Boat work, boat work everywhere – April 18, 2022, St. Augustine, Florida
Sailing Hubby started with engine week.Before we left, while the boat was still in the slings, he pulled out the sail drive sensor and got a two-inch geyser of water.Guess it was a real leak and not just the sensor! First thing he started this week was he immediately pulled the port engine and took it apart.We needed to get our parts ordered as we had no idea how long they would take to come in. As luck would have it, there was a Yanmar dealer close by to get everything we needed in a few days.
When he got it all apart, it revealed not only had one of the seal bands broke, but the main seal had a huge crack about 1.5 inches. The crack was much worse than we thought and should have caused a much larger leak then we experienced. Perhaps we should purchase a lottery ticket?
Day two he pulled apart the starboard side…this reveled a ½ inch hole in the secondary seal.Oh joy, this news was not much better that the port side.Ugh.We knew we were replacing both sides anyway, but boy, we thank the sailing Gods for getting us back as we could very easily have lost both engines and neither of us can believe we made it home.I think all those superstitious toasts to Neptune have paid off!We were able to order all the parts and get them within a day which was fantastic and better than we could have imagined!
Sailing Hubby put together the port side and it is all back together and, in the boat, again.We have the starboard side still apart and waiting on one of the seals to come in on Monday.Things are looking good on that front, but we are certainly poorer from this process.It is a gift Hubby can do all the work himself.Meanwhile, I have defrosted the fridge/freezer, packed up all the food and it’s in the Airbnb, taken all the clothes and linens home, and all have been washed.The kitchen is clean, however, I am not making a huge cleaning effort since our next project is grinding fiberglass inside.That stuff is like drywall and gets everywhere with the added bonus of making you itch uncontrollably. This will keep me from doing the cleaning twice. More boat work to go…
Whirlwind – St Augustine, Florida to Columbus, Ohio, April 9, 2022
Three Daughter’s, two sisters, and a set of parents in a pear tree later, we drove 3,000+ miles this week as we made our rounds to visit.It was nice and we were both ready to see everyone and take a week off from the boat after our hellish crossing.So off we went to Clearwater, Florida to see Daughter #3.We had a nice dinner with her and met the boyfriend.He was very nice and we were happy we liked him, Hubby forgot his gun after all.It’s always a hard thing for a dad.Sadly, it was spring break week and every hotel was $400+ per night so we started driving until we came to at least the first stop which was reasonable…two hours later.
We had decided to stop for a day to see my parents at Jekyll Island, GA which was only a 5 hour trip but after our two hours of driving, decided to stop and get some shut eye.We had a great visit and we were glad we didn’t have to make a full day run from Clearwater to Columbus as that drive was more than we wanted in one day.After a day’s visit we started out again.
The next morning, we made the long stretch to Columbus, OH and after a quick stop to see my sister, crashed in a hotel nearby.We had a busy day planned to start at the BMV.Ah, the smell of bureaucracy with a large cup of coffee.Sailing (or is it now Driving?) Hubby waited the hour required to replace his license and I walked over to the nearby pharmacy where I had a prescription refilled to see if I can get it transferred to Florida.We were both successful and had checked off items 1 & 2.
Now onto see daughter #4 for lunch.She is doing great at school, and we miss the girls terribly.That night we had planned dinner with my sister.I swear we did nothing this week but drive and eat.But all was fun and hitting our favorite Mexican place didn’t hurt either!
Ohio wasn’t finished yet, so we drove to Cleveland to see Daughter #2.It was also my birthday, so it was nice to celebrate with her.Her apartment looked great and the adulting process seems to be really taking hold!The funny part of that trip was our lunch.It was on the brink of rain and the place we walked to was closed so we ducked into the closest next option which was a Lebanese place.Yeah, my meat-eating husband was less than happy (lamb is not his thing).I was the only one happy there with my falafel and hummus, but we got a good laugh anyway.That evening after dinner, we drove south outside of the city to avoid rush hour the following morning.
The next day we drove to West Virginia to see Ron’s sister. Bonus we got to stay in her camper next to her house.Sadly, we woke up to a very chilly 27 degrees and even had to scrape the windshield. I am glad we avoided the worst of this winter thing, and it is the closest I hope we get to snow this year. We enjoyed our time visiting and we headed back to Jekyll.
The traffic could not have been worse getting to Mom & Dad’s.What should have been an 8-hour drive was a 14-hour drive.Spring break travelers were everywhere!!We finally arrived and spent the weekend at Mom and Dad’s, resting and psyching ourselves up for the next several weeks of non-stop boat work. They say the best two days to own a boat are the day you buy and the day you sell.I guess we will see.
We checked into our Airbnb that Ron had found through a cruiser’s forum, and we were pleasantly surprised at how great it was.Two-bedroom, nice kitchen, washer/dryer, and 2.5 bath!It was clean and the people seemed great.They were spending 2 months in Europe, and I am glad they decided to rent out their space to us.Nothing left now but to hit the hay and go to see our beauty tomorrow.
It’s a Sad Day– St. Augustine, Florida, USA, 4-8-22
The mood on board of our boat was somber at best. We sat the night before watching dolphins and having a beer for the last time. It was time to pack it up and put her away. We had a lot of work to do, friends to bid farewell, and family to visit. It would be the first time we will try out our new life to see if it fits. We have not been retired on land, not been homeless on land, and don’t have much of a plan on land. Somehow this feels different. Will we like it? I don’t know yet but for now, that’s the most planning we can pull together.
Today is haul out day and we awoke to a less than cheerful 58 degrees in Florida. Are you kidding me? I want to go back to the Bahamas where it was 80! Apparently, there is a wicked cold front passing through. I guess we will fight the weather to the very end.
