Cruisers Afar
|
|
June 3
We are sorry we missed everyone at
Mobjack....but...
The diving is great, the food is
great; 3-4 dives per day, lots of fish and other creatures and
lots of new friends.
See you all at Harborfest.
Jay, Robin, Larry, & Sandy
 May 17Escapade and the O'Kanes are home! J.J. O'Kane April 14Bye-Bye Chadwick CoveHello, everyone. Well, we finally
got some good Florida weather, and it could not have come at a
better time and place. Love, Denny & Rhonda
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
|
April 5
6:21 AM Launch of last
Discovery Shuttle; from the cockpit of Escapade - Awesome!!!
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/7f2417d5161bcdc4016664649e9f1364/video/12407307
JJ and Anne
March 1
Hello from the West Indies:
I am fortunate and blessed to be
writing to my friends and “family” of Fleet 30 from the ports of
beautiful St. Lucia, (Soufaire,
Canaries, Castries and St. Vincent, (Wallibou and Curtons)
and The Grenadines – Baquia. Wow, what a
wonderful, wonderful
experience. My gratitude goes to my friend,
and yours, Trisha Birdsell aboard s/v ‘Restless’ a beautifully
equipped 40’ Cape Dory
owned by friend, Ted Vander-Weiden. My
gratitude also goes to Michael who picked up my slack, took care
of the “children” Salty
Dawg, Chessie and Schooner and afforded me the two week trip.
Captain Trish, myself and another
friend, Dodie from British Columbia, sailed into ports made famous
in films such as Dr. Doolittle
and Pirates of the Caribbean. We enjoyed the perpetual trade
winds, the awesome water depths and swells and the flavor of the
islands and islanders – shopping, sunning, sailing and self
awareness. Thank you Trish for your awesome insights to wellness –
in mind
and body. You are an awesome Captain!
I appreciate Eric Fee, Jim Dombey and
Melissa Francois for ‘running the show’ for the last two winter
educational series classes during
my absence. Our classes conclude March 3 with
Dr. Robin Garelick’s emergency suturing class.
I thank all educators – Dave Wilbar
(Sailtime Sailing), Chandler Clark (Signature Canvas) Jim Dombey,
Don Gulliver (Yacht Systems Services), Dr. Robin Garelick, and
others
who participated in our winter educational series.
March 6th, Fleet 30 will be
visiting the home of Eric Fee to review and finalize the 2010
Cruising Schedule. Bring an appetizer to share
and any special beverage of choice to this cruising party…I
mean….planning meeting. Onward into March,
we’re looking for a location to
hold our annual “Sock Burning Cruise/Party”.
This and all other cruising destinations will be discussed.
See you all on March 6th!
Dawana
s/v Inspiration
March 1
wedelstein0@gmail.com. That is a zero. My old email is supposed to close on 8 March.
The winter is a little rough with winds into the 30 MPH range and lows in the mid to high 60's. Most days it is normally between
71 and 79 degrees and sunny.
March 1
better if the weather were warmer (we know, don't even go there with friends enduring the snowiest winter in VA in YEARS!),
since the beach is right across the street. But this has been by far the coldest winter we've ever had in Florida. After we left
Boot Key Harbor in Marathon (Jan. 13), we made our way back north to Stuart, where we reunited with some of the Southall gang.
From there we crossed Lake Okeechobee and spent 1 nite in Ft. Myers Yacht Haven, a nice place to visit. Then on to Ft. Myers
Beach mooring field and a few really nice days at the beach (see picture). There we ran into Gary and Mickey Wiggins (Little Mick),
formerly of Southall Landings.
doing the work. Getting into the boat yard is an interesting experience because you pass through a manually operated-one boat lock.
