tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26473098799214362092023-11-16T08:45:42.445-08:00s/v Painkillers/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-20830090680895834882011-04-05T07:29:00.000-07:002011-04-05T07:29:10.376-07:00We're back!Tuesday, 05 April, 2011<br />
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Hello faithful followers:<br />
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Scott and I are currently on a mooring ball in Vero Beach, FL after crossing back over from the Abacos Saturday-Sunday. We left Green Turtle Cay at 8:30 Sat. morning with our buddies, Ian and Sue on Kokopelli and arrived in Ft. Pierce at 11:30 am after our 27-hour crossing--- tired but happy to be back in the good ol' US of A. We anchored off of Harbourtown Marina in Ft. Pierce and, after a long afternoon nap, we had a nice dinner and then an early bedtime. Sleep is a wonderful battery recharger!<br />
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Yesterday, Kokopelli and Painkiller motored a couple of hours up the ICW to Vero Beach and enjoyed a trip to the local Publix for some provisioning. We had lunch at the Riverside Cafe near our marina and then went over to Kokopelli for sundowners. Today, they're calling for high winds and thunderstorms so we're all happy to stay put here in Vero. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we hope to head north on our trek towards St. Augustine.<br />
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Now, to recap on our last week in the Bahamas: we thoroughly enjoyed spending some more time at the Jib Room/ Marsh Harbour Marina and then heading over to Green Turtle Cay on Tuesday. We rented a golf cart on Wednesday last week and drove all over the island since we were fairly far from the actual settlement. It reminded us alot of Hope Town and Spanish Wells. Nice folks with a slight English accent.....a reminder that they're descended from Brits who came over in the 1600's to settle the islands. We were anchored out in one of the sounds there and had some fairly strong winds but the boat did fine. Anxious to cross back over, we were happy when the forecast gave us a weather window, albeit a narrow one. Kokopelli decided it was a "go" so off we all went on Saturday morning.<br />
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It's wonderful being back on US soil and even things once mundane -- like shopping at Publix -- take on exotic overtones since they *always* have bananas and fresh produce. We've gotten used to shopping for produce only on days when the mail boat has delivered in the out islands. It's funny how you take such things for granted here, huh?<br />
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So, we'll keep you posted as we head up the ICW towards home. We hope to be in St. Augustine over the weekend as we loved it there in November and want more time to explore that wonderful city. Hoping to be home within a week or so, especially if we can go off-shore for the hop from St. Augustine to Beaufort, SC. Take good care and thanks again for keeping up with our blog.<br />
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Jason and Stephen, dockmaster and chief dockhand, at the marina. This shot was on Saturday night during their "steak night".<br />
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Chef Marvin, cooking "up a storm" for the steak night.<br />
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Linda "Boo" (L) with her mom. Linda and Tom are owners of the marina and are very friendly, warm people.<br />
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The Jib Room from outside, looking in<br />
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Our last Bahamas sunset for awhile. This was on the crossing while we were still on the Bahamas banks. Our friends on Kokopelli are seen here in front.<br />
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Hey there again, faithful blog followers!<br />
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Sorry to be so slack lately with blog updates but we've been too busy having fun down here.....no, really, we have been playing dominoes until the wee hours of the night with our friends on Saber Tooth and Georgia E and just haven't gotten around to writing. That, plus spotty internet access have presented obstacles for our updates. A thousand pardons!<br />
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Scott and I have been slowly-but-surely retracing our steps from Long Island to George Town, to Emerald Bay and then Black Point and Big Majors Spot (with Thunderball grotto) and points north. Our migration back home has begun but we've really enjoyed revisiting some of our spots we hit going south, this time with our Toronto buddies -- Stu and Karen on Georgia E and John and Nora on Saber Tooth.<br />
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We got to Cambridge Cay with Georgia E and Saber Tooth and had a fantastic time snorkeling at "the sea aquarium"....a wonderful little mountain of coral with huge amounts of colorful fish and great fans and coral. We had lunch on a beach there and then took our dinghies over to Johnny Depp's island. He wasn't home but we cruised along the shore and saw his house and beaches. What a great spot! As Karen said that evening, we felt like kids again, having a day full of play.<br />
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Then we headed back to Warderick Wells for another few nights there and had an amazing time snorkeling there, too. We saw huge lobsters crawling in plain view over all the coral.....they're not afraid 'cause they know they live in a sanctuary. All we could think was how good they'd taste! We crawled back up BooBoo hill and our placque was still there so we're happy.<br />
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After we left Warderick on Tuesday morning, the group split up and Scott and I headed to Highborne Cay at the northern end of the Exumas. We had the good fortune to finally meet up with our good friend, Jake Roush, who's currently serving as First Mate on the 112-ft. motor yacht "Sensation". We've been looking for good ol' Jake the whole time we've been down here. He's like my second son so it was a very happy reunion for us all. He came over to our boat for supper that night and we enjoyed hearing of his many adventures.<br />
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Wednesday, we headed to Royal Island at the north end of Eleuthera with our buddies on Messenger. In early January, we had a not-so-fun few nights with a gale blowing through, complete with lightening, thunder and anchors dragging. Needless to say, we weren't thrilled to be back there but it's the logical overnight spot before leaving Eleuthera for points north.<br />
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Yesterday morning, Messenger, Painkiller, and a couple other boats left Royal Island after an uneventful night (YAY!) and headed north for the Abacos. Mother Nature had plans for us and we experienced 20+ knot winds with following seas for much of the trip. Scott did a wonderful job at the helm --very cool and collected captain -- and let me take it awhile when conditions were less dire. We were hitting 8.3 knots under sail alone.....we were *screaming* (the boat, that is). All of us were glad to make our anchorage in the Abacos, near Little Harbour and I, for one, turned out the lights at 8:30 last night. We were both tuckered out!<br />
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Today, we're at Marsh Harbour, again at the wonderful Jib Room, after a short journey this morning. It's great to be back here and we celebrated with a conch club sandwich and their signature drink, bilge burners. We hope to travel back home with our good friends, Ian and Sue, on Kokopelli. It's funny how we are traveling with the same good folks here again after so long away.<br />
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It will be good to get back home. We miss our kids alot and need to think about re-entering the job market so it's time to say good-bye to the islands very soon. But, we have so many ideas for next year's cruise already and are looking forward to planning that. The Bahamas have been wonderful to us and we can't wait to see even more of them next year.<br />
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I'll try to be better with updates on our way back to South Carolina. Thanks again for your faithful reading of our humble blog. We hope it's entertained you and been as fun for you as it has for us.<br />
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This is "Tiger", the boat kitty born on s/v Three Belles. Her owner, Carl, had gotten up off the beanbag so she just saw an opportunity too good to pass up.<br />
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Our buddy, Jake, in front of the M/V Sensation at Highborne Cay Marina. Doesn't he look tanned and handsome??<br />
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A typical view from the boat when in the Exumas. This is just off Highborne Cay.<br />
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Sunrise at Royal Island yesterday morning before leaving for the Abacos. The calm before the storm....<br />
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Capt. Scott at ease while "Otto" the autopilot drives on a nice, calm day.<br />
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Capt. Scott yesterday en route to the Abacos.....fighting the wheel for all he's worth. The picture doesn't adequately show the huge swells behind us.<br />
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Scott and I are now anchored off lovely Long Island, due east of George Town. We motor-sailed over here Wednesday along with our friends on Skedaddle, Spartina, and Messenger, to name a few of the boats. This is a wonderful anchorage, made even more special because of the existence of the Long Island Breeze resort here. Run by Mike from Britain and Jackie from Louisiana, it is a beautiful facility with a restaurant, pool and huge deck overlooking the bay and fast, free wi-fi. We have thoroughly enjoyed hanging out at the Breeze, meeting other cruisers, playing cards and just loving the setting and great food there. Much to our delight, on Thursday we were treated to a talk by Monty and Sara Lewis, the founders of Explorer Charts. They talked of their travels to the Turks and Caicos and about Long Island and all there is to do here. We enjoyed their sharing and knowledge very much and it was great meeting them.<br />
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Thursday, Scott and trekked to one of the beautiful beaches here and he found another sea bean! These transit the Atlantic from Africa and land on the eastern beaches here and are *very* hard to find. So now we have 2 heart beans and one hamburger bean. There is a wonderful weathered limestone rock formation just off the beach and it's very dramatic standing watch over the point.<br />
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On Friday, we rented a van along with Sarah and Ken from Skedaddle and Sarah and Phil from Spartina. We had a great time exploring alot of the island and went over most of the 80 miles from north to south. We stopped at the Stella Maris resort up north and had coffee for awhile and then walked around the property then we headed south. Lunch was at "Rowdy Boys" in Clarence Town....a beautiful facility with excellent food and great cottages for rent and an adorable, sweet Boston bull terrier who loved having his tummy scratched.<br />
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Later, we stopped off at a roadside straw goods shop and made some good purchases from the lovely lady there. Then we went in search of the local flamingoes, slogging through mangrove mud until we all agreed it was too much trouble to continue given that we didn't even know if the flamingoes were currently in residence. We had some good laughs though as we got mired in the mud. Spartina Sarah had thoughtfully brought along a gallon of water for washing off the mud and some paper towels but our shoes all ended up in a trash bag since they smelled pretty yucky from the mud. Fun times!!<br />
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Today, we're catching up on internet and will go to the local grocery (very nice and well-stocked) for some more provisions. Tonight we're all heading for the local buffet put on by Trifina at Thompson Bay Club. We're told it's quite the Bahamian feast so we're looking forward to it.<br />
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Glad to hear the weather at home is warming up and March will hopefully be lovely. Take good care and we'll blog again soon.<br />
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Monty and Sara Lewis, talking about the Turks and Caicos and their Explorer Charts of the area.<br />
