Season 3 already!

It has been a very long time since we posted, but here's our attempt to catch you up on what we've been up to since last year.

SUMMER 2013

After a brief interlude from cruising, we're back on the water. We hauled the boat out last May and spent the summer back up north in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. It only took us a few weeks before we missed our life on the boat, but we very much enjoyed the time with friends and family. By September the air turned chilly again and we couldn't get back to Jacksonville fast enough. We found the boat in great shape, better than expected. The home-zone stuff really worked well, no sign of bugs, mold or mildew. So in the sweltering heat, we reassembled the boat, had an insurance survey completed, re-provisioned, and launched on Sept 20. A week later we're back in Stuart, FL. Life is good.

Just so you know, just because we live in a warmer place doesn't mean we're immune to problems. We have a few big issues to resolve before we can start prepping for the Bahamas.

• Linda needs a root canal and crown, but has no dental insurance.
• Our 10lb. fiberglass propane tanks have been recalled, so no one will refill them. The manufacturer is out of business and busy in the court systems somewhere.
• Our 8.5' inflatable dinghy is leaking air out and water in. Attempts to find leaks and patch have failed. We've been reduced to DUCT tape and pumping 4 times a day.

$$ Cha-ching $$

FALL 2013

So, two weeks later I have a job for the holiday season. The root canal will be paid over time. New propane tanks are ordered and the search for a dinghy continues. Buying new could be as much as 5K so we focus on used. We've seen quite a few on Craigslist, none worth buying however. Well, we got lucky.  We found one in a side yard near where our son lives.  The price is right(cheap) and we grab it.   The very next day, Jim runs into someone posting one for sale at the marina. So we buy that one too. Y-knot, right? Jim spends the next several weeks repairing, washing, painting and prepping both dinghies. Which one to keep, which to sell. Such decisions. 

After a very busy few months in Stuart, we now fully loaded with food and beverages, boat is washed, laundry is done and it's time to “get outta dodge”. On Dec 31^st we leave Stuart and motor down the ICW to N Lake Worth Anchorage and relax. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It will take us several more days to recapture the cruising mode and we're so ready to go we can taste it. Further southbound and we anchor in Santa Barbara Lake and then Lake Sylvia in Ft. Lauderdale. Here we sit and wait, for weather and our friends from back home Terry and Kate Braden. They are working their way down the west coast of Florida and we hope to do the crossing together. We also had a chance to find and visit another family from back home that has a home in Ft. Lauderdale. Very nice people and they have a cute little house on the canals near Las Olas. Its also fortunate that we did find them as the very next day we needed a ride to the store. The outboard is clogged, no water flushing out, and it may be the impeller... Two days of parts searching and dismantling and we think its fixed. As boats go, now its time for another problem, right? Well, better now then after we leave the States. We have now found fuel in the bilge. Oh no. So, more phone calls, more tools, and more parts everywhere..... The fuel injector O rings are worn out and leaking. Thank goodness Jim is so handy! We find the parts close by, inexpensive, and do-able. Jim would also say they were a pain in the neck since he had to dismantle half the motor to get enough room to replace the parts.... anyway, problem solved. We're done, right? Well, the weather hasn't cooperated so we've now been in Ft Lauderdale for 10 days. This has also made the Braden's transit impossible as well. They're still near Marco Island so we abandon the idea of crossing together. They've found another boat to buddy with and will do fine I'm sure.

THE CROSSING 2014

Jan 13 and the weather window opens up for us. LV 330A, and out the harbor entrance at 5a. There are 3-5 ft swells and wind is on the nose. AARRRGGG. As we wait for the sun to rise we are both asking ourselves if we should turn around and go back, try another day. The boat is rocking violently back and forth causing cargo to spill down below. We lost some soap and a few water jugs, so the carpets and floors are now nice and slippery. Well, we held on and things did settle in enough for us to make way. Not the ideal crossing, but we made it. It's 445P and we're rushing into West End to catch the Customs office before they close. In and out, 15 minutes. Must be a record. And we cast off to get the anchor down before dark. We made it!!! and then we slept like a couple of logs...

