Busy, Busy, Busy!

5/27/2024

We finally arrived at Green Cove Springs Marina last Wednesday May 22. This will be the last stop for Wild Horses for several months. We will have the boat hauled out on June 1, prepare her for a hot Florida summer and then leave her be as we drive back to Canada for a much-needed visit with family.

I know what you are thinking – Wild Horses arrived at Green Cove Springs almost a week ago and I am only posting about it now? Yes, yes, yes. It has been a very busy few weeks for us.

Since arriving, we have:

secured a rental car for getting around the area (nothing is in walking distance of our marina)
booked an offsite climate-controlled storage unit for all of our boat stuff (getting our mattresses, sheets, cushions and off-season clothes into storage will guarantee they remain mildew-free)
half-emptied our boat into the storage locker. Keep in mind, we are doing this by dinghy!
found a boat canvas guy to fix our front windshield (which cracked during a recent storm)
booked a mechanic to do a thorough once-over of the seals and hoses for our Westerbeke boat engine
reserved another rental car for our trip back to Canada in a few weeks
did several much-needed loads of laundry
managed to stay cool for most of the day in the windless 35-degree Celsius Florida heat (thank you to all the air conditioned stores, lounges and restaurants that welcomed Ocean)

But, let’s back up a bit. I am skipping over the last half of our trip to Green Cove Springs and some of the best parts of the ICW!

Just over a week ago, we left Titusville and continued our way north. On this part of the ICW (Titusville to St. Augustine), there are very few bridges and even fewer that need to open for us. Not having to call bridge after bridge means that we have more time to look around and soak up the beautiful landscapes that border the ICW. It is a twisty snake-like route that takes us through quiet mangroves (along the Indian River) and in the heart of busy cities (Daytona). And the dolphins. They appear everywhere and all the time, and thankfully so. They offer a wonderful distraction from the constant motoring.

One of the few bridges that had to open for us

Anchored by one of the many Daytona bridges

Beautiful neighbourhoods line the ICW

Lovely homes to watch as we motor by

Dolphins!

One of our last stops on the ICW before we headed west to Jacksonville was the lovely town-like city of St. Augustine. This is easily our favourite stop on the ICW. Why? It mixes old world charm and a fun downtown vibe. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States and it does a great job creating a historic downtown area that embraces tourists. Cobblestone streets, boutiques, distilleries, cafes and tours. There is something for everyone and the best part is that all of it is just a stone’s throw from our boat.

The captain and his crew are happy to arrive in St. Augustine

Wild Horses on her mooring near town

Mike and Ocean walking through historic St. Augustine

Beautiful streets

Lots of history

And even some snakes!

Ocean gets a new lifejacket at Adventure Pets

And we get to enjoy some "pour your own brew" for 0.44 cents an ounce!

Oh, wait, did I mention dog-friendly? Ocean was welcomed everywhere in St. Augustine. The three of us shopped together, walked everywhere together, did a rum tasting together (um, well, Ocean was there but not actually doing the rum tasting. She is underage!). And, of course, we dined together. The best was the Barley Republic Restaurant where we could actually order a meal for her off the menu. Plus, she was offered the best seat in the house, right beside the Hostess Table so that everyone could greet her as they arrived at the restaurant. So much fun!

We stayed four glorious days at St. Augustine and, truly, it was tough to leave. Our only solace was knowing that we would be able to visit again next fall on our way south to the Bahamas. Now, however, we had to keep moving.

A distillery in historic St. Augustine that offers free shots...

...and allows dogs! We have found a match!

Ocean gets treats instead of rum!

The Barley Republic

Ordering off the menu for Ocean

A yummy puppy meal was served!

It was gone in 60 seconds!

Meeting people at the hostess table

Everyone wanted to meet Ocean!

Our last night on the ICW was spent at Sisters Creek, which is just a little northeast of Jacksonville. In the morning, we started down the St. Johns River. This is a busy waterway for cargo ships and we did see a few as we made our way, first, to Jacksonville, and then onward to Green Cove Springs. The weather was lovely, making the trip an easy one for us. Until we got to Green Cove Springs. Yeesh. The wind picked up just as we tried to grab one of the mooring balls in front of the marina. Big wind coupled with a mooring ball attachment that just wouldn’t budge, well, we lost a boat hook, one of our headphones that we use for anchoring and I have a lovely collection of bruises on my arm. 100% yeesh.

Anchoring Wild Horses went much, much better 😊.

So, there we are. Anchored and preparing Wild Horses for our haul out. It is a super busy time for us, made even more challenging with the high heat and having to use the dinghy to shuttle our gear off the boat. After we haul the boat out on June 1, we will have another week of cleaning up the boat and having it ready for a long summer of Florida heat. We have several busy, hot, and challenging days ahead but we are buoyed by the reward of seeing all our family and friends back in Canada in just a few weeks. Bliss 😊!