Boat Yard & Boat Projects

We knew when we came back to the states this last season that there would be a time when we would have to pull the boat and get a bottom job done. We knew that going into the purchase of the boat, but we put it off a year in order to get other more important tasks done and since we were in a yard that didn’t allow you  to work on your boat nor stay on it we wanted them to get done with their task as soon as possible so we could take possession and begin the work we wanted to do. The bottom job got put on hold till now. We have been tending to many things while back here in the states that cruisers must attend to whenever possible. Some things however have taken longer than expected but none the less they are important. Thank goodness I have a sister that resides here in Florida close to our location that has a home with an apartment Dirk and I use whenever the need arises. I can’t express enough thanks to her and her family for what they have done for us and how much easier they have made our lives. But alas right now we are living on the hard along with several other folks here. It’s a nice yard with great guys working here.

Renegade in the sling being hauled out



Renegade in her temporary home ready for repairs

We are at the Cape Marina right down the road from where we were in Merritt Island. Now we are at Cape Canaveral right by the port where all the cruise ships dock. We decided that it was best for me to take Capt. Butters the cat off the boat and over to the sister’s house while Dirk and a fellow boater took Renegade the hour trip thru the barge canal, the lock and bridge. Once the boat was pulled Dirk would look at the bottom and make the final decision on what he wanted to do. Sandblasting or peeling of the bottom. Since the boat most likely would have to stay in a sling with no power and with all the noise we felt the cat would be better off away. Dirk and Mike from s/v Rough Draft had an early departure so as to get to the yard at slack tide and before the early afternoon winds picked up. The channel to the haul out lift is narrow and the tide rips through there so Dirk was a bit nervous. Once they got out of the marina Dirk noticed that they weren’t getting much forward speed at all and they actually had to throw the anchor out in the barge canal for Dirk to dive on the prop to see if there was something wrapped around it or what was causing the drag. Once he got down there he noticed that there was an inch or so of barnacles built up and ended up having to scrap them off. The marina we were in did not allow you to clean the bottom of your boat in the water, plus there were several alligators that hung around that deterred you from cheating.



This was after Dirk scrapped most of the prop in the canal. Talk about a barnacal fest.

Once he scrapped the prop and tried again he made good speed no problem. From what I hear Dirk pulled into the channel for the lift, turned around and backed into the sling like a pro. Good for him, I knew he could do it, but Renegade doesn’t back up very easily and it was making him nervous. Once he was in the sandblast pit they did a test to see how long it would take to blast the entire boat. Years of paint build up proved to be time consuming and it would have cost a fortune so they only blasted the running gear and thru hulls. Ah, the thru hulls, one big lesson learned if you have your boat blasted, CLOSE YOUR THRU HULLS…… Dirk didn’t know and they didn’t tell him. When he finally got on board after they were done and walked into the heads he was flabbergasted. The walls, the ceiling, the floor, the counter tops and every item in them was covered with a wet nasty pasty sand. Its almost as if they put the hose in the thru hull and blew trying to clean the lines out too. When Dirk said something to them they were like ummmmm you didn’t know to close them? Well if you don’t tell me, No. Well we do now and now we are warning you.



Sandy dirty mess on the counter tops, mirror and well everywhere

The ceiling and walls of the bathroom. Like I said, everywhere....

So once it was determined that blasting would take too long we decided the next step would be peeling. The reason we had her peeled was because she had lots of small blisters, what some call pox like chicken pox. During the survey they did see them and after popping a couple and smelling, you can tell where they are located. Ours were right below the gel coat and non were big so that is a good thing.  Its not something structural but something that needs to be attended to one day. Well that one day is here. Basically the guy comes out and has what I call the potato peeler, starts at the front and just peels the bottom from front to back removing all the old layers of paint and gel coat just getting to the fiberglass underneath thus popping the blisters. Then the boat is pressure washed to try and rid it of the salt. The more you wash it down with fresh water the faster it dries out. The boat then has to stay uncoated until all the moisture is gone. For some people this can take many many months. After doing a moisture reading he feels like it may be perhaps 2 to three for ours. We are hoping that with the cooler weather and drier air coming up that it may go faster but we won’t rush it. He will be coming out this Friday to do another reading and see how were looking.

