After 3 years, someone finally told me that starting a cruise on Friday was bad luck.  So this year we delayed the start until Tuesday the 6th of March.  I should have gone with the Friday.  We were ready to push off about 2:30 Tuesday when the starboard engine refused to start/continue running. Did we start the cruise?  We stayed on the boat Tuesday night at the dock with the promise that a mechanic would be down at 9:30 in the morning to work on the engine. I was convinced that it was a fuel problem, perhaps a fuel pump. No pix for Tuesday.  Let's start on Wednesday morning and pick up the story.  

	Wednesday, March 8 No mechanic at 9:30.  Marina says a slight delay.  I call again at 10:45.  He is on the way, should I call him back?  No, no.  I need a pro to look at this engine.  Meanwhile I swapped fuel pumps between the engines.  No help. I drained the carbs and after the second time, things seemed to be running.  11:15, the tech calls and asks if this is a good time. I said no, 9:30 would have been a good time.  He reports he is still at the marina.  I tell him stay there. Finally at 3:30 we clear the marina.  A huge flock of birds blocks the channel out.  They finally split and let us through. Half way to Melbourne the motor stops but starts right back up.  Sound of Jaws music. Fueled up at the Melbourne Harbor and proceeded down the ICW with our buddy boat towards Marker 21. About a mile out the engine quits and will not restart. But we continue on and anchor at Marker 21.  I consider the options for tomorrow.
	Thursday, March 9 Thursday morning we sailed back north to Palm Bay Cove and anchored in the river.  A mechanic from the marina came out and declared that it was a fuel problem but not in the motor.  He left and returned with new fuel fittings and filter element.  After installation, the motor fired up and ran well.  He left and we started down the river. Probably got a half a mile when the motor stopped.  It was bouncy in the river so we went back to the Melbourne Yacht Club and tied up on the T-Dock. The mechanic came back and ran some diagnostics on the engine.  He was clearly baffled. He left with the promise to research tech bulletins in the morning and get back to me. Left is Stardust at Marker 21 on Thursday morning.  They headed out to the south figuring we would soon catch up. yea right.
	Friday, March 10 Left, morning from the T-Dock at the yacht club. I fiddled with the motor while waiting for the mechanic. I also searched for a complete new carburetor.  I had posted to the Maine Cat Yahoo Group.  One guy had had a problem like mine and it was only solved by a complete new carburetor. I also spent some time looking for a new carburetor on the phone and the internet.  Three business days was the best deal I could fine. Then the marina called, no luck on the tech bulletins. But, they had a motor in stock and could remove the carburetor and order a replacement.  I passed for the time being as the motor seemed be running better.  Had it under load at the dock and it would not quit. A little after noon we left the dock.  The motor ran for 18 minutes and then shut down.  Back to the dock where I confirmed good spark but no motor running. Jack Leahy came down to commiserate with me and started throwing out suggestions.  We tried swapping fuel pumps between engines.  We rigged gas from the opposite tank.  Finally, we decided to swap carburetors. I had not wanted to that as it is difficult to remove the carbs and I was removing the carb of a working engine.  Jack and I on the left. We started by removing the "bad" figuring to learn on that one. Hey, that motor did not run anyhow. We took it off, disassembled and inspected.  It looked fine so we put it back on.  Did not run.  So we took it off again. Then I took off the working carb.  As Jack slid the carb off, I noticed that the gaskets on the good carb were not in the same sequence as on the bad side. We check the manual.  Good side agreed with the manual, go figure. We put the good carb on the bad motor with the good gasket sequence. Amazing, the motor fired back up. We then put the "bad' carb on the good engine with the right sequence.  It fired up immediately. Planned to leave at the crack of dawn on Saturday.
	Saturday, March 11 And, we are off for the fifth time.  Left early for Ft. Pierce and Faber Cove. The river was flat for the first two hours. About 11:45 we passed Peter Dube's Dream On in Wabasso.  Peter tried to make it down to the dock but missed us by that much. At 2:17, the port engine shut down.  I tilted it up and continued to Faber Cove.  Once there, I changed out the fuel filter for a used one that was at least in better condition.  Then I got on the phone and tried to find a replacement element. The only place that had one in stock was in Ft. Lauderdale. They had four.  Why can't they spread them out? Then Jeff McGinn called. I had thought we might meet the McGinn's in Ft. Lauderdale Saturday night.  Not on my schedule.  I had forgotten Jeff was there.  I told him about the West Marine on So. Federal.  His daughter's volleyball tournament was 2 blocks away. He agreed to get me a couple of filters and meet us in Manatee Pocket for lunch the next day.
	Sunday, March 12 Off to Manatee Pocket.  The we meet the McGinn's for lunch and two new fuel filter elements.  We also went to West Marine and got some dry gas for both tanks. But, did I take the camera to lunch for a picture?  No We went back to the boat and installed the new filter secure in the knowledge that our engine problems were behind us. Next to us in the anchorage is this boat. From?  Did you guess Liverpool? I do not want to know he crossed the Atlantic in that boat. Meanwhile, Faye's back is beginning to spasm. Alleve lets her sleep.
	Monday, March 13 We left Manatee Pocket early and observed this scene in the harbor.  The guy claims the bird helps him spot fish for a percentage. If you look back to the 2004 cruise you will see this bird strutting around my boat.  Maybe just a close relative. The plan was to meet Harvey and Nancy Melfi on Stardust in North Lake Worth. As we turned into the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), the port engine stopped.  It ran most of the time for the rest of the day if I pumped the bulb and did not ask it for more than 75% power.   The bridges on the ICW were a disaster. Without full power and with a 20 kt head wind, we could not make the three miles between bridges in 30 minutes. The bridges on this section open on the hour and half hour. So it was an hour for 3 miles. Groan. Then, due to a barge behind us, the bridge tenders started to modify the schedule slightly.  By the time we got to the last bridge we had a serious convoy of 8 small boats and a barge that had to keep headway to steer. Can you say goat rope. Dinner with Harvey and Nancy aboard Stardust.  Happy Birthday Harvey.
	Tuesday, March 14 This was a lay day in North Palm Beach.  We went grocery shopping with Harvey and Nancy.  Stumbled into a great deli, Gondolfo's.  Just south of PGA Blvd. on the west side of US1.  It's in an abandon Winn Dixie shopping center. I have on order some new fuel system parts.  We are hoping to pick them up about 10 miles south on the way to Ft. Lauderdale.   Current plan is a crossing Thursday night and Friday. Weather forecast is good for that time. To the left, moonrise over the North Palm Beach anchorage.
	Wednesday, March 15 We left early to try and catch some bridges that had closed hours in the morning. The first was 8 miles down and only opened at 8:30 between between 7:30 and 9:30.  Yea right. We found that almost 100% of our bridge information was obsolete. But, we were picking up bridges without too much delay. Five bridges later we pulled into a marina to pick up our parts that had been delivered there. Faye went off to find the parts.  I thought she must have found some quaint shops. Turns out they couldn't find the parts. The guy who knew where they were they couldn't find. After a half hour some guy said, "Oh, you're the catamaran. I was supposed to run these out to the dock for you. Sorry." Saw this boat on the ICW.  What keeps it upright? Down the ICW and at 12:20 the port motor quit. New parts are not installed at this point.  It ran and then quit till we got to Ft. Lauderdale. We arrived at my friend Larry Wilkin's house with only one motor running. He got in his dinghy and pushed us into a tight space on his dock. Dinner, conversation and beddy-bye.
