Author name: jrand

Hello All

During the night Christmas Day, the winds began to howl. And the howling continued through the next two days with the wind clocked at a maximum of 40 knots during gusts. The wind generator kept the batteries fully charged but the winds were cool. It was time once again for long pants and sweaters.

There was wireless available and we purchased a three day package from one provider. The service was strong enough to take my money but seldom strong enough for us to connect! What a pain that was.

On Monday, we braved the high winds and went ashore to collect e-mails and answer what we could. A little restaurant had free wifi available, with a purchase of some coffee or food. From there, we went to The Poop Deck, at Nassau Yacht Haven for lunch.

SaYes was on a dock at Nassau Harbour Club and together we made plans to depart in the morning.

On Tuesday, the winds finally died somewhat and we hauled anchor and sailed across the Yellow Banks towards the Exuma Cays. The wind was on our stern quarter and we flew across the miles, passing every boat ahead of us, and arriving near Norman’s Cay shortly after 1 pm. The decision was made to continue down the island chain, eventually dropping the hook at Hawksbill Cay, in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. We didn’t pick up one of their moorings but they do provide them at many of the cays in the park.

The depths coming into the anchorage were slightly less than shown on the chart and during the evening, we started to kiss the bottom. Thunk, thunk. That sound is never a good one and especially after dark. With shallows surrounding us, we opted to stay where we were rather than blunder about in the dark. My alarm rings at 0615 each morning for the weather net and, while I recorded the information, Murray hauled the anchor just as the dawn broke over the low cay. At that point we had about mid tide and he saw about 6 inches below the keel at the shallowest. He re-anchored and then we made preparations for the real departure.

Shortly after lunch, we dropped anchor near Staniel Cay, in Big Major Spot. Friends, Doug and Connie on High Stepper and Gordon and Lori on Mystic, came over right away to welcome us to the neighbourhood.

We plan to stay here through the New Years celebrations and maybe take part in the Staniel Cay Cruisers Regatta. After that, we have no plans other than to enjoy these islands and the people who live on them.

May the New Year find you and yours with good health and much happiness.

Hugs
Heather & Murray

Today we are anchored on the banks near Devil’s and Hoffman’s Cays. The wind is from the west to northwest and the current runs east or west, depending on the state of the tide. All night long, the boats in here jostled and bounced and twisted about their anchors with the wind against the current. The waves slapped against our overhung transom and sent salt water flying into the cockpit. Now the tide has turned and we are just bouncing and tossing instead of lurching. This is a huge improvement.

The wind is supposed to increase and clock more northward during the day, so maybe things will calm down somewhat. Tomorrow, by dawn, the wind should die a little and clock some more, going to the northeast. This will allow us to haul anchor and sail to Nassau. A vessel from Manitoba, “Say Yes” with David and Bob aboard will accompany us on the trek. Wendy, the usual Admiral aboard, has gone home for Christmas and Bob is helping David sail south into the Exumas. They will take a dock in Nassau while we anchor as usual.

The stores will be closing as we arrive but I will try to get tokens for the laundry as soon as I can. That job can be done on Saturday or Sunday, depending on weather. Another cold front is expected through on Sunday with again some very strong winds. Hopefully the stores will re-open on Monday and we can visit the grocery to re-stock our vegetable bin.

On Tuesday, we should be able to continue on into the Exuma Cays, with plans to reach Staniel before New Years. Perhaps we shall enter the regatta once again, depending on the crew situation.

So, those are our plans for the next few days. Written in jello, as always.

Enjoy your Christmas gatherings with family and friends. If we manage to get an e-mail connection, you may hear from us by Skpye. Otherwise, Merry Christmas to all and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!!! Imagine, 2011!

Hugs
Heather & Murray

Just a short message to let you all know that we made another safe crossing to the Bahamas. Departing West Palm Beach near 0300 hrs today ( Thursday ), we motorsailed the whole distance. The waves were less than a meter with occasional splashes into the cockpit. The passage started out quite cool but finally we warmed up in the late afternoon. In fact, it warmed enough to take off our rain gear for the first time in days.

A cold front is expected soon so we will stay put for a few days, at anchor here in the canals of Lucaya.

Hugs to all
Heather & Murray

Remember how I complained about the cold in the last message? I didn’t know how cold Florida could get. Morning temperatures have been right at the freezing point with the wind chill pushing it much lower.

