Caroline our little Kuna friend sailing away.
May 27 – Memorial Day Weekend
Lamb’s Yacht Center
There were all kinds of festival going on in the Jacksonville this weekend…celebrating the beginning of summer and honoring our veterans. Saturday we drove down to Paltaka to check out the Blue Crab Festival. We spent several days in Palatka when we went up the St. John’s River and again on our way north three weeks ago. They have a nice waterfront park and historic downtown area. Palatka is a small town, but this festival brings out thousands of people. There were arts and craft booths, educational booths, carnival rides and games, entertainment and tons of seafood. It was the warmest day of the weekend, but we still enjoyed the festival and having lunch in the shade by the river.
On Sunday we went downtown to the Jacksonville Jazz Festival. It started on Friday night and consisted of three stages with entertainment. We found a shady spot and enjoyed the music for a couple of hours. It was the last day of the festival and the crowd seemed a little small, but I’m sure it was packed Friday and Saturday night.
Our last weekend festival was the best, it was the Memorial Day RiverFest in Green Cove Springs. We also stopped at this beautiful little town while we were exploring the St. John’s River. It’s a quaint community with an amazing riverfront park with a gigantic play ground, a spring feed pool, huge shade trees and lots of green grassy spots to spread out and have a picnic. It looked like we had stepped back in time when we arrived at this festival…red, white and blue banners flying everywhere a huge American flag greeting people to the park, kids running around playing chase, swimming and splashing in the spring and adults listening to the music and visiting with each other. It looked like a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. There were lots of booths selling crafts, food and sweets, plus tons of things for the kids to do, and continuous entertainment under the gazebo. An all American Memorial Day celebration. We found a great spot along the spring run to set up our chairs and relax. From there we could hear the music and people watch. We were having a wonderful afternoon until a thunderstorm rolled in with tornado warnings and sent everyone home. It didn’t look like it was going to last long, but we decided to come home. I hope they were able to enjoy the fireworks that were planned later in the evening.
We had a great weekend and it was nice to have a break from boat projects. The thing that amazed us the most about these festivals was the fact they were all free. No charge to come out and enjoy the day with your family and friends.
Scenes from the Blue Crab Festival
Enjoying the Jazz Festival
Scenes from the Memorial Day RiverFest
The views from our chairs by the spring
One activity they had was the rubber duck race in the spring run. We bought four duck, but ours didn’t win!
Isla Providencia, Columbia
Isla Providencia
Our time on Isla Providencia has been wonderful. With it’s population of only 4,800, this island is a tropical paradise unspoiled by tourism.
We are anchored in Santa Catalina Harbor, with a beautiful snorkeling site just off of our swim step. The coral reef is amazing with many colorful fish. Morgans head an outcropping of various rocks and amazing snorkel site welcomed us into the harbor. We snorkeled in the clear waters that are dotted with dark caves along the bank.
Providencia is connected by a low wooden foot bridge off its NW corner to a smaller hilly Isla Catalina. We took the walk through the jungle to the end and enjoyed the view of Morgans Head from the land side. Captain Morgan was a pirate that frequented this area years ago. There are stories of buried treasure on the island. The warm breezes and clear blue waters are treasure enough for me.
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This little buy enjoyed my apple core
The cannons that sit on the hilltop of Santa Catalina that protect the point provide cool shade for the many lizards that live here.
We hiked up to “The Point”, a beautiful walk up to a high peak that allows a picturesque view of the island and surrounding Caribbean. It took several hours to work our way to the top. Along the way we encountered many lizards, some a bright blue color. They scamper through the dry leaves as we walked along the trail, making an interesting hike.
The preferred mode of transportation on the island is motor bikes. Last night Bill and I climbed on a honda 100 with our driver to visit “Rollies”, a fun outdoor night club. I asked myself more than once on the half hour ride, what the hell am I doing sandwiched between a sweaty kid with dreadlocks and Bill tickling me from behind? We dodged cars, trucks and other crazy cycle drivers on our half hour joy ride. When we arrived to the ocean front bar we danced to Ragaee music around a bonfire with Bob Marley look a likes, and had a wonderful time. Our return trip was even more eventful as we had a obstacle course of crabs to avoid. They migrate into the jungle to mate and then return to the ocean to lay their eggs. Unfortunately for the crabs the paved streets are in their path. Many of the roads are closed in the evenings to allow the crab to migrate without threat of being crushed my vehicles. Our adventure back to the boat was met with many detours and starts and stops and I thought Costa Rica had creative drivers.
Their is another Nordhavn in our anchorage, JASDIP a N47. When I asked John the owner what his boat name represented he smiled and answered, Just another shitty day in paradise… Very well said for The Caribbean, every day is paradise.
Isla Providencia, Columbia
Isla Providencia
Our time on Isla Providencia has been wonderful. With it’s population of only 4,800, this island is a tropical paradise unspoiled by tourism.
We are anchored in Santa Catalina Harbor, with a beautiful snorkeling site just off of our swim step. The coral reef is amazing with many colorful fish. Morgans head an outcropping of various rocks and amazing snorkel site welcomed us into the harbor. We snorkeled in the clear waters that are dotted with dark caves along the bank.
Providencia is connected by a low wooden foot bridge off its NW corner to a smaller hilly Isla Catalina. We took the walk through the jungle to the end and enjoyed the view of Morgans Head from the land side. Captain Morgan was a pirate that frequented this area years ago. There are stories of buried treasure on the island. The warm breezes and clear blue waters are treasure enough for me.
|
This little buy enjoyed my apple core
The cannons that sit on the hilltop of Santa Catalina that protect the point provide cool shade for the many lizards that live here.
