Fowl Cay, Bahamas
23.29.665N
75.42.431W

Happy Birthday Dad! Hope you had a good one.

As you can see, we've moved. Poised to set off on our new adventure. The weather is holding, so we're making our exit from Georgetown. There are 5 boats all anchored around an island that can barely hold 3. We started our day by leaving Red Shanks on a rising tide and high sun so that we could avoid the coral heads. Its rather disconcerting that our chartplotter is very accurate as far as depths and hazards that are out there but our positioning on that chartplotter is off. It seems the farther we get from our home waters the more of a discrepancy we see. I suggested that we recalibrate it to where we are now but Dale doesn't want to do it since we'd have to recalibrate it every couple of days the farther south we go. He said that we need to look at where we're going and stop relying on the chartplotter. I think we should use all of our charts, particularly the one right in front of me. We are using about 4 for this area. Two charts, 2 guide books with little chart-lettes in them; comparing what each has to say.


In preparation for our exit, we traveled back to Georgetown to fill up our diesel jerry cans, water cans, and some more fresh fruit and veggies. As it takes 2 days to get propane (you drop off your canister one day and pick it up the next,) we missed the boat on that item. We still have 2 that we haven't touched, so it's not really a problem.

We'll be traveling with Doc-No-More as both of us would like to visit Conception Island and Rum Cay before heading further south. Some of the other boats are making a bee line to Luperon and not inclined to do much sightseeing or diving.

I finally dug out my Christmas tree and we have carols on the stereo. I debated whether I wanted to do that or not. I figure that if you treat the holidays like any other day, maybe you won't dwell on the fact that you're away from those that you love. I really miss the kids and the holidays are particularly hard. I think Dale saw what I was doing and deliberately put the Christmas carols on just to kick me into the spirit. He says that for some reason or other, he thinks Conception Island is a good place to celebrate Christmas.

We'll leave at the crack of dawn to make sure we have plenty of light going into a harbor about 10 hours away. It doesn't look like a particularly difficult transit, although it does appear at this point that we'll have to motor most of the way. So it's off to bed early tonight so that we'll "don't worry" and "be happy;" especially at 6:30 am.

Red Shanks, Bahamas
23.28.894N
75.44.111W

A funny thing about boats: Part 2. Have you ever noticed that if something is broken, you can't live until its fixed? It's not that you have ever used the dang thing on a regular basis, its just that now that you know that its broken, it has to be fixed right now or it grinds on you until it is fixed. Well, that's what happened to Dale. He woke up during the night thinking about the generator and finally decided to bypass the starting switch so that he could start the generator when he wanted to use it. He said that he got the idea from something I had done. Really! Since I have a hard enough time trying to figure out an electric diagram with the components in front of me, this boggled my mind too. Then the truth emerged. I had wanted some rubber buttons for the start/stop stitches for the engine as the red ones disintegrate in the sun's UV rays, so when I saw the switches on sale (I couldn't buy just the little rubber buttons) I picked up several. He took one of those switches and made a bypass. Of course, he had to tear the inside of the boat apart again but once he had decided what to do, it was just a matter of doing it. Boom! It was done. While the boat was apart, he replaced a float switch on a sump pump we never use and turned the knot meter around (it hasn't been working either but we have another within the chartplotter, so it wasn't missed). A very productive day.

Our meeting with all of the boats heading to Luperon and points south that I had mentioned in an earlier posting, was rescheduled to today; it wasn't bad at all. The guy who had just come back had already departed the scene and the guy organizing the meeting didn't dominate the discussion as I thought he might. (I might have to give him another chance.) There was another couple there that had done the trip before (although its been several years) who said that there wasn't anything to it. Follow Van Sants' guide and you'll be good to go.

We met another couple there who asked if we were the boat hailing Rainbow Rider and if it was owned by Linda and . . . "Yes" I was eager to tell them, Linda & Gary, it's the same. "Do you know them?" Sure enough, they are onboard another catamaran named CopyKat and had met Gary and Linda in the Chesapeake area about 6 months ago. Although they plan on heading south as well, they don't plan on leaving until around March. They were great people. I told Dale that this cruising thing is turning out to be a lot like the Navy; after you're in it for a while, you start to get to know people who know the same people you know and it turns into a small community. Anyway, now that we've met them, they are looking out for Rainbow Rider and will pass along our message that we're looking for them as well. Particularly if we leave before they get here. Peter has been to the Dominican Republic before and encouraged me not to try to avoid it as it is beautiful. I asked him if there was ever a problem with the language barrier. He replied: No, they speak Spanish very well. He also said that the younger people also speak English and generally, the gist of the conversation is conveyed regardless of the subject.

Right now, we're looking at perhaps taking off this coming week. The weather's been beautiful for a couple of days and the fronts are dissipating by the time they reach us. It will be hard to leave this peaceful and beautiful anchorage. Tonight we have been serenaded with accordion/constantia from one of the German boats that pulled in yesterday. Where else would we be able to sit and watch the sunset and enjoy our dinner listening to song after song after song being played by a German accordionist who not once played a polka or a Christmas tune?

Red Shanks, Bahamas
23.28.894N
75.44.111W

A funny thing about boats, a little thing often becomes a lot more than you bargained for. Yesterday I mentioned that Dale was going to secure the controller that sits on top of the generator which had suddenly become wobbly. Well, today he found out that the reason it was wobbly was because the 4 little shock absorbers that held it in place were completely broken. He patched them back together until he can order some more and put everything back together but . . . now the generator won't start. He ended up taking the controller apart thinking that perhaps some wire had been dislodged when he was working on the shock absorbers and checked to make sure that all of the connections were tight but still no joy. He dug out the maintenance books for the generator and went to work troubling shooting the problem.

I have seen him in this state before, so I made myself scarce by grabbing a book and retreating to the furthest point in the cockpit and stayed away. At one point I saw where he had moved everything from under the galley sink out and had taken the panel off the back side of the generator which is only accessible from under the sink. Needless to say, all of the other panels had already been removed for access to the offending unit but still no joy. He can jump start it, so there nothing actually wrong with the generator itself and both of the starters and solenoid appear to be in working order as well; it just won't start with the start button. After pulling out a fair number of tools and completely tearing apart the inside of the boat, he's made the decision that whatever is wrong, he can't fix without the guidance of a service rep. Of course, today's Saturday and none can be found; call back on Monday.

Did I mention that I had invited Roger and Elaine over for dinner? Later in the afternoon Elaine called to see if I wanted to cancel. Since I had already started marinating my fillets I told her dinner was still on, however I did agree to having it on their boat. Dale managed to get everything picked up and put back before 5:00 but it didn't leave me enough time to clean the way I would have liked to, so we packed up everything we needed and carted it all over to Doc-No-More. We enjoyed the visit and Dale got to talk about other things besides the generator.

Tonight the winds have picked up and the front we've been expecting is due to pass through tonight. So far we're sitting tight without any problems. We were joined by 3 more boats today. Besides Doc-No-More, 2 German boats have anchored near us. One has a yapping dog. You'd think it'd go hoarse as much as it yaps. Roger and Elaine said that they would be heading back to Volleyball Beach tomorrow. I guess they would rather put up with the rocking and rolling rather than the constant barking.

Still no sign of Rainbow Rider. We're beginning to wonder if they ran into trouble and are holed up somewhere making repairs. We'll keep hailing them until we leave.

Red Shanks, Bahamas
23.28.894N
75.44.111W

If the night of rain, rocking and rolling didn't convince us to move, the weather report predicting a front containing 20 kt. winds passing through on Sunday did. We're now in Red Shanks. It isn't too far from Volleyball Beach and the summer camp for old farts aura that the last anchorage seemed to exude. There we could play games, learn to basket weave, attend Bible study, go to the bar, attend a fishing information workshop, or a group chart reading workshop, or . . . so on and so forth. We can dingy back if we want to join in the fun.

This anchorage is as quiet as the last one was bustling. We needed a high tide to get in but once here, it is great. There are a couple of boats here, but each one is tucked up inside its own little cove so you get the impression that you're the only one here.

We dingied around the area and wanted to see the ruins of another 1700's plantation that still had some of the terraced gardens but Crab Cay (where it's located) is now privately owned with signs posted every couple of feet decrying "Privacy Please - Construction Site". We were able to see the hulk of a freighter that ran aground after becoming embroiled in some legal wrangling, which was kind of cool. It was also rather neat to turn the corner to find another boat tucked up inside yet another cove. The catamarans have a definite advantage in this anchorage.

One of the truly great advantages of this anchorage is that we can scoot to Georgetown for groceries and the like through a dingy route that is well protected so that we're not getting soaking wet crossing the main harbor like we had to from Volleyball Beach.

After we got back, Dale took advantage of the calm conditions and tore apart the shower sump pump to clean out the accumulated debris. It works a lot better now. The old adage of cruising means fixing your boat in exotic ports isn't too far off the mark. It wasn't that it was broken, just slow. Tomorrow he wants to tighten down the controller that sits on top of the generator that's suddenly become wobbly.

We overheard a guy on the radio that just came in from the BVI's. He said that the Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico was flat calm and power boats were taking full advantage of the unusual sea sate. It makes me want to leave now but I think Dale wants to stay here until after Christmas to see if Rainbow Rider ever shows up.

There are several boats heading south and we're all getting together on Monday morning to discuss the matter (another workshop). This should be interesting. I've been reading about some of the anchorages further south on the more remote islands. I don't think they'll support more than 5 or 6 boats at a time. Anyway, it should be enlightening to get together with the other boats to hear their ideas and meet the people on them. We've already met the one who decided to organize the workshop. He's very opinionated and seems to believe that if you talk the loudest, you're the most correct. The last time we saw this guy in action, the quietest man in the group was clearly the most experienced and knowledgeable. Dale got together with him the next day after "Mr. Know It All" left. With any kind of luck, the guy that we heard on the radio who just came back will be there too. He seems to be a loud talker as well. It might be entertaining to see the two of them together. We'll see. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the quiet here and read some more.

