May 27 FINALLY!! - Back "On the Water" with As You Wish!!

May 27

We are FINALLY back on the move.  The boat got resplashed yesterday after a week plus on the hard getting the gelcoat scratch on the starboard side fixed. That give me time to touch up some bottom paint, repaint the running gear and install new zincs. We headed home for memorial day and then left very early (3AM)  on Tuesday to get back to Lambs  for the 9AM scheduled relaunching. Everything went great. Repairs turned out super but weather was uncooperative.  Rainy and windy so they let us stay tied up at their dock and we used the day to organize the inside, clean up a bit and reprovision supplies. 

Doing a little DIY painting of the  running gear

Much prettier than when we first got hauled

Getting resplashed at Lamb's Yachting center

  Today we finally fired up and started to head out.  Got outside the marina and the railroad bridge we need to pass which is almost always in the up position was down and blocking us in.  Couple guys standing on the bridge checking it out.   Called them on the radio with a reply they would open in 5 minutes.  15 minutes later a train finally went over the bridge and then it went up.  

Stupid train - ain't no getting under that bridge!!

We wanted to check things out - primarily the oil pressure issue and windshield caulking – before leaving Jax. So, decided to head down the St. John’s River and anchor out for the night.   Pulled into an offshoot of the river called Doctors Lake which is where we lived many years ago.   Our old house on the water was still there – new color paint on the outside but the palm tree we had planted on the point was still alive and thriving.  Too shallow to anchor in front of it so headed around the corner to Mill Cove and dropped anchor there just in time for one of those classic Florida afternoon squall lines to pass through.  Not a drop of water through the windshield despite the wind and driving rain.  Weather eventually settled down, so we launched the dingy and took a ride around the cove. 

As You Wish at anchor in Mill Cove

We know this place is loaded with gators.  When we lived here we would walk out on the docks at night and shine a flashlight back towards shore only to see dozens of beady red eyes floating near the shore. In the light of day nothing to see as  they hide in the swamplands behind the waters edge. Dinner on board.  We fired up the grill for the first time in quite awhile. Then settled on the sundeck with my gin and tonic, read some Hemmingway short stories and watched the sun go down. Yup!!  Life is good again!!

Gator country!!

Sunset at Anchor

Journey for May 27