Northbound... and home!

We left Ft. Pierce early and headed up the Indian River. It was Sunday and Mother's Day so LOTs of boat traffic on the water. Lots of wake all day. Was so happy to hear from the kids and Bill fixed breakfast. Austin called his Mom too! We anchored south of Palm Bay behind some little islands. Water was shallow, but we did fine as very little tide here. Saw ibis flying to perch in the trees, and Osprey feeding young.

Left early next morning continuing to follow the magenta ICW line on the GPS going north. We passed Coco and went into the Titusville Municipal Marina where we had stayed before. It was hot and we had had a lot of love bugs that day so had to scrub the bugs off the deck and clean up. That was the worst part of the trip and fortunately didn't last too long. These are weird little black flies who attach on to each other and appear to just want to attach on to anything. Ughhh.

We were able to spend the next day at the Kennedy Space Center which was great fun and very interesting. We saw the shuttle in it launch pad from a distance. Watched some IMAX movies and explored the exhibits.

At the Space Center.

Had a not so good but expensive lunch...typical. We went back to the boat hot and tired and relaxed and had dinner. Wished there was a pool at that marina! Next morning we saw our first manatee. Austin spotted it in the marina and we watched it swim and feed there.

We went on through the narrow Haulover canal and saw manatees frolicking in the little bay maybe 3 or 4 of them. As we went along the Mosquito Lagoon there were lots of birds and jumping fish. Stopped on a small creek called Rockhouse just near the Ponce de Leon Inlet north of New Smyrna Beach, a lovely quiet spot with strong current and about 6 boats stopped there. We could see the waves breaking on the inlet and fish were jumping in big groups probably being chased by bigger fish, but it was fun to watch and listen to the splashes. we had a good game of Scrabble, one of many we played on this trip. Bill was the champion!

Austin behind the wheel.


Was able to talk to mother's friend Helen as we went past Port Orange. Couldn't stop as tide was too low to get into their marina. We arrived in St. Augustine late and went on a mooring at the marina. Next morning we went to shore and toured the city on a little red train. Austin loved the fort that had seen action between the British and Spanish, and Bill loved the tour of Flagler College an old hotel Flagler had built now the college. Had a fun and delicious dinner that evening at the AIA Brewery with friends Brian and Louise and Louise's mother.

Stowed the dinghy on board but had trouble with the motor harness which has shrunk with all the dunking. The harness will have to be replaced when we get back to South Carolina. It is not safe to use the dinghy motor until we do that...so we will be rowing. We made it past the currents in outlet at St Augustine and followed the ICW north. It was a cloudy day, and we had some good rain storms for most of the afternoon around Jacksonville with thunder and lightening and it became much cooler. We anchored in the Fort George River right by a lovely state park. We planned to visit in the morning. We loaded ourselves into the dinghy to go with Austin wanting to row and the current in the river was so strong that we had to return with difficulty to the boat and not go as we couldn't use the motor. Will save that park and plantation for the next trip. Currents were too strong to row into the dock!

Happy Captain!

Fernandina Beach was our next stop initially for fuel, but the winds were so strong we decided to stay put and possibly head outside into the Atlantic if things settled down. We were at the marina right at the end of main street in Fernandina so it was fun to be able to wander through town and do some shopping and eat at the dock at Brett's. Austin had a great time finding funny things for his brothers in the sovenier shops! Also enjoyed exploring the town with Bill and on his own. We also found the ice cream shop! Yummy!

A couple on another Island Packet (larger and newer than ours) stopped by. We talked to them the next morning and they were hoping to go outside too so we did make plans with them and headed out the next afternoon when the winds were predicted to be less than 15. it was encouraging to have a buddy. We were headed straight for Beaufort/Port Royal on an overnight sail.

Sunset, the last of this trip.


We had a great sail, beautiful sunset with a full moon, until about one AM when the winds increase to about 20 knots and changed direction so they were NW on our nose and seas became much rougher. We had taken down most of the sails and just kept a reefed main sail for stability and bounced along very slowly with waves breaking over the bow. Austin was able to wedge himself in below and slept. I was seasick and poor Bill had to stay at the wheel. Thank goodness for auto pilot! I was better about 3 and then he got to take a nap in the cockpit. We had to stay on the high side as water was splashing in on the low side.

