Voyages of Fortnight

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Last Days in Paradise

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During the next 2 weeks we leisurely headed west--gradually making our way towards the Gulf Stream and a crossing back to the states. And it was good to be able to revisit some of our favourite anchorages along the way. After leaving Hopetown, we headed back to Matt Lowes Cay for a last chance to enjoy the incredible water and views and the next day sailed away to the Fishers Bay anchorage at Great Iguana. We arrived here on a Sunday, just in time for the weekly “pig roast” at “Nippers.” After gorging ourselves at the buffet I went for a stroll down the beach looking for a suitable place to LEAVE some shells (for a change) that I had discovered (while on the boat) still had living sea creatures inside. Sometimes I’ll gather up shells that seem uninhabited but once back onboard, discover that they are still home to small hermit crabs, “snails” and tiny lobsters. Unlike some collectors, I refuse to take a shell--no matter how rare or beautiful--that is being used by one of the sea creatures who NEED it for survival. But It’s important to return these shells not just to the beach, but to the SAME habitat from which they were taken. I find it very satisfying to search for and actually find such places and enjoy placing such a shell in amongst its “fellows.”

After our buffet lunch at “Nippers” and my successful re-settlement of the shells, we made our way down to the harbour for an ice cream at “Pirates Cove.” As we approached we were surprised to see a group of familiar faces and voices calling us over to join them. It was a group of 8 friends from the RMHYC--among them our boat buddies Tally Ho and Diva--who had come over from Boat Harbour for the day. It was a wonderful unexpected surprise and we had a good visit before we all headed back to our various boats.

The next day we revisited “Shell Island” which once again lived up to it’s name. I gathered a final jar of “American Augers” (making SURE they were uninhabited this time) which I use for “arms” on the little shell dolls I’ve been making this season. This Cay was also the designated rendezvous point for meeting up with Tally Ho who were going join us on our journey back to the USA. They arrived right on schedule shortly after lunch and together on April 18th, we rounded the “Whale Passage” together--out into the Atlantic and back--and westward to Manjack Cay. In no great hurry to get back to Canada, which was experiencing a cold, wet, dreary “spring”, we were planning to stay in this part of the Bahamas just a little bit longer and look for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream at the end of the month. But Tally Ho was eager to get back--with places to go to and things to do in Florida--and so, when a window opened while we were at Manjack, they decided to push on alone. We spent a final day together at another favourite place--Powell Cay--and then said good-bye. We were very sorry to see them go. We had some really good times together and they are wonderful friends. But we promised to keep in touch with email, perhaps visit over the summer, and look for each other on the way to the Bahamas again next year. Que sera!

After saying farewell to Tally Ho we headed back to Bluff House on Green Turtle Cay which we had decided to use as our “base” until the end of the month. Once there it was not long before we found ourselves amongst new friends who had the same “time-line” that we had and with whom we spend a wonderful last week. “Bluff House” was offering a “special” that we all decided to take advantage of--free “dining” at their restaurant while paying for dockage at one of their slips. We met friends for dinners/lunches and drinks, during this time. Spent afternoons together playing marathon rounds of “Mexican Train Dominoes,” and evenings visiting aboard each others boats and sharing experiences we had enjoyed this winter in the Abacos and beyond. On Sat. April 29th we all got up early for a “wedding breakfast” in the Bluff House lounge where we watched the royal wedding of William and Kate over food and drink. This was also a fitting celebration for our last day at Green Turtle Cay because the next day we headed off with a new boat buddy--”Sea Hawk”--two Canadians from Kingston, towards Westend where we hoped to catch an opening weather window to the states.

We spent two days getting to Westend. We spent the Ist night anchored off Manjack (in a thunderstorm) and the next in the lovely safe anchorage at Great Sale Cay, along with more than 30 other boats also waiting to cross over. On the 3rd day we had the most wonderful actual “sail” of our lives on our way to Westend. There was no need to turn on the motor and we had 25knots of wind and 7 knots of boat speed on a beam reach most of the way! Really exhilarating!! Not only was this last day in the Bahamas the best sailing day ever, but when we arrived at Westend, we discovered that it was (for us) the best Bahamian stopover ever! The marina was small and exquisite. The site was beautifully landscaped around immaculate architecturally designed villa/condos. There was a gorgeous pool, surrounded with bougainvilla and palmtrees, which also featured a waterfall and two restaurants--one beachside and the other more formal. The turquoise water was warm and shallow. There were shells and comfortable loungers on the beach and the entire “feel” of the place was like that of a resort. And so we decided to spoil ourselves and stay an extra day.

Early on the morning of Monday, May 2nd we FINALLY left this island paradise and crossed the gulf stream. Our buddy boat “Sea Hawk” accompanied us all the way, along with 6 other boats we made both visual and audio contact with throughout the day. We left Westend at 7:00 am and arrived at West Palm Beach 5:00 pm. It was a rolly ride over with 3-4 foot waves quartering on the stern, but a safe and sunny passage. The next morning we dinghied into “customs,” received a new cruising permit and then headed up the ICW with “Sea Hawk” to Hobe Sound where we anchored out for the evening. The next day we were in Vero Beach. Then it was on to Cocoa Beach and our final destination of Titusville where the boat was hauled for summer storage.

Today is Tuesday June 7th, and since we left Florida we have spent a week with our daughter and grandchildren in Michigan, opened our swimming pool at home on Weekswood Farm, cut the grass at least half a dozen times! put the gardens into shape, cleaned house, cleaned barn, and scheduled a few needed repairs with contractors for the house and grounds. We have visited Vince’s 100 year old father many times, my mother in her retirement home several times, and enjoyed numerous breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with friends. We have also been to the doctor for our annual check-ups and have had ultra sounds on both Vinces foot and my shoulder which we had injured back in January and February of this year. Neither have healed. And now we know why: I have a torn rotator-cuff and Vince has a torn Achilles tendon. Both of these injuries may require surgeries. We are scheduled to see specialists later this month. But although uncomfortable, neither of us is in actual pain. And we can still get around doing all the things we like to do. The summer looks good. The house and grounds are in shape and we’re looking forward to the next few months enjoying life here in Canada just as much as we will be looking forward to leaving again come fall for the Bahamas.

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April in the Abacos - week 2

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Vince had repaired the refrigeration pump and all systems once again were “tickety-boo” we headed north to the sheltered anchorage just off Matt Lowes Cay where we planned to wait for the next high tide that would allow us to enter the harbour at Once Hopetown. The anchorage at Matt Lowes has excellent holding in all directions except west and north. It is extremely picturesque with small islets dotting its eastern edge and is an excellent place for swimming off the boat. Water here is a stunning shade of turquoise with a consistent 7-8’ depth over sand. Cruisers here find themselves in a lovely secluded anchorage with easy access to Marsh Harbour, Hopetown, Man O War Cay and Boat Harbour about an hours sail away. The only real disadvantage of this place is that one can’t go ashore. Matt Lowes Cay itself is a private island. Its beaches are absolutely gorgeous and although it has always seemed unoccupied when we have been here we have seen caretakers patrolling the grounds in electric carts. Tantalizing though it was, we were unwilling to risk humiliation at being caught trespassing and so remained aboard. Maybe next time here we’ll live dangerously and take that chance.

Just after noon on April 12th we raised our anchor and set sail for Hopetown, planning to ease our way into the harbour on a rising tide. Our boat Fortnight draws 6’ and the water at Hopetowns entrance is only 5’ at MLW and so we DO have to time this well. And we did--manoeuvring past the dozens of boats tied up to mooring balls and easing into our sip at Hopetown Marina where we spent the next 4 days.

HOPETOWN

Everyone we’ve ever met who’s been to the Abacos raves about Hopetown. And so we decided to leave the best for last and spend a month here before heading home. But it was not at all what we had expected and for us at least, 4 days was more than enough time to spend here.

Hopetown is touted as the quintessential Bahamian village. Its small circular harbour is dotted with colourful sailboats tied up to mooring balls. The quaint village itself embraces the eastern edge of the harbour in a semi-circle which slopes up to a small rise and then down the other side to the Atlantic. And so there is water on both sides--placid and murky within the crowded harbour--crashing and clear in the ocean. Pretty pastel cottages in shades of pink, blue, yellow, green and mauve spill down the hillside to the harbours edge. Each is distinct. There are “shuttered” cottages, some festooned with “gingerbread‘ and others sporting wide shady verandahs. The narrow “streets”--pedestrian traffic only--are edged with stone walls and white picket fences. And gardens overflow with colourful bougainvillea. But all of these pretty places are clustered together and most sport “Hopetown Hideways” rental signs. None of it seems REAL--not an actual Bahamian village--but a place occupied primarily by tourists and people with 2nd homes. There is a distinct feeling here that everything in this place is up “for sale.” But with the recession, nothing is selling.

While here we saw signs everywhere directing us to an “Art Show open house.” We went. The cottage itself was empty with a few amateur paintings covering the walls. Upon arrival we were greeted by a real estate agent and it was only then we realized we had been “taken in” by clever marketing. The small airless 2 bedroom cottage was surrounded by others--no privacy or views of anything other than the neighbours--and priced at $425,000! There were no takers. I felt very sorry for the young homeowners--speculators from Nova Scotia who already had 2 other homes and who seemed to be absolutely desperate to get rid of this property. Not at that price. Personally Vince and I couldn’t imagine living in Hopetown for any length of time but apparently there are many who can. We had dinner one evening with a couple from Texas who religiously return

here year after year. Go figure.

There WERE in actual fact several things about Hopetown that we did really like. Top of the list was the Hopetown Harbour Lodge. This venerable old place was gorgeous and spanned both sides of the street--sea to sea so to speak. The main lodge on the harbour side had a wonderful courtyard with comfortable wicker furniture, masses of flowers, a gurgling fountain and great views. Directly across the street from the Lodge itself, stone steps sheltered by flowering arbours led down to a beachfront bar/cafe. There was a pool with loungers and a collection of pretty villas which were also part of the complex. We found this to be a great place to have lunch and while away the afternoon or morning walking the beach, snorkelling, or just relaxing with a book in the shade of a tree or trellis. The food was good and reasonably priced. And every Wednesday they show a movie--outdoors, projected onto a large moveable screen.

Captain Jacks is also a great place. This crowded harbourside restaurant is a favourite meeting place for cruisers. The food is excellent and inexpensive. And almost every evening “something” is scheduled. We enjoyed going there for “Trivia” and had a great time meeting a few of the other cruisers and pitting our brains against them. We ended up winning a couple of free drink tickets and, if we were to return to Hopetown in future, would definitely do this again. There is a trendy coffee house with internet which is always packed, an ice cream shop and a few boutiques. There ARE things to do here but noisy, unsightly construction projects were underway while we were here and the feeling of crowds was just a bit too much for our liking. A marina with swimming pool is in the process of being built but it’s not there now. When it IS completed--that will make all the difference. At the present time however, cruisers who visit Hopetown must be tied up to a mooring ball. This means that you can’t get on and off the boat at will unless you use your dinghy. And all “toileting” takes place aboard the boat. If you wish to take a real shower, this necessitates a dinghy ride to a very grungy shoreside facility at $4. a pop. It is for these reasons--crowds, construction, the enclosed feelings and lack of EASY shore access--that we were not as enamoured with this place as we had been with some others. Four days later, when we had the opportunity to sail on out with a high tide and return once again to the wide blue yonder we were happy to do so.

ELBOW CAY

The Village of Hopetown is located on Elbow Cay. But it was the anchorages within reach of this island that we enjoyed being at more than staying on a mooring ball in Hopetown Harbout itself. And these anchorages were definitely among our favourites.

Elbow Cay is 6 miles in length. It’s possible to rent a golf cart at Hopetown and explore it end to end or, as we do, anchor in various locations along its length, dinghy ashore and explore on foot, bit by bit. At its southern extremity lies pristine “Tahiti Beach.” This is an enormous expanse of sugar white sand that is exposed at low tide. At other times the crystal waters that cover it are less than 2’ in depth making it a wonderful spot for lolling about in warm water and searching for the sand dollars which can be found here. Continuing north from Tahiti Beach, our next favourite place is “Sea Spray Marina.” Unfortunately the waters here are too shallow for us to actually be able to sail in and tie up our boat for an extended stay--which we’d love to do. So we anchor out just offshore and dinghy in to enjoy this facility. The restaurant here is one of our favourites. They serve a great breakfast in elegant surroundings--or al frescoe, and everything else on the menu is equally good. The attractive restrooms have clean showers and there is a lovely swimming pool for guests.

After Vince injured his leg playing Pickle Ball and was unable to “walk,” this was one of the places we were able to enjoy together. After spoiling ourselves with a leisurely breakfast at Sea Spray, I’d leave him comfortably ensconced poolside with a good book and then head off across the road to the Atlantic side of the island to enjoy exploring the beach and collecting shells. About noon we’d return to the boat and kick back in the cockpit where we’d experience a feeling of splendid isolation surrounded by unrivaled views of sea and sand. Another day at an Elbow anchorage, we’d head off to the Abaco Inn. This lovely resort is located about a mile north of Sea Spray on a small bluff above the crashing waves of the Atlantic. A few comfortable villas with wonderful views are available for rent here and there is a great little restaurant, bar and swimming pool for guests to enjoy. Coming for a meal here defines one as a “guest” enabling cruisers to spend the better part of a day enjoying all of the facilities this resort has to offer. This was also a great place for shelling and so Vince (with his injured leg) and I both, were able to spend time here doing things we were both able and interested in doing. On Wednesdays during the winter season, the Abaco Inn offers morning cooking classes. For a small fee guests can prepare a fish meal and then eat it for lunch! We didn’t take any of these classes this year, but next year will be sure to sign up. The anchorages off Elbow Cay are also accessible to “Lubbers Quarters”--a neighbouring island with a great shelling beach, CrackerP’s restaurant and a trendy bar. And of course the village of Hopetown, located on Elbow Cay is also within dinghy range.

We were never bored anchored off this island--we could spend a day in Hopetown, walk for miles along gorgeous beaches, collect shells, swim in shallow waters, eat out at a wide variety of venues, and enjoy breathtaking scenery--all within the range of a sheltered anchorage. And it was all just an hours sail from Boat Harbour--our winter home.

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2011-04-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

April in the Bahamas- Week 1

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On Monday, April 4th--the day after the big birthday party we had hosted for Ernie--we headed back to the Bahamas. Snow had fallen during the night and despite a having just experienced a wonderful week with family and friends, we were eager to leave all of that winter nonsense behind and return once again to the warmth and sunshine of the south. Traffic to the airport was horrendous and it took us almost 3 hours to make it! Our flight into Nassau was late but we made the connections--just!--and were welcomed by many of our old friends when we arrived back in Boat Harbour. It was a good thing that we left Canada when we did. The next day strong winds and thunderstorms hit the Abacos making it impossible for planes to land here. Our friends on “Diva” were expecting family in from North Bay, but they along with all other tourists to the Abacos, found themselves stranded in Nassau for the night and forced to spend $200 plus for rooms at resorts.

While we were away, tragedy struck some of the cruisers we knew. The father of our good friend Vanessa, on “Talley Ho” unexpectedly died in England and she was forced to fly home for the funeral and Paul and Claudia aboard “Peebles Choice” had their boat destroyed on their way back to the states. They had anchored in too shallow water at Great Sale Cay and, when the tide went out, found themselves aground. The weight of their boat caused their stabilizers to break through the hull, flooding the boat with water and almost sinking it. When they called for help, the Bahamians would only assist if given “salvage rights” to the vessel--which would’ve meant handing it over to them for nothing! Instead, they called “Boat US” who arranged to have their boat pumped out by their own employees, plugged and pulled out into the international waters of the gulf stream where they intercepted it and towed it back to the states. If the boat is to be made seaworthy again,extensive repairs will be needed to be made but that is what we pay those high insurance premiums for.

We spent our first day back re-stocking our supplies and lounging around the pool. The next day we cast off and headed for a delightful anchorage at Tilloo where the water is an incredible shade of turquoise and there are miles of sandy beach. We had promised Margaret and Ben on “Diva” that when the tides and winds were right we’d join them for a dinghy trip through the Snake Cays. And on Friday April 8th, conditions were perfect! “The Snake” as it is called, is an area of waterway on the Sea of Abaco just south of Marsh Harbour made up of a labyrinth of cays and watery passages running through them. It is very shallow and easy to get lost and lose your way among the many islets and so advisable to travel with a handheld GPS unit and a buddy boat. It was a lovely way to spend a morning--very beautiful--and we enjoyed spending time with “Diva” and their guests from North Bay. We both decided to anchor in the cut just north of Tavern Cay for the night and joined them for drinks and munchies in their boat that evening. The next day “Diva” headed off for Hopetown but we decided to spend a few days right where we were since it is such a gorgeous place and located close to many of our favourite things. The first morning we went beach combing and found lots of lovely shells. We saw sea turtles, star fish and rays when we dinghied back to the boat from the beach and enjoyed a wonderful lunch at “Cracker P’s”. The next day we dinghied over to Sea Spray Marina for breakfast and more beach combing on the Atlantic side of Elbow Cay. During the afternoon we swam off the boat and made our way over to a small reef and islets where we did some snorkelling. There was not a lot to see but we did discover--to our horror--that we had dropped our anchor only a few feet from a cable line connecting electricity from one island to another! Immediately Vince wanted to move the boat to another location. But since conditions were calm, I convinced him that we were fine where we were. And then the wind picked up shifting both boat and anchor--right into the cable! And when we tried to hoist it to move on, we couldn’t. After endless “I told you so’s!!” Vince donned snorkelling gear and went into the water while I turned on the engine and manned the helm. Together we managed to free our anchor and get safely away without “incident.” But it was a close call. Vince was exhausted when he climbed back onto the boat--he had run out of air just before he was able to pull the cable away and had almost “given up”. And it was some hours later before he was “back to normal”. That night we anchored in a different location, south of Tavern Cay along with 3 other boats and far away from the cables that we knew were in the vicinity.

The next day we discovered problems with our refrigeration system. Our pump had burned out and we were forced to return to Marsh Harbour to find a new one. We anchored Fortnight just off the Boat Harbour Marina and dinghied in tying up beside Talley Ho in their slip. Andrew lent us his bicycle and Vince pedalled into town where he found the parts he needed to repair the fridge. When we first arrived here we were surprised to find a photo shoot in progress. The men’s magazine “Tease ‘Um” had rented condos and boats here for the week and were shooting photos for their annual calendar. The 12 attractive models were scantily clad, heavily made up and very friendly--eagerly posing with anyone who wanted to take their pictures. Unfortunately we had left our camera back at the boat, but several of our friends got some memorable shots. We spent the rest of the day lunching with Andrew at “Anglers” and enjoying the pool. Then it was back to the boat and off to an anchorage at Matt Lowes Cay, were Vince successfully repaired the fridge. The next morning we pulled up the anchor and headed off to Hopetown where we planned to spend the next week.

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ERNIE WEEKS 100th BIRTHDAY

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They say that you can judge a mans character by the friends he keeps. If this is in fact true, then Vince’s father is--to say the least--a most outstanding individual. At a time in life when most people lucky enough still to be alive find themselves wasting away in an old age facility--forgotten by the world at large, Ernie Weeks is a true phenomenon! And during one incredible week of celebrations, everyone who has been privileged to know him turned out in recognition of that fact.

Ernie’s actual 100th birthday was April 5th, 2011. But festivities scheduled in his honour began well before this date. The Flamborough Chamber of Commerce kicked of his celebrations with the presentation of a special plaque honouring his years of service with that organization. Then it was off to the War Plane Heritage Associations annual meeting where its 150 members recognized his work there as a docent with a party, cakes, and huge matted photograph of Ernie embellished with the autographs of dozens of association friends.

On Sunday April 3rd, Vince and I hosted a special gathering for family and over 130 special friends. Previously we had asked Ernie to think back over his life and tell us the names of people who in some way had shared a memorable relationship with him. And that’s how we came up with the guest list. Friends at the party included people from all walks of his life--neighbours, curling partners, Rotarians, church friends, travelling companions, business associates, fellow pilots--you name it, they were there. And virtually EVERYONE who received an invitation actually CAME--such was the high esteem with which they held their friendship with him. Zarky’s did a wonderful job catering this affair and there was plenty of punch, cake, coffee, and hors d’oeuvres for everyone. The venue was decorated with colourful bouquets of flowers at every table and stands of helium filled balloons. The highlight of the event was a “Tribute” to Ernie delivered by Vince and a slide show set to “big band music” of the 40’s highlighting all the major events in his 100 years of life.

