A New Boat, A New Sailing Adventure

May 31, 2011 (Week 35, Day 239)

2011-06-23T18:50:00.001-07:00

Tues. May 31, 2011 (Week 35, Day 239) Our Final Day! Weather: sunny & hot--> warm
That’s right, this is the final day! The last day of the month, the start of the 35th week or 239 days since we left Ottawa, Oct. 5, 2010! Just a drive of about 9 hrs. + a 1-1/2 hrs. detour to Kingston at a good pace, reasonable traffic, good road conditions & good weather. We certainly brought the hot weather north with us. Out first stop in Ottawa was to embrace my Mom! Then Home Sweet Home! We certainly have a lot to be thankful for! And I wonder what 2 years from now will bring!

May 24-30, 2011 (Week 34, Day 232-238)

2011-06-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Tues. May 24, 2011 (Week 34, Day 232) Weather: extremely hot >90F, humid, mostly sunny; rain shower late pm then clear
After breakfast both of us got right into the list of jobs. With my bathing suit on I tackled cleaning & polishing all the exterior stainless steel. Graeme emptied the jerry cans of diesel into the boat tank, performed an oil change & got rid of waste diesel & oil + ?few other jobs. Later in the afternoon Ken had to move us from the fuel dock to another T-dock. Late in the day we made a trip to the grocery store for badly needed bread & milk for morning breakfast. Despite the intense heat cooked supper anyways & ate in the cockpit with of semblance of a breeze. Supper= pork tenderloin, peas & pickles. I wrote up the last 4 days of my journal as I had been negligent in doing each evening until it was too dark to see in the cockpit (2100 hrs.) & mosquitoes while Graeme read & slept & read & slept. When it felt slightly cooler I showered & hit the sack. Graeme went for his shower & I did not hear him return.
Wed. May 25, 2011 (Week 34, Day 233) Weather: beautiful & fabulous temp & sunshine early in the am; mid am it was already too hot but not as humid as yesterday; temp high= 88F Wind: S & very slight only
After breakfast we took the head sail off & folded it, followed by my more cleaning (shower walls & glass door, all the main cabin cushions) & finalizing my inventory list, even some internet & computer updates. Graeme’s work list included talking to & showing the service manager a possible placement of the ICOM VHF’s outside operating unit, retrieving the new/used dinghy motor (Yamaha 8) & fuel tank, removing the Tohatsu motor & packing it in the van & installing the Yamaha on the stern rail mount. After lunch we drove to town mainly to say hello to Jeannie at Nauti Nells + few other stops. Boy, it was hot & most of my work was in the shade today! Supper somewhat early (1900 hrs.)= butter chicken with rice--> very good from my perspective. We drove & walked about the north point of the entrance into Broad Creek then around to Regatta Point where we saw 2 young deer. It was very calm out on the Bay. A cool down shower before bed. A very calm, slightly cooler but still very warm night.
Thurs. May 26, 2011 (Week 34, Day 234) Weather: hot, 90+F, sunny & no clouds Winds: calm to 8K from SSW
We both slept well despite the heat, but woke up early. By 0700 hrs. Graeme had showered, I washed my hair, breakfast eaten & the day’s projects started. These projects included: -checking something in the engine compartment -washing & window panels of the surround part of the enclosure -hauling the dinghy on land to wash & scrap with a metal trowel all the millions of crustaceans -spraying a mixture of wood bleach/oxalic acid on the dinghy’s hull & interior floor & the tannic ICW water stain on the stern -scrubbing the 6 cockpit cushions -removing soft drinks from 2 floor compartments & cleaning thoroughly
It appears that we will be able to split our 13 hrs. drive home to Ottawa by visiting friends in Solomons on Sun. & other friends in the Annapolis area on Mon. A hot dog lunch for a change. Exhaustion, that feeling of no ambition & laziness & sleepiness set in about 1600 hrs. mainly because of the heat Graeme slept in the shade in the cockpit while I read till it cooled a bit. Supper late (1930 hrs.) in the cockpit= meatloaf, peas & the last of the dill pickles. I showered then tackled journal entry as it has been 5 days now without working on it. Still hot at bedtime.
Fri. May 27, 2011 (Week 34, Day 235) Weather: very warm, 88F & sunny with occasional cloud but less humidity in the afternoon Winds: S 5-10K here at Norton’s but a small craft warning out on the Chesapeake with 15-20K winds & 2-3 ft. seas
Happy Birthday Debbie! We woke at 0600 hrs., quickly had breakfast so as to tackle the exterior boat cleaning before the heat really hit. Mid morning it was already hot. Fortunately I was working with water & on the water removing the yellow “moustache” stain from the waterline of the bow & all the port side of the hull, the transom & only 1/3 of the starboard side as that was the side boat was tied up on; looked good & the task was made much easier by using wood bleach. After lunch I tackled scrubbing the head & shower floors & their respective mats, the deck & most of the cockpit & transom. Graeme met the lady from Bay Canvass who will give us a quote for firmer foam for the starboard cushions in the main cabin; he made some purchases in town, attempted unsuccessfully to remove the shore lock for the dinghy--> cut it off; he gave the service staff a case of beer. All but the last minute jobs have been completed. I showered early as we were invited to a farewell & thank you party for the staff at 1630 hrs. on the Jeanneau 49 that is leaving in the am for Norfolk then offshore to New York; I had prepared a few munchies to bring so there was lots of food, beer & even champagne. The party finally broke up at 2200 hrs. What a beautiful & comfortable evening!
Sat. May 28, 2011 (Week 34, Day 236) Weather: phenomenal! sunny with few dark clouds in the am; in fact a few drops of rain actually fell but by pm as predicted blue, blue skies & hot (90ishF) especially when out of the breeze Winds: S with good breeze & chop on the Bay according to local casual fisherman, but we were very protected here at Norton’s
Another early rise; since Graeme lay awake since 0500 hrs. he finally got up & had a shower while I prepared breakfast & worked away at catching up with my journal entry. The day was left for odds & sods & near last minute jobs, ie: -Graeme packed up his clothes -I washed the bimini & connector windows & Graeme took them into “The Ships Tailor” -we lifted the dinghy & moved it to it’s storage area on land; Graeme returned to Hurd’s Hardware for a tarp -a quick wipe to the stainless splashed with land’s hard water & the bird poop on the nice clean deck -Graeme back to town to buy a bottle of Goslings for the office staff
It is hard to express the business decisions & work attitude & ethics that are made here at Norton’s in such a caring, thoughtful & personable way. Many a time it has been said that we feel like family, but the entire staff makes us feel important like family as they do to us. How do you express that in meaningful words?
Once the heat of the day had subsided a bit, we repacked the van; man-o-man I don’t understand why some stuff I questioned can’t stay here! A nice cool shower for both of us then Graeme insisted going to Bellas for a pizza; it holds no match to Granby St. Pizza in Norfolk. I checked emails when we got back as I listened to the fireworks for Memorial Weekend here in the US. And now I am also caught up in my journal entries. This was our last sleep here in Deltaville, our last sleep on ‘Sweet Chariot Too’ as part of this trip! And a calm, beautiful night it was; a perfect ending!
Sun. May 29, 2011 (Week 34, Day 237) Weather: sunny & hot, hot, hot! Winds: calm
Another early morning. We got right to the last minute jobs before it got too hot: -turned off the power to the fridge & freezer -removed the linen from our bed; will take back to Ottawa to wash -moved items in the storage area to the V-berth or the main cabin to give Norton’s staff room to perform their work on our work list -washed & removed the dodger & stored in the main cabin -covered up the wheel; now with the new handrail around the nav console, unable to cover console up with the original cover--> will ask Ken it he has something that might work
Now with only the fridge & freezer to empty, clean & dry, I decided I had time to attend Zoar Baptist Beach Service at 0930 hrs. (1 hrs.) & so took a very quick shower & skaddadled to Stingray Point. On return we got right to work at emptying the fridge & freezer of it’s contents into the cooler then removed any existing ice from the freezer box & wiped dry the entire fridge/freezer compartments. Man it was hot! One realizes the protection the dodger & bimini provide when they are not in place. With the cooler packed into the van, we closed tightly all the curtains & blinds in the boat, locked her up, thanked her for keeping us safe for the last 7-3/4 months & said good bye till the Fall! By noon we were on our way to visit Jody & Joe Frost in Lusby, Maryland (Solomons)--- a 3 hr. drive. Soon out from the agricultural Deltaville area, the flat lands gave way to gentle rolling, very green, lush hills. It was a wonderful afternoon & evening of chatting, catching up on each other’s news & eating a delicious BBQ steak, sweet potatoes & asparagus with an assortment of fresh fruit & cream for dessert, outdoors on the patio surrounded by flowers, pots of herbs, under the shade of trees overlooking Mill Creek, a tributary of the Patuxent River! And to add more icing to the cake, Carol & Richard (Kilissa) were present! Richard filled us in on the details of his accident in the Fall & his recovery phase; my he has come a long way! The Frosts kindly let us stay the night in their very nicely decorated house.
Mon. May 30, 2011 (Week 34, Day 238) Weather: sunny & hot
A shower then a quick departure by 0800 hrs. as the Frosts were expecting friends to arrive mid morning. We grabbed some breakfast on our way to Annapolis, just 1 hr. away. We had a good time walking about downtown Annapolis despite the intense heat. A big surprise--- we bumped unexpectedly into Dave (Firecrest) at Fawcetts & then Patric & Karin (Artful Dodger) at the Magazine Shop in Annapolis! Who would have guessed! The canals up north just opened due to flooding & there is a big back log of boats waiting to travel the canal systems. They decided to spend time in awesome Annapolis. After 1500 hrs. we met up with the Buckley Family; lots of conversation of each other’s happenings, an invite for a wonderful supper (pork roast, salad then ice cream) & an overnight stay! How fantastic has this has all been!

May 17-23, 2011(Week 33, Day 225-231)

2011-06-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Tues. May 17, 2011 (Week 33, Day 225) Destination: Norfolk (Mile 0) Weather: partly cloudy, partly sunny with a daytime high of 79F & low 62F, rain shower midday Winds: SE gusting 10-20K till evening
Sunrise at 0555 hrs. A sleep in morning then good shore showers before breakfast for the 2 of us. The trawler in front of us left. We spoke to the Morrows on the phone; they had dinner with Patric in Elizabeth City last night. Patric’s emails said they would be in Norfolk on Wed. if they could get off the docks in Elizabeth City in the morning. The antivirus scan finished on 1 computer & the same was started on the 2nd; updates downloaded. We started our walk around downtown not much before 1000 hrs. as that is usual opening time for businesses, still looking for “Winds from the Carolinas” in bookstores; visited the Visitor’s Center, Graeme withdrew money from a local bank ATM, visited the MacArthur Theatre & Museum (free, good & well done), briefly visited MacArthur Center & then to Granby St. Pizza for a stromboli we split for lunch; owner, Peter recognized us & chatted. Afterwards we took a NET bus (free in the downtown area) for one complete round. We checked out “Bibliophile”, a used &/or rare bookstore (unsuccessful) then walked towards Elizabeth River & Waterside Festival Marketplace to the boat via the Japanese garden, Nauticus, the Wisconsin & Town Point Park. More internet, emails & cleaning up the Inbox & made up a batch of spaghetti sauce. A sailboat tied up in front of us & had a similar exciting landing. A late, late supper= spaghetti. The SE winds calmed right down. To Hooters for dessert--> Graeme= caramel pecan cheesecake & I= chocolate mousse cake as the key lime pie was still a little frozen; we watched period 2 of the Tampa Bay vs Boston hockey game (semis). Back at the boat we listened to NOAA--> weather has improved for tomorrow, acceptable with lowering SE winds but seas still a little high & better Thurs. with the seas laying down. A comfortable cool evening, light winds, clear skies, official full moon & higher high tides & lower low tides.
Wed. May 18, 2011 (Week 33, Day 226) Destination: Norfolk (Mile 0) Weather: calm, warm, partly cloudy, partly sunny, light rain shower in the am but heavy rains & lightning & thunderstorm about 1600 hrs. Winds: SE calm most of the day, 10K with the storm & about 8K after sunset
A relaxing morning, waking at the usual 0600 hrs. Many “Loopers” were moving out today & more tomorrow & the sailboat in front of us left. We took advantage of the opportunity to walk the boat forward for an easy exit early tomorrow am without help as the staff do not start till 0800 hrs. Another good shower; I’m spoiled now. By 1000 hrs. we were well on our way walking about, especially through MacArthur Center (huge shopping center close by) till 1300 hrs., hunting for a semi dressy pair of black shorts. Then it was lunch back at Granby St. Pizza for a more than substantial slice of a delicious pizza. In a round about way we made our way back to the boat with black+++, threatening+++ clouds looming to the north & east. We scrubbed the decks & cockpit with brush & cleaning solution & fresh water hose until the skies opened up & the skies light up with lightning with thunder. We then ran & hid in “Hooters”, looking out at the storm over a beer & a coke & a plate of onion rings for Graeme; I’m still stuffed from lunch. A few emails & reading till 2000 hrs. while Graeme slept. Supper= hot dog in a soft tortilla. Graeme fuelled the boat tank before it was pitch dark in preparation for an early morning departure then he went to “Hooters” to watch part of the Vancouver vs San Jose hockey game; I joined him a little later. Mostly clear skies with some clouds & pleasant cool temps.
Thurs. May 19, 2011 (Week 33, Day 227) Destination: Norfolk (Mile 0) to Deltaville Departure: 0600 hrs. Arrival: 1405 hrs. Mileage: 66SM/57.47NM Weather: very calm & mostly sunny at dawn, moon still up, partly sunny & cloudy during the day with suspicious clouds building over land Winds: W 8-13K, 1-2 ft. seas
The alarm went off at 0500 hrs. We readied ourselves & the boat to shove off for our last sailing day! Finally by 0830 hrs. we were outside the Hampton Roads Channel & turned north at Thimble Shoal Lighthouse out into the vast Chesapeake, unfurling our jenny fully. We motorsailed along comfortably at 6-7.8K in 1-2 ft. seas toward ‘Sweet Chariot Too’s home port. It was hard to believe this day has come, after 7 months, 30 weeks & 212 days from departure date (Oct. 20 ’10- May 19’11)! Like I said in the past, a bittersweet feeling. I was taking it all in--- the smell of the sea, the water depths & tides, the channel markers, the crab pots, the fishing boats & other power or sailing boats, the VHF chatter, the sun, the sky, the cloud formations. This has been our life for many months. We tied ourselves up at the end dock at Norton’s Yacht Sales Inc., immediately noticing the many songs of the birds. We announced our return to the staff. Now the hardest part, the packing up & cleaning up & out. We informed Ian Pierce (service manager) of our plans. Tomorrow we will sit down with him re some electrical issues of concern. The van was parked at the sailing school building; the battery was dead but Ian & Graeme put the battery charger on it for approximately ½ hour then zoom; tires a little low so Graeme manually pumped them up. In the meantime I Skyped Mom & Lynn & Larry to let them know we were safe & sound back in Deltaville. I was putting off the commencement of the inevitable. Some packing & inventory taken; I knew I had purchased a bottle of salsa. Supper= pork chops & pork ‘n beans followed by chocolate pudding (easy & good). Suitcases in cockpit & we started filling them. Enough for one day; bedtime. Super calm, dark night with a few stars above.
Fri. May 20, 2011 (Week 33, Day 228) Weather: glorious, sunny & warm am; clouds moved in late pm & a brief rain shower about 1300 hrs. Winds: calm
We woke none too early to the birds singing. Shore showers X 2 then breakfast; I forgot to use my toaster again. Packing+++ & cleaning to a lesser degree, updating part of my inventory list. Four loads of laundry took up most of the day; I used my bike to go back & forth. We had our meeting with Ian at 1230 hrs. X 2 hrs. showing & discussing in length the battery charging system, new alternator & electric windlass, engine blower fan, tachometer, occasional & small salt water leak in 2 under floor compartments & a few other items. Even did some internet work. We prepared our clothes, food & comforter/blanket/curtain laundry to take to Edenton as we were visiting the Morrows X 2-1/2 days. About 1700 hrs. I received a call on my TracFone from Dave of ‘Firecrest’; surprise, he & ‘Artful’ were anchored in Jackson Creek close to Fishing Bay Yacht Club. We were trying to get together for our last hurrah; some difficulty finding the correct road & finally just met at Deltaville Marina. We drove them around showing them some of the destruction from the tornado Apr. 19th--> down trees, up rooted trees, roofs damaged, windows blown out but worst was the Zoar Baptist Church--> middle section of the red brick building was completely leveled. We showed them our boatyard & the Rappahannock River. Then it was dinner at “Cocomos Restaurant (new old management). Then it was good bye, farewell & safe voyage as they head north towards Toronto. A dark night, quiet & few stars. We are looking forward to our trip to Edenton tomorrow.
Sat. May 21, 2011 (Week 33, Day 229) Weather: warm & sunny
Breakfast & showers, we packed the van & on our way south to Edenton, N.C. by 0900 hrs. Along the way we passed through Gloucester & saw the school that was hit by the tornado. Later we learnt that the school buses parked at the school were tossed over a mile away all twisted up. We made a stop at Deep Creek Bridge & had the perspective from the approach by land; 3 boats were waiting for the 1100 hrs. opening & we saw the Mexican restaurant cruisers talk about. We even stopped in at the N.C. Welcome Center; no boats at the dock. Highway 17S bypasses Elizabeth City & passes through a very agricultural area. We arrived at Edenton & Lynn & Larry’s about noon as they were sitting on big rocking chairs on their huge front porch. First was a tour of the house; beautiful, open concept bungalow, beautifully & tastefully decorated in Early American décor. We sat around the kitchen counter chatting & munching on cream cheese & red pepper jelly while doing 2 loads of laundry; laundry room is right off the kitchen. Later in the afternoon we were given the grand tour of historic downtown Edenton, with thriving businesses all along main street (boulevard) with parking in front of the shops, restored Cupola House (1758), the gorgeous historic homes, waterfront on the Albemarle Sound with free docks for transients X 2 days, the mill factory & the supervisors’ residences with 2 doors for 2 families & the workers’ living quarters, now condos & expensive homes respectively, whose exteriors have been kept to near original but the interiors updated to the latest technology. Then the plantation home that has remained in the family & all it’s land & working fields which thus remain intact, as well as the workers & their small contrasting homes within the boundaries of the plantation. Umpteen acres of sage, miles of lilac or white flowered rows everywhere all at their prime ready to be harvested & manufactured into oil for perfume. In the Fall acres of cotton fields are mechanically picked & stored & dried in cotton buggies before taken to the cotton gin. And then it was dinner at the yacht club. Once home it wasn’t long before everyone retired to bed early. A most wonderful day!
Sun. May 22, 2011 (Week 33, Day 230) Weather: magnificent view of the sun rising from the guest bedroom windows; very warm & sunny day
A very relaxing start to the day, sitting around drinking coffee, checking emails or Facebook & chatting. Larry cooked up a very delicious omelet of eggs, cheese, portobello mushrooms, spinach & onions. Mid morning the four of us drove to Oriental to see 2 specific stores & lunch at the deli at the marina that makes wonderful sandwiches; all farming countryside with the unique tradition of family cemetaries. But all 3 places are not in existence any longer X 6-12 mons.: (1) Inland Waterway Provision Co., (2) kayak place, now a gallery, (3) grill at Oriental Marina. Surprising & disappointing after that long drive. Larry did purchase a new toilet for the boat at West Marina; we had good fun caboosting with Jim, the salesman. Onto Washington on the Tar River off Pamlico River (locally called Little Washington). It is an active & industrial town with tourism growing in importance, a redeveloped waterfront with complimentary dockage X 2 days (no utilities) + transient slips with water & power. A late lunch at Washington Waterfront. Once home we were relaxing & chatting on the front deck lazily swaying on rocking chairs. Finally Larry & I had our long talked about & longtime waiting drinks of gin & tonic together. Later we munched on cheese fondue with fresh bread while the last 2 loads of laundry finished. Supper= scrumptious marinated BBQ steak with grilled packets of potatoes & herbed butter & a salad chalk filled with yummies, followed by carrot cake for dessert! Another fabulous day with dear friends & fabulous sleep!
Mon. May 23, 2011 (Week 33, Day 231) Weather: hot & humid, partly sunny & cloudy.
Oh, how time flies! We must head back to Deltaville & continue with unpleasant task of packing & cleaning. We are all so used to rising somewhat early. Another very relaxing am trying different flavours of coffee to start the day. Larry, as always, spoiled us with homemade waffles, sausages & more coffee. Afterwards we drove through more farmland & sage fields very soon to be harvested, until we reached Nixon’s Hardware---everything from soup to nuts; this store gives the hardware store in Cocoa a run for it’s money. 1100’ish hrs., time to depart, a very sad moment saying our thanks for 7 most wonderful months + this weekend in Morrows’ gorgeous home & our goodbyes with hopes that they will visit us in Ottawa in August!!! A pleasant drive home via Virginia Beach; West Marine was holding some replacement lazarette locks which appear to be in short supply or perhaps a discontinued item. Hot, sunny & humid in Deltaville. We stopped at Nauti Nells to say hello to Jeannie but it was her day off. No lunch so we had a somewhat early supper by our standards lately at the Galley. Sheet lightning in the sky while I sitting outside the office doing emails. Very warm, humid & only an occasional gust of SW to W winds.

May 10-16, 2011 (Week 32, Day 218-224)

2011-05-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Tues. May 10, 2011 (Week 32, Day 218) Destination: St. James, N.C. (Mile 315) to Wrightsville Beach (Mile 283.2) Departure: 1130 hrs. after fuel Arrival: 1600 hrs. Mileage: 31.8 SM/29.77 NM Weather: hot & humid, blue skies & sun, ? rain & thunderstorm clouds late pm Winds: E calm increasing to 7-13K
A leisurely am after a super calm night; I slept in till 0700 hrs. Each of us had a marina shower, after all, one has to check out all facilities especially when they are a new, never before experienced places. Breakfast at Tommy Thompson’s. A very nice gallery/boutique. After fuelling up at the fuel dock we departed in an easterly direction towards Southport, then the Cape Fear River. A late departure (1130 hrs.) was planned to take advantage of the tides in our favour ie a push up Cape Fear River & through Snows Cut. At 1230 hrs. we unfurled part of the jenny out on the Fear with the current as it ebbs & floods from Cape Fear Inlet; boat speed average = 8.3K, but furled the jenny at 1400 hrs. going through Snows Cut against the current as it ebbs & floods from Carolina Beach Inlet; sustained a speed of only 4.8K. We experienced good water depths along Myrtle Grove Sound & Masonboro Sound; unfurled the jenny to assist, then furled it as we turned around G129 into Shinn Creek. We anchored in 15 ft. with 100 ft. chain. A weather alert was out till 2300 hrs. especially for counties south of Wrightsville. Today we made progress in a NE direction. Graeme puttered while I rowed to the dinghy dock SE of the bridge as this was our 4th time at this anchorage & I had never been ashore. One block east was Wrightsville Beach. It is a grey sand beach with a wide section of many broken shells in the sand then soft “squeaky” sand just before the hard packed grey sand at the water’s edge. Shells+++ littered the shoreline, larger than the shells I saw & picked in the Bahamas. Strange changes in the sky; sometimes blue & clear, sometimes streaking white clouds & other times dark threatening clouds. Supper= pork chop, potatoes & peas. As dark descended a light cloud cover obscured the ½ moon, & lightning & occasional thunder was very apparent to the west & southwest.
Wed. May 11, 2011 (Week 32, Day 219) Destination: Wrightsville Beach (Mile 283.2) to Mile Hammock (Mile 244.5) Departure: 0830 hrs. Arrival: 1555 hrs. Mileage: 38.7 SM/41.23 NM Weather: cloudy & cool 66F at departure, blue skies, warm sun but cool wind at 1300 hrs. (H=73) Winds: E & cool at 7-18K
Happy Birthday Dave! I woke to howling NE to E winds at 0200 hrs.; I checked all boat positions & returned to bed till soon after 0600 hrs. Cloudy & cool--- 2 words I have not used often in a while. By leaving the anchorage at 0830 hrs. we cruised through Motts Channel without any problems, especially G19 & G25 even at low tide & easily made the 0900 hrs. opening of the Wrightsville Beach Bridge. ‘Artful’ & ‘Firecrest’ made the same opening from Carolina Beach anchorage. Five miles down the way we easily made the 1000 hrs. opening of the Figure Eight Island Bridge; in fact the opening was delayed for ‘Artful’, ‘Firecrest’ & a 3rd sailing vessel. We had good depths along the New River with it’s many very small inlets as we were in a flood tide. Unlike the other day, today we travelled against the current the whole day, as you can tell from the statutory miles done compared to the nautical miles + our travel direction was too close to the wind to set a sail. Despite all of this we travelled the 17.4 mile distance to Surf City Bridge with time to spare for the 1300 hrs. opening. No problems at maximum high tide through the caution zone where there is frequent shoaling at the New River Inlet, especially between R74 to R72. Few boats were in the anchorage at Mile Hammock, although several boats arrived late evening. We anchored in 15 ft. water with 80 ft. of chain. Travel direction today was NE. We had invited Lynn & Larry over for dinner tonight so I immediately got into the preparations. Supper= chicken marengo with mashed potatoes & raw carrots & celery. I’m surprised how cool the weather has been even this far north. Partly cloudy, good fresh 10K wind to keep the wind gen. working for part of the night only then calm, no visible stars or moon.
N.B. Northbound proceed from R76 to R74 to R72, ignoring R72C especially R72B & R72A.
Thurs. May 12, 2011 (Week 32, Day 220) Destination: Mile Hammock (Mile 244.5) to Town Creek, Beaufort, N.C. (Mile 202.3) Departure: 0610 hrs. Arrival: 1415 hrs. Mileage: 42.2 SM/45.37 NM Weather: light cloud cover, gorgeous sunrise; blue skies, warm sun but cool breeze mid am till mid pm, then dark clouds came & went Winds: NE to E, variably light
The alarm went off at 0615 hrs. It was very calm & cool enough at departure to wear long pants & long sleeve sweat top. And early enough that we saw a magnificent sunrise. Many boats from the anchorage were on the move early as there was good visibility now by 0545 hrs. We led the way for the Onslaw Bridge opening at 0700 hrs.--> N.B. change: opens on the hour & half hour from 0700 to 1900 hrs. + on request thereafter. On towards Swansboro & Bogue Sound on a falling tide till 0934 hrs.; we were pushing against the tidal current with <5k of wind on our nose so unable to use the sails, passing Browns Inlet, Bear Inlet & Bogue Inlet. Then we had a rising tide in Bogue Sound but no great apparent push observed; SOG (speed over ground) on the GPS was slightly less or similar to the paddle wheel speed at best. We were all quite indecisive as to our actual destination; we were keeping our options open. When the ‘Twomorrows’ arrived at Sanitiary Restaurant in Morehead City they discovered their dock for $10.00 per night to be no longer; replaced by a deck with patio tables & chairs. And Morehead City Municipal Docks = $1.50/ft. with electricity & water but not sure if any shower facilities. This was option #1. Option #2: Taylor Creek--> full! We moved on slowly as we now had to wait for the Beaufort Bridge opening at 1330 hrs. then picked up fuel at Town Creek Marina at 1350 hrs. Option #3: anchor here, north of Town Creek Marina off Gallant Cut Channel--> done at 1415 hrs. (11 ft. water with 80 ft. chain). Option #4: was to continue north & anchor in Adam Creek off Cedar Creek, but this was not necessary. Progress today was more easterly again. Two & a half hours later ‘Artful Dodger’, ‘Firecrest’ & their Canadian friends arrived. Dave picked me up in his dinghy & I buzzed his hair on his boat as this seemed to be the last of our time together. Dark clouds moved in, dispersed & returned, so sunset did not visibly happen. Supper= leftover chicken marengo & mashed potatoes. Night brought calm winds & water, clouds, no stars or moon.
Fri. May 13, 2011 (Week 32, Day 221) Destination: Town Creek, Beaufort (Mile 202.3) to Campbell Creek (Mile 154.5) Departure: 0745 hrs. Arrival: 1510 hrs. Mileage: 47.8 SM/47.17 NM Weather: cloudy though warm & 60% chance of rain & thunderstorms predicted; unfortunately the order of the day X next several days Winds: nonexistent at departure to light & variable from SE
It is always nice to stay longer in Beaufort, BUT… I have bittersweet emotions; it’s been a blast for the most part, time has pleasantly flown by, but home is home & Ottawa is home! We said our good byes to Dave last night & to Patric this am. We raised the anchor easily & left Beaufort via the Russell Slough Channel, Newport River into Core Creek & Adams Creek. Lots of powerboats passed us. We met a barge & tug as we exited Adams Creek. Then it was out into the Neuse River, west to 1AC marker then NE to R6. Local knowledge told us that you can go from R4 to R2 then directly to G1. The Neuse was favourable to us as far as sea conditions; the SE winds were far too light to set any sail. Tides now were not significant ie height but rather wind & it’s effect on tides were of importance. We exited the Neuse River to the Bay River into Goose Creek then into Campbell Creek after R14 before the Goose Creek enters Pamlico River. Crab pots +++ littered the entrance like you wouldn’t believe; much more this Spring than compared to the Fall. Once past the crab pot field we were greeted by a dolphin & anchored in 7 ft. of water with 80 ft. of chain. Now the sun appeared behind a thin, hazy cloud cover; warm. Dolphins +++ surrounded us. I buzzed Graeme’s hair at anchor. Eight other boats pulled in before sunset. A cloudy evening at sunset time. Supper= homemade pizza. By using the oven to bake the pizza, I suddenly remembered my toaster & not using it at marinas with electricity recently; how easily you fall into a pattern! Potentially we can be in Deltaville in 5 days! A cloudy night, but oh so very calm.
Sat. May 14, 2011 (Week 32, Day 222) Destination: Campbell Creek (Mile 154.5) to Alligator River (Mile 101.1) Departure: 0720 hrs. Arrival: 1500 hrs. Mileage: 53.4SM/47.17 NM Weather: very warm, hazy & sunny am & pm; weather alert from 1400 hrs. till 2000 hrs. Winds: mirror calm at dawn then gradual increase from E, SE & S during the day to 10-20K
Last night’s calm night led into morning with mirror flat calm water at sunrise; the landscape was breathtaking. A light dew was on the enclosure windows that required wiping. The anchor chain was laden with thick, black stinky mud that I sprayed off as the chain was coming up. We had a parade of boats all in a single file exiting the Goose Creek into the Pamlico River. Though we were fighting a current again we were able to set the jenny which proved to be helpful especially when we turned to port towards Belhaven & especially when we turned after Belhaven along the Pungo River. In these upper parts of the Pamlico & Pungo Rivers the water was hull staining, tannic, coffee coloured as well as through the 22 mile Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. We attempted to sail under jenny through the canal but the strength & direction of the wind was too variable. We had more success after the Fairfield Bridge--> E to SE 10-15K. Suddenly at about 1400 hrs. a weather alert until 2000 hrs. abruptly came over the VHF; heavy rains, winds lightning+++ & chance of hail in all the surrounding counties. As we exited the canal at R58, the winds increased from the E to S to 15-20K, whitecaps & we could see smoke from the fires on the Albemarle we had heard about the last 2 days on the radio. At G39 we turned to starboard & motored about ½ mi. from shore in 9’4” water, dropping 120 ft. chain due to possible storm conditions; another new anchorage added to our repertoire. Winds were howling but thus far the water was fairly calm with <1 ft. chop. Weather permitting, this might be the last anchorage for Lynn & Larry as they head home to Edenton, 44 mi. up the Albemarle tomorrow. IT’S BEEN A BLAST GUYS!!! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! WE WILL MISS YOU DEARLY!!! Before we head back to Ottawa we plan to visit them in Edenton by car. In light of this, Larry dinghied over 2 jerry cans of diesel. We sat in the cockpit reading & watching the sky. Supper= sausage, pork ‘n beans & dill pickles; ate in the cockpit as it was so warm watching the weather. Darkness arrived; as of yet no weather, no stars but a moon no longer full.Sun. May 15, 2011 (Week 32, Day 223) Destination: Alligator River (Mile 101.1) to Goat Island, Dismal Swamp (Mile 43) Departure: 0550 hrs. Arrival: 1400 hrs. Mileage: 58.1 SM/57.97 NM Weather: warm, mostly cloudy, few breaks in the clouds with blue skies & sun, few rain showers late pm Winds: S 10-17KThankfully the ugly weather did not materialize; only scant rain shower at 0430 hrs. Sunrise was prior to 0600 hrs.; there was a peach coloured hue above the treetops & periodically the sun showed itself between the clouds. Lynn hailed us over the VHF with the news of waves of thunderstorms & winds to the south were predicted to head NE missing the Albemarle; let’s hope! At 0855 hrs. we sadly said our good byes & went our separate ways! The four of us had been together since Oct. 31, 2010! Six & a half months! We miss you already!!! We took the shortcut to 1PR into the Pasquotank River. With a 15+K south wind at our stern we were pushed down the Albemarle & in the Pasquotank we set our jenny for a beam reach sail. We were still in radio contact with the Morrows--> all was going well. We arrived at Elizabeth City at 1250 hrs.; too soon to stop. A few boats were tied up along the 2 (split) sections of the facedock with a couple of spaces still available + few slip spaces were free. The Elizabeth City Bridge (bascule) opened for us on request. Now we were in the beautiful Dismal Swamp! Brilliant vibrant hues of green only Spring can produce of the trees & shrubs. No saltmarsh grasses, no palms, only tannic coffee coloured water & abundant deciduous trees lining both sides of the swamp. We would not make the last locking at 1530 hrs. for northbound boats at South Mills Lock (Mile 32.5), 18.5 mi. away. And at this point there is not much choice for anchoring: (1) at Mile 47, a beautiful spot adjacent to lovely big homes on the eastern shore just before the RR Bridge; (2) at Mile 43, Goat Island; (3) at Mile 33.2, a channel just south of South Mills Lock just before it joins Turner Cut. We chose option #2--> a beautiful, peaceful, protected anchorage; anchored in 9 ft. water with 80 ft. chain just as short spurts of rain showers commenced. The skies were in constant changing flux as we sat in the cockpit reading--> sun, dark clouds in the west, rain showers, a rainbow in the east, wind gusts & flat calms. Supper= nachos. Dark clouds in the west & clear skies & near full moon elsewhere for possibly our last night in N.C.!

Mon. May 16, 2011 (Week 32, Day 224) Destination: Goat Island, Dismal Swamp, N.C. (Mile 43) to Norfolk, Virginia (Mile 0) Departure: 0600 hrs. Arrival: 1630 hrs. Mileage: 43 SM/41.94 NM Weather: cloudy, humid, damp, then partially cloudy & sunny & warm till late pm, then windy & dark threatening rain clouds but no precipitation Winds: not of any use today but SW at 9-17K
It was another early rising at 0500 hrs. & an early start from the anchorage because we wanted to be sure to make the 1st opening of the South Mills Lock at 0830 hrs. Graeme thought it might be a short day, only 15 miles to North Carolina Welcome Center (mile 28); I felt we should give it a shot to go all the way to Norfolk & if not at least to the Deep Creek free dock (Mile 11). It was unfortunate that it was so cloudy when we started out & the deeper we moved into the swamp the mistier it got. But it was so scenic! The sounds last night of singing frogs, ospreys protecting their nests, cardinals & other birds, cicadas & the sweet aroma & the different bird sounds this morning. Five sailing vessels & I trawler locked through South Mills Lock at 0830 hrs. followed by opening of the South Mills Bridge--> same person works lock & bridge duties. They were pressing on to Norfolk which convinced Graeme to continue to Norfolk as well. I phoned for a reservation at the Waterside Marina. At 0900 hrs. the grey skies were breaking up; blue skies & warm sun caused the temp to rise to the mid 70’s as we motored along the Dismal Swamp (total of 40.2 mi.) At 0950 hrs. we passed the N.C. Welcome Center; onward to Deep Creek Bridge opening for 1330 hrs. for southbound boats & about 1400 hrs. for northbound. We were way too early X 1-1/2 hrs. despite slowing to a crawl & ended rafting to 2 boats tied at the south dock before the bridge. There were no southbound traffic therefore the bridge tender/lockmaster opened the bridge then the lock for us 6 boats. We finished locking at 1420 hrs. & motored to Norfolk on the Elizabeth River. Again too early we waited 40 min. for the opening of the RR Bridge & the adjacent Gilmerton Bridge at 1530 hrs. (schedule= every hour on the half hour). The winds increased, the skies greyed as we all went our respective destinations somewhere in the Norfolk/Portsmouth area. The marina was jammed packed with trawlers attending a convention re The Great Loop. We were assigned a bulkhead tie up on port between 2 big, expensive trawlers. We entered the marina, big trawlers sticking out in almost every slip, the wind picked up & we had to make a U-turn in a very restricted area between the above mentioned pristine trawlers. Graeme had to keep some speed up as to maintain control as we headed up into the wind to tie up between these trawlers. Owners of the trawlers suddenly were wide-eyed & scrambling, the marina staff were scrambling, the other Loopers + tourists at harbourside were looking on & I was shouting “too fast, slow down”, “we’re too close” & threw the staff the mooring lines at the appropriate time. Low & behold he did it! Graeme did it! He slipped our boat into place like Cinderella & the glass slipper!!! All congratulated him & his response was, “Can I go & change my shorts now!” Instead of 1 night stay, he went & paid for 2! Supper= dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack. A warm night, threatening & stormy clouds that seemed to pass then just a clouded night sky, no stars, no moon.

May 10-16, 2011 (Week 32, Day 218-224)

2011-05-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

Tues. May 10, 2011 (Week 32, Day 218): Destination: St. James, N.C. (Mile 315) to Wrightsville Beach (Mile 283.2) Departure: 1130 hrs. after fuel Arrival: 1600 hrs. Mileage: 31.8 SM/29.77 NM Weather: hot & humid, blue skies & sun, ? rain & thunderstorm clouds late pm Winds: E calm increasing to 7-13K
A leisurely am after a super calm night; I slept in till 0700 hrs. Each of us had a marina shower, after all, one has to check out all facilities especially when they are a new, never before experienced places. Breakfast at Tommy Thompson’s. A very nice gallery/boutique. After fuelling up at the fuel dock we departed in an easterly direction towards Southport, then the Cape Fear River. A late departure (1130 hrs.) was planned to take advantage of the tides in our favour ie a push up Cape Fear River & through Snows Cut. At 1230 hrs. we unfurled part of the jenny out on the Fear with the current as it ebbs & floods from Cape Fear Inlet; boat speed average = 8.3K, but furled the jenny at 1400 hrs. going through Snows Cut against the current as it ebbs & floods from Carolina Beach Inlet; sustained a speed of only 4.8K. We experienced good water depths along Myrtle Grove Sound & Masonboro Sound; unfurled the jenny to assist, then furled it as we turned around G129 into Shinn Creek. We anchored in 15 ft. with 100 ft. chain. A weather alert was out till 2300 hrs. especially for counties south of Wrightsville. Today we made progress in a NE direction. Graeme puttered while I rowed to the dinghy dock SE of the bridge as this was our 4th time at this anchorage & I had never been ashore. One block east was Wrightsville Beach. It is a grey sand beach with a wide section of many broken shells in the sand then soft “squeaky” sand just before the hard packed grey sand at the water’s edge. Shells+++ littered the shoreline, larger than the shells I saw & picked in the Bahamas. Strange changes in the sky; sometimes blue & clear, sometimes streaking white clouds & other times dark threatening clouds. Supper= pork chop, potatoes & peas. As dark descended a light cloud cover obscured the ½ moon, & lightning & occasional thunder was very apparent to the west & southwest.

