ON OUR WAY!!!

OKAY!!! We left the dock pretty much on schedule, although not without a couple of hiccups.

I have not had time to clean the boat and really couldn’t stand the thought of traveling in such a dirty vessel, so I was just going to rinse it off this morning.Well, that dirt that has been accumulating the past several months wouldn’t just rinse off, so I ended up scrubbing the boat with a brush and soap. Now we had a clean boat and were ready to go. Everything was in its “voyaging” place, all the appropriate accoutrements were on the flybridge, let’s just start the engines and get out of here.

Hmmm. No response when I turn the key. One battery monitor shows the batteries at full charge, the other battery monitor shows the batteries completely dead. A couple of phone calls and a little electrical improvisation and TaDa!! the engines started.

Elaine, at the helm, got us off the dock and out into the waterway while I handled the deck chores, and the rest of the cruising day was pretty uneventful. The usual sightings of dolphin, osprey, pelican, etc. Still haven’t spotted a manatee, so we’re not 100% sure they exist.

Elaine at the helm for a "not early" morning start

We decided not to stop for fuel on the way out since we had 3/4 full in the main tank, although the secondary tank was almost empty. This was enough to give us a couple of days of cruising, and we would be a lighter boat, with better fuel economy if we weren’t carrying that extra 100 or so gallons of fuel. Besides, it was not as if we were going to be out in the middle of nowhere. We’d be passing multiple cities and marinas on our way north and could stop for fuel most anywhere, even though we have our favorite spots with the best prices.

Relaxing in the "Admiral" position on the flybridge

We are now anchored behind Serenity Island (sounds exotic, but it’s really just the tailings from dredging the Intercoastal Waterway). After a few minor repairs on deck, a refreshing shower, and a Dark & Stormy, I’m waiting for the results of Elaine’s culinary skills as she works away in the galley. Hopefully a quiet, cool night, then we’ll be off in the morning for our next stop.

Notes from Elaine

 So we have finally started our trek northward. Usually I go around and get us ready to undock, unloosening the lines to set us free. Since I am wearing this cloddy boot, I took the helm while Dave undid the lines. “Don’t run into any boats” he says. Yes sir.

And although the run today was fairly routine, I was grateful for beautiful weather and no rain. We finally anchored off an island off the waterway, I am always amazed how the wildlife take us for granted – I watched a flock of twelve pelicans fly by no farther that 8 feet from our boat. They were so close I could see a fish dangling from one of the pelican’s beaks. And dinner ALWAYS tastes better outside on a boat watching the sunset - pasta with vodka sauce and italian sausage, arugula and goat cheese salad. And so our adventure begins...

Sunset at Melbourne FL