Crooked Island

Happy Easter Everyone! 

Weather is such a finicky thing.  Yesterday, was beautiful, clear and sunny.  Today, outside, the winds blew to gale force.  We had gusts in excess of 45 knots, which was totally unexpected.  The weather forecast was for winds of 15-20 knots, less than half of what we were actually experiencing.  Never trust the weatherman!  But luckily, we were well protected by the land and all we got was a slight chop to the waters.  Our anchor was well set and even though those winds tried desperately to blow us free, the anchor held firm.  But boy was it cold!  No way we were venturing out today.  Larry had gone out on deck to do an errand and quickly returned, shivering.  It could wait for a milder day!

So … we made it an inside chore day.  Larry got out my sewing machine and I spent the day sewing.  I made a body pillow for the bed … hopefully, this will help with my sore back that I still seem to have.  I also sewed non-skid to our rugs.  I tried to use the sewing machine for this task but was unsuccessful.  The fabric wouldn’t slide through the machine and I kept getting knots of thread.  I just couldn’t find the right tension.  With regret, I gave up and did it by hand.  Wow, big job!

Larry went through his to-do list and cleaned it up.  It’s still big but we’re making progress.  Nothing is critical but it’s good to see those non-critical things gradually come off.  And as we get new problems/projects, we’re trying to tackle them as they occur so the to-do list doesn’t grow.  For example, while we were sailing from Long to Crooked, we heard a horrendous BANG!  Larry rushed below to investigate.  One of our drawers (for our kitchen gadgets, etc) slid out and BANG, solidly hit the floor.  Instead of adding “fix drawer” to the to-do list, Larry got out a piece of wood, his 5-minute epoxy and added a stop to the bottom.  Now the drawer will not be able to move.  While he had the epoxy out, he did a couple of other little jobs that were on the list (like fastening the Velcro more securely to my jewelry box and epoxying a small clock out in the cockpit.  As the winds subsided slightly, he took the opportunity to sneak on deck and used the Baja filter and added fuel to top off our tank.  This filter allows him to filter the fuel for particles and water to keep the fuel in our tanks clean.  We will be doing this going forward before any fuel is added to our tanks.  There’s a lot of BAD gas/diesel out there in the smaller islands.  He also added BioBor, which is an additive to keep the fuel “fresh”. 

So, although it was a very cold and windy day, it was a good day. 

A funny thing happened this evening.  We were sitting in our cockpit (all alone) when we noticed a power-boat coming in.  We hadn’t seen a boat since we got here so were a little surprised.  He came very close to us and then hailed us on the radio.  They said they read in the cruising guide that the government dock had fuel.  Could we tell them where the government dock was?  They couldn’t find it.  Hah!!!  We pointed at the dilapidated dock that stretched out from the point of land before it fell into broken boards and pilings towards the sea floor.  We told them we went ashore today and the place was more than abandoned.  The crew on the power-boat was none to happy to hear this.  It turns out, they had traveled far out of their way to this “government dock” to get fuel.  Remember, we are in a very isolated area and there is nothing anyplace nearby.  They said they were critically low and would need to get fuel before they could even get back off the Bight, let alone very far out to sea.  Wow … I wouldn’t want to be them right now.  The one guy spent several hours this evening on his satellite phone.  We don’t know if they were able to find something, someplace but they anchored for the night and headed up the coast by 10am.    

Bight of Acklin

What a pleasant place to be.  We woke to such a peaceful, quiet anchorage and enjoyed coffee in the solitude of what is now our life.  It was awesome … but here are the drawbacks that made me say this was anti-climatic.  Cold!  It was very cool in the brisk breeze.  There was no way we could sit out on deck, it was too cold if we weren’t protected by the enclosure of the cockpit.  Green … the water had this green shade because of all the sea-grass.  It was very clear, but disappointingly green instead of the aqua blue we were hoping for.  Fish … we trawled two lines across the Bight and didn’t even have a nibble.  We thought this place would be laden with dinner!

But, putting those negatives aside, it was still an awesome experience and I’m glad we did it.  As is evident by the deserted anchorage, most people sail right past these islands and onto more populated areas. 

This morning, we took a dinghy ride along the coastline.  We went over to the government pier.  The 2013 cruising guide made this place seem like it was still an active pier but from the state of disrepair, I don’t think this pier has been used in years.  The book says you can get fuel at the dock … nope … the pumps were as old and rusted out as everything else in the area.  The buildings were shells of what they used to be … no windows or doors … floors rotted out.   There was supposed to be a “town” some place near the pier but we didn’t see anything.  I’m not complaining … this added to our solitude and made the anchorage all that much more peaceful. 

In the afternoon, we dinghied back over to the pier in hopes of catching dinner.  We were using the tuna and barracuda scraps from our “good day” fishing and were optimistic today would outdo our last success.  We knew the fish were down there.  We could see them.  They’d flitter around under our boat just to tease us but nothing took our bait.  They’re finicky little devils.  If they don’t want tuna … what the hell will entice them to our hook???

Feeling frustrated, Larry decided to try his hand at spear fishing.  He took me back to the boat, grabbed his snorkel gear and set out.  He was determined to bring back dinner.  Unfortunately, the water was COLD!!!  He tried to spearfish but the shivering probably made it difficult.  He was able to nab one little fellow but he was rather small.  He decided to use it for bait for our crab trap.

In the evening, while we watched the sunset, a pod of dolphins came to visit.  It was a group of maybe 10 or so and there were lots of BABIES!!!  So very cute!!!  Just made my day!

Crooked Island

What an awesome evening sail!  We left at 10pm last night and motor-sailed for about 1 hour to get out of the Clarencetown channel safely.  We sailed straight thru the night and started the motor again about 2 hours before we arrived at our next anchor point in Crooked Island.  Now that’s the way to travel … less than 3 hours engine use for a 10.5 hour trip and that includes maneuvering two unknown channels.  The sailing was so great, we could have gone farther but we really wanted to visit this area. 

The Acklin/Crooked island area is called an archipelago.  There are actually three islands (Long Cay – not Long Island where we just came from, but also known as Fortune Cay, - is kind of together with Crooked) that form a triangle around an atoll with the open side being a barrier reef.  The Bight of Acklin is the shallow waters that form the massive lagoon between the islands and the reef.  On the charts, it looks like this amazing place that should have everything we’re looking for from our cruising experience (clear and warm waters, good fishing/snorkeling, privacy, etc).  Surprisingly, it was a little anti-climatic. 

