Hello everyone,

It is a lovely foggy morning here on the ICW. The Canadian fleet is waiting for the fog to burn off before we move. There are 4 Canadian boats traveling together, mostly since Hampton VA. Vertigo I, a C&C 38, from Port Stanley with Diane and Tony Lesak and two daughters aboard. Blue Star, a CS 33, from Port Dover with Ken and Dorothy Wrigley aboard. And Bear Pause, a Catalina 28, from Kingston with Carol & Dave Honey aboard. We have had much fun and many cocktail parties.

Today we are heading for Washington NC which is a little off of the ICW. Friends of ours, B and Howard Goodwin, have purchased a house there and have a dock and invited us to visit. There is a 400 berth marina and only half full. So, I think the fleet will follow. Power and water and showers for a day or so. We want to watch the progress of hurricane Mitch. I do not want to be too close to the coast if it decides to come north.

We have had great weather the last few days – cold mornings but lovely warm afternoons. Temp has reached mid 70’s most days. The boat stays cool though, as the water is cold.

We have been leading this fleet of novices and showing them what not to do. We ran aground one day, wrapped the dinghy line on the prop next day, and fouled the anchor on a stump yesterday. I hope there are no more lessons! The dinghy line trick was a bad one. We were aproaching a dock for fuel. Murray backed down just briefly but the current caught the dinghy painter and it wrapped the prop. Here we are drifting sideways down the river in Coinjock in a two knot current. A kind boater came along and towed us to shore. Murray was very lucky – he didn’t have to dive to get the line off! That water was cold and yucky. The stump problem was easily solved as we had put a trip line on the anchor and pulled it out that way. Today, with the fog, we are going to be extra careful to not teach any more lessons.

There are many Canadians traveling south this year. I guess they decided the dollar be damned and left anyhow. We are all trying to watch our pennies and not spend too much. It is difficult, but easier when we are anchored far from civilization with nothing to spend it on.

We plan to head on to Beaufort NC tomorrow, and should be in Beaufort SC a week later. Then through Georgia and into Florida. But, we probably won’t make the Melbourne get-together on Nov 13th – 17th. We will see. It could still happen.Depends on weather.

Well, we arrived in Washington at the Pamlico Plantation docks just in time for their weekly cocktail party – is anyone suprised? It was a BYOB and a snack to share format. We met many friendly people – even one couple from the Sarnia area. Howard & B invited us back to their house for hamburgers and hot dogs. It was another great evening. We decided to stay one more night as it was quite late when we got here. And the fog is very thick again this morning. We had to plow a furrow in the river bottom to reach the dock.” No exta charge for the dredging” is what the skipper commented.

I think that’s all the news thats fit to print. All is well here and we are both very healthy. Have lost some of that summer fat and getting into smaller pants now. We walk long distances to get groceries and do laundry and that helps.

I hope to send this today or tomorrow in Beaufort. Meanwhile, stay well all and keep in touch.

Heather

Hi everyone,

Well, it’s time to move on again. We have had a great time here in Annapolis, meeting with old friends, making new ones and spending “dollarettes”. The boat show was great but wet. It rained Thurs, Fri and Sat. The sun finally came out yesterday for them and today looks sunny as well, but cool.

We have purchased a used Air Marine wind generator and Murray has installed it on the arch using a PVC pipe as a support. We have been quite protected from the wind here, so have not had much chance to see how it will perform. But, last night, we lost less battery power than usual overnight. The wind was blowing quite strongly and we were charging. Murray hopes to reduce the need for charging batteries by engine driven alternater.

Jeremy has set up a web page for Windswept news. Hopefully, in the future, there will be pictures. The address is http://www.magma.ca/~jrand/windswept. Anyone who would rather get the updates from the website, just drop me a line and I will take you off of the cc list.

Today we will leave Annapolis and head down to the Rhodes River to anchor overnight. The plan is to be in the ICW by early next week. And then, we want to move fairly quickly to warmer weather. We have had sweatshirts on! And even long pants!! This is not good – it is time to head south.

Vertigo I , from Port Stanley, is here now and has had many adventures in their first trip offshore. But the family seems to be having fun and looking forward to warmer weather as well. They may travel with us for a few days. The rest of the Port Stanley contingent, Dromenon and Thursday’s Child, left yesterday for the Solomon Islands. We did not find the other Windswept, which is also in the harbour. But, we will all meet up along the way. Tundra has flown out west for their son’s wedding and will be bringing up the rear.

