Smilin' Like Eleut'ra

 If there is one thing to say about the sailing lifestyle, it is dominated by the weather.  On a good day, it propels you to where you want to go with good speed and minimum turbulence.  On bad days, you hunker down and do your best to hide from it.  The rest of the time it wavers somewhere in between.  And most of the time, the wind seems to be coming from the direction you want to go.

Our short trip from the Glass Window anchorage to Hatchet Bay was no exception.  To sail straight there, the wind would be within 15 degrees of right on our nose.  Our boat can go about 40° into the wind, but is faster if you bear away to about 50°. If we wanted to go straight there, we would have to motor.  But we are a sailboat and diesel is around $6/gallon here, so we tacked our way down to Hatchet Bay.

The entrance to Hatchet Bay 

The Hatchet Bay entrance is interesting.  The "bay" was actually an inland salt water lake near the rocky shoreline, and someone decided to make a cut through the rock so it could be accessed by boat.  The cut is narrow, but once inside, there is excellent protection from the wind in all directions.  If memory serves, we decided to go there, in part, to hide from an approaching cold front.  We squeeze through the entrance and find a spot to drop the anchor, alongside several other boats that were doing the same.

Not a wide cut through the rocks

A fair amount of room once you are inside

There are a few interesting things to do here.  There is another inland salt water lake you can walk to and go snorkeling.  It was said there was some interesting life in this lake, including a large number of sea horses.  We made the walk and went snorkeling there.  After the walk on a warm day, the relatively cool water felt good.  We saw a number of starfish, some interesting coral, and other creatures.  I thought the seahorses would be easier to spot, but they were quite elusive.  I did see one, but our friends on ICat were better with the underwater photography and managed to snap a couple pictures of them.

Can you see the horse?

Alice Town, a small settlement, sits at the southern shore of the bay, and we decided to visit there.  We figured we would check out the town and grab dinner while we were out (we also needed to drop off a little trash while we were there...on a boat you try to minimize trash production,  but it can't be entirely eliminated).  Unfortunately, it was Sunday and just about everything was closed.  We wandered about town for a bit and ended back at the dinghy dock and one of the few places that opened around 4pm.  

Wandering the quiet streets
of Alice Town

Boaters Haven is a cruiser focused business that runs(?) the dinghy dock, a convenience store with some supplies, a small restaurant, and a bar with a patio that overlooks the bay.  The food and drink prices were quite reasonable, particularly by Bahamian standards: $2 sodas, $4 bottled adult beverages, and a $9 fish sandwich that was quite tasty.  But the best part of this place is Emmitt (the owner?).  In addition to running the business and apparently a small farm, he is also a musician.  He entertains his guests with some original songs and covers and truly makes an evening there memorable.  To Emmit and crew, thank you for a wonderful evening and meal!

Emmitt entertaining at Boaters Haven

One other thing we wanted to check out after the weather passed was a small cave you could dinghy into if the weather and tides were right.  It sits outside and just south of the bay.  It was interesting to take a dinghy into a hole in the side of the island.

A dinghy in a cave

After a few days in Hatchet Bay, we decided we wanted to find a bit less crowded anchorage and left to visit the Pineapple Cays just off of South Palmetto Point.

 

What a Long, Strange, Trip it has Been (part 3)

We made it to NoName harbor on Key Biscayne.  This was to be our staging point to cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas.  I had considered other staging points and, honestly, this was not my first choice.  Yes, many people cross from here to Bimini, but I'd also heard that clearing in at the usual spot in Bimini isn't as smooth as other places and I wanted my first time to be smooth.  You can reach West End on Grand Bahama from Ft. Lauderdale or even Lake Worth (fighting current or backtracking).  But we were picking up our crew member Doug in Miami, so it made sense to be in the Miami area.

Just a couple boats waiting at NoName Harbor

We had a few tasks to complete before we leave.  We needed to do some final provisioning, get the health checkup for our dog (Bahamas says it needs to be within 48 hours, but some leeway is given when arriving by boat), and we needed to complete the Bahamas entry paperwork.  Doug had access to a car, which made provisioning easier.  But if you stop at Biscayne, there is a service called FreeBee that provides free shuttle service to the local businesses on Key Biscayne and we made use of it to go to both the library (to print out paperwork) and the local Winn Dixie grocery.

Of course, weather had to mess with us a few more times.  Shifting winds and cold fronts had us move anchorages 4 times.  The anchorage at NoName is not protected from the Southeast through West, so we moved to hurricane harbor for a couple days.  We tried getting into a marina in Miami at one point, but they were either full or prohibitively expensive, so we anchored out near Coconut Grove for a couple days, then moved back to NoName when things calmed down.

Coconut Grove and Miami in the distance 

The long range forecasts showed a possible weather window for the crossing a few days out, so we made that trip to the library to complete the Bahamas online Click2clear process and prepared to leave.  Naturally, after completing the process (in which you are supposed to provide your date and time of arrival as well as port of entry), the weather window closed on us.  The next weather window was about a week away, but the just submitted paperwork said we would arrive the following day.  The Click2clear site didn't specify what to do about changes other than an ability to cancel.  And, of course it was a Sunday, so we couldn't call anyone to ask.  Eventually we (actually Chuck) did call and found out all you had to do was go back into Click2clear and update the arrival date and save it (not resubmit, only click save on that one page) and it would work.  We could then take the printouts we already had and they would just mark them up or reprint as needed.  I wasn't sure about the health certificate for our dog, but hoped they would grant sufficient leeway for him too. I also wanted to change the arrival port to a different location on Bimini due to those few reports of less cordial receptions at the one most people use there.

