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| Dock master Gimaco and manager Hans taking us to get fuel and phone cards |
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| We all have working phones and data plans for our computers....so we are happy as we walk back to the marina. |
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Great Harbour Cay at Bullock's Harbour
Staniel Cay
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| Nurse sharks in Staniel Cay |
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| Lunch at Staniel Cay Yacht Club with Barry and Susan from Night Hawk |
Friday, December 19, 2014
Dec. 10-18. Miami to Staniel Cay
Day 116-119 - Dec. 10-12
Dr. Richard came by to take a look at our battery woes. So, we had a broken connection on the solar panel wires, hence we were not getting any power to the batteries from that source. Yea! An easy fix. He also took a look at our battery monitor and battery tester. There is an adjustment on the test to bring it in line with the monitor. Who Knew!! It looks like everything is now in working order so we are set to go.
December 11th and it was a go to cross the Gulf Stream. We had reports of very light north wind and seas of 2-3' so about 10 boats left South Miami and our area of Biscayne Bay. I kept waiting to hit the edge of the Gulf Stream and have the current carry us northward. It never happened. Although all the literature suggests the avg. current is 2-2.5kts, on this crossing it was less then 1kt. Listening to everyone on the radio we were all adjusting our courses to make a straight line to our destination. We had intended, since leaving home, to go to North Bimini, but with the lateness of the day leaving for the crossing, we all sailed through the night to carry on to Bullock's Harbour and checked through customs at Great Harbour Cay Marina. For anyone planning this trip, we highly recommend coming here to spend a day at the dock and go through customs. It's a 24 hr crossing, but dockage is only $1.50/foot and it is a wonderfully quiet and protected hurricane hole. The custom's officer comes to your boat and the whole process is so simple and painless. Greg even mentioned that he was hoping to catch some snapper, so the customs officer took back his fishing license (which is part of the package they give you) and wrote spear fishing on it. He said this time of year the water is too warm to fish snapper so it's better to dinghy into shallow water and spear them under the rock ledges. Very helpful.
Gimica and Hans are super friendly and will do anything to make your stay a pleasant one. And a very important note, the washrooms and showers are very, very clean. The laundry however is $5 a load so a bit on the pricey side. Every Friday night the marina puts on a BBQ with pork, ribs, chicken wings, corn on the cobb and Bahamian Mac & Cheese, all for $10. Then amc& cheese was very good.
During the day, the manager piled everyone who wanted to go, into his truck and took us for fuel and phone cards. You can't use Canadian or American plans here, of course. It entails buying a SIM card, to be able to use our own phone, then buying a data plan to use the phone as a hotspot for our ipad and laptop, and then buying minutes to talk or text on the phone. So, heads up dear family... The talk ain't cheap, so calls from now on will only be in an emergency. We'll let you know our new number as soon as I can find it again :)
Day 120 - Dec. 13
We left Great Harbour Cay Marina this morning for a 36 mile sail (sail being a key word here) to arrive at Little Harbour. It was a bit lumpier then called for, but still a very pleasant sail. Notice I used the word "sail" again. This is the first day in over 1000 miles that we have actually been able to sail the entire trip without the engine running. So amazing! Looks like winds are going to be higher tonight and tomorrow then what was initially predicted so we're staying here for two nights, hopefully get to a small beach tomorrow, and then move further down the Berry Islands on Monday.
Day 121 - Dec. 14
We spent the day anchored west of Cabbage Island which is just a small rock on the southwest side of Little Harbour Island Cay. Little Harbour is reknowned for Flo's Restaurant which used to be run by Flo and her son Chester. Flo would make all the baked goods and Chester looked after the evening dinner and drinks. Unfortunately Flo passed away 4 years ago so Chester runs the restaurant with whatever help is available at any one time, whether it is a relative or a passing girlfriend. We did not make use of the facility as the menu for the night was conch fritters, hamburgers, and hotdogs and we had already taken a porkloin out of the freezer. You have to reserve in the morning for the nights fair. By the way, Chester and his help are the only inhabitants on an island that used to house 100.
