FINAL ENTRY! Day 14 - Ft. Myers, FL to Longboat Key, FL

We are home!

After 14 days on the water, it was good to wake up this morning in Ft. Myers knowing that we had just 94 miles left on our 1,376 mile journey from Annapolis, MD down the ICW to Longboat Key, FL. The skies were clear, the sun was shinning brightly and the offshore breeze was light and at our backs -- a perfect Florida day on the water.

The route from The Caloosahatchee River to the Gulf of Mexico and north through the Gulf ICW are obviously very familiar waters to us but are always a rewarding experience. Today was no different. After being away from these waters for two years, it felt good to "home". So much so that we even had a bridge tender who has to come know us over the years gave us a "welcome back Endless Summer" shout out on the VHF radio as we passed by. Pretty special.

But the very best part of of the day was the last few miles as we past the city of Sarasota and started our final leg to the entrance to Longboat Key Moorings. Accordingly, I ended the trip with at the Jimmy Buffett song "Lovely Cruise" on the stereo that sums up our adventure. I leave you with those lyrics and a big thank you for following along the past two weeks. Your comments and "likes" have been most appreciated. Most of all, I have to give my thanks, love and acknowledgment to Rachel for not only all her help but enduring my boating indulgences and seemingly, actually enjoying it!

Drink it up
This ones for you
It's been a lovely cruise
I'm sorry it's ended
It's sad but it's true
Honey it's been a lovely cruise

These moments we're left with
May you always remember
These moments are shared by few
And those harbor lights
Aw they're coming into view
We bid our farewell much too soon

So drink it up
This one's for you
Honey, it's been a lovely cruise
Yea baby, it's been a lovely cruise

Sarasoata harbor coming into view

Home at last!

Day 13 - Stuart FL to Fort Myers FL

Yesterday, I gave Rachel an option. She could either sleep in and we would have a leisurely cruise about half-way through the Okeechobee Waterway (which meant spending the night somewhere in the "swamp"), OR get up really early today and try and make the entire run from the east coast to the west coast of Florida. Not that either option was among her favorite things to do, but spending the night somewhere among the alligators, snakes and Florida "crackers' (our word for rednecks), was definitely not her idea of a good time.

So early this morning ... and I mean at "first light" early this morning, we departed Stuart for our planned 128 mile 9.5 hour run. This would include managing FIVE separate locks on the waterway and cross Lake Okeechobee, the second largest fresh water lake in the United States (Lake Michigan is first). The first two locks would raise us "up" about 8 feet total from the Atlantic side, and the remaining three locks would lower us "down" about 15 feet to the Gulf of Mexico side. Each lock transit takes about 30 minutes. Since we have done this on four other occasions, we have gotten pretty good at managing the entry, exit and required line handling. Don't get me wrong, it still requires some skill and patience, but today we executed the tasks without issue!

To show you the level of planning involved in making this transit, below is my float plan and times for today. Fortunately, we had the lock openings and little boat traffic in our favor, so we improved on the plan by over 2 hours. That was big, and the best we have ever done. Considering this will probably be our last crossing, it was especially good!

I'm tired. I need a drink. And I'm going to bed.

October 31, 2018

Sunrise: 7:30 am

Sunset: 6:30 pm

Mile Marker

7.4 (start) Old Roosevelt Bridge - Stuart (14’) - 0,30 M-F, 0,20,40 weekends

Depart 7:00 am

15.0 (7.6 miles) St. Lucie Lock (down 14.5 ft) - On Demand

1:00 Arrive 8:00 am +:20 Lock

Depart 8:20 am

28.2 (13.2 miles) Indiantown RR Bridge (7’) On Demand (normally open)

39.2 (11.0 miles) Port Mayaca Lock (down 1.25 ft) On demand

1:30 Arrive 9:50 am +20 Lock

Depart 10:10 am

78.0 (38.8 miles) Moore Haven Lock (up 1.5 ft) On Demand

1:45 Arrive 11:45 am + :20 Lock

Depart 12:05pm

94.0 (16.0 miles) Ortona Lock (up 8.0 ft) On Demand

1:00 Arrive 1:05 pm + :20 Lock

Depart 1:25 pm

108.2 (14.2 miles) Fort Denaud Swing Bridge (9’) On Demand

0:45 Arrive 2:15 pm +:10 Bridge

Depart 2:25 pm

121.4 (12.8 miles) WP Franklin Lock (up 2.5 ft) On Demand

1:35 Arrive 4:00 pm + :20 Lock

Depart 4:20 pm

136 (15 miles) Legacy Harbor Marina - Ft. Myers to WP Franklin Lock 

1:30 Arrive 6:00 pm

"First Light" departure from Stuart, FL

Handling the lines!

