So you are thinking of buying a cruising boat.

This entry is intended to satisfy the curious who are interested in going cruising. 
This is Barry writing today but don't run away as Linda will return very soon. I want to talk about where we have been with Mardi Gras and where we had planned to go as well as report how we have enjoyed owning a cruising sailboat so far from our home.

For the last 30 years I have had the dream of one day sailing away to a tropical paradise. Family, work and mortgages postponed my dream until I retired. Linda had some trepidation as I was shopping for and ultimately buying our fixer upper sailboat but she is adventurous and has been a fully involved partner in our cruising life. Just reading her entries in this blog will show how she has enjoyed the journey. 

I shopped for a year before buying this one. I had a of couple bad experiences with boat brokers. One lured me to Rhode Island with a promise that a certain boat could be bought for a particular price just to find that the owner actually wanted twice what the broker said. The broker thought if he brought an offer the owner might sell. My airfare and expenses were over $1000. Another broker that we had an appointment with in Miami cancelled at the last moment because he had what he thought was a sure sale with another client on a different boat. That appointment had been set long in advance. He also told me that he wasn't that interested in selling a boat for less than 40k which was what the boat that I was interested in was selling for. 
Anyway we bought our boat directly from the owner. 
Don had owned the boat for 10 years and had never sailed it. He bought it in Fort Lauderdale, trucked it to Pensacola and let it sit on the hard for 7 years. At that point he hired the marina to clean the green water out, and start an expensive overhaul. The repairs cost a lot and the workmanship was sometimes questionable. He lived in Nashville and had a job that left him little spare time. Just like many other boat owners, his decision to buy a boat was a mistake. In every marina that I have been in you can walk through and see sadly neglected boats. Often some of the well maintained boats seldom see their owners but rather just see marina personnel keeping them clean. It is a strange phenomenon.  

I'll try to make this brief. 
We bought the boat in Pensacola FL in May 2010. It had new paint, propshaft and prop a running Diesel engine ragged out sails with new standing and running rigging. The interior was basically disassembled. 
I worked on it for most of a month to get it ready to cruise. I added a generator, bought sails, cleaned, and polished and finally brought Linda down to see our dreamboat. Linda put her touch into the galley and our cabin and we started to use the boat. Pensacola has a lot to offer and we really enjoyed it. 
Our long range plan was to move the boat to different marinas along the coast of Florida and to travel back and forth from our home in St Louis using our boat as our movable residence. 
I have the belief that you have to be careful to not scare your mate in bad weather or with daredevil maneuvers so that she will not be scared away from cruising. So I assembled a crew of friends to help me cross the Gulf to Tarpon Springs, Florida. SInce that time in November 2010, Linda and I have been through some rather tough crossings with big waves and have learned that not all crossings are smooth but if the boat is ok, it can handle it. It may be a little uncomfortable but we know we will be ok.
We traveled 300 miles in 50 hours and successfully arrived at Anclote Harbor Marina in Tarpon Springs. Six months later we moved to Tampa. Then we spent a year in Ft Myers Beach and liked it so much that we will probably return to Bonita Bills Marina in the near future. While in Ft Myers, we also explored as far as Marathon, Key West and Dry Tortugas. 
In January 2013 we left Ft Myers and went to Miami to get ready to make the big jump to the Bahamas. It's not really that big; just a 13 hour run in daylight to Bimini where we had our first customs and immigration experience. We spent 2 months and had a great time. Friends flew in to Nassau and they stayed with us for two weeks. The water is so clear, and the fish are so colorful! We met wonderful people who were cruising as we were and made some great friends. When we returned to Florida, we sailed from Bullock Harbor in the Berry Islands directly to West Palm Beach and checked into customs there. We had researched marinas and had decided to go to Loggerhead Marina in Stuart FL where we kept the boat for the next year. We traveled back to the boat when we could and continued to work on her, make improvements, take care of needed maintenance but always enjoy her.
In January 2014 we left Stuart and traveled back to the Bahamas again going as far south as Georgetown. We spent nearly 3 months this year and really enjoyed our time there. We returned to Stuart and left the boat there for one month before I returned and moved the boat north to Jekyll Island GA as we continued our plan of exploring other areas. We have since moved another few miles to St Simone Island.
That brings us to today as we are leaving in the morning to spend a few days on our Mardi Gras. Thanks for reading. Email me if you have any questions as like any other sailor, I love to talk about our our boat. Barry

