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

Concern had been expressed by Miss Maxine that the weather would be too bad for the planned party. But, some cruisers convinced her that Sunday would be fine rather than the initial plans for Sat.

Two cold fronts had come through in just one week and we had been hiding south of Hog Cay for days. Everyone was bored with being trapped aboard due to high winds. Some dinghies had braved the space between boats to play dominoes or farkel but most just stayed aboard and read/watched movies.

On Sunday, the wind was still north and, with trepidation, we stuck our noses out around the point and headed for the anchorage. Boats sailed down from Doublebreasted Cay and Man of War Bay as well. Eventually there were 23 boats at anchor off of the party place, bouncing in the waves. The men had gathered wood and expanded the fire pit to accommodate all of Miss Maxine’s big pots. A decision was made to collect funds from the cruisers to contribute to the cost of the event and to provide for next year’s party.

Maxine arrived with all of her food about 1330 hrs but, unfortunately, the children didn’t accompany her. It was too cold! In fact, church had been canceled that morning as it was just too cold. The temperature was probably 65F or 17C! We all wore shorts though as it warmed up on the beach.

The cruisers contributed salads and desserts to add to the turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, peas and rice, chicken wings, cookies and bakery cakes provided by Maxine and the ladies of Duncan Town. No one went away hungry! Some of the men from town came out in their boats to visit and have some of the leftovers.

The bonfire continued on into the evening as everyone was loath to end this day and it was full dark before we headed back to tumble into our vee berth.

The wind switched around in the morning and allowed us to sail northward to Buenavista Cay, where we took shelter once again in preparation for a cold front. Lady Marie, a fishing boat from Spanish Wells, is anchored here as well and we visited them to purchase some hogfish and lobster. Thank goodness the freezer still works. The frig is still under the weather and we freeze a bottle of water in the Engel, switching it out every 12 hours, to keep the frig slightly cool. Oh well, ….

that’s life aboard!

Hugs,
Heather & Murray

A few days ago, we experienced an island tour in a fast boat owned by Phichael of Silvertail Lodge. He picked us up in the afternoon and we flew northward towards Double Breasted Cay, where we dropped in on friends. It was great fun to go that fast past these cays and through shallow areas where we would never venture.

On Saturday, the mail boat arrived and we made a trip to Duncan Town for supplies. The wind had picked up so that it was a bumpy ride. We had taken on extra crew from the sailing vessel Our White Magic from Sarnia. They have 3 daughters aboard and it makes quite a load in the dinghy. At Miss Maxine’s, I managed to get one dozen eggs from the 4 dozen that she had left. Also some butter, two grapefruit, a few bananas and a small cabbage. The whole group of us went to The Fisherman’s Lounge for lunch with a choice of fish or conch. Everything was fried except the coleslaw. We made it back to the boat just before the onslaught of the next cold front.

On Sunday, Phichael was putting on a Super Bowl party at his lodge in town. He agreed to pick everyone up and deliver them back afterwards. The trip in the boat and the time spent chatting to the locals was every bit as good or better than the game. Although most people were quite excited to see New Orleans win. Phichael’s wife prepared chicken wings, conch fritters, cracked conch and lobster. All deep fried, of course. The cruisers contributed snacks as well. There was no fixed price for all of this but the cruisers rallied around and passed the hat. The return trip was in the pitch black at low tide and our captain ran aground at the end of the channel. The local guys jumped overboard and pushed while us cruisers were directed to the bow, stern or side to help free the boat. Once free and into deeper water, the throttle was again opened up and we sped across the water, with no moon and no lights on the boat. That is a scary feeling! The boat is 30 feet long and has twin 250 hp engines.

Today we moved out of our hidey-hole but have two more cold fronts approaching in the near future. What a winter!

The Acer computer has been packed away to be used as a back-up when necessary. Mark on s/v Reach helped us resolve the charting issue on the Mac by updating some software. So the Mac is in full time use now and is working well. The refrig is still a challenge. Mur had given up last week after another session with vacuum pump had failed to give us positive results. The Captain Eddie, of the supply ship Captain C, is bringing in some R134a refrigerant for us on Thursday, so maybe we can get this working yet. The ship also took our propane tank to Nassau where it will be filled and returned this Thursday.

That is life aboard.
Hugs
Heather & Murray

PS the beer is NOT cold!!

Yesterday, the Impaired Olympics were held here at Hog Cay. We had such events as Kayak Racing ( the paddler was blindfolded and used fins to propel the kayak, guided by his crew ), Conchshoes ( tossing conch shells at a curling-type target ) and Crab racing ( with numbered, captured hermit crabs ). An awards banquet was held after sunset with everyone in attendance.

One of the funniest things that happened was everyone brought beans for the potluck. Two bean salads, one green bean casserole and two baked beans! All with different flavours and all delicious. That is what can happen at a potluck.

Today we have moved to take shelter from an expected cold front. This one is forecast to be very strong from the south, west and northwest. These directions are difficult ones to find shelter from, down here in the Ragged Islands. So, we expect to have some uncomfortable days and nights but will not be unsafe.

The refrigerator has stopped working completely but we are coping. I freeze a bottle of water in the Engel daily and we use that to cool the frig. Thank goodness for the Engel freezer as it is keeping everything, that can be frozen, frozen. Besides which there is not much in our frig other than some cheese, 3 eggs and some bottles of water. Hopefully when the supply ship arrives, the weather will allow us to visit town and the small store there.

