tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46718644905541434562024-02-22T07:32:52.285-05:00BoatTravelingSoulThese are the voyages of the Vessel Traveling Soul whose five year mission is to keep us in warm waters and sunny climes while we explore the coastline, the islands and the Carribean.Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-5654730053853137632019-05-09T15:53:00.000-04:002019-05-09T15:53:07.489-04:00Cumberland, Jekyll and Points North
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<span style="font-family: calibri;">Ann and I both love Cumberland and Jekyll, two of Georgia’s
barrier Islands, and we wanted to share them with Dave and Joan. Unfortunately,
the forecasters were predicting nasty winds and weather, and we were afraid
that if we anchored at Cumberland, we would pay the price. So, instead of
visiting them in the proper order, we shuffled things around. We decided to go
up to the marina at Jekyll – to hide from the winds – then back to the
anchorage at Cumberland so we could explore the island one more time. And we were
glad we did. We measured winds at 50kts on our anemometer and friends of ours
who were anchored at St. Mary’s measured 54. Needless to say the winds were
a-whistlin’ that night!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaowwDxF5AnNW8BFCOSIZ2Y5ds5q9ltaYNyB_KooRxiX5wI4yabgtAaiIuAxVoEWn18uXKNdyyXeuOD7Fyai8TZCYaI5UksdSPj1dNzfiV3HhUO3NS9qanvTqJ67V5wlM4VIYkdHsrzQLG/s1600/DSCN0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaowwDxF5AnNW8BFCOSIZ2Y5ds5q9ltaYNyB_KooRxiX5wI4yabgtAaiIuAxVoEWn18uXKNdyyXeuOD7Fyai8TZCYaI5UksdSPj1dNzfiV3HhUO3NS9qanvTqJ67V5wlM4VIYkdHsrzQLG/s320/DSCN0386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the wild horses at Cumberland.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: calibri;">While it was windy, it wasn’t raining so we spent some time
showing Dave and Joan one of our favorite places in Jekyll. Several years ago
we had spent a week on the island and bicycled all over so we knew the
attractions fairly well. We visited Starbucks, of course (several times), and
the grocery store. We also took a golf cart trip to the Horton House. (In 1735<span style="margin: 0px;"> William
Horton was granted the title to Jekyll Island by the trustees of the colony of
Georgia. Following a Spanish attack that destroyed his first house on the
island in 1743, Horton, with help from indentured servants, rebuilt a new home
that still stands today.) We also had dinner at the marina’s restaurant and
played a round of miniature golf. I would tell you who won, but since it wasn’t
me and this is MY blog, I’ll just leave that detail out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">After Jekyll we backtracked to Cumberland Island. We downloaded
the dinghy and went ashore. I just love the National Seashore at Cumberland. It
is miles and miles of open beach, cluttered with nothing but seashells and the
occasional chair and blanket from visiting families. This is the island where I
first became an amateur “sheller” and where, in the past, I have seen wild
turkeys, armadillos, deer, wild horses – and this time I even saw a raccoon! We
also visited Dungeness, the Carnegie mansion that burned in the 1950’s, Light
Horse Harry Lee’s original grave and we saw bunches of wild horses. In short,
it was an action-packed two days. </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">After Cumberland, it was on to Brunswick Landing Marina where we bade
farewell to Dave and Joan who had to get back home. We filled up with fuel, made
a trip to the grocery store for essentials and, after waiting an additional
day, were off, on our way back up the Waterway. We decided to pass up the
banjoes that we heard the last time we visited the “Two Way Fish Camp” and the
twangy voices of Kilkenny Marina, and instead anchored at a couple of the many
beautiful anchorages we have seen as we have traveled the ICW. </span></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Our next stop was Thunderbolt Marina, just outside Savannah, GA. To
get to Thunderbolt, you have to pass through a spot named </span></span><span style="font-family: Chiller; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Hell Gate</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">, one of
the perennial trouble spots on the Waterway. As I was looking at my updated
electronic chart, I saw a note that said, “Dredged to 12 feet, 1997.” What?
Maybe long, long ago … in a galaxy far, far away … someplace named Hell Gate
was dredged to 12 feet, but not this one and not in this century. Oh well, we
made it through. I guess that’s what count s.</span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">We wanted to stop at Thunderbolt primarily because our friends
from Virginia, Frank and Sue Fucci, were visiting Savannah while traveling
north in their RV. We have met Frank and Sue at several points along their travels,
including Colorado when we were visiting my sister, Baltimore, where their son
and grandkids used to live, and now Savannah. We had snacks and a beer or two
on the boat, then <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>went to one of the
local eateries, where even if the food wasn’t delicious, the weather was good
and the company even better. It was also while at Thunderbolt that I finished
Phase II of my sanding project. I have now completed the railing on the aft
deck and the teak strip on the starboard side. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: calibri;">After Thunderbolt we were off to Beaufort, (Byou-fort) SC where
we stayed on the private dock of our friends Kyle and Kathy from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now and Zen</i>. They have a very cool home
in Beaufort with a 50 foot dock that has electricity. They weren’t home, so
they offered us the use of their dock. We needed – wait for it – a fifty foot
dock with electricity – so we took advantage of their hospitality. The only little
glitch was that we had to dock the boat ourselves, which we don’t usually do.
Anyway, everything went well and, after docking, we enjoyed a cool beverage in their
cool boathouse and enjoyed the day. Thanks Kyle and Kathy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: calibri;">From Thunderbolt, it was a couple of nights on the hook,
then on to Charleston. In my continuing effort to teach you damn Yankees how to
speak proper southern, Charleston does not really have an “r” in it; it is a “w”.
So, Charleston is pronounced, “Chawl’ston,” and that “w” is very soft. I
learned that pronunciation from my friend Mark Tracy who has been in the city almost
40 years. Mark and I started West Point together almost 50 years ago and
graduated together four years after that. I don’t think, though, that even Mark
knows how thoroughly he has been assimilated into the southern collective. He
has that “Chawl’ston” thing down perfectly. His wife, Roseanne, is originally
from Joisey. Though she doesn’t have the southern accent down quite as well as
Mark, she has nevertheless been assimilated almost as thoroughly as he has, and
she is now a true southerner at heart. They took us for drinks on the roof of a
local sports bar and we all had a great time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: calibri;">We stayed at the Charleston City Marina’s notorious
MegaDock. It is probably 2000 feet long and we were at the very end It took us
fifteen minutes just to get from our boat to the marina office and another five
to get to the courtesy van parking place. I mean good Lord, we needed a ride to
get to our ride! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5ts5P0vBEypclltKd_TsIw1NLR9gbKsihwnzO6A33b62lQo43qWLPpFgCqsqUVb-ThNkCDUsxif10PfRQbQDrfXrcDNv6UetoH2AfhXp9ZjQsTUZvlx77dxUoSGDv6jy0ltzxqIrAWl6/s1600/DSCN0869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5ts5P0vBEypclltKd_TsIw1NLR9gbKsihwnzO6A33b62lQo43qWLPpFgCqsqUVb-ThNkCDUsxif10PfRQbQDrfXrcDNv6UetoH2AfhXp9ZjQsTUZvlx77dxUoSGDv6jy0ltzxqIrAWl6/s320/DSCN0869.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
This was our serving at Smoke. </div>
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The smoked Cuban (center) was especially good.</div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">While in Charleston we also took a culinary tour. Charleston
is becoming quite the foodie Mecca and since we do not know which restaurant is
at the top at any particular time, we took a tour. We visited three restaurants
(and a gelato-joint for dessert) and had four courses at each. This particular tour
focused on Upper King Street and concentrated more on the lighter fare that on the
fancy stuff. At a place called HoM (House of Munchies) I liked the BBQ chicken
on flat bread best. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>(It was kind of like
a pizza.) Ann, I think preferred the grilled cauliflower with buffalo sauce. At
the second restaurant, Smoke, they gave us some of their famous barbecued chicken
wings– that was as dry as any BBQ chicken I have ever had and a surprisingly
good Cuban with smoked pork and their own with their own homemad thousand
island dressing. For a side dish they had coleslaw very different than Ann
usually makes. While I, of course, like Ann’s better (I know where my bread is buttered),
she kind of liked theirs. The best course, however, was at Rue de Jean where
they served us mussels in garlic butter sauce as well as pommes frites. They
were both scrumptious; the garlic butter sauce was especially good. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For dessert, we went to Paulo’s. I am not sure
Paulo’s gelato was the best I have ever had, but he is the neatest character by
whom I have been served any Italian dish. He was kind of like a nice soup-Nazi
from the Seinfeld Show TV – for those of you who recognize the reference. At
any rate, after 12 courses and gelato for dessert Ann and I were both pretty
full. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">From Charleston we have only a few more stops before we
reach home. We are going to have to keep moving and miss some of those places,
like Georgetown, SC, as well as Bath and Plymouth, NC that I still wanted to
visit. Oh well. I am going to close this so I can get it underway while we
still have a good internet connection. </span><span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ann’s Notes: </b>After
proof reading Michael’s portion of the blog, I realized how busy we have been
having fun. The visit with Dave and Joan on board was great. I really enjoy
sharing all the wonderful attractions on the ICW. Now that I am really into
walking, I appreciate my surroundings so much more. We did a lot of walking in
Cumberland. Also the Park Service has a really great way to do their walking
tour of the ruins of Dungeness. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If you
have a QR reader app on your phone , you can point it at the sign and it will
give you the <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>history <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>of the building or area that you are viewing. They
also have the option of calling a phone number that gives you the same
information. We used the audio tour a lot, it just makes the tour that much more
interesting.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann and Dori on Charleston's Ravenel Bridge</td></tr>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Dave and Joan had a great time with us, as we always do when
the four of us are traveling together. I think it helped Spot re-adjust to
Michael and I and the boat.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They had to
get back to VA to do some family stuff.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">We have been lucky this year in meeting with friends alone
the way. Frank and Sue are great friends and have stories similar to ours, only
they<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>live on a land yacht. They both
have a great sense of humor and spending time with them is always special. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Charleston… what a beautiful city and a beautiful bridge. I determined
even before we got there to walk the Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper River. This
is how the story goes..</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Back when we were in the Fort Pierce Marina in April, we had
drinks and appetizers with our good friends Scott and Teri Miller aboard their boat
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miller Time</i>. Dave and Joan were with us,
so naturally they were invited. Scott and Teri had friends with whom they were traveling
together. They introduced their friends, Bob and Dori Arrington on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Liberdade</i>. Boat cards were exchange, a
good time was had by all and we went our separate ways.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Flash forward to Charleston, we are eating dinner and
watching the boats enter the fairway at Charleston City Maria – by the way we
were on the outside of the Mega dock, great view but that is another story. Anyway,
we see Liberdade cruise in; my new friend Dori was in the marina! I had been
trying to figure out how I was going to make my goal of walking the bridge
happen. Michael really did not want me to do it alone. It was far from the
marina, and was a long walk. He wanted to make sure I would be safe. I went
outside my comfort zone, called Dori and asked if she was a walker and when she
said yes…I asked her if she would like to walk that beautiful bridge with me
the next morning. We had a great time getting to know each other, we had four
and a half miles to do that, and that distance did not included the on walking
ramp to the bridge. It was a beautiful overcast morning, lots of clouds to
block out the direct sun, a nice breeze<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>and two very motivated women. It was wonderful! We called Teri and told
her that WE DID IT!!!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">After walking the bridge, going on the Culinary Tour was
guilt free.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The tour was fun, the food
good and I got to eat all the Brussels sprouts at the last restaurant, they
were yummy. To top off the day, we saw Mark and Roseanne, shared the view of
Marion Square and had drinks with them. It made for another perfect day in
their town.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Also, we went shopping the Farmers Market the next morning,
wonderful. I love Charleston!!!</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Traveling Soul…OUT </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-67514472057236236702019-04-25T15:58:00.003-04:002019-04-25T15:58:56.247-04:00Florida and North<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After leaving Old Port Cove, we arrived safely and soundly in
Fort Pierce, Florida. Ft. Pierce has a nice marina that is cheaper than Old
Port Cove by about $23 per day. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but hey, $23
here and $23 there and after 43 or so days, you have a BU. Okay, so we only
spent six days there, and didn’t quite make a whole BU; it is the principle of
the thing. While at Ft. Pierce Ann walked around quite a bit, we Ubered to
Publix and West Marine, I sanded the aft railing on the boat, and we got
re-acquainted with our friends Scott and Teri Miller aboard their huge 58’
Kadey-Krogen named … what else? … <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miller
Time</i>. </span><br />
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The real news from Fort Pierce, though, is that our friends
Dave and Joan drove all the way from northern Virginia to bring back our cat. YES,
SPOT IS WITH US ONCE AGAIN!!! As I am certain Ann will tell you below, Spot fit
right back into her first home. After a quick “sniff over,” she approved <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul </i>for cat habitation and
settled right back into her regular sleeping habits. In addition, Dave and Joan
are joining us for a couple of weeks during our trip up the Intracoastal. So,
with four humans and a cat, we had a pretty full boat when we left Fort Pierce
the morning of the 9<sup>th</sup>. Our destination was the Space Coast of Florida
– specifically Cape Canaveral. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had, of course, passed what Floridians call the “Space
Coast” many times. And while we had visited Cocoa and Cocoa Beach, we had never
taken the extra time and effort to cross the Indian and Banana Rivers to get to
the area around Cape Canaveral itself. This time we did. To get to our marina
we had to locate and traverse the Canaveral Barge Canal which has two bridges
and one lock. I think the lock raised us a total of about one foot each way, so
it was not a very big deal. The marina where we stayed, the Ocean Club Marina
at Cape Canaveral, was pretty nice; it had a swimming pool that Joan checked
out, clean restrooms, good showers and very nice docks. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann's photo of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Appreciating the marina, however, was not why we were there.
What we really wanted to do was get to the Kennedy Space Center. We took Uber
(a cruiser’s best friend) and paid less than half of what a taxi would have cost.
It took us about 20 minutes and cost about $30 for the four of us (Spot did not
want to go; she wanted to sleep instead.)<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Now for those of you who have not been to the Space Center, I can only
describe it as Disney-like. After paying a healthy sum up front ($57 for
seniors), you can attend several different Imax theaters where you can see a
number of alternative three dimensional movies. You can also take a bus tour of
the Cape Canaveral Space facility where you can visit various launch pads
(including “39A” from which nearly all Apollo Missions were launched), see and
receive information on different kinds of spacecraft and rockets, see the
original “Mission Control” from the old days and enjoy number of other exhibits
– some fascinating, some interesting and some ho-hum. In short, I would
probably recommend it to just about anyone for different reasons. Kids will enjoy
the 3-D movies, some of the simulations that are available and a number of
different kids’ exhibits. We seniors will get more of a kick out of seeing in
person what we had previously seen on TV and usually in the company of Walter Cronkite
or Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">While at Canaveral, we got lucky. The night we were there,
there was a launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. It was cool having seen
the rocket on the launch pad earlier in the day and being able to watch it take
off and disappear on its way into space. I have kind of “before” and “after”
pictures.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bridge of Lions at St. Augustine.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After leaving the marina and anchoring one night where we
ate some luscious steaks cooked on the grill by yours truly, we were off to
what is undoubtedly our favorite location in Florida, Saint Augustine. There,
we took Dave and Joan to the restaurant that serves what is probably the best
fish and chips in the country – the Prince of Wales. The following night we
tried to go to Harry’s, our favorite Cajun restaurant in Saint Augustine, but
even on a Monday night it was too crowded; the waiting time was 45 minutes.
Instead, we went to the Tini Martini Bar, then to Aviles, the restaurant
attached to the Hilton. The martinis were, of course delicious, but the meal
was only okay and for the price should have been better. In fact, Ann’s was
cooked so poorly that she had to send it back. I don’t think we will be
returning. For future reference, I think the only way to get into Harry’s
without waiting forever is to go to the Tini Martini Bar (our favorite place
for a drink before dinner) at 4:30. That should put us at Harry’s by about
5:15. I am guessing that by going that early, we should be able to get a table.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Other than go to restaurants, we
went to Starbucks each morning while in Saint Augustine, went to the market
street a couple of times and visited the Spanish Military Medical Museum – a
fascinating experience for anyone interested in either the military or medicine.
In addition, Ann, Dave, Joan and Teri Miller (from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miller Time</i>) went on a tour of Flagler College while I vegged out
on the boat. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We left St. Augustine on April 16<sup>th</sup>.
About ten miles north of the city we saw three individual Customs and Border
Control boats checking on local fishermen. Okay, now think about this. I
understand that our president is concerned about the security of our border
with Mexico, but at least eighteen border control officers, three machine guns and
several hundred thousand dollars in equipment are currently massed protecting
America’s border with … uh … no one along the ICW north of Saint Augustine.
Maybe they were trying to keep the Georgian Rednecks from fishing in Florida’s
waters, or maybe some Cubans were trying a strategic envelopment along the
coast. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Otherwise, I am confused. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Since we had spent three days on a
mooring in St. Augustine and a day before that on the hook in the Indian River,
we needed to fill up our water tanks, so we headed to Beach Marina just outside
of Jacksonville, Florida. Now most every cruiser knows that the water
throughout the marina is very shallow. We were kicking up a lot of mud in our
slip on the outside of the T-dock. But what most people don’t realize is that
the individual piers do not have any rubber or plastic trimming. That means
that when your boat ribs against the pier, it is aluminum on fiberglass – a
battle that the boat is sure to lose. Sure enough we had two long scars on the
side of the boat. (Yes, I know we should have had a fender down there. We did,
but our fender got squeezed out of the space between the boat and the pier.)
Dave and I managed to clean the black mark off, but the scar will probably
remain until we get a god waxing.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeaWutm1t6cAxZOU-_WZiBVuUL1CdnAIyigqmNrmbTmUqO3S4nId2gVd4YYS19uXh0s9fNsk4GbrKfgLQ800U-xgVVgawthxIcMAW6WwlxxHkuJMCwXoU31myS0AvanA6iby9s5o8xez7/s1600/DSCN0359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeaWutm1t6cAxZOU-_WZiBVuUL1CdnAIyigqmNrmbTmUqO3S4nId2gVd4YYS19uXh0s9fNsk4GbrKfgLQ800U-xgVVgawthxIcMAW6WwlxxHkuJMCwXoU31myS0AvanA6iby9s5o8xez7/s320/DSCN0359.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the still-standing slave cabins at Kingsley Plantation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Beach Marina, we cruised only
about 13 miles to Fort George and the Kingsley Plantation. It is a very small
anchorage just outside a National Park Service facility based around the
Kinglsey Plantation just outside Jacksonville, FL. We had visited twice before
and thought Dave and Joan would enjoy the experience. Unfortunately, one of the
things that had made the trip so informative was the use of the “Audio Tour”
capability that the NPS had maintained – until recently. For technical reasons
(read budgetary reasons) the audio tour is no longer available. Since so much
of the facility was based on the audio tour, it was kind of a letdown from
previous visits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our initial intention had been to
cruise from Ft. George to Cumberland Island where we would anchor for a couple
of nights, then travel to Jekyll – which is just<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>few miles down the waterway – and finally to
Brunswick, GA where Dave and Joan would leave us. However, because a front was
coming in and Gale Force winds were expected, we decided to reverse the order
of our Cumberland and Jekyll visits. In other words, we would go to Jekyll
first so we could enjoy the relative protection of a marina, then we would
backtrack a few miles so we could anchor at Cumberland in better weather. </span><br />
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3P8LhrqLkRvQMegmfjw3t6UFVfjZcUAhYTiKPbgjggk8tT8dZOqMXKljgbU7k4bvSuTNggwUibWxeO7tecy1Ngp8OdZ_SNGMjb51ob48KUb5OusTA1YDq6KwNgvODVnuXo4SPyBwiI-w/s1600/20190418_094329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3P8LhrqLkRvQMegmfjw3t6UFVfjZcUAhYTiKPbgjggk8tT8dZOqMXKljgbU7k4bvSuTNggwUibWxeO7tecy1Ngp8OdZ_SNGMjb51ob48KUb5OusTA1YDq6KwNgvODVnuXo4SPyBwiI-w/s320/20190418_094329.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot back on board and in one of her favorite haunts.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes: Our sweet little
feline is back!!! Thank you Dave and Joan for taking such good care of her when
she got so sick. She has been eating like a little oinker; put it in her food
bowl and she goes right to town eating. Like Michael said, she adjusted to the
boat in just a matter of a few hours. It is wonderful to have that sweet feline
spirit back on board.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The time has really flown by with
Dave and Joan on board. We all had a great time together. We went back to some
of our favorite locations and experienced a few new ones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I really enjoyed the Kennedy Space
center, I remember watching all the space launches and splash downs with my
dad. He was a real fan of NASA. It just really brought back so many fond
memories. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>My dad would be just amazed on
how different space exploration has become. When the SpaceX was already in
orbit, the two fuel <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>rockets <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>were returned to earth on two different
landing pads, and will be used again for another launch, the sonic boom told us
that the they had returned to earth. No more parachutes and splashdowns.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I know Michael wants to get this
blog out so I am going to keep it short.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We are slowly making our way home,
we have more friends to visit on the way. We should be back in Solomons, MD by
the end of May.</span><br />
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We will keep you posted..</span></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-74265813475831294862019-04-07T10:31:00.002-04:002019-04-07T10:31:11.911-04:00Bimini and Home<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlP8quQJYtb74VR0Qf0xoTqtshUXsMdAnmi6oxkpjKEZPjV-DD1fnNDukMAERXoQDGekzRaUXWTmfcYFHcT0QH2OvhDvoFnrfBfceRV7wuNfdK3-yVj-bzbID1CtLpw7GxFnFpZdhceHEh/s1600/DSCN0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlP8quQJYtb74VR0Qf0xoTqtshUXsMdAnmi6oxkpjKEZPjV-DD1fnNDukMAERXoQDGekzRaUXWTmfcYFHcT0QH2OvhDvoFnrfBfceRV7wuNfdK3-yVj-bzbID1CtLpw7GxFnFpZdhceHEh/s400/DSCN0851.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The infinity pool at the Bimini Sands Marina. Absolutely beautiful.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">If you will recall we were having problems getting Bimini
Sands Marina to respond to our phone calls (their number was out of service),
to our e-mails or to any other form of communication. Although we had made back
up reservations at a less desirable marina, we really wanted to stay at Bimini
Sands. Our plan was to leave Chubb Cay early in the morning, arrive at the
marina at 1500 or so, take on fuel and ask if they had an extra slip that we
could have. Surely they would respond to face-to-face communications. Okay, I
won’t keep you waiting other than to say, don’t you love it when a plan comes
together? We arrived at the marina at 1515, took on fuel and moved right into
our slip. The cost was a buck a foot (the last one of those we will see for a
while), but we had to pay $30 per day for electricity regardless of how much we
used. That is a little high, but not out of line with other marinas in the area.
So what did we do? We pulled into our slip and promptly turned on the air conditioning.
This is the first time we had the AC on since we have been in the Bahamas. Did
we really need it? Well it was a little warm and there was very little breeze,
but we certainly could have survived without it. However, we were paying plenty
for electricity, dadgummit, so we decided to treat our selves. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Bimini consists of two islands, North Bimini and South
Bimini. South Bimini has an airport and several smaller resorts (including
Bimini Sands a Resort and Marina). North Bimini has Alice Town, Bailey Town and
Resorts World International – a Hilton property. Resorts World is very pricey
and, according to the reviews we read, not a very nice place. Alice Town is
home to most of the other marinas in the area and is crowded, not very pleasant
aesthetically, not a secure place to leave your boat, and has drivers who drive
down the only road on the island like a bat out of hell. Our marina in Bimini
Sands addressed all those issues and was well-protected from any weather that
might come around and had two really great pools – one was an infinity pool!
Moreover, you could take your dinghy or a taxi-ferry combination to North
Bimini if you wanted. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">We took the taxi-ferry combo and, for the first time in the
Bahamas, the taxi and ferry drivers tried to cheat us! The taxi driver told me
to pay him for both the ferry ride <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">and</b>
the taxi ride. It sounded kind of odd, but I did it anyway. Then, when we got
off the ferry, the ferry pilot wanted another $3 for the ferry ride. Rather
than argue, I just paid it; it was only a couple of bucks after all. The same
thing happened coming back. This time, however, I started to raise some
questions when the ferry driver wanted me to pay for the ferry and the taxi
up-front. When I explained what happened to us when we came over the first
time, the ferry driver said, “Oh you must have taken the wrong ferry.” I
pointed out that could have been the case, but there was only one blue ferry –
which the taxi driver had told us to ride. He immediately backed off and said he
could explain things. He didn’t and in the event he decided I didn’t have to
pay him after all.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">While in South Bimini I walked the beach that was just
around the corner from the marina. Man, that was a hard beach to walk! Usually,
I can find some hard sand near the water’s edge. On this beach, however, all
the sand was soft and mushy. It was almost like quick sand. I made it about
half way down the beach, but finally had to turn back. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">As I mentioned we took the taxi/ferry into Alice Town. As
you probably remember I am a big Hemingway fan – that is why my writing style
is so close to his. In fact, some say I am a better Hemingway than Hemingway.
I’m just sayin’. It is true that I haven’t won the Nobel <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">YET</b>. I will. I am certain. Probably after the Pulitzer for Poetry
(see my previous two blog entries). I say this because Earnest and I have kind
of the same philosophy of writing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When
once asked about writing, he replied, “<span style="margin: 0px;">There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit
down at a typewriter and bleed.” Actually, I usually reverse that process. I often
bleed from working on boat projects, then sit down at the typewriter while
waiting for the bleeding to stop. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxayO5UH9-7wnxS-m31g1XWtct3NjxEPMCxSI3NiNKHdMHOePeFWDKngW10Le_-jziIR8IseJfo5KDb5Bz4U8NfGEkyCuT9vQ2X4IE2gXdcLT1qfPR7leNOJcFJv5-RGQOK66SHs2S_Fnl/s1600/DSCN0854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxayO5UH9-7wnxS-m31g1XWtct3NjxEPMCxSI3NiNKHdMHOePeFWDKngW10Le_-jziIR8IseJfo5KDb5Bz4U8NfGEkyCuT9vQ2X4IE2gXdcLT1qfPR7leNOJcFJv5-RGQOK66SHs2S_Fnl/s320/DSCN0854.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann, in front of the ruins of the Compleat Angler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxayO5UH9-7wnxS-m31g1XWtct3NjxEPMCxSI3NiNKHdMHOePeFWDKngW10Le_-jziIR8IseJfo5KDb5Bz4U8NfGEkyCuT9vQ2X4IE2gXdcLT1qfPR7leNOJcFJv5-RGQOK66SHs2S_Fnl/s1600/DSCN0854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: calibri;">At any rate, since we were in Bimini, we had to see the
Complete Angler which is the hotel where he stayed while in the islands
fishing. It was here that he was inspired to write <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Old Man and the Sea</i> and, of course, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Islands in the Stream. </i>Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the hotel
because it burned down in 2006. We could and did see the dock where he kept his
boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pilar</i> back in the day. In fact,
the last time we were here we stayed there.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">We were also going to eat lunch on North Bimini. The ferry
driver told us the best Bahamian food was at Sherry’s, a shack on Radio Beach.
Great, I thought, our last lunch in the Bahamas will be real Bahamian fare. As
it should be. We went to Sherry’s about 11:45. There were two guys at the bar
in various stages of inebriation, and one Bahamian woman who was chatting up
the guys and nursing a beer. Unfortunately the grill itself wasn’t opened. We
asked when it would be, we got some hems and some haws and the lady said Sherry
usually opens at about 12:00. Ok, we can wait. We decided to stroll around
Bimini for a little longer and came back forty-five minutes later. Still no
Sherry. The men suggested we go down to the next shack on the beach, which was
CD’s, CJ’s, CQ’s or something like that. We walked down and, while I really
like Bahamian food, and I understand that Bahamian food shacks aren’t always
the cleanest and most sanitary places around, there was no way I was going to
eat at C-somebody’s. We ended up going to Sharkey’s, an outdoor bar and grill
on the marina side of the island. Ann and I shared a grilled lobster and we
each had a Kalik. Although it wasn’t exactly what we were looking for, it was
pretty darn good.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">It is 94 miles from Bimini to Lake Worth, where we reentered
the good ol’ USA. For most of the trip we were headed NNE and took advantage of
the Gulf Stream. It pushed us forward at 2-2.5 MPH faster than we would have
been going. At about 3:00 we entered Lake Worth and by 4:00 we were anchored
and trying to tell ICE that we were back in the country. In years past, all we
needed to do was make a phone call, answer a few questions and voila, we were
legal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This year, not so fast, they wanted
us to use their new easy-to-use App!. Ann spent about an hour on the phone
getting acquainted with ICE’s interpretation of “easy-to-use” and becoming
increasingly frustrated. Eventually she threw up her hands and was willing to throw
her phone overboard and turn us into fugitives for the rest of our lives. I can
see it now: Traveling Soul hitting its top speed of 10MPH and a high speed ICE
boat with well armed men in black uniforms chasing us. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Well, instead we waited until the next day and, after
fiddling with it for over an hour, completed the form on the App. It sends
video of us to the Customs Officer, but get this, he comes in all dark on our
phone so we can’t see his face. It was kind of like an anonymous source
testifying in court, or perhaps even more appropriately described as the
mysterious cigarette-smoking guy on the X-files. The more I think about it,
though, the more I understand. If I had any affiliation with an App as terrible
as this one was, I wouldn’t want anyone to know my identity either!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">After what will hitherto be known as the “App episode,” we
anchored for a night at Lake Worth, then, the following day, went to our
designated slip at Old Port Cove Mariana. We rested there for a couple of days,
then headed out to Arizona.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">My mother hasn’t been in particularly good health, so we decided
we would go visit her as soon as we came back from the Bahamas, which coincided
with the time my sister was going to be there.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I am not going to go into any detail concerning her health, other than
to say that Mom looks and sounds like she is improving. Nevertheless, we all
agreed that it would be good for her to move somewhere so she can be closer to
family. Since my mother is not an eastern girl, and won’t even think of coming
to Maryland, that means she is going to go to Louisville, Colorado (near
Boulder) to be closer to my sister and her family. It looks like she is going
to move in late May, so we can take maximum advantage of her Long Term Care
Insurance.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">When we got back from Arizona, we spent a night or two at
Old Port Cove, then headed north about 50 miles to Fort Pierce’s Municipal Marina.
And here we sit. Dave and Joan Wolf are due in today with Spot, our cat. The
five of us will leave tomorrow morning on our way north. We ain’t going too
fast as I don’t want to outrun the warm weather.</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wFcfNKp20L_xXFzL0Ors8eglaS4razigDy5N1rqdOIpnZwfPV-v9oCK5AAYPMOXTy43MVTbrmspSA1U3TcKekVYz04OOXoJSyf9ol-QH6cS6VmNeO-DKk4B9lpKGEQaCiZWSFEehgg8L/s1600/IMG-1251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wFcfNKp20L_xXFzL0Ors8eglaS4razigDy5N1rqdOIpnZwfPV-v9oCK5AAYPMOXTy43MVTbrmspSA1U3TcKekVYz04OOXoJSyf9ol-QH6cS6VmNeO-DKk4B9lpKGEQaCiZWSFEehgg8L/s400/IMG-1251.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our last sunset in the Bahamas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Ann’s Notes. I am so happy to be back in the United States,
it is hard to believe that less than 100 miles off the coast line of Florida
you can be in a third world country. Bimini, at one time, I am sure, was a
beautiful island. Now cars, plastic bottles and pollution has really made the
island sad to visit. I just feel badly when I walk in the town that all I see
is trash and pot holes. The people are friendly, and how they even afford the
basic essentials of living, I can’t figure out. The cost of food alone is high,
they grow very little of their own food and have no farm land. Everything is imported
from the states and then taxed upon entry to the Bahamas. I feel even the oceans
around them are going to fail them soon. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlP8quQJYtb74VR0Qf0xoTqtshUXsMdAnmi6oxkpjKEZPjV-DD1fnNDukMAERXoQDGekzRaUXWTmfcYFHcT0QH2OvhDvoFnrfBfceRV7wuNfdK3-yVj-bzbID1CtLpw7GxFnFpZdhceHEh/s1600/DSCN0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Ok…on to happier thoughts</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Remember to count your blessing when you are in the grocery
store, the shelves are full, fresh produce is available and affordable. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Spot was been with Dave and Joan for 81 days, loving and
excellent care, I will admit. However she is coming back to us TODAY!!!. I am
more than excited. I have to keep reminding myself that she will more than
likely have mixed loyalties when she arrives. We need to give her time to
readjust to Michael and me. Having Dave and Joan travel with us for several
weeks will make that transition for Spot easier. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I need to give her time and space to do that,
that is what I keep telling myself.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">We have some new travel intentions on our trip north on the
ICW. It is always fun to explore new places.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">We will keep you posted on our stateside adventures..</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Traveling Soul OUT..</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-5201593007576051082019-03-15T10:16:00.001-04:002019-03-15T10:16:25.451-04:00Big Major Spot - Highbourne - Chubb
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">After Lee Stocking, it was back to Pig Beach and Big Major
Spot. Big Major is far less scenic than Lee Stocking, but it is very well
protected from winds coming from the north and east – and that is exactly the
directions from which we expected the winds to come over the next several days.
They weren’t supposed to be terrible, but bad enough so that we wanted some
protection. So we went to Big Major and waited.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Waiting at Staniel</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Staniel Cay is right next to Big Major and the closest and
coolest island around. Although all we were doing was waiting, I learned something
while at Staniel. Sitting and waiting is not as inexpensive as I had thought.
You see, I have a Nook, from which I can order and read Barnes and Nobles
e-books. Since I am a fairly fast reader, I have to download a book maybe every
other day. At $10-$15 per book, that can become kind of costly. Just a thought.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Watermakers</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Bored people also give lessons on watermakers to people who
probably don’t really care about them. It was also at Staniel that our
watermaker came even closer to giving up the ghost. As you may recall, we use
reverse osmosis to produce fresh water. <span style="margin: 0px;">Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification
technology that uses a semi-permeable membrane to remove ions, molecules, and
larger particles from drinking water by trapping contaminants on the membrane
and allowing pure water to flow out. It can remove 98 to 99% of most
contaminants including Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), sodium, chloride, sulfate,
nitrate, arsenic and a plethora of other chemical and organic contaminants. In
its basic form, reverse osmosis requires a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i>
high pressure pump and a special filter (membrane). Ours also has a simple
sensor to tell us when the water is pure. Newer, more modern watermakers have
all sorts of cool gadgetry, but ours is pretty old fashioned.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Before we left the States, we had our high pressure pump rebuilt.
You may remember that it was difficult to find someone to rebuild it because it
is a pretty old pump. Since we have had it back, though, it has performed like
a champ. I knew our membrane also needed to be replaced, but simply did not
have enough time after getting back the pump. Since we have been in the Bahamas
we have flushed the membrane twice with fresh water – essentially trying to get
those trapped ions, molecules, and larger particles out of the system. We are
now at the point where she is just not going to flush anymore. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Anyway, the EPA recommends a TDS measurement of less than 500 PPM
(parts per million) for tap water. When our watermaker is working correctly we
can get 200 – 250 PPM easily. However, the sensor in the watermaker seems to
shut the system down if it is making less that 450 or so – and because we apparently
are producing water outside of its parameters, it currently wants to shut down
the system. Since we are going to be in the Bahamas only another week or so
(more about that later) we are not going to be able to find, buy, ship and
replace a new membrane. Instead, I just turned off the sensor. I can hear you
now, “Hey, Brown, what are you doing? Trying to get sick?” Well no. Actually,
we have a gadget that measures TDS and it says we are producing water with 450
or so PPM. Moreover, we run all of our drinking water through a Brita filter
that reduces the PPM one more time. In short, we are confident we will be all
right until we get back to a marina and eventually the States. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Stateside
Bound</span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">I mentioned that we are headed back to the States a little early
this year. My mother, who lives in Arizona, is not doing particularly well and
we thought we ought to go out to AZ to see her. My sister, who is constrained
by having to w-w-work (I hate using four letter words), is going to visit her at
the end of March and we thought it would be great if we could all be there at
the same time.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Anyway, by the first week in March we were actively watching for
an opportunity to get to the States. From the northern Exumas, we have to
travel about 220 nautical miles to Lake Worth. Try as we might, that is an
absolute minimum of three days for us – roughly 75 NM per day. As we study the
various weather prognostications, all we can see is two nice days together,
then a space of four or five days before we can get a third day that might be good
enough to cross the Gulf Stream.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For
those of you who know the Bahamas, here is our initial plan: get to Highbourne
Cay, wait until Monday the 11<sup>th</sup>, then put the pedal to the metal and
go all the way to Chubb Cay, anchor there for a night, then head out for Bimini
early the following morning. We will end up staying in Bimini for several days
(at least until Saturday the 16<sup>th</sup>) before we can launch for home. We
have looked at various alternatives but given the weather windows we have it
looks like the Highbourne to Chubb to Bimini to wait ton then make our run to
Lake Worth is our best bet. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">I also calculated our fuel usage. After the 240 nm trip, we would
have almost 20% reserve which was plenty. Most captains are willing to go with
about 10% reserve, but even though I am more chicken than most, I figured 20%
would be fine.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Highbourne
– Chubb - Bimini</span></span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">We have been to Highbourne a number of times over the years and
have traipsed pretty much all over the island. We had missed one beach,
however, which we promptly walked. We also, of course, needed to go to Xuma,
the best and most expensive restaurant in the Exumas. Rather than go for the pricey
dinner, however, we decided to go for the slightly less expensive lunch. To
give you an idea of the cost, Ann almost ordered a hamburger until she noticed
that it cost $25 – that is not a typo, $25 for a burger. Now I know burgers can
be delicious, but $25 delicious? I don’t think so. Instead we ordered some
conch fritters which were very good and a seafood pizza which was decidedly
mediocre. Next time, we’ll go for dinner.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Then we waited for the weather. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">And we waited</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">We had intended to leave shortly after 6:00 on Monday the 10<sup>th</sup>,
but I had forgotten that we had just “sprung our clocks forward.” So, when we
got up at 0600 it was still dark outside. We waited until 0700 when we could
see the anchorage and launched for Chubb. It was easy weather and easy-peasy cruising
as a British friend of mine would have put it. The only problem was that we
ended up going a little faster and using a little more fuel than I had
intended. Hmm. Would that come back to haunt me? Maybe.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">When we got to Chubb, I plotted our course for the next day.
Yikes! I had made a mistake. I had thought it was a little over 80 miles to the
marina, it turns out it was a little over 94. That’s about an hour-and-a-half
difference in travel time. Also, I realized that my fuel calculations had been
a little optimistic. With the extra distance and the speed we made the day before,
we would only have a little over 10% reserve, which might have been enough for
the ICW, but not for the Atlantic Ocean. We now had a little problem. If we
left at first light, we would arrive in Bimini at 1700 at the earliest – about
the time everyone closes. Who would assign us a slip? Who would pump our fuel?
You can see the problem.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Complicating everything was the fact that we could not raise the
marina where we wanted to stay on the telephone – their number was disconnected
– or on the internet. It was also one of the two places in Bimini that sold
fuel. So we had to make reservations at a different marina, Brown’s, and decided
we would figure out how to get fuel later.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">I lay in bed thinking about the problem until I came up with the
obvious solution. We had to leave before light. I woke Ann up at 0430 and told
her the new plan. We would depart Chubb shortly after 0500 and arrive in Bimini
by 1500. We could then stop at our preferred marina for fuel and ask if they
had an overnight slip. If yes, we would refuel, call and cancel our
reservations at Brown’s, spend the night at Bimini Sands and all of our
problems would be taken care of. If not, we would refuel and we would still have
a place to stay a little way up the Bimini channel. Ta Da!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">OK, my preference would be to stop here and jump forward to tell
you how everything worked in Bimini. But I am afraid my darling wife would give
her version of events which just might be decidedly less favorable to yours
truly. Now, before I begin, you have to realize that nighttime travel on a boat
is very, very different than daytime travel – especially when you are trying to
maneuver in tight quarters. This particular night was dark. I mean it was black.
It was as black as a witch’s heart, as black as a thousand foot hole, as black
as a coal pit, as black as … well, you get the idea. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">On the way out of the anchorage there were two sets of lighted
markers. One set was working perfectly. We could see red on one side of the
channel and green on the other. They were right in back of us and I knew
exactly what I had to do to get out of the anchorage. The other set of markers
were about 300-400 meters away and they had only one light burning, the green
light was lit, but the red light was apparently burnt out. I remembered coming
in that I thought the markers were pretty close together, so while we wouldn’t
have to squeeze to get through them we would have to pay close attention.</span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW22bNjXqUYGXgrvnivYvRXlx0da-93qWMGs5EMBDsjAAUFALLsjKMhqI90SrVev4k7Fxc5v8gcKri3hv3U44bvQY0ENAgIUf6q-FenIwGiMOoSoPlWhnmUZJ2Ca5IIhU3PKvfET4VdQu0/s1600/IMG-1250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW22bNjXqUYGXgrvnivYvRXlx0da-93qWMGs5EMBDsjAAUFALLsjKMhqI90SrVev4k7Fxc5v8gcKri3hv3U44bvQY0ENAgIUf6q-FenIwGiMOoSoPlWhnmUZJ2Ca5IIhU3PKvfET4VdQu0/s320/IMG-1250.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
This was the boat immediately abaft our port </div>
<div>
beam when we made our starboard turn. </div>
<div>
You can see how dark it is. But at</div>
<div>
least he had his running light on!</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">I turned on minimal lights for the interior, turned on the running
lights, then turned on the radar. After I lined up the various radar targets with
markers on the chart and the anchored boats, I put us in forward and we were
underway. Slowly, very slowly we moved through the first set of markers. No problem.
I lined up on the far green marker and headed directly for it. My plan was to head
for the green marker, then turn away as we got close. That way I figured that I
could make sure that I missed the unlit red marker. I sent Ann forward and
asked her to guide us between the poles with hand signals. My plan worked –
well, almost worked. Ann kept telling me to move away from the green pole, but
I was more worried about the red one, so I kind of stayed on course – until the
last <s>minute</s> <s>second</s> fraction of a second when I realized how close
we were to the green pole. Instead of coming about 5-10 feet from the marker, I
came within about 5-10 inches (or maybe .5 – 1.0 inches). It wasn’t that I
couldn’t see the green marker coming up, it is just that estimating distances at
sea is very difficult. At sea AND in the dark, well, forget about it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I kept the starboard engine in forward and put
the port engine in reverse to turn the boat to the left, and then I threw the
steering wheel to the left. I was happy when we did not hit the marker dead on
and ecstatic as we squeaked by the pole and didn’t touch it anywhere along the
side. I guess I was lucky that night.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Once we got beyond the markers, it should have been simple. All I
needed to do was turn hard to starboard and set forth. However, before I could
turn the boat I got soooo disoriented that I almost turned the boat in a full
circle before I realized what was happening. I looked outside and realized that
wasn’t going to help, so I focused on my chartplotter, lined up the course and
headed out. This was not my finest hour.</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;"><div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;">As we proceeded westward we came across a few boats going our way
or going eastward that did not have any lights whatsoever. We generally picked
them up on radar, but nor having running lights on is not only illegal, it is
stupid and irresponsible! I just don’t understand how and why people could do
that. They are not only risking their boat and lives, they are risking ours as
well. Also, there is a pole marking the Northwest Channel. It sticks up about
ten feet from the water and is supposed to be lit. As is so often the case in things
for which the Bahamian government is responsible, the light is burnt out and the
marker is a major hazard to navigation. I had timed our arrival at the marker
to occur at first light because … well … lighted markers are often burnt out in
the Bahamas. As you can tell, I get a bit upset about things like this. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
</span></span><div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">Ann’s
Notes</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;">. As you all know I am the one who proof reads the blog before it
goes out into space, or where ever blogs go to be read. </span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1pyH5SUFvsHje6Qioge6RYQ_7lnglS6ZWJZlZ3cUtlthwd1Ov3LpfBuI58PXqO7a4AsvPxdfiaAQOPfNES8IFWJ-xFE7e4_zrAe9C8hyn5NOO2N7XQFEdTUuqL0vT-1fF1_88oAqxC8P/s1600/IMG-1251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1pyH5SUFvsHje6Qioge6RYQ_7lnglS6ZWJZlZ3cUtlthwd1Ov3LpfBuI58PXqO7a4AsvPxdfiaAQOPfNES8IFWJ-xFE7e4_zrAe9C8hyn5NOO2N7XQFEdTUuqL0vT-1fF1_88oAqxC8P/s320/IMG-1251.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very welcome sunrise.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">I had to chuckle when Michael made his confession. I have a pretty
low resting heart rate, however, that dark morning on the bow, staring into the
darkness and with a green light marker quickly approaching, the heart monitor
on my FitBit almost had a flipping heart attack. So why, Captain Oh Captain do
you send your only crew member and wife of forty five years into the darkness,
with one simple mission. Signal me if we are getting to close (he said) OK..I
can do that. The catch is you have to listen to me. As all of you know from
previous statement about going to restaurants at night and than having to come
home in the dinghy…I HATE MOVING IN THE WATER AT NIGHT…PERIOD…DOT.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Michael is an excellent captain
of Traveling Soul and can become laser focused in a nano-second, and responds quickly.
He is like a Zen master; he becomes one with the boat, and chart plotter.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Then to top it all off, I see behind us three lights off to our
Port side. We have a rather large 50 foot-ish sail boat that wants to pass us. We
made contact with him on the radio, and he took the lead, followed him from a
distance until we got onto the shallow water of the Bahama Bank and he veered
off in another direction.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">I have been doing a lot of reading also, if I am not cross stitching
or cooking for fun, I read. I have a box of books , some at left behind by Dave
and Joan, some I exchange with friends and then recycle and some I get from
exchange libraries at marinas. A take a free book, leave a free book. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">We are actually on the last part of this Bahamas trip, we have
lots to do when we get back…it will be great to have my cell phone again.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Spot update, she is pretty much her sweet feline self, she needs
to gain some more weight and she will do that on her own schedule. Dave and
Joan have been by her side with loving care. We are blessed to count them as
family.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Traveling Soul …OUT</span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-23061404020438484302019-03-10T16:18:00.000-04:002019-03-10T16:18:40.684-04:00Emerald Bay to Conception Island
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">About 25 miles from Emerald Bay and about 30 miles from our
destination at Conception Island I saw two white birds flying about ½ mile dead
ahead off our bow. It was a little unusual to see such small birds this far
from land, but I really didn’t think too much of it. Of course, I had heard the
tale that when you see birds in the ocean that means that fish aren’t far away.
