Monday, May 18
Marinetown Marina (South of St. Augustine) to River’s Edge Marina (St. Augustine)
15.2 nm – 3 hours underway
We knew this would be a short cruise day, but that didn’t stop us from getting an early start. The goal? Get settled somewhere with enough time to track down a service technician for the A/C—because in Florida, that’s not exactly a “nice to have.”
Cruising from Marineland to St. Augustine was surprisingly tranquil. The Matanzas River (the ICW in this area) is surrounded by a state park and, while a distance from an inlet, the water is surprisingly clear.
We’ve been trying to keep things flexible by avoiding marina reservations until we’re off the dock, but that strategy almost came back to bite us. On Sunday, the marina office at River’s Edge Marina was closed; so we couldn’t call ahead. First thing Monday morning, we reached out—only to be told the water might not be deep enough for us. Not exactly the news you want to hear as you’re actively cruising and need a place to land.
Just as we started working through backup plans for the night (or possibly longer), we got the call back—they could accommodate us after all… and even better, they could get us in early.
We pulled into the dock before 11 AM to a dock full of marina folks ready to catch lines. Docking went smoothly, and Kevin wasted no time heading to the marina office to track down A/C repair options. Not to mention we were greeted by a “Tortuga.”
By afternoon, things were finally looking up. We had a technician lined up for Tuesday—and he already had the pump in stock. After a string of boat issues, it felt like we were finally catching a break.
While Kevin continued with boat-related logistics—lining up someone to fix the Bimini zipper and coordinating with the A/C tech—Heather officially kicked off her first workday aboard Tortuga. There had been some concern about balancing work with docking or anchoring during travel days, but it seems it will prove to be manageable. Most maneuvering only requires 10–15 minutes away from the computer, and with a little planning ahead, it should all fall into place pretty seamlessly.
Of course, the repair meant we’d be staying an extra night at the marina—but if you’re going to be “stuck” somewhere, there are far worse places than St. Augustine.
With a bit of relief in the air, we decided to enjoy what the town has to offer.
First stop: the St. Augustine Distillery—just a short walk from the marina. Despite having visited St. Augustine multiple times, we’d somehow never made it in before. The tour and tasting did not disappoint, and let’s just say the boat bar is now significantly better stocked.
Next up was Dog Rose Brewing Co.. Kevin went for a flight, while Heather opted to check on Burt Reynolds (he’s still there)…
We wrapped up the evening with dinner at The French Pantry, which was worth the splurge. Great food, great atmosphere—and one of those small-world moments when our server mentioned she’s from the Chesapeake Bay area… and her uncle owns a marina there. It seems like no matter where you go in the boating world, you’re never far from a connection.
What started as a stressful day turned into a reminder that while things don’t always go as planned, sometimes it works out better than expected.
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