Plan is to move the boat to the Melbourne Yacht Club. It is much easier to load the boat at the club.
Note, this did not happen. We were not ready and the long range forecast says we would be hurrying to get to a place where we could not cross for days.
Plan. Do the final loading including perishables and a full load of no ethanol fuel.
This did not happen either. Still have not moved the boat.
We did get the boat moved to the Melbourne Yacht Club today about noon. We are only 2 days behind schedule but stand by.
Last year I had a recurring problem of a leak in my dinghy floor. Tried to patch it but the leak won and we were pumping the dinghy floor once or twice a day. Finally in November I got some serious glue and patch material. Made the patch and the floor held pressure from then till tonight. (jaws music)
While installing the floor in the dinghy, I folded the floor tightly and new cracks appeared. And they leak. Worse than before. There are no pictures of this.
Drove to north of Cocoa to get another can of glue. I hope it works. Of course, the first instruction on the can is, "make sure the humidity is under 60%." Hello, this is Florida. Last November I waited for a cold front and got a good patch. We will see.
2:43 we left the dock and headed south. Destination unknown. Dinghy not yet repaired but the repair parts are on board.
We stopped only about 15 miles south near Capt. Hiram's a local saloon. Since we have no dinghy, no Capt. Hiram's but a great dinner on the boat.
Full moon tonight as see on the left.
Faye got up this morning with morning sitness. Who would have thought. Her back is hurting and she can't sit until she has been up a while. Hope this improves.
We headed out early with Manatee Pocket near Stuart as our destination. Nice day. Just north of Fort Pierce, we came across the S/V Denis Sullivan. Hugh boat. Faye got some photos, one to the left. I have looked it up and you've heard of a "Replicar". Well, this is a "Repliboat". 137 foot schooner. It is a research and education vessel. Take a look at http://voyage.pierwisconsin.org/ds/index.php
As I looked at this boat, I thought, "How are they going to get that thing under the Vero Bridges?" I think the answer was on the stern. A couple of big barrels. I think they will have to tip this boat to get under the bridges. I did not find the mast height on the web. Any researchers out there willing to address this problem.
We did get to Manatee Pocket and are anchored peacefully. Plan to leave late in the morning and ride the current to West Palm Beach.
Ride the current? Did I say ride the current? We did, for a few miles. Then the current boost faded quickly and somehow we timed the current at Jupiter to be on the nose coming and going.
It must be spring break. We have noticed a lot of college age people out on boats etc. Just before Jupiter inlet, we saw this group of paddle boarders. Unfortunately, they were in the inter coastal channel. We managed not to hit any of them.
Arrived in North Palm Beach about 2:30 and fueled, watered and iced up at the North Palm Beach Marina. We anchored in North Lake Worth and made a plan for tomorrow. Oops, did I say plan. The forecast was for 2 feet or less so we thought we would go outside to Ft. Lauderdale and avoid all the bridges on the inter coastal.
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We got up not too early and headed for the inlet. Stuck our noses out and it was not 2 feet or less. I said, "Oh, this is just turbulence from the inlet." Half an hour later I had to admit it was not the day to go down the coast. We turned around and started down the ICW.
Top photo near West Palm. A cruise ship. But wait, the bottom photo is of a real cruise ship with that first boat behind it. Looks like a dinghy in comparison. Big boat is the Crown Princess if you are booking a cruise.
Part way down to Ft. Lauderdale, the port engine, a.k.a Mr. Cranky, began to shut off whenever I throttled down to await a bridge opening. Always started back up but only ran at half throttle or better. Okay for going fast but a disaster for docking operations. Got to figure that out. Yea Right.
Arrived about 6:30 at Larry and Susan Wilkins dock in Ft. Lauderdale. Headed out to dinner a a waterside eatery but it was so swamped by spring breakers that we gave it up and settled on a local Mexican place that was quite good.
New feature this year. I will try to introduce the characters for those who do not know them. Larry Wilkins is an old friend from Purdue. Probably the first person I meet as a freshman. He lives in Indiana in the summer and Florida in the winter. Inventor and business man. How many people do you know that have a CNC machine in their home shop?
Up early to investigate Mr. Cranky. I looked at a bunch of stuff but could find nothing wrong. Finally I started him up and ran him at idle for 15 minutes. Better idle than any since I bought the boat. What to do.
Then I took the dinghy floor up in the shade and we applied the patch. Kept weights on it for almost 24 hours. And it still is not inflated on Wednesday the 18th. So, did the patch work, Standby. I don't even know yet.
I think the government is keeping an eye on us. Noticed this guy over us for the last two days.
Our Tuesday weather window for the crossing to Bimini seems to have moved to Monday. We plan to leave early and head for Angel Fish Creek in the Keys.
Up early and said good-bye to Larry and Susan. Mr. Cranky fired right up and ran smoothly to get us off of the dock. Off to Angel Fish Creek.
The run from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami on the ICW is another gauntlet of draw bridges. However, I must say, this year the bridge tenders have been very professional, courteous, and efficient. 28 ata boys. Then, the Venetian Causeway West and an oh Sh.... This guy got out of the wrong side of bed today. But, we eventually made it through.
Fueled up at the Rickenbacher Marina and off toward Angel Fish Creek. I had forgotten that I took my keys charts off the boat. Fortunately, Larry loaned my a chart that covered Miami to the upper keys. About 5 miles from Angel Fish Creek, we noted a couple of boats anchored in the lee of the keys and looked at the chart. Just north of there was Caesar's Creek with a well marked channel going to the outside. We figured, "Why not go out there. Looks like that is what these boats are going to do." So we pulled in and dropped the anchor.
Later, I called the boats on the radio. No, they were not going out to the Bahamas but simply on a cruise of the keys. I informed them of the schedule space shuttle scheduled for 7:43. Maybe we could see it.
Left, you sure could. Picture does not capture how good this was.
We got up and took another look at the chart. Easy enough to get through the channel at Caesar's Creek but then getting through the reef to the ocean was a problem. Finally figured how to do that. Forecast was 2 feet or less but that had been the forecast for a week and earlier it was clearly not true. After agonizing for an hour, we decided to poke our nose out and see how it was.
Not bad. Out we went. The channel is very well marked and 8 to 20 feet everywhere except the entrance and exit. Four feet there. Okay for Incommunigato.
About 10 miles out, Faye noticed we were trailing something. Turned out to be part of a trap. The float was wedged between the keel and dagger board. We managed to get it out with the boat hook.
All in all, a good crossing. We got in too late for customs but got a nice slip at the Bimini Blue Water Resort.
Bimini is dead! Big Game Club closed for "The Season". The Sunset Bar, Bill and Gayle say don't miss it, closed for renovations. The Sand Bar. Ate "dinner" there. We were the only people in the place.
