s/v Lapidus

Seasons Greetings from DC

2011-12-22T10:18:00.000-05:00

We are enjoying DC. Museums are free, architecture is amazing, parks with fountains and sculpture are many, the metro (subway) takes you all over in minimal time -what's not to like. Plus, so many great restaurants.

Larry's work continues at the National Gallery of Art; the huge project is planned for completion in early 2013.

Pic: The White House Christmas Tree on the Ellipse.

Kenya was just here for a visit; of course, the eight days flew by, but we managed a trip to New York City to chat and dine with friends and to see the fabulous Rockettes.

Pic: Eloise Tree designed by Betty Johnson at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan

I loved having her here to explore DC. One highlight was The Washington Ballet Nutcracker.

We wish you all peace and happiness this Holiday Season and throughout the year.

We're in DC!

2011-08-29T15:45:00.002-04:00

After three+ days sailing down the Chesapeake and up the Potomac, we arrived in DC Tuesday morning, August 23, just ahead of the earthquake. The docks shook and bounced and the water was filled with tiny bubbles -like champagne. But that was all. We learned about the hurricane from the radio.

While damage to the area buildings and the Monuments was being assessed from the earthquake, NOAA was forecasting Irene as a Category 1 hurricane. Later changed to a Tropical Storm, Irene brought heavy rain and wind. With Lapidus secured with extra lines and canvass down, we rode out the storm.

Larry began working on the National Gallery of Art project in June. The exterior wall is 3 by 5 foot, three inch wide marble pieces. In the shop built for the renovation, they are re-gauged, mended, re-anchored, and then reinstalled. Larry is a foreman and operating equipment in the shop. Smithsonian buildings are considered works of art; you can imagine the directors, architects and project managers all over the place.

We're in a marina on the Waterfront of the Washington Channel. We can walk, or take a bus or metro everywhere. Larry walks about a mile to the job. In Mayo, driving, riding the commuter bus and waiting added up to nearly five hours a day.

No earthquake or hurricane now, just 80 degrees of gorgeous weather.

It's Spring!

2011-04-06T14:30:00.002-04:00

DC's 2011 National Cherry Blossom Festival

The weather has been chilly, windy and rainy but we finally had a breezy warm day to enjoy the trees at their peak viewing time. Hundreds of trees encirle the Tidal Basin; others present a spectacular floral background for the Lincoln and Washington Memorials.

So..... we made it through the winter while living on a sailboat in Annapolis, Maryland! Actually, we did just fine. Our diesel heater warms up the boat quickly; plus we have an electric oil heater and a small electric heater that we use when we don't need the diesel heater. The weather was cold; infact, it was below average temperature in December, January, February, and March. We had several snow storms, but our area always seemed to get less snow and ice than everyplace around us, lucky for us. Our boating neighbors shared stories of 2010's snow storms that left snow boat high on the docks and a snowed in marina. But this year was nothing close to that, but, again, it was cold and windy and that damp, cold air just cuts right through a person.

When the temperatures fell and taking walks was not fun anymore, we joined a Fitness Center. Like most people, we have a Love/Hate relationship with the gym. But we've become regulars in the yoga and pilates classes and like how we feel from doing the practices. Hanging out on the elliptical and treadmill takes care of that needed aerobic exercise. Plus, going to the gym got us off the boat, even on the coldest days. Of course, after we finished at the gym, then we might go to the movies, buy groceries, eat out, etc. Now that the days are warming up, we're walking outside again, still my favorite way to exercise.

In February, we drove to Oklahoma to celebrate Mom's full life of nearly 89 years. A vibrant, multi-talented woman, she practiced living each day to its maximum and in her own way.

Left, on Trent's Harley.

Kenya shared these fitting words: Vegas, Riverboat Casinos, Retail Stores, and Elks Lodges will never be quite as glamorous without her.

Season's Greetings from Annapolis, MD

2010-12-27T16:16:00.001-05:00

The blizzard that has buried much of the east coast treated our area pretty nicely. From as far south as North Carolina and up the Coast to Maine, snow falls were counted in feet. The Annapolis, D.C., and Baltimore area only received four inches or so. We're not complaining. We did get the wind that was forecast, and we're still getting gusts in the 30's.

