Back Aboard!
07 December 2012 | Green Cove Springs
So we had a hectic summer! Graduations, great-nephew being born, son moving to Saskatoon with Megan (which Wendy now refers to them as our M&M) and of course our daughter Tara marries Chris. Throughout this Wendy was wedding planner extraordinaire while Burry helped out at a local marine store and also developed and presented a series of lectures on cruising. Somewhere we squeezed in some time to visit friends.
After all this Wendy and Burry (and Maggie) drove to Annapolis during Canadian Thanksgiving/US Columbus Day, visited notre ami Phillipe pour quelque jours, after which we pushed south to Florida. A long drive for us, with a side trip/break to visit SV Moon and then direct to Fort Myers to visit with Bob and Rusty. Wendy and Maggie hung out there while Burry went back to Jacksonville to get Seahawk launched. After a week of work he too went back to Fort Myers for a visit, and on return we realized our launch had been delayed, a result of an injury at the marina plus winds from being brushed by Hurricane Sandy. Oh well, sent Maggie to the kennel and we lived on the hard for a few days more.
Seahawk faired well while gone but everything was covered with a coat of dust and mildew so it took at least 3 days just to make her semi livable down below. Found a wonderful product from Australia, it’s a Tea Tree Spay which works wonders in getting the storage dust and mildew out and helps keep mildew at bay. Works great on all surfaces and most fabrics too.
Well finally in the water, new bottom paint, dingy fixed and foresail repaired. Had a head problem and replaced a lot of that stiff, stubborn sanitation hose as well replaced a badly seized seacock. Want to get rich? Invent a cheap, good sanitation hose that you don’t need hairdryer, dish soap and hot water to get around corners and onto barbs! Replaced our vented loop, getting rid of the Forespar marlon one which gave us problems about every 3 weeks, and went with a bronze Groco. Bit pricey but well worth the no headaches (pun intended!) and smells from when the little valve gets fouled. Up forward moved the Y Valve and redid the holding tank pump out system. The other project was to replace the old hot water heater. Hated to part with it, it’s an old Atlantic with SS tank, but can’t get elements for it and the adapter plate corrodes quickly and causes constant leaking.
Nov 8 took a break from boat work, rented a car and we went to St Augustine to celebrate Wendy’s Birthday. Met up with John/Sheryl from SV Moon and a couple off of SV Destiny for happy hour and then supper at a nice Brazilian restaurant. Back at Green Cove finally launched and then spent a few days doing some deck cleaning and provisioning before heading off. Nice short run to Jacksonville, but held up at the railway bridge so was after sunset before we were tied up at the Landings. Great place (free!) and they were getting all set up for Christmas Tree lighting. Next day off to St Augustine, a very long run but we lucked in and with the exception of an hour we were +7 kts all the way. Grabbed a mooring in St Augustine for a week, they assigned us one of the southerly ones so it felt like we were closer to Daytona than St Augustine, but weather was great and water taxi running so all was well. Hit all our regular haunts (winery, chocolate factory and Polish restaurant) plus a few new ones. Only excitement was dingy outboard stopped working, but removing carb and stripping it down found a spec of paint in the inlet jet, reassemble and were back in business. Can’t do that with the new 4 strokes with EFI folks! After a great week, including an evening at the martini bar sipping and people watching, we slipped the mooring and pushed south!