The next evening, the Waterdown Rotary Club held a celebration in his honour. This was followed by another birthday event on April 5th at “Weeks of Waterdown”--the store which still bears the family name after almost a century of existence. Cameras and a “host” from CHCH TV showed up for this event which was highlighted by a “fly-past” of a Harvard from the Warplane Museum.

The biggest party of all however was the last. A full page “ad” was taken out in Waterdowns weekly newspaper, “The Flamborough Review” inviting the ENTIRE community out to a celebration of his life sponsored by a combination of Rotarians, Chamber of Commerce, Weeks of Waterdown and Knights of Columbus! Ernie was “piped into” his party by his old friend Peter Vance in full highland regalia of bagpipes and kilt. There were speeches, letters of congratulation from the mayor, premier, prime minister and even Queen Elizabeth herself, amid throngs of friends and well-wishers. Reporters from two regional papers conducted interviews and articles about Ernie appeared in local newspapers.

It was impossible to hope for more. And Ernie will surely remember this week for many years to come. At 100 years of age Vince’s father still drives a car, lives in his own home, takes frequent trips abroad, acts as a docent, gives talks, entertains, plays a mean hand of bridge, and has the vitality and zest for life usually reserved for men a generation younger. The “Tribute to My Father” which Vince and I wrote together is reprinted below.

TRIBUTE

My father, Ernie Weeks, was born on April 5th, 1911 in the little Acadian village of Bouctouche, New Brunswick, where HIS father George ran a grist mill for none other than the K.C. Irving family--who were not famous then but just family friends. Because Bouctouche was a French settlement, dad grew up completely bilingual--a fact that few people know.

In 1917 his grandpa moved the family to Beechville On. where he bought and ran a mill. Although only a small boy at the time, dad well remembers Armistice Day 1918 when all of Beechville assembled on their lawn to celebrate the end of the Great War. And when their old friend K.C. Irving, who had served during the War in the Canadian Air Corps, invited the Weeks family to Toronto to see an Air Corps plane, my father knew there and then that he would someday learn to fly.

The Weeks family moved to Waterdown in 1924 when my grandfather George bought the old stone store at the corner of Mill St. and Hwy. 5. Dad was 13. As a teenager at Waterdown High School he won the first “Athlete of the Year” award ever handed out by that school. He won it for track and field. He ran the 100 yard, 220, 440 and half mile. He also did high jump, pole vault, broad jump and played on the school rugby team. Many years later an athletic scholarship bearing the “Weeks” name was established at Waterdown High and every year, to this very day, my father presents it to the Athlete of the Year during Waterdown’s graduation ceremonies.

After his own graduation from the first class of the new Waterdown High School, dad enrolled at the University of Toronto in chemical engineering but then moved sideways into philosophy and from there, sideways again to study theology at St. Peters Seminary in London On. While still a seminary student he visited the Hamilton Flying Club during the summer and shifted sideways once again from the seminary into aviation. He was fated to fly.

After purchasing a De Havilland built 3 place Tiger Puss Moth along with two friends, he became a barnstormer, taking people for rides in his airplane at fairs and other festive occasions. He later operated a flying school in Sudbury, instructed at the Hamilton Aero Club and spent 2 years as a civilian instructor for the Canadian Air Force.

Then, in 1943, he was called to Ottawa for a secret meeting. The federal government was worried about the Russians and wanted more information about the arctic. There were no reliable maps of the area with large tracts of the Canadian north still needing to be explored and charted. Aviators were sought who had previous experience as bush pilots with float experience. And my father was chosen. Planning was done with great secrecy. During training, team members had no idea of their ultimate destination. Mail was sent to New York City and then secretly transferred to Goose Bay. Such was the distrust of future Russian intentions that every effort was made to keep the project secret. The 1943 team included 31 airmen and civilians. After being dropped off at remote sites, stone cairns were built with bronze markers. These would later be used as permanent fixes for future aerial photography. The photographs were sent to Ottawa and used to draw the maps.

Dads job, as it was for the other 2 Norsemen pilots, was to find the remote sites, and leave 2 surveyors and their supplies. When they had finished building the stone and brass cairn, he would return and pick up the 2 men and either take them on to the next site or back to base. During his 3 years in the Arctic, my father spent a lot of time living with the Inuit who were willing to share whatever they had with these strangers from the south. Once when the airmen were preparing their own dinner--which involved a large onion--the curious Inuit insisted on taking a bite. The cook let them. They did and then fell to the ground laughing and saying they couldn’t understand why anyone would want to eat something as over-powering as an onion.

Dad married my mother Pauline during the war and, when he returned home, he and his brother Irving took over the store so that grandpa could retire. More buildings were purchased and incorporated into the original establishment and over the years Weeks of Waterdown grew from a small general store into an unique hardware business. But dads store was unique in another way too. Because the man who ran it was unique. My father Ernie REALLY cares about people and has spent his entire life in the service of others. And in that capacity he has made a real difference in the lives of many people in Waterdown and in the community at large.

His earliest role model was HIS father George who, during the Great Depression kept many families down on their luck from going under. A special “credit system” was established at the store during those hard years where families with no money could trade eggs, butter or whatever they had to barter for badly needed merchandise. And for those who couldn’t repay their account at all, he just let the account drop, telling his family “We can’t see people starve.” When dad took over the store that same philosophy of “giving to others” continued. As a child, many a time I can remember townspeople with emergency problems calling in desperation at all hours of the day and night for help. And dad would always stop whatever he was doing, leaving mom and I at home, to meet people at the store, open it up for them, and help to solve their problems with both parts and suggestions. A contractor would want some tinsmithing done, builders wanted glass cut for windows or plumbers might need some pipefitting. These people depended on my father to help them and if it meant having to go in at night to get those jobs done for them, that’s what he did. In the summer there were electricians and carpenters with emergencies on the job and every winter farmers with frozen pipes needing plumbing parts and pumps to service their livestock. These emergencies always seemed to occur just when we were sitting down for a meal, about to go out to a social event and often in the middle of the night. But for dad it was all just a part of life. And he was always ready and willing to give a hand to anyone who needed it. For this reason, I believe, he is so beloved by the people of Waterdown.

But dads kindness, caring and generosity extended far beyond the door of his store. During the 1950’s he was responsible for the organization, purchasing and setting off of Waterdowns Victoria Day Weekend fireworks display for the community at Memorial Park. He is a founding member of the Waterdown Rotary Club and was instrumental in the building and caretaking of Rotary Gardens--the senior citizen residence on John Street just across the road from our own house. And for more than 50 years he has worked on hundreds of fundraising events for that organization and is still involved every year as an participant at Halloween in the Rotary Haunted House. He also finds time in his busy schedule to work as a tour guide at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum where he helps educate children about the air force.

Dad has been honoured internationally with several awards from Rotary including being named as a Paul Harris Fellow for his outstanding work in the community. And the Flamborough Chamber of Commerce has also presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2006 my father was recognized nationally for his lifetime of achievement when he received the Ontario senior achievement Award for being an outstanding role model with his indomitable spirit and passion for volunteer work. These awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding seniors who have made significant contributions to their communities. Dad received his from the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario at Queens Park Parliament buildings in Toronto.

My fathers only foray into politics, on the hydro-electric commission, garnered him more votes than anybody else in the municipal election. He has never run for mayor. But if he had, I’m sure that he would’ve won hands down--loved, respected and trusted as he is by everyone who has ever been privileged to know him. Happy 100th birthday dad---and may you have 100 more!

And now I would like to invite the oldest member of the Weeks family--Ernie, and the youngest, his great grand daughter Lilly--who is ALSO celebrating HER birthday today. Her 5th birthday--to come on down and blow out the candles on their cake!

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Last Days at Boat Harbour

2011-03-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

Despite Vinces leg/foot injury, we have found ways to get around this inconvenience and it has not prevented us from having a good time with our friends here at Boat Harbour. Some of the activities that we really like to do are definitely out--walking and sailing included. But the boat DOES have a motor and we WERE able to leave the marina for several days and anchor out off beautiful Elbow Cay.

Water levels off most of this island are too shallow for our draft but there is a trough of deeper water running along much of the western length of the cay which we were able to access on a rising tide. When the water was 1’ above MLW we made our approach and gingerly inched across the shallow banks. At one point our depth sounder was recording only 8” of water under the keel and we held our breath. We didn’t get grounded but knew that if we had, there was still 1.5’ of tide to come in which would lift the boat up and off the bottom--and lots of help nearby--so it wasn’t the big concern it would’ve been if this had happened to us in the Exumas. We anchored in a pretty sheltered spot midway between Hopetown and Sea Spray Marina--an easy dinghy ride to both and very close to the Abaco Inn with its magnificent setting and good shelling beach. We chose this area because of its “comfortable facilities” for Vince--who is virtually immobile--and for its wonderful walking and shelling beach for me--who is not. The next morning, once Vince was comfortably ensconced with his book in a lounge chair at the beach, I set off to explore and gather, promising to “be careful” and to return before noon. We had arranged to meet up with two other couples from the boats “Diva” and “Fancy Bread” for lunch at the Inn and when I finally returned--hot and hungry with my “shelly treasures” from the beach--everyone had arrived and Vince had lots of company. We chose a table in a sheltered, shady spot on the balcony overlooking the pounding Atlantic surf and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon with good food, good friends and good conversation.

The next morning was more of the same. By 8:00am we were skimming along the water in our dinghy, heading for the restaurant at Sea Spray Marina where we had arranged to meet Margaret and Ben from “Diva” for breakfast. This establishment also had a big screen TV on site and we were able to watch the latest developments from Japan (earthquake, sunami, nuclear disaster) while waiting for our friends to arrive. When out on a boat, communications can be sketchy, so we were happy to have access to western media at this time and in this way. We toyed with our breakfasts for more than an hour and then Margaret and I set off to look for new treasures on the beach brought in by the previous nights tide. Ben, having no real interest in either shelling or an early morning walk, opted to stay with Vince. We left them comfortably stretched out in padded loungers by the pool. That afternoon both Diva and Fancy Bread headed back to Boat Harbour but we enjoyed yet another day at anchor before going back to our slip.

As the month of March comes to an end, most of the boats here are making plans to leave--either south to the Exumas, to other ports of call within the Abacos or “home” to North America. After having been “spoiled” by a wonderful winter here at Boat Harbour, everyone is reluctant to leave. But the slip rates rise substantially beginning April 1st and if we hope to be able to afford to return again next year, most of us have to vacate before they come into effect. Accordingly there has been an absolute flurry of activity in this place with event after event, party after party--the last “kick at the can” so to speak. On March 17th a St. Patricks Day extravaganza was held here with over 160 club members dining on corned beef & cabbage, key LIME pie, and an open bar all night long. There were games, prizes and dancing to the oldies with everyone dressed in anything and everything green. Another HUGE party took place a few days later at the Jib Room with a steak dinner, “rake & scrape” music, limbo etc. with yet another gathering--Chinese this time--at the Anglers Inn here tonight. There was a surprisingly good Art and Craft Show here last week consisting of pieces created exclusively by members of the club. Those who have been coming here for years bring various arts and crafts supplies with them when they return each season and meet together at least once a week to teach each other how to do various crafts. There were some really beautiful woven baskets, pieces of jewellry, sculpture and lots of paintings. My contribution was shell art which I’ve been working on over the past few months and it was encouraging to have so many people come over to my display and ask if they could take pictures of some of my pieces and if I would mind explaining how they were created.

As people begin to leave, there are special farewells. We were invited aboard “Odyssey” for coffee and dessert the night before they left with promises to get together over the summer. And “Tally Ho” will join us for dinner and cards aboard “Fortnight” tomorrow in anticipation of our departure. I’ve been madly getting in as many games of Mahjong as I can this week knowing that I may not find anyone else to play that game with again until we return next year. And luckily, even with his “bum leg” Vince can still accurately throw Bocci Balls. Its hard to get our heads around the fact that we’ll actually be returning home in just a few days to see everyone once again and celebrate Ernies 100th birthday. We DO look forward to that. But its good to know that we have “return” airline tickets and still almost two MORE months left to enjoy the sunny south after we leave Canada again in April!

The Walking Wounded

2011-03-11T04:17:00.000-08:00

Vince is presently in pretty bad shape and it looks like we’re going to be confined to staying on the boat here for the next few weeks. No more forays off to explore outlying islands and beaches. No more actual sailing or dinghying anywhere. Que sera!

Three days ago, he decided to try his hand at pickle-ball--a game similar to tennis but using a hollow plastic ball full of holes which slows things down considerably. The last time Vince was on a court was about 15 years ago when he was actively playing squash. With that game he was used to sacrificing his body in order to make a “save.” While playing squash he’d think nothing of launching himself off the ground at a forty-five degree angle (in order to hit the ball) and landing full body out onto his side. Fifteen years ago he’d simply spring back up again and carry on. But that was then--this is now. And in his 65th year, with an aging body unused to such moves, something bad was bound to happen. And it did. As he strained to get into position to wack the ball, something “popped” in his right calf and he went down for the count. When he tried to get back up he found he couldn’t. All of his toes and the top of his foot were like jelly. And every time he’d tried to put weight on that area, he’d loose his balance and topple over--winded, wheezy and weak. At one point he actually thought he was going to pass out. One of our fellow RMHYC members here is a doctor. After looking at Vince and talking about his symptoms, he told us that if he kept off the foot and kept it elevated that it should be completely back to normal within 4-6 weeks. The torn muscle which controls the toes just needs “time” to heal. His leg and foot are swollen but there is absolutely no pain--which is a blessing. He WILL gradually regain the actual use of his toes for balance over the next few weeks but it will take considerably longer to be COMPLETELY better.

And of course sailing is out of the question. In the best of times it’s hard to maintain balance on a sail boat. Even with every body part in top physical condition, its tricky staying upright while standing on deck, and dealing with sails in a choppy sea. Even going out in the dinghy is impossible right now as “getting back into it” and maintaining balance while standing thigh deep in water with waves is a challenge even in the best of conditions. So here we sit. And Vince is not the only one suffering with an incapacity at this time. Me too.

You may remember the blog I wrote almost two months ago describing my “inelegant” plunge into the water off our boat as I was attempting to get into the dinghy. What I neglected to relate at that time was that during my fall--in a desperate attempt to try to keep the inevitable from happening--I managed to hook my arm over a line stretched taut across the side of the sailboat. This did not have the desired effect of stopping my fall. Instead it simply prolonged it and, in the process of having the weight of all 200 plus lbs of me hanging by only an arm hooked over a rope, did considerable damage to my “rotator cuff.” (so the doctor says). This too can only be healed over time. And last week, just when it was FINALLY starting to feel normal again, I tripped on a board, went sprawling onto the dock and my arm is now back to square one. Actually it’s now even WORSE than it was before. Then I could at least move it. Now it hangs like a heavy hurting weight at my side. To move it I had to use the other arm to lift it up. But that extreme condition was my situation a week ago. MY injury at least is healing fast and presently I find I can in fact move my arm into any position--but with considerable pain. So there are some things I still avoid trying to do.

So between the two of us, we’re out of commission for many things right now. Thank goodness we’re safely tied up in comfortable surroundings with lots of friends if we need help, advice or company. And we wake every morning knowing that THIS day we’ll be better than the day before. (but only if we avoid future sprawls!)

To "Sail" or Not to "Sail"--That is the question

2011-03-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I read a recent blog entry written by a friend and fellow sailor which really STUNG! (and I quote:)

“Yesterday we escaped the Senior Citizen Internment Centre known as Marsh Harbour...an assisted living centre for delusional sailors. Here reside the “retireds,” people who bring their boats here year after year, take the same slip beside the same other boats year after year. And they never leave other than to return home come summer to “sail” the 10 miles it is to Hopetown or Treasure Cay for a day at another marina...[with it’s] Florida quality grocery store and the Florida quality hardware store and the pretty “just like the tropics” bar etc. etc.

Whoa!! No way can I let this one pass! And so here is my rebuttal.

Having “been there--done that” to both passage making (the “bloggers” sailing preference) and an Abaconian Marina/sailing experience (MINE) allow me to make MY case for a season spent in Boat Harbour (aka Marsh Harbour). First off, the undisputed exhilaration of “passage making” must be acknowledged before moving on to a realistic comparison of the merits of each. True, there is absolutely NOTHING to equal the thrill one gets when pitting oneself against the elements. Alone on an endless sea, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of blues, both above and below is awe-inspiring. And when the wind whips up, squalls threaten, waves build in excess of 8 feet, and you begin to wonder what the hell you’re doing out there and saying “please god! let me survive!” becomes your mantra, NOTHING can compare with the sense of happiness and gratitude one feels when once again you drop the hook into a safe anchorage. It’s that same feeling “dirt dwellers” get every time they get off a roller coaster and set foot once again on terra firma. “Wasn’t that a rush?!” But at the amusement park--even though you’re scared shitless--you know it’s only a ride and that there will be a happy ending. Passage makers in foul weather have no such assurance. But leaving all that “fun stuff” behind lets take a closer look at the realities of a season of “Passage Making” versus a “Boat Harbour” existence.

The “Passage maker” awakes each morning to same old, same old--the spouse on the boat rationing out a predictable breakfast followed by endless hours spent sitting on the boat. The “Boat Harbour” sailor awakes each morning to the same old spouse and eats whatever he damn well feels like or goes out to a restaurant to eat. This is followed by endless hours of either sitting on a boat, joining the walking group for either a short or long stroll, playing “pickle ball” on the tennis court, doing water aerobics in the heated pool or joining the Yoga class.

During the day, the passage maker, sitting in the boat either “sails” amid drop-dead gorgeous scenery--water, sky, islands--or fights the elements for survival--occasionally with his spouse retching over the side of the boat. He may also fish or drop a hook off a deserted island to walk/swim in the surf and do some beach combing. More likely than not however, it’s a 6-10 hour sail alone out on an empty sea. During the day, the Boat Harbour sailor either “sails” amid drop-dead gorgeous scenery--water, sky, islands--or stays in his slip when foul weather threatens choosing instead of fighting the elements and retching to play bridge, mahjong, or bocci ball with others, or visit with friends for drinks aboard their boat--or at a “just like the tropics” bar. He may also fish or drop a hook off one of the beautiful nearby islands to walk/swim in the surf, do some beachcombing or enjoy a wonderful Bahamian lunch at one of the may “just like the tropics” restaurants. More likely than not however, it’s a 10 hour day of variation with friends--or not--whatever he feels like doing--biking, sailing, swimming, fishing, shopping, games, cooking classes, lectures--whatever!

At night the Passage Maker endures 3 hour alternating shifts of sleep and keeping watch alone on an empty and sometimes angry sea. The Boat Harbour sailor sleeps comfortably WITH his spouse tied up in a safe slip. When at anchor, the Passage Maker--if he is lucky enough to share the anchorage with another boat--dinghies over to share a drink and conversation with strangers. When at anchor the Boat Harbour sailor does the same thing. But usually he is not at anchor but safely tied up in a slip with electricity which allows him to visit to share drinks and conversation with FRIENDS long into the night.

Most evenings the Passage Making is alone on his boat with his wife and his books.

Most evenings the Boat Harbour sailor is alone on his boat with his wife and his books and his TV or at a Hawaiian Luau or Fish Fry (after the fishing tournament) or dancing to Rake and Scrape at the Bar, or playing Trivial Pursuit at the Jib Room or partying with friends he’s known for years.

When danger threatens--a broken boat or medical emergency--the Passage Maker is on his own or, if he is lucky enough to be sailing in the company of friends, relies upon them for survival--far away from help. (No mechanics, doctors, air craft within reach) When danger threatens the Boat Harbour sailor, he has dozens of other sailors--many of whom are mechanics, doctors etc. within call of his voice. Or he can take a taxi to the doctor, dentist or airport and call in an expert to look at his boat--which is safely tied up--not floundered incapacitated out in the ocean somewhere.