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The Long Island Breeze resort from the pool deck.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQIMr5vu7d9D6_B5RByqhP0IMGsZqpRMJufMCbvb1SdInyKndR0GamFj7tBklmIP-tVvfvh-l8aIUlm0Es-XOuTDG2ByAMCfJlSPrIL53wj-20nfV9vOvWeMFUAZDe24-2MSLieGtQac/s1600/P2240005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQIMr5vu7d9D6_B5RByqhP0IMGsZqpRMJufMCbvb1SdInyKndR0GamFj7tBklmIP-tVvfvh-l8aIUlm0Es-XOuTDG2ByAMCfJlSPrIL53wj-20nfV9vOvWeMFUAZDe24-2MSLieGtQac/s320/P2240005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> View of the anchorage from the pool deck. Amazing views!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76UeqyooCiOwU68CQPwZjaheBCZr5PLkwB9475yQ2BhyphenhyphenfA2ve1DN8BUP0BAZmg6jDZRhuwXm2CCcjuhgaYxQNYscUB4RPCyZT7YN7B0Msh1ODM0o7aDZXdyGSCX7s2S_5OnvwsakH3Cg/s1600/P2240006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76UeqyooCiOwU68CQPwZjaheBCZr5PLkwB9475yQ2BhyphenhyphenfA2ve1DN8BUP0BAZmg6jDZRhuwXm2CCcjuhgaYxQNYscUB4RPCyZT7YN7B0Msh1ODM0o7aDZXdyGSCX7s2S_5OnvwsakH3Cg/s320/P2240006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Mike, the friendly owner of the resort. He does a "cruiser's net" on the VHF every morning, complete with humorous readings at the end with his wonderful British accent.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapSXEA4yNyAQVCpJfGY_Rj2LKMgoeQT0dJ3WxcZWNZb_jQYlbqWogNQnjwDcpc2jWDcKm2Jtacza03MHi6PReLpesEOzwVQmjMMx1YJ3i9o5WueyQGA3b_mzL9pCV8X8hZc6KfsHNSx0/s1600/P2260012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapSXEA4yNyAQVCpJfGY_Rj2LKMgoeQT0dJ3WxcZWNZb_jQYlbqWogNQnjwDcpc2jWDcKm2Jtacza03MHi6PReLpesEOzwVQmjMMx1YJ3i9o5WueyQGA3b_mzL9pCV8X8hZc6KfsHNSx0/s320/P2260012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is a tidal pool at the Stella Maris resort where you can swim in salt water. There's an opening at either end for the tidal surge.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-k4w1c-OP3vbAhyNLfyX1iNXaJE1LEgmuKAZ9aivzwwcu7wBdnz87KtcJDfWULQCrtPtu5FY6VEvhaDmP7H_v7gPL83Whfsjl-nvfHzFcgNXZDiDdVIXYIcRKMOxg4X_9oiM9-NreebM/s1600/P2250009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-k4w1c-OP3vbAhyNLfyX1iNXaJE1LEgmuKAZ9aivzwwcu7wBdnz87KtcJDfWULQCrtPtu5FY6VEvhaDmP7H_v7gPL83Whfsjl-nvfHzFcgNXZDiDdVIXYIcRKMOxg4X_9oiM9-NreebM/s320/P2250009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The view from the balcony of the Breeze resort.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfLmqw9AeAvYzHkf2Sw_wXFf70_2tIdr2I_BfA5UpNLZ17FElrNZaRy1x9aDoR-BcgVNmzKePZ4gGjPSbL7rJpAJS2itS1pLKdmH3pqI2MLTqXhCbs9tsjGH-mnw4ZtOIkcxjBZfLvCc/s1600/P2260013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfLmqw9AeAvYzHkf2Sw_wXFf70_2tIdr2I_BfA5UpNLZ17FElrNZaRy1x9aDoR-BcgVNmzKePZ4gGjPSbL7rJpAJS2itS1pLKdmH3pqI2MLTqXhCbs9tsjGH-mnw4ZtOIkcxjBZfLvCc/s320/P2260013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Inside the Breeze. Co-owner Jackie is in the pink-and-white striped top.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uVZ0wBawVegxsNPHm8Lnt0hSLLd4WXeViwvkvLC2WWEjIltohnwomGuwJDHSQyD38uoEE6KNobPQaB65fuUxMTHWOTaORVAOz2vHZLXV4CtO8VBZBfO_ZKs7oqJQrd66mMNbC2X4uOA/s1600/P2260015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uVZ0wBawVegxsNPHm8Lnt0hSLLd4WXeViwvkvLC2WWEjIltohnwomGuwJDHSQyD38uoEE6KNobPQaB65fuUxMTHWOTaORVAOz2vHZLXV4CtO8VBZBfO_ZKs7oqJQrd66mMNbC2X4uOA/s320/P2260015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-23824364457298723772011-02-22T11:31:00.000-08:002011-02-22T11:31:11.915-08:00Trivial Pursuit, bridge and rainbows in George TownTuesday, 22 February, 2011<br />
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Scott and I are still having a good time here in George Town after our 10 days here. The cruisers who stay here all season organize various and sundry outings and lessons and we have partaken of but a few offerings while here. We took a "field trip" to the island's one and only high school on Friday and were treated to the local cuisine plus a tour of the school's classrooms. The students and teachers were lovely....very friendly and happy to show us cruisers around the grounds. After lunch, the school's small marching (or not) band serenaded us with a few tunes. Not bad, considering some of their instruments looked like they were quite old and beat up. Part of the fun of the trip was seeing the island from the windows of our school bus transport. Some beautiful coastal scenery for sure.<br />
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We've also played trivial pursuit twice at the St. Francis resort here. It's a fun evening with lots of laughter and good spirits. Scott and I were fortunate to come in second place last week with our partners, Dee and Ed from Sea Fox 10. This week we weren't so lucky but it was still a good time.<br />
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We also took beginning bridge lessons from wonderful, patient Stuart on Union Jack last week and have played once with our friends from Skedaddle, Sarah and Ken. I think bridge is one of those games you have to play for a LONG time before you get the hang of it!!<br />
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Friday night, it rained "cats and dogs" in the harbour and Scott and I, along with the other cruisers, were treated to a beautiful rainbow over Volleyball beach. We love the beach there since it's home to the Chat 'n Chill.....an ultra-laid-back beach bar and restaurant with the always-friendly bartender Kendall. We've had several of their cheeseburgers there and the ambience can't be beat! Their colorful plastic adirondack chairs just beg to be sat in while you dig your feet into the sand and just......CHILL><br />
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Today is a "reprovisioning, upping our water tanks by schlepping water in jerry jugs from the town dock and getting our extension on our immigration done" day. Tomorrow, since the weather looks promising, we'll head out early for Long Island, due east of here. Our friends on Skedaddle and Messenger, along with many other boats will be heading out with us so it should be a fun sailing day.<br />
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We'll see what the internet offerings are on Long Island but we hope to be able to continue updating our blog there. In the meantime, stay safe and warm!<br />
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The band at the local high school serenaded us after lunch last Friday.<br />
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A beautiful rainbow over Volleyball beach Friday night<br />
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Wonderful, friendly Kendall, the bartender at the Chat 'n Chill. Note the hanging t-shirts all over the place<br />
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The beach entrance to the Chat 'n Chill<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_atJ0RzLCkKf7Zr7Pu7Nh2f3hVeoe0pJLb2OYnVo3KI6uDSakVVwNoWmroyP4Dbuihh1FGunvPNh-TCgXlWdIR-I5oTgBQmdCDYu7y7hRLmPIyQOlE9uYsZE3IBjmGMjwS6MZuZ5e77M/s1600/P2190008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_atJ0RzLCkKf7Zr7Pu7Nh2f3hVeoe0pJLb2OYnVo3KI6uDSakVVwNoWmroyP4Dbuihh1FGunvPNh-TCgXlWdIR-I5oTgBQmdCDYu7y7hRLmPIyQOlE9uYsZE3IBjmGMjwS6MZuZ5e77M/s320/P2190008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Scott, relaxing on the beach in front of the volleyball courts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeosqrEMntaRSaZkUKNOCR2GNaRVaHfjcLLdoHMkooIihYv1dx0tJVZYsG1Uogk_h0Cz3_fAq61A46wILwX1rz-X54bzmNpbp-6tfXeohPDrWdNzldPobRajiYn_JgS9QxTe-usEsvZJM/s1600/P2190009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeosqrEMntaRSaZkUKNOCR2GNaRVaHfjcLLdoHMkooIihYv1dx0tJVZYsG1Uogk_h0Cz3_fAq61A46wILwX1rz-X54bzmNpbp-6tfXeohPDrWdNzldPobRajiYn_JgS9QxTe-usEsvZJM/s320/P2190009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div> Another great sign....this one is maintained by the cruisers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG2B9DMgWJP-wbdQAgo4K4plXr5xHsFQWcMajbnbinfodz4gT6lNnqLsWFU5jWWteR6jWlks9uzWqaqHNYxowTKS1nDcYMAdP247sF6BzCOIwrzIEos01xUAcGdmxuUVPrJlgTomfr4c/s1600/P2190011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG2B9DMgWJP-wbdQAgo4K4plXr5xHsFQWcMajbnbinfodz4gT6lNnqLsWFU5jWWteR6jWlks9uzWqaqHNYxowTKS1nDcYMAdP247sF6BzCOIwrzIEos01xUAcGdmxuUVPrJlgTomfr4c/s320/P2190011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Those oh-so-inviting pastel beach chairs along the shore. Hard to resist!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjjYi7gcb19hb5zIFhW_-XJ2zRIoXaC2qCAtryZaslh4W0euVj8-DvrT0xqZ5PYA7bj8vJqMtRS5xW8rHp89rO2cLcM36BSzkuhqVnFFr-RL7YZnXquuYWvoshGnFtguHYmBhhnGP3Ew/s1600/P2190012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjjYi7gcb19hb5zIFhW_-XJ2zRIoXaC2qCAtryZaslh4W0euVj8-DvrT0xqZ5PYA7bj8vJqMtRS5xW8rHp89rO2cLcM36BSzkuhqVnFFr-RL7YZnXquuYWvoshGnFtguHYmBhhnGP3Ew/s320/P2190012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-27048817441673307562011-02-16T09:42:00.000-08:002011-02-16T09:42:10.209-08:00Superbowl, festivals and barracudaWednesday, 16 February, 2011<br />
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Well....here we are in beautiful Georgetown, Exumas and it's taken this long to gain access to internet such that we can update our blog. Sorry for the delay but that's how it is here in Paradise :)<br />
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Scott and I watched the Superbowl in Black Point settlement, along with about 48 other cruisers from all over. We all packed into Lorraine's cafe (see pix) and had a sample of her wonderful Bahamian cooking and music provided by a local guitarist and 2 lovely singers. Lorraine served us ribs, chicken, potato salad, peas and rice (a Bahamian staple), macaroni and cheese (another staple of their diet) and then yummy cheesecake for dessert. Believe it or not, our weather that evening was HOT....I couldn't even stand to put on my Steelers jersey because it was way too warm.....imagine that! So, even though the Steelers didn't win the game, we had a wonderful evening with friendly cruisers and Lorraine's wonderful hospitality.<br />
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The Thursday before Superbowl, we'd sailed down from Black Point to Farmer's Cay for their 5F's festival....First Friday in February Festival at Farmer's Cay. Basically, there's local food and Class C races with the Bahamian sloops competing. These are medium-sized racing sloops with HUGE mainsails and long boards called "pries" which allow crewmembers to crawl out on the boards and act as ballast. The pix here are of one of the sloops being loaded back onto the mailboat at the end of the first day. We sailed back up to Black Point after the festival on Friday, since we had the reservations at Lorraine's for her Superbowl party.<br />
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After we left Black Point yet again on the 8th, we motored down to a remote anchorage where I was dying for a swim in the wonderful blue waters. But, alas, a very large barracuda decided to take up residence under our boat and our dinghy, back and forth, all the live long day. No swimming for me! On the 9th, we slogged through a rolly sea down to Emerald Bay, near Georgetown. It was one of the rougher days we've had and we were both glad to get to the marina at Emerald Bay and tie up in a slip next to Georgia E, our friends from Canada. Emerald Bay is a wonderful, modern resort now owned by Sandals and we thoroughly enjoyed their *free* showers, *free* laundry facilities and wonderful clubhouse. This was the first time since being in the Bahamas that we've felt we were in a resort-type location. Pure Heaven!!<br />
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Friday morning, we'd finished doing our laundry and were ready to head on down to Georgetown so we motored down behind our friends, Steve and June on Windrose. They'd been having engine problems so they were happy to have a buddy boat along. It was such a gorgeous, calm day that I was able to sit up on the bow of the boat for much of the trip and even saw a WHALE not far away from us! It was coming up and broaching repeatedly. We moved a distance away from it in case it was telling us we were too close.....what a thrill to finally see a whale!<br />
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About 1:30, we reached Georgetown after an uneventful trip and we anchored near our friends, Tony and Tess on Endurance. The anchorage here is HUGE, wide and gorgeous blue. There are over 200 boats already here all along Stocking Island and we're told there will be lots more before the regatta in a month. We have been to town a couple of times to explore, reprovision somewhat and get our propane tank filled. Yesterday, we took a bridge lesson on the beach from Stuart on Union Jack. He's a very pleasant, patient Englishman and we enjoyed learning the basics on bidding, etc. for the game. Our friends Ken and Sara from Skedaddle were our partners and it was a great afternoon. <br />
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All in all, we're enjoying the anchorage here and all the activities offered on the beach near the Chat n Chill bar/restaurant and at St. Francis resort. We'll be here at least until late February since we have to go back to Customs and get our last 3 months' permission for cruising. Until that time, we'll keep meeting nice cruisers here and enjoy limin' on the beach.<br />
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Take good care, stay warm and we'll update this with even more pix when we can.<br />
