….And we’re off….

The morning started very early as we had about 122 miles to travel  on our 1^st day.  This will be our longest haul of the trip.  Our goal was to reach Key Largo.  We left at first light where we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunrise over Marco.  Most sunrises I see are over the 5 freeway on the way to work.

The waters were relatively calm for the majority of our trip.  We “planned” to travel at 2 different speeds to make sure we arrived about 1-1 ½ hours after low tide.  I spent the 1^st part of the trip doing what I do best – calculating our speed vs. travel time vs. dollars spent on fuel in my already created spreadsheet.  We ended up going faster than originally estimated, at a lower fuel consumption point and arrived 1.5 hours early – just in time for low tide.  We are currently sitting right outside of the harbor waiting for the water to rise enough for us to enter (we need 4.5 feet of water below us).  The view while waiting isn't too shabby.

The waters upon entry into the Atlantic, through the Keys, were beautiful – much prettier than on the gulf side.  The boat handled well while getting our first taste of shallow, clear water and the different color/hazards that come with it.