Back in the U.S.of A.!

Well, we ended up waiting for a week in Alice Town on Bimini before getting the opportunity to cross the Gulf Stream.  There was a 'double front' that passed through, with high winds circling around in their predictable, 'Bahama' fashion; blowing from the west, through to northwest, north, and northeast. Finally they moved to the east and southeast; winds that we could use to blow us back to the North American continent!  The bonus of staying in one place for a week, means that you are anxious and ready to go when the chance comes, so, although we have enjoyed our time in the Bahamas, we were ready to say good-bye and begin the last phase of our trip.....the homeward journey!

The following are a couple of pictures of the west side beach, looking across the Gulf of Florida.

Swells crashing on to the beach...that Catamaran anchored while we were at the beach...not sure how comfortable he was!

All week the weather had been predicted to be stable on Monday, and sure enough, the day dawned sunny with light winds.  At 0700, the water was slack before turning to ebb, so no worries about strong current pushing us in to the dock or on to our neighbour, and we, along with a number of other sailors staying at the marina, got away without incident!  This also meant, that when we arrived at Port of West Palm Beach that evening, the tide would have turned and be on the flood, carrying us in to the harbour with the wind at our back, and so no worries about wind over tide and the accompanying high and rough waters at the other end!

Looking back and saying goodbye as the sun rises behind Bimini Island

The crossing itself was uneventful, which is good!  It remained sunny all day, although the wind did pick up during the day and by the time we reached the Lake Worth inlet, the winds had picked up to ~20 knots from the SE, although it meant a following sea with seas about 3-6ft high.  We ended up setting our mainsail out as far as we could get it, then George rigged a preventer on the boom so we would not suffer an accidental jibe as we rolled along in the heavy seas.  Our jib does not like to sail too deep, as it gets shadowed by the main, so we flew the main by itself all the way across, and then assisted with the engine, as we needed to average 6-7 knots to get to Lake Worth before nightfall.  As it turned out, the combination of full main, engine, 15-20 knot winds, and a 3 knot current in the stream, we averaged 7.5 knots, and arrived in Lake Worth harbour at 5:00pm that night!  It was nice crossing during the day this time, as it was easier to spot and avoid contacts such as other cruisers and numerous container ships, and we were able to admire the beautiful indigo blue of the Gulf Stream!

Upon our arrival, we had to phone a 1-800 number with customs to receive a clearing in number which we were going to have to have in order to be processed through the local customs office in West Palm Beach.  We had difficulties with the number, but fortunately, the staff at the customs office were helpful and friendly, so we eventually called in using a phone in the building and were officially cleared back in to the United States in time to go for lunch at the Tiki Bar and Restaurant at the Riviera Beach Marina!!  We got back to our boat in time to watch another boat on a mooring ball sink!  It was a slow, painful process, and we did report it to the local coast guard, however they seem non-plussed about the whole thing, and never did show up!

Going...

going....

going...

going...

gone!

The rest of the day, and in fact, the next four days, ended up being quite windy and rainy, with lots of thunderstorm activity all around us, so we stayed put for a couple of days, and then moved 4 miles north to North Palm Beach where we had a very pleasant anchorage in Lake Worth until Saturday, when we raised the anchor and headed up the Lake Worth Creek, a quiet portion of the ICW with lovely homes and property lining the banks.  That night we entered the St. Lucie River and moored at the Sunset Bay Marina.  This is a lovely place where we were able to finally get our laundry done, have showers, and do some much needed grocery shopping using the great bikes they have here for loan to their guests!  We arrived on the Easter weekend, so even managed to purchase a small ham and cooked an Easter ham for our dinner on Sunday!

lots of storms all around us in North Palm Beach...this is the last one!

The next few pictures are taken along the ICW between North Palm Beach and St. Lucie Inlet.

'Street Food' takes to the water!!  This guy came around the corner as we were waiting for a bridge opening in Jupiter!

Lighthouse at Jupiter Inlet

Monday we borrowed the bikes again and rode in to the 'historic downtown' of Stuart.  Fortunately for us it is a small space - about 2 blocks wide and 2 blocks long! - so easily walked and enjoyed.  Because we had the bikes, we carried on through and rode around the immediate neighbourhood, admiring the homes and property, with the associated flora!  After leisurely riding around the quiet streets, we headed back to the downtown area and stopped for lunch at The Blue Door, a funky little coffee shop that served food also!  Had a good bowl of Thai chicken soup and a tall glass of Watermelon Mint iced tea while sitting out in the shade of a lovely tree in the courtyard.  They also play movies on Monday nights and we toyed with the idea of coming back to catch the 'flick', but didn't make it after all.  After 'refuelling' we parked the bikes and walked around the downtown.  Stuart is proud of the independent stores that make up the downtown - all franchises are a drive away in a different section of town.  They also have a complimentary 'trolley' that picks people up at various spots around the downtown and drives them to the parking spots and other areas in the downtown district.  While George went for a haircut, I wandered up and down the street, enjoying the ambiance.  Managed to find a Kilwins so brought George there for our first ice cream cone in a long time!!  Also found a great store where I was able to 'release my inner hippie'!!  Had to draw on all my self-control in order to walk back out again without any new clothes, garden ornaments, or wind chimes!!!

The Blue Door

The next day we took advantage of the free shuttle service here at the marina, and picked up the various things we need for the boat in order for us to be ready to do some sailing without having to stop again for re-provisioning too soon.  Right now, the weather window looks really good for the rest of the week, so our plan is to pre-position at Fort Pierce tomorrow (Wednesday) where we can get 'outside' safely, and then do a series of day sails along the outside coast.  We will keep this up until the weather window closes, so not sure how far we will get, but hopefully as far as Charleston, NC?