Until then.....cheerio!~<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtzvTsml5GupCiz_OHvYInzz5_HW79vSs_o_GouuxbcY1TuFOtxgRuVhA6ed-jRhgg8yWXQrIsYSJleoF2AcipnnU62VqaRtGX77kcMC3oLcXBoazGO_RtU2tNB1nlLNdz_suH6NcYxU/s1600/P2060002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtzvTsml5GupCiz_OHvYInzz5_HW79vSs_o_GouuxbcY1TuFOtxgRuVhA6ed-jRhgg8yWXQrIsYSJleoF2AcipnnU62VqaRtGX77kcMC3oLcXBoazGO_RtU2tNB1nlLNdz_suH6NcYxU/s1600/P2060002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtzvTsml5GupCiz_OHvYInzz5_HW79vSs_o_GouuxbcY1TuFOtxgRuVhA6ed-jRhgg8yWXQrIsYSJleoF2AcipnnU62VqaRtGX77kcMC3oLcXBoazGO_RtU2tNB1nlLNdz_suH6NcYxU/s320/P2060002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here is Lorraine's Cafe where we were for the Superbowl party <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOg3MelTcuZueKiA7kueakUReRmGPy_7saqd-atxhxqpWDKrvswpAAtobyO5nN07CIGyMYAhX0vbTI4f94gtzq9pBz4M6aqNQWvxdCDpXjaZ1fUnGvb7qc82oSyfvW2UKWv_UhCrw9wc/s1600/P2060003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOg3MelTcuZueKiA7kueakUReRmGPy_7saqd-atxhxqpWDKrvswpAAtobyO5nN07CIGyMYAhX0vbTI4f94gtzq9pBz4M6aqNQWvxdCDpXjaZ1fUnGvb7qc82oSyfvW2UKWv_UhCrw9wc/s320/P2060003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> A good picture of sweet Lorraine, a wonderful lady and superb cook<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPgpwhsJV94zS7YQ9XwGWKycHnLi_X1pVNFxRRWmMSbCG4j83CfcxjC1ruXGYH_pYdh8lFOx2bzFJiuxc9mjdCyGZPjrG66WdeIyP_iRf_4t4F8aWM34c7adbRFKIUvlByTKtOpO-kzU/s1600/P2020002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPgpwhsJV94zS7YQ9XwGWKycHnLi_X1pVNFxRRWmMSbCG4j83CfcxjC1ruXGYH_pYdh8lFOx2bzFJiuxc9mjdCyGZPjrG66WdeIyP_iRf_4t4F8aWM34c7adbRFKIUvlByTKtOpO-kzU/s320/P2020002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> A typical sunset in Black Point settlement.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUgBn7l6BSS4OPm3XNBxxMJLVCv2Xywa9xl1IhbjsBIcCpbmLkfp5OHHZjGW5cmQTC7MyuC_K9ygVUlxeAF_b1gxLeC93Spxp2eoTQ9tFRyTeRJxSvypcFHX7_cE4UowBpqWiV_z8gVI/s1600/P2030006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUgBn7l6BSS4OPm3XNBxxMJLVCv2Xywa9xl1IhbjsBIcCpbmLkfp5OHHZjGW5cmQTC7MyuC_K9ygVUlxeAF_b1gxLeC93Spxp2eoTQ9tFRyTeRJxSvypcFHX7_cE4UowBpqWiV_z8gVI/s320/P2030006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> We had a gorgeous sail down to Farmer's Cay from Black Point<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSL-2VG6_O-5SQwzmiONvIhn4XQVec9DFYFPlB9XGysXCja8aA9Zj35zdOLPdKVx9AsjW7vwBO9X1NqVa_M_ottUqsoiVx63CoBtXYFJjbpmzyZSELPYOnJlmaGJAHM-Z7LptRrAJNUo/s1600/P2040008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSL-2VG6_O-5SQwzmiONvIhn4XQVec9DFYFPlB9XGysXCja8aA9Zj35zdOLPdKVx9AsjW7vwBO9X1NqVa_M_ottUqsoiVx63CoBtXYFJjbpmzyZSELPYOnJlmaGJAHM-Z7LptRrAJNUo/s320/P2040008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Our friend, Tess, from s/v Endurance with a young Farmer's Cay boy who loved her sunglasses with their fancy lanyard<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMV97jLOS-xdLAVp7fkAaUDeg6x78SyoLa9wCdiE2M0rABkBlU_09aKtuqS3c8JZO2rjg239VQD5TvGwf305m_cfVU-RkW8h5q7vF_K9TBB7bYeLFgSTOYHYqGaVi5mVW9kcDGRBj08Kw/s1600/P2040020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMV97jLOS-xdLAVp7fkAaUDeg6x78SyoLa9wCdiE2M0rABkBlU_09aKtuqS3c8JZO2rjg239VQD5TvGwf305m_cfVU-RkW8h5q7vF_K9TBB7bYeLFgSTOYHYqGaVi5mVW9kcDGRBj08Kw/s320/P2040020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> One of the Bahamian racing sloops at Farmer's Cay. This one is named "More Fire" Note how the man is perched atop the boat as it's lowered onto the mailboat<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxpIf4veHvBFumNs5GUvP3rykGlRR_BnvJJlfCQSn1DSOVF7XE2kvS-8lDf3-k8lYFcFP5kolIvkXJXXCr_OVXMshq95QN6vw8BKuoY0SjoBvZSq6DCotVYczeVG-dDMYmfPpmgkGDvg/s1600/P2140009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxpIf4veHvBFumNs5GUvP3rykGlRR_BnvJJlfCQSn1DSOVF7XE2kvS-8lDf3-k8lYFcFP5kolIvkXJXXCr_OVXMshq95QN6vw8BKuoY0SjoBvZSq6DCotVYczeVG-dDMYmfPpmgkGDvg/s320/P2140009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Tony, Tess and their daughter, Allison, me and Scott atop a peak on Stocking Island. We hiked there Monday, Valentine's Day with them and then over to the beach on the ocean side. Note all the boats in the background.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is another view of the anchorage from atop the hill. There are hundreds of other boats further up the coast from here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak9wdBfxYfcundt7lltUQy_a3xCrAjfx1Uwy24WDHH0ZOi27XFew8XdgM39GOfqJbXRurC7yAapXQKele6z7sg_0ogPfbhWmhhBMTvEqSsFWjgivUvkDkdqsWc-VEEI87ERHq_NAnlJ4/s1600/P2140012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak9wdBfxYfcundt7lltUQy_a3xCrAjfx1Uwy24WDHH0ZOi27XFew8XdgM39GOfqJbXRurC7yAapXQKele6z7sg_0ogPfbhWmhhBMTvEqSsFWjgivUvkDkdqsWc-VEEI87ERHq_NAnlJ4/s320/P2140012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-37172179896837808532011-01-30T08:35:00.000-08:002011-01-30T08:35:20.398-08:00Thunderball Cave and other adventures in Paradise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAsn2-BKsW7uTlYeE_mu_Jyy1vDM2W6rUu1YwRUKE-Q3HUOQp2ZRS99GwAFgcaRU7_nP1Qa316tRewKKm4Ac2T43SuD1ZRcqpZdVEBk-RQuuZ6k4fVnJziS4iJHT2HlJDjwCfs4NdqHg/s320/P1280007.JPG" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A view of fish in the grotto. The striped ones are sergeant majors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1uF38xxLDSqF9vz_f8loAtiwLv_JY558uWdGQo2bpPCR4eVRLRspYQtgjtoEPcYvuLcspP5lp90yIDDU2OG1RZo49pENe0CFf9jFWeNmeXUHe3-6G9GKvPjL804hdsE11d5unqn4APk/s1600/P1280009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1uF38xxLDSqF9vz_f8loAtiwLv_JY558uWdGQo2bpPCR4eVRLRspYQtgjtoEPcYvuLcspP5lp90yIDDU2OG1RZo49pENe0CFf9jFWeNmeXUHe3-6G9GKvPjL804hdsE11d5unqn4APk/s320/P1280009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The famous view underwater in the grotto -- featured in the James Bond movie<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTXVy4QsS8lRX1unZD8zTGLAnU3IDX0i1zTTWvMCpV6V5esa9Jx4o7_8_w1e7AnMAs9aqwswdDfXDv8JNna4REvP6nF7kvSk1-bnkeYdKA0F3xTITb_I1hh2BUnSqklwn8FiUi8jp5JQ/s1600/P1280010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTXVy4QsS8lRX1unZD8zTGLAnU3IDX0i1zTTWvMCpV6V5esa9Jx4o7_8_w1e7AnMAs9aqwswdDfXDv8JNna4REvP6nF7kvSk1-bnkeYdKA0F3xTITb_I1hh2BUnSqklwn8FiUi8jp5JQ/s320/P1280010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Looking towards the entrance of the grotto. Note sunlight overhead.<br />
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A view of the reef outside the cave. Sorry about my finger on right side!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFemjfgfXZJvOMtAQS8tEzkjl2arr6ws_kJ1zpRotIqYGTZUYKrGJ6RdhY768owyI0VhC9l26jwljiuMup8pwkEdaE3RMl8me4-ygYQpZ2PIVZP1VKMDDnLtvkkqLrTrbL-RyJaRg1gc/s1600/P1280020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFemjfgfXZJvOMtAQS8tEzkjl2arr6ws_kJ1zpRotIqYGTZUYKrGJ6RdhY768owyI0VhC9l26jwljiuMup8pwkEdaE3RMl8me4-ygYQpZ2PIVZP1VKMDDnLtvkkqLrTrbL-RyJaRg1gc/s320/P1280020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Scott serenading Tess on her birthday.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhHa8JTVoFOnwe1Y33oQ9yGrzgYN8HCntUOXeU2shLOqym0Hv8OlcGHCldN-lPUfoKOOuHhWDQOGgx-WzVJqarecYJi4tuzZb0nXPFXqaZRGwUkD8KIelk2oEqErs4EysbjE97NymczM/s1600/P1270002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhHa8JTVoFOnwe1Y33oQ9yGrzgYN8HCntUOXeU2shLOqym0Hv8OlcGHCldN-lPUfoKOOuHhWDQOGgx-WzVJqarecYJi4tuzZb0nXPFXqaZRGwUkD8KIelk2oEqErs4EysbjE97NymczM/s320/P1270002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Tess cuts the cake as Tony looks on.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0QYyxwYZlTyHWq81k-QReCruh23A1eiR3jW8wwVazHWjDyqwmwsZIkqCU2B1VFMMX3nn7Dd7uaPorcVlgxbe4Y1w0XKup_PLQK7D2LBsfC_itIn2wdKc5mGAb_njaaA8V6iG_idIBTE/s1600/P1270006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0QYyxwYZlTyHWq81k-QReCruh23A1eiR3jW8wwVazHWjDyqwmwsZIkqCU2B1VFMMX3nn7Dd7uaPorcVlgxbe4Y1w0XKup_PLQK7D2LBsfC_itIn2wdKc5mGAb_njaaA8V6iG_idIBTE/s320/P1270006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Sunday, 30 January, 2011<br />
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We're still anchored here off Big Majors Spot and have had a wonderful time in this area. We snorkeled at Thunderball Cave on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings with various sailing friends. This is the famous site featured in the 1964 James Bond movie "Thunderball" and it is a magical spot to snorkel in. You go at slack low tide and snorkel in under protruding rocks to enter an amazing grotto with sunlight streaming in from holes in the ground above. The fish there are used to being fed by snorkelers so they are teeming around you and the variety is impressive. We saw tons of sergeant majors (small striped fish), a huge Nassau grouper, colorful parrot fish and many others. Thanks to our friends, we discovered that the reef outside the opposite side of the grotto is very healthy and we saw beautiful sea fans, sponges and various corals there along with even more varieties of fish. I tried to get some photos with my new underwater camera Drew gave me for Christmas so enjoy the pix. Photos don't do it justice, unfortunately.<br />
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Along with the wonderful snorkeling at Thunderball, we've enjoyed meeting many sailors from all over. One night, Tess organized an impromtu happy hour get-together on a small beach nearby and we had folks there from England, Switzerland, Italy, Canada and the U.S. It's so wonderful how cruisers are all so friendly and helpful to each other.....it's easy to make new friends here!<br />
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Speaking of friends, our good friend Tess had a birthday on Thursday so we enjoyed having her and Tony over for drinks at sundown that evening. Tony had tipped us off the day before about her birthday and told us that they were in Cabo San Lucas last January 27th and a mariachi band serenaded her then. Sooooo.....I suggested that Scott could play "Happy Birthday"on the bagpipes. Tony loved the idea so, sure enough, once we'd had a couple of drinks and chatted, here came Scott with his bagpipes. She was totally surprised and delighted with his rendition of Happy Birthday to You, Scotland the Brave and a finale of Amazing Grace. Apparently, many of the other cruisers anchored nearby were also pleased with the concert since we heard lots of whistling and cheering. We then had some chocolate cake and Tess suggested we all go over to a nearby catamaran and share the cake with the folks partying there. What a great idea!! Dream Catcher was having a rockin' good time with owners Gary and Jayne joined by Varina and Silvio from Blues Breakers. They were delighted with the arrival of chocolate cake since they had all just been discussing their craving for dessert when Tess's voice came floating across the anchorage "Does anybody want chocolate cake??" They all thought they were hearing things until we dinghied over with the cake. What a fun evening!!<br />
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We'd both read about how helpful cruisers are to each other but we found out firsthand this week. Wednesday night after the beach gathering, we got back on our boat and started the engine to heat water for showers. After a minute or so, we heard a terrible noise and Scott figured out it was coming from the engine compartment. We quickly shut off the engine but, unfortunately, the damage had already been done. We had cooked our starter. Somehow, the key had gotten stuck in the "start" position on the engine and it only took minutes to kill the starter. When we got on the radio the next morning and called another boater for help diagnosing the problem, other boaters heard our plight and one, from La Buena Vida, offered his spare starter to us. It happened to be the wrong size for us but we were so amazed at his generosity and can't wait to see him again in George Town to thank him. Murray from Windswept 4 came to our aid and spent roughly an hour diagnosing our problem ( definitely a cooked starter ) and he gave us great information re: how to get a replacement flown in. Lucky for us, Staniel Cay has an airport and the Watermakers Air company here has 2 daily flights from Florida. Scott has been telling me how cruising is really all about "fixing your boat in exotic places" and now I understand.<br />
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Tess and Tony from Endurance were very gracious and lent us a cell phone, enabling Scott to track down a replacement starter in Florida. We went over to Staniel Cay Yacht Club (they manage Watermakers Air issues) and Scott got the part ordered and the paperwork arranged for the air delivery of the part. Stu and Tony from Georgia E were also very kind to lend us their cell phone for other calls related to the part. All of our sailing friends were wonderful support as we waited for the new starter to arrive and we are very grateful to everyone.<br />
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Happily, after we snorkeled yesterday morning, we headed over to the yacht club and there was our package!! We dinghied back to the boat and Tony Marts from Endurance came over and helped Scott put on the new starter. Then Tess and I did the "drum roll" like in Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation movie and I turned the key. Hallelujah!!! The engine came alive and life was good again. <br />
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Today, we are going to refill our water tanks at the yacht club with their wonderful reverse osmosis water and Tony and Tess will join us at the bar for some dominoes and perhaps cribbage. They're avid cribbage players and are teaching us the game. We plan on heading over to Black Point settlement some time tomorrow where they have a real laundry so we can get some clothes washed.<br />
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Life is good and we are blessed. Stay warm and healthy!s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-69947272002378419412011-01-28T10:08:00.000-08:002011-01-28T10:08:19.730-08:00Steelers & pigs in Staniel CayFriday, 28 January, 2011<br />
