Paradise Found

 

Coming Into The Channel To Bimini

   We started our jump to the Bahamas by splitting it into two day trips.  The first day we travelled from Marathon to Rodriguez Key. After anchoring for the night, we headed out before the sunrise in order to make it to Bimini with enough time to check into customs.  The trip was a bit rocky and, honestly, wore us out but, it was certainly worth it.

Flying Our "Q" Flag

 


   When we finally spotted land, one of the boats traveling with us called over the radio, "Land ho!".  We all raised our "Q" (quarantine) flags (these yellow flags must be flown when entering a new country) and slowly made our way through the channel to the marina. Once we were tied up to the pier (We were the last to arrive), Bill and the captains of the other three boats we came in with headed over to the customs office.




   While the guys were navigating paperwork and passports, the other ladies and myself took some time to relax.  We couldn't leave our boats until we were officially checked in.  So, we stayed in to read, nap, or (in my case) take a cool shower.  The customs run was surprisingly quick. I hadn't long stepped out of the shower, when Bill came down the stairs and asked if I wanted to hop in the pool. I had just gotten clean but, oh well. . . We donned our suits and, along with our travel companions, cooled off in the pool, had drinks, and chatted until the sun went down.

   Over the next few days, we walked around the town exploring the area and enjoying  being tourists. We were told that one of the things we "had" to do while we were there, was to buy Bimini Bread.  This is a sweet loaf bread that many shops on the island seem to make but, few get recommended for. All the locals seemed to be of the same mindset. When asked where to buy this local treat, they all responded, "Charlie's".  There was only one problem with getting bread at Charlie's; It was never ready.  I guess Charlie was on "Island Time".  When we walked up to get the bread the first time, the shop was closed.  On the second attempt we arrived around 11 and were told to return at 1 when the new batch would be ready. Upon returning again, we were told that the bread hadn't been started yet and to come back at 4 . . . Hmm . . . We decided to try another shop on the following day.  We did, and after two attempts at this shop (apparently the first batch didn't come out right), we had our bread.  It was delicious.  At least the taste was worth the effort.

  We also took time to eat at a couple of the local restaurants. I tried Kalik for the first time.  Kalik is the beer of the Bahamas.  It's a lighter beer that has a bit of a bite on the finish.  Since I'm partial to wheat beers, I found that I liked its taste. We, of course, had conch.  This sea creature is served up every way imaginable throughout the islands and is touted as everything from a cure for insomnia to an aphrodisiac.  Bill and I had tried conch before but, not like they do it in Bimini.  "The" way to eat it in Bimini is as a conch salad. The dish is a combination of fresh (as in raw, just taken from the shell) conch, tomato, green pepper, and onion doused in lime and lemon juice and seasonings.  So, it's actually more of a ceviche.  Nevertheless, it was pretty good. Add a few friends, some friendly locals, and a beautiful view from the shack turned restaurant we were eating in, and you've got a cool island experience.

 

The Bottle Brush Plant - For Obvious Reasons

Pretty Plant On Our Walk

One Of The Wonderful Restaurants We Tried

Steps To The Beach

   Something else I was dying to do was check out the beach.  I was able to get some great pictures. We picked up a few shells and bits of sea glass but, we could have combed for hours.  There were tons of shells, sea glass, and even coral.  It was amazing to see the amount of coral washed up and the intricate patterns each piece displayed.  The last night we were there, we had a home cooked dinner with two of the other boats we were traveling with brought to us by one of the local ladies.  Afterwards, we walked back down to the beach to watch the sunset.  It was gorgeous.  The pictures I took are beautiful but, this is something you really need to experience for yourself.

