"Two Trips Coming North to Daytona 2001 & 2002" Top 5 Page for this destination Daytona Beach Travelogue by grandmaR

Pelicans and other birds - Haulover Canal 2003

When we went through near Ponce Inlet the depth alarm went off a couple of times. There was a boat anchored in Rockhouse Creek.

I made lunch and brought it to Bob. A little later he asked if I had the teakettle on. He was hearing some birds that were flying across the bow whistling.

Seven Seas in 2003

We passed the 7 Seas Marina and noted that all the north docks were empty.

We got to Daytona Beach and were tied up by 2 pm after 48.1 miles at 6.8 mph for a total of 243 nm.

The marina (Halifax Harbor - which was on the Halifax River and was the municipal marina) gave us a T head tie up right in front of a little chlorox bottle type power boat from NC. The dock guy came around in a boat to take our money and help tie us up.

Keys from Halifax Harbor and in use

They gave us funny keys sort of like dog tags with an arrow on one side. To operate the gates you had to put the 'key' into a slot with the arrow facing you and turn a round flat knob. They told us that if we left during the day, we could drive the boat by the fuel dock and someone would hold a net out for us to drop them into!!! Fortunately we didn't have to try that, as we left about 6:30 and the security guard came to the boat for the keys. There is an internet connection near the bathrooms and there is cable TV.

There is still a West Marine on the property as advertised, but there are NO restaurants anywhere close (the ones in the West Marine buildings have closed), and the map they gave us which showed Rosarios (which was the closest off the property from where we were on C dock) was NOT where it was shown on the map. It was a long walk, and we went several blocks in the wrong direction.

The restaurant proved to be in a small B&B or 'historical' Inn (with several varieties of aluminum siding on the outside), and was Italian. The food was OK but a bit expensive. I had lasagna.

Memorial Bridge 2003

The bridge right next to the marina was restricted in opening and did not open during the rush hour. So that was why we left so early the next morning. Casting off was not a problem, and we went through the bridge before the openings were restricted. The next bridge of 4 was permanently open while they were building the second high fixed span. The third bridge was opening on request and the 4th one had already been replaced with a fixed bridge.

We saw a house next to the ICW where all the palm trees had purple(either paint or wound with fabric) up about 10 feet on the trunks. We are seeing more great blue and little blue herons and also some snowy egrets.

Ketch in Matanzas Inlet 2003

There is a large ketch from Montreal which has been behind us, but was slowly catching up to us. He was behind us yesterday, and must have stopped somewhere behind us, and he's behind us again, although he is slowly reeling us in. Four power boats went by him, and he was yawing and pitching wildly in his wake. They went by us too. We have the sail up to steady us though, and we don't pitch as much.

He eventually catches us, and we follow him through the Matanzas Inlet, and don't go aground although the alarm goes off a couple of times. The TowBoatUS guy that appears to be stationed here permanently is fishing from his boat. A boat with a round bow that looks like a little tug named CLOONFUSH passes us. It has a medallion figurehead lion on the front.

Next St. Augustine.

Fishermen near Haulover Canal

On Sat, we went to Daytona. Lots of fishermen anchored in or meandering about in the channel.

We went to Halifax Harbor again (this time on "I" dock nearer to things instead of isolated over on "C" dock), and met up with our friends Sandy and Charlie who were still in Caribbean Jacks.

They were originally going to go to Tampa St Pete area for the winter, but liked it in Daytona, and Sandy was able to take some classes that she needed to finish her degree, so she sold her cockatoo Bernie. They were off the boat so often that he was getting depressed.

They decided to put off going over to the Bahamas until May, and it would have been a problem to bring Bernie with them.

We had dinner with them at a Harley-Davidson biker restaurant called the Brickyard because it was Sat all the regular restaurants had long waits. It was very interesting and the food was good and priced attractively.

S/V RosalieAnn at Halifax Harbor

Charlie also took Bob to get the parts to make himself a splitter (50 amp to 30 amp). (These are excessively expensive to buy- $200).

The next morning, the bridges were not restricted, but we left early anyway to get to St. Augustine.