Manatees, Space, and Weather 11/28

First the good news - there are manatees in Florida. A few minutes after I posted the last blog, Mary Ann spotted a small group off our dock. Sam rowed the dingy out and sat for a few minutes before an adult manatee raised his head and gave Sam a long look.
The bad news is the sailing weather. We need winds from the south or west to sail, or just calm variable breezes (to motor across to Grand Bahama). However, the wind has been blowing from the north for more than a week (which builds big waves when the wind opposes the northerly Gulf Stream current). The wind seems to be shifting to the east now, but we can’t sail against the wind and are reluctant to motor against it in the open ocean. So we wait.
We have not, however, been just sitting around the boat moping. Last Wednesday and Thursday (Thanksgiving), we visited the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Kennedy. We all enjoyed it and learned quite a lot; I think Sam was the most interested. The size of the rockets was most amazing, especially the Saturn V (I think 360 feet long!)
We enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving dinner before returning to Kennedy; Annie and Mary Ann prepared baked ham, yam and date casserole, salmon cakes (with dill dip) (for the half-hearted vegetarian on board), green bean casserole and pecan pie for desert.
On Friday we sailed down to Vero Beach, which boasts a large mooring field; there may be 60-80 boats moored here; I met a couple yesterday who have been waiting for 16 days for good weather!
Vero Beach is a beautiful little community; the ocean-front architecture leans toward pastel-colored, imitation-Italian villas, and the buses (which are free) are loaded with boaters carrying laptop computers and wearing Sperry Topsiders (just like Toledo buses).
You’ll all be happy to hear that Vero Beach also has a beautiful beach which we’ve been able to visit almost every day. The afternoon highs have been in the upper 70’s in spite of the north wind, and Annie and Sam have been enjoying the surf. Annie admitted yesterday that she’s “starting to get excited about this trip.” Sam’s response, “You’re weird.”
So for now we wait for weather, but the marina has hot showers, a TV lounge, and and a nice picnic area where we grilled some brats last night ( and one turkey imitation brat for half-hearted vegetarian on board).


Please pray for the repose of the soul of Rolland Ladd who passed away last Tuesday in Tucson, AZ. He was a good and generous man and a great uncle.