Well, we are back where our northern journey started in the winter/spring of 2010.
We arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday November 28th, 26 days from our departure from York River in the Chesapeake. Of course not all the days were travel days but a quick calculation says we travelled 960 miles in 20 days, equaling over 50 miles per day. And, the sunshine/warmth really did not appear consistently until we were well into Florida, below Jacksonville.
All in alll it was an amazing trip ( again), this time more relaxing than the trip north as at that time everything was so new, including the boat. We enjoyed every mile, even the cold days when the heating pad kept me warm. :) The amazing scenery, changing every day, the dolphins, pelicans, bald eagels, and the local fisherman who were out there trying to make a living no matter how bad the day was. Crab pots are a real challenge, especially when they are not restricted to outside of the channel so that the travel requires constant vigilance to avoid having them wrapped around the prop.
The journey is not about staying "between the markers" but constantly being aware of the conditions ie , being able to clear a 26' bridge because it is low tide, timing the bridges as many only open on the hour/half hour & milling about in a narrow channel with half a dozen other boats is not a fun exercise.
Many areas require transit at mid to high tide to avoid "bumping the bottom". While this is not necessarily a dangerous thing it would require sitting on the sandy bottom until enough tide comes in to lift the boat off & get you moving again. We saw this on quite a few occassions, especailly with deep keel sailboats who not only had the depth to worry abour but because of the exceptionally high tides present during our travels , many of the bridges were just barely passable for them, & in many instances we saw them anchored waiting for the tide to go out before they could pass under the bridge.
So, yes the journey had it's challenges, one being the cold weather that seemed to hang on forever, but the sheer beauty of the terrain we pased thru the experiences we had & the wonderful people we met along the way helped to create a "life experience" quite unlike any other experience I can ever imagine.
So, for now the boat is well secured in Melbourne Harbour under the watchful eye of our good friends Bill & Darlene & we are at home in Stoney Creek, getting a taste of "cold weather".
Our journey will continue in January when we head to Marathon, in the Florida Keys & then to the Bahamas for a few weeks to satisfy the requirements of traveling on a Cruising Permit in the USA.
In the meantime we have a business to attend to, Christmas to enjoy with our family & friends & grandchildren to hug.