Tom beginning the peeling



One side just about complete

In the mean time we are doing more boat projects. One of the first ones that Dirk did was to replace our freezer. After buying the boat last year and staying hooked to shore power till we did our shake down cruise we didn’t realize how inefficient our freezer was. It took way too much power and needed to be run several times a day and really didn’t keep anything frozen unless it was pressed against the plate. Not good. If you’re a reader of our last blog from our previous boat you know that we had gotten a small chest type 40 qt. Engel freezer that we kept in the vee berth that we loved. Very energy efficient runs on A/C & 12 volt. After researching several freezers and cold plates and different systems we discovered that Engel now makes a drop in self contained freezer. After doing lots of measuring we found that if we removed the extra insulation some previous owner installed and the shelf in the freezer that the Engel box would fit right in. Here is a bit of info right off the website.
Compressor can be moved up 3 feet away for remote mounting

• Temperature controller can be moved to a remote location
• 42 Qt Capacity
• DC12/24
• Power Consumption: 0.7 - 2.8 Amps
• Incline Operation up to 30º
• Low Amp Draws – Even at Start-Up
• Solar Compatible
• 100% CFC-Free Compressor
• Vibration Resistant for Extreme Conditions
• Efficient Cooling Independent from Ambient
• Interior Wire Rack

Here is how the unit is shipped, ready to drop in



I love the fact that it has a light and it froze these icecubes in great time

So now we have the refrigeration box and right next to it we have the engel drop in. In the vee berth we had brought the other 40 quart freezer/refrigerator that we will use as a backup. Probably stock it full of stuff before leaving for the Bahamas and this way Dirk will have room to store his fish and lobster once again. Last season he couldn’t really fish much as we had no place to store it. We have been doing other things on the boat such as sanding the teak we didn’t get to last season. The cap rail and both rub rails on one side have been sanded, cleaned and just ready to re-varnish. Just waiting on the Bristol to come in. Everyone is out of it right now but we found two gallons on line and will have it in a couple days. Dirk also ordered more burgundy canvas as he wants to sew new sail covers to match everything else. He also ordered a kit to make a sock for our spinnaker, a new hot knife to cut the canvas with and assorted odds and ends. I will post pics very soon on all the small assorted projects we are doing. While in the boat yard we have seen two rockets launched from the space center. One was an early morning flight which we almost missed but in the nick of time went outside to see it take off. Dirk had his zoom lens on the camera so he got some nice shots. Mine is just my point and shoot but it got a decent picture and it shows just how far away it was.



Morning launch, you can see what a great shot we have

 

Nighttime launch in hazy conditions


We actually have a nice view to the space center as we are fairly high off the ground with no obstructions around.  The other rocket we saw was the one that took supplies to the space station and it took off at 8:30 in the evening. Almost missed that one too but were watching TV when the countdown flashed across the screen. I caught it but it’s not that great of a photo. Still neat though. So while we are here in the boat yard I will try and post regularly to show the progress of whats happening.  

