In the Home Stretch

Well, we have left the keys and begun our 130 mile commute north to KBD's winter resting grounds.  Preparing for hurricane Irene definitely gave us a scary dose of reality.  The storm was huge; we had limited access to weather info, and our little boat seemed so insignificant.  Irene also crimped our grand visions of leisurely days in the lower keys: diving, snorkeling, and fishing.  We never even got a stinkin' lobster!:(  In fact, we don't even know how to use our fishing gear other than the dip net to retrieve various trinkets that fall overboard.

On the plus side, we're getting better at boat life everyday.  There's a placard that came with the boat stating, "NOTICE TO THE CREW: Stow all gear in a secure and seamanlike manner.  A tidy ship is a happy ship." --The Captain.  I wouldn't say we've reached the status of tidy, but we've got a good handle on organized chaos.;)  Hurricane Irene worries aside; our time in Tarpon Basin was relaxing and uncomplicated.  JB tinkered, I read a book, we boiled pots of beans in the afternoon, and created tasty dishes to eat at sunset.  Oh, and somewhere in there, we had a lovely "consult" with a Florida Fish & Wildlife Law Enforcement Officer that cost us $73!  I'm pretty sure we must have looked pathetic in our star-spangled dinghy, because the consult apparently could have cost us a lot more.  We were dazed, a bit slow-witted, and completely unable to engage in normal conversation.  Apparently, prolonged isolation can do this to a person.;)  We sat there like passive puppies drooling on ourselves; more interested in the fact that the dingy engine was actually running and that I had brought my sarong to use as sun protection than the fact that she was telling us all the laws we were breaking.  But even a citation couldn't dampen our moods...it was par for the course living on a boat.  We were just glad to have a few days of R&R.  The officer asked how long we had been cruisers, and if we were enjoying ourselves (interesting question to ask as she's writing us a ticket).  Our response may have been a bit too honest and completely unappreciated.  "Less than 6 months, and not sure we'd recommend it, but we're hoping it gets better."  I should've asked her for that $73 right back after giving her such priceless information.  If she only knew the value of what she had gleaned from our lips.  Oh well...

Prior to officially leaving the keys, we visited Carysfort Reef for some snorkeling and a dive.  We both loved it.  It's those little moments of quiet, weightless pleasure underwater that we were hoping to enjoy on this adventure.  We could forget the fix-it list, ignore the storm clouds and rain, and abandon our boat with a decent amount of confidence that it would be there when we returned to the surface.  We both wish there had been more days like Carysfort in our month or so of boat living.

All said and done, we'll have "lived" on a docked boat for 4.5 months and cruised for 6 weeks.  That's not quite the distribution we were hoping for, but boat living doesn't always cooperate with the crews' wishes.  Exotic destinations were not in the cards for us, but an amazingly giving and friendly cruising community was revealed that we hadn't anticipated.  We experienced tiny tastes of unadulterated peace & happiness and the distinct desire to go where the bad weather isn't.  Maybe 3 months on land will give us time to find the good weather.  Not sure we'll post while in Turkey or over the holidays...pretty sure we'll be busy stuffing our faces with turkish delight and holiday cookies.