I woke up before sunrise. Perked a pot of coffee and watched the sun come up as I sat in the cockpit. Once the sun was up I jumped in the dingy. My goal was to take a tour. First I had to bail out the dingy. It seems that the leak I fixed is not totally fixed. That is to say the dingy leaks but not as bad as before.
The old 1959 Evenrude Fisherman started on the first pull. The dingy was off to explore. I steered down what looked like the Inter Coastal Waterway in Florida. That is to say there were some pretty big home on the canal. In front of the big homes were some really big and fast boats. Wow!
I tried to get the Cruisers Net on the radio at 8:15 but most of what I got was static. The Cruisers Net is a VHF Marine radio broadcast of cruising information. The information is focused around the weather, currents and tides. As cruisers we live and die by the weather. At home in the Great Lakes we have NOAA weather radio 24/7 alerting sailors to the weather forecast. There is no such thing here in the Bahamas. They way to forecast the weather is to read the sunset, the sunrise and the clouds. It also helps to talk to other boaters and that is what the Cruisers Net is all about. People are innovative and figure out ways to get critical information.
After cruising around in the dingy, I tied up at the Treasure Cay dock and went ashore. I had my computer with me and the iPod. Desperately I tried to connect to the Internet so that I could send and receive email. I also wanted to Skype Sandy. No matter what I tried, it was impossible to connect to the Internet from Treasure Cay. I got to the point where I was frustrated and took a break.
My boating buddies said that they had to go back to their boats and get provisions for a trip to Coca Beach. While they were going back to their boat, I wandered the village. I found a little place that served breakfast. The little place was run by Capt Forty. He made me scrambled eggs, grits and corned beef. The corned beef tasted like chilly. All in all it was a good breakfast. As I was finishing my morning meal, in came my boating buddies. They like the looks of my breakfast and ordered.
It was then off to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It is called Coca Beach. It is listed in some famous magazine as being one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. it certainly is a beautiful beach. The sand was as fine as sugar and runs for about 3 miles. The tide was out so we had a lot of beach. The water is turquoise and crystal clear.
I headed back to Treasure Cay before my boating buddies. My plan was to take a shower before heading to the next stop. I got into the shower, turned on the water and nothing came out of the spout. I was shocked. Normally when you turn on the water it works. Some one said that there was a power failure. Nice. I’m dirty and salty and the water does not work.
Water is a scarce commodity here in the Bahamas. The main water supply is the result of reverse osmosis. If you get a dock and need water, you must pay for it by the gallon. It is not free like it is in the USA.
By 1:00Pm my boating buddies were ready to set sail for Guana Cay. At about 1L30PM we weighed anchor and motored out of the harbor at Treasure Cay. Our destination was Guana Cay which is directly east of Treasure Cay. The wind was coming out of the east at 10 knots. East was the direction I was headed. Needless to say I had to motor the 12.6 miles to the anchorage at Guana.
I anchored at Guana Cay at 4:30PM. I took three attempts to set the anchor. I could not get the flukes of the Danforth to catch the bottom. After the third attempt, the hook set. Jim and Ellie jumped in their dings and helped. They have a bucket with a glass bottom. They call it their peepy bucket. They looked at my anchor. Jim said that one fluke was sunk into the sand and I was set.
I set the anchor alarm and waited about 15 minutes to be sure that the anchor would hold before joining my buddies for a we made it drink.
While on board the FinniIrish, Jim was able to get an Internet connection and I was able to Skype with Sandy. She said that there was a big snow fall expected in the next several day. I miss her dearly but not the cold and the snow.
After happy hour I returned via dingy to the WaterMark and prepared dinner. I bought two hamburger patties at Treasure Cay and made sloppy joe’s for dinner.
Tonight’s anchorage is very rocky and rolly. It is a rather exposed anchorage and you can feel the boat rise and fall with the swells from the Sea of Abaco.
Somehow I found a WiFi connection from this anchorage. I is possible to update the blog from this anchorage. Wow!! I have a better Internet connection a quarter of a mile from shore than I had this morning at the Treasure Cay dock.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday January 30, 2011
Up early again today. The first order of business is to locate the cause of he leak in the dingy. I put the foot pump and patch kit into the dingy. I bailed out the water that had leaked into the dingy during the night. Once most of the water was bailed out of the dingy, I headed to the beach. I looked for a nice sandy beach to make the repair. I let out most of the air, removed the “Joe” motor and oars. I took out the floor boards and place all of the dingy stuff on a picnic table on the beach. I was able to locate the cause of he leak. The dingy was leaking from the transom. There are two screws below the water line that hold the wooden transom to the PVC. The wood must have shrunk and the screws rusted. This seemed to be the spot were water was getting into the dingy.
I borrowed some marine caulking from Jim and Ellie and plugged the leak. I let the caulking dry for about an hour. It was then time to get ready to go to church.
I could not find a Catholic Church on the island. The only church that I could find was an Anglican Church. I decided that God would not care that it was and Anglican Church or not so I got ready to attend the 11AM service.
I put on clean shorts and a golf shirt. Jumped into the dingy and headed to church. It is funny I scouted out the location of the church with my boating buddies on Saturday. We toured the island on a golf cart. I was headed to New Plymouth in a dingy and everything looked different. I finally found the church. I docked the dingy and walked up to the front door. The door was locked! How could a church be locked on Sunday. I was shocked. I walked around the village and found a church of God that was conducting a service. I walked in quietly. They was singing. The kids were using there arms to act out the song. It reminded me of how the “girls” in our family act out the lyrics to the Christmas song “Up On A Rooftop”. The church was only half filled. All of the seats in the back of the church were full. There were only front of the church seating. I stayed in the vestibule and watched for about fifteen minutes. When the preacher started his sermon, I was difficult to hear through the doors. I left.
I walked around the village looking for a restaurant. I was hungry and knew that my “boating buddies” would be ready to set sail when I returned from church. I walked into one restaurant that had just changed the closed sign to open. The teenage girl told me that I would be at least one hour before she could serve me any food. I left and continued to walk through the village. I found a place that looked like a Bed and Breakfast. I was called the Crab House. I walked into a very nice place. I seemed to be opened. I walked around and into the kitchen. A man named Cooper was the cook. I asked him if he could make me some breakfast. He asked me if I wanted a ham and cheese omelet. I said yes. I introduced my self. The cook told me that his name was Cooper. While Cooper was preparing breakfast, I found a book on Fish Of The Bahamas. It had sketches of fish. I quickly flipped through the pages trying to memorize the names and shapes of the larger fish.
Cooper arrived 15 minutes later with the omelet. It looked like the very first omelet that he ever cooked. In fact is looked more like scrambled eggs than it did an omelet. The appearance was deceiving. It was served with cold toast and kettle type potatoes. I gulped down the food. Paid Cooper and headed back to the dingy. The tide was low and I had to walk down a ladder to get into the dingy. I fired up the Joe motor and headed back to White Harbor and the Water Mark.
When I got back to the boat, my boating buddies were ready to travel. Our destination was Treasure Cay. Treasure Cay has one of the Top Ten most beautiful beachs in the world and everyone wanted to visit it. We motored out of White Harbor Green Turtle Cay at 1:30PM.
FinniIrish took the lead. I was second and Passage was third. Once we got out into the Sea of Abaco, Passage passed me like I was standing still. I could only travel at 5 knots because of the drag of the dingy and the Joe motor.
Today’s route was like a horse shoe. We had to travel out of the Sea of Abaco into the Atlantic ocean because of this very dangerous shallow area. Or destination was 5 miles. We had to travel the long way to stay safe. The shallow area could be sailed but only at high tide and were sailing at low tide.
We reached Treasure Cay at 4:30PM. We had traveled a distance of 18.8 miles.
I sailed into the harbor at Treasure Cay. Dropped the anchor and headed over to FinniIrish for a happy hour. Lee and Janice were already there and were on their second drink.
We talked until dark. We planned the activities for Tuesday. I tried to call Sandy from FinnIrish. Ellie told me that they have an Internet service that would work. It did not. I returned to the WaterMark. Made Beefaroni for dinner and tried to connect to the Internet again. There is WiFi service here in the harbor at Treasure Cay. The networks are secured. I need a password. How frustrating. I guess that I will have to wait until tomorrow to call Sandy. I hope that she knows I am safe. Communicating with here here in the Bahamas is very difficult. We had a terrible connection from Green Turtle. Phil called and we tried to talk. Finally after the sessions automatically disconnected we gave up. Just like the calls to Sandy. The connection was so poor that it make talking a chore.
I borrowed some marine caulking from Jim and Ellie and plugged the leak. I let the caulking dry for about an hour. It was then time to get ready to go to church.
I could not find a Catholic Church on the island. The only church that I could find was an Anglican Church. I decided that God would not care that it was and Anglican Church or not so I got ready to attend the 11AM service.
I put on clean shorts and a golf shirt. Jumped into the dingy and headed to church. It is funny I scouted out the location of the church with my boating buddies on Saturday. We toured the island on a golf cart. I was headed to New Plymouth in a dingy and everything looked different. I finally found the church. I docked the dingy and walked up to the front door. The door was locked! How could a church be locked on Sunday. I was shocked. I walked around the village and found a church of God that was conducting a service. I walked in quietly. They was singing. The kids were using there arms to act out the song. It reminded me of how the “girls” in our family act out the lyrics to the Christmas song “Up On A Rooftop”. The church was only half filled. All of the seats in the back of the church were full. There were only front of the church seating. I stayed in the vestibule and watched for about fifteen minutes. When the preacher started his sermon, I was difficult to hear through the doors. I left.
I walked around the village looking for a restaurant. I was hungry and knew that my “boating buddies” would be ready to set sail when I returned from church. I walked into one restaurant that had just changed the closed sign to open. The teenage girl told me that I would be at least one hour before she could serve me any food. I left and continued to walk through the village. I found a place that looked like a Bed and Breakfast. I was called the Crab House. I walked into a very nice place. I seemed to be opened. I walked around and into the kitchen. A man named Cooper was the cook. I asked him if he could make me some breakfast. He asked me if I wanted a ham and cheese omelet. I said yes. I introduced my self. The cook told me that his name was Cooper. While Cooper was preparing breakfast, I found a book on Fish Of The Bahamas. It had sketches of fish. I quickly flipped through the pages trying to memorize the names and shapes of the larger fish.
Cooper arrived 15 minutes later with the omelet. It looked like the very first omelet that he ever cooked. In fact is looked more like scrambled eggs than it did an omelet. The appearance was deceiving. It was served with cold toast and kettle type potatoes. I gulped down the food. Paid Cooper and headed back to the dingy. The tide was low and I had to walk down a ladder to get into the dingy. I fired up the Joe motor and headed back to White Harbor and the Water Mark.
When I got back to the boat, my boating buddies were ready to travel. Our destination was Treasure Cay. Treasure Cay has one of the Top Ten most beautiful beachs in the world and everyone wanted to visit it. We motored out of White Harbor Green Turtle Cay at 1:30PM.
FinniIrish took the lead. I was second and Passage was third. Once we got out into the Sea of Abaco, Passage passed me like I was standing still. I could only travel at 5 knots because of the drag of the dingy and the Joe motor.
Today’s route was like a horse shoe. We had to travel out of the Sea of Abaco into the Atlantic ocean because of this very dangerous shallow area. Or destination was 5 miles. We had to travel the long way to stay safe. The shallow area could be sailed but only at high tide and were sailing at low tide.
We reached Treasure Cay at 4:30PM. We had traveled a distance of 18.8 miles.
I sailed into the harbor at Treasure Cay. Dropped the anchor and headed over to FinniIrish for a happy hour. Lee and Janice were already there and were on their second drink.
We talked until dark. We planned the activities for Tuesday. I tried to call Sandy from FinnIrish. Ellie told me that they have an Internet service that would work. It did not. I returned to the WaterMark. Made Beefaroni for dinner and tried to connect to the Internet again. There is WiFi service here in the harbor at Treasure Cay. The networks are secured. I need a password. How frustrating. I guess that I will have to wait until tomorrow to call Sandy. I hope that she knows I am safe. Communicating with here here in the Bahamas is very difficult. We had a terrible connection from Green Turtle. Phil called and we tried to talk. Finally after the sessions automatically disconnected we gave up. Just like the calls to Sandy. The connection was so poor that it make talking a chore.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Saturday January 29, 2011
Again I was awake before the sunrise. I guess that when you go to bed at 9PM it is realy easy to wake up early. I made a pot of coffee. Today I was able to add some Carnation milk as cream. It made the coffee taste a little better. For the past several days, I have been drinking the morning coffee with out cream. I turned to cottage cheese about three days ago. I ran out of ice.
Energized from the coffee, I assembled the dingy. This was a real trick. I had to put the floor board in, blow it up all from the cockpit of the WaterMark. It took two attempts to get the dingy assembled correctly. I kept thinking of the Christmas Eves when Sandy would buy toys for the children and they needed to be assembled. At least this dingy did not need batteries.
When Lee and Janice returned from breakfast, Lee helped me lift the motor off WaterMark and on to the dingy. I then put the gas tank in the dingy. Pressurized the fuel then pulled the start cord. The 1958 Evinrude jumped to life. I proudly drove the dingy all over the White Harbor. It was fun! The dingy will get up on plane. I think that the top speed of the dingy is about 15 MPH. While driving around, I noticed that there was a leak in the dingy. Not enough to sink the boat, but enough to get your feet wet.
My traveling friends, rented a golf cart and invited me to come on a little trip to New Plymouth. New Plymouth is the village around the next bay. Green Turtle Cay has a population of 450. Both while and black residents. The white residents her are the descendents of the Loyalists who came here in the seventeen hundreds to escape the Revolutionary War in America and remain loyal to King George.
The black residents are the freed slaves of the loyalists.
This is a beautiful Island paradise. Wish that Sandy was here to share in the beauty.
I am updating this entry from the Green Turtle Club. The Internet connection is on and off. Today it has mostly been off. I just tried to Skype Sandy. The connection was so bad that she could hear every other word. We looked at each other and blew kisses at each other.
Tomorrow I must find the cause of the leak in the dinghy.
Energized from the coffee, I assembled the dingy. This was a real trick. I had to put the floor board in, blow it up all from the cockpit of the WaterMark. It took two attempts to get the dingy assembled correctly. I kept thinking of the Christmas Eves when Sandy would buy toys for the children and they needed to be assembled. At least this dingy did not need batteries.
When Lee and Janice returned from breakfast, Lee helped me lift the motor off WaterMark and on to the dingy. I then put the gas tank in the dingy. Pressurized the fuel then pulled the start cord. The 1958 Evinrude jumped to life. I proudly drove the dingy all over the White Harbor. It was fun! The dingy will get up on plane. I think that the top speed of the dingy is about 15 MPH. While driving around, I noticed that there was a leak in the dingy. Not enough to sink the boat, but enough to get your feet wet.
My traveling friends, rented a golf cart and invited me to come on a little trip to New Plymouth. New Plymouth is the village around the next bay. Green Turtle Cay has a population of 450. Both while and black residents. The white residents her are the descendents of the Loyalists who came here in the seventeen hundreds to escape the Revolutionary War in America and remain loyal to King George.
The black residents are the freed slaves of the loyalists.
This is a beautiful Island paradise. Wish that Sandy was here to share in the beauty.
