Through the Whale Passage and Onto Other Places in the Abacos

We pulled anchor about 9ish on the morning of the 11^th to make the trip across the Whale Passage and onto Great Guana Cay. The Whale Passage is a short ride to the Atlantic, through a set a reefs and back down into the sea of Abaco. The only way to avoid it is basically have a boat with just about no draft so you can go across the shallows. Most boats however cannot do that. I took the opportunity when we first took off to do a bit of house cleaning, vacuuming and such. Just about the only time I can vacuum is when the engine is running or the generator and I want to take advantage of the power. All was nice and calm for a bit but then as we got closer to the inlet it started getting very rolly. The cat and I went upstairs in the cockpit. I knew he would be getting sick and I wanted to control the damage. I had not prepared as I should have and before long I was hearing items falling out of shelves and rolling around. I headed below to tie everything down and as I did I watched the TV swing very hard away from the wall. Geeeze, I quickly tied it in place and set about laying lamps down putting kitchen items inside the sink. We radioed back to Dave & Tanya on s/v Dea Latis to be prepared. They pulled anchor about an hour after we had and I wanted them to be ready for this. The waves and wind built and a couple times we saw seven foot waves and took them on our side. We slightly changed our course to take them more on the nose but one can’t be too off course due to the reefs that sit right below the surface. We trudged on and on until we finally made our turn back into the channel and headed for Fishers Bay in Great Guana. We found a nice sandy patch and dropped the hook burying it in up to the shaft. After settling in, cleaning up and having a shower Dirk and I headed into town to Nippers. We were 2 of about 6 others there including the workers. We decided to walk the beach and soak in some of the scenery. Just a reminder, you can click on any image and enlarge it for better viewing.



The Atlantic looking from Nippers



Dirk Enjoying his beach walk



After returning from our walk we ordered two frozen nippers and settled back to watch the ocean lap away at the shoreline. Soon after, Dave & Tanya from Dea Latis showed up and joined us.

After sitting and chatting for a bit we decided to take a walk down to Grabbers to grab a bite to eat and have a frozen grabber while watching the sun set. There use to be a dock here that dinghy's could tie up to but with the hurricane that came through last summer it has been taken out. So now you just have to beach them. On shore instead sits a barge boat that they use to move cars about from island to island. I'm sure its final resting place is here as they are on island time here and it will rust before it is moved.

We also noticed a huge container ship sitting on the reefs as we came back through the whale passage. As we sat watching the sun set the mosquitoes and no see ums did a changing of the guard with the flies. It was time to make tracks back to the boats.



Dave & Tanya from s/v Dea Latis



Beautiful sunset




Our dinghy with Renegade far right in the anchorage



The following morning Dirk and I took the dinghy out to the Atlantic through a small cut in the island. The waves were rolly but not too rough. He did manage to bag a lobster and after a bit we called it quits, headed back to the boat and prepared to head to Marsh Harbor. It was time to restock the fresh fruits and veggies and they have a great grocery store here.



Dirk & I enjoying a night out at Snappas




Marsh Harbor anchorage from Snappas



We ended up staying several days here due to the winds and on the day after Valentine’s day we took off for Hope Town because we wanted a good hidey hole to wait out a passing cold front that was expected to bring winds into the 40 knot range. I’m glad we left Marsh Harbor early as we needed to have a rising tide to get into the entrance. Once we got in we realized just how crowded and full they were. Dirk went forward to look for open moorings as I drove Renegade through the maze of floating obstacles. Can I say I was just a wee bit nervous about it? Usually I pick up the moorings as Dirk does the operations but today we switched and we got hooked up without a problem. Our friends on Dea Latis followed in about 30 minutes after us and picked up the ball next to us. About a half an hour after that a squall decided to grace us and within a matter of seconds the boats were being blown around. Geeeeze, where did that come from? There was a couple next to us trying to pick up a mooring during this and Dirk took the dinghy out to assist them. Within a short amount of time I think every ball in the harbor was full, and they stack them close.

