Murphy's Law

2.19.13 Well it seems that if something bad can happen on this boat, it will. We were so excited to be finally leaving Marsh Harbour for the last time. We left this morning to head to Lynyard Cay to stage for our crossing on Thursday. The winds were good, coming from the South, but we had no problem tacking as the day was beautiful. Clear water, now waves, and never ending beautiful blue skies above. We had just rounded the tip of Matt Loew's Cay and were making excellent time with the wind abeam. We were both sitting back enjoying the sun when there was suddenly a loud ripping sound on the bow of the boat accompanied by something slapping the deck. When we stuck our head out to see what the heck had happened, we were both agape. The headsail had completely ripped in half! The lower half was hanging in the water and the upper half was slapping in the wind. When we finally got our wits about us, we immediately decided to lower the sail and just get it inside. Unfortunately, we have to turn away from the wind to do this and we were quite close to shore. While I was manning the helm and the lines from the cockpit, Brad ran to the bow to pull the sail in. It didn't take us long, but we were perilously close to shore by the time we got the sail down. After a quick turnaround, we headed over to Hopetown, which was just to our west. While Brad took care of the sail, I immediately hit the VHF to see if anyone in the area could tell us where to repair our sails. As is usually the case in the sailing community, we were not short of knowledge and were soon directed to Man O War Cay. It was a short sail (with only the main sail up) over to Man O War and we headed inside the narrow channel to pick up a mooring ball. We had been told that Jay Munney was the sailmaker to go see, so we loaded the sail into the dinghy and headed over. He met us down on the dock and helped us take the sail up the hill to his "workshop". And by workshop, I mean downstairs workshop in a beautiful mansion of a house sitting atop a hill overlooking the Sea of Abaco. Sail Repair must be a good gig.... Anyway, much to our chagrin and utter disappointment, it looks like the sail won't be ready until the end of next week. All our hopes to leave Abaco and make it to Georgetown for the Regatta are completely dashed. So tomorrow we will have a beach day and snorkel the Fowl Cay Preserve and then figure out how to entertain ourselves for another week. Here are a few pictures where you can see the two parts of the sail.

Take 2

2.19.13 We are leaving Marsh Harbour today, hopefully for the last time. The winds look like they will finally cooperate this week and we hope to make the crossing on Thursday. Sean went home on Saturday; he was a fun addition and we will miss him here on All In. He made a good decision though, as the winds were predicted to pipe up to 30-40 knots on Saturday night. We decided that instead of bouncing around all night, we would go back into Mangoes Marina where we would be more protected. Unfortunately, most of the other boats in the harbour had the same idea. By the time we got in that morning, all of the slips were full. The dockmaster managed to wedge us into a small slip as a last minute addition and we were very grateful! After seeing Sean off, we stopped at the local bakery to get some fresh baked cinnamon rolls, then on to Batelco (the local phone company) to get our cell phone and internet straightened out for the fourth time. That evening, since we were tied up to the dock and not worried about dragging anchor, we were able to go in the Snappas and watch the Maryland Terps defeat No.2 Duke!!!! It is a great year to be a Maryland Sports fan for sure! The winds did meet the predictions overnight that night, gusting into the high 30s. We slept soundly being tucked in against the shore. Unfortunately, for the next two days, that cold front brought more wind, rain and very cold temperatures. We spent most of the next two days holed up on the boat trying to stay warm and dry. We finally left the marina yesterday, ran some errands to stock up on supplies for the trip south and we hope to make it to our staging point at Lynyard Cay tonight. We are praying for the weather to cooperate and the waves to lay down a bit so we can finally make it south!