I am updating this entry from the Green Turtle Club. The Internet connection is on and off. Today it has mostly been off. I just tried to Skype Sandy. The connection was so bad that she could hear every other word. We looked at each other and blew kisses at each other.
Tomorrow I must find the cause of the leak in the dinghy.
Friday January 28, 2011
I woke up early before sunrise as today is a sailing day. The goal today is to make Green Turtle Cay. I made a pot of coffee then climbed into the cockpit and finished programming he waypoints for today trip into the GPS. There are nine waypoints that make up the route to Green Turtle Cay.
The wind was blowing 15 to 20 knots of the the NNW. Ellie called shortly after sunrise and said lets get going. I jumped into my fowl weather gear. I was a little cold in the morning and I expected some spray over the bow from the waves.
Based on the speeds of the wind and the direction, I put a reef in the mainsail hoisted it up the mast and we were off. I was close reached at first and making a good 6 knots with just the reefed main. As we rounded out first waypoint at Sail Rock, the wind started to die down and the course that I was steering was exactly the same way that the wind was blowing. I put the head sail out on the left side of the boat, I put the mainsail out to the right and was sailing wing on wing for 6 hours! We you are sailing wing on wing, the boom is way out to the left of the boat. The cockpit is open and you get a new perspective of the world. Once we passed Sale Rock, I took off the rain gear and decided to cook breakfast. Pancakes were on the menu. I mixed up a small batch of batter in a small plastic drink bucket that Tricia left on the boat. Tricia got the drink bucket last winter in Key West. I saved it and it has come in handy several times. The winds had died down enough to cook. I preheated the frying pan and cooked the most delicious pancakes I ever tasted. I ate them in the cockpit in the open air, when I put the syrup on the pancakes, the syrup spilled over the paper plate and all over the seats. I had a mess on my hands to clean up. Still the pancakes were delicious.
I sailed into the harbor at Green Turtle Cay at sunset. The other folks were really surprised to see me. They did not think that it was possible for a small boat to make the harbor before dark. I did it. Lee told me to raft off his boat for the evening. He had his motor on this dingy and he gave me a ride to dinner. There is a very nice restaurant called the Green Turtle Club. I ordered a local beer called a Kalik. Then a conch burger as the main meal. I love conch burgers. After dinner Lee ferried me back to the boat. I crawled into my bunk exhausted.
The wind was blowing 15 to 20 knots of the the NNW. Ellie called shortly after sunrise and said lets get going. I jumped into my fowl weather gear. I was a little cold in the morning and I expected some spray over the bow from the waves.
Based on the speeds of the wind and the direction, I put a reef in the mainsail hoisted it up the mast and we were off. I was close reached at first and making a good 6 knots with just the reefed main. As we rounded out first waypoint at Sail Rock, the wind started to die down and the course that I was steering was exactly the same way that the wind was blowing. I put the head sail out on the left side of the boat, I put the mainsail out to the right and was sailing wing on wing for 6 hours! We you are sailing wing on wing, the boom is way out to the left of the boat. The cockpit is open and you get a new perspective of the world. Once we passed Sale Rock, I took off the rain gear and decided to cook breakfast. Pancakes were on the menu. I mixed up a small batch of batter in a small plastic drink bucket that Tricia left on the boat. Tricia got the drink bucket last winter in Key West. I saved it and it has come in handy several times. The winds had died down enough to cook. I preheated the frying pan and cooked the most delicious pancakes I ever tasted. I ate them in the cockpit in the open air, when I put the syrup on the pancakes, the syrup spilled over the paper plate and all over the seats. I had a mess on my hands to clean up. Still the pancakes were delicious.
I sailed into the harbor at Green Turtle Cay at sunset. The other folks were really surprised to see me. They did not think that it was possible for a small boat to make the harbor before dark. I did it. Lee told me to raft off his boat for the evening. He had his motor on this dingy and he gave me a ride to dinner. There is a very nice restaurant called the Green Turtle Club. I ordered a local beer called a Kalik. Then a conch burger as the main meal. I love conch burgers. After dinner Lee ferried me back to the boat. I crawled into my bunk exhausted.
Thursday January 27, 2011
I woke up at 5AM today. I was very excited because it was a sailing day. I made a pot of decaf coffee and ate a cinnamon bun for breakfast. The cabin was a ness so I began stowing the gear. It took fifteen minutes to get everything in order. I then checked the weather. The forecast was for a sunny day with winds 10 knots out of the NE.. High today is expected to be 78 degrees.
I took a shower Double checked the GPS and the route to Great Sale Key. I rode the courtesy bike around to the other side of the marina and said goodbye to the folks on the Admiral ChiChi.
At 7:30AM I hanked the 155 Genoa to the forestay so that I would spend a minimum amount of time on the foredeck. I fired up the Honda and checked to make sure that it was cooling properly. Once the Honda was warmed up and I was confident that it would work properly, I had a brief conversation with Jim and Lee and told them that I would see them on the water. They said to monitor channel sixty-eight on the VHF radio. I tossed of the dock lines and the wind blew me backwards out of the slip. I put the Honda in forward gear and motored out of the harbor at four knots. Once out of the harbor, I raised the mainsail as the wind was on my nose and you must be pointed directly into the wind to raise the sails. The wind was a steady ten knots. I then raised the head sale and followed the track programmed into the GPS.. I followed the track. Something was not right the GPS was leading into shallow water. I then pointed the boat back toward deep water. Lee called me on the VHF radio and told me that I was going in the wrong direction. I slowed the boat down and let FinniIrish take the lead. I followed Jim closely into the shallow water of the Indian Key Channel. Ellie took a picture of the Water Mark.
At 8:30 we made the turn into the Indian Channel and WaterMark was reaching into the wind making five knots. I turned the motor off.
Nohablo is presently steering the boat. We are on a port tack making just a little over five knots. I have the FM radio on and am listening to a Bahamas radio station. It is absolutely beautiful. The sun is shining. The boat is healing over at 10 degrees. Jim turned the FiniAIrish into the wind to put up his sails when he did this I took the lead. When I look back I can see my two buddy boats. FiniIrish is about 500 yeards behind me and Passaage is about one half mile. The water over the Little Bahama Bank is turquoise. There is eleven feet of water under the keel. It is possible to see the bottom.
Her in the Bahamas you can tell the depth of the water by its color. White water is shallow. Turouoise water is deep. Nohabo has and automatic setting. I can set Nohablo to seer a straight course. When the wind and wave pus WaterMark off course Nohable automatically make an adjustment so that hae boat will go straight. I can also tell Nohable to turn right or left by pushing a button. There are two buttons one red to turn left and one green button to turn right. When I push gthe putton one time, nohable canges course by one degree. If I hold the button down for two seconds No hablo makes a course adjustment of ten degrees.
My life long friend Phil Vance gave Nohable his name. We were sailing on Lake Huron and he came up with Nohablo. Phil ssaid that was a good name for the autopiolot as it did not talk. It just makes a little haahahh when it make a course adjustment.
At about 9:30AM I pulled the banjo fishing reel out of the lazerette and let out about 100 feet of line. I’m hoping to catch a fish for dinner. If not it will be beefaroni. It is now 11AM we have been on the water for three and a half hours. I have covered a distance of 20.5 miles. 15 of those miles have been under sail. As I scan the horizon the only thing that I can see is water. Clear beautiful and very salty water. The only other humans out here are on FinniIrish and Passage. As WaterMark makes her way I’m listening to a Bahama radio station.
12:00 noon. Passages and FinniIrish just passed me. The winds have died down. Under sail we were making a good 5 knots and sometimes a little better. The winds are laying down a bit and the speed has dropped to 4 knokts. At 4 knots we will get into Grat Sale at about 7PM. That would mean sailing into the anchorage after dark. Most cruising guides tell sailors not to sail at knight unless you have local knowledge. Here in the Bahamas You need light to judge the depth of the water.
I just fired up the Honda and am now motor sailing at hull speed which means that we will reach the anchorage just before sunset at 5:57 PM. I’m tol that the angle of the sun near sunset makes it easy to judge the depth of the water.
It is really beautiful out here. As WaterMark sails herself, I can’t help think about the incredible power of God. There is something spiritual that happens to a person when they are out in the water far away from land.
It dosen’t matter how big your boat is or how much money you have. Everyone out here o the ocean is treated by God as an equal. Sometime I have to inch myself to make sure that this is real.
I cannot thank Sandy enough for putting up with me sailing trips as today is the perfect day to be on the water.
1:00PM Mangrove is off on the starboard side of the boat. I have the iPod playing and I cannot help think how much Mangrove looks like the West Sister Island in Lake Erie. The water off Mangrove key is twelve feet. Mangrove marks the half way point to Great Sale Cay. I just look on the chart. I have been misspelling the word Key. The charts show it as Cay. I will now make the adjustment and spell these little masses of land Cays.
The other boats are now way ahead of me. From this distance they look like toy boats that your float in the bathtub.
I just checked the line that I am dragging behind the boat. No bites. I mustw be going too fast at catch a fish. I am currently traveling at almost 7 knots!
2:00PM The bigger boats have passed me by and left me in their dust. They are now just a speck on the horizon. I can hardly see them.in front of me. I am truly out on the sea alone. There are some very small Cays off the right (starboard) side of the boat. The wind has diminished. I am motor sailing. I just refueled the Honda. I have developed a system. I have a small 2.1 gal can of gas. Then on deck there are three 6 gallon cans. To keep spillage to a minimum, I transfer fuel from the 6 gallon tank into the 2.1 gallon tank. This way I know that when the Honda tank gest to almost empty, I can put all of the fuel in the 2.1 gallon can into the Honda can and not over fill it. In the past I would just fill the Honda tank from the 6 gallon tank. Sometimes I would over fill the Honda tank kand gas would spill into the sail locker.. The sail locker is next to my aft bunk and it there is gas in the locker, I can smell it when I crawl into the bunk. This system works good and since I have been doing it this way no overfills and no gas in the sail locker.
Sandy was with me one time when I over filled the Honda tank and the boat smelled like gas for three days.!
2:30PM I pulled the chedder cheese out of the little cooler to have a cheese and cracker snack here on the high seas. Dave and I bought the cheese in Ft Pierce. We snacked on cheese and crackers crossing eh Gulf Stream. After I opened the original packaging, I put the remaining cheese in a zip lock plastic bag. I keep the cheese cold with ice. When the ice melts somehow it leaks into the plastic bag. The soggy cheese had a lighter coat than normal. I assume that the milky outer coat is ok to eat as I just snacked on soggy cheese. I wonder why plastic bags leak. I know that when I sail with Sandy, we always double wrap the items like lunch meat so it does not get wet. I’m still on the rhumb line making a good 6 plus knots.
At this speed, I shoud be able to make Great Sale Cay before dark. This is the kind of day that I wish everyone I know was onboard to share this awesome experience.
I arrived at Great Sale Cay at 5:00PM. Set the anchor and was in the absolute middle of nowhere. No phones, no Internet, no cottages, no people other than the folks traveling with my floatilla. I traveled 59.5 miles in just over eight hours.
The bigger boats FinniIrish and Passages beat me to the anchorage.
Jim and Ellie on FinnIrish hosted a Great Sale Cay cocktail party on their boat. When Jim got into his dingy to pick me up and ferry me over to the party, his dingy motor would not start. He tried and tried to get it going. Finally Lee from Passages rowed his dingy over to get me. I had one pineapple rum drink and was ready to crawl into my bunk.
I took a shower Double checked the GPS and the route to Great Sale Key. I rode the courtesy bike around to the other side of the marina and said goodbye to the folks on the Admiral ChiChi.
At 7:30AM I hanked the 155 Genoa to the forestay so that I would spend a minimum amount of time on the foredeck. I fired up the Honda and checked to make sure that it was cooling properly. Once the Honda was warmed up and I was confident that it would work properly, I had a brief conversation with Jim and Lee and told them that I would see them on the water. They said to monitor channel sixty-eight on the VHF radio. I tossed of the dock lines and the wind blew me backwards out of the slip. I put the Honda in forward gear and motored out of the harbor at four knots. Once out of the harbor, I raised the mainsail as the wind was on my nose and you must be pointed directly into the wind to raise the sails. The wind was a steady ten knots. I then raised the head sale and followed the track programmed into the GPS.. I followed the track. Something was not right the GPS was leading into shallow water. I then pointed the boat back toward deep water. Lee called me on the VHF radio and told me that I was going in the wrong direction. I slowed the boat down and let FinniIrish take the lead. I followed Jim closely into the shallow water of the Indian Key Channel. Ellie took a picture of the Water Mark.
At 8:30 we made the turn into the Indian Channel and WaterMark was reaching into the wind making five knots. I turned the motor off.
Nohablo is presently steering the boat. We are on a port tack making just a little over five knots. I have the FM radio on and am listening to a Bahamas radio station. It is absolutely beautiful. The sun is shining. The boat is healing over at 10 degrees. Jim turned the FiniAIrish into the wind to put up his sails when he did this I took the lead. When I look back I can see my two buddy boats. FiniIrish is about 500 yeards behind me and Passaage is about one half mile. The water over the Little Bahama Bank is turquoise. There is eleven feet of water under the keel. It is possible to see the bottom.
Her in the Bahamas you can tell the depth of the water by its color. White water is shallow. Turouoise water is deep. Nohabo has and automatic setting. I can set Nohablo to seer a straight course. When the wind and wave pus WaterMark off course Nohable automatically make an adjustment so that hae boat will go straight. I can also tell Nohable to turn right or left by pushing a button. There are two buttons one red to turn left and one green button to turn right. When I push gthe putton one time, nohable canges course by one degree. If I hold the button down for two seconds No hablo makes a course adjustment of ten degrees.
My life long friend Phil Vance gave Nohable his name. We were sailing on Lake Huron and he came up with Nohablo. Phil ssaid that was a good name for the autopiolot as it did not talk. It just makes a little haahahh when it make a course adjustment.
At about 9:30AM I pulled the banjo fishing reel out of the lazerette and let out about 100 feet of line. I’m hoping to catch a fish for dinner. If not it will be beefaroni. It is now 11AM we have been on the water for three and a half hours. I have covered a distance of 20.5 miles. 15 of those miles have been under sail. As I scan the horizon the only thing that I can see is water. Clear beautiful and very salty water. The only other humans out here are on FinniIrish and Passage. As WaterMark makes her way I’m listening to a Bahama radio station.
12:00 noon. Passages and FinniIrish just passed me. The winds have died down. Under sail we were making a good 5 knots and sometimes a little better. The winds are laying down a bit and the speed has dropped to 4 knokts. At 4 knots we will get into Grat Sale at about 7PM. That would mean sailing into the anchorage after dark. Most cruising guides tell sailors not to sail at knight unless you have local knowledge. Here in the Bahamas You need light to judge the depth of the water.
I just fired up the Honda and am now motor sailing at hull speed which means that we will reach the anchorage just before sunset at 5:57 PM. I’m tol that the angle of the sun near sunset makes it easy to judge the depth of the water.
It is really beautiful out here. As WaterMark sails herself, I can’t help think about the incredible power of God. There is something spiritual that happens to a person when they are out in the water far away from land.
It dosen’t matter how big your boat is or how much money you have. Everyone out here o the ocean is treated by God as an equal. Sometime I have to inch myself to make sure that this is real.