Wed. May 11, 2011 (Week 32, Day 219): Happy Birthday Dave!   Destination: Wrightsville Beach (Mile 283.2) to Mile Hammock (Mile 244.5) Departure: 0830 hrs. Arrival: 1555 hrs. Mileage: 38.7 SM/41.23 NM Weather: cloudy & cool 66F at departure, blue skies, warm sun but cool wind at 1300 hrs. (H=73) Winds: E & cool at 7-18K

I woke to howling NE to E winds at 0200 hrs.; I checked all boat positions & returned to bed till soon after 0600 hrs. Cloudy & cool--- 2 words I have not used often in a while. By leaving the anchorage at 0830 hrs. we cruised through Motts Channel without any problems, especially G19 & G25 even at low tide & easily made the 0900 hrs. opening of the Wrightsville Beach Bridge. ‘Artful’ & ‘Firecrest’ made the same opening from Carolina Beach anchorage. Five miles down the way we easily made the 1000 hrs. opening of the Figure Eight Island Bridge; in fact the opening was delayed for ‘Artful’, ‘Firecrest’ & a 3rd sailing vessel. We had good depths along the New River with it’s many very small inlets as we were in a flood tide. Unlike the other day, today we travelled against the current the whole day, as you can tell from the statutory miles done compared to the nautical miles + our travel direction was too close to the wind to set a sail. Despite all of this we travelled the 17.4 mile distance to Surf City Bridge with time to spare for the 1300 hrs. opening. No problems at maximum high tide through the caution zone where there is frequent shoaling at the New River Inlet, especially between R74 to R72. Few boats were in the anchorage at Mile Hammock, although several boats arrived late evening. We anchored in 15 ft. water with 80 ft. of chain. Travel direction today was NE. We had invited Lynn & Larry over for dinner tonight so I immediately got into the preparations. Supper= chicken marengo with mashed potatoes & raw carrots & celery. I’m surprised how cool the weather has been even this far north. Partly cloudy, good fresh 10K wind to keep the wind gen. working for part of the night only then calm, no visible stars or moon.
N.B. Northbound proceed from R76 to R74 to R72, ignoring R72C especially R72B & R72A.

Thurs. May 12, 2011 (Week 32, Day 220): Destination: Mile Hammock (Mile 244.5) to Town Creek, Beaufort, N.C. (Mile 202.3) Departure: 0610 hrs. Arrival: 1415 hrs. Mileage: 42.2 SM/45.37 NM Weather: light cloud cover, gorgeous sunrise; blue skies, warm sun but cool breeze mid am till mid pm, then dark clouds came & went Winds: NE to E, variably light

The alarm went off at 0615 hrs. It was very calm & cool enough at departure to wear long pants & long sleeve sweat top. And early enough that we saw a magnificent sunrise. Many boats from the anchorage were on the move early as there was good visibility now by 0545 hrs. We led the way for the Onslaw Bridge opening at 0700 hrs.--> N.B. change: opens on the hour & half hour from 0700 to 1900 hrs. + on request thereafter. On towards Swansboro & Bogue Sound on a falling tide till 0934 hrs.; we were pushing against the tidal current with <5k of wind on our nose so unable to use the sails, passing Browns Inlet, Bear Inlet & Bogue Inlet. Then we had a rising tide in Bogue Sound but no great apparent push observed; SOG (speed over ground) on the GPS was slightly less or similar to the paddle wheel speed at best. We were all quite indecisive as to our actual destination; we were keeping our options open. When the ‘Twomorrows’ arrived at Sanitiary Restaurant in Morehead City they discovered their dock for $10.00 per night to be no longer; replaced by a deck with patio tables & chairs. And Morehead City Municipal Docks = $1.50/ft. with electricity & water but not sure if any shower facilities. This was option #1. Option #2: Taylor Creek--> full! We moved on slowly as we now had to wait for the Beaufort Bridge opening at 1330 hrs. then picked up fuel at Town Creek Marina at 1350 hrs. Option #3: anchor here, north of Town Creek Marina off Gallant Cut Channel--> done at 1415 hrs. (11 ft. water with 80 ft. chain). Option #4: was to continue north & anchor in Adam Creek off Cedar Creek, but this was not necessary. Progress today was more easterly again. Two & a half hours later ‘Artful Dodger’, ‘Firecrest’ & their Canadian friends arrived. Dave picked me up in his dinghy & I buzzed his hair on his boat as this seemed to be the last of our time together. Dark clouds moved in, dispersed & returned, so sunset did not visibly happen. Supper= leftover chicken marengo & mashed potatoes. Night brought calm winds & water, clouds, no stars or moon.

Fri. May 13, 2011 (Week 32, Day 221):     Destination: Town Creek, Beaufort (Mile 202.3) to Campbell Creek (Mile 154.5) Departure: 0745 hrs. Arrival: 1510 hrs. Mileage: 47.8 SM/47.17 NM Weather: cloudy though warm & 60% chance of rain & thunderstorms predicted; unfortunately the order of the day X next several days Winds: nonexistent at departure to light & variable from SE

It is always nice to stay longer in Beaufort, BUT… I have bittersweet emotions; it’s been a blast for the most part, time has pleasantly flown by, but home is home & Ottawa is home! We said our good byes to Dave last night & to Patric this am. We raised the anchor easily & left Beaufort via the Russell Slough Channel, Newport River into Core Creek & Adams Creek. Lots of powerboats passed us. We met a barge & tug as we exited Adams Creek. Then it was out into the Neuse River, west to 1AC marker then NE to R6. Local knowledge told us that you can go from R4 to R2 then directly to G1. The Neuse was favourable to us as far as sea conditions; the SE winds were far too light to set any sail. Tides now were not significant ie height but rather wind & it’s effect on tides were of importance. We exited the Neuse River to the Bay River into Goose Creek then into Campbell Creek after R14 before the Goose Creek enters Pamlico River. Crab pots +++ littered the entrance like you wouldn’t believe; much more this Spring than compared to the Fall. Once past the crab pot field we were greeted by a dolphin & anchored in 7 ft. of water with 80 ft. of chain. Now the sun appeared behind a thin, hazy cloud cover; warm. Dolphins +++ surrounded us. I buzzed Graeme’s hair at anchor. Eight other boats pulled in before sunset. A cloudy evening at sunset time. Supper= homemade pizza. By using the oven to bake the pizza, I suddenly remembered my toaster & not using it at marinas with electricity recently; how easily you fall into a pattern! Potentially we can be in Deltaville in 5 days! A cloudy night, but oh so very calm.

Sat. May 14, 2011 (Week 32, Day 222):   Destination: Campbell Creek (Mile 154.5) to Alligator River (Mile 101.1) Departure: 0720 hrs. Arrival: 1500 hrs. Mileage: 53.4SM/47.1NM Weather: very warm, hazy & sunny am & pm; weather alert from 1400 hrs. till 2000 hrs. Winds: mirror calm at dawn then gradual increase from E, SE & S during the day to 10-20K

Last night’s calm night led into morning with mirror flat calm water at sunrise; the landscape was breathtaking. A light dew was on the enclosure windows that required wiping. The anchor chain was laden with thick, black stinky mud that I sprayed off as the chain was coming up. We had a parade of boats all in a single file exiting the Goose Creek into the Pamlico River. Though we were fighting a current again we were able to set the jenny which proved to be helpful especially when we turned to port towards Belhaven & especially when we turned after Belhaven along the Pungo River. In these upper parts of the Pamlico & Pungo Rivers the water was hull staining, tannic, coffee coloured as well as through the 22 mile Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. We attempted to sail under jenny through the canal but the strength & direction of the wind was too variable. We had more success after the Fairfield Bridge--> E to SE 10-15K. Suddenly at about 1400 hrs. a weather alert until 2000 hrs. abruptly came over the VHF; heavy rains, winds lightning+++ & chance of hail in all the surrounding counties. As we exited the canal at R58, the winds increased from the E to S to 15-20K, whitecaps & we could see smoke from the fires on the Albemarle we had heard about the last 2 days on the radio. At G39 we turned to starboard & motored about ½ mi. from shore in 9’4” water, dropping 120 ft. chain due to possible storm conditions; another new anchorage added to our repertoire. Winds were howling but thus far the water was fairly calm with <1 ft. chop. Weather permitting, this might be the last anchorage for Lynn & Larry as they head home to Edenton, 44 mi. up the Albemarle tomorrow. IT’S BEEN A BLAST GUYS!!! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!! WE WILL MISS YOU DEARLY!!! Before we head back to Ottawa we plan to visit them in Edenton by car. In light of this, Larry dinghied over 2 jerry cans of diesel. We sat in the cockpit reading & watching the sky. Supper= sausage, pork ‘n beans & dill pickles; ate in the cockpit as it was so warm watching the weather. Darkness arrived; as of yet no weather, no stars but a moon no longer full.

Sun. May 15, 2011 (Week 32, Day 223): Destination: Alligator River (Mile 101.1) to Goat Island, Dismal Swamp (Mile 43) Departure: 0550 hrs. Arrival: 1400 hrs.    Mileage: 58.1 SM/57.97 NM Weather: warm, mostly cloudy, few breaks in the clouds with blue skies & sun, few rain showers late pm Winds: S 10-17K

Thankfully the ugly weather did not materialize; only scant rain shower at 0430 hrs. Sunrise was prior to 0600 hrs.; there was a peach coloured hue above the treetops & periodically the sun showed itself between the clouds. Lynn hailed us over the VHF with the news of waves of thunderstorms & winds to the south were predicted to head NE missing the Albemarle; let’s hope! At 0855 hrs. we sadly said our good byes & went our separate ways! The four of us had been together since Oct. 31, 2010! Six & a half months! We miss you already!!! We took the shortcut to 1PR into the Pasquotank River. With a 15+K south wind at our stern we were pushed down the Albemarle & in the Pasquotank we set our jenny for a beam reach sail. We were still in radio contact with the Morrows--> all was going well. We arrived at Elizabeth City at 1250 hrs.; too soon to stop. A few boats were tied up along the 2 (split) sections of the facedock with a couple of spaces still available + few slip spaces were free. The Elizabeth City Bridge (bascule) opened for us on request. Now we were in the beautiful Dismal Swamp! Brilliant vibrant hues of green only Spring can produce of the trees & shrubs. No saltmarsh grasses, no palms, only tannic coffee coloured water & abundant deciduous trees lining both sides of the swamp. We would not make the last locking at 1530 hrs. for northbound boats at South Mills Lock (Mile 32.5), 18.5 mi. away. And at this point there is not much choice for anchoring: (1) at Mile 47, a beautiful spot adjacent to lovely big homes on the eastern shore just before the RR Bridge; (2) at Mile 43, Goat Island; (3) at Mile 33.2, a channel just south of South Mills Lock just before it joins Turner Cut. We chose option #2--> a beautiful, peaceful, protected anchorage; anchored in 9 ft. water with 80 ft. chain just as short spurts of rain showers commenced. The skies were in constant changing flux as we sat in the cockpit reading--> sun, dark clouds in the west, rain showers, a rainbow in the east, wind gusts & flat calms. Supper= nachos. Dark clouds in the west & clear skies & near full moon elsewhere for possibly our last night in N.C.!

Mon. May 16, 2011 (Week 32, Day 224): Destination: Goat Island, Dismal Swamp, N.C. (Mile 43) to Norfolk, Virginia (Mile 0) Departure: 0600 hrs. Arrival: 1630 hrs. Mileage: 43 SM/41.94 NM Weather: cloudy, humid, damp, then partially cloudy & sunny & warm till late pm, then windy & dark threatening rain clouds but no precipitation Winds: not of any use today but SW at 9-17K

It was another early rising at 0500 hrs. & an early start from the anchorage because we wanted to be sure to make the 1st opening of the South Mills Lock at 0830 hrs. Graeme thought it might be a short day, only 15 miles to North Carolina Welcome Center (mile 28); I felt we should give it a shot to go all the way to Norfolk & if not at least to the Deep Creek free dock (Mile 11). It was unfortunate that it was so cloudy when we started out & the deeper we moved into the swamp the mistier it got. But it was so scenic! The sounds last night of singing frogs, ospreys protecting their nests, cardinals & other birds, cicadas & the sweet aroma & the different bird sounds this morning. Five sailing vessels & I trawler locked through South Mills Lock at 0830 hrs. followed by opening of the South Mills Bridge--> same person works lock & bridge duties. They were pressing on to Norfolk which convinced Graeme to continue to Norfolk as well. I phoned for a reservation at the Waterside Marina. At 0900 hrs. the grey skies were breaking up; blue skies & warm sun caused the temp to rise to the mid 70’s as we motored along the Dismal Swamp (total of 40.2 mi.) At 0950 hrs. we passed the N.C. Welcome Center; onward to Deep Creek Bridge opening for 1330 hrs. for southbound boats & about 1400 hrs. for northbound. We were way too early X 1-1/2 hrs. despite slowing to a crawl & ended rafting to 2 boats tied at the south dock before the bridge. There were no southbound traffic therefore the bridge tender/lockmaster opened the bridge then the lock for us 6 boats. We finished locking at 1420 hrs. & motored to Norfolk on the Elizabeth River. Again too early we waited 40 min. for the opening of the RR Bridge & the adjacent Gilmerton Bridge at 1530 hrs. (schedule= every hour on the half hour). The winds increased, the skies greyed as we all went our respective destinations somewhere in the Norfolk/Portsmouth area. The marina was jammed packed with trawlers attending a convention re The Great Loop. We were assigned a bulkhead tie up on port between 2 big, expensive trawlers. We entered the marina, big trawlers sticking out in almost every slip, the wind picked up & we had to make a U-turn in a very restricted area between the above mentioned pristine trawlers. Graeme had to keep some speed up as to maintain control as we headed up into the wind to tie up between these trawlers. Owners of the trawlers suddenly were wide-eyed & scrambling, the marina staff were scrambling, the other Loopers + tourists at harbourside were looking on & I was shouting “too fast, slow down”, “we’re too close” & threw the staff the mooring lines at the appropriate time. Low & behold he did it! Graeme did it! He slipped our boat into place like Cinderella & the glass slipper!!! All congratulated him & his response was, “Can I go & change my shorts now!” Instead of 1 night stay, he went & paid for 2! Supper= dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack. A warm night, threatening & stormy clouds that seemed to pass then just a clouded night sky, no stars, no moon.

May 3-9, 2011 (Week 31, Day 211-217)

2011-05-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Tues. May 3, 2011 (Week 31, Day 211) Destination: Port Royal, Beaufort, S.C. (Mile 537) to Church Creek (Mile 288.2) Departure: 0740 hrs. Arrival: 1610 hrs. Mileage: 48.8 SM/35.87 NM Weather: magnificent blue skies & warm sun in the Low Country Winds: S calm at sunrise then built to gusty 11-20K mid am to throughout the afternoon, a calm after sunset then increased again to gusting 10-15K
Pleasant south winds + flood tides created a whopping sound of the water against the dinghy & against the stern at about 0430 hrs.; now I was wide awake so made my way in the dark to take a good shower onshore. When walking back down the long pier to the boat dawn was approaching & the view was amazing, breathtaking, beautiful & peaceful; I was awestruck! Wind & current conditions were such that when we left the face dock we simply drifted off so effortlessly. We made our way north in very slow forward & often in idle as the current was pushing us by 2-3K towards the Lady Island Bridge (swing)--> scheduled opening at 0900 hrs. We met a young Canadian couple from Brockville after the bridge who were travelling in a Rob Roy, only 22 ft.! Also in the Brickyard Creek we had barely passed a catamaran therefore little separation between us (200 ft.) when this huge powerboat ‘Minute Man’ without hailing barged between us & the catamaran; what a ____ prick! Then into the wide Coosaw River where the south wind picked up to 10-13K, we unfurled the jenny & motorsailed along on a beam reach for the most part at an average of 7.4K. O.K. depths through the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cut #2, Rock Creek, A-C Cut #1, & Ashepoo River; we furled the jenny & motored only through these caution zones as there were lots of narrow & tight twists & turns. Ditto for Fenwick Cut especially the caution area of R162A & R162 into the South Edisto River. We avoided the vertical log stuck in the mud just south of R138 (warnings X several days by the Coast Guard). We were now 2-->1-1/2 hrs. from maximum low tide when we crept through the shallow water exiting North Creek before the fixed bridge (R132—only 5’5” depth) & the infamous Dawho River between R116 to R110; several green cans added to aid but still saw only 5 foot depths + the Wadmalaw River at R82-G81 (6 ft.). Just prior to Tom Point Creek we decided it was too early to stop for the day so we continued & anchored at maximum low tide in 12-15 ft. mud in Church Creek with 100 ft. chain out. Now we were poised to do Elliott Cut towards Charleston at high slack tide tomorrow am--> high tide= 1014 hrs. Once anchored the feeling of exhaustion overcame us for some unknown reason. Since Savannah there has been no advantage to going offshore as the distance is in fact greater & the winds have been slightly high but more importantly the seas have been high & for the coming few days with an approaching cold front. I sat down & planned a tentative schedule from now till arriving back in Deltaville--> a possible leisurely 16 days! An obscured sunset & slightly red sky. A late supper in the cockpit= leftovers again of ham for Graeme & coq au vin for me with potatoes, celery & a dill pickle. Entertainment were the 5-6 dolphins splashing all about. Stars high above in a clear sky & the south winds increased again & gusty in nature.
Wed. May 4, 2011 (Week 31, Day 212) Destination: Church Creek (Mile 488.2) to Charleston (Mile 464.1) Departure: 0925 hrs. Arrival: 1300 hrs. Mileage: 24.1 SM/16.38 NM Weather: clouds at sunrise then partly cloudy & sunny & blue skies, but much cooler temps (75F) Winds: W variable & gusting & howling at times 10-20K, N at night at 5-10K
Dark rain clouds & winds shifted from south to west & increased in intensity by morning. A leisurely am as a later start planned to catch the tides. We were well dug into mud but up anchored with ease. In short time the sun broke through, only a sprinkling of rain & more promising fluffy clouds. The tide was rising thus pushing us along the Wadmalaw then the Stono Rivers. At 1134 hrs. we entered Elliott Cut with our engine in near idle & at a speed of 6K at the start but 8K midway & to the end of the cut as it was flooding into the Wappoo Creek; total time= 2-1/2 mins.! We waited for the noon opening of the Wappoo Creek Bridge then were still being pushed from the Wappoo Creek to the Ashley River. And there sat romantic Charleston to the east! Once past the Battery we turned to port (north), past Shutes Folly Island on the Cooper River now on a falling tide (against current) to Charleston Maritime Center. Good driving & docking Graeme! ‘Artful’, ‘Firecrest’ + ‘Sea Mist’ & ‘White Lillie’were all in the marina! A quick lunch then a shower in the newly renovated marina shower. Graeme did the admin. stuff while I took my bike to inquire about South Carolina Sea Aquarium practically next door to the marina & to Rite Aid. Then Graeme walked & I biked slowly along side him to City Market & shops on South Market St. Graeme continued to shop around while I explored the location of Charleston Historic Society Shop, St. Michael’s Church, Scots First Presbyterian Church, their architecture & wrought ironworks as well as that of gates & homes in the Meeting & Broad & Church St. area. A gathering of the clan took place at Tommy Condon at 1800 hrs. for supper & to all celebrate belatedly Karin’s birthday; supper= shepherds pie for Graeme & shrimp & grits for me--> good + stuffed! We missed sunset but there was a real coolness now in the air & a cool breeze. We had a lovely walk home along Anson & Hassell, historic homes, immaculate gardens, jessamine & magnolias in bloom. Clear night skies & stars.
Thurs. May 5, 2011 (Week 31, Day 213) Destination: Charleston (Mile 464.1) Weather: fresh, cool am (54F) with an expected high of 73F & a warming trend progressively each day, brilliant sun Winds: cool, brisk NE 10-15K + gusts, decreasing during the afternoon & shifting by early evening to S
We woke to a fresh beginning of the day; in fact it was necessary to pull the quilt out last night (not used since late Nov., 5 months ago!). Bright & early Graeme took a marina shower. We each planned our morning excursions & decided to meet up at City Market at 1330 hrs. Before departing we met with Lynn & Larry & planned our route till the end of the trip. We hope to be in Deltaville May 20th. I postponed my visit to the South Carolina Sea Aquarium till tomorrow 0900 hrs. sharp as there were too many school kids & a very long line up. I biked starting from north to south with a lunch stop by myself a little after noon at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church’s annual Tea Room (May 2-6, 2011--1130-1400 hrs. daily). Highlights of my bike excursion included historical houses (mansions), College of Charleston, shops along King St., N & S Market St. & City Market again, US Customs House, City Hall, Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, Rainbow Row, The Battery & the White Point Gardens. Graeme & Lynn & Larry, Bette & Dave lunched at “Mellow Mushroom” on King & George--> excellent pizza. All trolleys are free! Happy Hour at 1630 hrs. at A.W. Shucks by all the clan. Lynn & Larry took the pedicab home, I biked & everyone else walked. Both Graeme & I made up for the lack of exercise X several months today. Thank goodness for my bike, otherwise I don’t know what I would have done! Supper= hodge podge; Graeme had fries at Shucks + ice cream walking home & I not feeling very hungry had a few leftover meatballs later at home. A mostly quiet night, only the slapping of water against the hull of the boat & stars in the clear sky.
Fri. May 6, 2011 (Week 31, Day 214) Destination: Charleston (Mile 464.1) Weather: warmer today but cloudy & increasing dark clouds near noon followed by rain, sometimes heavy & more on than off all afternoon, some clearing & increased humidity early evening Winds: S about 10K, decreasing to calm by evening & shift to N
Another early marina shower for Graeme; I had mine after breakfast. I decided that since laundry was free that I would make a load, a mish mash that I started at 0815 hrs. We said our good byes to ‘Firecrest’ & ‘Artful Dodger’ then helped ‘Artful’ out of the slip at 0845 hrs.; Larry helped ‘Firecrest’. Graeme looked after the laundry when I left for the Sea Aquarium for their 0900 hrs. opening ($19.95 - $1.00 discount coupon)--> impressive & enjoyable 2 hrs. self guided tour. There were many school kids + adult tour groups afterwards. When I returned to the boat the laundry was done & folded, a first! We had to relocate our boat a few slips away for a huge powerboat that came in later. We were both about to leave when the heavy rains began. When they subsided some we went our separate ways, Graeme by foot & I on the bike. I took back streets to Meeting & King St. with the intention of browsing in & out of the shops, but being a Sat. traffic was heavy & it was raining a lot at times. I decided then to cycle & tour around Waterfront Park & old, historic streets in that vicinity & happened to run into Graeme. We were meeting up with Lynn & Larry about 1600 hrs. at “The Southend Brewery” (161 E. Bay St.). I had to duck into one of the many art galleries on E. Bay to dodge another downpour. With time to spare I cycled to Harris Teeter & purchased eggs, butter & bread, dropped them off at the boat then out to “The Southend Brewery”. Our foursome increased to eight; ‘Sea Mist’ & ‘Orion’ (David & Cathy) joined us. This became our supper= appetizer of brie, chutney & pita for Graeme & crab cake for moi. The clouds now were breaking up. Once back at the boat I cleaned off, dried, & packed my bike in it’s bag & into the garage. With ? internet I decided to address an apparent problem with my antivirus subscription (done), but then no internet access. A very calm night, zippo wind, but majestic palmetto palms, sliver of moon & stars in the night sky—so fitting on our last night in romantic Charleston. The palmetto palm & sliver moon are symbols on the South Carolina State Flag!
Sat. May 7. 2011 (Week 31, Day 215) Destination: Charleston (Mile 464.1) to Minim Creek (Mile 415.4) Departure: 0840 hrs. Arrival: 1700 hrs. Mileage: 48.7 SM/51.4 NM Weather: fog most of the night & am, damp & thus cool; blue skies & sun early pm Winds: flat calm till 1530 hrs., then E 8-13Kefore 0500 hrs.
We were woken by the fishing boat docked beside us that was preparing to leave; chatter & big engine noise. Instead of fuming, I got up & took a marina shower. We were unable to leave at the planned scheduled time as the fog was thick that visibility was only ¼ - ½ mile & NOAA recommendation was to delay departures if possible. There was some improvement by 0800 hrs. although there was no sun to completely burn off the fog. Off the dock with ease & we motored Charleston Harbour intentionally slowly against the current to make the Ben Sawyer Bridge (bascule) opening at 1000 hrs. Clouds persisted till early afternoon then blue skies & warm sun but at this latitude the wind & air had a cooling element; we still were able to wear T-shirts & shorts comfortably but bathing suits were questionable. We managed to maintain a good boat speed > than 6K till McCellanville, then we were fighting the current. Dolphins were pleasantly abundant. The Shrimp Festival was this weekend in McCellanville. As we were approaching G35A the Auxiliary Coast Guard had us slow up as the fleet of shrimp boats all decorated up with streamers & abundance of people aboard had just been blessed & were crossing the ICW into Five Fathom Creek. Carrying on, the ICW winds through Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge & the South Santee & North Santee Rivers intersect the ICW through the connector called Four Mile Creek. It was through here that we kept our eyes open for alligators; success—we spotted at least 4-5 alligators; looked like slim floating logs at the water’s edge. Despite our late start, favourable speed & good fortune of longer light hours in the Spring, we reached our planned destination, Minim Creek, in good time, anchoring in 10 ft. (low tide) close to a dock with 60 ft. chain. Supper= beef & vegetable stir fry with rice; no leftovers tonight. Sunset was at 2006 hrs. And night brought calm wind & water, clear skies & stars & that bright South Carolina ¼ moon. Best of all was the feeling of peacefulness & tranquility that words cannot describe but must be experienced, in an anchorage once again away from a big center! Travelling offshore has it’s lure & excitement, but it cannot be compared to anchorages away from everything, utter bliss are some of the anchorages of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina & even the Chesapeake! There is a feeling that you don’t want to leave! You want to be here forever & ever!
Sun. May 8, 2011 (Week 31, Day 216) Destination: Minim Creek (Mile 425.4) to Osprey Marina (Mile 373.3) just south of Myrtle Beach Departure: 0750 hrs. Arrival: 1425 hrs. Mileage: 42.1 SM/41.66 NM Weather: warm, blue sky & sun at dawn, hot sun & few clouds even a rain shower in the late afternoon Winds: W < 5K, periodic gusts of 10-15K mid am & pmHappy Mother’s Day! And 3D birthday celebrations tonight at my brother’s--> Dean (May 8), Dave (May 11) & Darren (May 18). A large school of dolphins met us this am exiting Minim Creek; no better way to start the day! Both shorelines were alive with vibrant, bright green new growth of saltmarsh grasses as were as the trees just beyond. In no time we were through the Estherville Minim Creek Canal & into the Western Channel of the Winyah Bay where the winds were light but enough to carry the jenny. The current pushed us into Georgetown at about 1000 hrs. Surprisingly we discovered ‘Artful’ & ‘Firecrest’ here. But the anchorage was too full or at least too tight for comfort especially if winds picked up &/or change direction as anticipated. I phoned Osprey Marina where we had reservations for tomorrow night & asked if they had availability for night instead--> yes. We pressed on for the additional 30 mi. via the deep Waccamaw River & with the current (boat speed= 6.6 -7.1K); bonus! Brilliant sunshine & hot (90ishF)--> bathing suit weather. As soon as we entered the Waccamaw the colour of the water was like dark chocolate milk, the scenery was stunning with moss draped cypress trees, the vibrant greens of other shrubs & trees with a brilliant blue sky backdrop, osprey nests built on most channel markers with mother& babes in the nests, fish leaping out of the water & turtles. We unfurled the jenny until the river became increasing tortuous & the jenny ineffective. We arrived at Osprey Marina 2 hrs. ahead of our ETA. To the fuel dock first then we were assisted at tying up at the end of ‘B’ dock stern to stern to another Canadian boat, Gordon & Suzanne (Camelot II--Tanzer 35). This is a first class marina at only $1.00 per ft.! One female, one male shower, 2 washers ($1.50) & 2 dryers ($1.50) & good WiFi at office. Drinks & snacks on ‘Twomorrows’. I phoned my family at 1815 hrs. expressing Happy Mother’s Day & Happy Birthday Wishes while we were having a heavy rainfall lasting 15 mins. Supper = BBQ steak, potatoes & peas. Gordon, Suzanne & Graeme & I were feeding the turtles in harbour. Sunset & a pink sky followed. We each took marina showers--> the best showers on the east coast! And internet in laundry area. Extremely calm, clear night sky, stars & South Carolina ¼ moon!
Mon. May 9, 2011 (Week 31, Day 217) Destination: Osprey Marina, Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Mile 373.3) to St. James Marina, N.C. (Mile 315) Departure: 0800 hrs. Arrival: 1645 hrs. Mileage: 58.3 SM/50.77 NM Weather: pleasant temps, blue sky, warm sun, cool wind Winds: cool ESE to ENE 10-15K then E at 10-15K
There was a little rain during the night otherwise calm, no thunderstorms. A gorgeous South Carolina May morning with lots of moisture on the enclosure windows. I got another marina shower in after breakfast. What might have been a tricky exit off the dock ended up being a cinch with Miles’ assistance on turning the boat around by pulling from the bow for both ‘Twomorrows’ & ourselves; 4 boats departed at the same time. We had good winds but they were right on our nose, but the current was falling & running NE towards Little River Inlet thus pushing us. Also are bridge openings were pretty good. We reached our planned destination, Calabash at 1255 hrs., too early to quit for the day so carried on; this in fact will set us up better to do the Cape Fear River tomorrow than on Wed. Lynn called St. James Marina (8 mi. south of Southport on the Cape Fear River) & they had transient availability. The wind had shifted enough that we were able to motorsail with the jenny all afternoon from Calabash, where we left the state of South Carolina & entered North Carolina at R116, under the newly built Sunset Beach Fixed Bridge (Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge totally removed), to the Saucepan Creek & Shallotte Inlet, to Lockwoods Folly Inlet Crossing. Our boat speed varied from 4.8 to 7.4K depending on our position in relation to an inlet. I happily drove most of the day. We arrived before the marina office’s closing time (0800-1700 hrs.), tying up on ‘C’ dock, slip 23. St. James dockage fee =$1.05/ft. + $5.00 for electricity for another topnotch facility. One female & one male shower, one washer ($1.00) & 1 dryer ($1.00). Already there was a coolness in the air; changed into capris & a sweater. Supper was at the marina restaurant, Tommy’s Thompson Grill = burger & homemade chips for Graeme & mixed seafood grill of salmon, shrimp & tuna with rice pilaf for me. St. James Plantation is a beautiful huge gated community with 4 golf courses, private beach club, tennis, swimming & fitness facilities + walking trails & parks; the marina is an important part of the community. After sunset the winds died & darkness showed clear skies & a bright near ½ moon.
N.B. If one looks at a map of South & North Carolina coastlines, you will notice how heavily the southern portions hook to the east, travelling south to north of course. This can be disconcerting when you are wanting to be home which is north!

April 26- May 2, 2011 (Week 30, Day 204-210)

2011-05-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Tues. Apr. 26, 2011 (Week 30, Day 204) Destination: Back River (Mile 651.3) to Big Tom Creek (Mile 612.8) Departure: 0740 hrs. Arrival: 1350 hrs. Mileage: 38.5 SM/30. 91 NM Weather: hot & humid weather continues, lots of grey clouds upon rising but soon sun made an appearance; early afternoon thunder, black clouds & again after sunset Winds: nil at start but by 0900 hrs. E to SE 8-20K & S & variable at night
The gusty winds of last night calmed & it was a very restful night. It was calm at beginning of day & the tide pushed us for a short distance until we passed Dolboy Sound, then falling tide & opposing tide for a bit. Old Teakettle Creek brought us into the serpentine route of Creighton Narrows & despite low tide we saw good depths. Then it was on to Front River to Sapelo Sound. We had just set our jenny when suddenly & surprisingly the water depth dropped & we went aground almost at the R150 channel marker; we were in the channel watching the exposed strip of sandbar to starboard. Graeme managed to turn the rudder from side to side & with increasing the engine’s RPM’s he got us off in about 10 min. A good motorsail out Sapelo Sound then the South Newport River & Johnson Creek around St. Catherines Island with the current, then against the current through North Newport River out towards St. Catherines Sound. As we turned to port into the Bear River with the current again, the skies to the W & NW were extremely black, thunder & real threatening thunderstorm weather reports with lightning & high winds as predicted for this evening & especially tomorrow. Despite the early hour & a little shy of our planned destination, we thought it best to seek protection & turned into Big Tom Creek; the current pushed us deep into the creek where there was more protection from the opposing SE wind. There was a line of trees to the east in the distance & saltmarsh grasses surrounding us in all directions. The weather did pass us but will that be the case tonight? Sunny & hot & gusty winds. Like yesterday as we moved nearer land the horseflies descended upon us. Also similar to yesterday was the bright green new growth of the saltmarsh grasses & new foliage on the trees--> very picturesque. Graeme refilled the boat’s fuel tank & did an oil change. Supper= sausage, ½ small potato, carrots & celery. There was a peek of the setting sun below the grey clouds & above the saltmarsh grasses as we headed to low tide (near 7 ft.). The Morrows phoned & they had left St. Augustine & anchored in Kingsley Creek near Fernandina. At bedtime, it was very dark, the skies were clouded, no stars & only mastlights from the 2 boats in the anchorage.
Wed. Apr. 27, 2011 (Week 30, Day 205) Destination: Big Tom Creek (Mile 612.8) to Turner Creek, Savannah (Mile 585.5) Departure: 0810 hrs. Arrival: 1400 hrs. Mileage: 27.3 SM/24.7 NM Winds: S at 15K with generous 1 to 1-1/2 ft. chop on the ICW where it was opened to a south fetch, S 15-20K throughout the pm & evening with frequent gusts to 27K
The wind generator had no rest last night; even in the am there was 20K gusts & ugly weather warnings & predictions. Despite the weather there was pleasant chirping of birds & mesmerizing gentle swaying of the saltmarsh grasses. We planned on a late start this am because high tide= 0528 hrs. & low= 1148 hrs. We were about 1 hr. & 2 hrs. away from 2 caution zones + against the current; it would be preferable to do these spots as the tide was beginning to rise at the very least. Well that was the plan… BUT (1) we were tired of waiting after breakfast with the dishes done by 0800 hrs., (2) 19K south winds & 3 ft. waves against us but going with the current as we travelled south on the Ogeechee River towards South Channel Ossabaw Sound to Hells Gate, (3) reached Hells Gate at 1010 hrs., 1-1/2 hrs. before low tide & saw depths of 7-9 ft. except 5’5” between red nun #90 & R88, (4) a powerboat was coming through Hells Gate from North Channel of Ossabaw Sound. We made it through! Now we were dealing with 2-3 ft. waves & an opposing current on the Vernon River until we followed the ICW into the Burnside River. At 1130 hrs. we arrived at the Skidway Narrows Bridge, hailed the bridge tender on VHF 09 & his reply stated that he was having opening problems & asked us to standby probably for an hour. We did slow circles for about 45 min. when the bridge tender came back & said to bring it on; then a south bound sailing vessel 10 mins. away + 2 northbound boats about 5 min. away called for the same opening. We were very close to the bridge with a current pushing us & no more room to do circles. And to make matters worse, as we were trying to stall as the bridge was just opening a northbound trawler was coming with speed from behind & barged past us, then gave us shit for not monitoring VHF 16! I was steaming! The trawler called back & underhandedly apologized. We had opposing currents along the Skidway River, crossed the Wilmington River into Turner Creek & anchored in a rising tide in 12 ft. & only 80 ft. chain possible. Now it was mostly sunny, hot & dark ugly clouds to the north & northeast & very gusty . Dave (Firecrest) then Patric & Karin (Artful Dodger) came over for a few hours of socializing. Happy Birthday Karin! Their outside passage from Fernandina to Ossabaw Sound Mon. pm till Tues. dawn went well. They met up with friends at Isle of Hope Marina last night then relocated here this afternoon. Dave was still experiencing ongoing prop shaft problems & was hoping to haul the boat tomorrow at Sail Harbor Marina & Boatyard if the parts arrive--> $12.00 per foot in & out. Suddenly I noticed that Dave’s boat was in a different location; he was dragging! Suddenly Happy Hour was over. Supper= chicken marsala but with turkey strips--> good. We missed sunset. Tonight we had typical Georgia strong currents, strong howling south winds of 15-27K but no chop with all around protection, partly cloudy skies & stars in the clear patches.
Thurs. April 28, 2011 (Week 30, Day 206) Destination: Turner Creek, Savannah (Mile 585.5) Weather: cloudy for the most part, sunny breaks, warm & humid, tornado warnings all day, periods of rain mid pm & evening, lightning & thunder Winds: S 15K in am, gusty am & early pm, calm with a shift to the W
A grey, gloomy am & humidity persisted; slept in till 0700 hrs. NOAA weather & local Savannah radio weather announced warnings of high winds & tornados in several counties including Chatham County where we were situated & several states as far as NY. Greater than 200 deaths in Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina & Virginia with the tornado last Sat. & huge destruction in Alabama yesterday. I spent a couple of hours in the am doing housekeeping duties & making & precooking meatballs waiting to see what the weather might do. At 1100 hrs. we decided that Graeme would take me & my bike to shore to go to the library for a few hours (can’t walk far these days) & he would stay with the boat. Few hours at the library dragged till near 1600 hrs. But I looked at emails, located emails in Windows Mail I thought I lost a few days ago, & even with tech support had some difficulty but successfully downloaded my McAfee anti everything renewal program on 2 of my computers. I biked back to Hogan’s Marina in the rain & radioed Graeme for a pick up. The rains continued on & off for the rest of the afternoon & evening, sometimes heavy & no-see-ums made their annoying presence. It was very eerie with the calm conditions, black threatening clouds & ugly skies & periods of lightning & thunder; unsettling & anxious feeling thinking this might be the calm before the storm. Patric dropped in with news that Dave’s boat parts arrived & his boat was hauled & together they will install the new prop shaft & replace the stuffing box tomorrow; Patric has been a guardian angel to many people especially Dave! Karin will come with us by bus into Savannah. The Morrows called X 2; experienced some wicked weather after they were anchored in the Wahoo River, but still scheduled to meet up tomorrow. Supper= meatballs in garlic marinade/sauce with rice. The tornado watch was rescinded at 1900 hrs. Between the rain showers we dinghied to shore & walked to the Publix very close by; not many groceries needed but cost added up quickly. Calm winds, heavily clouded night sky & rainy periods & high humidity.
Fri. Apr. 29, 2011 (Week 30, Day 207) Destination: Turner Creek, Savannah (Mile 585.5) Weather: cooler fresher air, no humidity, sunny about 80F Winds: NW 15-->10--> 5K
A little after midnight the calm was replaced by 8-10K winds enough to get the wind generator working. Less humid, fresh air & lower temperature was noticeable on waking. A boat shower for me, breakfast, dressed & ready for a day of touring by 0715 hrs. To shore where we met Karin then walked to #24 bus stop for the 0807 hrs. bus & arrived about 45 min. later downtown Savannah at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. & Broughton St. (senior[65]= $0.75, regular= $1.50). We walked to City Market, Ellis Square then north on Whitaker St. to River St. & Rousakis Riverfront Plaza. Many stores were not open till 1000 hrs. We spent the am in & out of stores & viewing the sites along River St.; I took many photos. We lunched at “Rocks” on River St. (Bohemian Hotel)--> good. After lunch we walked Factor Row which is home of a few antique shops, restaurants & commercial businesses. Then we walked along E. Bay St. then several streets & numerous squares to the south. We faltered & dropped into Leopolds on E. Broughton St. for ice cream (famous tutti fruiti flavor). A drink at “Corleone” then the same bus stop for 1555 hrs. for our return trip; bus was late. We picked up a fresh French stick bread for supper then home at 1730 hrs. Quickly supper was prepared for the whole crew--> ‘Twomorrows’, ‘Artful Dodger’ & ‘Firecrest’. A few no-see-ums but not so bad. A few snacks till supper was ready= meatloaf, potatoes, coleslaw (thank you Karin), bread & butter, then key lime pie (thank you Larry). Lots of stories & lots of laughs! A beautiful day followed by a beautiful calm night, brilliant stars in a totally clear night sky.
Sat. Apr. 30, 2011 (Week 30, Day 208) Destination: Turner Creek, Savannah (Mile 585.5) Weather: comfortably cool at dawn to no humidity, warm brilliantly sunny day Winds: S5-8K
A peaceful night & good sleep. We picked up Lynn, Larry then Dave in the dinghy & tied up at Hogan’s Marina as we had already paid for a dinghy tie up for a 24 hrs. period. We walked to #24 bus stop for the 0952 hrs. bus with plenty of time to spare, & got off at M.L.K. Jr. & Broughton St. At the Visitor Center we took the Olgethrope Trolley Bus Tour ($15.00 per person), while Graeme toured the maritime museum ($6.00 per senior) + some browsing. Our tour bus broke down & another trolley shortly picked us up & continued, finishing at 1330 hrs. at City Market. From a higher vantage point I was struck by the abundance of magnolia trees that were currently in bloom. We met Graeme while walking City Market. A late lunch took place at Molly MacPherson. Now 1500 hrs. Dave did the maritime museum while the rest of us browsed Broughton St., stopping at La Berry for frozen yogurt for some & people watching. Gradually we made our way to the bus stop in a round about way for me, visiting “Book Lady” (Bull & Liberty) Chippewa Square (wedding in progress), past Foley House, Barnard St., Telfair Square to State Street. There is no bus service on Sunday from the marina & a taxi = $9.50 per person per way & so Lynn & Larry felt it best to cancel our rendezvous with Larry’s brother & wife & daughter tomorrow, but instead push on to Port Royal Landing, Beaufort, S.C. The dinghy was readied & the boat’s fuel tank was topped. Larry called Port Royal Landing Marina--> closed but left a message for reservations for the 2 of us for tomorrow night. Supper= leftovers of meatloaf & potato for Graeme & curried peanut chicken for me & splitting the last piece of key lime pie for dessert. A most beautiful evening to finish a perfect day; incredible red sky, calm waters & calm winds, only pesky no-see-ums, then dark night with clear skies & stars.
Sun. May 1, 2011 (Week 30, Day 209) Destination: Savannah, Georgia (Mile 585.5) to Port Royal, Beaufort, S.C. (Mile 537) Departure: 0705 hrs. Arrival: 1500 hrs. Mileage: 48.5 SM/39.29 NM Weather: flat calm, peaceful Sun. am, sun. perfect temp, then light cloud cover after the Savannah River Winds: N light & increasing as the morning progressed to 13- 17K
Singing birds at the break of dawn. Dolphins, fish & the sweet smell of jasmine as we raised the anchor & many more dolphins heading to Thunderbolt & the Savannah River. Fields Cut--> no water depth problems at ¾ high falling tide. Daufuskie Landing & Island, Ramshorn Creek & Hilton Head--> no problems. We flew our jenny whenever possible throughout the day especially when fighting a current. Once again it was a day of seesawing, sometimes with the current sometimes against, depending on our position to the many sounds & whether we were approaching at high or low tide. All in all we fared well. Since crossing back to the mainland from the Bahamas it was quite apparent of the coolness & chill of the wind despite the hot sun. Larry recalled Port Royal Landing Marina for 1-2 nights--> no problems + called Charleston Maritime Center but no availability till Wed.--> reservations made for Wed. Thurs & ? Fri. As the day progressed the sky out to sea remained sunny whereas over land was somewhat cloudy. It was slack tide as we approached the marina, first the fuel dock then we relocated on the north end of the dock. Laundry was the big task of the day--> 3 washes X $1.00 + 2 dryers X $1.00 + remainder of Lynn’s dryer, therefore total= $5.00. ‘Artful Dodger’ & ‘Firecrest’ passed the marina at about 1700 hrs. Lady Island Bridge (bascule) closed from 1600 to 1800 hrs.; I wonder if they did anchor just north of the bridge in Factory Creek. Supper= tacos & refried beans at the Morrows. Together we did some trip planning. Suddenly we were all very tired. I needed a shower then went right to bed. Pleasantly cool after sunset, clear skies & stars+++
Mon. May 2, 2011 (Week 30 Day 210) Destination: Port Royal, Beaufort, S.C. (Mile 537) Weather: beautiful, sunny & warm with a few dark clouds (insignificant) Winds: S 8-12K
A great sleep as usual. We woke to the news of Osaman Bin Laden’s death. Today also was the federal election in Canada. It is only 2 short days to Charleston with an imperative set up for Elliot Cut passage with the current + with reservations not until Wed. we decided to stay put & do some major cleaning ie deck & cockpit by Graeme & interior floor, carpets, extensive scrubbing of shower & head & semi reorganization of the garage by me. Then a long marina shower before we obtained the courtesy car at 1130 hrs. We had the use of the vehicle as long as we wanted; first stop= West Marine, then downtown beautiful Beaufort for lunch at Luthers, outside overlooking the well designed & landscaped boardwalk at river’s edge. O.K. we also took in a few shops across the road on Bay St. We drove to Wal Mart & returned to the marina at about 1515 hrs. A Happy Hour drink when the onsite restaurant opened at 1600 hrs. & some internet. Back at the boats we watched the news coverage of the US Seals operation of attaching Bin Laden’s fortified place in Pakistan on the Morrows’ T.V. We were curious as to the outcome of the Canadian Elections. A nice cool evening after sunset which was at 2006 hrs. Supper= leftover garlic meatballs & potatoes for Graeme & leftover turkey marsala for me. Another gorgeous night & partly cloudy skies.