Took a few minutes to figure that one out, but it was truly exciting. While staying at the boat yard, we were visited by Dave and
Mary Alexander (Sanity II) via their "land yacht". We enjoyed a day in and around Englewood with them. Then, we drove back down to
Ft. Myers Beach to meet Steve and Emily Struck (Sea Struck at Southall) to enjoy a great lunch at Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille --
that's right, THE Doc Ford, hero in many of Randy Wayne White's Florida based action novels. It was a short day trip from Ft. Myers
Beach to Chadwick Cove. Being here is great because we are so close to Denny's daughter, Holly.
We plan to leave Chadwick Cove April 1st and take a lazy 3 weeks to get to Daytona, where we have booked a timeshare week on the
beach. Then a leisurely trip up the ditch to Hampton in time for the Mobjack cruise.
.jpg)
February 23
Today appears to be another good
day in the Bahamas. I am still in George Town, Exumas, Bahamas.
The normal morning
temperature is about 70. Most activities are on one of the several
beachfronts on Stocking Island. Yesterday I attended a lunch talk
on boat wireless communications, then I went into town to do some
shopping, then an evening sundown get together. In the
evenings they hold a poker tournament or trivial pursuit game.
Nothing much is breaking on the boat so most of the day is a
little
house cleaning, cooking and little things like that. Email and
telephone communications are still spotty. This morning appears to
have good WIFI connection and email. That's the news. I will be
here for another 2 or 3 weeks.
Bill Edelstein
February 6
hi.
well you may have thought i forgot about you. but as the
great republican governor of california said
"I"LLLLLLLL
BEEEEEEEE BACKKKKKKKK".
yes, no itsy bitsy storm could stop this sailor from
returning to his soulmate. we met for the first time in 3
months in southport nc.
and it was like we had never missed a
step!
she was clean as a whistle after being drenched by several
inches of rain. inside she welcomed the return of freshly
laundered linens.
and goldy the engine climaxed with the first
push of her button!
we departed southport to begin the first leg of the journey
back home. it was lonely on the icw this time of year but the
BIG e did
7.5 knots with the help of current, a freshly painted
bottom and a new stainless steel shaft.
as you will see in the photos below, i suspected foul
play...but was pleasantly surprised to find a prop as smooth as
a baby's bottom!
needless to say, i experienced significant,
although reversible, shrinkage.
i was prohibited to travel by car into the state of nc. home
state of john edwards - go figure. no worries. my friend
johnny came
to the rescue with his "BOUNDER". i could fit my
miata in the front seat of this monster!
expecting to make oriental on tuesday. and after a friendly
blast of the horn from a coast guard cutter as i made my way up
the cape
fear river today i am certain of my destiny.
go sailing. have fun.
eric View Eric's pictures : ICW Return Southport, NC
Wrightsville Beach to Swansboro
February 4
Just another
day in paradise. I spent my first whole day in George Town,
Exumas. During the night the boat bobbed all
night.
I woke up at 6:30 am to listen to the weather forecast out
of Lakeland, Florida. Chris Parker was barely readable. There is
rough
weather coming this weekend so the harbor will be more rough for a
few days. Next was the amateur Radio network to tell them
that I am here safely before they call for me to be found. This
runs into the local what’s going on net on the Marine radio. Now
comes time to fix breakfast. I get out the pancake mix to find it
lumpy. By lumpy I mean one or two major lumps all stuck together.
After the radio net, we all meet on the beach
for the dogs to run and play. Laddie may want to be there but she
does not play.
She just goes around in circles guarding me from the other dogs.
After breakfast I started the engine to run the refrigerator
and charge the battery. While doing that I decided to move the
boat to a more peaceful anchor place. The big outing today was
a trip to town. After a 20 minute dingy ride across the harbor I
found that I had forgotten my glasses and I did not take the
laptop
to avoid getting it wet. I wear swimsuit and bring dry clothes in
a plastic bag. I shopped for food, filled the dingy gas tank,
tried
to use the public pay phone that did not work and paid for harbor
internet service. The dingy ride back was 5
times wetter than
the trip over. After drying off I went to the volleyball beach
near the boat for a beer and a hamburger. I finished sifting the
pancake
flour. I will find out how well it makes pancakes. I expect that
getting it wet then breaking it up again does not make great
pancakes.
