Like the Swallows of Capistrano

Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, Florida

In the past, I've blogged more than once how the migration instinct seems to catch us in ways very similar to wild animals.  One day, we get up, look at the sky, sniff the wind, and suddenly we know, "It's time to leave."   Well guess what, this year it didn't work.  At least it hasn't worked on us as fast as on others.

In recent days, I've noticed a growing number of vacant mooring balls.  That probably means that the waiting list to get a ball will disappear shortly.   We also noticed an abrupt drop off in the traffic on the daily VHF Cruiser's Net.   Then in the past 24 hours we've heard from three friends that they are about to start heading north.  Like the swallows of Capistrano, they felt the urge, but we haven't yet.

What about us?  Libby and I discussed it for the first time last night.   All season long we have been telling people that we will leave here mid-April, go to the Bahamas, and then head north from there.   But I just learned that The Bahamas raised the cruising permit fee for boats Tarawathie's size from $150 to $300.   To make that reasonable, we need to stay there a month, not two weeks.  If we don't leave until mid-April, there's not enough time to stay there a month, and stop in North Carolina a month, and to make New York Harbor by June 1 (our usual schedule).   Hmmm, we'll have to make an alternate plan.