We have had a quiet few days, anchored in the Intracoastal Waterway at St Lucie inlet.  Having said that, two nights we were partying with other members of the Ocean Cruising Club and swopping ideas and sailing stories with others on board. We have swum in the surf of the ocean and sunk our feet in to the soft sand as we explored the beach that runs on for miles down the Atlantic coast.

Two things though have got me really quite excited!  The first is the wild life.  I know I keep on about them, but the pelicans are just everywhere and perch in great numbers along the quay.  Then there are egrets, herons, ospreys and terns. Dolphins show their presence with their classic arching grace. But then there are manatees – animals that I’ve not come across before and that seem native to just this area. The first hint of these vegetarian, aquatic mammals is the circles of air on the water’s surface (which I am told are from eating a lot of greens!)  They average ten feet long and half a ton in weight, have a wide paddle-shaped tail, two front flippers and are related to elephants!

The second thing is the awards that our lovely boat has just won.  SAIL magazine have awarded the Discovery 50 with ‘Best Catamaran’ and ‘Best Interior Design’.  We have just heard that we have just won Cruising World’s Boat of the Year – not just as ‘Catamaran of the Year’, but also ‘Import Boat of the Year’ – and that’s considering all categories.  We knew this boat was special and all summer we have had people coming by admiring her and wanting to know more. But these awards are a fantastic endorsement of what we and our team have worked on for so long. On the anniversary of her launch and with 8,500 miles under her keel I would like to say congratulations and well done Discovery Magic!