After a week back on land, perspective on the Voyage of Dark
Haired Angel is clear. I have not slept
well since arriving back in Charleston.
I miss the gentle motion of the V-berth and the coolness of the boat’s
interior. I also miss the physical regimen
of hauling anchor and sheets for the sails; as well as wrestling with the
tiller to keep Angel on course in confused seas. I especially enjoyed all of this.
Most of all, I miss being with Cathy continuously and
working toward a common goal. I am convinced;
this is the basis of successful long term relationships. We now have to set new goals, with measurable
milestones and schedules for the second half of our lives together.
I am very proud that we traveled aboard a 48 year old sailboat
for ~2,000 miles during our 10 week adventure, most at 5-6 knots often under
sail, using the motor when necessary.
The boat performed well both mechanically and under sail. The electrical problems encountered on our 1st
day out of Charleston were traced to the only wiring NOT replaced during the
refit. The AC shore power lines were not
marine grade multi strand & tinned copper wire, but instead consisted of
house, single strand wires. One of these
single strand wires had fatigued with the motion of the boat and broken, arced
and took out the circuit breaker and charging fuses. Replacing these shore power wires will take
top priority for repair. The genoa luff
(following edge of the roller furling genoa) came unstitched during the heavy
winds encountered on the way home and also needs repair at a sail loft.
Overall, this was basically a 10 week camping trip. The cabin was lit with kerosene lamps, cooking
over a 2 burner propane stove, refrigeration
only when in port, sleeping in cooler weather, in a sleeping bag. We ate well, creating new, simple dishes with
pasta or rice and cans of butter, cheese, chicken, turkey, beef and pork
brought from home; adding fresh vegetables, eggs, fruit and bread
along the way. Delicious meals shared in
exotic places are important memories for us.
We brought back two big plastic totes of canned and dry foods, which have
overfilled our pantry. Cathy & I
will reminisce over boat meals at home, well into the future.
We used less than 20 pounds of propane during the trip for
cooking & heating. I am amazed by
how little we consumed. We did not try
to conserve propane at all, lighting up the burners whenever we needed a hot
cup of tea or a little warmth to chase off the chill of winter.
The images of wildlife, star formations, rising and setting
suns (some preserved as digital images) will remain with us a long time.
There are many that I need to thank for making the trip
possible and comfortable. In no
particular order, many thanks go to:
1) John Sr., John Jr. and Marilyn Jordan, who
allowed me a leave of absence from ems and encouraged us to have a great
adventure. Their understanding, during
my father’s physical deterioration over the last two years and especially,
during his illness and passing, was beyond
compassionate.
2)John
Jr. donated two fishing rods and reels.
3)Don
Hacker donated an old tank of propane, with obsolete valve fittings that fit
the ancient heater and old propane stove.
4)Walter
Spalviero created a new suite of clothes for Angel, consisting of dodger,
bimini, sail cover and stern shade, which not only dressed up the old girl, but
also served us well to protect us during inclement weather.
5)Local
cruisers Walter, Chris, Jay and Lance from the Harborage at Ashley Marina
provided much advice, through many discussions on where to go and how to get
there and what to take, based on their experience in the Bahamas.
6)My
father, William S. Tucker, Sr. provided the spark and inspiration for
adventures over the horizon, with his stories as a 17 year old US Navy volunteer
in WWII. I am especially fond of his
trip, sponsored by the US Navy in 1944, driving Higgin’s (landing craft) boats
up the Intercoastal Waterway from the training facility in Ft. Pierce, Florida
to Norfolk, VA, preparing for the allied invasion of Japan. Thankfully, this never occurred.
7)Most
of all, I want to thank my lovely wife Cathy.
I had no doubt that she would enjoy the tropical paradises, but did not
know her response to more difficult times.
This adventure is WAY outside of her comfort level. Roughing it for Cathy was previously defined
as staying at a Super8 hotel. Giving up
home comforts…her blow drier, heated mattress pad and whirlpool bathtub for a
couple of months were a big sacrifice. In
retrospect, I can now better appreciate her trust, confidence, courage and
efforts. I again realize how much I
value her willingness to explore and experience the world with me, sometimes in
uncomfortable situations, which stretch both of us physically, mentally and
emotionally. This Bahamas voyage will be
added to Germany, Panama Canal, Bermuda, Key West, New Orleans, Banff, Tahiti, Anchorage
Curacao…non-sailing vacations. We need
to buy a bigger memory card for our video picture frames to hold all the
digital pics
It has been my hope that the readers of this blog should
share our experiences, both good and otherwise.
The great times were many, the hard times few; but we learned from
both. Cathy and I need to rebuild our
sailing kitty, make repairs to Angel, take weekend coastal sailing trips and
make plans for the future together. Our adventures
with each other out into the world continue…stay tuned.
20100127 Fenwick Island and Charleston
I intended to travel from Hilton Head Harbortown and make passage 60 miles to Jehossee Island, which on the chart is just off of the ICW and has a good anchorage. Jehossee Island was one of the first rice plantations in SC in the mid 1800’s. Jehossee was owned by William Aiken, Jr., the largest landowner and largest slaveholder in SC. After service as SC’s governor, he served representing SC in Washington, DC and traveled worldwide, until the onset of the Civil War. William Aiken and his wife, Henrietta bought and remodeled a house on Elizabeth Street in the historic Wraggsboro section in Charleston. Their home is now called the Aiken – Rhett house and is a historic home owned by the Historic Charleston Foundation and can be visited and toured. Since volunteering as a docent in the Aiken-Rhett house 10 years ago, I have always wanted to visit and tour Jehossee. Jehossee was passed down in the family and most recently was owned by the Maybank family, which donated it to the state of SC. The island is now a nature preserve with restricted access.
After leaving Hilton Head Harbortown early, I motored onward and northward on the ICW. The trip was cool, but uneventful in the strong wind even though the gusts raised to gale force. The incoming tide, wind and waves were from the south and generally helped push Angel along her way. Gradually, the speed increased from 4 knots to 7.5 knots. Progress was good all morning as clouds gave way to sunshine and a little warmth on my face. The winds and waves made this a wet ride, especially through Port Royal Sound as I passed by Paris Island, SC.
The way north, winding along the ICW through the salt marshes at ~5 knots is interesting and beautiful. Moving along slowly, following the ICW markers and occaisionally looking ahead on the chart, leaves plenty of time to observe and appreciate the nature all around. Dolphins, Pelicans, Sea gulls, Cormaran, etc. entertain. Twisted and tortured driftwood stand guard and salute Angel’s passing.
As I approached Beaufort, SC around 12:10pm, rounding the salt marsh peninsular opposite of the Beaufort waterfront, I hailed the Lady Island bridge and asked for passage during their 12:30pm opening. The bridge operator informed me that the schedule had changed, and from was closed from noon until 1pm. With no options, I circled and waited for the opening. Each minute passing delayed my arrival in Jehossee Island until later and later in the day.
During the delay, I decided to have lunch. Vienna sausages and sardines on saltine crackers. From the boat cockpit, I am restricted in my movements while underway. My lunch was prepared, but I had no utensils. Searching around, I found the perfect implement to remove Vienna sausages from the can…needle nose pliars! One by one, and neatly , I removed and enjoyed my lunch, chasing it with a cold Crystal Light. Perfect.
