Ft Pierce to Morehead 5

Hey all, we had a good night with bright moon and no boat traffic. ETA for Morehead holds should be in around 24 hours or 6 am tomorrow.
Myron
ps the swallow spent the night and left this morning.
Time 6:24 am

Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}32|35.384|N|078|12.950|W|Underway|{GEND}

Ft Pierce to Morehead 4

Hey All and Happy Mother's Day! The winds were light today so we motor sail but good for fishing we caught a 53" Mahi!
We also have had a couple of visitors, first a Yellow House Finch he was very hungry and ate all the bugs on the boat then shared a grape with me (very friendly). Second (and he is watching me type this) is a Swallow not quite as friendly but getting there.
We should make landfall on Tuesday morning.
Time 8:35 pm
Myron

Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}31|45.406|N|078|48.594|W|Underway|{GEND}

Ft Pierce to Morehead 3

We had good sail last night in 15 kts of wind but its back to motoring now that the sun is coming up.
Myron
time 6 am

Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}29|59.667|N|079|41.390|W|Underway|{GEND}

Ft Pierce to Morehead 2

We motor sailed most of the day until 6 PM then we got under sail with Jib, Mizzen and single reef in the main producing 8 knots with 1.5 knots from the gulf stream.
Myron
Time is 9:08 PM

Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}28|49.687|N|079|55.854|W|Underway|{GEND}

Departed Ft Pierce

We went out Ft Pierce inlet about 9 am headed for Morehead City.
Will try to do a report in the morning and evening depending on Band conditions.
Myron

Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}27|32.266|N|080|13.822|W|Underway|{GEND}

Great Sale Cay to Vero Beach, via Fort Pierce

We tried not to get up early at Great Sale Cay because we wanted to resist the urge of an early departure.  Old habits die hard and we were up at 6:30 am, having coffee and listening to weather.  I noticed a beautiful vessel with freedom masts over a half mile away and wondered if it was ‘Kera Bela’ from OYCM, Jacksonville.  We kept an eye on them as all the other boats emptied out of the anchorage.  Finally it was just the two of us.  We pulled up anchor and motored out of our way to go by them.  Sure enough, I saw David moving around in the cockpit and Jackie shortly thereafter.  I hollered at them to get dressed for company.  David got a kick out of seeing us and said “you meet the nicest people in far away anchorages!”  They had arrived at 2:30 am and were just about rested up enough to press on.  We were on opposite headings, leaving us time only to shout greetings and well wishes as we passed by.  I hope we see them again in the fall.

This was our shortest trip back to the states yet.  We normally head north for a couple nights out and ride a little in the Gulf Stream, but this time we wanted to get some maintenance and provisioning completed in Vero Beach, therefore we came across to the Fort Pierce inlet.  We did not want to enter Fort Pierce in the dark, so we kept slowing down Hold Fast.  Once the current gets you though, it is hard to reduce speed.  We turned south a bit, which helped, but we still ended up at the inlet at 5 am.  It was my watch and I woke up Myron just before we entered.  Fort Pierce inlet is well marked and deep.  That was not the problem, it was how work around on the ICW and find a place to anchor in the dark.  Our original plan was to anchor north of the entrance and just south of the Fort Pierce North Bridge (the one that opens), however we were blinded by the bright lights of the dredger parked on the ICW that direction and could not ascertain which side of the dredger was open.  We opted to go under the fixed bridge to the south of the inlet, work our way down the ICW and take a left into the anchorage area.  We anchored as soon as we were sufficiently off the ICW.

Once anchored, our next immediate task was to check in to the U.S.  We have the LBO (local boaters option) and can typically call in our numbers and location and get an arrival number to complete the process, eliminating the need to report to Customs Border Protection in person.  Myron purchased a month on our prepaid phone to make sure we were all set to make the call.  However, when we arrived the actual phone (hardware) completely crashed.  We pulled out the old Verizon phone, but our number had been recycled and I needed to go through an activation process.  Myron tried using our Google Talk number to make a call because we were getting free wi-fi in the anchorage.  Google Talk failed as well.  We were running through other options, like waiting for Fort Pierce City Marina to open, go get diesel there and use their phone to check in.  We were finally able to complete the check in process via Skype.  We were now free to move about the country.

Our next task was to move to Vero Beach City Marina for fuel and to take a mooring.  They let us chose between mooring 10 or mooring 1 in the south field.  We tried mooring 10, but it was too protected from any breeze and we were burning up.  Sometime after the marina’s closing time we concluded that we MUST change moorings.  There was no one on #1 yet and we went for it.  They are pretty relaxed here in the off season.  There are a number of moorings open and there is no need to raft two and three boats to one mooring.  I sent the office an email about our new location and have not heard a peep.  This is the first mooring on the entrance to the marina.  We could see all boats coming and going, if we were not so busy with projects. 

