We picked today to travel again because of wind and weather.  We reluctantly left beautiful Halifax Harbor Marina and went north on the ICW to our next stop for the next month or so.  The wind was forecasted to be coming from the south / south east direction at less than 10mph.  Since we are traveling north, I figured the extra boost from southwardly winds couldn’t hurt.

Leaving Halifax Harbor Marina

The first bridge heading north is the Broadway Bridge.  I was busy with pulling in the fenders and lines when I noticed the color on the bridge supports.  It wasn’t paint.  Mosaics of dolphins, manatees and other water life on all the bridge supports.  They really made me smile!  Aren’t they gorgeous!  Looks like they are maintenance free.

Broadway Bridge with mosaics

It was early and I was ever vigilant in looking for more sunken boats near our waterway.   We were warned that there were a couple sunken vessels yesterday.  We almost didn’t see this one.  The boat was out of the channel and not in our way.  It just seemed sad to see.

Sunken sail boat

Only one bridge opening today for us.  Wayne called ahead and asked about the next opening for the Knox Memorial bridge. The bridge is only 15 feet height.  We need at least 19 feet.  The bridge was opened right away and we sailed through easily.   This picture is the bridge closing behind us because I was unprepared not to wait.  How exciting.   A good omen for the rest of the day.

Knox Memorial Bridge closing behind us

As we motored along we saw these crab cages sitting on the end of a pier.  Can’t catch much that way.

Crab baskets – crab pots waiting

These guys are getting their crab pots out!!  Good thing they are headed south.  We shouldn’t have to worry about these pots getting in our way.

Boat loaded with with Crab cages

These guys have been out for a while.  They have a crowd waiting for any goodies thrown their way.  Pelicans are such beggars!

Crabber checking their pots

Water still looks pretty smooth.  We did have moments later in the day of small waves the wind would kick up from time to time.  Nothing major.  We just noticed we were expecting to be traveling at about 8.8 knots (10.1 mph).  Sometimes we got 10.4 knots (12 mph) with a tail current/wind and other times we were going 7.8 knots (9 mph) without changing the engines rpms.  Currents were a bit challenging around inlets of creeks and marshy areas.

We did see crab pot buoys all day.  Sometimes they were lined up like road markers.  All in a row along the side of the channel just where the water starts to get more shallow.  Later in the afternoon, when I was driving, I had to zig zag the boat because crab pot balls were IN our channel!!  I was weaving through a land mine of little red, orange, and white balls.  Wayne was downstairs taking a break.  He comes running up to the fly bridge wondering if I had gone crazy.  Me zigzagging and he sees that I am out of the channel on the chart plotter.  He was wondering what in the heck happened in just the few minutes he was not on the flybridge. OF Course, no such hazards occurred when he was driving.  Of course.  Once he saw the little buoys in front of our path, he calmed down and said I must have really been paying attention!  Yes.  My job driving the boat is not to fall asleep at the wheel!  As soon as we were out of the buoy field Wayne took over.  No more alarming obstacles the rest of the trip.  Of course.  😉

The landscape went from marsh to trees and back again to marshy lands.  I thought this was a sunken boat but as we got closer I saw a crafty opportunity.  Slow down, Wayne.  I want to get some of that ‘driftwood’.  You can see a table ornament in the making.  OR a neat wall hanging.  Right?  People pay big bucks for bleached out wood limbs like these.

Drift wood

Can you see how far away the boat shed is from the house?  It looks like half a mile!!  This was typical of many locations along the ICW.  There must be a reason for this.

A long way from dock to home

Looks like someone has made a home of this old tug.  There was a car out in front.  Maybe they are in the process of refurbishing it.  Looks like it needs several gallons of rustoleum!

Grey Tug

We passed Flagler Beach just before noon.

Flagler Beach Water Tower

We could see in the distance the Atlantic on and off to our east.  As the sliver of land between the ICW and the Atlantic narrowed in places.

The Atlantic Ocean!!

Beach houses. Ocean view and ICW view. How sweet!

Many of the ocean view homes were on stilts.  Obviously, for high water.  Hurricanes come through here?

Again, we had several pods of dolphins following us.  I never tire of watching them swim with us for a few minutes.  For you folks who are patiently watching, the first good jump out of the water is at around 26 seconds. Hope you enjoy this video as well.

We read about the extra strong currents near the inlet.  Makes sense that water from the ICW and Atlantic meeting together would create a bit of a challenge.  Getting off the ICW and going into the marina presented the challenge pushing us sideways until we were in the marina entrance.

Chart of St Augustine Inlet

Very few boats on the water all day.  At this inlet, no sail boats either were seen.  Where is everyone??  Bahamas?  Ft. Lauderdale?  I guess we are just not normal boaters.  Hahaha  Normal is so boring.  Family knows just how not normal we are!!  After all, we own a boat!

St. Augustine Inlet

We knew we had arrived when we saw…

Frigate – St. Augustine