Time to move

March 8, 2013

I entered the fun volleyball tournament, six teams of nine, we managed to get together as a team and together we won five out of five games… Woo Hoo... First place won a flag and a bottle of rum for each member. In the afternoon was practice for the four on four tournaments on Wednesday, and played 10 or more games. These will be a lot tougher games. Some of the players are very good and able to cover much of the court on their own. Much attention to the rules and legal play… should still do ok though even though many of the players played in college. The two on two and three on three players are very good…

Well the 4 on 4 volleyball tournaments went well and we only lost one game out of seven for the best winning results and clinched the first place prize and another bottle of rum.  Last night was the closing dance and prize giveaway. My friend Steve on Slow Flight got a 5 nights on a mooring in Vero Beach that he didn’t need and gave that to me. Thanks Steve…

I may go to Long Island after this for a few days before the long slow trip back to Florida… More to follow… I signed up for the rally to Long Island and will head north from there. I hope to spend a few nights in Black Point and one or two at my favorite spot off Galliot and then Staniel’s Cay and Pipe Creek and Warderick Wells before heading to Nassau. From Nassau I will then to Bimini and on to Ft. Lauderdale and hope to be there sometime in April… These are all tentative plans depending on the weather and my mood. So now you all know… I am selling my Cuba chart book to a young couple here with a cute little girl and a baby so they can go to Cuba too.

Update
I am off to Long Island in the morning for a few days. I will try to get back online there but may go silent until I get up to Black Point in a week or so.

March 5, 2013

Sailing with Jeanne

Now that the kids are gone we can relax and enjoy the island time together.  No more need to be somewhere at a specific time is a much better feeling to have.  We have been spending mornings at Flip Flop beach working on my tan lines when it was cooler for Jeanne and then I would play volleyball in the afternoon as Jeanne relaxes under the Caseopia trees. In the evenings we could meet friends for cards or dominoes. More boats are arriving and some leaving every day and I will need to decide if I am going to go to Cuba this year. Jeanne has decided to go back home to work at the end of January. She likes that job and the people she works with and they have offered to extend her contract to November.  We decided to stay in George Town at least until she left here. I just received an email from Graham; he will be flying in for two weeks on the day Jeanne leaves. 

Graham’s visit was great; we had a good time here even though I didn’t feel like going to sail to other islands.

March 2 2013

I just received word that David will not be joining me so it is time to make plans for a slow trip back north. Today started out mild with very light winds but as forecast the winds went suddenly up to about 25 knots. It is now about 20:00 and I have seen gusts to 40+ knots. It is a little choppy but the anchor is holding tight. The ride back in the dingy from town was a little wild with about 3 foot waves and the wind gusts trying to lift the dingy when I’d ride over a big wave but I made it safely back to the boat. I plan to stay here through the regatta and then may head to Salt Pond Long Island for a few days before I start my trip north. I entered the volleyball tournament and will see how we do over the next few days.

It will be next week before I get back online and then the next front will be here Wednesday or Thursday with stronger winds forecast. Maybe I will go to Cuba if I get to Miami too early and it is cold up north. I have come to the conclusion that I need more battery amp hours and will get 4 6volt batteries for next year and a wind generator.

March 4, 2013

I entered the fun volleyball tournament, six teams of nine, we managed to get together as a team and together we won five out of five games… Woo Hoo... First place won a flag and a bottle of rum for each member. In the afternoon was practice for the four on four tournaments on Wednesday, and played 10 or more games. These will be a lot tougher games. Some of the players are very good and able to cover much of the court on their own. Much attention to the rules and legal play… I should still do ok though even though many of the players played in college. The two on two and three on three players are very good…

I may go to Long Island after this for a few days before the long slow trip back to Florida… More to follow…

A much delayed update Jan 21, 2013

Sailing South 2012 / 2013

We left Green Cove after working on the boat for two weeks installing a new shelf, solar panels and bow roller extension among the many other chores to get the boat ready to launch.

The trip started out pleasant enough though for most of this trip the winds have been from the wrong direction. Our first stop was Jacksonville Landing for the night. In the morning we left with the tide and to get through the bridge before it closed for the morning rush hour. The timing of the tide was spot on and we rode the outgoing tide all the way to the intracoastal and then rode the incoming tide and following outgoing tide though the intracoastal all the way to St Augustine.

After spending a couple days seeing St Augustine we again headed south using the tide to help us along. Our next stop was Daytona Beach for the night and in the morning we headed for Titusville. We planned a long run for the day and late that afternoon we passed by Titusville and had a celebratory drink as we toasted passing the farthest point south that Jeanne had reached the first year. We had just enough time to make the next bridge before it closed for rush hour and anchored off Cocoa Beach for the night. We planned to relax in Vero Beach so we left at dawn for the next long run southwards.

Arriving late in the afternoon we pumped out and topped up with fuel and water and went out to a mooring and shut down the diesel. The water pump was leaking sea water onto the battery and I needed to replace the seal. We planned to stay a few days in Vero as the bus into town is free and stores are convenient for shopping and a beach and shops is a short walk away. Our time is spent relaxing and meeting new friends and shopping for necessities; and of course trinkets and gifts for the grandkids. While there Vero Beach holds its annual Christmas Parade. I locate a Volvo parts place in Ft Lauderdale on our last day there and arrange for a pump rebuild kit for when we get to Ft Lauderdale. Just before we leave I find out about another Volvo parts place in Vero Beach…

Our next stop was Manatee Pocket close to a cousins Florida condo. And we arrange to meet her for lunch while there. We met her for lunch and took her out to the boat for a bit and said our good byes. In the morning were headed out to the ocean for a long sail down to Ft Lauderdale. Unfortunately the winds were a little too far forward to sail and we had to motor sail or tack out to the Gulf Stream. After one tack we motor sailed the rest of the way and sailed into Fort Worth and then motored down the Intracoastal an hour and anchored for the night. The next day we did the bridge dance all the way to Fort Lauderdale and the Las Olas Marina. We had arranged for parts for the leaky water pump to be delivered there to affect repairs to it. We planned to spend three days there relaxing and seeing the city. For smaller boats like ours the dockage was almost as cheap as the moorings and much more convenient.

