Day 173, "on the loop", 3/31/2023

3/26 - Left Ft. Pierce and traveled to Coco Village for one night.

We had a wonderful time in Ft. Pierce, leaving was very calm and peaceful.

Some things we saw along our path today:

Remnants of recent storms, we passed a few boats that were washed up to shore or resting in the mangroves.

I posted on Facebook about passing a boat named: WABI SABI and noted it being a cool name. Well, guess who pulled in behind us at the Coco Village Marina... Yes, WABI SABI, super nice couple. They are not loopers. They are in the process of moving from one part of Florida to another.

Florida Atlantic University Property - Ocean views, water access - What more could a college student ask for?

Passed some fellow loopers:

Boat Name: Greta Lynn - We asked for a slow pass (which means calling ahead by radio to a boat you want to pass, they slow down and you pass at a slow rate). I took a pictures and sent via the Nebo app to the boat owner.

Boat Name: Startdust X - another slow pass, took this picture and sent to the boat owner via the NEBO application.

Waterfront properties we passed along the way (from Ft. Pierce to Coco Village)

Map of Trip: Ft. Pierce, FL (Ft. Pierce City Marina) to Coco Village, FL (Coco Village Marina)

A long day on the water, but it paid off with a nice dinner with my cousin, Cissy and her husband Shane. We have not seen each other since 2013, it was like we haven't been apart! As kids, we spent time together at our Grandma's in Palatka, Fl. We talked about how much we miss her and what a great Grandma she was. It certainly was fun times! Shane - Thank you for being a great husband to my cousin, you are a good man!

The entrance to Coco Village marina was small requiring us to make a very sharp turn. It looked challenging but Captain Joel had no problems at all. Due to this tight entrance, this marina request that you call ahead on the radio for them to guide you in and out, we understand why now! They do their best to coordinate boats coming and going to prevent concerns / collisions.

3/27 - Said goodbye to WABI SABI and made our way to New Smyrna Beach, FL. It was a great travel day, not many boaters out and about. We traveled through several no wake areas which meant we had to move slower than 10 miles an hour. We pulled into the Marina around 2:30pm.

We took on fuel (diesel) at Titusville, FL. It was a nice place to stop. We took 116 gallons of fuel and paid 4.34 per gallon, the cheapest we have paid in a while! Note: We get a US Boaters discount (5 cents off per gallon).

Map of Trip: Coco Village, FL (Coco Village Marina) to New Smyrna Beach, FL (New Smyrna Beach City Marina)

New Smyrna marina is operated by the city and like most city marinas, they need a lot of work. The dock gates did not work, piers were old and could use some updates. They have 7 transient docks, the rest are permanent docks for the locals and live aboard.

We met the following boaters: Boat Name: Tricky (a play on the captain's names: Tracie and Rick), Boat Name: Salty Dog (a couple from Chattanooga), vacations here for the winter, and Boat Name: Irresistible (traveling with 3 little ones under the age of 4 and with a dog), just returned from the Bahamas. They are brave! None of these are loopers; however, we enjoyed hearing their stories.

Tracie & Rick's boat: "Tricky". They are live-a-boards. Both Tracie and Rick have their captain's license. They also travel with a dog (Rat Terrier) named Marina.

The sailboat below, Spirit, has the biggest helm (steering wheel), I have ever seen! Not sure you can really see it in this picture, but I circled it in "green".

Eeek: A little crab... this is as scary as a spider to me! It moves FAST too.

We had planned to eat on the boat; but the dock master suggested Panheads. Apparently, they have the BEST pizza! They are also known for their meatballs (delicious). Recently, Guy Fieri visited Panheads and enjoyed their food. Panheads will be featured in the next season of Guy's Big Bite Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The staff was AMAZING and the food was FANTASTIC. If you are in New Smyrna Beach area, give them a try. You will not be disappointed. Tell them you are a looper or referred by a looper and they will know who sent you!! Side Note: Pizza reminded us of Dewey's in St. Louis.

We saw several dolphins and a couple of manatees on the ride from Coco Village to New Smyrna. Seems like we saw more wildlife in this stretch of water than all the other places we have been. We did have 5 dolphins swim in our wake back in December / January timeframe (when we left Boca Grande).

