Blue Moon Sails Away: Clearwater and going South

The yacht club had it's docks under repair and replacement so we just stayed on the boat. It rained all day and made for a good excuse to stay put. It was drier and more relaxing anyway. We slept well due to exhaustion and Nyquil. We really feel the need to get to Boot Key soon in order to get a mooring ball so one day was all we allowed ourselves to rest. We basically ate soup for 3 meals just so I didn't have to cook. A woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do (sorry John Wayne). Anyway, in reviewing our options, we decided to press south in the ICW to avoid the rough water in the gulf and still make some progress south.

Captain David checking the next leg's weather.

We're not totally uncivilized. I try to set the table for supper.

The tent heater really took the chill off the damp cabin. We can't leave it on too long since it does burn oxygen.

Bombas, thank you Angela, kept my feet toasty warm.

A victim of the crossing was a flying fish. It's out of focus but after the crossing, so was I. We found another one in the dinghy the next day.

From our chartplotter you can see all the artificial canals dug by developers years ago to

increase the amount of waterfront properties.

This is no longer allowed since it is truly horrible for the ecosystem.

An important part of navigation is knowing where you are. These marks show that it is on the ICW thanks to the orange square. The number corresponds to a spot on the chart so you can identify where you are in the grand scheme of things. There are dozens of side channels to houses, marinas, etc so it's important to know which marks you need to follow.

Mangrove iles are everywhere and they provide important benefits. They filter pollutants from the water, help prevent erosion and provide nesting areas for birds and spawning grounds for fish. They used to be considered nuisances to be removed.