Waiting in Fernandina, FL

April 2, 2009 (Thursday)

     We are waiting for the weather to clear up so we can proceed.  We have not been idle.  We have added a number of embelishments to the boat while waiting:  two new LED lights, one in the liquor cabinet and one under the galley sink.  We added hooks and a line too keep books from falling off the shelf in the salon.  We also added hooks for a fruit hammock in the galley. This allows us to hang the fruit instead of its taking up room in the refrigerator 

or rolling back and forth on the counter top getting bruised.  We also added a hook on the back of the companionway ladder to store the items to be recycled (whenever we find places to do this.) They had been ha

nging off one of the fire extinguishers by the ladder.  Charlie spent many hours rebuilding one of the bilge pumps twice.  BUT it now works!  The skills you learn by having a boat!  He also had to rebed two of our deck prisms which are prone to leak, but give such nice light to the interior of the boat. 

     It has been raining and raining and raining here in Fernandina Beach.  The first night we ate at an Italian restaurant, Geranno's,  late in the evening walking back to the boat in a downpour!

     Last night we had a lovely early dinner at a restaurant "Le Clos" after working all day on the boat.   Lovely music set the mood and two glasses of wine helped to relax us.  

      Today we met

 a Rice University graduate school friend of Charlie's : Phil Davis

 and his wife Lee Ann for lunch at the marina.  Phil is teaching chemistry at the local college in Jacksonville after retiring from industry.  He was involved with a local chemistry regional meeting Tues and Wed so we could not 

get together with them until today.   Phil is also a 1964 grad of Vanderbilt. (Picture later when I get my cable).    

     After lunch I went to the internet Cafe to pay bills, a necessary evil.  Chas joined me after finishing the bilge pump.  

      We plan to proceed to St. Augustine, FL tomorrow via the ICW because the wind is predicted to be in our faces trying to sail.  It should take us all day to get there.