Florida snowbird loves St. Augustine (Boating and Fishing)

by TOM
(NEW YORK STATE)

I live in New York State. Needless to say, the weather drives me out every year come fall.

I keep a sailboat at Oyster Creek Marina in St Augustine. St Augustine is probably the most attractive city in Florida with its ancient cobblestone streets, Spanish fort and all things ""Flagler", notably the buildings that comprise Flagler College, the Casa Monica hotel and the Vila Zoraya.

The rivers and marshes abound with wildlife, not unusual to see roseate spoonbills side by side with egrets, cattle and snowy, herons, greater, lesser and Louisiana. Manatees swim with porpoise and they share the waters with a host of fine eating fish!

If it's time for a change, then let the dock lines go and sail on down to the fort at Matanzas, just a few miles south on the intracoastal... another Spanish fort that guards the now impassable (except in a very small boat) Matanzas inlet.

This year it has been time for a jaunt a little further afield. To Key West. The frenzied partying and shoulder rubbing with tourists from all over the world is a little intense for my taste!

I prefer to watch my sunset from the peaceful and protected anchorage in Marathon.

What does one do all day? Why sailors... they talk boats, they talk about fixing their boats, they talk about how much it costs to fix their boats and they talk about when they might get around to fixing their boats. Sounds boring, but some people just love to pass the day away talking about nothing else.

Of course, there is fishing... mangrove snappers sizzling on the grille of an evening is a tasty reward for having spent last weeks pay on bait and earning a painful sunburn from sitting in an exposed boat all day, but for some, that's fun.