It\u2019s the second half of April and after nearly two months in Cuba, I have to admit that my thoughts are beginning to be focused on CT and home.<\/p>\n
Getting back to our \u201cland home\u201d for the summer, after months aboard down south is always a nice change of pace and something we look forward to with anticipation.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0The idea of UNLIMITED INTERNET is particularly alluring and to be able to take a long shower and not worry about how much water we are using, is seductive in a big way.\u00a0 And while Pandora\u2019s custom mattress in our cabin is really very comfortable, Brenda and I are definitely looking forward to our \u201ccloud bed\u201d, as Brenda calls it, at home.\u00a0 Oh yeah, and it will be just wonderful to be able to plan a menu based on what you want to eat verses what\u2019s on board or available locally (not a lot).\u00a0\u00a0 As someone from the U.S. once said, \u201cI want what I want, when I want it.\u201d\u00a0 Yes, sounds like a plan, indeed!<\/p>\n
However, getting north and making our way the 1,300 or so miles that separate us from CT is no simple feat and to cover that distance in a reasonable amount of time is yet another kettle of fish.\u00a0\u00a0 And finding a weather window that will last a week to head north is not common but it is certainly easier than coming south in the fall with all of the cold fronts pounding the coast.\u00a0 And, to add additional complications for a long run, I always worry about the wear and tear on the boat and the need to find crew that have the time as well.\u00a0 As most of my friends are still working, it\u2019s tough for them to take what can sometimes stretch to two weeks to make the trip.\u00a0 In the last three years, I have found that it goes pretty well and usually takes about a week or so.<\/p>\n
As far as crew is concerned, I have been lucky and generally can find a few friends who are willing to make the trip with me.\u00a0 Perhaps it\u2019s my good nature. \u201cDon\u2019t get to full of yourself Bob, it\u2019s your biscuits\u201d.<\/p>\n
As far as getting back to the U.S. , Brenda and I will spend a few days in Havana and then head out for FL.\u00a0 For sure, Brenda doesn\u2019t \u201clove\u201d overnight sailing but after our nearly three day run from the Bahamas to Cuba and a few overnights here, Brenda seems willing, or at least \u201cresigned\u201d to doing overnights occasionally.\u00a0 In reality I believe that it\u2019s the \u201callure\u201d of getting back to her \u201ccloud bed\u201d that makes her willing to \u201cbrave the darkness\u201d.\u00a0 Yes, that\u2019s probably it.<\/p>\n
From either Ft Lauderdale or Miami, it\u2019s an easy flight back to CT for Brenda and a convenient (read: cheap airfare) place for my crew to join me.\u00a0 One way or the other, I will likely be home with Pandora by mid-May or so.\u00a0\u00a0 And getting a weather window from Havana and then from FL shouldn\u2019t be too hard as the prevailing winds are from an easterly direction in the south and then from the southwest as we get farther north.\u00a0 And, as the trip from FL to CT, winds should be generally in our favor. \u00a0\u00a0Well, that\u2019s the theory anyway. \u00a0\u00a0And, from FL to Cape Hatteras, there will be the Gulf Stream giving us a boost so we should be able to make good time for much of the run.<\/p>\n
Of course, all of this depends on the almighty weather so only time will tell.\u00a0\u00a0 Fortunately, my crew can book their flights at more or less the last minute to meet me in FL so they should be able to avoid a long wait in FL for a window to begin heading north.<\/p>\n
So, for now, we are still here in Cayo Levisa, anchored in sheltered waters and waiting for the winds to settle down from the cold front that came through a few days ago.\u00a0 Even though it\u2019s only about 60 miles from here to Marina Hemingway and Havana, our last stop in Cuba, it might as well be a thousand miles from here with the strong winds that would be on the nose if we were to venture out now. \u00a0\u00a0However, all has not been lost as we have been enjoying the resort, eating in the restaurant and walking on the beaches.<\/p>\n
The view from Pandora to the south is magnificent.\u00a0 If you were to draw mountains that looked like these everyone would think they were fake.\u00a0 I\u2019ll bet that mountain climbing here will become very popular down the road.![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/4-20-16b-014.jpg\")
They have a very nice restaurant and bar on the beach.\u00a0\u00a0 Brenda and I had lunch and read a while yesterday.\u00a0 \u00a0It was very tough going, as you can see.![\"4-20-16a](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/4-20-16a-014.jpg\")
Finding some great shells yesterday was good too.\u00a0\u00a0 Oh yeah, and an \u201coccasional\u201d mojito didn\u2019t make it any worse.\u00a0\u00a0 Such is the life of the weather bound cruiser, tough as it is. \u201cYeah Bob, sounds horrible.\u00a0 Just shut up already!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ok, ok.\u00a0 Anyway, the good news is that I spoke with Chris Parker this morning and his report suggests that we can run to Havana on Friday where we will spend a few days prior to heading north to Miami and the good old U.S-of-A.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong, it\u2019s been great being here in Cuba but the simplicity of \u201chome\u201d and all that it represents is beckoning.\u00a0 Did I hear someone say \u201cAmazon Prime\u201d?\u00a0\u00a0 Yes indeed, it will be great to be home again.\u00a0 And, when I get there, perhaps I\u2019ll run to the store for \u201cwhatever\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s the second half of April and after nearly two months in Cuba, I have to admit that my thoughts are beginning to be focused on CT and home. Getting back to our \u201cland home\u201d for the summer, after months aboard down south is always a nice change of pace and something we look forward […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","_s2mail":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5629"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5630,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5629\/revisions\/5630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}