Dea Latis sitting right in front of us



Renegade in Hope Town, love the red & white lighthouse



All that evening and the following day it rained on and off. Wasn’t so bad as our decks needed a good fresh water wash down. We had Dave & Tanya over for cards at about 5 which is what time the winds started. By the time they left that evening we were having winds clocking about 28 knots steady. As the evening went on we clocked winds gusting to 40 and had to keep setting the high wind alarm higher and higher as we wouldn’t get any sleep with all the beeping. Throughout the night I would wake up as I would feel the boat swing on the mooring and come to an abrupt stop, the whole while hoping the mooring held. The next morning the winds had died a bit and Dirk was ready to check out the reefs once again. I stayed behind as did Dave and he returned with a couple conch and one lobster he nabbed. Later on we ventured into town and walked the beach. It was nice to get off the boat for a change.



Hope Town streets are so bright and cheery



The Hook House where my sister vacationed



Atlantic view just off the Hook House



Borrowed from Dea Latis, this is Hope Town Harbor with I believe Renegade circled in red. Like I said, they pack them tight.



The next day both Dirk & Dave went hunting and Tanya and I did the laundry and hit the harborview grocery which is nice as you can just dinghy up to it. One dozen eggs, 2 bell peppers and 2 onions set me back $7.50. Guess it could be worse like the $10.00 I paid to do one load of laundry. Ah, not to complain, I’m in paradise. Later the guys came back with one lobster and 7 or eight conchs. They took them to the beach to clean them and then took some time to make Dave a conch horn. I assume he spent some time practicing as by sunset he had it playing very well. Today we headed to Tahiti beach where I write this. So let me go enjoy the sunset and I will catch up again soon.

In The Bahamas

At 3:30am on Tuesday the 5^th the alarm went off signaling it was time to go. The night before so many boats came into the anchorage anchoring on top of each other and on top of us. We were close to the inlet so they all wanted to be close. This anchorage is huge and I don’t understand the mentally of some people. Guess you don’t have to be smart to own a boat. As we were getting ready to leave the radio became alive with chatter and you heard many anchors being lifted in the dark. It was going to be a stampede to get out of here. Of course as we are about to pull our anchor Dirk turned on the running lights and our green was not working. Hummmm, we just checked them the other night. So we changed out the bulb, pulled anchor and headed out the channel along with about 10 other boats. Probably more behind us as we left about 4:30. S/v Dea Latis was travelling with us and we all settled in for what seemed like a great crossing. Hardly any winds but it was much better than the winds we had been having the previous days. The waves were low and all we had was the gentle ocean swells. The sun rose to a beautiful morning and when we saw the turquoise waters of the Bahama banks come up we knew we were home free. We did have a few rough miles as the depth of the Gulf Stream met the shallows of the banks but it wasn’t the horror stories we heard of from several people crossing on different days. We traveled across the banks as we watched the sun set behind us and once again nighttime was upon us.

Sunset on the Bahama Banks

Shortly after dark we pulled into Great Sale using our radar to navigate and anchored in very calm waters in the North anchorage. We popped a celebratory German Beer to toast our arrival, I hit the shower and we both hit the bed. It had been a long day. All in all it took us 16 hours from West Palm Beach inlet to Great Sale. Not too shabby. The next morning after many hours of sleep we awoke to find the water was as calm as glass; you could look down and see every blade of grass on the bottom. As we watched the parade of boats leave the south anchorage we just sat, relaxed and had coffee in the cockpit enjoying the morning.

What a calm morning

Our buddy boat Dea Latis

About 9:30 we decided to take off and head for our next anchorage which would get us closer to Green Turtle where we were to check in. It was a short day of motoring and we dropped the hook in Crab Cay as close as we could tuck in as there was some wind due to come in and we wanted the protection of the island. The wind did pick up during the night, but nothing major. We did get the weather update and they were calling for a front to move in and we had to be in Green Turtle for customs but the wind would be clocking south which would leave the anchorage very exposed. We decided to use the Bahamian phone and call ahead to the Green Turtle Club to see if they had any mooring balls in White Sound. Apparently the hurricane that came through last summer wiped out the balls and they never replaced them. We decided to go with the second option and that was to get a slip in the marina. It’s not the cheapest place to be but they have the dock and dine special where whatever you pay on docking fees you get that as credit to eat and drink. First order of business was to anchor by the government dock and have the Captains go in and check us into the country.


Anchored off New Plymouth



Dirk raising the flag. We are legal now

We had been flying the yellow Q flag since we got here and we were ready to raise that Bahaman flag. The customs office was easy as usual and Dirk said he had never had a customs agent as nice as the the one we got. She even gave us 120 days to cruise before we would have to revisit immigration to have it extended. We should be headed back by then so no problem. After raising the flag we headed into White Sound and into the Green Turtle club marina, got the boats tied up and headed into the office to check in.

