We have a device controlled through an app "Wink" that tells us the temperature in the house. Last night (Wednesday night after we arrived.) while having a beer with friends on Island Spirit, another Island Packet, I showed them the app and how it works. My daughter gave it to us last Christmas. As I showed it to them I was surprised because lo and behold the indicator showed 46 degrees (instead of the 55 it's been since we left), 2 hours later 44, and now it's down to 42. From afar Drew has called shovelers to shovel out the furnace vent that was covered with snow on the outside of the house and the heating company to start up the furnace again. The forecast for tonight is -7 in Exeter. Hope the pipes don't freeze. We'll drain them next year before we leave.
The winds were just right Tuesday through Wednesday, just in time for us to leave Titusville and motor/sail south OUTSIDE. We took it.
I took Mazu jogging with me through a nice little park before we left. Osprey on top of pole in the park. The palm trees look like Dr. Seuss 's Trafulla trees.
Before we move we figure out exactly how fast we must go and how many hours it will take to arrive at our destination during daylight hours. Our rule - never enter a harbor at night. On Navionix we type in a route from Titusville to Miami. Going 6 k would take us 34 hours.
4 hours down the ICW to the Cape Canaveral Inlet that opens to the ocean. We went through a canal and had to wait a half hour for one bridge that opens on the hour and half hour. We arrived at 12:03, and we waited a half hour for the opening. I took a little video of the area while we bobbed around.
I'm at the helm with swirling currents, looking back quickly and took this picture of the three lifted spans. The bridge tender told us workers are closing the lock ahead from 1 to 5. We immediately radioed the lock to say we would be there by one. At full throttle we thought we could make it. Birds were flying around behind the boat I guess to get some lift from the 18K winds across Banana River out from Port Canaveral.
We arrived at the lock at 1:02, and they held it open for us. After the lock we unfurled all the sails because of favorable, fair winds. Love sailing in the evening. Sails stabilize the boat and give it the extra lift. We were going 8 K so some of the time we could turn off the engine. 6 k is the usual speed and route estimates are used with 6 k.
A full moon to Miami.
We picked up the mooring ball at 4:00 pm in Dinner Key Marina 30.5 hours after we'd left Titusville. Mazu at end of trip.
To show the hardiness of an Island Packet I've included a link (9 min youtube) of a boat, the same model as ours sailing above the Arctic circle. fox, polar bears, walruses, icebergs. This woman is scheduled to talk at the Miami Boat Show this month.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yaWGWdYlSY
However, we plan to stay in warm waters. The water is 74 degrees here. It's a rainy day and the outside temp is 70. We'll be staying here in Dinner Key for the month of Feb.
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