We left Key Largo, Friday, 5 pm, headed south to the
mooring balls behind Shell Key, Saturday Morning, 7am, off to Shark River, and today Sunday, we are  anchored just north of Marco, in the old cut.
 
I tell you this NOT to keep you apraised of our progress,
but to let you know the "magic" of cruising has already set in.
 
I experienced this last while doing the Great Loop last year. 
 
Time has become, non existent, not important, not even relevant, passing quickly, one day fading to the next.
I had to ask the crew what day it was after only three days!
 
I think if I was ever to totally retire, and cruise full time,
 my life would be over in seemingly two weeks, however,
 two wonderful weeks! I love this twilight zone existance,
you can only experience on a boat, cruising.
 
Time passes greatly, although quickly, food is always
fabulous, and I seldom get a hang over! life is
Dam near perfect!!
 
Kinda like being a junkie , I suppose, expenses are
close to the same I reckon.
 
Happy Cruising!
Sterling
MV SterlingLadyIII

                                                      Key Largo, FL

Although, my favorite
definition of cruising is "fixing your boat in exotic places!"
author unknown

Not that I drink a bit of Bacardi, but this is our
sun blocker screen we use at anchor. Makes a
huge difference in the salon.

Few years back, while in the Gulfstream returning
from
Bimini, We lauched a bottle with a note in it.
11 months later we got an email for a kid in Ireland
who found the bottle, so now we will ocasionally launch
a bottle when passing an inlet on an outgoing tide.

I always enjoy taking the ICW up thru miami,
ft. lauderdale, etc. This was a Friday so all the
cruise ships were in port, loading up for the next trip.

This was one of our favorite bars in Hollywood,
that went the way of Condo's and now is an abandoned project.

Stayed a few nites on the New River in
Ft Laudedale, cheap off season dockage (summer)
with a beautiful view of the local prison, and close to Riverwalk stores and bars.

It's a high traffic no wake zone with lots to see and do



While crossing FT. Liquordale inlet, had to avoid this operation. They don't seem to moniter 16 or 13.


While in Vero Beach, there was a magnificent Rainbow,
 but the camera did not capture it properly.


It's too bad about the picture quality, this shot of the Hurricane warning flag in vero could have been great!
At the speeds we travel , this Does not apply.

I truly LOVE this boat! If it's for sale, Call me!!!
Daytona gets the award for the prettiest bridge decorations


Spent 2 days in ST. Augustine, at $2.25 foot, but  a good marina in an exellent spot.


The Lady , since I purchased her 4 years ago,
has been through 9 tropical storms and hurricanes..
and guess what, here we are passing Jacksonville
headed
to the Ortega River to hole up for a week because of Hanna. I neglected to mention we holed up on the New River this trip for 3 days because of Fay, and ,, true to form....

this is the 22 prison busses we headed south with
 in our rental car, BACK to key largo, to prepare
the homes for Hurricane IKE!!!
dang!

 once again, we dodged the bullet.. looks like
another near miss.

Two little feet were seen floating in the distance,
you can imagine what we thought it was,,
luckily it's a doll.

This guy came by the boat to beg for food.
 Iguana's are not indiginous to south florida,and
are bad for our enviroment.

Now when I win the lotto, I want a boat just like
this with the helocopter, and jeep option.

the Lady completed the loop last fall, and will go again, hopefully this spring.


Now getting back to our trip, I lost some pictures again in cyberspace, but I do have these:


This is the Lady at Paltatka, ya gotta admit
she's a beauty! Nice lines!!



Cruising hint #17, joing the Elks,the Moose, the American Leagion,
and the VFW.
You will find friendly folks, cheap drinks,and inexpesive food.

Palatka is trying to revitalize their riverfront, and
downtown area. They have an authentic
50's stlye dinner.

Steamboat Willies bar, ask them how the dollars got
stuck to the ceiling.

The docks at Quality Inn, Palatka.

This was wierd. It rained, and only during the rain
bubbles came up from the bottom, and floated
until poped by a rain drop, then the left a small white
residue. Any idears??