We anchored for a few hours just inside the “Bight” … rested, had a nice meal and recovered from the night of travel with no sleep.  By about 1pm, we were ready to head further onto the Bight.  The trip to the other side was about 20 miles.  We arrived in the Spring Point area (Camel Point) by 5pm and anchored relatively close to shore, quickly relaxing in the peaceful anchorage.  There was not another boat in sight.  The coastline was mostly undeveloped and we were alone!

 

Clarencetown, Long Island (Continued 03/28/2013)

 

I’m picking up where I left off on the last update (same day).  Earlier today, I was able to get Internet access at a beach bar at the Marina in Clarencetown and sent an update.  We’re having a drink to justify their “free” Internet.  Yum … I’m having a strawberry daiquiri!  Of course, its nothing like the ones in Nassau but still yummy.  We met a nice young couple from the boat anchored just in front of us.  They were so young … maybe early twenties at best.  Wow, it must be great to be able to do something like this at their young age.  But then again, if they do everything NOW, what do they have to look forward to as those golden years approach?

Sitting here having drinks, we noticed a manatee just below us in the crystal clear waters.  Wow … I thought it was amazing that we made it this far in our sailboat!  Did she come all the way from Florida too???  It’s funny, I never pictured manatees anyplace except the south-east coast of the US.  Very naive of me … I’m sure!  But this harbor sure has a lot of sea-life (sea turtles and manatees, in addition to the normal little fishies).

After drinks, we decided to take a walk into “town”.  You’ll notice this in quotes because it wasn’t much of anything.  These so called “towns” make those back home small towns look like metropolitans!  Other than the marina and a couple of restaurants, there really isn’t too much to this place.  But it’s quaint and a nice place to wait out weather … and the views are stunning! 

Giving up on ever finding the “town”, we walked across the point to the ocean side.  What a view!  Whoever said the Bahamas doesn’t have those beautiful turquoise waters like the Caribbean obviously never stood at this point and looked out to sea!  We watched a sailboat come thru the cut and later found out it was Megerin (the couple we’d met up with in Georgetown).  They anchored right next to us so we stopped by on our way back to our boat for a quick visit.  It turns out they also knew the couple on the boat in front of us (I forget their names).  They’d crossed paths with in during their stay in Rum Cay. Even though we’re cruising in a big world, it’s a very small place.

We headed back to Soulmatie around 7pm so we could take a nap.  Our plan is to head out tonight for the trip to the Crooked/Aklin Islands.  It didn’t leave us much time to sleep but as planned, we woke at 10pm, pulled anchor and headed out.  Since Megerin had just arrived, they planned on staying awhile so once again, we parted company.

The weather was great.  We had good winds and a slight chop to the ocean but nothing like there had been the past several days.  My prayers were answered.  It had calmed nicely. 

We were cruising down the coast of Long Island, all by ourselves, in the dark of night.  I had gone below for a few minutes when suddenly Larry yelled something like, “a boat is approaching us”.  What???  I had no idea what he meant but I quickly came out to the cockpit.  Off to our starboard side, I saw a bright, flickering light.  Even though we were along a barren coast, with no harbors since Clarencetown, there was some type of small boat coming directly at us, shining a spotlight at us.  Okay … so here goes my imagination … drug runners, pirates or maybe something really nasty.  We were all alone and feeling very vulnerable.  You won’t believe what happened.  A guy on a jet-ski pulled along side us.  He was yelling something at us but it was hard to get the entire story through the noise of motors, waves, his accent, etc.  He asked if we knew where the nearest port was.  Very strange!  He said he was from Puerto Rico on some expedition and if we could please call the next port and let them know he would be coming in.  Weird!!!  Did he actually bring the Jet-Ski from Puerto Rico???  If not, where did he come from and why was he out in the open ocean, on a Jet-Ski in the middle of the night, all by himself???  We pointed him in the right direction and off he went.

So … after that experience, Larry and I had a long talk.  I was a little put aside that Larry called me out to the cockpit and didn’t tell me to get our gun or anything.  Why have something to protect yourself from strangers in the night if it’s locked away someplace when those strangers approach?  Of course, I wouldn’t expect Larry to take the defensive until it was utterly necessary but he should have had it handy … just in case.  Next time (but hopefully there won’t be a next time) if a boat approaches us in the dark like that, I hope we react differently.

Where do you think??? Clarencetown still!

Late last night, we’d picked up another weather forecast on the SSB.  We knew it would be a little bit longer before it cleared enough for us to want to pull the hook and head out.  Actually, we were getting very anxious and each day delay seemed like torture.  We “wanted” to pull it days ago but common sense told us to stay put.  We’re in this adventure for the long haul and the more comfortable we can make it, the more we’ll enjoy it.  I think Larry is a little more restless than me.  I don’t mind the motion and we have a 10-12 hour sail ahead of us in open Atlantic waters.  I’d rather have a comfortable voyage than to push out into the heavy seas and toss and turn from dawn till dusk before we limp into the new anchorage.  That is, if we can even get into the anchorage.  Sometimes, if the seas are too rough, it is too dangerous to pick your way through the coral heads and into the protected anchorages.  So … you’re left being tossed at sea until it calms or blow by this destination and hope it settles before your next port of call.  I think I’ll stay put just a little longer, thank you very much!

The winds have calmed somewhat today.  They still gust over 30 knots occasionally but are maintaining in the low 20’s.  The problem for me is the seas are still high.  It was forecasted they should drop to 5-6 foot by today but the GPS is still showing them at 7.5 feet along our entire route to the next anchorage.  We usually see higher seas than forecasted because the forecast is based on the average of the highest 1/3 of the waves.    That means in 7-8 foot waves, you are likely to see some 9-10 foot waves also.  I’d prefer a little more settled waters for now.  Maybe as we gradually put Soulmatie through all the ups and downs of sailing and work out all the bugs, I’ll start to think of 7-8 foot waves as bath-water.  I wait for the day!  But until then, we’re still in paradise so why rush it???

We will watch the wave forecast and possibly leave late this evening for an overnight sail.  The moon is just past full and last night was amazingly bright and beautiful on the waters.  If we can get a clear night, with full moon, waves subsiding … I think we’ll go for it!  If not tonight, tomorrow should have mellowed enough to make the trip in somewhat comfort and safety.  Yippie!

I hope to get to town and see if we can get Internet so I can send this update.  I know it’s been awhile and I am trying really hard to keep everyone as updated as possible.  Hope all is well.

