We are about to leave the United States after more than six months of great weather, wonderful cruising, meeting lots of new friends and getting to know something of the way of American life.

For all that, we are still known as ‘transient aliens’.  With a British registered vessel we have been granted a licence to cruise in US waters, but every time we move from a port we are required to report to US Custom and Border Protection.  Whilst the many differences between the English and American languages have sometimes caused confusion, our foreign accent is generally accepted as quirky but endearing with the locals saying things like “Just talk some more, so I can hear your great accent!” or “Gee, you sound like some of those old films.”

The Americans not only have gallons rather than litres, but their gallons are different from our imperial ones.  I have bought a peck (2 gallons) of apples. You can buy fractions of a cord of wood or liquids measured in bushels (8 gallons).  Rather than a second-hand shop you’ll find a store selling experienced goods; biscuits are cookies and crisps are chips; gas is propane and petrol is gas.  Then there is London broiled beef, ‘English muffins’ that I have never seen back home, hoagies, subs and half n half…  It goes far beyond the Fred Astaire song of ‘Let’s call the whole thing off’.

Aspects of shopping I have definitely liked are being asked to prove I am over 21 when buying liquor (booze), and the helpfulness and cheerfulness of staff. I found it disconcerting that ‘British’ food was in the ‘Ethnic’ section of the supermarket, and that it largely consists of Heinz baked beans, Chivers marmalade, Lipton tea and curry powder.  Fruit cake is almost impossible to find and oh how I crave for a Melton Mowbray pork pie!

Several times through the summer we have hired a car.  Whilst I miss roundabouts (circles if you’re American) the roads here are fantastic, bridges spanning great tracts of water with graceful ease. Between towns roads are at least double track, sometimes as wide as five lanes, with clear exits and well protected lead-ins.  Driving habits are very different. Great courtesy, almost deference, is given to pedestrians in town - the motorist stopping well-back from your crossing point and often giving you a cheery wave.  Yet when on the highway, with speeds in excess of the legal maximum, most drivers seem completely oblivious to anyone else on the road.  You can overtake or undertake and indicating your intentions is totally unnecessary. What many do with great skill is to align themselves (often by having to accelerate) alongside a car in the other lane and then they adjust their speed so that after about five minutes they are far enough ahead of the car to be able to pull over ahead of it – except they don’t.  It’s all very odd.

Alongside the roads are a vast number of hoardings (or should I say billboards) – huge monstrosity that mar the landscape, but which indicate bonhomie and promise great things.  In a culture that has a reputation of a suing, it is staggering what is claimed:  I don’t mean signs like “The coolest beer in town”, but assertions such as “The World’s greatest coffee.” 

But maybe it stems from an historical boldness of proclaiming the word of God.  The Florida motto is “In God We Trust”.  In most states we have been to there have been at least two Christian radio stations and on several occasions I’ve seen bible stores.  Whilst a florist shop sign benignly says “Remember Jesus Loves You” and one church’s mission statement was “Backsliding a growing fondness for the World’s pleasures”, other signs are more strident in the mission to call you to God.

Not only is America a God-fearing nation, but it has much that reflects a common attitude of enjoying success, a sense of optimism and a more relaxed way of life.  We greatly enjoyed our last evening in the States in the company of treasure hunters: one who was involved with finding Black Beard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge and has a gold and sapphire mine, the other who has found a lot of sunken gold over the years.  It is still a land of great opportunity.

So thank you America for a wonderful experience.  We are now off to the Bahamas, but we would like to come back in February to come to the Miami Boat Show.