St. Johns River Cruise Reports: (rivertrp.htm)

Trip Report:

With permission from the author, I am posting this very thorough and well done Cruise Report describing the cruise of the Gambier, with Jim and Hazel Cunningham as reported by Ed Wagner.

ST. JOHNS RIVER CRUISE

16 - 29 APRIL 2001


16-18 April Capt. Jim Cunningham and his wife, Hazel,
left home aboard Gambier dock at 0820 hrs and headed
north along the FL coast to Melbourne Harbor. The next
day, in the ICW, they made it to Palm Coast, fueled and
stopped for the night. On 18 April, still in the ICW,
Gambier made it to Jacksonville, to Lamb's Yacht
Center, on the Ortega River. Total distance from home
to marina in Jacksonville -- 342 NM.

19 April Thursday: After one hour and five minute
flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Jacksonville, I arrived
at Gambier at 1610 hrs after stopping at nearby Huckins
boat building yard and viewing boats under construction
and boarding one, with several custom features, that
was two years old and in pristine condition. Skies were
clear and temp was about 72 degrees F. Water in Ortega
and St. John River is brackish in this area. Lambs
Yacht Center is all concrete covered slips and filled,
except for the face dock on the River, where we are
tied up near two other boats. The marina has many
older, but extremely well maintained, Huckins, some of
wood hulls. I invited two owners of boats in the
marina, whom we had just met and talked with, to see
Gambier. One of them told us about points of interest
and restaurants on the River, which we marked on the
charts. In the car Jim had rented earlier in the day we
drove a short distance to dinner, which a local sport
fishing captain had recommended. It proved to be
mediocre in quality and taste. Hundreds of seagulls, in
their reported mating season, were centered over the
marina, making a hellava racket until after sunset.
They were shitting all over the boat, which made Capt.
Jim very unhappy and somewhat concentrated his
attention and conversation. Cool at sunset.

20 April Friday: Clear skies at 0705 hrs with light
wind. A thin to moderate haze covered Jacksonville's
distant skyline. Several glass enclosed office tower
buildings were sharply reflecting the sunrise. About
two hundred yards to our N-NE, very near the juncture
of the Ortega and St. Johns rivers, is a highly
trafficked Amtrak passenger and freight rail line and
an equally busy, automatic, low (two feet above the
water) bascule bridge. Tidal here.


Page 2

After Jim returned the rental car and picked up two
newspapers (front page story re first commercial
shipment from U.S. to Cuba), and after breakfast, we
left the marina at 1040 hrs and headed south, down the
flat, calm St. Johns River, one of the few U.S. rivers
that flows north. Our destination was a mud bottom
anchorage at Colee Cove, just below Sixmile (sic)
Creek, on the east side of the River.

The Ortega River Bridge, built in the 1920' and slow to
operate, just NE of the marina and the RR bridge, is
the busiest drawbridge in FL, over 15,000 openings a
year. Jim called the bridge tender on the VHF and it
opened, slowly, right away; we did not have to slow
down to pass through the narrow opening. We proceeded
south in St. Johns River at 8 K, near idle speed,
burning total of 8 gph, plus 1.5+ for the generator. I
like that!

On both shores each home, it seemed, had a covered
dock, some plain and other quite elaborate. About 3 NM
south of the junction of the Ortega and St. Johns
rivers, on the west shore, is the large and very active
Jacksonville Naval Air Station. Large homes and a few
large condo buildings on large lots are near both
shores N of the Air Station. Crab pots were everywhere
in this part of the St. Johns. We had a S 10 K wind,
creating infrequent and low whitecaps on top of less
than 1 foot waves. We passed under the 65 feet
clearance Buckman Bridge at 1145 hrs. Just S of the
bridge the continuing S wind picked up to about 15K and
the whitecaps increased on top of 1.5 - 2 feet seas.
To get the bow a little higher Jim increased the rpm to
1,000 and the speed increased to 9.7 K, then burning a
total of 10 gals/hr plus the generator.

In this area the large homes were less frequent and
others were somewhat smaller, their covered docks a bit
plainer. The homes' architectures were greatly varied,
some modern and some New Englandish, not the all too
common, almost universal, Mediterranean style in so
many developments in S FL. And more of the shorelines
became solidly wooded for long stretches. No palm trees
throughout the area.

At 1310 hr we passed Green Cove Springs on the west
shore -- an old Navy yard that has become a commercial
facility. Salties, other large ships and large barges
were docked along the long bulkheaded and docks. One
barge

Page 3

was huge -- long and beamy, the largest I have ever
seen. A pleasure boat marina was on the south end of
the complex. It appeared to be a busy facility.

A magnificent day -- sunny, in low 80's with sort of
widely scattered cumulus clouds.

We passed under Shands Bridge, with a 45 feet fixed
clearance, at 1325 hrs, at high tide. From here south
we could expect only smaller, short sticked sailboats
because of the bridge clearance. We changed our
anchoring location about one mile N, to Palmo Cove
from Colee Cove, dropping and setting the hook at 1350
hrs. The water was a deep brown, full of tannic acid.
Modest houses, some with almost ramshackle dock houses,
lined almost all of the southern shore of the Cove with
only trees along the northern shore. Sixmile Creek was
immediately E. Distance traveled today was 27 NM.

