trying to keep up with the dancing diva that is Samantha
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our small group doubled one night to go hit the club.....nice pins there Sammy!
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not to be left out, the girls get in on the cool act. Here's Samantha and Sheila ready to party....
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architects, fashionistas, boutique and salon owners....there's way too much talent and good looks here.....I can't compete with that. The boys ready to take on the town.
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here's the team fuelling up before hitting the famous club Le Cave du Roy.
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a classic provencial villa was to become the scene of much destruction of brain cells over the coming week as Samantha's brother and friends joined us for one of the best party vacation weeks I've ever experienced.
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this was the most expensive room we booked for the whole trip....lucky it was only one night! But at only 50metres to the beach down a quiet lane in Juan Le Pins, it was worth it.
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I'm an early riser which is good if you want uncrowded beaches and I was surprised at how clean the beach and water was given the summer crowds. It was nice to shake off the city clothes for a first dip in the Med.
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I couldn't wait to have my first swim in the Med.
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it's easy to swing into the joie de vivre...(forgive me if I misspelled). Here on the fast train planning how to get from Nice train station to the rental car at the airport and then to our BnB in Antibe.
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there's something about the light in France....whether it's morning or afternoon or dusk it has this amazing softness to it....no wonder artists flock there to paint. Here's a pretty flower market in the morning light....
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choosing a restaurant was a constant battle all over europe.....there's so many great places to choose from that I like to take my time considering the menu and the ambience, but Sammy just wants to be fed or she becomes bearish.....
I don't mind paying for good food, but I get more than grumpy when I think I'm getting ripped off. I was determined to seek out some authentic French cuisine at the right price and I had my way with this one....not only because I could identify with the name, but their duck was amazing as was the whole experience.....I was right on the money here.
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so a photo of the most famous church in France to close out our week in Paris.
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I loved the food and wine in Paris....as a real foody I appreciated the variety that is available and I've certainly never eaten so much steak tartare and steak frittes in all my life! You can spend weeks in a single arrondissment without eating at the same restaurant twice and what better way to relax after a hard day of church hunting than with a good red, right Sammy?
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don't ask me what the statue is but the photo was good....
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although we appear to be enjoying the view it's a little claustrophobic going up there and it was packed full of people. So we've done it but didn't enjoy it enough to go back again....
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here I am trying to look as if I'm enjoying a baguette after paying 6Euro from some rip-off Eiffel Tower vendor. Sammy loves it when I get like this......and it happened a lot throughout Europe.
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I waited for ages to get this shot without any cars in the picture. Being a roundabout the Arc is rarely without traffic. Here's Sammy trying to look patient.
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me getting cutesy with the camera
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it's such a shame that Monmatre is a tourist trap. We encountered really poor mime/dance dance acts and muggings in the first 5 minutes we were there. Still it's another impressive example of what can be built with church donations.
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this had to be one of the best tarts we had in Paris, and Sammy sampled her fair share! Curbside dining has it's price but it's worth it for the people watching...
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remember when Anne Hathaway (gasp, she's so gorgeous!) throws her mobile into the fountain in the same movie after quitting her high fashion job? Well this was it....here's Sammy (gasp she's so gorgeous too!) with a peek of the Eiffel Tower in the background.
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the french love their parks and they hang out in them constantly....but most of them have dirt floors which detracts from the experience a little.....finally in luxembourg gardens I managed to find a bit of grass to sit on. Check out the sky....it was a crystal clear summers day.
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sammy likes silhouettes and our little camera doesn't do backlighting so well which makes it a little tough....but here is one she managed to capture really well.
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it's overwhelming sometimes, everywhere you turn there is examples of fine art with photo opportunities
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isn't that just sweet....!
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one for the boys....
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these were so cool for the kids to play with
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cwapes, qwiche and wed wine in the gardens.....all that was missing was a qwassant!
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here's a different take on the entrance to the Louvre.....pronounced loovve not loovver for those culturally devoid out there reading this.....You can't escape the culture in Paris....at each of the entrances there was either an opera singer, a cellist, or a violinist....I takes a good whole day to do the Louvre justice so we didn't go in but left a little something for our next paris visit.....
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I was in for a history lesson and Sammy was determined to boost my culture lacking consciousness with anything that resembled a church....but I have to admit that I'm now a convert (not religiously speaking of course) to the grand churches of Europe. This is not even Notre Damme, just a church we found when walking the local neighbourhood....
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baguettes for every occaasion are de rigeur in France......how cute is our apartment eh, even if you can't swing a cat in it!
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yes it's a change in scenery, but there's no escaping the allure of Paris.....tasting a real baguette on the banks of the siene seems so authentic....getting into the swing of things on my first day in France.
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Kipona snugged down and ready for the dock as we enter the breakwater into fort lauderdale. The photo is courtesy of Samantha's Aunt Wendy who lives atop one of the highrise condominiums at the entrance.
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no cruise would be complete without the mandatory sunset shot,,,,but they don't come much better than this melting sun on the bahama banks.....
