reminder from Elle:  don't forget to put coins outside your door tonight and bring them back in first thing tomorrow, for prosperity in the new year.


additional insurance:  we were on a lovely boat today, and the owner was putting coins on all the stairs to ensure good fortune.  She said it was a Chinese custom.  I can find nothing about this on line, but am testing it out here anyway.

from Channel Key to Marathon, FL
N 24 41.782 W -81 07.068
19 miles, 3 hours


We got to Marathon yesterday and anchored in our usual spot:  beside the sunken fishing boat just west of Vaca Key.  And it is cold.  Not to be all whiney about temps in the low 60's, but it is not what people here expect.  A wonderfully sociable place, there are all sorts of lunches, happy hours, lectures, yoga classes, bingo games, etc.  On New Year's Day, they've announced there will be a swim at noon, no matter what the water temperature!  probably around 65 ...

from Key Largo to Channel Key, FL
N 24 47.283 W -80 54.989
36 miles, 8 hours


Here's our wake, probably composed of exquisite corals- no, not seriously.  We did cut a swathe through Florida Bay, though.  6.5' draft, 7' channel.  We forgot the Coast Guard rule:  double the draft of your boat, and stay out of anything less.

from Miami to Key Largo, FL
N 25 07.374  W -80 26.032
47 miles, 7 hours

Day 86

Typical Lincoln Road beauty.  International tourists, dogs in strollers.  Unwalkably high heels.  The weekend is worth waiting for, but it's a show every night.

nice, right?

Day 83-85

They do have quite a beach.  It goes on for miles and miles- this is on South Beach near the hotels (each one has slightly different cabañas.  It looks like fun).  The main activity here is gathering on the streets to watch each other walk by.   Fashion-watching, dog-watching, accent-eavesdropping, all top-notch.

Day 82

from Hollywood to Miami, FL
N 25 47.779  W -80 08.931
16 miles, 3 hours


What does one do in Miami?  

Day 81

from Lake Worth to Hollywood, FL
N 26 00.551  W -80 07.197
53 miles, 8 hours


Out on the ocean most of the day yesterday- it was fairly calm.  That's how we like the ocean:  UNEVENTFUL.  We came in at Fort Lauderdale, waited for a few bridges.  Anchored in one of the keyholes off the ICW- kids water skiing around us.  

Day 79-80

windy!

Day 77-78

from Jensen Beach to Lake Worth, FL
N 26 50.141  W -80 03.146
29 miles, 4.5 hours


We must have crossed some magical divide- the water's suddenly a lovely turquoise and five degrees warmer.  It's supposed to be windy and cold for a couple of days, then calm down toward the middle of the week.  We think we'll stay anchored till we can continue on the outside, rather than visit the 30 legendary bridges south of Palm Beach.


houses along the ICW

Day 76

from Vero Beach to Jensen Beach, FL
N 27 14.921  W -80 13.195
29 miles, 4.5 hours


Cops boarded our boat!  It was very exciting.  We were coming back from dinner in the dinghy, and as we passed under a bridge, a  woman yelled at us to stop.  Of course I assumed it was a crazy person, and kept going.  But no, it was a cop, and she did not approve of us running the boat without lights.  In fact, we were running without a red, a green and a white light!  So now we have a couple of tickets from whatever county this is, and have sworn never go out to dinner with a flashlight again.  Except in Marathon- it always seemed to work ok in Marathon.  And RI, and NYC, and Provincetown.  Oh well.

Day 75

from Cocoa to Pine Island/ Vero Beach, FL
N 27 43.142 W -80 23.832
49 miles, 7.5 hours


Abby called- her stepbrothers live in Cocoa, so she was just there last month.  
We're lounging around this morning until the fog lifts.  Lorenzo's asking other cruisers for advice on the stretch between Palm Beach and Miami.  There are so many low bridges, and so little room in some spots, that it has attained quite a reputation among boaters.

Day 74

from Daytona Beach to Cocoa, FL
N 28 27.867 W -80 45.178
50 miles, 9 hours


To the west of Cape Canaveral.  We actually saw something launch -just a pink streak, but can't find it on the NASA site.  Maybe someone will inform us.  The rest of the day involved a lot of waiting at bridges.

Day 73

from St. Augustine to Daytona Beach, FL
N 29 11.665 W -81 00.112
47 miles, 8 hours


We're just leaving St. Augustine, and noticed the May 21st girls sitting on the wall below the fort watching the sun rise.

Day 71-72

from Pine Island to St. Augustine, FL
N 29 53.892 W -81 18.536
15 miles, 2 hours


We got here yesterday morning, and decided to move faster- it's going through a real cold snap.
Night temp in the 30's.  Water temp:  unknown.

Day 70

from Cumberland Island, GA to Pine Island, FL
N 30 03.066 W -81 21.941
48 miles, 8 hours


Very few anchorages hereabouts.  This is an oxbow creek just north of St. Augustine.

Day 69

from Cumberland Island north to Cumberland south, GA
N 30 45.68 W -81 28.4
15 miles, 2.5 hours

Day 67-68

from St. Simons Island to Cumberland Island, GA
N 30 55.865 W -81 26.866
24 miles, 4 hours


The north end of Cumberland Island is pretty nice; there's a tiny church, but not much else.  Pine forest and armadillos.  We were the only people.
A ferry goes to the south end, so there are day visitors as well as campers in the few coveted sites.  Spectacular beach on the ocean side.


more pix