Thunderstorms are predicted today so we are waiting another day in Indiantown. We hope to cross the Lake tomorrow.
In the mean time, I'll update you on where we've been.
After leaving Kilkenny, we crossed the Sounds to Jekyll. We didn't stay there long, just took on fuel and anchored out for the night.
When we finally crossed into Florida, we stopped at Tiger Point in Fernandina Beach. Our friends Sande and Donnie were there. Last spring, their boat hit a whale (or something) off the coast and a rudder was torn off. They limped into Tiger Point for repairs. They left the boat on the hard and drove to Virginia to spend the summer with family. They had just returned to the boat when we arrived. We had them over for dinner and had a pleasant visit.
Our next stopover was planned at St. Augustine where we hoped to visit with Ralph and Leslie from "Now and Zen." On the way to the marina, we passed the anchorage area and spotted "Inspiration," with our friends Bette and Bill. We called them on the phone and arranged to meet them for dinner at our favorite St. Augustine eatery, "Pizza Alley's." As it turned out, Leslie couldn't make it (she had a class for her USCG captain's license.) So Bette, Bill, Ralph Bev and I all got together and a splendid time was had by all.
The next few days were spent racing down the coast, with anchorages every night. Most of it was motoring, but we did get to sail the whole length of Mosquito Lagoon. The wind was at our backs and the boat performed well on the downwind run. The new skeg really makes a big difference. We made about 5 knots the whole way under reefed main alone.
One day we heard a call come over the radio "Space Shuttle lift off in two minutes!" We looked up and sure enough there was a streak across the sky!
Passing through Haulover Canal we spotted a bald eagle.
When we arrived in Stuart (the entrance to the OWW) we took the dinghy ashore and walked to Publix for a much needed provisioning.
Yesterday we passed through the St. Lucie Lock and are now officially in the OWW. As we entered the Lock, the lockmaster pointed out the alligator that had been stuck in the lock since the day before. We waited until he drifted out of the lock.
Last night the marina had big party with a band, wine tasting and even a grape stomping contest. Bev and I entered (I stomped, she kept the drain clear) but we didn't win. I guess my feet just aren't big enough!
Amazingly, Sande and Donnie have caught up with us. Their boat is a catamaran and thus a bit faster than we are. They made 72 miles yesterday alone.
Here are a few pictures of the last week. The couple on the dock is Sande and Donnie. The folks at the restaurant are (left to right) Ralph, Bette and Bill.
