Exumas Part 3

What was supposed to be 2 days at Emerald Bay Marina turned into three. Wow, this place was great with all its amenities. I spent the better part of one day taking advantage of the free front loading washers and got all the blankets and comforter washed and packed in plastic as we won’t need them anymore this season. We took advantage of the showers as this is the first time to have a real shower since the day we first arrived and stayed in Green Turtle at the marina. I can say mine were 15 minutes minimum with what seemed like endless hot water. When we had arrived here we met up with s/v Evensong that had been here several days waiting on some crew to come in so they could make tracks to Puerto Rico in order to store the boat for the season and head back home. Dirk & Dan spent their last day of lobstering together and ended up with one apiece. Only 2 more days were left in the season and Dirk was hoping for a bigger ending but he wasn’t complaining. We spent as much time with Ruth & Dan as we could before they took off and on the 30th they broke free of the dock and said farewell. With tears in our eyes we wished them fair winds and at least a fist full of water under their keels. As they motored out of the marina we knew we were going to miss them as they had become good friends. After they left, Dirk decided that he wanted to get in one more hunt, after all tomorrow concluded the season and he just felt like there were more out there to be had. Since Dan was gone it was up to me to go with him. I never like him to go on his own as you never know what else he might encounter. We ended up heading a bit down the coast and he found a shallow reef which yielded the biggest slipper lobster he has gotten and a decent spiny lobster. After that all he saw were small ones which would be safe until next year. We then headed back to the spot that Dan and Dirk had hit the day before and I don’t think Dirk was in the water 5 minutes before he popped up with his second biggest of the season. I told him that would be a great one to end the season on but he asked for 5 more minutes. After bagging another within a couple minutes he finally climbed back in the dinghy feeling good that now his season could end. So once we got back to the boat he tallied up the final count and concluded that the final score was 36. Not too shabby if I say so myself. Lucky for us we have the Engel freezer and we have our limit of ten frozen for later consumption. The biggie had a 10 in tail and the small one was right at 6 with the slipper and other lobster falling in between

Here is Dirk getting his photo op with the last catch of the season

On the 31st we decided it was time to head to George Town so we filled up our water tanks which by this time were getting fairly low and gave the boat a quick wash down as it had been some time since we had any rain. Dirk topped off the diesel at $5.40 a gallon and gas at $5.60. Good thing we are a sailboat as I would hate to see the damage some of these power boats do to their accounts to fill up. We pulled out of the slip and headed for points south and ended up anchoring at Monument Beach. The George Town area is supposed to be alive with many daily activities and we wanted to check it out and see what it was all about. Tuesdays and Thursdays are Texas Holdem poker nights so once we set the anchor our first order of business was to see what time this started and where. We got cleaned up and headed over looking forward to be playing once again. We belonged to a poker league back in Alabama and it had been some time since we actually had played in a tournament. It’s a $5.00 buy-in with pay outs to the top 5 players. We had 54 players and it took some time to get my bearings back but soon enough I was feeling comfortable. There were the usual donkeys (people who will bet on anything) and some good players out there. Dirk and I managed to both make it through the first round to color up and after the break it seemed they were dropping like flies. Soon we were down to 10 players and headed to the final table. Yea, I had made the final table but shucks Dirk was out. The pressure was on and after sitting down I realized I was the short stack with the target on my head. I had no choice but to pick a hand and go with it. I ended up with top pair but with a small kicker which gave another player the pot. Oh well, such is life, but it was a nice evening of entertainment and for 5 bucks I’m not complaining. The next day we decided to re-anchor in front of Volley Ball Beach so we wouldn’t have as far to go in the dinghy. View from the boat looking at Volley Ball Beach and Chat & Chill Bar We heard that regulation volley ball started at 1 and fun volley ball was at 2:30. Dirk was hoping to get in on the regulation game and went a little early to see what it would take. One of the guys set out and gave Dirk a chance to play which made him a very happy camper. He fit in well and ended up playing all the regulation games. Once the “fun” volley ball started they wanted me to play but with my carpal tunnel in my wrist I dared not as I knew it would take one hit to cause me a world of hurt. Every day since, Dirk has been heading in to play with the guys and since he is an active type of person he is loving it. There is a bit of a community here with people that come here early in the season and stay in the same spot till it’s time to head back for hurricane season. Every day you see the same people which makes for getting to know people easier. On Sunday they have a pig roast which seemed to bring lots of folks out along with the beautiful weather. The water temp is now close to 80 which makes me a happy camper. We had lost track of Chris & Irina on m/v Auriga once they decided to head north a bit before heading south again so Dirk called them on the phone to make sure all was well. As it turned out they were about 3 miles from George Town and would be meeting up with us at the beach later that day so we could do a little catching up. From left to right is Irina, Dirk, myself, Ruth & Dan from Evensong onboard Auriga one evening

