Today I left the comfort (and cost) of a slip with its heater and motored south on the ICW for a few hours to a nice anchorage by the town of Cocoa. This is my first time anchoring since I got caught in the current at Ponce Inlet. Worrying is still what I do best, so the nearby overhead power lines are what kept me awake nights after reading an ominous story about a boat that anchored too close to them. Thoughts like going a half mile down the way, went through my head. But the reality is it is not hard to anchor away from the power lines. You would have to have no common sense to anchor so close that it would be an issue.

Finding a spot to anchor among the boats already anchored is tricky for me. Dropping the hook off another boats aft quarter works well. I know that trick. But I also want to be able to anchor in an existing row. I tried that today. What usually happens is that you don’t end up where you wanted to be. So I ended up a little closer to the next boat than I wanted to be. But it seems okay - we have swung 180 degrees with no issues. Right now there is no wind or current - it is dead calm and the line hangs limp at the bow. The 60’ of chain lying on the bottom is enough to keep the boat in place.

I enjoyed grilled chicken tonight. There is a grill off the back of the boat.

Yesterday I walked to church - 2.9 miles one way. A good scout hike. But I haven’t done that in a while, so on the way back, my right leg complained a bit about the 6 miles. It wanted some rest stops and a slower pace on the way back - it’s not a race (that’s what one of our scout leaders used to tell the boys). The Church was on Ojibway, which I found interesting. The walk reminded me of a scout hike and our scout summer camp campsite was Ojibwa.

Tomorrow comes the big question: Will John actually pump up the dinghy and motor to shore? And the even bigger question - will he freeze overnight? Stay tuned.