April 8 - Hurricane Harbour

Dolphin in Hurricane Harbour

We are still in Hurricane Harbour. There have been two possible weather windows forecast, but when the days came the weather wasn't as promised and we could not go. Frustrating, but we have only been here a week, and we have heard of people waiting 3 weeks or more.The last couple of nights have had thunderstorms, and they are doozies! A reminder to get those window leaks fixed!
This is a beautiful spot. It is a small, mitten shaped harbour. We are in the hand part of the mitten, there is a little side area that is the thumb part of the mitten, and the entrance to the bay is the wrist of the mitten. We are surrounded by lovely homes with their own boats and have a view of Miami from our stern. Large and small local boat cruise by once of twice a day to check out their neighbour's homes.There is no where to get off the boat here, but that works for us as we are just waiting to cross the Gulf Stream. Dolphins come in once or twice a day to fish, and often pass under the boat as they chase their dinner. Fish skim the surface like skipping stones trying to escape them but the dolphins always catch their treat and come up "smiling" with a fish half out of their mouths. There is a manatee in here too, that we catch tantalizing glimpses of just before he submerges again. Maybe that is why sailors found them fascinating - they could never see them properly!
We had our first swim yesterday, to scrub some of the growth off the hull.The water is a lovely temperature. There is a bird nearby that imitates all sorts of sounds. He loves doing a cell phone ring, but also imitates a person whistling a song. He does such a good job we still aren't totally sure it is a bird!
As it stands now, the next weather window is this coming Saturday.(but that could change!)We will move to a marina tomorrow for a night, to get caught up on mundane things like laundry, garbage disposal, etc.