Dirk & Chris onboard Auriga

They will be here for a while along with us so we have some time yet together. We are looking at being in this area till the end of the month perhaps taking a trip here and there to other islands close by. Until then we will continue to relax and enjoy the George Town area. As a follow up on the Panasonic camera that got water inside. We called the company as the camera was still under warranty. We had done some research on the camera and realized many people had the same problems as us as the seals apparently fail and allow for water intrusion. Panasonic has since done away with that model and now have a newer model. We explained to Panasonic that our camera was under warranty but we had no way of shipping it back till we could get back stateside. Could they please make note of our conversation as the camera warranty was up in May and we wouldn’t return until June. We even asked if we could pay full price for the newer model as it fit a little more into what we wanted and once they received our camera back if at that time they could reimburse us for the difference. They were no help saying we had to get the camera back by the warranty date and that I would be receiving a refurbished camera as a replacement, even though they knew them to be faulty. Dirk asked if he could speak to someone in charge as the customer service person had no authority to make any decisions. They told him they would speak to a higher up and get back to us ASAP with an answer. Once we didn’t receive any email reply we decided enough was enough. We found someone to return the camera back to them and they could send the replacement to my sister’s home. They would however not be selling us a new camera now or in the future as we have decided Olympus would be the way to go. It just amazes us that especially these days companies still are so unwilling to work with you. We weren’t asking for anything for free and actually were willing to pay them more money but the reply we got when we finally did get a reply was there wasn’t anything they could do. Well there was something we could do, not buy Panasonic. Lucky for us we were in an area that we had internet and were able to do much online. There was a guy we met in Norman’s that we had dinner with one evening that was heading back to the states in order to take care of some business. He offered to bring the camera back with him in about a week if we had it shipped to his home. That’s yet another reason this lifestyle is great, you can meet someone for the first time and in an hour trust them enough to accept cameras for you and know you will see them again. Many many thanks goes out to Peter on M/Y Journey for accepting the camera and other assorted items we requested my sister send him. If there is anything we can do for you let us know. Also our friends on Auriga had visitors with them and John agreed to take the defective camera with him back to the states and get it sent in before our warranty is up. We owe him many many thanks also as he refused to take any money for his troubles. I’m sure we will see you again and hope to repay you one day. As for my sister Kathy, I don’t think I thank her enough for everything she does for Dirk & I. She handles so many things for us, all with her hectic life she has. Thank You…… So now I am once again with camera. It’s taking a little time to get use to it but I think I will like it. We ended up getting the Olympus Stylus Tough-8010. Has 14 mega pixels, HD movie taking, and can be taken 33 feet under water. Hoping to be showing some nice underwater shots soon. So until next time we will be hanging around here in George Town until the end of the month at which time Dirk’s mom is suppose to fly in for a visit. It’s nice to just relax and do day to day as it happens and with so many activities going on it can actually get hectic. So let me get to it…..

Exumas Part 2

After my camera bit the bullet, we went ahead and snorkeled the plane for a bit. Why give up the opportunity to do so and besides Dirk had his video camera to capture some stuff. It was as we had left it last year with the fish being as active and curious as before. We piled back in the dinghy after we were done and headed back to the boat but were distracted and stopped by the sailboat Triumph as Dirk saw he had a wetsuit on and just getting back from a possible hunting trip. As they were talking another dinghy pulled up that knew them, before long we decided to all head into the Norman’s Cay Beach Club, formally McDuff’s for dinner. Before long we were joined by Bob & Ginny from The Abby who we were anchored with in Highborne Cay. We spent the evening getting to know each other over a wonderful dinner and cocktails. Soon it was getting late and we made the trek back across the island to our awaiting dinghy’s and headed home. We waited out the blow in Normans without much excitement. I think only one boat drug but it was caught early and they re-anchored without any problems. The next couple days we traveled to Shroud Cay, Hawksbill Cay, and Warderick Wells in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. This is a no take zone which means no fishing, no conching, and no shelling. The fish and lobster know this and don’t seem at all intimidated or startled by human presence. In Warderick we climbed up to Boo Boo Hill again to update our sign we had left last year with the latest date of visit. We knew it was there as some of our friends further north than us mentioned they had seen it. We found it rather quickly even though it had faded writing and had been moved.

Here is the way we found our sign from last year

I set about going over the writing to darken it up and added our March 15th visit date.

Here I am with part of the signs atop Boo Boo Hill

We found a nice spot to perch it and then took the time to look for our last year’s buddy boats sign s/v Soverign Swan. We found hers also and placed her high atop the pile in a deserving spot. Last year Soverign Swan was destroyed in a marina fire not long after returning to the states. We still remember the good times spent on her with Dawn & Harvey wishing they could be here enjoying the Exumas once again with us. Here is a shot of the mooring field from Boo Boo Hill

