6/3/21 - Brunswick GA to St Simons Island GA

We awoke our usual early-thirty, had our coffee, ate breakfast, pumped out our holding tank and did a load of laundry (Free laundry facilities at Brunswick Landing Marina were nice) before departing for a short trip to St Simons Island (Morning Star Marina).   The trip today was only about 11 miles across the sound which is a good thing given that we ran on just one engine the majority of the time except for while docking.   Today's trip went without incident....no engine fluid explosions.....no groundings....just smooth cruising.   After about 74 minutes we arrived at Morning Star Marina and were shown to our transient slip which was on the outside wall of the marina at the far end of the gas dock.   

Pic from the middle of the bridge riding from our marina over to St Simon downtown

After checking in and acquainting ourselves with the marina facilities we got the bikes off of the boat and headed into the downtown St Simons area which was across a short bridge and a 2.8 mile ride.   It was a very nice ride with VERY pedestrian and bike friendly paths (unlike Brunswick....by far the least ped friendly city we've visited!).   The ride brought us by a couple of spectacular looking golf courses, through some neighborhoods with what we are sure are extremely high dollar homes, and through several areas of beautiful moss covered trees.   We had set our gps for the ride to get us to the St Simon Lighthouse.   Upon arriving another couple were taking selfies in front on the lighthouse so we offered to take their picture in exchange for them taking ours....we realized we had not taken many pictures at all thus far with us in them.   It was a beautiful lighthouse with a rich history.   

Beautiful lighthouse with much history

See....we really are on this trip! 

View from another angle

We found a job for Barb, our neighbor, who says St Simon is one of her favorite places
We just need to teach her to swim now....lol

Flowers...just because they are pretty :-) 

We left our bicycles by the lighthouse and walked along the Atlantic boardwalk enjoying more of the scenery of the beautiful trees, a city water park and to the city pier.   Out on the pier many people were trying their luck at fishing and crabbing.   We saw a couple of small fish get reeled in.  Just offshore of St Simon Island, and very visible from the pier area, was the site of the 2019 ship wreck of the 'Golden Ray'.   The salvage and cleanup operation is still going strong and according to a workboat captain I had spoke with earlier in the morning before departing from Brunswick Landing will likely be active for at least another year.   I did a little more internet research on the wreck to learn more about how it happened and also what the losses/costs were.    it was a 620 foot long, 17 story, car carrying ship that was loaded with 4200 new automobiles.  The cause had to do with improper loading that made the 17 story tall ship list and eventually tip completely over.....oops!   The estimated losses were 80 million for the ship itself, 80 million for the lost automobiles and 240 million for the cleanup and salvage operation.   I wonder if the captain of that ship and/or the engineers who were in charge of the loading still have jobs?   We sure hope that our grounding the other day doesn't end up having that many 0's on the end of the price tag...lol.  We did a little shop walking and Renee bought a pair of earrings and a hat/shirt combo.   We finished out our walk downtown with some a Reesees/toffee/caramel gelato.  

St Simons Pier with the salvage operation of the 'Golden Ray' in the background

Selfie time

Lighthouse from the pier 

Anyone in the market for a new car? 

The trunk of this tree downtown was interesting

After a late afternoon break in the AC back at the boat we took Riva on a short bike ride back across the bridge and to a nice little park where we played fetch and walked around for a bit.   There were many other dogs in the park who apparently were MUCH better trained than Riva who had to remain on her leash most of the time.   Riva has quickly learned to love riding in the front basket of the bike....she's just adorable!  

Riva the Diva riding in our basket like a champ

Small park across the bridge from our marina where we took Riva for a walk

Back at the boat we prepared and grilled shish kabobs for a late dinner.   The wind direction and speed made for significant rolling waves coming into the area of the marina and since we were on the outside wall the boat was rocking and rolling pretty good.   We were unsure whether this would affect our sleep but the more we sat and relaxed in our recliners after dinner it became apparent by the fact that neither of us could manage to keep our eyes open that it was likely not going to hinder sleep for us too badly.  

View from the clubhouse of the marina at night looking down on the walkway out to the boat

 

This guy was guarding our boat while we were showering

6/2/21- Waiting and hoping for service in Brunswick

Today we wait....we were on the schedule for a marine diver in the early afternoon and also to be lifted out of the water on the travel lift at 3pm, if necessary, depending on what the divers discover and can do.  

Renee worked on a good amount of her assignment for her masters class.  Erik wandered around impatiently but kept himself busy with several small projects such as a new kickstand on one of the bikes which still works crappy :-(,  took a ride up to the dollar store for bread and took a little nap.   