Yesterday, we celebrated Thankgiving with a turkey breast, baked squash, potatoes and several glasses of wine. We decided we were thankful for each other, our health, our friends and family, and the ability to cruise as we are. It has been a lovely year + and hopefully a great winter to come.

I hope all at home enjoyed a great Thanksgiving as well. Our best wishes to everyone and we will be in touch.

Heather
Heather & Murray Rand
aboard Windswept IV
Ham Radio VE3 ZUA

Hello everyone!

It has been a while since last I wrote. We had been headed for the Tred Avon River and Oxford and hoped to meet up with Charlie & Joyce on Woodstock. Well, we did!! We had a great visit with them, but was it ever hot! Luckily, they have airconditioning! We spent a few days in Oxford and walked about to see the sights of this lovely town.

Just before we left, we ran into Soleskin – an Alberg 37 with Becky & John aboard. We had met them at the Alberg Rondezvous at Kindale which we attended with our friends, Brian & Kathy Marsh. To make a long story short – they told us to stay at their dock in the Magothy River where we were headed next.

The dock was in use when we arrived and we anchored out. The next day, we met the owners of the dock and they insisted that we use a slip at another dock of theirs. Another cruiser took me to Price Club and the grocery store. Then we borrowed a car to meet Jeremy. In total, we stayed there 4 days and these people even gave us the “shirts off their backs”. Ted Tepper works for an electrical company and gets given lots of t-shirts. He said that he didn’t like the ones without pockets, but I think that he figured the poor Canadians could use them! And we did.

Jeremy arrived on the Saturday. On the way back from the airport, we picked up some of the Blue Crab ( cooked ) to give Jeremy a taste on the Bay. Sunday morning, we set sail for the Chester River and anchored further up in the Corsica River. It was a lovely afternoon and evening.

The next day, we sailed down the bay, through the Kent Narrows bridge and into the Miles River to visit St Michaels. The Soleskin crew had given us passes to the Maritime Museum and we certainly took advantage of those. As we were relaxing after a busy day, a loud cry of ” it is you!!” was heard. One of our friends from Port Stanley, Jean Vedova ( Kettle Creek Inn) was aboard a sailboat just entering the basin. Much catching up ensued. In the morning the female crew visited Windswept for coffee and muffins.

We got a late start that day, but were only going a short ways. We went up the Wye River into Dividing Creek. What a wonderful anchorage! There were no visible homes and only a few boats. The night was very cool and clear and we spent a lot of time watching the stars.

>gt;From there, we sailed out of Eastern Bay and across the Cheaspeake into West River to anchor off of Galesville. Another lovely spot with only one other anchored boat.

The next morning, we left for Annapolis and picked up a mooring buoy. As we are hooking it, we hear ” Hello Windswept!!” It was Alex and Colleen from Dromenon. They also said Terry and Jeanie from Blythe Spirit were still in the harbour, but leaving in the morning. A cocktail party was scheduled for 5 pm on Blythe Spirit and we crashed it! The suprised look on Jeanie’s face was well worth it. They left Saturday morning and we did some land touring ( the Naval Academy etc ).

Sunday morning early Jeremy left for the airport. We moved from the mooring field and anchored in Back Creek, just off of the Gemini plant. Then, it was time to do the two weeks of laundry that had been accumulating. And of course, the day was the hottest it had been in a few days.

Now, we must get groceries as the larder is depleted. And we have to take the mainsail in for repairs. The lowest batten in the sail has worn through and needs repair. Then, we will probably move on to the Magothy River for a day or two. The big BAM – used boat parts sale will be start on Friday and we must be back here for that.

We had planned to leave right after the boat show and head south. But…… There are a lot of hurricanes in the Atlantic and we may just take our time leaving. We will wait and see.

Bye for now and all the best to everyone

Heather
Heather & Murray Rand
aboard Windswept IV
Ham Radio VE3 ZUA

Hello everyone

We finally got the boat all pretty and freshly painted and re-launched on Sept 4th. The next few days were spent finishing things inside and taking a slight break from all of the work. Our friends, Kathy & Brian on Tundra and Jane & Sandor on Satori, were still working hard and we tried to help as we could.