That is a full day in the cruising experience. It is now sundown
and tomorrow will start again.
Bill Edelstein
February 2
January 24
hello there.
eldest daughter of a family we have adopted to high school - then hopefully college.
my real job is going along fine. we are still in the honeymoon phase of this marriage so who knows. working at 2 offices
now as one doctor married and went to pennsylvania. i like bouncing around a bit.
then go to bed after a relaxing soak under the moon and stars on the beach, still exercising though. did a 10 k yesterday.
and have a half-marathon each month for the next 3 months now. got some more weight to shed.
that i begun at my high school. i like education.
niece and nephews are growing up fast. their parents are trying to keep up with them.
looking forward to giving the "little e" (my hobie cat) a splash.
with friends this year.
your friend, eric
January 19
I made it to Bimini in
the Bahamas. The Gulf Stream crossing was uneventful. We cleared
customs and I will go on to
Chubb Key through Nassau and on to the Exumas. I am out of cell
phone range. Email will be sporadic. Wish me luck.
Bill Edelstein
January 14
Hello, everybody. We decided to
head North and try to get warm. It worked! The temps have gotten
steadily warmer
as we've moved north. We're headed back up the east coast of
Florida, and plan to cross Lake Okeechobee next week.
We just couldn't face the Gulf of Mexico with all this unsettled
weather. And besides, we heard JJ and Anne were in Stuart.
Not to mention friends of ours from Richmond. And Where's
Kokomo? And Morada? And Traveler? Maybe we'll have a
big rendezvous in Stuart.
January 5, 2010
with all of you this coming Satuday night.
only staying through Thanksgiving, but then, given the lack of a "weather window", we decided to stay here through Christmas
and New Years, so we could be with people we knew rather than just "out there somewhere" by ourselves. Now, the problem
is the COLD weather!! It is everywhere! There were several boats, including MORADA, that were going to leave heading farther
south yesterday, we are "socked in" with frigid temperatures until at least the middle of next week. But, hey, it's not a bad place
to be! In fact, it is pretty nice here! This is a wonderful marina with concrete, floating docks, "free" washers and dryers, two
Captain's lounges, cable t.v., a friendly staff who keep the marina really nice and lots of friendly cruisers! The big thing is that
they do not turn the water off during the winter!!!
the boats brought a dish to share. Then, we had a great New Year's Eve Party in the lounge, and also, we have a regular
"happy hour" in there every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. We even went to a wedding on board a boat here in the marina on
New Year's Eve day. So, life is good even though it is cold!
December 5
cold, dark, and lonely. I was not too tired when I arrived and I got in OK and secured about 1:00 PM. I spent 2 days
hanging around there then went across the river (5 miles ) to St. Mary's where there is a large Thanksgiving
celebration for the boat cruisers. There was about 200 boaters there. I spent 4 days there then moved on in a fast
manner to St Augustine and New Smyrna Beach where I have friends. This is where I am now and will stay through
Christmas. My friend Peter ferried me around yesterday where I did shopping. I have done some upgrade projects
that showed up on the way down. There include larger batteries and an electrical monitoring system to help me manage
my usage. I also need to change the engine oil and filters. After I was here for 5 days my other two friends passed
by on their way to Vero Beach Fl. They will leave their boats there and to home for Christmas. I will see them after
1 January. So far the coastal hop to Fernandina was one of my best decisions. While they have been working every
day running the boat like a automobile on a highway down the ICW, I did my one night at sea and have been playing
around relaxing since then. From my point of view my vacation started when I got to Fernandina.
Bill Edelstein
December 5
Greetings, one and all. Sorry to hear
about your inclement weather. We’ve had high humidity, and
a little rain, and with the temps in the low 80’s, it gets
uncomfortable. We sometimes turn the A/C
on while the generator is running. Please no sympathy cards.