After we left Warderick we headed back out to Compass Cay which is basically the first island outside the park. Aaaahh, Dirk was able to hunt once again. Our friends, Irena & Chris from the m/v Auriga were pulling into the anchorage right before us. If you remember, they are a couple we met in Spanish Wells along with s/v Evensong. We had not seen them since, and it was nice to catch up with them finally. The guys were able to hunt and it gave me the time to get some boat chores done. We stayed in Compass for two additional days together before we headed to Staniel Cay on Friday. Stainel is a nice area to anchor around and with an airstrip there it’s a popular pick up and drop off spot for friends and family flying in and out. Auriga opted to go futher south as we anchored at Big Majors Spot which is right around the corner from Staniel. The anchorage had about 60 boats in it and many of them very large motor vessels as the following evening was a big James Bond Party. Anyone having seen the movie Thunderball has seen the area we are in. There is the Thunderball grotto that you can swim and snorkel in with hundreds of fish flocking around as people normally take a bite for them to eat. Around the corner in Big Majors Spot is the “Pig Beach” where the pigs are fed by cruisers scraps and will swim out to greet you on the way in. Our plan was to stay for a couple days as a cold front was suppose to push through bringing with it winds in the 20 to 25 knot range with gust up to 30. s/v Evensong and m/v Auriga were to meet up with us as we were discussing heading over to the Bond party on Saturday. On Saturday Evensong arrived and anchored right next to us. Auriga radioed and said they were staying in Black Point for that evening and would catch up with us the next day. Dirk & I had gone into the Yacht club to check some e-mails and grab lunch, on the way back about 3pm we saw Evensong and stopped by to see what the plan for the evening was. Well one thing led to another, Kaliks were consumed, Ruth made everyone omelets for dinner and we talked well into the evening meeting and having fun with their guest Cindy and Gary that were in visiting. We never did make it to the Bond party but we had front row seats to a fabulous show by the very bright and big full moon. The following day Auriga showed up and we had a couple days to have a reunion. On the 23rd we finally left Staniel and headed south . This would be new to us as last year our furthest point south was Staniel. We made tracks on the outside so as Dirk could throw the lines out and troll. As we left the cut something hit and as Dirk pulled it in he knew it was something small as it wasn’t fighting. As we got it to the boat we realized why. A shark must have attacked him as there was only a head and some entrails on the line. Poor guy…. The only other thing caught that day was a barracuda or two and they got tossed back in. We had heard of Black Point as a great and one of the very few places to do laundry in this stretch of the Exumas. There is also Lorraine’s Café that you always hear cruisers speak of. Auriga joined us in Black Point as Evensong stayed in Staniel one more day due to some bad fuel they had gotten. They would rejoin us the following day after polishing their fuel to clean it. We spent 3 days in Black Point doing laundry, grabbing a few fresh items at the grocery store and eating a Lorraine’s a couple times. Dirk & Chris decided to try their luck lobstering but only small ones were seen. The season was getting short and Dirk was anxious to move on to more promising waters. On Saturday the 26th we decided to move on down to Little Galliot Cay as it looked like a nice anchorage. We threw down the hook and took off in the dinghy for what looked like some promising reefs. I putted around while waiting on Dirk to check out the reef, see it wasn’t anything special then move on. We saw a nice bit of beach near some rocks so I decided to beach comb while Dirk hunted. I spent about an hour walking the beach finding small things here and there, nothing special, but the beach was beautiful and I had it all to myself even taking a few dips in the water which is now getting to a forgiving temperature. I hate cold water…When Dirk came to pick me back up I noticed he had a few antenna sticking out of the bucket. Yea, he had success and he was a happy camper. He proudly showed me his 6 in tail he had gotten, then the lobster with the 8 in tail and when I thought he was done he lifted his fins off of a monster he had hiding in the bottom of the dinghy. Holy cow….I knew my husband was incredibly proud of this baby and photo opps were a must. When we got back to the boat he tried and tried to hail Auriga or Evensong on the radio to tell of his good fortune. Auriga had gone back north to hit some spots missed before and Evensong had left for Emerald Bay to wait on crew to fly in to help them go to Puerto Rico. He was bursting to tell someone, anyone and there was no Internet either, could he survive? Well he managed and the next morning we took off for Rat Cay. Once again as soon as the anchor was set we hit the dinghy and the reefs but today instead of lobster he managed to spear a nice hog fish and a beautiful yet tasty queen trigger fish. On the way back in he picked up 4 conch. Thank goodness he was getting all this fish and lobster as our food stores for meat is nonexistent unless you want to count the pack of hot dogs and chicken legs stowed in the freezer. We were to move onto Emerald Bay Marina the next day as that is where Evensong had gone and we heard very nice things about it from cruisers heading north. As we pulled into the cut we saw very nice floating docks and were directed to our slip where there was someone there to assist with lines. Once tied up we were given a folder with marina and resort information. Dirk was given a quick once over of this way to the grocery, that way to showers, and there is the office, etc. etc. etc. We got the boat settled and headed up to take a look around. Wow, what a grand marina with a lounge outfitted with 2 huge flat screen TV’s, and a pool table. Downstairs was the free laundry and the very nice shower that all you needed to bring was a change of clothes and a towel. All your soaps, shaving creams, conditioners, lotions, mouthwash and even sunscreen was provided. Wow, guess we have been living on a boat too long, this was sweeeeet. So since I have a free Internet signal I will close for now and get this posted. We will move onto George Town tomorrow and I hear that we can get Internet there fairly easy, we shall see.

Exumas part 1

We awoke on the 8th of March to motionless boat which meant the winds were calm. Today was Dirk’s Birthday and we were really hoping that today would be the day to catch a nice tuna or Mahi Mahi for a well deserved present. At 7:02 we were under way putting the mainsail up in hopes to get a little push from that. As soon as we hit the deeper waters of the Atlantic Dirk put the lines out and we sat back for the waiting game to begin. The winds were light and the seas were so calm in fact that I was able to go below and make a key lime birthday pie for Dirk. Afterward I sat back in the cockpit and read a book which in even moderate conditions I can’t do, due to feeling ill while my eyes are glued to the pages. I got through several chapters with no problems, served lunch and cleaned up the boat some. All the while Dirk sat in the cockpit waiting for the elusive fish. As we were nearing the Exuma Banks the winds and sea conditions started to deteriorate as predicted by Chris Parker, the weather guru. It wasn’t bad but it was beginning to pick up. As Dirk wanted to get the most fishing out of the drop off area we had aimed north of the Highborne cut channel where we would then turn south and ride the ridge down. Basically the banks are very shallow and they drop off very quickly to well over 1000 feet. It seems the best luck we have had is to travel right along the drop off so we did but then that put the winds and waves onto our beam. (Hitting us from the side) This makes for an uncomfortable ride if the waves are of any size. Of course this is the time that buuuuuuuuuuuuzzzzzzzzzzzzzz the reel on the left side of the boat starts screaming so I pull back on the rpms and just coast in forward gear and start pulling in the hand line on that side so as not to get the reel and that line tangled as Dirk gets the fish in. Next thing we hear is snap. That would be the clothes pin popping indicating there was a fish on the hand line on the other side of the boat. I’m racing around trying to get one line up and then run to the other side pulling in the other line hoping that another fish doesn’t decide to hit the reel we have on that side. Too many fish, not enough hands. As we pull them in, the one Dirk had on leaped out of the water and boy was he good size, unfortunately he decided it wasn’t a good day to die and shook the hook out and got away. To say the least Dirk was upset, but we still did have the one I was reeling in. We got him next to the boat and he was alive with neon blues and yellows, beautiful… Anyone who has never seen a Mahi Mahi in the water while it is excited and flashing is missing out. It’s amazing the intense colors and soon after landing them they turn very drab so photos have to be taken quickly. Unfortunately for us we were not to have any photo ops this day. When we got the fish alongside the boat Dirk was waiting to gaff it and couldn’t get low enough to do so as the fish was fighting for his life. One too many times of head shaking and the lure popped out and off he went. After a string of words I will choose not to write, the boat was silent, it was time to get to the cut and get anchored. We knew that Ruth & Dan from s/v Evensong would be in the anchorage as we had heard from them earlier in the day. We had not seen them since Spanish Wells and were planning on meeting up with them tonight. We made it through the cut and turned right into the north anchorage pulling behind Evensong and dropping the hook in sand so soft it swallowed it up. We settled the boat in and got cleaned up then headed over to Evensong for cocktails. I brought the birthday pie as I thought the more the merrier to celebrate and once they found out it was Dirk’s Birthday Ruth was kind enough to pull some Mahi steaks out of the freezer to throw on the grill. While catching up with them over drinks and conch salad we traded stories and related today's fishing mis adventure. Dinner was served with yellow rice and was outstanding, thanks goes to Ruth and Dan for being so kind. We broke the key lime pie out and Ruth decided that it should be served with some of their fine sipping rum. Uuuummmmm. The winds were out of the east and the the waves and surge made for a very rolly evening for everyone. Well everyone with the exception of the boat, well 95 foot yacht s/v Windcrest that anchored next to us. It made the 45 foot s/v The Abby look like a dinghy. Must be nice to have the crew sail your vessel, maintain it, and your chef preparing meals but would I want to cruise like that all the time? I don’t think so, as most of what cruising is all about is the hands on kinda stuff. All the mishaps one makes. Try changing oil in a rolly anchorage without making a mess, hell for that matter try rolling out of bed on a rolly evening without binging off every bulkhead on the way to the head. Then when you get there, bracing yourself on the wall in front of you as not to fall off the toilet. Who would give that up? Who would want to……The next day Evensong headed back south to Warderwick Wells and we were going to stay put so that we could dinghy up to Allens Cay and see the iguanas. It was a wet and hard ride up to Allens as one must cross over the cut and are subject to the full force of Mother Nature but as soon as we tucked in behind the island and into the cove, the winds died and the water flat. We beached the dingy and by the time we had our feet on the beach the iguanas were headed out to greet us. The iguanas in Allens are the only ones left like them and they remind me of little dinosaurs running amuck.

