Happy to be Back in the Ditch!

May 9 and we were all ready to go – just shy one part for the dinghy davits and waiting with bated breath for the UPS guy in those brown shorts! The word was that traffic was a snarl as they were transporting that rocket fuel blaster thing that day and were cutting power lines and had all sorts of  security. At  1330 the part arrived and at 1415 we set off downriver (north!) sporting our dinghy dangled off our new davits. What a joy that will be when at anchor – no more wrestling the dinghy off the foredeck! We got to Jacksonville Landing at 1730, got through the train bridge just before it closed but thought the lifting bridge was closed till after rush hour, so we stopped at the Landing. Then we noticed a sailboat head for that bridge as well as a small cruise ship so we untied our docklines and joined the line up and went through to overnight at the free city marina. The next morning Gypsy was so keen to get going north she tried to take off without us – what a current!  We jumped aboard and were off at 0615 down the river and back into the ditch. We decided to stop at Fernandina Beach as so many told us how charming it was so we blasted along with the current and picked up a mooring at 1245, then played tourist. It was a charming town although when the plants spewed in the wee hours I thought they were trying to kill off tourists! Foul!

We set off at 0630 the next morning and were soon out of Florida and into Georgia. We bypassed Cumberland with the plan to stop at Jekyll Island with its historic mansions and gorgeous beaches but decided to continue. There was a very tricky part of the ICW (G19 notorious for shoaling) just north of the Jeckyll Marina and we needed to transit it at mid to high tide. Stopping at Jeckyll would end up costing us a day due to the timing of the tides. Besides, we were blasting along so well we still pulled in to St Simon’s Island at 1330. We did go to a marina and glad we did. Great facility and people with courtesy car and bicycles.

Today was forecast to be 25 knots through tonight as a front went through so we used that as an excuse to dally a day to enjoy one of the “Golden Isles”. We started off with a four hour bike ride that was wonderful. Beautiful bike trails shaded by the majestic live oaks with their veils of wispy trailing moss – and flat (like all this coastline) – perfect for the sit-up-and-beg style bikes. The highlights of the tour were The Stables at Frederica and the charming village. Then we hid from the sun – I have always thought I was a southern sun girl at heart but have come to find out I can’t take it – so I hide. This week has been in the high 80′s – but I am NOT complaining!! This afternoon I hid from the sun, David had a snooze, I cleaned the head (fun, fun), David filled the water, then we cleaned the boat. She was a dirty girl after a month in the boatyard. The no see’ums chased us inside so it was dinner indoors. Tomorrow we’re off to Wahoo River… I think.

I wonder why cruisers sometimes skip Georgia – we love it!

Splash!

Wednesday, May 1 we flew the milk run back to Jacksonville with the last leg quite bumpy as we headed into nasty weather that was to sit with us for several days. Heavy skies, torrential rain, high winds and even some thunder and lightning. This delayed everything at the yard. I got the interior sorted out and David got a start on installing our new davits (yippee) but we didn’t make much progress with the anti fouling. Sadly, Thursday is the yard’s big dinner and party of the year. They have cooked mounds of pork and more mounds of chicken, plus cooked potatoes, salads, cake and drinkies! This is in celebration of the Mug Race on Saturday. Everyone is looking very glum because the weather is truly foul – windy, very rainy, big puddles everywhere and a small craft warning for the next few days. Mother Nature certainly is being capricious and contrary. But the party must go on!

We wiled away the time with trips to St Augustine, such a charming town. We also paddled about the yard and did what projects we could – oh and we chased leaks! Life on the hard – another new experience. It really is like camping – remember when you went camping as a kid and had to go to a shack to use the washroom or brush your teeth and wash your dishes in a bucket?
On Sunday the weather began to clear and the do-it-yourself yard slowly came back to life. Sunday I cleaned the hull and taped for the anti fouling. David prepped the bottom for anti fouling. Monday we did the anti fouling, with a minimum of mess. We did various other prep jobs while waiting to go in the water. David worked on installing our new dinghy davits and I dug out old caulking on the eyebrow which we think (hope) is the main culprit of our leaks. Wednesday was a big day – we went back in the water!! All good. Now we are just waiting for a part for the new davits and we will be off. I am still digging caulking out of the eyebrow to re-caulk. The midday heat is too much for me so I hide then and do inside stuff. Right now we are in a really neat little coffee shop with good wifi and AC!!

