"ICW Trip 2001 Leg 24 Daytona Beach " a Daytona Beach Travel Page by grandmaR

We were lying half asleep on our boat in Daytona early one morning. My husband said "Listen to the symphony of Florida". I listened. I heard:

A train across from the marina
A forklift backup alarm
A bridge warning bell
A power boat rumbling by
An airplane flying overhead
Birds calling

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Charlie, Sandy and Bob looking out at the beach

November 27, 2001 - St. Augustine to Daytona

Left St. Augustine around 7. We passed a boat named WILD BLUE, and the a boat named CALYPSO with a parrot in the rigging passed us, and then a Morgan 38 MYSTIC TURTLE, and JUBILIE and Endeavor from Charleston, TIME BANDIT a Hans Christian from Tybee Is., and FLYIN' LOW a Taswell 40 all passed. Seven of us went through the Crescent Beach bridge about 8:55.

Bob was running the refrigeration, and it cut off by itself, and the VHF started acting up also.

At that point we were at the Mantanzas Inlet area which has lots of shoals (see Matanzas page) and tricky currents. And we were basically cut off from communicating with people because the radio wasn't working. Ahead of us CALYPSO and another boat circled, and I heard someone say that he'd never make it through. We passed TIME BANDIT. FLYIN' LOW disappeared - maybe he was waiting for the tide to turn.

In any case, we went on through the area, and eventually CALPYSO passed us again. MYSTIC TURTLE and TIME BANDIT were hanging back behind us letting us lead the way and/or go aground first. A white ketch ISHMAIL from Annapolis with the main on a roller but in a bag passed.

We got to Daytona about 14:30, and went into Caribbean Jacks, and got fuel and tied up. We have now gone 842 nm. Caribbean Jacks has gone from being one of the cheapest places to one of the most expensive -fees for everything. THey do have a heated pool. The restaurant hasn't been built yet. OLD HATT is here, and so is another trawler from Pt. Lookout Marina (our home marina).

The catamaran behind us (RUM TUM TIGGER) left and we moved back to the end of the dock, back to back with WINDSTAR (Sandy and Charlie's CSY- they have gone to VA to pick up their truck). Bob called ICOM about the radio, but they had no authorized service places closer than Ft. Lauderdale. They didn't understand why we couldn't just run it over there. Bob also called the Ft. Lauderdale place and they said that even if the radio was under warranty, they charged $80/hour and ICOM only paid about $30/hour so there would be charges.

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Daytona Beach

November 28-29, 2001 - staying in Daytona

Nov 28 The radio seems to mostly work. The volume switches are flakey. Eventually we found that the problem was inadequate wiring had been installed when the boat was originally made 20 years ago for this size radio.

I came up to the boaters lounge and did email. TOURNE BRISE, PANAMA JACK and IGUAZU - all Canadian boats that we saw in Elizabeth City are anchored off the marina. Bob tried to bike over to the Boater's World and decided that it was too far, so just went to Publix and got some salt for the toilets (which use electricity to change NaCl into chlorine to treat waste).

As we walked out the gate to go to dinner, we met Charlie and Sandy coming in. Charlie was really tired because he's been driving for 3 days.

Nov 29- I've swum in the heated pool twice, but not used the spa. Bob has discovered that one of the dryers only requires 75 cents instead of $1.00.

Charlie took Bob to the marine store where he bought some new fenders to use in case the ones flattened in Isle of Palms never recover, and a new VHF radio in case our good one decides not to work again. I went over to the opposite dock and tried to take pictures of the boats back to back, but the pilings got in the way.

Sandy and Charlie took us over to the Beach today and we stood up in a little park and watched the breakers. Apparently they are still swimming there - the undertow from Olga isn't so bad today. There was a guy on the beach talking to another guy with a parrot on his arm. You had to watch out for cross traffic - cars. We also visited a pet store that had birds, and Sandy wanted to get a little female like Bernie, their bird.

Charlie and Sandy took us to an Italian restaurant in their truck. The space shuttle has been put off again.

Next stop: Titusville