March 11 -- what a day

The weather forecast for the day was so-so -- cloudy and windy. They were only partly right.

Everyone was a little slow moving (in my opinion that is) eating breakfast and getting organized to go out in the boat. I was worried that the parking lot would be full, since it was Sunday and busy. As we crossed the North Causeway Sandy commented that we were going out too early (it was around 10:30 at this point) since it was still foggy ...

We got to the parking lot and there was a lot of room. We had to wait for a couple of other boats to launch, however, and it was equally busy when we ended our trip and pulled the boat out -- lots of traffic.

The five of us plus Abby in the 13.5 foot Boston Whaler is capacity and it showed. Later in the trip we tried to get the boat to plane and it is just too much for the 40 hp Merc and the aerodynamics of the boat. However, most of the trip is in a "no wake" zone anyway, and we were sightseeing.

We went north putting along looking at all the boats and big houses, then past Ponce Inlet -- the wind was much too high and the waves too big to even consider boating out towards the ocean. The waves were going right over the breakwater with the NE wind pushing them along.

As we crossed the Inlet we found some dolphins -- to everyone's delight. They came very near the boat -- Kim saw them right under the bow.

Oh -- I forgot to mention that the fog receeded as we headed north so the entire trip was sunny ...

There were many boats out, anchored in the shallows amidst the islands in the Inlet -- so we decided to pull into one beach, anchored the boat to keep the stern pointed out (to protect the depth finder) and got out for a while. The day was glorious, Abby raced around untethered (no leashes required on these non-public beaches). She got to play fetch in the water and we all enjoyed ... The ground off the beach was covered with sharp nettles so Abby quickly learned to stay on the beach and I pulled the nettles out of her toes.

Next we headed north and pulled into the Harbor Inlet restaurant just past Down the Hatch. We tied up at their pier amidst the bigger boats. We had lunch at the bar facing the water so we could keep an eye on Abby, tied up in the boat, and watching the boat traffic -- a perfect spot ! I had the blackened catch-of-the-day sandwich, Sandy had the pulled Pork, Jason & Lorraine had clam chowder and Kim had a huge plate of Nachos etc. which we helped her with. Excellent.

On the trip back south we went through the islands over to the Intracoastal Waterway -- the big boats were moving fast and creating wakes -- we were moving slowly and couldn't plane ... but that didn't last long and we were all back into the no-wake zone.

We saw a Coast Guard boat checking out one of the cruisers, undoubtedly counting life jackets and any other requisite "stuff" -- I am pretty sure that we are legal -- there are not as may requirements for a small boat and we are well equiped with jackets, flare gun etc.

We went under the Causeway this time and approached our boat launch from the south, going by the Marine Discovery center on the way.

Back home, Jason, Lorraine & Kim went to the beach -- Jason was determined to get into the ocean -- and Jason and Kim used the boogie boards and rode the waves. It was a good day for it. The water temperature in the ocean and the intracoastal waterway was around 70 degrees -- cool but bearable (personally I don't go in until the water is over 80).

We had dinner -- stir fried shrimp, risotto and barbecued vegetable stir fry -- and turned in early, since Jason et al were heading over to Disney the next day.

Stopping at the island, having lunch along the way -- Sandy and I are now convinced that we want to have a boat down here. We need something a little bigger -- obviously the Whaler is not the best for a crowd or in the waves -- so in a future year we will work that out.

Oh -- cycling ? -- not today. tomorrow.

Cheers !