New Kids On The Block

Lisa and Rod Wolfe, aboard Lucky Peek, were to be the new "kids" this year - it was their first crossing. For five years or so they were planning a trip to the Bahamas and when we first met them at Brunswick Landing Marina they were going through the last minute check lists and installing their solar panels and windvane.
They had to pick up their new sails before heading for south Florida and we hoped to meet up with them in Lake Worth and make the crossing together to Grand Bahama Island. Sure enough, they arrived a couple of days before we caught a weather window.
Any concerns that we had had for them were soon put aside once we departed the Lake Worth inlet. They had their sails up, locked onto a course and did a great job of maintaining radio contact. Despite the conditions, the crew of Lucky Peek did a spendid job and upon arrival at Green Turtle Cay the crews of Attitude and Gypsy Common presented a few gifts as reminders of their first crossing.
Today is New Years Eve and Lucky Peek is anchored out in Marsh Harbour. We've see them only once, walking along the main street in town looking for a laundry. We'll have alot to celebrate tonight and are pleased to have had Rod and Lisa along with us this year! 

Bahama Christmas

A beautiful sailing picture would have been nice, however the crossing from West Palm to Grand Bahama Island left us with our hands full and unable to go below. We never saw anything below 12kts of wind, or seas under 4 feet....at times it gusted to 30kts and the seas averaged 4-6ft. After 12 uncomfortable hours we arrived at Old Bahama Bay Resort at West End around 4pm.
We were beginning to think we wouldn't make it before Christmas. Had we not left when we did we would still be in Lake Worth awaiting favorable weather.
The village of West End and Old Bahama Bay were hit hard by recent hurricanes and everyone is just recovering. The marina was kind enough to "open" to accommodate anyone making the passage from the US although most facilities will not be restored until after Christmas Day.
Unsettled weather remains in the area and for the next several days we will walk into town, order up some Coconut bread that we have purchased previously from a local Mrs. Williams, check our email and the boat systems before moving on to Great Sale Cay. We expect to enjoy our Christmas in White Sound on Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos. 

Different Christmas Season

While most everyone in Atlanta is rushing around the malls in chilling weather we are hanging out on the beaches and waters of south Florida in 70 degree temperatures. We are in a Starbucks in West Palm today and Gypsy Common is anchored in Lake Worth. There's "Santa Claus Coming To Town" playing overhead and next door at Publix everything is holiday oriented.
The Annual Boat Parade is this weekend along the Intracoastal and the locals are decorating their megayachts while we are hoping just to catch a glimpse of the parade as it passes the anchorage.
There are around forty boats in the anchorage and most are planning to sail over to the Bahamas as soon as the next weather window opens.
So, we don't know if we will be in West Palm or in the Bahamas December 25th but even when we were little Santa always seemed to find us.
Here is hoping you are enjoying the holiday season and if we can't get another post until afterwards.....have a Merry Christmas with your friends and family. 

Great Travel, Great Weather

Our travel from Brunswick has been wonderful! Having the luxury of good weather and being pretty much on our own we were able to take advantage of some of the more picturesque anchorages and travel at our leisure along the ICW. We managed stops at Kingsley Plantation on the southern end of Amelia Island, tucked into the Municipal Marina at St. Augustine and then had a brisk sail down the Halifax River to Daytona Beach. After overnighting in Titusville and Melbourne we managed to pick up a mooring at the Vero Beach Municipal Marina where we visited with other cruising, took advantage of the conveniences of a courtesy bus and local shopping to "top off" our provisioning list and enjoyed Thanksgiving Day with a "potluck" feast with nearly 200 cruisers, many of whom we have known from previous years of sailing.
The following day we departed for West Palm Beach but decided to anchor overnight at Pecks Lake...a small but beautiful location adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and Hobe Sound. As we went ashore Maggie was able to manage some good exercise along the beach and even "bite" a few waves.
The anchorage in Lake Worth, near West Palm, wasn't as crowded this year and despite a southerly wind that blew right down on us we were able to get ashore, eat some Chinese and visit our favorite spots. Our good friends Al & Maggie Ressa, formerly of Atlanta but now living aboard in this area, came over and visited with us aboard Gypsy Commons.
Following a couple of days we departed for Ft Lauderdale for a scheduled installation of a new diesel generator. We again had the luxury of time so opted to overnight in Lake Santa Barbara, just south of Boca Raton and arrived the next morning at Harbourtown Marina for the repairs.