Day's log for Sunday, August 5th, 2001 - St. Augustine, FL

0943 - raised anchor and got underway

1030 - passed through Bridge of Lyons

This bascule bridge opens on the half hour and hour rather than on demand. Still it's a beautiful bridge that I hope is never replaced with one of those high bridges. It's worth the wait to look at it's architecture.

1035 - dropped hook and dinghied ashore. I toured the old spanish section of town. This is the oldest town in the USA that was settled by colonists and still active. It's a really neat town. It has a European layout where I don't need a car to get anywhere.

1240 - raised anchor and got underway

1303 - passed SM 780

1359 - passed SM 785

1445 - passed through Crescent Beach Bridge

1501 - passed SM 790

At some point here I saw what looked like caves. I was passing through a section that had a lot of rocks.

1609 - passed SM 795

Old, no longer used channels sometimes appear on the ICW. I think I will try this out in the dinghy first and take soundings. It is not the place to fool around with risking going aground.

1710 - passed SM 800

1810 - passed SM 805

1905 - passed SM 810

1912 - docked in Flagler Beach, FL. I went ashore looking for someone who worked there or an open office to pay for my dockage. I did not see anyone and resolved to go looking in the morning. Around 2030 someone came knocking. He told me "I would let you leave early and look the other way but my boss interrupted me now and said I had to take care of you." I paid the $30 and took a receipt. As he wrote it out I told him that I would have made a best attempt to pay for the use of the dock. He told me about a guy in a trawler that must have been worth 250K who slipped out without paying - how pathetic. He also said he had been fired six times and asked back - and that he was on an hourly wage and wasn't getting paid for his time on Sunday night. Kind'a like something that happened to me recently. I expect to be treated honestly and paid for goods and services provided so I make sure to pay others likewise.

Above is a picture of an aluminum schooner that this guy built for himself over a four year period. He was actually looking to sell it. Over on the other dock was a sailboat that looked neglected. The hatch was left open and there was about 3 inches of water in the cabin. Quite often I see sailboats at anchor with about 2 inches of heavy algae, barnacles, and other growth. They must have been sitting there for years. Also occasionally I see a vessel kind'a like mine - made of steel and nicely decorated - but obviously in need of repair. It seems the owner bought more than he had time, energy, and money to deal with and can't sell it. That's why I don't want a vessel any bigger than what I have.