Happy New Year!

We made it to midnight and then some! Around 2300 we headed to Stefano and Helen's catamaran with our bottle of bubbly. There were 5 couples in total. Ft. Lauderdale did not disappoint. We had warm weather, the rain held off and the city put on fireworks. We got back to CS'ta Time around 0200.

Boat cruising the anchorage on New Year's Eve.

Helen cooking up a storm at midnight New Year's Eve. (Do you believe the size of her galley?)

Her dining area.

 

It rained hard during the night but had pretty much cleared by the time we got up at 0830. It was a short night. Temp midday inside the boat was around 27C. The morning was partially cloudy but mostly sunny in the afternoon.

The first part of the morning was pretty lazy. Then Jorge decided he had better do some boat jobs. Ok, I'm a slow learner. When he says "I have to change . . . (whatever)", that should be my cue to get in the dinghy and head for shore! He wanted to change the water impeller of the raw water intake. Sounds easy? NOT. We had to rip the boat apart, again. The rest of the morning and most of the afternoon was spent changing that impeller, which involved taking the whole pump out as the impeller itself was not cooperating. While the quarter berth was apart, Jorge also decided to check the fuel water separator. Once that was done and things put back in place, it was the port side lazarette that had to be taken apart to change some motor belts. Part of that job was completed. The only place to sit during the whole day was in the head (washroom)!

The contents of the quarter berth on the port settee.

Cushion and ten wine bags removed for one pump seal.

Empty quarter berth except for tools.

The cockpit full of lazarette "stuff".

Hallway to v-berth and v-berth full of more "stuff".

 

We left the cockpit in a bit of a mess but headed off to the marina for showers, walked the beach side of Ft. Lauderdale, had dinner and then made our way back to CS'ta Time.

It's going to be an early night!

December 31, 2013

It rained during the night and first thing this morning however the rest of the day was just overcast. Ok, now I am wishing for the sunshine to come back! Temp is still warm, mid 20s.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened this morning. Regular boat jobs done. We received a call from the weather system company. Seems they still cannot locate their "expert" to help us with our problems. At least now they are calling us a couple of times a day to report on their lack of success. They are now thinking it could be a problem with our modem and might have to send us a new one!

We went to town this afternoon and walked to the boating stores, just browsing. We spent the most time in a chart store looking at our various options to get us to Grenada.

Average joe's boat (CS'ta Time).

Millionaire's row and then there is . . .

billionaire's row!

That's one big prop and shaft.

A restaurant we have visited for lunch on a couple of occasions, El Tamarindo.

Ft. Lauderdale boasts the largest West Marine store in North America.

 

We had a drink in the Raw Bar with a couple of other cruisers after wandering around and then headed back to CS'ta Time. We had a couple of hitchhikers with us, one guy's wife left him at the bar and took their daughter back to their boat, the second guy, well I'm not too sure how he got to land but needed a ride back to his boat at our anchorage on Lake Sylvia. We gladly took him back.

Later that evening a group of us were meeting on Stefano and Helen's (the Australian's on the 48' cat) boat to watch the fireworks and bring in the New Year. Should be a good time providing we can all stay awake that late!