SALTY STATE OF MIND

Tropical Storm Beryl | Brunswick, GA | Morningstar Marinas at Golden Isles

2012-05-31T18:41:00.002-04:00

Tropical Storm Beryl paid a visit to the Golden Isles this past weekend. There were concerns at the local marinas as the storm approached with forecast winds that were expected to be over 55 mph.

We paid a visit to Morningstar Marina at Golden Isles to see how the boats were holding up as the winds began to build out of the North East as the storm approached landfall near Jacksonville, FL.

We were pleasantly surprised to see the Morningstar Marina at Golden Isles was well protected from the North Easterly winds that were blowing about 24 sustained with gusts of over 30.

The vessels were all securely tied in their slips with lines and most of them had double lines added as insurance against the stronger pressure from the winds that were yet to come.

While we were walking the docks we noticed several individuals busy at work going down the dock inspecting each vessel and making dock line adjustments as needed. These dock hands included

Dock Masters Chick Candler and Buck Vickery along with Operations Manger Alfred Battey. Right along side of these individuals decked out in full heavy weather gear was Chris Ferguson, General Manager. We were impressed to see these individuals working hard on behalf of the vessel owners to protect their property.

I dare not count the times I have seen the management staff at other marinas in the office delegating rather than being a part of the solution. We salute the entire staff of Morningstar Marina at Golden Isles for a job well done to prepare for Tropical Storm Beryl.

We checked back with the management and there were no major problems at this marina for the duration of this storm.

We have no problems giving this marina a high recommendation should you find yourself in need of a slip while you are in the area or looking for a place to call home.

Moringstar Marina at Golden Isles is easy to find and located just off of the ICW at mile marker 675.

Morningstar Marina at Golden Isles Web Site

Contact information:

Chris Ferguson

General Manager

Morningstar Marinas at Golden Isles

206 Marina Drive

St. Simons Island, GA 31522

(p) 912-634-1128

(f) 912-634-1786

cferguson@morningstarmarinas.com

Platimo Contest 101 Compass Review - Poor Lighting for Night Vision

2012-05-15T09:39:00.001-04:00

Our old Constellation compass was impressive but it was a bit of a tripping hazard!

We installed a Plastimo Contest 101 in the bulkhead of our Westsail 32 before our last voyage off shore. We were very happy with the design and compact nature of the compass and it served us very well...................that is............ until we needed illumination to read the card.

It is fine if you are directly in front of the compass and close to it but the light is way to dim to view the compass card from the normal steering position and clearly a problem when you are on the opposite side of the cockpit. Forget you have a compass if you have marginal weather conditions.

I called Plastimo and they agreed to sell me another bulb to install in the compass so that there would be more light. I had no problem with that and agreed to pay $8.63 for a $2 bulb to fix a design problem with their compass. The real shock came when the invoice arrived separate from the package and listed the shipping cost as $13.59 for an item that weighs .2 of an ounce. This item could have easily gone in a padded envelope for a couple of dollars. So we spent about 20% of the price of the compass to install an additional bulb to correct a design flaw in the compass. This is an obvious design flaw that could be easily corrected by the manufacturer. I am sure that the lighting installed in this compass is adequate if you shut the lights off in the lab and look at it on a shelf. However, when put to the test of actual sailing conditions the illumination features of this compass fail the test.

We still like the compass and hope that this additional light fixes the problem. We are writing this product review to inform the sailing public of a problem so they can adapt before finding themselves left in the dark and not being able to view the navigational compass at night.

We feel that Plastimo should sea trial this compass at night in marginal conditions and then provide adequate lighting. We also feel that the correction for this problem should have been provided at no charge and that the shipping charges should have been in the $2 range if any at all. Plastimo did refund half of the shipping charges but made no other adjustments.

This item is on our recommended list as long as you correct the illumination issue.
Captain Don Montgomery

Westsail 32 - Keel & Rudder Crab Pot Line Preventer

2012-05-13T11:54:00.000-04:00

The keel shoe/preventer that extends over the gap between the keel and the hull on a Westsail 32 has proved worth the time and effort to build and maintain it. It gives us Peace of Mind when sailing through waters that are loaded with crab pots and when tidal currents case you to drift backwards over your anchor line.

This is the third and we hope the final time that we will have attached a crab pot line preventer shoe to the keel of our Westsail 32. There was one on the boat when we purchased it but it was lag bolted into the bottom of the keel and it became loose. On one of our routine haul outs we glassed over it hoping that this would keep it snug and secure. It lasted two years and then on our last trip to the Bahamas we lost it. We were anchored in the Ragged Islands just North of Duncan Town and the winds shifted in the night and the anchor became dislodged. Before it could get another bite we went aground on a hard rock shelf in a falling tide. With the help of a fellow sailor we were able to dinghy the anchor to a deeper sandy spot and kedge Mary Rose to safety. During the process we later realized that the freshly glassed preventer was ground off the bottom of the keel.

During our most recent haul out we had a new preventer fabricated that fit the aft end of the keel like a shoe and the tail extended past the rudder then bent up at a 45 degree angle and stopped short of hitting the rudder.

The shoe was fabricated out of 1/4 inch 308 stainless steel and I had the welder attach two short lengths of pipe to one side before drilling the attachment hole so we could use them to make sure our holes lined up when we drilled through the keel to attach it to Mary Rose. It was a Rifle Barrel concept and it worked perfectly. We then cut the tack weld that were hold the aiming pipes.

After a couple of test fits and minor adjustments we were ready to drill the holes through the keel and attach the foot.

After the foot was securely attached the excess length of the 1/4 inch bolts were cut off. We used 3M 5200 to protect from water penetration into the holes by filling all the voids and around the holes we drilled. The next step was to mix up some epoxy and fair the edges smooth so it became a integral part of the keel. After the fairing was complete we gave it several barrier coats to seal it all up before applying the bottom paint. We hope that this one will stand up to the abuse that it takes when in marginal anchoring conditions. We will let you know.

Captain Don Montgomery

North Florida and South Georgia Boat Yard and Haul Out Facility

2012-05-11T15:01:00.000-04:00

North Florida and South Georgia Boat Yard and Haul Out Facility

We had our Westsail 32 hauled out for routine bottom maintenance this year at Tiger Point Marina, Fernandina Beach, FL. Tiger point Marina is a Full Service Boat Yard with a 35 Ton Lift. There have been many upgrades to this facility since I was here several years ago. There is a large inventory of new Secure Steel Hurricane Cradles. You can see them on their web site. http://www.tigerpointmarina.com/boat-storage/

Tiger Point Marina also offers a Do It Yourself “DIY” option for those of you that are interested. We had to have some hull repair completed as two thru hull sea cocks were removed. The workmanship was high quality and the labor rates were competitive. If you need parts and supplies, Jackie can have them for you the next day. She is very knowledgeable and extremely helpful.

Tiger Point Marina is located at Buoy marker number 6 on the ICW. The entrance to Egans Creek is a narrow channel. Use the center of the creek as a range guide. Our floating docks are parallel to Egans Creek and docking starboard or port side is determined by the wind and tide.

After using Tiger Point Marina several times over the past years we are delighted to report that they have been added to our recommended supplier list. We do not give this distinction out very often and items must be tested and proved before they make our list. We have no problem telling you to invest in Tiger Point Marina when you need Boat Yard Services.

Contact information for Tiger creek is:

Tiger Point Marina

997 Egans Creek Lane

Fernandina Beach, FL

904-277-2720

Be sure to tell them that Mary Rose V sent you.

Fair Winds,

Captain Don Montgomery and Admiral Lana Nelson

12 VDC Interior Lighting for Sailboats

2012-04-17T16:07:00.003-04:00

12 VDC Interior Lighting for Sailboats

One of the major projects to complete before off shore
cruising in our Westsail 32 was to re-wire the entire boat. We decided to replace every single wire, not just some of the wires. This was a large project and meant a new breaker panel, new alternator, new regulator, new monitoring system, new engine related wiring and more. We managed to do all of this and still lived on-board at the marina in St Petersburg, FL. If you have any experience at all working on a boat you also know that there is never and I mean NEVER a project that does not involve a bit more than what you intended. Systems are so integrated that repair of replacement of one item leads to consideration of one or more other items.

This was clearly the case with the re-wire project and our interior lights that were installed on the boat when we purchased her. One end of the lighting wire was attached to light fixtures. The old lights were fluorescent and of the type you would find in early model recreational
vehicles. The old lights functioned and worked OK but the way that you made them red lights for night was a bit cumbersome. It required you to remove the light tube and slide a red plastic cover on the bulb and replace it. Obviously we did not do that and just used the white lights at night at the detriment of our night vision.

When we started the planning process we looked at our lighting options. It was critical to
make these choices before we began the project so we would have complete data in our energy audit to build and size the system to accommodate our decisions and prevent post project changes. The energy audit meant making a COMPLETE list of every single item that would draw current and an accurate estimate of the amount of energy consumed when operating as well as an estimate of the amount of time it would be operating.

There were several choices when it came to interior lighting for our boat and each one had some benefits and limitations. We made a list of features that were important to us and highlighted the “must have” features. We applied our criteria to the options available and there was one
manufacturer that soared above all others. It had all of our “must have” features and offered some options that were very beneficial that we had not considered.

The brand we felt the strongest about was ALPENGLOW LIGHTS from Eureka, Montana. What could a company from Montana know about marine lighting? As it turns out, this company has been serving the marine industry for over 20 years. We were able to see live examples of their product that had been installed on several boats in our home marina. A trusted, independent local marine supply and repair service gave Alpenglow Lights very high recommendations and assured us we would not be disappointed with their product and service.

We made our decision to replace all of our interior lights with Alpenglow Lights. Every area of our interior is lit with Alpenglow. We also added one Splash-Proof Dual Power combination red and white light fixture with to the cockpit area which turned out to be an extremely valuable decision. The lights we installed throughout our boat are the 9 watt Dual Power with LED NIGHT VISION. There is virtually nothing you cannot do at night in our boat that you can’t do during the day. The lighting is fabulous and the service is outstanding.

As we all know that the marine environment is hard on electronics and modern lighting is also susceptible to these threats. We experienced a problem with one of the dual power switches on our exterior cockpit light after about 4 -5 years of use. I contacted Alpenglow and the problem was immediately resolved at very low cost.

The features we love about these lights are:
- Low current draw – energy efficient
- High and low dual power option
- Pleasant warm light similar to standard bulbs
- Constant light output over a wide voltage range
- Splash- Proof option for cockpit and shower locations
- White and Red night vision all in one fixture
- Beautiful wood trim with many type and color options
- Low cost replacement bulbs
- Friendly customer service
- Iron Clad Product Guarantee

After using Alpenglow Lights for several years we are delighted to report that they are on the top of our recommended supplier list. We do not give this distinction out very often and items must be tested and proved before they make our list. We have no problem telling you to invest in
Alpenglow Lights when you need to make a cabin or cockpit lighting choice for your boat. The need for availability of superior lighting is always met with Alpenglow Lights and they are highly
reliable for off shore adventures. You can check them out at http://www.alpenglowlights.com/

You are welcome to submit your comments to this post below. We will reply if you leave your
contact information.

Captain Don Montgomery and Admiral Lana Nelson

Mary Rose V

Night Sailing - Fantasy

2012-02-04T15:51:00.008-05:00

Space Pilot

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pilot a spaceship through the universe? Most likely you have had some sort of thoughts or fantasy about this subject due to the popularity
of the NASA space program, Star Wars and other Hollywood hits. I have been thinking of writing on this subject for some time but have always pushed it aside for later. Well, later is here and I hope you enjoy my experience of being the pilot of my own craft hurtling through space.

It begins on a clear moonless night in the Caribbean Sea, far from land, with stars filling the sky to the point of overflowing. One has to ask, “Where did all these stars come from?” We have all
seen the night sky full of stars but never this many stars. The Southern Cross is just off the bow and the Milky Way looks like spilled cream across the sky above the deep undulating sea. I have never seen the Milky Way so clearly from a place where light pollution does not exist. In fact, there is not one artificial light or evidence of artificial light in sight, except the tiny navigation lights on my own ship. No, there are no bright hues in the sky from highly populated oversized cities and no sky scrapers or headlight beams or anything else that gives you any indication that there is human life on this planet, other than you. It is a vastness that helps you realize just how small your footprint is on the galactic expanse. The night breeze is refreshing but not too cool and it has the strength to power your ship across the fluid rolling surface of this magnificent planet you call home. The set of the current gives you a small bit of a boost on your plotted course and the waves are just large enough to give you an enjoyable motion as you ponder what lies before you. The sea is alive with bioluminescent creatures that create a light show in your bow wave, your slip stream and any other place where the water is disturbed by your track through the salty water that occasionally kisses your lips or stings your eyes. Your sails are full and balanced so that there is little to be done but be watchful and let the autopilot do its
job. It is one of those occasions that remind you of why you love what you are doing.

Your mind is busy monitoring the systems of your ship through valuable inputs from a wide array of onboard computers, navigation equipment and the simple, reliable, trusted, ageless magnetic compass. Sometimes the simple gauges are all you need and can be the most reliable. OK, all systems are go, auto pilot working well, nothing in the way to impede your progress. You slow down your thought process and let your mind work in different way. You begin to wonder why and start asking yourself silent questions about a lot of different things and you begin to
enjoy the majestic beauty of all that is around you. It is now that I am struck with the thought
that this is no ordinary ship, no not at all ordinary in any way shape or form. The truth of the matter is, I am on a space ship. Yes, I know it looks like a sailing ship but hang on for a bit longer and I hope you will see. Well yes I am on a sailing ship, vessel, yacht, whatever term you choose. But for the first time I have the true and real experience of flying through space on my own ship here and now. My ship just happens to be attached to the sea on the planet earth and earth is carrying me through space, around the sun at over 66,000 mile per hour. Yes I know we all know this and it is elementary relativity and not too difficult to understand. But how often are we in a position that gives us this picture and an opportunity to contemplate such grandness. When
we are home in our cars or over our homes in airplanes or anyplace else where the horizon does not seem to continue on and on through the stars, you are hardly able to grasp the concept in such a vivid manner. Here at this moment is looks as though I am on course to penetrate the Southern Cross on my journey. Why not? It is straight ahead and my nose is pointed right at the center of the cross and I am traveling over 66,000 mph? Well we all know that answer but the feelings are quite different if you let yourself be a bit childlike again and forget all that stuff about being earth bound. Let your mind wonder for a bit and imagine just how small you really are relative to all you see at this time. The next time that you think you are really something, big fish, hot stuff, high and mighty……..whatever it is that describes what you think when you feel on top or large and in charge……… consider the vastness of the reality that allows you to exist. Perhaps this lesson would allow more of us to be a bit more compassionate, helpful, and understanding. I often forget to exhibit those qualities and it is then that I need to return to my ship and consider my priorities and wonder why. It is then that I realize that I am the most fortunate of all to be in the presence of and connected to a universe that consistently gifts me with grace and wonder, a universe that thrives on creation.

Then I remember the conversation that the great sailor Henry Morgan had as a young boy with old Merlin in John Steinbeck’s novel, Cup of Gold. “Merlin searched the boy’s face closely. ‘I think I understand,’ he said softly. ‘You are a little boy. You want to drink the moon from as a golden cup; and so, it is very likely that you will become a great man----if only you remain a little child. All the world’s great have been little boys who wanted the moon; running and climbing, they sometimes caught a firefly. But if one grow to have a man’s mind, that mind must see that it cannot have the moon and would not want it if it could----and so, it catches no fireflies. ’ ”

Be creative, keep a child’s mind and enjoy this portion of your journey!
Captain Montgomery

I love my money fund manager

2011-08-05T20:22:00.004-04:00

I talked to my financial advisor today and told him I was calling to say goodbye before I fell on my sword due to the recent drop in the stock market. He said wait I have good news for you. He went to cash with a good percentage and also invested in a hedge fund two days before the drop. We are actually up and put the sword away. Looks like we may be sailing again before we know it. Thank you Brad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bimini | Bahamas | Ashley Saunders | Dolphin House | Resort

2011-06-27T20:26:00.029-04:00

Our last day in the Bahamas turned out to be a quite amazing experience. It was one of those moments that you can’t explain why it happened but it was one of those moments that you wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on.

The Captain and I strolled around Bimini to prepare our legs for the upcoming 3 day sail through the Gulf Stream. During our casual stroll we arrived at a narrow road that lead up a slight incline. There was nothing extraordinary about this road but we felt motivated to turn and hike up it.
When we reached the top of the hill we noted a strange sight to our left, it was a building that was designed and built using a distinctive technique.
As we admired the masterpiece we noticed a man with a huge smile spread across his face

walking towards us pushing a bicycle. “Would you like to see inside?” he asked? “Of course!” was our response. He introduced himself as Ashley B. Saunders and the creator of this work of genius. He invited us inside and began to give us a guided tour and with each room we became more enthralled with this man’s imagination and creativeness. Ashley began building his dream in 1993 and named his building; “The Dolphin House”.

He embarked on this project by hauling tons of sand up the steep hill from the beach with help of family and friends utilizing a wheelbarrow. Next, he allowed the sand to sit for months so it would be washed by rain water to clean the debris and salt from it. After the sand was rinsed enough he used it to mix with the other ingredients to make the concrete for his foundation. After the foundation was cured he built the exterior walls utilizing cinder blocks with double layered steel rods coated with anti rust to decrease corrosion.

Ashley’s philosophy was explained to me as follows; “you should build like it is meant to last forever”; he also described the relationship between steel and concrete like a husband and wife, a relationship that provides support and strength to each other. I would bet that this building could definitely withstand a hurricane!

The interior is made up of building materials that consist of left over scraps from other projects on the island, scraps from buildings that were destroyed , scraps of whole and broken tile, bottles, marbles and all types of various items that he found washed up on the beaches over 10 years.

He utilized natural resources such as rocks, various shells including heaps of conch shells which some he ground down and made paste to coat the walls. He also receives items by mail from individuals who have visited him.

They send him items to use such as broken vases, souvenirs that they no longer want, coins from all over the world and even stain glass from old church windows.

The front lower level of the Dolphin House

consists of a museum that displays

several old items such as a pirate’s cannon,

a dress that belonged to his grandmother

and even 2 drivers’ licenses from Shawnee, Kansas.

Next door you will find a gift shop named, “The Shabby Boutique” which sells various items such as shells and jewelry that is made from items found on the beach such as sea glass, shark teeth and shells.

Ashley’s living quarters can be found on the lower level in back of the house. The apartment is modestly charming and is decorated with various objects that he has collected over his years living on the island.

Next you walk up the stairs that are located on the
side of the building where you will find 2 rooms that Ashley rents, each room includes a kitchen, living area, bathroom

and 2 bedrooms and are 32 steps from the beach.

The rooms rent for $50/per person/per night.

In the living area you will find a

Caribbean fireplace,

a library with a supply of Earnest Hemingway books

and a TV.

There are all sorts of items embedded

in the walls to make art and décor including an old anchor chain that

Ashley built into a pillar with parts exposed.

It is difficult to witness all the unique forms of art,

I would lay a wager that you could spend days in this room and still notice something new such as a size five woman’s sandal that he found on the beach embedded in the corner of the living area.

The bedrooms each have a theme, one of the rooms is called the mermaid room due to the 5 mermaids in various areas of the room.
The other bedroom has a fish theme which includes a broken mirror that Ashley

fashionably disguised with coins that he formed into palm trees.

The roof is open for sun bathing or relaxing to enjoy a sunset cocktail. The roof overlooks the Atlantic Ocean to the west
and to the east the Caribbean Sea.

There is also a fruit garden behind the house where you can find bananas, mangos and, papayas.
Ashley believes in utilizing resources that are natural or that most people consider trash as to save our environment from further clutter which is slowly destroying our planet.

Ashley also believes if you want to do it right, do it yourself which he practiced in building this magnificent building.

Ashley is a magnificent man that was born and raised on Bimini. He attended the University of Wisconsin where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree.

Next he did his post graduate work at Harvard. His aspiration is keep the history of Bimini from being eternally lost therefore he is the President of the Bimini Historical Society. Ashley was the 2000 winner of the prestigious Cacique Award,

a distinguished poet

and the author of many books including 2 volumes of books named,

History of Bimini. His lists of accomplishments are astounding!

Ashley comes from a generational family of craftsman, they build wooden bone fishing boats, crafted display boats out of seashells,
there are musicians in the family, Earnest Hemingway was a big part of their lives and his banjo playing uncle,

Nathan Saunders, is mentioned in Hemingway’s book titled, Island In the Stream. Uncle Nathan also wrote a song about Hemingway called, The Big Fat Slob.

Ashley and his family are definitely well diverse and very interesting to spend time with.

Mahi Mahi | Bimini | Bahamas

2011-05-27T17:22:00.005-04:00

At last we caught the big one!!

At the beginning of our passage from Nassau to Bimini we customarily and eagerly threw out our fishing lines to begin our fishing quest. It wasn’t long before the pole began playing its wonderful song…the Captain leaps up and yells, “FISH ON!!” Within a few minutes we had detained a 3-4 foot Mahi fish. He put up a grand struggle but we swiftly landed him in Mary Rose. This fish may have been average size but he was tenacious and was not going down without a zealous battle. We attempted to squirt rubbing alcohol into his gills to stun him so he would stop thrashing us with his powerful tail but he wasn’t going to have any of that, our next strategy in this battle of fish against man was to throw a wet towel over his face to disorient him, but he wasn’t going to cooperate with this line of attack either. I guess this fish decided in his tiny little mind that he was not going to be anyone’s lunch today so in one quick motion, although it appeared to be in slow motion to the Captain and myself, he did a back flip over the bull work, right between the stainless steel rail perfectly executing his escape, landing in the water where he shot off like a bullet! As our meal raced off into the deep blue, the Captain and I stood bewildered as we looked down into the water, speechless! It was a bit discouraging but we didn’t give up instead we put positive energy out into the universe and immediately re-baited our lure and threw the line back into the water; maybe today will be our lucky day!

I must admit that I felt defeated by the previous fish so this time I made sure that I had everything prepared just in case it was going to be our lucky day, wet towel within reach, gaff handy, alcohol squirt bottle full and in place, OK I was ready! The hours slipped by slowly with not even a hit, we were running out of time quickly since we would soon reach the banks and would need to pull in our lines.

(Note: We only fish in 200+ feet of water whereas our chances of catching a Barracuda diminish greatly.)

During the last mile or so from the banks the Captain requested that I start to bring in the lines. I reluctantly pulled the hand line in while I attempted to convince the Captain to allow me to wait a little longer before bringing the pole line in, to shut me up he finally agreed under the condition that if we caught a Barracuda I would be the one to would remove the hook and release it. I eagerly agreed! When we reached the banks the chart plotter read a water depth of 600+ feet and diminishing swiftly, time was slipping away and there was nothing I could do to stop it! I would go to sleep tonight knowing that I remain defeated by a fish! Just as that thought scampered through my brain the fishing reel began playing its wonderful song…once again the Captain scurried up and yells, “FISH ON!!” I fretfully stand in the back ground chanting a quick prayer, “Please don’t be a barracuda! Please, please, please!” The Captain seizes the fishing rod; all of a sudden I notice a look on his face that was a mix of trepidation and exhilaration, he bellows, “What ever it is, it is BIG! I can barely hold on to the pole! ” I looked down at the chart plotter and notice that Mary Rose was zipping along at 6.0 knots; I depowered her by dousing sails. Slowly Mary began slowing down, 5.5, 5.3 and finally stopping at 4.2 knots. I look up at the Captain as he battles with the fish, it continues to strip out the line, the Captain had his strong massive hands gripped tight around the rod as he tried his best to gain control of the situation and I continue to chant, “Please don’t be a barracuda! Please, please, please!” I start to think out loud, “Just my luck, I hound the Captain to allow me to leave the pole out and agreed to the Barracuda nonsense and now we have caught the biggest Barracuda in history! Just my luck! Please don’t be a barracuda! Please, please, please!” At last the fish is close enough to the boat that we can see it speeding through the water, propelling back and forth, cutting through the water with extreme precision, recklessly trying to find a release, an escape. I uncontrollably yell out, “IT IS NOT A BARACUDA!!” The fish continued frantically to wage a battle against the Captain, fatigue was setting in on both sides of the war. At last, 40 minutes later, blistered fingers, aching muscles the war is over, I have the gaff firmly placed in the fish’s side and wrestle with all strength to pull him on board, with a loud thump the fish hits the teak deck, but he wasn’t finished, he re-gained his strength and was ready to wage another campaign, the flopping of his massive body and tail resulted in copious amounts of blood to be tossed, covering the cabin top, in through the port holes splattered on our clothes the cushions inside the boat, it was visually clear that a battle had been waged.

When all was over, we found ourselves blessed with a 5 foot long Mahi Mahi with a guesstimate weight of 50+ pounds.

Thank you Mahi Mahi for your tremendous spirit.

Challenge | To ALLCruisers and Beach Bums | To Help | Save Our Sea Life and Beaches

2011-05-27T16:24:00.009-04:00

The Captain and I were flabbergasted when we arrived at the Jumentos and caught a glimpse of the plastic trash that covered the beaches. Yes we are aware that most ocean side beaches have all sorts of trash on them but here it is mostly plastic rubbish. It is atrocious the amount of plastic that litters these beautiful uninhabited island beaches. We all realize that plastic takes years and years to be broken down as well as they kill humongous amounts of sea life.
There is a massive whale skeleton on exhibit at Warderick Wells, the cause of death for this magnificent creature....suffocation from a plastic grocery bag.

We as a people must come to the place within ourselves where we find this very disheartening as this is a conundrum that cannot be allowed to continue. We must come to the understanding that we hold the key to the future of our home, this wonderful planet that we were gifted.
As cruisers we should always remember to dispose of our garbage appropriately to protect our planet for the next generation to follow us.
The proper way to dispose of garbage in remote uninhabited island areas is to burn it and then bury the remains.
The Captain and I had our own garbage bag of trash from Mary Rose that required burning so we gathered it up and jumped in our go fast dinghy to the nearest beach. As our own trash burnt we gathered all
the trash within a 200x200 sq ft area and threw it in with our trash.
Yes it wasn’t a large area but if everyone out here cruising would do this small mission just think of what the impact could be!

Our challenge is when you visit a unpopulated area and need to dispose of your garbage by beach burning,
as you burn your own garbage gather items from the beach and add it to your pile, especially the plastic items.

Our children and grandchildren will thank us one day as we retain ownership and accountability for our planet!

Fish Hook Removal

2011-05-18T13:25:00.016-04:00

During our recent visit to the Ragged Islands the Captain had the misfortune to lodge a large grimy fishing hook into the outside of his calf on his lower leg. He was attempting to toss a hand line out into our fishing spot that resembled a stock pond. We were pulling fish in so quick that it was hard to keep pace. Anyhow, during the process of tossing his Bahamian style hand line into the water the line with the hook flipped up on its forward motion and…. ouch! The Captain hooked himself! He said it didn’t hurt much going in but he was sure it would hurt coming out. He babbled off a list of items he wanted me to gather; heavy duty wire cutters, forceps, alcohol….the adult beverage type with the final words, “Please hurry!” So off I scurried to gather the requested items as swiftly as I could as well as my own list of items; rubbing alcohol, peroxide, band-aids, topical antibiotics, and a piece of chocolate to go with the rum. Upon my return I discovered him sitting serenely in the cock pit attempting to eradicate the piece of bait that still held fast all the while assessing the damage to his leg. He blurted off instructions as he eyes remained on the wound and his mind on the impending pain he was about to endure. He instructed me to take the mack daddy wire cutters and cautiously cut the eye of the hook off. As he pulled his skin back taut so I could cut the eye of the hook, when unexpectedly he seized my hand and confiscated the wire cutters, he explained that he would feel more at ease doing the cutting himself. He reached down and grabbed his leg while I attempted to hold the skin taut a smile crossed his face when an abrupt click broke the awkward silence as the cutters snipped off the eye of the hook. The Captain looked up still smiling and said, “That was the easy part”.

Next he instructed me to grasp the end of the hook where the eye once was with the forceps and forcefully twist up and out, “Just as you do when you have a fish on that needs to be released” he explained so calmly. So I anxiously but carefully cleaned the hook, the wound and the skin around the area. Next I vigilantly took the forceps and grasped the end of the hook until the forceps locked in place, I took one deep breath and held it, with one eye closed and in one swift motion up and out with all my power I propelled the hook through the muscle and ligaments that held it securely in place, surely that did it I told myself. I opened my one closed eye and to my surprise only the tip of the hook came through the skin, the barb remained in the Captain’s flesh!

I looked up at him with disbelief; he looked at me with pain in his eyes and sweat frantically dripping off his brow. He sat back took a shot of rum and a bite of chocolate while I prepared myself to continue this torture to my Captain. After a few minutes of rest I once again attempted the same process but the hook would not budge. Now at this point in time I have sweat dripping off my brow and I am psychologically feeling and sharing the Captain’s pain as this hook stubbornly remains captured in his muscle tissue. The Captain finished indulging in the chocolate and took a few more sips of rum before he took the forceps into his own powerful hands in an attempt to remove the hook.

The sweat dripping profusely from his forehead, his hand shaking and a determined look in his eyes he set forth to divide and conquer. Unfortunately it took in excess of 35 minutes and many sips of rum to set the hook free.

I insisted that the Captain take oral antibiotics for at least 3 days and have the wound cleaned with peroxide and topical antibiotics applied twice a day
in which he agreed to do. 5 days later I am pleased to announce the punctures remain free of infection.

I think most of us know that Captain Montgomery can be a difficult man to get along with,

he is hard headed, bossy, controlling and downright cantankerous at times. But after observing some of the shenanigans this year involving other captains that are sailing out here on the high sea I decided that it was time to give credit where credit is due. Not only can Captain Montgomery remove fish hooks embedded deep in his own flesh

but most important he has many times guided Mary Rose and crew safely through many complex situations

with never a hint of panic or anxiety. He is a giving soul

who enjoys, as much as I do, the spirit of giving for only a smile and thank you in return. He is kind hearted being who will stand and fight for those he loves and also for strangers being wronged. If he cares about you he will go out of his way to give you what you want or need.

He is blessed with wonderful friends and family and I have great admiration when I see them interact together.

His grandchildren adore him.

He can make you laugh during hard times, he enjoys playing with others.

He is a man who can wear many hats.

He is strong, smart, determined and

not afraid of hard work. Captain Montgomery is a guide

and a teacher

he is not always polite but as he will explain to you if asked, “I’m not here to make everyone happy, my job is to make sure everyone is safe.” One cannot forget how the Captain is also a lady's man!

So during those times when I am frustrated with the Grinch I remind myself how genuinely lucky I am to be the crew for such a wonderful man, captain, and friend.

My love and respect go out to you Captain Donald Montgomery.

Anchor Drag| Ragged Islands| Bahamas| Hog Cay| Southern Anchorage| Duncan Town|

2011-05-18T13:02:00.004-04:00

The Captain and I pulled anchor at Man O War Bay anchorage on the southern tip of Raccoon Cay in the Jumentos earlier than planned due to forecasted changes in the weather that may have required us to have northerly protection. The anchorage at Man O war Bay was beautiful with calm water, outstanding coral growths and a pesky shark that wouldn’t allow me to fish! For some reason this particular shark thought all my bait was intended for him and at one point he broke my 200 lb fishing line for a small piece of conch bait. I did by chance catch a large trigger fish before the shark reached it that provided 4 meals for the Captain and me.
Our intentions were to make it to the anchorage south of Hog Cay by early afternoon. We wanted to go to town with medical supplies for the clinic and then find internet service so we could contact our endearing families since it had been quite some time since we were able to check in last.
We arrived at the Hog Cay southern anchorage at approximately 3pm, we dropped our CQR anchor which is on all chain; we prefer to utilize this anchor when there are coral heads around to avoid any chafing of our rope rode. After the Captain guided the anchor and chain into the crystal clear water, he instructs, “Slowly back down.” In response, I slowly pull the throttle to reverse and Mary Rose began to tug on the anchor to set it, as I do this I keep a close eye on the Lat/Lon readings on the chart plotter. “Captain we are dragging the anchor!” I yell forward as I slide the throttle back into neutral. This scenario went on 3 more times in 3 different locations finally the Captain made the decision to change to our Delta anchor to see if that will improve our situation. One and half hour later we have our anchor down and it appeared to be holding well in 9.2 feet of water. Hooray!!
We cleaned up ourselves and Mary, jumped in the go fast dingy and started our 3 mile adventure to town. At this point we just wanted a cold beer, since it was now so late in the afternoon we decided that we would deal with the medical and school supplies the following day.
We found our way through the mangroves and walked around the settlement of Duncan Town to meet the locals. The people here are kindhearted, welcoming and extremely helpful!
We settled in to bed early looking forward to good night’s rest. But nooooooo…. not going to happen tonight!! No sooner had we snuggled up and found ourselves comfortable when we noticed the wind had picked up and Mary Rose was radically rocking side to side. The Captain and I exchanged glances and jumped out of bed racing each other to the chart plotter. We couldn’t believe our eyes when the depth appeared on the screen, 4.9 feet! We are on the bottom on an outgoing tide, which meant things were going to unquestionably get worse if we didn’t at least try to rectify the situation swiftly. The half moon was shining bright and gave the situation an added spookiness as the Captain climbed down the side of Mary Rose into the dingy with lead line in tow. He speedily drove to and fro checking depths to find out where the deeper water was located. He found the deeper water to our starboard side approximately 100 feet out. All the commotion woke our neighbor up; Sean who was anchored a couple hundred feet from Mary. Sean yelled out to the Captain as he sped by in the go fast dinghy,” Captain you need some help?” “Hell yes!” was the Captain’s reply and he zipped over to pick him up. Once Sean was safely aboard the dinghy they shot off like a bullet into the moon lit night in search of the dragging anchor. Once they located the anchor they lifted it into the dinghy while I was on Mary’s bow controlling the amount of rode slack as they relocated the anchor into the deeper water. Once the anchor was placed both men boarded Mary Rose and went to work on the bow. They worked tirelessly kedging Mary into the deeper water. The Captain ran the manual windlass while Sean tailed the line and I was at the helm controlling power and steerage, teamwork at its finest! Slowly Mary Rose fought her way across the sandy bottom as I kept my eyes critically glued to the depth readings…4.9, 5.0, 5.2, 4.8, 5.5, 5.6 and finally 6.0!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!! Mary Rose’s hull was once again safely cradled in the arms of deep water!! Now it was time for a well deserved adult beverage! We congregated in Mary Rose’s cabin where there was a shot of Rum for all! Sean hung out with us for a while in case the anchor began to drag again which gave us a chance to get to know a little about this young man who took off on a sailboat with his girlfriend as he learn to sail on the go…trial and error method!
After a while we decided the dragging anchor drama was complete for the night. A little before midnight the Captain returned Sean to his vessel and returned back to Mary Rose with dreams of sugar plums dancing through his head. I was top side waiting for his return so I could get hold of the painter line that is used to secure the dinghy. Just as the Captain approached Mary Rose I felt a sharp bump and then another, I assisted the Captain aboard where we once again We exchanged glances and raced to the chart plotter, the depth meter…5.2!! How could that be???? The anchor drug again!! The Captain decided that he could rectify this situation by just pulling in some scope on the anchor rode to pull Mary Rose back into the deep water. He was correct; the problem is resolved for the time being. We set our anchor drag alarm at 20 feet and our low water alarm at 6 feet so we could once again settle into bed this time for a not so restful night.
Life on a boat isn’t always a pot of roses, but it is where our hearts want to be.