Assuming the davit part arrives tomorrow, we will set off tomorrow. Nice to be afloat, it will be even better to get going!

Party in the downpour

D working on the davit

Dennis driving the travel lift

lookin good

getting her feet (keel) wet!

OK – this needs a description – this is a rocket fuel booster that is headed for a museum!

Green Cove Springs Marina

This is just a bit of catch up – that I forgot to post in our haste to catch our flight!

We set off early Sunday from Jacksonville for Green Cove Springs Marina, but it was not to be. The wind, tidal current and river current were all on the nose and building. We bashed away for 3 hours but were making less than 3 knots and it was deteriorating. We decided to turn back to the Landing in Jacksonville. I heard the word ‘ketch’ on channel 16 and thought – is someone calling us? It was a Kiwi on a Nonsuch who had run out of fuel and with no sails on wanted to buy fuel. He dinghied over and we gave him a jerry can. He was headed for Green Cove Springs Marina. Back at the landing the wind howled and it poured rain with lots of thunder and lightning. We met another couple headed for Green Cove on a lovely Dutch built sloop. Later in the day it cleared and we went for a walk along the entire riverside walk, a beautiful evening. The next day we set off at 0705 and got the most favourable part of the day, arriving about 1030 – much better!

The entire time at Green Cove Springs Marina was freezing cold, full warm gear and furnace on. We cleaned and stored and prepped boat for hauling for a month storage. Tuesday evening we had dinner with the couple aboard their Dutch boat and the Kiwi, Simon joined us. Wednesday was hauling day but still blowing so hard we couldn’t get off the dock first thing. Winds abated enough to bounce along the pier and be hauled about midday. They have a travel lift and then transfer the boat over to a really nice hydraulic trailer to move it to storage – we went to the “Canada” yard. We spent the afternoon putting her to bed including putting on “shade cover” a black net-like fabric that really works. Exhausted we gratefully got our ride to the airport hotel with Baron, barely  managed to stay awake long enough to eat and shower before falling into bed.

It was an early start but nice as we just went via Newark and then to Halifax  by late morning. ….
I’ll be back blogging once we return to Gypsy in May.

Heading North

It is hard to believe that already we are turning the bow north… back in “the ditch”. When we set off, the focus for me was on the Bahamas – the journey south and even the ICW were incidental. I certainly had not realized the length of time that the ICW demanded – and that is without delays. Well delays there were aplenty. And lolling about in the Bahamas on Gyp was not in the cards for us this year. In hindsight, this cruise has proven that saying so often heard – it is not about the destination, it is about the journey… just like life. It is about the people you meet along the way and those funny little moments that hold a special place in your memory.

Saturday, March 16 – the renewed engine heat exchanger seemed to be behaving so we set off. We waved goodbye to Eddy and Rybovich (our home away from home). We will miss everyone including Eddy who is like a first class concierge! It was a bit of a late start the first day, just getting the last bits done, so we didn’t make it to Fort Pierce as hoped but stopped at Nettles Island. What a funny place, a square island (enhanced by mankind) and mostly filled with trailer homes, but gated with security. As we have seen so many times, there are so many different ways to enjoy a winter in Florida.

It was a week of the tortoise and the hare. We would set off early and through the day the same faces (boats) would pass us and wave. We often ended up making the same overnight stops and enjoyed meeting them – several Canadians and a few Americans.