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We are now anchored off Big Majors Spot just around the corner from Staniel Cay. Sunday night was spent at the docks at Staniel Cay Yacht Club (see photos below) so we could get our "NFL fix" watching the conference championships. The bar is great there and was pretty packed with folks watching football and enjoying their amazing, free happy hour buffet. We were, of course, outfitted in our Steelers jerzies and had our terrible towels. And we were *very* happy with the outcome of the game!! HERE WE GO, STEELERS!!!! Now we just have to figure out where to watch the Super Bowl.<br />
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Monday, we motored over to our present position just off Big Majors -- the home of the "swimming pigs". They're huge pigs who live on the island and love the sound of dinghy motors 'cause that means they're about to be fed! They'll swim out to your dinghy for the food you bring them (we brought apples and old bread) and we were forewarned that they can be pretty aggressive if you don't feed them fast enough. They have huge, long snouts that stay above the water while they're swimming and they have dark spots on their backs. See the photos below.<br />
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Yesterday and today we snorkeled in Thunderball Cave, the site of filming for the 1964 James Bond movie "Thunderball". You snorkel in under these overhangs of rock and then you come into this amazing grotto with holes in the top for sunlight. The fish there are teeming around and we saw alot of new varieties. We were there with our friends, Tony & Tess from Endurance and several other dinghies of friends. Today, we went over again at slack low tide and saw the wonderful coral reefs on the other side of the grotto. Beautiful coral heads and more interesting fish. We plan to go back tomorrow with Hank & Ellen from La Belle Helene' since it's a great thing to do more than once.<br />
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The weather is pretty warm the past few days, in the high 70's or low 80's with a fair amount of wind today. I actually broke down and hand-washed some of our clothes today since there's no laundry here at Staniel Cay, we're getting kinda desperate for clean clothes *and* there's such great wind today for drying clothes on the lifelines.<br />
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The famous pigs enjoying food thrown onto their beach by another boat.<br />
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Here they come, swimming out to our boat for even more food.<br />
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Sunday night at Staniel Cay Yacht Club's bar. We're psyched!!<br />
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Carl, the bartender (left) and one of the dockhands on the right, unloading more Kalik beer for the night.<br />
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Another view inside the bar. Very neat ambience there and nice folks.<br />
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We'll post more pictures when we update the blog again....probably tomorrow. Until then, stay warm and healthy!s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-21297720195526494512011-01-21T09:27:00.000-08:002011-01-21T09:27:02.514-08:00More pictures from Exumas Land & Sea ParkFriday, 21 January, 2011<br />
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Yesterday was spent making bread aboard and reading after we put our plaque up on Boo boo hill. The usual "happy hour" took place on the beach with about a dozen sailors showing up to chat and exchange stories. Everyone is congenial and it's amazing how easily you make friends when sailing! Tonight, the park is hosting the get-together and providing the ice (a real treat!!) so we look forward to getting together with other cruisers then.<br />
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We were thrilled to see about 6 huge, black rays this morning swimming near our boat and over the sandbars here. I tried to get some pictures but they weren't very close to the surface. At one point, a huge ray broached -- he came completely out of the water and sailed for a few seconds before splashing back in over the sandbar. What a sight! You just can't describe how amazing these creatures are.<br />
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We will probably snorkel some more today at slack tide since we're having more wind and current than normal. It's always fun to see what's hiding under our boat and nearby. We're fortunate to be on a mooring here as many boats are scrambling to find a safe spot for tomorrow's forecast gale. Hopefully, it will be less fierce than predicted but, in any case, we're happy to be where we are. <br />
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Following are some more pictures from the park:<br />
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This is one of the bananaquit birds mentioned in yesterday's blogs. These little guys have bright yellow chests and are very friendly. They appear on our boat daily and fly right into the cabin! If you put sugar in your hand, you'll have them all over you in seconds.<br />
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One view from the porch of the park's office building.<br />
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These are bones from a huge sperm whale which are displayed on the beach.<br />
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Scott atop Boo boo hill. He's read about this place for years and can't believe he's finally there!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGPZ-kph3jugJGlyBNTM72Q1Kg1xYYBcTLGdY-QyC4n49muVkhASa4oi1SW8RHGtPm7St4SQZ19V_NMTN74Zr936gJs14QhQlBqLKs_XN91cxxFPwY9xeCSHL1A0VW8DiFrL830fLxI0/s1600/P1180017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfGPZ-kph3jugJGlyBNTM72Q1Kg1xYYBcTLGdY-QyC4n49muVkhASa4oi1SW8RHGtPm7St4SQZ19V_NMTN74Zr936gJs14QhQlBqLKs_XN91cxxFPwY9xeCSHL1A0VW8DiFrL830fLxI0/s320/P1180017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-58633774771987436902011-01-20T13:02:00.000-08:002011-01-21T09:06:25.335-08:00Exciting times in the ExumasThursday, 20 January, 2011<br />
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Boat plaques on top of Boo boo hill.<br />
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A shot of Painkiller from on top of Boo boo hill<br />
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Looking from our boat across the mooring.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgvXRevvSvemD8MfknPxVKTPY3e4xvS32nZ2lkY-v2sb67OBh67yExBcxXRH1bA2j0p-c0wCDWWQ_pXpjm6XsijsICnd73SgSDMc3Fr6XYjvC2hnVA644MKfcJO3xYQQ2BY_wKzt6OBM/s1600/DSCN3159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgvXRevvSvemD8MfknPxVKTPY3e4xvS32nZ2lkY-v2sb67OBh67yExBcxXRH1bA2j0p-c0wCDWWQ_pXpjm6XsijsICnd73SgSDMc3Fr6XYjvC2hnVA644MKfcJO3xYQQ2BY_wKzt6OBM/s320/DSCN3159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The boats viewed from the mangrove flats on the island.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-QuRArtZumcdBWf2pAqoxchUEKxo8snBKH6QgMvWs2qDk_25v_OIVbV1-fktFe_rHyi_hBn5ywRb-CbGq9BGADk6A2pMoX-Es15PIlNyivwWFWYra9qItDqm2blHmz7uwRciutIyMis/s1600/DSCN3190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-QuRArtZumcdBWf2pAqoxchUEKxo8snBKH6QgMvWs2qDk_25v_OIVbV1-fktFe_rHyi_hBn5ywRb-CbGq9BGADk6A2pMoX-Es15PIlNyivwWFWYra9qItDqm2blHmz7uwRciutIyMis/s320/DSCN3190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We left Rock Sound, Eleuthera, on Sunday and sailed with Messenger and a couple other boats also headed over to the Exumas. It was a pretty rolly passage as the winds were on the starboard quarter, but overall it wasn't very rough. We anchored behind Highborne Cay that night, snorkelled for the first time since Christmas (this time without wetsuits) and were treated to fresh skipjack tuna caught by Tony on s/v Endurance on the way over. It was like a steak - I don't think I've ever had a better piece of fish. They had us and all 4 Messenger's over for dinner and sent us home with leftovers that ended up being another fine dinner. We left Highborne the next day on a pretty windy trip down to the Exumas Land and Sea Park at Warderick Wells. <br />
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We are currently on a mooring at the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. We arrived here late on Monday afternoon after coming from Highborne Cay further up in the Exumas. True to their reputation, the water here IS warmer and the air temperatures are around 80. This is all fine with us since we've been wanting to snorkel without wetsuits and go without jackets so often.<br />
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We hiked along some of the many trails here in the park yesterday and today we hiked up to the top of "Boo boo hill" to put our boat name in the pile with many others immortalized there. Unfortunately we weren't able to find a suitable piece of driftwood to use but we're sure our plaque will age quickly and blend in soon thanks to the sunshine here. The hill got its name "boo boo" because there is a legend that you can hear voices singing hymns on full-moon nights....so the hill is thought to be haunted. There was supposedly a ship of missionaries which ran aground and sank near here and those singing voices are from the ghosts of those lost. Anyway, we've had a glorious full moon while here and nary a singing ghost has been heard. We can't really say we're disappointed!<br />
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The water here is crystal clear and we've been able to snorkel and see many different types of fish. We've also been treated to the appearance of 2 Eagle rays swimming nearby on 2 mornings. They are gorgeous rays with dark brown coloring and white spots....very majestic and unusual looking. We've also been visited by tiny birds with yellow chests called "bananaquits". They are very friendly and will sit in your hand to eat sugar. Today, one landed in our cockpit while I was eating an orange and he gladly joined me in the snack.<br />
We also had a hummingbird land on one of our winches for a few seconds before taking back off. <br />
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Since the park is so protected, no birds, fish or even shells can be removed from here and this causes the creatures here to be more outgoing than the norm. There's even a huge barracuda here named "Bubba" whom we haven't seen but we hear he loves to hang around snorkelers, just watching them.<br />
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The island here is a mix of sand dunes, mangrove lowlands and jaggedy limesone slabs. It's an unusual mix of terrain and we have to be very careful while hiking since the rocky paths are sharp and could do real damage if we fell. Even so, it's a place of wild beauty with the mooring field on one side and the sound on the other. The sound side has huge rocky cliffs all along it and the surf bursts up through myriad blow holes high above in the cliffs. It's not hard to believe that pirates once hid here and preyed upon passing ships. This land is as wild and lawless as they were.<br />
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There is a front coming through on Saturday, so we plan to stay here until it passes. Then we'll head down towards Staniel Cay since we need to fill up on water, fuel, propane, and a some fresh food. s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-70781644154726202742011-01-13T08:43:00.000-08:002011-01-13T08:43:13.638-08:00Eleutheran AdventuresThursday, 13 January, 2011<br />
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Sorry to be so slow updating our blog but internet access has been elusive of late.<br />
We did manage to cross over to Eleuthera last Wednesday, January 5th along with our friends on Messenger. The seas were near perfect for the crossing from Little Harbour, Abacos to Royal Island just to the northwest of Eleuthera. We hoisted the anchor around 6:30 AM on that Wednesday and were safely anchored at Royal Island around 4:00 that evening.<br />
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Royal Island is currently under development by a corporation which includes Roger Staubach, we're told. There are plans for a hotel, golf course and the usual amenities of a Caribbean resort. The upshot of all these developments is that they don't allow cruisers to go ashore anymore, which is a shame. We would have loved to explore the area's beaches, etc. rather than just sit at anchor and observe the shoreline. It did prove to be a fairly good spot to sit out the gale which arrived Thursday evening around 8:00. We'd had a very good day up to that point, with bread baking and good books. Once the wind started howling, it was like something out of a bad Hitchcock movie......awful winds, rain and then lightning and thunder. Our good friends on Messenger had the misfortune of a dragging anchor just after 9:15 and it was heart-wrenching to watch their struggles without being able to help at all. Luckily, they got the anchor reset fairly quickly and all was well for the rest of the night. Scott started our motor (just in case) and sat up for much of the night since he was afraid our anchor would drag as well. God bless the Bruce anchor!!<br />
