Saturday, March 5, 2016

The morning dawned sunny with the temperature 52 but feeling a lot warmer than yesterday.  We had our pastry and coffee and departed at 7:10.  The condensation on the windshield was a problem for almost an hour making visibility difficult.  Finally after 2 hours the tide was with us.  We passed a missile cruiser.  Dave had fits because I leaned out to take a photo with the patrol boat standing watch.  I will not post them but it looked FAST!

Progress brought us under the Bridge of Lions at 11:30 AM

Downtown St Agustine

 The current in the St. John’s River at the bridges was horrendous and against us.   We circled to let a sailboat get through with their slow progress.  It is a weekend and there are lots of fishing boats and folks about on their docks.  I piloted in a slow area giving Dave a chance to read.  11:30 and under the Bridge of Lions; 52 mile to go to destination Daytona.

The bridge of Lions is names for the lions that grace the ends of the bridge.

12:30 PM as we made the turn out of the Matanzas River at the Inlet Dave spotted the Fort off to the left and missed taking the green buoy to the left.  We hit the sand bar at approximately 18 MPH.  WAMP BIG TIME! 

 

 Several boaters tried to rock us off with their wake, we hung over the side, we went forward to shift weight to no avail.  Next Dave launched the dinghy to try an pull us off.  There is no backing up a power boat the prop gets ruined, if isn’t already.  That did not work, put the dingy back up.  The St Johns County Sherriff boat came by and ask if anyone was injured, only pride, they could not assist otherwise.  They did recommend we take and anchor out from the aft to keep us from being forced on the bar harder.  Did I mention the wind was behind us about 10 to 12 MPH and the tide was going out.  WE had called Sea Two, we have towing insurance.   They called saying they were on the way and arrive at 2:15 PM.  We were floating not; longer hard aground.  That would have been a salvage and that has dire complications.  The first part was easy, now to check the damage.  The engine was fine but the prop damage caused too much damage to run because of the vibration.  Two choices, tow to St Augustine or Dayton?  Since we knew there was a working yard in the area we wanted to be we chose Daytona.  39 miles at 7 to 8 MPH.   The young man towing us slowed along the river and his brother came out in a canoe with food and water for him.  We read and watched in the cockpit.  Dayton coming up and the sun setting. Daytona Marina Boat Works was expecting us and have staff 24/7.  We found the channel in to the marina and switched to a side tow and were docked safely at 8:15 PM.  I made the young man coffee, gave him my mug and two of my oatmeal cookies for his trip home.

Now we are exhausted and it is 9 PM. In my mind I was thinking of the Movie with Robert Redford  'ALL IS LOST'  Had we done all the right things?  We had a drink and some peanut butter cracker and went to bed.