CODA BAHAMAS BOUND 2024-2025 (49)

 CODA : Exporing Spanish Florida

15 November 2024

St. Augustine Municipal Mooring Field (Menendez), St. Augustine, Florida 

Welcome to St. Augustine (transitioning from Fall to Holiday decor).

Marc-  Our anchor was raised at 07:30 and we literally rode down the tidal rapids of Ft. George Creek into Sisters Creek.  The currents are amazing here and you really need to pay attention to them.  I did my best planning and still encountered difficult contrary current in the St. Johns River crossing (we crabbed across the mile wide river here the ICW crosses it diagonally.  Every other creek, estuary, bay or river that we travelled on today had favorable current.  Sara and I continue to each take a one hour watch at the wheel.  Sara had the most difficult part crossing the St. Johns River. As soon as you enter from the North you have to deal with the U.S. Navy Repair Shipyard Jacksonville with its Military Police patrol boats and then deal with the strong current in this very deep river and finding the creek you need to enter precisely on the southern shore (talk about a moving target).  

There were a half dozen bridges to pass under.  Every single bridge had less than the official height of 65 feet.  Most seem to have only 61.5 feet.  I am glad our mast is only 53.5 feet high.  The only drawbridge was the bridge of lions in St. Augustine.  You call on VHF channel 9 telling the bridge operator your boat name and that you would like the next opening.  The operator responds with the time of the next opening and confirms your boat name.  You thank the operator and stand by on channel 9.  You always tell the bridge operator when you are free and clear of the opened spans and repeat thanks. 

While we were waiting 1/2 hour for this bridge to open many other boats arrived and jockeyed for position.  It never fails that the powerboats move up to the front of the line.  Fine with us since they past through quickly.  No one queues up except the sailboats.  

We did pass through a land cut connecting Pablo Creek, the flows north to the St. Johns River, with the Tolomato River, that flows south to the St. Augustine Inlet.  It is literally a jungle on the west side of the cut (zero development) and new million dollar house after new million dollar house on the east side with beautiful lawns and boat houses.  What is really strange is that  these homes are constructed inches above the high tide level.. What are these fools thinking?  Who would insure these places?

The slightest wake will damage those fancy lawns.  What about floods? 

 This is Florida.  Hurricanes can come through here with 12 foot storm surge.

The best part of today's travels was sailing.  We saw a large Beneteau sailboat put on a spinnaker  and a genoa wing and wing.  I could not let this stand.  I pulled our old Lucy III Spinnaker out from under the forward cabin bunk and pulled the mainsail out. The race was on.  I definitely think we somehow had more sail area (or maybe it was the clean boat bottom using that ever slick VC-17 paint).  Whatever it was we pulled ahead and arrived in St. Augustine first.

Nice rig but look who is ahead and we are towing a dinghy.

Sometime before we passed the blue Beneteau.

Sails on the port side.

Sails on the starboard side.

Sails wing and wing.

Look carefully at the boat speed:  7.1 knots.

I think this reflects well on Coda.

Height board.

Looks like we will make it but the optics are bad.

A tree full of white egrets.

A shore full of white pelicans (They have migrated here from Canada).

Lou- "I can't believe all the colors! All the lights!" Dad's saying, looking out Coda's windows tonight at St. Augustine. "This place is magical!"

I have to agree! 

Things did not start off so well when we first arrived, though! 

We were assigned mooring #17. I missed the first time with the boat hook. Then, our second go-around, I caught it! BUT the wind was so strong I found myself getting pulled along the boat. I clung onto the boat hook, sure I could pull it back. My hand got trapped against the boat. Ow! My fingers! I let go. One of my fingers was bloody and I was sure the boat hook was lost forever. 

Dad caught the mooring and we pulled it up to the bow by hand, tying it up and then racing back to the dinghy. "Do you see it?" Dad asked. To my shock, I did! A glint of metal-- the boat hook!

We retrieved it and got back to the boat, secured the mooring, and I iced my fingers. Lots of drama, but I'm fine! No broken bones!

After all that, our luck turned around! We found the wonderful marina showers and then a fantastic restaurant called Casa Reina (I highly recommend the quesadillas!). Then we headed off in search of a secondhand bookshop Dad had been to before. On our way we saw palm trees strung with Christmas lights, all sorts of charming shops, and houses that reminded me of ones I've seen on the Cape. This whole place is so touristy, which would normally not be my thing, but I LOVE it! It has a special magic.

Our waitress today clearly feels it too! She told us how she came here on vacation as a teen, fell in love with it, decided to go to college here (Flagler), and never left. She says it's not just all tourists; there's a vibrant community of locals. I would have liked to have asked her more, but she had other people to take care of so we'll just have to find other locals to chat with!

I'm so glad we have tomorrow here too!