We had noted the weather windows that had presented themselves often came with more easterly winds, and this would mean we would beat into the wind and waves and likely have to motor across.  Since we had a bit of time, we decided to move further south and anchor near north Key Largo.  This would give us a slightly better wind angle to cross and the gulf stream as it will push us north anyway.  We anchored around the privately owned Pumpkin key.  We also made a day run to a nearby marina to top off fuel and they let us dock long enough to make a quick run to the nearby Winn Dixie via Lyft.

The weather window was arriving as predicted, so the day before we departed, we made our way out of the Angelfish creek inlet and spent the final night on a free mooring ball at a keys reef dive site (some allow overnight stays).  It was an interesting night to be moored well off shore with the Atlantic on one side of us and Key Largo in the distance behind us.  Near first light, we drop the mooring ball, maneuver around the reef, and start heading east.  Next stop, the Bahamas.

Mooring at Carysfort reef

As we depart, and start motoring out, suddenly my starboard engine alarm went off.  I look down and the engine is overheating.  I quickly shut down the motor and we raise the sails.  The wind was from the Southeast, so we were beating into it about 35 to 40 degrees off the wind with the port engine running.  I let the starboard engine cool off a bit and then go down to investigate.  I find a lot of engine coolant in the bilge.  I look for a leak, but could not find one.  We had some jugs of tap water on board, so I use one to refill the coolant tank.  This is when I discover the leak.  One of the hoses between the coolant tank and the heat exchanger (radiator that uses sea water instead of air to cool) had a slit in it on the side that was facing the engine block where it could not be seen, only felt.

Now, I have a bunch of hose on the boat, so I begin looking through my inventory while I ask Doug to go try and remove the leaking hose.  I have about 30 feet of 2 inch hose, 8 feet of 3/4 inch hose and smaller pieces of 1 inch hose, but no hose that is 1 3/8 to 1.5 inches in diameter that would be suitable as radiator hose.  I think about any other places where I might have some hose stashed or if there is a non-critical system it could be scavenged from, but come up empty.  The only semi-suitable option I have is the wet exhaust hose on the generator...but it is wire reinforced and I doubt I could bend  it enough to install a 7 inch piece in the space on the motor.

I started pondering if we should turn back.  We are already in the Gulf Stream at this point and conditions are about as good as they get there, we are in no danger, and the boat can be operated just fine under sail or on a single engine.  The only time both motors are really needed are when maneuvering in tight spaces such as marinas.  While I know parts and supplies are hard to find in the Bahamas, they would surely have a piece of radiator hose somewhere as there are many boats and cars there.  I also have one trick left, to attempt a temporary repair of the hose.  So we press on.

Doug had managed to get the clamps loosened before the heat of the engine room and the mildly rolling seas made him feel queasy.  So, I went back down in the engine room and completed the removal of the hose.  I found a slit in the hose that was a few inches long and almost looks like it was made with a knife, and part of this slit was what had ruptured.  There is this stuff called rescue tape and I decided to give it a try for the repair.  It is a self bonding silicone-like tape that supposedly can withstand up to 500 degrees F and 950 psi.  I cleaned the hose up, placed a bit of duct tape over the slit as duct tape has fiber reinforcement (I didn't expect the adhesive to hold, just wanted the fiber) and then wrapped the hose with 2 layers of rescue tape.  When complete, it seemed like a reasonable repair, so I went back into the engine room and reinstalled the hose.  I filled the coolant tank with coolant and water and gave it a test.  It seemed to be holding.  There was a tiny seep, but it should be sufficient for shorter term use if we kept an eye on it.

I spent much of the crossing in the engine room, but even there I could tell we picked a good window for the crossing.  It would have been nice if the winds allowed for pure sailing, but the long period small waves were a far cry from the conditions we could have had and have been reported by others.  It was sunny and winds were fairly light and, other than the motor issue, would have made for a lovely crossing.

Fisherman's Village Dock

We arrived in Bimini a bit later than planned due to the motor issue and needing to motor-sail to make a reasonable time crossing the Gulf Stream.  As we entered the Bimini channel, the sun was setting.  I had been listening on the radio and heard reports of where the entrance channel had shoaling (the shifting sands at the entrance there mean it is constantly changing, so local knowledge and reports are a must).  There was actually a boat that had run aground when we arrived, but did manage to free themselves and confirmed the shoaling reports I had heard.

We make our way up the channel to the Fishermans Village marina and dock after their normal business hours.  Fortunately there was one dock hand that was still around and they helped get us squared away for the night.  When I queried about customs and immigration, they said they were closed and would reopen at 9 am the next day.  So, we all stayed on the boat with the Q flag raised, and waited until morning.

I was a bit nervous about my first check in, but after a shower and putting on a bit nicer clothes (a button front shirt and better looking shorts) off I went to customs and immigration in the morning.  Both were in the same building, nearly on site at the marina.  They gave me the immigration forms you get when flying and as I began filling them out, the gentleman from customs came and asked me if I filled out the forms online.  I said yes and he asked me for the cruising permit printout.  I gave it to him and he walked back to another room for a moment, then returned and asked if we had our dog on board.  I said yes and gave him the approved paperwork and health certificate and he went back to the other room.  Before I was done filling out the immigration cards, he returned with the stamped cruising permit and fishing permit and said we were good to go and welcome to the Bahamas.  I finished filling out the immigration forms and handed them in.  They looked them over briefly, noted that I forgot to sign them, and once signed them also welcomed me and hoped we would enjoy out stay.  Professional, yet very friendly and welcoming.  We chatted just a moment, I forget about what, and I thanked them and that was it.  We were now officially cleared into the Bahamas.