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We stayed at Royal Island until Saturday morning when the weather improved enough so we could cross over to Spanish Wells.....about an hour east. This is a very neat little island with hard-working folk....fishermen mostly. They account for 70% of the lobster and conch fished in the whole Bahamas and, we're told, they provide all the lobster for the Red Lobster chain back home. Their boats are spotlessly clean, their houses and yards tidy, the people friendly. We loved being there 2 days at a marina and enjoyed spending time with our buddies from Messenger and Endurance.<br />
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Monday morning was sunny and warm and we decided to head south with Messenger in our efforts to reach the Exumas. We had another great motoring day over to Hatchet Bay. Current cut wasn't bad at all since we reached there at slack tide. Despite our worries, it was easy. We had beautiful aquamarine water and lots of flying fish on our journey there and arrived around 4:00. Our friend from Kalara came over to say there would be a happy hour gathering at a local bar/restaurant overlooking the anchorage......needless to say, we quickly lowered the dinghy into the water and made our way over for the get-together. It's always fun on our journey meeting new people. We had a lovely view of the sunset over the harbour and met alot of nice folks, some of whom winter there at Hatchet Bay every year. It was fun visiting with Liz and Ian from Kalara.....we love spending time with them and are sorry they won't be going to the Exumas this year. Maybe next year?<br />
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The next morning, we hoisted the anchor just after 7:00 for our run to Rock Sound. Coming out of the harbour, it's rocky so I went forward to the bow to watch for submerged hazards. The water was crystal clear on this beautiful, sunny morning and I looked over the bow to see 3 gorgeous spotted Eagle rays off our starboard side. They were so near the surface and so clear.....amazingly beautiful creatures! Unfortunately, in my efforts to help Scott see them, I scared him to death since he thought I was pointing to rocks! Oh, well......<br />
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We arrived in Rock Sound around 2:00 and have found the town interesting. The weather is forcing us to stay here a few days and we are discovering new things here daily. There is the wonderful library where we have internet access; it was a Methodist manse along time ago and then a medical clinic. But it was in disrepair and condemned when the townspeople decided to raise money and give it a facelift. It is now a beautiful, 2-story structure with a wonderful computer lab and heavy, old-English looking furniture. The locals should be very proud of their work here as it is a wonderful facility. We also discovered a brand-new laundromat here yesterday, run by a lovely local lady. Her sister lives in Columbia, SC -- our hometown. What are the chances??<br />
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Our friends on Endurance are due to arrive in this harbour later today and we look forward to that reunion. We are all hoping to head down to the Exumas this Saturday, weather permitting. In the meantime, we are enjoying Rock Sound and the many blue holes here in the harbour. We met a young couple yesterday and gave their rowboat a tow as they were headed over to a large blue hole for a diving trip.<br />
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We will keep you posted on our crossing to the Exumas when that day comes. Until then, keep warm and enjoy the snow!<br />
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A photo of the waterfront at Spanish Wells. Each large boat goes out with 4-5 small "Carolina Skiff" type boats in tow. The smaller boats collect the lobsters from the floor of the banks and bring them back to the large boat.<br />
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The shoreline at Royal Island behind Messenger. The edges are rough limestone which has weathered and eroded over the years.<br />
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A brightly-colored office/ business in Spanish Wells. I just loved the shutters!<br />
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Well, since the kids flew out on Tuesday, Scott and I decided to tidy up the boat and then head out to Treasure Cay. The weather had improved and the winds died down so we left the Marsh Harbour Marina/ Jib Room around 12:30 yesterday for the easy 2 1/2 hour run to Treasure Cay. We reached our destination around 3:00 -- perfect timing for the high tide.<br />
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The water in the anchorage is very clear and greenish. Treasure Cay is a resort development with a wonderful marina, pool, bar/ restaurants and a beach voted "one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world". Now, we found the beach to be pretty but we're not sure we'd give it such accolades. You can see a photo we took there this morning and decide for yourself.<br />
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A couple of other boats we know are planning to come here today and stay for the New Year's so we'll look forward to seeing them again. One is "s/v Messenger".....a 38-foot Beneteau from Canada with a family of 5 onboard. They were berthed next to us at the Jib Room for the Christmas holiday. The other boat is "s/v Skedaddle" from Maryland. They are both wanting to head south to the Exumas in the near future so we're hoping to tag along with them since that's our goal as well.<br />
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Scott and I spent this morning doing a little "gunkholing" in the dinghy up and down the canals here. Very reminiscent of Marco Island, Florida in that there are beautiful houses situated along the canals and boats on lifts, etc. There are many tennis courts in the area and an 18-hole golfcourse nearby. We get the impression this is a big area for retirees.<br />
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We are defrosting 2 steaks from home and chilling the bottle of champagne our boat broker, Linda Reynolds gave us so we will have a cozy New Year's Eve celebration here on our boat. We hope all of you there have a wonderful, safe holiday!<br />
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Here is a view of the beach we were talking about here at Treasure Cay.<br />
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This is the pool at the marina, with the anchorage in the distance. Anyone anchoring has access to the marina's amenities.<br />
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A view of the slips at the marina with condos in the background.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5M_8dQsg_RTT4bDk0FpZkIfsCP71Wg1U6ou4v1wEUv8BrQ_eRtEWMD5hOqp-smYLy6e7tNUnAZ1gOPYvMSZZRzhQwgmaMpKYylcNTFmrr036mdiuiAnGpLWMMWkfI__QmQ0aX_0bSjtQ/s1600/PC300005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5M_8dQsg_RTT4bDk0FpZkIfsCP71Wg1U6ou4v1wEUv8BrQ_eRtEWMD5hOqp-smYLy6e7tNUnAZ1gOPYvMSZZRzhQwgmaMpKYylcNTFmrr036mdiuiAnGpLWMMWkfI__QmQ0aX_0bSjtQ/s320/PC300005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-27451676955755370792010-12-30T11:01:00.000-08:002010-12-30T11:01:48.235-08:00Christmas with the kids in the islandsTuesday, 28 December, 2010<br />
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Here is a photograph of my friend, Karen Huff-Lowe in her Albury boat named "Lowe Pressure". While Scott and I were in Hope Town harbour for several days, Karen would swing by and pick me up so I could walk with her, her friend Leslie and the 4 wonderful dogs. Abby is the one on the bow and Callie is the blond in front of me. The very gentle Rottweilers belong to Leslie. It was great to be able to walk and chat with Karen, Leslie and "the girls" on the north end of Elbow Cay.<br />
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Our 4 kids flew into Marsh Harbour on Wednesday, Dec. 22nd for the Christmas vacation. We all enjoyed a wonderful rib dinner that night at the Jib Room, complete with limbo and rake 'n scrape entertainment and then we headed over to Hope Town on Thursday morning with them. We flew the jib on the way over and they all enjoyed the sail. Once in Hope Town, we headed for our favorite spot.....On da beach. Like us, the kids loved the view from the bar and we all had a good meal there.<br />
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Friday morning was Lexy's 18th birthday and we were lucky that Froggie's Outisland Adventures there in Hope Town had a snorkeling/dive trip that day. We ended up being the only ones on the trip and had a great time. It was Lexy's first time diving and she loved it! Here, Meredith and Lexy get ready to go into the water.<br />
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Drew's all suited-up and ready to go. The dive was in the national underwater park off Sandy Cay.<br />
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Part of the expedition was a trip to Pete's Pub in Little Harbour, somewhere we've been wanting to go for awhile. Pete Johnston has his pub and bronze foundry there.<br />
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We all enjoyed lunch on the deck overlooking the harbour. The coconut conch there is amazing! Our guides for the day were Michael (L) and Francis (R). Both were very knowledgeable and had great personalities.<br />
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Travis and Lexy, posing by a bronze turtle outside the gallery.<br />
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Christmas morning, we headed back over to the Jib Room in Marsh Harbour to participate in their potluck dinner. It was well-attended and everyone enjoyed the wonderful ham and turkey provided by the Jib Room and the many side dishes prepared by boaters and local people.<br />
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Stephen is the marvelous bartender and assistant dock manager at the Jib Room, shown here with his artist girlfriend, Chelsea. Note the Santa made from a coconut dangling over Chelsea's head. Probably another design by our friend, Muffin. Also note the many covered dishes on the counter, waiting to be scarfed up by hungry boaters!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZa0qLCruWKN0w9qvmzgIZsWI7KDhiywhEeYY7CuU2H0WRoLPQskCAECdanFU9lfAEHTs1Ez4x3pJcrhVAmfis4_JX57ctNjrTQ7riLKccr6_Y_IAQ7TtWFU0NU68WQKxdryrpwBFdSQ/s1600/DSCN3127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZa0qLCruWKN0w9qvmzgIZsWI7KDhiywhEeYY7CuU2H0WRoLPQskCAECdanFU9lfAEHTs1Ez4x3pJcrhVAmfis4_JX57ctNjrTQ7riLKccr6_Y_IAQ7TtWFU0NU68WQKxdryrpwBFdSQ/s320/DSCN3127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">The weather took a turn for the worse overnight on Saturday and we woke to high winds. cold and rain on Sunday. Drew and Travis were great as they helped tighten lines and move fenders around on the boat as needed. It was the perfect day for playing dominoes at the Jib Room and we had a big pot of black bean soup onboard that night, complete with cornbread.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The kids had to fly home midday Tuesday so we did a little shopping in town and then took them to the airport. They all had New Year's Eve plans and were ready to see their friends back home. They all enjoyed the visit and found the Bahamas a beautiful place to be....they just want to come back in warmer months next time.</div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-7356989633627094242010-12-14T13:38:00.000-08:002010-12-14T13:38:25.739-08:00More interesting times in Hope TownTuesday, 14 December, 2010<br />
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So here are some good photos from our visit to the famous lighthouse here in Hope Town. It was a beautiful, clear day but a wee bit windy at the top! There's this teeny little (but very thick and heavy metal)<br />
door by which you can access the balcony at the top of the lighthouse for "killer" photos such as the ones further on in today's blog.<br />
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Here's a shot of Painkiller from the grounds of the lighthouse.<br />
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You can see from this photo how narrow the island is in spots. The gorgeous blue Atlantic is at the top of the photo, with breakers visible on the many reefs there.<br />
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A close-up shot of our home- away- from- home.<br />
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A beautiful rainbow appeared one afternoon, just over the pastel pink "Flamingo Villas" at the entrance to the harbour.<br />
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We're still having a wonderful time here in Hope Town. I have been able to reconnect with a friend from Rock Hill, SC-- Karen Huff-Lowe-- who now lives here with her local fisherman hubbie, Robert Lowe. Her sister, Elaine, was my best friend in high school and it's been fun catching up on news. Scott & I attended the 9:30 service Sunday morning at the Methodist church here where my parents were planning to fill in as youth ministers in spring 2000--at Karen's invitation. Because my mother was diagnosed with cancer that February, they had to cancel their trip, to their great regret. I have felt such a close bond with my folks since being here in this beautiful town.....seeing all the sights and enjoying the many moments here they never got to enjoy.<br />
