George Town to Cape Santa Maria
November 30 2013
 |
| 8 - George Town, 9 - Cape Santa Maria, 10 - George Town |
 |
| First thing we noticed about Long Island - a little more elevation and some tall trees. |
We got a break! Instead of another day in George Town, we were able to do a short passage to Cape Santa Maria on the northern end of Long Island. The overcast day with intermittent downpours made it good for travel.
 |
| The pot of gold at the end of this rainbow was free WiFi for us and a strong signal! |
While Gail and I fixed dinner, Brian poured over the weather and wave information that he retrieved thanks to the WiFi signal at an island resort.
During dinner we discussed our options for the remainder of the pre-Christmas trip. It looks like we have four days of good travel weather followed by sixteen days of winds in the 28 mph range. His reports only went out that far. Who knows how long those winds will stay around? We could make it to Turks and Caicos, but then we'd be stuck in an area surrounded by open water. The other option is to turn around and head back to George Town. We have two groups of guests scheduled to arrive between December 27th and January 8th. George Town seems to be the safer and more predictable option. So, as sad as it is -- tomorrow morning we turn around and retrace our route.
During dinner we discussed our options for the remainder of the pre-Christmas trip. It looks like we have four days of good travel weather followed by sixteen days of winds in the 28 mph range. His reports only went out that far. Who knows how long those winds will stay around? We could make it to Turks and Caicos, but then we'd be stuck in an area surrounded by open water. The other option is to turn around and head back to George Town. We have two groups of guests scheduled to arrive between December 27th and January 8th. George Town seems to be the safer and more predictable option. So, as sad as it is -- tomorrow morning we turn around and retrace our route.
 |
| Brian's improvised flopper stoppers |
Just one more example of how unpredictable life is on the water. We make plans and try to come up with reasonable options, but Mother Nature holds the trump cards and we have vowed that we won't try to bluff her with decisions that aren't safe. So, what looked like a lucky break this morning turned out to be a 60 mile round trip back to where we started!
It does feel good to have a plan that should be more reliable. Now we know we can get home for Christmas and we can keep the doctor's appointments that were scheduled months ago. We are a little disappointed……… Hey, I doubt that too many people are feeling sorry for us as we change our plans from one place in paradise to another. The weather and water are still beautiful and we have lots to explore while we are in George Town. Puerto Rico and the Virgins are still on the itinerary. "I'm so happy -- Some buddy slap me!," from a favorite country western song.
Cape Santa Maria Back to George Town
December 1, 2013
 |
| Could you ask for a more beautiful beach? |
By 11:30 we were back in George Town, ready to hit the beach and sample lunch at Chat and Chill. It was one of my favorite days. Plenty of time to walk the beach, wade in the water and explore in the dingy.
 |
| Welcome to Chat and Chill |
 |
| This ray waits for handouts and lets children pet him. |
We have WiFi again so John and Gail made their flight reservations to return to Minnesota. They will fly out on Wednesday. We have a lot of restaurants to eat in and places to visit before they go.
Gotta smile -- we're loving the ride!
Do the flopper-stoppers work? Shame about all that wind. We will be very interested to hear more about Georgetown as that is one of our target destinations. We are assuming that you will leave Gotta Smile at a slip while you are away? What is the choice of marinas there? BOB
ReplyDelete