TRAVELS of "HELIOPAUSE"

These dang flies. They bite hard…….on the To Buy list will be a flyswatter. Scott has reverted to the 1970 rolled magazine camping swatter. It works well but leaves a mess. Between the fly and noseeum bites we both are scratching our way through our tan.

East River Anchorage is an amazing anchorage. We woke to pods of dolphins gathering breakfast while we sipped our morning tea on the back deck. Leaving a bit later than usual to catch the rising tide we continue the journey through the marshlands of Georgia. The depths are very good with nothing less than 10 feet. Tides are with us and against us at various spots along this stretch. There is a lot of boat movement too. We pass, and are passed, by several boats looking to stay on the rising tide. Most are headed north.

We are looking for games of pickleball. As it turns out pickleball games are easy to find. It is the marina that is difficult to find. The slips in all the marinas are full in and around Savannah. We had lined up to play a few games however we must cancel due to not having the boat secured. We continue to seek those games in the next towns and cities we pass. We will find something, somewhere. It’s just dialing for marina space as we all start the trek north. During these after covid times it seems that there are more boats on the water and the marinas cannot accommodate them all.

Duplin River is a great anchorage but can be rolly if the winds and tides are against each other. For the first hour that is what we have. Knowing the winds will die down we hold well with our anchor. The ferry provides a distraction as it takes folks to and from Sapelo Island to the mainland. OMG, these dang flies……….

We tune into our yacht club for an up to date member meeting and we are able to see our friends from the dock. We so enjoy catching up and seeing everyone. After the meeting we sit on the back deck and watch a fabulous lightning show that radar shows should pass just north of us. The show lasts for a couple hours while the lightning in the clouds pass the time away.

During the night our anchor alarm goes off showing that we have dragged about 300 feet. We are fine but a sailboat had anchored aft and we were concerned if we would drag more so I stayed up for a bit to be sure our anchor had set again. An anchor can do this because of the 180 degree shift in current. The anchor will have to pivot to accommodate the boat changing its direction due to being pushed by the current, or wind. We are all set again so off to bed it is waking to an early morning to catch the high tide.

At this point in our journey the tides become very important or should I say the timing of tides and travel become important. The tides run around 5 feet starting up to Jacksonville. That means that at low tide you are now 5 feet lower in the water than you are at high tide which can create some very skinny water if traveling at low tide. We head out from the marina later than usual to follow the tides. The scenery to get to Jacksonville is very low, marshlands, open spaces with the estate homes dotted here and there. The homes are massive with decks along the shoreline. There are a lot of low speed, minimum wake areas. We are not in a hurry and it has become interesting seeing everything at about 10 mph.

It is a Sunday and local boaters are out in plenty. We arrive at the Jacksonville dock to find 1 boat there. It is a sturdy dock with 1 spigot for water and about 300 ft of dockage space. The fisher folks are out in droves catching their fill on the dock that we must tie lines to. They are pleasant and move as they see us coming in. There is a sunken boat held at the dock with lines. It seems to be floating but it is releasing oils or gas into the water. It has been there some time and it takes up valuable boat tying real estate as we watch 3 more boats tie up at the dock filling up the available space. Two more boats show up later but there is no space. They are forced to anchor nearby.

We were here in 2017 and not much has changed other than it is really busy with day trippers with their trucks and trailers lined up all the way to the street. The day docks are full of activity and at low tide sit on the bottom of the shoreline.

Cheri Baby, Beautiful Dawn and Eros, all loopers and we have docktails on the dock as we listen to the thunder in the distance and watch for the rain that is yet to come, which it did not. It was a quiet night with comfortable dock space.

1 2 ►

The easterly winds have picked up as we move out of our slip at the Yacht Club. It was an easy entrance and slip to get out off as Scott placed the bow out when we came in so now we just cruise out. Thank goodness. These easterlies just don’t let up.

We were supposed to stay 2 nights at the yacht club but they overbooked. So we found a place a bit north for another night. The anchorages in this area are tough for our size boat as we need so much swing room and old sunken derilicts are taking up a lot of prime anchorage space. You don’t see them until you are almost on top of them. So when it is tight we just go to a marina here in Florida.

It is another day of meandering rivers with homes along the shores with beautiful scenic marshes. A well marked channel and at least 10 feet or more is welcomed by the captain as we make our way to Palm Coast.