The repair went quickly and the rest of the time was spent seeing sights and shopping. We made plans to return and see the parade of lights when we were to pick up friends, Jackie and Dave. We made friends with a couple on the boat next to us who were living aboard and spent the winters down here. Bringing your own boat and the dockage is much cheaper than renting a hotel for the winter, and in a much nicer location.

After a few days we moved on to Miami. Our next stop was South Beach, an area of upscale shops and the haunt of the beautiful people. South beach is nice but a little expensive and after a few days we were ready to move on but not until we’d walked the beach and had a drink in a few of the trendy bars.

Next we went to Coconut Grove where we had a little incident with a submerged pipe but in the process made several new friends who helped in one way or another to affect the repairs. By the time Jackie and Dave arrived the rudder shaft was straight again with just some fiberglass work to be done to complete the repair. I can’t thank the friends we now have enough for helping get us into sailing mode again. We were soon on our way to the Bahamas and checked in at Bimini. I asked for and got 120 days on the permit and the visitor’s visa. We spent 2 days in Bimini and then headed out for the long overnight sail to Nassau arriving the in the afternoon of the next day. Spending a few nights there to stock up on supplies and watch the Junkanoo festival, an all-night parade and celebration in a Mardi’s Gras way. It is a lot of noise and crowds and costumes and floats with dancing and music.

A few days later we headed out for Allen’s Cay where we would anchor and could dingy ashore to feed the iguanas. In the morning we got an early start with our destination being Big Major’s Spot where the previous year there was a new year’s party on the beach. It didn’t happen this year but I made my banana bread anyways. Jackie and Dave had to fly home new year’s eve but the flights were full from Staniel’s so they left a day early an booked a room overnight in New Providence. Flying in and out of these Islands is an adventure in itself as Jeanne’s daughter Jennifer would find out soon enough.

After a few days we headed to Black Point and the hospitality of Lorraine’s Café and Scorpio’s Bar and happy hours. We planned to stay there until Jennifer and Dylan arrived. The market there is small but there is a good Laundromat with new coin showers and water available and other things to make the stay pleasant.

 

Dylan Update

Well our grandson just left in a taxi for George Town airport, they will be flying to Nassau via Rock Sound and then on to Atlanta and Detroit. I hope the return is less eventful than the trip out where a small ticketing snafu had them get off at the wrong island. They were able to flag the plane back down and hop over to the Black Point where we were waiting. For Dylan this was just another of life’s new adventures and he made the best of it. For mom it was it was slightly stressful but she also enjoyed the time we had, even with my phobia about water and battery usage. The first stop was a few days in Black Point where we met old friends and some new ones. Dylan made a few friends on the other boats with kids on them and happy hour was a happy time for about a half dozen kids. We took the dingy around the point to another island with an iguana sanctuary and Dylan delighted in the little lizards although he didn’t get overly close to them. What he did like was the “looky bucket” where we could float over a reef and watch the sea life below. Ohh and Lorraine says hello to all her friends and hopes to see them all again.

Our next stop was Big Majors Spot with the swimming pigs. It was a delight to feed and watch the pigs swimming in the sea and we had heard there were piglets though we didn’t see them. The next day we went over to Staniel’s and swam in Thunderball Grotto and fed the fish peas as they swarmed around us. On the sail from Black Point to Big Majors Spot we had a dolphin swimming with the boat and Dylan was up on the bow watching him until he tired of our slow boat and swam away. After two nights there we headed south and joined up with three other boats with kids aboard, and snorkeled on a small reef. Later we got together on Aileon for a potluck dinner and let the kids play while we relaxed and talked.

The next morning we headed out Rudder Cut on our way to George Town. The winds were marginal for sailing south east and eventually we simply Motor sailed into a tight reach and big waves. We passed through 4 rain squalls with winds up to 30 knots. We arrived at George Town and anchored off Stocking Island about 16:30.  Dylan had a good three days to relax, wade with the stingrays, play on the sandy beach, collect shells, check out the huge starfish, play in the surf on the ocean side beach, meet again and say goodbye to his new friends before they flew out at 06:00 Saturday morning. The boat got much bigger and way quieter after they left. Everyone had a good time.

Dec 13, 2012 Miami

We are now in Miami off South Beach. Plan to go to Coconut Grove for a few days before before Dave and Jackie arrive and then will look for that weather window to get to the Bahamas. Chris Parker says there could be a time early next week but it could close up by Wednesday or Thursday.
Will just have to hope it lasts long or returns in time for getting to Nassau for Christmas but will not push the limits just to get over. The weather has been decent enough here, though the last couple days have been overcast and the solar has been falling short on our needs with only 245 watts of capacity... I may yet get that wind generator.

Lost of little projects have gotten done but now a slight issue with the Lowrance plotter and the AIS, Seems the plotter will not display AIS targets and it was originally doing that. And Lowrance help desk is no help. They clain that it never did even though it did for a few days and then suddenly stopped. Anyone have a clue??? Please help me...

So now I will enjoy South Beach and all it has to offer and then the Grove...

Will write more soon but it is now time to go outside and enjoy lifes little pleasures...

November 25, 2012

We arrived in Vero Beach yesterday and will be here until parts we had made catch up to us... We left St Augustine and made a dash to get south where it is warmer. Now should be 80 degrees today.
We are staying inside until the weather improves out in the ocean, it is blowing hard out of the north for the last week or two and the water has been pushed inside with the tides being higher than normal and the bridge clearances pretty tight for some of the taller boats.
We only stopped overnight at Daytona and Cocoa and put in three long days to get here and will relax for a few days before we head farther south to Ft Lauderdale and Miami
Enjoying the warmer weather and will walk to the beach today...