In the Chesapeake that usually meant a lot of birds diving on the water. But
only two birds? Who seem to be just flying from one point to another rather
than fishing? I wasn’t so sure. Then I spotted five more white birds which
seemed to be just sitting on the water in almost a straight line about a mile
off our port bow. I thought for a minute about altering course, just in case
they were watching a school of fish, but decided that was kind of silly. Five
little white birds after mahi-mahi? I didn’t think so. Instead, I called Ann’s
attention to this little oddity. I said, “Hey, Ann, take a look at these birds
off our port …” Then it happened. Whirrr! Yes, fish on!</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOgGxqkoIpNYpaYbHf_HqtkW1VVVxDJbDtOxjD-y7TNM0Fap4BywV1noDn2Nm8Ykp2Q8r3gEoPRiCFAztTTlwQcgbzCyi5qzgPdTtgWsWKbOWDBHslhXoGJdX90SS-fwsdmQtbIorcHal/s1600/DSCN0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOgGxqkoIpNYpaYbHf_HqtkW1VVVxDJbDtOxjD-y7TNM0Fap4BywV1noDn2Nm8Ykp2Q8r3gEoPRiCFAztTTlwQcgbzCyi5qzgPdTtgWsWKbOWDBHslhXoGJdX90SS-fwsdmQtbIorcHal/s320/DSCN0817.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Fin tuna. MMmm Mmmm good!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Ann and I have worked out a set of procedures for what to do
when we catch a fish. Since, however, we had not even had a single bite this
year, I was concerned that we might be a bit rusty. The procedure is simple: I
turn off the synchronizers, put the engines at idle, put the transmission in
neutral, then rush to the stern, reel in the non-fish line and get to the rod
and reel with the line. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Ann, meanwhile,
takes over the helm, and responds when I tell her to move “forward” or shift to
“neutral.” Even though it had been a year since we had practiced, it all took
place flawlessly. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Initially, he took out quite a bit of line, but I wasn’t
concerned. I still had him and, after a few minutes, found that I could reel a little
line periodically. He didn’t seem to be fighting as hard as a mahi and wasn’t
jumping at all – which mahi usually do – so I began to think that might be a
tuna and that maybe I should bring him a bit faster, so I could get the line
back out of course and catch a mahi. I remembered, though, that last year I
brought in a mahi faster than I should have and once he got within maybe a
hundred feet of the boat, he found enough energy for one final flurry of
activity – and got away. I didn’t want to repeat that mistake. Anyway, when I
brought the fish to within about 50 feet from the boat I could see “color.” Now
I don’t know how many of you fish or watch fishing shows, but as the fish gets
closer to the boat and closer to the surface you can see color – even though
you cannot make out the shape of the fish. Because the light rays are refracted
by the water you can’t tell if it is a ten foot long mahi or a one-footer long
barracuda. When I saw color this time, I could not tell how big or what kind he
was. But it looked like it could be a four foot mahi. Well, it wasn’t; in the
event, it turned out to be a tuna – a good sized tuna to be sure, but a tuna
nonetheless. He will give us several decent-sized tuna steaks. Of course, it
wasn’t a mahi. But at least it was something and I will not be skunked this
year. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Qb9uNLOolLLkVmTJ9WB-1pjrWqojOpCGp_bCxMTkAZ4mWf_8accUHAVPSK9x83xQp0W-Dz0aUqTST8i9tGsN2wu8kbxAzibOtvxFLZsINRcy-1odHrv-Hri1e0JXkENSW3vB017m70Y8/s1600/DSCN0825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Qb9uNLOolLLkVmTJ9WB-1pjrWqojOpCGp_bCxMTkAZ4mWf_8accUHAVPSK9x83xQp0W-Dz0aUqTST8i9tGsN2wu8kbxAzibOtvxFLZsINRcy-1odHrv-Hri1e0JXkENSW3vB017m70Y8/s320/DSCN0825.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the sharks waiting for the offal from ONE tuna.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: calibri;">We waited until we were anchored that evening to clean him.
And, while I won’t get overly graphic, I am sure it comes as no surprise that
we do cut off the head at some point. Well, I cut it off and threw it
overboard. Before it hit the bottom there was a five-foot nurse shark scooping
it up. As I threw away more of the offal, more sharks came. Now this was only
the leftover parts from a single tuna – but at one point we had five sharks
ready to take anything else we threw overboard. This to me is amazing. Okay,
maybe the first shark just happened to be close enough to see, smell or hear
the head hit the water. But the others arrived in the space of less than a minute
or two. How close could they have been? I have just read a little bit about
sharks’ senses – but what I saw still doesn’t compute. Needless to say, we didn’t
go swimming that night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">We didn’t have the tuna for dinner that night; we had
already decided on lobster instead (we eat well on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>). Instead we had it the following day. Now last year
when I caught a tuna, Ann admitted she really didn’t know what to do with it,
so she found a Thai recipe that had peanut butter. Now, I like peanut butter,
but not with fish. Anyhow this year she had a new and different recipe. OMG!!!
It was fantastic. I had a bite or two and was telling her how good it was. She
told me that I should try it with the dipping sauce. I did. Man oh man, it was
doubly fantastic. I still want to catch a mahi, but another tuna wouldn’t be too
bad either.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">Conception Island is part of the National Land and
Sea Park system administered by the Bahamas National Trust. The entire
area is protected; visitors are welcome but should take nothing
and leave only footprints. The park here was established in 1964 and
has not seen human habitation since the very early 1900s.</span> It is on the migratory
path of several bird species. In fact, when we woke up one morning, we could
actually hear birds calling to one another from the interior of the island.
This is unusual in that we very seldom see, let alone hear, birds on most of
the cays and islands. Finally, A few people believe that Conception was the
original landing point of Columbus. Others believe it was one of the first
three landing sites. Personally, I am pretty sure it wasn’t the original
landfall, but it could have been one of the other islands where he went ashore –
it just depends on how you read the evidence. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">The first day we were there, we took a long walk on the nearby
beach. It was good enough, but not the best beach we have seen in the Bahamas. It
had very nice sand, was about 50 feet wide for most of its length, and was about
two miles long. I guess the biggest problem was that it was pretty steep.
Moreover, once you got into the water, there was a drop off that put you chest
deep or more when you were least expecting it. Plus, there were very, very few shells.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have become a beach snob.</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODc_q6kiahXTQRXTp4oLpoFihJavl8ZZ9sgVl9vKYq0k6Z9ato5AB8TE0Uhfp8pffPY8zQqOVcHpBQH8dnp4P9R3T4eBcdKhlumC9slUPmdTmn9ubrkYPcYih8B9DUDBBCb3MCk97ULdl/s1600/DSCN0842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODc_q6kiahXTQRXTp4oLpoFihJavl8ZZ9sgVl9vKYq0k6Z9ato5AB8TE0Uhfp8pffPY8zQqOVcHpBQH8dnp4P9R3T4eBcdKhlumC9slUPmdTmn9ubrkYPcYih8B9DUDBBCb3MCk97ULdl/s320/DSCN0842.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
One of the magnificent birds we saw at Conception. </div>
<div>
He doesn't have the "Zorro Mask" of an osprey and doesn't</div>
<div>
have the white tail feathers of an eagle. </div>
<div>
What kind of bird is he?</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Later that afternoon (we had to wait for high tide) we went
to the creek that ran through the island. It looks like a very shallow river with
mangroves on either side, and it almost bisects the island. It is in these
creeks and mangroves that the young of many species of fish, birds, turtles and
others spend their early months away from predators. As you ride through the mangrove
creeks, you have to wind from side to side steering clear of the many sandbars
in the area, but if you continue to the end you will be rewarded with sightings
of a number of sea creatures. We saw probably 20-30 sea turtles of various
sizes, a couple of birds (one of them was of a species about which we are still
arguing), and what I think are some baby flying fish.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">The weather reports showed about 3-4 days of good weather as
we prepared to leave. Although Chris Parker (one of our weather sources) though
there might be a little higher wind and waves than the other two on whom I
rely, we were pretty sure it was going to be pretty good weather. Boy, were
they wrong. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Windfinder (a website we
use) specifically predicted waves between 1.3 and 1.7 feet high. The waves we
saw were 3-5 and were getting even bigger. We believe one of three things
happened: (1) There were “dark waves.” Some of you may recall my “dark wave
theory” that attributes the difference between weather predictions and reality –
specifically with regard to wave height – to dark waves. Dark waves are an
analog to the notion of “dark matter” which is the physicists’ fudge factor
between their predictions and reality. (2) A low, a high, or a medium front
moved into the area surreptitiously, wreaked its damage and left without anyone
knowing anything about it. (3) Chris Parker is a better meteorologist that I
gave him credit. </span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgM9XKdtRvsUbRnmtd4HR6EVaNCzqcVP9nJig9diIvKJUEmzIRx0c-y1lscvjbuDsUk_yj9BrF1moSci8lOv1QSQY3txYdqV3FEYOgIX0tuN-aE_lS3pxMlOXmPIL5Iu-MUSHYG8WGVjG/s1600/DSCN0847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgM9XKdtRvsUbRnmtd4HR6EVaNCzqcVP9nJig9diIvKJUEmzIRx0c-y1lscvjbuDsUk_yj9BrF1moSci8lOv1QSQY3txYdqV3FEYOgIX0tuN-aE_lS3pxMlOXmPIL5Iu-MUSHYG8WGVjG/s400/DSCN0847.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Columbus Monument at the northern tip of Long Island.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">At any rate, about an hour into our trip, we decided to take
a detour and finish our journey the following day. That may have been a mistake.
Since we decided to hide on the northern tip of Long Island, we had to turn
almost due south, which put the waves almost directly on our beam. And did we pay
for that! Okay, maybe not the worst hour-and-a-half we spent on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>, but pretty close to it.
I’d say it was easily in the bottom 10 and maybe the top 5. In short, it was
not a pleasant ride. We did get some shots of the Columbus Monument on Long
Island and finally got some respite when we reached Calabash Bay. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">The next day, the weather was perfect. Go figure.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">How perfect was it? It was so perfect that YES, I caught
another fish – a MAHI-MAHI. It wasn’t the biggest I have ever caught; in fact,
it was fairly small. I am guessing it was 2 ½ feet or so and maybe fifteen
pounds. Ann had the helm and I had just laid down for a power nap when Whirr!
Again! We went through our procedures, I sat down with the rod and up in the
air he went. It wasn’t a big jump and he wasn’t a huge fish. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But this time I was sure he was a mahi. I
reeled him in expertly and voila, mahi for dinner.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Two years ago, the first time I caught a one of these
magnificent fish, I tried to filet him. I had my book, I had watched a video
and I had my friend Russ. Unfortunately, what we did to that fish can be better
described as butchering than filleting. This time, though, I didn’t do too badly
if I say so myself. So, even though he is a bit small, he will give us at least
two-and-a-half meals. (The half meal is a couple of fish tacos, which we had a
couple of days after I caught him.) Ann doesn’t want me to catch anymore fish
and since I cannot do it without her, I guess that will be the end of my fishing
adventures.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">That evening we spent the night at Lee Stocking Island. There
is nothing special about Lee Stocking, other than the fact that it is one of
the most beautiful, and quintessential Bahamian locations in the islands. It is
one of those spots where you can look around 360 degrees and see nothing but myriad
shades of blue interspersed by picturesque islands, many of which are at least
partially rimmed by sandy beaches. In 1967 John Perry bought the island for
$70,000. He turned it into a first class marine research center, which he hoped
would be self-sustaining through medicines and technologies which its scientists
would discover. Alas, it was not to be. As we reported in 2016 (or so) the
center was closed in 2011. In classic Bahamian style everything was left in
place: filing cabinets, paperback books, kitchen equipment, beds, computer
screens, everything. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">On that happy note, let me turn it over to Ann.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL61uWiIK4V402DyhsMzqV9UfsPJm_YcgosOj3dBq4InSGS7L5GtwJGcpEwddcLHGu9wAAP2D1NMu5TK-buozmSdutryiQ2ifVys4tCEpvZ_nynhVcn1JSA2eZ7ag44QHZZtuHSCI-DEyn/s1600/DSCN0849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL61uWiIK4V402DyhsMzqV9UfsPJm_YcgosOj3dBq4InSGS7L5GtwJGcpEwddcLHGu9wAAP2D1NMu5TK-buozmSdutryiQ2ifVys4tCEpvZ_nynhVcn1JSA2eZ7ag44QHZZtuHSCI-DEyn/s320/DSCN0849.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike fileting his last mahi.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Ann’s Notes: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">I have to say our dinghy ride in Conception was wonderful, I
have never seen so many turtles in one area. The last time I did see a lot of
turtles was in Little Harbor in the Abacos, and that was three or four years
ago.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">The weather has been a real mix, a few days of beautiful,
light wind days, than no breeze at all (those are the ones I dislike, A LOT) I
would rather have bounce and wind than dead calm.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">I have been distracted by events happening at home and have
not been as supportive as I should be. Thus Michael’s comment about not being
able to fish. I do react when the fish struggles when caught and that takes the
fun out for Michael. However, I do like fresh fish and I am getting better at
cooking tuna the way it should be cooked. I will work on being more positive
and supportive, we only have a few more weeks left in the Bahamas and I know he
wants to fish<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>some more. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">An update on Spot, she is on the mend, still not completely well
but in the loving care of Dave and Joan. I know in my heart she will be her usual
spunky feline self soon.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">We are slowly heading north and back to the States.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Traveling Soul…OUT</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-67755065057619731742019-03-07T09:58:00.004-05:002019-03-07T10:09:03.959-05:00George Town (2)<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I closed the last blog before we left George Town because it
was getting to be a bit long. We stayed in George Town for a few more days, though,
and have had a couple of memorable occurrences that I need to report. The first
was the </span><span style="font-family: "chiller"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">Dinghy
Ride From Hell. </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As I explained last time, we are anchored near Sand Dollar Beach. We
generally like this particular anchorage because it is close to the various
beaches and because it is close to “Chat and Chill” the quintessential beach
bar. Now don’t get me wrong, the cooks at Chat and Chill have no idea how to
cook a hamburger, French fries, grilled fish or BBQ (theoretically their
specialty) and quite honestly I would not ask them for a cup of boiled water
(in part because I do not think they know how to boil water and in part because
bottle of water with ice costs $3.00). The only thing they do know how to do is
to get a cold Kalik out of the fridge … that is provided you are willing to stand
at the bar for 5 minutes while the bartenders chat with their friends and flirt
with other cooks and wait staff. That part is it is classic Bahamian behavior,
but I digress.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">One of the downsides of anchoring at Sand Dollar is that it is on
the other side of the harbor from the settlement at George Town – nearly two
miles. Now in the best of times George Town is not a booming metropolis. The Bahamian
population is only 2500 and the shopping opportunities are fairly limited, but
that is where the grocery store (with all those luscious sardines), the liquor
store, the hardware store and the gas station are. To get to the settlement, of
course, you have to take your dink through Elizabeth Harbor. The harbor is normally
very calm, somewhere between sea state 0 (calm and glassy) and sea state 1
(calm and rippled) as it was when we first arrived. When the wind starts
picking up, however, there is a little more action on the water, maybe
somewhere between sea state 2 (smooth, wavelets) and sea state 3 (slight
wavelets). Now in the grand scheme of things sea state 2 is nothing; in the big
boat we wouldn’t even feel it. Sea state 3 is a little bumpier, but even Spot
could take it. Unless, that is … unless you are in a dinghy.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had already made a run to George Town while the Harbor was in
sea state 1. After the wind picked up we were smart enough to wait. But the
wind continued for several days and we decided we had to give it a shot, we
were running out of gas for the dinghy and even more importantly we were
running low on half-and-half for our coffee (yes, we really rough it when we
anchor out). The trip over really wasn’t too bad, only one or two rogue
wavelets made it into the dinghy and neither of us had any more than few splash
marks on our clothing. That was because the wind and wave action were behind
us, pushing us in our desired direction. After shopping we turned around to
head home – that was when we learned that the “wavelets” of sea state 3 can be
a bear. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">You may recall from our last entry that I have become quite the
(self-proclaimed) poet. Although my poem “Black Point”)in the last blog) may
not win the Pulitzer, I think you will understand why I believe “The Dinghy
Ride from Hell” has a real chance.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Dinghy Ride from Hell</span></span></b></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Elizabeth
Harbor was not very kind</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">But we had
to get groceries, especially some wine.</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This leads
to the story that I, here, will tell,</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Of a ride
on a dinghy – a ride straight from hell.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As we
watched from our boat the wavelets looked small,</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We thought
we could make it – not e’en a close call.</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Though
when we embarked and started across,</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The sea
changed our minds and we learned who was boss.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We bumped
and we thumped and we bounced all around. </span></span></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The only good
choice was to really slow down</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We were
moving so slowly I can’t fathom how</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The water kept
coming right over the bow.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Closer and
closer to our boat we drew </span></span></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As the
salt water drenched both captain and crew.</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">When we
finally we reached <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i></span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We felt we
had been in a large mixing bowl.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The lesson
my friends is really quite plain,</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We
continue to learn it again and again</span></span></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Though you
may think you have figured it out,</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Mother Nature’s
in charge -- of that there’s no doubt.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The day
after the above noted dinghy ride, we were due to meet Russ and Lori for lunch across
the Harbor at a place called February Point. You can probably understand why we
were approaching this particular luncheon with some trepidation. We went back
and forth on whether or not we would go, until about 1130, when it was time to move
out. In the event, Ann donned her foul weather gear and we took off. The winds
had definitely died down and the seas were not nearly as hellacious. Barely a
drop of saltwater made it into the dinghy.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The next
day we set out for the Marina at Emerald Bay. The marina is owned and operated
by Sandals and, as a consequence tends to be pretty high end – both in
operation and in price. It has, however, been just over three weeks since we
had been to a marina and I wanted to flush our watermaker again, to fully
charge the batteries and to let the generator and various electronic systems
rest. I must admit, although I know it doesn’t make much sense, I tend to be a
bit anthropomorphic with regard to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling
Soul</i>. Just like people need rest and relaxation once in a while, I think
boats and their systems occasionally need time for rest, refit and
recuperation.</span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5i1FBiaF3Cxf3LUFcNqT3DJVvA_MnOtnP2jJlqK6UQmElj7TUggvc_y8ytYga_QK6eKmyCNuJIDPZCucZkyqMrEVVxCoUD4d34sgUL_DrMACzRe2Ykoniz0ZZRqUIjyNtHrfEtgnTXKje/s1600/DSCN0795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5i1FBiaF3Cxf3LUFcNqT3DJVvA_MnOtnP2jJlqK6UQmElj7TUggvc_y8ytYga_QK6eKmyCNuJIDPZCucZkyqMrEVVxCoUD4d34sgUL_DrMACzRe2Ykoniz0ZZRqUIjyNtHrfEtgnTXKje/s320/DSCN0795.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Although the car was generally in surprisingly good shape, </div>
<div>
if you look closely, you can see that the </div>
<div>
hubcaps were held on with zip strips.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The first
full day we were at the marina, Ann got up very early to work out at their
fitness center and to start several loads of wash. Although laundry at the
marina is free, unless you get up early it can be nearly impossible to get hold
of a washing machine. When you go early – and I mean very early – though, there
usually isn’t a problem. In fact, by about 0900 she had completed her task and
we were preparing to enjoy the rest of the day.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">On Wednesday, again with our friends Russ and Lori, we rented a
car from the resort and took a trip south. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As we drove from the marina I noticed that
there were a couple of medium sized resorts, several small resorts and a number
of vacation rentals. What I did not see – and you usually see in the out
islands – is any partially finished homes. I am not sure why. Maybe Great Exuma
is wealthier than most of the other islands. </span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDTtE3vhZI0Ol3Nyzp5hKZQMp9mxi2n80fUrZKQCPyYygFStnPh14_JlXzF1heHQreGrjJSgJEz3txsNYwNrw73zKwMSYTOs6yika5vMnJ6ceoW1_EUeniQGP8qmIGh4WpL9GrBVR21O7/s1600/DSCN0807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDTtE3vhZI0Ol3Nyzp5hKZQMp9mxi2n80fUrZKQCPyYygFStnPh14_JlXzF1heHQreGrjJSgJEz3txsNYwNrw73zKwMSYTOs6yika5vMnJ6ceoW1_EUeniQGP8qmIGh4WpL9GrBVR21O7/s320/DSCN0807.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
The salt marker showing ships </div>
<div>
where to anchor for their load of salt.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">On our way south we saw three things of interest. One was the salt
ponds and the salt marker. In the Old Days, Little Exuma, like many of the out
islands, had salt ponds. They would get the water in the various ponds, dam it
up, wait for the water to evaporate, then load the salt in barrels for
transport to Nassau. That we all knew and we had all seen before salt ponds
before. What we did not know was that in Little Exuma they had to put up a
large marker (30-ish feet) at the top of a hill marking the salt ponds. The
marker was so the ships coming in from the ocean side of the island would know
where to anchor. I also learned that the salt these ships carried was very
valuable, so much so that they would occasionally send Royal Navy ships to
escort them and that they mounted a cannon near the marker to protect the salt
from the Spanish and from pirates. Interesting, No?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The next thing we saw was Santanna’s. Santanna’s is one of those
bar and grills in the Bahamas that has achieved near legendary status. While
making the move “Pirates of the Caribbean” Johnnie Depp not only ate at
Santanna’s, but apparently raved about it. Russ and Lori had been coming to
George Town for at least six years and have always wanted to eat at Santanna’s
but had never made it this far south. Well the four of us finally made it. The
grouper I had, and the lightly breaded lobster Ann had were certainly good, but
I don’t know if I willing to call it the second best restaurant on Great Exuma
as Trip advisor does (besides, it is on Little Exuma). Would I go back again?
Absolutely, especially if someone else were pays the bill. It was about $70 for
the two of us – for lunch. </span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_Y6meszWDwmLolXW-6nNoBS3rZhLbagANKBkrNdzzvFodYvXwLeBf5ZRIH811nxYFN7hWArmK90n8ABN_t9sQ9nWYis5JEhr9GZ3S0CZq386421H6l7RDMQe7htzmwKnHrEAgg7IRfgX/s1600/DSCN0796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_Y6meszWDwmLolXW-6nNoBS3rZhLbagANKBkrNdzzvFodYvXwLeBf5ZRIH811nxYFN7hWArmK90n8ABN_t9sQ9nWYis5JEhr9GZ3S0CZq386421H6l7RDMQe7htzmwKnHrEAgg7IRfgX/s320/DSCN0796.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
The line marking the Tropic of Cancer at (surprisingly enough)</div>
<div>
Tropic of Cancer Beach</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_Y6meszWDwmLolXW-6nNoBS3rZhLbagANKBkrNdzzvFodYvXwLeBf5ZRIH811nxYFN7hWArmK90n8ABN_t9sQ9nWYis5JEhr9GZ3S0CZq386421H6l7RDMQe7htzmwKnHrEAgg7IRfgX/s1600/DSCN0796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Finally, the real reason we rented the car was to see the ruins on
Little Exuma. As most of you probably know the modern history of the Bahamas
began in about 1783 when the American colonists who had supported Britain in
the Revolutionary War found themselves in a difficult situation – their fellow
countrymen wanted them tarred and feathered, dead or out of the country. Most
chose the latter. Many of these former Loyalists were given land grants in the
Bahamas by the Crown. A certain Baron Rolle was one of those loyalists. He
moved with his family and his slaves to Little Exuma and established a
plantation to grow cotton. Well, anyone who has been to any of the out islands
of the Bahamas knows that you are not going to grow much. Rolle’s enterprise
failed and he left Little Exuma, but not after freeing his slaves, many of whom
took Rolle as their surname – hence the number of Rolles throughout the Exumas
today. Anyway, a set of ruins, purportedly from this era, exists on a hill on
Little Exuma. </span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrN4KQ3tBQyX3vm3M_uNpUELlS7nbPYfNfqLRBoql6FU5PhToyeBXEPKi9OFvAyiBXiR4hrJg1GZHrivONF4i2_HD4l1kRjZdHf5DwnnK2nsDIR4fxYYloFA-qDiHEqVwpeQv0mCPbgCx/s1600/DSCN0811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: calibri; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrN4KQ3tBQyX3vm3M_uNpUELlS7nbPYfNfqLRBoql6FU5PhToyeBXEPKi9OFvAyiBXiR4hrJg1GZHrivONF4i2_HD4l1kRjZdHf5DwnnK2nsDIR4fxYYloFA-qDiHEqVwpeQv0mCPbgCx/s320/DSCN0811.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann, after one of our many walks to the edges of the marina.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrN4KQ3tBQyX3vm3M_uNpUELlS7nbPYfNfqLRBoql6FU5PhToyeBXEPKi9OFvAyiBXiR4hrJg1GZHrivONF4i2_HD4l1kRjZdHf5DwnnK2nsDIR4fxYYloFA-qDiHEqVwpeQv0mCPbgCx/s1600/DSCN0811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In this blog I have very seldom said anything negative about the
Bahamas, the Bahamian people or the Bahamian government. That isn’t because I
have nothing negative to say, it is just that I am a visitor and generally keep
those opinions to myself. But there comes a point when even I can’t keep my
mouth closed. The Bahamas practically depends on tourism for its existence as a
nation. You would think that if they had a set of ruins, to which they refer as
a “Bahamian Heritage Site,” that they might put just a little effort into
taking care of it. Okay, maybe the Bahamian government doesn’t need to put up a
sign explaining the importance of these particular ruins, maybe they don’t have
to point out that parts of the house are not original – like the cistern with
modern rebar, or the garage with a couple of wrecks inside, maybe they don’t
even want to mow the grounds or maintain the property, but you would think they
might want to haul away the 1960’s-era toilet and bathtub which are in the
middle of the house. Apparently the Ministry of Tourism is spending its time
and budget on the swimming pigs of Staniel Cay. I just can’t decide whether the
government of the Bahamas is terribly inept of horribly corrupt.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Okay, now that I have vented, let me turn it over to Ann.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann is falling behind in her duties and can’t write this time. Send
her an e-mail and encourage her to write next time.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul … Oops. Wait a minute</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Wait! Wait! I will do my part..</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b>Ann's Notes..</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">OK...there has been a lot going on in the States that I will not bore or burden you with right now. I have been distracted by those events, I will admit.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I do want you to know that I did enjoy my time in Georgetown very much, well...the dinghy ride not so much. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></span>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Lori, on the first day at anchor, showed me a path across
Stocking Island to get to the Atlantic side of the island. The path is used so
much that you can walk it in your bare feet, at the end of the path you have
the most beautiful beach to walk. Miles of white sand beaches with very little
plastic on it. Michael and I tried to walk the beach at least once a day, it is
good to get off the boat and enjoy your surrounding as much as you can. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our time together with Russ and Lori on <i>Twin Sisters</i> is always great.
It is a blessing to find fellow cruisers that you can spend a lot of time with,
relax and do some island exploring with. Thank you Russ and Lori for sharing
some time with us.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Russ and Lori also introduced us to one of their friends, Erin and Chris
on their boat Barefeet. They were anchored next to us in the Sand Dollar
anchorage. They are real adventurers, on there first boat, a 43 foot sailing
PDQ catamaran, they started their journey from Boston and it took them five
years to circumnavigate the world. I went over one morning to just talk to Erin
and ask questions. We also had them over for dinner They have a wed site if you
want to read about their trip</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">NotAllThoseWhoWanderAreLost.com</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Also I need to update you on our little Spot, she is going to be fine but
right now she is not a well little feline. Keep her in your thoughts and send
her good vibes. We love and miss her more than we can express. Dave and Joan
continue to love and care for her, such a gift to have friends and family in
our life that we can count on for unconditional love and support.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thank you for following us..</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul...OUT</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
</span></span><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 13.33px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-60798675459905164982019-02-21T15:14:00.002-05:002019-02-21T15:14:38.700-05:00Black Point and George Town (1)
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKJU8W9oD46NOIjQVhSTubSUofnd0gh9Dvc9ZrzJaXDCAmBKKia-BO0QR41cTULat6tngUIhOKDk7oV52AhdJORdUMaOMBIpVykjlHjufd54WxhYUwe15i3plhKqMTjOeEf_AXB61M1Dk/s1600/IMG-1147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKJU8W9oD46NOIjQVhSTubSUofnd0gh9Dvc9ZrzJaXDCAmBKKia-BO0QR41cTULat6tngUIhOKDk7oV52AhdJORdUMaOMBIpVykjlHjufd54WxhYUwe15i3plhKqMTjOeEf_AXB61M1Dk/s320/IMG-1147.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the famous "swimming pigs" near Staniel Cay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">I know we have already left Staniel Cay, but there is one
observation I need to make. When we first started our Bahamian adventures;
there were some wild pigs on Staniel Cay and there had been for quite a while. Over
time, people had learned that if they took some food to the beach that the pigs
would actually swim out to them to get the food. I guess that was kind of fun
and interesting. Since then, however, the Bahamian government has taken control
of the pigs, and tourists in Nassau and George Town have started coming to
Staniel to see the pigs. The pigs now have their own hut and their own water
trough (which they really need and I would not begrudge them). Moreover, since
there are not many costs of entry into the swimming pig market, there is at
least one other island (in the Abacos) that has introduced its own swimming
pigs. It just seems that when people try to improve the cool and kitschy they
take all the coolness and kitschy-ness out of it, and make it kind of institutional.
Oh well, enough bellyaching.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Black Point</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">After Staniel, we went south about ten miles to Black Point.
When we moved the wind had subsided somewhat and we thought it would be a
relatively calm few days before we headed even further south. Well, the weather
gods didn’t agree with our assessment. Although Black Point is known as a
fairly well-protected anchorage, it certainly was not for us! The first night
we stayed was the worst with the wind changing directions slightly and giving
us a washboard night. The second night wasn’t as bad, but “good” it was not!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">So why, you may be asking, did we go to Black Point in the
first place. Good question. Black Point is hardly a tourist Mecca, but it is a
“must” for cruisers. It is kind of like the “Chicago of the Exumas,” the <s>city</s>
small settlement of <s>big</s> medium-sized shoulders that provides the
necessary industrial support to cruiser-dom. Ida’s Laundry, for example, is
certainly the best known and most widely used in the Exumas and perhaps the out
islands of the Bahamas. Mama’s bread (made and sold in her house, just behind
Lorraine’s Café) is some the best around – and her coconut bread? Magnifico! In
Black Point they also weave the straw into bands that eventually become the baskets
and straw hats that are sold in the straw markets around the country. And, of
course, there are some cafes and bars-and-grills in Black Point – but these
aren’t the fancy schmancy restaurants that have French sauces and Italian
herbs, -- they serve regular old fashioned blue-collared food like pizza,
hamburgers and cracked conch.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">As I thought about Black Point I realized that I had to do
something – like write a poem. Some of you may recall that, in high school, you
had to memorize – or at least read – the poem “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg. Now
Sandburg won three Pulitzers and I have yet to win my first … though I am sure
it is only an oversight by the Committee. Still, I have taken a few liberties
and written what should be an award winning poem called, “Black Point” which I
kind of patterned after Sandburg’s masterpiece. I am only going to show you the
fist stanza of each because otherwise this blog would be too long. I have
posted the stanzas below. I will let you decide who deserves the Pulitzer.
(P.S. I promise chocolates with every vote for mine.)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; margin: 0px;">Sandburg’s Chicago</span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; margin: 0px;">Hog Butcher for the World,</span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-indent: -11.35pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; margin: 0px;"> Tool
Maker, Stacker of Wheat,</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-indent: -11.35pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; margin: 0px;"> Player
with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-indent: -11.35pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; margin: 0px;"> Stormy,
husky, brawling,</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-indent: -11.35pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; margin: 0px;"> City of
the Big Shoulders: </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-indent: -11.35pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-indent: -11.35pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; margin: 0px;"> Blah, Blah, Blah …</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: calibri;">Brown’s Black Point</span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Straw Weaver for the Bahamas,</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Launderer, Folder of Clothes,</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Sailor of boats and the Island’s Bread Maker;</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Windy, skinny, dusty,</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">City of the Medium-sized shoulders.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">And there is
more to this brilliant poem.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">George Town</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">After Black Point we decided to go south to George Town. We
knew that the first half of the trip would be a little bumpy as the winds were
predicted to start fairly high on Thursday and to diminish over the course of
the day – and they were generally coming from the southeast, smack-dab into our
direction of travel. To try to miss some of the nastiness, we left a little
later than normal and we traveled inside on the “Bank” for the first part of
the trip. (The Exuma Bank is no more than 20-25 feet deep and is generally
protected from waves, if not winds, by the chain of islands. The Exuma Sound,
on the other hand, is on the other side of the islands and basically part of
the Atlantic. It can get very, very deep out there and much, much wavier and choppier.)
After staying inside for about an hour, we exited into the Sound via Farmers
Cut out and found that the weather people were very correct – it was not
particularly calm on the Sound side. Again, we have been through worse, but it
was kind of rough. Over time the seas calmed down as the forecasters said they
would and I eventually dropped a line off the transom – to no avail, I might
add – but by the time we reached George Town the seas had pretty well reasonably
smooth.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">George Town is quite a place. For some cruisers it is Mecca;
they come here at the beginning of winter and stay for the entire season. There
is a regatta which lasts for about two weeks that includes dinghy racing,
volleyball, sailboat races, softball and many, many other events. In the past
there have been as many as 300 or more boats in the harbor, though this year I
think the number is nearer 280. It is difficult to tell how many boats are here
at any one time because, in addition to the stalwarts who spend the whole
season, there are a lot of people like us who pop in for a few days then pop
out again. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<b>Anchoring at George Town</b></div>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">With 280 boats you can imagine
that it might be difficult to find a good spot to anchor. True, Elizabeth
Harbor is pretty big, but everyone wants to anchor in places with the same
general characteristics: they want a place where the holding is good (generally
meaning a sandy bottom), that is close to the various attractions in the area,
that will have some kind of protection from the wind as it shifts from E-W-N-S,
and that is deep enough (6-ish feet) without being too deep (15-ish feet). As a
result, about 2/3 of the boats anchor near one of the beaches: Honeymoon,
Monument, Chat and Chill or Sand Dollar. Once the captain and crew have decided
the beach at which they want to anchor, though, the fun really begins. Since
everyone is looking for the same kind of spot, the captain has to make sure he
has enough swing room. Basically, he has to make sure the precise spot at which
he drops his anchor allow the boat to swing 360 degrees at the end of whatever
length of rode (chain/rope line) he has chosen to deploy and his neighbors have
chosen without bumping in to anyone else. Because every boat swings differently
and because every boat has differing amounts of rode out, it can get tricky.</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauLkulm9JtBgPSp__G2WM5iEJOjfyUElQlCyE6Vi4VKAeOQ5C9EUyYhVSlfHVixgDYuGmBrI6HQdMC6y9cFoq8NJYr2R91iI-jn_iXtxBd2f57d32smlOxVAIfifz9kT4xEUeJ9lmTI3r/s1600/valentine+sunset+001+20190214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauLkulm9JtBgPSp__G2WM5iEJOjfyUElQlCyE6Vi4VKAeOQ5C9EUyYhVSlfHVixgDYuGmBrI6HQdMC6y9cFoq8NJYr2R91iI-jn_iXtxBd2f57d32smlOxVAIfifz9kT4xEUeJ9lmTI3r/s400/valentine+sunset+001+20190214.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<i style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 0px;">Traveling Soul at anchor </i>on Valentines Day in George Town, Bahamas. This</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
photo was taken by our friends Chris and Erin.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">The way Ann and I handle this is
to observe the anchorage as we are approaching. Then we try to identify a “hole”
in the layout where we think we would fit. Because we are a big boat, we
usually try to locate “our” hole near the perimeter of the anchored boats. Now
here comes the tricky part. Let’s say we have identified the hole that we want
to fill and the location where we want our boat to rest. Now, based both on the
existing wind and current AND on the wind and current we expect over the next
several days, we have to identify the exact spot where we want to drop the
anchor so the boat will settle in to our chosen location. That, my friends, is
much more difficult than it sounds. But we are still not finished.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Let’s say we have done all the above,
dropped our hook, looked around after we have settled to make sure we are not
violating anyone else’s space, and grabbed a cold one to celebrate another
successful anchoring. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now we have to
defend our territory. Whenever someone comes anywhere near <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i> with the intent to anchor, I continue what I am doing
– reading, writing, eating, drinking, etc. – but I keep an eye on them. If they
anchor a goodly distance away, all is good. If they start coming a little close
for comfort, however, I will often go out front on the foredeck, sit down and just
observe them. This is basically sending a signal, “Don’t you think you might be
getting a bit close?” If they continuing anchoring, I will get my camera, take
a picture and use my laser rangefinder to check the distance. If they get
really close, that is the time for the “bitch-wing” stare. I stand on the boat,
hands on hips, staring at the intruder. Very few boaters can withstand the
bitch-wing stare. By the way, this isn’t a Brown invention. There have been one
or two occasions where, after dropping the anchor, our boat has drifted too
close to another boat – and we have been the subject of the same process.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 16px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">In George Town we generally anchor
at Sand Dollar Beach. It is far enough way from the hubbub of the Chat and
Chill Bar, with fewer boats than the other anchorages and usually with more of
the larger power boats (like us). From there we often take our dinghy ashore
and walk some of the trails that lead to the other side of Stocking Island.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Enjoying George Town</span></b></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEo_sav0NHxKHupQW40w1RkrTGgpTiwLAZ7aOtlOt2QGY-nzOjmiRetLqYKBt4SHthvr1MuePXLjSnjQ3SQfuoluHm-yzHVM83s-ZcK1HCZJgRLI8SwITn2wBn-uYomJ-cXaOSHlCKA30V/s1600/DSCN0789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEo_sav0NHxKHupQW40w1RkrTGgpTiwLAZ7aOtlOt2QGY-nzOjmiRetLqYKBt4SHthvr1MuePXLjSnjQ3SQfuoluHm-yzHVM83s-ZcK1HCZJgRLI8SwITn2wBn-uYomJ-cXaOSHlCKA30V/s320/DSCN0789.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
One of the beaches on the Exuma Sound side of Stocking</div>
<div>
Island. we walk here almost every day. You are right. There</div>
<div>
are no footprints but ours.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Generally, I think it fair to say that George Town is not
our favorite place. Everybody is trying to organize everything, especially during
the regatta). This year, though, we have had a good time primarily because of
our friends Russ and Lori aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twin
Sisters</i>. Russ and Lori are among the folks who spend a lot of time in
George Town. As a result, they know just about everything there is to know
about the place and everyone worth knowing. Lori, for example, showed Ann the
location of the trails that lead from the beaches on one side of Stocking
Island to beaches on the other. Russ and Lori have also guided us to some of
the better local eating establishments (they are kind of semi-foodies like we
are). They came over for dinner for Valentine’s Day and went to the Cruiser’s
Variety Show with them. All in all they have been very good friends. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">We also met Chris and Erin aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefeet</i>, a Selene trawler. Before buying their current boat they
owned a 44’ sailing catamaran, also called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Barefeet,</i>
on which they accomplished a circumnavigation. We had them over for drinks once
and will try to have dinner with them another night before we go. We want to
hear the stories!!</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia88AYYJu6202PgCjKVRBr4RHd1uy0h2MKf2k2VbHqE6IUmR4J-UTnvkFLgZdwDovoExMZqh5_M9a6TwFoZqyYI_5FlxkpBqx41FjtNldXOi0bq6Sj9juZTsex6Bh9oRzv3CRJK_wpAwEL/s1600/DSCN0775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia88AYYJu6202PgCjKVRBr4RHd1uy0h2MKf2k2VbHqE6IUmR4J-UTnvkFLgZdwDovoExMZqh5_M9a6TwFoZqyYI_5FlxkpBqx41FjtNldXOi0bq6Sj9juZTsex6Bh9oRzv3CRJK_wpAwEL/s320/DSCN0775.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hundreds upon hundreds of cans of sardines. Nirvana!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">One thing people do when they stop at George Town is
re-provision. They have free water (very unusual in the Exumas) for those
without a watermaker and a pretty good grocery store. Now, very few of you know
the peculiar direction my lunchtime culinary preferences have taken recently,
but several months ago Ann asked me if I liked sardines. I don’t think I have
had them for three or four decades, but as I recall I used to like them. So we
bought a can. OMG I fell in love. Okay, I would rather have lobster, conch,
salmon, grouper, trout, snapper, shrimp, crab, or many other types of seafood,
but for an inexpensive lunchtime seafood-in-a-can, it is pretty darn good. Moreover,
you have several choices; there are sardines in mineral water, olive oil, soya,
tomato sauce, marinara sauce, Louisiana Hot Sauce, and in sriracha. There are
sardines with green peppers, jalapeno peppers and red peppers. And there are many,
many others. When I find one that I haven’t tried, I automatically buy it just
so I can taste it. We have found that Giant Supermarkets in the States has a pretty
good selection, as does Safeway and surprisingly, Piggly Wiggly. Equally as
surprising, Publix, Florida’s main supermarket, does not. As you can see, I
have turned into kind of a sardine gourmand. I say all this so you can
understand how astounded I was when I looked for sardines in George Town. Good
Lord, it was a sardine lover’s dream. There were hundreds of cans on display of
all different kinds. I was expecting to hear music in the background. And while
one normally does not take photographs in the grocery store I couldn’t contain
myself. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ann’s Notes:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></b>So…I will only add a few more things…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">A lot has been happening on the home front while we have
been away and the most recent one is about our sweet little feline Spot.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">As you all know Dave and Joan are taking care of her while
we are in the Bahamas, damn Bahamian government for denying her entry permit.
It may have been a blessing in disguise.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">For some reason Spot has a history of getting UTI’s. If you
recall we had to make a beeline to Belhaven NC to get her to a vet for
antibiotics. I now carry antibiotics with me on board, just in case. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Last Monday I got a facebook message from Joan saying that
they are taking Spot to the Vet because she had a UTI. Before we left Spot, in
that night mare of a trip in one day from FL to VA, in a snow storm, I found a
Vet in Woodbridge, close to Dave and Joan’s house. They made an appointment a
few days later just to meet the Vet and the Vet to examine Spot just in case
his services were needed. I am glad that I can be over organized at times, </span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9XDLb-9akh9nDg1A1jIp72lXReNWURPcK-oZDDerhd4p8Z1w6XweSYwHIO2YkWXyqJA9Dlmkt1FIQ9ZP2zB7bG7D_DGjDi9yMfFGr-C5hJDNUWYw1PZ-oie-tvpVr6QG_c3x3d1AuAGk/s1600/Dave+and+Spot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9XDLb-9akh9nDg1A1jIp72lXReNWURPcK-oZDDerhd4p8Z1w6XweSYwHIO2YkWXyqJA9Dlmkt1FIQ9ZP2zB7bG7D_DGjDi9yMfFGr-C5hJDNUWYw1PZ-oie-tvpVr6QG_c3x3d1AuAGk/s320/Dave+and+Spot.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot assisting Dave in wrapping presents</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">So back to the Spot story, Dave and Joan took her in, the
Vet was concerned, she had a pretty bad UTI and kept her over night. They gave
her an IV, an injection of antibiotics, and sedated her to do some X-rays of
her kidneys to make sure she did not have any kidney stones. While being x-rayed
the vet did a chest x-ray.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now at this
point D and J are beside themselves, just leaving her over night was hard on
them.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">They picked her up the following day as soon as the office
was open and then got more bad news. The chest X-ray shows a tumor near her
heart. It must have been so very hard to make that phone call to us, they
explained and repeated what the Vet said and let us decide what to do next.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Needless to say it was a shock…some tears on my part and
lots of conversation between Michael and I.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Spot in is no immediate danger, she is acting like her sweet
feline self, jumping up to high places, chirping at birds and squirrels,
eating, drinking, using the litter box and demanding that her staff pay attention
to her. She is in no pain or discomfort.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">The plan is once we get back to MD, we will have a
specialist read the X-rays, get a second opinion, get another set of X-rays to
see if the tumor is growing, what kind of tumor it is and what the course of
action should be to reduce the tumor or remove it is necessary.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">D and J are more than friends, they are more like family.
Joan sends at least one picture a day of Spot doing something, like helping
Dave wrap a package for mailing. They are a blessing.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Thank you for following us…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Traveling Soul…OUT</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-80998391711602754872019-02-11T10:38:00.002-05:002019-02-11T10:46:22.376-05:00White Cay, Nassau, Highbourne and Staniel Cay<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">White Cay.</span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Great Harbour Cay our intention was to head directly
to Nassau. However, when we looked at the weather forecasts it appeared as if
there were going to be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">two</b>, count
‘em, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">two</b> days of good weather. We
decided we would divide our trip to Nassau into two. In Phase I we would stop
at one of the beautiful anchorages of the Berry Islands and spend the night.
Phase II would be from the Berries to Nassau. Oh, by the way, on both phases of
the trip we would have a chance to drag a line and see if possibly, maybe, we
could, you know, catch a fish.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am writing this part of the blog after the first phase. We
are now sitting just west of White Cay, north of Devil’s Cay and to the east of
Fowl Cay. It isn’t a perfect anchorage in that there is a bit of roll (we’ll
see how bad it is tonight), but the holding appears adequate and the view is
spectacular. There are three beaches within dinghy range so we downloaded our
dinghy and visited them. On one, we actually went ashore. Imagine, exploring a
deserted Bahamian Island. OK, maybe we weren’t the first people there, but you
would hardly know it from the environs. There was hardly anything man made on
the island, other than the remnants of an old aluminum chair that someone left
behind years ago.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I wonder if the chair
has a story. Nor were there any human footprints – a few birds had left tracks
and maybe a lizard or two but nothing else. It was cool. We wanted to visit the
other islands, but we didn’t arrive at the anchorage until 1400 and I wasn’t
going to miss happy hour at 1700. Moreover, we kind of got stuck at the first
beach. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjD-OvMSo6C4itkKqyQoE7tD53-KOlAXZqtWv8cZnOrFac8Tu3lNS-QJEvdfhnpjJoYPaexbMxQsr8ACzr78jaV16OE5ilvqDgzPTXLgdWckas2m4CUeEZbgSEXsB-VtG8LEXuQAApBBG/s1600/IMG-1113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjD-OvMSo6C4itkKqyQoE7tD53-KOlAXZqtWv8cZnOrFac8Tu3lNS-QJEvdfhnpjJoYPaexbMxQsr8ACzr78jaV16OE5ilvqDgzPTXLgdWckas2m4CUeEZbgSEXsB-VtG8LEXuQAApBBG/s400/IMG-1113.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
One of the beaches at White Cay. You</div>
<div>
can also see some of the many variations on the color "blue."</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was really kind of embarrassing. Normally when you
approach a sandy beach, you turn off the engine, lift your motor out of the
water and coast into the beach. The lifting mechanism on the dinghy has been
giving me problems lately, so we couldn’t get it all the way up. We still got
in to the beach and did our exploring, but when we got back to the dink, the
motor was dug into the sand.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I know, I
know, the answer is easy. All we have to do is lift a 25 horsepower Yamaha
motor (about 150 pounds) out of the sand in which it is stuck. Not so easy when
you are waist deep in water. Anyway, after about 10 minutes of twisting and
turning we got it out and went back to our boat.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our embarrassment, however, was nothing compared to one of
the sailboats that came in to the anchorage., Two buddy boats had come in,
dropped their anchor and appeared to have had either had dinner or drinks with
one another. About 1830, just as its visitors were leaving, one of the bots
starting moving backwards. We knew right away what was happening – their anchor
was dragging. One of the oddities about a dragging anchor is that captain and
crew do not necessarily realize they are dragging unless they have set an alarm
or they are watching your surroundings. Anyway, as soon as we realized what was
happening we tried to call them on the radio. Most people, though, turn off
their radio as soon as they are set in an anchorage – as did the crew of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Starry Night</i>. Luckily, they only dragged
about 100 yards before they realized what was happening and got their engine
started; they were only about 50 yards from the beach. You can imagine what
would have happened if they would have dragged that night when all were asleep.