I laid my bag down on the beach and they ran over to it to see if I had any tasty treasures for them tucked insideHere is the dinghy in the cove at Allens

After visiting with them a bit we headed off from reef to reef with the looky bucket to see what we could see. A looky bucket to us and many others is a must have while cruising as it makes one’s life so much easier. It’s basically a five gallon bucket with the bottom cut out and replaced with plexi glass. It’s great for checking your anchor to make sure your set or to look for conch if you don’t want to jump in. If you’re just puttering around looking at reefs it’s a good way to stay dry yet see the wildlife. We did stop on the way back to the boat at a promising reef and Dirk did manage to snag a small black grouper. After a very bumpy wet ride back we made it back to the boat and called it a day. The following morning we were planning on heading to Normans Cay but first we needed to hit the Highborne Cay marina for water as it would be the last place we could get it for a while and while we were there we topped off fuel even though we really didn’t need it but we have been hearing of places out of fuel so we better get it when we can. Diesel was $4.88 which I didn’t think was bad at all considering, and water has gone up to .50 cents a gallon. When Dirk went inside to pay he checked out the prices of some food items and spotted individually wrapped red bell peppers for $10.90 per pepper, greens ones $5 .80 per pepper. Yes folks you read that right, $10.90 per red bell pepper. I told him at least it ought to have a bow on it. Geeeze, I think we will just have to run out and do without. Our plan was to run down the outside to Normans cut and anchor inside the cut as the winds were due to be coming from the north and this was pretty much the only protected place there to go. We left the marina and headed toward the Atlantic, fishing lines and poles at the ready and once we got to deeper water Dirk put them in for what we were hoping would be the day to catch a fish. We weren’t far from the cut when Dirk was just getting the words “I don’t guess we’re going to get any fish today” out of his mouth when snap, the hand line on the starboard side went off. Dirk ran to start pulling it in as I put the boat in idle and this time grabbed the gaff and the net, this one wasn’t getting away if we had anything to do with it. Dirk got it up to the boat as I was attempting to get the Mahi Mahi into the net, he wasn’t cooperating. Each time I would try to work the net around him he would thrash. Finally after many attempts I got the net over him and had him hauled over the side where at that point it was Dirk’s job to keep him still. I ran for the spray bottle of brandy we keep in the cockpit for this reason. It’s used to spray in the fishes gills and it sedates them and sends them onto bluer waters quickly. Dangit, it had been so long since we had trolled that I had forgotten to refill the bottle and it had evaporated, next line of defense was to grab the fish club and I handed it to Dirk as I quickly left the scene. This is the part I don’t like to see or hear so I walked back to the cockpit with fingers in ears and all I’m hearing is whack, whack, whack, the damn fish will not stop thrashing, so I run downstairs grab the bottle of Brandy hand it to Dirk and tell him just to pour it in his mouth, I don’t care, just do it. He takes a big mouthful and spits it into the gills, I have never seen a fish fight so much but finally he succumbed and we could continue on.
It took a while for Dirk to get the mess of hand lines untangled and back out but not too much fuss later and the lines were set. Dirk than set about the task of cleaning the fish, as we do not have the ability to throw it in an ice chest full of ice and deal with it later. We still had a bit to go and we couldn’t let the fish sit in the sun till then. He measured the fish at 40 inches long, not too shabby if I have to say and it was a bit too long for the cleaning station on the rail so he began to deal with it on the side deck. We were just outside of our way point, the point at which we were to turn and go into the cut, when snap, snap, both hand lines popped at the same time. Dirk began the task of pulling in his side and I mine. I didn’t have any gloves on and pulling in this fish on a hand line was a bit unnerving. All he needed to do was take off running and I was going to have some nasty cuts on my hand. There were the bloody ones that Dirk had on with the last fish but I couldn’t be picky, I threw one on and continued on. I got the Mahi close to the boat and waited on Dirk to get his in so that he might help me with mine. As his got close to the boat a few thrashings and it was gone, I still had mine though and as I held him close Dirk was able to gaff him and get him on board. After the first fish I had decided to refill the brandy bottle and good thing. We sprayed him in the gills and he settled into his final sleep without much of a fight. Dirk measured him and he was 41 inches long, yeah us….
So now we had one fish on the cleaning station with his cleaning just begun and we had another on the starboard deck, we were at our way point in which it was time to turn into Normans Cay. There is a maze of coral heads one much be watchful of so we pulled in the rest of the lines in, put the fish under sheets in the shade of the cockpit to get them out of the heat and sun and headed in. As soon as we got in the channel we pulled to the side inside the cut and threw the anchor out. We would find a final anchor spot as soon as we got the fish taken care of. We hated the thought of them sitting out for too long, so while Dirk set about the task of cleaning fish I set about the task of cleaning the decks from what looked like a murder had taken place. It took me about an hour to get the dried, congealed blood scrubbed from the deck and cabin top. I’m sure there are spots I missed but hopefully come the next rain it will wash it off, if it ever rains. It’s been a very dry cruising season thus far for us. After the fish were filleted, vacuum sealed and put into the freezer we decided to move further to the west and re anchor in a bit deeper water. The anchorage was filling up quickly as there was to be some northern winds blowing through and this was one of the few places close by to go. Once the boat was settled we decided it was early enough to snorkel the plane submerged there. The history of Normans Cay is interesting and the plane was apparently a drug plane that went down there. It has since become a great place to snorkel as the fish are very thick. Last year I had ruined my digital camera in Spanish Wells when our dinghy almost capsized as we were approaching a beach, I learned and purchased a shockproof and waterproof camera. I have really enjoyed the camera and it took beautiful photos above and below water. I jumped into the water to begin snorkeling when the camera flashed twice. I thought I might have accidentally hit something and tried turning it on again, it flashed twice again and went off. Hummmmm, Dirk took it back to the dinghy and opened it up, it had water in the battery compartment…..Long story, my digital camera has given up the ghost and it is less than a year old. Now the fun is to begin of trying to get the old camera back to Panasonic and order in a new camera all when there are no post offices around. Stay tuned for how that all worked out as well as our continued travels. One must post the blog when you get the chance and my chance is now. Till later….

