Jacksonville, FL to Brunswick, GA March 20 - 21, 2015

March 20 - 21, 2015, Jacksonville, FL to Brunswick, GA

Looper boat from Sturgeon Bay at Ortega Ldg.

Boat at Jacksonville shipyard

Heavy, dense fog delayed our departure from the Marina at Ortega Landing this Friday morning until well after 11 a.m. toward Fernandina Beach. We had more than enough time to accommodate a morning walk during which time Joe exercised his two new knees by completing the circle with Clay and me. Breakfast followed with a delicious fruit plate, punctuated by fresh blueberries and fresh raspberries, compliments of Joe! Our cup runneth over!

Tom & Gretchen's house on the Ortega River

Another random, chance hook-up with old friends.  Guest Joe Weston is still involved with the nursery industry conducting marketing surveys.  He contacted the new owners of an established nursery in the state of Louisiana the week before he joined us and found himself talking to the daughter of one of our father's contemporaries, Mary Wight of Wight Nursery in Cairo GA.  Mary was helping her son run the newly acquired nursery in Louisiana.  Mary, who used to live in Jacksonville, FL, told Joe, she had moved last year but her younger sister, Gretchen, still lived in Jacksonville.  I haven't even started yet..........

Tom and Gretchen

The mill at Fernandina Beach FL Marina

Independently, and without knowledge that Joe had talked to Mary Wight, Brother Walter asked me to call Mary.  Seems Walter and Mary, and another of her sisters, had a thing going 40 years ago.  I called Mary and she insisted I call her sister Gretchen; so I did.  Turned out Gretchen lived 2-3 blocks from the Ortega Landing Marina.  Gretchen and her husband Tom dropped by that afternoon graciously offering the use of their car to run errands and suggesting dinner which we accepted.  Turns out that Tom and Gretchen are avid boaters who spend 3-4 months each summer cruising in New England where they keep their boat.  Sally and I enjoyed a great dinner and lovely conversation with Gretchen and Tom.

Quiz:  The Wights nursery was in Cairo GA.  What is the name of the Cairo High School mascot?  Answer later.

Joe in FL's Oldest Bar

Holding that old bar up!

Our five-hour day of travel was challenged by current, on-again-off-again fog, and shallow depths (low tide). Fernandina Harbor Marina would be our last stop in Florida before moving north on Saturday into Georgia. We arrived with time for Clay and Joe to explore the town on foot and to stop for a cool one at the Palace Saloon, complete with swinging doors and signage that read, "oldest saloon in Florida." I was 'abandoned' happily at the boat to enjoy a bit of space and a nice shower. We again dined on a healthy fare of grilled chuck burgers, baked potatoes and a medley of oven-roasted veggies.

Minding the store at Brunswick Ldg.

We awakened Saturday morning, positioned at the extreme south end of this marina's face dock (that's a good thing; it's where we started Friday night!) with yet another round of fog having descended during the night. Fog lifted to enable our 10 a.m. departure, only to descend and then lift again to provide an absolutely beautiful day as we crossed into Georgia and headed toward Brunswick Landing Marina. Not only is BLM a nice facility, but its downtown location and 'cheap' fuel prices make it a popular spot for Loopers. Dockmaster Sherrie is a marvel, and her status was elevated even higher in my mind as she manhandled a particularly awkward docking by Captain Clay to snug us into the dock slip using only one (spring)line. Now I understand the concept of 'springline' which, when done correctly, pivots the boat around a centerpoint! Thanks, Sherrie, for both the safe docking and the springline lesson!

Ranger tug w/Nina/Penta in background

Brunswick GA Bridge

Joe got an up-close-and-personal look at the Nina and Pinta with both ships docked with us on the transient dock. Well, Joe got as up close and personal as he cared to get; I pointed out their sign 'Crew Wanted' and encouraged Joe to consider it, especially given the experience he's getting aboard S3! Topping of a beautiful day, we three chose to walk to Sherrie's restaurant suggestion, Coastal Indigo Shanty, where we found taste treats to suit all three of our palates. The chef/owner had brought her spices from the island and did an extraordinary job combining a blend of coconut milk, red pepper and curry in my dinner entree selection. Wonderful! The only drawback to our evening was the unwelcomed 'entertainment' of no-see-ums in plentiful suppy much to Joe's and my disgust; the little buggers don't seem to like Clay. Lucky Captain!