We took the dinghy up the channel for a ride, met up with Bill on Charisma, a Pearson 424 with his friend, Poppagana, and then went to shore for a walk across Little Harbour Cay. After lunch we took the dinghy to a small beach on Comfort Island and enjoyed the sun, sand and water. We however did not enjoy the sand flies and bottle flies so after an hour returned to the boat. We very much enjoyed our sundowner on Peace and Quiet with Laurie and Francis from Glory Days.
Day 122 - Dec. 15
We got away bright and early (7 am) to sail to Rose Island which is just east of Nassau. Neither one of us has any desire to go anywhere near Nassau as it has a very bad reputation as far as boaters are concerned. Basically a very unsafe area.
Our trip to Rose Island ended up being a motor/sail trip as the winds were light and we didn't want to arrive at night. I believe this will be the last of any long runs from now on. Today's trip was 43 nm. There isn't anything here other then a good anchorage to sit in as we make our way further down south. Next stop will be Allan Cay in the Exumas, home of the famous iguanas. Now to be perfectly honest, I have no love of iguanas, but since we're here, how can we not go!
Day 123 - Dec. 16
Sailed into Allen's Cay around 1:30 and settled into a nice anchorage. There are about 10 other boats here, but room for quite a few more. We relaxed on the boat and waited for all the dinghies to leave the island then we went over to visit the iguanas. Signs are everywhere not to feed them, so we didn't, but I felt really guilty about it. They were so sure we were going to give them treats. So I said I didn't like lizards...my opinion has not changed. My God, they are ugly! These are not like your pet store iguanas. They don't have that green color. More of a purple and yellow face with a grey body.
Day 124 - Dec. 17
Today we motor sailed to Norman's Cay, 14 nm away. This was made famous for drug running in the 1990's. You may have seen pictures of the airplane that crashed here in the basin. It was supposed to have been bringing in sod and taking away coke. It's still here....the plane, not the coke.
Day 125 - Dec. 18
Another day of motor sailing. We said we weren't going to motor, but we're having trouble with the Chartplotter and we're hoping we can order something for it in Staniel Cay, so we made a bit of a longer run (35 nm) then we originally planned.
It seems the navionics chip we have for the plotter doesn't give depth details around the islands in the Exumas. We are depending on our paper charts to get us in and anchor. It's not a real big deal, but when you get used to being able to see everything on the Chartplotter you get spoiled. We are hoping that the Explorer C-map chip will fit our Raymarine plotter and that we can get one sent to us here in Staniel Cay.
This is a very pretty spot. For the first time I feel like I'm really in the Bahamas. The choppy waves subsided today so we could see the bottom while we were sailing. The color of the water is amazing...like looking through green jello.
Dr. Richard came by to take a look at our battery woes. So, we had a broken connection on the solar panel wires, hence we were not getting any power to the batteries from that source. Yea! An easy fix. He also took a look at our battery monitor and battery tester. There is an adjustment on the test to bring it in line with the monitor. Who Knew!! It looks like everything is now in working order so we are set to go.
December 11th and it was a go to cross the Gulf Stream. We had reports of very light north wind and seas of 2-3' so about 10 boats left South Miami and our area of Biscayne Bay. I kept waiting to hit the edge of the Gulf Stream and have the current carry us northward. It never happened. Although all the literature suggests the avg. current is 2-2.5kts, on this crossing it was less then 1kt. Listening to everyone on the radio we were all adjusting our courses to make a straight line to our destination. We had intended, since leaving home, to go to North Bimini, but with the lateness of the day leaving for the crossing, we all sailed through the night to carry on to Bullock's Harbour and checked through customs at Great Harbour Cay Marina. For anyone planning this trip, we highly recommend coming here to spend a day at the dock and go through customs. It's a 24 hr crossing, but dockage is only $1.50/foot and it is a wonderfully quiet and protected hurricane hole. The custom's officer comes to your boat and the whole process is so simple and painless. Greg even mentioned that he was hoping to catch some snapper, so the customs officer took back his fishing license (which is part of the package they give you) and wrote spear fishing on it. He said this time of year the water is too warm to fish snapper so it's better to dinghy into shallow water and spear them under the rock ledges. Very helpful.
