St. Augustine to Vero Beach

Our next stop was St Augustine, where we stopped to hang out with our buddies Joe and Conne (M/V Chesapeake).  We spent a night at River's Edge marina and enjoyed dinner out at a local pub and good catch up visit.  They insisted on treating us out to a hearty breakfast the next morning before we shoved off.

With bellies full (thanks Joe&Connie!) and heavy hearts, we pulled up to the pump-out dock at River's Edge Marina in St. Augustine and said our good-byes to our good buddies Joe, Connie and their new dog, Chase.  We set out around noon.

As we left the river and made our turn onto the channel, low and behold, we found ourselves face to face again with friends.  There on a sailboat headed towards us was Jamie and Miriam from the sailboat Odyssey.  We met them way back in the North Channel at the beginning of this trip.  The first thing they shouted out to us from across bows was "WE STILL PLAY THAT CARD GAME!!"  One quiet night anchored in the Turnbull Islands in the North Channel we had taught them Jeff's family card game of Sixty-Five.  Funny.  The boating world is quite small indeed.

We stopped about twenty-five miles down "the road" and anchored in Matanza Inlet.  I understand  matanza means "slaughter" in Spanish. I'm not sure how this place got it's name but it sounds nasty.  Matanza Inlet is the next inlet off the Atlantic south of St. Augustine, a Spanish stronghold as the Americas were being settled.  The Spanish built a fort here to protect from a southern attack.  

Interesting history, but in the 2000's it sure makes a great anchorage!  We spent a couple of days here in the warm sunshine, dinghying over for long walks on the beach and exploring the fort.  In the evenings we enjoyed an amazing star show overhead while listening to dolphins blowing their blowholes while circling our boat, checking us out.  Quite lovely.

The next few days were overcast and rainy.  We just powered on through the rain, taking turns either on the helm or drying out downstairs in the cabin.  Not the sunny, pleasant boating days we like but a reality.  Nothing a couple of good raincoats, warm coffee and a cheery attitude can't handle.

We are now in Vero Beach on the first day of our month long stay.  The pool is heated and we've already been in for a dip.  It is overcast and in the mid-sixties but that didn't stop the Canadians!  The locals shake their heads at us.

Tomorrow we will rent a car and go get Moosie (our pet name for the Mustang).  It is parked in North Carolina, which is a nine and a half our drive according to google, so it will be a two day get-away.