April 19-25, 2011 (Week 29, Day 197-203)

2011-05-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Tues. Apr. 19, 2011 (Week 29, Day 197) Destination: Titusville (Mile 878.2) to Seabreeze (Mile 829.0—First Coast) Departure: 0735 hrs. Arrival: 1525 hrs. Mileage: 49.2 SM/42.84 NM Weather: hot & sultry, humid & hazy, brilliant sun Winds: very light & variable 1st of the am (SE, W, S), ESE 8-10K late am, SE 12-16K early pm
A warm night & hot am. SE winds 10-15K predicted for today; certainly not the case at the start of the day. Lots of marine activity as we left the Indian River to Mosquito Lagoon via Haulout Canal & it’s bascule bridge--> 1st & foremost were dolphins, cormorants, ibis, osprey, pelicans diving for their breakfast, a ray that flew out of the water 3 times, fishermen wading in water & on land, & even the back & tail of a manatee. Fortunately the current was with us. Late morning ESE winds increased & we motorsailed on our jenny on a broad reach towards New Smyrna. Early afternoon winds shifted to the predicted SE & blew 12-16K with gusts to 21.6K as we entered the Halifax River through the Ponce de Leon Inlet area, a lovely area of sand dunes & beaches that would be interesting to explore, then through Daytona--> several dolphins. Two bridge openings requested before we set anchor on the NE side of the Seabreeze dual Bridge. Thunder clouds in the western sky & an interesting picture as the sun was lowering but behind these clouds. By sundown there were now 6 of us anchored & the winds had laid down so no more whitecaps on the water of the Halifax River. I made reservations by phone for a mooring ball at St. Augustine Municipal Marina for tomorrow. No news from the Morrows--> that was not good news. We both had refreshing boat showers. Supper= leftovers of chicken noodle soup & bun for Graeme & curried peanut chicken for myself. I guess since we have returned to the USA we have been slowly reintroduced to reality; the night skies were no longer dark but filled with lots of city lights, tranquil anchorages replaced by traffic noise, emergency vehicle noise, motorboat noise, bright stars obscured by city lights & no more crystal clear turquoise coloured water but smelly, very cloudy, muddy brown coloured water. Then again we have been so very lucky to have experienced this all!
Wed. Apr. 20, 2011 (Week 29, Day 198) Destination: Seabreeze (Mile 829) to St. Augustine (Mile 778.1) Departure: 0645 hrs. Arrival: 1440 hrs. Mileage: 50.9 SM/42.7 NM Weather: sunny, hot blue skies till mid pm then clouds & dark threatening thunder clouds Winds: light & variable in strength & direction with gusts about 10K
The winds settled right down during the night & it remained quite warm. The alarm went off at 0600 hrs.; wanted to be sure to have an early start as there were many miles to our destination of St. Augustine today. A calm start to the day both in regards to wind & chop, but also somewhat boring & uninteresting geography as the Halifax River narrowed to the Halifax Creek. Through this stretch we past Ormond Beach, Ormond-by-the-sea (shallow), through J.B. Knox Bascule Bridge to Flagler & large homes & condos flanking the shores of Fox Cut, Bon Terra then into the Matanzas River. Fortunately it was high tide as we motored through the caution area of shallow shifting shoals between G81D, 81C, 81B, 81A & R80 by Matanzas Inlet & then it was north on the Matanzas River to St. Augustine. Karen Goodyear: you would have cried with joy at the incredible number of white butterflies flying about all day yesterday & today! We tied up at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina’s fuel dock for diesel, water & pump out & even had a chance to wash down the cockpit with soap & fresh water; yah-h-h! We picked up our mooring ball assignment #M9 ($20.00 X 2 nights + tax= $42.40). We saw that ‘Artful Dodger’ & ‘Firecrest’ were in the north mooring field. The sun was suddenly replaced by cloud & dark thunder clouds in the SW by mid afternoon & evening; there were unpredicted WSW winds gusting from calm to 10K. Supper= hot dog & strawberries with rum & chocolate sauce & 2 peek frean cookies. Although we had put the engine on the dinghy & could go to shore it was easier to take a boat shower. ‘Monk’s Vineyard’ (Crogan 36) whom we met in the Bahamas were moored in front of us; Linda & Jerry came & said hello when they were returning to their boat. At nightfall the wind & water was flat calm, skies cloudy & the Bridge of Lions was light right up.
Thurs. Apr. 21, 2011 (Week 29, Day 199) Destination: St. Augustine (Mile 778.1) Weather: sunny & hot, near 90F, blue skies Winds: flat clam at dawn, S 10K at nightfall
Nice comfortable temps during the night & a beautiful bright & sunny morning. There was a need to use some bananas so I made up a batch of banana pancakes for breakfast. Then to shore for a marina shower bright & early; oh-h-h, a long shower with warm water without having to turn the tap off more than on! Back to the boat & we dressed for a warm day of touring on shore. Slowly we walked the beautiful, historic, old city; quite busy by the afternoon with many school groups; an ice cream cone before noon, a late delicious pizza at Pizzalley Chianti Room for lunch & finished the day at A1A at 1600 hrs. for a beer for Graeme. ‘Sea Mist’ was arriving as we were setting out back to shore for 1 load of laundry ( $1.50 for wash + $1.50 for dryer; 4 washers & 4 dryers in total + an ironing board & iron) + internet only available in the marina lounge. I received an email from Norton’s in Deltaville that a tornado had touched down there last Sat. & caused destruction in the community, but fortunately not to the boatyard--> how devastating! ‘Artful Dodger’ & ‘Firecrest’ postponed plans to go offshore tomorrow. Graeme wants to stay another day & tour the Lightner Museum then I would like to attend the Good Friday Service at The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine at 1500 hrs. Lynn’s meds arrived today & she saw the doctor--> still some evidence of pneumonia (IM Cortisone + antibiotics)+ affects of Spring pollen producing a persistent, nagging cough, but will leave Vero at dawn. We dinghied back home in the dark under clear skies & stars with the current (low to high tide—coming from the north) but opposing south winds; current is strong here & the major factor, therefore south winds coming in via the stern.
Fri. Apr. 22, 2011 (Week 29, Day 200) Destination: St. Augustine (Mile 778.1) Weather: another amazing summer not spring day--> sunny & warm (80F), less humidity, only blue skies Winds: light to nil at dawn & SE 10-12K winds built during the day
Good Friday! And our 200th day from leaving Ottawa! Another marina shower on shore for me in the am, whereas Graeme waited & did his near the end of the day. We did the Ripley’s red train sightseeing tour starting from the marina on Avenida Menendez shortly after 0900 hrs. X 1 hr. 20 min. ($20.00 per person good for 3 days with on & off service along their route). We were dropped off at the Castillo de San Marcos. It was US National Parks Week therefore free admission inside the Castillo from Apr. 16-24; at 1130 hrs. they had a reenactment of the firing of a cannon as it would have occurred in Spanish in the 1600 & 1700’s. Then we lunched at ‘Downtown Grill’ (good) on Cathedral Place. Graeme toured the Lightner Museum while I sat in the park of Plaza de la Constitution, right across the street from The Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine, then attended their 1500 hrs. Good Friday Service. A beer for Graeme at A1A before we dinghied to the boat to pick up my computer then back to shore to the marina lounge; I posted weeks 27 & 28 on my blog, picked up a few emails & renewed my McAfee subscription. Near 2000 hrs. as dark was approaching we packed up & dinghied home & readied the dinghy for an early morning departure tomorrow. Many more days could easily be spent here but it is time to make some northern miles. Supper= tomato soup with rice, tomato basil dip with crackers, then strawberries & banana with rum & chocolate sauce for dessert. A clear sky with stars, SE wind diminished & the boat facing north as a flood tide was occurring.
Sat. Apr. 23, 2011 (Week 29, Day 201) Destination: St. Augustine (Mile 778.1) to Bells River, Fernandina (Mile 716.5) Departure: 0650 hrs. Arrival: 1715 hrs. Mileage: 61.6 SM/53.3 NM! Weather: bright, beautiful & sunny with blue skies Winds: flat calm when leaving mooring ball then just likes past days variable winds built around noon from E then SE at 12-22K
Six of us from the southern mooring field caught the 0700 hrs. opening of the Bridge of Lions to proceed northwards + 2 from the northern field. Two of the 6 proceeded to the St. Augustine Inlet to travel outside but we found out later that 1 did turn back. Another stat: this was the start of my 4th pen I use to write my journal during the day before composing on my laptop in Word at night, every night. The sun had just broken over the treetops & the orange glow off the stainless steel Great Cross at Mission of Nombre de Dios was breathtaking. We passed under the Villano Bridge & motorsailed along the Tolomato River now against the current. For & against currents, winds & increasing differential in tides was the story of the day as we meandered from the Tolomato River to Palm Valley Cut then again unfurled the jenny in the Pablo Creek through Jacksonville Beach & Atlantic Beach, across the St. Johns River into Sisters Creek--> lots of weekend Florida motorboat traffic! We continued motorsailing up Sampit Creek, across Nassau Sound into the South Amelia River, Kingsley Creek & Amelia River towards Fernandina at high to mid falling tide fortunately & unfortunately; fortunately because of the good to fair water depths & unfortunately because we couldn’t see the shallows & muddy sandbars. We suddenly went hard aground in 3.9 to 4.3 ft. water, right after Jackson Creek (G5) at G3 to G1, despite the warning earlier in the day from a gentleman who works with Waterway Guide. Lucky for us a powerboat happened to be passing by & took our bowline + the sheriff created waves with his boat & in less than 20 min. we were pulled eastward & off the muddy sandbar that apparently traverses across the ICW from west to east on a falling tide! Favour the green side! From chatter on the VHF it sounded that Fernandina Harbour Marina was full; we planned on anchoring in Bell River anyway--> 15 ft. water & 100 ft. chain. Current rules in this area despite the strong SE winds. Today was our longest & furthest day yet. ‘Artful Dodger’ & ‘Firecrest’ anchored close by about 1830 hrs. Dave was still having prop shaft problems & sounded down. We all said we would spend Easter Day in Fernandina & thus give the Morrows a day to get closer to catching up. Low clouds across the setting sun, some pink sky & at dark, clear skies & stars, lots of lights from Fernandina & smoke rising in the sky from the pulp & paper mills’ stacks.
Sun. Apr. 24, 2011 (Week 29, Day 202) Happy Easter! Destination: Fernandina (Mile 716.5) Weather: warm, sunny & moderate humidity Winds: light & variable SE, maximum about 10K
Yes, Easter Sunday & a bright, beautiful day it was! We dinghied to shore, checked in with the Fernandina Harbour Marina & the gentleman only charged us $2.14 for dinghy dockage, nil for showers & garbage nor the usual $10.00 deposit for the shower key pass with the promise to return this pm. I called Mom shortly after 1000 hrs. from shore & whereas we were having great weather Ottawa was cold & had had quite a bit of rain to date. The other news was the federal election on May 2; can I vote online, will I have internet? The day was well spent on Centre St. in & out of shops, although some were closed for Easter, + visiting the Amelia Island History Museum (233 Third St.). We lunched at an Irish Pub. Since the Tourist Information Center was not open in the am we popped in on our return towards the marina. At the marina we had internet but a strange thing happened whereby I lost all old emails; only the recent emails were present. Lynn called & they were in St. Augustine as of this afternoon & for tomorrow; they plan to arrive in Savannah on Fri. through to Sun. We met the people from ‘Dawn Treader’, ‘Dream Weaver’ & Linda & Jerry from ‘Monks Vineyard’. As we were about to take shore showers we met Patric, Karin & Dave once again; they had moved their boats from Bell River to the Fernandina anchorage in the am. After our showers we also met Bette & Bill, ‘Sea Mist’; we thought they were still in St. Augustine, but changed their plans, arrived here today & will depart offshore tomorrow pm to arrive in Charleston on Tues. X 1 week. After 1800 hrs. we started to dinghy home & stopped by ‘White Lillie’ to say hi to Carole & Jim whom we met in the Fall in Norfolk. See how social this cruising is! Finally home, a late supper= ham with sweet & sour sauce glaze, potatoes, raw carrots & celery. The rest of the evening was spent planning our route with regards to tides, currents & destinations as these now become major factors. The sun set behind low clouds again tonight as we ate dinner in the cockpit, a norm for a while now. Clear dark skies above with stars & the occasional sound of train horns.
Mon. Apr. 25, 2011 (Week 29, Day 203) Destination: Fernandina, Florida (Mile 716.5) to Back River, Georgia (Mile 651.3) Departure: 0635 hrs. Arrival: 1700 hrs. Mileage: 65.2 SM/52.44 NM Weather: hot (80F) & sunny Winds: breathless till mid am, variable SE 8-18K
Yesterday was our last day in Florida & today our first day in Georgia! Some boats in Fernandina had already left or were planning to exit Cumberland Sound & go offshore to Charleston or Savannah. A morning mist hung over the water & landmass as we departed soon after dawn with dolphins everywhere, then a beautiful moderate windy day. No wild horses seen along the western shores of Cumberland Island. Oh, how I would have loved to meander the island again! We motorsailed most of the am along Cumberland Dividings & Cumberland River till we approached R32 out in St. Andrew Sound. St. Andrew Sound was actually tame & the tides were mostly in our favour. Depths were O.K. along Jekyll Island, the 1st caution area of the day, except at G19 which was very skinny ie ?4’4” depths showed on the depth sounder--> perhaps recalibration required. We motorsailed again in St. Simon Sound into Mac Kay River, past Lanier Island, St. Simon, another place on my wish list to visit, & Frederica River as it was only 1330 hrs., too early to stop. We decided then were committed to take advantage of the late day high tide & get through the 2nd caution/grief area, Little Mud River. This allowed us to better set up for tides for tomorrow. After 65.2 miles we dropped the hook in Back River with the strong, dominating current & not the wind--> 15 ft. water at present, >6 ft. tides, therefore 100 ft. chain (I think some of our chain markers have fallen off). The horse flies & deer flies were horrible & in great abundance; never experienced before. At the end of the day we both felt exhausted, yet there was little physical exertion today. I had a very brief boat shower to try & revive myself. A welcome drink, a clouded sunset, a late supper= ham, carrots, celery, dill pickles & semi early to bed after my journal entry on computer. Complete blackness, only stars above & mastlights from the 3 vessels anchored here tonight.

April 12-18, 2011 (Week 28, Day 190-196)

2011-04-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Tues. Apr. 12, 2011 (Week 28, Day 190) Destination: Lake Worth (Florida’s Gold Coast—Mile 1014.2) Weather: hot & humid (L=73F, H=90F), mostly sunny with some clouds Winds: calm am, S wind gradually increased late am to 15K, 1-2 ft. chop
Last evening’s SW winds died to calm. A celebratory double egg & toast for breakfast. We launched the dinghy with such ease + the dinghy motor. We had a pow wow at 0800 hrs. & the Morrows were moving on today via the ICW towards Vero Beach while ‘Sea Mist’ & ourselves have to visit Customs & Immigration (0800-1600 hrs.). If the weather permits we would go outside tomorrow to Vero. Lots of dredging equipment here in Lake Worth. We dinghied to Riviera Marina & paid our $10.00 per day fee (privilege to use washrooms, showers & laundry-> $1.50 per load). There were no customers at Customs & Immigration shortly after 0900 hrs.; we completed both check ins in about 15 mins. & with no charges. We walked very slowly, at least I did & in pain despite my knee brace to Boat Owners Warehouse (5 blocks) & purchased a new VHF unit; West Marine > 3mi. away. Lynn phoned re Patric & Dave--> anchored in North Palm Beach waiting for Dave’s boat part. We had lunch at Tiki Bar. Now the wind had whipped up to 15K & we indeed have a slightly wet ride home. Graeme took a couple hours to install the VHF. We dinghied to Peanut Island & walked the perimeter on a wide interlocking path of this nature park--> several benches, many shelters with picnic tables, BBQ pits with water spouts, sandy beaches, designated camping area, water fountains, washrooms, outdoor showers, designated swimming areas with lifeguards, areas to snorkel & garbage receptacles everywhere; well worth seeing. Another wet dinghy ride home. Supper = leftover tamale noodle beef. Graeme made a big pot of popcorn to bring to Bette & Bill’s boat; a few hours of chatting & getting to know them more. A glimpse of the setting sun was seen behind a bridge in the western sky; the winds decreased. We returned home well after 2200 hrs.. Slowly the winds clocked to the west. The many city lights dulled our view of the half moon & stars.
Wed. Apr. 13, 2011 (Week 28, Day 191) Destination: Lake Worth (Mile 1014.2) to Jensen Beach (Mile 981.4--- Florida’s Treasure Coast) Departure: 0755 hrs. Arrival: 1510 hrs. Mileage: 32.8SM Weather: warm & humid (85F), sunny with ominous rain clouds in the am only, spattering of rain then blue skies Winds: N <5K, increasing to 10-12K then 12-14K, NE 8-10K after sunsetHappy Birthday Colleen! A very quiet night. We slept in; so much for a real early start. We checked the offshore winds with NOAA--> NW only 5-10K increasing to 13K & 2-3 ft. seas. Graeme would not go outside with that northern component, so I guess it’s ICW & contending with all the bridge openings (7). We were back to the sightings of pelicans & our 1st osprey at Hobe Sound. A few dark clouds to the NW at the get go which provided only drops of much needed rain, then warm sun & blue skies.; it was noticeably cooler than the Bahamas & South Florida. North winds did not shift & we continued to motor in a north direction, although we were able to fly the jenny for about 3 mi. before turning to drop the anchor south of Jensen Beach Bridge. We had hoped to make it to Ft. Pierce but that was a bit too far & there was nothing between Jensen Beach & Ft. Pierce. Today we traversed from Florida’s Gold Coast to the Treasure Coast. We anchored in 7 ft. with 80 ft. chain. We met up with ‘Artful Dodger’ & ‘Firecrest’ as well as ‘Sea Mist’ who abandoned their plans for Ft. Pierce. We invited all for Happy Hour. We made reservations for Vero Beach City Municipal Marina (mooring ball) for tomorrow. Larry phoned from Vero. A warm less humid evening, gorgeous lighting from the setting sun & a ¾ moon already high in sky. A clear night with stars followed.
Thurs. Apr. 14, 2011 (Week 28, Day 192) Destination: Jensen Beach (Mile 981.4) to Vero Beach (Mile 951.7) Departure: 0700 hrs. Arrival: 1145 hrs. Mileage: 29.7 SM/22.5 NM Weather: warm, sunny, less humid & blue skies Winds: E5-8K, increased to 10-13K
A quiet night & morn. I had set the alarm for 0530 hrs. so we would have an early start. Two boats departed at 0600 hrs. With breakfast out of away & the sun poking over the land & trees to the east, we up anchored at 0700 hrs. with not a great deal of mud on the anchor as anticipated. The house batteries were not charging& the knotmeter not working! A wire on the alternator had once again fallen off. What gives? And the manual switch Patric had installed way back in Dec. was somehow tripped. Graeme reattached the alternator wire, but he thinks it was not charging at it’s normal rate, & the knotmeter was cleaned of crud & back in business. We took advantage of east winds flew our jenny as we headed NW at 5.7K for 30 min. Then just our luck the winds shifted to the north, on our nose; furled the jenny. Until we reached Ft. Pierce we were assisted by the current as much as 2.5K, but once past the inlet we fought the current. Fortunately, the winds shifted back to the east & increased & we unfurled the jenny again; we were able to hold it right to Vero Beach & this helped to offset the opposing current. We were assigned to the same mooring ball as the Morrows, #10 in the southern field. Lines attached to Larry’s cleats as well as a line through the mooring ball. We chatted for a while then arranged a laundry project & dinghied to shore. We registered & while Graeme did fuel duty, I was lucky to get 3 washers ($2.00 X 3) without waiting, followed by 2 dryers ($1.50 X 2), but unable to connect to the internet during the intervals. I was done by late afternoon, back to the boat then over to the Morrows who hosted Happy Hour with ‘Artful Dodger’ & ‘Firecrest’ as we all caught up in each others’ news. A pleasantly cool evening. Supper= pork chop, celery & dill pickles. A lightly clouded night where moon still visible but not stars.
Fri. Apr. 15, 2011 (Week 28, Day 193) Destination: Vero Beach (Mile 951.7) Weather: heavily cloudy day with rain periods in the am sometimes heavy, warm & humid Winds: calm SE
Lynn & I organized ourselves to be ready for 0830 hrs. when Graeme dinghied us to shore & we caught the 0845 hrs. bus #1 to Humiston Park down by the ocean beaches. We walked south 1 block to Beach Barber Shop & we were immediately taken for our haircuts; Caron (owner) cut Lynn’s hair & Janine cut mine--> a good job; $20.00. We were finished by 0930 hrs., walked to the bus stop when the rain began; at 1000 hrs. we took the #1 bus back to the marina. Our car rental was arranged by Lynn yesterday for today (noon to noon); no specials but rather an increase in rate because this is Spring Break here--> N.B. always the week before Easter. We attempted to dodge the heavy rains at about 1130 hrs., then went ashore & were picked up by Enterprise; to the office to do the paperwork for a Toyota Camry. Then Larry drove us due south to Ft. Pierce then Port St. Lucie as we tried to find the propane filling place; car’s DC plugs discovered not to be working & thus we ran the GPS & iPhone batteries low--> a few good laughs over this whole incident. Then further south to a Panera for lunch, Total Wine (Port St. Lucie), Sam’s Club, West Marine (Ft. Pierce) & they exchanged my foul weather jacket for a new one as the lining of the original was deteriorating & not providing wet protection, mailing post to send off an Easter card to Ottawa & a parcel to Ft. Lauderdale. We returned to the marina to shed & shuttle groceries to our respective boats & make room in the trunk for more supplies. Then it was off to WalMart (Vero) & Publix. Finally at 2100 hrs. we sat down for a great Mexican dinner at the Publix Mall, getting home at 2230 hrs. And this was Lynn’s first outing since falling ill nearly a month ago in Marsh Harbour! And she lasted the whole day! Despite being tired, ¾ of the groceries were properly stored away, the remaining ¼ groceries (canned & dry products) were left in the trunk of the rental car till the morning. I must admit I did not pay too much attention to the night weather conditions other than calm, warm & humid, mostly cloudy with only a few visible stars.
Sat. Apr. 16, 2011 (Week 28, Day 194) Destination: Vero Beach (Mile 951.7) Weather: hot (90F+), & humid, mostly sunny with cloudy periods particularly in the am & clear by nightfall Winds: calm am, SSW gusty winds by mid afternoon & SW at nightfall
A semi long marina shower that felt so-o-o-o good! I think I lost a few layers of skin & a few shades of colour! We retrieved the remaining groceries from the car rental. By 0900 hrs. the 4 of us were on the road to Verizon for Lynn & WalMart for a neat DC adapter with 2 USB ports for easier & quicker charging capabilities. Then we had brunch at Panera before returning the car. Enterprise was very busy--> $50.00 each which included gas fill. Back at the marina Graeme did several water jerry can runs from shore to the boat tanks. I packed away the rest of the groceries, started preparations for supper, formulated a tentative route schedule northwards, unloaded my bike from the garage to use to ride to church this afternoon, & dressed appropriately for church. HOT despite the increased winds. I attended the 1600 hrs. Passion/ Palm Sunday Mass at Holy Cross--> well attended. On return I worked on a few more supper preparations & helped prep the dinghy for our departure in the morning. We had a nice quiet social with Lynn & Larry, sharing our travel schedule; they are waiting for a Fed Ex delivery of medications then will depart ASAP & we will adjust our northward progress accordingly. A late supper until it was a bit cooler= corn on the cob then coq au vin. A very warm evening with a gentle SW breeze, full moon, clear skies & stars.
Sun. Apr. 17, 2011 (Week 28, Day 195) Destination: Vero Beach (Mile 951.7) to Cocoa (Mile 897.8—Space Coast) Departure: 0725 hrs. Arrival: 1550 hrs. Mileage: 53.9 SM/45.6 NM Weather: warm, humid in the am & in fact less humid & cool mid morning on till evening, but only sun Winds: N 5-8K --> NNE 8-15K then NE 10K
An interrupted sleep last night between being too hot & sticky & abdominal cramps. Yah, I was off a bit today-->? flu & very sleepy. We said our goodbyes to Lynn & Larry & departed at 0725 hrs. entering the Indian River. A short distance from Vero my day was made as always when we sighted 3 dolphins, then an osprey in a nest on the channel marker feeding the youngins in the Wabasso Beach & Pine Island areas, Pelican Island National Refuge. As we moved northward the north wind dried out the humidity in the air & seemed to drop daytime temps although the sun, out of the wind, was nice & warm (79F). The wind increased to 8-15K early in the afternoon & shifted NNE to NE, permitting us to motorsail. We moved nicely today at 5-6K allowing us to anchor at Cocoa, a different anchoring spot for a change; Graeme was skeptical. The thought was to explore some of Cocoa for a few hours in the am, then move on making Monday a short travel day. For a warm & sunny Sunday, the water traffic was surprisingly not too busy. A simple supper= leftover tamale noodle beef & bun for Graeme & chicken noodle soup & bun for me + banana & strawberries drizzled with chocolate sauce. The moon was full & fiery orange & up before sunset. The sky was an amazing hue of red after sunset; mosquitoes were present. It was a Gravol & early bedtime for me tonight.
Mon. Apr. 18, 2011 (Week 28, Day 196) Destination: Cocoa (Mile 897.8) to Titusville (Mile 878.2) Departure: 1214 hrs. Arrival: 1530 hrs. Mileage: 19.6 SM/16.41 NM Weather: mostly sunny with few clouds, great warm temp (80ishF) Winds: ENE 10-13K
We woke near 0700 hrs. & I was feeling 90% better after a good night sleep. A boat shower after breakfast for me. We dinghied to the Cocoa city docks about 0900 hrs. & walked the boardwalk to the lovely park along the shore. Then we easily found the infamous SF Travis Inc., an unbelievable multi building, 2 level hardware store, then briefly walked through Cocoa Historic Village on Breward Ave., Whatnots General Store & finally the library. Lunch was on the run. Dolphins gracefully broke the water surface as we motorsailed with our jenny northwards. There was plenty of room as we anchored in the Titusville anchorage field--> 7 ft. & 80 ft. chain. Larry phoned with news that Lynn’s meds still had not arrived, nor had the mobile dog groomer they had arranged an appointment with. It saddens me that we must continue on & not knowing when we will meet up. Supper= corn on the cob, leftover coq au vin. A red sky after sunset, mosquitoes & clear night sky filled with stars & full moon.

April 5-11, 2011 (Week 27, Day 183-189)

2011-04-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

Tues. Apr. 5, 2011 (Week 27, Day 183) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: partly sunny & cloudy, warm (upper 70’sF) Winds: SSE to S 12-15K, SW squalls 51K, then SSE 8-10K
With the unstable atmosphere, CP came in too scratchy to hear anything; and this was a morning of importance about his high winds & squall predictions vs lesser high winds & thunderstorms predictions by Barometer Bob. I guess what we get is what we get. For days I had been in a mood of anxious anticipation. I tried to distract myself by reading most of the am. Early afternoon we went ashore; Lynn was even better today after a good night sleep & using less oxygen throughout the day. Quickly some internet as the skies were becoming more cloudy & ominous. When we returned home rain was just starting to fall & the Canadian boat that was too close on starboard had left; now we just had the Canadian boat on port that was too close as well. The skies were getting blacker in the north & the winds were blowing from SW to NE. As it got blacker, lightning & thunder, rain & little to no wind commenced. Was this the calm before the storm? It certainly was! Suddenly at 1640 hrs. the SW winds increased, whitecaps & 1-2 ft. chop, heavy rains that misted up the enclosure, colouring of the water & the sky were near the same & land was not visible. The boat heeled from one side to the other as the winds further increased up to 51K for about 15 min. with a few things on the galley counter & under the stove taking a dive. We had lost sight of boats around us; especially of concern was the boat that was too close on port; it was anchored all on rope! And we had 120 ft. of chain! The winds changed directions from SW to SSE back to SW before it calmed to 10K all over a 40-45 min. period. And that boat of concern was now on starboard. We had our engine running the entire time but kept our instruments & VHF off because of the vertical lightning in the vicinity. This was indeed a squall!!! And I prayed there would be no more! It rained for a short while afterwards. Graeme climbed into the dinghy & removed the plug so the 8 inches or so of water could drain. There was some clearing in the west sky but otherwise very dark ugly clouds all about. The temperature had fallen about 15 degrees F & all the boats slowly clocked around 360 degrees. A few dinghies we out retrieving articles that had been blown in the water. We compared our location to others before & after the squall & we seemed to have a slightly different position; we may well have dragged southwards. Supper was simple & quick= nachos. Dishes were washed up before the daylight was completely gone just in case of more squalls. We talked to Larry after listening to Don (weather) on VHF 09 at 1930 hrs.; they lost power at Mangoes for 2 hrs. & registered winds on the dock at 45K; they had listened to chatter on the VHF after the blow & someone announced the highest wind at 51K & that one boat had dragged. Now bedtime, it was very eerie—dark, stars & dead calm!
Wed. Apr. 6, 2011 (Week 27, Day 184) Destination: Marsh Harbour, but… Weather: cloudy with very occasional showing of the sun & warm high of 73F; low tonight= 69-71F Winds: dead calm all night! N winds increased after 0900 hrs. to +/- 10K & shifted to NE through ENE then E to SE by nightfall
The wind generator had it’s rest as well during the entire night last night. Graeme had soldered an extension to the existing SSB antenna yesterday & we had clear audible reception from CP & favourable winds & weather for departure tomorrow right after listening to CP in the am. The open mike portion of the Cruisers Net was filled with people’s reports of lost &/or found articles in the water after yesterday’s squall. Tomorrow’s low tide= 0523 hrs. & high tide= 1118 hrs. We will eye the Whale Passage as we approach the NW tip of Guana Cay & if O.K. we will exit the Bahamas Bank, enter the Atlantic Ocean, make a left turn into the Cut & hopefully gently re-enter the Bahamas Bank, all on a rising tide & thus be assisted rather than opposed through the Cut. Lynn had a good sleepful night last night, oxygen off since yesterday pm; she sees the doctor tomorrow & if given the O.K. they will depart Fri. am. We will then meet up Fri. evening. I cleaned under & behind the stove/oven unit; amazing what you find on thorough cleaning. Actually, no big surprises. I maintained my usual every 2 day washing the cabin floor routine + washed hard-to-reach spots in the head. I decided to do one load of laundry ($3.50); don’t tell Mom, but I threw most of our dirty laundry in all together; shame, shame! I had to wait quite awhile for both a washer & dryer so tried to get on the internet (on & off though), but I did get an email off to my family & week 26 of my blog posted. There were no emails from Patric so I assume all in Green Turtle fared well during the squall & they have pushed on. Back home we lifted the dinghy motor & prepped her for departure tomorrow. We retrieved some Florida books & charts from under the aft cabin bed boards & stowed away the Bahamas ones we no longer needed. A clouded sunset; in fact the rest of the week predictions are warm & cloudy with chance of showers. Supper= pizza. A cloudy night sky as well; some clearing during the night & some stars were visible. This was our last night in Marsh!
Thurs. April 7, 2011 (Week 27, Day 185) Destination: Marsh Harbour to Manjack Cay aka Nunjack Cay Departure: 0720 hrs. Arrival: 1150 hrs. Mileage: 26.7 SM/23.24 NM Winds: N 7-10K leaving anchorage, SSE through Whale Cay Channel, SE 8-10K at Manjack Cay & ESE 8-10K at nightfall
A calm gentle breeze during the night. Surprisingly, I slept well despite being anxious to finally be moving. CP at 0630 hrs., although always late, was very brief, but favourable weather in the northern Bahamas (Abaco area) & winds over the next few days supposedly on the lightish side. We up anchored at 0720 hrs.; muddy sand caked on the anchor which required lots of washing with deck washer. We motor sailed on the jenny at 6-6.3K towards the Whale Cay Passage. We entered the Ship Channel at 0915hrs. & sighted a turtle & a flying fish, the Whale Cay Passage at 0935 hrs. & through the Whale Cay Channel from 1001 to 1003 hrs. at 6K; the winds were light from ESE at 7K. Painless!!! It was a nice beam reach on the Bank side of the Whale where we saw a cormorant in the water with a snake in it’s mouth, past Green Turtle Cay, anchoring at Manjack Cay in 9 ft. & 80 ft. chain. Lunch & a bit of reading + wondering if Lynn received a good ahead from the doctor. We readied the dinghy then off to the sandy beach & walked the trail to the 2 mile long Atlantic Beach (1/2 hrs. walk each way to & from the beach); the signage & trail are maintained by Bill & his wife. I walked the beach for shells & coral, then we dinghied way around to Crab Cay hoping to beach the dinghy, walk through the bush o the Atlantic side & collect sea glass; but we were met by a wild boar! There was no conch & starfish in abundance in clean sandy shallows like 2 years ago, but only muffins on a grassy bottom. We tried to follow a turtle in the shallow waters back at Manjack Cay & sighted Bette & Bill’s boat (Sea Mist) anchored closeby; we found them on the beach & invited back to our boat for a tour. We missed sunset, missed Don at 1930 hrs. & had a very late supper= hamburgers. Some clouds, some stars & we finally saw a dish shaped/positioned sliver moon.
Fri. Apr. 8, 2011 (Week 27, Day 186) Destination: Manjack Cay to Crab Cay, Little Abaco Island around Angelfish Point Departure: 0910 hrs. Arrival: 1235 hrs. Mileage: 17.6 SM/14.9 MN Weather: warm, not hot (>80F), brilliantly sunny, few clouds Winds: S only 5-6K to start the day, NE by midday at 8-10K, & E calm <1K at & after sunsetSome slapping of chop on the stern from the south during the night was a little annoying. Light winds had been forecasted for the next several days. We had good reception of CP, nil from the Marsh Harbour Cruisers Net & good reception from Green Turtle Net VHF 18 at 0830 hrs. A magnificent Bahama day! We attempted to sail but the winds were too light. ‘Sea Mist’ & ourselves + relay from Green Turtle Club attempted hailing ‘Twomorrows’ at 0845 & 0945 hrs. unsuccessfully. Bette phoned Mangoes Marina & Larry & Lynn had left--->YES!!! At 1110 hrs. we clearly heard Larry saying that they had just crossed the Whale but he did not hear our replies. Lots of boats moving north & west. As we turned at Angelfish Point into our predetermined anchorage at Crab Cay we were met by 4-5 dolphins. We had a successful reception & transmission with ‘Twomorrows’ via ‘Sea Mist’ at 1300 hrs. The hot afternoon had us lunching, reading & emptying the contents of the dinghy. Bill came over with a spare VHF + tester; the spare VHF was installed when they proved that our radio & not our antenna was the problem. Lynn & Larry arrived at 1530 hrs. after 5 weeks at Mangoes in Marsh Harbour; Lynn sounded tres tired. We hauled the dinghy up on the deck & proceeded to scrap with an ice scrapper & stiff brush all the crusted & vegetation crud off the bottom; it took time, lots of elbow grease & lots of water from the deck washer. Late afternoon the sky was entirely clear, blue, just a perfect setup for a green flash at sunset at 1928 hrs., but it did not flash! How could it not? A red sky spread across the western sky while the eastern sky filled with stars & near quarter moon. There was our 3 boats alone in the anchorage. Supper in the cockpit = cubed steak with onions, potatoes & beans. The red sky faded & the horizon appeared as a suspended pink mist. It was so peaceful, so tranquil, so quiet! The best way to describe the atmosphere was like a hum of nothingness. One of our last Bahamian sunsets & nights!
Sat. Apr. 9, 2011 (Week 27, Day 187) Destination: Crab Cay, Little Abaco Island to Great Sale Cay Departure: 0800 hrs. Arrival: 1520 hrs. Mileage: 43.8 SM/38.96 NM Weather: very, very warm (80+F), very sunny, very blue skies & some cloud that dissipated over the day Winds: light & variable, W 5K start of the day increasing to 7-9K & 1 ft. chop on the Little Bahama Bank then NW <5K by sunsetThe night could not have been calmer. According to CP light & variable winds were the order of the day; static transmission secondary to squally weather in Florida. It was a motoring day, boat speed 6.2-6.4K X 44 miles, travelling west & guess what direction the wind was coming from? That’s right, west! At 0915 hrs. we passed Center of Earth Rock. Lots of reading throughout the day. After we turned north towards Great Sale Cay, Larry discovered a blue hole--> turquoise water all around with depths of 8.4 ft., a fringe where the Little Bahama Bank visibly drops off & a large patch of indigo coloured water, then back to shallow turquoise water. Soon a group of 5 dolphins were at our bow but soon departed as I had my camera posed, only to discover that the battery was empty. We anchor in 9 ft. & 80 ft. chain. It was so warm today both of us were in the warm water, soaping up & rinsing off afterwards on the transom. A spectacular Bahamian sunset at 1930 hrs. with the tiniest green flash. Fifteen boats in this west anchorage. Supper= curried peanut chicken, much to Graeme’s chagrin. A quarter moon & stars in a clear sky.
Sun. Apr. 10, 2011 (Week 27, Day 188) Last full day in the Bahamas! Destination: Great Sale Cay to Memory Rock Departure: 0900 hrs. Arrival: 1730 hrs. Mileage: 50.4 SM/43.85 NM Weather: hot & sunny, only a few cloudy periods for part of the day Winds: W 6-9K & 1 ft. sea chop; at nightfall ENE heavily favouring E <5K A so very calm night & morning. A hovering mist in the west made it difficult to distinguish the defining line between water & sky. And in the east I watched the sunrise over the scrub vegetation of Great Sale Cay while drinking my morning coffee in the cockpit. Being a Sunday, there was no CP this am. The early morning was already so warm we decided to depart at 0900 hrs., one hour before the others. There was no great hurry as none of us wanted to spend an extended period of time anchored at Memory Rock, which is in fact literally nothing but the edge of the shallows of Little Bahama Bank just as it is about to meet & drop off into the Straits of Florida; there is no land; you are totally & completely surrounded by water. Increasing winds from the north were predicted but this did not happen; again the light winds were from the west, square on our nose as we were travelling west. We made two unsuccessful attempts to set a sail. So both of us read +++, while Auto kept us on course. In the vicinity of Memory Rock we picked a large sandy area to drop the anchor--> 12 ft. water & 100 ft. chain. With such a light west wind the tide was the dominating factor (boat was facing east), a non-existent sea chop & only a small swell. ‘Twomorrows’ anchored 40 min. later & ‘Sea Mist’ was 60 min. later. As the sun lowered in the sky, a band of cloud formed on the horizon which persisted & obscured a sunset below the horizon; next layer above was the faintest hint of mauve, topped by a layer of pink sky--- very picturesque for our last Bahamian sunset & night! Supper = tamale noodle & ground beef (one pot)--> another last, last meal in the Bahamas! It was so hot in the main cabin we ate our last Bahamian meal in the cockpit. Both of us needed a boat shower to cool down. At bedtime we were experiencing a rising tide, the light wind was from ENE heavily favouring the east, the boat was facing west & who knows where the anchor & chain were situated. Our last look of the moon, the clear sky filled with stars from our eyes in the Bahamas!!!
Mon. Apr. 11, 2011 (Week 27, Day 189) Destination: Memory Rock, Little Bahama Bank to Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, Florida (Mile 1014.2) Departure: 0730 hrs. Arrival: 1920 hrs. Mileage: 74.8 SM/65.08 NM Weather: warm 73F at sunrise at 0658 hrs., sunny & hot about 85F & only blue above Winds: WSW 10K--> <3K--> SSW 16K
Well, this was it; last Bahamian sunrise & last Bahamian bread for breakfast! Another leg of the adventure completed! Yeah, supplies were diminishing but have held up well. We departed the Little Bahama Bank at 0750 hrs. with all sails out close hauled, but we were unable to hold our sails for long without going way off course. Next to nil boat traffic & the winds diminished & clocked more to the west. It was slow progress; absolutely no wind after noontime--> flat calm, no chop & no swell. Our speed over ground on the GPS was < than the boat’s knotmeter, & much worse through the Gulf Stream, a 1.2-1.5K difference. The sun was very hot. About 10 mi. from the mainland we experienced an increase in wind to 14-16K as well as a change in direction to SSW. The Gulf Stream was reported close to land, about 1 mile. We were able to unfurl the jenny once out of the Gulf Stream & with the increase in wind & direction, we sailed about 3 mi. north of the West Palm Inlet. Thus a tack was necessary taking us SE before we furled the sail & motored into the inlet. Yikes, we can’t see bottom anymore to anchor, only dark water! We must reacquaint ourselves to channel markers, industrial cranes & lights galore + noise--> most unfamiliar! I phoned Mom before the engine was shut down. Amazingly, my TracFone actually worked! Graeme was successful reaching Homeland Security & Border Patrol to announce our arrival in the USA & acquire our number. No sunset falling below the horizon! Supper= leftover curried peanut chicken for me anyway; Graeme’s stomach suddenly unwell. Half moon & stars were visible in the clear night sky but not as bright secondary to all the city lights. This simply was a brutal day; 4 out of 5 days for our crossing back to mainland Florida, especially the last 2, were motor days with no chance to sail!