Sunrise heading toward Beaufort and the Port Royal Marina on the last morning.

winds and waves settled and we were able to resume speed with the motor, and the sun came up.
We arrived at Port Royal Marina at 10:30 AM on Wednesday. We had a quiet day with everyone napping specially me and had a lovely Chinese dinner with Mary and Roy our friends on Gideon.

We packed up the boat on Thursday morning got a rental car, and headed back to Atlanta as Austin had a plane to California Friday morning early. We enjoyed having him on Wind Spirit!

It is wonderful to be home with friends and family. Thank you all for your interest and support.

Wind Spirit is signing off until her next adventure begins probably in the fall.

Crossing east to west…

After a wonderful stay at Exuma Land and Sea Park we went north to Norman Cay for one night at anchor and then to Highborne Cay for a second rolly night. Did not snorkel or go ashore just hung out. We both had good books so just read and had dinner. A group of boats we had been with were heading to Nassau and we tagged along and were able to go to the same marina. The trip over was blustery and the seas got bigger as we went north. We went through the Yellow Banks and found ourselves surrounded by huge coral heads. We pulled in the sails and used the motor to twist and dodge around them. Scary time, but Bill did amazingly well and we missed them all miraculously! Was praying all the way through.

It was fun coming into the big harbor at Nassau, and we slipped into the marina beautifully after dodging a flock of little sailboats at the Nassau Yacht Club. They were tumbling over in the wind, flipping them back over and going every which way. We did slow down and they cleared a path for us to get through. Think they were all kids and just having a great time and sailing amazingly well.

The Nassau Harbour Club Marina was just fine and felt secure. Nassau was the only place we had been warned about security. They had a great pool and we did appreciate it as it was a hot day. We went to dinner with a couple from Osprey that we had come in with , and had a great evening. We cleaned and went to the grocery the second day and then in late afternoon after a swim, we went with the group we had been with at the Park over to Atlantis. After spending some time wandering around we had a delicious dinner at Bimini Road. After the day trippers from the huge cruise ships in the harbor have left the aquarium is open as are the grounds and we walked all over. It is a totally amazing place and so different from the smaller resorts and islands. It provides work for over 7000 people in Nassau. The casino is open at any time as are the stores.

And the camera ran out of battery at Atlantis.

We waited for the tide to change to leave and headed to Great Harbor Cay. We wanted a more tranquil anchorage as we had bounce on the surge all the night before so went around to the west side of the cay passing the Stirrup cays which are the Tiki Villages for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Ships anchor off these cays and ferry passengers to the islands for beach fun. The seas were larger than we expected and it was a rough ride. We anchored in tranquil Bullock Harbour just at sundown. We explored the settlement and the harbor and the marina in the dinghy the next day. We were able to get Atlantis on the way out of Nassau.

some drinks, cookies and a phone card as we were out of minutes. The harbor channel entrance was blasted right through rock and the harbor is wonderfully protected inside.

Sunset reflection at Frozen Island.

From Bullock we psyched ourselves up and after listening to the Chris Parker weather we headed out towards Lucaya and Freeport, sailing on past West End and across the Gulf Stream to Ft Pierce. We arrive late afternoon on Wednesday. Coming in the Ft. Pierce Cut was the most excitement we had the entire trip. Big waves and current slowed us down to 2 knots with the engine running hard!

We have been at Harbortown Marina since then and Silver Girl and Iolar were both here so we had a fun reunion exchanging stories of our adventures. Meals at the restaurant here are delicious. Today our nephew Austin arrived from California to travel the rest of the way back to Beaufort and Atlanta with us. He will be going into the Coast Guard in June after his brother’s wedding. We are looking forward to having some time with him before he starts this part of his life . Cooked out at the Marina grill tonight.

Tomorrow we head north with a mid tide to cross the bar at the entrance to the creek. On the way again!

Play Time in the Islands...

Dawn at Emerald Bay Marina.