The 45 minute delay pushed my arrival at Jehossee Island past the end of the day… beyond sunset, forcing me to find another and closer anchorage. Five miles and one hour closer lay Fenwick Island with a large open anchorage. I arrived, surveyed my options and dropped the hook in 8 feet of water with plenty of scope, allowing for swing for the changing winds from the west and northwest. Backing down hard, I was confident that the faithful Delta with chain would hold Angel in the gale force winds as they diminished to calm overnight.
The night in the Fenwick Island anchorage was cold, began bumpy as Angel danced in the winds, but calmed by 10pm. I enjoyed a hot dinner of Spamburgers as I reviewed my last leg back to Charleston. With propane heater blazing, I crawled into bed around 8pm and soon was asleep.
I slept soundly and awoke with the top of my head chilled. The propane heater had cut off during the night and the outside temperature of 30F was now also the inside temperature. Dressing quickly in my warmest clean clothes and a new Smartwool socks, I prepared hot tea and got to my tasks to prepare to travel. At first glance outside, I thought fog had lowered over the anchorage, but then realized it was frost on the INSIDE of the portholes.
Emerging from the cabin to the cockpit, I discovered a calm anchorage. The water was a calm, not a whisper of wind disturbing the mirror. The sun had not yet risen, but the brightening sky was doubled by the reflection all around. With 45 miles to go, I was up and away before the sun peaked above the horizon. An hour later, I passed by the Jehossee Island anchorage, pledging to return.
Winding my way against tide, slowed my progress to 3.4 knots until low tide passed just before noon. The subsequent rising tide raised the speed home to 7.2 knots, making up for lost time. The incoming tide was at full flow as I passed through Elliot Cut, just 5 miles south of Charleston harbor. I arrived at the Wapoo Creek bridge just in time for the 2:30pm opening. It was then just a short hop under the James Island Connector bridge, emerging into the Ashley River anchorage just across from the City Marina.
I arrived at the Harborage at Ashley Marina, waiting at the fuel dock for the tidal current to slow. Cathy met me at the dock and we began to unload Angel, freeing her from the burden of excess canned food, clean and dirty clothes. We took three totes to the car, then with the help of friends at the marina, with Cathy on the bow, we moved Angel back to her home in slip I-6.
On the way home, we stopped at Kingstreet Grill for a burger and diet Coke. Gloriously delicious. By the time I arrived home and had a hot shower, I was ready for my first night in a bed that did not pitch, yaw or roll. With the heated mattress pad on high, Cathy and I both were dreaming of new adventures soon.
We awoke at 5am and could not go back to sleep, so we arose, made To Do lists.
1) A major cleaning trip back to Angel to prepare her for her well deserved winter’s rest.
2) Replace the leaking kitchen faucet.
3) Grocery run
4) Bank run
5) West Marine – new deck brush
It is good to be home.
Jim & Cathy
20100125 Cattle Pen
Creek and Hilton Head Harbortown
Windy and cloudy weather greeted Angel in her departure from
Jekyll Island, GA. With a falling tide
helping to push her onward, progress was good at 7.4 knots. This increased to 8.7 knots when the genoa
sail was set upon reaching the open waters of St Simons Sound. This was a wet run, with spray coming over
the bow and washing back to the cockpit.
Turning up the MacKay River to follow the ICW, the now rising tide
continues to aid in our progress. The
wind is gusting out of the cloudy skys to >25 knots. The sail was furled during narrow passages to
ensure Angel did not get blown into the reeds and shoals that line the many
cuts of the ICW.
With a good 60 miles under her keel, Angel sought refuge in
Cattle Pen Creek. This small tributary
at mile marker 625 of the ICW, provides some protection from ICW traffic, but
little protection from wind. I set the
faithful Delta anchor in 15 feet of water with 100 feet of chain, pulling back
hard in reverse to ensure it digs into the creek bed. I placed the anchor on the south edge of the
creek so the gusting southeastern winds with push Angel along the creek
axis. I also picked a site that left a
crab pot float about 100 feet behind Angel.
Throughout the night, as I woke every hour or so, I shined a spotlight
on the float and both creek banks to make sure Angel was safely positioned.
At 7am, with the sun not yet peaking over the horizon, I
prepared to leave. A hot pot of tea
prepared me to hoist anchor, exit the creek and motor onward. I progressed every northward, soon entering
St Catherines Sound. I again set the
genoa sail and achieved > 8 knots in the open water. A particularly strong gust of wind pulled at
the sail during the end of this sail.
This gust freed the hem on the luff of the sail. Soon it expanded from 6 inches to 6
feet. I re-rolled the sail to prevent
further damage and will have to have it re-stitched after reaching
Charleston.
Onward under motor alone, my pace slowed to 5-6 knots. I reached Calibogue Sound, just past Dafuskie
Island, on the west side of Hilton Head Island.
Turning to starboard, I headed toward the familiar channel markers
around the entrance to Harbortown, the first stop on our journey 10 weeks
ago. As I entered the channel, the 4
foot waves smoothed to ripples, but the wind was only diminished
marginally. Harbortown Yacht Basin
answered the hail on the VHF radio immediately and asked that I head to the
inner harbor, slip 6. Meeting me there
were two dock hands that made quick work to secure Angel to the dock
cleats. This was a great choice for a
slip, since the prevailing wind blew Angel away from the finger dock, making
for a restful night.
After I connected to electrical service, opened the sea cock
for the heater, and set the thermostat to 75F, I headed to the showers with
clean clothes and cash for dinner at the Crazy Crab. Clean and hungry, I chose a seat at the end
of the deserted bar. In addition to a
delicious seafood platter, a second sailor chose a seat two placed down the
bar. I learned that he was a delivery
captain, taking a 40 footer from Wilmington, NC to Stuart, FL. I shared my experiences coming up the ICW,
with favored anchorages and marinas. He
reciprocated with his favorites northbound.
After a couple of beers, he told of his “real job” as captain of the
Downeast Rover, a gaff rigged sailboat in Manteo, NC. (see downeastrover.com) This seasonal position, March-October, allows
him to travel and do deliveries in the winter months.
My quick dinner plans evolved into a two hour leisurely meal
with lots of great discussion. Overall,
a great end to a hard day.
At 6am, I awoke, prepared hot tea, dressed in my warm foul
weather gear and got to work. I filled
the fuel tank from the 4 X 5 gallon jerry cans.
Organized all lines and disconnected electrical service. At 7:30am, I flagged down the dock hands upon
arrival and they were happy to help with dock lines, as a strong wind was still
blowing from the south. Angel backed
into the marina channel, then shifted into forward gear, turned a circle before
exiting to the ICW.
20100123 Fernandina Beach, FL and Jekyll Island, GA
After the storms experienced in St. Augustine, FL, I anticipated smooth sailing northward on Friday. I found that a ziplock bag of animal crackers that was under the dodger, was taken by the storm winds. The bag had disappeared, but the animal crackers were spread everywhere! When I moved a cushion or turned off the propane or moved the hatch cover, a horse, elephant, rhino or giraffe was found melting into mush. I am still finding animals in the nooks and crannies around the cockpit. On Friday morning, I left Camachee Cove Yacht Basin with no wind, making departure from the slip and into the ICW simple just after 7:30am. A following wind from the southwest built throughout the morning allowing motor sailing with speeds up to 7.8 knots. The sun came out allowing me to shed the foul weather gear. Overall, it began as a beautiful day.
