I am waiting for the 3 pm outgoing river tide in Jacksonville. And plan to sail the Atlantic to Beaufort N.C. and then go on the ICW to Portsmouth, Va. I expect to be in Beaufort by Wednesday, Thursday. The forecast is for mild westerlies for the next four days.

“Fleetwood” was relaunched yesterday morning. I caught  the last bridge opening of the Main Street bridge at 8 p.m. and am staying in the same free max. 48 hour municipal marina near the Hart Bridge, where I moored on the way in on the 11th. We had some very heavy thundershowers earlier in the week but now it is back to beautiful warm summer weather. The maintenance at the Green Cove Springs Marina went well and I expect to be good for another two years with the bottom paint. It is a special world here in the yard with a number of real characters that stranded here many years ago and never left. The “Porch” is still occupied with them. “Fleetwood” was parked right in front of the porch and the lies and cigarette smoke drifted up to me while I did my best to reciprocate with sander noise and dust. I made many new friends and reacquainted with several I met in 2008 and 2009. I put in a new order for “SoloMan” books after good demand for them here. Yesterday I heard the sad news that one of the “Porch” longest time members, Vern, passed away on the 17th. This picture, taken in 2008, personifies his usual pose, always a book in hand.  He was here on the porch just before the 17th. May he rest in peace.