Some areas of the US East Coast's Intracoastal Waterway regualarly fill up with sand and silt from the small tributary creeks and rivers along its length. Certain sections are actually shallow rivers, themselves. This constant water action builds up sand bars, expands them, and sometimes even causes them to migrate from one point to another.…
[For my story of Days 1 through 3 along a section of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), go here.] Day 4: Left Alligator Pass about 2 hrs. before high tide in Fernandina Beach, 10 miles further north. Had trouble finding deep enough water on 1st try; 2d try was able to re-enter ICW and continue north.…
I figured poor GB could use a break after doing a very intensive 11 days of boat work on the hard in Green Cove Springs, Florida, during early January 2013. (That's him on the ground in pic on the right, painting the last of the bottom paint on the underside of the keel just before…
It stands to reason that when one leaves and returns to one's boat in Green Cove Springs, Florida, one departs and arrives via commercial aircraft at the nearest international airport in Jacksonville. If one chooses to stay in a mo-tel or ho-tel instead of aboard the boat, one's best accommodations are likewise in the Jacksonville/Orange…
Hope everyone rang in a very Happy New Year. We celebrated 1/1 aboard The Fox and underway.
Charting errors can occur anywhere. There's a running joke among cruisers along Mexico's Pacific coast, about how the charts in certain areas – most recently surveyed in the 1860s by a US Naval vessel – are some 5 miles off. Everybody takes pictures of their chart plotters showing that their boat is on land, when…
Gallant Fox is celebrating the Solstice Season afloat on a mooring in St. Augustine, Florida. We're set to head further south along the dread Intracoastal Waterway tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, we're enjoying the town's onshore Christmas light display, and the surprise arrival of 2 reproduction pirate-style galleons – one has functioning sails, even. The waterfront is…
Green Cove Springs isn't all about boat yards and marinas. A few decades ago when the Navy had a presence here, I imagine it was a thriving community with all kinds of businesses along the main highway through town. When the Navy left, so did most of the jobs. Like other small cities and towns…
Thinking of hauling your boat at Green Cove Springs Marina? Here are a few factoids to consider. To reduce the potential of surprise when you show up there. Green Cove Springs is located about 35 miles south of Jacksonville, Florida, on the west side of the St. Johns River. To get there, a boat must…
We left Latin America for the US East Coast in May 2011 because The Fox was almost 10 years old then and was due for a refit. We were looking for a reasonably-priced boat yard with convenient access to the metric farkload of boat parts we needed, which ideally could also offer long term dry…