As we headed north the flora changed – less palm trees and more pine and live oaks, still mangroves though not as much it seemed. Tuesday, it got cold – I didn’t know it could get this cold in Florida – we dug out our fuzzy slippers from the depths of a locker. On deck David wore gloves and I wound into a blanket! Big day on Wednesday as both David and I finally saw manatees!! So it is not an urban myth. Heading north into less densely populated areas we began to see more dolphins again though not as many as in the fall.

We anchored some of the nights and they were lovely nights if somewhat chilly. On Sunday, we passed through Fort Pierce and called Gerry who had traveled with us through Dismal Swamp last November. He was anchored in Fort Pierce and we waved as we passed. Titusville was an interesting stop. A cute place but struggling since the loss of about 10,000 jobs due to the closure of the space program. In St Augustine we went in to the marina one day and then on a mooring so we could really enjoy the town. What a great place – so much history and great old architecture. The biggest name in Florida is Flagler and we have learnt so much about this amazing man since being here. St Augustine has a strong Spanish and British history with forts, old buildings, cobblestone streets to wander – and great pubs and restaurants. We went to a great Mayan place for dinner. It is a prosperous town, focused on tourism and with a surprising number of hi-end restaurants and shops. One of the things I like most of the marina stops is a chance to get out for a walk and the people you meet, always great. And to meet a town from the water is somehow so different than driving or flying in.

Friday was a banner day! We set off at first light, with plans to make Mayport at the mouth of the St John’s River. The wind direction allowed us to fly the jib so we made better time and kept right on up the river to Jacksonville – they have free docks downtown (rare!).  That night we went to a Johnny Mathis concert – I’m serious, we did! The comedian at half time was hilarious. The riverbank that night was beautiful with fountains and bridges lit with coloured lights. Saturday in Jacksonville dawned grey and gloomy. The bright spot was a panhandler on the boardwalk playing his trumpet just near us. Then gloom descended to doom and the thunder and lightning began. So much for sightseeing and the art market. We are really hoping the choir singing happens at 4. Finally we found Internet access – at Hooters – OMG, what depths we will stoop to, to meet our connectivity addictions.

Next stop, Green Cove Springs Marina to put baby to bed for April. Upriver, south about 4 hours tomorrow and then start getting things organized.

Party at Peanut

Sunday… a day of rest for some but for the area surrounding us it was party time on Peanut Island. There was a huge crowd of boats anchored around the sandbar area off the island – and I do mean huge numbers, like an endless raft up. The police hovered relentlessly but the party atmosphere could not be dampened. The afternoon’s entertainment was fantastic – watching people with every floating mode of transport making their way to the island. Two guys in a rotten old rowboat one paddling with an oar and the other with a piece of 2×4, paddleboards from all directions, plastic kayaks, canoes, runabouts loaded with bodies and blasting music, more drunks in rowboats, jet skis towing broken down boats… it was a spectacle. They all began to disperse around sunset. Soon after dark there was a commotion outside. I did not hear it a first as I was below but David saw 3 in a rowboat capsize. He tried to find Sean (captain of Compass Rose) and then the Towboat guys – someone with a small boat in the water. Sean appeared just as I heard the calls for help and came topside. The three of us ran for Sean’s tender and roared out to help. There were 2 holding on to the capsized, almost submerged rowboat. Another guy was clinging to the rail of a small dinghy that had putted out to help. We got the three aboard. They were cold and exhausted, the girl hysterical and “Shortie” pretty much comatose – the 3 were just about done in. We got them back to their friend’s live aboard boat at anchor then went to retrieve the rowboat. We got it drained and secured to the dock for the night. And yes, there was a significant amount of alcohol involved in the capsize.

Bahamas… dreamy research

What a fantastic 2 weeks of Bahamas research it was!

