We finally did it – left the dock! Last Sunday, almost a week ago now, we started the motor, slipped the lines and waved goodbye to the friends on the dock. It was a cool but sunny day and we motored up the river towards Jacksonville, with the tidal current giving us a little extra push. The bridges in Jacksonville cooperated and delayed us very little. But, as we approached the junction of the river and the ICW, the calculations showed that we would not be able to make the 25 miles on to the next anchorage. So, we stopped early and tucked into a cove to spend the night. Murray did his usual magic with the barbeque and we crash.

Before dawn, we were up and hauled anchor at first light. The new windlass works like a champ and was worth all of the aggravation Murray had while installing it. That day, we pushed past St Augustine and anchored early once again. This time it was due to lightning in the area with heavy rain. The strong currents of the Matanzas River was to be our home for the night. The rain continued most of the night and on into the morning hours. But, before 8 am,donned in rain gear, we hauled anchor and moved on once more. This time, we passed through Daytona, New Symrna and into the Mosquito Lagoon. Just before a beautiful sunset, we dropped anchor on the side of the ICW and ducked below to avoid those critters that the area is named for.

The wind was behind us the next day and helped push us on down the waterway. As we approached Cocoa Beach, Murray suggested that we stop and visit cruising friends who have a place on the ICW. We anchored in front of their home, went ashore and spent a lovely afternoon and evening catching up and planning winter adventures.

By, 3 pm the next day,Thursday, we had reached our temporary destination – Ft Pierce. We had traveled 260 nautical miles since our departure on Sunday. Here we have friends who need some assistance with computer/GPS connections etc.

Their connection has been made and works with the navigation program that she is familiar with. And they have driven us all over to obtain the parts necessary to make our repairs. Yes, things are broken on board already. The water heater failed, the pressure water system as well. My computer/GPS cable burned up – well, didn’t catch fire but got hot and failed. So, repairs are underway here and we are visiting with friends ashore daily.

There is a weather window for a crossing on Sunday/Monday. If all of our jobs are completed, we MAY be able to catch it. Otherwise, we will look for the next one as we head on down further south.

From up north, we hear that there is lots of snow but maybe the hot air generated by the coming election will melt it all away. Ho, ho. Enjoy the snow but don’t believe too much of the rhetoric from the politicians.

Hugs to all, Heather & Murray underway again

Hello all,

We arrived in Green Cove Springs on Mon,Oct 31st and got the boat ready to move to the work yard. It was in fairly good shape with some mildew here and there. When I started to clean, I discovered that the cushions were missing! But, at least it appeared as though our berth cushions were still in place, so that we had a somewhere to sleep. When I climbed onto the bed to clean there, I found that those cushions were gone as well! We called the place that was making our NEW cushions. Yes, they had come aboard and taken them earlier in the summer. OK, could they please return at least our bed? No, they couldn’t as they had cut them up for patterns! But, the new ones were ready. With the grime and dirt of life in the work yard, we didn’t want the majority of the cushions aboard but did need the ones for our bed. And, was it comfy, with 3 different layers of foam.

That was our first problem. Now the work started in earnest. We filled, polished and painted accomplishing everything on the list in time to launch just a week later, on the Tuesday the 8th. Monday night, we had celebrated Mur’s real 60th, with beer, snacks and cake for all of the cruisers around.

After launching, we spent a whole day washing a summer’s worth of dirt off of the decks. Now, she looked better. Our mainsail arrived and we put it into place. But, it was disappointing to discover that it was still very difficult to pull it up or drop it back down. More phone calls to the sailmaker. We tried several other “cars” that he sent us, but the sail continued to bind against the sail track. Finally, he came up with a solution which he would sell us at his cost. As it is a serious safety issue( if the main doesn’t fall when you loosen the halyard), we had to go forward with this option. This was the second problem.

Now the boat was ready for the new cushions. We had done some varnishing in the head, aft cabin and main cabin and the wood was looking very good. The cushions were delivered and were truly lovely. There are still a few fit issues to be resolved. The man who is doing the work has serious back problems and is due for surgery in just a few more days. Meanwhile, he is trying to finish our new mainsail cover, between episodes of terrible pain.

Taking the weekend off, we headed to Melbourne for the Seven Seas Cruising Association get-together. There we met up with many cruising friends and had an enjoyable time. At the flea market on Sat, we found a new/old (but un-used ) 2-speed manual windlass. Somehow, it followed us home. And became the next problem.

Our chain didn’t fit the windlass. To get the correct part ( the gypsy )would cost another $300. So, instead we bought some new chain that DID fit. Then Mur worked very hard to install the windlass into our anchor locker.