Riva the Diva on the aft deck generator box

At about 12:30 pm the divers finished up on their first job of the day (cleaning the bottom of a 65' yacht) and made their way down to us.  On their initial inspection they stated that nothing looked to be significantly wrong, but that each prop appeared to have a small amount of cupping towards the ends.   It was decided that we would have them change out both props to the spare set that we have.  the starboard one (the one with the nasty vibration) came off VERY easily and almost appeared to be loose.   This was encouraging and we thought this was likely the cause of the issue.   The port side prop did not want to come off and they did not have the proper prop puller to get it off.  So, we decided to just leave that one on and not switch it out since that side was not creating bad vibes.   Unfortunately, after the prop switch out and a very brief trial run the vibration was still there :-(.   

One of the divers

Mike, the main diver

We hoped they would come up with good news and were optimistic with what they found....but....

We walked up to the boat service yard to check in with those guys since it was now about 2:30pm and we were then hoping that pulling it out to get a closer look would unveil our issue.   At this point we think the most likely cause is a slightly bent shaft.   The folks over at the boat/service yard had a the manager leave unexpectedly and they are short staffed and NOT very organized.  When we got over there to confirm our 3pm pull out appointment they were surprised and did not have us on their schedule or even set up in their system....errr.   On top of that, they were out of appropriate boat stands to even get us up on blocks/stands even if they did pull us out.   We were NOT very happy or impressed with them.    We made some calls around to other boat service yards within reasonable distance and located one in Darien Ga (Two-Way Fish Camp) which is only about 20 miles away up a feeder into the ICW.   Erik spoke with the yard man/mechanic and was told that if we come there he can get us out on Monday/Tuesday of next week.   He was also confident, even without looking at it, that a bent shaft is highly likely our issue.   

This all now falls into the category of "Planning is everything; The plan is nothing".   We decided that we would make our way over to St Simons Island (about 11 miles away across the sound) because we had heard really good things about it and it is also on our way up to Darien.  We prepared the boat and pulled up to the fuel docks to top off the tanks since we had now traveled about 120 miles since departing and the gas at Brunswick Landing was considerably cheaper than what we were seeing at our next several stops north.  Did I mention yet that the plan is nothing?!?  After fueling up we were set to depart to St Simon.  But wait.....now the port (good) engine would not start.   UGH!   After messing around with a few things to try and determine what was happening it appeared that we had a battery issue to Erik.   We decided to call off any plans to attempt travel today.   We pulled into a different transient slip right up by the gas docks and offices.  Erik brought a spare battery that we had stowed in the bow compartment up to AutoZone to have it tested/charged since it had been stored up there for several years.    Fortunately, the battery tested well and was brought up to full charge.   The new battery did the trick and we should be set to go tomorrow morning (depending on weather....its supposed to be a rainy/stormy day tomorrow).   

Our new friend at our new transient slip for the night

We utilized the marina grill to cook up some brat patties and baked beans for dinner.  We showered up from the hot and humid day and headed out on our bikes for a short 1 mile ride to an AA meeting nearby.   It was a really small but good meeting with a topic of "asking for help" lol.....can someone please HELP us get this damn boat running right?!?!    Tired from the day of activities we retired to our beds early.   

6/1/21 - layover in Brunswick Ga

Not a very exciting day to write about.   We did a lot of relaxing.   Renee did a lot of school work and we did several small boat projects.   

We did speak with the staff in the service yard here and they have us in the schedule to pull the boat tomorrow at 3pm.    We also did meet with and talk to a diver, Mike, who says for $75 he can dive tomm early afternoon and determine the extend of the damage.   If it is only prop damage he can replace the prop/s with our spare set for $200 per prop.    Until tomorrow we will wait and hope for the best outcome!   

Aside from that we also did get two milk crates securely fastened to then rear racks of our bicycles so that we can carry more goods when necessary.    

We also did go out to eat for dinner at ‘Fat & Fine Crab Shack’ which was only a few blocks from the marina and got VERY good reviews online.   The reviews proved to be accurate.  Both the low country boil that Erik got and the dry rub/lemon pepper wings that Renee got were delicious and the portions were HUGE.   We have plenty of leftovers for lunch tomm.

Only a couple obligatory sunset picture to include today.

5/3121 - Fernandina Fla to Brunswick Ga

Memorial Day 2021....We are blessed and happy to be able to travel on these great American waterways freely and without fear of attack because of the many that have fought and given everything for this great nation!   Their sacrifices will never be forgotten. 

