12/1 s/v Trouble Update: I enjoyed Palm Springs Anchorage. It was a quiet, nice grocery store and I felt comfortable. I guess I’m used to affluence too much. On the move today to Ft Lauderdale. I guess I can call it my last home, as I lived there for a year. Never felt comfortable though. The sail was nice, but a bit chilly. The high was 65! I was bundled up like a Minnesotan during the first snowfall after summer. North wind, quick sail, about 48 nautical miles. A couple of other sailboats doing the same rum line as me. The swell got to about 6 feet right before I turned into Ft Lauderdale. Lots of sportfishing boats cutting in front of me on the way down. I don’t know why they do that. Feel like I’m a magnet. All this open water and they always cut right in front of me. Had a few large ships I had to pass in the inlets also. I had a slip reserved just blocks from my old apartment. I stopped for fuel before my slip at a really nice marina, but twice the price for a slip where I’m going. Got to my marina with a little drama. I had a bridge to go through right before my marina. It looked like I was just a little too late to the bridge opening, but the bridge called me on the VHF and said if you gun it I’ll keep the bridge open for you. So I opened up the throttles and made a beeline for it. Right before I got to it the bridge, they called me and said there was an emergency, fire trucks waiting. So I had to bail my approach to the bridge. Dang! That meant a 1-hour wait. Ok, no big deal. I’ll just hang out till it opens. Then a towboat comes up the channel towing a disabled sailboat and they hail the bridge. Drawbridges will open early for certain things, one being a towboat towing something. I asked if I can follow him through and the bridge tender said yes of course. Nice. Now the slip I have is really tight for me. I’m 24’ wide and the slip is 25’. Yikes, and it’s in a narrow channel. Double yikes. And there is current and wind against me, and I want to back in. Triple yikes. I just take my time, do a 90 degrees turn in zero room, and back her in like I’d done it all my life ( all luck ) both the boat next to me watching, and the dock hands say wow you obviously have years of experience doing this. Yeah no! Tied up, did the paperwork, and went for my ritual cheeseburger and beer at a nearby bar (lots of empty chairs between me and the other patrons of course). Well, now I have a large list of chores to do and try to figure out if I can get to the Bahamas.
s/v Trouble – Destination Unkown