Eleuthera

We had arrived in Spanish Wells on the 23rd of February and picked up one of the two remaining mooring balls that Bandit the Harbor master had available. Apparently he was a hot commodity as daily the radio would buzz with people hoping to perhaps be the first to grab one if someone would leave. Each morning just like clockwork Bandit would come by at 7::30 and knock on your boat to collect the night’s fees of $15.00. He would usually chat a bit and Dirk chatted about fishing & lobster trying to pull some local fishing knowledge out of him. Not much luck was had but he would keep trying. We finally decided to be smart and pay him for a day in advance; perhaps we could sleep in tomorrow. The next morning, rap, rap, rap, “Good Morning” I peeked out the port hole and said “Didn’t we pay you for two days yesterday?” He agreed we had but “He just thought we would be awake so he stopped by to talk” At this point we had been on the mooring for 5 days and perhaps he felt we had earned some information as he let Dirk in on some spots to lobster. Enough said….Before Bandit was finished making his rounds Dirk had the dinghy loaded and was ready to go. A couple hours later we returned to the boat with 4 lobsters. One of which was the 2nd largest caught by Dirk. Thanks Bandit…. 3 spiny lobster, 1 slipper lobster, and 1 conch was the days haul

While in Spanish Wells we met two new cruising couples, Dan & Ruth from s/v Evensong a beautiful large Catamaran and Chris & Irina from m/v Auriga, a huge trawler. The first evening we met Evensong and got to know each other over sun downers in their very large cockpit. The following evening Auriga came in so we had both couples over to Tybee Time and her cozy cockpit. Evensong provided a fresh conch salad, Auriga a nice chilled bean soup and of course Dirk made up a large batch of conch fritters. One really great thing I like about cruising is the fact you can meet a total stranger, yet feel comfortable enough to invite them for cocktails usually all within a few minutes after meeting them. Everyone has a different story to tell yet at this time we are all writing on the same page. It doesn’t matter how big and fancy ones boat is, how much money one may or may not have but the willingness to learn from each other as we all have the same desire. To grab life and squeeze every last bit of living you can get from it. Have I mentioned before, I love this life?

On Monday the 28th we decided it was time to go so we slipped off the mooring, stopped at Pinder’s market for fuel & water and then we were off. As we pulled away from the dock one of our bumpers came off the lifeline and slipped into the water. Dangit, not so easy just to swing the boat around and pick it up so Dirk slowed back, I took the helm as he jumped into the dinghy, untied it, put the motor down and sped off to retrieve it as I puttered on down the harbor. Soon enough he was back with the bumper on board, Ah….that’s about $40.00 bucks he just saved us. We headed down to current cut and anchored by the beach along with 3 other boats to wait on tide change so we would have the least amount of trouble getting through the cut. It’s not called current cut for no reason. If you don’t time it correctly you can get yourself into trouble as the current sweeping through there can rip. Power boats have an easier time as they have the ability to power through if the current is against them. Sailboats on the other hand just don’t have the ability so we have to wait. Once we made it to the other side we made tracks to Hatchet Bay. We really enjoyed this place last year and the government has about 10 free mooring balls to tie up to as holding in the “pond” as they call it is less than desirable. You may have to provide your own rope as ours came only with the mooring ball and a shackle on top. As Dirk lay on the front of the boat next to the anchor, line in hand, I maneuvered the boat to the ball as he reached down and fed the line through. Wow, first try…As soon as we tied up the boat next to us s/v Katarina who had been travelling with us told us dinner was at six as they had caught a snapper on the trip today. Like I said before, what a great life. At six, us and the other boat that had made the trip to Hatchet all met for sun downers and a wonderful dinner of snapper on the grill, and rosemary potatoes. After a couple bottles of wine we all said our goodbyes and headed home. Sleep came easy as it had been a long day. The two other boats took off the next day to head further south but we elected to stay for a couple more days and wait out the weather we had coming. I knew there was someplace to do laundry and a small market to replenish our fresh veggies at so it would be a productive stop. Last year here for us also scored us lots of pretty sea glass so of course we had to hit the beach. Its quiet a hike across the island down a semi paved road that turns into a dirt road, past the animals grazing at large, which then turns into a path which then turns into, well you get the idea, its a long hike.

