Our boats home for summer 2015
03 May 2015 | Green Cove Springs, FL. (Jacksonville)
Monday, April 13th - We have stalled as long as we can - it is time to travel the last 22 nautical miles to Green Cove Springs where we will store the boat from now until November.
As we approached, Mark from Truant called to say he had a spot for us on the wall and was there to help us tie up. These docks belonged to and were built by the Navy during WWII. They are not in the best shape and they are extremely high. Every trip on and off the boat is a ladder climb.
We had until Saturday to get the boat ready - a much bigger job in Florida! You need to prepare for the heat and humidity and bugs of the summer. We rented a small climate controlled storage unit for all the upholstery, bedding, life jackets and anything else that would be affected by the mold and mildew. Every surface on the boat is wiped down with vinegar or bleach. We have roach traps, ant traps and moth balls placed here and there throughout the boat. All the through-hulls are stuffed with steel wool to keep critters out. All this was accomplished in high heat and humidity 35 degrees, 95% humidity. I can't imagine what it will be like in July! We stayed on the boat until the last night - once the cushions were moved off, we stayed at a cool "old Florida style" motel nearby - very cool!
On Saturday, April 18th the boat was lifted out, power washed and moved to the storage yard. There are hundreds of boats here - mostly Canadian - mostly French! That afternoon we covered the boat with a mesh cover that provides some shade but still lets the wind and rain through. We were exhausted when we finished - mostly from the heat and humidity so we stayed in nearby Orange Park for the night. tomorrow we will start the trip home.