Duncan Town | Ragged Island | Bahamas

2011-05-13T15:11:00.002-04:00

We arrived in Duncan Town Ragged Islands Yesterday and will be here until Monday and then we will head North. All is well! Be sure to read the latest blog posts.

Don and Lana

Smith Bay | Cat Island | Bahamas

2011-05-13T15:10:00.004-04:00

Smith Bay, Cat Island, Bahamas deserves a bit of special attention as there are some services that can be of great value to cruisers. Smith Bay itself is not a very large bay for anchoring. It is quite small and shallows out very quickly once you leave the channel to the concrete government dock where the mail boat arrives weekly. You could anchor there for storm protection but there is not much swing room. The cruiser anchorages are south at Fernandez Bay and north of the Smith Bay Channel. Both of these anchorages are clearly defined on the Explorer Charts for the Bahamas. We anchored at Fernandez Bay and took our Dinghy to Smiths Bay.
Just to the north of the government dock is The Bahamas Customs and Immigration office where you can extend your visa or get other help as needed. To the south of the Government dock is a Bahamas Department of Agriculture Packing House. This is a great place to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables at very reasonable prices. We were able to get pigeon peas, mangoes, onions, bananas, plantains, coconut, sugar cane, papaya, canned tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, cassava and more. We hauled away several bags of produce and spent less than twenty dollars. The same items would have cost at least double at the grocery. You must get to the packing house before the mail boat arrives and takes the local harvest to Nassau. We were lucky that the previous mail boat brought in a surplus of onions that had been grown on Andros. This government service is wonderful and I hope it continues in the future.
Next stop across the highway from the government dock is a group of small stores that include limited grocery, computer repair, insurance company and a few government offices. The grocery is where we purchased our water in five gallon bottles to top off our water tanks on Mary Rose. We were able to negotiate a very good price as we bought eleven bottles. They all fit in the dinghy and we were able to return the empties in one trip.
A short walk north along the highway will take you to Hallover’s Hotel, Restaurant and Bar. George B. Johnson and his wife Mavis are the owners and will take very good care of you. While we were there George shared his recipe for boiled fish with us. He showed us his garden and gave us some fresh picked Bahamian HOT PEPPERS! In turn, we gave George some Mexican dried Chiltipien Peppers. George was going to try to plant some of the seeds as the climate on Cat Island is quite arid, much like the area where these peppers are grown. We sat and talked with George for one entire afternoon and learned much about the history of this island and listened intently to his lifelong stories about his experiences growing up here. While we were there we met the Island Administrator. He is the top public official on the island and is appointed to his position by the Prime Minister. George was able answer our questions about an ancient Masonic Lodge we found in ruins on the south end of the island.

George was also personal friends with Miss Emily in Authors TownLana purchased some of Miss Emily’s straw work I took on a quart of her famous bush medicine called twenty-one gun salute. Be sure to see Miss Emily if you visit the island as she is a real sweetheart. The Kalik (Bahamian Beer) is very reasonable at Georges Bar and just the perfect temperature for a hot lazy afternoon of local discovery. George was a wealth of knowledge and we enjoyed talking to him and making a new friend. We encourage you to visit George and enjoy his sincere hospitality.

Simms Settlement |Long Island | Bahamas

2011-05-13T15:08:00.003-04:00

We had just arrived at our first anchorage on Long Island after a full day sail from Conception Island. We had a pleasant crossing but the winds were starting to increase as we arrived at our anchorage just north of Simms at Alligator Creek. We tried to anchor just off the entrance to the government dock at Simms but there was little protection and the holding was poor. We set the anchor in the lee of a high bluff and settled in for some nourishment and a good night’s rest. The next morning we took our dinghy to shore at doctor’s creek to the south of our location but north of Simms. Doctors Creek Mini Mart owned by William Edgecomb and is located about one hundred yards north of doctors creek landing. We purchased a couple of soft drinks and listened to the interesting stories that William had to share. It seems that he had worked in the USA for NASA during the Apollo Space Program. He spoke of the astronauts by first name as though he were a close relative. William also served as an educator in the Bahamas, teaching primary school as well as technical college courses. We enjoyed our visit with him in his modest well stocked mini-mart attached to his house. We met William again later as we left the Blue Bird. He gave us a ride back to doctor’s creek and introduced us to his wife. He and his wife took us out back and showed us the cages where they kept their catch of land crabs. He gave us several crabs that we took back to the boat ant dined on later that evening.

We left the mini-mart and headed north to the Blue Bird Restaurant at the Simms settlement in our quest to find an ice cold Kalik. We walked into the restaurant and we felt as though we had just arrived at Grandpa’s house. As you walk in the door there is a large central table covered with a white lace embroidered table cloth. A chest freezer and an upright refrigerator line one wall that has some memorable photos and posters on it. A ninety degree turn to the right is a long counter with stools from end to end and just beyond is grandpa’s kitchen. Grandpa’s name is Mario Simms; yes the same name as the settlement.

Mario’s ancestors were British loyalists and founded this settlement in the 1700’s. Mario has a warm and welcoming smile and invited us to sit down. We ordered a couple of ice cold Kaliks and began to watch Mario work his magic in the kitchen. Mario moved with grace and precision as he glided from the sink to the stove to the counter and back to the sink. The stove was a large old six burner industrial type gas stove that anyone would be proud to own. There were several pots cooking one thing or another the entire time we were there. There was a pan of fresh fish on one of the counters that he was cleaning and getting ready to fry. The old cast iron skillet on the stove top was sizzling and full with fresh chicken that Mario had cut up himself. The kitchen was warm but still Mario turned the pedestal fan to blow cool air on us rather than him. Mario, you are a saint. The cabinet and sink were just like those you would find in grandpa’s kitchen, complete with a loose handle or mismatched hinge. He orchestrated the entire goings on in this busy little kitchen and waited on customers and never neglected to chat with us or anyone else. He never once seemed out of control or concerned about any of the multiple tasks that he was involved in during our visit. Mario gave us a comprehensive history of this tiny settlement and his experience as a child long before there was a paved road or electricity. The island was recently electrified in the 1990’s. Prior to this the only electricity was provided by private generators powered by fuel that was delivered by the weekly mail boat in 55 gallon drums. Mario spoke of a time when there were many more people on the island and they grew all of their own food and even raked salt from the salt pans on the island. There was no need for currency on the island as the residents bartered with one another for their needs. However, Mario told us that the chicken he was cooking was from the USA as the local population did not care for the wild free range island chickens. I explained that his free range island chickens would bring a premium price in the USA today. Mario lifts the lid off the cast iron skillet and takes out the chicken and places it in a large stainless steel bowl and then covers it with a towel. He reaches into another bowl and flowers more raw chicken before it goes into the skillet, all this time he is watching the rest of the pots and customers to make sure that their needs are met. He does this all with a since of gratification as though he feeding family. All you have to do is show up and ask him what he has and he will prepare dishes family style for groups of four or more at a very reasonable price. A lady walks through the door and orders a dozen pieces of chicken to go for her family dinner that night. Mario simply glides over to the bowl covered with a towel and fills the order. He takes the money for the chicken, returns with change and gives the lady a big grandpa hug. Mario has a face of a well educated, wise, gentleman that reassures you that you are safe and welcome here. We stayed here and admired this man for a few hours and then returned later in the week with another cruising couple. The other couple fell in love with Grandpa’s Kitchen just as you will when you visit the Blue Bird Restaurant in Simms, Long Island, Bahamas.

Long Island, Bahamas | Fishing Fleet | Lady Rovina

2011-05-13T15:02:00.003-04:00

We spent several days anchored at Salt Pond, Long Island, Bahamas waiting for settled weather to voyage to the Jumentos and Ragged Islands on the southeast side of the Grand Bahamas Bank. Our anchorage at salt pond was near the fuel dock where we topped our tanks before leaving. There were many fishing boats at anchor, there with their fish traps piled high. There were several that arrived from the banks with as many as six smaller boats in tow. I learned earlier in the week from Mario Simms at the Blue Chip Restaurant (see separate post on the Blue Chip) that commercial fishing did not exist when he was growing up on Long Island. Now remember that Mario Simms is about 75 years old and lives in a settlement that bears his last name. His ancestors were loyalists that founded the settlement. Commercial fishing on Long Island is a recent development in terms of the history of this island. I was curious to learn more about this rather new industry and find out where and how they fished and what kind of fish they were seeking. Did they process the fish on the boats? Did they sell it locally or take it to the markets in Nassau?
My curiosity was peaked when a fishing boat pulling two smaller dinghies passed us on our initial leg from Salt Pond to the Water Cay in the Jumentos. The very same fishing boat was at anchor at Water Cay when we arrived, her name was Lady Rovina. This might give me a chance to meet the captain and get my questions answered. To my disappointment, Lady Rovina hauled anchor and left early the next morning. We also pulled anchor a few hours later and headed to Flamingo Cay a bit further South in the Jumentos Chain of Islands.
When we rounded the corner to enter the anchorage at Flamingo Cay a few hours later we were greeted with the sight of Lady Rovina at anchor on the north end of the anchorage. We worked our way close to shore in a quiet bay off of a beautiful sandy beach on this uninhabited Island. Only on e Island in the Jumentos and Ragged Island has a settlement on it and that is Duncan Town. There will be more on Duncan Town later in another post.
As soon as we were settled I took our dinghy over to meet the crew of Lady Rovina and ask them if they would sell us some fish since we had not had time to do any angling ourselves. When I arrived I received a friendly greeting and was asked aboard. When I inquired about the fish the Captain asked me ““How much you want? You cLane em yourself?” I assured him that I could clane them and 10 or 20 dollars worth would be plenty. I introduced myself to Captain Barry Knowles and he asked me to come aboard. He was curious to find out if I knew anything about electronics as he was having problems with a newly installed Single Side Band radio. I told him that I installed the one on my boat and would be happy to take a look at it for him. Between the two of us we had the radio working by the next morning with a few minor tweaks. When we were finished looking at the radio we walked back out to the stern of the boat and there was a bag of Lane Snapper and conch all cleaned and ready to go. “How much do I owe you?” I asked. “How about sometiing to drink was the reply?” I loaded the Snapper and conch into the dinghy and headed back to Mary Rose to deliver the fresh seafood to the Admiral and see what was in the liquor cabinet. We had a few choices but we decided that they most likely never get a chance to enjoy good Tequila and we had just purchased a bottle of 100 percent Blue Agave Tequila. That’s the good stuff!
I hopped back into the dinghy and headed toward Lady Rovina and her thirsty crew when a crew member of another sail boat that had just arrived flagged me down. The crew asked if I was going to the fishing boat to see if they had fish. I told them I was and they asked me to bring them some. Not a problem and turned to start the dinghy engine. Then the captain of the sailboat hailed me and said, “not to be picky but if they don’t have any Hog Snapper or Grouper you can just tell them to forget it.” I politely told him OK but thought differently to myself. I had a problem with his statement of “just tell them to forget it.” You see, Lana and I are of the mindset that you must be grateful for the gift you receive and then you will most likely get what you want. It seems to work for us and the other captain’s comment seemed a bit rude. These men were not workers staffing the seafood department at the local supermarket. They were the source of the raw material that ends up at the supermarket and on dinner plates in restaurants across the country. I label this kind of behavior as being borderline Ugly American. I arrived along side of Lady Rovina and gave the crew the bottle of Tequila and delivered the message from Captain Pickyony. They chuckled a bit and said seems like he may have a bit of an attitude. I agreed and wouldn’t you know it…………..there was no grouper or hog Snapper to be found. I delivered that message on my way back to Mary Rose. When I arrived the Admiral had two Snapper in the pan. We ate fresh fish or conch every meal for the next five days. Yes we even had boiled fish for breakfast along with some fresh island bananas and mangoes topped with fresh squeezed lime juice.
I spent a considerable amount of time talking to the fishermen and visiting their boat. Lady Rovina has a large galley and the there always seemed to be something cooking when I went to visit. The boiled fish displayed here is just one of the regular meals.

There was always activity, some were cooking, others hanging laundry, there fish to clean and dishes to do. There was always someone fishing even at anchor in the small harbor on the north end of Flamingo Cay or Fillimingo as it is called by the fishermen that frequent this lovely Cay. The small fish were “bruised up” and put into a bucket to be used as fish trap bait at a later time.

The fish that were large enough to eat but did not have market value were used for personal consumption and for friends and family upon return. Lana joined me on one of my visits and just sat in the dinghy in awe as six foot sharks, four foot barracudas, swarms of seagulls

and huge turtles swam around the fishing boat as Blair Blinton pulled in fish after fish on his hand line bated with fresh conch.
Blair has been fishing these waters for at least fifteen years and lives in Hamilton, Long Island. Blair generally works off the dinghy that is owned and operated by Daniel (Danny) Elija Burrows. Danny was kind enough to show me how to rig a hand line Bahamian style for still fishing. We tried it later and caught several fish at our own anchorage from the deck of Mary Rose V. Danny owned a mother ship at one time but now prefers to partner with Blair and fish the banks from the dinghy. He has been fishing these waters for 28 years. Danny gave us a rare close look at remora that he had just caught. This fish had been stuck to the huge turtle that was swimming near the boat and then released its suction cup to take the bait on Danny’s hand line.
Albert Miller from Simms, Long Island owned and operated the other dinghy that was supported by Lady Rovina for this fishing trip. Albert has been fishing for 22 years and partners with Brian Wilson from Burnt Ground, a settlement on the north end of Long Island. Brian has been fishing for 12 years and always had a smile on his face.

Albert and Brian came by to see us the last morning we were anchored at Flamingo Cay. They had at least two dozen conchs in their dinghy that would be used to bait the fish traps later out on the banks. Brian reached down and picked up to large lobster and gave them to us as a parting gift. Yes, lobster is out of season but a member of The Royal Bahamas Defense Force told me it is OK to take a few lobster (crawfish in the Bahamas) for a meal. Take no more than six or we will take your boat and you cannot take any to sell. So we felt reassured that it was OK to accept the crawfish from Albert and Brian. I asked Albert how much we owed him for the lobster. Albert replied. “you people just want to pay for everyting? It is a gift mon!” I explained that it was a wonderful gift and I felt like I owed them something for the work to get this food for us. In the end we accepted the gift and later watched Lady Rovina head west to fish further out on the banks as the weather was going to be quite settled.
Lady Rovina is owned and operated by Captain Barry Nowles
and his home is in Simms, Long Island. Barry has been fishing for 22 years and is very proud of his boat. Barry showed me the tool that they use to get lobster during lobster season. It is a hook that they use to drag the crawfish out of the hiding place. Once they have the lobster in hand they place it on its back and use the blunt end opposite the hook to kill them by jamming it into their chest. They are then put on ice until they reach the mother ship. The crawfish are cleaned on the mother ship and frozen the same day. Lobster is the main source of income for these men and their families. They all spoke of the difficulty of being away from home and family for weeks at a time while earning a living. Earning a living has become much more difficult as the state of the world economy has caused the wholesale price of lobster to fall by one half. Barry tells me that they will bring home twelve thousand pounds of lobster the first month of the season and only be away from home 10-12 days to make this huge catch. They use hooks and spears to harvest the lobster daily during the season.
Mario from the Blue Chip Restaurant told me that he uses the tail for bait as the crawfish head has the most flavor and best meat! Captain Barry also told me that they harvest about 400 bags of Lane shallow water Snapper during a fishing trip. There are about 45 pounds of Snapper per bag. The best month for Snapper is June when the moon is perfect. Barry and the rest of the fishermen would not disclose the definition of a perfect moon. Barry told me, “Fishing is like being a sniper, always keep your gun on the target and when they move you will get them.

On a perfect moon, one dinghy gets 20 – 30 bags of Snapper per day” This fishing crew tries to plan their trip so that winds are under 20 knots and they always head home for hurricane protection. There are also other reasons for heading home. These fishermen have a responsibility to take care of their family and others in the community. They take this responsibility seriously and show great concern for their friends and neighbors as well as their own family and property.
There is a lot to do in terms of logistics for a fishing trip on one of these boats. Food, gasoline for the dinghies, diesel for the mother ship, communications for weather, fresh water, fish traps, rigging, equipment and so much more. Each dinghy requires about 300 gallons of gasoline for the fishing trip. I saw cases of fresh water in gallon jugs aboard Lady Rovina. The traps are stacked on the top of the boat over the stern deck.

The entire crew splits the cost groceries equally. Each dinghy marks there catch with a different color string so that they know who the fish belong to when they are sold. After they are sold the captain of Lady Rovina gets twenty–five percent of each dinghies catch. Each dinghy pays for their own fuel expenses and the Captain of Lady Rovina pays for the diesel and other expenses of the mother ship.
We feel very blessed to have met these men and to have learned so much from them. We thank them for everything they did for us and we look forward to seeing them again in the future. I am elated to have been able to find the answers to my questions and satisfy curiosities.

Duncan Town Anchor | Ragged Islands | Bahamas | 2011

2011-05-12T14:17:00.000-04:00

All is safe and sound while anchored in the Ragged Islands just off of Duncan Town. Reporting beautiful waters with abundant sea life. Dieting on conch, fish, and happiness.

View Larger Map

Long Island | Bahamas | 2011

2011-05-12T12:25:00.000-04:00

Mary Rose, and crew have landed safely at Long Island Bahamas. Reporting all is well and in good order. Lana caught a substantial Mackerel for dinner delights.

View Larger Map

post by: sm

Nature's Bounty|The Thoreau View

2011-04-29T17:23:00.023-04:00

Update note to start with.... we are at Salt Pond, Long Island, Bahamas. Tomorrow we plan to leave to visit the Jumentos and Ragged Islands. There are no services and no phones. We will be out of contact for the next couple of weeks.

Note: All Henry David Thoreau quotes are in italics.

One farmer says to me, “You cannot live on vegetable food solely, for it furnishes nothing to make bones with;” and so he religiously devotes a part of his day to supplying his system with the raw material of bones; walking all the while he talks behind his oxen, which, with vegetable made bones, jerk him and his lumbering plow along in spite of every obstacle.

Today, I caught a Painted Mackerel on our journey to Long Island; this catch lead my mind to remember how genuinely fortunate we are. The Captain and I began having a discussion regarding all the blessing that we have received from nature and our Father in the form of nourishment. Yes I joke about the beans and rice which we really do eat a lot of but we also eat a lot of very healthy nutritious and yummy foods, fish, conch, lobster, crabs, coconuts, field ripened fruits and veggies and even rain water. Living this lifestyle we don’t have immediate access to a grocery store as most are accustom to; instead we have to practice patience and persistence and sometimes courage. It is all about being happy with what you have (beans and rice) and the universe will provide more, much more. There is a variety of ways that we obtain these foods when the time is right, we hunt with spears underwater, troll while making passages with a fishing pole, pick them from fields and in the wild, climb trees to get them and occasionally we are gifted with these items. Existing on the ocean is all about self sufficient living and allowing your Higher Power to provide for you. It’s about demonstrating faith and not being fearful or lethargic to exert a little effort into obtaining what it is you need for yourself.
The Captain recently finished the book, “Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach” by Don Casey and Lew Hackler. I read it a few years ago and it is a great book that explores the cruising lifestyle using the philosophic teachings and poetry of Henry David Thoreau. Since we have had many inquiries into the subject of dining on the high sea I decided to try something different with this blog and I’m going to attempt to give you a little insight into this subject using the, “Thoreau Approach” and pictures. I hope you enjoy his writings as much as I do.

From the right point of view, every storm and every drop in it is a rainbow.

"A man may acquire a taste for wine or brandy, and so lose his love for water…"

"Cold and hunger seem more friendly to my nature than those methods which men have adopted and advise to ward them off."

" Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. I sat at a table where were rich food and wine in abundance, and obsequious attendance, but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away hungry from the inhospitable board. "
"You must prevail of your own force, as a plant springs and grows by its own vitality."

"…I foresee that if my wants should be much increased the labor required to supply them would become drudgery."
"To ensure health, a man’s relationship with nature must come very near to a personal one…"
"Cease to gnaw that crust. There is ripe fruit over your head."

"I think I will not trouble myself for any wealth, when I can be so cheaply enriched."

"I take some satisfaction in eating my food, as well as in being nourished by it."

The man of genius knows what he is aiming at; nobody else knows.

"…the voyageur will do well to replenish his vessel often at the uncontaminated sources."

"The world and my life are simplified."

"All this is perfectly distinct to an observant eye, and yet could easily pass unnoticed by most."

"Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances…"

"I suspect that the child plucks its first flower with an insight into its beauty and significance which the subsequent botanist never retains."

"Most men…are so occupied with the factitious cares and the superfluously course labors of life that it’s finer fruits cannot be plucked by them. Their fingers, from excessive toil, are too clumsy and tremble too much for that."

"The indescribable innocence and beneficence of nature---such health, such cheer, they afford forever."

Long Bahamas

2011-04-29T17:07:00.001-04:00

We have arrived in Long Island Bahamas. All is well and we will cactch up the blog over the next few days.

Don and Lana

Spring Break, Good Friends, Tuna and Grits

2011-04-26T21:30:00.035-04:00

Guest Blog by Mike DeGeorge

Every year during December and January, our family (Mike, Carol, Rob, Alex) starts getting a little impatient for Spring. Really, I am the impatient one. I start thinking about what we can do as a family during Spring Break, because this may be the last time we are able to go on a vacation together. The kids (they are men, not kids any more) will soon be out of college, focused on their own lives AND this may be our last opportunity. As it turns out this year, the Spring Breaks (Alex: University of Missouri and Rob: Iowa State) for our sons did not align, and Rob really wanted to do something with his friends for a change, since they are getting close to graduation and wouldn’t get many more chances. Carol and I had already decided to go to Mardis Gras in Louisiana at the beginning of March which also did not align with either Spring Break. This year we all seemed to be going our different ways. Alex didn’t have any plans, but last Fall, he expressed that he would really like to go ocean sailing sometime. I got to thinking that Alex and I had never gone on a father/son trip before and this could be the opportunity. Every year since Don and Lana left Kansas City, I am always thinking about how to get down there (where ever they may be at the time) and spend a little time visiting with good friends and get in some good sailing and sun after a long cold winter. After trading a few emails with Don and determining that they could meet us in Nassau, the two ideas came together and Carol graciously agreed to let us boys go. On a side note, I came to the realization that airfare during Spring Break to The Bahamas was not cheap….duh. I decided that this was something that I would regret if we didn’t do it. There might not be another chance. So it was settled…. Alex and I were going to do the Spring Break thing, father/son sailing trip, and get to spend some quality time with good friends. The combination would certainly make for some good memories which is one of the important objectives in life.

Alex and I arrived in Nassau in the late afternoon. We walked out of the airport and we were greeted by a middle-aged Bahamian woman named Kim holding a sign that said “Alex & Mike, welcome to The Bahamas”. She led us to a white Lincoln Town Car with a giant red and blue bow for a hood ornament and took us on a 30 minute ride to the other side of Nassau where the Harbor Club Marina was located. Alex is thinking…..”chauffer, harbor club marina…..what’s next a massage, lobster diner, cocktails at sunset, partying till dawn?”. We arrived at the Harbor Club Marina and were escorted to the dock where Mary Rose was parked. We no sooner walked up along her starboard side and Captain Don rose from the deck below with 3 ice cold Kalik (Bahamian beer) in hand welcoming us to Nassau in style. Admiral Lana was at the Star Bucks nearbye doing some email, so we headed over to find her. Lana let me use her laptop so I could let Carol know that we arrived safely, but after that, we would be out of internet or phone range for the next several days. I love being “connected” to friends and family, but after being “disconnected” (from work) for 6 days, I was reminded that the simple things in life can be quite remarkable and relaxing.

We finished our beer (in Star Bucks). I quickly determined that I need a little cocoa and caffeine help get me through the evening. The night had just begun and the Captain was on a mission. I was pretty sure that it was going to be a baptism of sorts in celebration of our reunion before heading out the next day and following the wind to a place we would decide on only minutes before casting off. We caught up on the current adventures of the Captain and Admiral, and attempted to solve only some of the world’s problems, saving the rest for another night. We vowed what happens in The Bahamas, stays in The Bahamas.

Sunday (Mar 27), we set sail for Allen’s Cay about 30 miles South of Nassau in the northern Exumas. As luck would have it, the wind was from the South and just off the nose, so we had to motor-sail most of the day. Not having had much sleep in the last 48 hours on top of the baptismal reunion celebration in Nassau the night before, I decided to retire below deck and attempt to catch up on some sleep. As luck would have it, I still could not sleep. Don and Alex made several attempts to put up all the sails and shut down the diesel. Later I found out they were just trying to heel the boat over enough for me to fall out of bed. I am pretty sure they had a few laughs courtesy of yours truly. Lana has to put up with these kinds of antics every day. I am nominating her for sainthood when we get back. After about 6 hours of motor-sailing, we reached Allen’s Cay.

Allen’s Cay is a bunch of small low-lying uninhabited islands that provide great shelter from almost every direction.

We set anchor, lowered the dingy, put on our skins/masks/fins, and began the afternoon ritual hunt for dinner (lobster, fish, conch). We motored just to the North of our anchorage and began the search. We looked around many coral heads and rock ledges, but it seemed that someone else had gotten their before us and stole dinner. The clear water, coral, and small tropical fish were not disappointing. The swift current was a little hard to swim through, but made for a good workout. Before we headed back to Mary Rose, we took a quick detour over to the beach area near our anchorage. As soon as we hit the beach, hundreds of Allen's Cay Iguana came out to greet us. The larger iguanas were bolder, but only came so close.

The entire island covered in low lying vegetation and home to a huge iguana colony…very cool. Although, we came up empty handed from the snorkel/hunt, Lana was prepared with fresh lobster that they had caught in the Abacos (North of Nassau) in the days before we arrived. Alex was thinking, I could get use to this….chauffer from the airport, sailing, remote islands, clear water, lobster dinner.

Oh yeah, and let’s not forget Admiral Lana (a.k.a., Master Chef). She has a pressure cooker and she’s not afraid to use it. If I forget to say it often enough…..Thank You, Lana, for all of the wonderful meals. We ate like KINGS the entire week!!! After a wonderful lobster dinner, we retired topside for the after-dinner ritual of watching the sunset, cocktails, and star gazing. At sunset, we heard the much talked about conch horn medley from the others anchoring nearby. We quickly retrieved 2-3 conch shells from below. The Captain (full of large lung capacity) proceeded to blow a nice low tone in response.

You see, this is not just a peaceful echoing sound over the open water and clear air. For the captain, this simple gesture of musical talent from the other boats was really a challenge to see who could outdo each other (you think I am kidding?). Don and Lana couldn’t wait to enter Alex into the competition after previewing his talents several months earlier in Kansas City. Alex proceeded to hit a high note never heard before in that part of the world. The other boats did not respond. Alex did it one more time just to show it was not a fluke.

Mary Rose clearly took the trophy. The Captain was smiling. Don’s secret weapon (Alex) had won him the title of King Conch. OK, I just made that up, but you have to admit it works well in this situation. The Captain welcomed all challengers at every anchorage, but none came close.

Monday (Mar 28), we took our time getting moving. Hey, we are on island time. Besides we were only going 3 miles from Allen’s Cay to Horseshoe Bay on the North side of Highborne Cay.

We were determined to find coral heads that would produce a seafood jackpot. We set anchor, made a giant stride off the port side of Mary Rose and swam to the coral.

It was a fairly large coral head with a moderate current. The four of us fanned out and began the hunt. It was great snorkeling with beautiful tropical fish. We swam, drifted, and searched the entire reef…..no lobster, no conch, no grouper.

If you think we were disappointed, think again. We didn’t catch dinner, but who could complain about the underwater sites and tropical paradise. Later in the afternoon, we decided to go ashore and follow the road across the small island to Highborne Marina.

We heard that there were nurse sharks there that you could get close to. The Marina had a beautiful beach and was setup to accommodate large motor yachts. Near the end of the dock there was a fish cleaning station. We look down into the water near the fish cleaning station and there were 10-20 nurse sharks just hanging out waiting for the scraps.

The dock sat up high out of the water, so we couldn’t get close enough to touch the sharks, but that was probably fine. Nurse sharks are pretty docile, but you never know, since they are use to being fed right there. As we were standing there watching the sharks, looking at the beach and rock formations, and drinking a cold Bahamian beer, a very large motor yacht pulled in called Mustang Sally. It was from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. There was crew of 6 or more for a small handful of passengers. It was a private, personal hotel on the water. I stood there thinking, how cool is that (I am a tech guy, I can’t help it). Personal chef, private quarters, surround sound, and probably a hot tub and exercise room onboard. But, reality is that they were missing the adventure that we were happily experiencing. I am pretty sure they did not visit the iguana nor hunted a coral reef in the last 24 hours. We were on an adventure, while they were deciding what to wear for dinner. It was not even a choice in my mind. Mary Rose had Mustang Sally beat without even entering the contest.

Tuesday (Mar 29), we pulled the anchor, left Allen’s Cay Cut, headed out into the Sound southward to Norman’s Cut determined to find coral heads and sea life suitable for consuming. As luck would have it, the wind was again dead on the nose, so we motor-sailed for about 12 miles. The weather was perfect.

It was a relaxing mid-day ride to our next stop on the tour of the Exumas. When we arrived, there were only a few boats at anchor. We dropped anchor. Captain Don took Alex and Lana in the dingy to the beach on the East side of the island to hunt for sea glass and other lost treasure.

While Don was gone, I prepared the snorkeling gear. There were coral heads on the charts and we were again on the hunt. When Don returned, we headed out. With only two in the dingy that little 5 horse motor (wink, wink) really flies across the water. We headed West, then South, then back East through Norman’s Cut, then North again till we had come full circle. We spent about an hour and a half riding a dingy like a jetski across the waves looking for coral heads and sea life for the taking. Let’s just say, we had a fun ride, but we didn’t find a spot worth putting on the mask/fins/snorkel. On the way back to the boat, we motored around a sunken airplane in the shallows.

It had obviously been there a while since coral had begun to grow on the fuselage. I guess if you had to do a water landing that would be the perfect place since it was shallow and near shore. It made a great snorkeling attraction for those anchored nearby. We returned to Mary Rose for an afternoon cocktail and waited for Alex and Lana to call to e picked up on the beach. “….Mary Rose to Mary Rose mobile, Mary Rose to Mary Rose mobile”……nothing. I guess they are not done treasure hunting and we have time for another cocktail. The captain agreed with little resistance, but we were getting hungry. Just then.….”Mary Rose mobile to Mary Rose, Mary Rose mobile to Mary Rose”. Alex and Lana were ready for Captain Don to pick up the treasure hunters. On their way back, Captain Don took Lana and Alex for a quick tour of the sunken airplane. Lana had found an old Green Tint Almaden Wine Pony Bottle on the beach. Sunset was approaching slowly. We had another unbelievable dinner, buy Chef Lana.

As the sun was setting, we were getting the itch to go ashore and look for Margaritaville. Just then, the dive boat that we saw in Nassau came cruising through the anchorage. The Captain got on the radio and hailed the dive vessel. We discover that they had caught several lobster and fish leaving their last anchorage. We also found out that there was a watering hole on the island just up the road beyond an old dilapidated dock near shore. Alex was pretty well roasted from the sun and he decided to stay on board and read his book. Don, Lana and I took the dingy and headed for the dock. Just beyond the dock, there was a gravel road through the woods and a sign that said Norman's Cay Beach Club at Mcduff's pointing up the road. We walked up the road with some of the people from the dive boat and across the runway. McDuff’s has planked floors and a thatched palm roof. Just the kind of place that you would expect to find on a secluded Bahamian island. It was an interesting crowd from the dive boat and the owner/bartender was about as laid back as anyone that I have ever seen. It was a fun place. We decided to leave while we still had a chance of finding our way back. We forgot one thing…..a flashlight. We walked out of McDuff’s and it was pitch black out except for the star filled sky. We slowly found our way back to the runway. Somehow everything looked different in the dark. The Captain located the gravel road which was difficult to see even after your eyes adjusted to the dark. We learned that the Admiral was having trouble seeing in the dark. So, the Captain thought it would be funny to keep leaving her side without someone to hold onto as we walked down the road. Captain.…for the record….not funny….don’t do it again! While writing this blog post, I did a little research on Norman’s Cay and found out that once upon a time a Columbian drug dealer named Carlos Lehder use to live on the island. You can visit his old house on the North end of the island. He is currently imprisoned in the US. In the 2001 movie Blow, the character Diego Delgado was based on Carlos Lehder.

Wednesday (Mar 30). The night before, the Captain check the engine and oil so that we would be ready to go. He found that the “new” raw water pump he had just changed before leaving Nassau was leaking sea water into the oil of the engine…again. Read a previous blog by Captain Don to understand the history behind this. The weather report indicated that we would have South winds for the next two days. This meant that if we went any further South we would have to motor into the wind before heading back North to Nassau. The spare pump was being serviced in Nassau so we didn’t have a spare on board. We decided to spend the next two days sailing back North toward Nassau. With winds from the South, we would attempt to only use the engine for getting in and out of anchor, thereby reserving the engine in case the wind shifted or we really needed it. We knew the problem was only going to get worse with further time on the engine. We pulled anchor at Normans Cay Cut, motored for only about 10 minutes out into the Banks and set the sails.

