I am partnering with NRDC to paddle my outrigger canoe 1200 miles around Florida and west to New Orleans. My goal is to build support for a Healthy Oceans Act and steps to protect our oceans from global warming and ocean acidification. For those who do not know, I paddle to inform and for those who don't care, I paddle to inspire. I am documenting my journey on this blog during the month-long paddle.You can read more about the paddle, see photos, and take action here. You can also check out my personal website with information about this and other adventures here.

Thanks to my gracious boat hosts in Pompano, today saw an incredibly smooth departure. Once again, the wind pushed me through the Intracoastal Waterway at a pretty good clip. Blue skies, puffy clouds, and wind at your back make for a pretty perfect day. Since I only had 14 miles to go, it felt like a day off, and so I meandered along the waterway, taking a picture here and there of interesting sites, like one of the many "for-sale" signs posted on the rather posh homes along the the ICW. A couple of times I paddled right by floating trash only to back-paddle and pick it up. Needless to say, the trash I've been picking up has been any one of the many varieties of single-use plastic items like plastic cup remnants, styro-foam bowls, the usual plastic bags, and plastic (usually water) bottles.

Also enjoying the day while doing his many chores, was Mark, a mate on board the super yacht Athena. He was polishing the chrome and wood work on deck and took a break to answer my questions, as well as to tell me about the Ocean Preservation Society's lates movie about the Japanese dolphin hunts due to come out sometime soon. I am looking forward to tomorrow's paddle, the last one on the protected ICW, although it does seem like the wind is kicking up a bit. This will be my first foray to points south of the Miami Beach Rowing club where two years ago I departed for Maine.