08 Warderick Wells to Georgetown and beyond 2010-04-10

April 10

Warderick Wells, Exuma Park
Jim, Al and I hiked to the top of Boo Boo Hill. During a terrible storm in the mid-nineteenth century, a ship was wrecked off the coast of Warderick Wells Cay and all perished. Today, it is said that the ghosts of these victims can be heard moaning on the grounds of Boo Boo Hill, especially when there is a full moon. However, contemporary scientists suggest that the moaning and sighing is really the wind roaring through the blow holes on the east side of this hill. It could be either.

View from Boo Boo Hill

Later, we went snorkelling from our dinghy. This was definately my best snorkelling to date. There were fish of every imagineable colour and the coral was breathtaking. After climbing back on to the dinghy, we motored to the beach, about 50 feet away. The tide was out, leaving pockets of warm, clear water.  I lay down in one and let the breezes cool my hot skin, the sun washing over me, my lips licking the salt on my face. Later, Jim and I explored the beaches, admiring the many conch, starfish and other shells everywhere. Early evening found us back to the beach for a potluck with other cruisers. We had the best “Goombay Smash” I have ever had, but am profoundly sorry to say, never thought to request the recipe! In the wee hours of the morning, Al Davis left to continue his sailing in the direction of Nassau and back to the U.S.  We were sorry to see him go, as it has been a fun adventure with him, but hopefully, we'll meet up again – somewhere – next year.

April 12

Today was a quiet change; we sailed back to Staniel Cay yesterday, and are spending the morning working on photos and my diary. In the afternoon, Munchkin again delivered us safely to Staniel Cay Yacht Club for a pleasant time of nibbling on grouper fingers and sipping cold white wine; “Island in the Stream” played in the background as we took turns with the internet usage. We're feeling very ready for a nap, and the early evening potluck on the beach will simply have to proceed without us.


Ceiling in Staniel Cay Yacht Club

Not the same as back home :)

April 14

We're still in Staniel Cay (well, actually, we're anchored just around the corner in a quiet, calm bay next to a cay called Big Major's Spot – it's neither of those words right now; the wind is howling like a banchee and the waves are kicking up their heels for a Virginia Reel, but it sure beats being out in the open ocean right now!)

These days at anchor while we wait out the weather, allow us to relish in the pleasure of sleeping in (more than usual), followed by the coffee/chat routine in bed; however, now we can take another hour reading aloud to each other before beginning our daily chores. Later, Jim spends hours reading manuals, charts and maps (yuk), while I read up on the next islands we will visit. This is also an opportunity to air our laundry in public – literally – as the wind is, well windy, and so nice and warm. There isn't a laundermat for many a nautical mile, but it's quite pleasurable to do handwash (now perhaps that's simply because it's still a novelty, but it may also be due to the fact that there just isn't the mountain of laundry we had back home. Because water is such an important commodity on a boat, it becomes quite a daily challenge to see how many ways one can make it go further. One way is to wear the same clothes definitely more than once. It really is a differant world on a boat. Although we have numerous (4) showers on this tiny vessel, I tend to prefer to 'sponge bath' daily. First of all, it's a major water saver, and second, when one has a shower on a boat, the entire bathroom (not just the shower stall) must be rubbed dry – which takes longer than the shower itself. This is because the evil eye of mildew is always lurking. When we're in the ocean, the Bahama Banks, Tongue of the Ocean, or any other remote sailing area, the shower in the cockpit is always the number one choice – no clean up!

Note: Are we easing into retirement? The other day, I asked Jim “what's the date today?” His response, after a head scratching pause.......April.

 
April 20-21
George Town
Our time in George Town beginning about the 20th of April was fast-paced, and full of activities; in addition, internet access (as usual) was sporadic and limited, and my notes fell by the wayside. However, my mind drifts back to some very special memories and include the notes below:

Peace & Plenty Hotel 1st night in George Town,  eating a dinner of Cracked Conch

A lovely dinner on Jim & Jean's boat (met Sherry and Wayne that night, owners of  Wine Down )

An unusual and delightful surprise baby shower for Nina and TJ on Volleyball Beach, attended by couples, who in addition to bringing food, contributed singing of songs to the couple and a lovely poem written by Jean.

The family Regatta – watching the racing of boats virtually around our boat!

The best spareribs in the whole wide world, stall # 18; last day of the regatta, met Rick & Carolyn on Wild Horse from Watch Hill, Road Island, who were also eating this delight. Perfect music, an amazing Bahamian rum punch drink, music floating in the air on the constant breezes, people dancing in the streets.

Each evening at sundown, the sound of conch horns resonating over the waves, echoing through the hills of the cays

The birds above reflecting the emerald green waters on their bellies.

The four of us (Jim, Jean, Sherry, Wayne and I) spend an afternoon on our boat back out in the ocean for a pob (person overboard) drill. We learn it is very, very difficult to complete this drill. My Jim is the only one of the six who is able to single-handedly do all that is necessary. (as a sailing instructor, he executed this maneuver perhaps 800 – 1000 times on a considerably smaller vessel, and, he still found it very difficult. We all agreed we will not fall overboard. After the drill, we each returned briefly to our own boats to fetch wine and nibblies and resumed our time together on Jim and Jean's Windsong.
 

A race in progress

 

Baby Shower on the Beach

April 26

A heavy storm is brewing, but at the moment, it continues to be blue skies, gentle breezes and warm waters. We slip into the calm waters of the bay and swim around our boat, later, lingering on the transom to shower the salt off our skin. The feeling of exhilaration is more than my vocabulary can portray. Shortly afterwards, Rick and Caroline dinghy over and spend time aboard our boat. Later in the afternoon, because of the pending weather, we decide to move our boat from our protected anchorage in order to be closer to George Town and the end result is next to Jim and Jean who have already made this move this morning. We are supposed to be having dinner ashore tonight with them at one of the local restaurants as they are beginning their return trip tomorrow. On Montamarol, Jim has no sooner dropped the anchor when the winds pick up and the waves become steeper. Jim and Jean are on shore finishing up some last minute errands before returning to Windsong. The rain is beginning; Jim calls them on shore on the VHF to ask if they would like us to dinghy over to their boat to close their hatches and they gratefully accept the offer. However, by the time he hauls in Munchkin to board her, the winds have picked up substantially. A number of dinghies have passed our boat in a precarious fashion, and Jim makes the decision that it would be too dangerous to make the hundred foot crossing to Windsong. We radio our regrets. All around us, everyone is watching this storm from their cockpit. I am feeling anxious for Jim and Jean having to make the very rough ride in their dinghy to get back to Windsong. When they did not appear for quite some time, we assumed they must have made the decision to stay ashore for dinner to wait out the weather, perhaps even stay overnight at the hotel. Since we had planned on dinner ashore with them, fixins that night were meager – canned beans, cheese and crackers and wine. After dinner, I again went to the cockpit to see if Jim and Jean might have decided to return, only to be stunned to see Jim standing aboard Windsong, lifeline in hand, pulling Jean out of the water. We later learned that when they first left the safety of the harbour, they encountered larger seas than anticipated. When attempting to board another boat Brydal Ancre for safety, Jim had fallen overboard.

