01/08/2025 ICW Day 8 : The Canvas Can Do Miracles

by Brian · Published January 8, 2025 · Updated January 23, 2025

Janet and I purchased “Saavy Naavy” app today. It’s expensive, but it plots a course based on your boat’s capabilities and draft. We followed its guidance - taking us back out to sea. Apparently, the idea was to take advantage of the Northbound current to get a little bonus push. That would help make up for the fact that we needed to sail directly into the wind. Most of this leg was fun - especially as we got close to Bill Baggs State Park.

Janet waked to the grocery store 1.4 miles each way, while I tended to drying clothes, making sure everything was ship shape, and charging our batteries. Unfortunately, Janet lost her precious prescription sunglasses somewhere during the shopping. 😞

Meanwhile, I paid the anchor fee to the iron ranger. I was plugged into an outlet when a woman drove up in a white pickup.

“You no using the electricity here! Did you pay to be here?” She said.

I said, “yes, I’m paid. I figured it was okay to use this outlet because it is right here and I paid to stay.”

“You all are ‘living the life,’ meanwhile the park has to pay for the electricity!” She said indignantly.

I replied, “I’m charging my phone, what’s that cost - 2 cents? I paid more than that t stay here!”

She kind of made a huff and then answered her phone and drove away.

Bienvenidos a Miami!

As I waited, people came to take photos of the boat - or of themselves with the boat. In spite of that, people were quite matter-of-fact no matter what I told them… that we slept on the boat, or of my dream to sail to the Bahamas.

Janet returned - I had been hoping we could do a romantic dinner out, but we prioritized anchoring in the mangroves because another Northerly is coming in a few hours.

Photos:

Our friend Dean Glenesk wrote that he had gone to see Christopher Cross… perhaps you remember the song “sailing” from 1979? It brought back memories, and inspired the title of today’s sail. Thabks, Dean! I downloaded the MP3 last night on the Boca Chita NPS Wi-Fi. What??! A tiny deserted island with no water or electricity? Yeah, but they have Starlink….

We are getting closer to Miami. There is a good and a bad. I’ve been loving being in these remote-feeling natural settings… but the good is that it might be easier to do resupplies.

Camped at the North End of the harbor, hoping that we don’t get blown around tonight. I like that the seats from our boat come out and have folding legs - good for Janet’s comfort.

Saavy Naavy plotted the purple route which we attempted to follow. We are the red. I think it got the direction of the wind off by a few degrees, but I was able to pretty much match the angles, meaning that my boat can do about 43 off the wind.