Jim launched the dinghy and we explored the River area
and creeks to the N and NW, including the old Navy yard
docks, marina, ships and barges at Glen Cove Springs.
The Navy-built piers were several thousand feet long
and tied to them were a few poorly maintained yachts
and a number of derelict boats, some badly rusting,
including an old, old tug that was not only very badly
rusted, but more than half sunken, its fifteen or so
feet round steam (coal or oil fueled) exhaust funnel
near its stern barely out of the water. The large barge
we saw earlier had a deep and high V built into its
stern, to accommodate a large, high pusher. It was at
least 400 feet long and its deck was more than fifty
feet above its waterline. On its deck was deeply rusted
and heavy duty dredging equipment, including an
estimated eight feet diameter pipes, and several fixed
mammoth cranes. It had bow and stern thrusters,
partially submerged, maybe ten or more feet in
diameter. A sign above the pilothouse door indicated
ownership by Great Lakes Dock and Dredge Corp. The
welded draft markings (not true Plimsoll lines) in
feet, on its aft starboard side, were to 30 feet. I do
not recall ever seeing any barge, self-propelled or
otherwise, this large, even those that transported huge
drilling rigs for the oil drilling country in
Louisiana's southern bayous. A 150-170 feet yacht was
dry docked near one of the pier heads with repair work
underway.

Page 4

We also went up Sixmile Creek to check out Outback Crab
Shack, which was recommended by the men who came aboard
at Lamb's. The restaurant boasts 1,500 feet of dockage,
all floating docks. We may or may not return for
dinner; the aroma in the "dining room" did not
favorably impress me -- too much of a fried food smell.

Instead of Outback Crab Shack for dinner, we went to
Barnacle Bills, a shorter distance up Trout Creek, on
the N shore, off our port beam, with better food -- not
great, but certainly a better aroma in the restaurant.
After we returned to Gambier a small boat that came out
of Sixmile Creek approached and come very nearby to
look. (Before we left for dinner I had asked Jim to
turn on every exterior light, except the two spotlights
over the pilothouse, to make as certain as possible
that anyone, no matter how drunk when leaving any
restaurant or bar after sunset, would see Gambier
anchored in the Cove. The lights were left on all
night.)

21 April Saturday: Clear sky and no wind at 0640 hrs at
our anchorage in Palmo Cove -- a dead, flat calm, both
wind and water. Jim reported seeing 5 otters swimming
near the boat while I was doing my morning's ablution.
Fisher-men in their camouflaged and brightly painted
skiffs were out before sunrise and increased in numbers
as the sun rose over the all tree-lined horizon. This
was a scenic, peaceful anchorage.

Today's destination was Palatka, an old river town that
had once been the capital of Florida, 50 highway miles
S of Jacksonville and an estimated 25 meandering River
miles S of our anchorage. After a late and leisurely
breakfast we weighed anchor, which had only a little
mud on it, and got underway at 1005 hrs, took up and
continued our southerly heading in the River and kept a
close watch on the chart screen and depthsounder for
depths. A light SE wind, creating a short chop, came up
just before we got underway, but soon increased to
15-20 K and seas increased to 1-2 feet with a few
short-lived whitecaps. It later went to less than 10 K.
The River was well marked, including range markers,
because, we surmised, of commercial traffic. Only
widely scattered houses, almost all with long docks and
boathouses, on both shorelines of the River, S of last
night's anchorage.



Page 5

Frustrated hardly describes my reaction: I have been
unable to connect to the Internet via the portable cell
phone since arriving at the boat on Thursday, except
two times. I had dialed the telephone number in Ft.
Lauderdale more than 50 times, and except for the two
times it connected, the Mediaone dialup screen showed
"Dialing" for about 55 seconds and then "Diconnecting."
I called Sprint yesterday and spent more than 1.5 hour
with various technicians to check out the cell phone
operations. All tests were OK. I then called Mediaone's
tech department this morning and, after more than half
an hour talking with 3 techs, finally got a new number
to dial, but, after more than 20 attempts at
connecting, it did not work either. I was at the edge
of surrendering. The wonders of modern technology! When
will it work? Ever? Reliably?

Our speed today, as yesterday, was in the neighborhood
of 8 K at 915 rpm and 8 gph for both engines plus 2 gph
(max) for the generator. At 1150 hrs we passed a
nuclear power generating plant on our starboard beam,
on the W side of the River and several miles inland,
directly W of Forrester Point, 4 miles N of Palatka
Bridge and about 8 miles N of Palatka, at
29-44.80/81-33.35 -- 2 cooling towers and 2 white steam
emitting stacks.

Note: If current reports that project future electrical
power consumption needs are near accurate, many more
nuclear, petroleum and fossil fueled power generating
plants will have to be built, beginning soon. That no
doubt will require a relaxation of current EPA and
other requirements. Ought we to expect pitched, lengthy
battles between government agencies and
environmentalists in the courts and elsewhere?

Crab pot markers for blue crabs are scattered on the
River; several crabbers and their helpers in their
almost universal uniform of yellow slicker pants with
suspenders and checked shirts were running their pots
this morning. Very scenic and quiet on the wide, but
dangerously shoal lined River channel.

Palatka, with its high paper mill plant, came into view
at 1207 hrs, 6 NM distant, around the tip of Whetstone
Point, and then disappeared around another point as we
wove around the twisting River in the deeper channel.

Page 6

We maneuvered as best we could, giving them the widest
possible berth, through a tacking 7 sailboat racing
fleet -- the smallest was a 22 feet, Page 6
trailerable, ¾ rig and the biggest was a Cape Dory 30,
just off Whetstone Point. As we approached Palatka from
the N, around a gentle bend, we ran several short, well
marked and unusually complicated deep water ranges, but
without any intermittent channel markers. At the
southern end of the ranges the high level Palatka
Bridge came into view, 3 NM distant.

