See You Soon Hontoon

Well I’m trying to remember when I shoved off from Hontoon Island State Park. It might have been the middle of May or when the temperature started hitting the 90’s. I took my new rear camper

In the Ford Exploder and moved the old lady  up to Acosta Creek Marina to be pulled out for the summer and service in the fall. Took two beautiful days of river time and pulled the old gal out.

 

This fall yours truly will be doing a bottom job and  buffing the hull and bright work and on and on and so forth and……….

I drove up through Georgia, South Carolina North Carolina over the eastern continental divide heading north into the cool.

I visited a friend in Corbin Ky, visited my sister in  P-burg, stopped and saw Sam’s new River Rat.

I then headed up to Springhill for the summer. I’m decompressing for the weekend and then do my 20hrs. a week. Different tent same platform, gonna be fun.

George even saw a bubbling spring near the trout hatchery so he and solar flower are happy 😊.

So that’s that.

Dr Brad living on land standing by on 16.

I am off Facebook for a while…… too much stuff not enough time.

Today’s vibe ….. Visitors choice

 

Deep Creek

Yesterday I moved from my anchorage to the old navy base at Green Cove Springs. The place is now owned by the Reynolds family of you guessed it – Reynolds wrap tin foil. Mr Reynold was actually the head of Reynolds Aluminum and the foil is not tin.

The old navy base used to be a reserve or mothball base for more than 500 ships. Look it up it’s an interesting story that has a few twists and turns.

 

The base also has some interesting other residents beside the two yacht centers and other industrial sites.

Can you recognize the pointy object on the left. It’s from a famous NASA project. The ship was involved in the biggest treasure ever found. Look up Tommy G Thompson on google. The Truth is still better than fiction. The lift is the biggest I’ve ever seen.

Visited some friends Rod andPauline on their boat on the hard. They are having some keel work done. They gave me extensive information on the St Johns River. I hope to meet up with them later up the river. They fed me well and released me into the wild. They have traveled over 25000 miles on the Two by Two.

I am ensconced at Deep Creek on a lee shore. Tomorrow on to Palatka.

Dr Brad standing by on 16.

Let’s Keep Day inValentine’s Day

I arrived yesterday at The Ortega River Marina. Great place great rates. One of my criteria for judging a marina is the quality of the restrooms and showers. A good laundry room just adds the gravy. In almost seven years this little place has hit the top three.

I stopped to get fresh veggies, do laundry and generally walk around at distances greater than 4 feet.

The trip in was about 18 miles of the St Johns with heavy current and some gusty winds. Tomorrow I’ll head out up River to check on a place to do some work on the old gal. This year I think she needs a new dress. I will paint the hull. The river has 163 miles of navigable water. I intend to do as much as I can.

 

Dr Brad standing by on 16

Under the Bridge

This is my second day at Clapboard Creek. I am off the St Johns River about 3 miles in a very beautiful spot. The bridge I came under to get here is only 12 feet at high tide. I’m ten feet.

I’ve got a few fishing boats but no big wake machines. Tomorrow I’ll head toward the Ortega River for a couple days at dock. It’s the middle of the month and I need to get off the boat for some exercise and fresh vegetables.

This next marina is supposed to cost just a dollar per foot per day. I hope so, that will leave me laundry 💰.

I dropped a couple lines in today but the 🐟 took Sunday off.

Here is the old Goggle pic

Dr Brad standing by on 16

Heading North

Stopped at the Melbourne Bridge. Not too many miles today because there are few good anchorages that have good wind protection.
Last night’s  anchorage had a momma heron on the nest. She waved goodbye. Ran into a fog bank about 9 this morning but it disappeared about one hour later.
I am about 140 miles south of St Augustine.

Momma

Fog forward

My anchorage

Southeastern side of the bridge

Enjoy the Super bowl.
Dr Brad standing by on 16

Ibid. with wakes

 

Stopped at the old Jones fruit dock about 8 miles north of Vero Beach. Had to get off the waterway because the weekend is dedicated to running your boat fast for awhile and turning around and repeating as necessary. Alcohol is optional.

Dr Brad standing by on 16

nap time

The Tug

Left St. Lucie Lock around 10:30 am. Had to wait about 45 minutes for a “real” tug to lock through.
Only went about ten miles to an anchorage in Pendarvis Cove. Very poor choice. Not many anchorages around Stuart Florida and I picked one near one of the only stretches of river where wide open throttle is evidently mandatory. Should calm by nightfall.
I’m off north to Fort Pierce tomorrow and hopefully a good anchorage.
The tug was cool.
Dr Brad standing by on 16

Pendarvis Cove

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