Since we had 44 nautical miles to go to get to St. Augustine, we left Daytona Beach early. It was a cool, windy day with high temps around 75 degrees and winds 15mph NNE gusting to 31. We hailed the St. Augustine Municipal Marina when we neared the Bridge of Lions and were given a mooring ball in the north mooring field, which meant we had to go through the bridge to get there (the south field is on the south side of the bridge). The current was ripping and with the winds, we were lucky to grab the mooring ball on the second try. We decided we would wait until the next day to go to shore and check in and hope it was calmer then.




The first couple days were all about provisioning and laundry. It was still very windy and made it difficult to get in and out of the dinghy. We were happy to find a Winn Dixie about 2 miles from the dinghy docks and walked there and back with groceries. The marina facilities were nice with plenty of washers and dryers. We walked Sophie in between laundry loads and she loved running along the water front. Once the chores were done, I was anxious to start walking and exploring the town.




It’s been 8 years or so since Randy and I were last in St. Augustine. We love this little historic Florida town for it’s cool Spanish colonial architecture and the little bars and shops here. Its claim is being the oldest city in the U.S. There are the obvious landmarks to see: The Castillo de San Marcos fort, the Lightner Museum, the Oldest House, Flagler College and the lighthouse. Nestled in between these historic buildings are little shops, restaurants and bars. The best way to see St. Augustine is by walking, but you can also take trains or trolley tours as well.










The mornings were spent working (or editing photos/videos for me). On a couple mornings we went for a run over the Bridge of Lions. In the afternoon we would take Sophie to shore and walk the town, sometimes stopping for a cool beverage. We visited the Dog Rose Brewing Company on a couple occasions for a cold beer (thanks to our friend Capt. Ron for the recommendation!). We also ate dinner out for the fist time on this trip. We went to a local Italian spot for veggie pasta that was amazing.










While we were moored there, we were invited by our friends Bill and Cathy to visit their home for happy hour. We know Bill and Cathy from Salty Sam’s (they were our neighbors). We took the dinghy there to their dock and home where we caught up over some drinks. They were gracious enough to offer their home for us to do laundry this time and in the future. It’s folks like these that really make cruising special.


After a week on a mooring ball in the Ancient City, it was time to head south. Why south? We needed to head south just 15 miles to Marineland so we could leave the boat in a marina for a long weekend. We rented a truck and headed back to Fort Myers for some graduation celebrations. More on that soon!





Daytona Beach to St. Augustine = 44.5 nm TOTAL miles: = 535 nm Bridges = 3 Total Bridges = 15
Enjoying your adventures!