Up early to check the weather. I looks good for traveling back to Florida. The wind hid died down. This was good and bad. Since there was very little breeze in the morning these little annoying insects came out and started biting us. The little buggers are so small that you cannot see them, but you can feel them bite.
We stowed our gear and settled up our account with Sue. She took all of our Bahamas currency and credit cards. I was told to get rid of all the Bahamas money before leaving the country. Banks in the USA will not exchange Bahamas currency for American currency. I am returning to the United States with three US dollars in my wallet. Once we arrive in Fort Pierce, my first stop will be the money machine.
At 8:30 I fired up the Honda, Jerry tossed off the dock lines and we headed toward Angle Fish Point our first waypoint for the trip back to the USA..
Jerry steered as I hoisted the mainsail and the big 155 Genoa filled with wind and drive us along with the iron jenny at 6 plus knots. After three hours of motoring Jerry figured that it was time to calculate the amount of fuel we should have on board if we were to motor all the way to Ft Pierce. We started with 22 gallons of fuel. I figured the fuel we had plus the wind we should get, we would have enough to get home. I thoughtr that the winds had to pipe up soon.
As we left Spanish, there was no wind at all. The Sea of Abaco looked like a giant mirror! The only disturbances in the water was left from our wake
5:00pm We rounded the waypoint called Baracudda Rock. There were six to eight dolphins swimming along, around the boat. The would dive behind the boat and next to the boat. They were so close, you could see their eyes. What magnificent creatures who sailor believes are good luck.
The water is so clear that you can see the bottom in 20 feet of water. No need for a “looky bucket” today. I could see sing rays, conch, sea urchins, star fish and sea grass from the bow of the boat.
At 5:35 the wind started to pick up. I raised the head sail for the second time in eight hours. We were making between 5 and 6 knots.
The sunset was spectacular. Jerry and I both got our cameras out and took photos. The sky was pink, red, orange and the sun itself. A huge round ball falling into the ocean.
I got out the safety harness for the person on night watch to wear. We discussed taking 3 hours shifts. Jerry took the helm at 8:30pm and I crawled into my berth to get some sleep. Jerry let me sleep until 1:00am. The stars were bright and reflected in the water just like the moon reflects in the water when it is out.
It is difficult to keep a sail boat on course when hand steering at night. There is nothing to ‘aim for’ and looking at the compass and the GPS is hypnotizing. Waves slap the hull and rock the boat and you cannot see them. It is a very unusual feeling. We saw one boat about 3:00AM that came very close to us and then when getting close changed course nad headed away. Both Jerry and I wondered who that boat was?
The sunrise was beautiful. We were heading west and the sun came up from behind us. The sun was coming from the same direction as the waves. We were still moving at about 5 knots and still on the banks. We were still in 20 feet of water and had not hit the opean ocean.
We crossed out of the banks and into the open ocean at about 10am. The depth of the water went to almost three thousand feet! The depth gage no longer worked. It send an electronic impulse to the sea floor and the signal bounces back to the transducer. When the returning wave is received, the instrument calculates the depth by the time is takes to come back to the instrument. It was sooo deep that the sound wave kept going down and by the time it reaches the bottom we were long gone bu the time the signal bounced back.
Once we got into the Gulf Stream, the temperature of the water was noticeably warmer than the open ocean. The water also slowed up the speed of the boat if you steered into it. We had and east south east wind and were on a broad reach.
Water Mark was in the open ocean and holding her own. She sails well into the wind. She is a little bouncy off the wind. I was glad that we picked the right weather window. A small sailboat on the open ocean is a storm might not be a lot of fun.
We sailed all day. There were swell of waves coming from behind us. There were also crossing waves coming from the side of us. The sea was a little confused. The wind continued to be steady and we were making about 5 knots.
We sighted land about 3:00pm the tall building on Hutchinson’s Island looked very welcoming. I checked the signal on my cell phone. I was plesently surprised to see a bar. I pushed the button and talked to Sandy. She was at the movie theatre. I told her that we had just sailed into Florida waters and Jerry and I were safe.
At 4:30pm we sailed in the Ft Pierce inlet. Just as we got inside of the break wall at Ft Pierce a huge 40 foot sport fisherman came by us at full speed and created a 6 foot wave that Jerry steered us into. The wave broke over the Water Mark and the splash went 15 feet up into the air. The splash got the head sail wet, the sheets and the dingy that was stored on the foredeck.
What and absolute asshole. If it we not for some fast thinking from Jerry that guy could have really caused a huge problem for boat like the WaterMark.
We have learned that the sport fisherman think they are the kings of the sea and anyone in their way will pay hell. What is wrong with these guys. They are in every port us and down the coast of Florida and are dangerous!
Aa 5:00pm I took down the head sail as we entered the inlet. I then took down the main sail as the wind was being blocked by several buildings.
