Aground again..what else is new!!!

Monday May 19 7:50 pm Ft Lauderdale Well after 19days and almost 1500+ miles we tried to beat the outgoing tide and ran the Lady onto a sand bar at the entrance of Lake Sylvia in Ft Lauderdale. Except for 2 days in St Croix and 2 1/2 days in St Thomas and 3 in the Turks and Caicos we have been at sea sailing hard. Some serious miles under the keel. So we dropped the hook , put the dink in the water and headed ashore. After a few beers and some fresh food stuff we got back to the boat in time to let the tide float us so we could go in and anchor. The sail north has been great. We have only used the engine for 37 hours since we left Margarita. We still have 2/3 + of our 40 cent diesel. With diesel now at almost $ 5 dollars a gallon my tolerance to when I turn the key to start the engine has dropped to 4 knts...3.5 if we are not trying to make port before dark. Thats only 75 to 100 miles a day...far from our 200 mile day after leaving Margarita. It usually takes 3 or more days before we get settled in to a rotuine while making passages. After dinner Joyce usually crashes about 7 pm...I try and make it till midnight...Joyce can usually make it till 4:30 to 5 am and so on...we were doing pretty good on this schedule. We did have a few days where we did have to start the stinkpot. One night I left Joyce with the engine running only to awake noiseless and the boat doing 6-7 knots...the lady can now set and trim out the sail....must be the teacher :):):)...she is getting good. We have spent the last few days biking and running errands. I have had two bike crashes and now sport some new wounds..and wounded pride... we leave tomorrow for Mexico..leaving the boat here at the City Marina in Ft Lauderdale. We really need a few days of down time....doing nothing and sleeping...well maybe some drinking would help....remember the Capt's rule...no booze till the hooks down...and it has not been down much lately. Looking forward to resting up down at Joyce's place in Z over the next 10 days....more from there..