Raising the courtesy flag

I returned to the boat, we lowered the Q flag and raised the courtesy flag.  First time crossing the Gulf Stream and first time visiting another country on our own boat accomplished. Now we were ready to explore the Bahamas...and find a radiator hose.

What a Long, Strange, Trip it has Been (part 2)

 So, we are approaching the St. Augustine inlet in the morning fog, my course on the chartplotter taking us straight to the inlet's marker.  Visibility is around a quarter to half mile.  I have the radar on and it finds the marker about a mile away, but I don't see any radar blips for the channel markers.  Then about a half mile from it I notice a shadow of the inlet marker appear from the fog.  About this time, the radar also starts picking up the channel markers.  Hmmm...maybe?

As we continue to approach the inlet marker, I keep looking to the right in an attempt to visually locate the channel markers.  Then I think I see a faint outline of the coast.  Is the fog starting to lift? Sure enough, by the time I reach the inlet mark, 2 to 3 sets of the channel markers appear from the fog.  We make the turn and start heading in.  We pass the first set of markers and visibility continues to improve.  By the time we pass the second set of marks, I can now make out much of the channel.  Whew.  We make our way in and dock at Camachee Cove marina.

A few minutes after we arrive, another Leopard 3800 enters the marina. At our home port we occasionally see another Leopard, but rarely the same model and vintage as ours.  We make their acquaintance, compare, and swap stories about our boats.  They are half owners from England.  John and Dorota on Eagle Song, it was nice to meet and share stories and I wish you safe travels...hopefully our paths will cross again in the future.

Rover and Eagle Song in St.. Augustine 

A cold snap was predicted and arrived, dropping  temperatures to near freezing in St. Augustine...I thought Florida was supposed to be warmer.  We took the time (and use of the marina’s courtesy car) to do more provisioning and some shopping at Sailors Exchange while we waited out the cold.  

A tiki bar boat anyone?

Weather wasn't predicted to be great, so we begrudgingly decided to again motor down the ICW and our next stop was Palm Coast.  One night there and we were moving on to Daytona.  During my morning check of the engine, I found one of the fan belts broke on my starboard engine (fortunately it has two and I had a complete set of spares).  I went to install a spare only to find that it was about a half inch too small in diameter (guess those cross references aren't that good, eh, Autozone? ).  We continued with the single belt on that side.

When we pulled into the marina in Daytona, we noticed a boat we recognized as a couple we met when they were stopped in New Bern. We visited a bit and found out this was their home marina.

The next morning, we got out the folding bikes and rode to Napa to get the replacement fan belt.  Unfortunately they only had one, so I'd have to pick up additional spares elsewhere.  I installed the belt without much fuss.  A check of the weather and again it looks like we will be trudging down the ditch. At least we are slowly making our way south, right??

So we made plans and the next morning headed south, down past the Kennedy Space Center and on to Titusville.  While tying up the boat, I noticed the boat behind us had a hailing port of Durango, CO...so naturally we had to make their acquaintance.  I’ve often mused that we should have made our hailing port Leadville, CO. as I find the thought of my boat somehow making it to Colorado funny. I also checked the Napa there and found they didn't have the belts but could get them by the next morning, so I ordered them and picked them up the next day.  While there, we also ran into a couple we had met months earlier at our new home marina.  Chuck and Tina sail a Beneteau 473 named Whisper.  They too were headed to the Bahamas, so we began traveling somewhat together.

The NASA VAB in the distance

The next two legs of the trip would also be down the ICW as Titusville is a fair distance from an inlet.  Since it was finally starting to warm up some, the next night we anchored out in a wide part of the ICW halfway between Titusville and Ft. Pierce that had several good spots for anchoring.  Not long after we set the hook, we noticed a catamaran that had been some distance behind us all day was also coming in to anchor.  As they got closer, we recognized the boat.  It was the Swiss couple that we met and docked next to in Charleston. We chatted on the radio a bit and found out they were heading to the Keys and then Bahamas.  So, if you are keeping count, we have run into someone we knew on the last 3 stops.  As big as the world and oceans are, it still surprises me how small it can all seem at times.

The next morning we got an early start and made our way to Ft. Pierce.  We docked at the city marina along with Whisper. Here is where one of the downsides of having a cat can be seen.  The dockage rate for our cat was 50% higher than Whisper, even though we were both tied up next to each other on a face dock and their 47 foot boat takes up 10 foot more dock space than our 37 foot boat.  If it were a slip, I could understand an additional charge for our width, but at a face dock it seems silly as we take up less space.  

There was one thing that happened that made up for the overcharge though.  At many marinas, there is a space known as the "free table" where boaters can leave things they no longer need but may be usable by someone else.  We have picked up and left things at various free tables in the past.  Here, there was a working portable clothes washer and spin dryer that someone left when they upgraded.  We have a small bucket size washer that is good for a couple shirts or shorts, but this one is bigger and can handle jeans, bedsheets, and larger towels.  I've wanted to give one of these a try, but never could find one we could fit into one of our storage lockers.

Since the price was right, we figured why not take it to the boat and see if we could find a place for it.  We measured it and our largest inside locker door and it would just barely fit.  The problem was that once I shoved it through the door, I don't think I could get it back out.  But it is lightweight enough that we decided we could just store it in the shower and move it when we wanted to shower.  We had just done some laundry so we also gave the spin dryer a try.  Our small washer had a spin basket and so did a previous one we tried, but I found those didn't extract much water and I could hand wring better.  This one is a game changer.  It spins as well as our home front load washer and leaves things almost dry.  An hour or two hanging on the lifelines, even in humid Florida, and a sweatshirt and towel were dry.  This find mostly makes up for the overcharging of the marina.

