Good morning from St Augustine. Since the last post we have spent another week and a half in St Augustine and took a side trip to Charlotte to visit Bradley and meet his girlfriend. We also have some direction on the transmission.

After the last post we waited 5 more days just to get someone to stop and look at the trans. They stopped by and the worst was confirmed. We need the entire trans removed from the boat. Everyone is so busy down here that we are hoping that they will start working on the boat the end of this week. We will actually find out more today, we hope.

There have been a few thoughts and prayers about getting this boat fixed and continuing the journey, and watching the sunset from a sailboat ride with friends we have made one evening did bring us some peace.

Trying to make the best of the situation we toured the area around Camachee Island and have explored Vilano Beach.

The public dock at Vilano Beach

Having lunch at Vilano Beach just across the bridge from Camachee Island in the background.

The view of the harbor from the bridge on our way back across. Amy and I actually take a bridge walk several times a week for exercise. It is a great 3-mile loop.

We have settled into Camachee since we will be here a month. The boat is set up to really live on and we are trying to relax.

It is warm here, so we are hiding from the sun and relaxing on the finger pier,

Memphis does like sitting here and watching people walk the dock behind the boat.

We are definitely out of place on this dock as far as boat style! Maybe if we add a flybridge we would look better.

After confirming that no one could do anything more for us last week, we rented a car and drove up to Charlotte NC to meet Bradley and his girlfriend, Kailey. We were supposed to meet them in Hilton Head this weekend, but with the boat issues that was just not happening!

We did some touring of Charlotte and then had some fun mini bowling!

Oh yeah, and then some ping pong with egg shaped balls. That was a fun way to play.

Since our boat is currently a raft, Brad was nice enough, with a couple comments, to take us boating on his boat. Mark came over from Hickory to join us for the day.

Took the boat down to Papa Doc’s for a little snack while on the lake. (Only because I forgot the sandwiches out of the fridge!)

Never a dull moment when Brad and Mark are together!

The lake was warm enough for us all to get in, but only Kailey was caught on camera.

Not sure who this woman was back at the dock, but her family was out on their boat celebrating her 60th Birthday! Couldn’t go without trying on the fancy glasses!

The next day, the four of us drove over to Hickory to meet up with Mark and Kim. It has been since last summer since we have seen them both.

I didn’t get many pictures from the day in Hickory, except for the famous Lake Hickory Light House! You can see it in the background behind Amy if you look carefully!

That’s it for the update for now. We are ready to get moving but learning a lesson in patience. We hope to have the boat yard stop over this morning and check out their plan for the trans removal. This will be the 3rd time they were supposed to stop over. Hoping the 3rd time is the charm! Once they get it out, we are hoping to be moving again in about two weeks. That could allow us to get moving around May 18th.

We do have time to take care of other details, so the zincs will be changed, and we have had a repair done to the dinghy. Taking advantage of being in one place for more than a couple days.

The dinghy leaving last Thursday. I actually meet them back at the ramp this morning to get it back.

I will try to post again later this week after the trans is pulled! (at least we hope) Until then hope everyone has a great week.