The remainder of this month was spent sailing with Jim and Jean side by side to Concepcion and Cat islands. Together we explored the beaches, walked the dusty roads of villages, dined in restaurants and huts to sample more Bahamian cuisine and entertained each other on our boats. These four days in their company were absolutely wonderful; they are an amazing couple - intelligent, spiritual, warm, friendly and funny. It was very sad to say farewell when we headed back to George Town to prepare for our Canadian visitors. However, I feel confident our paths will cross again and take comfort in this heart-warming thought.

Jim and Jean

Jean, Concepcion Island

Three Muskateers!

George Town was our final southerly destination for this year. The first third of the month of May, we will enjoy the company of Jim's daughter, Olivia and her friend Andrew, sailing them slowly back to Nassau for their onward flight to California for further family visiting. We will then begin our journey north, but this time coastal sailing.

At the moment, our exact route is unknown, but I have no doubt that most things will remain constant. We will enjoy ourselves. I will continue to have meltdowns (and some days, learning to knit will continue to seem more appealing than the terror of huge waves and ocean swells. These adventures are teaching me things about myself – not all good. I thrive on the constant changes of scenary, people and activities, but I am not nearly as brave as I had romanticized I would be. This lack of bravery, coupled with the disappointment of my slowness in learning, the frustrations, the anger and the disappointment in my inability to progress: I am not always coursing through deep waters of mastery, but sometimes running hard aground the shoals of discontent. But for today, we continue on because in spite of my cowardice, in spite of my slowness to process all this new technical data, for today, there's still no life like it!

07 Nassau to Staniel Cay 2010-03-29

March 29
Nassau
Last night we were invited for cocktail hour on a neighbouring boat; a couple from Nova Scotia, and another from Niagara on the Lake, provided entertaining conversation prior to our meeting Al Davis, a friend from Ottawa, also cruising on his boat Excaliber X11, and Ginette, an acquaintance of Al's from Montreal, living part-time in Nassau. They picked us up in Ginette's car to drive us to a little out of the way restaurant called Beverly's Kitchen, where authentic Bahamian dishes are served: conch stew, goat's tongue, curried chicken, curried mutton, and oxtail souse were the main selections, accompanied by the native tradition of rice and peas, together with other side dishes. Also on our table were mickeys of rum and orange juice. I ordered the goat's tongue, but there was none left; the same happened with the conch stew. It was all new to me, so I happily settled for the oxtail souse. I also tried Al's chicken and Jim's mutton. All were absolutely delicious. Our server, a lovely young Bahamian lady, probably in her twenties, appeared quite taken by Jim's sense of humour and giggled and laughed merrily at his comments. The individual charge, including liquor, was $15.00 and was accompanied by a farewell hug for each of us by this charming young lady.

Al and Ginette

March 31

Allen's Cay
Mechanical problems continue to haunt us; we were ready to leave Nassau around 9:30 a.m. and stopped only to fill up on diesel. However, when this chore was completed, the engine would not start. Jim thinks there is air in the fuel tank and it takes two hours to set the problem right. Because of this setback, we are late arriving at our evening destination, thus taking one of the last anchorages at Allen's Cay. It's a pretty location with waters of varying degrees of blues and acquamarine in a small body of water protected from oceans by tiny cays on three sides, one of which is, Leaf Cay, known for the large population of rock iguana's that have resided there since time began. The weather was perfect and we settled in for another equally perfect evening, eating our dinner in the cockpit and watching a handful of people snorkelling near the shores. At about 4 a.m. however, I was awoken by Jim's calling out, “omg” as he scrambled over me, rushing for the cockpit. During the night, the tides and currents had changed direction in the path of our boat (but not in the path of two boats anchored nearest to us), and therefore, in spite of the fact that we had let out similar footage of chain, the three boats collided with a thud, (resulting in the loss of our navigation light). Originally, we thought our anchor had dragged, but this proved to be not the case. For the next hour or so, Jim and I, together with the occupants of these two boats rafted up, used our body weight to push the boats off of each other until the currents changed again and our boats drifted apart in the direction intended. Everyone was nice about it because we all knew it was nobody's carelessness that caused it, but rather an act of nature out of anyone's control. The rest of the night, Jim and I found ourselves jumping out of bed to ensure there was no reccurence of the situation, and today, April 1, we continue at anchor in this charming setting, not so much for its beauty, as for the need for rest!

April 2

Norman's Cay
We arrive at Norman's Cay, one of the longest islands in the Exumas, about 6 miles in total and an average of 1000' wide. This Cay gained its notoriety during the late seventies when it was a base for a very successful cocaine operation.  We meet up with our friend, Al Davis, who has already anchored. It's a time to relax. Al joins us on our boat in the late afternoon, bringing with him a supply of grapefruit juice to compliment our rum; later we join him on his boat for a community steak and wine dinner followed by a movie night (unfortunately, all three of us fell asleep!)

April 3

Today, we spend the morning and early afternoon with Allan exploring the beautiful nearby cays and tidal streams by dinghy. We packed a light lunch and lingered on the white sands drinking in the incredible beauty of this area. We saw stingrays, turtles and a small barricuda, and of course lots of fish. Jim found his first perfect sand dollar. In the later afternoon, we dinghied over to Norman's Cay.

April 4 (Happy Easter!)