It would not have been pretty!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We departed the next morning with fishing lines deployed.
The depth water in the Northeast Providence Channel varies, but in places it is
over 8000 feet deep – certainly deep enough for mahi-mahi and Wahoo. So … where
the hell are they? We covered about 60 miles of ocean and you can’t tell me
that zero mahi-mahi saw our lures. I mean, come on, I have been skunked before
but never quite so badly! (Ok, maybe that’s not technically true. I have been
skunked before just as badly … but never worse!!) </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nassau</span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWpu7DogcSqaaPxHhNMAgUfjXt0lWhBXVTGV61rB_NtSP7dbP9SAqw8Fa_jxEwrBsFXTNUWiqvCzVW_MUAnRx3Ld4EKIq3y2Vwq4AxsI7b_f0xOG_fxDRzBBBA55PFdmB8anV82VQ4oP1/s1600/IMG-1121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWpu7DogcSqaaPxHhNMAgUfjXt0lWhBXVTGV61rB_NtSP7dbP9SAqw8Fa_jxEwrBsFXTNUWiqvCzVW_MUAnRx3Ld4EKIq3y2Vwq4AxsI7b_f0xOG_fxDRzBBBA55PFdmB8anV82VQ4oP1/s320/IMG-1121.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know you are in Nassau when you see the Cruise Ships!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We pulled into Nassau Harbor Club Marina about 1500. We
joined our friends Vic and Gigi aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Salty
Turtle</i> as well as our friends Stephen and Jill aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jillaroo</i>. We had Vic and Gigi over for drinks Thursday night and we
regaled one another with boat and Bahama stories – some of them actually true! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Salty Turtle</i> is on its way back to the
States to replace a generator (and lordy, lord, lord do we know how THAT feels).
Vic and Gigi are kind of half-Bahamian anyway, so even though they may not make
it back this year, we are sure to see them next year.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We have been at the Nassau Harbor Club before, but it has
been several years. Amazingly, many of the dockhands and workers remember us
and our boat. Dudley, the dockmaster, and Peter, the owner, are two of those who
we remember well and both seem to remember us also. Two of the guys we
remember, however, have recently passed away, Smitty, who used to clean our
boat, and Clark, one of the dockhands. I am wondering if the marina has some
bad juju. Yikes!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I have several tasks
to accomplish while we are here, some of them are big and some very little. If
they are checked off, I have finished them. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "wingdings"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">ü<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1. I have to get Ann to Starbucks – and fast. She
may go into some kind of a frenzy otherwise. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Our Starbucks is right across the street from the marina. Needless to
say, the afternoon that we arrived in Nassau, Ann had her first Starbucks since
leaving the States. </b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "wingdings"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">ü<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2. I have to find a heavy duty float switch to
replace the one we currently have that sticks. Then, of course, I have to
physically replace the current switch. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Found
it and it cost $72.50. It went in pretty easily, however. AND it seems to be
working.</b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "wingdings"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">ü<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3. I have to try and figure out why it is so
difficult to adjust the angle of the dinghy motor. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ok, I have figured out how the motor raises and lowers. I have figured
how it stays in place. But for the life of me I can’t figure out why it won’t
stay in place when raised or lowered. All the pieces seem to be working
individually, but when put together they don’t accomplish their mission. ‘Tis
perplexing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "wingdings"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">ü<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">4. I have to flush our watermaker. Over time,
the membrane in the watermaker accumulates salt. Flushing it with fresh water
once in a while improves the quality of our RO water and extends the life of
the membrane. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I have flushed the</b> w<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">atermaker several times. It seems to be
working -- most of the time. Today, though, the alarm went off for seemingly no
reason. </b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "wingdings"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">ü<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">5. Ann and I have to change the oil. We try to
change it every 150 (or so) hours. That means once before we leave the
Chesapeake and once while in the Bahamas. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Lord, changing oil in a big Detroit Diesel is
a messy job. The engines take 5 gallons each, so for our two engines that is
ten gallons in and in and ten gallons out. Plus, 0f course the oil filters. </b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had a couple of windy days in Nassau, but by Saturday
afternoon the wind subsided and on Sunday morning we were out of there and on
our way to the Exumas. Highbourne Cay was our first stop.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Exumas</span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Exumas <span style="color: #414042; margin: 0px;">are an archipelago of 365
cays and islands, of which 20 are inhabited – with barely 7000 people.
Moreover, 2500 of these folks live in George Town. As you can see, there are a
number of deserted and uninhabited islands in the chain. For cruisers, the
Exumas are THE place to go in the Bahamas. There are a few marinas (four, and
one “kind of” being built. In the Bahamas, you can’t count on anything being
built until it is finished.), but there are hundreds, maybe thousands of decent
anchorages.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPjf_HpnSFmB_GY_BSdTi1TOZoVAwxT_hSM6MT7vXb3pAVRhtDdKqS1BytIE5wZVCpR06UbXPA9n-tbfl8K4TjR0ceJLvq3N2U7W2xxmKA5gCjEBtveQaKbAJTnEKUnrqEtQtfaUy35qc/s1600/IMG-1135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPjf_HpnSFmB_GY_BSdTi1TOZoVAwxT_hSM6MT7vXb3pAVRhtDdKqS1BytIE5wZVCpR06UbXPA9n-tbfl8K4TjR0ceJLvq3N2U7W2xxmKA5gCjEBtveQaKbAJTnEKUnrqEtQtfaUy35qc/s400/IMG-1135.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
The evening view from the restaurant at Highbourne Cay. </div>
<div>
The food is even better!</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: #414042; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The real call of the Exumas, however, is not the
islands, it is the surrounding seas. It is everything you have seen on a
postcard and more. If I were a religious man I would be willing to swear that the
day God invented the color blue he created the Exumas to show off His creation.
From some anchorages, you can look into the distance and count a dozen
different shades of blue. And looking down, you can see 20, 30 or more feet
into the water. In fact, on an earlier trip, we could look into the water and
literally see starfish crawling along the bottom. The Exumas are really
something.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPjf_HpnSFmB_GY_BSdTi1TOZoVAwxT_hSM6MT7vXb3pAVRhtDdKqS1BytIE5wZVCpR06UbXPA9n-tbfl8K4TjR0ceJLvq3N2U7W2xxmKA5gCjEBtveQaKbAJTnEKUnrqEtQtfaUy35qc/s1600/IMG-1135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #414042; margin: 0px;">After heading south from Nassau, one of the first of
the Exuma cays you run across is Highbourne Cay. </span>Highbourne has a very
nice beach that faces the Atlantic – which is basically the other side of the
island from where we anchor – but that is not why we go there; it has a nice
and surprisingly well-stocked general store, but that isn’t why we go there
either. We go to Highbourne because it has what we consider to be the best
restaurant in the Exumas. It has a magnificent view, but what sells the
restaurant is the food. I had Shrimp Linguine and Ann had a <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>lobster Mac and Cheese with Beet Salad. Both
meals were scrumptious. This year there was a second reason to go to
Highbourne. It was Superbowl Sunday. We sat next to two young German couples,
the males of which were both American football fanatics and knew more than we
did about football.</span><span style="color: #414042; margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Highbourne was only an overnight anchorage. The next day we
were off to Hawksbill Cay, an island within the Exuma Land and Sea Park. We had
been to Hawksbill before, but didn’t really get a chance to explore it. Last
year there were some significant winds and we spent most of our time hunkered
down avoiding the gale-like conditions. This year we got a chance to explore
inland a ways, and noted the peculiar geology, but we did not make it to the
ruins. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz43Wk2QVo3r_0fmM0jfkvaqStISGchhyZc-DY_wAilauCBc2Zm4qZVILG8u72PB5pUhOHavVeKkEcB2Q-mbSUfsBoTkqNCnnEL7QlFLh6ABhWRj_8ZVEccUa5jKzKoplj5qAsYEwkkrI/s400/IMG-1147.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the famous, spoiled swimming pigs at Staniel Cay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="color: #333333; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The ruins belonged to the Russell family, who were
Loyalists during the American Revolution. After the War, many of these
loyalists were being driven out of the new United States by revolutionaries who
condemned all loyalty to Britain. Particularly in the south, Loyalist
plantation owners were driven off their land, often tarred and feathered, even
raped and murdered. Some got out with their families and possessions, and some
were cast nearly naked to the winds of fate. Many headed for the Bahamas to
make a new start in life. In 1785 the Russell family was given a grant to
settle on Hawksbill Cay. They tried to make a go of plantation living until
1830, when they finally departed. There are rumors, however, that the last
member of the family did not leave the isl<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz43Wk2QVo3r_0fmM0jfkvaqStISGchhyZc-DY_wAilauCBc2Zm4qZVILG8u72PB5pUhOHavVeKkEcB2Q-mbSUfsBoTkqNCnnEL7QlFLh6ABhWRj_8ZVEccUa5jKzKoplj5qAsYEwkkrI/s1600/IMG-1147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrz43Wk2QVo3r_0fmM0jfkvaqStISGchhyZc-DY_wAilauCBc2Zm4qZVILG8u72PB5pUhOHavVeKkEcB2Q-mbSUfsBoTkqNCnnEL7QlFLh6ABhWRj_8ZVEccUa5jKzKoplj5qAsYEwkkrI/s1600/IMG-1147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>and until 1900.</span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Hawksbill, we needed to get some internet service so
we headed to Staniel Cay. Staniel is outside of the Park and has a BTC tower,
so we get extraordinarily good telephone and internet reception. Staniel is
also the home of the renowned Staniel Cay Yacht Club. In the past I have
described the Yacht Club as a kitschy, ex-patriot kind of facility where you
kind of expect Sidney Greenstreet or Humphrey Bogart to be looming in the
background. It still has some of that feel, but things are changing. A couple
of years ago they built a new dining room and have since shrunk the old one.
The new dining room looks … well … like a dining room, not like the Club with
the old fashioned pictures and aging memorabilia of a few years ago. There is,
however, one oddity. On a wall next to the TV the Club has hanging the flag
that Secretary of War Stimson used at the Yalta Conference during WWII. I
wonder what the story behind that flag is.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Well, here we are at Big Major Spot, the anchorage off
Staniel Cay, waiting for some weather to pass so we can go to Black Point, just
down the chain a little. Until next time …</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes</span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Michael has pretty
much covered our adventure so far. I have my own list of “To Do” while in Nassau.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">First is Starbucks, Michael was correct in saying it was on
my priority list every day that I could walk across the street. I even got my
ice coffee the morning we departed. And an extra bonus was they refill my Venti
cup I use when I am back home. YES…I take my starbucks cup with me to the Bahamas
when there is a possibility of stopping in Nassau.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Second, there is a wonderful grocery store, Fresh Market
owned by the Solomons food chain. It is like shopping in a normal USA store
only most of the items are higher in price. For example a box of Triscuts is
seven dollars.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Third the grocery store has a juice bar and they make the
best pineapple mango smoothies ever, all fresh fruit, a little ice and no milk…beyond
yummy, I had a few of those also.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Fourth there is a beauty salon in the shopping center, so it
was girl time for me and I got a pedi. So nice be pampered</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Lastly…I like Nassau, not for a long visit but three or four
days is good and a bus ride downtown is always fun. Just to people watch, have
some lunch and buy a few things.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was good to see Vic and Gigi, they gave us their latest
boat card which is actually a CD of their favorite music. We have been
collecting one a year since 2012. They spend almost their whole winter months
in the Exumas and have been doing that for many years. They both know most of
the local Bahamian on the Exuma islands. He is even the official photographer
for the school children on these small islands. One school has only eight
children and since their RO water maker broke, the school has no fresh water.
Vic takes the pictures, prints them and gives them to the kids and their
family, all at his expense and the goodness of his heart. He truly loves the
children, such a kind and generous soul. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">While in Nassau I had time to do a daily walk, my new friend
Jill came with me and we had a great time getting to know each other better.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">All I can say about the restaurant Xuma is YUM, every meal
we have had there has been delicious. The three things you can count on in that
restaurant are:</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">1 The food is fresh and delicious</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">2 The view is breath taking</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">3 The check will always be higher than expected</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We love to anchor at Highbourne, the holding is good and the
cell tower is close. The down side is when you go to the restaurant in your
dinghy for dinner it is still light outside, than after dinner you need to get
back into the dinghy and it is DARK, like pitch black…ok..there are anchor
lights on the boats but they are tiny, compared to the darkness of the sky, the
water, and the reefs we need to pass through to get back to boat. Thank heaven
Michael has a better sense of direction than I do. My job is to scan the
horizon with our spot light and look for the edges of the reefs until we are in
the open water of our anchorage. It is a white knuckle experience for me,
however I trust my captain to get me home safely. In case you did not
understand, I don’t like dinghy rides at night.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">That is about all I have to add…Just I still miss our little
feline Spot.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Also I want to thank Dave and Joan, Joan sends a daily
picture of Spot to us..</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thank you for following us.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-81305434466334240842019-01-28T16:20:00.000-05:002019-01-28T16:20:46.803-05:00Crossing, West End, Port Lucaya and Great Harbour<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Crossing the Gulf Stream is not an event to be taken
lightly. Going east, we have crossed seven times now. Sometimes we have had a
great crossing and sometimes not-so-great. For those who have not done it, the
key to crossing the Gulf Stream is finding the right weather window. Personally,
I watch the weather like a hawk, catching the updates from as many sources as I
trust as soon as they are issued. Most update about 1600 daily. Chris Parker (a
weather guru who focuses on forecasts for cruisers – particularly in and around
the Bahamas) sends his e-mail updates about 1700. I study them pretty hard,
trying to tell exactly what they say and what they mean for the following week
or ten days AND where the various forecasts agree and where they disagree. I
started watching the weather closely about 10 Jan and saw two possible weather
windows opening up, one around the 14<sup>th</sup> and 15<sup>th</sup> and one
around the 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup>. After that, nothing looked promising
until the 26<sup>th</sup> or so; that meant paying at least an extra week of
marina fees. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Not good. As discussed in
our previous entry, the 13<sup>th</sup>-15<sup>th</sup> were taken up
transporting Spot back to VA, so we were trying very hard to make it the 18<sup>th</sup>.
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On the 17<sup>th</sup> we turned in our rental car and made
our final run to the grocery store (and, of course, Starbucks). By that evening
we were at anchor in Lake Worth and on the 18<sup>th</sup> we were off. The
crossing was probably the second or third best we have had – even Spot would
have approved. The waves were 2-3 feet tops and they had a period that was long
enough that we didn’t feel any chop. At about 2PM we arrived at Old Bahama Bay
Marina, told them which slip we wanted and pulled in. It was great!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Normally we try to leave Old Bahama Bay within a day or two
after checking in with Immigration and Customs. Often, however, we get caught
by a cold front coming in from the US. They do call it a “weather window” for a
reason – it is the space in between two frequently nasty weather events. We
arrived on Friday, vegged out on Saturday, and planned to leave on Sunday. Mother
Nature, however, had different ideas and produced one hell of a wind storm.
Winds were sustained at 30kts and gusted to 38 (that I saw) inside the marina.
In fact, the wind pushed us so far from the dock that we were unable to get off
the boat the next morning. Only when it calmed down a little that afternoon
could we pull the boat closer to the finger pier and get off. </span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sRUMonk3v_tbvBzaJp3qdJb_qGbuo32SFq-wqmIWITj_85AeDKHlHhiik-b0HvG1eNtIPEQXAX1HHCFgV8XKB9yxy81Yz1XnjEiHCfNhy0F_ly6P23Kmn2FRR6USrVZ3zJecY5jU3Zbg/s1600/DSCN0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sRUMonk3v_tbvBzaJp3qdJb_qGbuo32SFq-wqmIWITj_85AeDKHlHhiik-b0HvG1eNtIPEQXAX1HHCFgV8XKB9yxy81Yz1XnjEiHCfNhy0F_ly6P23Kmn2FRR6USrVZ3zJecY5jU3Zbg/s320/DSCN0734.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
The Freeport News headlines. We were on the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
front lines of Bahamian politics for a day or two.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We are glad we left when we did!</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When we finally got off the dock, we saw a flyer stapled to
various pilings telling us that Old Bahama Bay Marina was closing effective 21
January and that everyone would have to leave the marina! Apparently there are
two owners of the marina and they were having a spat (kind of like Trump and
the Congress) with both acting immaturely. At any rate as we learned the
following day there is no small spat in the Bahamas as you can see from the one
billion font headlines in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Freeport
News.</i> And to think, if we would have stayed at the marina one more day, we,
too, could have been interviewed and memorialized in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">News</i>. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Just before we left on the 21<sup>st</sup>, Tracey, a young
lady in her mid-thirties or early forties with flaming red hair, also decided
to leave. We didn’t get to know Tracey very well but we do know that her boat –
a low-slung, sleek catamaran that looked to be designed more for speed than
cruising – was new to her and that she didn’t have much experience with her
boat or with sailing in general. She had two crewmen who, it would turn out,
also knew very little about boat operations. She asked if we would help her
leave the dock and of course we did. It was pretty clear, however, that Tracey
didn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t have a steering wheel, instead she
had a steering bar – and didn’t appear to know how to use it. She kept
hollering in a very loud, almost panicky voice, “I can’t turn right!!” But she
was the one on the boat in the captain’s chair and none of us could help her. In
the event, four dock hands literally walked Tracey’s boat out to the main
channel and let her go – at least I hope they let her go. We gave up after
about 20 minutes of trying to assist; four dock hands is plenty, and besides we
wanted to leave the marina at a reasonable hour as the weather was supposed to
get worse that afternoon.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We also got reacquainted with Charlie and Peggy aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tranquility Base</i>. They had a problem.
One of their engines needed to be repaired. Charlie had identified the problem
and ordered the part – but it was not going to arrive until the 24<sup>th</sup>,
several days after the date by which we were all supposed to leave. I really
don’t know what happened, but I am pretty sure they just stayed in place until
they could repair her. Charlie and Peggy have an interesting approach to
provisioning. During the summer, Peggy cooks 85 meals which are promptly vacuumed
pack and frozen for the Bahamas. They have two large freezers on board from
which they extract their meals when the time comes and voila, dinner. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had originally intended to go north, then east to get to
the Abacos. However, after a brief respite the wind was due to pick up and come
from the north the following day. A trip to the Abacos would have exposed us to
winds on our beam and would likely have been somewhat uncomfortable. Instead, we
decided to head south to Port Lucaya, staying in the lee of Grand Bahama Island.
We were thereby protected until we got to the marina itself. So, we left Old
Bahama Bay just before 1000 and pulled into Grand Bahama Yacht Club early that
afternoon. The trip was surprisingly uneventful. Given that there were still
substantial winds, the cruise was as smooth as any we have seen recently.
Apparently my plan of keeping to the lee of the island worked perfectly (said
with a good bit of smugness).</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At Lucaya we met our fellow cruisers Ian and Lynn aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Windward</i>, Steve and Jill aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jillaroo</i> and Agnes and Oliver.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We had a small gathering aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i> where we all ate, drank
and made merry. We discovered that Ian and Lynn charter their boat four times
during the year in the Exumas. It makes a little extra money for them and
sounds like a great way to get a fresh look at the Bahamas – from a newcomer’s
perspective. Steve is an Aussie, as you might expect from the name of his boat
which is Jill’s name with “roo” as a suffix. Kind of cutesy, huh? I looked it
up. I wonder if Jill knows that a Jillaroo is “a woman who is a trainee worker
on a sheep or cattle farm.” Next time we see them I’ll ask. </span><span style="font-family: "wingdings"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We also met another of our temporary dockmates, Vince, on
the way to the grocery store. Vince kind of keeps to himself (with his two kids
and – I think – a wife, though we have never seen her) aboard his 67 foot
Nordhavn. For those of you who don’t know, the Nordhavn is kind of the Rolls
Royce of power boats. A slightly used 67-footer would cost between three and
four million. In case you are feeling sorry for the kids, you need not. They
speak three languages and when they are not on the boat, they are in one of
Vince’s houses – the big one in Cancun or one of several in Europe. Yea, it is
this kind of people with whom we hobnob – on our way to the grocery store. </span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicw7N9jBPaiwRwECq6oOskhd0554ZEX7r9OXlyIYg2VWc-rwApCKuDWgvjr_wJuX6hlFVHNCT2-QGqTsO8VFKNSyhBhVugFn_wGlW-4NsT4xXhsnaxbgYJlZTFPkxh5FJ2uFMzRnYlth6m/s1600/DSCN0722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicw7N9jBPaiwRwECq6oOskhd0554ZEX7r9OXlyIYg2VWc-rwApCKuDWgvjr_wJuX6hlFVHNCT2-QGqTsO8VFKNSyhBhVugFn_wGlW-4NsT4xXhsnaxbgYJlZTFPkxh5FJ2uFMzRnYlth6m/s320/DSCN0722.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
"The Big Girl Special" at Daddy Brown's</div>
<div>
Conch </div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Port Lucaya is kind of fun because of the marketplace. There
may be twenty restaurants, ranging from Daddy Brown’s conch stand to some
fairly high end restaurants, like Flying Fish or Luciano’s. On Tuesday’s we
went to Daddy Brown’s, ordered the Big Girl special consisting of cracked lobster,
cracked conch, some excellent fried shrimp, some conch fritters and of course a
Kalik (the local beer). We finished up at Zorba’s Coffee, Pastries and Greek
Cafe. Zorbas coffee is really good. As I pointed out to Ann, “it may not be
Starbucks, but we are drinking it in 75-degree weather in the middle of
January.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We had visited the
marketplace last year and had gone to Flying Fish, one of the high end
restaurants. It was good, but not as extraordinary as we had been led to
expect. Last year, too, we downloaded the dinghy and explored the canal system
in the area. This year, the wind kept the dinghy in its davit and we didn’t get
the opportunity to explore. Finally, on Sat the 26<sup>th</sup> the wind abated
enough for us to depart Grand Bahama Yacht Club and head to Great Harbour
Marina. </span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPXwfyJaxQ_spvOrwPzgjUITq_hkoeNd8NurTaJpELgPAXeFNmLxIQxMbeoPggMh17p9wuJ1jhpZfuNMOuaQ8pbFExpz5eiq63o7DLdtFdxsdJQdK3mJYfbeiC-Cou7AJJzyQY58pX072/s1600/DSCN0731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPXwfyJaxQ_spvOrwPzgjUITq_hkoeNd8NurTaJpELgPAXeFNmLxIQxMbeoPggMh17p9wuJ1jhpZfuNMOuaQ8pbFExpz5eiq63o7DLdtFdxsdJQdK3mJYfbeiC-Cou7AJJzyQY58pX072/s320/DSCN0731.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the restaurant at CarriEarl.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We left Grand Bahama about the same time that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jillaroo</i> did, and we became buddy boats
for the crossing. The first half of our 70 mile trip to went just fine. Although
there was a little rain, the seas were 2-3 feet, the wind was abaft our port
beam and all was right with the world. As we went further, however, not only
did the rain continue, the wind seemed to pick up, the seas increased to maybe
3-5 feet, and the winds shifted so they were almost directly on our beam. Beam
seas means they were coming directly from the side of the boat, so when a
five-footer came at us, it would raise the port half of the boat several feet
in the air until it passed under us, then it would drop the port side and lift the
starboard side of the boat in the air. The result was a rolling from side-to-side.
It was NOT comfortable, so, we decided to tack a little. Rather than follow the
direct route (the rhumb line) to our destination we headed 20 degrees to
starboard (to put the seas off abaft our port beam, then turn 20 degrees to
port, whence we would be taking the seas on our forward port quarter. While it
did not eliminate the problem, it reduced the roll considerably. It wasn’t
until we reached the Bahama bank and, simultaneously, the protection of Great
Stirrup Cay – which was between us and the wind (hence, for any landlubbers out
there, we were in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lee</i> of Great
Stirrup) – that the roll disappeared. We arrived at Great Harbour Marina at
1530 or so on Monday.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzB9TvbFi7J30oITCW6cB0JM9epWOHs3F0pj_K_VfbENuyhWGYERQydOrvIeEWf8ZOH5Si9BKMW4O9tCdM25tLpkg4f4Ienyu0sIL-jIdJRjCnxgevbYSdN4IxkUqv7PlnGr6tT2uNz3I/s1600/DSCN0732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzB9TvbFi7J30oITCW6cB0JM9epWOHs3F0pj_K_VfbENuyhWGYERQydOrvIeEWf8ZOH5Si9BKMW4O9tCdM25tLpkg4f4Ienyu0sIL-jIdJRjCnxgevbYSdN4IxkUqv7PlnGr6tT2uNz3I/s320/DSCN0732.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The next day it was a bit windy outside, but the sun was out
and it was a great day. We first went for a walk and explored a little of the ruins
of the Golf Clubhouse. In the late sixties, Great Harbour was going to be the “next
big thing.” It saw visitors like Cary Grant, Brigitte Bardot, Telly Savalas, Douglas
Fairbanks Jr., Ingrid Bergman, Jack Nichlaus and others. The reason was the nearness
to the US and the beautiful, beautiful beaches. What do you put in when you are
trying to attract celebrities in the sixties? A golf course, of course. And put
in a golf course they did. It was built by Joe Lee, who designed over 125
courses in seven countries. According to one web site<span style="margin: 0px;">, Joe considers the original 18-hole,
par 72-regulation golf course to be one of his best.</span> Apparently,
it was quite the thing as it was the site for three major tournaments. Over
time, however, it became clear that Great Harbour wasn’t “the next big thing,”
and investment funding started sliding. The golf course is a shadow of its
former self. Great Harbour is another of those “can’t miss” Bahamian developments
that missed. It sucked up a lot of money and left ruins in its wake. It is
still a nice place, even though Bardot doesn’t visit any more. The marina is
nice, the beaches are fabulous and there’s this one restaurant …</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After our walk we, along with Steve and Jill from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jillaroo</i>, went to Carriearl, in our opinion
one of the best restaurants in the out islands of the Bahamas. Run by Angie and
Marty, two British ex-pats, Carriearl is a boutique hotel and restaurant. Unfortunately,
since it is open for dinner only Wednesday For the two of us our brunch cost
$88, including tip and VAT.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Monday morning was a bit blustery so we just stayed on board. It started clearing up in the afternoon so we borrowed some rather decrepit bicycles from the marina and headed off to the beach. We didn't go on the beach as far as Ann wanted, but we still got some great pictures of the (almost) famous Sugar Beach.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Well
after proof reading the blog, Michael presented a lot of information. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We have been hiding from the wind since we got here, the
good news is we meet some old cruising friends and made a few new ones. Stephen
and Jill are a very nice couple, I think the both of them are new to cruising
the Bahamas, they had many questions and Michael had a few answers since we
have done this trip more than once. Having the gathering on our boat, was fun,
having four cruising couples on board all talking about different subject make
for an interesting evening. I think Michael and I would like doing charters on
Traveling Soul, something to think about.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am still adjusting to not having my sweet little feline on
board. Dave and Joan send daily updates and pictures of Spot, they are so
sweet. Since Spot is not with us, it has lead to my next segment of the blog.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPXwfyJaxQ_spvOrwPzgjUITq_hkoeNd8NurTaJpELgPAXeFNmLxIQxMbeoPggMh17p9wuJ1jhpZfuNMOuaQ8pbFExpz5eiq63o7DLdtFdxsdJQdK3mJYfbeiC-Cou7AJJzyQY58pX072/s1600/DSCN0731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Top Five Things That Are Different Without Spot On Board </span>:</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I can leave my computer lid open and not have
Spot sit on my keyboard and leave strange feline messages on my screen.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I can keep a glass of water on any table without
a lid on it, no little paws to stick in the glass and play with the ice cubes,
than get bored and knocks the whole glass and it contains on the floor or
carpet</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">No kitty litter to vacuum off the galley floor, steps,
hallway or carpet at least twice a day. What will I do with all that extra time
I spent vacuuming?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I can now leave the midship doors open and stern
door open without snapping in the screens. There is no sneaky Spot to try to
escape from the boat and go exploring.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Last but not least, No Spot to say good morning
to, or tell her we are leaving, or returning, or time to go to bed. I miss my
little space heater at night in bed with us.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT</span></div>
Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-50237625512989448372019-01-20T15:43:00.002-05:002019-01-20T15:43:52.190-05:00Preparing to Depart<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This was going to be a very brief and relatively
uninformative blog entry and was simply going to serve as a precursor to our
Bahama blogs. I was going to discuss the two repairs we had to do – or pay to have
done and <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>the provisioning we had to accomplish.
What a difference a week makes! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Last Thursday we were notified that the Bahamian Ministry of
Agriculture had denied our import permit for Spot! Apparently last June the
Bahamian government in all its glory determined that, for some reason, Bengal
cats were not welcomed in their country. It is true that Bengals are a
relatively new breed of cat and are only a few generations removed from the
wild. Our Spot is five generations removed, and, as a consequence, has about
1.5% wild genes in her. Most of you who have met her know how vicious our 8¼
pound cat can be. I mean she tries to lick you to death, to interrupt
conversations by purring so loudly and makes a determined effort to knock you
down by rubbing against your leg! Why she might almost be as vicious as her
fellow banned animal, the Pit Bull.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Exactly why Bengals were banned, we do not know – although
we have several theories. One of my favorites is that because Bengals are well
known to be a very intelligent breed, the Minister of Agriculture was afraid of
having a cat in the country smarter than he was. An alternative is that the
Prime Minister said something like “I hate hangnails.” The Ag Minister
misunderstood and thought he said, “I hate Bengals.” And then of course there
is the most likely – they are just stupid. I think Ann wanted to sign up to the
latter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ok, now that I have vented, as you can imagine this presented
us with a problem. We could, of course, decide to stay in Florida and pay
marina fees for the winter. Alternatively, we could find somewhere for Spot to
stay while we make what is likely to be our last trip to the Bahamas. We
couldn’t ask our son as he is allergic to cats; we couldn’t ask our daughter as
she lives on the West Coast. So, we asked our friends Dave and Joan Wolf. They
were more than happy to help. All we had to do was get Spot to Northern
Virginia in the middle of a snowstorm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On Saturday we found out the weather might be good enough to
travel to the Bahamas late Thursday and/or early Friday. On the same day, we
met some friends (Rick and Lynn Nissen) who had just driven from Maryland to
Palm Beach in one day. We decided if they could do it, we could do it. We would
get up at 0430 on Sunday morning, drive all 968 miles, and arrive in Woodbridge,
Virginia later that evening. We would leave Spot at Dave and Joan’s then we
would drive back on Tuesday. It was a brilliant plan and it almost worked. </span></div>
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Spot, waiting for her human prey to appear. Count]d it be the </div>
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Bahamian Minister of Agriculture?</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On Sunday morning I got up to do what old men do at 0230 in
the morning. When finished, I turned on the tap to wash up and get a drink of
water. Nothing came out. Now, there were several possibilities. Unfortunately,
one of them was that the water pump was broken. If the water pump was broken we
were not going to the Bahamas until we replaced it and that would not be by
Thursday/Friday, so there would be no need to drive to VA in one day. Clearly,
I needed to find out what was wrong.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">To make a long story shorter we found that our water tanks
were bone dry. We partially filled them, but the water still wouldn’t flow. It
took me a minute to figure out that I might have to bleed the tanks. Once I
did, everything worked.<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>That was, of
course, a blessing and a bane. It was a blessing in that nothing was seriously
wrong; it was a bane in that we now had to drive to Virginia in one day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now you might be expecting me to say that we went up,
dropped off Spot, spent a day recovering, then drove back down. You would be
wrong. I have worn glasses for nearly 50 years and, over that time have lost
maybe two, maybe three pairs. On our “recovery” day I lost my glasses. The rest
of the day was spent getting new ones, i.e finding an optometrist open after
the snow storm, getting to <i>Lenscrafters</i>,
having the glasses made and picking them up. We finished just prior to <i>Lenscrafters</i>’ closing and were on the
way again at 0400. Whew! As John Wayne once put it, “Life is tough, but it’s
tougher if you’re stupid.” And I was stupid. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We got back to Palm Beach Tuesday evening. On Wednesday we did
some last minute provisioning and today (Thursday) are sitting at anchor in
Lake Worth waiting for tomorrow morning’s departure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I know, I know. I promised the gearheads among you a little
information on the two maintenance issues we had – our watermaker and two of
our three heads. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Before we got to Palm Beach, we stopped at Whitakers – a boatyard
we have used before that does pretty good work. We asked them to fix our
watermaker, to make the davit work so it is easier to raise and lower our
dinghy and to give us several estimates on work we may want to have done in the
spring. They determined it would cost $6000+ for bottom paint, $8450 to varnish
the little teak we have on the boat and $4120 for a new holding tank. (As for
the teak, they put something like six coats of varnish and another six coats of
a protectant.) I think l can do just about as well with three coats of marine
cetol.) Needless to say, we are not going back in the spring. I can do some of
that myself, and for that which I cannot do, I think I can find someone in the
Chesapeake to do for a lot less.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anyway, Whitaker’s took the watermaker pump and motor to
their expert and he decided it was too old for him to repair and warranty.
Really? I must admit that I was a bit disappointed in a boatyard to which we
had sent some business over the years. They did give us the name of an
individual who used to work at Whitakers who now does work on his own. He took
up the challenge, found someone to rebuild the motor and he put everything back
in place. It seems to be working as well as or better than it used to. We shall
see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As far as the davit is concerned, all they did was to lift the
crane up and apply copious amounts of grease. But since I didn’t even k now you
could just lift the crane by hand, it might have been worth the hour or so they
charged me. Anyway, we’ll find out how much good they did in the coming days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The real story was the heads. Our Purasans had not had a
problem in over two years. Somehow and for some reason, they both failed within
a week of one another. As you may remember, the only people I trust to fix our
Raritan products (Raritan’s motto should be: Cool Science, Poor Engineering)
are the folks at Marine Plumbing Services. Bob, their Chief Technician, is like
one of the family. We see him for one reason or another just about every time
we go to Palm Beach. It turns out that one of the systems failed because a
small meshed basket dissolved. Raritan’s response, “Yea, we had a batch of those
things go bad recently.” No offer of recompense. Once the $0.50 basket failed,
it necessitated about $1200 in repairs. The total bill was $3558. Oh well, it
is less than 4 Boat Units. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On Friday, we will be on the way to the Bahamas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b>Ann’s Notes:</b> Ok ….dear Readers, here is my side of this
story/blog…coming from the one that makes all the phone calls and organizes the
paper work, reservations and keeps track of our calendar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We arrived in North Palm Beach on the 15<sup>th</sup> of
Dec, docked Traveling Soul at Old Port Cove Marina, North Palm Beach FL and got
ready to depart for our Christmas holidays back in VA/MD via car. I always make
sure the boat is clean before we go away, it is a pre-gift I give myself, I
love coming back to clean sheets on our bed when I return. We picked up our car
rental on the 17<sup>th</sup> of Dec. On the 19<sup>th</sup>, we loaded the car
with our stuff, including Spot’s travel bag. What, might you ask is in said
travel bag? Everything that a feline traveler and staff might need. 2 Food bowls,
food (soft and kibble), spoon for the soft food, water bowl, water, litter
floor mat, litter, litter box, litter box liner, little box rake, litter bags
to disposal of waste in the little box, Pet Rescue to calm her when she travels,
a few toys, her carrying case ( airline approved, her “safe place”), her
medical records and of course her ‘Purple’ a baby blanket she has had since we
brought her home as a wee kitten. I am sure I forgot a few things, Spot is well
loved by an overly organized guardian…oh…and treats…almost forgot her treats.
We drove half way to VA, stopping in Santee SC for the night, Spot needed to
get out of the car.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had a wonderful Christmas full of family and friends,
arriving on the 20<sup>th</sup>, staying at Dave and Joan’s house while in VA
and our condo in MD. It was a yo-yo Christmas, lots of driving between the two
homes. Michael celebrated his birthday a few days early at Tim and Carrie home.
Tim smoked a turkey and it was yummy, I made mac and cheese and a blitz torte
for the birthday cake, a family favorite. <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We departed from MD to FL on the 4<sup>th</sup> of Jan,
staying in Santee SC overnight and we were back in FL on the 6<sup>th</sup>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now the story get really interesting…while in MD, Spot got
her check up and yearly shots so she could get her International Health Certificate.
All was well. I was right on schedule…or so I thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On the 7<sup>th</sup> of Jan, I gathered the health
certificate, Bahamian entry request form, a money order to pay for the fee for
asking to bring our cat with us…plus a fee to fax the approval. If you wait for
the approval by mail, it would take a year to get to the states. Plus a sixty
dollar FedEx overnight fee so the Department of Agriculture in Nassau will get
the request quickly. Then you wait for the approval to be faxed to the marina. Once
you have the approval, you wait for the weather window to cross the Gulf Stream
and you GO.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now picture this, I have just spent several hours at the
grocery store, provisioning the boat, groceries have been checked off my list, <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>bags loaded into the car truck and I was looking
forward to putting all these items away…well…not really…but it has to be done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My cell phone rings on the way back to the marina; I see an
odd number on my phone screen so I answer. It is from the Bahamas, Department
of Agriculture…can you hold please? <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>Next
thing I know I am talking to a female veterinarian, being told that the Islands
of the Bahamas no longer allow the Bengal cat breed into the country. Now I
have three … count ‘em … three <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </span>permits..
that were issued to allow Spot to enter. Sh*t…dumb *ss government.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now …I have to tell Michael all this and start the problem
solving action. Michael already told you what several of our options were, the
hard part was knowing we would not have Spot with us for this, what might be
our final trip…the blessing was Dave and Joan, our extended family friendship
and their love from Spot .Thank heaven for them saying ‘yes’ when we asked</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">SO…on the 13<sup>th</sup> of Jan …after fixing the water
pressure issue at 2:30 AM…we load ourselves into the car around 3:30 AM. This
time we had ALL of the items Spot would need while with Dave and Joan. All her
food, both soft and kibble…kitty litter and everything that does into and for
the litter box, her flea, tick and heartworm Rx ... I think you get the idea. We
then drive from FL to VA, 960 plus miles, trying to avoid a snow storm. We
almost made it, avoiding the storm, we did get caught in some nasty weather, i.e. Non
treated freeway, snow, sleet, and eighteen wheelers passing us on the left. Fourteen
hours later we arrived, one stiff bourbon drink and a grilled cheese sandwich later
and I was in bed. Spot in her new home for several months…all good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Next day was a rest day and The Eyeglass Incident…my phone
skills and appointment making abilities were test and proven in good working
order. The attitude of Do Not Panic has always worked well for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">4:30 AM on the 15<sup>th</sup> of Jan came around rather
quickly like it was 4:30 in the morning. Yes...a stop at Starbucks, needless to
say we were their first customer of the day, they unlocked the door for us.
Coffees in hand, we were back on I-95, heading south again. It was dark and
cold but the roads were clear and the snow plowed to the side. Michael had one
very upset, crying, pissed off female to travel with. I was ok by the time I
got to the NC border. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I know Spot is having a great time with Dave and Joan. They
already had a three level cat tree for her, it has been moved into their dining
room, looking out their back yard, it has been replaced with a five level cat
tree in their family room. Their welcome gift to Spot … Lucky cat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">That is the end of my story… over the years you learn to go
with the flow and if you are organized it makes it that much easier.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Talk to you in our next blog.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></div>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Danger, Danger, Danger</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><span style="color: yellow;"></span><span style="color: red;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUfZOD2CUPDlBRYWrsoxDnCcnqHvkgg0DW7uJqXlu-3PJwNIgtS_EwTSZWCE9uqNJkrOgNQb6B-vfmcsqzLcopUrPYff1rEgff41YZkKe1EGNbfWt7JRmoq-zLWbFvgZqaPgtf6mseloO/s1600/Spot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrUfZOD2CUPDlBRYWrsoxDnCcnqHvkgg0DW7uJqXlu-3PJwNIgtS_EwTSZWCE9uqNJkrOgNQb6B-vfmcsqzLcopUrPYff1rEgff41YZkKe1EGNbfWt7JRmoq-zLWbFvgZqaPgtf6mseloO/s320/Spot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Vicious Cat on the Loose (In the Bahamas</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"> we have nothing to do but figure out which</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">cats to ban!)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="color: red;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-85306738848457240972018-12-09T15:44:00.003-05:002018-12-09T15:44:45.515-05:00St. Augustine and South<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: calibri;">In this blog entry I am going to discuss Thanksgiving, Saint
Augustine and Dave and Joan’s departure from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>. But before I do I am going to sp end just a minute
on the most important football game played this year: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ARMY BEAT THE HELL OUT OF NAVY AT
LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA</i></b>. I know, I know. Some
of you are telling me to calm down, it isn’t, after all, a life-death event.
You are right – it is more important than life and death. It’s Army-Navy
football!!! <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Ok, Ok, let me move on a
little more chronologically.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Thanksgiving<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vZ0gRg-envPOYWanLaaNLMpOWVshCw1rFALrgMruyHyzH6SrDiX6gIurka_EgHfBPCTnejHffeDxDOhAa86D9G0wyilx1Dq1XHasdH316Vnn6iSW6cRIzSb7rN4_lOiKIsgzJs0ZoEOp/s1600/DSCN0658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vZ0gRg-envPOYWanLaaNLMpOWVshCw1rFALrgMruyHyzH6SrDiX6gIurka_EgHfBPCTnejHffeDxDOhAa86D9G0wyilx1Dq1XHasdH316Vnn6iSW6cRIzSb7rN4_lOiKIsgzJs0ZoEOp/s320/DSCN0658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our master chef at her Thanksgiving Meal Mmmmmm!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: calibri;">We arrived at the St. Augustine mooring field on Wednesday,
21 November, the day before Thanksgiving. Ok, let me just say it. St. Augustine
Florida is probably our favorite city on the Waterway. It has glitz, it has
glamour, it has history, it has excellent places to eat. And it has a mooring
field where we can stay for $25 per night. There was only one problem this year.
It was friggin’ cold. Ok, it wasn’t as cold as a witch’s heart, it wasn’t as
cold as “death’s chilled hand”, and it probably wasn’t as cold as it was where
many of my faithful readers live, but it was colder than I wanted it to
be.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I actually (and I blush to admit
this), I actually traded my shorts for jeans for three whole days.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: calibri;">At any rate, the first thing I did in St. Augustine was to
get a haircut at Price’s Barbershop. Now Price’s ain’t just any barbershop, it’s
special. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When I opened the door, the six
chairs were full with barbers cutting and trimming hair, and there were about
three of us waiting. I sat for about 20 minutes then spent about 15 minutes in the
chair getting my hair cut and my neck shaved (ah, there is nothing like a nice,
hot neck shave). Now, I swear, there was one guy who was in the chair when I
arrived and was still getting his hair cut when I left!!! I don’t know why or
what treatment he was getting. Maybe it was kind of like “Weekend at Bernie’s”
and the guy was really dead. I dunno. Most barbershops nowadays would prefer to
get you in and get you out as fast as they can, not here. Price’s in Saint
Augustine. Remember the name.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">After my haircut, just to enjoy the fact that I could walk
again, I tooled around a little bit exploring the neighborhood and I made a major
discovery. There was a $tarbuck$ between the marina and the barbershop!! As
most of you know, Ann is – shall I say – a big fan of Starbucks. But Joan, the
other female member of our crew, is an absolute maniac! For the rest of the
time we were in town, the first stop we made each morning was the coffee shop. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZk_UCMMiIerhrj40BksYX8k4iJFZ-smCGhWQ8iz0QNFF49OJPlnyJt7I9m5sryDLBrrkdnVe94mcQ8jzzpsZrOJldVv6sdE-x0KFEl3TUUtWbGKRC_fKXgvkQAbcnhn-jOnjlVJ2ujAG/s1600/DSCN0287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZk_UCMMiIerhrj40BksYX8k4iJFZ-smCGhWQ8iz0QNFF49OJPlnyJt7I9m5sryDLBrrkdnVe94mcQ8jzzpsZrOJldVv6sdE-x0KFEl3TUUtWbGKRC_fKXgvkQAbcnhn-jOnjlVJ2ujAG/s320/DSCN0287.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
A picture of St. Augustine's Bridge of Lions </div>
<div>
from our marina.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">But I digress a little. The reason we had decided to come to
St. Augustine on this special day is because they normally hold a “Cruiser’s
Thanksgiving” at the City Marina. We went two years ago with our friends Russ
and Lori aboard their catamaran <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twin Sisters</i>
and had a really good time. The local cruiser’s net buys and cooks the turkey
and the rest of us provide a side dish and/or a dessert. This year, however,
the powers that be decided they would hold Thanksgiving at a different marina
on the other side of town. For us to get there, we would have had to cook,
dinghy to the dock, transport everything to a shuttle, take a shuttle to the
other marina – and then reverse course when finished. That was just too much
trouble and too many chances for something to go wrong. Besides, it was cold. We
decided that we would have our own Thanksgiving on the boat. So, with some of
our best friends ever, Dave, Joan, we all had turkey thighs, macaroni and
cheese, green bean casserole, stuffing and gravy. MMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm It was
scrumptious.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: calibri;">Sightseeing</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Since we don’t have a car, in St. Augustine we usually buy a
two-day ticket on the Old Town Trolley. The Trolley is one of those hop-on/hop-off
buses that takes us to 20+ stops and explains the history of each.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We like it because we can take the whole
tour, choose where we want to go, then either come back later in the day or the
following day. It worked especially well this time because it was wet and rainy
the first day and nice and dry the second. Because Dave and Joan were with us,
we re-visited a number of places so they could see the sights. The major places
we stopped and spent some time were:</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YYreCnmt22IGXHfzyiDVVylp3GwqxXXgyhs3P22yPyPsaGoGmEg8EPpzsUYwdq5SrqoF4oAd93CikS3ASbAHAHeJROjBxk8155NpUgf-vwIGlsONWuFQdzZ9bdYlDTmyk8NJ1O5xiGI0/s1600/DSCN0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: -24px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YYreCnmt22IGXHfzyiDVVylp3GwqxXXgyhs3P22yPyPsaGoGmEg8EPpzsUYwdq5SrqoF4oAd93CikS3ASbAHAHeJROjBxk8155NpUgf-vwIGlsONWuFQdzZ9bdYlDTmyk8NJ1O5xiGI0/s320/DSCN0230.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
The courtyard at Castillo de San Marcos. </div>
<div>
Imagine 1500 people living here for nearly 60 days.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Castillo de San Marcos: A National Park, it is the
oldest masonry fort built in the continental United States. Work began in 1672.