 

Beautiful

Cool Coral

Such Tiny Life

  

   Once we reluctantly left Bimini, we headed further southeast.  After meeting with a bunch of other boaters and discussing plans, we came to the conclusion that the winds were just not going to allow us to see the Berry Islands before moving on to the Exumas.  So, we're doing it the other way around.  We stopped at the bottom tip of the Berry Islands (Frazer's Hog Cay) for the night and moved on to Rose Island for another night (last night). Since the anchorage had quite a bit of swell, we decided that, instead of spending another night of off Rose Island, we'd stay in a marina tonight and leave in the morning for the Exumas. The marina here is beautiful.  Bill and I had a wonderful brunch at the restaurant and will be glad to get a good night's sleep.

   So far, our experience in the Bahamas has been a beautiful one.  We still have quite a bit to discover.  We'll see what we can of the Exumas and sail over to the Berry Islands from there. Once we have seen much more of the Berry Islands, it'll probably be time to head up the east coast of the States (don't want to be in the way of a hurricane). Until then, we'll keep enjoying the islands and updating the blog when possible (internet is iffy at best).  I wondered how we'd fare without most of our connections to technology out here but, the magic of the islands must be working.  Already Bill and I seem to be a bit on "Island Time" ourselves.

This One's My Favorite

   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.)

A Marathon to Marathon

This Was Just One Of A Few Dinghy Loads Of Provisions

   So, we left Key West on Thursday.  We said our goodbyes to Rain Dog, finished all of our provisioning and stowing (whew),  and headed for Marathon.  The trip was rockier than predicted (surprise, surprise) and, as is characteristic of these waters, we couldn't tie up to our mooring ball without some sort of hitch.  This time it was our genoa (For those of you non-sailors, this is the large sail at the bow of our boat).

  

   Other than the day's sail being more "rolly" than preferred, our trip hadn't been too bad.  We had made it all the way to the beginning of our turn to the marina when our genoa decided to misbehave.  As we were furling it (rolling it in), Bill turned the winch handle as I led.  All of the sudden, the line stopped turning on the winch.  Bill pulled harder.  He succeeded in making the winch squeak quite a bit but, the lines on the genoa wouldn't budge.  Stuck!  The lines themselves weren't stuck but, since the jam was in the furling mechanism and it wouldn't furl any more, the lines weren't moving either. Great.  Just when we needed to not sail, the boat wasn't cooperating. 

   We couldn't just sail into to marina because the entrance was too narrow and we would be coming in waaay too fast.  We had to motor to the mooring ball.  We tried to troubleshoot.  Trying to switch and furl the sail in on the other side did nothing.  We tried letting out the sail completely and then bringing it back in again.  Nope.  Still stuck in the same place. The only thing left to do was to take the entire sail down.  So, with me at the helm, Bill made his way up to the bow and pulled down the sail, folding as he went so that we didn't lose it to the wind or waves. Once the sail was tacked down to the deck, I could climb over it to get to the bowsprit (holding the boat hook) and grab onto the mooring ball as we made our way into the marina.

Pulling Up To The Marina Office (Notice The Tiki Hut)

   Once secured to the ball and checked in, we set to fixing our sail issue.  It seems that the line in the furling mechanism had jammed.  Bill smoothed out the line and we were able to hoist the sail and furl it in like normal.  One more problem averted.

One Of The Two Very Full Dinghy Docks

       Now, safe and sound on the ball, we are waiting out the weather. There are several other Bahamas-bound boats here that we have been talking with. So far, the cumulative thought is that next Tuesday will be the start of a weather window that will allow us to make it to Bimini and then on to the Berry Islands. While we're waiting, we'll check out the town a bit more, work on our project list, and hang out with our new boater friends.  In fact, tomorrow, we're planning on taking a day trip by bus with a few couples to Key West.  Yes, we just left there but, there were certainly things that we didn't get a chance to do or see and, since Brian and Erika (Rain Dog) are still there, we'll try to catch up with them. 

