Bahamas Expedition—Saint Lucie to Palm Beach Area

Day 5

We continued south passing through five drawbridges. Check out these photos of our favorites:

There were many sights including mega-houses and boats of every shape, size, and color.

After contacting about a dozen yards, we finally found one that would haul out sailboats AND could fit us in quickly—unbelievably, for early the NEXT morning (others had a two-week wait!!).

In addition to calling on boatyards, we also looked for a marina for the night who would have all the amenities for filling up our fuel & water, showering and using WiFi. Proximity to the boatyard was also important with an already scheduled 8:30am haulout. The guidebook details weren’t exact so I called around to check on the fuel, etc. We found one place with availability for us overnight, but they did not have fuel. We ended up fueling up at the next marina we saw—and to our delight, they had it all! They had a transient space available (at a better rate than the other we had considered), WiFi, showers, PLUS pool access AND all transient vessels received a complimentary case of beer! We asked where to sign! All of this was glorious after a big day of traveling/searching for boatyards/accommodations/etc., but aside from the perks, the marina was absolutely beautiful and professional!

Kyle decided to “park” aft-in for ease of boarding and a smooth release for the next morning.

We tied up, grabbed the kids’ swim gear and headed to the pool that was thought to be open for another two hours. Sadly, we found it was open only for swim team training in the evenings! I have no idea how those coaches could deny a 5.5, 4 and 2-year old, but they did!

So here’s where I’d like to take a vote: If you had been in the same situation (three small children, overly excited about swimming, but denied the opportunity)—what would YOU do? A) Say sorry and move on with life... or B) Find the nearest pool on Google Maps and let them jump in?

Well, see, I’m a utilitarian to the core, and I believe in the greatest good for the most people. My mind was zeroed in on JUST how to NOT let down my three sweetie-pies! I mean, sure, life happens and disappointments happen, but this was heart-breaking—especially since they didn’t whine... they were surprisingly speechless and seemingly stunned and confused! So, yeah, we let them jump in the closest pool within walking distance which was conveniently located directly behind our slip at an apartment complex! The sun was down and the pool was a little too cold for them, so after a few brave attempts to submerge, we dried them off and went to warm up and eat some quesadillas.

As if that wasn’t enough excitement, I then ventured out onto my first-ever (lots of “firts-evers” on this trip!!) Uber experience for what we thought would put the final touches on our provisioning—Ha!

I had two drivers and they were amazing—not creepy at all, but super sweet and professional. One of them, Sergio, had given over 2,000 rides! The other driver, Armando, was thrilled I spoke Spanish with him and kindly helped me load and unload all of my shopping bags!

While I was gone, Kyle fed the children and prepared the boat for hauling out. The dinghy had to be taken off the davits, brought onto the dock, deflated, packed into its bag and placed on deck—not a small accomplishment! He also filled the water tank and rigged a reefing line on the main sail.

Then we slept like hibernating bears!