It was an early start  to get the boat all put to bed. The shuttle arrived an hour early so got the 0800 train to Lauderdale and taxi to Executive Airport for flight with Watermaker Air. We had breakfast at Runway Cafe and our flight left at 1300. We flew in a Cessna, about 9 pax. We stopped at Andros for customs then on again to Staniel Cay. It was a beautiful approach over the top of the Exumas and down along the chain to Staniel Cay. The views from the plane were incredible.  It was simply magical with the colour of the turquoise waters and oh so light sands. Dave and Theresa met us at the open air airport and we had a walk about Staniel Cay and the tiny Yacht Club, then dinghied around the corner to Big Blue II. Up anchor and set off to Sampson Cay to anchor for the night and enjoy a lovely laid back evening. In the morning Dave, David and I went to a great snorkel spot known as the “fish aquarium”. There was already a dinghy on the dinghy mooring so we asked if we could tie up too. The fellow said to David – hey did you do the transatlantic on Valkyrie – and it was Guy and Pica who were Captain and First Mate when David and I sailed from Gibraltar to the Canaries (along with Gill) and then David and the guys did the transatlantic race to St Martin in 2007 – unbelievable! We had a lovely snorkel with the fishies  - there were so many and they were so social they almost swam up your nose! Then we sailed on to Warderick Wells. The entry was interesting , with as little as 0.1m under keel and anchor in 0.2m! We picked up a park mooring and went ashore for a walk. The sands here are so fine that it is called pudding sand. We saw all kinds of shells and coral but couldn’t take any as it is a park. We also saw a couple of Hutia – a chubby little rodent guy that eats everything green until the island looks grey. We had great fun getting his photo  - he froze, pretending to be “just a rock”! A nice evening onboard and great meal by Theresa – one of many. A bit bumpy overnight snuggled in the forepeak.

Wednesday dawned with an unusual amount of cloud. We went in to the Park office for a hike. The terrain is a bit like a moonscape with the unusual limestone formations – it is actually coral limestone. It was a very hot hike, very hot. We had a picnic lunch then decided to move on after all and headed for Shroud Cay. It seems the best charts are the Explorer charts and these charts have recommended routes known as the Explorer highways. We saw some sailboats and several mega yacht powerboats.  It was a lovely afternoon sail but hot! Once anchored we went off in the dinghy to the beach for a cooling swim. We found this amazing moon sliver beach stretched between a jut of land and tiny outcrop of limestone. This sliver of a beach is called a tombolo and the little island adjoining is known as a tied island. In simple words, it was magical and the water was oh so lovely. We found lots of great shells including one very live conch with the most vibrant colors. We also saw two birds dancing together in the air – American Oystercatcher (not the infamous whistling duck!). One thing we noticed is that there do not seem to be a lot of birds in the Exumas – seems odd.

Thursday dawned another frisky day. We decided not to go in search of snorkelling, but set off instead for Alan Cay. Alan is north of the park area and is also home to the endangered Bahamian Iguana. Once settled in a snug anchorage, we dinghied to one little buffering island. There were lots of Iguanas and one in particular had pretty pink and red markings – a pretty iguana you ask? We walked across the island to a nice beach, walked the beach shell hunting and then went for a swim and a bit of snorkeling. I found a large conch, David found a small pretty one. We saw various fishies – Sergeant Major, Blue Chromis, Angelfish, a Slippery Dick (!), perhaps a Creole Wrasse, and many more. We were one of the early ones to anchor and sat back with a cocktail to enjoy the entertainment as others picked their spot and manoeuvred to anchor. It was a good day… shell hunting, walking the beach, snorkeling, swimming, sailing, reading, chatting and relaxing. All good.

Friday we set off for the Nassau area. There was a cold front coming and it was expected to be a bit of a blow. We have been listening to Chris Parker on the SSB and it is interesting to get the weather picture each morning at 0630 on channel 4045. When we set off it was right on the nose and a bit of a bucking bronco ride but it settled down to a nice passage even if under power. We skirted the yellow banks and headed in the direction of Nassau. We got to Rose Island, a little island just east of Nassau and dropped the hook in the shelter of the island. We went exploring, looking for shells, looking at coral and fish through the glass bottom bucket and wandered in to Sandy Toes which to me was reminiscent of Caribbean tourist spots twenty year ago.