Once that was done we headed over to the bar and ordered a round of Tipsy Turtles. Believe me, after only having pop tarts for breakfast and no lunch they indeed made us tipsy. We did however enjoy the scenery of the bay and it was nice to set foot on land once again.

An octopus we saw right under the dock in just a few feet of water

The next course of action was to clean up the boats a bit, grab some marina showers and meet back at the bar at 6pm for drinks and dinner. Several other boats pulled in and the guys helped to get everyone squared away and settled in. Before we knew it, it was 6 and time to head back to the bar.


Dave & Tanya

 We drank another few dock dollars and headed to the screened in porch or dinner which consisted of a burger for me and conch fritters and conch salad for Dirk. He couldn’t wait to catch his own and as we dove into food we chatted and got to know Dave and Tanya a bit more. After dinner we went back and had an after dinner Tipsy Turtle and met another couple from s/v Clairvoyant, Brian & Jeanne. We laughed, exchanged stories, and listened about the horrible crossing they got to experience. Back to the boats and early to bed as the next day was suppose to be good wind direction for the men to go hunt and gather. Once breakfast was served and things were settled Dirk and Dave loaded the dinghy down with snorkel gear and pole spears and headed out to the reefs. Tanya and I decided to take a walk across the island and walk the beach on the other side. Because the winds were coming from the south, the north side of the island was very calm. Almost hot and it was nice to have a breeze every once in a while.

Beach at Green Turtle

If you click on the photo to enlarge it you will see the dinghy circled in red where the guys were hunting

As we walked the beach we could look out and see the dinghy with the guys. We sat back and relaxed enjoying the sun and peacefulness of the beach as we were the only two on it. Aside from the regular array of flip flops, glow sticks and other assorted garbage one finds here we did both manage to find a sea bean. It was a good day. As we made our way back to the marina the men radioed to check in and say they would be back soon. When asked if they had any luck, they had. Hummmmm wonder what they had. They arrived shortly after us and had managed to bring dinner back. Dirk got 5 and Dave got one. Wow, we were all excited. I believe it was Dave’s first time to hunt lobster. At least using a pole spear.


Dinner, yummy

 So we decided to have Brian & Jeanne from Clairvoyant join us all on Renegade for a potluck. Dirk boiled 3 of the lobsters and grilled the other 3 and I did up the garlic butter and a fresh cucumber & tomato mint salad. Dave and Tanya made wonderful beans and rice and Brian & Jeanne brought over a great warm pasta, garlic, and spinach salad. What a feast we had and we all ate till we were stuffed. Since we didn’t eat our docking dollars we all decided after dinner to retire to the bar and have a few drinks to top off the wonderful meal. The next morning we were to be checking out and we needed to be gone by 10am or else there wouldn’t be enough water to get out. The entrance is about 6 feet at low tide and one time when we came in here with our last boat Tybee Time we did have trouble getting in and managed to ground a few times before bumping our way across the sand bank. The winds were due to clock around again out of the North East and we decided it would be fine to anchor in the front by the government dock. We usually anchor here every season and have only had it once when it was really rolly. We and Dea Latis were the only boats out here so we could pick our anchoring spots as we wished. Well there was one other gentleman that was here and we knew him from the boat yard in Cape Canaveral. He was telling us then that he hoped to make it over here and I’m glad he did. Dave & Tanya decided to go into New Plymouth to sight see and Dirk and I went out to see what he could hunt. I stayed in the dinghy and puttered around as he scrounged up a good size lobster and 3 conch. It was pretty rough out there and I was soaked from waves splashing over the side. When we got back Dirk made quick work of the conch and whipped up a conch salad as I made an early dinner of Curried Chicken. We ended up in bed about 6:30 pm and watched 3 episodes of 24. The season we are watching is pretty grabbing and it was hard to stop watching. The winds were suppose to be 20 to 25 knots but I think we only saw 20 once or twice so it made for a comfortable night’s sleep once you could get to sleep. There was a bar right on the water that was playing its music so loud that I think everyone inside has got to be deaf if it was that loud out here. They continued on till about 2:30 am and I finally fell into a good sleep until about 4:45 when the fisherman and ferry’s began their day. Oh well, 6:30 am is early usually, but on a boat it’s hard to sleep past that time as most islands have roosters that make sure your awake. I’m not complaining, believe me. So this morning we gathered the weather and are planning on heading across the Whale tomorrow and onto Marsh Harbor where we will wait out another front and re provision as my fruits are gone and my vegetables are almost all gone. Till then the men are out hunting again today and we shall see what they return with.