Clarencetown, Long Island

We woke early this morning, with hopeful plans to listen to the weather, get that weather window and head south.  NOT!!!  Larry got the 6:30 am weather forecast on the Single Side Band receiver and it wasn’t a pretty picture.  The seas had supposedly dropped from 8-10 feet to 7-8 feet.  However, the winds stilled howled over 30 knots on our wind meter.  And from the way the boat still tossed with each wave, the seas hadn’t calmed much.  We decided to be conservative and wait … and wait … and wait.  What was supposed to be an overnight stop here in Clarencetown is turning into a prison we can’t escape!

Larry made a loaf of bread in the bread machine.  It was a quick-rise white bread and took less than 2 hours.  However, it used 25 amp hours … that’s a lot of our battery bank reserve.  We used it on the inverter just to see how much it would actually consume.  We will not do that again except in extreme circumstances … you know, when you really need that fresh bread fix!  Actually, we brought the bread machine mostly because we figured when we run the generator, we can use the bread machine and it won’t cost us anything (in electricity).  The generator produces more than can be absorbed by the charging system so we can use the little luxuries like the bread machine, water maker and washing machine.  If we’re not running the generator, we probably won’t use any of these.  Today was just a test.  Also, Larry truly enjoys making bread from scratch, watching it rise and baking it either in the oven or on the BBQ.  He feels more of an accomplishment I think.

Sitting in one spot like this, trapped on the boat by waves and cold, we are able to just relax and do some of the stuff we haven’t had time for.  Larry has been anxious to play with his SSB radio to see what type of other weather options there are.  Today, he found several.  He was very excited. 

Clarencetown, Long Island

Well, the winds are still blowing 25-35 knots and the seas (outside of the harbor) are 8-10 foot.  We had planned on heading on today but after listening to the weather, we will stay put.  We woke this morning to a wall of black clouds approaching us over the island.  Within only a few minutes, the sky was completely gray … the sun had vanished.  You knew, without a doubt, the front was upon you. And it was cold!  We’re supposed to be in the tropics now.  No cold weather here … right?  NOT!!!

We basically just relaxed on the boat today.  There wasn’t too much we could do.  It was too wavy and cold to dinghy to shore.  Even the beach, which is only about 1/4 mile away was too far and cold to explore.  Yes, we are officially WHIMPS!

Hopefully, as the front passes, it will take this mess of weather and cold with it!

Clarencetown Harbor

We woke this morning to a total calm.  The winds were very mild.  We decided to take this opportunity and remove our headsail (the sail at the front of the boat).  We’ve noticed as we’ve been sailing, the seams are opening up on the bottom and side edges.  And the last couple of times we furled it up, there were green patches of the protective cover hanging loose.  We want to get it fixed (the green strip of protective cover, not the sail itself) before it is ruined beyond repair.

So … where do you get a sail mended in paradise?  Larry got out my sewing machine and took down the sail.  I sat out on the bow of the boat and sewed away as Larry fed me more sail area.  It was a big job.  As we looked closely at it, we realized almost the entire seams along the bottom and side were open.  I had to sew the complete thing (as if from scratch).  It took several hours but boy … what a relief to have that job done!

Larry dinghied into town to get fuel.  We only needed 11 gallons but better get it while it’s available and you know it’s clean fuel.  By the way, the cost of diesel here was $6.28/gal. 

On Larry’s way in/back from the fuel dock, he saw a bunch of sea turtles.  I had planned on staying on the boat but this was something I didn’t want to miss.  We dinghied over to the place where he’d seen them.  It was amazing.  There had to be at least 20-30, and the water is so clear, you can see them real well.  Larry talked to the guy at the fuel dock and the guy told him these live here … they see them all the time!  Cool!

After lunch, we decided to move over with the other boats.  The winds were supposed to turn northerly and the bay was completely open from the north.   Perhaps we can get a little protection from the island across the bay?

It seemed like the perfect little harborage.  We anchored quite close to shore in about 15 feet of water.  It was calm and peaceful.  That is, until the winds fully shifted and high tide was on us.  Then it was rock and roll … and I don’t mean the music!  The waves came in over the reef area and directly into the bay.  With each wave, all the boats would pitch and roll.  It probably looked worse than it was.  If we went down inside the boat, we hardly noticed it except for extreme waves.  But sitting high in the center cockpit of our boat and looking around, it was like being in a rocking chair and rocking vigorously.  All the boats were performing the same way … even a large catamaran that came in and anchored beside us.  I always pictured catamarans to sit calm and peaceful but in rolling seas like these, he had his own motion to tend with.  Granted, he has two hulls to quickly stead himself so the rolls aren’t as dramatic or extended.  But still … he moves more than I would have thought.

Clarencetown, Long Island

Our plans had always been to sail the east coast of Long Island down to Clarencetown before we head over to the Crooked/Aklin Islands.  Ray/Sandy wanted to take the side trip to Rum Cay.  We’d researched Rum and the shelter from weather is very limited.  There is a little harbor with a marina.  Rumor has it that the marina is going thru renovations and they let you dock up for free.  Sandy tried contacting the marina via phone (at the resort in Callabash Bay) and by Internet and VHF.  Nothing worked.  She got no response.  We were uncomfortable sailing the 35 or so miles to Rum, only to find out we had no protection from the weather, the marina wasn’t free or it was full.  We decided to stick to our original plans around the tip of Long Island and south to Clarencetown.  Ray/Sandy sailed off to Rum with Novia.  Novia didn’t plan to stop but continue on south from there into the Caribbean.  We said our goodbyes to Megerin and Novia and parted ways just off the tip of Long.  We hope to see them again in the bight of Aklins but only time will tell.

It was supposed to be south winds so we knew we would be motoring directly into it.  Megerin and Novia should have had a nice sail easterly to Rum.  However, the weather is never quite like it says and we could hear Sandy all morning complaining about the conditions … not what they’d forecasted, she kept repeating.  I guess they had a hard pass on it and weren’t any better off than us???  Our motor-sail was not as bad as we expected but still too close hauled to kill the engine and go by wind alone.

We trolled two lines behind the boat.  We hooked 7 fish in total but only 4 were brought on-board.  The other 3 got away before we could reel them in.  One was huge and broke the line, taking lure and hooks with him!  Of those 4 fish, two were barracudas.  We spared the life of one and set it free, our good deed of the day.  The other, wouldn’t survive with a big lure securely in mouth/gills, so we would use it for bait.  We also got 2 good-eaten fish.  The very first fish we caught was a nice size Little Tunnie.  We never thought to weigh him.  The last fish we caught was a Blackfin Tuna (6 lbs).  Once we were safely anchored in the bay at Clarencetown, Larry set to filleting dinner.  The catch netted us several lbs of premium tuna (after Larry carefully filleted them to my liking).  We always have a ton of scrap when Larry filets a fish.  Not because he doesn’t know how to do it better but because he knows only to keep the BEST of the fish for me or I’ll be turned off and not want to eat that kind of fish again.  I’m very fussy on my fishies.  We put most of the scraps into a container to use as bait.  Now, we just need a place to bottom fish so we can use the bait and catch MORE!!!  (On our way to Crooked/Acklins we will troll with strips of barracuda.)

