Day 207 – 210
Even though we would’ve rather they stayed longer, we helped Rick and Rhonda to throw off the lines of R&R, around 10:00 am on Monday morning, 04/05/21. They were bound for their next destination, which was a marina in Fernandina Beach, FL, on Amelia Island. Marilou Zachary and Mike Bell, on Inshallah (God Willing), were slipped next to R&R during their stay at Ortega Landing, so Rick and Rhonda introduced them to us before they left out. We were all on hand at their slip to wish them bon voyage, even Mike and Marilou’s cute little dog, Sinbad.
Mike and Marilou had their car with them there at the marina, so Marilou graciously drove me to and from Walgreen’s to pick up my prescriptions and some other supplies. While we were out, she turned me on to a nearby used book store called Bookmine, that’s within walking distance of our marina. This store is one of the largest used book stores I’ve ever seen, with hallway after hallway winding around and around a maze of attached buildings. I could’ve spent an entire weekend in that store and still not have seen everything. I did notice some used paper chart books of the Great Lakes that I thought might interest Steve, so I noted in my mind where they were located in the store, in case he and I made a return trip.
As seems to be common place on this adventure of ours, the weather for our stay at Ortega Landing was very near incredible. NO humidity, only light breezes, blinding sunshine, and highs in the mid to upper 70s. Paradise! I walked around the Lakeside neighborhood, which is adjacent to our marina, ogling and taking pictures of the huge Live Oak trees draped with Spanish moss. Steve stayed back on the boat, wrestling with the Clay County, FL, taxes website, attempting to pay this year’s boat registration fees. Even after multiple phone calls, it wasn’t working, so we contemplated taking an Uber up to Green Cove Springs, FL, (about 20 miles away) to just go old-school and pay the fees in person.
The next day Marilou chauffeured me again, this time to Publix and ABC liquor for staples. Later that evening, Steve and I rode with Mike and Marilou to dinner in the Avondale area of Jacksonville at Brick Restaurant. I had the most delicious grilled salmon with kale salad I think I’ve ever eaten. I kept exclaiming and exclaiming all through my meal. Steve took a chance and ordered prime rib, which he said was close to perfect. As with all fellow loopers, we traded hilarious boating stories with Mike and Marilou and had a great evening together. After dinner, Marilou and I partook of some Whit’s frozen custard, which was just up the street from Brick, before we all returned to the marina.
The following day was the third Chamber of Commerce weather day in a row! Steve and I walked up to a recommended nearby restaurant called Hightide Burrito Company for lunch. I ordered a Hightide Burrito with fried Cobia fish and thoroughly enjoyed it. After lunch, we stopped at Bookmine and Steve bought the paper charts of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay Area that I’d seen earlier with Marilou. (This chart book new would’ve cost well over $100, but because it was a couple years old and used, this book cost us only $30.00.) We walked back to the boat and – since the weather was perfect for it – we decided to start sanding down the weathered places that have started appearing on Legacy’s teak. We started with just the port side and soon found out we didn’t have course enough sandpaper to do the job. Fortunately, Marilou helped us out with some sandpaper, so we completed the sanding, but then had to stop because it turns out we didn’t have all of the Awl-Brite ingredients needed to successfully recoat the sanded places. Steve contacted the nearby West Marine to see if perhaps they had some of what we needed in stock, but sadly they did not, so we had to put the brakes on that project until we could acquire what we need. Ugh!
Wednesday, 04/08/21, proved to be another stellar weather day, and the Marina at Ortega Landing happens to supply courtesy bicycles for its patrons to use whenever they like. Steve decided it was now or never if we were ever going to find out if I could still ride a bicycle. Being the klutz that I am, I’ve been leery of jumping back on a bicycle at 63 years of age, but I put on my big girl panties and decided to attempt it. Well, folks – it turns out it IS possible to forget how to ride a bike! ☹ Even though I’d spent my entire childhood on a bicycle, and could still ride in my early adulthood, something apparently happened over the past several decades! As I tried to mount my bicycle, it soon became obvious that the seat was way too high for me. So, Steve lowered it for me. But then, it slanted too far forward, so I just slid right off of it. Ugh! On top of that, the handle bars had WAY too much play in them, so I could not keep what smidgen of balance I do have left to even get started! Of course, Steve hopped right onto his bicycle and rode blithely away from me, leaving me to flounder alone. I rolled my bike off of the asphalt pavement and over to a grassy area, in case I fell down. Sure enough – after stumbling about for a few seconds, I fell right over to my right, onto my tush! And – of course – I’d elected to wear white shorts that day, so why not promptly take a seat right in the mud? I’m sure you picture Steve gallantly riding (or even running) back over to help get the bike off of me so I could stand back up. Well, you would be WRONG! When I looked up, he was still on the other end of the parking lot, shaking his head at me. Gee, thanks, my gallant knight in shining armor! So, I struggled out from under the bike, got it and myself into a standing position, and tried to dust off my mud-covered bottom. My pride hurt even more than my posterior, I told Steve it would NOT be at all wise for me to continue in this vein. I think he was embarrassed to have a wife who’s actually forgotten how to ride a bike, but I was crushed. Something I’d done and loved for years, had apparently escaped me. ☹ But, perhaps it does answer the question as to whether we should purchase folding bicycles for our boat, like so many of our fellow Loopers have!
Once I’d regained my composure, and Steve dusted off my back side, we put the bikes away and walked over a mile to Harp’s for lunch, on Mike and Marilou’s recommendation. Steve ate one of their gigantic frankfurters and I enjoyed an exotic grilled cheese sandwich containing Greek Kalamata olives. The walk back to the marina seemed even longer than the walk to the restaurant and we both agreed we should’ve called an Uber to get back to the boat.
That afternoon, I put on a swimsuit and walked up to the marina pool with Marilou. We jumped into the pool and talked for almost an hour until we were too cold and switched to the hot-tub, which soon got too hot. My package of new blouses I’d ordered online from Rotita to ship to this marina still hadn’t arrived, and we were leaving the following morning. The marina said they would forward the package for me, if I provided them with a pre-addressed envelope and sufficient postage. Ugh! Fortunately, Mike and Marilou were staying at the marina for another week, so Marilou graciously volunteered to pick-up the package for me when it arrived and get it sent to our mailing service in Green Cove Springs. I could request it be sent from there when we got to another long-term destination (probably Charleston, SC). So far, I’d lucked-out with successfully receiving my online orders, but not so this time. Thank you, Marilou!
Position: N 30° 16.664, W 81° 42.810
Total marina nights: 188
Total nights at anchor: 21