Lake Worth, Florida

We sailed from the Ponce de Leon Inlet to Lake Worth, Florida, leaving at 11:30 yesterday morning and arriving here at noon today.  It was a bit rough through the inlet, where fisherman were anchored behind the jetty enjoying the summer-like day.

Fisherman behind the Ponce de Leon Inlet jetty

After we got out in the open ocean, the seas were calm, with 2 to 4 foot waves for the next 24 hours.  Most of the time we had 10 to 15 knot winds from the northwest or the north, so the wind was at our backs and we had a smooth ride on a broad reach, only having to tack or jibe occasionally.

The highlight was not the sailing but getting close to Cape Canaveral and watching the launch of Space X's Falcon 9 rocket yesterday afternoon.  We were able to follow Space X's commentary in high quality sound from our stereo speakers and know when the fueling was commencing and when the final countdown began.  We rolled up the jib for an unimpeded view.  The four of us were able to be on the foredeck and watch the orange explosion and billowing of white steam as the countdown ended and then follow the rocket as it rose from the launchpad and arced across the sky, trailing fire and gasses.  It was truly spectacular, and we felt lucky to be in the right place at the right time to witness such an achievement.

Falcon 9 after launch from Cape Canaveral

A few hours later, we had a great dinner of pumpkin and sage ravioli in al fredo sauce and then watched another show, this time by nature.  The sunset seemed to last forever, beginning with pastel colors and then deepening into bold hues until the sky darkened and a half moon lit the scattered clouds and gentle Atlantic waves.

Sunset south of Cape Canaveral

Having guests on board who are willing to be crew is great.  With Paula, I was on watch from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. yesterday, and then, hooray, I was able to get into my night clothes and sleep through the night in my bed.  So, today, I feel like a normal person rather than a person suffering from sleep deprivation or jetlag.

Now we are anchored among many other vessels on Lake Worth, between Palm Beach to the east and West Palm Beach.  On both sides of the water, the shores are lined with--what else!--swaying palm trees, docks with yachts and modest mansions.  The wind is gusting up to 20 knots, so it is good to be anchored.  We will be here for a couple of days at least, waiting for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas by Thanksgiving.

We have so, so much to be thankful for.