Our preference would have been to sail up to the Chesapeake Bay 700 nm north of here. The main sail is repaired but the weather is all against us. We are in the middle of a a thunder storm  and looking at tornado warnings 25 miles south west of us and moving in our direction. In the longer term the wind is disturbed and from the north as of this weekend.

 

Norm and I were to drive to Washington but now we will restrict our driving to Florida and I will fly up to Washington for a few days later on to see Ali, Rebecca and baby Leo.

 

We had a shock the other day when a found that a nut was missing from the forestay support. It was starting to come apart which could have been a serious situation out at sea. We are trying to get replacement bits but will probably have to make do with replacing the missing nut and reuse the bolt.

 

We have now moved from the Bahia Mar Marina which is a relief, so expensive. We are just down the Intra-coastal Waterway upstream of the Las Olas Bridge. The Las Olas Bridge Marina and mooring are owned and operated by the City. Its so much better then the more expensive Bahia Mar Resort. It has a common room and TV lounge, good WiFi, better toilets and showers and friendly boater residents.

 

The other day I went out on dive boat from Fort Lauderdale, my first dive since finally getting my diving quals way back in Port Antonio, Jamaica. The sea was rough but underwater its calm. Two dives on wrecks, barges that had been sunk by the local authorities as fish reefs. Plenty of fish and massive groupers in about 18m of water.

 

View from the Las Olas Bridge Moorings

 

City Marine Facilities

 

Beach Front Fort Lauderdale

 

Heading off to the Dive Site

 

On the Dive Boat