We cooked Turkey and dressing and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving, but for Christmas we chose true Maryland fare, Crab Cakes using local Blue Crab. We started the day with one of the only family traditions we've been able to keep, a grog type drink that we call Milk Punch. Drinking the Ice Cream/Milk/Bourbon concoction from our Pusser's cups lent a Caribbean touch to the chilly, snowy day.

We stay busy adjusting to living aboard in a cold climate. When the water was too cold for our Reverse Cycle Central Heat to work, we serviced our Espar diesel heater and started it up. The boat's first owner had installed it and we had never used it before (not much of a need). We were amazed at how toasty it kept the boat. But, alas, it clogged up and stopped working. Until it is cleaned and repaired, we are using two electric heaters, plus one small electric heater in the engine room.

We wish you all peace and happiness this Holiday Season and throughout the year.

New York City

2010-11-20T13:55:00.001-05:00

Our first trip to Manhattan!!!!!

The cool, crisp fall days were perfect for miles of walking and sight-seeing.

The Amtrak train ride is about three hours from the BWI station (30 minutes from our marina) to Penn Station in Midtown, close to Madison Square Garden and within walking distance to our hotel and so many 'must sees.' Trains are the best way to travel. No hassle --none! Just buy your ticket, pick your comfy coach seat, and relax and enjoy the view. Of course, commuters use Amtrak, so sometimes the trains are crowded.

But our train was not crowded. On a train, there's much more legroom, the seats are wider, and the aisles are wider than on a plane, plus the windows are bigger. Very enjoyable. Passengers do have to pay attention to ensure they depart the train at their chosen destination!

The fall colors have been gorgeous, and Central Park's fall foliage was reported to be so as well. And that it was. Our three day, two night trip included many hours within the one-half mile wide and two and one-half miles long Park, and we still only covered about half of the area. In addition to meandering trails accented with granite boulders, forests,a reservoir and several lakes, the Park is home to restaurants, gardens, museums and a zoo.

The Imagine Mosaic in Strawberry Fields, John Lennon's memorial in Central Park.

Remote Controlled Sailing!

We walked everywhere as we located other sights we wanted to see. The New York Public Library, the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal, Fifth Avenue -- oh what fun.
So much we didn't see, but that means another visit!

A few other favorites:

Top of Rockefeller Plaza - What a view

Remember the
Soup Nazi
from Seinfield?

But it was not yet open!

Beauty and grandeur in the New York Public Library, as well as extensive collections. I love libraries (and parks).

St. Patrick's Cathedral
Historical, Gothic-style
Cathholic Church

Rockefeller Plaza
We also were on the Plaza while the Today show was taping, but we were cold and too hungry to wait for Matt and the other anchors to join the crowd outside.

Grand Central Terminal
Transports thousands of commuters daily.
Lots of high-end restaurants and shops.

In the lobby of The Plaza Hotel, on our way to The Oak Room - martini time.

Fall on the Chesapeake

2010-10-20T16:30:00.004-04:00

Hard to believe it's late October. In between long days of boat cleaning, maintenance, and repair, we've been exploring the area, sampling delicious fresh crab and seafood, and attending local festivals. The numerous festivals held throughout the state celebrate Maryland's seafood, its wine, and its harvests.

A small state, Maryland provides a bounty of food, wine and seafood. Our veggies and most of our produce are chosen from several Farmer's Markets and local produce stands. Maryland has over 40 'Direct Farm & Pick Your Own' markets. We purchase very fresh seafood from a local shop. Yes, we are enjoying the area.

We've even been cruising! This last weekend, we left our marina in the Rhode River, sailed up the Bay past the South River, past Annapolis, and turned into the Severn River where we met other Valiant Sailboat owners for a fun outing. We rafted up for a while for pictures. Lapidus is between the two red 50' boats. Our organizers and hosts, Bernie and Kate of Rogue Wave Yachts, own a beautiful home on the Severn and keep their Valiant, Mahalo, there. We appreciate their hospitality.