In our last missive, we failed to
report our exciting rendezvous with Casa Galla and Chuck and Susan
Westmoreland. Chuck and his crew of one (Jesse) were bringing the
boat to their new home near
Port Canaveral, and they detoured to Stuart to see us. Susan drove
down for dinner, and it was really
great to re-connect with former Southall-ers. Chuck: I’m still
waiting to find out if you got under those
bridges (see picture).
Yesterday we took the dinghy exploring
and discovered Sombrero Beach (Atlantic side) only 10 minutes
away, at the end of Sister Creek. It just keeps getting better.
(See Picture). To top it off, the TV hadn’t
found a station for the last 3 days. I just turned it on and
scanned again, and got 45 channels. The first
thing we saw was the Muppet Christmas Special.
That’s it for now. Will write again
when something exciting happens, or when we get some visitors
(hint, hint).
Love to all, Denny and Rhonda.
December 2, 2009
an hour after we arrived in Boot Key Harbour (Marathon) and picked up our mooring ball for the next month.
It was kinda like the sun and moon joined together to welcome us. This is such a great place, we might be tempted
to stay longer. Today, Fred Olverson gave us a nice car tour of Marathon and it's side streets.
November 14, 2009
Since last we wrote, we have been to:
Beaufort (Bew-fort) SC at
anchor. Went into the
city courtesy dock for a couple of hours
before anchoring and took
advantage of the southern hospitality.
Walked around town looking for
groceries.
Did you know that there isn’t even a convenience
store within an easy walk from the docks?
We finally found a deli that would sell us a loaf of bread.
As it turned out, that was one
GREAT loaf of bread.
We
had it for breakfast, lunch (as a makeshift pizza - yum) and dinner
for days.
Walburg Creek anchor.
Traveling here we saw a dead shark (about 12 feet long)
floating in the
Chechessee R near
Port Royal Sound. When
you see something like that, don’t you wonder if there are MO-O-RE
of them around, maybe not so dead?
Something to think about.
Fernandina Beach Moorings.
Ok, this one was a challenge.
One of Rhonda’s fav spots ever and what
an entrance we
made. The seas were 3-4 feet and we were fighting to keep a
straight course when THE ENGINE
ALARM GOES OFF.
What to do? All
instrumentsshowed everything was A-ok, but the alarm wouldn’t stop.
We kept heading for the mooring balls with the alarm
screaming at us and Denny
trying to figure out what was causing it.
Now, many of you may not know that on our very first attempt
to travel on the ICW in 2000, that
alarm went off and
it meant the end of our engine.
Oil leak caused it to seize up.
This time we got off much easier (and cheaper) - the alarm
malfunctioned. Denny
worked on it and got it to calm down, but it still chirped as we
continued.
St. Augustine (Oyster Ck Marina) was uneventful (yay), and we could easily walk to Winn-Dixie.
Mosquito Lagoon anchor.
Just as we got settled into one of our fav spots (you can see
the NASA VAB
(vehicle assembly building)
we heard an announcement by the Coast Guard that the area would be
secured early the next
day in anticipation of a shuttle launch. BUT, they also announced that the Titusville (swing) Bridge was
stuck in the closed
position, and that is our only way south (we did
NOT want to retreat north). We
rose early the next a.m. and headed toward
the bridge.
It was still not repaired (this has been an ongoing
problem, but they are building a new high rise expected to be
completed in
two years) but we chugged onward.
When we got there, the bridge tender told us the east span had a 15’
clearance.
We thought we needed 16’.
We did some measurements and decided it was worth a try. Slowly we approach,
Rhonda driving, Denny spotting.
Then we switch, Denny drives, Rhonda spots.
We cleared by less than six inches.
From what we heard, the bridge didn’t get repaired that day, so a
lot of cruisers were anchored on the north side for a long time.
Melbourne Beach anchor.