Leaving Port Mayaca Lock into Lake Okeechobee 

Crossing Lake Okeechobee 

Day 12 - Cocoa FL to Stuart FL

Today was big day for us. After traveling 1,147 miles south down Intracoastal Waterway from Maryland, we officially turn off the ICW at the St. Lucie Inlet and started heading west! We still have another 230 miles to go before reaching Longboat Key, but today was one of those milestone moments as long distance cruisers.

The run from Cocoa to Stuart was relatively easy and with a casual mid-morning departure, we pretty much had the waterway to ourselves. We did see (and pass) a number of other transit boaters, both power and sail, but for the most part our passage was unencumbered. The sky was clear, the sun was bright and the seas we favorable. It doesn't get much better than that.

Tonight we are at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart on the east coast of Florida. This has become our go-to "staging" point for the 128 mile run on the Okeechobee Waterway tomorrow. Since we will have five locks to pass through (each takes about 30 minutes) and navigate the 40 mile run across Lake Okeechobee, we will be leaving bright and early tomorrow morning in order to make Fort Myers by early evening. We expect it to take us 9 hours provided everything goes accordingly to plan and there are no major hold-ups at any of the locks.

From that point, we will turn north (yes, north!) toward our home port of Longboat Key, FL on the Gulf of Mexico. The weather forecast for this Friday is not looking very promising, so we are hoping to make good time for the next two days to avoid the predicted severe thunderstorms.

Day 11 - St. Augustine to Cocoa, FL

Clear, sunny, calm and warm! What a perfect way to start the day in St. Augustine, FL for our planned 114 mile trip to Titusville, FL. In fact, it was so nice, I was tempted to go "outside" from the St. Augustine Inlet to Cape Canaveral Inlet, but realized it wouldn't make any difference relative to the balance of our schedule.

And so we leisurely cruised along the ICW, enjoying the water, scenery and most of all, nature! Dolphins, manatees, osprey, egrets and pelicans welcomed us back to the "Sunshine State" and a reminder about why we like so much here.

There are a number of NO WAKE zones through this stretch of the waterway, mostly to protect the Manatees that reside in these waters. These "sea cows" are large lumbering mammals often just a foot or two below the surface. As a result, they are often not seen by boaters and end up getting injured or even killed by passing props. We take their protection very seriously. That means there are times where we travel at idle speed (about 6 mph) for as much as 7 miles at a time. Yes, it adds to an already long day, but that's just what we do.

Even still, the conditions were so good today that once we were within site of our planned stop in Titusville, we decided to press on for another hour longer to Cocoa, FL and the Cocoa Village Marina (125 miles and 7 hours total). We are very familiar with this area since our home in Orlando is only about 45 minutes away by car. Although it was tempting to go "home" for a few nights, we still have another 4 days of travel ahead before reaching the west coast of Florida and our final stop in Longboat Key.

Tomorrow's forecast is for another beautiful day for our planned cruise to Stuart, FL

Day 10 - St. Simons Island GA to St. Augustine, FL

Today, we got yesterdays forecast -- clear skies, sunny and a favorable winds out of the northwest. A perfect day to be on a boat! We left St. Simons Island this morning and made way for the Sunshine State.

The first order of the day was to make it through Jekyll Creek, a notoriously shallow creek that connects the St. Simons Sound with the St. Andrews Sound. At low tide, there is little more than 4 feet of water in the creek (we draw 4.5 feet), so waiting until the tide is in our favor and rising is always a perquisite. The tidal swing is so extreme that at low tide, the aids to navigation (buoys and markers) are actually on dry ground!  But we timed our departure accordingly and made it through (slowly) without issue.

The route today took us through a few more "twists and turns"on the ICW before opening up in a couple of exposed sounds to the ocean. Since the wind was out of the NW (at our backs), the passage was easy. That's where the often quoted "fair winds and following seas" comes from! To add to our delight being back in southern waters, we had multiple visits from dolphins dancing in our bow wake.   That is about as cool at it gets!