This is always stressful since as a rule, putting your boat on the hard is hard on the boat. We are starting hurricane season early due to our sail drive (I think). Let’s face it, it isn’t what the boat was designed to do. I give credit to the boat yard as they do have a lot of experience even with boats much larger than our small little cat, but it is still nerve racking. Thankfully this paid off and all went well. Ron whipped out the sail drive sensor and indeed he was right. The port side was leaking quite badly so the good news is we didn’t come back for nothing. She has found her new home for the next 6 months.
As our home was safe and sound it was time to move to step two…we needed some wheels. Ron had reserved a car and we ubered to pick it up. Our uber driver was roughly 80 and clearly only driving as he was a bit lonely. After being completely terrified and hearing his life story, we arrived. Sadly, our car was not ready and there was an issue with the reservation. They said to come back in a couple hours. Now remember, Hubby has lost his wallet including his license. So now I got to reserve the car, but I was not a member of the “supersecret car club” to get the awesome price he did. Our new friend (the outwardly gay & half in drag employee at the car rental office) worked us a deal and said there were a few restaurants close by so, we decided to find some breakfast.
Now visualize this…we had just pas a pawn shop, gun store, tattoo parlor, and gambling establishment. I think this lets you imagine the type of neighborhood we were in. Two blocks away we found the only place open (it was only 10AM) and much to my delight…wait for it…it was a vegetarian restaurant!!! It wasn’t even my birthday! I am sure you can guess how happy Sailing Hubby was about this choice. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
After a lovely tofu scramble 😊, we packed up and headed to Clearwater Florida to see daughter #3 and meet the boyfriend. As a father, this is always nerve racking wondering if this was a moment to ready the gun and shovel or, we may actually like him. Good news is we actually like this guy, so this was a relief. We had a nice dinner and it was great to see her happy.
After dinner we still had yet to book our hotel. We had underestimated the hotel costs and quickly realized why. It was spring break and not only was everything booked, but the cost was roughly triple. A hotel in Clearwater was ~$450. So, knowing that was not happening, we started to drive. We were not able to find anything that was not 100% booked for about two hours and finally got a room about 9:00. We almost drive back to the boat!
A good night’s rest, a shower with as much hot water as I want without turning it off, and a magic toilet where all just disappears did us a world of good. We took off the next morning to visit my parents in Jekyll Island, Georgia to spend a few days. We were looking forward to being anywhere that seemed familiar and this will hopefully be it.
Where It All Started– St. Augustine, Florida, USA, 4-7-21
We did some unwinding on a mooring in St. Augustine for a few days since we got here on Tuesday and were not able to arrange an early haul out.Ron had some consulting to catch up on and it was nice to be back in a town we knew so well.
Sailing Hubby drove the intercoastal majority since it is the freeway of mariner traffic (a.k.a. insanity on a stick).We saw boats aground, shallow shoals, sail drive leaks (only a little), people anchoring too close, with mega yachts & speed boats galore passing you at a moments notice (even under a bridge!).It was crazy and stressful but it back to the starting when we got here, Sailing Hubby crashed…hard.Even though we fought the weather the entire season, there was the promise of next season.
Although it is weird to be back, it is starting to feel a bit more like home.We had a chance to get our favorite tacos at Osprey and pizza by the slice at Pizza Time in Old Town. We did some non-food stuff too but, hey, I like to eat! Only 3 miles to the marina from here.
Wallet Capers– Fort Pierce enroute to Vero Beach, 3-30-22
The competition in Florida is fierce for marinas and mooring balls.That meant, our group was up and off Wednesday morning at 7:00am.We saw how many boats had made the crossing and were anchored at Fort Pierce, Florida.We didn’t want to stay here for the blow the next three days since there was not a nice marina close, we were anchored very close to the channel and the current was strong, not to mention, there wasn’t much to see or do on land for those 3 days.We wanted to go to Vero Beach which was a nicer place to rest for a couple days.
Ron and I had changed our minds about pushing hard to get directly up to St. Augustine.Our sail drive was now leaking so little (less than when we left ?!?), we thought we had a little more time to stay with our peeps.Our group ended up on a mooring ball at the Vero Beach Marina and they were great.We filled with water, diesel, and could not just rest for the next couple days.Finally!We were not able to move north in the Intercoastal with the storms anyway.Time to celebrate, or so we thought…
We had decided to take an UBER to dinner with our group since it was a bit too far to walk.No sooner had we sat down at the table when Sailing Hubby realizes he had left his backpack in the UBER, with his wallet in it.I guess he is not used to carrying a murse.The UBER driver had already left, and he was now frantically trying to reach him.After 20 messages and contacting UBER customer support, we had still not heard back from the driver to know whether it was still there or if he just pocketed the wallet and about $100 in cash that was in it.
We still had a lovely dinner and thanked our team for their patience, assistance, but most of all their friendship.We are lucky people indeed.To wrap up the night, one of our buddy boats had lost their freezer on the crossing as the bashing waves knocked out their compressor.We were all frantically making freezer space to help save their groceries. I think we saved most if not all and nothing was lost.We will travel up with them to St. Augustine and when they haul out at St. Mary’s, they can come get their stuff then.
And just like that, a steak dinner was planned for the following evening since a few of the steaks were thawing!Apparently, we are celebrating again!Sailing Hubby is thrilled, especially since we are cancelling all our bank cards today.It is some sort of upside to an otherwise crappy day.