Look to right of the picture, you will see a dolphin. This dolphin swam with us for about 2 or 3 minutes. See my Facebook page, if you would like to see videos of the dolphins: Tracy Carr Boisselle

Since we only had a 2 hour ride, we decided to have breakfast in New Smryna. We ate at a cute little diner called "Little Griddle". It was also nice to get in a little walk before heading to Daytona.

Map of Trip: New Smryna Beach, FL (Fishing Cove Marina) to Daytona, FL (Halifax marina)

Tuesday, 3/28, Due to wind and weather predictions, we made the decision to stay at Halifax marina in Daytona. This decision means, we only stayed one night in St. Augustine versus two. The leg from Halifax to St. Augustine is 20 nautical miles (taking us a little over 2 hours). This will cut the cruise time to St. Augustine down by 2 hours and allow us to arrive before low tide.

We walked 6K steps around the downtown area, near the marina. There wasn't a lot to see as they are working to rebuild this area.

The Halifax marina is one of the largest marinas we have stayed at. They have over 500 boats in their marina.

Widow's Walk: We saw these rooftops on several of the homes near waterways. Several of you probably know what these are. They are called Widow's Walk. Side note: The first time I saw a widow's walk was in New England (New Hampshire),

The name is said to come from the wives of mariners, who would watch and anxiously await for their spouses' to return home from the sea. In some cases, the mariner did not return home; hence, leaving wives as widows.

There are 7 fire stations in the Daytona area. This is Station # 1. It's our understanding (and based on google searches) that fire stations are numbered based on the order of their existence. In this case, this was the first fire station built in the Daytona area.

Pictures near and around the Halifax marina.

Pic 1: Carts used at the marinas to carry large items from the docks to the boat.

Pict 2: Marina can accommodate over 500 boats

Pic 3: Gate to access the piers. Most marinas have locking gates

- we have stayed at a few city marinas that did not have locking gates

Pic 4: Shower for registered guests at the Halifax marina. Must have a key card to access the shower and laundry stations

Pic 5: Sheriff's office (in Daytona)

Pic 6 & 8: Daytona is rebuilding, gate structures to the developing downtown area

Pic 7: A wine tasting area, you can walk up to the window, order drinks and sit outside to enjoy your purchase

Map of Trip: Daytona, FL (Halifax marina) to St. Augustine, FL (St. Augustine Municipal Marina)

Wednesday, 3/29, we left Halifax a little after 8am to time our arrival in St. Augustine at low tide. Due to winds and the current, we decided to dock, bow side (nose) in (which ended up being the smart decision). Journey, a fellow looper, pulled stern side in (backed in). It took Journey 3 tries to dock... with the wind he did GREAT.

It was a windy and somewhat cold day. The ride seemed long; but, I think it's because there were stretches of land where there was nothing to see, almost reminded me of a desert (flat and dry looking).

After we docked, two loopers approached us: RIVA (Mark & Angela from CO), Journey (Walt & Leanne from OR). We also met The Beach House (David & Roxanne), they have been traveling with our friends from Arabella (Capal & Karen).

Just when I thought I couldn't love a town more than Dunedin, Fairhope and Ft. Pierce. I absolutely loved walking around St. Augustine. There is so much history here. The Flagler College and old building structures in the historic area are beautiful. Many of the buildings were built in the 1800's (and still stand today).

We had dinner at Harry's Seafood Bar & Grille (Cajun & Creole Cuisine). Harry's had outdoor dining with a rock wall surrounding the patio area. We enjoyed the food and seating area.

St. Augustine History:

St. Augustine claims to be the oldest city in the U.S. and is known for its colonial architecture, founded in 1565. Also the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European and African-American orange in the United States. Forty-two years before the English colonized Jamestown and fifty-five years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, the Spanish established at St. Augustine this nation's first enduring settlement.

This gravesite was occupied by the Christian Indian Village of Tolomato in 1763. The last burial took place in 1892.

Flagler College, founded in 1968. It is a private liberal arts college located in the historic district of St. Augustine, FL.

Grace United Methodist Church dedicated in January 1888.

Structure resulted from a compromise between Flagler and the congregation of Olivet Church. The architects, John M. Carrere and Thomas Hastings who designed the church complex were employed by Mr. Flagler to build his Alcazar Hotel. Grace United Methodist Church was registered as a historic place on November 29, 1979.