Last but not least are the “creature comforts.” The Passage Maker lugs water, garbage, gas, groceries and laundry to and from his dinghy and then--often a mile or more through choppy seas--back to his boat. In the case of water, this can involve MANY trips to fill his tank. Food, not always available, is rationed. As is water. And he may go for weeks before being able to properly shower off the salt and sweat which accumulates on his body. The Boat Harbour sailor knows NOTHING of these things. He is tied up at a slip with water, laundry facilities and garbage disposal dockside. Food is always available at the “Florida quality” grocery store and never rationed. He showers to his hearts content as often as he likes with plenty of hot water available in a well-appointed restroom--with real WORKING toilets. And he does not have to carry hundreds of pounds of urine and feces wherever he goes in a holding tank built into his boat and which is usually located under his bed.

But the most convincing argument for a Boat Harbour lifestyle over that of the Passage Maker comes from the very pen of the writer of the aforementioned stinging blog itself. In his own words it appears the real HIGHLIGHT of the last two weeks of HIS passage making was his discovery of “EMERALD BAY MARINA” where he waxes poetic about the utter bliss of being there. Indeed, he and his spouse actually seem reluctant to leave the comforts and safety of this place for the open sea. As at Emerald Bay, we at Boat Harbour experience that same reluctance. Enough said! I rest my case.

Linda Weeks, aboard “Fortnight”

currently tied up at “Boat Harbour”

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Fish, Fish and more Fish

2011-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

In our last blog we wrote about catching our FIRST fish in the Bahamas--a beautiful mutton snapper which provided us with two wonderful meals. But little did we know that a mere 7 days later we would’ve experienced more fish in one week that we would normally be involved with in a YEAR back home.

Upon returning to Boat Harbour from Lynyard Cay on Tuesday after our wonderful weekend “away,” we were surprised to find everyone talking about the big RMHYC Fishing Tournament scheduled for the next day. Having just arrived back to our slip after a very active few days “out and about,” we were in no mood to head off again so soon after that last adventure--electing instead to shower, do some laundry and lounge around the pool after after bridge, bocci and mahjong. Early the next morning however we were awakened by sounds of the “fleet” going out for fish. Boats were filled with groups of fisher men and women along with all the appropriate “gear” necessary to lure in the “big ones.” And promptly at 4:00pm they were all back once again with boatloads of fish. There were prizes for the biggest one, the most fish, different “types” of fish, and the weirdest catch.

The filleting of the fish began at the “fish station” as soon as the first of the yachts were tied up back in their slip and its catch off-loaded. Shortly after that the partying and eating began with the entire club invited for a BBQ “fish-tasting” event at the picnic tables set up under the palms. All we had to do was show up with drinks and a side dish to share. This was no “fish-tasting” event--but a full-out fish eating orgy! One boat had brought in more than 70 fish! Another, just over 20--and that was just TWO of the boats!

And we’re talking BIG fish here. Fish was fried, grilled, battered and sauteed. There were thick slabs of fish and small coconut covered pieces. There was “sushi” fish and sauces galore and more crackers, dips and hor d’oeuvres than you could shake a stick at. And it was all absolutely delicious! I never knew fish could taste SO good. It’s a treat Vince and I somehow missed out on over the past 60 plus years. But we’re certainly making up for it now. We went to bed full of fish that night--almost too uncomfortable to sleep due to our gluttony. But very happy. And I thought that would be the end of the “fish stories” for some time to come. Wrong!

Two days later Vince came rushing back to our boat urging me to “put the book down and get over to the fish weighing station Linda--you’re not going to believe your eyes!.

Once up and onto the dock I could see people from everywhere heading the same way.

Two young women on one of the sport fishing boats had caught a HUMONGOUS tuna!!

It took more than 2 hours to fight the fish into submission. But it was too heavy and they were two exhausted to bring it on board. Four men from a neighbouring yacht who were following the action, swam over to lend a hand. And with everyone’s help it was finally hauled onto their yacht. THIS FISH WEIGHED IN AT 672lbs.!! The Bahamians said there had never been a tuna that size caught in these waters since the 1970’s. The experienced fishermen said it would bring $10,000. at market prices. But it never went to market. After everyone took lots of pictures, the girls that brought that fish in donated it to the workers at the Abaco Resort/Restaurant and to us cruisers at Boat Harbour! And so we ended up with even MORE fish! It took several hours and some very heavy duty equipment to fillet that baby with Vince and I following the entire process in horror-struck fascination. After the major “players” and resort workers all had huge sections of tuna, we cruisers--with freezer bags and coolers in hand--lined up for our share. We received a big 3” thick slab of tuna steak which we put on ice immediately. Once again it was fish for dinner with lots leftover for a future meal. At this point we are all “fished out.” Been there, done that. Tomorrow we leave on an outing with 30 other RMHYC members aboard a yacht from Grand Bend (of all places) called “Tourelou” for the weekly pig roast at Great Guana Cay. Aside from the fun we expect to have with the other cruisers, I’m also looking forward to something other than FISH to eat for a change!

2011-02-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

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Out and About

2011-02-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

This past week was the best yet! So many good things happened. After spending the last two weeks experiencing all the civilized comforts and delights of “Boat Harbour,”we decided that “enough was enough.” We longed to get “out and about” once again. And so, just after breakfast on Sunday, February 13th, we slipped our lines, bade our neighbours goodbye and headed out of the harbour.

Sailing conditions could not have been more perfect. With 15 knots of wind on a beam reach we skimmed across the water at 5 plus knots accompanied by Vince’s favourite CD--Enya’s “Watermark.” We could’ve easily reached our destination--an anchorage just south of Tavern Cay--in less than two hours. But the sun was shining, the wind was warm and it felt so liberating to be actually “sailing” once again that we decided to prolong the pleasure and make a day of it. When we finally pulled into our anchorage off Tilloo we decided to simply stay on board, enjoying a late lunch, cold drinks and well-deserved nap.

Early the next morning, we launched our dinghy and set off for a day of exploration. The turquoise Sea of Abaco was smooth as silk and we were able to get the boat “up on a plane” and zip across the waters in no time flat. We walked across the endless sandbars on Tahiti Beach looking for shelly treasures and later crossed over to Cracker P’s and Lubbers Landing. These are two really great facilities--for dining and drinking--side by side with gorgeous views of neighbouring cays. Then it was back into the dinghy and off to Sea Spray Marina on Elbow Cay where we enjoyed a wonderful “Valentines Lunch” at their elegant little restaurant--complete with snowy white tablecloths, colourful fabric napkins, original paintings on the walls and flowers on the tables. After exploring their grounds we decided to check out the Abaco Inn--a short walk away. But as we made our way along the twisting road, a photographer and journalist in a golf cart stopped and offered us a lift. The Abaco Inn is perched on a small cliff overlooking the wild Atlantic coast. It’s situation is stunning! Huge waves crashed onto the shore below us with a wide sand crescent of beach off to one side. A lovely sheltered pool with comfortable loungers looks out onto this scene and a handful of small villas nestled under palms and surrounded by colourful foliage completes the picture. It is truly a “must do” destination for lunch or a few days respite off the boat. And we promised we’d return here again sometime soon for a memorable meal out.
Rather than return to our dinghy by road, we decided to stroll through the surf along the meandering shoreline, picking up shells along the way and enjoying the strong sea air. We went to bed early after our long interesting day and were quickly rocked to sleep by the gentle waves caressing the side of the boat.

The next morning we headed back to Boat Harbour. We arrived in time for an afternoon of Bridge and Mahjong for me and Bocci Ball for Vince. On Thursday, Vince was one of 3 key-note speakers for an interesting seminar on “Cruising to the Exumas” and Friday it was the annual “Commodore’s Ball.” This years theme was a Hawaiian Luau and everyone came decked out in clothes with a South Pacific flavour. Upon arrival we were draped with leis and offered rum punch. After schmoozing with more than 200 fellow RMHY Club members for an hour, we made our ways to tables for 8 featuring creative conch shell/sea fan centerpieces and enjoyed a wonderful meal. Afterwards there was dancing to 60’s music (what else?!) and a good time was had by all of us. But the next morning we were up and “out” once again.

This time we headed south to Lynyard Cay where we found a sheltered anchorage off a beautiful beach. Since we knew it would take all morning to reach our destination we decided to try our hand at “fishing” along the way. We had bought a special pole, line, a hook and holder in Florida and were told we could simply attach the pole to the back of the boat and drag a line to catch fish. We had tried this once before and nothing happened but we decided to try again. About 2 hours into our trip, just as we were crossing an inlet to the Atlantic, we heard the line play out and Vince reeled in a fish!! Our very FIRST fish!! We had a big plastic bucket to put it into and a half cup of rum ready to pour into its gills to knock it out. Then we covered it with fresh water and within a hour it was dead. It was a beautiful mutton snapper (according to my fish book) about 2 feet long. When we arrived at our anchorage, we spent the better part of the afternoon getting it ready for dinner. Another “first” was finally getting to use the filleting knives Dan had given us for Christmas 2 years ago. I battered the fillets in milk, flour, egg and lemon flavoured “Panko” crumbs and it was absolutely delicious!

The next morning, we jumped into the dinghy and headed off to explore the beach where I found lots of pretty shells and sea glass and so was very happy. Vince was content simply to sit back on a beach chair that was conveniently set up under a tree, drinking in the gorgeous scenery, keeping an eye on me, and getting lost in his thoughts--whatever they are. (He admits to being a secret “Walter Mitty”). When I had finished scouring the beach for shells we got back into the dinghy and headed off to Little Harbour--2 miles away. Here we toured “The Gallery” marvelling at wonderful bronze sculptures of turtles, rays, and sea birds set into driftwood and later made our way over to “Pete’s Pub” for lunch. What a great place this is. Open air “rooms” under palm trees, canvas and wood have been created in a “helter skelter” arrangement featuring a “bar,” tables, BBQ area and chairs. This “pub” is built directly onto the sand and is the main gathering point for everything that happens at Little Harbour--a curved spit of land at the end of Great Abaco. And what made the experience even better was running into our old friends Chris and Mike from “Missing Link!” We had last spent time with them many weeks ago at Treasure Cay and so had a lot of catching up to do over lunch.

When it was finally time to take the dinghy back to our boat we were concerned to see that the weather had changed. The winds had kicked up and big waves were moving in. No sooner had we left the shelter of the harbour than we knew we were in trouble. And as we made our way further and further out into the water and away from safety, conditions worsened. Steep waves battered our little vessel as we tried to move forward against them, with water pouring in at an alarming rate over the prow. Within minutes we found the dinghy swamped and ourselves wallowing in water. Not a moment too soon we turned our boat around and tried to make it “back” as the engine spluttered. It was slow going but eventually, drenched, we were able to get back to a dock and start pumping water out of the dinghy. Now we were getting worried. We could always stay with our friends aboard “Missing Link” for the night. But that would mean leaving “Fortnight” unattended. The solution to our dilemma appeared in the form of a young couple from Florida who were about to leave for Hopetown in a boat much bigger than our dinghy. Since they would be “going our way” they offered to give us a lift back to Fortnight, dragging our dinghy behind their boat. Thank god for that!! About half an hour later we were back on our sailboat--still VERY wet, a little frightened, but other than that, none the worse for wear. We were really happy to be back “home” and were soon comfortably settled into our warm dry cabin where we finished off the rest of the fish for dinner and then made our way exhausted into bed!

Today is Monday February 21st and it’s unbelievable that all that I’ve just written about has happened in only one week! This morning we left Lynyard and sailed north to the cut between Tilloo and Elbow Cays. We are anchored in a beautiful spot just off the small islets north of Tilloo and have spent a relaxing afternoon reading and writing this blog. We’ll probably head out in the dinghy very soon (more exploring) and then we’ll go back to Boat Harbour tomorrow morning. Bridge, Mahjong and Bocci await us tomorrow aftenoon and we don’t want to miss the games.

2011-02-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

Boat Harbour - Marina Life

2011-02-15T15:26:00.002-08:00

Linda is taking a break from writing the blog. She got mad at me for losing the last blog that she wrote on the computer - Go figure.

Soon after we arrived we became involved with various activities with new and old friends at Boat Harbour. We were immediately greeted by Vanessa on TALLY HO with a list of daily activities. Along with the friendly neighbours reminding us of various things to do we immersed ourselves in the life here. It started with me walking with a group around Marsh Harbour and Linda doing water aerobics in the pool in the mornings. This offers us the opportunity to meet new people every day.

I donned my SCUBA gear and went under my boat to check my zinc on the shaft and while there the boats in slips near me asked if I would check theirs. My immediate neighbour got me to replace his zinc. After that I helped LOON-A-SEA instal a starter switch. It is nice to be helpful and I love working on boats.

Most of our time is spent enjoying ourselves and not doing boat things. TAR HEEL invited us for a daysail that included swimming and shelling on a nearby beach. Between dinners out on MAGNUM OPUS and TALLY HO there was the vegetable car race. The cars must be all vegetable construction except for dowelling for an axel. Many of the cruisers here were busy constructing their cars all morning and getting ready for the two trophies that were to be awarded. The final race winner and a peoples choice both got plaques from ‘Miss Vegetable’.

There is no way we can participate in everything going on here. many of the activities are at the same time. I should say at this stage that we could do the same things at Georgetown in the Exumas last year but there we had to go everywhere in our dinghy. Here we walk down the dock. I am involved with with walking and bocci ball on a regular basis and Linda does water aerobics, jewelry making, mahjong, bridge, cooking treats and having other boats over for coffee and cake.

When we want to get out of the marina, we explore the local cays with our dinghy and will be taking our boat out for some overnights at anchor. Within Marsh Harbour there are many restaurants to visit. One memorable outing was rib night at the Jib Room. A bonus came when we happened upon Ju Novias for lunch in downtown Marsh Harbour.

There is always reading to be done. Right now it is the trilogy by Steig Larson for both of us. We have not had the time to be the least bit bored. Have to go now since our friends from last year on ALESTO are coming for a visit.

2011-02-15T15:26:00.001-08:00

Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club

2011-02-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

While travelling with “Tally Ho” this year we learned about the RMHYC of which they were members. This is a great organization comprised mainly of boaters who cruise the Abaco Islands. The initiation fee is I believe currently $150. with yearly renewable membership dues of $30. And there are great benefits for those who join--including special rates at select marinas throughout the Bahamas and USA. The club is headquartered at “Boat Harbour,” just south of Marsh Harbour, and is part of the Abaco Resort/Marina complex considered to be the most upscale in the region. Dockage fees here are normally $2.75ft for transients. But RMHYC members who sign on for “long stay” agreements before Dec.31st enjoy substantially reduced rates of: $1.20ft/31 days, or $.72ft/61days or $.65ft/90 days. There are I believe several hundred current members who enjoy great monthly parties at Boat Harbour including an elaborate Christmas Celebration and Commodores Ball in February. Since several of our own cruising friends were already members of RMHYC, this year we decided to join too. Not only does Boat Harbour enable us to experience an entirely different boating lifestyle but it also provides us with a safe, inexpensive place to leave “Fortnight” when we return to Canada in March to celebrate Ernie Weeks’ 100th birthday.

BOAT HARBOUR

We sailed into slip #420 just before noon on Sat. Jan.30th. As our boat approached the dock, not only was the dockmaster there to help us but also the skippers of neighbouring boats. And, after securing our lines, introductions were made and we were warmly welcomed by the other boaters sharing dock #4. All of these cruisers are “long stay residents” and although most hail from all corners of the USA we were surprised to find Canadians from Grand Bend, Port Elgin, Kingston, Calgary and Manitoba among the group. Virtually everyone we met had been returning to this place year after year and after a few days here we could certainly understand why. Apart from “Atlantis” in Nassau, Boat Harbour and the Abaco Beach Resort of which it is a part is the most luxurious destination we have experienced to date in the Bahamas.

This resort community is part of a gated complex with villas, condos and an upscale marina. The grounds are beautifully manicured with walkways and terraces of interlocking bricks, interspersed with gardens of luxuriant tropical foliage and colourful flowers. There are curving stone walls and lots of palm trees, a great restaurant and a heated freeform swimming pool complete with “coves,” bridges and a swim-up bar just steps from the boats. On weekends there is live music on site and during the weekdays an early morning walking group, water aerobics, yoga, bridge, mahjong, bocci ball, pickle ball, a book club, karaoke and crafts. Every evening at 5:30 cruisers enjoy a cocktail hour together and there are group outings for golf, fishing, diving, snorkelling and anything/everything new and interesting that happens in the Abacos.

We found groups of cruisers enjoying many of these same activities last year at Georgetown in the Exumas. But there, it was necessary to take a long and often wet dinghy ride to wherever the event was taking place. Here it’s only a short stroll to a comfortable locale with padded lounge chairs and drinks readily available. There it was more like a “day camp” experience, here the ambience is “country club.”

When we first arrived we thought we’d be using Boat Harbour as a safe base from which to venture out from for adventurous days and returning to as a refuge from inclement weather. But once here and settled in, we have found it very hard to leave. We are enjoying all of the interesting activities, have met lots of new friends and are really having fun--in safe, comfortable and civilized surroundings.

2011-01-29T16:33:00.000-08:00

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2011-01-29T16:24:00.001-08:00

Backtrack

2011-01-29T16:22:00.000-08:00

It was great to return to Treasure Cay. This is a hub of activity and, aside from its safety features, no matter what the weather there is always something to do. While it was overcast we put the clear plastic “sides” up around the cockpit creating a “sunroom.” Here Vince read from our huge collection of books, while I began making earrings from some of the prettier shells we had found. When the sky cleared we walked for miles along various beaches on firm white sand. At low tide the water recedes for a quarter of a mile in some places and it’s fun to stroll out along the shallow strand and see what the waves have washed up. There are few shells to be found at Treasure Cay but I did find a small pocket at the northern edge of the crescent where there were small scallops and many “Atlantic Sundials”. I’ve found that each island in the Bahamas tends to have its own different type of shells common to it--sea biscuits at ManJack, milk conchs at Powell, Ceriths & Augers at Spoil Island, Sea Urchins at Green Turtle and sundials at Treasure. Vince doesn’t always accompany me on these walks--which can last for hours, preferring instead to read--either under one of the thatched beach palapas or, if the wind is kicking up, back at the boat.

On one of our joint forays out we stumbled across an ENORMOUS thatched “great house” with smaller “treehouse cottages” connected to the main edifice by raised wooden walkways through the palms. The entire compound stretched over several acres directly on the beach but was virtually hidden away behind a low rubble wall and masses of flowering foliage. It was like something out of a south pacific movie set and I would’ve given anything to have been invited inside for a tour of the grounds. The owner could be seen tinkering away at some project when we passed and it would’ve been rude to alert him to our presence so we simply continued on our stroll along the beach drooling with envy!

Actually it’s very easy here to meet people and receive invitations. If you should pass each other anywhere--beach, roadway, shopping--and make eye contact, there is always a reciprocal smile, greeting and opportunity to make a new friend. And here at Treasure we have done just that. While walking the beach I ran into several cottage owners who invited me back to proudly show off their homes and have a visit. Many of these people have been here for decades and are now passing their cottages/condos on to the next generation. And everyone who lives here loves it. At Mariners Cove we even met a couple from Vince’s home town of Waterdown! Ian and Daryl invited us in for coffee and home made cookies and we spent the better part of the morning with them having a wonderful visit. The next day Ian arrived at our boat with the keys to various condos presently for sale here and we had a great time poking around beautifully furnished units while he did his utmost to convince us to “put in an offer.” Prices have dropped considerably with the recessionary pressures in the US forcing many Americans to sell their 2nd homes--many of which are located here. The Abacos are to Miami what Muskoka is to Toronto. This is where Floridians go for THEIR summers as the temperature here is 10 degrees cooler than Florida and the constant winds cool things down even further. Unlike the Muskokas however, prices here have never been better and we looked at several beautiful units in the $250,000 range. I was very tempted! But Vince still has that wanderlust. This would be a great place for wintering 5-10 years from now when we’re read to slow down. Hopefully prices will also be down when we’re ready to buy. Until then, we can always do what many other cruisers are doing here--take a slip at $500/month and enjoy all the amenities at Treasure Cay without the condo fees, capital outlay and future commitment. And if family and friends wish to join us, there are always units available to rent.