The Waiting Game

2.13.13 Well, one week later and here we still sit, waiting on the winds to change in our favor. It is frustrating since this area usually has prevailing Easterlies (which would be perfect for our trip) that we have seen nothing but South wind for the whole week. Hopefully we can ride the beginning on the front coming through this weekend down to Eleuthra. The Abacos have been good to us, but we are ready to move on! We have been keeping somewhat busy since our last attempt to cross. We have explored the town a little more, visited Snappas (our favorite local bar) quite frequently and gotten a Bahamian phone so that our internet will work (hence all the recent blog posts). The boys played in a Bocce ball tournament on Sunday where they came in third place. And then we attended a dinner party with our friends on Corsair, whom we had met in the marina in Fort Pierce. On Tuesday, we opted to come in to a marina since we were out of water. It was nice to be able to take long hot showers and do all our laundry for the first time in over two weeks. And it is nice to be on land so that everyone can come and go as they please instead of piling into the dinghy for the daily trip to town. We will probably head back out and anchor today, although we may go out in the ocean for a few hours to fish since the weather is so settled. Anything to keep ourselves amused for another few days!

No Fair Winds or Following Waves For This Crew

2.8.13 We woke up early this morning, encouraged by the low winds and headed back out to the cut. Although the waves were still large as we made our way through, they were not breakers and were spaced quite evenly which made the rolling a bit more tolerable. We made it safely through the cut and then headed South to Eleuthra, with Brad at the helm and Sean on the fishing poles, we were prepared for a long day of travel. An hour into the trip, however, Brad and I were rethinking out decision. The waves appeared to be building and the wind had not shifted as far to the West as we needed it to. We were not able to maintain our heading and keep good speed. When we travel 60 miles in a day, we need to maintain 5 knots to make it there in daylight hours. With the wind and waves on our nose, we were barely making 3 knots. We went about 7 miles before we both admitted what we were thinking and we started to discuss turning around and heading back to Marsh Harbour. We have heard many an experienced sailor say that he has turned around multiple times in his years at sea, and we have always said that we would do that if the conditions were not correct. But now, when we both so ready to head to the Exumas, we were having a hard time actually turning around. We had invested an hour into the trip already, but with our current rate of speed, it would have been another 10-12 hours until we arrived in Eleuthra. And bashing into waves was quickly draining us both. We finally conceded, Neptune had gotten the best of us today. We turned her around and headed back for calmer waters. Of course, once we turned around, the wind and waves were on our stern and where we had previously been going only 3 knots, we were now flying through the water at 7-9 knots! The rest of the sail was quite enjoyable and we made record time getting back to Marsh Harbour. The day seemed to have turned around a bit and we were all happy enter back into the Sea of Abaco and calmer water. It looked like we would have the anchor down and drinks in hand by 3pm. Of course, the way our day had been going we should have known better. We were less than a mile to the entrance to Marsh so we started rolling in the jib, only the jib wouldn't roll up. We frequently have trouble with our roller furling binding up so Brad went up to try to unbind it. Nothing he did worked. Finally, he glanced up and realized that the line that goes into the back of the sale to give it additional support had come out of the sail, gotten knotted on itselt and was not stuck in the standing rigging. And, on top of that, our continued pulling on the sail had actually caused it to rip about two feet along the back of the sail. Once we figured out the problem, Brad retrieved a boat hook, untangled the line and we rolled in the jib. In addition to this problem however, the boat hook became ensnared in the jib and was snatched out of Brad's hands and thrown into the water, never to be seen again. ugh. Good thing we have an extra. So, even though we did not catch any fish, we did not make it to Eleuthra and we were still in Marsh Harbour, we were all exhausted but in relatively good spirits considering the events of the day and we were happy to be back in calmer waters. With no foreseeable weather window in sight, we will hunker down here for another week and find things to do while we wait for the winds to shift.