We sailed 18 miles back to Allen’s Cay. It was a beautiful relaxing sail. When we got back to Allen’s Cay, we motored another 10 minutes and the anchor was set. It was a gorgeous little half-circle bay island, 10 feet deep, and big enough for only three boats. It was just a quarter mile south of our first anchorage there. This island was also inhabited by iguana. It had a single lone Palm tree near the white sand beach. We are persistent, so we put on our gear and went on the afternoon snorkel/hunt. It was a beautiful bay with many coral heads, rock ledges and protected from the currents. We found many conch shells, but no lobster.

Captain Don speared a grouper and a trigger fish. This was enough for dinner and some for another time. Alex and I really enjoyed the snorkeling and hunting.

We saw many types of tropical fish and coral formations. You could spend hours and never get tired of watching the sea life. Later, we cleaned the conch, grouper, and trigger fish while Lana was preparing another gourmet meal with our fresh catch. As we were cleaning the catch, we noticed a giant stingray with about a 5 foot wing span was scavenging the discarded conch and fish parts just under the boat. That was very cool and unexpected. After dinner, we shared a sunset cocktail with a new friend (Steve) anchored near us. He had solo sailed a 26 foot swing keel boat from Florida recently. That is what I call adventurous. He was a professional photographer photographing the iguana. Steve and Don discovered that they had been to the same places in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan snowmobiling which is where Steve currently has his studio/gallery. It is a small world. We talked for a while, reveled at the star-lit sky, and participated in the nightly conch horn challenge (which by the way, I came in last…again). When it was time to retire, we watch Steve almost fall into his dingy and almost fall out of it (for the record, it had nothing to do with the Gin and Tonic…right). We told him to give us a sign when he made it aboard his boat safely and he did. We concluded another successful day and evening in paradise.

Thursday (Mar 31), we loaded up the dingy, pulled anchor, turned the boat and set sail right from the anchorage and out into the Banks headed for Nassau. Again, we only ran the engine for a few minutes. It was 30 miles from Allen’s Cay to back to Nassau We were going back a day early because of the failing raw water pump. While this was cutting our sailing a day short, we were not disappointed, because we would still be visiting with good friends in a tropical paradise. The alternative was to risk the engine failing without spare parts and potentially be stranded with an eventually shifting wind that would be unfavorable. It was an easy decision. It is all part of the adventure.

The wind and the seas were behind us. At times, we were making 8+ knots and keeping up with other boats built for speed. Mary Rose was giving them a run for their money all the way back to Nassau. We sailed for around 5 hours making record time.

Don, Lana, Alex and I took turns at the tiller. What a great way to end your last day out on the open water. We made our way back to the Harbor Club Marina, topped off the tanks, and tied Mary Rose off at the dock. We tidied the ship and headed to a long awaited fresh water shower.

Friday (Apr 1), we made our way to the auto parts store to get new oil and filters. On the way, we stopped at a local restaurant for breakfast to try the local fare. Lana had made Tuna and Grits for breakfast earlier in the week. Alex thought it was amazing and was ready for more. Alex ordered Tuna and Grits, and I ordered Stewed Fish and Johnny Cakes. Not your typical breakfast, but we didn’t come to the islands to eat something we can get back in the U.S. Many Americans travel abroad only to search for a restaurant serving a hamburger and a Coke. And when they don’t find a typical American meal, they complain and ask why can they be more like the U.S.? I’ll never understand that. The Bahamian breakfasts were delicious. Even after we got back to KC, Alex has been begging my wife (Carol) to make Tuna and Grits. Until you try it, you won’t understand how good it is. After breakfast, we picked up the spare water pump at the shop and caught a bus to the NAPA store to buy oil and filters. On the way back, we got a tour through some of the residential areas and the Downtown tourist area where the cruise ships come in. We got back to the Marina and helped (mostly watched) Don flush the engine oil and replace the raw water pump. Mary Rose was whole again and ready for her next adventure. We celebrated our last evening with a nice dinner at the Poop Deck restaurant down the street overlooking the Marina. While dinner was good, I have to say we ate better aboard Mary Rose…..Thank You, Lana.

Saturday (Apr 2), we showered, ate breakfast, and packed for the trip home. A whole we had gone by in a blink. Alex had a wonderful Spring Break in the Bahamas. For me, it was a very relaxing vacation and much needed break from the corporate world. Most of all, we got to spend some quality time with Don and Lana in paradise. Alex and I could have stayed another few weeks. We all had sad faces, so we said our quick goodbyes and left for the airport. We were leaving with great memories of friends and adventures that most people will never experience in a lifetime. I am very grateful for that. I wasn’t even on the plan yet and, already, I couldn’t wait till next time.

Thank You, Don and Lana. You are great hosts and great friends.

Mike and Alex

The Hermitage | Comer Hill | Mt Alverna | New Bight | Cat Island | Bahamas

2011-04-20T11:54:00.008-04:00

The Hermitage

The Hermitage is most likely the most interesting and most visited tourist attraction on Cat Island. The Hermitage is located at New Bight and sits atop the 206’ Mount Comer. Not much of a mountain by most standards but in the flat islands of the Bahamas this is a majestic sight as it is the highest point in the Bahamas. There is an arch at the base of the path that leads up to The Hermitage that calls this sight Mt Alverna. I suppose that this is the name given it by Father Jerome, the architect and builder of the Hermitage. The Hermitage is a monument to the faith of one man, John Hawes, known as Father Jerome. Father Jerome was born in 1876, spent five years studying at the Royal Institute of Architecture before entering Lincoln Theological College to become and Anglican Minister. There are accounts that he also spent time as a wagon train driver, a monk, a missionary and a horse breeder. In 1911, Father Jerome went to Rome to study three years for the Catholic Priesthood. After a hurricane in 1908 he came to the Bahamas to rebuild churches with mortar and stone that would withstand tropical weather. He later went to Australia to pursue the callings of his faith as a bush priest but when it came time to retire he chose Cat Island. Father Jerome received permission from the Catholic Bishop in Nassau to retire on Cat Island as a hermit and in 1939 he arrived and surveyed Mt Comer. In 1940 he began construction of The Heritage, a miniature replica of a

European Franciscan Monastery. Father Jerome built the entire structure by himself out of native rock including the Stations of the Cross. He chose a place where he could look to the east and see the cobalt blue of the Atlantic Ocean and to the west where he could gaze upon the emerald and turquoise waters of the banks and a breathtaking 360 degree view of the horizon and Cat Island. Father Jerome lived here until his death at age 80. He is buried beneath The Hermitage that he so lovingly built with his own hands. We were simply awed by the work of this single man to construct The Hermitage, The Stations of the Cross and carve steps into this steep, stone mountain. Father Jerome also built a watershed on the stone faced south side of the building site that pooled the water into a stone cistern dug into the mountain. The visit to this place was educational, spiritual and inspiring. It begs one to ask the question……What monument will my life leave behind to inspire others.
If you decide to visit be sure to wear sturdy shoes for the walk to the base of the mount and to climb the tiny steep stairs up to Hermitage and past The Stations of the Cross. A note of caution, there was an active bee hive the day we visited and one of the bees was very aggressive toward the captain. He said it was because he is so sweet.
Portions of The Hermitage text were taken from Explorer Charts. Guide to the Bahamas, On and Off the Beaten Path as well as local publications.

The works of man are everywhere swallowed up in the immensity of nature.
Henry David Thoreau

More fotos to follow in future when adequate internet service is available.

Update | Cat Island | Bahamas

2011-04-18T16:22:00.004-04:00

We are in Cat Island with very limited internet. We are leaving Cat Island in the next 48 hours to visit Conception Island. We do not expect to have web service for the next week or two. We will continue to write off line and update in the near future.

Cat Island Part I

Cat Island | Bahamas | Cruising
We went back to Allen’s Cay after Mike and Alex retuned to Kansas City. We spent a couple of days there and took several grouper by spear fishing and we had an endless supply of fresh conch. We were anchored in our own tiny paradise. We were discussing our next adventure and we decided to go to an island we had not yet visited. While looking at the Explorer Chart Books, we saw a photo on the front cover of the retirement home built on the highest point in the Bahamas by Father Jerome. It was his Hermitage, it was beautiful and we had to see it! So off we went to Cat Island! We left with strong unfavorable winds with a forecast for winds to clock and weaken. It was a rough sail the first half of the day but conditions improved throughout the day. Our original plans were to make Little San Salvador before sundown and spend the night at anchor then continue to Cat Island the next day. We did not make Little San Salvador so we hove-to in light winds and calm seas eight miles off shore and took turns watching for traffic and getting some rest. The next morning we continued to sail east and entered the banks on the west side of Cat Island, just after we passed Little San Salvador.
April 06, 2011
Once on the banks we were in awe of the crystal clear water. We were sailing in 30 feet of water and could clearly see star fish on the bottom as well as the deep colorful coral heads. Our first anchorage was at Arthurs Town. It is a quiet beautiful village that is named after the pirate Arthur Cat. The anchorage was outstanding with great holding in a sand bottom with a few scattered coral heads. We unloaded the dinghy and went ashore. There was no dinghy dock to be found so we beached the dinghy on a small strip of sand which was rocky and conch shell covered and difficult to maneuver. Unbeknownst to us this was the beginning of a trip full of blessings and new friendships! We walked the lovely cemented path to a roadside cabana bar; we think the name of it was Cocktails by the Sea, where we stopped to have beer. Afterwards we headed back to the dinghy and decided to go up the road a little farther to check out a place called “Da Smoke Pot” where we decided to have dinner, on the menu…chicken wings and fries. The food was exceptional and company entertaining. We met the owner, Julian, who is a blast to hang out with. He gifted us with a Cat Island Guide book as well a sample of the local music called Rake ‘n Scrap, his instrument…. A carpenter’s hand saw and a screwdriver raked across the teeth, believe it or not, it made a satisfying sound and provided excellent rhythm. A few of the locals were going to gather that evening to play and he invited us to come and hang out. Regrettably, we tried to make it but the tide was high and the water was all the way up to the road, no place to dock the dinghy but we were determined to try and in the process the Admiral was stung on the leg by a scorpion, so we spent the evening listening to the beat of the island music known as Rake and scrape on Mary Rose under a star studded sky. The next day we moved south to gain some additional protection at anchorage from slightly clocking winds.
April 07, 2011
The name of the next settlement was Bennett’s Harbour. Once again, the anchorage was stupendous with grand holding in a sand bottom with a few scattered coral heads. We jumped in the dinghy and went to town. Fortunately there was a fantastic dinghy dock here, Lana’s scorpion sting was still tender and she was a bit reluctant to climb around on any rocky sandy patches today. As we entered the creek where the dinghy dock was located we noticed a boat standing on its keel in the middle of the creek at low tide. We decided to take a closer look, it was a Westsail 32!!! There she stood proud and confident, her keel wedged severely in the mud and sand refusing to fall for no man or women. She was stripped of most gear and looked tired, her hull covered in dried sludge. We went closer to see if we could get her name and hull number, her name was washed out and difficult to read, Sly Boots. It was a bit heartbreaking to see such a sea worthy vessel in such disarray. We checked around with the locals that were hanging out and no one seemed to know anything about this boat that was held captive in the creek. Update: We found out after sending the hull number to Bud Taplin and continuing to talk to the locals that the vessel has been through 2 hurricanes and the doctor that owns her is living in the States and has had no free time to tend to her. Whenever we arrive at a new port the first thing we do is take a walk to meet the locals. Our first stop today is to check out the local library, we chatted with the locals and then we stopped at a small store named Yardee’s to purchase bottled water. Here is where we met Richard. Rich is a private pilot and builder from New York City and owns the Tail Winds Resort on the north end of Cat Island at Shanna Bay. Rich invited us to anchor in front of his resort and come ashore to visit. He assured the captain that he had plenty of ice cold Kalik but he really enticed us with the free internet and showers! He guaranteed there was an abundance of deep water as well as a protected anchorage. After we concluded our walk we decided it was time to stalk our dinner, we noticed quite a few coral heads on our way in which meant there may be grouper fish! We snorkeled around the bay with no avail; the bay was barren, which means……………….. beans and rice! On our return to Mary Rose we noticed people swimming on the beach. We decided to go introduce ourselves. That’s how we met Gian Franco , Linda and Tito. They were leasing a private home for the week and were very friendly. They mentioned that we should check out Tail Winds which convinced us that it must be a sign, Tail Winds is now a definite! They invited us in for a sundown cocktail, with ICE!! Yeah! But we had to decline since the Admiral had beans and rice to cook and it was getting late. Rain check please!
April 08, 2011
There are no laundry or internet services in Bennett’s Harbour which meant it was time to travel north so we could get those much needed services. So our next stop was Orange Creek. Orange Creek acquires its name from a rare occurrence that takes place only when all the correct conditions occur at the identical time. This includes the angle of the sun, the direction of the wind and waves and the correct tide. When all these environmental conditions align in the appropriate form it causes the entire creek to appear a dazzling, luminescent orange color. It is said by the locals that a person may only see this phenomenon 2-3 times in their lifetime, but it is something you will never forget if you are fortunate enough to see it. First stop, The Orange Creek Inn which consists of a hotel, store and laundry. Margaret is the proprietor and is very helpful. This is the great place to provision since her prices are the cheapest we have seen in a while. Her selection is limited but there are still many items to choose from. The store is closed from sundown Friday and all day Saturday to allow Margaret to celebrate her Lord and the Sabbath so no provisioning until Monday if you arrive after sundown on Friday. Margaret has fast internet that she will allow you to use for a small donation that goes to her church, Seventh Day Adventist. We also met some local fishermen who were also preparing for their Sabbath rest. Once again we ran into Rich. I suspect this happens often on this island since there is only one main road that runs north to south. Rich loaded us up in his delightfully vintage 1947 Willy’s jeep and drove us to see his resort. We enjoyed a beer in this beautiful place as well as spent some time getting to know Rich. We concurred that we must come and spend some time anchored at Shanna Bay. With provisioning and laundry completed and internet items accomplished it was time for relaxation and a game of cards.
April 09, 2011
We decided it was time to go to the Tail Winds Resort on Shanna’s Bay just north of Orange Creek around Orange Point. We slowly worked our way around the point as it was in an area on the charts that was not yet surveyed. We anchored in a lovely spot after scouting the area with our dip stick to make sure Rich was correct in regards to the massive amount of water in the bay. We settled in and then took the go-fast dingy to the beach on the north end of the island and that is where Lana found the message in the bottle. We then returned to Shanna’s Cove and went ashore to visit Rich. This is where we met Emily and Kathy that were guests at the Tail Wind Resort. Later that night we all boarded Rich’s 1947 Willy’s jeep and headed for a local restaurant called “Da smoke pot.” It is named after the practice of putting out a smoke pot up wind at night to keep the bugs away. The food was excellent and later in the evening a “Rake and Scrape” band started to play. It was wonderful and the Captain just happened to have his maracas with him. Needless to say, the captain became part of the band and before the night was over they even made a new song up about the captain. We spent the night in one of the resorts luxurious villas. Thank you Rich!
April 10, 2011
Rich was trying to arrange a snorkel trip for Emily and Kathy through local services but was running into barriers so we decided to offer our services and take everyone sailing and snorkeling. We had a great time and Lana made some excellent Conch Ceviche for us all to snack on. The captain speared a huge queen trigger fish but it got loose and swam away. Later that night, we all gathered at the resort and created a wonderful tropical dish from rice, shrimp, conch and many other ingredients.
April 11, 2011
Lazy day spent catching up the blog, talking to family and friends on Skype, showers and exploring, we also watched a bit of TV at Tail Winds to get caught up on world events…that was depressing
April 12, 2011
Lazy Day
April 13, 2011
Today we moved to Bennett Harbour and met up with our new acquaintances Gian Franco and Linda at their rental property. There was a bit of upheaval occurring when we arrived, Boxie the local run around dog had been shot and Linda was working hard and trying to rectify the situation and help him. Boxie is a bit of a terror to the locals from what I gathered, possibly due to abuse because he is gentle as a lamb to the vacationers. Nonetheless someone shot Boxie and Linda was determined to make sure he was carried for. Thanks to you both for the provisions, perishables mean so much when you are cruising.
April 14, 2011
Today we moved to Fernandez Bay. It was a nice, slow lazy sail all morning into mid afternoon at which time rain showers began developing. We had rain showers in front of us, rain showers behind us and of course the rain preventer up, aka rain catcher. We call it the rain preventer because every time we put it up the course the rain showers are following magically change direction. We made it to anchor minutes before the winds picked and began to make a little havoc. At 1605 we were in the final phase of putting gear away when the Captain yelled, “Water spout touching down, grab the camera, no wait... There are 3 water spouts touching down!!” It was a magnificent sight to see these powerful mix masters of nature. They formed at the base of the clouds and reached down to churn the water into a frothy brew below them. They were about 1 -2 miles from us and moving away but still the Admiral was nervous. I told her to take refuge in the basement. She gave me a bewildered look and went below.
April 15, 2011
Wake up slow was our motto today. We went snorkeling speared three yummy fish! Our newest neighbors is a boarding school of 7 high school kids on a 70 foot sailing vessel, Geronimo, there are also 3 crew on board. Purpose?? Turtle research. The reason I know so much about this vessel, one of the crew members swam up to Mary Rose incognito style to admire Mary while the Capt with binoculars in hand was being a Nosey Ned and Stew the Crew caught him in the act of snooping.

To be continued.......photos later........

Perkins 4-108 | Raw Water Pump | Failure | Westsail 32

2011-04-12T11:19:00.000-04:00

We were eager to be ready for our guest that would soon be arriving from Kansas City. We were in the Abacos and soon to be on our way to Nassau to meet them before heading to the Exumas. In preparation for the extended voyage I performed routine maintenance on Mary Rose. I changed oil and filters and went through the entire check list for a through shake down before our guests arrived. I noticed that the engine oil was a bit full before draining it but contributed it to overfill. We left the Abacos in route to Nassau on an overnight passage and had to motor sail a good deal of the way in rough seas to make way against a strong head wind. Fortunately we had allowed an extra day in our travel plans and we were able to fall off the wind and head for a safe and protected harbor in Eleuthera. We made an early daylight landfall and got some much needed rest after sailing all night. Later in the day, I checked the oil on the engine and it was overfull by at least two quarts. I was in shock. I knew that I did not overfill the engine with oil this time. I took the oil fill cap off and there were signs of water in the oil. There was a slimy white substance in the valve cover and also clogging the engine air breather screen where the valve cover breathes. I removed the valve cover and cleaned the top of the head as best I could. I then removed the contaminated oil, refilled it and changed the filter. We were supposed to have favorable winds the next day and I could run the engine at a minimum and deal with the problem at dock in Nassau. I suspected that the problem was the raw water pump but there was no water in the engine pan coming from the weep hole of the raw water pump. The weep holes are a safety for lip seal failure to keep the salt water from fouling the oil in the engine. We ran the motor at a minimum to leave the anchorage and set a course for Nassau outside of the reef. The winds were from the Northwest which made the reef system and Islands east of Nassau a leeward shore. Any engine failure or problems here could spell disaster as the passage through the reef and small cays is very intricate. We were about three hours from Nassau and about one and a half hours from the cut we had chosen to pass inside the reef. A small still voice coaxed me to look at the charts for an alternative cut through the reef. We were very near a cut that would actually shorten the distance to Nassau and was a bit wider and deeper than our original choice. We adjusted our course and plotted our new strategy on the chart plotter. We had to motor to get through the reef and I noticed that the temperature gauge was running a bit higher than normal. We were less than one half mile inside the reef when the temperature alarm sounded and we were only running 12-1500 rpm’s. Our normal cruising range is 1800-1900 rpm. I shut down the engine and did a quick check to find that the oil was yet again at least two quarts overfull. Obviously the lack of water going to the cooling system and into the engine was the cause of the engine overheating. We were in the lea of the small cays and the seas were calm. I performed yet another engine oil change and head cleaning while bobbing along on the banks just inside the reef. It is a good thing that I saved a couple of extra empty oil jugs and had a good reserve of fresh oil on board. We were very thankful that the engine did not overheat before we passed through the cut between the reefs. We dodged a bullet on this one. The admiral was extremely helpful and patient as I barked commands at her that had the tone of a surgeon losing a patient in a major operation. More paper towels….hand me this….hand me that….wipe the oil from the jug….you get the picture. She remained cool and calm and made the job go very quickly. We lost about an hour due to the unexpected maintenance and then we were on our way. By this time the wind had dropped to nothing and we had to use the engine if we were going to make Nassau before sundown. Thoughts began to race through my head: our guests arrive tomorrow…..how will I ever have this fixed in time to take them sailing…..should we try to charter another boat…..we felt horrible if this caused our guests to miss the sailing trip we had planned for them. As soon as we were within cell phone range I call my trusted diesel marine mechanic in St Petersburg, FL. He confirmed that the symptoms pointed to a failed raw water pump. Cristy gave me a great deal of comfort by telling me that there was most likely no damage to the engine as I had replaced contaminated oil with fresh oil which displaced the water and maintained adequate lubrication for the bearings. Phewwww…….another bullet missed us. Cristy explained the steps to fixing the problem and cleaning the engine of the thick milky substance we referred to as sludge.
1. Change the raw water pump.
2. Drain the contaminated oil.
3. Flush the engine with a mixture of diesel fuel and light weight oil. (3 qts oil to 1 qt fuel)
4. Flush the engine three times for 15 -20 minutes each time at slow speed.
5. Change the oil filter after the last flush and refill with normal oil for the engine.
Fortunately we had a spare raw water pump on board but that also presented a problem. The same person rebuilt both pumps less than a year ago in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The current pump certainly failed prematurely and could I trust the other one he had repaired??????
I started at 5 AM the next morning with the pump change and oil extraction as the engine was nice and cool. After breakfast I found a taxi that transported me to a NAPA in Nassau and I purchased the required oil and filters to clean the engine internally. The Starbucks across from the marina in Nassau provided us with all the old newspapers that we needed to keep the sludge from soiling the inside of Mary Rose. The job was finished by 11 AM and now I had to find someone to repair the pump I had removed. I found someone but it would not be ready before we departed the next day with our guests to sail the Exumas. Our guest arrived about 2PM and we were freshly showered and ready to entertain and spend some great time with our dear friends.
We departed the next morning and all was well and we had to motor most of the day to get to Allen’s Cay. We had a great time and then two days later the oil was overfull again on the dip stick. Pump failure in less than 24 hour run time. It all worked out as our solar kept up with our electrical needs and we only ran the engine a few minutes at a time when needed for entering or leaving an anchorage. We did have to cut our trip short by one day to take advantage of favorable winds to get us back to Nassau without the aid of our engine.
Once we were in Nassau I put on the newly rebuilt pump and had the recent failure rebuilt the same day. I also had to go through the steps of cleaning the internal engine again. The shop that rebuilt the pumps in Nassau explained the reason for the pump failures. The Ponce mechanic placed a seal on both sides of the bearings. These pumps only require a lip seal on the water side of the bearing. When he put a seal on both sides of the bearings it shut off the weep holes and when the seal failed the water went to the crank case instead of out of the weep holes and into the pan under the engine. We now have twenty-five hours on the raw water pump and the engine has never run better. The oil looks great and it is cooling well. You can be sure that I will learn to repair the raw water pump myself and keep the spare parts on board as well as a spare pump ready to replace any failure.
Speaking of replacements………while we were at the Marina in Nassau making the final repairs and returning our guests, we met a cruising couple on Osprey from Kokomo, Indiana that gave us a spare starter for our Perkins 4-108. We were in total disbelief. We want to thank Jerel and Tammy Roe for their kindness and generosity.
The shop that repaired our pumps in Nassau is Albert’s Marine Service. 242-394-6989 or 242-457-0139 Albert’s received very high recommendations from marina staff and seemed to have a very good reputation in the market. He is located a short distance from the Nassau Harbour Club Marina on a side street. Just ask anyone in the marina area and they will direct you to his shop.
Lessons learned: listen to the small still voice when it speaks, keep a working spare on hand, keep replacement parts on hand to make a repair, there are wonderful generous people everywhere, angels still protect us!

Explorer Charts | Cat Island | Anchorage | Area Not Surveyed | Shanna's Cove

2011-04-12T10:34:00.007-04:00

We love our Explorer charts and our Garmin Chart Plotter uses the Explorer Charts for the Bahamas. Explorer Charts are the most accurate and comprehensive charts of the Bahamas. However there are some areas that are not surveyed and it is noted as such on the charts. We appreciate the fine work of Monty and Sara Lewis. A short time after we arrived in Cat Island we met Rich Saetta, the owner of Tail Winds resort on Shanna’s Cove. Rich invited us to visit and anchor off the beach in front of his resort. Shanna’s Cove is not listed on the charts and it is north of Orange Creek Point. In order to get there you had to round Orange Creek Point to the west and head north. That would have us sail through an area that is not surveyed and into an area that reported very shallow depths on the chart. We were a bit cautious but we decided to go and poke around to see if the great depths the locals were reporting were true. We went very slow and used our VPR (Visual Piloting Rules) to navigate these new waters. We were pleased to find that we had adequate depth the entire route to Shanna’s cove. Rich has always been curious as to why the sailing vessels that visit Cat Island never venture past Orange Creek and into the waters off of his resort. The answer is very simple. The area to get there is not surveyed and the reported depths are too shallow for keel boats. We have been anchored here now for several days and the anchorage is one of the best we have ever experienced. The water is plenty deep at 9 – 10 feet MSL and gin clear in soft sand. There is good protection from the NNE all through the South. The beaches are an astonishing pink color with some coral heads close to shore for snorkeling. The sunsets are spectacular and Rich’s resort is very cruiser friendly. Rich offers shower facilities for cruisers, a great Tiki bar, excellent food, WiFi and beverages as well as very helpful local knowledge. Rich makes a half pound cheeseburger with fries that is the best we have ever had in the Caribbean! We encourage you to visit Rich at the Tail Winds Resort when you visit Cat Island. His web site address is: www.tailwindsresort.com or call him at 242-432-5276. Another bonus of this anchorage is that you are a short go-fast dinghy ride from the beautiful beach on the north end of the island. It is a great experience in settled weather and this is the beach where the Admiral found the “Message in a Bottle.” You can read all about that on this blog site as well.

Here are the GPS waypoints to get you from Orange Creek and around Orange Creek Point to the anchorage at Shanna’s Cove. The starting point is the anchorage at Orange Creek as marked on the explorer Chart for Orange Creek.

LAT LON

Starting Point N 24 38.497 W 75 42.865

First Turn N 24 37.162 W 75 44.420

Second Turn N 24 38.041 W 75 45.444

Anchorage N 24 39.760 W 75 44.640

All turns and tracks are in 8 - 10 feet of water at MLW and the anchorage is in 9 feet MLW. As you approach the anchorage, look for two large patches of dark grass and anchor between them before you get to them. The anchorage is a large area of deep sand with a bottom clear of rocks and coral with excellent holding. We did not experience any swell during our stay. Beware of weather patterns that may blow from the SSW to N. There is good protection from NE to South and the anchorage is deep sand with excellent holding. The anchorage is directly in front of Tail Winds Resort. The lat lon for the Tail Winds Resort is N 24 39.831 W 75 44.545 Be sure to land your dinghy a bit to the north of the Tiki bar and large rock on the beach to avoid a rocky area just to the south of the Tiki bar. You will need a long painter to tie your dinghy to the rocks in front of the Tiki Bar, trees or the flag pole. Tell Rich you read about his resort on our blog and let us know how your experience went during your visit.

Note: VPR (Visual Piloting Rules) apply in this area. Good weather, sunlight, bottom reading and piloting skills required.

CAUTION: The positions are approximate and the publisher of this blog assumes no liability for omissions, errors, or alterations and advises that following these navigation directions is done at the Mariners risk. The prudent Mariner will not rely solely on any single aid to navigation.

Message In A Bottle | Found! | Cat Island | Bahamas

2011-04-11T11:44:00.010-04:00

Message in bottle found after 5 years a drift on 04/09/2011.

After listening to the occasional complaining from the Admiral regarding no beach days since our arrival to Cat Island, mind you Cat Island has some of the most stunning pink beaches in the Bahamas, the Captain thought it wise to treat the Admiral to a beach day. The air was warm, the sun shining bright with a gentle breeze scooting through the atmosphere. The water was flat with barely a ripple drifting diagonally across the surface these conditions would permit us to navigate safely as well as comfortably to the east shore of the island, the perfect day for beachcombing. We arrived to the ocean side of the island without obstacles; the vision that unfolded before our eyes was breathtaking. Postcard perfect! The beach went on ceaselessly, shimmering pink tinted sand, the water gin clear with marvelous reefs breaking the waves long before they reached the island, paradise! We docked and secured the dinghy and began our stroll. The Captain and I looked around at the beauty that enclosed us, how truly blessed we are to be living in this dream. Now the adventure began beachcombing! It’s amazing the items that can be found on ocean side beaches and what better way to spend a beautiful morning than to treasure hunt in paradise! The morning exploration started out slow, no sea glass, no old bottles, and no shells but the exercise felt great. We decided to hike a little farther prior to heading back when I glanced up the beach along the water line and noticed a green glass bottle lying in the sand. From afar there didn’t appear to be anything extraordinary about the bottle but I felt an impulse to take a closer look. As I approached closer I noticed something sparkly inside the bottle, ok curiosity had me now! I ran up the slight incline and seized the bottle, there was something wrapped in foil inside and the bottle was sealed closed!!

I FOUND A MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE! I have envisioned finding a bottle with a message in it but I never imagined I would actually find a real message in a bottle! I bolted off en route for the Captain with bottle in hand bubbling with enthusiasm to share with him the treasure I discovered. We attempted to open the bottle on the beach but the cork plug was in too tight so we decided to return to Mary Rose to change clothes and take the bottle to the Rich’s resort, Tail Winds to share with him this exciting discovery. The anticipation was driving me mad when we finally arrived at the resort, Rich loaned us his wine opener as we gathered around the tiki hut to open the bottle. It was a bit of a challenge to remove the cork, it was stuck fast in the opening but at last the cork released its grasp and broke free! I slipped the foil wrapping out and began painstakingly opening it being careful not to tear the white paper that was cocooned inside. The eagerness grew with each passing moment! Then to my astonishment I observed through a small tear what appeared to be money cocooned inside the white paper! I vigilantly continued to remove the foil wrap; could there really be money inside, if so how much??!! After removing the foil with all eyes focused on the paper, I placed it on the bar and began cautiously unrolling it to keep it intact. Inside was a computer typed page with $10 US dollars attached. It was dated Oct 20, 2005, and read:

“This bottle was placed in the ocean at Hudson Canyon, USA. Please contact me. I would like to know where and when you found this bottle. The $10 inside the bottle will help with cost of postage/phone in contacting me. A $50 reward will be given to you upon contact.”

Then it listed his name, address and phone number. How cool!! Rich was kind enough to let us use his phone and I zealously called the number listed on the page. I was slightly anxious because I wasn’t sure how to correctly pronounce the person’s last name nor was I sure if the phone number listed would still be an active number after 5 years. It seemed to take years for the international connection to take place as I stood holding a silent phone to my ear, then out of the silence I heard the long awaited ring… one ring, two rings, 3 rings… “hello” came a woman’s voice from the other end. “Hi” I said, “is this the Porycki residence?” With a long pause she answered “yes it is, may I ask who is calling?” Well that was the answer that opened the barn door. My mouth began flooding out like a swift current carrying my story through the distorted phone line. She seemed a bit bewildered and energized as I told her my story. Unfortunately her husband who threw the bottle off the New Jersey coast over 5 years ago was not home so I explained that I would be posting the story to our blog along with pictures and that I would be more than happy to call him again when we had adequate internet service. The approximate location of the found bottle is:

LAT/LONG Position: N 24° 40.812 W 75° 44.286

The remarkable part of this story is the probable voyage this bottle has taken, the places it has been, the encounters it has made and for it to arrive on a reef filled beach on the east coast of Cat Island without a mark is amazing! Here is a synopses of what may occurred during the journey to the beach of Cat Island: This bottle was tossed into the ocean off the New Jersey coast, made its way easterly until it became swept up into the Gulf Stream, where it most likely travelled to Great Britain and Europe passing unsuspecting cruise ships, shipping vessels, war ships, after making a leisurely turn south it most likely glided along the majestic western coast of Europe heading towards the beautiful Mediterranean where it in all probability slid past unwary luxurious sailing vessels then making another long slow turn until it was parallel to the equator and headed west finding its way to the many strong currents that head back north and converge with the Gulf Stream. Who knows how many times this bottle made this circling journey over the past 5 years, It would have probably continued circling until something happened and it broke it free. When imagining the voyage this little bottle took over the past 5 + years one must be amazed! Over the past years I’m sure it wasn’t always a pleasurable ride, it must have battled gargantuan waves that lifted it high to only crash down upon it, inconceivable storms that tossed it around like a huge washing machine, wakes of huge commercial vessels that tossed violently it out of their way, I’m sure this bottle carries a wonderful story of adventure. As for the $50 reward, I requested the money to be given to a women’s shelter, school or whatever organization that drew their hearts. Thank you to the Poryckis’ for this bona fide delightful experience!

Mangoes Marina | Marsh Harbor | Abacos |Bahamas

2011-04-11T11:30:00.002-04:00

We were put up in Marsh Harbor for several days to ride out one of the frequent cold fronts that pass through the Bahamas on a regular schedule. The Harbor was crowded, but there was still room at anchor. We decided to dinghy to the local marinas and check see if there were discounts off of the published prices. We discovered that most of the marinas in Marsh Harbor were willing to discount their prices just for the asking. We decided on Mangoes as it had a good approach and was on the south side of the Harbor where the main part of town is located. Mangoes Marina is just west of the Moorings Charter base and has a large sign over the main part of the dock. If your draft is four feet or over then you should wait until mid tide or higher before making your approach. Most of the slips will accommodate deep draft vessels. You should hail Mangoes Marina on VHF channel 16 where you will be asked to switch and answer channel 12. You can also call them at 242-367-4255. We were greeted with a cheerful welcome and spoke with Ray. Ray is the dock master and is very knowledgeable of the area and extremely helpful. Ray will give you good directions for avoiding any shallow areas on the approach to the marina. Just ask! We received AAA+ service upon arrival and during our stay. Ray as well as other individuals were dockside to greet us and lend an experts hand with the dock lines. We stayed several days and returned later for another lengthy stay. We made several new friends while we were there. A great time was had by all! Mangoes Marina, Ray and staff gets our highest award for price, quality and service. We give them a very high recommendation.

