STAGING OUR DEPARTURE

After spending almost 6 months back home in Canada this summer it was time to think about getting back to the boat. Our Camry was on its last legs. Its air conditioner had eased functioning but with a reading of almost 300,000km on the odometer, it wasn’t worth fixing. And so, just a few days after goodbye to family and friends at Thanksgiving, we jammed every available inch of our car with “boat stuff” and headed south into the Florida heat without “air”.

We arrived in Titusville 2 days later. The boatyard where we had left Fortnight was dusty, deserted and very, very hot. But it was a relief to finally be back to the boat and after two days of provisioning and doing a few last minute repairs she was launched and we were off once again--heading off to Vero Beach where we new other cruisers like ourselves would be waiting for the weather window that would allow us all to cross over to the winter paradise that is the Bahamas.

Florida had been a real downer this time around. The recession has a real hold on this place and has turned it into a disconcerting state of economic enclaves of “haves and have-nots”. The charming town of Titusville which we had so enjoyed more than 3 years ago when we first stumbled upon it, is no more. With cutbacks to the space program here, over 10,000 jobs have been eliminated and the resulting domino effect of unemployment has devastated the region. Government “stimulus money” in Titusville is being spent on roadwork. And while it means needed employment for asphalt companies and heavy equipment firms, it also translates into dusty torn-up pavement, boarded up businesses and empty sidewalks as the road building crews “do their thing” downtown. The marinas at this time of year are also deserted with the only real signs of life being “boat people”--folks who are just one step away from homelessness living hand to mouth on near derelict vessels.

When we took our boat out of the water last spring, all its systems were in good working order. Summer in Florida on the hard however apparently had taken its toll and, after only a few hours of cruising down the waterway, we began to discover that things previously thought to be OK now needed “fixing.” Over the next few days the “head” backed up, was taken apart, a new fitting installed, and put back together again. Then the watermaker sprang a very BIG leak! This also necessitated installation of new parts. The hose to our fresh water supply broke open first under the bathroom sink and later under the seats of the cabin. Luckily we discovered the leaks in time to turn off the fresh water system before too many things were soaked, and Vince was able to fix them both in record time. While at anchor in the ICW we put the final touches on the installation of our new $3,000. auto-pilot and crossed our fingers that it would work the first time we turned it on. Yes!! And for several hours we wove “hands free” across a wide expanse of water as the auto-pilot did its thing. We spent half a day fretting over the fridge which seemed to be developing a major problem “shutting off”--but it turned out to be nothing to worry about. Whew!! And apart from an “oil change,” I think that’s about it. At the time we were dealing with all of these problems however--in 80-90 degree heat with no breeze, it was no picnic and I was actually beginning to question our decision to build a boat and go cruising. Sitting scrunched up in a small part of the boat, in sweltering heat, surrounded by piles of boat parts and tools for several days on end is not my idea of a good time! But when the last problem was solved, everything put back into place and we were able to enjoy a pleasant cruise down the waterway with no worries, we found ourselves finally “happy at last!” Winds were blowing in from the S and SE with small swells of 3-4 feet across the gulf stream and we had visions of any easy crossing within a few days time. And then Hurricane Tomas developed.

Three times now we have headed off to the Bahamas for the winter. And in each of those three years, a hurricane has developed, threatening our cruising grounds, during the 1st week of November. This year we had just arrived at Vero Beach when we realized we were going to once again have to wait this thing out before moving on. But this time at least, we were in a wonderful place to do it. When we first arrived here there were only a few boats at the marina. But every day more cruisers came in and by weeks end we found ourselves in the company of half a dozen old friends with more arriving on a daily basis. While waiting for our weather window here we have been enjoying “sundowners” and dinners with other cruisers virtually every day. We shop and walk, read books and enjoy the sunshine stretched out in the comfort of our cockpit. Life is simple and life is good. The wind and waves are still nasty off-shore in the wake of Tomas, but our weather guru, Chris Parker, says next week looks good for a crossing to the Bahamas as moderation sets in and everything returns to normal. We hope he is right and we get to move on. But if not, this is not a bad place to be--with good friends and good times.