We spent a couple of days in Emerald Bay Marina which is connected with the Sandals Resort at Emerald Bay. It has the most beautiful amenities and a free laundromat, but it was hot and for the first time we had lots of flies and no-see-ums that were wicked. We used the screens when we were in the marina which helped a lot. Nancy and Bill arrived late Friday and we had a yummy dinner out that evening at the Palappa with no-see-ums for dessert. The next morning we sailed to south anchoring at Stocking Island for some fun exploring the beaches and the little town across the water. Had some higher winds and got absolutely soaked in the dinghy going into George Town. Who else could laugh doing this crazy stuff with us?

Nancy and Bill exploring stromatolytes on the beach at Stocking Island.

We walked the beach at Stocking Island which is the outside part of the huge harbor at George Town (GT) called Elizabeth Harbour. On the east side of the island all along the beach are growing rocks which are some of the oldest in the world, and there is also evidence of the DNA in rocks from the moon which are called Stramatolytes which we all found very interesting. They exist on several islands along the Exuma Sound.

Over- looking the Harbor.

Bill and Marilyn on the beach.

Two Bills and Marilys on the wonderful beach at Stocking Island.

We sailed back to Emerald Bay, and sent Nancy and Bill on their way home off by taxi, and welcomed Marilyn and Bill. Some of y’all may remember that we have done lots of charters with these two couples so are used to being together in small spaces. The trip south to GT was a bit rough but we made it with some discomfort but safely. Winds were not so bad, but seas were bigger. After relaxing we went into GT and visited some shops and sights. It is a small and not too pretty place but has lots of the basics for sailors and a charming Anglican Church. The Straw Market is interesting too watching the ladies plaiting with palm and making baskets not too unlike some of the ones we see in the low country. They also make market baskets and beach bags. A fun part of the trip to GT is going into the Harbor and dinghy docks at Lake Victoria under a little stone bridge though a narrow channel! There is lots of current and it is like an amusement park ride going through! With both couples we had several meals out mostly for lunch, which was lovely and played scrabble with Nancy, and Scrabble and Hearts with Marilyn and Bill in the evenings.


The town was getting ready building booths for the regatta which is the last weekend in April, and hopefully we will be well on our way north by then so we can be in Chicago for nephew Branigan's wedding the end of May.

We had a great if a bit slow sail south around Stocking Island and all the way back to Emerald Bay with Marilyn and Bill after playing a day at Fowl Cay and spending some time at Red Shanks in the south part of the harbor. They headed home on Wednesday, and Christine came down to spend a week with us. We grocery shopped and headed north stopping at Rat Cay to swim, but anchoring at Children’s Bay Cay because of the tidal surge rolling us around at Rat Cay. Christine found a beautiful King Helmet shell on the beach there . We saw one in a store at Staniel Cay for 40 and another for 50 dollars!!


Children’s Bay Cay used to be owned by Jessica Tandy and her husband ….Hume forget his name. It was sold to the Heinz family. Don’t know who owns it now. But they are building a huge marina there near where we were anchored. We went back out the narrow Rat Cut and down to Rudder Cut where we went in and stayed in along the west side of the cays and on the Exuma Bank stopping at Rudder Cay, then at Black Point.

Rocks and caves at Rudder Cay.

Went ashore at Black Point and had some internet time and explored the community. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. We did a bit of shopping and had lunch at Lorraine’s. Met some interesting boaters there and also saw the boat Smashie which was written about in Blue Water magazine recently. It is a handmade wooden C-class boat with handmade cotton sails and a wooden mast. The boat races in all the local regattas. We watched them step the mast and bend on the sail and do some sailing in the bay …very pure sailing and they are good! We tried to keep up with them in the dinghy but they were too fast.Smashie getting too far away from us!


A class A boat made by hand in Blackpoint.

We headed on to Staniel Cay anchoring at Big Majors Spot where we swam, fed the swimming pigs and snorkled in the Thunderball Grotto. We drove all over the island on a golf cart and had a yummy lunch. Had to say goodbye to Christine on Tuesday and she flew back to Atlanta after a terrific visit! She got home in time to go to Mark's Gig. You might not know that he is playing his Zendrum in a band now and is having a great time with his music! .

It was such fun to share these 3 weeks with friends and family and it was very special to have them all with us here sharing this amazing place and our adventure on Wind Spirit!