At 1pm, things changed dramatically. The wind clocked around to the northwest and north, maintaining a wind speed of 10+ knots. A HEAVY fog settled in as well, often obscuring the ICW channel, mandating following the electronic path on the gps, until the channel markers appeared out of the mist 100 feet ahead. I expected the wind to fall off, but it did not. Angel’s speed dropped from 7.8 to less than 4 knots. Progress slowed.
I only met 2 southbound vessels. One was a 40 foot sailboat, the other a 42 foot cabin cruiser. Both were proceeding slowly due to limited visibility. From 1pm until I arrived in Fernandina Beach, FL after 5:30pm, the passage was slow and exhausting with limited visibility. I just missed the Fernandina Beach Marina the dock master, so I took a mooring buoy across from the marina. I tied Angel with double bow lines, since the currents are reported to be severe in the anchorage. For dinner, I prepared a delicious chicken and rice dish. I took the liquid from a can of chicken chunks + the liquid from a can of diced tomatoes (garlic and onion flavor, added water to make the proper ratio and cooked the rice until tender. I then added the chicken and tomatoes to the cooked rice and heated these thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste…really hit the spot.
With the temperature dropping, I attended to the propane heater, which has been shutting off overnight. I found the propane regulator needed adjustment to maintain a higher pressure. With the propane heater on high, I climbed into a sleeping bag and was soon asleep…until…
I was awakened around 2am by a rap, rap, rapping, gently tapping on the starboard side. I looked out the portholes, but saw no vessels. I lay down again. And again, rap, rap rapping, gentle tapping was heard. I climbed out of the nice warm sleeping bag and dressed. Going on-deck, I looked over the starboard side to find that the wind and current were fighting each other for domination on the direction that Angel should lie at the mooring. At this moment, the wind had pushed the stern to the west, but the current kept the bow east of the mooring ball, which was tapping against the side of the boat, just at the v-berth, where I was sleeping. I took the lines and pulled the mooring ball around the bow to the port side. I climbed back into bed.
Again ½ hour later, the tapping resumed, this times on the port side. I rose, dressed and adjusted the tiller from straight to hard starboard, swinging the stern to port and eliminating the problem. Next morning just after sunrise, I went started the engine, then went forward to cast off the mooring. I found that the mooring lines had twisted around the mooring ball overnight, making it impossible for me to access one of the two knots holding us. With no other option, I reached over the side and had to cut the line to free Angel. I anticipated a short day to go from Fernandina Beach, FL to Jekyll Island, FL; only 32 miles. At 6 knots, a hot lunch was in the offering.
I did not have my hot lunch. Soon after leaving Fernandina Beach, I entered Cumberland Sound to find 4-6 foot waves entering from the ocean, with an incoming tide. Angel’s speed slowed to 2-3 knots. Heading ever northward, getting behind Cumberland Island, offered some protection from the waves, but not the wind. 20 knots right on Angel’s nose keep speeds to 3.5 knots.
Things worsened after passing Cumberland Island and entering Jekyll Sound. The now outgoing tide and 6-8 foot waves made the passage miserable with the up and down motion of a bucking bronco, waves and spray often washing over the bow back to the cockpit. A whole roll of toilet paper unrolled onto the floor of the head due to the motion. Jekyll Sound is ~2 miles across. It took me over 2 hours to find some refuge behind Jekyll Island. My noon arrival at Jekyll Island Marina was pushed back to after 3pm. After securing fuel and a slip for the evening, I took clean clothes up the showers and stood under the hot water in the showers until it ran cold. At least I can feel my toes again.
I am planning a great dinner at the restaurant, my first cheeseburger and fries in a couple of months. Right now, I have the boat heater set to 75F and am drying clothes and foul weather gear. I soon will listen to the weather report and decide to go or stay another day in Jekyll Island.
Jim
Cathy is representing us at her parents 60th
anniversary, so on Sunday, 20100117, we rented a car and she drove back to Mt.
Pleasant. Her highlights were getting
back to her own bathtub, bed and seeing her beautician on Monday. Wednesday, she flew up to the frozen
northlands (near Columbus, OH) to spend the rest of the week with her
family. Also a highlight for Cathy.
I stayed with Angel in Ft. Pierce, took a final hot shower
on Sunday evening, cooked a big pot of chili, and prepared to leave early
Monday morning. Using a long spring line
to a mooring pole behind Angel in her slip, I backed out slowly and when the
nose cleared the slip, the spring line tightened and swung the stern to port,
placing Angel in the narrow channel between docks. Moving the transmission to forward, and quickly
retrieving the spring line, we were off for a day of motoring northbound.
Ft. Pierce is at the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) at mile marker
966. Charleston is ICW mm 466. I have 500 miles to travel at 5 knots. This will take 8-9 days, weather permitting. On Monday, 20100118, I traveled past
Melborne, FL, anchoring in the lee of the approach to an automotive bridge at
ICW mm 910. Again, the Delta anchor and
chain provided a good hold and great night’s sleep. Starting early with an outside and inside
temperature on 44F on Tuesday 20100119, we continued northbound. Up the Indian River and Mosquito Coast, to
New Smyrna Beach @ mm 845. I found an
anchorage among some mooring balls, south of the city. The 65
miles progress is gratifying, but the weather forecast is deteriorating.
To pass the time, I counted dolphin as I passed them in the ICW. These totaled 89 during the 65 miles. In addition, there we hundreds of pelicans
and thousands of other sea birds to entertain me during my passage. The weather warmed to 67 F, allowing me to
shed the foul weather gear, back to shirt sleeves. I slept well in the anchorage…too well.
I overslept, the warmth of the sleeping bag kept me
comfortable until 7:30. Hauling the
anchor at 7:45am, I traveled north through New Smyrna Beach harbor meeting no
other water traffic, making the 7:20 opening of the George Musson Bridge, with
just a 5 minute wait. My next challenge
was late in the day. After hustling all
day to make bridges and keep my speed up, I reached Matanzas Inlet and
Rattlesnake shoals at low tide, around 4:40pm.
This is where Angel ran hard aground during the southbound journey. This time, using the local knowledge gained
from Tow Boat US last in November, keeping Angel close to the west/red markers
and slowing my speed for the 1.5 miles around the shoaling at the inlet. IT WORKED!
I continued on, pushing to find an anchorage before sunset at
6:11pm.
I reached Butler Beach and rounded the marker, slowing speed
to ease into the branch. Since it was
now just after low tide, the sandbar here is a real hazard. I dropped anchor at 5:50pm and prepared
dinner, then going to bed early. I was
awakened at 2am by an unusual bump.
Jumping up and out into the cockpit.
I noted that my anchor was still where I set it, however, Angel had
swung around on the tide and wind and was now hard aground on the sand
bar. As the morning darkness progressed,
Angel heeled over on the falling tide.
At daybreak, she was laying on her starboard side with the rail in the water. I was walking on the starboard wall to get
around. She ended up heeled over at 45
degrees!
At 8:00am, I called Tow Boat US, requesting a tow for
11:00am at high tide. As the tide came
in, Angel righted herself and was just barely aground when Captain James
arrived. A quick pull with his tow rope
pulled Angel to deep water. He warned of
impending severe weather in St Augustine, just 5 miles north. I decided NOT to challenge mother nature, and
after navigating the St. Augustine harbor, it’s tricky currents and
construction barges, I pulled into the Camanchee Cove Yacht Basin and got a
face dock slip at 2pm. At 2:30pm, a hail
storm hit, followed by a severe thunderstorm with torrents of rain and winds
that I learned later were gusting to 60 mph.
