Island Hopp'n

 

Panorama - Beach near Fowl Cay

   After spending a few days checking out Bimini, we decided it was time to move on.  Our next stop was Great Harbour (Yes, the British spelling is intentional) in the Berry Islands.

White/Fowl Cay

   As we left the marina, taking advantage of a beautiful day, we were treated to a dolphin escort.  Dolphins love to play around boats but, they hate the noise of an engine. Since we had enough wind to sail in the early part of our journey that day, we were able to provide the perfect playground for these beautiful creatures.  I counted eight dolphins in all.  They were at our stern, playing at the bow, and zooming under the bottom of the boat from port to starboard
and back.

Interesting Rock Formations

Not long after the dolphins left, we were forced to turn on the engine; The wind practically disappeared.  After motoring for a few more hours, we dropped anchor in Great Harbour.  We spent two days here, resting a bit and taking in the sights. Amazingly, we never actually made it to a beach here because we were told that it was way too long of a walk from the dinghy dock (the island proved to be bigger than we thought).

White/Fowl Cay

These Little Snail Were Everywhere

  Our next stop, a day sail over the top of the Berry Islands, was a little place between Fowl Cay and White Cay.  This unique spot offered us a hidey-hole with all-around coverage from the changing winds.  We, of course, enjoyed the beaches here but, the best part of the stay was the blue hole.

The Hole In Question

 

There's a Path Here  . . .
Somewhere . . . 

 
















   Blue holes are relatively common in the Bahamas.  If you're not familiar with the term, imagine a large crater filled by ocean water that is fed in somewhere near the bottom, surrounded by cliffs, and extremely deep.  This hole in particular was a bit hard to find; There was a path but, it proved hard to follow since there's really no one around to maintain it.  Our cruisers' guide tipped us off to it (we never would have found it otherwise).  We thought about jumping in but, although the entrance was obvious, the exit appeared to be nonexistent.

 

Washed Up Fan Coral

Crab Skeleton . . . Exoskeleton, Technically

 

A Shallow Wreck

   Unfortunately, after a few days, our little spot (thanks to some incoming swell) was becoming untenable.  So, we picked up anchor and moved all the way down to Rose Island.  This little spot is just east of Nassau on New Providence Island.

   I was a bit apprehensive about staying here due to a bad experience (REALLY bad swells) the last time we were in the area.  However, that was on the north side and we were on the south side this time.  The winds were better and it showed itself to be a nice spot to stop.

Both of These Wreck are Bahamian Fishing Boats 

 

See the Fossils in the Rock?

   A couple of days at Rose and it was time to move again. . .  In case you haven't figured it out already,  full-time cruisers still keep a schedule; it just happens to be dictated by the weather instead of a time clock. . . So, this morning we moved into the safety of Palm Cay Marina (outside of Nassau).  There is cold front moving through that is unpredictable enough to stump the weather gurus.  Instead of taking our chances, we've ducked in here for a few nights to ride out whatever the front decides to bring.

   While we're here, we'll take advantage of our surroundings.  We've booked a courtesy car (free with the slip rental) for tomorrow so we can pick up some fresh groceries. . . It will be interesting trying to drive on the "wrong" side of the road . . . We'll definitely be visiting the laundry room while we're here and we figured we'd try to check off a boat project or two while we're in stable waters. The free internet is also, most certainly, a plus.

   Our plan is to head south from here, closing our short-lived chapter on the Berrys. Next up, the Exumas . .

The Red Boat Shows Our Location

Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

We're Back . . . And Almost Gone

   After a several month, unofficial hiatus, yes, we're back on the blog.  "Where'd we go?", you might ask . . . "What happened?", you might wonder . . . Allow me, if you will, to sum up our absence.

"Where have you  been?" . . . 

   In short, life got in the way; a large wave of whiplash-inducing, "Now what?"-producing, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" sort of life. . . We've all been there at some point so I won't use up your time or mine hashing it all out.  The good news is that we're back and are literally about a week from leaving the States. Yep, you read that correctly . . . We're back on track!

