5.24.11
Today was our first day back in the US. We slept in, still recovering from the voyage and then went about the business of clearing into Customs. Although we thought that we could simply make a phone call and be cleared, we soon found that was not the case. The nifty little decal that we bought before leaving was just so that the government could eke out a bit more of our money - in reality, it is good for nothing.
So, we put the dinghy back in the water and got it all set up again and then loaded the bikes up and headed in to one of the marinas. We docked our dinghy, put our bikes together and headed out for the airport - a short 3 mile bike ride away. Perhaps some people would have no problems with a 3 mile bike ride. But, try doing it on little folding bikes with tires the thickness of my thumb after not having ridden a bike farther than a mile within the last 6months. Ugh.
Within the first 10minutes we had to bike up the steepest hill I have seen in years - I thought Florida was flat?! Already out of breath, we took our time biking the rest of the way.
We arrived sweaty and tired at the airport, located the Customs office and within 5 minutes, had been cleared for re-entry. All that exercise for 5 minutes of waiting? Really?!
Having accomplished that, we reloaded our bikes and headed back into town to the Publix. At this point, we were tired, sweaty and hungry. My arms and legs felt like Jell-O and I really was shocked at the number of hills here - like I said, flat right?!
We went into Publix and stopped immediately inside the door as we gazed in wonder and awe at the aisles and aisles of fresh food available to us. It was a grocery store mecca! We restrained ourselves and only bought what we needed - along with a few fresh fruits that we had been missing over the months.
We biked the rest of the way back to the marina, had lupper and dinghied back to the boat feeling like we had climbed Everest.
After our 6 mile bike ride, I can definitely say that cars now scare me - why do people drive so fast?! - and people are in such a hurry all the time! After waving to at least 15 people today, I finally got my first return volley from an older lady relaxing on her porch. Although it is nice to have everything back at our fingertips, it appears convenience will have a price. But us beach-going cruisers here on All In have decided we will keep the smiles and waves coming and continue to operate on island time.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
36Hour Day
5.23.11
We left Grand Cay yesterday morning at 0600 and took 12 hours to sail across Little Bahama Bank. The wind was nonexistent, so we motored the whole way. But even worse than motoring was the sweltering heat that we had starting as early as 0800 that day! And of course we were traveling West, so the sun was heating up the cockpit for the majority of the day - or rather, would have, if I hadn't come to the rescue. I rigged a sheet to hang down across the stern of the boat, effectively covering the helm and cockpit in glorious shade. Thankfully that made the day much more pleasant and we had made it to the edge of the bank before we knew it.
We had decided we were going to anchor there for a few hours, get some sleep and weigh anchor around midnight to start our crossing. But, I guess Mother Nature wasn't through with us just yet...
After a full day of no wind whatsoever, as soon as we dropped the anchor, the wind piped up to a gusty 15-20knots. In the middle of open water, there is no protection and so we bounced - roughly - for the following 6hours. We debated turning tail back to the lee of land, but decided we had come too far to head back. We waited it out, but the planned hours of sleep were never achieved. There is only so much relaxing that can occur while the boat is bouncing around so much - sleep was definitely not going to come easily. Although we lazed around for that time, neither of us was able to get much shut eye.
Finally, the wind shifted around 0100 and we hauled up the anchor and, on no sleep, started across the Stream. I took the first shift and, armed with Soda, snacks and a 5hour energy drink, managed to keep us going for the first 5hours. By then, the wind had shifted and I woke Brad up to help adjust the sails and take over the helm.
We alternated steering throughout the day, following our path on the GPS towards Ft. Pierce. We had hoped to sail the whole way, but as is normal in warmer weather, as the sun comes up, the wind goes down. By around 0800, we turned on the motor and had to motor sail the remainder of the trip.
It was a long and rolly day; waves hit our stern and our sides alternately, tossing us around like a toy boat. Luckily, the waves were smaller (only 3-4feet) and although the rolling was annoying, it could have been much worse.
We finally limped into Ft. Pierce Inlet around 1700 this evening, beyond exhausted and ready to drop anchor ASAP. Although we both made it home safely, with no sleep and little to eat, our alter egos were beginning to make appearances and the yelling and cursing had increased as the trip had progressed.
We dropped anchor, had a dinner that I don't even remember tasting and crawled into bed for the first sleep either of us had seen in the last 36 hours.
We left Grand Cay yesterday morning at 0600 and took 12 hours to sail across Little Bahama Bank. The wind was nonexistent, so we motored the whole way. But even worse than motoring was the sweltering heat that we had starting as early as 0800 that day! And of course we were traveling West, so the sun was heating up the cockpit for the majority of the day - or rather, would have, if I hadn't come to the rescue. I rigged a sheet to hang down across the stern of the boat, effectively covering the helm and cockpit in glorious shade. Thankfully that made the day much more pleasant and we had made it to the edge of the bank before we knew it.
We had decided we were going to anchor there for a few hours, get some sleep and weigh anchor around midnight to start our crossing. But, I guess Mother Nature wasn't through with us just yet...
After a full day of no wind whatsoever, as soon as we dropped the anchor, the wind piped up to a gusty 15-20knots. In the middle of open water, there is no protection and so we bounced - roughly - for the following 6hours. We debated turning tail back to the lee of land, but decided we had come too far to head back. We waited it out, but the planned hours of sleep were never achieved. There is only so much relaxing that can occur while the boat is bouncing around so much - sleep was definitely not going to come easily. Although we lazed around for that time, neither of us was able to get much shut eye.
Finally, the wind shifted around 0100 and we hauled up the anchor and, on no sleep, started across the Stream. I took the first shift and, armed with Soda, snacks and a 5hour energy drink, managed to keep us going for the first 5hours. By then, the wind had shifted and I woke Brad up to help adjust the sails and take over the helm.
We alternated steering throughout the day, following our path on the GPS towards Ft. Pierce. We had hoped to sail the whole way, but as is normal in warmer weather, as the sun comes up, the wind goes down. By around 0800, we turned on the motor and had to motor sail the remainder of the trip.
It was a long and rolly day; waves hit our stern and our sides alternately, tossing us around like a toy boat. Luckily, the waves were smaller (only 3-4feet) and although the rolling was annoying, it could have been much worse.
We finally limped into Ft. Pierce Inlet around 1700 this evening, beyond exhausted and ready to drop anchor ASAP. Although we both made it home safely, with no sleep and little to eat, our alter egos were beginning to make appearances and the yelling and cursing had increased as the trip had progressed.
We dropped anchor, had a dinner that I don't even remember tasting and crawled into bed for the first sleep either of us had seen in the last 36 hours.
Perfect Ending
5.21.11
Grand Cays have been a perfect ending to this trip. Having been previously burned out on squalls, wind and weather in general, these islands were just what the doctor ordered. We spent our first morning relaxing in the calm weather and then, at high tide, took Koa in to Sandy Cay. This is a small island in the middle of Double Breasted that, at low tide, is completely surrounded by dry land. So, at high tide, the water for about 50yards in any direction is no more than 3feet. By this time, Koa is an expert off-leash beach dog. We played fetch with him for an hour and then swam with him in the shallows. As we walked around the small island, he would prance ahead a bit and then stop and wait for us to catch up.
We circumnavigated the small islands of Double Breasted and, since the wind was nonexistent, were even able to beach our dinghy on an ocean side beach - with no waves to be found. It was flat calm and perfectly serene.
The following day, we moved to Grand Cays a few miles to the West to restock on supplies and stage for our big crossing. The weather was once again gorgeous and we dinghied Koa over to Wells Bay where we were treated to crystal clear waters and a white sand beach that stretched for miles - all to ourselves! We soaked in the last few hours of paradise and then headed back to the boat to get her ready for the voyage.
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the cockpit while we watched our last sunset in the Bahamas. Although the rest of the Abacos had been less than endearing, these last few islands, combined with the perfectly settled weather had renewed our love for the Bahamas and given us enough rest and relaxation to be ready for our trip back to the USA. We are sad to be leaving such tranquility, and yet ready to be back to the conveniences of the States.
Grand Cays have been a perfect ending to this trip. Having been previously burned out on squalls, wind and weather in general, these islands were just what the doctor ordered. We spent our first morning relaxing in the calm weather and then, at high tide, took Koa in to Sandy Cay. This is a small island in the middle of Double Breasted that, at low tide, is completely surrounded by dry land. So, at high tide, the water for about 50yards in any direction is no more than 3feet. By this time, Koa is an expert off-leash beach dog. We played fetch with him for an hour and then swam with him in the shallows. As we walked around the small island, he would prance ahead a bit and then stop and wait for us to catch up.
We circumnavigated the small islands of Double Breasted and, since the wind was nonexistent, were even able to beach our dinghy on an ocean side beach - with no waves to be found. It was flat calm and perfectly serene.
The following day, we moved to Grand Cays a few miles to the West to restock on supplies and stage for our big crossing. The weather was once again gorgeous and we dinghied Koa over to Wells Bay where we were treated to crystal clear waters and a white sand beach that stretched for miles - all to ourselves! We soaked in the last few hours of paradise and then headed back to the boat to get her ready for the voyage.
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the cockpit while we watched our last sunset in the Bahamas. Although the rest of the Abacos had been less than endearing, these last few islands, combined with the perfectly settled weather had renewed our love for the Bahamas and given us enough rest and relaxation to be ready for our trip back to the USA. We are sad to be leaving such tranquility, and yet ready to be back to the conveniences of the States.
Almost Home
5.20.11
We were woken up a 0600 yesterday morning to loud thunder. When we got up to check out the situation, we saw black ominous clouds looming just in the distance. We immediately got nervous (like I said, gun shy). We decided we didn't like where we were – we were anchored in a small cove surrounded by rocks, too close to shore and with a small boat that had anchored just off our stern. We put it in high gear, closed all the hatches, prepared for the worst, started the motor and started to pull the anchor in. Just as Brad had reached the bow, the wind gusted to 25knots and the anchor drug backwards about 50feet. We were quickly heading straight for the small boat behind us. To get the anchor out, we were going to have to get dangerously close to him. So, I made a judgment call and cranked the wheel in the opposite direction in reverse. This took us away from him and although we couldn't get the anchor up, with the engine and help from the wind, I was able to drag the boat, anchor in tow, safely away from the small boat. Once we were in a position to get the anchor up, Brad hauled it in. Whew – obstacle number one avoided.
But now we were headed towards the shallows. So, I had to steer in reverse out of the cove and through the rocks. I'm sure the other boats in the cove had quit the laugh at our antics so early in the morning, but I got us out safely! And no rain had even started falling yet.
Originally we were just going to drop anchor out in the middle of the bank so that if we drug we wouldn't hit anything, and then return to the island once the squall cleared. But a quick check of the weather said that the squall was 30miles wide and wouldn't be passing for quite some time. So, much to our dismay, we left the most gorgeous island in the Abacos and set out for the next anchorage.
We had also previously wanted to gunk hole and stop at all the small islands on the way up the chain, but we were tired and didn't want to anchor anymore than we had to, so we opted to cut the trip short and made a long day of it. With lightening and thunder at our backs, we raced the clouds to the farthest islands in the chain – we are only a bit over a 100miles from home.
We got to Double Breasted and attempted to get into this small anchorage, which involved going over an area of shallows of about 5feet – which is just what we draw. Well, we were unaware of the current that ripped through there and before we knew it, we were hard aground. As if the last few days hadn't exhausted us enough.
We struggled for an hour trying everything we knew to get off. Finally we had the good sense to throw out an anchor so that we wouldn't float farther onto the shallows and when the tide switched, we would be pushed off – or so we hoped.
As Brad was dropping the anchor 200feet beyond us, another dinghy came over to help. Thank goodness! So, while I revved the engine, Brad hauled on the anchor line and this little dinghy pushed on our bow, we finally managed to finagle the boat out of the sand.
It was now sunset and we still hadn't anchored. We found a spot of sand to the south of the island and dropped the anchor. And it held on the first try! Hallelujah!
We thought we were home free until the wind piped up again at midnight and threatened to blow us into the shallows. We were out in the open water and so our little boat was bouncing up and down like crazy. The anchor held firm, but neither of us got much sleep.
We are beyond exhausted and ready to back in the States. As soon as a weather window opens up, we will head for home. What a long, strange trip it has been....
We were woken up a 0600 yesterday morning to loud thunder. When we got up to check out the situation, we saw black ominous clouds looming just in the distance. We immediately got nervous (like I said, gun shy). We decided we didn't like where we were – we were anchored in a small cove surrounded by rocks, too close to shore and with a small boat that had anchored just off our stern. We put it in high gear, closed all the hatches, prepared for the worst, started the motor and started to pull the anchor in. Just as Brad had reached the bow, the wind gusted to 25knots and the anchor drug backwards about 50feet. We were quickly heading straight for the small boat behind us. To get the anchor out, we were going to have to get dangerously close to him. So, I made a judgment call and cranked the wheel in the opposite direction in reverse. This took us away from him and although we couldn't get the anchor up, with the engine and help from the wind, I was able to drag the boat, anchor in tow, safely away from the small boat. Once we were in a position to get the anchor up, Brad hauled it in. Whew – obstacle number one avoided.
But now we were headed towards the shallows. So, I had to steer in reverse out of the cove and through the rocks. I'm sure the other boats in the cove had quit the laugh at our antics so early in the morning, but I got us out safely! And no rain had even started falling yet.
Originally we were just going to drop anchor out in the middle of the bank so that if we drug we wouldn't hit anything, and then return to the island once the squall cleared. But a quick check of the weather said that the squall was 30miles wide and wouldn't be passing for quite some time. So, much to our dismay, we left the most gorgeous island in the Abacos and set out for the next anchorage.
We had also previously wanted to gunk hole and stop at all the small islands on the way up the chain, but we were tired and didn't want to anchor anymore than we had to, so we opted to cut the trip short and made a long day of it. With lightening and thunder at our backs, we raced the clouds to the farthest islands in the chain – we are only a bit over a 100miles from home.
We got to Double Breasted and attempted to get into this small anchorage, which involved going over an area of shallows of about 5feet – which is just what we draw. Well, we were unaware of the current that ripped through there and before we knew it, we were hard aground. As if the last few days hadn't exhausted us enough.
We struggled for an hour trying everything we knew to get off. Finally we had the good sense to throw out an anchor so that we wouldn't float farther onto the shallows and when the tide switched, we would be pushed off – or so we hoped.
As Brad was dropping the anchor 200feet beyond us, another dinghy came over to help. Thank goodness! So, while I revved the engine, Brad hauled on the anchor line and this little dinghy pushed on our bow, we finally managed to finagle the boat out of the sand.
It was now sunset and we still hadn't anchored. We found a spot of sand to the south of the island and dropped the anchor. And it held on the first try! Hallelujah!
We thought we were home free until the wind piped up again at midnight and threatened to blow us into the shallows. We were out in the open water and so our little boat was bouncing up and down like crazy. The anchor held firm, but neither of us got much sleep.
We are beyond exhausted and ready to back in the States. As soon as a weather window opens up, we will head for home. What a long, strange trip it has been....
Allens Pensacola
5.18.11
We left around 1000 this morning to head back up to Spanish Cay. In our excitement since leaving March Harbour, we had lost count of how many days we had been out and had unexpectedly run out of water. So, we went to the marina for a few minutes to refill the tank and get some groceries. This was a bit of a double back, but it was a nice day for a sail, so we didn't mind.
Unfortunately, as usually occurs, when mid-day came, the wind died down and we had to motor the last few hours. We arrived at Allens-Pensacola around 5pm, got the hook down on the second try and took Koa to the beach. This was the most gorgeous beach we had seen in all of the Abacos. The sand was silky smooth between our toes and the water was crystal clear. Koa quickly lost interest in his toy today and took up a new game – searching for conch shells. He realized he could see through the water so he would walk around until he could see one at his feet. Then he would dunk his head in for a few seconds and if he couldn't pull it out with his mouth, he would start furiously pawing the ground, rolling it closer to shore. These efforts were fruitless because eventually he would stir up so much sand he would lose the shell. But he would wait patiently for it to dissipate and then start the ritual all over again. It provided us with at least an hour of entertainment.
That night was the first, and only, night of solid sleep we had. The wind didn't blow over 10 and the water was like a lake. We were excited to get up the next day and explore this gorgeous island.
Of course, Mother Nature had other plans....
We left around 1000 this morning to head back up to Spanish Cay. In our excitement since leaving March Harbour, we had lost count of how many days we had been out and had unexpectedly run out of water. So, we went to the marina for a few minutes to refill the tank and get some groceries. This was a bit of a double back, but it was a nice day for a sail, so we didn't mind.
Unfortunately, as usually occurs, when mid-day came, the wind died down and we had to motor the last few hours. We arrived at Allens-Pensacola around 5pm, got the hook down on the second try and took Koa to the beach. This was the most gorgeous beach we had seen in all of the Abacos. The sand was silky smooth between our toes and the water was crystal clear. Koa quickly lost interest in his toy today and took up a new game – searching for conch shells. He realized he could see through the water so he would walk around until he could see one at his feet. Then he would dunk his head in for a few seconds and if he couldn't pull it out with his mouth, he would start furiously pawing the ground, rolling it closer to shore. These efforts were fruitless because eventually he would stir up so much sand he would lose the shell. But he would wait patiently for it to dissipate and then start the ritual all over again. It provided us with at least an hour of entertainment.
That night was the first, and only, night of solid sleep we had. The wind didn't blow over 10 and the water was like a lake. We were excited to get up the next day and explore this gorgeous island.
Of course, Mother Nature had other plans....
The Perfect Storm
5.17.11
The Abacos have been quite a dismal end to this otherwise perfect trip. The commercialization here is so built up it is sad to think these islands are part of the gorgeous uninhabited islands in the rest of the Bahamas. The bottom here is grass, making it near impossible to anchor and we have had more rain here than during the entire rest of our trip altogether!
And now, to add insult to injury, the squalls have begun. On land, you think nothing of waking up in the middle of the night to howling wind and torrential rain except how glad you are to be in a comfy bed. On the water, it is a nightmare.
Two nights ago we had the worst storm we have been in yet. We were awakened at 1am by lightening so intense and frequent we thought someone was shining a spotlight on our boat. We sat outside watching it as it appeared to pass to the West of us – shooting huge bolts of lightening to the ground and lighting up the whole sky around us. After a half hour of watching the skies, we were about to turn in when suddenly our boat took a sudden, unexpected lurch - the wind swinging our boat all the way around to the West in a split second. Suddenly, the storm was directly off our bow and heading straight for us!