No picture today.  My fault	Thursday, March 16 Up early and I examined the in-line fuel filter in the port motor.  Looked good but it took me 45 minutes to get it back in place. Larry came down and we discussed the problem.  Of course the motor was running fine at this point. I went ahead and put in the new fuel line parts but we could not really find any smoking gun in the old parts. When businesses opened I called around again to Yamaha dealers.  No  carburetors be had. Larry convinced me that a guy should have a spare after listening to my story. So, I went on line and had one shipped to my house. Should be there by the time I fly back for the wedding. More house keeping and we left Larry's about 4:00 and took a mooring near the Las Olas bridge. Weather forecast was still good for a crossing Thursday night and Friday.
	Friday, March 17 Up at midnight.  Almost ended the voyage leaving the anchorage. We were in a protected part but to leave pulled out into a part of the ICW where current from through the Las Olas Bridge took over. I was swept toward a big boat with a bow sprit. Missed it by about 6 inches. Coming out of the inlet there was a group of freighters. Most were anchored waiting for daylight or a pilot. Suddenly it was clear that one was moving toward me.  I zigged when I should have zagged. The pilot boat headed toward us when it finally became clear that we would miss the freighter. Not by enough. Left, I contemplate our course taking into account the wind and current. And an unsolicited plug.  We checked through customs and immigration at Old Bahama Bay, West End. They were helpful, efficient and courteous. Good experience.
	Saturday, March 18 Just when I was starting to wonder why I do this, I remembered today.  We left Mangrove Cay about 9:00 and sailed to a coral head where I have always had some luck with a fish or two.  Not today. We then went out to a coral head we had seen while leaving last year.  Turned out to be a really small head but it was loaded with lobster. Most were small but there were two really nice ones that agreed to join us for dinner (left). Then we were able to sail most of the way to Great Sale Cay and anchor in the middle of nowhere. Okay, we caught up with Harvey and Nancy there. Thanks Dick and Lynn.
	Sunday, March 19 We motored to the top of Great Sale Cay and then were able to sail most of the way to Allens-Pensicola Cay.   There was a dinghy raft up at 5:30 and we met most of the folks in the anchorage. I think a couple of the boats are near permanent residents there. When we got back to the boat, I noticed that the holding tank was near overflowing. This is not good. I had thought I drained it earlier. That meant the outlet was plugged, probably by marine growth.
	Monday, March 20 This was a seriously sh...ty day. It started when I thought it would be tacky to fix that holding tank in the anchorage. So, we moved offshore slightly.  I was thinking that we would be going back so I left the dinghy tied off to the back of the boat. The tank fix went quickly and I was back in the boat in under a minute. Meanwhile the weather forecast had updated and the anchorage folks, including our buddy boat Stardust, decided it was not good for another day. So, I decided to put the dinghy on the davits.  While doing so, the line from the davits to the dink caught my glasses and fired them overboard. We dove for an hour but they were never found. We gave it up and headed for Green Turtle Cay.  It was blowing 15 on the nose of course. At 10:35 the port motor quit after 22 hours of run time after the last fix in Ft. Lauderdale. That left us making 2 to 3 kts into the wind on one motor. I finally got it restarted just at the harbor entrance to Black Sound. This was better than you might think. Stardust had us for dinner and a lesson in mexican train dominos.
	Tuesday, March 21 Harvey had secured us a mooring in Black Sound Green Turtle Cay (Left) but it was good for only one night. Then Tuesday morning Donnie at Donnies Rentals informed us that we could stay Tuesday night. But, as we were paying him the moorings owner called and said he needed it. Donnie said he would be out with information on another mooring. As I prepared to move, I checked the fuel levels. The poor starboard motor that had taken us down from Allens-Pensacola was nearly dry but I figured it would get us to the next mooring. Donnie pointed us to a mooring and off we went.  After we had tied up with help from Harvey and Rick, we noticed some writing on the mooring. Harvey came over and rotated the mooring so we could see it. It said, "Unsafe, Do Not Use".  We thought we should check with Donnie later. As I returned to the bridge deck I noticed that the starboard engine had quit. Out of fuel. Later in the day after a measured answer from Donnie, I dove the mooring and confirmed that it was okay.
	Wednesday, March 22 We pushed on to Marsh Harbor today.  The weather forecast was correct and we were able to sail the whole distance including the Don't Rock Channel.  Just after don't rock we had a wind shift and brief gust registering 20.8 on the anemometer.  That while we made 8.5 kts down wind. I had to steer off course to keep the boat from jibing. Fortunately, soon after the wind dropped to 5 and we were able to jibe and sail the rest of the way to Marsh Harbor.   The Stardust crew suggested rib night at the Jib Room. I had never done that so off we went. Left is the limbo contest.  This pro went under a flaming low bar and yes lit his smoke from the bar on the way under.
	Thursday, March 23 Thursday morning was touted as WD-40 for the mind morning. This mornings activity, making conch horns. That guy in the background is using an angle grinder to make the cut. Meanwhile the weather forecast is bad for tonight and tomorrow morning. Not deterred, we had the Stardust and Island Time crews for dinner. Just as folks were packing up, and in a mere 11 kts wind, the anchor let go. Fortunately we quickly got it reset in a new spot. Sure enough, the wind kicked up into the high 20's about 11:00 PM. Most folks had an anchor watch and the radio was active. A couple of boats got loose but we stayed stuck.  By 2:00 AM it had calmed down and we got a little sleep.
	Friday, March 24   This morning it really got crazy. A squall line came through early.  I read a peak of 39 kts. Ferries were unable to dock and were circling near Incommunigato. You could only see them when they got close as the visibility was really low. I had the motors going at an idle to take pressure off the anchor. No problem.
	Saturday, March 25 Still in Marsh Harbor and we went over and visited another Maine Cat we had seen in the harbor, Plantos. We had tried to radio them but from a distance could not really make out the name, go figure. The Plantos folks were from Ft. Pierce and had been out for a year.  Bill had made some interesting modifications to the boat to make it more liveable. I took a lot of photos as I thought some of the changes were definitely improvements.  You can see one in the photo. He has added tracks for sun shades around the boat. These are handy in the morning and evening when the sun angle is low and come in under the hardtop.
	Sunday, March 26 Still in Marsh Harbor.  In the evening we visited Lenny and Nancy on Island time for appetizers. Far left is Lenny then Skipper the new boat dog, Harvey and Nance from Stardust. Skipper joined the crew this year and has taken to cruising quite well. Ask me about how Skipper got adopted.
