Junkanoo Prep in Hatchet Bay

 

Merry Christmas to all!  Here are some photos of the Junkanoo prep in Hatchet Bay.  They are moving the items 60 miles south to Tarpum Bay – a place we like – for a big Junkanoo Rush Out tonight at 7pm.  We will not be attending because of Rob’s foot.  I did not want to leave him on Christmas night no matter how good the event!

Da lion fish mon!                                          Turtle!

It fastens with seat belts!                       Look at the ornaments

Merry Christmas!

We will leave Hatchet Bay either tomorrow (26th) or the 27th heading south.  Don’t know when we will have internet again.  More later!

On to Hatchet Bay Eleuthera 12-18-2012–12/22/2012

 

Here we are!  We had a wonderful sail from the Glass Window into Hatchet Bay.  We actually passed a boat an not just any boat but the Liberty Clipper that we knew from The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race.

We tried to reach them on the VHF but no luck.  Another place that is dear to me is Gregory Town.  I went there the first time in the mid 1970’s to Surfers Beach.  No, I do not surf but a friend of mine did. 

 

Gregory Town from the sea.

I can still remember what fun that was!  A couple of years ago Rob & I went there with friends and not too much had changed.  The Hostel was now a home and Ms. Betty who baked the bread had passed but the local bar was still in business and now run by a former surfer!

Now this is the view as you approach Hatchet Bay.  At one time, when still under British rule, the area was used for cattle farming.  The were many natural lakes in the region but no good port for loading cattle or unloading supplies.  The opening you see above was created with dynamite!  It is very deep and grassy inside and holding is sketchy at best.

Entrance to Hatchet bay

A few years ago the government installed several moorings and we took one of those when we arrived.

Now Rob is still boat bound but we were in need of groceries and it has been great fun!  I decided to see if I could find a rental car but no luck.  I did meet some new cruisers – Phil & Irene on Plan B.  They’re British and this is their first year(newbies).  I remember that!  Super nice folks, I invited them to the boat to meet Rob and we all had a grand time.  Rob really enjoyed some one new to speak with! 

Another thing we really like about Hatchet Bay is the stone crab!  We met Leander, THE local crabber,  a few years back but unfortunately he was killed in an automobile accident and his brother has carried on.  One of the local restaurants still lists “Leander’s Stoned Crabs” on the menu and no that is not a typo!  It was kind of fun sitting on the dock with the fishermen while they cooked the claws and talking about all kinds of things.  The young people (20’s – 30’s) of Eleuthera (or Lutra as the locals say) are very concerned about crime.  There is high unemployment on the island and the problem here is getting worse they say.  Now, I can honestly say that w have been coming here for the last ten years and have never seen any crime.

Anyway, you cannot go wrong when  you ask for 3 pounds of stone crab and get a “thank you bag” half full for $20.00!  We had all the crab we could eat with couscous and snow peas for dinner and had enough to make a stone crab quiche that was more crab than anything else! 

There are a few photos I want to take of a local man building costumes for Junkanoo before I go on.  It looks like we will stay here for Christmas!

Holly

Let the Cruising Begin!

Off to Royal Island we go.  That will be our first stop after leaving the Abacos.  Although we love the Abacos, there is so much more to the Bahamas.  Marsh Harbour Abaco is the 3rd largest city!  It even has a stoplight!  We much prefer the smaller less inhabited islands where you can actually meet the locals and they remember you from year to year!  Like when Dingle Motors in Rock Sound will welcome you and when they recognize the boat name they say “Welcome Home!”  or the settlements on Crooked or Acklins where the total population is less than 50 and that includes all the children.  Time enough to once again explore the Abacos in the spring when it will be warmer there too!

As of today, 12/17/12 Rob’s foot is still very tender.  It is healing nicely but it was a deep puncture wound.  He still cannot put any weight on it so we stayed in Royal Island for a few days but we are both getting a bit stir crazy so off to the Glass Window we go.  The Glass window is like Hole in the Wall.  The Queens Highway – which runs the length of Eleuthera – was built over it many years ago.  During the late 1970’s (I believe) it was hit by a rogue wave and washed away the road, the window and a few people who were there at the time.  The road was rebuilt as it is a major highway by Bahamian standards but the “window” is now a bridge.

Now since he can’t put weight on his foot all of his chores are falling to me and boy have I gained a new respect!  Drop the anchor – raise the anchor, along with the 80+ feet of chain.  Raise the sails, lower the sails.  Put the dink over the side and the one I am really looking forward to is putting the outboard on the dink!  We have a pulley system and normally I lower it while Rob is in the dink and will position it properly.  Next time the places will be reversed.  If you have not heard yelling all the way to Virginia it means all went well. 

Revenge of the Conch–Another View!