When was the last time you had to get everything together you wanted to own and put it in a backpack so in a moment’s notice, you can save that, and only that?At some point we must slow down.We said this back in October, remember?It is now March and we have yet to do it.The most incredible part is we made the crossing from the Bahamas to the US…without sinking, which I would not have guessed.Should unpack my grab bag?I have faith beyond words in my captain, however a sail drive issue is nothing to mess with.
The crossing didn’t go like we planned in any other way other than…we made it with the boat above water.That alone is an accomplishment.We had listened to the forecast, watched WINDY, analyzed, and even purchased a special forecast based on our special need for this crossing.We needed an extremely calm forecast to attempt not to unseat the rest of the sail drive and fill that portion of the boat with water.If we don’t get it, we need to reroute to have an emergency haul out at West End.The hope is if we cannot cross, we could haul out before we kill the engine or cause real damage like…sink.
Ron was diligently watching the forecast and wasn’t seeing the perfect time that our weather service had told us was coming.This was on Sunday.We had expected an email with specific waypoints telling us where to be when to get the best weather possible and when to hit the gulfstream.Disappointingly, we didn’t get it til midnight on Sunday.Midnight?You want sailors to plan at midnight when they expect to leave Monday at dawn?We already did planning with two other experienced buddy boats by then and based on the timely issues/ we had, decided to go.The weather service and their expertise played in at the last minute.
At dawn, it was anchors up and we led the way out of the anchorage channel.Since we were the only cat on our team, we were reporting the depths back to the group.We knew we would make it regardless of the tides, but our buddy boats had to be more cautious. We were not at high tide and still needed to get going to get to the Fort Pierce inlet at the correct current change (slack tide).It isn’t all tiki bars and bikinis.There’s also math involved!No one said anything about math when we started!Fun fact…majority of sailors are engineers and pilots.I now understand this fact completely.Our captains calculated when the current was changing in Fort Pierce inlet and worked their way back from there to determine when we would leave.We had a few extra hours and stopped at Sail Cay to nap before continuing.
It was calm on the first portion and getting out on the channel went fine.I had taken seasick medication, and all was well in the beginning.I always take meds since the only time I have issues is on passage days.It was rougher than expected on the way to Sail Cay but we got there at 7:00pm.We were glad to not only get a few hours sleep but a break from the waves as well.
Anchors were up again at 10:00pm and at that point we picked up a 4th buddy boat.Their buddy boat had turned back and decided, based on the conditions, not to continue.We started off again and sadly, the weather had not improved, it had only gotten worse.Neither Ron nor I could sleep it was SO choppy and the waves were hitting so heard on the bridge deck, it had pushed open the cupboards in the lower cabins, his bolt cutters had fallen out of the cabinet, and I swear damaged the floor.We were beating the heck out of the boat and knew we wouldn’t make it all the way if the weather continued as bad as it was.We needed a new plan.
We were not that far from West End at this point, only about 5 hours.If it didn’t get better, we had decided we could not continue.Our buddy boat discussed waiting until the updated weather forecast before deciding to stop and we agreed.Once the weather came through it was supposed to significantly improve once we hit the gulfstream, so we pushed on.
The swell was 6-8 feet and by this time there was a small craft advisory as well.With our handicap, we could only go around 3 knots.To hit the Fort Pierce Inlet in time, we needed to be doing a minimum of 5 knots.Here is where I give a HUGE credit to our buddy boats.All of them slowed down with us and were also willing to bail with us at the West End if we needed to.I can’t say enough how rare this is and how grateful we both were to call them our friends.
Our situation improved as we hit the gulfstream and we were able to pick up speed with improved conditions.We even put out a sail.This helped our morale, we were able to do nearly 6-7 knots, and could now make up some time!The joke with sailors is, “How many times did you sell the boat on the crossing?”Let’s just say our weather service is to be longer to mentioned in my presence and they could not have gotten the forecast any farther off.Being a weatherman is the only job where you can be wrong 100% of the time and still have a job.Huh?
We got to Florida after the horrific crossing, through inlet around 6:30pm Tuesday evening, and dropped anchor.While I was trying to pick up everything that had fallen and broken during the rough voyage, Ron was checking us back in the country.It included a short conference call and was remarkably easy.At least that worked out.Ron was beyond exhausted, and we quickly crashed and burned!
A Shout Out to Captain Ron – Green Turtle, Bahamas, March 26, 2022
What was the last time you have been challenged?I mean when your life didn’t look like the dunkin’ donuts guy (“time to make the donuts” sound familiar?) or a scene from Joe vs. the Volcano?We made a lot of changes this year, and while voluntary, they were a lot.I need to call out Sailing Hubby who took on ensuring all these fun, awesome changes didn’t kill us.
Sailing Hubby was the one who was up every hour when it was windy overnight, always checking the mooring lines for chaffing, learning the weather models and watching WINDY for the next storm, knew where my purse-phone-and shoes were more often than I did, fixed everything from the inverter to the plumbing, managed the immigration process since the captain has to check the boat in and out, always knew the tide and current, contacted the marina to arrange the mooring at the next port, balancing his consulting gig, took watch even when it was raining (we have no surround :().He did all this and more non-stop for our entire trip.
It ended up being more than he bargained for in many ways.The weather specifically, learning to dock a boat much bigger than he was used to in very tight spots next to very expensive vessels.
So, let me ask you…when was the last time you took on a life change this big and let yourself be new and frankly bad at something until you learned to do it right?Well, I will get to find out very soon as I will be doing many more of these activities as we make more and longer crossings. I can only hope I get as much of it right as he has.
Thank you Sailing Hubby and Happy 9th Anniversary!
Wrapping up our cruising for 2022 Season– Green Turtle, Bahamas, March 22, 2022
We landed in Green Turtle to stage for a weather window and check out of immigration before heading to the US.Looks like Monday is our day to go.I thought of a few items I wanted to point out as we abruptly end our cruising season due to our sail drive issue.Here they are in random order.
