December 20th, 2017

December 20th, 2017 Wednesday

Hello from sunny Bahamas all.  The weather this week has been delightful with light variable winds, plenty of sunshine and now rain.  We are still anchored in Man Jack Cay with boats coming and going.  There is about 24 boats in the cove at this time.  We have been working on the boat for the past week.  Our latest projects have been sand and varnish the Toe rails and the eyebrow (trim on the outside), repaint the 50’ and 100’ foot markers on the anchor chain, if a track guide on the mainsail and the main project is repairing a section of wood around one of the Port lights (window) in the aft stateroom.  The window is an on going project at this moment.  We had to remove the window, remove all the old damaged wood, fill and put in new pieces of Teak.  That’s where it is at this moment, we still need to sand, varnish on the inside and paint on the outside and replace the window.  Hopefully the window will go in this evening.   

With such great weather the water temp has been raising and I went for the first swim in clean, crystal clear water.  It was heavenly and very refreshing.  We will be going into Green Turtle and anchoring for a few days during Christmas and then head back over here next Tuesday.   So until then Happy Holidays, fair winds and happy sailing to all and to all a good night.

December 12th, 2017
Our Crossing was lovely with 3-4’ roller and Winds only 10-15kts out of the SE.  Unfortunately we had to motor the whole way, but all in all it was a pleasant ride.  We made the outer banks of white sand around 3am Thursday morning and then made our anchorage at Great Sail Cay near lunch time.  On Friday we headed straight for Green Turtle to clear customs.  What a mess that was.  We arrive at the customs office around 330pm and they were closed.  Some of the locals told us we would have to take the ferry in the morning and go to Treasure cay then take a taxi to the airport and clear customs there.  So 730am Saturday morning Kevin headed in to catch the ferry to go clear customs.  Around 9am he had text me to say he was coming back, with the customs officer and would then have to clear in Green Turtle.  Well after all that craziness, we then had to deal with a frontal system coming in later that day.  We would have no more protection where we were anchored at Green Turtle then if we moved up to Man Jack Cay.  So we decided to stay put in Green Turtle.  Well that only lasted until 330 in the afternoon when the winds where blowing 30kts out of the NW and the seas where very rough, then we drug our anchor when the wind spun us around.  Now we are in the middle of the storm, with pouring down rain and sheeting winds, making our way north to Man Jack Cay for better coverage (since the winds where now NNW and not WNW).  We got anchored around 6pm and settled in for a bumping night.  Sunday, Monday and Tuesday was wonderful weather and then we had a front come through Tuesday night.  Well it is now Thursday and we have dinghied back to Green Turtle for the day so we can use the internet, send this blog and pick up a few supplies in town.  Oh yes and have some lunch.  Sorry I was so late posting this, but I have had no internet since arriving.  Will be trying to get that straight today also.  Fair winds and happy sailing my friends.

Departure update

December 4th 2017
It’s update time and stowing time.  We have left the Melbourne area and making our way down the ICW toward Ft. Pierce.  Today the destination is, the Grant Islands.  The plan is to anchor in Grant until Wednesday morning and leave at daybreak.  At this time there is a good weather window, of 5-10 Kts SE winds with 1-2’ seas.  If this hold true we will make Ft. Pierce in the late afternoon, fuel up and then head to sea. Our destination is the northern Abacos for the next month.  It will be several days before we are close enough to a cell tower for internet coverage.  We purchased a T-Mobile plan that should cover most of the Bahamas.  This will be a good test.  Tuesday we will spend the day preparing for an offshore run.  The task at hand consist of finding a home for everything that is not screwed, nailed or strapped down, mount the dinghy motor on board, strap down the dinghy, clear everything off the decks, run jack safety lines, pull out offshore life/harness vest and last put most important, prepare the ditch bag (all emergency items and paperwork for an emergency escape).  Luckily the ditch bag has never been used, but it is a must in an emergency situation.
Well fair winds and happy sailing my friends