Jerry handed me the tiller and I made the starboard turn into the Inter Coastal Water Way. We passed Harbor Town, Taylor Creed Marina and finally made the turn to port and tinto Riverside Marina. We traveled 160 miles in 33 hours. We made it safely back to the United States.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday February 25, 2011
Spanish Cay
Jerry and I were up early checking the weather. The winds at night were very stiff and the boat bounced at the dock. Jerry said that he did not sleep very well. At about 1am I got up and tied two additional dock lines to Water Mark. The additional lines helped but did not stop the boat from bouncing. The tied was high at 1am and the waves were breaking over the break wall. The break wall was made of large rocks and the folks that built it built it to work well at low tide. High tide is a different story. The wind blows the waves over the rocks and this makes for a very uncomfortable dockage.
The winds were very stiff today. We decided to take a weather day and prepare the Water Mark for the crossing to Florida on Saturday as the weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday looks favorable for a 165 trip.
We pulled “Old Joe” off the transom of the dingy. I put a buck of fresh water over the propeller and water intake. Then fired “Old Joe” up and rinsed the salt water out of the motor. I disconnected the gas line and ran the motor until it ran out of gas.
We then pulled the dingy out of the water and washed it. I could not believe that there was so much green algae growing on the bottom of the dingy. There is also a lot of green algae growing on the bottom of the WaterMark. I used soap and a brush to clean the dingy. Once it was dried, we packed it in the two storage bags and lashed it to the foredeck for the trip across the Gulf Stream.
After the work was done, we had a beer and then rented a golf cart to tour the island. We drove from one end of the Cay to the other in just over one hour. We drove the golf cart down the middle of the run way. No airplanes so we were safe. We saw a restaurant called Wreckers. It looked abandoned. In fact the entire island looked and felt like a “ghost town”. Don Davis spent millions developing the island and must be loosing his shirt. Beautiful luxury homes and condos all empty. Maintained but starting to need paint and care and not getting it.
After touring the Cay, we headed up to the restaurant for our last meal in the Bahamas. Both Jerry and I had grouper. The chef a rotund lady with a tremendous personality had a secret sauce that went over the fish. It was absolutely delicious. It was also very expensive! She would not reveal the receipt to her secret sauce.
We also ordered some Bahamas toast. Bahamas toast is a cross between garlic bread and Texas toast. It is made with sweet Bahamas bread and also was a delicious desert.
With full bellies we headed back to the boat Jerry checked the weather and the forecast still looks good for a crossing to Florida on this weekend.
Jerry and I were up early checking the weather. The winds at night were very stiff and the boat bounced at the dock. Jerry said that he did not sleep very well. At about 1am I got up and tied two additional dock lines to Water Mark. The additional lines helped but did not stop the boat from bouncing. The tied was high at 1am and the waves were breaking over the break wall. The break wall was made of large rocks and the folks that built it built it to work well at low tide. High tide is a different story. The wind blows the waves over the rocks and this makes for a very uncomfortable dockage.
The winds were very stiff today. We decided to take a weather day and prepare the Water Mark for the crossing to Florida on Saturday as the weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday looks favorable for a 165 trip.
We pulled “Old Joe” off the transom of the dingy. I put a buck of fresh water over the propeller and water intake. Then fired “Old Joe” up and rinsed the salt water out of the motor. I disconnected the gas line and ran the motor until it ran out of gas.
We then pulled the dingy out of the water and washed it. I could not believe that there was so much green algae growing on the bottom of the dingy. There is also a lot of green algae growing on the bottom of the WaterMark. I used soap and a brush to clean the dingy. Once it was dried, we packed it in the two storage bags and lashed it to the foredeck for the trip across the Gulf Stream.
After the work was done, we had a beer and then rented a golf cart to tour the island. We drove from one end of the Cay to the other in just over one hour. We drove the golf cart down the middle of the run way. No airplanes so we were safe. We saw a restaurant called Wreckers. It looked abandoned. In fact the entire island looked and felt like a “ghost town”. Don Davis spent millions developing the island and must be loosing his shirt. Beautiful luxury homes and condos all empty. Maintained but starting to need paint and care and not getting it.
After touring the Cay, we headed up to the restaurant for our last meal in the Bahamas. Both Jerry and I had grouper. The chef a rotund lady with a tremendous personality had a secret sauce that went over the fish. It was absolutely delicious. It was also very expensive! She would not reveal the receipt to her secret sauce.
We also ordered some Bahamas toast. Bahamas toast is a cross between garlic bread and Texas toast. It is made with sweet Bahamas bread and also was a delicious desert.
With full bellies we headed back to the boat Jerry checked the weather and the forecast still looks good for a crossing to Florida on this weekend.
Thursday February 24, 2011
I woke up early again as is my custom and made a pot of coffee. Jerry does not drink coffee normally but on this trip he would drink a cup of black coffee in the morning.
We needed a few grocery items so we jumped into the dingy. I fired up “Old Joe” and we headed for the settlement called New Plymouth. A charming seaside settlement of about 450 people. It took about ninety minutes to tour and photograph the area. We wandered into an old cemetery. The ground is so hard that many of the old graves are built above ground. The newer graves that are dug with mechanized equipment are in the ground.
We purchased a loaf of raisin bread at McIntyre’s Restaurant and Bakery. Then we were able to find a half dozen eggs at Lowe’s Grocery. With that tour of New Plymouth concluded, we jumped into the dingy and headed back to the boat.
