ICW- Florida Style

                         A bridge with painted posts. Only in Florida you say, pity!!

    There was a lot of this, boats that had either been abandoned and sank or had been blown ashore during a hurricane and had never been recovered.

   The boat of choice in Northern Floida has pontoons on it, the flat bottomed Carolina skiffs are not so evident here.  Today was Jan, 1, Happy New Year, by the way, and we crossed the line from Northern Florida to Southern Florida and did things change.  All of a sudden there were speed boats everywhere, going to the right of us, going to the left of us and here we were stuck in the middle again.  Not only were we in the middle but the boat was constantly being buffeted by wash.  It was a rocky/rolly kind of day.  The vegetation has changed as well and we are back into the land of mangroves and palm trees.

Oh did I mention the uber rich houses??  Quite the spectacles. 

Here is a sport fisher going by and in the background is a campground where people are fishing, swimming and picnicking, what a great way to spend New Year's Day.  We are in manatee country and I have actually seen two, one was a glimpse of just his tail and the other I saw his head, Yippee!! 

Nice to be able to have a slip outside your home on the ICW for your "boat"!!

To end on a high note, it rained the other day and I came out to find Barry wearing my VERY pink jacket.  It looks good on him don't you think?

Sailing Info.

We are using "The Intracoastal Waterway, Norfolk to Miami, A Cockpit Cruising Handbook" by Jan and Bill Moeller. It is a small guide with few pictures and has references to bridges, anchorages and marinas by the mile number along the waterway. We just purchased some old cruising guides Waterway Guide published by Boating Industry Magazine. We got it at a Sailor's Exchange and it covers Florida, east and west coast, the Keys and some of the Gulf Coast.  We are using it only for anchorages and ideas of what to see in places we visit. 

Mile 925, Indian River FA  27*59.4  N  X  080*32.7 W

Anchored in 4m. Great holding, some protection from the south.

No services close by, anchored behind an island made by dredge material. 

Vero Beach, FA     27*39.4  N  X  080*22.2 W

Mooring ball at Vero Beach Municipal Marina. $15/night but they moor as many as three on one ball. 

Great free bus service, lots of services, cruisers winter hear. 

North Palm Beach FA    26*50.3 N  X  080*03.2 W

Anchored in 2.5m. great holding, open to ICW wind and waves.

No info. on services, anchored after sunset, no problem finding our way.