Stuart, FL - mm986

 

We had another sunny, warm day after leaving the Vero Beach marina.  At Ft. Pierce the Indian River turned the most beautiful shade of aqua reminding me of the Caribbean.  It was divine!  We arrived at our winter home, Loggerhead Club and Marina – Stuart at 2:30p.m. as a cold front was coming in.  We traveled a total of 1,115 miles from Callao, VA.  It took 32 days.  We spent 7 nights in Daytona Beach, 4 in St. Augustine and 4 in Titusville.

 

The journey brought us closer as most things we did took teamwork.  Each day was a new shared experience.   It wasn’t necessarily glamorous! Now that we are tied up to our winter floating dock at an extremely upscale marina, we don’t have to juggle our power usage and we have refrigeration!  But the showers, bathrooms and gym are so far away, JB insists on riding his bike!

 

 

JB plans to spend the rest of Dec. working in “Belle’s” engine room.  Thanks to your numerous positive feedbacks regarding this blog, I’m finally going to try my hand at writing my first novel. 

 

 

 

Heated pool with cabana                           Fitness Room and View

 

In January, February and March we plan to do some offshore fishing and hope you will visit. There is a very nice Hampton Inn & Suites less than a mile away on US1.  The Harborage Special Rate is $85 in January and $99 in February.  If you are coming down, let us know.  I’ll send you their contact info.

 

 

We biked 1 mi. each way to Publix.  JB’s backpack is stuffed with two kinds of cookie dough, pretzel/nut mix, bagel crisps, yogurt, etc.  He really didn’t walk his bike the whole way.  We had just crossed US1.

I changed my name on my email and facebook accounts.  Several friends had trouble finding me on facebook with 500 Jan Richardsons.  It was suggested I use my maiden name.  Smith didn’t help much.  JB told me he would be honored if I used his name.  As my sister reminded me, it is our family tradition to change our names at will. (When she looked up Mom’s death certificate it was in a different name!)  Now I’m the only Janet Smith Britto in Google!  Identity crisis over!

 

It still looks like fall here.  This will be the last of our blog, “Do you think we will find Florida?”  We totally enjoyed writing it so you could join us.  It is so lovely here, it may be difficult for me to return to Virginia.  It was so expensive to bring “Belle” down, we are going to look at all our options for spring. 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for traveling with us.  Special thanks to Rose Wood for taking good care of our babies and our home.  We sincerely invite each and every one of you to visit us this winter.  If not, see you in April.  (It’s really sad saying goodbye!)

Wishing you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love, JB2 (JB and Jan Britto :-)

Vero Beach – Gadwill’s visit - mm 952

 

JB started casting the lines at sunrise.  As we departed Titusville, a manatee raised its nose out of the water than dove down for breakfast.  Camera shy manatees and dolphins joined us all day, while pelicans posed in the sun enjoying mating season.  How do I know its their mating season?  The head of the male turns pale yellow.  :-)  Wish you could see it better in this photo.

 

Sitting on the sofa on the bridge, I enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my body.  “This is MY FLORIDA!  Sunny and warm!”,  I repeatedly rejoiced.  Meanwhile, JB was sitting at the helm in the shade and freezing while wearing three layers.  I finally tossed him the lap blanket.

 

 

At about 2:30 Di Gadwill called. They had looked at the Nimble Nomad in Ft. Piece and wanted to catch up with us.  They were only an hour away.  They would meet us at the dock.  When we arrived at 3:30, we were invited to the Christmas Dock Party in the Captain’s Quarters.  Then we learned we had to tell the guard at the entrance gate to let them in.  Di called from the gate.  “What is your slip number?”  That was the last we heard from them for the next 45 minutes.  They never answered their phones when we called.

 

When they finally appeared carrying two beloved cases of Northern Neck Ginger Ale, the laughing never stopped as we caught up on the last month.  We were drinking Caribbean Cosmos on top of a bottle of wine.  And we forgot to take any photos!

The mystery of them not answering their phones was explained this way.  Di had just gotten a new cell phone for Mike.  His old one he had “all my life!”  But judging by its small size, it wasn’t as old as JB’s fire extinguishers.  Don’t ask me how you can do this, but for some reason Di only got him 10 minutes of time on his new phone.  (They are so Westmoreland.  It may take the summer to bring them up to today’s standards.  Believe me, it goes downhill from here.)  Mike was carrying both phones and they were both dead!  I’m not sure he knows to plug them in!!!