The Trip Home

CROSSINGS

Since I last posted, we have completed two crossings--a 40 mile crossing between island chains and the final 50 mile crossing from the tiny cays at the western edge of the Bahamas back to Florida. (Remember--our sailboat only goes an average of 5 mph on a good day). Here are some thoughts about our crossings.

You know it's a rough crossing when

...you feel like you're on a see-saw, operated by an unseen demon who pushes you up and down, back and forth. Then for fun, you are pitched sideways right and left. HOLD ON! This repeats every 60 seconds or so--for 10 hours. To make it extra fun--this happened in the middle of the night.

...the captain puts on a life vest and hooks himself to the life lines just to tuck the main sail back into its cover.

...items seem to JUMP off of shelves and crash on the floor

...the Captain stays up 24+ hours because it's too rough to trust the first mate with the helm

...the Mr Coffee slides across the counter and dumps the fresh pot of coffee into the sink. NO!!!

We ended our trip with some time in the Abaco Islands, starting in Little Harbour. There are luxury beach homes along the coast. We wondered what was at the end of this pathway.

Little Harbour is the home of a foundry and a sculpture gallery of a family of artists who have been here for 60 years. One of the sons operates a popular restaurant called Pete's Pub--where we enjoyed time with friends we met along the way.

Full Moon Party at Pete's Pub with Keith, Lori and Russ.

After several days in Little Harbor, we moved to Hope Town--a lovely village full of shops, rental cottages, and restaurants. It's known for its candy stripe light house that is still operational.

Mardi Gras (foreground) on a mooring ball in Hope Town Harbor

We're back in our marina in Stuart, Florida--packing up the boat, doing laundry, cleaning out the fridge. On our way back to MO, we will stop in Brunswick GA to choose our next marina. We like to explore the coasts. This is my last blog entry for this three month trip, so here are some final thoughts.

Tiny Beautiful Things (title borrowed from the book by Cheryl Strayed):

...a little girl in a laundromat who sat next to me and played games on my iPad. She was most interested in SNOW--what does it feel like? How do you play with it? I showed her pictures of a 10" snowfall at home. She told me about fishing for snapper and grouper right off of the docks and she warned me to never swim at night--because you can't see the SHARKS!

...listening to Norah Jones while eating dinner at sunset with friends.

...turning into a cove and finding an unexpected inland lake with deep water holes that are apple green.

...searching for and finding sea glass on rocky shores

...dolphins in our wake and transparent water over wavy white sand

...the Milky Way threading its way through the constellations

..watching the moon set into a bank of clouds, turning a persimmon orange as it descends to the horizon

...the star Altair--rising and casting a silver beam on the water

..watching sea turtles feeding on grass in the harbor or swimming ahead of me in the reef.

Goodbye until our next trip....

Spanish Wells, Eluethra, Bahamas

Spanish Wells has been our port for the last 6 days--a few days longer than expected due to weather concerns and an unexpected repair. This is a bustling fishing village and tourist haven. A large majority of the lobster, fish, and crabs for the entire Exuma chain of islands are captured in the local waters.

In fact, we met a young (age 24) ship captain named Tommy whose boat and crew were featured in a new cable show called 'Lobster Pirates'. He was whizzing around town in a new Mustang convertible--sporting a gold chain and telling everyone about his upcoming debut on the show. Lobster are caught here with the use of lobster 'condos'--raised wooden planks that are placed on the ocean floor attracting lobsters with a false sense of security. Tommy said he had 20,000 such condos in the waters around here and yes--pirating is a problem due to weak laws. We watched a boat like Tommy's unload hundreds (thousands?) of lobsters last week--the season is in full swing for 3 more weeks...