But, there is one bright spot. At least I think it is a bright spot. We decided to go up to the Bimini Bay Club development at the north end. I have seen their web site but I was not a believer. It is real. Many nice houses. Two nice marinas. Two big community pools. On the left, one of the pools is by the beach and is designed so that looking from the west side of the pool to the east, the pool merges visually into the ocean. The picture does not do this justice. Beautiful.
Lots of houses with golf carts in the drives but few people. Few boats in the marinas. But construction is on going. Our guides showed us a new area under construction. It is an island with canal access so you can moor your yacht in front. Start at 2.2 million. In this market I had to pass.
1:45 AM the weather arrived. I had expected wind but we got heavy rain and I had not seen that coming. The rain slowed but got to a drizzle only after noon. This was a frog strangling, cistern filling rain.
Faye talked to a woman who runs a grocery store today. She said she did $80 in business last week. Sounds like the Big Game Club had a Big Game run on it. May need a new owner to re-open.
We hope to leave tomorrow but the forecast is iffy. We may just have to slog into the wind for a couple of days but try to beat the next front out of here. May be stuck in the lower Berry's for a few days.
5:00 PM and still raining here.
Off and running for the Berry Islands. Mostly motoring with occasional help from the jib. We did not get off early enough to even think about making the NW channel light before dark.
Left, the Concrete Wreck south of Bimini. At least I think that is what it is called.
Anchored on the bank about 7:30 still 17.9 NM from the NW Channel Light.
As darkness fell, Faye saw lights around us and worried we were going to be run down in the night. Turns out they were all lobster factory boats with lights running all night. A wavy night was had by all.
We were off early and headed for the NW Channel Light. As soon as we passed by the light, things changed. We went from 20 feet to off scale on the depth recorder. We saw sail boats in the distance off our stern. Sportfish boats were ahead. Then, dolphins playing along side. Unfortunately, we did not get to the cameras quickly enough for a picture. Fortunately, we did find the cameras and now had them out.
About an hour later Faye shouted, "Denny, there are whales!" I said, "Ain't no whales in the Bahamas." We took pictures of these strange creatures. Must have been 15 or 20 in the pod. Jet black with large dorsal fins and flat heads. The plan was to look them up later. Guess what, Pilot Whales. Apparently they frequent these waters especially in the tongue of the ocean. Point for Faye.
Later we pulled into the Berry Island Club off of Frazier Hog Cay. At first we tried the mooring but with opposing wind and current it was a mess. We took a slip at the dock.
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The weather forecast is frightful. Northeast winds as far as the eye can see. One boat, Free Spirit, dinghied in this morning. They had a terrible night on the mooring with the the current forcing them on to the mooring ball all night banging the ball against the hull all night. They said they were coming to the dock but then changed their minds. (Sounds of jaws music).
Had dinner at the Club tonight. Very good and not expensive at all. On the approved list for sure.
Meanwhile, the good news, the bad news, the bad news and the bad news.
Installed the dinghy floor and it does not leak - good news.
The dinghy is taking on water big time - bad news
The dinghy motor will not run without the choke on - bad news
The dinghy gas tank fitting is leaking and pouring gasoline all over the dinghy floor. Bad news
Good thing the forecast is bad. Plenty of time to investigate and fix all these problems. Sailing is fun.
As of this time. I think the motor has not been tested but I think it will be okay after open carburetor surgery and an angioplasty on the low speed jet.
Gas fitting not leaking.
Dinghy on the trams as we look for the leak. Highly suspect place but not yet confirmed.
Faye awoke this morning to announce that Free Spirit had left already. Then said, "No, my view was blocked by a piling." Makes you wonder why the piling was not blocking the view yesterday or last night. Reason, they drug the mooring 250 feet in the night and were up all night on watch.
They came in and announced that this time they really were coming to the dock. Left, John from free spirit attempts to untangle the lines from his boat to the mooring. They finally made it to the dock.
Leak location on the dinghy confirmed and patched with 4200. Needs to set up. Test tomorrow. Good thing the weather is bad.
Some, who do not know of what they speak, have opined that being stuck in the Berry Islands is not really a hardship. You know who you are. Let me fill you in on the situation.
When we arrived, we were told that they had no gasoline but the tanker was coming that afternoon. That was Friday March 20. It is Saturday March 28 and no sign of a tanker. Fortunately, they did have some gas in barrels near the club and we tanked up by toting cans on Wednesday. Good thing as I now believe the barrels are empty and they really have no gas.
The showers do not work. There is water in one but cold only.
Good news and bad news are the same. The wind is blowing like stink from the SE. This blows us off the dock so that we do not rub the boat. The wind is so strong that for the most part we are trapped on the boat. I am unable to pull us to the dock against the wind and we cannot leave the boat unless there is a lull in the wind. Thursday, Faye was the only one off the boat and that for only a few minutes. The rest of the time we were prisoners.
The line from the aft cleat is rubbing on the piling. The noise travels down the dock line into the cleat. The vibration is carried into the starboard hull. At night this is liking sleeping in a cheap fiddle being played by a trained bear.
The good news. The food in the Berry Island Club is good. The bad news, they are out of most everything except Bud. No more food until the mail boat comes and no one know when that will be. Certainly we will leave before they have any food to serve again. And, the boat is running out of chow.
On Friday, we saw Herbie, the club manager, leave in his flats boat. We figured gone for a bit. Wrong, three days. Not to worry, the cook Helga had us covered. Of course, that meant no dinners. Can't cook and tend bar at the same time. But hey, out of food anyhow so no dinners.
Friday night, Helga told us she would let us in to do laundry on Saturday ( the day I am writing this). So we got the laundry together this morning and attempted to pull the boat to the dock. No luck. Coming back in, I was caught by a wave and was tossed into one of the back windows. Blew out the zipper and now we have no way to seal the back from wind, rain or insects.
Meanwhile, let me bring you up to speed on the dinghy status. There is almost nothing left to go wrong. The patch to the high pressure floor that I did in Ft. Lauderdale seems to be holding. The leak that lets water in I hope is sealed but it has not been tested. Earlier in the week, I noted that the tube in the floor was leaking. That is patched and I hope is holding. It has moderate pressure now and is holding. The carb has been cleaned out and I hope is now allowing operation.
The forecast is for a reasonable day on Monday. Other folks here are also planning to leave then. Tuesday and Wednesday are also looking like moderate winds of variable direction.
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Up early and the wind did not do what it was forecast to do last night. But the wind is down and we are heading out.
In order to fix the zippers, I had first hatched a plan to detour to Spanish Wells where I know there is a canvas shop. They had fixed a similar problem for me before and done it quickly. But that was going to add at least a day to the schedule. Then we found an ad for a canvas place in Nassau. That was more on the way so the plan was a stop in Nassau for the night and then on to the Exumas in the morning. I have always avoided Nassau before and I was about to find out why.
Left, bye bye to the Berry Island Club.