Unforeseen Weather

2.7.13 Brad and I were up before the sun this morning, listening as the rain began to pound and the wind picked up around 4:00am. We stayed in bed until 6:00am and then looked outside to see what the day had in store. The wind, which was supposed to be a mild 10-15knots had piped up quite a bit and we could see that in the cut to the ocean, there were breaking waves. And there was of course the rain. None of this had been predicted and we both knew almost immediately that we weren't going to be leaving that day. We watched as another boat from our anchorage hauled up anchor and headed out through the cut. He was tossed around mightily and we just weren't up to that. So, we went back to bed and spent the morning being lazy, hoping the weather would clear up that night or tomorrow. Around noon, while I was laying in bed reading, I noticed a shift in the waves - they were coming in from the stern of the boat and hitting pretty hard. In a sailboat, this is nearly impossible at anchor since the boat always points into the wind (unless current is an issue) and therefore, the waves are always on the bow. Brad and I went outside to have a look and realized that the strong current in the area had flipped us around our anchor the anchor had gotten stuck under the boat and was now wrapped around our keel. We decided we needed to move anchorages anyway since the wind was shifting to the west and we were unprotected from the west. So we carefully put the mothership in reverse and slowly backed out of the anchor wrapping. After wrestling with the anchor for 15-20 minutes, we were finally free and headed to protected waters. To get there, however, we had to pass directly by one of the ocean cuts. A "cut" is a break in the land and reef that allows boats to pass through the ocean side from the shallower, protected waters. We saw the breaking waves just beyond where we were and noticed the building waves, but would not have predicted the large waves that assaulted us as we went by. The 7-8 foot waves were close together and hitting us directly on our beam (our side). We were reaffirmed in our decision not to leave that day, as these waves would have made the trip quite uncomfortable! They made us quite uncomfortable just for the 30 minutes it took us to pass the cut!! We finally made it to safer waters, anchored for the night and hoped for calmer, more favorable weather the following day.

Just Another Day in Paradise

2.6.13 This morning we left our anchorage and headed South to stage for the crossing to Eleuthra. The wind was perfect and we were able to sail the 10 miles to the next anchorage. We had just rounded a shallow sand bank when suddenly we had a fish on the line! I grabbed the wheel and tried to turn into the wind to slow us down while Sean reeled in the fish and Brad netted him when he got to the boat. We had another 2 foot long Snapper! Dinner is served....for the next three days!! Once we landed the fish, we headed back on course and later that afternoon, anchored behind Lynyard Cay. Koa needed some exercise before the long crossing and the boys were eager to check out the rocky ledges for lobster, so we all headed in to the beach. While Koa and I played fetch in the water, Brad and Sean scouted out the rocks. By the time I had sufficiently tired out the dog, taken him back to the boat and dinghied over to bring the boys back, they had discovered a few lobster gold mines and had acquired some large spiny lobsters for dinner. What a day!

We all headed back to the boat and in the excitement of the fruitful catches of the day, we continued to fish off the back of the boat. Not long after we returned, we caught another fish! We were all excited and couldn't believe our luck! But were soon let down to realize it was only a Remora and would need to be tossed back. A Remora is a flat headed sucker fish, a shark cleaner really. They sometimes attach themselves to boats and he must have been under ours when we tossed the bait in. Although we couldn't eat him, Sean taught us a really cool trick. These Remoras will stick to anything!

After a delicious dinner of steamed lobster tails, we hauled the dinghy and outboard on deck and all tucked in early in preparation for the long trip to Eleuthra tomorrow.

GO RAVENS!!!!