Oh, and the frig wasn’t working well most of this time. Cold beer is a requirement for the captain’s happiness! Especially in the heat and dust of the work yard.

So, we have had some issues to resolve this year. A few are still out-standing. The cushions still need some work, the sail cover hasn’t even been finished yet and the mainsail track system hasn’t arrived.

But, the lockers are full and the shopping list is very short. I also spent one afternoon shopping for new pillows to go with the new cushions in the main salon. And, did I find some beauties! There were many Ooh’s and Aah’s from the female cruisers when I unloaded the trunk . The main salon looks absolutely lovely.

When will we get away? I am not sure. There now is another tropical storm churning away and rumours are that it will follow Wilma’s track. That is not a good thing. Once the outstanding issues are resolved, we will likely head out,keeping our eyes on the weather reports. Hopefully, that departure will be by mid-week.

So, that is what is happening here. Life on boat is seldom dull. If it is, just wait a while and something will break. We laugh, but it is all too true.

Hugs to all up north. Write when you have time.

Murray & Heather back aboard Windswept IV

Hello All,

Well, we arrived safely in Green Cove Springs one week ago today – Monday.

The boat was in pretty good shape with just a little mildew here and there. We were moved into the work yard before lunch and began our list of jobs.

First, I washed down the mold and discovered that there were NO cushions aboard! What would we sleep on? After a quick call to the canvas shop, we found out that they had taken our old cushions away this summer and cut them up for patterns! But we didn’t want the new ones delivered into this mess of on-the-hard living. He delivered the vee-berth cushions so that we had someplace to sleep and we put cockpit cushions, foam etc on the settees so there was a spot to sit.

Murray worked on the keel access ports once again and we made epoxy/filler to smooth that area out. We wanted to get that done quickly so that it would have longer to cure.

Bottom paint and hull polishing were next on the list. But first we had to take off the “waterway smile” using toilet bowl cleaner. Yes, you read it right – toilet bowl cleaner. And it did a great job. Then, clean the sides before we wax. By yesterday afternoon, we could hardly lift our arms! But, she shines and her bottom is newly painted.

Today, they will move the jack stands so that we can paint those spots and we will launch tomorrow.

Then we can wash that filthy deck! Sand, dirt, mold etc from a summer of storage still litter the decks. We itch to wash her, but it will just create mud at our worksite. We can wait one more day.

Once we get clean, I will unpack the car, we will put sails in place, scrub the dinghy, dodger and bimini and waterproof the later two. Check that the autopilot works, try other electronics to make sure they function. And finally, fill the lockers.

In approx 2 weeks, we should be on our way once more. Already have been in touch will cruising friends and have made plans to meet up down the way. We cannot wait to actually be cruising once again. All of this work can stop any time!

Today is Mur actual 60th birthday and we are planning a little surprise this evening here. Cake, drinks, snacks etc. My joints and back have behaved during all this work. Some stiffness and aching but, hey what can you expect?

We sure hope things are not too cold up there in the north country. Ha ha. Take care all and write when you have time.

Hugs, Heather & Murray

The answer is, YES! Just outside of our door! And anywhere else that he wants to.

About a week ago, we heard that there was a momma bear with 2 cubs in the apple trees near the Lodge in the afternoon. No problem. Then at dinner, Maury East (owner of KML) came to tell us that they had climbed the tree just outside of our cabin. It is a large willow tree that we duck under to walk to our front door. We went between the dorms, down the far side of our cabin and ducked into the screened porch. Momma didn’t like that much and started to grunt/huff. We had been told that this is a warning sound. Inside the cabin and slam the door. Lock it quick. Oops, the lock doesn’t quite lock. (Haven’t locked the door all year.) Oh well, maybe we will have time to dash to the bathroom. Oops, that lock doesn’t work either. Maybe we will just sit here quietly.

Momma did come down the tree once, when we stood in the doorway taking photos. But, she just grunted a few times and went back up the tree after we closed the door.

The bears stayed in the tree all evening. After dark, they climbed down ( with much breaking of branches ) and headed back to the apple trees for another snack.

They were trapped a few days later and taken on a road trip further north. Many bears have been seen in town lately as the dump is covering the garbage quicker than before. So, their primary food source is unavailable. And, there does’t seem to be any hunters around to scare them away this year.

We have been asked to stay at the Lodge until Oct 9th. After that, we will visit with my mom and Jeremy before heading to southern Ontario. When our plans become more firm, we will warn you. Especially if we are stopping for a visit.

Hugs to all, Heather & Murray

Hello all,

Now that things have slowed down here in Killarney, I thought that we should give you all a report on the recent happenings.

