Ocean Breeze: Port #69: St. Augustine, FL…Rendezvous with Good Friends

Great Loop II Date: 05/18/2015

Day #290 (Monday) 53.2 miles (4033.7 total miles)

Locks: 0 (30 total locks)

Bridges: 1 (5 total bridges)

Port #69: St. Augustine, FL

Mooring: St. Augustine Municipal Marina

Early rising continued during our stay in Daytona Beach because the repairman wanted to work during the cool hours of the morning. I was back to my work day routine that ended 12 years ago. Since we wanted to make time heading north, early rising would continue on all travel days.

Midway through our run from Daytona Beach to St. Augustine, the terrain became more rural and the AICW narrowed. Big boat traffic picked up leaving us wakes of various velocity. Some were kind enough to slow down for a ‘slow pass’ while others ignored our request and sent us on a roll.

Spoils on one side of the AICW...from dredging the channel long ago.

Rip rap on the other side...to keep the shoreline from washing away.

That's what it looks like down the middle.

We continued to see many interesting sights we’d seen on the last Loop. We were also amazed at the new housing and developments. The one constant is the AICW. It stays the same much like any highway frequently traveled.

We saw this retired Navy tug in 2011. She hasn't changed at all.

Lots of new housing in Palm Coast, FL. None of this was here in 2011.

Marineland looks like it's grown some. It used to be a sea life park It went downhill when Sea World became popular. University of Florida picked it up before our last Loop and has turned it into a research facility.

We get glimpses of the Atlantic all along the AICW where inlets provide a view. She looked a little rough out there.

Another interesting B&B.

Todd liked the fish on the roof.

Coming into St. Augustine Municipal Marina, I could see a tall ship at the dock. I was anxious to find out if we’d come across the Nina and Pinta again. We hadn’t. This tall ship was the El Galion.

The St. Augustine Municipal Marina.

The mooring field where we tied to a mooring ball.

Our good friends, Nancy and Pete drove from Jacksonville to have dinner with us and take us to the store for reprovisioning. They have met us in three parts of the Loop now: in the Illinois River at Peoria, in the Gulf of Mexico at Cape Coral and now in the Atlantic East Coast at St. Augustine. There are rumors they will make the full circle by meeting us in Lake Erie this summer, possibly Put In Bay!

Nancy and Pete at the A1A Ale House across the street from the marina.

Todd and I decided to stay an extra day in St. Augustine to relax and catch our breath. Even though we spent 4 days in Daytona Beach, we were up at the crack of dawn each day to have OB ready for the AC repairman. Those days were mostly spent with Todd helping the repairman and me walking to nearby shopping to reprovision on a limited basis.

After a lazy morning, we walked through Old Town and looked in shops along the way. Todd found a barber shop and got a much needed haircut. St. Augustine changes but manages to stay with the old world theme.