New Smyrna to Melborne.

The Ponce Inlet Light house

Up before Sunrise New Smyrna Beach

Our anchorage last night, Rockhouse Creek

Super Moonset

Unusual home on the ICW

Homes with sunrise views

    Lifted anchor before sunrise again this morning.  The sunrise proved to be another beauty.  We even saw the Super Moon + 1 day, setting in the west as we waited for the bridge opening at 7 AM.  The Musson / Coronado Beach Bridge has to be the slowest opening bridge we have ever encountered.  It must have taken a full 4-5 minutes for the bridge to be fully opened.

     Matthew left his mark on this area, too.  Lots of docks were destroyed. Many boats are on shore or have sunk.  Most were sailboats of varying sizes, but there were some motor boats, including one 60+ wooden hulled cabin cruiser.

     The area just north of Mosquito Creek has a number of fishing camps. In this area we started seeing lots of manatees. I stopped counting after 35.  Most times I would see a nose rise slightly above the water, followed by the large, dark, curved back. One or two of the manatees actually showed their tails. As we were transiting Haul Over Canal, I think we surprised a sleeping manatee. We heard a slight bank against the hull at the same time there was a tremendous splash by the starboard bow.  We checked, but there was nothing in or below the water to see.  When exiting the canal, Pete spotted a dolphin wrestling with a large fish. It is hard to take photos when at the wheel. Many of these images are in my memory banks rather than on a memory card.

Open water but very shallow outside the channel

      Both Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River on the western side of the Canal are large bodies of water with the narrow navigation channel cutting through broad areas of very shallow water. It still blows my mind since we are used to the Chesapeake with its open deeper waters.

More of the white pelicans

The huge assembly tower
doen't look so tall at 5 miles out

      Originally, we planned stop today in Titusville. However, 10:30 Am is a bit too early to stop when we are trying to make time.  The winds were about 10-12 from our backs. We put up the mainsail and motor sailed for the rest of the day, picking up another 2-3 tenths of a mile in speed. Every little bit helps when you are traveling at 7 mph.  It is even better when the current is adding an extra mile or two.

     We anchored about a mile south of the Matthers Bridge. On the eastern shore, along the causeway, there is a boat ramp with a small beach; perfect for Bailey. There is plenty of deep water, just not close to the causeway. Pete and Bailey didn’t mind the ride to shore.   Thankfully, the moonlight was bright and we left a droplight lit in the cockpit for the night time run.  It was easy for them to find their way back to the boat.

     We did 76 miles today in just under 9 hours. With the exception of about 15 minutes of 6.4 mph in an inlet area, our speed was 7.5 or higher most of the day. We averaged 7.6 mph! I like moving at this speed!

Another beautiful sunset

     Planning the next few days’ journeys, we will probably be in Jenson Beach area tomorrow. My friend Kay and her husband, Frank, live in this area.  I called Kay and we made plans to meet tomorrow for dinner.

     Another early night with an early rising in the morning.

~ ~ ~ /) ~~  K & P