Ruins and Slower Pace

 

Black Point Harbor

   Away from the mega-yacht infused marinas, over-priced stores and restaurants, and tourists in "desperate" need to post, tweet, and chat . . . away from the over-crowded hub of Nassau . . . is the Bahamian version of Mayberry. Here, things run at a slower, calmer pace.

A VERY relaxed cat on island time

   There's basically one main road that leads around the island. The local phone rep comes from the "mainland" (Georgetown) once a week to take care of the residents' minutes and bills.  Goats are the going model of lawn mower. The local children leave their small classrooms and walk home for lunch, returning to fit in a quick game of basketball before the bell rings.  The constable even doubles as the justice of the peace.    

   Yep, we've made it back to Black Point Settlement.  For those of you that have been keeping up with us for a while, you'll remember this as the place where I volunteered at the school for three weeks.  This is also where we made our first real attempt at fixing our engine fiasco and where we rode out Tropical Storm Anna.  (If you want to check out our first time in this wonderful spot, click on the links for May and June of 2015.)

This rock conveniently had a hole
in it for our dinghy line (painter)

   After spending a few nights in Palm Key Marina to wait out a front, we sailed south.  We made a few stops here and there, quick jaunts from island to island.  One of these spots was a place called Pipe Cay.  A former British Naval Navigation Center, this spot provides an interesting walk around the ruins (what's left of the center) along with a few pretty places to anchor your dinghy.

A BIG Bollard for a BIG boat

Some one went to a lot of trouble to make this a
sun downers spot

Inside the living quarters

I saved this little guy's life . . . I found him washed up on the
beach, so I put him back and he snuggled back into the sand

 
   We dropped anchor in Black Point yesterday afternoon.  Once we were settled in, we walked up to Lorraine's Cafe to catch up on our internet needs and have dinner. We plan on being here for about a week. This will allow us to catch a weather window to Georgetown.   I'll keep updating when I can as we keep moving further south.

   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.)

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.)

Bimini or Bust

The mooring field was reassuringly calm.  An almost full moon shone orange in an inky black sky scattered with stars. At 3 a.m., we turned on the engine, slipped the lines from the mooring ball, and turned into the channel.

   I was extremely apprehensive about the propeller shaft. Bill had fixed it only the day before (a more complicated fix than we originally thought); it had been tested but, not to the extent that we were about to push it. As we made our way further out into the channel, the calm weather abated my fears but, only slightly.

  It was an hour-long ride out to the open ocean.  During that time, I checked the shaft and the engine frequently.  Each check showed smooth running parts and no leaks . . . the knot in my stomach was beginning to unwind.

  Once out into the Gulf Stream, the weather proved to be a bit too calm; great for crossing but, enough wind to sail.  We had to motor sail.  That knot was starting to grow again.  I was expecting to be able to let out the sails and give the engine some rest.  Now the engine would have to stay on with the sails assisting.

Furry Sailors

   As the glow of the moon was slowly replaced by a beautiful pastel-colored sunrise, that knot in my stomach was again starting to subside.  The morning proved to be the tonic that my nerves were so desperately needing.  Easing-going rollers, plenty of sun, and enough wind (paired with the engine) to reach an average of 6 knots . . . we were going to make it.  No unusual noises from the engine, a smooth turning propeller shaft, no leaks. . . we were going to make it . . .

 

Quarantine Flag

   About 10 hours from pushing the ignition switch, Bill and I turned in the the channel toward Bimini; half an hour later we were tied up in the marina preparing our paperwork  for customs and immigration. Bill soon left with paperwork in tow (only the captain is allowed to leave a vessel until everyone, including the boat, is legal).  I tidied up the cockpit and the salon, arranging and cleaning things as I went, all the while thanking God for a safe crossing . . . and the release of my stomach muscles . . .

This one's for you CJ, Courtesy flag #1

 


   When Bill returned with the documentation, we pulled down the 'Q" flag (to be flown upon entering a country) and replaced it with a Bahamian Courtesy Flag (showing that we are cleared into the country).  This is the first of many flags we hope to fly.