2.4.13 GO RAVENS!!! We cheered the Ravens to a victory with a few other Baltimorons last night at our favorite bar - Snappas. What a game! We were sad that we weren't celebrating in New Orleans or even in Baltimore with more fans, but were glad we were able to watch it. After recovering from our night out, we hauled up anchor and headed over to Hopetown. It is a short 7 mile sail and we were there in a couple hours. After securing the boat, we headed in to check out the town. The Hopetown lighthouse is one of the few remaining functioning Fresnel Lens lighthouses in the world, so it is always fun to see. And the view of course is amazing! (Pictures will have to come later as our internet is still dodgy). After the lighthouse, we headed over to town to see if we could sign Sean up for a dive trip. We found Froggy's, the local diving tour and thankfully Sean was able to sign up for the following day. Hopefully this one won't be cancelled! Hopetown is one of the cutest towns in the Bahamas so we spent the remainder of the afternoon touring around and poking in and out of the little shops. We even treated ourselves to some ice cream! The following morning, we got Sean into town for his dive trip - he was excited to finally being able to get out! Brad and I headed back to the boat to get some work done. We checked a few things off the long, never ending list of to dos, including hauling me up the mast to check on our anemometer - our wind direction and speed thingie. Unfortunately everything was in good working order, which means that we have a wiring issue - awesome. We headed back in to pick up Sean and then stocked up on groceries in town since the weather predicted a decent wind window for us to head to Eleuthra on Thursday. Once back on the boat, we decided to take advantage of the high tide and slowly make our way through the shallows farther south. Although it was dicey (at one point we have less than a foot under our keel!!!), we made it through safely and anchored on the other side in preparation to head farther south tomorrow.

Guana Cay - Nippers and Grabbers

2.3.13 GO RAVENS!!!! Today is Super Bowl Day and we are in Marsh Harbour to make sure we can go somewhere to watch the big game! But I digress, let me start back at Green Turtle. We left Green Turtle and had a good sail down to Marsh Harbour. We were hoping to catch some fish, but again it was not meant to be. We spent a few days tucked snugly in Marsh Harbour while the winds raged out on the sea. There is a wonderful grocery store here and we visited it regularly, restocking our shelves with fresh fruits and vegetables and getting some snacks for the upcoming trek to the Exumas. Mermaid Reef is a beautiful protected reef just North of Marsh Harbour, so we walked over and snorkeled that one of the calmer days. This reef is very obviously protected as there are lots of yummy things to eat there that would surely have been snatched up had the opportunity been allowed. There were large Snapper and a Nassau Grouper and lots and lots of lobster. We enjoyed the beautiful sights but oh how glorious it would have been to have taken some of those things home for dinner!! Reflecting back to our last trip, we had lots of trouble with the Verizon phone that they had told us would work. So this time, we put more research into the matter, spoke to a few representatives, both on the phone and in the stores and found the correct global phone that would allow us to have internet in the countries we were visiting as well as being unlocked in case we wanted to use another country's SIM card. HA...fool me once..... We are, again, having lots of trouble with our Verizon phone and, once again, cannot get internet. You would think we had learned our lesson, but apparently we are slow learners. So the battle rages on..... After being cooped up on one place for a few days, we were happy when the winds changed favorably and we were able to head over to Guana Cay and the world famous Nippers bar. We had told Sean about this place from the beginning and were excited to take him there. After dropping anchor, Sean and Brad snorkeled the anchor and then moved to a small coral head that was marked on the chart. Although they reported that there wasn't much to see, they did spot two small sea turtles in the grass beds. We all dinghied in the Nippers, ready to be wowed. Although the bar was beautiful as always, perched high atop a hill overlooking the beach with brilliant colors and two waterfall pools, we were disappointed to find we were practically the only patrons there. Both times I had been previously, the place had been packed. Oh well, we made the best of it. We ordered lunch, took pictures of the view, and sat around the pool drinking Kaliks and soaking up the sun. Once we were bored with ourselves, we headed back down the hill the Grabbers, another beach front bar with a pool, horseshoes, corn hole and stand up paddleboards. The bartender gave us paddles and Sean and I headed out to try them out, both of us being novices. The trip was relatively uneventful as the water was shallow and there was nothing to see. We instead turned around and raced back to shore. I, of course, dominated the race and came steaming back to shore with Sean in my wake, and then we all had another round of drinks and met a few of the other bargoers. It was a wonderful day and the evening was a perfect nightcap - picturesque clear sky with millions of stars and a bright moon that allowed us to see straight down to the bottom of the water. It seemed as if the boat was floating on air it was so serene. Absolutely wonderful! Brad and I were aawakened alarmingly the following morning when the boat began to bounce around quite a bit more than we had anticipated. The wind had made a shift early and was piping up quickly at 6:00am. We were soon being pinned in to the shore by wind and waves and we were not happy with the situation at all. We readied the boat and before first light even hit, we hauled up the anchor and got out of there. We were back in Marsh Harbour within 2 hours. So, here we sit, waiting for the Super Bowl to start. We are heading to a bar called Snappas for their gameday specials. We are heading in early to insure the best seats and to cheer on our Ravens to a victory!!! GO RAVENS!!!

