Last week of preparations

  Its the last week of preparations for our departure south and we have two major jobs to complete before the final provisioning and departure.
   Sue is working hard making us a full enclosure for the cockpit which will keep the cold winter winds off us as we head down the Intra-Coastal Waterway - at least to North Carolina - in January.

  With all the curves and obstacles in the cockpit dodger and bimini and backstays and davit supports, the enclosure is a very complicated task.  Here's a photo of two side pieces in the process of fitting. First the tops are attached, then the side zippers added and, finally the bottoms attached to the cockpit coaming. Looks like we will be finished on Friday.

   My job is to repair the wind generator - it needs new bearings installed.  Seems that when I removed my brand new expensive wind blades for the couple months the boat was in the boatyard (so they wouldnt be damaged by hurricanes or the boatlift), removing the blades and hub exposes the bearings to the rain. The cheap bearings rusted and were ruined.  I bought stainless steel bearings to replace them. Now just have to get the machine apart to replace them.

   I was able to get the wind generator off the pole and work on it in cockpit.  Old bearings out, new bearings pressed in later in day.  Now just need to reassemble it on Friday morning.  Still looking good for departure this weekend.

Solar Panel Installation

   My last big addition to the boat - 2 Kyocera 135 solar panels. Greg and I start assembling the panels on the dock.

   The panels will be mounted on two aluminum support bars. If you look closely at the center of the bar you can see the Kato pivot support I am attaching to the bar (its in the slot between dock decking) which will mount on our Kato solar mounts.

   The panels, attached to the support bars with pivot hardware, will attach to the supports mounted on the Kato dinghy davits. We just have to thread the panels through the backstays/wind gen mount etc, and hold them out at arms length over the stern and line up the screw holes.

   It was a challenge, but we got them installed without dropping anything in water. Amazing. Could have used a third person.  Now its time to secure the wiring.
   This is a good view of the Kato solar panel pivot mounts that allow you to orient the panels towards the sun.

   Mission accomplished, at least for the external mounting. Now I need to finish up the below decks wiring.  The Bluesky regulator is mounted in the starboard lazerette, a circuit breaker cut off switch at the engine control panel.  The wiring connects to the 110v battery charger posts in lazerette.
   The Bluesky regulator has an external display monitor to be mounted at the nav table. It connects via a standard telephone cable (50ft) that I have to install next.
   This is a neat installation with panels out of any shadow zone. The only downside is 60lbs mounted behind the boat which lowers the stern another 1/2in or so. Not good for my boat which is already stern heavy. But then we are cruisers, not racers.  With 270watts of solar plus the AirX windgenerator with new high tech blades, we should be all set for generating electricity.

On The Hard

   Tides Inn on the hard ready for bottom painting. I also plan to redo the cetol on the gunnel rubstrips.
   Upgrades this fall include new high-tech, quiet blades for the wind generator waiting to be installed and, solar panels to go on the dinghy davits.  Note the KATO pivot mounts on the davits where the solar panels will be installed.
   Bottom was in good shape after two years since last haulout, with couple spots where paint is peeling from original bottom paint application where dealer did not do good job of removing all the gel coat wax.

Hurricane Irene Preparations

FF

   Tides Inn is looking pretty lonely, the last boat in the marina as Hurricane Irene approaches.  I stripped all the canvas and sails on Thursday, then Sue and I came down on Friday to anchor her out in the creek. 

Finally anchored and ready for the big winds. I put a tandem anchor setup with Fortress 37 connected to a Delta 35 anchor via 40ft of chain, then connected to my nylon hurricane rode. Then put my standard Bruce 44 on 200ft of chain out at 45deg angle.

   

   Hurricane Irene passed by on Sat with winds of only 45-55kts and gusts to 65kts at our location. Tides Inn did just fine.  On Sun we returned to boat and retrieved all the hurricane anchors and repositioned to middle of creek. On Mon morning it was back to the slip and safely tucked in back home. Lot of work for just 65kts of wind, but better safe than sorry.  

   We'll be pulling the boat in Oct to paint bottom and get all shipshare for wintering in Bahamas again. Planning to head south shortly after Christmas...Brrr....   Fortunately, no hurricane damage to worry about repairing.

