DAYTONA BEACH, FL

Not much change in our daily morning routine.  No hot breakfast this morning because we wanted to get underway.  Successful at 0800.  The forecast called for a great day, weather-wise and it pretty much proved to be true.  Today was the first day that some of us wore shorts.  Also, the first day to have all the bridge windows open.  Below is Tim filling up the dinghy.  It has a very slow leak and periodically requires a refill.

The Captain likes getting his sun and was able to catch a few rays this afternoon.

Since I gained 7 pounds during our last excursion, I decided to try and get a little exercise each day.  Thankfully, Ramona, our exercise leader at the YWCA let me borrow a 60 minute workout CD, and although a little cramped, the aft deck provides adequate space.

Sleeping pelican under the bridge.

More pelicans.

 There was this old, unusal boat along the intracostal.  It had a wheelchair on back. Who knows if it ever moves. Maybe just a fishing platform.


 Midway through my afternoon 1 hour shift a really nice Carver 396 appeared behind us.  It followed within 1/2 mile for quite some time.  As soon as I turned the helm over to Joe, the Carver decided to pass.  She hailed Joe on the radio wanting to pass.  He slowed to a crawl and she finally sped up and got by us. (Tim noticed there was a for sale sign on the boat and thus assumed that she was taking the boat out for a sea trial/test drive.)  Several times while in front of us she slowed way down, steered left and right, slowed down again, left and right again, etc.  One time as she maneuvered out of the channel, Joe was so mesmerized that he followed her out of the channel, only to be chastized by the Captain.  We had to pass under the bridge (below) and again she powered back to a crawl.  We noticed a large vessel approaching so Joe had to try and hurry her up so we could get through. Shortly after getting through the bridge, she completely stopped the boat, turned the engines off and drifted over to the right.  Tim told Joe to go to neutral to see if they possibly needed assistance.  The man who, we all assumed, was the boat broker came down to the swim platform, got down on his knees on the port side and appeared to be looking at the exhaust.  He then repeated this on the starboard side.  He then headed back up to the bridge, the engines fired and away they went.  She did call and say 'Thank you Maggie Mae. We needed to check something out'.  Our turnoff for the marina was just a little bit further and as we turned in we bid them fond farewell.  SMH :)

 The large vessel that was bearing down on the bridge. 

 

Another fixer-upper just before Daytona Beach.

We are staying at Adventure Yacht Harbor.  We stayed here last June on our way up the coast. 

When we pulled into the marina, the Dockmaster, Jim, told the guys that it had been a very bad/long day.  Apparently one of his yearly boat slip owners fell off his boat yesterday and drowned.  Not good.  Jim helped the guys get the boat tied up, pumped out and went on his way. Too bad.



They have a small restaurant, called Boondocks, that is very popular with the locals. We're thankful that most of the Daytona 500 traffic departed yesterday, so our wait for supper was very short. 

Once we returned to the boat, Tim climbed down in the engine compartment to repair a small fresh water leak that popped up yesterday.  Joe let Tim do it, claiming something about being 'too full from dinner to get down there'.

Before we retire for the evening, we're going to begin watching Season 1 of Downton Abbey.  None of us have ever seen it, so we're looking forward to it.  Tomorrow we plan on making it to Titusville, and weather permitting hope to get busy doing some cleaning on the outside of the boat.  It's also the place where there were SO many manatee in the water.  Hoping the water is warm enough for them to be there.

P.S. Joe is our official boat 'waver'....

Until tomorrow.....