Intracoastal Waterway to Home!

When we reached the US, My Sharona a boat we were traveling with suggested that we all stay at a little known marina (we say that loosely as it is just docks with power and water - no other services like laundry or showers, etc.) that is in a lagoon surrounded by 4-5 story condos. The location made it a pretty protected marina.


Miss Bettye and My Sharona at the marina

The night we arrived we ordered Pizza and had a quiet dinner on the boat followed by a very tired game of Texas Hold'em! It was great to cross with My Sharona. We have crossed over to the Bahamas with them a few years, but I think this was the first for a return trip.

Wayne and Sharon had access to a vehicle stored at the marina and took us to a Publix and a West Marine store. The first trip back to a real super grocery store in the US makes you really appreciate all you have available in the US. Even the best grocery we have been to in the Bahamas does not come close to the groceries in the US. We are like kids in a candy store!

We had dinner at a local restaurant with Dennis and Bettye the second night. We would be leaving My Sharona there as they would be getting their boat ready to be stored on the hard for the summer nearby and Dennis and Bettye would be heading up to St. Augustine on a slower pace than us, although we would meet up with them again when we reached Palm Coast, FL.


Passing by Vero Beach we saw this yellow plane passing back and forth over the ICW, so I went to take a photo. Then I saw that it said Mosquitto Control and I realized that they were spraying! I quickly ducked back into the boat.


Beautiful home of the ICW in Vero Beach


Another beautiful home near Vero


Haulover Canal Bridge


Houseboat on the ICW


Pelican roosting island


A little "floating" hot dog stand in Intracoastal Waterway. Too bad we had just had lunch!

We always stop in Palm Coast, FL to have engine maintenance done on the boat by our favorite mechanic Al's Mobile Marine Service. Al and his wife Ann are what enables us to cruise the Bahamas. When Bob is stumped on a problem, he calls Al who helps determine what part is broken and then Ann sources it for us and gets it shipped out to us. Bless them!


Al down in the engine room.


Sunset at Palm Coast Marina


Sunrise the morning we left the Palm Coast Marina to resume out trip North.


Pony on the beach on Cumberland Island, Georgia


We went through an area where seagulls followed behind our boat. The Captain said he thought they though we were a fishing boat and were looking for a handout.

At this point, I tried to post this blog and it was denied. It also lost the rest of my post. We did make it home safely, although we managed to get right in the middle of a tall ship parade "OPSAIL 2012" going through Norfolk and upset the local police no end. Very long story to be only be told over significant libations. Needless to say, we will be worried about passing through Chesapeake, VA on all future trips.