Shroud Cay
We spent a couple of days here; Jim and I explored an inlet on this Cay; the second day, we dinghied further out, but found the water too shallow for our dinghy to proceed and therefore turned back. Jim skinny dipped in the cool waters while I took photos (most of which I later deleted!) here we hiked the quarter mile to McDuff's. This infamous establishment is frequented by private aircraft and the boating community, and as we neared the main building, it was necessary to look both ways for landing planes before proceeding to the the watering hole! McDuff's has grown over the years and now includes 3 small one-bedroom cottages which upon query, we discovered are rented for $250 per night. The menu was simple, but expensive, well suited for the clientele (if one could afford their own private plane, they could also afford a $15 hamburger! (we stuck to one drink each; then Al joined us on our boat for another community dinner).

April 4 (Happy Easter!)

 
April 6

Staniel Cay
It was a full day's sail from Shroud to Staniel Cay along the Exuma Banks, but spent pleasantly reading aloud from the humorous book “Motion of the Ocean” Al invited us over to his boat for pre-dinner rum cocktails; later, we invited him for a pasta “clean out the fridge” dinner.

The following day, we dinghied over to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club for lunch; it was a delightful experience. The Club was packed with “yachties” from every imaginable type and size of boat. It also gave us our first opportunity since Nassau to have internet access. Their fee is $10 per day – per computer! One of the entertaining features of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club is the regular visits by nurse sharks coming to feed on the scraps tossed into the harbour by fisherman cleaning their daily catch. This is a harmless species of shark, but the visual image is quite fearful.

Later, Jim and I walked up the road to a house where we were told fresh bread was for sale. It was strange to walk into someone's private tiny home, standing awkwardly amidst a family preparing their afternoon meal and children scurrying about. The price was $5.00 which seemed rather expensive, but when I looked around at the poverty in this home, I felt dreadfully guilty for our comparable wealth. This afternoon, we also dinghied over to the “Isles General Store”, the main grocery source on this island for its less than eighty full time residents and the yachting community. This tiny store receives its supplies from Nassau once a week when the mailboat comes to town.

Arriving at Staniel Cay

Club Thunderball, Staniel Cay

At Big Major's Spot, adjacent to Staniel Cay, we marvel at the wild pigs on the beach that swim out to greet us in our dinghy, looking for the free handouts to which they are accustomed. We attend a potluck dinner on another beach, and the three of us are astounded by the amazing food that is brought; there are conch fritters, lasagna, fancy sandwiches, oriental meatballs, huge platters of chicken wings, every imaginable type of dip and dessert. It's pigout heaven and great fun with fellow cruisers from every walk of life.


April 9

This day is spent sailing from Staniel Cay to Warderick Wells, Exuma Park.  Allan, aboard Excaliber X11, glides along near Montamarol, and we wave to each other on this warm, beautiful day.

06 Daytona to Nassau 2010-02-12

February 12

It's dreadfully miserable today - wind and rain and cold, but Jim is anxious to leave Daytona and start towards our destination. We have been here since the 31st of January, after ending our three weeks of Caribbean cruises. This time our 'problem' is small parts that had to be ordered and then the lengthy wait for their arrival. However, Daytona has been fun for us. The marina was very pretty and although there was no internet connection, we were able to have access by making the 25 minute hike each way to the public library.

Our goal for the day is a mere ten miles away for an anchorage, as after that, the next stop on our chart is an additional forty miles. Although an unpleasant day, it's thankfully short, and we reach our goal by noon, grateful to go below and turn on the heat. The weather continues to progress in severity; during the night, gale force winds are reached at over 40 knots.

February 13

We awake to a temperature of 40 degrees and repeat yesterday's inclemencies; however, in the late afternoon when we reach our next anchor 40 miles further south, the wind has calmed and the sky graces us once more with shades of blue. We are able to enjoy our pre-dinner glass of wine in the cockpit. The evening, as usual, is predictably enjoyable as we continue our conversations below over a meal that has been slowly simmering and filling the cabin with aromas for a long time.

February 14 (Happy Valentine's Day!)

This morning, neither of us eager to leave the warmth of our little home, we (well, Jim), plot our course for leg 1, Nassau, Bahamas; once we arrive in South Florida (recommended routes usually start anywhere South of Palm Beach). We plan to depart from the Key Biscayne area for a crossing to Gun Cay/Bimini, which is in the Northwest end of the Bahamas. This route will require my first overnight passage, to reach our goal of an 8 a.m. arrival at “Gun Cay”.

According to the book “Gentleman's Guide to Passages South”, to reach our destination of Nassau, Providence Island, we should take the Northern route across the top of the Banks from North of Bimini to the Northwest Channel Light, passing a few miles North of the Macki Shoal Beacon. This route will give us waters 10 feet deep (our keel is 5' 2”) There are other routes through this area with waters of 7' deep, but this will give us a bit more 'breathing' room. Our present location is South of Titusville, adjacent to the NASA causeway bridge; therefore, there are still many ICW motoring days ahead of us, so no need for my inevitable panic yet.

February 17

Vero Beach
We arrive in Vero Beach on Monday, February 15, and this time, it's our friendly little dinghy motor that keeps us from moving onwards and upwards. It died our first day here and fortunately, kindly sailors hauled us to our destination and we await the needed repairs (unfortunately, Jim will have to row back to shore to pick up this repaired motor!)

We're anchored in a lovely little municipal marina which is sheltered from the ICW by trees and various undergrowths.

The weather remains chilly, but everything is quite pretty; we understand why Vero Beach is often referred to as Velcro Beach....why move on when we can 'stick' it out here! There is complimentary bus service in this little retirement haven, the streets appear clean and well groomed, and everyone is so friendly.



February 19

Fort Pierce
We arrive in Fort Pierce. Our new friends, Jim and Jean on Windsong, (a Taswell 49), paddled over in their dinghy to join us for dinner on our boat while in Faber Cove, adjacent to Fort Pierce Inlet. We met this recently retired delightful couple from New York in the marina in Daytona Beach in December and have been keeping in touch by VHF radio.

February 20

We left Fort Pierce for our first day adventure of ocean sailing, and it was wonderful! The weather was lovely - warm, gentle breezes and a drastic change from the constant lookout required on the ICW. Jean and Jim anchor with us again tonight in Lake Worth (West Palm Beach), but spend their evening with friends in the area.