The docks at the Holiday Inn were filled -- it would
not make dock reservations. Close to the S, we passed
under the bridge at 1300 hrs and immediately to
starboard was the empty city dock. Some sort of
activity was taking place on the downtown shoreline --
motorcycles, American, Confederate and POW flags flying
everywhere, black Harley shirted and vested men and
women wearing black boots, and others (regular
civilians) were milling about the trailer and tented
concessions. To put some distance between us and the
activities on shore, we tried to anchor just off the
city dock, but the mud bottom would not hold us -- the
bottom had to be about the consistency of applesauce.
We moved to the N and E side of the bridge, opposite
the Holiday Inn, with 3.6 feet under the hull, and were
able to get what seemed like a fair anchor set. Wind
speed was a little over 10 K from the E-NE. We kept a
close watch on our anchored position for about an hour,
taking bearings from several landmarks and a red crab
pot marker. We seemed to be OK -- until maybe 0300 hrs
when we could begin to drift and we are suddenly
awakened by a thump! But Jim and I agreed that we would
not be swinging if the anchor were not set.

At the eastern end of the Palatka Bridge were two
sculptings, each of a WW I soldier (were able to
discern from shape of the helmets), one with the right
arm in a hailing gesture and the other, on the S side,
with his hands alongside his body. Houses on E side of
the River were substantial with well-maintained and
deep rear lawns. Most had dock with dock houses.

Jim rode the dinghy across the River to the Holiday Inn
to check the docks and get fuel for the dinghy. He
reported all the boats, except one, was a "tobacco
road." The only boat seemingly capable of moving was a
Bayliner, festooned with all manner and sorts of Coast
Guard Auxiliary flags and emblems, including a
windsock. People on board this and other boats were
drinking and partying. Is this country -- real redneck
country?
Page 7

Soon after 1500 hrs we took the dinghy ashore, through
the bridge, docking at the launch ramp S of downtown
and walked into town, past the hundreds of motorcycles
parked on the street, some of them decorated very
elaborately. Half of the storefronts on the main street
were vacant with only a few people on the sidewalks --
in short, a dead town on a Saturday afternoon and
probably during any weekday as well. We walked to the
nearby Holiday Inn and on its docks. The cruisers and
partying people were all on a weekend cruise from
Astor, 25 miles S of Palatka. Jim returned to the
dinghy and brought it to the Inn's docks, we had a
drink at the bar and then returned to Gambier at 1730
hrs. Dinner on board -- salad, grilled hamburgers and
baked beans. The anchor was holding well.

22 April Sunday: Another beautiful morning -- sunny and
clear skies with light E wind; just a slight ripple on
the water. Got up late this morning after a very sound
sleep.

Note: I neglected to mention in remarks about the
dinghy tour of the old Navy piers (mainly a "boat
graveyard") on Friday afternoon on 20 April: At one
point we passed nearby an old and abandoned blue
hulled, netless fishing trawler, its windows broken,
deck hatches open and two outriggers, upright. The boat
was the only one on the long wood deck pier with large
concrete pilings under. Not until an osprey began
screeching did I notice the large, stick nest on top of
the flat roofed pilothouse. The bird flew off the nest
and hovered directly over us, stationary, maybe thirty
feet above, screeching loudly and without pause, until
we were some distance away, when it returned to its
nest, still screeching.

It was strangely silent on the peaceful water at
Friday's anchorage and again last night at our
anchorage on the River at Palatka -- no loudly
squawking seagulls as at Lamb's marina in Jacksonville.
The only birds I have noticed over the past two days on
the River have been soaring buzzards, one blue heron
(my first sighting) and the ubiquitous white herons,
all feeding in large patches of hyacinth and along the
edges of sea grass along the shores of coves and
creeks.



Page 8

Today's destination was Astor, through and south of
Lake George, about another 25 miles S from Palatka on
the narrowing, but still well marked channels, wide and
tidal, comfortably calm, increasingly twisting and
meandering St. Johns River. Weighed anchor at 1005 hrs
-- Jim had to cut loose a large tangle of fishing line
with small attached weights and a snared 7 Up bottle
from the chain and to remove a huge clump of mud from
the anchor. An active osprey nest was perched on top of
the jetty at the S end of the Palatka Bridge. Just S of
Palatka was "Devils Elbow," a multiple, sharply bending
section of the River, where, in East Palatka, around
one bend, was a one of a kind Burger King, with a
multiple boat dock and a large deck with picnic tables.
Everyone in passing, small outboard boats and sailboats
stared at us, probably because Gambier was the largest
boat seen in these waters in a long time. In late
morning the partying boats we saw tied up at the
Holiday Inn's dock yesterday speeded past us, heading S
and to home. Several crabbers were running their multi
colored buoyed cages and fishermen in their flats boats
were casting and trolling along the all wooded western
shore. Widely scattered and clusters of houses on the
eastern shore were far more modest than we saw S of
Jacksonville, but none in poor or bad repair.

Since leaving our anchorage we traveled at near 8 K
over the ground (DGPS) and 8.7 +/- on the B&G speedo on
an outgoing tide (this far south!), at 945 rpm, except
at dead slow idle when passing the few small marinas,
fishing boats and people swimming near and walking on
partially exposed River shoals.