We found several nice pieces but it wasn't the jack pot of a beach as it was last year. Oh well, I still scored some nice ones. As we headed back to the dinghy we stopped by Francis & Gina's place, The Front Porch to have a beer. We had met the couple last year and they were great so we wanted to stop in and say hello again this year. They remembered Dirk, said he had that face...We decided to make reservations for dinner the following evening as they will cook whatever it is you want or you can order from a standard menu. We arrived at 6:30 electing to sit on the porch overlooking the bay where a nice table had been set for us. Apparently we were the only dinner patrons for the night, nice....We started off with a Kalik (beer of the Bahamas) while our dinner was being prepared. Dirk had ordered the T-bone and I the chicken. Francis asked how I wanted it prepared and I said " just do what you do". Our salads came out and as everyone that cruises the Bahamas knows, you don't get much fresh produce and greens here. I don't know how, but the salad was made up of several greens and tasted so incredibly fresh. Some of which we saw him picking fresh from his small herb garden. Dinner was served along with incredible broccoli and carrots and to die for rosemary potatoes. Dirk's steak was cooked raw to perfection like he likes it and my plate arrived with an entire half of chicken spilling over the sides. Doesn't look like I will be going hungry tonight. Everything was so incredible we couldn't or didn't want to speak as we were too busy enjoying every bite. After our plates were cleaned we elected to indulge and have dessert which for the evening was homemade cheesecake ice cream atop a homemade mango glaze and covered in a berry reduction sauce. Ummmmm Ummmmm Ummmm we think we are in heaven. All in all we both agreed that this was a five star meal and the best we had ever had. Kudos to Francis & Gina from The Front Porch, if you are ever on Eleuthera it will be well worth the trip to see them. You will not be let down.

The Front Porch from our bow

After six days we decided it was time to make the 15 mile run down to Governors Harbour. Last year when we were here it took us about an hour to anchor the boat as you may find a sandy spot but to get your hook to set is another story. Even the cruising guides note the poor holding as there is about 4 inches of sand covering what they call marl? which is a hard surface your anchor will just slide around on. Not good if you have any notable winds. There are moorings in the anchorage which are government owned but chances of locating them due to nothing being above water is slim to none. As Dirk was in the Dinghy with the looky bucket searching for the concrete block under the water he spied a floating bottle and went to investigate. Lo & Behold someone had attached a bottle to the line thus giving us a way to pick it up without having to dive under to place a line ourselves. Later that evening we are on the Internet and a fellow boater who is now in George Town asked us if the buoy he attached to the mooring was still there. Ha, lucky us, Thanks Chris. We were the only boat besides the locals in the harbor so it made for a quiet evening. The only sounds waking us were the roosters in the early morning hours. The following morning found us making our way to Rock Sound where we were to stage for the crossing to the Exumas the following morning. It was a calm afternoon as we pulled in, the water looking like glass. Dirk headed into town to score some last minute veggies and some fuel for the crossing. Later he came back and said he spotted a restaurant and we would go in for a bite to eat. We got cleaned up and headed into the dinghy dock not having any problems finding a seat as we were the only patrons we selected a table overlooking the harbor and had a wonderful meal along with some Kalik's.

Here is a shot taken from our dining table

Tybee Time against the sunset as we headed home.

The next morning we headed out to Highborne Cay Exuma and that reader is where I will leave off until I am lucky enough to get working Internet once again.

Here, There, and Everywhere

We returned to Marsh Harbor once the winds decided they weren’t calming down at Man O War and ended up spending a week at anchor there. We took the opportunity to enjoy Valentine’s day at Snappa’s with a meal I didn’t have to cook and enjoyed the sunset casting a beautiful glow on the harbor as we listened to a local artist belt out songs we knew all the words to. There was some final laundry and provisioning to do the following day in preparation of leaving, and on the 17th we topped off of the fuel and water tanks and headed out. We anchored up on the outside of Hope Town so that we could make the run at high tide down to Tahiti Beach the next morning. We had spoken with Kathy & Earl aboard s/v Seeker about the possibility of them coming over to anchor with us so Dirk could take them out to teach them the correct ways of conch trolling as I think they misunderstood just a wee bit our instructions before. So as not to have Earl end up missing fingers or having prop marks on his forehead Dirk explained that one needs a rope longer than 2 feet tied to the back of the dinghy while trolling with a person in tow. It was a successful trip and the guys came back with dinner in the boat. A quick lesson on cleaning and Seeker took off to make it to Man O War for the night as Dirk & I settled into a quiet evening.