The Bay is crowded on the weekends, especially around Annapolis. A beautiful site, but maneuvering through all the boats out racing Sunday afternoon was a challenge.

Cooler Weather -Thanks to Earl

2010-09-05T17:25:00.003-04:00

Hurricane Earl, the monster storm that caused damage to several Caribbean islands, brushed by the Turks and Caicos causing big wave action, and menaced the US East Coast all week, brought a little wind and cooler weather to our area. Before it fizzled, it made land fall in Nova Scotia, giving several cities a pounding of wind and rain.

The resort town of Ocean City, Maryland, located on the Atlantic coast and about 100 miles from here, braced for a hit from Earl. The area experienced turbulent waves and wind, but fortunately received no major damage.

We're in Holiday Hill Marina on the Rhode River several miles south of Annapolis on the Chesapeake Bay.
As this serene view indicates, we're in a lovely, tranquil cove. The Smithsonian Institute prohibits development on the entire south side of the Rhode River, thus the marina is secluded and quiet. While a big storm can do damage here or anywhere, we do have nice protection from the waves caused by wind and Bay boaters, plus no muscle boats or jet skis are allowed (thanks to the Smithsonian).

We're getting into the rhythm of marina living. Being secured in a slip results in an easier life than being on a mooring ball or at anchor. Here we just step off the boat and walk up the docks (and, thankfully, to our pickup) -no need to launch the dingy, start the motor, head for the dingy dock, secure the dingy, and then complete whatever activity was planned, which might be something simple and or it might be laundry day, so the dingy is full of clothes. Then, of course, back on the dingy to return to the big boat. But, because we're in a slip and not anchored with our bow in the wind, we're not enjoying the breeze blowing in our hatches. And slip life offers far less privacy than living at anchor, where you experience the feeling of having your own, private sunset. Slip life is easier, but not nearly as rewarding. The Bay boasts hundreds of lovely anchorages and we'll be visiting a few of those this fall.

Right now, we're enjoying this beautiful weather and keeping track of the current tropical storms.

Notes and Pics from the Captain

2010-08-22T10:45:00.000-04:00

Lapidus - Close to time to depart for passage from Turks and Caicos to Annapolis

With no chartplotter from the second day on, we navigated with paper charts and our two handheld VHF's. We came all the way in like this without any trouble. We came into the Chesapeake at 3 in the morning and no moon. It sure beats dead reckoning.

On the third morning we were motoring and there was a loud growling sound. I slowed the engine and checked everything, but found nothing wrong. I started motoring again and within 15 to 20 minutes same sound. I shut the engine off for the next two and a half days and watched the windex on top of the mast spin around and around. After two and a half days I started the engine and ran it at 1500 rpms for a while and then up to 2200, with no problems and no more unusual noises. We ran the engine sparingly to be sure we had enough diesel to enter the marina, which we did, but not much extra.

Six different pods of dolphins joined us during our voyage.
They came to play, and we were glad to see them.

I was only able to understand Chris Parker two days while we were in the middle of our voyage, but it was a big help. He gave us a couple of good waypoints that helped us out on some eddies and gave us some wind part of a day. The eddies lasted until we got to the gulfstream. We basically sailed north on longitude 72 and then curved in west to Cape Hatteras, then into the Chesapeake.

It was really hot out there. There were two or three days where we did not see a ship, plane or a bird. Again, we were always glad when a pod of dolphins decided to hang out with us for a while. Unusal cloud formations also added interest. One cloud with a hole in the middle?

South Side Marina

The new bar and restaurant has been started and will be a welcome addition to the south side of Provo.

Annapolis Arrival

2010-08-14T10:50:00.000-04:00

Larry and Robert left the Turks & Caicos Sunday afternoon, August 1, and pulled into a slip in Holiday Hill Marina Wednesday afternoon, August 11. The forecast was for a sailing wind, though moderate; instead, there was not enough wind and they were becalmed for several days, which added a couple of days to the length of the trip.