Alcazar Hotel - Closed in 1931

The hotel’s Spanish name is derived from an Arabic term meaning “castle,” and the imposing gray exterior looms fortress-look over a formal landscaped plaza separating the Alcazar from the Ponce de Leon Hotel.

At the height of its popularity during the 1890s, thousands of guests passed through the doors of the Alcazar. Each winter season the hotel was alive with grand parties, charity balls, and local celebrations. As the 20th century wore on, changing tastes and increased options for vacationing meant that Flagler’s St. Augustine hotels witnessed an ongoing decline in visitation. Following the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and the ensuing Depression, the Alcazar closed its doors in 1931.

Purchased in 1947 by Otto Lightner, the Alcazar was transformed into a museum. Today, as the Lightner Museum, the former Alcazar Hotel is a vibrant cultural destination welcoming visitors from all over the world. The museum celebrates the remarkable history of the hotel and its place in Henry Flagler’s powerful vision to shape the future of Florida at the dawn of the 20th century.

Map of Trip: St. Augustine, FL (St. Augustine Municipal Marina) to Jacksonville, FL (Port 32 Marina)

We arrived at Port 32 in Jacksonville around 3pm. The leg of the this trip took approx. 6 hours as we were in a minimal wake zone, most of the day.

We went through a stretch of beautiful homes in Ponte Vedra where there was a no wake sign stating "motor vessels are responsible for their own wake". Not sure how this is monitored and we didn't want to take any chances. We slowed our speed from 10 mph to 7 mph.

As we approached Port 32 (our destination for the next 3 days), there were a couple of watch outs. Traveling alone, without a buddy boat, you really have to be aware of the surroundings, etc.

• At one point we stirred up some mud, meaning we were in shallow water (sometimes as little as 2 feet of water below the boat)

• We didn't realize Port 32 was on the other side of the Ortega bridge

• The Ortega bridge has 6 ft clearance (we need 17 ft). We had to call ahead to request an opening. Luckily, we didn't have to wait

• Some bridges open on the hour or 1/2 hour

• Remember the Crab Pots we dodged back when we crossed the Gulf and the Key West... Well, there were crab pots, some very near the channel. We almost hit one; however, Captain Joel did GREAT and missed it.

• If you run over a crab pot, it could damage the props as well as delay your trip. We keep a spare set of props on our boat; but, we know other boaters that had to order new props and wait for delivery. Sometimes the boat will be pulled out of the water to replace the props (which also costs money).

Upon arrival at Port 32, we couldn't hail the dock master on the radio. Fellow Looper, La Vida (Joe and Ellen, AGLCA harbor host) heard us calling on the radio and jumped into action. Side note: Port 32 is their home port. They called on the landline and advised them to call us, which they didn't. I called on the land line and finally talked to a dock hand.

Port 32 uses a system called Dockwa for reservations. They had our reservation but the system didn't assign a slip. This can be a problem especially if all slips all full. We had to sit in limbo (with a little current and wind) for the dock master could figure out the slip assignments. We ended up in slip D182 (a tight fit). Thank God for La Vida (Joe and Ellen), there were no dockhands available to help. Joe & Ellen grabbed our lines. Side Note: Joe is a VERY experienced boater and was our buddy boat and LEAD boat on several occasions when we were in the Tennessee River system and remember the SCARY gulf crossing (we still talk about that).

With the light wind, current and tight fit of the slip, we decided to go Bow (nose) in. After we were docked and settled, Lewis the dock master brought the keys over for the amenities and apologized for the confusion and GUESS WHAT, he wanted to move us to B69 after all that.

Since it was late in the day and a long ride, we all agreed to move the boat the next morning. This means more work on our part; we will need to pull the lines, put power cords away, hope there is a dock hand to help us (or find another looper to assist). Note: La Vida has another commitment and needs to leave first thing in the morning.

The blog will be posted on Friday, so you will have to wait until next week's blog to hear how the move goes! Side note: We will be in Jacksonville until Sunday (April 2nd).