The free clothes washer with spin dryer

Since the trip to Florida has taken much longer than planned, we again did a grocery run.  We had hoped to leave out the Ft. Pierce inlet and sail south to Key Biscayne/No Name Harbor, but the weather has been fickle.  It only seems to get better when we are trapped in long stretches of the ICW.  After a couple days in Ft. Pierce, we again decided we would take the ICW so we could make it a little further south.  At least at the end of this next leg would be the anchorage in N Lake Worth and another inlet near Palm Beach to try again.

Rover and Whisper head out the next morning, continuing our trek down the ICW.  I have to admit, I wasn't looking forward to this leg of the trip.  I've been through Jupiter before and I remember it to be a circus.  Several bridges in close proximity to one another, with jet skis and small boats that don't have a clue about right of way for boats with limited ability to maneuver (tall masts going through a raised bridge, for example).  This time was no different.  

The trip started out nice and we were making good progress.  As we approached Jupiter, more and more boats appeared.  Party barges with young sun worshipers, jet skis, motorboats with big engines driven by small minds all entered the frey.  It was like rush hour.  We wait at the bridges, trying to keep station in the current as we wait for the next scheduled bridge openings while small boats and jet skis zip around us in all directions.  With two motors set far apart, I have a fair amount of control. I feel for my friends on Whisper that have to contend with this mess in a single engine monohull.  At the last bridge before Lake Worth, a motor yacht passes us, Whisper, and a trawler waiting at the bridge so he can be first through when it opens.  I think it was the trawler that keys his radio mic with two stern words "back off".  Sigh.  If I ever think about coming down this part of the ICW again, please slap me.

We finally make it to the lake and drop anchor with about 40 other boats, undoubtedly also waiting on the weather to continue their journeys.  This will definitely be the end of my journey down the ICW.  Ahead are Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.  The former has lots of mega yachts and expensive marinas, the latter has a fixed bridge built by a dyslexic engineer who made it 56 feet high instead of 65 so we can't pass under it.  And both have rich NIMBY's that don't like us "poor boaters" anchoring and ruining their views.  Besides, I'm growing tired of being just a tall motorboat.

We wait a couple days and a weather window appears.  It isn't perfect, but at this point I'm not picky, I'll take what I can get. We head out the inlet and are met with a little wind.  We raise the sails and make an attempt to sail, but the winds are light.  We even attempt to fly the spinnaker, but by the time I get it rigged, the wind all but dies.  Well, at least I won't be motoring down the ditch anymore.  Whisper had followed us out the inlet and also attempted to sail, but gave up sooner than we did and had motored past us while we stubbornly tried to sail.  Later that evening, as we were passing by offshore of Ft. Lauderdale, the winds picked back up and we were able to sail the rest of the way to the Biscayne Bay channel on a nice reach.  Finally!

We anchored outside No Name Harbor, our intended staging point for crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas.

The anchorage outside NoName harbor...
We are not alone.

Next stop, Bahamas?

(More to come next time)

What's Shakin'

Oops...thought I had published this months ago...so this is a bit behind... 

Well, this last trip back to the boat can best be described as shaken.  My intention was to take at least a shakedown cruise, but other things also shook things up a bit.

One shakeup was that my friend TJ from the Retirement Project had what was described as a "cardiac event".  In hindsight it was a good thing that it took longer to get their outboard fixed and they were still in Oriental when this occurred as he was able to get the medical attention he needed quickly.  After a short time in the hospital in New Bern, I'm happy to report he is doing better now.  Unfortunately it has altered their plans for the Great Loop, but ever changing plans seems to be the norm for cruising.  I was glad to be able to provide some help and support for such a lovely couple and am glad TJ is getting back to being himself.  Stay well my friends and let us know if we can do anything for you....either here or when we are back at the boat.

A variety of things were fixed or worked on while at the boat.  The house battery bank was replaced.  The old chartplotter seems to have developed a screen issue and, instead of replacing the screen or the unit, I've decided to try building my own chartplotter using Openplotter.  If successful, this system will have a 15 inch touchscreen display at the helm, provide AIS receive functionality so I can identify nearby boats, and finally integrate all the systems so the Garmin radar and sonar and Raymarine winds and depth instruments can all talk to one another and the autopilot.  All at a fraction of the cost of an existing commercial unit. I'll (hopefully) write more on this later.

We did get a chance to take a shakedown cruise.  It was a relatively short trip from New Bern to the Cape Lookout bight.  We anchored there for several days, enjoying the area and testing systems.  

Of course, as a shakedown cruise, we tested several systems.  Unfortunately, while trying to make some ice for drinks one evening, the inverter suddenly died.  The inverter isn't a critical piece of equipment, but it is nice to be able to run standard AC electrical items, particularly if you want some ice for your evening adult beverage.  So this is another item that will need some attention.  Since it is an older inverter, it might be time for a replacement, we will see.

So, we managed a shakedown run, we shook things, and something broke.  But that is about par for the course on a boat.  Guess I have a bit more work to do before the Bahamas trip in the fall.

A 3 Hour ...er... Month Tour

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale..." a tale of a potential misunderstanding. It has come to my attention that my last post about the Bahamas trip may not have been as clear as it was in my mind.  So, to avoid confusion, I will try again.

At least a couple people have thought that the length of the trip I was trying to put together was in the 6 to 9 month range.  That is not my intention.  The time window I have to make the trip is between 6 and 9 months (sometime in October or November to the beginning of June), but the trip itself will not be that long.  Although I may be crazy, even I'm not crazy enough to believe that most people have a free 6 to 9 months to spend sailing the Bahamas. My goal is to spend a month or more in the Bahamas with the total trip length being up to 3 months from start to finish.

