Misc. stuff in May

May 14 ... destination:  Titusville, Florida, for the final launch of the space shuttle, Atlantis.  This has long been a dream for Dan ... he had viewed a launch from Orlando several years ago (too far away); we had planned to see the Feb 8, 2010 launch from our boat (but our boat was still in the boatyard); the April 5th launch wasn't an option because it fell in the middle of a visit from our son, followed by our best friend Robert (but we did get a spectacular light show in the sky over Brunswick because it was a 6:20am launch).  That left us the May 14 launch, the July 29th launch, and the September 16th launch.  Since July and September are both in the middle of hurricane season, that left May as our best choice.  (p.s. the July launch has since been cancelled and replaced with a mid-November launch). 

We did not go by boat.  Yes, a disappointment as those were the best seats in the house ... and if we can make the November launch by boat, we just may try again ... but renting a car was the next best option.  We left Brunswick at 7am so we could arrive at Space View Park at the recommended 4-hrs before the 2:20pm launch.  There was definitely a mob of people, so it was worth it to get there so early to get a good viewing spot.  It was a sunny, breezy day so we thoroughly enjoyed having some of the view areas shaded by several palm trees. 

At about 2pm, Dan picked his preferred viewing spot ... along with several others in the under 12 crowd!

He had a great view of the launch pad. 

The whole thing was awesome to view, and I think the most memorable part was the 20 second delay before the thunderous noise from the launch crossed the 12 miles from the launch pad, across the river to the park. It was just incredible to see the shuttle up in the sky ... and then hear the power of the lift off 20 seconds later.  What an accomplishment of man!  My dad worked on the space shuttle at the end of his career as an aeronautical engineer ... and even though he never thought it would take off, and had his doubts about the wisdom of manned space exploration, I'm sure he would have been awed!

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the St. Augustine/Jacksonville area, cruising by the excessive displays of wealth in the homes along the Ponte Verde beach and Sawgrass golf course, and stocking up on Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers - Original flavor- which are not sold in Georgia.  It took a few stops to find 3 cases, but we are now provisioned for our trip north!

Back at the marina ...

I think only other boaters who cruise full-time can fully appreciate the toll that sun and saltwater take on a boat.  The "to-do" list is never ending, and the convenience of working on a boat while at dock means that's what everyone is doing most of the day!  The plus side is that advice is readily available from the sailor on the next boat ... and since we are meeting people who have been cruising for 15 years, they have an answer for just about everything! 

We're learning that it takes the first year on a new boat to fully get outfitted.  There are the improvements we want to make as well as the repairs that need to be made from the previous owner (remember our blog about replacing the holding tank!).  One of Dan's many projects was to inspect the anchor chain ... a key part to successful cruising as we prefer to anchor out whenever possible.  He laid the full chain out on the dock and marked the lengths with spray paint so we could tell how much line has run out once the anchor is dropped (very helpful when Dan says to let out 100 feet of chain!).  As usual, this project turned into a several day affair as Dan saw that a section of the rope that connects to the chain was severally chafed ... meaning that the damaged rope could easily break and leave our expensive anchor at the bottom of the anchorage!  So another chance to learn a new skill as he spliced the line and rebraided it back onto the chain. 

We also figured out what was causing our water pump to run for a couple of seconds every 4-5 hours ... very random and never when we were using water, which is when the pump is supposed to run. It turns out that our hot water heater had a very slow leak that we only discovered after moving a case of beer that had been stored in the bilge area for several weeks -- and the bottom of the case fell out!  Another learning curve to research hot water heaters, discuss installation with other boaters, place the order and wait for it's arrival. 

(a good captain always smiles when he works!)

And, of course, another opportunity for Dan to perfect his skills at working in small spaces.  As usual, he does good work!  No leaks with the new installation and a perfectly quiet water pump! With the water heater out it was also a perfect opportunity to install a bilge blower.

Varnishing teak -- Nancy's job.

