St Johns trip Day 6

The beginning of Day 6 looks like this!

We decided to stay in at the dock today. The wind on the St. John's was expected to be 25 mph all day which meant very rough cruising conditions. So we took off from the dock in our rental car to Crystal Cove Marina at Palatka Florida. We wanted to get a look at a GH 37 a Great Harbour trawler which we know is for sale and it is docked at the Marina.

We walked around the boat from front to rear and it was not in very good condition. We called the sellers phone number listed but no one answered. 

Well the boat looks better in the pictures than it does in person. This dingy arrangement lowers into the water (at least it is supposes to, but is known to be a maintenance nightmare).

Well I mustered my courage and knocked on the side of boat then stepped through the door onto the boat and said "hello anybody home"?; and to my surprise (and theirs) the owners were there taking a nap in the master cabin in the bow of the boat.

They were startled as anyone would be ( I know I was), but could quickly tell we were not intruders but might be possible buyers and they were happy to show us their boat.

The boat had a hot tub on the back which the owner thought was a great improvement, but as we looked at the arrangement it's spelled trouble our minds. Boats have plenty of maintenance needs and this looked like a full time job not to mention the issues with more than a ton of water on the roof.

I was also really disappointed in the in the room. The dimensions are just way too tight to be able to adequately get around in the room to do needed service. Since I'm not partial to crawling, this boat is a no go!

Decent pilothouse..

And our mission at Crystal cove was complete. Earl and Pat were nice people..We hope they find a buyer.....

Next we arrived in St Augustine FL, the oldest city in the us....This is the plaza in the center of the old part of town.

We took a break in town to get our bearings, and this pigeon was happy to offer advice..

We got our bearings and were off to see the sights.

Don't see a chrome car everyday..

The Old Fort next to the ocean was our next stop but a rain squall rolled in as we were heading up

the rise and we high-tailed for rain cover..

The rain passed and this taxi guy asked if we wanted to ride and we jumped in...we have done this in New York City Central Park and it was fun. The drivers have a real incentive to keep you touring in their seat (more time equals more money) and we didn't want to do the tourist trolley (we have done that here before).  

So tours always show old churches, and there are lots and lots of churches in this area (lot of sinners to compete for I guess)..

Liberal Arts college right in the center of town

Next another rain squall rolled through and the driver took us a couple of blocks to get umbrellas

from where he stores his bike taxi (in his brothers horse barn, only one horse, but lots of carriages).  

Was a little spooky in the dark (all pictures needed a flash to take), but we did not feel threatened and

it turned out just fine...actually very entertaining. You would not see this stuff on a trolley tour.

I'm ready to start pulling...

Unfortunately his brother may have had a run in with city officials and they would not give him the needed permits to  be allowed on the streets with the carriages (sounded like sour grapes).

The only horse on the premises was a wooden one, (really it is all wood).

Rain is over and back to the tour...

Yes that is a pink Cadillac!

Looks like a shot from a roller coaster...

Refurbished bed and Historic houses..

All tours have to go by a grave yard...this one is for distinguished US Coast Guard soldiers..

The oldest house in St Augustine...

And the taxi driver said we should check out (and get a drink) in the oldest tavern in the oldest city....

On the way back to the marina we stopped at Outback Crab Shack on Six Mile Creek. It features a 1500 foot dock and local crabs and fish... we had a basket of alligator bites!

We sat at picnic tables under a tarp roof and watched the water coming up between the slabs of concrete. The floor was lower than the six mile creek in the background at high tide hence the flooding. If the pumps stop...our feet would be in the water.

Dock on Six Mile Creek off the St Johns river not that far from our marina

Sun setting on the 273 passenger cruise ship docked behind us in the marina. Another good day of adventure, dinner at Woody's BBQ, and a Netflix movie and sleep.......