The Bucket Trip comes to an end

We wanted to leave the River City Marina in Jacksonville at 8:30 on January 15, but the CSX railroad had different plans. Just as we were getting ready to pull away from the dock, the railroad bridge came down blocking our path to the south. I called the bridge tender and he said they were starting repairs on the bridge and that I was very lucky that he would be able to open it for me in about an hour.

Sure enough, in an hour, he raised the span -- the last obstacle between us and the boatyard at Green Cove Springs. It was still cool by Florida standards -- 46 degrees. But the weatherman said it would hit 62 by afternoon. The bright sunshine and light wind made it feel warmer. We turned Agaliha south in the wide expanse of the St. Johns River. The water looked like iced tea...reddish brown. There was a half knot current setting us, but we didn't care because we had a short trip to make. At 11:30 we passed under the I-295 bridge, 65 feet over our heads. There was a light north wind that allowed us to motor sail, although it didn't affect our speed very much.

At 1:30 we turned into the old Navy docks, which now belong to Holland Marine. The docks were designed for warships, so we had had hard time tying up to the very high structures. As soon as were were secure, Bob helped me start taking Agaliha apart for the trip home. We removed and folded sails and canvas work. I disconnected the mast wiring and started other "decommissioning" chores.


I had very mixed emotions about the end of the trip. I marveled at Agaliha's performance over the past 2,101 miles. She had performed flawlessly. The engine never missed a beat, the refrigeration was still at 16 degrees and all systems were working like they did in Chattanooga almost four months ago.

The staff at Holland Marine did a great job of getting Agaliha ready for trucking. When she came up out of the water, we all marveled at how clean her bottom was. She had not sustained a single scratch in all those miles.





In an effort to total up the mileage, I flipped back through my logbook. The names of places and ports helped me realize how far I had traveled. I was reminded of the long list of friends who helped me get here -- and the fun I had with them. My life had been transformed to one ruled by the sun, wind and waves rather than by an alarm clock and a calendar. I loved the experience, but I didn't want to do it forever.


When you name a trip a "Bucket Trip" you also have to acknowledge the obvious. It is unlikely that I will be making this trip again -- and that's O.K. Many people dream of doing things like this and never do. I am very fortunate that I had the chance and that I made it happen.




You might expect the last photo of this voyage to be a sunset...but it is not. This is the sunrise on the last day of the trip. I think that is fitting because I am excited about the trips and experiences that lie ahead. So, while I don't think I will ever do this trip again, there may be others. But even if there are not, this trip will make me smile for the rest of my life.



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