A 30 foot cedar tree on the grounds was split and uprooted by the
storm. I was safely docked and
cleaning up Angel, including discarding the rest of the chili. It seems that at room temperature, a froth
developed and LOTS of new flavors, seldom experienced in chili. Over the side it went. During a lull, I went up and got a shower,
then stopped by the Kingfish Grill for a late lunch.
20100116 Back in the US…Back in the US…Back in the USA
The passage from Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island to Ft. Pierce mirrored our other overnight passages during our adventure. Up early, we bathed, ate and at 8am, I walked up to the dock office at the Grand Bahama Yacht Harbour to settle our bill. The day was beautiful, with high scattered clouds above bright sunlit skies. Casting off, we backed slowly out of our slip and headed across the waterway to Port Lucaya Yacht Club, since GBYH still did not have fuel. We were the first customer at Port Lucaya, where the high flow gas pumps develop vapor lock overnight. The fuel flows, but slowly. This is preferred by Angel, since the tortuous path from the fuel fill opening through the tank is easily overwhelmed by high flows. We enjoyed the morning, while the 20 gallons needed for Angel slowly and without attention, filled her tank.
Fully fueled, secured and ready for sea, we motored out of the Bell Channel around 9am, turning starboard at the buoy, paralleling the beach, headed west. Passing Freeport Harbor, we had to swing wide to avoid shipping traffic, but mused at the activity of the pilot boat and two tugs that emerged from the harbor entrance to help the freighter ESC Adrian to the docks. At Xanadu, the south western corner of Grand Bahama Island, we turned northwest, slanting every westward toward the gulf stream, heading toward home. After 5 hours we passed West End, Grand Bahama Island. The water became every more blue. All this time the winds were fair, pushing us on a broad reach, then beam reach to a healthy speed of 5.7 knots. After another 2 hours, I spied the sail of an oncoming vessel emerging over the horizon in front of us. This sailboat passed to our starboard and I hailed her. The good ship “Scarlett” was only 7 hours out of West Palm Beach. Later we heard her hail the Old Bahama Marina in West End, arriving around 3pm. After some quick calculations, we found that Scarlett had made the 82 nautical mile transit in just 8 hours, averaging over 10 knots for the entire trip! We are SOOOOOO… envious. In doubling our speed, she arrived with crew relatively rested and could easily complete her passages in smaller weather windows. Cathy and I discussed at length the advantages of fast cruisers for hours.
At dusk the winds clocked around to the east, pushing us onward; however, they shifted before 9pm, hitting us on our nose, and the sails had to be stored. We motored onward toward the gulf stream and I noticed that the ocean swell was from the east-south-east helping us as well. With practice, I could control the angle of attack of the wave on our stern and Angel surfed down the face of the wave gaining speed. It was common for us to accelerate form 5 to 8.5 knots during the downhill slide. Through the night, I tried to maintain course, but traveling in a direction, even a few degrees in contrast to the increasing swell would dramatically swing the stern one way or the other off course. I then had to fight with the tiller to move us back on course before the next wave set a few seconds later. Since the waves were 6-8 feet in size, this swing was accompanied by stomach churning lifting and then drop with the radical sideways movement. It reminded me of riding a Tilt-O-Whirl at the fair. Cathy went below to secure herself and check that our stuff was tied down. At the apex of the fair ride, in the gulf stream at mid-night, we reached a speed of 10.9 knots. This shortened our trip, but only at a cost of energy and mental focus. It only took a few seconds of inattention to start the ride anew. One wave caught us and after passing, had taken the 35 foot, 12,000 pound sailboat and spun her 180 degrees, so briefly, we were headed back to the Bahamas.
Of special note were the flying fish in the Atlantic Ocean. Before dusk, they launched themselves from the wave tops, cruising on fragile fin-wings for 30 yards or more, before reentering the water with hardly a splash. After dark, moonbeams and navigation lights revealed brief glimpses of silvery glints as the fish took flight. One wayward flyer, around 1am, launched himself skyward and as I sat in the cockpit, steering Angel, the fish hit me in the forehead! An inch lower and my eye would have been at risk. Both he and I fell stunned to the floor of the cockpit. I survived. He was transported to the US laying on top of the port side scupper.
Onward we traveled and it became evident to me, we would arrive early, beating our 6am arrival in Ft. Pierce, FL. At 2:45am, I called Cathy to join me in the cockpit to help decipher the navigation lights of the Ft. Pierce Channel. Together, Cathy with flashlight, binoculars and chart, with me at the tiller, we motored onward, leaving the swell in the ocean as we moved into the channel, finding the intercoastal waterway, where we had passed by 6 weeks ago. We cruised by the marina, where we planned to stay, hoping to tie up at the fuel dock for a few hours, but the channel was unlighted, so we reversed course, finding a good anchorage at 5am in 10 feet of water just off the ICW, ½ mile away. I slept in the cockpit in my foul weather gear on anchor watch. Cathy dozed below.
At 7am, we rose, ate and had hot tea to boost our energy level and spirits. We called the marina and were invited to come on in for fuel and a slip. With 20 gallons of gas on-board and secured in our slip, we spent the day showering, resting, capped off with a dinner out in Ft. Pierce. Both Cathy and I are exhausted. I am sore and stiff, but after 24 hours, the leg and hand cramps from the all night tug-of-war with the tiller, are diminishing.
Today, we will rent a car for Cathy to drive back to Charleston. Her parents are celebrating their 60 year anniversary next week and she will attend. I will take Angel back to Charleston via the ICW over the next week or so.
Cathy and Jim
In preparation to make the long passage across the gulf
stream back into US waters, I checked my voice mail for the first time in 8
weeks. Not too bad. I was especially excited about birthday
wishes from Steven Lowenstein & Johanna Orndorff of Cincinnati, OH. In addition to the happy birthday message
from these good friends, they informed me that my ex-wife’s (Barbara A. Cain,
DDS) current husband, Kevin O’Brien is in the news in Cincinnati. A quick Google search revealed a series of
news articles and websites.
It is well known that my ex-wife and I have an acrimonious
divorce. Kevin was an apparently successful,
stock broker until summer 2008, when he left his employer to start a “Wealth
Management” consulting company. I
thought it was unusual at the time, but to each his own. From the news stories, it appears that Kevin
has been accused of misappropriation of client’s funds and has permanently
relinquished his stock broker’s license.
Last November, he ran and was elected as an Andersen Township Trustee,
with no mention of the alleged impropriety.
Now, the details have become VERY public and there appears to be a vocal
movement to “encourage” Kevin to resign.
For more information see http://www.obrienmustresign.com/
I have been thinking about Kevin & Barb, since I got the
Google results. It is very disturbing to
me. I suspect that the change in income
since 2008 is dramatic, resulting in the sale of their RV (motor home), classic
refurbished Mustang, and classic refurbished 450 SL Mercedes. Even their new home, built just a couple of
years ago, still does not have floor coverings in any but the master
bedroom. Now the publicity and fight to
retain the Township Trustee post has turned into a legal fight. I cannot imagine the conversations around the
dinner table.
We all make our own decisions and create situations that
affect us individually and those around us.
This is a situation to learn from.
I will have lots of time to think
about this during our passage home tomorrow.
The weather forecast remains favorable for our passage
tomorrow. Cathy and I went out for a
final meal, again enjoying Greek food.