   Understandably, we went to bed right after supper; 3 a.m. is not my preferred time to start the day . .  .  The next day (today) we slept in, ate a good breakfast, and then set out to explore the island. Most of this time was on the beach. of course, enjoying the pristine blue waters of the Bahamas again.  We treated ourselves to lunch at one of the other marinas and even ran into some West Marine customers that remembered us and our story.   Enjoyable conversation flowed long after the food was gone.  I sat down to write the piece that you are reading now as soon as we returned.

 

   What's next? . . . We are waiting for the wind to change.  So, we will be here through tomorrow morning.  After that, we will make our way across the banks to the Berrys or make a short jump down to Cat Cay (whichever the wind change allows for). We are safe, we are here, and we are finally back on our journey.  I'll keep you posted.



   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.)

This is NOT Lock Wire

   Ok, time for a bit of trivia . . . Take a look at the above picture . . . What is it? I'm going to let you think about it while you're reading through my story this week.  I'll give you the answer at the end but, in the mean time I'll give you a few hints: Its use has nothing to do with where we found it . . . and it's not lock wire . . .

  This past Tuesday morning, Bill and I made our last run for errands, prepped the boat, and got underway.  The engine started up beautifully and the only "issue" was that the anchor was a bit difficult to pull up because there was a enormously thick layer of mud on it.  We were officially Bahamas-bound.

   As we made our way along the ICW (Inter Coastal Waterway), we had a smooth ride just puttering along and waiting for the bridges to open at their allotted times.  Just as we were passing under one of the bridges, we heard the bilge pump kick on.  "No problem", I thought.  Bill had run the water maker earlier and during the process, some of the water had been dumped into the bilge.  However, after it switched off, I heard it almost immediately come on again.  Hmmm . . . I went down to investigate and found only a little bit of water at the bottom of the bilge and that the pump had fallen over on its side (this usually makes it run incorrectly).  So, I righted the pump and returned to the cockpit.  I thought that would be the end of it . . . yeah . . . right . . .

   We continued to hear the pump cycle on and off.  I went back down again to check but, this time there was significantly more water than before.  I swapped places with Bill at the helm and had him take a look.  That was when he found that the rotor on our dripless shaft seal had shifted.  This left a gap between the other parts of the shaft and the hull, allowing water to seep in.

   Now, as you can imagine, this took our mood from carefree to panic mode in about a half second.  I pulled us over to the side of the channel, turned off the engine, and stayed at the helm while Bill quickly grabbed tools and started working on the rotor.  After a few very uneasy minutes, he popped his head through the hatch and asked me to come take a look; no more water.  The rotor just needed to be adjusted and tightened. Voila!

The pipe going from the middle of the
picture to the left is the shaft; the
orange piece is where the bolts go

   Happy to be on our way and, of course, not sinking, Bill started the engine again.  A few seconds of bliss and then . . . terrible noises.  The engine was running fine, the propeller was turning but, we were going nowhere.  We could rev up the engine and adjust the throttle all we wanted; no movement.  Great . . . now, thankfully, not too far from the area where we pulled off was an anchorage.  So, with very little wind, we let out the sails; slowly but, surely we inched our way into safety and dropped anchor.

   Once we were settled, Bill climbed down into the engine room to take another look.  This time, he found that the bolts that bore into the shaft (allowing the shaft and its adjoining parts to turn correctly and create propulsion), had come loose . . . We also found that these bolts are supposed to be secured with lock wire (allowing for a much more secure hold on the bolts since it's made to be load-bearing). . .  Note the word supposed . .  .

   They were being held in place with . . . (Ok, here's your answer) . . . electrical wire! Yes, electrical wire, as in the stuff you might run to things like light switches or a ceiling fan. . . .Yeah, we were not amused.

Note the single, thick strand of wire
here, versus the many thinner strands
in the top picture

   We already have the lock wire but, not the replacement bolts.  They're normally not that hard to come by  but, when you're just anchored out somewhere nothing is easy to come by. We have spent the last couple of days here in the anchorage, trying to make to old bolts work but, to no avail, they're just too worn.

