And we're off...

From what I have heard, ER docs or ones that have done memorable ER rotations have seen the gory details of car accidents. As a result, some become very risk averse. They always wear their seatbelts, buy the safest cars possible for their children and never drive on New Year's Eve.

Being in a boat repair marina has had a similar effect on us.

We have seen and heard all the boat-related gore. Two catamarans in the marina had been hit by lightening (twice in four years for one unlucky boat). Boats crash into stuff at what seems like a disturbingly frequent rate. We had our own harrowing adventures coming up the crowded New River and pulling into and out of tight slips. We have had things stop working on our boat for no apparent reason left and right, so it seems like just a matter of time before something we need fails at a critical moment.

Taken by our friends on Waterbug before we left. See you soon!

All this was rattling around in our brains as we departed the marina with the biggest boat by far that we have ever operated on our own. We were headed for Biscayne Bay near Miami to wait for a window to cross over to the Bahamas. The New River was less crowded due to the cold, gray weather but it still had twists and turns and tight squeezes that rival any video game.

 

We made it through without incident, although Matt's knuckles were white through the whole thing.

Out on the open ocean, after calibrating the new auto-pilot, we could finally relax a bit. Winds eventually reached 40 knots but the boat seemed to be able to handle well. After over two months, we were finally OUT. It felt great and the kids handled the trip well (it took about six hours). We will spend the next few days here, enjoying the local State Park and waiting to head to the Bahamas. Track our progress here (under "Our Location").

Are we there yet?