On to Nassau. 320 degrees of clear sky and 40 degrees of rain, right at the entrance to Nassau Harbor. On the left of the skyline of Atlantis is just visible.
It rained on us just as we pulled onto the dock. No help from the Marina but fortunately some nice folks from Rocking M helped us get tied up.
Quickly to the sail shop where we arrived just before another cloud burst. The owner was not there to give us an estimate but I said just fix it. How much could two zippers be anyhow. Things got fixed and the owner arrived just before closing.
!CONTEST!
This
year's contest is similar to the ever popular, "The Price is
Right." Closest to the price of two zipper installations without
going over wins.
We were up early for our other chores. Filled up with water. Faye to the grocery store. I went across the street to gas station for 10 gallons of fuel. After fueling the boat I walked to the Yamaha dealer looking for a gasket for the foot of the dinghy. I gave them the part number and they asked how many did I want. Not to be fooled again, I asked how much are they? By the way, they are $1.92 retail in the states. In Nassau, $2.00. Yamaha dealer on the approved list. I also picked up a tube of lower unit lube.
Out the harbor and discovered a secret snorkeling spot. Left is a picture. It is hard to pick them all out at this scale but there are about 50 people in the water in front of the cat and another 50 in front each of two other boats not in the picture. I did not get the coordinates.
We headed straight for Norman's Cay. I hoped to get there before dark and poke around for heads looking for a lobster. This is the last day of the season. Too late. Light was bad by the time we arrived. But, a good, calm anchorage.
Up early and off to the Exuma Land Sea Park. We got a mooring in the North mooring field. Rocking M came in a couple of hours later. Rocking M is an F-28 Trimaran with 3 people on board. Trust me, this is close quarters. They too got pinned down in the Berry Islands and there guest had to wait 4 days in a Nassau hotel for them to arrive in Nassau.
On the way into the office, I opined to Faye that I did not know why the dinghy motor was running. Clearly they was no fuel in the filter I and I could not pump any in. The motor immediately quit, in the 2 knot current. I switched to the internal tank and we limped into the office. Got back to the boat with only one stoppage, cockpit error.
As usual, the park was beautiful. From previous years you may have seen the pictures of the friendly Bananaquits near the park office. This year they did it one better and visited us on the boat. Hey, that is the Captain's Chair. I missed the picture of them sitting on the wheel. One actually flew around in the starboard hull. Cheeky devils.
Big early rain storm early kept us pinned in the park. But, we wanted to meet with Harvey and Nancy on Stardust. The forecast was for 10 to 15 out of the SE, the direction we needed to go of course.
Finally we set out. Bad news was that the wind direction forecast was correct. Worse news was that the speed forecast was not. It was 15 to 20. We got beat up for 4 to 5 hours but make it to Samson Cay where Stardust was anchored. We had not been to Samson before and were really pleasantly surprised. The mooring balls shown in the guides were gone and we were able to anchor in nice protection with about 10 other boats.
Dinner with Harvey and Nancy on Stardust. We managed to catch up on each others adventures. And, we caught up with the newest member of the Stardust crew, Buster. That's him with Harvey on the left. Buster is only a few months old and is adapting to boat life well.
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We had to leave Samson Cay early and head to Little Farmers Cay. We wanted to spend some more time with Stardust but needed to position ourselves further south for the forecast good weather day on Saturday. The forecast for Friday was the same as Thursday but this time it was 10 to 15 kts. What a difference those 5 kts make. Still not a fun day but quite doable.
We picked up a slimy mooring and arranged for dinner at the Ocean Cabin across the bay. As with Exuma Park, the current rips through this day. The dinghy motor did not want to stay going. I had to choke it on and off all the way across. Faye wondered if we would get back.
On the way in, we noticed a strange looking boat at the dock. I thought a Bahamian fishing boat. Not so. Top left is the boat. What do you think before reading on.
Yes, it is a Haitian Fishing Boat made for a trip to Florida. Not a smuggler. It is headed for a museum on Peanut Island in Palm Beach Inlet.
Bottom picture, the man who ginned up this scheme. He and two Haitians sailed the boat up from Haiti. They are passing through the Bahamas and then headed for Florida. He is a writer and is working on a book, an article for Outdoor Magazine, and one other publication I can't remember.
Today is the day. We confirmed a favorable weather forecast last night at the Ocean Cabin, Southwest turning to the West. With that we can go outside and sail in protected water in Exuma Sound.
Sure enough, the wind was from the SSW as we pulled out of Farmers Cut. For four hours we were able to sail down the coast at speeds from 5 to just over 7 kts. I could have used another 10 degrees on the wind but after days of wind on the nose, no complaints. Just before 1:00 the wind died. The forecast west wind went to nil. We motored the rest of the way to Elizabeth Harbor on flat seas.
Left, sunset over Elizabeth Harbor from our anchorage off of Hamburger Beach.
This was a lay day and a day to work on the dinghy motor again. I have found the leak in the fuel line that prevents me from using the external tank. Unfortunately, I do not have the parts to fix it. But, it is a common fitting and I expect to be able to get one in George Town Monday or Tuesday.
We dinghied in for lunch at Peace and Plenty Beach Club. The motor demanded choke/unchoke all the way in. As we were leaving, one of the new operators asked about our dinghy. Said he could fix it in 3 minutes flat. That did not happen. But, we did find that his main job is parts broker. Need a part, he will have it shipped in pronto. We took his name.
Back at the boat, Faye found the spare, untested dinghy carburetor we had on board. Instead of trouble shooting the old carb, I did a transplant. Motor now seems to be working fine. Still taking water however. Groan.
Left, a beautiful old yacht leaving the harbor this morning.
Four E-Cells in their charger
I know you are all wondering (well maybe not all but the two of you who are aware of it) , how are those E-Cells doing? That's right, E-Cells, not C-Cells or D- Cells but E-Cells.
Just before leaving, I ordered 8 E-Cells and a charger. These "Cells" can have the shape of a AAA, AA, C or D Battery but claim, they are not batteries. Say what. The claim is that they are sealed cells that use, "Fuel Cell Technology." Whatever that means. Rechargeable 1000's of times. Ecologically friendly. Etc. Greatest thing since sliced bread.
Since I eat AA batteries like candy on the boat, I decided to try this out.
Here is what I know so far. On their first charge, they put out 1.4 volts, no load, that is, nothing hooked to the battery. They ran my handheld GPS for 6 hours and were still going the last time I checked. They worked in Faye's digital camera. It has a reputation for eating batteries and declaring them dead before their time.
The website is www.notabattery.com
More as I exercise the E-Cells
Standby for later reports.
Still at Hamburger Beach. More maintenance items today as we await our crew tomorrow. The forecast is bleak. Looks like Saturday before a we have a good day to cross to Long Island.
Left, the water taxis to Hamburger Beach.
Sunrise at Monument Beach. Is the Monument leaning?