A short update

I arrived in Green Cove Oct 31, 2012 and worked on the boat a week until Jeanne arrived. The bottom was done and the critters killed off and her new shelf installed. Then went to Orlaando to pick her up at the airport and to a friends place for the night. The next day we went to the boat where Jeanne asked why her palace was not ready for her comfort. Then another week of cleaning and sorting and she knew why...
But all is now well in our world. Another solar panel is installed. The AIS is programmed and installed but still to be wired in. New wind sensor is up on the mast top. Hull polished. Boat is launched and the machine shop is making parts for the new bow roller...
We left Green Cove Monday at 12:30 and arrived at Jacksonville Landing at 17:30. The next morning we left for St Augustine at 06:30 and arrived here at 14:30.
Along the way I installed the bracket for the AIS antenna and now need to run the co-ax for it. When that is done I will wire it up to power and the GPS.
Still chores to be done but at least we are on the move and heading south and soon to be warm again...
Now off to Sailors Exchange and the Oil Company outlet.

I know I have been a little remis on posting to the blog but here is an update, belated but hopefully in time to set a tone for this years adventure

Jan. 7 onward

Well I ordered a new radio online from Defender and am having it delivered to Exuma Markets in George Town. With any luck it should be in when I arrive there.

We are doing boat chores and snorkeling and spearfishing and otherwise just relaxing in Black Point. We out to catch lobster and fish one morning but had to cut it short when a grey reef shark started to check us out.

Jan. 8 we left Black Point at 07:30 for Big Galliot and after a nice motor sail we arrived at the anchorage and were the only boat there. We had the beach and our own private island for several hours. Later on four other boats arrived and had a drink with Skip and Carol on their boat. We planned to leave with them in the morning for an inside run to Lee Stocking Island. The tide was still falling and Skip ran aground twice and we pulled them off and decided to head out the cut for the outside passage. They stayed inside and had no other trouble and we had a nice sail once we got through the rage in the cut. Getting back in through Adderly Cut was tricky with the seas breaking on each side and us not sure exactly where the reef was but we kept a sharp lookout and made it in safely. We found Skip and Carol already there. At 09:30 on Jan. 10 we headed out for George Town and arrived at anchor off Monument Beach at 15:10. We had hurried south because my sailing companion of two months was heading out to Mexico in a few days to see her mother. The plan was for her to meet Jeanne and all have a final dinner together but Jeanne had her week off delayed so they never got the chance to meet. On Jan 15 I saw Chris off at the airport and was alone again in George Town. It was a windy and choppy day as I headed back to the boat alone. Jan 16 and Jeanne is now due to arrive in five days for a week-long stay. I am spending my time getting the boat cleaned up for her arrival and taking long walks on the beach and playing volleyball. I have noticed that I have lost a lot of weight and most of my stomach that had fattened up during the summer at home.

Jeanne had a great time here but it was way too short, I tried to show her everything there was to see and do but a week is just not long enough. We just had a relaxing time met other couples, walked the beach, played volleyball and went out for dinner a couple times. Before we knew it her time was over and I took her out to the airport and once more headed to the boat alone. Some boats are going to Cuba and I am giving that some serious thought. It is a lot closer to Cuba from here than it is back to the states and actually the short way back is almost along the Cuban coast. Well I have come this far…

Feb 17, 2012

Well we have been in George Town for several weeks, initially waiting on a radio, then so Jeanne could have a nice week on the boat. I am now getting ready to sail to Cuba. On Sunday Graham will arrive and if the weather window holds we will sail to Long Island. I will spend the next couple days preparing for the trip south. On Monday I will be officially in the tropics. 

George Town is great, you can get almost everything here, and my days are walks on the beach or snorkeling for fish and lobsters, beach volleyball, and visiting town or friends. It has been a great 3 or 4 weeks but it is now time to go and find new fresh places to see. I would recommend coming here with your boat and staying a while, but also to visit the other islands. Just sailing from place to place is pleasure in paradise. Cuba should prove to be an adventure, it is a 30 hour trip nonstop to Puerto de Vita from George Town but I will break it down to Long Island, then Flamingo or Water Cay and then Raccoon Cay. From there it is a pre-dawn start and once off the banks it is 40 miles to Puerto de Vita.

There is a frontal system to keep an eye on for after noon on Monday, but if the timing holds we should be arriving in Thompson Bay just in time. The tide is a factor as it will be falling and likely low tide when we want to transit hog cut so it will be off to the top of Long Island and in that way. Planning is always the key to a safe and pleasant passage.

February 21, 2012

We finally left George Town on our voyage south to Cuba, Graham is here and we have headed out to long Island, The weather looks good for the next few days. Graham’s luggage arrived the day after he did which delayed our start but at 07:00 we were pulling up the anchor. We motor sailed out and had a good but tight sail all the way to long island. We tried to anchor off Salt Pond the town but it was too shallow for our comfort. We went over to Thompson bay and dropped the hook. When we reversed the transmission started making a noise. I plan to disconnect the tranny from the prop shaft to determine if it is actually the transmission or the prop shaft and hub assembly in the morning when the sun comes up.

Well after several hours work I found that the hub on the back of the engine is stripped in its internal splines and will have to be replaced. The transmission input shaft is worn but should hold if I get a new hub. After several calls I located one in Nassau and have made arrangements to have it flown out here. It is used but in new condition and will cost me $600.00 plus air fare and I will have it in a couple days. Half the price of a new part from Volvo. In the mean time we’ll relax and Graham is renting a car to tour the island. We discovered that Greg and Janice on Glenice are here and they are stopping in to visit as they tour the island. I haven’t seen them since leaving Coconut Grove over a year ago on my first trip south. We toured the island and visited each end and the blue hole where they do the deep free diving competitions. It is the deepest blue hole in the world.

The boat is now repaired, yet again. Everyone in Salt Pond was very helpful  especially Les Harding a local business man with a construction and repair business who loaned me his torque wrench to complete the repair. It is now too late for Graham to sail to Cuba with us. We’ll just relax here until his plane leaves and then head south to stage for Cuba.

