After a fantastic two-day visit with Karrie’s college roommate, Cherie, and her family, we continued southward toward the Palm Beach, FL area. There were some days of heavy fog so navigation was a bit tricky. The ICW is well marked and taking it slow, we can get where we are going. One highlight was the Cape Canaveral and Titusville area. It is manatee migration season and there were so many of them in the canals and at the marina. Manatees crave fresh water after a rain so they gather behind the boat and catch the runoff from the scuppers along the rails and from the dinghy drain. They bump gently along the side of the boat, you can hear them breathing at night when all else is quiet. We stayed a few days at a lovely marina in Stuart, FL. The kids were very happy because it had a pool, one of the first we’ve seen in a while, so they made the most of it. We arrived in Palm Beach on Saturday, March 28th and have been making final preparations for our several months in the Bahamas. So excited! This is a great location to get prepped, with Costco, West Marine, Lowes, Publix grocery store, and a Target nearby. Both Ava and Reed needed new swimsuits as they’ve grown so much since October. We are stocking up on all sorts of stuff like sunscreen and bug spray, bulk packs of pasta and sauce, rum, spare parts for the engine and other machinery. We are finishing one last download of favorite music to the iPod (mostly Ava and Reed’s choices), finishing our taxes (!), exploring a few local beaches, dreaming of owning some of the beautiful boats in the same marina, and fishing off the docks. We also need to stow gear that we won’t be using for a while. The down comforters and heavy coats are all vacuum sealed in there stowage bags. Hats and gloves are happily packed away – hopefully we won’t need them again until we get back to Seattle! Another great reason to be in Palm Beach is we are able to visit our dear friend Elfriede. Eric lived with Elfriede and her late husband, John, when Eric was in Rochester, NY, for graduate school. She’s a lovely lady; the kids enjoy visiting and exploring her yard full of fruit and palm trees. And finally, we are prepping for our Bahamas visitors. Karrie’s sister, Heidi, and her two youngest kiddos are coming for 10 days in mid –April. Right after that, Eric’s brother, Henry, and his family are coming from the Netherlands for 2 weeks. We are so excited to explore the islands together. Ava and Reed are really looking forward to some quality cousin time swimming, snorkeling, and exploring. Once our last items are checked off the list, we are looking for the right weather window to cross over the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas Islands. The Gulf Stream travels northward just off the FL coast, with the current approaching 5mph. If there is a north wind, it works against the current and creates very large waves and confused seas. So, we will need a 2 day forecast for South or Southwest winds – that way the wind and current are in the same direction and the sailing/crossing is easy. We will leave around 5pm, sail overnight, and arrive in the Bahamas the next morning. Both Ava and Reed are a bit apprehensive, but are ready for the adventure. Once in the Bahamas, the boat projects and trip preparation will truly come to an end and we can relax and enjoy. We aren’t sure yet how much connectivity we will have while in the Bahamas to be able to update the blog. Rest assured we will update when we can – if not, there will be a lot to catch up on when we return state-side in early June. | |
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AuthorsWe are Karrie, Eric, Ava, and Reed Sanderson. Our house is in Seattle but our home is wherever the four of us are...and for the next two years, our home is Night Music, a Tartan 37 Sailboat. Archives
June 2016
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