This marina is a gated community with a resort atmosphere. A restaurant, pool, resort, tennis, but no pickleball, and lovely grounds is a welcome sight for a tired cruiser. This area is less traveled and not much is around here. The main A1A is outside the gates. So we opt for an early evening and prepare the journey for tomorrow to St. Augustine.

A really nice night on the hook. The winds died down for awhile. Heading north today to Titusville, Florida the home of Cape Canaveral. The trip north is pristine with natural rivers meandering through small towns. There are a lot of boathouses, decks, homes along the shoreline on one side and swamp on the other. The bugs are starting to make appearances as more fresh water is available. Hornets, butterfies, moths and some pesky black beetle bugs visit us regularly.

Not much to write about with this journey as the landscape looks so similar. We arrive in the afternoon to an anchorage about 3 miles away from the launch. Space X is sending Falcon 9 to the ISS with 4 astronauts. It is their second manned flight. The launch is still expected to go off on schedule at 4:00 AM so we set our alarms and look forward to the history making launch.

3:30 AM BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. It’s time for the launch. Scott sets up the IPad with Space TV and we take in the preshow showing the command centre and the countdown of checklists in the final few minutes prior to launch. We are so close to it that the lights from the launch pad are shining on the water in the anchorage. There are 4 boats here taking in the flight. We expected far more but it is 4 AM afterall.

3,2,1, blast off……as always the light show from the engines light up on the ground and propel the spaceship higher and higher. Then comes the sound of the thrusters, engines and all the night is lit up with the rocket blast. It climbs higher and higher into the sky as we watch til we cannot see it anymore. We watch to see if we are able to see the booster coming back to earth on a remote controlled barge in the Atlantic Ocean. We are not able to see it at all. However on the Space TV network we are able to see that the booster landed perfectly on the barge. Literally in the centre of the X on the barge. That is amazing! With no more to see we wander back to bed and sleep the rest of the night away.

The last day here in Palm Beach e decided to head out to Peanut Island for a last evening hike. This was mainly because we had to get low tide to get “Otter” back in her davits. We go under our dock to get her on the back of the boat but that can only be done at low tide as the water is 3 feet lower. So we head out for a hike by dingy to the island. We are surprised to find that it is touristy with paved walkways, beaches, camp sites and restrooms. The island is very tidy and we watch many folks have their Saturday evening sunset on the beach. Had we known that all this was here we would have brought our own dinner and had a beach sunset date. We thoroughly enjoyed the walk around the perimeter of the island. There is another reef here that is very protected. Although a manmade reef it has a boardwalk, a marina is coming with the update to the Coast Guard Station, a helipad renovation and many more upgrades to this cute island.

Back at HP we pack up the bikes and store everything for our traverse north on the ICW to Fort Pierce. It will be about 70 miles travel stopping at an anchorage. Tonight we prepare for route, pack up and enjoy our last day “not working”.

The travel to Fort Pierce is a casual cruise north on the ICW. We pass some estates, massive homes or vacation houses, along the way. The trek is fairly straight forward with 10 foot depths most of the way through narrow but well marked channels. We will anchor in an area that is protected from the east winds as usual they are blowing about 2o knts. The anchorage has several liveaboards already anchored here however we found a tight space for us. There won’t be much current but there will be a tide of about a foot. The winds continue throughout the night. A “neighbour” visits us to tell us how bad it is here. That we have to watch the massive currents, and that we will shift in the night. We should move and find shelter. Scott analyzes the currents, tides and winds and decides we will be fine but should have a watch. I sleep up in the salon and check many times throughout the night. It was fine. We did speak with another Looper who was here a couple nights ago and apparently the same guy came by to tell them the same hogwash. He just didn’t want neighbours. Only 1 night here is enough. NASA has postponed a planned launch for a day so we will make our way to watch it in Canaveral.

Checking weather it looks like the winds changed again. Another week of clocking winds. We talk about it and decide that we are leaving the Bahamas for good. We will have lots to see next year when hopefully Mother Nature is back on her meds. We are quite disappointed but are confident in our decision.

Preparing our exit visas to leave the Bahamas we are fortunate that the Immigration Office is on site at this marina. Scott will head ito the office for 9 AM opening and then we will be on our way.