ABACOS

In the morning we do one of those “OMG, look where we are. Its sunny, warm and beautiful here. The water is blue. Oh look, there's a fish” So here we are again, starting our third winter in the Bahamas. The Abaco islands are not far apart and it's easy to move from one to another in a few hours. We'll sail whenever we can, as we hippety-hop our way around here for the a few months. If and when we get tired of this area, we can always take an ocean cut and head further south. For now, this is pretty nice. Last night we watched the sun set over some Lobster Alfredo and angel hair pasta. We've resumed fishing and are already filling up the freezer faster than we can eat it. Since our arrival, we have visited several islands including:

West End, Great Sale, Grand Cay, Green Turtle, Great Guana, Treasure, Man O War, Marsh Harbour, Little Harbour and Lynyard. We are currently anchored inside Treasure Cay as we wait for a strong front to pass through the area tonight and tomorrow.

It's 75-80 most days and skies are clear. Wishing you were here.....

Tomorrow is April? Wow, it's time for an update!

Since our last posting we've spent some time on or around 7 more islands and logged well over 300 nautical miles. In early February we left Thompson Bay, Long Island to find Calabash Bay (north end of Long Island) for a night and then further north to New Bight, CAT Island. The attraction here is a very interesting feature known as The Hermitage. These buildings(stone and coral bound together with concrete) were constructed in the late 1930's by Father Jerome as his retirement monastery. As you'll see in the pictures, Father Jerome must have been a very short man. We were so taken by the view and the story of his life that we couldn't stop snapping pictures. There are two access paths to the top, one being very steep and the other much more gradual. The steeper climb is adorned with small stone monuments representing the Stations of the Cross. Absolutely worth the climb to see and touch these pieces of history. In the end, his body was actually entombed here behind concrete inside one of the structures.

After a few days in New Bight CAT Island, we moved north a few miles to Fernadez Bay, then northward over the Exuma Sound to the island of Eleuthera and the Davis Harbour Marina. This would be the first slip we've stayed at in 6 weeks. The following morning we sailed further north to Rock Sound Harbour. There's a storm coming and we will be safe here for the duration. After a little exploring that afternoon, we enjoyed Steaks on the grill for Valentine's Day. As forcasted, 2/16 brought high winds and heavy rain in the afternoon. After waiting out the weather for 2 days we were able to return to shore and reprovision. A little laundry, some freshwater, a few groceries and we're ready to move along again.

From Eleuthera we sailed to Highbourne in the Exumas, then Rose Island(Nassau), Hawksnest and Big Stirrup in the Berrys. The anchorages are beautiful and the weather is cooperating so we're happy. And finally, the trip we've waited all winter to make, it's March 24 and we're headed NORTH to Grand Bahama and the Ocean Reef Yacht Club. Swimming pools, hot tub, friends, fun, Bingo, Karaoke, biking, hiking, fishing, snorkeling, happy hours, pot luck dinners, etc. What's not to like?!

So now it's been just over a month since we arrived at ORYC and we're enjoying every minute here. We have some fishing stories to tell and more new friends to add to our Cruisers list. I suppose we need to start thinking about the last month of our cruising for the winter, but that can wait until tomorrow, or the next day.... Spring has arrived here (in spite of the Ground Hog up north)and the flood of winter cruisers are starting the migrations back to the States. Enjoy the latest pictures, there are a bunch!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Jim and Linda

Feb-Mar 2013

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January 2013 - Y-Knot 3 adventures continue

Since our last posting, we've traveled south along the Berry Islands, through Nassau, down along the Exuma chain and southeastward to Long Island logging in just over 450 nautical miles. The views are nothing less than spectacular and the water is as clear and blue is it gets. There are a few dozens pictures to go along with this time frame so pay attention to the captions on them as well.