We tossed off the dock lines at 11:45am and set sail for Spanish Cay. The winds were stiff and blowing a good 15 to 20 out of the SSE. I raised the mainsail while Jerry steared the boat. I then put up the head sail. Since the winds were so stiff, I flew the Genoa 110. I was plenty of sail. We were moving along at 6 knots while dragging “Old Joe” behind us.
We pulled into Spanish Cay Marina at 3:30pm. We covered a distance of 25 miles on our trip from Green Turtle to Spanish.
Spanish is a beautiful place when your first see it from the water. It is a private Cay owned by a guy from Texas called Don Davis. Don has a huge house and a 5000 foot runway so that he can land his jet. He also built a hanger for his airplane.
Don hired an American couple named Dan and Sue Keever from Cleveland Ohio to manage the marina and hotel. Since the economy has gone south the real estate developer and mega yacht builder Don is rarely seen on the island. You can see that the resort that he built is in the first stages of neglect. They do not get very many visitors to the cay.
Dan the manager of the establishment told us that his brother was involved with the NASA space program. The last shuttle was scheduled to launch at 4:45pm. Dan told Jerry and me that there was a launch party in the bar. We had a beer on the boat and then headed into the bar to watch the launch. The launch party was great fun. Dan had a lot of inside information about the space program and kept the folks watching he launch informed and entertained.
While at the launch party Jerry and I were invited to join a cruising couple named Stew and Diana for dinner aboard their 42 foot Endeavor names Casual Class. They asked up to bring something so we brought a fresh loaf of raisin bread. The main course was crab cakes, with Bahamas rice and beans. Another cruising couple from England also joined us for dinner.
Stew and Diana have lived aboard Casual Class for 16 years! The boat was absolutely beautiful. Stew has become my hero. Sixteen years living on a boat. They lived on the boat in Virginia while he and his wife worked. They retired a year ago and are now cruising the Bahamas and plan to head to the Caribbean.
After dinner, I got my guitar and played a few songs.
I stayed up late and did not get to bed until almost 10pm.
We needed a few grocery items so we jumped into the dingy. I fired up “Old Joe” and we headed for the settlement called New Plymouth. A charming seaside settlement of about 450 people. It took about ninety minutes to tour and photograph the area. We wandered into an old cemetery. The ground is so hard that many of the old graves are built above ground. The newer graves that are dug with mechanized equipment are in the ground.
We purchased a loaf of raisin bread at McIntyre’s Restaurant and Bakery. Then we were able to find a half dozen eggs at Lowe’s Grocery. With that tour of New Plymouth concluded, we jumped into the dingy and headed back to the boat.
We tossed off the dock lines at 11:45am and set sail for Spanish Cay. The winds were stiff and blowing a good 15 to 20 out of the SSE. I raised the mainsail while Jerry steared the boat. I then put up the head sail. Since the winds were so stiff, I flew the Genoa 110. I was plenty of sail. We were moving along at 6 knots while dragging “Old Joe” behind us.
We pulled into Spanish Cay Marina at 3:30pm. We covered a distance of 25 miles on our trip from Green Turtle to Spanish.
Spanish is a beautiful place when your first see it from the water. It is a private Cay owned by a guy from Texas called Don Davis. Don has a huge house and a 5000 foot runway so that he can land his jet. He also built a hanger for his airplane.
Don hired an American couple named Dan and Sue Keever from Cleveland Ohio to manage the marina and hotel. Since the economy has gone south the real estate developer and mega yacht builder Don is rarely seen on the island. You can see that the resort that he built is in the first stages of neglect. They do not get very many visitors to the cay.
Dan the manager of the establishment told us that his brother was involved with the NASA space program. The last shuttle was scheduled to launch at 4:45pm. Dan told Jerry and me that there was a launch party in the bar. We had a beer on the boat and then headed into the bar to watch the launch. The launch party was great fun. Dan had a lot of inside information about the space program and kept the folks watching he launch informed and entertained.
While at the launch party Jerry and I were invited to join a cruising couple named Stew and Diana for dinner aboard their 42 foot Endeavor names Casual Class. They asked up to bring something so we brought a fresh loaf of raisin bread. The main course was crab cakes, with Bahamas rice and beans. Another cruising couple from England also joined us for dinner.
Stew and Diana have lived aboard Casual Class for 16 years! The boat was absolutely beautiful. Stew has become my hero. Sixteen years living on a boat. They lived on the boat in Virginia while he and his wife worked. They retired a year ago and are now cruising the Bahamas and plan to head to the Caribbean.
After dinner, I got my guitar and played a few songs.
I stayed up late and did not get to bed until almost 10pm.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday February 23, 2011
Jerry and I were up early. We had shopping to do before heading out of the anchorage. We drank a cup of coffee and headed back into the settlement to finalize our purchases.
When we got to Sally’s Boutique, it was closed, Jerry set on a picnic table next to the water. I went searching for Sally. I spoke with a gentleman and he told me that Sally lived directly across the street from here shop. I knocked on the door. No answer. I walked around to the back. Sally was hanging a wash cloth on the clothes line. I greeted her with a pleasant Good Morning. She was still in her night clothes but remembered me from yesterday. I told here that Jerry and I wanted to purchase some items from her for our wives before setting sail. She told me that she would get dressed and meet ma at here shop.