I cannot thank Sandy enough for putting up with me sailing trips as today is the perfect day to be on the water.
1:00PM Mangrove is off on the starboard side of the boat. I have the iPod playing and I cannot help think how much Mangrove looks like the West Sister Island in Lake Erie. The water off Mangrove key is twelve feet. Mangrove marks the half way point to Great Sale Cay. I just look on the chart. I have been misspelling the word Key. The charts show it as Cay. I will now make the adjustment and spell these little masses of land Cays.
The other boats are now way ahead of me. From this distance they look like toy boats that your float in the bathtub.
I just checked the line that I am dragging behind the boat. No bites. I mustw be going too fast at catch a fish. I am currently traveling at almost 7 knots!
2:00PM The bigger boats have passed me by and left me in their dust. They are now just a speck on the horizon. I can hardly see them.in front of me. I am truly out on the sea alone. There are some very small Cays off the right (starboard) side of the boat. The wind has diminished. I am motor sailing. I just refueled the Honda. I have developed a system. I have a small 2.1 gal can of gas. Then on deck there are three 6 gallon cans. To keep spillage to a minimum, I transfer fuel from the 6 gallon tank into the 2.1 gallon tank. This way I know that when the Honda tank gest to almost empty, I can put all of the fuel in the 2.1 gallon can into the Honda can and not over fill it. In the past I would just fill the Honda tank from the 6 gallon tank. Sometimes I would over fill the Honda tank kand gas would spill into the sail locker.. The sail locker is next to my aft bunk and it there is gas in the locker, I can smell it when I crawl into the bunk. This system works good and since I have been doing it this way no overfills and no gas in the sail locker.
Sandy was with me one time when I over filled the Honda tank and the boat smelled like gas for three days.!
2:30PM I pulled the chedder cheese out of the little cooler to have a cheese and cracker snack here on the high seas. Dave and I bought the cheese in Ft Pierce. We snacked on cheese and crackers crossing eh Gulf Stream. After I opened the original packaging, I put the remaining cheese in a zip lock plastic bag. I keep the cheese cold with ice. When the ice melts somehow it leaks into the plastic bag. The soggy cheese had a lighter coat than normal. I assume that the milky outer coat is ok to eat as I just snacked on soggy cheese. I wonder why plastic bags leak. I know that when I sail with Sandy, we always double wrap the items like lunch meat so it does not get wet. I’m still on the rhumb line making a good 6 plus knots.
At this speed, I shoud be able to make Great Sale Cay before dark. This is the kind of day that I wish everyone I know was onboard to share this awesome experience.
I arrived at Great Sale Cay at 5:00PM. Set the anchor and was in the absolute middle of nowhere. No phones, no Internet, no cottages, no people other than the folks traveling with my floatilla. I traveled 59.5 miles in just over eight hours.
The bigger boats FinniIrish and Passages beat me to the anchorage.
Jim and Ellie on FinnIrish hosted a Great Sale Cay cocktail party on their boat. When Jim got into his dingy to pick me up and ferry me over to the party, his dingy motor would not start. He tried and tried to get it going. Finally Lee from Passages rowed his dingy over to get me. I had one pineapple rum drink and was ready to crawl into my bunk.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday January 26, 2011
I checked the weather sites this morning. There is no NOAA weather radio here in the Bahamas. Sailors in the United States use NOAA as their weather source. Sailors here in the Bahamas do not have access to the USA based resources. Sailors her in the Bahamas now use the Internet to figure out what the weather is going to do. There are lots of websites that are very helpful. The Bahamas government has a Meteorological website. There is also a site that is called Barometer Bob’s. Then of course there is windfinder.com. Today all of these sites agree. Tomorrow’s weather should be good enough to toss off the dock lines and head for Great Sale Key. Great Sale Key is about 50 miles from here and should be about an eight or nine hour sail. Once we get to Great Sale Key there will be no Internet.
All of the sailors weathered in here at Old Bahama Bay are getting anxious to get moving. The weather has kept us here too long. Tomorrow there will be several boats heading for Great Sale Key. Today everyone is making final preparations for the trip. Since we have been at Old Bahamas Bay for such a long time an ad hoc community of sailors has developed. This ad hoc community has come together and decided to use the “buddy boat” system. There are three buddy boats on this trip up to Great Sale Key.
Passages is a 36 foot Benateua. On Board are Captain Lee and Janice Bowring. These sailors are from Harbor Beach, Michigan, a beautiful resort community and safe harbor on Lake Huron. Lee is a retired Chrysler manager. Janice is still working as a cleaning lady for a summer resort in Harbor Beach.
Last and with the most Abacos sailing experience is the FinnIrish a 36 foot Catalina with Jim and Ellie Wetzel. This is their third year cruising the Bahamas. They live aboard their boat FinnIrish. Ellie keeps extremely accurate records. She says that if we leave by 8 AM we will arrive at Great Sale Key about 4PM. This of course from here log book. They have done this trip twice in the past two years. Ellie us the perfect fist mate. She has lists of everything on board the FinnIrish. She was saying last night at dinner that she has a 30 day supply of food on board and could stretch it longer if necessary by rationing.
There are not many bugs at this marina. Then this morning a fly found its way into the cabin, I now have a pet fly. I think this fly came aboard about 4 days ago. I have tried to catch it everyday. It is faster than me and is able to escape my ill fated attempts to capture and kill it. Today my pet fly found a girl friend. So I guess that I better come up with a name for them or chase them ashore.
I rode a courtesy bike into the Village of West End to pick up a few supplies. I figure that there is enough food and water on board for about 10 days. That is a conservative number assuming that we are not able to catch any fish. We are only planning on being out at anchor 2 nights so there should be plenty of time to fish.
I have really learned to love the native peoples of West End. They are super poor and super friendly. Everyone waves or toots their horn as a way of saying heymon,
The winds were pretty stiff this afternoon. The bigger boats that are traveling tomorrow needed to top off their fuel tanks. In stead of untying the boats so that they could float 100 feet across to the other side of the marina, I borrowed a “dock dolly” from the marina. Lee, Jim and me all put the empty fuel cans into the made by Rubbermaid buggy and wheeled them over to the gas dock. The marina is shaped like a “U”. We had to walk from the top of the “U” to the other top of the “U”. I ran back to the boat to get the camera to document this activity. On the way back to the boat this guy in a very nice power boat, that has been tied up next to the sea wall, got out of his boat and asked me if I had ever bought anything in the village. He said that his wife saw me with a plastic bag the other day and wondered where I was buying the groceries. I told them that I got the groceries in the village of West End. The sailor introduced himself as Bill. He asked me if I would buy him some bananas and fruit when I went into town. I told him that the bananas were lovely and it would be a pleasure. I should have enough fuel to make it all the way to the Sea of Abaco, but just to be on the safe side (of stupid) ten more gallons of gas were taken aboard.
Of course when I got to town the village market has sold out of bananas. I looked all over West End for bananas. After visiting every store in the village, I bought oranges, apples and a potatoe. I had to tell Bill that there were no bananas in town today.
n
All of the sailors weathered in here at Old Bahama Bay are getting anxious to get moving. The weather has kept us here too long. Tomorrow there will be several boats heading for Great Sale Key. Today everyone is making final preparations for the trip. Since we have been at Old Bahamas Bay for such a long time an ad hoc community of sailors has developed. This ad hoc community has come together and decided to use the “buddy boat” system. There are three buddy boats on this trip up to Great Sale Key.
Passages is a 36 foot Benateua. On Board are Captain Lee and Janice Bowring. These sailors are from Harbor Beach, Michigan, a beautiful resort community and safe harbor on Lake Huron. Lee is a retired Chrysler manager. Janice is still working as a cleaning lady for a summer resort in Harbor Beach.
Last and with the most Abacos sailing experience is the FinnIrish a 36 foot Catalina with Jim and Ellie Wetzel. This is their third year cruising the Bahamas. They live aboard their boat FinnIrish. Ellie keeps extremely accurate records. She says that if we leave by 8 AM we will arrive at Great Sale Key about 4PM. This of course from here log book. They have done this trip twice in the past two years. Ellie us the perfect fist mate. She has lists of everything on board the FinnIrish. She was saying last night at dinner that she has a 30 day supply of food on board and could stretch it longer if necessary by rationing.
There are not many bugs at this marina. Then this morning a fly found its way into the cabin, I now have a pet fly. I think this fly came aboard about 4 days ago. I have tried to catch it everyday. It is faster than me and is able to escape my ill fated attempts to capture and kill it. Today my pet fly found a girl friend. So I guess that I better come up with a name for them or chase them ashore.
I rode a courtesy bike into the Village of West End to pick up a few supplies. I figure that there is enough food and water on board for about 10 days. That is a conservative number assuming that we are not able to catch any fish. We are only planning on being out at anchor 2 nights so there should be plenty of time to fish.
I have really learned to love the native peoples of West End. They are super poor and super friendly. Everyone waves or toots their horn as a way of saying heymon,
The winds were pretty stiff this afternoon. The bigger boats that are traveling tomorrow needed to top off their fuel tanks. In stead of untying the boats so that they could float 100 feet across to the other side of the marina, I borrowed a “dock dolly” from the marina. Lee, Jim and me all put the empty fuel cans into the made by Rubbermaid buggy and wheeled them over to the gas dock. The marina is shaped like a “U”. We had to walk from the top of the “U” to the other top of the “U”. I ran back to the boat to get the camera to document this activity. On the way back to the boat this guy in a very nice power boat, that has been tied up next to the sea wall, got out of his boat and asked me if I had ever bought anything in the village. He said that his wife saw me with a plastic bag the other day and wondered where I was buying the groceries. I told them that I got the groceries in the village of West End. The sailor introduced himself as Bill. He asked me if I would buy him some bananas and fruit when I went into town. I told him that the bananas were lovely and it would be a pleasure. I should have enough fuel to make it all the way to the Sea of Abaco, but just to be on the safe side (of stupid) ten more gallons of gas were taken aboard.
Of course when I got to town the village market has sold out of bananas. I looked all over West End for bananas. After visiting every store in the village, I bought oranges, apples and a potatoe. I had to tell Bill that there were no bananas in town today.
n
Tuesday January 25, 2011
Woke up and checked the weather. It was dead calm. The weather is becoming the major topic of discussion. About six boats are ready to go. However, bad weather forecasts are keeping everyone here at Old Bahama Bay. I looked out at the marina and the water looked like a glass mirror. You could easily see the reflections of the boats in the water. What I was seeing and what the weather forecasters were predicting not match. I then checked all of the weather sites and they said that the winds were going to pick up and blow 20 to 25 with Gale force warnings Tuesday night and Wednesday with thunder storms. I decided to stay put. At about 10 AM the winds were up and roaring. They have blown all day long. They are still blowing at 10PM.
Since it was sunny and no one was traveling, I decided to read the book that Shane and Marie had left for me to read when they were visiting us from Australia. The name of the book is Two Dollar Bill. A very easy read and who done it type of mystery. This book kept me busy most of the day until the guys from the Admiral ChiChi came over and asked me to go fishing. I agreed and we walked out onto the long pier that juts out into the ocean. It was so windy out there that it was difficult to tie a lour onto the line. I used the Pocket Po Peel Fisherman that Sandy had bought me about 20 years ago for Christmas. I finally got the lure tied to the line. The pocket fisherman worked fine most of the time. I did not catch any fish.
When I returned to the Water Mark, the neighbor boaters in the FinnIrish invited me to their boat for cocktails and dinner. They served pineapple rum drinks in coconuts that were collected earlier in the day. Ellie the first mate o the FinnIrish served chilly for dinner. It was delicious.
At 8PM Sandy called on Skype. We talked for a little while. I then crawled into my bunk. At about midnight I was awakened by extremely high winds and rain. I looked for leaks. The last time it rained the cabin had several leaks that I fixed. The repairs seemed to work. There was only one small leak near the rear window on the starboard side.
I read in my bunk for an hour or so and fell back asleep.
Since it was sunny and no one was traveling, I decided to read the book that Shane and Marie had left for me to read when they were visiting us from Australia. The name of the book is Two Dollar Bill. A very easy read and who done it type of mystery. This book kept me busy most of the day until the guys from the Admiral ChiChi came over and asked me to go fishing. I agreed and we walked out onto the long pier that juts out into the ocean. It was so windy out there that it was difficult to tie a lour onto the line. I used the Pocket Po Peel Fisherman that Sandy had bought me about 20 years ago for Christmas. I finally got the lure tied to the line. The pocket fisherman worked fine most of the time. I did not catch any fish.
When I returned to the Water Mark, the neighbor boaters in the FinnIrish invited me to their boat for cocktails and dinner. They served pineapple rum drinks in coconuts that were collected earlier in the day. Ellie the first mate o the FinnIrish served chilly for dinner. It was delicious.
At 8PM Sandy called on Skype. We talked for a little while. I then crawled into my bunk. At about midnight I was awakened by extremely high winds and rain. I looked for leaks. The last time it rained the cabin had several leaks that I fixed. The repairs seemed to work. There was only one small leak near the rear window on the starboard side.
I read in my bunk for an hour or so and fell back asleep.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Monday January 24, 2011b
Lee and Janice, the folks who are on the boat Passage that is tied up in the next slip have organized a trip into Freeport. They asked me if I wanted to go. I had to decline as I had phone calls that have to be made and some chores around the boat that I need to tend to.
At about 11:00AM this morning a local cabin cruiser powerboat slowly motored out of the marina.. About one hour later the boat came back into the marina at full throttle. Everyone on the docks thought that the captain had lost his mind. Full speed in a no wake zone is not good. It turns out he had a really good reason for speeding back into the marina. One of the divers on his boat must have been overanxious to get into the water. Because he got into the water before the propellers stopped rotating. The propellers sucked the diver under the boat and into the propellers. They say that he died quickly. The other guys on the boat pulled him onto the dive platform and rushed back to the marina. He must have been dead on arrival at the marina. The ambulance would not take his body. Officials were called. They examined the boat for several hours and then the coroner removed the body. The diver was a local man with 4 children. When I asked one of the marina employees what happened, he said a minor boating incident. The Michigan boat is tied up behind the “death” boat. They told me the real story. It was not a minor incident. My heart goes out to this gentleman’s family.
I purchased several fresh lobsters from the “lobsterman”, he comes around the marina selling fresh lobsters every day. He charges $2.50 per lobster. I bought three. I boiled them up in a pot of sea water and they were delicious. Two would have filled me up.
I talked with Sandy via Skype. He visited Shane in Toronto this weekend. He is there working on a special assignment for Lear Jet. They attended a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game. They also ate in some nice restaurants. Sandy said it was very cold in Toronto this weekend.
After dinner I traded DVD’s with one of the guys from Michigan. I traded the Incredible’s for An Astronauts Wife. I fell asleep watching the movie just like at home.
I started it from the place I think I fell asleep and fell asleep again. I guess the ending is not worth watching.
I hope the weather breaks soon. I am ready to get moving.
Good Night!