In the next five minutes so many things happened at once it is hard to even remember what exactly occurred. We ran downstairs, slamming all the hatches closed along the way. We grabbed raincoats, the GPS, headlamps and the key to the boat. We ran back upstairs, me to the helm and Brad to the bow. In the five minutes it took for all of this to happen and by the time I turned the GPS on and had the engine on, the boat had already drug 200 feet! And we were still dragging – straight into the shallows.
At this point, the torrential downpour had begun and I could barely see Brad on the bow. Lightening strikes were hitting dangerously close to us on the shore beyond. The winds were overwhelming, blowing at least 40knots with 50knot gusts and, with the RPMs revved as high as they would go, I could not keep her pointed into the wind. We were underpowered.
As I struggled to gain some yards and keep us in one spot, Brad threw out all the anchor line that we had. The bow swung backwards as the line paid out and then lurched forward suddenly – the anchor had caught! Brad ran back to cockpit and we nervously watched the GPS to make sure we weren't dragging. No sooner had we taken our first breaths of relief than **SNAP**!!! We looked at each other, looked to the stern and as the next strike of lightening illuminated the sky we saw our dinghy floating away from the boat. By the time we overcame the shock of losing the dinghy it was too late to jump in after it. And with the mothership still possibly dragging anchor, it would do no good to have one person in the water and only one on the boat. We sent up a silent prayer that it would find dry land and we could retrieve it in the morning.
We sat outside in the pouring rain and the lightening, now devastatingly close, watching the GPS, watching the land and being careful not to touch anything metal....just in case. Two hours later, the worst was over. The wind backed down to a howling 25knots and the rain dropped to a heavy drizzle. The lightening continued to flash and we could see the dinghy now resting on the shore 500 feet behind us. We drug ourselves downstairs, weary from exhaustion, and crawled into bed for a few hours of sleep.
At first light, two hours later, we were out in the cockpit scouting the shore for our dinghy. We saw it in the same place it had been last night, floating in the tide and we worried as the tide lowered, it would go with it and be carried out to sea. There was only one other boat in the cove with us and so we sat outside and stalked them with binoculars, waiting for them to get up so we could enlist their assistance. Finally, by 10am, they had come over, taken us to shore and helped us get our dinghy, surprisingly unscathed, back to the boat.
The next night was another squall, although this one was only 30knots of wind and our anchor held firm. But after the intense storm the night before we were a bit gun shy and neither of us slept; as the wind howled outside we sat transfixed on the GPS, each silently praying that we wouldn't drag.
It seems there is no rest for the weary during spring in the Abacos.
The Abacos have been quite a dismal end to this otherwise perfect trip. The commercialization here is so built up it is sad to think these islands are part of the gorgeous uninhabited islands in the rest of the Bahamas. The bottom here is grass, making it near impossible to anchor and we have had more rain here than during the entire rest of our trip altogether!
And now, to add insult to injury, the squalls have begun. On land, you think nothing of waking up in the middle of the night to howling wind and torrential rain except how glad you are to be in a comfy bed. On the water, it is a nightmare.
Two nights ago we had the worst storm we have been in yet. We were awakened at 1am by lightening so intense and frequent we thought someone was shining a spotlight on our boat. We sat outside watching it as it appeared to pass to the West of us – shooting huge bolts of lightening to the ground and lighting up the whole sky around us. After a half hour of watching the skies, we were about to turn in when suddenly our boat took a sudden, unexpected lurch - the wind swinging our boat all the way around to the West in a split second. Suddenly, the storm was directly off our bow and heading straight for us!
In the next five minutes so many things happened at once it is hard to even remember what exactly occurred. We ran downstairs, slamming all the hatches closed along the way. We grabbed raincoats, the GPS, headlamps and the key to the boat. We ran back upstairs, me to the helm and Brad to the bow. In the five minutes it took for all of this to happen and by the time I turned the GPS on and had the engine on, the boat had already drug 200 feet! And we were still dragging – straight into the shallows.
At this point, the torrential downpour had begun and I could barely see Brad on the bow. Lightening strikes were hitting dangerously close to us on the shore beyond. The winds were overwhelming, blowing at least 40knots with 50knot gusts and, with the RPMs revved as high as they would go, I could not keep her pointed into the wind. We were underpowered.
As I struggled to gain some yards and keep us in one spot, Brad threw out all the anchor line that we had. The bow swung backwards as the line paid out and then lurched forward suddenly – the anchor had caught! Brad ran back to cockpit and we nervously watched the GPS to make sure we weren't dragging. No sooner had we taken our first breaths of relief than **SNAP**!!! We looked at each other, looked to the stern and as the next strike of lightening illuminated the sky we saw our dinghy floating away from the boat. By the time we overcame the shock of losing the dinghy it was too late to jump in after it. And with the mothership still possibly dragging anchor, it would do no good to have one person in the water and only one on the boat. We sent up a silent prayer that it would find dry land and we could retrieve it in the morning.
We sat outside in the pouring rain and the lightening, now devastatingly close, watching the GPS, watching the land and being careful not to touch anything metal....just in case. Two hours later, the worst was over. The wind backed down to a howling 25knots and the rain dropped to a heavy drizzle. The lightening continued to flash and we could see the dinghy now resting on the shore 500 feet behind us. We drug ourselves downstairs, weary from exhaustion, and crawled into bed for a few hours of sleep.
At first light, two hours later, we were out in the cockpit scouting the shore for our dinghy. We saw it in the same place it had been last night, floating in the tide and we worried as the tide lowered, it would go with it and be carried out to sea. There was only one other boat in the cove with us and so we sat outside and stalked them with binoculars, waiting for them to get up so we could enlist their assistance. Finally, by 10am, they had come over, taken us to shore and helped us get our dinghy, surprisingly unscathed, back to the boat.
The next night was another squall, although this one was only 30knots of wind and our anchor held firm. But after the intense storm the night before we were a bit gun shy and neither of us slept; as the wind howled outside we sat transfixed on the GPS, each silently praying that we wouldn't drag.
It seems there is no rest for the weary during spring in the Abacos.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Bittersweet
5,14,11
We have started our trek back to the States and it seems it is bittersweet for us both. Although this has been the best experience of our lives, we are eager to get back to the comforts of "home." The beautiful sandy white beaches, stretching for miles overlooking the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Atlantic are going to be sorely missed. Gone will be the days of frolicking in the water and playing in the sand, as reality slaps us in the face.
And although we are definitely NOT looking forward to the long and tedious job search ahead of us, we are eager to re-embrace the simplicities of life in the States. We will welcome fast food restaurants and restaurants in general for that matter - places where you can dine for under $40 a meal. The convenience of laundry facilities and indoor plumbing will not be lost on us! Imagine, hot showers everday! And a hose attached to the nearby dock, providing fresh water on demand; I can't say I will miss lugging 6gallon jugs of water around.
The internet, which has eluded us most of this trip, ready to be accessed with the click of a button. And phone calls to friends and family that are free!! (if these people have Verizon)
The Bahamas have been an amazing experience and have allowed us to grow as people, as well as seasoned sailors. But, we are ready to head back stateside and have the conveniences that everyone takes for granted back at our fingertips.
We have started our trek back to the States and it seems it is bittersweet for us both. Although this has been the best experience of our lives, we are eager to get back to the comforts of "home." The beautiful sandy white beaches, stretching for miles overlooking the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Atlantic are going to be sorely missed. Gone will be the days of frolicking in the water and playing in the sand, as reality slaps us in the face.
And although we are definitely NOT looking forward to the long and tedious job search ahead of us, we are eager to re-embrace the simplicities of life in the States. We will welcome fast food restaurants and restaurants in general for that matter - places where you can dine for under $40 a meal. The convenience of laundry facilities and indoor plumbing will not be lost on us! Imagine, hot showers everday! And a hose attached to the nearby dock, providing fresh water on demand; I can't say I will miss lugging 6gallon jugs of water around.
The internet, which has eluded us most of this trip, ready to be accessed with the click of a button. And phone calls to friends and family that are free!! (if these people have Verizon)
The Bahamas have been an amazing experience and have allowed us to grow as people, as well as seasoned sailors. But, we are ready to head back stateside and have the conveniences that everyone takes for granted back at our fingertips.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Spanish Cay
4.13.11
We finally uprooted from Manjack Cay and headed along to Spanish Cay. We had a great sail and made it here before lunch. We played the anchor game a few times before getting a good bite. We had planned on going in to shore, but the clouds looked a bit ominous and so we stayed on the boat for the afternoon, enjoying the beautiful day and the light breeze that floated through the boat.
Today we took Koa in to land and explored some of the local beaches. We must have been spoiled by the beaches in Exuma and now we are getting snotty about our beaches, because these were not as nice as some others that we have seen. Although the wind-blown royal palms towered around the beach, the water were not as clear and the waves were a bit rough.
We stopped in to the marina store and stocked up on a few necessities - including a splurge buy of ice cream!! We chatted with the cashier for a bit; she must have been bored and stoked that we had taken so much time to talk to her. She ended up giving us a free internet pass! It pays to be nice!
We are now enjoying a beautiful evening of baseball out in the cockpit. Tomorrow, on to a different island and safety from the approaching Southerly winds.
We finally uprooted from Manjack Cay and headed along to Spanish Cay. We had a great sail and made it here before lunch. We played the anchor game a few times before getting a good bite. We had planned on going in to shore, but the clouds looked a bit ominous and so we stayed on the boat for the afternoon, enjoying the beautiful day and the light breeze that floated through the boat.
Today we took Koa in to land and explored some of the local beaches. We must have been spoiled by the beaches in Exuma and now we are getting snotty about our beaches, because these were not as nice as some others that we have seen. Although the wind-blown royal palms towered around the beach, the water were not as clear and the waves were a bit rough.
We stopped in to the marina store and stocked up on a few necessities - including a splurge buy of ice cream!! We chatted with the cashier for a bit; she must have been bored and stoked that we had taken so much time to talk to her. She ended up giving us a free internet pass! It pays to be nice!
We are now enjoying a beautiful evening of baseball out in the cockpit. Tomorrow, on to a different island and safety from the approaching Southerly winds.
Manjack Cay
4.11.11
We left Green Turtle Cay Monday morning and made the short trip Northwest to Manjack Cay. It is uninhabited and we thought we would have the island to ourselves - but we were way off base!! We got around the corner into the protected harbour and were facing 10 other boats! So much for our quiet anchorage. We attempted to anchor 3 times in the grassy bottom before throwing in the towel and heading for the Western end of the island.
We were not alone at this anchorage either, even though it has no protection at all. After another 3 anchor drills, we managed to get a bite in a sandy patch. We stayed on the boat for the evening since the wind was blowing just enough to make us nervous that we may drag anchor. With so many other boats around, that would have been disastrous.
The following day we headed in to explore the island, mutt in tow. We walked across to the ocean beach and found our first (and only) Hamburger Bean!!!! YAY! This has to be a good sign for a safe passage across the Stream...I'm convinced of it.
We walked a few miles around the West end of the island, admiring the shells and beautiful turquoise waters surrounding us. We rounded a corner and found a beautiful little cove that we didn't know was there. We jumped in and played around with Koa for a bit, relishing the cool water after our hot afternoon walk.
The island was beautiful and we were sad to be leaving the following day.
We were so sad, in fact, that we decided to stay for an extra day! So, we spent more time splashing in the clear water and playing with Koa on the beach. And we had just gotten back on the boat when we heard the first claps of thunder. Due to the tall trees on the island we had not seen the black approaching clouds that were approaching on full speed ahead! We rushed to close all the hatches and sat staring at the GPS, key in hand, praying that the anchor would hold.
The anchor held...kind of. We drug a short ways, but the anchor bit back in and held steady for the remainder of the blow. This grassy bottom sure is giving us some trouble! After this experience, we will be glad to get back to the muddy waters of the ICW!
We left Green Turtle Cay Monday morning and made the short trip Northwest to Manjack Cay. It is uninhabited and we thought we would have the island to ourselves - but we were way off base!! We got around the corner into the protected harbour and were facing 10 other boats! So much for our quiet anchorage. We attempted to anchor 3 times in the grassy bottom before throwing in the towel and heading for the Western end of the island.
We were not alone at this anchorage either, even though it has no protection at all. After another 3 anchor drills, we managed to get a bite in a sandy patch. We stayed on the boat for the evening since the wind was blowing just enough to make us nervous that we may drag anchor. With so many other boats around, that would have been disastrous.
The following day we headed in to explore the island, mutt in tow. We walked across to the ocean beach and found our first (and only) Hamburger Bean!!!! YAY! This has to be a good sign for a safe passage across the Stream...I'm convinced of it.
We walked a few miles around the West end of the island, admiring the shells and beautiful turquoise waters surrounding us. We rounded a corner and found a beautiful little cove that we didn't know was there. We jumped in and played around with Koa for a bit, relishing the cool water after our hot afternoon walk.
The island was beautiful and we were sad to be leaving the following day.
We were so sad, in fact, that we decided to stay for an extra day! So, we spent more time splashing in the clear water and playing with Koa on the beach. And we had just gotten back on the boat when we heard the first claps of thunder. Due to the tall trees on the island we had not seen the black approaching clouds that were approaching on full speed ahead! We rushed to close all the hatches and sat staring at the GPS, key in hand, praying that the anchor would hold.
The anchor held...kind of. We drug a short ways, but the anchor bit back in and held steady for the remainder of the blow. This grassy bottom sure is giving us some trouble! After this experience, we will be glad to get back to the muddy waters of the ICW!
Mothers Day
5.9.11
We decided to splurge on Mothers Day - in honor of the fantastic, amazing women who we are proud to call Mom - and dinghied in to the local marina for lunch and some pool time. We had a delicious lunch, served by two charming local girls. The restaurant overlooks the small harbour and is very open, so we had a great breeze blowing through. After lunch, we started a load of laundry and then hit the pool. A freshwater pool! All to ourselves!! We stayed in the pool area for the two hours it took to finish laundry and then, feeling refreshed and clean, headed back to the boat.
We checked the chart to see where we would head next and decided we should fill up our stores of fuel, water and groceries before leaving this island, as most of the islands between here and the states are uninhabited. We took all of our jerry cans and filled up at the marina and readied the boat for tomorrow's sail.
We slept in a bit this morning and now Brad is at the grocer while I sit here typing our blog. We will have breakfast and then head West 5 miles to the next island in the chain. This island has been great – the people have been phenomenal, but we are looking forward to being on a deserted island with no one around to bother us. It is shaping up to be another gorgeous day and so far, the forecast for the rest of the week looks fantastic! Hopefully the weather will hold out for the remainder of our travels here in the Bahamas and we can enjoy the last few weeks of our trip.
We decided to splurge on Mothers Day - in honor of the fantastic, amazing women who we are proud to call Mom - and dinghied in to the local marina for lunch and some pool time. We had a delicious lunch, served by two charming local girls. The restaurant overlooks the small harbour and is very open, so we had a great breeze blowing through. After lunch, we started a load of laundry and then hit the pool. A freshwater pool! All to ourselves!! We stayed in the pool area for the two hours it took to finish laundry and then, feeling refreshed and clean, headed back to the boat.
We checked the chart to see where we would head next and decided we should fill up our stores of fuel, water and groceries before leaving this island, as most of the islands between here and the states are uninhabited. We took all of our jerry cans and filled up at the marina and readied the boat for tomorrow's sail.
We slept in a bit this morning and now Brad is at the grocer while I sit here typing our blog. We will have breakfast and then head West 5 miles to the next island in the chain. This island has been great – the people have been phenomenal, but we are looking forward to being on a deserted island with no one around to bother us. It is shaping up to be another gorgeous day and so far, the forecast for the rest of the week looks fantastic! Hopefully the weather will hold out for the remainder of our travels here in the Bahamas and we can enjoy the last few weeks of our trip.
Green Turtle Cay Heritage Festival
5.7.11
We arrived at Green Turtle Cay on Friday afternoon, after a great morning sail. It was a short trip and we were able to sail the whole way. We had heard there was a Heritage Festival going on this weekend and were not to be disappointed. We could hear the music long before we pulled into the anchorage. And when we came around the corner into the harbour, we were among 30 other boats. We picked our anchor spot and headed in for the festivities. Unfortunately, at the time of our arrival there wasn't much going on. We ran into some friends and talked with them for awhile before meandering around the fairgrounds.
There was some beautiful straw work and purses and totes made from Androsia cloth (a thick, durable Bahamian cloth made only on the island of Andros). However, in keeping with the tradition of the Abacos, these items were very pricey and too much for our small cruising budget. There was also a tent with the history of Junkanoo and some costumes that had been worn at this year's celebration. Junkanoo occurs on Boxing Day and is a celebration of life. Started by the slaves, it occurs right after Christmas because they were all alloted three days off for the holidays.
There was delicious smelling food everywhere and we decided to skip lunch on Saturday so that we could indulge in some of the local cuisine. After walking the length of the area, we decided to head back to the boat and come back in for the evening's festivities. Well, you know how that goes. Once we got back on the boat, cooked dinner and settled outside to watch the sunset, we were exhausted. Since we could hear the music clearly on our boat, we settled down with a glass of wine and enjoyed the lights and music from the comfort of home.
Saturday we awoke to calm winds and clear water. But by midday, we could see ominous clouds in the distance and feel the wind start to pick up. Brad dove on our anchor, to make sure it was in; it was only hanging on by one fluke. So, he dislodged it and righted it in the sand. We got back on the boat and backed down on the anchor to hopefully dig the anchor deep into the sand and hold us in place for the approaching blow. We settled down to have a small lunch and wait for the rain to pass.
The front came through with a vengeance, throwing heavy rain and 30knot winds our way. We had just taken the first bites of our sandwich when our drag anchor alarm went off and, simultaneously, we heard an air horn blast from our neighbor – the signal that someone is dragging anchor. We have heard the horn tons of times in various anchorages, as it is common for boats anchors to dislodge when a sudden blow occurs. But this was the first time that it was for us! We were quickly heading straight for the boat beside us. I grabbed the key and flew up the stairs, turned the engine over and raced up the RPMs, trying to keep us in one place. Brad scrambled to the bow and pulled in the anchor. We debated keeping the motor running until the blow passed and then resetting the anchor, but decided to head a bit outside of the anchorage and re-drop so that if drug again, we wouldn't be near any other boats. So, with sheets of rain pouring into the cockpit on us, I tried to steer the boat clear of the anchorage and out past all the other boats. It rained heavily for 30minutes and then petered out to a sprinkle. Brad went back to bow and we tried dropping the anchor again. Finally, after 4 tries we found a sandy spot and managed to get a good bite. Of course, by this point, the wind had completely died down and the forecast said we weren't expected to get anything over 10knots for the next 5 days. So, all of this had been an exercise in futility.