Getting so Far Behind I Must Fast Forward

So between being so busy on one hand and incredibly lazy on the other, the blog sits neglected as I have gotten so far behind that it’s too mentally challenging to try and remember everything that took place. So in the interest of sanity I will do a quick recap of the rest of our time in the Bahamas before returning back to the states. I think I left you after our arrival into Rock Sound Eleuthera where we were to sit for several days due to very windy conditions. After that we left for Governors Harbor for an evening and then the following day we headed to Hatchet Bay where we would spend a couple days. This time it was more for enjoyment rather than weather. We always love Hatchet Bay for the Sea Glass hunting on the beach and the incredible folks at The Front Porch. Every time we are here we must have dinner as this place has some of the best food I have ever eaten. Gina and Francis are the owners and are always super nice. Any cruiser that we meet that has been there knows and loves them. If you have never been, it is a must stop as there are free moorings in the very protected harbor. At this point we are still traveling with Jens and Regula aboard s/v Emerald Mist and we still haven’t decided if we are going up to Spanish Wells, heading to Nassau, and then back to the states or heading north to the Abacos before making the jump back. Oh well we still have a couple days to decide. On the 16^th we decided to head up to Spanish Wells and what else? Wait on the weather to calm down so we could make our next move. As we pulled into the channel we had heard that Bandit with the mooring balls was all full so we wouldn’t be able to go where we always did. Hummmmm. In the past we have seen people anchor just past the mooring field but we have heard the holding isn’t that great. After about an hour of trying to set,we finally found a spot we weren’t dragging too bad in as we backed down. We had heard one of the balls was to become open later in the afternoon so we would wait. At about 5pm we got a call on the radio, the ball was free. So we pulled anchor and picked up the ball happy to be secure to the ground. Bandit has gone up once again on his fees up to $20.00 per day. Before long it will be cheaper to pull into a marina in Spanish Wells. After sitting for 3 days here and after changing our minds back and forth we finally decided that the path we would take back would be via the Abacos. Our buddy boat s/v Emerald Mist had to go the route of Nassau as they had to take care of paperwork in order to enter into the US as they are German and Swedish. On the 19^th in the early morning we pulled out of Spanish Wells and set our sights north. There were two other boats that pulled out behind us traveling the same direction so at least there was some company around. There is an area that is a large shipping channel you have to go through and we passed fairly close to a cruise ship. So close in fact Dirk got on the radio just to make sure they saw us so as not to have any problems. After an uneventful motor sail we arrived into Lynard Cay, dropped the hook and called it a day. The other boat that was travelling with us seemed to be having trouble setting anchor and since our dinghy was down Dirk offered assistance with checking it. They said they were fine. Hummmm famous last words. The next day the winds picked up and shifted leaving them anchored in front of us rather than behind us. We kept an eye out and sure enough we poked our head up one time and saw their boat dragging down besides us. Dirk went topside and the other guy was sitting in his cockpit “keeping an eye out”. How about firing up that engine and pulling anchor before your anchor crosses mine and drags mine. Finally they pulled anchor and re-anchored further up. With yet another front passing we sat for 3 days here. Dirk did get some conching in and we managed to dinghy into Pete’s Pub for a Blaster that ended up being several apiece. Whew…..We located our old Tybee Time signature from a couple years back but forgot to bring a marker to write our new boats name. Next time…..On the 22^nd we headed on up to Marsh Harbor as our fresh meat supply was just about out and we had run out of veggies. Upon entering Marsh Harbor I was very surprised and had never seen so many boats in there before. I guess with the fronts coming by every couple days people were staying put. We dropped anchor perhaps a bit to close to some people we met in the Exumas but Dirk went over and spoke to them and they felt alright about it. We had to be as far out of the channel as possible but our rear was probably sticking a bit into it. Oh well, gotta do what you can. A day or two later a couple boats finally pulled out and we re anchored in one of their spots. I always feel better when we have good swing room as Renegade tends to dance a bit. She has a high free board which causes her to be pushed to one side, the anchor chain tightens and then she swings to the other side. We had a full day of very strong winds and even had a tornado touch down on the next island over. We and everyone else sat in the cockpits watching everyone else and making sure no one broke loose and drug. Finally when we had decent weather we actually took the dinghy into town and made a run to Maxwell’s grocery store. It was the first time we had been off the boat in about a week. It was time to stretch the legs. We even made time to go to Snapper’s one evening for dinner. After listening to the weather and trying to plan our escape we decided after 4 days of being in the harbor to make a run through the Whale and over to Green Turtle. The winds would be coming across the bay and the area we anchor at in front of the government dock was probably gonna be rolly so we elected to anchor on the other side. This would prove to be a problem as we couldn’t find any good holding and after several tries we gave up and headed to where we always go. We wouldn’t be able to make it into Green Turtle itself as we need high tide to get in and that was past so this would have to do. It actually wasn’t too bad and after two days we decided if we were going we had a short window coming up. This was the end of the line for Internet and phone so any weather we got was going to have to be Chris Parker and he doesn’t broadcast on Sundays. So we left Green Turtle after the last weather report on the Internet and made the trip over to Great Sale Cay. Normally we go into the south anchorage but due to the winds coming from that direction it would have been wide open so we anchored up in the north along with several other boats. Soon after we got there several left as this is the jump off point to the Gulf Stream if you don’t plan on going to West End first. Most people will travel the shallow banks at night and come daybreak you are hitting the Gulf Stream. That evening we relaxed and started mentally preparing ourselves for the trip back. We don’t have a problem making the trip by ourselves but it looked like there would be several boats joining us. The next day we went and visited with a couple, got their float plans and found that two of the boats would be headed into Ft. Pierce which was our plan. We made a trip over to the island and found the last of my Bahama treasures for this season. I found 2 or 3 sea beans and a couple shells. Yippie, I was a happy camper. Then it was back to the boat to put the dinghy up, put the fuel cans into the tank, and tie down and stow everything. Our plan was to pull anchor at dusk to begin the journey and as I prepped the food items Dirk went and had a nice nap. I hate that he can nap, try as I might I just can’t do it. At 7:45 pm several of us pulled anchor and set our sights west. After an uneventful motor sail we hit Ft. Pierce, anchored just a bit before sunset and called it a day, a long day at that. It ended up being about a 22 hour day, we were whipped. The next morning we headed north on the ICW and pulled over in Eau Gallie. Always seems like we plan our trips to end up at this spot. It’s always a nice quiet spot by the bridge and we have never had any problems. It was no different now and we got a great night’s sleep and made our final leg of the journey the next day to Harbortown Marina in Merritt Island. So here the boat sits while we do more work on her and take care of all the things cruisers must take care of while back on land. So forgive me for such a delay. I do hope to do better.

