Month: June 2020

We pulled out a little later than our normal time allowing everybody to enjoy an extra few minutes of sleep.  At 9:30ish, we left the last marina of our Great Loop Adventure.  We went up the Mackay River and the Altamaha River.  We crossed the Altamaha, Doboy, and Sapelo Sounds, as well.  Other than some oddly placed and missing markers, we had no real challenges.  The tide was our friend more often than foe, granting faster than normal speeds. 

The highlight of the day was our encounter with a shrimp boat.  We passed by the shrimper, off to the side of a dredged creek.  His boat, the Warhorse, looked like it had weathered several wars.  Old, tattered, and ragged, he told us later, he had just acquired the boat, was from South Carolina, and was down here trying to make a living.  The tide was outgoing, but I figured a shrimper knows far more about the water than I ever would, so I waved and kept going.  He pulled in line between Steve and me, churning lots of mud in the process to get back in deeper water.  Had he not left right then, he would have been stuck for 4-5 hours, waiting on the tide. I called him on the VHF, offereing him the opportunity to pass if he wanted.  He said, “Naw, I’m aight.  Mada wrong turn back dar ‘n I’ll be headin’ back fo jus a lil wile, so don’t need no pass.”  He didn’t need to pass, but he did like following a little too closely for my comfort level.  His outriggers were down and my fear of possibly finding a sandbar first, and an outrigger shishkabobbing the Honey Queen, I called him and said I would be slowing down so he could ease around me.  He made a few other comments in his Geechee, South Carolina dialect, something to the effect that he would pass but would be turning off shortly. As he eased by, I called him once more.  “Throw me a couple shrimp as you ease by,” I called.  He responded, “Yont sum?”  “Absolutely!” was my answer.  I asked how many pounds he could let me have and how much did he want for them.  “Got any cigarettes?” was the response.  I apologized, “No sir, no cigarettes.”  He said, “Pull up on heah hind me, and I’ll give you some.”  So he stopped the boat, and I eased up to his transom.  Amanda perched up on the anchor pulpit and he handed her a trash bag full of fresh shrimp.  He didn’t want money.  I pulled a safe distance away from him and called him once more on the radio.  “I’m sorry I didn’t have any cigarettes for you,” I called.  He said, “Dat’s aight. I’ll be able to git some in a few.  Just say a little prayer for us, instead.”  I promised that I would be happy to do so.  I immediately asked God to bless this man for his faithfulness, and if it was God’s will, to fill his nets many times over.  I’ll probably never run into him again, but the experience was fun and I hope he does well as he tries to make it on his own as a shrimper.

Arriving just before 4:00 pm, the anchorage at Wahoo River (McIntosh County) was as pretty as so many before today.  Seems like yesterday (late April 2019), we were anchoring between Savannah and Beaufort, on our first night on the water. Nervous and completely oblivious to most conditions, we have enjoyed God’s hand of protection over this little trawler for more than a year, having been granted favor as we learned what we were doing.

Traveling with open doors and windows today, we did accumulate a few green headed, carnivorous flies.  They love to be inside, with people.  They were so thick, that after getting the anchor set, we closed up the boat, turned on the air conditioner, and killed a few dozen. Afterward, we were finally able to focus on dinner preparations.  I headed and cleaned all the shrimp while Amanda prepped okra and made a banana pudding.  I splashed the dinghy in the water for the last time, we loaded up the dinner groceries, and puttered to All Talk II.  Steve is a pretty good cook, having grown up with a mom in the restaurant business. He loves to don the apron and put on a show.  He cooked spaghetti squash and made his famous (to us anyway) Caesar salad.  We pulled out the shrimp and he sauteed them to perfection.  We ate like royalty. Stuffed and depressed, we sadly looked at one another, knowing this was our last dinner together on The Loop. 

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We rode the dinghy back to our boat in the dark (100 yards away) and shut down for the night.  Our last night on the water, like our first, was spent anchoring out, away from the sight of anything man-made, and away from sound, other than the restful rhythm of the water pattering on the bottom of the boat, comforting like a mother’s hand on the back of her child as he falls into a deep sleep. I will miss this.