Tonight we are nicely anchored just off town in Clarencetown, Long Island.  About 10 other boats are anchored the other side of the channel near a small island.  We are by ourselves.  Even though town is only about ½ mile away, it’s nice to feel alone after the mayhem of Georgetown.

And a side note … today we are officially in the tropics.  We have passed the Tropic of Cancer (the dividing line between the tropics and YOU) … ok, there’s a more technical description about the highest point the sun reaches or whatever but none of that matters when we’re sitting on our boat in paradise and can say … WE’VE MADE IT TO THE TROPICS!!!

Sail to Callabash Bay, Long Island

We woke early and listened to the weather.  It was still a go for leaving Georgetown.  We weaved our way thru the long channel on the south end of the harbor.  It’s several miles and you have to veer around shallows in several places so it takes a bit before you’re out in the open water again.  We had a beautiful sail and it was an amazing day … bright and sunny!  As we approached the waypoint (location we were heading to), we started the engine to let it warm up and to charge the batteries a bit before we dropped anchor.  We were about a mile or so out and the engine overheated.  This is the second time this has happened now.  It turns out, when we’re on a good, long sail and healed to port, we get an airlock in the water intake side of the motor.  The motor doesn’t get water flow for cooling so it overheats.  We will monitor when conditions are similar to determine that this is indeed the cause.

Originally, we were going to go up Joe’s Creek on the north-west side of Long Island.  The three boats (us, Megerin and Novia) were discussing the approach/water depth/etc when a fourth boat called us on the radio.  They told us that Joes’s Creek had about 6-7 boats already anchored inside and could “maybe” fit one more.  Hmmm … Joe’s Creek was to be a very protected anchorage and we looked forward to it.  Change of plans … we would all sail the short distance north and anchor in Callabash Bay.  It was just around a tip of land from Joe’s Creek and had a long reef running the length of the bay with only a small opening in the reef at the north and south ends.  We entered from the South and dropped the anchor off a beautiful beach in about 18 feet of water/over sand.  It was an awesome anchorage for the night since the weather was settled and the waves low … BUT … it’s supposed to be a horrible place to be if the seas and winds pick up.  When we were in Georgetown, we heard this story from someone who said he was anchored there when a storm blew thru.  He said he luckily got out into open water to ride out the storm but 3 other boats remained anchored and ended up scuttled on the beach.  URGH!!! Not what I want to hear when it’s the only place for us to stay tonight! No storms please!!!

Ray and Sandy dropped by for a drink.  It was a very cheap round.  Ray brought his own beer and Sandy had partaken in “Happy Hour” not long before at a resort they dinghied up to so declined the offer of a drink.  Larry asked if he could get me anything and although I said I’d have a wine, he was too busy chatting up with Ray about the weather software, etc that he hadn’t heard my answer and he was too busy to drink.  So … drinks for four … $0!  That’s right in our budget!!!

We had a very nice night in Callabash Bay.

Stocking Island, Great Exuma, Bahamas

Friday, March 22, 2013

Location:  N23.30.971/W75.45.363 (Stocking Island)

Final prep for the next leg of our voyage.  Larry topped off water and we motored across the bay (less than 1 mile) to a place on Stocking Island (not to be confused with Lee Stocking Island that was further north in the Exumas).  It has several names “Volleyball Beach” … because all the cruisers gather to play volleyball a couple of times a day … or “Chat-N-Chill” because of the restaurant/bar at the tip of the cove where everyone meets to “socialize”.  We anchored just off-shore with the 50 or so other boats.  We were going to meet Ray and Sandy from Megerin at 2pm, along with others that they’d already met.  Of course, we were on time and waited and waited for Ray/Sandy.  They meandered over in their dinghy probably close to 3pm.  They’d been in town for a late lunch and just got back.  They were on “Island Time” … we’ve got a ways to go still!  We had a beer each while we waited ($4.00 each).  Then while we sat and chatted with everyone, I went back to the bar and got a rum punch for Larry and a rum/diet coke for me.  I was shocked to see that these cost $8.00/each!  Usually rum punch is almost given away.

In any case, we decided to leave in the morning and head for Long Island.  Ray/Sandy would come with us, along with Brian from Novia (he was a single-handed sailor with his wife back home in port-Thunderbay, Ontario, Canada).  One of the couples was going to hang around in Georgetown still and another couple, who had travelled with Ray/Sandy to this point, were leaving their boat and heading back to the US.  There were some health issues that we didn’t press for details.

Just as the group was breaking up for the day, another couple (RL & Karen from the SV Last Call) came and asked if someone could assist them.  It turns out they had pulled their dinghy onto the beach (with the dozens of other dinghies).  As the tide changed, the dinghy beside them moved differently to theirs and the outboard motor of the other dinghy put a huge gash down the side of their dinghy.  One air tube was completely flat.  It was a VERY sad sight.  Some things you just don’t think about but it was a lesson learned for everyone around.  We all pitched in and helped them get the motor off the boat (so it didn’t sink when they tried to tow the dinghy) and the dinghy and crew back to their boat.  We looked at our dinghy far down the beach, all by itself and new we’d made a good decision … no other boats around.  Larry found one of our numerous patch kits and took them over a very large patch that we had.  Most people don’t anticipate a gash that large and only carry smaller patches.  Go Soulmatie!!!

We’ve been having numerous problems with our outboard motor.  We have two.  The original one that came with the boat when we purchased it.  It’s a 9.9 and was supposed to be almost new.  We’d had a couple of issues back home with it so Larry purchased a brand new 9.9 right before we left.  It was a major, unexpected expense but a wise move (in hind-sight).  We’ve been using the older motor and it seems to be just one issue after another.  First there was the primer bulb issue we had.  I believe I wrote about that earlier.  Luckily, because we had the same type of motor (new), we were able to switch out bulbs until we could get a new one.  Then today, Larry was running errands in the dinghy while I was in town and the outboard started giving him trouble.  It turns out it won’t run unless the choke is out and even then, it won’t accelerate.  We made it back to the boat, from town but at a very slow pace.  Since we were anchored so close to the beach now, we still used it to get ashore at Chat-N-Chill.  However, on our way back to the boat, it seemed really bad so we decided to change out the motors and use the new one.  Larry switched back the primer bulbs and we hauled the old one off and put the new one in it’s place.  Larry adjusted the idle on the new motor and it runs beautifully.  After looking at the old motor, now that it was safely on the boat, Larry determined there was a plastic gear cable “thingy” that was broken.  We’ll see about getting it fixed somewhere down the road but are VERY glad for the spare outboard.

