Another Adventure

Well we are back on the water once again, and the weatherman has been good to us thus far. This season will be a little different from previous years as we plan to spend most of our time in Florida.

We managed to get away from Brunswick before the cold weather had settled in, and once again are looking forward to spending the winter in shorts and t-shirts.

Just before leaving we had some exciting news. Our grandson, Patrick, accepted an offer to play football at Navy beginning in the Fall. He is scheduled to graduate from Deerfield-Windsor Academy in Albany, GA, where he currently serves as student body President and maintains a 3.9 academic record. We are extremely proud of him, and are looking forward to many exciting years ahead.

We have kept the veterinarians busy recently. Coco apparently had developed an allergy to a change in her diet, and Robert had a growth (benign) on his leg. Following four or five visits to four vets in three cities, they seem to be doing well.

Stuart, FL will be our winter home for the present. We are staying at the Loggerhead Marina and are making the most of their beautiful facilities, and warm hospitality. Several friends from RMHYC are here as well, which makes it even better. Apparently there is a lot to do in the area and we hope to make the most of our stay here.

Here's wishing everyone a peaceful and restful Christmas season.

A New Crewmember

We could make a lot of excuses, and say that we only wanted to be foster-parents for a day or two, but when we first saw the six month old potcake, we fell in love.

There are quite a few ironic things about the situation. Our friend Janie Thompson, who lives in Abaco, actually found the little fellow and his brother. She couldn't resist and took them in, and soon contacted our friend Judy Marshall, who runs the Royal Potcake Rescue organization here in Atlanta. The ladies have collaborated for several years, and eventually the Bahamian dogs and cats are flown to Atlanta to be put up for adoption.

Carolyn and I walked into the PetSmart to visit with Judy. She had the honey colored pup on a leash and said, "this dog has your name written all over him - come meet Robert!" The shy little pup was fluffy, and his white markings gave him a very distinctive look that could not be ignored.

Judy's sister Nancy had been fostering Robert since his arrival from the Bahamas, along with five others. And that's when everything changed. "We can fostering him for a day or two if you would like."

The rest is history. Robert was enrolled in obedience classes, has visited Canine Ranch in Canton, GA in the company of Victoria Stillwell's personal dog, where he learned to swim. He's done extremely well learning his basic commands and will try most anything for his special treats.

In mid-July we took he and Coco down to the boat for several days. Somewhat unexpectedly, he loved it and the two of them have settled in quite nicely together at home and on the boat.

It's akin to having another baby. The hours are long, the potty breaks are often, but the thrills we are experiencing make it all worth while.

Wonderful Winter, Wonderful Ending

It was a wonderful day in late April when we departed Old Bahama Bay, at Settlement Point, Grand Bahama Island, looking forward to our return to the US after another enjoyable winter in the northern Bahamas. The weather was perfect and our six hour ride over to Palm Beach, FL was smooth.

Old Bahama Bay Resort & Marina

Upon our arrival we unexpectedly met our friends aboard Theodore Two, the tiny tugboat we had encountered six months earlier. They were on their way north to Savannah and further north for the Tall Ship Parade in Norfolk. They gave us a little toot as they passed and we went happily to visit all of our friends whom we met in November at the Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach.

Theodore Two, Halifax, NS

We were able to make a mad dash to the grocery store, which was good as we had been down to a little more than PB&J. What a relief! Ice cream, M&M's and veggies! It was an enjoyable two days. Coco knew where the squirrels would be hanging out and seemed to be back  to her old stomping ground once again.

After another two days in Vero Beach our friend Bucko Reese joined the crew in Cocoa. What a treat that was! Although he has spent some time on the water, this was his first extended trip and he was ready, willing and able to provide all of the assistance we needed. It was as though we were on a private charter, with a Captain to handle the boat.

We had great weather as we made our way north along the ICW. We enjoyed Carolyn's cooking, ate well, witnessed beautiful scenery and only ran aground twice (somewhat embarrasingly so, Bucko was NOT at the helm). With the tides being lower and higher than usual we had decided to anchor at Cumberland Island following an evening at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. A Shrimp Festival was going on at Fernandina which would have been fun, but they were asking $4.per foot (we've never paid that). However when we anchored at Cumberland it was 3PM, and we decided to press on to our home port of Brunswick.