February 21

Fort Lauderdale
We arrive in Fort Lauderdale; it is late, perhaps 8 p.m. and we are dreadfully exhausted. We left Lake Worth about 7:30 this morning and it has been a long day of sailing and motoring south, fighting southerly winds which keep our boat in a constant rolling motion. Today, it just isn't the pleasure of yesterday! I am learning why sailors are usually slender folk as I sit in the cockpit bending forward, backward, left, right, with each rolling wave – what a great constant exercise! Jean and Jim are a few miles ahead of us down the coast, but keep in touch by VHF. We have agreed to meet up again in Fort Lauderdale and they have invited us to join them for a day of touring South Beach as they intend to rent a car. Unfortunately, this invitation cannot be fulfilled, as about a mile outside of Fort Lauderdale, our motor dies. It is dark and windy. Ahead, we see the lights of cruiseships departing for their Caribbean adventures; they seem frightfully close and I feel genuine fear. Three, four times, Jim is able to start the motor again, but each time it halts after about 10 minutes. Finally, we realize we have no recourse but to call Towboat US to tow us to a marina, the closest being Lauderdale Marina. And what a marina it is! We are surrounded by multi-million dollar yachts. We are in the world of the rich. I say to Jim that I feel like Cinderella and he replys that our boat suddenly looks like a dugout canoe! The nightly rate for this little piece of paradise is $5.00 per foot. Keep in mind that there are plenty of 100 foot boats here! Therefore, many of these people are paying $500 per night (extra for electricity) and they are bringing their own hotel. Including staff! So this is how the other half lives! Towboat US returns the following morning to tow us to the municipal marina on the New River (near the southeast third avenue bridge and Las Olas Blvd). This actually consists of a long winding lovely canal near the centre of the city. We love it, and the price is right – less than $1 per foot. Jean and Jim's Windsong is tied to the dock about 5 boats down, so all is well. We will stay here at least three days to relax, and of course, to have our motor repaired. This place is so pretty. We are tied up to a location that abounds in manicured lawns, flowers, trees and cobble-stoned sidewalks and we are minutes from restaurants, pubs and shopping. The 'canal' is a parade of huge yachts passing by. It truly brings to life the prosperity in this part of the world.

These past few days have made me keenly aware of the two conflicting emotions occuring daily with this new lifestyle: each day brings new surprises, new sights, sounds and experiences. This fills me with intense excitement and happiness; however, there is also more to learn than I feel I will ever be able to handle. At times, I feel I have walked onto another planet. Everything on the boat remains new to me. The list of “how to's” is endless, and I keep forgetting “how to”. When I am completely overwhelmed (which seems to happen at least once a day), poor Jim must live through the meltdown that comes from my fears, tears and frustrations. I must continually remind myself that there was a time in my life when I thought I would never master riding a bicycle or learn to drive a car. There was also a time, while working at Foreign Affairs that I was convinced I could not master the software HRMS (Peoplesoft). With practice, all of these challenges, and many, many more, were realized and my spirits soared each time. Fear of failure is the evil menace that grips me and holds me back, and many days I find myself saying “maybe tomorrow”.

February 26

This has turned into quite a busy day. We took our dinghy, Munchkin, down the 'street' (feel like we're in a modern-day Venice) to the local marina laundromat. Jim left me to take care of business, while he motored to the local Publix to stock up on groceries, picking me up upon his return. We ran into Jean and Jim on the return trip as they were having a similar type of day. No sooner did we return to the boat than Oil & Fuel Boatside Services showed up to drain and polish our fuel (it is highly expected that fungus (the diesal bug) has taken over our tank and that is the culprit of our failed engine.

Tuesday, March 23

Key Biscayne
Almost a month has passed since an entry has been made in these notes. Ongoing repairs and waiting for additional new boat parts has kept us in Fort Lauderdale. Since my daughter, Monique, was arriving March 10, we decided to stay the extra time for the pure delight of seeing her and the munchkins. It was an exhilarating experience, though we also learned that a forty foot boat becomes quite small indeed with seven passengers!

Monkey and her 4 Munchkins at Ft. Lauderdale Airport

Enjoying a home video!

Jasmine and Mom

Cramped quarters!

A reunion of grandparents

After their departure, we continued coastal sailing south to Key Biscayne to wait out a weather window for the crossing to Nassau. Our first attempt at this crossing found us being battered about so severely that after a couple of hours, Jim made the decision to turn back. We stayed in No Name Harbour for a couple of days and again, enjoyed ourselves immensely. It was a beautiful location surrounded by parks with a lovely restaurant offering mouthwatering fresh seafood niblees, such as conch fritters and calamari.

I was puttering in the galley when Jim called down to me that we were about to have company; I looked out a portlight and saw a man rowing his dinghy towards us. We invited him aboard and chatted pleasantly about our mutual hometown of Ottawa. I had a vague sense of having known this man and asked him of his employment prior to retirement. He responded that he had been with Health Canada, and bingo, I instantly knew the connection. I said “OMG, do you know Stephen Keith?” When he replied that he did, I laughed and informed him that Steve and his wife, Renette, had had us both to their home one night with the idea in mind of a possible 'connection' (probably about 1994). Alas, although he looked exactly the same to me, my grey hair and a few extra 'curves' had obviously made me indisdinguishable to him. On the other hand, perhaps he had a touch of the same condition that had settled upon me and Jim....old timer's disease? One has to amaze at the coincidence of meeting someone you know, in a) another country; b) in a small harbour; and, c) two boats anchored next to one another. After his departure, Jim commented: “Gee, just imagine, if things had worked out with you two back then, you could be sailing here in a 26 foot sailboat” We both laughed as this acquaintance was quite impressed with our 40 footer and used the word luxurious in his description when aboard. Everything is relevant; when we boarded Jim and Jean's 49 footer, I was awestruck! (I awoke from a dream one morning and told Jim that in it, Jim and Jean had decided to sell their boat to us for $300,000. Jim said, "Did you say $200,000?" I responded: "No, $300,000". Jim said: "Well, go back to bed and dream again until the price comes down to $200,000"!)

No Name Harbour

Elegant grocery shopping in beautiful Key Biscayne

By March 20, we were prepared to attempt the Florida Straight again and sailed a full day to Cat Cay where we anchored for the night.