At about 11:00AM this morning a local cabin cruiser powerboat slowly motored out of the marina.. About one hour later the boat came back into the marina at full throttle. Everyone on the docks thought that the captain had lost his mind. Full speed in a no wake zone is not good. It turns out he had a really good reason for speeding back into the marina. One of the divers on his boat must have been overanxious to get into the water. Because he got into the water before the propellers stopped rotating. The propellers sucked the diver under the boat and into the propellers. They say that he died quickly. The other guys on the boat pulled him onto the dive platform and rushed back to the marina. He must have been dead on arrival at the marina. The ambulance would not take his body. Officials were called. They examined the boat for several hours and then the coroner removed the body. The diver was a local man with 4 children. When I asked one of the marina employees what happened, he said a minor boating incident. The Michigan boat is tied up behind the “death” boat. They told me the real story. It was not a minor incident. My heart goes out to this gentleman’s family.
I purchased several fresh lobsters from the “lobsterman”, he comes around the marina selling fresh lobsters every day. He charges $2.50 per lobster. I bought three. I boiled them up in a pot of sea water and they were delicious. Two would have filled me up.
I talked with Sandy via Skype. He visited Shane in Toronto this weekend. He is there working on a special assignment for Lear Jet. They attended a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game. They also ate in some nice restaurants. Sandy said it was very cold in Toronto this weekend.
After dinner I traded DVD’s with one of the guys from Michigan. I traded the Incredible’s for An Astronauts Wife. I fell asleep watching the movie just like at home.
I started it from the place I think I fell asleep and fell asleep again. I guess the ending is not worth watching.
I hope the weather breaks soon. I am ready to get moving.
Good Night!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sunday January 23, 2011
I attended Mass at St Michael’s in West End. The local church choir really put on a wonderful show. The guitar player looked and sang like B.B. King with a reggae band. They also had a keyboard player and a rhythm section with a drummer and tambourine player. The priest who said Mass was a substitute from Freeport. The pastor of the church was away on church business in Nassau.
After Mass the church ladies served grits and sausage together in one bowl. Lovely!
I then headed out on a bike tour of the 190 acre property that makes up Old Bahama Bay. I wanted to take a few photos that capture the ghost town feeling that you get. There is a lot of infra structure that has been completed. Roads running nowhere. Canals running everywhere. Solar powered street lights that light streets with no homes.
There is a discovery center on the property. It is all boarded up. There is a golf course and an airstrip on the property that have been abandoned.
You can see where a plan was being developed and then halted. Development less than 20% of the property has been developed.
I wandered into what I thought was a resort. This place was so big, I walked in the front door. It was open. I called out to see if anyone was there. No answer. I walked through the open atrium into the swimming pool porch. There were full bottles of booze all over the place. I took several photos and left. Later that day I was told that what I thought was a resort was actually someone’s private home. I was wandering in somebody’s private estate. Whoops!
When I got back to the boat, my neighbors from Michigan invited me over to their boat for lunch. They served egg salad sandwiches chips and beer. Helped them download Skype and install it on their computer.
After Mass the church ladies served grits and sausage together in one bowl. Lovely!
I then headed out on a bike tour of the 190 acre property that makes up Old Bahama Bay. I wanted to take a few photos that capture the ghost town feeling that you get. There is a lot of infra structure that has been completed. Roads running nowhere. Canals running everywhere. Solar powered street lights that light streets with no homes.
There is a discovery center on the property. It is all boarded up. There is a golf course and an airstrip on the property that have been abandoned.
You can see where a plan was being developed and then halted. Development less than 20% of the property has been developed.
I wandered into what I thought was a resort. This place was so big, I walked in the front door. It was open. I called out to see if anyone was there. No answer. I walked through the open atrium into the swimming pool porch. There were full bottles of booze all over the place. I took several photos and left. Later that day I was told that what I thought was a resort was actually someone’s private home. I was wandering in somebody’s private estate. Whoops!
When I got back to the boat, my neighbors from Michigan invited me over to their boat for lunch. They served egg salad sandwiches chips and beer. Helped them download Skype and install it on their computer.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Saturday January 22, 2011
Garvin arrived at about 9:00AM. He showed me the old impeller. It was in terrible shape. The impeller looks like a water wheel with eight fins coming out of the center circle. Five of the fins had vanished! There were only three left. We quickly placed the Honda on the motor mount as a light rain had started. I pulled the starter grip and pulled. The engine jumped to life instantly. It also started spiting water from the cooling port. The engine was cooling properly. I put the engine in forward gear. The motor pushed the boat forward and Water Mark tugged at her dock lines. I put the engine in reverse. The propeller reversed. Again the boat tugged at her dock lines.
I paid Garvin and he headed off in the rain.
Once the motor was secure, I started drying out the carpet and inside cushions that had gotten wet during the rain yesterday. There was a slight leak from the starboard window and during the heavy rain, the boat leaked from the top side. Better leaks on the top that on the bottom.
I washed my clothes in a bucket of water. It was very cloudy today so drying the clothes and the boat was difficult. I finally took the clothes to the laundry room here at the marina and dried them in a machine. I guess the sun needs to be shining in order to dry clothes.
While trying to dry out a sailor named Mike came by the boat and invited me to a happy hour on his boat. He has a huge catamaran. (Dave, he has Manta hull #14.) His boat is 40 feet long and 20 feet wide and takes up to parking places. It has three bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, living room, a freezer as well as a washer and dryer. He sold his house in Atlanta and 2 cars. He has his wife and fourteen year old daughter with him. The name of their boat is Happy Times. I hope that it lives up to its name. As they build up enough confidence to sail around the world.
There is another huge catamaran in the marina from Sydney Australia. From here they are headed to Nassau and then south through the Panama Canal into the south Pacific and home to the land down under.
As I head for my bunk, the winds are howling at about 25 knots with gusts up to 30. Tonight the water and wind will rock me to sleep.
I paid Garvin and he headed off in the rain.
Once the motor was secure, I started drying out the carpet and inside cushions that had gotten wet during the rain yesterday. There was a slight leak from the starboard window and during the heavy rain, the boat leaked from the top side. Better leaks on the top that on the bottom.
I washed my clothes in a bucket of water. It was very cloudy today so drying the clothes and the boat was difficult. I finally took the clothes to the laundry room here at the marina and dried them in a machine. I guess the sun needs to be shining in order to dry clothes.
While trying to dry out a sailor named Mike came by the boat and invited me to a happy hour on his boat. He has a huge catamaran. (Dave, he has Manta hull #14.) His boat is 40 feet long and 20 feet wide and takes up to parking places. It has three bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, living room, a freezer as well as a washer and dryer. He sold his house in Atlanta and 2 cars. He has his wife and fourteen year old daughter with him. The name of their boat is Happy Times. I hope that it lives up to its name. As they build up enough confidence to sail around the world.
There is another huge catamaran in the marina from Sydney Australia. From here they are headed to Nassau and then south through the Panama Canal into the south Pacific and home to the land down under.
As I head for my bunk, the winds are howling at about 25 knots with gusts up to 30. Tonight the water and wind will rock me to sleep.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday January 21, 2011
I was lucky enough to wake up early again to day. Winds were blowing out of the south at about 15 to 18 knots. It looks like it might be a tough day for the folks heading back to Florida, if they head out at all. Actually one boat did try to leave. They lasted no more than 15 minutes and returned. They were headed to Port Lucaya which is about 25 miles east of West End near the largest city on the island called Freeport. This was a good day to be stranded.
We also tracked the package with the part we need to fix the motor. It had left Miami and was headed for Grand Bahama Island.
After eating the largest cinnamon bun in the world for breakfast, Dave and I headed up to the main office to try and make travel arrangements so that he could get to the airport. The receptionist at the main lobby told us that it was a $70 cab ride to the airport. That seemed just a little high to Dave and me.
We returned to the boat and called a gentleman that we had met several days ago. Dave and I met a local entrepreneur named Garvin several days ago. He was introduced to us by one of the resort workers as the best mechanic on the island to replace the impeller. I turns out that he does a lot more than just fix motors.
Garvin said that he was heading to Freeport and would be glad to give Dave a ride to the airport. He Told Dave that he would pick him up about noon. Dave had less than one hour to pack all of this gear and get ready to travel. Garvin showed up about 12:30 so Dave had plenty of time to have a nice drink of local Bahaman rum before heading back to Michigan.
I decided to go into town with Garvin to accompany Dave to the airport. Garvin picked up his “wife” Dawn and we headed toward the second largest town in the Bahamas. The ride into town was very educational. Garvin told us stories about how the locals dread and yet are able survive the hurricanes with a minimum of life loss. He told us that light skinned Bahaman’s are called “Conchy Joe’s”. I’m not sure if this is a derogatory term or not. However, his wife Dawn was a “Conchy Joe”. He told us about how the weakened economy in the USA has negatively effected the life styles of the people that live in West End.
As we drove to the airport, it started to rain. I was like Grand Bahama Island was crying and was sad because Dave was leaving. At about 2:00PM Dave grabbed his travel bag and his computer and headed past the uniformed security guard and through the double doors that lead into the terminal. (By the way Dave you forgot your hat and left it in Garvin’s truck. I guess that you will have to come back to pick it up.)
Once Dave was dropped off at the airport, Garvin drove me to the Soctia Bank. He had to make a transaction and I needed to withdraw some cash. As we pulled into the parking lot it began to rain cat and dogs. We got soaked as we ran from the parking lot to the lobby of the bank.
After the banking was completed, Garvin said that he needed to pick up his daughter Danielle. She was staying with her boyfriend in Freeport and needed a ride home for the weekend. We then headed through Freeport to the town of Port Lucaya. Port Lucaya is the type of spot you imagine in your minds eye when you think of a Caribbean village. There are straw market, and street vendors, with local business set up to sell souvenirs to tourists. I bought a T-shirt that said Bahamas. Dawn wanted nachos and so did Danielle. I felt like a big spender as I treated them to Island Nachos.
As we walked around the port, the rains stopped. Garvin’s wife and daughter bought a lot of clothes. Once the shopping was finished , we visited the local Fed Ex office. Garvin called them and asked if my package had arrived from Rhode Island. They said that it had not. Garvin had a personal bone to pick with Fed Ex.. When we arrived at the Fed Ex office, the clerk said that my package had not arrived. When she went to the back of the facility to look for Garvin’s package, I looked through the packages setting on the counter. One was from Rhode Island. It was addressed to Dave. I was my part. When the clerk returned from the back I told her that my package had arrived. She asked to my ID. Initially she told me that I would not be allowed to take the package because it was not addressed to me. I told her that if she looked closely my name was on the bottom of the form. She finally agreed to give me the package. I think she was angry that I “went through her mail.” I’m glad I did or the part would still be sitting on her counter. With the part finally in hand we headed back to West End.
Then on the way back to the West End it rained really hard. Garvin could only drive 25 miles per hours as visibility was almost down to zero. There is a spot in the road where the island narrows and the land between the water on the north shore and the water on the south shore is about 50 feet wide. There was so much rain that the two sides of the ocean met in the middle of the road. I was wondering if Dave’s flight was able to get off the ground.
Garvin dropped his wife and daughter off at their home. He then drove me to the marina. When I went inside of the boat, I noticed that one of the starboard side window was leaking like Niagra Falls. I could not believe that there was another leak to fix. However before fixing the cause of the leak, I had to mop up about a gallon of water. The seat cushion under the leak is soaked. So is the carpet. I hope that we get several hours of sunshine so that I can dry everything out. Once I got the water under control, I took the motor off the transom and Garvin took the little Honda kicker to his garage. Garvin said that he would repair it tonight and have it back to me sometime tomorrow.
As I was removing the motor our starboard slip neighbors originally from Ohio invited me to their boat for cocktails. I graciously accepted. They then invited the slip neighbors on the port side of me to cocktails on their boat as well. It turns out that the port side boat is from Harbor Beach, Michigan. (Harbor Beach is a town that Sandy will remember well. We were weathered in that little town for three wet days.)
We had good fun sipping rum and telling sailing stories based on our experiences and misadventures with boats that go slow. It turns out that we are all headed for the Abacos. I will be single handing the WaterMark but now with several other boats. These three boats all began their sailing lives in the Great Lakes and now have found their way to salt water.
Good night from the Bahamas.
We also tracked the package with the part we need to fix the motor. It had left Miami and was headed for Grand Bahama Island.
After eating the largest cinnamon bun in the world for breakfast, Dave and I headed up to the main office to try and make travel arrangements so that he could get to the airport. The receptionist at the main lobby told us that it was a $70 cab ride to the airport. That seemed just a little high to Dave and me.
We returned to the boat and called a gentleman that we had met several days ago. Dave and I met a local entrepreneur named Garvin several days ago. He was introduced to us by one of the resort workers as the best mechanic on the island to replace the impeller. I turns out that he does a lot more than just fix motors.
Garvin said that he was heading to Freeport and would be glad to give Dave a ride to the airport. He Told Dave that he would pick him up about noon. Dave had less than one hour to pack all of this gear and get ready to travel. Garvin showed up about 12:30 so Dave had plenty of time to have a nice drink of local Bahaman rum before heading back to Michigan.
I decided to go into town with Garvin to accompany Dave to the airport. Garvin picked up his “wife” Dawn and we headed toward the second largest town in the Bahamas. The ride into town was very educational. Garvin told us stories about how the locals dread and yet are able survive the hurricanes with a minimum of life loss. He told us that light skinned Bahaman’s are called “Conchy Joe’s”. I’m not sure if this is a derogatory term or not. However, his wife Dawn was a “Conchy Joe”. He told us about how the weakened economy in the USA has negatively effected the life styles of the people that live in West End.
As we drove to the airport, it started to rain. I was like Grand Bahama Island was crying and was sad because Dave was leaving. At about 2:00PM Dave grabbed his travel bag and his computer and headed past the uniformed security guard and through the double doors that lead into the terminal. (By the way Dave you forgot your hat and left it in Garvin’s truck. I guess that you will have to come back to pick it up.)
Once Dave was dropped off at the airport, Garvin drove me to the Soctia Bank. He had to make a transaction and I needed to withdraw some cash. As we pulled into the parking lot it began to rain cat and dogs. We got soaked as we ran from the parking lot to the lobby of the bank.
After the banking was completed, Garvin said that he needed to pick up his daughter Danielle. She was staying with her boyfriend in Freeport and needed a ride home for the weekend. We then headed through Freeport to the town of Port Lucaya. Port Lucaya is the type of spot you imagine in your minds eye when you think of a Caribbean village. There are straw market, and street vendors, with local business set up to sell souvenirs to tourists. I bought a T-shirt that said Bahamas. Dawn wanted nachos and so did Danielle. I felt like a big spender as I treated them to Island Nachos.
As we walked around the port, the rains stopped. Garvin’s wife and daughter bought a lot of clothes. Once the shopping was finished , we visited the local Fed Ex office. Garvin called them and asked if my package had arrived from Rhode Island. They said that it had not. Garvin had a personal bone to pick with Fed Ex.. When we arrived at the Fed Ex office, the clerk said that my package had not arrived. When she went to the back of the facility to look for Garvin’s package, I looked through the packages setting on the counter. One was from Rhode Island. It was addressed to Dave. I was my part. When the clerk returned from the back I told her that my package had arrived. She asked to my ID. Initially she told me that I would not be allowed to take the package because it was not addressed to me. I told her that if she looked closely my name was on the bottom of the form. She finally agreed to give me the package. I think she was angry that I “went through her mail.” I’m glad I did or the part would still be sitting on her counter. With the part finally in hand we headed back to West End.
