Deja Vu, But Better

New Smyrna Beach to Eau Gallie |  9 Hours  |  59 Miles 

The anchorage just off the channel in New Smyrna Beach proved to be all that we needed. We had a calm night, pulled up a clean anchor at first light, and 50-feet later were back in the channel, heading south. Barry and I joked that tonight's entry could be a link to our post on Feb. 3, 2020, for we would be making the exact same trek, following our previous track on the chartplotter. The day turned out to be a even nicer than the one two years ago. The sun was out and strong, helping the temperature quickly rise. In full sun, I was more than happy to go up top and clean the remainder of the dinghy tubes. Sitting in a boat on a boat was a different experience, but she is clean and there will be no more chalking left to transfer onto our skin and clothes. As we approached the Haulover Canal, fluffy white clouds began to form against the bluebird sky.

The canal is quite scenic and I finally pulled out the "real" camera to capture some of the many birds along the way. A gray heron roosted in the pines, an osprey enjoyed a fish for lunch, and many pelicans soared around on the southerly wind. Dozens of folks were on the water as well, in fishing boats of all sizes, kayaks, jet skis, and paddleboards.

I spent several hours on Fiberglass Beach and enjoyed unobstructed views of our passage through the day's two bascule bridges. Hopefully, in the process, I have added a little bit of color back to my skin. Barry even left the pilot house for a few moments during our long, straight passage down the Indian River. NASA's assembly building at Cape Canaveral dominated the view. The hours passed quickly and it was still warm as we passed under the Cocoa Beach Twin spans under the watchful glare of yet another pelican.

The new twin span high-rise bridge has replaced the original lift bridge (although it still partially remains as a fishing pier). We followed our track into the Eau Gallie anchorage and dropped our anchor in the same spot as before. If it worked, why change it? At one point during the day, we had thoughts of immediately dropping the dinghy and crossing the ICW to a Publix to pick up some groceries. When we got in, however, each of us could think of several reasons why that was not in our best interest. I made flatbread veggie pizzas for dinner, and added pepperoni to one, as a good ending for a good day. We'll be off to Ft. Pierce tomorrow morning.