July 4, 2012 - Status Update

First let me start by wishing everyone a Happy and Safe 4th of July !!

We spent much of June working on little projects with the RV, Leon and Brenda's projects and planning on getting going on our next adventure.

We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary by taking a cruise to the Bahamas on Carnival Cruise lines.  We drove down to Port Canaveral and departed on the 28th for our four day cruise.  Upon boarding, we were greeted with "Happy Anniversary" decorations and a great fruit/cheese/wine basket sent by my sister and family.  The cruise was enjoyable but so far removed from actual sailing the fact that we were on water wasn't even a factor.  The "veteran" cruisers have no idea what actual cruising is.  The food was good, plentiful and always available and there were always servers running around ready to take your drink order.  The ship entertainment crew always has something going on so there was always something going on.  The two comics that were aboard were Lewis Nixon and Mark Simmons and they were great !  We visited Nassau and took a great tour by one of the locals, Felton, who gave us an excellent tour of the island along with a through history.  If you ever find yourself in Nassau, don't book your tour through the cruise line, walk outside where the deals are better and if you really luck out and find Felton, you will be in for a treat.

Each day our room steward would make us a towel animal

We missed taking the picture of the walrus :(

Cabin Decorations

Gift Basket for our Anniversary

Heading to the megaresort - Atlantis

Waterfall at Atlantis

Statue at Atlantis

Atlantis, Mega resort and Casino on Nassua

at Atlantis

The Queen's Staircase

 

We were allowed to walk down and thankfully, we didn't have to walk back up

Nassau Watertower, the highest point on the island

Our tour guide, Felton

In the surf at Nassau

Dock at Nassau

Aboard ship, Beth and I took advantage of all the amenities and spent time in the pool, hot tub and even went down the funship slide and followed it up with a round of mini golf.  The crew aboard does a great job to take care of all the guests and our trip was very enjoyable.  I can recommend a cruise for a good escape vacation but not as a lifestyle.  We learned a few valuable lessons about "commercial" cruising especially about getting alcohol onboard, other than that, it was a nice vacation.

Back at home, we helped Leon and Brenda with the Sparks in the Park festival which was fun until it started pouring effectively killing the festival and drowning out the fireworks.  For the 4th, Beth and I relaxed and did lots of nothing.
Tomorrow, work gets started on the RV finishing touches and if Norm Bumbieris doesn't completely screw me on the payments he owes me, We may head out this month.

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June 1, 2012 - Status Update

Things continue to be busy with different projects.  I am slowly getting the RV outfitted the way I want to and need about 3 full days of concentrated effort for it to be ready to go.  Beth's car is almost ready to be attached and officially become a TOAD.  I have been robbing parts off her old X-90 to make her new X-90 better and fully equipped.  Leon and I worked on his pontoon boat last week and got most things done, at least done enough to take the family out to Blue Ridge Lake for Memorial Day and celebrate my birthday.

Beth continues to organize and plan for our first RV outing but without a departure date, its kind of tough to plan.  My ex business partner has been causing some stress so I am unsure of additional funding for the RV trip so it may be delayed. 

My sister and family are coming to Blue Ridge for their getaway vacation next week so we will try to spend time with them and enjoy this area.  The Sisson family reunion ( Brenda's side of the family ) is next Sunday so that should be fun.

We have planned one last "vacation" for our 3rd wedding anniversary and depending on the situation, we may depart for points north sometime after the 4th of July.  Hopefully I can complete the highest priority projects before we leave for our vacation/celebration.    Next update, July 1.