When we first arrived last week, we were surprised to find “Missing Link” still here and doing just that. They invited us to join them at their dock for the “party” which happens every day there at 5:00pm. When we arrived we found more than a dozen other cruisers who had also taken slips for the season, enjoying the sunset and each others company. They hail from England, Thunder Bay, Muskoka, Chicago, Montana, South Carolina and New Brunswick. The couple from the maritimes--Pat and Emery sold their boat “Honeywind” a few years back and purchased a condo at Mariners Cove, but they still enjoy partying with cruisers every night and with their newly acquired “run-about” enjoy the best of both worlds.

Every Wednesday is “Movie Night!” at Treasure Cay with first run shows projected onto a huge mobile screen set up in the parking lot. The condo owners all arrive in electric golf carts and the cruisers borrow chairs from the bar. Last night, almost 100 people showed up and we enjoyed watching “The Kings Speech” sitting under the stars and

munching on popcorn. On our way over to the movie we passed a big group of residents “line dancing” to Caribbean music and this morning there was yoga on the beach. Yesterday I was invited to water aerobics in a gorgeous heated pool and there is golfing during the day and “games” to watch at the sports bar each night.

On Sunday we went to church. It was packed! Before the sermon, announcements were made about community events--breakfasts, benefits, outings, concerts, clubs, etc.--and everyone was invited to join in. Afterwards we were enthusiastically welcomed by members of the congregation and personally invited--along with offers of rides--to several of the events. Treasure Cay is not an enclave for the geriatric set. Most of the residents we’ve met here seem to be about the same age as we are--some younger and a few older. There are groups of thirty-somethings here for fishing and always a handful of children frolicking on the beach with parents and grand-parents.

The day after we first arrived here “Legacy” joined us. They came over to pick up friends who were due in a few days time for a weeks holiday aboard their trawler. But before they came we spent some time together again enjoying the beach and having lunch aboard “Fortnight.” Before they headed off they left us with a trilogy of great books--the first one being “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” which Vince has had a hard time putting down. We had some very bad weather this week and we were grateful to have some good books. We are also grateful for “Spinnakers”--the wonderful restaurant right on site just a short walk from our slip. When we wake up to rain, we go over there for a hot leisurely breakfast and afterwards, with coffee and books in hand, retire to their lovely lounge and have a good read. When the weather breaks and the sun comes out, so do we! An unusual innovation at Spinnakers is a different menu for each day of the week--except for Thursday when it’s closed for “Pizza Night” at the bar. This provides variety to the resident cruisers and cottage owners and keeps them “coming back” for something different each time they decide to eat out.

On Thursday Jan 27th the winds dropped significantly and so we decided to head back out to Guana Cay for a few days at anchor before we were due at Boat Harbour. It had been over a week since we’d ventured out in our boat and we had forgotten the “rush” we get whenever we set sail. As the boat skimmed across the smooth turquoise sea I had to give my head a shake and wonder what madness had taken hold of me to even CONSIDER giving up the cruising lifestyle for a condo, in ONE place on land. When the sun is shining, the weather is warm and the winds are right, there is absolutely NOTHING that feels as good as sailing from one interesting place, staying a few days then moving off on a new adventure. “Same old, same old” just doesn’t cut it!

A Very Bad Day

2011-01-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

With just ten days to go before we were due to take up residence at Boat Harbour we decided to retrace our steps and return to some of our favourite places. And so just after dawn on Jan 19th we slipped our lines at Man O War Cay and glided out on a high tide back into the Sea of Abaco. Chris Parker had promised a lovely day. But even a guru can sometimes be wrong. and this time Chris definitely was.

We had only been away from the marina for less than 30 minutes when the morning mist--which we had expected to quickly burn off, instead developed into a soupy fog enveloping the boat. Luckily we had radar. And it actually worked. As we approached Guana Cay the fog mercifully lifted and we were able to safely set our anchor at Fishers Bay--just before an unexpected squall hit us! Thankfully ports and hatches were secure and we were able to scramble down below just before the downpour and comfortably sit it out in dry conditions. And then the winds kicked up! We had just put down the anchor and were understandably reluctant to leave the boat for the “delights” onshore without ensuring that we had a good “catch.” But after an hour spent waiting for moderation and watching the “rode,” we realized that the waves now blowing from the west were building to such an extent that launching the dinghy and motoring ashore would be a very wet ride. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss:

It was foggy and cool--a real shitty day

Too wet to go out--too windy to play

So all we could do was just sit, sit, sit, sit

And we did not like it--not one little bit!

The weather forecasters certainly blew this one. And if they could be so wrong about the “day,” could we trust them with the “night?” At anchor with a rocky lee shore. We decided not to wait to find out. And so at 3:00pm, after a disappointing day of fog, wind and rain, we pulled up the anchor and headed off for the safety and comfort of Treasure Cay--arriving JUST after low tide, with JUST a few inches of water below the keel, JUST before sunset. Whew!! A really bad day.

2011-01-23T07:37:00.000-08:00

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2011-01-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

Man-O-War Cay

2011-01-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

Treasure Cay was a HUGE man-made resort community complex--complete with its own international airport. Man O War Cay is it’s polar opposite--a quaint little island with a small village peopled by the descendants of white United Empire Loyalists who arrived here almost 300 years ago. Compared to the other islands we’ve visited, this is a hive of activity where real people do real things. Early in the morning Lola, the village baker, loads up her golf cart (the only vehicles they have here) with fresh bread, sticky buns and hot rolls and everyone gathers round to make a purchase wherever she stops.

The marina is open at 8:00 and boaters drop in for free coffee and a visit. A short stroll down the main road that skirts the harbour brings you to Edwin’s boat yard where dozens of local men can be seen sanding, painting and building boats--as their fathers and grandfathers have done before them for as long as anyone can remember. The main street ends at a charming little cottage selling custom canvas bags. Outside, a wide wooden porch with tubs of red flowers completely surrounds this establishment. Inside, is a hive of activity as half a dozen women sit at their individual stations, comfortably chatting with one another over the hum of whirring sewing machines. Everywhere you look, lining walls from floor to ceiling and piled high on tables are thousands of canvas bags. They come in all shapes, sizes and colours and provide a handsome income for the industrious women who turn them out. There is a beauty salon in “town” where everyone goes to get their hair cut, two well stocked grocery stores, a couple of boutiques with lovely merchandise, an ice cream parlour, waterside restaurant, two banks, a post office and 3 churches to provide for the spiritual needs of the 300 inhabitants. There are also NO liquor stores. This is a “dry” island. Alcohol and cigarettes are not for sale here and none of the locals smoke. I’m told that the odd resident may keep a bottle (purchased off-island of course) under the bed, but its “all about the children” they say.

The inhabitants of Man O War Cay are the most remarkable group people we’ve ever met anywhere. They all look alike--a little like Santa’s elves--with twinkling eyes, roundish faces and forms, and weathered faces that glow with happiness. Most of their homes are centrally located and clustered around the harbor and little business establishments that serve their community. To the north and south of “town” the concrete road of the “Queens Highway” becomes little more than a sandy trail stretching out for several miles to each of the far ends of the cay. On both sides there is water--the wild Atlantic to the east and soft Sea of Abaco to the west. And running off the sand trail, on either side, up and down the island, are carefully groomed little paths--winding through beautiful foliage and ending at the porches of little pastel coloured cottages--each of which overlooks some aspect of the water below. These are the dwellings of the off-islanders. They are owned primarily by wealthy Americans and Englishmen who visit for only a few weeks or months of the year. Many are available for rent--if you know who to ask--but most remain vacant for much of the year. For a fee, local caretakers keep an eye on these properties and maintain the cottages and grounds in pristine condition. Each morning a ferry crosses over to Man O War Cay from the mainland at Marsh Harbour bringing Haitian gardeners who trim hedges, prune trees, rake up and dispose of debris and keep the areas of island where cottages are located looking like pages taken from “house and garden” magazine. The people that we HAVE met who live in or rent these 2nd homes are as genuinely nice as the locals themselves. And although we have seen islands with much lovelier beaches, we have never actually enjoyed ourselves as much as we have being here.

This however is probably also because of the good times we have had with “Legacy” who are also here. For the past week we have enjoyed their company with long walks on that wonderful trail that winds past the cottages, beachcombing along the sand and coral outcroppings, enjoying dinners together aboard their boat or ours, playing afternoon cards, and day tripping by dinghy to explore the delights of neighbouring islands. We were so lucky to run into them once again and have really enjoyed their company.

And as for the malfunctions on our boat, we found that everything was caused by ONE broken wire! After hours of crawling under the deck, taking switches apart, along with parts of the engine, and reading pages and pages of manuals, it ended up being and easy, inexpensive fix. But now the head has backed up once again and, as I speak, Vince is in the process of dismantling THAT! If it’s not one thing it’s another. And while he works on that horrible, smelly job, I may just get myself out of here and go over to enjoy a morning coffee with Pam aboard the luxurious “Legacy.” What a life!

2011-01-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

2011-01-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

Treasure Cay

2011-01-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

Very early the next morning we slipped our lines and began the short 2 hour journey over to Treasure Cay. In this part of the Bahamas it’s necessary to “play the tides” in order to make it in to some of the anchorages without running aground. We had never been through the passage to Treasure before and so decided to leave Fishers Bay just before 7:00am to ensure a “rising tide” and lots of water to allow us to enter this area without difficulty. As it was, we had nothing to be concerned about. There was lots of water under the boat and we probably could pass through this way easily on anything but a dead low tide.

We arrived to find the little “pocket” anchorage filled with half a dozen boats with good holding and lots of protection from all directions. “Missing Link” was already here and so was “Legacy”--cruisers we had first met over 4 years ago in the Chesapeake and hadn’t seen since! We had often thought about them over the years--their boat was a magnificent “Fever 44” trawler--a virtual floating cottage--with all the space and conveniences of home. Even more impressive however were her owners--Pam and

Ron--one of the most likeable couples one could ever meet--and so we knew we’d be in for a memorable time. And it was.

Treasure Cay has everything one could wish for a comfortable stay in the Bahamas. The inexpensive anchoring fee of $10/day--which is on an “honour system”-- provides cruisers with access to the dinghy dock, swimming pool, showers/restrooms, open air bar, formal dining room, and beach bar/restaurant. The amenity we appreciated most however were the thatched palapas and colourful umbrellas shading comfortable loungers sprinkled across the wide white beach. Nowhere else in our travels across the Bahamas did we have access to these. And as much as we enjoy strolling for miles along the surf, it IS nice to be able to finally stop once in while and actually be able to stretch out in the shade, rest, and just enjoy the scenery. We were able to do this here. And after enjoying breakfast either aboard or at the restaurant, we’d choose a little palapa on the beach, arrange ourselves and our “stuff” comfortably around two loungers and spend the better part of the day there reading, beachcombing, people-watching and visiting with friends who’d eventually stroll by.

The beach at Treasure Cay is truly spectacular. It is touted in travel magazines as one of the top 10 beaches in the world and it is easy to see why. The soft white sandy crescent stretches for more than 3 miles and is easy to walk on. The waters of this beach are a bright turquoise blue and stretch far out over a shallow sandy bottom. It is completely safe--no undertows or strong waves, and utterly beautiful. For me the only downside was poor shelling and no snorkelling. But hey, I can live with that--considering everything else that was available--including a wonderful bakery with fat fragrant cinnamon buns every morning, a well-stocked grocery store, boutiques, bank, post office, and lots of interesting people to meet and get to know. This is a real “resort community” with hundreds of villas and condo colonies hidden under palms and nestled in lush foliage just off the beach. And speaking of interesting people--you’ll never guess who I saw and actually spoke to during the week we were here. None other than Kelly McGillis--the female lead in Top Gun and Witness!! She and a friend were working on their computers at the marina’s open air bar one morning when we happened to be there. She was giving advice about computer hook-ups to another boater and, since I was in need of the same information, she helped me too. At first I didn’t realize who she was because it was 25 years since she’d made those movies and a lot can change over time. But there are aspects of her face that are SO distinctive--especially around the mouth and chin, and the way she holds her head that the more I glanced her way, the more I became convinced it was her. Later, back at the boat we googled “Kelly McGillis” and sure enough, a present day photo appeared and our suspicions were confirmed as the picture was the spitting image of the woman I had met at the marina. You never know who’ll you’ll run into while in the Bahamas.

We loved being at Treasure Cay. There were sundowners with Consort, Sweetwater, Legacy and Missing Link and visits with people we met living in condos here. And we would have definitely stayed longer had the boat not developed some serious problems! One morning when Vince tried to start the engine it wouldn’t turn over. And then we discovered the batteries weren’t charging and instruments failed to read. We needed help bigtime and quick!! Luckily the boat-building center of the Bahamas on Man 0 War Cay was only a short 3 hour sail away and we knew that once there we could get power to our boat at their marina, with help and parts available at Edwin’s Boat Yard. So after jury-rigging the starter to get the boat going again, we set off, under sail for that Cay.

2011-01-10T05:22:00.000-08:00

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Great Guana Cay : Fishers Bay

2011-01-10T05:17:00.000-08:00

The great thing about the Abacos is the close proximity of all the wonderful places to each other. It took us only an hour to leave Bakers Bay and arrive at the pretty sheltered cove that is Fishers Bay. Here we picked up a mooring ball alongside “Kokopelli” and after meeting up with Ian and Sue dinghied ashore with them to explore.

The small settlement at Fishers Bay is a funky little village in a tropical setting. The roadways that win through this hamlet are little more than wide concrete sidewalks and it can all be seen in less than half an hour. This is good. It’s great to have virtually everything within sight and sound in a central location. At one end of the village is “Grabbers” an elegant little hotel/bar/restaurant perched on the edge of a sandy crescent of beach and sheltered by dozens of swaying palms. At the other end lies Orchid Bay Marina--an upscale resort community with impeccably groomed grounds. In between are vegetable stands, an open air cafe, pastel cottages, grocery store, post office and a handful of boutique shops selling tee-shirts and beach jewellry--all interspersed with tropical foliage and flowering bougainvillea. A sand path in the centre of town leads off the main street at right angles where it winds up a small ridge through a canopy of lush foliage and ends at “Nippers”--the quintessential Caribbean beach bar.

The view from “Nippers” is breath-taking. A wide white beach stretches i both directions as far as the eye can see. Below the bar just off the beach, interesting rocky outcrops shelter fish and fan corals within easy reach for snorkelling. And the turquoise Atlantic waters here are shallow enough for swimming and protected by a long off-shore reef. “Nipers” itself is a strange establishment built willy-nilly in a piecemeal fashion across several levels and sporting every shade of paint in the rainbow. There are open air decks, covered porches, umbrellas, a two-tiered swimming pool, small gift shop with sand floor and a fantastic view across the beach and ocean below.

After a long walk through the surf with “Kokopelli” we returned to enjoy a lunch of burgers, fries and the famous “Nippers Punch” which really knocked me out! We ran into “Missing Link” on the way back to the boat but I was in no mood for more socializing. After a long day of exploring the island, walking the beach and drinking that punch I was ready for a nap! Later that evening Sue and Ian came aboard to play cards and the next day it was more of the same. The weather was warm and the sea smooth enough for snorkelling so the four of us pulled on our gear and swam out to the reef. We returned to the boat about 3:00pm but I was tired and, as I climbed from dinghy onto boat, too areless ending up “doing the splits” and falling into the drink. In the process my prescription sunglasses were knocked off--disappearing somewhere under the water. Spluttering and flailing about, I eventually managed to make my way around the boat and was able to pull myself up the ladder and collapse in a graceless heap onto the deck. But Vince was determined to find and retrieve the glasses--which I at this point couldn’t care less about. All I wanted was a drink and bed!! I heard Vince floundering around in the water outside the boat for about 15 minutes until “lo and behold!” he actually emerged with sunglasses in hand! What a man!!

After a brief shower and a cup of hot strong coffee, we headed back out--this time to “Kokopelli”--where we continued to graze on snacks, drink wine, and play cards until dark. Then it was off to bed. The next morning we bade our friends goodbye and headed out to the sheltered waters of Treasure Cay where we planned to hole up during the “big blow” which is forecast to hit us tonight.

Crossing The 'Whale"

2011-01-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

After arriving back in the Bahamas the first order of business was getting the boat up and running again and provisioning. We had emptied the fridge and turned off its power before leaving for Canada and we now had to hop in the dinghy and head into New Providence for supplies. But first it was off to the Green Turtle Club for one of their wonderful breakfasts. Later in the day we got spruced up for New Years Eve before joining “Missing Link” and “Shelagh” for dinner and celebrations at the Bluff House Restaurant. A disc jockey played 80’s music all evening long while we dined on “surf and turf.” The place was packed and a good time was had by all.

The next morning after a late “lie-in” I walked a deserted beach and found my first perfect shell of the New Year--a lovely white milk conch. After a leisurely lunch with “Shelagh” we dinghied off to town for “Junkanoo”--a caribbana style parade which has been a New Years Day tradition at Green Turtle Cay for as long as anyone can remember. The costumes were spectacular, the music loud and the dancing erotic as the participants gyrated along the sunny street. It was a perfect way to celebrate our last day at Green Turtle Cay. And early the next morning, just after dawn, we pushed off with “Shelagh,” sailing out into the Atlantic, round the “Whale” and on into the Sea of Abaco where we’ve planned to spend the rest of the winter.

This passage can be a treacherous one with strong currents and high punishing waves. And one always “waits for weather” before attempting it. The day we chose--Jan 2nd--was perfect, with light winds and three foot “rollers” and we found ourselves round Whale Cay and safely over on the other side in only 2 hours time. The islands encompassing the northern end of Great Guana Cay were so enticing we decided to stop for the day and explore the area. Shelling was predictably rewarding on Spoil Bank Cay (aka Shell Island) and we also enjoyed a long walk off Bakers Bay where we discovered a beautifully groomed golf course and several resort buildings under construction. The next morning as we were calling to “Missing Link” on the VHF, our old friends from “Kokopelli” heard us and made contact. They were anchored at Fishers Bay, a few miles further along on Great Guana Cay, and invited us over to join them there. We had planned on heading off to Treasure Cay but the opportunity to spend some time with Ian and Sue on Kokopelli was too tempting to pass up. So we altered our plans and headed their way.

Back to the Bahamas

2011-01-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

December 30th, 2010 was a day of travel and “close calls” with connections as we left the grey skies of Canada behind us and headed for the sunny south. We left Troy at 7:00am for the 1 hour trip to Toronto and, after enjoying a leisurely breakfast at the airport, boarded a direct flight to Nassau with West Jet. Three hours later we disembarked into sunshine amid throngs of vacationers milling about the luggage carousel and waiting for clearance at immigration terminals. And we had allowed ourselves only an hour to spare to collect our baggage and join the long lines snaking through customs before our connecting flight to Treasure Cay was due to depart. Yikes! After a frantic search for luggage and a mad dash through the airport to the Bahamasair check-in counter, we strapped ourselves into the cramped seats of the Dash 8 and took to the air once more.

Below all was fluffy clouds and turquoise seas. We had just started to finally relax when the 30 minute flight to Treasure Cay was over and we found ourselves scrambling once again--this time for a taxi to take us to the ferry which was due to depart on its FINAL trip of the day in just 20 minutes. Yikes! Yikes! Unbelievably we arrived at the dock just in the nick of time. The last passenger was boarding, we jumped on behind and minutes later the vessel slipped her lines and began its crossing to Green Turtle Cay. Our travelling companions included four young college students returning home from abroad for New Years, a handful of “rough and tumble” black resort employees heading home after a hard days work, three slightly tipsy middle aged American men, with golf clubs and drinks in hand looking for a “good time” and one blowsy blond (who the Americans hoped could give it to them) after “chatting her up” with alternating bravado and witticisms. (Thank god I’m not young and single again!)