We have been discussing our triumphs and inconveniences experienced
during the past couple of months.
Angel is much more functional and livable now than two
months ago. Stored supplies, clothing
and equipment is conveniently accessible.
Deck leaks, experienced during ocean passages from penetration of the
chain plates to strong attachment points on the hull. The shrouds (wires) that hold up the mast are
attached to these. All chain plates
leak. Ours leak most in ocean spray when
the mast sways and flexes the attachment points. The moisture that comes on board goes through
hanging lockers finds it way downward and stains the teak floor. This is a minor inconvenience. We open the locker doors in port and ventilate
and (to date) have avoided mildew. All
of our clothes stay safe and dry in plastic “Space” bags.
Cathy has re-re-reorganized our kitchen and food. Cathy inventoried all the food, separated
out the duplicates, then kept some of everything in convenient cupboards, which
were placed in deep storage under the V-berth.
She moved our canned butter and cheese from kitchen storage next to the engine,
where these melt due the engine heat. Meals
are easily planned, prepared and cleaned up.
Our tanks easily store and provide 3 weeks of water for our use.
The rebuilt engine has performed beyond expectations. It sips fuel at a rate of ~1 gallon per hour
at 1800 rpm. The 25 gallon tank allows
easily for overnight passages. The
spin-on fuel filter is replaced after each ocean passage, when ocean swells
agitate the fuel in the ancient tank, stirring up sediment which is taken up
into the fuel stream. The good news is
that the sediment is being removed and the filters are inexpensive
insurance. Other systems installed over
the last 3 years, have also worked well.
The new sails, HVAC, icebox refrigeration conversion, conversion of the
alcohol stove to propane, bilge pumps (2), sea water pump for rinsing dirty
dishes, wind generator and 2nd battery bank have served us well.
Some things on Angel will be changed. We will upgrade our 110 V electrical wiring
(original) to marine grade wire and connectors.
We have plans to simplify clothing, tools and food. We carry at least twice as much as we need. I will change our rail storage system to
allow more convenient fender board access to protect the rub rails at fixed
dock slips. (In Staniel Cay, when the
fender slipped away, a dock piling “grabbed” the teak rub rail, removing an 18”
section in an event that sounded like a shotgun blast.) I am a
rope nut and have saved every scrap of somewhere in a locker. These will be retired to some good boy scout
troop for knot practice. Angel’s lines
will be uniform and standardized for quick access. Cathy had a hard time getting onto fixed
docks at low tide. In some instances,
the dock was literally above her head as she stood on the deck of the boat. She valiantly stood on shaky life jacket bags
and propane tanks to get ashore. We have
a policy of “No Swimming at the Dock”, which has not been violated.
Well, tomorrow morning, we will fill Angel with fuel and
head out through the Bell Channel, out of Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island and make
the turn to starboard headed back to the US.
This will be a 15-24 hour passage, depending on wind and weather. We look forward to being home, but dread the
all-nighter to get just to Ft. Pierce, Florida, 104 nautical miles away. Hopefully, fair winds and minimum swell will
help us on our journey.
20100110 Perspective – These are the best of times…
Since departing Charleston harbor on November 17th, active times have been plentiful, quiet times abundant. Many activities have been new experiences to remember and share. In contrast, the quiet periods are very personal times of reflection and thought. I cherish the former; however, the later will affect me more, longer and deeper. Cathy and I have challenged ourselves physically, emotionally and mentally during our trip. We have laughed much, slept allot when bored, eaten new foods and gotten nervous over anchoring, docking and overnight passages.
Physically, both Cathy and I have lost weight. In Nassau, on a cool evening, we showered and prepared to go to dinner. For the first time in over a month, I put on my jeans, then reached up on a shelf to get my belt. , While extended, my jeans fell to my knees…and they were buttoned! I have used up the extra holes on my belt and punched two more. I feel better at my lower weight and hope I can build on my (inadvertent) success. Cathy has also slimmed down noticeably.
After starting our journey, we accepted many things, including but not limited to: few showers, camp stove meals, uncomfortable passages and weather requiring foul weather gear. We also marveled in magnificent sunrises and sunsets, calm seas with warm following winds, enjoyed simple foods in exotic locations and most importantly, new cruising friends in every port or anchorage with great stories and advice. All in all, the scales of fun, laughter and heart-felt emotions hang vastly overloaded with positive experiences.
The people that we have met have come from all walks of life and experience. Most interesting are those retirees, who have been coming to the Bahamas for 10+ years. One very distinguished 75 year old lady we met in a marina laundry told us very matter-of-factly of entering a Bahamian anchorage at 2am, “since we had been there so many times and we had a full moon”. Cathy and I were speechless and would never have attempted their feat. Other cruisers are like us, new to the art and science. We laugh and share nervous moments over rum drinks in marina bars and on beautiful beaches. Most are in the middle, with a few cruises under their belt, searching for better anchorages and experiences, tweaking their floating homes for comfort, NOT speed. Discussions are endless over anchors, heads, boat types, repairs, draughts, sails, boat food and drinks.
Most cruisers seek good weather windows, quiet & protected anchorages, simple meals, easy repairs and good company in exotic locations. Pushed by the winds and drawn by word-of-mouth descriptions of idyllic anchorages and powder sand beaches, they pursue an unachievable mental image of the perfect island anchorage. They revel in the chase and sing the praises of locations, not quite perfect, but imperfect only in some small detail. This sends them on their way again. We have been exposed to the cruiser lifestyle and community. It remains to be seen if we are infected or will be immunized to further sailing adventures. Until that decision is made:
1) Angel needs a more limited selection and better storage for tools.
2) Angel needs less food on board.
3) Angel needs new wiring for AC circuits
4) Angel needs a single side band radio to receive weather faxes & reports
5) Angel needs better organization for fishing gear and snorkel gear
6) etc.
We continue to wait for any winds except NORTH to allow the Gulf Stream to settle down and provide a window for us to do our last overnight passage, the 100 miles from Lucaya back to the good old USA. Then, we only have the 500 miles up the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) to Charleston Harbor.
Cathy and Jim
20100109 Back in Lucaya Again – Tough Transit from Nassau
The weather forecast predicted calm winds and flat seas for our departure, and even with an overnight passage, good weather all the way to Grand Bahama Island, 111 miles away. The nasty weather front should be arriving in Grand Bahama on late Saturday night or Sunday morning. On Friday morning, we cast off early from Nassau Harbour Club, leaving the dock before 7am. With calm winds and seas, we were encouraged at the clear sunrise as we made our way past the sandbar guarding the marinas east of Potter’s Cay, under the two bridges connecting Nassau and Paradise Island, and toward the cruise ship terminal. To our surprise, no cruise ships were in their berths. The giant dredge, which guarded the west side of the entrance to the harbor, now had moved to the east side of the channel and several small boats were delivering workers to continue their work. We met 3 sailboats entering the channel as we departed, wishing them a great visit and safe travels. They responded that seas were calm, winds light and southeasterly.
We tried to hail Nassau Harbor Control to request permission to leave, but received no response, so we proceeded around the dredge and out into the Northeast Providence Channel, northwest toward the Berry Islands. In reaching open water, a following wind developed and helped push our speed up to almost 6 knots as we motor- sailed onward. We have to be aggressive to make the passage as quickly as possible. The day went well, cloudless & sunny. Cat and I discussed the trip, things we were proud to have accomplished, and things we would change. We had a long list of the former and few of the latter. I am sure this is the first of many “post-mortem” discussions of our adventure.
