....which is north of West Palm Beach. I slept in this morning. I started the evening's sleep on the aft deck where it was cooler and much more beautiful than inside. Came back inside around 1:00 a.m. A little chilly and had to pee. I curled in with David and Amelia and just kept sleeping. David checked in with Chris Parker and the weather windows (or not) for the Bahamas. Nothing until next week. Sooo.....
We've canned the Bahamas trip for this winter and are heading north, in the most leisurely fashion.
We might haven taken the little yacht tender but decided to come north on our own little yacht, Grace. But is this not cool. A boat garage in the LARGE motor yacht just across the channel from our anchor spot. A door opens and a motor boat comes out.
We've been told that the 3 port lights behind the boat garage are a patio. The door opens (folds down or slides up?) revealing sliding patio doors.
Oh my! We're leaving wealth behind.
At our first bridge opening request the bridge tender asked, "Didn't I just hear from you, Grace?" "No ma'm. We've not called before." Then a boat in front of us, waiting on the bridge said he'd just called and his boat was also Grace. So for much of the day we were identifying ourselves as Grace and "the other Grace" or the white hulled Grace and the black hulled Grace or Grace and Grace #2. Speaking to the other captain we said we could just be called "the Graces."
I don't know the man's name but he (and the boat) are from Needham, MA. They (?) just yesterday returned from the Bahamas but crossed over in early January. We told him our sad tale of engine work that had to be somewhat re-repaired, and being frozen in in Norfolk about the time he was landing in the Bahamas. Sigh. We had a lovely time chatting over the radio and with several bridge tenders who said in all their years this had never happened that two boats had the same name and were traveling toe to head. The other Grace was anchoring at Peck Lake. We were there last trip with Wendy and Dan and walked across the small dune to the ocean. David and I needed to get to Stuart today, though so....
We passed Peck Lake by. Passed some dolphins swimming beside us. Actually, they were probably fishing but it was beside us. About 4 miles up the waterway I was a little pouty/sad and David said "Do you want to go back?" YES! I was realizing that I've only been swimming in the warm ocean once during this entire trip and my chances for more were diminishing. At the moment I don't remember where that first swim was. My YES was emphatic enough that David believed me and we turned around and went back to Peck Lake. We anchored. Got in the dinghy and motored to the west side of the sand dune. Out for the short walk to the Atlantic. SWIMMING! Body surfing! Bouncing in the waves. Hurrah!!!!
Back from the beach way before dusk when the bugs were to come out...and bite us, no doubt, the captain of the other Grace hailed us from where he was anchored. "Are you staying?" "No, we just stopped for a swim and need to get to Stuart tonight." Hoping and expecting that we'll run into him several more times on our parallel journeys north. He's expecting to get to MA around mid-May.
Shortly before Peck Lake we rounded the turn north of Jupiter and saw this beautiful lighthouse. It was my Aunt Betty's favorite according to her daughters. It is lovely.
And why do we need to be in Stuart tonight? Well, we don't need to be here tonight but David broke his tooth...on a bagel...and cousin Kathryn and her husband Lew have made an appointment with Lew's dentist for tomorrow. Thank you all cuz and hubby. We thought it would be better to just get here tonight rather than having to travel early tomorrow.
We're in Sunset Bay Marina on a mooring we found as the marina was closed when we arrived. We'll check in tomorrow and get much needed showers, maybe even do a laundry. From the photo it is easy to see why it is called Sunset Bay.
We dined - rich and beans - on the aft deck in the dark all of which was perfect. We were in this marina on our past sailing to FL journey two years ago...for about two weeks waiting for the wind to die down (does this sound familiar) so we could cross (familiar, yes) Lake Okeechobee. Waiting for weather seems to be a theme for us.
We're tired tonight and licking our wounds, a bit, about not making it to the Bahamas. We have felt a little like wimps but also clear about not wanting to cross in seas that were too rough for our comfort and confidence. David went ashore today to get our bikes and ran into a couple who had come back from the Keys. She, of the couple, said that all the ports were crammed with boats still trying to "get across" and that they (the couple) had also thrown in the towel for this year and were heading back north. Sigh. And another sigh for all those others who've not made the crossing.
One of many beautiful houses north of West Palm Beach. Some were tremendously large and often empty of humans except for caretakers and gardeners. This modest one had flowers, maybe bougainvillea, climbing its walls.
We'll see to David's tooth tomorrow and hopefully have lunch with Kathryn and Lew. And take our time returning north. There is a rocket launch at Cape Kennedy on April 2 but we're not sure we want to travel that slowly. It only takes about 4 days to get from here to there and we're not sure we want to delay for 10 days. Maybe. Also still considering whether to leave Grace south or bring her all the way back to ME. It is such a long haul from ME to FL. But we do have more sea experience now so could cut out some of the slower ICW time. No decision as yet. We want to be in Winston-Salem NC for my aunt Kathleen's 90th birthday party on April 28. That is a firm commitment.
Our very blessed and privileged lives continue and we are grateful. Missing visiting the manatees and our few friends in WPB but glad to be out of that city and into more greenery. Both of us loved seeing the mangroves along the waterway today. More adventures.
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