The first leg of our journey north, from Fort Lauderdale to Fort Pierce, was motoring up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) for 45.4 miles.  The ICW is like a big river with lots of boats and lots of draw bridges.  While it was a great day and an experience worth having, it was slow, and loud.  We bought a sail boat for a reason, so having to motor for 8 hours is not our idea of a peaceful, good time. The ICW was lined with mansions, and one area was a protected wildlife area or preserve, which gave a nice break from the business of the rest.  Em and I saw a sea turtle while on the bow, an exciting start to the trip.