Day 55 - Fleming Island

The crew of Kite awakened cool and refreshed at her mooring in Titusville on Thursday morning. The wind had continued at ten knots all night, providing cooling ventilation through Kite's many open ports as they slept. The previous day Peter had installed a blue, yellow and red wind scoop over the main ventilation hatch in the V-berth, where they sleep. This simple device collects any passing wind and funnels it down into the V-berth and throughout the rest of the cabin.

Peter installing wind scoop (from inside)

Wind scoop installed on main hatch

While preparing Kite for departure, Lyn discovered that several avian "friends" must have had a party on board Kite while she slept. Lyn and Peter had not the time nor the means to clean up this mess before leaving the mooring in Titusville, but vowed to deal with it as soon as they arrived in Daytona. It took a lot of directed water spray and scrubbing with a stiff brush to remove.

Aftermath of avian party

Thursday was another beautiful day with light easterly winds becoming stronger and stronger as the day progressed. Our course to Daytona Beach took us through Haulover Canal to Mosquito Lagoon, and from there through New Smyrna Beach, past the Ponce de Leon inlet, and into the Halifax River to Daytona. As we motored through Haulover Canal and Mosquito Lagoon, there were lots of manatees. Being the secretive animals they are, they were difficult to photograph and the best Lyn could do was catch the tip of one's tail.

Manatee tail as it dives for cover

Northbound sailboats love the weather conditions we've been having for the past week. As Kite traversed Mosquito Lagoon, she was in the company of three other sailboats, two ahead and one behind. All were motoring with their head sails full, providing an extra knot or two of speed. As a result of these excellent conditions, Kite arrived in Daytona's Halifax Harbor Marina more than an hour ahead of schedule.

Kite in Mosquito Lagoon with other sailboats

Ringle arrived shortly after Kite, just as Peter was finishing cleaning up the dodger and bimini after last night's avian party. We agreed to clean up after our voyage and then go walk to dinner at 18:30 at an Italian restaurant near the marina. At dinner we celebrated the success of our cruise, especially in contrast to our failed attempt one year ago, and shared a bottle of chianti in honor of the many enjoyable experiences. Back at the marina, we agreed to an 08:00 departure time on Friday and went to bed in air-conditioned comfort.

Lyn and Peter awoke at their usual 06:30 on Friday and enjoyed a nice breakfast aboard Kite. About 07:30, Eveline asked if Peter would come aboard Ringle to "look at something." When he got there the engine compartment was open and Eveline was looking at a small pool of clear water in the engine sump, and the continuing drip-drip from a location at the bottom of the engine. "What do you think, Peter?"

"I think you have a leak of seawater, probably from your raw water cooling system, possibly, even hopefully from your raw water pump."

"Do you think Ringle can continue to St. Augustine with it like that?"

"Well, I wouldn't advise it. Little leaks have a way to become big leaks and you don't want to be underway when that happens. I would want that leak fixed before going anywhere."

And that is how it turned out that Ringle stayed longer in Daytona while Kite continued on to St. Augustine on Friday. Before Kite's departure, Peter left Ringle with the name and phone number of the manager of the boat yard that took care of Kite last year, just in case they needed a mechanic. Lyn checked with Ringle for a progress report in the early afternoon and learned that Ringle would be stuck in Daytona Beach until Wednesday next week, because she needs a new water pump and a new heat exchanger. In Eveline's words, Daytona must be in the Bermuda triangle.

Kite's passage to St. Augustine was uneventful. The weather conditions were the same as the preceding days had been, but because the ICW in this region passes farther inland and through narrow canals with houses and trees on both sides, there wasn't much wind available for the sail. When we arrived at Matanzas Inlet, we were pleasantly surprised to find a wide, deep channel through this notorious area, where, on our way south the channel was very narrow and not very deep. The tide was ebbing out the inlet, so as soon as Kite passed the inlet she ran into unfavorable current. Fortunately, in this part of the ICW it is close to the ocean and there aren't many trees to block the wind. It was mid-afternoon when the wind starts getting really strong, and Kite's jib made up for the drag from the current, and a bit more. She caught the 16:00 opening of the Bridge of Lions and took a mooring just north of this bridge. Although Peter set out the wind scoop to help cool the boat for sleeping, by 10 pm the current changed to a southerly flow, and pointed Kite away from the wind. Lyn and Peter spent an uncomfortable night in the heat and humidity of St. Augustine.