Varnishing teak on a boat is another topic of lively conversation among boaters.  Everyone has a opinion -- usually based on the shape of the teak on their boat!  Those who have let the teak go natural (grey) think that is the only way to go.  They consider varnishing (or teak oil) to be a waste of time because it has to be repeated to maintain the look of the finish.  We, on the other hand, are in the crowd who believes that nothing is more rewarding or beautiful than freshly varnished teak.  And since Maja has a lot of teak, we've decided to try and keep up with it (unlike the previous owner who had obviously decided to let the exposed teak go natural).  Plus, it's one of the few boat projects I'm skilled at -- scrap, sand, varnish and repeat!  Once you get a good base, it is not that difficult to maintain ... just sand and varnish on a regular basis.  So while Dan does the less-exciting projects like change the oil, repair anchor chain, clean the bilge, I was able to complete the varnishing of the rub rails (they run along the side of the boat, accessible either by dinghy or the dock), the bowsprit (sticks out in front) and the trail board (the decorative work on the bow), along with the hand rails on the top of the boat, the bow seat, and other teak on the cabin top.  It definitely gave us something to proudly admire at the end of each work day. 

Since most other boaters are doing the same thing each day -- working and sweating in the Georgia heat -- everyone is in the mood for the same thing at the end of the day ... a cool shower and a cold beer.  It's become tradition to meet up at the Dock 10 veranda around 6pm where there is a grill, plenty of shade and a cool breeze.  There we share stories and wait for sunset.  Dock life is a lot of fun!

And thanks to visitors, dock life is not all work either. 

Our daughter, Michelle, and her new puppy, Miss Molly, showed up for a 3-day visit.

May 17, 18, 19.

Michelle completed her Masters degree in Public Policy from the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota on May 6.  Instead of waiting in Minneapolis for graduation on May 15 (where she would have learned that her final group project won a cash award as the best project in her class!! you go girl!), she and Molly jumped in her Prius and headed off the Savannah, where her boyfriend, Craig, lives.  Craig's place was also our home-away-from-Brunswick during the cold weeks of January while the boat was in the boatyard.   Craig will deploy to Afghanistan in early July, so they will return to Minnesota on June 4 for his 3-week leave in Minnesota with family and friends. Since Craig was away at a training course, Michelle came down to stay with us.

Michelle and Craig

We never could quite understand why people would have dogs and cats on a boat -- it seemed like such a major inconvenience.  But we definitely got a taste of the fun having a pet onboard with Molly!  She really took well to the sailing life -- mastering the art of going down the companionway steps without falling the whole way, hopping up in the cockpit seats, sleeping on her spot in the berth, and waiting for help to get from the boat to the dock.  Plus, she made a huge fan club of the rest of the boaters on our dock ... who could ask for more from any visitor!

Michelle's visit also gave us a good reason to take a day off and go to the beach.  Molly had yet to be introduced to water, so we were curious to see her reaction to the ocean.

She definitely preferred digging in the sand to the Atlantic ... something about the waves and salt water just didn't agree with her.  But is was a beautiful day at Jekyll Island all the same.

After Michelle returned to Savannah, we returned to our usual routine of boat projects, dock get-togethers and meeting with other boaters to plot our course north on the cruising charts.  So far, we've mapped a course as far as Wrightsville Beach, NC.  We hope the weather and wind cooperate so we can have a mix of offshore sailing and navigating the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW).  The ICW can be tricky and tedious as you must navigate carefully between buoys, always mindful of the depth as the rivers shoal up rapidly due to the current, and less is being spent on dregging by the the Army Corp of Engineers all the time.  But without traversing the ICW, we'll miss seeing delightful towns like Beaufort SC and Oriental NC. 

It's all an adventure, and we'll only know what it's really like after we try it. 

One last sailing trip with Michelle and Craig ... then we are off to Savannah to spend some time at their air-conditioned place!

Little Miss Molly has really taken to the sailing life!

What do you do when you have more brats than buns?

Dolphin watching ...

Captain Dan

Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island, Florida. Shrimp Festival 2010

Thursday, April 29 - Monday, May 3.

Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida.  What a treat!  I'm glad we did not miss it.  We figured we would stay one nite, explore the town and then head back "home" (aka Brunswick Landing Marina ... where everyone knows our name!).