Gimica and Hans are super friendly and will do anything to make your stay a pleasant one. And a very important note, the washrooms and showers are very, very clean. The laundry however is $5 a load so a bit on the pricey side. Every Friday night the marina puts on a BBQ with pork, ribs, chicken wings, corn on the cobb and Bahamian Mac & Cheese, all for $10. Then amc& cheese was very good.
During the day, the manager piled everyone who wanted to go, into his truck and took us for fuel and phone cards. You can't use Canadian or American plans here, of course. It entails buying a SIM card, to be able to use our own phone, then buying a data plan to use the phone as a hotspot for our ipad and laptop, and then buying minutes to talk or text on the phone. So, heads up dear family... The talk ain't cheap, so calls from now on will only be in an emergency. We'll let you know our new number as soon as I can find it again :)
Day 120 - Dec. 13
We left Great Harbour Cay Marina this morning for a 36 mile sail (sail being a key word here) to arrive at Little Harbour. It was a bit lumpier then called for, but still a very pleasant sail. Notice I used the word "sail" again. This is the first day in over 1000 miles that we have actually been able to sail the entire trip without the engine running. So amazing! Looks like winds are going to be higher tonight and tomorrow then what was initially predicted so we're staying here for two nights, hopefully get to a small beach tomorrow, and then move further down the Berry Islands on Monday.
Day 121 - Dec. 14
We spent the day anchored west of Cabbage Island which is just a small rock on the southwest side of Little Harbour Island Cay. Little Harbour is reknowned for Flo's Restaurant which used to be run by Flo and her son Chester. Flo would make all the baked goods and Chester looked after the evening dinner and drinks. Unfortunately Flo passed away 4 years ago so Chester runs the restaurant with whatever help is available at any one time, whether it is a relative or a passing girlfriend. We did not make use of the facility as the menu for the night was conch fritters, hamburgers, and hotdogs and we had already taken a porkloin out of the freezer. You have to reserve in the morning for the nights fair. By the way, Chester and his help are the only inhabitants on an island that used to house 100.
We took the dinghy up the channel for a ride, met up with Bill on Charisma, a Pearson 424 with his friend, Poppagana, and then went to shore for a walk across Little Harbour Cay. After lunch we took the dinghy to a small beach on Comfort Island and enjoyed the sun, sand and water. We however did not enjoy the sand flies and bottle flies so after an hour returned to the boat. We very much enjoyed our sundowner on Peace and Quiet with Laurie and Francis from Glory Days.
Day 122 - Dec. 15
We got away bright and early (7 am) to sail to Rose Island which is just east of Nassau. Neither one of us has any desire to go anywhere near Nassau as it has a very bad reputation as far as boaters are concerned. Basically a very unsafe area.
Our trip to Rose Island ended up being a motor/sail trip as the winds were light and we didn't want to arrive at night. I believe this will be the last of any long runs from now on. Today's trip was 43 nm. There isn't anything here other then a good anchorage to sit in as we make our way further down south. Next stop will be Allan Cay in the Exumas, home of the famous iguanas. Now to be perfectly honest, I have no love of iguanas, but since we're here, how can we not go!
Day 123 - Dec. 16
Sailed into Allen's Cay around 1:30 and settled into a nice anchorage. There are about 10 other boats here, but room for quite a few more. We relaxed on the boat and waited for all the dinghies to leave the island then we went over to visit the iguanas. Signs are everywhere not to feed them, so we didn't, but I felt really guilty about it. They were so sure we were going to give them treats. So I said I didn't like lizards...my opinion has not changed. My God, they are ugly! These are not like your pet store iguanas. They don't have that green color. More of a purple and yellow face with a grey body.