After purchasing the gifts for our wives Sally wished us safe sailing and we headed back to the boat. Jerry hoisted the anchor, while I fired up the Honda. At 9:30am we motored out of the harbor at Man-O-War Cay.
Our route to Green Turtle is north east. Today the wind is very light 5 knots and is directly out of the north east. We had to motor most of the way. Light winds today are good, because we must use the Shale Cay Passage and that will take us out into the Atlantic Ocean and then back into the Sea of Abaco.
It is important to have good weather while transiting Whale Cay passage. If the wind and the tides are opposite one an other, a “surge’ can occur and they are very dangerous. This looks like a perfect day to do the Whale Cay passage. Tommy Aubury told us that the weather tomorrow was going to be pretty heavy. Twenty knot winds are expected.
Since the fishing was good yesterday, I put the line in the water and we fished the entire time we were traveling to Green Turtle and came up empty. Six hours of dragging a line and nothing today.
When we got to Sally’s Boutique, it was closed, Jerry set on a picnic table next to the water. I went searching for Sally. I spoke with a gentleman and he told me that Sally lived directly across the street from here shop. I knocked on the door. No answer. I walked around to the back. Sally was hanging a wash cloth on the clothes line. I greeted her with a pleasant Good Morning. She was still in her night clothes but remembered me from yesterday. I told here that Jerry and I wanted to purchase some items from her for our wives before setting sail. She told me that she would get dressed and meet ma at here shop.
After purchasing the gifts for our wives Sally wished us safe sailing and we headed back to the boat. Jerry hoisted the anchor, while I fired up the Honda. At 9:30am we motored out of the harbor at Man-O-War Cay.
Our route to Green Turtle is north east. Today the wind is very light 5 knots and is directly out of the north east. We had to motor most of the way. Light winds today are good, because we must use the Shale Cay Passage and that will take us out into the Atlantic Ocean and then back into the Sea of Abaco.
It is important to have good weather while transiting Whale Cay passage. If the wind and the tides are opposite one an other, a “surge’ can occur and they are very dangerous. This looks like a perfect day to do the Whale Cay passage. Tommy Aubury told us that the weather tomorrow was going to be pretty heavy. Twenty knot winds are expected.
Since the fishing was good yesterday, I put the line in the water and we fished the entire time we were traveling to Green Turtle and came up empty. Six hours of dragging a line and nothing today.
Tuesday February 22, 2011
Jerry and I were up at the crack of dawn. We jumped in the dingy and headed to the Hope Town Marina for showers. We also used their WiFi network to Skype with our wives. With clean bodies we motored over to the Elbow Cay Light House and climbed to the top. The view of Hope Town from the top of the 100 foot light house is spectacular. We took several photos. It is much easier to climb down the light house steps than it is to climb up.
We then motored “Old Joe” across the harbor and purchased ice and a case of Kalik. The beer is really tasty, but it is also expensive. It cost almost $50 for a case of beer.
With full provisions, we dropped the mooring ball at noon and motored out of Hope Town Harbor. Our destination was Man-O-War Cay.
While on the way to Man-O-War, I dropped the fishing line into the water and dragged the lure behind the boat. At about 2PM Jerry said that the banjo reel was spinning a little. I checked it and sure enough we had caught a fish. It was a Mutton Snapper that weighed about 8 pounds. We pulled the fish out of the water and gave it a shot of rum. The shot of rum quickly kills the fish and keeps it from flopping around in the cockpit of the boat.
We took several photos of the trophy and then looked the fish up in our cruising guide. Snapper is good eating.
At 3:00pm we dropped the sails and motored into the harbor at Man-O-War. We turned and headed to the south end of the little harbor and Jerry set the anchor. We were anchored in about 10 feet of water.
Once the anchor was secure and holding, we had a Kalik and I sharpened the fillet knife in preparation of cleaning the Mutton Snapper. I filleted the fish. We put the fillets into a plastic bag and stored them in the ice box.
It was time for a dingy ride into the settlement. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to see everything there is to see. We checked out he Aubury sail maker. They no longer make sails, they make bags, purses. Ditty bags, suit cases out of heavy sail type material. Our next stop was Sally’s Sea Side Boutique. Sally is an older lady in her late seventies. She has beautiful material from Andros (one of the islands in the Bahamas). This was the place, I decided was the best spot to purchase Bahamas souvenirs for Sandy and Patricia.
It was late in the day and I did not have enough cash with me to purchase everything I wanted. I told Sally that I would return in the morning to finish my shopping.
We jumped into the dingy and headed back to WaterMark anchored in the harbor.
We had another Kalik, then Jerry and I prepared the fish. I washed the fish, Jerry cut up some onions and made a salad. I sauted. the onions and then cooked the snapper in butter. The fish was wonderful. The fish was sweet and very tasty.. I did a pretty good job filleting the fish as there were not many bones to contend with while eating the meal.
We then motored “Old Joe” across the harbor and purchased ice and a case of Kalik. The beer is really tasty, but it is also expensive. It cost almost $50 for a case of beer.
