Another delivery, eastern Caribbean to...?

By Sailor Keddy -
I would apologize for the lack of blog posts but, to be frank, there hasn't been much going on to post about. After I returned from the final voyage of Terrapin Flyer, I got an apartment in Sarasota and also got engaged. I've been doing some casual sailing on a ComPac 16 and some racing on a friend's Bristol 40 but that's about it. It has been a nice change of pace actually, compared to the thousands of miles I logged in 2010 and 2011. I've been looking for jobs where the pay is a little steadier and more substantial than the occasional delivery, but that is not to say I won't take the occasional delivery!

The job market is weak in Florida right now, and to supplement my income as well as my sanity I've been looking for a delivery gig. It's high season for them as the winter gales ease and before hurricane season starts in the north Atlantic. A friend gave me a contact down in St. Maarten for the captain of a 90' Pendennis sloop. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to get a hold of him the delivery crew had been finalized, but he did give my name out to other yachts. As fate would have it, just this past Friday the captain of a Swan 56 by the name of Amerigo gave me a ring. It is now 6:30 in the morning on Sunday and I am in Tampa waiting to depart. The plan is to leave for Bermuda from St. Maarten on Wednesday. I've never been that far down in the Caribbean before, or to Bermuda either, so I'm pretty excited to have the chance to finally sail those waters on such a great yacht! I actually remember this boat being docked one wharf over from Aquidneck when I was in Newport two summers ago. No doubt the owner (who will be aboard), and possibly the captain, know Green, Isaac and John Hirschler.

Once in Bermuda, I'll be in a perfect spot and in the right time of the season to hop on another boat bound either for the northeast US or to Europe, so I'm going to see where that might take me.

Ah, back to the life of a vagabond sailor as a member of the OPBYC (Other People's Boats Yacht Club), to which I am so grateful to be a part of. I only hope to return the favor sometime soon.

As always, pictures to follow as well as a full write-up of the journey!

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