Day 124 - Dec. 17
Today we motor sailed to Norman's Cay, 14 nm away. This was made famous for drug running in the 1990's. You may have seen pictures of the airplane that crashed here in the basin. It was supposed to have been bringing in sod and taking away coke. It's still here....the plane, not the coke.
Day 125 - Dec. 18
Another day of motor sailing. We said we weren't going to motor, but we're having trouble with the Chartplotter and we're hoping we can order something for it in Staniel Cay, so we made a bit of a longer run (35 nm) then we originally planned.
It seems the navionics chip we have for the plotter doesn't give depth details around the islands in the Exumas. We are depending on our paper charts to get us in and anchor. It's not a real big deal, but when you get used to being able to see everything on the Chartplotter you get spoiled. We are hoping that the Explorer C-map chip will fit our Raymarine plotter and that we can get one sent to us here in Staniel Cay.
This is a very pretty spot. For the first time I feel like I'm really in the Bahamas. The choppy waves subsided today so we could see the bottom while we were sailing. The color of the water is amazing...like looking through green jello.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Friday, December 12, 2014
Day 113-115 Biscayne Bay
Day 113,114 - Dec. 7,8. Biscayne Bay
The dinghy dock is inside a park with some very nice walking trails. Based on the honour system, we dropped the $8 fee into a box to enter the park, then we walked out to town where we found a Winn Dixie grocery store and lots of expensive looking restaurants and coffee shops. It seems everyone is walking, or driving around in their gulf carts, saying.. "Look at me, I'm made of money", even the kids! I could never live here as I would always be an outcast.
We saw a '58 or '59 corvette convertible in pristine condition. It was gorgeous, and for a moment I thought Greg was going to jump in (after he stopped drooling). If we ever had more money then we knew what to do with, this would be the car he would buy.
The next day, Monday, we went in to town for coffee and internet catch up at the Artisan Cafe, with Quick Sticks and GloryDays. The chocolate croissants were sooooo good :) It was a beautiful day and nice to relax with friends.
Once back to the boat, Glory Days moved up to Hurricane Harbour and QS and P&Q moved up the shoreline a bit to try and get out of rough water. ( we draw too much to get into Hurricane Harbour). It seemed like a good spot until 11:30 at night when the tide/wind changed. Greg ended up sleeping on the couch and at one point I thought I was going to be thrown from the bed because of the turbulent wave action.
We had Ken and Meridee over last night for Sundowners and enjoyed a very nice visit. Laurie and Francis could have come too if they hadn't abandoned us for a good night's sleep ;)
Day 115 - Dec 9. Coconut Grove, Florida
We moved into Dinner Key this morning. It was such a bouncy night last night. It will be worth the $22 to not rock and roll tonight. The showers and laundry facilities aren't great, but it's better then doing it on the boat.
We had just taken off in our dinghy for shore when the motor quit. I'd start it and it would run for a few seconds and then quit again. Ken and Meridee came along in their dinghy and towed us in. We had a very nice walk around town, stopping at a small restaurant for lunch around 2:00, strolled around the shopping district of Coconut Grove and then headed back to the dinghies. I fully expected to have to row back to the boat but the wind would be pushing us so I figured a good upper body workout would be good for me. I rowed to the water hose on the dock and while Greg was filling up the jugs, I played with the hoses on the gas tank again for the umpteenth time, but this time the connection felt wobbly so I took it off and really pushed hard on it. Presto.... We were able to motor all the way back to the boat without a hiccup. I so hope it was only a loose connection!
