Well, I really hate to complain about this, but here we are in West Palm Beach. The weather is gorgeous, with hot sunny days and little wind. The problem is much further out to sea where there is a gale whipping the waves ever higher. Those waves are generating a very nasty swell that is keeping us here. They will subside shortly and the good weather is supposed to continue. Thus, plans are to cross over on Wednesday, Boxing Day, perhaps continuing on directly to Nassau.

I have been holding off on putting up the tree as the crossing is usually rough. But, today our tiny tree graces the middle of our table. Clear LED Christmas lights are strung beneath the bimini and are likely to remain there for the balance of this winter. Using little power, they give a nice ambient glow to the cockpit.

There will be presents under the tree this year as I had a chance to shop for some small things for us both. Surprises for Murray.

For Christmas Day, we are making plans to share an early dinner with friends. The menu : turkey breast that was tucked into the freezer, some garlic mashed potatoes, perhaps a green bean casserole and something gooey for dessert. All washed down with copious amounts of wine. Sounds exactly like your plans, right?

Except we will also be going to bed very early so that we get lots of sleep in preparation for a 200+ mile journey the next couple of days, sleeping in the two hour off-watch periods.

Wherever you are and whoever you share this day with, we wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!! Good Health and Joy for the coming year.

All the best, Heather & Murray

Our last replacement part has arrived. Murray is deep in the cockpit locker installing the new inverter. The food lockers are stuffed so full that I hesitate to open the doors. All of the laundry has been done and clean sheets await us tonight. Our final bill for the last six nights of mooring fees has been paid. I think we are ready to attempt to pull free.

The cruisers call this place ( Vero Beach ) Velcro Beach for good reason. There are many conveniences that keep you here. The free bus come through the marina once an hour and delivers you, by transferring to other routes, to various spots around town – grocery stores, WalMart, a shopping mall etc etc. Vero is a good sized town so most repairs can be found here. The marina has few dock space but approx 60 moorings on which they put up to 3 boats. Almost every time, we manage to raft with friends. And, if they weren’t when we arrived, by the time we leave, they are good friends.

For us, the days traveling to here seem to bring out all of those niggling things that will break down soon. So, for us, we stop here to repair the boat and get it in tip-top shape before heading to the islands.

Speaking of that, there is a weather window opening up later this week. So, we plan to leave here today and travel to Ft Pierce. That is only 10-12 miles away. But, we will anchor there and fill our diesel tanks at a close-by, budget-priced fuel dock. In the am early, we will head off-shore to West Palm – a distance of 45 miles. Then we will anchor near Peanut Island and await the correct timing and weather to cross over to the islands. Maybe before Christmas.

If so, we will be in the Berry Islands and quite remote, with no phone or wireless access. Don’t worry about us and we will write using the ham e-mail to stay in touch. Just know that we love you all and wish you only the best.

Hugs, Murray & Heather

Hello all,

Well, we cast off lines at 12:40 from Green Cove, after storing the car and paying the bill. Down the river we headed, putting the final things away as we traveled. In the big city of Jacksonville, we caught a favourable current and were making 9 knots through town. The current carried us along and we managed 40 nm before the sun set. Our anchorage for the night, Blount Island, about 6 nm from the entrance out of the St John River into the Atlantic.

Oh, and what a discovery we had as we dropped the hook. The chain showing above deck looked great, with no rust. But, the balance of the chain stored in the locker is one big ball of rusty mess. And, only two years old too. The evening is spent researching chain, picking the right size for the windlass and deciding if we return to Green Cove to pick up the chain. As you can imagine, 100 feet of chain sent by UPS or FedEx becomes very expensive, very fast.

The alarm went off early as I arose to check the weather to get the go-ahead for an outside passage. All sounds good, except for this pesky pea soup fog that surrounds us. With the amount of ship traffic entering this harbour, we decide to stay put until we can see. The anchor is hauled at 0930. Another boat from the marina, anchored nearby, offered to call the marina office to check on our order of chain and their ability to drop it into Vero Beach Marina. Done deal – not sure what the bill will be, but we cannot manage without that chain.