On Sat Dec 4th, we departed Reynolds Marine Park and headed towards and through Jacksonville. It was a cool day but quite comfortable and we anchored near Blount Island, just a few miles from the entrance into the ICW. Arising before the dawn the next morning, we hauled anchor and headed out. Again, it was cold but comfortable in long sleeves, polar fleece vest and rain jackets to break the wind. It was a strong northwest wind that blew us along quickly and we made good time, anchoring near Fort Matanzas just after 3 pm.

But the next morning it was bitterly cold as we hauled anchor with the dawn. Dressed as the day before, I quickly froze at the helm. When Murray took over, I dashed below. There in the aft cabin hung our seldom used survival suits. They had been purchased in the early 90’s and I think that we had them on a total of three times since then. But, if ever they were needed, it was now. Just removing my rain jacket, I stuffed myself into a top-to-toe yellow snowsuit. Now I felt like a little kid sent out to play in the snow but unable to move or bend. But I was warmer! Taking over the helm, I sent Murray down to don his.

All day long, we wore those suits. Actually, in order to move more freely when we stopped for fuel, we removed them at that point and dressed in layers that gave us flexibility. We anchored early once again just north of New Smyrna Beach. The next morning found me digging in lockers once more. I found my silk long johns, again carried aboard since ’97 and never worn. Wearing these under the survival suit, rather than jeans etc, gave me the ability to move more freely and kept me quite warm. One thing that I couldn’t dig out of the lockers, was hats or mittens. That bag of unused items was taken home and sits in my closet. We do have sailing gloves though and those keep our hands relatively warm. This year as I packed clothing, I decided that one long sleeved shirt was sufficient. What an idiot I was! But who could know that Florida would experience the coldest Dec on record? That one shirt has gotten a lot of wear the last few days!

The problem that we have is that, at the end of the day, when we take off those survival suits and go below decks, there is NO HEAT! We don’t have a furnace and our ceramic heater won’t work unless we are plugged into power. Which we are not, when at anchor. So, the little coal oil light burns and gives off some warmth. Cuddling together under the covers is the best way that we have found to stay warm. But, you can’t stay in bed all day!

On Monday, we managed to make contact with old friends, Pete and Lani on MarNel. Sharing an anchorage with them, for the first time in 9 years, was great. On Tuesday, we both motored south and anchored at Cocoa. It has been too cold to get together but we are both staying put today. Plans have been made to go ashore, find a warm restaurant and catch up on all of the news. They have a different vessel than when we sailed together previously. MarNel IV was a Endeavor 42 centre cockpit and MarNel is a Leopard 40 catamaran. They purchased the vessel out of charter in the Virgin Islands, brought it back to the US for re-fit and sailed back into the Caribbean for several years. Health issues brought them back to the US last year. Now, they plan to spend a little time in the Bahamas and we look forward to continuing the good times that we have shared.

Tomorrow, Thursday, we will scrape the frost off of the deck once again, haul anchor and head on south to Vero Beach for a few days. I need to finalize some Christmas shopping and send a few small parcels north to the grandchildren. Once that is completed, we will start to watch for crossing opportunities.

Until then, we will stay in touch, write when possible and try to stay warm. Hugs
Heather & Murray

PS Spent a few days in Vero before moving south again on Sunday, the 12th. Anchored in Peck Lake watching weather with strong north winds blowing. Possible window later this week.

The frost is glistening on the lawn in the early morning light. The roofs around us are coated with white as the leaves tumble to the ground, propelled by the strong winds. Fall has arrived and it is almost time for these “snowbirds” to unfurl their wings and fly south. Our time here now is counted in weeks, not months.