Cumberland to St. Simon’s Island (Golden Isles Marina)

It’s good to be in Georgia. Anchoring in Cumberland Sound and seeing live oaks, the brown Atlantic waters, and the rich green marsh grass along the banks of the waterways felt like a giant welcome mat to these not so weary travelers. The breeze was gentle all night, and in rhythm with the gentle sway of the boat and fairly swift current, we slept well.

At 9ish, we pulled anchor and headed North (as usual).  With only 28 NM on the docket today, we arrived at Golden Isles Marina just after 1pm.  The docks look brand new, floating concrete, and what appears to be all teak decking inlaid.  The new power pedestals gave us fits when hooking up our electrical.  Neither Steve nor I have had any issues, but today we both did.  The marina staff was insistent we had ground fault issues on our boat.  I argued that I haven’t had them before today.  After my power tripped their breaker 4 times, they switched to another circuit.  Like magic, suddenly, MY ground fault issue went away and I had no more trouble.  They put in a call to their electician. Steve, on the other hand, was not able to resolve his issue as quickly, but did eventually find something on his boat contributing to the problem. Not knowing what I am talking about electrically, I do know the new GFI (ground fault interrupter) systems are extremely sensitive.  Fortunately, most of the marinas on this journey were either older, or they had, at least, worked out all their issues, so I have been to not deal with the headaches associated with this critical safety device.

I gave the Honey Queen an overdue bath this afternoon while Amanda caught up with her old girlfriend, Frances, who lives in St. Simon’s Island. We (Amanda) got the covers to all the seats in the salon washed, as well.  They need to be spotless because Sunday afternoon we will be home and thousands will be there waving ‘Welcome Home’ signs, and our boat, inside and out, must look perfect for the cruise into our final stop.

The Coastal Kitchen is the onsite restaurant at the marina.  Sometimes, these places are tourist traps and serve mediocre bar food, but occasionally, they are really nice.  With the convenience of a restaurant at the end of the pier, we “carless” couples decided it was worth the risk, so we made reservations.  We started with calamari, second only to that we recently enjoyed at the Daytona Chart House. Our meals of fried shrimp, shrimp and grits, boiled shrimp, and a filet all got 4 stars.  We waddled back to the boat, I plotted our trip to the Wahoo River anchorage for the next day, and fell asleep to the hum of the cool dry air conditioning blowing against my face.

We jumped up this morning and got out of the marina just after 8 am.  The tide was high so we didn’t have any concerns getting through their channel. Our journey of 34 NM seemed to go pretty fast; it did take just over 5 hours.  We found a delightful anchorage just west of Cumberland Island and after getting our anchors secure, Steve deployed his dinghy and picked us up.  We went to the public dock on the island and walked among the gorgeous live oaks and on the beaches.  We toured the ruins of the 34,000 square foot home of Andrew Carnegie that burned in 1959.  The layout of the plantation and the history surrounding this late 19^th and 20^th century estate was so interesting.  Wild horses and deer are plentiful and we saw them a number of times as we walked.  We got plenty of exercise and enjoyed every minute.  The forecasted rain did pepper us all morning while underway, but it avoided us while we were on our walk.  The sun even came out as we were headed back to the dinghy.  We rode in the dinghy up and down the west side of the island (we don’t get enough boat riding) and saw the Greyfield Inn.  An exclusive, historic (and we all know what exclusive means) hotel, Amanda wants me to bring her back here some time.  I figure I can sell the boat and maybe we can stay a couple nights sometime.

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We all came back to the boat and ate so much cheese and crackers we skipped eating supper. We watched a beautiful sunset and then walked to the other side of the boat and watched the full moon rise. 

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We watched the Coast Guard boats and Navy warships go by (we are almost in sight of King’s Bay, the nuclear submarine base).  We hope to see one of those awesome submarines as we cruise by the base on the ICW tomorrow morning.

As I write tonight, I am very introspective.  It just occurred to me that we will anchor one more night and stay in a marina one more night.  Sunday afternoon, this adventure will be over, and neither of us likes that idea even one little bit.  The reunion with friends and family will be sweet.  We have missed them.  Our grandchildren await; we hope they remember Honey and Poppy.  We do look forward to being a part of their routine and making sure they are properly spoiled.  But we will miss the days, the nights, the adventure, the friends, and all the surprises that have made us now who we are. The worn out cliché:  we don’t know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future, seems especially surreal now.  We rest in what will be next, not knowing exactly what that is.  How we do hope that some of our future includes the gentle sway of a trawler at an anchorage, soaking up lunar light on a breezy night.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!!!!!  42 YEARS AT NOON!!