We secured everything on board and settled in for a relaxing evening before our sail tomorrow.

 

Georgetown, Bahamas

We met several interesting people yesterday.  Georgetown is quite the social place.  We met a couple that are going south like us and want to discuss our plans.  If our schedules mesh, we will travel with them a bit.  If not … perhaps our paths will cross again.

I am ashore uploading photos to Facebook and sending this update as Larry is doing a gas/diesel run.  We’ll make sure everything is topped off here before we venture further.  This is one of the best places to provision in the south Bahamas but even it is very antiquated.  Luckily, we’ve barely put a dent in the quantity of food we brought from the US so we only need fresh fruit/produce and maybe some hamburg/hotdog buns.  Normal bread, we can make on our own so won’t buy any ashore.

We really started something yesterday when Larry asked questions on the cruiser’s net about the Garmin SD Card.  Today, there was about a half hour discussion after the net was over and probably 20 boats participated.  Larry went over to two boats to get their answers to the problem.  He was able to unlock and install our card that we bought from the US and we are all set.  (Larry:  the card we bought, we had tested in our little GPS.  Unfortunately as soon as you use it in one GPS, it will no longer work in any other GPS.  It got “locked” to the little GPS unique ID.  We had to unlock it so we could use it in our other GPS)

We will probably hang in this area for several days before heading to Long Island and beyond.  However, we probably will leave the “town” area and hit the out-islands, where internet is not available.  This may be the last internet for awhile.  Not sure what options are out there as we proceed south.

Hope all is well with everyone.

 

Georgetown, Great Exuma, Bahamas

We are in Georgetown!  This has been a very quick trip to get here but we’re here.  For a lot of cruisers, this is the end of their journey and they turn around and head back home.  We have only just begun.

We listened to the cruiser’s net on the VHF radio this morning.  We asked if there was anyone out there who knew anything about the Garmin Vision SD Cards for our chart-plotter … the device that tells us where to go and how to get there.  Before we left the US, we went to buy the card for the Caribbean area (beyond the Bahamas).  We told the guy what kind of GPS we had and he looked in his computer and found us the card we needed.  Little did I know, he wasn’t actually looking up the accurate card but was probably just closing his porn site so we couldn’t see it.  He sold us the wrong card and it is not compatible with our system.  When we put it in, it shows up blank.  Actually, we’re not sure if it’s the card itself or the card reader but in any case, it’s not working.  On the cruiser’s net this morning, a couple of people had suggestions we can try.  We will meet with them to discuss further.  We will need a working card before we leave for places more tropical!

After a light breakfast of fruit (and oatmeal for Larry … YUCK!!!), we dinghied into town.  The Bahamas Guide mentioned a couple of places with FREE Internet but we were having trouble locating any.  All the places that were suggested were now secured connections.  After searching several places, we found FREE Internet at Eddie’s Edgewater Café.  Although it was only 11am, Larry ordered us a couple of beers and set me to my Internet list.  I didn’t have the update … updated, so I will send this another day.  While I surfed the web for various things (like checking email/banking/etc), Larry did the manual chores.  We have 4 5gal water jugs.  Georgetown has FREE water!  We were definitely going to take advantage of this.  He dinghied back and forth and filled 11 cans worth into our tanks.  This topped off our main tank and added a little to our small tank.  We are almost full.  We will probably top off again before we head out as FREE water is a good (and rare) thing!

Larry came and met me at the café and we split a cracked conch/fries.  It turns out “free Internet” isn’t exactly “free” because you feel guilty and always seem to buy something.  In total, we had 5 beer ($3.50 each) and the conch snack ($11.00) – Total $28.50

We were getting ready to head back to the boat when Larry realized he couldn’t start the dinghy motor.  The little cap that goes over the button to prime the engine broke right off.  The past couple of days, it had been leaking but today it failed completely.  We checked several places on the island but cannot find a replacement.  We met up with Ray & Sandy from Megeran and they were nice enough to tow us back to our boat.  They also are headed south so we’ll meet with them over the next couple of days and see if our plans mesh at all.

Back on Soulmatie, Larry is filling the last 4 cans of water and the 3 fuel cans we brought with us from the US into the tanks.  Over the next day or so, we will work to fill the fuel also.  I’m sure everyone in the anchorage must have heard his proclamation of joy when he was able to start the dinghy motor without the primer option.  We’re hoping this will work continually or we’ll have to hitch-hike for free dinghy rides back and forth!  Actually, we have a spare outboard with us so Larry was able to take the cap off the spare motor and use it on the current motor we’re using.  We will see what we can do about finding a replacement as we proceed south.  If we don’t have luck, we will order from the US and have it delivered someplace.

While Larry finished up the manual chores, I updated this log for the past several days.  I’ve been lax in keeping up … hey, I’m on vacation!

Lee Stocking Island to Georgetown, Bahamas

This morning, we watched as all the boats left the anchorage.  We dinghied to shore and hiked over the hill to the other side of the island.  The waters looked surprising calm.  Were these the same seas we’d sailed in yesterday?  We decided to pull anchor and head out.  We were bound for Georgetown but if things got rough again, would duck in at Rat Cay (about midpoint). 

As I sailed out the cut, it was hard to believe it was the same place we’d entered yesterday.  Again, it was wind against current but there was just a gentle swell coming in from the ocean.  We’d raised the mainsail and exited the cut with such ease!  Once out in the open water, we raised the headsail and had a very nice sail south.  The waters had a slight “chop” to them but they were a hundred times better than only 24 hours ago.  It made me realize when we get to doing these longer passages, how dramatically the seas can change so quickly.  I will have to keep this in mind when we’re struggling thru rough waters that in a very short time, the seas could calm and we’ll be a peace.  But I also have to remember the opposite can occur and not get too complaisant.

