Bahamas Bound 2/9/22

We are back on the boat and bound for the Bahamas once again. As I write this we are bobbing at anchor off Key Biscane as a rainy cold front passes over. The forecast does not look promising for a passage across the Gulf Stream within the next few days so I have time to catch up while Nico tackles the alternator. Thank goodness for phones and hot spots.

 We flew down to Jacksonville on January 28, rented a car, and set up up camp in a hotel in St. Mary's, Georgia for a couple of nights as we painted the bottom, purchased a few provisions, and got her ready to be launched. There was a cold snap and temperatures got down to 26 degrees but nothing froze. 

High and dry in St. Mary's

We headed off, out the inlet past Cumberland Island and down the coast for a two-night trip to Ft. Pierce, FL. We lucked out and saw a Space-X launch from Canaveral. Although 60 miles away we could see the huge flame at lift-off and then the rocket separating. The booster fell away and headed back to the launch site where there was another burst of flame as it landed. A real sight! It was a very lumpy trip and seasickness was my companion. We got into Ft. Pierce at 6:00 AM when it was still dark, navigating through the inlet at slack water. It is hard to enter at night because of all the flashing lights on the shore! It's hard to tell what is a buoy or a communications tower from at sea. 

                                                                          Getting warmer

The next segment of our trip was a delightful visit with Willie and Melanie in Vero Beach. We finished our provisioning and got to spend time with them and glimpse their busy lives, wrangling the hot Florida real estate market.

                                                        Our Vero Beach canine friends

The weather has been hard to call. We left Vero thinking we would have good winds to head south to Miami but we spent two long days motoring with a day layover in Lake Worth to see our good buddy from college, Leo Bartolucci.

I love this color!

The condos along the beach are mind-boggling!

                                                                             Miami Beach

Now we wait for just the right day to head over to the Bahamas because the Gulf Stream can get quite rough, especially if the wind is blowing against the current. So, we want a calm day with a nice light breeze from the South or West. This time there is the added challenge of COVID testing. We have to time a test no later than 72 hours before we land but we can't count on the weather for an exact departure date. If need be we can show that we didn't land anywhere after taking the test.

So, here is a little introduction to life on board as we wait.

We do a lot of reading...here is what I just read. I loved it.

Food and coffee are important. The best part of the day is listening to music (we carry CD's), having a rum drink, and reading a book while dinner is cooking.

Nico spends a lot of time working on the boat.

                                           We grind our beans and use an ancient camp percolator.

                                                       Food crammed everywhere for the trip

                                                              And we have a comfy bed.