Back to Florida!

Well, we've been back a few days now and have been busy as can be, getting back in the swing of things. It was a great trip to California and a welcome change of pace, so now we are renewed and ready to get back to focusing on Equinox and such! We stopped out at the yacht yard to see how things are progressing; Equinox was out of the paint shed and back in the yard area. We checked to see how things looked, and were delighted with her cap rails and other freshly painted items! The rails are gleaming, and  look just phenomenal! The bottom painting is next, and the props freshly tuned and ready for their new spurs. All coming along well! We topped off the water tank and made sure the battery chargers were on and doing their jobs before heading out on other errands.

Equinox on the hard at AYC, prepped for fresh bottom paint

We're hosting a lot of unexpected visitors this week too, with various friends from the Bahamas to Bermuda being in town. One dear friend from Harbour Island was in the States, and he stopped by for a great visit just a few days after we returned from California. A fun, impromptu get-together, including a great dinner at Ian's Tropical Grill here in Jensen Beach. We'd also been in touch with our Bermuda friends prior to Hurricane Igor's arrival there -- wanting to let them know we were thinking of them all -- and discovered that some of our friends were already visiting in Florida! SO, we will be getting together with them this coming weekend! Fun!

The 107-year-old Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse

Happily, yesterday I had a chance to spend the afternoon on the water! Our friends Karen and Kerry  off Concrete Idea recently bought a new center console, which they call Know Idea. Like our Tingum, it's perfect for fishing and exploring the rivers and waters here! Since the weather was too windy (thanks to Hurricane Igor) to go offshore and fish, Karen and Kerry invited me to spend the afternoon aboard  Know Idea with them and three other friends cruising and enjoying the sites of the ICW. We cruised all the way south checking out the views of the mangroves, seagrasses, marshes and wildlife along the Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve. It was a beautiful cruise on a glorious day, and we  all enjoyed it! Finally we reached Jupiter Inlet, where the Loxahatchee River flows into the Atlantic and is the only natural inlet on the East Coast of Florida.

Our destination: Guanabanas! It's a great little tropical getaway down in Jupiter, well-hidden amongst its lush landscaping and banyan trees. Situated right on the water, Guanabanas has superb food, drink, and half-priced happy hour appetizers, as well as live music in the evenings. We enjoyed a late afternoon bite (the slow-smoked chicken wings were to die for!) and relaxed under the cabana, enjoying the misters and cool shade. A fun time was had by all! I can't wait to make a return trip in Tingum sometime!

Walking into Guanabana's from the dock

Colorful and fun chairs await you!

Karyn relaxing in front of Guanabana's