30th May Fort Pierce USA

Having found St Maarten rather uninspiring, other than for repairs, and needing to keep moving North, I cleared out on Thursday 17^th to leave the next morning when the bridge opened at 9am, our plan was to aim for the Turk islands and then work up the Bahamas on to the Florida.

The bridge opened slightly late so we had to do a couple of circles since there was a little wind, having left we had to get well offshore before being able to turn into the easterly wind and raise the main as the entrance was shallow, the wind backed into the South where it remained moving between SE and S.

We left the Caribbean in the morning of Saturday 19^th re-entering the Atlantic having passed the Virgin Islands. After reading my passage and cruising guides, I found that May is the month for tropical storms in the Bahamas, so changed my plans and made a course around the North of the Bahamas to Fort Pierce Florida

Passing the Bahamas I was asked by two cruise liners if I was ok as I appeared to be drifting at 3-4 knots! We were doing the best that we could in the conditions!

Sunset after the storm

Its raining again

Water spouts off Bahamas

 We encountering the edge of tropical storm Beryl, with some really scary lightening, which sent me checking the liferaft was easily accessible and my grab bags were to hand; after the storm passed the wind died and went all the way round the compass, so had to start the engine and motor sail for the last four days with patches of between 2 and 20hrs when we could sail without the engine, finally anchoring in Fort Pierce at 1.30pm,

entrance to Fort Pierce

 after phoning Customs (I radioed the coast guard to find out how to clear-in eventually a fellow cruiser came on the radio and gave me the phone numbers) and being given 24hrs to check-in in person and an incredibly long reference number (which has to be obtained before appearing in person at customs), I radioed a marina to check for space and draft, and went to raise the anchor, almost clear and the winch jammed and when I looked up after trying to clear it we were drifting fast, before I could get headway we were aground, being blown on by a stiff breeze, luckily a passing small fishing boat asked if I was ok? Replying NO he offered to give me a tow and managed at the second attempt to get us clear and then dropped the bowline in the water, not quite complete panic as I got it aboard before it could catch the prop and not run into any of the other anchored boats, then head for the clearway to the marina, phew! Clearing customs involved a trip to the airport fill in two forms and wait and wait; now I can relax a bit and figure out my next step.