Our Trusted Helmsman....
 

Endurance Report

It's been a long time since we posted here.  Is it 2024 already?

We left Fort Pierce City Marina on Saturday morning (April 12) after two afternoons and evenings with George and Candy getting caught up with life since the Marts family left Ballston Spa, NY when George was entering the 12th grade and me the 11th. We also took custody of Uncle John on Friday night for his first passage on Endurance in 15 plus years. 

First night anchored in Hogs Point Cove in Malabar, Florida.  Sunday night in Mosquito Lagoon north of Titusville, in sight of a rocket scheduled for a May 8 launch from Canaveral. Typical ICW travel with adverse and favorable currents on either side of each inlet we passed. 

Monday (April 15) proved interesting. At 0930 as we were approaching the fixed bridge at New Smyrna Beach crowded with anchored boats, there appeared to a sailboat anchored in the bridge approach channel. It’s a place where the channel zigs then zags.  

Once I determined that I was mistaken, I realized that I was on the wrong side of ICW Marker G43. In fact I was going to hit it dead on. I veered right to avoid impact and my stern swung left. I swung right but the metal sign hit my midship shrouds. Then the pole bumped my toe rail (or vice versa). 

As the pole came down the sign hit our outboard motor lift and both crashed into our 20 hp Mercury outboard. 

The pole went in the water. The only remaining evidence was a shark fin corner of the metal sign sticking up. 

We transited the fixed bridge and waited 15 minutes for the Coronado Beach Bridge to let us pass on their 1000 scheduled opening. 

My heart rate receded to 89 BPM at 1015. I then called Coast Guard Station Jacksonville to file an incident report. I then e-mailed my Marine Insurance Agent. She filed a report with my insurer, Chubb. 

We anchored at 1846 in the Matanza Inlet south of St. Augustine. 

I have since called and spoken with the New Smyrna Beach Police Department, the New Smyrna Beach Marine Patrol, Coast Guard Station Ponce (in St. Augustine) and the Adjusters for both Chubb and Marsh (my agent). 

Ponce told me that they had already received the incident report from Jacksonville. While I was on the phone with Chubb’s adjuster, Jacksonville made a Notice to Mariners radio broadcast advising that a work crew and barge would be at Red 42 (the marker I did not hit) on April 18. All this occurred on Tuesday the 16th. I’m writing this on the 18th. So, I assume that Green 43 will be back on station by this evening. 

It’s good to know the system works. And we are fully covered on the liability side. That Mercury is the last 2 stroke they made. If I can’t fix it, I’ll probably end up with a 4 stroke weighing twice as much. But, we will have reduced our going forward carbon footprint. 

In other news, in addition to the ubiquitous dolphins, ospreys and brown pelicans, we have seen loads of sea birds, and a number of white pelicans, roseate spoonbills and eagles. Tess and John saw an alligator in the ICW at Palm Valley. And I saw a 6 plus foot sandbar shark jump fully clear of the water as we entered Cumberland Sound.  We actually sailed most of the way up the Cumberland River and across the Sound. 

Tuesday night anchored at Amelia Island and Wednesday we crossed into Georgia where we anchored on the north side of Lanier Island.

Days have been mostly hot, sunny and windless. We are taking advantage of the good weather and putting water miles under the keel. Only one grounding so far at a particularly bad spot at low tide. A 30 minute delay ended with the wake from a passing speedboat. 

All is well. John is still enjoying the ride. And helming most of the time. 

Notes from First Mate:  it’s been lovely and kind, and the Captain has therefore omitted my transgression.  Setting anchor in Matanzas Inlet, I tried to “coddle the anchor” out from the bowsprit to avoid hitting the Jib furling drum.  To my dismay, the feisty thing took advantage and jumped off the windlass onto the wooden bowsprit with 3’ of heavy chain.  Tony & John wrangled it back in place with the snubber line, brute force & salty words.  A little extra gauging in the bowsprit and Advils around.  We are now back to even in game wins and boat screw-ups.