With full provisions, we dropped the mooring ball at noon and motored out of Hope Town Harbor. Our destination was Man-O-War Cay.
While on the way to Man-O-War, I dropped the fishing line into the water and dragged the lure behind the boat. At about 2PM Jerry said that the banjo reel was spinning a little. I checked it and sure enough we had caught a fish. It was a Mutton Snapper that weighed about 8 pounds. We pulled the fish out of the water and gave it a shot of rum. The shot of rum quickly kills the fish and keeps it from flopping around in the cockpit of the boat.
We took several photos of the trophy and then looked the fish up in our cruising guide. Snapper is good eating.
At 3:00pm we dropped the sails and motored into the harbor at Man-O-War. We turned and headed to the south end of the little harbor and Jerry set the anchor. We were anchored in about 10 feet of water.
Once the anchor was secure and holding, we had a Kalik and I sharpened the fillet knife in preparation of cleaning the Mutton Snapper. I filleted the fish. We put the fillets into a plastic bag and stored them in the ice box.
It was time for a dingy ride into the settlement. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to see everything there is to see. We checked out he Aubury sail maker. They no longer make sails, they make bags, purses. Ditty bags, suit cases out of heavy sail type material. Our next stop was Sally’s Sea Side Boutique. Sally is an older lady in her late seventies. She has beautiful material from Andros (one of the islands in the Bahamas). This was the place, I decided was the best spot to purchase Bahamas souvenirs for Sandy and Patricia.
It was late in the day and I did not have enough cash with me to purchase everything I wanted. I told Sally that I would return in the morning to finish my shopping.
We jumped into the dingy and headed back to WaterMark anchored in the harbor.
We had another Kalik, then Jerry and I prepared the fish. I washed the fish, Jerry cut up some onions and made a salad. I sauted. the onions and then cooked the snapper in butter. The fish was wonderful. The fish was sweet and very tasty.. I did a pretty good job filleting the fish as there were not many bones to contend with while eating the meal.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday February 21, 2011.
Today the trip home officially begins. I ran to the bakery for fresh bread. We topped off the fuel tanks. At 11am we cast off the dock lines and set sail for Hope Town. I was a little sad to see Marsh Harbor fade into the distance as it was “home” for several weeks and I really loved the town and the people I met. The temperature as we motored out of the harbor was 73 degrees and the sun was shining. Wind out of the East South East at 10 to 15 knots. I was a beautiful day to be on the water.
We sailed the entire distance. As the crow flies it is just under 9 miles. We traveled 15 miles because we had to tack back and fourth four times. The wind was out of the east and we were headed east. We sailed up to the entrance of Hope Town dropped the sails and motored into the harbor. There was a larger boat that was very slow to head into the harbor as it was low tide and the depth finder was reading 4 to 4.5 feet. We picked up a red mooring ball and were nestled in for the night. We jumped in the dingy and did a shore trip. Walked over to the beach on the Atlantic ocean and toured the settlement.
Then back to the boat for dinner. I hit the hay about my normal time.
We sailed the entire distance. As the crow flies it is just under 9 miles. We traveled 15 miles because we had to tack back and fourth four times. The wind was out of the east and we were headed east. We sailed up to the entrance of Hope Town dropped the sails and motored into the harbor. There was a larger boat that was very slow to head into the harbor as it was low tide and the depth finder was reading 4 to 4.5 feet. We picked up a red mooring ball and were nestled in for the night. We jumped in the dingy and did a shore trip. Walked over to the beach on the Atlantic ocean and toured the settlement.
Then back to the boat for dinner. I hit the hay about my normal time.
Sunday February 20, 2011
I was up early and headed off to Mass at St Frances de Sales Church. I walked to the traffic light and then a block north to the Haitian community. There is a church bus stop there and I caught the yellow bus.
The keyboard player was absent. The choir sang all of the songs without any music. Peter the bartender from Mango’s was at Mass and he told me that I should have brought my guitar to church.
After Mass the church bus driver dropped me off at Mango’s. Riding the bus with all of the children was great fun. More kids attend Mass from the Haitian community than adults. I wonder why?
We went to Maxwell’s Grocery store and purchased provisions for the trip back to Florida. Fruit, juice, tomatoes, lettuce cereal etc. We took a cab to and from the store because we had so much food to carry we never would have made it on foot.
I gave Jerry a quick walking tour of the town. We ten dingied over to Jim and Ellie’s boat and had cocktails and snacks.
Then back to Mango’s for conch fritters. No live music this night as Estin was nowhere to be seen. Marsh Harbor shuts down on Sunday and there is very little activity. Then back down the dock the boat and to bed.
The keyboard player was absent. The choir sang all of the songs without any music. Peter the bartender from Mango’s was at Mass and he told me that I should have brought my guitar to church.
After Mass the church bus driver dropped me off at Mango’s. Riding the bus with all of the children was great fun. More kids attend Mass from the Haitian community than adults. I wonder why?
We went to Maxwell’s Grocery store and purchased provisions for the trip back to Florida. Fruit, juice, tomatoes, lettuce cereal etc. We took a cab to and from the store because we had so much food to carry we never would have made it on foot.
