Cindy's Here...Yippeee!!

Our friend Cindy Williams finally arrived in Treasure Cay on March 3rd. She came full of giggles and carting a big bag of booty, including 4 bags of Oreo cookies, 2 boxes of wine, an inestimable amount of chocolate, a can of spaghettios, and only 1 bag of pretzels (a 5-pound bag that is, special ordered on the Internet). She had very little clothing as all her baggage space was taken up by food!

Cindy flew in to join us for the journey home. Some of you may think this a strange thing to do, especially considering my description of the passage here. But, then you don’t know Cindy, a girl who loves adventure. We did offer that she could join us sooner for some time in the Bahamas, but she said she was only interested in the return voyage. I think she is rethinking that decision now that she has seen the Abacos and discovered the delightful, unspoiled islands. But, the good thing is that we have been waiting for about a week to get a good window to cross back to the U.S. coast, so she has had a little taste of most of what the area has to offer.

On Cindy’s first night we had an impromptu sundowner happy hour with a bunch of cruisers who were anchored in the Treasure Cay Bay. She got to meet some of our buddies and happily joined the spirit of the occasion. We then said good bye yet again in anticipation of departing the following day…that didn’t happen. Due to the conditions, we chose to wait an extra day before attempting to pass through the Whale channel, something I was nervously anticipating after our first experience. This delay gave us a chance to stroll along the beautiful Treasure Cay Beach one last time. We did go around Whale Cay the next day and I am happy to report it was uneventful. I will use the Cruisers Net lingo for the conditions, which were a “sloppy 4” on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being impassable and 5 being perfect. Instead of 12-foot swells we saw only a little chop.

We made our way to Green Turtle Cay where we are still waiting for a good window to head home. We chose to anchor outside the Harbor on the first night and were hit by an unexpected squall that brought sustained 35 knot wind with gusts above 50 knots. It was an incredibly violent thunder storm that passed directly through us. We even donned our life jackets. I was quite nervous and actually screamed when a lightning bolt struck so close I thought we had been hit. Of course Cindy loved every minute. We checked the radar and could see the storm was about 25 miles long and 6 miles wide. Yet again our trusty anchor held through the event even though we swung over 180 degrees.

The next day we opted to move inside the safer harbour, called White Sound. We were a little tense about this as the channel is quite shallow, but it turned out to be a piece of cake as Captain Lynn calmly steered us through the markers. Cindy and I were at the bow watching starfish pass by when we sighted a huge Spotted Eagle Ray glide away from under the boat. It was beautiful with a wing span of about 4 feet…very exciting. Lynn then expertly turned the boat 360 degrees into our slip. We are spending our last few nights tucked snugly in at the Green Turtle Club Marina. This will allow us to charge up our batteries, replenish the boat supplies and rest up before the long journey home. We are also safely docked for hopefully the last Norther we will experience here.

Over the last few days we have toured the island in a golf cart, explored New Plymouth (the nearby town), wandered on the beach, splashed in the waves and found more sea treasures while snorkeling. Cindy has put me to shame as she wakes before sunrise each morning and runs 6 miles before I get out of my PJs. We have also indulged quite heavily at the Green Turtle Club because every dollar spent there is deducted from our dock fees…so we feel compelled to max out on eating and drinking.

Most importantly we have spent many hours planning the crossing, which entails listening to the morning weather forecasts, plotting the course and discussing the outlook with our buddy boats. As of today the plan is to leave here on Monday with a stop over at Manjack Cay that night. We will then head to Great Sale which will be the departure point for the crossing. We hope to leave there at dusk on Wednesday, cross the Little Bahama Bank overnight and reach the Gulf Stream at day break on Thursday. We should arrive in Fort Pierce, Florida at about 2 PM that afternoon (March 13th). The forecast is for very calm winds and less than 2-foot waves in the gulf. That will be a welcome change.

So, our unforgettable adventure is now drawing to a close. The downside of this that we will have to leave the beautiful Bahamas, go back to work, start to wear makeup and undergarments (less of a concern for Lynn), possibly see a touch of winter, and get back to reality. All of this is almost balanced by the upside of seeing our friends and family again.

Not Sure How Much More We Can Take?!

Hi, we’re still here!! And loving every minute. For the past three weeks we have been bouncing around between Marsh Harbor, Hope Town, Treasure Cay and Great Guana Cay. It’s been more of the same blissful days of sun and fun. We spent lots of time with Mike and Harriet (Dual Dreams), Kathy and Ken (Coconut), Jeff and Cindy (Salty Dog), and Bill and Mary (Ment Tu Be). We also enjoyed meeting some new folks, including Willie and Mark (Liahona), Jim and Marie (Kawliga), Harvey and Nancy (Stardust), and Chris and Deke (Chris Deke). It’s great how a little community develops as you all move around from place to place.