	Monday, March 27 To Little Harbor
	Tuesday, March 28 At Little Harbor
	Wednesday, March 29 Sailed back to Hopetown today.  Left is a new house being built.  For some reason I have not been able to get a picture that captures the light lime green shade of this house.  Looks like it is going to be a rental unit and I suspect this is a four family house.  It has a great view of the harbor and light house.
	Thursday, March 30 Off to the Marsh Harbor airport this afternoon for a trip back to Florida.
	Friday, March 31 Well, this is why I flew back. The top photo sets the scene. The wedding ceremony was on the beach south of my house. I have been to weddings on the beach before but this was by far the most organized. A limo brought folks from the reception area down to Coconut Park. It was fortunately a beautiful evening. How do you arrange that. Below, the ceremony proceeds.
	Saturday, April 1 Nothing happening except some chores.
	Sunday, April 2 Started back to Hopetown on the early VPJ flight. Not early enough. They stopped at Treasure Cay on the way to Marsh Harbor. When I got to Marsh, I snatched my bag from the handler, whipped through the airport, and hailed a cab. We made it to the ferry dock at 10:32.  The ferry was 200 yards out.  This despite radio pleas from the cab driver on the way. I waited for the 12:15 ferry. Faye, Harvey and Nancy were waiting for me on the dock at Hopetown. Harvey had a winds and waves forecast that said Monday was the day to make for Eleuthera. The marina in Hopetown was closed. We made for the Sea Spray to gas up. But, they ran out of gas before we could get there. We loaded up with water and went down to Lynyard Cay to await the dawn. We anchored down from a 120 Ft. yacht. Only the best neighborhoods.
	Monday, April 3 There was a contrary weather forecast for Monday that had 4 to 5 foot seas and high winds. By some good fortune, Harvey's forecast was right on.  It was a beautiful crossing although it was motor until the last hour. Left the sunset at Royal Harbor.  Incommunigato along with 10 other boats.
	Tuesday, April 4 Went over to Spanish Wells for provisioning, garbage dump and to investigate transport to the North Eleuthera Airport.  Noted plenty of ferries going to to Eleuthera including this mismatch.   The mooring field normally run by Cinnabar was being temporarily managed by a couple from Connecticut. They informed us that we could arrange a greeter and transport from the airport at Pinder's Grocery. We went there and got DJ and Norma on the list. for Friday.
	Wednesday April 5 We went back to Royal Harbor and cleaned the bottom of the boat.  Then off to tour the ruins. We were greeted by a new sign, left.  However, no one seems to pay any particular attention to the sign.  As one cruiser said, "It doesn't say no trespassing."  We later discovered that the had been completely surveyed the previous year. Then a question about title to the land arose and no one has heard anything about a sale since. That on April 5 but not for long.
	Thursday, April 6 The wind was low today so we headed out to a wreck near Royal Harbor. Fortunately, part of the wreck is awash as the location shown on the GPS is way off. This wreck is the 250 ft. Arimora, a Lebanese freighter. After a snorkel on the wreck, during which the dinghy motor started to act up, we returned to Royal Harbor. Dinghy motor problems would persist for some time.
	Friday, April 7 We were on the radio early to Spanish Wells early. At 7:45 they called back and said there were two moorings available.  We immediately weighed anchor and headed for Spanish Wells. When we got there, there were three moorings.  Five minutes later, there were none. We prepared to meet DJ and Norma, Faye's brother and sister-in-law. They were supposed to land at 2:25 and get the ferry to Pinders store. About 2:20 we saw a government ferry stop in an odd spot near the east end of the harbor. Gee, first time we noted a stop like that. At 2:45 we left for the dinghy dock at Pinder's Market. There were DJ and Norma waiting on the dock. They had been left off  by the ferry we saw and had to walk to Pinder's dock.   Left, I take DJ and the first load of luggage to the boat.
	Saturday, April 8 We shopped, gassed up and headed for Royal Harbor. As we left there was a boat waiting for our mooring. Got to be quick. We tried to dingy in to see the ruins but waves were coming in the harbor entrance. And, the dinghy motor started to act up again.  So, we aborted and came back to the boat. Left, DJ and Norma catch their first conches of the trip.
	Sunday, April 9 We left early for Hatchet Bay.  I wanted to catch the current at the Current Cut.  Unfortunately, I completely miscalculated and we were making 1 kt against the current through the cut. After clearing the cut, we were able to sail toward Hatchet Bay.  But, about 5 miles out, a really bad looking storm appeared on the stern.  I thought it was moving away but no.  It overtook us and we had to drop the sail as it approached. Faye got drenched. Fortunately, the rain cleared as we entered Hatchet Bay.  This bay is completely surrounded by high ground and has a very narrow entrance. Good protection from everything and free mooring balls. Pay no attention to the date on the photo.
Picture of a nice fish caught by DJ when I can get it from Norma's Camera.	Monday, April 10 We briefly walked around Alice Town at Hatchet Bay in the morning. Not impressive, but the cheapest ice we have seen at the Lutra Water Store. The forecast is not good so we decided to run to Rock Sound, good anchorage in NE winds so the book says. Again we were able to sail but then were overtaken by a storm. Got in in time to anchor in the daylight. You do need to tuck in here. After dinner aboard, a tanker came in in the dark and was just outside the anchorage area.
	Tuesday, April 11 Looks like we are in Rock Sound for a while. The forecast is 20-25 NE or 25-30 NE for the next few days with "possible squalls." More on that. We walked into town and went to the Haven Bakery for lunch.  What a delight. Mr. Julian Smith, the proprietor saw us looking at the posted menu, see second picture.  He informed us that it was there for only sentimental reasons and had not actually been in force for many years. He got us seated and gave us the daily specials.  He also noted that nothing on the menu was approved by weight watchers but we could watch weight.  He then turned to give us a profile. We had a really good and inexpensive, by island standards, lunch.  This place is definitely on the approved list. Left, Faye and Norma with Mr. Julian Smith. In the next few days we found that the people of Eleuthera are some of the most friendly folks we had ever come across.  Everyone was helpful and always went beyond what was asked. We were also in for the longest stretch of bad weather that I have ever seen in the Bahamas. They had not had rain in months.  But today and  stretchingthrough Friday we had 70% rain with wind from 20 to 30. We were pinned down in Rock Sound. The good news was that this was the weekend of the Rock Sound Homecoming celebration. That meant food stands, crafts, and of course music till 4:00 AM.
	Wednesday, April 12 Meanwhile, the dinghy motor continued to act up. I had been running on the internal tank and filtering gas into that from the external tank using a coffee filter. The coffee filter always showed up with small black particles. Since there was some gas in the internal tank from the external tank that had not been filtered, we suspected that particles were in the carb. We finally committed to pulling the carb and sure enough found crud in the carb.  Fortunately, one of DJ's hobbies is working on old outboards. We got the carb cleaned out and I installed a filter in the line from the external tank. I can confirm that that was the end of the dinghy motor problems. I can still see junk coming out of the external tank but it is caught in the in line filter. Left, one of many rainbows we saw this week. Probably due to raining all the time.