Our first day out of Nassau was a nice “light and variable” motor sail over the Yellow Bank(part of the Exuma Bank)....until we found an old lost fisherman's style anchor. Seriously, we came to a sudden and complete stop as the floating tail of the anchor's rode wrapped itself around our prop. We were VERY lucky not to have had the transmission blow or the propeller pulled loose. It just stalled and stopped. Here we are out in the middle of no where and we happen to find the only obstacle within a 50 mile radius...... So now were anchored, courtesy of the vessel that lost it's 4 foot/75 lb anchor. The water is so clear we can see it! We quickly drop the sails, drop our anchor, and drop the captain into the drink with is snorkel gear. 20 minutes later we're under way and still wide eyed about the entire event. That night we arrived at Alans Cay(pronounced key) and set the anchor for a strong front expected in the next 12 hours or so.

This time of year the winds are constantly shifting from a prevailing east to a south, west and then northerly direction. As they “clock” around we need to look for anchorages or harbors that will provide us with the protection we may need for higher velocities. Alans Cay was a good place for protection from the north, but not good in terms of the strong currents running in and out through the cuts around it. As predicted, the front arrived around 530a, and we're off to the races. The boat was rocking up and down over the waves and whistling with high winds. We waited for the sun to rise and thinking maybe things would settle down soon. Friends of ours on ECHO took pictures of us as we fought our way out of the area to seek calmer waters. HA. A day in the life of the sailor.

Next stop was Big Majors and Staniel Cays. Over the next two weeks we watched the swimming pigs, nurse sharks, sting rays and snorkeled inside the Thunderball Grotto (scene from a James Bond movie). From here, Black Point Settlement, White Point-Jack's Cove, Little Farmer's, Rudder, Darby, the Rudder Cut into the Exuma Bank and we're finally behind Stocking Island and the Georgetown mecca. Here you'll find an entire community (200-700 boats at any time) of cruisers. The local residents have established businesses all around the area to provide the services that cruisers need. Fresh water, fuel, propane refills, groceries, laundry, restaurants, WiFi etc. I believe some the boats no longer leave to go home. This has become their home. They have organized activities if you want to participate including volleyball, yoga, card games and a few workshops. To our readers we may seem to you as the most adventurous (crazy)couple you know, but here we're just one of many and it's incredible to think that this has been going on all along and we never knew. So we relaxed on the beaches, visited the “chat n chill” restaurant/bar, pet some friendly stingrays!, and explored. As is our pattern, after two weeks we're ready to move on.

Long Island – Thompson Bay – Salt Pond is where we are now. You can go to www.longislandbreezeresort.com to see the facility here that plays host to all the cruisers. They hosted a great Super Bowl party and we enjoyed spending the evening with all these kindred spirits. By the way, if you watched the game and happened to remember any of the commercials, there were a few filmed here in the Bahamas. They promote tourism and show the beauty of the white sand and blue waters. One of the spots was filmed right here, and the boat they chose from the volunteers is anchored right behind us! The owner told us all about the filming, etc. and it was so cool when the commercial came on and about 50 or more cruisers got quiet and watched.

Well, we're setting sail again tomorrow. Enjoy the pictures and to those of you still up north, stay warm!

Jim and Linda

January 2013_Y-Knot Adventures

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Berry to Exumas 2013

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From Grand Bahama Island to the Berrys and Nassau

It's Thursday December 20 and we take off from Ocean Reef at 4:00am in an attempt to reach the Berry Islands before dark. “I'm always anxious on these legs into new cruising grounds. Once we're there I'm usually pleasantly surprised to find easy access to the anchorages, and even more relieved that we made it safely. But no matter how long we're out here I'm sure those concerns will be a part of me”. LM

As is often the case, winds and waves are not generally in our favor and we motor-sail close hulled for 13 hours and 60 nautical miles. Was it worth it? You better believe it. We had this feeling that we were the first people to have ever landed here as we find another hidden pocket of sandy beaches and palm trees that have been there undisturbed for centuries. In reality, we're anchored in Bullocks Harbour just south and east of the Stirrup Cays. There are two Norwegian Cruise Line ships anchored to the north and thousands of passengers enjoying the same warm day as we are. Great Harbour Cay is also nearby and sparsely populated with a few dozen native Bahamians who fish and cook and bake and repair boats. One of the pamphlets we're reading about the Bahamas placed the total population in the Berry Islands at around 750.

