Ainulindale makes it to US

We made landfall at Fort Pierce, Florida.   The inlet current had us going 12 knots.  We had a good time in Fort Pierce as we got charts at a West Marine, grocery shopped at a real store. We had nice showers at the marina.   Stacey got a bike from the marina and went exploring.  So good for her.   I can't remember why we did not go but we didn't.  We stayed 2 nights.  Met a family next door who are getting ready to leave and we talked with them one night and shared our thoughts about heading south.  The high light was we got to have dinner with Jay and Ginny.   So good to see family.

Our next stop was Port Canaveral.   Another busy port this one with 5 cruise ships all jammed in there.   We got in around 3 pm and left for St Augustine at midnight.   It was a crazy rough departure in the night in the inlet but we made it out and on our way.  None of the space station towers were lit like they were on our way down.  On to St. Augustine.   Bridge of Lions here we come!!!

After finding our way through the channel, we picked up a mooring ball outside of the Bridge of Lions in St Augustine and had a bad night with the current banging the mooring ball into the hulls of the boat. We were extremely happy to find that Ryana had arrived there earlier in the day.  The next morning first thing we did was head for the marina.   We got fuel and then headed for our slip.  Much to my awful surprise the current was so strong I could not control the boat and Kirk had to take over.   We did a little bump into a piling but no harm done.   Scared the dickens out of me.  I felt so badly that I could not control the boat.  Another first and another lesson learned.   We had a good time with Ryana going to dinner, visiting a winery (it was awful) and just visiting.   Some friends we had made 2 years ago in the Bahamas, and also saw when they chartered a boat in the BVI's drove 1 1/2 hours to have dinner.   What a delight to see them and share dinner with Don and Susan.  Thanks Don and Susan for a fun night.   Sadly, we said goodbye to Stacey and she flew back to Seattle.   It was great to have her on the boat with us.

Here we are at San Sebastian Winery.   If you are ever in St. Augustine, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME in going.   The wine was horrible.  The place was pretty cool.   The tasting room was lined with the barrels as shown below.  Diana and Ryan are laughing at me making faces and in my quiet manner of giving my opinion of the wine.   We did get some good glasses and a wine aerator but no wine.  During the tour they talked about how good the wine was and the grapes and on and on.  Maybe I was just too let down.  Definitely not my kind of wine.  Matter of fact, no one liked it out of 4 people.   

The entrance to the Bridge of Lions.   One evening we walked over the bridge to the island and explored.  Problem was there was nothing that we wanted over there so we came back.  Was still a good walk and the view from the bridge was cool.

Ainulindale in her slip in St. Augustine.