Then on the way back to the West End it rained really hard. Garvin could only drive 25 miles per hours as visibility was almost down to zero. There is a spot in the road where the island narrows and the land between the water on the north shore and the water on the south shore is about 50 feet wide. There was so much rain that the two sides of the ocean met in the middle of the road. I was wondering if Dave’s flight was able to get off the ground.
Garvin dropped his wife and daughter off at their home. He then drove me to the marina. When I went inside of the boat, I noticed that one of the starboard side window was leaking like Niagra Falls. I could not believe that there was another leak to fix. However before fixing the cause of the leak, I had to mop up about a gallon of water. The seat cushion under the leak is soaked. So is the carpet. I hope that we get several hours of sunshine so that I can dry everything out. Once I got the water under control, I took the motor off the transom and Garvin took the little Honda kicker to his garage. Garvin said that he would repair it tonight and have it back to me sometime tomorrow.
As I was removing the motor our starboard slip neighbors originally from Ohio invited me to their boat for cocktails. I graciously accepted. They then invited the slip neighbors on the port side of me to cocktails on their boat as well. It turns out that the port side boat is from Harbor Beach, Michigan. (Harbor Beach is a town that Sandy will remember well. We were weathered in that little town for three wet days.)
We had good fun sipping rum and telling sailing stories based on our experiences and misadventures with boats that go slow. It turns out that we are all headed for the Abacos. I will be single handing the WaterMark but now with several other boats. These three boats all began their sailing lives in the Great Lakes and now have found their way to salt water.
Good night from the Bahamas.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday January 20, 2011
We woke up early today. Dave and I were excited as this was the day that the part was scheduled to arrive here in the Bahamas via Fed Ex. Dave checked the tracking number on the Internet. The package was refused by Fed Ex because the international paperwork was not filled out properly from the supplier sending us the part. So it was a tough day. The temperature was in the high 70’s and it was a sunny sky. Should we hang out on the beach or take the bus into Freeport. The beach won out. This was a lazy day. We did ride the pretty yellow bikes into town to purchase a bottle of local rum.
The highlight of the day was the conch chowder I made. One of the cooks at the beach restaurant gave me the spices. The cooks name is Jessie. She told me that I needed to pound the conch with a hammer before cooking. I do not have a hammer on board, however, I do have a hatchet. I got out a small piece of SOS and cleaned the hatched. Once the hatchet was clean, I put the conch on the cutting board and put the cutting board on the dock and smash the conch. The first hit was not direct and the conch that I was hoping to flatten slid off the dock and into the water. It was gone in the wink of an eye. From that point on I did not hit the conch with such force. I hit is gently. This tenderized the conch. I then chopped up and onion and a potatoe and put in the spices that were given to me. There were 2 really small hot peppers in the chowder kit I was given. I should have used only one of the hot peppers. Dave and I were both sweating after eating the chowder. We both liked it.
It was also a sad day as Dave announced that he was going to have to fly back to the USA tomorrow. He needs to be back in Ann Arbor on Sunday. He did not get me to the Sea of Abacos as hoped, however he did get me over the Gulf Stream and across the Atlantic Ocean which was the most dangerous part of the trip.
I was hoping that cousin Andy would be able to join me for part of the trip. After talking with him today I know that he will be helping his mother who is very ill and not expected to live much longer. I hope she recovers. Andy will have to stay in Royal Oak for the immediate future.
Dave and I thought our crossing of the Gulf Stream was difficult. At least the last 5 miles. WE met some folks that cam 2 days after our crossing. They hit bad weather and faced 14 foot waves. Then their motor died and they had to be towed in to West End. They drifted back into the Gulf Stream when their engine died.. From their stories it made our crossing look like a walk in the park on a summer day.
The highlight of the day was the conch chowder I made. One of the cooks at the beach restaurant gave me the spices. The cooks name is Jessie. She told me that I needed to pound the conch with a hammer before cooking. I do not have a hammer on board, however, I do have a hatchet. I got out a small piece of SOS and cleaned the hatched. Once the hatchet was clean, I put the conch on the cutting board and put the cutting board on the dock and smash the conch. The first hit was not direct and the conch that I was hoping to flatten slid off the dock and into the water. It was gone in the wink of an eye. From that point on I did not hit the conch with such force. I hit is gently. This tenderized the conch. I then chopped up and onion and a potatoe and put in the spices that were given to me. There were 2 really small hot peppers in the chowder kit I was given. I should have used only one of the hot peppers. Dave and I were both sweating after eating the chowder. We both liked it.
It was also a sad day as Dave announced that he was going to have to fly back to the USA tomorrow. He needs to be back in Ann Arbor on Sunday. He did not get me to the Sea of Abacos as hoped, however he did get me over the Gulf Stream and across the Atlantic Ocean which was the most dangerous part of the trip.
I was hoping that cousin Andy would be able to join me for part of the trip. After talking with him today I know that he will be helping his mother who is very ill and not expected to live much longer. I hope she recovers. Andy will have to stay in Royal Oak for the immediate future.
Dave and I thought our crossing of the Gulf Stream was difficult. At least the last 5 miles. WE met some folks that cam 2 days after our crossing. They hit bad weather and faced 14 foot waves. Then their motor died and they had to be towed in to West End. They drifted back into the Gulf Stream when their engine died.. From their stories it made our crossing look like a walk in the park on a summer day.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wednesday Jan 19, 2011
Made pancakes for breakfast. Food on the water is always good. These pancakes were delicious. After breakfast Dave ordered the part we needed. It is a $14.00 part that costs $90 to ship to the Bahamas. Once we know the part was to be shipped over night, we borrowed the resorts bicycles and took a ride into the Village of West End. A very small community made up mostly of conch fisherman. There are some abandoned homes. There are some homes that were under construction when the economy tanked and were never completed. They have several shops and a bakery. Every home has at least one boat. Some are abandoned derelicts. Some float and are working boats. Conch is the mainstay of the fisherman here. They motor out into deep water and dive for the conchs. They fill their boats up and then they bring the conchs back and store them alive in these wooden square structures know as conch pens.
Our goal was to find a bottle of rum made here in the Bahamas. We found a Brand of rum made here. It is called Ricardo. It is a coconut flavored rum that is very sweet. Easy to drink with or without ice.
Dave and I tried some of it when we got back to the boat. Then we tasted a little more. I was quite fond of it. Dave then headed for the beach. I stayed with the boat to meet the mechanic that one of the workers here at the resort said was a good mechanic and would be able to help. The part should be here tomorrow so should the mechanic.
I cooked fresh mackerel and dolphin in a lemon butter sauce for dinner. Dave prepared a salad. We had a delicious and healthy dinner sitting in the cockpit under a full moon talking about Patrice and Sandy. The fish was given to us last night by one of the guys in a big sport fishing boat docked down the way. Fresh fish is really good. Tomorrow, I will try and make a conch chowder with what we have on the boat. My fresh fish acquisition plan works almost every time. I watch a big sport fisherman cleaning his fish. They get talking about how good the fishing is. I listen and ask a few questions. Then I ask my favorite question. What are your going to do with all of the fish you just cleaned. They usually say I am going to eat some and give some away. I reply that I would enjoy a give a way and they hand me cleaned fish. I used to ask the fisherman coming into the dock the same question. Now I have learned to wait until the fish are cleaned. As soon a I learn how to catch my own fish I will stop hasseling the fisherman. Until then this has been out technique for getting fresh fish.
We have become quite friendly with one of the workers here. His name is Michael. Michael grew up here in West End. He was telling Dave and me that John Travolta has a condo about 100 feet from where we have the WaterMark docked. In fact The West End’s Old Bahama Bay is where John Travolta’s son Jet died not too long ago. I guess one of the maids found him in the bathroom. Michael said that when John Travolta was here Jet like to be driven around the property on a golf cart. Jet kept the golf cart driver busy all day long.
Our goal was to find a bottle of rum made here in the Bahamas. We found a Brand of rum made here. It is called Ricardo. It is a coconut flavored rum that is very sweet. Easy to drink with or without ice.
Dave and I tried some of it when we got back to the boat. Then we tasted a little more. I was quite fond of it. Dave then headed for the beach. I stayed with the boat to meet the mechanic that one of the workers here at the resort said was a good mechanic and would be able to help. The part should be here tomorrow so should the mechanic.
I cooked fresh mackerel and dolphin in a lemon butter sauce for dinner. Dave prepared a salad. We had a delicious and healthy dinner sitting in the cockpit under a full moon talking about Patrice and Sandy. The fish was given to us last night by one of the guys in a big sport fishing boat docked down the way. Fresh fish is really good. Tomorrow, I will try and make a conch chowder with what we have on the boat. My fresh fish acquisition plan works almost every time. I watch a big sport fisherman cleaning his fish. They get talking about how good the fishing is. I listen and ask a few questions. Then I ask my favorite question. What are your going to do with all of the fish you just cleaned. They usually say I am going to eat some and give some away. I reply that I would enjoy a give a way and they hand me cleaned fish. I used to ask the fisherman coming into the dock the same question. Now I have learned to wait until the fish are cleaned. As soon a I learn how to catch my own fish I will stop hasseling the fisherman. Until then this has been out technique for getting fresh fish.
We have become quite friendly with one of the workers here. His name is Michael. Michael grew up here in West End. He was telling Dave and me that John Travolta has a condo about 100 feet from where we have the WaterMark docked. In fact The West End’s Old Bahama Bay is where John Travolta’s son Jet died not too long ago. I guess one of the maids found him in the bathroom. Michael said that when John Travolta was here Jet like to be driven around the property on a golf cart. Jet kept the golf cart driver busy all day long.
Wednesday January 19, 2011
Once Dave had us checked out of the resort, we prepared to toss off the dock lines and head out to Mangrove Key to anchor for the night. We are now on a mechanical hold. Before tossing off the dock lines, I always start the engine and let it warm up a bit before releasing the dock lines. As we began to leave the engine started on the first pull, however, the water stream from the tell tale that indicates the motor is pumping in sea water to cool the engine was not working. No cool water was reaching the engine.
At first we thought the problem was caused by a clogged intake port. The only way to inspect the intake port for a clog is is from outside of the boat. This meant I had to get into the water. I put on the wet suit that was given to me in Port Salarno. I then crawled over the stern pulpit and carefully made my way down the swim ladder into the crystal clear salt water. It was just a little cold. Not freezing. It appeared to me that the water temperature was at least 75 degrees.
A visual inspection of the intake port revealed some salt buildup. I took a small safety pin and cleaned the screen. I would push the pin into the round screens. Wow there are a lot of little holes in a screen. It took about an hour to clean it. Once the screen was clean, we fired up the motor. There was still no water moving through the engine to cool it down. I shut the engine off before it over heated. As overheating the engine can cause major damage. I was was frustrated. To help trouble shoot the problem, I called Jerry Leanderson. I was lucky to get in touch with him as he was driving to his cottage in northern Michigan.. Jerry has the exact same motor as I have. I described the problem. Jerry said that he has replaced the water pump in his motor several times and it was most likely the water pump (impeller) that needed to be replaced. Dave Luther fired up his MacBook Pro and started searching for water pumps for a 1985 Honda 9.9 horse motor. Dave called his friend Jim Westerman in Ann Arbor using Skype account. He described the problem to Jim. From the description of the problem, Jim agreed that it was the water pump. Jim got on the Internet. He helped to verify and cross reference the part number for the water pump.
Dave then used his Skype account to call several parts dealers on the East coast. Dave’s Skype account saved the day. We were able to make phone calls back the United States at a reasonable rate. Dave finally talked with one parts supplier who said that he would order the part and have ready to ship to the Bahamas tomorrow.
Once we were able to trouble shoot the problem and locate the part needed, I had to check us back into the marina. This is a five start marina and resort. The charge to dock a boat here is $2.00 per foot with a 40 foot minimum. This means that to tie up my 25 foot Water Mark, it was costing us $80 per night. If we were going to be stuck here it would be a very expensive layover. I went to the General Manager of the facility. Her name is Jackie Collins. I told here that were had a mechanical break down and that we were going to have to stay several days. I also pleaded poverty and told here that I thought that is was unfair to have to pay for a 40 foot boat when I had a 25 foot boat and was sailing on a tight budget. She sympathized with me and dropped the minimum length and told me that I would only have to pay $1.50 per foot. This quickly lowered the dock fee from $80 per night to $37.50 per night. This is a little more in line with the budget. Besides it is a five star facility. I don’t know who gave it a five star rating. This resort does not have a hot tub. The rating should be lower.
While working on the motor a Bohemian mon came buy in an old tattered wet suit. He said that he was selling fresh conch. I followed him around the sand point and back to his boat. It was hidden around the point so the marina security could not see it. His boat was full of conchs. He had about 50 conchs in this boat. There were so many that his boat barely floated. He showed me how to get the food out of the conch. He took a hammer and hit the conch on the pointed end and a little crack was formed. His knife went into the crack was wiggled around and out fell the entire animal. He separated the working part of the conch from the eating part.
Once back at the boat with the fresh conch, I made dinner. Dave boiled up a pot of water and cooked some pasta. I diced the conch and diced up some onions. Put them in a frying pan with melted butter and we had a delicious meal. I sent the left over pasta next door to our neighbors Hans and Michelle. The liked the dish so much they invited Dave and I over to their boat for an evening bottle of French wine. Han is a retired farmer from Quebec. Hans and his wife are traveling the Bahamas on his sail boat Grand Manier III
The wine really put me to sleep. Got back in my bunk and fell asleep. Thinking that if I have to be stranded, I am really lucky to be stranded in this place with this crew.
At first we thought the problem was caused by a clogged intake port. The only way to inspect the intake port for a clog is is from outside of the boat. This meant I had to get into the water. I put on the wet suit that was given to me in Port Salarno. I then crawled over the stern pulpit and carefully made my way down the swim ladder into the crystal clear salt water. It was just a little cold. Not freezing. It appeared to me that the water temperature was at least 75 degrees.
A visual inspection of the intake port revealed some salt buildup. I took a small safety pin and cleaned the screen. I would push the pin into the round screens. Wow there are a lot of little holes in a screen. It took about an hour to clean it. Once the screen was clean, we fired up the motor. There was still no water moving through the engine to cool it down. I shut the engine off before it over heated. As overheating the engine can cause major damage. I was was frustrated. To help trouble shoot the problem, I called Jerry Leanderson. I was lucky to get in touch with him as he was driving to his cottage in northern Michigan.. Jerry has the exact same motor as I have. I described the problem. Jerry said that he has replaced the water pump in his motor several times and it was most likely the water pump (impeller) that needed to be replaced. Dave Luther fired up his MacBook Pro and started searching for water pumps for a 1985 Honda 9.9 horse motor. Dave called his friend Jim Westerman in Ann Arbor using Skype account. He described the problem to Jim. From the description of the problem, Jim agreed that it was the water pump. Jim got on the Internet. He helped to verify and cross reference the part number for the water pump.
Dave then used his Skype account to call several parts dealers on the East coast. Dave’s Skype account saved the day. We were able to make phone calls back the United States at a reasonable rate. Dave finally talked with one parts supplier who said that he would order the part and have ready to ship to the Bahamas tomorrow.