Although there is a great deal about the fort that is interesting, one fact
that intrigues me is that in 1702 Saint Augustine’s 1500 or so residents took
refuge in the Castillo during a British siege. I don’t think the fort was much
more than 100m on each of four sides, so it must have been pretty crowded. Oh …
and the siege lasted for nearly 60 days. I guess you had to love your neighbor.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YYreCnmt22IGXHfzyiDVVylp3GwqxXXgyhs3P22yPyPsaGoGmEg8EPpzsUYwdq5SrqoF4oAd93CikS3ASbAHAHeJROjBxk8155NpUgf-vwIGlsONWuFQdzZ9bdYlDTmyk8NJ1O5xiGI0/s1600/DSCN0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Saint Augustine Distillery. What can I say? A
distillery tour is always good, but here the tour guide is exceptionally
entertaining <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">and</b> you get free
samples!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. A bit kitschy,
but they have a few interesting exhibits. One uses a planetarium to explain seventeenth
century navigation methods .</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Historical Shopping District (several times).
There is a Fresh Produce Store in the “Historical” District. Need I say more? </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Starbucks (several times)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Meals</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 96px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">o<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;">We wanted to go to the Prince of Wales
Restaurant which has the BEST fish and chops I have ever had. In fact, I had
told Dave and Joan about it for several days before we actually made the trip.
We get there and … it was closed. Well, to hell with them being closed on the
one day of the year I wanted them to be open. We know another excellent lunch
place that we also like – the Floridian. But it was … closed. I gotta tell you,
I was beginning to wonder. But then we found an Irish Pub that served Guinness
and Fish and Chips. Although it wasn’t quite as good as the Prince of Wales, it
was good enough. How dare both of them be closed on the ONE day of the year I
wanted them to be open. Harrumph!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 96px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">o<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Aviles Restaurant. We usually go to Harry’s, but
they were so crowded, we went to Aviles which is almost next door. It was maybe
a B/B-. But they really had cool menus – they lit up.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 96px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">o<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: calibri;">Tini Martini Bar. Ok, I know it is not quite a
meal, but I really like the place. We each had a drink and great conversation.
We WILL be back.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">The one place we missed again this time was the local
chocolate factory, but we learned that the weekend after Thanksgiving is not
necessarily the best time to go to places that even during the times we
normally visit have long waiting lines and even reservations! I guess we’ll
save that for next time.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">From the beginning, Dave and Joan had planned to accompany
us through Thanksgiving all the way down to Saint Augustine. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Of course we all thought it was going to be
warm at least part of the way down, especially when we reached Florida, but it
didn’t work out that way. In Saint Augustine we had one less-cold day (not to
be confused with a warm one), but it was when we reached Marineland that the
temperature really plunged. At night it was in the upper 30’s. And that is
cold, or at least colder that I expected and wanted. Anyway, practically
dressed in their winter clothes, Dave and Joan rented a car at St. Augustine and
met us at Marineland, our next stop. There they could spend a few final days on
the boat and get their stuff ready to head back to Virginia. Marineland used to
be a nice, inexpensive little stop on the ICW after St. Augustine with a few
local sights to make it interesting. Now that they have added about twenty
slips and hired a mini-dictator as dockmaster, it may be a while before we return.
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Anyway, using Dave and Joan’s car we hit a sight or two that
we had not been made before, especially the Saint Augustine lighthouse and a
couple of sights that were repeats for us, but new to Dave and Joan, like the
dolphin exhibit at Marineland and Fort Matanzas, just<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>little north of the marina. They departed on 29
November. I think and hope they had a good time, even with the below normal
temperatures.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gMfIjQiqp9AKnEzYo0pm3RGS6upN_TuRgSXqDBM4a7pYoKA8kXtws86wJ4GTSIURYTwXHuKKruUVNX5WBgZO6GhD8GoQmMhTx40uA937TrW9SB90hMdG1GyOmUwOfRA_FlPdNGbnEqsX/s1600/DSCN0680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-gMfIjQiqp9AKnEzYo0pm3RGS6upN_TuRgSXqDBM4a7pYoKA8kXtws86wJ4GTSIURYTwXHuKKruUVNX5WBgZO6GhD8GoQmMhTx40uA937TrW9SB90hMdG1GyOmUwOfRA_FlPdNGbnEqsX/s320/DSCN0680.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture of Ann and I atop the St. Augustine lighthouse.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Ann and I continued wandering down the ICW on our way to
Palm Beach. We stopped one night at Cocoa to check on the progress they had
made since the hurricane that shut down their dinghy docks. Lo and behold, we
anchored right behind Kathy and George aboard their boat, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Katrajena</i>. They live in Solomons, just a few buildings down from
us. We visited for a just a few minutes and they told us that there were some
dinghy docks, but they were reserved for the “Rally from the Sun.” We know quite
a bit about the Rally and its intrepid leader Wally Moran. Let’s just say that
we wouldn’t stay at any dinghy dock that would reserve space for Wally and/or
the Rally. I hope they make a lot of money off them, because they may never
make money off me again. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Since we didn’t stay at Cocoa, we went a little further
south to an anchorage around Melbourne called Eau Gallie (pronounced Oh Golly –
by accident or on purpose? I really don’t know). We walked around the community
a little and went to the local dockside restaurant, Squidlips. C’mon now, we
had to go to a restaurant with a name like Squidlips. And you know what? The
food was pretty good. In fact, although we did not have it, they were serving a
Sunday brunch to the locals and it looked pretty darn delicious! Other than
Squidlips, a nice anchorage and a decent dinghy dock though, Oh Golly doesn’t
have much to recommend it. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">After Eau Gallie it was on to Ft. Pierce. The first day we
arrived it was actually w … w … warm! It cooled down the second day with a cold
front, but it looks like we have finally found downright great weather!!!!!! At
Ft. Pierce we checked out the downtown, watched the Army-Navy game with our
friends Debbie and Glenn from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Calliope</i>
(See below. She is a Naval Academy Grad. Never let it be said that I am not
tolerant.) On, did I mention that Army won that game, 17-10? Aft er the game,
we also watched the Ft. Pierce “parade of Boats.” Actually the boats were so
spread out that it was more a dribbling than a parade, but some people really put
out decorating their boats. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kudos to
them.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Ann’s Notes: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I have
a lot to cover so I will get going.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">There is something Michael has not talked about and I have
not said anything – mostly because I did not know if I could keep up my own
challenge.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Since last year on the boat I
have tried to exercise daily – it all started at the small gym at our condo. I
am now hooked on walking or riding my biking at least five times a week. While
traveling down the ICW we pass under lots of bridges and many marinas are close
to or next to bridges. That being said, I set a goal to walk across as many
bridges as I could. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>So far I have walked bridges in NC, SC, GA and
FL, some more than once, it has been a lot of fun.</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwHAodeEmh9bkqdfMHD0xAyaZKdjeWQKqERnwtZL2w3msQ1F_EDLzem7_on5l_nkREflMB7r52NagiB5BL5idgV_exs4Dvqx20maYAc0nYaoljqZ4KDNVP6-1uYErPLRC0QVT1T7rA4lT/s1600/DSCN0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwHAodeEmh9bkqdfMHD0xAyaZKdjeWQKqERnwtZL2w3msQ1F_EDLzem7_on5l_nkREflMB7r52NagiB5BL5idgV_exs4Dvqx20maYAc0nYaoljqZ4KDNVP6-1uYErPLRC0QVT1T7rA4lT/s320/DSCN0204.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot. Enjoying the sun (finally) at Ft. Pierce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Our Thanksgiving in St. Augustine was a busy one. The weather
to start really did suck, it was cold, raining and hard…plus it was windy, a
full moon and high tide, making the streets flood. It was very wet. Dinner was
fun to make on the boat, I had my time management and power management skills
tested and did get the complete meal on the table on time and hot. I agree with
Michael that St Augustine is our favorite city. We were happy to share it with
Dave and Joan.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Right now we are in the Fort Pierce City Marina, enjoying
our time visiting our good friends Lori and Russ. Also seeing a cruising friend
we made last year at Treasure Cay, she happens to be a Naval academy grad,
class of 1981. They are anchored in the Fort Pierce inlet, I invited they to
join us when we went to the Farmers Market next to the marina. They downloaded
their dinghy and tied up to our stern. We had a great time looking at all the
fresh vegetables, purchased a few items and chatting away. Later that day they
joined us in the Captains Lounge to watch the Army –Navy Game. The lounge has a
flat screen TV with Dish channels. Michael and I arrived early to make sure we
had control of the remote and find the right channel … that took a little
while. Debbie and Glenn watched most of the game with us but had to return to
their boat before the game was over. It was plain to see that Army was going to
win…17 to 10. It was an exciting game to watch with friends.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">I am getting excited about going home for Christmas and
seeing Friends and Family.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Thank you for following us..</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: calibri;">Traveling Soul…OUT</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: calibri;"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-69835284861121615022018-11-28T08:44:00.001-05:002018-11-28T08:47:57.128-05:00South to Saint Augustine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<u><span style="color: #000120;"></span></u><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was only about a five mile detour off the ICW and all reports
indicated that the channel was well marked and deep enough. What those reports
did not Say was that with every mile we traveled we moved a decade or so into
the past and a hundred miles or more into the wilderness. Finally, we were
closing in on our destination. By the time we got there, it was easy to imagine
we were with three of our buddies on a boating adventure in the hinterlands of
Georgia. And even easier for us to imagine we could hear music – banjo music.
You know what kind I mean.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yes, ladies
and gentlemen as we headed to our fuel stop we felt we were in the backwoods of
Georgia on the set of the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Deliverance</i>.
Twang, twang, twang, twang.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We should have known something was amiss when we saw the
name of the place – the Two-Way Fish Camp.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I don’t know about you, but I have never seen fish going two ways at
once, nor have I seen a One-Way Fish Camp. Why you would name something “two-way”
fish camp I could not understand. But we were there neither for the “cool” name
of the place, nor for the banjo music. We were there because <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>of the price of the fuel. We needed about 300
gallons. In the past we had gone to the nearby Brunswick Landing Marina because
they had excellent fuel prices. This year, though, they were charging
$3.309/gallon. Two-Way Fish Camp, was charging only $2.69. That is about 60
cents difference; times 300 gallons is 180 bucks.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsgYlxcUhGHkWABi-Q6rm7l-8ht1uVrb8i0uzl2INnOiGkgdGZR577x-hJPFOLzzrHkY99o8KDt50DdoxKLlqzWh-yOmJ4kL6PtEQdhKZ4psF4shfW5YD0AF15PQLrquebW_uI_gjR-ON/s1600/20181113_170854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsgYlxcUhGHkWABi-Q6rm7l-8ht1uVrb8i0uzl2INnOiGkgdGZR577x-hJPFOLzzrHkY99o8KDt50DdoxKLlqzWh-yOmJ4kL6PtEQdhKZ4psF4shfW5YD0AF15PQLrquebW_uI_gjR-ON/s320/20181113_170854.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
This is a cast iron Cajun Classic purchased at that gourmet shop </div>
<div>
at Two-Way Fish Camp</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">From the moment we got there we could see it was going to be
an experience. We had to find the fuel dock, then kind of slide the boat in
sideways. It was then that the real fun began.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>We started pumping fuel, then the automatic shut-off would engage and we
would have to start again. Again. And Again. It was then that the dock hand wandered
over and told us that we would have to use the slowest setting on the nozzle.
Dave stood at the pump, which was about 200’ away, and would call out every 25
gallons. Eventually Ann joined him because she didn’t have anything else to do.
She measured the flow and we found we were pumping 25 gallons every 9 ½
minutes. Remember we needed 300 gallons. It took 114 minutes, or nearly 2
hours, to pump the (&^$# fuel. During that time, Ann and Joan had an
opportunity to visit the gift shop twice (actually, the gift shop was surprisingly
well-stocked and … well, I’ll let Ann tell you about her major find).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Eventually we did get all the fuel in the tanks and were
able to pay and depart. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Again, however, I got ahead of myself. Before the Two-Way
Fish Camp adventure, we anchored for one night at New Teakettle Creek. The
Creek is just about an hour or so from the Little Mud River and has nothing to
do with teakettles. If the timing works, I like anchoring there, so we can
control exactly when we reach the Little Mud – as far as I am concerned the
scariest part of the ICW. I think we were at Higher, High water when we
traveled the creek this year and saw nothing less than about 8’. It was after
the Little Mud River that we took the Two-Way Fish Camp exit.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After fueling we finished the day’s trip by docking at
Jekyll Island. Jekyll is one of our favorite spots on the Waterway. There is
only one problem with Jekyll in November. It can be <s>chilly</s> cold. The day
we arrived it was actually pretty nice, so we figured we had shown up at just
the right time. The second day it was a bit colder, the third day it was
downright cold and the day we left it was almost freezing (literally) However,
we did bring sweatshirts, jackets, earmuffs (Ann), and other cold weather paraphernalia
so we were prepared. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EPbZ9-ttPd5mW4k4djSkW6nS1DmsEsYMYqWdv8MPcxF2WI4uMBWrBIF85R6gYKKQVzpmRkWUyWEqdqzzG89i37-KmJddqXrlAfWHYx981EMYBv4XQA12RmBV7rpLP97PEbToIr-dANog/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EPbZ9-ttPd5mW4k4djSkW6nS1DmsEsYMYqWdv8MPcxF2WI4uMBWrBIF85R6gYKKQVzpmRkWUyWEqdqzzG89i37-KmJddqXrlAfWHYx981EMYBv4XQA12RmBV7rpLP97PEbToIr-dANog/s320/020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the "Cottages" at Jekyll.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Jekyll Island was, in the early part of the last century, a
playground for the rich and <span style="margin: 0px;">famous. Some of the richest people in the
country wintered at Jekyll from January through March.<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">
In fact, it has been said (by our tour guide for one) that during dinner at the
Jekyll Island Club nearly 1/6 of the world’s wealth was represented in the
dining room at Jekyll. Members of the Club and their families enjoyed
activities such as biking, hunting, horseback riding, and tennis, and
frequented the north beaches. Some of the wealthiest members built their own
"cottages," mansion-sized residences that are mostly still standing
in the 21st century. Even the wealthy suffered during the Great Depression,
however, and the club had financial difficulties. When the United States
entered </span>WWII<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"> Washington ordered the island
evacuated for security purposes, ending the era of the Jekyll Island Club.
After the war in 1947, the State of Georgia bought the island. </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the time we were there, we bicycled a LOT, toured the historic
district, and visited two of the “cottages.” (Interestingly, because members
were expected to dine together in the main Dining Room, there were neither
kitchens nor dining rooms in the cottages). We also visited the sea turtle
hospital, did some shopping (both at the grocery store and the little “mall”
they have on the island, found a Starbucks, walked on the beach, and ate at one
of the fancier places on the island. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;">The Dinghy
</span></b><span style="margin: 0px;">Saga</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">From Jekyll the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">plan</b>
was to go to Cumberland Island. Although there are some homes on the island,
most of the Island is a natural habitat for all kinds of animals and several
kinds of plants. With that, a little history, several great beaches, a very
nice anchorage, and a whole lot of peace and quiet, Cumberland is another one
of our favorite spots on the Waterway. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As I said, that was the plan. We had known the outboard wasn’t
operating perfectly, but before we left, I took the dinghy into the water,
started it up several times, and putted around a little. Although it ran kind
of roughly, everything worked. In Cumberland, the outboard didn’t even start
up. I worked on it for about an hour trying to figure out what was wrong. I knew
it was the fuel system, and was afraid it was the carburetor – the one thing I
won’t dare to try and fix. As we later learned 90% of all outboard failures are
carburetor problems. So, it looked like we would not be able to see anything at
Cumberland. We had kind of planned on visiting the Kingsley Plantation next, but
you also need a dinghy for that, so we missed Kingsley too. Although we could
manage St. Augustine without a dinghy, it would be much better with one. So, we
had to get the dinghy fixed. And thus our saga beganb.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Statistically, I’ll bet that as many boats break on Mondays as on
Thursdays. It ought to be somewhere around 1/7 of all breaks, right? Not in our
universe. Our boats usually break late on Thursday. We then get to a marina the
following day and generally make a BUNCH of phone calls (most of which will not
be neither answered nor returned – it is, after all late on Friday afternoon;
in this case the Friday afternoon before Thanksgiving week.) Then we worry over
the weekend whether we will be able to fond someone and start calling again on
Monday morning hoping against hope that someone will be available to fix your
boat in the next day or two. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>On Friday
afternoon, Ann made about four phone calls, but no one was around. On Monday <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>morning, she made another <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">seven</b> to various repair facilities and mechanics. A couple of
people answered, but, as one lady responded, “It was pretty slow until a week
ago. Now we are full and can’t get to you for another week.” Gee, thanks. Of those
who did answered or call back, we got basically the same response. We were in
the process of coming up with Plan Q when we got a return call from Jim. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now Jim was a bit of a bombast. He told us when he arrived, “THAT
FUEL TANK IS A PIECE OF JUNK. ALL THOSE WEST MARINE AND WALMART FUEL TANKS ARE
JUNK. ABSOLUTE JUNK.” When I asked him where we could get a new one that would
be better, he ‘lowed as how no one but West Marine made them anymore, so he
would just have to tell us how to treat our “PIECE OF JUNK.” Whereupon he gave
us his take on fuel tank management.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Keep the fuel tank covered</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Always loosen the cap when you are using it</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Put on a fuel-water separator</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Crank up the outboard frequently</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now, I know some of you have been using outboards and dinghies for
a long time and wonder why Jim has these rules. To be honest, I don’t know.
However, we asked him to make a fuel-water separator, we made our own cover and
we loosen the cap when we are using the dinghy.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">At any rate, about 3 hours after his initial visit Jim was back
with all the pieces of the outboard that he had taken with him, put it all together
and … it worked like a charm. I tried it out again later that afternoon and one
more time the following day. It all seemed to work. But wait, there’s more. For
that, however, you are just going to have to wait while I write something that
reminds me why we actually like cruising.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMC2W_fM_0Zg066HFpar6v64Hk51XEiS2H2SDucJ9ryTgL6c8Jtfg4OO1NHyY0P9M8M5b9FrliCCyEsR2H7tmPETi8tF4QVLM_YlB1xp5VgXXJ2m9a9_i-zqueiQaK9SqTuaswCPyKbXO8/s1600/IMG_0163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMC2W_fM_0Zg066HFpar6v64Hk51XEiS2H2SDucJ9ryTgL6c8Jtfg4OO1NHyY0P9M8M5b9FrliCCyEsR2H7tmPETi8tF4QVLM_YlB1xp5VgXXJ2m9a9_i-zqueiQaK9SqTuaswCPyKbXO8/s320/IMG_0163.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Osprey spent over an hour enjoying his Fish-giving meal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While waiting for the dinghy to be repaired, we stayed at Camachee Cove Marina. Now, several of our friends have told us how nice the marina is
and, to be honest, it is. It is in a housing development but has at least three
boater’s facilities spread over the property. Each of the facilities has a head,
shower, laundry, television and a book exchange – and everything was always
clean. However, for us there were two “firsts.” Although the marina had a
courtesy car, you had to show proof of insurance before you could borrow it. Now
since we have been cruising (about seven years), we have been in a hundred
marinas, maybe more. Some require you to sign papers saying you have insurance,
some take your word for it, but we have never been to a marina that requires
proof of auto insurance before they would lend you a courtesy car. We chose not
to avail ourselves of that particular “courtesy.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, but wait. There’s more.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is the first time we have ever been in a slip within a marina
and been asked to move <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">after</b> we had maneuvered
into the slip, connected our water hoses and our electrical cables. Now you had
to have been there. Our assigned slip was alongside a long straight dock. When
we were initially maneuvering into our slip, the wind was blowing us off the
dock. I have mentioned many times before that when the wind catches our boat
from the side, we are as likely to go where the wind wants us to go as where
the captain wants us to go. Well, the wind was only blowing about 10-15 kts, so
it wasn’t terrible, but the dockhand helping us was a small, slim college kid
who really didn’t know how to put a 55,000 pound boat into a slip – even with a
captain as brilliant and as adept as me at the helm. It took about 30 minutes,
but we eventually got there. We connected all the hoses, lines and cables and Ann
started taking a shower. Then the kid comes up and says he put us in the wrong
slip and we needed to move back one. I pointed out that, no, we didn’t need to
move back one, He needed to move us back – and I would help. In the event, of
course, although he (and a buddy) did most of the heavy lifting, we moved under
the direction of Ann and me (with some help from Dave and Joan). Now Camachee Cove may be a fine marina, but it ain’t getting five stars from me.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Some of you know that Ann has turned into an “exercise walker.”
She takes 2-4 mile walks whenever she can. At Camachee Cove that was helpful
(since we didn’t borrow the courtesy car), as the Publix Grocery Store was about
a mile-and-a-half or so away. She made at least two round trips to Publix and
one, one-way trip (she ubered back with a cart full of groceries) to get the rest
of the provisions we needed for Thanksgiving. While at the marina, we also
ubered to the historical district for lunch at our favorite British Pub in the
US – The Prince of Wales. There, they serve the best Fish and Chips I have ever
had. Both Ann and I had been touting the place to Dave and Joan and we had made
this trip specifically so we could have those luscious fish and chips. We
arrived and … you guessed it ... the place was closed. That was okay, there is
another restaurant nearby that we like, the Floridian. It was closed, too.
Damn! What’s going on here? Eventually, we found a different British Pub and their
fare was almost as good. Almost. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Usually I would stop here and wait to continue the blog when we
arrived at the Saint Augustine mooring field. However, in the interests of
continuing the saga of the dinghy, I must include one more section. Okay, we
had placed a cover over the dinghy, had Jim put in a fuel-water separator and opened
the gas cap. We had run the dinghy a few times between the boat and the dinghy
dock and everything had worked out well. Then, after making a run to Starbucks
(not ‘til next time will I discuss the Starbucks adventure), we got in the
dinghy, started it and it promptly died. Another couple of tries and we saw
that it was leaking gas – pretty badly. We identified the general area where
the leak was, but of course we had no tools. I asked Ann to go to the dockmaster’s
office and ask for a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now, all the time Ann was gone I was cursing Jim, the man who the
day before was our dinghy’s savior. Today, he was Satan incarnate, a saboteur
who couldn’t even connect two hoses to one another. Damn Jim, your connection was
JUNK, just JUNK (sorry, but I had to say it). At least that was what I was
thinking. Meanwhile, Ann found a very nice French Canadian sailboater named Jacques.
<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Jacques not only lent us all the tools
we needed, but he helped fix the leak. I’m afraid I have to take back <s>everything</s>
… well … <s>almost everything</s> … well … some of what I have said about the
pending Canadian invasion of the Bahamas.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Next time we will write more about Thanksgiving and Saint
Augustine.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqQHTMm5_E4U16tbirSfHQmWvpsvAC6mDBqXKMN5p-1d5CAbM-6AsyOD2ThcHGY8Vp1pq5MNfvpLTAZgn67M2BucpKdMPMT_L3Ilsdot9gTw1RxXCRKLjdRIlIVXGkh1Y7Fj0BAoDh2sn/s1600/20181122_100535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqQHTMm5_E4U16tbirSfHQmWvpsvAC6mDBqXKMN5p-1d5CAbM-6AsyOD2ThcHGY8Vp1pq5MNfvpLTAZgn67M2BucpKdMPMT_L3Ilsdot9gTw1RxXCRKLjdRIlIVXGkh1Y7Fj0BAoDh2sn/s320/20181122_100535.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Mike, laying down, Dave, in the dinghy, Joan, supervising</div>
<div>
and Jacques helping get the dinghy back in</div>
<div>
running condition.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I was told by
the main author of the blog that I had two main things to talk about…the
refueling event and my phone skills.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There must be something about off-the-ICW marinas and the state of
Georgia. In our first year of cruising we stumbled into Kilkenny Marina, you
can go back to the first year of the blog and read all about that experience. Cue
the banjo music and the one item they had in abundance in the marina store was
a barrel full of fly swatters. Anyway, we got to experience another
off-the-ICW-marinas, the name is Two Way Fish Camp, I know the name should have
been our first clue. The fuel was cheaper than the usual stop in Brunswick, however
we almost spent a good part of the morning just fueling. The marina office was
a little general store, it had your regular, old alligator head bookends (no
library is complete without those). There was local honey, pickled eggs and all
sorts of vegetables that were pickled, okra, corn, beets … you get the picture.
Believe me, I had PLENTY of time to shop, those pumps were so SLOW. I did find
a treasure, among all those pickled items, though. It is the cutest “Cajun
Classic,” it says so right on the lid. That little pot in a gourmet kitchen
store would be around $75 to $100, I got it for $29.99. I love cooking in cast
iron, I can use my induction cooktop , as a matter of fact, I used the little
red pot that night and made a bona fide French casoulet . </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As most of you know, I am the telephone person, both on land and
water. I handle everything from doctors appointments to marina repairs. When
our dinghy engine would not start, yes, we did our best to repair it ourselves .If
<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>you have never seen the tiny engine
parts inside a four stroke outboard motor and how easily those parts can be
dropped , you will understand why we called for a mechanic. Of course most of
our boat break downs happen on a Thursday or Friday, now add the Thanksgiving holiday
to the mix and I really did spend several hours on the phone over a two day
period. I have the ability to be just as pleasant for the first and the tenth
call. My mom always said you would catch more flies with honey, than vinegar. To
make a long story short, we moved to a closer marina to St. Augustine ,
thinking there would be a better chance and more repair people. We did find
one, it took about ten phone calls. We now have a dinghy motor that runs, a new
water fuel separator, we have the fuel tank covered with a canvas bag.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">All is well on Traveling Soul…OUT <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-60678982829350246632018-11-20T09:56:00.003-05:002018-11-20T09:56:40.526-05:00Southport to Savannah<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We know we want to spend Thanksgiving in St. Augustine, so while
in Southport, we added up the number of days left until Thanksgiving, and
compared that to the number of days it will take us to complete our cruise to
St. Augustine plus the number of days we intend to spend in port sightseeing.
We found a disconnect. It seemed as if we would have to drop some of our
planned stops. Hmmm. Well, we certainly couldn’t delete Beaufort, SC – we have
friends there and a couple of museums we want to see. We couldn’t leave
Savannah off the list, as we wanted to take Dave and Joan around the city on
the Tour-mobiles and we wanted to eat at Paula Deen’s restaurant. We certainly
could not forget Jekyll or Cumberland Islands as these are two of our favorite
stops on the Waterway. So, it was goodbye Georgetown, Fort McAlister, Darien,
maybe even Ft. George, and everyplace else we had thought about stopping. Maybe
next time.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Even by leaving these wonderful sites off our agenda, we
were going to have to put the pedal to the metal and crank through some miles. We
decide to push hard for three days straight, putting about 60 miles behind us
every day and to anchor each night. That would put us about 180+ miles closer
to our destination, which would catch us up and maybe put us ahead of schedule by
a day or two. And we were off.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had to time our departure from Southport with the tides because
we were heading <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "chiller"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;">for
North Carolina’s infamous inlets</span></b><span style="font-family: "chiller"; margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(said in a
sinister voice),</span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0px;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;">especially Lockwood’s Folly (so named
because a man named Lockwood built a boat at his house, then, when he was
finished found that he had made the draft so deep he couldn’t get it out to the
ocean, and Shallote’s Inlet. </span>These inlets are notorious for shoaling up
and causing cruisers fits. We left around d 0900 and got there about half way
through the rising tide cycle – which is exactly what we wanted to do. We had
no problems.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The weather the first day was kind of strange. There was a
little bit of sun, a little bit of rain and a whole lot of humidity. Well, it
could have been worse, I guess; it could have been snowing (which it soon would
be in Maryland and Virginia). That night we anchored just south of Myrtle
Beach, SC at what I call the Enterprise Landing Anchorage, which is really an
oxbow off the Waccamaw River. We had anchored there before and had not had any
problems. This time, however, there was a boat that arrived in the anchorage
before we did and got the best spot. We went for what looked like the second
best spot and had trouble finding a place that would hold the anchor. In fact
we tried three more times before we found a location that had decent holding. Eventually,
though, the anchor held when I backed down on it, and we spent a quiet night in
the cedar swamps of South Carolina.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The second day was really warm and it was actually T-shirt
weather. The cruise itself was nice and easy though, I must admit that it was a
little long. That night we spent in Awendaw Creek, just south of that booming
metropolis of McClelanville, SC. McClelanville’s claim to fame is … well …
nothing. That’s why we didn’t stay. When we arrived at the anchorage, earlier
than planned, there were already two boats there. One, a big 53’ Hatteras, was
way over on the southern bank of the creek and appeared to be in the process of
being towed by TowboatUS. According to his buddy who was waiting for him in the
second boat, the Hatteras’ anchor had dragged the previous night and he had
ended up aground in the marsh. TowboatUS had to wait until the tide was high
enough to pull him off the bank. We let out a lot of chain that night and I
made sure our anchor was secure before we went to bed. I also took my anchor
alarm to bed with me and checked it several times during the night. In the
event, we had to work the next morning to get the anchor unstuck from the mud.
We weren’t going to drag anywhere.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The third night we anchored in Toogoodoo Creek. Many of you
may remember the reason I like Toogoodoo so much – because it is so much fun to
both say and write. Toogoodoo turned out to be dolphin central as there were at
least fifteen or twenty of them in the area just swimming and leaping and
having a good ol’ time. On the downside, there was nice weather during day, but
that night the spigots opened up and we had some serious rain. In fact, the
weather that evening and most of the following day was generally yucky. I know,
I know, I promised not to use technical terms. “Yucky” is a term we mariners
use to refer to weather that is the opposite of “non-yucky.” </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNsfeNRS7hTVVlZCL6iu2JsvgE63szKMCn7mkj9MrgEf7xPTyE2JaG3AhMgjyfT6vwbllOJ7M8EAnZLltJXC_DL5L7VPn6Fk9wL-_fF_vpbRMjQl2YgZGtx7XDsT1Z1z4YLoF-NPUFCX2/s1600/.facebook_1542724270180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNsfeNRS7hTVVlZCL6iu2JsvgE63szKMCn7mkj9MrgEf7xPTyE2JaG3AhMgjyfT6vwbllOJ7M8EAnZLltJXC_DL5L7VPn6Fk9wL-_fF_vpbRMjQl2YgZGtx7XDsT1Z1z4YLoF-NPUFCX2/s320/.facebook_1542724270180.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Ann, Dave and Joan -- and if you look closely, you will see </div>
<div>
Spot -- in one of the gre4at pix taken by Kyle and Kathy as</div>
<div>
we passed their dock in Beaufort, SC.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At midday on the fourth day we arrived in Beaufort, SC. As
it turns out, our friends Mark and Becky aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sea Angel,</i> and Tom and Christina aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tadhana</i> were both there. In addition, Kyle and Kathy were also in
Beaufort. Although we had met them in the Bahamas aboard their boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now and Zen</i>, they were in fact staying
in their house in Beaufort (which has a nice 50’ dock, oh by the way). </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We met Tom and Christina for lunch at Luther’s. Many of you
know my opinion of dockside bars and restaurants. In any restaurant, Brown’s
Law goes, you want three things: good food, quality service and an outstanding
view. For dockside restaurants, you can, at best, pick two out of three. At
Luther’s the food was really pretty good, the view was excellent, but the
service was extraordinarily slow. It worked out pretty well, though, as we got
to spend a lot of time with Tom and Christina and did some good catching up. Since
Mark and Becky were at the same marina we were, we asked them over to our boat
for drinks. We learned they were in the process of selling their boat and
moving onto the land. Kyle and Kathy asked us to their beautiful new house in
Beaufort for dinner. We ate, drank and generally had a great time. Kyle and
Kathy also took a picture of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling
Soul</i> as we passed their house on the way further south.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Besides visiting
friends, we also wanted to visit a couple of museums in Beaufort. My personal
favorite was the St. Elena Museum. Those of you who believe Jamestown was the
first settlement in America are, of course, mistaken. Not only is St. Augustine
the oldest continuously-occupied settlement in America, but St. Elena – though
not continuously-occupied – is actually the second oldest settlement as it was
occupied in 1566. Shortly thereafter it was declared the capital of all of
Spanish Florida (which consisted, according to Madrid, of all of present-day
Florida and substantial portions of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana. The Spanish eventually gave up on St.
Elena and abandoned the area for St. Augustine in 1587. St. Elena was <span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">later
colonized by the French</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France" title="France"></a><span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">, the Spanish again, then finally the English who
occupied it until the </span><span style="margin: 0px;">American Revolution. The story of St. Elena is
the story of the interaction among the French, the Spanish and the English in
sixteenth century America. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7Xl6L6V4tUROdY_GR5GhgkNMQe_z-ZP4Snh39DFM32fc4C-pazLUB4MDRHwiGYYUwYyIfA5PX-QKbRWgk0pGBOZgHAzurQK6jONs8S_HtWR7pknQGtX1ByKxJ7VkPaZxBC5uCbpVUhA8/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: -24px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7Xl6L6V4tUROdY_GR5GhgkNMQe_z-ZP4Snh39DFM32fc4C-pazLUB4MDRHwiGYYUwYyIfA5PX-QKbRWgk0pGBOZgHAzurQK6jONs8S_HtWR7pknQGtX1ByKxJ7VkPaZxBC5uCbpVUhA8/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the batteries at Fort Fremont</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We also visited Fort Fremont, a coastal artillery fortification
designed and built from 1898 – 1900 to protect Port Royal from foreign attack.
I guess we were worried about the Spanish since we had just defeated them in
the Spanish-American War and there were really no other potential opponents on
the horizon. <span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">The complex at Fort Fremont consisted
of </span>four gun batteries, one 4.7” rapid fire battery and three batteries
of 10” disappearing guns<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;">. The fort was originally on
170 acres of land with numerous outbuildings, including an Administration
building, guard house, barracks, hospital, stable, mess hall, bakery,
commissary, post exchange, lavatory, and water tower. Of these, only the
emplacements for the gun batteries remain. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>All the other structures were made of wood and
were demolished before 1989.</span> What is left of the gun batteries is
massive hunks of concrete. I mean massive (see the pictures). Today it is a
state park on 15 acres.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In addition, we went on a carriage tour of Beaufort.
Although the tour was interesting, I think the most important thing we learned
was not always to believe tour guides. Ours was very good, though she was not
completely, entirely, totally accurate on a few points. She did, however, point
out that Beaufort was the second oldest city in South Carolina (after
Charleston) and that there had been a number of films shot there. There was: <span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">The Great Santini (1979),
The Big Chill (1983), The Prince of Tides (1991), Daughters of the Dust (1992),
A Perfect World (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), The War (1994), The Jungle Book
(1994), Chasers (1994), Something to Talk About (1995), White Squall (1996),
Last Dance (1996), Gone Fishin’ (1997), G.I. Jane (1997), Animals (1997),
Forces of Nature (1998), Rules of Engagement (2000), Legend of Bagger Vance
(2000). </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HxnHfSnUJm5bjxm-4Rd3zWg8YAx8JWtA7wXnSUY8vawrAC1GYQg_HnuD6dJ5C7rfNq8ok6gU8PNOGw5MgH4a9uWNqVuctSBeJ4UUqze736I3UML_Rhhwir3xYFVOrDVo_-WoBWtis4iW/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4HxnHfSnUJm5bjxm-4Rd3zWg8YAx8JWtA7wXnSUY8vawrAC1GYQg_HnuD6dJ5C7rfNq8ok6gU8PNOGw5MgH4a9uWNqVuctSBeJ4UUqze736I3UML_Rhhwir3xYFVOrDVo_-WoBWtis4iW/s320/012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Our transportation on the Beaufort Carriage Tour. </div>
<div>
His name is Phillipe</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In
fact, Tom Hanks liked the city do much he later vacationed there. There is
another story that is told about Barbara Streisand. When filming Prince of
Tides, she was upset that the Marine aircraft were flying during the day and
disrupting her filming. She called the Base Commander and demanded that he
restrict flying during certain hours. He promised to see what he could do. The
next morning three FA-18’s (very loud aircraft) turned on their afterburners
over the city at 0300. Although the Commander later published a full paid ad in
the newspaper apologizing to the locals for the stunt, when Ms. Streisand
called, he reminded her about the “sounds of freedom.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Ms. Streisand hasn’t been back. Anyhow that’s
the tour guide’s story and she is sticking to it.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj963gsGn6zL2GFjE2cXYg6-O42mpRuyRSY94eMEHT2njcEOGMZ8FOMXGyI75D6Isq4alK4tX4mSV0GJCOtD4jG6ppDMW6-ANTy0K8acbk2KHCKPqAIzLxYDM-PteuRbAy-BJ7wEbrBwh9X/s1600/DSCN0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj963gsGn6zL2GFjE2cXYg6-O42mpRuyRSY94eMEHT2njcEOGMZ8FOMXGyI75D6Isq4alK4tX4mSV0GJCOtD4jG6ppDMW6-ANTy0K8acbk2KHCKPqAIzLxYDM-PteuRbAy-BJ7wEbrBwh9X/s320/DSCN0124.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Mike, Ann, Dave and Joan at Paula Deen's Restaurant</div>
<div>
in Savannah</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our
next stop was Thunderbolt Marina just outside of Savannah. The reason we
stopped was, as you might have guessed, to visit Savannah. We “ubered” into
town, then took the Old Town Trolley (a get-on and get-off trolley) on which we
visited a number of Savannah’s historical sites. We departed the trolley to eat
at Paula Deen’s restaurant. Although she is well known in southern chef
circles, our consensus was that the place deserves a good, solid “B” (Dave “A”,
Joan “A-“, Mike “B”, Ann “C”). I (Mike) will say that the fried chicken is some
of the best I have had – other than Ann’s, of course. But the sandwich I had
was tasteless and the soup was cold and not very good. </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After
lunch we stopped at the Webb Military museum. It is the personal collection of
… well, a certain Mr. Webb. He has collected military uniforms and
paraphernalia from nearly all the nation’s wars. He even had a jungle fatigue
jacket worn by General Westmoreland and two shirts worn by Bob Hope during his
Vietnam tours. There was also a MiG 21 cockpit. Thanks to our friends Frank and
Sue for recommending the museum.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s
Notes: My portion of the blog will be quick, Michael wants to send this out
tonight. Our adventures with Dave and Joan aboard have been fun <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>they have seen some locations and had some
experiences that not everyone gets to experience – even if we had to skip a few
of our favorites. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I
am going to call this portion of the blog “Dialing For Turkey Thighs” Let me
give you a few facts… (I’ll refer to these later)</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Population of Lady’s Island SC is 12,570</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Population of Beaufort SC is 13,729</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Population of Bluffton SC is 21,085</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj963gsGn6zL2GFjE2cXYg6-O42mpRuyRSY94eMEHT2njcEOGMZ8FOMXGyI75D6Isq4alK4tX4mSV0GJCOtD4jG6ppDMW6-ANTy0K8acbk2KHCKPqAIzLxYDM-PteuRbAy-BJ7wEbrBwh9X/s1600/DSCN0124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7Xl6L6V4tUROdY_GR5GhgkNMQe_z-ZP4Snh39DFM32fc4C-pazLUB4MDRHwiGYYUwYyIfA5PX-QKbRWgk0pGBOZgHAzurQK6jONs8S_HtWR7pknQGtX1ByKxJ7VkPaZxBC5uCbpVUhA8/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Y’all<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>( please note, I do speak Suth’n) …Those of
you who know me well know that I am a planner, it makes me happy and living
that way is easy for me. So … most of y’all also know we have a big holiday
coming up—one that involves turkey. We will be on a mooring ball at that time
in St. Augustine FL with our stove running the generator. Add all those facts
together and to me it equals quite a bit of pre-planning to serve a traditional
Thanksgiving dinner. Should be easy Right? Not so fast. </span></span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQj2iyzAUdjQDKxXeW9kQM_poNbqPWdxqWEYbGXcKg7CZE3um0za-bdjP6SBFH5S89dBeAUXPA-tzb5P-AVHASrjQcrM91CTzfP3SYuP907AisCxbG1pl7OWF2fvfmzuUg8cStRah2iXhD/s1600/DSCN0111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQj2iyzAUdjQDKxXeW9kQM_poNbqPWdxqWEYbGXcKg7CZE3um0za-bdjP6SBFH5S89dBeAUXPA-tzb5P-AVHASrjQcrM91CTzfP3SYuP907AisCxbG1pl7OWF2fvfmzuUg8cStRah2iXhD/s320/DSCN0111.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The screwdriver may be tough top see, but believe me it is there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While
in Beaufort we stayed in a marina that had a courtesy car because I planned it
that way… I needed a courtesy car to get to the grocery store. Well…the “courtesy
car” looks like a car but it came with a set of unusual driving instructions. Our
first clue was that it had a Bahamian license plate in the front – those of you
who know the Bahamas are beginning to get the picture. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The first instruction was to make sure you
leave the screw driver in the gearshift . You see, although the car sounded like
a modern jet plane, like a jet plane taking off as a matter of fact), the screwdriver
kept the gearshift in place. Ok, we manage to get the car to the local Publix
grocery store on Lady’s Island. All I want is four good size turkey thighs to
cook. We went to the turkey meat section and they only had one package with two
thighs in it. I talked to the meat manager thinking they surely had more in the
back. Wrong…he told me a gentleman had come in the day before and bought two
cases of thighs, so all they had was what was on the shelf. Well, they have a
Walmart, down the road and certainly Walmart will have thighs. We get into the “sort
of car,” drive to Walmart, and <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>NO
THIGHS.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Let’s
try Food Lion, back into the clown car, NO Thighs…good heaven there is not …ok…only
two turkey thighs to be found on Lady’s Island. Please Note the population
above.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now
the phone calls start, I called the local meat market, no thighs.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Called
a Publix in northern Beaufort, no thighs…please note the population..</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Called
the Publix in Bluffton, twenty miles away, talked to Hector in the meat
department, he is holding four thighs for me. The marina clown car cannot make
that trip. Thank the heavens for our friends Mark and Becky. She has a car that
looks like a car, drives like a car and does not need a screwdriver in any way
shape or form. Michael and Joan drove to the store, I was DONE with the turkey
thigh search. My conclusion … only towns with large populations have turkey
thighs available for pre-planners, like me.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">So
when Dave, Joan, Michael and I set down for dinner on Thanksgiving, while
floating in our boat, on a mooring ball, in St. Augustine FL…we will give
thanks to Mark and Becky for providing the transportation to get those thighs.
And for moi and all the pre-planning that went into the meal.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Just
one more funny thing I found on Facebook that has to do with speaking Southern.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The
southern definition of Namaste:</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">One
southern asking another…</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“There
is a hurricane coming…are you going to evacuate?”</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">His
friend’s response? … Namaste here </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Mike
here. Ok, I know it’s bad when you have to explain a joke, but for those of you
who don’t understand southern, that translates to: “Nah, I’m ‘a’ stay.”</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="color: black; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling
Soul …OUT</span></span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-42272109404926840432018-11-04T15:39:00.000-05:002018-11-04T15:39:01.285-05:00Elizabeth City to Manteo<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Prequel</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was Friday, October 26 and there I was, navigating
through a particularly byzantine channel just off the ICW and slightly north of
Beaufort, North Carolina when I realized that we were on the wrong side of the
channel markers. I immediately tried to turn back into the channel, but before I
could get there, I heard the bump, the grind and the other unforgettable sounds
of the hull getting hung up on the earth; we were aground. I tried moving
backward, forward and all the other standard remedies. Nothing. I called the marina
and told them we would be a little late, then I called TowBoat US (kind of a
AAA for the boating crowd) and gave them our position and prepared to be
rescued. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Little did I know, however, that that lovely my wife was on
Facebook telling everyone what had happened. I mean my god, she could have at
least waited until <s>I made up a good excuse </s>... er … I mean until I
determined the exact cause of this unfortunate incident. As you know, the
National Transportation Safety Board can take years to determine the cause of
accidents. I mean, while I am no fan of our current president, I sympathize that
sometimes reportage gets ahead of the truth – or at least the truth as I want
it to be known. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Again, however, I am afraid I am ahead of myself. Before I give
you the detailed explanation of what happened and why, I need to discuss some
other aspects of our trip.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Elizabeth City</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In our last entry we left you after touring Elizabeth City,
the “Harbor of Hospitality”. After Elizabeth City we decided to go to Manteo,
NC on Roanoke Island. To get there, we had to traverse the eastern half of Albemarle
Sound. Although the afternoon part of the journey was okay, I must admit that
the beginning was a little rolly. Everyone did okay, though, and we got to Roanoke
Island without any real problems. Maneuvering through Shallowbag Bay, which is
the area just in front of Manteo, however, was bit tricky as it is getting
increasingly shoal every year. Nevertheless, we got into the marina with very
little difficulty. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There seem to be two geographical areas of tourism on
Roanoke Island, one in the north near the original fort, and the other in the
center near the town of Manteo. The problem is that these two areas are 5-6
miles apart. That’s not a problem if you have a car, but on foot 5-6 miles is
quite a walk. Needless to say we didn’t make it to the northern area of the
island, and stayed near the town.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For those of you not as steeped in North Carolina history as
I am (after all, I attended 6<sup>th</sup> and half of 7<sup>th</sup> grade in Fayetteville),
Roanoke Island is the site of the first English colony in America, before
Plymouth and before Jamestown. It is the location of the famed “Lost Colony”
and is the birthplace of the first child of English descent born in America,
Virginia Dare. Or, to be more verbose, as Wikipedia does</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;">Roanoke
Island was the site of the Roanoke Colony an English settlement </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;">initially established in 1585 by Sir Walter Raleigh</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;"> group of about 120 men, women and children arrived in 1587. Shortly after
arriving in this New World, colonist Eleanor Dare, daughter of Governor John White </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;">gave birth to Virginia Dare </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;">She was the first English child born in North America. Governor White returned
to England later that year for supplies. Due to impending war with Spain, White
was unable to return to Roanoke Island until 1590. When he arrived, the colony
had vanished. The fate of those first colonists remains a mystery to this day
and is one of America's most intriguing unsolved mysteries. </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeologists" title="Archaeologists"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Archaeologists</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;">,
</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historians" title="Historians"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none;">historians</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;">,
and other researchers continue to work to resolve the mystery. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While in Manteo we did some shopping and had good dinner at Avenue
Waterfront Grille and also to the Manteo Island Festival Park. There, they had
a few interesting Native American exhibits, a couple of costumed English
tradesmen plying their trades and a replica of the Elizabeth II, the ship that
carried the colonists to the New World. We spent most of our time on the
Elizabeth II. It was a 69’ vessel that carried 50 colonists plus their
provisions across the ocean – a journey that took three months. As a matter of
comparison, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i> is a 52’
vessel carrying four people right now down the Intracoastal Waterway.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Just sayin’ …</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Manteo we anchored at the end of the Alligator-Pungo Canal.