Saturday dawned grey, windy and cold. Forecast by Chris was for  NNW winds of 15-20 with gusts to 25 and squalls of 30 knots. That is pretty much what we got. Dave and Theresa have been impressed by how reliable the forecasts are here. We motored over to Nassau and dropped the hook in the Cloisters anchorage. We felt quite at home in the cold grey windy and wet day but hey it was like a cold day in July.

We won’t get down to Georgetown (also known as Chicken Harbour) or The Out Islands on this little side trip but it has been an excellent reconnoitering trip. We have a bit if a feel for the Exumas, the Park area and now, Nassau. Next is the Berry Islands and a bit of the Abacos!

Sunday, there was a bit of a parade of boats heading for the Exumas but sadly, not us. Despite the still strong winds these folks in the parade were antsy to get moving as their charter had started Saturday. Nassau – what a contrast. I think about 200,000 of the 300,000 Bahamas inhabitants live here. It is a city and a port city at that, with cruise ships, along with Paradise Island just across the bridges – I am sure you can imagine it. We docked at Nassau Harbour Club & Marina. Don’t be fooled by the fancy name, but the rate is reasonable. Small world syndrome again, who was docked right across from us but Jock MacRae who we had crossed paths with farther north in the ICW! We all got showered and set off wandering. We got to Potters Cay, the food stalls under the bridge with every second one selling conch salad – if you dared. Then we walked over the bridge to Paradise Island and witnessed another form of wildlife, the slot machine type. There were several mega yachts docked there, including Diamonds Are Forever, the world’s most luxurious charter mega yacht that we had first seen at Rybovich. Then we were back over the bridge and into the streets of Nassau. There is a very visible police presence here and security guards every second shop. It is advised that you not walk after dark and I think perhaps the biggest threat are the beer bottles they toss out the car windows in a most disconcerting manner! We feel very safe here, evening Nassau… then we read the daily paper and the front page featured: a cop attacked in the line of duty in Exuma, a man shot dead in his car in Nassau, $1M drug raid in Nassau, and a Haitian drug sloop causes oil spill. I guess we are just blissfully oblivious! Great people watching here – an amazing variety from the gamblers and cruise ship tourists to the spirited Bahamians. The local dialect is a delightful lilting one although when they speak quickly to each other, almost impossible to follow. We found the Bahamians genuine and friendly. In the evening we took Dave and Theresa out to dinner at the Poop Deck. The wind howled all day with gusts as high as 28 knots and good whitecaps out to sea. Walking across the bridges was a bracing wind whipped experience. The night in the marina was a windy one as Deep Blue 11 tugging at her lines creating a symphony of creaking noises all night.

Monday dawned with more sun but still quite windy. We spent much of the day walking and exploring. David and I wandered through the cruise ship port area and all the traps (shops) around it. We went to the Straw Market and around much of old Nassau. We went back to Potters Cay and chatted with two guys hand painting a beer ad on the side of a shed in an attractive illustrative style – very impressive. One guy was very chatty and even picked up our accent as being not American, just by the way we pronounced the name of their local beer, Kalik!

We have now had several days (and nights) of cold and blustery weather. Heard some other cruisers talking and the word is that Tuesday will be the only good passage day to the Exumas this week and it will be 15-17C this coming weekend!! In the Bahamas! The neighbour of our friend on Whale Cay said that in his 27 years here, this is by far the coldest and windiest, with many more cold fronts than normal. Just in our short time here we will experience two cold fronts – of course! So what – still oh so lovely.