A few says ago Rob & I decided to go conchin’ from Little Harbour – Pete’s Pub to find another conch to supplement the  one I found.  Nary a conch in sight so we decided to go for a walk on the beach on a small island in the Bight of Ole Robinson.  Neither one of us had brought shoes so off we went barefoot.  Note to self…. Never Ever EVER! walk the beach barefoot on an iron shore.  The sand was very soft in some places, almost like quicksand and you would sink ankle deep.  Rob hit one of those spots and not only did he sink but there was something sharp – probably an old conch shell buried in the muck.  It is a pretty deep cut although it did not bleed as much as you would think but even 2 days later we are still washing bits of shell & sand from the wound.  We do not have a syringe onboard to force the peroxide in so I have been rinsing it as well as possible and keeping it bandaged.  (Thanks Dr. Barefootin’!) His foot has swollen a bit and we can’t remember the last tetanus shot so its off to the Government Clinic in Spanish Wells.  (well THAT didn’t happen)

See, cruisers do not like to backtrack so its off to Eleuthera we go.  Now since his foot is injured I have to jump in and do what Rob normally does – 98% of the work!   Get the engine off the dink and on its mount (we changed places on that one)  get the dink on deck for the passage, haul the anchor, you get the idea.  Of course the anchor was fouled but after an examination & a boat hook I got it secured.  He is not the best patient, trying to get him to keep the foot elevated is like pulling teeth!

I thought it best NOT to post pictures of this episode!

There is a geographic feature at the south end of Abaco called Hole in the Wall.  Below are photos of it before and after Hurricane Sandy this year.  The before photo was taken just a couple of weeks prior to the storm.  The pictures are from The Aboconian, a local newspaper.  The power of the sea is amazing isn’t it?

That’s all for now,

Holly

Ahhh–The Abacos 12/03/2012

We are finally here!  After we rounded the Whale we went into Fishers Bay.  For those of you who are not familiar – to get from Green Turtle Cay to the rest of the Abaco chain you must make a tiny venture out into the Atlantic.  On most days this is really not an issue – from flat calm to easy rolling swells but on some days it is what the locals call a “rage”. That would be bad weather with current against swell -  well you get the idea.  It was an easy cross but I am ahead of myself…..

Still in company with the Barefootin’s we dropped the hook and went into Great Guana Cay to look around.  After a Kalik at Grabbers ( a beach bar on Fishers Bay where we beach the dink) we walked over to the ocean side to Nippers

Nippers- Rob, Francie & Christine our bartender

Now this place is an institution on Abaco.  Every Sunday is a Pig Roast that is jammed with people and a ‘must do ‘ on every tourist map.  We have found that the food here really is good and we now prefer to come midweek!  Our bartender on both of our visits was Christine – the blonde on the right by Rob and she was a hoot!  One item she was very serious about is the algae blooms that have started on the reef just offshore.  The reef is the 3rd largest in the world and until VERY recently has been quite healthy.  Ten years ago when we first made this trip the area just inside of Whale Cay passage was called Bakers Bay.  It had at one point been a stop over for cruise ships.  That ‘private island’ type of thing.  Rob & I spent many hours exploring the remnants of amphitheaters and such.  A few years ago a developer bought it and I believe the first one went bust.  The environment was not so lucky with the  second when they put in a golf course.  Now, golf may be a fine game but the fertilizers required have no place that close to a fragile reef!  As you can imagine… the local tempers flare on both sides of the issue!  Jobs vs. environment.

Rob, Bob & Francie at Nippers                      Kippen having a bit of Nipper – just kidding!

As you can see we all had fun!

Later we moved to Marsh harbor for a few days of provisioning and such.  We did not stay long and bypassed Man O War (sorry Barbara & Ted) and Hopetown (sorry Brad) but will spend more time in the Abacos in the spring when it is warmer!

This is as close as we’ll be to the lighthouse till spring.    Art on the water!

Wow!  Normally Rob is the “hunter/gatherer'” but today I found our first conch of the season!  Just tooling along in the dinghy and there it was.  Now all we need is a couple more & its cracked conch for dinner.  The weather is not cooperating but we will head to Royal Island in Eleuthera the next opening.

Bye for now,

Holly & Rob

To The Bahamas!

We finally got underway!  After Thanksgiving, back on the boat we caught up with friends who were waiting to cross.  We managed to get the most important chores crossed off of our list and we are underway!  We left Ft. Pierce inlet about 8am on Sunday November 25 bound for Green Turtle.  Our trusty GPS says we should arrive about noon on Monday – we’ll see.

Rob & I run 3 hour watches and when we left it was my turn.  As we passed what I thought may have been a piece of wood – it raised its head in our direction before it dove under.  It was a sea turtle, and a rather large one too!  About 45 minutes later Rob had joined me topside when a large pod of dolphin swam with the boat for awhile.  They always make my day!

 

11/27/2012 Well we made it!  Not as quickly as we would have liked but that’s ok!  First it was the instruments.   The are made by Brooks & Gatehouse – B & G which really means broken & gone!  The wind instrument hasn’t worked in over a year – that was probably a good thing during Irene & the tornado.  The auto pilot has a mind of its own.  Last year it would make 10 degree turns to port by itself. The compass will jump wildly if you run it for too long.  This year it has decided to have rudder drive issues and turn its self off.  That’s ok because you can just hit the off button a couple of times and then restart it. Then there is the quad.  It shows many readings – speed, depth, water temp, trip log, you get the idea.  Recently the speed has been more than double what the GPS would read but that seems to be ok now.  The depth is a real issue.  You really like to know how much water is between the bottom of your keel and the sea floor!  When you are “off soundings” (really deep water) the unit will show 3 lines.  Recently it has started doing that in shallow water!  It has also decided that Rob & I need a math lesson as it will only show depth in meters!  We have found that if you tap it gently it will cut off and restart with meters.  We ordered a refurbished unit that worked for total of 6 days!   Yes, I do believe that B & G does mean broken & gone!  In all fairness – we have had these for over 10,000 miles under the keel!