We relaxed a couple of days in Big Major Spot and had a delicious dinner on “Passages with Ed and Karen. But the BIG boats were there all around us, in full force with their noisy toys so we left and came north to Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park where we have been for 2 days and will be staying a couple of more. It is just lovely here. We are on a mooring, have some limited Sputnik internet of about 10 minutes a day for 10 dollars and no cellular service. We have been snorkeling and swimming and hiked up Boo Boo Hill and across to the beach on the Exuma Sound, facing the Atlantic. Have seen conch all over the bottom of the sea and helmet shells. There is beautiful coral and lots of fish on the reefs here. Had Sundowners on the beach with a bunch of sailors last night and there was an Easter pot luckon Sunday afternoon at the park staff house with a 360 degree view of the water and the island.. Having fun in other words!


Whale skeleton at Exuma Park died from eating plastic.

Sunsets continue to be lovely and every night in whatever harbor we are in someone there blows a conch shell at sunset. After sunset last night someone else played taps. So moving!

Sunset at Children's Bay Cay.

We plan to head to Norman Cay on Monday depending on the wind and then probably on to Nassau and heading north from there towards South Carolina through the Berry Islands.

Rainbow at the park on Easter Monday. We didn't leave until Tuesday because of the weather.


Will add pictures to this as soon as have decent internet, which may be Nassau!

Well we are in Ft. Pierce FL and finally can do the pictures but connection is still a bit slow.

George Town, Great Exuma, Bahamas

Sunrise as we left for Galliot Cut

We arrived here this afternoon about 4:30 PM! This was our goal and we needed to be here by the 22nd so we could fly to California. We pushed hard and are here early as winds are supposed to increase and be very strong early next week. This is an amazing harbor about 10 miles long sheltered on the east by Stocking Island so most boats are snugged up to it across the water from the village to get protection from the wind. We are there too, but will move tomorrow either into the mooring we have reserved if it is available or into a closer anchorage. We are just on the edge of the ship channel here. Will be quiet tonight as it is Saturday but am sure it will get busier. We have a bright light on our stern. There are coral heads near the entrances on both ends of the harbor so there are marked channels to get in around them.

At this time of year there are usually about 500 boats her in the harbor. Only about 200 here now, but it still looks like many many from our perspective as we have mostly been in smaller harbors since we have been down here.Entrance to the dinghy harbor in Lake Victoria in George Town

There is a Cruiser's Regatta here in March and then an Island Family regatta in mid April and it is an amazing example of sailing the local boats. Lots of sailing here in the islands in handmade wooden boats.

We left the Exuma banks through Galliot Cut just as the tide changed at slack tide. Winds were about 10 knots. It was very rough like riding a bucking bronco going out but we made it safely along with about 5 other boats. We pulled the anchor at 7:30 this AM so it was a long day. What a sense of accomplishment though to finally be here!

Weather has been amazing the entire trip! Hope it keeps up. Have only had a couple of sprinkles and Wind Spirit is very salty and sparkles in the sun. We have had lots of great sailing which makes Captain Bill ecstatic!

A few highlights of our trip from Little Harbour in the southern Abacos through the Elutheras to the Exumas. We crossed 3 pretty large bodies of water, went through 4 cuts all of which were challenging but we did fine. Met some very nice folks on Iolar who were good company but we hurried on in the Elutheras to get here. Peaceful Warrior is coming this way too or at least to the park. Right after we anchored here we saw a Canadian boat we first saw our second night in the islands. He is solo so has had a very long trip!

We loved the little settlement of Governors Harbour in Eluthera. The anchorage was lovely and spacious with only 5-6 boats and good local internet. We did some shopping in the local grocery store, visited the post office, tourist office and the bakery. We missed the propane truck so will get that here in Georgetown. We have 2 tanks and like to fill the empty so we always have a spare available. We watched the children playing ball and walked a little along the beach. Visited with a family from Maine who are heading north after a year on their boat with their 7 year old daughter. They had lots to share and were delightful to talk to.