Busy Times

Wow, it’s been a while since I have blogged. So much has happened and many miles have been put under the keel since last time. Let’s see if I can catch you up without missing out on too much. When I last left off, our guest left us after 9 days of vacation. Of course we were battling winds every other day it seemed and so we sat in Staniel Cay for another two waiting on weather. Finally on the 18^th of April we were able to pull anchor and head south. We headed on the outside with the hopes that we could land a Mahi Mahi. We hadn’t any luck while our guests were here. With our sights set on Galliot Cay we settled in for a nice sail. It was good to be on the move again although there was to be no bites today. The following morning we decided to go onto Emerald Bay and stay in the Marina there. We loved it so much last season that it was a must stop this season. The fuel dock is easy to get to so on our way in we slid on in and filled up the tanks before finally going into the slip. Great place to stay if you have never been before. The marina is not quiet finished so it’s only $1.00 per foot, per day. Electricity is extra and water is I think .40 cents a gallon. You can elect to have the no electric dock for that price. Since we had been running the engine all day there was no need for electric. We did find out the grocery store that was within walking distance has closed down but the liquor store next door is still open if anyone is interested. Free laundry was what I was after as I had not done laundry since we left the states. Aside from a few essentials that were washed in a bucket that is. So needless to say I along with everyone else had many loads apiece to do. Our plan was to pull in, get a nice calm night of rest as the marina is very protected and the following day I would do laundry and clean up the boat while Dirk did maintenance. Oh wait, before I continue on, I got so excited about the free laundry that I forgot to mention shortly before arriving at the marina Dirk landed a nice Mahi. The first for the season.



Mahi on the menu

So where was I……Oh yea, laundry, cleaning, and maintenance. I did decide that evening to go ahead and get a jump on the laundry as one washer was free when I checked it out. I’m glad I did as the next morning I got up early just for that reason and there was already a line of dirty clothes bags and ladies standing around in our laundry day garb (cleanest dirty clothing) chatting. This is the way we meet new folks and make new friends. Several hours later I returned to the boat with everything that wasn’t tied down washed and smelling fresh once again. After listening to the weather and realizing that if we stayed another day we would probably get stuck in the marina we opted to go ahead and pull out that afternoon and make the short sail on down to George Town. On our way into the harbor we spotted our friends and dock neighbors Don & Barb from Cortez on their catamaran Dulcinea and hailed them on the radio to say hello. Strange how often you run into people you know from everywhere. Since the winds were due to be coming out of the west we elected to anchor in Kidd Cove which is close to town and I could get some provisioning done in town without having to make the wet ride across the open harbor. That next day when we went into town it was very rough but we didn’t have far to go thank goodness. On the way back we did the best we could to avoid the waves but I still had to rinse everything I had in fresh water as my groceries took a good soaking a couple times. Three days later the winds calmed down enough that we were able to go back across the harbor and anchor at Volleyball Beach. Dirk would be a happy camper now as he could get back to playing volleyball and we would be a lot closer to the St. Francis resort for poker nights. We love playing Texas Holdem but it’s hard to find anyone to play with. The first night we played Dirk came in 4^th and basically made his entrance money back. The second evening we played I came in first winning $50.00 and Dirk came in 3^rd winning $20.00. Winnings always good but even when we don’t win it’s a cheap night’s entertainment. So for a week we sat and relaxed, visited and watched the races as it was the week of the Family Island Regatta.

