M/Y Mary Ann

The Mary Ann left her moorage at Marina Bay in the Fort Lauderdale New River waterway at 1030 this morning bound for Cat Cay in the Bahamas. Aboard were the “usuals”: Captains John and Mary Ann who also double as engineer and crew and First Mate Isabel who doubles as cook and laundress. We also had aboard Captain Bob who has been in charge of the maintenance and upkeep on the Mary Ann while she sat idle during the off season. Captain Bob was to be our guide as we exited the narrow, sometimes confusing, and always very crowded New River to the sea.

It was said to me back in Panama, when I asked how the wx was on the Caribbean side, that “… the Caribbean is only famous for two things…” I’m not sure what the second thing was, but the first thing is wind. It is now blowing about 20 knots from the north and we’re fortunate to be here in Hurricane Hole Marina because the northerly winds are said to raise a fearsome sea when they hit the northerly flowing two knot gulf stream.

Do you remember the old Beatles song, ‘I’m a Loser’? Well, I admit it. I have finally come to the realization that this boat is just too technical for me to operate. Let me tell you how it went and what has led me to that conclusion.

We float on calm water. Our background is the beautiful coral colored Atlantis Resort with its towers spiraling up to meet a clear blue sky, water splashing down from sea shell fountains mounted between its balconies, and large stone sea horses jutting from the walls as if they were standing on guard of this castle on the sea. It is a perfect place and I love being here on our very beautiful boat . . . as long as it doesn’t move. I wrote in the log on our day of departure, “All is well that ends well”. Now I add another wisdom: “Pretty is as pretty does”.