Sunday, November 18 – St. Augustine (Mile 778) to Daytona (Mile 836):

            So when we woke up this morning – GUESS WHAT?  It was gray, cold and windy!  But we left anyway!  After a quick breakfast of peanut butter and jelly on raisin toast, we donned our foul weather gear, untied the boat and made tracks.  We were outta there at 8:00 a.m. – down the San Sebastian River and out to the Matanzas River.  We loved St. Augustine, but we were ready to leave.  We are also tired of cloudy, windy, and cold.  This whole day, the sky has looked like it has been whitewashed with an overlay of smoky, dark clouds – not a speck of blue anywhere much less any sun. 

            Once again we are in a narrow little channel with marsh and shoals on either side of us with the channel making sharp right and left turns.  At mile 785, the depth sounder started frantically beeping at us, and Bob said, “Yikes!” (well, not exactly).  The depth sounder was telling us we had wandered into three feet of water, and since we draw 4½ feet that was definitely cause for concern.  We quickly got back in deeper water (not sure we actually had been out of the channel – sometimes there is something on the bottom that fools the depth sounder), and I was able to put my eyeballs back into my head and swallow my heart so it was back in it’s correct place also.  Did I mention that while this was going on, there was a huge powerboat who decided he had to pass us.

            Also, as is so common on the waterway, there seems to be all this water outside the channel, but in reality it is only 1 or 2 feet deep.  You could get out of the boat and walk around were it not for the alligators, rattlesnakes, and other slithering creatures probably swimming around in the shallow waters waiting to make you a meal.

            We had to pass by the Matanzas Inlet, which is another area subject to major shoaling in spite of constant dredging.  You must be careful to mind the temporary markers, two of which are so close together only one boat at a time can pass through them.  These markers were close to a bend in the river, and I was sincerely hoping that no other boats (or barges) were coming in the other direction.   The Waterway Guide warned us that the deeper water in this channel was closer to the dunes, and it looked like you could reach out and touch the shoreline.  Along about this time we passed Rattlesnake Island, and I kept my eyes peeled for snakes, but never saw any, Thank Heaven! This part of the ICW also flows right along side the ocean and from time to time you could see through the trees along the ocean side and see the waves crashing on the beach.  I was really glad we didn’t have to go “out in the ocean” today!

            Cabin fever must have affected a lot of boaters over the past few days, because I never saw so many boats going down with us.  The waterway was “packed”.  There were tons of boats coming and going – power boats passing us, us passing slower sailboats, barges and other boats heading north – all shapes and sizes and temperaments.  We heard a few boaters having a few “words” with each other because of the wake left by some passing boats, which continues to convince me that most boaters do not know how to properly pass.  Although there are some boats who let you know they do not want to slow down so you can pass them slowly, nor do they expect you to slow down, but that’s not the proper way to do it.  All of this caused a lot of wake all the time. 

            And then, along about Mile 810, I saw a speck of blue sky!  Yessiree, the clouds parted for a nano second, and blue sky peeked through.  And then, I couldn’t believe it, but there was a glint on the water.  I actually allowed myself to think I might get warm and took off my coat.  But no, the sun pulled the cloud covers back over his head, and gray, cold sky reigned supreme again.  My coat went back on.

            As you continue on down the waterway, you start to see more and more signs warning you to be aware of manatees and to watch your speed.  So next up on my wildlife watch list is a manatee.  I don’t really know much about them, but I really hope I get to see one soon.  I will keep my eyes peeled as usual.

            We are now in the Daytona Beach area – home to the Daytona International Speedway, and mecca for thousands of college kids on break.  We have a slip reservation at the Adventure Yacht Harbor and will spend the night here.  Tomorrow we may have a long day and try to make it to Cocoa Village Marina where we will stay through January or, depending on the weather, we may not go quite that far and spend another night out.

            This was a long day, and we are tired.  Salmon on the grill and sweet potatoes for dinner tonight.  I really can’t believe I have lived on a boat for 1 ½ months already and travelled so far down the east coast.  It truly has been an adventure. 

           

Pelican resting on piling next to the boat