But, we had finally found our Achilles heel – we cannot anchor in grass. Our anchor is a bit undersized for our size boat (something we didn't know before we came down here) and it is the wrong anchor for anchoring in grass. Luckily, up until the Abacos, we had been anchoring in sand, so we hadn't encountered this problem. Unluckily, all of the Abacos are grass – so we get to look forward to anchor issues for the remainder of our trip. Swell....
With the anchor finally set and the wind down to a slight breeze, we took the dog and headed for the festivities. We dined on delicious conch salad and watched a rousing tournament of Slam Dominos (as is implied by the name, for some unknown reason, all players must SLAM each Domino tile down). We were treated to a demonstration of the maypole by a young group of girls. And also caught a Junkanoo parade where they played goat skin drums and danced around the area in the Junkanoo costumes.
We took Koa back to the boat and had dinner while the sun set. We opted to actually head back in for the evening music fest tonight. We stopped by a friend's boat on the way and stumbled on a sundowner in progress, which we were quickly invited aboard for. Some of our friends from Georgetown had gathered for the evening and we sat and spoke with them for a long while. Lucky for us, they were eager to help us solve some of the electrical and mechanical problems that we were having. They had excellent advice and we soaked it up like sponges. After absorbing all the information we could from them, we headed in for the music.
We had a blast! We danced with all the locals to the amazing music of the Rake and Scrape band. We were there for hours and had the best time! We left when our feet were covered in sand and I was too tired to dance another minute. We ran into some people at the dinghy dock who couldn't get their outboard started, so, generous folks that we are, we offered to give them a tow home. We found out they were from Baltimore and we had a great chat en route. Halfway home, they got their motor started and so we parted company. We fell into bed, too exhausted to move.
We arrived at Green Turtle Cay on Friday afternoon, after a great morning sail. It was a short trip and we were able to sail the whole way. We had heard there was a Heritage Festival going on this weekend and were not to be disappointed. We could hear the music long before we pulled into the anchorage. And when we came around the corner into the harbour, we were among 30 other boats. We picked our anchor spot and headed in for the festivities. Unfortunately, at the time of our arrival there wasn't much going on. We ran into some friends and talked with them for awhile before meandering around the fairgrounds.
There was some beautiful straw work and purses and totes made from Androsia cloth (a thick, durable Bahamian cloth made only on the island of Andros). However, in keeping with the tradition of the Abacos, these items were very pricey and too much for our small cruising budget. There was also a tent with the history of Junkanoo and some costumes that had been worn at this year's celebration. Junkanoo occurs on Boxing Day and is a celebration of life. Started by the slaves, it occurs right after Christmas because they were all alloted three days off for the holidays.
There was delicious smelling food everywhere and we decided to skip lunch on Saturday so that we could indulge in some of the local cuisine. After walking the length of the area, we decided to head back to the boat and come back in for the evening's festivities. Well, you know how that goes. Once we got back on the boat, cooked dinner and settled outside to watch the sunset, we were exhausted. Since we could hear the music clearly on our boat, we settled down with a glass of wine and enjoyed the lights and music from the comfort of home.
Saturday we awoke to calm winds and clear water. But by midday, we could see ominous clouds in the distance and feel the wind start to pick up. Brad dove on our anchor, to make sure it was in; it was only hanging on by one fluke. So, he dislodged it and righted it in the sand. We got back on the boat and backed down on the anchor to hopefully dig the anchor deep into the sand and hold us in place for the approaching blow. We settled down to have a small lunch and wait for the rain to pass.
The front came through with a vengeance, throwing heavy rain and 30knot winds our way. We had just taken the first bites of our sandwich when our drag anchor alarm went off and, simultaneously, we heard an air horn blast from our neighbor – the signal that someone is dragging anchor. We have heard the horn tons of times in various anchorages, as it is common for boats anchors to dislodge when a sudden blow occurs. But this was the first time that it was for us! We were quickly heading straight for the boat beside us. I grabbed the key and flew up the stairs, turned the engine over and raced up the RPMs, trying to keep us in one place. Brad scrambled to the bow and pulled in the anchor. We debated keeping the motor running until the blow passed and then resetting the anchor, but decided to head a bit outside of the anchorage and re-drop so that if drug again, we wouldn't be near any other boats. So, with sheets of rain pouring into the cockpit on us, I tried to steer the boat clear of the anchorage and out past all the other boats. It rained heavily for 30minutes and then petered out to a sprinkle. Brad went back to bow and we tried dropping the anchor again. Finally, after 4 tries we found a sandy spot and managed to get a good bite. Of course, by this point, the wind had completely died down and the forecast said we weren't expected to get anything over 10knots for the next 5 days. So, all of this had been an exercise in futility.
But, we had finally found our Achilles heel – we cannot anchor in grass. Our anchor is a bit undersized for our size boat (something we didn't know before we came down here) and it is the wrong anchor for anchoring in grass. Luckily, up until the Abacos, we had been anchoring in sand, so we hadn't encountered this problem. Unluckily, all of the Abacos are grass – so we get to look forward to anchor issues for the remainder of our trip. Swell....
With the anchor finally set and the wind down to a slight breeze, we took the dog and headed for the festivities. We dined on delicious conch salad and watched a rousing tournament of Slam Dominos (as is implied by the name, for some unknown reason, all players must SLAM each Domino tile down). We were treated to a demonstration of the maypole by a young group of girls. And also caught a Junkanoo parade where they played goat skin drums and danced around the area in the Junkanoo costumes.
We took Koa back to the boat and had dinner while the sun set. We opted to actually head back in for the evening music fest tonight. We stopped by a friend's boat on the way and stumbled on a sundowner in progress, which we were quickly invited aboard for. Some of our friends from Georgetown had gathered for the evening and we sat and spoke with them for a long while. Lucky for us, they were eager to help us solve some of the electrical and mechanical problems that we were having. They had excellent advice and we soaked it up like sponges. After absorbing all the information we could from them, we headed in for the music.
We had a blast! We danced with all the locals to the amazing music of the Rake and Scrape band. We were there for hours and had the best time! We left when our feet were covered in sand and I was too tired to dance another minute. We ran into some people at the dinghy dock who couldn't get their outboard started, so, generous folks that we are, we offered to give them a tow home. We found out they were from Baltimore and we had a great chat en route. Halfway home, they got their motor started and so we parted company. We fell into bed, too exhausted to move.
Guana Cay
5.6.11
Snorkeling was not in our future at Guana Cay; instead we dinghied over to a deserted beach for some sunbathing and beach combing. We found so many sand dollars at this one beach we were amazed! We spent the rest of the gorgeous afternoon playing in the crystal clear water and laying on the beautiful white sandy beach.
On a side note: apparently sand dollars, when living, have a soft spiny covering on them – usually purple, brown, or green - and the shells that we pick up off the beaches are actually dead sand dollars. The fragile shells are actually their bones. Who knew?! Thank you google!
We waited eagerly for the front to pass through so we could go on about our travels. While we experienced a full day of cloud cover and some intermittent rain, we never got the expected winds and the weather stayed mild for the remainder of our stay at Guana.
Snorkeling was not in our future at Guana Cay; instead we dinghied over to a deserted beach for some sunbathing and beach combing. We found so many sand dollars at this one beach we were amazed! We spent the rest of the gorgeous afternoon playing in the crystal clear water and laying on the beautiful white sandy beach.
On a side note: apparently sand dollars, when living, have a soft spiny covering on them – usually purple, brown, or green - and the shells that we pick up off the beaches are actually dead sand dollars. The fragile shells are actually their bones. Who knew?! Thank you google!
We waited eagerly for the front to pass through so we could go on about our travels. While we experienced a full day of cloud cover and some intermittent rain, we never got the expected winds and the weather stayed mild for the remainder of our stay at Guana.
Marsh Harbour and Kelly's Birthday!
5.4.11
We spent the last week or so in Marsh Harbour just relaxing and enjoying the town. We worked on a few things around the boat, but mostly played. We walked most of the town and met some of the locals. Having internet available, somewhat, to us has made us start getting back into real life. We have spent hours planning the wedding and combing the internet for jobs and marinas. We are as yet undecided as to where we will end up, but we are at least narrowing it down.
We have noticed how much we dislike Marsh Harbour in comparison with the rest of the places we have been. It is too commercialized and seems like an extension of Florida - “Florida without all the rules” as we heard it explained once. The weather here also seems to be much bleaker. We have had more rain here than the whole time we have been in the Bahamas. And where previously the rain would only occur for a few hours, these clouds stay for days on end. We have had few cloudless sunny days. The ambient temperature is a lot lower as well – even getting a bit chilly in the evenings. Perhaps we are just getting picky as we travel more, but we would give anything to be back in the Exumas now!
For my birthday, we had a delicious steak dinner (thanks to my awesome parents!) and then went to a local bar for their “Mardi Gras” celebration. We ran into some friends from Georgetown, one who shared my birthday, and stayed late into the night catching up and enjoying the rum punches.
This morning we slept in and left around 1000 for Guana Cay. There is a gnarly blow heading our way tonight and we are seeking cover behind Guana Cay. For now, the wind is very calm and I think we will end up snorkeling off Nippers before the day is out.
The sun is high and it is a gorgeous day for sailing! Days like today reinforce our love for the decisions we have made that have gotten us here and appreciate the people who have helped us along the way.
We spent the last week or so in Marsh Harbour just relaxing and enjoying the town. We worked on a few things around the boat, but mostly played. We walked most of the town and met some of the locals. Having internet available, somewhat, to us has made us start getting back into real life. We have spent hours planning the wedding and combing the internet for jobs and marinas. We are as yet undecided as to where we will end up, but we are at least narrowing it down.
We have noticed how much we dislike Marsh Harbour in comparison with the rest of the places we have been. It is too commercialized and seems like an extension of Florida - “Florida without all the rules” as we heard it explained once. The weather here also seems to be much bleaker. We have had more rain here than the whole time we have been in the Bahamas. And where previously the rain would only occur for a few hours, these clouds stay for days on end. We have had few cloudless sunny days. The ambient temperature is a lot lower as well – even getting a bit chilly in the evenings. Perhaps we are just getting picky as we travel more, but we would give anything to be back in the Exumas now!
For my birthday, we had a delicious steak dinner (thanks to my awesome parents!) and then went to a local bar for their “Mardi Gras” celebration. We ran into some friends from Georgetown, one who shared my birthday, and stayed late into the night catching up and enjoying the rum punches.
This morning we slept in and left around 1000 for Guana Cay. There is a gnarly blow heading our way tonight and we are seeking cover behind Guana Cay. For now, the wind is very calm and I think we will end up snorkeling off Nippers before the day is out.
The sun is high and it is a gorgeous day for sailing! Days like today reinforce our love for the decisions we have made that have gotten us here and appreciate the people who have helped us along the way.
Sad Goodbyes
4.27.11
We woke up early this morning to get my parents back in time for their afternoon flight. Fortunately, the wind was exactly where it needed to be and we were back in no time at all after a wonderful morning sail. We took them in to the local grocery store where they re-provisioned for us and enjoyed looking at all the different Bahamian brands and items.
Afterward, we went over to the Jib Room where they were able to take long, hot showers and we were able to take a dip in their freshwater pool! It was a great refresher for us all. We had a delicious lunch and then said our goodbyes as we ushered them in to a taxi.
They were a tremendous help while they were here and we are going to miss our crew members! Who is going to hoist the sails and do the dishes now?! We were all surprised at how well they adjusted to boat life and I think they went home more refreshed than when they arrived – which is the point to a Bahamian vacation anyway!
We woke up early this morning to get my parents back in time for their afternoon flight. Fortunately, the wind was exactly where it needed to be and we were back in no time at all after a wonderful morning sail. We took them in to the local grocery store where they re-provisioned for us and enjoyed looking at all the different Bahamian brands and items.
Afterward, we went over to the Jib Room where they were able to take long, hot showers and we were able to take a dip in their freshwater pool! It was a great refresher for us all. We had a delicious lunch and then said our goodbyes as we ushered them in to a taxi.
They were a tremendous help while they were here and we are going to miss our crew members! Who is going to hoist the sails and do the dishes now?! We were all surprised at how well they adjusted to boat life and I think they went home more refreshed than when they arrived – which is the point to a Bahamian vacation anyway!
Tour of the Abacos
4.26.11
We left early yesterday morning to head South to Man-O-War Cay – unfortunately, the wind had other plans. Rain and strong winds of about 20 knots were blowing right on our nose. We attempted to tack into them for the first two hours, but finally had to give in to motoring. Even motoring was slow going as we were only make 2knots/hour headway into the wind. My parents took it like champs, each bundled up in rain gear, my Mom steadily clicking pictures, my Dad hoisting sails and steering wherever we directed. They were a bit put out by the nasty weather, but didn't complain...too much.
We finally made it to Man-O-War and anchored close to the beach in a “protected” anchorage. The weather cleared up by the afternoon enough for us to venture into town. Unfortunately, it was Easter Monday and everything was closed. But, we had a great walk around town and had dinner at a fabulous dock and dine restaurant right on the water. We were treated to a spectacular sunset before heading back to the boat.
The wind picked up overnight and shifted to a more Southerly direction, which we were not protected from. We were bouncing all around and the surge was throwing our boat from side to side. Brad was up constantly checking the anchor and my parents didn't get much sleep due to all the bouncing around and the noises that come with strong winds. By early morning, the wind died down and everyone slept in to make up for some of the lost zzzzs.
We left mid-morning for Hopetown, the last stop on the tour. Hopetown lighthouse is historic - a fresnel lens, only 1 of 3 left in the world. Google it, it is unbelievable how they work! The weather was good, so we all headed into town with Koa in tow. No dogs were allowed in the lighthouse and since I had already been up, I walked Koa around the grounds while Brad and my parents headed up. My Mom, having already done her homework, was very interested in the inner workings of the light and they spent quite a long time up there. The height also allowed for a beautiful view of the Sea of Abaco and the many islands scattered around.
Hopetown itself is quite a gem and we spent hours wandering around the streets admiring the houses and the views. Mom took at least 200 pictures of all the houses there until I finally had to cut her off. Enough with the houses! We walked around a bit more, enjoying the town before heading back out to the boat. We took a dip in the crystal clear water and then had a relaxing evening on the boat.
Tomorrow we head back to Marsh Harbour to drop them off for their flight home.
We left early yesterday morning to head South to Man-O-War Cay – unfortunately, the wind had other plans. Rain and strong winds of about 20 knots were blowing right on our nose. We attempted to tack into them for the first two hours, but finally had to give in to motoring. Even motoring was slow going as we were only make 2knots/hour headway into the wind. My parents took it like champs, each bundled up in rain gear, my Mom steadily clicking pictures, my Dad hoisting sails and steering wherever we directed. They were a bit put out by the nasty weather, but didn't complain...too much.
We finally made it to Man-O-War and anchored close to the beach in a “protected” anchorage. The weather cleared up by the afternoon enough for us to venture into town. Unfortunately, it was Easter Monday and everything was closed. But, we had a great walk around town and had dinner at a fabulous dock and dine restaurant right on the water. We were treated to a spectacular sunset before heading back to the boat.
The wind picked up overnight and shifted to a more Southerly direction, which we were not protected from. We were bouncing all around and the surge was throwing our boat from side to side. Brad was up constantly checking the anchor and my parents didn't get much sleep due to all the bouncing around and the noises that come with strong winds. By early morning, the wind died down and everyone slept in to make up for some of the lost zzzzs.
We left mid-morning for Hopetown, the last stop on the tour. Hopetown lighthouse is historic - a fresnel lens, only 1 of 3 left in the world. Google it, it is unbelievable how they work! The weather was good, so we all headed into town with Koa in tow. No dogs were allowed in the lighthouse and since I had already been up, I walked Koa around the grounds while Brad and my parents headed up. My Mom, having already done her homework, was very interested in the inner workings of the light and they spent quite a long time up there. The height also allowed for a beautiful view of the Sea of Abaco and the many islands scattered around.
Hopetown itself is quite a gem and we spent hours wandering around the streets admiring the houses and the views. Mom took at least 200 pictures of all the houses there until I finally had to cut her off. Enough with the houses! We walked around a bit more, enjoying the town before heading back out to the boat. We took a dip in the crystal clear water and then had a relaxing evening on the boat.
Tomorrow we head back to Marsh Harbour to drop them off for their flight home.
Parents Day 1
4.24.11
The much anticipated arrival of my parents occurred yesterday; they flew into Marsh Harbour where we met them at a restaurant for lunch. They had reluctantly agreed to stay on the boat with us so that we could teach them to sail and take them to some of the surrounding islands. The day was warm and bright and we had a great lunch at Curly Tails. Afterward, we dinghied them out to the mothership. They were impressed with how big it looked out amongst the other boats and impressed that we had given up our berth for them to have during their stay.
We spent the first night just sitting in the cockpit catching up and enjoying some run drinks while the sun set. We showed them our conch horn and after demonstrating how to properly use it, passed it along so that they could give it a try. Dad didn't have much luck, but did succeed in making my mother laugh so hard I thought she might fall off the boat. My mom, much to everyone's surprise (including her own!) was very good at the conch horn!
The following morning, we woke early to head over to Guana Cay. Nippers Beach Bar was having an Easter Egg hunt on the reef – snorkeling for eggs! We made it there in good time – making my Dad hoist the sails and take the helm. My Mom proved to be a great photographer and so sat tight in her chair while we moved. We were heeled over quite a bit, and after some white knuckled grips on the railings and wary eyes on the approaching seas, they settled in and took it like old pros.
We made it to Nippers, but the wind was so strong that day that they had decided to bury the eggs in the sand on the beach - the waves made snorkeling impossible. We were a bit late, so most of the eggs had already been unearthed. We opted just to sit upstairs with our Nippers frozen drinks and enjoy the view. We sat and chatted with some friends for a few hours before heading back out to the boat for naps (a few Nippers will do that to you!) It was blazing hot by the afternoon, so Brad, Dad and I jumped in and played catch with Koa for awhile. My Mom stayed on the boat to help haul him in whenever he needed a break. They got a kick out of Koa jumping off the back of the boat!
We had another delicious dinner accompanied by a beautiful sunset and all hit the sack in preparation for another sail in the morning.
The much anticipated arrival of my parents occurred yesterday; they flew into Marsh Harbour where we met them at a restaurant for lunch. They had reluctantly agreed to stay on the boat with us so that we could teach them to sail and take them to some of the surrounding islands. The day was warm and bright and we had a great lunch at Curly Tails. Afterward, we dinghied them out to the mothership. They were impressed with how big it looked out amongst the other boats and impressed that we had given up our berth for them to have during their stay.
We spent the first night just sitting in the cockpit catching up and enjoying some run drinks while the sun set. We showed them our conch horn and after demonstrating how to properly use it, passed it along so that they could give it a try. Dad didn't have much luck, but did succeed in making my mother laugh so hard I thought she might fall off the boat. My mom, much to everyone's surprise (including her own!) was very good at the conch horn!