First thing that happened was the staff all left us. Our “summer daughters” all departed by Sept 4th. It was very sad to see them all leave and tears were shed on both sides. We miss them a lot especially when doing a pump-out!

Then, the End of Summer Race was held successfully on Sept 3rd. We had perfect weather, 13 entrants, many crew signed on and raised over $1500 for the Health Centre Building Fund. Our two sons showed up before the race start to crew with a very surprised Murray. They had a great time sailing the little boat and we all enjoyed the post-race barbeque.

My Mom had come up with our son, Steve. Murray’s brother George also showed up before the race started. And then Jeremy and his wife Cynthia and their son Matthew also arrived. Murray seemed to accept that they had all come for the race/weekend. Little did he know that I had planned a surprise 60th birthday party. As his birthday isn’t until Nov, it was a huge surprise. His cousin Mary, from Michigan and her husband Bill also showed up on Sat.

Sunday, Mur and I had to work while the elves (Linda and Kuyler) were busy decorating. Finally, it was time to go in for dinner. In the card room, I explained, as we were a big group and maybe noisy. We entered the card room from the outside and Murray saw the signs, balloons, more people etc! There were 17 of us for dinner that night and we had a great time. I still cannot believe that we pulled off the surprise.

The balloons, that decorated the room, migrated mysteriously into our cabin/shower that night. The next day, the same balloons were found in Linda and Kuyler’s shower stall. Those balloons travelled a lot in a few days! They even decorated the dorm room of one of the guide’s as it was his birthday on the Tuesday.

As our visitors departed, life returned to normal up here. I work in the bar in the afternoons mostly. Sometimes dining room hostess or evening bartender. Murray holds down the fort at the Boat House all alone. Some days he is very busy, with airport runs, liquor and fish pickups etc.

So, that is what is happening here.

Take care all and we hope to see you soon. We are starting to think of heading back south. Soon.

Hugs, Heather & Murray

Hello all,

Once again, I must apologize for my lack of communication the last few weeks. It has been crazy busy here and we are working 12 to 14 hr days most of the time.

In the last month, we had 618 boats at our docks overnight. And some were huge! The biggest one that we had was 85 ft. The fuel dock also has been very busy with the girls dashing from boat to boat to fill with fuel and pump out the holding tanks. It is my job to keep this organized on the radio, fuel dock and inside the Boat House. Sometimes, I am on the radio and the telephone simultaneously.

In our spare time, we sail on the nice evenings for an hour or so. Between dinner and sunset, if we manage to get dinner early enough. On a few evenings a month, we try to do a barbeque at our cabin. That gives us a change from the dining room and allows us to eat at our own time.

In the other tiny bit of spare time, we are organizing a sailboat race. It is a fund raiser for the Killarney Health Center and will be held on Sat Sept 3rd. That is starting to come together quite well, considering the fact that the plan only came into being less than a week ago. Now we have to organize prizes, rules, etc. But, it should be fun and generate some interest locally, with spectator spots at the start and finish lines. We are also going to sell crew spots on the vessels for those interested in trying out racing/sailing.

So, that is what is happening here at KML. What is going on in your lives? Don’t work too hard and try to enjoy this beautiful summer season, as it all too short. Write when you can.

Hugs to all, Heather & Murray

“Killarney Mountain Lodge, Killarney Mountain Lodge this is 45 ft powerboat XYZ looking for fuel, pumpout and overnight dockage.”

These are the words that reverberate through my days and also seem to echo in my dreams. We have started to earn our pay! The dock girls are much happier with work to do and the tips rolling their way.

Yesterday, we turned away a 112 ft yacht! Man, it was big. But, the owner of the Lodge was concerned about the weight of the boat on our floating docks. So, we had to send him on to the Sportsman. But, we kept an 86, an 80, a 68, a 63 and several 50’s. We were FULL.

Other excitment in our lives – Murray has bought a small (20 ft) sailboat. It is a Goman Express 20. We took it for a sail last night for the first time. It is very nimble and a joy to tack. In our spare time 🙂 , we will “play”. Now we are looking for name suggestions. It is currently called Fandango, but we will likely re-name her. She has a grey hull with yellow, orange and red stripes at the waterline. Orange is also the colour of her sail cover – not my favourite colour. The cushions belowdeck are plaid and in need of re-furbushing. I think that I now have a winter project. The Lodge guests are slowly increasing in numbers, finally. Hopefully, it continues.

