The last Blog from Florida
08 June 2011 | St. Augustine Municipal Marina
Still sunny and Still HOT, and hurricane season too !!
Rubaiyat in the St. Augustine marina
I know some of you know the new plan, Rubaiyat is getting a ride back up north. I have been busy the last little while making the arraingments to get her and the Crew back up to Lake Michigan. She is getting lifted out of the water tommarow, thurs.9th. at the St. Augustine Marine Center where she will wait for her ride, Rick from The Boat Exchange is going to haul her home about a week later. I have her sails off now, the dingy is all scrubbed and ready to go back on the bow for the short motor over to the haul out, just down around the corner on the San Sabastian River, maybe 3-4 miles away. The gear will be stowed later today and we will be up in the morning ready or not for TRAVEL once again. The rental car is reserved and the Sisters have been notified and prepped for the goodbyes.
To Terry and Charlotte, we are sorry we will not be stopping buy on the way but you know how it is when you are headed home. Chrissy says maybe we could just drive down sometime? Our prayers have been for you and Terrys Brothers family, as you know we went through the same things before our adventure. Tears are streaming down as I type, they have done it many times along the way, when I needed strength or when I was just so damn happy to be alive, like right this minute !!
We feel like we have had a truley awesome adventure in the 2200 miles and 11 months we have been traveling. The people we have met have been the key to the whole trip. Daytona turned out to be the big goal, little did I know when we left home, but after visiting Mom and Dad there all those years it just became the destination I guess, sure the Bahamas would be nice to visit, but really to do all that will take another set of plans and desires. South Florida does not tend to draw me closer, We have been there by car many times.
Hurricane season does have much to do with our decision. I am following my gut, as I do most times. You know what they say. I just don't want to try to outrun a hurricane at 5 knots, it can't be done. If we go inland for a couple months (the St.Johns River) there is still no guarantee not to get cought up in some kind of mess. Behing the last transient around, most all the locals will get first pick and preference when a storm is on the way. If a hurricane hits Petoskey I will eat my words :)
This is NOT THE END OF THE ADVENTURE by any means, I plan to continue to live aboard for a couple more months so I can complete a one year liveaboard !! Not sure if Chrissy will do the same though. I am so looking forward to just plain sailing again. Sure it can be done here, but it is like going up and down the Cheboygan river, really ! I have no real desire to do it. Going out an inlet to sail around in the ocean has its drawbacks too, proper tide for in and out, wind, shallow water and all that. Sailors paradise is the big lakes, just round the breakwall, hoist the sails and kill the motor in 150 feet of water.......PARADISE.
It is real nice here in the fact that I have been fishing everyday, yes everyday for most of the day for 5, yes 5 months. Catching all kinds of fish and crabs. That will be the hardest for me, to go back to the limited species of the Great Lakes. I am sooooooooo spoiled !!!!!
Get ready to jump aboard and go for a sail with me this summer, I will be the one out there at 8 am everyday till dark :) I have spoken with Chris at the Petoskey Marina and he will a space for me. I am anxious to see the new dock there and the new facilities.
Keep an eye on the spot page for the next week or so.
It aint over till Rubaiyat is in the barn for the winter.
Keep up if you can !!!! Capt. Dean