Voyage 2002-2003: Chapter 5

16 Feb 2003, We're Back!, 27 41.590 N/ 080 23.760 W

We arrived in Vero Beach at 5:30 am after an exhausting 17 hour drive from Vienna VA. We were in Vienna as Bob mom was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. She died on 4 Feb at 1007. We had other family business that kept us up there until the 14th. We are glad to be back but our black cloud continues to follow us. Samantha Jane (cat) has developed the sniffles. We don't know how serious it is, so we will be taking her to the vet tomorrow.

On a brighter note, our good friends and our god-kids came to visit us here at Vero. They live in Orlando now and it is a painful drive. We really appreciated their company. Harry and I have known each other since 7th grade. As we are both older than fossils, that has been a long time! More good news! It appears that a good weather window will open up Tuesday through Friday. We hope to leave here early Tuesday, go on the outside at Ft Pierce, hang a left at Miami and enter the Bahamas Banks sometime Wednesday. Hopefully, we will be at Chub Cay by Friday. That would really be kewl!!

19 Feb 2003, Grand Bahama Bank, 25 44.400 N/ 078 45.799 W

We left Vero Beach yesterday at 1200, traversed Fort Pierce Inlet (following tide) and headed down the coast. At 0500 today, we left the coast at Fort Lauderdale headed for North Rock on the Bank, We arrived there at 1600 today and now we are headed for Mackie Shoal light. If everything goes as planned, we will leave the Bank at 0600 headed for Nassau. That's a lot of traveling but we have a two to three day weather window. Not much sailing (of course) but at least we are getting to where we want to go.

The Gulf Stream was still churning from the last cold front but it was manageable. The SE wind on the bank was actually worse as wind and waves were on our nose. Our last hurdle before Nassau is entering the Northwest Channel where the waves can be quite mean. Sleep has been our main issue. We take turns going to the mid berth for cat naps. Neither of us has had more than 2 hours of continuous sleep since we left Vero. Got to go. Have to make a course change at Mackie Light.