The Blue View - Watching Out for Hurricanes

We've had a taste of three tropical storms during our sailing days – one in a marina and two at sea. When we were still chartering boats a few decades ago, we learned that the rates were significantly less if we rented a boat during hurricane season. I figured the odds of encountering a hurricane during the 10 days of each season we were chartering were pretty low. The odds caught up with us one year, however, when we took a direct hit from Hurricane Bertha in the British Virgin Islands. We hunkered down in a marina in Virgin Gorda, prepped and secured the boat as best we could, then sat through it. We watched coconuts fly through the air as though fired from a cannon, and had a brief “eye-of-the-storm” party before the second half of the storm assaulted us. It was only a Category 1 hurricane, and was more of an adventure than anything life threatening – especially since it was a chartered boat and not ours.

On Nine of Cups, we got chased down the Tasman Sea off the west coast of New Zealand by a cyclone one year, then got a taste of another cyclone between the Chatham Islands and the east coast New Zealand's north island another year. Neither was a direct hit, but both were certainly unpleasant. Both were out of the normal cyclone belts and weren't predicted until we were en route on passages. The first one caused some rough weather, but veered off before catching us. We caught the edge of the second one and suffered a knockdown and considerable damage from it.

We'd just as soon not have any more encounters with tropical storms, hurricanes or cyclones, especially at sea, and now, as we are heading north up the east coast of the U.S., we're paying close attention to what's brewing out there. Hurricane season didn't officially start until June 1, but Tropical Storm Bonnie beat the gun, hitting the Carolinas on May 29th. We had planned to depart St. Augustine right about then, but it wasn't a difficult decision to postpone our passage until she passed by.

It should be a 4-5 day passage to the Chesapeake, and if another tropical storm develops while we're en route, we should have enough notice to seek shelter. The forecasters usually provide that much warning these days, and you can be sure we'll be downloading weather advisories daily.

A Little Boat Work in St. Augustine

Though you think we've been doing nothing but playing, we have, indeed, managed to get a few things accomplished. After all, we live on a boat and we're in an exotic place and … well, you know how that goes; we've said it often enough. The list wasn't as long as it has been in the past … 26 to-do's of which 10 were on the A list and they've either been completed or are close to completion. David was able to have new hydraulic hoses fabricated shortly after we arrived and installed them immediately, so the engine … sans transmission oil leaks ... is ready to go. He also replaced the mast boot whipping, re-tensioned the aft port lifelines, replaced the seal on the forward head pump, re-caulked a couple of hatches and the stern portlights and replaced the lashing on the starboard goal posts (support posts for the wind gen). Whew!

I had masked all the saloon and aft cabin portlights for sanding and revarnishing while on passage, and, after replenishing our varnish supply at a local marine shop on one of our walking excursions about town, we've been diligently varnishing each morning in hopes of getting at least six fresh coats of varnish on the portlights before we depart. All the window coverings have been washed and are ready to be rehung whenever we finish the varnishing.

One problem we always encounter is that our boat projects tend to expand. For example, when prepping the stern portlights, I noticed the caulking needed to be redone. It went on David's list. And then, I decided the forward head hatch was looking a bit shabby, too, so I figured sanding it and slapping on some varnish would only take a a few minutes longer than doing just the portlights. Then David suggested that perhaps the railings on the companionway ladder could use some work along with the teak handhold in the galley.

He was right and we began sanding those. Unfortunately, sanding wasn't enough, but we were committed once we started. They required scraping and sanding which became a whole day affair to complete, not to mention the clean-up involved. Whoosh … there went the whole day.

We sometimes meet sailors who arrive in port and have nothing on their to-do lists. In fact, they don't have to-do lists at all and wonder why we have to dedicate so much time to maintaining Nine of Cups. True, we have more teak and stainless than a lot of boats and perhaps, because she's an older girl, like us, she needs more attention. Or, perhaps it's because the Captain is really not happy unless he's puttering around on his boat doing stuff. We're waiting for weather to begin our passage north and might as well use the time for something productive. Whatever … we've come to the conclusion that the Nine of Cups to-do list is eternal. It gets shorter and longer, but it will never go away.

