Finally We Are Headed North

Saturday the 26th of February 0857 Hours and 50 Seconds Under Way!

Just when we thought it would never happen, we did it!  We are headed north!

Captain Gary standing at the helm
"¡Ay caramba! You's guys ain't sailors."

Then we got Wayne at the helm.  He did most of the driving the first day because Bob has a little trouble sitting for long periods in the captain's chair. Whoops! I put the wrong picture in.  But this is a good one of the Dynamic Duo.

Wayne and Mitchell

Here's Wayne at the helm

 

Mr. Grumpy makes an appearance on the bridge

Sail boat, Palm Beach

Nice cruiser, notice the big ocean liner in the distance

They were loading this container ship as we cruised by.

In case you wonder where the big yachts live

It's Palm Beach, Florida

So the first day went really great until it was Bob's turn to drive. We were headed for our stop for the night, Pirates Cove Marina, in Stuart, FL.  Well, here is how it happened and don't you believe any other version.  They all told me to turn left at the Pelican.  That's right, there was a pelican perched on top of the navigational aid.  However, they told me too late.  And that's when I discovered that there aren't any brakes on a boat.  But I thought to myself, and there was no alcohol involved in this thought process,  " There is water here and water there so I'll just make a big arching turn and get back on course that way".  Kind of like going around the block or shooting down an alley when you're driving a car.

About one minute and twenty seconds later, we all lurched forward because I had run us aground.  Some other boater saw this big ass boat sitting there and figured, well, I'm a lot smaller than him, so I can make it, and he ran aground.  But he had his wife with him and we could all hear her telling him what a genius he was.  Meanwhile, the pelican just sat there laughing up his sleeve,  probably thinking something like:  "If these boys develop enough technology, they'll kill themselves".  

Well, things weren't quite right once we got free and started toward the marina, something about the prop on the port side cavitating.  When we finally did get to the marina and got tied up, Wayne and I went to the bar and each had one.  The first time we had done that since we left home.  We toasted the fact that we were finally underway and hoped to be that way again tomorrow, with a little luck.   We are hoping that it is just some mud on the prop and it will settle down. We'll try it in the morning.