Thoughts Turning South

As we pass the Fall Equinox and the days are rapidly growing shorter, our thoughts are increasingly turning south.  We have decided to start our Caribbean cruising a bit earlier this year, to avoid some of the gloomy days in November and December.  That will also get Gretchen back home for an early start to the golf season next year.

This is likely to be a year of changes in our cruising pattern.  We have spent three seasons in the Eastern Caribbean now.  While we have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and been lucky to meet some wonderful people, we think we will be finding fewer new things to discover.  Its a big world, and we think its a mistake to restrict our cruising to one region, no matter how nice.

So, while nothing is ever for sure, its likely that we will move Callisto to the ABC islands (Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire) at some point during this coming season.  We have good friends who spent last winter on Bonaire, and gave us rave reviews.  It is especially known for scuba diving, and our new scuba skills makes that particularly appealing. 

From that base, we will be positioned in future years to explore Columbia, Panama, and Guatemala.  The thought of the Panama Canal is lurking out there, but that is a very big step --  once in the Pacific, the only realistic direction to sail is East.