We spent two nights here before moving inside to enjoy the Great Harbour Cay Marina. We rode our bikes over much of the island passing by the local grocery stores and restaurants. Coolie Mae's Sports Bar and Restaurant bakes bread for those who want it and we managed to buy a loaf without having ordered one in advance. Mmmmm, tasty. With the laundry done and boat washed off we're ready to move again. Along with an intermittent escort provided by the local dolphin pods, we sail back out and around the Stirrup Cays to a place called Panton Cove.

This truly is a beautiful part of the world. Close your eyes and imagine sitting on a boat or raft in a clean, clear, blue bottomed swimming pool. That's no exaggeration of how blue and clean and clear the water here really is. So far this is the closest description we've been able to come with for someone that's never been here.

Next stop, Hawksnest Cay where we spend a few days collecting shells on the beach and relaxing in the sun. I managed to prepare a 6lb. Turkey breast and all the fixings for a delicious Christmas dinner. And the leftovers on Coolie Mae's bread were even better! After one more stop along the Berrys and a nice long ride with a tail wind from there, we're anchored behind Rose Cay just outside the busy Nassau harbor. We plan to refuel and fill up on fresh water before moving on again. Next stop, The Exumas!

Winter 2012-13

Merry Christmas everyone!  Early we know, but still very much our wish for all of you.  We're on Grand Bahama Island tonight as well plan our next few steps into new territory for the winter.  Here's out notes from the last few days:

12.17 Finally, our final preparations for departure to the south and then across to the Bahamas. 8a eye appt, quick stop at the store, return the bikes, dinghy out to the boat, raise the outboard and the dinghy, top off water tanks, ride through the bridges and we're off at 1045a. ICW to Lake Worth, set anchor @545p, try to sleep, ha.

12.18 Our Window to Cross

We're underway @245a. Seas are calm, waves are small, winds are light, and the sky is very dark. We motored until sunrise and had the sails up by 7a. With the motor off for the rest of the day, winds stay steady out of the west 10-12kts, 15-19 for a while, then back down to 12-15. If you asked for the best possible conditions for a crossing today you couldn't done any better than this. After the sun started to warm things up we finished opening the enclosure for better visibility and some sunshine. What a surprise it was to find a flying fish that had made his last flight. Poor guy, laying still just inside the toe rail there. Off you go! At 1130-1p we were surrounded by dozens of dolphins that enjoyed playing in our wake, chasing the boat and jumping into the air. What a sight, “Dancing with Waves”.
Our boat speed averaged around 5, then up to 7 for a while, then back down to 4-5 after the Gulf Stream dies out. Being in no real hurry we enjoyed a long overdue sail and landed easily at West End by mid-afternoon. Customs-no problem, top off fuel-no problem, take a slip for the night-no problem. That's the Bahama way, No Problem.  The water is clear and blue and we are already seeing small colorful fish all around the docks. We enjoyed the company of friends Duncan and Cathy all afternoon and evening before hitting the bed hard for some rest! We'll use tomorrow for recovery :)

12.19 After a much needed rest, we're up and out of West End, Old Bahama Bay Resort at 845a and fully under sail @9a. The ride was wonderful from there to the turn towards east at Freeport. Winds died for a bit, and so did the auto pilot. Instead of staying out on an anchor for the night we've pulled into ORYC (our home away from home) to evaluate the repair. If all goes well we're off to the Berry Islands in the AM. Or, we stay here. It's a win-win,really.

Hello Everyone! Happy Fall 2012

Long time no see, or BLOG, eh? We'd like to be able to say we've been to busy to write but that wouldn't be true. The truth is we haven't done much to write home about. We survived our first summer in Florida and not without some very expensive A/C for the boat. Loggerhead-Stuart was our home for 3 months where we enjoyed floating docks, shore power and a pool. Our daily routine including early starts to beat the heat and then shaded projects on the boat until sundown. We made some great friends at Harborage/Loggerhead and will look forward to crossing paths with them again.