Playing Tourist in St. Augustine

Before we headed out for our “tourist day” in St. Augustine, we took a look at Lonely Planet's top picks and then TripAdvisor.

They agreed on several sights to see although I was a bit perplexed that TA's #1 pick was the St. Augustine Distillery. We loaded our free MapsWithMe for the city and headed out mid-morning to play tourist. Tickets and boarding for the Red Train are just in front of the marina and since we were playing tourist, we rode the foolish-looking red train to get a feel for the town's sights. David assured me that disguises were unnecessary as no one would recognize or ever see us again.

There was no way we'd see everything in one day, but the tour included 20+ stops around town and would familiarize us with the city. The tour was interesting as the goofy red train wended its way through narrow streets and alleys and past all the tourist hotspots. The ongoing commentary was informational and we were provided with a good overview of places we might like to visit … and the ones we planned to avoid. Lightner Museum and Castillo de San Marcos … yes! Fountain of Youth and Wax Museum ... probably no. Although, you never know what will appeal to us on a given day.

Like many tourist destinations, we've noted that most everything in St. Augustine has a price tag. Some attractions are expensive, some moderate, but not many appeared to be free. Even the self-guided walking tour is a $4.95 download. Being on a budget, this made it imperative to select wisely those attractions we wanted to visit and encouraged me to check further for free things to do in the St. Augustine area. I'm sure there are several, I just need to find them.

The 1-1/2 hour tour seemed to last much longer because the train seats were hard and uncomfortable... despite my ample natural bum padding. After one trip around, we got off at the distillery because it was one of the few places that offered a free tour as well as tastings of their award-winning spirits … and we were hot and thirsty and it was #1 on TA's to-do list. The tour was interesting. The tastings were refreshing (vodka, gin and rum drinks). As good as they might be, however (and we're certainly not connoisseurs), the purchase of their “hand-made” spirits was way beyond of our budget (e.g. rum = $45/bottle). Another day we'd visit the San Sebastian Winery.

It seems St. Augustine is a city of “firsts” and “oldests”. There's the oldest wooden schoolhouse in America and the oldest street (Aviles Street) in America. St. Augustine is considered the “first port” in America. Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. The area is steeped in history and its Spanish roots are evident in everything from the architecture to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine taking its place across from the city plaza. At the end of the plaza stands the old slave market, now home to craftsmen.

Nearby, Ponce de Leon's statue stands proudly in its own little square across from the Bridge of Lions.

We wandered along historic Aviles Street relishing the feel of the brick-paving blocks beneath our feet and the care taken to preserve the historic feel of the city. This part of the city is called Old Town. We found an inviting little sidewalk cafe for lunch. Sitting at at an umbrella table, we relaxed and ate and took it all in. Restaurants, cafes, galleries, boutiques and antique shops abound and provide lots of eye candy for the casual, unhurried tourist. This city is absolutely charming.

We walked up the the Spanish Quarter and admired the old city gate, preserved and still standing opposite the fort. Its coquina pillars built in 1808 were a first line of defense for the Spanish against invaders.

Within the old Spanish Quarter, there are museums and shops ad infinitum. St. George Street is a pedestrian mall, crowded beyond belief on the weekends and a pleasant place to stroll on a weekday. We stopped for an iced coffee and enjoyed some people watching.

As we walked back towards the marina, we could hear the pleasant clip-clop of hooves as horse-drawn carriages shuttled tourists along the city's street towards the scenic waterfront.

We ended the day with a rousing 18 holes of mini-golf which we haven't played since the kids were in grade school. I'm obviously out of practice and lost by four strokes. David crowed and I sulked until he bought me a pint of beer (works every time!).

There are old cemeteries to explore, forts, alleys, narrow cobble-stoned streets, cathedrals and ivy-covered gates leading to secret gardens. We're just getting started and I know we won't have the chance to see it all, but we plan to give it a go.