I'm a Grateful Dad!

2011-04-08T14:35:00.002-04:00

Being the parent of well adjusted children that have become responsible productive adults is a true blessing and a wonderful gift. Well adjusted, responsible and productive are subjective and require some further definition. This is fairly simple for this discussion, as I simply mean what is reasonable behavior of an adult. Not looking for the extraordinary, even though they certainly could be on the high end of achievement. But this conversation is not meant to compare success to others but to recognize it in those that have obtained it and live their life as a reasonable adult. So what is reasonable? I am sure that opinions vary in regard to this question and could be skewed by influences such as culture, education, geography, physical ability and health. I am not going to try to cover it all but just give a brief idea of what I mean by reasonable behavior. You might be considered reasonable and responsible: If you are an adult and have or seek employment to care for yourself or your family, then this is reasonable behavior. This gets even tougher during these depressed economic times. In other words if you are able to work, you work or your actively seek work. You do not seek handouts as a way of life. If you are an adult and you do not engage in illegal activity including recreational drugs, then this is reasonable behavior. If you are an adult that cares for your family and provides for your own children and their needs, then this is reasonable behavior. If you are an adult that puts their family above others, nurtures them and educates them, then this is reasonable behavior. I could go on forever with examples but if you are an adult and you are trustworthy, loyal, courteous, kind and respectful and act as a reasonable person might be expected to live and act then you have arrived. I have had many men and women my age tell me that they would love to be free of family restraints so they could go cruising as I do. We are not talking about one or two but dozens and that is just recently and in my small circle. As we talk they begin to tell me about their adult children that are unemployed, living with them and not going to school nor actively seeking employment. Then others tell me about their adult children that are deeply addicted to drugs or alcohol and unable to take care of their own children. Still others share about adult children that have abused themselves to the point that they require daily caregivers and regular medical attention. These are a few of the examples that have been related to me recently by folks my age that are certainly acting in a responsible manner by helping their adult children that have made some very poor choices themselves. My point here is that when others chose to live an irresponsible life it causes others that choose to act responsibly to postpone and sometimes give up their dreams. My hat is off to these men and women that continue to choose to do what is right and responsible. I applaud them and their efforts to right a wrong. I so wish these individuals could see that their bad choices steal the dreams and resources from their parents, loved ones and the taxpaying public. To this end……………I want to tell each of my four children how proud of them that I am that they have choose to live as reasonable and responsible adults. Thank you for taking care of yourselves and your families. I Love YOU! This is a wonderful gift and I am a very Grateful Dad!

Cat Island | Bahamas

2011-04-08T13:06:00.004-04:00

We have arrived in Cat Island, Bahamas. We will have time to make several blog updates while we are here. We have been here since Wednesday, after an all day and night sail from Allen's Cay in the Exumas. We plan to have an extended stay on Cat Island.....It is beautiful!

Friends and Travels

2011-04-02T10:43:00.003-04:00

Mike and Alex just left for the airport after spending a fun filled week with us. Great friends, great memories! Thanks Alex for requesting to spend your spring break with us!! Posts will be coming soon with more details. Currently the Capt and I are preparing to sail south to the Exumas where we will drop anchor at Allen Cay as we wait out a big blow that is forecasted to come through tomorrow. Afterwards we plan to keep going south till......who knows?! Will update as internet service allows.

Night Passage|Abacos|Little Harbor|Nassau|Bahamas

2011-03-26T13:55:00.004-04:00

We spent the day preparing for our overnight sail from Little Harbor in the Abacos to Nassau to pick up our soon arriving guests. There is a lot of work involved in preparing for an overnight crossing. The journey must be mapped out with the paper charts then entered into the chart plotter and the GPS then reviewed once again for verification. Some say that it is nuts to do all this repetitive plotting but we feel it is important since we will be traveling through skinny water with scattered reefs as well as 10,000+ feet of water with Atlantic swells, if we were to have equipment failure our back up plan is already in action and we believe there is no such thing as too much planning. After our course is plotted the next important preparation is to get our fishing gear ready to be dropped as soon as we reach the ledge, fish for dinner, very important! Sandwiches must be made, in case no fish are caught, another backup plan, plus the Captain likes to snack on his watch so the Chips Ahoy must be assessable. The sea cocks in the head and galley must be closed; any heel over 10 degrees causes’ water to back up in the sinks which puts us at a risk of taking water on board. Then we must assess the cabin area, all loose items must be securely stowed, it’s amazing how objects can find their way unbound and go flying across the cabin in a 20 degree heel. All systems must be checked such as the level of oil in the engine, amount of fuel on board, belts are checked for wear, seals for leaks, and an overall visual of the engine compartment. The dinghy must be brought on board and secured as well as the 75 pound out board motor which is not an easy task. Sail covers removed anchor up and stowed.
The list goes on and on, it is quite a chore preparing for an overnight passage.

Once underway I am in charge of the watch schedule and set up, we normally do 3 hour watch rotations with 30 minute lapse time in between to allow the person coming off watch to wake up and freshen up, it also allows the person coming off watch to unwind before going below to rest. We also use this time to give a brief report of what is going on, what has happened, and just say hi to each other.

Now it’s time for night watch on Mary Rose, close your eyes and join me.

The night breeze is blowing; the air is damp and brisk as it passes over the side of your face. The coolness is not uncomfortable but just enough to keep your senses vitalized. It is early morning and the only sounds you hear is the whoosh of the water as it moves out of Mary’s way the sound is rhythmic almost hypnotic, then you can hear the occasional flutter of the mainsheet as excess air spills over its massive sides and the gentle snoring of the captain as he rests below. The air is damp and smells of fish and musk. The scenery is dark, all you can see is the vast blackness as you peer out into the water and the white trail of sea foam the rises out of the darkness and surrounds you as Mary’s bow cuts through the water. In the water you also notice the dazzling bio luminous that salsa through the disturbed water, giving the image of diamonds in the water. In the distance you can make out the vague line that separates the sky from the water. The sky is cosmic and painted the darkest blue like a blank painters pallet sprinkled with zillions of silver twinkling stars, no moon, no clouds just vastness. Your senses must stay alert as you sail into the darkness. Keeping ever watch on the horizon and radar for others wishing to invade you space. You stand ever so often and meticulously scan the horizon, a slow 360 degree turn in search of white, green or red lights that appear and disappear as vessels approach closer and closer. There just ahead, you see a red light, you quickly refer to the radar screen to validate what you see, but there is nothing there, you ask yourself if maybe your senses are playing tricks, you verify visually and yes they are there and they are approximately 2 miles off your bow. You transform in to action mode and try earnestly to hail the approaching vessel, “Vessel on the south east side of Great Abacos heading north, this is sailing vessel Mary Rose on you port side. Do you have a visual on us?” You wait with annoyance for a reply, nothing heard. You repeat this time with more passion, “Vessel on the south east side of Great Abacos Island heading north, this is sailing vessel Mary Rose on you port side. Do you have a visual on us?” Still nothing heard as the red light approaches closer and closer! Within nano seconds your mind begins to seek through all the information you know and have learned about sailing, and then in an instant it hits you, you have no option but to change course!! You jump below as Mary dances through the rocking seas and you flip the engine switch to the on position, you jump back into the cockpit with lighting speed and grab the tiller off of the autopilot and fiercely push Mary Rose’s bow off the wind , she responds quickly, her course changes dramatically and you pass the sailing vessel approximately a quarter of a mile to your starboard side, collision avoided! The scoundrel boat must be oblivious to what has just occurred as they sail along through the darkness with no radar reflector, no one manning the helm what kind of idiot can this person be? Hence, one reason there is constantly the need for night watch! After avoiding a near collision it is time to get Mary back on course shut down the engine and drink a cold glass of milk to calm the nerves. As the adrenaline wears off you return to the challenge of keeping your body alert and aware of your surroundings…coffee time! You settle down in the cock pit as you look around you realize that the Atlantic swells are living up to their reputation, the swells have grown to 5-8 feet and are approaching about every 3 seconds. Mary’s bow is crashing through them with both power and with reverence. We are wrapped in two of the most powerful forces on earth, the ocean, the sky and either could open up and devour us at anytime, and this fact we have great respect for. Sailing is all about respect. As your night watch advances forward, your body grows tired as well as your mind. You begin to think about things, people in your life, mistakes made, regrets discovered, loves lost before their time, upcoming week’s menu, for me, tonight, my thoughts this early morning is my surroundings. It is incredible the concepts your mind will divulge when your body is fatigued. You park yourself in the cock pit, body fighting not to give in to the fifteen degree heel that resulted from an unpredicted increase in wind speeds. In a quick glance you notice under the boom that there is a light off in the distance, you struggle to stand and maintain your balance to evaluate the situation. It’s bright and elongated, your first thought is it’s one of those pesky cruise ships, but within a split second you realize it’s the moon rising! What a glorious sight to behold, large bright and orange and interconnected with the ocean. You stand in awe, giving little consideration to the struggle you body is fighting, your focus is this magnificent sight but in your mind you realize with the rising of the moon come new obstacles! The light of the moon is tremendous and lights up the surroundings. It seems to magnify the water and the swells that you knew were there before but now come to life. You look around and no longer is there just the darkness but now you behold large ominous outlines of the enormous swells that Mary has been pouncing through. You also notice there is a wind driven chop on top of the frequenting swells. Totally different visual! The waves crashing over her bow are now illuminated as tons of water and sea spray shower the deck. You look around at the sights and notice dried salt all over the cabin top, the stainless steel glistens as if it were covered with crystals. The phrase of, “out of sight out of mind” comes in to understanding during times like this. It is a stunning but also an intimidating view. Mary Rose relentlessly beating forward, determined to deliver her crew safely to port with the occasional rogue wave coming up over the bullwork causing an embankment forcing the trapped water to gush back towards the cockpit and finally exiting through the scuppers. Your thoughts are interrupted by a new sound….beep,beep,beep,beep comes from below. You find yourself feeling bittersweet, your body wants to rest but your mind knows that there are treasures that may be missed with sleep. The Captain pulls himself up the companionway with that usual big beautiful smile, “How’s it going!” You look around and smile as you think to yourself this is all a true blessing! I am blessed to have the opportunity to follow my dreams...this I realize.

Kisses and hugs to the Captain; now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one... characteristic we must posses if we are to face the future as finishers.
Henry David Thoreau

Marsh Harbor | Peas | Haitian Community

2011-03-21T12:14:00.014-04:00

The soul partakes in and is fed by the light of the Universal Spirit. Rudolfo Anaya

Once again the Capt and I found ourselves in wonder of how well our existence through this world is controlled if we just let go and let God, the universe, the spirit take command.

Here is our story.

We had magnificent self made plans to sail back to Marsh Harbor this past Friday to reconcile our business deal with Florida Yacht Charters as agreed upon, then we would travel down to Sandy Cay to fish in the blue holes and snorkel. We were so excited to get this business transaction complete so we could have some fishing time before picking up our soon arriving guests in Nassau.

We arrived back in Marsh Harbor as planned to discover that the transaction had been postponed until the following Wednesday due to someone not following through on their responsibilities prior to taking vacation time. Putting it mildly, we were a bit upset; no frustrated and irritated better describes it. We made an agreement and now the other party has conked out on their end of the agreement. This took our time at the blue hole away, added extra expense to us as well as added stress as we had to be in Nassau by Thursday to prepare for Mike and Alex’s arrival. Our minds automatically shifted into rescue mode. We started examining all the possible what ifs, what if the weather does not permit us to get to Nassau in time to meet our guests? What if Florida Yacht Charters are making excuses just to delay us with no plans to pay us? We spent a good 48 hours exploring every negative outcome that could exist then coming up with a counter plan of attack for each. After we had finally exhausted ourselves with planning strategies I looked at the Captain and tried to convince him and myself that there was a reason for this massive delay and inconvenience… what could it be??

We were sitting contentedly one morning at the settee on Mary Rose sipping our steaming hot French vanilla flavored coffee and listening to the static cluttered cruiser’s net on the VHF when an acquaintance of ours came on the net and announced that this upcoming Sunday he was planning a community day for the children in Peas (a Haitian settlement here in Marsh Harbor) and Capt Ron was looking for donations of chips, hot dogs and such. Hooray!!! This must be the rationale of our imprisonment in Marsh Harbor! Most of you are aware of our love of the Haitian children; consequently the Capt and I have been discussing whether it is safe for us to return to Haiti this year with the upheaval that continues to ferment there. We hurriedly finished our coffee and walked briskly up the dock in search of Capt Ron to obtain more details of the event. He explained that he was born and grew up in the Peas settlement and it bothers him to watch the children live through what he had to live through and he wanted to provide a little joy for the children so whenever the resources allow he plans little events for them. The children are our future he explained and someone must nurture them and show them how life can be. Ahhh, this is it and we will not only donate to the cause we must attend!!
The next day I walked to the store and purchased Kool-aid, bags of coconut marsh mellows and cups. Sunday afternoon we met Christian, a friend of Capt Ron’s, on the sidewalk in front of the marina with the sack of treats as well as 48 pairs of shoes! (Thank you Jane at the Harborage, Gordy and Cynthia and Shannon, William, LeeAnn, Rivers, and Alex for the donations of shoes!!!) We jumped in Christian’s car and off we went to the Peas. What a difference a couple of miles can make! We arrived at the Peas, it was as if we had stepped out of the resorty Abacos and into the real world of Haiti. The leisurely atmosphere was the same, the haphazardly built houses the same, the beautiful friendly children the same, the smells that floated through the dusty air the same. Peas is piece of Haiti, these people brought a piece of home, a piece of their culture across the ocean to the Island of Abacos in search of an enhanced, flourishing life.

The grill was fired up and smoky, the music playing loud, the neighborhood adults standing around watching with suspicious eyes as strangers invaded their world, the children running happily to and fro on the rock-strewn, dusty ground, most with no shoes or shoes that were way too small. This is it the Capt and I said to each other as our hearts filled with peace, this is where we were meant to be…the reason we were delayed.
The Captain cheerily took control of the grill where the hamburgers and hotdogs sizzled and blacked while the Admiral made friends with the children and spied those who needed shoes the most.
After eating and games it was time for the Captain and I to start our mission of passing out shoes to a few needy children. The first pair of shoes, the Capt gifted to my little boyfriend, Kiki. He was a swift kid with shoes that couldn’t keep up with his feet. He was a sweetheart of a boy and we just happened to have a pair of tennis shoes that fit him… imagine that! Capts, Ron and Don took him aside without me noticing and gifted him the shoes, afterwards the boy vanished for quite some time. He re-emerged later with a clean yellow striped button down shirt and his new tennis shoes. He came up to me, looked at his shoes, looked up at me, and gave me a massive smile and a hug that could have strangled an anaconda! What a true blessing, this is food for my soul!

The remainder of shoes were distributed one pair at a time throughout the settlement. With empty bag in hand we made our way back to the party site. As we navigated our way through the uneven rocky paths a twelve year old boy wearing girls flip flops ran in front of us, as he sprinted off, he blew out his flip flop, perfect timing! The Captain called him over; in reply the boy cautiously approached us. The Captain explained to him that today was his lucky day as he was going to get a new pair of shoes! The boy walked with us back to the party site as the Capt sang Jimmy Buffet to him... bet you can guess the song!! Fortunately we had left a couple pairs of shoes at the party for just this moment. As it would be the shoes fit perfectly!
There were a lot of children that we couldn’t help that is a sad fact but we are grateful that we were able to gift forty eight children with new shoes that actually fit them so they can now navigate the rocky terrain safely and decrease the risk of injuries to their feet!!

Always remember that a delay may end up being a blessing in disguise! Yes the universe, God, and the powers that be do know what is best for us even when we can’t see it!

After all was said and done we received yet another blessing.... transaction taken care of today instead of Wednesday as planned.. so yes we still may get to go fishing!

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Anchoring Etiquette/Anchoring Terms

2011-03-19T10:31:00.003-04:00

We were in Marsh Harbor in the Abacos a couple of weeks ago and we set our anchor in a nice area well away from any other boats in about seven feet of water with excellent holding. We went to town and took care of a few chores. When we returned to our boat there was what appeared to be a new boat at anchor, right on our bow. Mary Rose and this boat were way too close for comfort and safety. We were close enough that I could hail the boat by voice and they instantly replied. I asked the captain how much rode he had out and he said it was about 120 feet. I asked him if he could shorten his rode to increase the distance between our boats. He indicated that he was not able to do that due to his boat sailing at anchor and his concern that it would dislodge his anchor. I then offered the suggestion that he may have anchored a bit too close and should change locations that would allow for his need of excessive scope. He replied that he had been at anchor for three days, he was here first and it is I that should move or increase my scope. I gave way to his squatter rights and let out more rode to increase the distance between our boats. While I was doing this the Admiral knew what action to take and immediately initiated the “your too close boat repellant”. What’s that you ask? Well it is Johnny Cash on high volume through the cockpit speakers. The first song is “Don’t take your guns to town”. The other boat simply closed up the companionway and ignored the repellant and retired for the evening. This repellant has worked successfully on many other occasions, but not this time. I could not understand how a responsible boat captain could act so unreasonable and unsafe in a crowded anchorage. At least this was my perception of the situation. How could this boat have been here for three days and no threat or even noticed when we anchored earlier in the day? The answer to this question was in the wind. The wind had clocked around and when our boats swung around on the anchor their boat swung in an arc about twice the distance of our swing. I was not sure if this boat captain was arrogant or clueless as to anchoring etiquette. So now you know the motivation for writing this blog on anchoring etiquette.
This is not going to be a discussion on “how to” anchor but rather some thoughts on anchoring etiquette. What do we need to consider when we anchor in crowded harbors and other tight quarters where there is limited space?
To prevent confusion in the use of terms, please refer to the Anchoring Terminology at the end of this post.
Please be a responsible captain when you anchor in a crowded harbor and consider your neighbors. If your boat requires excessive scope to give you peace of mind then anchor in an area that is less crowded and perhaps put a marker on your anchor so that other boats will be aware of your excessive scope. If your boat sails at anchor then use one of the many remedies to fix that problem. There is a reasonable expectation that all or at least most of the boats will set their anchor within an established guideline of scope. This range may be 5:1 and up to 10:1 for heavy weather. If we all follow these guidelines then there is no need to go from boat to boat and ask them about the length of their anchor rode. Frankly I am not comfortable asking sailors if theirs is longer than mine.

Anchoring Terminology

Anchor - A heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place either by its weight or by its flukes, which grip the bottom.

Anchor Rode - When in use, every anchor is attached to the vessel with a rode. The rode may be a piece of line, a piece of line spliced onto a length of chain, or all chain.

Changing the nip on the Anchor - If you use rope, periodically reverse the ends (“change the
nip”) to distribute the wear.
Ground Tackle - equipment, as anchors, chains, or windlasses, for mooring a vessel away from a pier or other fixed moorings.
Scope - In normal conditions, a safe minimum anchor scope ratio is 5 to 1 (warp or chain length to depth). In heavy weather 7 to 1 or 10 to 1. Depth is the depth of water at high tide, plus the height from water line to the bow roller. Scope is the actual amount of anchor line paid out when the boat is safely anchored. For example, if high water is 20ft deep and your bow roller is 5ft above the water, you need 125ft (i.e. 5 times 20 + 5ft) of scope to anchor.

Anchoring Etiquette - Anchoring Terms

2011-03-19T09:39:00.009-04:00

The first song is “Don’t take your guns to town”. The other boat simply closed up the companionway and ignored the repellent and retired for the evening. This repellent has worked successfully on many other occasions, but not this time. I could not understand how a responsible boat captain could act so unreasonable and unsafe in a crowded anchorage. At least this was my perception of the situation. How could this boat have been here for three days and no threat or even noticed when we anchored earlier in the day? The answer to this question was in the wind. The wind had clocked around and when our boats swung around on the anchor their boat swung in an arc about twice the distance of our swing. I was not sure if this boat captain was arrogant or clueless as to anchoring etiquette. So now you know the motivation for writing this blog on anchoring etiquette.

This is not going to be a discussion on “how to” anchor but rather some thoughts on anchoring etiquette. What do we need to consider when we anchor in crowded harbors and other tight quarters where there is limited space?

To prevent confusion in the use of terms, please refer to the Anchoring Terminology at the end of this post.

Please be a responsible captain when you anchor in a crowded harbor and consider your neighbors. If your boat requires excessive scope to give you peace of mind then anchor in an area that is less crowded and perhaps put a marker on your anchor so that other boats will be aware of your excessive scope. If you plan to stake out your own square mile in the harbor then at least mark it properly. If your boat sails at anchor then use one of the many remedies to fix that problem. There is a reasonable expectation that all or at least most of the boats will set their anchor within an established guideline of scope. This range may be 5:1 and up to 10:1 for very heavy weather. If we all follow these guidelines then there is no need to go from boat to boat and ask them about the length of their anchor rode. Frankly I am not comfortable asking sailors if theirs is longer than mine.
Anchoring Terminology

Anchor - A heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place either by its weight or by its flukes, which grip the bottom.

Anchor Rode - When in use, every anchor is attached to the vessel with a rode. The rode may be a piece of line, a piece of line spliced onto a length of chain, or all chain.

Changing the nip on the Anchor - If you use rope, periodically reverse the ends (“change the nip”) to distribute the wear.

Ground Tackle - equipment, as anchors, chains, or windlasses, for mooring a vessel away from a pier or other fixed moorings.

Scope - In normal conditions, a safe minimum anchor scope ratio is 5 to 1 (chain length to depth). In heavy weather 7 to 1 or more. Depth is the depth of water at high tide, plus the height from water line to the bow roller. Scope is the actual amount of anchor line paid out when the boat is safely anchored. For example, if high water is 20ft deep and your bow roller is 5ft above the water, you need 125ft (i.e. 5 times 20 + 5ft) of scope to anchor.

Marsh Harbor/Junkanoo

2011-03-18T09:40:00.025-04:00

It was a bittersweet moment as I watched the cab in Nassau drive away with Jessica and Lilly in the back seat to deliver them to the airport after 3 brief weeks in the Bahamas to start their voyage home. They were with us for a total of 2 months which felt like only a few short weeks. It was a blessing having this opportunity to share my dream with my daughter and granddaughter but one thing I learned during their visit is children grow up and there comes a time I guess that we must let them go to find themselves and their own way in this life. Not an easy lesson but one long past due for me. This was my time to let go, step back and allow my children to live their lives as they choose. So as Jessica and Lilly fade out of my life for the current time, the Captain and I grow ever closer as we move forward in our journey. Next stop, the Abacos. This will be our first trip north to visit the islands of Abacos so the feelings of apprehension due to the unfamiliar set in along with the stimulation in our souls as we once again head out into the unknown. The sail was a long overnighter which allowed me the time I needed to think and process my feelings as well as do a little fishing. The sail was peaceful and calm as the stars guided our way north. We reached the Abacos early morning and dropped anchor at Sandy Cay to rest before we continued our journey north to Marsh Harbor where we had heard there was to be a Junkanoo that evening!! The Captain and I have wanted to attend this event for the past couple of years and unfortunately the powers to be decided it wasn’t the right time for us to experience the brilliance of this festival until now, ohhhh yes it was the perfect time, with me being in a funk and both of us missing Lilly’s free spirit and miles of smiles, well yes it is the perfect time and we would be attending!

We arrived in Marsh Harbor with just enough time to drop anchor, tidy up, clean ourselves up and find the government dock. There is great holding in the harbor so anchoring was a breeze. I scurried around with butterflies in my belly as I prepared for this next adventure, Junkanoo.
The word "Junkanoo” is said to be derived from an African slave master and trader named "John Canoe" in the 17th century. These slaves were not allowed much freedom and would hide in the bushes when they had the chance. While in the bushes, they would dance and make music while covered in costumes that they made from various paints that they made and leaves that they found. This festival represented the slave's freedom from slavery.
We arrived early and found first-rate seats on the bleachers that were set up alongside the narrow road; little did we know that there would be little time for sitting. You could feel the excitement building in the air. There were no drunken fights or negative attitudes just a crowd of people full of electricity waiting for this thrilling festival to begin. In the distance you could hear the first group warming up, bugles, trumpets, drums made of goat skins all preparing for their chance to show off their talents for us to enjoy.
At last it was time, I looked down the road and all I could see was a sea of many colors so dazzling and brilliant that it was overwhelming to the eyes. The people dressed in vibrant

multicolored costumes, joyous celebration, the music, the dance, it was more than I could have ever expected. Some of the costumes weighed in at over 100 pound and all were homemade with sparkles, magnificent colors of paint, beads! It was a mix of Mardi gar and a high school pep club. There was so much energy in the air. This is a celebration I highly recommend attending if the opportunity presents itself! (Lots more fotos will be posted on our dreams followed site as soon as we have adequate internet service.)
We really enjoyed our time at Marsh Harbor. We spent a few days at Mangos Marina where we showered, caught up on our laundry, and spent some internet time. Ray is the dock master and is very helpful. We highly recommend Mangos, it is reasonably priced, in a convenient location, easy in and out, the internet is iffy but the bathrooms are clean and if you are lucky you may find yourself serenaded by the beautiful Haitian songbird that ensures the facilities are clean! Marsh Harbor is a great place for provisioning, cheaper than Nassau with a much better selection. There is a regular grocery store as well as a bulk warehouse if you are in need of large quantities.
Unfortunately there was a forest fire on the island that lasted for days. Smoke became bothersome for many people whenever the winds would shift and carry the smoke over the harbor waters. I saw my first explosion when the fire reached a propane tank. Fortunately no one was hurt and the fire was put out a week later after an enormous amount of man power hours. Thanks to all the volunteers that worked on keeping the island safe!
Thanks to all the happy birthday wishes that were sent to the Captain. We had a absolutely great day. We attended the “pig roast” at Nipper’s which we do not recommend attending. There was no pig roast only roast pork which was dry, the rest of the food not so good either and the price... way too much. Our recommendation is to skip the pig roast, save the money and go snorkling!!

Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.
Henry David Thoreau

Peace and Love,
Capt Don and Admiral Nelson

ANDROS | BAHAMAS | CHICKCHARNIES

2011-03-04T13:57:00.012-05:00

Andros was a splendid place to visit, although the cruising guides do not offer much information regarding this charming island. The island is notorious for the mystical Chickcharnies that that is believed to inhabit the island. These birdlike creatures are known to have huge eyes and nest in the top of the pine trees. Many of the locals are very superstitious and attribute any catastrophes or waywardness that transpires on the island to these beasts. It is warned not to agitate the Chickcharnies for if you were to encounter one that was feeling frolicsome, it is said that they will attack you and turn your head completely backwards. Yes, we were lucky and escaped the island with our heads intact.
The length of the east coast of the island is one of the largest barrier reefs that have very few opportunities for entry. We found our port at Morgan’s Bluff. Morgan’s is a commercial harbor but has an easy approach and the locals welcome all. Well advised to anchor deep and to the side of in the harbor as Andros is the main supplier of water and fruit to several islands throughout the Bahamas. Morgan’s Bluff is a small harbor but an exceptionally busy harbor with commercial traffic.
There is no designated dinghy dock but there is a rough wall by Willy’s Water Lounge that can be utilized with skill and calm water. The people of Andros are warm and welcoming. Many are fisherman and cargo workers as there is also a massive fruit orchard on the island. The harbor provides very few services, there is internet at Willy’s where you can also enjoy a cold Kalik while you browse the web, the shower is located outside behind a vacant open air bar. The shower area is secluded with a beautiful view of the beach and water, on a down note it wasn’t very clean. There were used condoms and dirty diapers on the ground below the shower that required a stick to relocate them prior to showering. There is free water that you will need to fill jugs and haul to your boat. The town is not within walking distance and requires a rental car if you necessitate a trip to town. In town you will find a great bakery where you can purchase fresh baked breads, a laundry where you can have your laundry done at a very reasonable price.
We rented a car and dropped off our laundry and spent the day exploring the island. There are numerous beautiful beaches and mystical blue holes on the island where you can swim. We did stop at a restaurant called Taste and See located at Love Hill, the food was outstanding, in large quantity and modestly priced. Following our meal we spent time chatting with owner who was a true delight to converse with. Her name….. are you ready for this??!! Cinderella!! That was her true name!
Within walking distance of the harbor is Henry Morgan’s cave. The cave is alleged to be one of the caves that the pirate Henry Morgan used to hide his treasures. There is a nice picnic area located at the entrance of the cave just be on alert for the Chickcharnies!!
Last but not least…. Andros is where Lillian received her first long awaited coconut!! She is now an aficionada of coconut jelly and water!! She also had her first conch experience and graduated to Dinghy Captain!! Memories to last a lifetime!! Yeah LILLY!!

Pilot notes from the Captain. Coming off the banks at the Northwest Passage and sailing to Nassau can be a difficult task into the prevailing southeast trade winds. We were faced with motor sailing a tight close haul into the southeast winds and it did not look to promising for a daylight landfall in Nassau. After two or three long tacks the next port tack put us on a course to enter Morgan Bluffs harbor. I made the decision to head for Morgan’s Bluff and wait for more favorable conditions to continue on to Nassau. Looking back, it was the right thing to do and will consider this as a sailing strategy in the future for this passage.

Marsh Harbor | Abacos | Bahamas

2011-02-28T17:52:00.002-05:00

We had a great trip and arrived safely in the Abacos. We have a lot to write about so stay tuned.

Passing of a Dear Loved One

2011-02-25T09:53:00.003-05:00

My dearest Aunt Mae passed this week after a very long productive and blessed life. Had she lived to see March 6th of this year she would have reached the age of 89. She is survived by her husband Uncle Murl, her son, Billy Wayne, grandchildren and great grandchildren and a half sister. Aunt Mae was the last living full sister of my mother and I had a wonderful relationship with her. Lana and I saw her last summer and had a wonderful visit. This gives me pause to remember to give the roses while they live.

Give Me the Roses

Wonderful things of folks are said
When they have passed away
Roses adorn the narrow bed
Over the sleeping clay

Chorus
Give me the roses while I live
Trying to cheer me on
Useless are flowers that you give
After the soul is gone

Praises are heard not by the dead
Roses they cannot see
Let us not wait till souls have fled
Generous friends to be

Faults are forgiven when folks lie
Cold in the narrow bed
Let us forgive them ere they die
Now should the words be said

Nassau to Abacos

2011-02-25T09:52:00.001-05:00

We are leaving Nassau today and are headed for the south end of the Abacos Islands in the Bahamas.

Black Point | Exumas | Bahamas

2011-02-15T07:42:00.002-05:00

We are moving today from Warderick Wells to Black Point in the Exumas. All Is well and Happy Valentine’s Day to all.

We hope to have better connections to the web from our new location.

Update......We are now in Black Point, Exumas, Bahamas. This is a great place to stop over and we will write a detailed post later. All is Well!

Exuma Park | Warderick Wells | Bahamas

2011-02-11T09:53:00.003-05:00

We arrived Warderick Wells last night. We will be here through Tuesday morning. This is a well protected mooring and we will wait here for the next front to pass this weekend. I hope that my son will add some links and additional information to this post. The wifi here does not allow the use of skype. We should be able to skype sometime next week. In the event of an emergency you may contact the Exuma Park office and ask them to relay a message to us.

Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

Nassau Bahammas

2011-02-06T17:20:00.003-05:00

We arrived Nassau Bahamas today. We left Morgan Bluff, Andros, Bahamas at Midnight and arrived at Yacht Harbour Marina about 9AM. We cleaned the boat, topped the fuel, the girls went swimming with dolphins (more on that later) and we will leave tomorrow to cross the yellow bank and arrive in the Exumas. Stay tuned!

Morgan Bluff, Andros

2011-02-04T20:30:00.003-05:00

We are currently in Morgan Bluff on the Bahamian Island of Andros. We are planning our next crossing tomorrow night late to head for Nassau where we will spend a few days. The crossing is weather dependent of course there is a large front expected to arrive Monday. Today we rented a car and explored the island. Had a great lunch at Taste and See, great authenic home cooked food and very reasonably priced. There will be a more extensive post in the near future, most likely while we are in Nassau.

Passing Chub Cay, Bahamas

2011-02-02T19:45:00.004-05:00

At approximately 1500 CST Mary Rose V checked in and reported heavy seas on the bow. At time of contact she was approximately 35 nm west of Nassau, Bahamas. May take refuge at Chub Cay, Bahamas for the evening if anchorage is favorable.

Post:SM

View Larger Map

Landfall in Bimini | MaryRose V | Sea Crest Marina

2011-01-30T17:21:00.008-05:00

We made landfall in Bimini in the Bahama's on 1-29-2011 at 1300. We took a slip at the Sea Crest Marina after a short 10 hour passage from Angel Fish Cut at Key Largo, FL.

We hauled anchor at 0300 and made an early morning pass through a well marked channel through the reef at Angel Fish Cut of the north end of Key Largo, FL. The winds were forecast out of the north at 10 with 2-3 ft waves. By the time we hit the Gulf Stream, the wind was 20 and gusting to 25+ and some of the waves were 8-10 with a 5 - 8 second period. It was a bit rough and some of the crew were a bit uncomfortable. The last third of the crossing was quite comfortable and uneventful. We motored less than one hour the entire passage and saw speeds of 7 kts across the stream.

We all went to the beach after we finished boat chores and the beach was loaded with beautiful sea glass. Collecting sea glass is a favorite pass time of the Admiral she was in Sea Glass Heaven. Lilly and Jess collected shells and the Captain stood guard over the crew.

Sea Crest Hotel and Marina (marina) is a comfortable and clean marina with an easy approach. The cost as of this writing is $1 per foot (35 ft minimum), electricity is $15/day and water is thirty cents per gallon. The dock water in clean pure RO water and tastes great. Pat and Mike are quite helpful and attentive to guests.

There are several large Tarpon in excess of 48 inches that cruise the marina and last night we had an eight foot bull shark make a few passes as well.

We will leave in the morning to cross the Bahama Bank from North Rock (just north of Bimini) to the Northwest Shoal on the eastern edge of the banks. We will spend the night at anchor near the east edge of the banks and then continue to Nassau the next morning. We will update the blog and post photos as we are able.

View Larger Map

Angelfish Creek Anchorage at Angelfish Cut near Biscayne Bay, FL.