The two vessels ( the other one is Linda & Ron on Water Music, from Michigan ) departed the anchorage and headed to sea. It was a rolly, bumpy ride but we have done 200+ nm between Monday at 12:30 and Wed at 12:30, when we anchored near Melbourne, FL ,in the ICW. We entered at Cape Canaveral at approx 0930 this morning, twenty-four hours from our anchorage in Jacksonville. Tired puppies but otherwise, none the worse for wear.

Tomorrow, we will continue on to Vero Beach, meeting friends and parts there. If the parts arrive quickly, we won’t stay too long. But, Vero seems to have a hold on all of us cruisers. We call it “Velcro Beach”.

The job list remains and we will work away at it. Watching the weather all the while. Hoping for an island Christmas.

Hugs to all, Heather & Murray

Hello everyone,

For a while, I didn’t think that I would ever get to say this. The dodger is done! And it does look good – from 10 feet or so. Murray and I see all of the flaws but most everyone that looks at it seem quite impressed. I have sent photos to Jeremy to be posted on the website, just in case you want to check it out. But, we have been at the marina just short of one month. In that time, we waxed, bottom painted, launched, provisioned, built a dodger from scratch and finished installing windows in bimini.

But now, we are ready to head out. Except for the outboard motor. Last thing to try and it won’t run. So far. Murray is taking it apart right now and cleaning crud out of the carburetor. If we get away today, we will head as far down the St John River as we can. Then, tomorrow, if the weather holds, we plan to go off-shore and get as far down the coast as possible. Maybe as far as Ft Pierce, before we head in again. There are two parcels awaiting us at Vero Beach, so we need to drop in there to pick those up. But, then we will be ready to cross at the first weather window.

Breaking news: the outboard is fixed. I must run, pay the bill, store the car and get ready to cast off lines.

Will write again later on. Hugs to all, Heather & Murray

Hello all,

We arrived at Green Cove Springs on Monday, Nov 12th. As the yard doesn’t move boats on Mondays, we had arranged to be transferred to the workyard the next day. The boat was very dirty after it’s summer storage but had little mildew below decks. Washing everything down with diluted vinegar before we leave seems to really help.

Once the interior was cleaned up somewhat and the remains of my chemical factory disposed of safely, we moved clothes, food etc aboard and started to work. First job was to rinse off some of the summer grime. Then, clean and wax the topsides. We have found an inexpensive wax that is easy to work with – Starbrite’s Premium Marine Polish. It had been recommended by friends and also had a great report from Practical Sailor magazine. Once the waxing was done, time to re-new the bottom paint. Murray scrubs the existing paint with a wet 3M pad before applying new coat of an ablative bottom paint. Meanwhile, I cleaned and polished the prop. In my spare time, I continued to unpack suitcases, sort and put things away. Murray replaced all anodes, checked and greased all the thru-hulls.

Launch was scheduled for Tuesday, the 20th. Finding a space on the dock was the next obstacle. Marina staff helped by building a fender board to prevent the boat from being pushed under the pier ( it has happened to others! ) and we were tied to the north side approx 3/4 of the distance out on the pier. Not a good spot when a front comes through, with strong north winds pushing us onto the dock. Oh well.

Yesterday, we put the sewing table back together ( Mur cut it in half to store it in our locker ) on the pier, dug out the fabric and sewing machine. Time to start work on the dodger.

But, today we awoke to rain and it seems to have settled in for the whole day. Sure hope not as the marina is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. The manager is supplying turkey and ham and everyone brings a dish to share. But, instead of making patterns today, we have been sorting, putting things away ( constant job aboard ) and reading the instruction book about building a dodger. It seems a scary, daunting task but once we start things will make more sense, I hope.

I know that it isn’t Thanksgiving in Canada, but Happy Thanksgiving anyway. We will think of all of our extended family as we share a feast with friends here. Best wishes to you all and stay in touch.

Heather & Murray

Hello everyone,

Perhaps some have you have heard the rumours. Yes, it is true, we have bought a house! Possession takes place on Nov 8th and the house is located in Tillsonburg. It is a 1400 sq. ft, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom bungalow. After a boat, it will seem like a HUGE space.

But, it doesn’t mean that we are giving up the cruising life. In fact, we will close the deal, move in the tiny bit of furniture that we have, winterize the place, turn off the water, turn down the heat and head south for the winter. Pretty crazy, huh?