Georgetown, Bahamas
23.31.055N
75.45.481W

Not much to report today. We had a holiday sing along on the beach last night and for the most part, didn't sound too bad. Mike, from MTNest, had a keyboard and a plastic box full of folders with printed lyrics. The front of the folder read: The Beach Church. I wondered if he was a retired minister. He and his wife were returning to their home in Minnesota for the holidays but will be heading down island when they return. They said that they would like to tag along with us but would understand if we got a weather window and had to leave before they got back. Hopefully, we will be able to meet up with them later.

We're still trying to find Gary & Linda on Rainbow Rider. We met them in Jacksonville maybe a year ago and shared our mutual desire to travel south. We'd heard they had left a couple of weeks ago bound for Georgetown. We try hailing them on Channel 16 a couple of times a day and every time we see a Lagoon catamaran with a back arch pull through. Nothing yet.

We sat with Roger & Elaine on Doc-No-More for the better part of the afternoon pouring over charts and guidebooks trying to decide where to go next. We've pretty much agreed that we'd all like to see Conception and Rum Cays before heading off to the Turks and Caicos. We'd also like to see Samana and they would like to see Mayaguana.

We dingied around the various hurricane holes today exploring and took a walk on the beach on the eastern side of the island. It was gorgeous; hardly any flotsam and jetsam washed up on that shore. With the tide out, it was a wide beach with several sand dunes and a fairly steep hillside covered in sea oats. Except for the steepness of the hill, it reminded us of the Panhandle area with the fine grain sand, dunes and sea oats.

Last night the wind shifted to out of the Southeast and kept us rocking most of the night. It quieted during the day but now has started to pick up again. I guess it didn't read the guidebooks that say that the wind dies down at night and picks up during the day. If it continues, we may move over to an island not too far away called Red Shanks. We'll keep you posted.

Georgetown, Bahamas
23.31.055N
75.45.481W

Well, we're in Georgetown; the end all for most cruisers; it's a lot smaller than we expected. Today we went into town to explore and find an internet cafe. Doc-No-More had told us that they had seen an ad for WiFi posted in the Exuma Market which is where we had to go in order to pick up our mail. Due to the problems we had experienced in Warderick Wells, we took the laptop with us.

The ad was there on the bulletin board just as he had said, so I jotted down the telephone number and started looking for the address ("near Sam's place"). I felt like a junkie lookin' for a fix, I'd ask perfect strangers: "Do you know where I can find WiFi?" The manager of the Exuma Market said to "go down the street and turn right when you come to a "Y" in the road", that's where the internet cafe was. So we left.

On the way, we saw another sign for WiFi. We walked into a building hardly bigger than a shack. "Do you have WiFi?" "What's WiFi?" "You know, like the sign on your door?" "Oh, no; the guy that does that just left. He'll be back later." '"OK, thank you." We keep looking for the internet cafe.

We find it and walk in. There was a line of 4 computers along the wall on the right. Straight ahead was a small room with heavy black plexiglass windows you couldn't see through and a small hole in the center of the bottom, just big enough where a hand would come out and take your money. The sign said $.30/minute; $9/half hour; $18/hour; you had to use their computers. "Nope" I said to Dale, "for these prices, we could afford the satellite connection." We went back the way we came. We stop back at the shack and ask if the WiFi guy is back. "No, he'll be back later." "When later? Half-hour? Hour?" "Yea, then." We keep walking.

Off a dirt road, we see a sign for Sam's place. It's a restaurant. "Do you know where we can find WiFi?" "Sure, go down the street and turn right when you come to a "Y" in the road . . ." "No, we're looking for the wireless connection." "Oh, wireless . . . You might try Bateco" (the telephone company/electric company). "OK, thank you. Could we order lunch." "No, we finished serving breakfast and won't serve lunch until 12:00." "What time is it?" "11:30" "Can we sit on your patio until then?" "Sure."

While sitting there, Dale decides to see if he can find a hot spot. Yep, there it is; but you need a pass key to connect. It gives a telephone number; not the one in the ad. I jot it down and ask the waitress if I can use their phone for a local call. Sure, no problem mon. I place the call. A sleepy male voice answers. "I'm trying to find out information about WiFi, do I have the right number?" "Yea. Do you have your laptop with you?" "Yes." "Where are you?" "I'm at Sam's Place." "I'll be there in 5 minutes."

A half hour later, we decide to pack up and go inside for lunch. We sit there for another 20 minutes before a young man walks in with a thumb drive on a lanyard around his neck. He spots us in the far back corner and starts walking our way. I smile, "You must be the one with the pass key." "Yep, right here, where's your computer?" We haul it out again. He starts for the computer, when I ask about prices. "$5.00 a day; $40 a month". I pull out the $5 and start to hand it to him but then pull back and say "let's see if it works". He plugs his thumb drive into it and copies the key into the connection. It immediately connects into the internet. I'm still holding the money and ask "does the pass key stay in the computer after we shut it off, or do we have to use it now?" "Oh no, it stays. I have to trust that you'll only use it for a day. Where are you located?" We point across the harbor. "Well, you'll have to use it here, it won't reach that far," he tells us. "Where are you located?" we ask. He points to a small yellow and blue house not far away. Dale reboots the computer just to make sure the pass key works again, it's gone. "Here" he puts a copy of the pass key into a separate document, "now all you have to do is block and copy it into the connection site." I try it and it works. I hand over the $5. "If we have any problems we'll come get you." "No!" he tells us, "that's my friend's house. Just call me".

As we're eating, Dale asks why I look so apprehensive. I tell him that I guess I'm just naturally untrusting; or maybe he copied our entire computer onto his thumb drive. He asks if it looked like he copied anything since I was hovering over him the entire time. Well, no but he was very knowledgeable and when you're an internet junkie, you never know when you might get tainted internet and I needed a fix to connect.

Georgetown, Bahamas
23.31.055N
75.45.481W

FISH ON! I think that's what you're supposed to say. We were underway by 7:30am bound for Georgetown. The wind wasn't perfect but it wasn't bad either. We sailed just a little off course for a couple of hours then turned and motorsailed at 7 kts until about an hour out of Georgetown. Dale had rigged a couple of poles and let out the lures, then we both started doing a little brightwork to pass the time. We had both put away our polishing rags and had sat down for a few minutes when I heard the zing! from one of his poles. Dale has lost a bit of his upper level hearing so when there is a fair amount of background noise, he has trouble hearing those higher ranges; this was one of them. I had asked him earlier if he had his fishing paraphernalia really just in case he caught something, to which he replied that all was ready except for the cheap alcohol to kill the fish. Since we've never been able to land anything worth eating, we've never had to worry about killing it.

As I started this post, I think that you're supposed to say Fish On! but since neither one of us is very knowledgeable about fishing, I rather calmly said "Honey, I think that's one of your lines". I'm not a big fish eater, so I sort of just watch him figure out how to do his thing. I do have a prerequisite that he use 30 lb test line; anything bigger than 30 lbs is probably too big for this boat.

The fishing rod goes zing! Dale jumps up and runs and grabs his pole and tells me to slow the boat down; I put it in neutral but the jib is still up and we're still doing 4.5 kts. enough to keep us on course. Then he tells me to get the other line out of the water so that they don't tangle. Then he says that its a big one! (that's wonderful, Moby Dick on my freshly washed back deck). I grab the big gaff. He says that he thinks that its white - go grab the cheat sheet with the pictures; I lay the gaff down and scramble down the stairs. I no sooner get back up and he says that its probably a barracuda (we've caught big ones of those before) or a shark (we won't even go there). I finally spot it, it looks blue but when it breaks the surface, it looks grey. When it goes deeper in the water, it looks big. He pulls it closer, there's something about the head of it that looks like - no way, we could never be that lucky. Dale tells me to find the cheap alcohol. What cheap alcohol? You're not using my rum! "Then grab the rubbing alcohol!" I scramble back down the stairs and pour some rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and scurry back up. Dale hands me the pole, "here, hold this"; he grabs his gloves and takes the gaff. I reel the line in and in a more excited voice than I would want to express shout "I know what I'm having for dinner tonight". The only fish I'm willing to order in a restaurant is on the line; a mahi mahi.
Dale gaffs the fish and hauls it up. Its thrashing about and starting to bleed. Dale squirts some of the rubbing alcohol into the fish's mouth; it thrashes some more. He squirts some into the fish's gills, it thrashes even more. He's giving the dang thing an alcohol bath but the only thing it's doing is covering the back half of our boat and the dingy in the davits with blood.

That's about the time that we made our waypoint and the autopilot starts sounding an alarm. I run for the alarm while Dale's trying to figure out how to kill this dang fish. I turn off the alarm and keep us on the same course and run back. Dale's decided that if we put a rope through its gills and mouth we can at least take the gaff out. He does this and then hands the fish to me; its heavy, so I tie it to the back arch. There's blood everywhere; Dale's covered in it but he's grinning from ear to ear. "Whaddaya think?" My great, white, hunter! I tell him I think we need to clean up the blood before it coagulates into the gelcoat. He grabs a bucket and brush and starts cleaning while I bring in the jib and turn us back around to enter into Conch Cut and the entrance into Georgetown. Fifteen minutes later and Dale has sliced 10 fillets from the mahi and surrendered the carcass to the deep; five hours later we had grilled mahi for dinner and yes, I ate it; every bite.

The end to this story is: yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Thank you Bob! Dale says to tell you that he caught it on a blue Triple D; just like you said he would.