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John & Beth's RV
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Thursday - End of the trip

We departed very early, basically as the sun was coming up we untied from the mooring ball and headed south.  Thomas was debating parking the boat in Ft. Pierce and going to pick up his car, take care of his business then continue his trip down to the keys.  It was another motoring day with the wind still on the bow.
We tried fishing but didn't catch anything.  The weather was beautiful and we were making good time.  Thomas had spent part of the afternoon calling marina's to see who had the best deal to dock the boat.
He had decided to park as our days had been long and tiring and to make it to Ft. Myers, we still had several 12 hour days to go.  He was feeling good about his decision and it was about that time that the motor had a very disturbing squeal and stopped.  We drifted a bit and were being pushed into shallow water by the wind.  We quickly dropped anchor to give us time to figure out the issue.  Upon investigation, the cam pulley had separated from the motor and upon further investigation, it was found that the actual camshaft had sheared and this engine was not going to be running anytime soon.  Thomas, surprisingly, wasn't surprised.  He had researched Honda's and they did have a reputation for having a flywheel issue which I had repaired under a Honda recall back in 2006 or 2007 so I was the one truly surprised.  Apparently this wasn't a flywheel issue but another issue that has plagued Honda's and is pretty well documented.  The camshaft had sheared where the cam pulley attached and would require a complete engine breakdown, new parts and rebuild to get it going again.  A 1995 engine wouldn't be worth the repairs.  This is the engine that took Beth and I from Savannah to Mexico and back safe and sound and without much of a hitch.  I trusted this engine with our very lives and it did not let us down, Thank God for that.
So, we were dead in the water, the wind against us and anchored in shallow water.  BoatUS to the rescue !  If you own a boat and use it in US waters, A BoatUS membership is a necessity!  They were most courteous on the radio and followed up on the cell phone.  The Captain arrived in about 1/2 hour and we were already rigged to be towed.  He towed us to the marina that Thomas had picked which was only about a mile away from our position.  The slip they had assigned was a bit tight to get in to but the BoatUS Captain skillfully guided us in and we tied up.  Thomas went to the office to take care of the paperwork while I secured the boat and got us hooked up to shore power and water. 

After resting for a bit, Thomas checked online for a replacement engine while I made arrangements for a rental car.  Thomas is partial to Yamaha so that was his priority and was very sure he would never own another Honda.  It had been a long day and did not go as we had planned.  Thomas took it in stride, while disappointed he was in decent spirits.  The plan was to head out in the morning with the rental car with me taking Thomas to Jacksonville to pick up his truck and me continuing back to Ellijay. 

Friday 04/27/2012

I said goodbye to "Second Chance" and we headed north in the rental car.  Thomas and I had a good road trip north and we parted in Jacksonville.  I wish him all the best in his journeys.

Over the next month or so Beth and I will be readying the RV so stay tuned or follow us by email by filling in your email address in the box below.

Wednesday - Continuing South

We started off early again mostly at my urging but Thomas got into it and ran the ship most of the morning.  We stopped a little after 8:30 to get some ice and pick up some fishing lures and we were back on the way.
After a bit Thomas got a bite and reeled in a small spanish mackerel which we tossed back.  We went the rest of the day, motoring on with the wind on the bow and not another bite.  Just as we were making the final mile to the marina, Thomas caught a blue and 2 more spanish mackerel which were all decent sized.  We kept the fish on-board planning a fresh fish dinner.  We were aiming for the Anchorage Marina in Indianharbor but arrived too late and they had closed.  We chose a mooring ball and after a bit of "anchor dance" we managed to tie up securely.  I cleaned the fish and Thomas cooked them on the grill with lemon, salt and pepper and potatoes.  The meal was great, nothing like fresh caught fish served with a gorgeous sunset.  By the time everything was secure and dinner was done, it was pretty late and we both turned in early.  This was our best day yet covering just over 60 nautical miles.

Tuesday - Headed to Daytona

We were up early and headed out in time to make the 7:30 opening of the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine.  We arrived at the bridge at 7:28 which was perfect timing, had we missed the bridge we would have had to wait until 8:30 as they don't open the bridge at 8 because of rush hour.  We timed the tides well and made excellent time all the way to Daytona.  We passed through Daytona at about 4pm and continued a little bit further to the Adventure Yacht Harbor.  The wind was kicking up a bit when we docked and it wasn't the prettiest approach but nothing got dinged and we successfully tied up to the dock.  We refueled and got everything squared away.  I did some laundry and took a nice hot shower while Thomas caught up on some work. 

