Taking It Easy Down the ICW

Hey there readers! This post comes terribly late but you can chalk that up to lack of sea legs and internet connection. After staying on land for the past year, I’ve found it’s taken some time to grow accustomed to the motion of the ocean enough to write while underway. More than my writing skills have been affected by our long stay ashore: captain, crew, vessel, and of course dogs all needed to be eased back into life at sea. Keeping in mind we were only a few degrees better than a bunch of land lubbers, we decided to take it easy down the Florida Intracoastal Waterway. 

Vero Beach: Home of Mosquitos

Banjo playing at the dog park.

Vero Beach was a wonderful place to prep Jasamine (and us!) for the voyage. To any boaters out there who might be reading this, I can’t recommend Vero Beach City Marina, Florida, enough! It boasts a well-protected anchorage, numerous moorings and slips, a fuel and water dock, laundromat, internet lounge, free bus service, and general welcoming atmosphere. An added bonus was the nearby free dog park where I could walk our dogs, Sam and Banjo. Banjo, my energetic Lab-Aussie Shepherd puppy, especially enjoyed the park’s wide open spaces and meeting other dogs. It was a challenge learning how to get a hyper, bouncing, sixty pound dog down Jasamine’s ladder, into the dinghy, and onto the dock…. without getting soaked or losing the dinghy. 

The dinghies pile up at the Vero Beach dock!
 Sometimes you have to climb over several to get ashore.

After fitting out Jasamine for travel, we said goodbye to Vero Beach and began chugging our way down the ICW. For a boat owner, the Florida ICW is both beautiful and stressful. I have a theory that amount of stress you experience on the ICW is directly proportional to the height of your mast and the draft (depth) of your keel. With a 63 foot mast and an 8 foot draft, Jasamine gave us some nail-biting moments as we passed under bridges and went through shallow water. But we made it through alright, and with plenty of time for me to pull out my camera and capture the surrounding beauty. 

Don't drop the coconut!

The ICW has something for everyone: dolphins, mansions, birds of all kinds, manatees, and lush vegetation fill its waters and line its shores. I was especially happy to capture some nice shots of a pelican and an osprey; I'm pretty sure the pelican was posing! Once in a while, the more amusing, quirky side of Florida pops out from amongst the beauty. It’s these moments, such as seeing a flagpole erected in the middle of the water or a shark boat (hoo-ha-ha) docked, that keep the waterway from growing monotonous when you’re creeping forward at five knots (about 5 mph). However, one of the funniest sights to see was Banjo getting used to life onboard; everything is such an adventure with him! In the past few weeks he has learned to swim and experienced the beach, crabs, coconuts, sand and waves for the first time. Every day is a new lesson as his hesitation turns into sheer delight and he becomes a boat dog.  

Peanut Island, an unexpected paradise.
Well worth a visit!

We planned to leave the ICW from the inlet at West Palm Beach, and as we dropped anchor off Peanut Island in West Palm Beach, I looked out to sea. The sting of the salted breeze on my face and the slap of the crystal-clear water against the hull called out to all of us. Jasamine had bobbed in enclosed waters long enough; it was time to again fill the sails with wind and ride over rolling waves. The sadness of leaving has been swept up in the excitement of going! Captain, crew, vessel, and yes, even dogs are ready!

Bye for now, Florida!