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We rolled out of River’s Edge Marina at 9:15 to ensure we made the 10 am bridge opening at the famous Bridge of Lions.  With a good following current, we made it so fast, we had to wait.

The forecast called for rain for several days, starting tonight, so we tried to savor the sun as much as possible by riding on the flybridge.  We drove through lots of residential areas ranging from modest to extravagant homes.  Ponte Vedra meets the definition of extravagant for sure.  We agreed these homes were not so palatial that they seemed unrealistic to live in. They looked as though normal people probably lived in them.

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We got to Palm Cove just before 2:30, dead low tide.  I had called the marina, concerned about their skinny water channel. They had assured me we would have plenty of water with our 5’ draft boats. Steve chickened out and waited for the incoming tide.  I decided to go for it to see if I could get in.  The worse that could happen would be getting stuck on a shoal and have to wait for the tide to return.  I saw a my depth of 4.4 feet at one point, but it was very soft so I pushed on through it and we made it without too much excitement.  Palm Cove is where our friends Bill and Anette keep their boat, or as we jokingly say, our boat.  In 2018, they were boat shopping at the same time as us.  The boat they now own came on the market.  When I saw it on the internet, I called my broker to make an appointment to see it.  He made the appointment for Sunday afternoon, near Jacksonville.  But Saturday, my broker called and said the boat was under contract already.  Bill and Anette had bought it.  It was about 4 weeks later, we found the Honey Queen in Stuart, Florida, and then bought it in December.  When we went to pick it up in January, we met Bill and Anette, who were staying in the same marina.  We have since talked from time to time, sharing ideas about things we do on our boats.  By the way, their boat is the exact same model as ours, so they look identical.  We ran into them at the marina in Ft. Myers in February, so when we told them we would be coming up the East coast in June, they insisted we come to their marina at Palm Cove.  We joined them for coffee on their boat, then Anette took Amanda and Susie to the grocery.  We planned dinner for the 6 of us, pooled our groceries, and had a nice evening on their boat. What a nice way to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

A Day in St. Augustine

Today was dedicated to playing tourist.  With trolley tickets and tickets to the chocolate factory in hand, we made ready for our day.  There is never a convenient time to have a plumbing issue, and we seldom have a schedule, except today.  Every few months, our shower sump pump gets clogged with…you know, stuff, stuff that resembles long blonde hair.  When this happens, it becomes a pumpless sump, not a sump pump.  It tries real hard and runs forever, but water just stands in the shower and sometimes overflows into the midship bilge.  The bottom line today: if a shower is to be taken, the sump pump will be unclogged first. I got it cleaned out, we ran through the shower, got dressed, and took off on our 15-minute walk to the chocolate factory.  At 10:03 (for our 10:00 tour), we walked in and the cute little boy in the reception area said the tour had already started.  I said, we will be glad to catch up.  “Well, you missed the safety orientation, so we can’t let you join them.” So the extensive safety orientation (3 minutes after 10 and the tour group is already gone) must have been so detailed we would never be able to stay safe in the production area.  All the being nice and being aggressive got us no where, so we walked out…without the taste of chocolate samples in our mouths.

Old Town Trolley soon came by at one of its designated stops, so we hopped on and rode around the city.  One stop was at a history museum, where I learned much about the Spanish influence on the city, how the French and English had their turns, but ultimately, the Spanish prevailed.  I must find a book or two to reinforce what all I tried to absorb today.  Lunch at Meehan’s, an Irish pub, was over the top. Then we toured a Catholic museum, a distillery, and a winery.  So much going on in this little city, and we had a great time.  Steve and Susie, our partners in crime, were with us every step of the way.  We packed all we could into the day. 

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We got back to the boat just in time for our visitors.  Our daughter in law, Elizabeth, her mom, Catherine, Catherine’s sister, Susan and her 4 children Sean, Henry, Genevieve, and Jonathon came to the boat from their beach house rental.  Our little boat was full.  I gave the boat tour, and then we wandered the marina while Catherine and Amanda had deep discussions about our children. Steve and Susie dropped by as that crew was leaving.  The four of us ended up making a pizza from scratch and then finishing off the meal with ice cream and some of Amanda’s homemade chocolate sauce.  That chocolate factory ain’t got nothing on Amanda’s sauce.  And if they ever want some, I may not share.…especially if they are 3 minutes late.