The trip across the water was mesmerizing. When we were not distracted by the conversations of our fellow travellers we’d gaze out at the soft sunset, watch the foamy wake creaming across the water at the back of the boat, feel the warm breeze against our skin and smell the fragrant air. God, how we’d miss this place! And to think of how just a few weeks before we had begun to take it all for granted. But a quick visit home to the dismal north had certainly changed all that. And we were SO grateful to be back into a colourful place with a warm climate and sunny skies once again. We reached the comfort of our little boat just as the last rays of sunset swept across the dock. We found two new “neighbours” tied up on either side of us and although we were invited to join them for drinks and dinner, this time we declined--too exhausted to do anything more than say a quick “hello,” toss our bags below, and climb blissfully into our cozy bed.

We had certainly enjoyed our trip home for the holidays. It was great to spend time with family members and friends and to see the little grandchildren once again. But the grey skies, barren landscape and cold were hard to take. We hadn’t noticed how dismal this environment was while we were growing up and working here. Winter days in Canada then were spent indoors surrounded by others engaged in interesting activities. And so we didn’t realize how oppressive things were “outside.” Now that we’re retired however with long days stretching forever ahead, we really notice how miserable the Canadian environment is for almost half of the year! We have been spoilt. We “know better” now and hope to be able to winter away in the Bahamas for many more years to come.

Manjack (Nunjack) Cay

2010-12-06T06:47:00.000-08:00

When we originally arrived at Green Turtle Cay, we chose to tie up in a slip at Bluff House Resort in White Sound. Our buddy boat “Tally Ho” however, elected to travel a few miles further south to Black Sound where they docked at Leeward Marina. But both of us were eager to explore Manjack--a pretty island not far away. And so we arranged to meet in our dinghys just offshore Green Turtle early the next morning and travel together to that Cay. We packed picnic lunches and, after meeting up out on the water, enjoyed a smooth trip over. It was fun skimming across small turquoise waves alongside our friends with wind whipping our hair and sun shining on skin! With both of our dinghys “up on a plane” we were able to make good time reaching the small cove on Manjacks western shore in a little over half an hour. Here we found a few sailboats bobbing at anchor and a collection of beach chairs and picnic tables scattered around a fire pit on a small crescent of sandy shore.

More than thirty years ago a young couple came upon this place and, after purchasing a few acres, worked to develop it into a self-sustaining homestead. Their house, sitting upon a small bluff of land overlooking the anchorage, is surrounded by an organic garden where they grow all manner of fruits and vegetables. Their operation is now almost entirely “off-grid” with solar panels and a wind generator supplying most of their energy needs. We were fortunate enough to meet them during our explorations of the island and stopped to talk for some time. They were very hospitable and extended a warm welcome to us--as they do to all boaters who land on their shores. They hoped we would return for their next “full moon party” which is held on a regular basis on Manjack and involves a bonfire, food and fellowship between all those who choose to attend.

After beaching our dinghy upon the sheltered shore of this island, we made our way with “Tally Ho” through a jungly path which eventually took us over to the Atlantic side. Here a long line of sandy beach stretches in both directions along the entire length of the cay. Vanessa and I were eager to get on with beach combing and within the course of the day found three highly prized “hamburger beans” and many beautifully preserved “sea biscuits”. We enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch and cool drinks mid-day and came across a half completed cottage which had been abandoned by another homesteader, further along during our explorations. We have noticed this type of thing happening almost everywhere we have travelled in the Bahamas. Someone has a “dream” for a resort or cottage development. And although a start is made, the enterprise is eventually abandoned. Whether this is a recent trend brought about by the world-wide recession or simply the way it has always been in this part of the world, we have no way of knowing--since our own explorations have only occurred within the last 4 years. I think the weather may have a lot to do with it. Hurricanes are an annual possibility in these islands and have literally smashed the dreams of many who come to build a future here. And the strong winds and cooler temperatures of recent years are keeping many would-be cruisers and vacationers away. With global warming and a world-wide stalled economic recovery, this trend may well continue far into the future. But there is no point in dwelling upon things over which we as cruisers have no control. We can only be grateful for each day we are privileged to enjoy here with friends in this beautiful place. The time we spent with Vanessa and Andrew from “Tally Ho” was one such day, and we will both cherish and remember it forever.

GREEN TURTLE CAY

2010-12-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

Green Turtle Cay is a favourite stopping off point for boats either clearing customs into the Bahamas or waiting for weather to venture out around “The Whale”. The charming village of New Plymouth--the only settlement on the island--was established over 200 years ago by United Empire Loyalists fleeing persecution by the Americans after the Revolutionary War, and descendants of these settlers still populate the island today. Green Turtle Cay is divided geographically into two halves--peaceful White Sound to the north and busy Black Sound in the south. But both of these sounds and the village itself are only a short five minute dinghy ride away from each other.

WHITE SOUND

The entrance to White Sound is probably deep enough to allow us to enter at low tide--just. But we always choose to go in and out on a rising tide--just in case. Once inside this placid pear shaped “pond” you can understand why so many cruisers enjoy being here. The waters are ringed with palm trees and lush foliage with a small crescent of sandy beach at one end. Here sits the Green Turtle Club--an “old” established resort(marina) with an elegance and ambience reminiscent of a bygone era. Inside it is all polished wood, thick carpets and snowy tablecloths. Outside, bougainvillea spills over decks and schools of colourful fish dart about in the shallows off the beach. On one trip over for breakfast Vince and I actually saw a dolphin frolicking in the waters just off the docks! The “bar” at the Green Turtle Club is one of the most memorable places I have ever seen. Many years ago American servicemen stationed at nearby Allan-Pensacola Cay coming here for R&R, established a unique tradition--evidence of which exists to this day. Before heading back to base, they would leave behind a $US dollar bill with a buddy’s name penned across the front of it. This would be pinned to the wall of the bar with the understanding that the “buddy” could retrieve it later to pay for his drink. Of course none of these bills were ever redeemed and over the years more and more were added to the walls until now there are literally THOUSANDS of them papering every inch of wall space and much of the ceiling! It is an awesome sight and not to be missed. We REALLY love the understated elegance of the Green Turtle Club and it is definitely one of our favourite places in the Bahamas.

The only other establishment in White Sound is the Bluff House Yacht Club and Beach Hotel, which in its own unique way, is every bit as wonderful as Green Turtle Club. Because this place is more of an actual marina catering to boaters, and because of it’s great rates--dockage at $.50ft for RMHYC members (which we now are)--this is where we choose to tie up when in White Sound. But we DO dinghy off to the Green Turtle Club occasionally to enjoy a meal--that way we experience the best of both worlds. There are currently some great “deals” being offered for boaters at these 2 marinas. Both establishments are currently offering “docking for dollars,” a docking and dining combo that allows you to eat and drink your dockage fees away. This is how it works. First you pay normal dockage fees--$1.25ft at Bluff House (I don’t know what they are at Green Turtle). For us that translates into being charged $45./day for a slip. But then, the cost of anything you eat and drink at the restaurant/bar is “free” until you spend the amount you were charged for dockage. We for example, would therefore be allowed $45. worth of free dinners and drinks each day we are here. You can’t beat that!

Bluff House is all decks, sunshine, gaily striped wicker furnishings and Caribbean music. There is a gorgeous swimming pool surrounded by loungers and palm trees right next to the bar and its comfortable lounge has deeply cushioned sofas, oversized chairs and a big screen TV. The grounds of Bluff House are extensive with laneways spilling up over a bluff and down the other side to a wide sugar sand beach. Colourful foliage, flowers and trim pastel cottages dot the hillside and it is a safe and comfortable place to be. There is nothing much else in White Sound. A few private homes line the winding roads that skirt the shorelines and lead eventually to town. But that’s about it. and for us, it’s just enough.

WHITE SOUND

BLACK SOUND

At the other end of the island lies Black Sound--a busier, more interesting place to be than its laid back neighbour to the north. The long narrow sound itself is completely sheltered from all directions and boaters that choose to remain here have the option of anchoring out, using a mooring ball, or tying up to a slip at the Leeward Yacht Club. This new facility offers everything necessary for a good time at bargain prices--1.25/ft for transients, .50/ft for RMHYC members and a long term rate of $125/wk for anyone. It boasts an attractive pool with loungers & an outdoor restaurant for casual dining along with the normal amenities of washrooms, showers and laundry facilities. The only think lacking is an indoor lounge and staff are few and far between. But the really great thing about Black Sound is its easy accessibility in all weather to so many interesting things to see and do. One of the most gorgeous beaches I have ever seen--Gilliam Bay at low tide--is only a short walk away. This bay faces south, but if the wind shifts, there is a long beautiful beach on the eastern side of the island where it’s possible to stroll for many miles in sheltered conditions. The village of New Plymouth is also located here and can easily be reached either by dinghy or by a pleasant walk along paved roads. “Downtown” you can find 3 grocery stores, a variety of simple restaurants, 2 hardware stores, a few gift shops and lots of pretty pastel dwellings. Other places to visit in this charming village include the sculpture garden, an environmental centre, museum, library and a model boat builders shop.

For us the only down side to Black Sound was its shallow entrance, the depths of which Vince was hesitant to test--even at low tide. And once we had settled into the relative luxury of Bluff House with its close proximity to the Green Turtle Club, we were understandably reluctant to leave. What we had not reckoned with however was the fact that in windy conditions (which seem to be the “norm” here) a trip by dinghy to experience the pleasures of Black Sound can be very “wet!” We do have the option of renting a golf cart ($50/day) and travelling over to the busy side of the island should we wish to do so--and probably will later on this week before heading back to Canada Dec. 9th. We are also planning a trip there by dinghy tomorrow to enjoy a special Bahamian lunch sponsored by the townspeople as a fundraiser for 3 local “unfortunates” in need of financial support. We’ll probably get wet on the way over or back but what the heck--it will be an excuse for a warm sudsy shower when we return and that will be fun too!

SPANISH CAY

2010-12-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

After leaving our anchorage at Powell Cay we sailed a few miles north to the next island in the chain--Spanish Cay--where we took a slip for the night. Spanish Cay is a private island originally developed by a former owner of the Dallas Cowboys but now in other hands. It is a long narrow ribbon of land edged with rocky outcrops on one side and a lovely sand beach on the other. But almost half of its length is taken up by a private air strip. It was very pleasant strolling along the paved roads threading throughout the island and down to the beaches. Infrastructure for future services--hydro, water etc. were everywhere in evidence but there were only a handful of residences scattered across the cay and not a soul in sight anywhere--save for the caretaking and marina staff. Despite the beauty of this island, I would NOT want to own a property here because of the utter loneliness of the place. It FEELS deserted and it IS deserted with the marina itself holding the only signs of life. There was a shop, customs agent and a very big empty restaurant filled with dozens of tables and booths. A wide verandah boasting comfortable wooden rocking chairs and custom gliders surrounded this building but there was no one here to use them. We had arrived well before noon, but once we were checked in all of the staff vanished. The shop, office, and restaurant were closed up and we didn’t see a soul again until early the next morning. Well, that is not exactly true. When three big cruisers arrived shortly before dinner, staff magically appeared to serve them in the restaurant, but by then we had turned in for the night and so were unaffected by any of this activity. It was good to be back in a civilized setting after anchoring out for a few days and now that we are familiar with Spanish Cay we would definitely return here if we had need to “get out of weather”. Otherwise, we’d give it a pass.

POWELL CAY

2010-12-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

Powell Cay is a lovely deserted island located some 2 hours by sail north-west of Green Turtle Cay. Our first night here we anchored with “Tally Ho” and while Andrew and Vince remained aboard the boats, puttering around with various things, Vanessa and I headed off in her dinghy in search of “shelly treasures” along the shore. After beaching our craft in the shallows of the sheltered western side of the cay we combed the waters edge for shells all the while keeping a sharp lookout for a path which would, hopefully, lead us through the dense tropical foliage to the Atlantic side. We found several beautiful Milk Conchs here and eventually came upon a “shrine” composed of various pieces of flotsam & jetsam which marked the passage over to the other side.

In less than five minutes we had made our way across. The end of the trail opened up onto a long crescent of sand which formed the lower rim of a large shallow lagoon. Its distant edge was ringed by rocky islets and larger cays. And the whole effect beautiful--to say the least. The recent onslaught of Hurricane Tomas in the Caribbean had resulted in huge ocean swells crashing upon this beach, bringing with them long swathes of sea grasses and dozens of luckless sea creatures washed up onto the shore. As we combed through this rubble we came across many well preserved sea urchins and sea biscuits--the best of which we gathered up to take back to our boats. When we had enough of these, Vanessa suggested we wade through the shallows to search for different things.

Shelling conditions here were ideal. The smooth tranquil waters of the lagoon acted as a magnifying glass enabling us to easily see and retrieve all manner of shells lying upon the ocean floor. Vanessa was a real pro. Her “eagle eyes” spotted pointed bits protruding from the sand which, when dug out, revealed themselves to be parts of healthy Horse Conchs or other types of shells. Unfortunately the vast majority of these “finds” turned out to be filled with living creatures--either the conchs themselves or large hermit crabs who had already claimed them as homes. And so we returned them to the deep. But there were many other beautiful specimens that were ours for the taking--sun-rise tellins, cowies, fan shells, and a variety of bi-valves--to name a few. Vanessa even found three delicate shells from the “tulip” family--but although we both recognized the species, neither one of us could remember its common name.

After several hours of beachcombing we found ourselves so laden down with shells, sand dollars, sea biscuits and urchins that we were forced to consider turning back and heading home. The wind had kicked up and Andrew was anxious for us to return safely before conditions worsened. Once back on our boats we found our husbands concerned about the anchors. We had dropped our hooks into a mixture of sand and grass--not great holding. And with the winds intensifying and waves whipping up there was the very real possibility that we might drag during the night. “Tally Ho” decided to sail back towards Green Turtle Cay and anchor at Manjack Cay where they’d be in a safer place and closer to “The Whale” which they hoped to cross early the next morning. But we stayed put at Powell where we spent a further two days combing its various beaches and enjoying the island.

2010-11-29T07:25:00.000-08:00

THE ABACOS ISLANDS

2010-11-29T06:39:00.000-08:00

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is made up of thousands of rocky islands and small cays. Geographically it can be divided into 3 areas: north, central and south. Nassau, the capital--located on the island of New Providence--is part of the central Bahamas. The Abaco Island group lies north of Nassau--roughly 200 miles off the coast of Florida and almost directly across from the Lake Worth Inlet at West Palm Beach. In this location, the Abacos experiences much the same temperatures as south-central Florida during the winter months.

On our previous trips to the Bahamas we travelled to the Exumas--the southern chain of islands extending far below Nassau. This area is renown for its warm climate and rugged beauty. But it is isolated and lacking in amenities. We were told by other cruisers that the Abacos, despite its cooler climate, had much to offer in the way of upscale marinas, safe and plentiful anchorages, wonderful restaurants and a very civilized genteel way of life. And so this year, we decided to explore this region of the Bahamas and experience these things for ourselves.

Most cruisers going to the Abacos initially head for Marsh Harbour--the commercial hub of the area. From here they head off to favourite anchorages on cays which ring the area and are only a few hours away from each other by sail. To get to Marsh Harbour however, one must leave the safe confines of the Sea of Abaco and venture out into the Atlantic, looping around Whale Cay and then back in on the other side. In adverse weather conditions, this “Whale Passage” can be very treacherous. And so once around it, and finding themselves in the comfortable cruising grounds of Marsh Harbour and its environs, cruisers are understandably reluctant to “go back”. As a result, many of the lovely islands north of “The Whale” remain undeveloped and in a largely natural state having been by-passed by the majority of boaters rushing on to Marsh Harbour. We wanted to experience ALL that the Abacos had to offer--not just the popular destinations. And so we decided to devote one month cruising north of The Whale, fly home for Christmas and then, in January, sail out through the Whale Passage and south into the Marsh Harbour area where we would spend the rest of the winter and early spring.

ABACOS CROSSING REVISITED

2010-11-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

This years crossing to the Bahamas was definitely the easiest and most comfortable we’ve experienced to date. Four factors were responsible for this:

The Autopilot:

In previous years we hand-steered all the way. This necessitated one of us sitting for hours on end in a cramped position, with hands steering the wheel and eyes glued to compass and GPS all day and all night. Not a pleasant experience. At the end of the passage we were both utterly exhausted and dying for sleep--not to mention suffering from excruciating back aches and various other joint pains. But THIS year Vince installed an autopilot! Now we simply set our course and make ourselves comfy in the cockpit or below decks. We can walk about the boat, prepare and enjoy meals and drinks, read a book--do whatever we want. The person “on watch” is still responsible to check the boats position periodically and keep a look out for potential obstacles but is not glued to the wheel. No aches, pains, or sleep deprivation. Relief!

2.The Buddy Boat:

Psychologically it is ALWAYS preferable to sail on long passages in the company of others. This year we were fortunate to hook up with a great couple--Vanessa and Andrew aboard “Tally Ho”. And it was SUCH a comfort to motor along beside them during the four hours of darkness during which we crossed the Bahamian banks to our anchorage at Great Sale Cay. For me at least, it’s very easy to “freak out” when the boat is enveloped in the blackness of a night sail, blindly speeding towards “who knows what!” and knowing you’re alone, in the middle of the ocean, with your husband soundly sleeping below decks. Yikes!! But with “Tally Ho” lit up like a Christmas tree alongside of me, (to paraphrase Vanessa), I knew I was NOT alone. Every hour or so we’d talk on the radio and it was comforting to hear the voices of friends and feel “safe” because they were there with us.

3.The Route:

There are several different ways to reach the Bahamas--some easier than others. We left Palm Beach at 5:30am--just before dawn, arriving on the Bahamian Banks at Memory Rock 10 hours later. This allowed us to safely cross the busy Gulf Stream in daylight. Once on the banks, it was only another 7 hours to reach our anchorage at Great Sale Cay--a protected island where we could actually safely STOP for the night and get some real sleep. On past trips to the Bahamas we sailed from Key Biscayne to Nassau--necessitating a gruelling 20 hour day/night trip from either Bimini or Gun Cay across both the Bahamian Banks and Tongue of the Ocean without stopping. One CAN drop anchor on the banks themselves, in the middle of nowhere, with no protection. But this is not a fun thing to do. Crossing from West Palm to the Abacos was MUCH easier.

4.Weather/Sea State:

We REALLY lucked out on this one! There was virtually no wind and the waters were flat. This certainly felt safe, but had our motor conked out, we would’ve been in BIG trouble! Without wind, we would be unable to sail and the strong Gulf Stream current could’ve carried us far out into the Atlantic beyond the Bahamas and perhaps into really bad weather. So there is always a risk--even on calm days. But if given the choice between no wind and big wind, give me no wind any day. Big wind means big waves and the week before we crossed over they were horrendous--16’-20‘ in the gulf stream. And even two days before we left, “Tally Ho” reported seeing huge waves crashing on the shore at St Lucie inlet. The night we did cross over, the 3:00am NOAA weather forecast was reporting 5’-6‘ swells out in the gulf stream. But when we actually got there we found nothing. Go figure! Our weather guru, Chris Parker, had predicted benign conditions and he was absolutely right. But you never can tell. That’s what makes the night before a crossing always so stressful.

Crossing to the Abacos

2010-11-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Nov. 13th we saw a weather window opening later in the week and decided to leave the delights of Vero and get on down to Lake Worth where we could position ourselves to leave should it actually open. This was a sudden development which caught many of our friends unprepared to pull up their hooks. But after talking to both “About Time” and “Tally Ho” we found them ready and willing to head out too. It was sad to leave so many boats behind but as we pulled away we received radio calls from Kinverra, Antares, Discovery, and Kokopelli, wishing us “fair winds and calm seas” and promising to look for us later in the Bahamas.

The first night we anchored in Hobe Sound with “About Time”. Unfortunately however, their bilge pump began malfunctioning and so we were forced to part company early the next morning with them heading off to West Marine and us continuing on with Tally Ho to West Palm. We had planned on heading straight to the anchorage at the Lake Worth inlet to wait for a chance to jump out into the Atlantic--anywhere from one to two days away but “Tally Ho” had other ideas. Better ideas. They knew of a “secret anchorage” not on the charts which put us into a watery cul-de-sac in 12 feet of quiet water in an upscale neighbourhood of multli-million dollar mega-mansions. We luxuriated in these opulent surroundings for 2 days waiting for the seas in the gulf, which had been stirred up to dangerous heights by previous horrendous weather, to calm down. On Wed. Nov.14th conditions were absolutely perfect! We headed off to Lake Worth Inlet and anchored with half a dozen other boats waiting to cross too. We went to bed early, but kept radio contact open with the others during the night. We set our alarms for 4:30am and by 5:30 were heading out in a procession towards Memory Rock, and the Bahamas.