As we neared the Berry Islands, the chop increased and winds died. Two cruise ships, from Norweigen Cruise Lines (NCL) and Celebrity Cruise Lines were anchored at Little Stirrup Cay in the north Berry Islands. These uninhabited islands are used as private islands for tourists on the way to Nassau. A day at the beach is easy from anchor for these ships. They ferry their passengers the short distance from deep water anchorages to beautiful, deserted beaches. Passing Little Stirrup close to our port side, we emerged out into the Northwest Providence Channel and immediately received the “benefits” of both wind and swell on our nose, coming from the northwest. Unable to sail, we motored onward at 4.3 knots.
Our ETA into Lucaya, which all day had been projected to 3am, now slowly progressed to 4:30am. When we programmed in our next port of call, West End Grand Bahama Island (25 miles east of Lucaya) the ETA changed to 1pm Saturday. We were tired and the weather was degrading, so we slugged on to Lucaya. We HATE weathermen and the people who love them. The bad stuff came in a day early. To make the passage “complete” it started to rain around 3am. We arrived at 4:30am, but were uncomfortable to enter the Bell Channel in darkness. Cathy, who steered valiantly both in daylight and after dark, took control to “pace” up and down parallel to the shore for 1.5 hours, while I rested and we waited for sunrise. At 6am, at idle speed, I set the course to the buoy at Bell channel. On approach, the buoy and channel markers came into view, sometimes obscured by the now driving rain.
The GPS gave us a safe passage and we slowly motored into Lucaya Harbor, taking the right to the Grand Bahama Yacht Harbor and swinging around to the fuel dock. I had to hold my breath as we entered as the charts showed shoaling to a minimum depth of 6 feet in areas. We were entering and as I glanced back could see sand being kicked up by the keel and propeller as we passed. The dock master met us at the fuel dock, announcing that they were OUT of both gas and diesel, but he would help us into a slip. Returning from the office nearby, he gave us slip C414, gave us directions to that slip, then took off to meet us there. We docked with no problems, then connected shore power and tried the satellite TV connection…with success. Cathy and I were both exhausted from our 25 hour non-stop, rolling passage finishing in the cold rain. She did not want to sleep, preferring to mentally vegetate in front of the tube, watching Law and Order and NFL Football. After registering with the dock master in the office, I hit the sack for a 4 hour power nap.
When Cat woke me at 2pm, I secured the slapping halyards and added stern spring lines to make us more stable in the slip during the upcoming storm. After lunch, we continued to rest, absorbing re-runs until football began. I plan a complete afternoon of weather analysis on the internet…can the wind blow from the north forever? We started our journey home 2 weeks ago today. We are STILL in the Bahamas!
Cathy and Jim
20100106 Weather Changing – Moving North to Grand Bahama Tomorrow
Well, Cathy and I have hunkered down over the last few days. North Winds continue to roll and yaw Angel in her slip at the Nassau Harbor Club. Additional dock lines and spring lines attached the second night after we arrived have been sharing the load as we bob and weave. It is not uncomfortable, but noticeable, especially just after we rise in the morning, when we are enjoying coffee and tea with breakfast.
Cathy has been reading and just finished her 4th book. I continue to work through my boat maintenance list. Our typical day schedule in Nassau consists of rising around 7am, heating water for tea and coffee, while the computer boots to check the weather forecast. We check the official Bahamian Department of Meteorology site (often not updated or offline), NOAA (3 sites), Weather Underground (Wunderground), Ocean Weather, Inc. and Sailflow.com. I compile the results and resolve conflicts, then decide on if it is a good day to proceed. It looks now that a window will open tomorrow, that will allow us to get to West End, Grand Bahama Island, 110 miles north from Nassau. We will then reassess our weather options.
After playing weatherman, Cathy settles into the setee with a book, and I begin to tinker with electrical systems, ropes, bilge items, tools, lazarette storage, etc. I am now focused on making a list of improvements for Angel, after we get back to Charleston. I want to repair the rub rail in a couple of places, add a shortwave radio, install new wiring for the AC electrical system (from inlet plug, through the circuit breakers, and on to AC outlets/appliances), and design new rope storage for spring/dock lines. In addition, I need a better seat on the edge of the cockpit, which will allow me to sit for long periods comfortably steering Angel, with my head and shoulders outside the bimini in the wind & sun. My current system of fenders topped with a type IV throwable cushion is OK, but can be improved.
When both Cathy and I need a break, we gather clean clothes, toilet articles and towels and take the short walk to the showers. Nassau Harbor Club has fairly good showers, at least with warm water and good flow. Late morning is the time to go to avoid the morning rush and noon cleaning. Feeling human again, we store our belongings, spread our towels on the cockpit lifelines and head out for some adventure. Whether we take a cab into Nassau for shopping, go across the street for groceries, walk up Bay Street to poke around in the marine stores or take a cab over to Paradise Island to watch football in the sports book, we wander around and find an interesting restaurant for lunch. We try to avoid Burger King, Subway and KFC in favor of local Bahamian establishments. We have been often VERY pleased with the results. A local bakery offered 4 tables with freshly prepared Caesar salads. Greek restaurants are prolific and also have great food, well prepared. Last night we went to the Double Dragon, Chinese Restaurant. Here we got good food and poor service due to island time.
Cathy will use our last token to wash a final load of clothes today. I will check and recheck the weather and secure all for the trip tomorrow.
Cathy is starting a new book. I will continue to work on my novel.
All is well.
Take Care,
Cathy and Jim
20100102 Winds and Waves Keep Angel in Nassau
Well the weather outside is…OK, just blowing from the direction we want to travel AND this is kicking up some major waves. We planned on leaving today, but the wave height is 11-15 feet. We have no plans to challenge the ocean. We will wait for better weather.
I considered my project list and decided to work on my Jordan Drogues. In bad weather in the ocean, yachts use drogues (parachutes) to control their movement in the waves. A 15-20 foot diameter parachute align ships so waves pass under them bow to stern, reducing the probability of the ship turning broadside to the waves, where it could roll. These parachutes also slow the movement of the ship as the waves pass, prohibiting the ship from surfing down steep waves, slamming into the troughs.
WHAT IS THE JORDAN SERIES DROGUE? The Jordan Series Drogue is a safety device designed to prevent the capsize and damage of both monohull and multihull sailing yachts and other vessels operating in the open ocean, in the event of a "worst case" breaking wave strike, as well as improving the motion of the boat in storm waves and to reduce drift.
The Jordan Series Drogue has been at sea for over 15 years. At least 1000 are in use all over the world. The drogue has been deployed through many storms including several hurricanes. No boat has ever been damaged and no crew injured. A typical comment from the skipper is " I did not feel threatened.".
The series drogue has been developed by Don Jordan using modern engineering technology, including model tests in wave channels, computational dynamic analysis, and full scale testing by the U.S. Coast Guard at their motor life boat testing facility where boats are subjected to breaking waves formed on the Columbia river bar.
The drogue consists of a number of small cones (droguettes) woven into a tapered line with a small weight at the end. The maximum design load and the number of cones is determined by the displacement of the boat.
