"There must be a Starbucks around here somewhere..."

Yesterday, in the middle of a swamp, I uttered those fateful words. But it must have been wishful thinking because, close as we were to civilization, we could not have been practically and metaphorically further from Starbucks without leaving the country. In fact, we’d have to go pretty far afield to get further than three day’s travel (our current distance) from a Starbucks since. in addition to over 11.000 US stores (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia), they operate nearly 4,600 international units in locations as far flung as Quatar, Oman and Peru.

Luckily, I had the foresight to stock up on ground coffee at the Starbucks in Palm Beach before we left for the Bahamas (although there are certainly Starbucks stores there), where I purchased ten pounds bag by bag. The baristas were delighted – they told me there were IPODs to be won by the employees at the locations which sold the most ground coffee over the weekend, and their enthusiasm was only slightly dampened when I told them that they should give me a free pound and a free latte as consideration for my contribution to their efforts.

But even my bulk purchases have not been enough to save the company’s stock price in the wake of my departure from Winchester with its two conveniently-located Starbucks units. If you’ve been following the financial press, you know that the analysts blame overexpansion and a loss of corporate focus. But if you want to act on actual forward-looking information, you should time your stock purchases around our expected return in late June. (We’ve checked with the SEC and they’ve confirmed that information on consumer behavior is not considered insider information, so you should be safe. However, please consult your own financial advisor before taking action.)

In the meantime, my little stock of ground coffee has dwindled to less than half a bag, which means that it is time to move on. We’re tracking coffee consumption against weather, winds and tides to choose a prudent departure from southern Georgia to our planned stop in Charleston SC, home to six (yes six!) different Starbucks shops. Count on Starbucks’ stock price to be heading north along with our family sometime very soon.

Back in the USA

On the back of our fold-down dining table is a map of the East Coast and Amelia has been using a china marker to update it with our course traveled each passage. This has been a great geography lesson for her and a way for her to participate in our navigation.

We’re now back in Florida and once again are at a mooring in Vero Beach ("Velcro Beach"). Our little marina is very relaxing with easy access to the beach and town. Several boats in the marina stopped on their way south last fall and still haven’t left. Vero Beach does not even show up in the guide books, which is surprising considering it is a pretty large town (population 18,000). Perhaps that is how it maintains its laid back vibe. The town is most famous as the summer home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and also boasts a great art museum and wonderful beaches and later this spring will be a prime location for egg-laying sea turtles.

We had a great time in the Bahamas but needed to cut our visit short since health issues with my parents required me to be accessible by phone and email (no guarantee of either in most parts of the Bahamas) and within reasonable range of an airport. So, another overnight sail from Grand Bahama Island brought us back to Florida, and then I left for a short trip to Canada. Dave and Amelia had a nice time during my absence making many new friends and exploring the area.

Amelia has developed an interest in star gazing and as I write this I can spot her little legs dangling from a hatch as she sits on deck and tries to puzzle out the constellations. She says that she found The Archer (Orion) and it points east. I wonder if she can identify the North Star, since before long we will need to start sailing in that direction, starting a slow return home.

Fish Story

Ten miles out of Lucaya, on the south side of Grand Bahama Island, I caught the fish of my dreams - a beautiful Mahi Mahi larger than Amelia. It put up a truly spectacular fight jumping out of the water and swimming in circles while being towed behind the boat until finally it tired (or so we thought). So we stopped the boat, reeled it in, took a picture and tried to catch it in the net. Suddenly it came back to life, snapped the leader and slowly swam away.

Ever since our electrician in Winchester loaned us a fishing rod when he learned about our winter sabbatical plans to sail to the Bahamas, Dave has been skeptical. At Gibson Island, when Bruce loaned us a net and a lure guaranteed to catch Rockfish, Dave was skeptical. In Lucaya, when I finally found a place to buy frozen squid for bait, Dave was skeptical. When the fish bit and started jumping out of the water behind the boat Dave immediately ran to get the camera and became enthusiastic about fishing.

According to my recently acquired fishing guide "Sport Fish of the Atlantic" Mahi Mahi, also known as Dorado or Dolphinfish, can grow to weigh more than 80 pounds, have excellent food value and rank among the very best in game quality with spectacular jumps and dogged stubbornness. Well this fish was certainly strong and stubborn - and too large to get into the net anyway - so I am glad that it got away.

So thank you to everyone who encouraged me to pursue my fishing goals on this trip. This one made it all worthwhile.