There was no moon and the waters were black but the lights of Palm Beach shone behind us and we could see signs of the sky beginning to lighten ahead. Wind was about 5kt from the SW and the sea was virtually flat! We entered the gulf stream an hour later and 6 miles out and were amazed to find no change in these benign conditions. And it continued all day!! We put up our mainsail to steady the boat but ended up motoring all the way to Great Salel Cay across water smooth as silk. The only sign of “activity” on the ocean were small schools of flying fish which accompanied us on the crossing, skittering along side us like stones skipping across the water.

We arrived at Great Sale Cay at 10:30pm joining about 8 other boats already at anchor for the night. Among them was “Antares”--our old friend from Vero who decided to head out a day after us. We fell into a deep sleep the moment our heads hit the pillows that night and 6 hours later woke to find the flat, calm conditions still persisting. And so it was another motoring day all the way to Green Turtle Cay--our final destination. This was such an easy passage!! Nothing at all like the trip from Florida to Nassau. Once past Great Sale Cay in the Abacos you feel like you’re cruising down a channel through islands dotting both sides of the boat to the north and south in the distance. And it is a very comfortable feeling to be able to see land on both sides of the boat. We arrived at beautiful Green Turtle Cay at 3:00pm and cautiously entered the well marked channel into White Sound on a rising half-tide seeing no less than 7.2’ of water all the way in. After tying up in our slip, we set off in our dinghy for the town of New Providence where we cleared customs and then returned to the comfort of our boat to unwind with a cold drink in the cockpit. We are here at last! Bahamas is beautiful. It’s warm and sunny and our surroundings are breath-taking. But more about that in the next blog.

Crossing to the Abacos

2010-11-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

STAGING OUR DEPARTURE

2010-11-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

After spending almost 6 months back home in Canada this summer it was time to think about getting back to the boat. Our Camry was on its last legs. Its air conditioner had eased functioning but with a reading of almost 300,000km on the odometer, it wasn’t worth fixing. And so, just a few days after goodbye to family and friends at Thanksgiving, we jammed every available inch of our car with “boat stuff” and headed south into the Florida heat without “air”.

We arrived in Titusville 2 days later. The boatyard where we had left Fortnight was dusty, deserted and very, very hot. But it was a relief to finally be back to the boat and after two days of provisioning and doing a few last minute repairs she was launched and we were off once again--heading off to Vero Beach where we new other cruisers like ourselves would be waiting for the weather window that would allow us all to cross over to the winter paradise that is the Bahamas.

Florida had been a real downer this time around. The recession has a real hold on this place and has turned it into a disconcerting state of economic enclaves of “haves and have-nots”. The charming town of Titusville which we had so enjoyed more than 3 years ago when we first stumbled upon it, is no more. With cutbacks to the space program here, over 10,000 jobs have been eliminated and the resulting domino effect of unemployment has devastated the region. Government “stimulus money” in Titusville is being spent on roadwork. And while it means needed employment for asphalt companies and heavy equipment firms, it also translates into dusty torn-up pavement, boarded up businesses and empty sidewalks as the road building crews “do their thing” downtown. The marinas at this time of year are also deserted with the only real signs of life being “boat people”--folks who are just one step away from homelessness living hand to mouth on near derelict vessels.

When we took our boat out of the water last spring, all its systems were in good working order. Summer in Florida on the hard however apparently had taken its toll and, after only a few hours of cruising down the waterway, we began to discover that things previously thought to be OK now needed “fixing.” Over the next few days the “head” backed up, was taken apart, a new fitting installed, and put back together again. Then the watermaker sprang a very BIG leak! This also necessitated installation of new parts. The hose to our fresh water supply broke open first under the bathroom sink and later under the seats of the cabin. Luckily we discovered the leaks in time to turn off the fresh water system before too many things were soaked, and Vince was able to fix them both in record time. While at anchor in the ICW we put the final touches on the installation of our new $3,000. auto-pilot and crossed our fingers that it would work the first time we turned it on. Yes!! And for several hours we wove “hands free” across a wide expanse of water as the auto-pilot did its thing. We spent half a day fretting over the fridge which seemed to be developing a major problem “shutting off”--but it turned out to be nothing to worry about. Whew!! And apart from an “oil change,” I think that’s about it. At the time we were dealing with all of these problems however--in 80-90 degree heat with no breeze, it was no picnic and I was actually beginning to question our decision to build a boat and go cruising. Sitting scrunched up in a small part of the boat, in sweltering heat, surrounded by piles of boat parts and tools for several days on end is not my idea of a good time! But when the last problem was solved, everything put back into place and we were able to enjoy a pleasant cruise down the waterway with no worries, we found ourselves finally “happy at last!” Winds were blowing in from the S and SE with small swells of 3-4 feet across the gulf stream and we had visions of any easy crossing within a few days time. And then Hurricane Tomas developed.

Three times now we have headed off to the Bahamas for the winter. And in each of those three years, a hurricane has developed, threatening our cruising grounds, during the 1st week of November. This year we had just arrived at Vero Beach when we realized we were going to once again have to wait this thing out before moving on. But this time at least, we were in a wonderful place to do it. When we first arrived here there were only a few boats at the marina. But every day more cruisers came in and by weeks end we found ourselves in the company of half a dozen old friends with more arriving on a daily basis. While waiting for our weather window here we have been enjoying “sundowners” and dinners with other cruisers virtually every day. We shop and walk, read books and enjoy the sunshine stretched out in the comfort of our cockpit. Life is simple and life is good. The wind and waves are still nasty off-shore in the wake of Tomas, but our weather guru, Chris Parker, says next week looks good for a crossing to the Bahamas as moderation sets in and everything returns to normal. We hope he is right and we get to move on. But if not, this is not a bad place to be--with good friends and good times.

The Long Passage Home

2010-04-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Our last night in Spanish Wells was a celebration of sorts. “Akasha” had guests flown in from the US and after they were settled in and introductions made, Linda invited us over for cocktails, chocolate cake and ice cream! We were both leaving the next day--they to Harbour Island and us to begin the long passage home. It was a great evening and we promised to get in touch once back in Canada. But I don’t know if we’ll see them in these parts again as Larry is shipping Akasha to the mediterranean in November and plans to cruise those waters next winter. But these last two days with this wonderful couple were certainly memorable.

We inched our way out of the anchorage early the next morning at low tide and were soon in full sail on our way to Nassau. It was a gorgeous day and we made good time, arriving about 3:30pm. We soon made friends with “Silver Girl,” the boat tied up in the slip beside us at the Nassau Harbour Club and joined them for a wonderful seafood dinner at the Poop Deck that evening. We made arrangements to cross the “Tongue of the Ocean” together the next day. But they planned to pull into Chubb Cay for that evening while we’d be pushing on for a night on the banks. We didn’t look forward to being anchored out alone but trusted that others would probably be “out there” too. We left bright and early the next morning with light seas and winds quartering on the boat. And within an hour of being “out” we found ourselves in radio contact with several old friends from Georgetown who were also making the passage--”Nice ‘n Easy” “Lady Ray” “Cavu” and “Delicia.” Cavu decided to join us on the banks for the night and we put down our anchors together about 6:00pm. At first all was well. The seas were a little rolly but not too uncomfortable and when we sat out in the cockpit, enjoying the sunset, all four of us were privileged to see the “green flash” as the sun sunk into the west! We went to bed shortly after that but as the night wore on both winds and waves kicked up and it was almost impossible to sleep. We awoke at 3:30am as planned, in order to make it into Bimini--our next stop--before dark the next day, and were surprised to find “Cavu” nowhere in sight! The had planned to sleep until dawn, but perhaps changed their minds--like us, finding sleep impossible. But we have no idea where they went and what happened to them. Our radio was on all night, but there was no contact. We can only hope they pushed on across the banks and continued on to the states at daybreak as many of the other boats had planned to do.

For us it was another perfect day of travelling in ideal conditions, arriving in Bimini as planned about 3:00pm--12 hours later. By 6:00pm “Silver Girl” pulled in to the harbour and we found ourselves once again in radio contact with “Suncast” who chose to anchor outside the island. With only one more day separating us from Florida, and terrific weather conditions for crossing the gulf stream, the last 24 hours in the Bahamas should’ve been a relaxing experience. But this was not to be. When we had pulled up our anchor at 3:00am that morning, Vince was unable to see where it was. The holding was too good and the waves battering the boat too strong, and, as a result too much pressure was put to bear on the bowsprit of the boat as he struggled to free the anchor, and part of it broke off! We did manage to get the anchor up and secured but it would be impossible to use it again as the broken sprit could no longer support it. Luckily we have 2 of just about everything on this boat, for just such an eventuality. We still had a 2nd anchor supported on the other side of the bowsprit, but our confidence was shaken. All the way back across the banks, Vince was mulling over the “anchor situation” in his mind and by the time we arrived at Bimini, he was a little unsettled and very tired. We knew the next day would be long and harrowing--crossing the gulf stream in always unnerving, no matter how good the sailing conditions are. And Vince was very tired from the long 12 hour day he had just endured. But there were things still to do before we could turn in for the night and despite being exhausted Vince continued to busy himself taking care of all the little details necessary to ensure a safe passage until just before dark.

When we had entered the Bimini channel this time round, the co-ordinates were wrong and we almost went aground. And tides could not have been worse for leaving the next day. We’d be casting off our lines right at low tide without proper co-ordinates, and it was going to be too dark to read the waters. There was every possibility that we would in fact go aground leaving the harbour in those conditions, but we were willing to give it a try anyway. Just before heading off to bed, with those worries plaguing his mind, Vince decided to do a final check of the engine. And to our horror we found it covered with thick patches of salt! There was no way we could consider leaving now until we could find the source of the problem, fix it, and remove all of the salt--hoping it hadn’t already corroded anything crucial! About an hour later, all of this had been done. The problem was identified as a malfunctioning “vented loop” (or so we hoped!) which Vince jury rigged with duct tape. All of the salt had not been adequately removed from the engine compartment, but Vince could hardly keep his eyes open any longer and HAD to get to bed. And now we faced the very real possibility that we might not be able to leave the next day for Florida after all. This was very discouraging because the weather window was starting to close with heavy winds and possible thunderstorms approaching within the next few days. And we were so close to safety!

The next morning we were up well before 6:00 with clear heads. We immediately attacked the salt on the engine and within an hour had it completely cleaned up. With 15 minutes left before our scheduled departure time, the engine was now “a go” but there was still much to do before we were psychologically ready to push off. And we decided the timing was too tight and that we’d have to put off our departure for another day. Then we heard the engines revving up on the huge cruiser beside us and I had a brain wave. I ran over to the captain of that boat and asked if he was planning to leave, what was his draft and did he feel confident about attempting the channel on the low tide. He was leaving momentarily, had the same draft as us and felt the channel would be no problem. If we wanted to follow in his wake, he was willing to wait another 15 minutes for us to get our act together and shepherd us out. And so we did--rushing around, closing hatches, stowing away gear, getting out the life jackets, turning on the depth sounder and chart plotter and casting off our lines. Vince didn’t think we could do it but we had nothing to lose and with the weather holding, we had to give it a try.

At 8:00 we were following the big cruiser out into the channel and confidently on our way when we watched it hit a shallow spot and run aground! We immediately swerved off in the other direction and, with very careful attention to the charts and depths, slowly made our way away from Bimini and into deeper water. With its powerful engines the other boat was in fact eventually able to free itself from the sand and ironically it was them following us out into the ocean and not vice vera. It was great to find ourselves back into deep water again with calm seas and an absolutely perfect wind direction for crossing over! And when we put up both jib and main, and found ourselves flying across the water with sustained 7 knots in our sails we were very glad we had put in the extra effort needed to leave when we did! We were unable to make radio contact with “Suncast” who were several hours ahead of us and “Silver Girl” who had elected to remain behind in Bimini for another days rest before attempting the last leg home. But we did maintain contact with “Delicia” and “Lady Ray” who had left from Cat Cay shortly before our departure, although we didn’t actually see their boats until we were just off the coast of Florida. This passage we made alone. But with perfect sailing conditions under sunny skies, I was relaxed, happy and not afraid.

We pulled into the Lake Worth Inlet just before 6:00 but had to almost immediately turn around and head back out again when we encountered a humungous cruise ship on its way out! But half an hour later we found ourselves turning into the calm south anchorage of Lake Worth and settling in just in front of both Lady Ray and Suncast who had both arrived just a few hours before. Vince gingerly set the 2nd anchor and we had a firm holding for the night. After a very long sleep on still waters in a safe place we awoke the next morning, ate a leisurely breakfast and headed off in our dinghy for customs. We enjoyed at great lunch at the thatched tiki restaurant at Riviera Beach and spent much of the afternoon relaxing with Barb and Bill aboard Suncast. Over the next few days we slowly made our way north to Titusville, stopping at Vero to say goodbye to friends, and do a few odd jobs about the boat. We will be staying in Titusville for about a week, where we’ll be making repairs and improvements to the boat before having it hauled out there at Westland Marina. Then it’s into the car--which we left in Titusville--and back to Canada, hopefully well before the end of April. We’ve had a wonderful adventure in the Bahamas this year, but have been away for almost 8 months now and it’s time to return to the family and friends we’ve been missing. And we look forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Spanish Wells

2010-04-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

Beach at Spanish Wells and tuypical houses

Early morning on the water

Grouper being prepared next to our boat at anchor-thats fresh

During our last day at Rock Sound we leased a car and toured the northern part of Eleuthera. We stopped at Governors Harbour, James Cistern and at an upscale resort community perched on limestone cliffs above the Atlantic. We also discovered a great shelling beach finding half a dozen large perfect specimens of mauve conchs and banded Tulip shells--two types of shells that I have not seen “still in one piece” anywhere else in the Bahamas.

The next day we headed out of Rock Sound Harbour with a convoy of 6 other boats, all heading north. We stopped at “Alabaster Bay--a beautiful crescent of beach midway up the island. Several of the other cruisers went ashore for dinner at an upscale restaurant and a stroll along the strand, but our dinghy was lashed on board with its motor stowed away and we didn’t want to put in the effort necessary to launch it. Instead, we chose to enjoy a quiet evening with supper drinks in the cockpit. The next morning we left early for the last leg of our passage up to the northern tip of Eleuthera, through the tricky “Current Cut” and on to Spanish Wells--a small island settlement populated by the descendants of pirates, buccaneers, pilgrims and United Empire Loyalists.

At Spanish Wells we tied up to a slip at its marina where we enjoyed showers and laundering facilities. And it was great to once again be able to walk on and off the boat without having to use the dinghy! We were welcomed to the “neighbourhood” by Linda and Larry from the trawler “Akasha” who were tied up in the slip beside us. We had met these cruisers briefly at Georgetown but as we got to know them here at Spanish Wells, we have to say that they are two of the most generous, friendly people we’ve come across to date. “Akasha” had leased an electric golf cart for the week and as soon as we were settled in, Linda insisted on taking us on a tour of the island. We visited the supermarket, a great little general store and a “Shell Lady” who had turned her garage into a little shell shop. Then it was off to the pier to see a pregnant Manatee and a visit to a local fisherman who had fresh grouper and lobsters for sale. We passed restaurants, beaches, and a new seaside community currently being developed. Linda stopped to introduce us to people she knew and was a wealth of local knowledge! After the tour, we were invited back to her yacht for drinks and then we walked over to a local diner for a delicious dinner.

The next morning we strolled along the beautiful 2 mile stretch of ivory sand that lines the northern shore of Spanish Wells. Since it was Good Friday, all of the commercial establishments were closed, but it was fun just walking through the neighbourhood, admiring the colourful houses and beautiful gardens that surround them.

Spanish Wells sits on an island that is just 2 miles long and half a mile wide. It is covered with pretty houses painted in pastel colours. Unlike many of the other settlements we’ve visited, this one is almost pristine. The dwellings are in good repair, and there is very little litter and no “rubble.” This is not a rich community, but it is well kept and friendly--very middle class. Most of the white Bahamians that populate this place are related to each other--60% of whom share the same surname: “Pinder.” Most of the others seem to be “Albury’s.” They speak with a quaint English accent, and we are told that there is no crime here. The island is “dry”--no alcohol for sale, the people are very industrious and seem to be very happy. They are blessed to be able to live here. We had hoped to spend a few more days at Spanish Wells, taking the ferry to Harbour Island, another unusual destination and a very upscale community. But a wonderful weather window has again opened and the next 5 days look to be perfect for making our way back to the USA. These opportunities have been very rare this year, with cold fronts pinning us down for weeks at a time. And so we’ve decided to take this opportunity to head back home while we still can. Tomorrow we’ll head off to Nassau, the next day across the Tongue of the Ocean, through the Northwest Channel and onto the banks where we hope to drop an anchor for the night. Then on to Bimini and, if the weather still holds, cross the gulf stream to Palm Beach and Lake Worth on the 4th day. That’s the plan. But things don’t always go according to plan.

Eleuthera - Rock Sound

2010-03-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Early the next morning we motored over to the dinghy dock and spent a few hours exploring the village. There were a handful of small businesses scattered along the shore-side road with a supermarket and hardware store only a short walk away. At Dingle’s Garage Chris, the proprietor, made a phone call to “Rosie” who promised to pick us up there later in the day to take us out for dinner at the small restaurant she runs out of her home. Then it was off for a hike across the island to the Atlantic side for several hours of beachcombing before returning to the boat for lunch. We spent the first part of the afternoon with “Alesto” and “Suncast,” both of whom dinghied over for a visit aboard Fortnight. Then it was off once again, this time for dinner at Rosies ,which was absolutely delicious. We enjoyed the best chops, macaroni & cheese, peas & rice, fried plantain, and cole slaw that we have ever tasted anywhere. That woman can really cook! She was also an avid shell collector. And her home was filled with baskets of brightly coloured shells and crafts in progress. When she learned that I too shared her passion, she invited me to accompany her and her friend to a secluded beach outside of Tarpum Bay which she said was littered with shells.

The next day was overcast, windy and threatening rain. Vince elected to stay aboard in case of squalls, but I headed off with Rosie and Viola to the special shell beach--about 20 minutes away by car. We had a great morning together and I was grateful to have been befriended by a local. Vince picked me up at the dock later, just as it was beginning to rain. But we managed to get back to the boat before it really came down. It felt wonderful to shed our damp clothes, prepare a hot drink and “cocoon” in our cozy cabin while lightning and thunder rumbled outside.

We left the boat bright and early the next morning, heading off with Lee and Shari from “Alesto” back to Dingles where we had arranged to hire a car for the day. Our first stop was at the “Island School,” about half and hour south of Rock Sound, where our friends, Bob and Birgit Bateman had written that their son Christopher and his wife were teaching. When we got there however, we found that they had moved on back to Canada but we were offered a guided tour of the facility. What an absolutely incredible place this is!! The entire complex is “off-grid”. Hundreds of solar panels and a large wind generator provide the electricity needed for lights and hot water. Vegetable Oil is brought in from the cruise ships and island restaurants where it is converted into biodiesel on site. This powers all of the schools cars and some of their boats. There are composting bins and organic vegetable gardens. Pigs, ducks and goats provide meat eggs and milk. Trees are harvested, planed and simple furniture made for the student dorms and dining room. All of the buildings have been designed with roofs that are either curved to collect rainwater which is stored in cisterns, or flat and covered with gardens. The buildings are constructed with indigenous materials. We saw one that was made of bottles and cylinders of scrap wood “cemented together” with a stucco-like material made by grinding up conch shells! The most amazing facility here however was a huge Aquaponic system consisting of dozens of gigantic vats of both salt water and fresh water fish. The water from these vats was continually recycling through a large hydroponic “garden” growing thousands of vegetables.

Students here come from all parts of North America and placement is highly competitive. They stay for a semester and study marine biology, scuba, water sports, celestial navigation, solar/wind power systems, hydroponics, etc. and hopefully return home with a new way of looking a the world and their place in it.