On Tuesday we waved good bye to Dave and Theresa and set off to the Nassau Executive Airport. Rob picked us up in his twin Piper Comanche (plane) and we flew over to Big Whale Cay. Rob and Kaya have a little piece of paradise. They built their place about 10 years ago. The island has a fascinating history that revolves around a lady, Marion Carstairs who developed a whole community with a church,  pool, tennis court, walled roads, runway, boat launch and all sorts of other buildings in the 1930s. All that is unused and deserted now but the stonework still stands and the runway is still used. What an amazing place – we wandered about the island and the four of us went by boat to a little marina  that seems to be getting up and running again. Then we went over to Chub Cay. Someone had a grand vision here. A very sheltered marina with a substantial dock system has been created as well as some holiday housing and a main lodge which is still unfinished and starting to deteriorate as the project has been abandoned. ScotiaBank owns what is left unsold and unfinished. It was a couple of days of true island time – simply idyllic. We even saw peacocks including a colourful male. Rob told us of his run ins with the Poisonwood tree, and that when there is a full moon, the poison wood tree weeps.

Thursday there was a gathering at the airstrip for farewells. First Sandy and her family boarded their little chartered plane and took off. Then Rob, Kaya, David and I boarded Rob’s plane. Helen, Beth and Kent were there to wave us off. It was about a half hour flight to Marsh Harbour of the Abacos. The views of the pink sands and the multitude of water colours was incredible. From there it was a cab ride to the ferry and then the local inter island ferry to Hope Town on Elbow Cay. Absolutely charming. Narrow streets, more golf carts than cars, colourful houses, smiling people, lots of sailboats and a lighthouse. The lighthouse is the last hand cranked kerosene fuelled lighthouse. The harbour is an excellent hurricane hole with lots of moorings – mostly taken. We visited the two grocery stores and got a real insight into provisioning in the Bahamas – selection very limited and prices 50 to 300% more than stateside. On the Atlantic side of town was a long sandy beach, much more pink than the beaches in the Exumas. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Hope Town and hope to be back! We took the ferry back to Marsh Harbour early the next morning. The communities seem tight knit, the people friendly and ready to laugh, and the ferries are a wonderful gathering place. So many shops and places had signs that had the word “tellin”. We asked a lady on the ferry and she said it is the lovely little fine bi-valve shells with sunburst colours of yellow to pink. Kaya was interested to visit a shop in Marsh Harbour and asked the cab driver if it would be open. He replied: there is a good chance it might be open! That is island time. Indeed the shop was not open. We waved goodbye to Rob and Kaya then boarded our Bahamas Air flight to W Palm Beach. The Captain informed us that we were #1 in line for take off (not so surprising as we were the only aircraft there). The views from the plane were amazing again. In spite of mankind’s attempts to deface the earth, Mother Nature remains stunningly beautiful. Can word or art ever truly capture the pure beauty. We can but try.

We read an interesting tourism article on the flight – tourism in the Bahamas has been down a bit in recent years and was also negatively affected by Hurricane Sandy. Their tourism development is focused on the big stuff – hotel beds, casinos, flight lift, cruise ship numbers and per pax spend, and so on… not us little cruisers. So much of it is focused on Nassau, Paradise Island and Atlantis – which is good news for us cruisers as they don’t focus much on development of our playgrounds, the smaller peripheral islands.

We got the shuttle back to Rybovich from the airport and found Gypsy resting happily in her spot between the piles. A welcome sight. We threw open the hatches, emptied our bags and settled back in. We went to the south yard for Friday night crew night – and Meteor was on the hard for work. We have a few little jobs to do and then we will dawdle on. Rybovich has been fantastic to us in all ways. Their slogan: Refit – Refresh – Refuel – Relax… so true. The people are so wonderful – friendly, helpful and most delightful of all, happy. I can’t even begin to single out names, there are so many. The facility is great and we have loved access to the main yard (gym, café and ogling megayachts!). Even though we are now not looking for our own weather window to the Bahamas, we continue to watch it. While we were in the Bahamas, there were two cold front that blew through, leaving only one day windows. Right now the seas outside are 15’ and not really abating until later this coming week!

