Party with the Cracker Boys

There was a Christmas boat parade in Ft. Pierce on Saturday night.  Lucky for us, we had a front row seat as the route went right by our slip at Cracker Boy.  There was also big party and pot luck here, and a "crab boil".  This crab boil was something new to me.  Basically it involves putting a bunch of blue crabs, shrimp, three kinds of sausage, red potatoes, onions, and cloves of garlic in a huge pot with seasonings and boiling the heck out of it. When it's done, the contents are strained and dumped onto a big plastic-covered table and the masses gather around to feast like a bunch of hungry crows on trash day.  There were over 30 people, elbow to elbow, around the table for the first boil.  I sat that round out to observe, take notes, and learn from the local pros:  1) use bottom of beer bottle to crush crab claws 2) Do not bite directly into the potatoes because they are extremely hot 3) the red sausage is very, very, spicy 4) wipe your hands on your shorts.  I dove in on the second round.  Ri, Wren, and Scott soon joined me.  We stuffed ourselves.  It was absolutely delicious!

Kiawah has a front row seat for the boat parade

Gifts from Cracker Boy Bill - what a sweet man!  I think this is where Santa really lives...

Today is Monday.  The car has been returned.  Phase III of our adventure has officially begun.  From here on, everywhere we go will be by water.  Future provisioning will be done on foot.  Kiawah is finally ready to leave Cracker Boy and begin motoring south on the ICW (inter coastal waterway) towards Palm Beach.  We'll spend as many days as it takes getting used to her and sailing her (finally!) while we wait for the perfect weather window to open so we can cross to the Bahamas.  

We are thinking of you all back home, under a blanket of snow.  It hardly feels like Christmas here.  I am missing the smell of balsam.