I also know that many people do not have the ability to take 3 months out of their lives to go on a trip, so I am perfectly happy to split up the trip into multiple segments. I believe many of the islands have airports and/or ferry services, so it should be possible to embark or disembark at several locations. Since I have two cabins available for guests, there is also room for some overlap here (or if someone wants to do the whole trip while others cannot). Obviously priority will be given to those who will be available for the larger passage segments (from Southport, NC to Florida to the Bahamas and/or the return).

Right now the big unknown is still the schedule. I have a family trip planned for next month and I won't be able to get out to the boat until after that.  I have a caretaker looking after the boat in my absence and reports are that it is doing fine (engines were started and checked just moments ago in fact), but I assume there will be at least a few things requiring my attention when I get there.  This is just part of life when you have a vehicle that sits in one of the more corrosive environments on the planet. Of course this means that the boat could be ready to go in a week or it could be more than a month and I'll only really know that once I do get out there. Naturally, once the boat is ready, the other variable will be the weather. The winter months tend to become a bit tricky with regard to weather windows. Thus having some flexibility in travel dates is key to joining this adventure.

Of course, I can't expect flexibility from others without having some myself.  So, I'm happy to work with others schedules within that time window as well. I fully understand that Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays fall within that time window and many people will have family obligations, so sliding the start and end dates is not a problem (I may return home and come back out to the boat later if needed). I am also open to suggestions as to where the crew would like to go while in the Bahamas, etc.

If you have already contacted me, do know that I have added you to "the list" and will send out an email to that list in the coming week or two.  If you have not and this clarification has you thinking you may be interested or able to join the adventure, please let me know soon so I can include you in the discussions.

Rebooting The Dream

Well, I could apologize once again for the lack of posts, but it is getting old and tired and I think you all understand there is very little in sailing related stories that can be told from Colorado...particularly in the winter. But I do finally have some news to share...and perhaps an opportunity for someone with an abundance of free time and desire to travel by sailboat.

As you probably know, we tried to sell Rover after moving back to Colorado.  Unfortunately the closing company and broker we used when we bought the boat failed us during the original sale and we did not discover this issue until we tried selling the boat. The combination of this fact, being so far from the boat, and frankly my lack of enthusiasm for selling and we still have her.

One of the original plans that we had when we set out cruising was to make it to the Bahamas. The idea was that trip would be an adequate first real test to see if we would like the longer term cruising lifestyle. Of course, this never happened.

Photo by Gregory Culmer on Usplash

So why am I telling you this...well...I'm reviving the idea of taking the boat to the Bahamas. I still have the boat and I put in all that work on it so I might as well....right?  The only problem is that I'm lacking a crew.  While I have found that I can single-hand the boat, it is much easier to have additional hands to take watches and to help with docking or anchoring.  Besides, a trip like this is far better when shared.

Image by PublicDomainPictures fromPixabay

As of now, I don't have much of a plan for this trip, but as they say "cruising plans are written in sand at low tide" so even if I had one it would likely continue to change. Right now the goal is for me to return to the boat in September or October and spend some time getting the boat back in shape.  I'm not sure how long this will take, but I hope she will be ready in November if there aren't too many surprises. The time window for the trip will be sometime from the time the boat is ready until the start of hurricane season the following June.

Image by buckeyebeth from Pixabay

Once the boat and crew are ready, the trip will start with a cruise down the east coast from North Carolina to southern Florida. From there it is a wait for a weather window to cross the gulf stream to the Bahamas.  Spend a month or three exploring some of the various islands of the Bahamas, then use another weather window to return. Depending on time and weather (and any potential new anchoring restrictions in Florida), we may also spend a little bit of time in the Florida Keys.

The swimming pigs at Staniel Cay
Image by Lisa Larsen from Pixabay

Photo by tavius on Unsplash

In the past when I've looked for help moving the boat, I tried to find people with at least some sailing knowledge since I was paying for room and board while aboard the boat and the goal was to complete the task of re-positioning the boat.  Well, that worked out well at times and other times it did not.  I realize I don't really need people with sailing knowledge or experience for this trip. I just need folks that are honest about their abilities, willing to learn what little I will need them to know to help out with the boat, have a somewhat compatible lifestyle to mine (since we will be living in relatively close quarters - imagine a very small "3 bedroom" apartment), and want to spend some time seeing what it is like to live on a sailing catamaran. The right person/people will also need to be flexible with time, have a passport, and want to spend some time in the beautiful islands of the Bahamas.

Bahamas Lobster and coral. 
Image by Paulo O (Creative Commons)

I'm sure you might be wondering how much a trip like this would cost.  Unfortunately, that is like asking the question "how long is a piece of string".  A lot of it depends on your lifestyle.  I'll provide the boat (two double berths available), cover the costs for any boat maintenance, the first tank of diesel (67 gallons) and other durable supplies.  We will split costs for food and drink on board, stays at marinas, customs and cruising/fishing permit (currently a flat $300, but theoretically changing in 2020) and other group related costs. You would be responsible for getting to and from the boat, your own restaurant and bar tabs, and any other personal purchases.  So, depending on how well we provision the boat before we leave, how much water and diesel we use, and how much time we spend at marinas and restaurants and bars, the costs can vary quite a bit.  I will only say that I'm pretty flexible as far as food and entertainment goes and am happy to anchor out and sail as much as others desire to help keep costs down.  If you want to get an idea of how much this type of trip may cost, you can Google "cost to sail the Bahamas" to get an idea. All I can really say is this should be significantly cheaper than a similar land-based stay in the Bahamas and you will have the chance to go places that are not accessible to those staying in one of the resort hotels.