In West Palm Beach Heading to Bahamas Tomorrow

Renegade in the slip in Harbor Town Marina. Dirk took this shot from the top of the mast and it shows the finally completed decks

Well I guess by the heading you know that we left the Harbortown Marina in Merritt Island finally. Everything that we could stuff in got put on the boat and it was time to go. We pulled out on the 27^th and made a short trip down the ICW to Malabar and anchored in a new spot to us close to a small island right off the markers.

Very calm night and the only one anchored at Malabar

It was a calm beautiful night and after waking up, having coffee we took off with Vero Beach in our sights.



I was sitting on the best seat in the house



It was the place we would stay to wait out weather, do final provisioning for fresh fruits and veggies and get Butters to the vet for his Bahamas check up. There was a front that moved through so we decided to stay put for four days which allowed us to get a few things done and get back into cruising mode once again. Friday the 1^st we decided to leave to make it down to West Palm Beach in order to catch a weather window opening soon. The winds were still strong but since we were travelling on the inside it wouldn’t be too rough. As we came out of Vero you must make a turn under the bridge as soon as you hit the channel but there was a power boat going very slowly through the bridge and we decided rather than cut him off to turn north and turn around and drop in behind him. That was our plan at any rate. Once we got into the channel to turn we had a north wind bearing down on us and current pulling us toward the bridge. The channel is also very skinny through here so as we were making our turn the current and the wind caught us and took us not 3 feet past the channel marker, we were stuck. We tried to back out but the current was making it impossible. We thought about using our dinghy to pull us off but we were so close to the marker we may have hit it if we drifted more. So we bit the bullet and called Sea Tow. Sea Tow is basically AAA for boaters and we had been paying for it for almost 4 years and never used it before. Today was the day. Forty five minutes later he showed up, hooked up to us, pulled us back into the channel and safely away from the marker. It all took place in about 10 minutes. When we were filling out the paper work Dirk asked him how much it would have cost if we didn’t have them. Whew, it would have cost us $800.00, guess it pays to have it. Hope we don’t need to use them again though. Once we got underway again it got a bit rough even for the ICW. There were 1 to 2 foot waves with choppy white caps all around. It wasn’t bad because it was behind us and gave us a nice push. Needless to say we made up some of the time we spent sitting aground. We did have some dolphins visit a bit and we watched them for about 30 minutes before they became bored and left.

Catching dolphins out of the water is hard to do



Here I got one surfacing and one heading back under



We anchored south of the Jensen Beach bridge so we could have a bit of protection and had a comfortable nights sleep. Saturday was our day to travel the worst part of the ICW. This is a very popular location, lots and lots of boat traffic and too many timed bridges that you must be dead on to get right. This is also where we have had the rudest bridge tenders. This time it wasn’t so bad, only one managed to rub me wrong as I didn’t copy him the first time and he screamed at me the second time. So as we passed under the bridge I killed him with kindness, thanked him for the opening and wished him a wonderful day. There, take that.  As we left the last bridge the traffic was really bad. Large fishing boats blowing past us throwing us all over the place. We continued on around to Peanut Island and passed it to anchor in the south anchorage. We had our new friends Tanya and Dave on Dea Latis at the front of the anchorage and found a spot close to them. Later that evening we discussed plans for a crossing over sun downers. It looks like there will be a window opening on Tuesday/ Wednesday so our plan as of right now is to leave here about 4:00am on Tuesday morning and head over to Great Sale Cay. We are looking at about 100 mile trip and it should take us no more than 20 hours to do it. So hopefully the next blog you get from me is one telling you that we made it and we are not still in the states waiting on weather.

Back In The Water And Almost Ready To Go

The day after Christmas we returned to the boatyard in hopes that we could finish up last minute items and be ready to be dropped back in the water on the 29^th. I think it was the 29^th anyway. Right now the locks on the barge canal are having maintenance done and they are closed throughout the week with only 2 openings a day, one at 7am and one at 7pm. This time of year it means you are travelling it at night as the marina doesn’t open that early so you have to wait for the later one. They are however on demand on the weekends. So Friday around lunch time they put us in the slings and unblocked us.