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We've been treated to delicious red snapper caught by Robert himself and hogfish caught by another outfit. Karen also shared some lemons, sour orange (a local variety), a star fruit and a tangerine from their garden at their home. Turns out Robert, in addition to being a professional angler, is also quite the horticulturalist and has a backyard brimming with fruit trees and grape vines.<br />
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The weather has been unseasonably cold and windy the past few days, complete with gale-force winds overnight Sunday and most of yesterday. At times, we're told it was gusting over 45 miles per hour in the harbour. Judging by the bumpy conditions onboard, we believe it!! Today is overcast but much calmer in terms of the wind. We are hoping for sunnier, calmer conditions by midweek and are *really* hoping for great weather when our 4 kids come down for Christmas next week. We can hardly wait for them to arrive!<br />
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We're hoping to cross to Guana Cay later this week and take in Nippers and Grabbers, famous (or should we say "infamous") bars around here. We'll roll back into Marsh Harbour next Monday or Tuesday to get the boat all ship-shape for the kids' arrival on Wednesday. Until then, stay warm.s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-8505780403270893812010-12-06T07:31:00.000-08:002010-12-06T07:31:37.394-08:00Livin' da life in Hope TownMonday, 06 December, 2010<br />
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We made the passage from Marsh Harbour over to Hope Town on Saturday in a couple of hours, arriving in this beautiful protected harbour around 1:00 pm. This is the view of the harbour as you come in, with pretty little cottages all around in typical Bahamas pastels. We picked up a mooring ball labelled "alley oop" and were soon settled near our friends from Camden, Kitty & Henry Beard on their Island Packet "Galatea".<br />
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This is the famous lighthouse at Hope Town. Built in 1864, it's one of only 3 kerosene-burning lighthouses left in the world....all 3 of which are located in the Bahamas. It is a sight to behold when it comes alive at 6 pm nightly and, to add to its beauty, is currently decorated with vertical strands of Christmas lights from top to bottom. We hope to climb to the top later this week to survey the area from such a wonderful perch.<br />
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We dinghied into the dock on Saturday afternoon and walked through town, drinking in all the quaint sights such as narrow, bouganvilla-bedecked streets, precious rental cottages and beach scenes such as this. The sand on the beaches here is pink-tinged from coral and the water is a clear, pale aqua. The combination is impossible to believe unless you see it for yourself.<br />
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This a a typical street in town with all the colors of the buildings, palm trees and blooming vines. Narrow streets are fine here as only golf carts are allowed in certain sections so it's a great place for strolling. Scott finally said to me, "now, Beth, you know you can't take pictures of ALL the cottages." Well, I guess he's right but they're all so picturesque in their own right, it's hard to resist!<br />
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Yesterday, Scott and I took a nice, long walk along the Queen's Highway -- the paved road which goes from one end of the island to the other. Along the way, we saw many gorgeous vacation homes perched on the dunes and then we came across this whimsical sign. Sorry it's horizontal (please turn your head)....we couldn't get the computer to make it vertical. There are 3 signs on it for S.C. destinations....Charleston,<br />
Hilton Head and Greenville (complete with Tiger paw).<br />
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After we had walked for quite some time, we saw a sign along the road for a bar and grill called "On da beach". Well, being thirsty by now and ready to rest for awhile, we investigated. After travelling up a boardwalk, we came to this great little beach bar, perched up on the dunes and overlooking this magnificent beach. Are we in Heaven or what??? We could see the reefs in the water and the colors of blue were all amazing & crystal clear plus there was a refreshing ocean breeze the whole time. Needless to say, we were very content to sit at the bar and have a couple of drinks and appetizer before resuming our walk! This time, we walked back to town along the beach. The water was surprisingly warm and I wished for a bathing suit.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once we discovered that they will be open again on Tuesday (Monday is their day off) we made a pact to return to this lovely beach bar for another chance to eat and drink in such an idyllic setting. Ahhh, such is the life of cruisers.....can you tell we're adapting to this lifestyle pretty well??</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-90672730095263327352010-12-04T05:06:00.000-08:002010-12-04T05:06:07.046-08:00Sunrise over Marsh HarbourSaturday, 04 December, 2010<br />
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It's a beautiful morning (again) here in Marsh Harbour and I couldn't resist snapping this photo from the boat. This is one view we have of the harbor here....they're all good views!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxczB-mdWh8vine_wOL9eaYxzNLTiIaNQxBoYDlIOpr9CirHfUEm8IQJrqzaGl0Frruac__6CRv2UsAKZOZryrRMCPgzhvqPz-uNlRmGl21hIihTVImCfWooqzsMZuhe0v5U6z-YMEfw/s1600/DSCN3011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxczB-mdWh8vine_wOL9eaYxzNLTiIaNQxBoYDlIOpr9CirHfUEm8IQJrqzaGl0Frruac__6CRv2UsAKZOZryrRMCPgzhvqPz-uNlRmGl21hIihTVImCfWooqzsMZuhe0v5U6z-YMEfw/s320/DSCN3011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Yesterday, we rode our bikes all around town again, through Boat Harbour development with its beautiful houses, slips, pools and white-sand beach. Surprisingly, the place was pretty much deserted.....very few boats in the marina and apparently nobody in the hotel. Hopefully, the people will be coming later, in January. We're told that this is often the busier time of the year....after Christmas.<br />
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We rode up to George and Sally's place....a small bungalow they rent from Gail Cottman on the grounds of<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiT2TPLh_oEh93rZQ3PI1nK0g1nUr_jPq188_Lklnp8ovDUVF3qNiu2LiOJUu_lTSDp7RkQkYL1IO_aaKlL3UFIat88ujr3qThHtPU5I3Uz1hGuDNWADFzVqlDBjONyM1WD0MSdhpcRo/s1600/DSCN3007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpiT2TPLh_oEh93rZQ3PI1nK0g1nUr_jPq188_Lklnp8ovDUVF3qNiu2LiOJUu_lTSDp7RkQkYL1IO_aaKlL3UFIat88ujr3qThHtPU5I3Uz1hGuDNWADFzVqlDBjONyM1WD0MSdhpcRo/s320/DSCN3007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>"the castle". This is the dwelling Dr. Cottman built on the highest point of land in Marsh Harbour. He was the first doctor in the Abacos....his autobiography about this is titled Outisland Doctor and is well worth picking up. His castle is quite an interesting structure....not at all in keeping with the local styles of architecture but so dramatic sitting atop the hill! George and Sally's cottage has a small deck with the most amazing views of the Sea of Abaco and the many surrounding cays. They live there year-round unless they are in their Florida home for short periods. We enjoyed our visit with them then headed back down to the marina for another round of dominoes with our friends, Ian and Sue. This time, as promised, we got our revenge!!!<br />
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Later on today, we'll leave this wonderful marina to head over to Hope Town.....a place we've heard alot about. We're excited to be exploring again but we'll look forward to coming back here to the marina for the kids' visit, Dec. 22-28.s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-11448458475172569862010-12-01T08:23:00.000-08:002010-12-01T08:23:12.863-08:0024 shopping days left.....Wednesday, 01 December, 2010<br />
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Well, we're still in beautiful Marsh Harbour Marina and are lovin' life. We've had a variety of weather lately....everything from rain and wind on Monday to sun and calm today. A cold front is supposed to move in later today so I expect the winds will pick up.<br />
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Yesterday, we walked into town with Ian and Sue to do some shopping. We finally made it to Island Bakery and bought some wonderful fresh bread and 2 decadently-delicious cinnamon buns. They were supposed to make it to breakfast but we couldn't resist and downed them at lunchtime....pure heaven in your mouth!! We also got some yellow fin tuna at Scagg's and had a wonderful dinner last night with that as the feature....YUM!!<br />
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Today, we gave each other haircuts, got some more photos, and got Ian to help us trouble-shoot our SSB. He is quite the electronic "guru" and just happens to love helping others....sweet!<br />
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We'll probably be here a few more days since the weather doesn't seem to be looking good for moving out in the next little bit....oh, darn. This means I may have to eat more of Marvin's delectable conch creations.<br />
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We have put a few photos on for you to enjoy.<br />
'bye for now.....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFbkHgQODq0yqwwgBeOwaPAXdI7zi4wIFlKuCMm3wyxFDcNkjNtQIgOWDvrB4Gd_OGqsmIiqOwyYexsUbiolaqeA5UoxmiUSTvc_CeJvd8RFa2IE092qtPFjQHRqWuy17EYo-N1LVgCg/s1600/DSCN2953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFbkHgQODq0yqwwgBeOwaPAXdI7zi4wIFlKuCMm3wyxFDcNkjNtQIgOWDvrB4Gd_OGqsmIiqOwyYexsUbiolaqeA5UoxmiUSTvc_CeJvd8RFa2IE092qtPFjQHRqWuy17EYo-N1LVgCg/s320/DSCN2953.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A typical sunset one evening on the ICW</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixm8gviRdSHZKTd5yxmBmJ4Q96MiqAbOZcOCeLIW2PEyU5cn7f3FUmtsmmQXQ669tto3dCh4AYQJWKe5w-s8FvDKVPOxw6-qzn4DYyC85UkvfwxKOC0Eq4VLcniiuepCuzIzZvsq3IPo0/s1600/DSCN3008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixm8gviRdSHZKTd5yxmBmJ4Q96MiqAbOZcOCeLIW2PEyU5cn7f3FUmtsmmQXQ669tto3dCh4AYQJWKe5w-s8FvDKVPOxw6-qzn4DYyC85UkvfwxKOC0Eq4VLcniiuepCuzIzZvsq3IPo0/s320/DSCN3008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Beautiful Marsh Harbour Marina</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jzY2SCdEuHMRNHyaJlWqdGVAlCMsc_LxF7CeBVGVzjI971oBsL0nUZV2tFktlcAz_Bv36TejofiFzMgsjGRHksV3e1StclUG4S49J6WZ1KEnJusuZfnfKVbrKnjzPca_KWkK9U-hTvY/s1600/DSCN3009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jzY2SCdEuHMRNHyaJlWqdGVAlCMsc_LxF7CeBVGVzjI971oBsL0nUZV2tFktlcAz_Bv36TejofiFzMgsjGRHksV3e1StclUG4S49J6WZ1KEnJusuZfnfKVbrKnjzPca_KWkK9U-hTvY/s320/DSCN3009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> George, chillin' at the Jib Room, the marina's bar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3b3DOozA6xIQDfwcEBi69ZrtF93qFS8liJ-0TfFcdKv5mgcoky4SWjGKCQEXGKoxMWUjDKX-1H_wr5l1t_dn8o4qzLAKyPns9jNdgk-nhz6YCj393NzoDtM6gWIJnML_DOdi-I2ZAnRg/s1600/DSCN3010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3b3DOozA6xIQDfwcEBi69ZrtF93qFS8liJ-0TfFcdKv5mgcoky4SWjGKCQEXGKoxMWUjDKX-1H_wr5l1t_dn8o4qzLAKyPns9jNdgk-nhz6YCj393NzoDtM6gWIJnML_DOdi-I2ZAnRg/s320/DSCN3010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> George enjoys his first Kalik, the beer of the Bahamas. Jason,the dockmaster looks on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTkPoK5Y9ZAciP_2vYkxZELUrsBk2uMThLuc2QloN5wGoQuYks1W2M71S5sgr3yGwvZXT4uR_eELMBvL0auVLbwsLgh8n9IYXDcUs52Gp-pEobhZy3YadGy_E1u3R2wADkX_TdwwL0NI/s1600/DSCN2999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTkPoK5Y9ZAciP_2vYkxZELUrsBk2uMThLuc2QloN5wGoQuYks1W2M71S5sgr3yGwvZXT4uR_eELMBvL0auVLbwsLgh8n9IYXDcUs52Gp-pEobhZy3YadGy_E1u3R2wADkX_TdwwL0NI/s320/DSCN2999.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="center">Kokopelli, the boat we met in Lake Worth and crossed to the Bahamas with. Ian and Sue have become good friends, but next time we play dominoes they are going down!</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-10885581723538870772010-11-28T09:22:00.000-08:002010-11-28T09:22:21.984-08:00We're here in beautiful Abacos!!!Sunday, 28 November, 2010<br />
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So, about those plans to cross over on Friday.....we were just finishing up our breakfast at anchor in Lake Worth onWednesday when Kokopelli called on the radio to say they were leaving for the trip in 30 minutes! Yikes! Talk about a Chinese fire drill!! We stowed everything PDQ, hoisted the dinghy, raised the anchor and then headed over to the nearby marina to fill the fuel and water tanks. Kokopelli was kind and motored slowly towards the inlet while we got all this done. We caught up to them just outside the Lake Worth inlet and began our crossing at 11:00 am. The seas were not too bad, about 2-3 feet with some swells and light winds. We had on our life vests and tethers and felt very safe. It was so wonderful having Kokopelli ahead of us, in sight, and made us feel so confident about making our first crossing. <br />