By the time we were ready to leave, the wind had switched to the north and a cold Canadian front was whistling down the Bay. We enjoyed the cooler nights and tried to wait patiently for the wind to change directions. For the non-sailors, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to go in the direction that the wind is coming from! At last, the wind is changing and our friends reluctantly bid us farewell. York River Yacht Haven was a great place to haul out and we will miss the friends that we have made there. But, Sept 10th, we waved goodbye and headed out to the Bay.

The next two nights were spent in Mill Creeks but they are separated by many miles. The first one was off of the Great Wicomico River, just below the Potomac. We had anchored there on the way south and found it a delightful and quiet spot. We had met a boat from there in Royal Island and they had invited us to stop for cocktails. We were too tired to launch the dinghy – perhaps the next time.

The second Mill Creek is off of the Pautuxant River, near the Solomon Islands. The book had recommended this spot as quiet and peaceful. It was quite right. We anchored before 6 pm and sipped cocktails as the sun set behind the headlands. The lights came on in the lovely homes around us and the only sounds were our stereo and the ducks. After a dinner in the cockpit and a brief shower to cool off, we retired below to read and write e-mail.

Tomorrow we will head for Oxford on the Tred Avon River off of the Choptank River. This is supposed to be one of the lovliest spots in the Chesapeake. We plan to stay a few days and hope to catch up with Charlie & Joyce on Woodstock. They are spending some time there at the Oxford Boatyard before a trip to Europe.

Jeremy arrives in Baltimore on the 19th and we must be there in advance to anticipate any bad weather. While there we plan to show him the Aquarium, perhaps a ballgame, and tour some of the lovely rivers in the Chesapeake until he has to return to Ottawa. We will leave him in Annapolis and stay there until the boat show. Then, make tracks south!! Before the cold, I hope. Last year we waited too late and froze!

That is the latest update on our plans. But, as we say, all of our plans are written in Jello!

Take care all, and enjoy the lovely fall weather with it’s hot days and cool nights. We sure are!!

Love Heather
Heather & Murray Rand
aboard Windswept IV
Ham Radio VE3 ZUA

Well, we are in the Chesapeake and we made it before July 1st. We had a mini Canada Day here in Hampton. We had a corn roast and blew our conch horns loudly. I am sure the boats around us wondered what was up.

We rented a car here and traveled to several marinas to se the facilities and check out prices. We have narrowed the selection to just two or three. The two boats will sail to the York River Monday and get final engine replacement price from them. ( For Tundra, the other boat ) If that is close to other quotes, we have found our spot. If not, we will sail on to the Rappohanak (? sp) River and Yankee Point Marina there. Then, clean, polish, empty and pack. Then figure out a way to get home.

But, we still must be there before the end of July for drug plan and dentist coverage.

By the way, Hampton is a lovely place to visit. The dock master is very friendly to anchored boats and there is a $0.25 trolley which will take you all over the city to shopping and West Marine. That is the plan for later today – ride the trolley.

Last night there were fireworks here and live music ashore. We joined in the celebrations and flew all our flags – provincial, yacht club, etc.

We will be giving more definite dates when we find the marina and get things settled. As the time comes closer, I feel funny about deserting our home. But we have things we must take care of in Ontario.

Take care everyone and we will be in touch

Heather
Heather & Murray Rand
aboard Windswept IV
Ham Radio VE3 ZUA

I knew there must be a down side to life aboard and I think I have found it. Hot summer in Florida!! No air conditioning!! Can’t swim in ICW!!

Well, we are heading north as fast as we can go, but have temperatures above 95 every day.

The last letter left us in Cape Canaveral. We headed off shore there and sailed 175 miles to Fernandina Beach coming in the St Mary’s River. That took about 28 hours. There was a dolphin show just as the sunset. A group of about eight spotted dolphins dove and zoomed under the boat and rode our bow wave for about 45 minutes. It was wonderful. There were thunderstorms all around us and a heavy weather warning called for our area, but we lucked out and had nothing close to us.

We anchored for a day or two at Cumberland Island and explored the ruins there and walked for miles on the beaches and in the woods. We saw many of the feral horses and got quite close to one of them.

The weather was not favourable for the next few days, so we continued in the ICW through Georgia. I had forgotten how yucky the water was in the ICW – it looks more like mud than water. No more swimming for me. The sounds allowed us to do some motorsailing and we made good time, arriving near Savannah in 2 days. The plan had been to stay and tour but due to the heat, we pushed on. Before we left, we had our first sighting of alligators! Definitely, no swimming for me!!