At 1100 hrs we passed Rat Island (29-35.45/81-37.60) to
our port, many of whose shoreline trees were festooned
with long clusters of hanging moss. The water in this
area was still a deep brown and brackish. At 1125 hrs
we passed through the rusting, open Buffalo Bluff
bascule RR bridge, whose red life-jacketed tender was
standing outside his control hut, hands in pockets.
Soon we passed a barely observable red channel marker
triangle -- its number obscured by a larger than usual
mounded osprey's nest with the tell tale white head and
sternly focused brown eyes staring intently at us over
the top. Indeed, almost every channel marker, whether
lighted or not, provided a nesting platform for
ospreys. At one nest, which also covered almost all of
a


Page 9

Very few pine trees along the shorelines, but frequent
Confederate flags. We
often had to slow to dead idle to pass small, docked
boats and those in lifts, but barely out of the water,
as we approached passed through the denser populated
and nearly adjoining areas of Grand View Grove,
Seminole Grove and Welaka (just N of Little Lake
George), the latter 77 miles S of Jacksonville and 67
miles N of Sanford (info from sign at "The Original
Sportsman's Lodge in Welaka). Sanford, our destination
on Tuesday, 23 April, will be our southernmost point on
the River -- one channel S of there has only 3 charted
feet, too little water for Gambier to proceed any
further S. N of Grand View Grove we passed a white crab
pot buoy with a small tree growing out of it --another
first. Then we saw another first -- long hanging moss
that was dangling from an active osprey's nest on a
channel marker.

We entered the long and mostly wide Little Lake George
at 1245 hrs. At Jenerson Point, opposite Ft. Gates
(with a richly and elaborately festooned, old frame,
steeply pitched roofed Victorian house near the western
shore), both on Little Lake George's shorelines, was a
car ferry: The last highway bridge we passed under was
at Palatka, about 20 miles N; the next highway bridge
was to take traffic on SR 46 over the River in Astor,
15 miles further S. Near the S end and eastern shore of
Little Lake George was a nearly solid line of houses
with covered and uncovered docks, 2 fish camps, small
marinas and boat ramps. At 1340 hrs we left Little Lake
George and immediately entered the N end of the much
larger Lake George, at Lake George Point, narrower (5.5
- 6 miles wide) than Lake Okeechobee, but more
consistently deeper (10-11 feet almost to the
shorelines) and more frequently marked -- 11 miles from
N to S. Astor is an estimated 6 miles S of the S end of
Lake George, in a very narrow section of St. Johns
River. We sped up to 17 K in the Lake; the dinghy towed
comfortably and tracked smoothly in Gambier's steep V
wake.

Once we entered the River at the S side of the Lake,
passing through a short fendered section with exposed
flats and sea grass on both sides of the channel, it
was almost idle and idle speed to Astor. The boys down
here do like to go fast in their brightly metallically
painted, big outboard powered
speedboats, disregarding their wakes, the small fishing
boats near the densely tree lined shores and the
manatee protection and speed control signs. Houses
along the eastern shore are small shacks or next to
shacks with

Page 10

many old cars and pick up trucks parked in the
unlandscaped yards. More rednecks? Sure seems so,
especially when we saw beer can carrying, skinny
shirtless and fat men, wearing camouflage colored T
shirts and caps and Levis-like blue coveralls and straw
hats, and overweight women in all too undersized swim
gear, shorts and tops. As we got closer to town the
houses became larger, they and the docks were far
better maintained, and the vehicles were much newer.

The first commercial traffic we have seen since leaving
the Jacksonville area --at 1500 hrs, we met a fast
moving N bound large fuel barge and tug, the high
riding barge almost as beamy as the Astor Bascule
Bridge's opening span. We took advantage of the same
bridge opening -- fortuitous timing. Immediately south
of the bridge, maybe, at most, 75 feet to starboard,
was Blackwater Inn, where Jim maneuvered Gambier into
the short pier dock, putting her bow almost into the
mud bank, directly in front of and only a few feet
distant from the all glass walled dining room. The dock
was in a no wake zone because of the bridge. Everyone,
it appeared, in the almost full dining room, including
serving staff, stopped looking at menus, eating or
taking orders and serving -- just staring at Gambier as
Jim docked her. (Staring seems to be quite common in
these here parts.) By 1510 hrs, with the help of the
Inn's owner and one of his staff, we were tied up. The
owner told Jim that Gambier was the biggest boat he had
ever had at his dock and left to find a camera. Astor,
apparently, judging by the sign on the Inn, was earlier
known as William's Landing.

Six children, in grades 3-5, I learned, were standing
alongside and looking at Gambier when I walked down the
ladder onto the short dock -- half the length of
Gambier. After chatting with them for a few minutes
about school and their grades, soon answering more
questions than I was able to ask, I managed to ask if
they would like to see Gambier. "Yes, yes!! Could we?"
They quickly boarded and soon after, their 6 parents
came by and asked if I had seen any children. I told
them I had hijacked them. "Oh, thank you," one mother
said. They also went on board. All thanked me
repeatedly and profusely, especially the one little
girl. The 2 husbands/fathers were most impressed by the
engine room's size and cleanliness. They had stopped at
the Inn for Sunday afternoon dinner on their way home
from a soccer game somewhere near Jacksonville. Nice
people, well spoken, all.

Page 11

Dinner at Blackwater Inn -- duck with good orange
sauce. The dining room was almost empty by 2000 hrs.

23 April Monday: At Astor -- Sunny, cloudless sky and
chilly at 0700 hrs; steam was coming off the River
water. No wind was apparent; flags were just hanging
limp. But still no rain; the water shortage and
unenforced rationing in S FL are affecting N FL about
the same. A huge heron was standing motionless on a
nearby piling. It was at least 3 feet high, had a ten
inch beak with a black body and eye stripe and buff
colored neck and wings and same colored long feathers
from about mid neck to a few inches below its breast.
When it finally flew its wingspan had to be every bit
of six feet, and maybe more -- a beautiful bird.