We hiked up to “The Point”, a beautiful walk up to a high peak that allows a picturesque view of the island and surrounding Caribbean. It took several hours to work our way to the top. Along the way we encountered many lizards, some a bright blue color. They scamper through the dry leaves as we walked along the trail, making an interesting hike.
The preferred mode of transportation on the island is motor bikes. Last night Bill and I climbed on a honda 100 with our driver to visit “Rollies”, a fun outdoor night club. I asked myself more than once on the half hour ride, what the hell am I doing sandwiched between a sweaty kid with dreadlocks and Bill tickling me from behind? We dodged cars, trucks and other crazy cycle drivers on our half hour joy ride. When we arrived to the ocean front bar we danced to Ragaee music around a bonfire with Bob Marley look a likes, and had a wonderful time. Our return trip was even more eventful as we had a obstacle course of crabs to avoid. They migrate into the jungle to mate and then return to the ocean to lay their eggs. Unfortunately for the crabs the paved streets are in their path. Many of the roads are closed in the evenings to allow the crab to migrate without threat of being crushed my vehicles. Our adventure back to the boat was met with many detours and starts and stops and I thought Costa Rica had creative drivers.
Their is another Nordhavn in our anchorage, JASDIP a N47. When I asked John the owner what his boat name represented he smiled and answered, Just another shitty day in paradise… Very well said for The Caribbean, every day is paradise.
Extended lunch break
Not even noon yet and I’m taking a break. I spread a lot of fairing compound on the larger defects on the Port & Stbd sides this morning. It’ll be 13:00 hrs before I can put a sander to them. In the mean time I was tinkering with correcting the bar…
Blog Stats
Pam and I have been off of Drift Away for over a year. As such, I have pretty much stopped updating this blog, but I do check in from time to time, mainly to check the other blogs that I follow and are listed here.The first thing that I not…
I’m here, finally – with pictures!
Wow, this was a long time in coming and I apologize profusely. Even with a long weekend, I’m rushing around trying to get things done so I can do this post. What in the world keeps me so busy? Rhetorical question, folks. I ask m…
Day 136 – 365 Project…Crystal Coast Lady
Welcome to day 136 of 365 photos…yesterday, Mr. B & I took an afternoon cruise on the Crystal Coast Lady out of Beaufort, NC. The 4PM tour on the Crystal Coast Lady is a wild pony and dolphin scenic tour. The tour covers 15 miles and is narrated by the Captain. We traveled down Taylor’s… Continue Reading
The post Day 136 – 365 Project…Crystal Coast Lady appeared first on Moosetique Musing.
Oberwinter
Upriver from Koblenz
Guten Morgen,
We spent the evening of the 24th at Oberwinter. It doesn’t get better than the evening we spent there.
Ru
Oberwinter !
I’ve not been able to find anything about Oberwinter, but that’s fine. The folks we met there are much more important than anything we saw or could have read.
I looked up […]
Alaska 2014 – Passing new Bella Bella
May 25, 2014
The wind remained calm all night in the quiet anchorage in Pruth Bay. The weather is beginning to deteriorate for the next few days, so we are heading to Codville Lagoon Marine Park, just 25 miles away.
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| Peregrine and Spirit Crews, Mosquito Sculpture |
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| West Beach, Pruth Bay |
Turning left shortly after leaving the anchorage at Pruth Bay we headed into Meay Inlet and across Hakai Passage where the ocean swell had penetrated. We then headed up Ward Channel, a narrow but deep passage between Nalau Island and Underhill Island. We identified several potential anchorages, totally secluded, for future visits. The rock formations were interesting due to the erosion patterns. We re-entered Fitz Hugh Sound via Nalau Passage and set a direct course for Codville Lagoon.
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| Peregrine at anchor, Pruth Bay Hakai Beach Institute |
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| Ward Channel |
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| Rock formations, Ward Channel |
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| At Anchor, Codville Lagoon |
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| Our Totem Pole (Reflections at dawn, low tide) |
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| Sunrise in Codville Lagoon |
We anchored Spirit in 40 feet of water in Codville Lagoon just off the trailhead to Sager Lake. The only other occupants of the basin when we arrived were a pair of loons cruising around. Shortly after setting the anchor “Peregrine” entered and anchored close by. We travelled only 30 nautical miles today, in a now familiar downpour, beginning to remind us of our 2007 Alaska trip on the previous “Spirit”, a Jeanneau 49 DS. The persistent rain on that trip led directly to ordering the current boat. Patrick set a crab pot, hopefully there are still some crab in Codville Lagoon.
After 5 hours the crab pot only had a large starfish, so no luck. The commercial fisherman pulling his pots in the same bay had the same result! The rain returned, with a vengeance as we headed to Peregrine for another potluck dinner of crab cakes, salad and quinoa with broccoli, washed down with both wine and martini’s and a fruit compote for dessert. Miriam and Patrick returned to Spirit about 2300 in another torrential downpour after a great evening with Dance’s and Dachel’s on Peregrine.
The rain continued heavy most of the night.
May 26, 2014
Memorial Day started out partly sunny as we headed out at 0730, meeting the cruise ship Oosterdam heading for Lama Passage. We followed astern, since they were doing 15 knots compared to our 8 knots.
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| Following Oosterdam through Lama Passage |
Based on weather reports we will not arrive in Ketchikan until either 29 or 30 May.