Feb. 29 2012

Graham has left and we are now sailing south to Flamingo Cay, we’ll stay there for the night and then head to Raccoon Cay. Arrived at Raccoon and are now well into the tropics. Very few boats come this far and being self-sufficient is crucial. Water food and fuel is hard to come by, and the wildlife pretty much owns the water here. Catching fish and lobster is much easier but the big sharks also abound.  It is March 4 2012 and we are departing at 17:30 this evening for Puerto de Vita, Cuba. We have waypoints in the GPS and are making a night crossing and will arrive in Cuba about dawn.  At 12:40 we are at 21*40.45N and 75*53.56W and 35miles from Cuba. It was a 14hour crossing with lightning on either side but we had a perfect 60 mile wide lane with great reaching conditions and the sunrise showed us the mountains landscape of Cuba ahead. Except for dodging a Russian freighter about 02:00 it was a pretty uneventful l crossing.  The water is over 7000 feet deep in the old Bahamas channel and we were entering the channel to Puerto de Vita at 07:30. Upon entering it is imperative to stay in the channel as outside of it it is very shallow.  And when at the marina you must anchor out until cleared in by the doctor under quarantine. Cuban officials are very strict to follow the rules but otherwise it is so much more pleasant than checking in to the US. They will take off their shoes if asked and are quite friendly in doing the entry procedures. We did have an issue with not having a document that listed the boat name but my translator help explain that the boats’ number was the official designation in our case. Monday March 5^th we were in Cuba and ready to relax and see this new country. All in the fees were only $65.00 and we were in for three months.

Dec 27, 2011 onward

Well it is now 1800 and the boat is repaired. I had the boat hauled out at Browns Boat Yard in Nassau this morning at 0800, and then checked for any damage. The keel was fine with just some bottom paint missing; the rudder had what looked like a split where the two halves joined at the bottom tip of the rudder. There was no evidence of any separation of the skins from the body of the rudder and just what looked like filler chipped out. So I cleaned that area out and then filled it with epoxy and micro-balloon filler, then covered the joint with two layers of axial cloth and roving to secure the joint. An improvement over the stock configuration. I went out for lunch to give it time to set up. Once that had all set I sanded it reasonably smooth and then covered the repair with bottom paint and the whole job was done by 15:00.

The tide was down by then and there is only 3 feet of water in the slip so we’ll spend the night on the hard and launch with the morning’s high tide. From what appeared to be a disaster we are now ready to go for under $300.00. Next stop is the Exuma’s…

Dec 29, 2011

We set sail from Nassau about 10:00 heading for Allen’s Cay. The day was overcast and the wind was supposed to be more north than it turned out. We were heading southeast but the wind was easterly so it was a motor-sail to Allen with the main up. About half way out it started to rain and the wind was a little gusty up to 17 kt. We eventually let out about 75% of the headsail but kept up motoring because it was a little tight and we wanted to get there before dark. We arrived about 16:30 and set the anchor in a nice patch of sand. About 20 minutes later Bolero arrived and anchored close by. After dinner we went over to chat over a couple drinks.

The next morning we headed out for Shroud Cay about 14 miles south. We arrived at 14:30 and took a mooring that we checked to see if it was secure. Shroud is a low island with extensive mangroves in the middle of the island but you can dinghy through all the way to the sea side to some excellent beaches. We then took a dinghy ride through the mangroves but had to cut it short as the tide was falling fast and I didn’t feel like carrying the dinghy out. Later I sent Chris up the mast to check and clean the antenna coupling. It looked good so I am still not sure why I don’t have much distance on my VHF radio. I will try calling boats I hear on the radio and see how far I can transmit.

We left early on December 31^st for Staniel’s Cay to meet some of our friends for New Year’s Eve on the beach and arrived about 14:00 and are now tucked in close with about 90 feet of chain out in preparation for an expected front to pass through on the 3^rd. This evening we joined in for hors d’oeuvres with several of the other cruisers. We met several other couples and had a fun evening and were back on the boat late after cruisers midnight, about 21:00.

January, 2012

Jan. 1, 2 & 3, we took the dinghy around and checked out the sights, watched the cruisers regatta and enjoyed roast pork dinner at the awards. And then just before nightfall, settled back onto the boat to prepare for the expected cold front. We knew it was coming which was why we chose this spot to anchor. I checked the anchor and it looked secure though not buried as deep as I’d have liked. I went to sleep early so I could be rested by 03:00 when it was forecast to arrive. The winds slowly built all night and the front arrived at approx. 04:30. The anchor held well and did not drag as far as we could tell. One boat had come in late and anchored just behind and to one side but the wind shift to the NW put him a few boat lengths off my stern. If we’d have dragged he’d have had some predawn company. The far corner of the anchorage looks pretty empty this morning and I think those boats have moved in closer to our end.

Come dawn though everything looks good, though there is one boat nearby without a mast, I will have to go over and talk to them later when things calm down and hear his story.

Well as forecast the secondary front has winds blowing 20 kts with higher gusts. It is supposed to blow 30 today before it calms down this evening. The waves in the anchorage are pretty choppy and if it calms a little we can go for a dinghy ride. And if it calms enough I will go get that lobster that Dejarlo offered us.

Well we survived the two day front with winds gusting to 30 kts. Dejarlo was leaving early and dropped off a nice lobster tail that we’ll have for tomorrow’s dinner. This morning was calm even though the wind threatened to go farther west which would have sent big waves through the anchorage. Our anchor held and we didn’t drag at all. We left about noon for Black Point and are now having a beer at Lorraine’s restaurant with internet access.

Time to relax and check emails and look for parts to get the radio back up to par…

Jan. 6 2012

We are still anchored in Black Point. I was going to go up the mast today but all our friends decided to go fishing so…. I managed to spear a lionfish and Skip got a wrasse and gave that to us so that was today’s dinner. Been a quiet few days, last night was happy hour at Scorpion’s and after a few there and a game of pool we went over to Lorraine’s for dinner. It was Carol’s birthday and Lorraine put on a nice buffet. There was another sailor there having a birthday and that just added to the evenings fun. Just another day in paradise…

I climbed the mast today to work on the antenna and wind instrument. Cleaned all the connections and theantenna bracket base but still no distance on the radio. On a hunch we tried a friends spare radio in the boat and it got out fine. So that means that my radio is dieing and will need to be replaced. So now to find an decent priced radio in the Bahamas... Just another day in paradise...

