May 1, 2019 For those of you still following, we apologize for the lack of entries here. One excuse was that our laptop started to lose functioning keys. About two weeks ago we added a portable keyboard. Today someone inquired why there were no updates. Now, we write. For brevity, we will try to hit the highlights:
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February 1, 2019 WOW – this is our first post of 2019. Kind of been slacking on the blog but busy while we were in Vero Beach. We stopped there on August 25th and planned to take care of a repair (heat exchanger) to the engine. After a couple weeks of troubleshooting the decision was made to order replacement parts. Unfortunately, they had to come from Holland with a 4-6 week delivery time! At that point we decided to make Vero Beach our temporary home until early 2019. We met a lot of great folks in Vero, the city is lovely, the beach is beautiful, and the craft breweries are delicious. We even managed to earn a little money. But a few days ago, we decided it was time to leave. We have reinstated our Garmin In-reach if you want to track us. Also, we have switched to Google Fi (thanks to Anne & Mike of the sailing vessel Ta Lira) which means we will have only one phone number – no separate Bahamas phone number. We left Vero two days ago in cold, rainy weather. The first night we anchored in Jensen Beach, the second we spent in Lantana. Today, we motored down the Intracoastal from Lantana to Lake Sylvia in Ft. Lauderdale. On the way, we had to wait for 15 bridges to open for us. We had a great ride, despite torrential downpours in the morning and a couple of *&^## powerboat operators throwing huge wakes. Oh the sweet satisfaction of slowly motoring up to that big motor yacht that had just barreled by us while it waited for the bridge to open. We also saw manatees for the first time in a couple of months. On Sunday, we are expecting a good weather window to open up for crossing to the Bahamas. We’ll motor down to No Name Harbor tomorrow, anchor overnight, then hop out the Biscayne Inlet to begin our crossing to Bimini. We expect to be in the Bahamas until sometime in May, when we plan to come back to the states and work our way to New England before the arrival of another future sailor (grandchild #2)! As always, we welcome you to come and visit us when we are in the islands. Please see last year’s blog entry about the whys and wherefores of sailing with us if you are interested. And finally, enjoy some photos of our time in Vero Beach and our journey on the ICW. Two months since our last post – sorry!
A couple of highlights:
July 28, 2018 Just an update: we decided to let Blue Bonnet stay at the St Augustine Marine Center for a couple of extra weeks while we head to New England. After visiting some friends and family, we will see Meg graduate on the 17th and return to Florida on the 21st. In addition to the new shaft and repair to the bow roller we will have a few other things done to the boat. When we return, we will most likely head south. What about the hurricanes? This is a question we are frequently asked. Hurricane season is defined as June 1 through November 1, with most severe hurricanes coming in September and October. Insurance companies usually want cruisers to move their boats to points north of Beaufort, SC, during this period. However, many cruisers choose to continue cruising during this time. They identify “hurricane holes” that are within a few hours sail, places that are protected from all directions by land with a decent elevation. Also, there are several different weather forecasts that alert sailors to developing storms well in advance. And though it is hard to be precise early on, there is usually enough time and information to get a boat out of the general area of concern in advance of a storm’s landfall. Trouble usually comes to those who are not paying attention or those who think they can weather out storms and then find out the storm is stronger than predicted. So, we plan to sail whenever we can where we like and be extra prudent relative to weather conditions. Come along if you want to share the beautiful waters with us! Enjoy some pictures from our latest adventures and some random pictures from the past 8 months:
Our time in the Abacos was really enjoyable. We plan to be back in the Bahamas this fall to continue to explore all that we can.