Note: Astor is allegedly named after John Jacob Astor,
who was supposed to have founded the town and visited
during winters. His wife did not like the town or the
area and did join him on his visits. She finally
"persuaded" her husband to stop coming. The hostess at
Blackwater Inn who last evening told me the story
wondered if John might not have had a local girlfriend
and his wife found out.

Astor is not really a town -- only a small food market,
a hair dresser and barber and several boat dealers and
outboard engine repair shops.

Live entertainment, beginning about 0800 hrs -- a
barge, at least 100 feet long, whose crew had been
working on the N and W section of the nearby highway
(SR 46) bridge, moved through the open bascule bridge
to the S side, turned around and was positioned in the
navigation channel, just a few feet from the W fender
and only a few feet from directly under the bridge's
opening span. The brakes for the barge were two long
spuds, which the crane operator dropped the first one
just before the barge hit the wood fender. The
repositioning exercise was over in 10 minutes.

Today's destination was Sanford, another 25 or so miles
S in the St. Johns River and then into Lake Monroe,
where Sanford is on the W shore -- approximately 30
highway miles N of Orlando. The southern shoreline of
the Lake was far too shoal for Gambier or for any boat
or barge with over 2


Page 12

feet draft. This destination, then, was the southern
most point on the River for us and our turn around
point.

After breakfast, another boat tour (this one for two
men who earlier were on the dock and offered and then
did drive to a convenience store for newspapers), a
hose down to remove dead mosquitoes from the decks, and
taking on water (do not want to use the watermaker in
the brackish River water), we left the dock in Astor at
1015 hrs and continued S in the sometimes very narrow
and tightly twisting River, and still well marked (most
markers are lighted), lined with large, thick, gray,
long hanging patches of moss on both dead and leafy,
dense shoreline trees. Jim talked to the bridge tender
and was told that on our return he needed a 3 hour
notice for the repair barge to move and the bridge to
open. The bridge tender gave Jim a telephone number to
call.

Tug captains have to be very watchful and skilled to
push the large fuel barges (to supply the power
generating pant at Enterprise, FL across Lake Monroe
from Sanford) up and down this section of the River,
especially and all the more so at night. (Last night I
was awakened twice, once at 0110 hrs and another at
0420 hrs by the nearby bridge's signal horns for
opening and closing for fuel barges.) Few fishing or
other boats were on the water this mostly sunny and
warming, but very comfortable, morning, until about
1100 hrs, when drifting fishing (most on the edges of
large areas of hyacinth) and speeding small boats
became more frequent.

At 1105 hrs, at R "8," we entered the NW corner of Lake
Dexter and then quickly reentered the narrow and
sometimes sharply twisting River, where the hyacinth
had grown in long, almost continuous thick and deep
sections, alongside the channel, blocking the entrances
to the many creeks and the small lakes (i.e., Stagger
Mud Lake, Adams Lake, Lee Lake, Horseshoe Mud Lake, and
Twin Lakes, Page 71 of BBA Region 7 Chartbook) off the
River. Ospreys in flight and their nests on top of dead
trees on the Riverbanks, with one of the pair's birds
sitting on the eggs, were almost common sights. This
part of the River was totally undisturbed, primitive




Page 13

nature. Even Gambier's engines, at just above idle
speed, seemed to respect the quiet.

Saw a second Blue Heron -- a beautiful bird -- land in
the hyacinth, just S of R "32." Very rarely see a palm
tree, even when used for landscaping. Spotted an
alligator, our first, maybe 6 feet or more long,
swimming across the River. As we approached it and it
came near the shore, it submerged and disappeared in
the brown water.

At 1205 hrs we passed Crows Bluff, whose river's edge
small marina docks were filled with almost all
houseboats and a boat yard with small outboard boats
and house trailers, and then, a short distance, a state
park with20 or more people sitting on the wall, fishing
rods in hand. Immediately we passed under the quickly
responsive center opening bascule bridge, on the S side
of which was another small boat marina ("Pier 44") with
mostly houseboats in the docks and a filled dry stack
building for small boats. A short distance south was
Hontoon Landing, on our port side, a fairly sizeable
residential community with two large marinas, each with
many pontoon and house boats and motel-like "resort"
rooms for rent. Then, soon, Blue Spring Landing, a very
small settlement with a small houseboat marina. In this
section of the River the hyacinth is sparser, but not
the solitary or clustered fishing and rented pontoon
and houseboats (large owners' signs on their side
railings) for which we slowed frequently to dead idle
to pass with as little wake as possible.

Another blue heron, in flight, low and just off our
bow, crossing the river -- seemed much bigger than when
standing, maybe because of its long legs that trailed
behind its tail feathers. From R "84" S until we were a
short distance N of the entrance into Lake Monroe the
River became very twisty with a number of sharp bends.
At 1325 hrs we passed Coxetters Bend (correct
spelling!) and a very short distance beyond High Banks,
each with small and mobile homes, their own docks, some
with high decks, and small marinas with launch ramps.
Manatee caution signs were everywhere, almost as common
as the increasing number of cypress and palm trees.
Then another blue heron flew and coasted across the
River, low and a short distance ahead of us. As we
rounded one bend we spotted the tops of the power
generating plant red- and white-banded stacks in
Enterprise.