At Hilton Head, we spent our first night at a dock in many months ( March in Spanish Wells ). There was a pool at the marina, and I soaked for several hours in it as my laundry washed and dried. That night we had a pot-luck dinner with Tundra ( Brian and Kathy Marsh ) and Passages ( Ian & Betty ).

The next day took us to Beaufort SC for a re-stocking of groceries. Up early again and pushing for Charleston. But, due to a couple of close encounters with the bottom ( Tundra and us were both aground – we got off but they had to wait an hour for rising tide ), we didn’t quite make it. We anchored just a few miles short, but it good position for the bridges in the morning.

We arose early and headed for Charleston & bridges. While waiting for the second bridge, we heard a radio call from Silent Running. Doug & Rose are spending the summer there at Ashley Marina.and her sister lives nearby.

That night we anchored in Minum Creek just as a violent thunderstorm was crashing around us. The wind howled for a while but the anchor held just fine.

We arose early again and motorsailed against current all day. We past Georgetown and anchored just south of Myrtle Beach. The boat traffic was terrible as it was a weekend. The same thing happened the next day as we passed through Myrtle Beach. We met boats with waterskiers, tubers, high speed bass boats, and many PWC’s ( sea maggots ). Even canoes and kayaks. People that weren’t on the water, were in the water and very close to the narrow channel. We were very glad to finally stop for the night on a free dock space in Southport NC . Tundra anchored closeby. The next morning we ran into some friends from Grand Harbour, Marilyn & Bruce from Reflection. They have just moved to Southport and they kindly took us to the grocery store as it was five miles away.

We left late that day trying to play the currents correctly for the trip up the Fear River. And it worked – at times we were traveling at 9 kns. We anchored in Carolina Beach for the night.

The next day we had 3 bridges that were on restricted time schedules but we still managed to make 60 miles and anchored in Mile Hammock Bay. This bay is on the army base and we could hear shooting of automatic weapons in the distance. Another violent thunderstorm hit us at dark. One of the other boats dragged their anchor but we held fine.

Another early morning and off again – towards Beaufort NC and beyond. This time it was our turn to be aground – twice in one day but we got off each time. We anchored for the night just below Oriental. As Tundra was later arriving than us due to a fuel stop, we offered drinks, snacks and dinner. We pooled our resources and had a lovely evening.The next day, June 25 th, we sailed to a spot north of Oriental where friends of Brian and Kathy live. I think a few days of rest are in order. We will utilize their phone to send our e-mail finally.

We entered the ICW at mile 965 on June 7th and are now at mile 160. That’s 800 miles. We have taken a couple of days off but have mostly kept moving.

Here we will telephone a few yards to find somewhere to store Windswept IV for a month or two. We should be in the Chesapeake by early July and home soon after that. Mid-July at the latest.

Hope to see y’all soon

Heather
Heather & Murray Rand
aboard Windswept IV
Ham Radio VE3 ZUA

Hi everyone

I saw a copy of this poem and found it very true and funny. It was written for a power boat, so I have modified it to reflect sailing.

They Sailed Away

Mother and Father go sailing you know
August ’97 they just pack up and go
Far from the winds and the cold and the snow
South to the sun and the sea;

I love to think of them sailing there
The blue of the water, the gold of the air
Skimming the white caps without a care
Imagine a life so free;

I build up a picture of sea and sky
Of lazy harbours and bays drifting by
I build up this image of pie-in-the-sky
Till their first letter reaches me.

It says..
Oh!, the propeller shaft is knocking
and the main sail is flogged.
There’s mildew in the lockers
and the hull is waterlogged.
The heat exchange is bunged up
and it won’t exchange it’s heat,
when the tide went down at the dock last night
we lost another cleat.

( But, in spite of all these small incidents,
when all is said and done,
it’s great to spend our retirement
cruising in the sun. )

Mother and Father are sailing you know
Down in the south were the fair winds blow
Basking all day in the warm sun’s glow
While the sea birds circle and dive;

I think of them strolling the silver shore
Small dinghy bobbing, the flash of an oar;
Sleek hull shadowing the oceans floor;
Then a second letter arrives;

It says ..
Oh! We lost both anchors overboard
and now the jib has blown
A connecting rod is broken
And the dinghy motor’s gone.
Some moron ran aground last night
and blocked the harbour mouth;
But we couldn’t leave here anyway
the winds not from the south.