I gave Jerry a quick walking tour of the town. We ten dingied over to Jim and Ellie’s boat and had cocktails and snacks.
Then back to Mango’s for conch fritters. No live music this night as Estin was nowhere to be seen. Marsh Harbor shuts down on Sunday and there is very little activity. Then back down the dock the boat and to bed.
Saturday February 19, 2011
At noon Estin arrived for a guitar lesion. Since he is also a cab driver, he had a double duty. The guitar lesson and then taxi ride to the airport to pick up Jerry. We played calypso music for and hour. I had bought his CD from the local souvenir shop and learned the changes to one of the songs he wrote called The Bahamas that was on the CD that I purchased. We had a ton of fun during the lesson. Jim and Ellie even showed up. Jim harmonized to several of the songs that Estin played. 1:30pm came quickly and the guitar lesson ended. Estin said that we needed to head to the airport to pick up Jerry.
Jerry’s flight was 10 minutes late. Estin the taxi driver beeped his horn ar most folks we passed as he drove me to the airport. I talked to a vendor at the airport while waiting for he flight to arrive. He said that everything in his booth was handmade by his wife. I had to purchase earrings that were hand made by his wife out of coconut for Sandy and Patricia. I had a photo taken of the coconut tree that produced the coconuts from which the jewelry was made.
We headed back to Mango’s. Estin dropped us off and said goodbye. Jerry unpacked his gear and we jumped in the dingy for a tour of Marsh Harbor by water.
As the sun went down Jerry and I went to Mango’s Restaurant for conch chowder. Estin was at the bar talking with folks. He asked me to get my guitar and we played pass the guitar. Estin would play a song. Then it was my turn. We had great fun. I stayed up way past my normal bed time of 8:30pm. Finally about 10:30 I creawled into my aft bunk and Jery crawled into the V-berth and we fell asleep.
Jerry’s flight was 10 minutes late. Estin the taxi driver beeped his horn ar most folks we passed as he drove me to the airport. I talked to a vendor at the airport while waiting for he flight to arrive. He said that everything in his booth was handmade by his wife. I had to purchase earrings that were hand made by his wife out of coconut for Sandy and Patricia. I had a photo taken of the coconut tree that produced the coconuts from which the jewelry was made.
We headed back to Mango’s. Estin dropped us off and said goodbye. Jerry unpacked his gear and we jumped in the dingy for a tour of Marsh Harbor by water.
As the sun went down Jerry and I went to Mango’s Restaurant for conch chowder. Estin was at the bar talking with folks. He asked me to get my guitar and we played pass the guitar. Estin would play a song. Then it was my turn. We had great fun. I stayed up way past my normal bed time of 8:30pm. Finally about 10:30 I creawled into my aft bunk and Jery crawled into the V-berth and we fell asleep.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday February 18, 2011
I spoke with Jerry Leanderson at 9am via a Skype connection. He is coming to Marsh Harbor to help me sail the Water Mark back to the USA. We reviewed his travel plans. I told him that arrangements have been made to pick him up at the airport when he arrives here in Marsh Harbor at 1:35pm on Saturday. Estin Sawyer the Music Mon of Abaco and taxi driver and I will meet him at the airport.
Jerry had question about Bahamas money. He asked about the currency used here in the Bahamas. Currently the Bahamas dollar and the American dollar are on equal par. In fact the money here in the Bahamas is a mix of American currency and Bahamas currency. You can purchase anything you want with US dollars or Bahamas dollars. If you purchase an item and pay for it with Bahamas currency, you might receive a combination of American dollars and Bahamas dollars as change. Bahamas currency is very colorful. Like in the USA Bahamas bills of all denominations are the same size. The have a 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollar notes. There may be larger denominations but I have not seen them.
After talking with Jerry, I moved the boat from where it had been anchored to a slip at Manago’s. I backed the Water Mark into the slip and tied her up. Then connected the hose and washed the boat. It had salt all over the hull from being anchored in the harbor for over a week.
Once the boat was clean on the outside, I focused my attention on the conch that I had soaking in a bucket of bleach. The bottom part of the conch is colorful and clean. The top of the conch was coated with algae. After soaking in bleach for 2 days the algae brushed off the top side of the conch easily. I am proud of this conch and want to keep it as a souvenir. I then wandered into town to buy Sandy a souvenir from the Bahamas.
It feels strange to be at a dock after all those days of anchoring out in the harbor. I guess that strange feeling is the same feeling that you have when you go to New York City. It is crowded. You feel pinned in and cramped.
There is electricity at the dock and sometimes Internet. I booted up the laptop and decided to watch a movie. DVD’s are traded regularly amongst the cruisers. I had traded for several movies in West End and have not had a chance to watch them because of the limited battery power of the laptop. The computer has a 75 minute battery life. Most movies take longer than that to play so I have been reading books. They do not require batteries.
I watched a movie called Godsend. Just like at home, I fell asleep half way through the film. I figured that I could watch the ending in the morning. When I woke up the full moon was shining into the cabin. I fell back asleep watching the full moon.