We brought the boat into a slip at Exuma Docking Services. Did some provisioning and I found a fuel line fitting to fix the external tank problem with the dinghy. Now we at least had a working dinghy, not.
Bill and Gayle got in about 3:30 and we decided to get a quick dinner at the marina restaurant. Wrong. They are now just a bar. We wound up at the Peace and Plenty. Very nice dinner but with a price to match.
Back to the boat where the wind had come up and was pushing us against the dock. Looked like a night of adjusting fenders but we finally got things right. By morning the wind had shifted and was pushing us off the dock.
The marina was out of fuel so while Gayle and Faye went shopping, Bill and I set out in the dinghy for the dinghy dock at the local filling station. The dinghy got about 20 feet and quit. Same story. Would on run with choke on/choke off action. We got back to the boat with gas but just barely. Good thing we only had to make one run. And, this was with the spare carb rebuilt by a pro. What is going on?
Bill and I spent the day on the dock examining the original carb and found two things that looked suspicious. Fixed those up and reinstalled the original carb back on the dinghy. It seemed to work around the harbor.
Late we got off the dock and moved to Volleyball Beach. Dinghied in without a problem. Had ribs at the Chat and Chill. Good grief, I think the portions have gotten larger. Chat and Chill still on the approved list.
Meanwhile, the forecast for tomorrow is pretty good. Two foot seas and not too much wind on the nose. Maybe tomorrow.
Got up to good weather this morning. But, the morning forecast is for 7 foot seas. How did that happen? The weather is so nice that we decided to go down to the south harbor exit and take a look. Once we looked, we booked it for Long Island. Most of the way it was less than 1 foot with a rare two footer.
About 2 miles out of the Long Island Shallows the fishing reel started screaming. Got a small dolphin but should be good for two nights of dinner.
Pulled into Calabash Cove off of the Cape Santa Maria Club and what to my surprise, a decent Wi-Fi signal. Got the Web Site updated and even made a few calls. Life is good.
Lay Day at Calabash Bay. Bill and I again worked on the dinghy applying 4200 at everything that looked like even a possible leak point. Gayle went on a long snorkel.
Bright and early we went into the Cape Santa Maria Club for ice and to drop trash. Now we were ready to head for Conception Island.
Our forecast was iffy but the weather was perfect and we were able sail all the way to Conception Island. It is a beautiful place. The water colors are fantastic. Don't think we could really capture it on film but sometime I will try.
Conception Island is a National Park. No one lives here and all wildlife on the island is protected. No phones, no internet, nobody. So, we were worried when we discovered the fridge was off and when restarted flashed both its yellow and red light. It was not running. We quickly started moving our most perishable stuff to the ice we bought in the morning. Bill and I tried various stuff all to no avail. I was unable to think of anything that might be wrong that we could fix either here or at Rum Cay, our next destination. Probably could not get parts at either place and any parts would be subject to import tax. At least at Rum Cay we could get ice.
Took Incommunigato to the north end of Conception for a tank dive. Very interesting. The coral was extremely thick. Left Bill floats on the surface before starting the dive. You can see the outlines of the coral 30 feet down in the background. Great day, clear water, big formations, and little life on this reef. Very disappointing. We did see our first Lion Fish of the trip.
Meanwhile, Bill wiggled the connector on the muffin fan for the fridge and we can now manually operate the fridge for 10 minutes every hour without it faulting out. It gets cool but not cold. Meanwhile, my fridge manual says that a blinking yellow and red light combo is "Controller problem or fan problem." Yea right. Did I mention that when the fridge does run it draws 6 to 10 amps. Manual says 2 to 3.
Plan, get to Rum Cay early enough to phone the US distributor on Monday and get some advice. The Bahamas of course would be closed for Easter Monday.
Yes, Friday the 13th came on Monday this week.
We started out trying to sail to Rum Cay. But, the wind was on our course. Undaunted I tried tacking but was making little progress. Finally noticed that in addition to the wind on the nose, we had a 0.5 kt current on the nose. So, on went the motors.
Just as we approached the east end of Rum Cay, we came across a weed line and I went to manual steering down the line. Almost instantly, Bill got a strike. He saw the dolphin head out of the weed line, dorsal fin cutting the surface. He hit the lure and knocked it into the air. Fortunately, he came back for a second pass and got the lure this time. We lost a half mile of progress between the fish, the current and the wind. But, we finally got the fish aboard.
We booked it into the marina and immediately got some ice. Didn't want to let any of that fish spoil.
Meanwhile I went to the office and got signed up for Internet. I phoned the fridge place using Skype. Closed for Easter Monday!! This is in Ft. Lauderdale not the Bahamas. We will continue to manually operate the fridge till Tuesday morning.
Had dolphin for dinner. We are going to have a problem getting rid of this fish. He, she really, was 16 pounds.
I was up early to call Ft. Lauderdale. Oops. The internet seems to be down. 17 wanna be network administrators were looking at cables and lights. The woman who was going to "fix it" when she got in was clueless and blamed Batelco. I suggested rebooting everything with an electrical plug. Finally, the internet came back for no apparent reason. 17 people took credit.
I phone for tech help but one guy was out and I got his voice mail. I phone back and after voice mail hell again explained that they could not call me back and I needed help NOW.
I got the back up technical help guy who suggested that we had a bad connection. I doubted it. He said the compressor would draw heavy amps when a warm fridge first started up.
Bill and I spent a couple of hours checking voltages etc. and finally noticed that the fan speed seemed to vary and was never very strong. Removed the fan and connected it directly to the boat battery. Ran slow. Decided that the wires had gone bad and replaced the wires. No help. Finally disassembled the fan and found nothing. But on reassembly, it was worse. Light bulb. The fan blade assembly was further from the motor on reassembly. Disassembled and repositioned a bushing in the fan hub. Fan took off like a scalded dog. Back in the fridge business.
The wind is dropping and we are concerned that the marina may have bug problem tonight. So, we decided to leave and anchor out front tonight. Fortuitous decision. Once anchored, Gayle went on a snorkel and discovered a clutch of slipper lobsters. These guys are not covered by the lobster season. Bill and Gayle returned to the boat with 3 slipper lobsters and the tale of a grouper nearby.
Left, Bill and Gayle with the dinner guests.
Nice night at anchor with low winds.
Up early and visited Gayle's dive site from last evening. No luck with the grouper. He was there but refused to come out and play. He was content to stay in the coral and "thump" us when Gayle tried to coax him out.
Off to Conception Island and a sailing day. At one point with the auto-pilot on, we were making 5 kts in 7 kt of apparent wind. One foot seas. Sat at the table and had lobster salad with leftovers from the 3 slipper lobsters. Someone opined that it does not get any better than this.
Near Conception Island we encountered another weed line and sure enough Bill got another Dolphin on. This one was smaller and we got him on the boat more quickly as a barracuda was tracking him and threatening to shorten him up.