The end of this summer went quickly as usual. One bright sunny afternoon, we headed to the marina for a sail. The water in the slip was extremely low and the boat was a long jump down from the dock. That didn’t stop us but I was already planning how to get back on the dock on our return. We untied and backed out of the slip. Murray prepared the sails as I piloted Fandango out into the lake. Just beyond the barrels marking the entrance to the marina, I ran aground, not once but twice. Murray took the helm, turned around and managed somehow to find a passage between the weeds out into deeper water. The weeds still lurked just below the surface, ready to grab the keel again. Once the sails were set and we were flying down the lake, I suggested that perhaps returning to the marina would be not be a good idea. So we set sail for Booth’s Harbour and tied there for the night. The next day, arrangements were made to haul the boat out on their travel-lift. Using the gin-pole, Murray and I took down the mast. Due to the shallow water, he couldn’t get off of the boat so I had to run the gin-pole on shore. Some other boaters ( Steve and Shirley ) came along to add their strength to the job and she turned out to be someone that I had worked with years before in the lab at STEGH. Small world. The job got done in record time and the boat, as well as a full compliment of weeds, was hauled shortly thereafter. The haul-out only cost twice the cost for W4 and she is twice as large. Thus, we paid four times the Florida rate to haul here in Ontario. Yikes! I am not sure that we can afford these prices.

Our friends, Linda and Kuyler, arrived home from a short vacation to discover a major flood in the house. A part failing on their upstairs toilet caused water to spill onto carpeting, down the walls onto hardwood flooring, onto furniture and just generally caused a huge mess. We have been hosting them as much as possible so that they can get a break from the noise of the machines and workmen doing the repairs. It is the least we can do for these two great people. But, this is also a reminder to all of us, to check our toilets, especially newer ones, and replace the hose from the toilet to the valve near the floor if it is not CSA approved. The made-in-China parts have been failing frequently and they do not have the CSA approval.

The bean harvest is progressing in spurts and stops as Murray again helps his brother, George, by running a combine. Just when things are going well, some rain falls and holds things up again for several days until the desired dryness is achieved. But the weather man is promising sun for the next few days and perhaps the beans can be taken off with no further delays.

During the Thanksgiving weekend, we did have sunny days and thus Murray was off farming some of the time. Jeremy and Cynthia, Matthew and Samantha drove down from Ottawa to stay with Steve and Katherine in St Thomas. I went to Orillia and brought my mom back down to Tillsonburg and the whole bunch of us got together daily. One day we went apple picking, another day we went to the pumpkin patch and on Sunday, everyone came to our house for turkey dinner. It was a wonderful, busy, noisy time with 13 ( counting James who didn’t have turkey ) for dinner. But there were lots of leftovers, to make soup, sandwiches etc.

This week, we finished blowing out the lawn irrigation systems of our neighbours, so those items can be crossed off the list. Now the flowers need to be pulled, the pots dumped, cleaned and stored for the winter. One more cutting of the grass and then we start on the other lists. What foods come with us, what needs to be given away and what can safely be left behind. Those decisions are mine to make as I sort through the cupboards and frig. As paranoid boaters, we leave the house as if it was a boat or cottage to be winterized. The water is turned off, the toilets drained and RV antifreeze added to each trap. All plugs are pulled to lower our electric consumption and prevent damage by lightning etc. Of course, the phone, TV and internet are turned off at the source. I sort through the clothing to figure out what needs to go and what should stay. Then it is just a matter of finding space to pack it all into the car. Luckily Murray is a master of loading ( that is also why he gets much more in the dishwasher than I do ).

The boat will be moved to the workyard on Nov 2nd and then the work will start in earnest. Our new refrigeration system should be there awaiting us and will need installation. Another huge order of things from West Marine should be there as well ie new EPIRB and head plus lines to replace halyards etc. The EPIRB ( Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon ) is to replace the one currently aboard which we purchased used in 1997. The head ( toilet ) ….. well it is a very important item and it is almost cheaper to replace it frequently than it is to purchase the repair kits. The halyards were damaged during previous two hurricanes which passed Green Cove Springs and we are replacing them with low-stretch line. So those things all need to be installed as well as the usual jobs of sanding, painting and polishing. It may take us quite a while this time before we are ready to head off, down the waterway.

Those are our immediate and long-range plans. Hopefully we managed to connect with most of our friends this summer. If we missed you, drop us a line or make a phone call and we will try to get together with you before this ship sails!

Hugs to all,
Heather & Murray

Where has the time gone? It is almost September already. The heat this year has made the pool at the rec. centre an integral part of each day. Aquasize starts at 10 AM and, by the time that is done at 11 and we drift around and chat for a bit, then it is lunch time and the day is half over. Most afternoons, Murray is tinkering in the garage while I work inside with computers etc. Sometimes I even do housework.

