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Bangarang 's location is indicated as a blue dot on the map.
We've been here over a week, anchored in Ponce de Leon Inlet,
just a few miles south of Daytona Beach, Florida.
This radar view of the weather is pretty much what we've been
seeing every day for the past week. It's been so wet, I had to wash
some mold off the outer walls inside the port hull! |
Bangarang, its Captain Kent, and Admiral Paula are being held captive in the Ponce de Leon Inlet, Florida.
Not by pirates, but by Mother Nature.
We are trying to continue our sail north to our next destination, but Mother Nature is not cooperating. Winds have picked up into the 20-28 knot range during the day, with gusts in the 30s. The wind has swung around, now coming from the north and northeast.
These conditions make for a less than comfortable sail. So, we are waiting for a better sailing day to leave and go north.
Call us "wusses" if you like, but we don't mind, and although we'd like to get to St Augustine, we're in no particular hurry. It's lovely anchored here in the Inlet, flanked by the historic red brick Ponce de Leon lighthouse and Disappearing Island.
Ponce de Leon Inlet connects the north end of Mosquito Lagoon and the south end of Halifax River to the Atlantic Ocean. Before 1926, the inlet was known as Mosquito Inlet.
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Not a great picture, but this one is taken on our first night at anchor
here, just off our bow. The light is the red brick Ponce de Leon Light,
once known as the Mosquito Inlet Light. Built in 1835, the
tower is now a historic landmark. The light flashes six times every
30 seconds and has a range of 20 miles. |
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| Kent and Trooper for a morning walk at a nearby strip of island beach. |
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| A sea plane took off from the water and... |
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| Swung back around and... |
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Buzzed Bangarang as it passed overhead.
When you've been on your boat for a few days in
no-so-great weather, and a sea plane swoops by, it's pretty exciting! |
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We haven't seen as many catamarans here in Florida as we saw in the Caribbean,
but here's one used as a day-charter for tourists. In spite of the cloudy and rainy
weather this week, the charter is full and runs daily. |
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| Our daily thunderstorms and rain |
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| The Ponce Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in Florida, at 175 feet. |
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The wind howled, the waves kicked up, and the rain came down hard.
The smaller recreational boats near us sped home, except for this one, which
sped over to the little island beach near us and anchored. The girlfriend was not happy! |
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Captain Kent, securing our new dinghy against the storm
and pulling the plug so we don't have to bail her out later. |
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We've been in Ponce de Leon Inlet for a week now and it has
rained hard every day. |
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This is a typical view from our port side. Everything is shades of
gray, black, and white, and this is a color picture! |
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Trooper, through the sunscreen in our salon, checking
out the fish jumping in the calm after the storm. |
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A view of Disappearing Island from our stern. When the tide is medium-to-low,
lots of recreational boats are seen on its beach, enjoying loud music, beer,
BBQ, and the water. Once the tide rises--and it rises as much as 4 feet here--
the boats leave and the island "disappears." Hence, it's name. |
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| Trooper, hiding out in his sun tent. |
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Bad selfie! Never take a selfie when the sun is bright
and you don't have your sunglasses on! |
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| Trooper showing off his new (bigger) life jacket. |
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| There are stunning sunsets here, especially after a storm has cleared. |
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Grainy picture. This is Kent circling Bangarang,
showing off the new light he's installed on our dinghy. |
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| Cool light! Now we can be seen in our dinghy at night and not get run over by other boats! |
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