No Genny - We are not in the Bahamas Anymore

   Goodbye to the warm, sunny Bahamas, we're back in the chilly, overcast mid-Atlantic East Coast. 46deg this morning as we work our way up the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW)  back to Yorktown.
   We arrived in Beaufort, NC, on Wed after a fast 400nm, 48hr run via the rough and tumble Gulf Stream from Daytona, FL area.  Thursday we started our transit up the ICW and arrived in Belhaven, NC on Fri afternoon. Had pot luck dinner and appetizers with the marina folks this evening. Several folks from Virginia, Maryland, DC, New York, Toledo Beach (where we bought our boat) etc, all the places we have been, were here. Funny what a small world it is.  Saturday we motored up in the increasing cold to the Alligator River Marina, NC and stayed there for two days as Sunday brought even colder temps, strong winds and a bit of rain. Monday it was on to Coinjock, NC. Tuesday off for Hampton VA, then Wednesday finally the run for home with warmer, south winds forecasted for the Chesapeake.

   Back in the ICW with cold water and mud bottom versus sand, here is the new morning attire: sea boots to keep the feet and legs dry as we wash the mud off the chain each morning with our saltwater washdown system (Bahama sand never sticks to chain); double lined polyester pants and Columbia fleece over poly long underwear top with fleece watch cap with ear covers. Add waterproof gloves and windbreaker and you're ready for the morning anchor raising.

   The ICW has its own set of dangers. A very narrow channel you have to stay within; lots of boat traffic to avoid, and confusing channel markers that switch each time you transition between the true ICW and channels to/from the ocean. Just north of Beaufort we had to navigate through several fishing trawlers working the waterway. Seems like it was the opening day of oyster season??

Genny, however, with her built-in fur coat, is very happy to be back in the cool and smooth ICW.  With a nice cushion, comfy pillow, on-time meals and two ear scratchers at your beck and call. And, the potty is just a short walk up forward with no 6ft seas to contend with. What could be nicer.

Nassau - Outbound

   After leaving Shroud Cay we rendezvoused with Mirabelle and went to Norman's Cay just outside the Exuma Land and Sea Park - so we could get in one last day of hunting.
   We got 1 good size and one small lobster. Almost had a good size Grouper but he was just a little too quick. Then it was time to head for Nassau and start the transit back to good ole USA.

  We made the short 4hr transit from Norman's Cay to Nassau and anchored off Paradise Island (in front yard of the rich and famous). Had a quick dinner with Mirabelle crew, then a good night's sleep for the upcoming 36hr transit to Florida.

 Early Monday morning and our departing views of Nassau harbor and the Bahamas. We had a uneventful (almost) transit to Fort Pierce, FL, arriving at sunset on Tuesday. We had 18hrs of great sailing on beam reach, then with spinnaker flying downwind. Around midnight Monday, the spinnaker wrapped itself around the forestay in the flukey winds of a passing thick cumulus cloud with a few raindrops. Took awhile to get it unraveled, then we doused the spinnaker and motored the next 18hrs to Fort Pierce in very light winds and 1-2ft waves across the Gulf Stream. Saw 5.0kts of current for short period in the Gulf Stream, but most was 3-4kts. Too bad we couldn't ride it straight north, but the winds had died and are forecasted to be from north through next Tuesday, so we are now in the ICW heading north up towards St Augustine.  On mooring ball at Vero Beach right now for couple days to restock on fresh fruits and vegetables, plus snorkeling and hunting gear (more spear options)for next year's trip to Bahamas. So we'll have spare gear onboard for all you visitors.

Shroud Cay

 From Cambridge Cay we next went to Shroud Cay, still in the Exuma Park. The neat experience at Shroud is the salt water creek that goes nearly across the island, about 2 miles, which you can dinghy up (at all but low tide we found out). The creek is lined on both sides by mangroves. We saw lots of fish, two nurse sharks and many conch in the small tributaries.

   Initially, we were able to motor up the creek. Then we hit sections where we had to resort to poling as it was only a couple hours after low tide.

   Finally it was no go poling and it was time to resort to dragging. Genny got to ride but Sue had to walk along with me. Fortunately, that's the end of the creek just up ahead. There is a strip of sand about 100yds wide between the end of the creek and the ocean on the other side. The ocean waters pass through the sand and come up into the creek which flows to the western shore.