We stopped in Rock Sound Harbour. Again a huge harbor and with internet! (we have none in George Town yet). Decided to go out for dinner early so we pumped up the dinghy, lowered it and put the engine on and off we went. Had a great ride into this little inlet tied up, and had a great meal. Do not know the name of the restaurant but it was right on the water with lots of palm trees and very picturesque. Of course I had forgotten the camera. We went back to the dinghy and Bill discovered that the little anchor we used to hold the dinghy off the dock had fallen off the shackle that attaches it. He was fishing around for ages with the oars and finally took off his shirt and went in after it. It was in about 4 feet of water. Success. So I untied the dinghy and climbed down the ladder and was I was pulling the line in I fell into the water too! Bill said it was hilarious…I didn’t think so as had my purse with me and too much stuff in it like passports. They dried pretty well. No electronics with me thank goodness, as even had forgotten the camera! We both put jackets on for the ride back to the boat . The evening was so warm and so was the water so we weren’t even cold! That was my first swim since we have been here! We have been too busy and it has been too cool.

Speaking of cool as we were sailing today had jeans, fleece and windbreaker on all day! It is quite warm during the day out of the wind but in the wind and on the water it is still cool! Hoping to get to do some swimming and snorkeling soon. We are going to play here when we get back from California and maybe even some before we go! Sailing is great but we like to explore where we are too not just sail on by!
Pristine water with amazing colors at Wardwick Cay and Exuma Park

The days have been busy with boat chores and some relaxing. The sunrises and sunsets have been lovely! These islands are arid and only have palm trees where they have been planted. We spent one night in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park at Wardwick Cay and will go back that way on our way home. It was a beautiful place with water every color you can imagine. The water seems to be one of the most amazing parts of the trip and is so difficult to photograph. The Park is 22 miles long and 8 miles wide, and includes many cays. The water is pristine. We couldn’t stay longer as we were trying to get to George Town before the weather changed on Sunday. Talk about sailing by!
Wind Spirit tucked into the Hurricane hole at the storage marina waiting for us to come back.

The stars seem so big and are so bright here, and the moon is full now and so brilliant it lights up everything as bright as day. We are so blest to be on this adventure.

Bill and Nancy will be here April first, and will spend almost a week here with us on Wind Spirit. Bill and Marilyn come right after! Such a treat to share this with friends.

Hard to believe we will be home in 2 months and then take off for a second nephew’s wedding in Chicago.

Just fyi, Bill and I have both read Wind from the Carolinas by Robert Wilder in the last week about Loyalist families settling in the Bahamas. It is a saga I had read before but enjoyed again.

Kite Surfing off the Beach at stocking Island in Elizabeth Harbour at George Town
Well, will be in touch and will send this off with pictures as soon as we have internet available and some time.
Straw Market in George Town.

So grateful for all the emails. Love keeping in touch. We think of our friends so often!

We really made it to the Bahamas...

After talking about this trip for years...I think...we are in the Abacos. We left Stuart on February 22nd after spending a time with Pat and Bruce. Bruce took us to do a provisioning before we left. We filled his SUV, and then transferred all of it to the dinghy (three loads), and then onto the boat which was on a mooring. He did not believe we could find places for everything, but we managed to do that. Bruce thought the waterline may have gone down a couple of inches and expect it did!

The trip down the ICW was beautiful but frustrating as we got to Jupiter with all the bridges. We had to wait 30 minutes for 2 of them and finally got through the last one on this trip down. We were in Lake Worth at West Palm Beach and anchored just south of the Lake Worth Inlet. We had just missed a weather window across to the Bahamas but still had a few things to do. Bill ventured out in the dinghy Wednesday, and found a great boat store. He finally bought a new radio for below so that was an accomplishment. He installed it and also replaced the pump on the aft head…a yucky, but necessary job.

We felt ready to go. Friday had been suggested, but the winds and waves were stronger and bigger than I was comfortable with so we waited until Saturday. We stowed the dinghy and motor on board. We fueled and got water and mailed some things. We had a good dinner with leftovers for the night after the crossing and went to bed early. Didn’t sleep too well and were up at 4 AM . We left the inlet at 4:40 AM and out to sea we went. Weird sailing/motoring at night but the channel out was well marked and the GPS told us where we were and where we needed to go. Winds were light Stars and a crescent moon were lighting our way.