( But, in spite of all these small incidents,
when all is said and done,
it’s great to spend our retirement
cruising in the sun. )

Yes!! Mother and Father are sailing today
Crisp bow cutting a fine salt spray
White sails set as they cruise their way
Through crystal waters clear.

I’d like to think of them browned by the sun
Enjoying the speed of a long clear run
To a still, small bay when the day is done,
But now a third letter is here.

It says ..
Oh! The captain gets quite anxious
When the depth of the water drops,
The head pump is seized up solid
And the bow lines are all in knots.
We hit a small reef yesterday
So now the bilge is full
And he says the blasted bilge pump
Is clogged with knitting wool.

( But, in spite of all these small incidents,
when all is said and done,
it’s great to spend our retirement
cruising in the sun. )

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Author – clever but unknown

Shared by Mary Walters, who has been there, done that.

Too true. Hope all is well.

Heather & Murray Rand
aboard Windswept IV
Ham Radio VE3 ZUA

Hi everyone

When I wrote last, we were leaving Marsh Harbour to work our way towards the US, hopefully arriving before June 1st.

In Baker’s Bay we met Two Grand from Vero Beach with Tom & Cheryl and her parents aboard. We shared drinks and jokes one evening.

In Green Turtle, we had two days of rain and filled all our tanks. One night, the group of us went to a club to see The Gully Roosters play. Just as the band came to the stage, all the lights went out. We thought it was a dramatic opening but it wasn’t. Every light on the island was out! We waited for a half hour or so, and stumbled our way back to the anchored boats. When the sun came out the next day, we were off on land adventures. A floating cocktail party was even held one afternoon and I became the “monkey in the middle” in a water fight! What fun!

There were six boats that departed from Green Turtle heading north. Lo ‘n Slo with Dave and Brenda. Tundra with Kathy & Brian. Mar-Nel IV with Peter & Lani. Heron’s Wing with Ike & Carol. Shivaree with John & Kristen. And us. Lo ‘ n Slo had to turn back with engine problems.

! It is now Thursday, June 4th and we are anchored at Great Sale Cay and about 160 miles yet to go. The weather has not co-operated, but what is new. This time, it is a lack of wind that holds us here, or rather wind from a useable direction. We spent two days in Green Turtle Cay getting rained on but managed to fill all our water tanks and every container that we could find.

We left Green Turtle for Allans-Pensacola Cay where we spent two nights bouncing in the waves. From there, we motorsailed to Great Sale where we will await weather to cross the Gulf stream to Cape Canaveral. At least, that is the plan.

The water here is cloudy. It is from the bonefish stirring up the fine sand on the bottom as they lay their eggs. But it is strange to swim in cloudy water. It is also very warm – about 85. Near the beaches. it is 95!! Hardly refreshing.

Well, we got up on Friday the 5th, and said ” we could wait forever here. Let’s move closer to the jump off point”. So, we upped anchor at 9:30 and started motoring into the waves. We got a little lift from the main but not much. We headed towards Mangrove Cay ( 22 miles away ) or perhaps Memory Rock ( 27 miles past that ). We stopped on-route to repair a buddy boat. They had fuel problems and Murray helped change fuel filters. And on we went. Arriving at Mangrove by 4 pm, we decided to go to Memory Rock and maybe anchor on the banks and head across the gulf stream in daylight. We got to Memory Rocks at 9 pm and the wind was building. The captain says ” Let’s go for it!” So, on we went. It was 72 miles to Ft Pierce. We decided that was far enough. We arrived and anchored by 9:30 am. Then checked in with customs etc. We then ran around re-fueling diesel and propane and filling water tanks. Even bought some cheap beer!! Soon it will be time to sleep – we only cat napped last night. But, it is extremely HOT and HUMID here. I hope we can sleep.

Tomorrow, I think we will sail up the coast to Cape Canaveral ( 55 miles buoy to buoy ). We plan to coastal sail as much as possible. Depending on the weather, of course. But, it is cooler out on the ocean.

Arrived at Cape Canaveral late last night. Thunderstorms all around us but we missed them. The waves were building because of the NE wind and we had to power into them. It took 13 hours to travel approx 75 miles. Time to rest for a few days and re-stock.

All the best to everyone and we will be in touch.