September brought a few changes as we relocated to the mooring field at Sunset Bay Marina and no longer had shore power. The heat was still a problem so we solved it by getting off the boat for a few weeks. We had a fabulous 3 week road trip from FL to PA and back. If our count is correct, we slept in 11 different beds as friends and relatives took us in for a night or two. After over a year in the V-berth it was nice to hang a leg over the side of the mattress for a while :) This little vacation from our vacation was a much needed break and we came back feeling renewed and ready for another season.

So we're back on board and the galley is close to being fully restocked. We've upgraded a few things including a 12V freezer and a Propane oven. Isn't it amazing how sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest differences in our comfort and ease of use. Anyway, it's time to head even further south for the winter. By next month the “snow birds” will start pouring into Florida and the sleepy towns will come alive again. We're looking forward to the return of all our “Cruiser” friends and acquaintances, as well as our second season in the Bahamas.

To all our friends and family, please keep in touch via email, facebook, texting, Skype or phone calls. And be sure to call ahead if you're planning a visit to the Bahamas this winter! We'll keep a light on for ya!

Vero Beach Loggerhead_July 2012

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A year ago today...

A year ago, today.....

We've reached another milestone today. It's been a full year since we pulled away from the PIYC in Erie PA. After 10+ years of planning, 6 months of intensely downsizing our personal belongings and also working to complete the major boat projects, we finally started the adventure. “Living the Dream” is not really what either of us expected and the sunshine and roses have been intermixed with some real emotions and difficult times.

We have seen thousands of miles of coastline and more that a few dozens islands both here and in the Bahamas. This really is a dreamlike lifestyle and we pinch ourselves often to refocus on that distant reality that exists on shore. We do make an effort to stay connected with the economic and political news as those still effect us very much. We are also enjoying the blips we see of many of your lives via Facebook and emails.

Oh so many lessons learned about navigation, weather, tides, currents, anchoring, as well as the life lessons that come with the separation and isolation that is a very real part of cruising. While we tend to make new friends everywhere we go, we really miss all our lifelong friends and many relatives.

We've already started to formulate float plans for the next 6 months and look forward to discovering new places. We're heading north today from Stuart to Vero Beach. We have reciprocol dockage with Loggerhead Marinas so we though we'd see some of their other facilities.

2 more months of high humidity and 4 more months of Hurricane Season before we resume our more normal cruising routines.  Can't wait!

May and June, 2012

The month of May included 430 miles up and down the Florida Keys, and we've barely scratched the surface of places to visit and things to do. From Marathon we stopped for one or more nights in: Big Pine, Key West, Dry Tortugas, Marquesas, back to Key West, then Bahia Honda, Marathon again, Indian Key mooring, Rodriquez Key, through Angelfish Creek to Pumpkin Key, Lake Sylvia, Lake Worth and finally back to Stuart. We're starting to call this home base and are currently enjoying the amenities at the Loggerhead Marina. The dockage rates are lower in the summer and we have a small portable AC unit plugged it, yeah!

We are now faced with some boat insurance questions to find answers to before making a decision about the rest of the summer. Hurricane season is upon us and State Farm doesn't work in Florida. A few nights ago we experienced a strong lightening/thunder storm and can see some minor damage to the other boats as well as some tree branches down throughout the area. Wind gusts were clocked at 50+ and it gave us a true wake up call about what a hurricane might be like.  It wasn't pretty. 

So June will continue here at the Loggerhead pool, etc. and we're enjoying all the time we're getting to visit with the kids, including our youngest son Logan from Erie and his girl Alyce!  We've had some great days on the beach and lots of fishing.   

Keep in touch and look for us on Facebook, too! Jim and Linda

Tortugas and Key West

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May 1st Already?