Sunrise on the Atlantic.

We could see one cruise ship which appeared to be at anchor and lights which were smaller boats apparently going our way. The sky began to slowly lighten and we knew by the waves that we were in the gulf stream. When the sun came up there were 3 boats going our way and then we were in the shipping lane. No problems but we saw and crossed paths with 6 big freighter ships during the day. The wind was light and the sea was just rolling a little. Winds were so light we had to motor almost all the way to Bill’s disappointment. We had the sails up for 2-3 hours but finally took them down as they were flopping around. The trip was comfortable and easy, just long. We got to a way point at the edge of the Banks called Memory Rock, a very small rock with a light post on it about 2:45 PM.

Navy blue of the Gulf Stream.

The water in the gulf stream was an amazing navy blue wonderful contrast to the white foam and spray from the boat. We saw lots of Portuguese Man of War with their sails up blowing in the wind. We also saw a pod of Pilot Whales resting on the surface just behind us. That was exciting! We heard them breathing and then they disappeared. Their heads and fins are very distinctive. When I read about them the males can get up to 5000 pounds. Was hoping they kept on going north as we were headed east.

The captain Logging each hour.

Just after we passed Memory rock the water color began to change from navy blue to green and the water became very shallow 10 to 20 feet and we could see the bottom. It was a big change from the extremely deep…not registering on the depth meter deep… Gulf Stream. We could see grass on the bottom and then huge starfish. The color was a gorgeous turquoise green and has stayed that color with variations ever since. We pressed on to a small Cay for a sheltered anchorage called Mangrove Cay. We put up the yellow quarantine flag and will not take it down until we check in with customs and pay our cruising fee of $300.00 dollars which includes the leaving tax and a fishing license for the boat. Then will put up the Bahamas flag.

We spend a bit of a bouncy night but slept in and a had lazy morning. We left about 10:30 and had a totally amazing day of sailing. Bill said it was the best day he had ever had sailing. Steady winds, wonderful blue water, rarely another boat in sight and off we went. We sailed to Great Sale Cay, and anchored in time for a libation on the deck while we watched the sunset and celebrated Bill’s best sailing day ever!

The happy Captain!

Bill checked the oil, changed the water filter in the galley sink we had a yummy dinner and bread pudding for dessert to use up some bread we didn’t like in sandwiches. A quiet evening as we have no TV, no Internet and no phone service here yet. We are hoping to use SKYPE and local internet to keep in touch and maybe a simm card for my phone. Will keep you posted on the blog too. Lots of time to read and study the charts and plan where we are going tomorrow.

Up at 7 to listen to radio weather report which we couldn’t get. Did get a local one which confirmed what we had heard winds from the south east and up to 20 knots. We have the main and the stay sail up but we are headed into the wind right now to Spanish Cay and maybe Green Turtle Cay. Hoping to check in at Spanish Cay. Sunny day and lovely. Some rain due in Tuesday so will see how that goes. Having fun! Bill is in 7^th heaven! Sailing in the Bahamas!

Well to continue since we still don’t have internet (Bill is working on that as I write this.) we did not stop at Spanish Cay as it is now a private island and they charged an extra $50.00 just to check in if you are not staying in a slip at throe marina. We anchored again after another amazing day of sailing at Crab Cay (there are several Crab Cays, but this one is on the end of Little Abaco island. A bit bouncy again. Not sure how we will do in a still anchorage. We did not get away on Tuesday AM until 9:45…a bit late. We did get a partial weather report saying a North Easter was coming in with big winds.

and to continue on Friday...

We sailed south to Green Turtle Cay where we had thought we would check in and so we did. It was a process. First we anchored near the government dock, lowered the dinghy, gathered all the paperwork as only the Captain is supposed to go to shore to sign in with customs. Bill decided to row in as it was very bouncy and unprotected. He was able to land on the beach and pull up the dinghy as the dinghy dock was a bit scary, looking high with old wooden ladders and waves breaking against it. Off he went to town while I chilled and watched other boats bounce by in the rough sea.

