New Smyrna Beach, FL to St. Augustine, FL

"Island Hopper" followed a fishing boat out of the marina.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 "Island Hopper" left the dock promptly at 8:30 AM. The morning temperatures were in the high 70s to low 80s. By afternoon it was another hot and muggy 90+ day. We went on the outside, seas 2-3 feet with winds 10 - 20. It was a fairly smooth run with a few gusts of wind.

Traveling on the Ponce de Leon Inlet

We arrived around 1:00 PM at Camanchee Island, St. Augustine. FL. Captain Kevin did another great job docking in the wind. It seems the winds always begin piping when it is time to dock the boat. We are spending the night at Comanchee Cove Yacht Harbor.(http://www.camacheeisland.com/) The marina is full service, with 20 businesses located on-site. They range from a restaurant, St. Augustine Yacht Club, General Store, and many nautical supply stores. It is a beautiful marina and it is quite busy due to a fishing tournament. This afternoon we have a car and will be going into downtown St. Augustine to explore and eat dinner. St. Augustine - A Brief History St. Augustine is the oldest Permanent European settlement in the continental United States. Fifty-five years before the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock, and 32 years before Jamestown, the Spanish Explorer Pedro Memendez de Aviles settled the St. Augustine area. The year was 1565. On August 28th of that year, Menendez's fleet first sighted Florida land. The settlement was named in honor of that day, the feast day for St. Augustine. Over the next 200 years the settlement survived under Spanish rule. They were attacked by Sir Frances Drake in 1586 and by Robert Searles in 1668. The Castillo de San Marcos, a coquina fort, was constructed for protection. In 1702, St. Augustine defeated an assault by South Carolina Governor James Moore, and another by General James Oglethorpe from Georgia in 1740. But in 1783 Spain lost Florida to England in a territorial exchange. For the next twenty years the British ruled the area. Florida became a territory of the United States in 1821, gaining statehood in 1845. St. Augustine's "golden era" began in the late 1880s, when Harry Flagler attempted to turn the quaint town into a vacation spot for tourists. Flagler, an oil millionaire, and his friends built elegant hotels and churches. Their interests turned further south in the early 1900s, but their structures remain behind. Exploring St. Augustine The core of any visit is a tour of the historic district, a showcase for more than 60 historic sites and attractions, plus 144 blocks of houses listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We could easily spend more than one day here, but since we have been to St. Augustine before, we decided to spend more time exploring the Carolinas.

Kilwins Ice Cream Shop in the Historic District

An historic building on St. George Street

A Watermill downtown

The Oldest Wooden School House in the United States

A Fountain in the Historic Downtown

Debbie going in the Columbia Restaurant for dinner

Columbia Restaurant is a favorite of Debbie and Kevin.

Another awesome day on the water!!!

Melbourne, FL to New Smyrna Beach, FL

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 We left Melbourne, FL around 8:40 AM heading to New Smyrna Beach, FL. The temperatures were in the high 70s with winds SW 15 - 20. Skies are sunny with an overcast with intermittent rain drops. We have 73 miles to travel today. We will be staying at New Smyrna Beach City Marina. The location is right in the town.

A house on the water.

Small Town Charm New Smyrna had a sordid beginning as a plantation begun by a Scotsman named Dr. Andrew Turnbull. Believing people from the Mediterranean climates could better adjust to the Florida heat, in 1763 Turnbull recruited 1,255 settlers from Greece, Corsica, Italy, and Mallorca to work more than 100,000 acres. He named his settlement after the home of his Turkish wife. Among Turnbull's first acts was instituting an Egyptian agricultural system of draining and irrigation, a process that has devastating effects today. Disease, harsh treatment, and lack of supplies exacerbated by the Revolutionary War reduced the population to 600. In 1777, the settlement was declared a failure. Turnbull sailed away, leaving the settlers behind. Most walked to St. Augustine, where they were released from indenture. Today New Smyrna is a great small town. There is well controlled development on its 19.5 square miles, including a 13.2 mile stretch of beach. Modern New Smyrna owes much to the late sculptress Doris Leeper. She spearheaded the founding of the Atlantic Center for the Arts, now a world renown artists in residence program, as well as a current preservation and wetlands acquisition effort. Because of Leeper, the visual and performing arts have a permanent place, and the town consistently makes the list of "Best Small Art Towns in America." After arriving at New Smyrna Beach Municipal Marina we washed down the boat and then walked into the historic downtown.

New Smyrna Municipal Marina

A beautiful home in historic downtown.

Kevin had an old fashioned chocolate malt at Little's Drugstore. We took a cab later in the evening to Flagler Street and ate at the Grille at Riverview. Riverview is on the water and has a hotel and spa. We had wonderful mahi dinners.

Stuart, FL to Melbourne, FL

Monday, May 19, 2008 We left Stuart, FL around 8:40 AM heading to Melbourne, FL. The morning temperature was in the high 70's with another 90 degree day predicted. The skies are still hazy due to the fires in the Everglades. Yesterday the smell was worse, but it was still evident this morning. Winds are SW 10 -15. We will travel about 75 miles up the Intracoastal. Smooth water and beautiful views along the way. The winds shifted to the NW at 10. We will be staying the night at Melbourne Harbor in Melbourne, FL. There is the Melbourne Yacht Club, but its location is not as convenient to the attractions. The Melbourne Harbor is close to historic downtown Melbourne, and near the manatee sanctuary and just two blocks from a charming, old-fashioned main street with 20 restaurants and many shops. Melbourne Harbor is a "foodie" favorite, with old town eateries plus bakeries and delis. A Chart House restaurant is located at the Melbourne Harbor. This afternoon we walked into the historic downtown. There are manyquaint shops and restaurants. We ate dinner tonight at a small French restaurant called Continental Flambe. The food was outstanding.

