There are Rules

Found this link off Cruiser's Net. It's about the state of the anchorage in St. Augustine, and a public meeting about the issue.

Quote:

Among the plan’s goals are a management system determining where boats may anchor safely, requiring that live-aboard vessels properly dispose of waste, addressing the issue of derelict boats, and ultimately encouraging responsible boating and increased public accessibility to the water.

I'm not a big fan of rules and regulations. And I'm sure that whatever the government officials decide, will make it more of a hassle to visit St. A. (Hey, they already charge $10/day for their dinghy dock.)

But I agree that they have to do something. It's just out of control with the number of boats that have been "parked" there. It's unfortunate that the St. Augustine sailing community couldn't find a way to police themselves.

Fear

I awoke this morning expecting to do a 60 mile jaunt down to Daytona Beach. The wind was still blowing hard, but the weather service predicted that it would abate. I read a comment from Bill that it would be a better decision to go on the inside. I motored out of Salt Run and past the St. Augustine inlet. The wind was still blowing hard and I could see breakers out in the ocean. I decided to stay on the inside.

It was a decision I soon regretted. I don't blame anyone but myself. I'm the captain and take responsibility for my decisions. I've made good ones and bad ones. But the one's I've regretted, are the ones I've made out of fear.

I don't regret taking the boat across Mobjack Bay in November and destroying the rudder. The boat and I are both stronger for it. Well, at least the boat is, with the new rudders. However, I wouldn't take the boat out in those conditions again.

I'm writing this while sitting in Matanzas Inlet, after only making a few miles today, a lot of it under motor. There's a nice gentle breeze blowing, and I long to be out on the ocean right now. Instead tomorrow, I have a 25 mile motor through the ditch to the next anchorage.

I'm not angry about it. Just resigned. And I've promised myself that if I find a good weather window, in the future I will take it to sail. I promise that there will be a s*** load of sailing on the way back north.

Pic is a fish I caught today. It's the first fish I've caught on this trip. At least I can console myself with that. Also, I did work some bugs out of the stripped down Nautig. I think my heading should be displayed correctly, and the sailboat icon should move along as my position changes. These are things that I could only work on while underway.

Poet Laureate

On the occasion of our sail from St. Augustine to Daytona Beach, our resident Poet Laureate Buffy has written a few haikus.

Like any good vessel
I am easy to handle
If the wind blows right.

On frigid mornings
Grampa is the hero
as propane burns bright.

Our Captain Glad,
as a superhero should,
looks great in spandex.

One more sleepless night
Strong winds blow. Looks like we need
another anchor.


And Buffy says I can add the limerick that I wrote in response to her first poem.

There was a good girl from Yar
You could sail with her fast and far
She was easy to handle
Bright as a candle
And in her bikini she was the star.

Come Sail Away

I've been working on a rewrite of NautiG. The present version has become a bit bulky and slow. I've got a stripped down, simplified version in the sidebar now. If you click on "Enlarge", it will take you to a version where you can zoom in and see gps info. I wanted to get something up there for tomorrow's sail.

Tomorrow we're going to Daytona Beach. It's a long way. 60 miles or so. It will be a personal distance record. I imagine we'll reach Daytona sometime on Friday. There are no inlets along the way, so if we anchor it will be in the ocean. Winds tomorrow are predicted northerly 10-15 knots.

I'll try to keep the gps and webcam online. But if they aren't, don't worry. I'm fine. Hope you enjoy the ride!

Triathlon

Moved over to a St. Augustine anchorage in Salt Run. This place is much more my speed. The beach is yards away. This morning I kayaked ashore, did a morning jog on the beach, and then a swim in the ocean (in my Captain Glad Outfit).

There's a public boat ramp where later I went ashore on the town side and picked up some supplies. Boat ramps have been a real godsend on this trip. With my draft, I can often tie up to offload my bike or weather a blow. I should have been here and done that earlier. I could have easily biked to downtown St. A for any adventures. Today, I kayaked over and some nice folks at the yacht club let me fill up some water jugs.

Per Grampa's comment on the last post, there has been some brief wicked wind today. More is coming soon. Maybe I'll see a tornado. I'm tied up to a mooring, and I have my new anchor out.

Pic is a dead manta ray. I encountered one every hundred yards or so along the beach this morning. Not sure what that's about.

Dirty Laundry

It's now been nearly a month since I've paid for a night at a marina. Marinas are expensive on a nightly basis. They generally cost $1.50-$2.00 a foot. My boat is 30 foot long, so you do the math. Some folks have suggested that I'd run into hassles with the beam (width) of a catamaran, and needing a larger slip. But I haven't had any problem. My Gemini only has a 14 foot beam and if I were hassled, I'd just go to the next marina.

You don't get much of a price break for staying at a marina for a week. Three weeks on the hook, and a week at a marina would be ideal for me, but it's too expensive. You do get a pretty good break for a month's stay. It's only slightly more expensive than spending a week. Staying in Hilton Head for a month was about the cost of rent on a studio apartment in Fells Point.

But anyway, being on the hook for an extended period of time leads to a lot of issues that on land you take for granted. Among them are drinking water, sewage and laundry. I'll address drinking water and sewage later. They deserve their own posts.

I tried doing some laundry at anchor. Pic is my socks drying. I haven't perfected the process yet. I may still stink, but there is no one aboard to complain about it.

Rescue

YouTube video of the rescue of the sailors mentioned earlier:



Baltimore Sun Story
Sailnet Forum Discussion

3/1/08 additional video added.

Captain Sunshine

It's warm and sunny here. Though with a cool breeze off the water, it's still comfortable.