Made one final stop to visit friends in Melbourne Beach.
Anchored off the city dock
and dinghied in with winds howling. Had
a great visit with Dave and Dan and spent the night bobbing in the
waves.
FINALLY.
Arrived in Stuart, FL yesterday
afternoon and picked up a mooring ball to hold us until after
Thanksgiving.
Sunny,
low 70’s. This place has really changed since we stayed here two years ago.
The new Sunset Bay Marina appears
to be about full, with
quite a few mega-yachts. The
restaurant opened this week, and there were hundreds of people
checking
out the outdoor bars and huge dining patio. We walked into town along the riverwalk and had dinner.
We were really fortunate
to miss most of the weather from
Ida, and the nor'easter that followed. Steve
and Emy Struck and Ron Charlton sent us pictures
(Thanks!) of the
marina and some of the flooding over on 1st St. Our tenant had 3 feet of water in the garage, and is dealing
with the clean-up.
It
feels good to be in one spot for awhile. After Thanksgiving in VA,
we’ll return here and continue on down to Marathon for
a few
weeks. After a trip back home for Christmas, we’ll likely move up the
west coast of Florida to our winter hangout in Englewood.
We
spoke to JJ and Anne (Escapade), and they are in Charleston and
doing fine. Have not
heard from Traveler or Kokomo.
Hope everybody made it thru the weather OK.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and smooth Cruising.
Love, Denny and Rhonda
Denny
Botkin & Rhonda Burrell
411 Walnut St #4189
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
757-846-6154 757-846-6300
ADAGIO
November 12, 2009
Ahoy,
We hope you and your
boats are safely tucked in for the next few days, we are. We are at the Isle of
Palms
Marina, 10 miles north of Charleston waiting for calm winds
(down from 35mph) and less rain
(pounded the boat)
so we can continue on to Charleston for the
weekend. Charleston is one of
our favorite places to visit whether
on land or sea and we are looking
forward to it.
So far our trip has
been great. We have seen the sun, no sun, warm days, cold days, rain, no
rain and of course
wind, no wind and too much wind; beautiful sunsets
and great sunrises all of which makes you look forward
to what’s
around the bend.
We have seen 1
alligator and believe it or not 2 deer
that crossed within 10 feet of the boat.
I was at the wheel
for both deer and I know if I would have hit
one I would surly take way the “Crash Award” for the year (sorry
M&M guys)
but luckily they were quick and got to the shore and ran
off.
So far we met Denny
and Rhonda at a beautiful anchorage call Mile Hammock and enjoyed a
happy hour on
Escapade together.
It was great!
Thanks for the phone
calls and e-mails that we have received; we enjoy hearing from you and
the latest news from home.
We wish you a great winter – keep in touch-we will.
JJ/Anne
s/v Escapade
November 6, 2009
We made it all the way to the Alligator River Marina Halloween nite (10:00 PM, and yes, we crossed the
Albemarle Sound at nite), and the wind hit the next morning. From there, after a one day layover, we made
it to Oriental (Pierce Creek), where we had a fantastic dinner and domino contest with Dodge and Connie Hickman.
What a beautiful place they have! But going into that creek at night is a real challenge, especially with the fog and mist.
pontoon bridge can be seen with giant concrete pillars in the background being erected for the new bridge that will
finally replace it. You'll no longer have to wait for the "cable to drop" to get thru there. The second picture shows the
topic of much discussion before we left Hampton. The Ben Sawyer bridge at the entrance to Charleston Harbor can
be seen with a new 4-lane highway approaching the old 2-lane pivot span. A new 4-lane pivot is on order, and this will
close the waterway for 10 days after Thanksgiving. We passed under this bridge today, and are anchored in Wappoo
Creek just south of Charleston. ADAGIO is performing well, if I would just leave her alone! I replaced some stuffing in
the stuffing box last nite, and cross-threaded it when I put it back together. Then I couldn't get it apart, but finally
was able to get two pipe wrenches on it and loosen it again. Fortunately, it didn't break, and it re-threaded easily,
and I had no further problems. But it could have been ugly. (I almost called Kerry!)