Strange things about boat life or retirement:
·When was the last time you met your friends and didn’t wear shoes?
·I have left the boat & forgotten shoes til we get on land
·Our exercise routine – 18000 steps or 57…literally
·I have no idea what day of the week it is, nor do I care
·No power = no oven, or hot shower.You end up choosing cold dinner in trade for a warm shower
·Watching TV…on our phone to save data
·We do mostly the same activities and spend 1/3 of what we did on land.
·If it’s windy, we stay home.That’s new.
·My salt & spices are now a solid – grrr
·I wear a rubber band for my hair on my wrist 100% of the time cause it’s windy!
·I never wore sunscreen or got burned
·The weather is nothing like BVI
·I didn’t learn as much about sailing & we really motored a lot
·For a nice boat – a lot of major stuff broke
·When it rains, it wakes you up since your window is over your head
·You can hear the shrimp clicking, eating from the bottom of the haul sometimes
·Most of all, the great people we were privileged to meet
First things I’ll order when we get back:
·Mexican food & Osprey Tacos!
·A freaking electric toothbrush!!
·New sandals since the salt have literally eaten mine and I cannot believe they have made it this long!
Stuff we never ran out of:
·Toilet paper
·Toothpaste
·Wine & liquor – huh?
The best advice we got when we first started:
·everyone gets the same weather & has the same maps
·each boat has one captain
Memorable moments of 2022 season:
·The weather and it’s “Bermuda highs” with 20+ knot clocking winds
·Leonard & the Hamilton caves on Long Island
·Exuma land & sea park hiking & snorkeling
·Royal island & our first storm with 55+ knot winds
·Hopetown Lighthouse as my Christmas tree
·Mermaid sculpture
·The Hermitage on Cat Island
·Hawks nest marina & the airport crossing
·Spearing huge lobsters!
·Sail drive leaking shortened our trip
·On da beach & its $25 per case of beer
·Tahiti beach for New Year’s
·Calabash Bay just might be Eden
·Little San Salvador’s McPlayland cruise ship island
·Hamburger Beans
·Coconut Rum & Lemonade is awesome!
·The Tranquil Turtle – what happens here stays here
·Our new Inverter
What have I learned in the past 7 months?
·Weather trumps EVERYTHING – it determines not only when but where you go – always
·Tides and current matter a lot more than we knew til we did our initial cruise in Georgia
·Composting toilet isn’t so bad if we treat it nicely and follow a specific protocol
·The boat will talk to you – every noise means something from the freshwater pump dictating we have a leak to the creaking meaning there are bulkhead issues (which thankfully we do not have!)
·It is key to identify the single points of failure and have a spare.As MacGyver as Sailing Hubby is, he cannot make every part with minimal tools & materials
·That little RV washing machine is worth its weight in gold!
·We need way less than we have even on the boat now (and we got rid of 80% of our stuff before we got here and could get rid of 50% more).We don’t even go on the other half of the boat.It is just storage.
·We know we will do this next year and go farther
·We now know how to spot coral heads
·I know proper radio protocol and how to hail another boat via VHF.It’s kinda like a CB and your boat name is your trucker nick name.
·Sleeping on a boat is a dream and like being rocked to sleep.I will miss it.
·It gets cold, even in the Bahamas in the winter.I can also sleep in 40-degree weather.Not all things I have learned have been good.
·Internet in the Bahamas is a as bad as I thought it would be
·People are inherently good and helpful in the islands.The cruiser community really is amazing with incredible people majority of the time
·I have seen more sunsets in this past 7 months than I have in the last 30 years
·I was rarely seasick and when I was it was, it was on passage day.I was unsure how this would go, and it was better than I could have imagined
·Bitch wings, smack the donkey, and sea beans…’nough said
·I can anchor all by myself AND get a mooring now!
·Storms and 50+ winds suck on a boat
·It’s easy to use less power and water when it’s measured, and we pay attention.Solar powered is a dream, and our completely electric kitchen is WAY better than our old propane one.Our carbon footprint is smaller than it has ever been.
·Our poor beaches are choked in plastic.Please boycott the plastic packaging for goods and buy glass or aluminum if it is ever available.
·The Bahamian diet always consists of several main options which are:peas and rice, mac and cheese, conch, and slaw.
·In the Bahamas, rum is cheaper than orange juice.
·We did not buy enough beer when we started and had to buy more – we will know better next time.It is REALLY expensive here (as in $48-$67 a case!!)
·Ramen noodles are inexpensive and available everywhere.
·50% of the vessels in the Bahamas are Canadian, who knew?
·It is WAY more expensive living on land in the US than the cruising lifestyle.It is too easy to spend money on land.In the Bahamas, outside activities are free.
We have learned a so much this year.Everything from boat handling & mechanics, to the weather, to the people.It has been fantastic, and we know this was the right choice for us to come.
Let the Limping Begin– Hopetown, Bahamas, March 20. 2022
We made it safely to Hopetown on Friday night.Step 1 was to complete the crossing of the Abaco Sound via open ocean.We have been presented with several options.
·Option 1 – is to haul out in Marsh Harbor if we cannot see a weather window to Florida anytime soon
·Option 2 – wait it out and limp to Florida.
As any good cruiser would do, we decided to head to the local hang out and mull it over at the charity concert supporting the “Abaco Rage.”This is the defending champion regatta team.It was a great distraction from our recent issues and good to get off the boat for a while.
