All is well in Jacksonville!

Wow, I really don’t know where to begin on this one.  I must admit that I have been remiss, but my memories are intact and we have had a wonderful adventure. We had a fabulous time in Daytona  and it seems that no matter where we are, it is where we  want to be. It’s easy to see the best of someplace when you are passing through, but, in retrospect, there are places that just grab your heart and soul. We have passed through Lake Worth, Daytona, St. Augustine, and Jacksonville and I swear I could pledge my allegiance to any or all of these beautiful places.

We  fell in love with Daytona when we were there, but we only experienced a small portion of their hospitality. We had to anchor well offshore, and it was a chore to come ashore. The West Marine in Daytona offers free dinghy docking and this was the hook up point to meet our friends and family. This was the first time we had really been ashore since our arrival and I was in desperate need of internet access, so it was our good fortune to find a beautiful bar, excellent food, and a wonderful bartender at BLUE GROTTO. Junior got me internet access, hooked us up with drinks and made us feel like we were the only people in the world. When we departed Blue Grotto, we made a stop for ice at Halifax Harbor Marina and as I stepped ashore, I found myself a little short of the dock and face down in the water. Thank you Halifax Harbor for providing me a dry T-shirt for the rest of our journey back to OPA.When we returned a couple days of days later,Junior offered to post all of my mail (which he actually did as promised.)  We had a wonderful time with Chris and Debbie and I will never forget our  time in Daytona (my  favorite place...at the time).

Danny and Debbie.

We continued up the coast and got to experience the most beautiful part of the inter-coastal waterway that I have ever seen. We had the opportunity to enjoy an undisturbed part of Florida. Our journey included dolphins, pink ibis, osprey, pelicans, manatees, and some of the most spectacular water front homes I have ever seen.  Our anchorage was so remote that we felt we were the only human beings for miles.

An immature pelican.

Great blue heron.

           We only glimpsed the shore of St. Augustine, but it brought back a lot of happy memories.

St. Augustine lighthouse.

St. Augustine City Marina.

We continued on to Jacksonville, a city neither one of us had ever been to before. We stayed on the docks downtown and explored the city with our family. The city docks were free, as was the sky transit system, and we were able to experience the Landings of Jacksonville  on the opposite side of the river. It just so happened that the day we were there a fundraiser was being held for the Boy Scouts of America at the AT&T building seen in the background below. Fifty eight people raised a minimum of  $1,000.00 to repel 30 stories or 447 feet.  (http://photos.jacksonville.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=1252020&CategoryID=9088.)

The view from the cockpit of OPA.

   

 The next morning we watched the start of the Jacksonville River Poker Run where numerous power boats assembled at the landing for a 150 mile run. It was quite the sight, although the noise was deafening. Fortunately, they were traveling at idle speed or they would have really rocked our world! 

Just a few of the many powerboats.

Danny with his brother Chris and nephew Sergio.



Chris and Sergio picked us up and we headed to the New Orleans Cafe where we met up with more family and friends and were entertained for hours with the reggae music of Les B. Fine and some really fabulous creole style food. Needless to say, a good time was had by all. Jacksonville was one of our favorite stops. The city makes it easy for boaters to enjoy all its many offerings. We also made a side trip to Kingsley Plantation, an historic Sea Island cotton plantation built in 1798. It was fascinating, but also a little disheartening to experience the lives these slaves had to endure.

Photos taken from Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve website.

It was with great sadness that we headed up the river to our final destination, Green Cove Springs. The St. John's River was wide and deep and we had a very pleasant journey.  We  experienced numerous fly-overs by Navy planes practicing takeoffs and landings from Jacksonville Naval Air Station. It was pretty incredible as it seemed they would clip the top of the mast on a few of their landings.

                                                              This one got really close!

We arrived at Green Cove Springs Marina and prepared to have OPA hauled out and put into dry storage. We were shocked to find that after not having a bottom job for 7 years, there wasn't a single barnacle on her bottom. I guess the secret is to never stop moving! The staff at the yard was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We left there knowing that our home would be in good hands.

On the travel lift awaiting to be moved to storage.



We are now in southern Maryland with our family and will be returning to Tampa for a couple months to take care of some business. The boat will be in storage until the end of July,  when the next leg of our journey will begin.