Mar. 29- Apr. 4, 2011 (Week 26, Day 176-182)

2011-04-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Tues. Mar. 29, 2011 (Week 26, Day 176) Happy Birthday Bruce! Destination: Elbow Cay to Marsh Harbour Departure: 1310 hrs. Arrival: 1545 hrs. Mileage: 9 SM/ 7.8 NM Weather: cloudy am, very warm & humid, then clearing to blue skies & sunshine Winds: N-->NE-->E 6-10K
Non predicted, non forecasted winds! 0130 hrs. there was a soft sprinkling of rain & we were pointed in NE direction then an increase in wind strength from calm to 15-20K; at 0300 hrs. we were still experiencing 15-20K NE winds but heavier rains then calm at 0630 hrs. No NE directional winds in any forecasts! In fact, absolutely no predictions of any north winds predicted all week! Only SE 15-20K with squalls of 30K today, S 20-30K with squalls of 30-35K tomorrow & similarly winds Thurs. & Fri.! As of mid afternoon this did not transpire, which left us in a quandary as what to do & where to go. We met Jody & Joe at Coffee House in Hope Town at 0915 hrs.--> great coffee, raspberry white chocolate or cinnamon apple scones & a great couple of hours of chatting. We all walked to Vernon’s & Graeme & I bought the last key lime pie ($15.00) but more to be made, so Jody & Joe will get theirs at about 1500 hrs. We said our goodbyes hoping to meet up on Fri. at Nippers’ Barefoot Man Concert on Guana Cay. We dinghied to the infamous lighthouse & climbed the 101 stairs to the outdoor 360 degree balcony--> breathtaking 360 view! We made another detour to say hello to ‘Texas Dreamer’ who had just anchored closeby; had a tour of their catamaran, shown all the sea glass they picked yesterday off the Atlantic Beach on Tilloo Cay that a local had directed them to & sold Graeme a case of Bud Light beer ($25.00) because they had too much beer. After lunch we up anchored & motorsailed NNW under full jenny (4.5K) towards Scotland Cay because the skies were very variable with thunder clouds building in the southeast & clear skies in the northwest. At the level of Marsh Harbour we made a decision to turn in that direction instead of onto Treasure Cay for the following reasons: a) unable to hail the Morrows on VHF & how was Lynn making out, b) 2 missed calls on my Canadian cell & were the calls from them, c) the Great Abaco Island fires & smoke still in progress & with NE winds smoke heading in the direction of Treasure Cay, d) what will the weather forecast be tomorrow & will there be 30K squalls, e) we were staging to be at Guana Cay for Barefoot Man Concert at Nippers on Fri., f) then staging to cross the Whale Cay Passage followed by the crossing to Florida mainland with the appropriate window, & g) have the final laundry & grocery projects in place for the crossings. The anchorage was quite full but we found a suitable spot fairly close to Mangoes. We spotted ‘Walkabout’ anchored. There was no response from ‘Twomorrows’ when we hailed them so we dinghied over to learn that Lynn required emergency treatment yesterday pm for probable pneumonia! On our way home we went & said hello to Jean & Bob on ‘Walkabout’. A cloudy sunset. Supper= sloppy joes. A dark night, stars & anchor lights+++ & fires in the southwest sky.
Wed. Mar. 30, 2011 (Week 26, Day 177) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: very warm especially in the sun, humid, mostly sunny with cloudy periods Winds: definitely the factor of the day; ESE-->SE-->S building throughout the day from 8K at dawn to 15-20K
A few “ugly days” ahead expressed by CP & confirmed on the Net, especially tomorrow & Fri. with some relief apparently on Sat. & Sun. (perhaps our window to cross the Whale) & another cold front Tues. & Wed. Lynn called herself on VHF 63 this am; another baby step of improvement! The guys were going diving today. Some housekeeping tasks undertaken by me while Graeme emptied some water & diesel jerry cans into the boat tanks then to shore to refill the diesel jerry can. I prepared my computer backpack & laundry supplies to wash our comforter. To shore after lunch to do the one load of laundry ($3.50) & Graeme did 2 water jerry can runs + few emails; the others downloaded to Windows Live Mail to see offline later. Congrats to Steve Hall in successfully obtaining his Level 3 Ski Instructors! We met Jean & Bob (Walkabout) under Mangoes gazebo doing internet. We met Larry & Kevin after their dive. It is most unfortunate that it is looking as if we may have to leave Marsh Harbour before Lynn is given the O.K. to depart by the doctor & she gains some strength; we need to get back to Deltaville as early in May as possible & in Ottawa by early June. I am very sad with tears welling up in my eyes just thinking about it. Most of the afternoon the skies were plagued by smoke fires, very close if not off Don McKay Blvd. here in Marsh Harbour. By sundown smoke filled the anchorage & ash was falling on boats. Sunset was obscured by clouds just above the landmass. Supper= breaded boneless chicken breasts & peas. Although the night skies were clear with stars the smell of smoke was most unpleasant. There is no money, no resources & no manpower to fight these fires that have spread up from the south since Mar. 10th!
Thurs. Mar. 31, 2011 (Week 26, Day 178) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: very warm (82F) & humid, mostly sunny, smell of smoke & presence of smoke clouds Winds: S to SW calm a few hours before dawn & at dawn, then increasing to 15 to 20K; in late afternoon there were gusts of 25K+
Unstable weather again today with an approaching cold front; nevertheless we continued to make all preparations for departure in the next few days. To Mangoes & did 3 loads of laundry ($10.50)+ internet, posting week 25 of my blog, while Graeme did ? errands on my bike. Lynn had improved more by this am--> no oxygen; Larry & Kevin were taking the ferry to Hope Town for the day. Once laundry was done, I took the bike to Island Bakery for their last coconut bread & a loaf of cinnamon raisin ($6.30), then to Maxwells for some fresh fruit & vegetables & meat. We checked in with Lynn but she was experiencing some shortness of breath with minimal activity therefore re-established her oxygen. We returned the laundry & groceries to the boat; of course the winds were gusting 25K. Smoke smell & smoky skies south & further east than last night. We returned to ‘Twomorrows’ after 1600 hrs. just as Larry & Kevin arriving back from their excursion to Hope Town. A short visit & drink, then we loaded the folding bike into the dinghy & back to it’s storage spot on the boat--> stored on the Morrows’ boat while anchored in Marsh Harbour. We were entertained by a band on shore near Union Jack dock. Sunset happened behind heavy clouds. Supper= leftover sloppy joes. Don on VHF 09 at 1930 hrs. included rain, lightning & thunder during the night in his evening weather report. Boat showers X 2 as we both felt grungy. Dark skies, many stars & some cloud. I guess March was going out like a lion.
Fri. April 1, 2011 (Week 26, Day 179) April Fool’s Day! Destination: Marsh Harbour (? last day) Weather: very warm, sticky, mostly cloudy am, heavy rains midday, mainly sunny pm & cooler, less humidity by evening Winds: S to SW 15-30K as cold front passing with 3-4 ft. chop in the Sea of Abaco, then winds clocking W to N & decreasing to 10-12K
Lightning in amongst the clouds & very little thunder during the night. No transmission from CP as his antenna had been knocked out from a ? tornado in Florida. The only weather was from the Net that uses Barometer Bob reports (barometerbob.org)--> an unpleasant day of high winds, chop & rains forecasted. Breakfast, shower & dressed & packed a small bag each for a day on Guana Cay for the Barefoot Man Concert. We tied the dinghy up to the Morrows’ boat. Lynn was feeling another step of improvement; her lungs auscultated with my stethoscope & sounded pretty dry although decreased air entry on the left side. Kevin got away fine. We took the 1030 ferry ($27.00 X 2) to Guana Cay with Jean & Bob, with a short stop at Scotland Cay. There was lots of wind & chop but the ferry was well handled. We slowly walked up the hill to Nippers, met Jody & Joe & had lunch over the noon hour as the skies opened up & 2 bouts of heavy rain fell; good for the fires on Great Abaco Island. Then the skies slowly cleared & Mr. Barefoot Man played for 2-1/2 hrs. without a break. The event was well attended by young & old & all in between, many scantly clad in swimwear attire; lots of dancing & drinking without any raucous; a fun time! We took the 1645 ferry directly back to Marsh Harbour & checked in with the Morrows re the doctor’s report--> they were unable to go due to the high winds, low tide & inability to get off the boat & the smoke fires; another appointment setup for tomorrow at 1630 hrs. We were invited to stay for dinner & what a fine, scrumptious dinner we had--> Mediterrean Chicken with basmati rice (Yummmm!) & homemade key lime pie for dessert (WOW!) We made our way home at 2100 hrs. in the dark under clear skies & stars. A truly fun day with friends!
Sat. Apr. 2, 2011 (Week 26, Day 180) Destination: Marsh Harbour still, damn it! Weather: cooler (78F), drier air, sunny & blue skies once the mist or smoke haze burnt off Winds: near flat calm, gradual increase over the noon hour to 10K from SE then calm 1-1/2 hrs. before sunset
Tornados had indeed hit Florida yesterday & had toppled the 2 trees in CP’s yard both on each of his 2 antennas, thus no transmission yesterday; today’s report indicated that it was to be light & variable, building tonight & tomorrow & further Mon. & Tues. with 20-25K & squalls of 30-40+K; no squalls Wed. but still 20-25K winds! Great, stuck here till Thurs. or Fri. even after commiserating with Lynn & her sources! We have been here a month & have seen so little of my wishlist! My frustration level was over the top today & I had many a meltdown. The anchorage is near empty. Yes, the Whale was good to cross today, but where was everyone going to hold up for this clash of fronts from the north & south? Not everyone could hide in Green Turtle. Graeme was of no help whatsoever; he has no plans or fails to share any but is always fast to say “I don’t know.” He spent all afternoon in the main cabin as usual drinking beer, eating popcorn & reading or sleeping; sorry, he scrubbed the cockpit floor with probably saltwater, which makes it tacky. I pouted in misery trying to read on deck but thinking how I want to be home or at least be able to move towards home. One gets very complacent staying in one spot too long & then insecure to move. And the fires seemed to erupt again today filling the sky with smoke & ash. Supper= pork chop with garlic sauce, potatoes & peas for Graeme & I had his leftover chicken & rice from last night with peas. Clouds concealed the sunset; a red sky. Wedding & music at beautiful house/resort on the north side of the harbour with loud less appealing music on the south side. The water was like a mirror; clear skies & stars.
Sun. Apr. 3, 2011 (Week 26, Day 181) Destination: Marsh Harbour, unfortunately Weather: thick mist of haze & smoke hung over the harbour & land till well after 0900 hrs. then sunny & warm (78F) Winds: mirror calm with gradual increase about noon from the SE at 10-12K & after sunset E
We woke to the smell of smoke & dense smoke haze over the harbour. We heard the weather portion of the Net as I showered & dressed for Church. The church bus was early & I caught it on it’s turn around route to St. Frances de Sales; a little late starting Mass, a whole hour service with great music & singing, & coffee & cake afterwards. Lynn had a good night with 7 hrs. of sleep. Internet under the gazebo & Graeme snuck in a shower before we headed back to the boat for lunch & some reading on the deck. Then we dinghied over to the Jib Room, walked over to the small beach & each of us individually snorkeled Mermaid Reef--> fair coral & excellent variety & number of fish. We squeezed in a beer at the Jib Room before they closed at 1600 hrs. We checked on Lynn; unable to nap & energy level was still nil. Back on the boat we rinsed off ourselves & bathing suits with fresh water on the transom, then read till suppertime about 1915 hrs. Supper = pork chops with garlic sauce, rice & beans. Low clouds interfered with the setting sun above the landmass now near 1930 hrs. A fresh evening breeze, red sky amongst the clouds & a few late arriving boats. The star filled night sky was dark as the moon these days was still rising & setting during the daylight hours.
Mon. Apr. 4, 2011 (Week 26, Day 182) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: sunny with cloudy periods, warm (80’ish) in the sun Winds: E to ESE 10-15K but gusting to 20-25K after dark
A scratchy reception from CP; unstable atmosphere & still predicting high winds & squalls 30-40K & possibly up to 50K Tues.; Barometer Bob predicting lesser winds & no mention of squalls but 20% chance of rain. Who do you believe? Boats mostly entering the harbour, but a couple of charter boats from Moorings/Sun Sail left. Two boats were anchored too close to us for my liking, especially with the possibility of 30-50K squalls tomorrow. Some reading on the deck before & after lunch. Mid afternoon we dinghied to Mangoes as the Morrows invited us for an early Happy Hour with Bette & Bill (Sea Mist); we met them 2 yrs. ago in the Spring in Charleston & again in St. Augustine. We first checked our emails, then it was catch up time for the 6 of us chatting away over munchies & drinks in the Morrows’ cockpit; Lynn tolerated us for 2 hrs. without oxygen. It was windier out in the anchorage but certainly not the 20Kforecasted; I’m pissed to think that we could have moved. Clouds settled in the west before sunset; some pink sky. Supper= Knorr’s cream of wild mushroom soup--> very good. Just before bedtime gusting winds kicked up to 15-25K; guess I’m not pissed of now. Stars, very few clouds & dark.

Mar. 22-28,2011 (Week 25, Day 169-175)

2011-03-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

Tues. Mar. 22, 2011 (Week 25, Day 169) Destination: Marsh Harbour, boring but not really Winds: E to SE 5-8K refreshing breezes during the day to S to SW & calm after sunset
A peaceful night led to a peaceful morning. Graeme had difficulty getting CP this am until it was nearly over; not a big deal as we weren’t going anywhere. We listened to the Net then Graeme wanted to do the eggs & bacon breakfast at Mangoes ($7.00 each). I was brought back to the boat & Graeme returned to Mangoes, unfolded my bike & did errands--> bought another BIG can of cashews at Save Lots ($19.99), some fuses & who knows what else. I cleaned rust stains & used Prism to touch up some stainless--> the windlass & bowroller almost looked like new. I laid out on the deck reading a new great book that I started yesterday; it was recommended & loaned to me by Fraser Robidoux (“Honey, Let’s get a Boat”—a cruising adventure of America’s Great Loop by Ron & Eva Stob); I highly recommend it to the readers of my blog, because the author expertly describes places we have travelled, nautical terms & techniques vividly & with simplicity for those of you who are not sailors/boaters, & most importantly for me expresses so well the psychological stresses & emotions I have so poorly tried to convey, stresses & emotions that “I individually am the only one who feels this way”; on the contrary, I find I am no different than other cruisers, I am not alone. A late lunch then we gathered shower & computer supplies & to shore. We checked new emails, Graeme showered, then off on my bike again, then a 3rd time after my ride to Island Bakery (no coconut bread but 8 grain= $3.25) & over to the residential area on the north side of the harbour, while I was showering. It was 1730 hrs. before we were returned to the boat. Supper= pork chops & a vegetable medley of potatoes, corn, carrots, onions, pepper & garlic. The Morrows arrived as expected but dead tired, sick with colds & going right to bed. Sunset sky was fabulous (1920 hrs.)! The night was comfortably cool, calm, stars & a late rising moon.
Wed. Mar. 23, 2011 (Week 25, Day 170) Destination: fresh am, sunny & cloudless skies till mid pm, then a few fair weather clouds Winds: calm with very slight movement from the E till the later ½ of the pm when winds increased to 8-10K & shifted to S & SW
Much better transmission from CP at 0630 hrs.; good weather predicted for a few days. It was so calm this am that many boats left Marsh Harbour, some of which did the Whale Cay Passage. 8 grain bread for breakfast was absolutely divine! With Graeme in the dinghy with a long brush broom & I on deck adjusting the dinghy’s bow & stern lines as necessary, ‘Sweet Chariot Too’ received a partial bottom exfoliation. This may help with the sound of krill heard in the quiet of night since our arrival in Marsh Harbour. Larry hailed us on VHF 63 at 1000 hrs.; his cold & fatigue improving but Lynn was not well at all! On oxygen by nasal prongs, increased number of aerosol treatments, increased dosage of Prednisone & started a course of antibiotics & sleep. We introduced ourselves to ‘Honeywind’ whom we had met in the USA several months ago. We met Larry at 1100 hrs. & traded our new Mastercards for a couple of packages of chicken noodle soup for Lynn. I activated our new cards & verified with a call to them on Skype. I added minutes & service time to my TracFone but I noticed the phone did not display this addition. Graeme was off on my bike; obtained a receipt from OB for the work done on the boat & purchased a new camera as Lynn & Larry were not very successful in locating a new battery for his Olympus; that man knows how to spend money needlessly in my estimation. I babysat Lynn while she was sleeping when Larry picked up Murphy Brown. Back on the boat I read; with all this reading of good novels, except for 2 that I quit after a few chapters, I am not getting any planned needlepoint done. Lorraine & Phil (Changes) dropped in for a drink & invited us over for cards this evening. Supper= turkey alfredo. Sunset occurred but we were all in Changes’ cabin & missed it. We learnt a new card game called 10 Pennies. A dark, cool night with tons of stars but with a moon not rising till late.
Thurs. Mar. 24, 2011 (Week 25, Day 171) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: fresh day secondary to the wind, although the predicted high was 75F& low of 66F Winds: WSW all right but it blew howling winds of 15-20K, stronger than predicted
I’m afraid that I dozed through most of CP’s transmission but I did study Graeme’s notes & listened to the Net’s weather (barometerbob.org) & although a weak cold front was coming through, these winds were a surprise. Why do I always pick windy days to do laundry? 2 loads at Mangoes @ $3.50 each= $7.00 & dryer free. Lynn was slowly improving this am. On the internet I posted week 24 of my blog, few emails & everything checked out on my TracFone (additional minutes) thanks to Graeme’s assistance. There were few boats anchored in the harbour’s calm yesterday but filling up today again. Supper was going to be nachos but I discovered that I had no salsa; tomorrow’s supper, therefore supper= leftover chili & turkey alfredo. The winds started diminishing about 1 hour before sunset & a beautiful sunset & red sky it was. Not as many conch blowers as some nights. Tonight was one of the few nights we remembered to listen to weather by Don on VHF 09 at 1030 hrs.--> weather for USA & Canadian cities & Bahamas; he stated that the winds today exceeded predictions & decreasing overnight & tomorrow & high temp. today was 77F (did feel like it). I finished reading Fraser’s book re cruising the Great Loop this evening. A dark night of clear skies, stars, no moon & music from land.
Fri. Mar. 25, 2011 (Week 25, Day 172) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: warm, mostly sunny, partly cloudy but in the pm cloud free Winds: WNW 10K
Yes, the day did begin with listening to CP & the Net--> the winds were to subside but move from west in the next few days to south, which is not a great direction for many places in the Sea of Abaco. I took my bike from the Morrows’ boat mid am & provisioned at Maxwells with the hope we can move elsewhere. Graeme seemed to be perfectly happy to sit here, drink beer eat peanuts & read or sleep down in the main cabin & when on land spends money. Needless to say we had a heated discussion about where to move with a southerly component to the winds till early next week. Lunch, internet at Mangoes, bike ride east to the end of the road. Lynn was somewhat better but still not mobile--> cabin fever. Larry did laundry while awaiting his brother, Kevin’s arrival. We regathered at ‘Twomorrows’ after 1800 hrs., saw photos of Jeremy’s wedding followed by supper at Snappas. Dark, threatening rain clouds at sunset; humid & no wind in the harbour. On returning to the boat we were looking at a mass of mast lights—quite pretty.
Sat. Mar. 26, 2011 (Week 25, Day 173) Destination: Marsh Harbour to Tilloo Cay, northernmost anchorage just south of Elbow Cay & Tilloo Cut Departure: 0910 hrs. Arrival: 1220 hrs. Mileage: 10.4 SM/9 NM Weather: warm & humid, partly sunny & partly cloudy with threatening rain clouds-->a handful of raindrops Winds: calm at dawn, 12-15K from SE by 0930 hrs.--> S--> SW at 10K by sunset
I have had my fill of Marsh Harbour; need to move on & see my wish list as time permits. Another morn of difficulty receiving CP’s transmission till it was too late; the Net announced light southerly component winds X several days. Lots of moisture on the enclosure. We saw Larry & Kevin in the Dive Abaco boat as they left harbour for Fowl Cay. It’s great Larry was getting a chance to use his newly acquired diving certification with his brother who is an expert diver; they are hoping to do a few dives during Kevin’s week of vacation. Unfortunately Lynn is not well enough to relocate the boat elsewhere; perhaps they all may take the ferry to Hope Town tomorrow. When up anchoring there was a lot of sandy muck on the chain & anchor; I actually used the deck water wash which had not been used in months (? 4 months)! The knotmeter had stopped working due to a fair amount of collected dirt--> too long sitting at same spot at anchor. The unit needed to be removed to be cleaned allowing a small amount of saltwater in the insertion area; this may have been the reason for the scant saltwater under the floorboard compartment. As soon as we left Marsh Harbour into the Sea of Abaco the water was no longer cloudy but crystal clear. We motorsailed with full sails south to Tilloo Cay. The anchor was lowered in 7 ft. water & 80 ft. of chain. There were only 3 of us in the anchorage, well spaced apart. Despite the winds clocking to the south then southwest & only 1 ft. chop the anchorage was not too choppy. A lazy afternoon of reading until the huge ball of fiery red sun slide through some remaining clouds & below the pine forest landmass of the Great Abaco Island at 1920 hrs. Supper= nachos, at last. A very dark night away from the lights of the big city, but the stars were brilliant.
Sun. Mar. 27, 2011 (Week 25, Day 174) Destination: Tilloo Cay Weather: a warm 80F but a breeze that made it feel cooler, no humidity & wall to wall sunshine Winds: S at 10-15K
Surprisingly there was no pitching or rolling action during the night & the wind gen worked steadily all night long keeping the voltage up. Only the Net to listen to this am & a subdued one at that. About 1000 hrs. we climbed into the dinghy over to Lubbers Quarters, a cay in the Sea of Abaco east of Great Abaco Island & west of Elbow & Tilloo Cays, surrounded of shallows especially well into the Sea of Abaco; we walked around Lubber’s Landing & Cracker P’s, both bar & grills that do much advertising on the Cruisers’ Net. Then over to Tahiti Beach on Elbow Cay as it was just finishing low tide; we walked the sandbar & beach, met a couple from Texas we had met only a few days ago at Mangoes, Jeannette & Harry (Texas Dreamer- catamaran by Jeanneau), walked a road of beautiful homes, some overlooking the Sea of Abaco & others overlooking Tilloo Cut & Atlantic. My knee has really restricted my ability to walk any distance & especially soft, sandy beaches since early Feb. It was a wet dinghy ride home against the wind at about 1300 hrs. We could see that fire & smoke had again erupted directly across from us on Great Abaco Island probably at the level of Murphytown, producing one large cloud; have these fires still been smoldering or is there an arsonist? It was an afternoon of reading on the deck until this smoke cloud suspended right over us blocked the sun & allowed the wind to be chilling, napping & trimming & tiding up Graeme’s hair on his neck. The sun set with fire & smoke surrounding it. Supper was eaten in the cockpit= sausages, potatoes & yellow beans. Once again a black night, skies filled with stars & large orangey red fires clearly visible in the west.
Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 (Week 25, Day 175) Destination: Tilloo Cay to Elbow Cay outside Hope Town Departure: 1010 hrs. Arrival: 1225 hrs. Mileage: 8.2 SM/7.16 NM Weather: hazy, secondary to fire smoke(?), very warm (80’sF) & humid, partly sunny & cloudy Winds: S to NNW, 13K to 10K
An unremarkable am--> CP, breakfast & the Net. Jeannette & Harry dinghied over on their way to Tahiti Beach for more shells & coral; both were successful fishing for their supper last evening! We up anchored & motorsailed on our jenny around Lubbers Bank towards Parrot Cays. We took the deep water route & anchored west of Elbow Cay, just south of the harbour entrance to Hope Town in 6.5 ft. water with 100 ft. of chain out--> possible chance of squalls tonight. We dinghied into Hope Town, tied up to the public dock & walked to the north end searching & successfully locating Cash House, where Jody & Joe Frost were staying X 1 week. They were not in so we left our boat card, then walked back towards the public dock, stopping for ice cream. Then we stopped in at Harbour Edge for a cold beer & hopped on the internet; we discovered Joe had left a phone number for his residence. And we did meet up at Captain Jacks, chatting a mile a minute over drinks & appetizers (supper). Just before departing we met Pete Worscht (Osprey) whom we had met here in the Abacos in 2008; another pleasant surprise. The winds & chop had calmed down for our dinghy ride home. A dark, cloudy night, Hope Town lighthouse at our stern & the lights of Marsh Harbour visible across the Sea of Abaco beyond our bow (SSW direction).

Mar. 15-21, 2011 (Week 24, Day 162-168)

2011-03-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Tues. Mar. 15, 2011 (Week 24, Day 162) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: warmer today (75F+), dark clouds at dawn, sunny & cloudy periods during the day Winds: vacillating from E to ESE about 12K
Slow to rise this am (0730 hrs.)--> read too late last night & less light at 0630 hrs. since DST, but listened to CP while lying in bed then made & ate breakfast listening to Cruisers Net. I made a pot of chili with some ground beef that had defrosted & needed to be used; now Graeme not subjected to leftovers again tonight. He likes chili vs stir frys. We prepped all our supplies for going ashore. The Morrows have been such great company especially for me all this winter; how can I ever repay them for their kindness & generousity? I decided due to Lynn’s physical limitations, Larry’s loving acts to take up duties Lynn’s unable to do + more, their overnight & long & tiring flights back next week & only a few days before Larry’s brother, Kevin arrives, the least I could do to help out would be to clean their cockpit, cushions & transom. In fact it gave me great pleasure instead of sitting around on my ass. Graeme took MY bike to do errands. A late lunch back on the boat, then back onshore, now 1430 hrs. Graeme went to see OB (works on Jeanneaus at Moorings) re the welded engine elbow & our electrical issues; I rode my bike, 1st to the dog sitter (Annie Pinder) to see how Murphy was making out but she was not home, then along Queen Elizabeth Dr. out to Port of Marsh Harbour & government docks & Customs & onto Dundas Town & the edge of Murphytown, when I decided since I don’t have a map I should turn back. At Port of Marsh Harbour I took a left/ inland to a road that went west to Murphytown & east to Marsh Harbour; I turned east to familiar territory. I bought some butter at Save Lots then back to Mangoes via some back roads. Then the prize, ah, a long warm shower with lots of soap & body scrub! So good!!! I can’t even remember the last good shower I have had. I checked for any new emails & charged my batteries while waiting for Graeme to show up, then for his shower. 1745 hrs. it was back to the boat as OB was coming to go up the mast to change the LED light to non LED (static from portable am radio when turn anchor light on), to check the antenna (poor transmitting power, but O.K.)& electricals (suggests a new relay for the alternator & engine blower). Sunset about 1915 hrs. Supper= chili. Stars, some clouds & 2/3 moon.
Wed. Mar. 16, 2011 (Week 24, Day 163) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: dark clouds all day, brief periods of fine rain in the pm, damp & cool (no way it reached the predicted high of 71F) Winds: ESE to SW about 8K to nil at sunset & W to NW
After CP, Cruisers Net & breakfast, Graeme dropped me off at Union Jack dock with our shopping/laundry cart while he did his errands via my bike. I first checked in with the dog sitter (Annie Pinder) & Murphy doing O.K. Then I walked to Maxwell’s (grocery store) for a few supplies; the supply boat apparently comes in on Tues. & perhaps Wed. pm rather than am is the best time to shop, but this morning the stock for the most part was quite good. Then to Island Bakery; no coconut bread--> maybe this aft or tomorrow; settled for raisin bread ($3.15). It was a painful walk back to the dock. Back at the boat I put the groceries away & made lunch. Graeme placed some new treads on the steps down to the main cabin while I read in the cockpit. We had a surprise visit from Carmen & Bill Hilliary, members from NSC; John Mahan had introduced us a while ago. The skies in the east were getting darker. To Mangoes gazebo to use their WiFi & Graeme used my bike for more errands. This is a great place to meet people as the laundry, BR/showers are nearby. Mid to late pm it was dark, damp & cool & a fine rain was falling. On talking with other cruisers we have met, we will stay in Marsh Harbour for St. Paddy’s Day, hopefully meet up with Karin & Patric (Artful Dodger) who are expected to arrive tomorrow from Hopetown, then join Mike & Jana (Second Star) & Gerry & Linda (Monks Vineyard) as they move on to maybe Man O War Cay & Tillaloo for a couple of days. A fine rain was coming down as we dinghied back to the boat. Supper= leftovers, chili & pork Thai Pod. I can’t remember our last day of dull weather; we have been so very fortunate it certainly has been a while. A clearing sky in the west just in time for a very picturesque sunset, followed by red sky & a rainbow in the SE sky. A cloudy night sky.
Thurs. Mar. 17, 2011 (Week 24, Day 164) Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: ideal, fabulous, perfect day; T= 75F, sun, crystal clear blue sky & fair weather clouds Winds: by am we were facing NE direction, mirror flat calm; early pm light breeze picked up & increased to 10K by sun down
Same leisurely am routine. Graeme went to shore to pick up a new drill he had purchased yesterday. I washed the cockpit cushions & cockpit with fresh water & soap. It was warm enough to lay out on the deck & read before & after lunch. ‘Artful Dodger’ & ‘Firecrest’ arrived about 1400 hrs.; all came over to caught up on each other’s news. We dinghied to shore to check the fridge/freezer on ‘Twomorrows’, for real showers at Mangoes & a quick look at new emails. To Snappas for 1700 hrs. for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations--> parade, beer specials starting at 1700 hrs. Karin & Patric were already there & Dave joined later. Supper = Snappas Philly & Mahi sandwich. We met up with ‘Second Star’, ‘Monks Vineyard’ & ‘Two Roads’, a Hylas 46. The anchorage over the last 2 days saw many boats leaving & few new arrivals, but today there were a significant number of new arrivals. In fact when we returned to the boat at 2030 hrs. a trawler had parked on top of us; there was barely any swing room from it’s stern & our bow. And no one was aboard to voice our discomfort! Graeme stayed in the cockpit until trawler’s owners (Claire de Lune) arrived back; no he was not moving & how dare we have 150 ft. chain out. I had gone to bed & fast asleep. A clear night sky with few clouds, stars & near full moon.
Fri. Mar. 18, 2011 (Week 24, Day 165) Destination: Marsh Harbour to Scopley Rock, Man-O-War Cay Departure: 1015 hrs. Arrival: 1120 hrs. Mileage: 4.4 SM/#.82 NM Weather: another prefect day with temp about 73F, clear day, sun & wispy fair weather clouds Winds: N to NNE 10-12K
I don’t know about Graeme, but I slept through the night, not worried about the trawler. Graeme rose just in time to catch CP’s broadcast while I listened from bed, then dozed till 0730 hrs. Why do I feel so lazy & don’t feel like getting up early? Talking to our people later in the day, they too have been sleeping in. My other observation was since DST, CP has been very succinct & as informative but finishes his 0630 broadcast by 0715 hrs. Dave from ‘Firecrest’ dinghied over to see if we were O.K. with the close proximity of the trawler; we arranged his haircut with me after the Net. The Net this morning was probably the poorest in terms of poor transmissions & several step-ons. We dinghied to shore & I checked on Murph; she had followed Annie out of her house so was in a cage in Annie’s workplace going nuts with other dogs beside her; she was not paying any attention to me. Also she had her bark collar on & apparently eating & drinking O.K.; she had not been clipped yet. I buzzed Dave’s hair on his boat; I’m getting pretty good at this barber thing. We started to up anchor (every bit of our chain was out); I had to push off the stern of the trawler with up anchoring the 1st 20 ft. The trawler finally up anchored entirely instead of just pulling forward as he was right over our anchor & circled as we raised the rest of the chain & anchor. There was a good wind as we moved to Man-O-War Cay, but of course right on the nose. We anchored in 10 ft. water with 100 ft. chain off Scopley Rock. Lunch & reading in the sun out on the deck. It was so noticeably peaceful & tranquil here with crystal clear water unlike Marsh Harbour. From 1330-1700 hrs. we walked the North Beach (Atlantic side) at low tide with the cruisers from ‘Second Star’ & ‘Monks Vineyard’. There were numerous purple, balloon jellyfish, that’s right portuguese man-o-war washed up on shore; hence perhaps the name of the island? We walked the upper & lower main roads, stopping for ice cream, looking at Albury boat building & sailcloth bag store. Beautiful homes with landscaped yards befit of Bahamian vegetation line the road to the south beach where our dinghies were located. Supper= BBQ hamburgers & fried onion & potatoes. Fabulous sunset at 1917 hrs. with a green flash! Anchorage was a bit lumpy for a while then flat calm. A bright full moon & fair amount of clouds in the night sky.
FYI re Man-O-War Cay: The residents are deeply religious, most industrious & many are descendents of original settlers. No liquor, beer & smokes are sold. The harbour is complete protection with Dickies Cay on the west & is parallel for 1/3 of it’s length. “As clean as a new pin”. Employment is boat building, boat repairs, sail making & ferry services. Bahama Mama-->ice cream & sandwiches Chambered Nautilus Gift & Dive Shop Well stocked groceries stores X2 Joe’s Studio--> handcrafted items of Abaco hardwoods Sail Shop--> canvas bags, duffles, hats & jackets
Sat. Mar. 19, 2011 (Week 24, Day 166) Destination: Man-O-War Cay to Marsh Harbour Departure: 0915 hrs. Arrival: 1520 hrs. Mileage: 15.7 SM/13.63 NM Weather: night clouds dissipated to mainly sunny day with small while clouds in the periphery, fresh temp especially while sailing (high= 71F) Winds: light ESE to SE 4-9K & variable from one minute to the next
Officially today is full moon & Spring Equinox, but the full moon last night was like a bright light, pouring through our aft cabin port into my eyes. CP & the Net were both predicting heavy NE to ENE winds coming in through Sun. of 20-25K & Mon. with possible thunderstorms & squalls of 25-30K & diminishing & improving weather Mon. night & Tues. Therefore we had to change our plans for the next few days & seek protection for these coming days. It would be best to go back to Marsh Harbour; hopefully it is not too crowded in Marsh & we would be able to get off the boat with amenities at Mangoes. The other option was Hope Town, but not sure what the mooring ball situation was in Hope Town. This was another day when it was hard to believe how conditions can change from perfect to ugly overnight. The wind today although was light it was favourable to sail; we decided to make a day of it. On a beam reach we sailed the Sea of Abaco from Man-O-Cay past Scotland Cay, Great Guana Cay all on starboard as far as Spoil Cay; the Whale Cay Passage was flat calm. We turned around, turned the boat engine off & sailed close hauled between Foots Cay on port & Fish Cays on starboard towards Marsh Harbour. We took a while to look around for a good spot to anchor without being too far from facilities & finally dropped anchor at absolute low tide on the north side of the channel in 5.1 ft; we wanted to have 100 ft. chain out for the blow & south side did not lend itself to that. I sat in the cockpit fine tuning some info I wish to add to my blog. Supper= cubed steak with fried onions & potatoes & corn niblets in the cockpit as the sun was setting at 1918 hrs. The conditions were prefect for another green flash that we could not see with land in front of the horizon. An extra bright full moon reflected almost perfectly off the flat, calm water; difficult to see the stars in such a bright but clear sky.
Sun. Mar. 20, 2011 (Week 24, Day 167) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: partly sunny & partly cloudy; dark clouds & a spitting of rain at sunset Winds: NE to E8-10K during the day but increased significantly to 15-20K after sunset
Up at dawn & not ugly as anticipated; winds had increased but very doable. A boat shower for me & dressed for Church. Later Graeme took a real shower at Mangoes while I was at Church. We dinghied to Mangoes for 0830 hrs.; met a lovely lady, Karen from Alaska while waiting for the school bus to take us to St. Francis de Sales. The bus was full today, both white & black folks & children. Mass was better attended today & more upbeat than last week--> Amen! Back at Mangoes we checked new emails. Lunch back on the boat & R&R reading; a bit cool when the sun hid behind a cloud. Jim & Linda (Winsome, N.J.), a Hunter anchored just ahead of us, came & introduced themselves to us--> how nice; they leave their boat at Green Cove Marina, Florida. We dinghied to the Jib Room, a family run restaurant affiliated with Marsh Harbour Marinas but closed on Sundays. We met & had a lovely chat with Peter Ross (Summer Tilt, TO); stores their Monk 36 at Green Turtle. His daughter Tracey Ross from NSC is getting married this July. We then dinghied across the harbour to Mangoes to check emails again while chatting with some regulars under the gazebo & to close the Morrows’ enclosure. It was still calm & in hindsight we could have stayed elsewhere last night & return this pm. Dark clouds rolled in approaching sunset; a bit of red sky. Supper= homemade pizza. Scant rain, gusting & howling winds about 1 hour after sunset.
Mon. Mar. 21, 2011 (Week 24, Day 168) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: fresh especially in the am, sunny & cloudy periods all day Winds: E 15-20K all day only decreasing well after sunset
Easterly winds blew all night long; wind gen worked it’s heart out. I listened to CP lying in bed. I changed the bed linen & washed the main cabin & aft cabin floors & shook their mats while listening to the Net. At 0930 hrs. we climbed into the dinghy with our foul weather gear donned over to Union Jack dock. Our first errand was checking on Murphy; in a cage in the working house going nuts in the presence of other dogs. I asked Annie to clip Murph’s nails in addition to clipping her rough coat & bathing her as Larry requested. Then it was off to several shops along Queen Elizabeth Dr. & Don McKay Blvd. No coconut or 8 Grain bread till after 1330 hrs.; I guess white bread is their big seller & others are baked later. After lunch we said hello to Patric then tied up at the Morrows’ boat, checked the frig/freezer, charge & surroundings, then 2 wash loads= $7.00 each & 2 dryers= free, while checking emails. On our way home we stopped to say hello to Jim & Linda (Winsome). Then I did some relaxing reading in the cockpit until OB & Bubba arrived to again problem solve our unoperating blower fan on the engine & charging system--> OB discovered the ground wire from the newly installed alternator in Sept. ’10 was improperly installed + the wire was also broken underneath the plastic coating; once repaired the blower fan worked, the charging system increased to 14.2 & the electric windlass still worked. HURRAY (I hope)! We will get receipts for these 2 jobs. Sunset occurred but there were heavy clouds in the western sky. Supper= leftover chili & pork Thai Pod. Phosphorescence seen in the water around the stern. Dark night, mostly cloudy skies, a late rising moon & considerably less wind.