Our plan for today was for an approximately 45 mile cruise that would have us exiting the state of Florida and entering into the marshy low country of southern Georgia to St Simons Island.  As much as we have truly enjoyed Florida we are both ready to be in a new state and moving northward on our journey.   

After a nice pre dawn walk with Riva through the nice streets of Fernandina we sat around on the deck for a while finishing up yesterday’s blog, eating breakfast and then preparing the boat for today’s trip.  As we were preparing for our departure the Bella Villa pulled out of their slip to also head north on the ICW.   Pretty impressive yacht!  Maybe they are just commuting by water to their jobs as managers at the local Taco Bell...lol.

We are pretty sure this boat would have the walk around bed and full shower that we want :-)

We untied the lines and shoved off at about 8am and fortunately the boat and transmission that we had drained of fluid yesterday afternoon seemed to be performing just fine. Yay!   It was a cool but sunny morning with a nice breeze blowing.  As we continue northward on the ICW it is now a very remote landscape with few towns or even homes along the winding pathway of marshy waterway.   

We were about 20 miles into the trip and cruising along nicely at about 15 mph.  Erik was looking for our handheld VHF radio in the cabinets below the Flybridge helm while Renee momentarily took the wheel from him to ensure we stayed in the channel so that he could look closer when when suddenly the bottom of the boat abruptly and noisily found the bottom of the marked channel...ugh!   Fortunately, the channel bottom in these areas are not usually rock or very hard and the impact was short and we went right through without getting stuck.  However, unfortunately we were traveling at a fast enough clip that the grounding stalled the starboard engine.   Upon startup it was immediately apparent that we had damaged the starboard running gear (prop?/shaft?/strut?....hard to say for certain).   There was a nasty vibration throughout the boat.   It is said by many Loopers and cruisers that there are 3 kinds of boaters; those that have run aground, those that will run aground and those that are liars!  We now officially fit into the first category :-(

We shut down the damaged side and decided to continue north.   This would AGAIN alter our plans for the day and very likely for the next several days depending on what the damage is and when we can get the boat pulled out for inspection and necessary repair.   We were about 26 miles from Brunswick GA where there is one of only a couple large marina and boat yards in the area (Brunswick Landing) that has the necessary travel lift to get the boat out.   We continued north at a much slower 6-8 mph which was less than ideal as we came to a section where we had to exit the fairly smooth and protected area of the marshy low lands and into a large wide turn at an opening to the Atlantic for a couple of miles.  In this short stretch the swells of 2-3’ coming at our starboard side beam made for continuous steering and maneuvering to keep the boat on course while at a slow speed with only one engine.   As we got through this area open to the Atlantic and rounded a bend back behind an island the swells decreased to almost nothing and we saw a nice beach area on the back of the island that had several boats pulled up anchored or beached and people enjoying the beautiful day.   We motored over there and ran the boat gently up onto the sand where the rear of the boat and props were now only in about 3-4’ of water.  Erik dawned his suit and goggles to dive under the boat and see if he could determine the extend of the damage we had done.   It was hard to see, but by feeling around it does not appear that anything has distinct bends or damage.  Good news....we hope!  We are hopeful that it only bent something on the prop and not the shaft or strut.   This would be a MUCH cheaper and quicker repair since we do have a spare set of props aboard.   

sandbar at the end of Cumberland Island

Most of the ICW was smooth cruising but occasionally we would come 
to a spot where we had to pass through an opening out to the Atlantic
and things would get a bit rougher

Being Memorial Day today the marina was hosting a shindig so after getting settled in on our way up to the office to check in we stopped in at the clubhouse and had a late lunch of potluck goodies.   We may be having lots of issues with the boat but we do seem to be on a roll of obtaining free food!   We are also wondering if someone is trying to tell us something because Brunswick Landing has free beer and wine as well every Monday/Wednesday/Friday....lol.   We again chose to abstain. 

Riva sunning herself on the aft deck
she has a rufff life! 

After lunch and a nap (yep....it’s another one of those kinda days) we sprayed down the boat and bikes to get rid of the salty grime.   Afterwards we brought Riva up to the nice dog park that the marina also has :-)     For the first 30 mins we were the only ones at the park but that was fine and Riva enjoyed playing fetch with her ball and frisbee.   Just as we were preparing to leave and head into town to get a couple of things at the dollar store two other dogs showed up so we decided to stay a while and let Riva play with her new, large friends.   She and the other dogs had a blast running and romping.  Riva is so fast and playful as were the other two dogs 🐕.   It is hilarious watching her run and play with large dogs; their size does not intimidate her one bit!   

