We were very eager to leave Indiantown. We waited for additional days for our mail that was delayed due to Atlanta being paralyzed by 2 inches of snow. Next day delivery took 6 days. The UPS trucks in Georgia were at the mercy of the “idiots” who could not deal with 2 inches of snow.

Additionally, the secrets of the ancient tombs of Indiantown were slowly revealed to us. It seemed that until our pockets/ bank accounts are empty or near empty we would not leave Indiantown. There is always some work that is needed on the boat that we don’t know how to do (seeing as how we don’t know how to do anything).

However, the work allowed us the opportunity to stay for the Super Bowl party. A pot-luck dinner was held in the screened in porch area that has a television (with the worst sound system ever!) mounted at the top of the wall. In the tradition of the Midwest I made a pot of chili with all of the trimmings. As we sat in the screened room an elderly man came in and announced he had something for us to eat, which he carried in a brown paper bag. He brought out a piece of fried something and thrust it insistently at Wiley. He said he would not tell us what it was but we should try it. Wiley nibbled lightly with a certain lack of enthusiasm as the colorful old southern gent looked on. In fairness, Wiley later admitted that, “it was the best toad I ever et”. I refused to eat it unless he told me what it was. He refused to divulge his recipe.

As we sat in the screened porch area we had an eerie sense that all the old folk (the ancients) were lined up to watch something special in the “dayroom”. Most all of the boaters and sailors at Indiantown are 60+ - there wasn’t a “young person” in sight! So, using your imagination you can probably envision how all the old faces were turned up to look beyond their bi-focals to watch the football game (sighing at the lopsided game), grimacing at the wild half-time show, and drooping by the end of the game (after all it was well past everyone’s bedtime!). Yikes, as kind as the elder hostel group was we were eager to find some young people.

We celebrated our arrival in Stuart, Florida with the docking help of 4-5 kind boaters. No crash course this time! With strong winds, the current pushing us, and the cement wall of D dock we were more than delighted to have help. We had read on Active Captain reports of boats smashing into boats and/or D dock because of strong currents. As always, Wiley thanked them all for Boat US, our boat insurers.

While in Stuart at Sunset Bay we once again found a way to spend more money on the boat. Yes, it is a hole in the water into which we pour $$$$. We had a new winch installed that we use to raise the mainsail and also hoist the dinghy on deck. Our old winch had a prong broken inside and since they no longer make that winch we had to buy a lovely new one. John from Mack Sails came out to the boat and installed it. It turns out that John and Wiley are both Trekies, so they had a great time discussing Kirk, Bones Klingons etc, and exchanged the Vulcan “live long and prosper” salutation when John left. Since we name everything on the boat – our winch is now called BIG JOHN! It works wonderfully and Wiley is absolutely thrilled to have a new toy.

We timed our departure so that the current and wind would allow us to ease off the dock and since this was early in the morning we spent some time waiting around for bridges to open to begin our journey to West Palm Beach. We had an uneventful trip through the many bridges on our way to Old Port Cove at West Palm Beach.

This is probably our favorite marina. It is full of million dollar boats and even though we arrive in our little vessel looking a bit like a “Chinese honey barge” they make us feel like we have a multi- million dollar yacht.. They greet you at the dock, take your lines, give you a free bottle of wine, and offer lovely facilities as well as a fabulous restaurant – Sandpiper Cove.

We managed to eat our way through West Palm with 2 terrific dinners there as well as a stop at the French bistro down the road. We staged our departure from West Palm Beach and once again anchored near the inlet prior to “going outside” – sailing on the ocean rather than taking the ICW. This is where we have previously left to go to West End, Bahamas. However, this time we would not be leaving at 2:00 am but wait till after sunrise to begin our sail to Fort Lauderdale.

After a lovely motor sail we arrived at Los Olas Municipal Marina in downtown Fort Lauderdale. We were delighted to meet up with a sailor and friend, Dick of Dick and Margaret, whom we sailed with down the ICW in Virginia and North Carolina in 2011, and saw again in Marsh Harbor, Bahamas in 2013. It is so much fun to reconnect.

Los Olas Marina is 2 blocks from the beach. Ah, we have finally reached the wild celebrations of the young. Bikinis are pranced in, and Wiley frequently has to be told to close his open mouth. Wild music, flowing liquor, and limited clothing on beautiful (and a few not so beautiful) bodies is the new norm. Wiley managed to drink a “fish bowl” and a half (half of mine) of Margarita. We sat and watched the world go by. As I watched a young man jogging down the beach in an orange thong – a very tan bottom- I knew we were no longer in Indiantown.