If I have ever done anything epic, it would be this.

 Two days prior, we weren't sure how we would move our boat, and even if we would have a place to go. After a long motor up the ICW on day one, and a beautiful weather window in front of us, everyone on board wanted to sail our second leg of the journey to Fort Pierce. So we prepped the inside of the boat, securing anything that might fall, made a few last minute repairs and adjustments, and cut the lines, leaving the serene beauty of the mooring field in West Palm Beach. Atlantic, here we come! Passing through the inlet was a rough ride!  Unfortunately, I was down below and was tossed around like crazy, and when I surfaced, seasickness was on the verge of striking. Once we cleared the inlet,  raised the sails, and cut the motor, there could have been nothing better. The sun was shining, the water was fairly smooth and there was wind in our sails. One thing about a sailboat is that you can't sail directly downwind, and so we sailed away from land for a bit, before turning back towards the shore.  I honestly did not realize we would be out of sight of land, something I was afraid of.  When I realized we couldn't see land, there was no fear.  The conditions were perfect, it was beautiful, and there was nothing to be afraid of.  So happy to have passed that hurdle. Our 8 hour, 62.6 mile sail was joined by dolphins, blessed by a rainbow, and  kissed by a beautiful sunset. As if that weren't enough, as we sailed through the inlet coming in to Fort Pierce, we were welcomed home by an array of fireworks!  Ok, so they were celebrating New Years, but I was celebrating a dream come true, and the feat accomplished.

Could not have made this journey without Dan and Kika of Sailing Uma. They were incredibly valuable and taught us a lot!  Looking forward to our next sail together!

 

 The first leg of our journey north, from Fort Lauderdale to Fort Pierce, was motoring up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) for 45.4 miles.  The ICW is like a big river with lots of boats and lots of draw bridges.  While it was a great day and an experience worth having, it was slow, and loud.  We bought a sail boat for a reason, so having to motor for 8 hours is not our idea of a peaceful, good time. The ICW was lined with mansions, and one area was a protected wildlife area or preserve, which gave a nice break from the business of the rest.  Em and I saw a sea turtle while on the bow, an exciting start to the trip.

So we bought a boat! After 10+ years of dreaming, 7 years of planning and saving, and 3 years of boat shopping, we finally did it. So now what? The big picture is to spend a little time on the boat in Florida while preparing to move her closer to home in the Mobile Bay area of the Gulf Coast, where she'll stay so we can use her for long weekends and vacations.

Well, logistically it has been a nightmare to figure that out!