Aboard the Sailing Vessel
SHIBUMI
January 28-30, 2004
We are finally underway. Slowly picking our way toward warmer weather.
IT'S ABOUT TIME: Untying the Docklines
PALM COAST, FL - Wednesday, January 28, We left our dock in the late afternoon and motored Shibumi to the Palm Coast Marina. We decided to stay in the marina Wednesday night so we could get an early start on Thursday morning. The tide in our canal is very low in the morning at this time of year, Shibumi would not have enough water to leave the canal until mid afternoon. So, we opted for an early morning start from the marina where the tidal range is not a critical factor.

OUR FIRST DAY ON THE INTRA-COASTAL WATERWAY
PALM COAST, FL - Thursday, January 29, We pulled into the Intra-Coastal Waterway (ICW) and turned south. Traffic was very light along the ICW. It was a Thrusday morning and most recreational boaters were either at work or found the weather too cold for watersports.

Only an occassional fisherman checking his crab traps dared to brave the cold.
The sky was clear and a light wind was from the north, pushing us to the south. As we passed Flagler Beach the wind swung out of the east and created an uncomfortable wind chill factor in the cockpit. Shibumi's cockpit is open on three sides. Our original plan was to go to New Smyrna Beach to spend the night. But the chill factor convinced us to make it a short day and stop at the Halifax Marina in Daytona.

The highlight of this leg of the trip was David's parents coming down to the Granada Bridge, in Ormond Beach, to wave farewell and take pictures. They even brought their neighbors, Herb and Midge.

DAY 2: DAYTONA BEACH TO CAPE CANAVERAL
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Friday, January 30, This morning was somewhat warmer as we left the Halifax Marina early to make the long run to Titusville, near Cape Canaveral. The distance is only 48 miles, but at sailboat speeds traveling with daylight shortened by the Winter tilt of the Earth, 48 miles is a long run.

As the hours of the day passed the weather turned cloudy and chilly. The waters in ICW were smooth and the wind light. The river was rather empty. We were passed by two sailboats, remarkably heading to chilly north, and three southbound powerboats. Other than that we shared the ICW only with the birds... that seemed to be everywhere.

There are birds walking in the water over there... Maybe we should not go that way.
As we entered Mosquito Lagoon we were able to see the huge Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center. The VAB is where NASA attaches the Space Shuttle to the booster rockets. It can be seen for miles (hours) from Mosquito Lagoon and again for miles after we enter the Indian River and turned south to Titusville.

We docked in Titusville late Friday afternoon. The Titusville Municipal Marina has a number of live-aboard boaters berthed there. We met some of them and everyone seems very friendly and willing to offer help and advice to new members of the world's largest village, 'live-aboard crusiers' (known by the uniniated as boat-people).

The facilities are clean, but much to Jill's dismay they did not have cable-TV hook-ups. But all was not lost, reception of regular broadcast channels was strong using the television's rabbit ears. The marina office did provide Internet connections. However, the connection was outside so not very practical in the rain, which started about 7 pm and lasted all night.

We had dinner onboard Shibumi at the dock. Jill fixed-up some pasta and salard. Then we watched "Boston Public" on TV and turned in for the night after a long day.

If we keep sailing south it will warm up, I'm sure it will!

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