Sailing from Datona to Miami through Indian River..

A new adventure In sailing

So today marks the first day of a four day trip of sailing Florida's back rivers and dreched out canals in a sailboat belonging to one of my friends. Before you all say WOW he is Sokol lucky and other comments of the same ki d let me explain in detail.

This is not your typical luxury sailing boat with crew and all the fixings of home but instead one that we must get to Miami, fix the motor, make sure it doesn't leak, and manage to get through places called mosquito lagoon which is over 40 miles during the day so that we can actually set anchor in a place that we can sleep covered in off and with the windows open for ventilation and not be forced to sleep sealed up in what will become an oven as we hide from the mosquitoes. In case you have not figured it out this little sail boat also lacks AC.

Day 1...

When we arrived at the marina port smirna beach I instantly noticed all the beautiful and large sailboats but having been warned by my friend, I already knew which boat was ours, the very last one, at the end of the last dock, which made unloading the vehicle located in the front parking lot, pleasent as I say that word with clutched teeth. It looked a little ragged and maybe used would be the word, but I have to admit the more of it Jessica Hale, avant-Garde's new secretary and captain of the ship, opened up the front section, put away materials, organized and put together the various sections of the inner cabin, the better it looked and in the end minus the AC, the fact that we have to rebuild the engines before we set sail, and the likelihood that with our sense of timing we will be stuck in mosquito lagoon tomorrow night forcing us to sleep in an oven because it will have to be sealed right now we are finished with today's chores, about to get in the nicest shower I have ever seen in any dock master area, off to a glass of wine and then laugh about everything that has happened to get us here.

For you see it's been three days we have trying to leave Miami for here and today we finally actually left the house. I think deep down we knew it would require a lot of work to get this trip started and it did, but now the adventure begins and we have 4 days of a journey through Florida's man made dug canals along the intercoastel waterways and the restored Indian River. A trek that is starting from this beautiful beach city near Datona and will end in Miami, officially taking over as guardian of our little ship and will be it's new home. We bring with us food for 20 people, engine parts, back up parts, emergency stuff in case we sink and strangely enough I find myself already attached to this little boat which now looks great but don't forget looks can sometimes be deceiving..

After my shower we will head to walmart while our batteries charge and purchase two portable fans and then we will truly be blessed and I can't help but think that the reason I am on this trip that the people who were professionals who tried last time abandoned ship as they told the owner they had lost confidence in the vessels ability to get them to Miami.

Where is their sense of adventure or challenge. I know we will get this boat to Miami because we are determined... We will make it through the mosquito lagoon before nightfall, and we will be fine in the end and laugh as we turn this little boat into a modern, contemporary sailboat filled with new windows, fittings, sails, kitchen galley, and everything in between for a little company that will one day be huge called Avant Garde Home Furnishings,LLC., Everything for your modern & Contemporary home..

If you all remember the little engine that could think about us as we will be in Miami by Wednesday night because in our hearts we really like this little boat and we love a challenge. that is something I can promise.

Check back for daily pictures and trek stories of our journey from Daytona to Miami in our own little engine that could...

We know we can....

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