Jerry had question about Bahamas money. He asked about the currency used here in the Bahamas. Currently the Bahamas dollar and the American dollar are on equal par. In fact the money here in the Bahamas is a mix of American currency and Bahamas currency. You can purchase anything you want with US dollars or Bahamas dollars. If you purchase an item and pay for it with Bahamas currency, you might receive a combination of American dollars and Bahamas dollars as change. Bahamas currency is very colorful. Like in the USA Bahamas bills of all denominations are the same size. The have a 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollar notes. There may be larger denominations but I have not seen them.
After talking with Jerry, I moved the boat from where it had been anchored to a slip at Manago’s. I backed the Water Mark into the slip and tied her up. Then connected the hose and washed the boat. It had salt all over the hull from being anchored in the harbor for over a week.
Once the boat was clean on the outside, I focused my attention on the conch that I had soaking in a bucket of bleach. The bottom part of the conch is colorful and clean. The top of the conch was coated with algae. After soaking in bleach for 2 days the algae brushed off the top side of the conch easily. I am proud of this conch and want to keep it as a souvenir. I then wandered into town to buy Sandy a souvenir from the Bahamas.
It feels strange to be at a dock after all those days of anchoring out in the harbor. I guess that strange feeling is the same feeling that you have when you go to New York City. It is crowded. You feel pinned in and cramped.
There is electricity at the dock and sometimes Internet. I booted up the laptop and decided to watch a movie. DVD’s are traded regularly amongst the cruisers. I had traded for several movies in West End and have not had a chance to watch them because of the limited battery power of the laptop. The computer has a 75 minute battery life. Most movies take longer than that to play so I have been reading books. They do not require batteries.
I watched a movie called Godsend. Just like at home, I fell asleep half way through the film. I figured that I could watch the ending in the morning. When I woke up the full moon was shining into the cabin. I fell back asleep watching the full moon.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday February 17, 2011
At noon I met up with a gentleman named Estin Sawyer. Estin is known as the Music man of the Abacos and is a fantastic guitar player. He also drives a taxi cab. We had arranged earlier in the week to meet up so that he could teach me some Bahamas music.
We met at Mango’s. We found a quiet corner and tuned or guitars. Estin began to teach me the calypso rhythm. The song we practiced is called Mary Ann. Estin stared the lesson by showing me how to strum the strings of the guitar and use my finger to hit the sound board and use it as a drum.
After strumming practice I wrote the words of the song down and the cords. He told me to practice the song and that we would meet for lesson number two at noon on Saturday.
Because Estin is also a taxi driver, I asked him if he would be available on Saturday to pick up a friend at the airport who was flying in to Marsh Harbor to help me sail the boat back to the USA. Estin said that he would be available and that we could practice guitar before picking Jerry up.
I returned to the Water Mark. Jim and Ellie my boating buddies had the bottom of their boatr cleaned by a local guy named Brown Tip. The wanted to see if the clean bottom would allow their 36 foot Catalina to sail faster. They also wanted me to watch them sail the boat and to make helpful suggestions as to how they could improve their seamamship skills.
Ellie headed to the bow of FinniIrish to weight anchor. Jim fired up the diesel engine.
After the engine had warmed up, Ellie stepped on the foot pedal and the windlass began to rotate and the anchor chain started to collect in the anchor locker. The windless is a really nice tool. It is basically an electrical powered winch that pulls up the anchor. They use a plow anchor and when it broke the surface of the water, it was full of mud. The mud here in Marsh Harbor makes for great holding.
We used a boat hook to scrape off most of the mud from the anchor. Jim pointed the bow of FinniIrish toward the sea of Abaco and we were underway. Once we cleared the entrance to the harbor, Jim pointed the bow of their boat into the wind and Ellie wrapped the main halyard around a winch and hoisted the main sail. She then released the line that controls the roller furling for the head sail. Jim then turned the boat away from the wind and we were off a port tack. The wind was blowing at about 12 knots and FinniIrish as doing a good 6 plus knots. The sheets that control the head sail were run over the life lines and so we changed the position of the sheets and ran them through the life lines so that they did not chafe on the life lines.
We sailed past Elbow Cay and north toward Man-O-War. Their boat sailed beautifully. FinniIrish is their home. They bought the boat in Ohio three years ago, sold their house and car. Stored a lot of their belongings and set sail for the Bahamas. They have been cruising for three years. They island hope in the winter months and then in June head back to Florida for the summer months. Ellie tells everyone that the dingy is their car.
Jim then came about and we were on a starboard tack headed back toward marsh harbor. The wind was on our hind quarter and still making a good 6 plus knots. The Catalina 36 is a very nice sailing vessel. With a clean bottom it went fast. Jim drives the boat and Ellie does most of the work!
When we returned to Marsh Harbor, we stopped at the Harbor View marina for water. The marina was closed. We checked and the water at the end of the dock it was on. Ellie got her special hose out of the aft locker and I connected it to the hose. She started taking on water. FinniIrish water tanks hold almost 70 gallons of water. It took about 15 minutes to fill the tanks. Jim said that he would return the next day and pay the bill. We think that water costs about .20 cents per gallon. Jim expects the bill will come to about 14 dollars.