Update Friday December 23, 2011

Left Miami at 0615 for the Bahamas, heading to North Rock just north of Bimini. I hooked a nice Dorado and got him within 20 feet of the boat. I could see him just below us when he started to dive, getting too anxious I tightened the drag too much and he broke the 50 pound test line… We got to the banks about at 1630 and headed east to Mackie Shoal and then to the Tongue of the Ocean. It was a pretty uneventful crossing, with one sailboat coming at us and turning across our bow about 0100. We passed the shoal buoy seeing it only on radar as it hasn’t been lit in years. We stopped to assist another boat with engine trouble and offered to tow him, he elected to wait for another boat that was coming back with a tool that he could use to repair the fuel system. We continued on when the other boat got close and all was well. We passed into the ocean again and continued on to Frazer Hog where we planned to take a mooring. We anchored up near a beach using the moon and starlight to see the bottom behind a point and got some sleep and waited for dawn. We woke about 0930 and headed up the channel to the moorings. We took one close to shore and near our friends around 1100. The men took a couple of dinghies and went around to Chub to check in. All was going well and we socialized and went to bed about 2000. I could see the chain of the mooring wrapped around the 2 ton concrete block and thought all was well though I didn’t dive on the mooring due to the depth and the strong current.

The Day After

We are on a good mooring now at the Berry Islands Club. Starting to sleep a little easier now after the mooring broke that first night. We have been here almost a week waiting for a decent window to cross to Nassau. The club is actually closed but the manager has the water system and generator going for the boats that are here.

We had an easy crossing from Miami where we had spent almost two weeks waiting to cross. Then we sailed and motor-sailed across the stream and the banks. We got in to anchor at about 0400 and dropped the hook and slept for a few hours after the 22 hour run from the Miami. About 1100 that morning we had taken a mooring on what looked like a good one. I could see that the chain was around the 2 ton concrete block and looked to be secure. We took the dingy over to Chub Cay and went to the airport to check in. All seemed well when we went to bed about 2100. Then at about 0400 I felt the boat hitting the bottom. The second time it hit I was pulling on clothes and looked out to see the shore a few boat lengths away. I started the engine but we were already in shallow water. Chris helped me get the dingy and the anchor in it and I ran the anchor out till we had all the chain out. We winched it in until it bit and was taught so that we would not run up onto the rocky shoreline.

 The boat stopped about a boat length away from shore and was in maybe 4 feet of water on a falling tide. We were stuck good. I had issued a mayday when I got back and had the anchor set. Then later a securite to ask for assistance; but at 0430 I doubt anyone was awake. I took the dingy out and pounded on Randy’s boat and told him what was happening. He helped me set the second anchor and then a third. The boat was secure but the tide was falling and we had no way to get free before high tide. A couple with a nearby house shone a spotlight on us and later offered help.

By sunrise I had all the boats helping us and had put out a message on the SSB radio and asked that person to relay our situation especially back home. At this point I wasn’t sure if we could save the boat. The radios did bring another boater around and I later found out that Chris Parker had called Jeanne to let her know what was happening. We arranged to get a local boat to pull us off at high tide but that wouldn’t be for several more hours. All I could do now was wait, as the boat kept leaning over as the tide fell, eventually the rail was about 6 inches under water and the depth was about two and a half feet. I kept watch for leaks but only saw a minor amount of water get into the boat. Slowly the tide rose and the winds had abated somewhat during the day. Overnight when the mooring let go the winds were gusting to 27 knots.

When the tide was finally high the depth was still only 4 feet. We tried to pull it out into deep water but couldn’t budge the boat. We had a forth anchor tied to two halyards to keep the boat heeled. Someone on shore, who has sailed these waters for many years, told us to pull off with the halyards. I wasn’t sure that would work or if we’d break the mast, but the only other way was to wait for the higher high tide at 0300. That wasn’t a good option so we attached the power boat to the halyards and he pulled. The boat heeled way over and took off for the deeper water. We had to stop and release the anchors holding us and then pulled again and we were in deep water. I started the engine and slowly motored out as we checked for leaks. I slowly motored to a new looking ball that we were told was recently installed.

Tying off to that buoy, I backed on it several times to see if it would give way. After 4 nights on it hasn’t let go but I am still nervous about it.

Anyways I will be off to Nassau on Saturday with 6 other boats and will have company should anything happen. I have dived on the boat and the only damage I can see is a small split in the bottom off the rudder and missing bottom paint. I plan to see if I can get the boat hauled in Nassau to inspect it better and do any needed repairs and touch up the bottom paint. This must be what they mean by “another day in paradise”.

That night we had a little party to relax and enjoy after the days frenzied efforts to save the boat. This is a picture of some of the many people who helped me save our boat that day. All fellow cruisers and Howard who looks after the Berry Islands Club and used his boat to pull us out by the masthead.

I am now in Nassau at a dock at a dollar a foot with electricity and water and finally got a decent night’s sleep. I was awake often during the nights on the mooring to check that we hadn’t broken another one and were drifting away.

Sailing South 2011 - 2012

I had a good talk with the CBP officer today who explained several things about cruising permits.. He gave me a paper stating info about renewing the permit... basically it comes down to only resident aliens can renew a foreign flagged vessel cruising permit if the boat was made in the states... If you are not a resident alien then the only way you can renew is to have your permit expire while you are out of the country for at least 15 days before you return... you can turn in your permit when you leave and have it cancelled and the reapply when you return... but make sure you are out for the 15 days and they will ask for papers to show you checked into the foreign port as proof

I will be leaving St Augustine in the morning and plan to take 7 to 10 days to get to Ft Pierce.
The batteries were dead this morning and I suspect I left something switch on... it was raining with thunder and lightning till about 9:30 and then with a little sun peeking through the solar recharged the batteries enough so we could start the engine... the refer was finicky about running but by the afternoon it seems to be working again... will need to keep an eye on it and the switches we leave on... I may need to get a third battery and dedicate it to engine starting only

I am now in Vero Beach for US thanksgiving... I plan to make my trademark Jambalaya
After checking in and out tomorrow I will head for Ft Lauderdale and then it will either be south to the keys with a cruising permit or east to the Bahamas without one

Still in Vero Beach Fl. now and will be sailing farther south soon... May stop in Lake Worth and get another battery sized 4D for the boat for additional reserve capacity when I entertain later into the night

So while debating about getting another battery I had to measure up the space... anyways I took of the caps on my 2 year old batteries and find low electrolyte levels... a summer of solar charging took a toll on the liquid levels... now an excursion to find distilled water and to see if they come back to par... To be continued....