Once again we tuck in for our Saturday overnight, looking forward to a good night's sleep and more adventures on the horizon tomorrow.

Matanzas River to Jacksonville, FL March 16 - 20, 2015

March 16 - 20, 2015

We awakened this Monday morning, deciding that yesterday's disrupted early morning routine worked pretty well for us, so we did a repeat performance pulling anchor shortly after 8 a.m. When anticipating a long travel day, we realized an early departure certainly helps avoid travel under darkening skies. And, today's day of travel was anticipated to be about nine hours to Jacksonville Metropolitan Marina (stadium in downtown Jacksonville, home to the JAX Jaguars). Clay meticulously checked tides and thus currents after remembering our previous experience at this location which wasn't pretty (SaSea Sally had been caught in a compromising position--crossways to the slip--when the current grabbed us); we were both anxious to avoid a repeat performance.

We arrived at slack tide, eased into the slip with little effort and secured our lines shortly before 5 p.m. We then welcomed and tied a companion traveler (sailboat Sea Change), after which the four of us walked the length of the dock to swipe our plastic for 24-hour electricity at the pedestal kiosk. The price is right at this location known to many of us boaters, but the current does present a particular challenge.

Tuesday morning we departed JAX Metro with only a short travel day ahead through downtown Jacksonville and under numerous bridges, with construction notated at our final bridge (the Ortega River Bridge). Two hours advanced notice guaranteed a double opening at the Ortega River Bridge, with single openings (26' width) at all other times. First Mate Robin (Sea Change) had called ahead to request the double opening, but miscommunication reared its ugly head and forced Captain Clay to ease our 16' width thru the max 26' single bridge opening. Way to go, Captain Clay! Five feet clearance on either side made for a breath-holding experience for me (especially when, upon approach, the bridge tender made comment, "How big are you? The closer you get, the bigger you look!") The bridge tender complimented Clay's driving skills, telling Clay that SaSea Sally was perfectly centered.

Having stayed at the Marina at Ortega Landing previously, Clay and I reacquainted quickly and made ourselves at home. Three leisurely laundry loads, lunch, a boat wash by Clay and some pool time for Sal made for a delightful afternoon. A nursery acquaintance Gretchen (Wight) McKenzie and hubby Tom dropped by for a short chat, issuing a dinner invitation for the following evening. The highlight of our day was the 5:30 p.m. telephone call from son John with news of his passing his Series 7 test (a biggie!). Sus' text to John after receiving the good news: "Hooray! Congrats! Way to go! You ROCK! You did good! Interpretation....proud of you...you smart nephew!" My congrats had been just as heartfelt, but my sister does have a creative and expressive way with words! I had earlier contributed numerous minutes of a pep talk over John's lunch break when he called sweating the test outcome. I shared with him my morning's God Wink when, upon opening the linen cabinet to see a rolled sweat towel's imprint 'Champion' staring at me, I was reassured of John's passing the test. 

Clay and I welcomed Wednesday by walking our favorite circular route between the two bridges at this stretch of the Ortega River. When Marine Solutions' Ralph and Que arrived to do routine maintenance on the two Yanmar engines, they only contributed to the already chaotic environment Clay had created as he cleaned, rearranged and reorganized in anticpation of friend Joe Weston's arrival the following day. The impact of chaos in a small area is considerable, and Ralph and Que's arrival only intensified my need to escape...which I did (my excuse to put in a few laps at the pool!) For those of you who think Clay did all the prep work...ha ha ha! But he did do his share. Kudos to the captain...he does do housework (especially when I remind him that it's 'his' boat!)

Early eve we made our way to Tom and Gretchen's nearby (literally) waterside home where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and conversation covering a range of topics from nurseries to boating, living our husbands' dreams to lives of our own, and more. With a heartfelt thank you to the McKenzies, Clay and I departed with promises to stay in touch.