There is another stretch of of the ICW along Palm Valley that can be unusually slow due to the number of homes, docks and boats in the area. Traveling this 6 mile stretch can be grueling, especially on a weekend day, like today. That said, I am glad we were going slow as a boat less than a mile ahead of us hit a large and sharply pointed log in the water. It punched a large hole in their hull and started to flood the vessel with water. Fortunately, they were able to ground the boat into the nearby shoreline before sinking. A call on the VHF radio to the US Coast Guard and Towboat US helped them get assistance. Talk about a way to screw up your Sunday afternoon!

From that point on, we were a little shaken and kept even closer eyes on the water for the balance of the trip. Well, that was until 1pm when the Washington Redkskins game came on TV and the attention of the "Admiral" was compromised. Thank goodness for technology and the ability to stream the game live while working our way south! (oh, and they beat the NY Giants 20 to 13)! She was very happy.

We arrived in St. Augustine, America's oldest city, without issue and tied up at the Municipal Marina for the night. We quickly and happily shed our jeans and long sleeve shirts for shorts, t-shirts and barefoot attire. There is already a change in the boating atmosphere and attitude that can only be described as "fun loving" (see picture below).  While we still have almost a week left before arriving in Longboat Key, it feels really, really good to be back in Florida.

Tomorrow we head to Titusville, FL.

NFL Football on the iPad -- A happy Admiral 

St. Augustine -- a classic seaside city

We be back in Gator Country!

Day 9 - Hilton Head, SC to St. Simons Island, GA

Whoa -- the weatherman got it wrong today! It was "supposed" to be sunny, light winds and calm seas. When we got up this morning in Hilton Head, SC, the clouds looks a little ominous but we just figured it was the early morning overcast and breeze that was bound to burn off and settle down in a few hours. So we headed out through Calibouge Sound and re-entered the Intracoastal Waterway headed south. But it didn't get better -- in fact it got worse. Not horrible kind of worse, but that unanticipated disappointment when something is not what you expected.

None the less, we carried on through the meandering (and I do meandering) Georgia canals, rivers, creeks and sounds before arriving at St Simon's Island, GA for the night. This part of the waterway has you going south, then west, then south, then east, even north, before turning south again. It was long day but if there was any good news, we didn't see many other boats on the water -- gee, I wonder why?

The best part of the day was when we were just past Isle of Hope, south of Savannah, adjacent to the waterway is Moon River -- yes, THAT Moon River (as in "wider than mile"). When Rachel and I first met back in 1966, Moon River by Andy Williams became "our song". The lyrics of "two drifters off to see the world, there such a lot of world to see" has never been more true for us. We are blessed.

Tomorrow we will make the run to our first stop in Florida (yeah!), St. Augustine.

Moon River "waiting round the bend, my huckleberry friend..."

St. Simons Island, GA

Shrimp and scallops over butternut squash mash

Day 8 - Charleston SC to Hilton Head, SC

Today was one of the "what do you do when the weather gods give you lemons -- you make lemonade" sort of days.

We awoke this morning to cloudy, rainy and very windy skies. Not exactly a great day to move the boat ... but, what else were we going to do? A few checks of the open water rivers we would have to travel didn't seem all that bad. Yes it was likely to be choppy in places, perhaps with opposing seas, tide and wind. But keep in mind -- Endless Summer is a Sabre Yacht built in Maine for those offshore water, so for "the boat" this would be piece of cake. Now just to convince the crew.

Off the dock we went at 8:30 am for our 93 mile 5.5 hour run to Hilton Head, SC. The trip was all I expected it to be (not great but not awful), and the crew was cheerful and didn't seem to mind the conditions.

Lemonade.

We arrived at Harbor Town Yacht Basin at Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head around 2:30 in the afternoon, fueled -up Endless Summer and worked our way to the back of the circular harbor, well protected and calm. Harbor Town is one of our favorite stops primarily for its classic design and feel, complete with its own signature lighthouse. They also greet you with a complimentary bottle of wine and a host of resort amenities from beach, tennis, biking, golf and dining. Unfortunately, the weather is not conducive for any of that (except the dining part).

Late this afternoon it actually stopped raining, the clouds finally parted, the sun broke out and while still windy, felt much warmer! Perhaps a lemonade martini was in the making?