Before going to bed, Lyn and Peter discussed the plan for our return on Saturday. We had previously arranged with our marina to be gone until 1 June, and for that we would get one free month added to our annual slip rental. Because it is not yet 1 June, we have to make other arrangements for Kite for the next ten days. Lyn asked some kind neighbors of ours if they would mind having a sailboat added to their view for the next ten days, and could we bring Kite's dinghy to their dock for the same period. They agreed, and our destination became Fleming Island, just outside our townhouse development. Therefore our return plan had to take into account the opening schedule of the Main Street bridge in downtown Jacksonville. It opens only at 06:15, 12:00, 16:15 and 20:00. Lyn and Peter agreed that they had to make it to downtown Jacksonville before 16:15. After weighing a couple of options, they decided on a plan to leave the mooring at 06:00 and travel the ICW route, hopefully arriving in time to catch the beginning of the flooding current in the St. Johns river and arrive downtown by 16:00.

As was the case during Kite's cruise to Chesapeake Bay, sometimes one has to get underway before sunrise. That is a mixed blessing, but is often rewarded by witnessing a glorious sunrise, as we did on Saturday morning looking out the St. Augustine inlet. One also rarely gets to see the St. Augustine lighthouse when it is lit. We left early because we knew the tide would be ebbing, meaning that the current for boats going north in the ICW near St. Augustine would be unfavorable, and we would need a little extra time to account for the slower speed. The weather pattern held, and by 10:00 the wind began to strengthen, helping Kite's speed. Kite arrived at the St. Johns river at 12:00, about an hour ahead of schedule, and before the flooding current started. No problem, at least we were early and would certainly arrive downtown before 16:00. Peter steered a course to the inside of every turn in the river, because he knows that the current runs stronger in the outside of the turns. The sail was also helping Kite's speed as the wind was strengthening as the afternoon progressed. As we entered the downtown area at 15:00, we noted that there was a boat show happening at the Municipal marina. (That was to be our backup destination if we didn't make it by 16:00 - NOT). We were early and went into a holding pattern in front of the Main Street bridge.

St. Augustine lighthouse at 06:15 am

Sunrise over St. Augustine inlet

There were 2 other sailboats waiting for the bridge to open, and the flooding current arrived and rapidly strengthened as we waited. A huge tug and barge pulled into the basin on the other sided of the bridge, also waiting for the bridge to open at 16:15. At about 16:00 a fourth sailboat departed a condo/marina area in the downtown area, and started tacking as if to go out the river under sail. He had lots of problems, including leading his genoa sheets inside the shrouds, and he was out of control in the strong current, every tack brought him closer to the bridge, and it was apparent that he had no motor or it didn't work. He nearly collided with Kite as he tried to maneuver his doomed boat. Then at exactly 16:15 he did the unthinkable - he passed in front of the lift span of the Main Street bridge and the current swept him under it where the top of his mast became trapped in the structure. The bridge had already announced that it was opening, but it takes several minutes before the structure starts to rise. The bridge tender announced that there was a boat trapped under the bridge and he wouldn't lift the bridge! We couldn't believe it. Actually if he did lift the bridge about 1 foot, the boat's mast would be free and the problem solved. Finally the tug operator told the bridge tender exactly that and he tried lifting the bridge tentatively. Sure enough the mast slipped free and the bridge resumed its ascent. That was a close call, especially in view of the fact that our backup destination would not have been available. The bridge tender tried to radio the boat that got caught under the bridge so he could fill out his accident report, but the guy never responded. Undoubtedly he didn't have a radio aboard, either. The boat was unnamed, but as Kite passed this boat, Lyn noted the Florida registration number on the boat and radioed it in to the bridge tender. People like that are a danger to everyone and deserve the consequences of their actions.

Kite passed through the Main Street bridge by 16:25 and that was the last obstacle before arriving in Fleming Island. The easterly wind had really gained strength, and as Kite motor sailed south in the St. Johns river toward Fleming Island it was reaching 25 knots regularly and the waves were over 2 feet. We made a fast passage to Fleming Island, arriving a bit after 18:00 instead of 18:30 that we predicted. We anchored Kite just outside our townhouse area, inflated our dinghy, loaded all our food and clothes, computers, camera, etc. into the dinghy and rowed the short distance to our neighbors' dock. It was a bit of an ordeal to get all the stuff and people off the dinghy and onto the dock in the rough water and 2 foot waves, but we did it!

"I love it when a plan comes together."