April 5, From Denny and Rhonda
south of the St. Lucie Inlet. It looks like a lake, but just over the dune is a nice Atlantic Ocean beach.
We left Englewood Monday and crossed Lake Okeechobee via the "Rim Route" (the other picture).
We missed running aground by 3 inches, so we do NOT recommend this route for anyone needing more than
feet depth. Most of the Okeechobee Waterway will be closed this summer for lock maintenance.
the list in one afternoon, so we headed back north this morning and stopped here for a nice break. We decided
not to go to Key West, since we couldn't go straight from Englewood due to high winds in the Gulf.
Sorry Wayne & Millie; maybe next year.
PS
March 8, From Denny and Rhonda
Denny has been having fun
playing and singing at a local watering hole (they love John
Denver!), and we enjoyed visits from several
more Fleet 30 friends
after Jay and Robin (see pics). The picture with several
people on the beach at Cayo Costa includes Dave
and Mary Alexander,
Rhonda, and our boating friends from Illinois, Paul, Tari and Sam
(the Black Lab). This place just gets better and better.
See you all in a month or so.
January 15, From Denny and Rhonda
Hello everyone. Remember the "Banana Song" (Daylight come and me no wanna go home)? Well.......
ADAGIO and you'll get to sing it with us...
Jay & Robin got to write their own verses to this timeless melody as we spent a wonderful interlude on this
beautiful island, complete with a visit to the Manatee Hole, where we saw an alligator! Maybe that's why we
didn't see any Manatees.... But we DID see Bev and Mark MacMahon on Calypso anchored in the very same
lagoon. Small world! The pictures don't come close to the experience we had and the sights we saw. Even the
vultures were interesting, if not all that picturesque.
know if you got this twice, which is the intent. If you only got it once, then probably nobody else got it. So
let me know. Thanks.
Denny Botkin & Rhonda Burrell
411 Walnut St #4189
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
757-846-6154 757-846-6300
ADAGIO
November 21, From Denny and Rhonda
We loved being right in the city, but the dinghy landing area is all shell and rocks, and one of us had to get his/her
feet wet every time we came in (guess who!). Now we're back "home" in our favorite marina. The eagles are still here,
and all is well.
November 8, From Denny and Rhonda
weather after we got out of the Carolinas. Pictures are from the ocean beach on Cumberland Island, just before
you enter the Cumberland Sound to the St. Marys River and Fernandina beach. It's a great place to stop over.
The anchorage is behind Drum Pt. Island after you pass Kings Bay. Tomorrow we cross Lake Okeechobee on our
way to Sarasota, where we plan to anchor for a few weeks before settling in Englewood for the winter.
Picture from Cumberland Island.
Denny Botkin & Rhonda Burrell
October 31, From Fred Drummond
and this darn cold weather. Plans are to cross from Lake Worth to the Abacos as early in November as possible. Royal Serf has a slip
for the winter season at Boat Harbor in Marsh Harbor. Pat will be fly back to visit with family over christmas so that's why the rush to get
over to the Abacos. If we cannot get over before December 1, I will have to try to find someone to help me take Royal Serf across after
Dec 1 when a suitable weather window develops.
Hopefully we can connect. My cell phone is 757-652-0616. My email is: royalserf@earthlink.net.
October 30, From Denny and Rhonda
headed to Oriental for a visit with Dodge and Connie Hickman in Pierce Creek. They fed us and we had a very nice visit. After dinner
(and the World Series finale), Rhonda and I went back to the boat, and I decided to fill the water tank. It was late, cold and very dark. I had to
walk a plank over to Dodge's boat, then jump over to the dock. I realized as I hit the water that it was much further from the boat to the dock
than I reckoned. After clinging to the piling for awhile, Rhonda came out and rescued me. Of course, my cell phone was attached to my jeans.
