Day 113 (5/28) – Titusville
Weather holds are one challenge of life on a boat that Paula at least had never thought much about before living aboard. Oh sure, we’ve had tons of fantasies of perfect sailing passages and many nightmares about horrific gales. We didn’t realize that the decision to remain in port or at anchor in poor weather […]
Day 110 (5/25) – Titusville
There were a couple reasons we chose to stop here in Titusville on our way back. First, this was about as far north as we could get in two long days on the ICW. Second, we’ve been very closely watching the progress of a tropical disturbance in the Caribbean which today became Sub-Tropical Storm “Alberto”. […]
Day 108 (5/23) – Vero Beach
This afternoon we reached Vero Beach. We are happy to be making progress towards home again and to have successfully navigated a day that at times was a bit tricky. The challenge we anticipated ahead of time was navigating a series of four “restricted” drawbridges. These only open at certain times, say, on the hour […]
Day 107 (5/22) – North Palm Beach
Hopefully this will be our last weather hold day for at least the next two. The wind and rain continued throughout the afternoon without abating as forecast, so we will go with a Wednesday departure at first light. The goal is to reach Vero Beach, overnight there, and then get an early start on Thursday […]
Day 106 (5/21) – North Palm Beach
Just a short post today as there was not much change in the rain and wind. Tommy did some writing most of the day while Paula baked a banana, carrot, raisin bread, utilizing ingredients that “needed eating up”. There is the prospect of the wind and squall activity moderating in the next 24-36 hours and […]
Day 104 (5/19) – North Palm Beach
Another weather hold day. We’ve had rain every day since we’ve been back in Florida, often so hard that visibility is only a few hundred feet. We count ourselves much more fortunate than some folks who are likely pinned down by weather in less hospitable conditions than we find ourselves. Complicating things even more is […]
Day 103 (5/18) – North Palm Beach
As we hope to be able to resume travel on Sunday, Paula decided to launder the sheets and few bits of remaining dirty clothes. Although no rain was forecast ‘till 11 a.m. a cloudburst caught her at 8:30 a.m. at the open-air dryer which fortunately is under a flat wooden roof. The clothes stayed dry […]
Day 102 (5/17) – North Palm Beach
Today a diver from Barnacle Busters came to clean the bottom of our boat. Interestingly, by custom or perhaps mandated by the expectations of some of the local clientele, all the contractors that we’ve seen in the marina wear some kind of uniform when they work. Despite the heat, all the guys are wearing T-shirts […]
Day 101 (5/16) – North Palm Beach
It was a pleasure to know that although it rained and thunder-stormed all last night, we didn’t have to get up to check the anchor! Paula got up at first light and did two loads of laundry in the marina machines. By chance, she met and got to talk to a hired Captain who was […]
Day 100 (5/15) – North Palm Beach
Thunderstorms continued periodically throughout the night, and although the anchor held fast, Tommy’s PDSD (Post-Dragging Stress Disorder) led to him being up many times during the night. Paula got up because the bed suddenly seemed larger and found Tom’s side empty and him sleeping in the damp cockpit on a blanket. In the morning the […]