Jami and Justin

It doesn’t seem like we only had four days with Jami (Lynn’s daughter) and Justin (Lynn’s grandson); we packed a lot into a short time. We really enjoyed having them here to share in the stories and have their own mini adventure. We rented a 22-foot skiff so we could travel quickly around the islands, which turned out to be really fun.

We picked them up in Marsh Harbour on Thursday afternoon and started with lunch at Curly Tails, where Justin first discovered he likes Bahamian beer. We then bounced our way back to Hope Town for an inaugural tour of the streets. When passing Captain Jacks we noticed it was trivia night, so we stepped in for a try. We figured we had a promising team, with a wide range of age, gender and nationality. In fact, we were quite proud of our 11.5 points out of a possible 20…that is until we learned that another team had 18 points; we then quietly left the bar. Did you know that the stripe on a Canadian Mounty’s dress uniform is yellow? We topped the evening off with spaghetti dinner (you may have noticed this is a staple on the boat) and an attempt at watching National Treasure 2. We discovered that the copy we purchased for $5 from the shady guy on the street was indeed bootlegged and probably filmed in the cinema. Lynn was so incensed he wouldn’t watch it, but it didn’t matter since the rest of us fell asleep anyway.

The next day we headed south to Little Harbour, the home of Pete’s Pub and Art Gallery. On the way we stopped for a swim in the crystal clear water just south of Lubber’s Quarters. While Lynn and Justin flexed their muscles, Jami and I hovered in the boat. Lynn also invented a Bahamian-style snorkeling technique that required simply wearing a mask and hanging off the back of the boat; also known as the lazy man's snorkeling!

Pete’s Pub is a fun shack bar on the beach where people leave T-shirts pinned all over the walls. Randolph Johnston, apparently considered one the great sculptors of the 20th century, brought his family to live in the area in the 1950’s when there was nothing there. Now his son, Pete, runs the art gallery that houses his work. You could purchase a sculpture for a mere $25,000 to $65,000 if so inclined! But, it is a neat place and the T-shirts were only $22. The harbour is also a sea turtle sanctuary and we spotted a number from the boat. We tried to snorkel to get a better look, but they are quick little fellas and successfully eluded us.

When we got back to Elbow Cay, we headed to White Harbour where Lynn’s niece, Dana, was staying with friends; it seems amazing that she was in Hope Town at the same time we were there! The funny thing is that the hostess, Miss Betty, turned out to be the same elderly lady on oxygen that we saw in the church on Christmas Eve. She is actually 94 and still travels on her own to the Bahamas each year. I felt a little guilty about my quip on the earlier blog. All in all it was a fun evening having dinner in her lovely cottage with friends and family. We then headed back to our boat to make our way to Hope Town Harbour. It was at that point we discovered that the lights on the boat weren’t working and there was no moon in the sky. One of the guests, a local, led the way out of the harbour and we moved very slowly homeward with me on a sharp lookout on the bow. Another exciting passage!

The third day was also a blast when we headed north to Great Guana Cay. On the way we stopped at Fowl Cay, a national park and great snorkeling spot. Luckily the conditions were calm because you have to go through a cut to the ocean side; a passage that is often prohibitive if it is too windy. We grabbed a mooring and jumped in. I had ventured over to the nearby coral head and was happily watching the huge variety of colorful reef fish when I turned around to see a school of about 20 barracuda that had crept up behind me …Gasp!! They will apparently not bother people, but they sure do look intimidating. Lynn said they appeared to be on a military training mission as they stealthily moved through the water. Once safely back on the boat we headed to Nippers on Great Guana, another colorful beachside bar, where we had lunch and wandered on the beach. Then home for a night of bar hopping with Justin in Hope Town. This involved wandering to the two possible options that were all but empty. It wasn’t exciting, but I think Justin liked that fact that he was legal drinking age and could just sidle up to the bar and order a beer.

