After several days of 15 MPH winds with gusts of 20-26 MPH hanging on a hook, we decided that a few days in a more protected anchorage would be a welcomed change. We managed to get a mooring ball in St. Pete’s North Basin for a few days. Turns out that this is the weekend for the St. Petersburg Grand Prix Race. As you can imagine, there is all kinds of things going on here in the city.

Yesterday we did laundry, took care of a few boat chores, walked around the race course and was able to see the cars taking practice laps. Amazing when you see these cars close up.  There is basically nothing but an engine on a frame.

We were hoping to begin heading South on Sunday the 12th, but there is another cold front heading this way with predicted winds up to 20 MPH. So our current plan is to stay put here in St. Pete until next Tuesday the 14th. At that time we will reevaluate the weather and make a plan. If you don’t already know, “You can’t sail on a schedule”!

Our original plan was to work our way around the southern tip of Florida and sail up to Southport, NC. However, all the marinas that I called in Southport and on Bald Head Island said they could not accommodate our 6’4″ draft. They said that the marinas in the area are all waiting to be dredged due to the years of silting. So, we decided on the Brunswick Landing Marina, located in Brunswick, GA. This a live aboard friendly marina with plenty of water depth and will mean we do not have to sail all the way north to Southport.

As for an update on the recent repairs;

  • All electronics are working great.
  • New Dripless Stuffing Seal – DRIPLESS as it should be.
  • Solar and Wind Turbine – We have been unplugged from any marina electric since February 25th and we have all the power we need. In fact, the wind turbine hardly ever spins because the solar panels are doing the job.

New repairs;

  • Replaced 8 or our blocks because some were broken and it was just a matter of time before the others went.