We first left Great Guana and headed to Marsh Harbor to wait out some high winds and get the usual chores done, not to mention going to a few happy hours. After that we went over to Hope Town for one last look around and to attend the big Hope Town Fire Department Fair. We discovered a new little joint called On Da Beach which was lots of fun. Lynn and I then went south and anchored for a few nights at Tahiti Beach. It was a secluded, peaceful spot where we snorkeled and lazed on the beach (yes, I again coaxed Lynn into spending an afternoon on the beach!). After that we moved north to Treasure Cay for a few nights and then to Great Guana Cay to anchor in Fishers Bay and await the Barefoot Man concert. We spent several days strolling about the island and walking on the beach. We finally decided that Grabbers is our favorite beach bar, with a perfect location overlooking a lovely bay sheltering sailboats and offering spectacular sunsets. Of course, they also have the potluck dinners, bocci ball, and hammocks under the palms.

OK, now for the Barefoot Man concert. This is a very big event in the Abacos that draws about 2,000 people. There were at least 60 boats anchored in Fishers Bay the night before. Think Jimmy Buffet, only its one guy with a guitar and a bongo accompanist. It’s not that he is even all that good; it’s more of a phenomenon. People love him because his lyrics are all about the Abacos and very humorous. His song titles include A Thong Gone Wrong, When They Cut you Off at Nipper’s, and It Don’t Get Better Than This. Anyway, the concert is at Nipper’s and the place is packed. Just picture Spring Break with a somewhat older crowd. We even witnessed the flashing of a few boobies. Lynn and I did a quick tour through the bar then exited stage left to the beach where we joined the more sedate group. We quickly tired of the whole thing and escaped to Grabbers where the atmosphere was somewhat calmer. It’s one of those things you should do but only need to experience once. We closed the evening with the first of several bon voyage celebrations as our departure day was nearing and we were saying “see ya next year” to some of our new found friends.

By Justin Hohner (Lynn's Grandson)

"It was my grandfather who sat at the helm of his fifty foot sailboat, cigar in hand, as he gazed out into a clear calm sea. The music of Jimmy Buffet competed with the calls on the CB radio from plunder hopeful fishermen, searching for the day’s big catch. As the sailor lit his cigar he brought it to his face, which was covered in a soft white beard, then emitted the sweet smelling aroma into the air. The captain’s topless, big round belly reflected a bronze tan from the midday hot sun. I had never at that time seen my grandfather so relaxed, finally living out his dream."

Things We Have Learned

1. We are not very good at fishing. Sorry Ben (our sport fishin’ neighbor on E dock who kindly loaned us rod and tackle), Lynn has tried a number of times, but to no avail. We are probably not equipped with the right bait, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of fish out there. We think we need to be out on the ocean side of the islands perhaps?

2. We have a really good anchor. Someone said to us here (Mike I think) that there are three things you don’t talk about in a social setting…religion, politics and anchors. Everyone has a different opinion about the best set up, but we have been very happy with ours (90-pound Delta plow with 300 feet of 5/8th inch chain rode). Although this may not seem to be the most exciting thing about cruising…it is definitely one of the most critical. So, although it can be a common problem, especially given the high winds this time of year, we have yet to drag on our anchor despite swinging 360 degrees with the wind direction. Something that makes me very happy.

3. Canadians rule here. I think there are more Canadian cruisers than Americans. In a strange way I feel more at home here than at home!

4. Unique Bahamian stuff…like how to make a conch horn and the tradition of blowing it just as the sun sets, preparing and eating conch, the best places to find sea treasures and snorkel, kicking back and relaxing under the sun or stars.

5. How to find our way around the Abacos. We can now confidently read the charts, visually judge the water depth, follow the weather and determine the best sheltered anchorage, drop an anchor that will hold, get provisioned, find lovely anchorages, explore the cays, find the happy hours…

6. More and more about our boat. How to run the engine (including jump starting) and generator, water systems, heads, sailing, etc, etc, etc.

7. Radio etiquette. It’s actually very interesting to discover how much you can learn about people as they talk over the VHF. You learn about their personalities, who they are hanging out with, what problems they may be having with the boats and on and on. It’s pretty funny, a little like Payton Place. We have discovered that people will switch channels to listen to your conversations (OK, I confess I have done this myself). You learn to minimize your air time and use secret codes to transmit which channel to go to for a discussion…like, “Meet me at the dock” really means “Switch to channel 05”.