2011-01-28T16:14:00.004-05:00

Safe at anchor for the evening and set for an early morning departure.
Current location is approximately:

Degrees Minutes Seconds:
Latitude: 25-20'08'' N
Longitude: 080-15'45'' W

Decimal Degrees:
Latitude: 25.3356707
Longitude: -80.262552

View Larger Map

We have four souls aboard and will be headed east, 55 NM, to Bimini for well deserved relaxation and sunshine. We are seeing beautiful natural sea life near Biscayne National Park.

01.28.2011 1519 CST / SM

MARATHON FLORIDA MARINA

2011-01-26T19:45:00.002-05:00

We are in Marathon Florida at Burdine's Marina. We moved here today from Pancho's Fuel Dock and Marina. Burdine's is great with clean restrooms, laundry and restaurant on site. Pancho's is NOT on our list of recommended marinas. However, they are a VALVTECT certified fueling dock. The restrooms are dirty, poorly stocked and not very cruiser friendly. Some of the full time resident live aboard were very helpful. Our Special thanks to Captain Jack for all of his assistance.

We had some minor damage to our cap rail and that has been repaired as well as a new salt water rinse pump installed and new cockpit speakers. We will leave Marathon in the morning and anchor in the middle keys and maybe move along north before making a Gulf Stream Crossing to Bimini sometime next week when the conditions permit.

All is well and we are all adapting to the cruising lifestyle. The admiral will be writing some more fantastic blogs in the very near future.

Boca Chica to Marathon | Cruising South Florida Coast 2011

2011-01-24T11:33:00.002-05:00

Sailing Vessel: Mary Rose V
Departed Boca Chica, Fl / Key West at approximately 1100 hours EST.
Destination: Marathon, FL
Distance: approximately 40 nm
ETA: 1900 EST

(sm 10:38CST)

2011 Sailing to Bahamas via Marathon, Florida | Cruising Sailing | Captain Montgomery

2011-01-22T21:42:00.003-05:00

01.21.2011~0600 EST
Sailing Vessel Mary Rose with four (4) souls aboard set sail.
Departed: St. Petersburg, FL
Destination: Marathon, FL
ETA: mid to late day January, 23, 2011.

Henry David Thoreau Quote | Favorite

2011-01-19T20:30:00.000-05:00

"The sail, the play of its pulse so like the fabric of our own lives:
so thin and yet so full of life, so noiseless when it labors hardest,
so noisy and impatient when least effective."

Henry David Thoreau:

Sailboat Portlight Repair | Westsail 32 | Maryrose V

2011-01-18T21:20:00.006-05:00

Mary Rose had two portlights that had soft wood below them from moisture penetration. The portlight in the v-berth was simply a matter of rebidding the framework, sanding and painting. However the portlight over the navigation station was a bit more complicated. Listed below are the steps that were involved in repairing the water damage to the wood under the portlight.
1. Remove the portlight and frame.

2. Cut, scrape and pull away all damaged wood under the portlight.

3. Cut a piece of marine plywood that is slightly thinner than damaged area to the approximate dimensions of the damaged area.

4. Mix some thickened epoxy and epoxy the plywood into place and let it set to the stage where you can just barely make a nail print into the epoxy.

5. Add additional thickened epoxy to fill in the voids and let sit overnight.
6. Sand the entire area smooth with 80 grit and round the opening to the desired diameter to accept the portlight framework.
7. Add additional coats of epoxy mixed with faring material until the damage area in built up even with or beyond the original area and let the epoxy set up completely.
8. Sand the faring compound to a final finish and then lightly brush with non thickened epoxy.
9. Sand, Prime, Paint

10. We cleaned our bronze portlight framework with ospho and rinsed them with fresh water.

11. Replace the portlight framework with suitable material. We used SIS 440 to bed our portlights.

Start to finish took three days to allow epoxy to set up properly.

Westsail 32 Shower Pan Removed – Mary Rose V

2011-01-18T20:46:00.002-05:00

We decided to remove the shower pan since we do not shower inside the boat. We only shower ashore or in the cock pit. We picked up several square feet of storage for plastic, brass and hoses as these items are not subject to corrosion from the dampness of below waterline storage.
It was a fairly simple procedure. We used the Fein multi-master tool to cut out the old pan and then sanded the edges. We then sanded and painted the area and then stored seldom used items in the space.
Great modification for us with little effort and expense resulting in some useful added storage.

Here are a few photos to show the process.

Marine 12 Volt DC Refrigeration | Cool Blue™ Marine Refrigeration | Westsail 32 Mary Rose V

2011-01-16T21:15:00.004-05:00

One of the things we learned on our 2010 extended cruise was that our refrigeration system used way too much energy out of the battery bank. We have a 440 amp hour capacity and 330 watts of solar panels and we could not keep up without running the engine to top off the battery bank. Our old refrigeration unit used about 125 amp hours per 24 hour period. The Cool Blue Marine refrigeration unit by Technautics, Inc is up and running with a consumption rate of less than 30 amps per 24 hour period.
We purchased our unit at the St Petersburg, FL boat show in December of 2010. Randy was very helpful in explaining the unit and giving us consultative services on how to rebuild our refrigeration box so the cold plate would fit properly. We showed up at the boat show with detailed drawings of our current refrigerator box and Randy gave us excellent advice.
We cut out the bottom 2/3 of the fore and aft sections of the outboard end of the fridge box.
We also cut wood off the forward side of the fridge box behind the dinette settee. All of the old insulation was removed so we could install the highest r-value per inch of any insulation commonly available. We also used lots of canned foam insulation to make sure that everything was sealed well. The main insulation was Rmax, a rigid polyisocyanurate foam insulation that is lightweight, easy to handle and easy to cut. It has a foil barrier on one side and a plastic paper barrier on the other. We used ¾ inch material which has an R rating of 5.0. We were able to reach the bottom of the box by removing the water tanks in the bilge and placing additional insulation under the fridge box in the area of the drain plug. We filled the drain plug and glassed over the opening to prevent loss of cold air from the box.
We then used the pieces of the fridge that we cut out as a pattern to make new side pieces and a new wider bottom piece. The old sides made matching the radius quite simple. The local fiberglass supplier was extremely helpful with the tools, supplies and technique to build the fiberglass replacement parts for the fridge.
I made each of the three parts a bit larger and trimmed them to fit. The bottom had to be split down the middle and installed in two pieces and then glassed back together. The bottom was simply glassed and screwed into place since the old box bottom was still in place.
The sides were slid into place and held tight with screws and then glassed to seal it up and make a smooth finish. The wood that was removed from behind the settee was not replaced as this allowed for an additional layer of insulation. The hole was covered externally with ½ inch black Starboard.
We painted the interior of the fridge with Signature Finish™ paint. http://www.signaturefinish.com
We then insulated the top under the counter on the outboard end and the box was ready to install the cold plate, divider ,freezer racks, compressor and thermostat.
We cut a new access hatch in the inboard compartment under the settee next to the fridge box to make the installation easier.
We are very happy with the ease of installation of the unit. We could have easily installed the unit in less than a day if we did not have to enlarge the fridge box. My thanks to Randy for all of his .consultative help. Visit the Cool Blue web site for more information. http://www.technauticsinc.com
Another benefit of the Cool Blue system is that the divider allows you to increase your freezer capacity.

Tampa Bay Sailboat Rigging | Mast Rewiring | Westsail 32 |SSMR

2011-01-16T20:48:00.005-05:00

One of our major projects that needed to be completed before our next long distance cruise was the rewiring of the mast. It could have been done by lowering the mast but we choose to remove the mast to complete this project. We pulled the mast a day before we hauled out to do the bottom work. We used SSMR on Salt Creek in St Petersburg. They are located right across from the Harborage Marina High and Dry boat storage and fuel docks. Our haul out location was right next door at a do it yourself yard.
The crew at SSMR (Steve, Andrew and Jennifer) is exceptional and has extensive rigging experience. They allowed me to wire the mast myself and were eager to offer consultative assistance. I purchased some of the new fixtures from SSMR but also had some of my own from other vendors.
Steve and Andrew assisted with the Mast removal after I had the rig loosened and ready to go. The tabernacle hinge pin was seized inside of the compression tube and we had a bit of difficulty removing it. We used a load of rigging anti-seizing grease when we replaced the pin. Bud Taplin shipped a new pin and it was delivered two days before the mast was ready to be stepped.
The old mast wiring was wrapped in black foam that began to deteriorate and was spewing flicks of black foam all over the deck out of the bottom of the mast opening. The old wire was not tinned and had started to corrode and become brittle. We had a wire break off of the steaming light last year in Puerto Rico. It was just tired; it had served well over time but was due to be replaced.
We installed a new VHF antenna, LED tri-color nav light, LED anchor light and a steaming light with a forward deck spot. We also installed a new SSB antenna. We used stainless rigging wire and attached one end to the topping lift tang with several lashings of high strength small diameter rope through the eye that was swaged on the end of the rigging wire. The other end was lashed to the radar tower on the stern of the boat using the same method as the upper end. The rope will serve as insulators just as a halyard would on a halyard hoisted antennae. Total cost was only $78 for the SSB antenna.
We pulled the wire into a 1½ inch PVC conduit that had opening cut into it for the wires to exit at the various sites. We then inserted the conduit into the mast and fastened it with rivets to secure it solid to the mast. The wiring and fixture install took about three days to complete. Steve and Andrew from SSMR checked in often and gave me excellent guidance along the way.
We removed all tangs and thoroughly cleaned and inspected them. Mast pins were replaced and greased to prevent seizing in the future. SSMR completed a detailed inspection of all standing rigging. We are in good shape and ready for another extended cruise.
We stepped the mast, tuned the rig, made all of the electrical connections and moved Mary Rose back to her slip at the Harborage Marina.
SSMR is certainly on our preferred vendor list and we highly recommend them for your rigging needs. You can contact them at 727-823-4800 Please tell them that Mary Rose sent you and take them to lunch and they will show you a place called Munch’s. A wonderful breakfast and lunch spot in the same place for over 50 years.

brief update

2011-01-06T21:45:00.001-05:00

Here is a brief update to explain why we have not posted on our blog recently. This is a list of items that have been completed on Mary Rose V since we arrived in St Petersburg this Fall. Paint and insulate the inside of the hull, new headliner in the v-berth, paint the inside of the cabin top sides, repair and re-bedded two port lights, epoxy coat the underside of the deck and insulate and cover with FRP panel, sand the entire interior on all wood surfaces back to raw wood and refinish, refinish cabin sole, install new shut off valve on port fuel tank, install salt water rinse in galley sink, move exhaust thru-hull to above waterline, remove old transducer and repair hull, install hinged strainer covers to raw water intakes, moved engine raw water intake to lower bilge area, new bottom paint, removed mast and performed complete PM and replacement of all warn parts, installed 1½ inch conduit in mast and rewired the entire mast, installed new vhf antennae, SSB antennae, LED tri-color & light, anchor light, steaming light and forward deck spot light, sanded and refinished all brightwork, installed new Blue Cool refrigeration unit, enlarged refrigerator box and re-insulated the fridge box, installed cabin sole hatch locks, installed new alternator temperature sensor, rebuilt the raw water side of the engine, installed locking devices on cabin lockers and drawers painted bilge and installed new water tanks, installed AIS receiver and complete SSB communication system with weather fax. The Admiral has been working very very long hours in addition to helping with boat repairs as she is able. We are down to a very short list and will be on our way to ports further south on or about January 15, 2011 Stay tuned for more updates.

YIN VS YANG

2010-12-14T16:57:00.009-05:00

Yin and yang….

As we arrive at the commencement of a new season and begin to observe the trees transforming into their fall apparel it marks a time for reflection.

Our summer respite has been a mix of fulfillment and discontent, bliss and sadness, blessings and violation. One declaration that I must assert is adjusting back into American society has been a bit of a challenge for the Capt and me. Unbeknownst to us, the moment we docked Mary safely in her St Petersburg slip our quiet, peaceful, serene life was about to be slapped back to the reality of the bona fide world. The following is a brief synopsis of our summer of 2010.
Our initial plans were to disembark back to Florida sometime in June, I was to resume my dialysis job in St Petersburg while the Capt would begin a long list of items to upgrade and repair on Mary Rose V. Oblivious to us was that the seed of change was planted one breezy afternoon in the BVI. The Capt, I and visitor Bill Smith sat on the deck of Mary Rose V one sunny afternoon discussing our future aspirations and ambitions. The challenge began as Dr Bill Smith shared his story of his dream house that could not be completely built due to too many adversities. These adversities opened a path for the Capt to earn a little money while helping out a friend. Blessings abounding as always!
We cut our Haitian trip short and pointed Mary’s bow due north for the land of Florida. We arrived in Florida, prepared Mary for a well deserved rest, packed our bags, and headed our F150 north with a revised vision. It was a bittersweet moment as watched the swaying palm trees fading into the rearview mirror as we commenced one journey to begin another. Off we went to drop in on friends and family. Our plans were to go along the east coast and visit all of the Captain’s relatives. Years had passed since his last visit and as we all know, time tends to slide gently into the past and before we realize it years have passed, years that cannot ever be regained. This actuality made it even more important for the Captain to take this opportunity to visit distant but far from forgotten family.
Shortly after the commencement of our new journey the Captain received a phone call that his sister was severely ill and that we should hightail it to Illinois as quickly as we can. We shortened our visits, gave our hugs and well wishes to the Captains loved ones. We attempted to arrive in Illinois before precious time gently slipped away. We arrived a few minutes too late but we are sure that Katherine knew her baby brother was present for transition even if only in spirit. Katherine had already began her own new journey to meet those that have passed before her and were waiting on the other shore with open loving arms to welcome her home.
Next stop…. Kansas City!
My senses were robust upon our arrival to Kansas City; I was thrilled to finally be able to see my treasured family but I also still struggled with the broken memories that still reside on many corners in the Midwest. Not only will we need to deal with the brokenness of my heart but also the happily forgotten selfish aspects of this society. The tears came and went; the healing of my heart began and my feelings were replaced with disgust, disgust as to how so many in this society have grown lazy, who have grown into a group of people who are in constant search of hand outs with feelings of entitlement. These feelings came into focus when our truck was broke into and our possessions that would represent zilch to others but were taken any way out of the back of our truck. They took our boat papers, our passports, our bathroom items, and our clothes both clean and dirty…items that are worthless to others but priceless to us. How can our boat sit in Haiti, where people don’t have a pot to pee in and nobody dare touch our possessions, no attempts to steal anything or even trespass yet we are back in the United States one month and such a tragedy strike? This I have difficulty understanding.
The loss amplified our need to get back to work, back to our current reality; the urgent need to earn some well needed money. That meant for me back into the world of dialysis and the Captain to work with his friend Dr William Smith so he could assist him to accomplish his dream to finally have the opportunity to move into his dream house. The Captain was gung-ho to get this accomplished within budget and target date. This was fulfilling to the Captain not only because Bill was his friend but also because we both know so well the importance of living and fulfilling dreams.
Dr Smith had joined us in the BVI during our first adventure and while sitting on Mary Rose’s deck one lovely afternoon Dr Smith mentioned to the Captain all the woes that he had experienced during his attempts to complete this home. He explained that workers had come and gone, he was being consistently over charged for hours worked and services rendered and really needed someone he could trust to oversee the completion of this project. Dr Smith, knowing the extensive knowledge of craftsmanship that the Captain has demonstrated in the past as he had graciously noted in his previous blog post back in 2009 it was all but right to offer the position to the Captain. It was very thoughtful for Dr Smith to allow us the opportunity to help him out so that we can share the wealth with our Haitian friends. Not only did Dr Smith extend his generosity to the Haitian people but he also gave my daughter and her boyfriend an opportunity to work and make a little extra money to help them make ends meet. We can only hope now that the project is completed that Bill enjoys his dream home and the many special touches that the Captain provided to his home. Our wish for Dr Smith is that he finds many years of peace and serenity next to his beautiful waterfall. The monies made will be used to sponsor the Haitian children with their schooling as well as the purchase of vegetable seeds for the Haitian people’s gardens.
Part of living our dream includes the accountability that is required to achieve our dream. I have developed an understanding over the years that we are right where we are meant to be every moment of every day. I have also developed a belief that the Capt and I have many riches far beyond financial wealth, we have our health, and we have cherished friends and family that love us greatly and we are surrounded by blessing and angels where we are. We are auspicious enough to be living our dream which many financially wealthy people can only envy. I must be reminiscent frequently that rarely do dreams ever come true just by wishing; they involve work, compromise, and most of all patience which I can’t deny I intensely lack.
The Capt and I have to remind ourselves at times that the present situation is nothing more than a stepping stone that is gradually leading us back to the ocean and back to the people that we feel so drawn to.

I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
W.B. Yeats

Make one person happy each day and in 40 years you will have made 14600 human beings happy for a little while at least.

Congradulations to Shannon and William!!!

We're Baaaaaack!

2010-10-05T21:37:00.006-04:00

This summer has been a bit difficult but there have been several highlights. My youngest daughter was married to her prince charming on a lovely beach in Florida. I was able to be with all four of my children and nine grandchildren for several days in a row. We sailed in the Sweet Sixteen National Regatta and had a great time sailing our old racing boat loaned to us by Bill Smith. Lana has been able to spend extended time with her grandmother, children and grandchildren. We look forward to getting back aboard Mary Rose and chasing the horizon in search of adventure and seeking out that special project to help those less fortunate than ourselves. We had a chance to spend a wonderful week with my brother and his wife and do some worthwhile projects while there. We are now in Georgia visiting with Shannon and her family and will soon be back in Florida.
This summer also presented the opportunity for my son Shane to sail in yet another Race to Mackinac. This is a grueling race with difficult challenges. He and his team finished second in this event in the J-105 class. This same team also won their class in the Chicago Verve Cup as well as an overall winner of this regatta. This was a very successful year for the boat Sealark and her highly skilled team. To cap off the season this winning team went on to win the Chicago Yacht Club, BOAT OF THE YEAR! (BOTY) This is a prestigious honor and it takes a concerted effort to win this title.
BOTY is a series of regattas are chosen by a committee of multiple yacht club representatives that select a season long series of particular days of racing to be included in the boat of the year BOTY trophy series. It is difficult to win as the regattas chosen to be included are spread across five months of racing. Crew changes, weather conditions, and team focus are constantly changing across a season. Staying focused and sticking to a formula tends to pay over the long haul.
Shane and the rest of the team as a whole are responsible for reading, learning, and keeping their skills sharp. However, if an opportunity does arise to sail a regatta in another city during the winter, some part of the team usually will make the effort. It takes a large crew to make a complete team and the J105 has a weight limit. Course racing class weight limits, generally windward leeward, makes it difficult to have more than six people on the boat. Sealark races with five. However, we keep a team of nearly twelve to fifteen people active at all times. Work schedules make it tough to have a good team consistently, so we strive for an extremely well trained team with lots of bench strength. Sometimes the crew includes rookies. However, the rookies may be new to course racing but they generally have hundreds of miles under the belt as sailors due to our training program. Team Sealark uses the return trip from Mackinac to train new sailors and improve skill sets on those already in the system.
When asked what it means to win BOTY, Shane replied. “For me as a team member, it means the team set a goal and stayed focused over an entire season. It was never a guarantee to win, but we needed to be in a good position on the last day in order to even qualify. Any one of four boats could have won the top spot on the last day of racing, scheduled for two races. We know our responsibilities and choreography and we are expected to execute them depending on the tacticians call. We are happy to be able to sail with committed people that want to achieve.”
Shane went on to tell me,” One of the primary keys to consistency beyond having a deep pool of qualified people, is to call the plays on the race course before the maneuver is executed. An example is a leeward mark rounding. The tactician is required to make a call regarding the type of rounding or kite douse at least ten to fifteen boat lengths prior to the mark. In heavy air, the call is made even sooner. Generally we have three to five types of tactical maneuver for any situation, one is chosen and then executed by the crew.”
Shane told me, “The fun was evident after every race. The team makes the call to "celebrate". Yes we do take time to drop everything and just focus on whooping it up a bit if there is a success. Generally, top five or better is considered a success.”
We are all very proud of Shane and the team he sails with on Sealark. Hats off to the owner and captain Clark Pellett for strong team building and commitment. Well done team Sealark!

Back In St Pete, FL

2010-05-30T15:15:00.006-04:00

Hello to all and thanks for continuing to follow and support our mission. We have completed the shake down cruise and have arrived back in St Petersburg FL. It is bittersweet moment we missed our friends and loved ones deeply but now we will miss the journey and our new friends that we have met. Currently we are preparing to hunker down for hurricane season while we both re-enter the work force in Kansas City for the next few months at which point we will return to St Pete and prepare ourselves and Mary Rose for the next chapter of our journey. We will continue to post blogs through out the summer and as requested will include a blog to describe how we have changed and grown over the past 5 months both as a team and individually. We hope to be able to spend plenty of time with our friends and loved ones during this intermission. As for Mary Rose...she is tired, she worked hard and we are very proud of her! We have a few repairs to make to Mary Rose before we resume our dream, nothing major. Her sails are slightly torn from the persistent, relentless trade winds, we developed a minor water leak around her muffler and we must install a SSB for weather. If there were any regrets it would be that we did not have a SSB radio on board so we would have sufficient ability to adequately monitor the weather. Mary performed well, max speed recorded was 10.6 knots (not bad for a wetsnail!!!!!!) One gale storm with 40+ knot winds and 12-13 ft confused seas that required us to hunker down below while Mary danced in the wind and waves alone. Never once did we ever feel threatened or unsafe.

Once again thanks to our friends and family for understanding our need to follow this dream!

We wish everyone love, tranquillity, and joy

Capt Don and Admiral Nelson

Ile a Vache/Haiti

2010-05-30T13:34:00.013-04:00

Felix left, Jerry right

It is time to remember how to be child like, how to find those feelings of excitement over the simple things in life, I remember as a young child how exciting it was to find empty Coke bottles on the side of the road and to turn them in for a nickel. Do you remember the feeling of eagerness when you heard the sound of an ice cream truck a few blocks away? Can you recall being clueless & carefree on a hot summer day lying in the cool grass staring at the big puffy clouds flo ating by with no concern of the bug bites that would ultimately result? How about those summer days when you were gracious a new kid moved on the block so the neighborhood baseball team would have even number of players with no concern to color or nationality, free of all prejudice. This is my story of remembering how to let go and fly so I could welcome this simple culture into my heart forever.

We have all heard the stories about Haiti, mostly flawed and incorrect perspectives. I myself am guilty of embracing some of these erroneous beliefs. In the beginning of our transit to Haiti I found some of these invalid beliefs emerge to the surface of my thoughts. I had persuaded myself that all would be well but I found my apprehensions mount as we drew near to the isle of Ile a Vache. These suppressed judgments that I carried in the back of my mind were awakening against my will. I hadn’t overcome my prejudices yet.

As we arrived to the entrance to the cove of this beautiful island there were many Bois-Fouyes (the local native sail powered fishing boats) throughout the bay fishing. Fishing buoys made of old plastic bottles were scattered throughout the entrance and we were forced to squirm our way through the maze. As we wiggled our way through the channel I found myself unable to refrain from taking a few pictures of these beautiful Bois-Fouyes sailing vessels even though I was aware that some Haitians do not like their pictures taken due to a belief that when their picture is taken a part of their soul is taken with the picture. I must confess my lack of respect was my first mistake. Being selfish and not respecting a belief system and taking pictures without their permission. My disregard for this culture resulted in unnecessary stress inflicted on myself by myself.

One of the ancient sailing vessels intersected a few feet in front of us. One of the men on board began shouting at us in Creole French; we were clueless as to what he was trying to tell us, another mistake, not learning the language of the country. This is where my concern began to escalate as this person continued to frantically wave his arms in the air and scream at us while another male on board had his head in his hands shaking his head as if nothing would ever be the same again. We didn’t understand what was wrong at the time but the last thing I wanted to do was make anyone mad at us in Haiti. As our transit continued so did my concern. I literally became sick with worry at the thought of what these people were going to do to us; they do practice Voodoo you know!! I began imagining pieces of my hair on a stick doll with pins stuck through it! I punished myself with my vivid imagination for the hour long journey to anchor. As we found out later all my worry was in vain because these men were just concerned that we had ran over their fishing line and we were going to drag it on our rudder. My silliness and ignorance resulted in my own minor freak out and who knows how many grey hairs. When we entered the bay we were greeted by people both young and old in dugout canoes. They were all smiling and appeared very peaceful some spoke broken English some not. Some had services to offer such as laundry, boat cleaning, guides for translation, homemade gifts to sell and some brought us gifts of fresh, fire roasted cashews, shells, fruit, drawings they had made and some just wanted to say hello. When we went to shore the children surrounded us with beautiful smiles, harmonious laughter and warm hugs, all competing to hold our hands. The children are blissful as they play in the bay to keep cool, they laugh, and they use their imagination to find ways to entertain themselves and each other. There is no running water or electricity on the island therefore there are no sprinklers to play in, no slip and slides, no TVs, Gameboys, X-Boxes and all the other items that consume most children’s time. The kids are in need of various items such as balls, Frisbees, books, school and art supplies and most important money for school. The Capt and I observed these children at play and we began our journey to learning how to remember to play. It is such a simple concept yet so easily forgotten. One way we found to play with the kids was when we would see a canoe of youngsters paddling around the bay we came up next to them in our dinghy, the Capt would capture the canoe and we would pull them around the bay, they loved it. One incident while at play the Captain let go of the canoe too quickly and it filled with water. We had 3 young boys paddling around in the water trying to reach their canoe. Of course we returned and assisted in empting the canoe so it could be turned up right. We are giving and receiving great times and tons of laughter, that is priceless!

The children of Haiti do not have the privilege of attending school there is a cost attached to this indulgence and if the parents cannot pay there are no options or handouts. This I find very disconcerting because these children are all hungry for education and eager to learn. When word got out that we were going to sponsor a couple of children for a year of schooling it wasn’t long before we had a line of children in dugout canoes alongside Mary Rose’s beam each requesting the opportunity to put their name on a piece of paper so we wouldn’t forget them. Each having a story to tell, a dream to share regarding what they would do if they had the opportunity to learn a trade, learn to read and write.. Simple things but so out of reach for many. We have started a list with names of those children wanting to attend school next year. The cost to send one child to school is $50 for 6 months this may not sound unattainable to most of us but when you take into consideration that the average monthly salary is $20-30 per month this is substantial. We met one boy that has captured a section of my heart. His name is Jerry and he is an inspiring and talented artist. I gifted him a sketch pad and a how to sketch book that I have held on to for several years and for whatever reason I could never part with it. Isn’t it funny how that works?! I never understood why I couldn’t let this book go until I met Jerry…now I understand. He carries the book and the sketch pad around with him and has done many wonderful sketches since I gifted him with it. Now he is going to sketch boats and sell them. Now we have given him a method to be some what self sufficient. Self sufficiency is the key to decreasing the issue of survival on this island. We meant a young man by the name of Jonathon McDonald who is heading an organization by the name of Friends of Ile a Vache. http://www.friendsofileavachehaiti.com/ .

The Friends of Ile a Vache is doing just that, giving these people a way to be self sufficient. Please review the website and see for yourself all the good deeds that are coming out of this organization. A sample of the bigheartedness and entertaining fun they also provide is they sponsored a canoe race during our visit to Ile a Vache and the first place prize was $25 US dollars = to 100 goudes (Haiti exchange), the humorous part of the event was that the last place canoe also won $25 which was not announced until after the race, what a nice surprise it was to the gentleman who came in last. We are in the process of joining Soles For Little Souls with Friends of Ile a Vache so that tax deductable donations can be made to Soles For Little Souls and the money will be routed to us for purchase of supplies and sponsorship of education of the children in return we will be helping to transport supplies to the island. This organization is highly commendable and doing a lot of good for these people. This island is in desperate need of many things I will place a list at the end of this blog post.

We visited a market place in a near by town which is held every Monday and Thursday. This was an amazing experience. It was as if we stepped back in time a few hundred years or on to the pages of National Geographic.

Please enjoy the pics in the photo section they are broke down by categories.

I will leave this island with much more compassion and a lot less tolerance for people feeling entitled. These people live day after day, year after year with a heat index that is less than tolerable, no air conditioning not even a fan, the bugs are relentless and have developed a liking to bug repellant, they cook meals on open fires, no corner stores to pick up dinner, no fast food drive through, they live a very simple life and do without many things we consider the basics yet they continue day after day with positive outlooks and a multitude of smiles. The people of Ile a Vache were gracious, warm and very welcoming.

It is time that we close our eyes and remember how to spread our arms to our side and run through the grass pretending to fly. It is time that we drag our children away from the video games, cell phones, TVs and show them how simple life can be and should be.

Elizabeth Cunningham stated it best when she wrote: “We leave people and places and times behind. We encounter new ones. Sometimes we can’t see the patterns or connections. But they are there, between one breath and the next, in the ebb and flow of tides, in the rhythm of the dance.

Special thanks to Felix (Pix @ top of page) for being our guide and translator and friend, to Fritznel (1st pic)and Nixon for doing such a great job cleaning Mary Rose and for your companionship and friendship and a very special thanks to the people of Ile a Vache for sharing a piece of your island and culture with us.

Needs:

Batteries all sizes

Dive Masks

Snorkels

Flashlights

School supplies

Art Supplies

Medical and first aid supplies

Games

Balls

Anti itch creams

Fishing items nets and lines

This is a short list, the list goes on

Safe Landing 5/22/2010: Marathon, FL | Burdines Marina

2010-05-23T17:54:00.002-04:00

Sailing vessel Mary Rose has landed safely in Marathon, FL at Burdines Marina. Landed at 2:00 PM on Saturday, 5/22/2010. Resting and recovering from inclement weather passages.

Marina Services: fuel, water, electricity, cable, showers, laundry, coffee, restaurants within walking distance, no wifi.

View Larger Map

Ile a Vache, Haiti to Marathon, FL|Windward Passage|Old Bahama Channel|Gulf Stream Crossing

2010-05-22T15:21:00.005-04:00

This blog entry will document the sailing experience of our passage from Ile a Vache, Haiti to Marathon, FL through the Windward Passage, The Old Bahama Channel and across the Gulf Stream. The passage required seven days of continuous sailing on the open sea. We encountered winds over 40 knots and seas in excess of 12 feet. We caught fish almost every day and were well fed. We maintained alternating watches so we were rested as well. This is only a recount of our sailing experience and we do not suggest that this is the best method to make this passage; it is only our experience that we share, not advice.

We departed Ile a Vache at noon on 5-15-10 with a return trip odometer reading of 625 nautical miles under sunny skies and with a fresh and favorable breeze. We arrived at the southwest tip of Haiti as the sun was setting. We turned north into the Windward Passage and noticed several bands of thunder storms that were sparking off of the Haiti mainland into the Windward Passage. We were fortunate in that our arrival in the passage was such that the thunder storms would pass from east to west well ahead of us. We noted this for future passages so that we could avoid the frequent thunder storms that form almost daily in this passage in the evening due to the cooling of the air over Hispaniola. Our rumb line for the Windward Passage was from the southwest tip of Haiti to the Northwest tip of Cuba maintaining at least ten miles of margin from any land masses. The winds were too close to our rumb line to allow us to make it on one tack so we were forced to tack back and forth to make progress to the north. A starboard tack was the favored tack and it put us on track to sail close to Guantomano Bay. This seemed like a good idea from a security standpoint so we proceeded in a Northwesterly direction. We sailed through the night and into the next day before the favored tack changed to a port tack so we tacked off and headed in the direction of the Northwest tip of Haiti. The day went well with strong winds and medium seas. We always reef our main before nightfall and we did just that and were getting settled in for our night watch schedule when the winds began to strengthen. The winds were howling so loud it was almost impossible to speak above them on the topsides. Along with winds in excess of 40 knots the seas also began to build. The waves grew steeper than we had seen on any previous passage. We were smack in the middle of a full blown gale according to the Beaufort Scale. We decided to put in a second reef, bring in the head sail and hoist the staysail. Conditions continued to build to the point that we felt we would be better off putting our boat into a “hove to” position, lashing the tiller over and going below for the night. So below we went and turned the radar screen so we could watch it from the dinette. We turned on the sentry alarm on the radar so that we would be alerted when another vessel came within eight nautical miles of our boat. When the alarm went off we would hail the oncoming vessel on the VHF radio and make them aware of our position and that we were unable to maneuver due to being “hove to”. Essentially we were adrift at the mercy of the wind and waves. We were safe and dry and Mary Rose handled the heavy weather very well. Our drift was about 2 knots to the NNW back toward Cuba. We were able to begin sailing again at about 6:30 AM in moderate conditions. I made the assumption that the same conditions could or would occur again later this evening and took action to make this evening safer and more comfortable. We sailed on a port tack away from Cuba toward the northwestern tip of Haiti. My rationale was that the gale force winds were coming from the northeast and we would be able to get behind the high mountains on the northern peninsula of Haiti. We could avoid the high winds and heavy seas there and then sail directly out of the north end of the Windward Passage early the next morning. As the evening approached the winds began to build and the waves grew just as they had the night before. Except this time we were only a few miles from the leeward protection of the northern peninsula of Haiti. We fell off the wind a bit to make the sailing in the high winds a bit more tolerable and within an hour we were in water as smooth as a mill pond tucked in for the night, safe and sound. We still “hove to” to stop our progress away from our intended destination and established alternate watches for the night. This time we were not in the shipping channel and we only had one vessel come within eight miles the entire night. We resumed sailing at 6:00 AM on Tuesday morning (5-18-10) in 10-15 knots of wind and 2-3 ft seas. We were within striking distance of making our way out of the Windward Passage before this day was over. Even with the extraordinary conditions, the Admiral prepared 5 Star high quality meals with the fresh fish that gave us good energy and endurance throughout the experience. I am still not sure how she manages to do this. I am in awe and admire her capabilities. Just as we were nearing the north end of the Windward Passage the main fishing pole began to sing as the line was being stripped off the reel. I grabbed it and set the hook and then tried to slow the run by tightening the drag very slowly. Then to our amazement a White Marlin broke the surface and began to dance along sideways behind the boat, first one way and then the next. It was a sight to behold. The fish was at least 6-8 feet long and was still stripping line. After a few minutes this wonderful creature threw the hook and was on his way. I was relieved as there was no way we could land a fish this size on Mary Rose. After the initial thrill wore off I reflected on the story, The Old Man and The Sea. It was about in this area off the coast of Cuba the Old Man and his boat was pulled for days by a huge fish. Thank you Hemmingway!

Note to self: The next time I make the Windward Passage I will stay closer to Haiti so that I am in the leeward protection from the Northeasterly Gales that pipe up in this passage in the evening.