Tomorrow, we make the long and meandering journey into the Georgia waterways and sounds to St. Simons Island, GA.

Tucked back safe and sound at Harbor Town Yacht Basin

A classic and well run marina -- Harbor Town -- Hilton Head, SC

Martini's and sunsets -- does it get any better than this?

Day 7 - Myrtle Beach SC to Charleston SC

Last night we were treated to a full "harvest moon" that filled the sky and illuminated the harbor waters. There is something special about a full moon no matter where you are, but on a boat, it's spectacular.

Thursday morning we departed Grand Dunes Marina in Myrtle Beach early for our planned 110 mile 6.5 hour trip to Charleston, SC. Knowing we had a number of twists and turns to make through some "skinny" water, I wanted to take advantage of the high tide for as long as it lasted. While there were a few shallow spots that caused me pause, we maintained our plotted course line without issue.

One of the first hurdles was getting past the Socastee Swing Bridge, a notoriously unreliable bridge for opening on demand. It is old, moves slow, and be cranky when it comes to opening. Add to that the recent high water damage and repairs, we held our breath as we waited.... and waited for it to finally open.

This is normally one of my favorite stretches of the trip, especially the Wacamaw River. This time, however, there was a certain sense of sadness in seeing all the damage from Hurricane Florence and extreme flooding that occurred from all the rain. Damaged docks, boats washed ashore, and most striking, home that had been flooded almost to their roof lines. We felt so sorry for the people whose lives we're impacted. Even the trees that line the river had been striped by the winds. Surprisingly, we did not see a lot of debris in the water which was a relief considering all the damage on the shore line. The balance of the trip to Charleston was delightful and all in all, a good day on the water.

Upon arriving in Charleston at the Charleston City Marina, we were treated to a visit from Randy Jeffrey, an old friend and fellow boater (he also owns a Sabre Yacht) who lives in the area. It was good to catch up and spend time together. After refueling and a quick wash-down, we headed out to dinner at Hank's Seafood Restaurant, voted Charleston's best seafood restaurant for the past 18 years. And as only seemed appropriate, I enjoyed a delicious plate of low-country "shrimp 'n grits" with a side of collard greens.

We are expecting some rain and wind overnight and into Friday but I don't anticipate it holding us back for our next leg to Hilton Head, SC.

Moonlit Harbor

Socastee Swing Bridge

Visible bloodline along the Wacamaw River

Low country "shrimp 'n grits"

Inside the "Mega Dock" at Charleston City Marina

Day 6 - Wrightsville Beach NC to Myrtle Beach SC

Finally -- we are out of North Carolina! Not that I have a problem with it, but it seems we had been working our way through there for almost a week -- oh, wait a minute it was! Anyway, glad to be in South Carolina!

We left Wrightsville Beach NC this morning at more leisurely hour (8:15am), for the 5.5 hour run to Grand Dunes Marina in Myrtle Beach SC. Since we stayed "inside" the entire day, we had our share of speeding up, slowing down, speeding up slowing ... well, you get the idea. There was also a fair amount of commercial traffic to work around including a HUGE container ship coming down the Cape Fear River and a 300 foot barge being pushed by an 85 foot tug dragging about 200 feet of dredging pipe through a narrow turn near Little River just before the swing bridge. And if that wasn't enough, we had to slow down going through Southport as a dear (yes, a dear) swam across the channel to the other side. Never seen that before! Oh well, it's just the way it works out here on the Intercoastal Waterway.

We did see a few evidences of Hurricane Florence with damaged docks, some missing roofs and an occasionally boat that was washed ashore. That said, it appears the folks along the waterway in North Carolina are doing a great job getting things back to normal. One thing is for sure -- they have a great attitude about it all.

Tonight we are at one of favorite stops at Grande Dunes Marina. This is a large, well protected basin right on the ICW with floating docks and nice amenities. But the most special feature is that right next to the marina, not more than 100 feet from the back of Endless Summer is a Ruth's Chris Steak House. I have been thinking about that martini and steak dinner all day.

Tomorrow is a long day as we head to Charleston SC.

Barge and tug in route

Little River Swing Bridge

Results of Hurricane Florence

Marina at Grande Dunes - Myrtle Beach, SC

Ruth's Chris Steak House right off the aft deck!