Yesterday we reset the discharge amp hours on the battery monitor to zero, which now shows our batteries to be fully charged and discharging at what we think is a correct rate. However, the battery tester still indicates our house batteries are discharging too quickly. I'm putting my faith in the monitor and hope the tester is out of whack. This is a very good example of how I like to stick my head in the sand. If I ignore it, it will go away. I know Greg is not of the same opinion and he is determined to find out what is causing the discrepancy. To top it off, it looks like our solar panels are collecting energy, but not downloading to our batteries. Geesh...will it never end!!
The dinghy dock is inside a park with some very nice walking trails. Based on the honour system, we dropped the $8 fee into a box to enter the park, then we walked out to town where we found a Winn Dixie grocery store and lots of expensive looking restaurants and coffee shops. It seems everyone is walking, or driving around in their gulf carts, saying.. "Look at me, I'm made of money", even the kids! I could never live here as I would always be an outcast.
We saw a '58 or '59 corvette convertible in pristine condition. It was gorgeous, and for a moment I thought Greg was going to jump in (after he stopped drooling). If we ever had more money then we knew what to do with, this would be the car he would buy.
The next day, Monday, we went in to town for coffee and internet catch up at the Artisan Cafe, with Quick Sticks and GloryDays. The chocolate croissants were sooooo good :) It was a beautiful day and nice to relax with friends.
Once back to the boat, Glory Days moved up to Hurricane Harbour and QS and P&Q moved up the shoreline a bit to try and get out of rough water. ( we draw too much to get into Hurricane Harbour). It seemed like a good spot until 11:30 at night when the tide/wind changed. Greg ended up sleeping on the couch and at one point I thought I was going to be thrown from the bed because of the turbulent wave action.
We had Ken and Meridee over last night for Sundowners and enjoyed a very nice visit. Laurie and Francis could have come too if they hadn't abandoned us for a good night's sleep ;)
Day 115 - Dec 9. Coconut Grove, Florida
We moved into Dinner Key this morning. It was such a bouncy night last night. It will be worth the $22 to not rock and roll tonight. The showers and laundry facilities aren't great, but it's better then doing it on the boat.
We had just taken off in our dinghy for shore when the motor quit. I'd start it and it would run for a few seconds and then quit again. Ken and Meridee came along in their dinghy and towed us in. We had a very nice walk around town, stopping at a small restaurant for lunch around 2:00, strolled around the shopping district of Coconut Grove and then headed back to the dinghies. I fully expected to have to row back to the boat but the wind would be pushing us so I figured a good upper body workout would be good for me. I rowed to the water hose on the dock and while Greg was filling up the jugs, I played with the hoses on the gas tank again for the umpteenth time, but this time the connection felt wobbly so I took it off and really pushed hard on it. Presto.... We were able to motor all the way back to the boat without a hiccup. I so hope it was only a loose connection!
Yesterday we reset the discharge amp hours on the battery monitor to zero, which now shows our batteries to be fully charged and discharging at what we think is a correct rate. However, the battery tester still indicates our house batteries are discharging too quickly. I'm putting my faith in the monitor and hope the tester is out of whack. This is a very good example of how I like to stick my head in the sand. If I ignore it, it will go away. I know Greg is not of the same opinion and he is determined to find out what is causing the discrepancy. To top it off, it looks like our solar panels are collecting energy, but not downloading to our batteries. Geesh...will it never end!!
Some pics Dec 9-11
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| Glory Days at Biscayne Bay |
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| Ken and Meridee on board Peace and Quiet for sundowners |
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| Lunch at Local in Coconut Grove, Dinner Key |
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| Sunset on the Gulf Stream |
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Dec. 2-6. Lake Worth/Biscayne Bay
Day 108-109 Dec. 2-3
Moved the boat 5 nm south to an anchorage that is closer to the inlet and we are near Glory Days and Quick Sticks. I was hoping to head out today, but the weather is looking better for Saturday, so keeping our fingers crossed. The seas are supposed to drop to 3-4 feet on Saturday with ENE 10-15 kt winds, so it should be a good sailing day. We've spent 3 weeks covering only about 60 miles. I'm getting anxious to make the crossing to the Bahamas.