Lots of walking and rubbernecking today wore us all out. I was almost ready to invite Steve & Susie to their boat, when they decided on their own to leave. We had a great day, learning much, and seeing some family.

Almost 7 hours and 46.3 NM made today one of our longest.  The current was kind to us nearly all day, approaching an inlet at the outgoing tide and getting a push as the tide reversed shortly thereafter to a flood (incoming). My old pace of 7 knots turned to 9 knots frequently, making our 7 ½ hour projection become less than seven.

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We got some local knowledge for St. Augustine from the dockmaster and took off walking.  We walked almost 2 hours looking and also bought trolley tickets for a city tour tomorrow morning. 

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The town is gorgeous, and like Savannah, loaded with history.  I do look forward to seeing and learning.  We will stay here 2 nights so we can take advantage of the full day tomorrow.  We plan to tour the town, go to a winery, a distillery, a chocolate factory, and a museum.

When we got back to the marina, we stopped at Hurricane Patti’s the restaurant on site.  We got a beer and some appetizers, called it dinner, and Amanda went to bed.  I did my routine writing and uploading pictures and was soon snoozing myself.

Mosquito Lagoon to Daytona (Halifax Marina)

It was such a lovely night in what seemed like the middle of nowhere.  We weren’t that far from civilization, but the nice breeze, absence of artificial light, and the cool temperature delivered a good night’s sleep. My latest discovery is an anchor app called Anchor Pro.  It is simple to use and the alarm is a car horn that will wake the dead, if the boat starts dragging anchor.  Leaving it on at night provides a level of comfort, knowing I will be notified if we drift outside the parameters.

We puttered through New Smyrna on to Daytona.  It is Sunday, so we accessed Compassion Christian Church on the iPad and listened to Cam teach and preach from the pilot house (instead of the pulpit) :).  Sunday has to be the worst day on the water.  I admit, we all need to be in church, and nobody misses the fellowship of gathering more than I do right now.  But since we can’t, people are congregating on the water.  And it is my humble (okay, maybe more like critical) opinion that most of the people have learned no more about the rules of boat etiquette and navigation than they have from the sermons they would normally be hearing on Sunday morning.  Defensively driving quickly reminded why I try to stay in a marina on the weekends.  I’ve been the owner of a little boat for 40 years and a big boat less than two.  I always feared the big boats.  Their size intimidates and their wakes can be devastating to a small craft.  But apparently, the boat I now own is invisible.  People pull out in front of us like we can stop on a dime.  They merge into the ICW in their 14’ aluminum fishing boats ahead of us, and then slow down.  Stopping 36,000 pounds happens over a couple hundred feet, but these folks are clueless. Steve, in his 70 footer, told me later he wished he had a paint ball gun today.  Pontoon boats almost run into us from the rear end and then dart around us like we are a dead dog in the road.  They must want a view of the inside of our boat because they pass so closely they could step off their own and onto ours.

But the sermon I heard today reminded me that I just don’t know what is going on in their lives and I need to be kind and understanding in situations like these.  So, I smile, grit my teeth, and say, “bless their heart.”

We arrived at Halifax Marina mid afternoon.  Amanda observed that Halifax is the first marina we have been to twice.  It was one of our stops after buying the boat in January of 2019.  I suddenly felt so…experienced.  I was able to go directly to our assigned slip without detailed instructions. Halifax is a nice marina, very large, and very well maintained by the city of Daytona. The boats seem to be of higher quality than in many marinas, and people do take care of their boats. Halifax is also a great hurricane hole. Apparently, it has survived a number of storms over the years with little to no damage.

After we got settled and had our little nap (during the rain), the Muck’s and us walked the downtown area of Daytona.  Depressing would be an understatement.  Nothing was open that was still in business and the rest of the buildings on main street were empty.  We got some exercise by walking, but we literally never set foot in a store. 