The beauty of the islands is an important part of our journey here--but so are the people we meet. We enjoyed dinner with friends at a new local restaurant--outdoor dining overlooking the water.

We also enjoyed hosting 6 fellow boaters for a 'storm party'--featuring Chef Barry's world-famous gumbo!

 Russ and Lori; Bob

Annie and Tom; John; Linda

During our stay, we visited the local history museum--learning that the island was settled by religious pilgrims from England--who shipwrecked as they approached the island, leaving them with nothing to start their new life. As we walked the island we found women selling homemade conch salad and sweets, explored a few local shops, did some provisioning (at a decent price), and enjoyed the snack shacks. There are many rental cottages available, along with golf cart rentals. Busy, happy place! After 5 nights on a mooring ball, we anchored off of Royal Island for our last evening in Spanish Wells.

 Tom and Annie joined us for some snorkeling at Royal Island

 Sunset over Royal Island

Ahhhh....paradise. Until you suffer an unexpected engine failure in the wee hours as you are underway to your next location. That happened to us this morning--as we were heading to the Abaco islands, our last stop on our trip. We were up at 3 a.m. and were through the cut to the ocean by 4:30 a.m. when we both heard a pause in the engine. "Did you hear that?? A Diesel engine can't pause like that because....."(here comes the dialogue during which my eyes glaze over). But--he was right, because a few minutes later the engine DIED. This is NOT GOOD. It is pitch black, we are in the ocean, and for some reason the battery charger is acting like it's possessed. Luckily, we aren't too far out and the wind picked up a bit, so Barry put out the sails and we headed back into Spanish Wells--hoping to make it into a marina there. (We are in a sailboat, but we RELY on the engine to maneuver in tight spaces like marinas. Let's be honest--we motor sail more than anything....)
 My eyes leaked a little, but I tried to not let Barry see. I had already been told to 'keep a stiff upper lip'. (In his defense, I think that may have been said to me after I told him I wanted to go home.) At this point, we are 6 miles out and the wind is light. Barry does not get rattled--instead he decides to 'tow' the sailboat in using our dinghy--did you know you could do that?!? He secured it to the port stern and turned on the outboard and let it run independently. It pushed us for several miles and into the approach to the marina, where I took over the helm and Barry jumped into the dinghy in case we needed to back up or slow down. On the hand-held radio, Barry warned other boats that we were being 'towed' in--trying to keep the entrance to the marina clear. (After all--I was at the helm. WATCH OUT) But we were a TEAM--the lines were ready for the dock hand and I followed Barry's instructions perfectly as we made a soft landing in the marina slip. 

The ghost at the controls

Update: Luckily, our engine problems were not catastrophic (i.e. expensive). Barry worked ALL day to fix the problems which were caused by a broken bolt on the transmission--the head of the bolt caused the engine to lock up. He took everything apart, replaced the bolts, changed a belt, and serviced the generator. He is exhausted!!

Barryism for the week:

"When you're living an adventurous life, sometimes you get more adventure than you counted on" :)

Heading North

On our last day in Georgetown, we happened to anchor right next to the regatta course--so we had front row seats for the first race! Barry put up our Mardi Gras flag and some regatta flags. We looked so festive as we sat on deck watching the boats fly by.

Lee Stocking Island, Feb. 24-25
Only 20 miles from Georgetown, and yet a world apart is Lee Stocking Island--home to a deserted marine laboratory. 

This first day, the water is rough, so we're boat bound--but the stars put on a show for us that night. We sit on the bow of the boat and gaze up at diamond dust splashed across the night sky. I never tire of this.

The next day is calm, and we start the day hiking up a trail that ends with a dramatic view of the ocean. 

We snorkel in the adjacent cove on a couple of coral 
heads that are right off of the beach. Look at this beach!

