Journey's End: St. Marys

Jacksonville Beach was our last stop before St. Marys, Georgia. On gaining the St. John's River we decided to enter the Atlantic once again, as a south wind was predicted. But lo, once again the weatherman was wrong, so we mostly motored the last leg north. At about 1700 (5 p,m.) we docked at Lang's Marina, St. Marys, and that night we celebrated Jeff's 40th birthday to the accompaniment of a huge lightening and rain storm. One bolt even landed near us in the bay!

The following late morning we made our way up the North River to the St. Marys Boat Service to coincide with a noon high tide, and turned the boat over to a giant hoist, which carried Lily Rose to her new home on dry land.

Three days later, after preparing Lily Rose for her summer stay by removing her sails, cleaning her, and installing a humidifier to prevent mildew, we bid adieu. A few days later Tropical Storm Beryl stormed through with 65 mph winds, but no harm came to the boats in this yard. We chose well.

Historic St. Augustine

Before Jamestown there was St. Augustine. The Spanish built a fort out of seashells, but British

gunboats could not smash it; their shells just disappeared into its walls. Today the city is a visitors' delight. Its narrow cobblestone streets invite investigation, and its many charming cafes and boutiques summon the eye and taste buds. We look forward to a return visit and a chance to see more of it.

I only have one quibble. S/V Lily Rose ground to a halt less than a mile from its excellent City Marina when it slid up on a sand bar within the city's well-marked channel. Luckily, a good wind was from the north, which pushed the bow around and let me back off! We dined at its famous Columbia Restaurant and breakfasted at La Herencia on Avilas St., which serves fabulous Cuban coffee.

The long slog north

It took us 12 days of cruising, mostly on the motor, to reach St. Marys, Georgia. The wind was mostly from the north, allowing very few times when we could hoist a sail. And only once did we have the chance to slip out into the Atlantic. This was at the St. John's River north of St. Augustine, and then only for half a day until we reached the St. Marys Inlet.

It was a very pleasant sojourn, however, because of the variety of places we stopped at along the way. At Old Port Marina near North Palm Beach we arranged to have breakfast on board with a dear friend of Francie's -- Caroline and her four  children (husband working), who live nearby. One of the funkiest marinas was at Nettles Island, a man-made outpost on the oeean side of the waterway, where we celebrated Mother's Day with a special brunch at the marina's Landings Restaurant, a very excellent eatery. While there we walked to the Atlantic to dip our toes into the waves.

 After another stop at Fort Pierce where we anchored, we tied up the next afternoon at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch (see submersible left), so Jeff and Mira could interview scientists there who were studying the effects of agricultural runoffs that were causing algea blooms detrimental to the coastal waters, fisheries, and coral reefs. The submersible was the first commercially-built sub that allowed divers to exit and re-enter while submerged. Researchers there have found that the toxicities of Gulf of Mexico oil spill dispersants are greater than that of oil alone in affecting corals, oysters, shrimp, conch, and their planktonic food sources.

Other stopping points northbound were the Vero Beach City Marina, where we moored, and the Telemar Bay Marina at Eau Gallie, where we docked and met a fun couple, Carl and Rosie on their S/V Windward Spirit, whom we hope to meet again next fall on their return from Nova Scotia. And before reaching St. Augustine, a highlight of our cruise, we also stopped at Titusville, New Smyrna Beach, and the Palm Coast Marina.

Into the Waterway

We departed Miami May 9 and pushed through a rainstorm in the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale and the Intracoastal Waterway. This is where Bennie (left) said goodbye because he was convinced we could navigate north on the smoother waters safely. We were sorry to see him leave.

The Intracoastal Waterway is a maze of canals, rivers, bays, and large expanses of seeming lakes that exist between mainland Florida and a string of barrier islands facing the Atlantic Ocean. From Miami we entered the Atlantic via Governor's Cut, Miami's main commercial channel, to re-enter at Fort Lauderdale to avoid a myriad of bridges that are too low for most sailboats and thus have to open to let them pass. They must be hailed by VHF radio and either open by demand   or by a 30-minute schedule on the hour and half-hour or 15 minutes after the hour and 15 minutes before the hour. This requires some research in the cruising guides and references to the charts to learn their names and schedules. With practice we learned to avoid as many delays as possible by adjusting our speed from one bridge to the other. And as we
proceeded north we passed one palacial home
after another (see right), providing a glimpse into how that one-half of one percent of the nation's population live. We would also consult our guides to determine where we would end up every night. So after leaving the Las Olas Marina in Fort Lauderdale we proceeded to Del Ray after calling by phone the Del Ray Club Marina to reserve a slip. By the time we got there, however, a huge downpour enveloped our boat. But no problem, because Lily Rose came equipped with eisenglas panels we could zipper up to enclose the cockpit all around, which made for a cozy dinner that night!

Hello Jeff and Mira

At the Miamarina in central Miami we took on two more cruisers, Jeff Barbee and Mira Dutschke, his professional partner and sweetheart (see right). I met Jeff in Paonia, CO more than a year ago to discuss what he calls his Islands Project. Jeff is a photo-journalist and Mira is a lawyer and both work out of Capetown, South Africa. The Islands Project is to sail the Caribbean, interviewing scientists and others who are working on solving environmental problems. Jeff and Mira would create documentaries primarily for TV that combine the adventure of sailing the Caribbean with solid information about the environmental progress being made at islands that are more vulnerable to the stresses that are increasing worldwide, such as global warming, water and air pollution, diminishing fisheries, coral destruction, and endangered species. I agreed to include them in our cruise up the eastern coast of Florida, where we would stop at several locations where environmental work was taking place, such as the Harbor Branch of Florida Atlantic University at Fort Pierce. More on this later.

On to Miami

We left Key West May 5 and mostly motored to Book Key and Marathon, mooring at the City Marina in a well-protected area (right). We met a couple from Annapolis on a catamaran who liked Marathon so much they have stayed for five years. A mooring only costs $325 a month. You can walk from the marina to everything you need, including a West Marine store. And buses can take you to Key West and Miami. Francie and I are considering Marathon as a place to keep Lily Rose for awhile.

                       
The next day we hoisted our genoa jib (left) and motor-sailed up Hawk's Channel to Rodriguez Key, where we anchored in 7 and a half feet of water! That night we enjoyed a super moon.

Then on to Biscayne Bay and Miami May 7, passing several homes on stilts, known as Stiltsville (right). Later, back in Colorado, Francie and I met the couple who built this house. Now Miami does not allow more. It was exciting to see the Miami skyline risng.

Key West

One can dance a lot in Key West. In fact, there is a large statue of a couple dancng, so Francie and I decided to join in. (See photo to right). That's the spirit of Key West. We also took the Conch Train tour of the town, visiting Ernest Hemingway's House (see photo to left). My colleague Paul Hendrickson has written a book called "Hemingway's Boat" that mentions this house, of course. Our favorite cafes were Harpoon Harry's, where we drank gallons of delicious Cuban coffee, and an oyster bar near the marina. (See oyster eaters Larry, Bennie, and Bob below right).  And this is where we said goodbye to Sophy and Grady, who had to get back to work in Salt Lake City. (See them below). They rented a car and drove to Miami. We didn't get there until three  days later! We also caught the awesome sunsets at this tip of the American continent.