Cruisers get-together

From the years that we spent on the water there were many friendships formed with other cruisers that crossed our paths or took the same routes that we did and some of these friendships were very special. We met up again and again down in the Caribbean islands at very tropical beautiful places. What are the chances of meeting up again after we all “swallowed our anchors” (This is it called when you sold your yacht; you don’t actually swallow that darn thing).  So our special friends Linda and Ed that live here in Florida arranged a get-together of old friends and it was a great success.

 

Me, Linda, Nancy, Allayne, Dennis
in the back: Benno & Ed

The location of our meeting at the Ravine Garden State Park in Palatka, FL, was the perfect place that they picked for the rendezvous. The weather cooperated as well and we also got to enjoy the abundant flowering Azaleas throughout the park.

 

While enjoying all the delicious foods that everyone contributed to the table, old sailor’s yarns were spun and we all became a bit nostalgic thinking of the time we lived on our yachts in exotic places. 

 

Perhaps we can repeat that sometime in the future, it would be fun.

 

The drive from our RV Park to the Palatka State Park took us close enough to the Buckman lock on the Cross Florida Barge Canal to allow us a little detour and to swing by to have a look at the same. The canal was intended to connect the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in Florida with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, thus a route from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean via a canal across Florida to the St. John River, which by Jacksonville enters the Atlantic Ocean.  The canal project was cancelled some 30 years ago and only 28% of it was built. As far as I could determine when I looked over the fence, it appeared the lock doors were open and this canal section was used for small pleasure boats. However the lock area is also a nice park with picnic tables and restrooms.  

 

Close by were several of the Air Boats parked, which belong to the Park Rangers. They hold a fascination for us, since we do not have those in Canada. A river trip on one of those would probably be a thrilling adventure.

 

We had a nice outing making our stay down here in Florida even nicer. Thanks for dropping by again.