We left Great Sale Cay in the Abacos at 11:30am on June 13 (no, Meg, we didn’t get any discounted sailing!) and arrived outside of Fort Pierce, Florida, around 6am on the 14th. Though there was some chop, the crossing was quick and mostly uneventful. We had a reservation for a slip in Fort Pierce but decided to go further north to Vero Beach, where we docked at the VB City Marina. On Friday we took a look around Vero – a very nice town. Saturday morning Robin grabbed a rental car and went to visit her parents for two weeks while Bob stayed with the boat. On June 28th, our friend Amanda Harvie joined the boat at the dock in Vero Beach. The next day, Robin came back to the East Coast. After a day of touring and shopping in Vero, we fueled up and resumed our trip north towards New England. For boats headed from Florida to points north there are two primary options: you can sail off the Atlantic coast or make your way up the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). The ICW is an engineered series of channels connecting naturally-occurring bodies of water, just a short distance from the coastline. It starts at the bottom of the Chesapeake—technically in Norfolk, VA—and continues south around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to Texas. This route allows protected passage but it is slower because of the sometimes-serpentine routes. It is also rare to have favorable winds so you will be using the motor quite a bit. Our plan is to stay on the ICW until we get to Jacksonville and then head out if the weather is favorable. More than a few sailing veterans have told us the Georgia section of the ICW is known as the swamp and that a lot of time is spent swatting the poodle-sized biting flies. After a few days of northward travel, Amanda decided that life on a boat was not for her and asked to be let off in Daytona. From there she would make her way back to her home. Though there were a few nice memories, life on the water is not for everyone. This was a reminder that we all have our comfort zones. Blue Bonnet has become our comfort zone but we cannot expect everyone to appreciate the same things. As it turned out, this may have been a fortunate turn of events. Late in the afternoon of the 3rd, we entered waters south of St Augustine where we planned to anchor and take in the fireworks for the 4th of July. We approached the beautiful Bridge of Lions and requested to pass under at the 6pm opening. The current and Blue Bonnet worked to get us there about a minute early, which was perfect. We slowed Blue Bonnet down so that we would not approach the bridge prior to the sections being fully raised. Still moving a little quicker than we wanted, we put the boat in reverse. We heard a loud CLUNK and suddenly found ourselves without propulsion. We could not make the boat go forward or backward. Immediately Robin called the bridge then grabbed a fender and headed to the bow. The bridge tender radioed back, warning that the current would push us into the city pier. Bob called a distress (Pan Pan) on the emergency channel of VHF and let out some anchor. He tried steering away from danger, but the current was, indeed, pushing us towards the pier under the west end of the bridge, and rather swiftly. To make matters worse, two big beautiful boats were tied up at the city pier. One was the pirate ship Black Raven; the other was the schooner Freedom. As the Freedom loomed closer and closer, Robin shouted to their crew for assistance. Luckily, the captain and a crew member were on deck and able to help. Our bow hit the side of Freedom leaving a small ding in her steel hull. The captain, Kevin, said the damage should be easy to buff and paint. Apparent damage to Blue Bonnet was limited to our anchor roller on the bow. It could have been A LOT worse! On the bright side, the accident allowed us to meet: the captains of both the schooner and the pirate ship, the manager of the city docks, the local water/fire rescue squad, our insurance company, a representative from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and the local US tow boat guy. Almost all of these folks were wonderful and helpful. Among the ironies of the day was the fact that the only place that Trey the tow boat driver could take us turned out to be the exact location Robin had picked as our anchorage for the night. (The city marina would not allow a disabled vessel to stay there.) The fourth of July started with a visit from a very kind and friendly FWC representative. Officer Harris assured us that we were at the very low end of incidents he dealt with, and that the damage to the Freedom looked minimal. After he left, we decided to chill and enjoy the beautiful views. The numerous fireworks displays that started before sunset that night were eclipsed by the spectacular view we had of the St Augustine city fireworks show that started at 9:30pm. Hundreds of boats were in the harbor to watch. We were about 1 mile away on the other side of the Vilano Bridge, which gave us a great view but kept us safely out of the crowd. Today, Blue Bonnet is sitting safely at the dock of the St Augustine Marine Center. Diagnosis: broken/cracked shaft and coupler. She will be hauled out Monday or Tuesday, a new shaft has been ordered, and will hopefully be installed this week. If you’re thinking that we have had more than our share of disasters, then Robin would agree with you. But it is all part of the adventure! We chose to take a room on Anastasia Island through AirBNB. Bob has had a health issue that made life at the dock uncomfortable. He is doing much better and we plan to enjoy some of the St Augustine attractions while Blue Bonnet gets mended. The Ancient City is a great place to be stranded for a week or two. Stay tuned for pictures. We plan to hit up several museums, restaurants, beaches, and maybe a ghost tour or two. Boo! Thanks to our friends Glenn Becker, Angela Smith, Boozle, and Lola on “Kai Makani,”we have some great pictures from Powell Cay. (We will be returning here for lobster season.) Enjoy! We have decided that we need an underwater camera. There have been so many cool things to see in the water – almost always when we don’t expect them. Two days ago we stopped at Manjack Cay – there is supposed to be good snorkeling, a neat mangrove for kayaking, and some sharks to swim with on the east end. We did a short 20-minute kayak ride and then the weather started to look dubious. It was early in the day and our boat had swung in a full circle because of shifting winds, so we decided to move up to Powell Cay. We found good holding and some great snorkeling.