There is an anchorage there at the mouth of the Pungo River that is one of my
favorite anchorages on the Waterway. It has great holding and provides some
protection from the east and the north. One reason I like the anchorage so much
is that if there is serious weather, you can go further up the river and get
protection from all sides. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We weighed anchor and proceeded to Beaufort, NC. Between us and
Beaufort, however, was a large chunk of Pamlico Sound and the Neuse River. Was
it rolly? Was it bumpy? Well, you will have to ask Dave or Joan because Ann and
I thought it was just one of those things. Even Spot decided that hiding under
a blanket was sufficient, rather than hiding under the table like she does with
serious wind and waves. Besides it didn’t last for more than an hour or two,
then we turned so the seas were pushing us forward, i.e. we had following seas.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After the unfortunate grounding incident – about which I will say more
later – we arrived in Beaufort, NC. Beaufort <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NC</b> is pronounced BOW-fort, in contrast to Beaufort, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SC</b> which is pronounced BYOU-fort. While
in Beaufort we had two lunches out. One of the places was recommended by the
dockmaster, it was called the Black Sheep and had a nice beet salad (at least
that is what Ann told me, I personally, hate beets) , and some of the best thin
crust pizza I have had in a long time (to that I can personally attest because
I LOVE pizza). The other, which shall remain nameless (only because I can’t
remember the name) was, at best so-so. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We also did a lot of browsing in the shops – with one exception.
Ann, as many of you know is an accomplished chef who loves her olive oil. There
is an olive oil store in Beaufort that we had to visit two or three times to
get the correct oils and the proper containers for her to cook such wonderful
meals. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKNspOeXmpWWVZ2a2YysZKfDMYH8Rk5I6wUPa3xjgzgIcWpZNya07ND8_Zm9pM4VsZNhehMuOcLIKLEG8X9h7tP-4Pn8pUCo_cZX6qu3D2r2XQeKicY-BD517g9SRGAMAGjdzaJDJOuh2/s1600/DSCN0629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKNspOeXmpWWVZ2a2YysZKfDMYH8Rk5I6wUPa3xjgzgIcWpZNya07ND8_Zm9pM4VsZNhehMuOcLIKLEG8X9h7tP-4Pn8pUCo_cZX6qu3D2r2XQeKicY-BD517g9SRGAMAGjdzaJDJOuh2/s320/DSCN0629.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shot of the Olive Oil Store In Beaufort</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We also went to the Beaufort Museum. The museum is pretty good. It
focuses on findings from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Queen Anne’s
Revenge, </i>the flagship of the infamous pirate, Blackbeard. In 1996, archaeologists
discovered the ship in shallow water about a mile offshore near the Beaufort
Inlet, so Beaufort has first dibs on the artifacts. We also took a tour of the
city and got a chance to see a bunch of old houses (still in use). Some were “Sears”
houses, which you could order out of the catalog and would be delivered, with
instructions, on the train. From the look of the houses, they gave much better
instructions for putting together houses than Ikea and others do today. We
actually saw one house that brought together several of the Beaufort themes.
Apparently in the 1950’s or 60’s Sears painted a house on Beaufort with their
famous “Weatherbeater” paint. They chose Beaufort because it was on coastal
North Carolina and they could leave it there for several years and show how
well the paint held up through hurricanes and all the other inclement weather
the sea can offer. At some point, apparently, Sears got tired of waiting so
they brought in big fans, hired the local fire department and made their own “hurricane.”
When it they ran the ad, Sears said it held up in hurricanes and referred to
the house as Blackbeard’s old house. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Okay, now I will explain that for which most of you have been
waiting. It is true that we went aground just outside the ICW on the way to our
marina in Beaufort. For those of you who don’t know, in boating it is said there
are two kinds of boaters: those who have been aground and liars. At least I am
not a liar. How bad was it? Well, while this certainly isn’t the first time we
have bumped the bottom or even stalled on the ground, it the first time in nearly
20 years of boating that have I called TowboatUS, so that means we paid $2800
for this tow. And do you know what? The membership is worth every penny. The TowboatUS
Captain was young but very professional. He knew what he was doing.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now my crack “Grounding Investigator” (moi) has analyzed several
different possibilities for this grounding. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">On this voyage, Dave and Joan are acting as
additional crew for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>.
They are fairly green and had never been aboard a grounded vessel, at least not
a grounded <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>. If I need
to, I will swear that I was simply trying to train the crew in the proper
processes and procedures when grounded. That would mean that this was no
accident; it was a well planned and executed training event. The fact that
everyone thought it was real is testament to how well it was planned and
executed.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While he has been a member of BoatUS for 20
years or so and had never used the membership. He just wanted to see if
everything would work as advertised. It did.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The markers in this area are so screwed up and
difficult to interpret that it is amazing more people don’t run aground. My
award should read that “at great personal risk and with extraordinary courage he
determined to challenge the authorities and show them how much dredging is
needed.” Rather than be shunned, I should be awarded the Cruiser’s Cross (or
some other appropriate award) so the authorities will do something about the
markers. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Or perhaps my favorite … Did you know Blackbeard
grounded his ship <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Queen Anne’s Revenge</i>
just outside the Beaufort Inlet (it was just discovered in 1996)? I was just
trying to get the full “pirate experience” by grounding Traveling Soul.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<s><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span></s><s><span style="font-family: "calibri";">With extraordinary stupidity I took my
eyes off the markers that I was following and began focusing on where I was to
dock. In the process I missed the (admittedly small) green markers marking the
channel. </span></s></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Since I have eliminated explanation 5, you can see my crack
investigator (moi) determined that notwithstanding anything you may see on
Facebook, </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "algerian"; margin: 0px;">I WAS
NOT AT FAULT. </span></b><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">And that is all I am going to say about that.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Continuing the Story</span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIfnOwKpsiAOpqTqJaJlwcL46dfCDQWVpMZQDd4NCO8a06zVjmyg4Q9WYRRL1P5zLO5P1YP4Wi81Z4t13pR7rMLl9A4BhA_KWOzw1QuXPb_7ou3ajmPwe3Xlfj67rIV4GkHv-xB9I2rzY/s1600/Mus+Ships.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIfnOwKpsiAOpqTqJaJlwcL46dfCDQWVpMZQDd4NCO8a06zVjmyg4Q9WYRRL1P5zLO5P1YP4Wi81Z4t13pR7rMLl9A4BhA_KWOzw1QuXPb_7ou3ajmPwe3Xlfj67rIV4GkHv-xB9I2rzY/s320/Mus+Ships.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
One of the excellent displays at the Maritime Museum</div>
<div>
of North Carolina in Southport, NC</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Beaufort we anchored for a night in Mile Hammock Bay and headed
for Southport, NC. Enroute to Southport there are three bridges, the Surf City,
Figure Eight and Wrightsville Beach Bridges that open on a schedule that defies
any logic. It is absolutely impossible to make any kind of decent time through
the three of them. I have asked my classmates, some of whom were professors of mathematics,
some rocket scientists and one even a professor emeritus of engineering to
calculate a schedule for making the bridges. No one has yet succeeded. I have
detailed this conundrum in previous entries and won’t go say any more today.
Except GRRR! Dame the state of North Carolina!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Okay, with that out of my system, I can tell you that we spent a
day touring the lovely and historic city of Southport, NC. I had heard about
the North Carolina Maritime Museum of Southport and had long wanted to check it
out. It wasn’t very big and didn’t have as many artifacts as I would have
liked, but it told the maritime story of Southport fairly well … at least through
the Civil War. Then it kind of petered out. It seemed to say, “and in the 20<sup>th</sup>
Century there were a couple of more wars. The End.” I guess any museum has to
choose its focus and theirs was clearly the pre-revolutionary, revolutionary
and Civil War maritime histories of Southport. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We also visited Fort Johnson and the Visitors Center which are one
in the same. There, there was very little discussion of Fort Johnson and a lot
of pictures of Southport through the ages. We checked out a few stores, then
headed back to the boat. Later that evening, we had our friend Jim Treadwell
over and all went out to dinner. Jim had been an underclassman in my company at
West Point and later became my company executive officer in the 82<sup>nd</sup>
Airborne Division. Ann had remembered that last time we came through Southport
and met Jim and his wife Bess,we had gone to dinner at a place called “Fishy,
Fishy Cafe.” Actually, what she remembered was their “Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon
with Maple Glaze.” It was scrumptious a year ago and was scrumptious this year.
Speaking of scrumptious, one of our new crewmembers, Dave Wolf, has asked to
discuss scrumptiousity and our Chief Chef, Ann.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Dave’s
Notes:</span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thanks, Mike…Mike has often blogged about the great food on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I thought I would take a minute and review
what we’ve dined on so far on our trip.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Here
is a summary of the menu we have enjoyed since we left Maryland:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFGKO13IPmq0YChJy-Vks8-YmHzqKFb0hNX0yMrxV6DlNQuFi27EUb2T6E25u-D41ySnIw1hblr3nAooiMCoWXVfek734AWhzwMlXrkl42kNZjq7JnfSd-RYzLJMupwmo_dyITwpE8VrB/s1600/DSCN0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFGKO13IPmq0YChJy-Vks8-YmHzqKFb0hNX0yMrxV6DlNQuFi27EUb2T6E25u-D41ySnIw1hblr3nAooiMCoWXVfek734AWhzwMlXrkl42kNZjq7JnfSd-RYzLJMupwmo_dyITwpE8VrB/s320/DSCN0054.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">15 October:<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Reuben Sandwiches (a tradition of ours to have Reubens <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>when we start a trip);</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">16 October:<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Chicken and Carrots (another boat tradition);</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">17 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Ribs cooked on the grill with cole slaw and
beans; Mike cooked half way on the grill</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">18 October:<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Pork Chops stuffed with spinach and goat cheese (unbelievable);</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">19 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>we dined out at Amber Lantern;</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFGKO13IPmq0YChJy-Vks8-YmHzqKFb0hNX0yMrxV6DlNQuFi27EUb2T6E25u-D41ySnIw1hblr3nAooiMCoWXVfek734AWhzwMlXrkl42kNZjq7JnfSd-RYzLJMupwmo_dyITwpE8VrB/s1600/DSCN0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a><span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">20 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Roasted chicken thighs with vegetables;</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;"> </span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">21 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Beef Stroganoff;</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">22 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Shrimp Bisque (this was a cool evening and
begged for a great soup!);</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">23 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Spaghetti Bolognese with Italian sausages;</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 48px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">24 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>dinner out in Manteo;</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">25 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Ribeye Steak on the grill with baked potato
and salad; Mike grilled out</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">26 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Cornish Game Hens with stuffing and a side of
roasted zucchini and squash;</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">27 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Rack of Lamb!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>See photo…</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">28 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Shrimp ala “Homer Smith” and cole slaw (fresh
shrimp right off the boat);</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">o<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Mike’s note: Homer Smith’s is the name of the
marina were we stayed AND the co-located Shrimp processing plant. We not only
get the shrimp fresh, but at wholesale prices!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">29 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Chicken Enchiladas ala Joan Wolf</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt "Times New Roman"; margin: 0px;">
</span></span></span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">30 October: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Ribeye Steak on the grill with tater tots (we
are in the South);Mike grilled out</span></span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">31 October: Shrimp Quiche (More of Homer Smith's shrimp!)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I think the above list gives you some idea of how well we eat on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgCzH8ZbyVDa9WVzVQDldzggK0KaHI1Jr5RTUo97368oVdVY0phXtKNHao2-tyDFGi19rdbxcsMii75aVNy7DPewQtHT8QOV1Nx1td4npuMtOboRaNiT2IWdgJhASnZt_-nSbuyOhOOGx/s1600/DSCN0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgCzH8ZbyVDa9WVzVQDldzggK0KaHI1Jr5RTUo97368oVdVY0phXtKNHao2-tyDFGi19rdbxcsMii75aVNy7DPewQtHT8QOV1Nx1td4npuMtOboRaNiT2IWdgJhASnZt_-nSbuyOhOOGx/s320/DSCN0068.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One small portion of the hurricane damage we saw.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">If I may delve into one more topic: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>hurricane damage.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As we cruised past Elizabeth City and went
deeper into North Carolina, we saw more and more examples of hurricane damage
from Hurricane Florence.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As you might
recall, Florence came ashore as a huge hurricane between North and South
Carolina, then stalled, dumping many hundreds of inches of water on both the
coastal and inland portions of this area.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>It was followed up by the remnants of Hurricane Michael.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>As we cruised down the ICW, it was amazing to
see that some places were severely hit, while the house next door appeared to
be untouched.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This view does not
account, of course, for repairs that have already been made, but damage was
pretty extensive in coastal North Carolina.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>It will be interesting to see what South Carolina has suffered in terms
of hurricane damage.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes: <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>geez…Now I
need to follow up after all the reading you have done already. I will try to
make it semi-short.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgCzH8ZbyVDa9WVzVQDldzggK0KaHI1Jr5RTUo97368oVdVY0phXtKNHao2-tyDFGi19rdbxcsMii75aVNy7DPewQtHT8QOV1Nx1td4npuMtOboRaNiT2IWdgJhASnZt_-nSbuyOhOOGx/s1600/DSCN0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></a></span></span></div>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgCzH8ZbyVDa9WVzVQDldzggK0KaHI1Jr5RTUo97368oVdVY0phXtKNHao2-tyDFGi19rdbxcsMii75aVNy7DPewQtHT8QOV1Nx1td4npuMtOboRaNiT2IWdgJhASnZt_-nSbuyOhOOGx/s1600/DSCN0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></a><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></b><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></i><u style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></u><sub style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></sub><sup style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11.06px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></sup><strike style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: line-through; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></strike></span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhgCzH8ZbyVDa9WVzVQDldzggK0KaHI1Jr5RTUo97368oVdVY0phXtKNHao2-tyDFGi19rdbxcsMii75aVNy7DPewQtHT8QOV1Nx1td4npuMtOboRaNiT2IWdgJhASnZt_-nSbuyOhOOGx/s1600/DSCN0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We have had a good cruise so far, granted it has been on the
cooler side of sunny at times. I can tell we are in the Carolinas by the amount
of dark, sticky, smelly mud that is clinging onto every single link of our
anchor chain. Hosing it off before it goes into our anchor locker can take an
extra ten to fifteen minutes in the morning. You may be thinking…ok…no big deal
… but when Captain Michael says… anchor up and underway by 7 or 7:30 …he means
to keep that schedule. On my end, I just adjust the alarm clock to take into account
all the other morning routines I do… get dressed, put in my left contact lens (
I only wear one -- mono vision works for me), put sun screen on, make the bed.
Than the galley routine starts pour the coffee, have a little something for
breakfast, listen to the weather report. Then it is time to go to the bow of
the boat, take out and turn on the wash down hose, take a deep breath, put my
foot on the windlass bottom and start to messy ordeal of cleaning the anchor
chain, link by link. So… taking up 100 or 120 feet of chain, mostly covered in
yucky mud can take a few minutes out of your morning. Michael and I have the
routine down well and Big Bertha has held us faithfully, so she deserves my TLC
. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now…about the grounding and Facebook… if you are stuck, have good
WiFi, time to kill while waiting for BoatUS to arrive and have loyal, concerned
friends <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>that follow you…be honest…what
would you do? You already know my answer… POST … day, time and Location… Just
sayin’.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqAJzFqAEDWDznkKNpg6Uru8JWk6pSJouJphot661epdZ11ogX8111XegeiReHXMQ-AnUZgtSmqns_bw1NJNa5o47zgapBTImBJMjvnKb9d7xH5iZmLwzvAunpjSiCxyP_5EFzfdWlEYh/s1600/Spot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: #0066cc; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqAJzFqAEDWDznkKNpg6Uru8JWk6pSJouJphot661epdZ11ogX8111XegeiReHXMQ-AnUZgtSmqns_bw1NJNa5o47zgapBTImBJMjvnKb9d7xH5iZmLwzvAunpjSiCxyP_5EFzfdWlEYh/s320/Spot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot, waiting for dolphins to appear</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I want to thank Dave for reviewing the daily menu. Most of you
know that I love to cook, have a wonderful stocked pantry and a<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>galley that has all the luxuries of home( but
not a gas stove, I miss my gas stove when cruising). I did have to get a new
Induction , mine broke just before we departed Solomons. I ordered a new and
better one while underway, from Amazon , and had it delivered to Homer Smiths in
Beaufort NC. That little cooktop is also a time saver in the morning. It can
boil water in seconds for Dave’s morning tea and Joan’s oatmeal… it took
several minutes to boil water in the microwave. Tick Tock…the Captain is
waiting for Bertha to get her shower and get underway.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thanks for following us…Blessings </span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Spot is well and enjoying her bird watching, dolphin watching
activities.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-49639199298975778602018-10-25T15:39:00.002-04:002018-10-25T15:43:40.454-04:002018 Down trhe ICW!!<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time of year. We are once
again preparing to head into the deep blue seas to explore the coastlines of
America and visit the waters of the Bahamas. This year the plan is generally to
head south along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, take periodic excursions
along the way, then leave the boat in Palm Beach, Florida for about<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>a month while we go back up to
Virginia/Maryland to visit our family and friends over Christmas. After the New
Year, we will link back up with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling
Soul</i> and head to the Bahamas for another winter. Exactly where we will go
in da’ islands and what we will do when we get there we are not yet sure. We
are determined, however, to do something a little bit different than we did
last year. Lobstering is a definite possibility and so is visiting more of the
out islands. You will just have to wait until we get there to learn more (and
so will we).</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP_2uL_sy3U9PGXia_pxns89bzYpSCizybMP8ut7wNMC01SNglbdJEVYubrsInNY0aY9vnIkXzy0Xis4xz8XLfTLACSotA0u1aZaRu8zSW3upSTM3DkybURrY453rm7xiEkaBanTvuz-Y/s1600/DSCN0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP_2uL_sy3U9PGXia_pxns89bzYpSCizybMP8ut7wNMC01SNglbdJEVYubrsInNY0aY9vnIkXzy0Xis4xz8XLfTLACSotA0u1aZaRu8zSW3upSTM3DkybURrY453rm7xiEkaBanTvuz-Y/s320/DSCN0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
More of you than I care to mention ask more questions about </div>
<div>
Spot than the rest of us combined. And she knows it.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>
spent a relatively uneventful summer at her slip in Solomons, MD. I know some
of you really enjoy counting the boat units we spend to make her seaworthy, but
this year we deliberately kept expenditures to a minimum because we bought a
new car and didn’t have any money left over. (I don’t know how landlubbers can
spend sooo much on automobiles – and sometimes even buy more than one of them!
Gimme a good ol’ dinghy any old day). <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
other reason we didn’t spend masses of BU’s is because we have, over the past
several years, repaired just about everything at least once, so very little is
left to break down (knock on wood). Moreover, we have made most of the
modifications we want to make. Yes, it is true we replaced an air conditioner this
year at the cost of about four BU’s and an air conditioner pump that cost
another two.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Beyond that, however, most
of the repairs were small and we did them ourselves. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">While <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>
didn’t have much work done, I certainly did. In July I had outpatient back
surgery to fix problems that had been brewing for decades and had been
practically debilitating for the past couple of years. It took a couple of
weeks for the operation to have its full effect, but I am now repaired! It’s
not perfect in that there is still some pain, but at least I can walk for more
than ten minutes at a time. Now, all I have to do is recondition my “walking
muscles” – kind of a weird problem for a former US Army infantryman! </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann has been healthy all summer and has done yeoman service
getting me to all the doctor’s appointments and hospital visits. Moreover, when
recovering from back surgery one is not supposed to lift any more than 10
pounds, so Ann has had to do all the heavy lifting in the family. And Spot?
Well, Spot is Spot. She is as spoiled as ever, has slept more than any cat
deserves to sleep, and has run, jumped and climbed like a kitten. I can tell,
though, that she is as ready to head south as Ann and I are. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IBL_Zjo6nkiG9iEK8ht3iMEdWwuMy7tYhExfNWT-PH-NwA_cJ8Nog3EiCjRQEa_wd3ZZ1BCZ2pLjggxc_s1EZNo9Oi9Skst_a4vI_oLKWTzr-aH2R9Mhh4hahFviWBLc4cXuL4CFg8fj/s1600/thebeatingswillcontinue-350x350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IBL_Zjo6nkiG9iEK8ht3iMEdWwuMy7tYhExfNWT-PH-NwA_cJ8Nog3EiCjRQEa_wd3ZZ1BCZ2pLjggxc_s1EZNo9Oi9Skst_a4vI_oLKWTzr-aH2R9Mhh4hahFviWBLc4cXuL4CFg8fj/s320/thebeatingswillcontinue-350x350.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have already told Dave and Joan the motto of Traveling Soul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This year, for part of the journey, our friends Dave and
Joan Wolf have signed on as crew. We have owned two boats with Dave and Joan
and they have become some of our best friends. They will be with us from or
start in Solomons, MD until we reach Saint Augustine, FL.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I have already told them the motto of
Traveling Soul. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Solomons to Fishing
Bay</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our journey actually began several weeks before 17 October
as we had to load the boat with everything we had taken off her earlier in the
year. That meant not only clothing and kitchen gadgetry (what would Traveling
Soul be if not the boat with the best equipped galley on the ICW?), it also
meant food, medicines (which is turning into a major chore in and of
itself),<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Since I couldn’t lift much, a
lot of the responsibility fell on Ann. When everything was loaded, we
were ready to go.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We were just about ready to start our journey. The plan was
to spend Monday night on the boat in the marina. On Tuesday we were going to
start her up, move a mile or so into the harbor, and spend the night at anchor just
to make sure all the systems were working – especially the batteries and the
rest of the electrical system.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Monday
night went fine, but as soon as we awoke on Tuesday, Dave (of Dave and Joan)
received a message that someone had broken into their house. Now we were all
pretty sure it was a false alarm, but there was no reason to have them spend
the next several weeks on the boat wondering whether their house had been
burgled. Dave and Joan rented a car, drove to Virginia and found no indications
of anyone being in the house. They then returned to Solomons. The next morning, they returned the car and were ready, once again to begin our
journey.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcmlBfxQIYxepYlxbwdidkqv109kuk9qmOgMGJV0n56pClY-PHqOaA5OP8XBNzRWE6aM4SY4i54MuKvwZDqT01lLpUquIwp8UFf_Fq3WeGOqSCemc7f8k2dE8etHa6bfFUqqtEbVyL5Xi/s1600/DSCN0626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcmlBfxQIYxepYlxbwdidkqv109kuk9qmOgMGJV0n56pClY-PHqOaA5OP8XBNzRWE6aM4SY4i54MuKvwZDqT01lLpUquIwp8UFf_Fq3WeGOqSCemc7f8k2dE8etHa6bfFUqqtEbVyL5Xi/s320/DSCN0626.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Our friends Dave and Joan. You can tell that it is still a bit </div>
<div>
chilly by their dress. Note, however, that Dave is in </div>
<div>
appropriate attire: shorts and a sweat shirt.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Okay, on Wednesday morning we were determined to leave. I
started the starboard engine VROOOM, VROOM. I then started the port engine.
Again, VROOM, VROOM. Finally we were ready to go. I then put both engines into
ge … into ge … the starboard engine would not go in to gear. Damn! I knew
exactly what to do. I ran to the dockmaster’s office and asked for mechanical
help. The office called Wayne (about whom, more later) who showed up at the
boat went down into the engine room and immediately diagnosed the problem.
Basically, while we had started the engines and exercised other systems of the
boat during the summer, we had never really put her into gear, so the gears had
frozen in place. With a healthy dose of “liquid wrench” and a big hammer, he loosened
everything and we were – once again – ready to begin. This time we made it away
from the dock and were off.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The first night we made it all the way to the anchorage at
Fishing Bay, just south of Deltaville. Unfortunately, the following day was
forecast to be very windy and, on the Chesapeake, very choppy, so we decided to
sit out the weather at anchor. Fishing Bay was just about the perfect
anchorage. It is well protected from all directions and most especially from
the north and west – the directions from which the winds were coming. While the
winds did get up to 30+ knots, the day and evening were pretty uneventful and –
dare I say it – boring.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Fishing Bay to Top
Rack</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Fishing Bay, we were off to Top Rack Marina in
Chesapeake, VA. We have been to Top Rack a number of times over the years and
have always loved it. In the past, they had the cheapest fuel in the region and
offered free dockage if you ate at their restaurant, the Amber Lantern. More
recently, because so many of our fellow cruisers cheated the system by taking
advantage of the free docking without eating in the restaurant, the marina
began charging a flat rate of $35 for an overnight stay. This is still a great
deal, especially when you realize the Amber Lantern is one of the best restaurants
along the Waterway and would be competitive with some of the best in the DC
area. This year I had Canadian duck. Now I have been known to give our Canadian
brothers and sisters a hard time once in a while. But I’ll tell you what, they
sure know how to make ducks up there!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLqx4wIXMdzKCt6L3lKIj8xTxIKDUO56NaGrCU4K9jdBAk5fO58v6E2DotxF2dJiYeSl0TE5xZME2IeDWHsIqokelvEqgNnnEig7-PyA-X5PtmLAypSLzF7W-KzghWV7ySqCjOPkPMljo/s1600/IMG_0118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLqx4wIXMdzKCt6L3lKIj8xTxIKDUO56NaGrCU4K9jdBAk5fO58v6E2DotxF2dJiYeSl0TE5xZME2IeDWHsIqokelvEqgNnnEig7-PyA-X5PtmLAypSLzF7W-KzghWV7ySqCjOPkPMljo/s320/IMG_0118.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Red 36. The first buoy on the Intracoastal. </div>
<div>
Mile Marker Zero</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Okay, after having bragged about Top Tack, you would think
we had a great experience with them. We did not. Slips with electricity are supposed
to be first come first served. Just as we arrived, a large 65’ boat named <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maverick</i> whipped around us and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">with the acquiescence of the dockmaster</b>
took the last slip with power – he basically cut the line. Needless to say, I
was a bit miffed and explained my concerns to the dockmaster. He apologized
profusely and promised a free slip with power for the next two times we stay. We’ll
see. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was also at Top Rack that we made a discovery. Our bilge pump had been going off a little more often than I thought it should, and it seemed to be "sticking" somewhat. I decided that I needed to take a look and see what was going on. When I got down there, I saw oil; lots of oil. When our mechanic, Wayne (remember him?), changed our oil he said something about spilling some and cleaning it up. Well, he apparently cleaned up the oil in the engine room without realizing that some (a great deal?) of it leaked into the bilge. So, we had to get as much as we could out of there before we pumped more into the Bay and had to get some absorbent pads that would get the rest. Hey, Wayne … thanks! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Dismal Swamp</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnA8RKlypErCyBF7KMrZUq-MemcTGvwcF6ofYm1N6VKuPL8mYfW8rcU8jiXeKcP7E7-M-5hrEaH2JdC0wZ38Mg2beuMCypJBih_CcivLwJserB1JoLQH4UXkDFxT5DLKd7wSezzg0c2gm/s1600/20181020_082939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnA8RKlypErCyBF7KMrZUq-MemcTGvwcF6ofYm1N6VKuPL8mYfW8rcU8jiXeKcP7E7-M-5hrEaH2JdC0wZ38Mg2beuMCypJBih_CcivLwJserB1JoLQH4UXkDFxT5DLKd7wSezzg0c2gm/s320/20181020_082939.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
A sign at Deep Creek Lock -- the entrance to the</div>
<div>
Dismal Swamp Canal</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Top Rack we took the Dismal Swamp Canal route through
the ICW. (After Norfolk, the ICW divides into two routes, the Dismal Swamp
route and the Virginia Cut. They both end up at the same location in the
Albemarle Sound, it is just that the Dismal Swamp route is a bit more scenic and
has more history. </span><span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Here is a little bit about the canal from Wikipedia.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;">In
the Colonial period, water transportation was the lifeblood of the North Carolina Sounds </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">region and the Tidewater areas of Virginia</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">. The landlocked sounds were entirely dependent
upon poor overland tracks or shipment along the treacherous Carolina coast to
reach further markets through Norfolk, Virginia. In May 1763, George Washington </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">made his first visit to the Great Dismal Swamp </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">and suggested draining it and digging a
north-south canal through it to connect the waters of the Chesapeake Bay </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">in Virginia and Albemarle Sound </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">in North Carolina. As the first president,
Washington agreed with Virginia Governor Patrick Henry </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">that canals were the easiest answer for an
efficient means of internal transportation and urged their creation and
improvement.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;">Work on the canal was started in 1793. It was dug completely by
hand; most of the labor was done by slaves hired from nearby landowners. It
took approximately 12 years of back-breaking construction under highly
unfavorable conditions to complete the 22-mile long waterway, which opened in
1805. </span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Even more interestingly from the same source,</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px 48px;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; margin: 0px;">At about the time the canal opened, the Dismal Swamp Hotel was
built astride the state line on the west bank. It was a popular spot for
lover's trysts as well as duels; the winner was rarely arrested as the dead
man, as well as the crime, were in another state. As the state line split the
main salon, the hotel was quite popular with gamblers who would simply move the
game to the opposite side of the room with the arrival of the sheriff from the
other jurisdiction. No trace of the hotel can be found today.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v5sODty4u-oTLQYZQGf50N8KHq-A5ZPJVMU15x7C134_Tsw419qcZiur1CTzUY8uSELd_dSVa52uzEqGFtOxYagDWbow0hngvkWPaKbun42cLiYQlEdLpBGpB33XDJN0cHi_5kpp9aZF/s1600/DSCN0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v5sODty4u-oTLQYZQGf50N8KHq-A5ZPJVMU15x7C134_Tsw419qcZiur1CTzUY8uSELd_dSVa52uzEqGFtOxYagDWbow0hngvkWPaKbun42cLiYQlEdLpBGpB33XDJN0cHi_5kpp9aZF/s320/DSCN0015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
The view off our bow as we traversed the </div>
<div>
Dismal Swamp Canal</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We did not see the hotel. Instead, what we saw was a canal,
about 100’ across at the widest point, straight as an arrow for about 20 miles.
It was supposed to be maintained at a 6’ depth, but since our 4.5’ draft boat
bumped the bottom several times, I have to guess that it isn’t 6’ everywhere.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Moreover, the day we traversed it, the
weather was cold, wet, rainy and dreary making the swamp even more dismal than
normal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I am thinking this may be the
last time we take the Dismal Swamp route. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Elizabeth City</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We knew that weather – in the form of gale force winds – was
coming into the area the day after we completed the Canal, so we decided to head
for Elizabeth City and catch one the free slips the city offers. THAT was a
mistake. When weather is coming, every boat in the area is going to be looking for
safe harbor. Moreover since the Elizabeth City slips are free, everyone will be heading for Elizabeth City as their harbor of preference. Since we had to
proceed slowly through the Dismal Swamp, we arrived at the city much later that we had planned. As a result,
there were no free slips left that were big enough for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>. We could have anchored, and since we have anchored in
MUCH worse weather than was predicted, I was fully prepared to do so. However,
there was also a commercial marina in the area, the Pelican Marina. When we
found out that it charged a flat rate of $35 per night, including electric and
water, we decided that the cost was worth it. While the city slips are free, you see, they do not offer electricity or water.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">While in Elizabeth City, we saw our friends Jeff and Sally
on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adirondack</i>. We met them several years
ago in Bimini and gave presentations together three years ago at the now-defunct
Hampton Snowbird Rendezvous. We also saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Glory
Days</i>, though, try as we might, we could not seem to link up with Joe and
Pat. After two days paying for electricity, water and dockage at the marina, on
Monday we moved into one of the free slips and went to the Regional Museum of the
Albemarle, right across the slip. It is extremely well done and tells the
story of the Albemarle very well. They also had an exhibit on WWI and did a
very good job there, as well. Dave Wolf, one of the new members of our crew, is
something of an expert on WWI and also thought that they had done a good job. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For lunch we went to the Cypress Greek Grill on Water Street
in Elizabeth City. Although I didn’t see anything on their menu that was Cypriot
or Greek, they did have a Yellow fin tuna wrap that was to die for. It might
become one of my favorite meals!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 13.33px;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After a great deal of discussion we decided that the next
leg of the trip would take us to Manteo, on Roanoke Island, the home of the
Lost Colony and the site of the first European birth on American soil – that of
Virginia Dare. We are saving that discussion, however, for our next entry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b></b><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b>Ann's Notes:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I feel like a school girl when Michael said I needed to do my part of the blog...remember going back to school in September and the first writing assignment is ...What I did on Summer vacation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Well here goes...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We arrived back to Solomons on the 21st of May, just in time for our granddaughter Caylin's 11th birthday celebration. Hard to believe she is a Tween.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was good to be back on land and into our wonderful land condo. However we were only home a few days before flying off to CA to visit our daughter Lisa and husband Dave. They had just moved from 29 Palms CA to Oceanside CA, he is assigned to Camp Pendleton Marine Corp base. We had a short and fun filled visit with them and our grandson Trent. From CA, Michael and I went in different directions. Michael went to AZ to visit his mom and I went to OR to visit my mom and sister Liz. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We both had a week with our families. I did some pretty tricky planning, those eight years I was a travel agent came in handy. Michael and I meet at Dulles airport, from different states and different airlines, and landed within fifteen minuets of each other. We linked up in baggage claim, picked up our car from long term parking and drove off. In case you were wondering where Spot as, she was enjoying her vacation at Dave and Joan's house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">June was filled was doctors appointment and the normal yearly medical stuff. My doctor was pleased to see that I had lost weight over the winter even while living on a boat. I have managed to keep it off and feel so much better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">W bought a new car. We now have a Ford Fusion Hybrid...I love how quiet it is. After driving around in the little Mazda Miata , having cruise control and automatic transmission is wonderful. I thought I would miss that little car but I was wrong. We had it detailed, put it on several local sites and it sold for a fair price and quickly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">July was filled with visits with family and friends, nice summer days. I had a small garden on our back deck, watched the humming birds return and all the song birds to the feeders. I also put a squirrel feeder out so Spot could have something to watch. We had a busy back deck.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Michael had his back surgery on the 30th of July.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">August was recovery month, a few more medical appointments. Lots of packing and unpacking and re-organizing the boat. Now that we have a bigger car that task was much easier. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">September was a fun month, Michael had recovered enough to make it to his 45th West Point class reunion. We went a few days early so I could visit were I grew up in Saugerties NY. Thanks to my cousin Ralph and his wife Mary, I got to visit all the places I remembered as a child. It was a great day and discovered I had a pretty good memory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The reunion was GREAT, I had hopes of seeing a few friends I had lost track of and my wish came true. Army won the football game and the event was well organized. The downside was our hotel was about an hour away from West Point campus and the bus ride got old fast. All and all it was well worth the time and expense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We are now into October, I am sitting on Traveling Soul with Michael and our good friends Dave and Joan. Spot has settled into her cruising mode and being her best spoiled feline self.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul....OUT </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-66019877062319334892018-04-25T12:45:00.002-04:002018-04-25T12:46:11.713-04:00Abacos II: On the Way Home<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Dark Apples, Dark Waves and Abacos III</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ladies and Gentlemen, you are in for a treat. You are the
first people (after Ann) to read about a theory of oceanography that will
revolutionize the field. You must feel like Einstein’s editor when he published
his first paper on relativity, right? Ok, here goes. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Many of you have heard about the theory of Dark Matter.
Basically, physicists have measured all the matter in the known universe and
determined its gravitational pull. They then compared that pull to the
gravitational forces that must exist so the universe doesn’t fly apart. Guess
what. They have determined that there is not enough matter in the universe to
hold it together. Now that could be a problem unless you posit the existence of
matter that we cannot see – and call it “Dark Matter.” You see theories of
physics and the calculations of physicists cannot be wrong because … well …
they are physicists … and physicists cannot be wrong. It must be, then, that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">reality</b> is wrong. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Let me explain this mathematically. When I was a kid, my
teacher would ask me “Mikey, what it 2+2?” Sometimes, I would answer “5.” She
would tell me that I was wrong and prove it by going through the apple proof.
“See, Mikey,” she would say. “When I take two apples and add two more apples,
how many apples do we have? Let’s count: 1 … 2 … 3 … 4.” My teacher, brilliant
though she might have been, never saw … (wait for it) … the “</span><span style="font-family: "ravie";">Dark Apple</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">.” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I</b> was not wrong. I could not be wrong, because I am … well … me.
There just had to be a dark apple.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I know you can see where this is going, but let me explain
it anyway. We have all been there. We have been waiting for a weather window to
cross between two pieces of land. Finally, the forecasters tell us the waves
are going to be between 2 and 3 feet so we head out. Of course, when we get to
the water, we find the waves are at least 3-4 feet. When they tell us to expect
3-4 feet, we more often than not see waves of between 5’ and 7’, and on it
goes. Previously we mariners have had the audacity to believe that these well
paid and comfortable meteorologists were wrong. Now we know the truth. The
difference between the model output and reality was “</span><span style="font-family: "ravie";">Dark Waves</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">.” Now, you know why weather forecasters can keep their
job even though they are so often wrong. It is the “Dark Wave” phenomenon. I know,
right? How simple, yet so elegant. Maybe, just maybe THIS will get me the Nobel
Prize</span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Abacos III<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Okay, back to boating. After Dave and Joan left, Ann and I
hung around Marsh Harbor for a few days before we started meandering home. We
had to accomplish two tasks before we left Marsh. First, we needed to visit the
Jib Room.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2dQU3-mb7w7xxNk620_pG4zwOwJrt0VD3NsaMGCKlxxFUADDCxw-l89IvuskOpwXRp5b5Xz1M9VPBbb0Nh06faeLiDrleMxnfFtisbC4qj9d0w9x9jpD1n5NZV6Bdh-kkX6lQAI62BtX/s1600/DSCN0585+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2dQU3-mb7w7xxNk620_pG4zwOwJrt0VD3NsaMGCKlxxFUADDCxw-l89IvuskOpwXRp5b5Xz1M9VPBbb0Nh06faeLiDrleMxnfFtisbC4qj9d0w9x9jpD1n5NZV6Bdh-kkX6lQAI62BtX/s320/DSCN0585+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here it is ... a BLT with home made onion rings <br />
and a Kalik on the side. According to Ann,<br />
life can't get much better.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Some of you may remember that the first year we visited the
Bahamas, we spent most of our time at the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marsh
Harbor Marina, </i>which houses the<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Jib
Room Restaurant</i>. While we were there, Ann fell in love with the restaurant’s
Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich on Bahamian bread, especially when it was
served with Marvin,s home-made onion rings. Every year since then, we have had
to visit the Jib Room, if for no other reason than for Ann to have her BLT with
onion rings. I joined her this year and I have to admit, they were scrumptious.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After the Jib Room we just had to visit the most secret of
grocery stores – a place called Skaggs. Skaggs is located at the southern tip of
Marsh Harbor and is co-located with a fish processing facility. Skaggs appears
to specialize in two things: fresh fish, which they get from next door, and
bulk items that you might find stateside in a place like Costco’s. The reason
we go there is so we can buy mass quantities of lobster. This year we bought 10
pounds of Bahamian spiny lobster tails for $166. Now that is a chunk of change,
but these were good sized lobster tails. Year-before-last we bought 10 pounds
and there were 33 of them. This year there were only 20 because we deliberately
bought bigger tails. Mmmmmmmmm we are looking forward to lobster of all kinds
in the coming weeks and months.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Since we had arrived in the Abacos, Ann had wanted to go to
a special ceramics store located at Treasure Cay. Although we had been to
Treasure twice this trip for a couple of days each, we had always been there on
a weekend or a holiday and the store hasn’t been open. After Dave and Joan
left, we decided to go to Treasure one more time so we could get to the
ceramics store. There we spent a couple of nights on a mooring ball <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">and</b> we bicycled to the ceramics store
which was only a couple of miles down the road. Now, Ann had told me that she was
looking for a specific dish, but when we got there, we got the specific dish
she was looking for, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> a nice
butter dish, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> this dish <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> that dish and pretty soon I was
afraid we were going to buy the store out! We made it back to the boat and continued
our trip north. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had already set a tentative date for our arrival back in
the States. In fact, we had already made an appointment with Marine Plumbing
Services to fix our heads. (No, not those heads, our BATHROOM heads – Jeez, you
people. Since we had a few days before we needed to head back, we decided we
would meander back through the northern Abacos where we have actually spent
very little time in years past. The first order of business was to go to
Foxtown.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtU9NsoWv-O58cTD5EVurM9A8Zu5O_y3b14AsuMcdDXTg3mzFMnhtd6JQuaxgJr_LAPpD3Jly_iHwCOpn5Rllg8TchHry1H8krfJ-dCaal7QlBkvtfYBH6fnjxM8f2-AUVudJm-Cqps35/s1600/DSCN0587+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtU9NsoWv-O58cTD5EVurM9A8Zu5O_y3b14AsuMcdDXTg3mzFMnhtd6JQuaxgJr_LAPpD3Jly_iHwCOpn5Rllg8TchHry1H8krfJ-dCaal7QlBkvtfYBH6fnjxM8f2-AUVudJm-Cqps35/s400/DSCN0587+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our signature from our visit in January 2012.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The first year we were in the Bahamas, we traveled with our
friend, John Cairn aboard his boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vulcan</i>.
It was John’s mother’s birthday and he wanted to call her. He had heard they
had free wi-fi in Foxtown at a place called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Da
Valley</i>. I am not going to tell the whole story, but when we got there, John
connected via Skype and called his mom. Now, although we love John dearly, he
is a bit of a cheapskate and didn’t order any food; he just wanted to use their
wi-fi. Ann and I thought that we really ought to order something so we asked
for a beer each. John spent so much time using their free internet connection
that Ann and I thought we should spend a little more money, so we decided to
come back the next day for lunch. We got there and ordered something we had
never before eaten – cracked conch. OMG it was wonderful! I fell in love not
just with the cracked conch, but with the way they cooked it at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Da Valley</i>. On every trip since then we
have tried to get back to Foxtown, just for <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cracked conch. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I ordered cracked conch and a Kalik beer. It is still the
best cracked conch in the Bahamas. It is cracked perfectly, it is battered to
perfection, fried just right and seasoned like nowhere else. Mmmmmmmm My mouth
is watering just writing about it.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Next, we wanted to go to a restaurant called “Rosie’s” on
Grand Cay in the northern Abacos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had
heard mixed reviews and weren’t sure what to expect, but we wanted to go
because … well, because it was there. The problem was that there were not many
good anchorages near Rosie’s. Moreover, we expected wind was from the west, which
means there was really only one anchorage we could use – the anchorage at
Double Breasted Cays. Now, I am a red-blooded American boy at heart. Of course,
I wanted to go to Double Breasted Cays, who wouldn’t? Unfortunately, there was
one very shallow area through which we needed to pass at high tide. And, this
time of year, high tide was very early in the morning and a little after midday
during daylight. We needed a lot more flexibility than that and had to forego
our trip to Rosie’s. (Deep wistful sigh) Maybe next year.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Instead we went to an anchorage we had not seen before and
from the looks of it, not many other people had been here either. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in the Bight of Abaco and is one of the
most isolated set of anchorages we have ever seen. We knew also that it would
provide excellent protection from the west and the south, where the winds were
supposed to come from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How isolated was
it? Well, after we turned into the Bight we saw only one house. It was on the
southern side of Little Abaco and was maybe two miles away. As we grew closer
to the anchorage, however, we lost sight of that house and all vestiges of
civilization save one; we could see Foxtown’s cell tower several miles in the
distance – which meant that we still had an internet connection. We really
wanted to take the dinghy ashore and explore the islands and their beaches a
little, but we had been having a few problems with the dinghy. And I wasn’t
sure this was the place we wanted it to fail us when we were, for example, on
the shore of an island 500 meters from the boat. It would be a long swim. So we
just enjoyed the protection and the splendid isolation the anchorage provided.
