With our friends on Finish Grade behind us, we left Fort Pierce at 0400 Tuesday, transiting the inlet channel in the early morning darkness.

A few hours later, since we were traveling east, we were treated to a sunrise show on the ocean.

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In the daylight, you can see you’re not alone on the deep blue sea.

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As we approached the Little Bahama Bank and started the transition from 3000+ feet deep water to the 25 ft or so water, Captain Todd optimistically decided to try his luck on catching a possible celebratory mahi dinner. So, out goes the line.

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So, all’s going great, right? We’ve wrapped up the roughest part of the crossing, and the Gulf Stream is behind us. We’re now in the Bahamas, all smiles, hoisting the Q-flags, marveling on the radio about the color of the gorgeous tropical water, etc. And then we receive a VHF call from Finish Grade, “SaltyMare, we’ve lost our main engine.” WHAT?? No way! Serious engine trouble is just not that common. Those of you who followed us last year know we lost our engine during a crossing IN the Bahamas, not TO. So, not at all a good deja vu feeling here. The crews of both boats are absolutely stunned, and on Finish Grade, Lynn has taken the helm and Terry’s gone to the engine room to diagnose the problem.

Given Terry’s experience with diesels, the suspicion was bad fuel. Over the next several hours, Terry changed filters, polished fuel, changed filters again, etc. Several times she got running and then would shut down. Frustrating was the word. Switch over to the “emergency engine” which runs off their generator, which strangely didn’t mind the fuel.

It is difficult to describe how helpless we felt, wanting desperately to assist in some way. We don’t have Starlink yet (you betcha we’ll be handling that as soon as we return stateside), so we couldn’t make any phone calls or do online research. Nothing. All we could do was stay close. After hours of stops and starts, Susie slipped down to the cockpit and took this situation straight to the Top. Time for a bit of quiet, focused prayer for our friends. As soon as she returned to the flybridge, a tern flew into view right beside the enclosure window, less than 10 feet away, and looked at us. He flew there for a couple of minutes, then moved up to circle above us, then circled over Finish Grade. It was amazing, as if God was assuring us He was watching over us.

With Mangrove Cay still two hours away, the decision was made to anchor where we were on the Little Bahama Bank in approximately 20 feet, so Terry could again polish the fuel, and the crews could get some much-needed rest. We’d try it all again in the light of a new day.

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It was certainly not an ideal place to anchor, too far from any land for coverage, leading to a bumpy night. But everyone tried to rest. In the morning, the main engine still wasn’t starting. The new plan was to use the wing engine to slowly backtrack to the outer edge of the Little Bahama Bank where they would meet a tow boat for a trip to Old Bahama Bay Marina on West End. When it was time to raise anchor and get started, lo and behold, guess who was there.

Then he settled onto their bowrail, where he rode along for several hours. He was joined by a few other terns AND a loon on the hardtop!

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At a whopping 2.9 knots, it took some time to get to where the tow boat was supposed to show up. We did, however, early in fact, and dropped anchors again to wait for the planned 1530 arrival of the cavalry. At 1515, Lynn got a call that the tow boat had engine trouble and wouldn’t be able to make it in time to tow them to safety before dark. At this point, they insisted we hustle to the marina to get docked before sunset. They planned to backtrack a bit and anchor near Sandy Cay where another tow company would pick them up at first light. Words cannot describe how difficult it was to watch their boat get smaller and smaller as we went in separate directions, them at their 2.9 knots, us as fast as the ‘Mare could because we had to reach the marina before sunset.

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In the morning, the Master of the Vessel (that’s the title per the Bahamian forms), aka Todd (who I think likes the “promotion” [LOL]), headed to Customs & Immigration with our passports and paperwork.

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With the SaltyMare all legally flagged, we stepped out to explore the Old Bahama Bay Marina & Resort, have a bite of lunch, and…

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But wait a minute. What about Terry & Lynn on Finish Grade??

Trust me. We remained in contact with them in the evening and the next morning. Once anchored, they sent their coordinates. When the tow arrived, they sent pictures, and that’s when we went to get a bite of lunch. AFTER breathing a huge sigh of relief.

Before our rinsed off feet could dry, Todd spied them in the distance – Finish Grade being towed in! Finally! We changed to actual shoes and made our way to the rocky wall of the jetty to wait for them.

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Weary, yes, but after sitting down in the fresh air (out of the engine room) for only a brief minute, the Master of Finish Grade, aka Terry, headed over to Customs to get them checked in.

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Breaking bread and thanking God for His protection.