On the bright side, we can take our dinghy in to the dock and for $10.60 we can use the showers and laundry. We are also in walking distance to the Publix grocery store so we'll make one more quick stop there to pick up some fresh produce. There is also an automotive supply store handy so Greg can get the gasket sealer.
Greg and Ken spent the morning on Glory Days helping Laurie put the new track in his mast. I had a nice morning cleaning the boat and baking chocolate chip cookies.
This afternoon, being bored, I took Greg for a drive in the dinghy. We went out to the inlet to check out the conditions. It was looking pretty rough. There was one sailboat outside and he was just a boppin'.
We had a nice evening on Glory Days visiting Laurie, Francis, Ken and Meridee. Can certainly see the advantage of owing a cat (not the animal...the boat)(although I would still like to have a cat...the animal!). There is so much room on them, especially when it's 48'. Nice layout as well in that the living area, sleeping areas and galley are all separate.
Day 110, 111 - Dec. 4,5
Thursday was laundry and shower day. It felt soo good to stand under the hot water for as long as I wanted. And having washed clothes by hand twice, I have a new love of laundromats.
Today, Friday, we walked to the Publix grocery store and stocked up some more. I'm sure I'll find I've missed some things and will have too much of others, but I don't think we'll starve. We did make a second run this afternoon with our dolly and picked up more coke, beer and wine. We are definitely done now. Groceries from now on will just be regular shopping items, ie fresh fruit and vegies.
They had a large scale at Publix, so I couldn't resist getting on. I've lost 5-7 pounds...yeah!!!
I was talking to my mom the other day and she has her Christmas tree up and decorations outside the house. I know this is going to be a very hard Christmas for me as I've always been home with mom at Christmas. So I have a small request from anyone reading this. Please send me a picture of your Christmas decorations. I would love to see the decorated trees and yards at home. Decorations here in 80 degree temperatures just look wrong. :(
If you can't add them to the blog, please send them to my email: peaceandquiet@live.com
Day 112 - Dec. 6
Finally, we got out of Lake Worth. We left this morning at 6:30 with Quick Sticks, and with Glory Days following at 7:00. Of course Glory Days passed us and arrived at anchor just outside No Name Harbour well before the rest of us.
When we got through the inlet and tried to raise the main sail, the halyard wrapped around a knob near the top of the mast, so we had to lower the main, unwrap the halyard, and raise it again. The reefing lines were still in from our last trip, so they needed to come off. It took several long minutes to undo them. We have always had trouble with the reefing lines. ( maybe after today's episode we might actually get around to replacing them with the lines we bought in Rockland, Maine). Then, when we tried to raise the main again, one of the cars broke off. The sail came down again, Greg did an amazing Mr. Red Green fix, and the main sail went up at last!
It was a gorgeous day for sailing, even though we had to run the engine all day to maintain a 6 kt/nm avg speed.
We landed at Biscayne Bay, just south of Miami at 6:30 pm. A 12 hour run over 73 nm. This was our first nighttime entry into a harbour and anchoring. My first thoughts on the subject...I HATE it. My biggest fear was that some idiot boat would be sitting without lights on. Thankfully we got in and were able to anchor on the edge of the field so we didn't have to try to maneuver around any boats. The plus side of coming in at night, we had a beautiful full orange moon shining down on us.
Moved the boat 5 nm south to an anchorage that is closer to the inlet and we are near Glory Days and Quick Sticks. I was hoping to head out today, but the weather is looking better for Saturday, so keeping our fingers crossed. The seas are supposed to drop to 3-4 feet on Saturday with ENE 10-15 kt winds, so it should be a good sailing day. We've spent 3 weeks covering only about 60 miles. I'm getting anxious to make the crossing to the Bahamas.
