On the way to St. Augustine

It is so great to be underway again.  We did had a valve on the dingy give up the ghost so Gary will have to replace it.  It is always the unexpected that seems to break.  The dingy is like our car so we will really have to rely on it when we arrive as we intend to stay in the mooring field.  When we visited Block Island with our friends in the Great Escape we stayed for tthe first time on a mooring ball and I loved it.  It is hard to believe old hands like us are having our first experience but we either were at dock or anchored.  I love being on anchor, it is so quiet and the nights are cool, just lovely.
I know it will take us a while to relax after all the work but we are finally done.  Enjoying the boat is like putting on a confortable pair of shoes again.  It just feels right.

Lots to see on the way

Lighthouses near Coco beach

Bridges have decorations on the supports

Great weather until afternoon storms

Hammock Beach Resort 

End of Rattlesnake Island Fort Matanzas
When we reached the bend before the inlet we encountered a shoaled area not on any maps. I had been marked with green markers and lucky Gary noticed the problem before we went aground and adjusted to the new path.  If we had only relied on instruments we would have been really aground.  The new Garmin plotter was worth its weight in gold.  Gary said we would have gone aground numerous times without it.
Fort Matanzas was a Spanish outpost made of coquina and is now a national monument.  There is a larger coquina fort in St. Augustine Castillo de San Marcos.  I am looking forward to visiting that while we are there.

Painting repairs on Green stripe done

We have been working on correcting the top of the green strip we had done in Carrabelle.  Also we had the new windows from Panama Glass installed.  Gary has been waxing and working on systems.  I have been cleaning and took out all the cushions and cleaned them with my Little Green Machine.  The outside of the boat is finished and we should be on our way next week.
Tom at Whiticar was so helpful to us on all the projects we completed at Ft. Pierce.  Even the last weeks spent in the boatyard area everyone was so pleasant to be around.



All finished and ready to go!

Tom inspecting the paint job on the green stripe

The last part

Jan is ready to go!  All finished!

We were able to spend the night out on the hook and leave the next day for the intercoastal trip to St. Augustine.  Gary has programed us in Active Captain for a 3 day trip.  I am so glad to finally be done with all the major boat projects.  We have enjoyed our time at Ft. Pierce, but most of the cruisers there think we are workacholics.  

Painting repairs on Green stripe done

We have been working on correcting the top of the green strip we had done in Carrabelle.  Also we had the new windows from Panama Glass installed.  Gary has been waxing and working on systems.  I have been cleaning and took out all the cushions and cleaned them with my Little Green Machine.  The outside of the boat is finished and we should be on our way next week.
Tom at Whiticar was so helpful to us on all the projects we completed at Ft. Pierce.  Even the last weeks spent in the boatyard area everyone was so pleasant to be around.



All finished and ready to go!

Tom inspecting the paint job on the green stripe

The last part

Jan is ready to go!  All finished!

We were able to spend the night out on the hook and leave the next day for the intercoastal trip to St. Augustine.  Gary has programed us in Active Captain for a 3 day trip.  I am so glad to finally be done with all the major boat projects.  We have enjoyed our time at Ft. Pierce, but most of the cruisers there think we are workacholics.  

St. Augustine and back to Ft. Pierce

We had a great flight back to Jacksonville and drove down to St. Augustine to check out marinas.  Back to serious hot weather.

Hope we will be heading here soon.  Just a few details to take care of and we will be on our way again.

Lighthouses and sights

Gary and Marc went bass fishing and Lori and I went to Mystic for our last day.  We had seen so many beautiful areas and sights.  

Mystic Seaport

Old Mystic Seaport

Beautiful weather and a great visit!

On the beach with Otto

We had a great beach day with new friends.  Our last day at Block Island.  I know why Lori loves it so much. and she has been coming for years.

Otto's Friends

Lori in a tug of war

Otto has captured another rock

We met the neatest dog at Block Island.  He had his own boat and loved to chase and chew rocks.  His owners, Rusty and Lynn, enjoyed a day with us at the beach.

Otto's World

Otto's Boat

Trip to CT, Block Island

We left on the first time Gary and I flew together.  We had both been on planes before, but in our 23 years together had never flown anywhere.  Our friends Lori and Marc invited to the New England territory to enjoy their brand of boating.  Since we had just about wore ourselves down to the bone, a week on someone else's boat seemed like a no brainer.

Just
chillin'

The girls are hovering to get a mooring ball at Block Island
This was our first time on a mooring ball, what a good night's sleep it gave us

On our way to explore Block!

Just a few boats in the harbor

At the Oars restaurant 

Beautiful weather and beaches

Beautiful boats

Had to have a Block Island hat

Had clam chowder at the old Surf Hotel

View from the Surf outside bar

The Old Coast Guard Station

Stacked Rock Beach

From the Oars we could see Great Escape

Beautiful cottages

Settlers Rock