The sunset was great and you know what they say.  Red at night . . . . . . . . .

We went to the local restaurant for dinner and enjoyed some good conversation with the locals.
Afterwards I retired for the evening.

Monday 4/23/12

I was up early as usual and ready to go but a few things still had to be taken care of.  Thomas had to put his truck in storage and we needed to fuel up.  Thomas didn't return from his errands until 10:30 so by the time we had fueled up and cleared the marina it was 11am.  That actually worked out well for us as the tidal current was giving us a nice push and we averaged a bit over 6 knots.  During one straight section of the intracoastal we put the genoa up and in 22 knot winds we were doing better than 8 knots.  Unfortunately the winding, twisting turning of the intracoastal really isn't conducive to sailing so we only sailed (motorsailed) for about an hour.  Over all it was a very good day as we made it to St. Augustine in 4 hours and docked in the same 20 knot winds at the Camanchee marina.  Beth and I stayed here when we made the trip up the east coast in December and the people here are as nice today as they were then.

After we docked we took advantage of the courtesy car and took a drive around St. Augustine but it was still pretty chilly so we just did the drive by sightseeing.  We retired back to the boat as we plan to head out early tomorrow so we can make Daytona.

Sunday - Hurry up and wait

The weather wasn't cooperative with severe thunderstorms predicted over the area all day.  The weatherman was about half right as usual, it was rainy until about 2pm when it cleared and was quite nice.  A cold front came through and cooled everything off. I was glad I had brought some warm clothes.

For the most part Thomas spent the day organizing things on the boat and I went over a couple of the ships systems with him.  The plan was to depart at 9:30 am on Monday where the weather was forecast to be sunny and windy.

All in all it was a pretty peaceful day with no real excitement.

Second Chance has been sold and delivered. 4/21/2012

Thomas showed up at the boat shortly after noon and we proceeded to take care of the paperwork and banking details. With all that finished, we grabbed lunch and headed back to the Marina.  Thomas had brought alot of stuff with him that needed to be loaded so the remainder of the afternoon was spent loading the boat.  Once everything was aboard, the rain started.  Right now I believe Thomas brought more stuff than Beth and I took off.  Maybe its just the organization as everything is everywhere and there is hardly room to sit.  We decided to wait out the weather on Sunday which will give Thomas a chance to get organized and acclimated to the boat.  He also brought his two cats which seem very well behaved and are currently staying in the port aft berth to stay out of the way and not get into things they shouldn't.  The cats have come out and taken the tour and seem ok with things so far.  Thomas is currently overwhelmed and ecstatic.  After all, they say one of the happiest days is when you buy a boat . . . . .
It rained throughout the night off and on but was pretty calm aboard.

Delivery Trip - April 20 2012

I was up early simply because I get up early.  That is one habit I wish I could break but since I was up I decided to tidy things up for the new owner who should be arriving later today.  I arranged for one of the local guys to give the bottom the once over since it hadn't been cleaned since about July last year and some pretty weird things were attached.  I arranged for one of the marina guys to refill a propane bottle for me and I gave the boat a bath and took care of a few little things on the boat.  Most of the day was spent watching other people do things as I was in wait mode.

I grilled out again and enjoyed a nice meal on the boat.  Made a trip to Publix and then watched a movie online.  I heard from Thomas about 9 that he wasn't going to make it here tonight and that he would see me tomorrow.
With the weather forecast I am quite sure we won't be heading out on Saturday anyway and Sunday looks iffy.  From Monday on, it looks great.