Left, a good picture by Gayle of a Tropic Bird. Yes that thing behind him is a looonnng tail feather. These birds were common on Rum Cay and at Conception Island.
We trekked to the other side of the island and found a rope to climb to a high rock. The water is rough on the Atlantic side.
Unfortunately, the Atlantic side faces the prevailing winds and debris piles up on the beach. There is no one here to take it away. You could open a recycling center here with all the plastic on the beach. And the guide says, "Don't dump your trash here."
We are pinned down here at Conception. Not a bad place to be in calm weather but with the strong winds, it is hard to dinghy around and get to the snorkel spots.
Two dolphins have taken to visiting us in the morning. On the first day, they got close and broke their normal cycle of just rolling up for air. They stopped and put their heads up to take a look at us. I was never able to be ready for them and try to get in for a swim. Don't know if they would have let me approach or not.
The long range forecast we downloaded before leaving Rum Cay suggested that today was the day to make our run back to Long Island. We headed out for the 14.4 NM run to the Cape Santa Maria waypoint. The wind was up and the waves were on our quarter. We made the run in 2:10. That's an average of 6.7 kts. Yahoo.
Pulled in to the Calabash Bay in time for lunch at the Cape Santa Maria Club. I have mentioned it before but I will say it again. This is a nice resort. Nice facility and a very pleasant staff. It is part of a larger group of resorts mostly on the Canadian Pacific Coast.
Up early and headed back to George Town and Elizabeth Harbor. While we were waiting for Bill and Gayle to fly in, we had discovered that the Family Island Regatta was to take place while we were waiting for our next crew.
For the non-sailors viewing this site, here is the story on the Family Island Regatta. Small sail boats from all over the Bahamas come to the compete for bragging rights for the next year. These boats typically have large sail area for the boat and have to be balanced by the crew sitting out over the water on boards that extend from the side of the boat.
As we came up Elizabeth Harbor from the south, we passed this boat out for practice. One might wonder how the crews stay on these board during a race. The answer is that mostly they somehow stay on but occasionally they do come off. This causes a made scramble to get the crew back on the boat. Gotta finish with the same crew you start with.
Stay tuned for a blizzard of regatta pictures. This event is a blast and I recommended seeing for anyone in the area when the regatta is held.
Note that the sail on this boat does not go to the top of the mast or quite to the end of the boom. We were told these boats do not have reefing sails. So, you have to pick a sail before the race starts that fits the wind for that day. Too small a sail and you lose speed. Too much sail and you can't keep the boat upright. Or, maybe you need more or heavier crew to balance the boat.
Meanwhile, back in George Town, the town has been transformed. On a large stretch of empty land along the harbor, 30 to 40 shops have been erected from plywood, tar paper, and two by fours. Some have legs sticking down in the water to hold up decks. Wiring between the stands would make any fire marshall cringe.
Most of the places sell food or drink or both. Left, number 23, the Fire N De Hole shop. For those not familiar, Fire N De Hope is a popular Bahamian Rum. Not bad stuff and about $8 a bottle.
We found a place with conch fritters for $1.00 for a half dozen. We had plenty before this at $6 to 10 a plate. But, the one dollar fritters were the best we had on the trip.
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Thursday and time for the races to really get going. Early on the wind was at 1.1 kts and they delayed the start of the first race. But it finally got off. Relatively light wind. We moved the boat to the Exuma Docking Services Marina to simplify the Bill and Gayle catching a taxi to the airport. Mistake. I did not follow the admiral's advice on docking and wound up pinned to the dock. But that is the side story.
We went down to the start finish area to watch the start of a race. Unlike most sail boat races that start with folks jockeying for position for the start, this is what I call a La Mans start. I am sure there is a sailing term for this but I do not know what it is. The boats start with the crew on board, sails down, and anchored behind the starting line. At the start it's anchors and sails up. Despite all the practice, it seems that there is always a boat or two that have a problem raising the sails.
Top left, the boats are at the starting line.
Middle left, the starting gun has fired and sails are starting up.
Bottom left, Sails are almost up.
Below, all boats are off and running.
With the help of strong and boat wise young Bahamian man we managed to get the boat off of the dock and transitioned back over to Volley Ball Beach across the harbor. From there we could watch the start/finish line from a distance and depending on the the placement of the windward mark had a pretty good view of the races.
Left, two boats tack toward us. The boat on the left refuses to tack because he has the other boat blocked. Neither of these boats wound up in contention for the race. Faye says they did themselves in.
Last day of the regatta.
Left, two boats head toward us at Volley Ball Beach. By now there is plenty of wind and although it is not obvious, all of the boats had sails that did not fill the rigging. Still, most boats had 12 people on board to act as ballast.
In fact, the wind was strong Friday also. Listening on the radio we heard of one lost mast and a snapped boom during one race. During the next to last race today, one boat sank and they did not seem to be able to raise it. It became an obstacle near the windward mark for the final racers to deal with.
Another thing that would drive racers in our area crazy was the spectator fleet. Plenty of dinghies following the fleet despite the heave weather but also large boat throwing all sorts of wakes followed the fleet around the course. Some of the race boats had support boats that followed them. I don't know how much support they were allowed to give but I swear some of them were giving advice on sail trim to the racers.
Faye took about 400 pictures of this event. If I find the time, I will put together a slide show with the best pictures.
The regatta is over and the race boats are packing up for the trip home. Some of the race boats are towed to the regatta by other large boats from their home island. Others are shipped in on large freighters. Left, a freighter with racers heads out. Besides the masts, there are at least two boats in the back that are shipping out with the masts lowered.
While most folks have been watching the races, life goes on at Volley Ball Beach. Left, the scene at Volley Ball Beach during the weekend. Of course boats come flying on and off the beach despite the 3 mph speed limit through the anchorage.
Volley Ball Beach by the way is the home of the Chat and Chill. It also has two volley ball courts and numerous picnic tables where the cruisers meet for dominoes, bridge and other table games.
Meanwhile, we have crew to pick up in George Town and moved the boat to Kidd's Cove, a small protected anchorage near town. But there was one thing I had not counted on. To get into Lake Victoria, you have to dinghy through a short tunnel under the road. With the strong wind opposing the tide coming out of the lake, the tunnel had 3 foot standing waves in it. Just before our crew arrived, I took Faye back to Incommunigato. We took several waves over the bow of the dinghy. Back at the boat, I broke out the foul weather gear and garbage bags to wrap our guest's bags in. We had just gotten that organized when cab 10 called to say he had our guests and was 10 minutes from town.
Fortunately, as I transported them back to the boat, the current had slacked a little and we were only soaked and not immersed on the ride back.
Did our shopping in George Town. From our anchorage in Kidd Cove, we could watch the Regatta village being dismantled. Left, the village from the back being torn down. Note the Bahamas Electric crane removing the electrical wiring.
