Finally, the Treasure Coast of Florida!
07 December 2019
Suzanne Hurwitz
Conditions in the multiple Sounds in Georgia can get pretty snotty but, overall, we cruised through them uneventfully and mainly with fair currents. I sort of hated bypassing Cumberland Island, but we decided this year to leave the dinghy deflated on the bow until we got somewhere warm and could launch it easily.
We tried a new marina in St. Augustine (the Marker 8 Marina), right across the river from the Municipal Marina. Other than the strong current there limiting its access to slack tide only, we found the facilities quite boater-friendly. Right across the Bridge of Lions from town, it was very convenient and much quieter than the Municipal Marina. The replica of the Santa Maria was in town and the Christmas lights were turned on while we were there. We never get tired of walking through the historic district.
We made it to Stuart in the St. Lucie River the day before Thanksgiving. The Sunset Bay Marina, where we are on a mooring, sponsored a nice Thanksgiving potluck dinner. They provided the turkey and fixings while the cruisers brought sides or desserts.
Stuart, the 'Sailfish capital of the World" is a great little town and the marina is right in the heart of it. We walk daily all around the area and there is a free courtesy shuttle that runs 3 times a week from the marina to all the big box stores, Publix, CVS, etc. So far we have managed fine without a car, but we plan on renting one for a week before we go home to explore a little and load up on some provisions we'll need as we continue on in January.
Dave has managed to keep up with Ohio State football and especially enjoyed the Michigan game. Little did he know that the guy rooting for Michigan while they watched the game in the marina, turned out to be on the boat right behind us. Lets just say he wasn't very enthusiastic when Dave introduced himself to him the next day...
We're looking forward to going home to Maine for a few weeks on December 17th. Happy Holidays to everyone!
(More pics in the gallery)
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