4/23/2012 TO 4/29/2013 OUR LAST DAYS IN FLORIDA

                What is it about Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart that keeps us there so long?  OK, so the facility is nice, the staff superb and it is close to everything, but still????  We have been here almost a month again!  Well, no more.  Quest finally severed the ties and headed north today!  

             

              After bidding Stuart farewell around noon on Wednesday we took the St. Lucie River to the ICW and headed north to pass by Jensen Beach, Fort Pierce and Vero Beach before coming to rest for the night at an anchorage just north of Sebastian.   Oh how peaceful!! 

SO LONG SUNSET BAY MARINA

                We are really back in the midst of the ICW now with tows and their barges working the waterway, fishermen trying out their luck, an occasional wake-boarder, fast boats zooming by and the ever present cruisers.  Now many of those cruisers, just like us, are heading north for the summer but some are just now making their way south to cross over to the Bahamas for the calm summer months.  Calm, that is, unless a hurricane decides to pay the lovely islands a visit.

COMMERCE ON THE ICW

                Thursday was a stunningly beautiful day on the water.  Today we sailed right on by Melbourne, Eau Gallie, Cocoa Beach and the Cape Canaveral area, Titusville and New Smyrna while making our way to anchor in Daytona.

CERULEAN SKY SALTED WITH FLUFFY COTTON CLOUDS

                We were entertained throughout the day by sporadic visits from the local dolphin.  Some were eager to perform for us while others shyly surfed in our wake.  I don’t think I will ever tire of their childish antics.

I  NEVER TIRE OF WATCHING THE  DOLPHIN PLAY IN THE WATER

                In Haulover Canal, where we saw numerous surfacing manatee while traveling south last fall, we were not rewarded with much of a show this time.  While we could see their hulking forms low in the water, nary a one came face-up to greet us.   Maybe next time. 

HAULOVER CANAL AND BRIDGE

                Our big prize of the day was witnessing Tug America transporting the last gigantic orange fuel tank, nose cone and transport vehicle used on the now retired space shuttle.  The tows and barge created quite a stir as they hunkered down under the 65’ Harris Saxon Bridge in New Smyrna while waiting for the tide to come in for a deeper channel.    The final destination will be the Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum at the Keystone Heights Airport in Starke, FL.  The final leg of their journey will be a 55 mile overland trek which will make it the largest aviation article transported over land since the Spruce Goose.   What a cool thing to see!

YOU CAN SEE THE TRANSPORT VEHICLE RIGHT BEHIND THE TOW AND
THE NOSE CONE IS COVERED WITH A BLUE TARP

LOOKING BACK AT THE FUEL TANK

               Thursday was a long day; I mean a really long day.  We pulled up the anchor in Daytona at around 7:15, traveled 101 NM and were lucky enough to have someone still at the Fernandina Harbor Marina to grab our liens at around 8:15 PM.  Talk about 0’dark: 30!!  Let me tell you, I do so much prefer leaving in the dark over arriving somewhere in the dark.

                During that 100 mile trek we glimpsed Fort Matanzas that was constructed in the early 1740s.  The Spanish that inhabited the area used the local coquina, a common shellstone building material, to fabricate this stronghold to protect their hold on the area.

FORT MATANZAS

                So we sailed right past St. Augustine and Jacksonville Beach and found ourselves perhaps within striking distance of Fernandina.  With the sun dropping below the western horizon, Quest pushed on.  Finally we rounded a sweeping curve and saw the lights beginning to blink on as we approached Fernandina Harbor Marina.  We hadn't expected to find such a crowded dock but found a place to tie up on the fuel dock for the night.  The American Cruise Line’s Independence had a good portion of the area taken up and later we found that the Motor Trawlers of America (MTOA) had just had a rendezvous here and many of the boats extended their stay.  We were lucky to find a space!  However, bright and early Saturday morning Quest was moving from the fuel dock (making space for them numerous vessels that stop here to feed their hungry boats) to a newly vacated space on down the dock.

NOT THERE YET AND THE SUN IS SINKING ON THE WESTERN  HORIZON

YEP, IT'S DARK ON THE FERNANDINA DOCK BUT THE
INDEPENDENCE RIVER CRUISE SHIP I S WELL  LIT

                It just so happens that this was also the day scheduled for Fernandina’s 50^th Annual Shrimp Festival Parade.  Talk about timing!  I think we must have seen shrimp depicted in just about every way possible, along with a few pirates and wenches, the usual fire trucks and marchers from every organization in town.  What a hoot!  Evening found us at the Amelia Community Theater watching the closing performance of the uproariously funny Lend Me a Tenor.

THE 50TH ANNUAL FERNANDINA SHRIMP FESTIVAL PARADE

                Monday morning we severed our ties to Florida when we left the marina, visited Port Consolidated for a fuel “fill up” then entered Georgia.

3/28/2013 TO 4/23/2013 OUR TIME IN STUART

STUART AND BEYOND

                Holy cow, almost a month in Stuart!  Dan made his trip for work in Michigan then joined Mark, Jay and Steven in Minnesota for meetings and a wood pellet convention.  He then flew back to Vermont for additional meetings and a visit to the site of the factory and property we are in the process of buying to start the new wood pellet venture. 

