Thursday, March 31, 2011

On the Waterway Again

After a day off to rest and visit with friends, the Captain and his crew (sister Robin and brother-in-law Alan)were back on the ICW today. Here is an early morning report from the Captain:

Looks like a beautiful day and fewer bridges to slow us down so we should cover some ground today. Fueled up yesterday which was kind of frightening. Good thing we won't need to do that again for a couple thousand miles.
Went by Tiger and Greg Norman's houses. Wow, I'm in the wrong business.


Things got a bit less settled as the day wore on, with gusts up to 45knots. But the crew was warm, safe and DRY inside the Pilot House: the bright side to the dark side of boating!
Anchored tonight just south of Melbourne, FL at Mile 925 of the ICW after traveling 70 miles. That means that Freedom is 925 miles from the Chesapeake Bay.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Heading North

The Captain and (this week's) crew have begun the trip north to the Chesapeake Bay. They left Lighthouse Point Yacht Club in Pompano Beach, Florida yesterday March 28th. This is decidedly a cruise, not a delivery trip. That is, the days will be leisurely. Freedom will stop every night, and maybe even stay in the same spot for two nights. Trips ashore to explore, sightsee, or provision will happen on a regular basis, and nights at anchor will be sought after and savored. The crew will change almost weekly -- jumping aboard in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and at least one other port closer to the northern end of the ICW. A complicated relay of airplanes and cars will get everyone where they need to be when they need to be there. Cruisersnet.net will be relied upon for up to the date information on what not to miss, what to avoid, and basically what's what on the ICW.
Follow along as we tell tales, post pictures and share the adventure.

A New Year, a New Boat, an Old Name

Freedom Lives! But with a new look and a new attitude: She is now a Selene 53', built in 2005. Yes, we have gone to "the Dark Side" but oh how lovely it is! Lots of space for comfort, lots of power for getting us where we want to go, and lots of plans for the future. First on the agenda: the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW)from Fort Lauderdale to the Chesapeake Bay.