2014/11/ 12 - Fernandina Beach, FL to Palm Coast, FL
2014/10/30 Brickhill River to Bell River, Fernandina, FL 21 nm
2014/11/04 Bell River to Pine Island, FL 43 nm
2014/11/06 Pine Island to Palm Coast, FL 33 nm
Total Miles to Date: 600 nm
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| Ibis Headed Home for Night |
“I find the great thing in the world is
not so much where we stand, as what direction we are moving; to reach
port, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it –
but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.” Oliver
Wendell Holmes
Small World - Jimmy Copelan &
Dale Tingle
Friday, the 31st of October, was the day before the
Georgia / Florida football game and Fernandina, like all towns within
50 miles of Jacksonville, was packed with football fans gettin'
“prepped” for the big game. When in Fernandina Gigi always gets
her a “mani and a pedi” and I always go to the Palace Saloon and
drink beer – do what ya do best I always say.
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| Fermandina By Night |
I left Gigi at the “Mani & Pedi” store and headed for the
Palace. The town was full of fans dressed in Red and Black with a
sprinkling of fans of the “other” persuasion – clearly
Fernandina was a Georgia town that just happened to be in Florida.
The Palace was filled to overflowing with “Dawgs” already well
oiled and it was only 2:00 PM, the day before the game. The Georgia
fight song was blowing the doors open on the Palace and sounds of
“Ooof Ooofs” were echoing in my ears. The Palace was no place
for me today! I headed for the Green Turtle Bar about 2 blocks away
to do my duty and suck down a beer or two.
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| Walk the Dog |
As I crossed the street there was a man with a GA shirt sitting on a
bench in front of one of the stores obviously doing what most men do,
wait for their shopping wives. We struck up a conversation. Being
originally from Georgia my self I asked where he was from. He said
Edenton to my surprise. I told him I was from Sparta a scant 30
miles from Edenton and introduced my self. His eyes widened. He was
Jessie Copeland originally from Greensboro and he had met and had
nothing but respect for my Grandaddy, Jimmy Copelan. He said, “Mr.
Jimmy”planted and cut hay for his Grandad.” When he called him
“Mr. Jimmy” I knew he was the genuine article - a Green County
boy that truly did know my Grandad. When you meet someone like
Jessie that actually knew your Grandady it, in away, brings him back
to life for a warm moment or two. It is a small world. But that was
not the only surprise Fernandina had in store for me that day...
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| Bell River Sunset |
After “a few” beers at the Green Turtle and some pleasant
conversation with new friends Gigi called and asked me to meet her at
the Ice cream Store...don't remember a time I've turned down ice
cream. While waiting out front of the Ice Cream Store (you always
wait on women..think it must be a rule) I noticed a couple with red
and black “Oconee” shirts on some folk. I introduced my self and
told them the story of my boat “Oconee.” They were from
Watkinsville, a small town that is now part of Athens. My cousin
Steve Tingle has a business in Watkinsville and I asked if by chance
they knew Stevie. The husband said he did not but...his wife piped
up and said “but I'm distant kin to Dale, Steve's wife. Dale and I
grew up in the same town.” For the life of me I can't remember
names..wish I did. They too were nice folk.
All and all, it was a really good day. I enjoyed the company of
some new friends. Drank me some good Florida beer...and Florida
makes some good beer. Ate some good food. And had me some real
pleasant surprises. But best of all, I got to remember my Granddad.
The Broken
Rule:
One of my all time sailing heroes was Dick Bradley. Dick wrote a
column for Motor Boat & Sailing in 60s and 70s. Dick's
columns on boating (of course) and on life yielded bucket loads of
simple wisdom. Dick used to say that you didn't need courses in
“seamanship” you needed courses in “landsmanship.” “God,”
Dick said, “would teach you all ya needed to know about
seamanship.” On land it was a complicated “crapshoot.” He
also had a hard fast rule he called the rule of “Chicken
seamanship: Never put yourself in a position you might need
seamanship.” I have done my best to live by Dick's
rule...occasionally I fail.
We left Fermandian and rode the height of the tide down the Amelia
River. The first part of the Amelia can be a little skinny and G and
I like to have at least a couple of feet of tide under us for this
section. We hit 10 knots in places between Fernandian and the
crossing of the St. Johns river. I commented to Gigi that we were
seeing more current than normal in this section and was not looking
forward to pushing that current once we crossed the St. Johns. I had
no idea...
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| 1960 Crocker |
After we crossed the St. John's River our speed dropped to 4.5 knots
- one whale of a current and now we had us a convoy of boats in
front of us to add to the mix. The current thru the first bridge
turned us every where but loose. The second bridge in this section
always has the worst current. The ICW narrows here and all the water
of the Sound flows between the fenders of the second bridge. Our
friend Dan Boeny often anchors and waits for slack before attempting
the passage thru the bridge..Dan is a wise man. Ahead of us was a
couple of catamarans, Slow Fight – another Defever 44 like
the Turtle, and last in line just ahead of us was an about 60'
express cruiser. Express cruisers can create a huge wake when they
apply power. Their stern digs a hole in the water – result huge
wakes.