Leaf Cay, Bahamas
23.47.081N
76.07.748W

You would have thought someone fired a shot to start a race, everyone cleared out of here so fast this morning. The big end is in Georgetown. Apparently, it is the goal for those who have no intention of going any further and the "terminus" for those who become faint of heart with the possibilities that lie ahead. We wanted to stick around until 9am to find out if we could get a tour of the Caribbean Marine Research Center; as it turned out, they are closed for the holidays.

The Canadian boats and everyone else (6 boats total) cleared out by 8am and Doc-No-More followed suit when they found out the Center was closed. As you can see, Dale and I decided to stay on. It's Monday and (you know the drill) it's field day on the Palace! We had already started little cleaning projects just waiting for 9am to roll around. Dale wiped down the back arch and I cleaned the lifelines. Once we had the anchorage to ourselves, we decided to go full tilt.

First, we put things into perspective; while the sun was still high, we started by snorkeling a reef we had seen yesterday when we were looking for the salt flats. The reef was wonderful! Each one seems to be better than the last with the variety of corals and fish. We found a large space covered with staghorn fern. Although not all of it was living, it was a web of coral that was used as a nursery for the fish. I loved it! There was one type of coral I found that was a brilliant purple like the fans you sometimes see washed up on shore but this was a type of sea plume. I thought it was beautiful. You could clearly see the various research projects in place as there were color coded tags here and there. I could have stayed all day but it is Monday; and the laundry was waiting.

After our work was done, we went back out at the end of the day and searched among the flotsam and jetsam for treasures. I found 4 little football shaped floats, Dale found a big float plus a new bread crate to put my treasures into (I guess my little collection is starting to get in the way).

Tomorrow, bright and early, we're off to Georgetown; this time for sure.

Leaf Cay, Bahamas
23.47.081N
76.07.748W

We have touched earth! or at least a rock. This morning after listening to all of the various weather reports, we got underway and headed to Lee Stocking Cay. We were able to transit out of Cave Cut without any problems although the water was still churning with the out going tide and the incoming swell.

During the transit south we consulted the charts and tide tables and realized that we'd be entering Lee Stocking on a rising tide but a lot closer to low tide than we had originally thought. The chart indicated a shallow entrance to the Research Center but that we'd still have 7' (we draw 5.5'). Good to go; or so we thought. Unfortunately, we rounded the corner and headed into the harbor when we heard the sound no boater wants to hear; our boat against something solid. A quick check of the depth sounder verified that we were in 7' of water. Remember a few posts back when I contemplated hitting a big rock in skinny water. Well, that's what we were doing. It sounded awful but when Dale dove down later, he said that there was only a small scratch on the bottom of our keel. It didn't matter, it shot our nerves to pieces. We backed out and went to a deeper spot to anchor and wait for higher tide; we started dragging (that means our anchor wasn't holding); I heard Dale say words I haven't heard out of his mouth in a long time. We moved into even deeper water and anchored again. Then we really started pondering. If we were going to get a fairly early start into Georgetown tomorrow, we needed to be able to leave immediately after we were able to schedule a tour of the facilities. Even if we were able to schedule something in the morning, tomorrow's tides would trap us in the harbor until late afternoon.

As you can see, we decided to leave that harbor completely and anchor at the island to the north, Leaf Cay. Actually, it was a better location in the long run when a rain squall came through with gusts up to 20 kts. since it had better protection all around.

Doc-No-More came in after all of our fun was over but had some fun of their own. During the high winds they started dragging down on some rocks and had to reset their anchor. One of the Canadian boats anchored here with us, saw what was happening and called to alert them just as they were realizing it for themselves.

After the rain passed, we took the two dingies over to Norman's Pond to look at the salt flats. Dale had seen an entrance on the chart but when we got there, the entrance was too shallow to allow the dingies into the creek. We anchored the dinks and started looking for a path along side the creek but there was none. I started up the center of the creek but when Roger saw me covered in mosquitoes, he wasn't going to have any more of our African Queen adventure (city boy).

We did walk along the beach where I found tons (yes, Kenny tons) of natural sponge washed up. I piled it all up and thought that I would send it all back to California but Elaine said that it would cost a fortune. So I picked out two of the least smelly pieces and will send those instead.

We came back and ended up having a wonderful spaghetti dinner on their boat. Tomorrow we'll try for the Research Center tour and if we can't get it, we'll just head on down to Georgetown.

Cave Cay, Bahamas
23.54.322N
76.16.561W

Not much happened today. We spent the better part of the morning waiting for a high tide to exit Little Farmers Cay, then picked our way carefully back out the way we had come in to return to the Bank. The water is starting to get pretty skinny in these parts. The cuts between the Sound and the Bank have 20' but everything else is about 6-10'. These days, I'm delighted to see double digits on the depth sounder.

The anchorage we had chosen on the chart when we left (a little north of where we are now), looked like a good spot to go but when we got to it, someone else was already anchored there. It didn't look like the anchorage would allow enough swing room for more than one boat, so we moved further south to where we are now. Looking back now, we see 4 boats in that anchorage. Unless they are all real good friends, I don't know how they did it. We're down here by ourselves without any problems at all.

The guide book described a hidden grotto on this cay that was beautiful and not to be missed. Looks like we missed it though. As close as we can figure it, an airstrip now runs along where that hidden grotto should have been. There were no airstrips on any of our charts, so we figure its new and the grotto is now gone.

Since it took us so long to leave this morning, we weren't left any time in which to snorkel the island that Bob and Caron had told us held great treasures. We could see the elkhorn coral from the dingy ride around it, but as the sun was low in the sky and I have an aversion to swimming with sharks at sun down, we thought we'd save it until tomorrow.

If we're able to sneak in that snorkel before we leave tomorrow, we'll have a full day. We plan on heading down to Lee Stocking Cay and with any kind of luck, tour the Caribbean Marine Research Center located there.

Little Farmers Cay, Bahamas
23.57.839N
76.19.110W

Our first challenge. We left Big Major's Spot about 9am and motorsailed the 3.5 hour journey to Little Farmers Cay in 15-20 kts. of wind--barely enough off the nose to put the sails up. We were just in the process of assessing the best approach when, POW! our main sail started falling like water over a dam. Dale started tugging on the line to bring the jib in, while I turned the boat into the wind; then he climbed outside the cockpit to try to keep the main sail out of the water. In the meantime, you can't imagine all of the flapping, slapping and horrendous noise all of this makes. He was successful in gathering it up and using a couple of ropes, secured it to the boom.

A short lesson on our boat. We have a sloop rigged boat, meaning 1 mast (among other things). We have a roller furled jib/genoa (forward sail secured by rolling it on its angle from the bow of the boat, to the top of the mast) and an in mast roller furled main sail (rolled up inside the mast but when needed, extended back along the boom to the back of the boat). Therefore, the main sail is always hoisted. When it broke, it came straight down. We have no catchment system or sail ties other boats have because we don't need them. This leaves the line that hoists the sail up at the top of the mast, which means it has to come down to get the sail back up.

Prior to our departure, Dale had hoisted me (he's not big on heights) to the top of the mast to check all of the attachment points. I remember there was no wear at the attachment point to the roller. So when he showed me a severed loop, I didn't know quite what to say.

Instead of anchoring outside of Little Farmers as we had planned, we elected to go inside and take a mooring as this would provide a calmer environment in which to ascend the mast to retrieve the line. Boy was this tricky; we were zigzagging back and forth, weaving our way in but finally found a mooring with deep water for longer than just high tide.

Short history: A few years ago Dale saw an industrial strength sewing machine in the back of one of the sail magazines. He showed it to me and told me that he thought we should get one. But believe it or not, I resisted. My little Singer did everything I wanted and anything it couldn't handle, probably was out of my realm of sewing expertise anyway. Then two years ago when we attended the Annapolis Boat Show, those machines were being demonstrated. The demonstration consisted of putting 6 - 8 layers of standard marine canvas with a layer of heavy plastic used for windows, maybe some webbing thrown in for good measure and then sewn together in one pass with a walking foot. I couldn't believe it. My little Singer would be sputtering and wheezing with anything more than 3 layers of canvas and it'd break a few needles just to spite me. Suddenly, that new machine didn't seem such an extravagance after all. Even after we bought it, I still preferred my little Singer. Then came the big trip; and the canvas work. My little Singer went into storage and this new machine took it's place. But I digress . . . sort of.

The broken loop was made of webbing that was sewn flat going up one side of the sail, pinched together to form the loop and then sewn flat again on the back side of the sail. It severed not at where the loop was hooked onto the hoist, but where it was sewn flat on the sail. Yep! You guessed it! Out came that new machine. I just happened to have some left over webbing from my canvas projects; so . . . off came the old, on went the new and up I went to retrieve the halyard. Down I came with the halyard, up went the repaired sail and then down Dale went to get a much needed a beer to recuperate from all the hoisting. The big test will come when we unfurl the sail, put 20 - 30 kts of torque on the webbing and see if it holds. It probably will do just fine until the worst possible moment, and then . . . well, that'll be another story.

Big Major's Spot, Bahamas
24.11.264N
76.27.548W

Today's excitement was the Great Escape. As Dale had promised Roger, he appeared on their stern at 8:00 am with tools in hand and a promise to me that he'd return by 10 am to take me over to Thunderball Cave. He just barely kept that promise. It seems that Roger, who freely admits to not being mechanically inclined, had tried to trouble shoot the problem with his generator and in so doing, had accidentally created another. They were able to jury rig one problem, but the new problem needed another part. So in frustration, Roger and Elaine pulled into the Staniel Cay Yacht Club to ponder their dilemma. At least they will be able to plug into power there.

