The Journey South - Part Two

We left home at 2:00am to make a non-stop trek from NJ to Jacksonville. I really wanted to avoid the backups that we always experience just south of DC, and we did. As a matter of fact, we hit no traffic until we got to Jacksonville and the late afternoon rush hour. We used drive-thru for meals to avoid going inside and stopped at rest stops when necessary. We are trying to stay as safe as possible due to the pandemic. After a good night of sleep, Wednesday and Thursday were devoted to prep, repair and replace getting ready for our first trip south from Jacksonville. The boat had been detailed and waxed on the 12th and oil and filter changes were done the week before. Encore was in very nice shape when we got there.

Repairs included:
- Replace a strut connector on the engine room hatch.
- Replace a non-working remote for one of the TVs.
- Repair the windlass.

A major project was the installation of platforms in the engine room to store the spare props. The pieces were designed and constructed at home, and installed on site. Fortunately everything fit well. We had to sand down a few pieces to fit, and the service guys at the marina let us use their grinder. Everything worked and the props are now stored safely ............. no longer in boxes in inconvenient locations. I had to be a bit of a contortionist to work back in the stern corners of the boat. The body doesn't bend the way it used to, but I knew what was coming and spent the last few weeks doing a lot of stretching and minor workouts.

Martha made a trip to Publix to stock up on food for the trip. We really miss Publix. Always enjoyed those grocery stores when we went to UF.

I decided to check around about the status of the dredging operation in St. Augustine as we heard that it was a little tricky getting around it. I posted the question on Facebook and found out that the dredging was over and the equipment had been moved. Another positive sign. Our reservations were made at the Marineland Marina. We are good to go!