WED 29 NOV 2017 – Daytona to Titusville -
We pulled anchor this AM, just as planned at between first light, and sunrise. The gentleman that “parked” over our anchor had swung out of the way, with the tides, OR moved during the night. Anyway…. He was not a problem….and we were gone before he came back from Breakfast (via dinghy).
SO… the trip down to Titusville was very easy… only one thing marred the passage… We were following a sailing vessel at about 100 meters… when Just south of the Port Orange Bridge…. And a “bend” in the ICW…. I noticed him “not Bending” with the channel… Then I noticed why he was not “bending”… There was a green marker, quite OFF station, and partially submerged… But very bright in color. He was bound and determined to keep that “green to port”…
OH..OH… I reached for the Mic on the VHF, just in time to watch him go dramatically aground… and far too far off the channel for us to help him…. Without risking AB. We slowed and tried to radio him… to see if the boat was OK…and seaworthy… but no answer… the boat was moving about… turning, and rotating, but going nowhere…. (obviously a Towboat project now)… So we went ON south…
The next item was a stroke of LUCK…. We were late for the George Munson lift bridge opening… due to the slowing for shoals, and the vessel that went aground…. But as we rounded the corner at Ponce Inlet, and pushed the throttle forward to “see if we could Make the opening”…we heard “LITTLE Debbie” (a tug, pushing a crane barge) call to the George Munson, and ask for an opening “when he got there…. YESSSS !!!! We could make it after all….as the tug was still out of sight of the operator.
SO… we made that opening of the Munson….after waiting for the tug and barge to come through. NEAT !!
The remainder of the day was uneventful… and we’re now anchored at Titusville, FL… WE dinghied in to see Mike, Vickie, and their New Leopard 43 catamaran. Wonderful… but they have a lot of work, setting her up for cruising…. But this is the fun part. They have almost all of the parts (wind GEN/ solar panels; inverter; watermaker; SSB, etc.).
We had to leave them this PM before dark…. Because the Indian River is a wreck with this wind… 1 to 2 foot waves, with very short period… and I wanted to “see” the waves coming at us….on the return trip to AB.
SO……….We’ll go into the harbor tomorrow and do a favor for Brian and Sheila Strutt (s/v Moonshadow)… and see Mike and Vickie again…. Then we’ll split for Vero Beach… I think.