4/1/2012-4/18/2012

Our last week and a half in Port Canaveral was fun and productive. We got the water pump replaced on the water maker (under warranty, thankfully) and after several sessions with Scott and the Xantrax we all decided there was nothing wrong with our unit. The power at Cape Marina was the issue. It tended to have spikes of over 135 volts and the Xantrax was smart enough to know that high of voltage was not good and would shut itself down to keep from being damaged. That was why whether we had shore power was so intermittent.

Friday evening the 6th there were some strong winds and we ended up with a tear in our Bimini. It was actually our fault since there was a remote temperature sensor that needed to stay out of the rain zipped into one of the panels. The corners were rounded enough we so thought it would not to be an issue but twas not so. It slid back and forth and made a weakened wear line that finally split in the wind. Luckily, I glanced out and saw it right away and we rolled up the bimini to prevent further damage. Needless to say the unit has been relocated. We called Leader Canvas first thing Monday and Gary came down right away and looked at it. It was reparable with an internal support strip sewn on and then a strip of leather on the outside for further support. He took it away right then and got it back to us the next afternoon. They were kind enough to work us in since they knew we were trying to get away. If you sailors ever need any work done in Port Canaveral we highly recommend them.

Easter Sunday Lynne and Bob came to get us and we joined them and about 15 other folks at Harbortown Marina for a late afternoon pot luck. As we continue to find, folks were nice, friendly and great to talk to and get to know. It was wonderful to have Lynne and Bob so near and to be able to spend time with them. We would have loved to have stayed there while at Canaveral but our 7+’ draft was a problem.

Monday, Joe on Pixie Dust berthed next to us invited us over to join him and some friends for cocktails. He also loaned us his car so we could get to a Radio Shack for some switches Bill wanted. We only got lost three times but made it back in time to be at Eos when Rick came to replace the watermaker pump. We then had a nice evening on Pixie Dust enjoying Joe and his friends. Joe and Nancy are off to the Bahamas as well but they are going straight to the Abacos. They were going to leave the week-end of the 14th but I doubt that they did because of the heavy winds and seas in the Gulf Stream the whole week-end. They will only be there a couple of weeks so sorry to say we may not connect with them although we would love to.

We considered taking off Tuesday late afternoon after our bimini was back in place but decided that the weather was still good for a Wednesday over night trip. So Wednesday after getting everything ship-shape and filling the water and diesel tanks we headed out from Port Canaveral at 1415. Once we were outside the inlet channel we hoisted the sails, set a course all the way to Lake Worth and then had 6 glorious hours of sailing – 7kts with a partial reef in both the main and the jib. Soon after we set sail the dolphins arrived and had a wonderful time playing in our bow wake. This was why we have a sail boat!! Bill took the first watch so I went to bed around 2100 and then a half hour later the wind eased so much and headed us so that we had to motor sail the rest of the trip. There went a chance for a lovely sleep under sail. It was back to hearing the motor grind. Bill stayed on watch until 0230 so I got some decent sleep before Spanker and I took the next watch. She has become such a fine little sailor. She spent the whole time with me in the cockpit either watching the water or the tailtales on the main or curled up next to me sleeping. I carefully watched the lightening in a large cloud bank off to the east for several hours but then finally decided it wasn’t coming our way. It was thankfully staying out there over the warm Gulf Stream waters. We wanted to get to the Lake Worth Inlet at 0900 in order to be there between the strong currents that rush in and out with the tides. I slowed us down a little and we actually made the turn into the channel at 0900. Now how is that for planning and navigating.

We entered the lake and motored around Peanut Island and up to the entrance to Rybovich Marina. We went gently aground (low tide) as we were moving down their fairway to our dockage so we backed off, luckily, and they put us out on the end. As we were docking the current wanted to take Eos bow so we let it and we ended up docked with the bow facing out. Now when leaving we don’t have to maneuver around to get headed out. It was 0945 and time for a couple of naps.

This is actually a two part marina. The really large boats are about 3 miles south in Palm Beach while we are in Riviera Beach. They have bought up a great deal of lake shore where we are and are going to invest 250 million dollars so they can handle boats up to 400’ in the marina and yard here. They will dredge this area to 25’ – no going aground for us after that is done! There is a free shuttle that takes you wherever you want to go. We used it to go to Staples to replace our PC trackball and had a fun time talking to Joe our driver who filled us in on all kinds of local info. He then dropped us off at the other part of the marina where we had a nice lunch in their café and then walked around and looked - well, really gawked - at the boats there. WOW! I have pictures of one with a helicopter on deck and another one with a mini-Cooper stored on its third deck. And then there were the sailboats!!! Jimmy Buffet’s Continental Drifter motor vessel as well as Honey Fitz, the Kennedy Presidential motor launch are berthed there right now. We have seen some big fancy boats along the way but this is the beginning of the mega-yacht strip all the way to Miami and they are something else. (If I don’t get the photos posted with the blog today, they will be there later so be sure and check them out).

My cousin Beth lives here in the area so she came down Friday and the 3 of us went to lunch and we got a partial tour of the area. Her husband Tom had been at the dentist’s that morning so he passed on coming over on Friday. Beth has lived in this area for many years so really knows her way around. They both came back early Saturday evening for a visit and they left us her car to use which we truly appreciate. Sunday David and Jim West-Weis from Fort Lauderdale came up to spend the day with us. David is a friend for MN who has now been down here for twenty some years. And we have known Jim for that long as well. Whenever they came to MN to visit Dave’s family they always stopped by to see how Eos was progressing. So now they have finally seen her finished. We had a wonderful day with them and we are all hopeful that we can arrange a couple of days when they can fly over and spend some time with us in the Bahamas.

Monday it was time to find a close laundromat and do some grocery shopping. Bill got to replace the flapper valve in the head again. The one he put in at Port Canaveral turned out to be defective and ended up with a tear in it. But now with all of his experience it only takes him about a half hour. So that and the track ball (that gave up the ghost after over 10 years so we can’t complain) are the only things that needed to be fixed or replaced since we have been here. Maybe our luck I changing. We can only hope so since getting things done and getting parts in the Bahamas are much more problematic.

Beth came down again yesterday and we lunched at the other marina and then did some more touring of the area. There certainly is a great deal of money here. The estates and the shops all reflect that. Every up scale retailer that exists is here somewhere.

And as far as the Bahamas are concerned, they ARE our next stop. We are heading out early this evening and will do an overnighter again so we can get to Old Bahama Bay Resort and Marina in West End tomorrow morning just after sunrise and at high tide. We need the high tide to get in the channel. John and Joan Lane are starting their trip to take Changing Lanes back to Virginia. They are planning on coming into West End tomorrow as well. They will stage there for a weather window to head north and west. We all wanted to spend time together in the Bahamas but this will have be it. We are so looking forward to seeing them and hearing about their time there and to get their insights and all. Next blog should be from West End, Grand Bahama --- at last.