About 1 hour out of the entrance to our destination (George Town area), Larry started the motor.  Our speed had dropped quite a bit and we didn’t want to enter the cut after dark.  He motored along for a brief time when all of a sudden there was a screeching siren.  We quickly realized it was the alarm for the motor.  The motor was overheated!  We shut it down (luckily we were still sailing so could still make progress) and Larry searched for the problem.  My husband is amazing.  For so many people, this would be the end and they would simply radio for help.  Not Larry.  He worked until he found the problem.  Something had been sucked into our water intake (that cools the engine) and water wasn’t flowing.  He took apart the necessary things, found a hose that would fit and was able to release whatever was blocking the intake by blowing into the hose.  (Larry:  basically, I blew air out the bottom of the boat where water normally is sucked in for the engine; blowing away whatever plastic bag, or sea life had gotten sucked in).  We started the engine again and all seemed fine.  We monitored it closely as we entered George Town but Larry’s repair seemed to work.  No more problems.

White Point to Lee Stocking Island

We went for a short walk at White Point and found a good little cove on the ocean side.  I’m always amazed at all the trash we have to hike through to find these beautiful little coves … only to find, they’re cluttered with trash also!  On the hike back, Larry found a 2X6 board in the trash and laid it over a large section of garbage so I didn’t have to walk thru it again.  It’s disgusting!!!

We were back on the boat and just ready to set sail for our next destination when Larry noticed his fishing net (that he’d used the night before) was not onboard.  He was pissed because this was a new net he had just purchased.  Then, just off the port side of the boat, Larry noticed something black on the sandy bottom.  He quickly grabbed his mask/fins/snorkel and went to see.  Yep, we don’t know how it blew off the boat (the winds weren’t that bad) or how he was able to find it so easily (we swing back and forth in the tides/winds and the boat is rarely in the same position) but we are really glad he did.

We sailed down the banks side of Great Guana and were going to stop at Big Farmers Cay.  We arrived there fairly early and thought the cut to the sound side didn’t look so bad so decided to head out and south to see if our fishing on the sound side (deeper/ocean).  Boy was it rough!  The seas were very large swells with a mish-mash of waves in between making the waters very churned up.  We weren’t even out the cut before I was beginning to think we’d made a mistake.

Away from the cut and in more open waters, the waves calmed down slightly.  Okay, so maybe they went from 6-8 foot swells in the cut to 4-6 foot swells in the open but the choppiness of the waves still made us toss and turn and bounce uncomfortably.  It was a long 3 hour trip to the entrance at Lee Stocking where we decided to stop for the night.

As we approached the cut for Lee Stocking, my apprehension grew.  It was an outgoing tide (meaning the force of water would be rushing out the cut making it turbulent).  Add to that the 4-6 foot seas trying to force their way thru the cut and I was not looking forward to this adventure.  There are reports in a lot of things we’ve read about boats capsizing or being swept onto the rocks when they try to fight winds/waves against current.  Damn … I shouldn’t read and I wouldn’t have anything to worry about!

Larry took the helm.  He was awesome.  We were riding the waves, rushing towards shore uncomfortably fast and the boat seemed almost out of control.  But during the momentary laps between swells, Larry would counteract the momentum towards the rocks by directing the boat towards the other shore.  It felt like we were going back and forth between our undo on one rock to the next but somehow Larry sailed us right down the middle.  If you look at the track on the GPS, it was almost like he was entering in calm waters … straight down the middle!

All I can say is it was a nice relief to be in sheltered waters and have Soulmatie safe.  I would hate to have to write that our trip had ended already and we were headed back states-side without our boat/home.

We motored past several boats on moorings at Lee Stocking and further south down the island to the second anchorage.  We were more protected here from the winds and there were less boats. 

It was a quiet night and we slept well.

Little Bay to White Point

Today is 2 weeks since we left Boca Raton to begin our adventure.  It has been a quick trip so far and not a lot of time to just relax and unwind.  There always seems to be something to do.

This morning, we snorkeled Little Bay.  Wow!!! Was it cold!!!  I was only in the water for a very short time before I gave up.  It wasn’t partially the cold but also, there really wasn’t too much to see.  The fish were very few and far between.  Larry snorkeled a little longer and then took me back to the boat.  He went out again … yes Mom … alone!  I watched him from a distance.  Don’t know what I’d do if he had issues because he had the dinghy and I was alone on the boat.  Anyways, he didn’t spend too much time before he was too cold himself and returned to the boat.

After lunch we decided to move onward and headed down Great Guana Cay to White Point.  This trip also was VERY short so we just motored.  We’re going to have to make a bigger leap down-island or we will never get to sail again!

We’ve heard the fishing on the banks side of Great Guana is supposed to be awesome!  We haven’t seen it.  Each time we move locations, we troll two rods behind the boat.  No luck at all yet!  I even fished a little when Larry was snorkeling.  He found me a little cave with a few grunts and a nurse shark in it.  I tried and tried but couldn’t catch anything!  We fished off the boat this evening, just as the sun set.  We used an underwater light to attract the fish.  We had some activity but nothing took our bait!  We want to catch ANYTHING, just so we have better bait to fish with!  It’s a vicious circle!

Blackpoint to Little Bay, Great Guana Cay

After a yummy breakfast of Larry’s homemade english-muffins (mine with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus/Larry’s with peanut butter on one half and raspberry jam on the other half), we gathered laundry and went ashore.  We have this adorable little washing machine on the boat but will only use it for “light” loads.  We wanted to wash towels, sheets, jeans worn on the beginning of the trip, etc.  We had 3 loads in all.  The washing machines used tokens costing $3.50 … $10.50 total to wash.  The driers use different tokens but they still cost $3.50 … $10.50 total to dry.  Overall, we spent $21.00 but now have clean clothes and bedding!

This was the best laundry facility ever!  It was a very clean building that sat directly on the shore of Black Point cove.  It overlooked amazing aqua waters … and here the Internet was free!!!  No donations required.  We did a little more Internet work, checked emails/Facebooks, etc as we did our chore of laundry.

Back on the boat, we decided to leave this crowded anchorage and head further south, along the bank side (shallow, protected side) of Great Guana Cay.  We pulled out of the cove and around the first point of land and found a little bit of paradise.  This cove was not too much smaller than where we’d left but only had 5 boats … nicely spaced … each to their own little bit of paradise.  As usual, we anchored closest to shore and protected from the bluff on the south side.  Unfortunately, it was only 1.5 miles so we didn’t even get to raise the sails. 

