We left Vero Beach around 0800 and headed up the ICW towards Cocoa, FL. Andie finally got to see dolphin real close and for a lengthy spell, as several of them played in the bow wake of the boat for about 25 minutes. We made Cocoa about 1830 and dropped anchor south of the Rt. 520 bridge. Kim made dinner and we watched TV for awhile before going to bed.
This morning, I got up around 0700 and started the genset to charge the batteries and make a pot of coffee. Halfway through brewing the pot, the generator quit making power (crap!) So, now what's the matter with the generator?!?
We went on up the ICW towards Daytona and I called ahead and made reservations at the Daytona Marina & Boat Works. We went to the Chart House for dinner, but before our meal came, the lights in the restaurant went out. A transformer that feeds the marina complex blew and killed the electric service everywhere.
I wasn’t too worried, as I figured I could replace the capacitor run the genset. When I went to replace it, however, I discovered that the electrical end had sustained a small explosion near the end of the rotor this morning and all of the capacitors in the world couldn’t fix that. Another blown genset? Next Generation is gonna’ love this.In the morning, there was still no power. I got up and started making all of the necessary phone calls of the day. I reserved a car and put in a call to Next Generation Power to report the failure. They were really good about it and said they’d have a unit waiting for me when I got to Jacksonville, FL. Then, I arranged for dockage at the Halifax River Marina next door and moved the boat to our new marina.
With everything secured, we spent the next two days touring Daytona and Daytona Beach and playing tourist with Andie and Havyn. Needless to say, each day was full and we returned to the boat each night dog-tired.
On the 21st, we pulled out of Halifax Harbor and motored on up the ICW towards St. Augustine. The weather was nice, the currents worked in our favor and before we knew it, we were in St. Augustine, FL and in need of a place to stay.
On the south side of the city, Just north of the St. Rt. 312 bridge, we passed a place called the Fish Creek Marina. We got no answer to phone or radio, but saw a couple of other boats tied up to the floating dock. We pulled in, tied on and hooked up for the night. The other boaters there said a Captain Hugh ran the place and he’d be back in the morning. So we stayed and had a quiet night.
Next morning, I went up to find Capt’n Hugh, so I could pay our bill. Hugh charged us a whopping $1.00 per foot (including 50-amp electric and water.) And, we were on our way towards Jax and the River Walk Area of the city.
We stayed at the River City Brewing Co. and Marina, which is located on the south side of the St. John’s River, right in the heart of the financial district.
There’s food, fuel and good dockage here and the permanent residents are very friendly. After docking, I called Next Generation Power and told me I’d have the new electrical end tomorrow afternoon.
On the 23rd, took the tram to the Riverfest Complex and explored its many stores and eateries. Then we walked the streets adjacent to the complex and looked for the many different and colorful Jaguars that cover the city. The, in the afternoon, the new electrical end arrived. It was installed in no time and worked just fine, so once again, we have full power when we're afloat.
On the 25th, it was off to Fernandina Beach. It was another uneventful passage up the ICW and we arrived at the City Marina at 1500. We’ll be here for the next few days and Kim and I are looking forward to showing Andie how much the island has changed since she lived here as a child. I got on line and reserved a car for tomorrow. Then we walked into town and spent the rest of the day visiting its many shops and enjoying the warm weather.
After 3 days of touring Amelia Island, it was decided that Kim would drive Andie and Havyn back to Atlanta, stay for a couple of days and then drive back down to St. Augustine and meet me there. Our one-year warranty runs out soon and I have a few items I need to have corrected before it expires.
Andie, Havyn and Kim all left this morning and headed to Atlanta. I'll miss them all, as the boat will be really quiet without them around. Once they were gone, I headed the boat south towards St. Augustine and my appointment to finish up the warranty issues.
The trip down the ICW was uneventful as the day was beautiful and there wasn't very much traffic on the water. It also helped that I hit all of the bascule bridges just right, so the entire trip only took about eight hours.
I finally made my anchorage in St. Augustine around 1745 hrs., which was just north of the Vilano Beach Bridge, on the eastern side of the GIWW. The depth is 12 to 14 feet in sand and it’s pretty quiet. Shawn is supposed to call me first thing in the morning and give me my entry time into St. Augustine Marine.
Shawn called me about 0800 this morning and said that St. Augustine Marine would have room for the boat any time after noon. I puttered about the boat until 1100, pulled anchor and headed through St. Augustine, towards the marina.
The facility is alive with construction. A new building for boat related companies, a concrete “seawall,” parking lot and associated facilities are all under construction. I checked in with Shawn, registered the boat and was told to make myself at home until all of the warranty work was completed. This is still the best-run marine facility I’ve ever seen and it’s a real treat to be here again.
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