Floridaaaaaaaahhhhh!

Team Thornington made it!

We sailed SV Anjulia Sue from Southport NC to St Augustine FL .... and survived!

Due to the time of the tide and current, we decided to head further south than our intended destination of Jacksonville FL.

Instead, we headed for St Augustine. Did you know St Augustine is the oldest city in America?

It may not be a big passage to some seasoned sailors but this was a huge accomplishment for us as a team.

At 54 hours and over 300 nautical miles non-stop, this was a good exercise for us to see how we did together.

I can see how multiday passages get easier after the first couple of days. Everyone has gotten into a rhythm and roles and responsibilities have been established.

This little taster passage makes us yearn for something bigger, longer, farther....

We did have a bit of a scare when at about 1pm yesterday (Thursday) and after 30 hours of blissful sailing we needed to turn on the engine due to lack of wind and ... nothing.

Starter battery bank (two car batteries new in June) was showing 9V! Couldn't even start it in parallel with the house bank.

We were 40NM offshore so options were limited. We tacked back towards shore to heel the solar panel south and get into VHF range if we needed towing.

Luckily it was midday on a sunny day and after a couple of hours of solar with all batteries linked together, the engine started so we turned south again and motor/sailed the remaining 24 hours to Florida.

Phew.

I have this obsession after every passage, big or small, that I have to clean and tidy and organize everything. Until it's all done, I cannot sit down.

Tonight I've put away all our winter jackets, hats, fleeces, etc. I've dug out our shorts, t-shirts, sunhats and sunscreen.

It feels like we are on holiday in this tropical climate, and we are all loving it!

When we arrived at Rivers Edge Marina, we got ourselves a cold drink, put a couple of loads of laundry on, went out for a celebratory late lunch/early dinner and showered.

And now, sleep. The first full night of sleep after an overnight passage is heaven.

Even though Matt and I try to get at least four hours of shut eye when we're off watch, we rarely get that because of the beeps and chatter from the VHF and just the need to be alert all the time, even when we're not helming.

So the first sleep after a passage is divine. We can sleep deeply and allow ourselves to truly rest.

We have a couple of boat jobs to do in the next few days which will keep us busy. Before jumping to the Bahamas we will try to address most of our to-do list since getting parts and supplies in the Bahamas is a lot more expensive and time-consuming.

But it's not all work and no play. We have a date with another kid boat tomorrow evening and then on Sunday night we welcome our next special visitor!

Gong Gong Kam Wong will join us for a few days as we play tourist in Orlando and then carry on sailing south together.

Sweet dreams to y'all!

Last night's gorgeous sunset over the Atlantic.

After dinner UNO game in cockpit on our second night. Still a bit chilly as you can see. 

Glassy water this morning. Yes I was very tempted to jump in.

Reading Max and the Midknights together, a gift from Tai's class as a going away present.
They LOVE this book and have read it multiple times each already.

St Augustine lifting bridge. We have officially arrived!

Always ready at the bow.

Ready to throw the mid-ship line. 

Our route from Southport NC to St Augustine FL. That little section where it veers
off is where our engine didn't start and we had to wait until our solar panels
produced more electricity to charge the batteries. Once we got the motor going again,
you can see we altered course and headed straight to St Augustine.

Tropical weather finally! Tai took this with a special filter.

Ahhh the beloved palm tree! To me, I love seeing them because
it signifies that I'm somewhere hot and tropical.

Me and my toothless girl.

Shrimp 'n Grits

Cuban sandwich with black beans and rice. And a Pina colada.

This hamburger was so thick and juicy, even Matt tried to
eat it and pulled his cheek muscle

Look at the size of that lemonade! 

Celebratory lunch/dinner at Hurricane Patty's.

Homeschool assignment: research what you want to do in Orlando and pitch it to us.
Your wish may just come true!

Goodnight from Rivers Edge Marina.