Once we were securely anchored, we dropped the dinghy and headed for shore.  We hiked the small beach and then over the island to the ocean side.  It was a nice walk.  This area was going to be developed back in 2003 and roads (or something that resembles roads) were put in, along with one set of condos.  That’s it … nothing else.  Roads that lead nowhere but great for walking!  The ocean was surprisingly calm.  We had expected, with the east winds we were experiencing, that the waters would be rough.  But nope, just a gentle swell and 1-2 foot waves.  We found a little cove with a beach and hiked down to the water’s edge.  This cove was a garbage heap.  All the trash from the ocean would get dumped here during storms, when the waters were excessively high.  I felt dirty just walking the sands but Larry was like a little kid in a candy store.  He’s stomping all thru the debris trying to find his little treasure.

We decided to leave the dinghy in the water for the night.  Bad decision.  It’s trailing behind the boat, right in front of the windows on the stern … right where I sleep.  Or in this case, try to sleep.  I don’t think I slept at all with the constant slapping of waves on the dinghy’s hull and the noise of the tugging of the lines securing it.  Tomorrow will be a long day …

Blackpoint Settlement

Today was a workday.  We are at BlackPoint and need to get some Internet work done.  I’m told that Lorraine’s Café has an Internet room with awesome Internet speeds.  We took both our computers and headed ashore.  At Lorraine’s, we were finally able to download a program I’ve been trying to get.  It takes your Word documents and converts them to how they would display on a Kindle.  I am going to try my hand at writing and will put it on the Kindle for the world to read … okay, for maybe the handful that will actually do so.  I will let everyone know if I ever succeed in getting something published.  I have tried to download this program various times I’ve had an Internet connection but until now, it had always given a 2-3 hour download time.  Our connections have been slow at best!  But today, it downloaded in about 5 minutes … thank you Lorraine!!!

We also did some necessary Internet chores like banking, weather, etc and also took the time to upload some pictures onto Facebook.  We’re starting to get quite the little collection of our trip in picture form!

We are trying very hard to keep our expenditures down but since we were spending so much time at Lorraine’s working on projects, we thought we should at least have a bite to eat.  We shared a “Conch Snack” … cracked conch (deep fried) and french-fries.  It was very yummy but the batter must have had milk in it because Larry got a very sour tummy.  The cost … well, we were told it was $12.  Larry gave Lorraine a $20 and got $7 back.  Bahamian math???  Either she took her own tip or the Conch Snack was actually $13.  In either case, it was worth it so we didn’t complain.

About 4pm, we finally stopped working for the day.  Lorraine’s has a donation bucket for Internet users.  We put in $10 or $5/each.  It was money well spent.

Blackpoint, Great Guana Cay

Today we decided it was time to leave this beautiful place and get outside the park where we could fish.  We headed south, destination Black Point on Great Guana Cay.  Our batteries needed a good charge so we motor-sailed for the couple hour trip.  When we got to Black Point, it was packed.  Larry counted over 40 boats!  We zigzagged in and out of the pack and into the shallower water close to shore.  It seems no one ever wants to anchor close to shore.  We find it so much more convenient, with a much shorter dinghy ride into town.  But every anchorage we go to, we seem to end up closer to shore than any other boat … even catamarans with their shallow draft!

Since we got such a good charge and our batteries were full, we were able to reset the AMP Hours on the control panel.  Over time, it slips and even with full batteries, the gauge reflects negative 70 amps or so.  It will be nice to have a more realistic idea of the state of charge on the batteries.

Larry got domestic and made his famous English Muffins from scratch!  Yum!!!  They turned out awesome!  He made 8 so they should last for a bit.

Okay, here’s a little side note.  Mom … don’t be worried.  All is fine now.  BUT … we did have a little scare a few days ago on our trip from Shroud to Wardrick Wells.  We’d checked the bilge often since we left Miami as we’re supposed to and was surprised it was almost dry every time we checked.  Usually, there is minimal water in it and “minimal” water is normal.  However, on our sail between Shroud and Wardrick Wells, our bilge came on many times.  Larry checked and it was almost full!  He searched the boat trying to find out what had changed and where the water was coming from.  Finally, he found it!  On this leg of our journey, we were heeled to starboard about 15 degrees.  For you landlubbers, that means the boat was “tipped” to the right, probably at an uncomfortable “tip” for most of you.  We didn’t mind it … until Larry found our water problem.  On this heel, there was water coming in one of our thru-hulls that normally sits high and dry.  Larry said the water was just pouring in and the bilge pumps were working fast and fiece to keep us from sinking.  Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic but when your captain tells you that water is “pouring” into the boat and you’re out in open water, away from land … you’re allowed a little drama … aren’t you?  It turns out, the thru-hull that drains water from the cockpit (the area where we drive from) was poorly installed.  It was a threaded, plastic thru-hull (most thru-hulls are bonze) and instead of having the proper fitting to connect the smooth plastic hose to the threaded thru-hull, it was just pushed on as far as it would go.  Water was seeping thru the threads at a quick pace (on this heel).  Larry monitored it A LOT as we continued into Wardrick Wells.  As soon the boat was sitting upright (not heeled anymore), the leaking stopped.  Larry has spent the last several days trying to repair the problem.  We don’t have the fittings needed to do it properly and have no idea when/where we might be able to get them.  So … Larry did what Larry does best … he found a way to repair the problem with the supplies on hand.  He used JB Water-Weld … some gooey crap that seals areas even if they’re wet.  He put on many coats over the last couple of days.  He finally declared the job finished and assures me … there’s no way in hell that will leak again!  With this problem averted, I now feel safe in sharing our experience.  Didn’t want to scare Mom by writing this when we still had a sinking ship!

Wardrick Wells

Today was an amazing “play day”.  We dinghied to a nearby beach on Wardrick Wells and hiked the island for a few hours.  We started by the ruins of a plantation that was built many, many moons ago.  It is just a couple of foundations and maybe 3 feet of the stone walls remaining.  But it’s in a beautiful location.  The scene from the top of the hill is gorgeous, with the tropical blues of the waters.

From there, we hiked along very rocky terrain where there were many large holes in the rocks that go quite deep … many even with water in them.  These rocks are extremely sharp if you venture off the beaten path.  I’m very clumsy so I took extra care not to stumble and fall.  Definitely would have spilled blood if I fell on those rocks!

We got to our first beach of the day.  It was crystal clear water (as most of this area is) and had the remains of something (probably a broken up ship) in its bay.  We walked the beach and then back to the rocky paths and onto our next location.

We saw a lot more of those “holes” on this walk and it brought us to an amazing beach.  This beach was a lot longer and wrapped around the point at the end.  We were able to walk for a nice distance and cool our feet in the refreshing water.  Around the point, I decided to go for a swim.  Larry joined me.  It was a little cold but cooled me off nicely.  We sat and had a snack/drink before heading out again.