From having only one working computer in June, we now have three fully functioning. For the Mac, I found a guy on eBay who could repair the logic or mother board. And, for a reasonable sum, that was accomplished. Then it took me quite a while to restore everything from the external drive and then to figure out why the computer wasn’t accessing the external drive to back-up frequently as it is supposed to do. But, now the Apple is back to its old self, if perhaps a touch slower than before. When I can type faster than it can put the letters down, there may still be an issue or two.

The old Acer with the failing screen had finally died to the point that only one inch of screen was working and that only when Murray twisted the screen to cause it to make contact inside. A neighbour gave us a seventeen inch monitor and we delivered the whole shebang to Steve. With a lot of knowhow and some luck, he managed to access the correct keystrokes to send the screen output to the external monitor. Murray now uses that computer for games mostly. Especially when I watch something on TV that he isn’t interested in watching.

On the sewing front, we completed the seats for George’s airplane and that plane should be flying soon. The seats were a challenge and more an engineering job that a sewing one. Then we tackled a new sailcover for Fandango. The old one was too small, worn out and, worst of all, orange. So, with a nice medium grey Sunbrella and some dimensions from the old cover, we laid it all out, cut and then sewed it together. It looks very nice and we are quite proud of the finished effect.

For the August long weekend, we made the trek to Ottawa to visit with Jeremy and Cynthia, Matthew and Samantha. Their new house is lovely and Murray and Jeremy worked away on some of the small gliches while Cynthia and I explored the local garage sales with the kids in tow. Matthew accompanied us to a movie one afternoon and we all enjoyed ” Despicable Me”. All too soon we were back on the highway headed home. But they may have to put up with us once again before we head down south.

On the home front, Murray helped George with the wheat harvest and seems to have been signed on for the beans as well. Oh well, it keeps him busy and adds to the cruising kitty. He still has a few jobs weekly for neighbours and he does enjoy that. In September, we have again organized a street party with a barbeque and dance on the street, in front of our house. I got permission from the town to close the street and they even will deliver the barricades for us. Everyone brings salads etc and we set up card tables to make it easier for those who don’t like to eat from a plate on their lap. At a local auction, Murray picked up a super sound system and he wires that up, installs it in the trailer on the front lawn , hooks up our XM radio and we blast the music until everyone goes home. Last year it was a great success and we are hoping for bigger and better this year.

I have been working on the committee for the Holler, our Hickory Hills newsletter. It has been fun and keeps me hopping to find someone to write a story for the “Meet the Neighbours” column each month. But, right now, I have enough set up that will keep the column going until December at least. As a fill-in on the library committee, I was asked to work the library for 3 Wednesday’s this summer and that got me reading more and exchanging my books more frequently as well. Soon we will cull the stock, as the shelves are bulging. Working that day is a good deal as we get first choice of any discards and those books help fill my spare time in the winter. The discards are given to a service club which sells them in their annual garage sale to raise money for local charities.

Continue to enjoy this wonderful weather and all of the fresh produce available at the farmers markets. Take care and we will see you soon.

Hugs
Heather & Murray

PS Murray completed the sign for our house from a piece of driftwood brought back from the Bahamas. The sign says ” Rand Aground”. And we are.

I had promised ( or was it a threat? ) to write more about our crossing. It was fairly uneventful which is a good thing for us but boring for you.

About 0830 Murray hauled the anchor and we departed Great Sale Cay in the Abacos on the start of our 150 nm journey. It was a fleet of six vessels, all headed the same direction. Sojourn, Flextime, About Time and W4 were joined by two US vessels, Feral Cat, a PDQ 36 with Rich and his two cats aboard and First Draft, a Little Harbour 51. Rather than list all of the names as we made radio calls, the fleet needed to be named. Bob on Flextime came up with AZONE for AZ ( for Rich ) and ON for the rest. Just then First Draft spoke up and said they were joining in and were from NY. So, AZONY Fleet became the final name and, if a radio call was put out, all of us would switch to channel 06 VHF and check in.

