Palm Coast, FL

Tuesday, 9 December                                                            25.1 SM

Just keep the reds to the right and you can’t do wrong.

It’s hard to imagine an easier day, certainly not on the ICW.

Steadfast pulled off the pier at 0900 and onto a stretch of waterway that is fairly straight, fairly wide and fairly deep, depths mostly in the upper teens, even some low 20s. The timing couldn’t have been better as she caught a flood current that carried the entire trip and kept speeds well above 7 MPH most of the way.

True, the “balmy” 58F required more than shorts and tees, especially with a fairly steady ten-to-twelve out of the nor’west. But the sun felt good beating down on those layers of fleece.

There was a brief conversation with the master of the double-bascule bridge at Crescent Beach who promised “Maintain speed and bring ‘er on, cap’n. I’ll get her open fer ya.” And sure enough, he figured just right and Steadfast slid through the open spans without slowing a bit.

There’s not a lot of room left with a tug and barge coming the other way.

Later the skipper of a north-bound tug-and-barge was heard to warn the large motoryacht astern of Steadfast, “You need to come down off plane, captain.” The motoryacht did but then, Steadfast giving the tug a wide berth, the big girl proceeded to squeeze through between the other two vessels. Not the wisest of tacks, perhaps, but it worked.

Steadfast nestled in for the night on the dinghy dock.

Other than that it was a walk in the park. In fact, after three-and-a-half hours, the turn into park-like Palm Coast Marina opened to starboard and Steadfast slipped home for the night.

So, this report ends up being not unlike the day’s transit, i.e., brief.

Steadfast out.