Just about everything goes back to Indiana to keep from getting mildew in the brutal summer heat in Florida. Most items come back (oops, Charlie forgets things...like part of Eileen's bunk & Snorkle/Mask).

We like to stay in funky and inexpensive AirBnB's while TARDIS gets ready for launch. This year we picked an Organic Nursery, the growing plant kind. We got upgraded to a 3 bedroom home...WOW! It's a 10 acre farm. Fresh fruit daily by our hosts outside our door.





Boy were we surprised how much BIGGER it is on the INSIDE! Nothing fancy but homey.



It was perfect and we able to provide for our friend Joe Traub who volunteered to help get the boat in the water. Joe's help was awesome. THANKS JOE!



There's lots to do that has to be done before launching. Eileen washed the boat (with pump sprayer) and Charlie waxed & buffed. Everything below the waterline must be attended too. Here's Eileen's shiny prop. It got a coat of some slimey stuff to help ward off the barnacles later.



After 2 days and Joe's arrival, launch day was here. Remember the motor issue? New injectors, belts, hoses, control cables, mixing elbow, motor mounts, alternator, switched and more. Basically an inboat rebuild. Would she start?





YES, she started! (after bleeding the fuel lines) We moved to a dock that we'd reserved for a week and attended one of 3 FREE PreThanksgiving parties. We're the 2nd boat on the left.





And our interesting neighbor. We think it's a modified Morgan.



After TARDIS got to the dock we discovered the new alternator was not charging. A new one arrived on Friday, installed by the service tech, and working by Monday. With the extent of the motor repairs this was the only faux pas and it was a part Charlie supplied. Indiantown Marina nailed it, we could not be happier with the quality of their work. This final project, motor work, makes the renovation of this Tartan 37 complete.

Now for putting stuff away. You wonder if it all will fit.





Everything fit with room to spare. TARDIS has lots of storage and we paired down some. Well all except the library. How many books?



Saturday arrived and Charlie's cousins, Don & Gail, arrived to spend the day and night. What a great time had by all. They spent the night at the historic Seminole Inn where we stayed in March. It's so much fun and very educational for everyone each time we get together. Our next rendezvous may be in the Bahamas if all goes well for all. Somehow a photo was missed but they gave us gifts. Here's how Charlie starts his day, EVERY DAY.



TARDIS was ready to depart on Tuesday. Fueling up then off we go.



First event was the St. Lucie Lock. Here we are waiting for the lock to open. One of the items on the motor repair list was cables which in included the shift cable. It was about this time is when Charlie realized TARDIS did not have reverse. It worked perfectly (like one time) already.



We entered the lock about as slow as we could. The lock master is waving us on. Of course, Charlie had to speed up. About the time we were grabbing the lines for the descent the lock master says, "you're coming in a little hot!" It all ended well after banging the anchor on the lock wall. We got through and Charlie found the problem, a missing washer and it was fixed at anchor.

We spent the first night at Pendarvis Cove then moved on the next morning to spend a few days at Peck Lake to do some modifications, make water and walk the best beach we have found on the east coast on our journey.







One project was completed early on to make life easier on board. Hatch screen storage.





Then it was on to Ft Lauderdale, where we are today by way of 30+ bridges. Our first...



She's so pretty.

We arrived at Indiantown Marina today to find TARDIS is fine condition after a long summer of brutal heat. No mildew inside, motor work completed. Cleanup and loading underway. Launch is Wednesday. Cap't O (Joe Traub) arrives tomorrow to assist - yeah! Looking forward to family coming, Don & Gail Buck, Saturday to spend the day and night catching up. We always learn so much when we spend time together.

Details and a couple pics coming soon. Got lots to do!

Our hearts break with every reminder and talk of anyone we meet about last years trip to the Abacos. Hurricane Dorian devastated everywhere TARDIS went, it will never be the same. We are very fortunate with our decision for our first trip to the Bahamas to have chosen to visit there first. We treasure meeting all of the outstanding people of the ABACOS whose lives have been overturned. For the most part the ABACOS is closed to visitors - no power, few docks, limited communications, debris in the harbors, cash only (no banks functioning). We hear rebuilding is underway.

Back in Indiana after successful trip to Abacos & Back to Indiantown.

Posted November '19 - We've been asked what happened after arriving back in the USA last March. Nothing unusual on our trip from Port Palm Beach to Indiantown and Charlie was just blogged out but here's the highlights...