	Thursday, April 13 Since it was raining and blowing 20 to 30 from the NE, we decided to rent a car and explore the rest of Eleuthera that way.  This was a picture rich day. I hardly know what to show. We got as far as the Glass Window. What a day for the Glass Window.  The Glass Window is a natural arch between the ocean side and the bay. The water was calm and beautiful on the bay side. The ocean side was in a rage with waves crashing and sending spray up to bridge height. Faye and Norma were posing for a picture on the bridge when a big wave hit and gave them a bath. I did not get that picture as I was myself getting drenched and was attempting to save my hat. Left is the ocean side.  I tried to catch the intensity but it was not to be. On the way back we stopped at the Haynes Library in Governor's Harbor. Nice library and a really speedy internet connection. That's where the last web update came from. We also found a Laundromat and got some clothes done while I updated the web site. We stopped at the Hatchet Bay caves.  Bigger than I thought. Too bad we did not bring some lights. Got pix but the next stop was even better. Left is to me a natural wonder.  It is hard to scale this thing. This Banyon tree or forest is hugh. The Swiss Family Robinson would be proud. We got back and got some of Bertha's Ribs to go  at the homecoming celebration. Back to the boat for dinner on Bertha.
	Friday, April 14 The charts showed two blue holes in the southern part of the harbor.  DJ and Norma dove the first one and then we moved onto what was shown to be a bigger one further south. But, as I approached the port motor quit.  I was not able to get it started. Since there was apparently shallow water around and I could not maneuver well, we gave it up and went back to the anchorage. Before we went to work on the carbs, we started a late  lunch. A fellow pulled up from the boat next to us.  In Dreams I think. He was single handing with a cat. I told him of our carb troubles. Well he said, if you need any tools just give me a shout on the radio.  Yea right, I had all the tools I needed. We pulled the carburetor and found jets plugged up.  As we put it back in, down in the well, we somehow cross threaded the bolts messing up the threads in the manifold. Without hope, I radioed In Dreams. Got a set of metric taps?  Well of course, I'll bring them over. Unbelievable. It was dark by the time I got the holes re-tapped. Not easy in the wells. Left DJ the next morning working on the engine. See Saturday.
	Saturday, April 15 After screwing up, literally, the threads, I decided to pull the engine to work on it. I had built and stowed a collapsible engine stand on the boat with the idea of never using it. But, we dug it out this morning. You can see part of the stand in the Friday picture. We made some errors and wound up taking the engine in and out of the well 4 times. Good thing DJ is a big boy. Final configuration was with the spare carb I picked up during my trip home to the wedding. The motor runs better now than in its entire history. With two working motors we went back to the Blue Hole we missed on Friday. Left, DJ and Faye prepare to set the anchor. First try did not work.  In fact to hold in this area we had to drop the anchor into the hole. Following that adventure we picked up a car to drive DJ and Norma back to the North Eleuthera Airport in the morning.
	Sunday, April 16 Well, finally a nice day and we used it to drive DJ and Norma back to the North Eleuthera Airport. After we dropped them off, we drove to the water taxi across from Harbor Island and took a taxi over. Faye really like this place and it is too bad that we did not have a chance to spend more time.  It was Easter Morning and all the folks were out in their Easter finery.  Bad news.  Not much was open.
	Monday, April 17 The forecast was good today so we set out for Highbourne Cay in the Exumas. Had to motor the whole day but it was not rough. We anchored at the north end of Highbourne Cay.  I had stayed here last year. Good protection from anything but a north wind. Left is the sunset.  I could almost post a sunset picture every day.
	Tuesday, April 18 We took a lay day at the top of Highbourne Cay. Changed the oil an did some other maintenance. In the afternoon we snorkeled the "Octopus' Garden." Bill Plaia had snorkeled this last year but we did not know the name. It is a reef to be avoided when pulling into this anchorage. No pix today so a bonus picture from Eleuthera. The entrance to the Hatchet Bay Caves. This seems like it might be big.  Unfortunately we did not bring lights that day and did not get far into the cave. Too bad it has been defaced.
	Wednesday, April 19 What to say about today.  We went to see the Iguanas on Allens Cay (See last year's pix).  We pulled into Highbourne Cay Marina and watched the sharks swarm at the fish cleaning station (See last year's pix). Then we pulled out to the west side of Highbourne and anchored.  Some sort of mega yacht convention must have been called.  Have not seen so many huge boats since Charleston.  In a strange move, one of the monsters pulled anchor and rafted up next to an even bigger boat. Hope this picture shows the situation.  Faye and I think the bigger boat must be from Disney as it sports what look like mouse ears on top. Faye says to mention that the smaller boat is close to 100 feet. It just looks small.   Two of six mega's in the anchorage tonight.  I think I should stop publishing my schedule. Clearly the rich and famous are reading it. Where was Highlander?
	Thursday, April 20 This is the day that the Exuma Chamber of Commerce took all their pictures for the next brochure. The good news and bad news were the same. No wind, flat seas. I tried to sail to Normans Cay but it just would not work. So, we motored. But, were able to look at the bottom all the way as if it were a swimming pool.  Hope this picture taken from the port side captures it. It was like being on a glass bottom boat. That's 15 feet of water by the way. We pulled up inside Normans Cay and made the dive on the plane wreck.  Still impressive. then we moved to the western shore near McDuff's and anchored for the night. Unfortunately, McDuff's was closed.  But the word is that they will reopen "soon." Me thinks they are Island Time.
	Friday, April 21 The Chamber of Commerce photographer apparently left yesterday.  Seemed nice in the morning.  Why was the Nassau Met Office calling for a small craft advisory?  We pulled out for the Exuma Land Sea Park. The first half of the trip was fine and we sailed close hauled.  Then we had to turn into it and got pummeled. But we did make it and the park is pretty as ever. Left, the mooring field just after we pulled in. Current through the mooring field has us pointed cross way to the wind. Very strange.
	Saturday, April 22 We stayed at the park another day.  Faye had found a piece of drift wood on the beach in Eleuthera. On the trip to Exuma Park she fashioned this piece of memorabilia to place on Boo-Boo Hill.  Boo-Boo Hill is a high point on Warderick Cay and overlooks the harbor, background in the photo.  It has a prominent place among the thousand's of pieces of art on the hill. Saturday night the park organizes a pot luck on the beach.  We met folks from all over.  Of interest to me was a couple from West Lafayette Indiana, home of course of Purdue University. He had been on the faulty of the vet school there.
	Sunday, April 23 Onward to Compass Cay.  This is a little marina with a well protected harbor. The proprietor, Mr. Tucker Rolle, is a delight.   As we pulled up to the only available mooring, 4 sharks came out to greet us.  Turns out they keep a bunch of sharks as pets at the dock.  They have names and folks swim with them, not us. When a fishing boat pulls in and uses the cleaning station it is a hoot.  Check out CompassCay.com for more information on this place.   Today it is on the approved list but read on.
	Monday, April 24 We left Compass Cay for Staniel Cay but got there too late for the Gratto dive. Got to do that at low tide which was around noon. Had a great dinner at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. The night was not restful.  The anchor held well but the current swung us around all night setting off the anchor drag alarm. I need a new place to anchor at Staniel Cay.