   So, the plan is to pick up a ball for a couple of days in a local mooring field (The weather isn't good for a crossing until Wednesday anyway).  This will allow us to pick up the bolts at a hardware store, get them installed properly, and make a full test run before we leave.  Come Wednesday, we should be able to head out into the gulf stream and onto Bimini. Hopefully, when I write next time, it will be with a Rum Punch in hand.      

     








   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.)

Shouldering the Storm

   Remember when I wrote a while back about having some extra time on my hands? . . . Well, that was a momentary lapse in judgement.  I think the ethos took that comment as an invitation to "bring it on". . . I'm sure you all thought we just disappeared  . . . Or "fell into the ocean", as Bill's mom says . . . but, we're still here. We've just had A LOT going on lately. We're still working, still improving the boat, and still trying to get out of here as soon as possible.
 
   It began with a planned procedure for Bill. . . He's been having issues with his right shoulder for quite a while. Bone spurs, a bone growth under the joint, and some bone fragments behind the shoulder were causing him a lot of pain; several doctors over the last couple of years have recommended surgery. Bill was trying to put it off even longer but, we think his most recent return to work was the last straw.  The pain elevated to an unbearable level and he finally consented to an operation . . .

Bill snapped this pic from his hospital bed . . .

 


   Well, the simple operation didn't go as planned (the damage was worse than the surgeon thought), and 1 out-patient procedure turned into recovery at home, a partial shoulder replacement, a few nights in the hospital, more home recovery, and physical therapy. Whew!

Bill had no sooner settled in from the hospital, when the cats
started welcoming him home

   It wasn't long after we got Bill settled in on the boat (maybe a couple of days), when our aft head decided that it just wasn't going to work anymore. . . After a failed attempt at rebuilding the head (too many years of previous owners not taking care of it), we replaced the toilet and the hoses . . . Yeah, fun . . . we finally had a brand new working head. This would have been a huge pain under normal circumstances but, with Bill's shoulder out of commission, let's just say it was NOT a pleasant experience.

   This is just a small bit of what we've been dealing with . . . If I ever write that I have too much time on my hands again, call me out on it  . . . It just might save me from being struck by lightning or something . . .

This is Oliver clearly NOT being productive 

    Ok, so, we have been able to be somewhat productive during all of this. Bill's time off gave him a lot of time to work out plans for building dinghy davits and a new salon table.  We've, along with the whole head replacement, replaced our aft cabin fan, fixed our air conditioner (that also went out after Bill's surgery), and finished the bottom salon cushions . . . just the back cushions left. I'm so happy with my progress that I've already started pricing out materials for a few more projects ( Next, a new dodger!).

The bottom cushions fit nicely

My fist zipper plaque!

 

The pillows give a better idea of the color scheme I'm going for

   Bill also bought me an Ultrafeed sewing machine for my birthday last month! Not only will this allow me to work on our own projects but, once we get out sailing again, it will allow me to take on projects as we go.  Earning a little extra money as we go will certainly help to keep the cruising kitty topped off.

My new "toy" with the back cushions (sans the covers)
in the background

   We were also able to move the boat back to the City of Hollywood Marina (where we were first towed in after the engine fiasco).  This is a much better place for us to be; the staff is friendlier, the marina is cleaner, we have friends here also living on their boats, and the rent is significantly cheaper.

Simeon likes to "help" me sew . . . (notice the measuring tape
around his waist)

 
 


   I have added another recipe to the galley page as promised. I really enjoy putting this casserole together. It's pretty versatile and could be changed to suit a variety of tastes.
 
   Bill's therapy will last another 6 weeks and then he should be good as new. His full range of motion and load bearing ability should return . . . Something he hasn't had in a while. This will, according to the doctor, give Bill another 10 years of sailing before anything else has to be done to his shoulder.

   Hopefully our problem trend will start to subside . . . And there'll be a calm after the storm.

 

   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.)