I have said it before but Stuart is a wonderful place to visit. Actually, two years ago Patty and I even discussed moving here and taking jobs at the marina. The only draw back is the exposure during the hurricane season. Nothing beats Burnt Store Marina for protection. We are still here with our friends Jim and Barb on s/v TanDam and Ed and Trude on s/v Caribbean Wind. Patty and I, of course, have had to take our daily walks into town for ice cream, managed to take in American Idol, and even played Hand and Foot with Ed and Trude. It looks like our friends will depart from here Saturday and head south toward Ft. Lauderdale, hoping for the right weather on Tuesday to cross over to the Bahamas. We hope they succeed.

Patty and I will remain here for a few days more and then head north for the April 29 shuttle launch. There is a meeting Tuesday at NASA to finalize the launch times. We have about 100 miles to go for the anchorage to view the launch. So we have plenty of time to visit new spots on the way up, including Vero Beach and Cocoa. After the launch, there is the trip back to the Gulf and our home port. We do not know if the route across Lake Okeechobee will be available to us because of the depth issues. It needs rain and lots of it. Otherwise, we will do the “mini-loop” around Florida, visit the Keys again, and then up the west coast.