Last night the wind died right down but then the thunder and lightning started up and the rain poured. So much so that this morning I had to bail at least 150 gal out of the dingy. It made me think that the shade awning that Barb has made for Nelleke should be outfitted with eves so we can collect the rainwater for the tanks. This is the sort of thing that Man-o-War and Dickie Cays are looking for. I hope they got some of it too. The forecast was calling for a front to come through and everyone in the anchorage was battening down for a real blow. Clearpoint indicated that it was an occluded front but I had forgotten my Met Course with CPS which would tell me that the results of the occluded front would be rain, perhaps heavy and the possibility of high altitude thunderstorms. Well, that's what we got and according to Screech we both moved around through 360 degrees at least four times. I am beginning to wonder if our anchor chain might be wrapped around something. Oh joy! I foresee diving to raise the anchor.

Given that the forecast is for more rain and more thunder and lightning we have decided to stay here another 24 hours (for that read, the Admiral said, "Let's just stay here, period!", and of course I, as a mere Captain, must rush to obey.) Screech has decided to wait out the weather too so that is good. We have lots of time before April 5 and the shuttle launch so it's not like we are in a rush. It would be nice to get to Vero to have showers where we are not worried about water and where we could take care of our emergency laundry situation.

Wait! Stop the presses! Late breaking news! Hurrah! Hurrah! Praise be! The cheque from the insurance company to cover the damages suffered in the 3 December storm back in Oriental has finally arrived back home. Our daughter, Kayt, wonderful lady that she is, has received it and will be depositing it into our bank account so we can starve off the credit card wolves and get on with enjoying our cruise. Yea! It has only been three months from the time that we incurred the cost of making the repairs so I suppose that we should be grateful for small mercies.

Another piece of good news is that I might have a job back at the Binnacle when we get home to Halifax. For those of you who don't know, the Binnacle is one of Canada's premier yacht chandleries and I was fortunate to get a job there last summer when we were at home. I had hoped to be re-employed by them when we got back this summer but with our decision to stay on over the winter I wasn't sure if they would be interested in a longer term "temp", but apparently they might be. One of the owners has been kind enough to respond to my inquiry positively and asked me to contact them when we get closer with the actual timings that we will be getting back.

There was some more excitement today. Shortly before noon we began to hear USCG reports of six, count 'em, six missing divers off Jupiter Inlet just up from where we are anchored at North Lake Worth. AS a Master Diver Instructor I am at a loss to understand how a dive group could get that many divers lost at one time. I mean I have heard of one, and in some extreme cases, two divers not being picked up, but not six. Then the whole thing was exacerbated by some character who kept coming on the radio asking for more details and being a real pain in the bupkiss. As it turned out he was the hero as he was the fellow that found them so I guess that even pains have their uses. There are six people, three men and three women in the 40s and 50s who are probably very thankful indeed.

Barb has been a very busy camper today. Not only has she completed a knitting project destined to be a Christmas gift for someone, but she also found time to make a tray of cinnamon rolls using a potato flake bread recipe that she got from Marcia on Troubadour as the base - serious yummmmm!

Today has rained steadily with the odd threat of clearing but the winds have been from a direction that the fetch didn't allow for any swell to build up so I guess we shouldn't complain. However part of me wishes that we had set off. We would be at anchor in Lake Peck by now, but what the hey?!

Tonight I am the chef de cuisine and I have put on my iron chef Wok hat and am making a chicken stir fry for dinner.