Florida USA

St. Augustine    29:53.138 N  81:19.326. W   Distance sailed 167 miles.

Tuesday April 15th was a day of light wind and rain and also a day of rest for us. For safety I joined TowBoatUS, 149 dollars for a year. There are 10% discounts on most marinas when you are a member. Harbour Town Marina is first class and directed us to a Propane gas supplier as our last Butane European gas bottle had just run out with perfect timing. On Wednesday Anne and I took a taxi and bought 2 bottles, gas and a regulator. Everything worked fine when fitted although the gas is not as hot in the cooker as Butane. We also went to Walmart nearby for a look and Anne bought a new travel bag for going home. We had an amazing thunder and lightning display during the evening which thankfully was out at sea. The weather has been unsettled since we left Cuba and headed North a month ago. On Thursday a gap in the rain allowed us provision from an excellent supermarket within walking distance with a ship chandlers next door where I bought the paper charts for the ICW to Norfolk Virginia. On Friday and Saturday we sheltered aboard from heavy rain, thunder and lightning. Ducked out to the marina restaurant a couple of times for lunch.

Easter Sunday dawned cloudy and cold with a 15/20 knot north wind which would be on the nose. Up at 06.00 to be sure of floating out of the berth and paid dues at 07.00 when the office opened. Tried to empty the holding tank but were unable to do so. Arrived at Melbourne in early afternoon and took a berth as I was hoping to have my traditional Easter Spring leg of lamb for dinner. I did manage to have rack of lamb which was a special for the day on the menu in the marina restaurant. Very well cooked, beautifully rare/blue. Anne had mahi-mahi. On Easter Monday Shelduck had a short passage of 36 miles to Titusville from where we planned to visit the Kennedy Space Centre. Anne enjoyed taking Shelduck through the NASA Causeway Bridge at Addison Point, when it was open, of course. Motoring again with a 20 Knot cold north wind in the very narrow Intra Coastal Waterway.

Arrived at Titusville early afternoon and first went to the fuel dock which had timber piles with no protection on the piles. Shelduck was lucky to have the best marina person she had met in over 6000 miles from Cascais attending to her. A recently retired policeman who himself had sailed part away across the Pacific. To get away quickly I decided to fill only the cans on deck and with his help got off the piles undamaged. Checked in and booked for the Space Centre. 30 dollars, for an 18 seat small bus, there and back. Two others joined us so it was only 7.50 dollars each. Fantastic value for nearly an hours driving each way. Our driver was the retired policeman. We left the marina at 09.00 and he collected us at the space centre at 16.30. On the way back he stopped at a supermarket for 20 minutes to let us provision. The Kennedy Space Centre is well worth a visit, entry 47 dollars per person, great to see the launch sites first hand. The development of US rockets are on display in the Rocket Garden. They looked smaller to me than I expected. The Rocket  that enabled the journey to the moon, which is huge,  and the moon landing craft are together in one building and the Space Shuttle in another. 

That evening I noticed on IGRIB weather on my phone that another storm was developing out of the Mid West just north of the Gulf of Mexico.

Each time we move location I have to remember to telephone Homeland Security to report our position. They give me what they call a Delta number to confirm that we have called in if we are stopped by an officer at sea. Mostly nice people when I ring them with my cruising license number.

Wednesday 23rd Shelduck had an easy passage to Datona where we anchored for the night in very quiet conditions. Next day we started early for the 48 mile passage to St. Augustine. The second half was difficult as we rounded bends in the Matanzas River and touched bottom a couple of times for moments when following the Magenta line on the chart plotter. Only way to go in the ICW is to follow the Navigation marks which are sometimes not on both sides of the channel. I had difficulty finding the Rivers Edge marina in the San Sebastian River and momentarily went aground again while trying but were docked there by 17.00. A good floating dock with a Dock Master called Paul Walsh. St Augustine is a beautiful city which claims to be the first city in the USA. It was founded in 1565 as a Spanish military outpost and is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement. Many superb examples of 19th century Spanish Renaissance architecture can be seen, most still in private ownnership.