At 3:15 PM on Tuesday, 5-18-10 we officially exited the North end of the Windward Passage and we were now headed northwest along the North coast of Cuba through the Old Bahama Channel. The passage through the old Bahama Channel was uneventful and we were on a beam reach, starboard tack the entire passage. There were a few times that the winds fell off a bit and we flew the spinnaker for additional speed. We averaged over 130 nautical miles per day through the old Bahama Channel.

As we approached the end of the Old Bahama Channel and the west end of the Cay Sal Bank we began to make plans for the crossing of the Gulf Stream. The winds were forecast to strengthen and turn to the east. This would be perfect for a beam reach across the Gulf Stream. The problem with this scenario is that the current of the Gulf Stream runs from west to east. So with the winds blowing from east to west there would be an effect of piling the water up as the wind blows against the current. It did exactly that as the waves were in the 10 – 12 foot range and very steep as well as close together. To our good fortune we were able to make this crossing on a beam reach and fly across the wave tops with little resistance. The automatic tiller pilot held a perfect course. We set up our initial course several degrees to the west of our destination and we were over four mile west of the rumb line when we entered the drift of the Gulf Stream. By the time the Gulf Stream let go of us we were right back on the rumb line and within 10 miles of the Sombrero Key Light just off the coast of Marathon, FL. I came up to the cockpit after my rest period and the Admiral had Mary Rose making over 7 Knots and was having a ball racing over the tops of the huge steep waves. We made 151 nautical miles in 24 hours on the Gulf Stream crossing. WooHoo! The total passage took seven days and two hours and we traveled 829 nautical miles. That is an amazing average of 4.9 nautical miles per hour even though we were in a “hove to” position for two nights with zero forward progress. The time flew by as we were always doing something during the entire passage. We were navigating, reading, fishing, cooking, eating, sleeping or on watch. Did I mention the food was off the charts! Thank you, Admiral Nelson for sharing your amazing culinary skills when you were not driving the boat at breakneck speeds across the open ocean. I am proud to have you as my Admiral!

Message Relay from Cay Sal [East Bank]

2010-05-21T17:06:00.002-04:00

Message received from sailing vessel Hawk in the Cay Sal Bank area of the Bahamas. A message was relayed from SV 'Hawk' to the United States Coast Guard that Mary Rose and crew were delayed until 5/22 due to weather. All is well according to the message, simply a delay.

Current location just east of Cay Sal, Bahamas. SM

View Larger Map

Homecoming

2010-05-18T19:16:00.002-04:00

Mary Rose and crew are expected to arrive home on or about May 21st, 2010. Please feel free to leave comments to welcome them home. They are sailing up the Old Bahama Channel then north to Marathon currently.

View Larger Map

Children In Need, Time For Reflection

2010-05-14T12:45:00.008-04:00

We Are Your Family Too

Wow, where do I begin in this story of our visit to the orphanage of L’Oeuvre Saint Franqois? My soul, my heart, my very being walked away touched in a way I have never been touched before. I felt as if my heart was home, at long last home. Sister Flora is the closest I have come to be acquainted with anyone that I would equate to Mother Theresa. This woman gives her very existence to these children some requiring 24 hour care. When I asked her if there was any thing that she needed personally her response was, “All I need are the things needed to care for my children and keep them safe and happy, that is all I need.” You can tell by the children’s faces that they are very loved and happy. They all smile and they get very excited to see new faces, they will welcome you with open hearts and arms. Keb Mo’s song “I Am Your Mother Too” can explain how I feel better than I could ever put into words. I spent an hour trying to find the lyrics to the song but was not successful. You can listen to the song at this web-site http://www.rhapsody.com/keb-mo/big-wide-grin--2006 We found ourselves in Ile a Vache totally unexpectedly and unprepared. By some higher caller than from ourselves we did have some medical supplies on board. So we took the medical supplies that we had and donated them to the children. Thank you to those who entrusted us with the supplies you donated to us for our Soles For Little Souls adventure. They will be used appreciatively. The items that Sister Flora does not need she uses to barter with the hospital for surgeries for the children. These children have varyingly sad stories, some lost parents to the earthquake, and some had been abandoned by their parents because they had a disability, some were abused and neglected and brought to Sister Flora severely malnourished but the smiles continue. The items that are desperately needed are; diapers all sizes including adult sizes, glucose tablets, glucometers and strips, water purification tablets, wheelchairs, walkers, leg braces, hydrocortisone cream, antibiotic creams, bug repellant, baby formula, baby food, batteries, baby bottles, school supplies, educational materials, first aid supplies and of course money to buy various items such as wood for the kitchen which they spend approximately $200 per month on wood to fuel the kitchen fire. Imagine yourself in a cement building with little ventalation, hot and full of smoke to the point that it is hard to take a breath, this is what the volunteers of the kitchen live with as they prepare food for the children. If you have a desire to assist you can contact us by leaving a comment and we will give you additional information. You can mail items to the orphanage but unfortunately a constant problem in Haiti is governmental corruption and the intended recipients may never receive the items. We will be returning to Ile a Vache next summer to deliver more supplies and volunteer time working to help them complete the new school.

Quote from Sister Clara, “What may seem small to one person may be big to another”

Yes… We are all their family too.

There will be many more pictures to be seen soon if you click on the picture on the Capt and myself on the main page of the blog you will be directed to "dreamsfollowed" web page

Ile La Vache | Haiti

2010-05-11T15:55:00.000-04:00

This post will be just one in a series of blog postings on Ile La Vache. We arrived at Port Morgan after sailing about 27 hours from Isla Beata, Dominican Republic. Port Morgan is a wonderful well protected bay on the Northwest side of the island. In fact the name of this anchorage comes from the famous pirate “Captain Morgan” that visited this site often in the past. We love this place and intend to visit it again on our next voyage. There is no electricity or running water on the island. Time stands still here with a very simple way of life. The people are warm and inviting. Many individuals have brought food and gifts to our boat without expecting anything in return. They arrive in there dugout canoes that are hand hewn from a single large log and stand politely along the side of the boat to talk with us. The language here is Creole and French. We do not speak the language but manage to communicate enough to make do. We are trying to learn the language a little each day. There are many needs here on the island. In no particular order they include, medical supplies, tools, diapers, formula, money for primary education, water purification tablets and much much more. The children here must pay to go to primary and secondary school. We intend to sponsor several individuals and pay for there school for one year before we leave. The cost is about $50 per year per child. We invite you to participate if you wish. We will be here a few more days as we wait for favorable weather to make the several day passage from here to the Florida Keys and on to St Petersburg. The Admiral will be posting on our recent visit to an orphanage on the island and a walk through the pages of National Geographic as we visited the local market. More to come soon!

Salinas Dominican Republic | Cruising

2010-05-11T15:53:00.000-04:00

The harbor at Salinas is one days sail from Boca Chica. The harbor entry is well marked and fairly straight forward. Beware of an unlit and unmarked fish farm when approaching the main harbor entrance from the south. It is located at about N18 13.50 and W 070 33.84. We were made aware of this fish farm in the Dominican Republic cruising guide but the coordinates were way off. Be aware and stand a good watch! Once you enter the harbor there is a marked channel leading to the hotel to the south with approach depths to the dock of over 10 feet. The holding is good in the area of the hotel. The high rugged mountains to the north of the harbor are beautiful and the beaches are snow white. We arrived just before sunset and had to off load the dinghy in order to meet the Marina de Gueira and Navy representative at the hotel dock. The Marina de Gueira is the Dominican Republic’s Coast Guard. When you arrive at a new port they must come to your boat and inspect it and receive the dispatch papers that you were given when you departed your last port. You are then required to obtain a new dispatch before leaving again. This is a cumbersome process that is required by the port authorities. We picked up two individuals and brought them to the boat for the official visit and then returned them to the dock. The harbor is beautiful and well protected. There are many homes along the shore on the southwest end and a commercial ship yard on the east end. The hotel is on the south end of the harbor and has slips available for $10 per day. The electricity does not work and there is no dockside water. The hotel owner/manager is very helpful and the food is good. The prices are a bit high by Dominican standards but this hotel serves the crews and guests of the commercial ships that are at the shipyard. These individuals generally have expense accounts and he has smartly adjusted his pricing and service for this clientele just as he should. The town is clean and quiet with small stores located along the main road. We went to the Caribbean side of the beach and found several choice pieces of sea glass. Sea glass has a great history and hunting it has become one of the admiral’s favorite hobbies. She can spend days on a single beach inspecting every square inch within 30 feet of the surf. The beaches on the Caribbean side of this town are lined with highly polished stones from agate size to the size of a large softball. They are polished to a smooth high gloss from years of being tumbled in the sand and surf. The sand is a dark brown and gets quite hot to the bare foot in the mid-day sun. We found the people of this area to be warm, helpful, inviting and friendly. We had some difficulty receiving a dispacho (dispatch) from this port. Thanks to Frank a Dorthy (a German couple) for helping us with our limited Spanish. We have since heard that no more dispatches will be issued from Salinas and cruisers must report to Barahona for dispatchos before leaving port. We received our dispatcho for Jamaica just in case we wished to stop there but our intentions were to go to Ile La Vache in Haiti and then to the United States. Since there are no custom or immigration officials in Ile la Vache we did not want to get the dispatch to that port. We also stopped at Isla Bieta in the Dominican Republic on the way to Ile La Vache to rest and enjoy the wonderful water and fish camps on the island. We explained to the Marina de Gueira that our engine was running a bit warm and we needede to stop and access the situation before we could continue. They allowed us to stay two days with no problems and could have stayed longer.

Boca Chica | Dominican Republic | Marina ZAR-PAR | Cruising

2010-05-11T15:51:00.000-04:00

Boca Chica took one long day to reach by sail. We had following winds and seas the entire day. We spent several days at Marina ZAR-PAR after leaving Casa de Campo in La Romana. We were certainly spoiled by Casa de Campo’s excellent service and facilities. We were pleased when we arrived at the harbor entrance to Boca Chica to learn that the Marina Manager was going to meet us in his dinghy to escort us through the narrow entrance channel to the marina. The entrance is marked but can be a bit intricate once past the markers. If you read the water well and favor port on entry, you will be in the channel. The charts do not show the reef that extends the entire length of Boca Chica so be sure to follow the buoyed channel near the commercial harbor. We contacted them first by phone and then switched to radio. Frank from Casa de Campo provided the phone number to us on departure. Raul Medina is the marina manager at ZAR-PAR and his personal cell phone number as of this writing is 829-520-8905. His email is rmedina@marinazarpar.com and the marina website is www. Marinazarpar.com The marina is fairly new and well built to quality standards. There are gazebo type structures placed throughout the marina that are great spots to relax, play card and board games or enjoy a beverage in the cool shade. The electrical panels are US standards and work well. The marina advertises cable but it does not work. The water is included in the price of the slip but it is NOT potable. We purchased five gallon bottles of RO water to fill our tanks before departure for about $1.50 per five gallon jug. It took two days to get it after requesting it but it did arrive. We used a local mechanic to remove the oil from our engine and his charge was about $30 US. We provided our own oil and filter. Raul works very hard to make your stay very comfortable and seems to run around the entire day taking care of little things that others did not get taken care of or do correctly. If you need water or services be sure to make your request early and follow up several times to make sure it is done on time. Expect some delays and minor complications. Our stay had to be extended due to false expectations of on time delivery of water. Also expect to pay for each service independently. The marina does not compile a bill for all charges as one might expect. The marina also has a fuel dock that can present a bit of a challenge for deep draft boats or when the winds are not favorable. It is not situated on a T dock as most fuel docks are built and you pay separately for the fuel. You can also expect loud music well into the night, as is in keeping with the local culture. Over all we had some very wonderful experiences in Boca Chica. The Dominican Republic cruising guide indicates that there are near by beaches but we found them to be heavily littered with trash, glass and debris. The local jet skis and speed boats are quite reckless and freely move about within the swimming areas. We recommend a visit to Marina Zar-Par but, be mindful of the level of your expectations. Raul is a great guy and a wonderful resource that makes this place work.

Safe Arrival | Isle La Vache | Haiti

2010-05-08T14:32:00.003-04:00

We arrived safely and had a wonderful sail from Isla Bieta, Dominican Republic to Isle La Vache, Haiti. We will wait here for the perfect weather windo for the LOOOOOOOOONG Passage through the Windward Passage and the Old Bahama Channel on the North Coast of Cuba. This passage will take 5 - 7 days of continuous non-stop sailing. We will try to get the blog up to date while we are here in Isle La Vache, Haiti. This is a very beautiful and charming place.

Don and Lana

Smiles and Clean Flip Flops .. Priceless

2010-05-03T21:08:00.010-04:00

The sun was beating down in a relentless fury and the air was thick with humidity so the Captain and I decided it was time to go exploring and find ourselves a nice cooling refreshing beverage. We happened along a corner store with a passionate and momentous game of dominos happening as well as amass of unused plastic lawn chairs stacked by the entrance. This was the spot we told each other. The corner was overflowing with activity. We purchased our drinks and grabbed a chair for the evening’s cheap entertainment.
It wasn’t long before we were approached by two young men who were both hauling wooded shoeshine boxes. They requested to shine our shoes for 10 pesos, translated to dollars equals approximately 30 cents. We looked down at our feet and we were both wearing flip flops! One of the young men was definitely the salesman; he smiled the biggest whitest smile and convinced us that we were in need of our shoes cleaned. So of course we agreed. One young man took the Captains shoes and the other took mine. Off to work they went, relentlessly scrubbing our shoes with some liquid mixture they carried in an old plastic bottle. Once the jobs were completed the Captain instructed each young man to place one shoe on top of their old wooden boxes and they complied. He began to evaluate and inspect each shoe. The young men sat in front of the captain with befuddled looks on their faces. It was obvious by their expressions this was the first time they had encounter such an issue. The Captain re-assured them and explained in broken Spanish that he was comparing each shoe to determine who performed the finest cleaning job. They both understood and then in an instant those big beautiful smiles re-appeared. They appeared to have enjoyed the camaraderie as well as the competition. After the judging was completed the Captain went into the corner store and returned with the coins to pay the young men for their service and good sportsmanship. Each held out their hands for payment and the Captain placed the requested 10 pesos in each of their hands. The boys, satisfied with their earnings smiled and began to walk down the street. But the Captain called them back; he was not finished with them. He reached into his pocket and pulled out additional coins and placed one in each of their hands, then another and another. With each drop of a coin in their little hands their eyes became bigger and their smiles became wider. It was so pleasurable watching these hard working young men become so excited over something so small to us. It was as if they had won the lottery as each coin dropped. After the coin pay out was completed the Captain requested that each boy now give him a gift. The befuddled expressions obviously returned to each of the young faces. He explained that he gave them a gift and now he wanted a gift in return. Each of the boys reached into their pockets and pulled out a coin and returned it happily to the Captain. The young men once again began to walk down the street still excited and gleaming over their earnings. But once more the Captain called them back; he was not finished with them yet. He returned the coins to the young men plus gave them each an additional coin. An expression of gratitude over took their faces as well as those colossal beautiful smiles.
This time instead of walking down the street they walked to the bus stop flipping a coin in the air! They were heading home and instead of walking the lengthy walk back to Boca Chico they were going home in luxury with a very good lesson in their minds. The lesson… be gracious for gifts and give back joyfully and it will all come back to you in time!

A short time after the young men left a truck pulled to the curb and parked in front of where we were relaxing. The driver jumped out and went into the corner store. In the back of the truck were 2 little girls. The oldest kept looking at us out of the corner of her eye. Within minutes the Captain began engaging her in some play time. She copied everything the Captain did, a version of the game Simone Says. When the truck pulled away the young girls as well as the adults were smiling ear to ear. What a day!! Making others smile, especially the children is a joy that can be found no other place.

Afternoon entertainment on a corner street in San Andres
Cool refreshing beverages… 240 pesos = $7.00
Flip flop shine …. 180 pesos = $5.00
Mile long smiles on little children’s faces…. PRICELESS!!

The Captain and I continue our passage north to home. We expecting to arrive back in St Pete FL in the next 3-4 weeks.

Boca Chica, Dominican Republic

2010-04-28T09:58:00.001-04:00

We arrived safely in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. More later

Casa de Campo Marina | La Romana | Dominican Republic

2010-04-26T12:29:00.014-04:00

Experience in La Romana, Dominican Republic (DR) has been an encounter that deserves a blog all to it’s self. I must confess I had concerns develop during our passage to La Romana regarding Casa de Campo Marina. Few of the cruising guides that we have on board as references mention the south side of the DR and the ones that do only write a paragraph. The main focal point is the north side of the DR since the mass of cruisers usually stops at Luperon and then head to Puerto Rico without stopping over on the south side. Due to this there is not enough information available regarding approaches and marinas. This was the grounds of my concern since we could not get a good visual on the marina and how to best approach. Unfortunately, I had injured my right hand on the passage and was not able to sufficiently assist the captain. We hailed the marina several times without success to obtain assistance. As we approached closer to the area that we believed to be the marina we ultimately received a weak response from the marina staff. At which point they gave us the lat/long for the approach. The captain entered the numbers into the GPS and relief was found when we noted that yes we were heading in the correct position. As we approached closer the radio strength improved and we were instructed to hail the staff when we were 3 miles out and they would send a staff member in a dinghy to assist us with our approach and dock lines. The Captain and I glanced at each other in amazement at what we just heard. They are sending a Dinghy to meet us?? Did we hear them correctly?? What the??!! This was a concept that we had never heard of from a marina. As we approached closer to the entrance we noticed a sailboat race to our port side, spinnakers were flying as the sun was setting! Beautiful!! The sight flooded us both with memories of our racing days. At 2 miles out sure enough we observed a dingy patiently awaiting our arrival. As we approached closer a second dinghy arrived to join the first. They pulled up next to us, introduced themselves and personally guided us in. Once we were safely in the marina entrance both boats disappeared. What the?? The Captain and I once again glanced at each other in amazement, “where did they go??!!” Within a couple of minutes they reappeared this time both young men in one dinghy. They pulled up next to Mary Rose and with grace and proficiency one of the young men jumped aboard. “I am here to assist you with docking since you have an injured crew.” Just like a super hero. “I’m here to save the day!” The captain and I were in wonderment at the service they were providing us! When we were safely docked we were then greeted by the “officials”. Immigration, Customs, Navy and Agriculture. They all arrived on the dock to take care of their officially authorized business. What the?? Once again the Captain and I glanced at each other in amazement. Our thoughts were “You mean we don’t have to hunt them all down??” Nope… now we have experienced personal escorts, dock handlers and an uncomplicated clearance! WOW this was amazing! Soon after we had completed the entrance paperwork and paying the fees we were greeted by the Harbor Master, Frank Castillo. He introduced himself and sincerely apologized for no being there when we docked as he had been tied up with the Farr 40 World Championship race. The sailboat race that we sailed past was the Farr 40 World Championship race??!! Too cool!! Frank inquired about my hand and offered to drive us to town the next morning to have it X-rayed. He told us about the marina facilities, local areas to be sure to visit, and then invited us to join the Farr 40 after race party. Be sure to visit the FARR40 web site for exciting photos and more. http://www.farr40.org/ At this point we have experienced personal escorts, dock handlers, an uncomplicated clearance and now FREE food and beer! Can life get better than this??!! Well let me say…Yes it can!! As Frank gave us his best wishes he informed us that he was going to bring us fresh coffee and pastries in the morning. Sure enough that is precisely what occurred, on Mary’s deck the next morning was a box of gourmet pastries that were fresh and delicious and 2 coffees! By 8 am we were in Frank’s personal vehicle in route to town to have my swollen hand X-rayed. The hospital wasn’t as high tech as what I am used but in my perspective it was more proficient and efficient than what we have available in the USA. I had 2 x-rays and saw the physician in less than 30 minutes for the cost of… are you ready for this?? Less than $100!!! One wonders what is wrong with the healthcare system in the USA? Luckily, my hand was only bruised with tissue injuries, no fractures or broken bones! Frank proceeded to drive us to the pharmacy to have my prescription filled and off we went back to the marina. Frank insisted on paying for the prescription! What the????? We have had many encounters with marinas but this has been by far the best. Frank and his staff went above and beyond in many ways that are not mentioned due to time but no less important. Now you may be thinking to yourself, I bet you had to pay the price for above expectations customer service?? No, the cost of our slip here was less than anyplace else that we have stayed. Amazing huh?!!
Frank manages this marina with the philosophy of customer service as the main principle. It doesn’t matter if you are on a multi million dollar yacht or a 32 foot sailboat everyone deserves equal treatment with the same great service. The staff is equally satisfied with his leadership. Frank is retired from the US Navy and brings a strong ability to lead and guide these young men and women who are employed by Casa de Campo. He is fair and promotes integrity amongst the staff. We spent some time chatting with a couple of the employees as they drove us all over the complex in golf carts and they referred to Frank as their “hero” and it shows in the attitudes and the service. Frank will bend over backwards to make sure each of his guests are delighted and satisfied with the service provided at not only the marina but the entire stay in the DR.
We would encourage everyone to visit Casa de Campo, to cruise the south side of the DR and enjoy the treasures that await you here. You will experience miles and miles of snow white sand beaches, friendly people and Casa de Campo Marina. I really can’t say enough positive things regarding the marina and the service.

http://www.marinacasadecampo.com.do/

During our stay here Frank recommended that we visit Altos de Chavon. He stated it was one of those places you just don’t want to miss. So a few days later off we went walking up the hill to find this magnificent place. We only had to walk a little while when we were picked up by a security officer and given a ride to Altos de Chavon. Altos de Chavon is a 16th century replica of a Mediterranean village perched high above the Chavón River. The village was designed by Dominican architect Jose Antonio Caro, and created by Italian master designer Roberto Coppa. The stone and iron work was done all by hand by Dominican artists. Each stone was hand cut, each wooden door frame was handcrafted and each wrought-iron detail hand-forged. Construction of the village began in 1976 and the village was inaugurated in 1982 with the concert of Frank Sinatra at the amphitheater. The amphitheater is Grecian-style and seats 5000. It is an amazing site. This place is amongst one of the most romantic places I have ever seen. It is like taking a step back in time. At the heart of the Altos de Chavon village is the Church of St. Stanislaus.

Please take time to view the Casa de Campo web site for more details of this wonderful complex.

Our plan is to leave here tomorrow and sail west along the south coast of the Domonican Republic and visit a couple of more ports and then head to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Mexico.

We will update as we are able.

Brief Update

2010-04-25T10:40:00.005-04:00

It is now Sunday April 24, 2010 and this is a very brief update.
Our very dear friend, Dr. Bill Smith arrived in Tortolla on April 11th to sail with us for a week and he returned to Kansas City on April 17th. We sailed to Anegada and had a great time! Bill is writing a blog that will detail the visit and activities; we will post it as soon as we are able.

Lana and I departed the British Virgin Island on 4/17/2010 and sailed to Great Lampshire Bay on the East end of St John. The following day we sailed to Culebra in the Spanish Virgin Islands and stayed two nights before sailing to Puerto Rico. Our first stop was in Puerto Rico where we anchorage at Puerto Patilla on the southeast corner of the island. We departed the next morning for Ponce but decided to anchor at a lovely island off the southern Puerto Rican coast called Caja de Muerto. The water was gin clear and the beach was beautiful. The next morning we went to the Ponce Yacht and Fishing Club where we topped off the fuel tank and water tanks in preparation for another crossing of the Mona Passage. We departed Ponce about 10 AM for the Dominican Republic. We expected this passage to take about two days as the winds were light and the seas were calm. However we received a gift of fresh trade winds about 3 AM and we gained good speed and arrived in La Romana, Dominican Republic about 4:30 PM the next day. The Mona crossing was wonderful and it was like a sleigh ride with speeds in excess of 6 knots to the starboard beam. We never changed tacks all the way to La Romana. We will continue on from here to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Mexico and then to St Petersburg by June 1, 2010. We will write an extensive blog on the Marina Casa de Campo as this is the very best Marina experience we have had to date.

Cruising Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, Spanish Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands

2010-04-03T18:28:00.018-04:00

We departed Luperon Dominican Republic on March 13, 2010 at 0650 in the early predawn light with very mild winds. Our dispatch from the Luperon officials cleared us for Samana on the east coast of the Dominican Republic but our intentions were to sail direct, non stop to Bouqeron, Puerto Rico. We had been waiting for several days in Luperon for the north swells to stop so that the northern ports would be safe in the event that we needed a safe haven on our easterly route along the north coast of the Dominican Republic. Mary Rose V was the first boat out of the harbor this morning and as expected we saw boats exiting en mass after we were several miles east of the Luperon Harbor entrance. We expected this passage to take at least two days and maybe three so we sat back into a comfortable pace and made the most of the winds and sea conditions. We stayed close to shore to take advantage of the wind shadow the island affords and it also has a calming effect on the seas. We chatted with several other cruisers along the way as we made slow progress in light winds. We did our best to use the cape effects of each land point to our advantage and to look for the benefit of currents to help move us along. We motor sailed when we unable to maintain speeds above 3 kts under only sail. We passed Cabo Samama way point at 130 PM on 3/14/10 and continued south across the Bay of Samana where we took an easterly course to avoid the hourglass shoals as we began our voyage across the Mona Passage. The Mona Passage can be hazardous in the wrong conditions. The reason we stayed in Luperon longer than intended was to wait for the conditions to give us safe passage across the Mona Passage. Winds were light and seas were calm as we began the crossing with all sails up and low RPM’s on the engine. As we approached the coast of Puerto Rico on the evening of 3/15/10 we were faced with making the decision to go North or South of Isla Desecheo. As it turns out the decision was made for us by the strong fast moving current of the Mona Passage. We tried to tack to the Southwest to leave the Island to windward and the current pushed us back on the exact same tack and track we had been on before tacking. Yes we were essentially going backwards. At 0130 we tacked again and headed for the land shadow that we hoped would be produced by the island of Puerto Rico. It worked and soon we could smell the scents of land, food, smoke, people and animals. There is something wonderful about making a landfall after several days at sea. There is very little at sea to inspire your sense of smell, the options are limited and sometimes even unpleasant. But approaching land your olfactory systems gets a huge infusion and is a pleasant experience. The light land breeze off of the western shore of Puerto Rico gave us a port beam reach down the coast to our destination of Bouqueron. We took our time and exchanged watches after adjusting the course on the chart plotter to keep us in safe waters and avoid the surrounding reefs. We made landfall at Bouqueron, Puerto Rico on 3/16/10, just as the sun tipped above the horizon. We anchored at 0700 and went to bed for a much needed rest. After a few hours of sleep we called the customs and immigration authorities and checked in over the phone. It is important that you have the US cruising permit and all passengers have valid local boater numbers as this prevents having to arrive in person to check in when making landfall in the United States and its possessions. We pulled anchor in the afternoon and moved a few miles to Cabo Rojo under the lighthouse on the most Southeastern tip of Puerto Rico so we could depart in the night lee of the island for Ponce. We departed Cabo Rojo about 2300 and arrived at Ponce Yacht Club at 0800 the next day.

We enjoyed our stay at Ponce and and used this as an opportunity to rent a car and visit some land based destination on the beautiful Island of Puerto Rico. Be sure to fill your tanks with diesel at the Ponce Yacht Club. It is clean and the best price we found since leaving the United States several months ago. The reason it is such a good price is that the members insist on low cost fuel, what a bonus for the occasional visitor! We rented a car from PayLess that was recommended by the front desk at the Ponce Yacht Club. The car was reasonably priced in good condition and they were very helpful. We filled up the gas tank and the fuel prices were about the same as in the US but it is priced in liters.First we drove to Salinas in search of a spear gun so I could continue my quest for giant lobster. We finally found a marine store and they were out of spear guns but they did have the boat parts that we needed for minor repairs that we intended to do while at the Ponce Yacht Club. We then drove back to Ponce and made sure that Mary Rose was secure and all the sea cocks were closed before heading up the mountains on Highway 123 to the small mountain town of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. It was a lovely drive on a narrow winding highway with typical mountain road switchbacks that were lined with charming compact homes that hung off of the mountain side like colorful adornment on the edge of huge Christmas tree. There were a few cars along the way that obviously did not make the trip. They seemed to be abandoned where they died. The views were spectacular and except for the occasional meeting of a large truck on a curve the drive was enjoyable. The people were friendly and waved as we made our way up the mountain to Adjuntas and it seems as though everyone has their own live colorful rooster decorating their yard. Our first order of business upon arrival at Adjuntas was to find some genuine local Puerto Rican cuisine in this charming mountain village. We drove into town passing several roadside restaurants and made a few trips around the square before heading back out of town to one of the places we passed on the way into town. Fortunately we decided to stop at The Original Gui Gui (wee wee) Restaurant that was formally know as the Star Light but lost the name due to some sort of legal anglings with a competitor down the road. The “Gui Gui” is famous for their Chueleton A Lo “GuiGui”. It is a pork chop as big as your head that is cut into double bite sized pieces and deep fried as most food is in Puerto Rico. We ordered a side of Mofongo which is a special preparation of plantain that is popular in Puerto Rico along with freshly peeled French fries. The single order was enough for both of us and we were then treated to a special visit by the owner ”Gui Gui.” He was careful to explain that his name sounded like Wee Wee but was not to be confused with the male anatomy which sometimes goes by the same name. Gui Gui was very entertaining and we highly recommend his restaurant for authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. The service was exceptional and there were several customers there that had driven from Ponce just for an evening meal.

Our next quest was to find a room for the night and our waiter recommended the Hotel Monte Rio in downtown Adjuntas. We found a rustic three story hotel that was clean and comfortable with a great price for the night. After checking in we walked to the square just a block away and enjoyed watching the youth of the town practice their Latin dancing, surf the web on lap tops and fellowship in small groups. The square was a beautiful park with old growth banyan trees and water fountains that begged you to sit and relax as you succumbed to the sights and sounds of life in a small mountain village in Puerto Rico. Our next quest was to find some delicious fresh ice cream and we did just that. Land falls and ice cream just go hand in hand. We enjoyed our evening at the Hotel Monte Rio with a balcony overlooking the mountain behind us that had the profile of an old man sleeping. I thought it looked like Abe Lincoln.

The next morning we headed east on the scenic drive along the mountains through the National Parks and we were again treated to spectacular views of mountain vistas and long lush valleys. At times we could barely see the road as we were literally driving through the clouds. The temperature in the mountains was a refreshing 68 degrees compared to the 90+ degrees at the marina. In one of the small mountain villages we visited a cemetery that was typical of the elaborate monuments immaculately maintained to honor departed loved ones. We paused to reflect on our own mortality and remember those dear to us that have made the transition to the next realm. We drove until we found a suitable highway that would lead us down the mountain in time to provision, find a dive shop that sold spear guns and return the car on time. We found a dive shop in Ponce, they had a pole spear and the Admiral bought it for me as a birthday present. Thank You Lana! aka; Admiral Nelson! I must have been a good boy or maybe she enjoys the taste of lobster? We stocked up on a few provisions and returned the car and PayLess drove us back to the Marina.

The next day we made a few minor repairs to the boat and we were ready for departure.

We left Ponce on 3/20/10 to Culebra in the Spanish Virgin Islands. We were forced to safe anchorage due to strong east winds and tall choppy waves. We found a good safe anchorage at Boca Inferno several miles east of Ponce. We left Boca Inferno on 3/21/10 very early the next morning and sailed to Punta Viento also known as Punta Patillas, the last anchorage on the south shore of Puerto Rico that gives you protection from strong easterly trade winds and high seas. We stayed here a couple of days before conditions improved and we headed for Culebra at 7PM on 3/23/10. The winds and waves were not as favorable for Culebra as they were for Vieques so we changed our plans en route and headed for Vieques. We anchored one night at Vieques and then headed for Culebra. Vieques was a bit too much of a tourist attraction for us. We seemed to have grown quite fond of ports that are rich in local culture and lacking tourists. So we moved on in search of a more attractive port. Culebra was just that and more. It is a charming little Island in the Spanish Virgin Island chain and we will return again to enjoy the charm of this island and its local inhabitants. Yes there were tourists but the island has not lost its charm.

From Culebra we sailed past St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and on to St John. St John is about 2/3 US National Park and is a beautiful Island. We stopped at a temporary anchorage for one night on the western tip of the island on 3/28/10. We then moved to Little Lampshire Bay in the park the following morning and stayed there for a couple of days. This bay was beautiful and allowed us to go ashore for some hiking. We hiked two miles up a mountain trail to some pools in granite stone that are the site of Pre Columbian Petroglyphs and Taino spiritual grounds. We also hiked to the ruins of a cane factory that the tropical forest was slowly taking back. We also visited the remains of an old structure that was the home to hundreds of bats that were sound asleep hanging upside down from the wooded roof slats. This was a wonderful excursion and we should have taken more water with us as the trail was quite steep and it was very warm on the return trip. The National Park Service has installed safe moorings available for $15 per night. The water was gin clear and the snorkeling was off the charts.

We arrive in the British Virgin Island (BVI) on April 1, 2010 to a welcoming committee of at least 250 boats (mostly charters) as we rounded the tip of St John. Yuckkkkkkkkkk! This is not how we remember the BVI. Then we realized this is a holiday week and there are several regattas and we are sure (we hope) that things will settle down after the holiday. We are at safe anchorage in Fat Hog Bay avoiding an unusual strong North wind. We will remain here until the conditions improve for anchorage on the south shore of the other islands we wish to visit in this chain. We urge you to enjoy the Penn's Landing Marina at Fat Hogs Bay, East End, Tortola. 284-495-1134 They have 22 moorings available for $25 per day. It includes showers, DVD usage, internet and more. Walter Garimont is very helpful and a delight to work with.

Mona Passage Leg Complete | Luperon, Dominican Republic to Boquerón, Puerto Rico | Safe Landing in Boquerón

2010-03-16T09:22:00.005-04:00

Safe landing in Boquerón, Puerto Rico on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 approximately 07:00AM.

Luperon, Dominican Republic | Yacht Club | Fuel Filters

2010-03-11T09:49:00.001-05:00

We went to the Luperon Yacht Club shortly after our initial arrival in Luperon but it was Monday and that is the only day they are closed. We were impressed with the building and grounds as well as the two clean swimming pools that overlook the bay.