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As a PS to all this, the engine mechanic did indeed return (today), the issue that began with bad fuel was resolved, and both captains learned valuable lessons on some of the nuances of our engines and fuel delivery. We’ll head to Freeport in a few days for replacement filters and then be on our way. The competent crew of Finish Grade – who remained calm, cool and collected through everything – will continue their adventure in the Bahamas! Hopefully with a bit less MIS-adventure…

“The Sunrise City”? Hey, we’re at that age where that’s about the time we wake up every morning! So, sounds like our kind of place.”

Sure, another Florida beach town built off U.S.1, but we found the town’s embracing and repurposing of older architecture enchanting. Throw in creative art in the most delightful, and sometimes unusual, places and hey, it was fun to walk around. A pair of fellow Selene couples came through the marina, and it was great to get together with them and stroll through this Sunrise City.

Good example? The historical Arcade Building was built in 1923 and served as a center for shopping, kind of a precursor to the modern-day shopping mall. Today? Still a collection of shops, along with a sense of whimsy.

Pretty fantastic murals! As we strolled, we also discovered a mix of sculptures and other artsy endeavors.

Heck, even the power boxes have been touched by the creative minds of this crazy town.

Like most seaside areas, the sea birds are aplenty, and we just can’t help but take in the humble pelicans! You might be familiar with part of the crazy poem – did a little research and found this apparently first appeared in the Tampa Tribune around 1912’ish.

A gorgeous bird is the pelican,
Whose beak will hold more than his bellican.
He can put in his beak
Food enough for a week.
But I’m d—- if I see how in hellecan.

We enjoy them because they are so odd and majestic all at once. And the pelicans around Fort Pierce have no fear. NONE.

At times they’re persnickety photo subjects, effectively pulling off the camera-shy bit.

Other times, you know they’re just waiting for the boat washing to be done, so they can poop on something clean. 😦

Occasionally, you get lucky enough to capture a great shot.

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We spent two weeks at the marina, enjoying the birds, doing household chores, getting together with other cruising friends we met in the Bahamas last year, who just happened by our boat (which was a pleasant surprise). And…. of course, boat chores!

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Sunrise. Sunset. (I believe I hear singing.)

Last week the simply waiting began. We were ready, and the Finish Grade crew was ready. They just had to get to Fort Pierce, which they did, surprisingly fast. Wow – they didn’t waste any time getting down the coast, putting in long days and arriving here just in time for a couple of days of fierce winds. So, we waited that out.

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Now, after all that waiting, prep, waiting, and more prep – with lots of pretty sunsets thrown in – it’s finally TIME. The weather window has opened. SaltyMare and Finish Grade are heading out the Fort Pierce inlet at 0400 to make our crossing to the Bahamas!

We have this friend, who shall remain nameless, that blogs nearly every day. Great writing and impressively dedicated. For some reason, Todd keeps mentioning that. Thanks, Robin. (Oops, there I go, name dropping.) Obviously, the SaltyMare crew has fallen out of practice of late on the blogging aspect of sharing our adventure. For that, we apologize. (Truth be told, one of us captured some amazing dolphin videos but doesn’t know how to make them small enough to post. That person may have, perhaps, dug in their heels and refused to proceed until she got her dolphin videos.) 😉

At any rate, we are ready to get back in the swing of things. At least that’s the plan, until the next time we fall behind…

So, here we go: We left Saint Augustine in mid-January, intent on the search for warmer weather. On departure day, we had to await an afternoon slack tide to carefully wiggle out of our tight slip at the marina, so we only made it to Palm Coast. Remember, what would be 40 minutes by car can take three hours via the slow boat, scenic route.

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The next day was crystal clear with plenty of sunshine (and dolphins!) as we traveled from Palm Coast to an anchorage in New Smyrna.

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There was plenty of sunshine, but…

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As the sun set, we gamely relocated to the bow – wrapped in our fuzzy blankets – for an anticipated SpaceX launch of a Falcon Heavy. And what a show! The sun had just dropped and conditions were perfect for viewing! Pictures just don’t capture it.

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Once we cleared the Haul-Over Canal and entered the wide expanse of the Indian River, we spotted a few turtles and then seemingly everywhere, dolphins! The water was flat calm, so Susie went to the bow to try to capture a picture or two and was delighted by a pod playing in our bow wake. Talk about enchanting!!

To get the best vantage point, Susie ended up lying flat on the bow with her arm extended over the side, holding the camera out, later claiming it felt like she could reach down and touch them when they leapt out of the water!

Susie spent the rest of the afternoon on the proverbial Cloud 9.

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As we watched the sun set from our anchorage in Titusville, we looked directly across the ICW at the VAB (NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building) and thought how marvelous it must have been to watch the launch the night before from those condos on the west side.

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We left Titusville bright and early. Sort of.

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This turned into another pleasant travel day, bringing us another day closer to Fort Pierce, where it is, hopefully, warm.

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The next morning provided another of those really pretty, not too early, sunrises, along with a surprise.

