We had planned a return from the Abacos to Port Canaveral, which would have saved a couple days on the ICW. Our backup plan should the conditions deteriorate would be Fort Pierce. We left Great Sale Cay at 4 am and with strong breezes we were making a steady 7 1/2 knots. We usually assume a speed to 5 1/2 to 6 knots when planning our trip. As we approached the east wall of the Gulf Stream we realized with our good speed and with the added benefit of the Gulf Stream current we would arrive at Port Canaveral too soon and the lock would not be open. We decided to divert to Fort Pierce. Even though we would arrive at night we have been there before and felt we could navigate to our anchorage. We did get safely anchored but it was a challenge to say the least. Non of the day marks on the short stretch of the ICW were lighted and the side channel was also not lighted. With our flashlight and a careful watch of the depth we inched our way in without hitting anything or running aground. After several months of wide open seas it feels like walking on a rail navigating the ICW. We intend to stay on the ICW all the way north this spring. There are parts of Georgia we have not covered and some stops we would like to explore a little more now that we have some time.
We used both current analysis and sea surface temperature to plan our crossing route
Pictured is the sea current analysis we used to identify the location of the Gulf Stream. The color scale goes from blue with none or very little current to bright orange with current over 3 knots.
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