Now this is relaxing, Renegade marked with the red arrow



A sea plane landed in the crowded anchorage and headed right for us



Drove between us and the swimmers before pulling up to the beach.


It's always cool seeing the boats using people as ballast flying around the anchorage. This year it was windy so there was some nice heeling going on and since we were anchored so close, they basically sailed right behind the boat.


Tidal Wave




Racing through the anchorage



On Friday the 27^th our short time in George Town was coming to a close. Usually after the regatta most cruisers take that as a signal to make tracks north and back to the states or if heading south, it’s time to get going. We ran into a couple friends we met last year and had a sundowner get together. The Abby, Triumph, and us ran into each other several times last season and it was great to see them all again. We also met a couple new folks in George Town this year. It seems the Germans were in full force and Dirk would set off to meet this one or that one. He even got a couple of them together for a game of Skat. (a German card game that no Americans understand) I don’t know any… We ended up leaving George Town in the company of I think most of the Germans and headed to Galliot Cay. We anchored for one evening and then headed up to Blackpoint on the inside the following day. We did end up staying an extra day there as the All Age School was having a Bar-B-Que and we know its always the same thing, chicken, ribs, coleslaw, peas & rice, and mac & cheese. Oh and all the flies you want plus some. But we always like to support the islands whenever we can and it’s a night I don’t have to cook. I did take the time to do a couple loads of laundry here as it’s too easy not to take advantage of it when you can. Where else can you pull up to the dock, walk 50 feet and throw your clothes in the wash. At $8.00 for a wash and dry it’s almost a steal too. At least in these parts and this would probably be the last chance to wash till we returned back to the states.


Renegade from Rockside Laundry dock




What a nice view while washing clothes



On the 6^th we pulled anchor and headed once again on the outside to make the trip up to our favorite anchorage in Compass Cay. Along the way we were fortunate enough to land another Mahi Mahi.



Yea, another Mahi

Once anchored, Dirk decided to take advantage of the slack tide to get some conchs. He and Jens from s/v Emerald Mist, yes a German, and our buddy boat since leaving George Town took off and returned with a couple in tow. When they returned Dirk set to the task of cleaning the Mahi and when he threw the carcass in we had plenty of critters coming in for a snack. We had about 3 good size nurse sharks, sting rays and 1 small real shark. I am not sure what kind of shark it was, perhaps a reef, or black tip. All I know is it’s the kind with real teeth that like to hunt.



Cleaning fish in paradise




Someone wants a handout

We decided to have Emerald Mist over to the boat for dinner and cooked the Mahi into fish fingers with a curried mayo on the side. Yummy. We decided to stay put for a couple days as yet again the weather was going to be nasty. So the next day the guys decided to do some spear fishing and ended up bringing home a Yellow Snapper and a big ole Hog Fish.



Nice Hog Fish

Yea…..Dirk and Jens cleaned the fish and Jens took it to his boat to cook it for all of us for dinner. What a great dinner it was. The next day a small Queen Trigger fish was gotten but put in the freezer to be made into a smoked fish dip as it was too small to make a meal of. I got a wonderful smoked fish dip recipe from a fellow cruiser that is simple simple and I will post it in my galley section. Its great with any fish.



Renegade anchored in our favorite spot

On the 9^th we decided the weather was the best we were gonna see, so we made the all day uneventful motor sail over to Rock Sound Eleuthera which lays to the East of the Exuma chain. Of course we were getting stuck here for several days due to what else? Weather……So now I have you updated to at least another part of the Bahamas and I promise to try catching you up even further very soon.


