Yesterday we sailed up to Titusville, a short 15 miles and were able to anchor by lunch. This is one of the cruisers prime Intracoastal Waterway stops. A fairly well protected anchorage right outside the Titusville Municipal Marina with a public dinghy dock, and walking distance to West Marine, Napa, grocery store, KFC, and Burger King. We took advantage of the Napa and I went ashore to fetch a gallon of anti-freeze because I had used up our onboard supply with the coolant leak. The evenings sunset entertainment was provided by the Bagpipe Guy, who serenaded the anchorage at sunset with an incredible performance. I wish I could name the tune because it was so familiar, but then a lot of bagpipe music sounds the same to my tone deaf ear. That's always one of the great pleasures of cruising, there is such an eclectic group of misfits out here all searching for their own piece of paradise.
Today, we got an early jump and were underway at 7:00 under main and iron-genoa. We motorsailed to the Haulover Canal bridge just past Canaveral and then turned more off the wind after the bridge and motorsailed with the jib. We had an excellent day and made it here to Daytona in the mid afternoon with only one blemish. We ripped the mainsail. I wish I could report that we blew out the sail while beating to windward in a full gale, but alas, it was nothing so glamorous. In fact, it's downright embarrassing. When we rolled it back in right before transiting the Haulover bridge, we apparently got a loose roll. So when we went to pull it back out later, it got jammed inside it's housing(It's an in-the-mast roller furling mainsail). As I was tugging on it to free the loose folds, I snatched about a 2 foot rip in the bottom of the sail. Disheartening, and a little frustrating, but ultimately not a big deal because we can get it patched. Our plan for tomorrow was to push onward to St. Augustine, which turns out to be a fortuitous stop because we know a sailmaker, The Irish Sail Lady, who has done some sail and canvas work for us in the past when we were keeping the boat in St. Augustine. As much as we love St. Augustine, we had planned to breeze through there this time because we've just spent most of the last year in her clutches. It looks like she has captured us for at least a few days again....
Today, we got an early jump and were underway at 7:00 under main and iron-genoa. We motorsailed to the Haulover Canal bridge just past Canaveral and then turned more off the wind after the bridge and motorsailed with the jib. We had an excellent day and made it here to Daytona in the mid afternoon with only one blemish. We ripped the mainsail. I wish I could report that we blew out the sail while beating to windward in a full gale, but alas, it was nothing so glamorous. In fact, it's downright embarrassing. When we rolled it back in right before transiting the Haulover bridge, we apparently got a loose roll. So when we went to pull it back out later, it got jammed inside it's housing(It's an in-the-mast roller furling mainsail). As I was tugging on it to free the loose folds, I snatched about a 2 foot rip in the bottom of the sail. Disheartening, and a little frustrating, but ultimately not a big deal because we can get it patched. Our plan for tomorrow was to push onward to St. Augustine, which turns out to be a fortuitous stop because we know a sailmaker, The Irish Sail Lady, who has done some sail and canvas work for us in the past when we were keeping the boat in St. Augustine. As much as we love St. Augustine, we had planned to breeze through there this time because we've just spent most of the last year in her clutches. It looks like she has captured us for at least a few days again....
Hey there, looks like fun! Laura gave her bagpipes away, too bad. How far north are you headed, be sure and let us know if you make it to Amelia Island, we'll buy lunch.
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hope its warmer in florida than up here in the mountians, went from 90 degrees over the weekend, to 50 and rainy the last couple of days.wish you could be up here for Megans birthday party saturday, 15yrs old, makes me feel old as dirt.ha
ReplyDeleteOK, back to St Augustine. Will you be anchoring out this time by the city marina or what? Sound s like the mainsail fabric might be shot in the foot or leach,,,, that is where they get destroyed. Mine is. Michelle had to sail a patch all the way up the entire leach.... just to get a little bit of more life out of it. I'm still stuck with 24knots of wind and 9 foot gulfstream seas so more KW for me. I might leave Saturday but isn't looking that great. You will have light winds where you are. Later ON.
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