Depart: Marineland Marina 2:30
Arrive: Marineland Marina 3:30
Distance: 8.5 nm
Traveling by boat we meet people from all over the U.S. and even the world. Even so I am still surprised by some of the places people come from to boat on the east coast. I overheard someone say they had come from Alaska. After 50 years of Alaskan winters, they said they needed a change. Like many others we have met on the water, they are "all in" meaning they have no "dirt" house to go home to. They live aboard year round.
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| Docked at Marineland Marina, Florida 1971 53' Hatteras Power Boat |
We had tied up Sunset Delight with extra lines before we left for New Jersey in preparation for predicted high winds expected to arrive while we were away. The arrangement placed the entrance to the cockpit well away from my level of comfort for stepping across. I pestered Clark to fix the problem, and he finally complied. As we adjusted the lines to make boarding easier, Clark had a look at the hull and decided that we needed to take the boat out to run water under the hull and wash off the growth clinging there.
We ate lunch and then took the boat out for a ride. As we prepared to leave, a couple of people asked us if we were sure we wanted to go out "in the wind". Clark's classic response, "What wind?" Truthfully we found no problem with wind on the ICW. However, upon our return, I found the angle of the boat as compared to the entrance to the marina quite amazing. Clark pointed the bow at an almost 45 degree angle to the entrance so that he could come straight in. He calls this "crabbing". Standing on the bow, it looked to me like we were coming in almost sideways. This maneuvering, however, was due to current not wind.
Having fulfilled Clark's wish to wash the boat's bottom, we next went to Publix to restock. On the way there we stopped at West Marine. After that it definitely felt like we were "home". Our boat life seems to revolve around those two stores.
Clark said the pickings were slim, but he did manage to capture a sunset picture for tonight's blog update.
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| Sunset at Marineland Marina, Florida |
Friday 3/30/2018
No boat travel.
6.5 miles bike ride
When I asked Clark his plans for today, he told me that today's forecast included rain in the afternoon. Though interesting, that was not quite the answer to my question. Given the forecast, I told him I hoped to get in a bike ride before the rain came. I dilly dallied around in the morning hoping that he would join me for a ride. As lunchtime approached and he gave no indication of stopping his miscellaneous boat-related activities, I came to realize that I would be going on the bike ride alone.
I geared up and headed south on the bike path along A-1-A. With the wind in my face, I wondered how far I would get before I decided I had enough "fun" fighting the wind. I had checked Google Maps before leaving the marina and decided to head towards the state park down the road.
Along the way I passed the grounds of Marineland - the first world's first oceanarium. We plan to visit here tomorrow using the discount coupons the dock master at the marina gave us.
The scenes along the highway on the way to the park were typical of Florida beach areas. One site that did catch my eye was a port-a-potty at a construction site. It took me a few seconds to get the joke and then several agonizing minutes to remember the name of the TV show it referred to.
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| Someone clearly has a great sense of humor. |
When I reached the park, with only an hour or so of time before the predicted rains, I did not have much time to explore, but I did take a cursory look around.
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| Entrance to state park |
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| Map of park near Gift Shop |
I quickly poked my nose in to take a peak at the Formal Gardens at the park.
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| No bikes allowed on the path through the Formal Gardens |
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| Azaleas - some in bloom, some already gone |
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| Palms and more Azaleas in the Formal Gardens |
I considered traveling a short way down a trail in the park. After a look at my "Rainy Days" app, I decided the more prudent plan would be to high-tail it out of there and focus on getting back to the marina before the rains came.
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| No time to explore this trail today. Rain coming fast! |
Having had the wind in my face for the ride to the park, I hoped for an easy ride back to the marina. That did not happen. I had a crosswind instead. Even so the ride back was easier and faster than the ride to the park. For one thing, with the cloud cover, the temperature had dropped considerably. Shortly before entering the town of Marineland, I swore I felt sprinkles hit my face and wondered if I would be wet or dry when I finally arrived back at the boat.
When I left the boat about 90 minutes earlier, the captain from the Alaskan owned New Perspective had stopped over to say hello. Instead of joining me on my bike ride, Clark pulled out chairs and the two of them sat down to chat. I wondered what Clark would be doing when I returned from my ride. I never expected him to still be talking to the same person. That was one long visit.
Though the sky was rapidly filling with dark clouds, I had managed to get back to the boat before the rain arrived. With the winds blowing the boat away from the dock, I solicited Clark's help to get my bike back on board. Ten or fifteen minutes later, the rain came, and I was thankful that I had not hung out at the park any longer than I had.
Later in the afternoon, Clark got a call from another boater here at the marina. He (Clark) had offered his help diagnosing some battery and electrical issues. Seems like wherever he goes Clark gets called on for his expertise. He headed out to work with Jed on Sea Glass around 4:00 and did not come back until almost 7:30. I ate dinner and put his on hold until he returned.
It rained on and off for the rest of the day resulting in no sunset picture for tonight.
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