As to be expected it is easy to fall behind on blogs. Between traveling and planning the next days itinerary there is little time left to complete the blog. Not complaining I just didn't realize how tired I would be at the end of the day after hours in the sun and heat. Wher to begin....we set sail out of Bahia Honda on May 26th. The day started out a bit rough on the water but by late morning we were sailing right along and the waves had settled down. Roxy has not enjoyed this much and has gotten sick on several occasions. She and phoebe are thoroughly enjoying the ginger snaps. I was hoping that the ginger would help settle stomachs. Frankly I believe it is her nerves and we have other drugs for that. We landed at Rodriguez Key in the late afternoon to a beautiful setting of a serene wooded key and calm beautiful water. It was so pleasant we decided to stay an extra day. The next day we swam and floated for a couple of hours in between the jobs of reinflating the dinghy and cleaning.

After leaving Rodriguez Key we had an absolutely beautiful day of sailing with perfect winds and waves. We were clipping along between 5 and 6 knots most of the day. Once we got close to Miami the water got a bit rougher and we motored in for the last hour to our anchorage in Key Biscayne. We had lovely views of the Miami skyline and of all the yachts. This anchorage must be where all go to party. It was filled with boaters and all of their water toys. Thankfully they all disappear at sunset and the area becomes tranquil. Tonight we eat, shower and go to bed to prepare for our first leg of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW). We have many, many bridges to go under and it requires a bit of planning to make sure you keep track of the next bridge and the times it opens. Most of these bridges are not on demand but open at set times during the day.

so here we go:

Day 1

1) Rickenbacker

2) Dodge Island RR

3) Dodge Island Highway

4) MacArthur

5) Venetian

6) Julia Tuttle Causeway

7) W. 79th St.

8) Broad Causeway

9) NE 63rd St

10) William Lehman

11) Hallandale

12) Hollywood Beach Blvd

13) Sheridan St.

14) Dania Beach Blvd

15) SE 17th St

Stayed at a mooring ball at the Las Olas Marina in Ft. Lauderdale for 2 nights. It felt so good to get a real shower and to eat out at a restaurant. Restrictions from the pandemic had just recently been lifted and for the most part you could not tell that there were still supposed to be social distancing. The beaches and bars were packed. The restaurant was the Quarterdeck and for the most part they were trying to comply with the restrictions.

Day 2 of bridges

16) E. Las Olas Blvd

17) E. Sunrise Blvd

18) Oakland Park

19) Commercial Blvd

20) Atlantic Blvd

21) NE 14th

22) Hillsboro Blvd

23) Camino Real Bridge

24) Palmetto Park -- we just missed the opening and then the bridge broke-delayed 1 hr

25) Spanish River

26) Linton Blvd

27) Atlantic Ave

28) George Bush

29) SE 15th

30) E. Ocean Ave

31) Lantana

Stopped for the night in Lake Worth. Nothing really exciting just trying to get the hang of pulling off in the AIWW in some very shallow waters. I'm very proud of ourselves as we have not been yelling during what could be some stressful times. Anchored and slept.

Day 3 of bridges

32) Lake Ave

33) Southern Blvd

34) Royal Park

35) Flagler Memorial

36) Blue Heron

37) Parker Bridge

38) PGA Bridge

39) Donald Ross

40) Indiantown Rd

41) Jupiter Federal

42) 707 Bridge

Tonight we anchored in a place called Hobe Sound. It was really nice. There was a sandbar not far from where we were anchored. We took the dogs to shore and exposed them to their first time swimming. Roxy was willing to wade in but not Phoebe! Water temperature was just right but the color is that awful brown. I miss the crystal blue waters of the Keys.

Day 4 of bridges

43) Hobe Sound

44) Ernest Lyons

45) Ft. Pierce

46) 17th St.

47) Vero Beach

Here we stop counting the bridges as they get further apart and most are now fixed bridges with high elevations that we can easily just pass under. We arrived here on June 4th and stayed on a mooring ball in the Vero Beach City Marina. We will end up staying here a little longer than anticipated to wait for a new propeller for the dinghy motor. We had a great time visiting with my sister Mary and her husband, Gene. We were able to take care of some much needed tasks and we really appreciated the help from them. This lifestyle has made us more dependent in some ways on the kindness of others. This dependence has some side effects of forcing you to spend time with others and in return you connect in meaningful ways. It has been great!

We left Vero Beach on June 11th. We stayed one night at anchor in Eau Gallie and one night in Titusville. We were able to get to shore in both anchorages but it was too hot for a long walk in Titusville. Phoebe is not tolerating the heat very well and Roxy wouldn't go for a walk without me in my efforts to see if Bruce could accompany her this time. If only there was a rocket launch tomorrow. We are in an ideal spot to observe. Perhaps the next time we pass through.