Our last day was spent wandering about Hope Town and walking on the beach with Bill and Mary. Jami picked up information on rental properties; she liked it so much she plans to bring the rest of her family for vacation. We even toured a beach front cottage with the owner whose son is the creator of the TV show “Scrubs”, which Justin, a big fan, thought was pretty cool. Finally we did the obligatory trip to the top of the lighthouse. This time it was Jeffrey lighting the torch and we were smart enough to forego volunteering to turn the crank. Other little highlights include total indulgence in Vernon’s Key Lime pie (I couldn’t keep Jami away from it; I think she ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!), Justin and Lynn smoking cigars and chatting on the deck, and a couple of rip roarin’ games of Scrabble. “Yo” is a word after all…sorry Justin.

Dawn of their return day arrived much too soon. We saw them off on the ferry from which Jami waved out the window until the last possible moment. We then sadly walked around town feeling very lonely. We were both so pleased they came...as Jami said, “fun times never to be forgotten”.

Hello Again

Have I lost all my readers? I’m very sorry to be so remiss in blogging, but I seem to be very busy here in paradise! It’s amazing how the days just slip by even though we often don’t do much of anything. Let’s see, how have we been spending our time since New Years? I’m not sure I remember…it’s a blur of wandering about Hope Town, walking on the beach, and slurping mango daiquiris (Lynn’s favorite cocktail)…hmmm, maybe that’s why it’s a blur!?

First we weathered the big Norther that blew about 30 knots and caused unseasonably cool temps for about 3 days. But, it was OK because I finally did some actual work. Of course I didn’t let on to my boss that the inclement weather was the primary reason I got anything done (oops, I wonder if he’s reading this?!). We had the gang over for a big spaghetti dinner and an evening of Captain Ron, the classic sailing flick, because we were all getting a little cabin fever.

One of the highlights during this part of the trip was going to Captain Jacks to play BINGO, their Monday night draw. Of course, they call it JACKS, which you have to yell out if you win. And, guess what, I did! It was a big night so the pot was $222. Unfortunately I had to split it with some bratty kid, but it was still enough to buy all the drinks for the table, pay for our JACKS fun and walk away with $35…not too shabby!

Another event that will stand out in our memories was spotting a 6-foot Nurse Shark in the shallow water just outside the Hope Town Harbour (yes, I am Canadian). We were actually heading out to snorkel on the reef when I asked Lynn, “What’s that brown thing over there?” We moseyed over in our dingy and sure enough it was a shark! We watched him from the safety of our craft until he swam off. Needless to say we altered our snorkeling plans.

We discovered that it is a very small world, especially in the Bahamas, and have met some really great people. First we met Jessica and Drew on our snorkeling trip. Not only did Jessica and I have tons in common, they recently bought the same sailboat as our first Coyote and have it in charter where we did. We are definitely looking forward to connecting with them again. Then we stopped by Heinz and Jaqueline’s boat to say hello because they were from Montreal, my home town. It turned out that they owned a business just about a mile from my childhood home. They were lovely people and invited us over for cocktails. Then we bumped into Hugh at Nippers, who we knew from our Marina in Baltimore. He had been hopping around the islands and there he was in the same bar. Actually, that’s not all that surprising because it was the Sunday Pig Roast, an event that draws people from all over. We had gone there with Sheila and Buddy from Alabama, a very fun couple. Of course I liked Sheila immediately, not only because she has the same name as my sister, but she has that great southern drawl. When she says Beth, it comes out Bay-eth…I love it! But, that’s the best thing about cruising, all the wonderful people you meet.

We had a few other mini adventures exploring the local area in our dingy, including a splashy jaunt over to Marsh Harbor for some supply shopping and lunch at Curly Tails. We also zoomed down to Sea Spray at the far end of Elbow Key, again for lunch and a change of scenery. Dale and I tried to jump start Maggie, the fire engine, but were thankfully not successful. On our way back we stopped at Tahiti Beach, which is just a pretty as it sounds. I got hooked on Conch Burgers (pronounced Conk…right Jami?) at Munchies…a little roadside stand that has the best to offer for only $5! We have also put on a few pounds from indulging in Vernon’s bread and Key Lime Pie.

So, by now you have probably figured out that we have been doing a little too much eating and drinking and not enough exercising. Although I am still wearing my bikinis, I feel that I am not as svelte as when I started out on this trip. Sorry Jonathon, my personal trainer, who helped me get in shape in a mere three months when I suddenly realized that I would have to don a bathing suit. Our deal was that I would not gain any weight while away. I guess I need to break out the exercise gear I brought along with such good intentions…hahahahahaha! No wait, I think I hear a Bahama Mama calling my name...