March 21 - 22

Cat Cay to NW Channel Light across the Great Bahama Banks .
The Bahama Banks ended in a dreadfully bad night. We thought we had reached a good anchorage around 10 p.m. ; however, a passing towboat informed us that we were actually in the middle of a busy channel! Therefore, we took up the anchor and continued on until 1:30 a.m.. The weather grew worse as the evening progressed. The skies were lit up by lightening in every direction, the winds howled, the seas rolled and we were drenched from the driving rain. Neither of us were able to sleep as the entire night was spent tossing, as if on a roller coaster. We lay in bed feeling shot up at an incredible speed (our inner systems in havoc); upon reaching what seemed the top of a mountain, we then plumeted downward at an equal speed, with innards unprepared for this sudden descent. At the bottom of this journey, we would be shaken suddenly side to side, then shooting up again to repeat the cycle, over and over and over. Around us, unimaginable sounds greeted our ears; the lines within a world of their own, echoed noises; the waves in the water could easily create an image of little people everywhere outside of our boat carrying baseball bats and taking turns to see who could hit us the hardest; the wind seemed to be hitting us with its best shot from every angle; water gurgled in the toilets and the pipes below 'whoshed' their response. Our anchor was now becoming our newest challenge; the snubber, which takes the pressure off this mechanism by absorbing the shock, was making a new sound, which told Jim that trouble was in the air. He shot out of bed, bounding up the companionway. I could see him through the hatch above as he passed over our cabin, attempting to resolve it. This site only added to a growing mental anguish for me. The wind was blowing continuously, the boat was dipping down, followed by a breathtaking lunge upwards, all the time, Jim, hanging on with one hand, attempting to correct the problem with the other; my fears and imagination took him into these winds, never to return, my new wonderful husband and life as I knew it, to be no more. Surely, this life offered us the best, but also the worst.

The following morning brought fog, rain and some respite from the wind. We waited for the fog to lift and the wind to diminish further, but it meant another night on the roller coaster.

March 23

Bird Cay
This is our final destination today. Nature has decided to be kind and give us a break again. The night is calm and restful; we sleep like a babe in the womb.

March 24 (Happy Birthday Sista!)

Nassau
It's a full day of pleasurable sailing. It's the type of day where phrases like “this is the life” originate. All is good; nothing is breaking down; the weather is on our side. By 7 p.m. We have crossed the Northwest Providence Channel and are secured to a slip in NASSAU HARBOUR CLUB AND MARINA! I don't believe it yet....still pinching myself...are we truly, finally in NASSAU?? I couldn't remove the grin from my face as we cruised past Norwegian Sky, a cruiseship we were on in January this year with my dear niece, Karen and her partner, Shawn. This is absolutely magical! Passengers wave at us, just as I usually do when on one of these monsterous beauties. It's now almost 8 p.m., and as per Bahamian law, Jim is the only one permitted off this vessel until we have cleared customs and immigration; our yellow quarantine flag continues to flutter in the breeze, as she has done since we first entered Bahamian waters. Our late dinner is simmering as I await his return from completing the paperwork. I sip a glass of wine, glancing about this tiny little haven I now call home and continue in my amazed state of mind that life has been so bountiful.

Cruiseship, Norwegian Sky, passing the Atlantis Hotel

05 Here We Go Again! 2009-11-21

Here we go again, a second attempt to leave the Beau-zone (Beaufort, North Carolina). We say our goodbyes to Audrey and Ward and Val (from Hawaii) each of us expressing our hopes of a reunion and the desire to stay in touch. Today we finally do leave around 2:30 p.m. However, because of the time of year (early sunset), and because we need a place to fill up on fuel and empty the holding tank, we get as far as Morehead City Yacht Basin, a mere two hours away. By the time all is done however, it's approaching 6 p.m.; it's dark, and we're both pooped. It's very early to bed tonight with the hopes of also an early start. We consider this a 'prep' day.

November 22 to November 24

Travelling south down the ICW, we are enjoying interesting scenary that changes constantly - stately mansions, shrimp boats, marshes everywhere, an array of birds. We never tire of the view. Occasionally, I pop down below to prepare for our evening after we have anchored. Today, Tuesday, I made my Monkey's lovely vegetarian stuffing in the morning. After lunch, I worked on a new recipe I found in a sailing magazine. At 5:00 we opened a bottle of wine and as I write, Jim is preparing to barbeque fish for our dinner. Before leaving Beaufort, we visited our favourite seafood store and purchased a fairly large quantity for this trip, including salmon, grouper, trout, jumping mullet and triggerfish. We didn't notice that the gentleman wrapped each order individually bagged, but not marked....so, alternate nights we have fish, but not knowing our fish well enough yet (with the exception of salmon), we don't know what we're eating until it's served....actually, even then, we have our doubts. All that matters is that each one is good to us.

November 26

Yesterday was tough; what a kind word to describe hair-raising, nail-biting, anxiety-ridden....it was shitty. The weather continued to offer us rain and cold winds, leaving us feeling chilled to the bone. We were anticipating arriving in Barefoot Landing Marina, at Myrtle Beach, S.C. at dusk; however, we had forgotten to take into account that the Sunset Beach Bridge at mile 338 opens on the hour only and this cost us a good 40 minutes with consequences of being forced to navigate in the dark at a deathly slow pace through a dangerous part of the ICW, known by barge captains and officially labelled on charts as “The Rockpile”. The Rockpile was created by Army engineers by blasting a trough just wide enough for a barge to get through, leaving straight-sided rock walls on each side. During high tide, the passage appears wider than it is because the low rocky sides beyond the straight walls are covered with water and become invisible. Locals recommend navigating the Rockpile at low tide so as to better see, and avoid, the rocks in the non-navigable sides. Locals also recommend calling ahead on the VHF to advise opposite direction bound vessels of intentions to proceed...there is not enough room for a sailboat and a barge to pass in opposite directions! There was nowhere to pull over for the night; the only choice was to continue. It was an eery experience, and we were both frightened badly. I stood outside of the cockpit on port side, holding on to a railing with one hand, shining a powerful spotlight over the water and shoreline with the other. Meanwhile, with poor visibility from the cockpit, Jim was using radar and computer navigation software to see the way ahead. The ICW is marked approximately every quarter of a mile or with random markers. When travelling in a southerly direction, there are green markers to port and red on starboard. Vessels are to travel between these two markers to ensure safety.

