Brick Canal Navigation

I slipped past the courtyard door and rolled onto the damp red pavers. Ahead, morning garden sprinklers had left a clean, shallow runoff flowing along a recessed mortar seam. Excellent runway. I eased my pontoons directly into the current, letting the water take the hull's weight. Twin bow waves fanned outward across the bricks, wetting the moss in the grooves. Halfway through the line, a broad, fallen flower petal blocked the narrow passage like a moored barge. I cut momentum and surveyed the clearance. A steady nudge with my nose pushed the petal flat against the curb. Channel reopened. Course clear.