Once we were able to trouble shoot the problem and locate the part needed, I had to check us back into the marina. This is a five start marina and resort. The charge to dock a boat here is $2.00 per foot with a 40 foot minimum. This means that to tie up my 25 foot Water Mark, it was costing us $80 per night. If we were going to be stuck here it would be a very expensive layover. I went to the General Manager of the facility. Her name is Jackie Collins. I told here that were had a mechanical break down and that we were going to have to stay several days. I also pleaded poverty and told here that I thought that is was unfair to have to pay for a 40 foot boat when I had a 25 foot boat and was sailing on a tight budget. She sympathized with me and dropped the minimum length and told me that I would only have to pay $1.50 per foot. This quickly lowered the dock fee from $80 per night to $37.50 per night. This is a little more in line with the budget. Besides it is a five star facility. I don’t know who gave it a five star rating. This resort does not have a hot tub. The rating should be lower.
While working on the motor a Bohemian mon came buy in an old tattered wet suit. He said that he was selling fresh conch. I followed him around the sand point and back to his boat. It was hidden around the point so the marina security could not see it. His boat was full of conchs. He had about 50 conchs in this boat. There were so many that his boat barely floated. He showed me how to get the food out of the conch. He took a hammer and hit the conch on the pointed end and a little crack was formed. His knife went into the crack was wiggled around and out fell the entire animal. He separated the working part of the conch from the eating part.
Once back at the boat with the fresh conch, I made dinner. Dave boiled up a pot of water and cooked some pasta. I diced the conch and diced up some onions. Put them in a frying pan with melted butter and we had a delicious meal. I sent the left over pasta next door to our neighbors Hans and Michelle. The liked the dish so much they invited Dave and I over to their boat for an evening bottle of French wine. Han is a retired farmer from Quebec. Hans and his wife are traveling the Bahamas on his sail boat Grand Manier III
The wine really put me to sleep. Got back in my bunk and fell asleep. Thinking that if I have to be stranded, I am really lucky to be stranded in this place with this crew.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday January 18, 2011
Up at 8AM the rain has stopped. The wind has clocked from the east to the west. It should be a good sailing day. Temp this morning is 70 degrees.
I cooked scrambled eggs for breakfast and served fried Texas style toast with coffee.
I finally opened the motor cover. The bottom of the motor was full of water. It is drying out now. That sport fisherman that swamped us has no idea that he put us in dangers way. Some guys with boats should not be allowed on the water. I have black and blue marks all over my legs from being bounced around by the wakes from the big stupid power boaters.
Once the motor dries, we are heading to Mangrove Key and will anchor out. Then we will sail on to Great Sale Key for another night on the hook. This means that the blog will not be updated until at least this weekend. There is no power or internet connection at the anchorages ads they are very remote..
Dave is checking us out of this five start resort marina at the moment. I will stow the gear and get read to set sail. More to come thank you for following our trip..
Once Dave had us checked out of the resort, we prepared to toss off the dock lines and head out to Mangrove Key to anchor for the night. We are now on a mechanical hold. Before tossing off the dock lines, I always start the engine and let it warm up a bit before releasing the dock lines. As we began to leave the engine started on the first pull, however, the water stream from the tell tale that indicates the motor is pumping in sea water to cool the engine was not working. No cool water was reaching the engine.
At first we thought the problem was caused by a clogged intake port. The only way to inspect the intake port for a clog is is from outside of the boat. This meant I had to get into the water. I put on the wet suit that was given to me in Port Salarno. I then crawled over the stern pulpit and carefully made my way down the swim ladder into the crystal clear salt water. It was just a little cold. Not freezing. It appeared to me that the water temperature was at least 75 degrees.
A visual inspection of the intake port revealed some salt buildup. I took a small safety pin and cleaned the screen. I would push the pin into the round screens. Wow there are a lot of little holes in a screen. It took about an hour to clean it. Once the screen was clean, we fired up the motor. There was still no water moving through the engine to cool it down. I shut the engine off before it over heated. As overheating the engine can cause major damage. I was was frustrated. To help trouble shoot the problem, I called Jerry Leanderson. I was lucky to get in touch with him as he was driving to his cottage in northern Michigan.. Jerry has the exact same motor as I have. I described the problem. Jerry said that he has replaced the water pump in his motor several times and it was most likely the water pump (impeller) that needed to be replaced. Dave Luther fired up his MacBook Pro and started searching for water pumps for a 1985 Honda 9.9 horse motor. Dave called his friend Jim Westerman in Ann Arbor using Skype account. He described the problem to Jim. From the description of the problem, Jim agreed that it was the water pump. Jim got on the Internet. He helped to verify and cross reference the part number for the water pump.
Dave then used his Skype account to call several parts dealers on the East coast. Dave’s Skype account saved the day. We were able to make phone calls back the United States at a reasonable rate. Dave finally talked with one parts supplier who said that he would order the part and have ready to ship to the Bahamas tomorrow.
Once we were able to trouble shoot the problem and locate the part needed, I had to check us back into the marina. This is a five start marina and resort. The charge to dock a boat here is $2.00 per foot with a 40 foot minimum. This means that to tie up my 25 foot Water Mark, it was costing us $80 per night. If we were going to be stuck here it would be a very expensive layover. I went to the General Manager of the facility. Her name is Jackie Collins. I told here that were had a mechanical break down and that we were going to have to stay several days. I also pleaded poverty and told here that I thought that is was unfair to have to pay for a 40 foot boat when I had a 25 foot boat and was sailing on a tight budget. She sympathized with me and dropped the minimum length and told me that I would only have to pay $1.50 per foot. This quickly lowered the dock fee from $80 per night to $37.50 per night. This is a little more in line with the budget. Besides it is a five star facility. I don’t know who gave it a five star rating. This resort does not have a hot tub. The rating should be lower.
While working on the motor a Bohemian mon came buy in an old tattered wet suit. He said that he was selling fresh conch. I followed him around the sand point and back to his boat. It was hidden around the point so the marina security could not see it. His boat was full of conchs. He had about 50 conchs in this boat. There were so many that his boat barely floated. He showed me how to get the food out of the conch. He took a hammer and hit the conch on the pointed end and a little crack was formed. His knife went into the crack was wiggled around and out fell the entire animal. He separated the working part of the conch from the eating part.
Once back at the boat with the fresh conch, I made dinner. Dave boiled up a pot of water and cooked some pasta. I diced the conch and diced up some onions. Put them in a frying pan with melted butter and we had a delicious meal. I sent the left over pasta next door to our neighbors Hans and Michelle. The liked the dish so much they invited Dave and I over to their boat for an evening bottle of French wine. Han is a retired farmer from Quebec. Hans and his wife are traveling the Bahamas on his sail boat Grand Manier III
The wine really put me to sleep. Got back in my bunk and fell asleep. Thinking that if I have to be stranded, I am really lucky to be stranded in this place with this crew.
I cooked scrambled eggs for breakfast and served fried Texas style toast with coffee.
I finally opened the motor cover. The bottom of the motor was full of water. It is drying out now. That sport fisherman that swamped us has no idea that he put us in dangers way. Some guys with boats should not be allowed on the water. I have black and blue marks all over my legs from being bounced around by the wakes from the big stupid power boaters.
Once the motor dries, we are heading to Mangrove Key and will anchor out. Then we will sail on to Great Sale Key for another night on the hook. This means that the blog will not be updated until at least this weekend. There is no power or internet connection at the anchorages ads they are very remote..
Dave is checking us out of this five start resort marina at the moment. I will stow the gear and get read to set sail. More to come thank you for following our trip..
Once Dave had us checked out of the resort, we prepared to toss off the dock lines and head out to Mangrove Key to anchor for the night. We are now on a mechanical hold. Before tossing off the dock lines, I always start the engine and let it warm up a bit before releasing the dock lines. As we began to leave the engine started on the first pull, however, the water stream from the tell tale that indicates the motor is pumping in sea water to cool the engine was not working. No cool water was reaching the engine.
At first we thought the problem was caused by a clogged intake port. The only way to inspect the intake port for a clog is is from outside of the boat. This meant I had to get into the water. I put on the wet suit that was given to me in Port Salarno. I then crawled over the stern pulpit and carefully made my way down the swim ladder into the crystal clear salt water. It was just a little cold. Not freezing. It appeared to me that the water temperature was at least 75 degrees.
A visual inspection of the intake port revealed some salt buildup. I took a small safety pin and cleaned the screen. I would push the pin into the round screens. Wow there are a lot of little holes in a screen. It took about an hour to clean it. Once the screen was clean, we fired up the motor. There was still no water moving through the engine to cool it down. I shut the engine off before it over heated. As overheating the engine can cause major damage. I was was frustrated. To help trouble shoot the problem, I called Jerry Leanderson. I was lucky to get in touch with him as he was driving to his cottage in northern Michigan.. Jerry has the exact same motor as I have. I described the problem. Jerry said that he has replaced the water pump in his motor several times and it was most likely the water pump (impeller) that needed to be replaced. Dave Luther fired up his MacBook Pro and started searching for water pumps for a 1985 Honda 9.9 horse motor. Dave called his friend Jim Westerman in Ann Arbor using Skype account. He described the problem to Jim. From the description of the problem, Jim agreed that it was the water pump. Jim got on the Internet. He helped to verify and cross reference the part number for the water pump.
Dave then used his Skype account to call several parts dealers on the East coast. Dave’s Skype account saved the day. We were able to make phone calls back the United States at a reasonable rate. Dave finally talked with one parts supplier who said that he would order the part and have ready to ship to the Bahamas tomorrow.
Once we were able to trouble shoot the problem and locate the part needed, I had to check us back into the marina. This is a five start marina and resort. The charge to dock a boat here is $2.00 per foot with a 40 foot minimum. This means that to tie up my 25 foot Water Mark, it was costing us $80 per night. If we were going to be stuck here it would be a very expensive layover. I went to the General Manager of the facility. Her name is Jackie Collins. I told here that were had a mechanical break down and that we were going to have to stay several days. I also pleaded poverty and told here that I thought that is was unfair to have to pay for a 40 foot boat when I had a 25 foot boat and was sailing on a tight budget. She sympathized with me and dropped the minimum length and told me that I would only have to pay $1.50 per foot. This quickly lowered the dock fee from $80 per night to $37.50 per night. This is a little more in line with the budget. Besides it is a five star facility. I don’t know who gave it a five star rating. This resort does not have a hot tub. The rating should be lower.
While working on the motor a Bohemian mon came buy in an old tattered wet suit. He said that he was selling fresh conch. I followed him around the sand point and back to his boat. It was hidden around the point so the marina security could not see it. His boat was full of conchs. He had about 50 conchs in this boat. There were so many that his boat barely floated. He showed me how to get the food out of the conch. He took a hammer and hit the conch on the pointed end and a little crack was formed. His knife went into the crack was wiggled around and out fell the entire animal. He separated the working part of the conch from the eating part.
Once back at the boat with the fresh conch, I made dinner. Dave boiled up a pot of water and cooked some pasta. I diced the conch and diced up some onions. Put them in a frying pan with melted butter and we had a delicious meal. I sent the left over pasta next door to our neighbors Hans and Michelle. The liked the dish so much they invited Dave and I over to their boat for an evening bottle of French wine. Han is a retired farmer from Quebec. Hans and his wife are traveling the Bahamas on his sail boat Grand Manier III
The wine really put me to sleep. Got back in my bunk and fell asleep. Thinking that if I have to be stranded, I am really lucky to be stranded in this place with this crew.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Monday January 17, 2011
The gas dock is a cute little pink structure. Dave first thought that it was also the customs and integration office. The dock attendant gave us a pile of custom and immigration forms and told us to deliver them to the office in the next building. I cannot believe how many forms there are to fill out when you bring a boat to the Bahamas. I filled out five sets of forms most were duplicate of what I filled out before in a different order. The officer behind the counter was a stamp happy sort of guy. When he stamped a document, there was a loud boom from the desk as the stamp hit the paper with tremendous force. The officer then told me that the Bahamas Cruising permit was $150.00 cash. Credit Cards and Debit cards are not usable. The permit includes a fishing license for all on board the WaterMark. Boats over 35 feet pay a twice the amount and are charged a $300 fee.
Immediately after clearing customs and immigration, I called Sandy. Dave called Patrice. We Skyped. Dave used his MacBook, I used my I touch. This was neat because I was able to show Sandy what the facilities looked like. She also had the chance to see several boats leaving the harbor.
We needed showers after sailing all night as both of us and the boat were covered in salt. We left Port Salarno at 11AM. We arrived at West End at 9AM. We traveled 95 miles in the open Atlantic Ocean and it took us 22 hours! It should have taken just over 15 hours. I’m sure glad that the weather was good. We were on a port tack all the way and sailed over water that was 2500 feet deep.
The Old Bahama Bay Marina is very upscale. In fact when Dave and I got a slip for the night they told us the charge was $2 per foot with a minimum of 40 feet. I guess they do not like small sailboats. What a rip off, greedy, management in my opinion. This is a very strategic location for crossing the Gulf Stream and to charge those crazy fees is terrible.
The water here in turquoise blue and you can see the bottom in 50 feet of water. The owner of the facility that we stayed at in Port Salarno gave me a wet suit for skin diving. I can’t wait to use it.
It is now 2:30PM and the weather window has closed. It is blowing hard at 20 to 25 knots and raining!
Immediately after clearing customs and immigration, I called Sandy. Dave called Patrice. We Skyped. Dave used his MacBook, I used my I touch. This was neat because I was able to show Sandy what the facilities looked like. She also had the chance to see several boats leaving the harbor.
We needed showers after sailing all night as both of us and the boat were covered in salt. We left Port Salarno at 11AM. We arrived at West End at 9AM. We traveled 95 miles in the open Atlantic Ocean and it took us 22 hours! It should have taken just over 15 hours. I’m sure glad that the weather was good. We were on a port tack all the way and sailed over water that was 2500 feet deep.
The Old Bahama Bay Marina is very upscale. In fact when Dave and I got a slip for the night they told us the charge was $2 per foot with a minimum of 40 feet. I guess they do not like small sailboats. What a rip off, greedy, management in my opinion. This is a very strategic location for crossing the Gulf Stream and to charge those crazy fees is terrible.
The water here in turquoise blue and you can see the bottom in 50 feet of water. The owner of the facility that we stayed at in Port Salarno gave me a wet suit for skin diving. I can’t wait to use it.
It is now 2:30PM and the weather window has closed. It is blowing hard at 20 to 25 knots and raining!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Sunday January 16, 2011
Attended 7:30 Mass at St Andrew Church in Stuart, FL. At 5AM I used the iPod Touch to locate the closest church. I googled the directions. At 6AM I started walking. I got about half the way and started to tire. I then ended up bribing a golfer getting gas to take me the rest of the way. The bribe was $10.After Mass I hitched a ride with a guy who attended the same mass back to the boat. Dave was up when I arrived back at the boat. It is a beautiful day. Dave was talking to the owner of the Marina. He told us that this is a perfect day to make the crossing. Light winds under 10 knots. This is the weather window we have been waiting for to make the crossing to the Bahamas. To take advantage of this weather window, we would need to leave the protected ICW and the Manatee Pocket and head out into the Atlantic Ocean from the Port Lucie Inlet. Our original plan was to motor down the ICE to Palm Beach and make the crossing from Palm Beach. The Palm Beach crossing is 55 miles. The crossing from the St Lucie Inlet is about 75 miles. At 11AM we tossed off the dock lines and headed to the gas dock at Pirates Cove. We took on 4 gal of fuel. This means that we should have enough fuel to motor all the way to Green Turtle Key if necessary
Tried to call Sandy and let her know that our departure day had moved up by one day. Left her a voice mail message saying that if I did not check in with her by 9AM tomorrow to call the Coast Guard. Dave Luther was able to speak to his wife Patrice, she is aware of our plans.