I purchased 124 “droguettes” from a company, and am attaching them to a non-rotational rope to form the Jordan Series Drogues. I am creating two ~80 foot lines containing 62 “droguettes” each. I started making these before we left, but have not had the time/interest to finish. Now I have time. Each droguette requires 12 knots to attach to the heavy (non-rotational) braided line. In addition, the heavy 12 strand line requires an eye splice on each end around a stainless steel thimble to prevent abrasion. Each eye splice takes an hour alone. My fingers are numb from the rough ropes, but the first Jordan Drogue is finished, packed into a duffel bag and stored in the chain locker. I will work on the other one while we wait for good weather to proceed home.
20100103 Winds Still Strong, Temperature Cooling – Still in Nassau
Cathy and I wait for winds and waves that will not be on our nose, when we depart Nassau for Little Stirrup Cay and West End, Grand Bahama Island, as we proceed north and west towards Charleston. Today, we spent the morning helping new cruising friends sharing our experiences with anchorages and recommendations for stopovers in the Exumas, then with dock lines as they prepared to depart. As they left, one by one, we retreated to Angel and worked on projects until noon.
I pulled all 250 feet of chain from the anchor locker and piled it on the bow. I then suspended one of our life jacket bags in the ceiling of the anchor locker to get it out of the way. A simple diamond hitch system use padeyes already in the locker to attach the lightweight bag, but still keeping it accessible. I placed the first Jordan Series Drogue in the back of the locker to keep it accessible, but stored; hoping we will not have to use it.
I have started on the second Jordan Series Drogue, but dread that the finger numbness will not be permanent.
At noon, we dressed up a little, (kakhi shorts & collared shirts instead of nylon shorts & t-shirts), caught a taxi and went over to Atlantis on Paradise Island to the Sports Book in the casino to watch NFL games. Cathy got her football fix, and we had drinks and dinner there. We generally try the conch fritters as an appetizer with drinks. These were the best we have had. Imagine a hush puppy, with chunks of conch inside. Delicious.
20100104 Happy Birthday to Me … in Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Well, I am 56 today. A day to reflect, celebrate and treat us both to a GREAT dinner. Motivated to achieve something today, I got up early and got to work on the second Jordan drogue. The first eye splice is complete only 64 more droguettes, now 47 more, 35 more … complete! This is a great birthday present to myself. As I place the duffel containing the 2nd Jordan drogue on top of the 1st in the anchor locker, Angel is ever more prepared for sailing.
I once read that ships are in the best order and repair at the end of their cruisers. I believe this. With each pause to wait for weather, Cat and I both see improvements to our small floating home. We see better ways to store, maintain, preserve or better our environment. While some improvements will need to wait for better tools and resources in the US, many changes have been made. We now have room to move electrical cords and water hoses from deck storage to the stern lazarette. Moving to and from the bow from the cockpit is much easier.
Cathy and I went back to the West Bay Street, around the famous Nassau Straw Market. We caught a cab and got dropped off on Charlotte Street, a couple of blocks from the market. We wandered just a few steps, when Cat found some distinctive fresh water pearls in a necklace, with interchangeable “babbles” to complete the strand. We looked at ALL the babbles in the store, deciding on a black and white onyx piece that really complemented the white pearls. This is Cat’s souvenir, birthday and Christmas present. She wore it out of the store and still has it on. I also like it a lot.
Our biggest decision now is to plan where to have dinner…
Cathy and Jim
20100101 Happy New Year from Nassau, New Providence Island,
Bahamas
The last few days have been great. They have not gone according to plan or
schedule, but they have been wonderful.
We departed Highborne Cay on 20091229, with expectations of a slow but
OK trip back to Nassau. After making our
way out of the marina and going through the Highborne Cay Cut in the reef to
deep water, we made good progress for a couple of miles, then when we turned
northwest toward Nassau, the washing machine action of a northwestern swell and
north wind started. We recognized that
the wind was growing stronger, so it did not take long for us to consider other
options. Our first and best option was
to head due north a couple of miles back to Allen Cay, where we first entered
the Exumas several weeks ago. We know
the narrow entrance and the shoals in the anchorage, so this was an easy
choice. Tacking over onto a northerly
course, we headed to the Allen Cay group and as we approached, started seeing
other sailboat masts sticking up over the cays, indicating others with our same
idea.
We arrived in Allen Cay without incident, finding 10 other
sailboats already hunkered down. Instead
of going for the shallow anchorage previously, we motored up the deeper channel
(15 feet) and edged up to the shoal, sandy middle of the anchorage to drop our
hook. The Delta anchor plus 75 feet of
3/8” chain again did her job, holding us against all winds and current. It is a good thing too that the anchor held
us well. For all that night and the next
day and night, Northern winds blew a constant 20 knots with gusts upwards of 35
knots, gale force winds. The current
and waves through the anchorage were often 45 degrees off of the wind
direction. We bounced a little, but
mostly, with a 20 foot nylon snubber on the anchor chain, the motion was
gentle. Both Cathy and I slept in the
salon, near the center of the boat, to minimize the motion during the
night. I was up often, checking to make
sure that the rocky shore on our lee was not sneaking up on us. Sure enough, the rocks stayed where we left
them and all was OK. The two days and
nights spent in Allen Cay were useful and restful. I piddled and puttered around, working on my
boat maintenance list. Most importantly,
Cat asked if the refrigeration worked at anchor. My first response was, NO; however, somewhere
in my memory, this bugged me.
I broke out my laptop, looking in my Sailboat folder for all
the manuals for electronics, plumbing, mechanical, stuff on Angel. I found the manual for the icebox to
refrigeration conversion unit that I installed 2.5 years ago. Reading carefully, I found that indeed, the
110V AC compressor also has a 12V DC conversion built in. The compressor works
on 110V when at the dock, and switches automatically to 12V, when the 110V is
not available. I recalled that I did not
install the 12V DC connections at the time, since I only had one deep cycle
house battery that could not support the navigation lights, cabin lights,
navigation instruments and radios. Since
then I added two more deep cycle batteries in a second battery bank, charged by
the wind generator. Especially in the 20
knot winds, we were creating LOTS of power.
The only limit is accessibility.
The compressor is located in the starboard lazarette. This lazarette is full of rope bags, fenders,
boat hooks, cushions, life jackets…
I pulled everything out into the cockpit, then with my well
practiced contortionist moves, folded myself into the space. My legs extend under the cockpit, with my
feet resting on the propeller shaft, aft of the engine and transmission. I lay down and over my head was the
compressor. On the inboard side, I found
the small metal plate, held by one screw that contained the 12V DC wires. Removing these and replacing the plate, I
needed only to run new wire to the fuse panel for the auxillary battery bank,
charged by the wind generator. Cathy fed
new wires through the bulkhead and I used wire ties to secure them to other
wiring in the lazarette, connecting them finally to the refrigeration
compressor. As I was preparing to
reverse the procedure of climbing out of the storage locker, Cathy snapped a
picture (attached). I clipped the wires
to appropriate length, attached eye crimp connectors and attached them to the
fuse panel. I labeled a 10 amp fuse and
seated it securely. Turning the
temperature knob in the frig, the green light showed success. Soon we celebrated with cool drinks on the
anchorage.
Cathy read and I puttered.