Although it was blustery all day, we had waited for low tide to explore Thunderball Cave and felt that the wind really wouldn't have that much effect on us. The cave itself was pretty cool but smaller than what I was anticipating. After Rocky Dundas, I guess I was expecting something bigger and grander. It was a cave that had two openings so that the water flowed through it, instead of in and out of it. The entry was lower in the water, so that you had to snorkel into it before you could look up. It still had a high interior with a hole in the ceiling for filtered light; not many stalactites and the fish were limited to some pretty aggressive sergeant majors. I had brought some bread crumbs with us and they devoured it like piranhas.

When we returned to the Palace, we rinsed out our wet suits and hung them over the back arch to dry. After lunch, I noticed that one was missing. Dale said that he hadn't moved his so it had made an escape when we weren't looking. Our first inclination was to check the water under the boat. Dale grabbed his snorkel and mask and started a grid search around us. Then we thought, what if it floated? Behind us about a mile were some small islands/big rocks. We planned to zigzag back and forth slowly in the dink to the islands to check the surface, then Dale would hop overboard and I'd drag him slowly back searching the bottom. We had made it all the way out to the islands, when Dale saw it making a dash for the Banks. It had managed to slip between a couple of the islands and was heading west. We zipped over to it, snatched it up by the scruff of the neck, wrestled it into the boat and made our way back to the Palace. Dale washed it out, again, and this time put it on the cooler on the back deck. By golly, we had no sooner turned our backs and it was off the cooler and trying to make its way back into the water. This was one determined wet suit. This time, we just threw it into the cockpit and vowed to find the industrial strength clothes pins you use on tarps, to secure it to a line. Mine was still draped over the arch like a racer in the starting blocks. I grabbed her down, threw her into the cockpit with a warning: "don't even think about it".

Tomorrow we think we'll move on to Little Farmers Cay, hopefully with both wet suits still with us.

Big Major's Spot, Bahamas
24.11.264N
76.27.548W

This morning brought the mailboat to Staniel Cay and everyone flocked to the isles General Store like ants to a picnic to pick up their groceries for the week. Dale and I had arrived early and had staked out our place in front of the store. Miss Vivan, the proprietor, took her red pickup truck down to the dock, loaded it up and returned to her store where Dale and a few others helped her unload it. Part of her load was for the store and part it was for the home she is building above the store. Then she'd trek down to the dock again and bring back another load. Of course, the fruits and veggies were in the very last load. Roger and Elaine were there as well and once the boxes were brought in, Elaine, another lady and I helped Miss Vivan unload the boxes into the various bins. Little Beatrice and Berkley (aged about 3 and 2), Miss Vivan's children (grandchildren?), wanted to help too, so we'd give them oranges or loaves of bread to put on the shelves. Once we finished putting everything away, we went to work getting our shopping done.

We moved the Palace over to Big Major's Spot (interesting name for an island) and took a dingy ride around part of the island and over to where the Thunderball Cave is located. We have been advised that the best time to explore the cave is at low tide just as it slows before changing directions. The best time for us will be tomorrow morning about 10 am. We were told that there were swimming pigs located on this island but so far, we haven't seen them. I have bread for them when I do. I don't want to get my heels nicked by a hungry pig.

We had our sundowners with Roger and Elaine aboard their Manta this evening. Dale and Roger commiserated about the plight of the American medical system and Elaine and I talked about balancing time with family and cruising. Since their generator is on the blink, Dale is taking some of his tools over there tomorrow and the guys will try to jury rig a broken part to see if they can get it to run until Roger is able to get another in. Apparently, the part that they had been waiting a week for came in today, but wasn't the one that was broken.

Later, we returned to try to make connections with Gerry and Nicky via SSB but weren't able to do so. The radio is still new to us, so the selection and tweaking of the frequencies is something we're still playing with--but we have books! Lots and lots of books on the how's and why's.

Tonight it's "blowin' a hooley" straight out of the east. We've got a good, firm hold in terra firma and this anchorage is supposed to have good holding throughout, so I don't anticipate a problem for us or from anyone else. It's just one of things we won't know about until the wee, small hours of the morning. That's usually the time when the weird things start happening.

Staniel Cay, Bahamas
24.10.345N
76.26.766W

What a night! Dale commented twice that he didn't think it had ever been so quiet at anchor or in a slip. There was no wind; the only sound from the water came when the current changed with the tide and a few slaps started the boat turning in the new direction. Needless to say, we slept well.

The morning didn't bring any changes. Since there was still no wind, we took the Exuma Sound (east side) route as opposed to the Banks (west side) route. A quick motor down to Staniel had us fueled and tucked into a slip by 11:00 am. At $3.80 per gallon, we considered ourselves lucky for needing only 30 gallons; the next guy took over a 1000 gallons to fill up.

There are 3 other boats in the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Apparently, this is still about a month before their 'season' starts. There are a couple of restaurants, a couple of cottages for rent, a couple of boutiques for souvenirs, one church and 3 small general stores; the Pink Store, the Blue Store, and the Isles General Store.

We met Roger and Elaine off 'DocNoMore' at the fuel pumps. Roger is a retired urologist and Elaine is a retired teacher. Elaine started telling me all of the local information and the big thing to remember is that tomorrow the mailboat comes in and to be at the Isles General Store before noon to get a good selection of produce before its gone. Apparently, they've been living aboard their catamaran for the last 4 years and coming to the area from Texas during 'the season' for those 4 years. This year, however, they decided that they are going to go all of the way to Trinidad. Since they were anchored over at the next island where "Thunderball Cave" is, we promised to get together with them tomorrow when we move in that direction.

We had lunch at the Yacht Club (a hamburger never tasted so good), walked around the town, then headed back to the Palace. As we passed down the main pier, there were fishermen cleaning their catch and tossing the refuse to the dozen or so nurse sharks and a few rays. Each of these sharks were 4-6' long and each of the rays had about a 2.5-3.5' wing span. I'm not sure if the sharks were full or what but they were very well behaved during this time. They'd slowly swim in, take their food and then slowly swim back around. None of the thrashing about we've seen in the past. When we stepped from our boat to the dock later in the day, we noticed that 4 of the sharks had taken refuge in the shade of the bottom of our boat. I realize that nurse sharks aren't supposed to be aggressive and it really didn't bother me seeing them under our boat, but in my mind, sure footedness is essential for the remainder of our stay. Although, if I fell, I'm quite sure that I'd have a dying duck fit and never come close to touching the water.

Tomorrow we'll wait for the mailboat, grab our fresh fruit and veggies, then move over to Big Major's Spot, where "Thunderball" and "Splash" were filmed.

Cambridge Cay, Bahamas
24.18.209N
76.32.510W

Being Monday, today was field day on 'the Palace'. We did our washing, used the old rinse water to wash down the decks of salt and polished some brightwork. While waiting for the laundry to dry, we kept an eye on the changing wind. It was slowly moving to the south and west which pushed us further and further into the shallow areas we were trying to avoid and the tide had only just begun to recede. As you can see, we decided to move a little just to make sure that we weren't going to find ourselves high and dry after sunset.

Once we tired of doing chores, we decided to check out the caves on the island to the south of us. Rocky Dundas was supposed to have caves that rivaled "Thunderball Cave" even further south. Well, bless their hearts, the Exuma Land and Sea Park had put out another 'Welcome' sign and a mooring ball exactly where we figured those caves were. What a treat! Both caves that we explored were huge. There were stalactites and stalagmites and some that met in the middle. Although you had to snorkel into the caves, you could stand up and explore a little after you got there. The smaller of the two had a shelf that if you timed the waves just right, you could be deposited into a sitting position on the shelf, then turn around, stand up and walk around a bit. Both caves had holes in the ceilings so that filtered light came through and there was no need for flashlights. We pondered their creation for a while then donned our gear and started back to the dink.

I have to tell you, I enjoyed the coral formations outside of the caves more than I did the 'mini wall' we explored yesterday. The coral we saw today had a couple of spans of elkhorn coral about 6' in diameter. I've never seen live elkhorn coral before. I'd just hover over it and the fish would come to me. Talk about an aquarium, we saw everything we saw yesterday plus more. It was an underwater nursery. Lots of the fish we saw were tiny versions of their adult counterparts; in other words, the fish that are normally tiny and the baby fish were about the same size. The coral was amazing. I've never seen so many varieties of live coral before in one place; the colors were so vivid. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen so many varieties of live coral at all. I truly enjoyed our swim today.

When we got back to the boat, we had another fish added to the collection, a remora. Those are one interesting looking fish. About sundown, Dale saw his host. He guessed it was about 5.5 to 6' long. He ambled in, took a swing around the anchorage, then headed back out again. I'm rather glad I didn't see him. I don't like sharks of any size or variety.
Tomorrow early, we'll be heading off to our next island, Staniel Cay.

Cambridge Cay, Bahamas
24.18.237N
76.32.385W

We bid farewell to Warderick Wells this morning and entered the Exuma Sound for our trip down to O'Brians Cay; Cambridge Cay is located just south of O'Brians and has a better anchorage for the wind direction. After circling several times, looking for a good spot to lay down in, we anchored in 13 feet of water but ended up backing up over closer to 20', any closer in and we were in very shallow water. Dale dove the anchor just to make sure that it set properly and came back looking for our book on fish. Apparently there was a large Cobia (we think) that had taken a liking to the bottom of our boat.

We changed into our wet suits and took off for the 'aquarium'. This is described as a mini wall dive. We found it without any problems since there was a sign from the Exuma Park saying "Welcome" and a couple of mooring balls positioned in front of it so that anchors won't damage the site. We had no sooner tied up to the mooring when the water was churning with fish looking for a hand out. Splashing in, we saw angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, jacks, fairy basslets, grouper and the ever present barracuda. Since the water was apparently going in one direction, we decided to swim upstream from our boat and then drift back to it. We had no sooner rounded a corner when all of a sudden, we were being drawn rather quickly out in another direction. Two uphills.