 

We spent the day tossing stuff, giving stuff away to other yard people such as chairs given to us, step stools and step ladders. Basically cleaning up our spot so we wouldn’t be charged for them to do it. It was the first time in a long time that I felt the boat move and it was an odd feeling being in a cradle and drifting with the wind. Dirk spent the time grinding and painting the spots under the keel that had been sitting on the blocks, making sure all the thru hulls were exercised and greased. There were a couple that had a bit of sand in them from the sandblasting and they sounded crunchy. Engine systems were checked; anything that could cause a possible leak was checked and rechecked. We were to be dropped at around noon the following day so we settled in for the night. The next morning apparently the schedule opened up and they were able to splash us about 9.

Good for us as a front was headed our way with wind and rain and we wanted to make the almost hour trip back to the marina before it hit.  Once we got lowered in Dirk went below and checked all the thru hulls for any leaks, bone dry, he started up the engine and once we were certain all was good they released the slings and let us go. Our first order of business was to hit the fuel dock and fill our tanks in preparation of cruising. Close to $700.00 dollars later and not even full we called it good. That should be enough fuel to get us through a good part of our travels. The more we sail, the longer we can go without refills. It was a bit tricky getting into the fuel dock as the current and the wind were both against us. With the help of a couple people on the dock we got tied up. Once that was done we pulled away and headed for the bridge we needed to get through, with a call on the radio to the tender we were through in no time. We then had to sit turning circles to wait on the lock as they had traffic coming from the other side. Once it opened we headed in and positioned ourselves alongside the wall. This was my first lock to deal with and I was a bit nervous as I was handling the lines.

 

Apparently it’s an easy one to get through and as the doors opened and we exited, the winds decided to pick up to 23 knots and the clouds were rolling. All I kept saying was, “please hold off” please hold off” We made our way to the marina and had some friends waiting there to take our lines. Another boat had come in right next to our slip so it would make getting in a bit of a nail biter. It’s a skinny fairway to begin with, with one side being a row of trees; there’s a huge trawler on both sides of us and a finger pier you can’t get to till you are in the slip. I was able to get a rope to Chris who was on the dock and lucky for us the lady from the trawler came out and standing on her boat helped fend our bow sprit off. With the winds blowing from our side it was hard to get in straight and we ended up rubbing the piling on the starboard side. Better the piling then a boat. Oh well, it’s a bit of touch up to do on the varnish but it could have been worse. We were back thank goodness with no problems other than a small leak Dirk found somewhere in all the coupling, drip less, steering mess he had been working on. He tightened a few things down and that did the trick. At least something was easy. So now that we are back in the marina, we have been pounding out our to do list trying to get as much done as we can. The decks will be complete by this weekend, I will try to get the aft cap rail done with a final coat and start coating the drop in boards for the entry way.

 

We got the double doors done but when we travel we like the drop ins when we need to lock the boat up and use the drop in screen the rest of the time. Lots of cleaning and scrubbing has been done along with organizing and provisioning.

 

Our neighbor told us about a place right next to where we were in the boatyard that did plexi glass. Our two big hatches are so old and crazed. One has a red tint on it and leaks, the other had a major crack in it that last year we put a band aid on it by buying a very thin plexiglass piece and caulking it on. Most of the time they stayed covered due to the leaking. After pricing the size and thickness we needed and the fact that it would come in one big sheet and Dirk would have to make them we decided to put it off another season. After talking to this guy the other day we found out that we could get 2 hatches for less than what we would have paid for one and the guy would polish the edges and even match and drill the holes for us. It also came with a great tint that will help in the summer heat. I’m a happy camper.

We also got the new water maker in on Tuesday. It’s a DIY and basically comes with all the pieces parts and you have to put it together and install them. I’m not sure what the installation of it entailed because I decided to make a trip up to my sisters to drop off and pick up some needed items and to do a little house sitting. But it seems all systems are a go and after getting it started up, there were only a couple leaks that were corrected by a little tightening here and there.