Marsh Harbor is an expensive solution to our problem, and we saw a weather window came up to potentially get to Green Turtle and next across the gulf stream.Instead of enduring the pain of VAT tax, parts shipping, Marsh Harbor haul out, and accommodations in the Bahamas, we have decided to limp the boat to Florida.This saves us having to haul out the boat two times as well.Ron will be wiring up the back up bilge pumps and we are putting together a ditch bag, if necessary, but in good faith it will not be.
Now…getting to Green Turtle, which is only a 25-mile trip through “the whale” from Hopetown.Good news is we do not have to go through “the whale” and can take the easy inside route to get there which we plan to do to be easy on our boat.“The whale” is a cut around Whale Cay. The bad news is our buddy boat must go through the whale as the inside route we are taking is too shallow for them.Right now, we are waiting on a window to cross on the same day they do even though we are not taking the exact same route.We have identified Wednesday as the day for both of us can leave.We already have a mooring reserved waiting on our arrival.
Houston we have a Problem! – Current Cut, Bahamas, March 18, 2022
And just like that, it’s over.Sailing Hubby confirmed our major problem this morning and it is the sail drive boot that is leaking.Sadly, this means we had to cancel the plane tickets to see daughter #2.We spent yesterday trying to determine where we can haul out the boat which is required to fix this issue.It doesn’t seem to make sense to do this anywhere but St. Augustine since only a couple places in the Bahamas can haul us out, the parts would be next to impossible to find and then likely have 50% Import tax. We would also need to pay for our land accommodations as we cannot stay on the boat while it’s being fixed.It makes more sense to get it hauled out and fixed reasonably in the US because the leak remains minimal and we intent to limp this home for an early haul out.
I pouted that poor me and my first world problem.When Ron and I started, we had hoped to find a way to give back in out retirement.We did, a little.What we didn’t bank on was being the recipient of such generosity.One of our buddy boats has been thinking about ending their trip early anyway as the weather had been so bad this season and they decided to go back to the US with us in case anything would happen on our journey back.Now that my friends, is true grace and selflessness and I am grateful beyond belief.
It kicks into gear a process we were not at all ready for and that is setting up land life again.We need to get there first, get on the haul out schedule in St. Augustine, get a car, find an apartment for a month to get some of the repairs done and close the boat for hurricane season, then we will head to my parents to housesit for a few weeks before going to Ohio to see the girls.It’s going to be a busy few months, and the adventure definitely continues, it just doesn’t look exactly like we thought but that in and of itself is the definition of adventure right?
There is a storm coming on Sunday evening and we need to be in a protected anchorage by then and the goal is to get to Green Turtle on a mooring ball for the blow.We are on our way to the Abacos this morning, which is out last stretch of open ocean til the crossing, and plan to be in Hopetown by tonight.After that, we will make the next jump to Green Turtle then Sail Cay.Once we get a gentle weather window, we will do the crossing to the US and head north for our haul out.
Sunrise in the open ocean. Let’s get this day started!
We Stayed for a Quickie – Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera, Bahamas, March 16, 2022
We were required by the dock master to stay on board in Little San Salvador, which was fine by us.We had to be up early and out before first light to beat the cruise ship and we could see it coming s we departed.It was not an option for us to stay anchored at the island at all, so we didn’t even check the weather.Unfortunately, the 25 knot winds we encountered were not forecasted anyway.It was the worst weather we had sailed in yet and Ron and I were both schooled.The only positive thing about the ride was Buddy, Biscuit, and Daisy brought more friends and we had an entire pod of dolphins’ sail with us for about ½ and hour.This is why we do this!
We landed at Tarpum Bay and the anchorage could not have been more perfect.It was calm, clear turquoise water and I immediately jumped in the water, dove the anchor, and swam to shore.The nice part was when I got tired, I could just stand up as it was so shallow!
We had another long day planned tomorrow and sadly; we have identified a major issue with our port engine.It may have a slow seawater leak in the sail drive from the rough seas we sailed today.This means we will not be using this issue the rest of the trip which is very bad.We have the option to haul the boat out in Spanish Wells (which we are eerily close to), however, we just booked airline tickets for our daughter to fly in and stay with us in Marsh Harbor.Um uh oh!Ron is going to call the mechanic which we met last time we were through the marina, so we do have some options, but I know how good a mechanic Sailing Hubby is and he is likely right on this issue.We took off to get through current cut this morning, hobbling engine or not. Our other option to get it hauled and fixed is Marsh harbor, which is close to where we checked into the Bahamas.
There is this interesting thing called “the cruiser’s highway.”We were unaware of this when we started but it is the most travelled route in the Bahamas.Most boats stop at Georgetown to spend the season, which is why it is called “chicken bay.”Anything after Georgetown going south or the eastern Caribbean requires open ocean that most folks don’t want to or are afraid to do.Spanish Wells is on the Cruiser’s highway which is why they have a solid marina and good diesel mechanics.Ron said this is something we cannot ignore since if this starts leaking badly, the boat will sink in about ½ an hour if the bilge pumps can not keep up. Never a dull moment.
Rolling our way to Little San Salvador Island– En Route to Little San Salvador Island, Bahamas, March 15, 2022
Yesterday while touring the island by car, we stopped at Fernandez Bay to look at the anchorage.It looked beautiful with a 5-star resort, restaurant, and white sand beach.Unfortunately, it was too shallow for our buddy boats to anchor so after having our fill of no-see-ums, we ended up making a last-minute decision this morning after leaving Hawk’s Nest Marina to head east to Little San Salvador Island.We had originally planned to simply anchor on north Cat Island, but with lots of time on a nice weather day, why not?Since Cat Island is a small family island with less than 2,000 people, we felt like we had seen what it had to offer by car and were ready to move on.