My batteries appear to be back up to par after a long day motoring down the ICW
That will save me a few dollars
Had a great sail from St Lucie to Ft Lauderdale left at 07:00 and sailed into the night and arrived here at 20:30.

I am getting tired of Ft Lauderdale and need to get moving... If the winds abate a little I will sail south to Miami in the morning to Coconut Grove. Sailing inside to there are 25 or so bridges and all are on a schedule with the last being only 54 feet... The schedules are such that I will have to wait for each successive opening... Well I am off to get some groceries and rhum and wine for the trip.

I am going to go down to South Miami tomorrow morning. The winds have been blowing hard out of the N to NE for the last few days so unless there is some moderation today we will stay inside and deal with the 20 or so bridges south of here...
Will check in and out to the Bahamas when we arrive... Looks like there may be a 1 - 2 day weather window on Wed/Thurs. to cross to Bimini... Wish me luck...

Heading South

Just arrived in Vero Beach on the way south. Had a long day yesterday motoring down from Cocoa Beach where we'd anchored for the night. Before that it was a night on the dock in Titusville after stopping in the Haulover Canal to watch the Manatee's on the great motor sail down from New Smyrna Beach. I met with Jim whom I'd met last year on the Erie Canal and he drove us for groceries and supplies...
I plan to spend Thanksgiving here before heading out to Ft Lauderdale and the Bahamas...
Still no luck in getting a cruising permit and if that doesn't happen soon I will spend my time cruising the Bahamas and spend my money there...
Will post again and let you know how it goes...

October 1, 2011 update

Late Summer Update

I arrived back home in late April after a side trip to Boston Ma. Brian drove my truck to Florida to pick me up along with the stuff I didn’t want to leave on the boat over the long hot summer. Then we drove up to Boston Ma  along highway #95 Our timing couldn’t have been better, we were along the coast as tornados were blowing through Atlanta Ga. We cut inland south of Washington Dc to avoid that area and spent the night in a small town in the mountains.  We got to Boston the next day and we enjoyed“relaxing” ale with our dinner after the long drive, then we loaded up Brian’s radar arch. That night the weather we avoided all the way here caught up as we slept. It had caused a lot of damage all along the coast but we were safe inside.

The next day we headed out for Albany and Buffalo. After leaving 95 degree heat 2 days ago it was strange to be driving through snow and sleet as we crossed the mountains again. The weather cleared up after the mountains but when we got to Buffalo it started to snow again. As we crossed over to Canada the snow increased and our welcome back consisted of white out conditions for the next 75 Km’s.  Although I cannot complain, after spending a beautiful 3 months sailing in the Bahamas. When we got home, Jeanne and Leslie had made an excellent meal for us, and so my 8 month adventure had come to an end. A little over a week later I was working in a sewage treatment plant.

My summer at home was spent working and making plans for returning to our boat to continue sailing. The summer seemed to pass way to quick; I didn’t have time to see many of the friends I hoped to see while home. I had some extra equipment I wanted to purchase for the boat. High on the list was a GPS/chart plotter, a Lofrans manual windlass, and some modifications to the ice box. I had planned to rebuild it completely but settled in the end to make a couple insulating panels for inside the box. I am basically making an insulated freezer section which would use much less of my valuable space inside the icebox as opposed to rebuilding it with a full 3” of insulation. My icebox project is just about complete, two more pieces of fiberglass sheet to apply and then it will be done. I found the fiberglass sheets in a 4x8 size at our local Home Depot; they are made for wall paneling but work out perfect for boat projects where you want or need a readymade flat sheet of FRP to start off. (My next boat will have a roomy icebox with at least 4” of insulation)

This summer Phil and Lorraine the couple we met on the Erie Canal over year ago on the boat “Changes” came over to Erieau On. And we spent the weekend on their boat. And our other friends Sue and Rob on Mandate that we met in Castleton and sailed together along the Intracoastal are coming this weekend for a visit. Oh and don’t say Mandate 3 times on the VHF as the coastguard may mishear it and think you are saying mayday, that happened twice to me near Charleston and Jacksonville.

Jeanne has me doing house projects that she wants done before I leave again in the fall. Doing things with the kids and grandkids, seeing my mother and all our other relatives occupies a lot of my time.  Jeanne is in a dilemma as to whether to head south with me in October or stay with the new job she started today. She had planned to finish work in the New Year but getting laid off from one job threw a wrench into her plans. Any bets as to what she will do???

We now have an offer to visit with Changes in Cleveland on the way south, and I plan to visit with Island Moon in Georgetown on the way to the boat.

It looks like the two big tropical storms have trashed the Erie Canal and it could be closed for some time. It won’t affect my plans to much but for my friends on Afeica who plan to head down in the summer of 2012 will have to take the Champlain Canal or sail around the Maritimes or truck their boat to the east coast. I hope it is back in operation by the spring of 2013 when I plan to head back north. I understand that 5 locks are severely damaged. In the last notice to mariners the canal should be open or at least partially reopenned. Some sections they plan to have stay open into December, lets hope that those planning to head south can take advantage. Though any boats just departing the canal in December will not just have winter nipping at their heals but have it taking big bites of their transom's if they slow down at all.

Well I better get back to my boat projects, only a couple weeks left till I head south to the boat.

The Boat is Repaired

Well the boat is back in the water now, The new shaft and cutlass bearing are installed and the strut was rebuilt with 8 layers of Bi-axial glass and epoxy. The motor over to a dock went fine with no vibration.

