Sunday, May 11, 2014

Dos Libras Mas Indecision

Indecision  Origin of Pic
Libra Indecision is legendary.  Imagine how ridiculous it is when you have TWO Libras trying to come to a decision about how to spend the next six to nine months of our lives… when some days we can barely decide what to have for breakfast!  Honestly I don’t know how we EVER get anything done… whenever there are two choices, Bruce and I vacillate back and forth, should we, should we not…  I wish it were more simple, more finite!

When we arrived in Marathon, we had ditched our Bahamas plan.  We weren’t going because of our insurance woes.  But then, for some reason I can’t even remember, I kicked it into gear and got our insurance problems resolved and the Bahamas were back ON!  Woo Hoo!  We’re GOING!  It made no difference that our original reason for NOT going was that we would only be able to spend 30 days there… and now we will have TWO months!  We were excited to have a plan again…

And then the waiting began… We set our approximate departure date, we made lists, we ticked things off.  We cleared the bikes and deck chairs off the deck, we fueled up, we bought extra water jugs…  We provisioned…  and we waited.

Every day we listened to Chris Parker the Weather Guru as he dashed our plans… time after time… day after day.  We began to sulk and resent our forced stillness.  It’s nobody’s fault, but it’s the damnedest luck!  The winds are supposed to lay down and behave so that we can be on our way!!!  

We sat here and watched a two week chunk being taken out of our Bahamas time.  The new time allotment is beginning to look a lot like the previous time allotment of 30 days as we sit here and wait.  Our growing frustration sparked our indecision up once again…

Maybe we should just skip it.  We STILL regret rushing through the Mississippi Sound back in the winter when we were unable to visit so many of the islands there because of the howling North Wind.  And the spots we did visit were spent hunkered down below trying not to become popsicles.  Do we want to do the same again?  Rush through the Cays and Isles of the Bahamas and see little because we need to make tracks in order to get to the Exumas and back to the US before July 15th, when storm (we don’t say the “H” word) season starts to heat up?

I want what I want when I want it!  And that’s what was driving us there.  We’re SUPPOSED to be going to the Bahamas…  It’s why we’re HERE!  But if there is one thing that all of this forced stillness is teaching me, it is patience.  And that maybe I can’t HAVE what I want when I want it…  Cruising is not like our old life when we could expect instant gratification.  We have time, we take time, we need time…  Sometimes even when we DON’T!  

So, Bruce and I have once again performed a monumental and masterful feat of Libra Decision-making.  We have reversed and revised our plans made and have made NEW ones… again.  We want to do the Bahamas right.  We want to slow down.  We want to take our time and enjoy the places we visit.  Yes, we could still make it to the Bahamas before storm season, but then we would be rushing for the rest of this year.  And that just isn’t how we want to spend our TIME.  

The new plan is this:  We will wait out this current wind ridiculousness while making the final preparations for departure this week, and mosey down to the Dry Tortugas.  Yes, the same Dry Tortugas that have been in and out of the plan since we left Corpus Christi…  We will see them and then we will mosey back up the coast as far as we happen to get before it is TIME… to turn back South.  

Maybe we’ll stop for a month or two if we find a spot we like.  Maybe we will plug in the AC so we don’t have to swelter, maybe get some sewing done and some sight seeing… Maybe we’ll install a water maker so that I can worry less when we Get to the Bahamas about obtaining water.  THEN we’ll follow the migration of boats to the Bahamas in the Fall/Winter.  

Do we feel disappointed about our decision?  Strangely… no.  We’re excited and we feel like we’re being prudent and responsible instead of doing a reckless thing just because I WANT IT!  We’ll get there… And it will be the right decision at the right time…  

10 comments:

  1. As a fellow Libra, I share your affliction. But I think you made the right decision. No sense rushing through life or the Bahamas. I have been watching your blog for some time now and enjoy your posts. Martha and hope to get out there some day soon.

    Fair winds and smooth seas.

    Scott

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    1. Thanks for your kinds words Scott. As a fellow Libra Child, you will understand how much your approval means to us! The decision sits well with us so we think it's right. We're SO glad to have you along and even though it has it's ups and downs, we highly recommend the Cruising life!

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  2. I'm married to a Libra so I know what you are talking about. We talk thing over but I make the decisions. 2 bosses never work. Nothing gets done.

    Personally I would forget the Bahamas until winter. I'd cruise up the east coast and sight see. Hit the Chesapeake and sight see Washington. You could spend all summer there and never see it all. You could even make it to Maine.

    The Bahamas aren't going anywhere. JMHO

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    1. David I LOVE hearing that we've made the right decision! Although if you told me we were wrong, I probably wouldn't care... :) But you're right. I hope we make it up as far as Washington DC I've never been there and would just love to take our boat up there. But knowing how slowly we move... cross your fingers. We are SUPER excited now that the decision making part is in the past. I just hope we can remain steadfast long enough to get out of Florida... Thanks for your comments and for hanging out!

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  3. We agree! The Bahamas offer way too much. No need to be in a hurry when it is best to stop and enjoy. Besides, it'll be a mad rush to get out of there come July.

    We hope you make it to the Dry Tortuga's. It is a fun and historical place. May is undoubtedly the best time of year to visit. Keep in mind it is pretty open and offers no shelter. You'll need to watch the weather while there. Key West (about 10-12 hours away) makes for a good safe area if the weather kicks up and you need to leave.

    We were hoping to reach the Bahamans this year but the sale of a business has progressed very slowly (almost done now). We postponed our plans too. We will hold up in St Pete for hurricane season and head to the Bahamas in November/December. This way we can take our sweet time. Perhaps we'll find you there :)

    Mark and Cindy
    s/v Cream Puff
    www,creampuff.us

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    1. Oh I hadn't realized you were in St. Pete! We'll have to make it a point to get together when you get around to this side. I think we've made the right decision too. We feel really good about it but it's nice to hear it from others. There are still those die hards (and our would-be Buddy boats) who are disappointed in us, but it was the best thing for us. Glad you have you along as always...

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  4. Have crossing conditions been so bad? I think we saw your boat in Marathon after our return from the Bahamas. If you are still going, I would recommend heading for the Abacos. We are now headed up the FL West coast, currently in Venice. Fair winds - Neil and Janet, S/V Midnight Sun II http://midnightsunii.blogspot.com

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  5. Neil evidently the seas have been the problem for crossing. If it were just the winds, even though they aren't favorable, it would be a desperate dive... but the seas are formidable. Every day the weather has just looked unfavorable. So, we've just decided it isn't worth it for a mad dash through the Bahamas this time. We're going to try to be patient. I think the West Coast of Florida has the flat water from the land so it's probably not so bad over there, although one of our friends who left Marathon last week did have some raucous sailing on their way to Naples. I'll add your blog to our list, thanks for sharing and for visiting our blog.

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  6. Good Call guys.....And I have to agree.....There is so much history up the East coast. I myself are going to at least Jacksonville/St Augustine before the Islands.

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  7. I just came across your blog. Very well done. We sail, currently, out of Kemah. Don't beat yourself up much over the Mississippi Sound thing...nice, but you didn't miss much. Your new plan sounds great.

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