We are out of the marina along with at least 10 other boats heading back to mainland USA. Another rolly day expected as we cross the Atlantic Ocean, through the Gulf Stream onto our destination. It is following seas so we are not rocked near as much as yesterday but they are still about 4 ft rolls. Our route to West Palm Beach has been done, another marina booked, and we decide to stay at least a couple nights. Oh Henry is there in the anchorage. They decide to pull up anchor and come over to us. We spend a couple hours chatting about their weather issues while they were in the Bahamas. We are glad they were able to keep most of their plans but they too lost about 5 weeks due to weather.

Initially we were to spend just a couple nights here but again those winds are to become dastardly. What the heck we’ll stay here for a week and get a night free.

With a weather window coming up in a couple days we have looked at the foreseeable weather patterns. They are not good for travel after this next jump. We were going to go The Berry Islands, then Nassau then head north to Spanish Wells. That will not be working in the 2 weeks we have left here. We would get to Nassau and be stuck again for another week. Looking at options we decide the best course of action would be to head north to the West End in Grand Bahama, near Freeport. Then we could head west along The Abacos for a week and head back to the West End to head home. The weather looks favourable for this route. Finally a plan.

So with a couple days to spare before the weather window to head north to West End we jump in “Otter” and enjoy a good day on the water. Being a westerly wind we are able to enjoy this east side of Bimini. Again we head out to our favourite low tide sand island spot. There we meet up with a few other folks and wade ankle deep around looking at conch and throwing some back in the water as they were baking in the sun. There is a small uninhabited island that we are able to wade to. It seems to have a history as we see thousands of old conch, long since their prime, very deep along the edges of the island. Scott figures this must have been a small excursion place where folks came to enjoy a conch dinner and a stroll. The view is spectacular and the contrast in colours leaves so much to the imagination. There a couple was interested in our dingy and if we liked it. Another half hour spent chatting about our favourite topic, other than our kids, boats, dingies, and outboard motors.

It’s market day too. This time we see the ship is being unloaded so we know the market is on. As we leave this little sand paradise and head toward town we stop at Joe’s Conch Shack to go to the market and leave the tender. Scott’s fitbit charger broke so he is also off to the small electronic store in hopes there is one there. Coming back empty handed he also grabs anoter homemade bread from Charlies. Bread $6.00, Lettuce, $3.00, grapes, $3.00, bananas 4 x $.75. Prices were pretty good. On the way back to the mother ship we stop at One Eye Dog to see April and Larry. Turns out they had left to go to the market. We must have just missed them. The liquor store is a small store near the ferry dock on North Bimini so we stop in there and grab some local home brew beer. Sands and Kalik beers are made in the Bahamas and about $40.00 a 24 bottle pak. With our wares we head back to the boat.

Back at HP, Scott plans our route to West End, the anchorage is chosen and we get ready for a rocky journey.

1 2 ►

The wreck of the Sapona is about 5 miles off the west coast of Bimini. The winds this morning are not favourable for a visit but are to lie down a bit by this afternoon.

Assessing the winds are favourable we jump in Heliopause with Patti and Todd from Alcyone and venture out to see the famous cement ship.

She was purchased and moved to Bimini, using it as a warehouse for alcohol during the era of Prohibition The owner also intended to use the ship as a floating nightclub, although this plan never came to fruition. In 1926 the ship ran aground in a hurricane and broke apart during a rum run.

During WWII the wreck was used for target practice by the US Army and Navy. Flight 19 vanished while returning from a bombing run to the Sapona.

The wreck lies in about 15 feet (4.6 m) of water, the stern broken off and partially submerged by hurricanes that struck in 2004. Little concrete is left on the hull because of the effects of bombing and weathering.

It is a great space for snorkeling and fishing as well. Scott quickly jumps in the water and checks the anchor hold. He snorkels around the wreck where people are swimming in the crevasses and jumping from what is left of the deck. As the engineer scans the wreck he quickly realizes that no one should be anywhere on or under the remains. It is barely being held together and will fall at moments notice. He only swims at a safe distance from what is left of the hull.

Coming back to the boat he notices the grasses move and determines there are conch living here. We are allowed 6 conch per day per boat. He only takes 4 and the larger ones of the lot. Conch in The Bahamas is a staple for the locals. We foreigners have restrictions but it seems the locals do not based on the amount of thrown out shells we see.

Heading back before the winds pick up yet again Patti and I contemplate how to cook this delicacy. Scott researches the internet to learn how to shuk the conch properly. He does figure that part out but the cleaning of the conch is more difficult. A local watches him struggle and comes to the rescue. He shows Scott how to do it properly but I think those skilled hands won’t be happening any time soon.