8. You don’t plan too far ahead, cause plans always change. We get up in the morning and listen to the “Cruisers Net”, which is a combination of local weather, news, sports, and general cruiser information (including the daily specials at area restaurants!) broadcast over the VHF by a combination of local residents and cruisers. They are minor celebrities. If you sit on deck in the morning you can hear their voices reverberating around the harbour as everyone checks in to find out what’s going on. From there you determine whether it’s a good idea to stick with the plan or alter your destination…flexibility is the key.

9. How lucky we are…we are incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity and wouldn’t change a moment of the journey.

With Names Like Great Guana, Tilloo and Bight of Old Robinson, How Could We Not Have Fun?!

Hello again…Lynn and I are still here, happily nestled in our boat. So, what have we been doing lately, you wonder…pretty much the same stuff, amazing how you can never tire of white sandy beaches, crystal clear water and quaint islands. When I last left off we were in Treasure Cay…since then we have been moving about checking out new anchorages. We had two weeks of perfect traveling weather so took a tour around.

We first headed out to Great Guana Cay. And guess what…WE SAILED! It was fantastic. At last we had the right amount of wind in the right direction. With the engine finally off, both sails up, and the main reefed slightly, we hit 8.3 knots…incredible…our maximum hull speed is 8.6 knots. Who cares if stuff was flying around a little, it was exhilarating. We spent a few nights anchored along with Ment-To-Be in Fishers Bay and Bakers Bay, doing more snorkeling and beach combing on Spoil Bank Cay (aka Shell Island) and attending another potluck at Grabbers.

Then south to Man-o-War Cay, where they mainly build small boats (Albury Brothers boats) so there is lots of marine atmosphere and history. It is also an incredibly well-groomed town. Everything was so neat and clean…even the grocery store was immaculate with all the items so carefully lined up on the shelves. We wandered around town for the day. I purchased some really pretty canvas handmade on Andros Island to sew things when I get home (who wants to take a bet on whether that will ever actually happen?) Some people don’t like this Cay, maybe because they don’t sell alcohol anywhere, which seems to be somewhat of a priority around here…but, that didn’t matter to us.

Next stop was Marsh Harbour, where we hung out for a few days. This is the working town, so it is busier and not as picturesque. But it is a good place to get provisions, including, you guessed it, fresh baked bread and cinnamon rolls (something I just, both happily and unfortunately, discovered). They also have some nice shops and a few fun pubs…our latest favorite is Snappas, where we watched the Super Bowl. Here we met up with Harriett and Mike. We had met previously at the Grabbers potluck, but solidified the friendship in Marsh Harbour and have been kicking around with them off and on since then. They have a 42-foot Presence trawler called Dual Dreams. Imagine…blow boaters hanging out with smoke pots…go figure!

We then moved on to Tilloo Cay, which was a nice secluded anchorage…we were hanging out there all alone for two nights. We spent our time combing Tahiti Beach and doing a bit of snorkeling. Not the best selection of fish, but finding three big sea biscuits made it worthwhile.

On to Lynyard Cay, perhaps my favorite anchorage yet…although it’s impossible to choose. It was so peaceful there, with only a couple of boats anchored well off in the distance. Lynn and I agreed that our first night there was the best yet in the Bahamas. We spent the afternoon exploring and lazing about on shore…which turned out to be a nude beach! Then we settled in for the evening and had a lovely dinner under a blanket of stars. It was idyllic, exactly what I pictured before we ever got here. The next day was great too, because we met more new friends…Kathy and Ken on a 42-foot Marine Trader called Coconut (we must be attracted to trawler types). They have the cutest little 4-pound miniature fox terrier named Big Eddie. They also make lovely sea glass jewelry and I have been “shopping” on their boat several times. They are veteran Abaco cruisers and have shown us a few things, like how to find sea glass and cook Conch. Yes, friends, Lynn ate his first conch and loved it…having at least three helpings. Of course it was caught by Ken that day and cooked perfectly…easily the best I have had yet. We also tried out our new Airline SNUBA system. This is an air line that allows you to dive with breathing air supplied by compressor from the surface. It worked fine, but so far we’ve only used it to clean the bottom of the boat.

We then reluctantly made our way back to Marsh Harbour for shelter from the biggest Norther yet (apparently the highest gust was about 49 knots). We stayed there about three days and caught up on chores, like laundry and work work. I actually had to do my performance review…ask me how much I cared about that! We were pleased to meet up with Bill and Mary again after going our own ways for a while. One of the highlights was learning how to make a conch horn…kind of a grown up arts and crafts activity. We had a fun happy hour at Snappas one night with a big gang of cruisers. A bunch of them were meeting to discuss their pending venture south to the Exumas…it sounded exciting. They had already tried to make the passage two times but had been thwarted by the weather. We heard the next day that eight boats had successfully left for their southern destination. Lynn and I have decided to wait until next time for that adventure.