   Now, even though we were sidelined for a while, we didn't spend our time lying around feeling sorry for ourselves; we continued to try to move forward.  Taking jobs, buying a car, and paying monthly slip fees are just a few of the things we never expected to be doing when we were towed into the area about a year and a half ago. However, we were able to do a good bit of work on the boat, allowing her to be all the more blue-water ready. I've probably forgotten quite a bit but, these are the major improvements that I can remember:




Fixed the engine!!!

One of the new panels on the bimini

Replaced :

• House and starting batteries, switch, and charger
• Solar panels
• Sump pump and bilge pump
• Old glass in hatches with new lexan and reseated one of the hatches
• Forward lazarette
• Old rigging with sta-set x (and did the splicing and whipping ourselves)
• Lifelines
• A lot of the lighting (inside and out)
• Speakers in the aft cabin and the salon
• Electronics for navigation
• Latches for v-birth storage
• Aft cabin head and faucet (soon to do the same for forward cabin)
• Life sling
• EPIRB

• 

  new electronics at the helm

  Lazy jack system

Installed:

• Controller for air conditioner
• SSB radio and antenna tuner
• Regulator for refrigerator
• Solar panel controller

This actually shows the port side with a new speaker,
lee cloth, cushions, and shelf covers

Made:

• Salon cushions
• Lee cloths
• Aft cabin cushion
• Shelf covers
• Stack pack
• Dodger
• Anchor bridal

Bought a generator

Patched a few tears in the Genoa

new stack pack for main sail

Removed old wind generator

   This doesn't include all of the countless little purchases and upgrades that we've done as we were able but, . . . I'm sure you get the idea. . .

   After spending our entire time here in the Miami area in a marina, we finally untied the lines again.  So, for the last few weeks, we've been on the hook in a lake right behind the West Marine where Bill and I were working. Our last official day was this past Saturday.

new dodger

We've had LOTS of well wishes from customers, coworkers, and friends.  Offers of help haven't been rare either.  Questions about and general enthusiasm for our lifestyle and journey have definitely become a big topic around here.  We appreciate all of it.  So, to everyone who's offered a phone number/email, asked to check out this blog, given a helping hand, or just lets us know that what we're doing is pretty awesome, thank you!

On the way to the lake

In the lake

Final checkup at the vet . . .
Silas actually doesn't mind giving the vet a helping hand 

There you are . . . 

   I will be updating the other pages on the blog soon and will continue to post as I did when we were out and about (about once a week).  Please keep checking in on us; we're happy to have you along for the ride.

   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

A Year in Review

   Today marks a milestone for us.  One year ago today, Bill and I set out on our journey.  Having either sold, given away or stored everything we couldn’t keep on the boat, we threw off the lines and officially started our new adventurous lifestyle.  Over the last twelve months, we’ve experienced quite a bit.  While looking over our log book, Bill and I were quite surprised at what we had accomplished . . . even with our forced stop here in Florida (Thank you, engine). 

   So, I thought I’d take a few minutes to highlight our year’s trek down the ICW, around the Keys, over to the Bahamas, and back across the Atlantic to Florida.  

Miles Traveled: 2,280; Nautical Miles: 1,981 . . . and this was really covered in about half of the year since we were forced to return to Florida in June.

Engine Hours: 323 (for propulsion).  There were other times that we ran the engine but, it was simply to charge the batteries.

Nautical Sailing Miles: approximately 530 (about 350 after the engine died)

Number of Projects Started/Completed: Countless . . . Project lists are never-ending on a boat.  There was the wind generator, a couple of bilge pumps, adding on solar panels and repairing then later on, the air conditioner, the dinghy motor (just to name a few) . . . oh, and there was the little problem of the engine . . .  

States Visited: 5 plus 3 of the Florida Keys

Other Countries Visited: 1 – The Bahamas; We anchored off of/explored 11 islands – or Cays (pronounced “Keys”)

Scariest Moment: Riding out the surprise of Tropical Storm Anna in Black Point Harbor on one anchor (not set by the engine) and no way to set another . . . There were waves coming over the bow (at anchor!) and boats all around us were dragging . . . we didn’t drag an inch (We LOVE our Spade anchor now!)