Page 14

Saw the first bald eagles -- 2 adults -- with their
distinctive white heads and tails and long wing
spreads, swooping and diving on (playing with?) each
other, just S of G "111."

Just as we came up to G "113," about one mile N of Lake
Monroe, we approached the stern of the two level cruise
boat whose home base is the same marina we docked,
Monroe Harbor Marina, in Sanford. We followed at idle
speed to take advantage of the same RR bridge opening.
Because of repair work on the RR bridge, we had to wait
five or so minutes for it to open, at 1412 hrs. We then
passed under 2 high clearance highway bridges and
immediately entered expansive and shoal Lake Monroe (7
feet max depth outside of marked channel into
Sanford). We were finally able to pass the beamy
"Romance," the cruise boat, at R "4," whose passengers
on deck were no less than 65 YO, which was at idle
speed, in the narrow -- maybe 50 feet wide -- channel.
Jim called the marina and we were expected. We angled
slightly to starboard at R "8" and proceeded in the
amply marked but very shoal channel (zero feet showing
on one depth sounder) and into the marina, where we
docked at 1505 hrs. After securing the dinghy to
another dock, Jim had difficulty docking Gambier, even
with the bow thruster, because of the short distance
and steep angle of the slip in relation to the only
turn around area for Gambier and to another boat off
our bow that was tied alongside a perpendicular dock
and close by. But Jim got her in and secured. This
marina is not designed for a 65 feet boat, maybe not
even 50 feet. Next was the all too common and
exasperating challenge of finding a shore power outlet
that worked: First one was tried and then another and
another, finally finding one. For the first time since
leaving Lamb's marina in Jacksonville, 4 days ago, the
generators were shut down. We still had nominally
between half and ¾ fuel in the tanks. The site gauges
showed 700 gals in the tanks -- we had burned 350 gals,
including generators, since refueling in Jacksonville.
Dockage fee was based on length of the slip, not boat
length!

A four feet high or taller blue heron landed on the
dock ahead of us, its long beak almost straight up.
Ballet dancers cannot be as graceful as a walking

Page 15

heron, blue or otherwise. Three pairs of pigeons were
dancing, beaks touching, and mating on top of the wood
break-wall off our port bow.
From the Lake, about a half mile offshore, Sanford
appeared to be a rather substantial small city, with an
eight-story building that appeared to be a hospital or
apartment building and a five- or 6 story office
building -- the only hi rise buildings.

The ramps from the floating marina docks to shore are
steep, almost 45 degrees, because of the low water
level in Lake Monroe, as it is throughout the area.

A retired couple from Miami, who have been living on
their boat that is docked just astern, have been at the
Monroe Harbor Marina for 4 months and are soon heading
to the Chesapeake for the summer, told us there were no
good restaurant in Sanford, not even "Wolfy's," a
stone's throw from our bow, which was, they said, a
bikers' hangout, with grouper the only barely edible
menu item. I invited them and a visitor to their boat,
an owner of a nearby boat, to Gambier for drinks. We
then had dinner on board.

Total distance of cruise to date, from home dock: 487
NM. Doubling this distance for the entire cruise and
adding to total distance of all cruises since taking
delivery of Gambier in latter August, 1999, the grand
total is somewhere over 15,000 NM.

24 April Tuesday: In Sanford, FL, at Monroe Harbor
Marina on Lake Monroe -- clear skies again with no
wind at 0700 hrs. The big question today: To stay in
Sanford for the day or to begin our return to
Jacksonville? We decided to leave today and to head N,
to anchor this afternoon on Lake George and to explore
the clear water at Silver Glen Spring Run, off the W
side of the Lake. Yet another first sighting: in the
marina, an anhinga, a thick bodied, long and thin
necked fish eating bird (long, tan, spear-like beak)
with a medium tan head and chest, black lower body and
two long tail feathers -- almost ugly -- one of them
sitting for a long time on the rail of a nearby boat.
When the bird walked, it crouched and waddled more than
a duck.




Page 16

After breakfast and Jim's and Hazel's trip to a food
market, courtesy of the liveaboards astern of us, who
loaned their old pick up truck, and after refueling and
loading the dinghy, we left the marina at 1115 hrs with
the same great care in maneuvering out of the slip as
into it yesterday and then, with a very sharp turn,
between the two, slightly overlapping and slatted wood
breakwalls. We proceeded N in Lake Monroe's narrow
channel and again into St. Johns River to our day's
destination, ETA 1630 hrs.

At 1130 hrs Jim telephoned the bridge tender in Astor
to tell him we would arrive at 1600 hrs. (The tender
had told us when were in Astor that because of ongoing
repair work he needed at least 3 hour advance notice to
clear the barge from under the bridge to open and to
allow us to pass safely.)

Wind and clouds began to increase just after noon.
Unencumbered today by a towed dinghy, we were able to
make higher speed in the River -- more or less than 10
K at about 1150 rpm except when passing fishing and
other small boats and docks.

Note: The St. John River below Lake George was in some
ways very much like the Okeechobee Waterway -- a fairly
narrow and twisting channel with some long, straight
stretches, dense growth with hanging moss, trees fallen
into the water, a few marinas and clusters of mobile
homes, and small fishing boats. In other respects they
were quite different: On the St. Johns there were far
fewer palm trees, no pastures or fruit tree farms,
houseboats, no steep, high and eroded shoreline banks,
no overhead pipes and, no locks, there were creeks and
lakes off the River, a few mobile home developments,
and the hyacinth was much more profuse. The St. Johns
also seems more placid and far more scenic, perhaps
because of the richness of greens in the trees and the
large and much thicker patches of hanging moss and even
much larger ones of hyacinth. On the St. Johns you
sense you are on a river, also with its abundant and
more varied bird life.