	Tuesday, April 25 Early we went grocery shopping. Do not do this on Staniel Cay.  Maybe on the day the supply boat comes but that was not today. Almost nothing on the shelves. Faye found one stash of frozen meats of unknown type but the proprietor said they were not for sale. We dove Thunderball Gratto at low tide.  It was a perfect day for it. Noon o'clock and sunny.  No jelly fish. Left is the gratto entrance from inside. Not wishing to repeat the previous night's dance, we moved to Big Majors Spot and anchored off of Piggy Beach.  Piggy Beach?
	Wednesday, April 26 We were the first boat to the beach in the morning and the pigs were ready for breakfast. These oinkers are not at all shy. Soon there were several other dinghies and the pigs split up to share the goodies. We had heard from other cruisers that Black Point was a good place to go. Off we went early and had to tack all the way to Black Point.  But it was early so why not. Not much in Black Point.  But, there is a new Laundromat with new machines and a TV.  Too bad we did the laundry at Compass Cay.   Lorene's restaurant is very good.  We had dinner there and met an array of cruisers. We also noted that, as the cruising guide says, the women of Black Point do a lot of straw weaving.  Even returning from  Lauren at 9:00, many porches with ladies weaving straw.
	Thursday, April 27 We headed back to Compass Cay early.  Wanted to explore more of that island. With a SW wind we were on a broad reach nearly all the way. A couple of miles out of Compass we got a thrill.  I had a line out with the famous Fish-O-Matic on it. Line started going out like I had snagged the bottom. I tightened drag while Faye tried to slow the boat. She furled the jib. Monkeyed with the main to be inefficient. Still losing line. Finally she put the motors down for drag and I stopped losing line. Had about 10 turns left on the spool at this point. Turned out to be a really big barracuda. Too bad as we are running out of meals. On to Compass Cay.  Oops, they are working on the docks and there is a pile driver operating next to our mooring. Then the barge pulled over to a mooring for the night but kept their generator on all night. Left is Rachel's Bubble Bath.  Should be an agitated pool but the tide was too low and the wind wrong. Just a pond. One can see how this would be interesting in an east wind.  That is Exuma Sound in the background.
	Friday, April 28 We awoke this morning to the sound of the tug boat with its barge in tow.  They came very close as they crept out of the harbor.  Had the attention of us and another big cat as they left. Onward to the Exuma Land Sea Park.  Today was motoring with brief motor sailing.  The wind has switched north.  Music from Jaws here. When we arrived the wind had piped up and the current was running. Had a really bad time getting the boat to be stable on the mooring ball. A 46 foot cat on the next ball was having the same problem.  Ball would get swept between the hulls.  Or, it got outside the hull, then dragged under a hull and pop up in the center. Took us an hour to finally get a stable rig.
	Saturday, April 29 The plan was to stay at the Exuma Land Sea Park a day and then start our move north. Weather today is 20 to 25 from the NE.  Good day to be on a mooring here.  Unfortunately the wind is so strong that we were not even comfortable snorkeling. We took the dinghy out to a place I visited last year but did not get out of the dink.  Waves were breaking over the reef. Checked the forecast at the office. Looks like a break in the weather won't be until Monday. No one is leaving the park or coming in. Picture of the day should be of the boat on the next mooring. The young lady on board has come up with an innovative solution to the problem of too much laundry on the boat.  Unfortunately, Faye would not let me use the camera or binoculars. What's with that?
	Sunday, April 30 Weather forecast is now bad until at least Thursday. It does not look like we can make Marsh Harbor to pick up Don Mueller on Saturday.  I am not sure how long we will be here. I e-mailed Don and ask him to look into alternate flights.   We were able to get out to the reefs near Emerald Rock today. Nice snorkel.  I did not see the lobster condo we saw last year.  Did come across this grouper getting cleaned. I worry that the picture cannot really show the little goby sticking half way of this gills.  Look sharp. I will work on enhancing this photo.
	Monday, May 1 The weather improved slightly and we decided to go to Highbourne Cay, the first step in getting back north. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and the wind stayed north pretty strong. At Normans Cay we decided we were not having fun any more and there were no good anchorages near Highbourne Cay with northerly protection. We ducked into Normans. This was good till about 2:00 AM when the current switched and we went round and round the anchor. We finally stabilized but it was a bad night.   No pix today. Picture coming?
	Tuesday, May 2 Off to Highbourne Cay where we picked up fuel, water, ice and rum.   We anchored off of Highbourne with one other boat. The fewest we'd seen in this area. We went and snorkeled Highbourne Rocks.  I tracked a big grouper for a half hour but could not get him.  Finally speared a small snapper for dinner. Meanwhile the fleet moved in.  One mega-yacht set up tents on the beach and deployed a bunch of water toys from the "garage."   How do the rich and famous find out where we are? Left, note the umbrellas designed to look like thatched roof. Where did I go wrong?
	Wednesday, May 3 Up early and off to Royal Harbor.  Last year I wanted to be really early to catch the current at Current Cut.  This year I wanted to be after 2:30 to be sure the current had switched.  Got that figured right this time and we went through the cut a 8 kts. When we got back to Royal Harbor, it did not look the same. Brush had been cleared from the front of the buildings. Work was in progress and trash was being burned.  See the picture and note how you can now see the buildings that were 90% obscured before. An era is ending here. First of three eras.  Stay tuned. Meanwhile, we raised Stardust on the radio. They were in Spanish Wells. Arranged to meet them for lunch Thursday.
Picture of part of the ruins from 2005 cruise. If can get a good web connection some time I need to look this up. I bet you can get pre-construction prices now.	Thursday, May 4 We headed into Spanish Wells early to gas up.  It actually looked like a good day to cross but I had depleted the gas on the trip from Highbourne to Royal Harbor. On the way to Spanish Wells, we had the strangest radio day ever. We heard the Coast Guard from Key West, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Lake Worth, Ft. Pierce and St. Pete. There is a woman in Staniel Cay, well down the Exumas, who does a weather forecast everyday at 8:00. She was asked to move her traffic as she was interfering with port traffic in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. I replied to her that we could hear her at Spanish Wells.  A guy from Georgetown came on and reported he could hear me loud and clear there. About then, Harvey called and reported we could listen to the Cruisers Net from Abaco this morning. After gassing up, we met Harvey and Nancy for lunch. They confirmed that Royal Island had been sold and that work was under way on a hotel, condos, marina and of course, golf course. Those crews who visited with me the last three years, we got the last of era #2.  We'll see what comes next.
	Friday, May 5 There were about 20 boats in Royal Island Friday night. At least 9 left in the morning for Little Harbor. It was a good day for the passage as Harvey had predicted. The most exciting thing was  a close encounter with a freighter. I will post that now as the picture of the day but I hope to get a better one. Unfortunately, we were pulling up the rear of the fleet and were convinced that we would not get a mooring in Little Harbor. But, there was one left. At the bar we met some guys from Boat Harbor.  With them was Little Foot, a brown and white hound of dubious origins. Little Foot sported a set of sun glasses on a Croky.  Of course I did not bring my camera. Another cruiser took a picture and has promised me a picture.  However, I think she was 3 blasters down when she vowed to send me the picture. End of era #2.  On the way, Faye spotted a crack in my PVC captains chair. I started figuring schemes to reinforce it. I later did that but 3 new cracks have formed.  I think this is its last year.