We had a ceremonious raising of the flag when Bill came back. We stayed at the anchorage until after 4 until the tide was high enough for us to get into White Sound. We had made a reservation not understanding that the location we had made the reservation was in Black Sound. We were so tired by that point we just dropped anchor where we were. We ended up spending a few hours sitting on the bottom at low tide that night but no harm done and we floated off as the tide came in a bit. We moved in the morning to a deeper location. We had a great day with Pat and Craig who had been anchored next to us, renting a golf cart and exploring all over the island, grocery shops, gift shops, the telephone company, the post office, cemetery, Memorial Park, had lunch out at the Wrecking Tree, found several beaches and a place called Pineapples with good Rum Punch. Even had dinner out!

The town is charming with old buildings on narrow streets. There is a long history here and we talked to a woman in the gift shop who is 8th generation here. The loyalists came here after the American revolution from the Carolinas.

Next day Thursday was still windy and after another few hours wandering on the Golf cart as we had it 24 hours, we decided to check out the Marina and did come in. Silver Girl is here too and Legacy . We have tag teamed with Silver Girl since Savannah you may remember, and their friend Legacy we were next to in St Augustine. It is a small world.

Bluff House Marina is very nice with great amenities although it has been too cool for the lovely pool. We walked on the beach over the ridge on the Sea of Abaco today and then have been doing a few boat chores like patching the dinghy that caught on a nail on the dock when we had dinner here. Also have been working on this blog!! Bill is doing laundry and am sure at Happy Hour as I try to finish this up.

We will be here until Monday when the wind lets up enough for us to go through Whale Cut and south to Marsh Harbour. Will take the next weather window after that, and go on the Eluthera. We are heading to Georgetown to fly out to our nephew's wedding in California the end of the month!

We so appreciate so many of you following this adventure on SPOT and on this Blog. We miss our friends and family so please keep in touch. All is well.

Still slowly heading south...

We have made some progress south since I last wrote on this blog. We have had a wonderful time visiting friends along the way as well as meeting new friends. Our social life has been great fun!

(Took these on my phone so a bit fuzzy)

While we were in the lovely city of St Augustine we had a great dinner at Louise and Bryan's new home south of town on Anastasia Island on the Intracoastal. We met these two at the Canadian American Business group in Atlanta in the early 90's and have lots of history in common! It was terrific to catch up with all their news. Louise and Brian, the Silver Girl crew and we all had drinks on Wind Spirit and then dinner together at Columbia in the old part of St. Augustine, which was fun and yummy! We were back at Louise and Brian's again as we waited out some cold windy rainy weather forecasts. Brian did the chefs honors this time with some help from Louise and we enjoyed another delicious dinner. Honestly we did invite them to Wind Spirit for dinner.



Tried to convince them to come sailing with us too, but they are headed to Costa Rica for their sunshine fix! We were able to walk a bit in the old town and to visit some amazing galleries too. It was my first walking adventures since I had hurt my ankle so we kept them short. The history is amazing as St. Augustine is the oldest city in North America and has been under many flags. Next time more touring.

We made it to Daytona Beach in a day, after we waved goodbye to Brian and Louise as we motored past their house. We anchored in the river in Daytona as it was low tide. Then on Sunday morning we were able to get across the sand bar and into the mangroves to Adventure Yachts Marina. They were very accommodating. Mom's best friend in AZ, Helen, on Wind Spirit

We were able to visit Mother's dear friend Helen, and her daughter Arlene who hosted us for lunch with her daughter Laurie at Boonedocks, their restaurant in the marina at Wilber-by-the-Sea. We spent the afternoon with Helen, who seemed tickled to visit Wind Spirit, ran a couple of errands with us, and then we were invited to a Super Bowl Party at Arlene's. It was great fun being with all of them as well as briefly meeting Helen's great granddaughter Marissa. Laurie came and had coffee with us in the morning before we fueled and left.
Helen, Arlene and her friend Gator... Super Bowl Partying!

Lovely sunny afternoon as we went through New Smyrna Beach the next day. Saw lots of birds and dolphins coming along Mosquito Lagoon. Saw this house with ham radio antenna and planetarium along the way! This is a boater friendly town and they have water taxis too.