It no longer functions, although it looks fine. This little accident had absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that Dodge has a tapper keg with a
virtually unlimited supply of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Abacos. Pictures will follow in the next update. Meanwhile, if anyone needs to contact me, please call Rhonda at 757-846-6300.
411 Walnut St #4189
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
757-846-6154 757-846-6300
ADAGIO
May 23, From Wayne and Millie Morris
with fat tires and a fat seat. She named it The Yellow Canary. She was a little jealous because my bike has a basket and hers does
not, however, now I have to carry everything.
Well, yesterday at about 4:30PM she wants to go bike riding. Mind you now, Millie has never exercised in her ENTIRE life, hates to
sweat, and has not ridden a bike in at least 30 years.Also, let me remind you, we are in Key West, it is 90 degrees outside, traffic is
starting to get heavy, and she wants to go bike riding.
crosswalk, she pushes them all, and all traffic stops, and we proceed to cross the street.There is no bike path so we are riding in
the street with the traffic, and she is having a hard time keeping The Yellow Canary to the right of the road, so we decide to cross the
street, and get on the sidewalk. Unable to judge distance and speed, she gets off of The Yellow Canary and walks it across the street.
and feels like she is going to faint. The next thing I see is Millie laying down flat on her back on the sidewalk.
this time, and gets off and lays down again. I was quite concerned as people were stopping and asking if we needed any help. I told them no.
is going to faint or throw up.
and lays down, sprawls out flat on her back under the trees. If you have ever been to Key West, you probably all ready know there is a
large homeless population. The homeless hang out near the Hyatt and are frequently being hauled off to jail for loitering. The police were
driving by and I told her to get up and let's go home. Again walking, we managed to cross the bridge and now we are on College Road
where Sunset Marina is located.
the truck, and come back and pick her up. I proceeded to bike to the marina and get the truck. When I come back, Millie sitting with
the homeless people, and The Yellow Canary waiting for me. We put The Yellow Canary in the truck, and I take her back to the boat.
sure she must have rode her bike at least 8 miles.To prove to her we had not, we get into the truck, and follow the route we had taken.
and The Yellow Canary, aka Big Bird.
Cell 757-404-3433
May 8, From Denny and Rhonda
to Indian Key (in the Everglades), Tarpon Basin (Key Largo), Lake Boca Raton, Grant Farm Island (friend with a mooring ball),
Daytona, Drum Point, Georgia (went "outside" at St. Augustine and back "inside" at Jacksonville, then thru Fernandina
Beach and up to Drum Point all in one day), Moon river (Ga.), John's Island SC, Barefoot Landing (Myrtle Beach-glad there
was room to tie up), Mile Hammock Bay, Pungo River (south entrance to Pungo/Alligator River Canal), Great Bridge, Saltponds.
Whew!
May for technical and moral support by phone along the way. Have not unloaded the camera yet, but I took sunrise and sunset
pictures every day. Will send some pics to the Fleet 30 website when I get a chance. I saw Wayne & Mille Morris (Irish Fever)
in Ft. Pierce as we passed each other. They are now in Key West at the Sunset Marina.
adventures with Fleet 30.
411 Walnut St #4189
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
757-846-6154 757-846-6300
ADAGIO
From Wayne and Millie Morris, May 2008
in at Fernandina, FL leaving the next morning, taking the ICW to Lake Worth due to weather. From Lake Worth,
outside in the ocean to Key West, arriving Friday, May 2nd.
TOTAL DAYS 11 ... Amazing....time considering it took us 6 weeks in November 2006 to get to Lake Worth, before
crossing to the Bahamas.
to go to port back to the Abacos, to Great Sale, treasure Key, Green Turtle, and MOST of all to Great Guana to go to
NIPPERS, my favorite bar in all of the Bahamas.
Philidelphia, for training and nursing conferences.