"Second Chance" at Palm Cove Marina in Jacksonville, FL

Delivery Trip - April 19 2012

Caleb, the dockhand at Amelia Island Yacht Basin came by the boat about 9 am to return my cell phone to me which was much appreciated.  I headed out about 9am for the short run to Jacksonville.  The weather was 30% chance of showers under partly cloudy skies.  It was quite a nice day to motor south as the winds were still pretty much out of the south but had calmed down to just a breeze.  The waterway was smooth and I didn't see but a few boats along the way.  Just before noon I apparently ran into the 30% chance and it rained for about 2 hours but just rain, no lightning so I kept going.   I went through the drawbridge at Sisters creek and entered the St. John's river in Jacksonville about 2pm.  The rest of the bridges are all fixed bridges until St. Augustine.  I docked at the Palm Cove Marina in Jacksonville around 3 just as the next wave of rain hit, and this one had lightning in it.  I was happy to be docked and not the tallest mast in the marina.  The storm was short lived.  I ordered Pizza Hut for dinner and enjoyed a quiet night on the boat streaming Netflix to my computer.

The new owner of Second Chance should arrive late tomorrow for his first night aboard.

Delivery Trip - April 18 2012

Wow,  They say the happiest days in a boat owners life is the day he buys the boat and the day he sells the boat.  Well, I have owned Second Chance for almost 11 years ( about a month short of 11 ) and I can't say that saying goodbye is a happy occasion.  She has served me very well, taught me so many things and provided shelter and reliable transportation.  Together we have weathered many storms, been to beautiful beaches and the bluest water you can imagine so saying goodbye is not a happy day. 

I set sail on Wednesday Morning from St. Simons under partly cloudy skies headed south toward Jacksonville Florida where I would meet with the new owner and provide instructions on the onboard systems of the boat. 

Waving goodbye to Beth at St. Simons Fredrica Yacht Club

Sailing wasn't going to happen as it was wind out of the south and about a two foot chop crossing the inlet.  After that it calmed down and by mid afternoon, the sun was out, the wind had died down and the water smooth.  About 2 pm I came across a group of kayakers that flagged me down. They were tired and told me they just couldn't go on and would I please give them a lift.  It was a group out of Ohio being led by a guide to one of the Cumberland Island campgrounds and their guide had gotten them off course and lost.  After comparing maps with the guide I determined they had passed their cutoff by about a mile.  We tied the kayaks to Second Chance and headed toward their cutoff.  I hosted by offering drinks and a restroom which they appreciated.  I dropped them off about 1/4 mile from their destination and waved goodbye.   I hoped to stay at Fernadina Marina for the night but they were booked solid so I continued to Amelia Island Yacht Basin.  We stayed here about a year ago and they actually remembered the boat.  It was a pleasant stay until I realized I had lost my cell phone.  One of the dockhands gave me a ride up to WinnDixie and I was pretty sure my phone had fallen off in his car.  I called it several times but couldn't get in touch with him until morning.  I grilled porkchops on the grill and spent a relaxing evening.

Status Update April 2012

Beth and I have been in Ellijay since December and while it's quite comfortable, adventure calls to us both.
We mad the decision to sell the boat, Second Chance and continue our adventure in an RV.  In late February we purchased a 35ft Fleetwood Pace Arrow RV.  It is powered by a V10 Triton gas engine, has two twelve foot slides and all the comforts of home.  I have been working on projects on the RV to get it up to our standards in-between working on different projects with Leon, Beth's father.  One of those projects was working on Beth's Suzuki X-90 and getting it ready to two behind the RV.  We are almost done with that project but overall, Leon's project list is very long and I don't think we will stay in Ellijay quite that long.
Beth has been working on stocking the RV with what we will need and while we don't have a particular destination in mind yet, we are thinking of heading north first.  Catie and Cocoa seem to like the RV and will probably be much more comfortable than they were on the boat.

The decision to move to the RV was one of convenience.  The RV has the ability to pull over if the weather gets too bad and there isn't the requirement to take the dogs ashore with a dinghy.  Also the RV can get to places we want to see quicker.  While the overall motto is " It isn't the destination, its the journey", who wants to spend days getting to where you are going when there is nothing to see along the way.

