Heading North???

Feb 21- Mar 23, 2015 Stuart to Cocoa, FL

Yes we're heading north ----- but not too far!  We're heading to Cocoa, FL so that we can connect with daughter Lee and her family who will be vacationing in the Orlando area.

So we're kind of retracing our steps stopping first at the lovely anchorage at Ft. Pierce and then Eau Gallie (Melbourne) before arriving in Cocoa Village Marina in Cocoa, FL on Feb 23.  The marina is right in "downtown" Cocoa with great staff, very nice clubhouse, shower and laundry facilities.  It's just a short walk to great restaurants, shopping, waterfront park.  And just a block away, Garry's favorite, the SF Travis Hardware Store -- a family owned (4th generation) business opened in 1885!! He was like a kid in a candy store!

We spent a full month in Cocoa, enjoying the many restaurants and shopping, meeting new cruising friends at the marina and

biking for miles along the Indian River (ICW),








But the two highlights of the month were connecting with daughter Lee and her family vacationing in Orlando with Tommy's family just over an hour away.  So we rented a car for the week and got to spend several days with them.





We did Universal  where the favorites were the Minions, Transformers, Dr. Seuss, and the best, of course, all things Harry Potter!!

Kate helping little Ava swim with a little help from Lee.

There was lots of pool time and just being together.  Can't beat those grand baby hugs!













The last highlight of the month was our trip out to the Kennedy Space Center.  It was INCREDIBLE!

From the early Mercury program

John Glenn orbited Earth in this thing back in the 60's!  No wonder there was a height restriction back then............






To the shuttle Atlantis ......



They had to construct the building around her










This is the "crawler" that transports the rockets and shuttle to the launch pad.  Each tread bar of the track weighs a ton!

Remember  SF Travis Hardware?  They supplied the 2 inch diameter bolts that hold the space shuttle to the crawler during transport.

                                   And this is Orion --- the next generaton of space craft -

                                           that will eventually take astronauts to Mars!!!

The rockets to take her there will be constructed in the massive Vehicle Assembly Building.  Would you believe good old SF Travis also supplied the roller bearing for these, the world's largest doors?

And this is how you exit .................

The Kennedy Space Center is an amazing, awe-inspiring tribute to American ingenuity and resolve.  Don't pass up the opportunity to see for yourself!

So after a lovely month in Cocoa, it's time to move on.  We'll be heading north to meet up with Day Dreams in St. Augustine to begin this summer's adventures.

A New Year - the Adventure Continues

The Adventure Continues

Jan 14 - 19, 2015 Jacksonville, FL to Stuart, FL

We left beautiful Ortega Landing with Day Dreams on January 14 bound for St. Augustine, where we  stayed on a mooring overnight.  We hitched a ride in to shore on Day Dreams' dinghy for a brief walking tour of the area.  Doug and Jan will be staying for a while, but we'll just be staying the night. We're on a mission to get to Stuart, FL as soon as possible for some much needed repairs.  So we said good by and set off early the next morning.

Our path took us from St. Augustine to an anchorage in Daytona Beach where the local rowing team was training hard despite the chilly weather.









and then on to a marina in Titusville, FL (near Cape Canaveral), where we celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary.

Lovely dinner topped off with a complimentary bottle of champagne!

The next stop was an anchorage in Eau Gallie (north side of Melbourne) where we found ourselves anchored near What's Next who'd been docked just across from us in Ortega Landing.  They gave us some good suggestions for anchorages farther south.  It was such a gorgeous day, we sat up on the bridge watching a group of 8-10 dolphins playing.  We also got our first glimpse of the elusive Manatee -- a mom and calf surfacing just long enough for us to see them.

The captain enjoying the sunshine on the bridge!














One of our dolphin friends.  The Manatees were playing hard to get.












Next stop, an anchorage in Ft. Pierce where we caught up again with What's Next and were treated to a gorgeous sunset.







