It was about Vero Beach before I really felt as though I was in the cruising community and certainly here in Stuart the cruising village is alive and well. Now for years Cindy and I have read about various places that cruisers haunt and routines they go through while readying themselves for their various passages and we decided many years ago that we wanted to be part of that fascinating group of people. Now for the first time I feel that I'm actually observing it rather than merely reading about it.

Stuart is a major stop many cruisers use to make repairs, stock-up on spare parts, provision and rest before jumping off for parts unknown. It is an attractive place that offers just about everything a person could want without the hassle of the large urban centres further south. So it's a bit of a no-brainer to understand why such a large community of cruisers gathers here every fall and winter.

Because Cindy is still working we are unable to stray too far off the beaten path and we are not as yet immersed in carefully studying weather patterns and storing provisions for months at a time like many of the others here are doing because most of our time this year will be spent in Florida. But still, it's been fascinating to watch this microcosm of society that is at once both loosely-held-together and amazingly resilient. It's a daily occurrence to see cruisers meet old friends they haven't seen since last season, or perhaps for several, and to pick up their friendship almost from where they left it last time. Cruising life is unique and a lot of fun, but cruisers also know they can quickly find themselves at the mercy of circumstances beyond their control and we all know that we may need to rely on the "folks next door" in a way that shore-side dwellers with their well established community services do not have to face. This makes most cruisers eager to help and pay it forward knowing that it is only a matter of time when you will be on the receiving end of the kindness of other cruisers.

It's been interesting to watch in real-time and in real ways this unique dynamic of the cruising community that I knew existed but had never seen first-hand before. So to paraphrase the popular song......I've enjoyed the opportunity to sit here on the corner in Stuart watching the cruising world go by.