The following morning, we woke early to head over to Guana Cay. Nippers Beach Bar was having an Easter Egg hunt on the reef – snorkeling for eggs! We made it there in good time – making my Dad hoist the sails and take the helm. My Mom proved to be a great photographer and so sat tight in her chair while we moved. We were heeled over quite a bit, and after some white knuckled grips on the railings and wary eyes on the approaching seas, they settled in and took it like old pros.
We made it to Nippers, but the wind was so strong that day that they had decided to bury the eggs in the sand on the beach - the waves made snorkeling impossible. We were a bit late, so most of the eggs had already been unearthed. We opted just to sit upstairs with our Nippers frozen drinks and enjoy the view. We sat and chatted with some friends for a few hours before heading back out to the boat for naps (a few Nippers will do that to you!) It was blazing hot by the afternoon, so Brad, Dad and I jumped in and played catch with Koa for awhile. My Mom stayed on the boat to help haul him in whenever he needed a break. They got a kick out of Koa jumping off the back of the boat!
We had another delicious dinner accompanied by a beautiful sunset and all hit the sack in preparation for another sail in the morning.
Little Harbour
4.22.11
We left Lubbers Quarter at high tide on 4.19 and headed South to Little Harbour. We had a great sail and had made the 20 mile trek before we knew it. We thought we might get in a little beach time before the sunset, but soon realized we had put the cart before the horse. We attempted to anchor 3 times before the anchor finally made purchase. We were both yelling at each other, yelling at the anchor, even yelling at Koa (like that was going to help!). We were relieved to finally have it in, and despite the fact that we were much farther away from the beach then we wanted to be, we dared not move again for fear that it would never reset. After that fiasco we were pooped! So we opted to have a relaxing evening on the boat and take Koa to shore in the morning.
We were on our way to the beach the next morning as we zoomed by a boat that I recognized. I had Brad turn around and we went to greet our friends Following Tides. We had randomly run into them again! They had just come up from Nassau and were heading up to Marsh Harbour. We took Koa in to the beach, promising to get together with them later.
After a beach run with the mutt, we headed North in the dinghy to snorkel Sandy Cay. We tied up to one of the moorings and jumped right in. The water was chilly! This reef is very large and is at the mouth of one of the cuts into the Abaco Sea, so the water is very clear. The reef was huge, coming up 30 feet to the surface. There were reef of all kinds and colors and fish everywhere. The fish were obviously used to being fed, as they followed us around eagerly awaiting their handouts. We were empty handed though and they soon lost interest in us. Many people had told us they saw eagle rays and sharks while snorkeling these waters, but we were not lucky enough to be able to experience that. Nonetheless, the reef was spectacular and it had been a perfect day to snorkel!
We headed back to the boat, picked up Following Tides and then went South to Little Harbour. We ate lunch at the famed Pete's Pub, which we found to be overpriced and touristy. Then we dinghied across the harbour to some caves that the original founders of Little Harbour had lived in while building their houses. The caves were very large and infested with bats, so while I stood outside with Darlene, the boys went in a bit further to investigate. There wasn't much there, so we retired back to our boats for dinner.
Tides had us over for taco night and it was some of the best tacos we have ever had! Between the two boats, we had every possible taco topping one could imagine. After two tacos we were all stuffed so full we could hardly move! So, we drank a few more glasses of wine and played a rousing game of Sequence.
The following day the water was a bit choppier so we opted not to sail, but to sit tight and get some work done on the boat. It was a bumpy day, but we got a lot accomplished and were glad that the wind settled down before nightfall.
We left Lubbers Quarter at high tide on 4.19 and headed South to Little Harbour. We had a great sail and had made the 20 mile trek before we knew it. We thought we might get in a little beach time before the sunset, but soon realized we had put the cart before the horse. We attempted to anchor 3 times before the anchor finally made purchase. We were both yelling at each other, yelling at the anchor, even yelling at Koa (like that was going to help!). We were relieved to finally have it in, and despite the fact that we were much farther away from the beach then we wanted to be, we dared not move again for fear that it would never reset. After that fiasco we were pooped! So we opted to have a relaxing evening on the boat and take Koa to shore in the morning.
We were on our way to the beach the next morning as we zoomed by a boat that I recognized. I had Brad turn around and we went to greet our friends Following Tides. We had randomly run into them again! They had just come up from Nassau and were heading up to Marsh Harbour. We took Koa in to the beach, promising to get together with them later.
After a beach run with the mutt, we headed North in the dinghy to snorkel Sandy Cay. We tied up to one of the moorings and jumped right in. The water was chilly! This reef is very large and is at the mouth of one of the cuts into the Abaco Sea, so the water is very clear. The reef was huge, coming up 30 feet to the surface. There were reef of all kinds and colors and fish everywhere. The fish were obviously used to being fed, as they followed us around eagerly awaiting their handouts. We were empty handed though and they soon lost interest in us. Many people had told us they saw eagle rays and sharks while snorkeling these waters, but we were not lucky enough to be able to experience that. Nonetheless, the reef was spectacular and it had been a perfect day to snorkel!
We headed back to the boat, picked up Following Tides and then went South to Little Harbour. We ate lunch at the famed Pete's Pub, which we found to be overpriced and touristy. Then we dinghied across the harbour to some caves that the original founders of Little Harbour had lived in while building their houses. The caves were very large and infested with bats, so while I stood outside with Darlene, the boys went in a bit further to investigate. There wasn't much there, so we retired back to our boats for dinner.
Tides had us over for taco night and it was some of the best tacos we have ever had! Between the two boats, we had every possible taco topping one could imagine. After two tacos we were all stuffed so full we could hardly move! So, we drank a few more glasses of wine and played a rousing game of Sequence.
The following day the water was a bit choppier so we opted not to sail, but to sit tight and get some work done on the boat. It was a bumpy day, but we got a lot accomplished and were glad that the wind settled down before nightfall.
Full Moon
4.17.11
Tonight is a full moon, which here in Abaco means one thing – lots of Full Moon parties!! We decided to go to Cracker P's for their party, so we hauled up the anchor and took off for Lubbers Quarter. We were fighting the wind most of the way, so were making slow headway. Halfway there, the sky started looking ominous so we rushed downstairs, donned our bathing suits, grabbed our bars of soap and shampoo and waited for the impending showers (pun intended!). The rains came, although not in the sheets that were pouring down all around us. We were wet enough for a bit of a shower and I even got to wipe the deck down one good time. The showers ended, but the ominous skies remained.
We made it to Hopetown when we realized that the navigator (ashamedly, that would be me) had made a dreadful mistake and we were coming in at low tide instead of high. Oops! The water here was too shallow and we were soon churning up mud as we slogged along. We opted to drop anchor and have lunch while we waited for the tide to change.
Once the tide had shifted, we hoisted anchor and made way, once again, for Lubbers Quarter. We made it there around 5 and dashed over to Cracker P's for the festivities. The much anticipated Full Moon party was a dud. The moon was spectacular, but everyone was inside not even enjoying it! We met up with some friends of ours and went to another bar next door. We were the only ones there, but quickly fit in with the owners and chefs who were all sitting around the bar. We stayed until the wee hours of the morning and then headed back to our boat. The best part was that, despite the late hour, we could see everything around us and clear down to the bottom – thanks to the full moon!
The following day we went to Tahiti Beach; a sandbar that is only visible in low tide. We lounged on the beach with Koa until the tide started to come back in, then headed back for a sunset dinner.
Tonight is a full moon, which here in Abaco means one thing – lots of Full Moon parties!! We decided to go to Cracker P's for their party, so we hauled up the anchor and took off for Lubbers Quarter. We were fighting the wind most of the way, so were making slow headway. Halfway there, the sky started looking ominous so we rushed downstairs, donned our bathing suits, grabbed our bars of soap and shampoo and waited for the impending showers (pun intended!). The rains came, although not in the sheets that were pouring down all around us. We were wet enough for a bit of a shower and I even got to wipe the deck down one good time. The showers ended, but the ominous skies remained.
We made it to Hopetown when we realized that the navigator (ashamedly, that would be me) had made a dreadful mistake and we were coming in at low tide instead of high. Oops! The water here was too shallow and we were soon churning up mud as we slogged along. We opted to drop anchor and have lunch while we waited for the tide to change.
Once the tide had shifted, we hoisted anchor and made way, once again, for Lubbers Quarter. We made it there around 5 and dashed over to Cracker P's for the festivities. The much anticipated Full Moon party was a dud. The moon was spectacular, but everyone was inside not even enjoying it! We met up with some friends of ours and went to another bar next door. We were the only ones there, but quickly fit in with the owners and chefs who were all sitting around the bar. We stayed until the wee hours of the morning and then headed back to our boat. The best part was that, despite the late hour, we could see everything around us and clear down to the bottom – thanks to the full moon!
The following day we went to Tahiti Beach; a sandbar that is only visible in low tide. We lounged on the beach with Koa until the tide started to come back in, then headed back for a sunset dinner.
Flying Solo
4.14.11
Brad left Saturday to head to Grand Cayman for his sisters wedding. Although I was also invited, there are no kennels here in the Bahamas and so someone had to stay behind and take care of the pets. That left me alone on the boat, at anchor for 5 days – the first time I had ever been alone on the water. We had checked the weather and the wind was supposed to remain calm the whole time he was gone, so, despite Brad's insistence that we put the boat in a marina where I would be safer, I knew I could tough it out on the hook.
Sunday Koa and I tagged along with Captain Mike and Karson, from Winddancer. They had rented a 20ft boat and were going to jet around some of the islands and go snorkeling and end up at a pig roast at the famous Nippers Bar. We went to this gorgeous snorkeling area, with huge fish and beautiful coral. But, due to Koa barking incessantly from the boat, I had to cut my enjoyment short. I headed back to the boat while they snorkeled on for a bit longer. We spent the day bar hopping, seeing the famous Hopetown lighthouse and finally ended up at Nippers Bar. Nippers is famous for their Sunday pig roasts, and for the delicious drinks. The bar sits high atop a hill overlooking the East beach, has two pools and layered decks for people to mingle. We grabbed drinks and headed down to the beach where I played fetch in the water with Koa for 30 minutes or so. We had been out since early morning, so he was already somewhat tired. We had a great time at Nippers, met some folks – old and new – and finally decided we were tired and had had enough to drink for the day. We mosied back to our boat and got comfortable for the ride home.
We made it back to the boat by 1800, just in time to head over for some sundowners with our neighbors whom I had only just met the previous day. They also have a large dog, a golden retriever, and they came over to introduce themselves when they saw Koa. They invited me over for drinks when they learned that I was flying solo for the week and also told me to holler if there was anything I ever needed. They were wonderful to me the whole time Brad was gone.
Koa and I soon got into a groove. We would head to shore for a walk early in the morning, come back for breakfast and then work on the boat through the afternoon. Around 1700, we would stop and either sit in the cockpit people-watching or relax below with dinner and a movie. These nights were mixed in with the occasional visit to or from friends for sundowners or dinner. Brad had asked that all our friends keep an eye on me and they all did a great job!
I became a master of the dinghy and the boat had never looked cleaner! I was keeping myself busy, but was ready for Brad to get home. Lugging 6gallon jugs of water around by myself was quite the task! And all of the other daily routine things that we do together are daunting when done alone! So, although I was proud of myself for being able to hold down the fort, I was ready for help to come home!
Brad finally made it home on the 14th and I took Koa in to go pick him up. Brad was impressed with my dinghy handling skills and also that I had brought the mutt in by myself – he is a bit of a handful on the dinghy. He was glad to be home, impressed by everything I had done while he was gone, and eager to get back in the groove of things.
Brad left Saturday to head to Grand Cayman for his sisters wedding. Although I was also invited, there are no kennels here in the Bahamas and so someone had to stay behind and take care of the pets. That left me alone on the boat, at anchor for 5 days – the first time I had ever been alone on the water. We had checked the weather and the wind was supposed to remain calm the whole time he was gone, so, despite Brad's insistence that we put the boat in a marina where I would be safer, I knew I could tough it out on the hook.
Sunday Koa and I tagged along with Captain Mike and Karson, from Winddancer. They had rented a 20ft boat and were going to jet around some of the islands and go snorkeling and end up at a pig roast at the famous Nippers Bar. We went to this gorgeous snorkeling area, with huge fish and beautiful coral. But, due to Koa barking incessantly from the boat, I had to cut my enjoyment short. I headed back to the boat while they snorkeled on for a bit longer. We spent the day bar hopping, seeing the famous Hopetown lighthouse and finally ended up at Nippers Bar. Nippers is famous for their Sunday pig roasts, and for the delicious drinks. The bar sits high atop a hill overlooking the East beach, has two pools and layered decks for people to mingle. We grabbed drinks and headed down to the beach where I played fetch in the water with Koa for 30 minutes or so. We had been out since early morning, so he was already somewhat tired. We had a great time at Nippers, met some folks – old and new – and finally decided we were tired and had had enough to drink for the day. We mosied back to our boat and got comfortable for the ride home.
We made it back to the boat by 1800, just in time to head over for some sundowners with our neighbors whom I had only just met the previous day. They also have a large dog, a golden retriever, and they came over to introduce themselves when they saw Koa. They invited me over for drinks when they learned that I was flying solo for the week and also told me to holler if there was anything I ever needed. They were wonderful to me the whole time Brad was gone.
Koa and I soon got into a groove. We would head to shore for a walk early in the morning, come back for breakfast and then work on the boat through the afternoon. Around 1700, we would stop and either sit in the cockpit people-watching or relax below with dinner and a movie. These nights were mixed in with the occasional visit to or from friends for sundowners or dinner. Brad had asked that all our friends keep an eye on me and they all did a great job!
I became a master of the dinghy and the boat had never looked cleaner! I was keeping myself busy, but was ready for Brad to get home. Lugging 6gallon jugs of water around by myself was quite the task! And all of the other daily routine things that we do together are daunting when done alone! So, although I was proud of myself for being able to hold down the fort, I was ready for help to come home!
Brad finally made it home on the 14th and I took Koa in to go pick him up. Brad was impressed with my dinghy handling skills and also that I had brought the mutt in by myself – he is a bit of a handful on the dinghy. He was glad to be home, impressed by everything I had done while he was gone, and eager to get back in the groove of things.
TUNA!!!
4.8.11
Yesterday we got up early and made it to Spanish Wells by 0800 – we had a few errands to run and wanted to take in a few sights. We caught a ride to the other side of the island (only 3 blocks away) and then walked over to the beach. This island is a loyalist-settled island, so it is different than any other island in the Bahamas. The islanders are predominantly white and the culture is much different. The people on the island are number one in the selling of fish and lobster. Most people who live on the island have lived there their entire lives as have all the generations before them. The houses and yards here are very well-maintained – no chipped paint or run-down houses, all the yards are mowed and have gardens and flowers everywhere. It was quite a shock to see this place, having just come from some of the smaller outislands.
North of the island is a large reef that protects their shores, but is a bear to get through as a boater. If you are traveling that way, the almost required route is via a pilot – someone else who comes on your boat and leads you through. Most sailors will group together and split the cost of a pilot and follow each other out.
This reef makes for beautiful beaches though. The shoreline is protected and the sand is as soft as flour between your toes. We walked for a ways and then headed back into town for some groceries. On our way back to town, we passed a fenced in aviary of sorts. Although there was no enclosure, the birds were either flightless (chickens and peacocks) or they stayed there because of the free food. We were treated to a male peacock prancing around with his feathers up trying to impress two lady birds. We stayed and watched for awhile before heading on. The grocery store was quite large and well-stocked. Too bad we didn't really need that much! We grabbed a few items for our upcoming overnight sail and then went in search of somewhere to eat lunch.
We were soon picked up by a local in a golf cart, who offered us a ride to Normas – one of the best places on the island, he said. He told us that he had lived here his whole life (see, I told you so!) and that he was a fisherman. He goes out once or twice a year, for 5 months at a time! Whew – not an easy life if you ask me!
We had a delicious lunch at Normas and the owners were wonderful! They were witty and welcoming and joked around with us while we ate. Although the island is beautiful and extremely well-maintained, there isn't really much to see. We had traversed the whole island and even made a few stops and it was only a bit after noon. We made one last stop for fuel before heading back out to the boat.
That afternoon, we moved only 3 miles away to a protected area behind a small island. We plotted out our course for the Abacos and decided the best approach would be to leave at midnight, putting as at the cut for the Sea of Abaco at the 1300 slack tide. We got the boat in sailing condition, so that when we woke up we would just have to go. We hauled the dinghy and motor on deck for the long passage and made sandwiches and snacks for overnight so that whoever was on duty would be have ready-made munchies. We had an early dinner and were both in bed asleep by 1900.
At 2300, we woke up, hoisted the sails and were on our way. The wind was favorable and we were making great time! We opted to go South around the islands the large reef North of Spanish Wells, since we were leaving in the dead of the night. I took the first shift and Brad went downstairs to get some more sleep while I stayed at the helm.
The trip was mostly uneventful. It was an easy sail, with the wind directly off our beam. Leaving at midnight makes for a short overnight sail – two shifts of 3 hours each and the sun was already coming up. My sleep was interrupted by Brad banging on the cockpit floor above my head. I stumbled out of bed, still half asleep, thinking something had gone wrong and he needed my help. When I get topside, I realize he has caught a fish! I quickly take the helm while he starts the battle with this fish. It takes him about 20 minutes (we have insufficient tackle for ocean fish, we now realize), but he finally gets it to the boat – it is a beautiful 15lb-ish yellow fin tuna! Yay! Our first fish!!! And it is going to be so good!
Now....what do we do?! We let him sit on our transom for about 30 minutes until he was dead, but he left an awful bloody mess. So we haul him into the cockpit, and while we are bouncing around on the waves, Brad fillets him. There was so much meat on him – we could hardly wait to get to port and have some!
The rest of the morning was uneventful. The wind died about 0800 and we had to motor sail the remainder of the way. But, for this reason, the cut was flat and easy to maneuver and we made it through without incident. We pressed onward, North to Marsh Harbour. At this point, we were both exhausted and ready to drop anchor and go to bed. We were about 15 miles out when we heard our friend on Winddancer hailing us on the VHF. We made a quick judgement call and our stomachs outruled our sleepiness. We agreed to come over, with our freshly filleted fish, for dinner on the Hylas.
We made it to the Harbour at 1700, dropped the hook and then flew over to the Hylas, hoping for dinner, a few drinks and an early bedtime. It was not to be. Dinner and drinks with friends is never quick. Dinner was INCREDIBLE, our glasses were never empty and before we knew it, it was 2200 and we were just leaving. We stumbled home and fell into bed, aware that tomorrow would be an early day so that we could get Brad on the plane to Cayman.