We were fortunate enough to have our friends Buddy & Biscuit join us for the trip and they brought a few friends!
We needed to anchor in Half Moon Bay and since Little San Salvador is a private island, owned by a cruise ship company, we needed to wait until they left for the day before we could drop the hook.It is hopefully the closest I will ever get to a cruise ship.The island itself is beautiful, but we didn’t get off the boat.Sadly, it is a very rolly anchorage, but this is our only stopping point on our way back to Eleuthera.It will be a quick overnight stay as we need to head out before the cruises get back in the morning at 7:00 am.
Heights of the Bahamas– Cat Island, Bahamas, March 14, 2022
Since we were not able to see much on Cat by boat with the weather, we decided to split a rental car with a couple more cruisers and see the Island by land.In typical Ron and Sally fashion, our rental car left a little to be desired, much like our travels in Costa Rica.It was a Toyota Land Cruiser with 240,000 miles on it and very was rusted from the salt. Unfortunately, since it rained intermittently during the day, one of the rust spots was though the roof so whomever sat in the third-row seat, was a bit wet.The guys were champs and took one for the team on that one.Where is a roll of duct tape when you need one?
We started off the day seeing ruins of a cotton plantation.Now, you know our track record with ruins, so we were pleasantly surprised it was more than a pile of rocks. These were actually pretty cool and were ruins from the Devereaux Family.
After this we went to see the highlight of the island, The Hermitage, which is not only a one-man monastery but also the highest point in the Bahamas, at 63 meters high.It was built by a Catholic priest, who was also an architect and sculptor, back in the 1930’s and completed in the 1940’s.The fact that he was a sculptor was evident in his work.Apparently, he lived and meditated there alone once it was completed and considered it his retirement haven.It is a beautiful place with panoramic views and all the amenities you may need like a well for water, chapel for worship, and sleeping space.He built several other cathedrals throughout the Bahamas including the one we saw in Clarence Town, Long Island.
On our way to the top, we walked up one of the most interesting parts, the Stations of the Cross.It is a narrow sone stairway with over a dozen carvings of Jesus carrying the cross.The whole place is very moving.
We did stop at the famous “Da Pink Chicken” and were basically grossed out.The place was a shack, even by Bahamian standards, with meat rotting in coolers outside.It ended up being a good thing that they were closed, and we ended up stopping for lunch near the rack n scrape in New Bight.Cat Island is the birthplace of “Rake N Scrape” Music, which is Bahamian sounding music played on a common handsaw scraped with a screwdriver and joined by an accordion.Ron would feel very at home based on his West Virginia roots.Reminiscent of blue grass.
We took the short bumpy crossing to Cat Island, and I got to drive most of the way while Sailing Hubby ran the sails.So far it is the longest run I have had at the helm which was fun even though it wasn’t a terribly long trip.We were heading to Hawk’s Nest Marina since there was more weather headed our way.Get this, the “Bermuda highs” are supposed to last about 2 weeks (which cause all the high winds and storms).We are on week #11Ron is a bit frustrated to say the least so instead of trying to wrestle with this at anchor, we are taking a break and getting a marina slip.This is our first since Green Turtle when we checked in.
Hawk’s Nest is a great little all-inclusive place with a restaurant, beach, marina, showers, laundry – you name it.The owner JR is awesome as well.I feel bad for her since she has a 15-year-old son, has lived here, and managed the marina for the last 22 years.Her husband was electrocuted at the marina (he ran all the fishing tournaments) last year.Extremely tragic story but she is a great lady who does a great job and loves the cruisers who visit.Not all marinas are good at this, and we were grateful. The only strange thing is you have to walk across the runway to get to the office & restaurant. I have never had to stop and look both ways for air traffic before crossing the “street.”
How often do you have to yield for aircraft?
Just a normal walk back to the boat through the airfield.
We spent a quiet day catching up on laundry and our buddy boat made pizza dough crust for a few of us to “decorate” and bake so we could all have dinner together and discuss next steps.It was her version of a BYOP – bring your own pizza since no one had an oven big enough to cook more than one at a time. Hazards of sailboat living, I guess.It worked out great as she is a wonderful cook!
We were unsure at this point if we were going to change our insurance and go south or return north to finish a few key projects on the boat.Thus far we had planned to take her back to Florida to get set for the Eastern Caribbean next year since we got our confirmation for hurricane haul out back in St. Augustine.We will need to make the decision before we leave Cat Island since it will determine if we go back to Georgetown and continue from there or back to Royal Island to wait out the clocking winds…again.It certainly has been a season of running from the weather.
Now That’s a Lobster! – Calabash Bay, Long Island, Bahamas, March 9, 2022
Ron and I decided to move up to Calabash Bay on the northern side of Long Island after a long while at Salt Pond.With lots of amenities, Salt Pond was great but, we were looking for a change.We were heading north to Cat Island later this week and hoped to make it a shorter trip, so we headed north for a new view.
Somehow it seems everywhere we anchor is more beautiful than the last.Calabash Bay is picturesque.There is a small resort here and I can see why.It has the quintessential white sand beaches, turquoise water, and the resort is beautiful.We stopped to have dinner at Stella Maris Resort Club & Marina one night after being on the boat for the last several days and though expensive, it was lovely.
