Day 2: Melbourne to New Smyrna Beach, FL

8 hrs. A superb day dawns in Melbourne, and we are back on the ICW by 0830. It's breezy today, and Graeme and I--still learning how to handle the wheel--have our work cut out to maintain steadiness along the channel. Added to our challenge is that the wind, quartering from the NW, moves across the water and seems to make the surface 'move'. In turn, this makes one think the boat is turning when it is not, and the instinctive reaction is to steer it back. The solution? Stay on the screens.

We are accompanied at times by dolphins and, from time to time, get glimpses of the elusive manatee. We are now out of the 'boring' and broad parts of the Indian River and into a more confined waterway. Sometimes we even have to navigate the boat around corners.

We arrive at the marina and are moored around 1630, in time to crack a stubbie and get some snacks onto the table in the cockpit. We crank up the grill (bbq) for some superior sausagian cuisine, but it's up on the flybridge and the wind blows the gas flame out, so Graeme repairs to the galley and breaks out the frying pan. Lorraine has made a nice coleslaw.Lue lisää