Crescent Beach to New Smyrna Beach, FL
Ron stopped raising the anchor this morning to come and get me in the pilot house and asked me to follow him and bring my camera. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like what he showed me, and I'm not sure what the odds would be of it ever happening again. A broken fishing line with a small hammerhead shark attached (!!) had entangled itself with our anchor chain, and the shark was still alive. I'll let the video tell the rest of the story, but I'll take this moment to confess that I am the biggest baby when it comes to innocent creatures getting hurt. So yes, I am the very last person you'd want to invite on a fishing trip. And I mean because I'm the weirdo who feels sorry for the fish, but you could probably come up with other reasons not to invite me, too. 😂
I've mentioned before how much Skeet enjoys chatting with the various bridge tenders on the VHF radio, and takes pride in confirming their respective bridge clearances (or air draft) so we know whether or not we have to wait for an opening. Bridge tenders are just like all humans — some are nice, and some are not. But I'd say the vast majority are friendly and professional, especially the first one Skeet spoke with today at the Crescent Beach bridge, just as we were beginning our journey south. It's interesting to see how different they can be from bridge to bridge in their willingness (or lack thereof) to share the distance from the water to the low and high steel if there's no tide board to rely on - we think they’re protecting their liability when they refuse to disclose their clearance, but it seems unsafe not to be willing to share what seems like basic information. Listen to how nice this bridge tender was, and how generous he was with the info he shared. It doesn't always work this way, and when it does, it certainly stands out, in a good way:
It was a mostly uneventful cruise along Florida's stretch of the ICW until a storm popped up out of nowhere around 1:45, forcing our trusted younger captain to relocate to the pilot house.
It was amazing how quickly the winds picked up, with gusts of around 40 mph, and that sudden chill in the air that signals that a storm is breathing down your neck. Visibility was horrendous, but not for long, and eventually the weather calmed right back down.
We passed a funky looking boat this afternoon that Ron correctly identified as an Overblue Yacht.
From AI on Google:
"Overblue is an Italian yacht brand that offers luxury catamarans with the comforts of a home. They are a cross between a catamaran and a houseboat, with customizable interiors, large decks, and a spacious salon."
From ItBoat.com:
"... the designers proceeded from comfort and safety, determining the size and function of living spaces, and then moved on to naval architecture, engineering and exterior. This approach attracted due attention and in 2017 the first Overblue 44 model was among the finalists on the Motor Boat of the Year."
These boats are no longer in production, but there are still some available for sale. It was reassuring to see another boat in the same "funny-looking boat" category as KORKZcrew — a distinction given to us by an observant passerby at Rich's Inlet months ago.😂 They're not wrong, but I think KORKZcrew's looks are what give her her charm.
Another not-as-funky, but still uncommon boat came along soon afterward, and gave me a great opportunity to share with you some of the commentary that goes on in the pilot house and keeps me/us entertained. Dare you not to laugh:
Looks like the bad weather might have stirred up dolphins who gave Steve quite the thrill as they rode along today for a short while under the bowsprit. Steve is a lot like me — always excited to see the dolphin even when we've been lucky enough to experience this phenomenon before. It just does NOT get old.
We anchored around 4:10 near New Smyrna Beach, in the same gloomy and rainy conditions we've become accustomed to since leaving Wilmington two weeks ago. A simple dinner of pizza was on the agenda, followed by some UNC basketball at 8:00! Works for me!
Night night KORKZcrew!
8 hours underway; approx. 49 nautical miles traveled
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