The next day we checked out the beach, lounged on the hammocks, and went snorkeling at a couple of the reefs.One of the reefs, a ways out, was very rough so we moved on to Rocky Point Reef.I was surprised at how healthy the reef was and we saw so many fish.Ron had his spear and was lobstering.It didn’t take long before he speared the first and had it in the boat so when we moved onto the second guy, it was the biggest lobster I had ever seen crawling across the reef.I can’t believe he got him!You must see this:
It was so big; we went back the next day looking for his brother.Sadly, no luck, so he only has those two in our freezer.He chased a snapper for a while but no luck. We headed back to get ready for our trip north tomorrow.Supposedly the water in Cat Island is a bit greener than it is here so we are interested to see but want to time our arrival to Hawk’s Nest Marina for afternoon so don’t have an early morning departure which is good since it is pouring right now.It’s cool to snorkel in the rain since you can hear it “crackle” while you snorkel as the rain hits the water.That is kind of fun!
Let there be Light– Salt Pond, Long Island, March 2, 2022
The good news is my resourceful Sailing Hubby was able to locate an inverter!It is a 2,000 watt one, which is exactly what we had before, and it is on our way.He found a used one online and it’s close in Georgetown!Amazing.We have cruiser friends there now, who offered to pick it up for us on their way to Long Island.It’s a great coincidence and we are thrilled we do not have to go to Georgetown for that.
Our friends showed up and hubby got right to work.Now, since our inverter is placed in a very inopportune place, Ron moved it, so water is not an issue again anytime soon.He spent several hours trying to locate the leak and never did find it.It is hard to fix something you cannot find.
Looks new, but does it work?
Hard to tell in photo but a night was needed relocate this.
The good news it works as promised so I got right to work making brownies and Ron made me homemade pizza!
Mmmmmm free pizza
The last fun factoid was when we hit to beach, Ron wanted to Lobster a bit on the reefs we snorkeled yesterday, so I decided to walk the beach in search of my hamburger bean.I found one!I also found a purse bean too (whatever that it).I am very excited and surprised as most people take several seasons to find one.Very fun!
Now the bad news, we have a long list of more storms coming and we are truly over it.The weather has been non-stop and even many of the sailing veterans we have met along the way have agreed this is unlike any other season they have had.Global warming perhaps?Anyway, we only have a couple choices, since there may be a 45-knot west wind coming.We can go back to Georgetown (our” favorite place. “), or we can go to a marina.The marina is sounding better and better all the time.The worse news, there are only a couple marinas that can take a catamaran.This should be fun and let the competition begin.
We are trying to avoid the anchor shuffle everyone does.Whenever there is a storm coming, people pile into one of the protected anchorages and seem to anchor as close together as possible.I don’t understand since when there is high clocking winds and the boat swings, it requires the anchor to reset.This means you may need a bit of space to drag a little before the anchor resets.
Ron and I are those people who are usually 5 minutes early for everything so when we see weather coming, we get to the protected bay early and like to pick our spot.We are wondering if this is the best strategy since somehow after we are there a day or two, someone ALWAYS ends up coming in at dusk the night before the storm and anchoring 50 feet away (way too close).This is exactly what happened to us last time we were in Georgetown.Is it better for us to be the folks coming in last minute deciding how close we want to get to someone, even if we don’t have the best anchor spots to pick from?Time will tell but we are considering a change in strategy.
Armageddon– Long Island, Bahamas, February 27, 2022
And suddenly, we are Amish.Imagine the song “Taps” playing in the background right now.The AC inverter is dead and during its death it also took out the DC portion as well. Zero power, black screens, nothing. How did this happen? Somehow we ended up with a mystery water leak under our sink.No big deal, right?Well, guess where our inverter and DC systems are mounted…under the kitchen sink.This is the worst possible scenario when your boat depends on electrical power.Things in our boat that run from electrical power…nearly everything.This includes hot water (unless we run the diesel engines), water pump, oven, stove, refrigerator & freezer, washing machine, our electronics to see any weather updates & navigation. Imagine sitting in your car with your eyes closed, and needing to drive across the state without opening your eyes. No fun.
What is not powered by the electrical system, the grill, our diesel engines, we can run the water maker with the gasoline powered generator, and the sails. The positive side is we are anchored a very well stocked place with a fantastic marine store, awesome grocery store, fuel dock, and restaurant within walking distance! In desperate times we also have peanut butter and rum.This will be an expensive fix if we must replace the inverter but certainly possible.
Sailing husband has never met anything he couldn’t fix and had already started working on this one.After the first few attempts, the inverter is truly dead.He was able to get our DC power back which means we can charge a few devices, I have cold water (the water pump works) & drinking water, fridge & freezer, and our electronics (navigation).He is currently scouring the internet for an option to ship here but our worst-case scenario is still very livable and if we have to simply do without it, it is possible for a few months until we get back to the states.
Where do I start?
The moment of terror high power, water and sweat!
We had hoped to leave for Conception Island this morning but at this point, I am unsure if we will go or not. The marine store opens at 8:00 and we will be lined up at the door to see our options.Even a smaller inverter (like a 400 watt) would help us so we will see what they have.Ours was 2,000 which has been difficult to find, and I have to assume impossible here not to mention the associated duty (+45%) we have been unfortunate to experience once already.Let the Long Island adventure continue, I guess.The cherry on top…no internet on Conception Island.There is never a dull moment on our boat!
No, not New York.It was a smooth 37-mile sail over as we led our buddy boat to Thompson’s Bay.We were afraid after watching all the other boats leave Georgetown that it would be very crowded here.Much to our pleasant surprise, it wasn’t and as we dropped anchor as are one of half a dozen boats in a large bay.Then the relief set in.THIS is what we had been waiting for.The weather was warm, quiet anchorage, it was sunny and beautiful, pristine beaches, and friendly locals. We got our anchor set in great holding and after a few hours, headed over to the local beach bar, Tiny’s hurricane hole for some beers on the beach.
