Velcro Beach

Last Wednesday, we arrived in Vero Beach (nicknamed "Velcro Beach" because it's difficult to leave). We have been enjoying our time here -- a good thing, since we're still waiting for a package from Force 10 (propane stove) in British Colombia. The rep there led me to believe that the package would be sent out immediately but that it would probably take two weeks to arrive due to having to go through U.S. Customs. A week later I got a call because my debit card had been declined -- the previous day I left it at a restaurant and had it cancelled. No big deal, but it alerted me to the fact that the part was now likely to take three weeks!

Meantime, I had ordered some extra oil filters and a new MidNite Solar charge controller was sent on its way to us. The first one had some problems, but the company sent a new one after it became clear they couldn't trouble-shoot the problem over the phone. I just reinstalled it yesterday and it seems to be working perfectly. (A violation of Murphy's Law, for sure, but I am willing to entertain the suspension of the natural order to have a fully charged battery!)

The marina at Vero is nice. We are on a mooring with (now) our third buddy boat. It's a bit strange to have relative strangers tied up alongside for an extended period of time, but in reality fellow cruisers are never really strangers. You always have a lot in common. Just avoid the third rail of politics or religion and there's a whole lot to talk about. Pretty much everyone at the marina is setting off for the Bahamas at the first opportunity, though we all need to stage ourselves at some point between here and Miami, wait for the right weather (a gentle southerly for at least 24 hours) and then scoot across the Gulf Stream for either Bimini, Gun Cay or Grand Bahama Island.

Noi took this photo of Symbiosis (bottom) and one of our buddy boats from the masthead.

As soon as we get the stove valve, and assuming the weather is right, we might either go offshore to Fort Lauderdale, where we will drop off Morgan, or else go inside (ICW). I think that will be our jumping off point for either Gun Cay or West End (Great Bahama I.)

The bad news is we've been mulling the disaster that is our budget for this trip. In the first two months, we are 3x over budget, mainly because of boat repairs and marinas (which we must end our addiction to -- and soon!). The good news is that most of that was incurred in the first month and this month we are only a few hundred dollars over-budget. So far!

As per usual, wifi at the marina is a joke, so I am writing this outside a Holiday Inn, where I've pirated a signal in exchange for my email address. Such are the difficult compromises of the 21st Century.