..... and we already have our work cut out for us. Besides the normal chores of taking Peri in for his poop-am-bulation we are also defrosting the fridge and cleaning out the shower sump pump, and that's for starters.

On the plus side I have invented a new drink (loud huzzahs and general hand clapping), aren't I a clever chap? I have named it Tropical P and the inspiration came to me after pulling a coconut out of the water while taking Peri in for his daily. I am confident that the product is sanitary since the husk was still on it and the shell inside intact. All I had to do was get the copra off and bore holes in it to drain out the milk. We'll eat the meat another time. The recipe for the drink is as follows:

Milk from one coconut
1 ½ oz brandy or amber or dark rum
½ cup tonic water or 7up

Mix everything together and serve over ice. When you see the colour of it you'll understand the name. Makes two drinks.

We made contact with the folks from a small sloop called Chimo who we last met at the 2008 Annapolis Boat Show in the Weems Creek anchorage. They are also ex-Canadian military only considerably younger and they too are heading across to the Bahamas. We made arrangements to get together to talk about plans, etc. and perhaps to add them to the buddy fleet that we are building if we are joined again by Passages and Further.

On the trip down the ICW yesterday we were following a Quebecois catamaran called Gecroc who were proceeding us through each bridge until the second to last when we caught up to them. As we were going under the bridge we noticed that they were having considerable engine difficulties with their outboard and was seriously considering offering them a tow when they seemed to get things going again. Then about a mile down the ditch I looked back and they were no longer there. Today I found out that they were having fuel filter problems and they had put into shore to clean it out before heading on south to join the group here at the anchorage. They are going to Miami or to the Keys but we invited them over for a sociable anyway. Hope they can find the time to make it.

We have also had a very pleasant surprise vis-a-vis prices regarding the marina just off our stern here. If you have a BoatUS membership the price per foot at the Old Port Cove Marina is $1.31 plus taxes plus utilities which is cheaper even than Vero Beach! Although the diesel is still a bit on the pricy side at $3.15/gal with the BoatUS discount it is still cheaper than any of the other ones in the Palm Beach area that we have been able to find. We will probably be staying on the hook until Monday and then going in for a day or two to fill up the fuel and water tanks and to generally get ready for the next stage of our trip. The only remaining question in our minds is when that will be. At this point there is no window until after next Wednesday so it would appear that we will be getting to know North Palm Beach quite well.

We took Peri on a long dingy ride over to one of the large spoil islands that has been designated a state park to the south of us. It's pretty wilderness oriented and no one is there but someone has surveyed out and cut paths through it. However the only ones taking advantage of the paths are some rather enormous spiders that have spun their webs in the middle of the paths. We found some smaller ones but one or two that although the bodies were about the thickness of a pencil and about two inches long the entire animal would span the palm of your hand if you include the legs. I wasn't sure if it had spun its web for bugs, birds, or boaters, but we gave him, or her, a wide berth I can assure you.

When we go into the marina it will be a farther walk to the Publix so Barb and I will make a couple of trips tomorrow weather permitting to pick up as much of the bulkier and heavy stuff as we can as it is only a couple of hundred yards from the store to the dingy beach. That will leave me the marina dock time to work on a few more boat projects that will be easier with access to power.