Heather & Murray Rand
aboard Windswept IV
Ham Radio VE3 ZUA

Hi everyone,

We are having trouble leaving this island chain!! Not boat trouble, just motivation trouble. The water is so blue and clear and the islands so pretty. We keep putting off our departure ” just one or two more days”. We have stocked the frig, fuel and water supplies on two separate occasions, but have yet to make the move. We know we will not be able to swim much when we get into the ICW – and it’s real hot over there in the US.

But we do have to leave – probably by the end of this month. Then we will make long days of travel and boogie-boogie northward. Perhaps we will be able to sail as far north as Charleston when we leave the island chain.

I just figured out why they call it a chain – cause it holds onto you !

We still plan to head towards the Chesapeake Bay and store the boat for a period. Then we will fly, drive, bus or crawl to Ontario for July & August.

My shell collection is growing by leaps and bounds. Yesterday we spent several hours and walked completely around a spoils island that was created by dredging. It is covered with shells!! But some were inhabited by hermit crabs ! We were going to place a couple in my herb garden. but decided to leave them on the beach.

The herbs are growing well. I bought seeds before we left Florida but then had difficulty finding bags of potting soil. I didn’t want to just take a shovelful of dirt from the islands because I didn’t want to chance bringing bugs aboard. I finally bought a 25 lb bag and took what I needed and left the rest for others. The bag was only $7. I planted basil, chives and parsley and they are all poking up. I gave away many baby basil plants as I had to thin them out. Other boaters are very glad to get them.

We met up with Charisma V, a Kanter boat that was launched in Port Stanley 2 years ago. We met Bob and SueEllen in Port Stanley and spent some time with them before they left there. Just the other day, they sailed into Marsh Harbour and we re-newed our friendship. They have been aboard for two years and have been down as far as Venezuela. Now, they are returning to the US for the summer and will probably sail to the Virgins again in the fall. Last evening they had us over for cocktails to celebrate both our one year anniversary of living aboard and our 31st wedding anniversary. It was a lovely evening.

The annual re-evaluation of our lifestyle took place while we sailed yesterday and the consensus of opinion is WE LOVE IT!! I think that means that we are on for another year. Ha, Ha.

Another week has past since I wrote this! We have met up with Tundra – Brian & Kathy Marsh aboard. We traveled all the way from the Erie Canal with them last fall and have hung around here for them to catch up with us again. They spent the winter in George Town, Bahamas and have had “too much fun”. We are going to show them around our favourite spots and head for Florida. Still plan to leave the islands by the end of the month but that is coming soon – so…..

For Don Wilson – a PDQ 32 cruising cat charter boat flipped over in the Whale Cay passage recently. He was traveling at 20 knots under reefed main and jib. The reason for the capsize is not known but all agree he should have reduced sail further. Speculation has been that a micro=burst and heavy seas caused the incident. Other vessels (monohull sailboat and sportfish ) were nearby and came to their assistance. The PDQ was damaged while being righted, passengers all were OK.

For Robin & Jane Hewson – report on unfinished houses on Eleuthera. They build them as they can afford them. Perhaps one row of blocks at a time. One women took eight years to complete her home. The roof and windows are very expensive, as you can imagine, so I think that is why so many where at that point in construction.And Robin, Murray asked if you found out if our Magellan Meridian XL GPS needs updating for year 2000.

Well, I hope everyone is well and happy up north and enjoying the spring weather. The racing must have started in Port Stanley and most of the boats in the harbour are launched. Astabula is probably well into their racing schedule as well. But that water is sooo cold. Spring planting will also be well underway if the fields aren’t too wet. I hope the weather is good for everyone’s needs and hope to see you all soon.

Heather
Heather & Murray Rand
aboard Windswept IV
Ham Radio VE3 ZUA

Hi everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that we are still alive and happy in the Abacos! The weather here has been delightful – 85 daytime and 68 at night.

We have had some company and right now our son Steve is aboard for a couple of days. Yesterday the three of us snorkeled over Mermaid Reef near Marsh Harbour. Today we will travel a few miles to Great Guanna Cay and dive another reef there. He has to fly out again on Thursday, so we must cram in as much as possible in a few days.

After he leaves, we will relax a couple of weeks and then head back towards to US coast. We will make our way north-west through the upper cays of the Abacos and then jump off for Florida, traveling as far north as the gulf stream will carry us. Once we get there, I will be able to start doing individual messages again as phone connections will be faster and cheaper!

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the spring weather.

Heather
Heather & Murray Rand
aboard Windswept IV
Ham Radio VE3 ZUA