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When we had had all the excitement we could handle, we backtracked to the Chart House adjacent to the marina.  One of our favorite restaurants back home, this one equaled the high standard.  We enjoyed salmon, crab, shrimp, prime rib, calamari, and mud pie for dessert. What a delightful meal.  We walked the short distance back to the boat where I worked on and got current on the blog (finally!).  I don’t know what I will do with all the time on my hands when we get home.  I suppose I’ll need to find a new adventure.  Maybe I will write short stories, like 1 page long. Somehow, I just don’t think my talking about cutting grass on the tractor all day will have the same charm and appeal this boat trip has delivered.

A week in Titusville and then to Mosquito Lagoon (New Smyrna Beach)

We paid for a week with intentions to leave immediately after the launch on Wednesday afternoon.  We spent these days chilling out, reading, walking, and doing routine chores of living on a boat.  As much as we enjoy anchoring out (free), a week of it wears on the body.  I normally awake at least once in the night, to make sure my anchor is holding well, and that the anchor of the neighboring boat is doing the same.  So, being in a marina (even an old one) provides a better quality of sleep for the old captain.  For that, I am very grateful.

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The rainy season is now underway for the east coast of Florida.  Our days on the water since leaving Marathon have shown us that.  Thunderstorms continue to be a part of nearly every day.  Monday, we got lots of rain and stiff 20 knot winds out of the east. We spent the afternoon with Steve and Susie on their boat, plotting our course for the next week or so.  Rocking and rolling on their boat, even though we were tied up with many fenders out, made for a pretty unpleasant day.  By the time we finished our planning, we felt like we had been at sea all day in 4-5’ waves.  This was certainly not one of our more enjoyable days.

Tuesday night, John and Karen came from New Smyrna to visit us.  We met them last year at a marina just south of Chicago.  The marina was their home marina and they were gracious enough to keep an eye on our boat while we were in Savannah for Emmaus and our barn dance.  We became friends instantly.  They have a second home in New Smyrna, so they usually winter down here.  But with Covid and lots of rain in Illinois, they decided to come back here for a few days.  Last week, I texted them to see if they happened to be in the area.  They had just left home (Illinois) and were in the car driving south.  So, they came to the marina, picked us up, and took us to their favorite restaurant in Titusville. We enjoyed dinner and a visit with them.  They even let us invite Steve and Susie to tag along.

Wednesday, launch day, finally arrived.  The weather was not real cooperative, and there were rumors the mission would be postponed.  I cleaned up the boat and had it all shiny, just in time for the rain to start (you know, if you need rain, just wash your car).  Steve and I went back and forth about whether to stay on the dock to watch from the distance, take the dinghy out into the ICW, as near the launch site as the authorities would permit, or take my boat and make a fun day of it, doing lunch, watching the launch, and cruising on back in at our leisure.  As the weather became more ominous, going on our boat became the obvious choice.  We left the slip at 3:00 and cruised about an hour south, until we were almost straight in front of the launching pad.  We were still a significant distance away, but we had a great view.  I threw out the anchor and we sat on the bow chatting and talking about how cool this was. 

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The launch was scheduled for 4:33 pm.  At 4:08, the announcement came:  NO LAUNCH TODAY.  Rescheduled for Saturday, 3:22.  What a letdown.  The 4 of us were like kids who had been promised a trip to Disney but had just gotten word that Mickey and Minnie Mouse were out of town.  We pouted for a while, whined that we would not be able to witness this historical moment, and then I pulled the anchor and we puttered back to the marina.  Thursday, our plan is to move on northward.  Maybe someday, we can be back and see a launch, up close.  For this one, we will have to enjoy it on television.

We did enjoy what we thought was our last meal in Titusville that night.  The ladies had been to the fish market on Tuesday, buying shrimp and tuna.  We had a fancy meal of tuna steaks, orzo salad, and Brussel sprouts on their boat. We ate till we hurt, and after about 5 yawns each, Amanda and I waddled back to our boat.  She was asleep in about 5 minutes and I sat up doing what I’ve enjoyed for the last year:  writing about this incredible journey.  Yes, many days are forgettable. It certainly hasn’t been all glamour.  That is clear by some of my drier moments of writing.  But isn’t that, too, just like life itself?Not every day holds a memorable event.  The days of the mundane routine are what make the special days, special.  Today was a good reminder that some of the days, your rocket just can’t get off the ground.  But I’m lucky enough to have a rocket and most days, it does take off.