 

So we get over to the banks – officially in Bahamian waters and the next to go was the raw water pump.  Nothing is ever that easy.  First we noticed that the rpm’s were fluctuating wildly and we were no longer charging the batteries.  Ok – loose fan belt.  Rob climbs down into the lazzerette,(not an easy task) tightens the belt only to find that the raw water pump is dripping salt water onto the belt and that is what is causing the problem.  We went to Crab Cay, dropped the hook after 36+ hours underway, had a wonderful dinner of duck, sweet potatoes, green beans & wine before going to bed at 6:30pm and sleeping through the night.

Today – 11/27 finds us underway to Green Turtle with a new raw water pump installed and ready to clear Customs and be official!

Green Turtle Cay

Sundown & Moonrise in Fishers Bay

Bahamas Bound

Just a quick note.... heading out from Ft. Pierce to Green Turtle in the morning.  Should check in with Customs & Immigration about Tuesday and will post an arrival notice then.

Thanksgiving in Port St. Lucie

We finally left Cocoa on Sunday November 18th after a longer than usual stay.  After the trip to the dentist (Thanks Jane! Thanks Pete!) we discovered that our friend Gary would be returning home the next day so we stayed on and had a couple of delightful days with him and friends we have met over the years as well.  It was great to see them all.  We left on Sunday the 18th but it was a cold and dreary day so we only made it to Dragon Point.  In years past there was actually a dragon on the point that a homeowner had built as a playground for his grandkids. 

When we first started making this trip 10 years ago the dragon was still quite playful. Now both the dragon and the home are in disrepair. Over the years storms have taken their toll on the dragon and a recent hurricane has made the house uninhabitable.

We stayed put on Monday as the weather was not conducive to being outdoors! Now we find ourselves under the gun to try to get somewhere for Thanksgiving!

Here we are with our dear friends Pete & Jane who have relocated to Port St. Lucie from Norfolk.

  Thanksgiving with Pete & Jane

Galileo & Black Jack

Rob & the porch at Pete & Jane’s

As you can see we had a wonderful dinner and the company even better!  And, we all know that Thanksgiving is the traditional start to the Christmas season so of course there must be…….

Black Jack & Galileo under the tree.

the Christmas Tree!!!!!

Back to the boat in the morning.  We are hoping for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas next week.  We found some reasonable airfare for me to fly back for the dentist in January.

Tonight let us just say Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends wherever you may be, and a heartfelt THANK YOU to Pete & Jane for all of their kindness!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  Love, Holly & Rob

South Carolina to Florida in 24 Hours!

We left Hilton Head for Bull Creek, SC near Daufuskie Island.  Our friend Bobby from Barefootin’ explained the legend behind the islands name.  It seems that when the explorers of old came in the inlet from the sea they commented on The First Key which morphed into Da Firs Key into Da-fus-kie!  Don’t know if its true or not but it makes a great story!  If you are not familiar with Daufuskie it is well known for the "’Gullah’ style of cooking. Different & delicious!

Ferry landing @ Daufuskie Island notice the dolphin!

We got underway Saturday the 2nd at about 0730 and promptly busted a fan belt!  Rob had it fixed in short order and it was offshore we went.  We actually were able to sail a bit!  The winds were for the most part cooperative and the seas were low although it clocked from the north around to the south west which was were we wanted to go!  Our original plan was to go into the inlet near Fernandina Beach but the weather was so pleasant offshore that we decided to head into Jacksonville, FL instead.

We planned to see our friend Rob Ball who lived on his CSY Jade East  in the same marina we did before relocating to Florida and REALLY ‘went to the dark side’ as we say…. no he did not sell his sailboat and buy a trawler…. he went from ‘live aboard’ to

                          

dirt dweller’!  Yes – he bought a house!  All kidding aside, it’s a great house!  Well Done Rob!

After a very pleasant day at the house we all went to dinner and had to say goodbye.  That is one of the only downsides to this life – it seems you are always saying goodbye to family and friends, both new & old.

 

Fishing Pier near St. Augustine                   Castillo de San Marcos – St. Augustine

Cannons at the fort                                  Another View

It seems that we will slow down for awhile. I (Holly) have an issue with one of my capped teeth that will require a dentist.  We are currently headed towards Port St. Lucie where I have an appointment.  It will probably take a week or so to resolve the problem but the Indian River is a great place to sail!  Spinnaker flying in the Indian River

Photo from 2002 – Thanks Paul & Dawn!

The hook is down in Cocoa!  More in a few days.

Holly & Rob