Off our starboard beam we saw an osprey just after it
had snared a large fish, so large the bird struggled to
stay airborne. At 1450 hrs we came to Lake Dexter,
about 7 miles S of Astor (it is difficult to judge
River distance).

Page 17

We arrived in Astor and at the bridge 30 minutes later,
at 1520 hrs, 40 minutes before our ETA. The bascule
highway bridge rose for Gambier as it slowly approached
and we went through without a moment's hesitation or
wait. The barge did not have to move from its position
in the channel. Soon we spotted another swimming
alligator, just off long, multiple docks, less than a
mile N of the Astor bridge and in a highly populated
area. At 1555 hrs we passed through isolated wooden
fenders, entered Lake George and headed N to our
changed anchorage to be in better protected water
rather than the open Lake for the night -- to the W of
the Lake's marked channel, on the W side of Drayton
Island, between Rocky Point and Kinsley Point and then
N a short distance, to drop the hook in 10 feet of
water, a smidgen, maybe a tad, over 6 miles N of our
original Silver Glen Spring Run anchorage. We will
offload the dinghy to visit the spring. After searching
for a spot in the midst of closely placed crab pot
markers, we dropped the anchor and set it at 1625 hrs.
There was less than 10 K SE wind.

Jim launched the dinghy, made a scotch to take with and
we went to the Springs. The wind had increased to about
15 K, still from the SE, and the seas on the way to the
spring were almost on our nose, 2-3 feet and choppy,
making for an uncomfortable 30 minute ride. Within
several yards of turning into the marked channel, the
water quickly became crystal clear. In 4-6 feet the
green tubular bottom growth, sand patches and scurrying
fish were easily seen. The hyacinth was about to
blossom. We followed the channel to the end, about a
half a mile from the Lake, where several houseboats had
anchored. A federal park was on the N shore, at the
dead end. The clear water, the growth on the bottom,
and the thick trees on the banks made for most
pleasing, indeed awe inspiring scenes. When we
re-entered the Lake the wind had increased to about 20
K and the seas were running at 3-4 feet and
whitecapping. The 40 minute ride back to Gambier was
almost as bouncy and jerky as on the way down. At our
anchorage we are in the lee of Drayton Island and well
protected from the Lake's increasing seas. Even though
we did not know the wind and the Lake's seas would
increase so much in the latter afternoon, our decision
to change anchorage locations made us look like good
mariners, better than we deserved.

The spring and our anchorage do not compare to the
Chesapeake; there is nothing equivalent to the spring
and only the Magothy can arguably begin to compare for
an anchorage. Dinner of ribs and corn on the cob on
board.
Page 18

25 April Wednesday: A nearly 180 degree wind shift
occurred during the night and the wind speed had
dropped to almost zero at sunrise under partly to
mostly cloudy skies. A large alligator some distance
off our bow was spotted crossing the half-mile wide
unnamed bay-like area where we are anchored -- no
swimming here! Then another two large gators, closer,
were seen crossing in the opposite direction.
Mosquitoes covered much of the outside of the boat and
were also in the engine room.

After a review of the charts, we concluded our day's
destination was Doctors Lake, 65 miles N (River
distance) from our anchorage, off the St. Johns River,
where we could anchor or dock at a marina. We retrieved
the anchor, whose chain was fowled by a thick but
easily removed fishing line, and got underway at 0835
hrs and rounded the southern shoreline of Drayton
Island to rejoin the River channel to the E, at the
south end of Georgetown.

This was beautiful country, perhaps even more so than
the rivers in the U.S. NW and certainly, to my eyes,
the Chesapeake Bay, even in as good weather as we have
had for the past six days. The only mild negative was
the no wake speed that was required for many long
distances when passing River edge communities,
sometimes widely scattered private docks and small
boats, the latter both docked and fishing. Even then,
except in the two large lakes, our speed was no more
than 10 K, until about 15 miles S of Jacksonville,
where normal cruising speed was possible.

At 1005 hrs, when passing Welatka, in a continuing
narrow section of the River, a sign indicated
Jacksonville to be 77 miles distant. Now the question,
which is correct, the Waterway Guide (65 miles from
Georgetown) or the Welatka sign? Straight line GPS
distance to Doctors Lake from this community was 72 NM.
(This is another, among many errors in the Southern
Waterway Guide. We had found many errors when in
Louisiana last year. In short, its information is not
to be relied upon.) By 1020 hrs, the sky had become
completely overcast, followed soon by light rain and
then heavier. Radar indicated a large area of rain all
around us. At 29-34/81-42 was the eastern end of the
never completed Cross Florida Barge Canal, off the W
River bank. At Buffalo Bluff, at 1145 hrs, we had to
stop for the bridge tender's predicted 15 minutes for
the RR bridge to open, waiting for a southbound Amtrak
train. Indeed the train did pass at 1100 hrs and the
bridge opened almost immediately.
Page 19

At 1135 hrs, in diminishing rain, we passed the
virtually dead downtown of Palatka and immediately
passed under the high level highway bridge, where we
had anchored just off its N side for the second night
of the cruise, opposite the now nearly empty vacant
Holiday Inn docks. For about the past half hour and
then, N of Palatka, we were able to resume normal
cruising speed most of the time as the River gradually
widened. At 1210 hrs we ran into heavy rain and higher
winds, creating a somewhat bouncy, but short-lived 1
foot chop and a few whitecaps. Our visibility reduced
for a time to less than 1/2 mile in the changing rain
intensity. We turned on the running lights.