During the afternoon, we had a visitor aboard. It was a very small, about three inch, bluish bird with a yellow chest. Hopping about on the cushions, he twice attempted to climb into the leg of my shorts. He showed no fear of humans and we could almost touch him. He checked out the boat and spent a little time before flying off again. But, before he left, I managed to get some pictures. My bird book is either LOB ( lost on board ) or LIT ( left in Tillsonburg ) so I wasn’t sure of his identification. Rich has since identified him as a Tropical Parula, mostly found in Texas. He was certainly a long ways from land so hopefully he made it somewhere safely.

Nightfall found us at the deep water off of Matanilla Shoal waypoint. By now the seas were becoming confused and larger than expected. The winds were still very light and our mainsail only served to steady the boat a little.

Once again, the AIS was an awesome addition to our group. With it, we were able to access the name of the large ships nearby and, on three occasions, members of the fleet called the ship by name and got an immediate response from that vessel. Twice the ship changed course to avoid us. Those course changes were so minimal that they would not have been detected on a radar or with the naked eye but we were able to see them with the AIS.

Through the night, other than watching for ships, things were uneventful and the fleet checked in every two hours. By dawn, we were just off of Cape Canaveral and the small boat traffic increased as fisherman dashed out to catch the first of the day.

In Canaveral, the fleet split up. Some went to marinas, some continued on but us Canadians had to check in with Customs. Flextime joined us at Port Canaveral Yacht Club’s tee dock. There we used Bob and Jane’s cell phone to call in. Luckily the customs agent would be in the office briefly. The 1.5 mile walk was made as quickly as we could and soon we were on our way again, documents in hand. Through the lock we went and on to Titusville where we had an early dinner and were in bed before 1930 and slept for 11 hours.

On Monday, we launched the dinghies and visited the town of Titusville. Refueling both diesel and propane was on Murray’s list while I wanted fresh orange juice and a few vegetables and snacks. Time was even found to catch up with the laundry. Oh, the joy of sleeping on clean sheets again!

Today ( Tuesday ) we hauled anchor at 0700 and headed on north. Luck was with us as we made it through the lift bridge in the Haulover Canal just before it closed for 1 hr 45 minutes due to the landing of the space shuttle. Seemingly right above us, the twin sonic booms made us jump even though it was expected. This time we were unable to see the shuttle as it landed.

Tonight we are anchored at the cement plant and maybe will make it to the St John River by late tomorrow. That should get us to the marina by Thursday or Friday at the latest. Hopefully, we can schedule our haul for the following Fri or Sat. That would be the 30th of April or the 1st of May. And so the work begins. That too is life aboard.

We will warn you before we head your way.

Hugs to all

Heather & Murray

Hello all

We had a grand sail all the way to Abaco, entering the shallows at Little Harbour bar. The three vessels traveled well together making approximately the same speed and arriving at the cut with only 30 mins between the first and last boat. But it was too rough out there for fishing. Even Murray put his pole away.

In the morning, we all moved northward to anchor near Boat Harbour to take shelter from the expected strong north winds. Seldom do vessels anchor here but by the end of a couple of days of north winds, there were seven or eight boat anchored around us. We dinghied to the nearby marina to check it out. There was a fee of $25 to land your dinghy but it could be put towards a restaurant or bar charge. Rob and Mary, s/v Sojourn, offered to treat us to lunch and picked up the dinghy charges. We had hoped that we would have access to the laundry for that fee but it was not allowed. Walking along the sidewalks into town, we checked out the changes in the past year. The harbour certainly wasn’t as full as during our last visit.

On the 31st, Flextime and W4 headed into Marsh Harbour for laundry and re-stocking. Sojourn sailed off to Hope Town to celebrate Rob’s 60th birthday. Once the jobs were done, we hauled anchor and headed out of the harbour again, dropping the hook south of Matt Lowe Cay, again in a spot that no one uses. Peace and quiet.

As an April Fool’s joke, I awoke with very painful joints and could hardly walk about the cabin. Flextime headed off to Hope Town to join Sojourn while Murray singlehanded towards Man-o-War Cay and a quiet day aboard. The other two vessels re-joined us on Friday and we celebrated with sundowners in a gazebo ashore where the island narrowed. By then, I was moving slightly better. On Saturday, we all headed to Fisher’s Bay, to join the hoopla the next day at Nippers.