The coral heads reminded me of Seussian villages with very colorful residents! 
Next, we dinghied to a cove on the south side of the island rumored to have excellent snorkeling. I jumped in the water immediately and swam towards some dark shapes on one side of the cove. Pretty disappointing....but wait! Barry has walked the beach in the opposite direction and using the GPS on his iPhone has located a large coral reef just off of the beach. As I swam towards it, I literally gasped into my snorkel. It was probably 50 yds across, resembling a rambling shanty-town of overgrown mold painted yellow, rust, and orange with purple fan coral for a splash of color. On one edge, there was a steep drop off where I saw a young sea turtle move off into the deep. I swam and floated over and around this aquatic city, spying on fish painted magenta, tangerine, gold, royal blue, lime-green, sapphron yellow, and aqua. 
(I started to think about adding other snorkeling sites to my bucket list, like the Great Barrier Reef. Hmmm...this could get expensive)
After a morning of snorkeling, swimming, fighting currents and chasing turtles--I am reminded that I'm in my upper 50's. I have that worn out feeling I remember from childhood after playing in a pool all afternoon. No more snorkeling today!

The One That Got Away...and the One That Didn't
During our trek north from Lee Stocking to Black Point, Barry put out a fishing line while we were sailing in 2000+ feet of water, using a lure that looked like a crow's feather. Whizzz--something takes the bait!! And it's a fighter--keeping Barry occupied for a good 20 minutes as it dives down or takes the line further out. We catch glimpses of it--and know it's BIG! Use your imagination.

As it jumps, we see that it's a good 36" long. No fish story. When the fish is finally within a few feet of the boat, Barry grabs the gaff (a short, curved pole with a hook on the end used to lift fish into the boat). The fish is aqua and pale green and yellow with a flat face--a  mahi mahi!!  But--OH NO--the fish shakes the line, which snaps, and off he goes--taking the $10 lure with him. Stunned silence. There went some excellent seafood that we could have traded for laundry costs, for lobster, for....NOTHING. Oh well--it was too pretty to eat.

That night, while at anchor, we had a different kind of excitement. (If you're not a cat lover, skip this part.) Right after I fell asleep, I was awakened by a scramble and a splash. I leapt out of bed, screaming for Pearl...waking up Barry. I could hear a muffled,garbled yowl from outside the boat. I dashed up on deck...no Pearl... but when I yelled her name she responded with that helpless yowl, followed by gurgling noises. Barry had the flashlight, but he couldn't hear me when I said "Give me the flashlight! Give me the flashlight! GIVE ME THE FLASHLIGHT!" I found her at the waterline of the boat on the starboard stern, well out of reach. As she was being swept forward by the current, I watched her disappear under the bow and believed she was gone forever. But amazingly, she resurfaced on the other side of the boat and was being swept back towards the stern--where Barry (my hero) was waiting in the dinghy. He grabbed her by the ruff as she floated by, and placed her right on top of his glasses. Crunch. So, this escapade caused (we think) by a cute moth fluttering at a porthole (you know about curiosity and cats) will now cost us a new pair of glasses. But Pearl, (aka Saltwater Pearl) is alive and well. I kill every moth I see and all port holes are closed at night--just waiting for the next adventure...

Cambridge Cay, Feb. 26-27
As we travel north through the incredible beauty of the Exumas, we're trying to experience different places so we anchored in Cambridge Cay--part of the Land and Sea Park. The 'mooring hosts' welcomed us by radio and told us there was a happy hour at 5pm on a nearby beach. Who knew--mooring hosts?? Evidently the Park does this in order to ensure that boaters pay the mooring ball fee and to make our stay more enjoyable. So about a dozen of us met on the beach and chatted about our experiences while watching yet another spectacular sunset. 

 Fellow boaters included a couple on their honeymoon, a family of four taking a one-year sailing sabbatical, and three friends from the UK on a Caribbean journey. So many stories and such 'local knowledge'. The hostess told me of a trail to walk that was right off of a deep water hole in which sea turtles (!) swim. So, of course, that was our first thing on the agenda the next day. (Agenda, what agenda??) We swam and snorkeled in that hole...no turtles. But while sitting on the beach later, I happened to see a turtle come up for air! I jumped out of my chair, ran toward the water, dashed back for my mask, and plunged in. I could see the turtle about 50 feet in front of me--sadly, I quickly learned that I am MUCH slower than a turtle.