Yesterday we got up early and made it to Spanish Wells by 0800 – we had a few errands to run and wanted to take in a few sights. We caught a ride to the other side of the island (only 3 blocks away) and then walked over to the beach. This island is a loyalist-settled island, so it is different than any other island in the Bahamas. The islanders are predominantly white and the culture is much different. The people on the island are number one in the selling of fish and lobster. Most people who live on the island have lived there their entire lives as have all the generations before them. The houses and yards here are very well-maintained – no chipped paint or run-down houses, all the yards are mowed and have gardens and flowers everywhere. It was quite a shock to see this place, having just come from some of the smaller outislands.
North of the island is a large reef that protects their shores, but is a bear to get through as a boater. If you are traveling that way, the almost required route is via a pilot – someone else who comes on your boat and leads you through. Most sailors will group together and split the cost of a pilot and follow each other out.
This reef makes for beautiful beaches though. The shoreline is protected and the sand is as soft as flour between your toes. We walked for a ways and then headed back into town for some groceries. On our way back to town, we passed a fenced in aviary of sorts. Although there was no enclosure, the birds were either flightless (chickens and peacocks) or they stayed there because of the free food. We were treated to a male peacock prancing around with his feathers up trying to impress two lady birds. We stayed and watched for awhile before heading on. The grocery store was quite large and well-stocked. Too bad we didn't really need that much! We grabbed a few items for our upcoming overnight sail and then went in search of somewhere to eat lunch.
We were soon picked up by a local in a golf cart, who offered us a ride to Normas – one of the best places on the island, he said. He told us that he had lived here his whole life (see, I told you so!) and that he was a fisherman. He goes out once or twice a year, for 5 months at a time! Whew – not an easy life if you ask me!
We had a delicious lunch at Normas and the owners were wonderful! They were witty and welcoming and joked around with us while we ate. Although the island is beautiful and extremely well-maintained, there isn't really much to see. We had traversed the whole island and even made a few stops and it was only a bit after noon. We made one last stop for fuel before heading back out to the boat.
That afternoon, we moved only 3 miles away to a protected area behind a small island. We plotted out our course for the Abacos and decided the best approach would be to leave at midnight, putting as at the cut for the Sea of Abaco at the 1300 slack tide. We got the boat in sailing condition, so that when we woke up we would just have to go. We hauled the dinghy and motor on deck for the long passage and made sandwiches and snacks for overnight so that whoever was on duty would be have ready-made munchies. We had an early dinner and were both in bed asleep by 1900.
At 2300, we woke up, hoisted the sails and were on our way. The wind was favorable and we were making great time! We opted to go South around the islands the large reef North of Spanish Wells, since we were leaving in the dead of the night. I took the first shift and Brad went downstairs to get some more sleep while I stayed at the helm.
The trip was mostly uneventful. It was an easy sail, with the wind directly off our beam. Leaving at midnight makes for a short overnight sail – two shifts of 3 hours each and the sun was already coming up. My sleep was interrupted by Brad banging on the cockpit floor above my head. I stumbled out of bed, still half asleep, thinking something had gone wrong and he needed my help. When I get topside, I realize he has caught a fish! I quickly take the helm while he starts the battle with this fish. It takes him about 20 minutes (we have insufficient tackle for ocean fish, we now realize), but he finally gets it to the boat – it is a beautiful 15lb-ish yellow fin tuna! Yay! Our first fish!!! And it is going to be so good!
Now....what do we do?! We let him sit on our transom for about 30 minutes until he was dead, but he left an awful bloody mess. So we haul him into the cockpit, and while we are bouncing around on the waves, Brad fillets him. There was so much meat on him – we could hardly wait to get to port and have some!
The rest of the morning was uneventful. The wind died about 0800 and we had to motor sail the remainder of the way. But, for this reason, the cut was flat and easy to maneuver and we made it through without incident. We pressed onward, North to Marsh Harbour. At this point, we were both exhausted and ready to drop anchor and go to bed. We were about 15 miles out when we heard our friend on Winddancer hailing us on the VHF. We made a quick judgement call and our stomachs outruled our sleepiness. We agreed to come over, with our freshly filleted fish, for dinner on the Hylas.
We made it to the Harbour at 1700, dropped the hook and then flew over to the Hylas, hoping for dinner, a few drinks and an early bedtime. It was not to be. Dinner and drinks with friends is never quick. Dinner was INCREDIBLE, our glasses were never empty and before we knew it, it was 2200 and we were just leaving. We stumbled home and fell into bed, aware that tomorrow would be an early day so that we could get Brad on the plane to Cayman.
Great Friends
4.6.11
We finally left Hatchet Bay today. While yesterday had been too rough to leave, today was too calm – where is the happy medium here? We had to motor the first two hours before the wind finally picked up and we were able to sail. Today we were going through Current Cut, a rather tricky passing. The cut is a narrow pass between two land masses where at anything but slack tide, the current races through either pushing you too fast or pushing against you so hard that with a small sailboat motor you cannot even get through! So, we had to make sure we made it to the cut at a certain time.
We timed it perfectly, hitting the cut at dead slack tide. As we were cruising through, sails up, I thought I heard my name being called off the starboard side. When I looked, there were three men yelling and waving their arms around on the seawall. It was our trawler friends! They had rented a car that day and had planned their day around meeting us at the cut so that they could take pictures of us under sail! How awesome!! We didn't have any pictures of our beautiful boat with her sails up – but we do now!
After that pleasant surprise and a great morning sail, we burst through the other side of Eleuthera into a less than pleasant afternoon. We were now heading straight into the wind – something that you just cannot do in a sailboat. So, we had to tack – something that is not fun to do in a sailboat. A trip that was only 10 miles long and should have taken about 2 hours, maybe a bit more, ended up taking us about 4 hours. We zigged and we zagged and we made ground and then lost ground. It was so frustrating! By the time we finally got to Spanish Wells, we were wind-whipped and exhausted! We dropped anchor outside at the first spot we could find, made sure the boat was secure and then made a beeline for dry land and protection from the wind.
We ran into some people that we knew, and they had rented a golf cart that day to tour the island themselves. They offered to join us for dinner and then take us on a tour of the island. We had a delicious dinner - they even served blizzards there!!! Then they took us on a tour, pointing out the must-sees and the grocery store.
We were very tired from the long sail that day, so we called it an early night and decided to take in more of Spanish Wells tomorrow.
We finally left Hatchet Bay today. While yesterday had been too rough to leave, today was too calm – where is the happy medium here? We had to motor the first two hours before the wind finally picked up and we were able to sail. Today we were going through Current Cut, a rather tricky passing. The cut is a narrow pass between two land masses where at anything but slack tide, the current races through either pushing you too fast or pushing against you so hard that with a small sailboat motor you cannot even get through! So, we had to make sure we made it to the cut at a certain time.
We timed it perfectly, hitting the cut at dead slack tide. As we were cruising through, sails up, I thought I heard my name being called off the starboard side. When I looked, there were three men yelling and waving their arms around on the seawall. It was our trawler friends! They had rented a car that day and had planned their day around meeting us at the cut so that they could take pictures of us under sail! How awesome!! We didn't have any pictures of our beautiful boat with her sails up – but we do now!
After that pleasant surprise and a great morning sail, we burst through the other side of Eleuthera into a less than pleasant afternoon. We were now heading straight into the wind – something that you just cannot do in a sailboat. So, we had to tack – something that is not fun to do in a sailboat. A trip that was only 10 miles long and should have taken about 2 hours, maybe a bit more, ended up taking us about 4 hours. We zigged and we zagged and we made ground and then lost ground. It was so frustrating! By the time we finally got to Spanish Wells, we were wind-whipped and exhausted! We dropped anchor outside at the first spot we could find, made sure the boat was secure and then made a beeline for dry land and protection from the wind.
We ran into some people that we knew, and they had rented a golf cart that day to tour the island themselves. They offered to join us for dinner and then take us on a tour of the island. We had a delicious dinner - they even served blizzards there!!! Then they took us on a tour, pointing out the must-sees and the grocery store.
We were very tired from the long sail that day, so we called it an early night and decided to take in more of Spanish Wells tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Brad's Birthday!
4.4.11 (Brad's Day!)
After Pineapple Cays, we headed up to Governour's Harbour. This is supposed to be a great stop for cruisers, although the holding is very poor. The harbour is good for protection from big blows, but if you can't get your anchor in, it does you no good!
We are, of course, professional anchorers by this point and were undaunted by the task at hand. We sailed in there like we owned the place, went past all the other monohulls up to the only sandy area – about 50 yards off the beach in 6 feet of water. We dropped our anchor in the sand and after only two tries, had gotten her to bite. We were in! We were so much loser to shore than everyone else that we felt a bit out of place, but our anchor was in and that was all we cared about.
We headed in to tour the town, and didn't remember until we got in that it was Sunday. Everything closes on Sunday except the churches. The town was still beautiful – a small harbour surrounded by houses built into the hills overlooking the water. We walked around for a few hours and found a pizza place and a movie theater that would be open later in the day. A movie theater! We haven't seen a movie, in a theater, in ages!
We headed back to the boat and took naps in anticipation of staying up late for the movie. Well, once you're back on the boat, it is a hassle to get back to land. So, after stalling to go in, we finally admitted neither of us was that interested in going back in or staying up that late so we regretfully stayed on the boat. I was really looking forward to that pizza too.....
The following day was Brad's birthday and we headed up to Hatchet Bay. Much to our surprise (although at this point, it shouldn't be), we were joined by the trawlers. Although they were ahead of us, we were in radio contact with them the whole time. We had a great sail – 6 knots on a run (AMAZING!) and made it there by noon.
This harbour is a well-protected harbour surrounded on all side by rocks, so the only entrance is through a rock wall. It is very narrow and tricky in even the calmest weather. Well, we didn't have calm weather.
We were able to make such great time because the wind was so strong. Now the sea state had built to about 4 feet and we were being shoved sideways. We still had our sails up because the waves were too rough to take them down. With the sails up and the motor on to compensate for the sails and to give us better direction, we FLEW through the entrance at over 6 knots. We were very nervous and all the trawlers were just inside giving us directions over the radio on where to go and where not to go. It was like coming in out of the storm. We were in 4-5 foot waves and being shoved every which way and as soon as we broke through the rock entrance, we were in water as calm as a lake.
The trawlers had scoped out a mooring for us and came over in the dinghies to help us get a line on. They wished Brad a Happy Birthday and then invited us over for a birthday celebration dinner – homemade pizza and chocolate cake! It was like they read our minds – we had been craving pizza for days now!
We all went in and toured the town and then headed back out to our boats for a quick rest before dinner. “Barbara”, as usual, had outdone herself. Mark, from “Ibis” made homemade dough and everyone had brought toppings of all kinds. We had margarita pizza, hawaiin pizza, meat pizza, veggie pizza, and all kinds of other crazy pizzas – some even with stuffed crusts! These people are amazing and we are so glad that they have taken to us so quickly!
They made Brad's birthday a success and he had a great time! They even made him a party hat and a chocolate cake with a candle (albeit a tealight candle, haha)!! It was the perfect birthday and he is not likely to forget it anytime soon! The kindness of strangers has really helped us along on our first big cruise. We cannot even begin to think how this trip would have turned out if not for the generosity of those we had met along the way.
After Pineapple Cays, we headed up to Governour's Harbour. This is supposed to be a great stop for cruisers, although the holding is very poor. The harbour is good for protection from big blows, but if you can't get your anchor in, it does you no good!
We are, of course, professional anchorers by this point and were undaunted by the task at hand. We sailed in there like we owned the place, went past all the other monohulls up to the only sandy area – about 50 yards off the beach in 6 feet of water. We dropped our anchor in the sand and after only two tries, had gotten her to bite. We were in! We were so much loser to shore than everyone else that we felt a bit out of place, but our anchor was in and that was all we cared about.
We headed in to tour the town, and didn't remember until we got in that it was Sunday. Everything closes on Sunday except the churches. The town was still beautiful – a small harbour surrounded by houses built into the hills overlooking the water. We walked around for a few hours and found a pizza place and a movie theater that would be open later in the day. A movie theater! We haven't seen a movie, in a theater, in ages!
We headed back to the boat and took naps in anticipation of staying up late for the movie. Well, once you're back on the boat, it is a hassle to get back to land. So, after stalling to go in, we finally admitted neither of us was that interested in going back in or staying up that late so we regretfully stayed on the boat. I was really looking forward to that pizza too.....
The following day was Brad's birthday and we headed up to Hatchet Bay. Much to our surprise (although at this point, it shouldn't be), we were joined by the trawlers. Although they were ahead of us, we were in radio contact with them the whole time. We had a great sail – 6 knots on a run (AMAZING!) and made it there by noon.
This harbour is a well-protected harbour surrounded on all side by rocks, so the only entrance is through a rock wall. It is very narrow and tricky in even the calmest weather. Well, we didn't have calm weather.
We were able to make such great time because the wind was so strong. Now the sea state had built to about 4 feet and we were being shoved sideways. We still had our sails up because the waves were too rough to take them down. With the sails up and the motor on to compensate for the sails and to give us better direction, we FLEW through the entrance at over 6 knots. We were very nervous and all the trawlers were just inside giving us directions over the radio on where to go and where not to go. It was like coming in out of the storm. We were in 4-5 foot waves and being shoved every which way and as soon as we broke through the rock entrance, we were in water as calm as a lake.
The trawlers had scoped out a mooring for us and came over in the dinghies to help us get a line on. They wished Brad a Happy Birthday and then invited us over for a birthday celebration dinner – homemade pizza and chocolate cake! It was like they read our minds – we had been craving pizza for days now!
We all went in and toured the town and then headed back out to our boats for a quick rest before dinner. “Barbara”, as usual, had outdone herself. Mark, from “Ibis” made homemade dough and everyone had brought toppings of all kinds. We had margarita pizza, hawaiin pizza, meat pizza, veggie pizza, and all kinds of other crazy pizzas – some even with stuffed crusts! These people are amazing and we are so glad that they have taken to us so quickly!
They made Brad's birthday a success and he had a great time! They even made him a party hat and a chocolate cake with a candle (albeit a tealight candle, haha)!! It was the perfect birthday and he is not likely to forget it anytime soon! The kindness of strangers has really helped us along on our first big cruise. We cannot even begin to think how this trip would have turned out if not for the generosity of those we had met along the way.
Southern Eleuthera
4.2.11
Half Moon Bay was definitely not as impressive as we had hoped. The cruise ship was leaving as we were pulling in. The harbour is very deep to accommodate the large ships so we had to anchor in 15 feet of water and the waves were already rolling in from the open western side, even though the wind had not shifted to that direction yet. We cleaned the bottom of the boat for a bit and then went to bed. We were surprised that the trawlers had also made the stop at this anchorage, as we had expected them to head on up to Eleuthera. We may be traveling with them for longer than we thought!
The next day we woke up to huge rollers coming in from the deeper water. We decided we didn't want to stay another night and we left the same time as the trawlers did that morning and headed up to Southern Eleuthera. It was a long sail, but the wind was good and we made it much farther than we had hoped. We anchored in Rock Sound by dusk and, again to our surprise, right by the trawlers!
The following day, they hailed us on the radio to let us know they were heading into town if we wanted to join them. We, unfortunately, had to TCB that day, so they went off exploring the town while we went to do laundry, use internet and try to find some replacement parts for the boat.
That night we had a real treat – an ice cream party on one of the trawlers, “Barbara”!! Ice Cream! We haven't had ice cream in ages! And not only did she have ice cream, but she had toppings galore – hot fudge, chocolate syrup, gummy bears, warm brownies, nuts, whipped cream, cherries, everything we could imagine! Their boat is very nice and the perfect place to have a mini-party. We are getting an “in” with the trawler group – they have taken us under their wing, despite the fact that we are sailors.
Quick note: In the boating world, trawlers tend to hang out with trawlers and sailors with sailors. Crossing the line to the other side is a no-no! So for these guys to take such a liking to us is unusual for all involved! We may very well be shunned from the sailing community!! :-)
We all left early the following morning, the trawlers going to a small town just 5 miles North of our current anchorage while we were heading up another 10 miles. We had a great sail, although a bit slow and dropped the anchor around lunchtime. We took some time to eat and pack for our day trip inland, then loaded up Koa and the dinghy and headed in. As we were heading to the dinghy dock, we passed a large trawler coming in to anchor – one of our friends! The other two trawlers were close behind. They had stopped at the previous place, looked around for a few hours and made it up to where we were almost at the same time as us! Diesel motors will do that for you I guess!
We went in and walked to two miles across the island to the East beach and then back again. We were exhausted and ready for a quiet evening in. But, when we got back to the boat we were invited over for dinner on “Barbara” again! We all met on their boat and had a DELICIOUS dinner on Linguine with clam sauce – and I don't even like clams! It was great! She had also made homemade bread and a pie for dessert! This lady thinks of everything! They are so hospitable and so generous and we are so lucky to have fallen into the hands. They gave us younguns' the leftovers and also the recipe for all the delicious food she had made for us so far.
We were heading our separate ways the following day, so we said our goodbyes and went home to get some sleep.
Half Moon Bay was definitely not as impressive as we had hoped. The cruise ship was leaving as we were pulling in. The harbour is very deep to accommodate the large ships so we had to anchor in 15 feet of water and the waves were already rolling in from the open western side, even though the wind had not shifted to that direction yet. We cleaned the bottom of the boat for a bit and then went to bed. We were surprised that the trawlers had also made the stop at this anchorage, as we had expected them to head on up to Eleuthera. We may be traveling with them for longer than we thought!
The next day we woke up to huge rollers coming in from the deeper water. We decided we didn't want to stay another night and we left the same time as the trawlers did that morning and headed up to Southern Eleuthera. It was a long sail, but the wind was good and we made it much farther than we had hoped. We anchored in Rock Sound by dusk and, again to our surprise, right by the trawlers!
The following day, they hailed us on the radio to let us know they were heading into town if we wanted to join them. We, unfortunately, had to TCB that day, so they went off exploring the town while we went to do laundry, use internet and try to find some replacement parts for the boat.
That night we had a real treat – an ice cream party on one of the trawlers, “Barbara”!! Ice Cream! We haven't had ice cream in ages! And not only did she have ice cream, but she had toppings galore – hot fudge, chocolate syrup, gummy bears, warm brownies, nuts, whipped cream, cherries, everything we could imagine! Their boat is very nice and the perfect place to have a mini-party. We are getting an “in” with the trawler group – they have taken us under their wing, despite the fact that we are sailors.
