Gracing Florida. Happy New Year One and All !

Once again we are tapping away at the keys to add a tardy continuation of our journey.Hope everyone survived the Christmas season and is facing the New Year with cheer and resolve and all that good stuff!

We fared well on our passage from Hilton Head to Jacksonville_ missed Georgia and the skinny water there, and made it to N. Florida tired but excited to have done it. Took us 18 days to get to Cape Canaveral where we could go out on the ocean again to make a quicker passage to Ft Lauderdale. We planned to spend Christmas and hopefully be reunited with our generator there! The weather had started to warm up and the palm trees are more abundant as Florida unfolded before us. Dolphins galore and manatees which we were lucky enough to see in Titusville . Irene has a time remembering their name so she brilliantly dubbed them " blobbers"!

St. Augustine is a beautiful city to visit by boat or land. Very historic and touristy but not too much so. We spent a few days here seeing the sights and enjoying the restaurants and a wonderful Christmas concert by the Naval Brass Band in the park. Went to a very authentic British pub and all were impressed, even the Brits! The city is very Spanish and old world.

As we left the Cape Canaveral anchorage to the ocean , we saw many launching pads and were amazed at how huge the expanse of territory NASA consists of. We had to sail out of the security zone by a certain time as they were launching a Delta rocket soon. The Coast Guard boat with several armed ( automatic weapons) fellows zoomed up beside us to warn us to get going! We were rewarded with a front seat view of the rocket taking off into the wild blue wonder. Ray and Pete were like kids.

On this ocean passage ( 20 hours), we did not fair so well. The waves were rolly and big and frequently on the bow making for a hard beat to windward. Our cockpit chart plotter had died and was sent to Raymarine for repair so someone was required to go down below to the nav station frequently to check our course. Needless to say seasickness over came us. I was ok if I could stay en repose but when I heard the Capt. being ill I knew it was serious and surprisingly I was able to do what I had to do. The back-up plan was to come in at Ft Pierce inlet if need be. At 0100 we dropped anchor opposite the Coast Guard station and fell into bed. Seasickness can be quite debilitating and we were fortunate to be able to proceed with another plan! ( thanks to our able and knowing captains).

Dec. 24th saw us settled into New River Minicipal Marina in Downtown Ft Lauderdale. Truly the Venice of Florida and busy, busy! Broward County Jail is behind us and it houses 2000 inmates or so the tour boats tell us! Lots of megayachts, bridge openings and closings, and many tourists strolling along beside us on the river front walkways. Palm trees towering over us and Xmas lights everywhere, but no snow! Wierd for sure but we are thankful to be safe and comfortable and with good friends. Very difficult being away from family and friends and I was allowed to cry in my beer a little! The four of us had a lovely roast beef dinner with yorkshire pudding etc. and great gifts ( last minute trip to West Marine) were exchanged. Even though the season was not what we are used to in Canada I have to say that being on a boat cut us off from the commercialism and hectic rush with all those expectations we have to make the holiday a good one. This was refreshing and enlightening. Less really is more.

What a wonderful surprise___ Patti and Annie from Thunder Bay came to visit us with Annie's sister,brother-in-law and niece! They were here with family and took the time and trouble to spend some tome with us. We visited on the boat then went to the at hand Downtowner Saloon on the water to enjoy some good 'ol $1.00 draft! We're like the Snowbirds, hunting out and frequenting the 2 for 1 happy hour deals! Thanks, girls, for the visit and we look forward to many more.

So here we are still on the wall and waiting for the generator to come back! We have all been busily provisioning for our 6 mth trip and then trying to find room for everything. Rented a big truck together and found a super Wal-Mart and Costco. Ray enjoyed driving the monster truck __ a big switch from his usual bicycle mode of transportation! Irene and I have had it with shopping and rearranging the inside of the boat but we think we have it down to a fine a art now. We ordered canned butter and cheese from N.Z. and Aust. as well as cases of canned beef, chicken,turkey,pork from same co.supplier in Texas.

Hope to get to anchor down in Key Biscayne and wait there for weather to cross to Bimini. Have met other boaters who are doing same thing so it is always like a reunion when we see each other again. Seems everyone is waiting for parts or repair.

Until later everyone we will sign off and wish you all the best and hoping the winter isn't too harsh . Don't want to rub it in but the temps are nice here with warm breezes. Brings to mind New Year's Eve when Ray called his sister and brother-in-law in England and was describing how we were in shorts, sipping rum in the balmy breezes. There was a short silence on the line and then this emphatic exclaimation of " bastards "!! I guess that says it all. Much love. Sue and Pete.