Sorry, no photos for this leg! Hope you enjoy anyway!

Heading North on the East Coast of Florida

We have had lots of challenges this trip and I believe we met each one with strength and courage. Notice I didn’t say dignity, because these episodes usually revert both of us to screaming 4-year-olds after the danger has passed. Danny, my ex-firefighter captain, responds to danger by barking orders. I, on the other hand, don’t handle this barking so well... I respond in kind. You can see where I am going with this. Our last incident happened on the way into Lake Worth Inlet from the Bahamas. Just as we got to the outside buoy, the engine stopped. Danny scurried to put up a jib sail as we entered a maze of jet skis, hobie cats, fishing boats, and mega yachts. In the midst of all this chaos was a small boat anchored just off the marker and right in our way. I tried to calmly yell to them that we had no power. They looked at me like I was an alien. If Danny hadn’t put up the main sail, we would have had five new fishing poles and five brown-eyed boys onboard with us.

We were able to sail straight into the inlet and, once inside, we found boater’s mania. Vessels, celebrating Cinco de Mayo, were coming from every direction and anchored everywhere along the way. Danny dropped the jib and immediately dropped the anchor while we were moving. The anchor grabbed and OPA stopped just over the anchor of a 20 foot Wellcraft. They had no idea we were in distress and their eyes were as big as saucers as we gently came to a stop! It was just like a scene out of the movie “Captain Ron”. If you haven’t seen this hilarious movie with Kurt Russell and Martin Short, I really suggest you rent it…better yet, purchase it. It is the funniest movie ever and way too close to our reality.

Since we had to wait until Monday to clear customs and were not supposed to leave the boat, we anchored in the intercoastal waterway, just off of Peanut Island (party central). We were entertained by a parade of boats that came just a few feet from our bow and as we looked down the channel, we were reminded of U.S. 19 during rush hour.  As the tide dropped around the island, shoals started to develop, and I stared in disbelief as people intentionally put their boats on the ground, jumped in the water and partied until high tide. What a great place!  As it got closer to sunset, the tide started to slowly float the boats and everyone gathered up their kids, dogs, Frisbees, and floats and headed home. 

We watched in amazement as the sheriff side-towed a 22 ft boat with about the same number of people aboard. I guess they exceeded the maximum weight requirement for that vessel.  Needless to say, not even a nook to store even one life jacket.

Danny got to watch his first Nascar race in a year. Papa was happy, but once he got that remote in his hand, I knew I had lost him. The icing on the cake was the fireworks that we enjoyed courtesy of Palm Beach SunFest. They were spectacular and a welcome reward for our successful, albeit exciting, crossing.

We motored up the Atlantic and re-entered the intercoastal waterway at Fort Pierce Inlet. As we were approaching the inlet, the fog started rolling in. Danny and I just looked at each other in amazement, both of us thinking, what next? Fortunately, we had three mile visibility and were able to get safely anchored.

Last night Danny and I came to the conclusion that we could not comfortably make it to southern Maryland in time for my nephew’s graduation, the main reason for the trip. We would be forced to travel about 12 hours almost everyday to make the 700 miles that we still have to travel. An eight hour day nets us only 50 miles. Since we are going to be in the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area, we hitched a ride with my Uncle Paul. I am really looking forward to spending some quality time with this very, dear  man.  This was actually the answer to three people’s prayers; my cousin Joanne, my very good friend Debbie, and my own. Joanne and her husband Don can now enjoy their Harley trip to Washington D.C. knowing that her dad will be in good hands.  My friend Debbie no longer has to worry about who will take care of her 2 dogs, 1 horse, 3 cats, 2 birds, 1 goldfish and 1 turtle while she experiences Europe with her to 2 daughters, and I asked God to get me to southern Maryland, I didn’t specify how it had to happen. My heart was just a tiny bit heavy, as I was really looking forward to the journey aboard OPA. It is the right decision, and I feel like a huge weight has been lifted.  We have always said that you can’t have deadlines when cruising. It causes mistakes and bad decisions. As it turned out, because we waited, we were able to experience the most awesome people and places along the way.