January 19, we arrived in Stuart and pulled into Apex Marine for repairs.  This is the facility that commissions new Krogens -- we were one of several, used ones for sale and new ones  being commissioned.  Repairs that, best case scenario, could have been completed in 2 weeks, took
5 WEEKS!

During those weeks we got to know Stuart really well --- putting a ton of miles on our bikes!  We also spent a lot of time with Bill and Lisa aboard Changing Course who joined us in our second week.  We had met them originally back in Toledo Beach when they passed through on their way north.  We'll look forward to spending time with them again next winter.

Stuart is a favorite gathering place for the "Krogen" family, with several docked across the St. Lucie river at Sunset Bay Marina.  It was fun meeting more of the cruising community and comparing notes at the weekly breakfast.  We also enjoyed reconnecting with Marty and Suzanne Tuck on Alizann.

The Martins rescued us from repairs for a weekend at the Miami boat show.  They had rented a car and picked us up along the way.  Good friends, the Deaton's graciously offered their Pompano Beach house for the weekend.  It was a welcome break!  We enjoyed checking out the new Krogens, all the "booth" attractions and a lovely lunch/walk on the beach.  What a lovely respite!


FINALLY FINISHED!!!

Feb 20, with a new window, new surface on the upper deck, refinished cap rail all around, gel coat and paint spots repaired ----- the surveyor has signed off with us on everything and we are READY TO MOVE ON.  Everyone at Apex has been awesome and we have thoroughly enjoyed Stuart, but it's time!

THE Destination

Dec 14 - Jan 14, 2015  Home for the Holidays

The Marina at Ortega Landing, Jacksonville, FL

One more travel day and it was a beauty -- once again out on the Atlantic enjoying sunshine and gentle seas.  A group of dolphins welcomed us as we pulled into the St. John River inlet and moved on up the river.  

The 3 hour tour up the river took us by naval operations, huge commercial shipping docks

and right through the middle of downtown, where Christmas was in full swing!

At the end of the journey, the Marina at Ortega Landing ................

We had to break out the real Waterford crystal and a bottle of bubbly to celebrate this milestone with our great friends and traveling partners, Doug and Jan.

Fun Facts about THE ADVENTURE:

• 2519 nautical miles traveled
• 403 engine hours on the John Deere
• 168 generator hours
• 74 stops from July 16 - Dec 14 (marinas, anchorages, moorings)
• Total miles  - Lake Superior trip of 2013 + Florida trip 2014 = 4600 miles -- that equals a trip from NYC to LA and back!!

Checked off the Bucket List:

• Completing the Trent Severn Waterway and Erie Canal
• Navigating on all 5 Great Lakes and Georgian Bay
• Anchoring behind the Statue of Liberty
• Arriving in Florida on Waterford

Scenes from Ortega Landing

We'll be in this lovely place for a month --- great club house, pool, hot tub, laundry, REAL wifi, and a great staff.  West Marine, groceries, Starbucks, shopping, etc. all within walking or biking distance --- perfect!  We'll be taking a 2-week hiatus back to Michigan/Illinois to reconnect with family -- can't wait for those grand baby hugs!

We'll be back on line mid January when we move farther south to Stuart, Florida.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

On to Florida!

Dec 11 - 13 

Fernandina Harbour Marina

After a careful check of the open water forecast, we decided to leave the winding, shallow ICW and head out into the Atlantic.  Once again leaving at dawn to coordinate arriving at our destination at high tide.  

The sky was already clearing as we passed the St. Simon's Island lighthouse on the way out.

It was a beautiful 40 mile cruise to the St. Mary's River inlet.  We're officially in Florida now!

We passed several shrimpers, with nets deployed, as we made our way into the St. Mary's River inlet.  The gulls are hanging out on the lines hoping for some leftovers!

Fernandina Beach, at the north end of Amelia Island is considered the birthplace of the shrimping industry.  This boat would hope to catch 250-500 lbs. of shrimp per day.

Our original plan was to stay out on the mooring balls for 3 days, but our generator was acting up.  So with overnite temps in the upper 30's, we moved in to a dock for nights 2 & 3.  