Thursday’s thunderstorm missed us by about 10 miles, so we encouraged our friends Glenn and Angela to join us on Friday. Just as they got to the anchorage a storm came up. Instead of snorkeling they invited us over for a movie and popcorn – not a bad deal! We watched In the Heart of the Sea. Good nautical movie. Today we snorkeled on the east end (ocean side) working our way back towards the anchorage. We saw juvenile spotted drums – a very small but cool looking fish. We were also able to find the Batfish we spotted yesterday – a very odd looking fellow. Glenn and Angela have dived in Indonesia and other places, and they were able to point out (and name) some other very cool sea life for us. We also saw a few Lionfish – pretty to see but they are an invasive species that is doing tremendous damage to the reef systems. We are looking forward to snorkeling tomorrow and spearing a few of those suckers. We also saw our first lobster in the wild – though they are out of season so we didn’t bother him. There are many large starfish around this harbor and lots of urchins. The weather is kicking up again this afternoon so we are back on Blue Bonnet watching the storm pass by. In addition to finding the right underwater camera we have also decided that we need to replace Pudge. She is a good boat but not a great dinghy. We would be able to see more and do more with a slightly more powerful and more stable boat. We'll let you know how our first excursion with the Hawaiian sling works out! It’s May 31st as we write this, and today we are anchored off of Tahiti Beach. This beautiful beach is on Elbow Cay, the same island that is home to the quaint little village of Hope Town. So far, these two spots would be our suggestion for anyone needing a great place to escape to. Lots of places to rent on the island at varying price ranges. (Although, if you need a short, inexpensive break, just come sail with us!) So how did we get from Black Point to this point? We set off on May 22nd, and the wind was just right for three great days of sailing. In these three days we covered over 120 miles and motored only for a bit at the start and end of each day. Compare this to the week before where we covered 45 miles in 3 days of motoring into the wind and seas and burned fuel for over 15 hours – no sails. Needless to say, sailing is better and quieter! We stopped first at Leaf Cay (next to Allens Cay, near the top of the Exumas), where Robin finally got to feed the iguanas. On the second day we made it to Spanish Wells where we picked up a mooring (tiniest, tightest mooring field known to mankind), and met up with our friends Glenn and Angela. Did we mention that Angela is a gourmet chef? After dinner out with our friends, we strolled through a bit of the village of Spanish Wells. This village has an unusual history. Settled first by shipwrecked Puritans from Bermuda and later by disgruntled American Loyalists after the Revolution, today many of the residents still share the same last name and gene pool. And the island is no longer dry! Although we had read many things online saying that the island residents were not visitor-friendly, we found quite the opposite during the brief time we were there. The next morning, we set sail for and anchored in Little Harbour on the southeast side of Great Abaco Island. From here, we scooted over to Marsh Harbour Marina to wait and see what Storm Alberto was going to do. The marina was nice, Marsh Harbour offered good shopping, lots of restaurants and a low- key shelter. There we caught up with Gary and Theresa on their Morgan 41 (like ours, only 8 years newer) and caught up with two other sets of boat friends who had the same plan that we had. After leaving Marsh Harbour, we headed out to anchor off Tahiti Beach. We’ve been able to enjoy the funky floating boat bar on the beach and watch a new acquaintance named Ryan fly overhead in his paramotor (a motorized hang glider). Ryan is from Canada and spent a month learning how to fly that contraption. It made Robin’s heart stop to watch him take off. Later in the day, we dinghied over to a local marina with Gary to watch a faux Junkanoo procession. Junkanoo is a street festival/parade that takes place on Boxing Day (December 26th for us Americans.) Folks dress up in colorful feathered costumes and masks