It is 31 degrees outside, 25+kt winds.  This is a good time to blog seeing as we're not even poking our heads outside except to check the anchor rode.  So...

 

The Gestapo came to town Friday.  USCG, Marine Patrol, State, and Local officials descended on the yard/marina.  They were boarding boats between 7-12noon to flex their collective muscle.  Everyone in all black SWAT-type gear, hands on their guns, going from boat to boat to inspect, poke around, and in general make life miserable for everyone.

Thankfully boaters look out for each other.  The coconut telegraph was working flawlessly.  Phones began ringing and everyone headed for the hills.  City Diner was PACKED with marina folks.  So was Wal-Mart.  Everyone just made themselves scarce since no one can board your vessel without permission.  Only a handful were unable or just not smart enough to avoid the noid...some were sleeping late, some were just defiant.

Do we have anything to hide?  No.  Bring K9 dogs aboard, tear our lockers apart, we're legal and such but it is the IDEA.  When you move onto a boat the one important thing you give up is your right to illegal search and seizure.  Any agency can board your boat any time they like and search on a whim.  Never would you allow any agency that wants to come into your house and demand to see your paid bills, house insurance, vehicle registration, and take apart a few cabinets.  No one would allow this.  But this is one freedom we relinquish living this life.

 

And now onto the weather...we're living in Hotel California.  "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave."  It has been one front after another, relentless.  The weather has just been a pain.  Word is that there hasn't been a good Gulf Stream crossing day from Lake Worth --> West End in over 3 weeks and that the anchorage is just packed.

 

So, we're going to mellow down easy...we're living in our only home, doing our thing.  There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, no prize for getting anywhere by a certain date.  So we're just going to do our thing, live our lives, and do what comes natural when the urge hits.  Man/Woman at their most basic.  Basically, any concrete plans have been abandoned.  Getting S of the hurricane zone isn't a reality for us...we're pokey.  So if you want an answer on where we're going...just make it up yourself and it will probably be as accurate as anything we can come up with.  We hit enough rough weather on accident without seeking it out.  No reason to make life uncomfortable or unpleasant.  So... we're going to be patient, meander south when the weather is good enough to run offshore (we despise the ICW) and meander south.  If we cross, ok.  If we don't, we'll save the entry fees and we'll wander north with the season.  Right now, everything is up for debate. 

 

We're tired of stressing about when...when...when will we go.  Now we've reduced it to IF.  We sleep better, less distraction when I'm $working...less stress in general.  And if for some reason we decide to stay stateside then we have plenty of friends to see and say hello to, plenty of places to see, and we'll do our thing.

 

That's all for now.  We have to go to the license bureau this morning and renew our ID's, they expire soon and we sort of neglected to change them the last 3 addresses we had...so it is a priority.

 

TTFN, ta ta for now.