What a fun little town!  Great shopping, bakery and farmer's market.

Once again we hit one of those "special" weekends with both an Art Walk and a lighted Santa parade.  Even the pirates got into the act! 

The Georgia ICW

Dec 2 - 3, 2014

Wahoo Island Anchorage

Leaving Isle of Hope Marina and the city of Savannah behind, we continued south on the Georgia ICW.  This portion of the waterway is famous (or infamous) for many shallow spots due to shoaling and the largest tide swings (8 ft) we've seen so far.  

That means a bit more planning so that we can get through the low spots with the deepest water possible.  This picture was taken as the tide was going out (down), about half way between high and low.  Definitely a learning experience!

We arrived at the beautiful, secluded Wahoo Island Anchorage at 4:30, just in time to enjoy an amazing sunset with Day Dreams in the foreground.

Good thing we had planned on a couple of nights here.  Wednesday the fog rolled in and Day Dreams disappeared for a while!

Fortunately, Thursday dawned fog free and beautiful and we were able to move on.

Dec 4 - 10

St. Simon's Island - Morning Star Marina at Golden Isles

Fog caught up with us about an hour into the trip, but fortunately was short lived.  We pulled into Morningstar Marina under blue skies and sunshine with enough time to bike over to St. Simons Island on a bit of a reconnaissance mission.  We stopped by the Visitor Center at Neptune park for maps and info, then back to the dock.

We had planned on spending a week here, and it proved to be a great choice.  The staff and facility are great -- muffins and a paper in the morning, nice showers and restrooms, a courtesy car, restaurant on site and easy bike ride across the bridge to St. Simons for shopping, dining and biking.  We even got in on the annual Customer Appreciation holiday party catered by the restaurant --- can you say crab nachos?!  YUM

The cool breezy weather didn't stop us from daily bike rides for sightseeing, shopping, groceries, fresh seafood, wine tasting and great dining -- even took in  Mockingjay - part 1 on a particularly gray afternoon.

Still seeing those live oaks and Spanish moss!

The branches were so low in the park, we could climb up for a picture (reliving my childhood)!

A walk on the beach.............

Another addition to the "favorites" list!

On to Georgia

Nov 28 - Dec 1   Savannah, GA

After a lovely stay in Hilton Head, it was time to move on to Savannah, GA and the Isle of Hope Marina.  Once again, we were met with a very accommodating staff and great spot.   

This was the perfect place to take advantage of a free weekend car rental I had earned in my "working" life (seems a very long time ago now!).  The marina was about 8 miles from downtown Savannah, so the car allowed us to enjoy the city at our own pace.  

It was still Thanksgiving weekend, and the beginning of their holiday festival of lights.  The kickoff event was a lighted boat parade on the Savannah river.  We had a great time bar hopping on the waterfront, enjoying the parade and fireworks and topping the evening at Lulu's --- 

the guys had dessert, the gals dessert drinks mmmmmmmm good!

In keeping with the spirit, we got lighted wreaths for our back decks and Garry got the blue lights hung in the pilot house, too.

Savannah has a very different feel from Charleston --- with it's neighborhood squares and the great waterfront district, it's a walk-friendly city.  We'll be back!

Happy Thanksgiving

Nov 25 - 27  South Carolina Yacht Club

Thanksgiving in South Carolina.............





South Carolina Yacht Club at Windmill Harbor, Hilton Head, South Carolina.  What a lovely spot to spend the holiday.


The harbor is protected from tide and current by a small lock system.  The clubhouse is in the center of a lovely community -- great for walking.

The perfect combination of fall colors, live oaks, Spanish moss and gorgeous homes.

Jan and I did a traditional dinner complete with Turkey Breast, dressing, mashed potatoes, squash, brussels sprouts and salad.  Garry and Doug were in charge of dessert ---- bakery pecan pie.  YUM

It was truly a celebration of how thankful we are to be on this journey!

The SC flag symbol, in the flesh ------ unfortunately, we couldn't enlarge the moon!






Georgia will have to be really special to top this!