May 14, 2012 Land Ho!

Monday May 14, 2012

Mothers day was spent on the high seas, the weather was wonderful and the sail, relaxing.  It was an uneventful sail, caught no fish, saw only a few boats, read, and took 2 hour shifts.  We sailed into West Palm beach about 5:00 pm, just in time to see people scurrying around in their boats, ending their playful day on the beaches.  Fred called into customs and he was cleared but I wasn’t.  Now we need to find a way to get to land and to customs without paying a huge fee for dockage since our dinghy is half inflated.  Fred called Riviera Beach Marina and they let us pull up and get fuel as well as give us time to go to customs and have lunch.  Customs was easy, about 5 minutes or less.  Lunch was wonderful on the water at the Tiki bar at the marina.  Fred had Mahi Mahi sandwich and I a blackened chicken with brie and chutney panini.  It felt good to set foot on my country’s waterfront and walk the streets once again.  Both of us were quiet, taking in the city life and tall buildings along with the traffic.  I have been so used to walking in the streets of the islands, I quickly realized this is not appropriate here and quickly moved to the sidewalk before I got hit.  “Adjust your lifestyle Patti” I told myself.  Do as the Romans do...life is certainly different here.  As we walked back to the tiki bar Fred pointed out a racing boat on the hard.  I wanted to see it so bad and walked up to the gate that said trespassers will be searched, Keep Out!  I kept out but was so curious about that boat.  I asked a worker there about the boat and he said, come on in and see it up close.  I did and I got pictures.  It was huge.  The keel was 18 feet, half the length of Casa Mare’.  There was a step ladder there but no way would it have given me the opportunity to take a peek inside.  My heart rushed to be so close to a real racing boat.  As we were walking down the dock to Casa Mare’ there was a gentleman and wife looking hard at her.  He had scads of questions about sailing and had never seen the inside of a sailboat.  I invited them on board, and they were amazed you could actually sleep on one of these things, that it had a galley, a salon and a bathroom.  They were tickled to finally be aboard a sailboat.  Tickled pink, they left, hoping to be able to sail one of these someday.  I do hope they fulfill their dream.  Not long into the trip, the engine overheated again.  Then again.  The second time Fred put me at the helm as he went below to try to patch it to get us to Stuart.  The sails were down and the engine off and suddenly I felt like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn...gliding downriver in silence as the tide carried us along.  It is hard to make a boat go without an engine, especially when the path winds around.  As we were turning in the intracoastal, there it was, a bridge.  Big one but not big enough to get under without calling in, requesting an opening.  “Fred”, I yelled below “You better hurry up because there is a bridge ahead”.  “How far?” he asked.  “I don’t know, but it’s ahead of us.  How would I know how far?  Maybe 5 minutes..Hurry”.  He came back up just in time to start the engine and take control.  I don’t like floating down the intracoastal without an engine.  Especially in a big boat.  The open seas are so much more forgiving.  I don’t have quite the courage of Tom and Huck, but I admire them just the same.  Fred found a cozy little place to drop anchor, right across the street from Tiger Woods, Bert Reynolds and Celine Dion’s back yard.  Fred calls that side residential, and the side we are anchored on, the neighborhood.  What ever it is, we are definitely on the other side of the tracks as they call it, all to me, mansions.  I can’t help but wonder why these people need so much.  I so much more enjoy being barefoot, shorts and t-shirts with dirt under my fingernails. I am so grateful to know I am happy with just what I have.  I have enough!   Life is good and my heart is full of contentment.  God is so good to me.

I got my phone turned back on, same number for anyone who wants to contact me.  I was amazed, I had to relearn the phone, I forgot how to use it.  I have learned simple is better but, I guess I need a phone. 

Tomorrow begins a week in Stuart.  We have the dinghy to resurrect to full flotation, rewire the windlass, replace the sea water strainer, replace the radiator hose that is leaking and plenty more.   Enough to fill our week up.  Between all this I want Fred to spend some time with his daughter also.  Then we hear North.  Dave Aiken, a high school buddy called me this evening and we hope to meet with he and Denise as we go through St Augustine.  I am looking forward to seeing them.  We have a stop in Port Royal to see some of Fred’s friends and in Charleston so see some of my family on my mom’s side.  We are taking out time.  I have my job back and can start working when I get back.  I sit here pausing, wondering how I deserved a life like this?  I realize once I became comfortable and content with myself and knew to place everything in God’s hands, he will take care of me.  I am happier in my life now with Fred than I have ever been in years.  Blessings of abundance!