We are on the inside today, a welcome respite from the Atlantic. The inter-coastal waterway has no bridges that require opening for the next seventy nine miles which is quite a bonus. It can really add a lot of hours on to a trip if you have to wait for scheduled bridge openings. Navigation has taken on a whole new meaning since we entered this eastern seaboard wateway, where instead of waypoints and courses, we now have red and green markers. With waypoints, there is margin for error; this is not so with the channel markers. It is so regimented, like coloring between the lines, and you really have to stay focused. That’s kind of hard for me, as I suffer from ADHD, just kidding! We were rewarded with plenty of dolphin sightings and I even witnessed an Osprey feeding her baby in a nest that she made on a lighted channel marker.  Where is the camera when you need it?  We passed some phenomenal houses in the most perfect settings.

We dropped anchor at the mouth of Banana River in the Melbourne area. There must have been a lot of fish there, because the dolphins were constantly feeding in our anchorage. It was such a relaxing setting that we decided to spend an extra day and explore. We explored the river by dinghy in the morning and then we walked about 2 miles to a Walmart to get a saltwater fishing license.  My provisioning was limited as we had to haul it in backpacks to the dinghy. We devoured a couple of Wendy’s bacon cheeseburgers, the first beef we have had in a long time, and they were delightful.

The space coast loomed ahead of us and we passed NASA before dropping the anchor in Titusville. I was hoping for a space launch, but we weren’t that fortunate. There is so much natural beauty in this area. We’re off to Daytona Beach tomorrow where we will be spending time with our brother Chris and my friend Debbie. Really looking forward to it.  

Abaco, Grand Bahama, and the USA

Hopetown, Marsh Harbor, & Great Sale Cay
West End and the USA!

We had such a wonderful time in Hopetown. The bad weather forced us to stay, but it also gave us the opportunity to explore a little more and we were not disappointed. This is the quaintest island we have stumbled upon so far. The bank only opens one day a week and only for two hours. There was an eclectic mix of locals, tourists (staying at a cottage) and boaters, all coming great distances. The locals are delightful and food was fabulous. We found that both food and drink were very reasonably priced at all the restaurants. It was a bit discouraging to find the local water supply so taxed by visitors. This is the second island that I have tried to do laundry on and had to wait until the water was made. We were anxious to move on after 3 days, not because we wanted to, but I want more to be in southern Maryland for our nephew’s graduation.

Red sky at night...sailor's delight!

We moved on to Marsh Harbor in really yucky weather. We decided to move on in spite of the overcast skies. We still had some shallow banks to conquer, but before Danny skillfully maneuvered from the tight slip in 25 knot winds, I heard from a few other yachties who had run aground in the same location as I did. I once again put my fears aside and considered our grounding a rite of passage. We were not the only ones affected by the weather; they actually closed every government school in all of the Bahamas. Bonus day for my friend in Georgetown, hope you enjoyed it, Janie!

Enjoying his weather day off from school.

Our trip to Marsh Harbor was uneventful…hallelujah! We spent 2 days in Marsh Harbor and my favorite things were the Island Bakery, the KFC, and, believe it or not, a Save A Lot, just like in the states. The bread from the bakery melted in our mouths (2 loaves in 2 days actually), we got our dose of that finger lickin' good chicken, and I actually got bananas for less 89 cents a pound. The children were delightful here and actually offered a hand at the dinghy dock. I was disappointed in how much litter we saw. It is the big city, after all, as evidenced by the very first traffic light I have seen in all of the family islands. 

We have had four uneventful days at sea. The first was only 8 miles, but still worthy of a celebration. The second day was a little more stressful as it was rife with VPR (visual piloting required) notations. That means shifting sand bars and very, very shallow water. To pilot these areas, you need good weather, sunlight, bottom reading and piloting. I really dread these areas, especially after our grounding, but every day I become more comfortable with my skills and a little less tense. That’s a very good thing for both of us in our tiny little habitat. Now that Danny has resolved just about every issue that we have encountered, we are both hoping for a lot less stress for the rest of our journey. We choose not to ride with the packs and last night we were rewarded with my definition of the perfect anchorage. We had to travel 300 miles before we found an anchorage that had no one else in it! The lagniappe was the peaceful serenity and no swell. What a delightful place.

