We slipped our lines off of the mooring ball this am, and caught the 9:30 opening at the Bridge of Lions. The weather was beautiful for our trip south, with sun and clouds, and temperatures hovering right around 80.

We’re back in central Florida, which means more and more bridges. Most of the drawbridges have been replaced with higher ones that we can pass under with no trouble. However, we still need to have some of the ones that remain opened for us. Some open upon request (yay!), but others have timed openings (ever hour or half hour, etc.). With the tide and current constantly changing our speed, it becomes challenging to get to the bridge at just the right time (boo!). We spent a lot of time pushing our speed today, trying to make an opening. It was also a day where we had to pay a lot of attention to navigation, with channel markers having moved, and regular jogs right and left.

Howard was very out of sorts with today’s journey. He’d become really good with being underway, especially on the calmer waters of the Intracoastal, but today, he wasn’t feeling it. He also gets really fidgety and scared when we pass under a bridge, or when boat pass by us with any kind of speed, which happened regularly today. These things usually send him running for the shower in the master head.Try as I might to calm him and keep him with us in the pilot house, the shower is where he spent most of today..poor Howard.

After nine hours of navigating, we anchored for the night in New Smyrna Beach. We were treated to a double rainbow, and a view of the ocean surf!

Howard was happy to get some fresh air, and check out the surroundings

We’ve now traveled approximately 1,000 miles!

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”