Today was the day we had been waiting for — for a long time! Taormina, our new sailboat— soon  to be renamed — sailed from Fort Lauderdale to Dinner Key in Miami with Bob and a captain on board. It took eight hours due to strong headwinds (25 to 28 knots) and the strong Gulf Stream current. Beating into the wind was tiring, but Bob and Captain Gray arrived at 6:30 p.m. to be met by Pat, Alex, Sherry, Angus and Charles. After a celebratory glass of champers and an exchange of sailing stories, Bob and Sherry drove back to Fort Lauderdale with Gray.

Alex and Pat have been staying on their boat, R Pelican, in the mooring field at Dinner Key for the last week and are heading out tomorrow to start up the ICW to North Carolina and then on back home to Ottawa. They’ve been sailing the Caribbean since November hence the healthy brown skin tones. It was great to share our excitement with good friends and fellow sailors, and Pat and Alex have provided lots of good advice based on their seven years of crusing experience, not to mention practical help! We will miss them and wish them well. See slideshow below for more pics…

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