...we tagged some concrete this afternoon and put a ding in the bow. Nothing devasting, no water in the bilge, no blood in the streets, but it limits our anchoring possibilities for the time being. There is a boat yard in our future.

After our little mishap in Sister's Creek, our spirits were lifted when we contacted new friends in the area. We made a loop by Terri and Larry Howard's place on Clapboard Creek. Terri confessed to being our mysterious "Ponte Vedra". What a great spot they have right at the junction of the St. Johns. Their Beneteau VIXEN was an easy landmark in dock after dock of power boats. They greeted us from their pier and are picking us up at NavJax tomorrow for lunch. We are looking forward to it!

We continued on to Mulberry Cove Marina at Jacksonville Naval Air Station about twenty miles upstream on the St. Johns River. Members of the NavJax Yacht Club gave us another wonderful welcome and invited us to the clubhouse for an impromptu birthday party. What a nice bunch of people and a beautiful setting with a million dollar view. It is an all-volunteer club that is completely funded and maintained by its members. If you've been poked in the nose lately this is a good place to lick your wounds.

So, that corny little comment I made yesterday about getting younger and healthier every day on the water...yeah, it's still true, but today it took a little longer. To paraphrase John Cameron Swazye, we took a licking but keep on ticking. (and everyone under 50 says, Who?)

Today's run: 48 miles......less a couple inches.