	Saturday, May 6 Back to Marsh Harbor to pick up Don Mueller from the 3:30 VPJ flight. Tried to watch the Kentucky Derby at Snappas.  They screwed it up and insisted that it was on at 6:30. Yea, that was a replay. Back on the boat after dark and heard a distress call from Rogue Wave.  Rogue Wave was a 54 foot trimaran on the reef at Fowl Cay. Lucky Strike (Bahama Air Sea Rescue guy) went out to see if he could get them off.  Unfortunately, it was a falling tide and plenty dark.  He got near the boat but could not get to them in the dark.  The final transmission we heard was Lucky Strike's recommendation to put on life jackets, gather valuables, and dinghy to Lucky Strike. Previously Rogue Wave had reported taking, "A s--t load of water." More on this later. Left, a picture of Rogue Wave taken a few days later. Things are not so good as they look.
	Sunday, May 7 We did a quick strike at the grocery in Marsh Harbor and headed for the pig roast at Nippers.  Managed to get the last mooring ball in Fishers Bay. I thought I had spotted (pun intended) Spuds McKenzie at the bar. Instead, we met Jersey, left.  Jersey helps the folks on Shearwater cruise and got the name when they picked him up in New Jersey. He's a sweetheart.   Donna. Do you know this dog?
	Monday, May 8 We moved down to Hope Town on Monday morning and took a mooring. Forecast was a little shaky.
	Tuesday, May 9 Early Tuesday morning the crew started shouting that there was a dog in the water.  We flagged a passing dinghy to make sure he saw the dog. The dog, a young lab, would not have anything to do with the dinghy or our boat as he came by.  He was swimming easily but looked lost. We followed his progress to shore and wondered where he came from. About that time we heard shouting from a house boat in front of us. "Anybody seen a dog?"  Oh yeah. She did not have a dinghy so we launched the dinghy and I picked her up. She found the dog and I took them back to their boat. Later we climbed the Lighthouse and saw Rogue Wave in the little hole near the light. We asked Ron Engle to get us the story.  The story later.
	Wednesday, May 10 We headed down to Little Harbor with a stop at Sandy Cay.  It was a calm day and we spotted a couple of abandon lobster traps on the way. Sandy Cay was nice but I am not happy with any of the pictures I got there today.  And, I thought we were not going to see the Eagle Rays but they turned up just as we headed back for the dinghy. So, instead I bring you picture of Faye interfering with the natural cycle of things by feeding the duck in the harbor. Ask Faye about the duck mooring in Little Harbor. The mooring fee collector says that the Hilton Hotel chain has bought a big house opposite Pete's. They plan a hotel and 50 slip marina. Era #3 ends I fear. But this could easily fall apart. The mooring man noted they have no water supply in Little Harbor.  What self respecting sport fisher would frequent a place without adequate water?
	Thursday, May 11 Don and Faye started the day by catching a few small fish for dinner. Then we went out to snorkel the small reef in front of Little Harbor. It is my understanding that this is a protected reef although I cannot find information in any of the guides. Left is what I found on this little reef in no more than 8 feet of water.  It is hard to get the scale but this is the biggest lobster I have ever seen in the Bahamas. The picture tried to capture the legs so that the hairy feet show. When the feet are hairy, you have a big bug.   The plan was to watch a pouring in the afternoon but it was not to be. No pouring today.
Wonder how the Bermuda Triangle got its reputation?  This runabout was pulling into Little Harbor with 14 people aboard.	Friday, May 12 Friday the 13th came on the 12th this month. We headed out with a nice wind.  I did not pay heed to the reports on the VHF of a bad squall. Wind was about 6 kts and I had the reacher out.  Wind went to 18 instantly and the furler would not furl.  The initial wraps were so tight that the furler ran out of line. As I went forward to try and get it under control, the furler jammer let loose and it deployed further.  In the end, the reacher was heavily damaged.  The jib was ripped but I think is repairable here. Almost worse, the jumper strut on the front of the mast broke its weld and came loose.  We retreated to Little harbor and I rode up the mast and bungied the strut to the mast to keep it from banging. With that done, we motored up to Hope Town and secured a mooring. What Fun. In HopeTown we got filled in on Rouge Wave. It started in Connecticut on a round the world cruise.  Abaco was the first stop.  The bottom of the center hull is missing and the boat is being supported on the two outer hulls. Stay tuned?
	Saturday, May 13 The initial plan had been the Full Moon Party at Cracker P's. But, we decided instead to do Steak Night at the Jib Room.  Two other Melbourne Yacht Club boats were in Marsh Harbor and we wanted to see them It also made for a more relaxed morning on Sunday to get Don to the airport for an early flight. Left, the mob for steak night.  Dinner was followed by another evening of Brown Tip on the saw and another limbo contest.  There was a kid about 3 or 4 who thought he had this contest thing down.  Most of the time he just walked under the bar.
	Sunday, May 14 We got Don off to the airport early and headed to Great Guana Cay for the Pig Roast at Nippers.  Joining us were Synergy, Floridian, and Meridian.  You cannot believe what confusion occurs on the VHF with Meridian and Floridian on channel. The wrong boat invariably answers. The Pig Roast was okay and we followed up with a snorkel off the beach and a trip to the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill.  After a couple of Grabbers, we had some trouble getting to Meridian for dinner.  Fortunately, a friendly woman on a golf cart gave us a lift.  Ask me about that situation some time. Left, my attempt at an artistic photo as we left Marsh Harbor this morning.
	Monday, May 15 We hit the Guana Cay Laundromat early and resolved our current laundry crisis.  This is a nice facility. The forecast was for some heavy weather coming in and Harvey on Stardust had suggested we hole up in the Treasure Cay anchorage. Off we went.  Meanwhile , Harvey went down to Marsh Harbor for a day to do some chores. We anchored up near the trawler, Foolin Around. Fortunately, Faye found a nice patch of sand.
	Tuesday, May 16 An early squall came through the anchorage and catamaran Snowcat got loose.  Fortunately, our anchor held in our little piece of sand. Above left is a picture of what was going on although it is a bad one.   Meanwhile, Harvey seeing the weather decided to stay in Marsh Harbor. That night, Jack and Jackie on Rainbow Chaser hosted most of the folks in the anchorage for appetizers and drinks.  Remember the dog Jersey from May 7?  He keeps care of the folks in the center of the picture on Shearwater.  That is Bruce in the yellow shirt and Kelly in the blue.   Now what you have all been waiting for.  This year's contest.  What did Bruce do before moving aboard and becoming a full time cruiser?  No fair asking the folks who were here cruising.
	Wednesday, May 17 The weather forecast has not improved and we are stuck at Treasure Cay.  Fortunately we are on a sort of mooring.  A bunch of hardware was missing but I dove the mooring and attached my own line. We were glad to have it as a series of squalls came through again today.  Left is one of them approaching from Treasure Cay.