We talked. We watched a movie on
the computer. We got out binoculars and
watched the tourists from Nassau, who come to the next Cay over, Leaf Cay to
feed the iguanas. These are LARGE
lizards. Many are the size of cocker
spaniels! When the go-fast boats full of
tourists come into the harbor, the iguanas gather just off the beach in the
brush and on the rocks. The tourists
bring the remains of breakfast or the midnight buffet and hand feed the
beasts. When annoyed, they charge the
tourists that scramble off the beach or dive into the water with squeals of
panic and laughter. After an hour, the
go-fast boats tune up their 4 X 200 HP Yamaha engines and disappear back
through the cut, onto the yellow bank for the 1 hour wet trip at 20-30 knots
back to Nassau and the cruise ships. This
procedure repeats in the afternoon with a new set of cruisers.
As we floated and napped, other cruisers stopped by to
talk. A fellow that sold his machine
tool company in Colorado to sail the Caribbean rowed up to discuss our
experience in the Cays south of Allen Cay.
A building contractor and his scruffy dog came by to discuss
weather. His cruising time, like ours
was running short and he is also headed back to NC to (hopefully) catch the
spring “boom”. He also was by himself
and was suffering from self diagnosed Carpul Tunnel syndrome. His right hand was ½ crippled and was a definite
handicap to continuing to sail. A third
tender, bigger than the others with center console steering circled us several
times, then stopped on our starboard side, inquiring the make/model of
Angel. Upon learning that she is a
Pearson Alberg 35, the Italian and French men of the tender chatted with us for
a long time about sailboats. They are
the professional crew of the Annopole (sp), a 106 foot long, 10 foot draft
sailboat from Europe. The owners were
over for the holidays and the crew had escaped for a little while to survey the
boats in the anchorage. This was a
great contact for us. They called us
several times on the radio with weather forecasts and sea conditions as they
headed with us back to Nassau. They were
forced to take another route, due to their draft, but the friendly voice as a
welcome addition to our trip.
Early morning on New Years Eve, the wind shifted as a front
came through. A few light showers
and the almost full Blue Moon signaled an opportunity for departure.
The weather forecast at 7:30am from Highborne Cay and from the sailing yacht Annopole, confirmed
our plans. The wind was from the east,
clocking around to the south at 15-20 knots was good news for our sail
northwest to Nassau. We set out at
8:30am and found the Yellow Bank with waves 1-3 feet. With full genoa foresail, we sailed at 6-7
knots until we were 5 miles from Nassau.
Then the wind died and we motored into the harbor. We decided to get a slip at the Nassau Harbor
Club, since it is directly across the street from the main shopping plaza. We need to restock our bottled water supply
and want to minimize the carry distance.
We pulled into the slip around 3pm and while Cathy called her family to
reassure them all is well, I washed the salt from the sails, deck hardware and
decks. Cathy gathered the laundry for
washing tomorrow and added to our grocery list.
With backpacks in hand, we walked across the street to the grocery.
Cathy wanted some more Guava Jam, eggs, cheddar cheese,
crackers ($6 for Triscuits), local cocoanut cookies, Coke Zero for mixing with
cocoanut rum and some tortillas. Holiday
shoppers were out, getting mixers and snacks for New Year’s Parties. The marina has TV outlets at the dock, and
Cat wanted to know if we could get the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. I went back to the shopping center and got an
extension cable, but unfortunately, TV is NOT hooked up at the dock. We will have to find a sports bar tomorrow.
Work finished, we need showers…badly. Clean clothes., soap, & towels in hand,
we head up and take a shower with soap, rinse, take another shower with soap,
shampoo, rinse, repeat. I really
appreciate hot water, soapy suds and clean clothes after swimming in the ocean
and rinsing with fresh water from a pump up garden sprayer for 2 weeks. Both of us were revived and felt human again.
We decided to go back to the Poop Deck Restaurant, just up
the street, for dinner. We enjoyed their
Greek salads and cracked conch during our last visit. We arrived in time for Happy Hour, ½ price
drinks and free conch fritter appetizers.
They had two TV’s with football bowl games for Cat to watch. Two quick cocoanut rum & Diet Cokes and
we started making friends at the bar. A
gentleman sat near us with white “stuff” all over his hands. We chatted and learned he also had just come
from Allen Cay. He sailed his Island
Packet yacht just ahead of us into Nassau Harbor. When I asked about his hands, he laughed and
related his story. He had purchased the
yacht in Chapin, SC; then had it trucked to Charleston City Marina. He motor sailed it to Key West, where he had
some work done and stored it. A couple
of month ago, he came across the Gulf stream, and last week motored into Allen
Cay cut. The anchorage was crowded, so
he went to the south anchorage, that has good protection from southern and
southeasterly winds. Unfortunately, the
winds shifted to the north. He was
preparing to reset his anchor, when his dinghy painter (rope) was pulled into
his propeller, stopping the engine. With
no anchor and no engine, the northern winds drove the boat into shoal water and
the stern quarter onto rocks. These
rocks proceeded to pound a hole, just above the waterline into the boat. Other cruisers heard his radio call for help
and with their dinghy’s took out bow kedge anchors to hold him off as much as
possible. One cruiser also brought over
another anchor to hold his stern off.
For the next 6 hours, as the tide rose, he took one turn from each winch
on each anchor to gradually pull himself off.
At daylight, he dove over the stern and cut the offending
line free from the propeller shaft. He
then retrieved the anchors and motored into the more protected main anchorage
to rest and make repairs. With white Eastman
5200 adhesive and scrap plywood and some closed cell foam, he closed and sealed
the hole beaten into his home. As he
related this tale, I considered myself fortunate to have confidence in a heavy anchor
and rode to protect Angel from the same fate.
Some additional customers came into the bar and asked us to
move over to free up two seats adjacent to each other. We gladly complied and soon found additional &
complementary cocoanut rum and diet cokes presented to us. This long distance couple, from Texas and
North Carolina, flew in for a week in the islands. We talked restaurants, activities, events,
Charleston, Key West, Raleigh, Dallas, etc.
Our Greek Salad came and was consumed.
Conch fritters arrived, then our Poop Deck Lover’s Platter of cracked
conch, grouper fingers and shrimp with cole slaw, peas & rice. When we finished, the bartender, who we had
gotten to know a little, provide us with a “nightcap” for the road. More rum & coke for the stumble
home. We collapsed back into Angel and
at 9pm prepared for bed.
Sleeping soundly, we were blasted awake at midnight by the
fireworks from Atlantis, Paradise Island, welcoming in the new year; just across
the channel from our slip. The display
was more boom than sparkle and seemed to go on for hours, although 20 minutes
is a better estimate of the duration.
Falling back asleep, we awoke at 6:30am, rose and got organized for the
day. With Starbucks across the street,
we treated ourselves to Chai Tea Latte and Vanilla Latte Coffee with a cheese
Danish, while I work on this blog.
Finishing our breakfast, I walked back to Angel, retrieved the dirty
clothes and sheets, helping Cat to the laundry for the necessary bi weekly
chore.
I will be reviewing the weather to find our exit opportunity
for heading northward, then back to the USA.
This is the adventure of two lovers, friends & companions that embark on a classic (45 year old) sailboat to learn about themselves and plan the 2nd half of their lives together. Please come follow their progress, regress, challenges and accomplishments.
CAREER OBJECTIVE: To pursue regulatory compliance, environmental training, chemical research, product development, and technical management with emphasis in solving problems to move technology to the marketplace.
CAREER SUMMARY: I have 25+ years progressive experience in the technology developmental and implementation process: Identifying a specific technical need, moving from ideation to the laboratory, involving engineering, regulatory and business team members, establishing technical performance, evaluating end-user acceptance, driving development through the pilot-plant to commercial scale and on to the marketplace.