When we arrived, we picked up our package from the marina office and Myron got right to work on installing the AIS.  It was up and running before we even got in a nap.  A nap was needed.  I wondered why I was so tired.  Myron reminded me that I never got an off-watch rest after coming on watch at 3 am.  We did our best to sweat through a couple hours of sleep.  I tried for more, but Myron got up and did some trouble-shooting on the old refrigerator.  He found a leak and recharged the unit.  Maybe that will solve it for now.  Last night the temperature finally cooled off and we were able to sleep well.

We had a number of challenges to address today.  One was getting the rental car.  Hertz has free pick up at this location, but they could not call our broken phone to tell us they had no drivers, that they would reimburse us for the cost of a cab, well a $15 Klubcar ride anyway.  While we waited an hour for the ride, the Blue Angels started their practice runs.  They have an air show here this weekend and Hold Fast is moored very close to the flight path.  It will be good fun to watch from our boat, except for one thing:  I must return the rental car on Saturday…at the airport…during an air show.  We will try to figure out some alternative to me getting stuck in air show traffic for an entire day. 

We are doing well on our list of tasks.  Today we provisioned, bought a new starter battery and, also very important, got a phone going.  Myron just installed the new starter battery and it cranks the Lehman over just fine.  It is nice to have that off the list and to give the house batteries a rest.  A few more tasks and we should be ready to head offshore.  We are watching for a weather window and will let you know when we slip the mooring.

I had add that we just saw Debbie and Richard on 'At Last' from OYCM, Jacksonville, come in to the marina.  You never know who you will see out here!

Love to all,

Dena

Posted via wifi.
{GMST}27|39.249|N|080|22.307|W|Moored|{GEND}

Ft Pierce

We are in at Ft Pierce temporarily anchored south of the bridge.
Myron

Posted via wifi.
{GMST}27|27.203|N|080|18.908|W|anchored|{GEND}

Great Sale to Ft Pierce

Hello All we had a nice stay at Great Sale last night and good run today a little breeze out of the northeast. Should arrive at Ft Pierce around 5 am tomorrow. I will send another update around midnight.
Myron
5:51PM
Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}27|06.379|N|079|09.157|W|Underway|{GEND}

Man-O-War Cay to Great Sale Cay

We have never had a disappointing stay at Man-O-War Cay. Great church, great friends, great mooring, great food, and there is always something to do when Jay needs help! Barb also shared more nuggets of sewing tips with me. About 15 more years of that and she should have me out of the amateur sewing class. We were also blessed with some time with Uncle Willard. He and Myron went conching last fall. It did not work out for Myron to go conching last week with Uncle Willard, but he brought us conch salad anyway! All the benefits without the work. It is who you know, and we know some pretty good people.

With the extra time in MOW, we worked on projects slated for our time in Vero Beach, at least the ones we could do with current supplies on board. We were still working on projects at 10 pm Saturday night, when we stopped for dinner (conch salad of course!). A short night sleep, church, a combined birthday party for Jay, Thomas and Sue on Sunday, and back to the boat to wrap-up projects. At 10:30 pm when we thought we had it all buttoned up and could sneak in some shut-eye, I recognized the signs of our old refrigerator going out again. It went out on us when we crossed the Exuma Sound to Eleuthera Island. Myron recharged it and we thought it would be good for another two years. More like three weeks. This is the type of problem that needs to be analyzed before anyone is going to get any sleep. We finally worked our way through about three different options and felt like we had several viable game plans. So it was to bed about midnight, robbed of sleep another night. Not the way we wanted to start off a long trip. We were up and going before 5:30 am today and out the cut about two minutes after 6 am, trying to beat the falling tide.

Thankfully, today's winds were better for sailing than forecast and we enjoyed close reaching in winds from 10 to 15. All sails were out in full. Sailing on the banks is just yippie kind of fun! Once the winds got down to 10 and under, we had to turn on the engine. It was easy moving regardless and nice to drop anchor just after 5:30 pm. We had plenty of company in route today. There are eleven other boats at Great Sale Cay. Several boats continued on and did not stop at the anchorage. As you could imagine, we are both glad to stop. We will take a long rest tonight and leave about 10 or 11 am Tuesday, which should put us at the Fort Pierce entrance at around 7 am on Wednesday.

Those are the plans. God's may be different. Myron said he will post a position report in route if he can get HAM service going.

Must go, my turn for the shower. Then something to eat, maybe an NCIS show and then rest…rest…zzzz!

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}26|58.831|N|078|12.903|W|Anchored|{GEND}

(no subject)

Hello all we are underway to Great Sail then on to Ft Pierce tomorrow.
Myron

Posted via 3G.
{GMST}26|55.318|N|077|34.537|W|Underway|{GEND}