We're still here (Vero Beach) and probably going to stay a while!

Tomorrow we will have been here at Vero Beach for two weeks and we are loving it! We have decided that unless there is a big change in the weather in favor of a crossing to the Bahamas (and for expected good weather there too!) that we are most likely going to make this our final destination south. Janet and Alan Botula made it to Alice Town, Bimini in the Bahamas last Friday morning after a nice overnight crossing from the Keys. It was one of the few weather windows that there was and they took it!! Congrats!! They plan to do some “south-easting” heading to the Exumas if weather permits. However, the wind there is planned to be strong south easterly winds that will make that challenging at best!! As for us, we are staying here!

We decided to stay for many reasons – mostly because we have found the warm weather we were after for the winter, we are in a very safe anchorage here, and we have great accommodations. We were also concerned that we might have difficulties getting back to the US with all the crazy weather that we have been having this year. We can't begin to tell you how many people we have met that have decided the same thing – to stay and not go this year, or who have already returned and are starting the trek north again. We plan to stay until the end of March and then begin moving north as the warm weather proceeds us!

We are also a bit concerned about our engine (which we think is actually OK – at least it seems to be) but we have not done a lot of moving and we will need to monitor it carefully. When we start north again, we plan to get back to Little River perhaps in about two weeks and will again spend time there until the end of April or so. We will then begin the long trip back up to Groton, CT which took us 42 days to come down.
We have met quite a few people from Vermont and NH here some of whom are also Downton Abbey and Survivor fans. We are having a big Downton Abbey finale viewing / party in the boaters lounge this evening! We also became very good friends with a couple on a large trawler (Nordhavn 50) called Grey Goose (yes just like the Vodka) who are originally from Germany.

Vero Beach is a really wonderful town. Yesterday we went to the Farmers Market they have each Saturday and enjoyed our walk through the beach town area and back to the marina. Gracie is getting a lot of exercise (not to mention us!).



Joan is going to post her perspective tomorrow!



More Pictures of Vero Beach City Marina

               Our mooring field to the south - We are in the very north end.

    Just north of us.  Note Grey Goose is almost the last mooring ball.  Boats at anchor further north.

     Wolfgang and Luitgard Dietrich, Joan and Gracie enjoying happy hour on "Grey Goose"!

     Gracie loves to ride on the bow of our dinghy!

     The south end of the mooring field at Vero Beach.  Note the bridge that goes from downtown to the beach (left)

     The marina building

   Coming in to the dinghy dock

   The marina from the land side

    This is the building where they have the boaters lounge, laundry and showers!

     The marina again.

 What the winds are doing right now between Florida and the Bahamas!  North winds against the Gulf Stream is a
recipe for disaster!  

  At least we had a little Taste of the Bahams at the Vero Beach Farmers Market!

   One of our walking street scenes.

 At the park at Vero

Whit finds Wilson!!!