There were strange sounds of critters everywhere. I thought I saw an aligator swim across our bow to the other shore, but my spotlight identified it as a young racoon. At one point, I was startled to see unexpected lights on the shore, but then realized they were the eyes of animals caught in my light. The visibility was dreadful. At one point, my light displayed a shoreline ahead, instead of to my port side. I cried out to Jim...'it's a deadend'! Jim steered to starboard and we just missed running into the shore. The waterway narrowed and rocky cliffs were on both sides; suddenly, we saw huge rocks rising from the dark waters and Jim scrambled to take us further starboard to avoid a collision. By the time we arrived at Barefoot Landing Marina in North Myrtle Beach, N.C. (about 7:30), we were utterly exhausted. Jim took care of hooking us up and handling the lines while I prepared supper. Welcome to paradise!

November 28

We're at Five Fathom Creek outside the town of McClellanville, S.C. Last night we anchored in what looks like a field of wheat. I was eager to start our supper preparations as it was a night of old fashioned, but yummy pork chops in mushroom soup gravy, oozing in onions, garlic and tiny red-skinned potatoes, with a side dish of mashed turnip and hot biscuits - comfort food after many hours of chilly weather. I did my usual routine of preparing a sink of soapy water for a typical clean-as-you-go dinner (very necessary in a kitchen the size of a powder room back home). Everything was ready, and my saliva was working overtime in anticipation, when suddenly, there was an offensive word escaping from our master cabin ensuite. Jim discovered we had no water. Our lovely dinner wasn't quite the enjoyable experience we had expected as the conversation turned to “no coffee in the morning.....can't brush our teeth" In the midst of this conversation, it was suddenly very quiet. The generator had died. The generator is what gives us our independence while at anchor because it makes 120 VAC....which gives us the means to operate the heater and a/c. It also charges up the batteries which are used for many purposes (lights, computers). Now, no water, no heat and no options but to wait until morning to see what could be done.

This situation was particularly frustrating for Jim because while I had spent a month back home waiting for the birth of munchkin # 4 (new grand-daughter, Jasmine), he had spent countless hours working on the watermaker and was thrilled and relieved, believing all the problems were finally solved. Like the generator, the watermaker also makes for independence by providing us with fresh water by removing impurities from the water on which we are floating, through filtration and removing salt through reverse osmosis (the best part is that it also eliminates the requirement of hauling jerry cans on the dinghy from a water supply on shore).

The next morning, the temperature in our cabin was 10 degrees celsius. While I lay warm under a mountain of blankets, Jim quietly went about repairs to the watermaker and generator, bringing me coffee in bed once these tasks were done. By about 10:30 the anchor was raised and we were off again; well, at least for about fifty feet. The tide was out and we hit bottom (thank heavens it wasn't me this time!) However, in Jim's defence, the depth indicator reflected that we were in 7 feet of water, so this shouldn't have happened as our requirements are 5' 2” only. The following hour was spent admiring the view as we waited for the tide to continue its journey back into these watery wheatfields.

December 2

We arrived in Charlston, South Carolina around mid-morning Sunday November 29. Jim contacted the municipal marina and a few others, but there was 'no room in the Inn'; therefore we set down anchor in Charlston Harbour, with the intent to take the dinghy to the marina to purchase supplies. Jim was in the process of demonstrating to me how the dinghy is taken off the davit and lowered into the water, when a woman, probably early thirties, with a little boy and a big German Shephard pulled up along side of our boat in her bright, yellow dinghy. I cheerfully called out “good morning”, followed by Jim's equally friendly, “nice day”. The conversation that followed however, was not so cheerful or friendly. This woman immediately became frightfully aggressive and loud, telling us to move our boat because this was her spot (as indicated by her floating anchor buoy) It was our belief that since we were the first to arrive and our anchor was already down, any other vessel would be obliged to keep clear; also, we were not attached to her buoy, but rather, the swift currents of the area brought our boat close to it. She insisted that we leave the area and anchor elsewhere so that she could anchor to her buoy. She would not allow us to engage in any conversation and when we attempted to communicate, she spoke over our voices, yelling loudly. Added to this was her dog's continuous barking and snarling. Jim called the Coast Guard and it was confirmed that she had no legal rights because the harbour waters are not owned; however, it was also explained that there were some folks who believed they had 'squatters rights'. The situation was far beyond our comfort level and we decided to pull up anchor and move to another location. As Dr. Phil would say, “would you rather be right or happy”. We were both quite shaken by the experience and decided to postpone our trip to town until the following morning, spending the afternoon, engaged in “pink and blue” activities required on the boat.

Unfortunately, Charlston continued to be an unpleasant experience for us. That first night, as we prepared for bed, the winds picked up. Instead of a much needed deep sleep, we found ourselves continuously jumping up to the sounds of dragging chains and anchors, steep waves slapping our boat and the rumbling of the bilge pump, removing water from her bowels. We also found that a late arriving neighbour boat had anchored too close to us and with the winds, currents and tides, it was now at a point where we felt constant visual supervision was required. In the morning, our neighbour offered us his apologies and fortunately, no damage was incurred to either boat. I take back my comment of no damage, because our nerves were frayed from so little sleep. Jim lowered the dinghy while I gathered necessary documents like the cruising licence for our phone call to Boarder Protection and Homeland Security, passports, grocery list, life jackets, etc. This was our first time out in the dinghy; the motor started....stopped, started....stopped. Not very re-assuring! Finally, it appeared to 'grab' and we were off; quite suddenly, the motor took off like a spirit from hell, like a jolt of lightening, on its own, with me screaming at Jim to slow down and Jim screaming back in self defense. It felt as if we were on a high speed roller coaster but, rather than thrilling, it was terrifying. Poor Jim, trying to control a motor with a mind of its own, together with a wife who was losing hers. In an attempt to stop my screaming, Jim tried to slow down our speed, resulting in the motor stopping all together. At this point we were probably two or three hundred feet from the dock. It's a good thing Jim's arms still have all that muscle because it was a lot of rowing.

We knew we both needed a happy break – we had never screamed at each other before, but both of us recognized it as a result of frayed nerves and minds and bodies craving sleep.(and my chicken-shit attitude when it comes to speed in a dinghy....and a 6 knot current ....and a 20 knot wind blowing us out towards the Atlantic) This shopping trip could not be postponed because the weather forcast was for severe storms, hazardous weather and possible tornadoes.