We spent an entire morning at the Island School and then continued south to the Eleuthera marina for lunch. On our way back to Rock Sound we stopped to watch a woman making stewed tomatoes over an open fire. When we asked if we could buy a few from her, she refused to take our money and insisted on giving them to us for free! We continued on, visiting a gated golf-resort community and then stopping at the Tarpum Bay shelling beach for an hour of beach combing. By 5:00 we had had enough activity for the day and returned to our boats for a light dinner and early evening.

Alesto called us at 8:00 the next morning inviting us over for breakfast and to say goodbye. They were heading off to Governor’s Harbour and we promised to keep in touch and look out for each other later in the week. Sherri made the most wonderful bread for our breakfast from sour dough starter which she keeps on the boat. She has given me a cupful and when I finish up my current loaf, I’ll try making it too. After Alesto left, we took down our Genoa, which is in need of repair and carted it off to the local upholstery shop which also mends sails. On the trip over to Eleuthera, I noticed that the stitching had come out in several places and, had we not been able to get this repaired, we could’ve found ourselves in serious trouble with a ripped sail during the next crossing. While we waited for the repairs to be made we dinghied off for lunch at a beautiful seaside restaurant, returned to the boat to sort shells, read, write a blog and visit with friends from yet another boat--Pat and Tutti from “Celtic Cat” (Nova Scotia) who we met here on our last trip two years ago. The wind dropped just before dusk and we were able to bend on the repaired Genoa before turning in for the the evening. It felt really good to know that we were keeping on top of things and that the boat was sea-worthy once again.

We had hoped to head north the next morning but unsettled weather moved in and we decided to stay on here until the easterlies returned. Over the next few days more old friends from the Exumas arrived including “Discovery,” “Sunspot Baby,” and “Early Out,” with the harbour beginning to look and feel more like Georgetown every day as we dinghied back and forth for social visits, luncheons out and special dinners ashore. As I write this blog, yet even more boats are coming into the harbour to wait out the next blow. But as soon as we can, we’ll pull up the anchor and head north once again.

North to Eleuthra

2010-03-25T04:16:00.001-07:00

The trip north up the Exumas was perfect. We have chosen our weather windows well this time around--waiting for the best possible conditions to venture out into potentially dangerous waters and it has really paid off for us. The journey was made in record time and 10 hours/58 miles later, we dropped the hook into the sheltered cove at Sampsons Cay--one of our favourite places to be. On our way into our anchorage we passed one of the largest yachts I had ever seen, anchored discreetly about a mile out from the Cay. It was surrounded by three smaller speedboats--supposedly guarding the privacy of the bigger vessel and we wondered who could possibly be aboard. Later that evening as we were enjoying after dinner coffee in the cockpit, one of the speedboats left its “mother ship” with 3 passengers and crew. As it sped by our boat on its way into the marina I got a good look at who was aboard--a large black man, small slender woman with shoulder length white blond hair and small brown child with dark curls--and I could’ve sworn I was looking at Tiger Woods and his family! I shouted to Vince to turn around and confirm what I was seeing but he did so too late. They had already passed, with the man ducking his head as they approached the deserted landing. So, who knows?

We were surprised to find “Oconee” and “Cats Paw” still at Sampsons after leaving them here more than 6 weeks ago! I guess this is one of their favourite places too. We had lunch with them at the restaurant the next day and also made contact with “Ultra” and “Seas the Day” who were anchored only a few miles away at Staniel Cay. We stayed at Sampsons for 2 days while waiting for a weather window to cross the wide stretch of deep ocean which separates the Exumas from the island of Eleuthera. During this time we did our laundry, boat maintenance, showered and visited friends. We had planned to move further up the Exuma chain before making our ocean crossing but the weather suddenly changed before we had a chance to do so and we found ourselves having to make a quick decision to go--NOW! It was 7:00am, the dinghy and motor still had to be manually hauled from the water and stowed away, and the first safe harbour in Eleuthera was almost 60 miles away. It would be a close call whether we’d be able to get there before dark. But the winds were right, the seas almost flat and we decided it was worth a try. For the next hour we hustled about the boat stowing everything away, getting out life jackets, and securing both dinghy and motor aboard. And then we were off. We knew that if we couldn’t make the necessary speed to do the crossing in time that we could always turn back. But conditions were perfect, the wind was a close reach and, once out, we found we could make between 6-7 knots--enough to ensure a daylight passage.

We saw no other boats out on the water during our crossing but when we turned the final corner into the comfortable Rock Sound harbour in Eleuthera, we saw a dozen boats already there and swinging at anchor. Shortly after settling in, Sherri and Lee from “Alesto” dinghied over to welcome us into the anchorage. We were too tired to go ashore with them--content simply to prepare a nourishing meal and spend a quiet evening aboard planning things to do on this new island over the coming weeks.

North to Eleuthra

2010-03-25T03:56:00.001-07:00

Sampson key at the end of a long day Fortnight on autopilot

Georgetown Revisited

2010-03-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

Clockwise: Chat 'N Chill beach, The hurricane hole where we will leave our boat in December, view from Klevelly House

We glided into our anchorage off Stocking Island about 3:00pm after a wonderful sail from Long Island with a broad reach and following seas. Only one frightening incident altered this otherwise perfect day--but it was a doozy. During an accidental “jibe” Vince got caught up in the handful of thick lines running just over his head diagonally across his back to the traveller. But as he leaned back, just as the jibe occurred, they positioned themselves in front of him with the ropes catching him cross the upper chest and neck! As the boom suddenly swung outwards, he was jerked right out of his seat and thrown against the life line where he was pinned half in and half out of the boat! Fortunately, his hand just happened to be positioned at his throat when this occurred allowing him push at the ropes--keeping them away from his neck. Had he not been in a position to do this, the sudden and enormous thrust of the boom against the ropes at his throat would easily have snapped his neck!! After pulling him off of the lifelines, back into the cockpit, and freeing him from the taut imprisoning ropes, he was able to climb back behind the steering wheel and bring the boat under control. It was an extremely sobering incident. We continued on in stunned silence for the rest of the journey--each immersed in our own thoughts. Vince pondering possible modifications to the traveller and I seething with how such a simple oversight on his part almost brought us to a quick and tragic end.

As we sailed past the hundreds of vessels still anchored in Georgetown, we were saddened to realize that most of our old friends had moved on--their boats now replaced with others having unfamiliar names. But since we were continuing northward the next morning, it didn’t really matter. We launched the dinghy, motored into town for last minute supplies and prepared to settle in for an early evening. A couple from the boat “Meredith” came over to welcome us into the anchorage and to invite us to a bonfire beachparty planned for later that evening. But we declined, knowing we’d need a solid nights sleep before the next leg of our passage. Half an hour later the dinghy from “Joana” also motored over to repeat the invitation. After recognizing her owners, Wade and Diane from an encounter with them in Nassau many weeks before, we began to reconsider our decision to move on and decided to stay just a little bit longer. We had promised to say a proper good-bye to both Blue Blazer and Brydil Ankar when we returned from Long Island. And if it now meant missing the rest of this weather window and staying put till the next one, then so be it. We went to the party and had a great time. The next morning we motored over to “Peace and Plenty” for a big breakfast and later met up with Majlis and Don. We made some phone calls home and returned happy and relaxed for an afternoon on the boat. Majlis had invited us for dinner the next day but the weather turned, bringing with it huge waves and wind and Blue Blazer was anchored too far away to make the journey possible without getting completely soaked! And so, for the next few days we made the best of it, keeping in touch with friends over the radio, baking a cinnamon cake and inviting our close neighbours from both “Meredith” and “Joana” over to help us devour it, and reading our novels. (Rod, if you’re reading this, Meredith’s captain is Bob Benner, a lawyer from Lucan who knows you. Small world!) It was also during this time aboard that I wrote the previous blog--Cabin Fever. Sunday morning we awoke to more settled waters and wasted no time getting ourselves to shore to make the most of the day. And what a day it was! We spent the morning beach combing, gathering up the shells washed up on the sand from the rough waves that had imprisoned us aboard our boats the past few days (there is a silver lining.) Then we dinghied over to “Klevelly House” where, after a tour of their hurricane hole, the cottages for rent, and the gorgeous grounds, we made arrangements to leave our boat for the upcoming month of December there, allowing us to be home for Christmas this year with family and friends. Then it was off to “Chat ‘n Chill” for their Sunday pork BBQ and a visit with many of our friends at Volleyball Beach. At 6:00 we dinghied over to Hamburger Beach to socialize with “Meredith,” “Joana” and 6 other cruisers who were enjoying a pot-luck dinner and finally retired happy and tired to bed. The winds kicked up the next day necessitating banishment to the boat once again. But we were so wacked from the previous days non-stop action that we were content to relax aboard alone with our radio, novels and each other.

The next morning we headed off with Meredith and Joana for breakfast in Georgetown and reprovisioning. I bought a lovely birthday gift for Julie and some items in the straw market for myself. We have been invited over to Brydil Anchar for a farewell visit with Satya, Phil and their kids this evening and tomorrow we’ll say goodbye to both Meredith and Joana who are heading south for Cuba and beyond. They’ve asked us to come with them but the pull to both family and friends in Canada is too strong. The winds look good to continue north at the end of the week. Blue Blazer should be back by then and Beltane wants to head north too. Hopefully we’ll have them both as boat buddies for the passage out of Georgetown.

Cabin Fever

2010-03-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Clockwise:Not all our walks are on the beach, Linda on beach,Not all beaches are pristine-Atlantic garbage

For several days now we have been confined to the boat, imprisoned by the wind and waves which have been plaguing the Bahamas this year. And with no TV and few diversions, introspection is unavoidable. Thankfully, due to my daily dose of “Prosac” each morning, the edge has been taken off my fears, worries and the obsessive nature of my personality this time round--much to Vince’s relief. But, as drugs are wont to do, it has also altered my sense of reality. I notice this especially when I re-read my blogs. Same season, same place as the last trip--but the situations which attract my attention and my reactions to them this time round are very different. For the most part, events experienced with the aid of “Prosac” are seen through rose coloured glasses. And it’s very difficult for me to break through the fog of my euphoria and clearly identify and describe unsettling feelings which I sense lurking somewhere in the further recesses of my mind. I know they ARE there because increasingly I awake at night with disturbing dreams of images from the past. Here are some of the things that have been bothering me:

1.Approach/Avoidance

I long to return home to see my family and friends. At the same time I can’t help thinking about those that are no longer there. Uncle Ken, Aunt Clarissa, Mac and Amy! That whole wonderful family is decimated now with only Bonnie and Ann remaining. And when I think of walking around the block back home in Troy, too many of the houses I’ll pass no longer hold my friends who have been taken by the ravages of cancer. I can’t even look forward to lunch with my old teaching buddies without knowing I’ll hear of yet another colleague stricken with some horrible illness.

Here, we are all active and healthy--as are all of the people we meet with day after day. True, bad things happen. Broken fingers, cracked ribs, torn ligaments and nasty gouges seem to be a weekly occurrence here--but at least they’re not life-threatening. Here we are active and healthy--as are all of the people we meet with day after day. Here we are happy and carefree. The sun shines and there is laughter and good times. But as much as I enjoy cruising with these kindred spirits, they are NOT my family. And after a day of fun is over there still remains an ache the next morning, to get back home and be with my children, siblings and old friends--despite knowing that may also mean being immersed in regret, worry and sadness. Approach/Avoidance.

The Cruising Life

It never ceases to amaze me how many interesting and fun-loving people there are aboard boats. Back home Vince and I often felt that we didn’t “fit in.” But here, despite coming from all corners of North America and from every conceivable background imaginable, we have so much in common with each other. We are adventurers all! Appearances mean nothing. Our husbands look beneath our unvarnished exteriors and into our souls, loving us deeply for the companionship and comfort we bring onto our boats. The women wear no make-up. Hairstyles are comfortable and there is no competition for looks, clothes or prestige. We are fat and skinny, old and young, but bonded together by the same feelings. We have all given up the same things to be with our men. We all face the same fears (and most of us are on the same medications!) We exist with the same sparse possessions and give each other hugs and support every day.

But despite these obvious similarities, there are some very real differences. Not all of us have homes and families to return to. Many cruisers have no material possessions except their boat and what little there is on it. The only constant in many of their lives is each other and, after a decade or more of living on the water, I can’t imagine what they would do if one of them was to die. Having long ago broken any ties to land-based family and friends, there is no home or people for many of them to return to. Some are into 2nd relationships. Their own children are a thing of the past. They’ve moved on. I can’t understand how they can cut those bonds, but they have. And many men are completely alone in their boats with only a dog. The transience of the cruising community is hard to get used to. You’ll be sailing with a “group” for a week--best friends all--and then it just breaks apart as people decide that going to a different destination is more important than staying together. A bit like trying to herd cats. And suddenly you find yourselves alone again. Granted, it’s easy to make NEW friends because others don’t want to sail alone either, but I always find it unsettling when the break-ups occur. It’s then that you think about going home again--to the people you’ve known forever and who are always there. And then the “approach/avoidance thing hits. I guess the drugs are a good thing. They keep all these conflicting thoughts and feelings at bay. And you just live in a present tense--never worrying about the future or regretting things past. But when you’re cabin bound, there’s little to do but to “think” and feel a bit “sick” about the way things are in life. I guess that’s why they call it cabin fever.

Long Island

2010-03-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

Beach to ourselves Adderley plantation ruins circa 1780

LONG ISLAND

2010-03-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

Left: Linda with "PERSEPHONE " and "COOKIE MONSTER"

Right: Long Island beach

Left: Linda on the beach

Top Left: Linda with her shells

We awoke early on Saturday morning taking our breakfast of coffee, hot chocolate and toasted bagels out to the cockpit where we could enjoy the sunshine and warm breeze. As we looked around Thompson Bay we counted 31 boats in our anchorage and decided it would be fun if we all got together for dinner. I put out an “all-call” over the radio and within minutes had 45 cruisers signed up for the Bahamian Buffet at Thompsons Bay Inn where the cook, “Tryfina,” was famous for her culinary skills. What a great time we all had! Cookie Monster, Persephone and Two not Available were there along with Mike and Angie from “Lady of Lorien” who we hadn’t seen since our trip to the Bahamas 2 years ago! We were delighted to run into them once again and spent several hours together at dinner catching up on news.

The next day we rented a car and headed north to explore the island. We stopped at a rambling flower filled resort called “Stella Maris” which had been founded by a German consortium which attracted European clientele and then headed off to find the “Adderley Plantation” ruins which the original United Empire Loyalist settlers here had built over 250 years ago. Most of the trails were overgrown but we continued on till we finally arrived at 3 buildings--still intact to some extent--after all of this time. There was a little plaque at the site telling what happened to the settlers and their descendants--a little tragic but very interesting. Then it was off to Santa Maria where we enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking turquoise water at another absolutely gorgeous ocean front resort owned by Canadians. On the way home we checked out the local real estate, knocking on the door of a villa that was offered for sale “by owner.” He graciously invited us inside for a tour of his house and grounds telling us much about life an an expat resident. But it was too rich for our blood--he wanted 1.5 million for his piece of paradise--a little out of our price range. But it was good to visit with an American who actually lived here. We had left on our little expedition at 8:00am and returned at 4:00pm completely exhausted! Our cruising friends had planned a cook out on the beach that evening but we were too zonked to get involved, choosing instead to hit the sack early.

The next morning we returned the car and bid farewell to most of the boats we had been cruising with. Many of them were heading off to alternate anchorages in Long Island with subsequent trips further south towards the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos and beyond--nowhere that we were going. Instead, we chose to enjoy a leisurely day aboard the boat, reading our novels and later, exploring the beach.

When I had arranged the big dinner party earlier in the week, I spent a lot of time getting to know Tryfina--the Bahamian who cooked for us. In addition to being an excellent chef, Tryfina, like me, is an avid shell collector. And she had been so grateful to me for bringing so much business to her restaurant that evening that, in appreciation, she promised to take me to her secret “shelling beach” later in the week. On Tuesday, as arranged, Vince and I went back to her restaurant for breakfast, after which we all piled into her little red pick-up truck and headed along back roads and trails which eventually took us to a secluded beach which--as promised--was littered with shells! She returned several hours later to pick up two completely exhausted but happy beach-combers carrying bags of lovely specimens.

After dinghying back to the boat, we dropped off our loot and, picking up laundry, showering gear, and computer--jumped back into the dinghy and headed off to the Island Breeze resort--the local hangout for cruisers. Here we met with friends, enjoyed a late lunch, showered, washed all of our clothes/bedding and spent an hour on the computer catching up on correspondence and posting this blog. We have decided to leave Long Island tomorrow. We had planned to stay here a little longer but the wind is shifting and so it’s time to move on once again.

Georgetown Week 5

2010-03-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

Our FINAL week in Georgetown (Yes! we FNALLY got out!!) began with a sumptuous breakfast at Peace and Plenty Resort followed by a day long weather seminar featuring our weather guru Chris Parker (flown in from Florida), with over 200 cruisers in attendance. If there’s one thing we all have in common with each other here in the cruising community aside from an adventurous spirit, it’s a fascination with weather systems--especially when our very survival depends on it. You’d be amazed to learn what there is to know about weather. I left the hordes lining up for hamburgers and yet even more “weather talk” to meet with my friend Nancy from “I needawind2” for lunch in a civilized locale. We sat out on the deck of a lovely restaurant overlooking the water and enjoyed salad, coffee and girl talk before returning for the afternoon weather session.

After having endured so much seminar “excitement” the day before, we spent most of Sunday in brainless activity--finishing up our novels and vegging out aboard the boat. At 3:00 however, we dinghied over to St. Francis Resort where a big screen TV was televising the gold medal hockey game between Canada and the USA. There was a small contingent of Canadians there rooting for our team interspersed amongst all the Yanks and we were ecstatic to say the least when the final overtime goal resulted in another gold for Canada. Then it was a celebratory dinner of Jerk Chicken followed by the weekly round of Trivial Pursuit. Over 100 cruisers competed in Sunday’s game and we were surprised to find our team--appropriately called “Linda and the Bearded Boys” (because the 3 men on our team all sport beards)--tied for 3rd place!! Bottles of wine were up for grab for the winners but after 4 tie-breaking questions, we finished 4th. No worries. It was a fun day!

Monday was the first official day of the Georgetown Cruising Regatta with a pet parade, variety show and 70’s dance. It was fun, fun, fun, all day long. But that evening yet another cold front moved in and it was impossible to get off the boat for the next 3 days without getting completely soaked by the strong waves. At this point we decided to move the boat to a more sheltered location, across the harbour to Crab Cay where we could more easily visit with friends. That evening we were invited over to meet our new neighbours (Makana, Persephone, and Dancing Dolphins) aboard Cookie Monster. There was lots to eat and drink and we had a great time. We are all getting desperate to “move on” and FINALLY, on Friday March 5th, were able to do just that! Cookie Monster was first out of the anchorage joining Tortuga and Suncat enroute for Long Island. Then Makana and finally, at mid-tide, the water was deep enough for us to leave along with Persephone. Waves were 5’ in the sound but behind us and the wind, at 20k was also at our backs so we had a quick run south to Long Island. We saw 14 other boats following us and so we had lots of company along the way.

We are now anchored at Thompsons Bay, Long Island with 30 other cruisers--ready to start the next leg of our 2010 Bahamian adventure.

2010-03-09T12:57:00.000-08:00

Left: Conch shell blowing Right: Audience at the variety show

Georgetown Week 4

2010-02-27T06:26:00.000-08:00

Everyone turned out for the bocce tournament

We had hoped to leave for Long Island this week but the weather did not cooperate and so we spent another week here in Georgetown. More boats are arriving here every day and the social life is non-stop. We began the week with the Exuma Horticultural Fair on Saturday with exhibits of exotic plants and vegetables and some interesting lectures about ecological issues affecting flora and fauna in the Bahamas. Sunday began with “Beach Church” with over 100 cruisers in attendance this week. We sat on Muskoka Chairs and at picnic tables with our toes in the sand. There was a choir and small “orchestra” of 6 boaters who had brought musical instruments. Along with flutes and guitars, we even had a synthesizer! Afterwards we feasted on goodies--cinnamon buns,brownies, squares and other sweet delights baked by the cruisers the day before, and had a good visit with each other--making new friends and welcoming the old ones. We returned to the boat for a well-needed afternoon rest and then ventured out again for dinner at St. Francis Resort and the weekly Trivial Pursuit competition that is held there each Sunday evening. This week our partners were Majlis and Don from “Blue Blazer” who maintain a home in the Toronto Beaches when not in the Bahamas. Vince knew Don previously from OBBC and so we had lots to talk about.