Second Chance has been sold and part of the deal was that I deliver it to Jacksonville, FL and then spend a few days teaching the new owner everything I can about her.  He has eluded that he would like me to continue aboard with him all the way to Ft. Myers.

So, while the adventures of Beth and John took a pause, they are far from over.  Stay tuned and be sure to sign up to follow us by email at the bottom of the page.

Cocoa has already picked his spot.

We attended opening day at the festival

Beth's Christmas Surprise.  Suzuki X-90

Tuesday - In Georgia

Tuesday morning was cool and dreary.  The forecast of partly cloudy and warmer wasn't proving true, again.
We set off from Fernandina Harbor Marina at 8 am under a grey sky on what would be our last voyage of the year. 

Catie kept me company, and provided warmth, at the wheel.

A flock of seagulls followed us out, especially since Beth was feeding them which kept the babies entertained. 

We passed Fort Clinch at Fernandina Beach and headed into Georgia by Cumberland Island.

As soon as we crossed into Georgia, the current was against us and slowing us to 3 knots.  About 1/2 way up Cumberland Island the tide shifted and we were up to 8 knots.  We saw the submarine base in Kings Bay and its associated patrol boats.

The sun finally started coming out around 1pm and by 2 it was warming things up, the wind calmed down and it was a nice day.

Then the St. Simons Island lighthouse came into view and we were close to where we would be docking the boat.

We docked the boat with ease at its new home, at least for awhile, and secured everything and took the babies for a walk to look around.  This is a private marina but it is well protected and is a gated community.  We were treated to a beautiful sunset on our final voyage of the year.

As we wrap up our trip for 2011 we will be at home for the holidays, recanting our adventure to anyone that will listen, planning our next adventure.  We fondly remember all the people we met along the way and the people who supported us on this trip and wish them fair winds and following seas, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.


We will not be updating the blog while we are on land until we begin our next adventure.  Please click the Followers link at the top right of the blog AND/OR the Follow us by Email link at the bottom of the blog to be updated when we do post again.

We will be updating the Photo Gallery over the next few weeks so feel free to browse all the photos we took along our way.

To All of our friends, wherever they may be !!

Sunday and Monday

Sunday was a planned day not to go anywhere but get some stuff done.  I managed to get my immediate list completed and Beth completed hers as well.  The weather wasn't as bad as the forecast but I am glad we were tied to the dock.  The winds were out of the north at 20+ knots and it was cold.  The birds seem to hang around the marina and Catie and Cocoa loved that feature of the marina.  When we took them out for a walk, we let them patrol the docks.

We checked the weather and decided to stay here another day as the forecast was wind, cold, and rain. 

Monday:  It looks like Beth is getting better and I am getting worse.  I guess it was time to trade this cold.  I stayed on the boat all day, surfing the net and relaxing.  The forecast was correct, it started raining after midnight and the power went off around 1am. The weather during the day was more of the same, off and on again rain, blustery wind and nasty grey skies.  Beth found a drugstore nearby and picked up some cold remedy medicine and took care of me.  While I was surfing, I located a new home for "Second Chance".  We will be docking her in St. Simons Island at the Yacht Club for the holidays and for a while thereafter while I refit her for additional cruising.  While this is a little bit further of a drive from Ellijay, it is closer to our preferred cruising area as well as better facilities.  We will head out from Fernandina Beach tomorrow and should be at our new "home" tomorrow afternoon.  This will give us a couple of days to get everything settled and head to Ellijay for the holidays.

Saturday - So Close

Departed early under overcast skies and very cool temperatures.  The Sun showed itself a few times during the day but only briefly. 

The majority of the day was overcast and cold. The wind was pretty much out of the north and 15 to 25 knots which made the wind chill very cold and the water quite choppy. 

Beautiful homes / estates along the ICW in Ponte Vedra

The opposite side of the ICW is all nature.

