There is Wi-Fi, the water tanks are full, and the heater is running. Yep, in spite of our best intentions we ended up on a dock yet again. It was either that or risk anchoring out in the ICW and hope to not get run down by a barge.
We had an interesting little anchorage all picked out when we dropped the mooring in St. Augustine around noon. Known as the "Matanzas Inlet" there is an old fort located there, sister to the one in St. Augustine. Since we have decided that half-way-to-high-tide to half-way-past-high-tide is when Kintala should be on the ICW, it looked like we might have some time to explore the place. (Tide timing was why we were still in St. Augustine around noon.) Like most of the inlets on the ICW shoaling is a concern at the Matanzas Inlet. Word had it that one needs to take green marker "81A" on the port side before turning into the river else risk running aground.
Green marker "81A" is currently lying high and dry on the west shore of the ICW, seriously reducing its usefulness as a navigational aid. (Someone needs to update the "Word".) So we passed on trying to bluff our way into the Matanzas river anchorage, but that left only the Cement Plant anchorage within reach before the sun set. The Word was that anchorage would hold one (as in a single) boat. Get there second, with the sun setting, and the Word gave not a clue as to what one should do next.
Another sailboat had departed the St. Augustine mooring field ahead of us and, as the day progressed, Kintala slowly reeled it in. They passed on the Matanzas Inlet as well, so we did what any self-respecting and puzzled newbie would do, called on the radio and asked them where they were going. As it turns out they draw 6 feet (and hail from Seattle, have been on their boat for 10 years, sailed down the West Coast, through the Panama Canal, visited the Bahamas, and don't like the ICW any more than we do) and had a reservation at the best priced marina near the answer to day light v high tide v distance equation. Deb called the same marina, grabbed the last available slip for Kintala, and thus we avoided floating on the ICW overnight hoping to not get run down by a barge. (And made some new friends in the bargain.)
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| ByeBye St. Augustine |
Green marker "81A" is currently lying high and dry on the west shore of the ICW, seriously reducing its usefulness as a navigational aid. (Someone needs to update the "Word".) So we passed on trying to bluff our way into the Matanzas river anchorage, but that left only the Cement Plant anchorage within reach before the sun set. The Word was that anchorage would hold one (as in a single) boat. Get there second, with the sun setting, and the Word gave not a clue as to what one should do next.
Another sailboat had departed the St. Augustine mooring field ahead of us and, as the day progressed, Kintala slowly reeled it in. They passed on the Matanzas Inlet as well, so we did what any self-respecting and puzzled newbie would do, called on the radio and asked them where they were going. As it turns out they draw 6 feet (and hail from Seattle, have been on their boat for 10 years, sailed down the West Coast, through the Panama Canal, visited the Bahamas, and don't like the ICW any more than we do) and had a reservation at the best priced marina near the answer to day light v high tide v distance equation. Deb called the same marina, grabbed the last available slip for Kintala, and thus we avoided floating on the ICW overnight hoping to not get run down by a barge. (And made some new friends in the bargain.)
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