“A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.”
- John Steinbeck
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Each day we not
only discover interesting places and people but we ascertain in which direction
to look next. The process of planning our
route has become less defined over time.
When we started out over three years ago, we had an itinerary, charts, maps,
websites, guidebooks, and advice sought from fellow cruisers. Now when asked
where we are headed it is difficult to be more specific than “south.”
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| Our friends Jeff and Ann Circumnavigated on this fine boat. |
The weather since early
December has been a challenge. . . . however we don’t want those of you in more
northerly places to
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| Just one of the many bascule bridges on the intercostal that lifted for Atalanta |
think we are complaining. Offshore winds have been strong and
the rain
plentiful. We resorted to moving south via the Intercoastal Waterway
(ICW) that we find beautiful in places and tedious in others. It limits our southerly
passage to about 50 miles/day and has us ducking under way too many
bridges.
We spent time with
friends in Sebastian where Atalanta was anchored behind a tiny island just off
their home. While the winds howled, we floated in a small, calm and shallow
patch of water. We
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| Peter and Blaine's "Spree" Anchored in the Indian River |
shared a number of meals with Peter, Blaine and their family
including a delicious Christmas dinner.
After a challenging
overnight passage with the boat tossing from side to side, more bridges, and
mega-mansions with mega-yachts lining the ICW, we arrived in Ft. Lauderdale. We
celebrated
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| Visiting Richard and Martin on Scorpio 12 |
Richard’s birthday with our friends Richard and Martin, shared a few
drinks, some good eats, and lots of mostly nautical stories. And like in most places, we met new
friends.
Thankful to unfurl
the sails, we followed the coastline to the beginning of the Florida Keys. Murray is happy to be in Key Biscayne with its
state park and walking trails. The rebuilt lighthouse originally in use in 1855
is picture perfect.
We’ll be moving
down Hawk Channel to Key West where our good friend, John will hop onboard for
adventures in the Dry Tortugas, Mexico and Belize. Time to start practicing Spanish.
Gracias por leer esto. (Thanks for reading this)
More Pics
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| Getting provisions |
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| A fine Boatbuilder |
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| 1/10 of 1% |
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| We hear this one was Paul Allen's |
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| Houses on Stilts in Key Biscayne |
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| Cape Florida Lighthouse |
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| A holiday card from our friends Ann and Tony Currently in Mexico |