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the only fish I caught without a spear the whole trip and what a beauty! No doubt that spearfishing is hard work, I'll take a fishing rod anyday.......
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after the nasty squally from the day before, sammy takes some time off to relax on deck on a perfect day under the spinnaker.......
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mornings are not my best time......
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here's sammy being brave at the helm in the face of a whiteout squall and double reefed main as we return up the islands to Nassau
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sammy and coral with her boys on our last day at Staniel
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sammy can't resist a cute dog and max is no exception
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Marty our host allowed me to connect to her wireless to stay online with work....here on the deck at her house....for the boys from Gulf Charters....note the IYT t-shirt....
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while they're bottom feeders, nurse sharks can still suck your arm off. Here's Sammy deciding discretion is the better part of valour when one gets a little too close.....
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Coral and Sammy getting fearless....better them than me right...I mean someone has to man the camera....?
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here's Sammy up close and personal with a Nurse shark
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but they sure can swim.....one of our anchorage's main attractions was the swimming pigs.....you can smell 'em a football field length off the beach and they're not shy in coming out to the dinghy for a free meal.....
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grab whateve you can to make a noise....whistles, gallon drums and even rocks in a bottle will do!....here's Coral's boys jammin with the locals.....
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no video parlors here....just good ole back to basics entertainment......
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here they are lined up ready for the fireworks at the Bahama independence day free bbq put on by the local community.
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Brian, Coral and the boys took Sammy and I on a tour up and down their local islands. The protected Pipe Creek inlets are amazing...our time in Staniel was so much more fun for having shared it with them. Here we are leaving Sampson Cay
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you couldn't ask for more gracious hosts in Coral and Marty...they took us into their home as family and made Samantha and I feel so welcome, I didn't want to leave....
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Brian and the boys having a blast on a serious golf cart
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here we are on Marty's deck after 8 weeks of cruising looking decidedly thinner and me a little fruity around the edges! That's Thunderball Cave in the background.
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here's sammy and high school buddy Coral who lives on Staniel with her mum Marty, new man Brian and her two boys. Lot's of story swapping with these two!
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locals recommend diving Thunderball only at slack tide otherwise you can get sucked out the cut into Exuma sound.....sammy negotiating the entrance to the cave...
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made famous in the bond movie of the same name, thunderball really is a must see....here's sammy swimming amongst the protected sea life inside
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once again work interrupts my lifestyle.....darn it
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Sammy couldn't resist jumping over the side of the dinghy for a quick dip in the champagne waters of Conch Cut.....
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finding a home amongst the stalactites and stalgmites
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hard at work on my next project
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Kipona on her mooring at the Wells
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sammy getting wind in her whistle...............
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Drift diving in front of the ranger station was proof that protection works for we saw more sea life there than anywhere in the Bahamas. Huge grouper and lobsters were everywhere. But it wasn't always the case as this whale skeleton is a reminder of............
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many rave about Shroud Cay as pristine and maybe I'm cynical but I found it just a mosquito infested swamp. Sammy braving the mosquitos for Sports Illustrated photo style shoot.....
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it was a little sentimental for Sammy to return to her grandfathers beach house on Normans Cay....the house is now a little worse for wear but what a great location, right on Exuma sound with steps down to your own private beach!....unfortunately the drug lords in the 70's made living there a little unhealthy, so it was sold.....but the memories live on.
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while Sammy scolded me profusely for catching one out of season with tales of boat confiscation and fines, I couldn't resist spearing my first Bahama lobbie....and what a catch it was!
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it's hard to capture the ferocity of a squall in a photo, but these summer squalls were some of the worst lightning, wind and whiteouts I've seen. Even though we're in the lee it tested our ground tackle and anchor set.
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Laura joined us in Nassau and we headed down islands. Laura had only a few days with us before she was poached by a South African boat going back to Nassau. But it was easy on the eyes while she was around......Here's Sammy and Laura looking their best......
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while Nassau has it's detractors, there is still colonial charm to be found.....
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removing all the critters that have made Kipona home while tied up in Florida for a year.......gotta love that water colour!
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after a long weekend in North Carlina I finally managed to untie Kipona and get her off the docks. After a false start (or I should say faulty starter), we got to Miami where Sammy joined and we left for Bimini, Chub Cay and then Nassau. Here's Sammy helming into Nassua with the north east lighthouse in the background.
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breakfast actually.....but when it's in a 1900's BnB it tastes so much better....
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yes I just sold my stock options and thought I'd buy a a few 100, 000 acres to go with my new craftsman built home.....! Hah....for a modern day castle circa 1910, this Biltmore estate is impressive....but were they happy?
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from sailing in Thailand to the highest peak on the US east coast is a big leap....in many ways! Here I am after trekking to the summit...well at least from the car park anyway...of Mt Mitchell in North Carolina.
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luxuriating on a day bed with latte after an awesome seafood buffet and exploring a waterfall on some tropical island.....