Things We Love About the Bahamas, not in any particular order:

• Not working (not much anyway)
• Beautiful, powdery sand
• Spectacular, deserted beaches
• Vernon’s bread and Key Lime pie
• The wide variety of rum punches and Kalik beer
• Conch burgers at Munchies
• Crystal-clear water
• Endless places to explore
• My husband realizing his dream
• Relaxing on the boat
• Finding seashell treasures
• Winning JACKS
• Meeting wonderful fellow cruisers
• The incredibly friendly Bahamians
• Being in a place with no real crime
• Getting up early and going to bed early
• The quaint pastel-colored cottages
• Hopetown and its tiny picturesque streets
• Exciting wildlife sightings
• The Bahamian accent
• Potcakes…their name for mutts
• Unique little beach-side bars (The Harbor’s Edge, Captain Jacks, Pete’s Pub, Nippers, Grabbers)
• Walking on the beach
• Learning how to navigate and understand the weather (guess I should have done that before I came?!)
• Our trusty boat
• Awesome starry skies
• Being on a spectacular adventure

Christmas on Coyote - Part 2

We have had a wonderfully unique Christmas holiday season on Coyote. We arrived in Hope Town, Abaco on Christmas Eve morning. This is one of the most popular anchorages in the Bahamas, which is not at all surprising because it is such a lovely place. It is located on Elbow Cay and is overlooked by a red-and-white-striped lighthouse. The town has a very distinctive character with quaint streets (I think only two, named Front Street and Back Street) lined with pastel-colored cottages that are beautifully maintained. They do not allow vehicles to drive on the streets, only the odd golf cart, so the whole place has a very relaxed, serene quality. There are many paths leading to the beaches that are very natural with only a few cottages visible behind the dunes.

We started our celebrations on Christmas Eve by climbing the 101 steps to the top of the lighthouse. From there we had a spectacular view of the harbor (sorry, harbour for the Canadians) and the Sea of Abaco. The Hope Town lighthouse is one of only three manually-operated kerosene-fueled lighthouses remaining in the world. Because we were at the top just before dusk we witnessed the actual lighting by Franklin, the Lighthouse Keeper who arrived promptly, Heineken in hand. First he removes the protective screens followed by lighting the burner to slowly warm the lamp. He then has to crank the weight 600 times to start the lantern turning. The light can be seen for 20 miles. We all took turns cranking till we reached 600…I’m sure Franklin loves the tourists!! The cranking must be repeated every two hours to keep the lenses turning. According to witnesses, the lighthouse has been observed to be at a standstill several early mornings…I suppose by then Franklin may have had a few too many Heinekens!

We then quickly changed and headed to the church for evening mass, which was presided over by Vernon, the local grocer who fills in when the Minister is busy on another island. The setting was perfect, with the moonlit ocean visible through the windows. The mass consisted mostly of singing Christmas carols (not one verse was missed) and finally the lighting of candles. We were a little worried about the elderly woman on oxygen sitting in the pew ahead of us, but her daughter wisely turned off her tank just before the lighting. We emerged from the church with a warm feeling and topped off the night by strolling along the streets gazing at the houses glowing with Christmas lights.

We awoke to a lovely Christmas day. We exchanged a few presents and decorated the boat for our afternoon party. The funny thing about a boat party in the Bahamas is that your guests arrive by dingy. It was a fun afternoon of festivities, including finally popping the celebratory bottle of champagne, great food, and a white elephant gift exchange. One of the highlights was calling home to our families…it was so great to hear the voices of those we were missing.

Boxing Day is celebrated here (that’s the day after Christmas for you Americans) so it was quiet. Actually, I don’t remember what we did; one day kinda blends into the next. We did finally go to the beach on the 27th and were just in time to see a wedding. It was so pretty with the wedding party adorned in the colors of sand and sea glass. Of course it was Vernon presiding again. We had just seen him baking bread and key lime pie in his store. Then, an hour after the wedding he was back in his store in his yellow T-shirt selling his goods. We bought both the bread and the pie and they were equally delicious. Lynn asked him if there was any job he didn’t do, to which he replied, “I don’t deliver babies!”

