Daytona - at anchor at the Bethune Park anchorage

Nice anchorage, nice docks for Hoolie

It's only 35 Nm from Ft Mantanzas to our anchorage in Daytona at the Bethune Park anchorage. It's easy to enter, easy to anchor with lots of room and there's a free dinghy dock for Hoolie relief. It has all the requirements for having a dog on board. We've used the anchorage for the last three years and it's perfect for us. We used to continue onward to Rockhouse Creek but at the height of the migration south, it can get crowded. There is no possibility of this anchorage getting crowded. Along the way we discovered that the Ft Mantanzas shallows has a buoy off station, R80B is far to the east of its charted position. Boats that try to honor the buoy (pass it to starboard going south) have gone aground! I put an update to Active Captain and a note to Cruisernet on the problem. All you have to do is follow the green buoys for 8.7 MLW all the way. The catamaran behind me went aground when it went towards R80B.

Along the way, why all the large screens?

Well, we've developed some problems aboard Fleetwing. We have a new oil leak that needs to be addressed. The engine has 4200 hours on it and the seals are starting to seep. On top of that, just today we developed a rattling sound when the engine is rev'ed to above 2100. We're wondering if that's due to the worn cutlass bearing from wrapping the dinghy line around the prop? So now we have two concerns and we're limping into Titusville hoping to get both addressed before we return in January for our trip to Key West. Boating is always an adventure.

The weather continues to be outstanding and we are on our last leg to Titusville. We got a call from them this morning asking if we were still coming and we replied, "Of course". I think the word has gotten out about Titusville and the value it has for the cruising community. They said they had twice the business they had last year.

A Daytona sunset't need that level of support!

We talked long distance today with our Volvo mechanic, Brian McDonnell about our rattling and leak. He is an outstanding resource and runs McDonnell Marine which has the largest inventory in the northeast of Volvo parts. Their staff travels all over the east coast to fix Volvos. I hope I don't need that level of support.

We'll leave early Thursday to allow for lots of time to reach Titusville, 42 Nm south. We can't go at our usual 7.3 kts with the rattle so it will take longer than usual.