Mar. 8-14, 2011 (Week 23, Day 155-161)

2011-03-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

Tues. Mar. 8, 2011 (Week 23, Day 155) Destination: Lynyard Cay to Marsh Harbour Departure: 0815 hrs. Arrival: 1230 hrs. Mileage: 22.8 SM/19.83 NM Weather: warm, partly sunny, partly cloudy, spattering of rain late afternoon Winds: ENE 10K increasing to 15-17K, 1-2 ft. waves, whitecaps, no swells of course
A good copy of CP at 0630 hrs. & we heard all transmissions from ‘Twomorrows’ from Marsh Harbour yesterday pm & at 0730 hrs. today, but our responses were not heard. Brownish, salty water was found in the same 2 compartments as previously this morning, but the transom shower was also found on; was there a connection? We up anchored as the Abaco Cruisers Net started at 0815 hrs. on VHF 68. The winds increased when we left the anchorage to 15-17K, whitecaps & rollers crashing as the Atlantic met the shallows of the Sea of Abaco. We motor sailed with only the jenny, jibbing her, rolling her in & out as we followed the necessary serpentine course of deeper water avoiding the shallows on a rising tide. I suddenly realized how comfortable & relaxed we seemed to be in these familiar waters despite the strength of the winds compared to 2 years ago. I suspect a lot has to do with the many miles & weather conditions we have encountered. We successfully hailed Lynn when passing Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club; Larry was at his scuba certification course. Once in Marsh Harbour we dropped the anchor but were hailed by another boater who diplomatically mentioned we were in a ‘do not anchor channel’, thus we reanchored further to starboard or closer to the southern side of the harbour closer to Mangoes Marina; 8 ft. water & 100 ft. chain. Lunch, sponging up a wee bit of salty water again from 1 compartment & motor on dinghy when Graeme discovered he no longer had his boat keys; he had laid them down but now unable to find them. Where did they go? Overboard? We dinghied to Mangoes to where Lynn & Larry were located & spent several hours catching up on each other’s news over the last week. I walked to the beauty salon at Memorial Plaza re a badly needed haircut; forget it, $30.00! Where’s the barber in town! I was able to hook up to the internet; new Mastercards seem to be at home in Ottawa. But I also received some very upsetting news about a friend from home. It was late by the time we returned to the boat; nothing defrosted. Supper= grilled cheese & an attempt to make French fries. Howling winds, howling wind generator, sliver of moon visible tonight, stars & few clouds.
Wed. Mar. 9, 2011 (Week 23, Day 156) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: coolish, although air temp= 74F & water temp= 75F; sunny & cloudy periods Winds: ESE, E to SE 12-15K but calmer by sunset
The day began as usual at 0630 hrs. with CP, then 0800 hrs. Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club (RMHYC) Net on VHF 78 on Mon. Wed. & Fri., then Abaco Cruisers Net at 0815 hrs. while consuming breakfast. While Graeme emptied the water jerry cans into the boat tank, I washed the main cabin walls, ceiling & shelves & the washbasin & toilet area of the head with soap & water. Boat showers X 2. We loaded my bike & ourselves into the dinghy & off to see Lynn as Larry was doing his final dive (#3 & 4) today. We introduced ourselves to Rey at Mangoes Marina office informing them that we would be looking in on the Morrows boat for the week that they will be away in Las Vegas at their son’s wedding. Graeme walked about & did his thing; I biked 1st looking for a haircut other than the salon at Memorial Plaza. Two were pointed out to me: (1) Catherine’s on Don McKay Blvd. by the traffic lights which was the first one I tried & took; $10.00 but she shaved my back almost like a man’s brushcut! Yicks! (2) in green strip mall near the post office. I visited the jewelry store & placed a deposit on a present for myself. I continued pedaling down to a comparable like store to Costco called ‘Save Lots’ & browsed--> coke= $12.50/ case (best price going ). I retraced back a bit & turned NE & discovered the newly built & newly opened Maxwells Grocery Store; Shop Rite was closed but they were one in the same owner anyway--> very big, modern, bright, clean, so mainland. The Laundromat was in the same location; washers either small ($2.00), medium ($6.00) & large ($9.00) & dryers= $0.25/2 min. whereas Mangoes = $3.50/ load washer or dryer & dryer dried apparently for 1 hr. Graeme used my bike to purchase a case of Sands Lite ($36.75/case at Bristol) then I returned to the jewelers with the balance payment for my gift. At 1730 hrs. we attended Ladies’ Happy Hour at Mangoes--> ½ priced appetizers & certain drinks; Graeme had French onion soup, Lynn & I had conch chowder soup with 2 baskets of fresh bread provided & we all shared 2 plates of conch fritters--> good! On returning to the Morrows boat I quickly checked my emails & our new Mastercards were mailed out to Larry’s brothers address in Ohio. We should have the cards by Mar. 21 or 25. We gazed at the night sky filled with stars, near ¼ moon, mast lights for the increasing number of boats anchored in the harbour & the blazing red sky from a fire in the west end of town as we headed for home. No further needed for supper. An evening of journal entry & reading. No dolphins sited now for a couple of days; they would not want to be in the cloudy, ? water of this harbour.
Thurs. Mar. 10, 2011 (Week 23, Day 157) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: mostly sunny, high temp of about 70F (in the sun I must add), cloud cover rolled in at about 1800 hrs. Winds: ESE 8-10K & slowly clocking all day long
Our usual morning routine with CP & the Net; winds are to clock eventually to the NNW with a high pressure after the cold front with winds of 20-25K from sunset & overnight & possible squalls of 30-40K after midnight; great! This is the weather we kept hearing about on SSB all winter long for the Abacos; & they say the weather in the Abaco is only 5 degrees cooler than the southern Bahamas?--> crap! It has been quite cool especially in the shade & in the evenings & it’s March! I prepared to do laundry at Mangoes & internet, & hopefully more meandering with my bike. Larry bought my tokens for the laundry at the office, then checked out a car rental for tomorrow. Mangoes laundry facilities= 2 washers & 2 dryers at $3.50 each, supposedly. One dryer, interesting enough, was vacated before the cycle was finished by a Mangoes employee; I did 3 washing loads & used that same dryer for 1-1/2 of my washed loads--> dryer still did not stop; I purchased a dryer cycle which did my remaining 1-1/2 washed loads & it too did not finish a cycle (each well over 1 hour). I wonder if any tokens were required in these dryers? 4 paid loads X $3.50= $14.00. I met Jeanne & Bob (Walkabout) under the gazebo at Mangoes doing some internet while waiting for the laundry. I worked away at replies to many emails until all internet access was lost for > 1 hr. It was too frustrating so I quit without all replies done & not being able to post my last week of my blog, but I did learn how to reset a password when connected up to the net--> right click onto Properties! Graeme did a few ? errands; learnt some info from OB (Moorings) re an ongoing problem with cracking elbows on Yanmar engines, learnt his camera & drill chargers were O.K. but the batteries were not from a local electronics place that checked them out--> Lynn & Larry will try to purchase a new battery (specific) for Graeme’s Olympus camera. Larry wrote & passed his scuba certification this pm with flying colours; Keith from Dive Abaco was an excellent instructor. The fires from last evening were in a pine forest; pine needles on the ground were so thick that the fires were still smoldering & with the clocking winds, waves of ash & smoke were headed in our direction. Back to the boat before the weather deteriorated as predicted starting at sunset with one stop to say ‘hello’ to Gorma, a boat from Winnipeg we met 2 years ago in Vero Beach; they know ‘SaYes’. A line of clouds rolled in before sunset; conch blowers but no visible sunset. The winds definitely clocked through to the S, W & NW by dark, with periods of calm, spits of rain accompanied by wind, more calm & clear skies thus stars, & more wind as the clocking continued to the E & SE. Again no meat was defrosted; supper= hot dogs & Japanese cabbage salad. By bedtime a ¼ moon had risen & we were still clocking round in a circle. Which directions will be facing in the morning?
Fri. Mar. 11, 2011 (Week 23, Day 158) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: cool, high only 68F; mostly sunny with some clouds Winds: after sunset yesterday NNW winds continued to clock N-->E-->S-->W--> & back to NW by dawn & fairly calm at 15-20K; no squalls of 30-40K overnight as predicted; although not on the boat since early this am, it seemed that the winds remained NW 10-15K
Happy Birthday Lynn! CP was late transmitting this am--> improving weather today & for the coming several days. A boat shower for me after breakfast. Graeme let out more chain (total now= 150 ft.) & we closed the boat up as we were spending the day with a car rental touring. No $65.00/day car rental so $75.00--> a Buick Century. At first we did a few errands in town -->Maxwells--> limited groceries for the time being, dog sitter for Murphy Brown when the Morrows leave for their son’s wedding on Mon., Bristol--> beers & Lynn’s wine, bank, couple of shops looking for Graeme’s camera battery, & Save Lots. Then we drove all the way to Sandy Point, the most southern settlement of Great Abaco Island, passing through several areas of smoke & fires in the Abaco National Park--> was this on purpose to get rid of underbush or an accident? We headed north toward Little Harbour stopping at Serenity Point--> a gated community in the works with roads, lights, surveyed lots, landscaping but no houses actually built, yet workers on the premises. Onto Pete’s Pub for lunch--> hogfish (delicious). I walked the Atlantic beach for some sea glass (poor shells & garbage) & a very quick look at the Gallery. We passed through more serious fires especially at Murphytown on the way to Treasure Cay. It was nearly 1700 hrs., the beach bar was closing & the marina bar, ‘Tipsy Seagull’ was beginning to open (expensive--> beer= $6.00); it was very quiet, very few people about. The wind was blowing directly onto this most beautiful, crescent shaped beach with powder soft white sand & the tide was rising; not good for shelling today. Back to Marsh Harbour at dusk. Supper = appetizer food at Snappas as we were not very hungry after a late lunch. Lynn was not feeling 100%; in need of rest. We dinghied back to the boat under mostly clear skies, few clouds, stars, ¼ moon, but quite chilly & the fires from Murphytown were very evident.
Sat. Mar. 12, 2011 (Week 23, Day 159) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: cool in the shade, temp maybe 70F; partially sunny & cloudy Winds: NNW at dawn 10-12K shifting to NE 8-10K
Happy Birthday Donna! Sunrise certainly has been earlier these last couple of weeks, soon after 0630 hrs., & now we’re switching to DST tonight (1 hr. ahead). Our usual morning listening programs, CP & Cruisers Net. Suddenly ran out of propane making breakfast --> 1-1/2 mons duration; switched tanks. We invited the Morrows over for dinner tonight as they leave on Mon. X 1 week. I owe them so much! They were my refuge, my saviour in so many ways! I prepped supper & even baked a dessert. Graeme washed down the cockpit & transom. I have been mottling skin for > week; exfoliated skin was everywhere; shook the carpets again. Once the the dishes were all washed up Graeme dropped me off at the Morrows boat while he went to the electronic store above the Jib Room Restaurant at Marsh Harbour Marina (north side of the harbour) located & introduced himself to Tracey Ross’ (Fleet Captain at Nepean Sailing Club) parents. Larry with much patience problem solved some computer issues; (1) not having mail going to Rogers + my gmail account,; (2) activate Windows Mail & creating a shortcut on my desktop, so I can download all new emails to Windows Mail when online & read later when offline. Graeme did water brigade with the jerry cans from ‘Twomorrows’ slip at Mangoes Marina. I took my bike & dropped in a few shops east of Mangoes & through the residential area by the Jib Room. Lynn & Larry got their projects done as well. Appetizers in our enclosed cockpit while the sun was setting behind clouds & the smoke still from the forest fires in Murphytown. Supper= curried peanut chicken. Just as the Morrows left, the music from somewhere along the south shore started up; loud & easily heard over the harbour water & continued till very late, although we were fast asleep. Half moon visible through the light cloud cover in the night sky.
Sun. Mar. 13, 2011 (Week 23, Day 160) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: coolish, about mid 60’sF, sunny with few clouds in am but increasing clouds mid pm Winds: E 5-8K
With DST there was less light at our usual time of waking. Boat shower for me & dressed for church; 0820 hrs. Graeme dinghied me to Mangoes & the school bus arrived there early to pick those of us waiting to go to St. Francis de Sales 0900 hrs. Mass; same driver, same route from Mangoes to RMNYC, turn around, along Queen Elizabeth Dr. to Don McKay to the Haitian community, then to St. Francis de Sales by 0845 hrs. Mass was quite reserved compared to other times, maybe because it was the 1st Sunday of Lent? & dedicated totally for Bruce! You are daily in my thoughts & prayers! Once dropped off after Mass back at Mangoes, found Lynn & Larry doing laundry, but the power went off x 30 min. or so; apparently this has been an ongoing problem that the Nassau news said was being addressed. Murphy Brown (Morrows’ dog) accidentally scraped Lynn’s leg with her claws during the night; now Lynn has a similar skin abrasion as her arm which is nicely healing these days; probably new abrasion will also require debriding. Back to boat for lunch then an afternoon of cleaning boat stainless steel starting at the stern & wearing my bathing suit; I was having feelings of withdrawal but had to work briskly to keep warm; Graeme piddled at things. There was a mass exodus by many boats from Moorings/SunSail operation at Conch Marina. At 1630 hrs. to the Morrows; I helped Larry take Murphy to Annie Pinder, the dog sitter for 10 days--> Larry quite reluctant, but I offered to check in on her. Larry downloaded my more recent photos on his stick. We offered to check their boat frequently & received last minute instructions, so we will be in the Marsh Harbour for several more days. We departed near 1900 hrs. wishing them a good trip & a great wedding. The sun had not set yet; smoke from the fires was still very apparent from Murphytown. We started the process of defrosting the freezer for the 1st time. Supper= pork Thai Pod. A calm night, ½ moon & stars.
Mon. Mar. 14, 2011 (Week 23, Day 161) Destination: Marsh Harbour Weather: warm sun but cool in shade & cool breeze; partly sunny & partly cloudy Winds: E 8-10K
Somewhat dark on rising this morning. The usual morning routine. The freezer defrosting procedure faired well; sheets of ice easily removed by morning, everything emptied, refrig/freezer units washed down & food returned to their respective places all by 0930 hrs.; a good job! The taxi picked the Morrows up at 0900 hrs.; flight was a 1000 hrs. Graeme took our empty propane tank to the hardware store before 0900 hrs. + bank + ?, then dinghied me to shore about 1100 hrs. I returned the cooler bag to the Morrows’ boat & retrieved the Mangoes Marina BR/shower key wrapped around a sleeve of oreo cookies left for our use; a good chuckle! No electricity or internet failure for a change so I was able to work on many email replies, cleaned up my mail boxes & studied my newly established Windows Mail program. My 1st new email of the day was from Lynn; their plane in Marsh Harbour ran into engine problems! What a way to start the day of long travel. I also charged my cell phone & camera battery. Graeme took some books to Buck-a Book & brought the cracked engine elbow to OB at Moorings to weld; will return it tomorrow. Back to the boat for a quick lunch at 1330 hrs. then returned to shore & a leisurely bike ride X 1-1/2 hrs. Propane tank refilled ($15.00) & picked up. I read in the cockpit till 1900 hrs. & the sun still had not set. I showed Graeme how to read his mail offline in Windows Mail. Some boats today had moved out of harbour & new ones arrived. Sunset did happen below the line of clouds & land mass. White & dark smoke was still visible all day from the fires at Murphytown. Supper= leftover curried peanut chicken for me & nil for Graeme as he said his stomach was feeling ill, yet he consumed chips & peanuts earlier. The night sky consisted of stars + light clouds + slightly greater than ½ moon. The harbour was calm & little wind.

March 1-7, 2011 (Week 22, Day 148-154)

2011-03-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

Tues. Mar. 1, 2011 (Week 22, Day 148): Destination: Royal Island to Spanish Wells Departure: 0800 hrs. Arrival: 0910 hrs. Mileage: 7.2 SM/6.24 NM Weather: warm, sunny with cloudy periods; short period of dark rain clouds to the N & NE Winds: SSW 15-20K till mid am then decreased gradually to near calm after sunset & shift to W
The Morrows left shortly after 0600 hrs.; they called outside the harbour & said it was choppy. Hopefully the winds will drop as predicted by Acuweather (8--> 4K & swinging to the NNW). I pray they have a safe voyage & that their plumbing problem is rectified quickly & with ease. CP was back on air but perhaps not from his location in Florida as the reception was very poor & therefore we’re not sure about a big cold front arriving Wed. pm. (? 30-35K). When we left the anchorage there was only 2 boats remaining. We rolled out only ¼ jenny & motorsailed at >6K. We made several attempts to hail ‘Bandit’; the damn VHF! All these electrical issues need to be addressed! When we made contact we indeed had been assigned to mooring ball #6; hooked up with ease. It was much calmer here. A single dolphin played at our bow as an arrival greeting. Also we saw a colourful jellyfish + a white egret the size of a heron in the marsh grasses near us. From late am till early pm we walked about town & was given a golf cart ride to the large grocery store , Food Fair. Best to shop on Thurs. after the boat comes in early Thurs. I found prices better in Rock Sound. Also to note is lunch hour closure from 1200 to 1300 or 1330 hrs. at most business. Chatted with a couple from Halifax. I must remember to wear my knee brace from now on when walking--> pain has returned. Graeme filled the gas in dinghy gas tank & the generator & diesel into the boat tank & did an oil change. I, on the other hand, no longer have any ambition to do anything; I need to get home & get on with my life. Supper= leftover sweet & sour stir fry. A complete switch to calm conditions by sunset, clear skies & stars.
Wed. Mar. 2, 2011 (Week 22, Day 149): Destination: Spanish Wells Weather: sunny & cloudy periods, sometimes dark & threatening rain, but none Winds: concern for the next few days; increase to 15K & shift to the N during the night & further increase to 20-25K from NE by sunset
A good dose of rain in the middle of the night X 5-10 min. Sunrise definitely earlier these mornings. ‘Rainy Day’ transmitted weather & reception scratchy but understandable--> confirmed 20+ winds X several days through to Sun. Graeme did a fuel refilling run to Pinder’s with the jerry cans. I did floor & carpet maintenance + shower; I’m pleased with the frequent washing effectively keeping the interior mostly salt free unlike the exterior. Graeme insisted to take the ‘Bo Henghy’ Fast Ferry to Harbour Island at 1015 hrs. We met the couples on ‘Say Yes’, ‘Second Star’ (Crogan 38) & ‘Monk’s Vineyard’ also making the trip today. The outside passage was rough. The Tourist Office was our 1st stop of our walking tour for a map. We walked the area bordered by Dunmore St., King St., Bay St. & Clarence St. I lunched alone at a deli beside Bristol Wines. Loading back on the ferry opened at 1500 hrs. till departure at 1540 hrs. Once back in Spanish Wells, we walked down to the Lobster Processing Plant in attempt to connect to the internet like 2 yrs. ago but unsuccessful. We dinghied down to Yacht Haven Marina where ‘Say Yes’ was tied up because Wendy had the name of the location to buy internet--> Harbourside Gift Shop, Buggy Rental & Custom Brokerage for $15.00 for the length of one’s stay. We were invited to stay for a drink. Some pink sky at sunset; wind >20K. Supper= onion soup with pasta & onion bread. Graeme checked our mooring ball lines at my request. Stars+++ & some cloud in the dark night sky.
Thurs. Mar. 3, 2011 (Week 22, Day 150): Destination: Spanish Wells Weather: partly sunny, partly cloudy, temp probably about 20-23C but felt less secondary to the strong cool winds Winds: NE to ENE 20-30K
The winds & the wind generator were relentless & howled all night long, all day as well I’m sure but we didn’t spend much time aboard. Graeme did listen to ‘Rainy Day’ on SSB; not much change in the forecast; a short window Sun. & Mon. before the cold front leaves & a high follows. We dinghied to shore with full foul gear donned for myself: (1) to Harbourside to purchase WiFi; $15.00 for the length of stay, guaranteed, but only available at the building (table & chairs & electric plug ins) from 1030-1300 hrs.; (2) unnecessary but Graeme insisted to rent a golf cart X 1 day= $40.00, therefore to Food Fair grocery store for fresh produce & bread as this is Thurs. is fresh stock day; meat disappointing; (3) drive around Russell Island--> 3NM in length, country estate of Spanish Wells (larger properties & thus less dense), citrus & other plantings; (4) drove around Spanish Wells-->located on St. Georges Cay; 1.5NM in length, numerous streets across the length & width of sturdy built & well-cared-for homes, 75% Bahamian lobster fishing. It was extremely windy & thus cool & huge rollers beyond the many reefs around most of the island. In the past 2 years a metal retaining wall has been & still is being constructed on the west beach in the attempt to preserve & restore the beach that is disappearing. Very windy & rough on the beautiful fine sand north beach. Returned to Harbourside near closing time (1700 hrs.) as they kindly agreed to have me leave my netbook & notebook computers to do an antivirus screen overnight--> not done since ?Dec. We will resume our touring tomorrow till 1300 hrs. it was a wet ride home. And we discovered our newly hoisted Canadian flag & flag pole gone most likely due to the wind. Supper= meatballs in tomato & crab sauce with potatoes & a side salad. A dark night, cool temp, cloudy skies soon replaced by clear skies & stars+++.
Fri. Mar. 4, 2011 (Week 22, Day 151): Destination: Spanish Wells Weather: mostly sunny with cloudy periods Winds: continued to be a factor; ENE 15-25K & gusty
A sprinkling of rain from an overhead cloud. CP was back on the air at 0630 hrs.& there was not encouraging weather especially tomorrow + decreasing winds on Sun. but 8 ft. seas on Sun. & 6 ft. on Mon. with more weather approaching Tues. night & Wed. To shore wearing foul weather gear for 0900 hrs. to relieve my computers from Harbourside; full antivirus screens done & 0 issues; all protected once again after ?2-1/2 mons. We had the golf cart till 1300hrs. so tootled around till 1100 hrs.; Graeme continued his tootling & even took Bob from ‘Walkabout’ for the last hour; I got a lot done on the internet. Later Graeme too cleaned up his large share. I attempted to purchase more minutes for my TracFone so I would not lose service come April 4 & discovered both our Mastercards expired! How could I overlooked that! I emailed Mastercard to see what can be done. We met a stream of cruisers like us in a limbo stage. We finally dinghied home after 1600 hrs. Sunsets here in Spanish Wells are behind Charles Island so not a notable experience like the Exumas. Supper= homemade pizza with the thanks to Betty Crocker packaged pizza crusts & yes, I used the oven to bake the pizza. Some stars, some clouds & short spurts of rain but lots of wind.
Sat. Mar. 5, 2011 (Week 22, Day 152): Destination: Spanish Wells Weather: partly cloudy with sunny periods; sun was warm but temp. only about 18C secondary to cool winds Winds: ENE to E 17-22K, some 30K gusts & shifting to ESE after sunset
Another day that was too windy to go to the lovely sandy beach; I am in withdrawals. CP was very good & informative this am! A sponsored boat wanting to cross from Spanish Wells to the Abacos, our exact passage, called in; Sun. would be a good sailing day but the seas were 12 ft. today & would still be up at 10 ft. tomorrow with a prominent NE swell of 9 sec. Mon.= less wind but quieter seas of 6 ft. dropping to 4 ft. Floor & toilet & shower cleaning then to shore. Graeme caught up on all his emails apparently, then walked out & about ?somewhere. I worked again for several hours on some emails to address a few issues, cleaning up folders, chatting with Kim Hunt in Bequia & posted several weeks of my blog finally! Plus I sent a email out to my Bahamas category of people who requested to receive my blog notifying them of the several posts. Ken Pole, you have no idea how uplifting your ‘Ciao Bella’ makes me feel! We prepared our drinks & contribution to Happy Hour down at Yacht Haven Marina at about 1730 hrs. once back at the boat. There was a good attendance of both trawlers & sailboat cruisers; I think it was a release for all of us of the apparent confinement, lack of socializing & the howling winds for 3 very pleasant & enjoyable hours; just what the doctor ordered. A careful dinghy ride home in the dark avoiding unlit sticks in the canal marking shallows. Supper= leftovers of past meatball & stir fry meals. A very dark night, partly cloudy & partly clear sky with stars galore.
Today I finished my 1st 1.75L of Mount Gay Rum purchased in Vero Beach on Nov. 29; on the other hand Graeme did not keep track of the amount of his stash or refuses to admit to the number of cases of beer, number of large cheap rum for all morning coffees & number of sipping rum for his nighcaps.
Sun. Mar. 6, 2011 (Week 22, Day 153): Destination: Spanish Wells Weather: warm & a bit humid, dark threatening rain clouds in the am; slowly dissipated over the noon hour with warm sun & blue skies come 1400 hrs. Winds: E to SSE, variable from moderate to light, 5-10K
Suddenly the howling winds ceased & short lived rain fell about 0300 & again at 0500 hrs.; peaceful calm after 4 full days! No whitecaps & no spray off the whitecaps! The no-see-ums made their presence. We had not had bagels in a while; a nice change for breakfast with fresh coffee this morning. Boat showers X 2. I retrieved my bike from the garage to use to pedal to Spanish Wells Methodist Church (at 22nd St.) service at 1100 hrs. To shore early to check emails all dressed for church. There were no problems loading my bike or space issues in the dinghy, a scintch. I check new emails especially in regards to our Mastercards but no new cards at home in Ottawa. I merrily rode to the church; Wendy & Pat did indeed join me. It was my first time attending a Methodist Church--> quite different & only one hour long! I cycled up & down a few streets enjoying the well kept colourful gardens of most homes especially 15th St.--> the best kept garden in 2010. I also drove to the beach & gathered up lots of the baby powder fine pink sand. The seas were so much quieter today. But I have no idea what the plan is. It has become best not to rock the boat, not voice, but keep my opinions & thoughts to myself. How much more can I turn the other cheek? Now 1400 hrs. & another late lunch then reading in the cockpit in my bathing suit. Bob & Jeanne (Walkabout) checked out the narrow & deep passage out north of Spanish Wells; it is that, deep enough & narrow particularly at one spot. Still no decisions; leave tonight or early am or an overnight passage tomorrow? Then which route? High tide at Little Harbour, Abacos = 1000 hrs. & low tide= 1551 hrs.--> not ideal with a morning departure. The dinghy motor was hoisted up; we will pull the dinghy behind the boat as usual so the lines were prepared as such. Sunset at 1814 hrs. now. Supper= hamburgers & Japanese cabbage salad. A calm, quiet, windless dark night.
Mon. Mar. 7, 2011 (Week 22, Day 154): Destination: Spanish Wells to Lynyard Cay, Abaco Departure: 0610 hrs. Arrival: 1635 hrs. Mileage: 71.9 SM/61.69 NM Weather: expected high temp of 28C, warm, some sun, some interesting cloud formations Winds: light WSW 2-3K to start then NW to N 4-10K clocking to NNE about 8K
Sailing makes you more aware of weather & what’s happening around you. The changing clouds & cloud formations today were very interesting. ‘Walkabout’ & ‘Changes’ left the mooring field at 0600 hrs. & were going through the narrow passage between Spanish Wells & Gun Point. On the other hand, Graeme decided to go the long way around through the cut between Egg Island & Little Egg Island--> successful done at 0705 hrs. Many boats that had been in the marina positioned themselves Sun. at Royal Island anchorage. Lots of boat movement in & out of this area. Just out into the NE Providence Channel we were experiencing 1 ft. waves & 2-3 ft. swells which increased to 1 ft. waves & 5-6 ft, swells with about a 10 sec. interval--> very doable We were able to motorsail close hauled. Very dark clouds from the north fortunately passed over us, the winds shifted & increased to about 8-12K for a spell from the NNW (unable to keep sails filled), & the sun & blue skies with fair weather clouds appeared. We were moving between 5.5-7.4K but still we could barely catch sight of the sailboats & trawlers that left in around the same time frame as us. A third of the way across we changed to going with the current instead of against when we first set out. Disappointingly the winds clocked towards the north, thus directly on our nose so we furled the sail. The winds were predicted to be NE. It was for that reason that I did not enjoy the crossing—72 miles of motoring with winds from the wrong direction to sail but great sea conditions! A few miles from the cut there was cloud over Little Harbour but no precipitation. We received a lot of feedback from boats going through Little Harbour Cut; some positive & some negative opinions. There were large rollers to starboard of the cut with an NE swell but the passage through the cut was non problematic at 1605 hrs. at low tide. Lynyard Cay anchorage was calm; total of 22 boats. We anchored in 20 ft. of water, bottom all grass but a popular anchorage; we put out 120 ft. of chain. The land mass of Great Abaco Island interfered with the setting sun on the horizon but it was a picturesque sunset with the sun squeezed between a line of clouds & the land mass & lovely red sky followed. It will be a while before we will see an unobscured sunset. I have many fond memories of the Exuma & Eleutheran sunsets! A sliver moon before sunset, then a dark night of mesmorizing stars & Milky Way!

FYI: The Abaco Cays extend for about 130 mi. from Walker Cay in the north & Sandy Point in the south. The Abacos offer pristine water for swimming & sailing, reefs for snorkeling & diving, sheltered anchorages, deep sea fishing & beautiful beaches.
• The Northern Abaco Cays: Walker Cay to Allans-Pensacola Cay
They include 7 destination cays, 5 of which are uninhabited. They form a shielding barrier between Little Bahama Bank & the Atlantic, over 50 NM, running on a diagonal from NW to SE. There are four deep water ocean passes to or from the Atlantic, 3 in Walker Cay & the 4th is Moraine Cay Channel. Walker & Grand Cay are the only inhabited cays.
• The Central Abacos: Allans-Pensacola Cay to Great Guana Cay
It is a 35 NM run which includes 7 destination offshore cays. Reefs & cays to the eastern coast of Great Abaco form a barrier shielding a 3 NM wide shallow & largely protected water of the ‘Sea of Abaco’. This series of shallow banks that lie in the Sea of Abaco dictates 2 options when heading south: (1) stay on the western side of the Sea of Abaco & run along the coast of Great Abaco Island, (2) stay on the eastern side running parallel to the cays. An extensive area of sand running from Treasure Cay peninsula eastward to Whale Cay almost blocks the entire width of the Sea of Abaco; you must make a diversion into the Atlantic via Whale Cay Passage, totally no go in bad weather.
• The Southern Abaco Cays: Great Guana Cay to Sandy Point
A 48 NM span; 30 NM is the southern end of Great Abaco Island & is almost totally uninhabited except for Little Harbour, Cherokee & Sandy Point. Areas of interest= Man-O-War Cay & Elbow Cay (Hole Town) on the cay side & Marsh Harbour & Little Harbour on the Great Abaco side. There are 3 good ocean passes--> North Bar Channel & Little Harbour Bar are the exit or entry points to the Berry Islands or other islands of the Bahamas. These passes commit you to coastal Atlantic passages along the weather coast of Great Abaco Island which offers no shelter. Therefore one must be prudent of weather before exiting the shelter of the Sea of Abaco.

Reflecting over the last 5 mons., we have been so very lucky with our weather, certainly warm, & sunny for the most part, with a few blows that forced us to lay low in protected anchorages. The miles we have safely travelled, the number & variety of places we have visited. The people both cruisers & locals we have met. I realize how much easier life has been for me this time round on this new boat. I recall the hardships of basic everyday living from the last adventure. My only hardship this time that is not new but continues & is a constant is sadly the skipper & the loneliness I feel because of no conversation, no communication unless necessary, except with others in a social setting.

