5 minute read
DESTINATIONS
by theensign
Journey of Florida’s east coast expands boater's mind and trip planner
BY MICHAEL L. KOHL
►Ever since November 2018, when my wife, Robin, and I passed by Amelia Island, Florida, without stopping, I have been trying to schedule a boat trip to Amelia Pushing hard, it’s a six-day trip each way; we don’t enjoy that kind of pushing. However, the opportunity finally presented itself in November 2021 after we moved a few appointments around.
Tuesday, Nov. 9: We slept on the boat in its slip to get an early start the next day.
Wednesday, Nov. 10: We cast off at 7 a.m. We took on 87 gallons of diesel at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin at 10 am Our fueling was delayed by their computer rebooting and updating We reached Franklin Lock before noon only to find that it would be closed for temporary repairs for an hour, so we dropped anchor to wait it out and have lunch We didn’t clear the lock until after 2:30 pm; it was a long hour!
Our initial plan was to make Moore Haven that day With the two delays we were running out of daylight, so we snagged a free slip in LaBelle for the night at 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 11: We departed LaBelle at 7:20 a.m., Ortona lock at 9 a.m., and Moore Haven lock at 11:15 a.m. A long train delayed us at the Port Mayaca lock, and we did not clear through until 3:40 pm Again, the delays cost us daylight, so we stopped at Indiantown for the night at 5 pm We took a long walk into town for some snacks for our next few days of travel.
Friday, Nov. 12: We departed Indiantown at 8 a.m. and cleared the St. Lucie lock at 9:50 a.m. to make Fort Pierce by 2:15 p.m. We took on 61 gallons of diesel and assembled the bikes. Since I left my East Coast Chartbook at home, I bought a new one. We toured Fort Pierce by bike and found it to be a delightful town Then we had dinner out
Saturday, Nov. 13: Leaving Fort Pierce at 8:30 am, we made it to Cocoa Village at 4 pm Walking the town, we found out where the best band would be playing that night We dined on the boat and returned to the George & Dragon English Tavern for great music and lots of dancing.
Sunday, Nov. 14: After departing Cocoa Village, we arrived at Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach at 3:30 p.m. My sister and brother-in-law took us to dinner and for some much-needed food shopping.
Monday, Nov. 15: Leaving Daytona Beach, we had an uneventful run to St Augustine, arriving at 2 p m We assembled the bikes and toured the city until it became too dark It was a lovely place, and we decided to stop there again on the way home.
Tuesday, Nov. 16: We departed St Augustine at 7:50 am and, with a bump or two, reached Fernandina Harbor Marina on Amelia Island at 2:30 pm We assembled the bikes again and did a ride around town and to the beach, ending with a good dinner at the Salty Pelican. We went for a long walk after dinner, exploring the side streets and finding the best ice cream. We did a week’s worth of laundry. The boat heat kicked in that night.
Wednesday, Nov. 17: Lay day. We hiked to the beach and the hardware store. After lunch, we explored Fort Clinch State Park. We biked to the dog treat bakery to make Sharky happy and then to a regular bakery. Altogether, we rode 29 miles. After dinner on the boat, we walked to town and listened to live music Tomorrow, the trip home would begin
Before this trip, I thought of Florida’s east coast as Miami, Fort Lauderdale and not much else This trip showed me many quaint, restored downtowns all along the Florida coast that are well worth a visit by boat We are planning another visit there soon. ■
About The Author
Michael Kohl received his first boat, an Old Town dinghy, at 8 years old and joined South Shore Power Squadron/3 as an apprentice in 1969, becoming a full member in 1970. He and his wife moved to Fort Myers, Florida, in 2018 and transferred to San Carlos Bay Sail & Power Squadron, where he serves as commander They travel up and down Florida’s coasts on their Albin 34.