All was right with the world. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgitrr4VPRhnd1XpRDzJOog_FbP9bR_bKY8HHJqCDrOZwbyjtvzrin6koVAW0k14orHgZM8ZPew3gAtsLVSzloFGI0UsJhr8xqqmpRSzXTZlPigKMVC9i22809AeOXSdGWkCuZEBsESG_/s1600/IMG-1078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgitrr4VPRhnd1XpRDzJOog_FbP9bR_bKY8HHJqCDrOZwbyjtvzrin6koVAW0k14orHgZM8ZPew3gAtsLVSzloFGI0UsJhr8xqqmpRSzXTZlPigKMVC9i22809AeOXSdGWkCuZEBsESG_/s400/IMG-1078.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weather closing in on us at West End. <br />
We are the little boat in the middle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The next day we faced a conundrum. We still needed
protection from the south and west, but this time it wasn’t just wind, there
were thunderstorms predicted for later that afternoon. We hemmed and hawed and
hawed and hemmed and eventually decided that we would head on into the Old
Bahama Bay Marina at West End and wait for a weather window to cross the Gulf
Stream. We would be at Old Bahama Bay on Tuesday and would probably leave
Thursday or Friday.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As it turned out, we arrived at Old Bahama Bay about an hour
before a major thunderstorm hit the marina. We could see the dark clouds rolling
towards us and the marina and, so we made sure Traveling Soul was well tied
down and that our fenders and all other equipment was properly deployed. When
the storm hit, man there was a lot of wind! Some people, whose timing was less
fortuitous than ours, actually tried to dock during the storm. We didn’t see
any boats get seriously damaged, but we saw a lot of close calls and we heard
some near panic on the radio. In fact, one sailboat anchored in the turning
basin – normally a no-no – so he didn’t have to dock in a slip.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had hoped to leave on Friday, but the weather kept
evolving – and the dark waves kept getting bigger – so we didn’t depart until
Saturday. To be honest, I was expecting a bit of a bumpy crossing, but it
turned out much better than I had feared. In fact, on an “A – F” scale, Ann and
I both gave it a solid B. Even Spot was not too upset. Although she spent much
of her time under the pillows, she did venture out a little to get some food. Then,
at about 1600 on Saturday 14 April, our 2018 Bahama adventure ended in Lake
Worth, near North Palm Beach, Florida.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes: I think Michael has been watching too many episodes
of the Big Bang Theory on TV or DVD. I often wonder what is going on in his
head, now you know why I don’t ask some times. Dark Matter, Fractals and Chaos Theory
is on his mind, I think about more practical things, like what is for dinner,
are the heads clean and are the freezer and fridge doors locked down so all the
food does not fall out , in case a sudden dark wave should suddenly appear and
rock the boat. Just saying…Mars vs Venus way of thinking. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We did enjoy our last few weeks in the Bahamas. Michael was
looking forward to the cracked conch in Foxtown as much as I did the BLT and
onion rings at the jib room. It is good when the food is as good as you remember
it.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It seems every time we return from one of our Bahama adventures,
we have a few things that stop working properly. This year it was our middle
head and our dinghy motor. Our dinghy is like our car when we are on the water
and have to go to shore, so not having it puts a stop to going out and
exploring. The good part of these breakdowns is that they are sorta minor fixes
compared to last year when we had to buy a new $$$$ generator$$$$. Our bank
account is still recovering from that one.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think next year we
are going to have two inflatable kayaks to play and explore with, that will be
great exercise and we will have much more flexibility to explore little
mangrove rivers on some of the out islands. That will be a lot of fun, much
easier to deploy than the larger, heavy, fishing kayak we have on board now and
only one person can use at a time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am glad to be back in the USA, the land of plenty and working
our way North once more.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thank you for following us…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT </span></div>
Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-79600154699019729302018-04-13T17:11:00.003-04:002018-04-13T17:11:39.455-04:00Dave and Joan's Excellent Vacation<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On March 22 we pulled into Harborview Marina in Marsh
Harbor. Actually the Bahamians spell it “Harbour” because they were a British
colony. But Mr. Gates continually corrects my spelling whenever I write it the
British/Bahamian way, so for me, it is now “Marsh Harbor.” Anyway, our friends
Dave and Joan Wolf arrived the next day. We had planned a couple of boat trips,
one each to Treasure Cay and Hope Town, one car trip the length of Great Abaco Island,
and a ferry trip to Nippers on Great Guana. We planned on spending the rest of
our time relaxing in or around the marina.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Dave and Joan arrived on Friday, and on Saturday we were on
our way to Treasure Cay. I wrote about Treasure Cay in our last entry when Ann
and I went there on our own, so I won’t tell you how beautiful the beach there
is. I’ll just say it is 3 ½ miles of the most magnificent, powdery sand that you
have ever seen and that, more often than not, the beach is practically empty. I
will say the weather for our cruise to Treasure was nearly perfect. Moreover,
we immediately found a mooring ball in a very good location. The location is
important to us because our boat is bigger than most, and the pennants at
Treasure (the lines connecting the boat to the mooring balls) are at least 20
feet long. That means that just sitting on the mooring ball we take up 72’. If
you double that (in case the wind changes) it means we have to have 144’
diameter to swing. Anyway, after hooking up to the ball, we went ashore to
check out a few of the little stores in the neighborhood. We thought about
going swimming in the pool, but you know how it is; sometimes when you have
spent a stressful morning cruising in near ideal conditions, have hooked a
mooring ball without any wind, and have engaged in some “Retail Therapy,” it is
time to take a nap. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now, not everyone knows how to take a nap in the middle of
the afternoon. Dave and Joan aren’t yet retired and haven’t learned the art. Me?
I have been retired for six years now and have mastered the afternoon nap. I
know, some of you look down on us nappers, but look at our brethren. To name a
few, </span></div>
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Leonardo da
Vinci</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> took
multiple naps a day and slept less at night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Napoleon</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> was not shy about taking naps.
He indulged daily.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Albert
Einstein</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> napped each
day—on top of getting ten hours of sleep each night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thomas
Edison</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> was
embarrassed about his napping habit, but practiced his ritual daily.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gene Autry</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> routinely took naps in his
dressing room between performances.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">John F.
Kennedy</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ate his
lunch in bed and then settled in for a nap—every day!<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">John D.
Rockefeller</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> napped
every afternoon in his office.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Winston
Churchill’s</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> believed a
nap helped him get twice as much done each day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lyndon B.
Johnson</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> took a nap
every afternoon at 3:30 p.m. to break his day up into “two shifts.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; color: #454545; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ronald
Reagan</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> famously
took naps as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtytISS8pASG3aoInzQ8WC0CWU3TfgvIDfpTeVaacjdIXD83wisUVwj_Rju4tOJbC3QAmwie0lS03dZpcc7_1dLQYuMy2xhIjAUQStZ_usevJAzcd2TMYGI_ScpQYQWvSLEcy4yu6f50qO/s1600/napping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtytISS8pASG3aoInzQ8WC0CWU3TfgvIDfpTeVaacjdIXD83wisUVwj_Rju4tOJbC3QAmwie0lS03dZpcc7_1dLQYuMy2xhIjAUQStZ_usevJAzcd2TMYGI_ScpQYQWvSLEcy4yu6f50qO/s320/napping.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you love someone ... let him nap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There are several different methods of nap taking. The first
is what I call the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">power nap</b> aka the
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">key nap</b>. You lay down, preferably on
a sofa with keys in your hand and your hand dangling over the edge. When you
fall seriously asleep the keys will fall out of your hand, hit the floor and
waking you up. That means nap time is over and it is time to get going again. I
sometimes take power naps when we are cruising and I can barely keep my eyes
open. I ask Ann to take over for a few minutes so I can take a power nap. You
would be surprised how effective it can be in giving you an extra energy boost.
Second, of course, there is the regular <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">afternoon
nap</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My afternoon nap typically
comes just after I have had lunch with a beer. The afternoon nap is generally a
bit longer than the power nap, and I prefer to take mine on the sofa. You see there
is activity in and around the salon such that I cannot get into REM sleep; I can
doze just deeply enough to re-energize myself. Finally, there is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">serious nap</b>. For that, I head to the
bedroom or stateroom, get under the covers and get into REM sleep. Doctors will
tell you that 90 minutes is a REM cycle and encourage you to sleep at least that
long. I don’t do that very often, but once in a while there is nothing better. Remember
my new motto: If you love them, let them nap. Anyhow, that is enough about
napping.</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoHqpIz_jeFZEDLu_gOn8fsdY2kXA8kegi2Lc1wUS7hCEEuOVoeUeofycrBflLTDvBLah5dz_Rqo6Agb2ab-BhoCPXsBACHYivxaBlaLTrAsLtGyodDzUdI7srTOC0S0AopbnDhh6448Z/s1600/IMG_0024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoHqpIz_jeFZEDLu_gOn8fsdY2kXA8kegi2Lc1wUS7hCEEuOVoeUeofycrBflLTDvBLah5dz_Rqo6Agb2ab-BhoCPXsBACHYivxaBlaLTrAsLtGyodDzUdI7srTOC0S0AopbnDhh6448Z/s320/IMG_0024.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave and Joan at Treasure Cay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The following day, of course, we went to Treasure Beach and
found a couple of empty cabanas. We proceeded to read, get a little sun, then we
would move our chairs into the shade so our skin could recover, then read in
the shade, go back in the sun and repeat – until lunchtime. (Remember when we
used to go “sunbathing”? Although we might have used a little suntan oil, no
one knew what “sunscreen” was, and anyone spending too much time in the shade
was a pale wimp. How in Heaven’s name did we survive?) At lunchtime we went to
Coco’s (about 50 yards away) and ordered lunch. Dave and Joan have visited us
before in the Bahamas and every time Joan has eaten conch of any kind she has
become ill. Now I am not one who thinks every time you get sick it is because
of something you ate. That said, Joan is not permitted to have cracked conch.
Since she doesn’t like it that much, this prohibition works very well. That said,
at Coco’s I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i> order cracked
conch and a beer. Then, back to the cabana. Read in the shade, get a little
sun, then repeat.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You can only have so many perfect beach days, so the
following morning we were on our way back from Treasure Cay to Marsh Harbor. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After a
restful day at Marsh, we metaphorically set sail for Hope Town. (Actually,
since we do not have sails, I guess we “set our engines” towards Hope Town. There
are three ways a cruiser can stay at Hope Town. Most people take a mooring ball.
There are about 50+ moorings inside the harbor that only cost $20 per day. They
are a really good deal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have picked
up a mooring before, but remember what I said about how much space our
particular mooring needs? Very few places at Hope Town have that much space, so
we have to come up with an Alternative. If we couldn’t take a mooring in the
harbor, we could have anchored outside the harbor and, as long as the winds are
from the east, we would have been fairly well protected. Or, you can rent a slip
at the Hope Town Inn and Marina, which is what we did. This time, though, I
wish we hadn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Over the radio, the dockmaster told me that our slip wasn’t ready
so we would be moving into a “temporary” slip. Now I’m not big on temporary
slips because it is difficult to dock a big boat with any kind of wind, but I
figured I could discuss that with the dockmaster later. Then he told me I would
be backing into a slip intended for a 30’ boat. I reminded him that we were <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">52</b> feet in length and that we had a
great deal of windage that obeyed the laws of the wind, not necessarily the
instructions from the helm and that it was very windy outside. He pretended not
to have heard me. Well, I lined up to back in and just as we were nearing the
slip, the wind caught the stern and moved us very close to the boat next door.
Needless to say, I gave her some power and we got out of there. The dockmaster
suggested I might feel better going in bow first. Really? Like I hadn’t
suggested that five minutes earlier? Oh well, we lined up and moved into the
slip. However, remember that stern that liked to follow the laws of nature not
necessarily orders from the helm? My stern was now sticking over 25 feet into
the channel, receiving instructions from the wind to move further and further
from the finger pier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now had this been
a decent-sized slip, we would have tied the stern to a piling and that would
have been that – but Nooooo, this slip was short and lacked a piling where we
could tie the stern. It was a mess and the dockmaster did not cover himself in
glory (neither did I for that matter). Eventually, we got one of the aft cleats
tied to the finger pier. It was tied very awkwardly, but it lasted for the next
three days. After tying up, I was ready to get out and explore the town.. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTkCxrDKOhd1krqmy-rTz1C8ET29UPQHy7KcNZjWJDrKVHtVQPymlHPMQUNa6JzuEmiugAQw6H1RtqVoVmPHYKS3I-6zRzCjt2qpMgBAYTfsYtukRfoUOf9F5SPKsJewLQ4s16s6Ze-Xe/s1600/Mike+and+Ann.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTkCxrDKOhd1krqmy-rTz1C8ET29UPQHy7KcNZjWJDrKVHtVQPymlHPMQUNa6JzuEmiugAQw6H1RtqVoVmPHYKS3I-6zRzCjt2qpMgBAYTfsYtukRfoUOf9F5SPKsJewLQ4s16s6Ze-Xe/s320/Mike+and+Ann.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike and Ann at Hope Town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Like many other settlements in the group of islands known as the Abacos,
Hope Town was founded by Loyalists from the American Revolution. </span>Many of
the settlers had been loyal subjects in Carolinas, some in New York and New
England, and from East Florida, after East Florida was turned over to Spain in
the Peace of Paris (1783). The initial settlements in the Bahamas were at
Carleton (near the current Treasure Cay) and Marsh Harbor. By 1785, there
were over 1,000 refugees in Great Abaco who were distributed in five or six
settlements. In that same year, the settlement at Hope Town was founded,
in part, by a widow from South Carolina named Wyannie Malone. Wyannie,
along with her children, started a dynasty in Hope Town that spread the Malone
name throughout the Bahamas, over to Florida, and outwards from there.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As you tour the town, you can find evidence of the old way
of doing things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walking through the
settlement, you may discover an old stone oven for baking in the yard, or a
wooden boat under construction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
another yard, you may spot a boat of the same design many years older, rotting
away!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All over town, you will find
scattered reminders of the wrecking days, when the citizens repurposed the
cargo of ships that had foundered near shore – sometimes they foundered with
help from the locals. Near the fire station, the “cholera cemetery” provides a
grim reminder of how harsh life was in these out islands. In the 1850’s nearly
a hundred souls were buried there, when the population of the town was under 500.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After a little exploring, the first day we were there, we had
lunch at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cap’n Jack’s Bar and Grill</b>.
Having been here before, we knew that the Cap’n made homemade potato chips that
were absolutely wonderful. My plan was to go to Cap’n Jacks and just have
potato chips and beer – the lunch of champions!! Then I saw conch chowder on
the menu. Now I have had conch chowder in the past – exactly once, five years
ago. It was so spicy that I couldn’t eat it and I have never particularly
wanted to repeat that experience. Still, after I read Cap’n Jack’s description
of his conch chowder I decided that I just had to give it a try. Well, I
needn’t have worried. This conch chowder was GREAT!! I now have a new lunch
favorite: homemade potato chips, a cup of conch chowder and a Kalik beer.
Ahhhhh! It was the perfect Bahamian meal. The following day we had intended to
have lunch at a place that is about 2 miles away but we couldn’t find a golf
cart for rent. So what did we do? We went back to Cap’n Jacks! And what did I
have? Potato chips, conch chowder and a Kalik. It looked so good that Ann
ordered the same and we both had a perfect meal. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, how do we top Hope Town? Ann and I have both wanted to explore
the length and depth of the island of Great Abaco for years. You may remember
that earlier in our travels, we have rented a car to explore some of the out
islands like Cat, Long and Eleuthera, so we decided to get a car and head south
as far as we could. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Great Abaco is almost 90 miles long, but on average it
is less than 4 miles wide. It was once logged for its pine trees, and many of
the old logging trails, we have heard, lead to secluded beaches along the
coast. Having seen some of those logging trails, though, I would suggest that
for many of them you would need four-wheel drive. The island is supposedly home
to wild horses, cows, and boars, and the endangered Abaco parrots, none of
which we saw. (Actually, Joan think she may have seen a pair of parrots, winging
their way across the road.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What we did see – and what I thought was particularly
striking – was </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">pine trees, miles and miles of pine trees. Yellow pines to be
exact. As you go further south, there is a bed of palms under the pines, but
that’s about it. Pines and palms all the way south. Okay, that’s not quite
true. There are several half (or less) built “developments” on the way – like
there are in many of the out islands we have visited – the majority of which
are near the water, trying, no doubt, to attract second home buyers. We drove
into one (for which we got in “trouble” from the guard) where we saw several
roads laid in rectangular patterns, a brand new poorly thought-out marina with
zero boats in it, some very nice landscaping and about four houses. It was
really kind of sad to see so much money tied up in what will doubtless be a
failed development. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">There were also two settlements (towns), one at the southern tip of
the island, called Sandy Point, and one about half-way down called Cherokee.
Both were remarkably clean, had relatively few “second homes” and only a few
tourist amenities. We drove through them but, unfortunately, didn’t have time
to explore them in any detail. Maybe next time. We did have time to stop at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pete’s Pub and Gallery</b> at Little
Harbor. We have been there before by boat and I can assure you that boat is the
way to go. The road to Pete’s was, shall we say, a little challenging. Kind of
like the roads I used to take to my favorite fishing spots in the Rocky
Mountains. Anyway, we admired the quaintness of Little Harbor, took a look at
the gallery (where the prices are WAY out of my range) and had a quick lunch at
the Pub.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our last destination was Great Guana and the “world famous” Nipper’s
Beach Bar and Grill. We spent most of the day at Nipper’s, using their pool,
going down to the ocean, having lunch and yes, maybe one or two Kaliks.
Usually, there is a lot of tourists at Nipper’s, but <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because this was the day after the restaurant’
big Easter Bash there were very few tourist and/or boaters (who may have all
been home nursing hangovers). Instead, most of the other diners (lunchers?)
were locals. Anyhow, we had a lot of fun.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjinh8lxaferKvZYCsu6mroi8291sMpmJAog6ep8PsRCF5TlMukLw_08_TY8pIgGIgmZjxn-xwDbDnRBx0vXEDQRlz8ebyliFmU_VXulO33QNncMXSv3qRirgcokiS3Zv9e-QB69OITWMJ/s1600/DSCN0582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjinh8lxaferKvZYCsu6mroi8291sMpmJAog6ep8PsRCF5TlMukLw_08_TY8pIgGIgmZjxn-xwDbDnRBx0vXEDQRlz8ebyliFmU_VXulO33QNncMXSv3qRirgcokiS3Zv9e-QB69OITWMJ/s320/DSCN0582.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pool at Nippers taken from deck 2 ... or is it 3?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Other than the fact we went on Easter Monday, the other interesting
aspect of our trip is that we went on a local ferry. We have seen them all
around for several years, but had actually never been on one of the “Donnie Boats.”
They are called Donnie boats because their names are all Donnie plus a Roman
numeral, e.g. Donnie X, XI and XII.) It took about 30 minutes for us to get
from Marsh harbor to Great Guana and costs us $30 per person round trip. If you
us the shuttle frequently there are special rates. A ten-trip passbook, for
example, is $113.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After a few more days relaxing in Marsh Harbor, Dave and Joan
left. Back to Virginia, where, if I am not mistaken, it was snowing. We’ll be
seeing them again this summer and wish them safe travels until then.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes: I think Michael covered the visit and everything we
did while Dave and Joan came to visit. We all had a good time, meet all the
docking challenges and lived to tell about them. We also ate very well that
week on the boat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-87023574197804615722018-03-30T15:37:00.001-04:002018-03-30T15:37:35.518-04:00Abacos I
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before moving on to discuss the first part of our adventures
in the Abacos, I should expand just a little bit on our last blog entry. You
may recall that we discussed Cat Island extensively, then we said something
like “then we went north to Eleuthera, the end.” There was a little more to it
than that, but we were already at 5 pages and I didn’t want to write the modern
equivalent of <u>War and Peace.</u> So let me give you a few paragraphs on our
trip north from Cat.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After leaving Hawk’s Nest Marina we headed north, up the
48-mile length of Cat Island. We stayed close to the enormous drop off into the
Exuma Sound bank. In some places the ocean floor drops from a depth of 20 feet
to over three thousand feet in barely ½ mile – which is, on average nearly a 60
degree slope. We did that, of course, so I could fish the drop-off. And guess
what … I caught something … a flippin’ barracuda. It was about three feet long
and looked about as vicious as you can imagine. But most people don’t eat
barracuda (when was the last time you saw barracuda on the menu of your
favorite restaurant?), so we threw it back and continued our trip north without
another bite.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5it4tMJ-Fxrm3rZTJw6F02WJxfWeye4e5ljeGSOEN1MGWZ340R3wPI_b8bRoO-sg1SZLvdXgwqG0UIjSsxZt8vST1RhulieAKqU_a_24yK_IYT0CO6NkmsRWHZvsnMDo8fVi1JCxyqlYa/s1600/DSCN0544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5it4tMJ-Fxrm3rZTJw6F02WJxfWeye4e5ljeGSOEN1MGWZ340R3wPI_b8bRoO-sg1SZLvdXgwqG0UIjSsxZt8vST1RhulieAKqU_a_24yK_IYT0CO6NkmsRWHZvsnMDo8fVi1JCxyqlYa/s320/DSCN0544.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the infrastructure <br />
ashore at Little San Salvador</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everything went well until we got to Little San Salvador.
Now, the only relationship between San Salvador (the island where Columbus
first landed) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Little</i> San Salvador
is that the latter is … well … littler. Little San Salvador is owned by Holland
America, a cruise ship company. They lease it to other cruising companies
including Carnival, the biggest in the world. Between them, these companies
have re-created the island to serve as a Caribbean destination for their
customers. There are beautiful beaches, some great water toys, excellent food
(from what we have heard), horses to ride, zip lines to zip, and just about everything
else a cruise ship customer would want. Those of us on little boats, though,
can only anchor in the harbor and watch the merriment from afar. (Actually,
several people have told us that on those days when no cruise ships are
scheduled that we could call and ask for permission to go ashore, though, even
then, we could not use the facilities.) On the day we were there. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Carnival Elation</i> was anchored until it
departed at 3PM, so we couldn’t have gone ashore even if we wanted to. That is
not what I was going to talk about, however. You know when you are at a beach
and the surf comes in and makes those really cool waves into which you can dive
or by which you can get knocked down? Well, on Little San Salvador, the swell
that makes those waves goes right though the harbor where we were anchored and
it makes our little boat go uppity-up-up and downdity-down-down, then
uppity-up-up and downdity-down-down, then … I think you get the picture. All
night long. Not a lot of fun. Not a lot of sleep either!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We got to our next stop, Eleuthera’s Rock Sound, a little
after midday. There were some northerly and northwesterly winds coming in and
Rock Sound is a great place to be in anticipation of a blow from almost any
direction. The wind came through as predicted and we, along with maybe 20 other
boats, weathered the storm. We had considered staying in Rock Sound for a few
days as we always enjoy the settlement, the fine grocery store and a trip to
Rosie’s Restaurant on other side of the island. However, as we read the various
weather forecasts, it looked like we would have good weather for a day or two,
then bad weather for a week at least, then “who knows?” (Meteorologists
generally don’t even try to forecast more than a week ahead.) Our friends Dave
and Joan were flying into Marsh Harbor on 23 March, and we didn’t want to be
forced to cross big swaths of ocean in poor weather, so we decided that we
would skip some days on Rock Sound and continue our trip north to Royal Island.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not much happened on the way to Royal. We timed our journey
through Current Cut almost perfectly, got to the Island late in the afternoon
and ended up anchoring next to Vicki and Art on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don Quixote</i>. Actually, we didn’t know we were next to them until
the next day when they hailed us on the radio. We had met them at West End a
couple of months prior and hadn’t seen them since. We promised to link up with
them in person on the far side of the Channel. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, we have crossed the Northeast Providence Channel three
or four times. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. The Channel lulls
you into thinking it is going to be a good day, then gradually increases the
size of the waves and the pitch and roll of your boat until whoa! Those suckers
are at least 5-7 feet high Moreover, they were on our beam– which means they
came at us from the side – and unlike the waves from several days ago, the
period on these boat-rockers was probably 5 seconds. To say that they rocked
the boat is a gross understatement. The first time we traversed the Channel we
drove from up on the flybridge. Because of the moment arm, when the boat rolls
from side-to-side, you move much further than you do when you drive from down
below. I remember wondering, during a few of those waves, whether the boat was
going to capsize. Well, that didn’t happen, of course, and we learned one valuable
lesson: when the waves are going to be significant and on the beam, drive from
down below. It may not make any difference to the boat, but those waves are far
less scary from below! The only saving grace was that we knew it wouldn’t last
forever. We counted down the minutes until we made it through the cut leading
us to Great Abaco Island. We arrived there late in the day and peacefully spent
the night at Lynyard Cay.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Abacos</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had planned on staying at Little Harbor for a few days,
but when we arrived, all the mooring balls were taken. Little Harbor is the
home of Pete’s Pub and Gallery. The pub is definitely “old Bahamas” in its
simplicity and the characters it attracts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It also houses the only sculpture foundry in the Bahamas. Actually, the
story of the pub and the foundry is long and very interesting, but we are not
going to write about it here. Anyway, since we couldn’t get into Little Harbor,
we called ahead for a slip at Harborview Marina, then made the four hour cruise
to Marsh Harbor.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we got to Marsh we pulled into our slip in Harborview.
We would have preferred to have stayed at the Marsh Harbor Marina, aka the Jib
Room, but once again they didn’t have room for us. We have stayed at Harborview
before and it is a “nice enough” marina. It is much closer to groceries,
shopping and restaurants than the Jib Room, and it has a nice pool, laundry and
restrooms. The main problem with Harborview is that it is right in the middle
of the boating action and the boating action in Marsh Harbor has increased
markedly in recent years. Don’t get me wrong, it has always been busy, but
there just seems to be more traffic. It could be the time of the year – we
usually come a little earlier in the season – or it could be because there
appear to be more charter services than ever before; Moorings has always been
here, but now there is also Dream Yacht Charters, Sunsail and others. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, I generally don’t have any problems with charterers,
after all, Ann and I chartered boats for a number of times in the British
Virgin Islands before we bought <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling
Soul</i>. The problems I do have are with charter companies that demand that
charterers return their boats in weather when no one should be out. One of the
reasons we had gone to the marina is that we had heard that Wednesday was going
to be windy. It was. As we sat in our slip, we watched the anemometer as it
measured winds from the north and northwest into the 40 knot range (well over
gale force). </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In that wind there was a very big catamaran (at least 50
feet) that was trying to get into the dock behind us. Well, he picked up an
angle and was trying to get into the a hundred feet or so behind us when the
wind caught him and started pushing him towards us and our neighbor. This got
my attention. It suddenly became more than a game of watching people try to
dock; it was a rather serious matter of calculating how much damage he could do
to our boat. Luckily, both we and our neighbor had been assigned a slip that
was bigger than our relative boats; they were both around sixty or sixty-five
feet. The wind took the catamaran perpendicular to our boats and he got caught
on the outermost pilings of our slips, his bow was on our neighbors piling and
his stern on ours. Our neighbor immediately called for him to tie off on the
two pilings and wait for help, which is exactly what he did. Now as I said we
generally have no problems with charterers – and we do not know how much
experience the captain had – but his crew had trouble just tying the boat off
to a piling. They just kind of wrapped the line around the piling and didn’t
know how to secure the end of the line to a cleat. Seriously, it looked like there
was no excuse for the charter company to have let these guys have a boat, let
alone to have forced them try to tie up on a day like that. If it hadn’t been
for those outer pilings, the charter company would have been looking at several
boat units worth of damage to the three boats involved and we, of course, would
have had our entire season ruined. From now on, we are steering clear of
charterers.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We checked with Dave and Joan and they were still planning
on arriving on the 23<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>, which was about ten days away, so we had
some time to kill. We checked the schedule of things to do in the Abacos and
found that – Oh My God – we were in time for the Barefoot Man Concert!! Now
most of you don’t know who the Barefoot Man is. He is kind of the Bahamas
answer to Jimmy Buffet – except the Barefoot Man’s songs can be … how do I say
this … <s>naughty</s> <s>dirty nasty</s> … (how about) a little raunchy. Although
I refuse to give you the names of specific songs (this is a family blog after
all), I will give you the name of a few of his CD’s: “Dirty Foot (The smutty
Side of Barefoot Man)”, “Time Flies When You’re Havin’ Rum” and the ever
favorite, “Thong Gone Wrong.” Now like all raunchy boat singers the Barefoot
Man has groupies some of whom fly in for his once-a-year concert at Nippers, the
“world famous” bar and grill. (It is world famous by fiat; they said they were
world famous and therefore they must be.) </span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFB2W-LV98axO2JF5WrezUVzxGg2UjnxDPnrbZ2dwl9auOMKBnfLdHkd1-Xexcn-fHHh-mXCTocqpNKrwNM4RuKBpkf2IN4dCk8L1J5_yjn3txpZJdliO_ZiJ44lRGS-p3pQ86NzHzsPT/s1600/DSCN0565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFB2W-LV98axO2JF5WrezUVzxGg2UjnxDPnrbZ2dwl9auOMKBnfLdHkd1-Xexcn-fHHh-mXCTocqpNKrwNM4RuKBpkf2IN4dCk8L1J5_yjn3txpZJdliO_ZiJ44lRGS-p3pQ86NzHzsPT/s320/DSCN0565.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the masses at the Barefoot Man Concert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We went to the concert and got re-acquainted with Mike and
Mari aboard their boat, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mari Mi</i>.
Mike, it turns out, is a 1973 graduate of the Naval Academy. I know, right?
Actually, I have been meeting more and more of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Ravie;">those</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> people who, I have
discovered, are quite nice 364 days of the year. On that 365<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> day,
though, I find them to be not even moderately tolerable. They actually cheer
for </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Ravie;">Navy.</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Yuck.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>However, Mike introduced us to their friends, Glenn and Eddie,
both of whom are retired FBI agents back in the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, Glenn had served in the Army as an MP
so between him and me, we outnumbered that </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Ravie;">Navy</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> person.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After our visit to Great Guana (the island on which Nippers is
located), to Nippers and to the local grocery store (Ann, I am coming to
believe, is developing a grocery store fetish) we went back to Marsh Harbor where
we had another mini mechanical adventure. Our bank of starboard batteries failed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprOeI17YP1c89n8bg5AtZVWz5mAQjxGiPd1wnscu2pGx3m5KNStKHmZRcVB4HdTAj4C4YgyTFO_nwCYl_nDsplz33cA1hKAhwcj-RMcbtHvgDsbMst0WRIhRrqXy4ARI8qr07GfVIzEAr/s1600/DSCN0558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprOeI17YP1c89n8bg5AtZVWz5mAQjxGiPd1wnscu2pGx3m5KNStKHmZRcVB4HdTAj4C4YgyTFO_nwCYl_nDsplz33cA1hKAhwcj-RMcbtHvgDsbMst0WRIhRrqXy4ARI8qr07GfVIzEAr/s320/DSCN0558.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our starboard bank of batteries. I know them <br />
so well by now, I have given them names: <br />
Moe, Larry and Curly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the States when your car battery fails, you buy a new one for
$150 or so and have a mechanic put it in your car. On a boat in the Bahamas when a bank of batteries fails, you
spend $250+ for each of the three batteries in the bank and follow the procedure
Ann describes below. Remember too that you have to array the batteries in series
and make sure they are connected, not only the engine, but to also to several ancillary
devices. It is a long and involved process.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Treasure Cay is not really a Cay at all. It is a peninsula of
Great Abaco that houses one of the few large developments that has succeeded in
the Bahamas. It has a hotel, apartments, condos, houses and mansions, all of
which are available for rent. They also have restaurants, a nice liquor store,
a bakery, a couple of gift shops, a few bicycle and cart rental places and –
need I say it? – a nice grocery store. All of that, however, that is ancillary
to the beach. Treasure Cay has what is probably the most magnificent beach we
have ever seen. It was rated by Travel Channel as one of the top ten beaches in
the world, by <u>Caribbean Travel and Life</u> as the best Beach in the
Caribbean and by the authors of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling
Soul</i> Blog as one of the most beautiful beaches they have ever seen. It is
3.5 miles of soft, almost powdery white sand. The water is knee deep out a good
50 meters and because it is shallow, much warmer than the contiguous waters.
And the best part is that in the six years we have come to the Bahamas, we have
never seen more than 50-100 people on the whole beach. Some are cooling off in
the water, some are walking the beach, but most are just enjoying the sun on a
beach chair. In short, we love Treasure Cay.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2NyQOrlc2mU0Nq-1skZ52hYU5bKsedZQjAEuVnZqcBuYk8mMjqXuNrZQzZljPvGT7Wfza1dmBFsNUOlVzqeWwxsCyNc5KTqdbLshpoIdWsIPCpxmPlFrRpFU3bNStL9E_7TZxxuxXXew/s1600/DSCN0568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2NyQOrlc2mU0Nq-1skZ52hYU5bKsedZQjAEuVnZqcBuYk8mMjqXuNrZQzZljPvGT7Wfza1dmBFsNUOlVzqeWwxsCyNc5KTqdbLshpoIdWsIPCpxmPlFrRpFU3bNStL9E_7TZxxuxXXew/s400/DSCN0568.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One view of the beach at Treasure Cay. <br />
This particular view is intended to make all of you<br />
who still live in snow country, jealous</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Treasure cay has a marina, a mooring field and a small anchorage.
We generally stay in the mooring field as it is less expensive than the marina
with fairly good mooring connections. As we were dinghying in to the beach, I
happened to see a boat with an “N” and a star on a blue field. Some of you know
what that means. It means the </span></span><span style="font-family: Ravie; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Naval Academy</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. I told
you I had met more swabbies on this trip than on any other. Anyway, it turns
out that we had met the owners – Glenn and Debbie aboard their boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Calliope</i> – at the Rendezvous we attended
last October. At the time we did not know about the Navy thing. It is kind of
interesting that, while he spent a career in the Navy on submarines, SHE is the
Academy graduate, class of 1981. Anyway, again, on 364 days of the year we love
spending time with them – but not on the 365<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had planned on spending three days at Treasure, but because a
front was coming in we decided to spend another couple of days on our mooring
ball – as did many other cruisers. The worst of the weather was supposed to
come in Tuesday night and continue into Wednesday. It is amazing to me how many
folks waited until the last minute to try and find shelter. All the balls were
filled by early Tuesday but we had boats coming in Tuesday evening thinking
that they would find a mooring ball. Then people started anchoring around the
mooring field. That was okay until they started anchoring <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">inside</b> the field. Now that is a boating no-no. Moored boats swing
on the mooring ball differently than anchored boats; there is a great
opportunity to bump into one another. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One boat from Dream Yacht Charters toured the mooring field
looking for a ball. Since he couldn’t find one he figured he would anchor. The
problem was that this guy had no clue on how to anchor. As he continued to try,
he kept drifting closer to us. Now, he was never close enough to cause a
problem, but if dropped his anchor where he was drifting, he would be very
close. So, with my cool sunglasses and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling
Soul</i> cap, I sat out on the foredeck looking as intimidating as I could
without actually looking unwelcoming. I wasn’t the only one. There were several
of our fellow cruisers out watching the show. Eventually, he gave up anchoring
in that location and moved somewhere else. Good Riddance!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the wind finally let up, we came back to Harbor View Marina
to await our friends Dave and Joan Wolf. What did we do whole waiting? You
guessed it. We went to the grocery store.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ann’s Notes: Since I did not add anything to the last blog I
thought I should at least put in my two cents worth, as my dad would say when I
was a child. Not that it really mattered what I said but it made me fell
better.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In this part of the blog I am going to explain why almost
everything you do on a boat takes two people. I am amazed that single handlers
can actually get any repairs done all by themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So…one morning we woke up to start our engines … Port engine came
to life, no problem. Starboard engine not so much. Michael went below, switched
the batteries to parallel and she turned right up. Ok … we got her started this
time, but what about tomorrow? Now we have to figure out why the engine did not
start. By now, all of our reader are experts on the types of batteries we have
on board from our previous blogs entries. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we went out and bought three new batteries
and spend almost a boat unit, we needed to make sure that the batteries were
really dead. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are the steps in order…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(1)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lift hatch were the batteries are<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(2)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take a picture of all the cables. All three
batteries are connected to one switch Taking the picture is very
important..believe me<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(3)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get the funnel, Open the caps of the batteries
to check, then fill with distilled water as needed. That takes about an hour
because you are working around the heavy gage connecting cables.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(4)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait an
hour for the batteries to recharge<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(5)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cross fingers that all the batteries needed
was distilled water. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(6)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No such luck, we need three new Starboard side
starting batteries<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(7)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Call the local Napa store and find out if they
have the three batteries we need<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(8)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Disconnect all the cables and get the
batteries off the boat<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(9)</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Get a dock cart to move the batteries once off
the boat<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(10)</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Move the batteries out of the battery
box, down the hallway, up the first set of stairs, then another set of stairs.
Put them on deck, then take them off the boat and put them into the waiting
dock cart. Now each batteries weight about 55 pounds. I did my fair share of
power lifting that day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(11)</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Call a taxi to take us and the old
batteries to the Napa<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(12)</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Load the batteries into the taxi<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(13)</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Drive to the Napa store, take out the
old batteries<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(14)</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Purchase the new batteries<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(15)</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Load the new batteries into the taxi<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(16)</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Unload the new batteries, out of the
taxi , into the dock cart<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">(17)</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ok…see what is coming next? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup…everything we did to get the old batteries
off the boat, we now need to do again , only this time we need to install the
new ones. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That my dear readers was a full days
work and believe me, it took two people to get it all done. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The good news is we did it ourselves
and the Starboard engine now starts went we turn the key.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thanks for following us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Traveling Soul…OUT<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-2597936260474595892018-03-15T07:53:00.000-04:002018-03-15T07:53:46.041-04:00Cat Island and More
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Ann, we’re not in Kansas anymore.” As I looked off our
starboard bow, I could not see the horizon – a wave about fifteen feet high and
about 200 meters distant was moving away from us. As I looked abaft our
starboard beam there was another fifteen foot wave, this one heading for us. We
were in the trough formed by two fifteen footers as they gently lifted us up
and softly set us back down. It was like this for about an hour. Up, up, up and
up … then down, down, down and down. When we were at the top of the wave, aft
and to starboard we could see rows upon rows of waves heading for us; if we
looked forward and to port there was wave after wave receding from us. It
wasn’t really scary as much as it was awe-inspiring. There was really nothing
of which to be afraid and there was certainly nothing either of us could do
even if we were. We could just imagine the power of each of those waves, and
imagine the power of the storm that produced them sending them hundreds of
miles towards us. We felt like a little cork bobbing up and down in a big pond.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That was the story of our crossing between Little San
Salvador and Cat Island. Yes, we knew what to expect – in a way. We had read
the forecast that the remnants of Winter Storm Riley were going to produce some
big waves with a long period in between, but we had never been in seas like
that. We are usually more concerned with the chop on the waves rather than the
waves themselves. Everything we read and everyone to whom we talked told us not
to worry. And though they tried to describe the feeling of a little boat in a
big ocean, they couldn’t quite convey the feeling. I don’t want to be overly
dramatic, but it is one of those events in life that you don’t understand until
you have been there. By the way, Spot wasn’t impressed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Again, I am far ahead of myself. The crossing from Cat to
Eleuthera <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>came several days into this
particular adventure, so let me catch you up.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Black Point<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You may recall that we left you when we were at Big Major
Spot near Staniel Cay. We wanted to move on and the next sensible anchorage in
the chain was Black Point. There are four reasons cruisers go to Black Point.
First, it is protected from the east. True, Big Major Spot (our previous
anchorage) probably provides a little better protection under most wind
conditions, but Big Major does not have the second reason people stop at Black
Point: Mama’s delicious, home-made bread. If I can digress a minute, almost
every country has its own cuisine. Italy. France. Portugal. Spain. Mexico.
England; okay, maybe not England, but you get my drift. The Bahamas has only
two claims to fame in its cuisine – conch (pronounced konk) and bread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Mama is the consummate bread maker. You
can order your bread over the radio, of course, but the best way is to go to
Mama’s house, open the door, go into the kitchen and tell her what you want. If
she is not there, just wait until she returns. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The third reason people go to Black Point is the laundry.
Ida (last name unknown) has turned her launderette into a serious money making operation.
She has at least 12 washers and an equal number of driers – and on any given
day, most of them are busy most of the time. What do you do while you are
waiting? Ida can cut your hair, you can use her wi-fi or you can avail yourself
of the book exchange or her little store. Ida has it all. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The fourth reason people go to Black Point is the
restaurants. Right now, there are three of them that cruiser’s frequent (there
will, I hear, soon be a fourth, but it is further out of town and may not make
it as well as the big three). These restaurants aren’t fine dining. This is,
after all, the Bahamas , but the food is pretty good – and did I mention that
they have their own happy hours? I mention Happy Hour because it was at
Scorpio’s Happy Hour on Friday evening that we had arranged to meet our friends
Vic and Gigi, owners of the boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Salty
Turtle</i>. We saw them last in Black Point about a year ago and picked up our
conversation exactly where it left off. I am thinking we’ll probably see them
about a year from now and I wouldn’t be surprised if it weren’t in Black Point
at Scorpio’s Happy Hour.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We only stayed in Black Point a couple of days (how long
does it take to do laundry, eat lunch, go to happy hour and order a couple of
loaves of Mama’s bread?). On Monday morning we decide that the weather had
broken sufficiently that we could make it to George Town, so off we went. That
was a mistake. Here I am going to turn over the narration to our security
officer and Chief Spokes-cat, Spot.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spot’s Narrative: You know, I just
don’t understand humans. Here we are in a beautiful anchorage. The boat rolls
gently side-to-side, the breeze ripples the waters, I can watch fish gliding under
the boat and observe the birds as they soar above – and not least, of course,
the humans leave the boat periodically so I can get some rest from being petted
all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This, you have to
understand is like paradise to a cat; it is idyllic. Then THEY decide that we
have to go somewhere else. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now I don’t mind an occasional boat
ride. Traipsing down the ICW where the waves are a few inches to maybe a foot
(on bad days) is my idea if a nice boat outing. But these guys take me out into
the North freakin’ Atlantic Ocean. And they pick days when those tsunami’s – as
we call them in Catland – are breaking over the bow of the boat getting salt
over everything and shaking me to hell and back. Do I get upset? You better
believe it! Do I run and hide? You darn tootin’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFeCdTN7VALqEJ8l1sIq4ASXiV7SSThr3TSweFBtHeWt7abwE6GqdseZqAAPxdPn84Mz1XxTsStwqbJGa-4xHfU3TMra9lqqB7TnroRZpDJaLTsEkgMZVaV2YU1CPxlTDtTbG_1Q6YUYF/s1600/Spot+and+Pillows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFeCdTN7VALqEJ8l1sIq4ASXiV7SSThr3TSweFBtHeWt7abwE6GqdseZqAAPxdPn84Mz1XxTsStwqbJGa-4xHfU3TMra9lqqB7TnroRZpDJaLTsEkgMZVaV2YU1CPxlTDtTbG_1Q6YUYF/s200/Spot+and+Pillows.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot in her "other" favorite hiding place. <br />
In a pillow fort on the sofa.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do I sit on my blanket on the helm
chair between members of my staff? Of course I do. Who else is going to get
this dad gum boat back to a nice calm anchorage if they both fall out the door?
Would I push them out? Of course not … well, probably not … well, not as long
as they don’t take us back into the freakin’ ocean!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you can see, Spot is – shall we say – not a fan of ocean raveling.
At any rate, after we left Black Point, it didn’t take long for us to figure
out that the waves were not only too much for Spot, they were too much for us
as well, so we headed in the next Cut, back to the relative safety and comfort
of the Exuma Banks. As soon as we entered Little Farmer’s Cut, the waves
decreased, we weren’t shaking as much, Spot was meowing again and all was right
with the world. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While at Farmer’s I noticed that my batteries weren’t
behaving exactly as I thought they should, so we decided to head for Emerald
Bay Marina, put a max charge on them, let Spot rest for a night and catch our
breaths. (I don’t know of anything is wrong with the batteries. I am going to
wait a couple of days until we get out of our current marina and check them
again. Don’t worry, I’ll keep everyone posted.)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the way to Emerald Bay I heard the now familiar whir.
(Note, there is no capital “W,” no exclamation mark, and only one “r” in this
whir. I tell you that so you don’t get your expectations raised.) The one good
thing about this bite was that I actually SAW the fish take the lure. We were
trolling, I needed a break from the helm so I stepped back to watch the lure in
the water. Bam, he took it. I wish I could say he jumped several feet into the
air as he gulped the lure down, but I just got a glimpse of color as he took
it. It was kind of anticlimactic. Anyway, about thirty to forty seconds later,
I felt the line go slack. My leader had broken. (For non-fisherpeople, the
leader is a line that connects the lure to the fishing line itself. It usually
is much stronger that the monofilament line from the reel. This leader was 100#
test. Go figure.) Now, I readily admit that I am not a great fisherman, and I
lose my share of fish due to a combination of inexperience and ineptitude. It
is when the dad gum manufacturers let me down that I get really upset. Ok, for
any of you doubters, I kept the broken leader and I am prepared to show it to
anyone. Hmm, I just had a thought. I wonder if I could return it to West Marine
for a refund. I’m gonna find out.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ok, one more fish story. While “fighting” the Mahi, I saw in
the distance a school of black fin tuna jumping out of the water and having a
great time. Well, we turned the boat around and ran through the school hoping
one of them was hungry. Nothing. Then we ran through the school one more time
and do you know what? We hooked one. We lost him too. When we got him up to the
transom, Ann and I were not very coordinated on lifting him up because we
hadn’t been able to practice very much this year, and he got away. I know. I am
0 -3 this year and only have a few more chances to catch anything. Luckily, our
neighbor in Cat Island was a serious fisherman. He not only gave me some
pointers, but also gave me a couple of lures – one for wahoo and one for tuna.