Numerous Ocean Alexanders came to the marina after a rondevue in St. Agustine, FL.

Stuart, Florida -Harbourage Marina

Saturday, May 17, 2008 - We arrived in Stuart, FL around 2:30 PM. We were on the road for thirteen hours on Friday, so today's road time was just under 5 hours. These times included all stops. We went to the Harbourage Marina and checked out "Island Hopper".

Fountain at the Harbourage Marina Entrance

She was cleaned and ready for us to board. After getting our clothes and essentials on board we went grocery shopping. We ate dinner at the Flagler Grill. (http://www.flaglergrill.com/) We had wonderful yellow snapper and mahi mahi dishes. The restaurant specializes in Traditional American and Floribbean Cuisine.

Sunday, May 18, 2008 - Downtown Stuart hosted an arts and crafts show in the old town. Kevin went to West Marine while Debbie went to the show.

The Booths at the Craft Show

Being Kevin's fist mate does have privledges. He took Debbie to her favorite store in historic Stuart and bought her custom sandals and a handbag at Stephen Bonanno Sandals. (http://www.sbsandals.com/) Kevin knows whose dream Debbie is living. After the brief shopping spree we had lunch at the Osceola Cafe. Then we went to ABC Liquor for wine and rum. Next we went to Winn Dixie for water and more provisions. The worst part of preparing the boat is taking the groceries to the boat. The docks at the Harbourage Marinaare a good distance from the parking lot. This is a job for the first mate and captain.

Debbie unloading the provisions into the cart.

Kevin taking the photo. (Priceless!!)

Debbie is thinking she might get another pair of sandals tomorrow. Just another day in the life of boating!

Good Bye Joan & Ian Downs

Today, Joan and Ian departed "Island Hopper" at 10:45 AM. Debbie drove them to the Hertz car rental to pick up a car. They headed to Orlando for the evening before flying out of Orlando to New York and then on to Manchester, England. After arriving in Manchester they will drive to their home in Ayr, Scotland. We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday with Ian and Joan. They were wonderful guests. BYE - IAN AND JOAN - THANK YOU FOR A GREAT BOAT TRIP!!!!!!!! Debbie and Kevin went into town in the late morning. Today is laundry day and preparing the boat to go to the Hinckley yard for a month. The Ocean Alexander representative came to the marina to discuss some gelcoat issues. Tomorrow morning we take the boat across the river to the Hinckley yard where she will be hauled. She has performed flawlessly for 530 miles from Longboat Key, FL and --- gallons of diesel fuel. Kevin won't say how much. We will come back to "Island Hopper" in mid May to begin moving the boat north to Rock Hall, Maryland for the summer. We plan on spending three weeks moving the boat north. Stay tuned for our continued blog next month.

Stuart, Florida - Exploring and having FUN!

Today we explored Historic Downtown Stuart. Joan & Debbie went through all the shops, while Ian and Kevin went to the Maritime Museum and West Marine. We all met up for lunch at a small cafe in town. We then drove over to Hutchinson Island and Jensen Beach for some sightseeing.

The skies were cloudy and a misty rain started when returned to Pirates Cove. Tonight we had the last dinner of our holiday with Joan and Ian. We can't believe how quickly the 3 1/2 weeks have passed. Debbie & Kevin are thrilled that Joan and Ian came over from Scotland to travel the Florida coast on "Island Hopper". We will meet up with them at the end of June to sail on their sailing yacht "Diva" on the French Riviera. We know we are guaranteed another holiday!!!!

CHEERS!!!! TO A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY!!!!!!

Tonight we ate dinner at a local restaurant, Schrimpers.

Jupiter, FL to Stuart, Florida

Jupiter Lighthouse

Playing on kayaks in Hobie Sound

Fishing in the sound. (Literally!!)

After a great visit at the private club of Jonathan's Landing Marina, "Island Hopper" departed the dock at 10:05 AM. Skies are sunny with some clouds, a light westerly wind at 5 - 10 and predicted to be in the mid 80's. Another day in paradise. We will be traveling 19 miles to Pirates Cove Resort and Marina in Stuart, Florida.(http://www.piratescoveresort.net/) Pirates Cove Resort and Marina is located on the banks of the St. Lucie River and the intracoastal waterway in the heart of Sailfish Alley, this cozy enclave is a perfect place to recoup after a day at sea. This mid-size resort is relaxing and casual, but packed with recreational activities for the day. Stuart, Florida is a compact little town on a peninsula that juts out into the St. Lucie River. It has a remarkable amount of river shoreline for its size as well as a charming historic district.

(http://www.historicdowntownstuart.com/)

Strict architectural and zoning standards guide civic-renewal projects in historic downtown Stuart, which has more than 50 specialty shops within a two block area. This will keep Debbie and Joan occupied. On the National Register of Historic Places, the Lyric Theatre(http://www.lyrictheatre.com/) has been revived for performing and community events; a gazebo has free music performance. The old courthouse has become the Courthouse Cultural Center and presents folk art and other exhibits. The George W. Parker General Store is now the Stuart Heritage Museum. Linking the watery past with a permanent record of maritime and yachting events contributing to Treasure Coast lore, the Maritime & Yachting Museum(http://www.myflorida.com/) is near a marina with many old ships as well as historic exhibits to explore. Ship modelers are usually on hand.

Tate welcoming the crew aboard "Island Hopper"

Tonight we ate dinner at Finz, a local restaurant on the water.(finzwaterfrontgrill.com)