Greetings,

We are into our third week “stuck” in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, waiting for a weather window. Now don't get me wrong, if you have to be stuck somewhere, this is the place to do it. We are docked at Marina Paraiso, and the weather here has been great. It is rarely over the mid-80's during the day, and very cool and comfortable at night.

We hang out on the boat most days, catching up on small projects and making good progress on them. I am also working on the web page to try and get it caught up, but probably never will. Believe it or not, I am actually taking time off to sit in the cockpit and read! Trying this retirement thing, and seeing if it is worth looking into!

The real purpose of this update is to let everyone know that the plan or guideline I had come up with, is pretty much out the window. This past January, when I actually put the plan down on paper, I knew there would be some delays for issues and weather. But, I was sure we would get to Charleston, South Carolina, by April 30th. After all, three months to go 1300 miles, no problem!

Well, Mother Nature had other ideas! I am looking at the plan I had written, and on March 20th, we were to be in Miami so I could see a Dermatologist. Didn't make it. In fact, that particular appointment has been rescheduled twice, and now hanging out there with an “We'll call you when we get there.” Oh well! This past week Kitty and I decided to pretty much throw the plan out. There is just no way we would be able to get to Charleston, South Carolina, by the April 30th and not be under a lot of stress.

Since the whole idea of cruising is to visit places and smell the roses, we have decided on that plan. When April 30th comes, we will celebrate our anniversary, where ever we happen to be. When we get to Charleston, South Carolina, we will enjoy the city, and really get to know the area.

Our plan to get to the Chesapeake this coming summer may even be up for grabs! As much as we would love to visit the area, if we do not make it, then we will see it another time. The point of the trip is to enjoy where we are, and move on when we want to do so. You may remember that we went to Marathon, Florida, for a couple of weeks before moving on to The Bahamas. This was back in 2004 and 2005. We ended up staying in Marathon for 11 months, and never did get to The Bahamas We ended up going to Guatemala. So who knows where our summer will take us this year? I haven't been to Bermuda in a very long time!!

Probably the only sure thing is we will be heading south by September 1st, whether or not we get to the Chesapeake. If we do not make it that far, then we may turn south later. At any rate, you can be sure that we will be trying to stay ahead of the cold weather. We will be keeping you informed with the Dream Away Updates, and, of course, there are the Passages Planned and Where is Dream Away links on the web site.

For now, we are waiting for a weather window to make the passage from Isla Mujeres to Key West, and it looks as if one may be opening this coming Saturday, March 26th. So far, it looks like a good window, but, as Captain Ron says, “If it is going to happen, it is going to happen out there”. We want to make sure that whatever happens out there will be as safe and comfortable as possible.

If you would like to take a look at one of the resources I use for weather forecasting, go to Passage Weather, and click on West Indies, then Gulf of Mexico. These will show you the fun we have when looking for a weather window.

regards

jimk

Member Seven Seas Cruising Association

WEB page http://www.dreamaway.net