Visiting Steve And Dale

We left the ICW where it crosses the St. Johns River and then headed up the St. Johns toward Palatka, Florida, to visit Linda's sister, Dale, and her husband Steve. It was strange getting away from the cruising boats migrating south. We had been in company with these boats since Long Island Sound. We had the St. Johns to ourselves, other than a few fishing boats. The river goes through downtown Jacksonville. In Jacksonville, we had the Main Street Lift Bridge open for us. This is a landmark in Jacksonville. We worked our way to Green Cove Springs, about 40 miles up the river. This was as far as we could go, being limited by a 45' bridge just beyond the town. Steve and Dale live on a canal off the St. Johns about another 20 miles further up the river. We anchored out a couple of nights until the wind settled a little and then moved to the town dock. The town has some floating docks at the end of its fishing pier, but they are very exposed to wind and waves. We had not seen Steve and Dale's new home, but had seen the property they have been developing, which began with a seawall. They have a wonderful home, very much in the Florida lifestyle, which takes advantage of the warmer climate.

Norm developed a problem with a tooth that chipped a few weeks ago. It was a challenge to find a dentist who would see him on short notice, but when he finally found one and it worked out great. They understood his situation and accommodated him. They gave him a 25% discount, bringing the rate right in line with what we were charged when we were insured. We are spending a little more than a week here, with plans to leave Sunday to get down to Titusville for the scheduled December 6 Space Shuttle launch.

Day Sailing On The St. Johns