Spring Tradition is still for sale. There is another boat show in Palm Beach on the 19th-23rd of March. Our broker is hoping to get some people to see the boat then.

On the 21^st, we flew to DC.  Sydney finished up her exam and was coming to NH for a visit, along with Janey.  Because Sydney is going to start rotations, she asked us to watch Janey.  So, we decided to rent a car in DC and drive home with Sydney and Janey.  The ride was uneventful and we made it back in the afternoon.  We were welcomed with knee-high snow that we had to shovel through to get to the house.  After two days we had enough paths shoveled that we were able to get the cars in and out as well as have some paths for Janey to walk on.  Home sweet home. 

On Tuesday, February 18, 2025, we said goodbye to Spring Tradition and headed to Sarasota, Florida, to visit with my cousin Clare and her husband Bill.  This was an unexpected visit and it was so nice to see them.  They spend their winters in Sarasota and we hadn’t been to see their place yet.  We had a lot of fun with them and went putting at PopStroke, a facility owned by Tiger Woods.   We also went out to dinner several times.  Mostly, it was just nice to spend time with them.

On Sunday, February 16, 2025, we visited the Miami boat show.  We wanted to tour the new Lagoon 43 sailboat, which is supposed to be the upgrade to our boat.  We liked the boat and its various upgrades/improvements, but in the end preferred our model, the Lagoon 42.  One of the biggest reasons that we preferred the 42 to the 43 was that the 42 has a place to sleep inside the indoor salon area for when we are on passage.  While we mostly sailed during the day, from island to island in the Caribbean, there were a couple of passages that required us to travel overnight.  Sleeping below would not be comfortable.  In addition, sleeping above allows quick reaction times if the person manning the helm needs help.  The 43 appears to be more like a party catamaran for a larger number of people.  It would be great for sailing in the BVIs, for example. 

The ICW was fairly narrow compared to the open bay.  There was enough room for boats to come and go in each direction.  However, there wasn’t much extra room.  Jet skiers and small motor boats sped through the larger boats, making it a little nerve-wracking.  As soon as we entered, I started preparing the fenders for docking the boat.  Steve navigated the two bridges, pausing steady until they opened and we were able to pass.  I wasn’t able to look around much, but I do remember large, beautiful, modern homes lining the ICW.  There were also a lot of large, multi-million dollar boats docked along the sides of the ICW. 

Steve navigated the channels and found the private dock where we were going to tie up.  Luckily the owner of the house was home and was able to help us secure the lines. 

We were able to hook up to the electricity on the dock and use the water.  So, just like every other dock we pull into, we cleaned the boat and prepared it for sitting in the hot, humid weather.  For Steve, this means caring for the engines and water-maker.  For me, it means cleaning and wiping everything down with vinegar and water to try to prevent mold and mildew from growing.

In Fort Lauderdale we were not able to stay on the boat.  So, we booked a hotel near the airport and commuted back and forth to the boat to complete our chores.  On Saturday, February 15, our broker had a couple scheduled to look at the boat.  So, we had a day and a half to get the boat into viewing condition.  I used oxalic acid to clean the outside of the boat, which makes the fiberglass look a beautiful white color.  I then finished polishing some stainless steel to make it shine.  And, I used Soft Scrub to buff out the scuff marks.  The boat looked pretty nice.  And, we put our cushions out on the outdoor saloon, making the whole area look inviting.  The other thing we did was take our personal belongings off of the boat.  We had five years’ worth of belongings so this wasn’t a small task. 

Back at the hotel I washed the sheets and towels that we planned to leave on the boat.  Then, I put them back in place the next morning. 

The next morning, 2.20.25, we woke up early and sailed north to a larger cut-through.  As soon as it was light enough for us to see clearly, we passed through the cut and were on our way to Florida.  We were crossing the Gulf Stream and had read that because of the current, boats appeared farther away than they actually were.  We kept a sharp lookout for freighters who were sailing perpendicular to us.  Luckily visibility was good and we could see the freighters at the horizon.  Steve had to speed us up with the motors at some points to avoid the freighters.  However, we made the crossing safely.

This was a couple of weeks after the election.  I don’t know if the coast guard presence we saw was due to this or if they were normally so active.  However, we saw one big cutter head straight towards us.  We are sure it checked us out before moving away.  Then, a smaller cutter headed our way, again looking our boat over and idling close by.  They moved away and then returned, seemingly following us.  After we took our sails down, Steve decided to call the cutter to see if there was anything wrong.  They indicated that they were there on other business and didn’t have any concerns regarding Spring Tradition.  So, we continued on towards the opening of the ICW.  Dolphins escorted us to the mouth.  Just as we were about to enter the ICW, a smaller coast guard boat sped towards us.  It passed right by and we entered the ICW. 

We arrived just south of Chub Cay in the early afternoon.  We saw some boats on the south eastern side of the island but were planning to stay on the northern side of the island.  After cutting through a narrow passage against a strong current, a rock cliff on one side and a reef on the other, we noticed that the water was quite rough.  So, we headed back through the cut and anchored on the side we first approached.  Because the wind was blowing from an unusual direction, the coast was calmer than normal (we believe).  Several other boats anchored there as well.

2/12/25

We left the anchorage around 2a.  It was a gorgeous night for sailing!  The full moon lit the water up so we were able to see anything around us clearly.  Steve had marked how we got into the anchorage the day before so he was able to follow the same path out and miss any coral heads.  That is a really handy feature on the AIS that helps tremendously in these shallow Bahamian waters.  It is interesting, however.  We noticed that the coral doesn’t seem to grow tall like it does further south in the Caribbean.  That has been very helpful since we are sailing in water that is frequently only a couple of feet beneath our keel.  We don’t take anything for granted, but it has made sailing on the bank easier. 

It is a beautiful day for sailing.  That is lucky, since we are traveling roughly 70 hours and the wind is supposed to die later in the afternoon.  This morning, we have been averaging around 6 knots, which is a good time for our boat.  The purpose of today’s sail is to position ourselves on the closest island to Florida.  Tomorrow’s passage is only supposed to be roughly 55 miles, which we can do in a day.  However, we want to arrive early because we need to wind through canals, under two bridges, and on the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) to get to the private dock where we are tying up our boat. 

2/11/25

We only had a half a day’s sail, so we didn’t leave until 7a.  The winds were changing, so Steve altered where we were going to anchor to try to minimize the rolls in the anchorage.  We pulled into Bird Cay and were the only ones there.  It is one of the remote, outer islands of the Bahamas and we only saw a few boats pass the entire time we were there.  We arrived around lunch time and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon.  We both took naps and then completed boat chores.  We went to bed early, because we knew that the next day would be a long sail.

2/10/25

We were up early and left as soon as we could see, around 6:15a.  The wind has slowed down so even with both sails up, we are making slower time.  Today we have a full day of sailing and will pull into the anchorage just before the sun goes down.  I won’t lie.  I woke up this morning thinking how nice it would be to simply stay put at anchor for a day and do nothing.  Traveling every day is tiring.  There are a few clouds in the sky today.  However, the sky is blue and the waves are less than a foot.  It will be another lazy sailing day.  We pulled into West Bay, New Providence Island (Nassau, Bahamas).  There were several other boats in this wide bay, which was lined with expansive houses.  We slept fairly well, which is what matters the most.