It's been a month since we last posted? Wow. Time certainly has taken on a new dimension for us. Seriously, what day is it? Lol 

While we are still keeping notes and log books and expense charts regularly, the days seems to be blurring into weeks and so on. It's a good thing we are writing things down, even just for our own sanity. The hustle and bustle of our first six months was so packed with adventure we couldn't help but share things with you as often as possible. Since returning from the Abaco Islands in March the pace has definitely slowed down. We've been working on finding a happy medium between hustle bustle and bored silly. We haven't been bored, but the possibility does exist I guess. Living aboard is not just fun and games all the time ya know. We have chores and maintenance, and we still haven't run out of self inflicted home improvement projects. :0) We also want to keep discovering all those places we read about.

So, we left Stuart FL April 9 and SAILED to Lake Worth. With a plan for just a few days there we of course got busy and ended up staying almost a week. Jim snorkeled under the boat to scrub off the slim and growth while I scoured and scrubbed from the water line to the rail. The water there was very clear which made it so much easier to see the results of our work. This effort has to be repeated at least monthly to keep the scum off and to keep the boat moving quickly through the water. Mission accomplished. In between dives we explored Peanut Island and found that to be quite nice. We snorkeled there and even observed a manatee from an observation bridge. We included some pics from Peanut Island as well as the sites right around the island. You may find an interesting business endeavor, too.

Our next stop was an anchorage in the ICW near Delray Beach, and then on to Ft. Lauderdale. Lake Sylvia is a popular anchorage there, especially for all the local boaters in the weekends. See pics of AQUAJET. It was the craziest, funniest thing we've seen in a long time. This self contained water propulsion system was hilarious! We stayed two nights in Ft. Lauderdale before headed further south to Miami. We SAILED again believe it our not, from inlet to inlet. It was glorious. We anchored in “marine stadium” for a night and observed the local crew boats practicing. The young adults were working very hard. The younger students, not so much. Fun to watch though. The second night we moved to Dinner Key/Coconut Grove just to revisit the scene of the original crime (read on). On Thursday morning (4/19) we sailed in Biscayne Bay, tacking back and forth with no apparent forward progress. Oh well, for once we didn't care! It didn't matter where we went or when we got there. Finally!! SAILING!!!! We arrived at Pumpkin Key about 330p and settled in. 

Now, whether it was just complete exhaustion or if it was the actual calm conditions there, it was the best night sleep we've both had in a long time. The wind was calm, the water was flat, and there were no strange noises floating in through the open hatches. We woke up to the sound of snorts coming from a pod of porpoise playing around the boat. “Now that's what I'm talking about!”

The Pumpkin Key anchorage, and the day before in Miami, mark the moment of our dream having come full circle (the scene of the original crime). For those of you that did not know this, Jim and I chartered a sailboat from Moorings for our honeymoon trip in 2000. We flew to Miami and remembered Pumpkin Key as a favorite stop on that trip. The sailing/cruising bug gave us both full blown infections! We've been working towards getting back here (Pumpkin) ever since. It's real now. We're really doing this. And we're loving it!!

OK, enough of that. We're moving through the Florida keys now headed for Key West and Margaritaville and the Dry Tortuga by the end of the week (if the thunderstorms subside). Don't forget to check out the latest batch of pics. We're over 700 now. Might need a back up and/or another camera card soon!

JLM

S/V Y-Knot 3

2012-04-20

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Safe Crossing and Welcome Back to the USA!

After two glorious months in the Bahamas, we crossed back to the U.S.A. on March 8-9, arriving in Lake Worth on Friday afternoon.  The weather was calm so we took advantage of the opportunity to sail and motor straight through. It was a full moon night and the winds were almost nonexistent. The waters were flat and calm and the motor took us through the night without any problems. We did some star gazing and took turns at the helm while the other one tried to rest/sleep. It was 28 hours and 169 miles from Treasure Cay in the Abacos to Lake Worth inlet, Florida. 

We've since returned to Sunset Bay Marina to visit with the kids and grandkids again, celebrate their birthdays, visit with our Erie friends “The Gunther's” who were touring Florida all month, attend Linda's niece Nicole's baby shower, and to be here for the arrival of Linda's son Louis who just moved down, too. 

