Oct 4, Stuart, FL

We're home!

We moved about 70 miles from Melbourne, Florida, past Sebastian, Vero, and Ft Pierce to Stuart.

Sunrise at Melbourne as we leave the marina.

Several porpoise find us and play in our wake. Some around Sebastian, some near Vero and some in the Indian River as we approach Stuart.

Approaching our home from the water.
KOKOMO is on the lift.

A good summer trip. About 4500 miles from Stuart and up the Intercoastal to the Chesapeake Bay and Washington, DC, then to NYC, Lake Champlain, Montreal, the St Lawrence Seaway to the 1000 Islands then the Erie Canal to the Hudson River, NYC, the Chesapeake and Intercoastal Waterway back to Stuart.

We're glad to be home!

Oct 3, Melbourne, FL

We moved about 70 miles from New Smyrna Beach, south through the Intercoastal Waterway. We went through the Mosquito Lagoon, then past Titusville, Cape Canaveral (Kennedy Space Center), Merritt Island, Cocoa and Eau Gallie to Melbourne where we are staying at the Melbourne Harbor Marina.

Not much traffic on the water today.
Here we meet a small tug near Titusville, Florida.

This small freighter is aground in very shallow water.
Probably will be here for many years.

Linda enjoys a breeze.

Approaching Melbourne Harbor Marina.

Sunset from KOKOMO II over the sailboats at Melbourne Harbor.

Wind was mostly 10 mph all day until the last hour. Then 20-25 with a two foot chop on the Intercoastal. The Melbourne Harbor Marina is in a very sheltered enclosed harbor and we are happy to be here for the night. Good power, two restaurants including a Chart House. No internet.

Oct 2, New Smyrna Beach, FL

Interesting boat next to us in the marina is built in the style of a WW II landing craft. This version for civilian use.

We talk to the crew and they are delivering the boat to Maine.
Hope the good weather continues for the rest of their trip.

We left St Augustine with rain threatening and saw a 'waterspout' just as we pulled out of the marina.

Waterspout.

Light rain continued most of the morning and then cleared off before noon. Rain all around us today.

St Augustine Lighthouse.

Headed down the Intercoastal Waterway past Ft Matanzas (1748) and Matanzas Pass (inlet) and then past Ponce de Leon Inlet at New Smyrna Beach.

Ft Matanzas from the Intercoastal.

Fort Matanzas as seen from the land.

Cyclists are having an event and keep up with us for more than 30 miles.

Large tugboat at a residential dock.
Now there is a project.

STARLIGHT PRINCESS serves lunch and dinner for tourists in Daytona.

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse.

The Grill at Riverview is the restaurant at the marina.

We are spending the night at the Riverview Hotel and Marina at the base of the bridge in New Smyrna. There is a nice restaurant here 'Grill at Riverview' with live entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays. Gators (7) play Alabama (1) at Alabama tonight on CBS at 8 pm.

Oct 1, St Augustine, FL

Today the weather is beautiful again. Clear sky and temperature in the low 70's. We moved from St Mary's, Georgia, east into the Intercoastal and then south into Florida. Then past the industrial paper plants at Fernandina Beach. There were several very shallow spots in the Intercoastal, then across the St John's River (which leads to Jacksonville) and down the coast to St Augustine, Florida.

A paper mill plant near Fernandina Beach, Florida.

Two freighters at Fernandina.

Another paper mill.

Mud flats. Very low tide.

US Warship 66 in drydock near Mayport.

St Augustine was founded as a Spanish outpost in 1565. The famous fort, Castillo de San Marcos was built in 1672.

St Augustine Inlet. Fishermen on the beach.

St Augustine Light.

Old town St Augustine as we approach.

The old Spanish fort at St Augustine is Castillo de San Marcos.

As we came past downtown area, we went under the newly remodeled 'Bridge of Lions' which had to stop traffic and open for us because it still has just 22' of clearance. The bridge has been under construction for the last four years and is finally completed. And it looks just like the old 'Bridge of Lions'. It has been completely updated at a cost of several times what a new high bridge would have cost. The old bridge does look good.

We are staying at the St Augustine Municipal Marina which is right downtown. There are several good restaurants here and this is one of our favorite stops on the entire Intercoastal Waterway.