Random pictures taken during our cruise from St. Augustine to Jacksonville

St. Augustine allows cars on this beach

Not sure the type of bridge this is; but, it works like an elevator. It didn't have to be lifted for us; however, it was lifted for someone right before us.

Railroad: There is an active railway track that crosses the water here in Jacksonville, It must be lifted for boat traffic, we were lucky, it was opened when we were passing through. One day, La Vida (Joe & Ellen) had to wait on this railroad bridge for over an hour to get back to their home port. Side Note: Joe and Ellen just crossed their wake... They are now GOLD Loopers! Congratulations!

Pic 1: Maxwell House coffee plant (we could smell the coffee as we passed)

Pic 2 - 4: a few houses in that stretch of water we had to go so slow. In picture 2, you can see the tide change, it is low tied in that pi

Pic 5: Just a pretty sail boat.

Dinner with La Vida (Joe & Ellen), It was a fun dinner place at a local taco place. The food was good.

Random Information & Other Stuff:

Caps on the Water: When the Heise's lived in Jacksonville, they took us to Caps.

Dredging: This is done to ensure the channel or waterways are at least 10 ft deep, to allow boat traffic to pass (and to avoid hitting the bottom).

Random Information & Other Stuff:

Mangroves:

I learned there are three types of mangroves:

• Red mangrove: closest to the water, has arching prop roots that make it look as though the tree is walking across the surface of the water.

• Black mangrove: farther inland, is surrounded by many finger-like roots. Its leaves taste salty because special glands excrete extra salts.

• White mangrove: farthest inland, has thick, light green leaves that are the same color on both sides.

I have noticed when parked near mangroves the bugs seem to be more prevalent. The bugs seem to appear at sun up or dusk (no see ums).

Below are pictures of mangroves. I think these would be considered "red" mangroves.

Boat Zincs:

Zinc Anodes are the protection needed for a boat's metallic parts (shafts, props, rudders, etc.) Zincs are placed over and connected to metallic parts of a boat that need protection from electrolysis-caused corrosion.

Salt water is hard on boat and their parts. We have had our Zincs changed 2 times since being in the Florida ocean water. When in lake water (Kentucky Lake), the zincs do not seem to corrode as fast as they do in the salt water.

See what new zincs look like and what those with corrosion look like.

< This is what "new" zincs look like. They cost approx. $17 dollars each.

See pictures below: taken by the diver that scraped the bottom of our boat. These are zincs after being in salt water for a while. The picture on the left is still okay; however, the picture on the right is a zinc that has corroded and needs to be replaced.

Salt water and boats sitting for long periods of time:

If you have been following our blog(s), you know we have stayed in some places for long periods of time: Dunedin, FL (1 month), Key West, FL (1 month) and Ft. Pierce, FL (1 month). When a boat sits in salt water for long periods, it allows time for growth to happen on the bottom of the boat.

When this happens, a diver is hired to scrape the bottom of the boat to remove any buildup that occurs. When the diver is under your boat, they should check the zincs.

We have noticed when we get build up on the bottom of our boat; there is a snap, crackle, pop sound. After talking to other boaters and googling this, we have discovered that shrimp eat that build up that occurs. This problem occurs mostly in the southern salty waters. Some google sites have referred to the shrimp as "pistol shrimps" perhaps because it sounds like a toy gun popping.

Dangerous:

This is a boater w/ a skier in the channel. In this case, we are coming through the channel w/ another rather large boat and the boat (in the picture) is pulling a skier. These smaller boats can move much faster than us big boats.

Congratulations to Tyson & Wendy Nightinggale:

They found their looper boat and are in the planning stages to do the loop one day. We have been following their journey and they are following ours. They named their boat "Farmer's Daughter". I think that is pretty cool, they live on a farm with a bunch of boys and the boat is the "daughter". How fun is that?! They are boat friends from Kentucky Lake, Green Turtle Bay. Congratulations Tyson & Wendy, we couldn't be more proud!

Well, I didn't get that promotion I mentioned in the last post. I made two mistakes this week, one with the dinghy and then I dropped some white cloths in the water at the fun dock in Titusville (cloths used to soak up fuel should there be any run over). Side Note: I was able to retrieve the white cloths, so that was a WIN! Don't worry, I still have 6 months left to get that promotion to "ADMIRAL," fingers crossed.

Have a great week!