Wednesday, November 16, 2011

THE SENTIMENTAL ANCHORAGE

Tolomato River, FL 30º00.05N | 81º20.22W

A melancholy morning on the ICW.
Last year when we visited former cruisers Rose and Varoujan in Vero Beach, they told us the story of buying their house in Vero, sight unseen, on the strength of a phone call from old cruising buddies who lived next door. At the time, I found that astounding, unimaginable really.

This morning's trek to St. Augustine began in a heavy fog. We left Fernandina at 7:40 with Jessie Marie, straight into the beautiful mist. After hanging with us for a few hours, that fog lifted to reveal an otherwise lovely day.

Our destination today was St. Augustine, but it was sentimentality that caused us to stop just short, to anchor Cara Mia and Jessie Marie together one last time, because St. Augustine is a bit of a turning point. We will be leaving Cara Mia for two weeks, heading north by car to visit Chip's parents for Thanksgiving. Jessie Marie will sail south to Miami and eventually Cuba and Belize.

After traveling side by each for a year now, we don't know when we will meet up again whether it's just down the coast of Florida next month, in Belize next spring or somewhere else entirely.

And so, in the waning light of a super-sized Florida sun, we had dinner on Cara Mia, toasting good, good times and a super-sized friendship.

What seemed unimaginable to me one year ago, now makes perfect sense.

Karen and Dale, wherever you end up, give us a call. We'll buy that house next door.

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