. Still that meant that Beez did a perfect straight line backwards out of the slip. 

My northbound nemesis was Matanzas Inlet, I had hoped we would get here on Bear’s watch but I got caught. At this green buoy I managed at 1.4 metres below me, far better than the zero reading I got last time. Well it actually happened because a local in a catamaran had pushed me too far over in the channel and our GPS clock was five hours out and we got here at super low tide. I should mention the sharp turn right, head directly to the beach until you can almost touch it, then a sharp left just beyond the green. I held my steely nerve and had ultra support from the skipper – I wish you could hear what I was hearing, eventually he snored so loud he woke himself up with a jump !!! 

Passing Fort Matanzas complete with tourists - Bear wondered if we could salvage what he thought could become his very own life size cannon. See a dangerous look cross Pepe’s face as she see a piece of rusty pipe.

Have you ever seen anyone unhook a gaff with that speed and wield it like a lance.

Bear has, as he retreated swiftly, muttering something about his trigger finger was quite itchy and you don’t understand

At this point the said digit is likely to be unceremoniously removed without anesthetic.

Hide Bear, Hide

Pepe soon regained her equilibrium with the help of some little friends

Nice to see a couple of properties finished, (we had seen them going north as shells). A girl we remembered – today – wash day

More memories, lunch and an oops

Safely anchored by twenty past six, time for supper and a game or two as dusk fell

ALL IN ALL A FUN DAY

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