Dale came back and motioned for us to return the way we had come. It had taken him by surprise too. We ended up trying to stay midway between the two currents. I finally grabbed a long line from the boat and just hung on. I'd swim to the end of the line, and then let the current pull me back; then I'd swim off in a different direction and float back. The guide book made mention of an 8' lemon shark that patrols the area but thank God, we didn't see him.

This evening after dinner, Dale said that we now have a collection of Cobia under our boat. Do you think they know we're still in the Park and can't toss in a hook? Just another day in paradise, for all species.

Warderick Wells Cay, Bahamas
24.23.816N
76.37.947W
Cocktail party at sundown on the veranda of the Park Ranger's Station; what a day. We began by camping out on the veranda of the Park Ranger's Station first thing this morning in order to get the internet connection to stay connected; apparently it didn't like our antenna. It took us most of the morning to upload the few entries into this site and pay a few bills.

We then lit out for the opposite end of the island to hike "Anita's Trail" which led to the Davis Family Ruins; a Loyalist Settlement built in the 1700's. The Loyalists were those who favored staying under the rule of England at the time of the American Revolution. When the colonies won their independence, the Loyalists struck out for other grounds. Can you imagine leaving the rich fertile soil of the U.S. to start over again on an island which is little more than coral, limestone and sand? Their homes were rocks, built upon a foundation of smaller rocks, surrounded by a rock fence, and they got their water from big holes in the rock. The houses (unless we missed the big house) were little more than a room for a couple of people to lay down in. Where in the world did they put those skirts? With a little imagination, it wasn't hard to envision that life must have been brutal in the heat of the summer, water being drawn from the natural cisterns and what little dirt could be found had to be situated in the pockets of the coral to sprout what food they could grow. If I were a woman in those days, I'd have thought I had been sold a bill of goods on the deal that England gave to them. Scenery only goes so far.

And Snakes! They have snakes here. I had convinced myself that there were no snakes on these islands. Well, there are no poisonous snakes on the island. They do have brown racers. What I saw was a 2.5 - 3' snake where I had planned to put my foot. Thank goodness I had to watch every step I took because of all of the rocks.

After surviving the snake attack, we took the dink around to the other side of the island to see the 'Pirates Lair'. The eastern side of this island has a naturally deep harbor that is situated between two islands. The Pirates would hide out in this area and plunder the merchant ships coming out of Nassau. Their liar was off a sandy beach, over a hill and down into an area that is protected by palm trees. In the center, the sun filtered through the canopy of palm fronds to a small pond which had a fresh water well to the side of it. Water which had percolated through all of the rocks on the rest of the island gravitated to this low area and well. A sign to the side of it declared "Sweet Water". Dale swirled his hand around in it and put it to his lips. Taste it! I swirled my hand around in it and put a few drops into my mouth; yep, tastes like water!

On our way back to 'the Palace' we circled around Emerald Rock but didn't see anything that enticed us into the water, so we skipped the snorkeling for the day.

At 5:00 on Saturday evening, the Park Ranger invites all of the boat people up to the veranda for cocktails at sunset. We were surprised to learn that the Park Ranger was an American volunteer. He and his wife had offered to keep things running for 2 weeks when the previous warden wanted to take a vacation. Four years later, they are still here but they said that they loved it. They are planning on adding more moorings throughout the park this coming year to protect the living coral. We had a nice visit with some of the other boaters and may run into at least one other couple later on into our trip as they are planning a similar route to the Caribbean. Tomorrow we head out to O'Brian's Cay to visit the 'aquarium'.

Warderick Wells Cay, Bahamas
24.23.816N
76.37.947W

We are now officially at the headquarters of the Land and Sea Park located on Warderick Wells Cay, Bahamas. We arrived about 10:30 am and took a mooring in their Northern Mooring Field. We are one of only 4 boats here so it looks like we pretty much have the run of the place.
After checking in, we took a hike along one of the trails leading to the other side of the island where we saw many of the natural cisterns on the island which provides for the brackish water the plants survive on. We returned to the boat so that I could bake bread and Dale could make water. We plan on staying here for a couple of days so that we can visit the ruins of a Loyalist Settlement built in the late 1700's; follow a trail to "the Pirate's Lair" where ships of old used to hide out waiting to plunder the merchant ships leaving Nassau; and hopefully snorkel the spectacular coral heads of Emerald Rock.

The one thing that really counts here - finally - an internet connection! Slow as molasses but at least a connection.

Hawksbill Cay, Bahamas
24.27.950N
76.46.118W

Today finds us in Hawksbill Cay. We anchored in 8 feet of water at 10:30 am and took the dink to the other side of the island for some exploring (taking the long, deep route, instead of the creek through the middle). We walked the length of a beautiful long white sand beach gathering some of the flotsam and jetsam into a pile so that the next the time the wardens come to clean the beach at least some of it will be gathered in one place. We climbed to the top of a huge cave that had collapsed and then returned the way we had come. There were some beautiful shells on the beach but since the Land and Sea Park forbids the taking of any flora, fauna or other natural items, we left them where we found them.

On the way back, there was mention of a "conspicuous wreck" on our charts. Conspicuous was an understatement. My first impression was that a boat was anchored near the reef. However, upon closer examination, the "Trust in God" was an ocean going tug that had run clear up on a reef. We took a spin out to get a better look and take a few pics but left her as we found her without disturbing her final resting place.

On our side of the island, we climbed up to a carin atop the highest hill in the area and took some pics of the surrounding area. The colors and scenery were incredible.

Back at the Palace, I finished off the day by giving the boat a bottom scrubbing before sunset. Definitely, a full day.

Shroud Cay, Bahamas
24.32.031N
76.47.873W

Water, water everywhere but not enough to float a boat! This morning we moved on to the next island, Shroud Cay, dodging sand bars more than coral heads arriving about 11:00 am. Shroud Cay is located just inside the borders of the Exuma Land and Sea Park. We were immediately greeted by the resident barracuda. We guesstimate that he's about 3 feet long and hasn't missed too many meals. He's definitely taken a liking to our port side since he's been there all day long! Dale says that he's probably waiting for a handout. Guess again Bubba!

We left Bubba guarding Gypsy Palace and took the dink around to a creek that traverses the island through the middle to do a little exploring. We took our charts but we didn't take into account the effect the tide would have on us. We started out alright. We saw lots of fish in the creek, rays, a small shark, baby barracuda, a few blue herons and an osprey. Yet, every once in a while, we had to get out of the dink and drag it though the shallows, then jump back in and take off again.

We finally made it to the other side to a beautiful beach, gathered a few shells to contribute to the "park", then climbed a steep hill to the "Driftwood Park". After reading the write up in the guide, I guess I was anticipating a Robinson Caruso type locale but instead found a "yacht club" ala Allens-Pensacola, on a smaller scale at the top of the hill. It was very picturesque looking out from there to the pristine beach below, the turquoise water beyond, the islands in the distance and some black clouds on the horizon. We added our shells to the collection of flotsam and jetsam, then started our trek back. You would have thought that by that time (midway between high tide and low tide) the water would have started rising again but no, we (or should I say Bogie) ended up dragging that dang boat again.

Dale's a Bogart fan. As a result, he started telling me that he was reminded of the African Queen movie. Apparently, Bogie's character had to get out of the boat at some point, sling the tow rope over his shoulder and drag the boat through the jungle (he didn't tell me what Katherine Hepburn was doing during all of this but I'll bet she wasn't being quite). So there we were, stomping though a creek in sand that sucked the shoes off our feet when we stepped wrong. Dale with the tow rope slung over his shoulder, dragging the dink through the shallows and me slogging along behind him looking for even shallower water to wade through, not laughing when he got stuck feet first, and thinking that I bet James (our son) has to do this sort of thing in BUDS (Note to James: a two foot tide can have a drastic effect on the outcome of the mission). I got up close and personal with porcupine fish, sand crabs, mangrove roots, and things I probably don't want to know about. When there was enough water to float a ways, Dale got on the front of the dink to counterbalance me and the African Queen's engine hoisted almost out of the water which made it sound even more of the putt putt the Queen was famous for.

As you can see, we made it back. The dark clouds passed north of us. All fingers, toes and shoes are present and accounted for. Bubba did a good job making sure the boat stayed where we left it and I'm positive we'll both sleep very well tonight.

Norman's Cay, Bahamas
24.36.114N
76.49.290W

What a perfect ending to the day. There is no wind. The sea is smooth for as far as you can see,. The sun has set and the high clouds are reflecting the red of the sunset into the water so that it appears on fire. Natalie Cole is playing softly on the stereo. A light dinner was served in the cockpit and we're the only boat in the anchorage.

We started our day rather late as I had stayed up until 4 am consumed with a book; Angels and Demons. Michelle, I believe you would enjoy it as it was a thriller based upon a search for clues in artwork, specifically the statues and fountains of Gianlorenzo Bernini, throughout Rome. Once I grabbed a couple of hours of sleep, we spent the rest of the day exploring the various coves and inlets around Norman's and found the caves. There really wasn't much to the caves. The largest of the three appeared to have collapsed. We didn't bother trying to explore them any further since they were surrounded by very sharp coral outcroppings and our dink is inflatable and doesn't do well with pokey parts. We snorkeled the areas around our boat for a while and then consulted our charts regarding entering the Exuma Land and Sea Park tomorrow.

Norman's Cay, Bahamas
24.36.114N
76.49.290W

With winds out of the east at 15-20 kts., we sailed from Highbourne to Norman's in about 2.5 hours. You bet cha man. We sailed! We put those white flappy things up and hauled booty all the way. At one point we were surging through pale to medium emerald green waters at 7.5 kts. No problem discerning where the sky and sea met yesterday. I really haven't figured out why one day the waters are a decisive green and others its more of a turquoise when both days are clear and blue and the bottom is sandy. We had to dodge coral heads working our way into the anchorage but at high noon on a clear day, it was no problem.

