Day four, but who's counting?

Why count the days when there's no end to the journey?

We Christened the Kelly Nicole the night before our journey 

Yes, that's Dom going overboard.
Thank you Josh!

Deb might be counting the days this week. She is still trying to adjust to Life with Pauly. Me? I'm just happy to have company. Remember I spent quite some time alone in Rochester and in Jacksonville while Deb was working. I must have been quite the recluse because I picked up this habit of thinking out loud. So recently we came into an anchorage in Daytona Beach that showed 14 feet on the chart, but I was seeing six, sometimes five. "Five! Crap we're plowing! Oh shit now it's 4.8! How can that be? We're crushing crabs! Which way do I turn?! Shit, Shit, SHIT!" Hearing this from the captain does not instill confidence in his skills as a mariner. Deb was looking at me like I was an idiot. "The guide says the depths are less than charted. About 6 to 7 ft, Dear!" What? Oh yea, I sort of remember looking at that earlier. Our depth sounder is off by about .8 ft. I should fix that.
We found a spot to drop the big hook and we had the anchorage all to ourselves and some twenty empty sailboats and this guy.

We thought this boat was unoccupied as well but it turned out someone was in it. They quietly inched forward in the morning and pulled anchor and left. Never saw a soul onboard the whole time we were there and I was doing my best Gladys Cravitz on the whole anchorage. Very creepy. Maybe it's Dick Cheney's hideout. Some old guy with a long white beard rowing a dinghy through the anchorage looked over at us like we were doing something stupid so I asked if there was any deeper water around here. "Nope. All mud too." He stared at us a bit then rowed towards shore and disappeared. More creepy. I had the Mantus buried and had room to let out 100 feet of chain, so I did. We didn't go anywhere and we slept reasonably well.

Previous to this anchorage we stopped in Palm Coast. The Palm Coast Marina was nice, friendly and helpful and we met some nice cruisers there.

Not sure I like the jerry cans up there.

Now we are in the New Smyrna Municipal Marina as we didn't like the anchorages ahead for the wind we're getting. We will sit tight until this front moves through and then move further south.

The High and Low:

• Anchor looks good. Came up fine with manual windlass and pry bar to get it on the roller.
• Got a water system leak in the lousy fitting outside the boat for bringing in pressured water.
• Engine smoked white big time on Saturday. Been fine since. Not sure.
• Had to tighten v-belt. Was new. No rubber burning.
• Found I wired the freezer on the wrong side of the shunt for the Link batt monitor. Thought I bought the first one with a small fusion reactor inside. Guess not.
• Docking went well.
• Bridges were cooperative and we got lucky with timing.
• Have not been off the boat much except for some crappy little cafe with an excellent view.
• I tend to express myself too much. "If we lose power here, that would really suck. A quick turn to port, pop the Genny and head downwind so we don't hit the bridge, or we stick it in the mud" should be kept to myself.
• Deb has not killed  me yet.

We had an awesome Bon Voyage from Sabrina and Tom of SV Honey Ryder who are currently in the Islands but managed to get friends Dan and Jaye to send us off properly. Very nice. So much appreciated. We had a great time with Dan and Jaye and we can't wait to get together again with Tom and Sabrina for some Rum sipping. Thank you!

Jaye likes to point that sword where it would hurt the most I see.

For all that are wondering what the cruising life is like, all I can say is that it's fun, adventurous, nerve wracking, sphincter tightening, frustrating, tiring, relaxing, and happiness. It's what we expected and what we received so far. All this and it's only been how many days?

Cheers!
PJJB

Goodbye St Augie

kind of a tiny fort

Landed a dock next to bird shit island. They sound like people at night.

St Augustine parting shot

Bridge of lions

How big are the bilge pumps in this thing. Cool ship.

Nice lots along the way.