On the bright side, we can take our dinghy in to the dock and for $10.60 we can use the showers and laundry. We are also in walking distance to the Publix grocery store so we'll make one more quick stop there to pick up some fresh produce. There is also an automotive supply store handy so Greg can get the gasket sealer.
Greg and Ken spent the morning on Glory Days helping Laurie put the new track in his mast. I had a nice morning cleaning the boat and baking chocolate chip cookies.
This afternoon, being bored, I took Greg for a drive in the dinghy. We went out to the inlet to check out the conditions. It was looking pretty rough. There was one sailboat outside and he was just a boppin'.
We had a nice evening on Glory Days visiting Laurie, Francis, Ken and Meridee. Can certainly see the advantage of owing a cat (not the animal...the boat)(although I would still like to have a cat...the animal!). There is so much room on them, especially when it's 48'. Nice layout as well in that the living area, sleeping areas and galley are all separate.
Day 110, 111 - Dec. 4,5
Thursday was laundry and shower day. It felt soo good to stand under the hot water for as long as I wanted. And having washed clothes by hand twice, I have a new love of laundromats.
Today, Friday, we walked to the Publix grocery store and stocked up some more. I'm sure I'll find I've missed some things and will have too much of others, but I don't think we'll starve. We did make a second run this afternoon with our dolly and picked up more coke, beer and wine. We are definitely done now. Groceries from now on will just be regular shopping items, ie fresh fruit and vegies.
They had a large scale at Publix, so I couldn't resist getting on. I've lost 5-7 pounds...yeah!!!
I was talking to my mom the other day and she has her Christmas tree up and decorations outside the house. I know this is going to be a very hard Christmas for me as I've always been home with mom at Christmas. So I have a small request from anyone reading this. Please send me a picture of your Christmas decorations. I would love to see the decorated trees and yards at home. Decorations here in 80 degree temperatures just look wrong. :(
If you can't add them to the blog, please send them to my email: peaceandquiet@live.com
Day 112 - Dec. 6
Finally, we got out of Lake Worth. We left this morning at 6:30 with Quick Sticks, and with Glory Days following at 7:00. Of course Glory Days passed us and arrived at anchor just outside No Name Harbour well before the rest of us.
When we got through the inlet and tried to raise the main sail, the halyard wrapped around a knob near the top of the mast, so we had to lower the main, unwrap the halyard, and raise it again. The reefing lines were still in from our last trip, so they needed to come off. It took several long minutes to undo them. We have always had trouble with the reefing lines. ( maybe after today's episode we might actually get around to replacing them with the lines we bought in Rockland, Maine). Then, when we tried to raise the main again, one of the cars broke off. The sail came down again, Greg did an amazing Mr. Red Green fix, and the main sail went up at last!
It was a gorgeous day for sailing, even though we had to run the engine all day to maintain a 6 kt/nm avg speed.
We landed at Biscayne Bay, just south of Miami at 6:30 pm. A 12 hour run over 73 nm. This was our first nighttime entry into a harbour and anchoring. My first thoughts on the subject...I HATE it. My biggest fear was that some idiot boat would be sitting without lights on. Thankfully we got in and were able to anchor on the edge of the field so we didn't have to try to maneuver around any boats. The plus side of coming in at night, we had a beautiful full orange moon shining down on us.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Day 107 - Lake Worth
Day 107 - Dec. 1
Here it is, Dec. 1 and we are still in Lake Worth. The wind has been howling steadily all day and doesn't look like it's about to give up until at least Saturday.
Our single side band radio arrived today from Amazon, so Greg has a new toy to play with. We will take our Christmas gifts to the UPS Store tomorrow and pick up more groceries and with luck, by the afternoon we will move the boat 4 miles down Lake Worth to anchor just inside the inlet to the ocean. We'll be ready to take off at the first opportunity. Ken/Meridee and Laurie/Francis are there now, so we may see them again. There seem to be a lot of boats hanging out in our anchorage as I'm sure they are in all the anchorages, and I suspect there will be a mass exodus once the winds calm down.