We stopped for lunch at a quaint little restaurant called Salty Mikes, located at the end of the marina, each having our fill of amazingly fresh seafood; this was followed by a taxi to the local Harris Teeters (equivalent to an upscale Loblaws in Ottawa) When we returned to the marina, we were loaded down with about 20 bags of supplies and as we were transferring them to the dinghy, I heard a lovely soft spoken feminine voice behind me say “thank you for moving yesterday”. Slow to make the connection, I was baffled by Jim's gruff reply “well I'm not very happy about it” I glanced in her direction and smiled, continuing with the job at hand. It was only after we left the dock that I commented “well she's a lot more pleasant than her bully-bitch companion” (the name we had given to our snarly friend in the yellow dinghy from yesterday). Jim said “that was bully-bitch” I was stunned! Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde! How could anyone change their behaviour that dramatically!

December 15

We left Charleston Thursday, December 3 continuing down the ICW, arriving on Amelia Island (Fernandina Beach) Wednesday, December 9. It had been a very tiring trip; we're weary of the ICW. The weather continues to be miserable, so we treated ourselves to a marina for the night, but the night turned into three. This is a lovely little tourist town. The shops are delightfully decorated and tempting to explore. We found an Irish pub with a huge dining room and we are the only customers. We spend too much money in this town, but what a lovely treat and such fun. We would come back to Fernandina Beach.

We are anchored approximately 53 miles from Daytona Beach where Jim was able to contact a marina to reserve space for us until the end of January; we had intentions of a long day of travel to reach Daytona tonight, but awoke to a thick blanket of fog. There is no choice but to sit it out; however, the afternoon was heavenly with gentle southerly breezes, blue skies and temperatures in the mid-seventies. The layers of clothing peeled off as the day progressed.

December 16

We didn't reach Daytona last night (of course) and no marinas or marked anchorages were to be found. It turned into another one of those nights where we motored in circles trying to figure out if there was enough depth to anchor; it's such unknown territory unless you're a local because the depth is influenced by the currents and tides from the ocean. The evidence was found this morning! We awoke to a 'not quite level' bed. It's a strange experience to walk to the galley at an angle – a bit like having one too many drinks. During the night, the tide went out (our water level dropped) and now the stern of our boat is sitting on a ledge. The depth sounder indicated that the water at the front of the boat was 6.5'. This is another day to wait out the conditions. In another few hours when the water returns, if we are unsuccessful in dislodging ourselves, we will have to call Tow Boat US. Fun, fun, fun :(

No towing required today; when the tides came in, together with favourable wind and a set staysail, Jim was able to free us from this grounding to continue our motoring south. We arrived at Halifax Harbour Marina in Daytona Beach about 1:30 and looked forward to another break!

December 17

Unfortunately, no internet again at this marina, but we were able to spend some time at a cafe where we could catch up on some personal email and most importantly, make reservations to come home December 20 – in time for Christmas! Up early tomorrow to start preparing Montamarol for a month's storage, pack and figure out what to do with all this food! It's been 25 years since I last visited Daytona Beach and there are many fond memories attached to this small city. Jim agrees that we will do some exploring when we return in February.

As I re-read my diaries, I note all the traumas and stresses experienced. What is not noted is that every single day has also brought quiet moments of tranquility, stunning sunsets, feelings of being in tune with nature, oneself and with each other. It is a grand opportunity to connect as a couple as most of the time it's “just you and me babe”

04 Leaving Bock 2009-09-24

We're as ready as we can be....we think. As I write, it's 5:55 p.m.; I'm in the middle of preparations for a lovely dinner of boneless spareribs prepared stew-style with potatoes, onions, garlic Brussels sprouts, wine, apples, blackening spices thrown in for good measure; all in a wonderfully thick gravy.
We left Bock Marine about 1:45 p.m., motoring slowly with the intent of using this afternoon as a training ground. It started out quite pleasantly...admiring the waterfront homes, the lovely boats passing us....going where we have been...but it was an extremely short-lived pleasure. Jim explained how to maneuver a boat...forward, back, left, right (port, starboard). I had my usual little meltdown because I didn't have a clue in hell what I was doing. In the beginning, he might as well have been speaking Chinese, for all I understood; however, it suddenly got through my fear barrier and I thought I got it. It's not difficult, actually quite similar to driving a car. So Jim left me with instructions to practice forward and reverse, port, starboard, while he went forward to the bow to prepare the anchor. When he left me at the helm, the depth indicator reflected about 7.5 ft. Now I knew from Jim's instructions that our keel is 5' 2”, so....going by my instructions from the Captain, it was very important that while I practiced, I also keep my eye on the depth gauge. Well... 7.5 ft suddenly went to 7.4, 7.3, 7.2...down, down, down in numbers. When it reached 6 ft., I called out to him in a panic because the numbers were going down so fast. He quickly came to the helm, but by then, the depth had dropped to 5'.2”.....we were grounded. Poor Jim has no alternative but to call Tow Boat (thank heavens we have insurance; the bill was $800!)

Jim calling Tow Boat

After this was sorted out, we anchored for the day and drowned our frustrations in good food with wine. It definitely helped; but the day wasn't over yet. As we sat below in the salon talking, suddenly a huge puff of smoke appeared from one of the sockets in the galley. Disappointed, we knew we would have to go back to Bock.

While further repairs were being done, we took the opportunity to better know some of the people staying at Bock Marine. We enjoyed the get-togethers through potlucks and personal entertaining on our boat and the boats of others and evenings out at restaurants. It was an enjoyable time.