Green Turtle Cay

1.28.13 We have spent the last few days enjoying Green Turtle Cay, one of the favorite spots of Abaco cruisers. We arrived on the night of a full moon and were hoping to catch a full moon party at one of the local spots. We headed in to town in the afternoon to explore the little town and to buy some groceries. We found a bar that was advertising for the Full Moon Party, so we went back to the boat and lazed around then. Unfortunately, the "Party" was not much to talk about. We headed in just before sundown and watched the sunset with a few other cruisers. While everyone else rushed back to their boats in the waning sunlight, we stuck around waiting for the party to begin. Well, we waited a while.... We did make friends with some of the locals and played a few games of pool and talked about island life with them. They kept assuring us that people would show up, but there were never more than 10 people there by 9:30pm. It was way past our bedtime by then, so we decided to head back to the boat. Maybe we will catch a full moon party next month. The next day, we dinghied in and walked over to the ocean beach. We were lucky to stumble upon a beautiful cove with reef right in the middle. Sean struck out immediately with our new hawaiin sling, intent on getting us some dinner. Brad and I sat on the beach for awhile soaking in the rays. The water was cold and I was hoping to get hot before I jumped in. No such luck; while the weather was beautiful, it was certainly not hot enough out to make that water feel refreshing. We took the plunge anyway and joined Sean out of the reef. The reef was fun, although mostly uneventful. There were many fish, but most of them were too small to spear. The reef was pretty, although it was mostly live rock. All in all, a good snorkel day, but nothing awe-inspiring. The following day, we had arranged a dive for Sean and the weather was supposed to really pipe up, so we headed in early in the morning to the marina for some protection. We arrived right at 9am and pulled safely in the marina. We sent Sean on his way to the dive shop and Brad and I went to check out the marina. The Bluff House Marina is one of the most beautiful marinas we have seen. There is a gorgeous pool, a bar and wonderful dining area, and most importantly, hot showers and laundry facilities! We were in heaven! Unfortunately, my wonderful plans to sit by the pool with drink in hand were ruined by the fact that it was overcast and cold and also that it was a voting day so the bar wasn't allowed to serve alcohol until 6pm. And Sean's plans were also ruined by the weather as the dive was cancelled due to strong winds and rough seas. We still soaked in the marina life and took the time to clean the boat, inside and out, and to catch up on laundry and take extra long, hot showers. We had a delicious dinner and drinks at the marina house that evening and tucked in early so we could get a head start the following day.

Checking in, Spanish Cay

1.25.13 This morning we pulled into Spanish Cay Marina to check in to Bahamas customs and to weather a strong blow. We pulled in early to maximize our marina time and were greeted warmly by the staff and customs agent. Brad was able to easily check us all in and within 30 minutes, we were legal and heading out to explore the island. We started for the beach, accompanied by our guide, a dog aptly named Hurricane (he was pulled out of the water as a puppy during one of the hurricanes). We explored some of the beautiful white sand beaches of the Cay, and Sean picked up a few cool shells to take back to his sister. He also found the first Heart Bean. If you remember reading our posts from our last trip here, we explained that these beans float over from Africa and are considered a lucky omen to the sailors who find them. We were lucky enough to find one soon after, so hopefully our boat and crew are now blessed with good weather and great sailing! The island is small and mostly uninhabited so it didn't take us long to walk the whole thing. We came back, had burgers for lunch and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at the pool. While the pool was a bit chilly, we enjoyed the afternoon sun and the boys played horseshoes. It was a great, relaxing day after all the traveling we had been doing.