We backtracked our way to the ruins.  There you’ll find a rock wall that runs the width of the island.  We followed the wall to the far side of the island and played in the surf of the Exuma Sound waves.  We hiked the rocky coastline and found many little pools with lots of cool life in them.  They have these things called Chitons that look so primitive, as though they would have been around during the dinosaur age.  We got some pictures of them and have posted them on Facebook.

From there, we hiked back to the dinghy and took the short ride back to Soulmatie.

We had a quick bite to eat and then decided to go to Emerald Rock and snorkel.  Really great decision!  We took our new camera and tested it’s underwater feature.  Again, pictures posted on Facebook.  You can really tell you’re in a park and the waters are protected from taking anything.  We saw such a variety … 2 huge lionfish, a massive lobster, and many, many colorful fish.  We snorkeled for about an hour before the coolness of the water got the better of us and we decided to end the dive.

Overall, great day!

Warderick Wells, Bahamas

We did not sleep much at all last night.  It was a lot rougher than we expected.  First thing in the am, we called the Exuma office and requested a mooring ball.  We were assigned E10 – close to a place called Emerald Rock.  We really don’t have much experience using mooring balls but I think we did pretty good … catching it on our first attempt.  Larry spent some time to make sure we were attached good to the mooring ball.  He wants to spend some time and redo our anchor bridle so it can be used for the moorings easily as well.

Once we were settled and had a bite to eat, we headed to the island.  We did the customary chore of hiking to BooBoo Hill and putting a name plaque that we’d made out of bamboo we’d found at Shroud to prove we were there!  I will try to download some pictures so you can see what I mean.

Wardrick Wells has internet that you can purchase and actually access from the boat.  I am sitting here now, finishing this log before I send it off.  The internet costs $15 for 24 hours or 100 mbps … whichever come first.  I will have to see what 100 mbps gives me because I don’t have a clue!

Summary

We will be spending two nights here on a mooring at Wardrick Wells.  We’re Bahamas National Trust members and two nights are included with your membership so these two nights are free J

We are anxious to head further south.  We especially want to get out of the park where we can fish.  We will head out as soon as weather permits.

We are heading down to the Georgetown area and aren’t sure how many stops we’ll make along the way.  We should be able to send another update in Georgetown.  Then we were thinking of heading to the Juementos and Ragged Islands.  These are out of the way islands that very few boaters are supposed to visit and they say the fishing is great.  We are looking forward to some seclusion!

We will keep you posted the best we can.  Hope all is well with our family and friends.  Soulmatie thinks of you often!

 

Shroud Cay to Wardrick Wells, Bahamas

We woke early so that we could take the dinghy through the river that runs across the island.  It was high tide about 8am and we didn’t want to miss our opportunity.  It was really interesting.  You dinghy for about 1.5 miles through the mangroves to the other side of the island.  There, there was a really nice beach.  The waves were amazing!  It’s hard to remember how different two sides of the same island can be … one protected from the winds and the other at it’s mercy.  That’s why choosing your anchor location is a very important job. 

There are two rivers that run through Shroud to the other side of the island.  We took the southerly path.  There was a catamaran up the river a bit.  Must be nice to have such a shallow draft and two hulls so you don’t heel if the water gets too low while you’re waiting for high tide again!  There are several little offshoots from the main river.  Going towards the sea, it looked like one continuous river.  Turn around to head back out … it was a different story.  Little fingers went off in all directions.  I “think” Larry knew his way out but we explored a bit along the way … all the time with Larry trying to convince me he was lost.  Bad Larry!

Once back on Soulmatie, we decided to head further south to Wardrick Wells – headquarters for the Exuma Land & Sea Park and a beautiful location.  Of all the anchorages from our previous trip (six years ago), we remember Wardrick Wells the best.  On the sail to Wardrick Wells, I took the time to write up these entries.  Sailing conditions weren’t as awesome as on our trip to Shroud but we were still able to sail quite nicely for most of the trip.  Unfortunately, we then had to turn too close to the wind and our speed came to almost a complete stop.  We were forced to start the engine and motor-sail into the anchorage.  Oh well … at least our battery bank got a nice charge!

The winds had shifted slightly and Wardrick Wells did not offer much protection from the southeasterly winds.  The last time we were at Wardrick Wells back in 2006, the entire east side of the anchorage was open to free anchoring.  Now, the entire coastline (closest to the beach and best protected) has mooring balls.  If you want to anchor, you have to do so outside the mooring field in the open, unprotected waters.  We chose to be “cheap” and take the free route.  It meant a choppy night but we have to remember we’re on a budget!

Shroud Cay, Bahamas

We decided to pull anchor this morning and head a little closer to shore.  When we’d arrived yesterday, there were quite a few boats and made anchoring options rather limited.  This morning, it was quite cleared out and we had our pick.  We motored rather close to shore in 7ft of water and it was a lot calmer and more protected. 

Once we were settled and knew our anchor was set firm, we dropped the paddleboard/kayaks into the water for some fun.  If you remember, we bought these hybrid boards that can be used either as a standup paddleboard or a sit-on-top kayak.  We hope to use them a lot.  Using them as a sit-on kayak, we paddled into the shallows.  There was a lot of wind and current against us so it was a hard paddle.  We went into a protected little lagoon.  It was really pretty!  We walked the path where the water flows at high tide but now was just flat sand.  It was the exercise we needed!  Once we’d had enough land-time, we decided to venture back to the boat, opting to use the boards in the stand-up position.  It is always a laugh to see me struggle on the board while Larry just makes everything look so damn easy!  The winds and currents were in our favor for the trip back and it was a lot easier.  Off course, my landing back at the boat was a little less than graceful and I ended up in the water to dismount.  Larry was dry as could be!

We rested onboard for a bit but then off for some more adventure!  We took the dinghy around the north end of the island and into a beautiful bay.  It was shallow (probably why no boats were anchored there) but had amazing beaches and a river that runs across the island … at high tide.  Unfortunately, we arrived at low tide and was unable to venture down the river.  Regardless, we had a nice walk on the beach and a fun dinghy ride.

After all this exercise and fresh air, we were hungry.  We dined on BBQ ground filet burgers … YUM!  Before we left the US, we made a stop at Western Beef.  We bought two huge filets.  The butcher trimmed and cut these (into about 10 nice size filets each) and then took the trimmings and ground it into “hamburg” … only the best burger meat you will ever have!  It made awesome burgers.