Jens, Regula, and Dirk relaxing for dinner in Rock Sound

Guest on Board

So after a long break of internet that has been poor at best I will try and post this blog over a month late. Hopefully it will get through and I can continue to catch you up on our travels but I think we will be back in the states before the next blog is written as we are beginning our trek north and east coast bound. So here goes…..Our friends were due to arrive at 3pm on the 6^th of March, so that morning the last of the preps were done, the beer was put in the freezer to get nice and cold and we relaxed till it was time to head to the airport. I use the term airport loosely as it is basically just an airstrip with a wood shed that Dirk dubbed terminal one. Before heading out I threw a couple large black garbage bags in the dinghy as I have learned from past experience that it can be a wet trip and wanted the luggage to stay dry. We hopped in and headed out knowing right away this was going to be a rough ride as the waves were splashing over the sides. We were totally exposed to the west winds getting to the airstrip. Once we made it into the canal it calmed and we beached the dinghy at the Isles General store with intentions of picking up some groceries on the way back.  The Watermaker flight was on time and Dirk stood with a Terminal 1 sign so they couldn’t get lost.

Dirk & I standing at the terminal. Hope they don't get lost....

Yeah right…. As they approached us I noticed the shirts they were wearing and knew what it was they wanted that photo they asked us for.

We made it.....

How cool, there was a pic of our Renegade that our friends Tony and Robyn took while leaving Marco Island along with the saying I have on our boat cards “ Living The Dream” . On the back side it gives the definition of sailing. Later on we received ours that they got for us.


The four stooges

Thanks guys….After luggage was recovered we headed back to Isles General in hopes of picking up a few last minute items but they were closed at the moment, like so many other moments so we just hopped back in the dinghy and headed back to the boat breaking them in well for their vacation by getting completely soaked by the time we made it back. Such is life of a cruiser…..Our plan was to take them over to the yacht club for an early dinner but with the winds being what they were we decided to stay put and hop into the water for a swim and to get them use to the snorkel gear they brought.  The following morning we moved back over to Big Majors in front of the Pig Beach where Dirk & Mac tackled a water maker problem. We had been having no issues till we were in Highborne Cay and we noticed the parts per million for water quality kept creeping up.  We had a new membrane put in before we left so after calling and emails the manufacturer said it could be a bad one and he would send us a new one. Well with Mac & Margie heading over we had it sent to them and they brought it with them. After taking it out and installing the new one we gave it a shot and it seemed to be working well. So far so good.  At slack tide we took them over to snorkel Thunderball Grotto with a bag of boiled rice for the fish.

Margie with her rice feeding the fish

I was surprised how many people were here as I have never seen it so busy before. But then again, it was Easter weekend; all the big go fast boats had come over from the states for an extended weekend. Afterwards we hit the yacht club where we introduced them to the Bahamian beer Kalik and they wanted to pick up some beer for the week ahead. I’m glad we don’t drink much beer as Bud Light was $64.00 a case. Drink em slow guys, they gotta last 7 more days. We also made a run to Isles General to pick up a few more veggies and then we headed back to Renegade dropped off supplies and picked up some food scraps to feed the pigs with over at the beach. Everyone has to visit the pigs when they come and I noticed there are even a few new babies around and several pushy moms.

Here piggy piggy

Okay buddy that's close enough

Later on we headed over to Pirate Beach where we set up the horseshoes and sat back relaxing while Red, the new addition to the beach checked us all out to make sure we had no food to offer.

Dirk with Red, the new addition to Pirate Beach

We retired back to the boat once the sun started to set and had a quiet evening on board. The next morning we picked up anchor and headed north up to Emerald Rock, close to the south mooring field in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. After finding a spot outside of the mooring field we dropped the hook and Dirk took Mac & Margie to snorkel the reef inside by the office as I stayed on board and prepared dinner. It was Easter Sunday after all and there were no eggs to hide or be found so cooking dinner was the least I could do. Mac and Margie had a good idea that somehow never got followed through with. They went out and bought all different kinds of alcohol in mini bottles and were gonna hide them all over the boat for a hunt. Instead we all picked our favorites out and left the others for some poor unsuspecting soul to get when they visit our boat. Dinner consisted of a cooked sliced ham with “real”, that’s right, “real” mashed potatoes, no instant this time with red cabbage and fresh hot brownies. I think we may have watched a movie or played cards afterwards before calling it an evening. Monday morning found us finding our way to Normans Cay where we anchored on the inside of the cut in front of “Palm Tree Island”.