Boat From My Hometown

      The marina offers quite a few amenities here.  The people are some of the most welcoming and easy going we've met.  We found a local (and cheap) breakfast spot that we wouldn't mind visiting again and we are even moored right across from a trawler that hails from my little bitty hometown.  What are the odds?  So, we may not like the fact that we have to cool our heels here for a while but, we figure if we have to be waiting somewhere, this isn't a bad place to be.

   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.)

Not Quite Chill'n in Key West

Projects!

   Appliances.  We all seem to  have a love-hate relationship with them. We love them when they work. They chill our food, wash our clothes, and make our coffee everyday. Usually, they are so effective at carrying out their allotted tasks, we don't really think about them. . . Usually. . . Then there are the occasions when these workhorses break down and drive even the most adept repairmen to frustration.

Laundry - Cruiser Style

   I give you our refrigerator; ever-present and never causing trouble.  The keys changed that.  The warmer water and much warmer temperatures are giving our aging refrigerator a run for its money. Literally.  It doesn't. Stop. Running. It won't even cool consistently. This is completely taxing the batteries, so much so that we are having to run the engine for 3 hours each day just to keep the charge where it needs to be. Not to mention that, we're constantly worrying about the temperature of the food.  Thankfully nothing has gone bad yet.

Our Wind Generator Is Now
Back In Business

   Now, before you suggest freon (a recharge kit), we tried that. It helped but, didn't fix the problem. We also defrosted the fridge. Again, not a fix. So, after trial and error and consulting various sources, we have come to a conclusion. There just simply isn't enough insulation in the fridge. We have found a few ideas on how to bulk up the insulation and plan on trying those as soon as possible.

   In our efforts to find parts for the fridge and other projects (Believe me, a project list never ends on a boat), we have found ourselves roaming around town a lot.  This has allowed us to walk the tourist scene as well as the less traveled areas. We've met some interesting folks, checked out a few shops, and sampled a bit of the local cuisine.  The locals are friendly and easy-going but, (as this is prime spring break time) the waterways can be a bit treacherous.  There is a combination of speed boat owners who don't care about the wakes they cause and tourists on various rented watercraft who, I think, just don't understand that driving by someone at close range on a boat is not the same as in a car.

  



One Of Many Banties In The Area

   We have also discovered the famed, or infamous, animal of Key West, the rooster.  These guys are everywhere; backyards, businesses, perched on signs, and, yes, crossing roads.  We even had one standing beside us as the cross walk waiting for the light. No joke. Smart rooster. I guess it gives new meaning to the term "bird-brained".

  


  

Walking Around Town

Picturesque View On The Walk To The Commissary

These Little Jellies Are All Around The Dinghy Dock 

  

Silas Has A New Favorite Perch

 
  We finally got the cats checked out and their papers are nearly in order.  We found a local vet that also sails to the Bahamas on a regular basis.  He helped to get the cats vaccines updated and (in accordance with the paperwork) is going to make a boat visit to see the cats here in their home environment.  We also have a very similar boat to his. So, I think he wants to see the boat, too.



Oliver Enjoys The Deck

  

Kookie Checks Out The Dodger

Simeon Thinks We Can Chart Our Course Later



Nap Time

   Our projects here have taken up quite a bit of our time. So, provisioning is the biggest thing looming on our check list (other than getting the fridge to cooperate).  I have the list made up and double checked. We just need to actually buy it all and get it stored on board. A task that is simple in theory but, not so easy in the physical execution. This is going to mean multiple dinghy rides, multiple walks to the store and back or rides in a taxi, and multiple loads of stuff to stow away.

Sunset In The Bay

  Rain Dog arrived on Thursday.  We are heading out to dinner tonight with them to discuss travel plans and have a fun evening out. As of now, if the weather cooperates, we'll head out mid week for Bimini by way of Marathon and Key Largo. Hopefully landing in the Bahamas by the weekend.  For now, we'll continue to work our way towards getting the boat Bahamas-ready and try not to get too frustrated with the fridge. . . Simeon certainly won't.







   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.)