ICW Week 6-8: St. Augustine, FL > Fort Pierce, FL
Geeking out about space and getting ready for the Bahamas
We’ve officially wrapped up the tourist portion of our ICW journey and fully transitioned into boat project mode. The past two weeks have found Osprey torn apart and put back together more times than we can count—and if we’re completely honest, the same could be said for the spirits of the crew. But as I write this, spirits are high as we put the final touches on our preparations and get ready for our upcoming crossing to the Bahamas.
Before sharing the details of the projects we’ve been working on and our upcoming plans, let’s take a look at where we’ve been since our last post.
Route Overview
Sunday, 12/7: St. Augustine, FL → Daytona, FL
Monday, 12/8: Daytona, FL → Titusville, FL
Tuesday, 12/9: Zero day in Titusville and touring the Kennedy Space Center
Wednesday, 12/10: Titusville, FL → Malabar, FL
Thursday, 12/11: Malabar, FL → Fort Pierce, FL
Friday, 12/12 – Thursday, 12/27: Final preparations in Fort Pierce, FL before heading to the Bahamas
Impressions of Florida
Of all five states we’ve traveled through on our ICW journey, Florida was the one we were looking forward to the least. We’d heard that finding good anchorages was difficult, that ICW traffic was hectic, and that many towns weren’t cruiser-friendly. As it so often goes, our preconceived notions were wrong.
What we’ve found in Florida is clear water, abundant wildlife, and a strong cruising community—all of which made our time here far more enjoyable than anticipated.
We owe a wholehearted apology to Florida. While we don’t foresee us purchasing a winter condo here anytime soon, we now understand why so many northerners become snowbirds.
Kennedy Space Center
One of the absolute highlights of our time in Florida was touring the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. My interest in space was piqued as a young child—probably by my dad, who watched Star Trek: The Next Generation. It deepened when my brother began building and launching model rockets, and I soon followed in his footsteps by joining a model rocket club (where my friend Kara and I were the only girls, which I’m quite proud of).
One of my few regrets is not taking the Astronomy course offered at my high school. I was too caught up in Advanced Placement and Honors courses (which Astronomy was not), letting my drive for achievement outweigh my curiosity. But that’s a story for another time.
Titusville is a common stopping point for ICW cruisers and is just a short drive from the Kennedy Space Center, so we decided to take advantage and visit. A huge bonus: there was a SpaceX rocket launch scheduled that day, which we could watch live!
My childhood interest in space was reignited, and Michael enjoyed reminiscing about visiting the Kennedy Space Center with his cousins when he was young.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, do it. It was one of the most well-done “theme parks” I’ve ever experienced. Multiple times I was brought to tears by how beautifully they told the story of the American space program. The ingenuity, perseverance, and adventurous spirit of those involved over the past seven decades is truly inspiring.
On display were the space shuttle Atlantis, a Saturn rocket used to launch Apollo astronauts into lunar orbit, rockets from other missions, Mars rovers, and moving memorials honoring astronauts who lost their lives in service to space exploration.
After touring several exhibits, Michael and I made our way to the viewing area for the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch. Despite being several miles from the launch pad—and with skies dotted by clouds—we had a clear view. A staff member provided live commentary, explaining each phase of the launch and the mission’s purpose.
Together with a crowd of about 100 people, we counted down: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2…1…blastoff!
The launch was the brightest light I’ve ever seen, and I could feel the sonic boom in my chest. We watched as the rocket pierced the clouds and disappeared from view—but the show wasn’t over. The Falcon 9 has a reusable first-stage booster, which returns to Earth with a controlled re-entry.
After separating from the payload, the booster performs a 180-degree flip before re-entering the atmosphere. The re-entry burn was nearly as bright as launch, and the rapid deceleration created another sonic boom as the booster landed on a nearby pad.
The entire experience was a marvel. I couldn’t help but reflect on how humanity’s drive to explore fuels innovation and allows us to accomplish things once thought far beyond our reach.
Throughout the Visitor Center, quotes from those who’ve worked in the space program adorn the walls. As we set out on our own adventure and ask ourselves, “Can we do this?”, one quote in particular has stayed with me:
“We have dreamed big, ventured on wild seas, lost sight of the land a few times, and found stars to guide our journey. We expanded our horizons and learned lessons.”
—Tom Milner, Space Shuttle engineer
Visiting the Kennedy Space Center helped me feel connected to the universal human desire to learn, explore, and push boundaries. Reflecting on that gave me courage to pursue my own big dream and venture onto (hopefully not too) wild seas.
