Navigation and the Weather

We have been putting a lot of thought into preparing Moondance for living on her for the summer.  We have learned that having an outside chart plotter linked to our inside chart plotter as well as paper charts are necessary. We have also learned that tide charts are also important for several reasons, but mostly for anchoring.  Plotting our next stop is important, what marina will we stop at, what are the water levels, what anchorage and where and what are the water levels...
While playing in the ICW over Christmas we found ourselves once unprepared trying to dock at a marina after the sun began to set without lights on Moondance. This was not safe but thankfully it was uneventful. We did have a handheld spot light that I was able to hold for John as he navigated into Nettles Island Marina that evening. Moondance will not be without lights when she gets out of the marine hospital at cape Canaveral.

I think it is important to have radar to get weather forecast. As we now know from our first sail adventure all of our adventures / maneuvering on the water are planned and controlled by the weather. Waves and tides, direction of the wind, and when and where it is going to rain and for how long, etc..etc... One couple we met while on our journey said one rainy night. "I have never been so controlled by the weather in my life till I began to live aboard a boat."  Being safe is more important then being at a desired destination at a specific time or day.

Life Is Good, Sail On!!!!

Cape Canaveral, Florida  
Tide Chart 
Local time: 2014-01-06 2:32 PM EST

Weather:  http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/data/Forecasts/FZUS52.KMLB.html