Day 5 - Oriental NC to Wrightsville Beach NC

Our stay in River Dunes was both easy and pleasant. The folks there couldn't be nicer and getting in and out is a breeze.

Speaking of a breeze, the area in and around the Pamilco Sound and Neuse River are known for some pretty bad winds and waves. In fact, this is for one member of the crew (you know who), is the absolute worst, dreaded and consistently awful experience each time we travel it. Rachel refers to it as "the Nasty Neuse" with an expression of disgust only she can expel.

When we awoke this morning, the River Dunes Harbor was dead calm (see the picture). Not even a whiff of a breeze. Still, peaceful, calm. Could it be? Could I be THAT lucky? So as we worked our way out of the harbor and into the lower Neuse River, there was a palpable unspoken tension in the air. It not only felt calm it was calm! And then, to shatter the silence and tension she spoke -- "well, will you look at that, the Neuse is nice". She actually said it -- THE NEUSE IS NICE! It was going to be a glorious day!

We traveled up the "nice" Neuse River and into Adams Creek that cuts over to Beaufort and points south. As we cruised along, I checked the seas conditions and forecast offshore to see if there was a possibility we could avert some of the more aggravating sections of the ICW and head out the inlet directly to Wrightsville Beach. It appeared to be very good conditions and with the full approval and support of "The Admiral", I made the decision to head offshore -- I'm still the Captain you see.

The conditions were, in fact, excellent as we ran a straight 80 mile course from one inlet to the other. Even the outside temperature was better out in the ocean! We arrived at Wrightsville Beach Marina in 5.5 hours, refueled Endless Summer (she was very thirsty), wash the boat and ourselves off and enjoyed a "docktail" before heading off to dinner.

It has been a good day!!

Quiet, calm, peaceful River Dunes Harbor

A little warmer to out in the ocean!

Day 3 & 4 Coinjock NC to Oriental NC

As I suspected when I wrote my Day 2 update, there was a good chance we would be spending two nights in Coinjock due to the forecast. When the National Weather Service posted Gale Force Wind Warnings for Sunday night and all day Monday with Alligator River Swing Bridge closed at 8:00 am for the day, the decision was easy. Hunker down and deal with it.

While "just sitting" is not among my favorite things to do, we did manage to make good use of the time. We did a full interior cleaning, had the holding tank pumped out, filled the water tank with fresh water, and refueled Endless Summer with 291 gallons of diesel. And since it was Sunday, we had an array of NFL football games to watch but none more important than the Washington Redskins victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Rachel was beyond delighted!

As the sun set on our second night in Coinjock, the winds started to subside -- but not much. Unsure of what the next morning might bring, I made potential alternate routing to Oriental after consultation with Keith Mackey, a good friend and professional captain. I wasn't all that excited about exploring new territory through the large and often nasty Pamlico Sound, but if the Alligator Bridge was still closed, I would have no choice. Also, since there was now a "back up" of transient boats heading south, it could make for a very long day working past slower sailboats and trawlers.

When the sun came up today, there was a mild 7-10 mph but very cold 41 degree wind blowing through Coinjock. As multiple boats pealed away from the dock, we readied Endless Summer for our scheduled 124 mile, 6 hour trip to Oriental. As we exited the North River into Albemarle Sound, the waters were rather "choppy" but not awful. Upon learning that the Alligator Bridge was in fact opening on demand today, we continued along our original route.

As the day went on, the winds subsided, the seas were calm and the other boat traffic was well spaced and easily manageable. It turned out to be a perfect boating day! We arrived at River Dunes Marina, one of our favorite places along the ICW, in the early afternoon. A quiet and well protected harbor with floating docks, wonderful modern facilities and some of the nicest folks anywhere. What more could you ask for!

Tomorrow looks like another good weather day for our planned travel to Wrightsville Beach NC. But first, we must navigate Rachel's "least favorite" body of water, the notoriously nasty Neuse River. Please, oh please boating gods, make it a good day.

A cold start to the day!

Alligator River - Pungo River Canal

Finally, a beautiful day to be heading south

Shrimp boats at Mayo Seafood

At rest in River Dunes, Oriental NC

Day 2 - Norfolk, VA to Coinjock, NC

Following a beautiful day yesterday traversing the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk, VA, this morning we awoke to cloudy, rainy skies and lower temps. Not a great day for boating, but not a complete washout either. So, as planned, we dropped our lines promptly at the scheduled 8:00 am departure and staring working our way toward Coinjock North Carolina (more on that later).

