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Published: March 20th 2011
Still hanging in West Palm, alternating between Riviera Beach City Marina and Palm Beach Sailing Club, for our shore-based needs, laundry, showers, food and visiting. The weather is generally great and the moorings are free. Landing on shore is a customary $10. fee per day, with an even better weekly rate at the sailing club. Most boaters don't find the need to go ashore everyday, unless they literally need to walk the dog,so the cost gets even more reasonable.
An unusual event for us this month was being caught in the middle of a local, plum loco race. Three boats of cruising friends had stopped by for the day, on our recommendation that this was a great, safe anchorage. Soon we were made liars as we were dive-bombed by high-end sailboats filled with squealing groupees, delighted to almost run into each other. Lurching and jibing, they screamed past, dodging between closely moored boats, rocking dingies and threatening to T-bone anything they couldn't quite see. We must have been a button on their course because they careened around us for 2 or 3 hours. Strange to see so-called boaters who have so little sense of sportsman-ship, seamanship or even respect for
Flags from home!
Nice to see Bay of Quinte, Prince Edward County & Windsor burgees waving here.anchor chains. The phrase more money than brains does come to mind. Interesting that the police boat, which keeps a reassuring preseence in the harbour was strangely absent this Saturday. Can't help wondering if these reckless boaters would be so blase if we raced through their backyards on 4 wheelers? No wonder some people hold pleasure sailors in contempt.
We were fortunate to have more cousins visit, this time with Frank's cousins from way up north. These visits from home mean a great deal to us. Besides phone calls, they are our only live contact until our 6 month return cycle in the summer. And, as we discovered last year, the home cycle was so occupied with maintenance chores and there was a shortage of time for visiting. Although neither of us has a deep love of daily planning, it is an essential cruising skill that helps make the most of our time.
There have been some challenges lately, not related to boating, which have caused delays. We realize that there is a huge expectation from our bloggees, cheer-leaders and well-wishers, that we get on with the Bahama leg. After 30 years of prep, a few more
Cousins Bunny and Dick
Thanks for the wonderful visits! weeks are drops in the ocean. Cruising is nothing, if not an exercise in patience. And you will surely know when the pregnant whale makes the swim to the shining azure waters.
In Lake Worth there have been lots of opportunities to gape at our floating neighbours. All shapes and sizes, especially megayachts out of Rybovich Marina, have jumped up in front of us before morning coffee. It was a very good enough reason for us to re anchor outside of their unmarked channel between spoil areas. Gotta have that local knowledge if you don't like surprises.
Trying to catch up with the blog while we have a wifi connection and download the Blackberry, we are piling on a load of localita from West Palm Beach and environs. Following are some of the things we see outside our portholes and around town as we are tending to some chores before moving on. In the meantime we learning to sleep better as the boat bops around in strong winds (keep in mind it's still winter, although it may be 80F), to do less projects, hang around with really cool folks, and to read more trashy novels. It seems not
Frank at BRUNCH!
If you know FRank, you know what a big deal this is. everyone, except maybe teenagers as a group, can do these things, but we're slowly catching on...
So...there we are.
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Mike Moore
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Great Photos
There are signs of spring here... and a grand evening to see the full larger moon two days ago. We are now more wet than white and this old farmer starts to get the fever. Your last photo has considerable draw too... I too would be poised to leave. My favourite time at anchor is just at morning civil twilight with a little haze and the smell of salt water and breakfast being prepared in the galley. At sea it was chasing the stars through the clouds to get a good fix and again the smell of breakfast preparation. Your first photo caused me to remember breakfast. Cheers, M&M