Brunswick Landing Dog Park is large and very nice
Riva can run!  

or she can just play in the balls

We enjoyed yet another spectacular sunset from the dog park while visiting and chatting with the other dogs owners.  One guy gave  us the information for a marine diver locally that he has used to perform work on his boat.   Depending on whether the folks here at the service yard can get us pulled and looked at quickly this may be another option.  

Sun behind the palms while at the dog park

we love sunsets! 

We rounded out the day with a short bike ride into town and our usual coffee before retiring to bed exhausted.   

Veterans Memorial Park just outside of Brunswick Landing marina 

 A huge THANK YOU to all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country!

5/30/21-Jacksonville to Fernandina Beach

Up again before the crack of dawn we busied ourselves with a few last preps for today’s planned trip to Fernandina Beach and Cumberland Island.  We have read and heard great things about Cumberland Island which is accessible only by boat  and have been looking forward to throwing the anchor for the first time this year to paddle ashore and enjoy the nature.  

Sunrise at Ortega Landing Marina as we prepare for todays voyage

We departed Ortega Landing Marina just after the sun had risen.   It was a peaceful and flat ride.  The only challenge was dodging the MANY crab pots 🦀 which are challenging to see anytime but particularly with the bright morning sun shining in your eyes.  Chief Navigator and electronics extraordinaire, Renee, was having difficulties getting our routes entered into our chart plotter; she is not happy to have an expensive piece of electronics on the dash basically serving only as a depth finder 🤦‍♀️  So, we are back to navigating via Navionocs from our mobile phones...no big deal since we did this for the first 3 1/2 years of our travels.   

Just as we left the marina on the St Johns river
"Good to the last drop"

We zipped through downtown Jacksonville and shortly after exited the St John’s River and into the AICW (Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway).   The area now changed to a series of water paths  through the marshy landscape.  It was very peaceful cruising along watching many dolphins frolic and sea birds floating on air alongside the boat.   At one point about 2/3 into our planned 55 mile trip we saw small aircraft taking off from a little airport.  Soon after we saw two people floating down out of the sky parachuting toward us.   Erik sooooo wants to do this someday.  Renee says she will be happy to push him out of a plane 😳.

We had made arrangements with a couple who had called a week or so ago and are interested in looking at and purchasing Aquaholic to meet up in the Fernandina area. That’s right....we have her quasi up for sale on a couple of sites to see what kind of interest it garners.   For several years we have been saying that we want to move up to a 37’-41’ Marinette in order to have a full walk around bed and a separate shower that you do not have to stand over the toilet to use.   Anyhow, this very thick German accented fellow wanted to meet us at the Fernandina Harbor Marina to take a look this afternoon.  Before heading into the marina though we had planned to cruise past it about 6 miles or so to a nice anchorage where we would explore the island and it’s many wild horses.   About a mile or so past the marina we suddenly felt the boat acting funny.   Erik quickly realized that we had lost the forward gear on the starboard engine....again.   🤦‍♂️ With a quick trip down into the engine compartment it was obvious that the issue was something vastly different than the previous linkage adjustment.  Three quarts or more of ATM fluid had sprayed all over the entire engine compartment creating a slippery mess.  Additionally, the transmission had gotten hot (not a good thing).   We abandoned the plans to explore Cumberland Island and motored back down to Fernandina Harbor where fortunately they assigned us a slip just inside of the marina on a wall that was relatively easy to dock at on one engine even in the gusty breeze.  

We checked into the marina and took Riva for a walk to give the engines and the engine room some time to cool down before tearing into things to determine the source of the leak. We had found another bicycle 🚲 on craigslist earlier in the day and spoke with the guy selling it.   He lives just a few miles from the marina and agreed to deliver it to us in his truck.   We now are back to a 2 bike family....yay!  We’re now in the market for sidesaddle baskets for one to accommodate Riva the diva 🐶.  