While the weather was too uneventful, they did have challenges. The Furuno Chart Plotter and Radar decided to take a vacation starting the second morning. No data was on the screen. Though Larry was able to get some old waypoints back, none of the charts would come up, nor was anything visible on the radar. They had all the needed paper charts to chart their route, so that's what they did. Taking regular Lat and Long readings with our handheld Standard Horizon and keeping a good log kept them occupied and on their route.

Also, on a calm day early in the trip, the engine made an unusual noise, though it continued to run. After the second time it made the noise, Larry thought it might be the cutlass bearing and decided to not run it, not wanting to cause more serious damage. After a few days of averaging little more than two knots, they again turned on the engine, but ran it only at low RPM's and only ran it when there was no wind. It made no more noises and they were able to use it to come into the marina.

Kenya and I had a fast, fun road trip. We left OKC Sunday afternoon, made a detour to Ponca City, then stopped in Memphis for the night and arrived in Wilmington, NC Monday night, after 1,400 miles. Though not exactly on the logical road to Annapolis, Wilmington is a lovely coastal city and we wanted to check it out; we're so glad we did. Then Wednesday morning, we drove the 390 miles to Annapolis and met up with Larry!

I'm loving being back on the boat, trying to find a location for all the extras I brought on board, mostly clothes I bought because I did not take much with me when I left. We're getting the boat in order, which will take a while. We'll take the Furuno Chart Plotter to the dealer to have the software reloaded, and hope that's all that needs to be done. Also, we have the engine to take care off.

Larry plans to write more info about the trip. Plus, we'll be sharing what's happening here and what plans we make.

Underway to Annapolis

2010-08-02T09:24:00.000-04:00

Larry and his crew member Robert began their passage Sunday afternoon at high tide. The sandy-bottom shallow route from Southside Marina to Sapodilla Bay is only possible at high tide and takes about two hours. From the Bay, they followed the Sand Bore Channel still needing as much water under them as possible, as much for random coral heads as for depth.

Out of the Channel late in the afternoon, they turned north and will be underway until they reach Annapolis. We don't have a satellite phone, so I won't talk to Larry until he has a phone antenna somewhere on the east coast, probably in the Chesapeake. We do have a Single Side Bank, so he can talk to Chris Parker (weather forecaster) as well as make other connections if needed.

Time to Move - Ourselves & Lapidus

2010-07-30T15:11:00.001-04:00

Time for an update: I'm still in Oklahoma, but Larry has flown back to the Turks and Caicos and is preparing the boat for a move to the Chesapeake, specifically Annapolis! In June, Larry flew back to take down all the sails and canvass, since hurricane season had begun and we weren't sure when we would be continuing our cruising. So, now, he's putting them all back up, along with the usual preparations for an offshore trip.

While we had planned to spend some time in Oklahoma (and Texas) to visit family and friends this summer, we left the boat in the Turks and Caicos and flew to Oklahoma earlier than planned due to my Mom's health. She's had a tough summer, but is doing pretty well at this time.

We plan to be in the Annapolis area for a while. Flying to Oklahoma is a lot easier from the East Coast than from the Caribbean. Plus, we will easily be able to be contacted when the need arises. Cruising the Caribbean is still a priority, just moved to the future for now.

Larry and Robert (his very qualified crew) plan to leave August 1, weather permitting. To find crew, we used an organization that specializes in helping captains find crew and crew find captains- www. sailopo.com. Robert wanted to make the trip because he is interested in purchasing a Valiant. Larry's plan is to take the shortest route with the best weather and with no planned stops. I'm sure I'll be missing a great passage, but at the time we decided to do this, I did not want to be 'unreachable' for at least ten or more days.

Kenya is flying to OKC from LA to join me in a sure-to-be-fun mother-daughter road trip in our pickup, which we will want in Annapolis.

At this time, the weather forecast looks great for Larry and Robert to leave Provo, Turks and Caidos on Sunday, August 1. I'll keep you updated.

Georgetown to Provo, Turks and Caicos

2010-05-04T08:25:00.002-04:00

Held every April, the 57th Family Island Regatta brings much excitement to the Georgetown area. Locally built sloops, representing each of the major islands, race competitively and fiercely for the coveted title Best in the Bahamas. It's a week of parties and festivities. Food and drink shacks are hastily built on the government docks to handle the influx of people.