                My big ventures included the 10 hour drive to Greenville, SC to visit with Barbara and Richard Feingold and see their new home.  We had a great time, gabbed about everything under the sun, enjoyed Richard’s great cooking and got a good tour of their town.  Barbara was ready for her scheduled hip replacement and now, two week later, she is getting around just fine without the walker.  Good girl!

BARBARA AND I ON THE RIVER WALK IN GREENVILLE

                I also flew to Burlington for a day’s visit with Robert before catching up with Dan for a stop in NYC to see our friend, Dawn Cantwell (http://fueonstage.com/dawncantwell/) perform off Broadway in F#%king Up Everything.  Go Dawn!

                Back in Stuart we had a visit from our Vermont friend Jack (Little Harry’s) and part of his family.  His boys, Macgregor and Ryan, were joining him to visit their grandparents in their winter retreat in Del Ray.  Everyone came aboard for a lovely Sunday afternoon jaunt on Quest then the boys took the tender out for a little exploring.  Grandmother was a wreck until they returned safely.

DAN AND JACK GIVE A FEW INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SETTING THE BOYS FREE 

GRANDMOTHER WAS SOOOOOOO HAPPY TO SEE THE BOYS FINALLY RETURN 

Quest got her bottom scrubbed and the zincs changed by a diver, the air conditioners were serviced and the V-berth unit repaired, Dan fixed the upper refrigerator that suddenly ceased to work and provisions for our journey north were stocked. 

DAN WORKS HIS MAGIC AND, PRESTO, I AGAIN HAVE A WORK REFRIGERATOR

Quest is ready to move on!!!! 

MAKING OUR WAY TO REST IN STUART FOR A WHILE

3-25-13 TO 3-31-2013 FORT LAUDERDALE TO STUART

        With the Sony Tennis Tournament taking place in Kay Biscayne, Dan found that Sam was playing on Tuesday afternoon.  Garth and Kathy drove down from Stuart, picked us up and off we went to watch Sam play.  We didn't bring him any good luck but it was fun to be there.

SAM SERVES A FAST ONE

                Tuesday morning found Quest back traveling in the ICW and heading north.  With 20 bridges in our path it was an extremely slow day.  We were lucky to get into the proper groove and very seldom had to wait more than a few minutes for a bridge opening.  A few of the larger bridges we are able to pass right under and the Lantana Bridge is dismantled and open while they are working on a new bridge.

                Boy is this Southern Florida the place to find the “Big Boys”.  We found Spielberg’s 7 Seas, Pegasus that we saw in the Exumas along with numerous other huge yachts.  The beautiful 122’ Mariner III was a sight to see.  This classic motor yacht was built in 1926 and has been used in Ralph Lauren and Maybelline magazine commercials.  She has accommodated many famous guests like Jimmy Buffet, Bruce Willis and the Rockefellers to name just a few.  You can check her out at www.mariner3.com

SOME OF THE BIG BOYS

THE CLASSIC MARINER III

      

                Funny the things you see on the water in Palm Beach.  The floating snack bar and patio boat complete with slide were a new sight for me.  The old house being moved was just the frosting on the cake.

OH THE SIGHTS WE SEE!

                Lake Worth was our anchorage for the night and proved to be, again, calm and quiet.  We found Tiger Wood’s yacht, Privacy, is still docked at the Old Port Cove Marina and a Vermont sailboat in the anchorage.

TIGER'S PRIVACY

SAILBOAT FROM COLCHESTER, VT

                Wednesday Quest continues her way north, again passing under many bridges we finally made our way into the Saint Lucie River and found our slip at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart.  You may recall that we spent about a month here before leaving for Bimini at the end of last year.  Garth and Kathy on Algonquin are here and we also, finally, met Gene and Ginny Browning on Free to B.  They were doing the Great Loop when we stayed in their permanent space at the Chipman Point Marina on Lake Champlain during the summer of 2011.  They are headed back up to their home base next week and we hope to see them there sometime this summer.

THE OLD ROOSEVELT OPENS TO WELCOME US TO STUART AND SUNSET BAY MARINA

GENE AND GINNY ON FREE TO B

          Easter Sunday found not one hidden egg, yellow Peep or colorful jellybean on Quest!  We did, however, find a great place to watch a group of manatees. For all of those who follow, take Indian Road to the little Whittaker Bridge and see what you can find.  These slow moving herbivores average about 850 to 1,200 lbs and 9 to 10' in length.  They spend their time sleeping  or grazing in shallow waters, surfacing for air regularly.  They are truly spectacular creatures, almost like modern day dinosaurs.

A MANATEE IS ALSO CALLED A SEA COW

THIS PAIR NEARS AS THEY FLOAT UNDER THE BRIDGE

        Things will be quiet on the Quest for the  next two weeks but I will update when we resume our journey north.  Hope you all had a great Easter and that Spring is beginning to make her colorful presence known.