Favorite Spot: There were many places that we really enjoyed but, we really have 2 favorites.  Black Point was our favorite cruisers’ haven.  This was THE best place overall for us to be.  Shroud Cay was our favorite place to explore.  Shroud’s beaches were spectacular and offered the best picture-perfect, breath-taking views.

Least Favorite Spot: Honestly . . . this title goes to Ft. Lauderdale because it seems that, on the whole, no one seems to have the time for or interest in sailboats.  Mega yachts and money rule here . . . sailboats and their owners take a back seat . . . This is a LARGE part of why it took sooo long for the engine to get the attention it needed to get up and running again . . .   

Awesome Animal Encounter: Manatees!!  These guys are so cool!

Most Unique Experience: Teaching for 3 weeks in Black Point Settlement.  The students there were amazing.  Getting to know the community in this way was wonderful.  Sailors often talk of getting off the tourist paths and really experiencing the places that they visit.  This certainly allowed me, and consequently Bill, to do just that.

Proudest Moment: For Bill, this would be when Tropical Storm Anna blew over.  Seeing that we had set the anchor well enough that we were one of the few boats in a harbor of many that didn’t budge was definitely a confidence booster.  

   For me, this came from one of my students.  From day one of working at the school, I always had a hand full of books with me (a habit I picked up from my substitute days).  The first time I pulled a book out, one of the students told me that he didn’t like stories.  I told him that he didn’t have to listen but, he did have to sit and be respectful to his peers.  It didn’t take long for this boy to go from not liking the story to listing to it.  By the time I left, he was engrossed in the books I presented and was obviously enjoying them.  On my last day there,  he shyly told me, “Do you remember when I told you that I didn’t like stories? Well, I like when you read them”.  Turning a child on to reading: priceless.    

  Thanks for keeping up with us and our travels.  Here's to many more miles, adventures, and blog posts in the future!
  

   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

Invaders!

   It is fairly common knowledge that unwanted critters of many kinds can be a nuisance to cruisers.  When a boat is out at sea, the chance of taking on little stowaways is greatly lessened.  However, when a boat is tied up to land, all bets are off.  Just like those who live in houses, we are vulnerable to things that crawl be it ants, roaches, rats, whatever.  While, thank God, we have not had the experience of dealing with rodents (I'm sure the cats are a good reason for that), we have had experience "hosting" a few other little unwanted creepy crawlies.  None of these "visits" have been bad enough to leave us feeling like we were under siege (though one came close) but, they have provided me with some interesting stories.

   Our first encounter of the buggy kind started when were about three-quarters of the way through our excursion in the Bahamas.  We are not exactly sure when or how these little nuisances got on board but, we are pretty sure that we picked them up during one of the very few times we stayed at a marina there.  The first sign our "guests" had arrived came one morning when I saw what, at fist glance, looked like rodent droppings.  I cleaned them up, sanitized the area, and spent the whole day worrying that we had a rat aboard.

   A few days later, I picked up the cats' litter mats to clean them out and found more of these "droppings" under one of the mats.  This time, when I went to wipe them up, one of them squished like a bug. . . It hit me . . . these were NOT droppings, they were eggs, cockroach eggs. . . ugh. . . . I couldn't believe it; we had been very cautious.  Cardboard never made it on to the boat (roaches like to lay eggs in cardboard) and we didn't leave food out.  Somehow they still made it aboard.

   So, I made sure to kill and dispose of the eggs, sanitizing and checking every area I could think of that a bug would want to hide in.  I thought it worked. WRONG.  It only delayed them.  Over the next few weeks we started to see a roach or two at night. I tried sprays and baits; I think the roaches laughed at my efforts.  Even so, the problem didn't get worse until we landed in Florida (apparently they are a common problem here).

