Paul nicked off to the rugby for a week with Jeff. This photo is quite civilised for those two.

We have now been in Ft Lauderdale for 2 months and can tell you that the best bread is at Grand Forno on Las Olas boulevard, the best Greek is just 100 metres west of that and the best Italian is Frankie & Johnny's Corner Ristorante, 2701 Oakland Park Boulevard. You can buy fresh spices and Indian condiments on Andrews St and every Publix (like woolworths) is different and so you have to go to at least two to get what you want. Shoppers don't use green bags here as a rule and motorists assume you have ESP.

We have seen 3 movies - Kings Speech, latest Harry Potter, and Black Swan. Attended Ground Hog swim and breakfast with some new friends who own a cafe on the beac,h and listened to 70s and westcoast jazz singers in the local bars. A short everglades tour on an airboat (Kate somehow thought they would be quiet - the air perhaps? - but you are issued with earplugs when you board and you need them. We hadn't realised how much smaller alligators are than crocs) , a wander thru Danny Devitos restaurant - art deco - and lunch on one of Miami Beaches overpriced cafes - two cocktails for the price of one but not until you get the bill do you realise that they charge $20 per cocktail (usually they are around $8 here) - they did have a hit though. Miami beach has great art deco architecture. The area was developed as art deco was reaching its height in Europe and so it was adopted by the developers. Apart from that and if you are a Dexter fan (there is a tour map of filming places) there is not much going on.

You may ask us why we have been here for so long - living next to a 6-lane highway on one side and canal traffic on the other (not really as bad as it sounds). For the last two weeks its been our watermaker, or as we prefer to say now since the thing is so dam complicated, our desal plant. First the "new" membrane turned out to be shot. We got a new one under warranty. That was inserted and there was a leak. A service kit was ordered from California and the leak fixed but pressure still not good. The ceramic pistons were underperforming and discovered the cylinders were scored so they were taken out and rebuilt. Still not ok so the energy transfer device was examined taken out parts ordered again fro california and the device rebuilt. We now have a new watermaker at a cost of 4 grand - still - better than 12 grand for a new one.

Happy xmas everyone, although you've just had yours which feels odd. We are in the cockpit eating croissants for breakfast and gazing at the mangroves across the channel. Normally there is a barge there belting in posts for a barrier to stop the mangroves reaching into the channel, so very peaceful this morning. The plan today is walking on the beach followed by movie and dinner.

When we last blogged we were about to leave the ICW and head offshore for the last leg to Ft Lauderdale and a watch regime of 2 hrs on 4 hrs off. We left the ICW at Port Royal Sound just below Beaufort (South Carolina) with 20 knots of wind (gusts to 30) and 2 metre following seas. Iolea loved it and for the first 24 hrs we averaged 8 knots and sometimes over 9 knots. Then the wind died and we were down to 4.5-5 knots. Paul and David poled out and we flew the spinnaker for a while which gave us a knot lift but in the end we just wanted to get to there and so the engine went on for the next 40 hrs.

What is remarkable along the east coast is its flatness. Not a hill in sight. The horizon is the immediate tree line or houses and so it has a two dimensional aspect to it. We can't help thinking how much would simply disappear with global warming.

We arrived at the entrance to ft L. close to midnight. The shore is full of highrise and it took a while to identify the channel markers. We came in at a 90 degree angle then took a left straight into a confusion of lights that turned out to be two tugs turning a tanker - all in a 100 metres of water. Then there were flashing blue lights behind us and the water police pulled us over asking for boat rego and ids.

Two bridges later and we arrived at our berth. Our neighbours, Ted and Lynda, had kindly waited for us to arrive to help direct us into the berth. Tied up and bed.

Since then our daily regime has been back to supplies, the inevitable search for internet access, and repairs and updates. We now have the new sails but have yet to do a sea trial with them (next Tuesday) and the previous owner dropped by and spent the day with us going over all the systems. Roger has been so generous with his help. He alerted us to this berth which saved a mozza compared to marinas and we have been able to resolve many puzzles - ie the blue tipped leaver bleeds the refrigeration pump and the remote we found in the nav table turns on the barbeque light so that when returning to the boat at night you can light up the transom stairs (stairs at the back of the boat).