We moved over to Volley Ball Beach next to the Chat and Chill. We had been watching the weather and the forecasts were uniformly bad till past Friday. But, we needed to get Bob and Barb to the North Eleuthera Airport for their return flight.
Had an early dinner/late lunch at the Chat and Chill. Good-bye the their ribs until next year.
The wind was a little below the forecast and the forecast was not improving so I suggested that we, Stick our noses out and see if it was okay." I had made a list of cuts we could use if the weather got bad.
Two hours later, Bob said, "Is this what you call sticking your nose out?"
Rat Cut, the first one on my list was a mess and we passed it by. Went in to Adderly Cut near Lee Stocking Island near noon and anchored off of the Caribbean Marine Research Lab. They used to have free moorings available but they are all gone. Fortunately, the holding in the old mooring field is good. Bob was able to snorkel over to a reef near the shore.
Shortly after we anchored, a tanker appeared at the dock of the Caribbean Research Center. I was amazed that they could get in. I guess the center has some big tanks for their fuel needs.
Weather is not looking any better today. We decided that Exuma Sound is not where we wanted to be. So, we would take the side on the banks. This is much further than going up the coast in the sound but it seemed like a good idea. This is a shallow water route with a lot of visual water reading required to keep off the bottom. As we looked later, we found that it is really a lot further and to get around the sand banks, we had to go almost to the tongue of the ocean. It was rough. On the other hand, we heard boats at the cut I had planned to go in take a look and say, "Oh no. That looks bad."
Left, good-bye to the Caribbean Research Facility.
We arrived so late that we anchored in near darkness off of Guana Cay in the Exumas.
Off to Staniel Cay. We wanted to show Bob and Barb Thunderball Grotto. Unfortunately, the tide was wrong to do the Grate today. Have to wait for tomorrow.
We headed into the Staniel Cay Yacht Club for dinner. As usual, the docks at the club were home to a bunch of rays and sharks. Fish cleaning nearby is the reason I suspect. Left a ray and shark await some tidbits.
You may have noticed a paucity of underwater pictures this year. I ran out of the anit-fog stuff that came with the underwater housing for my camera. Bought some other stuff and it does not work. Every picture I take is blurred due to fog on the housing lens. I am trying to find a solution but so far, not much luck.
Got out early to snorkel Thunderball Grotto at low tide. Lots of fish in the grate per usual.
Then, off to the Exuma Land Sea Park. Saturday night has a get together on the beach at the park. Despite a low number of boats in the park, the party was well attended. Met some folks on Sun Seeker who knew our friends Jack, Jackie and Jackson from Rainbow Chaser. Of course, we forgot to bring a camera.
Meanwhile, we noted that the voice on the radio giving our mooring assignment and the host at the party, was not Judy, 5 year veteran at the park. Didn't think much of it at the time.
We snorkeled the reefs near the mooring field. Saw the usual groupers and lobsters making fun of us. Also saw a couple of Lion Fish. We reported these to the park office. They told us they have some lion fish killers with permits that come in on occasion to shot the lion fish.
After the snorkel we were off to Highbourne Cay. We had seen Mega-Yachts rafted up here before. But as we came in today there was a three Mega raft up. I was impressed.
We snorkeled the reef at the north end of Highbourne Cay early. I was looking for the grouper I have been stalking for five years. Did not see him this year. What we did see was a bull shark cruising the sand just south of the reef. He convinced me that I did not want to spear a fish.
Fueled up at Highbourne Cay and headed to Ship Channel Cay for an early start tomorrow. Bob got a couple of hits on the lure we were dragging. One was a cuda and the other one got off before we could ID it.
Bob went out for a snorkel heading a reef near the shore. I was trying to nap but heard Faye and Barb yelling to Bob, "What is wrong. What is going on." Bob was beating feet back to the boat and not talking. When he finally got on board he reported a bull shark had taken an interest and was circling him all the way back to the boat. No more snorkeling today.
We took off early and headed for Spanish Wells. I could not make the tide work for us at Current Cut and so for the first time went through the fleming channel. There are isolated heads on this route as there are on the path to Current Cut.
As we sailed between Current Island and Royal Island, Faye took a look at the development on Royal Island with the binoculars. She said it did not look like much had happened since last year. I thought it odd as last year there was a lot of activity at the development.
Took a mooring in Spanish Wells. Left, part of the harbor at Spanish Wells.
Had dinner at The Gap. We were the only people in the place.
The man collecting for the mooring came early. He reported that construction at Royal Island was stopped last year. Only security is left there patrolling the island. He was a happy camper.
We got Bob and Barb organized for the trip to the North Eleuthera Airport. Pinders grocery runs a ferry service that includes both the water taxi and taxi to get you from Spanish Wells to the airport. Left, the crew get ready to pull out of Spanish Wells.
Faye and I headed for the anchorage at Royal Harbor. Sure enough, not much activity on the island. We did see night security patrols roaming the perimeter of the island in a jeep.
Left, the view of the ruins at Royal Island. I am surprised the ruins are still standing. You can see them better now as the developer cleared some of the brush from in front.
We were off early and headed out for the passage to Little Harbor in the Abacos. We were able to sail early but had to motor sail later in the trip.
Faye noted 6 freighters on the passage but who was counting.
Later on I got a hit on the line we were trolling. I have never heard line leave the reel like that. By the time I got to the pole I was expecting to be out of line. Not quite but as soon as I got hold of the pole whatever it was broke off. The factory leader that was part of the lure failed. Had to be defective.
Got through the cut at Little Harbor and spent the night off of Lynyard Cay.
Friday morning we could see the ocean rollers breaking on the eastern shore of Lynyard Cay. That white stuff in the center of the picture is spray from the breaking waves.
Off to Hope Town where we picked up a mooring and met Pete Anderson on Synergy. Pete is another Melbourne Yacht Club member over to the Abacos for a few weeks.
Had lunch at the Harbor's Edge with Pete. He came over later also for drinks and conversation. Plan is to move to Great Guana Cay tomorrow and be in position for the Pig Roast on Sunday.
New feature in Hope Town. On Fridays from 3 to 6, a local fishing boat pulls up to the Government Dock and has a seafood sale. Good fish, good prices. We took advantage of this.
Left, Saturday morning, Pete on Synergy leaves, Hope Town on the morning high tide. We headed out later and grabbed a mooring at Fisher Bay.
In front of us we saw the sailing cat, Brio. Harvey and Nancy had met them and suggested we meet them if we had the chance. We got them on the radio and arranged to meet them at Grabbers.
Finally arranged dinner on board with Dreadnought (Chris and Sue Reynolds), Synergy (Pete Anderson), Island Time (Lenny and Nancy) and Brio ( Gregg and Maggie). That fish from Hope Town sure did come in handy.
The crowd from yesterday hiked up to Nippers for the Pig Roast. As Pattie says on the cruisers net, "If you don't go to the Pig Roast, no one will believe you went to the Abacos."
