After 9 years, the Great Loop Hiatus is over!!!!!

 Hello Friends - 

It's been OVER nine years since our last post.  During that time we've been living on and working from Merritt Island, Florida.   So much transpired during that time, but our big news is we have resumed our journey on America's Great Loop!  To those that followed our first two segments in 2012 and 2015, welcome back and thanks for your patience.  For our newest followers, welcome!!! 

For this third and final segment, we are on new boat (at least new to us).  Her name is Make Me Smile and we transitioned from Simplified back in 2023.  Make Me Smile is a 2006, 400 Mainship Trawler.  Also noteworthy, in preparation for this final segment to Lake St. Clair, Michigan, where we plan to cross our wake in May, we both quit our jobs.  We are thinking of it as an employment hiatus, but many would call it retirement.  Go us!

So now that you have the highlights, lets' jump right in.  On Saturday, March 15th, at 8:00am, we said "goodbye" to our slip on Merritt Island and "see you later" to our friends on the dock that were gathered for our send off.  Part of our very special send off were three moon's, with MAKE ME SMILE strategically written across the moons.  Below is the PG version.  You get the idea.

Three Moons:  Make Me Smile

A beautiful sunrise for our departure

Our first day was smooth and uneventful.  We enjoyed watching a lot of dolphins on our first day and a few manatees too.  Several picture attempts were made, but without success.  The wildlife is often hard to capture in a picture.  The temperature was cool and we rode most of the day in flannel and sweatshirts and boy was it windy.   We traveled about 60 nautical miles and stopped for the night at Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach just before 4:00pm.  Our travels took us past the Ponce Inlet and the lighthouse.

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

Once docked and settled, we took some time to get off the boat and Hilary went for a run to the beach and Bert rode his electric skateboard.  A nice 4 mile round trip before dinner back on the boat.  

Our night was restful and Sunday morning, Hilary went for a second run to the beach, pre-sunrise.

Pre-Dawn, Daytona Beach

Our second day was equally smooth and uneventful.  We knew there was a line of storms that would be passing through so we elected to stop in St. Augustine and pick up a mooring ball mid-afternoon.  Happily we were hooked just before the first band of rain came through.  We traveled 47 nautical miles today and just about six hours.  The storms have passed through and the sun was out and the weather is calm.  A delightful spot for the night looking at the shore of St. Augustine and the historic fort.  Stopping early allowed us to better secure our electric scooter and electric bike for the journey.  We are keeping them inside in the salon and out of the salty elements.  Inside, space is at a premium.

Mooring Field in St. Augustine

The Sun is Out in St. Augustine!

Tomorrow we'll continue to push north.  Our destination is still TBD, but it will be very close to the Florida / Georgia border.