We are now back in Fishers Bay at Great Guana, where we spent a lovely Valentine’s Day and anxiously await the Bocci Ball tournament and the Daytona 500 at Grabbers tomorrow. We again had a fabulous sail here from Marsh Harbour…20 knot wind, which is perfect in my books…just enough to get good speed, but not enough to make me start feeling nervous. It is a bit overcast and windy today so we are catching up on inside boat chores, like replacing the head…it can’t all be fun and games I guess. Lynn is also passing the time with his new addiction to his electronic Black Jack game…right now he is up $13,500…but regularly curses the machine and says the game is fixed.
So, in the last three weeks we have been to the southern point of the Abacos and are now as far north as possible before having to cross The Whale. On the way we have seen exciting wildlife, found unique beach treasures, explored lovely anchorages, had perfect sails, made new friends, and fallen more in love.

Treasure Cay

Lynn and I have discovered that, when in the Bahamas in winter, your travels are very much governed by the wind conditions. Northers blow through every 3-4 days and with them bring first a little short-lived rain, followed by high winds from which you need to seek out sheltered anchorages. After leaving Hope Town almost two weeks ago we headed to Treasure Cay where we planned to stay for a few nights. We’re still here! This is because it is a very nice place to be, but we have also been comfortably anchored for two such blows. We did leave very briefly for a night at Great Guana Cay, but returned the next day just ahead of yet another Norther. Today we are sitting through the last of it and are looking forward to the coming week and predicted calm conditions. Don’t get me wrong, on the whole we have had great weather and I estimate only about 5 days where we were compelled to stay on the boat and not venture out. Not much to complain about considering the nasty, cold winter being experienced in the north!

The best thing about Treasure Cay is the spectacular beach, which was voted one of the 10 best beaches in the world by National Geographic. It is a huge semi-circle with 3.5 miles of incredibly white, powdery sand. As usual, there is hardly anyone on the beach and you can walk for miles all alone. One day Lynn and I trekked the entire length and back. Our ultimate goal was to see a plaque on the point commemorating the arrival of the first Loyalist settlers in the Bahamas. We never found the darn thing, but our feet sure did ache! On the way back we saw one couple after being on the beach all afternoon. As we passed they commented that the beach was getting crowded!

We rented bicycles and rode around looking at houses and checked out the local ceramic place. We even spent a day relaxing and reading on the beach. Anyone who knows Lynn will understand that this was a very big sacrifice for him since he doesn’t sit around very well. We took the dingy out to a little secluded island and explored the rocks and beach, which didn’t take long as it was quite tiny. Of course we found the local bakery owned by Florence and her husband Captain Forty. So we continue to indulge in home baked pie and bread. Florence even made Lynn a special order apple pie that met his high standards! We returned the next day to sample her blueberry pie (OK, we bought the while thing), which was equally delicious.

On the windy days we passed the time playing games, reading, watching movies (or sleeping through them!), and working occasionally. We have learned that I rule in Scrabble and Lynn rules in Gin Rummy (not to mention that I am not a very good loser). Naturally, neither of us likes playing the game we don’t win…at least I don’t. Today Lynn was getting a little bored and resorted to rebuilding a head and making dinner.

The harbour is very serene and is a home to dolphins and sea turtles. Every so often we spot a turtle poking its little head up for a breather. I tried feeding them leftover chicken stew, but only managed to attract the gulls! It is also home to three 1983 50-foot Gulfstar Sailmasters, including ours. This is pretty amazing when you consider that there are only 16 total. We went over to take a look at one and found the owners there. As it goes with this community, they immediately invited us on board; it was fun to take a look at our sister ship. We really enjoyed meeting Midge and Allan, who came to visit our boat the following day and then took us out to lunch and to see their beautiful island home. It was probably just about anyone’s dream home, it certainly was mine.

So, picture this…you see a house you like so you walk up to the door and knock on it. When the owner comes out you ask them what kind of house it is and when they bought it. They happily tell you all about it and then invite you in for a look around. This is exactly what happens with boaters, so you are constantly meeting like-minded people. It’s what makes cruising so much fun…which is something cruisers like to have! While over at Guana Cay, we happened upon a big potluck dinner sponsored by the local pub for the people anchored in the harbour. We joined in and met even more people. We have collected a bunch of boat cards (like business cards for boaters) and have struck up new friendships, some of which will be brief encounters, and who knows, some may endure. But, best of all, Lynn and I have become better friends with each other. All the stress and worry of getting the boat ready has melted away and we are finally experiencing the joy of realizing the dream together…it’s a wonderful thing.

Picture Perfect

We have posted a bunch of new pictures to the Picasa web album for anyone interested...just click on the link on the right hand side of the page---->