Quick note: In the boating world, trawlers tend to hang out with trawlers and sailors with sailors. Crossing the line to the other side is a no-no! So for these guys to take such a liking to us is unusual for all involved! We may very well be shunned from the sailing community!! :-)
We all left early the following morning, the trawlers going to a small town just 5 miles North of our current anchorage while we were heading up another 10 miles. We had a great sail, although a bit slow and dropped the anchor around lunchtime. We took some time to eat and pack for our day trip inland, then loaded up Koa and the dinghy and headed in. As we were heading to the dinghy dock, we passed a large trawler coming in to anchor – one of our friends! The other two trawlers were close behind. They had stopped at the previous place, looked around for a few hours and made it up to where we were almost at the same time as us! Diesel motors will do that for you I guess!
We went in and walked to two miles across the island to the East beach and then back again. We were exhausted and ready for a quiet evening in. But, when we got back to the boat we were invited over for dinner on “Barbara” again! We all met on their boat and had a DELICIOUS dinner on Linguine with clam sauce – and I don't even like clams! It was great! She had also made homemade bread and a pie for dessert! This lady thinks of everything! They are so hospitable and so generous and we are so lucky to have fallen into the hands. They gave us younguns' the leftovers and also the recipe for all the delicious food she had made for us so far.
We were heading our separate ways the following day, so we said our goodbyes and went home to get some sleep.
Fish Fry in Cat Island
3.29.11
So when we pulled into our anchorage two days ago, we were dying of heat. We had been motoring all day with absolutely no wind and we were hot! We dropped anchor and dove in for a swim. We were checking out the hull and I was scrubbing some of the algae off when a man dinghied over to our boat. He was off one of the trawlers we had been around earlier in the day and he brought us two huge fillets of fresh mahi, just caught hours before! He was single handing and there was no way he could eat both of the fish he caught and his buddy had caught two more, so they were happy to be rid of some of it.....our lucky day! We talked for awhile and decided we would all meet on the beach the following morning to go up to the Hermitage together.
We met on the beach at 0900, hoping to beat the heat and were surprised that there were now 7 of us in the group; another trawler had come in and joined the first two last night (Trawlers: "Barbara", "North Star", and "Ibis"). We all hiked up to the top of the highest mountain in the Bahamas (a whopping 206 feet!!) to the Hermitage.
Quick history lesson:
The Hermitage is one of the most well known churches in the Bahamas, built by an architect turned priest from England – Father Jerome. He came over to the Bahamas in the early 1900s to build churches that could withstand hurricane winds. He built many of them throughout the islands, with six of them being on Cat Island. The Hermitage was his final project. He lived in a cave on the top of the hill while building this small cathedral. It is deserted and now just a tourist destination, but the views are incredible and to think he built it by himself is amazing!
The group hiked back down the hill and then we perused the “town” and visited the grocer. On our way back, we stopped by a small shack on the beach that was selling beers and cold sodas. We stopped and rested for awhile and one of the guys in our group decided we should have a fish fry there that evening. He spoke to the owner and she agreed to fry the fish if we would supply it. So, we all went back to our boats and started making the dishes to bring this potluck fish fry together.
It was a great time! The food was great and the company was even better. The owner cooked a great meal and then afterwards a couple of the local men came and formed a pick-up Rake and Scrape band. One man played the accordion, another the saw and another the drum. They let Brad and I play the saw and the drum and we all had a good laugh at how bad our rhythm was. We stayed late into the night, enjoying each other's company and also listening to the locals talk about their island.
Today we woke to a surprise in the weather. The front that was stalled North of the Abacos is bearing down on us and will be here on Friday. Cat Island offers no protection from the Western winds, so we are rushing along to get up to Eleuthra before the big blow.
So, despite the lack of wind yet again, we set off this morning for Little San Salvador. Half Moon Bay is owned by a cruise line and is a stop on one of their Bahamian cruises. We have heard they discourage cruisers from coming there, but it is a mid-point on our trip North, so we are going to stop anyway and see what all the fuss is about.
As I'm sitting here typing this, we are looking out across miles and miles of perfectly flat gin clear water. Since there is no wind, the water is crystal clear – we could read a newspaper on the bottom if we wanted to! We can see all the rocks, crab pots and starfish on the bottom as we pass over them. The sun is bright and there are no clouds in the azure sky. Although it is breathtaking out here, no wind means motoring all day and also no respite from the scorching sun. Looks like we may have to drop the anchor and get in a mid-day swim!
So when we pulled into our anchorage two days ago, we were dying of heat. We had been motoring all day with absolutely no wind and we were hot! We dropped anchor and dove in for a swim. We were checking out the hull and I was scrubbing some of the algae off when a man dinghied over to our boat. He was off one of the trawlers we had been around earlier in the day and he brought us two huge fillets of fresh mahi, just caught hours before! He was single handing and there was no way he could eat both of the fish he caught and his buddy had caught two more, so they were happy to be rid of some of it.....our lucky day! We talked for awhile and decided we would all meet on the beach the following morning to go up to the Hermitage together.
We met on the beach at 0900, hoping to beat the heat and were surprised that there were now 7 of us in the group; another trawler had come in and joined the first two last night (Trawlers: "Barbara", "North Star", and "Ibis"). We all hiked up to the top of the highest mountain in the Bahamas (a whopping 206 feet!!) to the Hermitage.
Quick history lesson:
The Hermitage is one of the most well known churches in the Bahamas, built by an architect turned priest from England – Father Jerome. He came over to the Bahamas in the early 1900s to build churches that could withstand hurricane winds. He built many of them throughout the islands, with six of them being on Cat Island. The Hermitage was his final project. He lived in a cave on the top of the hill while building this small cathedral. It is deserted and now just a tourist destination, but the views are incredible and to think he built it by himself is amazing!
The group hiked back down the hill and then we perused the “town” and visited the grocer. On our way back, we stopped by a small shack on the beach that was selling beers and cold sodas. We stopped and rested for awhile and one of the guys in our group decided we should have a fish fry there that evening. He spoke to the owner and she agreed to fry the fish if we would supply it. So, we all went back to our boats and started making the dishes to bring this potluck fish fry together.
It was a great time! The food was great and the company was even better. The owner cooked a great meal and then afterwards a couple of the local men came and formed a pick-up Rake and Scrape band. One man played the accordion, another the saw and another the drum. They let Brad and I play the saw and the drum and we all had a good laugh at how bad our rhythm was. We stayed late into the night, enjoying each other's company and also listening to the locals talk about their island.
Today we woke to a surprise in the weather. The front that was stalled North of the Abacos is bearing down on us and will be here on Friday. Cat Island offers no protection from the Western winds, so we are rushing along to get up to Eleuthra before the big blow.
So, despite the lack of wind yet again, we set off this morning for Little San Salvador. Half Moon Bay is owned by a cruise line and is a stop on one of their Bahamian cruises. We have heard they discourage cruisers from coming there, but it is a mid-point on our trip North, so we are going to stop anyway and see what all the fuss is about.
As I'm sitting here typing this, we are looking out across miles and miles of perfectly flat gin clear water. Since there is no wind, the water is crystal clear – we could read a newspaper on the bottom if we wanted to! We can see all the rocks, crab pots and starfish on the bottom as we pass over them. The sun is bright and there are no clouds in the azure sky. Although it is breathtaking out here, no wind means motoring all day and also no respite from the scorching sun. Looks like we may have to drop the anchor and get in a mid-day swim!
Near Collision
3.27.11
So here we sit, typing these blogs as we sail along on this gorgeous day. Although the weather is perfect, it is perfect only for sitting on the beach, not for sailing. There is no wind today and it looks like we will have to motor the whole 45 miles to Cat Island. We are making good time, but a motor boat we are not. Usually we would wait for the weather to turn and the wind to pick up, but we find ourselves suddenly having the one thing that all sailors dread – a schedule!! We have to make it up to the Abacos so Brad can catch a flight for a wedding, so we are sailing on days we shouldn't and pushing through places we'd like to see at a faster rate than we would prefer.
But, the day is sunny and the fishing line is out and although we are motoring, at least we have clear skies!
Whoa! We just narrowly missed a collision with a trawler! Two trawlers were traveling together when they suddenly started turned erratically, one of them heading straight for us! The other trawler hailed us and let us know that the guy on the other boat was single-handing and had just hooked a fish. He was on the stern trying to reel the fish in and so the boat was going wherever the waves took it. We turned out of his way and scooted safely in between the two of them, watching the guy wrestle with the line as the fished splashed and flew out of the water repeatedly. What a show! We got an apology and an invitation over for dinner if we all happen to end up in the same place tonight. Ahh.....the life of a cruiser.
So here we sit, typing these blogs as we sail along on this gorgeous day. Although the weather is perfect, it is perfect only for sitting on the beach, not for sailing. There is no wind today and it looks like we will have to motor the whole 45 miles to Cat Island. We are making good time, but a motor boat we are not. Usually we would wait for the weather to turn and the wind to pick up, but we find ourselves suddenly having the one thing that all sailors dread – a schedule!! We have to make it up to the Abacos so Brad can catch a flight for a wedding, so we are sailing on days we shouldn't and pushing through places we'd like to see at a faster rate than we would prefer.
But, the day is sunny and the fishing line is out and although we are motoring, at least we have clear skies!
Whoa! We just narrowly missed a collision with a trawler! Two trawlers were traveling together when they suddenly started turned erratically, one of them heading straight for us! The other trawler hailed us and let us know that the guy on the other boat was single-handing and had just hooked a fish. He was on the stern trying to reel the fish in and so the boat was going wherever the waves took it. We turned out of his way and scooted safely in between the two of them, watching the guy wrestle with the line as the fished splashed and flew out of the water repeatedly. What a show! We got an apology and an invitation over for dinner if we all happen to end up in the same place tonight. Ahh.....the life of a cruiser.
Conception
3.26.11
We left early Thursday morning, intent on getting to Conception by lunchtime so that we could fit some snorkeling in before dark. We arrived just after noon, grabbed a quick bite to eat and jumped in the dinghy to explore the reefs.
Conception is an uninhabited island, known for its extensive reefs, sharks, and exotic tropical birds. We had spoken to several people who had snorkeled Conception previously and had told us some good spots to check out. We headed first to the reef just North of the anchorage, a large reef off the Northern tip that stretches for 3miles North of the island. We dropped anchor in the midst of some coral heads and jumped right in. The water was crystal clear, the sun high and we were treated to gorgeous colors of coral – bright purple fan coral waving in the current, brain coral heads larger than Brad, and beautiful unknown coral(to us) of blues and greens. The fish life was unfortunately slim pickings, but we did see lots of brightly colored parrotfish. We kept a wary eye out for sharks, always aware of our surroundings, but didn't see any danger in the area.
We snorkeled for an hour or so and then headed back to the boat, tired from a full day of sailing and swimming. We had gotten an underwater camera brought to us by Chelsea on her visit, especially for our trip to this island. We took some ok pictures that day, but once we got back to the boat, realized that the darn thing wouldn't turn on! After only one use, it had leaked and gotten water inside. Waterproof my ass. So, we took the battery and memory card out and left everything out to dry, hoping it would work in the morning.
Friday morning we woke up to a still broken camera. We were so bummed out! So much for great underwater pictures. We did manage to salvage the pictures we had taken the day before, but it was of no use to us now – Amazon will hear about this!! I would strongly urge against anyone buying a Fujifilm “underwater” camera!
We ate breakfast outside and as we were finishing, noticed about 8 people on the beach with at least 5 dogs running in their midst. We loaded Koa up in the dinghy and headed in to make friends. We were a bit nervous since Koa can be very excitable and has never been off leash around other dogs. But, every other dog was off leash and with so many people around, we opted to give him a chance. He had a blast! It was like doggy paradise for him! All the other dogs were large dogs – a rarity for the boating community. They ran around, played in the water and wrestled in the sand. Everyone was very nice and the dogs all got along great. There was one uncomfortable incident where Koa peed on one of the older dogs, but the owner just laughed and said “I guess she's Koa's bitch now.” Whew – our first dog group encounter was a success! Koa was tired and we had met lots of new friends.
We took Koa back to the boat and then we headed out for some more snorkeling. First, we stopped by the boat that had left us in their dust two days ago. He laughed when he saw and said they had been looking out for us and that we should still come over for that beer later. He told us about some cool must-sees on the island and so we headed out with the promise of sun-downers later.
We beached the dinghy and walked 100yards over the dunes to a secluded beach on the NorthEast side of the island. We were able to swim right out from the beach to some of the shallower coral heads. It was a bit more murky here due to the waves breaking on the shore, so we were a bit more vigilant about our surroundings, but again had a great swim. We snorkeled the length of the whole beach, then went back and had a snack while sitting on the beach. It was around noon now, and we decided to head back to the dinghy and go inland.
There is a series of creeks that wind their way inland with one way in and out from the shore. Due to the shallow depths, we were told to go in an hour before high tide and come out no later than an hour after the tide changes. We made it in through the cut, dragging sand behind us. Once inside, the creeks were a beautiful light blue crystal clear color. We had been told that the creek opened up to a small lagoon where there were dozens of green turtles that lived there. We wound our way back a ways wondering if we were in the right place. Finally we saw another dinghy off in the distance in what looked to be greenish, deeper water. We headed that way and when the area opened up we saw that there were at least 6 dinghies there, everyone had come to check out the turtles! And we were not to be disappointed! There were turtles popping up everywhere! Medium sized turtles (1.5 – 2.5 feet across the shell) had apparently made their homes back there. They were darting in between the dinghies, who all had their outboards off and were just floating around the lagoon. We joined the floating masses and hung out for an hour watching the turtles surface all around us. It was the coolest thing!
When the tide switched, we all headed back out so as not to get stuck in the creeks. On the way out, we stopped and snorkeled a crystal clear deep area along the mangroves. The mangroves provided cover for so many fish – mangrove snappers of all colors and a puffer the size of my head!
After that surreal experience, we headed back up to the reef North of the anchorage and snorkeled for a bit before heading over for sun-downers. We had a great time with the owners of “Ariel” and oohed and aahed over their nice boat. As the sun was about to set, we had visitors of the dangerous sort – a lemon shark perused the anchorage, swimming circles around all the boats. He was at least 6feet long and although it was cool to see him from the safety of the boat deck, it was a bit unnerving knowing he was there.
The following day we joined the dog chaos on the beach again and then dinghied around to the Eastern side of the island for more snorkeling and more secluded beaches. We snorkeled right at noon, with the sun high overhead and saw the most beautiful coral we have ever seen! Conception has elkhorn coral (one of the few places in the world where it is found) and it was gorgeous – and looked just like elkhorns, go figure! It was a beautiful orange with white tips. The coral heads here were huge, coming from 20-30 feet of water all the way to the surface. We snorkeled in and around the heads for an hour, enjoying the vibrant colors and the beautiful reef fish. We were near the edge of the reefs and the open water beyond was a bit ominous – I now know what shark bait feels like. But, we were not to see any sharks today either. We did see an extremely large barracuda staring at us menacingly, so we high-tailed it back to the dinghy and spent the rest of the afternoon laying on the white sand of our own private beach.
When we got back to the boat, we borrowed a hacksaw from “Ariel” and Brad made us two conch horns – now we can feel like real boaters! The tradition is to blow a conch horn every night as the sun sets; the majority of boaters have them, especially if they cruise in the Keys or the Bahamas.
We readied the boat for sailing tomorrow and then had a relaxing dinner in the cockpit while we watched the sunset. Our conch horn wasn't clean yet, so we enjoyed the sunset in silence. And then watched as the men in gray suits came back in full force – another large lemon shark and a nurse shark swam in lazy circles around our boat. We had heard they were prevalent there and we were not disappointed!
We left early Thursday morning, intent on getting to Conception by lunchtime so that we could fit some snorkeling in before dark. We arrived just after noon, grabbed a quick bite to eat and jumped in the dinghy to explore the reefs.
Conception is an uninhabited island, known for its extensive reefs, sharks, and exotic tropical birds. We had spoken to several people who had snorkeled Conception previously and had told us some good spots to check out. We headed first to the reef just North of the anchorage, a large reef off the Northern tip that stretches for 3miles North of the island. We dropped anchor in the midst of some coral heads and jumped right in. The water was crystal clear, the sun high and we were treated to gorgeous colors of coral – bright purple fan coral waving in the current, brain coral heads larger than Brad, and beautiful unknown coral(to us) of blues and greens. The fish life was unfortunately slim pickings, but we did see lots of brightly colored parrotfish. We kept a wary eye out for sharks, always aware of our surroundings, but didn't see any danger in the area.
We snorkeled for an hour or so and then headed back to the boat, tired from a full day of sailing and swimming. We had gotten an underwater camera brought to us by Chelsea on her visit, especially for our trip to this island. We took some ok pictures that day, but once we got back to the boat, realized that the darn thing wouldn't turn on! After only one use, it had leaked and gotten water inside. Waterproof my ass. So, we took the battery and memory card out and left everything out to dry, hoping it would work in the morning.
Friday morning we woke up to a still broken camera. We were so bummed out! So much for great underwater pictures. We did manage to salvage the pictures we had taken the day before, but it was of no use to us now – Amazon will hear about this!! I would strongly urge against anyone buying a Fujifilm “underwater” camera!
We ate breakfast outside and as we were finishing, noticed about 8 people on the beach with at least 5 dogs running in their midst. We loaded Koa up in the dinghy and headed in to make friends. We were a bit nervous since Koa can be very excitable and has never been off leash around other dogs. But, every other dog was off leash and with so many people around, we opted to give him a chance. He had a blast! It was like doggy paradise for him! All the other dogs were large dogs – a rarity for the boating community. They ran around, played in the water and wrestled in the sand. Everyone was very nice and the dogs all got along great. There was one uncomfortable incident where Koa peed on one of the older dogs, but the owner just laughed and said “I guess she's Koa's bitch now.” Whew – our first dog group encounter was a success! Koa was tired and we had met lots of new friends.
We took Koa back to the boat and then we headed out for some more snorkeling. First, we stopped by the boat that had left us in their dust two days ago. He laughed when he saw and said they had been looking out for us and that we should still come over for that beer later. He told us about some cool must-sees on the island and so we headed out with the promise of sun-downers later.
We beached the dinghy and walked 100yards over the dunes to a secluded beach on the NorthEast side of the island. We were able to swim right out from the beach to some of the shallower coral heads. It was a bit more murky here due to the waves breaking on the shore, so we were a bit more vigilant about our surroundings, but again had a great swim. We snorkeled the length of the whole beach, then went back and had a snack while sitting on the beach. It was around noon now, and we decided to head back to the dinghy and go inland.