Our new to us Schwinn 23 speed cruiser complete with rear rack, comfy seat and fancy handle bars

Erik spent a couple of hours just cleaning up the mess on the engines, engine room and bildge area.   He then started checking fittings and disconnecting hoses to look for cracks or other sources of leaking....nothing.   Meanwhile, Renee road the bike up the road to an auto parts store to get ATM fluid.  We determined the only way to find the leak was going to be to add fluid and start up the motor to hopefully be able to find where it was coming from.  Immediately on startup of the engine it was VERY obvious when fluid started spraying up through a small hole/crack in a threaded stop on top of the tranny.  Ironically (or not!) when we arrived at Green Cove Springs several days ago we found a threaded stop sitting on the end table.  We had inquired with the mechanic who did the work on the tranny over the winter as to what it was for.  He had stated that it was no longer needed because when the unit came back from the rebuild shop they had installed a new one.  Unfortunately, what the mechanic did not know was that the stop that the shop installed was just a temp plastic stop, NOT intended to stay in place during use.   After the 75 or so miles we cruised it gave out and developed a hole/crack that started spewing the fluid.    Easy fix to stop the leak....REAL pain in the @$# to clean up the mess.... crossing fingers that no damage was done to the transmission.    After filling to the proper level and installing the CORRECT stop the transmission engaged just as it should.  We did not take the boat back out of the slip today to test it thoroughly under power yet 🙏.     

temporary plastic threaded stop that gave out and causes us a lot of grief 

Fernandina Beach is a very busy and touristy location.  Riva was ready for a good walk.  Being the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend the streets were crawling with people.   We stopped in at one of several ice cream shops and shared a Java Chunk cone (as not to spoil dinner 😂).  There were many eating establishments to choose from and given that we were both rather tired we chose one that was very near to the Marina.   The wait was almost an hour but the establishment a few doors down was 3 hours and it appeared that there would be a wait wherever we went tonight.  The town was alive with many places offering live music.   After Dinner Erik rode his new bike a couple of miles to a Walmart to purchase an SD card with adapter in hopes that it would help us to get the chart plotter functioning properly.   

Renee giving a wave goodbye to the sun for another day

Sunset view from the aft deck of Aquaholic

The breezy and much cooler evening allowed for us to keep the windows all open on the boat to help give it a good airing out and eliminate the lingering transmission fluid scent.  The wind blowing, along with the gentle rocking of the boat, always makes for a good nights sleep as well 😊

A reading we had seen earlier in the day did a good job of summing up the attitude we needed to deal with a challenging and stressful day that did NOT go as planned:

When we are disturbed, it is because we find some person, place, thing, or situation—some fact of our lives—unacceptable to us, and we can find no serenity until we accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is. Unless we accept life completely on life’s terms, we cannot be happy. We need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in us and in our attitudes. 

- P. OHLIGER (para.)

5/29/21 - chillin in Jacksonville

It was nice and relaxing to spend a full day at Ortega Landing Marina.  Erik likes to move often and not sit still long, but, is slowly learning that slowing down to smell the roses makes for a much more enjoyable journey.   

After a usual early morning wake up we sat on the aft deck to take in the comfortable morning breezes while doing a little work and drinking coffee.   Comfortable temps made for a good time to walk the docks and enjoy the morning sun rising.  

Morning Sun at Ortega Landing Marina

We were told by some locals that there is an arts/farmers market held every Saturday under the I-95 bridge which according to gps was a very doable 4.1 mile bike ride.  At about 9:30, after walking Riva, we set out on a nice ride that brought us through several residential neighborhoods with very nice historic homes and beautiful moss covered, tree lined streets.   The farmers market was quite nice with many vendors selling their wares; everything from fresh produce, handmade goods, art, baked goods and much more.   Our take for the morning was a large jar of tomato bisque and a bag of fresh naan bread that we would later enjoy for dinner.   It turned out to be delicious and we have enough leftover to make for a nice lunch while cruising tomorrow.   

visitors painting a mural at the entrance to the arts market

many dogs wandering the market with their owners.  We wished we had brought Riva along

The market was held under a hundred yard or so section of a very wide, multi lane bridge downtown that offered good shade

After a slightly warmer, but still tolerable, ride back to the marina we arrived just in time to enjoy the festivities being offered for Memorial Day weekend.   Island Girl seafood food truck was at the clubhouse serving free lunch.  Erik enjoyed coconut shrimp, fries and slaw.   Renee dined on a teriyaki chicken dish with rice and black beans.   We chose to remain sober another day by grabbing free soft drinks rather than the free beer!   We sat and ate while enjoying the sounds of a steel drum entertainer who was pretty good.  

the boaters lounge on the top floor of the clubhouse.  much more posh than we typically experience

the price was right (free!) for lunch today beside the pool

Having been up since about 4:30am, and now having full bellies in the heat of the afternoon, we retreated to the comfort of the air conditioned boat and crawled into bed for a solid 2 hour nap 😴 because you know...why not?!?  Rested but still in the heat of the day we meandered back over to the pool for a refreshing dip and good conversation with fellow marina goers.   Back at the boat we satisfied our appetites with the wares from the market this morning before showering up for the evening   

A good way for us to round out a great, relaxing day was to venture out on another short 1.5 mile ride to the Westside Club where we got in a little recovery insurance so that we have a significant chance at making tomorrow as good, or better, than today!  

