Eclipse photos

Here are the promised photos of the lunar eclipse that occurred on this year's winter solstice. It was hard to get up at  2am but it was worth it.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to all...

As we celebrate the day commemorating the birth of our Savior, Jesus, we wish all our friends and family a blessed and safe Christmas season and a fantastic New Year. It is 70+ degrees and sun here in Florida and wish everyone could share it with us.  The following are a few photos of lights on our boat and another that was here for a day. And lets not forget the one with us in the jacuzzi on Christmas Eve.

We also were able to see the lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. A few shots are also included.

The next post will have the upgrades and additions to the boat since we got here. Two collapsible bikes, LED/LCD TV and brightwork. Til then have a great holiday season!

Soteria decked out in lights

Visiting yacht on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Day in the jacuzzi

Ok, Who Turned Off the Heat???

We have been in Stuart for a little over one week enjoying the sights and supposedly warmer weather. But some cold fronts have moved in with a vengeance. Even the locals are bundling up with the below freezing temps. At least the sun during the day warms it up a bit. And the weekend is looking good with warmer air moving in.

We have started repairs and upgrades on Soteria as the wallet allows. Bikes have been ordered and should be arriving within the next week. Walking has been the mode of transportation lately, but the 2-3 mile hikes are wearing on my feet!

The brightwork is progressing as warm sunny days allow. At least the bulk of the paint has worn off, making the sanding easier.  Photos will be forthcoming. The traveler will have to wait until we figure out how the old track was attached and how we can attach a new one. No way we can put a new car on the older track.The old alcohol stove will be coming out, replaced with shelving for a microwave or toaster oven and more storage.

One of the best things about the marina has been the fellowship of other sailors, both sail and power. We have been blessed with new friends who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with us and other "newbies".  Makes us realize just how much we still need to learn.

Until next time, fair winds and warm days to all.

We Have Arrived in Stuart, FL !

We are now in Stuart, FL and having an extended vacation at the Loggerhead Yacht Club and Marina.  It is fantastic. It has a heated pool, jacuzzi, weight room and three restaurants on site, and it within walking distance to grocery and department stores. The weather is typically winter here, with highs around 70 and lows around 40. Perfect Iowa spring weather!  Sorry, folks.  This is what we have been working for. The following photos show the marina and other cool things we have seen since we've arrived.

The trip from Ft. Pierce was another great run with speed up to 7-8 kts.  The trip up St. Lucie River was against the tide, but we still made 4-5 kts.  The river by the marina is wide and deep enough to do some sailing as well. It was sunny but cool with another cold front that passed through. It was 28 degrees in Stuart last night.

We've seen more manatees, and surprisingly, jelly fish in the harbor.  We will be attending the local marina's Christmas party on Thursday. Should be a great time to meet new people who are also on extended vacations!

Thanks to all who have followed this blog, and we will have more to come as we explore Southern Florida.

Melbourne Harbor

Traffic jam on the ICW

Walkway to Yacht Club from dock

Coconut Palms everywhere 

Heated swimming pool & jacuzzi

Jellyfish in the Harbor

And on we go..

A lot has happened since our last post. After Fernandina Beach, we set off for St. Augustine. We made it just before dark and was able to get our anchor set. Not so good for our fellow traveling companions. They arrived at the same time, but the anchorage had been turned into a city owned mooring field and space was limited. They had gone a little too far past the 6 ft depth and wound up going aground. Our solo sailor was able to get off with the help of a towing service, but our friend on the Cheoy Lee were hard aground on the sand bar. The tide at St. Augustine is quite severe, and when it went out, they were 45 degrees heeled over on the bar. We were helpless to assist them as we could have gotten stuck as well. It is not good feeling helpless, but they were at least safe. The tide came in and they were able to get to the mooring field for the night. When we checked the tide the next am, it was predicted more severe, so we got a mooring ball for two nights. We were able to have a great time touring the city, as one of our new friends had went to school there and knew her way around.

St. Augustine Marina

 Original city gates

San Marcos Fort





After several good nights rest, we set off for Daytona Beach. We anchored out and were able to have a potluck on board a Jeanneau 44, with a really great family from Quebec, as well as our two convoy friends. The next day we anchored at Titusville, just above Cape Canaveral/Kennedy. You could see the assembly building for miles and miles, and the space shuttle on it's launch pad. It's scheduled to launch Dec. 7th.. We saw places we visited on land, but from a different view.

 Daytona Beach anchorage with a surprise guest!

An osprey on top of the mast.

We crossed from Mosquito Lagoon to the Indian River through a canal that was packed with fishermen. Boats anchored everywhere with little room to maneuver. the Indian River was wide and shallow and smooth as glass. We got there at the right time. It is not a good place to be when the weather turns ugly.

Indian River

One last day of moderate winds led us to Melbourne and a marina. The winds were forecast 15-20 and building to 20-25 from the NW. Not a good time for an anchored boat. The city marina was nice, but a little overpriced. It was the only one open as the others hadn't recovered from the storms last year, so there were no choice. It would not have been smart to go farther as tired as we were.  It was half way between Titusville and Ft. Pierce, our next stop.

Ft. Pierce is the next to the last stop before we finish our journey to Stuart.  We were planning on anchoring, but our holding tank decided otherwise.  It decided to spring a leak, so we needed to stop for a pump out and figured we could use another good nights sleep. We can start repairs on the holding tank, traveler and other  items in Stuart.  Dolphins are in abundance, but always gone before we can get the camera ready. Today we saw our first manatees, with one right behind the slip we are in. Of course, the camera was not ready, but there is always tomorrow.

Till our next posting, Merry Christmas to you all!