When we were about 20 miles off the coast of Florida, my friend Chilly called to wish me luck. I told him that he was a backup to Sandy and Patrice. If I did not call by noon on Monday he should call the Coast Guard.
Just after talking with Chilly, I caught my first fish some 20 miles off the coast in about 200 feet of water. One of the boaters that I met from Canada rigged a 100 pound test line on a circular plastic ring that I purchased at a local bait shop. Fishing with this device is called banjo fishing. I worked. Dave took photos of the Yellow Fin Tuna. I would guess that it was between four and five pounds. I then filleted it and we plan on having fresh tuna for dinner. I know that the key cleaning fish is a sharp knife. I sharpened the filet knife for ten minutes before cleaning.
Our speed has slowed to about 5 knots. We were making 6.5 knots. We now must be in the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is a river that runs up the east coast of the USA. This river in the ocean runs at about 2.5 to 3 knots. It is pushing us north. To compensate for this effect, we steered a course to the south of our rhumb line after leaving he St Lucie Inlet. Hopefully our navigation skills are spot on.
At 4PM we refueled. The wind is on our nose. So we are motor sailing. Dave spends most of his time at the helm. Although we hooked up nohablo at about 2PM nohable is steering the boat. Nohablo is the name of the electronic auto pilot. Nohable makes a sound every so often as he adjusts course. He works all the time and does not require food or drink. He does consume electricity.
Just before dark, I decided to cook the tuna filets. I sautéed onions in the new frying pan and fried the tuna in butter with some spices.. We ate the tuna on wheat bread. What a wonderful meal. Fresh tuna from the Atlantic Ocean served on the Atlantic Ocean in 2600 feet of water..
As it got dark, Dave and I put on our safety harnesses. This way when you are in the cockpit at night, you are tied to the boat. If one of us is below and the other topside, and a wave blind sides us, we are still part of the boat. Making a man over board situation almost impossible.
Dave has been on watch for the past two hours. I went below to take a nap. I was up this morning very early. The moon was so bright that is was difficult to sleep. Now the clouds have muted the bright moonlight. This makes it easier to see the stars. Now the clouds are partly blocking out the starlight. As you look around there is very little in the way of human life to observe. We are out here all alone. God only knows what is underneath us. Waves are small and gentle tonight even in the Gulf Stream. About two hours ago we passed within several miles of a cruise ship. Dave said that the back end was easy to see. It had purple lights visible for miles. I’m guessing that was the party deck. Although this is the Bermuda Triangle we are in.
The lights and the electrical system on this boat are beginning to make me crazy. Tonight the cabin lights work properly. The port running light is working. The stern running light is working properly. The starboard running light is not working at all. When I checked all of the lights before putting the boat into the water every light worked fine. I just installed a new electrical panel. My hope was that this new panel would fix all of the problems. So far it has not. It is almost my turn to go on watch here in the Bermuda Triangle.
Dave went below to rest. I headed out to the cockpit. The first order of business when we change watches is to click the safety harness to the life lines. Dave uses the cleats.
I saw three cruise ships on my watch. Wow! They are monsters when viewed from outr little boat. About midnight, I decided To steer the boat by hand. This is a very difficult task in the middle of the night. The boat kept sailing all over the place. Too far north, then I would make a correction and be too far south. I was constantly off course. I reconnected nohablo. We dropped bout 20 degrees south on purpose. We thought that the Gulf Stream would push us north. This did not seem to be the case. The Gulf Stream slowed our progress from 6 knots to 4.
At 4AM we had the flashing lights that mark the entrance to the Old Bahama Bay Marina in sight. We were six miles from out destination. I started the Honda outboard. It ran for 5 minutes and then stopped. I guess was that it either got wet from the swells, or over headed because the propeller would come out of the water when we were plowing through big wave. In any case the motor would not work. I told Dave that we would have to make port the old fashioned way and sail in. Dave said that it was a good plan except the wind was coming from the direction that we wanted to go. We had to tack. We tacked from 4AM until about 8:00AM. Four hours to make 6 miles! At 8AM I got the Honda running. It ran for 5 minutes and then a huge sport fisherman driving a 40 foot Viking came past us at full speed. That son-of-a-bitch left an 8 foot wake. He swamped the boat. The Honda went underwater and gurgled to a stop. We had to wait and dry it out. In the mean time Dave was at the helm and he kept tacking and tacking and tacking. Finally when he gave up I pulled the cord and the Honda sprang to life. We motored into West End at 9AM.
Tried to call Sandy and let her know that our departure day had moved up by one day. Left her a voice mail message saying that if I did not check in with her by 9AM tomorrow to call the Coast Guard. Dave Luther was able to speak to his wife Patrice, she is aware of our plans.
When we were about 20 miles off the coast of Florida, my friend Chilly called to wish me luck. I told him that he was a backup to Sandy and Patrice. If I did not call by noon on Monday he should call the Coast Guard.
Just after talking with Chilly, I caught my first fish some 20 miles off the coast in about 200 feet of water. One of the boaters that I met from Canada rigged a 100 pound test line on a circular plastic ring that I purchased at a local bait shop. Fishing with this device is called banjo fishing. I worked. Dave took photos of the Yellow Fin Tuna. I would guess that it was between four and five pounds. I then filleted it and we plan on having fresh tuna for dinner. I know that the key cleaning fish is a sharp knife. I sharpened the filet knife for ten minutes before cleaning.
Our speed has slowed to about 5 knots. We were making 6.5 knots. We now must be in the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is a river that runs up the east coast of the USA. This river in the ocean runs at about 2.5 to 3 knots. It is pushing us north. To compensate for this effect, we steered a course to the south of our rhumb line after leaving he St Lucie Inlet. Hopefully our navigation skills are spot on.
At 4PM we refueled. The wind is on our nose. So we are motor sailing. Dave spends most of his time at the helm. Although we hooked up nohablo at about 2PM nohable is steering the boat. Nohablo is the name of the electronic auto pilot. Nohable makes a sound every so often as he adjusts course. He works all the time and does not require food or drink. He does consume electricity.
Just before dark, I decided to cook the tuna filets. I sautéed onions in the new frying pan and fried the tuna in butter with some spices.. We ate the tuna on wheat bread. What a wonderful meal. Fresh tuna from the Atlantic Ocean served on the Atlantic Ocean in 2600 feet of water..
As it got dark, Dave and I put on our safety harnesses. This way when you are in the cockpit at night, you are tied to the boat. If one of us is below and the other topside, and a wave blind sides us, we are still part of the boat. Making a man over board situation almost impossible.
Dave has been on watch for the past two hours. I went below to take a nap. I was up this morning very early. The moon was so bright that is was difficult to sleep. Now the clouds have muted the bright moonlight. This makes it easier to see the stars. Now the clouds are partly blocking out the starlight. As you look around there is very little in the way of human life to observe. We are out here all alone. God only knows what is underneath us. Waves are small and gentle tonight even in the Gulf Stream. About two hours ago we passed within several miles of a cruise ship. Dave said that the back end was easy to see. It had purple lights visible for miles. I’m guessing that was the party deck. Although this is the Bermuda Triangle we are in.
The lights and the electrical system on this boat are beginning to make me crazy. Tonight the cabin lights work properly. The port running light is working. The stern running light is working properly. The starboard running light is not working at all. When I checked all of the lights before putting the boat into the water every light worked fine. I just installed a new electrical panel. My hope was that this new panel would fix all of the problems. So far it has not. It is almost my turn to go on watch here in the Bermuda Triangle.
Dave went below to rest. I headed out to the cockpit. The first order of business when we change watches is to click the safety harness to the life lines. Dave uses the cleats.
I saw three cruise ships on my watch. Wow! They are monsters when viewed from outr little boat. About midnight, I decided To steer the boat by hand. This is a very difficult task in the middle of the night. The boat kept sailing all over the place. Too far north, then I would make a correction and be too far south. I was constantly off course. I reconnected nohablo. We dropped bout 20 degrees south on purpose. We thought that the Gulf Stream would push us north. This did not seem to be the case. The Gulf Stream slowed our progress from 6 knots to 4.
At 4AM we had the flashing lights that mark the entrance to the Old Bahama Bay Marina in sight. We were six miles from out destination. I started the Honda outboard. It ran for 5 minutes and then stopped. I guess was that it either got wet from the swells, or over headed because the propeller would come out of the water when we were plowing through big wave. In any case the motor would not work. I told Dave that we would have to make port the old fashioned way and sail in. Dave said that it was a good plan except the wind was coming from the direction that we wanted to go. We had to tack. We tacked from 4AM until about 8:00AM. Four hours to make 6 miles! At 8AM I got the Honda running. It ran for 5 minutes and then a huge sport fisherman driving a 40 foot Viking came past us at full speed. That son-of-a-bitch left an 8 foot wake. He swamped the boat. The Honda went underwater and gurgled to a stop. We had to wait and dry it out. In the mean time Dave was at the helm and he kept tacking and tacking and tacking. Finally when he gave up I pulled the cord and the Honda sprang to life. We motored into West End at 9AM.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Saturday January 15, 2011
One last trip in the car to Publix for onions and potatoes. These last minute provisions should get us through to the Bahamas.
I started the motor. We cast off the dock lines at 11AM to head south. The boat would not move. It was low tide and we were touching the bottom. Dave put the boat hook on the piling and I pushed off the other piling with one of the oars from the new dingy. This effort paid off and we were off the bottom and on our way. I pointed the bow out toward the Inter coastal Water Way and headed the bow south.
As soon as we got onto the channel, I had to hail a draw bridge operator. We needed to have a drawbridge opened so that we could get through. The bridge was only 20 ft tall and we need at least 30 feet to make it under comfortable without knocking off the anchor light and the antenna,
It was partly cloudy as we motored south. The water was very calm. Wind was gentle out of the SE. We took the ICW all the way to Manatee Pocket. I drove the boat all the way up to a dock near a resteraunt. Got a great deal on a slip. I should have asked what is wrong with it. Turns out we are 25 feet from a rock and roll band. They have turned their amp up to 10. I hope they stop playing before midnight.
I started the motor. We cast off the dock lines at 11AM to head south. The boat would not move. It was low tide and we were touching the bottom. Dave put the boat hook on the piling and I pushed off the other piling with one of the oars from the new dingy. This effort paid off and we were off the bottom and on our way. I pointed the bow out toward the Inter coastal Water Way and headed the bow south.
As soon as we got onto the channel, I had to hail a draw bridge operator. We needed to have a drawbridge opened so that we could get through. The bridge was only 20 ft tall and we need at least 30 feet to make it under comfortable without knocking off the anchor light and the antenna,
It was partly cloudy as we motored south. The water was very calm. Wind was gentle out of the SE. We took the ICW all the way to Manatee Pocket. I drove the boat all the way up to a dock near a resteraunt. Got a great deal on a slip. I should have asked what is wrong with it. Turns out we are 25 feet from a rock and roll band. They have turned their amp up to 10. I hope they stop playing before midnight.
Friday January 14, 2011
The loud horn from a local freight train wore me up this morning just at just at the sun was coming up. There was lots to do today. The game plan was to get moving on Saturday as long as the weather was good and the forecast was for good weather.
Tom and Bev our slip neighbors said that they were hosting a potluck on the dock at the end of the day and we were invited. The reason for the pot luck was that the weather was changing for the better and people were moving on. Most heading for the Bahamas.
Some of the final preparations involve putting he dingy in its bags and stowing. Dave finally stuffed it into the head. The thinking is that we will have the dingy in the water before we really need to start using he head.
At the dock get together we met a sailor from Quebec named Gee. He has one of the biggest yachts I have had the pleasure of boarding. An old boat built in Canada in 1971. The boat looked bran new. It was in Bristol condition.
We had to find marine gas with out alcohol. One of the boaters in the marina told us were to find this pure gas. We put about 20 gallons into red plastic cans and drove them back to the boat. The gas cans are stowed on each side of the boat. Two cans on the port side and one can on starboard.
Tom and Bev our slip neighbors said that they were hosting a potluck on the dock at the end of the day and we were invited. The reason for the pot luck was that the weather was changing for the better and people were moving on. Most heading for the Bahamas.
Some of the final preparations involve putting he dingy in its bags and stowing. Dave finally stuffed it into the head. The thinking is that we will have the dingy in the water before we really need to start using he head.
At the dock get together we met a sailor from Quebec named Gee. He has one of the biggest yachts I have had the pleasure of boarding. An old boat built in Canada in 1971. The boat looked bran new. It was in Bristol condition.
We had to find marine gas with out alcohol. One of the boaters in the marina told us were to find this pure gas. We put about 20 gallons into red plastic cans and drove them back to the boat. The gas cans are stowed on each side of the boat. Two cans on the port side and one can on starboard.
Thursday January 13, 2011
Temperature at 8AM was 36 degrees. I brewed a pot of coffee and wondered where to start the days chores. The rigging needs to be tightened and tuned. Also need to pick up Dave Luther. He called and is boarding the flight as we spoke. He will be arriving at West Palm Airport about noon. My cell phone battery is low. I cut a conversation with Shane short last night. The car charger has died. I will need to purchase another. Not sure how such a simple device can go bad but it did. I can check the connection in the car. The port used to power the GPS works and charges the GPS. However when I plug in the cell phone the charger does not work. Conclusion, the charger is bad!
Dave’s flight arrived early. I arrived at the West Palm Beach Airport about 30 minutes later. We headed back north on I-95. The drive back to Ft Pierce took just over one hour. Our first order of business was food. Allen’s is a locally owned resterurat and claims to be the oldest in the area. Great food is available at reasonable prices. Grits and fish make a very nice combination for a late lunch.
Our next stop was to Hutchinson Island. I had been talking with a guy on the internet that I met on Craig’s List. He is selling a Dingy. I have a need for a dingy as I have a 5.5 1959 Evenrude. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. The Craig’s list seller said that there was a small hole in the bottom the dingy and would sell it to me very cheap. I took the deal. Bought a patch kit and the hole is fixed. Took Dave to the 12A Bouy for conch chowder. Owner of the establishment is named Gene. This is a family business and he treaded us well.
Back to the boat and asleep by 10PM
Dave’s flight arrived early. I arrived at the West Palm Beach Airport about 30 minutes later. We headed back north on I-95. The drive back to Ft Pierce took just over one hour. Our first order of business was food. Allen’s is a locally owned resterurat and claims to be the oldest in the area. Great food is available at reasonable prices. Grits and fish make a very nice combination for a late lunch.
Our next stop was to Hutchinson Island. I had been talking with a guy on the internet that I met on Craig’s List. He is selling a Dingy. I have a need for a dingy as I have a 5.5 1959 Evenrude. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. The Craig’s list seller said that there was a small hole in the bottom the dingy and would sell it to me very cheap. I took the deal. Bought a patch kit and the hole is fixed. Took Dave to the 12A Bouy for conch chowder. Owner of the establishment is named Gene. This is a family business and he treaded us well.