Our timing was perfect as we approached the Jekyll Island Marina an hour before high tide, making it an easy passage through this very shallow area. And before long we were cruising along St. Simons Sound heading to Brunswick Landing.

Sidney Lanier Bridge, Brunswick, GA

The Sidney Lanier bridge was now before us,  once again. The sun was setting as we approached the East River to slide into our slip and tie up..

It feels good to be back. Now all we have to do is clean up, pack up and make our way back to our home in Atlanta. We hope to see you soon.

The End Is Near

It has been an enjoyable cruising season, but all good things must come to an end. The parties are over, many of our friends have already left, and we have begun our trek north and back to the US.

We stopped over in Green Turtle Cay to visit friends at Leeward YC, and to have some minor work performed on Sea Island Girl at Abaco Yacht Services. With a freshly painted bottom, we expect to gain some speed and it was good to have a chance to check all of the systems while the boat was out of the water. AYS did a marvelous job and had us back in the water on the third day.

It was 7am the day we left Black Sound heading north. We made every effort to maintain 9.5 kts, but the tides caught up to us as we neared Great Sale Cay. In total it was a 93 nm trip, and we arrived at Old Bahama Bay Resort at West End, Grand Bahama Island at high tide and before sunset.

Old Bahama Bay is one of our favortie stop-overs. The facilities are the best, and the food is marvelous. Carolyn enjoys daily walks along the beach and finds it to be a treasure trove of sea glass, sea beans and remnants from the old Jack Tar resort that was once a thriving get away.

While she was on the beach I rode down to Freeport to complete my updates for the Bahamas edition of the Waterway Guide. The bus ride was rather predictable- long, hot, and slow - but at least it was cheap. Each evening when I returned to the resort, I emersed myself in water colors, and am particularly pleased with the fifth rendition of Coco, our 3yr. old Border Collie/Chow mix.

The winds have been extremely high, and the seas equally as foreboding this week. Expect it will be a few days before we are able to make the crossing back to the US, but the sun is shining, we have a beautiful beach and lots of company.

We trust you have enjoyed our updates this season, and look forward to hearing from you once we are back home safe and sound.

Until then,

Winters Almost Gone

Derby Girl

The winter cruising season is quickly coming to an end, and what a time it has been. After arriving a month later than scheduled, we have certainly made up for the lost time. There has been an over abundance of things to do and at times, scheduling has been difficult.

Cruisers tend to create reasons to gather for fun and frolic, and our friends at the Royal Marsh Harbour YC are no different. In early March there was an impromptu Kentucky Derby Party. The ladies created fanciful hats, and then paraded around the grounds for everyone to see. Judging was tough, but in the end the winner walked away with a bottle of Nassau Royale rum, making all the time and effort worth while. While Carolyn's did not win, she did get favorable reviews for her creativity.

On Your Mark

And if that wasn't enough, there was a Veggie Car Derby. Each each entry was created using a variety of fruits and vegetables, many of which are not common varieties. Again, a lot of fun. There were about thirty entries altogether - and the bell peppers, carrots and yucca plants were introduced to the crowd as Speedy Dick, Toy Box or Big John. Being somewhat of a nautical surrounding, a bell pepper entry sported a lettuce leaf sail, another proudly displayed the Canadian flag - not that any of these proved to significantly increase their speed.

The Aftermath

There are a few in the group that faced other challenges. Those are the ones who are convinced that they will never grow old and attempt the more youthful activities. Pickle Ball was the bone crusher that claimed two shoulder injuries, an Achilles tendon and a host of bruises, scrapes and wrist injuries. Those attending Yoga Class over stretched many a muscle, and our newest dock neighbor (shown in the wheelchair) was hit by a car as he slipped off a sidewalk during his morning walk. A series of falls, stumbles and missteps had several others on crutches or in slings.

As for us, we have thus far come away unscathed opting to stay away from the more physical activities by attending several musical concerts supporting Every Child Counts, the school where Carolyn volunteers. We are enjoying our individual art projects while relaxing on the boat, far removed from harms way.