Once anchored, we took the dingy around to the interior of the island and located what was left of the plane that was so visibly pictured in the guide. These days the exposed portion is just about gone, however the portion underwater seems remarkably intact, at least as far as recognizing where the engines and wings were. The rest of dingy ride we spent in very shallow waters. A couple of times we had to break out the oars and row our way out of some pretty skinny water. We had tried to find where the caves that are located here were but finally gave up and decided we needed to bring our chart with us or at least consult it a little better before we just took off next time. McDuff's is no longer here; we saw a sign that reflected that the restaurant is under new management and was supposed to open in late November. I don't know how much more late November they expect but . . . we didn't see anything open. We think we identified what used to be the home of the notorious drug smuggler, Carlos Lehder; it looked pretty abandoned but the runway is still being used on a daily basis so we decided just to gaze from a distance.

Today we took advantage of the blue sky, warm temperatures and windy conditions to do laundry. I remember as a little girl getting my fingers run through a wringer on a neighbor's washer, so today as we did laundry by hand, I was very cautious about poking the clothes through the hand wringer we brought for this trip. Now I can empathize with what my foremothers must have gone through. Wash, wring, wring, rinse, wring, wring, hang to dry; I know Mom, there's supposed to be a second rinse, but I had run out of buckets. Anyway, we had lines strung all of the boat and by the time we were done, we had clothes dancing all over the place and sheets that would slap you in the face if you got too close. By noon, everything was dry, folded and returned to their lockers, including the clotheslines and buckets. I have to admit, I feel it in my back and shoulders tonight. Although this wasn't a difficult task, it wasn't easy either.

We broke out the hammock this afternoon and the rest of the day, we spent reading and relaxing. Tomorrow, if the winds die down, we'd like to go explore the caves (with our charts in hand, of course).

Highbourne Cay, Bahamas
24.42.808N
76.49.808W

Today we went to see the iguanas of Allen's Cay. It's just a little north of here and a fairly easy dingy ride from where we are anchored. There were about 20 of them on the beach to greet us and several others scattered along our path to the other side of the island. We had taken some bean sprouts for them to eat but they were more interested in the grapes the other group of people brought with them. They were smaller than I had envisioned them to be but large enough to gain my respect. The ones in Puerto Rico and Cozumel were huge. These were about 6-9" tall and about 1-2' long. After that, we just dingied around the rest of the islands exploring the little inlets and coves before returning to our boat. The wind is making it a little too cool to go snorkeling and we didn't feel like digging out our wet suits quite yet.

On our dingy ride, we discovered that once again we were the tiniest boat in the neighborhood. The only other sailboat, a 38' Lagoon catamaran, had left in the morning leaving us with the mega yacht that had anchored next to us during the night. This guy brought all of his toys with him; 4 jet skis and 2 go fast boats over 20' for dingies and Dale saw a treadmill on the upper deck. I don't even want to hazard a guess as to how big he might be; I can see that he's four decks tall. At night he looks like a cruise ship. The marina located on Highbourne Cay was also loaded with megayachts. This evening two more pulled in and anchored on either side of us. Dale says he's starting to get an inferiority complex.

Today was also a first for starting up our watermaker. Dale says that it's working as advertised. I'm glad because it looked like he was tearing up the entire salon to expose the various pieces and parts to make sure everything was running properly. Then he was up and down the companionway like a monkey to peer over the side. Water in? Yep. Brine out? Yep. Every once in a while, he'd come up, toss out a bucket of water and scramble back down again. Then after about an hour, he produced a glass of water; whadda think? Yep, tastes like water; boy can you cook! Combine that with the bread I made today, and clearly we won't starve to death.

Tomorrow we thought we might mosey on down to Norman's Cay. I guess during the 70's it was pretty notorious for being the home of some drug lord. Now it's abandoned. I hope it's abandoned; we plan on snorkeling around the plane that crashed into the lagoon.

Highbourne Cay, Bahamas
24.42.808N
76.49.808W

This is what it's all about. After consulting the charts, we decided that Rose Island (as suggested in our guide) was really an unnecessary step. We exited Nassau from the eastern channel and motored half of our distance across the Yellow Bank without any wind. The Bank was like a pond; 10-20' deep most of the way; not a single ripple for as far as you could see, except of our own wake behind us. When you looked towards the sun you could see the horizon but when you looked away from it, the crystal clear pale green that was beneath us progressed into a white that eventually became the sky. In other words, you couldn't see where the sea ended and the sky began.

Clearly visible below us was a sandy bottom with the occasional tuft of sea grass, fern or small coral head with star fish scattered around like stars in the sky, and small fish gathered around for dinner on the coral. When we approached we could see the fish scatter and it made me wonder about the night we crossed the Bahama Bank. The Bahama Bank was 8-10' deep most of the way; we draw 5.5 feet. Can you imagine the poor fish that cuddled up to a tuft of sea grass for the night, only to be awakened by a winged keel plowing its way at 7.5 kts. through his bedroom at 3 o'clock in the morning?

Dale and I took turns standing on the bow watching what at first appeared to be inky patches in front of us transform themselves into coral heads and then quickly decide if they were shallow enough to go over, or if we needed to go around them, whereupon we'd would point frantically to one side or the other. Even at 6 kts., you approach them rather rapidly.

During the second half of the day the wind picked up, we let out our jib and picked up speed. With the ripples on the water, you couldn't see the bottom as clearly, so with our entertainment obscured and the coral heads behind us, we went back to the cockpit and savored the perfect weather.

We reached our destination of Highbourne Cay just before 4 in the afternoon and anchored below the Batelco tower on the west side as the winds are predicted to clock around and come from the east tomorrow. Right now you can see hundreds of stars and the milky way. The moon hasn't come up yet, so I was surprised to see what appeared to be a moon beam on the water. I called Dale up to see for himself. You see, Mars is so bright tonight, it's casting its reflection in the water. Absolutely amazing. This is what it's all about.

Nassau, Bahamas
25.04.945N
77.19.364W

Bob & Caron Bass told us, if you want to pamper yourself for a day, go to Atlantis on Paradise Island in Nassau. We did; they were right; but boy it was expensive. You know all of those mega yachts you see at the Miami Boat Show every year? Well, this is where they are; then there's us. We are the tiniest boat at the marina. You can barely see our mast for the triple and quadruple decks of the surrounding boats. Dale kept shooing away the dock boys who wanted to wash our boat for the going rate per foot but Dale pointed to the 'big boys' and said that we didn't have that much to wash. They took mercy on us later when Dale started washing the boat himself and struck a deal for half the cost.

What drew us here was that we wanted to see the aquarium with the glass tunnel beneath the shark exhibit. Impressive. In fact, I was totally impressed with all the architecture and attention to detail in creating a mythological site. My favorite place was the exhibit called "The Dig". (You can find it on the internet (Atlantis) with some pretty neat visuals.)

In the Dig, you walk down stairs to caverns that have sides to various aquariums along with pretend artifacts. It was these pretend artifacts that were so very creative. Dive suits, lanterns made from huge trumpet sea shells, designs of corals making the railings, shields, urns and ruins of temples were in the aquariums, waterfalls and of course the gardens surrounding all of it. It was all fascinating. Even the stucco walls had imprints of sea shells imbedded into it.

The 'marina village' was comprised of all of the boutiques you would find at the finest resorts in Las Vegas and the service everywhere was the best we've ever had. Since it was Thanksgiving, there were no reservations remaining for dinner. So, we dined at one of the nicer restaurants at the bar. Same food, just higher chairs and we got to talk with the wait staff. Probably a lot more entertaining than sitting in the dining room surrounded by families reminding us that we weren't with our own. We reminisced that we'd had at least one child at home with us always. Being away from our family is the very worst part of this sabbatical. I think that we are a very close family and the holidays are tough.

Tomorrow we will head to Rose Island to pre-stage our entry into the Exumas. The really neat thing about being the tiniest boat in this marina, lots of turning room! No problem, mon.

Bird Cay, Bahamas
25.23.874N
77.48.429W

As you can see, we made the big move last night/this morning. The anchor was hoisted at midnight and we were already negotiating our way to our path to the next island when the wind indicator pegged 30 kts. We made a quick decision that since it was pretty much dead astern of us, we'd just throw a couple of reefs in the sails and keep going rather than trying to fight our way back and anchor again. It was the right one, as we turned a 16 hour trip into a 13 hour trip with speeds of 7.5-8 kts. most of the way. It wasn't bad either. As long as it was astern, we really never felt it. We were also the only ones out there until morning when we saw a local coastal freighter slogging his way up wind.

We arrived at Bird Cay at 1:00pm with lots of sun straight up so that we could negotiate the reefs and coral heads. Tonight we're snug on the east side of the island so the west winds can howl all they want and it won't bother us at all. After making sure our anchor was securely set, we dingied over to Whale Cay and explored what appeared to be an abandoned lighthouse. It's stark white color was the perfect contrast to all of the aquamarine and neon turquoise of the surrounding waters. I took a couple of pictures to send to Kenny, our artist brother.

Dale has been more attentive today than usual; he was feeling bad that he had forgotten that it was my birthday. Actually, he knew my birth date, he just didn't know what today's date was. We had been talking about going to Nassau tomorrow and that we'd celebrate my birthday there and, if we liked it, stay for Thanksgiving. That was my first clue that he didn't know what day it was. Being the devious person that I am, I didn't bother to correct him either. He figured it out when he downloaded the weather information for tomorrow. He had lost yesterday, since it was spent idling away waiting for weather. He consoled himself by saying that he was sure I could find some small bauble in Nassau to make up for it. Hummm. Let me see. I'm sure I won't be able to find a small bauble in Nassau . . . but I could try.