I woke up Thursday morning to a text from Steve.  He said his bride was REALLY interested in seeing the launch on Saturday.  Amanda was all about it, so we made the decision to stay, hoping the weather would cooperate and not delay the launch till Sunday.

Thursday is a complete blur, so not much must have happened.  We talked about renting a car and getting off the boat, just to break up the boredom.  That plan materialized and Friday morning, so Steve and I caught an Uber to the car rental place. We picked up the car, ran by the drug store, and swung back by the marina to pick up the girls.  It was now well past lunchtime so we talked about where to go for lunch.  The Uber driver had told us about a place we passed on the way to pick up the rental.  It was called:  Loyd Have Mercy. 

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We didn’t know the details at the time, but it was recently featured on the Food Network show, Restaurant Impossible.  Purely soul food, we were there for fried chicken and veggies.  We were immediately seated, ordered ice tea, and then proceeded to order meat loaf, fried chicken, chicken livers, collard greens, mashed potatoes, and fried green tomatoes. Man, we pigged out.  As we wrapped up (a few quiet burps), Andrew Loyd walked by our table.  Steve told him how much we enjoyed lunch.  From there, we interviewed him and got all the details of his “success” story.  He had planned to close the restaurant when the producers of Restaurant Impossible gave him a call.  Long story short, the show saved his business.  He told us about the whole experience with Robert Irvine, the host of the show. Andrew’s business was up 75% when the word got out. He was $60,000 in debt, before.  Covid temporarily slowed things down for him, but business is slowly picking back up.  Since the filming in January, he has been able to pay down a chunk of the debt, and if things stay on track, he said he would be out of debt by the end of June.  What a great, humble guy.  A part time preacher, he clearly said the call from the show was Divine Intervention.  And now that his place has been mentioned in this blog, his business is destined to grow exponentially. We enjoyed the conversation as much as the lunch.

Titusville is just north of Cocoa Beach.  So, after lunch we headed that way.  Cocoa is a nice town, catering to tourists.  We split from the ladies and they did “girl stuff” (I’m over 60, so I can still get away with saying that). Steve and I went to the hardware store.  The Travis Company is one of those old hardware stores like you grew up with.  For the Savannah readers, you will remember White Hardware.  It was so much like that.  Compartmentalized, 2 stories, and rambling aisles that seem to have no real order, I enjoyed it so much I felt like I should have paid an admission price at the door. Steve and I made small purchases for items we needed on the boat.  From there, we looked for a place where Steve could get a haircut.  He really looks rough.  But no luck in barber shops or beauty shops, so we ended up at the ice cream shop, which was much more fun.  Having had all the fun we could, we piled back into the car and headed back to exciting Titusville.

Saturday morning, Amanda and the Muck’s went to the grocery and I went walking and got the boat ready for the next leg of the journey.  Check out time is 11, so we packed the refrigerator with the groceries, and headed back to our observation spot on the ICW for the launch.  We rafted up with All Talk II, grilled burgers and hot dogs, and added bean salad and potato salad to our menu.  We ate lunch, watched the hype of the build up to the launch on TV, took a short snooze, and then got ready for the launch of a lifetime at 3:22 pm. 

With questionable weather, we wondered if we would be stuck another night in Titusville, to wait on the Sunday attempt at the launch.  But the weather cooperated today and at exactly 3:22 pm, the launch took place, without a hitch.  I must admit, it was pretty exciting.  Watching that fire ball lift off the ground in front of us, feeling the boat shake, and then seeing then seeing it disappear into the clouds in just a few short seconds was nothing short of spectacular. I’m still laughing at Amanda’s reaction. I videoed the whole thing and her “noises” were better than any professional play by play commentary. I’m trying to figure out how to post videos on this blog. I’m working on that, but I probably need a little techy advice. She really is funny, and the launch is awesome.

We did make the right decision to stay for the launch on Saturday.

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With the launch behind us, we boated about 20 miles north and arrived just south of New Smyrna Beach just after 7 pm.  We anchored in Mosquito Lagoon.  Fortunately, most of the mosquitoes took the night off.  We had a nice breeze keeping us comfortable all night.  Amanda and I watched a Hallmark movie and we turned in for the night.  

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Tomorrow, we will be in Daytona, as we draw closer to our Loop completion.