We had planned on returning but our many excursions to visit historical sites in the area delayed our visit until yesterday. There is a cruisers radio event on CH 72 on Wednesday and Sunday each week. We sent out a message that we were still looking for fuel filters for our external Racor fuel filtering system for diesel fuel. It seems that the extra filters I thought I had vaporized or perhaps were mistakenly removed from the boat during our preparation for our voyage. There was simply no way we were going to leave Luperon without spare filters on board. We looked in Luperon, Puerto Plata and Sontiago for our 500 FG filter cartridges but none were to be found. Another cruiser called us on the radio and told us to hail Andy on OB-LA-DI and we did but there was no response. It seems that Andy is “the filter guy” in Luperon. Then yet another friendly cruiser told us to hail Joe and Kim at the Luperon Yacht Club as Andy was temporarily away. Joe and Kim invited us over to have a look at our filter needs and perhaps they could get in touch with Andy and gain access to his filter supply. They called Andy and he did have the exact cartridge that we needed and told them how to find them. By 5PM we had our filters with additional assistance from AL.

The service from Joe, Kim and Al was way beyond expectations and will allow us to depart safely with spare filters.

Andy has a business here called “Filterboss” , it is a diesel fuel filter system that polishes and switches fuel filters with audible warnings before filter failure. You can reach Andy in Luperon by hailing OB-LA-DI or visit his website at KTISYSTEMS.COM. The filters were very fairly priced.

The Yacht club is a friendly restaurant with great views of the harbor and wonderful food. They are closed Mondays and open 12 – 9 other days. It is truly a family atmosphere offering trivia pursuit on Thursday night and musical jam sessions on Sunday with daily happy hour for all to enjoy. They will also gladly assist boaters with other issues just as they did for us with our filters. Be sure to visit the Luperon Yacht Club and say hello to Joe and Kim.

Luperon, Dominican Republic | Cruisers Perspective | Sailing

2010-03-08T15:46:00.010-05:00

We have been in Luperon for about a week now and hope to squeeze out in a day or two on the next weather window for Samana and then across the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico.

Luperon is a significant historical site. These deep protected bays provide the best harbor on the island of Hispanola. In November of 1492 Martin Pizon anchored the stolen Pinta off the low cliff face on the east side of the entrance channel to trade with the Indians for gold. Columbus’ guys found him when their longboat rounded Cape Isabela from El Castillo looking for the Nina’s next anchorage. We entered on this historical site.

We used Van Sant’s cruising book for waypoints and visual range to make our landfall and it was spot on the mark. We were a bit surprised to see so many boats in this harbor after leaving the remote out islands of the Bahamas. There are about 60-70 boats in this harbor, mostly sailing vessels but a few trawlers. Some are active cruisers and some seem to have been here for a very long time and still others seem to be in disrepair and abandoned. We arrived on a Sunday and the entry officials had gone home so we went ashore without clearing in with the proper authorities. We ran the gambit the next day with Customs, Immigration, Agriculture and the Comandoncia of the Port Authority. Our total expense to clear in was about $86 dollars and was quite painless with no signs of the reported “gifts” that many speak of in other blogs or posts. We were told by other cruisers the Dominican Navy was looking for us and that we had to clear in with them as well. A navy representative tracked us down in town a few days later and asked me to meet him at Puerto Blanco marina with my dinghy so he could come to our boat for an official inspection. This was also painless as I joked with him and asked if the Navy did not have any boats. I also told him that I would have to charge him for the ride to my boat. He laughed and we parted to meet in about one hour at the marina. I arrived at the appointed time and he and another navy representative with clipboards climbed aboard our tender for a short ride to Mary Rose. Once aboard he asked for the usual documentation papers for the boat and completed his form. Then there was some conversation regarding “no official fees” for the navy inspection but they did accept donations. I smiled and said “of course, I have half for you of what you have for me!” He laughed and patted me on the shoulder as this is a familiar exchange in Latin America when one returns from a trip. I went below and opened an ice cold beer and the two men shared it as I pored them a ration of Jim Beam from the Captain’s locker. Later before leaving the ship, I gave them each a very small donation and they were quite satisfied and responded that the Navy would be watchful of our vessel and protect us. This process was quite painless and an enjoyable exchange.

Luperon is a small agricultural based community on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. One must not confuse the lack of familiar sophistication with the lack of warmth, charm and integrity. The people here have been extremely helpful, honest and welcoming. The small homes along the city streets are clean and inviting. There happened to be a main street rebuilding project in progress that made terrestrial navigation a bit difficult due to several days of rain and drizzle.

We went to the local farmers market last Tuesday morning and were amazed at the abundance and quality of the fresh grown fruits and veggies. We purchased about 30 pounds of potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, pineapple and fresh herbs for less than $12 US. We brought them back to the boat and washed them in sea water and then gave them a fresh water rinse with a small amount of bleach to kill any larva or bugs. The items are all organic, grown with out any chemicals and the flavor is amazing. One tip we can give you is to use the fresh fruits right away. The produce here is picked as vine or tree ripened, unlike the states where items are picked green so they can ripen in the process of transportation and storage. The pineapple is like eating candy and the sweetest I have ever tasted. The remainder of our provisioning took place in Santiago a few days later. We rented car and driver for about $50 US to drive us to Santiago and take us to the various shops and stores. We had to pick up some engine filters and get eye glasses repaired as well as food provisions. Be sure to look up Nino for your transportation needs if you find yourself in Luperon.

We also were in need of fuel and water since we had not filled our tanks since we left Georgetown, Bahamas. We learned of “Handy Andy” from a cruising guide and he stopped by our boat before we even had a chance to call him on the VHF. We made arrangements for him and Pabo to bring fuel and water to the boat a few days later. The diesel fuel was pumped directly into our tanks from a bulk tank fitted on a special fuel transport boat and the water was purified RO water in five gallon jugs. Handy Andy carried the water down the companionway and filled our tanks for about $1.50 per five gallons. The diesel fuel was $4.50 per gallon delivered. The prices were fair and service was outstanding. I highly recommend the services of Handy Andy and Pabo. They will also scrape your boat bottom, watch your boat, and do cleaning services and any thing else you require. We also rented a mooring from them for $2 per day for the remainder of our stay. This is a deep harbor and it requires a lot of chain to be let out for good holding in the deep muddy bottom. We do not want to waste a lot of time washing ground tackle as we are trying to depart on a weather window so we took the mooring.

We have had a chance to visit many of the local markets and restaurants here in Luperon. There are a few restaurants that are run by US citizens that have made Luperon their home as well as those from other countries. The first place we visited on arrival was Shaggy’s and we found it to warm and inviting. Shaggy is a wealth of information and his food and beverage is fairly priced. He offers free internet service to his customers and hosts a local musician’s night on Wednesday. This is a must attend event that will give you hours of fun and entertainment all for the price of your favorite beverage. If you play an instrument be sure to bring it and join in the fun. Shaggy even helped us secure a local cell phone for about $15 that he will buy back when we depart. We enjoyed Shaggy’s very much and recommend you stop and see for yourself. We also ate a several of the local café’s and found there food to be fresh, high quality and priced well below what one would expect. Captain Steve has a unique restaurant and bar that offers internet, showers, swimming pool, hammocks, food and beverage. The amenities are included for twelve hours with the purchase of a meal. We found Steve and Annie to be welcoming and helpful and also on our recommended list.

As we walked the streets we found open air clothing sales of new brand name clothes and shoes priced for pennies on the dollar. We were told that the folks selling the goods were Haitians and the clothes were donations that churches and others in the United States had provided to them. I was told there is an over supply of clothes and shoes in Haiti and that is why they bring them here to sell. My first thought was, why are people sending stuff they don’t need? I need to blog about this and help get it stopped so the right stuff gets to them. After further thought and investigation is seems that this process works just fine. You see, if you send them money it will never get to the people that need it. It is not feasible to send them high quality fresh food that they do need. So send the clothes and shoes. It gets passed on to the poor and needy and they sell what they do not need and buy high quality fresh food and take it back to Haiti.

We have spent several long days ashore getting our blog caught up, downloading photos, talking to loved ones on skype and relaxing. When we leave it is very dark and there are but a few street lights along the way to the government docks where the dinghy dock is located. We try not to use the flashlight as it kills our night vision. There is another bonus to saving our night vision. The harbor water in Luperon is teaming with organic life; fish, crabs, algae, bioluminous organisms and more. When we board the dinghy and start across the harbor the biolumious organisms begin to activate with a purple white glow all around the dingy wherever the water is disturbed. Some of you may have seen the cars at night that have the neon lights in the undercarriage? Well that is the appearance of our dinghy going across the harbor. The bow wave, the wake and the turbulence for the propeller all seem to be generating light. But wait there is more: as we motor through the water, the fish swim to avoid our dinghy and motor and they also activate the microscopic creatures that create the glow. So we get to watch this wonderful show of fish streaking just under the surface of the water that give the effect of neon bottle rockets being blasted off from the front underside of our dinghy. So maybe we stay in town a bit late after dark just to watch the show on the way back to Mary Rose.

Luperon has been a wonderful experience but it is time to leave as we make our way further east. There appears to be a marginal window opening up in the next 48 hours for a passage to Samana in the Northeast tip of the Dominican Republic. From there we make the crossing of the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico then on to the BVI. We hope to be able to make another stop in Luperon on our return trip to Florida.

Luperon Dominican Republic | Haircut | Lost in translation

2010-03-06T13:57:00.008-05:00

The Admiral was busy downloading photos and blogging so it seemed appropriate for the Captain to seek out an local establishment for a much needed haircut. I was getting a little (read alot) shaggy around the edges and neck line. So down the street I go and just two blocks away I found a beauty shop in a very small one room building. I inquired about a haircut but to my disappointment they would only do chicas. I asked where there was a barber shop for hombres and he pointed down the street and on the right. Just as I was leaving a young Dominican girl said "hello my friend" in perfect english and asked if I was looking for a haircut. She told me that her aunt cuts hair and would give me a hair cut. I said "OK" and we walked around the corner to her aunt's house and made the deal. I sat out on the front porch in a wondeful old chair and bathe towel around my shoulders for a hair cut. She asked me (in spanish) how much I wanted to take off and I replied in my best spanish "just a little. Solomente poco, mas o minos". I sat for a short time as the sissors went to work and in less than thirty minutos, I was handed a 2 inch round mirror to look at the completed hair cut. It looked a little short but I did not have my glasses on so I paid her and as I walked out she pointed to a larger mirror on the wall. This time I had my glasses on and got a good look at the trim job. I thought I was looking at someone else in the mirror. It seems that I had lost my hair in translation. What was meant to be only take off a little bit was recieved as only leave a little bit! Yikes! My hair is shorter now that it has ever been in my life and my forehead is bigger than it has ever been in my life. Oh well! I got my money's worth and it will grow back.... won't it????????? Even better......... flesh is a better color than grey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sailing Pics | Finally, Pics Of Mary Flying | Spinnaker!

2010-03-04T19:10:00.005-05:00

Thank you Krzysztof (Kris) for photograhing Mary Rose V!

Kris and Ania are bicycling around the world! http://www.rowerami.info/

Waterfalls in Imbert, Dominican Republic

2010-03-04T11:00:00.014-05:00

We read about the cascades in several publications as well as heard about them from many locals as a must do experience. Our expedition team consisted of Don, myself and a couple friends we have met during our travels Mike (S/V This End Up) Ania who with her boyfriend are bicycling around the world, please visit their web-site http://www.rowerami.info/. It took the 4 of us roughly 40 minutes to arrive at the mountain that contained our awaiting treasure. The journey to the mountain was a bit alarming since I am not convinced the bus we rode in had brakes. For those of you that have enjoyed a Manhattan cab ride double that experience and that may come close to a ride on the Luperon city bus which is disguised as a beat up mini van. Once we arrived we had to make the decision to visit 7, 12 or 24 waterfalls. Upon further inquires we found out that the trip would consist of trails through water and via land, rock climbing and waterfall climbing on the way up and sliding down or jumping off waterfalls on the way down. After careful consideration we decided to do the middle ground of 12. We set off on our journey of self discovery and to enjoy the true beauty of the world in which we reside. The trails were easy enough but may I say climbing up a waterfall is not a simple task to accomplish. Thankfully our guides, Chichi and Giau (short for Giauvanni) were excellent leaders as each of struggled with foot and hand placement they jumped and climbed the rocks as if they were half cheetah. They enhanced our exploration by providing entertainment; humor and making us feel exceedingly welcome in their backyard playground. They were perfect gentlemen and always ready to lend a helping hand when needed they even gave us facials! The sights that began to surround us were amazing, very spiritual. If you closed your eyes you could almost hear the echo of laughter of the young Indian children that once ran through the creeks, climbed the rocks and splashed around in the crystal clear pools that lay below the waterfalls. This location is by far the most spiritual, soul clenching, peaceful, romantic place I have ever experienced. We spent nearly 4 hours in this stunning, breath-taking location, running through creeks, climbing rock walls and waterfalls, jumping, sliding, diving into the water from 12 different cascades To take it all in was a bit awe-inspiring but we all received blessing in many individual ways. The price for the guides to the waterfall …$12 US dollars a piece excluding tips… price for the lifelong memories.. priceless. I highly recommend this voyage if you ever find yourself in the D.R. the landscape is unscathed by man except for the trails, the slides are made my nature. One bit of advice if you have a piece of good fortune to visit Luperon plan your waterfall adventure early in the morning as we did or you may discover yourself feeling like you are at Disneyland without the turnstiles. There are several resorts near by and they usher all the guests to the falls and as we were finishing our trip the tourists were beginning to arrive in what appeared to be human cattle cars and there were way too many for our preference.

Breaking News... No More Beans and Rice At Least For Awhile ..

2010-03-02T15:35:00.018-05:00

Our freezer is packed with the gargantuan lobster that the Capt speared (see Mayaguana post for lobster pics), tuna and wahoo that he also caught while trolling and the snapper that Andre gifted us in Mayaguana.

Dominican Republic… this has been quite an event for me. My eyes are beginning to open and reveal how my perception of the world is starting to grow into one that is more expanded and well rounded. Our sail started out a bit more peaceful than my last. The initial day was beautiful, temperature was tepid and comfortable, barely a cloud to be found in the spacious sky, gentle breeze of 15-20 knots just off the stern, the spinnaker flying full and unvarying. What more could we ask for? How about 2 days of this weather?? Apparently that was asking too much! The next day we spent dodging squall after squall. We had rain, winds (incompatible with sailing of course) which resulted in more engine time than we prefer along with much cooler temperatures. Once again out came the fleece and foul weather gear. The remainder of our 54 hour sail went along those lines except the addition of our close encounter of the massive type. During my watch of course, I noted a blip on the radar screen approximately 12 miles out, I jumped into action grabbed the binoculars and searched intensely for the object that was causing the commotion on the screen. I explored the horizon attentively without avail. This went on for the next eight miles.. blip.. blip.. blip and still no break receiving any visual on this object. When it approached the 3 mile mark and continued to bear straight towards us I decided to awaken the Captain for guidance. About the time he scrambled out of the companion way .. there it was climbing out of the setting moon, bearing down straight for us! A giganitic commercial ship without any obvious navigational lighting. The Captian called for us to tack as to change our heading just as the massive beast passed astern to Mary Rose. whewww! How I love night watch!! Yes, we are thankful for the one perfect day! Once we began to approach the island our noses picked up a whiff of scents of burning wood and fresh hay. It was not long after we come upon these aromas the island germinated up from the horizon like a blooming flower. What a wonderful sight it was, the land lush and green flowing over the mountains. The aroma in the air bursting with an assortment of scents. We finally made it,up went the quarten flag! First stop was at customs, immigration, and agriculture and port authority. Yessss all of these had to be done but it was Sunday no one available to check us in so we spent the following 8 hours as illegal world travelers! The next morning after a tad bit of paperwork and 3071 pesos later we were legal. Then we went in search for a true Dominican meal to only find out the main staple here is …you guessed it BEANS AND RICE. We ended up at Shaggy’s where we consumed a good trustworthy American meal.. steak and seafood. The food and company was excellent as the bugs flew around in abundance biting and frustrating us constantly. Subsequently we collapsed into a restful well deserved sleep. We awoke early the next morning and headed towards town to complete our chores aka laundry and shopping for boat parts. Yes that is our laundry hanging on the line. Amusing huh!? The rest of the day was spent wandering through town, contacting our loved ones via Skype as well as updating the blog. Today we went to the produce market and meat market, yummy huh?

Tomorrow we are going to continue our visit with the wonderful friendly people of this island as well as taking the bus to jump off a waterfall yes there will be pictures to follow!

Peace and warm hugs wished for all.

Luperon, Dominican Republic

2010-03-01T15:42:00.004-05:00

We are at safe anchor in Luperon, Dominican Republic. 240 nautical miles, 54 hours of non stop sailing. This is a lovely island and the people here are very wonderful. We will post more on this stop later.

View Larger Map

Welcome to Mayaguana Island, Bahamas

2010-03-01T15:18:00.002-05:00

We made landfall at Abraham’s Bay on Friday February 19, 2010 at about noon direct from Rum Cay. The trip from Rum Cay began about 3 AM with strong favorable winds. We set a reef in the mainsail the day before at anchor for our night departure. The winds died out the second night and we motor saied for a bit before they picked up again very early in the morning. Our max speed on this passage was 9.8 knots surfing with the huge swells. Overall it was a great sail and a good experience.

We had hoped for a short stay at anchor while waiting for favorable weather to continue on to the Dominican Republic (DR) through the Turks and Caicos. The Dominican Republic is south about 150 nautical miles. We are still at anchor in Abraham’s Bay on Tuesday February 23, 2010 still waiting for a weather window that will allow a safe and comfortable passage to at least the Turks and Caicos. The Chris Parker weather report this morning indicated that we may have to wait until at least Thursday evening for departure so that we make an early daylight landfall in the Turks and Caicos. Chris Parker commented that he has not seen weather events like this in the Bahamas since 1996. The fronts seem to be lined up like box cars on a freight train and keep sweeping through the islands one right behind another. Once we get to the DR we will have other challenges with the easterly trade winds that will require sailing in the night lee just off shore to take advantage of the land breeze shelter after dark as the island cools and sends waves of air off shore deflecting the trade winds.

But for now we are in Mayaguana and it has been a wonderful experience. Mayaguana is one of the islands in the Bahamas that still has its original Indian name. It is the most easterly island of the chain, located 60 miles north of Inagua, and 295 miles southeast of Naussa/Paradise Island. The island was uninhabited until 1812, after which it was gradually settled by people from the Turks and Caicos Islands. The island is mostly undiscovered and unspoiled and is a favorite stopover for cruisers in route to and from the Turks and Caicos. The island is mostly surrounded by beautiful coral reefs that are teeming with rays, fish, turtles, lobster and conch. I went spear fishing with Charlie from the sailing vessel Kaya and harvested the biggest lobster you have ever seen. The tail was at least 6-8 pounds and the lobster went below my waist and over my head when I held it up for a photo. The Admiral will post the photo when we have high speed internet available.

The three main settlements on Mayaguana are Abraham’s Bay, Betsy Bay and Pirate’s Well. Abraham’s Bay is the main town on the island and is the home of local government services; it is located on the south coast and has as excellent harbor. This is the town that we dinghy to when we go ashore. There are some services available here but very limited. There is a small grocery with limited supplies, a restaurant and two bars. Batelco has a cellular phone tower here and we are able to use their wifi by sitting outside on a concrete slab. We were directed to Club Paradise when we asked where we could find a cold drink and this was the beginning of a wonderful, rich and rewarding experience with our many new Mayaguanian friends. The owner, Andre (Touch, pronounced Tousch) and his fiancée Vanessa treated us to several meals and evenings of music and dance. I might add that all was very reasonably priced and the quality was incredible. The locals use the phrase “Off the Chain” as we would use “Off the Charts” to describe something beyond good. I can assure you that it was all “Off the Chain!” Andre is a fisherman and fishes seven days a week for deep water snapper, grouper and conch. He uses 200 pound test, nylon line and are you ready for this? He hand lines and pulls the fish in by hand without the aide of any reel or mechanical device. He treated us to several meals from his catch and it seemed as though the whole family got involved in the preparation. Andre is a bright, hardworking and honest individual. We became good friends in a very short time and I will always treasure his friendship. Be sure to visit Club Paradise when you come to this island.

Betsy Bay is a secluded town and lost in time, with just a few houses, a graveyard and a beautiful inlet with miles of beach. Wild corn plants, saucy hummingbirds and stereophonic birdcalls are the only intrusion in this little settlement.

Pirate’s Well is the prettiest of the settlements, with sun-worn pastel cottages and deeply-arced bay where the lone hotel sits. Buccaneers used to roam here in the past and there is still talk of buried treasure they left behind. In the center of the settlement there is a well that was dug by pirates passing through Mayaguana in the 1800’s, hence the name given to this settlement.

If you happen to land here for any reason, you can call “Papa Charlie” on the VHF, channel 16 and Pappa Charlie will direct you to what ever services you require. He is very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Our experiences here have been wonderful and everyone is very friendly and helpful, without exception. We enlisted the services of Vincent (Scully) Cartwright to give us a ride to the beaches on the north side of the island where we enjoyed a day of treasure hunting on the beach. Scully specializes in bone fishing adventures. Here is the copy from the flyer he gave us.
Vincent (Scully) Cartwright
Abraham’s Bay, Mayaguana
Cell 1-242-463-0030 VHF CH 16

Scully’s Bone Fishing Adventures

Few people will work as hard as Captain Vincent Scully Cartwright to ensure you have a true island adventure.

Growing up on the remote island of Mayaguana, Vincent earned his nickname Scully, as a young man it was his job to scull the small skiff while his father free dived for fish and conch. Scully is a competent guide with many years experience on the waters, something for which there is no substitute. He is knowledgeable with regards to weather and sea conditions, fish, tide and local lore.

Scully is available for Bonefishing, Blue Water Fishing, Reef Fishing, Spearing, Snorkeling, Beachcombing, Shelling and Sightseeing.

Mayaguana is truly an out island so don’t expect McDonald’s or even a corner store for that matter. What you can expect is seclusion, friendly island people, unmatched beauty, incredible fishing and snorkeling. And most of all, one fellow that will work hard to make your stay most enjoyable. We had a great time with Scully and recommend his services.
So here we sit in a rocking and rolling anchorage today waiting for the weather to turn in our favor so that we can leave our new friends and make some more. We will return to this island on our return trip to the states and see our friends yet again.

Update

2010-02-22T12:18:00.002-05:00

We have just posted 3 blogs... sorry no pictures attached at this time. The wifi lately is slower than snail mail! When we arrive at DR we should be able to recieve high speed and will update all the previous blogs with many great pictures.

As a reminder... you can click on the picture of Don and myself on the main page at it will re-direct you to our photo album. There are a few new pictures ther.

Peace and hugs and always remember .... Follow your dreams!

Georgetown Bahamas to Rum Cay, 2-16-10

2010-02-22T12:05:00.001-05:00

First….this is not a “how to” on the passage from Georgetown to Rum Cay, but rather a review of our own experience aboard Mary Rose V.

Next….. a word on Georgetown…….Georgetown seems to be the “in” destination for hundreds of cruisers in the Bahamas. There is a cruiser net every morning about 8 AM after Chris Parker weather reports. The cruiser’s net is the boaters version of the famed tradeo program in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The net starts out with a good morning from the daily host with a short bit of recorded music that has something to do with current events. An example of this is the day it rained they played, it feels like rain drops fallen from the sky. Then the daily net schedule goes something like this…….weather report gleaned from Chris Parker, Advertisements of local businesses, Boaters general (buy, sell, barter, trade). Note: It is illegal for cruisers to buy, sell, barter, trade without paying duty in the Bahamas. Then the net continues with boats departing and new arrivals. It is a bit too much for us but we did manage to procure a Sony Single Sideband receiver from a cruiser using the net. Now we can get National Weather Service reports as well as Chris Parker. Georgetown in general is way too over populated with cruisers in our humble opinion. All the people and boats was a bit of overload after cruising the remote cays of the Bahamas where we were often the only cruiser at anchor or in sight. Then there was the typical suburban gossip chain at the dinghy dock with grown men standing around doing a bit of “he said – she said” about rumors of permanent moorings in the harbor. There are all sorts of social events scheduled everyday. Volleyball, bachie(sp), basket weaving (not lying), to meeting the family film producer from New York. Phewwwwwwwwww, this is way to much, got to get out of here! It was a great place to replenish food, fuel and water before we set out to more remote islands and longer legs of our journey south and east. With that said we are glad to leave the suburban cruising lifestyle behind.

We pulled anchor Monday night about two hours before dark and made our way south to Foul Cay at the south end of Elizabeth Harbor. This would save us about two miles the next day and allow us an early start to make the pass through the channel cut at day break. We found two other boats anchored in the Foul Cay area and snuggled in close to them for the night. We had a quick dinner and hit the bunk for a 5AM alarm.

We were up early and admired the beautiful predawn sky displaying hues of pink and orange through mostly cloudy skies. We just knew we were going to have a great sail. We had the perfect weather forecast from Chris Parker and we had followed Van Sant’s (author of passages south) instructions to the last letter for the perfect weather window and the pre trip staging at Foul Cay. The Admiral took the helm as I pulled the anchor and she made good speed from our anchorage to the harbor through the cut and out into the sound with a perfect pass, right on course. We talked about how this looked like a perfect opportunity to set the cruising spinnaker and have a great sail to Rum Cay, 50 miles to the east around the northern point of Long Island. We decided to delay the Spinnaker set and opted for full main, a yankee head sail and the staysail. We had all three sails set and were making top speeds of 6+ nautical miles (nm) per hour. The winds began to build and a squall line appeared some 20 – 30 miles to our north. We discussed pulling a reef in the main but decided that we were OK and the squall line was far enough away to give us time if conditions warranted. The winds were out of the northwest and we were on a northeast course when the winds began to build and our heeling angle was a bit uncomfortable. We completely reefed the yankee head sail and proceeded with only the main and staysail. Our boat speed continued to exceed 6+ kts with main and staysail. It was not too late to reef the main but we choose not to as the boat was sailing upright and under control given the angle of the wind and swells. It was a comfortable ride. As we approached Santa Maria point on the north end of Long Island the wind driven troughs of the waves and swells increased dramatically and we were seeing 10-12 ft seas.

These conditions continued until we reached the lee of Rum Cay. Or maximum speed on this passage was an astonishing 9.6 kts with a moving average of over 6 kts. NO MORE BAD JOKES ABOUT THE WESTSAIL BEING SLOW.

One big mistake we made on this passage was that we towed the dinghy rather that put her on deck. We will not make long open water passages again towing the dinghy. The seas and wind were way too much to go looking for a dinghy that might have broken loose in transit.

All in all, it was a great passage and we are at anchor at Rum Cay waiting for the next weather window to make our way south to the Dominican Republic (DR). We will most likely make one or two more stops before making landfall in the DR.

Captain Don Montgomery

Anchor Rode Chaffing - Georgetown, Bahamas 2/13/10

2010-02-22T12:03:00.001-05:00

Anchor Rode Chaffing - Georgetown, Bahamas 2/13/10

Mary Rose V had two very nice CQR anchors on her bow when we bought her with 250 feet of three strand nylon rode attached to the 25 foot 3/8 inch chain on the anchor end of our ground tackle. One weighed 33 pounds and the other was 44 pounds. We knew that we needed at least one anchor with a minimum of 75 feet of chain for the Caribbean trip that we are on. We also felt that it would be better to have two types of anchors so that if we experienced difficulty with the CQR holding we would have an alternative to try for a better hold.

The Admiral and I went to the St Petersburg boat show in December of 2009 and we saw a Delta style stainless steel anchor for sale with a show special. After about two hours of nonstop whining from the Captain, the Admiral cheerfully agreed that we indeed had to have the stainless steel anchor with the boat show special price that was too good to pass up.

We met the vendor after the show and we went back to the marina with our new ground tackle in hand. We purchased our anchor from Captain Jack at Seven Seas, his phone number is 410-340-8244. His business is in the Ft Lauderdale area but he makes regular trips throughout Florida. We were very pleased with the anchor and the service we received from Captain Jack. He came by to visit a few weeks after the purchase just to make sure everything was OK. We give Captain Jack a very strong recommendation.

While we were in Georgetown, we received a weather forecast for a strong frontal passage with squalls that could deliver winds in excess of 40 kts. The whole harbor was a buzz about the threat of the squalls and the wind forecast. Cruisers made a run on the town and loaded up on water, stores and fuel like they do in the Midwest when a blizzard is knocking on their door. We knew we had to prepare and we looked at the possibility of moving to another anchorage but there were few options available to us with our keel depth and none seemed to offer any more protection from the wind direction. So our storm preparation at anchorage was to batten down the hatches, make sure the anchor was surely buried deep in the pure white sand 10 feet below our keel and then increase the scope of our anchor. We choose to anchor with the delta on arrival at Georgetown due to the soft white sand bottom. There was no apparent need for the all chain anchor. So now the dilemma was do we change anchors and move from nylon rode to chain? I made the decision to say on the delta with nylon rode and 25 feet of chain attached to the anchor. I felt that the stretch of the additional nylon rode would be better for staying dug in and not dragging anchor. We had already had some strong winds and we knew the anchor was well set and dug in tight from several days at anchor and healthy winds. We let out more anchor line to increase our scope. We were in about 10 feet of water and the bow is about 4-5 feet from the water line. So that’s 15 feet times 7 for normal conditions or 105 feet of anchor line. I increased that to 125 feet for the storm that was headed our way.

The wind began to blow straight down the harbor and the waves stated to build as well. At times it felt more like we were sailing rather than at anchor. The waves were coming at us nonstop and were at least two feet high. Mary Rose stained at the anchor and you could feel the rode stretch as tight as possible and then Mary Rose would spring forward and begin to hobbyhorse a bit. We set the anchor drag alarm on our GPS and never once felt like we were in peril or about to drag anchor. However there was one boat without crew that did drag anchor about 2 AM. We were made aware of it on the VHF by a captain doing an all night anchor watch for the protection of his boat. We were grateful to him for his effort even though the dragging vessel was no threat to us. Fortunately we did not have any other boats anchored directly forward of Mary Rose. The watchful captain repeatedly blew a warning horn after he made his VHF announcement giving the location of the boat dragging anchor. The dragging boat simply slid past all the boats aft of it and the anchor reset itself in shallower water before the boat went aground.

I inspected our anchor rode for chaffing the next day and was surprised to see that there was significant evidence of chaffing in less than 24 hours. The chaffing had the appearance of melting the nylon rode. So it is safe to say that the constant movement creates heat at the rub points on the nylon anchor rode. The lesson we learned from this experience is that you MUST adjust your anchor rode early and often when conditions are extreme. All damage to the anchor rode could have been avoided if we had simply let out a foot of rode or taken in a foot of anchor rode every couple of hours during the high wind period. We will monitor our chaffing more closely from now on and take preventative measures early and often. If we had decided to go to all chain we still would have had the same issue with chaffing of the nylon snubber that we use to prevent the shock due to lack of stretch when anchored with all chain.

Remember check early and often for anchor rode chafe in extreme conditions and move the anchor rode in and out every couple of hours when conditions warrant. We also reposition our anchor rode every 12 – 24 hours under normal conditions just to prevent chaffing and extend the life of our anchor rode.

Captain Don Montgomery

Reality.. Smack In The Face

2010-02-22T11:59:00.004-05:00

My first “authentic” ocean passage began 2/18/2010 bright and early at 300 am. We pulled anchor at Rum Cay and started our 30-36 hour 3 boat flotilla south towards our destination of Mayaguana. The following is brief note regarding my experience and what I received from this trip. The Captain and I do 3 hour watches and this night when my first watch was finally over I climbed below tired, cold and exhausted, I desperately needed to sleep for my designated 3 hours. I tried to find a comfortable and safe way to sleep in the pilot berth and found myself being thrown to and fro and my mind running constantly…why did I do this, what was I thinking, this is not fun at all etc, etc, etc. I looked around the cabin at all the navigation charts, shoes and fowl weather gear that was lying all over the floor, I listened to various items crashing and banging around within the lockers and galley cabinets, the loud clatter from the sails due to sudden wind shifts. I observed the multiple bruises that cover my body as a result of being tossed around like a rag doll and my aching sore muscles from guiding the tiller through the colossal swells as well as trying to maintain as much balance as possible while ambulating around the boat. The swells were up to 10 feet in size and continued to roll at us every 6-10 seconds like a slow motion rollercoaster. The occasional rogue wave would implement a sneak strike from the blackness that left us clueless as to which bearing the next attack would come from. This went on for 20 hours. I found myself second guessing my inspiration that lead me to make this decision to bid farewell to the sanctuary of land life to a life where I find myself today surrounded by trillions of gallons of water, waves and winds. That night I sat on this wonderful, beautiful 32 foot boat that felt more like I was sitting in tumbling Maytag dryer. It would be much easier for this journey if the water was always clear turquoise blue with slow gentle swells but what I was living through at that moment I found a bit overwhelming. I realized the need to sort out these regrets and confusing thoughts that continued to race through my mind. I was sitting in the cockpit during my next late night/early morning watch when something invaded my mind insisting that I stand at the spray hood over the cockpit entrance. I verified that the light was on the autopilot to indicate that it was functioning properly as well as my current bearing and heading displayed on the chart plotter. I stood up to comply with this intense impulse that was overcoming me. In the beginning I found myself feeling a little frightened and very intimidated as I peered into the pitch blackness that surrounded me. It appeared that we were going 100 mph as we sped through the night. My knuckles were white from the pressure of holding on very tight to Mary as we rolled up and down and were tossed side to side. I all of a sudden had an epiphany…this is must be what total faith and trust is all about, I had little control, I had to trust the information that the chart plotter and radar displayed, I had to have faith in my skills and in Mary for her integrity to keep us safe. I was overcome with emotions as I finally began to understand this concept. At that split second I stepped out in faith, I released my fears and insecurities. Mary and I became one for a few moments. We glided through and over the swells at 5.6 – 7 knots into the darkness. It was an amazing experience yet some what disorienting, it felt like we were skiing down steep mountains tops, the clouds at times appearing as bridges and trees over my head, the feeling that at any moment we could lose control as we were accelerating down the hills. This new perspective gave me a sense of total freedom that I have never in my life felt. I sat down and started sorting out my feelings regarding my questioning whether I made the correct decision by going on this journey. I began listing the good times as well as the bad times that I have experienced. I changed my focus to all the wonderful experiences I have had during the past 939 nautical miles (for all the land lovers this equals 1127 statute miles) over the past 34 days. I have learned to comprehend that with every situation we find ourselves in during our lives there will be positives and there will be negatives and the tricky part is learning to discern if the positives out way the negatives or visa versa and how much are you willing to give to make it happen. Yes, I have encountered several uncomfortable moments, several bruises, many missed hours of sleep, no showers for multiple days but in the mornings when the sun is rising in the east I realize there is no comparison to the blessing and gifts I have received in return. My life has been changed forever in a positive way. After careful analysis I have come to realize that one must step out in trust and take the bad with the good in any given situation, whether in relationships, jobs, and even dream chasing. No the cruising life is not all glitz, glitter and glamour but even so I have realized that it is good for my soul!