Audrey and Ward

Diane and Becky

The Hittinger Children

Karl

Seafood Festival with Val, Hal, Diane and Wade

Dinner on Diane and Wade's beautiful boat

03 Adjustments to Boat Living 2009-09-14

It's 3:39 a.m. Insomnia has followed me to this new life, or is it the new beginnings that create the inability to sleep? We had a very busy and productive Sunday. In the morning, while Jim was off the boat, I decided to try an experiment; I had been storing laundry in a Canadian Tire plastic blue box in the ensuite shower. I thought “why not step into this box while having a shower, experiment by leaving a couple of articles of clothing in it, letting the blue box catch the majority of my soapy water, thus saving the bilge pump alot of work, less clean up for me, allowing the few clothes to soak, and, the added bonus of letting my feet soak too. How clever is that?! All went well and I was feeling pretty pleased with myself; however, as I turned off the shower, the bilge pump started....and continued....and continued....and would not stop! Anxiously, I scurried to the Nav Station to turn off the pump. Nothing changed; still that loud noise as I fluttered about naked and dripping wet. My mind raced with visions of expensive burnt out motor parts because of my lack of experience in the ways of boats. I grabbed some clothes, struggling to get my wet skin into them and hurried to the cockpit, looking anxiously for Jim to appear, and to my relief, he had returned! Fortunately, it was not a serious problem, simply a noisy one, but it unnerved me just the same. One last note on this incident;
I have a little habit of using J-clothes for everything, and the pattern is
yellow for face
blue for body
green for floors
pink for toilet

Well, when Jim returned to the boat, I was still beside myself with worry and we stood in the ensuite (very crowded with 2 as it barely holds 1 medium sized person). I was chattering away to him, on and on about the incident and what I had tried doing on the main switches in the Nav station, etc., while at the same time, drying my inner ears with a J-clothe. All of a sudden, Jim said "ewwwwwwwww pink!" (see if you can figure out what I did).

Due to the accident the previous night when a glass of wine found its way on top of Jim's laptop, Sunday afternoon was an expensive adventure. After finding an appropriate laptop replacement, checking out cell phones (unsucessfully as there were none available with our requirements), we then proceeded to West Marine for the purchase of a boat barbecue, followed by stocking up on our wine supply and more groceries. By the time we returned home, it was 7 p.m. I made supper while Jim worked on setting up the barbecue. By about 8:30-9:00, I was so tired I stumbled into bed.

There are many adjustments to living on a boat. I'm not missing television very much, which surprises me. I do think of Oprah at 4:00, but that's about it. So far, there continues to be so much to do that by evening, we're simply too tired. I do find it an inconvenience not having the internet at my fingertips. What is interesting though is that when I do have access, all that interests me is mail from loved ones. Jokes remain unopened. Storage is a challenge at the moment. I awoke with new ideas on my mind of where to put the extra food supplies; also thinking that more than a 4 piece place setting in the galley is totally unnecessary and realizing that more simply wastes space.

If I could name but one thing about boat life that is unpleasant, I would have to say it's the toilet (head). Although Jim had the pipes changed, the main head always has an unpleasant odor, and both heads are difficult and annoying to flush. When nature calls in the middle of the night, and the handle requires pumping about 20 times in order to flush the contents into the holding tank, it's difficult to return to sleep after all that racket! My worst experience was pumping vigorously, only to have the toilet's extremely unpleasant contents spray themselves over my face and clothes! I was not impressed.

01 Leaving Ottawa 2009-09-09

Today's the day! The car is loaded up, and we're on our way to Beaufort, North Carolina. Harold walked us to the parking lot where we said our goodbyes; however, we knew we would be back in Ottawa for a couple of weeks while work was being done on Montamarol. This was the trip to unload all our personal “stuff” that we just couldn't live without.

This first trip took us away from home for two weeks during which time, a thousand details were handled, almost all by Jim; the fun part was unloading the car and deciding where to put everything on the boat. Can't say I minded all the restaurants either – what fun....but oh, how the waistline suffered!

Montamarol was purchased from Beaufort Yacht Sales and Charters Inc. We liked our agent, Eddie Miller, instantly and were not disappointed as we got to know both him and his charming wife, Kathy, on a more personal level. What a delightful couple. This was our first taste of Southern hospitality at its finest. Every day, Eddie found ways to help us and gave his time, his energy, his car, his home. He and Kathy made us feel incredibly welcome and continuously offered every form of assistance imagineable. We learned that purchasing a boat is far more complex than buying a home, particularly when these transactions are in another country and foreign currency.

A few days prior to our return to Canada, we were able to experience living on Montamarol while in a marina. It felt like "playing house" and made me feel like the young bride of long ago. Good beginnings!

Kathy and Eddie

02 Bock Marine 2009-09-12

We are docked at a place called Bock Marine, located about 10 miles outside the town of Beaufort, NC; there is nothing else around us....perhaps a few dumpy houses and farmland. It's right on the ICW (Intra-Coastal Waterway), so we have a pleasant backyard view from the cockpit of every imagineable type of boat going by. Our “front yard” consists of about 50 boats, mainly up “on the hard” and in every imaginable state of repair in process. It's not the prettiest of locations, but apparently Bock is good at what they do and what they do is fix boats.

view from our cockpit

view of Bock Marine

To back up a little, our three planes, a shuttle bus and a taxi brought us to New Bern, NC Tuesday night around 7 p.m. (without supper of course). Our new dear friend, Eddie Miller, picked us up and drove us the 30 miles to Beaufort, to his home, for dinner and to spend the night (there ain't nottin like Southern hospitality). He explained that although the work was done on our boat, it wasn't fit for us to stay the night. The next morning, we started the job of cleaning up the boat all over again....lots – it took the entire day and by evening, we were exhausted and fell into bed too tired to consider email possibilites. Thursday was the same, except I became ill (bad headache, backache from all the 'housework', upset stomach.... and unable to sleep...did I miss anything??) Friday and again today, Saturday, we rented a car to do a zillion errands and make a zillion purchases....kettle, tiny coffee pot, dishes, boat parts, groceries, wine....etc. I am completely amazed at what has to be done to live on a boat! Last night, we started up a conversation with a couple who had come into the lounge; Audrey and Wade, but we called them A&W! They've been living on their boat since 1982 AND have been living on it in this boatyard for 4 years!!!! They had some pretty major work being done.

I made a little list of the main things Jim has been accomplishing:

• fix generator
• repair clogged bilge pump
• bring in companionway canvas for repair
• contact US customs
• replace injectors on engine
• sort out and mark anchor chain
• re-attach genoa foresail
• replace 'v' belt
• bring in dinghy cover for repair
• take more photos of boat and arrange for 'hardcopies' to be signed and sent by special post to Harold, for onward posting with other documents he has for us to Transport Canada for vessel registry (what would we do without Harold!)

Are you asleep yet???!!

As I write, Jim is replacing the float switch in the bilge; what a dirty job, but without it, no showers because this little thingy is what lets the bildge pump know that it's time to empy the water. Selfish me - all I really care about right now is that it's done soon so we can open a bottle of wine and have supper!!