What the accommodations look like.
Images and videos available at The Boat link.

Does this sound like something you would be interested in doing?  If so, shoot me an email (the tool at the bottom of the right hand column of the blog can do this if you don't already have my email address). Someone able to complete the whole trip would be ideal, but I'm happy to entertain different people for different segments of the trip if we can find others to fill in the empty slots. I'm posting this here first to give those that are following my blog the first chance at this opportunity before I post it on some of the crew wanted sites.

Rover at No Name Harbor...where many people make
the hop to the Bahamas.

Back in Southport Again

We departed Beaufort for an overnight sail to Southport just before 4 PM in order to make the Beaufort bridge opening (saving us a little time having to backtrack and take the other route through Morehead City). The drawbridge opening had us and a couple fishing boats heading out for the evening.  I don't know exactly what it is about the Beaufort inlet, but for the second time in as many passages, it was a rough ride.  I guess the outgoing current combined with the easterly swell to make for a choppy entrance.  We bounced our way out and after turning on course, the sea mellowed out...somewhat.

The forecast was for 1 to 2 foot waves on a 12 second period and light winds from the Southwest.  While the winds would be directly on our nose, the seas should make for a fairly comfortable ride.  Of course, what to weather forecasters know about the weather.  The actual winds were around 15 knots, but it was from the south-southwest. There was a swell from the east that was probably a foot or two on 12 seconds, but the higher winds were also creating waves from the south that were also a couple feet on a six second period.  Not quite as smooth as forecast.

Still, the winds gave us an opportunity to sail, just not directly toward our destination.  We were making about 5 knots, with 2 or 3 of those in the actual direction we wanted to go (VMG). We sailed all night and by early in the morning we had made it a little over half-way.  At that point, we decided to fire up an engine and motor sail to get a better angle.  As the wind shifted around to be right on our nose, the sails came down and the other motor was started so we could make it to Southport before nightfall.

Our planned route (blue) and our actual course (magenta).
Tacking across the Onslow Bay danger area.

We arrived at the Masonboro inlet around noon, a couple hours later than planned...but at least we got to sail some so it was worth it.  The down side of being late was that we missed the ideal timing window for the trip through Snow's Cut and on to the Cape Fear river.  In an ideal case, I would have liked to have been at Snow's Cut at high tide so there wouldn't be a lot of current and then we could ride the falling current down the river.  Since we were late, we found we were fighting a 3+ knot current from the Carolina Beach inlet through the entrance to Snow's cut.  Something very noticeable when you are only traveling at 6 or 7 knots to begin with.  After only making 3 knots over the ground as we approached the cut, we did pick up another knot in the cut.

Once into the Cape Fear river and heading downstream, our speed was up to a brisk 8 or 9 knots even though the waves and wind were (as usual) directly on our nose.  It didn't take long until we were in Southport.

Normally I would stay at Deep Point marina as I like the combination of amenities and price.  Unfortunately, the number of cruisers heading south combined with the damage caused by Matthew and they didn't have any space available.  Fortunately, they did have one space left at their other marina, Indigo Plantation.  We made our way there, found the one last space for a wide-beam boat, and we were tied up and secure in Southport.

The following days we retrieved the car left at Dowry Creek, met some friends for dinner, met a couple fellow Leopard owners that were in the area, and started looking into what we should do about the remaining trip.  With all the damage in St. Augustine, dock space is at more of a premium than it is here and that comes with a premium price. At this point, we are considering leaving the boat here in Southport.  We have a dock at a reasonable rate and it is fairly well protected for the area. The down side is that it is a bit far from our broker and we will need to see about finding someone to keep an eye on the boat.

We haven't made any decisions yet, but we are running out of time so we will need to come up with a plan soon. Meanwhile, we are enjoying this charming town.

Down the Chesapeake

After our stop in St. Michaels, we started making our way down the Chesapeake. Our first stop was in Solomons MD.  This is the same place we stopped on the way up.  We chose to go to Calverts marina again since they only charge $1/foot for dockage and that is a bargain by just about anyone's standards.  The transient docks are good quality floating docks and they have an on-site pool and restaurant.  One convenient feature of the marina is a courtesy car and, although it is not in the best shape, is enough to get you to nearby stores if you need provisions or something for the boat. The bathhouse closest to the transient docks are also the ones closest to the boatyard and what I could only describe as "boatyard rustic" with painted concrete walls and floors and a hodgepodge of fixtures.  I don't mind the rustic facilities, but wish they were a bit more clean.

We used the courtesy car to pick up a couple things from the grocery store and stopped by a local BBQ place for lunch.  Courtesy cars are always an interesting thing.  I was first introduced to the concept as a pilot.  Smaller airports in smaller towns would often provide a car to allow people passing through to visit (and spend money at) local businesses.  Many marinas, especially those that are a bit out of town, also provide cars as a perk as those traveling by boat don't usually carry long-distance transportation any more than those in small personal aircraft.  The car is provided for free (other than you are generally expected to replace the gasoline you use) so they are often not the greatest of vehicles and not in the greatest of repair. I've learned to test basic things before taking a courtesy car very far.  Quick check of forward and reverse at slow speeds and brake effectiveness and function of the lights if we might be out in other than sunny daytime conditions.  Despite their limitations, they are very handy resources to have and are often greatly appreciated.

Courtesy cars can be deceiving...it looks nice from a distance.

At Solomons, the courtesy car is an old diesel Mercedes sedan.  The car runs OK, the suspension is a bit loose as is the steering linkage.  With 200,000 plus miles, the worst part of the car are the collapsing seat cushions, failed air conditioning, and failed drivers side window.  Very minor inconveniences and definitely better than walking the mile or two to the stores.