But that is life aboard.

Hugs
Heather & Murray

Hello all,

Sorry for the lack of news but we are having issues aboard. Firstly, the frig. We borrowed a vacuum pump from a cruiser and pumped the system down to remove any condensation in the tubes. The consensus of opinion was that frozen condensation was blocking the orifice and shutting down the system. This seemed to fix the problem and the frig worked for about a week or 10 days. Yesterday, it failed again. Luckily we have a separate freezer to keep our meat etc very cold but the cold drinks aren’t cold right now. So now we are thawing out the cold plate to get the refrig very warm and try the vacuum pump once more.

Also the computer has developed two largish black spots on the screen and they are expanding lowly. Consequently, we try not the have the computer on for very long, to preserve the screen as long as possible. We use the computer for our charting.

In between issues, we snorkel, beach and trail walk, fish and share cocktails with friends. There have been a couple of beach parties with bonfires and guitars for sing-alongs. The weather has been hot with several cold fronts through this area already. But the one expected this weekend may be a real dilly. Oh well, we can’t worry about it until we have more information and, who knows, it may peter out.

The water temps here have been in the low 80’s F so it has been lovely in the water, either swimming or bathing. Feel sorry for us yet?

Hugs to all,
Heather & Murray

This week has seen two very rare occurrences in our cruising time here in the Bahamas.

The first was our three day stay at The Marina at Emerald Bay, as we seldom stay in marinas in the islands. This one is a first class operation. The dockhand, once he has you tied securely to a floating concrete dock, lays out a rug, decorated with the marina’s logo, on the dock. They have golf carts available to whisk you off to the beach, pools or shopping areas. The bathroom/showers are individual rooms with toilet, sink and shower. By the sink are bottles of hand soap, lotion, mouthwash and sunscreen. In the shower area, there are containers of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and shaving soap. These are all in bottles with the marina logo.

The laundry area has 3 washer and 3 dryers, all high-end front loaders. And these do not have a coin slot as they are free for marina guests. The office has two lounges, one downstairs and one up. The downstairs one is smaller but has a desk, some comfortable furniture and books and magazines. Upstairs was the exclusive club for members but is now open to marina guests. There you will find washrooms, a bar ( not operating ), a pool table and a large lounge with 50 inch flat screen TV, two or three desks, a large couch and several tables and chairs. The wireless internet access is also free but gave us some difficulty from time to time. Not far down the road was a well stocked grocery store where we were able to re-provision with fresh fruits and vegetables. The best part of this stay? It only cost us 0.50/ft on an un-serviced dock.

We departed the marina on Monday morning, into what was predicted to be a 5 – 10 knot breeze from the south. Huh! It was blowing at least 20 and we had to motor right into it. Not a comfy ride and we were glad to drop the hook in George Town for the night.

On Monday, we rose early and departed for the long trip down to Water Cay in the Jumentos. The wind had died and thus it was a hot motorboat ride. Murray had both fishing lines out with nary a hit. Once we entered the shallow Comer Channel, we were behind a trawler headed the same way. But shortly thereafter, he disappeared into a fog bank! Fog! In the Bahamas! We traveled in the fog for four hours with the trawler ahead appearing and disappearing. Talking to the captain of the trawler, he said that in thirty years cruising the Bahamas, he had never seen fog.

Luckily, it cleared out and we motored into the anchorage at Water Cay near 4 pm after a 60 mile day. The wind picked up just as we climbed into bed. The bed rose and fell about a foot or more as the waves built around us. Eventually we did sleep some and the wind died again as dawn approached.

Today we are headed on further into the Jumentos, planning to anchor at Buenavista Cay for a few days. We have spent time here on previous visits and dove on the reefs in the anchorage with Doug & Connie on High Stepper. They were unable to travel this winter due to medical issues and we miss their company very much.

Hugs to all up north and stay warm,
Heather & Murray

PS As I send this out, we are safely anchored at Buenavista and the water temp is 82F!

No matter how many plans we make, they can be changed in an instant by forces outside of your control. And that is exactly what has happened recently.

The wind howled for the last few days and we spent our afternoons playing cards, reading and watching videos. And, while watching a movie, we must have popcorn. Just as we neared the end of the bowl, Murray commented on the fact that he had found a stone in his popcorn. Examining the “stone”, I noted that it was actually a filling. One of his wisdom teeth had lost a filling! The resultant hole is sharp and, although painless right now, needs looking after.

Using the ham radio ‘net, we obtained the name and phone number of a dentist who comes to George Town weekly, when required. Yesterday, we called his office and were given an appointment for this Saturday morning. His office is in Farmer’s Hill, on Great Exuma. And thus, the rest of the story..

The same person who passed on the info re the dentist also informed us that Emerald Bay Marina and Resort is having a “deal” on dockage. Normally we wouldn’t even consider a marina. But, they are charging $0.50/ft ( 3 day minimum ), free laundry and free internet, plus use of all of the resort amenities including pools etc. Murray can walk from the marina to the dentist’s office, rather than an expensive taxi ride from George Town. So, on Thursday we will enter Emerald Bay, planning to depart on Sunday.

With wireless, we will try to make some Skype calls and catch up with e-mails that have been sent to the gmail account.

Take care and maybe we can talk soon. Hugs,
Heather & Murray