Towboat US has one of its bases at the Rybovich yard – great guys. David was chatting with one just before we headed to the Bahamas. They said the season was getting busier – it had been a pretty normal day with 2 sinkings and 2 fires! When we got back, the Towboat US guys were still hard at it – right now they are dealing with a 50’ poweryacht that was single handed and unknowingly taking on water til it sunk! The boat had to be cleared of the reef for environmental and navigational reasons and all oil/fuel removed, plus the guy wants to salvage it so yesterday they floated it and parked it in the sands at 40’ til conditions improve. They have to dive on it and were getting too thrashed to continue. Mother Nature again, just letting us all know who is the boss!

Our plan now is to head towards Jacksonville. David needs to replace the engine heat exchanger. It has been leaking and misbehaving badly. So we hope to leave Rybovich Wednesday at the latest. Back in the Ditch!

The approach over Exuma

Staniel Cay

Theresa at the helm

Dave watching for coral heads

Flotsam and Jetsam

Huitia

Hermit crab

Bahamas magic

Cruiser’s mementos

Geiko

Tombolo

No shell collecting in the Parks – one of these is a tellin

Boys at play

Iguana – pretty in pink

Dried conch for chowder

Artists at work

Living conch

Cruise port Nassau

Paradise Island

Rob’s plane

Big Whale Cay approach

Chub Kay marina

Chub Cay resort

Chub Cay vision

Rob and Kaya’s piece of paradise

Doll House, Big Whale Cay

Church, Big Whale Cay

Helen bids farewell

on to Abacos

Hope Town

Hand cranked kerosene fueled lighthouse

owned by a Canadian!

Fantastic colours…

A great anchorage

words to live by?

Go golf carting

No hurry

From the old to the new

Inter-island ferry

Leaving Hope Town

Currencies of the world

Canadian Tire?

Bye for now

ICW – Peanut Island and Gypsy!

Hi Gypsy!

Seize the Moment

After all our shenanigans – snippets of which you have read in our blog, and many more – we now admit the reality that we are out of time for taking our own boat to the Bahamas this season. We thought we might just be able to fit it in but the risk of not getting a weather window to get back in time is real – some have waited as long as 3 weeks. We must be home before March 30 – so we will be.

Once we get on the move, we’re pretty quick about it. Friday we thought about it and yesterday, we left Lauderdale – Richard waved from his balcony as we putted by about 0730. We got as far as Palm Beach after a marathon of bridge openings – 0715, 0730, 0815, 0830, 0900, 0915, 1030, 1100, 1130, 1200, 1300, 1315, 1326, 1355, 1404, 1430, 1613, 1715, 1800!!. We had planned to stop at Delray but no room. Then we tried to stop at Lantana but stuck in the mud twice in their channel. We ended up at Palm Harbour Marina, a lovely swanky place. Rod and Cheryl came by and we went for dinner and in the morning, after a slight altercation with the current, we headed over to Rybovich. Boat is now cleaned, dinghy on deck and outboard locked on so pretty much ready – just need to maneuver to the where Gypsy will stay for about 10 days to 2 weeks. Quick change of plan – we do want to see the Bahamas and Dave and Theresa have invited us to join them on Deep Blue II in Staniel Cay. Tomorrow morning we fly over. From there will join Rob and Kaya on Turtle Cay for a few days… research for another year perhaps!? Then we will continue heading north to leave Gypsy near Jacksonville for the month we are home (April). In May we return to continue heading north.

We have had a wonderful time in Lauderdale – and many thanks to Richard and Rodney, who welcomed us so generously. (Richard we will make that passage to the Bahamas together, but sadly, now it must be another year.)

The cruising life – it is about making plans and then changing them, it is about mechanicals and breakdowns, it is about health issues – this we have learnt first hand and from our many chats with other cruisers. It is also serendipitous moments, special days, new friends, swapping tales and info – and most importantly, kicking back. Oh and seizing the moment. So that is what we will do now. We expect little or no wifi in Bahamas so there may not be a post for awhile.