Thursday morning, in McKenzies' borrowed car, we made our way to JAX airport to pick up friend Joe. We traveled pretty much the length of the city from Ortega Landing in the south of the city to the airport in the north. Clay had mapped the route and coordinated stops at Panera for lunch and Wal-Mart for provisioning following Joe's pick-up. We three ended the day with 'fine dining' in the SaSea Sally 'dining room,' eating a healthy meal of grilled chipotle lime chicken breasts, grilled asparagus and jasmine rice. Yum!

With plans to depart this Friday morning by 9:30 a.m., I bid you a fond farewell on behalf of Captain Clay and the crew (Sally and Joe), noting that heavy, dense fog looks to be a deterrent to our timely departure from the Marina at Ortega Landing.

Ft. Pierce to Matanzas River anchorage, FL March 13 - 15, 2015

March 13 - 15, 2015

We awakened on Friday the 13th in Ft. Pierce with plans to return the rental car, to hoof it back to the boat and to prep for departure late morning with an anchorage destination for the overnight. Two glitches threatened to amend our plans (a fierce wind and movement of the harbor construction barge which would soon block our exit), but we forged onward with a noon departure which Clay executed flawlessly. 

We set anchor north of the Melbourne bridge late afternoon, blowing about the anchor with a continuing wind impacting our movement. I again, as often before, had the feeling, "I have no idea where I am. Not a particularly good feeling" which I posted on Facebook; this being an atypical post for me, I unexpectedly garnered quick response from friends with immediate concern as to my well-being. Thanks Becky Chitwood for your phone call and Patty Avery for your call to sister Susan. Wow! Nice to know I have friends who care, but must take care not to unduly alarm those near and dear! (Sus told Patty I'd probably just had a bit too much vino...nope.)

We began Saturday with our usual routine of Sally's stretch-and-flex and tracking, breakfast and a mid-morning anchor pull. Things always look brighter in the daylight, but darned if I still had no clue as to where I was. As we motored northward and reached the outskirts of Titusville, Clay slowed to a snail's pace (mind you, we don't go much faster than that routinely anyway) and began looking and listening skyward. Thanks, Woody Crandall, for your heads-up regarding the air show originating from the Titusville Muni Airport near NASA.

Totally absorbed in the air show, Clay opted to set anchor at 2:30 p.m. for an afternoon of 'fun in the sun.' Please realize 'fun in the sun' has different meaning to different people. Clay, happy as a lark, relished in the LOUD planes buzzing overhead in flight patterns that placed SaSea Sally directly below the airport approach while I experienced the distinct feeling that we were being dive-bombed! Clay snapped photo after photo while I wiped sweat, swatted biting bugs, rocked with the boat's incredible movement from yet more windy conditions, and thought to myself, "You owe me!" Truth be known, I did enjoy the Thunderbirds, but spent a huge amount of time covering my ears in protection from the noise; either Clay was oblivious or his hearing IS seriously impaired!

Pulling anchor shortly after 4 p.m., we moved on with yet quite a distance to go to reach our Mosquito Lagoon overnight anchorage site. As I checked on things below and passed one of only three mirrors aboard, I said to myself, "You are a good sport...a real trooper." I don't think words can accurately convey the magnitude of the noise nor the impact of the experience prior.

We set anchor at 6:50 p.m. (too late); soon thereafter, I texted sister Susan "I think I remember Clay saying dinner would be catered tonight." That brought forth a huge chuckle from inside me. Life is much more easily lived with humor as your constant companion!

We awakened Sunday morning with Captain Clay hot to trot. Really? A disrupted morning routine  had us pulling anchor shortly after 8 a.m. with breakfast served shortly thereafter on the fly bridge. Post breakfast, I tracked while moving (a real feat which requires good balance and an expectation of boat movement without being able to see what's ahead, positioned on the stern as I am for this thirty minutes of cardio). Nine hours of cruising had SaSea Sally located at the mouth of the Matanzas River but with far too much shoaling (and thus too little depth) to safely follow the directions to the Fort Matanzas anchorage. So we chose to set anchor out of the ICW's main channel, turn on our anchor light and hope for the best.

A delicious meal of grilled pork chops, baked potatoes and grilled zucchini ended our long-cruising day with another long day anticipated on Monday.

As we tuck into bed, I bid a fond farewell to those of you still following the events of our now almost nineteen months aboard SaSea Sally.

March 13 - 15 , Ft. Pierce to Matanzas River anchorage, FL