Once the water tanks were full Jim motored to the anchorage. Ellie put on here old leather gloves and paid out the anchor rode. Once the anchor chain was laying the on the bottom of the harbor, Jim put the engine in reverse and set the anchor. The holding ground here is excellent. The anchor set on the first attempt. Ellie then made a rum drink, Jim drank a non alcohol beer and they told me stories of their cruise in the Mediterranean aboard a huge cruise ship. This couple loves the boating life style and when they took a vacation last year they left their boat in Florida and then took a cruise.
Jim and Ellie on FinniIrish are like next door neighbors that move. We have been sailing together since West End. After their stay in Marsh Harbor, they are heading south to the Exumas. They were there last year and tell me that the Cay is very remote. Ellie will provision their boat with 30 days worth of provisions before they leave.
I have become good friends with Jim and Ellie and will continue to stay in contact with them when we head in separate direction. They are going south, I will head north. I have truly enjoyed all of the time we have spent together. Jim is a retired attorney and Ellie is a retired hospital administrator.
We met at Mango’s. We found a quiet corner and tuned or guitars. Estin began to teach me the calypso rhythm. The song we practiced is called Mary Ann. Estin stared the lesson by showing me how to strum the strings of the guitar and use my finger to hit the sound board and use it as a drum.
After strumming practice I wrote the words of the song down and the cords. He told me to practice the song and that we would meet for lesson number two at noon on Saturday.
Because Estin is also a taxi driver, I asked him if he would be available on Saturday to pick up a friend at the airport who was flying in to Marsh Harbor to help me sail the boat back to the USA. Estin said that he would be available and that we could practice guitar before picking Jerry up.
I returned to the Water Mark. Jim and Ellie my boating buddies had the bottom of their boatr cleaned by a local guy named Brown Tip. The wanted to see if the clean bottom would allow their 36 foot Catalina to sail faster. They also wanted me to watch them sail the boat and to make helpful suggestions as to how they could improve their seamamship skills.
Ellie headed to the bow of FinniIrish to weight anchor. Jim fired up the diesel engine.
After the engine had warmed up, Ellie stepped on the foot pedal and the windlass began to rotate and the anchor chain started to collect in the anchor locker. The windless is a really nice tool. It is basically an electrical powered winch that pulls up the anchor. They use a plow anchor and when it broke the surface of the water, it was full of mud. The mud here in Marsh Harbor makes for great holding.
We used a boat hook to scrape off most of the mud from the anchor. Jim pointed the bow of FinniIrish toward the sea of Abaco and we were underway. Once we cleared the entrance to the harbor, Jim pointed the bow of their boat into the wind and Ellie wrapped the main halyard around a winch and hoisted the main sail. She then released the line that controls the roller furling for the head sail. Jim then turned the boat away from the wind and we were off a port tack. The wind was blowing at about 12 knots and FinniIrish as doing a good 6 plus knots. The sheets that control the head sail were run over the life lines and so we changed the position of the sheets and ran them through the life lines so that they did not chafe on the life lines.
We sailed past Elbow Cay and north toward Man-O-War. Their boat sailed beautifully. FinniIrish is their home. They bought the boat in Ohio three years ago, sold their house and car. Stored a lot of their belongings and set sail for the Bahamas. They have been cruising for three years. They island hope in the winter months and then in June head back to Florida for the summer months. Ellie tells everyone that the dingy is their car.
Jim then came about and we were on a starboard tack headed back toward marsh harbor. The wind was on our hind quarter and still making a good 6 plus knots. The Catalina 36 is a very nice sailing vessel. With a clean bottom it went fast. Jim drives the boat and Ellie does most of the work!
When we returned to Marsh Harbor, we stopped at the Harbor View marina for water. The marina was closed. We checked and the water at the end of the dock it was on. Ellie got her special hose out of the aft locker and I connected it to the hose. She started taking on water. FinniIrish water tanks hold almost 70 gallons of water. It took about 15 minutes to fill the tanks. Jim said that he would return the next day and pay the bill. We think that water costs about .20 cents per gallon. Jim expects the bill will come to about 14 dollars.
Once the water tanks were full Jim motored to the anchorage. Ellie put on here old leather gloves and paid out the anchor rode. Once the anchor chain was laying the on the bottom of the harbor, Jim put the engine in reverse and set the anchor. The holding ground here is excellent. The anchor set on the first attempt. Ellie then made a rum drink, Jim drank a non alcohol beer and they told me stories of their cruise in the Mediterranean aboard a huge cruise ship. This couple loves the boating life style and when they took a vacation last year they left their boat in Florida and then took a cruise.
Jim and Ellie on FinniIrish are like next door neighbors that move. We have been sailing together since West End. After their stay in Marsh Harbor, they are heading south to the Exumas. They were there last year and tell me that the Cay is very remote. Ellie will provision their boat with 30 days worth of provisions before they leave.
I have become good friends with Jim and Ellie and will continue to stay in contact with them when we head in separate direction. They are going south, I will head north. I have truly enjoyed all of the time we have spent together. Jim is a retired attorney and Ellie is a retired hospital administrator.
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