   I started researching solutions one day and found a product made by Dupont, Advion Cockroach Gel Bait, that had about a million five star reviews and had been used by other boaters.  By the time I had made the decision to order the stuff, it was late.  So, I left the information on my tablet, intending to place the order the next day.  Ironically, that night, I was awakened by something crawling down my back.  I nearly leap out of bed and turned the light on at the same time. "Aha!  Get it!  Get it!  Get it!", I yelled while simultaneously trying to smack the bug with a book.  Bill, still half asleep and bewildered as to what it was that he was supposed to get, was frantically asking "What? What is it?".  We finally got the little monster and I order the bait the next day.

  I couldn't wait to get this product out of the package.  Once I had set the bait, all we had to do was wait.  In a mater of three days, we had disposed of the last dead bug.  It was that good.  We have been completely roach-free ever since.  Whew!  Glad that didn't get any worse!  

   Don't worry, the other two stowaways are much less of a problem and not cringe-inducing. . .

The Coil That The Bugs Were Hiding In Is On The Right;
The End Of The Snubber Is Near The Bottom Left.

  Since we've been tied up here in Hollywood, Bill and I have noticed that, every now and then, we'd get a bunch of little ant-like bugs up on deck.  They never seem to hang around for long, they seem to crop up whenever we get a heavy rain, and many of the other boats here were noticing them, too.  Until this morning, we assumed they were being blown in when the rain and storms came though. Again, WRONG.  Bill checked some of our lines this morning, the snubber (this attaches to the anchor, acting as an extra bit of security when the anchor is down) included.  While checking the snubber, he found a nest of these little buggies (wee beasties as my Scottish-born great aunt would say) hanging out in its coils.  He did his best to smash and wash them all away with the hose . . . I'm assuming that the other affected boats also have nests like these and just don't know it yet . . . Hopefully ours won't be back.

The Crabs Seem To Like Our Blue Line Better For Crawling
On Board (I'd Have Posted  A Pic Of One Of These Guys
But, I couldn't Get One To Hold Still).

   Our last critter is the more humorous of the bunch: the crab.  I don't know exactly what sort of crabs they are.  I have heard a few people refer to them as sand crabs but, I'm not sure.  They are very dark in color, are shaped kind of like a Blue Crab, and are only about the size of a half dollar.  Because of their diminutive size, they find it easy to crawl onto our (and many other's) lines from the pier and explore the deck.  I have seen these sidewinders on quite a few boats.  They don't seem to bother anybody (other than they way they invite themselves aboard) and, if left alone, they seem to crawl right back to where they came from.  However, no one really wants a crab on their boat (unless it's on the menu).


  Now you might be wondering about our built-in feline defense system.  They love it when a crab comes to see us.  The crab, unfortunately, usually regrets the visit.  I have seen Oliver get into a staring contest with a crab.  With the crab still on the pier and Oliver still on the boat, the crab spent several minutes trying to figure out how to flee the scene without being eaten.  Little did he know that the cats aren't allowed to leave the boat.  Most of the time we see the crabs coming and can knock them off of the lines and into the water before they ever get to the boat.  However, They aren't so easy to spot at night and we have often seen one of our cats chasing a new "toy" around the deck.

   One morning, a few weeks ago, I slid out of bed and walked into the salon/galley where Bill was making breakfast.  Without  my glasses on or contacts in, I am  very near sighted.  I noticed a fuzzy-looking grey spot on the rug.  To my unaided eyes, it looked like a tuft of cat fur.  As a went to pick it up, the feel was all wrong.  My eyes began to focus.  It was a crab; a dead crab.  "Oh, it's a crab! It's a crab!", I lamented to Bill as I tried to dispose of it as quickly as possible (Why must I always be the discoverer of such things?).  Apparently, one of the cats had brought us a "present" that morning and left it under the table for us to find and enjoy; how nice. . . loyal mousers are wonderful . . . most of the time.

   Well, I hope you have found my little compilation of stories amusing.  Check out the cockroach bait link if you have a need for it; it really does work.  If any of you have any interesting invader stories of your own, feel free to post them in the comments section so we can all enjoy them.

   By the way, I just added a great burger recipe to the galley page.  So, check it out!      