Imagine our excitement when we anchored the next night. We were the only boat in the harbor. Sadly, as I write this, another 12 boats have joined us and it is only 4:30 pm!! Oh well, it’s off to West End, Grand Bahama, in the morning.

I was thanking God that I did not study my charts prior to our departure. As it was, I had six wonderful hours of bliss until I discovered that the last 5 miles of our trip were extremely shallow. Let me put this in perspective; five miles is a very long time when in water that is 5 feet at low tide and you need 4 ½ feet to float.  We figured as long as the tide was coming up, we were okay. It was the longest hour of my life. We slowed down to let the three motor vessels that were following pass us, but guess what, they slowed down also and allowed us to guide them in (cowards!). We had five miles of white-knuckling before we reached our destination.   (Thanks,  Schultise family for the awesome depth sounder). Then we had to find the anchorage, find a “sandy spot” and hope like hell the current wouldn’t get us.  At this point, we were stretched to our limits. I thought the whole settlement of west end must have heard our terms of endearment. We made it in safely, put the outboard on the dinghy and headed to shore. 

This was my first time to west end and I didn’t know what to expect. We found the Old Bahama Bay Marina just off our anchorage to be a delightful place. What a surprise to find a friend from Exuma visiting his home here in West End. He picked us up and showed us his island. Danny got a lesson in cleaning a conch when Dwight acquired a few from a local fisherman. He proceeded to make us the best conch salad around. Thanks Dwight, you gave us a very special tour and it was much appreciated.

I am very sad to be departing the Bahamas. We have a lot of very special friends here. It is in knowing that I will return, that I am able to leave.  I am also looking forward to our family gatherings, one in Jacksonville, and one in southern Maryland. We are blessed with two wonderful families!

Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning!

We had a wonderful trip crossing the Gulf Stream. I have never experienced such calm water during a crossing. It was absolutely beautiful. We sailed in to Lake Worth Inlet and dropped the anchor. We are waiting to clear customs. We have to appear personally tomorrow morning, so our journey has been delayed another day.

I can't believe this is the Atlantic Ocean. Great crossing!

Our first sunset in the U.S.A.!!!

Our new neighbor departing  Lake Worth Inlet!

There’s a full moon tonight…bonus!

Eleuthra to Abaco

Eleuthra to Abaco

Plantation Ruins at Royal Island, Eleuthra

I was really excited about coming to Abaco. Danny has been here before and wanted to share it with me. We had a fifty mile crossing over the open Atlantic. We estimated we could easily do it in 8 hours. We got up early and departed with about 10 other boats, mostly trawlers. The current was so unbelievably strong that even with the motor running we were unable to cruise more than 4 knots. Also we were heading due north and that is precisely where the winds were coming from. I felt like we were in a perpetual GPS zone. The estimated time of arrival reading was 7 ½ hours for an eternity. Then the engine started overheating and we had to back it down, which caused me even more stress. I abhor navigating at night in unknown territory, but there was simply no turning back. We were forced to speed up the engine and I prayed feverishly that we would make it into the cut before sunset. This cut was extremely shallow with reefs on either side of the entrance. Fortunately, my prayers were answered and we came through at 7:30. We went 50 miles in 12 very long hours.

We decided that we would have to take a slip at a marina to see if Danny could fix the overheating problem. I was really looking forward to a hot shower and a poolside bar. We had only about 8 miles to travel, but my long awaited marina stop would have to wait another day. When we were only 4 miles from Hopetown, I ran the boat hard aground (actually Danny was steering, but it was at my insistence). Did I mention we did this at HIGH tide. We tried pushing her off, but our little 8hp dinghy motor was hard pressed to move 30,000 pounds. Our calls for help went unanswered, although I did get emotional support from a boat called Whisper who had experienced the same thing in almost the same place. Thanks Dan and Jennifer for the much needed comic relief. We had no choice but to wait for the next high tide at midnight. We arranged for a local boat to come around 11:00 to pull us off. While we waited, OPA eventually ended up on her side. Tears flowed from my eyes as I watched all of our precious water dumping overboard. The last time we were aground was in Bimini about 16 years ago, but that was a fluke storm that put us up on a mound, again at high tide, so that when the tide dropped, our deck seams went under water and sea water came pouring into OPA. You can imagine my apprehension as the boat gently laid on her side. Truman Major, a very nice gentleman on a boat called Lucky Strike called me at 8:00 pm and said there was a good chance that we may be able to get off ourselves. He explained that the night tide was sometimes about 4 inches higher and we had also lightened our load by 800 pounds when all the water departed our tanks. I explained that I had a hard time navigating this area during the day and was certainly not looking forward to doing it at midnight; but, for the four hundred dollars that it would cost for him to come out, I was willing to put my fears aside. The old girl started to float at midnight and we were able to get her relocated without running into anything else...what a relief!!

