ISLAND BOUND 2007-2008!!!!
Well hello everyone, the trip has come to a conclusion. We sailed from Miami to the Bahamas and then back to the Florida Keys and back to Miami again. The weather was perfect the water temperature was 78 degrees and the air temperature a wonderful 86. Snorkeling the reefs was the ultimate experience. The fish were so colorful-reds, yellows- and the pink coral so beautiful, I could have stayed there and snorkeled forever. Sailing was perfect. Every day was 12-15 mph winds. We sailed everywhere in just shorts, and let the wind and sun warm our souls. It reminded me of the times I sailed back in my youth. I sailed on summer brakes from college.
The Bahamas were very expensive and our time there was short, for example the gas was 6.15 per gallon. Everyone just lives each day as if the world exists only on their time. The water in the Keys was also warm and clear with many reefs to dive on and explore.
Miami after almost 4000 miles of adventure and unbelievable times, I was sad as I sailed back to Miami. My world existed in this small box of sun, water, a boat and a great friend.
We stopped at this small yacht club in Miami, the Miami yacht club, where everyone was very nice to us and helped us in every way with trying to sell the boat and find a way back home. As I put up flyers and made it clear to everyone I wanted to sell my boat, I couldn’t help but get a little choked up and sad to let go of something that had taken care of me for so long and provided me with a home and beautiful times that I will cherish forever. I didn’t want to end the trip. I just knew it was time to move on. We were tired and beat up physically and emotionally. We did what it was we set out to do and now it was time to venture on to new worlds, and new adventures; plus I had to re-supply my financial account.
While waiting for a buyer we explored Miami and went to the Miami Boat show. The boats of today are sleek, roomy and just plain pricey. Miami is a diverse and cultural city. I found it to be very exciting to say the least. South Beach was large with life and colorful. Its buildings stand tall and Homes are well into the millions if you live on the Intracoastal Waterway. We saw the home that belongs to the owner of the Miami Dolphins football team. This home cost 35 million dollars on the Intracoastal Waterway just north of Miami.
Well, with only five days at the yacht club, I was approached by someone to purchase my boat. We agreed on an arrangement and it was done. I now had to figure out how to get all the things in the boat home to Michigan. How would I do this? I could fly at a cost of around 4 to 5 hundred dollars, or !! I got this hare- brained idea to buy a cheap car and drive it back to Michigan. I would resell it there for what I paid for it. So this is what I did. I found a car in Key Largo for 400.00 dollars. The car was a 1988 Ford Station Wagon. It looked and reminded me of the Chevy Chase National Lampoons Vacation car. I only hoped on my trip back to Ludington I would see Christy Brinkley drive up next to me in her Ferrari like in the movie.
The car was like a tank and it drove great expect for one thing. It came from 80 degree temps. So when I turned the heater on in Tennessee, I found out there was no heater, at least working anyway. Great! The trip back was cold and very long; but we made it. Cold but safe we made it home at 1:30 am Saturday morning. I went to work on getting my other more reliable car ready to travel back to Florida to finalize my boat sale and spend the month of March seeing friends I met on the trip. I couldn’t stay here with the snow and cold. I had become to use to 80 degrees and sunshine. I will return in Late March to get to work for the summer months. I will continue writing some blogs and tales of my road trip back to Florida and around the East Coast.
I have done some great sailing in the 5 months and met wonderful people. After all I have done on this trip I will still stick to my quote in the paper from the beginning and what Homer said in his book the Odyssey “ It’s the journey that counts not the destination” in your travels. I have learned over the course of my adventures that when we are all done with our time here on this planet, it’s the things you didn’t do that you will remember the most, not the things you did do. What I mean by this is you only have your dreams and memories that actually mean something in your life, not money or material things. Your memories and adventures live with you forever never to be taken from you. Don’t let your dreams go unfulfilled. They will haunt you forever.
I hope you will stay with me as I continue to travel and write. I’m putting together another trip or adventure as we speak, but I won’t let the cat out of the bag just yet. I’m glad you enjoyed reading my travels and hope I produce more interesting tales. I was given a camcorder recently and I can now put together some video. I will also be working on a DVD of the trip with music and writings and you will be able to get that thru my web site: www.northerboysnews.com which I will be working on this month. God Bless and keep your spirit free. Remember “Existence is Extinction without Imagination” Skipper Out !!!
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