Our main focus for us this week was organising and ordering all of our safety equipment. Well...
The week started sunny, a perfect day to go sailing! If Mel could he would be out on the ocean sailing into the sunset.
We listened to and monitor the weather channels both on the radio and over the Internet. We knew that up north in New York it was freezing and we saw from the reports that by Monday evening the cold weather will be closing in on Fort Pierce. We went off to Homebase (Bunnings equivalent) and bought a small heater. Thank goodness we did as it was absolutely freezing! Apparently a polar forex passed over the east coast. It was COLD!
This cold weather continued until Thursday morning. During the week, I had placed an order on Amazon, for a new sewing machine. According to the tracking information, I would be receiving my new sewing machine - a Janome HD 1000, on Friday. I had been told by my dear friend Margaret that the Joanne (Spotlight equivalent) in Jensen’s Beach was 10 times better than the one in Vero Beach that I had only been to, so off we went.
Well on the way home along the US1, we had an
almighty down pour. Apparently a tropical storm passed over us - we found this
out later. What extremes of weather we had experienced in such a short time. Here is a photo of us driving along the main street in Fort Pierce. We were only able to travel at 30miles an hour (speed limit is usually 45 miles per hour/ +/- 70km per hour).
The down pour caused the roads to flood causing a HUGE traffic jam. The one lane was so flooded, it was not safe to drive through.
On Friday, Mel was keen on going to the Stuart Boat Show in Stuart, which is about 25 miles south of Fort Pierce and a place we would be passing on our way down to Fort Lauder dale and Miami.
We went to the boat show which was rather disappointing as it was mainly for "stink" boats and hardly anything for yachts. Talk about free enterprise - finding a place to park was an issue as residents around the Stuart sailing club where the show was being held, "allowed" people to park on their property or drive ways for $10 a car.
Saturday was Mel's birthday so we went off to have breakfast at the local bakery in downtown Fort Pierce. On our way home we went to the local Saturday morning market to buy some fresh fruit and vegetables. Mel was quite content to spend the rest of the day pottering around on the yacht, redoing something or other. That evening he wanted to try this Mexican restaurant we pass almost every time we go to Walmart(Woolworths equivalent) so off we went. Well that particular restaurant wasn't open so we tried another one close by. It was very good. It was good to recognise some Spanish words and phrases. Below is a photo of the Birthday Boy.
The
count down to leaving Fort Pierce begins. We intend
leaving next Sunday 19th January 2014, heading south to Lake Worth along the
ICW. Mel would like to go out to sea as there are so many bridges to sail
under. Some we will need permission to have opened and the times are all
erratic - some on the hour, others on the half hour, while others at 1/4 past
or 1/4 to the hour. Mel would also like to get the feel of just how the yacht
handles so I suppose I must bite the bullet and head out to sea! But before
then we will be off to Orlando to Magic Kingdom via Cape Canaveral and the
Kennedy Space Centre.Until next time.
Bye.
Love Caryn