Last sunset on open water...



Our berth at Indiantown was straight in from the seaway, easy



Of course we had lot's of laundry to do!



TARDIS still looked great after 4 months as sea, 691 nautical miles, 158 hours on the motor, 39 anchorages, 110 nights anchored and so much fun. The motor was starting to give us problems however and almost did not start the day of haulout. More on this later.



Once TARDIS was out of the water we moved into the Seminole Inn in Indiantown. It's got a long history and interesting place to stay.



TARDIS got a great parking spot on gravel and close to the service area for the motor work over the summer. We take everything home and the Tahoe is filled to the brim.





Time to say goodbye till the fall.

We got up just before dawn, started the diesel at 5:35am and got underway 15m later. We wanted to watch the sunrise over Grand Bahama Island as we left for the USA 50nm away. As soon as the sun had risen we hoisted sails and left on a port tack for Lake Worth Inlet and Port Palm Beach.

It was a perfect day for a west crossing. With the motor running and full sails, we averaged 5.8k and crossed in 11 hours.

What was it like you ask? Like crossing Eagle Creek on a beautiful day! There were small swells from time to time but mostly it was flat water, and TARDIS maintained a 10 degree heal taking us safely to the other side. The gulf stream is interesting, carrying the boat northward at a 2-3 knot clip. You need to head south of your target to not get carried too far north of your destination. We tried 13 degrees. It turned out it was not quite enough, as when we reached Florida, we had to beat south into the current the final few miles.

But that got us in and anchored well before dark to the land of excess, plenty of big ships and houses.





We were able to clear customs on our cell phone. It only took about 15m which was nice.

Since our last post TARDIS has been retracing her path through the ABACOS preparing for the trip back to the USA.

Our first stop was 'Under the Lighthouse' anchorage at Hope Town where we spent two nights while the trade winds from the SE howled around us. We made one trip to town to exchange books at the library, have another dinner at Captain Jacks and visit the beach on the Atlantic one last time.





Hope Town is a beautiful city and walking the streets is amazing with some interesting finds.



We needed a few things from the grocery and stopped at Vern's. Vern, a very funny man, wearing a superman apron, had little sayings posted throughout the tiny store.



Next we moved on to Archers Cay along the coast of Great Abaco Island where we anchored one night before doing the "WHALE" passage a second time.

The passage went well on the morning of February 22nd. We anchored outside Green Turtle Cay and the settlement of New Plymouth after a 5 hour sail. New Plymouth is our favorite settlement of the Abacos. We found "Two Shorty's" open this time. We were told by another cruiser last time it is the best place to eat (good food for the price) in town. He was right.



It had been nearly a month since we were on Green Turtle and the flowers are starting to bloom now.



On the way back to TARDIS we found this little stand and picked up Conch Salad and Lobster Salad for dinner. Well worth the $20!



After two nights here we moved north a few miles to Manjack Cay to hike on the "ART TRAIL" that we could not find before. We ran into a couple that we had met there before at Hope Town and they showed us the photos. We were not disappointed. These are just a few of the exhibits that cruisers have left for others to enjoy.















TARDIS is one of the sailboats anchored in the background.



That night TARDIS drug anchor 350'! The boat was moving slowly and Charlie stayed up nearly the whole night watching. Our rate of movement was just under 75' an hour. Hauling anchor and moving in 20+ knots of wind on a cloudy moonless night was not something we wanted to do. Luckily the boat stopped moving about 4am without hitting anything and Charlie got some sleep.

We moved to the other side of the anchorage in the morning. We learned that the bottom at the first spot was sand over hard shale, not good.

On the 27th we moved 9 hours (50nm) to Little Sale Cay for the SW-NW winds predicted overnight. It was a little eerie before dark.



We woke up to beautiful sunshine and had a great sail to our next anchorage at Mangrove Cay. Mangrove Cay was half way to West End where we intended to depart from on Saturday. It was still a 6 hour trip (31nm). Since we only had 6 more hours to get to West End in the morning we made water before leaving. This got us to West End about 4pm, just in time to drop 'Space Patrol' in the water to check the anchor set and make a run to Bahama Customs and Immigration to turn in our paperwork.

The anchorage at West End was mostly coral and the anchor was not set properly so we moved again before dark for a better set. It was a starry and windless night so we both got a good nights sleep before the big trip to Florida the next day.

Charlie spent the evening getting all the devices charged just in case. Oh the wires...