Back to the boat and asleep by 10PM
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tuesday January 11, 2011
It was very foggy this morning. NOAA weather radio said that visibility was down to one-sixteenth of a mile. The good news was that the temperature was headed toward the high 70’s. Shorts and flip flop weather.
This is the last day that WaterMark will be on the hard for quite sometime. She is scheduled to be splashed tomorrow at 1:00 PM. Since it was such a nice day, I decided to work as much as possible on the outside. This required a trip to West Marine. This also game me a chance to pick up a batter for my handheld marine radio. It is exactly one mile to the store. I measured it today because I rode my bike there so many times in December. I needed to know the distance.
The clerk as West Marine told me that the battery I needed was discontinued. This meant that I needed to purchase a new Marine radio. This expense caught me by surprise. The replacement is a nice radio and justified. Radio contact on the ocean is a good thing to have. It also is very helpful when talking with the bridge operators on the Intercoastal. The portable and be used directly from the cockpit. When I use the fixed mount radio, I have to run into the cabin and let the autopilot steer the boat while I am talking to the bridge operator. This blind sailing will be eliminated by the hand held radio. Much safer for me and the crew.
I also bought storage net for the boat. This way it is easier to store and retrieve my clothes. I installed the nets on the starboard side of the aft berth. It is the aft berth that I call home while on the WaterMark. The “v” berth in the bow is reserved for the crew.
I also purchased a motor mount. This will allow me to attach the five and one half house
Evinrude “Fisherman” out board motor that I got from cousins Andy and Mark. This motor belonged to their dad, my Uncle Joe. It is a 1959! The motor is shtill in working order. I put new plugs in and changed the lower gear oil. The Evenrude jumped to live on the third pull.
Last minute preparations took the rest of the day. I checked the electrical. I double checked the electronic charts on the Garmin GPS to be sure that they were ready for the Bahamas. They were. I was happy!
Watched a movie called I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. There is no TV on the boat, but the computer has a DVD player built into it. So it is possible to watch movies on the computer while sitting on the boat. Movies is a nice addition and un to do because it gets dark at 5:30 PM. And there is still something to do.
This is the last day that WaterMark will be on the hard for quite sometime. She is scheduled to be splashed tomorrow at 1:00 PM. Since it was such a nice day, I decided to work as much as possible on the outside. This required a trip to West Marine. This also game me a chance to pick up a batter for my handheld marine radio. It is exactly one mile to the store. I measured it today because I rode my bike there so many times in December. I needed to know the distance.
The clerk as West Marine told me that the battery I needed was discontinued. This meant that I needed to purchase a new Marine radio. This expense caught me by surprise. The replacement is a nice radio and justified. Radio contact on the ocean is a good thing to have. It also is very helpful when talking with the bridge operators on the Intercoastal. The portable and be used directly from the cockpit. When I use the fixed mount radio, I have to run into the cabin and let the autopilot steer the boat while I am talking to the bridge operator. This blind sailing will be eliminated by the hand held radio. Much safer for me and the crew.
I also bought storage net for the boat. This way it is easier to store and retrieve my clothes. I installed the nets on the starboard side of the aft berth. It is the aft berth that I call home while on the WaterMark. The “v” berth in the bow is reserved for the crew.
I also purchased a motor mount. This will allow me to attach the five and one half house
Evinrude “Fisherman” out board motor that I got from cousins Andy and Mark. This motor belonged to their dad, my Uncle Joe. It is a 1959! The motor is shtill in working order. I put new plugs in and changed the lower gear oil. The Evenrude jumped to live on the third pull.
Last minute preparations took the rest of the day. I checked the electrical. I double checked the electronic charts on the Garmin GPS to be sure that they were ready for the Bahamas. They were. I was happy!
Watched a movie called I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. There is no TV on the boat, but the computer has a DVD player built into it. So it is possible to watch movies on the computer while sitting on the boat. Movies is a nice addition and un to do because it gets dark at 5:30 PM. And there is still something to do.
Monday January 10, 2011h
\Slept in until 8:30AM. Once I was out of my bunk, replacing the electrical panel was my top priority. I removed the old panel. Traced all of the wires numbered them, labeled them and got to work Making all of the proper connections. This process took at least 4 hours. I double checked each connection.
At about 3PM I flipped the switch and the cabin lights worked. I checked the running lights and they worked! I’ll need to step the mast in order to see if the anchor light is working. I works when I test it with the mast laying across the deck.
Once the electrical worked, It was time to celebrate. I drank a couple of beers. They went down nicely on a 75 degree day. Then off to West Marine for a 12 volt bulb and a clevis pin. I shop here a lot.
I checked the generator. It started on the first pull. Once the generator proved itself worthy of a trip to the Bahamas, I had to figure out how to stow it. The Honda generator that has been used for years is in the shop being repaired. It seems that one the parts needed is obsolete. The “new” generator does not stow as easily. I finally decided that it should be stowed next to the pots and pans. The reason for the decision is that the locker had an opening large enough for the generator to fix through. Initially the plan was to store it in the sail locker that is accessed from the port side of the cockpit.
At about 3PM I flipped the switch and the cabin lights worked. I checked the running lights and they worked! I’ll need to step the mast in order to see if the anchor light is working. I works when I test it with the mast laying across the deck.
Once the electrical worked, It was time to celebrate. I drank a couple of beers. They went down nicely on a 75 degree day. Then off to West Marine for a 12 volt bulb and a clevis pin. I shop here a lot.
I checked the generator. It started on the first pull. Once the generator proved itself worthy of a trip to the Bahamas, I had to figure out how to stow it. The Honda generator that has been used for years is in the shop being repaired. It seems that one the parts needed is obsolete. The “new” generator does not stow as easily. I finally decided that it should be stowed next to the pots and pans. The reason for the decision is that the locker had an opening large enough for the generator to fix through. Initially the plan was to store it in the sail locker that is accessed from the port side of the cockpit.
Sunday January 8, 2011
At 8:30AM I wrote a thank you note to my cousins. They were all sleeping as I hit the rode.
After Mass, I decided to visit the site of the most notorious Civil War prison in the south. It is called Fort
Sumptner or Andersonville. Family lore has it that one of our ancestor’s was imprisoned at Andersonville. I checked. There is no record a John Tarsney being detained there. Although the park ranger said that the confederate did not maintain proper records so he could have been there. The memorial is just a huge field! There were no prison buildings. just a big open field with a little stockade. The confederates kept prisoners in a big field out in the middle of nowhere. They did not feed them properly and many of the prisoners died from malnutrition. My relative escaped. His story is fascinating.
After visiting the prison, I drove to Fort Pierce, FL. I arrived a the boat at 9:30PM. I called Sandy and told her that I had arrived safely.
I cleared the aft bunk. Rolled out my sleeping bag and went to sleep.
After Mass, I decided to visit the site of the most notorious Civil War prison in the south. It is called Fort
Sumptner or Andersonville. Family lore has it that one of our ancestor’s was imprisoned at Andersonville. I checked. There is no record a John Tarsney being detained there. Although the park ranger said that the confederate did not maintain proper records so he could have been there. The memorial is just a huge field! There were no prison buildings. just a big open field with a little stockade. The confederates kept prisoners in a big field out in the middle of nowhere. They did not feed them properly and many of the prisoners died from malnutrition. My relative escaped. His story is fascinating.
After visiting the prison, I drove to Fort Pierce, FL. I arrived a the boat at 9:30PM. I called Sandy and told her that I had arrived safely.
I cleared the aft bunk. Rolled out my sleeping bag and went to sleep.
Saturday January 8, 2009h
Woke up in southern Kentucky and there was 2 inches of fresh snow on the ground. It was 18 degrees at 9:00 AM. Very Cold for these parts.
I decided to make a couple of stops when I got to Georgia. Finally, the snow was behind me. On the spur of the moment, I had to look up and old Apple buddy who moved to the Atlanta area a bout 20 years ago and I had his address. The phone the Sandy and I had in our database was disconnected. So I programmed the GPS for Pat and Tracy King’s house and drove into their lives. Pat told me that Atlanta was expecting an ice and snow storm and he needed to get fire wood. I rode along with him and we caught up on the last 20 years. He then told me about the tragedy that has befallen his family. Their middle daughter died last summer at age 16. She and her family fought a noble but loosing battle. After a 5 year long battle with leukemia their daughter was called home to heaven.
I asked Pat if he would like to join me in the Bahamas. He told me that he had quit his job to be with his daughter. He was looking for work. He has a couple of opportunities, but maybe able to join me.
After a surprise visit to the King’s, my next thought was to visit cousin Sherwood and his wife Faye and family. It was getting toward the end of the day. When I called, Faye asked me if I would like to join them for dinner. Southern hospitality at its very best! I programmed the GPS for Byron Georgia and 2 hours later pulled into their drive. Sherwood was taking the steaks off the BBQ. My timing was perfect! Even Faye’s sweet tea was good.
After dinner Sherwood gave me a tour of his shop. He and his two sons are drag racers. He showed me the Mustang that he fabricated and built. This car goes so fast it has a parachute on the rear bumper. Sherwood tells me that any car that can go 150 MPH in the quarter mile needs to have a parachute to stop the car if the breaks fail. This car is so fast because they burn nitrous for extra speed and power. They have made the car lighter hoping that it will gain speed. Before heading off to bed, I asked where the closest Catholic Church could be found. Tori my young cousin found a 9AM Mass in Warner Robbins. Faye told me that in order to get to Warner Robbins by 9AM I would need to leave their house at 8:30AM
I decided to make a couple of stops when I got to Georgia. Finally, the snow was behind me. On the spur of the moment, I had to look up and old Apple buddy who moved to the Atlanta area a bout 20 years ago and I had his address. The phone the Sandy and I had in our database was disconnected. So I programmed the GPS for Pat and Tracy King’s house and drove into their lives. Pat told me that Atlanta was expecting an ice and snow storm and he needed to get fire wood. I rode along with him and we caught up on the last 20 years. He then told me about the tragedy that has befallen his family. Their middle daughter died last summer at age 16. She and her family fought a noble but loosing battle. After a 5 year long battle with leukemia their daughter was called home to heaven.
I asked Pat if he would like to join me in the Bahamas. He told me that he had quit his job to be with his daughter. He was looking for work. He has a couple of opportunities, but maybe able to join me.
After a surprise visit to the King’s, my next thought was to visit cousin Sherwood and his wife Faye and family. It was getting toward the end of the day. When I called, Faye asked me if I would like to join them for dinner. Southern hospitality at its very best! I programmed the GPS for Byron Georgia and 2 hours later pulled into their drive. Sherwood was taking the steaks off the BBQ. My timing was perfect! Even Faye’s sweet tea was good.
After dinner Sherwood gave me a tour of his shop. He and his two sons are drag racers. He showed me the Mustang that he fabricated and built. This car goes so fast it has a parachute on the rear bumper. Sherwood tells me that any car that can go 150 MPH in the quarter mile needs to have a parachute to stop the car if the breaks fail. This car is so fast because they burn nitrous for extra speed and power. They have made the car lighter hoping that it will gain speed. Before heading off to bed, I asked where the closest Catholic Church could be found. Tori my young cousin found a 9AM Mass in Warner Robbins. Faye told me that in order to get to Warner Robbins by 9AM I would need to leave their house at 8:30AM
Friday January 7, 2011
Friday January 7, 2011
This years sailing trip started today in a snow storm. After a hug and kiss from Sandy, it was time to start the 2011 winter adventure. I drove out of Brighton just after 11:00am. Gigantic snow flakes were falling. The windshield wipers were flapping. Brighton looked like a snow globe. As I merged onto the freeway to head south I hoped the snow would stop by the time I got to Toledo. Sand and palm trees flashed through my head. (The snow did not stop until I got south of Chattanooga, TN)
Terry Harder longtime friend and neighbor plowed the driveway just before I left. I took him less than five minutes as I watched in awe. I shoveled the drive the pervious day and it almost killed me after taking three breaks. The plowed drive made it easy to get up the hill onto the main road. (Thanks Terry!!) The main roads were thankfully salted. Traffic was moving at posted speeds. The Alberta Clipper producing the snow in Michigan followed me all day! It followed me all the way through Ohio. It followed me through Kentucky. My goal was to drive out of the snow today. I failed!! It snowed all day and the snow seems to be following me. It was white knuckle driving on black ice from Cincinnati to Lexington, KY. The posted speed is on I-75 through Kentucky is 70 mph. For over two hours my top speed was 10 mph! I’m not complaining as I am closer to sun tonight than I was this morning, just not as close.
Once into Kentucky, one of my favorite stops for food is the Skyline Chilly Restaurant in Covington. This in austere establishment is located off the first Kentucky exit as you head south. Skyline chilly dogs are delicious and inexpensive. They have a mini hot dog covered in chilly sauce and onions topped with 3 inches of graded cheddar cheese. These epicurean delights are not available in Michigan. Any Coney Dog connoisseur would rate these dogs as unique. These are a must if you have your favorite Coney Restaurant. If you don’t the Montgomery Inn is probable more suitable for dinner.
I spent the night in a Red Roof Inn in Southern Kentucky. It was still snowing at 10:30 PM. And it was 18 degrees. I had driven over 400 miles and was tired. This day the snow won.
This years sailing trip started today in a snow storm. After a hug and kiss from Sandy, it was time to start the 2011 winter adventure. I drove out of Brighton just after 11:00am. Gigantic snow flakes were falling. The windshield wipers were flapping. Brighton looked like a snow globe. As I merged onto the freeway to head south I hoped the snow would stop by the time I got to Toledo. Sand and palm trees flashed through my head. (The snow did not stop until I got south of Chattanooga, TN)
Terry Harder longtime friend and neighbor plowed the driveway just before I left. I took him less than five minutes as I watched in awe. I shoveled the drive the pervious day and it almost killed me after taking three breaks. The plowed drive made it easy to get up the hill onto the main road. (Thanks Terry!!) The main roads were thankfully salted. Traffic was moving at posted speeds. The Alberta Clipper producing the snow in Michigan followed me all day! It followed me all the way through Ohio. It followed me through Kentucky. My goal was to drive out of the snow today. I failed!! It snowed all day and the snow seems to be following me. It was white knuckle driving on black ice from Cincinnati to Lexington, KY. The posted speed is on I-75 through Kentucky is 70 mph. For over two hours my top speed was 10 mph! I’m not complaining as I am closer to sun tonight than I was this morning, just not as close.
Once into Kentucky, one of my favorite stops for food is the Skyline Chilly Restaurant in Covington. This in austere establishment is located off the first Kentucky exit as you head south. Skyline chilly dogs are delicious and inexpensive. They have a mini hot dog covered in chilly sauce and onions topped with 3 inches of graded cheddar cheese. These epicurean delights are not available in Michigan. Any Coney Dog connoisseur would rate these dogs as unique. These are a must if you have your favorite Coney Restaurant. If you don’t the Montgomery Inn is probable more suitable for dinner.
I spent the night in a Red Roof Inn in Southern Kentucky. It was still snowing at 10:30 PM. And it was 18 degrees. I had driven over 400 miles and was tired. This day the snow won.
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