Harmony Letter

Hello Beloved Landlubbers,

It is 20 degrees warmer here in Fernandina Beach, on the dock, than it was getting through the lower part of S. Carolina and all the way through GA. It is SO much more comfortable now. Honeywind is moored across the water, close by. That Canadian couple (Pat and Emory) loved the marshes of GA. It is delightful to see this trip through their eyes. They are used to the foggy, rocky coast of New Brunswick and Maine. This has been heavenly for them. It is also fun to hear about our Revolutionary and Civil War history as Pat is learning about it. We have been finding ourselves at many of the same anchorages, docks or towns ever since leaving Norfolk on Oct. 8th. Yesterday Pat and I had a "girl’s day" in town, shopping from one end to the other. Christmas gifts were my excuse to take advantage of sales. But mostly we just ooohed and aaaahed over cute things we don’t have room for on the boats. Honeywind is a trimaran, which means a monohull with "wings". We expect to see each other again in St. Augustine in a couple of days.

Another treat yesterday was catching up with Tropical Impulse. Ed and Eileen are from our club in Keyport. They take their boat outside for many overnights so they make much better time than we do. They have been living aboard for 15 years and really know what they are doing. They were only on the dock for refueling and to pick up the mail they had forwarded here. After delicious scones that Eileen baked on board and some catch up on the news, she and I went into town while the guys did boat chores or whatever pleased them. (Someday I really have to get brave and use our oven!) I’m beginning to get used to the idea that we see more of Ed and Eileen away from NJ than at home. That is boat life! The next time we see them might be in Lake Worth, FL or even somewhere in the Bahamas.

Lew & I plan to take off toward the Jacksonville area this morning. It is overcast right now but this is supposed to clear so it should be a good day for being on the move again. We’ll probably anchor tonight then be on a dock in St. Augustine. We have to go to a dock again, even though we prefer to anchor, because our dinghy needs some attention before we can trust it to get us from a mooring field or anchor to a town dock. It hasn’t been run since last May. We’ll make sure it is fine, then have more options for our night stays.

Five days ago I was really ready to jump ship. The monotonous landscape as well as the long days of pushing to get out of the cold, as well as the 43 degree weather had "worn me smooth" as a good friend would say. It has gotten a lot better as the temps have risen. Also, this is so much more like a Vacation than we’ve had so far - at least since the Great Dismal Swamp, the Waccamaw River and Whiteside Creek. We’re looking forward to a few days in St. Augustine, one of our favorite stops last spring.

There is nothing like being in Florida on Election Day! What suspense!

We hope all of you are doing fine. Let us know your news.

Cheers from Florrie & Lew