Titusville was our next port. We had big winds and the edge of a rainstorm coming across the Indian River on our way in. We had trouble getting the anchor to set in the rough water and wind so went into the municipal marina which was terrific. Titusville has a different focus than St. Augustine with all the space exploration centered nearby. We could see the gantrys and building at the space center, but they were too far away to photograph. Wish we were going to be there the 27th to watch the second last shuttle go off. We may be able to see something from the Bahamas when it takes off if it comes south east. We did find a small and interesting museum and a yummy bakery in town. Also got some canvas repair done some new zippers to keep the wind and rain out of the cockpit enclosure. Greg from Harvey was at the Municipal Marina too and joined us for dinner. He gave us a cribbage lesson which I had long been wanting to do, but we need lots of practice!

We motored on south stopping to anchor at a bridge. Rain and wind slowed us down the next morning and Bill cleaned some filters. We did have a scare while he was working on the boat as the wind came up and we dragged anchor.Saved in the nick of time!

Anchor up and all was well so we continued on to Vero Beach through a lot of pretty islands as we got close. The moorings at Vero are in mangrove lined creeks and there were lots of birds to watch. We were welcomed by Silver Girl and Harvey came in the next day. We all had dinner together at a restaurant we could dinghy to under the bridge. Harvey will be continuing on south to Key Largo and maybe the Dry Tortugas, and we hope to run into Silver Girl in the Bahamas. Bill visited with a friend of Bruce's here who has spent a lot of time in the Bahamas and had some helpful information for us.

Phone call from Harvey as I wrote this, and he is at the boat show in Miami!

Vero to Stuart was a short day and we motored past the inlet at Fort Pierce and past the St Lucie Inlet which is navigable by local knowledge only so will go south to Lake Worth and head east from there. The Gulf Stream is only about 8 miles off the coast at that point.
Our welcome sunset to Stuart!

Stuart is a lovely town and all the more so as we have had an amazing reunion with Pat and her husband Bruce. Pat and I have been friends since we were 10 and she was my maid of honor.
We were all in high school together. Pat's brother David and his wife Corrie are also here in town so it was a family reunion for Sunday dinner complete with a yummy rib roast. Am going to try one of those now...but not for two of us! It was great see everyone and enjoy reconnecting and sharing memories.

We have been totally spoiled by Pat and Bruce. They have taken us exploring all around the islands and coast, fed us royally and run us all over doing weird errands buying boat bits and pieces. We have seen some birds and manatees and walked on beautiful beaches. Unfortunately I took bird and beach pictures on my phone so they are not clear enough to post here. (Did send some by phone to grandson, Will who wanted to see where we were.) Live and learn. At the Stuart beach there was a good sized flock of Royal Terns on the sand close to the water, who were tired from migrating and we could walk very close to them. They were gorgeous with their crests blowing in the wind and their reddish-orange bills. Pat did take some wonderful pictures of them so will try to get some from her and add it to the next blog.
Pat and Bruce have introduced kayaking into their condo community and now have a large group using their condo yacht club pictured behind them, as a kayak club! They have enjoyed exploring the waterways around Stuart.

Pat and Bruce even took us to the Fort Pierce Airport to the Customs and Border Patrol Office to pre-register the boat and us, so we can come back into the country from the Bahamas with a phone call! It is called the Local Boating Option.

The weather while we have been here has been warm and sunny and finally we are in summer clothes with a jacket in the evening. We are on a mooring at Sunset Bay Marina which is a brand new Marina with spacious and immaculate facilities, restaurants and a ships' store too. We've been getting good practice at using the dinghy. Getting on the dinghy from the boat is actually much easier than from the lower floating dock.Boat chores are still happening, new head pump on the aft head, enclosure roof screws replaced and roof recaulked, refrigerator working again, generator working again. We will hopefully be provisioning (translate that to grocery shopping) tomorrow and on our way Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning after the refrigerator cooling system is cleaned our and the rigging has been checked.

So now you are up to date with all our recent endeavors. A huge thank you to all our wonderful friends along the way who have been, and are making this such a memorable trip for us. Also thank you too all our friends and family who keep the emails and phone calls and texts coming so we don't get too much out of touch. We miss you.
Morning light at Sunset Bay on the St. Lucie River.