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Sammy lounging in paradise......
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Sammy looking fabulous working on her suntan.....
Not only does she look good but she can tie a bowline too!
What more can you ask for?
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trying desperately to send a work email with attachment.....you can tell how slow the internet is by how many beers it takes to send one email .....
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lounging on the foredeck in my rainbow warrior hammock
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captain hooks resort
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breakfst in bangbao
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pretending to work
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sammmy on a grey day at Noosa
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or CR as Sammy and I like to call it for now.....
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with help from Mr Fixit , Tom (pictured) , we installed Kipona's new watermaker which required a little modular re-working of the plumbing....
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Xmas in FLL
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17/12/2008, boat ramp
the name of this guys boat was "bail out"....appropriate don't you think?
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in Australia we call these dugong....here is a male and female playing around my hull
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Fort Lauderdale is the megayacht capital of the world and they all go up river for their refits. As they pass my berth the shadow they cast blocks the light from my cabin and I casually peer outside to see the latest in money-is-no-object yachting. They have names like, dividend or vitaminsea or recyclingmakescents or outback (as in outback steakhouse)....
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Mickey dressed up for Xmas and pretending to look fearsome in his own Black Pearl.
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They just wouldn't leave...so we started up and put the sails up....they just went to the top of the mast....but a couple of flicks with the spinnaker halyard had them leaping into the water and back to shore...
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I thought the dinghy was histroy as they searched for food....they even started chewing on the inflatable tubes...nasty!...but they soon lost interst after they found the taste of rubber was not to their liking!
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these guys swam 100 metres out to the boat and then climbed the mast to sit on the spreaders...our new lookouts...
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Thailand is a ld of surprises....you never know what you might see hanging out on your balconey...
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a hard earned fire fight deserves a hard earned ale or several...putting out our own fires...
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half of our training crew were girls....so none of the guys missed a class!
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Ginger posing with the firey's....she's a live wire this one...:)
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damn....it was hot...I must of lost 4 lbs that day....
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how it's done...
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21/06/2008, Resolve Fire Training centre
geared up and redy to fight fires....my fire partner Ginger and me ready to do some damage !
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20/06/2008, IYT Training Facility, Fort Lauderdale, florida
How many people can u fit in a life raft..?....actually quite a lot...but first u hv to get it the right way up!
Pool training in Life raft survival techniques.
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03/06/2008, Gulf Stream crossing
Duty calls and it's back to Fort Louderdale for reliable (cheaper) phone and internet access so I can return to my day job....Here's Kipona wing-and-wing with main and genniker set, crossing the Gulf Stream on a calm day.
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no sailing adventure is complete without a sunset shot. This one looking over Bahama Bank towards Florida, about 250 mile and a million worlds away.
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these outer islands seem lost in time. Narrow lanes where everyone get around in golf carts, cape cod style cottages, and the sound of conch getting beaten linger in the air is all typcial of these laidback cays
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conch and fish are good for the diet and waste line, but give me a T-Bone anyday!
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even after 6 months, I can't tell them apart....Patrick and Thomas in clear Bahamian water
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how's this....your own private Bahamian island complete with natural ocean side swimming lagoon and sheltered sandy bay with dock for your cruiser. Someone's got the right idea....fortunatly they weren't in residence so we camped out for a couple of hours like we owned the place.....
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After fixing a deck leak back in FL, the Russell's finally catch up to me at the Wrecking Tree Bar. So-named becuase in the old days the "wreckers" would bring their salvage from stricken vessels into this spot before sending to the auctions at Nassau.
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here's one for the Wharram fans out there....
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while all the good anchorages are exposed on the SW sode of the cays, the atlantic NE side has some beautiful beaches. Here's a classic postcard Bahamas shot....
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after getting his fill of conch and 'cudda, Sam jumped ship at Spanish Cay to fly back to Florida 10 days after leaving. Meanwhile I headed to calm water, sick of bobbing around in exposed anchorages. I tied up here for the final week while the Russells caught up.
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the final result.....conch cerviche with cudda and chardy.....
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of course, then you have to get the little buggers out and they don't make it easy. Hammer and cold chisel are tools of choice but there's plenty of meat to be had......Sam showing us how it's done.
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you just snorkel along in 6-10 feet of water and pick 'em up right off the bottom. This cay is at the remote NE end of the Bahamas, so these one's are bigger than you find in more populated areas.
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Sam is the classic hunter and gattherer type. Even is Thailand he's paddling around off his yacht fishing or diving for clams. Here's one of our Bahama 'cudda catches.
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pretending to be an autopilot, here's Sam steering us to our waypoint for the reef pass while I try to figure out which way is N down below...
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with clearance to leave the US, we head out of FL to the Atlantic. Just one of the 100 or so bridges that span the intra-coastal waterway down the east coast. Following behind a newly polished >100 foot schooner....
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like all good swabs, ya havta start at the bottom and work your way up. Here's crew member Hartford finding new ways to cool off in Florida before we head to the Bahamas.
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