Serendipity

Word for the Day: Serendipity--happy accident or pleasant surprise

After a 28 hour crossing from Fort Myers to Marathon, we had a serendipitous event...we acquired, quite randomly, a mooring ball directly behind a couple that we befriended last year--Mick and Sue!  Not only that, we have been welcomed by their friends who are moored nearby! It's like moving into a great neighborhood that has a block party every night! So even though Barry was operating on about 2 hours sleep, and I with about 4 hours--we joined them for a happy hour at a local restaurant. We marvel at the people we meet on the water--all so friendly and so full of great stories. (But excellent company or not, we were in bed by 9pm)

Our journey here was longer than expected, due to the fact that the wind was directly on our nose. Mardi Gras was bucking along all night--with some fairly heavy splash on the deck. Our new dodger (like a windshield for boats) protected us from the wind and the splash--what a great purchase! (You know that a boat is a hole in the water, into which you throw money, right?)

The night time sky is a thrill when sailing the Gulf. Multitudes of brilliant stars are visible--so many more than in St. Louis! For me, this is the reward for giving up a good night's sleep. During the day, we sailed for hours without seeing anything other than pods of dolphins and a few birds. I seem to breathe more deeply when on the water.

Due to an incoming weather system, we will be staying in Marathon for a few extra days. We're waiting for right weather 'window' to head up towards Miami and then over to the islands. In the meantime, at least we're among friends!

*I am having lots of problems with Blogger on my iPad, including great difficulty uploading photos. Hope to have that solved soon, without throwing the iPad overboard!