There is a series of creeks that wind their way inland with one way in and out from the shore. Due to the shallow depths, we were told to go in an hour before high tide and come out no later than an hour after the tide changes. We made it in through the cut, dragging sand behind us. Once inside, the creeks were a beautiful light blue crystal clear color. We had been told that the creek opened up to a small lagoon where there were dozens of green turtles that lived there. We wound our way back a ways wondering if we were in the right place. Finally we saw another dinghy off in the distance in what looked to be greenish, deeper water. We headed that way and when the area opened up we saw that there were at least 6 dinghies there, everyone had come to check out the turtles! And we were not to be disappointed! There were turtles popping up everywhere! Medium sized turtles (1.5 – 2.5 feet across the shell) had apparently made their homes back there. They were darting in between the dinghies, who all had their outboards off and were just floating around the lagoon. We joined the floating masses and hung out for an hour watching the turtles surface all around us. It was the coolest thing!
When the tide switched, we all headed back out so as not to get stuck in the creeks. On the way out, we stopped and snorkeled a crystal clear deep area along the mangroves. The mangroves provided cover for so many fish – mangrove snappers of all colors and a puffer the size of my head!
After that surreal experience, we headed back up to the reef North of the anchorage and snorkeled for a bit before heading over for sun-downers. We had a great time with the owners of “Ariel” and oohed and aahed over their nice boat. As the sun was about to set, we had visitors of the dangerous sort – a lemon shark perused the anchorage, swimming circles around all the boats. He was at least 6feet long and although it was cool to see him from the safety of the boat deck, it was a bit unnerving knowing he was there.
The following day we joined the dog chaos on the beach again and then dinghied around to the Eastern side of the island for more snorkeling and more secluded beaches. We snorkeled right at noon, with the sun high overhead and saw the most beautiful coral we have ever seen! Conception has elkhorn coral (one of the few places in the world where it is found) and it was gorgeous – and looked just like elkhorns, go figure! It was a beautiful orange with white tips. The coral heads here were huge, coming from 20-30 feet of water all the way to the surface. We snorkeled in and around the heads for an hour, enjoying the vibrant colors and the beautiful reef fish. We were near the edge of the reefs and the open water beyond was a bit ominous – I now know what shark bait feels like. But, we were not to see any sharks today either. We did see an extremely large barracuda staring at us menacingly, so we high-tailed it back to the dinghy and spent the rest of the afternoon laying on the white sand of our own private beach.
When we got back to the boat, we borrowed a hacksaw from “Ariel” and Brad made us two conch horns – now we can feel like real boaters! The tradition is to blow a conch horn every night as the sun sets; the majority of boaters have them, especially if they cruise in the Keys or the Bahamas.
We readied the boat for sailing tomorrow and then had a relaxing dinner in the cockpit while we watched the sunset. Our conch horn wasn't clean yet, so we enjoyed the sunset in silence. And then watched as the men in gray suits came back in full force – another large lemon shark and a nurse shark swam in lazy circles around our boat. We had heard they were prevalent there and we were not disappointed!
Leaving Georgetown
3.23
Yesterday we moved the mothership closer to town so that we could restock our stores (water, fuel, groceries) without having to dinghy across the harbour multiple times. After being in the harbour for so long, it took quite a while to get the mothership back in sailing condition. We secured everything in the cabin and on deck, loaded the dinghy motor on deck and then headed for the southern area of the harbour so that we could leave early the following morning.
We had a good night sleep and woke up at 0700 to get a jump start on our 40mile journey to Conception. We were not the only boats leaving that morning; the winds that had been raging for the past two weeks had finally let up and all the boats that had been waiting out the weather were itching to get back out on the water. There was a mass exodus as we all headed out the cut to points South.
Once out of the cut, we all hoisted our sails and split off in different directions. After about an hour, we could tell there were two other boats that were on the same course as us, obviously also heading to Conception. We hailed the boat closest to us, who at the time, was racing past us closer to the wind than we could hope to go.
The boat is one of only three ever made, an Aerodyne 50ft, and he was smoking us. We made some good natured jokes at our expense and he invited us over for a beer when we all reached Conception.
As we sailed on that day, we soon realized that the wind as not in our favor and we would not be making it to Conception without motoring. We opted to continue under sail only and stop in Long Island for the evening, leaving only 15 miles of travel the following day.
We were tired from a day of slow sailing and eager to anchor for the night. As we were approaching the anchorage, suddenly the fishing line starting paying out! We were so excited we both jumped for the reel! Since I was already at the helm, I let Brad reel the fish in. He saw it jump out of the water and reported back excitedly that it was not a barracuda! We were already discussing how we were going to cook the fish and what a great ending to the day this was! As he reeled it in, the fish dove and took off in the opposite direction. And then, suddenly, the line went slack. Dagger! We lost the first fish we ever hooked! What a disappointing end to an otherwise boring day.
So, with heavy hearts, we had hotdogs for dinner, watched another perfect sunset and turned in for the night.
Yesterday we moved the mothership closer to town so that we could restock our stores (water, fuel, groceries) without having to dinghy across the harbour multiple times. After being in the harbour for so long, it took quite a while to get the mothership back in sailing condition. We secured everything in the cabin and on deck, loaded the dinghy motor on deck and then headed for the southern area of the harbour so that we could leave early the following morning.
We had a good night sleep and woke up at 0700 to get a jump start on our 40mile journey to Conception. We were not the only boats leaving that morning; the winds that had been raging for the past two weeks had finally let up and all the boats that had been waiting out the weather were itching to get back out on the water. There was a mass exodus as we all headed out the cut to points South.
Once out of the cut, we all hoisted our sails and split off in different directions. After about an hour, we could tell there were two other boats that were on the same course as us, obviously also heading to Conception. We hailed the boat closest to us, who at the time, was racing past us closer to the wind than we could hope to go.
The boat is one of only three ever made, an Aerodyne 50ft, and he was smoking us. We made some good natured jokes at our expense and he invited us over for a beer when we all reached Conception.
As we sailed on that day, we soon realized that the wind as not in our favor and we would not be making it to Conception without motoring. We opted to continue under sail only and stop in Long Island for the evening, leaving only 15 miles of travel the following day.
We were tired from a day of slow sailing and eager to anchor for the night. As we were approaching the anchorage, suddenly the fishing line starting paying out! We were so excited we both jumped for the reel! Since I was already at the helm, I let Brad reel the fish in. He saw it jump out of the water and reported back excitedly that it was not a barracuda! We were already discussing how we were going to cook the fish and what a great ending to the day this was! As he reeled it in, the fish dove and took off in the opposite direction. And then, suddenly, the line went slack. Dagger! We lost the first fish we ever hooked! What a disappointing end to an otherwise boring day.
So, with heavy hearts, we had hotdogs for dinner, watched another perfect sunset and turned in for the night.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Whew!
3.18.11
We are finally getting a breather after almost 3 weeks of whirlwind activity! We had a great time in Long Island and rushed back to be here in time to collect the first of our guests, Jeremy and Jon. They were here for most of the Regatta events and had a blast just swimming in the crystal clear waters and hanging out with the other cruisers. They played Sand Trap golf on the beach, went snorkeling, played volleyball and we even had a bonfire with a bunch of our friends.
Towards the end of their trip, Chelsea flew in so that at one point, there were 5 people on our little boat! It was much better than I had anticipated. No one complained about sleeping accommodations (thanks in part to extra Bahamian Rum Drinks!) and everyone kept their stuff tidy enough that the boat wasn't too cluttered! We all had a blast and were sorry to see Jeremy and Jon leave.
With just the 3 of us left, we had more relaxed beach days. We attended the closing party of the Regatta and had a blast listening to some of the cruisers playing in a pickup band.
We went to sundowners with some cruisers we met in Marathon who finally made it down to Georgetown. And we all learned how to play a conch horn! It was a blast! I of course, was a natural...haha.
Chelsea and I spent a day on the East beaches searching the sand for Hamburger and Heart beans - large brown beans that float all the way across the Atlantic from Africa. They are supposed to be good luck for sailors since they have endured the long journey. But we had no such luck, hopefully we will find one before the end of our travels!
One of the couples we met here in Georgetown decided to upgrade to a larger boat and purchased one here in town. We went over with a few other couples to be witnesses for the christening ceremony - a superstitious ceremony for renaming the boat that involves lots of champagne and invoking the spirits of the wind. It was great fun and awesome to be part of such a big moment in their lives!
After a week full of fun and sun, we said our goodbyes to Chelsea and sent her back to the States.
Although we have had lots of fun sharing our lives with our friends, it is equally nice to have peace and quiet back on our little boat. It is time to get back in the swing of things and get the mothership back in sailing condition. She has had plenty of rest and so have we. We are all eager to be out in the open ocean again.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Visitors
3.7.11
Jeremy and Jon flew in from DC this weekend and they couldn't have picked a better week! We have just had a large and long-lasting blow of up to 25knots for a few days and the weather has finally laid down. The water is crystal clear and the skies are a brilliant blue.
Brad played in the Cruisers vs. Bahamians softball game last night and we went along to cheer him on. There was a great turnout and the cruisers were loud and rowdy as usual. I met up with some old friends again and also met some new friends as well. Brad played great in the game and was the only player they kept in the whole time!
The whole game was quite entertaining, as the Bahamians are much better than the cruisers....by a long shot! They play competitively and are much more experienced than our team of miscreants. To make up for this, the cruisers get to provide the referees who are more there to handicap the Bahamians than anything else. The referees provided a great source of entertainment as they put a ball and chain on some of the runners, allowed the whole team of cruisers to run around the bases for an 11 run homerun, made the Bahamians run the bases backwards and bat with their bats upside down! It was quite pathetic how much better they were than our team, but the game is a yearly charity event that is all played in good fun. Everyone had a great time, and I think the final rigged score was 26-26.
More Cruisers Regatta events commence tomorrow and with the winds being so low, there is a good chance of snorkeling in the near future!
Jeremy and Jon flew in from DC this weekend and they couldn't have picked a better week! We have just had a large and long-lasting blow of up to 25knots for a few days and the weather has finally laid down. The water is crystal clear and the skies are a brilliant blue.
Brad played in the Cruisers vs. Bahamians softball game last night and we went along to cheer him on. There was a great turnout and the cruisers were loud and rowdy as usual. I met up with some old friends again and also met some new friends as well. Brad played great in the game and was the only player they kept in the whole time!
The whole game was quite entertaining, as the Bahamians are much better than the cruisers....by a long shot! They play competitively and are much more experienced than our team of miscreants. To make up for this, the cruisers get to provide the referees who are more there to handicap the Bahamians than anything else. The referees provided a great source of entertainment as they put a ball and chain on some of the runners, allowed the whole team of cruisers to run around the bases for an 11 run homerun, made the Bahamians run the bases backwards and bat with their bats upside down! It was quite pathetic how much better they were than our team, but the game is a yearly charity event that is all played in good fun. Everyone had a great time, and I think the final rigged score was 26-26.
More Cruisers Regatta events commence tomorrow and with the winds being so low, there is a good chance of snorkeling in the near future!
Surprise Sail
3.3.11
We woke up this morning planning on spending a lazy day on the boat since a front was moving through the area, we expected some rain and high winds. However, when we checked the GRIBS that morning, we realized the front had stalled a bit and although it had rained yesterday, it was supposed to be clear today with winds up to 20knots. The following day the winds were supposed to build and the rain was to hit again. Well, I hate sailing in the rain, so our mind was made up. We quickly got our butts into gear and readied the boat for sailing. We were on the water with our sails raised 45 minutes later!
We were on a beam reach, flying along the water at 6knots. And it only got better, or worse, depending on which way we chose to look at it. We were traveling in the right direction to harness all the power of the wind and as the day wore on, we reached 7, even 8, knots, which is our max speed in our little boat! But with the speed came the wrestling of the wheel. This is where we are a bit different from other boaters. We currently don't have an autopilot – it is under construction, kind of. So, we had to wrestle the wheel to keep the boat straight for the whole 5 hour trip. When you are slicing through waves that are 5-7 feet tall that are slamming into your beam and the boat is trying with all its might to turn you straight into the wind, things can get a bit dicey. And that is exactly what happened. We had to take shifts behind the wheel because it was such a workout! The waves built steadily throughout the day until they were just picking us up and tossing us around.
Needless to say, we were happy, relieved and exhausted when we finally reached the cut and made it behind cover of land. We had made the best time ever, having covered 35 miles in a bit under 5 hours! But we had paid the price.
Georgetown was even more crowded than when we had left, due to the regatta being this week. We had trouble anchoring and the over 20knots winds were not making our job any easier! We finally squeezed our way into a spot and were so thankful to drop the anchor and be back in a safe harbour.
Tomorrow starts the deep cleaning of the boat and the parade of guests starts in 2 days! Can't wait!!!
We woke up this morning planning on spending a lazy day on the boat since a front was moving through the area, we expected some rain and high winds. However, when we checked the GRIBS that morning, we realized the front had stalled a bit and although it had rained yesterday, it was supposed to be clear today with winds up to 20knots. The following day the winds were supposed to build and the rain was to hit again. Well, I hate sailing in the rain, so our mind was made up. We quickly got our butts into gear and readied the boat for sailing. We were on the water with our sails raised 45 minutes later!
We were on a beam reach, flying along the water at 6knots. And it only got better, or worse, depending on which way we chose to look at it. We were traveling in the right direction to harness all the power of the wind and as the day wore on, we reached 7, even 8, knots, which is our max speed in our little boat! But with the speed came the wrestling of the wheel. This is where we are a bit different from other boaters. We currently don't have an autopilot – it is under construction, kind of. So, we had to wrestle the wheel to keep the boat straight for the whole 5 hour trip. When you are slicing through waves that are 5-7 feet tall that are slamming into your beam and the boat is trying with all its might to turn you straight into the wind, things can get a bit dicey. And that is exactly what happened. We had to take shifts behind the wheel because it was such a workout! The waves built steadily throughout the day until they were just picking us up and tossing us around.
Needless to say, we were happy, relieved and exhausted when we finally reached the cut and made it behind cover of land. We had made the best time ever, having covered 35 miles in a bit under 5 hours! But we had paid the price.
Georgetown was even more crowded than when we had left, due to the regatta being this week. We had trouble anchoring and the over 20knots winds were not making our job any easier! We finally squeezed our way into a spot and were so thankful to drop the anchor and be back in a safe harbour.
Tomorrow starts the deep cleaning of the boat and the parade of guests starts in 2 days! Can't wait!!!
Driving on the Left!
3.2.11
Two days later, we rented a car and, taking extra caution to drive on the left side of the road, headed off in search of tourist spots. The wind was calm and the weather was gorgeous so we opted to start out snorkeling on the East coast. Brad and I had never snorkeled the ocean side before, usually the tradewinds in the Bahamas cause large Eastern swells that make snorkeling impossible. Our first stop was a reef about 100 yards out from the beach. The reef was pretty and we saw some gorgeous fish, although nothing we hadn't seen before. The coolest part about this reef was that since we were on the ocean side, the reef was right along the ledge of the ocean. So, when you reached the other side of the reef, the sand dropped down about 50feet and you were staring at an endless expanse of deep blue water. It was a bit eery, knowing that larger animals were out there watching you. I now know what lobsters in a tank feel like. Sure enough, as we swam along and our eyes got a bit used to the shadows along the ledge, we could start to make out shapes a ways out – luckily they were only large barracudas, but it was a bit spooky nonetheless.
This reef didn't hold our attention long and we were soon all back on the beach deciding where to go next. A couple who lived on the island recommended a reef a bit farther back, so we all piled in the car and headed that way. This reef was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. There have been steps carved into a rock ledge and when you lower yourself into the water, you are only 2feet above some of the most beautiful reef you have ever seen.
The water itself was some 30 feet deep, but the reef has grown almost all the way to the surface! We swam over top of it for about 30yards, peeking down through the crevasses into the lives of the colorful fish below, until the reef opened up into deeper water. We swam along the edge of the reef, surrounded by reef and fish on all sides. We even saw a sea snake and encountered a large eagle ray (with a wing span almost as large as my arm span!) who was very curious about us – he circled around us for quite a bit before getting bored and moving on. I cannot even begin to do this reef justice with words, but suffice it to say it was absolutely breathtaking and I cannot remember ever seeing anything as extraordinary.
The guy that we were with turned out to be an avid diver and was digging in and around the reefs looking for lobster to spear. He only found two, but we hoped to get more later so we could all have a great feast later!
We decided we had done enough snorkeling and opted to head farther south to see some of the other great tourist spots on the island. The first stop was lunch at Max's conch bar – and we were in luck, Max was working! He was an older gentleman, who acted as if he was 18 and made fresh conch salad right in the tiki hut while we sat around the bar watching him. It was delicious and he was quite entertaining! He recommended some good spots for us to check out, so we headed farther south.
The next stop was Dean's Blue Hole – google it. Although it is not well known amongst world attractions, it is a must see among cruisers who frequent the island. It is just as the name implies – a 150foot wide blue hole that drops down to 690feet. It is in the corner of this small, shallow cove and the sand falls off suddenly into a great abyss of cobalt blue water. The free divers gather here yearly for a competition to see who can go the farthest. It was pretty spectacular!
We also headed down to Clarencetown where we saw two of the churches built by Father Jerome. Father Jerome was an architect turned priest who has built multiple churches here in the islands that are of the finest architectural design of the 1800s. We even climbed one of the spires and were able to get a great view of the city, although it was quite treacherous getting up there, with steep ascending ladders and narrow holes to pull yourself up through at each level. Brad almost didn't make it! Haha!
The front that was scheduled to arrive Thursday night showed up a bit early and we could see the approaching rain. We hurried back down the spire, got in the car and headed to Rowdy Boys – a local pool bar recommended to us by some other cruisers. We pulled in right as the downpour started. Although we had only planned to have a look around, we decided to order some beers and wait out the storm. We stayed for almost an hour, enjoying the company of the owners (the only other people in the place besides us!) and met almost their whole family! They were very generous and welcoming and we had a great time!
Finally, at 1600, after a full day of exploration, we headed back to our boats. We said our goodbyes, they gave us the two lobster tails since it wasn't enough for a full dinner and we had never had fresh lobster before. We were traveling the same track, so we knew our paths would cross again in the future. It had been an excellent day and we were exhausted!
Two days later, we rented a car and, taking extra caution to drive on the left side of the road, headed off in search of tourist spots. The wind was calm and the weather was gorgeous so we opted to start out snorkeling on the East coast. Brad and I had never snorkeled the ocean side before, usually the tradewinds in the Bahamas cause large Eastern swells that make snorkeling impossible. Our first stop was a reef about 100 yards out from the beach. The reef was pretty and we saw some gorgeous fish, although nothing we hadn't seen before. The coolest part about this reef was that since we were on the ocean side, the reef was right along the ledge of the ocean. So, when you reached the other side of the reef, the sand dropped down about 50feet and you were staring at an endless expanse of deep blue water. It was a bit eery, knowing that larger animals were out there watching you. I now know what lobsters in a tank feel like. Sure enough, as we swam along and our eyes got a bit used to the shadows along the ledge, we could start to make out shapes a ways out – luckily they were only large barracudas, but it was a bit spooky nonetheless.
