Still Waiting for Weather

Day 77 Sunday January 20, 2008

Another weather front went through Saturday bringing cold temperatures, rain, winds, choppy seas, and tornado warnings just south of us. We decided to err on the side of prudence and delay our departure plans yet another 24 hours. We are both feeling “harbor-itis” and are anxious to cast off the dock lines in the morning.

We awoke this morning to temperatures in the low 30’s. As a result, all the interior cabinets had condensation -- and a few damp clothes! Spent the morning planning an offshore route from Cape Canaveral (four days from here on the ICW and the first opportunity to go out) to Miami. Bob entered all the waypoints in our GPS, hoping a weather window will allow us to go offshore. I have to admit, I am a bit apprehensive about taking my first solo watch at night. I know the only way to gain the experience is to do it.

We spent Saturday doing a walking tour of St. Augustine with our fellow cruiser Ed Hart, a retired Marine Corps Sergeant. The city has a long, tumultuous, and bloody history beginning with Ponce de Leon in 1513. Sir Francis Drake, an Englishman, burned the city to the ground in 1568. Many of the buildings in St. Augustine, including the fort which still stands today, were built with a soft shelled rock called coquina. The English and the Spaniards fought over the city for control of the coast of Florida during the 17th and 18th centuries. During the American Revolution, St. Augustine remained loyal to the crown. The Confederate Army captured the city during the Civil War. Florida became an American territory in 1821 and the 27th state in 1845. During the 1880’s Henry Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil Co., had a major impact on the architecture and economy of the city.

We have really enjoyed getting to know Ed. He’s an interesting man with a broad range of sailing experience, including a solo circumnavigation in a 29’ sailboat with only a compass, a depth finder, and a short wave radio receiver. When I asked him how he provisioned for the trip, he said, “Easy. One heavy and one light a day – just like field rations in the Marines. A heavy is like canned spaghetti and meatballs or chicken, and a light is a canned fruit or vegetable.” He added a few more provisions for his solo navigation, “like raisins and crackers.” For water, Ed said, “I planned for less than a gallon of water a day and rationed that real carefully.”