We made good time today for 52 miles.  We caught the St. John's River just right where we were able to take advantage of the river current as well as the ebb tide and were motoring along at over 8 knots for a little while. For the most part we averaged 6 knots.  We saw lots of pods of dolphins playing along the way and passed dozens of boats headed south.  We always wave and they wave back as we pass.

Catie takes her shift on watch

We considered stopping at Amelia Island Yacht Basin which is where we stayed the last time we were in this area but their channel to the actual marina is very narrow and almost too narrow for Second Chance at low tide which is when we passed them.  The Amelia Island Yacht Basin is a very nice marina and was great the last time we were through but we opted to continue on to the Fernandina Harbor Marina.  The marina is less expensive and very nice.  They are due to be dredged soon as they were concerned with our draft and once they get that done, this will be the place to stay in the area.  The marina staff was great, helped us with our dock lines and provided good information.  The marina is located right in downtown Fernandina Beach, FL which has all kinds of shops nearby.  We are close enough to Georgia to actually see it from the marina, it is 1 mile north.  We still have over 100 miles to go to our actual destination, but its good to see Georgia.

The weather tomorrow is forecast to be worse than today, wind mostly and cooler with a possibility of rain, so we have decided to stay here for two nights.  This will give us a chance to rest, explore Fernandina Beach, do laundry, stow the dinghy and fix (replace) that cockpit speaker that has been driving me nuts. 

I made chicken and stuffing for dinner as Beth had been craving it.  She is feeling a little better today but not 100% yet. I am sure the day of rest tomorrow will help.

Check-in/OK message from Second Chance SPOT Messenger

Second Chance
Latitude:30.67089
Longitude:-81.46597
GPS location Date/Time:12/10/2011 16:08:55 EST

Message:Living the dream !
All is well.

Click the link below to see where I am located.
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Friday - St. Augustine

Up before the dawn, again.  Beth got up, walked the dogs while I prepared to get us underway.  It was warmer this morning and it wasn't necessary to bundle up quite as much.  The tide and wind were with us at the start but that changed quickly.  The wind became out of the northeast as it became stronger and the tide turned about noon and slowed us down.  Beth wasn't feeling much better, in fact she was worse so she took the dogs into the berth and slept till about 2pm. 

We crossed the halfway point between inlets and the tide was with us so we started making good time.

  Ft Matanzas at the tip of Rattlesnake Island

Bridge of Lions - St. Augustine, FL

We arrived in St. Augustine for the 3pm opening of the bridge of lions and by 4pm, we had refueled, made it to our slip for the night and secured the boat. 

St Augustine Light House

Castillo de San Marcos

St Augustine's Cross

The marina we chose for today is the Camachee Island Marina, just slightly north of St. Augustine but by far, one of the best marina's we have ever stayed at.  The dock hands that greeted us and fueled us up were friendly and helpful, The office staff was great and the overall marina is fantastic.  This marina is definately one of the upper scale marina's but at a very reasonable price.  They give discounts for BoatUS members, have clean facilities, beautiful grounds, numerous shops within the area and they have courtesy cars.  Once we were settled we took advantage of one of the courtesy cars to make a quick Winn Dixie run, with a stop at West Marine. 
I have always enjoyed the beef that Winn Dixie has so when I saw they had steaks on sale, I knew what was for dinner.  Once we finished with Winn Dixie and West Marine, we headed back to the boat, unpacked, and relaxed for a bit.  I had chosen a beautiful porterhouse steak for dinner and after using the grill on the boat to cook it to perfection, I dropped it into the water.  It was a true oops moment.  Just as the steak was done and I was taking it off the grill to put on the plate, it went swimming.  Needless to say I was greatly disappointed but I am sure some fish or crab really enjoyed my dinner.  I had also picked up a nice pork steak so I grilled that and Beth did share some of her steak with me.  After dinner, We watched some TV and we now have our local channels back so we relaxed.

We made 52 miles today which given the wind and the shifting tides, we did pretty good.  Much of our distance is dependent on where we can get before dark and where the marina's happen to be.  This is the last marina north of St. Augustine for another couple of hours sailing.