What a blur of activity in St. Augustine. SEA JULES arrived about as we finished showers on our first day so we didn’t smell too bad for dinner. We met SEA JULES and Jim and Nancy from EXILE for dinner at O.C. Whites. We had originally tried the A1A Alehouse but the crowds in town were stupendous. EXILE is another Beneteau 45 (like SEA JULES) and they met last year in the Bahamas. After dinner we went to the local art shop to meet one of the painters (Phillip Anderson?). He got his start painting black and white pictures of lightning on seashores. Recently he has started photorealistic seashores and marshes. As we watched he was completing the cloudscape on a marsh picture. Sometimes I wished I wasn’t colorblind so I could understand all the ways these painters get into the details. In the same gallery was another painter’s work which was very impressive reflections in shiny surfaces.

Sunday Mike rented a car so we went to Jacksonville to a large West Marine and then to Wal-Mart and another grocery. There was very thick fog the next morning as we dinghied in to meet SEA JULES and tag along with Mike and Julie to go to the Morse museum in Winter Park, FL. This museum has one of the largest collections of Tiffany glass, and Mike was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, after a two hour drive we found the museum was closed on Mondays. Ironically as we were approaching Lana tells the story of our trip to the Arecibo telescope when we were on a charter from Fajardo. After driving three hours we find the telescope was closed on whatever day it was. Note to self to check the hours for all museums especially if a long drive is involved. Later we have another marbles showdown that followed suit with the day. The girls cheated and won three of four. I think that makes it 7-5 guys for the season so far. Need more practice.

Tuesday day was a major meeting day for work so five meetings in a row while addressing four requests for ship deck layouts in support of search efforts for the ARA SAN JUAN (Argentine submarine). This reminds me that the USCG final report presentation regarding the loss of the MV EL FARO is December 12. The MV EL FARO is the cargo ship that was lost in the hurricane off Cat Island in the Bahamas the October of the year before we got there. At that time I outlined a book about cargo ship losses and search and recovery methods and the analyses that go into that. As with most of my “great” plans I didn’t follow through so now about the time I initially thought it would be going to press I have nothing other than the original outline. Maybe I can get further with a book next time, not that we need any more losses. We have pizza party dinner on WHITEBIRD with Peter and Kathy and Mike and Julie from SEA JULES. It is amazing how good some of the pizzas are. I still pick out the mushrooms.

Wednesday we were scrambling to complete some sewing projects and some work projects prior to another visit from Stan and Annie. In addition to carting the sewing machine and a couple of crates of winter clothes to store for us, they came down for the afternoon to cart us around to a couple of chandleries and lunch and a last grocery run. We had some good visits and an interesting lunch at a food truck called Crave. They serve wraps and such and some really bad organic tea. I had a lettuce, black bean, carrot and chicken wrap and ordered a grilled cheese as a back up just in case. The wrap was better than the grilled cheese by the way. Everyone agreed everything was better than the tea.

Stan and Annie drop us off early as they need to meet some other friends from one of their previous cruise events and assist with their latest issue on their catamaran. I spend the remainder of the afternoon lightering water to the boat (60 gallons – 10 gallons at a time) to get the tanks full again in preparation for departing on Thursday. We gather at Ann O’Malley’s Irish pub and deli for the cruisers gathering. Talk with quite a few folks. Everybody is bummed that the lady that performed music last year is no longer there, it is rumored she is performing at various places in Annapolis so we will find out where when we return. We decide it is not worth returning to Annapolis just for the music right now. After that back for a last shower and a visit to the boaters lounge as the Wifi is working again. I am still trying to get the Windows 10 update completed on the computer we bought in the spring. Somehow it needs more than four hours to update. Still haven’t got it updated, even after killing all my high-speed unlimited data on the Verizon phone. I am now throttled to 600 kb/s until Dec. 4. Good thing I have the Google phone but am reluctant to transfer the number yet with all the craziness at work. Maybe at the next stop I can transfer the phone and find a Best Buy to get the Geek Squad to complete the update. Surely they have the update files downloaded already so I don’t need to rely on Wifi or data.

Next stop Daytona Beach and anchor along the way.