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The Cruise of the Salty Turtle |
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Headed South for the Winter October - December, 2009 (Click on Photos for Larger Size)
October 21st. We are on are way! We are soooo grateful to have our extended boat project behind us. The boat is bright and shiny and running great. We are ready to move on. After a last minute mini crisis to determine if Steve had a cancerous mole (The barber scared us, but skin doc determined that he’s fine!), we cast off our lines and headed South on October 21. It took us about four weeks to go from Oriental, NC to Lake Worth Inlet in Florida. Approximately 2 ˝ weeks of travel, nearly a week in Georgetown, SC and week doing final provisioning and attending the SSCA Gam in Melbourne, FL.
Georgetown was a good stop after our “shake-down” from Oriental to there. Steve needed to replace a generator part, and do a few minor maintenance details. We rented a car for a couple days and toured nearby Brookgreen Gardens. The Oak Trees there are magnificent, draped in Spanish moss. We were intrigued by the large fox squirrels, with their striking black masks.
We saw LOTS of eagles this fall along the Intracoastal Waterway. The one in the photo was perched on a Manatee No Wake sign. We didn’t see ANY manatees, but lots of signs. It was curious that many of these no wake zones were strategically positioned in front of expensive residential areas??? Hummmm….Maybe we are too suspicious by nature. Once we reached Florida, we stepped up our travel pace to out run the fringes of Tropical Storm Ida. Another motivation to move quickly was an invitation to the SSCA Gam in Melbourne. We enjoyed the seminars and met several new people at the boating conference. Telemar Marina was convenient and had reasonably priced dockage. Our timing was perfect to see a shuttle launch (from a restaurant parking lot in Cocoa). Very cool! There were many convenient stores for provisioning (Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, West Marine, Publix). We even had our scuba tank hydro’d and filled. We’ll mark this place as a potential temporary home if we need to spend any extended time in Florida again.
The kitties have been great travelers. The first few days they stayed buried under the recliner until the engines shut down. It wasn’t long before they were lounging without a care in the world… other than their next MEAL! Food is a very big priority in their life!!! On November 21 we crossed from Lake Worth, FL to Great Sale Cay in the Abacos. We left at 3 AM so that we could bypass West End and anchor at Great Sale well before dark. The sunrise the morning of our crossing was BREATHTAKING! We took it as a good omen for the winter ahead J.
We are currently relaxing on our mooring in Hopetown (checked into customs at Green Turtle Cay). It’s nice to see old friends again, plus meet new! Life is good. |
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Nemo and Gypsy, Our New Kitties May 2009 |
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 Gypsy |
 Nemo |
 Best Friends |
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 New Toy |
 What's that stuff? Little did they know! |
 No nook unexplored |
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Upon return from St. Augustine, we parked the motorhome in the exclusive Oriental gated community (more commonly known as the fenced storage area next to the post office). Village Mini Storage, owned by Ed and Deborah Bryant, is actually a very nice place to stay in a camper. It has a variety of storage units, which we also rented to store stuff until we moved back on the boat.
The highlight of our return was the adoption of two new kittens. They are sister and brother, 2 months old and adopted from “PAWS”, the local animal rescue organization. We named them Gypsy and Nemo.
The new kitties quickly adapted to their new home. They thought all the fabric covered window valences and multiple storage compartments were a terrific jungle gym. Memorial Day, we took them on their first travel adventure to explore Ocracoke and Cape Hatteras for a week. They adapted fine to their moving home. It was another fun diversion while we waited for the painters to be done and the boat to be launched.
 Cozy nest |
 Let's eat! |
 Another place to hide |
 Beethoven's 5th? |
 Guarding the boat |
 On mouse patrol |
When we moved back aboard the Salty Turtle in mid July, the kitties once again adapted quite quickly. They were initially spooked by the fact that the floating dock moved on one side of the boat, and water splashed on the other two sides. No grass or trees. They both jumped at the sight of leaping fish. But overall they seemed more curious than stressed. As long as the food bowl is kept full, they’re happy.
Steve and I still
really miss Wiley. We are very grateful that these two kitties
helped fill the void that Wiley left. They are very loving and
great entertainment!
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Visiting the Baby Birds April 2009
In April, the lease to our rental condo ended and we needed to find a temporary home until the boat went back in the water. It looked like the exterior paint job would take at least another month and then we needed an additional month to finish the interior varnish before moving back aboard. Mid winter, Steve and I figured out that we couldn’t see what we were doing on the interior refinishing, because the exterior windows were all covered with the painter’s masking paper. Also, it was too cold for the varnish to cure properly. We’ve heard that patience is a virtue, but ours was wearing REALLY thin!
Moving into the pickup camper was an option, but seemed pretty cozy for living in full time. We decided to sell the pickup camper and bought a 30’ Motorhome (which we later sold once we moved back aboard in July). We Schrimshers are pros at packing and moving, if you ever want any tips. Neither one of us seems to like the process, but we sure do it a lot! We were going stir crazy, waiting for the painters to finish with the boat, so we decided it was a good time for a change of scenery. The day after we moved into the motorhome, we BOTH drove to Florida. I drove the pickup camper and Steve drove the motorhome. We delivered the pickup camper to the buyer in Eustis, FL and then took the “new” motorhome to St. Augustine. The timing was perfect to view and photograph the nesting birds.
The Alligator Farm in St. Augustine could be considered the leader in tacky Florida tourist traps. But hidden in one corner of the park is a boardwalk where hundreds of wild birds nest every year. It’s better than any nature conservancy we’ve visited. In trees, many less than 20 to 30 feet away, we watched birds of several species making nests, sitting on eggs, and feeding babies. The noise and smells were overwhelming at first, but we quickly got caught up in all the nesting activities.
We asked why the birds were drawn to this place, when Anastasia Park across the street, had almost no birds. We were told that in a bird’s brain, living with only one species of predator (the gators) was apparently safer than dealing with tree-climbing opossums, raccoons, and cats. The downside was that Baby Bird’s first flight was a one shot deal, with hundreds of hungry gators swimming below.
This experience, with or without a camera, was incredible! It was fascinating to watch the interactions and antics of so many birds living together. The best time to visit the Alligator Farm is April to June. A photographer’s pass allows you to make as many visits as you like, PLUS a chance to visit an hour before the general public is admitted in the morning and the opportunity to stay into the evening after the general public is required to leave the park. For more
information about the Alligator Farm see their website at: |