Music Doing Good, a talented musical group from Houston, TX performed with the students from ECC in late February. It was a heartwarming experience to see the excitement generated following a week long workshop at the school.It was remarkable to watch and listen to the song and dance numbers they had put together in such a short time. The Houston ensemble travels to perform exclusively with programs for students having special needs.

So there you have it. The weathers been great, there are no broken bones, although Coco did fall overboard one evening when she misjudged the distance from the boat to the dock. We have enjoyed being with our many friends in the Bahamas, and continue to count our blessings that enable us to enjoy such a wonderful lifestyle.

Hope Town, Abaco

What a wonderful visit we had in Hope Town. It's picturesque, quaint and perfect for a vacation getaway, even the sign "Slow Down, You're Entering Hope Town" let's you know you are in for a treat.

We were welcomed by friends who are moored there for the winter cruising season almost immediately, and invited to participate in a Full Moon Dinghy RaftUp where you tie up to the other dinghies just before sundown with drinks and appetizers - just to drift around the harbor as the tide was changing.  What fun that was.

Looming over the harbor is the candy-striped Elbow Cay Lighthouse. It is one of the last kerosene lighthouses in existence, and thanks to Jeffrey, the tender, we were given an exclusive visit to witness first hand, the lighting of the lamp.

Before the sun had gone down we walked out onto the gangway surrounding the lighthouse and were given an exciting view of Hope Town Harbor, with the Atlantic Ocean in the background. The climb had been a challenge, but the view was well worth the effort.

It was impressive to learn more about the history of the lightshouse. Even more impressive was to hear that Jeffrey, or his cousin, climb the hundred or more steps to the top, every two hours during the evening to crank the gears to keep the light turning.

If you are ever in the area, you will certainly want to visit Hope Town. And while you are there you will want to take advantage of the spectacular scenery that can be observed from atop the Elbow Cay Lighthouse.

The weather has been splendid thus far this season, and we continue to enjoy being with our friends from the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club – catching up, daily activities and occasional outings. There are so many things to become involved that we seem to fill up our daily schedule, much like being back home at work.

There have been some highlights. Carolyn continues her work at Every Child Counts, with nineteen students this year. She has noticed that many of them are taller than she is-  a sign that they are getting older but they continue to enjoy her classes each week. Overall, the number of students has continued to grow each year and it is encouraging to see the progress each student is making, making the effort worth the time and effort she puts in each week. She dide turn 70 this year, but keep it a secret.

I have jumped into water color. Never in my imagination would this have been something I would have considered in the past, but a very talented yacht club member recruited nineteen “student” and you would have never imagined the results. There were no amateurish paintings, thanks to the instructor’s assistance, and when the two-week series of classes ended, the pictures were terrific.

The editing for this year’s Waterway Guide has been completed, and I find myself rising early each morning to plan sales calls for advertising, using the internet to reach out to those accounts in the more distant areas. Chris Higgs, Harbour Master here at Boat Harbour, is gracious enough to allow me to use his van to visit local advertisers in exchange for the “soccer mom” duties I provide in exchange.

We are so happy to be back in the Abacos. It’s so nice to be on the receiving end of the “Welcome Backs” or “need a lift” as we walk into town. The area continues to be our home away from home but we always look forward to receiving emails from everyone back home which help to keep us focused.

A Change in Scenery

It was December 22nd when the weather cleared and we were able to strike the lines at Old Port Cove in Palm Beach. As has been typical, the first hour was challenging, but soon we entered the Gulf Stream and the seas calmed making it an enjoyable crossing to the Bahamas. We traveled about twelve hours and anchored at Great Sale Cay where we discovered total blackness. Only the chartplotter and radar were useful to guide us in.
The following morning we departed early, and with smooth seas we managed to make Green Turtle Cay and around The Whale Cay passage at 1:30pm and then on to Boat Harbour Marina on the southern end of Great Abaco.

Our daughter Jessica, arrived in Marsh Harbour at 1:30, and calmly changed into her swinsuit, enjoyed her afternoon and was on hand to accept our lines when we arrived around 4:30.
The weather could not have been better, and Jessica seemed to enjoy relaxing on the beach, reading and enjoying some of the local cuisine over the Christmas holiday. It was a wonderful time together.
Since then, the weather had continued to be the best we have seen in years, and now that we have settled in, the fun with our friends has just begun.