Anchors Away!

We awoke this morning to find 3 manatees feeding on the bank right beside the Archimedes.  Just kind of lets you know all is well with the world.  It's time today to leave the peaceful, serene manatees and head back to the waters filled with alligators as we embarq on an 800 mile shakedown cruise to Fort Walton Beach, FL.  The Power Up Energy Expo is being held beginning on March 18th and we would like to attend.

We departed Merritt Island yesterday approximately 10:15 am ... just after the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket by private space contractor SpaceX.  I was set and ready to record this launch but unfortunately it was too cloudy.

We liked the idea that we launched our shakedown cruise the same day NASA launches a rocket! Almost at the exact same time. We couldn't see it because of the clouds, but we could hear it just as we were casting off.

 

We set out to see just how far the solar powered electric motor would get us on such a cloudy day.
We stayed on electric until sunset which got us to the Melbourne causeway and then switched to the warp drive (diesel) and ran for a couple more hours.  It's amazing how fast 5.5 mph feels when you've been going 2-3 mph all day.  Although the boat will go 5 mph on solar when the sun is shining we found that with the thick cloud cover we could only maintain 2-3 mph.  This kind of info is all part of this shakedown cruise.    

While I was set and ready to film the launch earlier, I had taken my glasses off to man the camera better and had slid them into my jacket neckline.  Duh!  Don't do this while on a boat on the river!  We were on our way out of the marina when I realized I didn't have them!  This was my Oh Sh!t moment of the day.  I had just lost my glasses and I'm pretty much blind without them.  Carter immediately got on the phone and called a buddy of ours, Chuck (who comes to the marina often to do work) and asked him to go to our slip site to see if he could find them.  He did and I am ever so grateful to him!  We made arrangements to meet up with him at the Pineada Causeway and get them!  Chuck's my HERO!

Picked up my glasses and we are off again. 

Thanks again Chuck. Now we don't have to find an Eyeglass World on our way to Fort Walton Beach.

Our friend Chuck operates the Florida Charter Fishing Guide and you can find info at his website http://www.flafish.com

We had a pretty good day.  It was cold but there were some interesting sites.

A large group of kyacks and sups surrounded us!  :P

 This is what is left of Dragon Point at the southern most tip of Merritt Island

A little Brevard County trivia for you.

 

The Merritt Island, Florida Dragon (Dragon Point) - Landmark and site of local legends (protective talisman) - Built by reknowned sculptor and reputed warlock Lewis Vandercar in 1971 - Collapsed in 2002; plans to rebuild still being negotiated. - Provided protection to area for 30 years (Now worst hit by Hurricane Summer of 2004)

August 5, 2002 The dragon on the southern tip of Merritt Island collapsed into the Indian River Lagoon, after years of surviving hurricanes, vandalism and erosion. The 35-foot high, 65-foot long dragon named Annie has served as a Brevard County landmark for children and adults for more than 30 years. The dragon crumbled sometime last weekend into the point where the Banana River and Indian River lagoons meet. Warren McFadden, Dragon Point's owner since 1981, didn't know Annie was gone until a television reporter knocked on his door and told him. Annie, named after the first landowner's wife, had seen better days. The dragon was crafted from 20 tons of concrete and steel by sculptor Lewis VanDercar in 1971. When McFadden bought the property in 1981, he hired VanDercar to add a curling tail, elongate the neck and add a caveman, cavewoman and four hatchlings. They were named Joy, Sunshine, Charity and Freedom. The dragon once had working electricity to light tables, chairs, and stairs that led up to the nostrils. Looking out the nostrils, visitors could watch the sun rise and set. Parts of Annie now lay on the coquina rock that helped preserve it from waves. Most of the dragon is in the water. McFadden mostly blames vandals for the dragon's demise. Its position on the point made it susceptible to people wielding sledgehammers and spray cans. "We're in a new world today. I don't know what kick they get out of it," McFadden said. "It's very sad the world we live in today." McFadden said he bought Dragon Point because it is one of the few places in the world like it. McFadden moved to Brevard from Fort Lauderdale. "You could never replace that. VanDercar is dead," McFadden said. Although no one is sure when the dragon succumbed, Satellite Beach resident Ruth Blow said some people saw it Sunday. On Independence Day, smoke would come out of the dragon's nose and fire out of its mouth. "I'm glad I didn't see it fall into the water. I don't think I could have taken that," Blow said.

At 8:15, almost the end of the long day when we were just about to start looking for an anchorage we were located just south of Malabar when the engine suddenly lurched and we lost power. Oh, Shit, we were convinced the boat ride might over and we would be calling Sea Tow. Even checked to see if we were still close enough to get back to Banana River in one tow without paying extra. We dropped anchor and started looking for the problem.

Upon inspection of the engine room it appeared the BorgWarner tranny had crapped, then upon closer inspection the problem was isolated to the V-Drive which was turning on one end and not on the other. So the news was no better, either problems was sending us home and we were resigned to the idea that the trip had come to an abrupt and uncerfimoniou end after one day. But after a few deep breaths, Carter kept digging on the V-Drive, removed some covers to look at it closer and found the Woodruff key had worked out of the propshaft connection. Looked in the bilge and there it was. Picked it up, cleaned it off and slid it back in. Tightened the two Allen set screws that had loosed up and BAM!, we were on our way again. It was after 9 pm by then so we just steamed over to the closest spoils island and dropped the hook in its lee for the night.

One highlight was yet another gorgeous sunset on the Indian River in Melbourne, Florida.

 

We decided to have a little fun with our map and note our travel locations at the end of each day!  This should be interesting.