Our position is 27:39.705N 80:22.323W

When we awoke on Monday morning it was completely still and there were wonderful reflections in the water around us. We were expecting an easier passage, with only one bridge needing to be opened and the rest high level. At last we had the answer as to why we’d seen so few dolphins around the islands – they are all living in the ICW. Our initial excitement at a sighting soon became a blasé acceptance as they proved so commonplace swimming around the boat as we chugged northwards. We also enjoyed the different birds sighted. The only disappointment was that the wind was light and also in the northerly sectors meaning we couldn’t supplement the engine with sails.

After 6½ hours we were able to turn sharp right after the Merrill Barber Bridge and enter Bethel Creek and the Vero Beach marina and mooring field. Steve from Clear Day had recommended this as a good place to stop and first impressions were very favourable. The harbour master responded promptly to our radio call and gave us clear directions to our allocated ball. When we went ashore to register there was a large, sheltered dinghy dock and all the information we needed was provided clearly and unprompted – shower codes, wifi password, and whereabouts of the timetable for the free bus service into town and to the ocean beach.  Apparently the place has become known as Velcro Beach because people seem to stick there and it was easy to see why. While perusing the bus timetable we met fellow Brits, John and Ann from Moonlight, and they were able to explain the best routes to take and what to expect from the very well planned bus service, which was made up of a series of circular routes all meeting at a central hub.

The next morning we went ashore for showers and met John and Ann in the communal room using the wifi to advertise their boat for sale in the British Yachting press. They have been away since 2009 and are returning to the UK in a couple of weeks with Moonlight returning by ship. We had hoped to invite them on board Moorglade for the evening but they already had a better invitation so we arranged to go to them for quick sundowners before they went out. We then boarded the bus and headed for the beach, where we had a walk along the boardwalk and the sand before catching the return bus which went to a mall containing food and drink shops and a West Marine, where we were able to buy some more fresh food and nibbles as well as stocking up with beer and wine and buying a chart for the East Coast enabling us to sail the outside route for part of our planned journey. We had been given many recommendations to avoid the ICW through Georgia due to excessive biting insects, shoaling and boring scenery.  After all this activity we just had time to get the shopping back on board and it was time to go to Moonlight for our sundowners, which proved very convivial and the time passed all too quickly. John had graduated from Hull in Music and had worked on there for the next nine years, so he and Ted found plenty to talk about as well as sailing.

We had originally planned to leave the next day but the Velcro effect had kicked in so instead we did the laundry and took the boat alongside for the first ever pump-out of the holding tank. This was obviously a bit nerve-racking but all went well. If we had planned better we could have taken advantage of a little pump-out boat that goes round the moored boats and saves having to go alongside but we were leaving before it was due to come out.

Excitement over, we caught the bus again, this time going to the hub and changing onto a bus that went to a different mall with a Wal-Mart and a Home Depot. We were able to buy some more blankets at the Wal-Mart. It has proved cool at night since we got to Florida and we thought we should equip the boat more flexibly than just duvets or nothing. On the journey back we got chatting to Tom and Pat, an American couple, from Sea Cat, on a mooring just down from Moonlight, and arranged to have our sundowners with them that night. Once again this proved very convivial  and it was dark and the insects were biting before we managed to drag ourselves away.

Still morning at Peck Lake                                                                         Leaving Peck Lake

Still beautiful houses at the waterside                                           These islands are created with the products of dredging the waterway

It's really hard to photograph dolphins!                                                      Every bridge has its guardians

The channel markers aren't only for us                                                        This osprey had a good dinner

Not just bridges to worry about!                                                       The only opening bridge this trip

  A secret hideaway on a spoil island                                                            Plenty of signs but no manatees

Arriving at Vero Beach                                                                               The mooring field

Spacious dinghy dock                                                                 Free bus to the beach and around town

But we didn't see any even though it's April                                          Ocean side at Vero Beach. Sea much calmer than at Peck Lake

Sundowners on Moonlight with John and Ann                                      Returning from the laundry (without running into anything!)

Moorglade's first holding tank pump-out                                              and filling up with water whilst alongside

  Sundowners on Sea Cat with Pat and Tom