13 years ago, Matt and I bought our first boat together, a 1982 Islander. She was 32ft of hope and dreams, with a side of despair.
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| Island Zephyr, Englewood, FL, 2004 |
We also bought a Waterway Guide Southern edition and set off to explore southern Florida and on to the Florida Keys. The guide led us to secluded anchorages and caused us great stress as we approached a 49' railway bridge in our 49' tall boat.
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| Port Myakka Bridge, Okechobee Waterway, 2004 |
We sold that boat (mast intact!) and subsequently bought a 19' Grady White that we trailered all over Florida, our trusty Waterway Guide leading us to boat-up restaurants and new adventures.
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| Hastings out for a sunset cruise, Key Largo, FL, 2005 |
Our third boat, a 21' cuddy cabin, allowed us to camp aboard for week long vacations. On cold winter nights when the temperature dropped to 60 degrees, I'd leaf through the Waterway Guide, planning summer trips to Ft. Myers, Cayo Costa, and Gasparilla Island. We'd plot routes, look up bridge heights and schedules, and call ahead for marina reservations.
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| Flamingo, FL, 2012 |
When we bought our current boat, a 38 ft sailing catamaran, we excitedly bought the ICW, Chesapeake Bay, and Bahamas editions. We dreamt about stopping at historical towns along the ICW, and gunkholing in the Chesapeake.
We were most excited about the Bahamas. Only 50 ish miles from Florida, the Bahamas had been calling to us for over a decade and we couldn't wait to experience this dream destination for ourselves. Imagine our pure delight when we were hired as editors for the Waterway Guide Bahamas 2018 edition. A dream destination and a dream job! We revised depths and updated navigation details, and pushed our way through currents and crowds to check out new restaurants.
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| Independence, Berry Islands, Bahamas, 2017 |
It's fall here in Deltaville, VA and the temperature is hovering around 50F. I'm currently flipping through the new Bahamas 2018 edition, scoping out anchorages, plotting routes, and dreaming about cruising the Bahamas and updating the guide for 2019. We can't wait! And if you're a cruiser; pick up one of the Waterway Guide editions. I know you'll be inspired, just as we have been for 13 years of boating together.