 The reward for trekking up the creek (other than all the pretty fish in the creek) is the beautiful beach on the ocean shore side. Noone lives on Shroud Cay so this is your private beach for the day.

 Genny had a good time walking the beach and cooling her feet in the surf. No interesting shells on this beach as it was all deep, fine sand. The brown debris is Sargasso seaweed that washes up on all the beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean.

Cambridge Cay

   We finally had to depart Sampson Cay and start our trek home. First stop was Cambridge Cay just a few miles north. This Cay is just inside the Exuma Sea and Land Park, so no fishing/hunting allowed, just sightseeing the beautiful sites.

Each morning at Cambridge we made the quick walk to the eastern shore and had a sunrise yoga session on the beach. Pretty spectacular scenery. Only problem was the constant breeze which blows your mat over. Of course "corpse pose" keeps the mat in place exceptionally well.

Not being able to hunt or fish leaves plenty of time for walking the beach and enjoying the views. We also went snorkeling to the impressive ocean shore caves on Rocky Dundas off Cambridge. We have a long underwater video of the caves that is too long to load on the blog. You'll have to stop by our place after 1 April to see it. Very impressive.



Sampson Cay

   We are homesteading (7 days now) at Sampson Cay which is one of the best little spots in the Exumas with lots of things to do including lobster and fish hunting, snorkeling on reefs, beach walking, refueling and a nice restaurant.

   There are lobsters here, but hard to find for us novices. I got one on Monday and missed one yesterday. The commercial fishers have no problem. This is only half of their catch, along with some good size groupers. They clean the fish, throwing scraps to the Nurse Sharks and rays, then sell the seafood to the Sampson Cay restaurant.

Yesterday we anchored the boat just off a small island off Sampson and dinghied into the beaches, first the sandy island in the background, where we saw this little protected beach across the channel.  We explored the islands, did some fishing, snorkeling and hunting for lobsters (missed one), and enjoyed the perfect day.

  Genny enjoyed her day off the big boat. She raced around the beach burning off some stored energy. Getting ready to head back to boat, Sue found a starfish near the shoreline. Genny wasn't too impressed with the motionless thing that smelled like seawater.

This is one of the prettiest and nicest places to hangout in the Exumas with lots to do nearby. We'll spend more time here next year.
   We'll spend the next week at the Exuma Sealife Park just a couple hours away, then its time to start heading back to the real world - and grandchildren - with lots of great photos and videos. We have a great underwater video to load up when we get to better wifi bandwidth.

Georgetown

  We arrived at Georgetown and restocked on food, fuel and water for the arrival of Carol and Tara. We had a fabulous time showing them the views and activities of the Bahamas.

  First on the agenda was a welcoming cold and frosty Kalik Bahamian beer at the Two Turtles bar. Carol first went for the Guiness, then switched to Kalik.

 After picking the ladies up in Georgetown at Kidd Cove, we then moved over to the Monument anchorage area off Stocking Island with better protection from the winds and better vistas.

  Next on the agenda was a seafood dinner on Tides Inn, but first we had to clean the conch. Carol and Tara got a lesson in conch cleaning and the various techniques to get them out of the shell. We had partial success with the freezing method.

   Dinner consisted of conch appetizers, lobster, several types of fish and beans and rice. All the seafood caught and prepared by Sue and Mark.

   Other than eating and drinking, we also did several hikes across the island and walks along the beaches. We went snorkeling twice and saw lots of aquarium tropical fishes and corals. No hunting allowed in the Georgetown area though.

   The time went much to fast and soon Carol and Tara were winging their way back to Yorktown through Nassau, and Sue and I were back alone with Genny on the Bahamian beaches.
   We are heading north now to meet back up with friends further up the Exuma chain.
   More to follow.

Jumentos

   We have been cruising the Jumento Island chain (with no Internet or cell phone coverage) for the past 3 weeks. Only the southernmost  island in this chain, Ragged Island, is inhabited, so it is self-sufficient cruising and lots of empty beaches.   This photo is from Flamingo Cay, our first stop on the way south. We traveled south in company with Mirabelle and met up with First Tango and It’s About Time farther on down the chain.