However, little did we know that we arrived just in time for the 47th Annual Shrimp Festival, held the first weekend in May!  And, they have a mooring field, which is a little slice of heaven for boaters!  A mooring field is an area of floating balls which are securely anchored.  For $15/nite, you tie a mooring ball to your boat and sleep easy, knowing that your anchor is not going to drag ... and that no one else is going to drag their boat into yours!  Plus, you get use of the boating lounge plus restroom and showers, which was an added bonus since the population of Fernandina Beach swells by about 100K people during the shrimp festival.  No porta-potties for us!  Dockage in the marina was completely booked because of the festival, and rates for the weekend were increased from the usual $1.50/ft to $3.50/ft (for us, that would mean $140/nite -- or $165/nite if they count our 5ft bowsprit).  Ouch!  Loving our mooring ball!

Maja ... secure on a mooring ball for 4 days.

The Shrimp Festival started Friday evening with a HUGE parade (eat your heart out Savannah!).  Pirates are a key part of the history in these waters, so the pirate theme was everywhere.  There were pirate boat floats, pirate cannons, pirate costumes, plus the usual assortment of antique cars and cute little girls performing their latest dance recital.

Crowded yes ... and I don't even like shrimp ... but it was a blast!  We found a restauant with the best pulled pork sandwiches (Happy Tomato Cafe), and Dan finally got to eat his FILL of shrimp!  By now, we'd had several Grouper sandwiches, but he was still yearning for an abundant amount of shrimp.  So he got to sample fried shrimp, cajun shrimp, rock shrimp, and one of his favorites, a shrimp twister (think tortilla, filled with fresh shrimp, lettuce, remoulade dressing ...).

We got to enjoy the best parts of land and sea.  Every day, we started out with a pleasant cup of coffee and breakfast on our boat, then we'd dinghy into the festival, until the hottest part of the afternoon when we'd return to Maja where there was always a cool breeze on the deck, and then we'd head back ashore for one last ice cream cone and shrimp treat before sunset. They had a fabulous fireworks show, and we had the best seat in the house, on the bow of our boat!  We even managed to get back on the boat before the rain started.

We've mastered the art of raising and securing both the dinghy and motor onto the back of our boat.  Captain Dan has a great system, and yes, I'm strong enough to not disappoint him.  I think we've just saved $500 by not needing to buy a motor lift system!  The 15 horsepower motor is a heavy sucker, but, boy does she run!  Dan was able to hit 22+ mph getting the dinghy up on plane!  Man, we were flying!

Our weather window for returning to Brunswick was either Monday or Thursday, so we took Monday.  We dropped the mooring ball at sunrise and headed offshore about 12 miles for the 40 mile return sail.  After a rough start with rolling 5ft swells (think being tossed repeatedly side to side to side for 2+ hours ...I think I could puke)... we settled into a beautiful downwind sail all the way to the channel leading into Brunswick, dropping our sails just off the St. Simons lighthouse.  Blue skies, 15-20 knot winds, rolling 4-5 ft swells, coming from behind the boat, so they would gently roll up and under our stern.  No problems here.

And of course, the best part -- arriving back home ... where we had 3 dock mates on the dock ready to take our lines.  Ahh, life is good!  And after our first 2-week extended sailing cruise away from Brunswick, we still like this full-time cruising  (esp. when I hear from my favorite Mayo co-worker, Kate, who is now a big-time lawyer for Boston Scientific as she rushes to catch one plane after another as she travels for work!  MISS YOU KATE!).

Next stop:  We'll wait in Brunswick for boat parts and then we aim to catch the shuttle launch on May 14.  However, we've decided to rent a car and drive instead of take the boat!  Much easier (a 3.5 hr drive instead of a 5-day cruise) .... and cheaper (considering the cost of diesel).  By then, Michelle should be in Savannah, and that will be our next port of call.

Honey ... is that smoke coming from the engine?

Tuesday, April 27.
We left Cumberland Island at 7:30 a.m. so we could have a smooth motor the 8 miles over to St Marys before the high winds picked up again.  When we were about 500 yards from the anchorage, I went into the cabin to get the cruising guide to help us pick out the best spot.  Coming back up the companion-way steps to the cockpit, I noticed something I hadn't seen before. 

"Ah, honey, I think there's smoke coming from the engine ..."