I had been searching for just the right place, mostly using the MLS website, checking out many different areas of the province. Tillsonburg has many of the things that we wanted – a small town but big enough for a hospital, doctors, shopping and basic necessities. It is fairly close to water – about 30 minutes to Lake Erie. The house is located in an adult community, which has a clubhouse with a pool and scheduled activities. Next summer, we will have new windows installed and a new furnace. Currently it heats with an electric forced air furnace. Thank goodness we will have the heat turned down this winter. Since gas is available, that is probably what we will install. Then we will start working on putting in hardwood floors throughout the space,except for a little ceramic tile at the front door and in the bathrooms. So, I think that you can figure out from these plans what we will be doing with ourselves for the next few summers!

Once we have a bed for the spare room, we will be open for visitors. During the past 10 years, we have stayed with many of you and now, it is time for us to reciprocate. The phone will be installed next summer and we will be easily accessible. Please come to visit.

Our trip south was delayed for one week. But, there is not too much work to do “on the hard” – just wax the topsides and paint the bottom. There may be some mould to clean up down below as the area had some heavy rain storms this summer. Hopefully my wipe-down with vinegar before departure did its job of keeping the mould under control. Then, once we get launched, the work on the dodger will commence. This shouldn’t take much more than a week or ten days. Stocking the boat is the next big job but we have it almost down to a science now. Do you realize that this is our eleventh year? Time has flown by.

The fishing regulations in the Bahamas had been revised this past winter and severely reduced catch and possession limits. According to cruising friends, these have been relaxed somewhat. The newest regulations are attached for those interested and will be posted on our website.

The next week will find us still in St Thomas, filling in time, filling out forms, closing the deal and cat sitting for Steve. Drop us a line and perhaps we can get together. Hugs to all,

Heather & Murray

Well, we have headed south from Killarney for the last time. Yes, it is true. We decided that this would be our last year as the dockmasters at Killarney Mountain Lodge. It has been 8 good years and we have made many friends among the local residents and boaters. But, the time had come to retire once more.

So, we packed everything from our tiny cabin into the Volvo wagon and pointed our nose down the road. That morning we saw two moose ( a female and this year’s calf )at the side of Hwy 69, waiting for a break in traffic and then ambling across the road when the cars had stopped. We stopped by my sister’s place and loaded Mom’s belongings into a trailer then visited Mom in Washago in her new assisted living residence. Near 8 pm, we headed towards St Thomas, arriving at Steve’s house at midnight. It was a very long day. He wasn’t home yet but luckily we had a key and the security code to get us in. The bed felt so good that night.

Steve has allowed us to store the furniture that Mom had given us in his basement and we sorted, trashed some and then hauled the rest down there on Sunday and returned the trailer to a local dealer.

Now, we are searching on-line and in ads for the place that we wish to call home for the summers over the next few years. Yes, the winters in the Bahamas will continue. It is not nearly time to give that up yet. In fact, we may be able to spend more time or venture further away. And the house or condo does not need to be found immediately. We have next spring to continue the search.

On Nov 3rd, we will head down to Jacksonville and start working on the boat in preparation for launch. I till have to make the pattern for the new dodger, cut out and sew it together. Hopefully, it will fit as nicely as the bimini did this spring.

Sure hope that we can get together before we head out. Best to all, Heather & Murray

I had promised the details of the race/photo finish and have been delinquent. But, here is the rest of the story.

We had only six vessels sign up for the Third Annual “Round the Island” Race this year, held on Sept 1st, and three of those were from the Lodge. Stormy Night, The Lodge charter vessel, captained by Dave McAlister and Eileen Quinn, was entered and had a family of non-sailors aboard. Jennifer East’s Shark, Via Vai was ably steered by her mom, Annabelle, with Jennifer tweeking the lines. Our Fandango was steered by Capt’n Murray, with Gray Babiuk running the winches and myself as moveable ballast.

The rest of the fleet was made up of a Nonsuch 33, a Jeanneau 32 and a Tanzer 26. The winds were probably about 8 to 10 knots and it was a perfect day for a race.