   The attraction of the Jumentos is the lobster hunting and fishing along the coral heads just off the islands as not that many cruising boats travel to this area. Here's my first lobster catch (obtained under tutelage of Kevin on Mirabelle). 

   A week later and Conrad (Its About Time) and I had a great day off Raccoon Cay. (I should mention that he shot 6 of these, but I was quite pleased with my 3 which I found myself. Still a novice, I missed 4 others - which I blame on substandard borrowed equipment. I now have my own spear and speartips and expect to stop missing so many!)

  Sue has turned into quite the fisherwoman. Here is the Ocean Triggerfish (a big one) she caught on her first day fishing.   Becky from Mirabelle was an excellent teacher and Mark's birthday present pole is excellent.  The girls fish as often as the men go hunting, fair is fair.  The girls even clean their own fish!!  The guys clean the lobsters, how hard is that (cut the trail off and throw the rest to the sharks)!

   Sue and Sally caught 15 fish the same day Conrad and I got 9 lobsters. The real trick the fishers need to learn is how to get the fish onboard before the sharks and/or barracudas get them. If you are lucky they just eat your fish. Sue was getting a little cocky, landing 3 fish successfully before she and Sally went for a short ride in the dinghy when a shark grabbed Sue's next fish and started heading to Cuba with it, dragging the dinghy and girls behind. Sue was nearly pulled out of the dinghy before the line snapped. She was not about to let the new saltwater fishing rod get pulled out of her hands.

  Sally taught Sue the secret "fishing chant" that ensures a great day. Sorry it can't be distro'd on this forum. Can only be shared if you go fishing with Sue.

 The sad event on Raccoon Cay was the loss of Mirabelle's dog, Danny. He went off the second night and never returned nor was found. He was old and in failing health, so we hope he chose Raccoon Cay as his final resting place.  The response of the cruisers was incredible. Fifteen boats arrived from neighboring islands to help us do an extensive search of the island. 

Valentines Day is a big event in the Bahamas. Each of the communities hosts a party, "Junkeno", sort of a smaller version of New Year's Day of Mardi Gras.     The Ragged Island community brought food, drink and costumes up to Hog Island for all the cruisers to join in a big celebration. That's Sue, second from left talked into dancing with the ladies.  A good time was had by all.

 Genny is having a good time and really enjoys exploring the islands and going for dinghy rides. Of course, she never strays far from Sue's side.  4pm is still her favorite time of the day (dinner time).

 

Long Island, Bahamas

We are anchored off Long Island, Bahamas, on our way towards even further south, the Ragged Islands, about 60nm north of Cuba.

   This is a sparsely inhabited island about 60nm long (big by Bahama standards). There are no significantly large towns, only a scattering of homes and stores/resorts/bars. It's a perfect place to "get away from it all". 

    That's Tides Inn anchored off the Long Island Breeze resort. This site would be idealic if not for the construction on the new government pier. Next year for picture perfect.  The resort provides great support to cruisers allowing free wifi, access to laundry, access to pool, as long as you spend a little money here. Easy to do as the Bahama beer and fresh seafood are great. There is gas/diesel/water at the Exxon station next door. Great reprovision site before heading further south to the Ragged Islands.  We rented a car for a day and toured the island, checking out "Chez Pierre" which is a terrific, competely isolated, spartan resort definitely "away from the maddening crowds."

   This is a view of the "ocean side" of the island taken from the balcony of a house being built by a couple that I met working at West Marine in Hampton. That's their boat anchored off the shore. After cruising here for 10yrs they decided to move to Long Island. 

    We left Pipe Creek, Exumas, on Sunday and sailed overnight to Long Island. We motored through this cut into the Exuma Sound, then down the deep Sound (where the Mahi Mahi live) to Long Island. It was a pretty bumpy, windy trip. A bit more than forecasted.



   While a rough trip, the Sound passage was a fishing success. Here's our first mahi-mahi landed onboard Tides Inn. We've caught several on deliveries before, but this is the first one on our boat. Big enough for two dinners for four. Quite tasty.        We may get another chance to catch another one in couple days when we transit down to the Ragged Islands. We're looking forward to the overabundance of lobsters we've been told about further south.