Day 152 - March 2, 2013: Relaxing at the Landing

It got down into the 40s overnight, and with no shore power we slept in mainly to stay warm. We thought about going to an arts fair, but every time we stepped outside we talked ourselves out of it. So, we bundled up, mellowed out, and did some reading and relaxing for most of the day.

Our plans for the next few days are somewhat in limbo. We had wanted to see the St. John's River for a few days, as it is supposed to be quite desolate and filled with wildlife. However, the overnight forecast is in the 30s with some continued high winds. So, we spent some time rethinking our options.

In California, we traveled extensively by motor home throughout the west, and I began comparing the similarities/differences between motor homing and boating. Our last motor home and Great Laker are very similar in size, living areas, and storage space. They both have basically the same kinds of support systems, such as 120 volt shore power, 12 volt battery power, generator, water and holding tanks, heaters and air conditioning. They both can be driven from one destination to another and stay in either a marina or campground with similar services.

However, there are some dramatic differences. Boats live in a much harsher environment and more frequent maintenance is required. If you break down on a highway, you can call AAA. If you break down on the water, you may be out of VHF and cell phone range, and you had better carry many spares and have the knowledge to repair many basic items yourself. I not only have many cases of spare parts and tools, but I have a number of back up systems to provide redundancy in case of failure of critical items. For example, I have two GPS receivers, two chart plotters, two compasses, two VHF radios, two depth finders, and two anchors.

Another difference is the weather. On the highway, you don't worry so much about rain or winds. You can always get there. However, on the water, weather may make the difference between getting somewhere on time or getting there at all. Weather at sea can vary quickly and unpredictably, as thousands of ship wrecked captains can attest. Plus, you almost never want to travel at night since you can't see the dangers in the water ahead (such as floating logs, shoaling, or crab pots).

Therefore, a part of every day is looking at risks and paying attention to contingencies. What do we do if a certain thing happens? What if we run into rain squalls with lightning or 6 ft. seas, or we can't get into an anchorage because of shallow depths? In the end, you take this all in stride and tackle it willingly, since it is part of what makes boating such an adventure.