I had no idea the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) held such fantastic sailing! Today’s adventure turned into a beautiful surprise as we rode a steady 12-20 knots of wind on a broad reach, effortlessly letting the genoa do all the work. With the mainsail and staysail resting, we cruised north toward Melbourne, FL, with the wind whispering us forward.

Our day started early—just before sunrise to be precise. The reasoning? Well, we had some essential tasks to take care of: topping off our diesel and getting a pumpout. But the real motivator was caution. There’s been quite a buzz among cruisers about potential channel closures near our marina due to ongoing construction. A new fixed bridge with an 85 ft clearance is replacing the current drawbridge, and just a day and a half ago, the Coast Guard had issued an ambiguous notice. The message suggested that the entire channel might be closed for up to four hours a day to allow construction barges to move into place. Not wanting to take chances, we reached out to the Coast Guard directly and confirmed the closure possibility starting as early as dawn.

This was all the push we needed to set out early—and it paid off. By the time we reached the channel, three other sailboats were already lined up, equally determined to make it through without delays. Success! The channel was clear, and we slipped through with no issues. What a relief.

From there, the day unfolded in the most serene way imaginable. No more drawbridges—just five fixed ones that we gracefully sailed under. The ICW treated us to a changing tapestry of landscapes: scenic mangroves hugging the edges of the waterway, charming waterfront homes, and stretches of open, shallow channels. The steady tailwind worked in our favor, letting us glide along without the risk of being nudged into the shallows. Pure bliss.

We arrived in the early afternoon at a quaint little marina nestled just off the ICW. It felt like a throwback to a simpler time—a family-run operation with that warm, small-town charm. However, docking posed a unique challenge. The marina basin was so tight that we couldn’t turn around to approach our assigned spot along the concrete pier. No problem though—the team had a clever trick up their sleeve. With some skillful teamwork, they waved us in bow-first, grabbed our anchor and pulpit, and simply spun us around by hand along the pier. It was unlike any docking technique we’d seen before, but hey—it worked like a charm.

Now we’re cozied up in our spot, savoring our last two Aldi muffins with a cup of milk. The perfect sweet ending to a truly memorable day on the water.