Left, most of the crowd at Nippers. We are in the New enclosed area of the bar. But, on this day it was open to the weather and was quite pleasant.
Around the table from the left, Pete, Chris, Sue, Nancy, Lenny, Faye and yours truly. The brio folks were manning the camera.
Monday found us heading to Marsh Harbor and a day of chores on the boat. Did not get a picture today.
We went to the Conch Inn Marina for fuel. Suddenly, everyone wanted fuel. In particular, a large power yacht was waiting for my spot. He pulled in close to the dock and maintained position by running his thrustees very frequently. I told Faye it was like being thumped by a large grouper, get out of my territory.
Found this classic boat anchored in Marsh Harbor. Did not get the name.
Of to Tahiti Beach for the afternoon and night.
Transitioned to Little Harbor today. Left, the house on the cay just north of Sandy Cay has added a lighthouse look alike structure.
Marsha was back at the bar tending duties (she was off last year for knee surgery). We had noticed last year that the Blasters seemed to lack potency. We had a blaster and Faye complained to Marsha that the Blasters lack blast. Marsha assured us that the formula had not changed. But, when she mixed the next batch she mentioned that it was a higher test.
We continued, had dinner and more blasters. Look out. Faye barely made back to the boat in time to "Phone New York". (Bahamian slang for having your head in the big porcelain phone)
We stayed at Little Harbor today to recover from the weak Blasters.
Left, a moon rise in Hope Town from a earlier visit.
Off to Hope Town.
Cal Stow, another Melbourne Yacht Cluber, joined the crew of Dreadnought for a few days in the Abacos and then the trip back to Florida.
Left, lunch at the Harbor's Edge with the crew of Dreadnought. That would be Faye on the left , me, Cal Stow, Chris and Sue Reynolds.
Island Dog, one of the Maine Cat 30 charter boats, has been on the mooring in front of us. Yesterday, Capt. Ralph, famed delivery Captain, arrived in Hope Town. This morning found Capt. Ralph up the mast. Not sure what he was fixing or checking but up he went.
We talked to Ralph later and discovered that he was there to help the owners take the boat back to the states. They took off despite what I considered a shaky weather forecast. I did later confirm that they made it okay but no report on how much of an adventure the crossing was.
Meanwhile back in the states, Bob and Karen Sowden on their new trawler and Ray and Alix Gogan should be in North Palm Beach today getting ready to cross to the Bahamas. Their plan, celebrate Bob and Karen's second anniversary at the Abaco Inn on May 28. Readers of this site know that two years ago weather forced them to fly to their wedding at the Abaco Inn instead of taking their boat. Last year, they celebrated in Green Turtle Cay as weather kept them from making it to the Abaco Inn. As I looked at the gulfstream forecast, I thought they were going to have a problem this year as well.
I called Bob and he said they were going to hold in North Palm and make a decision Thursday. I did not like his chances.
For the nth straight year, a boat aground at the entrance of White Sound, Elbow Cay. Note to mariners. Do not cut this corner.
We sat in Hope Town in bad weather. Bad weather is going to be a theme for a while.
Talked to Bob and they have scrubbed the plan to make it to the Bahamas this year and are headed to the keys. The gulfstream forecast is grim for the rest of the week.
Our plan had been to attend the anniversary and then look for a weather window to cross back to the Florida. With no anniversary dinner in the cards, we decided to start working our way north and look for a window. Yea right.
Left, a new and really nice house being built on the little cay at the entrance to Hope Town harbor.
Least ye think nothing interesting happens while we are pinned down like this. On Tuesday, the Faye, Sue, Martha and Jeff from Island Fever went looking for Sea Glass at low tide. Then on to the bank, open Tuesday from 10 till 2. Talk about banker hours. We dashed between showers and met at Capt Jacks for lunch. There was a group of young folks at an outside table having lunch. One young lady in particular was quite stunning except for the large hook in her lip. (All I could think of was barracudas I have seen on the reef with lures hanging off their lips). As they exited, she took off her cover up top and in a wardrobe malfunction of spectacular proportions her bikini top came with it. Yes, spectacular proportions.
On Thursday, a mooring cat came in and tried for a couple of moorings. On the third one, the guy with the boat hook finally got hold of the mooring ball. Unfortunately, the helmsman, not wanting to overrun the ball, slammed it in reverse. Not wanting to give up a hooked ball, the guy on the front took a death grip on the boat hook and was catapulted over the bow into the water. After some further work they got attached but with the boat over the mooring with it coming out the stern. The mooring's owner had to come over in a small boat to get this straightened out.
Bad weather continues. The only good news is that I have collected over 40 gallons of fresh water from the drenching rains that fall most of the time.
Meanwhile, drama two boats over. The couple on Nanita have decided to get married and want to do it on the bow of their boat. Vernon, grocery store owner and lay preacher, is scheduled to perform the ceremony at 4:00.
We are monitoring the situation as Vernon and bride and groom talk on the radio. Vernon is concerned that the wedding will be rained out. It has been raining almost all day. But, Vernon must have more influence than we previously suspected. At 4:00 the rain subsides and ceremony goes on.
As Vernon pronounced them, the harbor erupted with conch horns and yes a bag pipe from S/V Bridgette O'Toole.
Left, another sunrise at Hope Town. Note the heavy cloud cover even early.
Still watching the weather from Hope Town. But, we did arrange a lunch at the Abaco Inn. They will come and get you in their van for lunch and dinner.
Left, Faye and the crew from Island Fever. Note what the ocean looks like behind the crew. Not a friendly looking sea.
And, we are off. Off to Great Guana Cay. But instead of the pig roast, we went to Pirates Cove for a laundry run. Pirates Cove features food, drink, a book exchange and one a really nice laundry. It's air conditioned!
Oops. This was a day of an extreme tide. Got back to the dinghy and it was high and dry. That big run about in the background is also aground and it was at the dock.
We decided to start working our way north with a view to exiting the Bahamas. The weather was still a little shaky so we wanted to use the Don't Rock passage (shallow) rather than head outside around Whale Cay. That meant an early start to hit Don't Rock before the high tide at 9:00 AM. I took a while to get Mr. Cranky, my port engine, to in fact crank. He starts right away if he turns over but sometimes does not want to crank. So far I have been able to cure this by approaching Mr. Cranky with a voltmeter.
On the way, Faye snapped these pictures of the Bakers Bay Resort development. Readers of this site should know that this resort complex is being fought by the locals on Great Guana Cay. The marina at Bakers is now open a large hotel or Condo is visible in the picture. More info at http://saveguanacayreef.com/
We got to Green Turtle early and topped our fuel, water and ice at the Other Shore Club then anchored out in front of New Plymouth.
Later in the afternoon, we plotted with Epilog and UDF on a crossing strategy. I sort of wanted to get a few miles north today but ultimately met with the other two boats.