Norfolk is home to a huge naval base, marine operations center and gigantic repair yard. We past all manner of military ships at dock -- from small patrol craft, to destroyers, to massive aircraft carriers. It causes you pause (and pride) when you see the USA's naval might up close and personal.

As is the case every year at this time, there is a parade of pleasure boats moving south for the winter. Big mega yachts, large cruisers, sailboats, and the occasional "what the hell is that" boat? While I always enjoy the boating eye candy along the route, I sometimes find (well, often find) the slower moving vessels a little frustrating. There are some common well known "rules of the road" for faster boats (me) passing slower boats (most everyone else), but unless everyone plays by the same rules of overtaking, slowing down, and active radio communication, it can be most annoying. But, what me worry -- we're not that in that big of a hurry anyway!

As part of today's rainy travel we had to navigate 4 separate low bridge openings and pass through the Great Bridge Lock. These openings do not occur "on demand" so you either sit and wait if you arrive too early or try to precisely time the speed and distance to match -- today, we did a little bit of both. Regardless, while only a distance of 50 miles from Norfolk to Coinjock, it is a day of fits and starts that takes almost 5 hours.

Now, about Coinjock. Wedged in a narrow canal between Currituck Sound and the North River is a long 1,000 foot face dock marina and restaurant that due to its location, is an almost "must stop" for fuel, food and a chance to mingle with fellow transient boaters -- mainly because you are stacked in really tight with each other with your anchor bow pulpit overhangs the next boats aft deck. But the real star of the Coinjock show is the famous Coinjock Restaurant's prime rib offered in either 16 or 32 ounce portions. Not exactly a heart healthy meal, but it's what you do when you're in Coinjock!

Unfortunately, we may get a chance to spend two nights here this year if the current weather forecast holds for tonight and tomorrow. The National Weather Service has posted a gale force wind warning overnight and into tomorrow. That means winds between 39 and 54 miles per hour!! And the path to our next destination takes us across three of the notoriously nasty bodies of water -- Albemarle Sound, Pamlico Sound and the Neuse River (Rachel's "favorite"). Not to mention, there is a bridge on the Alligator River that we have to have opened which won't operate in winds of excess of 34 mph -- and there is no alternative route around that. But more on that in tomorrows update.

For now, I've got to go see if I have enough Pepcid AC in the medicine cabinet for tonights dinner.

A rainy day on the ICW

Crossing Currituck Sound

Stacked in at Great Bridge Lock

The Admiral handling the lines --- in the rain!

Endless Summer tightly docked among "friends"

Coinjock Marina and Restaurant -- a "must" stop

What will tomorrow bring???

Day 1 - Annapolis, MD to Portsmouth, VA

After a delightful "last supper" with Bob and Carolee Duckman in Annapolis, we got a good nights rest in our secure and deep water dockage at the Annapolis Yacht Basin.

When morning came, the cold Fall temps were in the mid 40's but the wind and seas appeared calm -- always a good thing when traveling by boat. As we got underway for what would be long day heading south, I felt a certain pang of melancholy leaving our Maryland home behind after such a wonderful summer on the Chesapeake Bay. But as tradition requires, we lowered the Maryland burgee from the bow and hosted the Florida Longboat Key flag to signal our final destination.

The 160 mile run from Annapolis to Norfolk (Portsmouth) was a perfect final ride down the Chesapeake. Seas were mostly on our nose but only 1-2 feet which Endless Summer handles without issue. The sky was perfectly clear as the sun danced and sparkled off the water.

We arrived in Portsmouth 6.5 hours later, tied up for the night at the Tidewater Yacht Marina and enjoyed a leisurely dinner (and congratulatory cocktail) at the nearby Fish & Slips Restaurant. All in all, a good first day.

Tomorrow looks like we might get some rain on our parade but with a relatively short distance to go, shouldn't be all that bad (he said with a wink and hopeful smile).

Official lowering of the Maryland State Flag burgee

And the raising of the Florida Longboat Key burgee

Heading South!

160 miles, 6.5 hours

The day is done - Tidewater Yacht Marina, Portsmouth, VA

Looking back over the harbor to downtown Norfolk

Cheers to a great first day!