 

Then there was Di’s phone.  She never answered it because it was set to vibrate and not to ring. So she never knew when someone called. (I’m only reporting the conversation.)  I asked her if I could see her phone and quickly changed the setting to vibrate with a loud ring.  Hopefully, she’ll remember to plug it in.

That being said, Mike started laughing about us going for a two mile hike to get cookie dough than getting a ride back from a realtor.  It reminded him of the time when they were newlyweds and Mike needed a ride home.  He looked around and saw a Used Furniture Store.  Entering the store he asked the proprietor if he was interested in buying his living room furniture.  Mike, being a good salesman, talked him into taking him to his home and sold him his furniture.  When Di got home from work, there was an empty living room and a grinning Mike with money in his hands.

Question: Where do old hippies go on social security?

Answer: This old man figured out the best place on an old catamaran with the mast rigged to get under bridges!  We have seen so many unusual floating homes!

WILL BE BACK TOMORROW!

Titusville, FL – Uncensored!

 

As we await the mechanic that is going to fix our port engine, I’m stuck in the dining nook and thought this is a good time to finally write about what really happens.  Yes, JB has been using his Captain status to censor this authors writings!

I no sooner complimented JB on using his bike every day and even told him he was looking like he may be losing weight when he agreed to go for a walk to Publix with me.  The route took us down a couple of four lane highways, so he agreed to walk.  Using his Iphone app he knew there was a Publix 2 miles away.  He failed to calculate that he walks two miles an hour. So after 40 minutes, he consulted his Iphone and commented he didn’t realize it would take so long.  Then I learned we were walking to Publix so he could get some refrigerated cookie dough so he could make cookies!  Is it me, or this there something amiss in this logic???

 

After some discussion and ten minutes later, JB decided it was time to turn around.  As fate would have it, we had passed a restaurant called ‘Dixie Crossroads’ that I used to go to ten years ago.  We stopped for lunch and a break.  The food was the same, but the prices weren’t. Rock shrimp used to be 2 doz for $4.99.  Now it is 1 doz for $11.99!

Walking back to the boat, we approached a real estate office.  JB suggested we go in, “Maybe we can get a ride back to the boat!”  Sure enough, after looking at a couple of $30,000 condos, we got dropped off at the boat!  There he announced he didn’t sleep well last night and took a three hour nap!  That walking did him in, if you ask me. :-)

Last night was the worst night on ‘Belle”.  When I tried to sleep in the bed, I started getting seasick.  She was acting like a bucking bronco trying to break lose from the ropes that had her securely attached to the dock.  Up and down, sideways and diagonally! I finally ended up in the dining room as JB was asleep, again, on the sofa.  

We have been trying to connect with Mike and Di Gadwell.  Before they left Westmoreland Co., we asked them to bring us some NN Ginger Ale.  We didn’t realize we were addicted!  Their Okeechobee place is 1 hr west of Stuart.  Mike says they are now part of the electronic world as they have a phone with push buttons, instead of the rotary dial at home!  He says he had an offer of $1.28 and a Moon Pie for 1 can of NN Ginger Ale and is tempted to make the trade!  Mike is in search for his “final” boat, a 25’ Nimble Nomad Trawler and found one in Ft. Pierce, near us.  What are the chances of that happening?  Good luck, Mike!

 

It’s official, “Belle” just got a new riser for Christmas.  It was sad watching the boys cleaning out her clogged parts after all her years of service.  All I could think about were my arteries!  JB assisted the mechanic so he could learn how to replace the other risers and to reduce the cost.  But when the boys were cleaning up and putting everything back they were missing a hose part. 

 

 

 

 

Defensively, I immediately claimed I did not go in the engine room as JB likes to accuse  me of moving his things when he can’t find them.  Phil, the mechanic, immediately started laughing because he has the same situation at his home.  When he can’t find things, his wife finds them for him.  Getting up, I looked into the engine room and asked what it looked like.  Phil said, “It’s a hose about this big.” Showing me about a 2” diameter hose with his fingers.