AA clubhouse where we met many new friends of Bob and Bill

Sitting on the aft deck of Aquaholic tonight working on the blog to round out the night

TGCHHO

repeat

Wednesday 5-26-2021 to Friday 5-28-2021 / Green Cove Springs to Ortega Landing Marina Jacksonville

Well our trip started off a bit bumpy. Hopefully we got the bumps out of the way early and the rest is smooth sailing(or cruising to be exact).  We flew into Jacksonville on Wednesday May 26 and luckily were able to get a rental car. No small feat in today’s crazy environment!  We drove to the marina and connected the battery banks and got the generator started to get the batteries charged. 

Aquaholic up on stands in the work yard getting all cleaned up and provisioned 

Erik ended up finding a great deal on a bike which we picked up in the rental car and took to the marina.  $90 for a like new Schwinn Beach cruiser with all the bells and whistles. 

One replacement bike for our old rusty ones that traveled aboard the past four years....now we just need to find another

We Stayed in a hotel that night and headed to Walmart early Thursday to stock up for provisioning the boat.  We got to the marina shortly after 8, to find out that we would NOT be launching 😣.  They told us we could stay on the boat and should be able to launch Friday.  We retuned the rental car and got a Lyft back to the marina where we got busy cleaning and prepping the boat for the trip. Since the air conditioning only works when we are in the water we had a very hot exhausting day!  

A beautiful old church in Green Cove Springs

Nice park in town with a spring fed swimming pool

One small snafu with the boat.  Since we were in the work yard and had access to water we decided to start up the engines to ensure launch day would go smoothly.  After starting both motors with no issue Erik was opening the through hull fresh water intake valve back up on the bottoms of the boat and unfortunately while turning the lever the handle broke off.  Errr.  We were able to locate a new ball valve of the correct size at west marine for $97 but, it was 24 miles away and we were now without a car since we had returned our rental car earlier.   Fortunately, a guy working on his boat next to ours mad the suggestion that Ace Hardware would likely stock one.  He was right!  AND Ace was only 4.1 miles away.   Time to put the new Schwinn to use!  In case you’re wondering, 8.2 miles of “mostly flat” (according to GPS) peddling on an asphalt road in Florida on a 93 degree afternoon is NO JOKE!  However, the valve worked perfectly and we were back up and ready to go after a quick switch out. 

ACE hardware to the rescue!  $30 for a new ball valve was MUCH better than $97 at West Marine

Old ball valve with broken off handle.  We actually purchased two new ones since chances are if this one broke to the starboard engine the port engine valve is not far behind  

Friday morning they were finally able to get us launched around 11:30am!!!! Yippeeee.....but wait...... immediately after launch from the travel lift the starboard engine would not go into forward, only reverse😳.  After messing with it for a few Erik was able to figure out that the linkage was out of adjustment.  A few turns of the adjustment bolt and we were now able to go backwards AND forward (this is a nice feature to have when cruising).  He might end being a good mechanic by the time our boat makes it home😂🤣.  

Finally time to splash!  The boat yard had just finished installing three new tires on the travel lift.  The mechanic working on it says the tires are $3000 EACH

Riva is patiently waiting and watching as the boat is launched

Up the St John’s River we went to made a short 25 mile day to Ortega Landing where they have amazing facilities; a pool, a party with live steel drum music, a food truck with free food tomorrow, a beer 🍺 truck with FREE beer 😳 😂 AND a buy one get one free night for first time visitors. Looks like we will stay here till Sunday!  

Renee and Riva are happy to be cruising

Riva is having a REALLY tough time acclimating to the 'Loop Life'

                                     

During a refreshing dip in the pool we met some nice folks and had some good conversations.   We followed that up with grilling up some shish kabobs on grill.   We spent the remainder of the evening relaxing aboard in our new comfy recliners that we put in a few months ago.   

View from Ortega Landing clubhouse upper deck looking down over the pool area

On an apropos note, as we were backing into our slip at the Marina this afternoon we looked directly behind us at the bot across the dock from us and noticed it’s name...”The Promises”.   

Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly; they will always come true IF we work for them.   They’re certainly coming true for us!