Almost a full moon on our anchorage

The next morning we were joined by Ace & Suzie from s/v Ace’s Wild which are also from Panama City FL. We were all planning on attending the Cracker P’s full moon party that evening so we anchored up at Tahiti beach which is a short dinghy ride across from Lubbers Quarters. Once we dropped the hook at Tahiti we made a bee line for the beach to enjoy yet another beautiful day full of sunshine. First order of business was for Dirk to climb a coconut tree, retrieve two green coconuts and make us a coconut and rum cocktail. Rum in a fresh coconut and Tybee Time at anchor behind

After all it was 5 O’clock somewhere. We ended up playing several games of beach Bocce ball which I had never played before but turns out I really enjoyed. A bit of beach combing, and then back to the boat to clean up so we could make it in time for sun downers at Ace’s Wild. We were joined by Jose’ & Bill from Caper who would end up travelling with us for a couple days along with Ace’s Wild and Big Toot. At about 7 we climbed in the dinghy and headed in to Cracker P’s, but first we made a stop at Hobbs and Heidi’s boat m/v Big Toot. We met them last year and had a blast with them so it was nice to meet up with them again. A bit of time getting reacquainted while the full moon rose and it was off to Cracker P’s for what promised to be a good evening. Ace, Suzie and us having a great time

The following morning my aching head told me that we indeed had a good time. There were places to go and things to see so we pulled Tybee Times anchor and headed to Snake Cay followed by Ace’s Wild, Caper, and Big Toot. We were here last year and the entrance to the dinghy trail has a fairly deep hole where spotted eagle rays like to fly around gracefully and feed. We arrived right as the tide was going out and the current was pretty rough but we found if you stayed close to the wall you could swim upstream than drift back, cross over and do it again and again. We didn’t see as many rays as last year but we did manage to see lots of sea life and it made for a great snorkel. one heck of a starfish found by Dirk

A pretty big Lion fish I spotted

The only photo I managed to get of the Eagle Ray

Snake Cay is a nice day anchorage but not so good for the evening because the holding isn’t that great so after the snorkel and dinghy ride through the marsh we headed back to our boats, pulled anchor and sailed across the bay to Tiloo Cay where it was just us four boats in the anchorage. We decided that happy hour would be on Big Toot because they were the only one that had a boat big enough to hold everyone. We all contributed a bit of food and we had a wonderful spread to choose from.

I love sun downer parties

Lots of great conversation led into lots of jokes and eventually led us to playing charades. Some very hard things were played but yet we managed to get them all and the game ended up in a tie. We women showed the men that we couldn’t be beat. We soon found it late and we all soon departed and headed back to our own boats. Tybee Time as the sun went down behind her

The following morning we picked up anchor and headed even further south to Lynyard Cay which is the jump off point for the crossing to Eleuthera. Thanks to Ace's Wild for snapping this great photo of Tybee Time under sail.

We were due to have up to 20 knot winds so Big Toot headed on in to Little Harbor but due to the tides and knowing that we could not get in we elected to stay on the Outside. Dirk, Ace, Bill & Suzie ended up going conching as Jose’ & I decided we wanted beach time. Several hours later they returned with their limit each. It was a good day not to be a conch. Conch trolling, the art of pulling people behind the dinghy to cover lots more ground while looking for conch.

After what seemed to be forever the men returned from cleaning the conch at the beach. Of course a lesson on how to make fritters and conch salad was taken and a nice meal was had. The following morning we pulled anchor in order to make it into Little Harbor on high tide and settled onto a mooring ball right in front of Pete’s Pub.

A bit of cleaning up, and it was off to enjoy a wonderful lunch and to partake in Pete’s signature drink the Blaster. The saying along with the drink name is “Why walk when you can crawl” That about sums that up. After lunch we took a stroll on the beach as it was nearing low tide and I scored several pieces of very nice sea glass which I have been practicing turning into jewelry.

Some pendents for necklaces above

Above is the prized piece of glass that Dirk found for me last year in Hatchet Bay that I turned into a necklace.

Later on we were invited to have dinner aboard Ace’s Wild and Ace said to wear something pirate related as that was the theme. If we didn’t have anything he would hook us up. Well since we have been cruising I have had pirate costumes stashed under the v-berth and so it was time to knock the dust off of them and put them to use. We arrived to dinner with our knives drawn and ready to collect our booty.

It was a fun evening yet again eating our fill. Thanks go to Ace & Suzie for a great meal and conversation.

Of course pirates bring their own conch horns for the evening

The next morning it was time to say good bye as we were heading back to Lynyard Cay and Ace's Wild to Hope Town. What a great fun filled week it had been but it was time to move south and tomorrow seemed the day to do it. Apparently everyone else thought so too as there were about 20 boats in the anchorage. Dirk hit the reefs that afternoon and returned home with 1 lobster and one mangrove snapper and after cleaning the catch we hit the beach for some beach combing and returned home with a nice selection of sea glass. We had an early dinner,watched a video, and turned in early as it would be an early departure for us the following day. Up at 5:30 and having pulled anchor we were underway at 6:02 along with 6 other boats taking off at the same time. Once we all made it out the pass we all settled into our own routines, setting sails and kicked back to enjoy the perfect crossing that it appeared we were going to get. We heard on the radio from the boat in front of us that they had spotted whales off their starboard side so of course we scamper about to see if we can also spot them. There ahead off to the right we indeed saw the spray from the blow holes and once I could get a better look I sorted through my books and think that they were dwarf sperm whales as they can be found in the Abacos quite a bit according to the cruising guide. We weren’t able to get close up to them and wouldn’t dare to anyway. I have seen the video where the whale crashes on deck of the sail boat. No thanks…..It was however our first whale sighting and was cool to see. It was a totally wonderful day with what worked out to be a beautiful sail the whole way with only a few minor adjustments to the sails. Once we started to hit the shallow water of Eleuthera Dirk finally got a hit on one of his four fishing lines he had out and pulled in a small Bonito. He got tossed back and and before Dirk could get all the line out again he got another hit which turned out to be a small shark.It took us a while, but we managed to get him off the line and back into the water without injury to anyone. I didn’t realize sharks went for lures but maybe this one struck before he thought too much. By the time we got him back in the water it was time to pull the lines in as we would be making our turn at Egg Island and into Eleuthera. Nine hours after we started we had arrived. A few of the other boat broke off and headed into Royal Island but us and one other continued onto Spanish Wells where we were to pick up a mooring ball. I'm glad we decided to continue on as Bandit, the mooring ball operator only had two balls left and we and the other boat got them. Sleep came early and easy that night and we awoke to beautiful skies, warm weather and are now anxious to continue south. We will be here for a couple days then head on down to Hatchet Bay. We enjoyed it there last year and are looking forward to going back. In the mean time we continue to meet lots of new cruisers and make new friends.