How hot are you down there? It is very hot here in the daytime, reaching 30C, but cool enough to sleep under a blanket at night. We have had some rain and there is no fire ban here as yet. The blue berries are ready and are very big and juicey. Mmmmm. Muffins, pancakes – if only I had an oven. Or a dehydrator to dry some for the southern months.

We have been using a small barbeque and cooking an occassional dinner at the cabin. Just to take a break from the dining room. It has been a real treat for us and Murray can spice up the meat as much as he wants and have the perfectly cooked steak, if he wants it.

So, that is what is going on in our lives. What happening with you? Love the hear from you. Hugs to all.

Heather & Murray

PS The boat has some sleeping accomadations ( primitive ) so that we have some more space for overnight guests!

Hello All!

What a beautiful summery day it is here in Killarney! Blue sky and sparkling waters. Mmmmm, nice.

Our arrival here was planned for Sunday afternoon, May 29th. The Volvo breathed a huge sigh of relief as the trunk, back seat and roof top carrier were emptied out. What a pile of stuff we carried with us.

The last month we spent traveling and visiting friends and family. If we missed seeing you, I apologize and will try to make up for it in the fall. But, it was super to catch up with all of the news and events of the past winter and to re-new old acquaintances.

We spent some time with Murray’s family in Woodstock, helping finish up the estate details. Linda and Kuyler, in London, required cat/house sitters for a couple of weeks and that worked perfectly for us. A whole house to ourselves!

From London, we moved on to Sarnia for a visit with cruisers, Brian and Kathy from s/v Tundra. Their current cruising ground is Venezuala and the neighbouring islands.

The next stop was Gravenhurst where we picked up my Mom and took her with us to Dunrobin and her yearly great-grandson fix. There we spent most of a week enjoying time with Jeremy, Cynthia and, of course, Matthew.

A few days were spent in Gravenhurst, completing Mom’s “honey-do” list and planting her flower pots. My sister, Karyn, arrived back from her busy work schedule and she and Lou fed us two scrumptious meals. And then it was time to go.

The cabin was in great shape, as it had been cleaned by our new dock staff. We stashed all of our clothes, etc and made it to dinner on time.

In the morning, we met all of our new dock staff. Mostly female again, with one other male to save Mur from being the only one. They seem like a great group. Now to find something for them to do all day for the next month, until the boats arrive.

So, you know where to find us from now on. The telephone number here is 705-287-2242 and ask for the Boat House.

Hugs, Heather & Murray

PS We have just been filmed for a TV commercial for KML. So, if you see the ad, keep your eyes peeled for recognizable faces.

Well, it is done. We have put the boat away for the summer months.

After arriving at the marina on the Wed, 20th, we hauled out yesterday, May 2nd. The last 10 days were spent getting the boat ready to store in the hot summer months. All surfaces were washed down with a vinegar solution to retard mildew. Food staples left over from our cruise were bagged and given away. All books were put into ziplocks with bay leaves to prevent bug infestations. Sails and canvas were washed, folded, repairs made and stored below. Our new main sail was sent back to the manufacturer for modifications. New cushions were ordered for the interior, to be delivered in the fall. And then, the car was packed with all that we may need for the summer in Ontario.

Murray also waxed the boom and mast ( as far as he could reach up the mast) and polished the stainless stantions, pulpits etc. He varnished the exterior wood and some interior areas as well. The toe rail bolts were tightened to stop some persistent leaks.

So, as you can see, we haven’t just been sitting around doing nothing since I wrote last.

But, yesterday it all came together. They hauled us out ( 2 hrs late ) and we finished up the last few jobs. The chemical factory was set up below. That is my name for all of the stuff I put out to prevent bugs and mildew. Then, the shadecloth was put into place and tied down.This reduces the sun/heat by 80%. Finally the keel was grounded to one of the jack stands to direct any lightning strikes into the ground. Then we were done.

We drove north as far as Charlotte, NC last night and will probably reach London late tonight (Tues ). As we are cat/house sitting for Linda in London, we will be there for a couple of weeks or more. After visiting with family and friends, we will return to Killarney by the end of May.

So, those are our plans. Written in Jello as usual. Sure hope that we see you on our trip through Ontario. Otherwise, stay in touch by e-mail.

Hugs to all, Heather & Murray

The following was written for the Killarney newsletter…

As most of you know, we spend the winter months aboard our 40 ft sailboat, Windswept IV, in the Bahamian Islands. Fishing is an integral part of our life aboard and adds greatly to our diet.