March, 2008, From Denny and Rhonda
just a little further north.
Our previous marina, Cape Haze, had an issue with "live-aboards", or "long-term cruisers". So we came here, and we love it!
The view of Lemon Bay and the ICW is great, shops and restaurants are nearby, we can walk to the 93 acre bayside park,
and the new Tiki Bar opens tonight. This dock is more exposed, so when the wind blows, we get rocked to sleep.
cruise. We might even make the Mother's Day weekend in Portsmouth. ADAGIO is out getting a bottom job, but will be back
in the water tomorrow for more local cruising before we leave. We've been staying on the dockmaster's 40' Silverton, which
is very nice.
411 Walnut St #4189
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
757-846-6154 757-846-6300
ADAGIO
January 2008, From Denny and Rhonda
Hello, All. We made it up to Cape Haze in one day after leaving Marco Island. The Gulf was so flat, we went all
the way to Boca Grande Pass on the "outside". Cape Haze is a few miles south of Englewood, which is south
of Venice. Except for the occasional "cold front" (lows in the upper 40's, highs in the upper 60's), the weather
has been wonderful (lows around 60-65, highs in the mid 70's to low 80's). Today we took the dinghy to a very
secluded beach on Don Pedro Island, a state park accessible only by boat. But they still have a large pavillion,
picnic tables and "facilities". It's amazing how Florida has carved out so many state parks in areas dominated
by multi-million dollar homes and condos. The picture attached shows Rhonda in her element, searching for shells
on a nearly deserted beach. Looking forward to a visit from a Baltimore friend in early February. Anyone else
interested?
Love to all, Denny & Rhonda
PS: Please forward to anyone I missed. Also, let me know if you got this more than once. Thanx.
Denny Botkin & Rhonda Burrell
411 Walnut St #4189
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
757-846-6154 757-846-6300
ADAGIO
January 2008, From Denny and Rhonda
Hello,
Everyone. We had a great New Years celebration with cousins in
Miami. Watched the fireworks from the rooftop pool of a
Marriott in South Beach. We got there by anchoring at the entrance
to Collins Canal, taking the dinghy up the canal and walking
the 8 blocks to South Beach. Coming back to ADAGIO that
night was scary, going under bridges a foot higher than our heads,
with local homeless people sleeping on the banks. Then, on to the
Keys, and a 5 day wait for winds to die down. We spent 3 nights
in tarpon Basin, and 2 at Islamorada. By then at least we could dinghy
ashore and enjoy the fun at Lor-e-lei's. Denny even got to
play a few songs at one of the local pubs. We left Sunday and
followed the West Coast up to the Little Shark River in the Everglades.
This picture was taken near sunset, but hardly captures the serene beauty
of this place. Dolphins could be heard breathing all night
long. Today we had a nice ride up to Marco Island, on emerald
green gulf waters that were remarkably flat. We hope to be in
Sanibel
tomorrow, and Cape Haze (Englewood) by Wednesday for a couple months of
R&R at the marina of the same name. We'll be close
to Holly and some old friends in Sarasota, and hope to receive guests from
up North (hint...).
Love
to all
Denny & Rhonda
Denny Botkin & Rhonda
Burrell
411 Walnut St #4189
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
757-846-6154 757-846-6300
ADAGIO
From Denny and Rhonda
Lake Boca Raton about 40 miles north of Miami. We hope to hook up with cousins in Miami tomorrow who are in town for the
Orange Bowl (yes, they're Hokies). Then on to the Keys, and up to Englewood on the west coast, if all goes well. Here's another
sunset picture. When we got here at 4:30, this place was full of boats rafted up and partying. Now all is quiet....
Hi, Folks. Not much to report.
We love it here. Low 80's during the day, and upper 60's at night.
Very little rain. Great little
town with lots of shops and
restaurants. We now have Florida drivers licenses and tags.
Here's a snapshot of the anchorage
(mooring field). Can you spot
ADAGIO?