We’ll see!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In George Town, we finally linked up with our good friends,
Russ and Lori. They had been in George Town for a month and caught us up on the
local goings-on. As you probably know, the anchorage at George Town is kind of
“Cruiser Central” in the Bahamas. Everybody comes down to re-provision, meet
friends and participate in the regatta. This year’s count of ~250 boats,
however, was far less that the 300 or so that were at anchor this time last
year. We are not big fans of George Town, but we do like meeting our friends
and we did need to re-provision. Our initial intention was to stay for a week
or so,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but the more we looked at the
weather – and the time available – we decided that, if we really wanted to get
to Cat Island, we were going to have to cut our time in George Town short and
get moving.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While we were there, though, we had a good time. Russ and
Lori took us on a dinghy tour, showing us the area where they, in their shallow
draft catamaran, generally anchor when bad weather comes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also tried to go to lunch. Yes, I said
“tried.” Some of you know, and others may have even been, to “Chat and Chill,”
the local hangout. Everyone goes to Chat and Chill. The four of us went for a
little lunch after the dinghy tour. Ann and I ordered a beer each and were
going to split an order of French Fries. The way it works at Chat and Chill is
that you place your order, get your beer and wait for them to tell you when
your food is ready. I know. You’re thinking, “well, that’s not so unusual,
that’s the way it works at our local MacDonalds.” I’m sorry, but fast food the
Chat and Chill ain’t. It is not unusual to wait a half-hour or forty-five
minutes for even a small order. But at the end of an hour, Ann went to check on
our order. Don’t worry, they said, it is coming. Ok, we thought, that’s the
Bahamas; we were having a good time with Russ and Lori regardless. Thirty
minutes later, however, she checked again. Oh! They forgot to tell us the fryer
was down. The fryer was down. How did they think they were going to cook French
fries? We learned once again that there is the American way, the Bahamian way
and somewhere down at the line is the Chat and Chill way.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cat Island<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVW6-KPgl6dIZ5qMDbSx5hDMK2Zn9cc6XC9nYYL2GHw1XcMPpUKHB4k1QOXCtH5VMNmPbmRk5MN-nkCfCbf2S4Lj3lKvbrLrwTSbuCqok7Jngn_nM62Xm47kuYxbcO4MAHb6hT6TKpY0_5/s1600/DSCN0516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVW6-KPgl6dIZ5qMDbSx5hDMK2Zn9cc6XC9nYYL2GHw1XcMPpUKHB4k1QOXCtH5VMNmPbmRk5MN-nkCfCbf2S4Lj3lKvbrLrwTSbuCqok7Jngn_nM62Xm47kuYxbcO4MAHb6hT6TKpY0_5/s320/DSCN0516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Father Jerome's Hermitage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our main <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">new</i>
adventure this year was to visit Cat Island. It is an island about 3 miles wide
and 48 miles long in the eastern central Bahamas. It was named after Arthur
Catt, a pirate who is identified as an “associate” of Blackbeard. Apparently,
he visited the island frequently and hid his booty there. In fact, the island’s
major town is named Arthur’s Town after, you guessed it, Captain Catt. I have
tried to look up Catt on line and can’t find our very much about him. Maybe he
was more successful than his more famous, but headless, friend, Blackbeard. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GOU-pYB6dtZjrZfm57JnHYqpxhdB4EocNn2lePALCU6qNjjRBq_L01UxHVXu_ybMQkVnnpOmmGyyIZ5204dJ7zT6Wn6Z7X5nDc9PY1VYKmVv8pVDfTQP2fca_jBZrNzFGGQAwicxiC_b/s1600/DSCN0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GOU-pYB6dtZjrZfm57JnHYqpxhdB4EocNn2lePALCU6qNjjRBq_L01UxHVXu_ybMQkVnnpOmmGyyIZ5204dJ7zT6Wn6Z7X5nDc9PY1VYKmVv8pVDfTQP2fca_jBZrNzFGGQAwicxiC_b/s320/DSCN0537.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach at Hawk's Nest Marina. Hey, someone<br />
has to do it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For nearly four centuries, Cat was called “San Salvador,”
because most people thought that it was the island where Columbus first landed
and because Columbus called the island where he landed San Salvador. However,
after what I imagine was a number of academic conferences, a lot of research
and – at least one elderly islander believes – an exchange of money, “Cat” was
changed to Cat and the former Watling’s Island was changed to San Salvador. All
of this happened in 1926. Few serious scholars today think that Cat was the
spot of the First Landing; by the same token, few serious scholars before the
twentieth century thought that Cat WASN’T the site of the First Landing.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We stayed at the Hawk’s Nest Marina near the southern tip of
the island. The marina itself is somewhat rustic, with older, but fully
functional fixed docks. Nevertheless, it has all the services cruisers need and
more. There is an excellent (and cheap) laundry, very clean showers and
restrooms, a nice beach and a wonderful captain’s lounge with pool, ping pong table
and darts. About ¼ mile away (reachable by one of the resort’s free bicycles) is
the rest of the resort with another beach, a good restaurant, a nice pool and
an “honor bar.” The marina is really designed for serious sports fishermen, who
spend most of their time fishing for billfish. Our neighbors at the marina were
Joanne and John aboard their sports fisher boat, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Argo</i>. John gave me several fishing tips and even a couple of lures
for tuna and wahoo. No, I have not caught anything with them yet.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAkRNZ2ttZPvNurDWwcq8ChOiO7IUUfDMrUbZq-fqfPVZ0iybtPm5Ar2Lfv7Aq67ziNR56K_zrVEco73tx1GVvHqPLncPHxyBtrgUHTzMei9aMQhe5ECId6j2MDouZ9oWAHKny2CQZQt_/s1600/DSCN0518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAkRNZ2ttZPvNurDWwcq8ChOiO7IUUfDMrUbZq-fqfPVZ0iybtPm5Ar2Lfv7Aq67ziNR56K_zrVEco73tx1GVvHqPLncPHxyBtrgUHTzMei9aMQhe5ECId6j2MDouZ9oWAHKny2CQZQt_/s320/DSCN0518.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from atop Mt. Alvernia. <br />
Damn that Cell Tower!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While there, we rented a car and drove almost the entire
length of the island, so we can attest that only about 2/3 of it is reachable
by paved road – and some of that isn’t paved very well. There are “pot craters”
along the entire length of the road, especially in the south where we are. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driving on Cat is a unique driving experience.
Anyway, we visited several sites while in the car. First and foremost we
visited The Hermitage on Mt. Alvernia. Mt. Alvernia, at 206 feet, is the
highest spot in the Bahamas and from there you can see for miles and miles and
miles. Those of us who cannot walk very well (moi) were able to make it up the
hill because you have to “lean into it’” as my Dad used to tell me. And I can
walk leaning forward very well; it is just the upright walking that causes a
problem. Anyway, the view from the mount is stunning and if it weren’t for the
BTC cell tower in the middle of the view just might be the prettiest spot in
the Bahamas.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What is special about Mt. Alvernia is that Monsignor John Hawes,
known to Cat Islanders and Bahamians in general as Father Jerome, built The
Hermitage on its peak in 1939. Father Jerome was well now as a skilled
architect and sculptor and was responsible for designing and building
cathedrals and convents throughout the Bahamas. Using local stone he built The
Hermitage, a small medieval-looking monastery, where he could get away from the
world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNaTBul12kYrtl5Ize6ZswhEfEwhW93CO4KJGNrzWcuzdBEJtlcF5doWvvKC-0A-RUOQvB30krShxFe6fi0wQ8IzraN_m8KpRdNqjEGHNWCApQL1Awej7kB3TBwM-U8cWlgJEcEijjyri/s1600/DSCN0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNaTBul12kYrtl5Ize6ZswhEfEwhW93CO4KJGNrzWcuzdBEJtlcF5doWvvKC-0A-RUOQvB30krShxFe6fi0wQ8IzraN_m8KpRdNqjEGHNWCApQL1Awej7kB3TBwM-U8cWlgJEcEijjyri/s320/DSCN0526.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blue Hole Near Orange Creek. We were on the <br />
lookout for the Monster that Devours Horses.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also visited what seems to be called, “the Big Blue Hole
near Orange Creek.” This particular blue hole is said, by locals, to house a
monster that devours horses. According to one website, “This folklore still
scares local fisherman from venturing too far in this freshwater lake.” (Actually,
the lake isn’t fresh, it is kind of brackish.) There are a number of other
superstitions around Cat Island. There is another blue hole, for example, in
the southern part of the island that supposedly houses a Mermaid. And then
there are the locals who still practice a type of voodoo know as Obeah. It came
with the first African slaves that worked the island in the nineteenth century.
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Voodoo
charms are still used to protect orchards from thieves and can be seen atop
homes to ward off evil spirits. Moreover, the island is speckled with ruins of
slaves’ quarters. Apparently, it is smart to keep the spirits of your ancient
relatives around you – for luck. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlYi9jLQU1hHIniQUNh_H5y6Bv0NbTOSKPtTivoRxABoLBn_f2qo-sSJ3iRy60svScaKeDn_E5nPdfikQ92dCDdOYVHB_XVR1gVSQBYkxtu3vlm9RMtdj1uFudktBuLxHxjoehWuuGCJi/s1600/DSCN0532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlYi9jLQU1hHIniQUNh_H5y6Bv0NbTOSKPtTivoRxABoLBn_f2qo-sSJ3iRy60svScaKeDn_E5nPdfikQ92dCDdOYVHB_XVR1gVSQBYkxtu3vlm9RMtdj1uFudktBuLxHxjoehWuuGCJi/s320/DSCN0532.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many ruins of slave quarters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our trip to the blue hole near Orange Creek we also
visited a cave. I walked in the entrance and saw that it went back at least a
hundred feet. I couldn’t see much more because I wasn’t smart enough to bring a
flashlight with me. Oh well. And finally, we visited the “Fish Fry.” I am not
sure what the name means or where it came from, but there were maybe a dozen
shacks that served various forms of Bahamian and American food. We went to one
and split an order of cracked conch – which was too tough – and a Kalik beer,
which was delicious. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also hung around the resort a little and schmoozed with other
guests. We wanted to stay longer and to anchor at New Bight for a while, but we
took a look at the weather and decided that we would, instead, head for Rock
Sound in Eleuthera. We had been there before and really liked it. Once we got
to Rock Sound, however, we saw a weather window that would allow us to cross the
Northeast Providence Channel in a couple of days. If we missed this window, it
could be over a week before we saw another. Since we have friends coming to
Marsh Harbor in the Abacos, we decided we would move out of Rock Sound and up
to Royal Island and take the opportunity to get to Marsh. So after waiting out
the wind in Rock Sound, we headed north to spend a night at Royal Island in
anticipation of leaving the next day.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-74217857626795733842018-02-25T16:05:00.003-05:002018-02-25T16:05:52.866-05:00Northern Exumas
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am going to take a minute away from our chronicles to tell you
about an odd (interesting?) happening. I have reported on this before, but it
has been a while. A friend of mine notified me that I had lost another friend’s
e-mail address. He jokingly attributed it to the Russians – as we both
frequently do; we are among those, you see, who remember the “old days.” Well,
Jeff may have been joking, but it caused me to take a look at the statistics
that we keep on who is reading my blog. This is just for the month of February.
See anything interesting? So, if there are any misspellings or other errors of
fact in the blog entry for this month, it is probably because the Russians are
trying to plant false news about the Bahamas. Who knows, maybe the Russians,
the Ukrainians and the Canadians are plotting something. I’m just sayin’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<tbody>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: solid none none solid; border-width: 1pt 0px 0px 1pt; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 99.7pt;" valign="bottom" width="133">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">United States<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid none none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 0px 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 31.3pt;" valign="bottom" width="42">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">460<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: rgb(243, 247, 251); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 1pt; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 99.7pt;" valign="bottom" width="133">
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Russia<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(243, 247, 251); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid none none; border-width: 0px 1pt 0px 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 31.3pt;" valign="bottom" width="42">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">126<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
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<td nowrap="" style="background: white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 1pt; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 99.7pt;" valign="bottom" width="133">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bahamas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid none none; border-width: 0px 1pt 0px 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 31.3pt;" valign="bottom" width="42">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">32<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Canada<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(243, 247, 251); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid none none; border-width: 0px 1pt 0px 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 31.3pt;" valign="bottom" width="42">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">26<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ireland<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td nowrap="" style="background: rgb(243, 247, 251); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext; border-style: none none none solid; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 1pt; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 99.7pt;" valign="bottom" width="133">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Portugal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="background: rgb(243, 247, 251); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid none none; border-width: 0px 1pt 0px 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 31.3pt;" valign="bottom" width="42">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">France<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="background: white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid none none; border-width: 0px 1pt 0px 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 31.3pt;" valign="bottom" width="42">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">United Kingdom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: rgb(243, 247, 251); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid none none; border-width: 0px 1pt 0px 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 31.3pt;" valign="bottom" width="42">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ukraine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="background: white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0) rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid none none; border-width: 0px 1pt 0px 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 31.3pt;" valign="bottom" width="42">
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Australia<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<td style="background: rgb(243, 247, 251); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 31.3pt;" valign="bottom" width="42">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "inherit","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After our visit to Palm Cay marina we headed south to the
Exumas. The Exuma Chain has 365 islands and cays, but only about 7000 people.
Only a few of those islands and cays are suitable for human occupation, so most
are uninhabited. Provisions and services, as you might expect, are few and far
between, so, before we left Nassau we made one last run to the grocery store to
bulk up on food and other necessary provisions (like rum). Water is especially
difficult to find and if you can find it you are going to pay through the nose
($0.50 per gallon or more), so we make our own water with our rather old, but
still functional, reverse osmosis watermaker. </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ann and I both love the Exumas. The problem is that other
people are finding it too. When we started coming here six years ago there were
far fewer people and a lot less boats. We are sitting here on one of the
islands, for example, where a few years ago there would have been three or four
boats with us; today, I counted fifteen. It is still better than sitting at
home in Maryland watching the snow fall, or coming into Nassau on a cruise ship
with over a thousand of our best friends. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At any rate, the first island at which we usually stop in
the Exumas is Highbourne Cay. The night we arrived we had lobster tales that
Ann had bought a week or two ago at Great Harbor to celebrate both Valentine’s
Day and our arrival in the Exumas. I love, love, love lobster and the meal was
scrumptious. </span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLCTrLexaMWz4qcl74cf9BnzPthOIJ4tO2UZWHTB1sPKTxyao_QZyjizYGfQDXb2PyExQhyUfdnc0OPLGzKyTT1jFATsyz-oU7nBwvSyZP6nQNKvmW5z7nszgQ_Hal0_HsVjZE5ZVgoAS/s1600/DSCN0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLCTrLexaMWz4qcl74cf9BnzPthOIJ4tO2UZWHTB1sPKTxyao_QZyjizYGfQDXb2PyExQhyUfdnc0OPLGzKyTT1jFATsyz-oU7nBwvSyZP6nQNKvmW5z7nszgQ_Hal0_HsVjZE5ZVgoAS/s320/DSCN0421.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many views from the restaurant. It looks like <br />
this for 180 degrees.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you might expect from a name like “Highbourne” the folks
on the Cay are kind of snooty. At the Highbourne Cay Marina, for example, you
will, at any one time, find at least four or five 100+ foot yachts and their
crews. So, I know you are asking why we stop there. Well, there is this
restaurant (isn’t there always?). It is called Xuma, and it has both delicious food,
and a view to die for. The night we went, I asked for and received lightly
blackened Mahi and Ann had, what they called “Shrimp and Grits,” which was
really more like seafood and grits. We both loved our meals. Now, we have eaten
there before and it is one of those places where you marvel at the view, enjoy
your cocktails, savor your meal and then close your eyes and sign the check.
The two of us dropped about two bills (c’mon, it’s only 1/5 of a boat unit). We
can’t and don’t do it too often but, hey, we intrepid explorers have to eat
too!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know, I know. Here I told you how few provisions there
were in the Exumas and how we were metaphorically going to live off the land;
then I told you about an extraordinary dining experience. Well, Highbourne is
actually the last outpost of civilization for quite a distance and while they
have a great restaurant, you couldn’t survive off the food they have in their
little “7-11 type” convenience store. After two days there we were off to
Norman’s Cay.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Norman’s has an interesting recent history. If you remember –
or have heard of – the drug lord Carlos Lehder of the Medellin Cartel, then you
have heard of Norman’s Cay. He owned most of the island and treated it as his
personal fiefdom. He lived there, transshipped drugs there, kept a ton or so of
cocaine as his emergency stash, paid off the police and generally treated the
island as his own. Eventually, the combined forces of the DEA, the US Coast
Guard and the Bahamian Defense Force kicked Lehder off the island and took it
back. You can still see his shot-up house, and the remains of the “Hotel” where
he kept his guests. Nowadays they are expanding and rebuilding the airport and
rebuilding a small resort to help the island recover. </span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9lTL01lud0uDS5osmh_pGuli5u8SGbzzpdOiwEqoSrZXfjWZ2BpG37zdmfaAhGJn1LeE0yikeZiFOKj_S-VklXgAHPYqTJBxiBur5SBFCTx7qXSG9ZLq8U_wwCeQic9Wq12yfpPcJIy_/s1600/DSCN0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9lTL01lud0uDS5osmh_pGuli5u8SGbzzpdOiwEqoSrZXfjWZ2BpG37zdmfaAhGJn1LeE0yikeZiFOKj_S-VklXgAHPYqTJBxiBur5SBFCTx7qXSG9ZLq8U_wwCeQic9Wq12yfpPcJIy_/s320/DSCN0443.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monique, the lunch waitress and bartender at Mc Duff's,<br />
showing off her bar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Part of the recovery includes building a small beach bar
called “McDuff’s.”We had heard a lot of bad stories (high prices, bad service,
etc.), but decided t give it a try anyway. First, we had to find it. It is off
the beach and back in the woods. You can’t see it from the beach, so you just
have to kind of wander along the cinder paths. Wander we did until found off a
small path just off the beach that led right to the restaurant (wish we had
known about the path before we started wandering!). When we got there we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">loved </i>it. It has a definite out-islands
kitschy feel to it. With both a darkened inside bar area (and a good supply of
various kinds of rum) and a screened-in outside salon it looks like one of the
ex-pat bars you see in the movies. We only had a couple of beers and some (very
crispy and very good) French fries and it cost us $26 – no one can call this a
cheap kitschy restaurant.</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Afterwards, we took the dinghy around most of the perimeter
of Norman’s. We saw the south side anchorage where they are rebuilding the
marina. The anchorage, itself, we decided, was way too rolly for our tastes in
east winds – though it might be great with winds from the north or west – so we
decided to stay where we were. There is a sunken plane in the anchorage that
some folks snorkel, and there are some interesting houses on Wax Cay just to
the south. We had visited before Norman’s before, of course, but things are
changing – not very rapidly, mind you – nothing changes rapidly in the Bahamas –
but changing nonetheless.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For those of you who are interested in our boating
procedures, I should mention that we have made a change in the way we travel
between islands. In years past, we have lowered our dinghy every time we
arrived at a new place; we then raised it when we were ready to leave. When we
were young 60 year old whipper-snappers it wasn’t THAT hard. Now that we are … let’s
just say 60+ … it is getting more and more difficult. As a result, we have
decided to use a side-tow technique when we are moving between islands that are
close together. A side-tow is exactly what it sounds like. We place a fender on
the dinghy’s side, tie the bow of the dinghy to one of our forward cleats and
the stern to one of our aft cleats. Why on the side rather than off the stern
like many people do? With two 550 horsepower motors, we make quite a
disturbance in the water. Since almost all the dinghy’s weight is in its stern,
when we tow it behind the boat, I am always afraid that it will flip and we
will be out a chunk of money (to say nothing of the dink). There is very little
disturbance on the side of the boat and I feel a lot more comfortable towing it
there.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At any rate, we towed the dinghy from Norman’s to one of our
favorite Exuma islands, Shroud Cay. Shroud is part of the Exuma <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Land and
Sea Park. The Park, established in 1958, is one of 25 National Parks and
Protected Areas managed by the Bahamas National Trust. Unique in the world, the
Trust is the only non-profit, non-governmental agency mandated with management
of a nationwide system of parks and protected areas. In 1986, The Trust established
Exuma Park as a complete NO TAKE ZONE and marine protected area, the first in
the wider Caribbean. Ok, some of that is extracted from one of the many
pamphlets we have on the park, but you get the idea.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We arrived at Shroud and dropped our anchor at about midday on 16
Feb. In the past we have taken a mooring ball, instead of anchoring, but with
two rate increases in the past few years mooring balls are getting way too
expensive. Moreover, we got there at the wrong time of day. The entrance (and
exit) to the best sights at Shroud are very shallow. When the tide is ebbing, it
is very difficult to get in or out. We learned that lesson a few years ago when
we journeyed into the river during ebb tide. By the time we got back, the water
was barely a few inches deep and we almost got stuck there for the night; it
was only the vast muscle power of a couple of intrepid explorers that lifted
the dinghy enough to get past the shallows. We weren’t going to do that again.
This time we decided to wait until the tide was coming in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaVcb758iQFLH1Qri0CxFpZIE_ox8yokshzilnSPT01ZytDkZfyZeafRzQNuS8lyih0b88ppxwOEFf0slnEUSmbQ8HpoGlYvOofqdirYjLKVeLirJMzQvcwQA2801qzzGBzXeeTletG-e/s1600/DSCN0483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaVcb758iQFLH1Qri0CxFpZIE_ox8yokshzilnSPT01ZytDkZfyZeafRzQNuS8lyih0b88ppxwOEFf0slnEUSmbQ8HpoGlYvOofqdirYjLKVeLirJMzQvcwQA2801qzzGBzXeeTletG-e/s320/DSCN0483.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Camp Driftwood, high above Shroud Cay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shroud is about 4 miles x 2 miles and is kind of a
mini-archipelago. Although they are actually connections between the Exuma Bank
and Exuma Sound (the shallow side and the ocean deep side), thin veins of water
seem as if they are rivers cutting deep into and through the mangroves. The
“rivers” are about ten feet deep (except for the mouth – see below) and in the
gin-clear Bahamian waters, you can see rays, turtles, fish and various kinds of
birds. On our trip this time, we saw several kinds of fish, a number of birds
that we had not seen before, a good-sized turtle swimming in the water and a
ray. When it is hot – and it wasn’t hot when we went through this time – you
kind of feel like Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn in African Queen. “Mr. Allnut,”
I expected to hear, “don’t you think it is a bit hot today?” Ok, Ok, maybe not,
but the trip down the “river” is spectacular. Then when you reach the Sound
(ocean) side, you are welcomed with a beautiful beach. About 100 feet above the
beach is Camp Driftwood, where, according to various stories, DEA agents observed
Norman’s Cay and captured the tail numbers of the Medellin Cartel airplanes
taking off from and landing at Norman’s Cay.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At any rate we finished exploring Shroud on the 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>.
Now we had a dilemma. We had planned on moving down to one of two spots in the
Land and Sea Park and spending a couple of nights there. One, at Cambridge Cay
we had visited before and enjoyed. The other, Pirate’s Lair, we had only
visited once several years ago and thought it might be fun to go back. The
problem was that the wind was due to pick up significantly in the next couple
of days. We needed to determine not what we wanted to do over the next 24 or 48
hours, but where we wanted to spend the next week or so. While the Park
locations would have been great for a little while, we were not sure we wanted
to send a week there. So, we opted for Big Major Spot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have stayed in Big Major Spot before. You might remember it as
the home of the Bahamas’ famous <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>swimming
pigs. For us, it is primarily a big anchorage with solid protection from the
east, and some from the south, with sand that holds your anchor in place almost
regardless of the wind speed. The reason we chose Big Major Spot is that is
costs nothing – the Parks mooring balls cost us over $50 per night (I know,
right?) – plus we have some good friends, Bill and Regina, aboard their boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Meant2B</i>. In addition, there are maybe 50
boats here and we thought we might be able to meet other people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We arrived at Big Major Spot and the first thing we tried to do
was go to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club (SCYC). Like McDuff’s this is kind of like
a classic ex-pats bar. The difference is that SCYC is (almost) the real thing.
I say “almost” because it used to be the real thing, but in recent years has
become busy, very busy with boaters, yachties and tourists of all stripes; I
don’t think there is an ex-pat anywhere in the neighborhood. The place really
has quite a history. In fact, the famous Grotto from the James Bond movie, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thunderball</b> is located near the Yacht
Club AND they actually have pictures of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thunderball</b> film crew in the bar. I don’t know why “Bond, James
Bond,” himself isn’t pictured. He must have been putting on his tuxedo.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3WFw5vrM8ghWwjTMirdbOhWv1BGpl02mK05Rmty3P2k34KJpdYgUsJUgLVnildg56ileyObR6hC20goMORJEf0GG_OawdAvL4BIXnsCz9aUpgAIH5VQtG91GzxoNSclc9TGXnlSKllBn/s1600/DSCN0501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3WFw5vrM8ghWwjTMirdbOhWv1BGpl02mK05Rmty3P2k34KJpdYgUsJUgLVnildg56ileyObR6hC20goMORJEf0GG_OawdAvL4BIXnsCz9aUpgAIH5VQtG91GzxoNSclc9TGXnlSKllBn/s320/DSCN0501.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The increasingly famous swimming pigs at Big Major.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will notice that in the first sentence I said we TRIED to
visit the yacht club. Well, the wind made the chop so bad that the trip was
untenable, so we dropped in to see our friends Bill and Regina, who, this year
had their daughter’s best friend’s son (I think I have that right) Matt with
them. We have known Bill, Regina and Matt since we first met them in Nassau
several years ago and have kept track of them ever since. They had us over for
a drink that, with Bill’s great Greek cooking, turned into dinner. Other than
that, we made a dinghy tour of the anchorage and some of the areas nearby that
are out of the wind, learned the meaning of the term cerulean and why it is
important in the Bahamas specifically and the Caribbean more generally, and we
waited. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, that just about catches you up. We are now sitting about 10
miles south of Big Major at Black Point, but we will tell you about our time
here in the next entry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ann’s Notes: I really do not have much to add to the blog. It has
been windy and the water in the protected anchorages has been good
holding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to venture out of the protected
waters means you get very wet in the dinghy. Most of you know that I am not a
fan of salt water and I am much happier when it is not on me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fresh water pools are my preference … thank
you very much. Just to be clear, I like walking on the beach and I look forward
to rinsing the sand off my feet when I get back. Just saying.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spot has been enjoying her free time on the bow of Traveling Soul
while we are at anchor. She follows the sun during the day, like a small
sunflower, always wanting to be in the sun, silly little feline that she is.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPu2E17I7YdxJJmJZDB-a7iI9bdlZm_YjN0d63jCabFviWyt8bTDuruodizFQO1rJRMH2m8tuNRCF90Lyx-9O_VxPN-YjMf-Xpwa5lFCwvKrNQjjjgvWT9E8nRaitPS2UvND4jgiCROITd/s1600/Spot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPu2E17I7YdxJJmJZDB-a7iI9bdlZm_YjN0d63jCabFviWyt8bTDuruodizFQO1rJRMH2m8tuNRCF90Lyx-9O_VxPN-YjMf-Xpwa5lFCwvKrNQjjjgvWT9E8nRaitPS2UvND4jgiCROITd/s320/Spot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official Guard Cat Spot, patrolling the kayak,<br />
looking for prey.</td></tr>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was so good to visit Bill and Regina and Matt once again. They were
out of country for two years, Bill took a job in Egypt. They kept their boat in
Titusville FL while they were gone. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Meant2B</i>
is up and cruising again, and receiving visitors. They have more friends and
family visit than most cruisers I know. If they would stop being so nice … just
kidding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have been busy with a few cross stitch projects, reading and a
few new recipes. We finished watching the full TV series of Burn Notice and are
now watching Northern Exposure, it case you were wondering what we are watching
after dinner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That is about all for now.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Traveling Soul…OUT <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-30831355313483113382018-02-16T08:42:00.002-05:002018-02-16T08:42:52.314-05:00Grand Bahama to the Exumas<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Whrrr! The reel went Whrrr! is the sound for which fishermen
everywhere live and die. Whrrr! “My God that fish is taking out line,” I said
to myself. He probably had 300 feet by the time I made the twenty foot sprint
from the helm to the aft deck. I could tell he was big, maybe even huge, just
by the feel. Whrrr! the reel sounded and the line went out. “Okay,” I told
myself, “just let him run.”Whrrr! “man, he is taking out line.” I looked down
and he already had well over half of my 30# test and he showed no sign of
slowing down. The reel was getting warm to the touch. “I have to do something,”
I thought, “or he’ll have all of my line.” Ever so slightly I increased the
drag. But I swear it didn’t make a whit of difference in the speed with which
the line was zipping off the reel. “Ok, just a little more drag, I told myself.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Oh my God, was that him that jumped out there 500 feet
away?” He was still taking line. Ann was at the helm and I told her to put it
in neutral and come back to watch the show. The fish, at least five feet long
and maybe more, leapt out of the water showing off his magnificent colors, gold
on the sides and bright blues, greens and yellows on his back. Again and again
he jumped, at least three or four times. He then began a series of lateral
leaps kind of like a dolphin, almost skimming across the water. And then … Oops
I’m getting ahead of myself. I was going to tell you about the crossing from
Grand Bahama to Great Harbor. I’ll come back to the TRUE fish story.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Before leaving the Grand Bahama Yacht Club Harbor we met
Kyle and Kathy who arrived a day or two after we did on their boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now and Zen</i>. In the last blog entry, you
may recall, I vented about how unfriendly the majority of the Yacht Club
members were. Kyle and Kathy were exactly the opposite. They were cruisers like
us. They live in Fort Lauderdale and had just bought a second house with a 50’
dock in beautiful Beaufort, SC, right along the Waterway. They came over for
drinks one evening and before any of us knew it, it was 10 PM. We really
enjoyed their company and wish they had come a day or two earlier. We also
briefly met Jerry and Billie who arrived aboard their boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miss Liberty. </i>They, too were on the way to Great Harbor and we
spent a lot of time with them there. They will pop up frequently through this
entry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anyway, we departed Grand Bahama at about 0745. For the
first fifteen – twenty minutes, it looked as though the cruise was going to be
a little sloppy. Spot retreated to her carrier, which is now her hidey-hole of
choice. However, after we got far enough away from the island the water
smoothed out and we had a very comfortable trip to Great Harbor. It was also
very peaceful, that is until that huge mahi took the hook. The end of the story
is kind of sad. When a fish has 500’ of line and shakes his head, he creates
slack in the line. From there it is only a split second until he is gone. And
that is what happened to me. Oh well. That is why they call it fishing, not
catching. Maybe next time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The night we arrived the marina staff had arranged a “chill
and grill” for all the cruisers. Again, even though the weather had been
beautiful, Ann and I were still a bit tired from the trip and we were both ready
for a quick meal and bed. We met Billie and Jerry from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miss Liberty</i> at the marina. They were planning to go the chill and
grill so we decided to go too. Ann and I both had ribs, and they were well
pretty well cooked (not as good as mine, of course). The problem was that at
about 5:30 the noseeums came out. Both Ann and Billie were getting eaten alive
so we all adjourned to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miss Liberty</i>
to finish our meals. You would think that would be it, and we would go to bed,
but noooo. The gazebo where the chill and grill was held was about 50 feet from
our boat. And what, besides food, do you need at a Chill and Grill? Apparently
you need loud Bahamian music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6da6Fl8jEOlgSTdizUsy4zAsRmvYIXf27ogXC18h1tSrp0C4g5sn-K_wbZrYOcn3kkPQ9ibYS7iLzjq2A3Uvfy_0jsX0MEqlkKMoGZqyFyg3RyDNkvPiA2pU93ra2VNbJir_jhyphenhyphenardwS/s1600/DSCN0396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6da6Fl8jEOlgSTdizUsy4zAsRmvYIXf27ogXC18h1tSrp0C4g5sn-K_wbZrYOcn3kkPQ9ibYS7iLzjq2A3Uvfy_0jsX0MEqlkKMoGZqyFyg3RyDNkvPiA2pU93ra2VNbJir_jhyphenhyphenardwS/s200/DSCN0396.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">to keep them straight, the staff <br />
put faces on them. The decaf,<br />
needless to say, had the frowny face.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k2d18tmmXwA-Sz_Wv7YcyUHi-UW-5U5IVVzxNk27pvwYq4VYaaosML0S3EAyvBIeMC9QSzdHKWdZgHe6A492sqc6LvfOz_lICWdlvk2c7rGR9Td_E3UnEG2xlzvyCv2cFJ4sJVH3MTmP/s1600/DSCN0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k2d18tmmXwA-Sz_Wv7YcyUHi-UW-5U5IVVzxNk27pvwYq4VYaaosML0S3EAyvBIeMC9QSzdHKWdZgHe6A492sqc6LvfOz_lICWdlvk2c7rGR9Td_E3UnEG2xlzvyCv2cFJ4sJVH3MTmP/s200/DSCN0397.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Carriearl Ann and I both ordered a<br />
cup of coffee for dessert. Ann ordered <br />
decaf and I ordered regular ...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">One of the real joys of going to Great Harbor is the
opportunity of going to Carriearl, a boutique hotel (four rooms), owned, run
and managed by two British ex-pats. They have lived on the island for years and
they own the home where Mr. Blackwell (of the “worst dressed list” fame) where
they serve dinner in the evenings and brunch on Sunday. We decided to go to
dinner this year and were rewarded with two scrumptious meals. I had beef
stroganoff and Ann had fettuccini with shrimp. I think hers was as bit better,
but we both cleaned our plates. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The following day, Sunday, was the reason we had come to
Great Harbor in the first place – the SUPERBOWL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I don’t have a dog in this particular
fight. I am not a New England fan and I really don’t care for the Philadelphia
Eagles. But I am a football fan and football fans like to watch the Superbowl.
Although we don’t have satellite TV on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling
Soul</i>, Jerry and Billie (one of the couples we met at Grand Bahama) have it
on their boat. They invited us and a couple we had met the evening before, Rema
and Chris, to watch the game on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miss
Liberty</i>. Well, we would have had a grand time even if the Eagles did not
win. Billie and Jerry were excellent hosts, cooking a meal and providing coffee
and desert for all. Yes, we provided some appetizers and Rema and Chris made a
salad, bit the hospitality that Billie and Jerry demonstrated that evening was
some of the best I have seen among cruisers. If you are reading this, Billie
and Jerry, thank you so much for a wonderful time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The next morning, we were on our way south. The seas were
fairly calm and I fished almost all the way (no, again I did not catch
anything). Our destination was an anchorage we had used the previous year,
Alder’s Island. It is very picturesque and was about half way towards our next
destination, the Berry Islands Club. The anchorage was a little more rolly than
we remembered it ad we did not have a particularly good night’s sleep. Still,
it did provide protection until we got going the next day. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwHF4nswuBT5N-S7O_HVPzrtRz7yBDTYR3I8Md6wAVnKkhKmeLsRF0539oSMoCkAXg8KDkv0KjZMDJ8upkuDAL7PytrC4fxSJin2ltEbKojnBzMaM23zhiJmsSg8dapiv1oiHHydtpcZY/s1600/DSCN0419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwHF4nswuBT5N-S7O_HVPzrtRz7yBDTYR3I8Md6wAVnKkhKmeLsRF0539oSMoCkAXg8KDkv0KjZMDJ8upkuDAL7PytrC4fxSJin2ltEbKojnBzMaM23zhiJmsSg8dapiv1oiHHydtpcZY/s320/DSCN0419.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot curled up into a ball of fur so she can't see the sea state.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">If the seas on the day before were fair, for the first
half-hour or so of our trip to the Berry Islands Club they were terrible. Eventually
we would be going southwest and would have the wind and waves on our aft starboard
quarter, then we would turn due west and have them on our stern most of the
way. But to get out of the anchorage and get to our planned route, we had to
head pretty much due east directly into the wind and waves for a couple of
miles. Well, Spot didn’t appreciate that fact. As soon as the rough ride began,
she looked for a place to hide. She eventually chose a place between Ann and me
on the helm with her face buried behind the back seat cushion. After about 30
minutes, we made the turn southwest and everyone was much more comfortable.
Spot, however, stayed on the helm with her head buried behind the cushion.
Every time we tried to move the cushion we got scolded with a very loud “MEOW”
that was telling us she was fine and we should go on about our own business and
not bother her. Apparently, in Cat Land if you cannot see the rough seas and
the bumping and banging going on around you, all is well.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQBvrK7zTy6bdWPmokgi2aqZSpWTZiBdfjgSAMT44lzElqRw5-XzbaaHQ-6BtF_yghoORZqzwBwHjP5QpjL1AVQQjmP1tDOLQm_Qz8nurwSu-6kY0ll66r_wx0W1N9v4VjGdjc-7JG-2X/s1600/DSCN0403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQBvrK7zTy6bdWPmokgi2aqZSpWTZiBdfjgSAMT44lzElqRw5-XzbaaHQ-6BtF_yghoORZqzwBwHjP5QpjL1AVQQjmP1tDOLQm_Qz8nurwSu-6kY0ll66r_wx0W1N9v4VjGdjc-7JG-2X/s320/DSCN0403.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This rainbow kept growing and adding colors as we watched it. <br />
First it added blue, then violet. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We had planned to spend the night at the Berry Islands Club.
It is a small place with seven mooring balls and the beginnings of a marina.
Located in the southern Berry Islands we had heard it was a lot of fun and decided
to check it out and at the same time to give them a little business. We tried
to call them on the phone – no answer. Hey, ‘tis da Islands, mon, they could
have not answered for any number of reasons. We got closer and called them on
the radio. We did not get an answer from the Club, but a passing cruiser told
us the club was closed. We went up to the mooring balls anyway, but it was so
choppy in the mooring ball field that we decided to move on another 10-15 miles
to the anchorage at Chubb Cay AND give the Club a bad review on Active Captain.
So there!</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Chubb Cay was a little rolly, but overall a nice anchorage.
We downloaded our dinghy to take a look at the marina, which charges an
(almost) exorbitant $3 per foot. The facilities are nice – actually it is kind of a
swanky place – there is a Club House that we could have used, but didn’t, and
according to reports, a small chandlery. But at $3 per foot we weren’t going to
use the place and from the number of empty slips, we weren’t the only ones with
that attitude.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUh54jfN40EDqAqwkbRy7dBo2CQHJgJcoP6VJ08KcQ8IrVn7jKlEbxM59h9LQogoZN_GaaZcG8x9ESQ9NiNTvTJXmm33g1j7r3nbaUVOKpBtDAY6eRTtuTA5b38YwZZ1QHOO47UQLJdyde/s1600/DSCN0404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUh54jfN40EDqAqwkbRy7dBo2CQHJgJcoP6VJ08KcQ8IrVn7jKlEbxM59h9LQogoZN_GaaZcG8x9ESQ9NiNTvTJXmm33g1j7r3nbaUVOKpBtDAY6eRTtuTA5b38YwZZ1QHOO47UQLJdyde/s320/DSCN0404.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fancy-schmancy Chubb Island Marina. <br />
It was too ritzy for us!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On Thursday we left Chubb and headed for Nassau. Here, too
we were going to try out a new marina, Palm Cay. The marina itself was nice,
except for the lack of effective wi-fi, the fact that they charged extra for
use of the pool and beach, and the fact that they charged very high rates for
water; Nassau is not the hinterlands of the Exumas where water is scarce. The
reason that we will never return, however, has little to with all of this. Our
assigned slip was on a concrete bulkhead. It doesn’t take a genius to note that
fiberglass and concrete do not mix very well. We managed to get enough fenders
out in time that we weren’t scarred, but why did they do that? There were a
number of empty slips (I counted 11) that could have held us. I don’t get it.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The best thing about Palm Cay, however was the people we
met. Fran and Frank aboard their boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At
Last,</i> Shep and Deb on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">High ZZs </i>and
Chris and Robin from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cerulean</i> were all
wonderful folks and we had a blast with all of them. By the time we left, all
had departed except Chris and Robin who were instrumental in helping us get out
of that damned slip. Without our wonderful deck crew (Ann) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cerulean’s</i> crew we night still be in
Palm Cay. We hope we see you all down island!</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, here we are at Highbourne Cay in the Exuma Island Group.
Ater we leave Highbourne and head south, we will not be very well connected. We’ll
try to update our blog as often as we can, but it might be a few extra days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ann’s Notes: Michael is correct in telling you that we have
had some pretty bumpy rides, and Spot will second that notion. I, however, like
to be rocked to sleep, if that is what a baby feels being rocked in a cradle, I
understand why it is so soothing and will sign up for that sensation any night.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have done more exploring in the dinghy this trip and that
is fun. The reason for more dinghy rides is because Michael is having some back
issues and cannot walk long distances without a lot of discomfort. He spend a
good part of last summer trying to isolate the cause of the pain, found a good
neurologist, who gave him a serious of back injections with little or no relief,
plus different medications. That being said, we are exploring the islands from
a water view and not walking the beaches or making our way through low scratchy
bushes. We will be able to explore once again by foot once Michael is fixed. We
hope.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to say that we have meet some very nice people,
Michael and I are not really joiners of groups, but we decided to make an extra
effort this year to be more outgoing and meet more cruisers than in the past. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So far this has been a good plan, we have had
many wonderful conversations, I have a few more friends on Facebook, and have a
few more appetizer recipes.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The dinner at Carriearls was so nice, we went with Billie
and Jerry. While waiting for our ride to the restaurant we met another couple that
was also waiting. That is when we meet Rema and Chris, they had a very interesting
story to tell about how they met and are now cruising together. For a younger
couple they blended right into the older generation group. Their sense of humor
was wonderful and kept us laughing with their commentary during the superbowl.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have learned that while cruising you need to mix it up
sometimes and explore new places. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes not
so much. In the case of going to a new marina in Nassau, the “not so much”
applies. The marina is lovely, the staff friendly and helpful, but the dock master
needs to rethink where he is going to dock a fifty-two foot<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>boat <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>before he assigns <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the slip. The marina has pretty much been
taken over by a condo association and they just want money to keep the land
portion out of the red column in the budget book. Their solution, I fear, is to
make the cruisers pay, pay for water at 35 cents per gallon; we hold 200
gallons in our tanks. Even worse is the $15 per person for a three day pass to
use the pool or go on their small beach. That just pissed me off and we did not
pay that price, I did however go to the pool as a guest from my newly made
friend Robin. They do have good WiFi, for free at the Café but the signal did
not reach our horrible slip, so far away. They did have a courtesy car with a
two hour limit, that was very nice. I wish we had a video showing us, literally
wiggling out of our slip. Three dock hands, plus Robin and Chris got us out.
Thank heaven for a great Captain, Michael, head sets for clear communication,
and my line skills. That adventure made my heart race , but we did it together
and I got a compliment from Michael that did not involve my cooking and food
preparation.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All and All it has been a fun – sometimes more exciting than
it had to be – adventure.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Traveling Soul…OUT</span></div>
</div>
Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-60436250034378708022018-02-01T16:16:00.001-05:002018-02-01T16:16:16.188-05:00Grand Lucaya (24 Jan - 1 Feb)
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has finally happened. My long-time readers will remember
that about three years ago I warned about the imminent Canadian invasion of the
Bahamas. Everyone ignored me – and some even laughed. Last year, when I again
raised the specter of a Canadian-controlled Bahamas, I pointed out that the
battle was nearly lost – by a count of 17 American to 15 Canadian boats (with
one uncommitted French-flagged vessel) the Ocean Reef Club had already nearly
fallen to the invaders. Still, there was no response. This year, I can say for certain
that Freeport and Grand Bahama Island are gone, lost to the Maple Leaves. Here
at the Grand Bahama Yacht club, I am not even sure the Americans put up much of
a fight; I guess the Canadians just polited us to death. It is true that the
Americans continue to bring in their HUGE Cruise ships, but cruise-ship people
certainly aren’t capable of out-politing the Canadians. Grand Bahama is lost. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikk707Qhyphenhyphenvt3YI5rvHOXuEBRpiGNUejcK1Y8iVMYw0g7ND_4fg5btGGg4GExFNRK8sPEbODwuRrv0CoeRxl6g-P8vSmPZrBS3OAdZYTwTiOOOaHrmDDyEJ1-ceEvpVEX48d6mdgviL1k22/s1600/DSCN0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikk707Qhyphenhyphenvt3YI5rvHOXuEBRpiGNUejcK1Y8iVMYw0g7ND_4fg5btGGg4GExFNRK8sPEbODwuRrv0CoeRxl6g-P8vSmPZrBS3OAdZYTwTiOOOaHrmDDyEJ1-ceEvpVEX48d6mdgviL1k22/s320/DSCN0376.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view behind out boat in the marina. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, back to more peasant business. I was in such a hurry
to get our last blog out that I failed to mention our new friends Ran and Bebe
aboard their beautiful sailing vessel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venture</i>.
They arrived at Old Port Cove about the same time we did and were looking to
cross about the same time. Unfortunately they had some mechanical issues that
kept them in port. (See, it is not just us!) I sure hope they can make the next
weather window – whenever that is—and we can meet them in, what may then be,
the Canadian-owned Bahamas. We also had a visit from our friends Sharon and
Andy. I met Sharon years ago through the blog about their vessel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Finally Fun </i>and we have kept in touch
since. They have sold their boat, moved ashore, and are now looking for another
boat. It was great seeing them.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Crossing<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you will remember we had been waiting for quite some time
– and had spent quite a few bucks – at Old Port Cove Marina. On Sunday we moved
into Lake Worth and on Tuesday we departed. It was a pretty narrow window and
the weather didn’t look perfect, but if we were going to go anytime in the next
two weeks, Tuesday was it. We launched at 0750.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The seas were … shall we say … far from perfect. That said,
they could have been a LOT worse. We have been in rougher seas on occasion and,
over the years we have been on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling
Soul</i>, we have been bumped and slammed around plenty. So, while this was not
the worst ride we have ever had it was probably among the worst 10. Our cat,
Spot, disagrees. She is generally wonderful on the boat. She kind of likes
exploring the ICW and finding different kinds of birds along the way; she likes
watching dolphins as they swim off our beam and she likes some of the different
destinations we visit. However, she <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">definitely</b>
likes the ICW more than the open ocean. As soon as the seas started to get a
little rough, she checked out her hidey-holes one-by-one. She wasn’t satisfied
until she was in her carrier as far back as she could get. She was a bit vocal,
too. I could tell that some of her meowing was asking, “What the hell are you
humans doing? Are you crazy? How about going back to Lake Worth?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all that, however, nobody was hurt,
nothing was damaged and at the end of the day we were in de Islands, Mon!!! </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We arrived at West End and pulled into our slip at 1600. We
had very little time to fill out the paperwork and get to the
Customs/Immigration Office before 1700. If we didn’t make it in time I was
concerned that we would have to spend additional time at West End the following
morning – when we wanted to leave as early as we could. I shouldn’t have
worried as we made it with time to spare. As a note to those who follow, the
Office has changed from years past. They are in a new building and had at least
four Customs Officers processing paperwork while in the past they had only one.