We are now in Hopetown. 

First sight when approaching the harbor.

Signs on the wall at Captain Jack's, Hopetown Abaco

Excellent food, great people!

I call this...dinner!

We took the dinghy across to town and had a very enjoyable afternoon. Hopetown is a lovely community with very few motorized vehicles. What a switch from Spanish Wells. The houses are beautiful and the gardens magnificent.

Of course, we had to get a photo of ex-firefighter Dan.

The highlight of our stay here would have to be the Hopetown Lighthouse. When Danny was here 30 years ago, it was operated by a gentleman named Sam McFee. Sadly, Sam has passed on, but, fortunately, the next generation has taken over and it is still operated by Sam McFee. It is one of the three lighthouses still operational in all of the Bahamas. We met Sam when we checked into the Hopetown Inn and Marina (beautiful place). He was such a sweet young man and he invited us to join him when he fired up the light. Sam does get a small stipend for tending, and they do provide a place for him to live. You can feel his passion as he explains the process of keeping it illuminated, as he has done since he was merely 6 years old. It requires 2 gallons of kerosene and winding every two hours and in the morning he must put up the curtains or a fire would ignite.  The view was phenomenal and it was such a thrill to watch the process and hear the pride in Sam's voice. We really appreciate all that he does to keep all mariners safe from harm. My photos may be a bit fuzzy...I was recovering from my grounding.

The long journey up...well worth it!

The view from the lighthouse...where's OPA!!

Beautiful Hopetown Harbor

Sam takes his responsibility very seriously. Thanks!

Job well done...again and again.

The weather here has really gotten a lot worse, so we will be staying in Hopetown for at least another two days. That's really not a bad thing,  as I could definitely have another cup of that creamy conch chowder at Captain Jack's. Next stop...Marsh Harbor and a Kentucky Fried Chicken!! It's the little things in life. 

Please keep us in your prayers. 

.

Exuma to Eleuthra

Exuma to Eleuthra

During the two weeks that we have been underway, we have had 11 weather days (can’t move), 2 motor-sails (motor and sail) and 2 days under sail (i.e. FREE!!). We traveled 148 miles at an average speed of 4.5 knots, 2.3 being our lowest, and 7.2, our max hull speed. 

Our course through the Exumas took us near the private islands of Johhny Depp, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, David Copperfield, Nicholas Cage and Tyler Perry. I guess my invitation to come ashore got lost in the mail.

While sailing with the caravan of other yachts that were waiting weather in Black Point, we were approached by the Bahamian Defense Force. They cruised next to us for a few minutes, waved and continued on. They caught up to a boat that was flying no flags. It is customary once you drop the yellow quarantine flag that you fly both a Bahamian courtesy flag and the flag of your own country. By the way, thanks Deb for sending us that flag 3 years ago!

We had a 10 hour motor-sail  to Eleuthra, an island 30 miles northeast of Exuma. I liken our crossing to riding a spirited stallion occasionally leaping obstacles; someone must remain at the reins and sometimes you just gotta hang on!! During our journey, the transmission developed a leak…yikes!!! After adding 4 quarts during the crossing, Danny was able to put a band-aid on the problem when we got anchored in Rock Sound.

It has been hard to slow down, but slow down we must! We will have to sail as much as possible and nurse this transmission back to the states. We have been able to sail for the last two days and it is absolutely breathtaking. We only travel about 20-25 miles a day. We have had numerous dolphin sightings.

The sunsets have been spectacular or maybe we just slowed down enough to enjoy them.