Rocky Dundas
Last year, we visited this marvelous coral outcropping, and we couldn't resist visiting again. 

Believe it or not, you can take a dinghy under the ledge and into caves! 

As I snorkeled in here, I was treated to seeing some gorgeous coral and some curious parrot fish. And as you can see in the picture, the sunlight pouring in through the hole in the 'ceiling' created a scene that resembled the inside of an ogre's mouth!

SQUALL!

This is what a squall looks like...luckily we were firmly anchored in this mooring field. The wind registered 40 knots (50 mph) for a few minutes. Thankfully--it was over quickly and no one suffered any damage.

Happy belated Mardi Gras!! As our friends in St. Louis know, our boat is named Mardi Gras because we used to host a dinner/costume party on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday--but now we celebrate somewhere in the islands with new friends. This year, we were moored in an isolated cay in the Park and our only neighbors (Robbie and Carol) joined us who for some improvised gumbo--homemade by Chef Barry.

Goodbye for now...I'll be in touch in a week or so. 

Georgetown

Greetings from Georgetown, Exumas,  Bahamas! We've been here for 9 days, and because we're waiting on a part to be shipped on island time...we may be here several more days. This is a destination for hundreds of cruisers...especially this time of year because the annual regatta starts on Friday, Feb. 21st.  We were told by cruisers in the islands north of here that we absolutely had to be here for the Valentine's Day dance..and we made it! We're probably lucky we didn't make headlines in the States--we were all dancing like crazy, packed in like sardines on a rather rickety deck. We all survived--and had a great time!

I am going to try to upload some pictures to tell the story of our time here. First, here is our internet cafe:

I am not kidding. For $5 a day, I can use a decent connection, with special permission to upload pictures. I've also used wifi at a restaurant overlooking the water....for $2 I can use a slower connection for 85 minutes. Wifi and cell phone coverage/costs are big issues for us spoiled and impatient Americans!

But, the Bahamas are not about technology--they are about natural beauty, adventure, and relaxation:

Sunset over Elizabeth Harbor, Georgetown

Yoga on the beach M-F

Happy hour on Sand Dollar Beach-about 100 boaters dinghied over. We are all desperate for social interaction--especially when anchored in a harbor. 

The local beach bar and grill in Elizabeth Harbor--very Bahamian! Open air, no shoes required, local beer only, and terrific bbq!

Beach on the ocean side--unpopulated and gorgeous! The water has been too rough for us to swim here--but it's a lovely walk! Speaking of rough water--the few times we've dinghied over to town, we had to return to the sailboat through waves that reminded us of a 6-Flags water flume ride on steroids. One time, Barry couldn't see because of the salt water in his eyes--so he took off his glasses and put on his snorkeling mask with prescription lenses. I wish I could have taken a picture--but I was soaked to the skin and holding on for dear life!

Barry is feeding conch scraps to the sting ray! They swim right over your hand and suck the meat out of your fingers! Several beggars came to a discarded pile of conch shells to get a free lunch. 

The first couple of days that we were in Georgetown, strangers waved and smiled at me and called me Carmen. By the way people reacted to me, I figured that Carmen must be a FUN person to hang out with. I finally met her at Volleyball Beach. Do you see a resemblance?

This is Barry trying to order a part to replace one that failed on our NEW refrigeration unit. (This is the first year that I've had a freezer, albeit small, and a refrigerator instead of an ice box.) He not only experienced extremely poor customer service from Engel Refrigeration, he had a frustrating time getting the part shipped from Nassau to Georgetown. Phones not answered; incorrect emails; fax machines that don't work at the delivery company--you get the idea. But HAPPY DAY--he just walked in with the part--which means we will leave Georgetown and start the slow journey back north. We're ready for quiet anchorages and more snorkeling.