Port Canaveral > Ponce de Leon > Fernandina Beach

After leaving Port Canaveral, we anchored out two nights (no wifi) before arriving in Fernandina Beach yesterday evening.  Here is a visual summary of our past few days.

On Friday morning, we waited for two cruise ships to enter Port Canaveral before we could leave. Lots of fishing boats queued up ahead of us.  They obviously know the drill.

Calm wind. Motoring north.

When we're motoring, we hang out under the shade of the bimini.  Auto pilot keeps us on course.

These yellow buoys mark the NASA restricted space (where rocket debris may fall).

Sugar cane fields burning in the distance.

Our welcome "committee" to Ponce de Leon inlet.

Sunset from our anchorage on Rockhouse Creek.

Leaving Ponce de Leon inlet on Saturday morning.......if you need bait or ice, they're your guys!

Army Corps of Engineers entering Ponce de Leon channel as we exited.

Lighthouse in the morning sun

Redneck'n is the name of their boat -- hahahahaha!

We caught eight bonito on Saturday.......and let them all go.  We were hoping for some tasty "dinner" fish.

Sunset Saturday night from our anchorage just north of Saint Augustine on the Tolomato River.

Saint Augustine in the Sunday morning light.

The channel to/from the ocean is narrow and tricky. 

Sunday was another calm day so we motored once again.

We didn't catch a single fish on Sunday.  This algae bloom might have been the reason.  We sliced through lots of it. Ick.

At St. John's channel (port of Jacksonville), we yielded to this freighter.......

.......and this floating casino.

The birds are conditioned like Pavlov's dog when they see a shrimp boat.

We entered St. Mary's channel at midpoint.  This is the entrance to Cumberland Sound.  Kings Bay submarine station is just north of here.  

They don't look very bright in this photo, but the blinking range markers could be seen for MILES out to sea.  If you line up the two markers when entering from the ocean, you will travel straight in the channel.  When this was taken, we had just turned south toward our marina at Fernandina Beach.

Fort Clinch

Lots of shrimp boats in this neck of the woods.

The copper cupola on this house was glistening in the sun.

One of two paper plants on the river.

This shrimp boat wasn't so lucky navigating the river.

Familiar sight along the river.

South of the marina are more shrimp boats and the other paper plant.

We're hanging out in Fernandina Beach for a few nights before continuing north.

Man O War to Port Canaveral

I'm falling a little behind on the blog.  Scenes from our trip from the Bahamas back to the U.S. last weekend:

Final sunset from Man O War

Remnants from the bird's nest that we found IN(!) our boom on Saturday morning before departure. Unfortunately, three eggs perished when David pulled the nest out with a coat hanger.

Sunrise over Man O War as we left on Saturday morning

Exiting the Sea of Abaco at North Man O War Cut (which leads to the Atlantic Ocean).  You can see waves breaking on the reef if you look closely on the left side of the photo.  

Gorgeous day and excellent wind for sailing

Best day of sailing since we moved aboard Virginia Dare.  Sails up from 7am until 2am.

The captain is content.

Standing in the cockpit looking over the dodger to the deep blue sea

Saturday night sunset

This bird tried very hard to land on the boat for a rest.  Mission not accomplished.  We didn't shoo him away; he apparently couldn't find the right spot.

Sunday night sunset

We saw three whales at the surface on Sunday morning.  Not sure if they were Bryde's whales or something else.  Their dorsal fins were very "hooked."  Anyone?

It's not every day that you see a submarine lurking in the distance!  This is just off the coast at Port Canaveral.

Two blue tugboats ready to escort the sub into the channel

The submarine entered East Basin, immediately inside the channel

We look forward to heading north to Ponce de Leon Inlet tomorrow morning after the Disney cruise ship arrives in port at 05:30 (gah!) and before the next ship arrives at 07:00.

Bahama Bob is here!

Bob arrived on the 4:00 ferry, so we took a quick walk about town since he'll be here less than 24 hours.......we're setting sail at 6:00 am and heading north!

I know I've taken this photo before, but it's a pretty boat

Different boat at the museum 

Meow.

Gee, do you think they're brothers??

Checking the clouds to our east (Atlantic Ocean)

Brothers!

Coral rock and sand

Rain in the distance

Pretty

Might have been an old power house by the looks of what's inside

Whatever it is/was, it's photogenic

Tropical colors

Our walkabout

Meow.  That is all.

Baby pineapple

Barracuda patiently waiting for dinner to swim by

Our final happy hour in the Bahamas.....Dark and Stormies

We're baaaaaack!

Well, yesterday was a long day, but 12 hours after we woke up in Cincinnati, we were back home aboard Virginia Dare at Edwin's Boar Yard on Man O War Cay in the Bahamas.  We were happy to see that no critters (insect or mammal) had moved on board while we were away for three weeks.  That was a huge relief!

So today, we got down to business and started working on our To Do Lists and preparing to depart for the U.S. in the coming days.  We're excited that Bob's flying in to sail with us (and sad that Jodi can't come)!  David spent the day on mechanical and technical checklists.  I spent the day grocery shopping and preparing meals for our passage (several days at sea).  We're hoping to get a decent weather window to sail due north from Man O War and arrive near Beaufort, NC later this week (approximately 485 nm).  David is in close contact with Chris Parker re: weather.

Can't say that I love flying in propeller planes

Looking straight down where the deep water (dark blue) gets very shallow (turquoise) on the Bahama Bank

Arrived back home at 6:15 pm -- 12 hours after we woke up

I walked up to the Man O War Grocery this morning and did a fair amount of provisioning.  We pretty much emptied our refrigerator and freezer before we left and kept very little food well-sealed in cupboards.  So, it was a large haul this morning and they gave me a ride back to our boat in a golf cart, a happy surprise!  I was advised by the nice ladies in the store to come back at 4:00 when the fresh produce and meats were stocked (the supply boat came in today).  So back I went and bought fruits, vegetables, and a few packages of various meats.

Walking straight uphill to the grocery store

We now have a decent selection of easy to grab breakfast foods (yogurt, granola, dried fruits, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, KIND bars [from the U.S.], bagels/cream cheese/salmon [no lox available here]).  Lunches will be cold cuts/cheese sandwiches with lots of vegetables and/or Mediterranean couscous salad with veggies and feta.  Dinner options are black beans/pork/rice, white chicken chili/rice, and possibly spicy Asian peanut noodles with chicken if I have time to make it.  There's a cupboard full of cookies and several pounds of Peet's House Blend beans in the galley.  Our stainless steel French press makes SERIOUS coffee.  It's out of this world.  I know I've raved about it before, but this press is quite possibly my favorite galley "gadget" -- and I don't think we could live without it!

Virginia Dare has been snugged up to this dock at Edwin's Boat Yard for the month of May

David's getting all the fishing gear ready for the deep sea

Enjoying a Dark & Stormy in the cockpit after a productive day!

This evening's sunset, Northern Harbour, Man O War Cay

Snug as a bug in a rug....

.....well, hopefully there will be no bugs in our rugs when we return.

We're secured to a dock, the boat is clean and tidy, and we're excited to go visit the kids!  It's raining cats and dogs right now, so we're relaxing and packing.....and looking forward to seeing our kids!  Oh my.....hugs for all and all for hugs!  Can't wait!

Rainy view from salon hatch

We'll be back and blogging at the end of May.  Enjoy the month, friends! :)