To his credit, Dan never ignores my comments, even though his face was a tad skeptical as he came down below to inspect.  One peek into the engine room and all that changed!  Stop the motor.  Drop the anchor.  Call TowBoat US. I'm sure that part of the ritual of a shake-down cruise is to experience a little bit of everything that makes up the cruising life. So, today we learned that we can survive an emergency breakdown ... just stop the engine, drop the anchor and call TowBoat US!

Ritch was there in 15 minutes!  Our new best friend!

By the time the tow boat had arrived, Dan had figured out that it wasn't smoke that I saw, but a fine mist of diesel fuel that was spraying over the hot engine from a broken fuel line.  (all together now:  YUCK!).  Dan had replaced all the fuel hoses back in February, but this was a steel line that you really don't replace until it fails.

Even though it took my heart some time to get back to a regular rhythm, we were able to congratulate ourselves that we didn't panic (aka: start screaming and prepare to jump overboard!) ... and that we had great weather and a great spot to manage a breakdown.  Ritch (the tow boat captain) was impressed that we had the foresight to purchase unlimited tow insurance (most people don't do that until they experience their first bill for a tow) and that Dan had secured the boat, contacted the Coast Guard (since we were anchored in the channel, where you aren't supposed to anchor), and notiifed St Mary's Marina that we were coming into the dock, under tow.

Nate -- another new best friend!  The dock space at the marina was full, so Nate gave us the spot usually reserved for the marina's charter sport fishing boat.  He also drove Dan over to Big As Auto Parts to check on repairing the part (too busy to help us today), and so he hooked Dan up with the marina mechanic who who had some ideas about repairing the part.   

Meanwhile, Dan got on the internet and phone and started calling places that serviced Westerbeke marine engines.  He got lots of helpful advice, but also learned that the part was no longer available (naturally) and they'd have to make one for us (nice of them) but it will take around 10-12 days (gulp!).  With our hopes riding on David Lang, at the marina, to repair the part well enough to get us back to Brunswick, we set about cleaning up the diesel mess in our engine (one more time:  YUCK!).  It was everywhere, and boy did it stink.  Once again, the internet came to our rescue (what did people do before Al Gore invented this thing :) We learned from a sailing web site that a mix of vinegar and Listerine worked magic at removing diesel smell.  Well, we just happened to have both those ingredients, so I sprayed and wiped every surface and sprayed some more, until we couldn't decide if smelling Listerine/vinegar was better or worse than diesel ...

So.... we decided it was time for a tour of St Marys!

VERY cute town. Full of historic homes, quaint shops and restaurants.

Other than blowing our budget by enjoying the restaurants, shopping, and staying at the marina ($40/nite), we didn't mind our stay at St Marys at all! 

Wednesday, April 28.

We got the repaired fuel line back from David, but the brazing just didn't hold, so off to Plan B.  This meant  walking the 2 miles to the the Big A Auto Parts store where they had the equipment to do some serious welding.  (Funny thing about these small towns -- no public transportation!  Even a cab ride required a 24-hr advance reservation!).  After several calls to our friends at the Brunswick boatyard, Dan had reassembled the fuel line, and after preparing the boat for emergency evacuation in case of instant fire, I turned on the engine while Dan watched from the engine room.  So far so good.  We let the engine run for about an hour, and except for the diesel fuel that continued to steam from the engine, the repaired part held just fine (all together now:  WHEW! !)

Thursday, April 29. 

The day started with a serious debate about where to go next.  Should we high-tail it back to Brunswick where we could safely tie up at our slip and wait for the new part to arrive? Or should we continue on with our original plan to visit Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island?  What the hell -- since we already knew the tow boat captain (who's based in Fernandina Beach), we decided to head there, figuring that if we had another breakdown, we'd know the course to follow!

All systems go, and it was an uneventful motor the 8 miles over to Fernandina Beach across the St. Marys River in Florida.  Ahhh....arrivals are always the best part!

Anchored at Cumberland Island - April 20-25

Thursday, April 20.
Ahhh... nothing beats returning to a place you've been too before!  Such comfort in knowing what you are getting yourself into as you plot your position on the charts, turn into a channel, cruise thru a jetty, approach an anchorage, hunt for the dingy dock!

