Sailing: Wednesday January 14th

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Wednesday January 14th

Leave Camachee Cove Marina on a high tide and are pleased to see the sun shining down to warm the day. The tidal currents are with us once again and we are making good progress and are looking forward to an uneventful, pleasant cruise down the Intracoastal.

Pass the historic fort at St. Augustine which reminds us of the Spanish influence in Florida and displays a rich architectural past. We reach speeds in excess of 8 knots and are making exceptional time. More than once we comment on how beautiful the day is and how wonderful it is to have the sun shining down on us once again. Everything is running along smoothly until suddenly we change from a speed of over seven knots to less than four. Chas realizes that something is wrong and shuts down the engine. Argo has lost all power and we suspect that there is a problem with the transmission fluids. We immediately throw out the anchor in the middle of the Intracoastal. Fortunately it is a calm spot and there is no boat traffic. After inspecting the transmission fluid levels we find no fluid in the system. It looks like a job for Tow Boat USA.

We call and they arrive from Palm Coast in an hour. After adding the transmission fluid that they provided, Argo was under way again. Tow Boat USA remained with us and guided us for the next mile to ensure all systems were functioning properly.
Tonight we are docked at Palm Cove Marina

and although we could not obtain internet access at the Marina, Louie and I have walked into the European Village nearby and are sitting at a little Italian/French cafe called La Bella Pasticceria.

Looking out the window of the cafe one might think they are in San Marco Square in Venice. It is an architectural reproduction with shops, cafes and restaurants all with a European facade.

Historical Sidebar Beaufort South Carolina

Founded in 1711,Bearfort is a popular ICW stopover and a history buff's dream. Many of the town's majestic homes are visible from the water, high on the green banks that edge the town side of the river. Most of the antebellum plantation houses have been restored, but others remain in ruins as monuments to halcyon days when silks, indigo, rice and Sea Island cotton created vast fortunes for landholders hereabouts. Live oak trees through the city are magnificent in their size and shape. Given this panorama, it is small wonder that Hollywood studios made several movies here, including 'The Big Chill' and 'The Princeof Tides'.

Historical Sidebar - Charleston South Carolina

Founded in 1670 by the British, Charles Towne soon welcomed French Huguenots who imparted the Creole flavor that still colors the area. Charleston today is a city of pastel houses and tidy brick-walled gardens behind lacy iron gates. Much of the city's beauty stems from hard times. In the years following the Civil War, little building or demolition occurred in depression-gripped Charleston. While other cities tore down their old structures to build Victorian houses, Charlestonians had to make do, fighting to keep the buildings they already had from decaying. Because of this, Charlestonians are fiercely protective of their town and its heritage.