Palm Tree Island

I don’t know what the real name is or even if it has one,but we and everyone else we know calls it that as that is the only thing on it besides a bench that some cruiser added as a memorial to a loved one.  We stayed there two days and explored the secluded beaches on the Atlantic side, poked around the remains of buildings left over from the days of the island being under control of drug lord Carlos Lehder and collected lots of beach treasures where ever we went.

Us checking out the remains and looking for bullet holes

Dirk deciding he wanted a coconut

Almost there

A spotted Sea Hare

The Sea Hare  after we touched him. He put out a magenta dye.

The beach combers stance. No wonder my back hurts

Posing for a pic with lots of discarded shells

A small thorny Sea Star, wonder if Sponge Bob is around

Dirk did some conching and as he cleaned them we watched the sting rays, nurse sharks and spotted eagle rays gobble up the remains. 

Cleaning the conch

We also had lunch at the Beach Club; formally McDuffs and all had the $18.00 hamburger with several of their Exuma Mamas, the signature drink while we soaked in the atmosphere of the cozy porch.


Dirk & his best bud Mac



Sorry buddy they are closed and have been for a while

On the 11^th we headed back to Warderick Wells, but with the idea to stay in the north mooring field which is a beautiful cove.  Attached to the mooring ball we settled in and Margie went to work making a sign on her drift wood she found in Normans Cay for Boo Boo Hill.

While topside she had a bananaquit visit her. Very friendly especially if you have sugar to offer

A bit later we made the hike and visited the blow holes first although they were not that active due to the quiet state of the water.

Margie standing on top to the blow hole posing with her sign

We then went up to the top and they placed the sign among many others.

Adding the sign to Boo Boo Hill

 After returning to the boat we were all hot and sweaty from the hike so decided to inflate the floaties and pack up the snorkel gear and do some water activities.  After an hour or so we drug Mac & Margie back to the boat and settled in for the evening.

Mac & Margie relaxing as they get pulled back to the boat.

We decided the following day to travel on the outside to Compass Cay as the winds were light, actually too light to sail so we motored the entire day. It was calmer than I had ever seen it and we all took turns sitting on the bow sprit staring into the water below pointing out conch, and fish along the way. It was so clear that we finally lost sight of the bottom at about 90 feet. A couple hours later we were in one of our favorite anchorages and with the tide being slack Dirk took Mac and headed out to see if he couldn’t spear dinner. When they returned there were no fish but a couple conch they had picked up. With a full day planned Dirk just tied them together and hung them from the ladder in the water where they will hang out awaiting cleaning. Guess you could say they were on death rung. I know, bad joke and I hate it for them, especially since I don’t eat them.  We loaded the dinghy with all the snorkel gear, sunscreen, towels, and water and headed off to explore. First stop was the beach at the cut as we can sometimes find some good nice shells. The tide was still a bit high so we didn’t have too much luck.

Mac & Margie taking a closer look at some starfish

 As usual, Dirk had put on his gear and gone into the waist deep water to look around. Soon he was back on shore telling tales of two sharks that had scared him pretty bad. These were real sharks, not nurse sharks and he would prove it as he had video. This was the same spot that he was approached by a shark the last time. Hummmm, note to self…….so we loaded back up and headed down into the Pipe Creek area for some snorkeling and beach walking. Usually at low tide there is a great expanse of sand that is dry with a deep canal surrounding it. This would be the first time we hit it where it was completely covered with water so we found a shallow spot threw out the anchor and proceeded to snorkel. Once we saw all there was to see including a large sea turtle we headed back with one more stop in mind. We pulled the dinghy into the Compass Cay Marina which is on a private island so they charge you $8.00 per person to dock your dinghy. In years past we said, no way are we paying. Last year was the first time we did and while that is a lot to ask we keep doing so as it is a nice visit. They have a wonderful beach which is a nice walk across the island but with the winds being from the east fairly strong we knew it wouldn’t be the best beach time so we opted to hang out on the docks and wait for feeding time for the nurse sharks.  While waiting we popped into the store and got a round of Kalik Golds which is the beer of the Bahamas. The gold has a 7% alcohol level so it makes for a nice strong brewsky.  Dirk and Margie decided to snorkel and swim with the sharks as Mac and I walked the docks watching from above.