Gun Cay, Bahamas
25.35.959N
79.17.838W

We're still here - putting amps in the can. When we got up at midnight, we turned off the anchor lights, turned on the instruments and went topside to check out the howling wind. Thirty knots. We turned off the instruments, turned on the anchor lights and went back to bed. Apparently everyone else in the anchorage thought the same thing, since we're all still here.
We're being held captive by a Nor-easter that brought cooler temperatures to the area. We noticed that our neighbors are all wearing their coats but with our enclosure, we're pretty comfortable. We spent the day reading, playing marathon Cribbage, Dale studied his weather books and I watched one of the other boats work on their sails then practice various points of sail with them reefed.

At one point during the day, Dale came up the companionway and said "Hi! My name is Dale and I'm a amp nazi. I hadn't said anything but he'd been jumping up every half hour or so scrambling down the stairs to check to see how many amps the wind generator or solar panels were putting out. Then he'd reappear pumping the air with his fist declaring so many with the wind generator and so many with the solar panels. It didn't matter though. After I ran the refrigerator for a half an hour, it'd drain them out again. He seemed satisfied that we can run everything (except the refrigerator) without thought with just the wind/solar power; the refrigerator, however, needs to be regulated carefully.

All and all a pretty quiet day. Tonight the winds are supposed to subside a bit and clock back around to the west, so we'll try to exit our staging area again tomorrow.

Gun Cay, Bahamas
25.35.959N
79.17.838W

Today we moved to a staging anchorage on the east side of Gun Cay which is about a mile east from the edge of the drop off into the Gulf Stream. Only an hour away but an hour closer and a lot easier to leave when we cross the Great Bahama Bank to Chubb Cay. After making sure our anchor set securely, we went snorkeling the rocks around Gun Cay. We saw a good sized manta ray, a good sized turtle hiding under a ledge and a good sized barracuda hanging around our dingy when we swam back. We also saw lots of smaller fish and tons of really tiny aquarium sized fish. No lobster; no sharks.

We had no sooner washed off and put the dingy back in its davits when the wind picked up to 20-25 kts. followed by the occasional shower. The rain we used to swab down the deck. Then we sat back and watched the waves build on the Gulf Stream side of the Cay crash down on the little spit of land that protected us from nature's rath. It was amazing that a skinny little piece of land could provide so much shelter. The wind is howling but we're barely rocking. There are presently 4 other sailboats and 1 trawler along this same side. I'm sure that we're all watching the ketch on the other side battling to get safely behind the island. There's not much any of us can do but watch, wait and pray that he makes it. Taking a dingy around to that side wouldn't be a wise decision.

Since we've already cleared customs, we'll leave tonight about midnight to cross east across the Bank and go on to anchor behind Bird Cay which will give us a better angle into Nassau. From our latest weather download, we think that we'll still have the strong SW winds most of the night but they should help push us along and cut down on the 16 hour trip we estimate it'll take us without them.

By the way, the ketch and his buddy boat, made it. His fun isn't over though. He's already dropped his anchor once and dragged about what looked to be a mile. Now he's making another run.

Cat Cay, Bahamas
25.33.197N
79.16.677W

Land Ho!! We made it! and even had time for a donut run. We pulled chocks at 2:30 am and crept through the shallow depths leading the way to the ocean. We had some clouds but still could see the 3/4 moon and a few stars. Our chart showed a couple of unlit markers but we had plenty of light to see them from the light of the moon. We also could see that we were in for another cruise ship tango for a few miles with all of the incoming and outgoing ships from Government Cut. At one point we were dodging 4 cruise liners and 4 container ships at the same time; you go here, I go there, another behind me and dip, two, three, four.

The only rough part of the trip was pretty much right at the beginning. We had an easterly swell and probably 3-5' seas on top of that. After that, it was a piece of cake. Five or 6 hours later, the middle of the Gulf Stream was probably less than 2' with more of an northerly swell. Another thing we did differently was instead of just plugging in a waypoint and charging to it, Dale plotted a course and we used the chart plotter to make sure we were on course, which we were. This is apparently a more direct method of traversing a strong current.

We had already spotted land when we saw what appeared to be a white donut in the water off to our starboard beam. Time for a man overboard drill!. It was one of those inner tube shaped inflatables that had obviously escaped its owner. So we diverted course, scooped it up and put it on the back deck. This thing is the size of a tractor tire but clear, I guess so that you can see into the water below. Dale figured it was some sort of omen but we're not sure of what. The first time we had ever traveled to the Bahamas, we found an inflatable dragon heading out of the Sea of Abaco and rescued it. We dig it out from time to time to ride around on it and have a blast. I think Fred and Geri have it now.

We arrived in Cat Cay at 1:30pm. Unlike the Abacos, when approaching the Bank near Cat, you come up on it, and boop, there's land. Cat Cay is a private island so you're limited as to where you are allowed to go but there is a marina that lets passing boats clear in and spend the night if they want. Tomorrow we'll head out to an anchorage where we'll once again hit the rack early and rise before dawn to travel approximately 80 miles to our next point.

When we were cleaning up the boat from our passage, I asked Dale why he was putting away the jacklines and harnesses. He said that if we fall overboard now, we can walk to shore. Believe it or not, this end of the Bahamas seems to be even more shallow than the Abacos. The average depth appears to be 8-10 feet everywhere but the 'Tongue of the Ocean', where its a tad deeper at up to 12,000'. I doubt he'll mind wearing his life jacket then.

Key Biscayne, FL
25.40.613N
80.09.800W

Gamma! Gamma? We don't need no stinkin Gamma! Just as we made the decision that it's now or wait for another week, Gamma makes an appearance. It didn't matter to Dale, there was a window and he wasn't going to miss it.

This morning as we pulled out of our slip and into the very narrow little channel leading in, the wind piped up to 22-24 kts. I suggested going back to the slip and wait until the squall passed by. Dale wondered why. I gave him the wheel. If we're going to run aground, I would prefer if he's at the helm; that way I don't get yelled at regardless of what happens. We managed just fine.

We crossed the Biscayne Bay and went down by Stiltsville (just to say that we've seen it) and then pulled into No Name Harbor. It's a great little anchorage in a park area at the very southern end of Key Biscayne. There were 3 sailboats and probably 6-9 powerboats anchored during the day, right now there is just enough room for the 4 sailboats left to spend the night on anchor. This gives us great pre-positioning prior to jumping across the ditch.

Throughout the afternoon, Dale set up his fishing rods so that he can troll across the bank when we come up on it. With the thought of a possible hurricane or tropical storm bearing down on us, I was consumed by the weather. I know that we have about a 24 hour window in which to cross and we only need about 12 hours to do it (worst case scenario). We've also chosen the shortest route we've ever used to cross the Gulf Stream and we've been in worse seas than what is predicted but I was nervous about Gamma; talk about a door being slammed after you leave. After dinner tonight, we turned on the tube to catch the latest news just in time to hear them saying that South Florida was breathing a sigh of relief and had dodged this one. I never did catch what had happened, I'm just glad that it's not chasing after us. We're heading to bed early for a 2:00am start. Wish us luck and say a prayer. Once again, we're off.

Dinner Key, FL
25.43.546N
80.14.010W

Have you ever noticed how things look different at night? Last night when we pulled in, we picked a spot on the chart and pulled in until Dale called back saying that it looked like we were getting too close to shore. This morning we woke up to find ourselves about a half mile from shore. In any event, no one woke us up to tell us to move and the water wasn't clear enough for us to tell if we were in grass or not, so . . . no harm, no foul.

We moved on about mid-morning across the Biscayne Bay down another very narrow channel to Dinner Key Marina. When asked about fuel, they told us we could get fuel at the marina next door. We tried hailing them on the radio, then tried calling them on the telephone; with no answer we decided to motor on up and hope the fuel dock was open. We were in luck! No one was there, but we could hear the rumble of a cigarette boat coming from a different direction. Sure enough, a bright yellow go fast boat approached from a different channel and zoomed in to the fuel pier. The nerve! That's alright there was room for more than one boat. But NO! another go fast boat came, then another, and another. At least 6 of these noise makers came zooming up and cut in front of us creating a circle into the fuel pier and then back out. The attendants at the fuel pier were handing out cards to them and waving flags in a fashion that we just couldn't fathom. What to do? We got into the circle with them and circled up to the pier and said that we needed fuel. Unfortunately, we had stumbled into a poker run and were told to come back at another time. Think we could just cycle out? Heck no! There were now 20-30 of these monsters circling around us and we had to cross their lines to get back to our marina. With much nashing of teeth (I'm sure from both sides) we finally crossed back to our marina and easily slid into our slip.

We plan to stay here for a couple of days. There's a laundry and internet connection right on location and we can have our mail forwarded to us here overnight. Also, we're plugged into electricity, so I might get some more sewing done. No rest for the weary; or last least for those who still have projects to complete.

Key Biscayne, FL
25.41.693N
80.10.770W

OK, so I'm a wimp. Last evening after writing my last entry, we watched some local Lake Worth TV and weather. It appeared as if there was a change in the weather. Dale confirmed this with the marine broadcast weather and sure enough, if we stayed close to the coastline, we could transit down the coast instead of the ICW. We hurriedly secured the boat, brought the dink up on the bow, brought out our jacklines, tethers, harnesses and lifejackets, plugged in a couple of waypoints and went to bed early thinking that we would leave at 2-2:30am to allow time to transit to Miami.