The cruising guide pointed us to a nice little anchorage just north of Governor’s Harbor. Sometime during the night, as always, the wind switched, and our idyllic anchorage turned into a bubbling cauldron that tossed OPA around like a pair of sneakers in a dryer. Needless to say, sleep was elusive. Danny would have pulled up anchor at 2:00 in the morning, but I was unwilling to cooperate.

Our next stop was in Spanish Wells, at the northern tip of Eleuthra. Upon approach to the harbor, this quaint community reminds me of a cross between Tarpon Springs, FL and the Florida Keys. There is a thriving seafood industry here and the community is filled with pristine house with phenomenal gardens. The people living here are descendants of the Eleuthra Adventurists who came here in 1648 seeking freedom to work and worship their God. There are three churches and they are all Methodist. The people here are very wealthy, made obvious by the number of motor vehicles on this tiny, tiny, island (one per household, still trying to figure out where they drive on an island only 2 miles wide)?

                             

Longing for a good nights sleep, we picked up a mooring (a permanent anchor) just off the main dock. After being on the boat for 6 days, we were looking forward to a night on the town. After walking the entire length of the 2 mile rock (only 1/2 mile wide), I found it quite amusing that we managed to find the only dry island in all of the Bahamas…not even a beer to be found!  The culmination of our excitement was watching to see if the streetlights actually did go off at 9:00. We were fortunate enough to attend a church fair the next day and I loaded up with homemade baked goods. YUMMY!

We are still in Spanish Wells and hoping for a break in the weather tomorrow. We are heading to Little Harbor, Abaco and around to the west end of Grand Bahama, where we will undoubtedly have to wait for another weather window to cross the gulf stream into the United States. We have been advised by other cruisers to make our landing in Lake Worth, and then proceeding to the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area. I will update as our situation permits as I’d forgotten that some of these settlements don’t have internet capabilities. We are in Hopetown, Abaco, so stay tuned for our adventures from Eleuthra, not quite so rosy. The good stuff definitely makes up for the apprehension that I sometimes feel when exploring new territories. 

Blackpoint, Exuma

Blackpoint , Exuma, Bahamas

Blackpoint is a small settlement boasting a population of approximately 350 very friendly people. One of our favorite spots on this island is the Scorpio Inn because they have great deals for happy hour and FREE tasty appetizers.It is also a great place to meet some of the other boaters, catch a Rays game, or access the internet.

We enjoyed some very tender conch and an awesome snapper filet sandwich at Lorraine’s Café while we caught up with our buddies on Silver Girl, who we met while cruising here three years ago. Robert and Diane supplied us with a plethora of  helpful information from here all the way to the Chesapeake. What a great reunion we had. One of the best parts of the cruising lifestyle is meeting old friends along the way.

Where's the street?

We took a wonderful stroll through the community and because it is Easter break, there are children here from many of the surrounding settlements. Their antics were visible all around the community, but they were all very well-behaved and polite as they are used to strangers arriving daily to invade this small picturesque town.

Making straw baskets

After being anchored here for two very calm days, we awaited for the approaching front. Many more boats poured into the harbor for a respite from the storms that were heading our way. We had loads of much needed rain which helped us replenish our water supply. It’s amazing how quickly two people can use 100 gallons of water.  

Where's OPA? That is Danny on the dock.

Georgetown, we just changed our view.

Where’s OPA?

We moved from the house in Hooper’s Bay on Good Friday and made it to Monument Beach, inside the harbor. We had several things break while waiting for weather and just like always, Danny handled them all. Since we had to readjust to the cruising lifestyle, this was really a welcome break. 

Where’s OPA?

This was taken from the monument overlooking our anchorage in Elizabeth Harbor.

This was taken from the monument overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The Bahamas is a very religious country and so on Good Friday, everything was shut down. All bars had to remain closed until 6:00p.m. Then everything was closed again for Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. I discovered that our new alternator cannot support our toaster oven…one of the reasons we are still in port. I am so glad that everything happened here in the harbor. We even put up all the sails and made sure all the rigging was properly tuned. It also gave us the opportunity to stow all the stuff that we just threw on board when we left the house. Our first night at anchor, we had a severe thunderstorm, the next night we had 20-25 knot winds. I kept asking myself…why are we doing this? But, after 4 days on board, the weather moderated and I think we finally got our sea-legs. It’s Tuesday and we’re off to see about an alternator!