Rum Cay Anchorage: February 16, 2010

2010-02-16T19:02:00.001-05:00

View Larger Map

Exuma Park, Warderick Wells

2010-02-14T15:58:00.005-05:00

Exuma Park, Warderick Wells

We found ourselves holed up at Warderick Wells Park for several days waiting for yet another cold front to pass. I can think of far worse places to find myself stuck for Warderick Wells Park is a stunning place with crystal clear turquoise blue water and pure white beaches with ultra fine sand. The moorings are lined up outlining the crescent shaped beach which results in the boats swinging together and forming a line that reminded me of synchronized swimmers. When you first arrive at the beach next to the camp headquarters you are met by a real whale skeleton, which definitely put me in awe when I realized the size of this massive mammal. The park covers 176 square miles and it is prohibited to fish, dive for lobster or conch, collect shells, or take even a leaf from the park for this reason you are allowed to take only photos and leave only your footprints, which is what we did. There are multiple trails to walk and climb. The first one we chose was a trail that took us to a place called Booboo Hill. To our surprise the trail consisted of mostly volcanic rock walking and climbing. I was not prepared for rock climbing as I of course was wearing my flip flops. Half way up the trail guess what happened?? I blew out my flip flop! So there I was on a volcanic rock hill and only one flip with no flop. The Captain was kind enough to allow me to wear his as he stumbled back down the hill. It was charming to watch him maneuver back down the rocks wearing my too small for him blown out flip that was producing a massive flop with each step! At the top of Booboo hill you are encouraged to leave a memento. We noticed that most people left drift wood with their boat name painted or burnt into the wood. The next day we adventured out on another trail that also leads to Booboo Hill. There were many caves on this trail as well as a swinging bridge. This time we searched for a piece of drift wood as we walked so we could leave a memento on the hill. We reached a crest that overlooked the sound and to our amazement we noticed a rock that looked just like a lion. What are your thoughts?? Lion huh! Another of nature’s art projects! We came upon a magnificent pristine beach where we hung out for quite sometime. I made a face out of an old coconut and trash I found on the beach as the Captain spent some quiet meditation time. I also played around on the beach taking photos as well as taking in all the beauty of this enchanting place. After some time I noticed that the Captain was no longer in his meditation spot. I began searching for him. After a short search I found him attentively placing rocks in a column on top of a hill. I collected a few rocks but my curiosity was too much for me to hold back. So I inquired as to the purpose of the rock pile. He stated that he had been pondering the idea that he needed to make a tribute, a special place for his dad. He said that he had not found the right spot until now. This was the location to build a tribute dedicated to his father, Charles Montgomery, whose birthday was quickly approaching as well as to all of our loved ones who are no longer with us on this earth. From that point on we silently and tenderly placed rocks one on top of another. I had to wrestle back the tears numerous times as my mind wandered to the memories of my son, Jerry. We both

knew in our hearts when the tribute was completed. We stood back and noticed how superbly all the rocks fit together. At that moment we stood there astonished by this wonderful piece of art that was sent to the Captain through the heavens. I can’t speak for the Captain but I would bet he was feeling the same as I was, a bit melancholy but mostly grateful that we had been blessed to have these wonderful people in our lives for the time we did. The finished tribute faced a majestic breathtaking view in all directions. How long it will stand there before people or winds knock it down is unknown but in our hearts it will forever be there looking out at the water that stretches on for eternity. The rest of the afternoon was spent quietly as we found our hearts and souls at peace. Eventually during our stay we did find a piece of drift wood on one of our walks, the Captain wrote the name of Mary Rose on it with our initials with a piece of charred wood. We climbed our way back to Booboo Hill left Mary’s mark in the mound of other boat names. We are thankful to have spent some time in this magnificent place, we found a few moments of soul touching peace, spent time in nature and had the opportunity to meet the headquarters pet nurse shark!

Peace and fair winds!

Beans & Rice Or Seafood For Dinner?

2010-02-14T15:25:00.010-05:00

Dinner while cruising can be quite the experience. You can never be sure what the evening meal will consist of. The Captain was getting a little tired of beans and rice so I fixed it up a little and added chicken to the beans and rice, well as you can imagine that became old in a record amount of time so I added pork to the beans and rice. Nonetheless, to get to my point we were both a little tired of anything that contained beans or rice. So it was time to go find some seafood. Isn’t that what life on a boat is all about?? Plentiful amounts of fresh seafood rather than beans and rice!?
We had heard that the area in which we were anchored at the time (Allen Cay) had abundant amount of conch that was ready to harvest. We decided to brave the chill in the air and don our skins to see if we could luck out and find a few conch to have for dinner. We stood on the edge of the boat having a discussion regarding which one of us would jump in first. The Captain made the decision for us as he gently shoved me over board into the cool blue water. The brisk temperature change was quite invigorating. It only took a few seconds for my body to regulate to the water temperature. Soon after the Captain took the turquoise blue plunge letting out a yelp as his body hit the cool water. (NOTE: Always make sure you put your swim ladder down prior to jumping ship esp after pushing your crew overboard, luckily the Captain had installed a pull clamp release on the ladder to use in just such circumstances...karma)We began snorkeling around the cove and to our wonder there were countless conch shells lying on the sandy bottom. The first few we dove for had already been harvested but with our dedicated determination not to have beans and rice for dinner our search continued. It was a challenge trying to decide which ones to keep; there are rules as to which conch can be harvested. The lip of the conch shell must be fully developed, which in my opinion can be a bit subjective. So after going through the several we collected we narrowed our search down to the restricted number of 6. Woohooo no rice or beans this night!! The next challenge came with extracting and carving the conch.

Here are the instructions:
Ø First you take a hammer and screwdriver you make a hole in the shell at the 3rd spiral down.
Ø Second you carefully insert a knife in the hole you just made against the center column cutting away the white tendon from the shells central column.
Ø Finally reach into the lip of the shell and grab the meat firmly near the claw and pull the meat out following the contour of the shell. If it is resistant check to make sure the tendon has been cut completely away from the shell.
After the meat has been removed you trim it up removing all part that appear unappetizing, in other words all the appendages and excess tissue. Once the meat is trimmed and looking yummy, pound the life out of it, we used a hammer that was of course cleaned first! Now you are ready to prepare your favorite recipe. We made ceviche, without beans and rice of course! Anyone that has a favorite conch recipe please share!

The conch was excellent for a change but we soon found ourselves back to the beans and rice.

Our next dinner experience involved fishing. We were anchored in Leaf Cay and decided to go for a troll in the dingy to see if we could catch a fresh fish. We prepared our fishing pole and set off with the usual dedicated determination, this time to catch a fish. We were trolling and it was no time at all before we got a hit. The fish was huge approximately two and half feet long and putting up a nice fight! Once we had him reeled up to the dingy we realized that we forgot the pliers on Mary which meant we had no way of removing the fish from the hook. As a result we fed the line out, with fish in tow we headed back to the boat. We were keeping an eye on our dinner during a trip back to retrieve the pliers when we noticed a large indistinguishable figure following behind our dinner. I would guess half way between where we caught the fish and our final destination we noticed bubbling and churning motion in the water. As fast as a speeding bullet what ever creature that was following us made a lunge in the air and gulp.. our dinner was bit in half, leaving us only the head! We are not sure what it was following us and I can say for certain after our last shark encounter I don’t want to know. Needless to say we had beans and rice for dinner… this time spiced up with a bit of chuck roast!

Iguanas, Starfish, Turtles…. SHARKS

2010-02-12T14:50:00.006-05:00

We have been fortunate by having so many opportunities to see many great animals. It is a fantastic chance to sit back and watch the animals in their natural habitat. I have watched frisky Iguanas chase the Captain, ocean turtles and stingrays move smoothly through the water with hitchhikers on their backs, I watched starfish slowly inch their way across a white sand bottom with destinations unknown, graciously one afternoon a flying fish hitched a ride with us, I have swam with dolphins and dove for conch. I have even seen a nurse shark up close and personal but all of this falls short to a couple of days ago when the Capt and I were snorkeling around a nice secluded bay searching for the days dinner, conch. The sun was shining, the water clear blue as a swimming pool just shocked with chlorine, the weather warm with a nice sea breeze blowing. We were approximately 50 yards from the beach, gliding through the calm waters, each in our own little worlds with our own private thoughts going through our minds. Suddenly the Capt came to a screeching stop and I noticed this sudden change out of the corner of my eye. I turned back to see what had caught his attention. As I did he calmly waved for me to come back towards him, as I began getting closer to him he pointed and there in the distance approximately 30-40 feet was a indistinct outline that looked quite intimidating. As this object began sliding closer to us we saw that it was a black tip shark. The Captain grabbed me just about the time I grabbed him and one way or the other I ended up behind him. The shark was pacing the waters, gliding back and forth, his eyes on us and our eyes on him. Even though the water was clear blue there was a murkiness lurking about him. He did not appear to be frightened or intimidated by our presence. He was slowly creeping his way closer and closer. The Captain motioned for me to start swimming to shore. Which I did without argument! I did my best to keep down my thrashing as well as make head way towards my optimal destination in one piece all the while keeping a close eye on my Captain. During one of my glances back I noticed the shark’s relentless curiosity as he attempted to approach the Captain too close for comfort. I saw him swing our conch bag, which was empty, at the shark in his attempt to spook him off. No luck, this shark was determined to check us out. The shark continued to approach the Captain, this time the Capt made a fearless sprint at the shark. The sudden movement caused the shark to have a fleeting second guess of his motives as he retreated. But, this withdraw only lasted a moment as the shark resumed his exploration of us. At this point the Captain decided to join me on my swim to the beach all the while swimming backwards keeping a close eye on this magnificent creature. We stood on the beach together as I fought off a nervous breakdown and we re-evaluated the situation. What did this shark want with us? Why was he not intimidated by our presence? Lesson we did learn … we learned that our ignorance of not only cultures but creatures can remove a blessing that may have been. What if this shark had become accustomed to the local fisherman and divers feeding him and he just wanted to see if we had any food for him? What a blessing it may have been to have had a close personal encounter with this muscular, sleek creature? How wonderful it could have been to see God’s creature up close? What a rare pleasure that may have been, people pay hundreds of dollars to go on shark dives. Can they be that dangerous? Instead of enjoying the blessing before us we let our man made fears and our own imagination fill our minds. We have decided to learn more about sharks and their behavior so if we ever have this unusual opportunity again we will be more knowledgeable on how to handle the situation.

Georgetown, Grand Exuma, Bahamas 2-12-10

2010-02-12T14:08:00.004-05:00

We made it to Georgetown. We have internet access and will update our blog and add photos. We are waiting for yet another front to pass and the squalls are predicted to have up 50 mph winds. More later.

Cold Fronts in the Bahamas 2-10-10

2010-02-12T14:07:00.000-05:00

Cold Fronts in the Bahamas 2-10-10

Not sure when this will get posted but I am writing it on 2-10-10. We arrived at Leaf Cay on 2-6-10 just ahead and during the passing of the previous cold front. We planned our arrival at Leaf Cay so we would have the choice of at least three anchorages to gain protection in the clocking winds of the passing front. We have moved twice since our arrival, once to Lee Stocking Island and then back to Leaf Cay. Today we are experiencing another passage of a cold front with minor squalls but powerful winds. We are thankful to be in the lee of Leaf Cay. Favorable conditions are forecast for a departure tomorrow to arrive at Elizabeth Harbor, Georgetown, Exumas, Bahamas.

The wind direction is quite predictable with approaching cold fronts. The wind starts out of the south clocking to the southwest to west and then just as the front passes the winds shift northerly. They can blow for days anywhere from northwest to northeast. There may also be a squall present at the leading edge of the front. When we hear of an approaching front, we start looking at the charts for anchorages that will give us protection and destination points that allow us to sail in the Lee of the islands with favorable winds. We choose to stay put this time as the entrance to Elizabeth Harbor can be extremely hazardous in marginal conditions. The Bahamas Cruisers Guide list not one, not two, but three cautions for this harbor entrance. We will not attempt to enter in any marginal conditions. We are about a 6–8 hour passage from Elizabeth Harbor and we will remain here until the weather settles.

The wind is like nothing I have experienced before. It is not just the velocity but the sounds, the pressure, the vibrations. The wind speed indicator has recorded gusts in excess of 30 mph and sustained winds of 25 mph. Just a few moments ago the hull of the boat was vibrating from the forces of the wind and tidal current. You do not always lay to wind at the anchorage here even with 30+ wind speeds. Mary Rose has been lying at anchor at about 90 degrees to the wind for the past few hours. This is because the tidal current directly opposes the wind and Mary Rose has a full keel. The pressure of the tidal current flowing across her keel generates enough force to oppose the wind. There were times that the anchor chain was slack and we were in a bit of a hovering position directly over the anchor. The wind is pushing one direction and the tidal current pushing the opposite direction.

Our current ground tackle consists of a 45lb CQR anchor and about 60 feet of 3/8 chain. The anchor location is marked with a small round yellow float to give us a reference of where our anchor is dug in and to allow other boaters the ability to see exactly where our anchor is located. The anchor marker is quite helpful in these conditions since we are seldom laying bow to anchor.

So we sit and wait, read, exercise, plan, study and get back some of the time we put in the time bank the last two years. Nobody Moves – Nobody Gets Hurt!!!!!!!

Captain Don Montgomery

Farmers Cay to Leaf Cay near Lees Stocking Island 2-6-10

2010-02-12T14:05:00.002-05:00

Farmers Cay to Leaf Cay near Lees Stocking Island

We woke early and had “big daddy” breakfast! What’s on the menu for the “big daddy” breakfast? Bacon, eggs, potatoes, toast, fresh squeezed juice and coffee this day and it can vary based on what is on hand. After breakfast we discussed the timing and location of our next passage. We decided that we wanted to move when the winds were westerly so that the next cut would not be an issue. We also wanted to arrive on a rising tide so that if we happened to run aground we could float off and move to deeper water. We also wanted a passage of 5 hours or less. As we reviewed the charts for potential sites that fit our criteria we spied Leaf Cay near Lee Stocking Island. The cut looked good and there were several anchorage sites with protection from various wind directions and it was an estimated 4-5 hours south of Farmers Cay. We had thoughts of remaining where we were to enjoy another day at the festival but the westerly winds dictated our departure. We began the mental departure check list and we were off the hook and sailing in less than one hour. We still had the first reef in the main sail from the last passage and we decided to not use the head sail and set the staysail for this trip. The winds were out of the west at 25+ mph with gusts that approached 40 mph. The seas were 2-4 with swells from the west for most of the passage. We were sailing in the Lee of the islands. The reefed main and staysail was the perfect combination for this passage. We had excessive heeling angle twice and that was easily corrected with the traveler and sail trim. We had a moving average speed of 5.0 kts and a top speed of 8.0 kts as recorded by the dashboard features of the Garmin Chart Plotter. Did I mention that we managed 8 kts while we were towing our dinghy with the motor on it? We were very happy with the performance of Mary Rose in these conditions. We were about two thirds of the way to our destination when we noticed a squall looming off our stern and it appeared to be overtaking us rapidly. We decided that our current sail configuration was adequate and we donned our foul weather gear. The Admiral fired up the radar and confirmed that there was indeed a heavy band of rain behind us and it was overtaking us. We discussed what to expect when it reached us and what we needed to do in advance and during the squall. We closed up all the openings on Mary Rose and settled in for the attack. We expected a wind shift and it happened right on cue. First the rain and I DO MEAN RAIN! Then the wind shift with a temperature drop of a few degrees. The winds clocked from west to north and increased in speed and the gusts were more frequent. It was wet and loud (more on loud later) but never very rough. When we left Farmers Cay we were not expecting a wind shift to the north so we did not rig our boom brake and we did not rig it as the squall approached. This goes on the “to do” list for the next approaching squall. With the winds right on the stern there was always the possibility of an accidental jibe. With the winds blowing at up to 40+ an accidental jibe could cause serious damage and or injury to both Mary Rose and Crew. The admiral did a perfect job keeping a watch on this situation with main sheet in hand and ready to execute the maneuver to safely jibe Mary if the winds continued to clock. We never entered into an accidental jibe but we did have the staysail flutter a few times which is the early warning that you are nearing the wind angles for one to occur. The east to west cut was comfortable with the north winds and we found a great anchorage, we arrived on a rising tide and we are the only boat in sight! SWEEEEEET!
Captain Don Montgomery

ADMIRALS PERSPECTIVE:

Departure from Farmer’s Cay was a bittersweet moment for my self. We met numerous cruisers as well as locals that were a blast to hang out with. We also had the promising opportunity to have participated as crew in the local boat races. But as I adjust to the wonders of a cruisers life we must also adjust to the few down falls which includes packing up and leaving when a weather window opens up, even when we are not quite ready to go. The window opened so off we went gleefully to our next adventure to meet new people and discover what surprises that await us at our next stop. We were flying along as the Capt previous stated when the squall approached, the winds began to blow harder with gusts >40. Quite a few times Mary heeled to her port side which resulted in a nice salt water wash down for her deck and crew. I was rather thrilled as I watched the rain approach. You see living on a boat, water is a luxury. Water consumption is monitored closely since we only carry 80 gallons on board and when it’s used up it is gone until we come to a port that has potable water. It had been several days since we were able to shower, trust me, we get pretty smelly sometimes! Which is another down fall to cruising.. very limited ability to shower and body odor. Baby wipes has become the new words for showers! Any way let me get back on track.. my hair and body had been covered in salt to the extent that when I brushed my hair it was as if I had a salt shaker hidden some place! I was so thrilled to be able to at long last have a fresh water rinse! The rain came and after the initial squall line passed, the winds calmed and the rain poured down. I began blissfully absorbing the fresh clean rain water. I felt like a little kid playing in a summer rain shower. I was also able to capture a couple of gallons in a jug for later use. The problem began approximately 30 minutes after I finished playing in the rain. I was finished playing but it continued to rain and rain and rain. Then it became cold. So there I stood in my foul weather gear wet, cold but clean. I find myself feeling gracious more often these days. I am appreciative for the shower and gracious for the small stuff that I once took for granted. Once we arrived at anchor and we had the rain catcher in place, the clouds cleared and the rain stopped.

Isn’t life funny sometimes!!

Black Point Cay to Farmers Cay Bahamas Thursday 2-4-10

2010-02-12T14:02:00.002-05:00

Black Point Cay to Farmers Cay Bahamas Thursday 2-4-10

This day was a great day on the sound with 4-6 kts of boat speed in easterly winds and seas 4- 7 feet with a few swells up to 10 feet. The big challenge came when we arrived at Farmers Cay Cut as the tide was coming out and the waves and wind were blowing in. This made for some very large rollers and it is what is referred to as a “rage” in local Bahamian terminology. We dropped sail well before we entered the rough waters of the cut and prepared as best we could for the tossing about we were about to take. Normally it would be better to leave a headsail up in these conditions for additional power to make way through the tidal current and waves. In this situation it would have been of little assistance as the winds were full astern and the head sail would have been flogging from side to side. I instructed the Admiral to take a secure position and keep a sharp eye ahead for any hazards to navigation. We entered the cut and Mary Rose began to roll from side to side, I know that a few of the rolls were at least 45 degrees. The waves were hitting the stern quarters trying to push Mary Rose sideways in the cut as the current on the nose was trying to turn the bow sideways. The pressure on the rudder was great and prompt corrective steering is critical to maintain proper heading and course through the cut. Normal cruising RPM on the engine is 1800 and I had “Mr Perkins” (the engine) throttled up to 2100 RPM to give additional power through the cut. The entire passage through the cut took less than ten minutes but the minutes seemed to turn to hours as we were being tossed about. As soon as we cleared the rage in the cut the anchorage was calm as it was protected from the easterly wind and the tidal current was less of a factor inside the bay. We took the nearest anchorage, laid out a Bahamian Moor and sat down to reflect on the new experience that had just occurred. Later we took the dinghy to the Farmers Cay Marina and met the owner and creator of the marina, Roosevelt Nixon. The “Happy Hour” had just started and we enjoyed the very best conch fritters we have ever had in any location ever! We introduced ourselves to other cruisers and the common question was….”are you the boat that came through the cut during the rage?” Then after a short conversation they would hail another cruiser and tell them…..”Come over here and meet these guys, they are the ones that came through the cut today!” We started to feel like celebrities. So if it was so rough then why did we do it? Well we had little choice as this was the safest cut within hours and if we waited out in the sound then it would be dark and we DO NOT LIKE NIGHT LAND FALLS. We could have made the passage from Black Cay to Farmers Cay by navigating through the shallow banks on the western side of the Exuma island chain but that route would have taken much longer and we would have had to run our engine most of the time. We have a much better appreciation and understanding of how and when to execute a passage through the various cuts now as we continue to learn and grow in our sailing capabilities. We are glad we went to Farmers as our arrival just happened to coincide with a traditional event known as The First Friday in February Farmers Festival. It includes local ocean boat racing, fun local food, cookies and brownies for sale to support local school event and cruiser activities. We celebrated along with the rest of the cruisers and locals and also because it is my Dad’s Birthday, Happy Birthday Dad! Be sure to read Lana’s post for fun photos and more information on the festival.

Keep the comments coming....we enjoy them.
Captain Don Montgomery

Safe Landing: Black Point Cay, Exumas, Bahamas

2010-02-04T15:25:00.003-05:00

Location: +24° 5' 52.44", -76° 24' 13.56"

View Larger Map

SM- Chicago, IL

The Garden Of Eden in Black Point Bahamas

2010-02-04T09:46:00.001-05:00

The Garden Of Eden in Black Point Bahamas
Have you ever met someone and when you left their presence you felt as if you just received a gift, a blessing? Well… today I met one of those people, his name… Willie Rolle. When we initially arrived at Black Point, Bahamas our first stop was at a bar/restaurant named Scorpion. While there we inquired to what areas in town a traveler may visit to learn more about the local culture. Immediately, the fellow behind the bar responded that we needed to go to see the Garden of Eden. When we questioned as to what exactly the Garden of Eden was, the guy behind the bar replied with a wide toothy grin, “You go see for ya selves”. Naturally that raised the curiosity level up a few notches. So off we headed, up the street and around the corner to find the Garden of Eden in Black Point, Bahamas. Following a little walk we came upon what appeared to be a garden gone wrong. As we stood in front of this site I thought to myself this cannot be the Garden of Eden!! The yard was full of dead pieces of wood that appeared to be scattered haphazardly about. What a tourist trap this is was my next thought! I looked at the Captain with a look of bewilderment! His response….”Ahh come on let’s at least go look around since we have already walked the walk.” Off we went wandering our way through this chaotic pile of rocks and driftwood. Just a few feet into the garden we notice a man standing by the front door of a house. We made steps towards him to ask permission to continue to walk the property. He gives a big excited smile and replies with a broken, slurred English, “Let me give you a tour!” He introduces himself as he puts his hand out, “Hi my name is Willie, Willie Rolle, pleasure to meet you and welcome to my garden!” He had a affectionate welcoming air about him.. practically innocent and childlike. I felt as if I had known him for years. It was a strange presence that I cannot begin to explain in words. Willie took us by every one of his creations and explained each section to us. Every now and then he would let out a hardy chuckle as he explained the works of art. Each piece of driftwood, each rock was picked up and arranged by Willie. Some you had to really stimulate your imagination but through Willie’s eyes we saw the Garden of Eden art exhibit, art sent from nature! With a modest amount of imagination and with the help of Willie we saw ballerinas dancing, penguins, crocodiles, birds, lions and even George Washington. It was amazing! As we approached the end of the exhibited we noticed trees and plants growing out of the center of rocks! The Captain and I couldn’t believe what our eyes were seeing. Before us was a true garden there were fruits and veggies growing as far as you could see. There were bananas, kiwi, tomatoes, mangos, aloe vera, potatoes, corn.. the list goes on and on. Willie reached up into the tree with a grandiose smile and plucked a tamarind from his tree. He thoughtfully handed one to us so we could sample it. It tasted delicious. The most marvelous part was that these trees and plants were not just growing but they were prosperous and thriving!! Growing in small sections of rock with scant amounts of dirt!! Willie told us he had worked on his garden for 30 years. The only thing that he and his family purchase from the store is rice, lard and sugar! He is self sufficient and very happy.

Moral of the story… Don’t ever pass judgments on first impressions only… when you do you risk missing a wonderful blessing and meeting possibly an angel or at least a very special human being!!
Peace and joyous hearts to all ......

PS..VERY SLOW WI FI... WILL POST MORE PICS AND BLOGS WHEN WE ARRIVE @ GEORGETOWN

Warderick Wells Cay to Black Point Bahamas 2-3-10

2010-02-04T09:22:00.002-05:00

We were up early this morning to prepare for a travel day as soon as we received the latest weather forecast broadcast on Channel 6 from Highpoint Marina at 0730. Nothing in the forecast that would prevent a short day sail to the settlement of Black Point, 25 nautical miles to the south. The winds were forecast to be light and variable in the southeast Bahamas. We were experiencing northwest winds at our anchorage before we departed so I expected that we would be able to fly our spinnaker and have a good run south to Black Point. We motored out of the Exuma Park and turned south on our planned route to our destination. The winds went to less than 5 mph directly off of the stern. So we did not sail but rather motored all the way to Blank Point. We ran the engine at a nice and easy pace of 1500 RPM’s making way at about 4.8 nautical miles per hour. Cruising speed for the engine is 1800 RPM’s. We set the autopilot and enjoyed the beautiful tropical weather. As soon as we arrived at Black Point we loaded the gas tank on the dinghy and we were off to go exploring ashore before dark. Black Point is a cruisers hot spot and the settlement welcomes the cruising community with open arms. Some of the features that make this a “must do” stop if you cruise this area are; Laundromat, groceries (read ice cream), clinic, restaurants, FREE pure RO water, FREE Wifi, cellular phone service and the much needed FREE garbage disposal. I bet that there will be shower facilities in the future. As soon as we walked off the dinghy dock there were several men that were sitting and talking in a shelter house at the end of the dock. They were welcoming and eager to give us directions to an establishment that could provide a thirsty Captain with an ice cold, cylindrical adult beverage. We stopped by Scorpios and enjoyed a frosty local brew…..Kalik! Then we were off to see some more of the local attractions. Read the Admiral’s post of the Garden of Eden for more details. I have to tell you that Willie Rolle is a bit of a celebrity in this part of the world. The Bahamas cruising guide book even talks about him and his abundant wealth of local knowledge.

Willie explained his creations to me in this way….”you know how you look in da clouds and you see shapes dat remind you of tings? You know dat the magination in a powerful ting? You recognize ting cause you see dem before. Like you and me, we see one a nudder now so we recognize us in da future. Dats how I see dem tings here in da garden. I go to da bush and I us my magination to see da tings. You know everyting haf two? Da man and da women. I find two of everyting. All woman is woman and all man is man. Like you and me is both man but we look different. I some times lay in da bush and look and den it is right der before me. Some time I laugh so hard to see deez tings come to life for me.”

So this is how our tour went with Willie. It was a joy to listen to him and hear his stories. Willie is a true Bahamian bushman. He knows the plants and knows how to use them to survive as well as to treat complaints in the body and soul. When you connect with Willie he looks at you as though he is looking right into your heart. He is a sincere, generous, honest, hard working man with a passion for creating art with found objects. Willie clearly understands the connection of man, art, creation and creator. I was honored that he extended a hug from the heart as we departed.

We will return to shore tomorrow (Thursday) and take care of some chores. The list is pretty short. Haul some water to fill the tanks, do some laundry, eat some more ice cream, visit the clinic and update our blog. It looks like Friday will be another travel day as we try to run ahead of yet another cold front that will send howling winds backing from south to west to north. There are very few anchorages with safe depths on the “bank” side of the Exuma’s, so we may run through a cut to the ocean side and make a run for George Town. There is one other potential option at Leaf Cay just south of Farmers Cay. Weather and wind will make the decision for us.

Be sure to stop at DeShanoms for the very best the island has to offer. They went way out of thier way to help us connect to the internet so we could publish this blog.

Thanks for reading the blog and be sure to leave your comments. We love to hear from you.

Captain Montgomery

Safe Harbor: Waderick's Cay, Exumas

2010-01-31T21:09:00.001-05:00

View Larger Map

More posts soon: SM - Chicago

Westsail 32 Mary Rose in Central Bahamas

2010-01-31T19:40:00.000-05:00

Westsail 32 Mary Rose in Central Bahamas

My learning curve has increased to the point that it would most likely resemble a malaria germ if you could see it. Much of the water we are navigating is very skinny…(read shallow)! It is actually possible to sail with a boat speed greater than your depth. You can read a previous post regarding grounding at Little Harbour Cay written by Admiral Nelson. We ran aground at high tide on a falling tide so we had few options to mitigate the situation. These are the actions we took that allowed us to get Mary Rose afloat again and continue on our way.
We alerted other boats in the area of our situation and invited anyone to offer assistance.
We unloaded the dinghy off the bow and put the engine and fuel tank on it so we could set anchors up stream of the falling tide.
We then loaded the anchors, one at a time on the dinghy, and drove them out to deeper water and set them in place. One on the stern and one on the bow. We put anchor buoys on the anchors so we could find them in the event that we had to detach anchor lines in the process.
We then attempted to winch her off the sand bar with the bow windless and a main wench in the cockpit.
Unable to budge her so we checked tides and discovered that the next high tide would be about six inches higher than the one we ran aground on. This was good news.
We kept the anchor lines taught so Mary would not slip any further into the shallower water.
Mary gently lay over on her port side and then slowly began to right herself on the rising tide.
I began to wench as soon as there was any sign of buoyancy. I did not want to loose any advantage or wait until the scheduled high tide.
The windless and the wench were enough to kedge Mary into deeper water at around 2:30 AM.
I added more line to the stern anchor as the bow swung around with the force of the bow anchor windless.
We left both anchors attached and set and went back to bed after a good hot breakfast.
The next morning we retrieved the anchor that had been attached to the stern and put all the ground tackle back together like it belonged.
We are fine…….Mary is fine…….and we have learned new skills that we had only previously read about. We also learned that we MUST pay closer attention to tide tables and adjust our plans accordingly.

We have learned to read the water depth by the color and also not to rely on charted depths as being accurate.

We never assume that any boat at anchor in the harbor will have an anchor light on.
We nearly hit a large boat on a night land fall that was at anchor and did not display an anchor light.
We have learned that the anchor drag alarm only goes off at night. Still can’t figure this one out. I leap out of the bunk and go top side to get a visual on the situation and then check the GPS for position. We have never actually had an anchor drag…….it has always been the boat swinging at anchor due to wind direction change or tidal current change.

What else have I learned???????

No matter how well you prepare there is always a challenge that will present itself. Like what you ask???? Well why do I seem to, all of the sudden, have an electrolysis problem? I had anodes that lasted almost two years and now they are burning through in about two months. I need to get answers as to how to track this problem down. Please email me if you have any suggestions or techniques to track down the source of this problem.

It seems as though we have a top seam leak in one of our water tanks. We loose water when we are in heavy seas and the water in the tank gets bounced around. We will replace the water tanks next summer before we leave again in the fall.

Weather, weather, weather!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t tell you how important it is to understand weather and also have a reliable resource for regular weather updates. Without accurate weather reports you end up in an anchorage without proper protection and it gets very very rough. We will add a single sideband receiver to the mix for the next trip so we can get better weather reports. This trip has been one successive cold front after another. With each cold front there comes a big blow and massive wind shifts. The good news is that the further south we get the more settled the weather will get and the easterly trade winds will be a bit more predictable. In fact a front just came through as I am writing this and the winds went from calm to over 25 mph with a temperature drop and rain.

Plan, plan, plan and then plan again and then have a contingency plan! You simply can not rely on your GPS, chart plotter and electronic navigation equipment as your sole source of navigation information. You MUST use charts and guide books and local knowledge if you can get it. You must involve everyone on the boat as everyone is responsible and you must have their input. Remember this……A good navigator is never certain of his certainty but is always certain of his uncertainty. I think this is a line in one of Jimmy Buffets books. I can tell you for certain that you must study the charts and write out your plan.

Here are the items that are on our daily travel plan sheet.

1. Tides…..local time for each high and low as well as the variance to mean low water.
2. Weather forecast for the area obtained at 0730 from a local broadcast.
3. Any radio frequencies or channels that will be needed for communication. Today’s example is the Exuma Park monitors channel 09.
4. Destination is written down along with the chart book where it is found as well as the page number.
5. Two alternate destinations are listed. What happens if the weather changes and the anchorage at your intended destination does not give you protection for the proper direction? What happens of you have a problem and you are unable to get to your intended destination? Both of these situations have happened to us and we were glad we had an alternate already selected. This is much better than trying to figure out a new plan in the face of howling winds and heavy seas.
6. Any special notes for the intended route. These might include approach notes you learned from one of the cruising guides or perhaps where to find the Free RO water or to buy bread or do your laundry. Maybe it is a “to do” list upon arrival. (update the blog, call family, supplies needed) Just note the important stuff.

We are in a safe well protected anchorage tonight. We are securely attached to a permanent mooring at the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park on Warderick Well Cay.
N24° 23.884 W076° 37.968 We were lucky to get one as they are booked solid. We will stay here until we get another good weather window to travel. This is the most beautiful tropical anchorage that I have ever seen to date. I highly recommend this as a place to visit if you are ever in this area. We are not able to download photos over the park system but we will add some at a later date. Our next stop is most likely Black Point Cay. They have FREE RO water, cellular phone service and Wifi. Thanks for reading the blog and be sure to leave us your comments. Captain Don

Wrapping up January 2010 in Allan's Cay, Exumas - Bahamas

2010-01-28T19:11:00.005-05:00

Safely arrived at Allan's Cay for a night of rest and relaxation. Iguanas and Sunsets.

Click here for Complete Exumas Bahamas Map

Allan's Cay Details

View Larger Map