Unfortunately, at about 11pm, the wind picked up and lines were slapping loud enough to get us out of bed, find the offensive noise, and silence them. About midnight it was howling enough for us to check the wind gages; 15 knots; just as it was predicted but dreadfully noisy. One-thirty am it started raining; again, up and close all of the windows. Now I'm beginning to wonder whether this was a good idea or not, considering it was a new channel to us and it was really "blowin' a hooley". About this time Dale (tired of me getting up every half hour or so) said to forget it, we'd wait until the sun came out then take a look at the sea state. So back to bed we go. This time I slept.

I woke up about 6am; not from the noise but from the silence. OK let's go! We were underway by 6:20am, along with 2 other sailboats. What a great sail. Two to four foot seas with a fairly steady 15 kts on the beam. We motorsailed at between 6 and 7.5 kts all day. Unfortunately, my hastily chosen waypoints proved to be more conservative than needed and we probably wasted an hour or more going out to the 3 mile offshore line. The other two sailboats left exactly at the same time as we did but arrived an hour or more earlier in Miami because they stayed in closer than we did. They had light to anchor by. Due to the time change and my lack of adventure, we didn't.

We were able to come into Government Cut and weave our way through the bridges and the very narrow channel into Biscayne Bay before we ran out of light. After that, we picked a likely area to anchor from the chart and slowly worked our way to it. There is another boat in closer to shore here, but I'm a little nervous as to what the morning light will show. I remember that there was a lot of controversy awhile back about where boaters could and could not anchor in South Florida. I also remember that there were fines and penalties for anchoring in sea grass. Hopefully the chart is correct and tomorrow's light will show that we are anchored in mud. At any rate, I rather half expect to be wakened during the night by the local justice merchants telling us we're in the wrong area.

This evening's weather broadcast suggested the break we're looking for to cross the Gulf Stream will come this weekend. Friday is OK but Saturday and Sunday look better. We're aiming for Saturday at the moment. Tomorrow and Friday, we'll fuel up, run by the grocery once more and maybe a quick trip to the laundry, if I can find one. Let's hope tonight will be quiet . . . and without visitors.

Lake Worth, FL
26.45.308N
80.02.688W

Today's trip from Hobe Sound to Lake Worth was uneventful. Five bridges (one - very narrow due to a barge parked underneath it) made the trip one of those 'hurry up and wait' types. The houses along the way kept me entertained. There would be regular houses, next to some rather humble ones, which were right next to mansions. Each mansion appeared to be in a contest with its neighbor for size, shape, style, grandeur, pool, fountains, statues, gardens and of course, boats which themselves vied for size, shape, style and grandeur. Dale and I wondered what these people could possibly do for a living to earn so much.

Another observation along the way was that although Hurricane Wilma's eye crossed over the ICW at Jupiter Inlet, the more destruction we've seen the farther south we've traveled. Lake Worth itself has more than a few sunk or beached boats along its banks. Huge oak trees were seen toppled in more than one yard. We've also heard that Wilma also went across and did quite a number on the Abacos (the upper Bahamas).

We'll probably stay a couple of days here as the weather/sea state just isn't cooperating. Although the days are pretty, the wind against the Gulf Stream current is really kicking up. When we see a trend towards a break in the weather, we'll hoist anchor and motor on down to Ft. Lauderdale for a quick exit and fairly short hop across.

Hobe Sound, FL
27.05.350N
80.08.259W

We've enjoyed our visit with Bob & Caron for the past couple of days. We've picked their brains on where to go, what to see and where to stay in the Exumas (as they spent a few years exploring the Bahama Islands), enjoyed some Painkillers, helped them move furniture while they chauffeured us "just down the road" to either Stuart or downtown Hobe Sound to run errands but which also allowed us to witness for ourselves the destruction from Hurricane Wilma in South Florida. Still, the holidays are coming and Caron is already stressing over a houseful of relatives coming for Thanksgiving dinner, so we'll say our goodbyes and cast off tomorrow morning on the tide so that she can devote her undivided attention to family, as it should be.

The weather still hasn't opened up for us with the forecast predicting 6-8-10' waves in the Gulf Stream but we'll start down the ICW to Lake Worth for a couple of days and then on to Ft. Lauderdale until things clear up. Not to worry; we've never taken chances before and have no intention of starting now. So once again, we're off! From this point on though, everything is new.

Hobe Sound, FL
27.05.350N
80.08.259W

Finally! We're in Hobe Sound tucked snugly behind Bob & Caron's beautiful home rafted next to Toucan Dream, our sistership.

The part Dale had been waiting for in Ft. Pierce finally arrived and we made preparations to leave Friday morning. We left at 9am and slowly motored down the ICW to Hobe Sound arriving about 1:30pm (bumping ground only once when we tried to pull off the road at Pecks Lake - which goes from from 30' to 2' in as many feet.) Since Caron had told us that we needed a high tide to enter their canal, we kept going down past their canal to the next bridge, slowly returning against the current and entered their canal about 2:40pm to the welcoming committee from Done Reach (their unofficial name for their back yard.) It was great to see them again.

Their house has finally completed the construction phase and they are now busy furnishing it in a South Florida/Key West motif; aguas, blues and bright pastels. What they can't find, they make! Bob is currently finishing their dining room table made from 100 year old heart of pine timber recovered from an old turn of the century sharecropper house; it's beautiful already, so I can imagine what it will look like completed.

We enjoyed a hearty meal of catfish and shrimp reminiscing about days past and plans for future endeavors. We hope to sit down with them tomorrow with charts in hand and hone in on the specifics of where to go and what to see in the Exumas.

Ft. Pierce, FL
27.28.139N
80.19.509W

Is nothing ever easy? We've spent the last couple of days tracking down pieces and parts to both the windless and alternator. Thank heavens Dale had searched the items down in a couple of ways; both plan B's had been implemented by the time we were informed that our original arrangements were not going to be fruitful. The shortened version is that both parts had to be ordered and mailed to us.

We've spent the reminder of the time just doing regular stuff like walking to West Marine everyday, laundry, sprucing up the brightwork, reading (The Five People You Meet in Heaven is definately the two tissue type), paying bills, fueling up (the entrance to Harbortown showed 12-14' all the way in for those of us who had to wait for high tide last year) and calling Bob & Caron to tell them that we can't make it today; maybe tomorrow.

At this point, we know that our weather window is closing at the end of the week and we'll be forced to find a safe harbor until another opens. The canal behind Bob & Caron's should do nicely for a day or two; we don't want to wear out our welcome. Then on to Ft. Lauderdale and Miami!

Ft. Pierce, FL
27.28.139N
80.19.509W

Today was spent running errands. Scott and Heather from Scott Free had been loaned a car from some of their friends in the area and offered to let me tag along as they did their errands. I was able to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables and some items at West Marine. When we returned, we shared a nice lunch at the restaurant and learned from Dale that the mechanic believed we needed a larger pully on our alternator. Dale had also torn the windless apart and felt that we needed a spacer to push the gears a little closer together. From my ride around town, I knew that we were within walking distance of the West Marine and could shop for the needed parts fairly quickly. We'll take a little walk tomorrow.

Right now we are enjoying a beautiful sunset in which the clouds divide the sky into layers of color. Below the clouds, the sky is a true blue; above the clouds, the sky is lavender. Dale just called me to join him in the cockpit saying that the evening's entertainment had started. Which means that the anchorage is starting to fill up with other boats . . . and anchoring, of course, is a spectator sport.

Ft. Pierce, FL
27.28.139N
80.19.509W

Friday night we took the dingy in to join Fred & Geri and Gerry & Nicki for dinner at the A1A Alehouse in St. Augustine. I suppose you could say we couldn't quite let go to our long time friends with whom we had always shared our sailing adventures. After a healthy meal and too many desserts, they walked us back to our dingy and shoved us off.

Saturday, 11/06/2005, was a beautiful day. We rose early to secure our home for travel in the ocean and hoisted anchor at 10 am with our new friends, Heather and Scott on the s/v Scott Free. Most of Saturday was about as bland as you can get with regard to wave action. In fact at one point. Dale and I were describing the ocean as having an oil-like sheen appearance to it as it was so calm. (Geri, you would have bored to tears.) (Kenny, you would have gone nuts trying to capture the reflective colors. It reminded me of one of the Terminator movies where the one robot is made of a liquid metal. Blues, greys, whites undulating together - absolutely amazing.) Cats' paws could been seen coming for miles.

That was until we came closer to Cape Canaveral. Then, of course, it started rolling. Not violently or anything. Just enough to stir up the tanks and clog a fuel filter. I guess it had to happen sooner or later. However, the rolling action lasted all night and into Sunday. During the night we had some rain and danced with only one other vessel, a tug heading northeast while we were heading south. Thank heavens Heather on s/v Scott Free has more radar experience than I and was a good source of information when I didn't want to wake Dale during the night.

Sunday was calm but an eastern swell kept us rolling throughout the day. We had 5-10kts of a North wind dead astern and the wave action was still less than 3 feet. (Gerry, I know you would have urged us to use the spinnaker but remember, we were in the ocean and we had the dink up on the bow. If we'd known that it was going to last the entire day, it might have been worth the effort to pull it out. Then again, hind sight is always 20-20 so we motored the entire way.)
We arrived in Ft. Pierce around 2:30 pm and anchored outside of Harbortown Marina. They still have not dredged the entry and now the slips are silted in to the point where we cannot get our 5 1/2 ft draft inside to the marina itself.

We were able to contact Bob & Caron and plan on visiting with them after Dale has a mechanic look at the alternator. He's not comfortable with the the fan belt issue; it works beautifully at 2000 rmp but starts to heat at 2500 or if we try to run the refrigerator at the same time. He also want to tear apart the windless to see if there are any worn gears as it has started to slip periodically.

Right now, we figure we'll be in the Ft. Pierce area for a few days as the weather window appears to be closing at the end of the week. My telephone shuts down tomorrow but Dale's will still be active until we actually leave the country.