Burger Kind is now Closed , but their free dock is still
there and in tack. There is a grocery store and
auto parts right across the street. Good place to stock up.

The good news is Allilgator Landing, a new bar and grill,
has opened just a few hundred feet south of the
old BK docks. Checked it out. Like a Fridays.

In this part of the river , there are crabbers, and.....
there are lobster pots, lots of them, as many
in some areas of the river, as I have seen
off Flamingo during lobster season.

Today we are heading south to Welatka, on the way
passed the Palatka Yacht Club, a boat.
This RR bridge tender is VERY efficient, one call on
vhf 9, he opens the bridge, you don't even have
to slow down.

Today's destination, Acosta Cove Marina, a great little marina
right on the river, just north of Welatka. Owners are very helpful,
and at 5 pm everyday the bell rings and it's happy hourz on the dock.

Jay, the owner lent us his personal truck and we went to Welatka
for breakfast at the Cozy inn.
This is the over the water Cozy bar.

This is the view from the elevated bar, can you guess
what the sign says??


Aw, the things you do on alchohol.

Welatka has public docks, free docking for the day

Nice docks,no water or electric

While driving around town, saw a pair of Sand Cranes

Becasue the river is closed south of Lake George at marker
39, the next day we headed back North, down river ,back to
Palatka.

I almost forgot, we passed the Cross Florida Canal, that
was supposed to go from the St Johns out to the gulf, but
some tree huggers stoped that. dang

Stayed at Green Cove's $20 docks, provided by the city.

Just up the hill from the docks is Ronnies, for clams, and a walgreens.

Did a little side trip over to the Outback FREE docks (no electric or water though)long as you eat there. This looks like a pretty good hurricane hole though.

The resturant was closed, but I hear it's great food.
This is the free dock marina in front of the stadium down town, also with no electric or water, but there is a police sub station on site. should be safe.

The lower part of the St. Johns is very commercial,and very military.




These guys were shrimping on the river.

Departing Jacksonville, next stop , Fernandina Beach.
The propellars on this dry docked tug were porpotionaly HUGE!


Heading out the Jacksonville river, the tidal Gods were with us
all the way out. Check out our speed, which is normally 7.5 mph
Spent the nite at Beach Marina, no pictures, then the next am, off
to Fernandina Beach

This is the Bridge just before Fernandina. The lower swing bridge is for the
Rail Road.
It was blowing 20 knots gustilng to 30. Even the birds were not flying.




This is the museum wall about the Palace Bar, in Fernandina. It's the oldes
bar in the USA! It is still all original.



Naturally, I had to go there. In fact, I went there more than once.


Fernandina has it's share of hippies, I suppose.

But it's real claim to fame , is the Palace Saloon,
The OLDEST bar in Florida!



This is Artie, the Happy Hours bar tender, he does
a heck of  a job!


The bar was 1893,
and the woodwork was fabulous!


Okanes Pub is a great place for dinner also


Our next destination was Lang's Marina, at
ST. Mary's Georgia.

Lang's Docks, cost $1 a ft.

ST. Marys has great houses and great trees

How old could this tree be??


If you ever come here, rent a golf cart and drive the town.
lots to see.

The Park Dept of Florida runs Cumberland Island,
and has their own ferry to bring over their
vehicles.

Aproaching ST. Augustine , the Fort guards the Inlet.

Of course they are STILL working on the bridge, your tax dollars at work STILL!!


This trip, I am trying to vist spots I have not been, so we
stoped at Harbortown Marina on the Barge canal for
a slip and fuel.


Had drink on board Mike and Melilssa'sMV FUll STEP, and then dinner at the
Harbor Town Resturant. Click on Full Step to see the fantastic job they have
done remodeling this vessel.

The food was OK, the drinks good, and the company terrific.

As we departed in the am, we passed  the closed Sea Ray plant on the Barge
cannal. Even though most boats waking me were Sea Rays, It
saddens me to see the plant closed.



Now this is the ultimate party dock!!

I had never done the Banana River, so I did. It is , in a word, boring , wide,
nothing to see or do, ill marked, and shallow. Ohter than that , it was fine.
All that's left of the dragon at dragon point


In Daytona, Halifax marina has a West Marine, with a courtesy dock!