 

I managed to fit all the cushions for the aft seating, dive gear and other odds and ends in the car and came back two days later. It was beautiful weather so I took the opportunity to finish up the decks. Yippie, I am finally done and they look fantastic. Now let’s see how long it last. Dirk had to climb the mast to replace the VHF antenna so he took the camera up with him and got a shot looking down. Pretty cool…

I have also started and finished up some other small odd and end varnishing. The last big project I have to do top side is to finish scraping and sanding the butterfly hatch so I can varnish it. I have been procrastinating on it but with everything else looking so nice it is screaming to be done.

Basically we are getting down to the wire here. Last minute projects are being done, spare parts are on order, lockers crammed with provisions and we are shooting to be out of here on the 25^th I think it is. We are paid up till the end of the month here so it gives us a few days to play around with. We still need to make one more trip back to the sister’s house to drop the car off and after that I will begin to feel I’m in cruise mode. Our plan is to travel the ICW for a couple days so we can check all our systems out and make sure it is all working well. After being on the hard for so long and all the work Dirk did with the shaft, stuffing box, and other assorted things we want to make sure there are no problems. We met another couple in the boatyard that just bought a catamaran and are planning on heading out the same time frame we are, so we will be in company. There is also another couple that I have been following for a couple years now as they fixed up their boat to travel and they docked down in Melborne for a while. They came up for a visit to meet and since this is the first trip over for them we gave them some pointers. They have left already travelling south and are probably headed the same direction as us so I'm sure we will meet up with them again. As we get closer to leaving I will keep you posted and then once again our spot will be active to show where we are. Till then I will leave you with a photo of Capt. Butters hanging out on the bow sprit.

We had to put a net up to keep him off as we are afraid he will slip in and there are too many gators in this marina that hang out too close to the boat.

Boatyard Work Just about complete

Didn’t realize it had been a month since I last posted our progress. Let’s just say we have been a bit busy. Where to start…..Well I am happy to report that the bottom continued to dry for another couple weeks after Tom our bottom guy had come to grind. He then returned and fared the bottom on one day, returned the next day and sanded it smooth. His job was done and now it would be left up to Dirk to do the rest. All we would need is some rain free days to start applying the 5 coats of barrier paint and 2 coats of black bottom paint. All in all we used 8 gallons of barrier paint and 3 gallons of Trinidad SR hard bottom paint. Several days later, and we have a bottom that looks as good as new. Dirk did a fabulous job on this as usual.

Tom fairing the bottom



Bottom done, just needing final sanding and paint

Dirk applying the first of 5 coats of the barrier paint



First coat of Bottom paint going on




Bottom job is done, along with the black boot stripes

In the meantime he had removed the old stuffing box and added a new PSS drip less box, plus he replaced the cutlass bearing, and replaced the shaft coupling. Just know that we hope he never has to do the shaft coupling again. Wow, what a pain, and 2 days to do it. It was so corroded in place that even when it was cut in half with an angle grinder it took two of us prying with a 5 ton puller. We actually broke an arm on the puller but after many choice words and threats it finally gave in and came off. Whew, fun fun, NOT…… While he was down in the same hole in the floor we replaced the exhaust hose from the engine. All 12 ½ feet of it. It is 3 ½ inches around and very thick which restricts it from bending much. We ended up feeding it in through the top hatch over the bed, into the floor area and up and under the bed to the rear of the boat. Yet another fun job you get to do while using 5 hands 3 feet and standing on your head all the same time. Believe me when I say, living on a boat is not all sun downers with pretty umbrellas and swaying in a hammock. It could happen but not often enough, at least not now. We are so ready to get back on the water and start heading south back to the Bahamas. But first, more work.

This doesn't look that big but trust me its 12 1/2 feet long and a bear to get put into place

