01/15/2025 ICW Day 15 : Tacking the Hard Way North

by Brian · Published January 15, 2025 · Updated January 23, 2025

Our boat is a nice icebreaker, and we talked to a guy named Dave last night. He had been coming to Peanut Island for 3 years now with his adult son Mike. They seemed pretty inseparable - even using the cold-hot-cold shower together. Dave chatted with us for a while, and told us about real estate prices in the area.

“The houses between fixed bridges are a lot less expensive than the ones with draw bridges. It’s so people can have their super yachts.”

Indeed, Janet and I had noticed stark contrasts in the neighborhoods; now we knew why.

In South Florida, nearly everyone who operated a cash register spoke Spanish. Now, further North, almost all of the employees in 4 out of the 5 stores were black. It is interesting to see the culture change so quickly when it feels like we are moving so slowly.

And slow it was! Not only were we sailing into a 20kt headwind, but also fighting a magnificent current. It is easier to predict winds than currents in restricted water ways. If I had paid more attention to the tides, I might have figured out that it was going to be a doozie.. but what can you do? It takes 6 hours for the current to change.

We took an “emergency landing” at a marina for non-motorized boats and are camping in a “natural area”. We took several breaks today. The houses aren’t quite as fancy on the East side of the waterfront, and coincidentally, they’re a lot more friendly to people like us with beaches and parks where we can land instead of super yachts and signs warning about surveillance cameras protecting the vacant 30 bedroom, 7,000 sf homes.

Photos:

Janet at our $6 Diet Coke and peanut bag stop.

We parked free in this marina after getting shoo’d away from a private dock. Then we did the walk to groceries. Later I would pedal the bike in search of urethane adhesive to repair the paddle board. My polyurethane adhesive held up all day today, but I worry it isn’t correct.

We thought this boat was like ours until it came close - it was a lot bigger! They didn’t seem to notice our trimaran. Photo by Janet.

Janet took this photo of Jason who showed up on an outrigger surf ski. He said it can easily go 7mph. He was really nice and took a lot of time to chat with us while we ate salad. He told us how he helped his ex-father in law sail a boat from Antigua back to Miami. They wanted him to help because he had windsurfing experience. He said it was super difficult at the time (lack of sleep from doing watches)… but in retrospect, he wants to do it again. I know that feeling often!

We parked here for the night!

.. and camped here.

Micro tacking against a 2-3 kt current. Not exactly fun, but just what I want to be doing!

Strava Comments:

Nancy T.

Full moon =strong tides. But you already knew that. I love contemplating our relationship with the moon, tides and menstrual periods to start and someone more knowledgeable than I (or is it me?) can tell you more.

Todd A.

Can’t imagine why someone would see your boat as something following your adventure!

Janet W.

Even though the winds and currents were difficult today, we still had fun and got some chores done too - plus wine with dinner! Pico a pico north with you!

Joffrey P.

Those 7000sf houses have 3 bedrooms, but 9 bathrooms.

Mark G.

Brian Lucido (tagged you cause of the tides comment) I know the feeling as does Todd Anderson when we were kayaking the San Juans and looking for camping spots. It was quite a math ordeal to keep all the speeds and heights in check especially when setting up tents. And, of course, that was back in the day. No Internet, phones, data just all log books and tide tables. BTW your campsite looks Perfect!