Feb. 22- 28, 2011 (Week 21, Day 141-147)

2011-03-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

Tues. Feb. 22, 2011 (Week 21, Day 141): Destination: Highborne Cay to Rock Sound, Eleuthera Departure: 0700 hrs. Arrival: 1435 hrs. Mileage: Weather: sunny & warm (25C) & some clouds Winds: ESE 8-13K with 1 ft. seas & insignificant swells; decreasing & shifting to S to W at sunset, then NE & flat calm
A 0600 hrs. start to the day. A quick listen to CP at 0630 hrs. making sure there would be no sudden weather & sea changes. I expected many boats on the move today as the weather was predicted to moderate throughout the Bahamas, although still higher winds in the SE Bahamas. Despite near mid low tide, thus current against us existing south from the Bahamas Bank through Highborne Cut to the Exuma Sound, no problems encountered. The sails were set, engine revs were set at 1900 RPM for charging purposes & we were moving along at 5-6K from the crystal clear shades of turquoise into deep cobalt blue water. Fifteen miles out into the Exuma Sound we lost sight of the Exumas; 1030 hrs. we caught sight of Eleuthera. We required 4 waypoints starting from Powell Point to maneuver around shallows & coral heads to reach the large anchorage of Rock Sound. We set the anchor down in sand in 8-9 ft. water & 80 ft. of chain; the water was a brilliant aqua colour but translucent. Once settled & motor back on dinghy, we were off to shore where we walked about part of the settlement to get our bearings ie laundry facilities, shops, groceries, medical clinic. It was evident again of a bird population, their singing & actually visible. We noticed more boats had moved into the anchorage on our return. Sunset occurred behind part of the island of Eleuthera but the sky was picturesque all the same. Star filled night sky. Lots of moisture in the air & an odour in the air that smells faintly of urine.
FYI: New laundromat by St. Anne’s Catholic Church--> 0900-1900 hrs. Mon. through Sat. & Sun. 0630-1100 hrs. then 1530-1900 hrs. --> 5 washers, 2 dryers= $3.00 per load OR via Dingle’s where you drop it off one day & pick up the next for the same price
Clinic: nurse 0900-1500 hrs. each day & doctor on Wed. & Fri.
Wed. Feb. 23, 2011 (Week 21, Day 142): Destination: Rock Sound Weather: sunny & quite warm (25C), a few fair weather clouds, lots of moisture on the windows & the deck Winds: ENE to NE <5K
The day started off normal; listening to CP at 0630 hrs., Graeme utilizing the moist windows to clean off the some salt, readied the dirty laundry, washed the floors & dinghied the laundry into Dingle’s drop off laundry service. Larry dropped Lynn & I off at the wharf & we slowly walked to the clinic for someone to look at Lynn’s abrasion suffered 12 days ago, knowing that some loose skin needed to be debrided. We arrived soon after 0900 hrs. & then the day became unique, unusual, bizarre, a different experience to say the least. We registered, paid the $30.00 fee then sat in the waiting area. The waiting area was the center of the building with a T.V. & chairs; doctor’s office, treatment room, nurse’s room, dentist office, W.R., assessment room & registration were around the periphery. Now, there were few of us already seated; we were handed a card with a number on it according to our arrival; Lynn was #4 which made sense. We observed people coming & going, in & out of different rooms including the staff, nurses as well as ?other staff members. About 1030 hrs. a nurse called us to the assessment room & took Lynn’s weight, BP, age & purpose of her visit. She asked us to return to the waiting room, that the doctor prefers to see all out-of-country patients & that he was expected to arrive at 1100 hrs. We said we will wait outdoors where there were seats, like overflow seats. The parking lot was full. People continued to arrive & depart, walk outside & walk back in. A scruffy, unkept Bahamian male, walked out, sat smoking a cigarette & started talking aloud & gently making comments to others (born in cat island you know), then moved across the street & sat in scrub bushes at the base of a palm tree in the shade; later when indoors he sat by the T.V. that now was blarring with death notices, birthday & anniversary wishes that continued to repeat & suddenly this man got up & danced; we later found out he suffers from schizophrenia. A another Bahamian man had a sick youngster in his arms that had been sick for 3 days with a cold, had not eaten or drank & had lost weight & appeared to have a fever. A young Bahamian lady had an earache & a swollen side of her face--> something about a chicken bone. A young mother arrived with her daughter that had a cast on her arm applied by the doctor last evening & who now needed a letter to fly to Nassau for an xray of the child’s arm. 1105 hrs. & Dr. Smith arrived. Near noon we decide to return inside. Now there was a young Bahamian male drinking a rum punch from a can & kissing 2 rum mickeys & walking in & out of rooms. A grandfather & his granddaughter with #2 card sitting in the 1st seat of row one finally was called into the doctor’s office. The poor sick youngster, coughing in the waiting room, was asked to see the doctor next, then was taken to the treatment room, given an aerosol breathing treatment & an IV for rehydration. The doctor was in & out of his office, treatment room & assessment room. A Bahamian male who had arrived after us & who had been sitting behind us walked out of the assessment room behind the doctor then sat down--> how did he get in there & who called him? A mother with her son, obviously dressed in a school uniform had been chatting to all around; she stood up when he had left his office for the assessment room & said she would block the doctor’s way to return to his office because her son needed to be seen next & get back to school; he sat in the empty 1st seat of row one & when the doctor’s office door opened they entered. Lynn & I just looked at each other, making light of all the shenanigans & laughed then got back to watching the walking in & out of rooms of staff, often interrupting the doctor, the walking in & out of general public sometimes not even knowing where they came from. It was now after 1300 hrs. I tapped the young lady who was #3 on the shoulder & sitting in seat 3 of row 2 & we said jokingly that she was next & maybe she should seat in 1st seat, row 1; we all laughed. Lynn got called & the doctor asked the pertinent questions; he stated his intentions & proceeded to spray & inject local anaesthetic to the wound, then debrided it & applied 4 sutures to an area of the wound that continued to bleed, applied some antibiotic cream, suflatulle, a gauze dressing. We were done with instructions to return Fri. for a dressing change. We left at 1410 hrs. with a receipt for the $30.00 paid! Perhaps I have not given the whole scene justice; one really had to be there to see the humour of apparent organized chaos. I wonder what Fri. will bring? A delicious late lunch (conch fritters, cracked conch with potato wedges & salad) at a lovely restaurant north of the government dock called 4 Point Marina Bar & Grill. Home for an hour then happy hour for all of us in the anchorage on ‘The Big Catsgy’; most were moving a little further north tomorrow. Another lovely sunset, very calm night with star filled sky & barking dogs (continued for most of the night) on shore. Not hungry for supper. Tomorrow is Larry’s birthday & we are renting a vehicle & tootling north for the day.
Thurs. Feb. 24, 2011 (Week 21, Day 143): Destination: Rock Sound Weather: warm & sunny, blue skies, few dark clouds around but no rain Winds: SE 5-8K
Happy Birthday Larry! A celebration day out & around Eleuthera Island by rental car from Mr. Dingle. By 0800 hrs. we were driving north along Queen’s Hwy. Our 1st stop was at Palmetto Point Bay to see if the docks, etc. that we had been tied up to with ‘Sweet Chariot’ when damaged still existed--> still in good shape with no additional services (water, electricity) & the restaurant ‘La Dolce Vita’ was under new management & renamed ‘Chateau France’--> structural changes, only opened 3 wks., menu expensive & still the prettiest bathrooms. On the road to Governors Harbour; 1st stop was the infamous bakery for bread & breakfast--> busy; Cupid Cay to the Bacardi Shop for wine & cases of beer & soda pop--> good prices; filled a jerry can each with fresh water from the public tap; revisited Haynes Library; drove along a few of the streets & their large gingerbread architectured old houses. Next detour was Hatchet Bay & the village of Alice Town--> poor & most unappealing. Soon thereafter we visited a cave-->large & dark but filled with graffiti at entrance + stalactites but we did not have a flashlight to go far into the cave. This area is filled with remnants of banana palms & pineapple plantations & concrete & stone silos because one time farming was a major industry; now only small scale farms growing tomatoes & cabbage in the red soil. We stopped & tried to pick a hand of bananas growing but they were not ready for picking. Gregorytown is the pineapple center but the famous Eleuthera pineapple is a dwindling crop. We stopped at Glass Window in Northern Eleuthera--> a bridge that connects north & south at this narrowest part & where we can watch the ocean on one side & it’s reefs & waves (at one time a rogue wave in 1991 knocked the bridge 7 ft. to the west; impassable of some time) & the bank side on the other side & it’s glistening turquoise water. On through Upper Bogue & Lower Bogue then to the settlement of Current were we stopped for a picnic lunch & watched a fisherman fillet a catch of strawberry grouper, yellowtail snapper, trigger fish & porgy. From The Bluff Settlement to James Bay Liquor Store across from Spanish Wells was our turnaround point. We retraced our route back south except for a detour to Bottom Harbour directly south of Harbour Island--> poor road & a closed bar at the end. We had a superb celebratory supper at Beach House on Bank Rd. between Governors Harbour & North Palmetto Point. And finally back to Rock Sound at 2100 hrs. A fun packed day with clear skies & stars galore at night.
Fri. Feb. 25, 2011 (Week 21, Day 144): Destination: Rock Sound Weather: warm (27C) & sunny, blue skies & few fair weather clouds Winds: S 12-14K, whitecaps, decreasing to 5K & less approaching sunset & overnight & a shift to the E
AM began as usual with a coffee & listening to SSB weather; CP was in George Town X 1 week & his replacement (?Ed of Rainy Day) was terrible; a)started on time or early b)difficult to tune in c) missed most of the VERY short synopsis d) totally different presentation that would normally take Chris 20-25 min. took < 10 min. e) answers to SSB subscribers questions was almost 1 word answers. Hence we did not get an info re wind or seas. The Morrows discovered a major obstruction in their plumbing lines. A quick trip to Dingle’s to pick up laundry (3 loads = $18.00) & 1 jerry can of diesel. Larry dinghied Lynn & I to 4 Points dock to walk to the clinic for 0900 hrs.; arrived at 0855 hrs. & still locked. But we were the 1st in line with the doctor’s arrival time expected at 1100-1130 hrs. It was decided that Lynn would wait while the rest of us did the grocery & hardware shopping for a long rotorooter located in the hardware store with the help of Mr. Dingle. Larry & I did the shopping but no Graeme & no cart; now 1100 hrs., cart found in the dinghy but no Graeme--> out on his own agenda as usual without thinking of others. I returned to the clinic; no doctor but many people had come & gone that were dental patients & /or children for scheduled vaccination shots by the nurse. At 1220 hrs. the doctor arrived after having an overnight emergency till 0730 hrs. We indeed were the 1st to see Dr. Smith. The wound looked good; it was cleaned & redressed & we were given supplies & a disposable suture removal kit instructions. We arrived back to the 4 Points dock as several bus loads of tourists were arriving for their sampling lunch of Bahamian food, conch harvesting & Junkaroo dancing & music. Larry stated he delayed long enough from getting back to the boat to tackle the plumbing problem & in the end was unsuccessful; in fact he was unwell from the event. Despite a layer if clouds there was a lovely sunset just below. Supper simply BLT. Quiet, calm water, few stars & few clouds.
Sat. Feb. 26, 2011 (Week 21, Day 145): Destination: Rock Sound to Governors Harbour Departure: 1005 hrs. Arrival: 1440 hrs. Mileage: 28.4 SM/24.77 NM Weather: warm (28C), sunny with fair weather clouds till departure then a line of dark clouds from SSE with rain in some areas of the Exumas then clearing trend towards 1300 hrs. Winds: quiet, calm morning with gradual increasing E winds 10-17K; after sunset near flat calm
Chris’ replacement was better today--> no significant weather for the next several days. Some cleaning of the head & cockpit was done. Larry went ashore for diesel & draino type product; if this proves to be ineffective as well, they may look into help at Spanish Wells or Marsh Harbour. Up anchored & once out of harbour & past the coral head field towards Kemp Waypoint, we turned north & unfurled the jenny moving nicely at a speed of 5.5-6.3K. In the distance we could see the shoreline of all the places we drove through 2 days ago. We passed in between long strings of fish traps on our approach to Governors Harbour. Larry had his rod out & caught a good size barracuda & of course gave it back to the seas; no fresh caught again tonight! Yes, we have returned to Governors Harbour but have anchored & have verified that there was no inclimate weather in the forecast! Anchor sat down in sand in 15 ft. of water; we took Jerry Doucet’s advice & let out almost all our chain ie 140 ft. once the anchor hooked. Glen Gray from ‘Graynorth’ dinghied over & introduced himself; also from Ottawa & knows Tom Winlow well. The guys dinghied to shore X2 with jerry cans for water from the public tap. A magnificent sunset with a green flash! A joint effort for supper= 1st cheese & bread fondue, 2nd gumbo soup compliments of the Morrows. Governors Harbour was conducting a fundraiser for breast cancer--> a police marching band at 1700 hrs. followed by food concessions of fresh conch salad, chicken, ribs + Junkanoo at 1900 hrs. then amplified pop music till the wee hours of the morn. We dinghied to shore to watch the Junkanoo -->fantastic. A windless night, humid, clear skies, stars+++ & shore music.
Sun. Feb. 27, 2011 (Week 21, Day 146): Destination: Governors Harbour Weather: quite warm & sunny, little to no clouds Winds: ESE to SE from calm to 12-15K suddenly by mid am, then 8-10K by night
Dolphins made a few passes through the anchorage particularly close to our stern to say ‘good morning’ at breakfast time, gracefully diving & showing off their tails several times. Graeme took me to shore so I might check the mass times of the 2 churches close by the beach; (1) St. Patrick’s Episcopal at 1045 hrs. (2) Governors Harbour Methodist at 110 hrs. The SE wind had started kicking up & as I walked by the south most beach by Cupid Cay & saw how rough the seas were running horrific memories of 2 yrs. ago flashed through my brain & shivers up my spine. It has been a while but I did treat myself to a good boat shower & dressed for Church. All the other 5 boats were departing as I was taken into shore. It was approaching low tide so I had to row to get closer to shore then hick my skirt up & walk in the water the rest of the way; thank heavens for the town water tap close by where I rinsed my feet off before going to St. Patrick’s. It was a high mass that got started late at 1100 hr. with incense+++, singing+++, a 45-60 min. sermon! I thought Episcopal was the same as Anglican which is close to RC, but this was very old church style; the spoken church words were very British, but when Fr. Scott Brennan was giving his sermon I had much difficulty comprehending all he was saying because he spoke so fast. Length of service= 2-1/2 hrs.! Dedication & prayers for Guido & his family. Lunch then over to the Morrows; Graeme assisted Larry with his plumbing issues which were unsuccessful in the end; Lynn & I especially did hours of emails & downloaded updates. We missed the sunset but there was a great red sky. Lots of cars driving to the government dock--> weekend ferry arrived then quickly departed. Another joint supper= BBQ hamburger patties, baked beans & macaroni salad then Larry’s cookies. We were entertained by crazy Murphy Brown (Jack Russell dog). Because of the unsuccessful attempts at the plumbing system (non functioning toilet!), Lynn & Larry will head in the direction of Spanish Wells early in the am, contact R&B Boatyard by phone to see if they can do the job & how soon; that will determine future plans. We will take a more leisurely pace. ‘Twomorrows’ & ‘Sweet Chariot Too’ were the only boats in the anchorage tonight. A star filled sky, tame & quiet night in comparison to last night & pleasant, cool breeze & less humidity.
Mon. Feb. 28, 2011 (Week 21, Day 147): Destination: Governors Harbour to Royal Island Departure: 0800 hrs. Arrival: 1515 hrs. Mileage: 50.9 SM/44.23 NM Weather: very warm & sunny Winds: S to SE 10-15K & gusty at night; seas 2-3 ft. on east side of Eleuthera Island & 1 ft. on the west side
This was the last day of this short month; also the last day in Eleuthera Island. No CP or broadcast by ‘Rain Day’; someone said this was Chris Parker Appreciation Day. ‘Twomorrows’ left at 0700 hrs. & hourly checks planned starting at 0800 hrs. 0720 hrs. to shore to rid our garbage & purchase some bread at Governors Harbour Bakery, but no bread till 0830 hrs. Boo Hoo, back to the boat with no best bread in the islands & at the best prices! Once on our way we were headed in a WNW direction with the wind directly behind--> a bit rolly. We rolled out the jenny & cruised along at 6-6.4K. The dolphins were playing in our bow wake & the waves created by the wind. A couple of VHF correspondences from the Morrows; R&B at Spanish Wells do not do interior boat work; Marsh Harbour Boatyard contacted & they too do not do that kind of work but gave them the name of a man who works for Moorings that maybe of help --> O’Brien (OB) is able to do the job. Therefore they will cross tomorrow, head to Marsh Harbour & stay probably at Mangoes X 1 mon. (leave in 2 weeks X 1 week to their son’s wedding in Las Vegas). Of course we could hear this transmission but with our VHF problems our transmission was not heard. It was interesting to see by water all the settlements today by boat that we had done by car last Thurs.--> airport strip at Alabaster Bay, the entrance to Hatchet Bay, silos & farmland to Gregorytown, Glass Window, site where we had a picnic lunch at the defunct marina in Current. We passed through Current Cut with 1.8K current against us at 1345 hrs. Calmer seas on the west side of Eleuthera Island. We motorsailed to Royal Island, anchored in the SW corner in 9 ft. of water & 70 ft. of chain & surprised Lynn & Larry with our presence. 13 boats in anchorage tonight. We made popcorn & rowed over to ‘Twomorrows’. They are sticking to their game plan & crossing early in the am. Graeme admitted that he was tense during his stay in Governors Harbour. We called ‘Bandit’ in Spanish Wells over the VHF & are on a reservation list for a mooring ball there tomorrow. We may not be able to cross to the Abacos till Sun. due to weather predictions of high winds over several days. Sunset occurred behind Royal Island. Supper= sweet & sour chicken & pork strip stir fry with a medley of vegetables + rice. A dark night with stars+++ & gusting winds.

Feb. 15-21, 2011 (Week 20, Day 135-140)

2011-03-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

Tues. Feb. 15, 2011 (Week 20, Day 134): Shroud Cay to Normans Cay Departure: 0815 hrs. Arrival: 0945 hrs. Mileage: 6.9 SM/6.01 NM Weather: cloudy am, slowly clearing to a partly cloudy & partly sunny pm, but heavier clouds again at night; sun was warm but fresh brisk winds chilled the air--> about 18-20C temps Winds: NE 12-15K increasing to 20K after sunset
It was fresh enough during the night to bring out the comforter again. We awoke about 0400 hrs. to a rolling boat movement yet the winds were still NE. CP was still predicting strongish NE winds today up to 20-25K & clocking to ENE tomorrow. For a change the Abacos were experiencing less strong winds whereas George Town & the SE Bahamas (Turks & Caicos) were experiencing stronger winds in the 20+ range & for an extended period of time. Due to the NNE to NE wind direction & speed + the falling tide it was not feasible to explore that northern Shroud Cay mangrove canal leading out to Exuma Sound. Hence we moved up one island north to Norman Cay as close to the west shore as we dare nicely spaced between 2 coral heads--> 8 ft. water & 100 ft. chain. There were 2 other boats in the anchorage but they departed soon after out arrival. Another lazy day of reading & catching a few rays sitting on the transom out of the wind. It’s been awhile but we both had boat showers as opposed to transom showers. Late afternoon we dinghied to shore to experience MacDuffs Bar & Grill; they were out of beer & no WiFi until they sign a contract with a new server! Just our luck! My family will have to wait longer to hear from us but they know no news is good news. And also I haven’t been able to email friends except when I can post new episodes of my blog. It has been more of an issue this time round. Unfortunately that is the state of affairs. So it was a round of drinks & I bought a loaf of bread ($3.00, a bargain) from the restaurant. Otherwise this was a very nice establishment. Another lovely sunset, but no green flash, a red sky, a near full moon till the clouds rolled in. We were only 2 boats tonight. Supper= leftovers. We watched another DVD tonight. The wind generator has been earning it’s price for several days now. We have seldom ever been under 12.4V showing on our domestic batteries. Throughtout the night the waters remained calm & the wind a steady 10K.
Wed. Feb. 16, 2011 (Week 20, Day 135): Destination: Normans Cay Weather: overnight clouds disappeared soon after sunrise to nothing but wall to wall sunshine & blue skies till later afternoon, then dark clouds; temps were warmer (23C) with no humidity Winds: ENE to E at about 13K-->8K-->20K by evening but more NE
The usual am routine especially listening to weather which dictates everything; Highbourne Cay broadcast called for stronger ENE winds than what Chris predicted. The morning & part of the early afternoon was spent reading another new novel on the deck. In hindsight, the Morrows thought today would have been a good day to cross to Rock Sound, Eleuthera, as they heard reports of ½ ft. seas out on the Sound, whereas all weather forecasts indicated 4-7 ft. seas. Conflicting forecasts vs actuality continues! We took the dinghy & looked at coral heads nearby via a look bucket, then to shore & walked the to the southwest end of the island & across the airstrip, then to MacDuffs to take photos & still no beer till tomorrow. When we returned to the boat there were several new arrivals, sudden & increasing dark clouds & east wind that suddenly increased with gusts >20K. Rain clouds swiftly passed over us to the west but rain was evident on the horizon at sunset. Sunset was seen as a white cloud on the horizon directly in front of the sun giving the cloud an orange colour & dark clouds all around. Supper= nachos. 14 boats tonight in the anchorage. A full moon was seen now & again as the sky cleared but the gusting winds continued to howl all night long.
Thurs. Feb. 17, 2011 (Week 20, Day 136): Destination: Normans Cay Weather: huge high pressure area persist bringing warm sun & blues skies again today Winds: NE to ENE but back to NE to NNE by evening at 10-12K but increasing in the afternoon especially at 1500 hrs. to 15K at least; high winds continue to dominate the Exumas & cause 4-7 ft. seas out on the Sound
This huge high over the Atlantic kept the wind & seas high & now predicted by CP & Nassau Weather to continue through the weekend with no break to cross to Eleuthera till Mon. now. Not the news we wanted to hear. The howling winds were having a negative effect on us. Some boats moving in & out of the anchorage & north & south on the Banks. I read for most of the day on deck & prepared a macaroni salad for future use; G ?--> hibernates most days when not on the move down in the cabin. Morrows were over for cocktails, snacks & to watch a picture perfect sunset with yes, a green flash! In the east, a full moon had risen. As the winds increased in the afternoon they became more NNE & it seemed that waves were curling from the east around the northern tip of Normans Cay & kicking up some chop. The waves created behaved as if the winds were generated from a west component wind, therefore bouncy. Supper (late)= steak & canned beans. A very bright full moon in a clear sky with fair weather clouds about. But it was the moon’s brightness magnified by the water that was fascinating.
Fri. Feb. 18, 2011 (Week 20, Day 137): Destination: Normans Cay to Highborne Cay Departure: 1000 hrs. Arrival: 1230 hrs. Mileage: 14 SM/12.2NM Weather: sunny & warm, mostly blue skies till 1400 hrs. when heavy, dark clouds rolled in for the night Winds: ENE to E at 15-20K & still howling
The damn winds did not weaken. This was the 8th day without communication with my family; I was getting antsy. I need to move somewhere close to a Batelco tower to at least use my Canadian cell despite the roaming costs! And it was not one of my better days emotionally; in fact one of the lowest. Tears were welling up in my eyes & spilling over & trickling down my cheeks. It was not even helping looking down at my LIVESTRONG armband. I couldn’t help of thinking of only sad thoughts. I was tired of this confining weather, this lazy lifestyle, this lack of ambition. I wanted to go home! I wanted to be home! We motored out of the anchorage in a westerly direction to avoid coral heads & shifting shallow sand areas, then turned north unfurling some jenny appropriate for 15-18K winds; boat speed= 5-6.5K. The anchor was lowered into sand in 14 ft. water with 100 ft. chain on the west side of Highborne Cay in line with the Batelco tower. Highborne Cay is privately owned & is the most northerly inhabited island of the Exumas. It was once a plantation of aloe & watermelon. There are 3 cottages for rent at Highborne Plantation. The skies clouded over from the ESE direction & continued to get thicker & darker, but no rain. A faint orangeness on the horizon where the sun set. I phoned Mom shortly after 1800 hrs. Further sadness added to the day with the news of the death of one of my parents’ close friends, Guido; the wake was today & the funeral is tomorrow. Tears were streaming down my face now. Supper= spaghetti but sauce was from a tin. The ENE winds were relentless & the moon was trying it’s damnest to break through the heavy cloud.
Sat. Feb. 19, 2011 (Week 20, Day 138): Destination: Highborne Cay Weather: by sunup clouds were dissipating; fresh sunny day with only blue skies Winds: brisk, howling NE winds settled down during the night; NE about 10-12K
All weather broadcasts indicated winds were to increase to 15-20K this afternoon & seas 4-7 ft. A thought was expressed about crossing ASAP. But the wind direction & passage direction were directly opposing (on our nose—a motor ride) & should the wind & seas increase as predicted it would have been an uncomfortable passage. Thus the crossing was dismissed. Instead we all ventured to shore. Highborne Cay Marina, a very nice marina with a very nice store but ridiculously outrageous prices (outdated white bread= $4.40, but “I didn’t have to buy it” you know; I was near desperate though). I walked over the hill to the beach on the Atlantic or east side, then we dinghied to the beaches on the west shore; Larry took their dog, Murphy Brown to shore where she ate sand, drank salt water & rolled in dead fish. I noticed the singing & presence of birds, surprisingly absent throughtout the Exumas. Early afternoon Larry & Graeme rectified ‘Twomorrows’ bowroller problem, then I gave Larry a haircut, a #6; I was rather nervous as his son’s wedding is in a month. By 1600 hrs. the anchorage was filling in; total= 14. Sunset = 1803 hrs.--> magnificent clear sky, perfect sunset, a green flash + reddest horizon! Supper= pork chops & pork ‘n beans. Thusfar the NE winds had not increased to the predictions; a constant NE 10-12K. Such a clear night sky & the stars were amazing until the full moon (officially today) presented itself! Guido, you & your family have been in my thoughts all day & will continue to be in my prayers!
Sun. Feb. 20, 2011 (Week 20, Day 139): Destination: Highborne Cay Weather: mostly sunny & warm (23C) with few clouds; suddenly about 1715 hrs. dark clouds swiftly rolled in from ESE--> scant rain Winds: NE to ENE about 10-12K; with sudden dark evening clouds winds shifted to E & increased to howling & gusting 15-20K.
There was unfortunately no opportunity to attend Church today but my prayers were dedicated to Guido & family. A little housekeeping in the am, then several hours of reading on the deck. Early afternoon we dinghied to the reef area extending from the northwest shore in a falling tide with hope to snorkel for conch etc. But the Morrows saw little but rock & grass with their look bucket. We dinghied to a shallow cove at the northern tip of the island where there was a lovely sandy beach, bench, tables & garbage container where we deposited our bags of garbage. We only saw small live conchs or old conchs already harvested & a lone stingray that we followed until it raised it’s barbed tail out of the water. Few boats left today & also some new arrivals; total= 12. A transom shower, prepared supper, read in cockpit hoping to see another great sunset tonight; but dark clouds from the ESE suddenly changed that possibility. Supper= meatloaf with macaroni salad. In short time the brisk east winds cleared the night sky --> stars! And the moon rose after 2100 hrs.
Mon. Feb. 21, 2011 (Week 20, Day 140): Destination: Highbourne Cay Weather: sunny & warm (23-25C), blue skies with few clouds Winds: ESE to SE about 10-15K & fresh
By all accounts tomorrow is suppose to be the best day to cross to Eleuthera, with seas at 4 ft. dropping to 1 ft., winds SE to S but on the light side of 10K & dropping; with an early start we hope to be able to sail. This am with the shifting winds, it’s strength & the falling to low tide the anchorage was a bit bouncy. Graeme cleaned the enclosure windows, lifted the dinghy motor & I baked 12 blueberry muffins & read+++. Few departures today but no arrivals, therefore total boats= 7. A lovely sunset, no green flash as we watched hosting social tonight. The crimson sky was replaced by a clear sky with multitude of stars & a late rising of the moon. This was our last night in the Exumas (Dec. 16 ’10- Feb. 21 ’11)! I have mixed feelings; of the enchantment & pristineness of the area & sadness of leaving all of it behind; & the sheer desire & magnetism to be home!

Feb. 8-14, 2011 (Week 19, Day 127-132)

2011-03-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Tues. Feb. 8, 2011 (Week 19, Day 127): Destination: Staniel Cay to Sampson Cay Club Departure: 0845 hrs. Arrival: 0950 hrs. Mileage: 5.9 SM/5.13 NM Weather: warm & humid, sunny with some cloudy periods Winds: W to NNW by night time & 6K increasing to 12K
A calm night as far as wind was concerned but the current caused a significant slapping of water against the hull of the boat. C.P. at 0630 hrs. had a very poor transmission, in fact incomprehensible. Dinghy motor up & we were ready for an earlier than planned departure. It looked as if the anchor raising maybe a challenge with the strong current & our anchor close to 90 degrees to starboard of the boat, but of no consequence. We were motoring west out to the Bahamas Bank in a west wind; you got it, directly on our nose so no hope of sailing. And also we only had a short jaunt to Sampson Cay Club for $2.00 Tuesday, their first ever-->$2.00 per ft. (yikes!) but $2.00 beer, shot, coke, pizza, wings, burgers & FREE water on Mon. Tues. & Wed. We tied up on Dock 3 behind the Morrows; extremely calm, nearly windless & very well protected from all directions. A most beautiful resort! Well kept gardens & grounds, nice & clean washrooms & showers ($4.00), laundry facilities (2 washers--> 30 min. & 2 dryers--> 45 min.) at $4.00 per load X 5 loads = $20.00 & a laundry tub where I rinsed out my salty foul weather gear. Unfortunately when I was retrieving more laundry soap from our storage area we call ‘the garage’, the seams of the plastic bags seemed to be affected by the laundry soap & tore away as I lifted them & thus I had a fine mess to clean up in the afternoon in the heat & humidity. Graeme purchased more fuel & hosed down the deck, windows, enclosure, cockpit, cockpit cushions, transom & dinghy with FRESH water. A late lunch of pizza & Kalik (beer)= $4.00. I had WiFi by hooking up to the Morrows’ router who purchased a day for $10.00 or 200 MB & sent a few emails out. Since Lynn was able to make arrangements for a dog sitter in Marsh Harbour for the week of March 13 for their departure to their son’s wedding in Las Vegas on March 17, she was also successful in booking flights for this special event. Pam & Greg emailed Lynn stating that they arrived home safe but still at the scheduled very late time. Our bed was remade with fresh linen then each of us took longer than normal boat showers, topping the water tanks afterwards with FREE FRESH water. And unfortunately we missed the sunset. Since we could not purchase food for $2.00 we decided to dine out for supper as well-> burgers & drinks= $14.00 total! A NNW wind picked up since sunset; thankfully the boat cooled down. A clear night with ¼ moon & stars, not as bright as when we have been anchored away from land lights.
Wed. Feb. 9, 2011 (Week 19, Day 128): Destination: Sampson Cay Club to Pipe Cay (lunch) then Cambridge Cay, southern part of the Exuma Cay Land & Sea Park Departure: 1050 & again at 1350 hrs. Arrival: 1245 & 1450 hrs. Mileage: 10.2+ 4.5 SM/8.84+ 3.97NM Weather: few droplets of rain from an overhead dark cloud while sipping coffee in the cockpit in the early am; dark clouds at dawn dissipated to brilliant sun & blue skies; low temp= 68F & high= 82F Winds: during the night winds increased & shifted to E at 13-16K; SE 12-15K after nightfall
Check out time at this beautiful location was noon, therefore a leisurely am--> small breakfast, walking the grounds & taking photos, internet via ‘Twomorrows’ 24 hrs. connection with Exuma WiFi, actually a good connection so sent off a few emails & posted part of my blog (Week 16) until my Word composition would not copy & paste (Week 17) to my blog--> another adventure of frustration. We were assisted off the dock by a club staff member & motored out into the Bahamas Banks to Twin Cay Waypoint, Pipe Creek Waypoint, Fowl Cay Waypoint to Compass Cay Waypoint. Next was an intricate passage to red markers #1 & #2 then white markers #3 & #4, a near 300 degree turn to starboard following the Compass Cay shoreline to port & fluorescent buoys to starboard then another near 300 degree turn to starboard close to Pipe Cay shoreline. At 1300 hrs. the anchor was down but the current was stronger than the east wind & we were never really sure the anchor dug in; the current was pushing the 60 ft. chain & boat in almost a complete circle back to the position of the anchor. We sat on it for lunch wondering ‘what if’ in this tight anchoring area with rocks on one side & shallows on the other & observing the ominous grey clouds filling in that were not in the forecast. In hindsight we should have anchored instead on the west side of Thomas Cay. Prudently we up anchored & set out for Cambridge Cay via cutting across Conch Cut which leads out to Exuma Sound; mandatory to pick up a mooring ball as it is in the southern part of the Exuma Park. The dark clouds dissipated, only sun & blue skies. Connie & Roger were the volunteer hosts for this anchorage; they registered us giving us pamphlet info & shared their knowledge & recommendations for this area. Four boats in anchorage. Our social time over sunset was here. Unfortunately the sun hid behind clouds before sunset; there was a crimson sky that followed. Supper= pork chops with sweet & sour sauce & rice. No rough water despite the 12-15K SE winds; bright near ½ moon & stars.
Thurs. Feb. 10, 2011 (Week 19, Day 129): Destination: Cambridge Cay Weather: sunny, blue skies, few clouds, fresher & drier air Winds: SE to S 15K down to 12K decreasing to zip
We had good reception of CP this am unlike yesterday; Lynn expressed the same comment so perhaps the many masts in Sampson Cay harbour was the problem; 20-15K NE winds + ? squalls on Sat. but next 2 days are to be good. Delicious coconut bread, lightly toasted for breakfast; thank you Morrows! Graeme finished his project from yesterday of installing a new anode on the dinghy motor, while I did floor & rug maintenance & finished my photo log. We dinghied to one of the many beaches on Cambridge Cay & walked the path to Exuma Sound; photo shots of Bell Rock & walked the beach looking for neat shells, coral, sea glass, sea biscuits & sea beans but only small or broken shells, old conchs, sea grass & debris. As we left shore we was a ray fly a good 8 ft. in the air! We then dinghied across to Bell Island which is privately owned by an Eli Khan, sheik or king or prince, carousing the shoreline all the way around to the deep water passage between Bell Island & O’Briens Cay. Hopefully tomorrow it will be calmer because we want to snorkel the Sea Aquarium Coral Gardens off O’Briens Cay + the Rocky Dundas reef & entrance to 2 unique caves with both stalactites & stalagmites. Home for lunch & reading in the sun & wind on the deck finishing another good novel. At 1430 hrs. Graeme dinghied me to shore & I walked the spine of Cambridge Cay--> fantastic views of the Sound & the Banks, the anchorage & the boats. I built my own little cairn + added a rock to the large cairn at the northern most end of the path for each direction, N, S, E, W, dedicated not only for myself but for friends who have died since I left home--> Art, Darin, Barb, Andre & Taylor + a rock to the last cairn at the end of my hike. A transom shower for each of us followed by a wonderful social on Connie & Roger’s trawler ‘Down Time’. The wind ceased, a lovely sunset obscured by a rocky cay & a red evening sky. Seven boats in anchorage tonight. Supper= toasted tomato sandwich; socials are late & then not hungry. Very bright ½ moon in a clear sky filled with stars galore.
Fri. Feb. 11, 2011 (Week 19, Day 130): Destination: Cambridge Cay Weather: brilliant sun, warm (about 27C), less humid, blue skies & an occasional cloud Winds: E to SE, calm 5K or less especially evening time & the wind direction was back to E
CP confirmed again that this weekend especially tomorrow will not be nice, followed by 1 day reprieve then 3-4 days of high N, ENE & E winds. Therefore our communal decision was to move today but where & jeopardize snorkeling in the calm waters of today. Head & heart won out--> we stayed here till now Sun. & maybe Mon. I insisted that we snorkel 2 sites today: (1) Rocky Dundas, (2) Sea Aquarium at O’Briens Cay, back to back & therefore an early start.
Rocky Dundas-> southern most part of Exuma Cay Land & Sea Park; dinghy mooring; 2 caves with stalactites & stalagmites; stand up; mauve & pink coral lining rock edges of caves; vibrant purple fan coral, bright yellow, green, orange + staghorn coral + fish of every imaginable colour. Sea Aquarium-> dinghy mooring; fish swarmed on arrival especially sergeant majors; look bucket very advantageous; again great colourful coral + fish ie trigger fish, snapper, grouper to name a few as unaware of the names of many fish.
We swam around the island part of which was swimming against current. I am so happy I have a wetsuit & have used it on every snorkeling dive. A short distance across or west of Soldier Cay & O’Briens Cay is Johnny Dieppe’s Bahamas retreat on Hall Pond Cay. With a look bucket we also viewed a plane wreck lying close by on the bottom of the sea, probably a drug plane from the early ‘80’s; also with a dinghy mooring. Nearing our boat we sighted a ray leap in the air--> 2nd day in a row! Lunch & an R&R afternoon. A Sunset Happy Hour on the mailbox sandbar at near low tide with 14 people in attendance. Small conchs adhering to the rocky east shore of this sandbar island. Clouds at the horizon but a beautiful setting sun nevertheless + a crimson sky thereafter. It is hard to believe that tomorrow is predicted to be so nasty. Lynn unfortunately slipped getting into the dinghy for our trip home & suffered an unpleasant dermal scrap to her arm. Supper= ham, pineapple slice & rice with sweet & sour sauce. A clear night sky, bright ½ moon, stars+++ & flat calm water.
Sat. Feb. 12, 2011 (Week 19, Day 131): Destination: Cambridge Cay, a great place to weather the storms Weather: although the sun made a brief appearance at sunrise, the surrounding sky was not a nice one; in no time we were surrounded by black clouds that continued to lighten & darken all day long with only a few drops of rain; cool temp necessitating more substantial clothes than the usual bathing suits Winds: flat calm, mirror like while the apparent wind was E to SE on rising; by 0900 hrs. steadily increasing winds from ENE to NE at 10-12K, climbing to gusting & howling NE to N at 20-25K
C.P. was very late this am--> 0645 hrs. His predictions were unfolding as day progressed. We may have a weather window Mon. & 1st half of Tues. before the weather closes in again for the rest of the week. Therefore there is no possible crossing to Eleuthera till the weekend. Three trawlers picked up mooring balls early this morning; total of 10 boats. Graeme spent part of the am re-doing a cracked hose in the engine compartment while I cleaned rust spots on the transom & stanchion bases with a tooth brush & paste of bar keeper--> best product thusfar. By noon the howling winds had settled in, a bit of rocking motion & bit of dancing on the mooring ball; the dark clouds persisted with surprising little to no rain. An afternoon of reading. No social gathering as everyone was hunkered down in their boats. Supper= hamburg patties with fried onions & potatoes. No sunset, only clouds. At night time no moon, no stars, only darkness & clouds & howling winds.
Sun. Feb. 13, 2011 (Week 19, Day 132): Destination: Cambridge Cay still Weather: just plain cloudy, although not as grey as yesterday Winds: NE blowing & gusting 15-20K
Feeling real lazy this am & remained in bed till 0745 hrs. dozing on & off. Since no CP today Graeme played around with the SSB radio & a little after 0745 hrs. got Ham Radio Waterway Net on channel 7268 (good) & Cruiseheimer at 0830 hrs. on 6516 (weak at times but interesting as well). The NE winds are to persist today then slightly decrease tonight & tomorrow. So what does one do for entertainment on days like this? Make French Toast for breakfast, wash floors or some other form of housekeeping to stay on top of things, bath, wash hair, read & listen to VHF 16 then eavesdrop on conversations--> sometimes you really get some helpful &/or interesting information, bake tea biscuits & of course reading. I wonder how Dave (Firecrest) & Karen & Patric (Artful Dodger) are & where they are. Days like this also make one think too much of sad personal thoughts, how very far away we are, how many months we have been away from home & simply how homesick I am. Then I look down at my yellow bracelet which reminds me to LIVESTRONG. And how fortunate I am to be able to do this adventure. The NE howling winds did not let up although the dark clouds were less grey & thinning by afternoon; a definite drier air & cooling trend was felt. Supper= Chicken Thai Pod with rice. Groceries are certainly diminishing, especially bread. We watched a DVD (Sorcerers Apprentice) as a distraction from the howling winds. No sunset, no moon or stars, just cloud & wind.
Mon. Feb. 14, 2011 (Week 19, Day 133): Valentine’s Day Destination: Cambridge Cay to Shroud Cay (most southern to most northern cay of Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park) Weather: picture perfect sunny Bahamas Day glistening off the turquoise water, blue sky, dry air & temp about 20C Winds: NE to ENE 18-->10K with 1 ft. whitecapped seas
The strong NE winds persisted all night but did clear the skies so near ¾ moon & stars visible at 0315 hrs. CP made the weather sound doable to move northwards today & tomorrow, but then no crossing to Eleuthera till ?Fri. & Sat. We said our good-byes & thanks to Connie & Roger, slipped off the mooring ball & wound our way out to the Bahamas Banks. We unfurled the jenny first, then as the wind decreased & thus our boat speed to <5K, we unfurled the main to maintain a reasonable speed (5-7K) to reach our destination. The fickle wind increased again & we reefed both sails towards our destination. We anchored on the west side of Shroud Cay just south of the mooring field. Then it was exploration time with the dinghies into the mangrove canals on the north end of the island on a necessary rising high tide. Even at that with a long shaft dinghy motor, we had to row some sections of the canal & Larry ended up pulling us before the turn around point. We saw a few rays, a turtle & a shark, but not as much sea life as expected. We did not choose the canal that exits out into Exuma Sound; further north to the one long canal we took. We did locate the fresh water well. Graeme made popcorn for us all for snacks as we watched a fabulous sunset with the perfect conditions for a green flash that did not happen. The Morrows hosted a most scrumptious Valentine Supper= chicken & artichokes in a white wine sauce with wild rice, salad & Larry’s cookies for dessert; very special. A bright night sky because of a bright ¾ moon with stars & partial cloud cover.