At 1235 hrs we passed a tug and fuel barge heading S.
The barges hauling fuel to the power plant in
Enterprise, FL, contain over one million gallons of
diesel oil. I wondered how long that fuel would last at
the generating plant. The captain of the tug said the
plant consumed about 1 barge a day in winter and more
in summer.

At 1240 hrs we passed Palmo Cove, our first night's
anchorage, now only 8.2 GPS NM to go to the entrance
channel into Doctors Lake. Something was wrong with the
earlier GPS calculations, though we entered the
coordinates three times and each time got the same
result.

We called a marina just inside the entrance to Doctors
Lake and were told a 25 K NE wind was expected by
tonight and its location was too exposed and not good
for that wind direction and speed. We then called
Lamb's, where we had docked last week and from which we
started the River cruise, and made reservation for
dockage, arrival expected at 1400 hrs. The Lamb's docks
were well protected in the narrow Ortega River (and
very short, certainly one of the shortest rivers in the
world) channel, between Lakeside Park and Ortega.
Luckily we arrived at the mouth of the River at high
tide, allowing us to cross the entrance's shoal bar
with barely enough water under the props. We tied up at
Lamb's face dock at 1410 hrs. Rain stopped within
minutes of tying up.

Total distance traveled so far from home dock: 649 NM.



Page 20

26 April Thursday: Cloudy early morning, but some
sunlight was filtering through. Because of an early
spring cold front, the air temp had started to drop
last night before we had dinner aboard; it was 58
degrees F at 0710 hrs this morning with 25 K N wind.
The conditions we had been told yesterday by the marina
on Doctors Lake were very close to correct forecast and
as reported. At Lamb's marina the Ortega River has only
a surface ripple; 5-7 feet seas reported this morning
along the coast and higher in Gulf steam.

Jim had called late yesterday afternoon to Beard Marine
about the depletion (leaking) of water in the fresh
water tanks, but seemingly only when underway, and the
malfunction of the newly installed ultra violet fresh
sterilization equipment and the operation of the water
maker. Since refilling the tanks at dockside yesterday
afternoon, no bilge pump alarm has sounded. Puzzling.
Today calls were exchanged between Jim and Beard's
service people because of a newly learned work
scheduling conflict. Today no one will be able to come
to the boat, as had been scheduled yesterday. After Jim
said he could get home with daily water refills, if
needed, and without the sterilization systems and water
maker working, I decided to cancel work in Jacksonville
and wait for Beard's technicians in Ft. Lauderdale to
do whatever is needed at home dock for all to function
properly. We were undecided at the moment about whether
to go S, to Doctors Lake, and anchor; the undecidedness
derived from the unknown wave conditions in the River
and Lake.

By late morning the gray overcast had broken up and the
sun appeared between widely scattered puffy white
cumuli clouds. The NE wind at 20+ K persisted and still
cool, enough for light weight jacket. In mid afternoon,
forecast for tonight and early tomorrow morning -- low
temp in mid 40's! And same for next night and day!

The many seagulls on the River and in, near and on top
of the marina sheds keep Jim busy cleaning their
droppings on the deck, tender cover and bimini. During
cocktails Jim and I walked down the docks and joined a
group of people who live aboard their boats at the
marina and come together each evening for libations. We
were invited to join them tomorrow evening for a going
away party for one couple who are, after 4 years,
returning to their home in Tallahassee. After our
scotch , hors d'oeuvres and dinner on board,

Page 21

visit by liveaboards in the marina, and then early to
bed. Downright cold tonight.

27 April Friday: In Jacksonville on the calm Ortega
River, at Lamb's marina. Another cloudless, sunny
morning and 45 degrees F at 0710 hrs with calm wind. 5
feet seas just offshore that were left over from
yesterday's N-NE 20+ K winds. Coffee, newspapers and
breakfast this morning on the sun warmed aft deck --
very civilized, I thought. Dock party for departing
people was a lot of fun -- a rich mix of people --
everyone had a good sense of humor, good stories and
conversation, and the food was good and more than
plentiful. "Captain Crab," the man who had just lost
his job, but said he had been called by the President
of another bulk cargo company and was offered a
position in southern FL and appeared to be more prone
to smiling and laughing, cooked deep fried shrimp
fritters and spicy shrimp on his varnished work bench
at his dock -- excellent. Six single men, all divorced,
in their 50's and 60's, were long time live aboards, as
were many couples. Everyone seemed to know the finer
details and nuances of anchorages, marinas and
restaurants on St. Johns River.

28 April Saturday: Sunny and cloudless sky again and
55 degrees F at 0725 hrs with very low wind. Beginning
about mid morning on this weekend day and throughout
the day, small boats and wave runners roared up and
down the calm River, creating wakes, some large, in a
clearly marked No Wake zone along the row of three
marinas. No one here or on all of the St. Johns River
paid any attention to No Wake and marked manatee zones
or when passing any other boats, even close by marinas.
Speed seemed to be the first and only goal or purpose
for boats that were underway on these waters, with the
exception of the low powered and always slow moving
houseboats and the very rare sailboat. One powerboat in
particular, festooned with Coast Guard Auxiliary flags,
banners and decals, created one of the highest wakes.
Courtesy and safety were obviously unknown or
deliberately disregarded, and unenforced. But even this
did not and could not detract from the overall high
quality of the cruise.

By the time Gambier arrived home from this cruise, she
had well over 15,000 NM under her hull in 20 months.