The next test will be on the sail back to Frazer Hog Cay across the Tongue of the Ocean about 45 nautical miles; and then across the banks to Bimini and then on to Florida.

The new bottom paint is Micron 66 and when I get hauled I will repaint the bottom with it, only $460.00 a gallon here

I plan to sail for Florida this week and then up the coast.


Taking a pass on the Abacos this year to get back home a little earlier.

Will stop to visit Jim my friend from the Erie Canal. Then I will be heading up to Green Cove Springs and will try to get home in time for the next grandchilds birth.

What has happened

I am sitting in the airport at Ft Lauderdale waitng for the plane to Nassau

Lets see... I left Galliot and headed up to Staniels Cay for some fuel 

before my planned hop to Eleuthera. Spent a couple nights anchored off Big Maajors to check out the swimming pigs. And yes they do swim out for treats. Bill Karen and I dingied in close and one big one swam out for his handout. We were taking pictures as Bill trtied to bait the pig into climbing into the boat... We'd have had a pig in the boat if we'd let him keep teasing the pig.

Next we sailed for Warderick Wells and got a mooring in the Emerald Cay bay and the next day we moved to the north field. I had made a boat board for the collection on top of the hill.

The next morning asa I was trying to drop the mooring I under estimated the speed of the tidal current and in motoring to avoid the boat behind me I got the line wrapped in the prop and the engine stalled and in doing that it bent the shaft and broke the strut. I managed to anchor in 20+ feet of water with about 150 feet of chain and rode out but the Bruce anchor bit well and I got the boat under control with only a minor chain rope burn and lightly smushed finger. After I calmed down a bit I dove under the boat to cut the painter and free the dingy. There was only a couple inches of line left to the dingy when it was free and the prop must have missed it by inches.

I checked the prop out and all looked ok but at the end of the sail to Eeluthera, as I tried to motor in the last 10 miles, the prop was shaking so bad that I could not go above idle speed. When the weather and water cleared enough I dove under again to discover how bad the strut was broken. I spent two days researching how to fix it and decided to make a brace to hold it in place and sail back to Nassau on my insurance agent advice to get hauled out for repairs.

We were going to wait two days for the seas to settle out in the sound but decided to leave early and it was a good thing we did. The waves were still big and winds gusty to 28 knots. But the sail over to Ship Channel Cay went well and after several tacks I made it up into the lee to anchor without resorting to my hurt drive line. The next morning I sailed out again but 5 miles out the winds died and Bill and Karen on Island Moon towed met the rest of the 30 miles into Nassau wher I very carefully motored into a slip at Nassau Hrabour Club to wait for the boatyard to lift me out.

After I hauled I discovered the bend in the shaft and the extent of the break... So here I am in an airport with a new shaft and with any luck I should be floating by the weekend...
Life is an Adventure
To be continued...

Find me via this link

http://www.winlink.org/dotnet/maps/PositionreportsDetail.aspx?callsign=ve3saz

Black Point, Great Guana; Heading north.... Slowly

Georgetown, Great Exuma

I am anchored off the monument beach in Georgetown. Relaxing and working on the boat and meeting new cruising friends. Graham and Peter are coming in Saturday at 5pm and so is a cold front... it may drop down to 24*C.... Burrr
There is a nice breeze now keeping everything cool. I bought two Papayas and some Tomatoes from a local farmer, and will get some lettuce from the market for tonight’s dinner.
I am now having some issues with the alternator and will try to find one locally or get some parts sent in via a cruisers net friend from Florida.
All is well though as the solar will meet my demands if I don't tax the systems.
Well the beautiful water beckons and I must heed its call...

See you all soon.... I hope

Update

Well my alternator will need rebuilding or replacing when I get to Florida. The outboard is pretty much toast and have borrowed a friend’s motor to get me through and I am now back in Black Point…

On the trip down to Georgetown I found that the temperature sender had been painted during a rebuild and the contacts were not good. After scraping them of the paint the temperature was reading normal, and most likely the thermostat was removed by the previous owner for no good reason. I still will have to install one. The alternator will not charge unless I rev the engine up several times, I am not sure why but someone suggested the brushes may be sticking. I will replace that back in the states unless it dies completely out here.

I spent 13 days in Georgetown and a week of it with Graham and Peter. Even with all the problems we had a good time. The area is a tropical delight even with 350 other boats in the anchorage. And Tracie, I did get some pictures and will get copies of the other guy’s pictures as well but you really should go there yourself.

I found someone to help get the SSB and Pactor and computer all talking and now have radio email. They were a couple from Ontario who got married on the beach here. A very relaxing 2 weeks in all. After the guys left I went up to Emerald Bay Marina, part of Sandals resort and only a $1 a foot for an un-serviced dock. Spent two nights and used the free laundry and internet; enjoyed the pool table and free coffee and shuttle to the grocery store.

I left there about 10:00 and motor sailed up to Galliot Cut on my way back to Black Point. Spent the night anchored there and snorkeled for Conch and Lobster but didn’t find any. After breakfast we took a leisurely motor up to Black Point and are now here until we head up to Warderick Wells and get ready to cross to Eleuthra.

PS: uploading pictures is a pain with the internet connections here

Georgetown, Great Exuma

I am anchored off the monument beach in Georgetown. Relaxing and working on the boat and meeting new cruising friends. Graham and Peter are coming in Saturday at 5pm and so is a cold front... it may drop down to 24*C.... Burrr
There is a nice breeze now keeping everything cool. I bought two Papayas and some Tomatoes from a local farmer, and will get some lettuce from the market for tonights dinner.
I am now having some issues with the alternator and will try to find one locally or get some parts sent in via a cruisers net friend from Florida.
All is well though as the solar will meet my demands if I don't tax the systems.
Well the beautiful water beckons and I must heed it's call...

See you all soon.... I hope

Black point update Feb 7, 2011

I spent 2 nights at Staniel’s Cay after two days wandering the island and snorkeling in the grotto. It was a really nice town but the rum prices were too high for me…

I sailed for Black point with Island Moon and arrived at anchor at 13:15.