The rest of our time was spent relaxing, doing some chores and wandering about town. We also spent a day snorkeling where we saw lots of colorful reef fish. Gini, a most observant naturalist, sighted a spotted eagle ray. I, a very unobservant wildlife loser, did not. I did however see a 5-foot barracuda, which was pretty cool. Actually, we met the wedding party on the trip, who turned out to be from Pennsylvania. We had a very enjoyable time and look forward to seeing them again when we return home.

Gini and David departed for home on December 30th. We were sad to see them go. Lynn says he always feels like he is fulfilling his boyhood dream when he sails with his brother. Although we would have managed the trip here without them, it would have been much harder and not nearly as much fun.

We capped the holiday season off with a New Years celebration, Bahamas-style. First we had the challenge of staying up 3 hours past our bedtime, which we did by gathering the gang on Coyote and urging each other to keep our eyes open between yawns. Finally we took the dingys to town just in time for the fireworks, a display to rival any we have seen before. Afterwards was the Junkanoo, a kind of parade consisting of about 10 people dressed in costumes and banging rhythmically on drums. They meander slowly through the streets surrounded by a big crowd of rather drunken partiers. You end up following along like the Pied Piper. It was a fun night!

All in all it was a fantastic week that we will never forget. Right now we are hunkered down in the boat because a cold front has blown in (probably from Canada) and it has become very windy and cold (60s). I know, I know, stop complaining! We are now looking forward to the arrival next week of two of Lynn’s daughters, Traci and Jami, and Lynn’s Grandson, Justin. I’m sure their visit will provide me with lots of bloggable quotes!

Christmas on Coyote

This is a blog in progress, but we just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year in case you happen to check in. It's New Year's eve and we are just resting up for the big Junkanoo festival that starts here in Hope Town at 12:30 AM. Since we have yet to make it past 9 PM we thought a nap would be in order. As Lynn is snoozing I thought I would pass on our good wishes. So, HAPPY NEW YEAR. We miss you all and wish everyone all the best for 2008!!

CHEERS!!!

The Whale

This was so exciting it deserves its own blog. Our last leg before reaching the ultimate destination of Hope Town, Abaco was around the Whale Cay. Since it is too shallow for our boats to navigate inside the islands, it is necessary to venture back out into the ocean to get around Whale Cay. The problem is that the water can get very rough at the entrance as it gets funneled through a very narrow cut in the reef. When the conditions are just right, with winds from the North, the crashing waves are called "The Rage". The cruisers say you must respect the Whale and we now understand why (not that we didn't; we just know why...). We left just before day break and slowly made our way to the channel where we discovered that, although there were breakers, it appeared to be reasonable to pass through. As we neared the reef the waves grew until they were about 14 feet by our estimation and very steep. They were not breaking but were definitely cresting. The other boats would disappear in the troughs of the waves. We felt like the boat in the perfect storm as we would ride up the face of the waves. I started thinking that I never imagined taking my whole house on a roller coaster ride! It only took about an hour to go around the Cay, but it was definitely one of the more exciting experiences in my life.

Once we got back into calmer water Lynn said he was bored, but we weren’t about to let him go again! Gini commented that she would never feel nervous about executing a golf shot after that. We arrived in Hope Town not long after, an incredibly picturesque harbor crammed with sailboats. Maybe because the Bahamians don’t really follow strict rules, the mooring we thought was reserved was not. We spent the better part of an hour calling the various marinas hoping for a spot. We were eventually successful, but had to take a slip…the last place in town. Gini commented that she now knows how Mary and Joseph felt when there was no place at the Inn!

Lynn and I are ecstatic to have achieved our goal and to have discovered how seaworthy our boat is. We made it!!! And just in time for Christmas!

The pictures don't quite do it justice...but almost!! Hey, where's da boat doc?

We Made It!!