It's April now and the boat traffic seems to consists mostly of all those preparing to have their boats lifted for the summer and head home somewhere. There are several boat yards in this area that are equipped to pull and store the thousands of snowbird boats. We're already home so we just need to get back out there and resume exploring the Florida coast. We'll be heading south again soon and look forward to telling you all about it! 

Key West here we come!

Conching in the Sea of Abaco

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The Sea of Abaco

Well, we've been very busy since we last posted an update for you all. The internet signals in the islands are weak and inconsistant, particularly when you move around as much as we do. To catch you up on our latest adventures we need to start by telling you about Conch. This is a variety of seafood that is very popular and available here in the islands. There are conch fishermen, conch menu items, conch shell collectors, and the ceremonious conch horn blowers!  We've been anxious to find a shell of our own on the beaches and avoid having to purchase one as a souvenir. Our wish came true in Marsh Harbour a few days ago. As we talked to a local street vendor selling “fresh conch salad”. We managed to scarf up a few of his empties, in addition to a healthy portion of the famous salad. The salad is a mixture of finely chopped fresh vegetables, raw conch, and lemon and lime juice. Definitely something requiring an aquired taste. Anyway, we have re-harvested the conch shells by cleaning them up and repairing the hole made while extracting the little tasty animal inside with a small, thick batch of apoxy, and sawing off a small piece from the pointed end to create the mouth piece. We are now the proud owners of our very own Conch Horns. We will be practicing every night until we can force a sound out of them and look forward to sharing this new talent with all of you !! :) (LM: After all the music lessons I've had I'm sure my parents are very proud of me at this moment lol) Each night at sunset those that have a horn sound a note to signal the setting of the sun. It's quite fun to listen to in a remote are with all other boats anchored with you for the night. We're told there are actual contests among these souls to see who can sound their horns for the longest duration. Our good friend John on MYSTIC has an impressive record at 42 seconds, but still got 2^nd place that year.

We also had a perfect opportunity a few weeks ago to pull that other sail out of the bag. You know the one, the spinnaker! (see pics, taken as actual evidence that we remembered how, lol) We had a nice light breeze that carried us out of Green Turtle so we went with it. After a few hours we doused the chute and headed into the protection of Manjack and Rat Cays. Our travels have also included the gorgeous beaches of Treasure Cay, sightseeing and potluck dinner on Great Guana Cay, an layover in Hopetown on Elbow Cay, and a few nights in Marsh Harbour. Right now, as the back to back cold fronts and gale force winds move through the area, we find ourselves back inside the canals in Treasure Cay for the duration.

We've included several pictures from, and of, the Lighthouse on Elbow Cay in Hopetown. This is one of just three of the last remaining lights of it's kind. We've traveled almost all the way around the Sea of Abaco and are starting to retrace our steps towards West End. We'll be looking for an opportunity to cross the Gulf Stream back to Florida sometime in the next 10 days to 2 weeks.

Green Turtle Cay and Starfish through the "Lookie Bucket"

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ABACO ISLANDS in the BAHAMAS

We're finally back on the trail of exploration in the Abaco Islands having traveled 154 nautical miles since Tuesday morning and visiting 5 new anchorages. We've been following the charts as we sail along and identifying dozens of other islands along the way. We're taking shorter trips and spending more of the day enjoying the sights. We're sailing when we can which conserves the fuel and lends to a much more pleasant ride.

There are a few new pics posted as well including our last few days on Grand Bahama Island. We've made so many new friends and find that the longer you stay somewhere the more difficult it is to leave. We will return to Ocean Reef in the future and look forward to crossing paths with the cruisers we met there.

If you have a searchable map handy, look for Grand Bahama's West End, Indian Rock, Memory Rock, Great Sale, Little Grand, Crab and Green Turtle Cays. This the area we're traveling up and down for now. As you can see in the last pic, the water is blue and the beaches are covered in white sand!  

Til next time, fair winds to you.