January 29, 2015
We did not set off today on the first leg of our trip over to the Bahamas. We had planned to travel south to Lake Worth in readiness for an early start on our crossing on Friday morning. We changed our minds because the weather window for crossing on Friday was turning into a tight race to reach West End on Grand Bahama Island ahead of a cold front with strong winds and high waves - a scenario which would be around for quite a few days. The decision not to go ahead was made on Wednesday when David & Linda, and Geoff and Katya from Blue Heaven, came on board for a strategy session.
We will probably head to Lake Worth towards the end of next week and wait, at the north anchorage, for another chance to get across.
In the meantime we can look forward to some warmer weather, we hope. We had a lovely beach walk today. Maybe it will even be swimming weather soon!
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Helping out with Isabelle's school project and introducing 'Flat Stanley' to boating life.
January 25, 2015
We are helping our granddaughter, Isabelle, with her school project. It is all about a character called 'Flat Stanley', who was flattened by a falling bulletin board! The good thing about this gruesome accident is that now he can go all over the world in an envelope instead of a jet plane! His job is to learn as much as he can about families and cultures around the world and to report back to his class.
He arrived in Florida a few days ago and is busy getting acclimatized and learning all about boating life. He hopes to come over to the Bahamas with us very soon.
We are having fun and hoping to make our crossing to the Bahamas at the end of this week - 30 January - if the 'weather window' holds. Everything that was broken on the boat has been fixed....but as all boaters know, there is no guarantee attached to this statement! Wish us luck.
We are helping our granddaughter, Isabelle, with her school project. It is all about a character called 'Flat Stanley', who was flattened by a falling bulletin board! The good thing about this gruesome accident is that now he can go all over the world in an envelope instead of a jet plane! His job is to learn as much as he can about families and cultures around the world and to report back to his class.
He arrived in Florida a few days ago and is busy getting acclimatized and learning all about boating life. He hopes to come over to the Bahamas with us very soon.
We are having fun and hoping to make our crossing to the Bahamas at the end of this week - 30 January - if the 'weather window' holds. Everything that was broken on the boat has been fixed....but as all boaters know, there is no guarantee attached to this statement! Wish us luck.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Still at our dock.
Sunday 18 January.
Sunny Florida hasn't lived up to its name over the past week. It's been gray, rainy and cool here in Fort Pierce (night-time temperatures dipped to the low 50sF, and daytime struggled to get into the lower 60s.) But we consoled ourselves by realizing that it could be much worse! We could be in Ontario.
Things are beginning to look up now, and there is a 'weather window' on the horizon in a few days. Unfortunately we shan't make it as we have a few things that still need fixing: VHF radio (we need a new one), outboard motor not working, and generator similarly out of action. We hope to get these issues sorted out this week and then we'll be ready for any 'weather window' that somes along.
Linda and David, our 'buddy boaters', are working hard on 'Camp David', so it will be a race to the finish for us both. Our other 'buddy boat', 'Irish Mist' with Bill, Trish and Kelly aboard, has had to drop out of the Bahamas trip as Trish has broken her ankle. We wish her a speedy recovery.
Sunny Florida hasn't lived up to its name over the past week. It's been gray, rainy and cool here in Fort Pierce (night-time temperatures dipped to the low 50sF, and daytime struggled to get into the lower 60s.) But we consoled ourselves by realizing that it could be much worse! We could be in Ontario.
Things are beginning to look up now, and there is a 'weather window' on the horizon in a few days. Unfortunately we shan't make it as we have a few things that still need fixing: VHF radio (we need a new one), outboard motor not working, and generator similarly out of action. We hope to get these issues sorted out this week and then we'll be ready for any 'weather window' that somes along.
Linda and David, our 'buddy boaters', are working hard on 'Camp David', so it will be a race to the finish for us both. Our other 'buddy boat', 'Irish Mist' with Bill, Trish and Kelly aboard, has had to drop out of the Bahamas trip as Trish has broken her ankle. We wish her a speedy recovery.
ear's Sunday, January 11, 2015
We escape the deep freeze and make it to Florida.
January 11, 2015
We left Ontario on January 3rd, just before the deep freeze hit much of North America. We spent two overnights and drove through torrential rainstorms, but no snow. We were lucky!
Southern Vectis was launched the day after our arrival, and this year we had decided to have the hull and the topsides polished. Though these jobs weren't quite completed as planned, it was wonderful not to have to do the work ourselves.
While we were making the boat ship-shape after she had sat for eight months in the extreme heat and humidity of a south Florida summer, we stayed in the Hutchinson Island Plaza Hotel. Our room looked over the Ft. Pierce inlet and gave us lots of boat-watching entertainment.
Our Ontario friends, David and Linda, had arrived just ahead of us, and were also staying at the same hotel, as were Dick and Margaret, friends from previous years. We had a fun New Year reunion at 'Hurricane' restaurant at the mouth of the inlet. As usual, we also checked out other neighbouring establishments such as 'Chuck's', and 'On the Edge', both on the water within walking distance of the hotel. Also we have discovered a new pizza restaurant called 'Nino's', and are planning a return visit!
Although we still have lots to do to get the boat ready for another Bahamas adventure, but we took the day off and went to the Stuart Boat Show today. It is all about power boats of every size and description. We were a little bit tempted, but can't admit that to our sailing friends!
We left Ontario on January 3rd, just before the deep freeze hit much of North America. We spent two overnights and drove through torrential rainstorms, but no snow. We were lucky!
Southern Vectis was launched the day after our arrival, and this year we had decided to have the hull and the topsides polished. Though these jobs weren't quite completed as planned, it was wonderful not to have to do the work ourselves.
While we were making the boat ship-shape after she had sat for eight months in the extreme heat and humidity of a south Florida summer, we stayed in the Hutchinson Island Plaza Hotel. Our room looked over the Ft. Pierce inlet and gave us lots of boat-watching entertainment.
Our Ontario friends, David and Linda, had arrived just ahead of us, and were also staying at the same hotel, as were Dick and Margaret, friends from previous years. We had a fun New Year reunion at 'Hurricane' restaurant at the mouth of the inlet. As usual, we also checked out other neighbouring establishments such as 'Chuck's', and 'On the Edge', both on the water within walking distance of the hotel. Also we have discovered a new pizza restaurant called 'Nino's', and are planning a return visit!
Although we still have lots to do to get the boat ready for another Bahamas adventure, but we took the day off and went to the Stuart Boat Show today. It is all about power boats of every size and description. We were a little bit tempted, but can't admit that to our sailing friends!
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