Island hopping and lobster hunting

On the 30th of January we finally left Green Turtle and headed towards the Whale. The whale is a area of the Abacos where one must exit into the Atlantic ocean for about 30 minutes only to veer back into the banks at Great Guana. Unless you have a very shallow draft vessel you don’t attempt the inside but there are several conditions that make the whale a place you want to wait for calm or calmer weather for as there are several reefs that one could get washed onto if not careful. Also if it is rough than it makes for an unpleasant ride. Hey were not here to win any races so we get there when we get there. On the day we picked to proceed through the whale it couldn’t be better, well it could have been if we would have gotten any kind of bite on the lines we threw out. Oh well, maybe on our way down to Eleuthera we may get lucky as there is really no fishing to be done on the banks due to it being so shallow. We ended up in the anchorage outside of Grabber’s,

Sunset from Grabbers beach

a local hangout for cruisers, put the hook down and headed up to Nipper’s for their Sunday pig roast. It’s another local hangout painted shades of pinks, blues, yellows,and greens overlooking the Atlantic with the beautiful shades of water the Bahamas are so famous for.

View from the top of Nippers

They also have the famous frozen Nipper that will soon make you want to get up and dance. No wonder these places are always so festive, the states need to take lessons from the Bahamians on how to make a drink. They definitely do not skimp on the good stuff…..So after partaking in the all you can eat pig roast we walked the beautiful white sand beach to try and walk a bit of it off before returning and having maybe a few too many of those frozen Nipper’s, They do sneak up on you….The next day we hung around the boat doing some neglected chores, I mean who wants to clean when paradise beckons…and later we took a long dinghy ride over to Spoil Cay,aka Shell Island and found several very nice shells.

On Tuesday Dirk was chomping at the bit to go hunting so we headed out to some reefs and he was more than happy to bag one. On Wednesday we were going to head to Marsh Harbor as we needed to do some re provisioning but not before Dirk took one more look at some promising reefs he had seen the day before. A few hours later he returned with 3 lobsters and a big grin,

he was happy and I was glad. We soon shoved off and made the uneventful trip into Marsh Harbor, set the hook down in almost the exact spot as last year and called it a day. I was surprised to find out that Marsh Harbor now has a new grocery store which upon entering made me feel like I was back in the states. I was so excited with only expectations of finding what I could and making due as is so often the case in the Bahamas. You get what you get and be happy you got it at all. Upon entering I saw every fruit and veggie one finds in the states but also some others that I had never seen before. I spent lots of time up and down the aisles looking at the stuff I was familiar with and daring to try some of the local products. I may be wrong but I think that some of the prices have actually gone down, yes I said down since last year when we were here and lots of the items were very compatible to prices back home. I bought a bag of coleslaw for $2.19 And a large 46oz size of pineapple juice for $ 2.59, a 2 liter of tonic water was $1.89, canned corn on special .79 cents a can and I got tostitoes for 1.99 a lg. bag. Usually chips run 6 to 7 dollars a bag here so we don’t eat them once we run out of what we brought with us. To top it off, no sales tax....Wow. So I stocked up on what I could and hit the liquor store on the way back. I learned last year that beer here is outrageous at about 46.00 a case, but liquor is cheaper than the states, even the name brands. We carry beer from the states where we can fit it in but once it’s gone, it’s gone. Laundry was done the following day and then we took off for the quaint island of Elbow Cay and Hope Town. We grabbed a mooring ball as there is no anchor room and settled ourselves in for a couple days. Super Bowl Sunday we headed out to do a little hunting at the reefs, I say we, Dirk does the hunting as I sit and sun in the dinghy reading or doing whatever. He was happy at the end of the day as he bagged 3 more lobster and 5 conchs. Back to the boat to clean the catch and then over to Harbors Edge Restaurant to watch the game. Neither of us had a favorite team as we really aren’t into football much but it was something to do for the evening. After the slightly disappointing half time show we went back to the boat and turned in early. Monday was a lazy day beach combing and later we had Carol & Dave from s/v Zydeco over for some fresh conch fritters. Carol and Dave use to be our dock neighbors several years ago in Panama City when we still owned our power boat before we saw the light of sailing. They have finally broken free to travel this year and we have run into them on every island we visit which is not unusual at all. You run into the same folks over and over again which makes this lifestyle great. The next day it was calm and Dirk wanted to try his luck again at the reefs taking a single hander along with him that had wanted to go. For those of you non sailors, that means someone travelling alone. I have to give those people credit for having the courage to leave the safety of their dock, travel across the Gulf Stream to explore and travel all by their selves. Normally it is men but on occasion you do find a woman. So Dirk took this guy John out to show him how to find lobster and conch. John didn’t find any but Dirk came back with the biggest one he has gotten so far. The tail alone measured a little over 9 inches. After many photos of his trophy he was vac u sealed and put in the freezer for later consumption.

Here is Butter's checking out Mr. Lobster

We can’t eat lobster every day now can we? So the following day we headed to Man O War with the idea of staying a couple days but Mother Nature had other plans. That evening the winds picked up and we had a pretty rolly night with no let up in the winds for a couple days in sight so it was back to Marsh Harbor to seek some shelter. We have been sitting here for about a week now planning our next move which should be tomorrow. Looks like we may head out of here and head to Tahiti Beach and perhaps Friday catch the Cracker P’s full moon party than make tracks to Little Harbor and wait for a window to head on down to Eleuthera. Once we arrive there the Internet will be less than grand so I will update when I can.