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After 8 hours, we reached the Bahamas banks just after dark and continued our journey until just after 3 am. Along the way, it was too bumpy for real meals so we snacked on crackers, chocolate and nuts. We were happy to finally put the anchor down at Great Sale Cay and get a few hours sleep after a long but exciting day.<br />
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Thanksgiving morning, we started out again at 8 am for our first full day in the Bahamas. We were indeed thankful for a safe trip over and it was a beautiful, sunny day again so we had good motoring with lots of time to marvel at the clear, blue-green water. It's so clear you can see the bottom even in very deep water. We stopped that day at 4:00 in a pretty anchorage off Manjack Cay. That night our friends on Kokopelli, Ian and Sue LeMair invited us for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on their boat. We dinghied over with our contributions to the meal (wine, stuffing, cranberry sauce and brownies) and proceeded to have a delicious meal with new good friends.<br />
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Friday morning, we left the anchorage at 7:30, heading for MarshHarbour and the marina where they stay. We reached the wonderful marina at noon and were helped at the dock by Jason, the dockmaster, Stephen, the owners son and Larry Thackston, a boat owner there. Once the boat was all tied up, we headed for the Jim Room, the bar & grill at the marina where we enjoyed a scrumptious conch club sandwich and a "bilge burner" cocktail with Ian and Sue. YUM!! The chef at the Jib Room is Marvin and he really knows his trade!!<br />
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Immigration and customs officers both came to the marina and cleared us all in so we were happy to trade out our quarantine flag for our Bahamas flag. Later that afternoon, we took a good long walk around the area and saw many beautiful homes with awesome views. It's hillier here than we expected so we got a good workout walking the area.<br />
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Saturday, we were treated to a steak dinner with all the fixin's at the Jib Room with our friends Ian and Sue, Larry and Pat. After dinner, there was entertainment with "rake 'n scrape" -- the local Bahamas music where they use a saw and screwdriver to keep the beat. Then there was the "limbo man"....he was totally amazing as he lowered the bar gradually...until he had it only 18 inches from the ground. It hurt our knees and backs to watch him get that low and manage to go under the bar. Talk about flexibility!<br />
<br />
All in all, we are totally loving it here! The scenery to too beautiful to describe and the views are "to die for". The locals are very friendly and we love biking or walking around the marina and downtown. We are planning on being here at the marina for a few more days and then we'll venture out when the weather allows. We'll try to upload some pictures so you can see the views we're talking about. s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-61960610094681022392010-11-23T09:33:00.000-08:002010-11-23T09:33:31.801-08:00The latest plan...Tuesday, 23 November, 2010<br />
<br />
So, we're still at anchor in Lake Worth but we now have a plan for hopping over to the Abacos and we're excited to have put in the trip's waypoints on the chartplotter. Yesterday, we heard discussion between Galatea and Kokopelli on the VHF. These are boats we had passed when heading south on the ICW from Vero Beach and Galatea hails from Edisto Island, SC....a place near and dear to our hearts. We called Kokopelli after the overheard conversation and told them that we have the same route plans and would love to tag along with them. Turns out, Kokopelli has crossed the gulfstream 12 times in the past and has been to the Abacos many times.<br />
<br />
After Chris Parker's morning report today, Kokopelli has decided to try to make the jump on Friday morning. This suits us just fine since it means we a) have experienced sailors to go with and b) Bethie gets to have her Thanksgiving meal on Thursday since we'll still be in Florida and c) because we will make a crossing during daylight rather than at night. All of this gives us an extra measure of confidence about making the crossing and we are grateful to have discovered kindred spirits here.<br />
<br />
After getting our forwarded mail from the West Marine today, we will go back to Publix for yet more groceries. A high point of our day so far has been walking beside highway A1A, carrying 2 bags of trash in search of a dumpster. How's that for adventures in cruising??<br />
<br />
After our trip to Publix, we will head over to the Old Port Cove Marina for a chance to fill up on gas/ diesel and water. While at the Old Port Cove Marina, we hope to walk over to Kokopelli and meet her owners. It will be nice to put faces with names! Think that about covers it for now. s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-82053623572402251562010-11-21T08:53:00.000-08:002010-11-21T08:53:25.993-08:00Jumpin' off point....waiting for our weather windowSunday, 21 November, 2010<br />
<br />
So we're all nice and anchored in the northern part of Lake Worth near North Palm Beach. We left Vero Beach yesterday morning around 7:00 am and motored down the ICW until we reached our current anchorage around 3:45. There were already several nice cruising sailboats anchored there and the full moon at night was gorgeus.<br />
<br />
Our Saturday went well, especially after the rain stopped and the sun came out. It was fairly windy along the way but turned out to be a beautiful, typical Florida day in the afternoon. We saw lots of expensive, huge houses along the waterway and got to see a few manatees too.<br />
<br />
Today, we dinghied into the dinghy dock near the anchorage and walked to a nearby Publix for some reprovisioning and a trip to West Marine for a dinghy patch kit and some other incidentals. We are sitting in a McDonald's now, availing ourself of their free wi-fi since our internet antenna still doesn't seem to want to cooperate.<br />
<br />
We will try to reprogram our autopilot today since it needs to "relearn" our hull's movements since Mike reinstalled it. We will also probably try to repatch the leak in the dinghy floor and will hope that will do the trick. It would be great to have a rigid-bottom dinghy and that will probably be our next major purchase for the boat.<br />
<br />
It will be wonderful when we can set out for the Bahamas via the Lake Worth inlet....hopefully Wednesday night of this week if the weather is good. More to come later.....s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-56129856911248000042010-11-18T12:21:00.000-08:002010-11-18T12:21:06.954-08:00Beautiful Vero BeachThursday, 18 November, 2010<br />
<br />
<br />
Well, we headed out from Eau Gallie/ Melbourne, Florida on Monday morning for the short (35 mile) trip down the ICW to Vero Beach, Florida....commonly known as "Velcro Beach" because nobody wants to leave once there. We needed to get our dinghy outboard repaired since the shift lever broke off in Eau Gallie on the dinghy dock and Vero Beach City marina put us in touch with Vinny of Complete Marine. He picked up the motor Monday afternoon after our arrival and had it back to us, all fixed and spiffed up Wednesday morning. That's service!<br />
<br />
We are moored on a mooring ball there in the marina and it's such fun to watch as other sailboats and motorboats come in. Our spot is just across from the gas dock, so it's a great location to see all the action. We have enjoyed getting to know many friendly boaters and love the free bus service Vero Beach provides. We've already been to Publix and West Marine twice and I got a great snorkle mask/ snorkle at a dive shop here.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, Scott and I walked to the beach....about 3 long blocks away from the marina and made it back just in time to catch the bus to West Marine. The beach here is very beautiful and the water is clear and light green. This is a very prosperous area with well-manicured lawns and lovely houses. The bouganvilla is gorgeous and we've even see some here that are like small trees.<br />
<br />
We've come over to Riverside Cafe this evening to catch up on our email and had delicious cheesburgers while we wait to go to the weekly happy hour at the marina. All in all, not a bad lifesyle!!s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-38544833057963082722010-11-16T09:23:00.002-08:002010-11-16T09:23:41.478-08:00Nov 12-13 update<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Saturday, 13 November, 2010</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Scott and I are still here in Melbourne, Florida and are enjoying the SSCA (seven seas cruising association) GAM here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived here around 4:00 pm on Thursday and put down the anchor in a lovely spot just off of Eau Gallie/ Melbourne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are very glad it worked out for us to be able to attend such a great event as this and we've enjoyed meeting many friendly, knowledgeable folks at the GAM.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Our Thursday night in this anchorage proved to be exciting since the winds got up over 30 knots during the night and both Scott and I worried about our anchor not holding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even had a nightmare about us breaking loose and going up on shore!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, thankfully, all was well Friday morning considering our anchor behaved admirably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott says (and I agree) that this was a pretty good test for the new anchor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 81.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Friday, we attended the seminars all day and the weather was windy but warm -- around 78 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lovely lady from Ontario, Danielle Courtneau, kindly gave me a ride across the bridge at 3:00 when the seminar ended so I could replenish our fridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were totally out of bread, milk, etc. so I was very happy to get a chance to go to the Publix here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you don't have a car or other way to get to a store, reprovisioning takes on a whole new meaning. When we got back to the dinghy dock from our errand, I saw Scott there with our dinghy and 2 other men, the cover off our motor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out, the throttle lever on our outboard motor had broken off sometime during the day so we couldn't put the motor in gear....an unfortunate development!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some kind SSCA folk offered us a tow in their dinghy so we bumped over the waves back to Painkiller, grateful for their help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coincidentally, we'd been given information by kind folks at lunch that day about Vero Beach and, thanks to them,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we had the number for the Vero Beach Municipal Marina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott called them to discuss getting a replacement part when we're there Monday and Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we feel good about being able to get the outboard motor repaired there next week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ah, the kindness of strangers....</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 81.0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Saturday morning, Scott discovered he could use vice grips to grab what was left of the throttle shifter to put it in "forward" so we were able to dinghy over to the dock for the day's seminars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed learning to tie some knots from Pam Wall, a veteran sailor and real wit and Scott attended a seminar on weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left the civic center around 3:00 to head over to the library overlooking the water, so we could catch up on email, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tonight, we're thinking we'd like to have dinner at a restuarant next to the dinghy dock -- Squid Lips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a name, huh?</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-69902767220512543922010-11-16T09:23:00.000-08:002010-11-16T09:23:03.910-08:00Nov 10 update<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Wednesday, 10 November, 2010</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We are now at New Smyrna Beach, FL after spending yesterday in St. Augustine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hoisted the anchor around 8 am Tuesday morning after anchoring in a beautiful tidal creek just off the ICW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We knew it would take about 2 hours or less to reach St. Augustine and we wanted to arrive there on a slack high tide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it turns out, we arrived at the municipal marina there right at 10 am after passing through the beautiful Bridge of Lions at the edge of historic downtown St.Augustine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We gassed up the boat, gave her a bath, pumped out the holding tank and then we both had wonderful, hot showers in the modern, well-kept facilities there at the marina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also were able to do a load of laundry since the restaurant where we had lunch (A1A Aleworks) was just across the street from the marina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott had delicious fish tacos and I had a wonderful crab BLT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After having to dodge crabpots for several days on the ICW, I felt that the crabs had it comin!' to 'em!