Tiny’s was the only thing open, and it was a bit crowded, but we met some terrific locals!They had cruised the Caribbean for 10+ years and now owned a house here.They believed it was the best place they had ever visited, and right about now, we agree.The only downside is the mosquitos are no joke and we raced back home for bug spray and shelter.We are still paying for that one but were glad to be home by dark.We checked out town the next day but found the Atlantic side of the island was too rough to snorkel which was disappointing, but we are still hopeful to find some good spots in this side.
As the snorkeling spots were non-existent, we ended up renting a car with some fellow cruisers.The first place we checked out was Hamilton’s Caves.It is a privately owned cave and is the largest in the Exuma’s.It used to be used as a hurricane shelter but no longer is.I tell you; it gave Mammoth Caves a run for its money!It is run by the owner Leonard who gave us a fantastic tour!He even had his own small grove of banana trees.
One on the coolest parts of the cave was the “oasis” in the middle of it.It was created by the wild Fig roots that are a relative of the banyan tree in Cambodia.It will bust a hole in the ceiling looking for water and grow from there.It was very beautiful even if it was invasive.As of yet, Leonard had not tried to control it but at some point, he expects to have to.
We also saw 4 different species of bats.There were only about half a dozen of each type, but he said during their mating season, there are thousands that come there.There were fruit bats and insect eating bats.They didn’t both us and I was happy.He has had many paleontologists and professor’s from local university’s coming to study and all the artifacts from the Lucyan people, who as the natives of the island, have been removed and are now in the hands of the Bahamian Trust.
The caves will remain the family and he has 4 grandson’s who will inherit.He said his youngest is very interested in running it which was great to hear it would be preserved.Good thing, Ron wants to move in! More to come on the next post of our adventures in Long Island.
Leaving Georgetown en route to Long Island, 2-17-22
Every city has a party boat if it’s located on the water. St Augustine has one. It looks like a little tiki hut & just drives around as a booze cruise.
One good flair gun shot and up in flames.
So, after sailing hubby being awake for majority of the last 4 nights – we discovered why no one was anchored on this end of the bay. You guessed it. In front of starfish beach, where we had a nice firm anchored set…in comes the Georgetown party boat.
Imagine 30 screaming drunks 50 foot from your anchored boat.
The bad news, this one actually just beached itself about 100 yards from us. Music blaring, drunkards whooping it up and the full treatment. So…there went our nice restful night at our last available anchor spot. Seeing as it was after dark it isn’t the preferred time to re-anchor anyway. So, lots of techno & strangely- country!?! Who knew?
The crazy thing was he had the gall to bring a skiff over the next day to scold us on the fact we were parked too close to the only part of the beach he is allowed to go into.It was the most un-Bahamian thing we have experienced to date.It wasn’t like there was a sign or anything!Most Bahamians are awesome and very helpful as they rely on tourism for their income.He wasn’t scheduled to come back until Sunday evening, and we would be long gone by then!So glad to be getting the heck out of Georgetown and this was the cherry on top.
However, a few days of relaxing on the beach, reprovisioning, and we were ready to go.
Saturday morning, we headed out, limping.Sailing Hubby had identified a leak last night in one of the bilges.Sadly, our other freshwater pump on the other side is now leaking quite badly.Ugh.Good news is when he ordered the part to fix the issue on the other side and imported the parts, while we were in Hopetown, he ordered two!Both engines have nearly 3,000 hours on them, and they have not ever been replaced.It will be good to have both done but we didn’t think we would end up doing both on this trip and had hoped we could do it in the off season.Oh well.With the parts, he can at least make it all better in Long Island.He made the command decision to leave this morning anyway as it was a short 6-hour sail to Thompson Bay, and we were buddy boating if anything went wrong.We can run on one engine and only use the leaking one if any other issues come up.We will run about 5 to 5.5 knots which is slower than we want but we will still get there by 3:00 this afternoon.After we dropped anchor, Ron spent the next hour fixing the pump so he could sleep!
Boat yoga!
Ron has his fishing pole, gaffe hook and all the gear in hopes of catching some fish for dinner tonight.He hopes to keep whatever he catches this time as the fish he got last time was shark eaten by the time he reeled it in.He was very sad.
Fish head soup anyone?
Lastly, Ron submitted the renewal for our immigration papers.For some odd reason, they will grant you a 1-year cruising permit and fishing license but make you renew your visa after 90 days.Now we await the extension as we don’t yet have a plan to return home and now that we are near an immigration office in Georgetown, we know we could come back if we need something more to get renewed.I guess bureaucracy is just part of the fun of international travel.
Our Long Island Adventure– Part 2– Long Island Bahamas, February 24, 2022
The day we rented the car, we tried to cover as much of the island as we could, so we also checked out Dean’s Blue Hole near the caves.There is the Bahamian Free Diving contest help there each year.We saw a plaque of all the diver’s who had lost their life trying to do this.Very sad.
We then went to the Columbus Monument, on the north side.It was a great look view and was very nice the see the monument itself was not only dedicated to Christopher Columbus but the Lucayan people as well.
We also drove over some “Costa Rica Roads” to get to Adderly’s Plantation Ruins.After a nerve-racking drive and one small scratch on the car (not the like the wombat sized issue we had in Australia), we arrived.As our luck would have it…the ruins (as nearly all Bahamian ruins seem to be) were nearly nonexistent.It was supposed to be nine buildings and the online photos were kind of a bait and switch.Here is what we ended up seeing.You can also sprinkle in some poison wood trees on the hike.
With the sun starting the set, a sundowner was calling out name.
We passed the next few days with boat projects, and I have to say, our stainless is looking quite fabulous!We also decided to leave a souvenir behind at Sou’ Side Bar & Grill.If you see the Ohio plates, think of us!
Cement Donkeys 