We got off to a great start- first boat over the line. We held onto the lead for approx half of the first leg, when the larger, heavier boats started to overtake us. There was a little skirmish with the Nonsuch and we managed to hold him off for a while, but eventually he got ahead of us. Then the Jeanneau sneaked by. We were in third and stayed there all along the second side of George Island and up alongside Sheep Island. We had planned to sneak through the shallow, rocky middle ground to shorten the course for our little boat but both of the vessels ahead did the same, with the Jeanneau just off of our bow. We rounded the top of Sheep Island and had a beat to the finish. The wind was changing directions and we tacked into each shift, inching past the Jeanneau. Then Murray noticed that the Nonsuch had made a tactical error and gotten way to the west of the course. Things became quite quiet and serious aboard as we tacked, tacked always coming closer to the Nonsuch and the finish line. One of our tacks took us so close that we ducked under the davits of the Nonsuch. But, as I said previously, we crossed the finish line 2 seconds ahead of him and just less than 2 minutes ahead of the Jeanneau! The smallest boat in the race! Yeah!!

The barbeque and prize presentation followed the race and everyone seemed to have a great time. A grand total of $481 was raised for the Killarney Health Centre Building Fund.

That excitement had just died down and Gary had headed back to Winnipeg, when Steve arrive for a brief visit. He had his friend Katherine, from Vancouver, with him and we spent a lovely evening with the two of them. As they were off to Ottawa to see Jeremy and his family, I took the opportunity to catch a ride to visit with my newest granddaughter, just one week old. Samantha is a sweetheart. She is a very patient baby and waits, without yelling, until she is changed and her bottle is warmed. I tried to take some of the load off of Jeremy & Cynthia while I was there, to allow them to catch up some much needed sleep. I think we all remember those first months with a new baby and the constant feeling of exhaustion. Jeremy had taken some holidays and did the majority of Samantha’s care while Cynthia recovered from the C-section. All too soon, my brief visit was over and I caught the bus to Sudbury on Sunday.

Now, I am working in the bar and in the office while Murray freezes in the Boat House. Today, we have our first day off together since we arrived in early June! Nice to snuggle in this morning, have a late breakfast an do some jobs around the cabin. Just two more weeks and we start to head south – as far as southern Ontario, that is.

We plan to be in Ontario for approx a month and hope to connect with all of you. Hugs,

Heather & Murray

It sure has been one! On Monday, 27th at 10:20 pm, Samantha Christine Rand arrived into the world, to the delight of her proud parents, grandparents and great grandparents. She weighed 5 lbs 8 ozs. To see photos, check out www.rand-family.com.

And on Saturday, Murray squeaked out a first place finish in the “Round the Island” Race that we organize. It was a photo finish, with the second place boat a mere 2 seconds behind. Details to follow.

Hugs, Heather & Murray

Just like smoke, the majority of the boats have vanished already! It seems to us as though it happened a week or ten days earlier this year. We have lost two staff members already, so it is a good thing that the work load is down. We have shortened the hours already and close the Boat House now at 6 pm. There is now time in the evening to watch an occasional movie/DVD or go for a walk. Or even a sail. Awesome.

The summer has flown by and already we can feel the change of seasons, with much cooler mornings and evenings. A comforter is a necessity at night now and we even have a little heat on in the cabin. There have been frequent bear sightings on the property. With blueberry season over, they approach town looking for food. None have appeared in the tree outside of our cabin as yet. But, if we approach the tree late in the evening, we always yell ” whoa bear” or “hello bear” just so we don’t surprise one, dozing or snacking in the branches.

Race organization is underway, with the event scheduled for Sept 1st. So far, we have no entries, other than our own of course. But, hopefully, some boats will come. The flyers were posted around town approx a month ago and a local radio net on VHF is also announcing the race. Today, on my day off, I will approach local businesses for prize donations.

Tonight we are cooking dinner in our cabin for the Boat House staff. The menu includes fish donated by a guest, a salad from the lodge and raw veggies purchased in town. Then, next week, we will have our annual “dinner in the dining room” with our staff. It is a huge treat for the kids and fun for us.

So, life goes on at a slower pace now. Hopefully all is well in your world. Stay in touch and we hope to see all of you soon.

Hugs, Heather & Murray