This reef didn't hold our attention long and we were soon all back on the beach deciding where to go next. A couple who lived on the island recommended a reef a bit farther back, so we all piled in the car and headed that way. This reef was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life. There have been steps carved into a rock ledge and when you lower yourself into the water, you are only 2feet above some of the most beautiful reef you have ever seen.
The water itself was some 30 feet deep, but the reef has grown almost all the way to the surface! We swam over top of it for about 30yards, peeking down through the crevasses into the lives of the colorful fish below, until the reef opened up into deeper water. We swam along the edge of the reef, surrounded by reef and fish on all sides. We even saw a sea snake and encountered a large eagle ray (with a wing span almost as large as my arm span!) who was very curious about us – he circled around us for quite a bit before getting bored and moving on. I cannot even begin to do this reef justice with words, but suffice it to say it was absolutely breathtaking and I cannot remember ever seeing anything as extraordinary.
The guy that we were with turned out to be an avid diver and was digging in and around the reefs looking for lobster to spear. He only found two, but we hoped to get more later so we could all have a great feast later!
We decided we had done enough snorkeling and opted to head farther south to see some of the other great tourist spots on the island. The first stop was lunch at Max's conch bar – and we were in luck, Max was working! He was an older gentleman, who acted as if he was 18 and made fresh conch salad right in the tiki hut while we sat around the bar watching him. It was delicious and he was quite entertaining! He recommended some good spots for us to check out, so we headed farther south.
The next stop was Dean's Blue Hole – google it. Although it is not well known amongst world attractions, it is a must see among cruisers who frequent the island. It is just as the name implies – a 150foot wide blue hole that drops down to 690feet. It is in the corner of this small, shallow cove and the sand falls off suddenly into a great abyss of cobalt blue water. The free divers gather here yearly for a competition to see who can go the farthest. It was pretty spectacular!
We also headed down to Clarencetown where we saw two of the churches built by Father Jerome. Father Jerome was an architect turned priest who has built multiple churches here in the islands that are of the finest architectural design of the 1800s. We even climbed one of the spires and were able to get a great view of the city, although it was quite treacherous getting up there, with steep ascending ladders and narrow holes to pull yourself up through at each level. Brad almost didn't make it! Haha!
The front that was scheduled to arrive Thursday night showed up a bit early and we could see the approaching rain. We hurried back down the spire, got in the car and headed to Rowdy Boys – a local pool bar recommended to us by some other cruisers. We pulled in right as the downpour started. Although we had only planned to have a look around, we decided to order some beers and wait out the storm. We stayed for almost an hour, enjoying the company of the owners (the only other people in the place besides us!) and met almost their whole family! They were very generous and welcoming and we had a great time!
Finally, at 1600, after a full day of exploration, we headed back to our boats. We said our goodbyes, they gave us the two lobster tails since it wasn't enough for a full dinner and we had never had fresh lobster before. We were traveling the same track, so we knew our paths would cross again in the future. It had been an excellent day and we were exhausted!
Small town Simms
3.1.11
We have spent the last week in Long Island and have loved every second! It is another of the beautiful islands just south of the Exuma chain. It has been so nice and refreshing to get out of crowded Georgetown for the week.
After we left the Northern part of the island, we headed South about 12mile and tucked up close to shore right outside of Simms. We dinghied in and made a quick trip to the local mini mart. We met a charming man named Bill, who was born in Simms and then moved to the US to get his Bachelors Degree and to teach in the state schools. He was there for 20 years before coming back home to Simms, where he runs the mini mart out of the front of his house just for something to fill his days. He was wonderful to talk to and has been to many places in the US that even Brad and I have never been. We stayed and chatted with him for about 30 minutes before heading back out to the boat for sundowners. Despite Bill's charm, this sleepy town lacked anything to do so opted to head out the following day.
We finally made it down to Thompson Bay, the cruisers favorite spot. There is protection from almost all wind directions here and there is a local place, Long Island Breeze, that has a dinghy dock, free wifi and a pool. The grocery store is also conveniently located across the street. We were sad to have just missed the Farmer's market the day before.
We tuned in to the local cruisers net, run by the Breeze daily, and made reservations with a local restaurant that was doing a buffet with native cuisine. It sounded as if many of the cruisers in the Bay would be there and we were excited to meet more people. We took Koa for a walk to the beach and then headed to the grocery store to replenish our supplies. This store was like heaven on earth for us! I was huge and had a bit of everything. We even bought a set of Dominos. The locals play Dominos and backgammon here all the time and we are eager to learn so that we can join them next time! The owner of the grocer checked us out and then, when he learned we didn't know how to play, he shut down his checkout line and he and the bag boy taught us how to play! Right there in the store!!
Dinner was excellent and we met another cruiser couple who we really hit it off with. They have a large Catamaran that they have sailed partway around the world. They are so young at heart and so friendly and eager to share all their stories with us as well as invite us to their summer home in Canada! We had planned on renting a car to see the parts of the island that we couldn't see by boat and invited them to come along.
The following day we headed into Long Island Breeze for some R&R and to make use of their wifi. We had hoped that the bar and grill on the pool deck would be open, but for some reason it was not. We headed upstairs to the restaurant and sat at the bar. The place was gorgeous – overlooking the Bay, with beautiful woodwork and all the doors were open allowing a cool breeze to come through. We were greeted by the owner who got us our drinks and stood there staring at us while we perused the menu. When we asked for the pizza, he told us it would take 50minutes for the pizza oven to heat up and 10 minutes to cook the pizza. When we told him we would wait, he said that cooks wouldn't be able to do it. Hmmm....ok?! So we split a burger and sat there playing on the internet until it came. Several times we tried to strike up conversation with the owner, asking about rental cars and things to see in the area but were only rewarded with concise, terse, yes or no answers. After eating a burger that was less than great, we decided that although the atmosphere had the potential to be amazing the ownership was sadly lacking. Perhaps we should buy them out and run it ourselves...
We have spent the last week in Long Island and have loved every second! It is another of the beautiful islands just south of the Exuma chain. It has been so nice and refreshing to get out of crowded Georgetown for the week.
After we left the Northern part of the island, we headed South about 12mile and tucked up close to shore right outside of Simms. We dinghied in and made a quick trip to the local mini mart. We met a charming man named Bill, who was born in Simms and then moved to the US to get his Bachelors Degree and to teach in the state schools. He was there for 20 years before coming back home to Simms, where he runs the mini mart out of the front of his house just for something to fill his days. He was wonderful to talk to and has been to many places in the US that even Brad and I have never been. We stayed and chatted with him for about 30 minutes before heading back out to the boat for sundowners. Despite Bill's charm, this sleepy town lacked anything to do so opted to head out the following day.
We finally made it down to Thompson Bay, the cruisers favorite spot. There is protection from almost all wind directions here and there is a local place, Long Island Breeze, that has a dinghy dock, free wifi and a pool. The grocery store is also conveniently located across the street. We were sad to have just missed the Farmer's market the day before.
We tuned in to the local cruisers net, run by the Breeze daily, and made reservations with a local restaurant that was doing a buffet with native cuisine. It sounded as if many of the cruisers in the Bay would be there and we were excited to meet more people. We took Koa for a walk to the beach and then headed to the grocery store to replenish our supplies. This store was like heaven on earth for us! I was huge and had a bit of everything. We even bought a set of Dominos. The locals play Dominos and backgammon here all the time and we are eager to learn so that we can join them next time! The owner of the grocer checked us out and then, when he learned we didn't know how to play, he shut down his checkout line and he and the bag boy taught us how to play! Right there in the store!!
Dinner was excellent and we met another cruiser couple who we really hit it off with. They have a large Catamaran that they have sailed partway around the world. They are so young at heart and so friendly and eager to share all their stories with us as well as invite us to their summer home in Canada! We had planned on renting a car to see the parts of the island that we couldn't see by boat and invited them to come along.
The following day we headed into Long Island Breeze for some R&R and to make use of their wifi. We had hoped that the bar and grill on the pool deck would be open, but for some reason it was not. We headed upstairs to the restaurant and sat at the bar. The place was gorgeous – overlooking the Bay, with beautiful woodwork and all the doors were open allowing a cool breeze to come through. We were greeted by the owner who got us our drinks and stood there staring at us while we perused the menu. When we asked for the pizza, he told us it would take 50minutes for the pizza oven to heat up and 10 minutes to cook the pizza. When we told him we would wait, he said that cooks wouldn't be able to do it. Hmmm....ok?! So we split a burger and sat there playing on the internet until it came. Several times we tried to strike up conversation with the owner, asking about rental cars and things to see in the area but were only rewarded with concise, terse, yes or no answers. After eating a burger that was less than great, we decided that although the atmosphere had the potential to be amazing the ownership was sadly lacking. Perhaps we should buy them out and run it ourselves...
Long Island Bound
2.25.11
We left Georgetown yesterday, a day after our weather window. The wind was supposed to still be cooperative with the direction we were heading, but as we motored out of the harbour, we soon realized that was not to be the case. We were heading due East and the winds were right off our bow. We realized we would be motor-bashing all day if we stayed with our original travel plan.
No fear! Thanks to my excellent navigational skills, I directed us onto a different route where we would be able to use the wind to our advantage. So, we hoisted our sails, cut out of the main channel and headed to the North end of Long Island. The day was gorgeous! Beautiful blue skies with enough wind to fill our sails and send us in the right direction. We were at our destination right around sunset , had the anchor in just as the sun dipped below the horizon and were treated to an elusive green flash! We were tired from the long day, so we had a filling dinner of steak and rice and then headed to bed.
The next day, we opted to move in closer to the shore. We hauled the anchor back on board and found what we thought to be a suitable anchorage closer to the beach in beautiful sandy-bottom crystal clear blue water. We made sure the anchor was set, loaded up the dinghy and took Koa in to land for a hike around the town.
We soon learned that the town was little more than a few residential houses. There wasn't even a mini mart. I guess when the island is only 50miles long you don't have to have a grocer in every town. As we were walking through “town” we did noticed that every yard had at least one, if not two, goats. They were tied up like dogs in all the yards. They were oblivious of us, but were very interested in Koa. And, as I'm sure you can guess, our dumb dog was also very interested in them!
The people of Long Island are purported to be among the friendliest in all the islands. They offer walking cruisers rides and not a single one goes by without honking and waving. We heard more car horns on the stretch of road than when we were in Miami!
We hiked on. On the Northern-most tip of the island is a Columbus moument. The statue is so worn down that you cannot even read the inscription anymore, but the monument sits atop white rugged cliffs and is supposed to offer amazing views. Well, we didn't realize it was over 5 miles to get there and since we had Koa and it was the middle of the afternoon with no shade trees to be seen, we accepted defeat and turned around. We prefer the coolness of the water and the beachside winds to the sweltering heat of the land. We were all exhausted and had a very low key evening before retiring for the night.
Unfortunately, being so close to the Northern tip of Long Island doesn't offer much protection from the waves. The waves from the Atlantic rolled in around the tip and over towards where we were tucked up against the shore. We spent the night rolling from gunnel to gunnel, and since our bed is perpendicular to the boat, that meant we were rolled from head to toe all night – not exactly what we had in mind when we thought about being rocked to sleep by the waves.
Tomorrow we will head farther south down the island.
We left Georgetown yesterday, a day after our weather window. The wind was supposed to still be cooperative with the direction we were heading, but as we motored out of the harbour, we soon realized that was not to be the case. We were heading due East and the winds were right off our bow. We realized we would be motor-bashing all day if we stayed with our original travel plan.
No fear! Thanks to my excellent navigational skills, I directed us onto a different route where we would be able to use the wind to our advantage. So, we hoisted our sails, cut out of the main channel and headed to the North end of Long Island. The day was gorgeous! Beautiful blue skies with enough wind to fill our sails and send us in the right direction. We were at our destination right around sunset , had the anchor in just as the sun dipped below the horizon and were treated to an elusive green flash! We were tired from the long day, so we had a filling dinner of steak and rice and then headed to bed.
The next day, we opted to move in closer to the shore. We hauled the anchor back on board and found what we thought to be a suitable anchorage closer to the beach in beautiful sandy-bottom crystal clear blue water. We made sure the anchor was set, loaded up the dinghy and took Koa in to land for a hike around the town.
We soon learned that the town was little more than a few residential houses. There wasn't even a mini mart. I guess when the island is only 50miles long you don't have to have a grocer in every town. As we were walking through “town” we did noticed that every yard had at least one, if not two, goats. They were tied up like dogs in all the yards. They were oblivious of us, but were very interested in Koa. And, as I'm sure you can guess, our dumb dog was also very interested in them!
The people of Long Island are purported to be among the friendliest in all the islands. They offer walking cruisers rides and not a single one goes by without honking and waving. We heard more car horns on the stretch of road than when we were in Miami!
We hiked on. On the Northern-most tip of the island is a Columbus moument. The statue is so worn down that you cannot even read the inscription anymore, but the monument sits atop white rugged cliffs and is supposed to offer amazing views. Well, we didn't realize it was over 5 miles to get there and since we had Koa and it was the middle of the afternoon with no shade trees to be seen, we accepted defeat and turned around. We prefer the coolness of the water and the beachside winds to the sweltering heat of the land. We were all exhausted and had a very low key evening before retiring for the night.
Unfortunately, being so close to the Northern tip of Long Island doesn't offer much protection from the waves. The waves from the Atlantic rolled in around the tip and over towards where we were tucked up against the shore. We spent the night rolling from gunnel to gunnel, and since our bed is perpendicular to the boat, that meant we were rolled from head to toe all night – not exactly what we had in mind when we thought about being rocked to sleep by the waves.
Tomorrow we will head farther south down the island.
Georgetown Gem
2.20.11
We have found a gem here in Georgetown. Apparently the secret is out though, as we are only one of 250 sailboats in the harbour. When we were in Marathon we were introduced to our first “cruising community”, where the sailors organized a cruisers net every morning and group activities on some days. That was small scale compared to this! The cruisers here are gung ho about getting together, drinking, singing, dancing, playing games, and fixing things. Every day of the week there is something going on – volleyball everyday, softball twice a week, poker twice a week, discussions on battery usage and care, and most importantly, the upcoming cruisers regatta.
A regatta is, in history, a party centered around the racing of boats. Well, this is more of the racing of boats and other games, centered around the party. There is drinking encouraged at every event – kayak races, tug of wars, competitive volleyball, small boat sailing races. There are 2-3 events everyday for two weeks. I don't know whether some of these people will make it out alive! The regattas in the Bahamas usually center around the racing of the Bahamian boats, but the cruisers in Georgetown apparently wanted to have a really big bash before they all head back to the states and Canada, so they came up with this regatta idea. There is really not so much racing involved as there is drinking and laughing. Although we are not as gung ho about this event as some of the people, we have gotten kind of involved and are going to be there for the second week.
Brad has been going to the Poker Tournaments and hopes to play in the final tournament next week. He has also been playing softball with the cruisers twice a week. The practices all lead up to the big event – playing a competitive game of softball against the Bahamians. It should be fun and apparently the Bahamians in Georgetown dominate all the other teams in the Bahamas. After watching our cruisers play, I think that there's a good chance they will not be coming home with the trophy this year.
The real gem behind this cruising community is the level of friendliness and helpfulness. We have had so many problems on our boat since leaving Florida and we have been able to fix all but one thanks to the help and knowledge provided by all the boats in the harbour. Everyone is so generous, lending out parts, selling parts on their boat if they have extras, or just giving general recommendations for what we should do to fix the problem. Thanks to them, we were able to revive our old batteries, get a new battery charger for 1/5 the cost that it would normally be, and we now have hot water for showers!
The Bahamians are also extremely friendly here. They know that the cruisers are most of their yearly income so they bend over backwards to make sure that we all have a great time.
Although we do love it here, we are getting antsy and are ready to move on. There is still so much of the Bahamas left to see!
We are heading over to Long Island in a few days and then will be back in Georgetown for the end of the regatta and to pick up some of our friends who are flying in for a visit. We will have five people sleeping on this boat at one time – it's going to be a bit cozy!!
We have found a gem here in Georgetown. Apparently the secret is out though, as we are only one of 250 sailboats in the harbour. When we were in Marathon we were introduced to our first “cruising community”, where the sailors organized a cruisers net every morning and group activities on some days. That was small scale compared to this! The cruisers here are gung ho about getting together, drinking, singing, dancing, playing games, and fixing things. Every day of the week there is something going on – volleyball everyday, softball twice a week, poker twice a week, discussions on battery usage and care, and most importantly, the upcoming cruisers regatta.
A regatta is, in history, a party centered around the racing of boats. Well, this is more of the racing of boats and other games, centered around the party. There is drinking encouraged at every event – kayak races, tug of wars, competitive volleyball, small boat sailing races. There are 2-3 events everyday for two weeks. I don't know whether some of these people will make it out alive! The regattas in the Bahamas usually center around the racing of the Bahamian boats, but the cruisers in Georgetown apparently wanted to have a really big bash before they all head back to the states and Canada, so they came up with this regatta idea. There is really not so much racing involved as there is drinking and laughing. Although we are not as gung ho about this event as some of the people, we have gotten kind of involved and are going to be there for the second week.
Brad has been going to the Poker Tournaments and hopes to play in the final tournament next week. He has also been playing softball with the cruisers twice a week. The practices all lead up to the big event – playing a competitive game of softball against the Bahamians. It should be fun and apparently the Bahamians in Georgetown dominate all the other teams in the Bahamas. After watching our cruisers play, I think that there's a good chance they will not be coming home with the trophy this year.
The real gem behind this cruising community is the level of friendliness and helpfulness. We have had so many problems on our boat since leaving Florida and we have been able to fix all but one thanks to the help and knowledge provided by all the boats in the harbour. Everyone is so generous, lending out parts, selling parts on their boat if they have extras, or just giving general recommendations for what we should do to fix the problem. Thanks to them, we were able to revive our old batteries, get a new battery charger for 1/5 the cost that it would normally be, and we now have hot water for showers!
The Bahamians are also extremely friendly here. They know that the cruisers are most of their yearly income so they bend over backwards to make sure that we all have a great time.
Although we do love it here, we are getting antsy and are ready to move on. There is still so much of the Bahamas left to see!
We are heading over to Long Island in a few days and then will be back in Georgetown for the end of the regatta and to pick up some of our friends who are flying in for a visit. We will have five people sleeping on this boat at one time – it's going to be a bit cozy!!
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