Downers And Uppers
14 June 2020 | North of Jacksonville
Sunday 14 June 2020
Second week of June this year will not be recorded as a favorite. After splashing on Monday one backstay turnbuckle (loosened to fit lift) was discovered stripped out. Serendipitously the yard had one from a failed rigging job, but screws on both ends were also buggered. Required two trips to machine shop, additional hardware and borrowing a five eighths die, forcing us to remain at travelift overnight. Early go next morning to make lift accessible was desired, but low tide inhibited movement.
Finally got sorted into marina to commence over next three days, among other things, rebedding and resealing a few hatch leaks biblical rain had revealed. This is a significant effort even if maintenance crew had known what he was doing. Eschewed breakfast each morning to delve early into tasks involving unnatural contortions. "Jose Cuervo, you are a friend of mine."
Finally went to anchorage off downtown on Friday where, after two hours sleep, a thirty plus knot thunderstorm swung us toward shore where we heeled over aground on a hump in the bottom before it finally pushed us off in opposite direction. No worries, we don't normally keep anti-fouling paint for long on bottom of keel (If you've never run aground, you're not trying hard enough). Bimini curtain zippers that Jan just replaced broke from wind. Unable to seal cockpit sides. Redo with new zips on list when they can be found.
Saturday: high point of week. Exploring a bit of town (fort was closed) and enjoying excellent dinner with crew of Salty Paws whom we first met in Grenada.
GRIB for today had, from twenty four hours previously, changed from aft wind to forward, but light. Following pounding rain departed anchorage at 0830 to discover a cruel hoax. Started off OK if a touch worse than forecast, but deteriorated as we progressed to gradually be very uncomfortable and slow with twenty five knots just off the bow and a meter and a half sea. Never quite bad enough to turn around given distance left, but decided to go into St. John's River at Jacksonville and delay Fernandina Beach until tomorrow. Expect to avoid additional crappy sea and extra distance via intracoastal waterway for last eighteen miles.
Since we've accumulated an abundance of positive karma expect next few weeks to be singularly excellent. On plus side, bimini didn't leak, battery is a beautiful thing, Spectra makes mighty tasty water, Panda generator is playing nice and tomorrow we'll meet sailing friends from twenty five years ago.
Jack & Jan
PS At anchor off waterway with nice breeze through hatches and toddy in hand. Negative conception of previous week fading by the moment.