Margie getting her time with the sharks

When it was obvious that feeding time had been forgotten we sat around playing checkers, talking and before we knew it one beer had turned into three.

 Whooo hoooo, time to get back to the boat and get something to eat.

That evenings sunset from the boat

The next day found us travelling back to Staniel Cay as our friends vacation was coming to a close.

Margie got put to work hoisting sails as Mac looked on

Margie really enjoyed sitting here soaking up the scenery

We trolled the entire time hoping for a mahi for the grill but no such luck. We decided to anchor in front of Thunderball Grotto as it would be a shorter trip to the airport and the winds were predicted to be blowing yet again from the east. Soon after we anchored, another boat came in and anchored in front of us. With the winds beginning to blow Dirk wanted to make sure the guys anchor was set, especially since he was in front of us. Dirk took the dinghy over and looked through the lookie bucket at his anchor. It was laying on its side but told Dirk he let out enough chain and it would be fine. We can’t make him do it right, just hope when he drags that he drags past us without hooking our anchor. That evening of course in the middle of the night, the winds picked up and both Dirk and I went topside to do a check of the anchorage. It’s surprising just how many people don’t have anchor alarms and thus have no clue their boat is travelling while they are all cozy in bed. When we went up top we noticed the boat in front of us was in fact a bit closer and hopefully his anchor had caught, we would keep an eye on him. Throughout the night he did inch closer but as soon as daylight broke he picked up and moved. Dirk spoke to him the next morning and he apologized for getting so close and said he spent the evening in the cockpit on watch. With the winds being so strong it was too bad to move that evening. Well duh….that’s why you do it right the first time. I kinda felt bad for him though as one of the people he had on board had gone ashore in the evening and when they returned they had not properly securedthe dinghy and it managed to come untied and was never seen again. Amazing how many people lose dinghies’ in bad winds each year. I never hear of any being retrieved so there must be some pocket of the Atlantic that they end up in just floating around forever. The following day we headed into Staniel Cay for lunch right as a downpour was beginning.

 As we ate the rain came down in buckets and we were glad to be dry with a great club sandwich sitting on each of our plates.The following day we headed into town once again, parked the dinghy at the yacht club and walked over to the Blue store but they were closed due to a death in the family. The Pink store was open but in the past it usually only has dusty shelves with little to no provisions so we bypassed it and kept going. We did find a “boutique” for Margie and she was able to buy a new Kalik T-shirt, her new favorite beer and a new beach bag.

Margie and I with lots of color

 After that it was back to the boat where we played our last game of cards and had a quiet and early evening, they had a long day ahead of them as they were flying back to Ft. Lauderdale  and then had a 7 hour drive back to Tybee Island only to have to go to work the following morning. Early up the next morning and we took them over to the yacht club to check into their flight for Watermaker.  Once the plane was 10 minutes out they let us know it was a go and to head over to the airport. The yacht club took them and the luggage as Dirk and I made the trek in the dinghy up the creek. We met again on the air field and after too many good byes we gave them a final hug and said so long. We headed back to the boat and both ended up taking a nap. We would plan on heading south to George Town but had to first wait on the winds that were still too strong from the East to make the passage on the outside. We did make it to George Town but the story from there to here will have to wait till next time.

Still in the Bahamas, but Internet is Horrible

Readers, just letting you know that until I can get better internet connections I will not be able to make a new update with photos. I have to say that the internet connections we are having this season are horrible. I dont know if it has to do with last years hurricane perhaps knocking out some towers that have not been repaired or what. Plus my blogging site has changed itself up a bit and my computer needs some updates to run it easily. Cant do that till I get a good connection. So just hold tight until I can post.