“Dana” and “My Whim” have left now, sailing northwards towards home and so we are finding ourselves amongst new friends. I met an interesting Dutch couple unexpectedly on the beach early in the week when, through a mis-communication with Vince about where we would meet up with each other (I was at Bible Study on one beach and he at a WiFi seminar on another), I found myself alone, stranded 3 miles from the boat and unable to contact anyone as to my whereabouts. And so I walked the entire way along the Atlantic shore of Stocking Island until far in the distance I saw a couple frolicking in the surf. But before I could catch up with them they disappeared into the foliage making their way along the shady island trail back to their dinghy on the sheltered side of the island. They were just about to push off when I came crashing out of the woods behind them, like a crazy women, claiming to have been abandoned on the island and begging to be taken back to my boat which I could now see from shore. After that we became friends. They came over to Fortnight for sundowners one evening and later in the week they invited us aboard their boat “Elza” for a candlelit dinner! They have been living aboard their boat now for 16 years having travelled here originally from Holland and, since then, cruising extensively in the Mediterranean and everywhere in the Caribbean.

On Wednesday we were invited to join 5 other couples from Guelph (of all places!) for lunch and a “get-to-know-each-other” at St. Francis Resort. We spent the better part of the afternoon together and hope to see each other again at a pot-luck over the summer when we’ll all be back in Canada. We were all battened down for a big blow which came with a strong cold front on Thursday and for most of the day no one ventured off their boats as winds as strong as 50k threatened to dislodge anchors. But everyone got through it all unscathed and when the seas calmed down a little, Majlis and Don--who are anchored beside us--managed to dinghy over to our boat for sundowners and a visit. Yesterday all was completely calm once again as we made our way over to Volleyball Beach under sunny skies for the annual Bocci Ball tournament. Hundreds of cruisers were on the beach! Rockin’ Ron was spinning discs from the 60’s, the tiki hut at Chat ‘n Chill was dispensing “Goombay Smash” and “Bahama Mamas” non-stop and it was party party party all day long! We didn’t manage to win anything in the Bocci Ball Tournament, but our boat name was called during a draw and we ended up leaving the beach with a bottle of fine merlot. Another blow is expected this evening so everyone is making preparations once again to “batten down the hatches” and sit it out. The weather is promising to lighten up early next week so hopefully we’ll be able to pull up our anchor then. Until that happens however, we’re happy to be here in this wonderful place.

2010-02-22T08:45:00.000-08:00

Left:view we have from the cockpit when reading or eating.

Right: view from anchor at Sand Dollar Beach

Left: computer shop in downtown Georgetown.

Right: dinghy dock at Hamburgar Beach

Georgetown Week 3

2010-02-22T08:44:00.001-08:00

It was an easy sail back to Georgetown with fair winds and following seas and we were able to set our hook in calm waters off the shore of Sand Dollar Beach shortly before noon. We waved to “I-need-a-wind2” as we passed him still anchored at Monument Beach, and dropped by to say hello to Jim and Bonnie on “Dana,” who are located a stones throw from our boat. As soon as we were settled in, I headed off to the wonderful shallow beach that is here in search for sand dollars and returned home a few hours later with 12 of them!

The next day we dinghied in to Georgetown for a special buffet luncheon at the local Anglican Church which was raising money for their youth program. We met up with Bunky and Jeff aboard “Party of Two” there, and spent a great afternoon with them. They have a house in Mississauga and a B&B in Tobermory and we knew them previously as members of the OBBC (Ontario Boat Builders Coop). That night was another evening of Trivial Pursuit at St. Francis Resort and they asked us to meet them there as partners. And so we did. “Dana” and “My Whim” were also there and after the games we were invited over to their table to celebrate Bonnies 61st birthday--complete with cake, candles, and lots of humour. What a great evening! The following morning was the ham radio operators luncheon meeting on Hamburger Beach with about 60 cruisers in attendance. I stayed for lunch and socializing but, since SSB radio details are really not my “thing,” headed off for some serious beach combing when the actual meeting began, finding some great shells on a deserted “virgin” shoreline. The next morning Vince dinghied off to “Brydil Anchar” where he spent several hours helping their son Carl with some Algebra and in the afternoon I headed off with Bonnie and Sheri to show them where to find sand dollars. It was fun trolling in the shallows with the girls and we managed to return with about 10 specimens and half a dozen star fish between us.

On Friday morning, just before we headed off to the “Peace and Plenty” resort for breakfast, we heard some disturbing news over our SSB radio. One of the boats from Georgetown--”Second Wind”--skippered by a Quebecois who we all call super Mario, had run aground on rocks at Rum Cay--not far from here. Within minutes he found himself with knee-deep water in the cockpit of his boat and barely had time to grab his personal papers and escape before it sunk! Luckily this all happened not far from the Rum Cay Marina and he was able to summon help quickly before the boat went down. But it was still a total loss. And then unbelievably, barely an hour later, we received word that the captain of yet another Georgetown boat--”Hocus-Pocus”--suffered a horrendous fall on the rocks ashore at the “Ragged Islands”--the boon docks of the Bahamas, north-east of Cuba. The coast guard at Guantanamo was called but wouldn’t respond because his injuries were not life-threatening. Luckily other boats were with Hocus-Pocus. One took him aboard and is presently rushing back to Georgetown where the cruisers here have arranged for him to be air-lifted to Nassau for surgery. Meanwhile, other boats in the Ragged Islands are looking after “Hocus-Pocus” until it can be safely returned to port here. There is NOTHING in the Ragged Islands except rocks and fish. Thank goodness for the help, and expertise of fellow cruisers. Without them, it would be game over for many. It is SO important to stick together out here!!

We have been having a lot of problems with both our wind generator and head. Vince incredibly managed to fix both this week--he is just amazing! Luckily the wind generator was still under warrantee and, after some calls stateside, a box of replacement parts were fedexed to Georgetown and after a day spent taking the WHOLE unit apart and reassembling it with new components, Vince had it up and actually working again. (Basil, if you’re reading this, we’ve kept the old unit for you to play with when we return.) Several other cruisers here were having the same problems with their “AirX” so we had an audience while Vince worked repairing ours. The next day we were asked to meet with about a dozen skippers on the beach where Vince chaired a meeting explaining what he had done to solve his generator problems and helping them with theirs. It’s good to have reliable “off-grid” power again!

On Friday evening, the event I love most was held at “Chat and Chill”--the annual Valentines Dance hosted by Philadelphian disc-jockey “Rockin’ Ron” and his wife “Kool Karen.” The dance had been originally scheduled for Feb.14th, but had to be post-poned to this weekend due to weather. It was an unbelievable evening with well over 100 cruisers dancing the night away under the stars to all the great tunes from the 60’s. This year we took lots of pictures which Vince has posted below. They include: me dancing with Corbet (“Cookie Monster”), Rockin Ron and Kool Karen spinning the discs and wearing the strange glasses, Phil and Satya in the red sequined dress (“Brydil Anchar”), Jim and Bonnie in the mauve top (“Dana”), John and Gina seated at the bar (“Two not Available), Bill & JoAnne with the Bahamian owner of the bar (“Ultra”), Don and Majlis standing in the doorway (“Blue Blazer”) and a shot of part of the dancing deck at Chat and Chill. These are some of the cruisers we’re currently hanging out with at Georgetown--unbelievably grandparents all (except Brdil Anchar who are here with 4 kids aboard!!) Now you can put faces to some of the people we talk about.

2010-02-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

Left:Satya and Philfrom BRYDIL ANCAR

Right:Dance

Rockin Ron and Kool Karen From SEA DANCER

Left John and Gina from TWO NOT AVAILABLE

Right Mark and Joanne from ULTRA

Left: Don and Majlis from BLUE BLAZER

Right: Jim and Bonnie from DANA

Linda dancing with Corbett from COOKIE MONSTER

Georgetown Week 2

2010-02-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

It really IS a small world! When our friends on Higheeled learned of our problems with the wind generator, they told us of another couple aboard “Lions Paw” whose unit had similar symptoms. After getting in touch with them they dinghied over to our boat to talk to us about possible solutions. Later, as they were getting ready to leave, we asked them where they were from. Burlington! When we told them we had taught school there, not only did we discover that Vince had been their daughters Physics teacher but that she had also been one of the students that he had taken to Nepal to build a school!!

After that exchange of information, we became fast friends and have spent a lot of time getting to know them better and finding out what their daughter has been doing in the ensuing 15 years.

There was a big blow here mid-week during which time we were all confined to our boats on anchor watch. Several boats broke loose--one of which had no one on board--and so there was much “bru-ha-ha” as cruisers jumped into dinghies, boarded the rogue boat and tried to bring it under control before it smashed into its neighbours. Eventually everything was put to rights and we were entertained over the cruisers net listening to everyone freaking out and making macabre jokes. That evening we invited Cal and Nancy aboard “I-need-a-wind2” over to play cards. Cal had some difficulty holding his “hand” since his thumb was heavily bandaged due to a horrendous anchoring accident he suffered 6 weeks ago. As he was approaching Bimini, his engine quit at the edge of some shoals. He impulsively rushed forward and dropped his anchor to avoid going aground just as a big wave struck the bow of his boat. This caused the anchor rode to slip--tearing his thumb off!! Luckily he didn’t lose it as it remained attached to his hand dangling by a cord of something or other. A big cruiser came out from Bimini, took him aboard and he was airlifted to Miami where they were able to sew it all back on. You’d think he’d decide to pack it in after all of that but no--he’s buddied up with various other boating convoys during the past month and soldiered on to Georgetown. We have been helping him over the past few days with anchoring and other tasks but I don’t know how his wife can put up with it all--she must be a saint.

We had a great time up at St. Francis Resort a few days ago teaming up with Satya and Phil from Brydil Anchar along with about 50 other cruisers for a great evening of competitive Trivial Pursuit. There were more long walks on the beach, books read and lunches out before another threatening “blow” forced many of us to decide to relocate to safer surroundings. Normally we’d sit this out, but Chris Parker, the Bahamian weather guru said that this next cold front--which has spawned hurricane force winds near Bermuda, and caused huge snowfalls in the southern US, was going to bring the strongest sustained winds to the Bahamas that he has seen in his 10 years of predicting weather. And so with that said, 65 of us pulled up anchors and headed 10 miles north to the marina at “Sandals--Emerald Bay” where we could safely weather the storm.

We’ve been here now for three days and having a wonderful time spoiling ourselves amid all the luxury a Sandals Resort provides. Because this place has only recently been acquired by Sandals, they are offering bargain rates to attract clientelle. We pay only $20/day to tie up here! Unbelievable!! We have been running into friends on a continual basis and have had some really good times. On Friday there was an “Olympic--opening ceremonies” party in the lounge and last night--Saturday--we charted a bus to take us all to a Valentines Party in Georgetown where, after a great dinner of ribs and jerk chicken, we boogied the night away to a live band under the stars beside the beach and swaying palm trees. We’ve walked the huge crescent shaped beach at Sandals and even hitch-hiked to a local village for lunch.

The day we all left Georgetown for Emerald Bay, the cruisers net was playing “chicken sounds” during their morning annoucements. And when all 65 of us return tomorrow, and the net asks for “new arrivals” I think they’re planning on playing the “Chicken Dance” over the airwaves as they welcome the chickens back to the coop. We’ll be travelling in a convoy accompanied by Blessed Spirit, Cookie Monster, My Whim, Higheeled, Lions Paw and Adagio, and may be anchoring off Stocking Island at Sand Dollar Beach this time around. Dana is still there along with Avalon, but who knows--we may break away from the pack once into Elizabeth Harbour and drop the hook someplace else entirely where we can make even more new friends and experience another change of scenery. Never a dull moment.

Position Reports

2010-02-13T12:50:00.000-08:00

If you are interested to find out where we are - go to

www.winlink.org//userpositions and type in my callsign VA3VDW at the bottom of the picture and then go to search.

2010-02-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

top row- Our track down, Storm in Elizabeth Harbour

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Cold front crossing the harbour

Linda organizing her treasures after walking the beach and our anchorage at Hamburger Beach

Elizabeth harbour looking north

Elizabeth Harbour looking south and west

Georgetown Week 1

2010-02-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

We entered the Atlantic through Cave Cay Cut just before the tide turned at 7:00am avoiding a “rage” and enjoying a comfortable ride on gentle swells all the way to Georgetown. At 2:00pm we spotted “High Heeled” frantically waving to us from his protected anchorage at Monument Beach and pulled in beside him where we dropped a hook in deep water. It was such a great feeling to be back in this familiar and friendly place. And it was not long before we were meeting our neighbours--old faces and new. “I need-a wind2” was here along with our friends from Avalon and Blue Blazer who we had originally met in Bimini and Key Biscayne respectively. As we were getting organized, the kids from Brydil Anchar dinghied over inviting us to visit their parents once we were settled in. We enjoyed a short but good visit with them later that evening and promised to see them again later in the week.

The next day was spent breakfasting at Peace and Plenty, provisioning at the Exuma Market in Georgetown, catching up on e-mail, and running into old friends. The rest of the week we relaxed and did very little--it was good just to “stop” and kick back. We slept late, read novels and walked for miles on Stocking Islands gorgeous beach, picking up shells, splashing in the water and drinking in the beautiful surroundings. We spent a morning with Mark and Jo-anne on “Avalon” dinghying across the harbour to Augusta Bay Resort for breakfast and strolling on a beach to collect shells later. At a Ham Radio luncheon a few days later we ran into Vivien from “Second Chance” who we hadn’t seen in two years and so we had a lot to catch on. “Dana” and “Caylx” are also here and we enjoyed time with them too.

Our wind generator is not working properly and so Vince has spent several hours taking it apart and trouble shooting. We have contacted the manufacturer in the USA and are hoping to receive replacement parts in a week which we hope will solve our problem. Thank goodness it’s still under warrantee. And so we’ll be here for at least another week until the situation is resolved. This is no problem. There’s lots to do here with interesting people and we have no desire to move on at this point. Tonight there is “Rake and Scrape” at “Eddies Bistro” and Brydil Anchar has invited us to join them there. If it’s not too windy, if the waves lie down and if we’re not too tired after another day here in paradise, we might just do that.

South of Staniel Cay

2010-02-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

Strong winds from the north made it impossible to dinghy around Staniel Cay for two days without getting soaking wet! Many of our clothes were damp and salty and so we headed off to Black Point where we knew we could get shelter from the winds and where there was a great little laundry. While waiting for our clothes to be washed and dried we met another cruising couple--Debby and Fred from “Early Out” and enjoyed a great lunch at Lorraine’s Cafe. The next day we decided to explore the island, eventually ending up at the “Garden of Eden”. Many years ago one of the more creative residents of Black Point began collecting twisted pieces of wood that he found on the island in which he imagined he could “see” shapes suggestive of various birds, animals and people contorting their bodies in different ways. He set his “finds” up amongst the rubble and rocks in front of his house--like wooden sculpture--and for a small fee took us on a tour of his property explaining what everything was supposed to be. At the back of his small house he had created a wonderful garden through backbreaking work--hacking holes into the limestone coral which was his “land”, filling the holes with compost and then planting fruits and vegetables. There were mangoes, papayas, tomatoes, peppers and sweet potatoes. Because it is so dry, everything has to be watered by hand and all “earth” has to be created. An amazing feat!

We left the next day for White Point--a simply gorgeous crescent of wide white sand without a soul in sight. After spending much of the afternoon beachcombing, we climbed up a rocky ledge where we discovered a humungous osprey nest but were shooed away by it’s owner when we ventured too close. At White Point we were joined by “Beltane”--another boat that had shared our anchorage in Black Point and who asked us if we’d like to buddy boat with them down to Georgetown. Pat and Doug (Beltane) are Canadians from St. Andrews NB. and we found it comforting to be travelling once again with friends. We decided to explore another anchorage with them the next day--Hetty’s Land, a sheltered cove just a few miles further on. And here we were joined by “Early Out”--the other cruisers we had befriended at Black Point. That night we all had sundowners on “Beltane” and got to know each other a little better, deciding that we would travel as a threesome off shore to Georgetown in a few days time when the weather was favourable for the trip.

The next day we moved on to Little Farmers Cay where we anchored out the first night and took a slip at the marina there the next. This is a charming place and we spent a great day exploring the village, beachcombing and meeting the locals. Here we met an American couple who had decided to stay for the rest of the winter--too frightened by the “rages” that plague the cuts out to the Atlantic, to proceed further, a German who in retirement had built a lofty villa on a peak of the island overlooking a beautiful crescent of beach and who had been wintering there alone for the past 4 years after having been dumped by his younger wife, and several interesting Bahamians who were ALL related to each other and descended from the same freed slave who had bought the island of Little Farmers Cay 165 years ago, willing it to her descendents. We had a great lunch at the wonderful little restaurant “Ocean Cabin” and a horrible night at the marina. The dock there was too high and at low tide it was impossible to either get on or off the boat! The current was extremely strong, noisily rushing past the boat making sleep very difficult and sounding as if we were next to a washing machine--being bumped around all night long. As much as we enjoyed Farmers Cay itself, we had to leave that marina after only one night because of the sea state. And the more we looked at the “rage” outside Farmers Cut, the more we decided it was something we didn’t want to attempt. And so we left and sailed off to Cave Cay where our two boat buddies “Beltane” and “Early Out” were already anchored enjoying calm waters, and a beautiful environment. We joined them just outside of the Cave Cay Marina--a gorgeous place which is gradually morphing into a new upscale resort. Across from our boats was Musha Cay with its expensive villas owned by David Copperfield. We would liked to have stayed here for a few more days to explore the area and spend some time at the marina but a weather window was opening offering the opportunity for a perfect passage to Georgetown the next day and we all planned to leave together at first light in the morning. And after a comfortable night we did.

South of Staniel Cay

2010-02-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

A Cruisers Day

2010-01-23T13:23:00.001-08:00

So you ask what cruisers do with their time all day? Well we read a lot and visit other cruise boats in our dinghies. Lots of 5:00 PM cocktails and chip and dips. But let’s go through a typical morning.

We were at Staniel Cay and had a chance to get on the internet. After running the engine to charge the batteries and making RO (reverse osmosis) water Linda got down to writing the blog. While she did this I rounded up the spare fuel and refilled the tank in the dinghy. The outboard was tested to make sure it worked and water was pumped out. By this time Linda was finished writing, I got on the computer and downloaded, resized and prepared pictures for the blog.

My neighbour HIGHHEELED then called on the VHF and asked for advice on replacing a blown generator that just died on him (the definition of cruising is ‘fixing your boat in exotic places). His wife heard that we were going to town and she asked if we would pick up her shopping that she left the previous day at the club.

The computer was then put inside two water proof containers.The outer one being a Pelican case that our son gave us. Our anchorage was about 3nm from the yacht club and the wind and waves were against us. This meant that we would have a slow wet ride in. Linda in particular got very wet.

After half an hour we stopped at a dinghy dock next to a grocery store where we had left a propane cylinder the day before. We were told to come back the next day and it might be filled. It was. Then off to the Staniel Cay Club where the blog and photos were uploaded. Weather was also checked and discussed with other cruisers travelling south.

Then it was time for lunch. We treated ourselves to a shared club sandwich and french fries. There was plenty of food. While we sat there and enjoyed our lunch we consciously remembered, with a smile on our faces, the winter that we were ‘missing’ back home.

It was time to go back to FORTNIGHT but while we were in town the wind and waves had clocked and they were against us on the way back. Another slow wet ride back. We dropped off the shopping bag at HIGHEELED and went back to our boat. After putting things away I had a cockpit shower. It was 1:30 and nap time.

So how was your day?