Feb. 1-7, 2011 (Week 18, Day 120-126)

2011-02-09T06:37:00.000-08:00

Tues. Feb. 1, 2011 (Week 18, Day 120): Destination: Lee Stocking Island Weather: sunny with occasional clouds; pleasant temp about 23C Winds: ESE to SE 18-->10K & at night time 10-13K
0630hrs: Chris Parker--> verified predictions of last 3 days of prevailing east winds in the 20K range. Leaving Adderley Cut under these conditions would not be fun; winds tomorrow decreasing. There was a profound desire by many of us to do the tour offered on Tues. & Fri. at 1000 hrs. by the Perry Institute for Marine Science; also there was the capability of laundry services with a donation. Therefore our decision to stay was quickly made. A leisurely breakfast of French toast with maple syrup & coconut bread--> good! Unfortunately Lynn had some sad news to pass onto us from Ian Joyce & Patric Collins re the fatile snowmobile accident of Taylor Bruce, son of Peggy White & Gene Bruce. At 0900 hrs. 3 of us went ashore to start laundry while Graeme did an oil change. Eric conducted the tour at 1000 hrs. of the marine science facilities & studies--> excellent & highly recommended! Tori & Eric are wonderful representatives of this operation. The Dargavels gave a generous donation. Lynn & I could easily stay for a few more days. By noon the winds had decreased & the laundry was done. Lunch, beds remade & laundry away. Greg went ashore with Larry to repair the laundry machines as much as possible. Pam napped, Graeme read then went ashore & I read on deck. Mid afternoon Pam & Greg snorkeled near the shore marked by a buoy--> lots of fish & I talked to Tori re my blog. Afterwards we cleaned up as we were invited to the Morrows for a scrumptious spaghetti dinner! A phenomenal red evening sky. A dark & clear night & with fewer boats in the anchorage tonight (only 4) the stars & milky way were superb!
Wed. Feb. 2, 2011 (Week 18, Day 121): Destination: Lee Stocking Island to Black Point Departure: 0805 hrs. Arrival: 1350 hrs. Mileage: 33.11 SM/28.79 NM Weather: sunny with few fair weather clouds, perfect temp. Winds: ESE at 8-13K
Chris Parker at 0630 hrs. Easy departure from mooring ball as well as through Adderley Cut into Exuma Sound. We rolled both sails out, on broad reach through 1-3 ft. rollers. We noticed an increase number of boats travelling from one destination to another. Near noon we passed through Galliot Cut with a small amount of sail, wind on our beam onto Bahamas Bank; a little rolly. There was a local motor boat in the middle of the cut lobstering. A nice flat sail (without rollers) at about 5-5.5K passing Little Farmers Cay--> boats already there staging for the 5F Festival this weekend; all mooring balls had been booked. It is best for us to stage ourselves at or close to Staniel Cay with Super Bowl this weekend & with the Dargavels departing from there early Mon. am. All the lovely beaches along the west coast of Great Guana Cay looked most inviting. Lunch was on the run just before arriving at our destination. We anchored at Black Point; 8ft. depth & 60 ft. chain. Some R&R in the sun till 1530 hrs. then we all dinghied to shore & walked straight to DeShammon for internet & drinks. But the island lost it’s power for an extended period of time so we departed. I was unfortunately unable to email my family or post 2 weeks of my blog. Super= curry chicken & rice (one pot meal). A quiet evening with all of us longing for a reasonable hour to go to bed; 2000 hrs. was a bit early, so a shower & journal entry then to bed. Sunset happend but I did not observe it to describe the event. Another dark night with magnificent stars.
Thurs. Feb. 3, 2011 (Week 18, Day 122): Destination: Black Point to Emerald Rocks, Exuma Cay Land & Sea Park Departure: 0840 hrs. Arrival: 1300 hrs. Mileage: 26.5 SM/23 NM Weather: partly sunny, partly fluffy white clouds, temp about 22C Winds: NE 8-10K--> 10-13K
Yes, Chris at 0630 hrs.; some 15-20K NE winds blowing in this pm & a significant front next week. A pancake breakfast with real maple syrup for a nice change. We motored out of the anchorage via the southern/deeper water passage & flew our new DRS for the second time! It was perfect wind direction & speed. Our boat speed 6.5-7.0K. A course change was necessary at Harvey Rocks (Staniel Cay area) so the DRS was taken down smoothly & the main & jenny were unfurled & carried a speed of 6.2- 6.9K. Our approach towards Emerald Rocks lent itself to change sails to the DRS again but the skipper felt we were doing well as is. On the VHF 16 we hailed Exuma Cay Land & Sea Park, switched to 09, requested mooring balls for ourselves &’Twomorrows’ at Emerald Rock location. Since we were both members we had priority & were assigned E20 & E21. Snagging the mooring ball & tie up went smoothly. Lunch in the cockpit with a beautiful environment surrounding us; magnificent sunshine beating down on the stunning sandy beaches & emphasizing the varied hues of turquoise water! Greg, Pam & I dinghied to the Park Office & each paid for a night’s stay ie $15.00 X2 nights= $30.00. We admired the scenery from the office balcony then walked ‘Powerful Beach’ at low tide (conchs+++), followed by the trail to Boo Boo Hill & the Blow Holes--> recognized many boat names that we have heard over the last month. The Atlantic side was quite calm for an east wind so the Blow Holes were not activated. Back to the boat in time for a dip with 2 yellow tailed snapper/tunas about 21/2 ft. long that we not scared of us at all; unfortunately fishing is not allowed in the Park. Happy Hour on our boat. We saw a sunset & an amazing green flash! Supper preparation which involved using the oven on bake mode= shepherds pie--> great. A dark night again. Where is that moon? And the stars & milky way like you have never seen!
Fri. Feb. 4, 2011 (Week 18, Day 123): Destination: Emerald Rocks Weather: mostly sunny with a fresh warmness in the air due to the wind factor, temp= about 22C Winds: ESE to SE averaging 15K
Chris Parker (CP from now on) at 0630 hrs. then we forgot to listen to Warderick Wells & Staniel Cay broadcasts at 0800 hrs. while having breakfast. Prepared Japanese cabbage salad for part of supper tonight then washed up all the dirty dishes. Larry educated us that the friendly fish of last evening were horse eye yellow tailed jack; some are O.K. to eat while others are poisonous. So not to get too salty wet the 3 of us decided to dinghy to Rendezvous Beach just in front of us; we walked the ruins, continued to the far wall that led to Exuma Sound as far as Slave Dip; the waves were crashing pretty good today with a heavy component of east wind; the blow holes probably would be good today. We retraced our steps back because the hike towards Boo Boo Hill & the blow holes then across the island to the west shore would have taken several hours & we wanted to fit in some snorkeling by early afternoon too. Lunch= warmed up leftovers. 1315-1415 hrs.--> snorkeled the coral reef at Emerald Rock; the coral is alive & well with bright colours & little bleaching, multiple varieties of colourful fish of many sizes. The water was warm but chilled by the 15k wind. We rinsed ourselves down back at the boat with the transom shower. Naps & reading. Popcorn for snacks then we dinghied to the swim platform where 3 other couples had gathered to watch the sunset; beautiful but no green flash; red sky followed. Supper= ham & pineapple, potatoes & Japanese cabbage salad & cookies for dessert. We played a card game called ‘screw you buddy’ till 2300! A sliver of moon positioned in the sky like a bowl tonight! And of course those phenomenal stars. Another exciting highlight of the day was my 1st & 2nd time driving the dinghy today under the supervision & encouragement of Pam & Greg!
Sat. Feb. 5, 2011 (Week 18, Day 124): Destination: Emerald Rocks to Staniel Cay Departure: 0745 hrs. Arrival: 1120 hrs. Mileage: 21.5 SM/19 NM Weather: sunny, blue skies with clouds in the periphery Wind: SSE 6-8K
15+K winds of yesterday suddenly ceased just before daylight. CP at 0630 hrs.--> next couple of days sounding O.K. Once off the mooring ball we motored out onto the Banks & of course the winds were smack on our nose; there was no hope of sailing. We motored into Staniel Cay & anchored by Thunderball Cave by rounding east of the Grotto rocks then through the deep water narrow cut against current & dropped the anchor in sand in 16 ft. water with 100 ft. of chain. It was good timing as there were many boats that followed suit. Lunch, a dinghy ride to the beach south of the yacht club, a walk to the bakery (thank you Pam!) & then to the blue grocery store for a few basic supplies, then to Staniel Cay Yacht Club. At 1530 hrs. it was time to return to the boat, gather our snorkeling gear & experience the Thunderball Cave as it was low slack tide. Wonderful variety of colours of coral in good shape, in fact more than I remember from the last time especially outside the entrance of the cave & a fantastic array of fish. Lots of people snorkeling--> too many. Pam & Greg each had underwater cameras that they used extensively, but Greg’s had not worked; he thought he may not have loaded the card correctly from the previous day so formatted the card & will hope to try tomorrow again. Near 1700 hrs. it was a rinse down, a superb sunset but no green flash. Supper= fettucine alfredo with turkey strips & awesome rum cake (thank you Pam once again)! An early bedtime. Clear night sky, dark, sliver moon, stars+++ & milky way!
Sun. Feb. 6, 2011 (Week 18, Day 125): Super Bowl! Also presumably just over mid point of our trip Destination: Staniel Cay Weather: sunny, blue sky, very few clouds; few dark clouds that could have given a shower but did not in the late pm; more humid as the afternoon wore on Winds: SE about 6-8K
A few sprinkles of rain during the night but otherwise quiet. Fresh cinnamon raisin & coconut bread, toasted for breakfast. Pam & Greg returned to the cave at high water slack so Greg could reshoot some underwater movies of the coral & fish that had not worked yesterday. The current was too strong to enter the cave but he successfully acquired shots at & around the entrance. Graeme took me ashore for the 1100 hrs. church service at Mt. Olive Baptist Church & purchased some diesel from SCYC. There not many people at the church service but nevertheless it was very animated, musical, warm & welcoming; I skipped out early at 1210 hrs. as Graeme was picking me up, but apparently the service went till 1315 hrs.! Lunch, Graeme went off to the yacht club to save seats for us for the buffet dinner & Super Bowl game while the rest of us napped or read or practiced complicated knots (Greg). Luggage was prepared as much as possible for the Dargavels’ departure tomorrow, we cleaned ourselves up then departed for shore for the football festivities. Happy Hour was from 1600-1800 hrs. with snacks provided then buffet dinner of BBQ pork & chicken, wild rice, vegetable medley of broccoli, cauliflower & carrots, mixed salad & a variety of cake desserts= $18.00 compliments of Pam & Greg! And a good Super Bowl game with Green Bay being victorious. The dinghy ride home was warm & beautiful in the dark under all the stars. A celebratory shot of Nassau Royale, a pleasant liqueur served cold.

Jan.25-31, 2011 (Week 17, Day 113-119)

2011-02-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

Tues. Jan. 25, 2011 (Week 17, Day 113): Destination: Sand Dollar Beach Weather: partly sunny, partly cloudy, warm Winds: E to ESE at 12-22K

Despite velocity of wind we were protected enough that we were not rocking & rolling or pitching. Poor reception for Chris Parker this am then something happened & no reception--> winds predominately E today & with increasing winds it was not ideal to relocate to Kidd Cove till tomorrow, but the Dargavels were arriving tonight & I have a need to do laundry & grocery shopping. I spent the am restocking storage jars, making up the V-berth bed with fresh linen, cleaning the mats & a quick wipe of the cockpit. R & R & reading on deck in the sun till the clouds rolled in. We dinghied to the Morrows to see how Lynn was doing with her sore throat & achy joints as well as to pass a novel on to them. A boat shower for each of us & anxiously waiting for the arrival of our guests, hoping all goes well without any hitches, while the cruisers had a gathering on the beach starting at 1630 hrs. which was well attended. The Dargavels’ flight from Miami was late leaving. Due to the rough waters & the direction of the wind we would not be able to meet Pam & Greg at Exuma Markets & asked Luther Rolle (Taxi 29) who met them at the airport, to call for the Water Taxi; he pointed out to us that he may have finished working for the day, but Elvis came through & safely delivered out guests. The Morrows were our communicating liaison as our VHF still does not transmit any great distance. Chat+++, supper= tamale rice dinner then bed. No stars & no moon so a dark night except for the mast lights & George Town lights, & it remained windy.

Wed. Jan. 26, 2011 (Week 17, Day 114): Destination: Sand Dollar Beach to Kidd Cove Departure: 0700 hrs. Arrival: 0745 hrs. Mileage: 1.32 SM/1.24 NM Weather: beautiful warm & sunny day with a few clouds Winds: ESE winds laid down about 2400 hrs.; S to SW about 10K & decreasing till nil at night

Chris Parker’s transmission was not clear this am; listened till 0700 hrs. then relocated to Kidd Cove, anchoring in 6 ft. turquoise water with 60 ft. of chain. A quick & simple breakfast this am. Pam & I did the much needed laundry & grocery shopping that I was unable to do the last 2 days; in Laundromat we met Dee Dee & Peter. Greg & Graeme did water, garbage disposal & beer purchase (Kalik cans= $40.00). We all met up at Denny’s & after returning to the boat with clean laundry & groceries returned to shore to enjoy a good but again very slow service for lunch. Denny’s was a place adjacent to the dinghy dock so we always met up with crusiers we had met along the way & also new ones also enjoying some lunch or a cold beer. Pam & I walked to Sandpiper Boutique, then met the guys at Pet’s Place--> internet. Once back at the boat a time of relaxation & socializing with the Morrows finally meeting the Dargavels. We heard of Dave’s (Firecrest) bad news when he hauled his boat today & he & Patric discovered a serious problem with the shaft; the best & quickest remedy for now would be for Dave to fly back to T.O. & get a new shaft from EMS, then return & install this new shaft & whatever else is necessary so as to slowly start back to Canada in the Spring when we can haul the boat & complete the proper repairs. After such a late lunch & then munchies at happy hour no one was really hungry. Therefore supper= rest of the tamale rice with nice fresh buns, celery & carrots with artichoke & spinach dip. The sun set was behind the landmass followed by a red sky. At night stars +++ & lightning around, moisture+++, little to no wind & flat calm water& later in the night a 2/3 moon was clearly visible.

Thurs. Jan. 27, 2011 (Week 17, Day 115): Destination: Kidd Cove to Long Island Departure: 0705 hrs. Arrival: 1330 hrs. Mileage: 40.7 SM/36.3 NM Weather: gorgeous very warm (28C/80F) & humid, sunny with clouds in the periphery Winds: E less than 2knots;>

Chris Parker was clear this am--> light winds clocking to N or a north component predicted for the next few days. From the anchorage via Elizabeth Harbour we made our way to Three Fathom Channel to Middle Rocks at 0800 hrs. Exuma Sound (Atlantic) was calm, like flat calm, mirror like, only ripples extending from the stern. There was a line of nearly 20 boats crossing over to Long Island through the perfectly clear turquoise water. The water was so clear that we could always see the rippled sand bottom, patches of tufts of grass & starfish . Pam & I spent the voyage at the bow chatting & reading in our bathing suits of course while the guys made sure Auto was doing the work correctly. 18 of us anchored in Thompson Bay close to the community of Salt Bay & ‘Sweet Chariot Too’ anchored in 8 ft. & 60 ft. of chain. After a late lunch we slowly organized ourselves to dinghy around Indian Hole Point where we walked the golden sand beach with mega tiny shells & coral & took a dip in the refreshing water while friends tried fishing from their dinghies to no avail. More swimming off the boat (83F) then rinsing off with fresh water with the transom shower. Graeme & Greg worked on soddering some loose connections from our VHR radio which hopefully is the cause of our communication problems. Nibblies & drinks, then we enjoyed supper in the cockpit = BBQ pork chops with potatoes & pork ‘n beans & oreo cookies (only 2 allowed) for dessert. A lovely sunset, red sky, flat calm water with boats facing all directions & a night sky of millions upon millions of stars. We did not stay up late enough to see a moon but got up in the middle of the night to see it.

Long Island Info: Long Island is located 160 miles SE of Nassau. It is only 4 miles at its widest part & 80 NM long. The Tropic of Cancer crosses through at the settlement of Simms. The Gulf Stream warms it’s waters in the winter & the Trade Winds cools it’s shores in the summer. Long Island is unique with characteristic high cliffs in the north, wide shallow beaches, historic plantation ruins, caves, churches & quiet self-reliant people who farm for themselves & as a major export to the rest of the Bahamas. It is made up of 35 quaint villages or settlements & farming towns named after plantation owning families spread out along Queens Highway. Of note are the churches many of which were built by Father Jerome, an architect, Anglican then Roman Catholic priest.

Fri. Jan. 28, 2011 (Week 17, Day 116): Destination: Thompson Bay, Long Island Weather: warm, humid, sunny with increasing clouds, in fact dark clouds & rain at North End Winds: SW clocking to NW, calm to 15K by noon time.

Chris Parker promised us a fine day with light winds. A short but informative session by Michael from Long Island Breeze at 0830 hrs. on VHF 18. Toast & egg breakfast then we readied ourselves for a day of touring Long Island in a rental van for the 6 of us from Stan Pinder (Blue Runner) because Hill Auto Rental had no rentals available. We landed our dinghies at Long Island Breeze, a beautiful, well managed resort by Michael. Graeme was the designated driver; right hand drive + drove on left side of the road. We drove Stan home first then continued north passing through several settlements starting at Salt Pond followed by Thompson Bay, McKanns, Millers, Wemyss, Simms, Millertons, Burnt Ground, Glintons, Seymours to North End. We were not allowed to drive to Columbus Monument because of the treacherous road but tried to find the lighthouse--> chose the wrong path. We did walk to Adderley Plantation Ruins, then lunched at Stella Maris Resort which overlooked the Atlantic. On our return trip we checked out Club Washington & Thompson Bay for dinner & because of our late lunch & nobody was hungry we continued driving south past Salt Pond settlement down to Cartwrights till dark then turned back. We had a very lovely dinner at Long Island Breeze. A 15K west wind was smashing into the dock & shoreline--> very rough such that the dinghies were pitching +++ at dockside & we were to dinghy home in this! It was now 2200 hrs. & pitch black. We were unable to get our dinghy motor to run. Plan of attack was for Larry to dinghy Lynn & Pam home--> waves over their heads! Meanwhile Michael lead the way in his vehicle to Thompson Bay Beach while we followed in our van; we would not have found our way. Then Larry picked Greg, Graeme & I up from Thompson Bay Beach--> much calmer & drier than the other’s trip. There were so very many more boats in the anchorage. It was right to bed as we were all very tired. A dark night & gazillion stars.

Sat. Jan. 29, 2011 (Week 17, Day 117): Destination: Thompson Bay, Long Island Weather: mostly cloudy in the am (threatening rain); a clearing trend mid am & beautiful, much less humid & sunny pm. Winds: clocking N to NE 8-12K, increasing as the day progressed.

0630 hrs.--> Chris Parker. 0700 hrs.--> spoke to the Morrows as prearranged; both Lynn & Larry unwell & would not be joining us for the ½ day tour to the south IF we were able to get the dinghy motor to run. 0730 hrs.--> Larry made 2 trips to drop the 4 of us off on Thompson Bay Beach; retrieved the van & drove to Long Island Breeze where the guys worked away on the motor engine. They opened the shaft which took some doing finally locating the impellar; a little bit of dirt but otherwise not bad & unable to find a replacement then reassembled. The carburetor was dissembled & cleaned, new spark plug installed & the floater valve was noted to be spewing gas; carburetor was removed again & the valve was readjusted, every opening & part was sprayed with carb cleaner & the idle engine speed was adjusted. Pam & I did some emails, returned the van & did some grocery shopping. Finally by 1530 hrs. the engine seemed to be running again. The whole day was gone! No Clarence Town, no Fr. Jerome Churches & no Blue Hole at Deans (Turtle Cove), the highlights of Long island I so very much wanted to see. And yet another wet ride home in our dinghy followed by happy hour on ‘Twomorrows’. The sunset sky was lovely. Supper= hot dogs then leftover pizza. A dark night, stars+++ & may mast lights in the anchorage. An early bedtime for most.

Sun. Jan 30, 2011 (Week 17, Day 118): Destination: Thompson Bay, Long Island to Sand Dollar Beach, George Town Departure: 0705 hrs. Arrival: 1350 hrs. Mileage: 44.04 SM/35.86 NM Weather: partly sunny, partly cloudy Winds: NNE 10 increasing to 15K (beam reach); 1 ft. rollers with curling white tops which increased in pm to 3 ft. E wind by night at about 10K

Being a Sunday there was no Chris Parker broadcast. An early start & with winds on our beam we convinced Graeme to fly our new DRS (drifter, reacher, spinnaker) as Pam & Greg were experienced with flying a DRS. At 0745 hrs. we made our maiden hoist! The boat was humming along at a speed of 7-8K on a course of 294 degrees. By 0845 hrs. the wind had increased to a steady 15K & it was necessary to stay up above the upcoming shallows so the DRS was pulled into it’s sock & we sailed on full main & jenny; the literature did not give us a guide as to the maximum wind speed for such a sail. A dolphin scooted across our bow a few times. Time spent on deck sunning & reading. The wind shifted slowly to our stern & it was necessary to head down, so a few times we tried to sail wing on wing. A sloppy point of sail + waves at Middle Rocks. ‘Escapaid’ caught a 4 ft. tuna in this location. A dolphin surfaced as we were anchoring at Sand Dollar Beach in 15 ft. water (80 ft. chain). Pam & I rowed to shore in the dinghy, walked the beach, walked the path to the Atlantic side & walked some more there. When we rowed back Tom & Phyllis (Cocoon II from B.C.) whom we met in Miami Beach & again in Bimini & Staniel Cay were visiting. Swims & showers as the Morrows were arriving for dinner. First hummus & pita bread as appetizers then delicious BBQ steaks with fried onions , potatoes & green beans for supper followed by fried bananas with butter & rum topped with chocolate sauce--> yum, yum good! Unfortunately we once again discovered dirty, salty tasting water in the same 2 floor compartments as previously; no clue as to where this is coming from. A dark night but unbelievable stars!

Mon. Jan. 31, 2011 (Week 17, Day 119): Destination: George Town to Lee Stocking Island Departure: 1130 hrs. Arrival: 1620 hrs. Mileage: 32. 7 SM/28.4 NM Weather: partly but mostly cloudy with sunny periods in George Town; clearer sunny skies as we headed north Winds: NE 13-18K; seas out in Exuma Sound ranged 2-5 ft. with whitecaps on the rollers

As usual was our 0630 hrs. listening to Chris, then we up anchored & reanchored in Kidd Cove to replenish water, diesel & gas, purchase minimum groceries & quickly use free internet at Pet’s Place. Another wet & salty trip back to the boat. We up anchored at 1130 hrs. at low tide motoring our way out to Conch Cut, then deployed the jenny & motored sail along at 6-6.5K out in Exuma Sound. Everything down below was well hunkered down as we hit a few good rollers. It was approaching 1600 hrs. when we were motoring through Adderley Cut on high tide into the calmer water. We picked up a first come first serve mooring ball #6 (brand new & more to be installed) in front of the research center--> $15.00 donation; anchoring is permissible. Tori was a young, informative full time employee that answered our many questions & told us a bit about the center--> free to hike the many paths, good snorkeling around a coral head, use of washroom & washers (3) & dryers (3) for a donation; airstrip, watermaker, WiFi an issue at present time. We are considering a tour at 1000 hrs. (1 hour in length) tomorrow before departing. Supper= hamburgers, leftover potatoes & beans & oreos. An evening of journal entry for me as I am several days behind, sleeping for Graeme & card playing for Pam & Greg. A dark night & indescribable number of bright stars.

Jan.18-24, 2011 (Week 16, Day 106-112)

2011-02-09T06:09:00.000-08:00

Tues. Jan. 18, 2011 (Week 16, Day 106): Destination: Red Shanks; the reason for not moving is in the text below Weather: hot (near 27C/80F), sunny with a few cloudy periods Winds: SE at 10K to nil after sunset

Extensive moisture on the enclosure & the deck this am. More boats had left the anchorage early in the am; only 4 of us left. After breakfast & the Net, we dinghied into town for badly needed lettuce & fresh fruit, while Graeme did another bank withdrawal, filled 3 jerry cans with water & dropped 1 propane tank off for refill tomorrow. On our way back we dropped by a boat by the name of ‘Polar Pacer’ & introduced ourselves as friends of Karen & Warren Goodyear; spent a long time chatting. A semi wet trip back home. I quickly changed into my swimsuit & pulled on my wetsuit then Graeme dropped me at the Morrows--> Lynn, Larry & I were going snorkeling & lobster hunting; Larry had a sling. Apparently yesterday a boat from this location caught 7 lobster amongst the rocks we were about to search! But we saw nothing but a huge sea turtle, several varieties of small & colourful fish, starfish some of which were huge & different kinds of coral. Disappointedly we returned home empty handed. No fish for supper tonight! The hunt was the reason for delaying our relocation. Graeme instead wanted to dinghy back to town for more water & Lord knows what else; his actions & thoughts are private or secretive & seldom shared. Happy hour on our boat. A beautiful sky with the setting sun & for a time afterwards. Supper= BBQ pork chops & pork ‘n beans. Journal entry & a wee bit of reading. A very warm, moist, super calm night with a clear sky & a bright moon that made you not look for stars; the moon was 9/10ths full & was perfectly reflected on the mirror like water.

Wed. Jan. 19, 2011 (Week 16, Day 107): Destination: Red Shanks Cays to Kidd Cove, George Town Departure: 0715 hrs. Arrival: 0845 hrs. Mileage: 6.65 SM/5.77 NM Weather: sunny with cloudy periods more so in the morning; more blue sky than cloud & warm sun in the pm Winds: S 5-10K, but by evening WSW to W calm to nil

Dew+++ this am; a good opportunity to wipe off the saltiness from the enclosure’s windows, hatches, life lines & stanchions. Apparently yesterday Black Point was under fog for most of the day & many people there had not seen fog before. What kind of an omen was that? We up anchored at maximum high tide & motored out of the anchorage retracing our steps into Elizabeth Harbour past some coral heads listening to the Cruisers Net. Several boats were on the move heading south, many to Long Island. We lowered the anchor into sand in Kidd Cove, the anchorage closest to George Town, in 8-9 ft. depth & 60 ft. of chain. Graeme did his water jug battalion duty again today (why?), was to retrieve his propane tank but the truck did not show & 1 jerry can of gasoline; I washed the cockpit including the cushions & floor with soap & fresh water + polished all the stainless steel from bow to stern. Larry & Lynn did laundry today as their guests arrive tomorrow evening & made arrangements for a taxi to pick them up at the airport so we can meet them at Exuma Markets. Hence this location. Happy hour on ‘Twomorrows’ with Dave from ‘Firecrest’ present. As much as the harbour seemed to empty this am, the reverse occurred by evening; we could see masts right across the harbour to Stocking Island. Supper= hamburgers on the grill. Full moon tonight that was a spectacular sight--> pale orange ball that rose above Stocking Island as the sun was setting over Great Exuma Island; the moon’s reflection on the water was breathtaking. Flat calm water, stars & moisture+++.

Thurs. Jan. 20, 2011 (Week 16, Day 108): Destinations: Kidd Cove, George Town Weather: warm, sunny, blue skies with some white clouds & I need to mention the various shades of brilliant turquoise water because I haven’t done so in a while Winds: ESE to SE about 8-10K

Dew+++ again this am; in fact last night at sunset I started feeling the dampness on everything. We did not bat well with weather reports this am; reception for Chris Parker was poor & we missed the Net’s report. So I guess what you see is what you get. Graeme convinced me to do a load of laundry today (darks) so nest week I will just have to do a javex load of towels & a load of bed linen before our guests arrive. No propane again today; the pumping equipment on the propane truck not working. Another jerry can of water & Graeme scouted for dinner tonight. To Pet’s Place & Deli for free WiFi for several hours. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing till it was time to go ashore for the evening. Boat showers X 2. American Airlines flight from Miami & the Morrows’ guests arrived early--> Dorcy & David Wheeler. We had reservations for dinner at Peace & Plenty for 1900 hrs., so after a pre dinner drink with introductions we proceeded to the dock in the dark, where upon I promptly slipped off the damp pontoon of the dinghy straight into saltwater as I attempted to climb onto the dock ladder to tie the dinghy up! As we entered the resort we passed a swimming pool on the way to the dining room & I simply detoured & submersed myself into the fresh water. If I was going to sit through dinner in wet clothes it was better in freshwater wet clothes than salt water! Dorsey got me a hotel towel. A absolutely fantastic dinner--> Graeme had conch fritters & I had a creamy seafood pasta + a salad. A simply lovely night, a bright full moon, stars & amazing number of mast lights stretched across the harbour & along the length of Stocking Island.

Fri. Jan. 21, 2011 (Week 16, Day 109): Destination: Kidd Cove Weather: warm, sunny, blue sky in the am & some clouds in the pm & turquoise water all about Winds: SE 10-12 K

0630 hrs. Chris Parker’s broadcast--> staticy. 0800 hrs. Cruiser’s Net. Weather predictions are calling for high winds (20-25K) Sat. pm then decreasing Sun., therefore it is best that we move to Red Shanks in the am. I washed walls in the main cabin & head, & floor in the main cabin with soap & water; I handwashed my clothes from last night’s plunge; I hadwashed some face cloths; Graeme & I went ashore to fill 2 jerry cans with diesel & returned them to the boat. Just after noon we went ashore again & met the Morrows & Wheelers for lunch at Denny’s--> grouper on a bun & curly fries (a long wait but good). We checked out the Bakery Shop by the Shell--> usually white bread ($4.00) or whole wheat ($4.50) Tues., Thurs. & Sat. but coconut & cinnamon raisin ($4.50) available by special order; 1 liquor store, Top 11 Bottom--> an amazing hardware store; Sandpiper Shop & P&P Boutique--> nice stuff! Between 1500-1700 hrs. we attended the Welcome Party hosted by the Department of Tourism; it was well attended by most cruisers; some speeches, Bahamian food, drinks & door prizes. Graeme picked up his empty propane tank while I made a quick stop into Pet’s Place & Deli to check my emails. Then home. Supper= soup as we were too full for anything else. A lovely sunset sky & a clear, dark night with umpteen stars until moon rose about 2100 hrs.

Sat. Jan. 22, 2011 (Week 16, Day 110): Destination: Kidd Cove to Red Shanks Cays Anchorage Departure: 0915 hrs. Arrival: 1015 hrs. Mileage: 6.18 SM/5.37 NM Weather: cloud cover both white & dark clouds after sunrise, sunny periods later in am & occasionally in pm; rain squalls possible Winds: W 12-15K

0630 hrs.--> Chris Parker. After breakfast at about 0730 hrs. Graeme dinghied to shore to deposit a bag of garbage, fill 1 jerry can of water & buy rolls & tortillas not bagels & pitas as requested + WD40. 0800 hrs.--> Cruisers Net. We exchanged Canadian money at par for US money ($750.00) for Tom & Chris (Polar Pacer) for when they go to Cuba. High SW to W winds 20-25K with possible squalls of 30-35K this pm till Sun., therefore we moved to Red Shanks at high tide for protection; a few other boats on our heels. We anchored in 8 ft. water & 100 ft. of chain. I have a great desire to see some of the Out Islands, but as I have mentioned previously I have a concern with weather & protected & secure anchorages; also with guests coming & their time frame I felt it best to priorize this wish list as follows: (1) Long Island, (2) Cat Island, (3) Conception Island, (4) San Salvadore & (5) Rum Cay. Thus I did a few hours of reading & familiarizing myself with the geography of where we are in relation to where these islands are located & where I think our friends would enjoy seeing. After lunch I snorkeled with Larry, Dorsey & David. 1600 hrs. was happy hour on ‘Sweet Chariot Too’--> great fun! Sunset--> I don’t remember, so it wasn’t memorable. Supper= pizza (crust= soft tortillas & the broiler worked!). Dark, cloudy & no stars tonight & moon rose even later than last night.

Sun. Jan. 23, 2011 (Week 16, Day 111): My father’s 2^nd year of his death! Destination: Red Shanks to Sand Dollar Beach Departure: 1025 hrs. Arrival: 1130 hrs. Mileage: Weather: small amount of rain during the night; mostly cloudy, cooler & drier air all day Winds: W increased about 2400 hrs. to 20-25K & clocked by am to N; by evening shifted to NE at 15-20 K

The howling night winds finally woke me up at 0200 hrs. & then I was up 3-4X checking our position. The winds had certainly shifted to the north by this time. About 0400 hrs. Graeme was up because he felt an unusual stillness & noticed we were not moving in accordance to surrounding boats--> low tide & sitting on the sandy bottom in 4’3” water; towards dawn we were floating again. No Chris Parker transmission Sun.; only weather from the Net at 0800 hrs.--> N to NE 12-15K, still O.K. to move location as planned to Sand Dollar Beach. Mike from ‘Sea Sharpe’ came over for a visit before we up anchored; they & ‘Audacious’ spent 4 glorious days in Conception Island (1^st time). I peppered him with questions re Long Island but he had not been to Cat Island. A short motor sail in 15-18K winds to Sand Dollar Beach, anchoring in 15 ft. water with 80 ft. chain; fairly calm seas & average of 15K N winds. We dinghied to shore after lunch & walked one of the many paths on Stocking Island over to the Atlantic beaches--> wide pink sand beaches, occasional tiny shells, built up shelves of sand that collapsed under foot, some sandy & some coral waterlines, occasional cottages perched at the top of high points of land; the ocean was colourful despite the cloudy weather but rough. At 1700 hrs. we left for supper at ‘Chat ‘n Chill’ by Volleyball Beach--> 4 couples (Lynn & Larry, Dorsey & David—‘Twomorrows’, Dorothy & Glenn—‘Dot’s Way’ & Graeme & I—‘Sweet Chariot Too’); Graeme had cheeseburger & I had hog snapper fish ‘n fries. At 1900 hrs. we dinghied back in the pitch dark; only a maze of mast lights, no stars.

Mon. Jan. 24, 2011 (Week 16, Day 112): Destination: Sand Dollar Beach Weather: cloudy night through to the am; dark clouds thinned & the sun broke through briefly in the am but pm was mostly cloudy Winds: NE 15-20K, whitecaps & slowly shifting E to ESE & increased velocity after dark to 20-25K

Despite the high winds I was able to sleep well. Chris Parker at 0630 hrs. was the clearest transmission yet; winds increasing today & tomorrow as well unfortunately, which may possibly prevent us from relocating to Kidd Cove for the arrival of the Dargavels; it maybe necessary that they take the water taxi from Exuma Markets--> $12.00/person round trip, $10.00/person one way. Wall washing of the V-berth & toilet & shower bench area cleaning. 1100’ish we dinghied over to the Morrows to say our goodbyes to the Wheelers; they took the water taxi across the harbour to George Town, a much drier method. Graeme went across harbour for 1 jerry can of diesel, 1 jerry can of water & garbage removal for us & the Morrows; he was drenched on his return trip. Lynn emailed the Dargavels for me on her backberry with arrival instructions. Some reading, preparing supper for tomorrow evening & making popcorn for this evening’s happy hour on the beach at 1700 hrs. Lynn was not feeling well, so only Dorothy & Glenn, Gail & Bruce & Graeme & I. A very late supper= cube steak & onions & potatoes. No sun, no sunset, no stars, no moon; simply dark, cloudy & howling winds.

Jan 11-18, 2011 (Week 15, Day 99-105)

2011-01-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

Tues. Jan. 11, 2011 (Week 15, Day 99): Destination: Little Farmers Cay to Monument Beach, Stocking Island, George Town area Departure: 0705 hrs. Arrival: 1515 hrs. Mileage: 54.63 SM/47.5 NM Weather: partly cloudy, partly sunny, warm about 25C & hazy; sometimes appeared that it might rain Winds: SE 8-10K, seas on Exuma Sound (Atlantic) variable at 3-4 ft. at times then 1-2 ft. & pleasant swells of about 2 ft.; prediction of a prolonged front followed by a trough from NE at 20-25K & possible squalls with 30-35K lasting till now Mon. & perhaps Tues.

A night of interrupted sleep; anticipation of run out on the ocean tomorrow? The SE winds during the night would increase briefly as well as the waves then diminish. Chris Parker came in poorly for the first part of his broadcast so we missed that SSB transmission; sounds if the unpleasant weather front is extended. As much as we did not want to spend an extended period time in George Town only having to arrive a few days before Jan. 21 when the Morrows have friends arriving, we felt it best to try for a secure anchorage there & not Lee Stocking Island as previously planned. Weather is always the deciding factor especially in this area of the Bahamas where there are very few spots with all directional protection. With a Batelco Tower in front of me, I phoned Mom prior to departure. We ran through Little Farmers Cay Cut at 0733 hrs. without any problems. We motored most of the way as the wind was directly on our nose with a slight shift early afternoon when were able to roll out some jenny. Why not main & all the jenny with barely 10K winds was my question? I just dug my nose into my novel. The Morrows anchored off Monument Beach of Stocking Island in Stocking Harbour (east side) rather than Red Shanks Anchorage off Crab Cay about 10 mi. further south since we were so far behind; tomorrow we hope to relocate there. We cautiously exited Exuma Sound & entered Stocking Harbour via the Conch Cay Cut, avoiding reefs, breakers & shallows to Simons Point Waypoint then Goat Cay Waypoint through the deeper channel towards the anchorage field. The sight of hundreds of masts stretched as far as the eye could see. We had to make certain that we did not anchor in the shipping lane. In 10 ft. we put out 80 ft. of chain. It was time for a stiff martini as I was having a melancholy day. Clouds for the third night obscured a sunset but there was semblance of a pinkish sky afterwards. Supper= beef stir fry with rice. Reading, journal entry then bed. There were so many more island lights & mast/anchor lights than we were used to. Nevertheless there were stars, a hazy near half moon in the sky & an east wind keeping the wind gen whirling tonight.

FYI: George Town dominates the southern Exumas; (1) end & turn around point, or (2) launch pad for voyage to the Caribbean, or (3) winter or summer haven for sometimes 300 boaters + 100 more regatta week. It does not have a harbour but instead a 9X1 NM wide strip of water separates the mainland of Great Exuma Island & the 2 east barrier islands ie Stocking Island & Stocking Harbour to the north & Elizabeth Island & Elizabeth Harbour to the south. Shelter is found on one side or the other but not all the time, & is exposed to prevailing SE winds. Stocking & Elizabeth Harbour are essentially a continuance of each other. Shoal areas, rocks & reefs are scattered around + dredged hollows. George Town offers all services.

Anchorages: (1) off Stocking Island clear of the harbour fairway ie Monument Beach, Hamburger Beach Club--> dock & path to ocean beach, Volleyball Beach -->off 1^st basin with ocean beach access, daily volleyball games, meetings & classes, Sand Dollar Beach --> spectacular crescent beach & coral heads for snorkeling (2) linked Stocking Island basins ie inside of basin #1 inside of sandspit, basin #2 (mooring balls only), basin #0 & #3 (off limits & for long term storage only) (3) Peace & Plenty Hotel, George Town (4) Kidd Cove--> south end of Regatta Point (5) Red Shanks Cays or Crab Cay--> long dinghy ride to George Town via Crab Cay Bridge

Wed. Jan. 12, 2011 (Week 15, Day 100): That’s right--- day 100 from the time we left Ottawa! Only approximately 143 days remaining! Today was also remarkable as 49 out of 50 states received snow; exempted was Florida. What’s happened at home? My grey hairs have increased 10 fold; very personal reasons may have played a big role. I am very grateful that Lynn & Larry were around; I owe a lot to them for their support in every way, otherwise I don’t know what I would have done.

Destination: Monument Beach, Stocking Harbour to Red Shanks Cays Anchorage Departure: 0900 hrs. Arrival: 1035 hrs. Mileage: 7.91 SM/6.88 NM Weather: mostly sunny, & very warm (?28C); late pm rain clouds around mainly to the NW but no precipitation Winds: ESE about 10K; late pm N

We were introduced to George Town Cruisers Net; an invitation was first announced on VHF 68 (hailing channel here) & to switch to 72; weather report, business, community announcements regatta, boaters general, new arrivals, departures & thought of the day was the program followed. Afterwards VHF was extremely busy with multi cruiser conversations. We up anchored & gradually made our way past Hamburger Beach, hurricane hole anchorages on Stocking Island, Volleyball Beach sliding down to the south end of Stocking & Elizabeth Island (now Elizabeth Harbour). Then we turned to starboard evading coral heads towards Crab Cay & Red Shanks Cays. Slowly we hugged the shoreline moving in a semicircular fashion till we set anchor down in 8 ft. with 80 ft. of chain; later I snorkeled the humps/undulations of sand locating the anchor itself. We dinghied to George Town via going under the 15 ft. fairly new Crab Cay Bridge--> a good 15-20 min. ride; further than the other anchorages off Stocking Island, but we had relocated here pending very strong & prolonged days of NE winds from this afternoon through to Sunday. We located the entrance into Victoria Lake, really a pond, Exuma Markets, Scotiabank & RBC Bank, Department of Tourism & a few hair/barber shops; but more explorations necessary. We picked up a few groceries at Exuma Markets ($60.07!); a well stocked grocery store with anything you would need if you were willing to pay the price; although some items were well priced. We will try Shop-Rite in the future where the locals usually shop, Mom’s Bakery & the Straw Market, but earlier in the day. I walked into Tranees Salon & got a badly needed hair cut immediately--> way too short, but I now see & remember that I have a cowlick on the top left of my head that I must warn people about & only then will they perhaps cut my hair more decently rather than it literally standing straight up. The others had beers at Denny’s (new joint next to Lake Victoria dinghy dock & Exuma Markets) while I walked about & had a haircut. The wind was slowly increasing when we dinghied back & that was when I snorkeled the anchor then rinsed off with the transom shower. Supper= Thai chez Morrows till 2100 hrs.--> superb! Some reading of a new novel then to bed. No sunset due to cloud cover, a mostly cloudy night & a hazy ½ moon.

Thurs. Jan 13, 2011 (Week 15, Day 101): Destination: Red Shanks Cays Anchorages Weather: cloudy; only a few very brief moments of blue sky & sun; warm--> cool but still in shorts Winds: N 25-30K & gusty; few white caps & short 1 ft. waves despite all the protection

A poor sleep with the increasing north winds at 0100 hrs.; at 0315 hrs. I was up & reading. A light sleep afterwards till 0700 hrs. therefore we missed Chris Parker’s transmission. George Town Cruisers Net seemed a little disorganized this am but all in all it is an admirable effort & informative. Winds were obviously the main factor today; Graeme let another 40 ft. of chain out, therefore 120 ft. total. We are so lucky to have relocated here as the protection is pretty well all directional. No pitching or rock ‘n rolling, hurray! But a day on the boat unfortunately; reading about the Outer Islands, watching a lone dolphin with great joy as we have not seen one since Florida & the ICW, watching a few more boats arrive & a few joe jobs. No visible sunset. Supper= leftovers of last few night’s meals. Reading & hoping sleep will come easily tonight.