Four days of relocating within the harbor cleansed the beard of sea life that was calling our anchor line home. Our mechanical issues allowed the Atlantic a few days to calm down and we had cool, gentle NE wind at about 15 knots, with the uniform of the day being sweatshirts and shorts. We departed the cut and within minutes, the water changed from turquoise to a deep purple and the depth sounder no longer registered. Just a few weeks ago, a boat about the size of ours hit a container that was jettisoned from a freighter and the boat sunk within 20 minutes.  Apparently, several of these were said to be lost and remain lurking just below the surface. Fortunately, this is a well traveled path and they were rescued in 30 minutes. That incident was the source of a little of our apprehension. We had a 50 mile sail to a magical cut that took us from 2000 feet of water to 20 feet of emerald green seas. What a return we had to cruising, as the day was perfect in every way. We are now anchored in Black Point, Exuma and have to wait for weather once again. 

What a wonderful life!

Preparing OPA for the trip North

I remember when we purchased OPA 20 years ago. It was during the zero-tolerance drug policy and the boat was owned by an elderly couple. They were boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard as a suspected drug vessel. They took them to a hotel and when they returned in the morning they found the boat completely destroyed. It was then purchased by two young men and gutted, but they quickly lost interest in the project. When we got her, she was pretty much a hull with a 48 hp Westerbeke diesel, which Danny promptly replaced with an 85 hp perkins. Danny made the trip from Miami with two of his buddies. It was a trip that none of them will ever forget. We had a goal of five years to restore her and depart. It was almost five years to the day that we started our first cruising trip. We cruised for 5 years and then returned to the states and work. We lived on board for several more years and then moved ashore. OPA had pretty much been neglected as we resumed our former lives. After our house burned down, we decided it was time to start cruising again. We left in February, 2009, and by September, we had to fly back to the states because Danny started passing blood. And the poor old  boat sat again.

When we returned Danny had to address every single system on the boat, starting starting with an overheating problem. He ended up replacing every single part in the cooling system. Next came the electrical system. We had to replace all 3 8D batteries upon our return. A lot of the wiring had corroded and had to be replaced, which took me back to my Fortune Bank days of running cable (thanks Greg, those skills did come in handy), but,  fortunately when Danny originally ran the wiring, he used plastic conduit complete with pull strings. We replaced  the 12 Volt lights in the main salon. We had to rerun the cable for the depth sounder and install a new transducer, and that is one piece of electronics that you can’t be without here, because Bahamas, translated, means shallow water. It has been said that if you haven't put  your boat on the ground, you don’t use your boat.

We had to deal with a lot of mold, because a few small leaks soon turned the inside of the boat into an incubator for microorganisms. We pulled every cushion, towel, sheet and article of clothing, brought  it ashore, drove it to the laundromat and back, and then returned by dingy it back to OPA. Every glass, container, pan and dish had to be washed again and again. 

Our refrigeration system has failed, so we will have to use an old fashioned icebox until we can sort it out in the states. It’s been a long time since I have done any cooking on board, so I will have to readjust to my tiny galley.  I have a coffee pot, microwave, toaster oven, propane stove, and bbg grill at my disposal. I am excited about the challenge of once again providing tasty meals aboard our traveling home. Although I felt bad for all those who lost their jobs, we were fortunate enough to be able to stock the boat for our return trip at 75% off when Emerald Isles (grocery store nears Sandals resort) closed their doors. That was a bonus for us and I’m so glad we were here for that windfall. We are on a fixed income and the food here is outrageously expensive. Food costs are 2 1/2 to 3 times more expensive here and I depleted my boat inventory some time ago. 

Once all the systems had been repaired and tested, we started working on the exterior. We painted the deck and applied 2 coats of Seatol to all the bright work. Then we moved below and painted every surface that could be painted or varnished. We used approximately 10 cans of acetone or mineral spirits (at $12.00 a quart) and about 30 disposable brushes and came home each day covered with dust, paint and varnish. It was well worth the effort and then we had the unenviable task of removing all that dust from every nook and cranny on the boat.