Sadly, we passed
 this dead Moma Manatee , with her child, trying to
get mom to respond.


An anhinga, we don't have these in my part of the keys.

Cruising is , traveling around ,in your little fiberglass bubble, a
portable world, that you take from one spot , to another, in
search of a place to sleep, a Wall Mark, a West Marine, and occasionally an
Enterprise Car Rental, all at a cost of thousands and thousands of dollars!



Because of the shape of our economy, in fall of 08, since we left
Key Largo 8 weeks ago we have seen only 12 cruising
boats, and I don't count this rich guy as a cruiser.


The Lady entered the St. Lucie, Okeechobee Waterway
today, my absolute favorite Florida trip so far.
sighted "big  Bird" along the waterway.

After going thru the ST. Lucie Lock, we met Mike, Ellen, and their
two dogs Rosie, and zoie, and docked for the nite at Indian Town.

While crossing Lake O, this really neat cat trawler
passed us going the oposite way. Damn, I need to be Rich.



About the center of Lake O, Ashes starting Falling on the boat
as is usual, they were burning the Sugar Fields around the lake.


At the $20 Franklin Lock Marina (with electric, water, showers
and laundry) I awoke to this sunrise.
IT LOOKED EVEN BETTER LIVE!
This guy livin on the Calusahatchee River HAS to be a Miami Dolhins FAN!



THis is why I love the OkeeChobee Water way so much
just look at this tree!


The Lady went all the way across to Legacy Marina, (a top rated marina
If ever I say one)
This guy was our neighbor, unfortuanly, not home


I think he would have been a fun guy to meet.


While backing out of our slip at Franklin Lock
I felt and heard a clinging on the prop,, as it turned out...

I apparetly backed over a "lost" unmarked trap, and
picked up this line with a weight, and piece or rebar,and
drug it all the way to Ft. Myers


Wittnessed this sunrise leaving Ft. Myers



Ya have to make sure you boat is secure during locking, check out the currents. You can see the 8 ft difference in water level at the gate.


Along the rim of Lake O, they first killed the malaluca trees, then cut them, then burnt them, then hauled them away. another case of our tax dollars at work.


If you look closely, you will see a bass boat. this is bass country.


Dang, I love Florida.

Speaking of bass boats, this shot was take from our dock. they had a
bass tournement with 130 Bass boats entered.

At the tournement Weigh in, the bass had to be alive or you lost points.
this is the bubblers they put them in after weighing, to keep them'
alive until re realeased back in Lake O.


I am not sure, but I think this is a blue heron, imature.? anybody know??

Because hurricane Wilma, 3 years ago ,distroyed, Pahokee marina,
and because we are on cruising time, we stoped overnite at Pahokee.
See the 10 ft. concrete wall around the marina on 3 sides? It was like
Prison for boater, with those high concrete walls,no view.

Pahokee had brand new floating docks, built for a 10 ft
storm surge, new empty buildings, and was all fisrt class except.
the marina was really rough, the waved bouces off the walls, the town
was scarry, and there were NO faciltites. I won't be back

ON a more positive note, the marina, the buildings, the
docks, and look, the fuel tanks , are all hurricane
"proof"



As is usual, anchored in Pecks Lake, just south of Stuart
on the icw.


This is why I love Pecks Lake Anchorage.  A short dingy ride to shore ,
a 100 foot walk across the island, and
you have MILES of unpopulated, deserted beaches.



This is sunrise at Pecks Lake.

This is not the house, on the icw, this is the boat house


Per the requirments of the Sterlng Lady cruising manuel,
Tonites anchorage is the Oar House, in Lantana



Ain't that the truth!

October 08 update
We (the Sterling Lady and I) are back in Key Largo, awaitin $ea$on, so we can make enough money 
to fix the things on my cruising list, and afoard to cruise the great loop a secound time, starting May 1st 09.
meanwhile , if anything intresting happens, I will try and post it.

 Click here to go to  our next page
The Sterling lady doing the great loop
for the 2nd tme!