Black point has pretty good village and likely the best Laundromat south of Nassau. The next day I sailed down to Farmers Cay for the 5F festival and anchored on the west side near the airport. Some boats were to close and had planes dodging the masts as they took off. The big party was on Friday and I found a great bar where the can of coke was $5 and included a glass of ice and a half pint of rum.

We went hiking to a cave with a clear pool of water in the bottom and later on watched the finish of the C-class races. The next day we sailed back up to Black Point to watch the super bowl and wait for the winds to go north so we can sail down to Georgetown on Great Exuma.

I am having overheating problems and will try to order parts for Graham to bring out with him. As long as I sail it will be fine though. The solar is keeping everything charged up and will run a couple systems as long as I don’t push too much on it. Refrigeration and inverter or refrigeration and instruments and VHF … I think the autopilot and the inverter are the big power demands…

More to follow when I get to Georgetown…

Update from Black Point on Great Iguana

I left Coconut Grove In the early afternoon. I stopped for fuel to top up in the rain and managed to leave my spare gas can on the dock. I didn’t notice it until I reached Bimini. It was a pretty easy crossing to No Name harbor to wait for the morning to leave. I managed to sleep in a little and by the time I headed out at 06:30 all but one boat had left. Cara Mia had left Coconut Grove early and was about an hour ahead of me. At 08:20 I was crossing ahead of one freighter on a course of 120* but my actual path was about 80* as the Gulf Stream pushed me north. The depth sounder had maxed out at 522 feet. At 12:48 I spotted some islands in the distance and I was tied up to a dock in Bimini at 15:45. My only issue was hitting the bottom on the way in, I had to get in closer to shore than I thought the channel was and went in about 100 feet off the beach. I found out later that the channel is about 150 feet off the beach.

Checking in was not a problem, I asked for till May 1^st and they gave me 90 days without an issue and said to simply ask for an extension in Georgetown when it got close to the time.

I met a few new people and had internet intermittently at the Big Game Club with its $6.00 beers. A Florida fisherman enjoyed our sailing stories So much that he gave me a huge fillet of fish enough for 3 meals.

Jan 20 I left Bimini with two other boats to head for Nassau. Just as we rounded North Rock a thick fog closed in. I couldn’t see the lead boat only 200 feet away. After switching on the radar I saw him just as a large power boat came out of the fog and passed me a 100 feet away going in the opposite direction. We traveled the course line for several hours in the dense fog with only our radars and the GPS lines as reference but the last boat had AIS system and was able to see any freighter far ahead of our radars. Other than that first boat the crossing was somewhat uneventful. Island moon was letting us know about big ships long before they got close. We were traveling in the dark along the path the island freighters took. The water never got shallower than 15 feet. About midnight we were crossing out into the deep water but the wind was strong and opposing the tide and I had already  put 5 spare gallons into the tank and with the waves at night I wouldn’t be able to add any more. So I turned around and went 5 miles back in to where 4 other sailboats were anchored and spent the night there. I was exhausted and slept fairly long and when I woke up all the others were gone. I put in five more gallons and had a coffee and light breakfast and left

The winds had gone more south and getting into deep water was easier now. It was a long motor sail across to New Providence, almost 50 miles. The winds were out of the south at 10 to 13 knots and it was tight so I motor sailed all the way. At 14:00 I sighted New Providence and at 17:30 I had called in to harbor control and was at anchor in Nassau Harbor. I was time to cook up a nice piece of that fish for dinner.

Jan. 22, 2011

I am sitting in Nassau Harbour and just finished breakfast. I had pancakes with Quebec maple syrup that I got from Le Caboteur who I helped step his mast back in Castleton so many months ago. Several other boats are anchored here waiting on better weather to cross to the Exumas. Next to me is North Star, a trawler I met with Peter back in Chesapeake City before Thanksgiving. Later today I will put the motor on the dingy and head in to Nassau Town. It will be the first time I motor the dingy in over a month. But first I will relax a bit.

I spent a windy night on the anchor, but didn’t drag. The problem is the tidal current is making the boat sail all over. I went into town again to sightsee and visit friends and get online and do shopping and when I got back to the boat it was getting pretty close to North Star so I moved to the other side and reset. The boat is still sailing around and after two nights I went in to take a dock I spent three nights at two different docks the second one had a pool… NICE.

On Jan 27 with full tanks I left Nassau after clearing out. I departed at 08:30; Passed Athol’s Island at 09:10; entered the Yellow Bank at 11:30 and cleared it at 12:25. At 12:54 I saw islands in the distance and at 15:30 I was setting the anchor in Allen’s Cay harbour. Anchored 100 feet away was My Ty a French Canadienne boat we were moored next to in Annapolis Md. for the boat show back in October. I spent two nights there.

At 06:30 I contacted Nirvana Now on the SSB before the weather net. And by 07:45 I was hoisting the anchor and I departed for Warderick Wells with Island Moon. At 08:45 I was motor-sailing south along 76* 52” west longitude. At 09:30 the vessel Azimuth relayed my request for a mooring to the Exuma Land and Sea Park. That afternoon I was relaxing off another beautiful tropic island

We spent two days there and Jan 31 with ¾ tank of fuel we left for Compass Cay. It was a tricky way in, narrow and shallow but the tide was rising so we made it through and anchored off Pipe Cay, spent a rough night and left the next morning for Staniel’s Cay

By 10:30 I was happy at anchor off SCYC near Thunderball Grotto. I plan to spend a couple nights here before heading to Black Point on Great Guana Cay.

I am now in Black Point, I spent yesterday snorkling In Thunderball Grotto, Feed the reef fish bits of bread as they swarmed around me. I gave some bread to the kids from another boat and they delighted in feeding them as well
We enjoyed some pork chops in Island moon and socialized with a coupkle that bought a boat here and are sailing back to Australia in it. Then looked at a 54 bfoot yacht that is captained by a 30 year old guy from Wisconsin who got into this from an fine arts major.... go figure
My next planned stop is Little Farmers for the Festival if there is any room left to anchor this weekend.
The weather has been great the last few weeks even with hiding out from the fronts.

Enjoy the cold and come join me if you need a warm spell