	Thursday, May 18 About time.  Harvey brought Stardust up from Marsh Harbor.  Now the weather is improving but with all the Melbourne boats at Treasure Cay, we decided to stay for dinner. We had drinks on Stardust and then we were off to Touch of Class for dinner.  Good thing we were there as there was no one else in the place.  Richard Gere did not even show up as he did last year. Counter clockwise.  Faye, Harvey, Nancy hidden, Jack, Jackie, Mary from Floridian, Bruce and Kelly from Shearwater.
Looking for picture from Mary.	Friday, May 19 Appetizers on Shearwater
	Saturday, May 20 Finally, released by the weather, most of the gang went down to Tahiti Beach and anchored. We went to Floridian (left) for snacks.  Then Gus showed me his weather system.  This is one sweet rig.  It comes down over XM radio and includes, winds, wave, temperature, water temperature and I don't remember what all else.
	Sunday, May 21 Era # 4 ends. This is out of order but I did not know at the time this cruise started that "End of an Era" was the theme. Yes, that is the table on Incommunigato. Place mats.  Oddly, in this photo there is only one fork.  I fear my days of plates on the table and one fork is over.  What to do?  Enjoy I guess. Stayed at Tahiti Beach another night.
	Monday, May 22
	Tuesday, May 23 Don't have a clue what happened today.  This pic is from May 24 at the Blue Water Grill. While at anchor in Fishers Bay, we saw Patti and Eddie come by in their boat. They were headed in for lunch so we decided to join them.  This was our second lunch encounter with them.  Ed's brother, Walter, from Satellite Beach was visiting for the week and I think they were hitting the high spots while he was there. Foreground, Nancy and Harvey from Stardust. In the back, Eddie, Pattie, Denny, Faye, and Walter. Background information.  Eddie and Pattie live on Lubbers Quarters and manage the Summerview Cottage.
	Wednesday, May 24 From lunch at the Blue Water Grill it was dinner at the Pot Luck hosted by the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill. They even had entertainment this evening. Why do they call it the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill?
	Thursday, May 25 Another evening and sunset from Fishers Bay.
	Friday, May 26 I don't recall what we did today, writing his in July.   This picture is from tomorrow.  I guess there are some places you can't go even in a cat.  This boat apparently tried to cut the corner of the channel into White Sound on Elbow Cay.  I have stirred mud in my dinghy in that area.  I think he was there until the next high tide.
	Saturday, May 27 This day we were off to Tahiti Beach again.  A good day. Shortly after we got anchored, Ed Davis from Summerview came over and gave us some more dolphin.  He reported that they had caught 6 that day and their freezer was just full.  The problems of living in the islands. Our band of boats decided to go to Cracker P's for appetizers and then come back to Incommunigato for dolphin.  We had 8 for dinner with the fillets that Ed gave us. Left, earlier in the evening at Cracker P's.
	Sunday, May 28 Fish-O-Matic Rules <- Walmart special lure After hearing about Ed and Pattie's luck fishing yesterday we decided to go out today.  The plan was to go out Tilloo Cut and head north to North Man-O-War. But, we decided to head south just briefly. Got a hit almost immediately but I panicked. Line was flying off my little spinning reel and I tightened the drag too much.  I initially got the fish turned but then he made another run and broke me off. Not 5 minutes later we got another hit.  I was more calm this time.  This fish got me down to about 10 turns on the reel but then tired momentarily and I regained some line. I think it  took thirty minutes to get him in.  Once in, I realized I had no place to clean a fish that size on my boat and we were out of ice. So, we cut the fishing short and went into Summerview's dock to use their cleaning table. We had the gang over for dolphin and served 8 with fish left over. Gotta love that Fish-O-Matic. Jeff McGinn.  Thanks for recommending a lip gaff. I am not sure how I would have gotten this guy aboard without it.
	Monday, May 29 As good as Sunday was, Monday was mostly as bad.   We got up early to head to Marsh Harbor to pick up new crew, Laura and James. I lolly gagged as they were not due till 11:00. We wound up anchoring in a storm that I could have beat.  Oh well. Next we worried that our crew would not be able to fly in with the weather.  They were flying in on a private plane.  But they showed up right on time. We got everyone to the boat and went grocery shopping. There was another weak squall while we were shopping.  When we got back to the dinghy dock it was clear that Incommunigato was not where we left here.  She was a couple of feet from impacting a trawler. As we neared the boat, I could see someone on the bridgedeck.  It was Bruce from Shearwater.  He had managed to get my engines down and started but not pulled away yet. He hopped off and we got away from the trawler.  Bruce wanted to get back as Kelly was worried about the water spout! Yea.  The biggest, longest lasting water spout I have ever seen had dipped down into the Sea of Abaco. James got some nice pictures, from a distance. Once we were anchored again and the weather settled a bit, we went in for ice and rum. I slipped on the wet dinghy dock and like to broke my leg. Two days later I have a purple bruise on about a third of my thigh. Cruising is fun. We decided to leave beautiful Marsh Harbor and went back over to Tahiti Beach for another dolphin dinner.
	Tuesday, May 30 Went down to Little Harbor on the outside.  Trolled all the way down but not a bite today. Petes Pub was pretty quiet today.  No problem getting a mooring.  At Petes we did run into some folks we had seen at the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill.  Era #4 in jeopardy?  They bought Faye and I a blaster and informed us that they were the new owners of the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill. More later.  They have plans to "improve" the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill. We retired to the boat and Faye fed the duck.  When she ran out of bread, it became belligerent and bit her on the leg. Note the duck is on the step. We left Little Harbor for the night and anchored off of Lynyard Cay.  I was worried about bugs in low wind.  Of course it blew 20 all night.
	Wednesday, May 31 We headed back toward Hopetown with the thought of stopping at Sandy Cay Park for a snorkel.  This was not the day. Rollers from that 20 kt wind were hammering the reef. But the good news, after the turn at Tilloo Bank, we got both sails up for the first time since the jib repair.  Everything went fine even with 20 kts of wind.  We had a nice reach from Tilloo Bank all the way to Hopetown.
	Thursday, June 1 Pattie Toller and Barometer Bob are on vacation for 2 weeks.  The cruisers net here has been scrambling for net anchors.  This morning, Jackie Leahy on Rainbow Chaser made her debut as net anchor.  Good job Jackie. Our crew climbed the light house while Faye and I rounded up some rum.  They got his nice shot of the fuel tanker at the Light House Marina dock.  He had to stay for the midnight tide to get back out the channel. We had lunch at the Harbors Edge and I got poured on.  No, it did not rain. Some how the server tipped her tray.  At first it was not too bad as a water glass fell in my lap.  Unfortunately, it was followed quickly by a beer. What is it about me?