Our rods are two five foot tuna sticks, equipped with Penn 113H reels loaded with 40 lb line. The short rods are an effort to keep line and rod from tangling with the bimini, the wind generator, and the rest of the gear on our rear deck. The rods are placed in homemade rod holders and deployed whenever the boat is moving. Lures used are rubber hula skirts over a number six hook or a silver spoon. Because barracuda chew them up, the rubber hula skirts are assembled aboard from components. This makes them less expensive and not quite as painful to lose. We also carry a Cuban or hand reel, which is mostly used in the dinghy. For fun, there is a light-weight, collapsible casting rod that can be used in the dinghy as well. An integral part of our fishing gear is a bottle marked “fish juice”. This contains some rum to be poured into the fish’s mouth or gills and has the same effect as on humans – renders him insensible. We also carry an Hawaiian sling with several spears for use while snorkeling.

So, with all of that equipment aboard, you would think that we would have all the fish we can eat. Not true. We try but do not always have success. That is why it is called fishing and not catching.

While sailing from Little Harbour, Berry Islands, towards Nassau, we caught our first fish of the winter. It was a six lb skipjack tuna and just solid meat. This was the first tuna that we had ever caught and we very much enjoyed it. From the fight to get it aboard to the delicious barbequed fillets, it was a real treat.

In Staniel Cay, Exumas, we snorkeled and spear fished almost daily. As Nassau grouper was protected until Feb 16th, we had numerous sightings of those delicious fish. But, we did shoot many glass-eyed snappers and one lobster. Actually, the lobster Murray speared but I grabbed it by the antenna as it tried to escape. Bahamian lobster are the spiny lobster and do not have claws but do have very long, very picky antennae. Luckily, I was wearing gloves.

Conch were seldom seen this winter but we did manage to pick some up near Rudder Cut Cay, diving in strong current and deep water. On the same occasion, we saw lobster and many fish but, with the strong current, they were very safe from our spear.

We sailed from Cave Cay back north towards Staniel Cay in the deep water of Exuma Sound. The lovely zzzzing sound was heard from one reel and Murray landed a 30 inch Mahi Mahi. A second one had hit the other line at the same time, but it spit the hook. Blackened Mahi mahi for dinner – mmmmm. We panfry the fillets in a cast iron pan with blackening spices on both sides. Very tasty and spicy.

Another skipjack tuna took our hook while we were in deep water making a passage from Cave Cay, south to George Town, Great Exuma. It was an eight pounder and we froze it to be enjoyed later with our expected guests.

Our son, Jeremy, his wife Cynthia and 2 year old son Matthew joined us for 10 days in George Town. For entertainment, while dinner was cooking, Jeremy got out the casting rod and caught many pan fish using some chicken giblet pieces as bait. Later in the week, Murray and Jeremy went out in the dinghy and trolled with the Cuban reel, catching a 24 inch cero mackerel.

But, one of the strangest fish stories happened one evening after a full day of high winds and rain. Everyone was showing signs of cabin fever, none more so than our grandson, Matthew. So, into the dinghy Murray, Jeremy and Matthew jumped and headed out for a little break from the boat. Exploring the nearby dredged area, Murray spotting something in the shallows. They went closer and saw that it was a fish. It was injured and swimming mostly on the surface. Murray called for Jeremy to use the bucket to catch the fish. It was much more lively as they approached and escaped many times before they finally got it into the bucket. It was a nine pound mutton snapper, one of the best tasting fish around.

Also while in George Town and snorkeling nearby, Murray and Jeremy spotted a slipper lobster. They look more like a bug than a lobster and have no antenna or claws. The body is almost square and the flesh is extremely sweet.

From George Town, Exuma, all of the way north to Little Harbour,Abaco, a distance of 200 plus miles in deep water, we trailed lines astern. They stayed very quiet. Finally, on the way to Little Harbour, we hooked into 3 Mahi Mahi. One was almost to the back of the boat when he spit the hook. None of them graced our table that night, as we didn’t manage to land a one.

All of the way through the Abacos, our lines were silent. No zzzing. Not until the very last night, as we were closing in our our last anchorage in the islands. Just outside of Great Sale Cay, Murray thought that he had hooked onto the bottom, as the reel spun out. Finally, he braked it down and started to reel in, fighting all of the way. I saw a glimpse of red fins and we knew it was a mutton snapper. When it was finally aboard and weighed, it was the biggest one yet, weighing in at 10 lbs of solid fish.

In the morning, we hauled anchor and sailed towards the edge of the banks, headed for Florida once again. Before we left the shallow banks, the line sang out once more and Murray landed an eight pound cero mackerel. With our freezer full and night falling, he washed the rods and reels in fresh water and put them away. Until next winter when the Bahamian Islands and their turquoise waters call to us.

For more information on the adventures of Windswept IV, check out our website: www.Windsept-IV.ca .