We have been discussing in how much detail I should describe the crossing of the Gulf Stream. I think it is a better story if I give a true account, so let me start off by saying that once again, we were never in any danger…just uncomfortable and a little scared (actually, just me and only for a few moments). Based on a very good NOAA prediction of ocean conditions we departed from Fort Pierce Florida at about 2:30 PM headed for the Little Bahama Bank. We were not on the best heading for crossing the gulf stream as we were heading slightly south which meant we would have to fight the current a little more than if we had started from a more southerly point. Unfortunately, the weather man was somewhat off and the wind and seas were less hospitable than expected.

We spent the first hour debating whether we should press on. We were all certain that Bill and Mary would choose to turn around, but they hung in with the group. The waves were tolerable and we decided it was not bad enough to abort the plan. Many hours later, as we were only maintaining 2-3 knots against the current, we were kinda rethinking our decision! It’s very cool to pass through the Gulf Stream as the depth meter reading continuously increases until it gets so deep that it can no longer read accurately. Ours stopped working at 381 feet. It is an eerie feeling realizing that you have 4000 feet of water below the boat. Once in a while the depth would read something much more shallow, which Chuck said was probably a big fish passing under the boat!

We were again travelling in the dark; although this time we did have a much bigger moon to light our way. But the going was pretty rough and very slow. The wind, which was predicted to be 10-15 knots, was on the order of 20-30 knots, sometimes more. Consequently, the waves, which were predicted to be 2-4 feet, were more like 6-8 feet. It was a very long night. Like watching an empty gas tank while searching for a gas station, I found myself incessantly checking the GPS for progress. I think I counted every 0.1 nautical mile we travelled. Gini laughed that I must have declared “I think it’s getting calmer…don’t you think?” about a hundred times throughout the long night. We all stayed in the cockpit and had a sort of slumber party, but nobody could actually sleep!

Around midnight, Lynn and I said farewell to our good friend Jerry Queen who lost his battle with cancer on December 16th. We sent our thoughts of him to be carried by the Gulf Stream. We talked about the things we remembered...like his big hugs and contagious laugh. He was a great friend who lived life to the fullest; we will really miss him. Like Peg Gieseking said, we wish we could have had one more happy hour. Bye Jerry...you're gone but never forgotten.

Unfortunately our autopilot was not able to manage in the rough water so the helm had to be constantly manned. I have to thank both David and Lynn who took turns all night. We all just hung on waiting impatiently to reach the Mantanilla shoals where we expected the conditions to improve significantly in the shallow water. We were sadly mistaken. As we finally arrived at the longed-for waypoint, we ran into a squall and had to manage for another few hours until the water finally calmed down. All tolled we spent about 17 hours tossing and turning. Luckily it was not until we had found calm water that our trusty engine started to object to the treatment we had inflicted upon it and began making a strange noise. We hoisted the genoa (the big head sail) at which point the engine conked out completely. Upon inspection, Lynn discovered the fuel filters needed changing, which he masterfully accomplished while underway. The engine once again purred its way for another 8 hours to reach our destination of Great Sale Cay (pronounced Key). At long last we anchored in a lovely bay with beautiful blue-green water surrounding us. There were 10 boats in the anchorage, where we managed to have dinner, work on the engine for a few hours (David and Lynn that is) and hit the sack feeling thoroughly exhausted. I think Mary summed it up the best when she said, “that crossing was so rough it rearranged the padding in my bra!”

The next day we started out early again and headed for Green Turtle Cay. This was a lovely, relaxing day of travel. We hoisted both sails and motor sailed for about 8 hours, close-hauled most of the way and doing about 8 knots. We had fun taking pictures of each other’s boats. When we arrived at Green Turtle, the three captains went ashore to check into customs. Once done, we were all free to roam about the island. We promptly headed to the Green Turtle Club for a celebratory drink, a “Tipsy Turtle”. We spent the next day there and toured in rented golf carts, their main mode of transportation. We were all impressed by the beautifully manicured and well-maintained properties, whether rich or poor. The town of New Plymouth was very quaint; I love the pastel colors on the houses. That night we watched White Christmas. Gini and I couldn’t stay awake but Lynn and David persevered to the happy ending. We went to bed nervously awaiting the Whale Channel crossing…that’s for the next chapter…