It was a beautiful day to be on the water.  We left the marina at sunrise to take advantage of the outgoing tide (which gave us almost a 2knot boost as we left the channel).  It was a sunny day but not too hot ... lots of sea life to keep us entertained.  We're not sure when dolphin sightings will stop being such a thrill, but for now, they still get us up on our feet, moving to the side of the boat that offers the best view.  It is especially nice when they are travelling in groups of 3 and 4 dolphins.  We also saw several sea turtles (they look just like a large blog of debris floating on the surface) and TONS of sting rays, in betweens stretches of jellyfish .  These guys definitely prefer the company of their own kind as we always saw them dancing along under the surface in groups of 4-6 rays.  Quite impressive.

The winds were very light (~5 knots) so we learned the advantages of motor-sailing as we made the trip to Cumberland in about 6 hours (vs. 9-10hrs!).  Dropping anchor in the middle of the afternoon gave us plenty of time to get the dingy in the water and mix up our favorite rum drinks before sunset (did I mention more dolphins at play in the anchorage?).  Definitely a good day!

There's Maja at anchor (in the middle)

See the wild horse on shore?

Except for worrying about power, living at anchor is definitely one of our favorite things to do.  It is so peaceful and quiet ... always a steady breeze to keep you cool and the damn bugs away ... private but not isolated as there are other boats nearby ... many advantages to not being in a marina (except for the ease of plugging into shore power!).

Friday/Saturday

Cumberland Island is such a beautiful spot ... we hope to make this visit a regular thing.  Huge oak trees; lots of hanging spanish moss; lots of history.  We anchor in the Cumberland Sound, and the ocean is a short .5mile walk on the other side of the island.

Sunday.

We planned this trip to Cumberland to catch the tour of the Plum Orchard mansion, one of the original  Carnegie mansions. This tour is only offered 2x/month.

The Thomas and Catherine Carnegie family owned the island for years before donating it to the national park service.  About 90% of the island is now in the park service.  It's quite impressive what money could buy, and build, in the late 1800's!  Plum Orchard was built for $50,000 over a period of 10 years, complete with indoor swimming pool, squash court, elevator, power plant... huge mansions so that guests who would travel to the island from New England (and stay for months) would have all the conveniences they had grown accustomed (I mean, really, if formal dress at dinner is required, you just gotta have a beauty salon on site after a day at the beach!).  The servants had separate stairs and quarters at the back of the mansion so they never mixed with the guests.  Glass door knobs for the guests, metal door knobs for the staff side. 

(Dano in red jacket).

Each child was given a house on the island; some are still in private use and some are available to see.

Monday.

We had originally planned to leave Cumberland Island today, but the high winds that built up over the weekend (25-30 knots) convinced us to linger on. We knew that cruising timelines had to be flexible due to the weather, and so far, we've had no problem with that kind of flexibility!

This extra day gave us the chance to hike the 2 miles down to "Dungeness", another one of the main residences.  (Built on the grounds of Nathaniel Greens's family estate).  As you can tell, however, this one did not age well.  Fire in the 1950's has left nothing but ruins that the park service has been able to maintain.  You can still see remains of the beautiful gardens, the polo field, the ice house, pool, servants quarters, etc etc.)  The tour did not include going inside the actual ruins themselves ... probably due to all the rattlesnakes and the propped up walls! ("highly unstable" is the term the tour guide used!)

500 year old oak tree.

And, of course, the wild horses, which the are famous on the island.  We hadn't seen more than one from our boat, so the trip down to Dungeness really paid off.  We had been on a major search for them so I could take pictures for Marianne Hockema -- and now she's in our blog! 

There is one residence, Greyfield Inn, that is operated as a private business and open to the public. John Kennedy Jr was married on Cumberland Island at the First Baptist Church and had his wedding reception at Greyfield Inn.  It was a beautiful hike to view the grounds.

However, we only got this far! We almost made it inside as my cousin Sarah, and husband Ian, had reservations at Greyfield in March, and we would have joined them ... but alas, a huge storm toppled a tree onto their home and they had to change plans. Maybe in September ...

The winds are predicted to drop a bit (20-25knots) over the next few days.  Since our next stop is St. Marys, Georgia, which is only about 8 miles down river from where we are now, we decided to stow the dinghy and make an early morning run over the St Marys (which should be around 1.5 hrs under motor).