Making the Call on an Overnight Passage
If you read our previous post, you’ll remember that we were considering our first overnight ocean passage while traveling south through Florida. We wanted to practice night sailing and taking turns on watch before our Bahamas crossing.
This overnight passage was completely optional, so we decided we would only do it if conditions were “unarguably mild.” Titusville to Fort Pierce seemed like a logical overnight coastal passage. A few days out, the forecast looked promising. However, on the morning of departure, updated forecasts showed higher-than-expected waves with a period that would likely make things bumpier than we wanted.
We ultimately decided to scrap the overnight plan and continue day hops down the ICW to Fort Pierce.
Preparations in Fort Pierce
Early in our planning, we knew we’d want to stop somewhere along Florida’s central coast before heading to the Bahamas. We anticipated final projects, provisioning, and other preparations before heading offshore and out of the country.
After considering several options, we chose Fort Pierce for its access to marine stores, hardware stores, grocery stores, dive shops, laundromats, and good anchorages—allowing us to avoid paying two weeks of marina dockage.
Our two-and-a-half weeks in Fort Pierce have been filled with busy days, relaxing evenings, beach visits with Maisie, and time with both old and new cruiser friends.
One of the biggest projects was finishing the installation of our watermaker. Michael had already completed much of the planning and major installation in October. Next came plumbing and electrical work. We’ve learned enough about watermakers to write a manual—but that’s probably not why you’re here.
Another lesson: we need to stretch before and after boat projects. Working on a small boat requires some truly creative body positions, leaving us sore the next day. Time for yoga.
While Michael focused on the watermaker, I worked on our long-term provisioning plan. Food in the Bahamas can be expensive and availability inconsistent, especially on remote islands. Wanting to carry as much as possible, I inventoried our existing stores and made a list of food, drinks, condiments, and pantry staples for the next few months. Then I rented a car, drove to Walmart, and filled several shopping carts.
We also purchased a 12V chest freezer and had it shipped to Fort Pierce. While Osprey has a built-in fridge and freezer, their temperature reliability has been inconsistent over the years. The extra freezer provides redundancy and allows us to carry additional meat and frozen vegetables.
We’re pleased with the freezer, though it draws a lot of power. Combined with winter sun and the future demands of running the watermaker, our solar system can’t quite keep up. We knew we needed another power source.
Osprey came with a built-in generator, but it’s never worked reliably. While we’re confident Michael will eventually get it running, we weren’t comfortable leaving without a backup. So I took a Lyft to Home Depot and bought a small Honda generator. It’s loud and takes up precious space—but not having power would be worse. As you can tell, redundancy is important to us.
Preparing the boat has been a lot of work, but it’s also brought a sense of pride and fulfillment. Another reward has been the friendships we’ve built along the way.
We enjoyed a Christmas-themed trivia night with our friends aboard S/V Water Wings, whom we first met in Brunswick and later saw in St. Augustine. We didn’t win, but we did walk away with a great door prize.
We also reconnected with the crew of S/V Anjuna, whom we briefly met in Annapolis during the Boat Show. Since they work with the same cruising coaches we do, it’s been great reconnecting.
And after following each other online, we were thrilled to finally meet the crew of S/V Silver Lining in person. We shared an evening in Osprey’s cockpit and a Christmas Eve beach bonfire. Each time we get together, we discover another shared thread in our journeys toward the Bahamas. Also, if you’re interested in watching some videos about sailing in the Chesapeake Bay, going down the ICW and exploring the Bahamas by sailboat, we highly recommend that you check out their YouTube channel!
A Weather Window for Our Bahamas Crossing
The next steps for Osprey are exciting ones. We’re closely tracking what looks like an exceptional weather window for crossing to the Bahamas, with several days of light winds and mild seas for crossing the Gulf Stream.
We anticipate leaving Fort Pierce and heading to West End, Bahamas sometime in the next few days. These conditions are rare for a Fort Pierce departure—normally we’d need to travel farther south. However, after hopping on a video call with our coaches and the crew of S/V Anjuna, we learned that the current east of the Gulf Stream is unusually calm, making this route possible.
Right now, we’re finishing last-minute preparations: stocking fresh food, getting Maisie’s health certificate, doing laundry, topping off water and fuel tanks, and mentally preparing for our first overnight ocean passage. We’re also keeping a close eye on the weather and currents in case anything changes.
Your prayers and well-wishes—especially for calm seas, wisdom and high spirits for the crew, and solid performance from Osprey—are very welcome. We likely won’t post another update until we’re checked into the Bahamas and have a few stories to share.
Until then, cheers!
– Jen, Michael, and Maisie
Whoops! And enjoy!
Such a pleasure to read these! . Happy New Year and