	Friday, June 2 We sailed to Fowl Cay National Park for some snorkeling.  Faye had noticed a small tear in the jib that we had missed. She sewed it up on the way. Had a nice snorkel and I got some pictures that maybe I will use on a slow picture day. On to the new and slightly improved Sunset Beach Bar and Grill.  We were there on the first day for the new Frozen Grabber drinks.  See the picture for Saturday to see these puppies.  Machines are in the background. We had one frozen one to test the mix.  Seemed okay but since that was the fourth Grabber what did we know? Ask about meeting Tanya Tucker's mom at the bar.
	Saturday, June 3 The forecast for today is mixed.  By that I mean we have two forecasts and they do not agree. So far, 4:24 PM, the weather is not anything like either forecast. We decided to stay at Guana Cay based on the forecast. Was supposed to be a good day to sail back to Marsh Harbor tomorrow. One way or the other we need to get back to Marsh to drop our crew for their flight home. So, an afternoon beer at Nippers with their fine Wi-Fi signal and then we hope off to the all you can eat ribs at the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill.
	Sunday, June 4
	Monday June 5
	Tuesday, June 6 Here is an innovative idea for dinghy storage.  This floating dinghy raft belongs to the Hopetown Sailing Club.  They can tow it to the race sight and then assemble the dinghies on site. Nice scheme too if you have limited space on land for storage. I got the final update on Rogue Wave, the tri that went on the reef.  It was moved to Marsh Harbor and hoisted onto a freighter to the states.  More evaluation there to see if it can be saved.  This is probably the last update on Rogue Wave.
	Wednesday, June 7 Went back to Marsh Harbor for a couple of days. In the afternoon we did a dive at Mermaid reef and it was spectacular.  Unfortunately, none of my photos turned out well at all. Wednesday night was rib night at the jib room. Ribs are followed by the Rake and Scrape and Limbo contest.  This night there was an extra saw and most of the Melbourne crews and their guest tried a turn on the saw.  Unfortunately, I had already quit my day job. Below left, the kids try their hand at the limbo contest. Faye was the oldest kid to have a go at it. Something got caught.
	Thursday, June 8 We stayed in Marsh Harbor and had a great Mexican dinner aboard Island Fever. Island Fever is a trawler from the Melbourne area. After returning from the Bahamas, we learned that Island Fever was hit by a water spout while anchored at Fishers Bay.  Then, a few weeks later they were anchored in Bakers Bay when a squall went through. A large boat dragged anchor onto Island Fever and did considerable damage. Probably no more details till press time. As I understand it, Troy (Dive Guana) tried to help out in this storm and briefly sank one of his dive boats. Cruising is fun.
	Friday, June 9 We moved over to Fishers Bay early in the morning. Abaco Dive Adventures picked up Ray and Alix from Two Can and me. Off we went to the north end of Guana Cay and the offshore reef.  These people do an outstanding job of putting you on some magnificent reef. We anchored about 20 yards from reef, in 60 feet of water. The reef goes up from the bottom in 60 feet right to the surface.  Left, Alix pauses at the entrance of a cave near the bottom.
	Saturday, June 10 We moved on up to Black Sound on Green Turtle Cay. This was to be a jumping off point for the trip home. The weather forecast however was grim but better to wait it out in good protection on a mooring. Shortly after we got situated, a family from Florida showed up and moved into part of a house on shore.  Then, a wedding broke out on the dock in front of the house. But, the Florida folks really wanted to get out on the water and finally decided to make a run for the boat. Bride and groom on the left with dad and the kids heading for the boat on the right.
	Sunday, June 11 Forecast was still bad for the Abaco area.  Worse yet, they are beginning to start talking about a tropical storm coming across Florida. The Melbourne crowd  retired to Pineapples for drinks and dominos (left).  And we meet some new folks from Melbourne.  Glenn, Carolyn and Cameron on God Speed.
	Monday, June 12 The forecast is still bad and the storm has materialized as Alberto. It is predicted to cross the state and exit near Jacksonville. While the storm is not directly affecting us, the weather here is a little rough.  We see no need to rush to cross the Gulfstream while Alberto is stirring things up. Left, Incommunigato and Stardust moored in Black Sound.
	Tuesday, June 13 Some of the folks went snorkeling south of Green Turtle today.  Following that trip, a domino game broke out on Incommunigato. Left, Cameron from God Speed makes his move. He claimed to be a novice but won one of his first games. i suspect a ringer. Or maybe that bottle has something to do with the play of the old folks. We wait for the weather to clear and Alberto to move on north. The forecast for tomorrow is much better.
	Wednesday, June 14 The picture is from yesterday.  What is Nancy doing going up the mast. Answer:  Moving a bird's nest out of their radar reflector. She was trying to discourage the bird since the nest was about to move out. The forecast was good and we headed for Great Sale Cay.  The weather did not follow the forecast. It blew like stink but from the south and we made Great Sale Cay in record time. Because of the wind direction, we anchored off of the shore not in the harbor.  Worked well in the south to south southwest wind.
Bonus picture from previous.  Incommunigato moored at the Exuma Land Sea Park.	Thursday, June 15 We were off early from Great Sale.  The plan was to stop at a couple of dive spots and then head for the edge of the Little Bahama Bank. There we would wait for Stardust and start the crossing about 2:00 AM. Not much luck at my dive spots this time.  As we headed for the edge of the bank, we monitored the forecast for the crossing.  No two forecasts alike. The last one we heard had the wind clocking to the northwest on Friday afternoon.  Northwest would be our course. We got to the edge of the bank just as darkness fell. The weather was great and we decided that the right answer was to press on while the weather was good. Almost as soon as we exited the bank, we were surrounded by cruise ships and freighters.  These are a little scary in the dark as it is hard to judge their distance and speed.  Faye kept me awake most of the night as we threaded our way through swarm.
	Friday, June 16 We came through Fort Pierce Inlet about 9:00 AM and kept right on going as we had a following current up the ICW.  Gassed up in Vero Beach and arrived back in Melbourne about 6:00. During the crossing, the wind had clocked almost 360 degrees starting at northeast, through east, to southeast, south, and finally west. By the time we got to Melbourne, it was out of the north. Good decision to cross when we did. Saturday the ocean was a mess. Another bonus picture at the left.  Again the Exuma Land Sea Part. That dark spot in the shallows is not a rock but a large ray.  They came by almost every day.
So ends this years trip.  We seemed to have an excess of weather this year and spend several days several time holed up for weather.  At least one reader of this page has expressed the opinion that "being holed up in Hopetown", is not really bad duty. It was a year of change in the Bahamas and we saw signs of further changes on the way. But, it is the islands and who knows which of these changes will come to fruition or how soon. Just a note on one more Era that may have come to an end, at least in the Bahamas. The Mount Gay Rum they are now selling in the Bahamas is not the same as in the states or in years past. Unfortunately, the new stuff does not taste like Mount Gay and frankly is flavor impaired. I wrote Mount Gay an e-mail and got a response that did not include an offer to buy my bad bottles back. They noted "This difference of alcohol percentage may create a difference in perception in the overall roundness, depth of body and mouthfeel."  Translation, it sucks. Make me an offer on the two bottles I have left. Now on to fixing all the stuff I broke so that we are ready to do this again next year.

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