 

I must confess I had a better vantage point from the galley steps.  It didn’t take long for me to look around JB to see a hose that size under the generator. “Is that it?”, I asked.  JB reached under the generator and said, “Yes!”  He was amazed.  “How did you do that?  You do it all the time!”  Phil laughed, “My wife calls it her Uterine Tracking Device.”  So there we have it ladies.  For now on when we find our husbands missing items, credit your UTD!!! 

Trouble en route to Titusville, FL mm878

 

We had a great week in Daytona with my sister, Nancy.  We were very grateful for her taking us to Publix a couple times to provision for our next leg to Stuart.

 

 

 

We also played Hearts.  Historically, JB ALWAYS wins.  This time the girls got lucky.  Nancy and I won 5 games before  we let him win the last game. (He would say, he played more superiorly!)   The three of us also road our bikes 5 miles round trip to the beach.  JB is getting to be quite the bike rider.  He goes for a ride almost every day!

       

   

Loggerhead Club and Marina in Daytona was our first stop on our Loggerhead list.  It was awesome.  We were docked alongside the wharf next to this pool and Caribbean restaurant where they had live music every night.  Needless to say, we got spoiled!

 

Yesterday we almost cruised the 48 miles to Titusville in our usual, leisure style.  There were pelicans and camera shy dolphins all day.  With one bridge and 10 miles to go, I started smelling something that smelled like bad cooking or diesel fuel.  There was a sailboat ahead of us in a very narrow channel in a huge bay that was 2-4 feet deep.  Going downstairs to investigate, the smell was only slightly worse.  JB then went below to check the engines.  His gauges were acting funny, but he didn’t see anything wrong.  I concluded that the sailboat ahead was having trouble and that was what I smelled.

 

Almost right!  As we followed “Odyssy” into the narrow bridge opening, our port engine started acting up.  Then “Odyssey” hailed us on the radio that HIS engine died and he needed help getting out of the throat of the bridge opening!  JB, being the hero that he is, didn’t think twice.  We grabbed his line and towed him to the other side of the bridge as OUR port engine died!

 

 

Releasing “Odyssey” we limped into the Titusville Municipal Marina where “Odyssey” was headed.  Fortunately, this is a huge marina with a mechanic.  He diagnosed our problem as a clogged exhaust riser.  The parts arrive from Ft Lauderdale tomorrow afternoon.  He can install them Friday afternoon.  We count our blessings it isn’t worse. 

 

 

Our new ETA for our home at the Loggerhead Marina in Stuart is Saturday. 90 miles is a long day for us, but we are eager to get there after being en route for almost a month!  We will travel 1076 miles.  And spend lots of money$$$$.  As JB says, break out another boat unit!

Daytona Beach, FL mm830

 

Our final day in St. Augustine we found this Cuban Cigar shop where people were busy rolling cigars.  Made us think of Bob McChesney!  Another day I saw a woman in the stern of a sailboat that looked just like Maggie only with gray hair!  And other day I saw a guy in a sailboat that looked like Dave Ryan with a beard down to his chest.  Do you think I might be missing our friends?

 

 

Today we filled up the gas and water tanks before starting a leisurely cruise down the ICW to Daytona Beach, FL.  We are staying here for a week at our first Loggerhead Marina.  It has nice accommodations and it is great being plugged into power again; a little less juggling and cable TV! 

 

 

 

My sister is driving over from Orlando to spend the long Thanksgiving weekend with us.  This historic weekend brings to mind the many thanks we have for our friends and family.  As we have looked around us for the last 19 days we have silently thanked Pat McChesney for letting us know about Verizon MiFi which has kept us linked to you.  We are thankful for  David Schiller for selling us his dinghy, the Millers for all the Tervis Tumblers, the Gadwells for telling us about the guy that was selling his sewing machine and sewed our isenglass windows back into our flying bridge enclosure and Lynn Malarz for making our generator cover.  Your help has added to the enjoyment of our trip.

 

   

WE SINCERELY WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

Lois, we are sorry we couldn’t make it to your family dinner. Tammy and Amy, so glad you are making your first turkey dinner. 

 

 

 

 

We will continue our blog next Tues.  We plan to depart for Cape Canaveral to watch the last shuttle take off on Dec 1.  Then we will stay one night at the Loggerhead Marina in Vero Beach.  Our final stop will be the following day at our winter home in Stuart, FL.

