Thursday, December 11, 2008

Southeast Coast

Residents of St. Marys, Georgia have made a tradition of providing turkey and ham to cruisers each Thanksgiving. More than 200 of us gathered in the dining room at a local hotel for a wonderful dinner. Each boat represented shared a dish to pass. What fun!

The tides along the Georgia coast range from seven to nine feet and currents are strong, often unpredictable. It was beautiful country, but we were glad to reach calmer waters. St. Augustine, Florida was an oasis we hope to visit again. Vero Beach was another good stop, especially nice because we caught up with several cruisers we had met earlier in the trip. We stayed an extra day to meet Traverse City cruisers, Laurie and Paul Welser. It was a wonderful visit! They are full time cruisers now and their boat is truly a warm, welcoming home.

The ICW has been a shallow ditch through much of Florida. We often see less than a foot of water beneath keel and room to pass is at a premium.

Ken Richmond, another Traverse City friend, will meet us in Miami on the 17th, with hopes of sailing across to Bimini with us. We won't cross that Gulf Stream unless weather is just right, so we may need to wait for a few days after Ken arrives. We're prepared to spend that time eating as much Cuban food as we can tolerate!

Happy holidays to all of you. Take time to have fun!

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