and dance through the streets to the sounds of horns, drums, and cowbells. It was fun to watch the mini-parade and has made us determined to be back in the Bahamas to see the full festival this holiday season. After Tahiti Beach, we spent some time snorkeling off the northern tip of Guana Cay. This was perhaps our best snorkeling so far. The reefs were beautiful and the fish were outstanding. We saw a huge barracuda (about 4 feet long, huge to us!), and a nurse shark, plus many colorful reef fish. AND our friend Angela treated us to gourmet meals, amazing chocolate desserts, AND let the rest of us beat her at Mexican Train! Right now we are in Green Turtle Cay hanging with our friend Tom of New Life. Tom has been helping us troubleshoot our water maker and some electrical issues. Yesterday, we made a seven-mile bike ride into New Plymouth, where we had lunch, coconut cream pie (YUMMM) and a banana daiquiri. It was hotter than heck, and Robin doesn’t believe she has sweated like that EVER! For now, our overall plan continues to include a trip back to Florida before the end of June. After that, we will make our way towards the Chesapeake, with a planned arrival date sometime in early August. For now, enjoy the pix! Here are some things to know about the friendly little village of Black Point:
-The cops on the island are the friendliest anywhere. Sergeant Smith even has his own hit record, which he may play for you at Scorpios if you ask him nicely. -“Plucker” is the name given to a green liquor concoction expertly made by Mr. Turnquist. It is also the term used when a woman who has had a few too many falls off the dock and into the water while boarding her dinghy: the husband in the dinghy becomes the “plucker.” -The “secret’ to Black Point barbeque sauce: take your favorite sauce and add copious amounts of coconut rum. -There’s a handy place to drop your garbage right off the public dock. Don’t forget to leave a donation in the box to support the local school. -Black Point has a population of around 300 people and there are at least 3 churches along the main drag. - Lorraine’s has a buffet for cruisers which is a great deal. (The ribs are DELICIOUS!) Get there before 2:30 when the fast boats come in for lunch. Also, Lorraine’s mother makes the best coconut bread we have ever had! We were lucky enough to also get coconut, cinnamon raisin bread! - The “blow hole” is worth a short walk. -The “garden of Eden” is half a mile from everywhere. It’s also no longer much of a garden. -Naked swimming after sunset is still not a good idea in a crowded anchorage. However, we will need to return to find the answers to these burning questions: -Will Smashie bring home the trophy or will Cedric’s boat be ready for the big race in August? -Is Captain Nick’s card still up at the laundry? -Is the Black Point laundry really the best in the Bahamas? “Windward” is the side where the wind is hitting. “Leeward” is the side where the wind passes over. The leeward side of an island is the “protected” side and preferred for protection by boats at anchor. By many accounts, this season for sailing has not been great in the Bahamas. Of course, for people who have only been on a boat for about six months, the sailing—and life at sea—is still great! But, we have had to sit out some heavy winds, storms, and bouncy seas at anchor, on a mooring, or in a marina. This only pushes us to make the most of the good days.
We have made a decision. (Like all of our decisions, this one is subject to change.) We turned the boat north after Black Point instead of continuing to points south and east. We will head towards Spanish Wells on Eleuthera and then Marsh Harbor on Abaco. From there we are planning to head to Florida and start a trip north for the summer. We are not sure how far north we will go – may leave the boat in the Chesapeake or keep going to New England. This will allow us a little peace of mind for hurricane season. We will then plan to head south at the end of September/early October so that we can continue exploring the Bahamas. More to come… |
AuthorRobin and Bob recently quit their jobs, sold all their belongings, and headed south to begin a new life on the sea. Check back here to find out how life adrift is going. Archives
February 2019
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