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| Eagle |
We waited our turn, backed way off on the throttles and put about 100
yards between us and the Cruiser. We could see it was not going to
be fun from the way the other boats were getting kicked around but it
looked do able. It was all we could do to hold position in the 5
knot current. When the last cat cleared the bridge and the Express
kicked her engines to life with all but full throttle and pushed a
huge wake thru the bridge. I powered up the Salty Turtle and started
to follow the Express thru the bridge. Gigi mumbled something like,
“Do you think we should wait..?” At that slim point I had a
choice - go or spin the Turtle and wait a bit for the wakes to die
down. Right here is where a lifetime rule was broken. I applied
more power. I had no idea how big a trouble I was in.
One hundred feet off the bridge fenders the Cruiser's wake ricocheted
off the shore and combined with the standing way under the bridge
creating 4' waves that seemed to be coming at the Turtle from all
directions – sort of like trying to push a 52 thousand pound boat
up a mountain cataract. I pushed the throttles to unknown territory
around 2000 RPMs, A-framed my legs to brace my self, and did what
the boat told me. This is one of those situations you can't think
thru you just have to react. Waves and current were kicking Turtle
all over the place. We were rolling 15 degree from port to starboard
at the whim of the standing waves and kicking Turtle's stern about
like a ping-pong ball. I was making 20 degree rudder corrections and
the Turtle was still not responding. It took adding every drop of
power we had to port or starboard engines as required (steering with
engines) to keep us from careening off the bridge fenders...and even
then it was a matter of slim feet. Slowly, ever slow slowly I was
able to regain control of the boat. By the time we were exiting the
bridge fenders the Turtle was just fighting current and I was able to
ease off on the throttles a bit. At this point I glanced at the GPS
and we were doing a screaming 3 knots...and safe.
Gigi took a breath..I think her first since we hit the wake...and
said,” Were you scared?” I took my first breath
and said, “No, too damn busy to be scared.”
Dick Bradley don't ever let me break that rule again!!!!
Memories:
Memories are our most prized possessions..maybe our only true
possession. A good one is like gold in the bank to warm our hearts,
minds, and yes..bodies. They can change a back day light and shift
our moods in a blink of an eye. It was like that the other evening
at anchor South of Pine Island. It had been an especially grueling
day (see above). The Turtle was swinging to her anchor and I was
sucking down a well deserved “sundowner” when I looked up to see
a navy blue Island Packet swing off the ICW and quietly anchor a
couple of hundred feet ahead of us in the creek. I knew that boat?
I grabbed the glasses and took a closer look. It was...it was...
“Slow Dancing” and suddenly, in a flood of memories, it was 8
years past in January and Mike Yount and I had just finished a long
wait for weather to cross to Bimini...
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| Pine Island Morning |
The night was dark and there were 29 boats that were crossing at the
same time, about 10 going to Bimini the rest headed to Nassau,
Morgan's Bluff, or Chub Cay. For some reason we struck up a
conversation with Paul and Diane Kline (?), also first timers, on
Slow Dancing...and we did not know it at the time but a
friendship was born and one of my lifetime memories was deposited in
the bank.
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| Pine Island Sunset |
In Bimini Mike and I ate our first Bahamian lobster cooked by Diane
aboard Slow Dancing. We crossed the banks a few days later
together and held up for a three day 30-40 knot Northeaster in
Fraiser Hog Cay – Slow Dancing at the Berry Island Club and
Oconee at anchor. That storm is still the storm by which I measure
all others. The Mule and I turned Slow Dancing's bow and
pushed them off the Berry Island Club dock after the blow and helped
them escape the grip of the dock and bottom (they were aground). We
met again in Marsh Harbor in the Abacos and they “shepherded” me
a bit since they knew I was now single handing.
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| Pine Island Moon Rise |
Paul and Diane sold Slow Dancing, moved to (of all places)
Washington, NC and took up golf and became a CLOD (that's “Cruisers
Living On Dirt”). But..Slow Dancing kept her name and is still
cruising fulfilling another couple's dreams...and salting away gold
in their memory banks. Me? Just seeing that boat sail once again
into my life brightened my day.
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| Slow Dancing |
We are in Palm Coast waiting the arrival of Victoria Gaye,
Temptation, and Skat with long
time cruising friends NC aboard. Today there will be one hell of a
reunion on the back deck of the Turtle. Tomorrow Salty Turtle will
start her plod South again. Next destination Titusville and a visit
with Steve and Aggie Knox (another set of CLODs).
Fairwinds and Rum Drinks,
Vic C.
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