   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)

Gett'n Wild In The Keys

   Have you ever found that when you are constantly looking for something, it remains illusive no matter what you do?  Then, when you stop looking, you practically stumble over it?  Well this is exactly what we experienced with the manatee and, in general, the animals of the Keys. 

  Back when we were actually in the Manatee River, due to the cold, we never saw a single manatee.  Ever since then, we have been looking, in vain, for this gentle giant. By the time we arrived here in Marathon and still had yet to see this animal, I had all but given up.  Low and behold, after a few days here, we pulled into the dinghy dock to find a large bull manatee. This guy was huge. I couldn't believe the size of this guy.  He just hung out around the dinghies, munching on sea grass and making himself relatively photogenic.  After hanging around for several days, he moved on. 



How Much Is The . . . Rooster . . . In The Window?

   We did get a chance to take a bus trip to Key West to visit Brian and Erika.  Two other couples (Tom and Linda of Uplifting and Paul and Jane of Peace) went with us.  So, the eight of us (nine if you count Scupper, Brian and Erika's dog) spent the day wandering around the town, munching on treats, and taking plenty of pictures.  The animals here, mostly roosters, made their presence known and proved to be rather entertaining at times.  It was nice to spend the day hanging out with friends and enjoying new experiences.

These Little Guys Were All Over The Outdoor
Restaurant During Lunch

  















A Fake Palm Tree Painted To Look
Like A Pencil . . . ?

World's Largest Fork!

Tarpon - Large Fish Around Harbors At Key West

Cool Tree Outside Of Little White
House Museum



Bill Says I Never Post Pics Of Me.
So, Here's Me.

   We also had a chance to visit the local beach twice.  Sombrero Beach is a nice little spot to hang out.  The first time we went just to see what it was like.  The second time was for the Easter sunrise service being held by several of the local churches.  The service was very enjoyable and the setting couldn't have been better. 

On The Way To The Beach

On The Way To The Beach

At The Beach . . . Notice The Clear Water

These Little Guys Were All Around Our Dinghy.  Anemone?

   One of the other animals that seems to have a constant presence here in the iguana.  These guys are larger that you might expect and can display quite the array of colors, especially the males.  Despite their abundance in the Keys, snapping a picture of an iguana is not as easy as you'd think.  These oversized reptiles are fast and can even swim and climb trees.  So, if they don't want their picture taken, you probably won't be given the opportunity.  Thankfully this particular specimen was sunning himself and didn't seem to care that myself and several others were capturing him digitally.

   Last night, we even got an interesting dinner, well, really an interesting recipe.  I had planned on making a dish that used Soba noodles.  These noodles are quick cooking and the recipe seemed straight forward but, it said to "Follow package directions to boil noodles".  So, I checked the instructions on the back of the package.  What I found was rather funny.   Check out the instructions in the picture . . . reading this easy was not :) . . .

   As far as a weather window is concerned, we are simply keeping our eyes peeled.  The other couples that are planning on traveling with us are checking multiple sources and so are we.  As of today, the forecast is looking promising for the end of this week.  Whenever we actually do get a decent window to leave, we'll spend our fist day traveling to Rodriguez Key and anchor there for the night.  The next day, we'll head out into the Gulf Stream and follow it up to Bimini.  Once in Bimini, we'll check in with customs, stay a night or two to recharge the batteries and take hot showers, then move on down to the Berry Islands.

This Is "Harbor Hillbillies" - A Restaurant Right In The Marina

Marina-side Bar Band - Fiddle Rock

    For now, we'll continue to try to enjoy ourselves.  The people here have been great.  We've made a few friends, progressed on our project list, and seen some pretty interesting sights . . . Oh, and Bill hasn't had to even think about putting on a pair of socks since we got here . . .

  















   Please let us know what you think. Feel free to ask questions and leave nice comments. (If no one  has commented yet, there will be a "No Comments" link near the bottom of the post. If someone has already commented, there will be a number and the word "comments" beside it. Just click whichever of these is there, click, "add comment" when the window opens, and type away.)