Although we didn't spend much time looking around, Solomons appears to be a touristy, weekend vacation sort of town. Thanks to the weather we decided to spend two nights here before continuing our trip south. The second morning we departed Solomons (and Maryland) for Ingram Bay Marina across the Potomac in Virginia.  As with most of the trip thus far, what little wind we have had has been pretty much right on the nose so not much sailing has happened.

Ingram Bay marina is a small marina on...you guessed it...Ingram Bay. When we arrived we found a rather narrow channel, but it was wide enough for our boat.  The reported depths of over 6 feet must have been at the middle of the channel, but we found around 5 feet of water under our hulls as we crossed the breakwater into the marina basin. Once inside the basin the depth increased and we tried following the instructions for where to dock.  When we got to what we thought the marina had said, we found a slip that was about half the width of the boat.  We ended up tying off to the fuel dock instead.

The marina is a smaller facility, with covered and open slips for mostly smaller boats.  The fuel dock and one other end finger pier are the only places where larger boats can dock and I'm not sure if anything much larger than our boat can be accommodated, but we did fit.  It is in a nice setting and the marina owner also has a bunch of the surrounding property.  On it he has a couple cabins for rent as well as a lot of open area that our dogs really enjoyed.  The bath house is again rather basic, but here it is in better repair and cleaner than the last stop. This marina is again a bit out of the way, in fact, it is over 12 miles from the nearest town with stores. The owner, Captain Billy, offered to pick up something for us when he went into town later or we could use his work truck as a courtesy car. We took him up on the offer of the truck and went to town.  The best part of this marina was the WiFi though.  WiFi seems to be a common problem at most marinas but this one worked pretty well.  My guess is that it may be the quiet location and lack of users, but it was nice to have a more consistent connection (guess I should have worked on a post there...but didn't have a lot of time...sorry).

We left Ingram Bay the following day and made our way to the York river, just south of where we were when we built the hardtop.  This was intended to be a longer stop as it was where we had repositioned one of the cars. We arrived at the marina and I called them on the radio and they gave me instructions to a slip.  This was interesting since they said they would likely put me on a face dock.  I re-confirmed my beam and directions to the slip and made my way in.  As I approached the slip I could tell we wouldn't fit but the employees still seemed to think we would.  Since it had adequate rubber edge protection, I slowly moved the boat back until it touched on both sides.  We were a good foot wider than the slip, two or more if you include fenders.  After seeing the obvious evidence, they moved us to a face dock.

Rainy day on the York river.

Since our arrival, we have spent time re-positioning cars, re-provisioning, meeting with friends, and  other mundane tasks (I really did need a haircut). We are preparing to move on again, so naturally the weather seems to be deteriorating and with the rain I finally had a little time for another post. In the next few stops we are going to make our way through the Dismal swamp and the Albemarle loop before stopping again in Oriental, North Carolina.

St. Michaels...or Bye Bye Baltimore.

Finally...yesterday, we finally left Baltimore.  It was starting to feel like we were stuck in the mud.   Baltimore harbor is typically mud colored (or at least that is what I keep telling myself as the other options for that color are less appealing) but I know boats can move on it.  With some plans made and storms out of the way, it was well past time to go.

We departed in a morning with fair weather but not much wind.  Oh well, moving by motor is better than not moving at all. The temperatures were expected to be "above normal" and "near record breaking"...two phrases we have heard far too much in the time we have spent here.  We motored along and a light breeze picked up from the southeast...naturally the direction we were heading.  I have to admit though...in the high temperatures, having wind on the nose is better than having no wind at all.  The wind made the temperatures bearable.

The bay bridge as we head southbound leaving Baltimore.

As we approached St. Michaels, my wife decided that she wasn't all that keen on anchoring out in the heat and about 30 minutes from arrival, she started calling to see if any marina's could handle our boat.  Smaller towns, particularly the further north you are, tend to have very limited options for boats as wide as ours.  She was able to find one and, after a little confusion trying to get directions from the marina, we where parked at their face dock.

I forget who told me or exactly how the warning went, but it was something to the effect of: the more times 'yacht' is found in the name of a marina or boatyard, the less likely you will actually find something worthy of the name 'yacht' and the less likely the facilities would live up to the standards of someone who owned a 'yacht'. The place we spent the first night lived up to that reputation. It is a combination marina and boatyard.  The most notable problems were the WiFi signal that didn't make it out to the docks and the restroom (that was described in one review as basic) I would describe as boatyard rustic with rusting fixtures, exposed plumbing  and flaking paint over cinder block and concrete construction.

Part of the St. Michaels Harbor

While it wasn't really all that bad, I had hoped for better at this charming little town. Oh, and did I mention that they only had room for us that one night and we wanted to stay two?  So, after getting settled in, I did a little searching and found that another marina across the way had a Friday special of $1.50/foot (plus a $29 resort fee that includes resort amenities).  This is a very good rate for this area, so we moved across the harbor the following morning.

Rover at the new dock...from near the old one.

After getting the boat over to the new dock, we took a couple of the resort bicycles and toured the town. It is a cute older town with lots of historic buildings from the boat building and fishing days. There are a couple museums including the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. This is a tourist town, so the main street is also lined with lots of stores and restaurants.

Buildings near the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

Waterfront homes were a bit different back then.

We had lunch at an overpriced gourmet pizza place that could only survive in a tourist town (high price and less than mediocre food doesn't make for many repeat customers). Fortunately our ice cream stop later in the day proved to be a much better option and a welcome respite from the heat. The St. Michaels museum was an interesting stop and a chance to tour historic structures and see how people lived long ago in St. Michaels.

