Wayne left Oshawa on November 12th and headed south in the truck. Destination - Indiantown, Florida. The plan was to get to Indiantown, do the jobs that needed to be done, get the boat in the water and be ready when I arrived on the 14th of December. As you know, things never seem to work out the way they're supposed to. Our engine had about 1,000 hours on it and Yanmar recommends a preventative maintenance program. Having spent a significant amount of money on a new engine a few years ago, we thought it prudent to follow the recommendation. Wayne got an estimate from the workyard and authorized the work. It seemed like every time they looked at something, something else needed done. So, to make a long story short, not only did the preventative maintenance get done, we had to have a new bracket made for the secondary alternator (the other one had broken) and we had some water in the transmission fluid caused from a broken filler cap (we had a spare cap on board though). Once we got the mechanics off the boat, we thought we were all set, but of course, boats being what they were, the propane regulator decided to pooch out the day before we were leaving and had to be replaced. None of these things were significant, but when you want to get out on the water, everything seems significant. Needless to say, we didn't get away from Indiantown until about 5 days after we had thought we would. The extra time at the dock allowed us to get all of our provisioning done and stored before we left Indiantown which was helpful.

On Saturday, December 22 we cast off the lines and headed out onto the St. Lucie Canal, destination Stuart, FL. We love Stuart. We have been in Stuart at the start and end of each of our seasons since bringing the boat down and it is always a welcoming spot. We picked up a mooring and figured we'd settle in here until after Christmas. (The lead picture is the sunset on Christmas eve). We're waiting for a weather window to go across to the Abacos, but so far, nothing has materialized. As it stands, it looks like it will be another few days and most likely after the weekend before we see any weather suitable for crossing. I have to be back to work on the 7th of January and have a flight booked out of Orlando on the 6th, so I just need to get myself back to Orlando the day before. Whether it is from the Abacos, or whether it is from this side of the pond, only time will tell.

On Christmas day we awoke to sunshine and warm weather. We opened our presents to each other, celebrated with Mimosas and spent a leisurely morning reading and enjoying the weather. We talked to our families and enjoyed talking with our grandkids about all the presents they had gotten from Santa. As much as we love being in the sunny south, there is something about talking with your grandkids on the phone and hearing their excitement that tugs at your heart strings and for a fleeting moment makes you wish you were there with them.

Today is boxing day and although there is more movement around the marina, it is still relatively low key. The winds are fairly strong so we'll just stay put in Stuart again today and see what tomorrow brings. So, we sit and catch up on last year's log book and do the odd little project on the boat. There is always something to do.

Stay tuned.