This is for Bob Knott and to all who have supplied technical assistance and advice. Our long awaited trip to the Abacos has begun. We pulled out of Whitney's Marine 4/19 and motor sailed down the St John's River dropping anchor behind Blount Island about midnight to spend our first night on the hook. Pleasantly cool temps with a bright nearly full moon. The next morning we committed to the ICW as winds offshore would be directly on the nose with 5-6' seas predicted. Either case we would be motoring, but going down the ditch, at least we would be comfortable. We ended up putting in about 80 miles that day finally dropping anchor in Daytona at about 10:30. LESSON #1 don't try to navigate the ICW after dark as most of the channel markers are unlit. LESSON #2 always plan ahead for anchorages. LESSON #3 always have a back up plan (see #2). Anyway, the next day had windy, warm day going through Mosquito Lagoon and we were able to make it almost to Melbourne before we applied the previously learned lessons and dropped the hook in pretty little cove out of the wind about an hour before dark. This was only a 65 mile day. The 3rd day, the weather was absolutely spectacular, 80 degrees, bright blue sky, 10kt wind and a 45 mile trip into Ft Pierce through some of the prettiest portions of the ICW. By late afternoon we were tied up at the city marina in Ft Pierce. Thanks to the breezes earlier in the trip, I had plenty of salt to wash off the boat. The trip was uneventful, all the new equipment, including the autopilot worked as designed (except for the alternator only putting out 13.1 V max). So much to see that I wouldn't mind taking more time just for this portion of the trip. Part two of the adventure should be coming up next week as we leave Ft Pierce to head for the Abacos. Paul Bednarzyk S/V Knot Again H380