The main street in St. Michaels

Cannonball house.  Called this not because it stored cannonballs or was some important
part of the war of 1812, but because a cannonball came through the roof  and scared the
residents.

The town is definitely worth a stop.  If you are here on a Friday, I would even recommend the Harbour Inn Marina and Spa (even though I won't know how the free continental breakfast is until tomorrow) on a Friday. Stop by the St Michaels museum for a peek into the past and a map for a walking (or biking) tour of the town. Might skip the pizza place though.

One Last Cruise?

Well, here is another post I didn't think I would be writing. After the decision to abandon ship (so to speak), we started trying to figure out how we were going to go about moving off the boat, selling it, and moving on. A difficult task at any time, but even more so when emotions are running high.

We are currently sitting at Port Covington in Baltimore. Not a place I would consider scenic by any means. This is a very industrial port in a city that I doubt anyone would consider picturesque. On the bright side, it isn't as pricey as most of the surrounding areas if you are sitting at a dock.  So this was as good a place as any to let things settle a bit and decide how to proceed

On the dock in Baltimore.

Do we move off the boat and put her up for sale right here? As I mentioned, this is a relatively inexpensive place to let Rover sit while up for sale.  The boat would be accessible for anyone who wanted to take a look at her.  With the Annapolis boat show coming up, having it a reasonable drive away might be advantageous, but I'm not sure how many people are actively shopping for used boats while there. Baltimore is quite hot right now, but it doesn't stay that way. If the boat weren't sold by the time it starts getting cold, the boat would need to be hauled and winterized for the season.  Winterized, the boat wouldn't be easy to look at for a potential buyer. We also don't have anyone we trust who could keep an eye on the boat. In the end, it doesn't seem like keeping her up here in the Chesapeake is the best option

The other option is to take the boat south.  When we were shopping, we spent most of our time in Florida.  It seems that is where many of the catamarans tend to reside (at least the ones in the U.S.).  It is also where more services that are familiar with catamarans tend to reside. To top it off, it is where the broker we intend to use for the sale is located. While it is a long way from the Annapolis boat show, I just don't see it generating much more traffic beyond "tire-kickers", so I don't think we will miss much.  On the other hand, being available year-round and well positioned for a new owner to take the hop over to the Bahamas might be more worthwhile.

Of course, there is a bit of a problem with this second option.  Remember that my wife said she didn't want to do this anymore?  Yeah, that might be a problem. This is why I didn't really suggest this option.  Surprisingly, she did.

I've asked her several times now, and it seems she is OK with this.  In fact, the last few days she seems happy (or maybe that is just the hopes of leaving...ahem...scenic Baltimore harbor).  In any case, it appears we may be taking one last cruise.

A while back in St. Augustine

This time I hope all the schedules and pressures are gone and we can have a leisurely trip south...and hopefully we can keep the need for repairs to a minimum too.

And if anyone has any sights not to miss on a trip from the Chesapeake to Florida, let us know.

Some Colorado Pictures Thanks To A $3 Cable

When we left on this trip, I decided not to bring along my laptop. All we have with us is a small Samsung tablet and our smartphones. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem...unless you want to write a blog post with some pictures from your "real" (digital SLR) camera, one that was made before all the wireless Internet connectivity options. Fortunately, as I discovered, my tablet and my wife's phone are newer Android devices and with the aid of a special cable these devices allow you to connect USB peripherals like keyboards, thumb drives, memory card readers, or cameras.

I couldn't find one of these cables while in Summit County, but found them in Denver. BestBuy had one from Samsung for $20, but I found a discount computer center that had them for only $2.50 (and you can find them on the Internet for a similar price). So, if you have an Android device that supports USB  OTG (On The Go), you may want to grab one of these cables. With the cable I was able to edit pictures directly from the camera on the tablet.

While the thin air at high altitude and the remnants of a chest cold are not good things to mix, we did manage to do a little hiking and sightseeing in the Colorado high country. Here are a few pictures from my home state.

Update: The blog editor I was using (on the tablet) didn't create clickable images.  You can now click on them to see larger versions.

The sign and sculpture at the east end of Main Street in Frisco.

Frisco is a cute mountain town. Near all the attractions but 

doesn't feel like as much of a tourist trap as Breckinridge.

Since this is a sailing related blog...here is a sailboat on Lake Dillon 

with Tiger Run and the Breckenridge ski area in the background.

More Dillon reservoir and sailboats with Frisco in the background.

This, and the picture that follows, are what Vaill pass looks

like if you get off the Interstate (I 70).

The road off of Vail pass leads to Shrine pass and the next

Few pictures are also from that area.

You can see the cuts in the trees that make up the Copper

Mountain ski area in the distance.

This rock has its very own wildflower.

Trying to wrangle the dogs for a picture

is a difficult task.

Before it was a tragic school shooting, Columbine

was known as the State flower. They do grow wild here.

A little hike near Freemont Pass, on the

way to Leadville.

A large American flag flying over a park in

Leadville with Mt. Massive in the background. 

Mount Massive is the second highest of the Colorado Fourteeners, prominent mountain peaks with a summit elevation above 14,000 feet. Colorado has 53 of them, the largest number of any state by a pretty wide margin.

Turquoise Lake (actually a reservoir)

with Leadville in the distance.

A bit of a drop off if you don't pay attention

while hiking near Turquoise lake.

Not even sure which mountain this is, 

just know it was west of Turquoise lake.

So there is a little taste of our home state and where we have been spending some of our time the past couple weeks. Places where snow can still be seen in July seems like a world away from our current life on the Atlantic ocean and Chesapeake bay..