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was sweet revenge!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lunch, we had fun exploring the old section of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went down many quaint alleys and walked all around the imposing Spanish fort there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Linda Reynolds and her husband, Gordon joined us that evening; Linda was our boat broker during our purchase and we really enjoy her personality and expertise!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After sharing some wine in the cockpit we headed out for a wonderful Cuban meal and mohitos at the Havana Cafe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After dinner, we strolled around the old section of town with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a great city and Scott and I feel sure we'll be back there someday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">At 7:00 this morning, we eased out of our slip at the marina and headed on down the ICW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was another day of shallow spots and some bascule bridges but we managed to make it 70 miles before we put down the anchor just outside the channel south of the fixed New Smyrna Beach bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We'll have a good night here and then plan on getting another early start tomorrow so we can make it to Melbourne by late tomorrow afternoon. for the SSCA gam set to start on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those not familiar with the term "gam", it's a gathering of cruisers.</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-62490505018367132402010-11-16T09:22:00.000-08:002010-11-16T09:22:29.124-08:00Nov 7 update<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Sunday, 07 November, 2010</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">It's 5:15 pm and we are sitting at a beautiful anchorage up Brickhill River, adjacent to Cumberland Island, Georgia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a long but good day, travelling 65 miles from our anchorage in Wahoo Creek last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We left Hinckley at 8:20 yesterday (Saturday) morning after our repairs, mile marker 582.3 and had a good run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We anchored at 3:10 pm in Wahoo River-- mile marker 630 and about 2 miles upriver.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">This morning, we set out at first light -- 7 am-- after the time change last night and had clear conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, it was a chilly morning but we turned the heater on and the cabin was comfy during our breakfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, Scott remembered the time change or we'd have gotten up at 5 am!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We passed by many beautiful marshes today and had a good, high tide for most of our run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around Brunswick, Ga. things got a little dicey as the St. Simons Sound was full of sailboats in a regatta and the channels weren't very well marked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott navigated beautifully through all the confusion and then we entered a very narrow channel, rimmed with a rock jetty on one side, to continue our journey on the ICW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped at Jekyll Harbour Marina to refuel and then continued on to our anchorage for the night.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We are excited that tomorrow we will need to pull new charts, new cruising guides and a new Waterway Guide because we will be entering Florida on the ICW.</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-40840318122496708992010-11-16T09:21:00.001-08:002010-11-16T09:21:23.649-08:00Nov 5 update<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Friday, 05 November, 2010</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We've had a very productive day here at Hinckley Yacht Services in Savannah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around 8 this morning, Tim Hamilton, the yard's electrical trouble-shooter came aboard and worked through our problems with the tachometer and alternator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He found corrosion around some wiring connections down below on the engine and, in short order, he had the corrosion removed and the tachometer and temperature gauges back up and running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then assessed the voltage output from the alternator to the 4 main batteries and ran diagnostics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He found that the alternator really is charging our batteries when the engine is running....what a relief!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn't need to pull the alternator and send it to the shop and we were *very* happy about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All in all, an easy fix for our problems with the engine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Next, Dave Rancourt, one of the yard's repairmen, came aboard and managed to get our strainer for the engine off (it was too tight for us to twist) and he got all the muck cleaned out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He reinstalled the strainer/housing and then proceeded to replace our impeller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's a good thing Scott insisted on this new impeller because the current impeller was SHOT!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flanges on it were all worn down or off save one loan survivor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt we'd have had problems with it sooner rather than later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott watched while Dave changed it out so he'll know the steps to go through when he does it himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave was very thorough and checked to make sure none of the broken-off impeller flanges were clogging the pipes.....he found that we were lucky and none were there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Needless to say, we are thrilled to have all these repairs finished so quickly and to know that our engine should now be properly cooled and happy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can't say enough about the professionalism of both Tim and Dave and heartily recommend Hinckley Yacht Services here.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">After the repairs were finished, we walked to a nearby Wachovia for some banking business and then stopped by a Piggly-Wiggly for some more items.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We walked back to the boatyard, paid our repair bill and then borrowed the yard's internet to check e-mail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott will work on getting our ethernet up and running this afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are looking forward to shoving off first thing tomorrow morning after breakfast as we continue our journey south on the ICW. The weather is beautiful but very cold and windy so we will stay in The Ditch for now.</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647309879921436209.post-49909415451480468942010-11-16T09:20:00.001-08:002010-11-16T09:20:51.735-08:00Nov 4 update<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Wednesday, 03 November, 2010</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We spent the morning stowing the last of the things we'd brought down to the boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was alot tougher to find "homes" for everything now because the boat was lippin' full already...but we managed to carefully put everything away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we made a final trip to Publix grocery for some last-minute perishables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We bought a bag of potatoes, onions and a cabbage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also got some butter, limes, milk, bananas and some strong tape.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We filled our jerry cans and Scott topped off the boat's tanks and then securely fastened the cans along the starboard rail using the board he'd attached this summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point when we were not aboard, Dave from the boatyard climbed aloft and put up our desired starboard spreader flag halyard....oh happy day!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now we can be "regulation" when flying our Bahamas courtesy flag.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Then we just waited until time to shove off from the dock, since high tide wasn't until 7:00 and we just wanted to make the 6:00 opening of the Lady's Island bridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finally got away from the dock just after 5 pm and headed for the bridge....only to have to wait around 20-30 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we were through the bridge, we headed for Battery Creek, just off the Beaufort River, in Port Royal, SC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have eaten a couple of times at Dockside Restaurant there and love the area.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We were concerned about our low battery status so we did not turn on any lights below that evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meant we ate by candlelight as we enjoyed our warmed-over spaghetti from home with our box cabernet....2008 vintage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heaven!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We charged the batteries using the Honda generator and sat in the cockpit, enjoying the evening and the beautiful surroundings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were 4 other sailboats moored nearby in the tidal creek and they appeared ghostly in the low light.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We turned in early, knowing we had an early morning ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just bliss knowing we were finally starting our voyage!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Thursday, 04 November, 2010</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">We got up at 6:00 AM this morning, after anchoring in a beautiful tidal creek (Battery Creek) near Dockside Restaurant in Port Royal, SC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After breakfast, we readied the boat for the day ahead and waited until 7:40 to hoist the anchor due to heavy, thick fog and little light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While motoring out of the creek, several dolphins swam alongside Painkiller and played in our bow's wake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a wonderful sight!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">It was very slow going, motoring down the Beaufort River towards Port Royal Sound -- the fog was so thick we could only see about 1/8 mile or less ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our radar was such a huge help to us since our vision was so limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fog began lifting around 10 and we were able to make better progress on our journey to Savannah.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The ICW was beautiful but very shallow in places along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just took our time and only had one minor "grounding" at mile marker 30 just north of Thunderbolt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott expertly backed the boat and we then proceeded to watch another boat go aground in the same spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn't feel so bad then!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We reached Hinckley Yacht Services in Savannah around 3:15 just as rain set in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt good to button up the boat and go below into the warm, dry living area.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">It had been a long but good day and we had run the gammut of weather from "pea soup" fog to sunshine to windy and finally rain and cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After checking in with the manager at Hinckley, we enjoyed a well-deserved cocktail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are anxious to have the mechanic look into our mysterious electrical/charging problem first thing tomorrow morning so we can get back on our way south!</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>s/v Painkillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10507592412319696262noreply@blogger.com0