Last evening, just after I posted for the day we noticed that there was a boat in the anchorage that we recognized, RAMHA, Alain and Judy's boat from Halifax, good friends that we have met several times since starting the cruising lifestyle. We went over to socialize and catch up on what has been happening and only just managed to get back to Nelleke in time to start dinner. It would have been nice to invite them overtoo but they hadn't put their dink in the water and had no intentions of doing so since they were setting out for Miami today so we had to settle for some socializing a la Molson's like at home.

Then, after we had come back to Nelleke and had our dinner and gone to bed, shortly after midnight Barb got up to commune with nature and screamed at me, "Mike, get up! Now!" Since she normally wouldn't talk like that unless there was a pretty serious problem, you can imagine that I jumped to it and sure enough, there was a problem. Our anchor set that I had been so proud of had given way and we were dragging, and dragging at a pretty fair clip too. If she hadn't needed to go to the head we might have found ourselves giving our insurance contacts to the owners of some pretty pricey yachts in the marina along the shore to say nothing of the one or two other boats that were on anchor between us and the shore that we narrowly missed as we swept serenely past. We managed to get the anchor reset and let out a whole lot more scope than before and sat an anchor watch all night. (Yawn) We ran the engine for a couple of hours just in case I needed it again and to heat the water for the couple of day's worth of dishes that we have sitting in the galley sink. On the plus side, if there is one, it didn't happen one of the times that Barb and I were ashore. That would have been just ugly!

We had decided already to go in to the marina on Monday (tomorrow), but after last night and since the weather is supposed to kick up even more and at best it would be a very wet dingy ride in to walk Peri, we decided to move our reservation up a day and head in to the dock. What the hey? It's only money! We'll stay there until the crap blows past and then come back out on the anchor to wait for the window, and then we'll go back in again to buy fuel and fill up again with water. As it was the forecast winds of 15-20 kts had become 20-25 and the skies were clouding over by the time we go in alongside. We wouldn't have made it in without the help of the dock staff and several other boaters who happened to be watching our approach and the problems that we were having.

For others following or soon to arrive here, the anchorage is good except for south winds and the marina here is a great option, especially if you have a BoatUS membership. In fact, the office staff confided that they give everyone BoatUS prices, all you have to do is say that you have a membership. They make point of not asking you to prove it.

We are sitting at the dock in warm but overcast weather with the south wind just a-honkin' around us, squall fronts banging through every ten minutes or so. No wonder there is a small craft warning outside and also no wonder there have been a succession of distress situations being handled by the USCG all day. Fortunately although there is a fair fetch across Lake Worth there are several floating docks and boats between us and the entrance to the harbour so we shouldn't have any repeat of the Oriental fiasco. All we are really experiencing is the wind heeling the boat over when it gusts and I think that both we and Nelleke can deal with that.

The marina is in the middle of a gated community so there is good security and Barb and I took a walk outside to check out the local stores. Given the prices for the condos here it was no surprise that most of the stores were very upscale and expensive antique consignment stores, art boutiques, chiropractors, plastic surgeons, and real estate brokers. Still the place is beautiful with lanes lined with hibiscus plants, shaped shrubbery and well maintained lots and ladies to catch the eye as you walk by.

I have tried several things to get the fridge working properly again and if this final stage doesn't work we will bring in a pro. While I am at it I will also consult the pros about the fresh water loss in the diesel coolant system. May as well get everything done while we can. Barb has also convinced me to rent a car if one can be had reasonably so we can do our grocery shopping and buy the adapter for the shower faucet. What is that last thing you ask? Well I may have neglected to mention that in order to fix a persistant leak in the shower faucet in the forward head I simply replaced the whole shootin' match with a single tap element that would normally be on a sink. The problem is that the thread fitting on the end of the faucet or at its base is not the same as the shower hose fitting so I will need an adaptor. If we have a car I can go to a hardware store and see about getting one. (Sigh) We may be alongside for three days.