Nippers is a bar/restaurant on the ocean side beach of Great Guanna Cay. Every Sunday, they have a pig roast, music and dancing. Easter Sunday was more of the same with the added attraction of Easter egg hunts in the water. The food was delicious and plentiful. But the crowd seemed younger or maybe we were older. So, on we went to Grabbers for one more round of drinks. Here we met up with Doug and Sharon on s/v About Time. By then, we were partied out and it was only 3 pm. Time for a nap or at least, a swim.

In the morning, everyone moved the 3 miles to Bakers Bay and arranged for sundowners on the old pier. Doug, Rob and Dave, from s/v Tamaki, brought guitars and sang as we chatted and enjoyed the evening. What a super time! Bakers Bay is much changed with a marina, golf course and expensive houses everywhere along the shoreline. What used to be an abandoned paradise used only by visiting sailors has been discovered by the rest of the world.

About Time sailed off to Treasure Cay while the rest of us went shelling on the Spoils Island. The shelling was as good as I remembered and my bucket soon was rattling with tridents and murexes. But the weather was about to change and it was time to get above the Whale Cay passage. All three vessels headed off to Green Turtle Cay the next morning and anchored just outside of New Plymouth. Time for another walk ashore. The wind increased later and the anchorage became bumpy. So, we led the crew around the corner to Cocoa Bay, where it was flat calm.

Right now, the four vessels are separated with Sojourn and About Time in Green Turtle on docks or moorings. Flextime and W4 took shelter at Munjack Cay, just north of Green Turtle. Here we can swim and take long walks ashore when the boredom sets in. The winds are blowing and supposed to increase soon. Every day, we download the latest weather report to see when we can make a safe passage to the US. From the info we have, it will not be before this weekend and maybe later than that.

So, don’t expect to see the whites of our eyes any time soon. But the water is approx 80F and the wind generator keeps the batteries full enough for movies at night. The smell of baking bread permeates the boat. How can we complain?

That too is life aboard. Hugs

Heather & Murray

The last message found me preparing to jump ship, heading to Ontario to greet a new grandbaby. Dave Johnson, a cruising friend from our first trip in ’97, joined Murray for the interim. He flew into Staniel Cay the afternoon before I was scheduled to leave. Once the guys saw me off, they moved the boat into Oz in preparation for yet another cold front.

While they were sheltering there, a passing vessel ran hard aground on the sandbar. The two guys jumped into the dinghy and roared to the rescue and soon had the boat floating free again. Dinner invitations were given as re-payment for the favour. A few days later, the intrepid duo stopped to commiserate with a couple who had lost their dinghy on a passage in Exuma Sound. Losing a dinghy is similar to losing your car, although worse as you have to swim ashore before you can walk anywhere. Murray offered to ferry Rob and Mary, s/v Sojourn, anywhere that they needed to go. They reciprocated with another invitation to dinner. How lucky they are!

A few days later, Sojourn accompanied W4 northward to Norman’s Cay and on to Nassau. There they intended to contact insurance companies and order a new engine and dinghy.

Murray and Dave were relaxing in the cockpit when a sailboat seemed to anchor too close. Radio discussions followed and the skipper revealed that he was engine-less, having experienced a serious problem in the Turks and Caicos. Captain Steve was securely anchored and needed the help of the guys to maneuver into a slip in the morning, using dinghy power. Thanking them with beers at a local bar the next day, the guys heard the crew of a powerboat mention that they had found a dinghy in Exuma Sound and recovered it. Could it be possible? It WAS Sojourn’s lost dinghy! Once contact was made and a reward agreed upon, they were reunited. The orders for new engine and dinghy were canceled and life looked much rosier.

I arrived back shortly after the reunion and had the pleasure of meeting this lovely couple. Now that business was concluded, they were interested in getting out of Nassau before the next cold front. And so were we. A quick trip to the grocery and we were ready to depart the next morning.

The wind allowed us to sail most of the way to Royal Island. During the passage, a radio call was received from Bob & Jane s/v Flextime. They also were underway to Royal Island and plans were made for sundowners. In the morning, the guys headed off for a quick snorkel and each came back with a lobster for the pot. The weather guru had said that Sunday could be a good day to sail north to Abaco, so we prepared the boats for the trip. Flextime needed fuel, so all six of us jumped aboard for the visit to Spanish Wells in the afternoon. We had hoped to spend more time in this area but when the wind blows, the sailor goes.