Love to all, Jan and JB

Pictures from St. Augustine, FL

 

We started Sunday in a French bakery for breakfast.  I’ve been drinking instant coffee on the boat.  My way of reducing the clutter on the galley counter as JB needs 7 items to make his coffee with his French press!  That being said, when I drank my first sip of coffee in this shop, I couldn’t help making noises that sounded like . . .  Well, you know!  So this sweet boy came running over to see what the noise was about!  We all had a good laugh!

 

Here’s a photo of the live oak that is called the Senator.  It is over 600 years old. Which means it was there when Ponce De Leon landed in 1513.

 

 

The Fountain of Youth was the best tourist site we saw today.  It is interesting how archaeology has discovered the location of the first settlement here in 1565 with recent technology from space.  And the native Americans lived there for 1000 years prior to that Spanish arriving!

 

 

 

We had to drink from the Fountain of Youth!  It isn’t bottled because it tastes nasty, like sulfur! But the settlement was made here because there was fresh water along the bay where they could go fishing and anchor.

 

 

 

 

This native American said he was a descendent of the original Village of Seloy.  He tried to justify why they stole our pigs after they gave us corn.  They didn’t see it as stealing.  Pretty cool that they had this gentlemen, surrounded by artifacts, telling us what it was like in 1565. 

 

                                                         

 

 

From there we walked to the Old Jail.  This building was originally made of brick and the prisoners escaped easily so they covered all the walls, inside and out, with a layer of concrete.

 

 

 

 

JB quickly made friends with the sheriff who was 6’6” tall.

 

 

 

 

 

Up to his old tricks, he had me arrested! Don’t I look miserable!  This is an open air jail.  All windows were covered with bars only.  No heat, no A/C.  Lots of mosquitoes, rats, flies, you name it!

 

 

 

 

Here is the Lightner Museum built in the 1880’s by Flagler.  It houses three floors of 19th century art.  The building and all of the scrubs and trees were covered in white lights for Christmas.

 

 

 

Saturday was the first time the lights in the city were lit this year.  It was a big celebration with a band at this town square.  The town was packed with locals!  Sunday the tourists had the city to themselves.  It was much nicer! 

Last night we took a 30 minute trolley ride around town with 3-D glasses that made all the nights, even traffic lights and car lights look like snowflakes.  We also had Christmas carols playing.  Singing was optional.  It was fun and certainly got me into the Christmas spirit.  JB says it is too warm to be Christmas!

St. Augustine - Saturday

 

After cutting JB’s hair on the deck of our boat while tied to a mooring buoy in a very busy area (My excuse for the worst hair cut he ever got!) and several chatty phone calls we finally made it to shore at noon!  Never having been here and not wanting to spend three days walking, JB decided we needed to buy a three day ticket for the trolley that takes you to the various attractions.  Good idea.  As it was we got to see the Castillo de San Marcos fort which part of the National Park Service.  ( This is a photo of the Bridge of Lions from the top of the fort.  We are moored on the opposite side.)

We arrived in time to see the ceremonial procedure the Spanish used to fire the cannons. Due to the fact that the fort changed hands between the British and Spanish so many times in its 338 year history, every year the historical lecture is changed to reflect the other side. It was a really great experience to hear about this special fort.

                                                                           

The fort is made of Coquina rock, hand carved out of nearby Anastasia Island and brought to this site on barges.  It is hard to imagine it as a “soft” substance since the fort has survived many battles and the ravages of time.  But the story goes that the canon balls stuck into its surface and the inhabitants would go outside, pry them out and repair the wall with straw and concrete while under siege.

 

My high school friend, Bill Thompson and his wife of 38 years, Connie, came to visit us.  We had fun catching up on missed years while walking down St. George Street lined with historical buildings turned into quaint little shops and restaurants.  Then we dined at my favorite restaurant, Hooked on Harry’s.  Not only is the food superb, but the outside terrace is under old      trees covered in tiny white lights.  Then the band started playing.  With a full moon, it was very romantic.  And we didn’t even need jackets!

How can we not be happy!  We have another two days here before we continue to Daytona for Thanksgiving week where we will be joined by my sister, Nancy.  Since we walked so much yesterday, we plan to ride the trolley today.  Tours of the St. Augustine History Museum and Fountain of Youth are awaiting us.  We are told we can drink from the Fountain of Youth.  Sounds like something worth trying!  What do you think?