We again started off early for Great Sale Cay. Our buddy boats left later and stopped at Allens-Pensacola Cay part way to Great Sale.
We were able to sail most of the way with varying speeds as the wind went up and down. Pulled into the anchorage north of the cove and just off shore. Mr. Cranky does not want to start for anchoring purposes but finally came around.
No pictures today. Left, the famous Don't Rock from yesterday. Note the undercut on the left side. We are not far from high tide.
Apparently, our friend Harvey from Stardust has branched out. We ate here and not bad From Green Turtle Cay.
We are off early to Mangrove Cay with the intent to stop at one of my favorite snorkel spots on the way. Had a nice sail to near the dive spot and noticed my anemometer starting to get intermittent. Paddle is turning at the top of the mast but no wind reading on the instrument.
Anchored near Big Head in 5 kts of wind (anemometer working). I got in but within a few minutes the wind is picking up and Faye motions me back to the boat. By the time I get in it is blowing 28 kts. We decide to stay anchored till this blows over. Near 3 foot swell are coming at us.
I never got back in because on my quick dive I saw no big eating fish and a school of cudas has taken up residence on the rock. Not sure what would happen if I shot a fish. Off to Mangrove to spend the night.
Meanwhile, our buddy boats have made it to Great Sale and plan to join us at Mangrove for an evening departure to St. Lucie inlet.
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We had anchored on the west side of Mangrove Cay. Holding not normally real good. However, I had dumb lucked into dropping the anchor into a patch of sand surrounded by a two foot ledge. I have this spot marked.
As Epilog and UDF approached they radio a preference for the west side so we moved, better to plan the crossing. Left, Epilog and UDF anchored near us at Mangrove Cay. Note the sky around Epilog. There should have been a message there.
After conferencing, we decided to leave Mangrove Cay about 7:00, head for the bank and then to St. Lucie Inlet. Got to the edge of the bank about 11:00 PM. The wind was not the forecast 5 to 10 but more like 15 to 25 per my untrustworthy anemometer. Experience says it was right. Seas were not the forecast 2 ft. or less but more like 3 to 5 ft. Lightning seems to be all around. We immediately encountered ship traffic. Mr. Cranky started to smell (hot? Water is pumping). I shut him off, examined the prop for fouling, none found. Tried to restart but Mr. Cranky won't go.
At this point, I radioed the two other boats that we were headed back to the banks. Dropped the main, turned around and anchored back on the bank at 3:00 AM Friday. I am wondering if we will ever be able to cross.
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We decided that we would hole up at Old Bahama Bay for the day and see what the weather was going to do. Old Bahama Bay (OBB) is a relatively recent development at the West End of Grand Bahama Island. The marina is at the site of the old Jack Tar Resort. If you remember that, you may be as old as I am. OBB has the reputation of being pricey and buggy but what you gonna do.
We radioed OBB and reserved a slip for the night. Turned out to be further than I thought and we arrived just after 1:00. Check in was smooth and we got a good slip for our 18 foot wide boat. As I registered at the office, I noticed the TV on a Miami station. They interrupted a perfectly good movie for a severe weather warning. The coast of Florida from Miami to as far as there radar went was thunderstorms. Would not want to be entering a Florida inlet in that.
It's true. OBB is pricey. $3.05 per foot and a forty foot minimum. And, $10/day for water whether you use it or not. Ouch. But, it is a very nice place with lots of amenities included. Best to make use of the amenities as you are paying for them. They have bikes, kayaks, small cats all free for the sign up. Not to mention a good Wi-Fi signal with lots of bandwidth on the back end.
Top left. Found this poor flying fish on the trams in the morning. If I had stepped on this guy in the dark last night I probably would have been lost off of the boat (Not really, I was harnessed on while dropping the anchor).
Bottom left, the ride to OBB. Rain, Rain and more Rain.
I took a look at the ocean early this morning. White water as far as I could see. Forecast not so good either. We decided to stay another night.
One nice spot at OBB is the Straw Bar. This is a beach bar with good food at reasonable prices. And they have a band that plays during the lunch hour. Nice view of the ocean and folks playing with the gratis beach toys.
I am of course getting conflicting weather forecasts. Gulfstream is less than 2 feet, except near storms. But, if one looks at the radar, the whole stream is covered by a storm. On the other hand, it is the start of a weekend and many center console fishing boats 20 ft and up are pulling in from Florida. I did note that most of the occupants were completely soaked.
Note the dark clouds over the condos next to the marina. Even an up scale place like this it rains.
While sitting on the boat contemplating the weather, the Kiwi Explorer pulled in for gas and then took a slip. These are some folks we met last year from New Zealand. Went over to say hello and scheduled drinks for later in the day.
Over sundowners we found that they had taken their boat around the Great Circle last summer, had come back to the Bahamas, and were returning to the states to have the boat, bought in the states, shipped back to New Zealand.
Peter on Kiwi Explorer is a believer in the Virtual Buoy weather forecasts and suggested that Monday looked good on the Virtual Buoy. I had tried this site before and on his recommendation, took a look when we got back to the boat. On this site, you can place a virtual buoy where you please and get a forecast for that spot. I put one half way from West End to St. Lucie Inlet and it said 2 feet or less. We decided to get up at 4:00 and take a look. Tuesday looked good also.
That URL is http://www.buoyweather.com/index2.jsp
Up and 4:00 and the weather looked okay. Hardest part of this is getting out of the harbor in the dark. What is obvious in day light is not so obvious at night.
Weather was a little lumpy for the first couple of hours. And of course we met a cruise ship that would not answer the radio. Another boat that left just before us tried him on the radio and finally reported him to the Coast Guard.
We missed him with some help from the other boat that had radar and gave us this heading.
By the time we got to the virtual buoy location, the weather was pretty much what they forecast. Smooth crossing to St. Lucie Inlet. I had heard much conflicting info about this inlet. Certainly in good visibility it is not a problem. We still had some current boost from the tide at the inlet and do proceeded north to Jensen Beach and put down the anchor.
Left, the anchorage just north of the Jensen Beach Bridge. That appears to be a water front restaurant near the anchorage. We were too beat to dinghy in and see what was up.
Up early. It's a long way to Melbourne. The wind completely died in the night and in the morning the boats in the anchorage were pointed every which way. I pulled the anchor up with no help from the engines. When I got back to the helm I could see from the GPS that the boat was still right over the spot the anchor had been. We motored off to the north.
Winds light and variable all day and we motored or motor sailed to Melbourne arriving around 4:00 PM.
Left, the bridge at Jensen Beach in the morning.
The jury is out on the E-Cells. Faye's camera seems to eat them for lunch but seems to eat all batteries for lunch. The ones in the handheld GPS are still functioning. Perhaps an appendix or epilog later.
Next year the talk is of a possible keys cruise including the Dry Tortugas and the possibility of Cuba if it is opened to american travel. We shall see.
Cruising is fun.