Fri. Jan. 14, 2011 (Week 15, Day 102): Destination: Red Shanks Cays Weather: mostly cloudy with brief periods of sun Winds: howling N to NE 25-30K

Howling winds again today remained the huge factor--> no off boat activities, very restrictive, felt boat bound & bored; itching to walk about & explore town, unable to socialize & talk to other cruisers; thinking that with such frequent & prolonged fronts of high winds & seas that the Outer Islands may not be appropriate territory to explore. This front of weather (winds & seas) are extended till Mon. now with possibility of squalls. Some gentle rain would be appreciated as the boat is so salty. Unless you have experienced it, I find it hard to express into words the salt environment factor. We have been able to keep salt to a minimum in the cabin by removing footwear & clothing that have been infiltrated by salt & by wearing footwear for below decks only. Sleep was again only in few hour stints then few hours of listening to the unforgiving, howling winds, feeling the incredible pulling action & force on the anchor & chain & what if, listening to all the boat sounds as a result of 25+K winds especially in the dark, & thinking & worrying. The day comprised of a pancake breakfast for a change, boat shower, George Town Cruisers Net, scrubbing the shower, cooking up some hot dogs for lunch & macaroni noodles to make a macaroni salad, deciding what to have for supper & reading+++; no internet from this location. No sunset, only clouds. Supper= chicken breasts seasoned with garlic & onions, potatoes & corn. Reading then watched a DVD called Gran Torino which did distract our attention from the howling winds. To bed after medicating myself. Cloudy, slightly cool but comfortable night & N-NE winds slightly calmer at about 20K.

Sat. Jan. 15, 2011 (Week 15, Day 103): Destination: still Red Shanks Weather: heavy cloud, coolish & brief rain showers Winds: N to NE 20 -25K

Slept well. Looks like another day cooped up on boat; 2 days down 2 days to go apparently. With difficulty received Chris Parker, then Cruisers Net; some improvement in weather epected Sun. pm till Mon. pm, then increased winds that evening & night. We have spent lots of time here in George Town but not seeing anything. My back is a hair better & thankfully the pain has been confined to just across my lower back & not down my right leg; I guess the meds twice a day has helped. It might be stress; stress does nasty things as I have had also a slight burn in the stomach area X several days--> ulcer? I spent the am doing expenditure recording, a project that I have wanted to do for a long time. Unfortunately this was interrupted after lunch when I discovered all the boxes wet under 1 floor board despite being wrapped in plastic-->1/8” salty, beige coloured fluid with tiny black specks (coffee grinds from a few weeks ago?). On further inspection we discovered some of the same in the compartment just aft & only a slight wetness in the med floor compartment just in front, yet all others were dry as a bone. The cleaning process went on for hours. Where was it coming from? There was lots of garbage now between 3 wine boxes & a beer & candy box. The Morrows were coming over for snacks & dinner= sloppy joes, macaroni salad & oreo cookies for dessert (soft?). We attempted to download a program allowing my laptop to recognize an antenna the Morrows had given me--> would not recognize. No sunset, occasional relief from the howling winds. I can’t imagine how lumpy it must be on Stocking & Elizabeth Harbours; I could see through the gap in the cays to see 1-2 ft. whitecapped chop. Only a few short rain showers, no stars & only cloud.

Sun. Jan. 16, 2011 (Week 15, Day 104): Destination: Red Shanks Weather: cloudy, not as heavy as yesterday, some blue sky & sun! Winds: still N to NE 10-15

A fairly good sleep--> seems the wind was less gusty & less boat movement & noise. An uneventful & unexciting am of breakfast, Cruisers net, boat shower & journal logging. But I did notice that the Bahamian courtesy flag on our starboard side has taken a beating & has frayed with the 1^st weather front to Chubb Cay on Dec. 18^th & has continued to deteriorate. Today I noticed that our big Canadian flag flown from our port stern, compliments of Diane & Bruce Kerr, has started to rip on the upper left corner seam. Mid morning the Morrows & ourselves ventured towards Master Harbour Marina in the dinghy; appeared rough & not conductive to picking up guests. We dinghied along the shoreline to Master Harbour Villas--> nice looking rentals, a nice & handy beach & dock that would serve well for pick-ups. We met Janet (N.B.) who gave us the proprietor’s name & cell number to call & ask permission (Jerry Lawless; rentals $1500.00 per month for 1-2 bedroom). The dinghy ride home was a wet one for some; I was well prepared this time with foul weather gear all done up. The ride to & from town would be long & wet as the wind was still at 15K & rollers & chop were 1-2 ft.; will have to wait till tomorrow + most places were closed at 1000 hrs. being Sunday & only a few reopened at 1400 hrs. An afternoon in the sheltered cockpit updating & completing my expenditure records, then journal entry till dark. Still finding evidence of fluid in the same one compartment; I say it was beer, certainly not tasting salty now, but Graeme was not sure No sunset but a few gaps in the clouds revealed some red sky.

Mon. Jan. 17, 2011 (Week 15, Day 105): Happy 41^st Anniversary Lynn & Larry! Destination: Red Shanks ancora Weather: Ah hah, warm, sunny with some fair weather clouds Winds: Double ah hah, E to ESE still in the 12-18K range

No matter what, we were going into town! I needed to change the bed linen & stage laundry for when our guests arrive next Tues.; clothes wise we had faired well. Cruisers Net at 0800 hrs. while eating breakfast. We had thought about moving our location late today or tomorrow closer to town on a rising tide & expressed an interest to attend the Rock ‘n Roll Dance at Chat ‘n Chill at 1730 hrs. Bed linen laundry & laundry supplies organized. Since the weather has been consistently warm I was able to store away my warm clothes ie long sleeve T’s. vests, fleeces & thereby make room on the V-berth shelf. I bundled up head to toes for the dinghy ride to town. Not wet in this direction but going home was a different story--> winds did not decrease as expected. In town: bought the infamous regatta T 1 load of laundry--> small ($2.25 per load), medium & large washers & medium ($4.00/ 40 min.) & large ($7.00) dryers; total= $6.25 walked the entire circle of George Town + photos, checking out grocery prices at the 2 grocery stores (Mailboat arrived late Mon. pm; suggest Tues. & Thurs. are best shopping days) & located the churches & other shops until the dryer finished, RBC Bank-->$800 Bahamian from ATM to US dollars ($4.00 charge); Graeme could only withdraw $500.00 from Scotiabank internet at Pet’s Store--> free unless you use power; emailed family but tons of emails We were invited to Lynn & Larry’s for a steak anniversary dinner! I was able to find a card in ‘Accents’ before we headed back. This was the wet ride but the clean laundry & netbook were each quadrupled wrapped. A quick boat shower rinse then over to the celebration dinner. BBQ steaks done to perfection potatoes & romaine salad--> WOW! And for dessert, champagne followed by ‘Nassau Royale’. There was a sunset tonight but in this location we had an island obscuring the horizon. The winds did drop after sunset, a near full moon & stars. There was scant fluid in the compartment but Graeme had finally isolated the problem after 3 days--> the culprit was 7 beer cans stored in that compartment whose aluminium had deteriorated thus causing slow leaks!

Dec. 28, 2010- Jan. 3, 2011 (Week 13, Day 85-91)

2011-01-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

Tues. Dec. 28, 2010 (Week 13, Day 85): Destination: Warderick Wells Weather: cloudy with sunny periods but a mostly cloudy pm; cool temp of 15C Winds: NNE to NE 10-15K

A good sleep although I woke X 2 to check surroundings. A pancake breakfast listening to Chris Parker, followed by Highbourne Cay then Staniel Cay weather reports. I signed onto the internet but only after 40-45 min. was timed out---I could not have used 100 MB! At least I did get an email sent to my family. Both of us had boat showers then went to shore to pay for the last 3 day stays & find out why I was timed out; the explanation given was updates running in the background may have used the 100 MB; we bought more internet. Skip & Hariett (Moondance) showed me how to change the auto update settings. The wind was cold as we sat outside the office close to the tower doing emails so we returned to the boat to continue. After lunch Larry & I dinghied over to Rendezvous Beach & walked the trails to the ruins, the stone wall that bisected the island down to Beryl’s Beach; we then retraced our steps. Lynn & Graeme stayed back doing emails but both got timed out again. Not happy we returned to the office--- another 100 MG used up; why? Apparently something must still be running in the background or I have a virus; it was not worth buying anymore internet. We were invited to the Morrows for pizza supper-->delicious! An early night with the agreement that we would most likely depart at 0800 hrs. in the am barring bad weather. Some reading but the eyes were very heavy. A much quieter night. The wind gen had been keeping the batteries 100% charged the last few days; we had no need to run the engine except to charge my computer. Cloudy patches with some stars tonight.

Wed. Dec. 29, 2010 (Week 13, Day 86): Destination: Warderick Wells to Staniel Cay Departure: 0805 hrs. Arrival: 1205 hrs. Mileage: Weather: fair amount of cloud cover in am; clouds lingered most of the day with frequent sunny periods by 1400 hrs. Winds: E 8-9K

Still unable to get Chris Parker clearly even with an external antenna clipped up on a side stay at 0630 hrs. nor BASHRA at 0720 hrs., but it seems favourable to move today according to Highbourne Cay weather at 0730 hrs. All was readied for our departure especially anything that might go flying in the galley ie coffee pot. We flew the jenny part of the distance until it started flogging; we motored along at near 6.0K passing through the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park at it’s southernmost point at Conch Cay & past Compass Cay, Pipe Creek, Joe Cay Cut, Sampson Cay to Staniel Cay. Cambridge, Compass & Sampson Cays are locations I wish to visit at some point. We anchored in 10-11 ft. turquoise water in sand off Pig Beach (west side of Big majors Spot); 60 ft. chain let out. Graeme refueled the boat tank with 2 jerry cans of diesel-->full. The jerry cans + garbage was placed in the dinghy & we were soon off to shore. A 1-2 mile long ride to Staniel Cay Yacht Club where we refilled the cans with diesel & the dinghy motor tank with gasoline & disposed of our garbage ($2.50 for small bag/$5.00 for large bag). We will explore the location of the dump & the whereabouts of the island hopefully tomorrow. We walked around the yacht club & saw the rental cottages--> used by Carole & Bob Noble’s family 2 yrs. ago. We observed some of the happenings around this active place & obtained some useful information while having a Kalik (local beer-- $3.00). We met Skip & Harriet here; in fact all who had anchored in the north field at Warderick Wells have moved on today. There seemed to be some good anchorages north of the yacht club that we need to investigate. I had spotted a Batelco Tower on our approach to Staniel Cay so took the opportunity to phone Mom on my Canadian cell--- success! On returning to our anchorage we discovered many more boats in this huge area by Big Majors Spot. We sat in the cockpit reading facing west ready for the sunset, but clouds interfered; no green flash. Supper= cube steak with onions, potatoes & beans. Reading, journal entry then an early bedtime. Clear sky with stars & comfortably cool.

Thurs. Dec. 30, 2010 (Week 13, Day 87): Destination: Staniel Cay Weather: partly cloudy with much sun mid am till mid pm then threatening rain clouds but no precipitation; temp about 20C, warm enough for shorts & tank top but a cool evening Winds: NE to E 10-15K (variable) with increased gusts be evening

We listened to the weather report from Staniel Cay on VHF12 at 0800 hrs. over breakfast. Boat showers X2 while running the engine as Graeme needed to charge his camera battery & my laptop off the inverter; we readied ourselves for a day onshore. Firstly, Larry downloaded my photos onto his netbook, we did a pass by of Pig Beach but all the pigs had gone into the brush, so off to the government docks by the Baptist Church; we pulled the dinghys way up on the sandy beach as the tide was coming in. First stop was the bakery; 1 coconut loaf ($6.00!) &1 cinnamon raisin ($6.00!). Slowly we meandered past the library (the oldest building on the island), the Pink Pearl Groceries & Blue Wing Groceries just to check out stock & prices---scant & expensive; onto the post office, well (strewn with garbage), a picnic area by the front beach, Chamberlain cottages (brightly painted, colourful), St. Luke’s Medcical Clinic, All Ages School, Roosevelt Memorial Recreational Center (basketball, volleyball & tennis courts)-->primitive & finally the communication center (Batelco). It was noon so we thought we would try out a new establishment--> Sea & Taste Café—Dat’s Art Gallery (Bernadette’s) for lunch; huge, good cheeseburgers with fries + Kalik. We really needed to walk more, so proceeded in the direction of the dinghies, checking out Lindsay’s Boutique, the Original Straw Shop (permanently closed), the boatyard & into our dinghies to Isles General Store; the mail boat had come in late Wed. & most of the supplies had been picked over by the time we arrived (1400 hrs.). We dinghied to the beach behind the breakwaters to port of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club & sat people watching, chatting to other cruisers; lots of people milling around as there was an auction followed by free drinks & nibblies from 1600 to 1800 hrs.; the auction was well underway but the winds were picking up, the skies were looking quite dark, plus it was decreasing light in late afternoon & without the sun it was quite cool (sleeveless, no jackets) & NO evidence of free drinks & nibblies! Surprisingly the ride home was mostly dry as we were latterly surfing on the waves. Even more boats in our anchorage. At the Morrow’s we tried to connect up to the internet; we could see their secured line when they connected up so Larry bought 3 days or750 MB of WiFi= $25.00 paying by PayPal, then I would link up to his connection & we would split the cost; but with the increased winds (so we were told) our connection was if at best, only getting as few emails out. When I’m I going to get weeks of my blog posted & out? Supper= soup & sandwich, running the engine to charge my laptop again. The night was clear with tons & tons of bright stars--- so amazing!

Fri. Dec. 31, 2010 (Week 13, Day 88): New Years Eve! Destination: Staniel Cay Weather: warm in the sun but felt cooler due to the breeze; partly cloudy & partly sunny Winds: ENE 20 with gusts to 22K

Half a slice of cinnamon raisin & half a slice of coconut bread, toasted for breakfast; no the best bread we have had in the past as the coconut was actually doughy in the middle. The Morrows were over mid morning to see my WiFi antenna arrangement (poor reception in comparison to theirs for the most part) but all seems working as it should & they too had poor reception this am--> winds are up & could that possibly affect reception? We felt it was almost false advertising re availability of WiFi. We chatted the morning away making arrangements for new Years Eve Dinner here tonight & a typical New Years Day Southern-style US Supper at the Morrows tomorrow nightàChampagne in the fridge! + we watched the ‘A’ Class boat race between ‘Lady M’ & ‘Tida Wave’ which was to start at 1000 hrs. but was finally under way at 1202 hrs.--> a crew of 20 on hicking boards, 4 races planned with switching of anxious crew between races. Then at 1300 hrs. Graeme & I jumped into the dinghy to Pig Beach-->photos + we explored along the coast to the 2 other beaches & turned around at Royal Plantation Resort; we dropped into say hello to Tom & Phyllis (‘Cocoon Too’—B.C.) & we given a tour of their Crogan 42-->WOW! Home to start preparations for this evening’s feast. It was a leisurely evening of drinks & stuffed zucchini appetizers (thank you Pam!), supper= gnocchi compliments of Larry’s already made homemade spaghetti sauce, stuffed pork tenderloin, glazed carrots & potatoes. We watched a 2 hour DVD of George Carlin, I phoned Ottawa but 2200 hrs. was as long as we made it; Morrows back to their boat, I washed dishes while Graeme slept & that seemed to revive me till 2400 hrs. & the spectacular fireworks from ?Sampson Cay, then ?Compass Cay & finally Staniel Cay. Happy New Year & Best Wishes to All for 2011! To bed at last! No moon, clear skies & stars as bright & plentiful as one can imagine.

Sat. Jan. 1, 2011 (Week 13, Day 89): Happy New Year! Destination: Staniel Cay Weather: partly cloudy, partly sunny; at times clouds were so dark we thought for sure it would rain, but only drops Winds: E & brisk 15-20K; whitecaps in the anchorage

The weather report at 0800 hrs. by June from ‘Blue Yonder’ was inaudible--> problems with her antenna so what you see is what you get. The plan was to go ashore, do some emails & rent a golf cart to tour the island especially the Atlantic shores (east side of Staniel Cay). We left in our dinghys shorts & tees under rain jacket, garbage & netbook & camera quadruple bagged; we farred O.K. scooting across our anchorage but rounding Big Majors we were splashed repeatedly from one wave after another; Morrows turned back while we pressed on as we were already drenched from head to toe; my eyes burned from the salt water. Upon arriving I marched to the ladies washroom of Staniel Cay Yacht Club (SCYC) & proceeded to wash my face & arms with soap & fresh water & rinse my hair using paper towels to pat dry. I somehow was able to connect up to Exuma WiFi for free for a few hours before being kicked off. Our clothes were near dry by then. We had heard ‘Artful Dodger’ & ‘Firecrest’ had arrived yesterday & we thought we would check them out. No sooner had we packed the netbook up & were about to leave when Patric & Dave came around the corner; e heard about some of their adventures in Nassau when the blow (40K) on Dec. 26^th & 27^thblew through. The four of us took a long walk (2-3 miles) from town to Club Thunderball, passing the dump burning garbage, sporadic homes here & there, some started & abandoned, & signs indicating beach access. We returned to our dinghy by way of SCYC where we were introduced to Chris Parker (weather forecaster on SSB that cruisers highly respect & regard his predictions) & his partner Mike who gave us info re Farmers Cay & the 5F Party--> First Friday in February on Farmers Cay Festival & other tidbits. The ride home was much drier. A quick rinse down in the shower & preparation of our part of tonight’s dinner at the Morrows= hoppen john + cornbread, salad & banana bread--> delicious & stuffed! We forgot all about the champagne last night & tonight; we will have to pick a celebratory night soon. We were all pooped from staying up late last night so called it an early night. We dinghied home under a star filled night sky.

Sun. Jan. 2, 2011 (Week 13, Day 90): Destination: Staniel Cay Weather: partly cloudy for a short time after sunrise, then brilliant sunshine with only occasional clouds & wonderful warm temp Winds: E to ESE about 10K; NE by evening

While the engine was running & charging my laptop I worked away at 3-4 days of journal entries. The water seemed calmer this am so we ventured into town, but once again around the tip of Big Majors the east wind was kicking up enough that we were again getting hit by waves of salt water. Plan was to do some emails (Larry’s purchase of WiFi 3 days ago would be expiring at 1800 hrs. & he still had over 700MB remaining so offered it to me) until slack tide about noon time & then we would snorkel Thunderball Cave (in the James Bond movie Thunderball & the movie Splash). We met other cruisers that the Morrows had met in lake Sylvia Last year & who happened to be from Gimli, Manitoba & knew some people Graeme knew. Before we knew it it was 1300 hrs. The dinghies we up high & dry on the beach so we literally had to lift them down to the water. We tied up to the mooring balls by the cave, donned our snorkeling gear, except I did not have my wetsuit & made our way to the entrance of the cave. We were surrounded by a massive thick cloud of sergeant majors (used to being feed); saw orange, green & purple coral & multiple variety of fish ie yellow tail grouper, needlenose, gar & brilliant iridescent royal blue small fish, teal & green coloured fish. When we entered the cave & looked up there were openings in the rock, long roots of plants hanging down & more fish. It was difficult to swim out from the opposite opening as the current was fairly strong; on turning back we were effortlessly pushed back into the cave; we had left it too late from slack time. The water was comfortably warm but the air was cool especially when the sun went behind a cloud; next time I must wear my wetsuit. Home James! A quick shower, snacks & a drink when the Morrows came over to see if there old antenna received a stronger signal; my computer was receiving a strong connection with no booster just by having it in the cockpit. I worked away till nearly 1800 hrs. posting 2 (Weeks 10 & 11)out of 3 weeks onto my blog successfully; WiFi must have times out & I guess Week 12 will have to wait; it is impossible to post pictures as well. An absolutely glorious sunset with no cloud interference. Supper= leftover hoppen john. I finished reading Dan Brown’s novel ‘The Lost Symbol’; fantastic & a must read for everyone! No moon just a clear night sky filled with brilliant stars.

Mon. Jan. 3, 2011 (Week 13, Day 91): Destination: Staniel Cay Weather: magnificent sunny day with few white clouds Winds: light NNE 5-10K

The last of the cinnamon & raisin & coconut bread, toasted for breakfast while listening to the Staniel Cay weather report. Events of the day: dinghied to shore, no power on the island (changing generator oil?) therefore no WiFi. A stat holiday but we were able to rent a 4 seater golf cart for half a day (4 hrs.)= $40.00 divide by 2. What a hoot! No road on the island was left untraveled! Numerous stops allowing me at one time to hike atop a rock trail where I took a 360 degree panoramic movie of the Exuma Sound/Atlantic Ocean to the N, NE, E, SE & S, the surrounding islands, ocean beaches & the Great Bahamas Bank to the SW, W, NW, N. We viewed beautiful homes overlooking the Atlantic, new house constructions, Ho Tai Cay Beach from both banks on a falling tide & at low tide with a ribbon of turquoise water winding through, Club Thunderball, Pirate Trap Beach, & the Air Strip; in fact we drove across & along the airstrip. A round of Kaliks at ‘Big Dog’ before returning the cart at 1430 hrs. Nicki never showed X 1 hour so we drove the cart to SCYC for more beers & fries, handing the keys & a message for Nicki to the bartender. The bartender phoned Nicki & she was back at the office. We missed snorkeling the cave again today but this adventure all over the island was worth it. By 1600 hrs. it was cooling off as the sun was lower in the sky. After dinghying home we lifted it’s motor & fuel tank in preparation for our departure tomorrow am. A rinse off shower was in order--> dust & salt water. Supper= leftover port tenderloin, potatoes & beans. An incredible sunset but no green flash. Some new & different boats in the anchorage tonight. It was a dark night (no moon), bright stars by the trillions filled the clear sky.

Dec. 21-27, 2010 (Week 12, Day 78-84)

2011-01-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

Tues. Dec. 21, 2010 (Week 12, Day 78): Destination: Frazer’s Hog Cay to Nassau (Nassau Harbour Club Marina--- $1.75/ft. = $63.00 + $6.00 water= $69.00) Departure: 0630 hrs. Arrival: Mileage: Weather: pleasantly cool, beautiful moon over casaurina pines on shore on leaving anchorage & light dissipating clouds Winds: nice steady N wind all night & at sunrise NE at 10K & also steady

At around 0200 hrs. when the winds & current were in sync & water more calm, we got up, & hoisted the dinghy on deck. We were unaware that an eclipse of the moon was to be, but Graeme did notice how very bright it had been then suddenly dark. Back to sleep until alarm sounded at 0515 hrs. ‘Artful’ & ‘Firecrest’ had already left. An early start for our trek to New Providence Island & Nassau via NW Providence Channel toward Tongue of Ocean, about 39 NM. Another magnificent sunrise in the Bahamas. With the jenny out we motor sailed close hauled in 8-10K that decreased to 4-6K. There were 1 ft. waves with swells/rollers about 3-5 ft. well spaced so we were rolling nicely up & over them instead of pounding through them like the other day. We could see the Atlantis Resort for > 15 mi. away. Upon our approach to the Nassau Harbour we were obliged to call the Nassau Harbour Control requesting permission to enter harbour; seems that our VHF was not transmitting as well as in the past yet we were receiving very well; how does that work? We entered the west end entrance with crashing rollers to our sides into calm turquoise 40 ft. water. Two cruise liners tied to Prince George Docks on Nassau side to starboard of us + an anchorage area just before East Bridge, then under West Bridge followed by a string of many local fishing boats (? Potters Cay). On port we passed Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island then a large cluster of very colourful, brightly painted homes/condos. Nassau Harbour Club Marina was the last of the marinas on the Nassau side. We were assigned to slip #22 & nicely tied up with assistance of very capable marina staff; piles at stern & long dock leading from bow to stern (starboard tie up). A quick lunch & registered with a very pleasant lady in the office (2^nd floor); male & female washrooms (keypad 14, turn to right) with 2 toilets + 2 showers (nice); laundry facilities to left of washrooms= 4 washers + 4 dryers--> tokens from office $3.00 each. Already 1430 hrs. which did not give me enough time to see Atlantis, Cloister (14^th Century French Monastery) & Versailles Gardens on Paradise Island with proper attention. Graeme went on his own to a couple marine shops & Scotiabank ATM (0900-1500) while Larry, Lynn & I caught a bus ($1.25) across the street on Shirley (one way into town) across from Harbour Bay Plaza directly in front of our marina; we walked downtown on Bay St. (one way out of downtown)--> many liquor stores, jewellery &perfume stores (similar to Bridgetown in Barbados) + Straw Market (1/2 dozen long rows of millions of concessions manned by mainly Bahamian females, piled to near ceiling of temporary tent structure while new concrete building under construction on location of original market that burnt down; rows so narrow that hardly could walk down them; caps, T-shirts, purses, souvenirs, jewellery & trinkets). Bleachers for Junkanoo (# on seats)--> Dec. 26^th & New Years, colourful celebration parade that starts at 0200 hrs. & goes till after sunrise. At the bus terminal on Bay St. we took the #11 bus to the shopping plaza & into Starbucks for an hour of internet. The City Market is a very good, well stocked grocery store with not bad prices. At home Graeme & Pat were assembling a switch to bypass the relay in case of reoccurring failures. A late supper= Salisbury Hamburger Helper, then over to the Morrows’ boat to discuss plans for the next few days, including Christmas; ‘Artful’ & ‘Firecrest’ were staying 7-10 days or more (?) & maybe even stay. A calm night, light breeze, comfortable warm to cool temp, especially when the sun had gone, & stars.

Wed. Dec. 22, 2010 (Week 12, Day 79): Destination: Nassau to Allen Cay, Exumas Departure: 1040 hrs. Arrival: 1625 hrs. Mileage: Weather: blue skies & a sunny day with high of 20-23C (ideal) Winds: calm SSE to S 4-8K

We were unable to get Chris Parker at 0630 hrs.; Lynn did get some weather-->good for next 2 days, but unpleasant on Sun., but who knows as predictions have been suspect. We better go so we are not stuck in Nassau for too long, although 1 more day would be ideal. While Graeme fuelled up the boat tank & refilled the jerry cans, dove down to discover massive grass around the prop & shaft as he thought, & filled the boat water tanks, I hosed & scrubbed with soap & brush & Simple Green the dinghy & the deck from bow to stern including the cockpit, all cockpit cushions & transom; made good use of our $6.00 water charge. A quick shower, trip to the City Market with Larry (sliced bread, eggs, ground beef + 2 mac & cheese Caribbean style. Good byes to our Canadian travelling buddies--- Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! We were very ably assisted off the dock & back out into the harbour. We hailed Harbour Control several times but no response but someone came back & said “just leave”. Domestic batteries are not charging + the engine fan is not running! Once out of the harbour we turned the engine off, employed Pat’s homemade switch & the batteries started charging but fan was not. Do we turn around back to Nassau or to we proceed? Graeme’s decision was to press on. It was so warm it definitely was bathing suit time. The turquoise water of the Great Bahamas Bank was so clear you could see bottom (12-20 ft.). We motor sailed with jenny out at a speed of about 6.4K except through the yellow coral field (large patches that appear like a oil slick on the water). Autopilot looked after the direction while Graeme supervised & I cleaned the stainless steel with Prism & most of the enclosure’s windows. At Allan’s Cay we sited 16 boats in the anchorage & there still was 3 of us. Is there room? Will the electric windlass work? The Morrows entered first followed by boat #2 then us; we anchored along the west shore behind the Morrows & in front of a catamaran. The electric windlass did NOT work; I manually operated the electric windlass hoping it would land in sand; we were only able to put out 50-60 ft. of chain in 10.8 ft. water. I cannot pull this anchor up by hand from now until June! Seeing our frustration Larry & Lynn dinghied over for drinks & snacks, & Larry & Graeme worked on the electric windlass connection--> 2 wires not connected! So why up till recently have we had power to that windlass? Never any problems in the Chesapeake last Fall & this Spring. A lovely sunset, dinner= mac & cheese, journal writing for me while Graeme slept, then it was too bed. Clear night, bright stars & bright moon.

Thurs. Dec. 23, 2010 (Week 12, Day 80): Destination: Allan’s Cay Weather: mostly sunny, some cloud, threatening rain Winds: major factor of the day! > 20K WNW to W, but so strong that crashing waves towards south end of island & SW Allan’s Cay came around the corner creating sideway rock ‘n roll action from 0330 hrs. & all day; late afternoon, shifted to N 20-15K

No Chris Parker, good reception from Highborne Cay on VHF 06 at 0730 hrs. but no Warderick Wells reception at 0800 hrs. It was not a good day to move with rage conditions. Rage is strong winds & waves coming directly at narrow channels between islands from the ocean. Outgoing tides from the banks create large waves & confused waters with rough & dangerous conditions when entering or exiting a narrow channel between 2 islands that lead directly to the ocean whereby a boat can easily be overcome. As predictions have it, Fri. & Sat. appear better but Sun. is anything but. Our plan to go to Norman’s Cay today had to be changed & hopefully we can leave & go directly to Warderick Wells tomorrow & for Christmas Day. Batteries & windlass still functional. Some journal entry writing in Word of the past day, then some more stainless cleaning; only transom left. Several islands in the vicinity of Allan’s Cay ie Leaf Cay & SW Allan’s Cay are uninhabited except for iguanas. There are daily excursions from Nassau to here because of the mere 35 mi. distance. Early afternoon the Morrows picked us up in their dinghy as ours was still on the deck; it was too windy to try & launch it. We landed on Leaf Island & were met by several iguanas of varied sizes on the sandy beach. I tried to find the path to the east shore & ruins but found only dead ends; path must be on the next cove. We met & talked to Diane & Gerry from the catamaran ‘Babe’, returned to the boat & was entertained by a sailboat called ‘Laureat’ from Montreal (no home port flag) trying to anchor, losing their primary anchor (plough) because it was not tied down in the anchor well, deploying & anchoring with 2^nd anchor (danforth) in full reverse & when caught too close to the catamaran, retrieving their lost anchor & rode from a dinghy & reanchoring at 3 different spots. With darkness came increased N winds. Supper= leftover hamburger helper & fresh beans. Today’s journal entry done before hitting the sack. A spooky night with a howling wind, pitch dark & trillions of stars.

Fri. Dec. 24, 2010 (Week 12, Day 81): Christmas Eve! Destination: Allans Cay to Warderick Wells, Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park Departure: 0800 hrs. Arrival: 1335 hrs. Mileage: 37.835 SM/32.9 NM Weather: cloudy with sunny periods then sunny & blue skies late am for the rest of the day Winds: NNW to N 15-20K all night; N12-15K mid am; NE in the afternoon at variable strength of 7-13K; E in evening at about 8-10K

Graeme always seemed to sleep well; I on the other hand slept well till 2400 hrs. then I was up every 2 hrs. to the bathroom & observing the happenings outside. Finally it was really time to get up at 0630 hrs. & have some breakfast . Systems were all working & there was no crashing waves through the narrow cut this particular morning. We up anchored normally & out of the channel without any problems into the Allan Bank; a little sloppy rock ‘n rolling until we got further out into the Great Bahamas Bank. One good rock though sent a bin of books in the V-berth toppling over but worse was the full pot of coffee with the basket of grounds still inside that went flying all over the galley & aft cabin floors despite the stove pot clamps attached; what a mess on the floor let alone below the floor boards! We motor sailed with the jenny on a broad reach close to a run in a southerly direction. We caught the transmission from Exuma Park on VHF 09 confirming that we indeed had a mooring ball assignment in the north field--> fantastic! There are 4 mooring areas in the vicinity of this wonderful land & sea park: north= Warderick Wells; SE corner= Emerald Rock & South Warderick Wells; east= between Hog Cay & Warderick Wells; Cambridge Cay/ Little Bell Island. Anchoring is prohibited in the north & south fields. Assignments are done by the park office & announced by hailing Exuma Park on VHF 16 (opens at 0900 hrs.) then switching to 09. You can reserve one day ahead (waitlist). The wind clocked more towards our beam so we raised the main for a while cruising around 6.0-6.5K in depths of 18-20 ft. until we turned to port towards Warderick Wells---16 ft. & more brilliant turquoise water. The fabulous sunshine emphasized the beautiful variety & shades of blues & turquoise. As we turned into the northern mooring field we followed the deeper water in a circular fashion towards the park headquarters till we reached ball #11; a very strong current. It took 3 attempts after picking the line up to remove the boat hook which was extended too far & kept getting caught in the taut jenny sheets, thus preventing me from getting our mooring lines through the loop. We launched the dinghy & motor & up to the office to pay our fees: $15.00 per night for less than 40 ft. or a $50.00 membership which included 2 nights + priority booking X 1 yrs. WiFi was $10.00 for a 24 hrs. period or 100MB. The view of the north & Emerald Rock mooring fields from the headquarters was spectacular. There are a lot of trails to explore + snorkeling. Drinks & snacks at the Morrows’ boat; sitting in the cockpit with the tide falling we could see in the short distance towards the beach the floor dotted with exposed small conch shells & at sunset the lighting made the sand dunes to the west looked like snow mounds! I’m a little homesick for home because it is Christmas & it just doesn’t feel like it here. Home to make supper= hamburgers. Then it was time to tackle the cleaning up of the coffee & grounds under the floor board storage areas trying to use minimal water (not free any longer & not readily available)--> an all evening job. The Christmas Tree was placed on the table & Graeme got the lights in the cockpit in flashing red mode; some of the other boats had Christmas lights strung out in their cockpits. It was a beautiful evening & night, very comfortable temp., stars+++ & ¾ moon that came up later over the east rock & sand land formation. No Christmas Service in this remote area but a Christmas Potluck organized tomorrow at 1400 hrs. with turkey the & ham supplied by the Park; we signed up but will still have our Christmas dinner later at the Morrows (a joint effort).

Sat. Dec. 25, 2010 (Week 12, Day 82): Merry Christmas! Destination: Warderick Wells Weather: beautifully warm temp. (23-25C), partly cloudy first thing in the am but brilliant sunshine thereafter all day Winds: S to N to NE 5-10K

I slept soundly till 0430 hrs.; I knew Santa was skipping this domain this year, but I guess I was thinking of the list of things I had to do in the am. Graeme showered while I decorated the boat with little red bows & snowflakes & a Christmas bell at the bow & one for the dinghy. We had a nice Christmas breakfast listening to the weather from only Highbourne Cay this am at 0730 hrs. on VHF 06--> not good for Sun. & Mon. I made the Caesar salad dressing, prepared the peas & their fixings in a pot as well as potatoes; washed all the dirty dishes, stripped the bed & placed fresh linen on the bed. My turn for a shower. Noonish we picked Larry up & walked the trail to the blow holes in the limestone rock & to Boo Boo Hill, where many cruisers have left their boat name craved or stenciled on a piece of driftwood. The Exuma Sound (Atlantic) was quiet so there were very occasional waves that sent water through the blow holes (today merely mist & air). The trail started from the beach through light scrub & mangroves, through a place where we had to walk across a creek as the tide was not completely out & up to the top to limestone rocks, some pinky white sand & teeny tiny shells, scrub vegetation & tiny curly tail lizards. I tried my Canadian cell + Larry’s Bahamian cell at the top of Boo Boo Hill several times but unsuccessful in contacting Ottawa; Boo Hoo! We headed back; the tide was falling exposing all the small conch littering the beach floor. Back at home we gathered our donation for the potluck & our drinks & dinghied to shore to the staff quarters--> lovely building with full kitchen facilities & living room. WHAT A CHRISTMAS FEAST WITH CHRISTMAS MUSIC! It was hosted by Darcy & her husband Kevin & well attended by the cruisers from the multiple anchorages. We chatted with several people & Dennis & Nevada invited us all down to the bar--> free rum punch & dancing music! All this helped to fill the void of not having family around. We hurried back to the boat to prepare the peas, the mashed potatoes & salad & dinghy to the Morrows by 1800 hrs. for another Christmas meal-->scrumptious; much chatting then watched an Ohio Christmas Story DVD. 2230 hrs.---way past our bedtime; we dinghied home under zillions of stars. Sleep came fast.

Sun. Dec. 26, 2010 (Week 12, Day 83): Boxing Day Destination: Warderick Wells Weather: sunny till noon when we saw the definite demarcation line of a cold front (huge & very nasty) approaching from the NNE, then cloudy to black clouds & some but very little rain Winds: SW 10-15K in am; W to WNW 20-30K afternoon & evening; W to WNW 35-50K all night long!

Highbourne Cay at 0730 hrs. was the only location broadcasting weather (VHF 06) + the boat list at 0900 hrs. by Darcy at Warderick Wells Park Office; no one leaving; I wonder why! At 0830 hrs. the Morrows came over for breakfast; we relaxed over a cup of coffee then leisurely I got the French Toast & sausage & more coffee cooked; once that was consumed it was fruit cup with homemade shortbread cookies (made in Ottawa). We chatted the morning away. The winds had been increasing & soon after noon the sky was ugly. It was best that everyone return to their boats & hunker down for the blow which was now approaching fast & the winds were clocking to the west which put many boat sterns including ours close to the rocky shore. Dishes then puttering, journal writing which I had not done in 3 days; Graeme checked the mooring lines with the increasing winds & whitecaps. The W winds howled >30K with a line of black clouds in the near distance; just enough rain fell to clean the salty windows. Some more reading to distract our attention from the scary weather. A late supper= leftover turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy & fresh beans. It was really a terrifying night, so black & dark with only anchor lights visible atop many boats; the sound of the howling & gusting winds, the crashing of waves against the boat, the stern, the dinghy & the rocky shore which at night one thought you able to reach out & touch. This was probably the second most emotionally charged night I have had. How could anyone sleep tonight? I did my journal entry into the computer then more reading hoping that that would bring on sleep; Graeme did not seem to have a problem. Junkanoo in Nassau was to start at 0200 hrs. We had seen the decorations & the bleachers set up & marked for the paying public for this traditional Boxing Day family parade. I wonder how it went with these ferocious winds? I am sad that I did not see a Junkanoo yet but these weather conditions would have hampered the feastivities. Maybe there will be an opportunity to see one at New Years.

Mon. Dec. 27, (Week 12, Day 84): Warderick Wells Weather: cloudy, with brief periods of blue sky & sun, with more sunny periods in the afternoon; temp on cool side, probably about 15C Winds: W to WNW > 25-30K; gale force in some areas of the Bahamas & Florida; strong winds to continue till mid week; NE 20-25K well after sunset

A mostly sleepless & terrifying night for me; one feels so helpless & vulnerable in these conditions; at night in complete darkness sounds, creaks & groans are magnified. The 0730 hrs. weather report from Highbourne Cay & 0800 hrs. from Staniel Cay were calling for much of the same strong, gusting winds for all day with a shift of the wind to the NE which should move our stern away from the direction of the rocky shore. This is a magnificent place to stay for an extended period of time because of all the walking trails & the snorkeling possibilities; with these weather & sea conditions there has been no possibility X 2 days now. Graeme checked the mooring lines after breakfast. The wind gen has been keeping the batteries well charged, but we still ran the engine this am so as to charge my laptop; hence I did some more journal entry in Word; one of these days I will get internet so I can cut & paste my entries into my blog for friends back home to read. We were hoping to go ashore this afternoon where there might be a better connection to hook up to the internet for the 24 hr. period we had purchased. The wind did not veer much to the north nor did it lose any strength during the day, therefore we did not venture to shore to activate the internet. I have not been in contact with my family since Sun. Dec. 19^th! So it was an afternoon of reading, napping & yearning to be out on land walking the trails at least. Sunset came at 1720 hrs. with a red sky following. Supper= pork chops in maple syrup sauce, rice & beans. The whitecaps have diminished & perhaps the winds at times, but they were still very gusty & howling. Stars were in abundance; a ½ moon came up late. Sleep did come tonight with only 2 risings to check on our surroundings.