If you read our blog when we first got Renegade you know how bad of shape the decks were in. We knew nothing of teak decks other than they leak. After doing some research and asking around we decided our best and easiest course of action was to scrap the decks of all the years of neglect and repeated coats of cetol. Pull out most of the existing caulking, re-caulk and apply some type of protective barrier. We had several people say to just let it gray. As much as the lazy part of me is screaming to do just that, the part of me that loves the rich tones of varnished and well cared for teak was what was calling us. So Dirk purchased a product called Teak Gard. It isn’t a varnish nor a sealer, it just gives the teak a nice look to it. You must clean the wood very well, apply 3 coats and it is suppose to last a season. Hummmmm What did we do wrong? Seems the high traffic areas wore off way too quickly and we were getting tiger striping going on. This season we discussed it and decided to go a different route to see if it would make a difference. More research, more questions and we have decided to apply what I spent so many months cursing. We decided to completely sand the decks down properly and apply the new Cetol they have now. It is called Marine Natural Teak and it’s not supposed to yellow like the old stuff. Dirk did the hard parts of sanding all the decks down, and what a mess that was. Still is, I finally caved and said I wouldn’t dust or wipe walls till we were out of the boatyard. I have gotten use to writing my notes in the wood dust, fiberglass dust that seems to carpet every horizontal surface I have down below. I have just about completed everything except the cabin top and one coat to the starboard side of the poop deck. (aft deck). I love the rich wood look it gives, it is a bit slick when wet so we need to be careful or put some good deck shoes on. We will see how well this holds up as we are just adding band aids right now. Our goal in the future is to have the decks removed and perhaps redone, but probably fiber glassed. We love the teak look but there is enough wood on the boat and it would solve so many other leak problems.

Not a very good shot but I will post one in the next blog when its complete. Here is the difference as we were working on it

Other projects have gotten completed such as, all the cap rails with the exception of the stern rail plus all the toe rails, (wood on the sides) has been done. Dirk redid the black boot stripe as the last time it was done it was done wrong and it was peeling off. Guess Renegade had blue boot stripes originally as that is what we uncovered. It was Dirks first attempt with rolling and tipping but it looks great and has a nice shine to it. For the non boaters it is the two black painted lines on the sides of the boat. The wheel finally got done, thank goodness. I was tired of looking at it and I hope I never have to redo it again.

The wheel, finally done.....

Christmas has come and gone, old man winter pokes his head in every so often just to remind us that the rest of the country is experiencing winter when we really have had a nice cold season so far. We spent the time with my sister and her family and Dirk took the opportunity to sew the new main and mizzen sail covers. I relaxed and helped cook Christmas Dinner which was mainly cooked by my brother in law. Christmas day was spent cooking, eating, eating and relaxing, sewing, and ummmm eating. Couldn’t help it, Standing rib roast with horseradish sauce, Yorkshire pudding, asparagus, corn casserole, and sweet potatoes. Dessert was key lime and pumpkin pie. Yummmm. The next morning I was met with fresh homemade scones with Devonshire cream made by the sister. We ended up leaving that day. Either that or we were gonna explode.



My sister and I

 

Dirk getting his Santa on




Christmas dinner, yummy



Homemade scones my sister baked. I love the fact that she loves to bake




Dirk's mom sent us a huge box of German goodies, time to hide this all around the boat so it will last.

So we came back to the boat on the 26^th and today the 28^th we are getting put into the slings around closing time in preparation of a Saturday launch. Dirk will do some final work under the boat where the keel was sitting on the blocks so we are busy busy. Trying to get the last of the big sanding projects done, cetol and varnish can be done anywhere. We decided our plan would be to head back up the canal back to Harbourtown Marina as we found a slip there that has a long enough finger pier for us. When we gave up our last slip someone grabbed it and they only have a few with a finger pier long enough for us. There we will finish up last minute stuff and continue to re provision the boat. I have started but found it was very difficult trying to organize when everything was torn apart. Caption Butters had his yearly exam done and had to be given a magic bullet so to say to have everything done. He is a very bad patient and for some reason has always hated the vet. This vet didn’t waste time and gave him a sedative which in itself can be a very traumatic experience. I was asked if he was part cougar as the scream he let out sounded as such. Once the sedative took effect his eyes were wide open but he allowed them to do anything they wanted. For a couple years he hasn’t had much done other than a visual inspection because he is such a bad patient. I had 3 year rabies shot done to save us trauma every year.  Every test that was needed for several years was finally done down to a temperature reading and he came back with a clean bill of health. His weight is always something we worry about as he is getting older and diabetes is not something I want to deal with in him. Everything checked out and we will continue to try and curb how much we feed him although the vet is surprised by how little we feed him. His weight is 19.5 lbs so he isn’t going hungry although we are strict about his food.

Butters doing what he does best

 Like I said we will go back to Harbourtown Marina, finish up some last minute task, re provision, and oh yeah I almost forgot…..Put in our new water maker. I will tell you more about it in the next blog but Santa decided that’s what we needed this year for Christmas. I’m not complaining. Till next time….