Dana came to visit for the holidays. She arrived in Florida on December 12th. We had hoped to leave for the Bahamas on the 14th but Mother Nature threw in a wild card. The "weather window" we had been waiting for closed and we decided to head south to the Florida Keys while we waited for the weather to improve.
The Florida Keys is a "kick back" place where everyone hangs out in the sun.
We sailed the boat to Key Largo and moored in the John Pennekamp state park. It is a great place for campers and boaters can pick up a mooring in a large, well protected sound.
We rented a cool little convertible and headed to Key West.
There are lots of good looking guys in Key West. Dana found one that likes girls.
Lots of boaters come to Key West. There is much to do and see here and the nightlife is alot of fun.
Honoring the sunset is big in Key West. There are lots of ways to enjoy the beauty of the passing day.
Key West is the southernmost city in the USA. It is also very close to Cuba. Boat landings of Cubans are commonplace. We witnessed a group of people from Cuba being rescued in Key Largo at the state campground.
Key West is not just about bars and shopping. There are some beautiful historic buildings and homes.
We left the US for the Bahamas on Thursday 12/20. It took us 10 hours to sail from Key Largo to Cat Cay, Bahamas. We encountered bigger and rougher seas than we had anticipated and the wind direction was not optimal for our sail. But we made it fine and continued south east the next day. We had a great sail on the second day and day three finds us south of New Providence (Island where Nassau is located). We will continue south for a few more days, stopping each night and anchoring off another beautiful Cay (island).
The Florida Keys is a "kick back" place where everyone hangs out in the sun.
We sailed the boat to Key Largo and moored in the John Pennekamp state park. It is a great place for campers and boaters can pick up a mooring in a large, well protected sound.We rented a cool little convertible and headed to Key West.
There are lots of good looking guys in Key West. Dana found one that likes girls.
Lots of boaters come to Key West. There is much to do and see here and the nightlife is alot of fun.
Honoring the sunset is big in Key West. There are lots of ways to enjoy the beauty of the passing day.
Key West is the southernmost city in the USA. It is also very close to Cuba. Boat landings of Cubans are commonplace. We witnessed a group of people from Cuba being rescued in Key Largo at the state campground.
Key West is not just about bars and shopping. There are some beautiful historic buildings and homes.
We left the US for the Bahamas on Thursday 12/20. It took us 10 hours to sail from Key Largo to Cat Cay, Bahamas. We encountered bigger and rougher seas than we had anticipated and the wind direction was not optimal for our sail. But we made it fine and continued south east the next day. We had a great sail on the second day and day three finds us south of New Providence (Island where Nassau is located). We will continue south for a few more days, stopping each night and anchoring off another beautiful Cay (island). Happy Holidays from the Fine Line Crew
Sorry about the really small pictures. Steve's laptop had a serious accident. Anne washed it with saltwater and killed it. Fortunately we were still in the US and we bought a new laptop. Problem is, we do not have the photo software we usually use to compress our photos so they will upload to the blog. We are working on it, however, and should have a solution soon....we hope.
Sorry about the really small pictures. Steve's laptop had a serious accident. Anne washed it with saltwater and killed it. Fortunately we were still in the US and we bought a new laptop. Problem is, we do not have the photo software we usually use to compress our photos so they will upload to the blog. We are working on it, however, and should have a solution soon....we hope.
We were treated to a beautiful sunset that night but the tranquility ended later when the seas decided to toss us around. We headed for Cape Canaveral the next morning having logged 130 miles. 
The Cape Canaveral inlet is a busy cruise port. Lucky for us, this morning was quiet and we quickly passed through two bridges and one canal lock. Heading towards the Intracoastal Waterway took us through a narrow mangrove lined canal full of wildlife. 
We saw lots of beautiful birds.
And a few alligators. We did not go swimming here.
In Vero Beach we work on our boat: We installed a new WiFi system, worked on our generator, change the oil in the engines, and we cleaned. We also find some time to play. Anne and Cody rowing the kayak.
Cody, Steve, Kathy and Fred from "Makai". It was a great day to eat outside.
Noah with a "I am so full" smile.