When we went for fuel, we discovered that Exuma Yacht Club is  not open for dock fuel sales on Sundays.  In 1996, when we first started cruising, it cost us $189.00 for 100 gallons, today it is $590.00. Danny calls it expensive camping.  After we fueled on Monday morning, we moved OPA back behind the house. It was to our delight that we were greeted by the dolphin Nicky and one of her pups as we came back in to Hooper's Bay. This was a blessing and a very good sign for me.  We are staged just off Conch Cay cut so that we will be ready for an early departure Thursday morning.  

Gazing at this turquoise harbor, I suddenly feel a bit  of sadness. Our boat sways gently on her anchor, as a 21 foot Sea Pearl, built in Tarpon Springs, Florida, sails by. The sun sets as the children next door (visitors from PA and MD) are out in kayaks on a harbor that is a sheet of glass. Hooper's Bay is a wonderful community with some delightful neighbors and located only 3 miles from Georgetown. We are walking distance from Smitty's grocery store, CNK liqour store, Darville's hardware store and Garden Creations (find them on Facebook), where we get the freshest produce on the island at the most reasonable prices. Our neighbors across the street at Hoopersbayvillas.com are also our neighbors in the states. They live about 20 minutes from us in Clermont, Florida. Talk about a small world!

I will definitely leave this house with a lot of wonderful memories. Thanks again to our friend, Lorraine, for giving us this most incredible opportunity. Thanks to all of you who came and shared our bit of paradise and many more thanks for all the treats that came with you. It was remarkable. I will have these moments for life. 

Georgetown, Exuma, Bahamas-Our second home

Just borrowed a friends camera to take a few shots of Georgetown before we depart. Even though I know we will be back, it is going to be very difficult to leave here. It is such a beautiful island and I am so blessed to have had this opportunity. Hope you enjoy these photos that we took today. We took the loop around Lake Victoria right in the heart of Georgetown, Exuma, Bahamas. 

OPA is anchored in this harbor which is referred to as Kidd Cove. Those of you who are familiar with the boat just may be able to locate her.  Good Luck...I have a hard time spotting her and I know where she is!

Regatta Point

Government Dock - Kidd Cove

Entering Lake Victoria from the harbor.

These photos were taken from Exuma Yacht Club's upper deck, recently acquired by Eddie Irvine, famous Indy race car drive (pictured above, pumping fuel). He has been steadily making improvements and the fuel dock (both auto and marine) are once again open for business. He has recently added a volley-ball court and  Friday nights rock at the bar/restaurant where he has awesome drink specials and the music of a featured artist (ABBA was my personal favorite!).  Thanks Eddie for bringing a whole new look and feel to Sam Gray's Marina. Good Luck and much success! You haven't seen the last of Picasso.

Eddie's Edgewater - During the second World War, this was the only establishment serving liquor to the boys from the Navy base. It is still family owned and operated. Miss our departed friends, Eddie Minnis, Victor (Rap) Brown, Andrea Brown and Kevin Brown, may they rest in peace. This is the home of  Rake and Scrape and the best conch burger in all of the Bahamas (you can write that down).

This is the ferry that carried us from Nassau to Georgetown on April 22nd of 2011. One way from Nassau overnight $75.00.

The Anglican church in the background and our reconditioned dinghy after repairing the damage from Hurricane Irene in the foreground.

Two Turtles Inn - approaching from Lake Victoria

The straw market--part of the local shopping district.

The local library staffed by volunteers and open Monday -- Saturday from 10:00am until 1:00pm. 

Hair braiding and fresh produce are also available at the straw market!

Danny and I have been coming to Georgetown since 1995 when we made our first trip to the Bahamas aboard OPA (our 41' Morgan Out Island). The people of this island have been calling us back ever since then. We have cruised here 8 of the last 17 years and returned by air for 6 more of those. We have had the honor of knowing four generations of family's from the island, but with that honor comes the pain of loosing them. Georgetown and her people will always be close to our hearts and we will continue to answer her call. We plan to return here for the summer. We like it better here in the summer when we have the full attention of all the local establishments!! We survived a direct hit from Hurricane Irene and feel that this is the safest place we can be if we have to feel the wrath of another Category 3 hurricane.