BS4 02 – Travel
The storms surrounding the United States this cruising season have been brutal, so much so that even the Keys of Florida experienced a lot of very cold days. Sweater weather, in the Keys! Travelers attempting to reach the Keys by boat this year were extremely slow to arrive, and then most travel from here has been stunted somewhat, if not replanned altogether, due to the unusual weather.
We thought this year we were going to the Bahamas with two new buddy boats, friends we have made along the way who live on boats comparable in size and speed as ours, who have both been sailing quite a while and have experienced the Bahamas by their boats before.
Our first friend tried to go ahead and make an easterly run but he never made it off the coast and ended up returning southwest about a week later. Sadly, his wife is now returning to their Colorado home, so his Bahamas dream this year is shattered. He’s thinking now of turning his boat up the east coast for the season.
Our other friends were delayed well into the season coping with the dastardly weather up north and then were slowed even further with a personal health issue, which altered their planned sailing trip this year and is keeping them from venturing further south of Marco Island in Southwest Florida.
A third opportunity arose, but it too sputtered out as the fickle captain decided to change his course direction altogether due to the weather and timing constraints, and he is now considering heading to Cuba (a travel choice we currently do not have).
So now what? Well, it’s all still up in the air to be honest and as our life is very fluid, anything is possible. Under certain circumstances, and certainly if we had no other choice but to do so, we could go, especially with a good weather window. The issue really isn’t so much in the going, the issue is staying there. Or at least, not coming back to the United States.
We have just taken Harley to the vet for his annual vaccinations and treatments, and we got the scoop on what we need to do to obtain his Bahamas certificate if/when we decide to leave. We can be ready to go easy peas-y as far as he is concerned. We would still need to provision, all items really, for at least 6 months I believe, and possibly sell my car, or leave it to be sold.
Mainly, right now, I’ve just started treatment (yesterday) myself for a debilitating heath issue which we believe can be turned around, but it may take some time. Basically I had put off going to the MD until we could be out of the US because of costs (I am uninsured), but we haven’t made it out and I finally had to just quit waiting.
So anyway, I am now guessing that we will stay at home here in Marathon through May and then head up the Gulf coast again through Fort Myers and Cape Coral, up the Caloosahatchee River, just past LaBelle and back to Glades Boatyard where we’ll haul out again until next season. It’s not the ideal plan, not the plan we had, but we are going to try to make the best of it.
That means, if nothing changes again, we still have 3 months here in harbor. That, hopefully, will give me enough time to get better again, at least somewhat. There is nothing more relaxing than living your life here in BKH surrounded by turquoise water, manatees, dolphins, turtles and rays! We do love it here, that is for certain!
We have so many plans on the horizon: tomorrow we head back down to Key West again to enjoy more Residents Day Discounts with our friends Doreen and Glenn, and William also recently bought us all tickets to go to the Drag Queen BINGO happening here on the ninth. There are of course, all the regular themes going on such as Music on Thursdays, Happy Hours on Fridays among all the other activities such as daily pickle ball games , regular corn hole, dominoes and other games, movie nights, cook-outs, brunches, boaters flea markets, and so much more! William also commands the 9am morning net on Mondays and Wednesdays too, which is always a fun morning listen. Being home here in Boot Key Harbor really isn’t all that bad.
And with that thought I really need to run, so until next time everyone, fair winds!