Shortly after 0600, the anchors were hauled and a small fleet set sail for Little Harbour, Abaco. The seas were large and confused with huge rollers from the east to add to the mess. No fishing today. But the cut was passable and we all were securely anchored by Lynyard Cay before 1600 that day. A strong cold front was to blow in on Monday afternoon so we moved out in the morning and headed north. The anchors were dropped near Boat Harbour. This area gave us good protection from the west and north but did nothing to save us from the waves right now from the south. Down below, we hung on, read and watched videos while the wind howled with speeds near 35 knots. A tornado was reported to have touched down in Freeport, Grand Bahamas, doing a lot of damage to the cranes at the port and killing three men. Much too close to us as it is only 60 miles away.

Today, the wind was down and we dinghied ashore for a walkabout and lunch. Tomorrow will be an early start again, as we head to Marsh Harbour to do laundry and re-stock. Then, a few days visiting these lovely islands before we head above Whale Passage and start looking for a weather window to cross to the US. Yes, you will likely see our smiling faces near the first of May.

Hugs to all and that is life aboard.

Heather & Murray

Hello everyone,

When we last wrote, we were hiding from a frontal passage near Buenavista Cay in the Jumentos. While there, a single-handed sailor anchored about 5 miles away, fell and broke his wrist. We all listened as others tried to arrange for the Coast Guard to airlift him out of these remote cays. The Coast Guard determined finally that it was not a life-threatening injury and the man had to charter an airplane from George Town, Exuma to fly to Duncan Town while other cruisers helped get him the 20 miles or so to the airstrip. His boat was left behind and nearby sailors will keep the systems running until his return. That may be some time as he needed to fly to the US for surgery on the wrist and it was discovered there was also another broken bone in the arm and some rib breaks as well. Falls and injuries are always a fear for those of us far from medical care.

Once the weather improved, we took the opportunity to sail north to the Exumas, making the passage of 118 nm in 18 hours, arriving in Little Bay at 0100 the next day. We seldom sail at night here due to the lack of lighted navigation aids but this course gave us a safe passage. Other than anchored boats that is and they should be showing anchor lights. Maybe. But there was only one boat at anchor in Little Bay and we gave him lots of room.

After a visit with our friends at the Sandcastle, we hauled anchor and headed into Black Point to do the accumulated laundry. That huge job accomplished and some internet work done, we sailed on once more to our favourite hidey-hole near Staniel Cay. Oz. Surprisingly, there were already 5 or 6 boats at anchor but the prime spot was open. Slipping through the little cut from Big Major and around the shallow sandbar, we tucked ourselves in between the moorings, against the island of North Gaulin and laid out two anchors. The second anchor was set to the direction of the expected high winds.

What a winter this has been. This week, we had three cold fronts go through! Between each front, we have one nice day to swim, walk or visit town for fresh items and catch our breath in preparation for the next blow. Friends, Rob and Christine on Celebrian, are anchored nearby and now Flextime with Bob and Jane aboard has joined the party. The wind is howling through the rigging now, after the latest front arrived in the wee small hours with near 40 knot winds. The amazing thing is that we have had two full days of rain recently! Here, in the Bahamas. In the winter months, that is a rare occurrence. There has been more rain this winter than we have ever seen here.

When the wind blows hard and the fronts hit, the boats nearby often drag their anchors as the wind changes direction. We leave our VHF radio on, all night long, in case we are the boat dragging or the one being dragged into. So far, so good, we haven’t been involved in the middle-of-the-night anchoring dance. But the front expected Tuesday is reported to be the worst of the season. Maybe, after 10 days in Oz later this week, we will be able to travel about again and visit some more of our favourite locations nearby. Then I will need to do laundry in preparation for our guest’s visit and my departure on March 11th.

Thank goodness for all the books and movies aboard this winter. They fill the hours that we are stuck aboard.

But, spring is coming and things should improve. Murray will pick me up in Nassau on March 25th and we will sail on to Eleuthera and then to Abaco. The plans to stay later in the islands have changed, due to the refrigerator problems. When the air temperatures get warmer, our current method, keeping the icebox cool with bottles of frozen water, will be challenged to keep up. So, likely, we will arrive back in the US by mid April and into Canada near the 1st of May. Written in Jello, you understand.

Until then, that is life aboard. Hugs,
Murray & Heather