I can't complain about being stuck here though. We've been doing a lot of walking (avg. 5-7 km/day) and there are interesting shops to tour..even if it's only window shopping.
Here it is, Dec. 1 and we are still in Lake Worth. The wind has been howling steadily all day and doesn't look like it's about to give up until at least Saturday.
Our single side band radio arrived today from Amazon, so Greg has a new toy to play with. We will take our Christmas gifts to the UPS Store tomorrow and pick up more groceries and with luck, by the afternoon we will move the boat 4 miles down Lake Worth to anchor just inside the inlet to the ocean. We'll be ready to take off at the first opportunity. Ken/Meridee and Laurie/Francis are there now, so we may see them again. There seem to be a lot of boats hanging out in our anchorage as I'm sure they are in all the anchorages, and I suspect there will be a mass exodus once the winds calm down.
I can't complain about being stuck here though. We've been doing a lot of walking (avg. 5-7 km/day) and there are interesting shops to tour..even if it's only window shopping.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Day 105-106 Lake Worth
Day 105 - Nov. 29
Today we were in search of a post office. It still amazes me that most Americans are so unaware of what is around them. Not for the first time we have asked for directions to a place and they end up with a blank look on their faces, only for us to find it within a short walking distance. No one could tell us where to find a post office, but we found a UPS Store just minutes from here. Now that we have a drop site for mail, we've ordered the single side band shortwave radio receiver from Amazon. This will let us pick up Chris Parker to get the current weather conditions, plus, I hope, CBC Radio.
We made another trip to West Marine to pick up Barnacle Buster. We've heard a lot about it, and Richard was also expounding it's virtues, so we hope it will help keep the engine running a bit cooler. We're still bordering the 195 degree mark. Also need to pick up some gasket sealer, to help with our oil leak. Unfortunately there aren't any auto supply stores within 5 miles of here. We'll look in Miami.
Finished off the turkey from the US Thanksgiving. It was so delicious. We may pick up another one if we have room to freeze it. It would be great for Christmas dinner.
Day 106 - Nov. 30
I finally finished my sweater this morning. It's okay, but knitting isn't one of my favorite pastimes. It will keep me warm on those cold Bahamian nights though. ;)
I also worked on the sunscreen for the cockpit. I think I have it figured out how I want them to fasten to the bimini.
Spent the morning wrapping Christmas gifts so they can be sent home on Tuesday. (Note to self...next year do shopping at home before we leave)
Today we were in search of a post office. It still amazes me that most Americans are so unaware of what is around them. Not for the first time we have asked for directions to a place and they end up with a blank look on their faces, only for us to find it within a short walking distance. No one could tell us where to find a post office, but we found a UPS Store just minutes from here. Now that we have a drop site for mail, we've ordered the single side band shortwave radio receiver from Amazon. This will let us pick up Chris Parker to get the current weather conditions, plus, I hope, CBC Radio.
We made another trip to West Marine to pick up Barnacle Buster. We've heard a lot about it, and Richard was also expounding it's virtues, so we hope it will help keep the engine running a bit cooler. We're still bordering the 195 degree mark. Also need to pick up some gasket sealer, to help with our oil leak. Unfortunately there aren't any auto supply stores within 5 miles of here. We'll look in Miami.
Finished off the turkey from the US Thanksgiving. It was so delicious. We may pick up another one if we have room to freeze it. It would be great for Christmas dinner.
Day 106 - Nov. 30
I finally finished my sweater this morning. It's okay, but knitting isn't one of my favorite pastimes. It will keep me warm on those cold Bahamian nights though. ;)
I also worked on the sunscreen for the cockpit. I think I have it figured out how I want them to fasten to the bimini.
Spent the morning wrapping Christmas gifts so they can be sent home on Tuesday. (Note to self...next year do shopping at home before we leave)
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