Underway from Jacksonville, FL
24 April 2008 | "Brilliant" at sea off South Carolina
Photo by "Two Loose"
Brilliant's Log 01-08
Dear Family and Friends,
After spending our winter in Mulberry Cove Marina at the Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fl; "Brilliant's" crew is actually underway again! We left the marina on Tuesday and spend two nights in downtown Jacksonville. Not very exciting, but the docks were free.
It's been six years since we moved aboard and started our full time cruising life. During that time we had rather taken our health for granted and decided that while in Florida to have some routine check ups. Our plan for a couple of weeks quickly turned into months as the appointments for the routine procedures stretched out. Our Dermatologist wasn't pleased with our lifestyle and between the two of us we had close to a dozen appointments. Do use sunscreen! Now with a clean bill of health again we are on our way back north.
As I write this, we are anchored off Blount Island, just north of the St. John's River. We seem to have a good weather window to head offshore from Jacksonville, Fl directly to Beaufort, NC and plan on taking it. We'll up anchor tomorrow morning around 6 AM and if the weather holds hope to be in Beaufort by Monday morning. For our family if you get a call from the Coast Guard regarding our EPIRB going off (our emergency satellite beacon) please let them know that we are really out there so they we start the search efforts. We don't plan on that happening, but that's why we carry all that emergency stuff. Please don't worry about us unless you don't hear from us by Wednesday the 30th, you never know we might just get becalmed.
Our plans for this coming season are to quickly make our way to the Chesapeake Bay and explore. There is so much history there that we have yet to see from the water, it should be a fun time. Then we plan on making our way back to Maine for the majority of the summer. Grandbabies you know, not to mention some great seaports to visit.
After that, south again with the seasons. We'll like to continue all the way down to the Bahamas next winter, maybe even back to the Turks and Caicos, but we'll see. I'll try to do a better job with the log this season.
All the best,
Pete & Stephanie
s/y "Brilliant"
Moody 425
Anchored East Channel Blount Island, Florida