Moreover, they SAID they were going to inspect all the boats that came in
before close of business. Now, I know the way bureaucracies work and I know
that in the Bahamas ALL work stops at 5 PM. So, while I saw the boss send one
inspector to check one boat (the captain seemed to have been evasive in answering
his questions), I was pretty sure that they were not going to get to all of
them that evening. I was right. Other than the one boat I saw inspected, I
don’t think they checked any.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Usually we arrive at West End a little earlier in the day, and
after checking in, we stroll around the property, go to the little beach bar
and sometimes even eat at their restaurant. Not this time. All three of us –
Ann, Spot and me – felt tired and literally “beat up.” We had a good dinner on
the boat and hit the rack.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Grand Bahama</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxa3FqkqbC4IVjC99McEc__Ci065UBgHKu9FTHVzFGfKBYLLbZlcApUgBFEHKL0ZbxKMQxK418ee2U7pnAzDOYRb59AxT3RmAtfc_n0OOWtscI6p9Ivv0Pv2JzZhYVqECBdVIVEWVpoCkQ/s1600/DSCN0370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxa3FqkqbC4IVjC99McEc__Ci065UBgHKu9FTHVzFGfKBYLLbZlcApUgBFEHKL0ZbxKMQxK418ee2U7pnAzDOYRb59AxT3RmAtfc_n0OOWtscI6p9Ivv0Pv2JzZhYVqECBdVIVEWVpoCkQ/s320/DSCN0370.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first Kaliks this year. MMMmmmmmmm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remember when I referred to a “weather widow” before? That
is because the one or two good weather days can be surrounded by nasty, windy
days on either side. This was one of those short windows. Of the boats that
crossed at the same time we did, several, including our friends Shay and
Elizabeth aboard their boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Escape,</i>
went north to Memory Rock and were going from there to Great Sale to get a
little rest, the start out Wednesday morning so they could make it to one of
the marinas at Green Turtle Cay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
had to make it on Wednesday because the weather was predicted to deteriorate
throughout the day on Wednesday and become really nasty on Thursday. We, and a
few others, chose to go the other direction. Rather than go north and head for
the Abacos, we decided to go south and head for the protection of the marinas
around Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many cruisers don’t like going to Freeport. The “purists”
would rather spend their time anchoring and visiting the out islands than go to
any touristy places. We understand. We also like anchoring and visiting the out
islands. However, for us, learning about the Bahamas and its people is more
important than maintaining purity. I am sorry, but you can’t learn about the
country by ignoring its largest and second largest cities. (Nassau and
Freeport) which together constitute about 80% of the Islands’ population
(Nassau has about 255,000, Freeport 50,000 and the Bahamas overall about
387,500.) Besides, we enjoy sightseeing everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We decided to stay at the Grand Bahama Yacht Club. Although
it is a little more expensive than most in the Freeport area, it is also nearer
the attractions. It is really well constructed, used to handling boats of our
size and much larger, has a very nice swimming pool, is reasonably close to the
International Marketplace (a dinghy ride away) and is on the shuttle boat route
to just about all the attractions. And they have a shuttle bus to the grocery
store which is only a couple of miles away. In short, the marina is great. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That said, I am not sure we have ever been in a marina where
the resident cruisers are quite as snooty as they are here! In the first place,
most of the people we have met so far spend the entire winter, or most of the
winter, at the marina. One couple we met, for example, has been coming here
every year since 2010, and almost everyone we met spends all or most of the
winter here. Now, I really do get it; they are friends, close friends, who
buddy around together and generally meet the sociologist’s definition of a
“clique.” That would happen anywhere. Still, in most marinas where we have
stayed, people will at least say “hello” and offer to show you the local
sights. Not here. Okay, enough venting.</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDST3qkr7koMiK36Pyu6IUzqWbHulFgQJOz1KVCjWQtJDMnvW6Vf0eiH8rXjh0t8vwdzCQ0Vn7pqxTYrKQyoKiuL6xTTs70VjepuzGCMhDL4OoiX3dSgrtc-8rjkKcS3LK2XnKsWExxQwY/s1600/DSCN0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDST3qkr7koMiK36Pyu6IUzqWbHulFgQJOz1KVCjWQtJDMnvW6Vf0eiH8rXjh0t8vwdzCQ0Vn7pqxTYrKQyoKiuL6xTTs70VjepuzGCMhDL4OoiX3dSgrtc-8rjkKcS3LK2XnKsWExxQwY/s320/DSCN0386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ann taking us on a dinghy trip. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Port Lucaya and the
International Marketplace</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The International Marketplace is easy to describe: it is
tourist central for Freeport – a location where cruise ships frequently stop. In
fact, we met two ladies who were on a 3-day $99 cruise from Fort Lauderdale to
Freeport. The Marketplace was designed for them (though these ladies seemed far
savvier than the tourist board gave them credit). It basically contains five
types of shops: restaurants, bars, jewelry stores, bars and a straw market that
sells touristy mementoes. Ann bought two little touristy memento magnets at the
straw market that were advertised as “original hand-crafted Bahamian.” On the
back of both, of course, were stickers that labeled the products, “Made in
China.” Oh well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_6iETONVd2hE2IBuAoqYeRU5oIxE2etP74cEOS0sZMo737q22Ra-EscBESje_smylVKMQB_tN8sFAhXblRLSFQKniYmYK3_DjQR_fkqMDYqHujZK1wRM3ajTu4WcNtmJZQFU1b5hL5Ja/s1600/Garden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_6iETONVd2hE2IBuAoqYeRU5oIxE2etP74cEOS0sZMo737q22Ra-EscBESje_smylVKMQB_tN8sFAhXblRLSFQKniYmYK3_DjQR_fkqMDYqHujZK1wRM3ajTu4WcNtmJZQFU1b5hL5Ja/s320/Garden.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One picturesque vies of the Grove's Gardens. <br />
See the turtles on the log and in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We also did a bus tour of Freeport. we learned that Freeport doesn't really have much of a history, it was developed in the 1950's. We did learn several little tidbits about the island and the Bahamas generally -- but to learn about those you will have to buy us a drink. One interesting part of the tour was the trip to Groves Gardens. Groves was the guy who basically destroyed the Abacos and parts of Grand Bahama by deforesting them in the 30s and 40s. So why they named a garden after him I am not sure. Anyway, at the garden they discussed several Bahamian medical remedies for common ailments. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Restaurants<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the most dangerous aspects of being laid up in a
touristy location like Lucaya is that restaurants are readily available. My
guess is that there are 20 or so in the Marketplace, some at the lower end of
the culinary scale, several in the middle and at least one at the higher end. We
went to three for lunch on various days, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Agave</i>,
A Caribbean-fusion restaurant, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zorba’s</i>,
which serves Greek food and Daddy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brown’s
Conch Stand</i>. At Daddy Brown’s we had two cracked lobsters (cracked is
basically pounded flat and fried) and some very good conch fritters for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">$15. </b>Man, you can’t beat that. PLUS it
was delicious.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4dIbz3EyG35yWu6e2EGexfN7oWG7CefQfvepFh8VbsHbCIIsx8rtbeA9gV9czkyQiNMndfhuiix6ygBJb12TxDN2TTyexvlOsvMCtM3xpEeWCdIcoZhcyF35ES2_opNq7AfLCQRo7C6J/s1600/DSCN0389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4dIbz3EyG35yWu6e2EGexfN7oWG7CefQfvepFh8VbsHbCIIsx8rtbeA9gV9czkyQiNMndfhuiix6ygBJb12TxDN2TTyexvlOsvMCtM3xpEeWCdIcoZhcyF35ES2_opNq7AfLCQRo7C6J/s320/DSCN0389.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two dirty martinis at the Flying Fish. The view and the<br />
cocktails were to die for.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our next-to-last night in Grand Bahama we went to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flying Fish</i>, purportedly one of the
finest restaurants in the Bahamas and rated #8 in the entire Caribbean and somewhere
around #58 in the world. Our overall opinion? It was very good; not spectacular,
not extraordinary, but very good. There was one exception. We had read that early
in his career Chef Tim Tibbits had prepared a “calamari with brown butter” dish
that, because it was chosen for the menu at the restaurant where he was
working, “changed his life.” Now come on, if you think I am going to miss a dish
that a renowned chef believed changed his life you are nuts. We had it as an
appetizer and I gotta admit, it was delicious!!! In fact, Ann spent much of the
following morning figuring out how to duplicate it. She even had me go to the
store and buy some unsalted butter (which is apparently better in the
preparation of brown butter than is salted butter – who knew?). The main
courses we had were far less spectacular but were certainly very good. The service
was good, though they rushed us a little bringing the main course out at the
same time they brought a cocktail, but I guess that is better than being slow.
The total cost was $187 (including tip). I have paid more and I have paid less
for an equivalent meal, but when I think that I could have had <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10</b> of Daddy Brown’s cracked lobsters
and beer for one dinner at the Flying Fish, I gotta say I am not sure I would
go back. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, the weather had improved so tomorrow we are on the way
to Great Harbor Marina in the Berry Islands. We plan on staying there through
Sunday – and the Super Bowl – then meandering through the Berries a little
longer before making the jump to Nassau. I don’t have anything vested in the
superbowl, I am not a fan of either team. But hey, if you are a fan of the game
– and I am – you have to watch the Superbowl.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ann’s Notes: I really do not have too much to add. When we
arrived we got the dinghy down when the wind was not too bad. The poor dinghy
was one hot mess, dirty and just needed some TLC. Michael and I agreed that we
would do some exploring every day and one or two small boat projects. Spreading
the little “needs to be fixed” project over several days is a good thing. I did
a lot of re-organizing the cabinets in the galley and putting labels on containers.
You all know I LOVE to organize things, so that project was fun for me. The NOT
fun project was cleaning the dinghy. I just dumped in a bunch of Simple Green
soap, added some water and took a scrub brush. We both did the pontoons as well
as we could. I fixed the oar mounts and used lots of good old fashion elbow
grease. Spraying the water was fun with the wind slightly blowing; once you are
wet you might as well finish the damn project. I will say once everything was
dry, I am no longer embarrassed to be seen riding in our dinghy.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Michael was very correct about the Canadians not being very
friendly… their loss, not ours. Americans that cruise are generally much more
friendly and helpful.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have enjoyed our time in Lucaya, the marina staff is
wonderful and the Bahamian people so pleasant to be around. It is very much a
tourist spot for cruise ship people and right now we are tourists.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The dinner at Flying Fish was a treat, I thought the food was
different and the service was good. I like a fancy dinner every once in a while
and I like to try and duplicate a food item that was yummy.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I also want to thank Sharon and Andy for coming across the
state of FL to visit us. They are such fun to spend time with.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The tour of Freeport was different, they have a very complicated
car license registry, I will read up on it and try to figure it out. Like most
semi- third world countries … the rich are very rich and the poor stay poor… although
... I think in the larger cities there is a working middle class. They must
have a good social welfare system because everything is expensive, food, fuel, and
utilities. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That is about all, I never think I will type that much but
once I get in front of the computer, I just GO.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you all for following us.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Traveling Soul…OUT </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></div>
Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-29961816761627401512018-01-22T16:22:00.003-05:002018-01-22T16:23:32.816-05:00Old Port Cove near North Palm Beach, FL: 22 Jan<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Yes, ladies and gentlemen we are back. After wonderful –
though rather hectic and very cold – holidays with our family and friends, we
are back in Florida. This time of the year it should be a bit warmer here, but
hey, anything that gets us out of wind chills in the single digits is a good
thing. Our next step is the Bahamas.</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwdz-2TfNYfvPa1J_rIpmOLqQpUIRCyIY-PCQs0Hm5yPSz7QsZ4y6clylPTSbLY4NvW0VRR4yoLR5e02NtvMG2HvR6dwdiSZ3VnJHLGbRSXpN782WJDnrMbwd94r3QonPQw0Q18UksT_u/s1600/Snow+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwdz-2TfNYfvPa1J_rIpmOLqQpUIRCyIY-PCQs0Hm5yPSz7QsZ4y6clylPTSbLY4NvW0VRR4yoLR5e02NtvMG2HvR6dwdiSZ3VnJHLGbRSXpN782WJDnrMbwd94r3QonPQw0Q18UksT_u/s320/Snow+Pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our condo just as we left. BRRRRRRRR</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We have learned, however, that before you leave for the
islands, you should make sure all your maintenance is done. Nothing is easier
abroad. So, as we came down the Waterway, we made a list of what needed to be
done. It started with a simple list of four things. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The batteries for the port engine needed to be
replaced. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The dinghy outboard needed to be serviced and the
carburetor cleaned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our aft air conditioner was acting up. We needed
to have it checked and gassed up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">For some reason, our anchor chain was twisting
as it came into the anchor locker. We needed to untwist it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When we got
back to that boat, we added to that list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Boat needed to be cleaned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our water pressure pump failed when we got back
from the holidays. Why? The boat gremlins, of course.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">We discovered the aft shower sump needed to be
repaired. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The handles on our kayak needed replacing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s IPOD needed help. (You may not think that
is “boat stuff,” but when at anchor, that music sure comes in useful!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">And, of course, we had to re-provision both the
boat and our refrigerator.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Don’t worry, we didn’t actually do all that work ourselves.
As true believers in the Greek aphorism, “know thyself,” we determined that there
were some things we would do ourselves and some we would pay to have done. Those
of you who now me know that I know next to nothing about outboards and air
conditioners, so we chose to contract those tasks out. As 67 year olds who
aren’t as strong as they once were and don’t bend as well as they used to, we
decided to let someone else clean the boat. That still left plenty for us to
do.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The batteries should have been a simple task. However, in
boating there is no such thing as “simple.” First, I had to coordinate with two
different <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batteries Plus Bulbs</i> stores
to get the kind of dual purpose marine batteries we wanted. Moreover,
connecting them is not quite as easy as connecting car batteries. First, of
course, the three batteries had to be connected in parallel to deliver the same
number of volts and extra amps to the engine. Additionally, one of our heads
and our windlass use the port engine batteries to function (No, I didn’t know
that. I had assumed – and had no reason not to believe – that the heads and the
windlass were connected to the big honkin’ house batteries we have. I guess
fixing that is another project for next summer.) Anyway, somewhat surprisingly,
I bought and connected the batteries without any additional trips to the store
or straining to understand instructions that are usually written by and for the
Chinese workmen who originally built them.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After the batteries it was replacing the water pressure
pump. The old pump had been acting up for months – even before we left home.
So, “just in case” we purchased a spare and kept it in the generator room. When
the old pump finally failed, I knew what had to be done. Now replacing a water
pump is, “in theory,” pretty simple. You have a low pressure hose coming in the
pump that needs to be connected and a high pressure hose coming out. Then, you
have three wires, a positive, a negative, and a ground that have to be
connected to the positive, negative and ground wires of the boat. This, of
course, is “the theory.” In reality every boat component is in a very confined
space and requires some major contortions and major finger and toe strength to
get to the hoses and/or the wires. The water pressure pump is no different.
However, here, too, after gathering the appropriate tools, screws and plumbing
connectors, it only took four or five hours to replace the pump. The most
difficult part was tracking down the last little leak on the high pressure
side. After spending better than an hour trying to find the problem, it turned
out to be it turned out to be the simplest of screws on a steel band clamp. But
the important thing was that – TA DA!!! Another project bit the dust.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We were not finished with pumps, however. Boats with showers
have to pump the used water overboard. To do this, the used water drains from the
shower and collects into a “sump” that holds the water, then a float switch
turns on a pump when the water reaches a certain level and the pump forces the
water overboard. When we discovered that our aft shower sump pump was not
working another little project made the list. Again, it should have been a
simple project. I am not going into detail on this one other than to say some
of the screws used for the electrical connections are itty-bitty and my fingers
are not. Moreover, some of the required connections are not intuitive. After
several hours and some help from Ann we finally fixed the sump.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Replacing the handles on the kayak should have been the
easiest job of all. There are two handles that needed replacing. Each was held
in place by two screws. Simple, right? Take the screws out, replace the handle
and put the screws back in place. Not so fast. Three of the screws came right
out. Okay, maybe they required some muscle power, but they came out eventually.
The fourth screw, however, wasn’t budging. I twisted, I pulled, I used
different screwdrivers. Nothing. Ann came home and volunteered to take a turn.
She twisted and turned and … uh oh … the screwdriver twisted on her hand and
cut her right between the thumb and forefinger. I won’t tell you some of the
language she used, but I will tell you that after a while we got all the blood
off the deck and out of the carpet. From this point we weren’t playing games. We
got out the dremel and started to work on the screw’s head. It didn’t take
long, maybe about five minutes, and eventually we had cut enough away that we
could get the damn thing out. We then replaced the handle and voila! Another
job that should have taken thirty minutes was completed in about three hours.
The lesson we re-learned from this episode is that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Boating ain’t for sissies.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I will let Ann tell the details of the incident I think we
should call the “Apple Episode,” but I will set it up. A few years ago, Ann
spent hundreds, maybe thousands of ours loading CDs onto her iPod. She
downloaded from iTunes and (legally) copied CD we bought. For years we enjoyed
listening to that music. Country? Music from the Islands? Oldies? We had it
all. Then the iPod broke. Surely the “Geniuses” from Apple could fix it, right?
No, because it was five years old Apple decided not to support Ann’s particular
iPod. We had two choices. Leave Apple forever or buy a new multi-hundred dollar
iPod that Apple would probably abandon in another five years. We really tried
to leave Apple. But we could never get more than a few thousand songs on any
device we bought. Eventually, it became clear that if we wanted all that music
we would have to pay homage to Apple and buy another Apple product. The story
of how the Apple “Geniuses” and even their “Super Geniuses” managed to get the
music back is Ann’s, so I will leave it to her.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeznoP8LSXaE5ZdLV2fzSH7rXJwbEs0OwQJe7J1Bur8oDTOWnFtvNgr01QhJ6M5SKNXTCDEfq2FpoY2LWTInPl1f0Hkm5-w3FepuvPqG5glPOc9sTeAx-ZrUbg4hH3j2JB5F72ypzi9smw/s1600/Lake+Worth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeznoP8LSXaE5ZdLV2fzSH7rXJwbEs0OwQJe7J1Bur8oDTOWnFtvNgr01QhJ6M5SKNXTCDEfq2FpoY2LWTInPl1f0Hkm5-w3FepuvPqG5glPOc9sTeAx-ZrUbg4hH3j2JB5F72ypzi9smw/s320/Lake+Worth.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our boat as we wait in Lake Worth. You <br />
will notice: NO SNOW</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After all that, here we are. Having paid our extraordinary bill to Old Port Cove Marina, prepped our boat as well as she is going to be prepped, here we are, anchored in the middle of Lake Worth waiting for the next weather window -- which we hope will arrive tomorrow -- so we can start our 2018 Bahamian Adventure and share it with you.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am going to do some back tracking and cover a little more
on our Christmas holiday, which was wonderful. We did spend a lot of time in
the car driving between VA and MD, even Spot has stopped complaining and
meowing during the trip. She knows that her other cat condo is waiting for her
at Dave and Joan’s house. We celebrated Christmas Eve at Tim and Carrie’s house
with Caylin, now 11 years old, and Gavin who turned 8 years old on the 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup>
of November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave and Joan, also a part
of our family enjoyed yummy pizza that Carrie is now in charge of (thank you
Carrie)…pizza on Christmas Eve is a family tradition that goes back to Michael’s
childhood and is being carried on by our older grandchildren. That just makes
my heart happy to know that a silly thing like pizza will be carried on to
future generations.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nik our oldest grandson graduated from ASU early and is now
a 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> Lt in the Marine Corp and going to his basic course in
Quantico VA. We got to spend a little time with him after the New Year. He has the
use of our little Miata , there is another story there but we will tell that
only after a few cocktails. Needless to say ... it was a few trips to a Notary
to have our signature witnessed in two different states. Love you Nickolas
Applegate.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">New Years Eve was celebrated with Dave and Joan at one of
our favorite restaurants in Falls Church VA, if you have not been to 2941 and
have some extra money, the food is first class fare. We all managed to stay up until
midnight, had some champagne and were in bed by 12:10 am in the year 2018.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It is good to be back on the boat and have all systems running.
I have a story about the sump for our shower. Michael is in the generator hole
working on the fresh water pump, so I thought I would get a head start on emptying
the sump. The sump is just a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>square
bucket that holds the water before it get pumped over board, the call is ‘grey
water’ for a reason…not really yucky, but semi-yucky. Anyway, I get a cup and
start baling the water out and putting the water down the head sink. The more I
baled the quicker the sump filled up. The conversation went something like
this..</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Me to Michael…"Hey babe ... does the sink empty out of the
boat? Because the more I bale the faster the sump fills up."</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Michael to Me … "Yes, it goes overboard ... the water coming
into the sump is probably just water left in the pipes."</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Me: "OK" (as a continue to bale and empty in the sink)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">10 to 15 minutes go by…</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">"Babe are you sure the water goes out and off of the boat?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Long pause from the man in the generator hole. "</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Well…maybe not, the sump should be empty by now, it does not
hold that much water. Why don’t you try another sink."</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">10 more minutes later… the sump is empty, of course, because
I put the grey water down the middle head sink, that does , by the way, exit to
the outside. I had ben filling up the sump as fast as I had been emptying it. So … how long have we been cruising on Traveling Soul?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So about that screwdriver…never use a tool for something it
was not designed to do AND always use tools that can stick into you, pointed
away from fleshy parts. Good lord that hurt, and my dad was a sailor so I know
a few sailor words. I am all healed and lessons have been learned.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The iPod story…grrr…I checked in a 10 am, got an appointment
for 11:15 am and departed at 4:30 PM. Our songs are sorta back, the iPod still
needs some tweaking but we do have music again. Shawn did a great job, he was the
“genius” that was helpful and friendly. I did spend ALL DAY in the Apple store
watching my music being downloaded from my computer and Itunes on to the new
iPod.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I hope you all have a Happy, Healthy and Blessed New Year…</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT</span>Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-80461609089072538242017-12-15T11:56:00.002-05:002017-12-15T12:01:45.975-05:00Army-Navy!!!<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was cold in Saint Augustine, maybe the coldest day they
had all year. Ann and I were on the transom, preparing to lift the dinghy. The
wind was biting and when it hit our flesh it actually hurt. Our fingers were so
stiff they were almost useless as we prepared to lift our dinghy to the upper deck.
But all was right with the world because you see, the night before ARMY HAD
BEAT THE HELL OUF OF NAVY IN FOOTBALL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We not only beat them, we crushed them, we stomped on them, we destroyed
them. Ok, maybe the score was 14-13 and maybe the fact that Navy’s kicker
missed a field goal in the final seconds contributed to our victory, but in
Army-Navy football a “W” is all that will go in the record books. Twenty years
from now if you ask an Army football player what the team’s record was in his
senior year, he might remember. If you ask him how the Bowl game went, he will
probably remember the score. But when you ask him about the Army-Navy game he
will be able to recount every play. Go Army, Beat Navy.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AerGlYREpZeHfMIquhm8MRdb240JZKqOvoRxK8d391PhJCbswCisc68Xs9ku0qTxlbrKWK4y9gyXAMW7EIXUvFJtHa3l3UGmFaGsAPywGx0apBKJJM6BnCkmrQeuNz-FzRzd4fcHfsGS/s1600/DSCN0343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-AerGlYREpZeHfMIquhm8MRdb240JZKqOvoRxK8d391PhJCbswCisc68Xs9ku0qTxlbrKWK4y9gyXAMW7EIXUvFJtHa3l3UGmFaGsAPywGx0apBKJJM6BnCkmrQeuNz-FzRzd4fcHfsGS/s320/DSCN0343.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Arctic Ranger was dressed appropriately for most of <br />
our journey -- especially St. Augustine. it was c-c-c-cold!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Okay, now that I have that out of my system, let me tell you
what has happened since our last entry from beautiful Beaufort, SC. With few
exceptions, we have been on the move almost constantly. We stayed one night
each at Thunderbolt Marina, the anchorage at New Teakettle Creek, Brunswick
Landing Marina, and the anchorage at Ft. George. We then stayed three nights on
a mooring ball in St. Augustine on the last of which we watched ARMY BEAT THE
HELL OUT OF NAVY! (You didn’t really think I got it out of my system in one
paragraph did you?). We then spent one night each at the anchorages at Fort
George, Rock House Creek and Palm Shores before we stopped at the marina at Ft.
Pierce and finally, our destination at Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm
Beach, Florida. Let me break it down a little.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Originally we had planned to anchor at an anchorage near the
little town of Beaulieu on the outskirts of Savannah. But, on the way we had a
little problem. I need to go back a little ways to explain what happened. You
see, after they put the extra batteries in last year, the boat developed a
slight list to port. You probably couldn’t notice it unless you were looking
for it – but, of course I looked for it. I was talking to a friend that had a
similar problem. He told me that he controls his list by controlling the amount
of fuel he puts into his wing tanks, i.e. a little more fuel in the light side
and a little less in the heavy side. It sounded like a good idea to me, so to find
out how much fuel I should put in each tank, I ran an experiment. On the way to
Beaufort, I set the system up so it would draw fuel from the port tank (the
heavy side) to run the port engine and draw fuel from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aft</i> tank to run the starboard engine (the light side). I would draw
no fuel at all from the starboard tank. I would then check the list and see if
how much fuel I would need to keep in each of the wing tanks to re-balance the
boat. After there was about a 50 gallon differential between the starboard and
port tanks, I put everything back to normal – or so I thought. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now, in my own defense, I ask you to remember that I ran the
experiment on the way to Beaufort, and we stayed in Beaufort for three days. About
2/3 of the way between Beaufort and Savannah, GA the starboard engine stopped. Originally,
I had no clue what had happened. I knew I set up the fuel flow correctly and it
had run just fine for a day or so before arriving in Beaufort, so I knew that couldn’t
be the problem. In any event, we decided to go to Thunderbolt Marina. There, I
would be able to get down in the engine room and figure out what the problem
was. If I could not, the marina would know where I could get a decent mechanic.
After I thought about it for a while though, I realized that it didn’t take a mechanical
genius to figure out what had happened. I had screwed up. After a few trips to
the engine room, I realized that we had simply run out of fuel in the port tank.
As soon as I changed the draw from the starboard tank to the aft tank (and cranked
the engine several times), the engine started right up. You see, each tank has
both a “from” valve and a “to” valve. (Diesel engines draw more fuel than they
need, then return the excess back to the specified fuel tank). Anyway, I had
apparently left the valves in the position that was drawing from the starboard
tank all right, but was returning it to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aft</i>
tank – which filled up the aft tank but drained the starboard tank. (If you
were here right now, you would hear a deep wistful sigh, for this was another lesson
re-learned. I had done something similar about four years earlier) </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">By the way, I know I spent way too much time on our little incident,
but after I started I couldn’t stop. Then it became something of a challenge explaining
what happened. But no, since I have a lot to cover, I’ll write a little faster.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcX0Mtb6O2pC3SXsxAqC3XqPCCUcepjt8jdMNM0CcrK0kHFADygZVI_KrGhaG0W_PdFERcZE4cqkC1CBQDVBr8y9OnCAGi7B-x_Za1LgeCbqm06Rz4oszuiwb_R9mLPzRa0kH0w2WsxxET/s1600/DSCN0337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcX0Mtb6O2pC3SXsxAqC3XqPCCUcepjt8jdMNM0CcrK0kHFADygZVI_KrGhaG0W_PdFERcZE4cqkC1CBQDVBr8y9OnCAGi7B-x_Za1LgeCbqm06Rz4oszuiwb_R9mLPzRa0kH0w2WsxxET/s320/DSCN0337.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot, watching the birds at New Teakettle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Thunderbolt, we anchored at New Teakettle Creek in Georgia.
The area is full of great anchorages, but we stopped at New Teakettle for two
reasons. First, it is a truly beautiful anchorage, especially if you like the
Georgia low country as much as we do. You can see over the golden saw grass for
miles, giving you the impression that you are the only people on earth. Additionally,
there are all sorts of birds to entertain Spot. Her eyes and head follow them
just like radar, just knowing that she could “take” them if given half of a chance.
the Even more important, however, is the fact that about ten miles south of New
Teakettle is a relatively small body of water called the Little Mud River.
Little Mud can get VERY shallow at low tide – in fact it is about the only place
on the ICW that really scares me. For that reason, we anchored at New Teakettle
to catch the Little Mud at high tide early the following morning. Even then our
depth finder showed only about six feet of water along the way, but we made it through
without incident (we need 4.5 feet). </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After New Teakettle we spent the night at Brunswick Landing
Marina. We had intended to fill up with fuel (Brunswick Landing generally has
the cheapest fuel in the area), but since we had taken on diesel at Thunderbolt
– after my fuel tank faux pas – we just enjoyed a night plugged into electricity
and water. From Brunswick we went to the anchorage at Fort George. Usually when
we stop there we visit the National Historic Site at Kingsley Plantation, but
this time we were just passin’ through. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After Ft. George we stopped and took a mooring ball at St.
Augustine. We had been planning to stay at St. Augustine for three days
specifically because we were sure we could find someplace to watch the
Army-Navy game. Did I mention that Army beat the hell out of Navy? (Sorry, I
couldn’t resist). Anyway, the first two days we explored the historic district
of St. Augustine – as we have several times in the past – and prepared for the
game. We also used the opportunity at St. Augustine to test out our dinghy,
which we had not used for several months. Well, we got it started and it took
us to and from the dinghy dock at the marina, but we learned that we needed to
have the carburetor either cleaned or rebuilt. In fact, there was one scary moment
when I was testing out the engine and it just stopped. Now, this can be a bit
dangerous because with the currents in St. Augustine harbor, you are not going
to be able to row against the current back to the boat. To make a long story
short (yes, there is another “Dumbass Mike” story here, but to get it you will
have to buy me a drink some evening), I managed to get the motor re-started and
return to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Traveling Soul</i>.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">To watch the Army-Navy game we usually avoid sports bars.
Not only can they get noisy, but a lot of people would rather watch different
games. So, unless we could get a personalized table and TV, we would be out of
luck. Instead, we have learned we can go to Carrabas, a chain Italian
restaurant with pretty good food, sit at their bar, eat a few appetizers and
drink a few beers, and enjoy the game. This year we went at 2:00 (the game
started at 3:00), got to know the bartender, assumed control of the remote and
watched a game the results of which I guess I should not gloat quite so much.
Anyway, it was a good game and we had a great time.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After St. Augustine, it was on to the anchorages at Rock
House Creek and Palm Shores. It was smooth sailing to both locations with nothing
very interesting to report. We then headed to the Fort Pierce City Marina. We
were stopping because it had been a while since we had been to a marina and
because we needed fuel. The good news is that, although expensive, the fuel we
took on at Ft. Pierce was going to get us to the Bahamas and around the Abacos.
Moreover, Ft. Pierce had the cheapest diesel we could find in southern Florida (from
reports both the Waterway Guide and Active Captain). The bad news is that the terms
“inexpensive” and “Southern Florida” are mutually exclusive. Let’s just say the
fuel was VERY expensive and cost us a little over a Boat Unit ($1000). </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At Ft. Pierce we renewed our acquaintance with David Jansen,
the gentleman who a year ago found Spot in the furled sail of his boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fifth Quarter</i>. I think Ann will describe
our encounter in more detail below.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On 13 December we finally arrived at our destination – Old Port
Cove Marina in North Palm Beach, Florida. Here, we will relax for a few days, then
leave the boat and drive up to Maryland/Virginia for Christmas, return to Old
Port Cove in early January, provision the boat, and wait for a weather window in
mid-January to head for the Bahamas.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvAFAWx0lrroCROKOP-KaDY-KQk8T7cN7DDqMzyRqtwXtSA6ZYv6r7macassp_k6sBPz1x8pcUKOtzU3bAD87I_rTgz9MDAh2SzVT1pC8Tn49HLcBOvWL9NjNRwSOO_TKIhuWQxZsVLDR/s1600/.facebook_1513268729090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvAFAWx0lrroCROKOP-KaDY-KQk8T7cN7DDqMzyRqtwXtSA6ZYv6r7macassp_k6sBPz1x8pcUKOtzU3bAD87I_rTgz9MDAh2SzVT1pC8Tn49HLcBOvWL9NjNRwSOO_TKIhuWQxZsVLDR/s320/.facebook_1513268729090.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik receiving his "first salute"<br />
from his step-Dad, <br />
Sergeant-Major Higgins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">December 13<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> was also momentous for another
reason. Our eldest grandson, Nikolas Applegate, was commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the United States Marine Corps. It is interesting to note that, from this
moment on, I will know more about what is happening to Nik than anyone else in
the family. After his Basic Course and possibly other schooling, Nik will,
presumably, become a rifle platoon leader in the Marine Corps. Although I was
in the Army, I was also a rifle platoon leader – in the 82<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> Airborne
Division. Actually, I led several platoons in the division and was eventually an
Airborne Infantry Company Commander – the Army equivalent of a position to
which to which Nik will aspire once he figures out how the Marine Corps works.
Anyway, Ann and I both want to send our congratulations to Nik as well as my
daughter, Lisa, and son-in-law, David, for the manner in which they have raised
this young man. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4fNOYnvuUUialcRGLOplmZccEpX-ESamoWJGrYu4FbsPUdXXnfCF318Zs_ZIvSvfCni8GNANhl75fzgYRYDZXEDhmWNW9h3vsp4k3I3k9wMhVOqQP6oXMo4Zhw_tVkxgIzpvmp9oRHSk/s1600/.facebook_1513268877761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW4fNOYnvuUUialcRGLOplmZccEpX-ESamoWJGrYu4FbsPUdXXnfCF318Zs_ZIvSvfCni8GNANhl75fzgYRYDZXEDhmWNW9h3vsp4k3I3k9wMhVOqQP6oXMo4Zhw_tVkxgIzpvmp9oRHSk/s320/.facebook_1513268877761.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A better picture or Nik and Dave <br />
(Dave is the one with all the medals).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes: At last we are in, what is supposed to be, warm
and sunny Florida. It is actually rather chilly outside, though not as cold as it
is in VA and MD. Michael didn’t mention the fact that we ran into some pretty heavy
fog while traveling in GA. However, we have done the ICW more than a few times
so I have many notes on my charts. Plus, we ran the radar and I had my
binoculars glued to my eyes, so we did fine. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 2.05pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We stopped at one of my favorite
anchorages, Rockhouse Creek, where I can see the Ponce de Leon light house
shine at night. I truly love light houses.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am going to back track to Beaufort S.C. where we linked up
with our good friends Becky and Mark Covington on their boat Sea Angel. Becky
and I had a wonderful girl’s day out. We went to a farmers market – that was
actually a farmers market and not a craft fair. I bought some fresh vegetables,
the most yummy blue cheese I have had in a long time, and a warm baguette. We then
went into the beautiful little town of Beaufort, SC did some shopping and went
out to lunch. The day was topped off with a trip to the new Walmart on Lady’s
Island. All-in-all it was great to reconnect with a great cruising friend.
Thank you Becky for making it a special day.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The picture on this blog is Spot with the gentlemen that
found Spot in his sail last year when we were at Emerald Bay Marina. He recognized
the boat name and asked how Spot was. We were busy filling up with fuel so I was
rather distracted and didn’t recognize him. However, we think some good came
out of Spot’s escape attempt; she will now wear a new tag while in the Bahamas.
This one has her name on it, our boat name and our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bahamas</i> phone number, just in case she sails away on another boat.</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1xIY8I5W_OtdowUgz5DQg93-AUBLf1GHdJ6vQVPI0S7NQRoQHSyeRgnYT4X3v1pFXHrAWU8HHIaDdKfd1w2hEuCVMKLuRZEvHXWqDlElZFgtvzfnwrCO0QBWqgzawqeZB4NMh0tpSfkG/s1600/IMG-0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1xIY8I5W_OtdowUgz5DQg93-AUBLf1GHdJ6vQVPI0S7NQRoQHSyeRgnYT4X3v1pFXHrAWU8HHIaDdKfd1w2hEuCVMKLuRZEvHXWqDlElZFgtvzfnwrCO0QBWqgzawqeZB4NMh0tpSfkG/s320/IMG-0947.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Jenson, the an who saved Spot from a life <br />
of servitude on his Catamaran <em>Fifth Quarter </em>last year after <br />
her near escape from <em>Traveling Soul</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We are getting ready to pack up and drive back to VA/MD…let
the Christmas celebration begin.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Congratulations to our first born grandson Nik and his new
rank of Lieutenant in the Marine Corp … Semper Fi … Nik.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Maddy, our granddaughter, will be graduating<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from ASU in the spring and hopefully enter a Veterinary
College.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Trent will finish up his first year at ASU in the spring, he
is following both his brother and sister as an ASU Sun Devil.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Michael and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a
Blessed New Year in 2018.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT </span></div>
<br />
<br />Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4671864490554143456.post-12839837648558672112017-12-02T16:56:00.003-05:002017-12-02T17:19:47.272-05:00Sun at Last!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sun at last, sun at last, thank God Almighty, we have sun at
last. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was almost freezing at the marinas in Belhaven and
Beaufort North Carolina. By the time we got to an anchorage just north of
Charleston, it was almost warm. But it wasn’t until we arrived in beautiful Beaufort,
SC that it was FINALLY warm enough to take off our sweaters. Getting to
Beaufort, however is what this story is about, so let me go back to the
beginning.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We left Beaufort, NC the day after Thanksgiving. We could
barely walk after stuffing ourselves with Ann’s Thanksgiving meal, but we
didn’t have to walk, we were on a boat and we were on our way to anchor at Mile
Hammock Bay, which is just outside Camp Lejeune, NC. Mile Hammock is one of our
favorite anchorages and we have stayed there a number of times. There is
nothing to do, it is just a protected place to spend the night. There are
usually at least a half-dozen boats with us and there have been as many as
fourteen. This year, however, there was only one other boat – showing that we
left Maryland later than we should have. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It was c-c-cold at Mile Hammock, but we do have reverse
cycle air conditioning which can provide heat, so we turned on our NEW EXPENSIVE
GENERATOR and the heat to take the cold bite out of the air. (Four years ago
when our son was with us we seldom turned on the generator. We did that to show
him how tough we were and to make him suffer (Shhh, don’t tell him.) Since he
wasn’t with us this year, we turned everything on and were toasty warm. Anyway,
in the morning when we got ready to turn on the engines the starboard engine
went “Crank!” just like it should have. The port engine when “CR” … Oh oh, the
engine didn’t start. Again it went “CR” ... again and “CR” … yet again. Since I
had a similar problem last year, I figured (and hoped) it was the batteries. Luckily,
I have a switch set up which allows me to put all six starting batteries to
work starting either engine. After I threw the switch I heard the appropriate Crank!
coming from the port engine. Yessss. Okay, the engine is now running. We went
down the waterway a few miles and came to the marina where we had planned to
get fuel (the lowest price on the ICW, by far). The question was, dare I stop
the engine and have to start it again or do we just drive on and find a fuel
stop later. Most of you know that I am both a cheapskate and gambler at heart,
so we stopped … refueled … and the engine started right up again. Yesss.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-iHUOkRVLDLXpNfpzUJ9h6KAormdY6N2ta4vrwOqxPEGYNdyFz337pXnmXCnOZizzrLG7-wI6MSVZ5MIfblR_Vb6VG-O92-oSsrmepj5OPSnRYMMe4uwgDnPfIxYoAHEW6kF1r6r9ii6/s1600/20171126_205649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-iHUOkRVLDLXpNfpzUJ9h6KAormdY6N2ta4vrwOqxPEGYNdyFz337pXnmXCnOZizzrLG7-wI6MSVZ5MIfblR_Vb6VG-O92-oSsrmepj5OPSnRYMMe4uwgDnPfIxYoAHEW6kF1r6r9ii6/s320/20171126_205649.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim and Bess Treadwell as well as your truly and his OAO.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">A few days prior to the engine incident I had been e-mailing
with a friend of mine. Jim Treadwell was three years behind me at West Point,
but was in the same company that I was. Moreover, he was a platoon leader and
later the executive office of the company I commanded in the 82d Airborne
Division. It turns out that, although Jim lives in Florida, he has a summer
house in Ocean Isles North Carolina AND he was going to be there for a week or
so around Thanksgiving. We had to link up. And we did. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Originally we were going to re-connect at St. James Marina,
but we ended up going to Southport. Southport, you see, has mechanics just in case
I would have needed them for my difficult-to-start engine. Anyhow, we met, had
a drink, went to dinner and generally had a blast. As is so often the case with
my West Point contemporaries and/or my former Army colleagues, our conversation
started up where we left off 20 years ago. Ann, of course, knew Jim (but hadn’t
seen him for 40+ years. Neither of us had met his wife, Bess, but when we did,
we decided she was the perfect woman to keep Jim under control. It didn’t take
much calculating … they have been married for 30+ years. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb6waZncAsZWoqBiFFp2IC05f_zq0AYkrcVW-pnm_VgdwThR_5MloQD8SnT40wy3DHajFAhjh92VaO1pmS7rouFri0j4LPpoEz0pbTYGRNcdrmr13NgyQUgYnpJD9kRY4GDgjNKb1LoAd/s1600/DSCN0331%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb6waZncAsZWoqBiFFp2IC05f_zq0AYkrcVW-pnm_VgdwThR_5MloQD8SnT40wy3DHajFAhjh92VaO1pmS7rouFri0j4LPpoEz0pbTYGRNcdrmr13NgyQUgYnpJD9kRY4GDgjNKb1LoAd/s320/DSCN0331%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In addition to my toes (unintended) you can see <br />
how difficult it is to check the vents without moving the cables.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">While at Southport, I also gave the batteries a good once
over. As you can see by the enclosed picture, many of the cables cover the vents
and vent caps. To check the water and electrolyte level, I had to take off some
of the cabling to get at the vents. It was a time consuming process. Since I
did replace quite bit of water, I am assuming that it was, in fact, the
batteries (plus the cold weather) that led to the slow start on the port
battery. We didn’t need a mechanic after all, but I am glad we stopped at a
place where we could have found one if needed.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Because we had lost two days at Top Rack waiting for the Albemarle
to calm down, had lost a day at Beaufort to enjoy Thanksgiving, and had lost a
day at Southport for our battery problem, we decided we would “pick up speed”
for the next several days to get back on “schedule.” Actually, we do not have a
schedule per se. We have the chart you can see below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It tells us how many miles we have to go, the
average number of miles we have to achieve and, most importantly, the number of
60 mile days we have in front of us (we generally travel around 60 miles per
day when in the “move out” mode).</span><br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: auto auto auto 4.7pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 564px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 60pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="background: yellow; border: 1pt solid currentColor; height: 60pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Night of<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: yellow; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Location<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: yellow; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">ICW Mile Marker<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: yellow; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Miles covered<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: yellow; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Miles to Destination<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: yellow; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Days left<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: yellow; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Avg miles Required per day<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: yellow; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 60pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Number of 60 mile days left<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">23-Nov<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Beaufort, NC<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">201<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">813<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">22<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">36.95455<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">13.55<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">24-Nov<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Mile Hammock<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">244.4<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">43.9<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">769.6<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">21<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">36.64762<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">12.82667<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">25-Nov<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Southport<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">312<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">69.7<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">702<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">20<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">35.1<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">11.7<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">26-Nov<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Southport<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">312<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">0<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">702<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">19<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">36.94737<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">27-Nov<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Enterprise<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">375<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">63<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">639<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">18<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">35.5<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">10.65<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">28-Nov<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Adendaw<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">435<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">60<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">579<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">17<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">34.05882<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">9.65<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">29-Nov<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Toogoodoo<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">495<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">60<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">519<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">16<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">32.4375<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">8.65<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">30-Nov<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Beaufort, SC<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">538.3<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">40<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">475.7<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">15<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">31.71333<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">7.928333<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1-Dec<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Beaufort, SC<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">538.3<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">0<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">475.7<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">14<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">33.97857<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">7.928333<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 10; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; height: 15pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.8pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2-Dec<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 69pt;" valign="bottom" width="92"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Beaufort, SC<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.85pt;" valign="bottom" width="61"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">538.3<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 65.75pt;" valign="bottom" width="88"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">0<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="77"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">475.7<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 44.05pt;" valign="bottom" width="59"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">13<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">36.59231<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="background: yellow; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 15pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 47.25pt;" valign="bottom" width="63"><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">7.928333<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6a724bWCpPhagovhenQ0PYBoyYgG8Fl78QLEqKIZ79U4kRVg5M6oVqsIHzxBU7XPgMsyBsLL9ZjUrP401zUB8Y1T7cqygSasD2nfVfBuDaUgF5HbIbiWSuW4mXqRxYCfBM_Hh2jzv5W-/s1600/DSCN0336%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6a724bWCpPhagovhenQ0PYBoyYgG8Fl78QLEqKIZ79U4kRVg5M6oVqsIHzxBU7XPgMsyBsLL9ZjUrP401zUB8Y1T7cqygSasD2nfVfBuDaUgF5HbIbiWSuW4mXqRxYCfBM_Hh2jzv5W-/s320/DSCN0336%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful Enterprise Anchorage off the Waccamaw <br />
River in South Carolina</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Anyway, we spent the following three nights anchored first at
what I call the Enterprise anchorage, and subsequently at the Adendaw and
Toogoodoo anchorages (don’t you just love to say and spell “Toogoodoo?” We
didn’t have any engine starting problems or any other kind of difficulties –
other than the fact that they were pretty long days and it was damn cold
outside. We cooked on the grill for the most part and enjoyed the wonderful
(though chilly) South Carolina air. Oh, one note. Some of you know that we don’t
have a satellite or any other special, expensive kind of TV system. We do have
a regular old antenna-based system, however, just like you have when you were a
kid – well, provided you are as old as Ann and I. Our old fashioned antenna
cost $100 or so at our local West Marine store. I just want you to know that even
in the middle of the South Carolina Low Country we could get some channels.
Some locations had more than others, of course, but we always had ten or more.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On 30 November we docked at Lady’s Island Marina in beautiful
Beaufort, SC. We love Beaufort, it is a beautiful town with a lot to see and
do, PLUS we have good friends here in the person of Captain Mark Covington and
his wife Becky aboard their boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sea
Angel</i>. Seeing them again was great – and the fact that they lent us their
truck and went out to dinner with them was icing on the cake. We used the truck
for a trip to Walmart, Publix, and the local hardware store, Grayco (one of Ann’s
favorites). </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Tomorrow we are on the way to St. Augustine. Yes, we will
have several stops along the way, but we are looking forward to a few days at
one of our favorite cities along the waterway AND to watching Army beat the
hell out of Navy on 9 December. GO ARMY!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ann’s Notes: This is the first entry on the blog I have done
in a while…I was not fast enough for the first one Michael sent.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span>We had a busy summer full of doctors’ appointments, dentist
appointments, a few medical procedures, a surgery on me, meeting neighbors at
our condo and still settling in to our new home town of Solomons, MD. We were
also busy preparing for our presentations at the Hampton Snowbird Rendezvous.
We had to drive there and stay at a hotel, that was not as much fun as going by
boat, however both Michael and I did a good job and I am glad we went.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I am glad to be back on the waterway and heading south. One
morning I went out to do my normal anchor job and there was a thin layer of ice
on the bow and deck of the boat. Good thing I walk slowly, I was able to feel
the difference on the deck and did not slip. At that point I had to agree with
Michael that we needed to get further south.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Meeting old and new friends is such a blessing, we always
meet the nicest people while we are on Traveling Soul.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I heard the cutest statement while we were at Top Rack
Marina in Chesapeake, VA. This couple was on a forty-ish foot sail boat, their
home port was somewhere in Canada and they were only at the marina to get fuel.
The dock hand asked them where they were going, her response was wonderful…she
said, “ I want to go south so my butter is soft in the morning” That really
made me chuckle. And THAT is where we are going.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thank you for following us.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Traveling Soul…OUT</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
</div>
Mike and Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233728540768798564noreply@blogger.com0