That sunrise treat lead to yet another day of clear skies. We spent the cruise, among other things, enjoying the birds.

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Finally, it was time to prepare for our arrival and planned brief stay at the Fort Pierce City Marina. Most importantly, note that as the first mate switched from anchoring gear to fenders and lines, she is…..

“Where in the world have ya’ll been??,” people are asking. Well, since December is, as they say, “the most wonderful time of the year,” we spent it like a lot of folks, traveling and gathering with family and friends.

First up, a vacation rental near the beach for time with the Olsen clan of children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren!

We got most of the gang out for a stroll through the Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. (Thank you, Tour Guide Alan.) Yep. It was a bit like herding cats, but in the end, there was plenty of good-natured posing among the late-blooming flowers.

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Next up, a road trip of 735 miles to Virginia for Christmas weekend family celebrations with the other side! Including parents, children, grandchildren, siblings, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! (Sorry, got carried away.)

One very special attendee caught Covid and “gamely” attended by screen. (Ouch – and then aww – to a mama’s heart.) 😦

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Most road trips naturally involve a return drive. We actually lengthened this one to visit friends “along the way” back to Florida. Approximately 1,300 miles and too many smiles to count.

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Once we finally made it back to the boat in early January, it was time for some serious provisioning, as we will soon be Bahama bound. So, we plotted and planned til our puzzlers (think Grinch, ha!) were sore, shopped til we dropped, and squeezed so much food aboard, I do believe we may have lowered the waterline.

Now, suitably shorn like sheep, it’s definitely TIME TO HEAD SOUTH and get out of the cold!

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Early out of Jekyll on a somewhat grey, but otherwise pleasant morning, 13 nm cruise south on the ICW…no subs at King’s Bay…but we did pass this interesting structure? Charts would indicate something, but let’s move on.

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After being delayed by not one, but two, hurricanes (Ian and Nicole), we finally made it to Amelia Island!

And on to our dock at Fernandina Beach Marina.

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After squeezing in between those two big Cats (trust us, it’s tighter than it looks!) and no sunset to be had, we were still excited to have arrived and to be expecting special guests. So, what’s first? You guessed it. A thorough wash of the boat to de-poop.

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Just as we wrapped up the long day of boat chores, our ears picked up the sound of a marching band. A Christmas parade?! Let’s go! So, we threw on dry clothes and sprint-walked into town, where we enjoyed a whimsical parade. First time we’ve seen a Christmas parade that included pirate ships and cannon fire. Cool! Sure wish we’d grabbed a camera or a phone. Oh, well. You’ll have to take our word for it. It was fun. More Hallmark Movie moments. Ha!

Now with the boat all clean and sparkly, and the owners worn and weary, we hit the hay. In the wee hours, the first mate got up for a drink of water, only to be startled by a large heron perched on the bow rail. (The photo isn’t great – taken at 0100, without glasses, through the pilothouse screens – but he’s out there, just waiting to make a poopy mess. Which… he did, for two subsequent nights.)

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Time with family is always relished, and wandering around downtown Amelia Island with Mike and Jackie was just that, fun! A few shops, a distillery, and great company. Siblings should seriously spend time together more often! I know. I know. Our lives have taken us to different places. Guess that just makes the together times that much sweeter. (We missed you, Shel!)

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Break of dawn start due to slack tide and getting out from between those Cats led us to Kingsley Creek Railroad Bridge at about 0830…. to find it….

No signs, no notice, no bridge operator for this “supposed” to be open short bridge! Hail to VHF Bridge Channel. Call to the nearby marina, no knowledge. Radio to other now stuck boats behind us, nada, nothing. About 45 minutes later the Coast Guard announces on the VHF that it would be closed until NOON! What? Oh well, drop the anchor, shut down the engine and relax… while planning a different destination anchorage.

A little past noon, we were on our way. Not much to report, just more beautiful lowlands of Georgia. We are on a mission to get to Saint Augustine! In the late afternoon, we anchored just off the St. Johns River as it goes through Jacksonville. Time to watch the world go by.

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Tuesday morning, again up and at ’em at the break of dawn – we gotta get to the oldest city in the country for our month-long holiday dockage (been planning it since April). Let’s go! We slipped out at first light.

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South of Jacksonville, the ICW really earns its name, “the Ditch,” but Christmas spirit was alive on the docks!

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Getting to St. Augustine means back through the beautiful Bridge of Lions. This time we are continuing a bit south past St. Augustine city proper and then making a sharp right to come back up the San Sebastian River to sneak up on the “backside” of the old city. Tucking into our December home port was a very tight fit, but we handled it after a brief stop to wait for full slack.

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Now, a month of more wondrous family visits and Christmas events. We are truly blessed.