Staying Put

Moonshadow at Rest in Lake Sylvia

We’ve become comfortable here.  Looking at the calendar, I see how long we’ve been peacefully anchored in Lake Sylvia and it surprises me.  It’s not that there’s nothing to report but it all just seems so natural now.  Running errands and going for long walks during the day and meeting up with new friends at sunset then settling in to a game of cribbage or reading.  I think about where we were and what we were doing just a year ago and I just can’t imagine how we’ve made this shift.  From a life at full tilt for 30 years to cribbage and reading?!

Scrabble in the Cockpit

The plan was to head out of here this past weekend and head up to the Palm Beach area where we were to meet up with our good friends Bill and Lori on Grateful Red.  We first met Bill and Lori when we were wandering City Marina in Charleston and they were docked there.  We’ve been meeting up during their yearly visits for four years now and they had pulled in just as we were heading out in December.  We were excited to plan a meet up as they made their way to the islands.

As the sailing life would have it, however, the winds and weather weren’t on anyone’s side and neither of us could make the jump this weekend.  SO, we’re here until the end of the week when they can make it down and the storm coming through here clears.  And we’re in Lake Sylvia for another week . . .

Rob and Kev at the Art Festival

Okay, it’s not like we’ve become totally lazy or anything.  Rob is constantly working on projects on the boat and I busy myself continually keeping things organized, watching for weather patterns to plan the next leg of the journey, cooking or baking (cookies, muffins, scones!) and thinking of all of the artsy things I plan on getting supplies to work on NEXT year!

The most fun, however, is meeting all of the new folks coming and going.  It seems that there just isn’t a stranger on any other boat.  All that’s needed is a dinghy and a hello and before you know it, you’re sharing a sunset or a meal or a trip to West Marine.  That’s what makes all of this such an adventure.  Every day brings stories from distant islands or home ports – places to visit via boat or land when we return home. 

Doug and Jeanne - Hawke

In the past week we’ve played Scrabble aboard Shalamar with Sebastian and Liz, hosted numerous “happy sunset” parties on Moonshadow, had Kev and Judith to dinner, enjoyed a progressive cocktail evening with Shalamar and Kim and Terri aboard Nighthawk.  Saturday we dinghyed up the New River to visit the Las Olas Art Festival with Kev and enjoyed a great lunch together.  Last night onboard we had Doug and Jeanne aboard Hawke from Oregon, Luc on Alex Marie from France, Sebastian from England and Liz from Baltimore onboard.  Tonight we’re already invited to Luc’s boat for sundown and we’ve got plans for dinner with Judith and Kev again before we head out.  If I was worried about loneliness on this voyage, that certainly isn’t the case!

Sebastian, Liz and Luc

I think of being home in a couple of weeks and diving right back into family, friends, business, taxes, house rental, Dragonboat Charleston, CSO Gospel Choir, Coffee Cruisers, the Charleston Cruising Club – whew!  Makes my head spin!  It’ll be good to be home with all of my buds again but for the time being, I think this is just what the doctor ordered!