The week before the races, ships arrive in the harbor laden with the participating sloops. These canoe type sloops carry a tall mast and a long boom that sits low in the boat and several feet past the stern. Classes A and B sail only a traditionally made main sail. Class C carries a head sail as well as a main, both traditionally made. No light-weight sail cloth adorns these boats. These boats can go really fast, 20-25 knots for the C class boats.

The end of race week seemed a perfect time for leaving Georgetown, and we had a pretty doable weather window. We left on Sunday, April 25 with plans to stop in Provo and then on to Luperon, Dominican Republic if the weather held. Doug and Marlene on Solar Eclipse are returning to Florida to take care of necessary engine repairs. We plan to meet up with them next year in the Eastern Caribbean. Harry and Linda on the catamaran Kuhala also left that morning but planned to stop in Conception and to make other stops on the way to Provo and then Luperon. They had the best plan because our forecast did not hold, the wind clocked several times, and the current slowed us down.

Larry gives more detail:
With a nice brisk wind, we sailed north to Cape Santa Maria, Long Island. As we sailed out of the protection of Long Island, the seas increased and the ride was a little rough.

We sailed east bewteen Conception and Rum to the southeast side of Little San Salvador, but still underneath the island, then slightly S.S.E. The current slowed us to 3 or 4 knots. After not making very much progress, somewhere around the middle and east of Rum, we tacked ESE and later SW.

We should have gone on south by Rum, because we slowed the same going east. At the southeast corner of San Salvador we turned south, still very slow, toward the bottom of Rum or just before we tacked east. And the wind was 20 to 24 true from San Salvador. I hailed a ship about our taking a different route so we could get out of the current and he said there's not one. We were going into the waves and it was NO FUN. We tacked and headed to west of Samana and even though we still had a lot of wind and slow going it was a much smoother ride. This was Monday morning. The wind went down later to 15 to 18. We passed Samana; then 32 kts hit us in a wind change from north or west, maybe northwest, with just a little rain. The good thing was we picked up from 2 and 3 kts to 7+ kts. About an hour later the wind had subsided to between 12 and 14. We talked to another ship about that time and he said they had experienced 42 kts true, but we never had high wind again.

We had a nice sail across the top of Acklins and Plana Cays then S.E. to Mayaguana.

Tuesday afternoon, we anchored just inside the cut in Abraham's Bay, Mayaguana. We left at 11:30 p.m. that night in very light wind of 5kts but it picked up to 10 or 12 after daylight. Wednesday morning around 10:00 a.m. we entered the Sandbore Channel and, using the waypoints from the Wavyline chart, sailed the rumline with a rising tide and no coral head problems. We anchored in Sapodillo Bay; Thursday morning at high tide, we moved to Southside Marina, a great marina with a great staff.

We plan to leave the boat in the marina in Provo while we return to Oklahoma for a while. When we return, we'll check out the beaches and other sights. And we'll post pictures and stories about the beautiful Turks and Caicos.

Enjoying George Town

2010-04-08T16:38:00.001-04:00

Last season, George Town was our first destination. After finally getting a good weather window to cross the Gulf Stream, we left Fort Lauderdale for an overnight passage to Nassau, where we checked in and spent the night, and then another overnight passage to George Town. We slowed our speed so that we had daylight to read the water and follow the waypoints through the cut and into the harbor. The varying depth of the water requires several direction changes. We arrived Sunday morning and our daughter Kenya and friends Pam and Shari arrived in Georgetown late Sunday afternoon. We spent the next week exploring and discovering this beautiful area. With its many crescent shaped white sand beaches surrounded by magical waters, gin clear to turquoise on the Harbor side to cobalt on the Sound side, this is an extraordinary place.

While the beauty of the area is without question, George Town dominates as a Bahamas cruising favorite for many reasons. Most cruisers anchor off Stocking Island, a small island several miles long that helps define the mile-wide Elizabeth Harbor, with Great Exuma Island and the town George Town on the other side of the Harbor. The Kid Cove is another anchorage option located just outside George Town. In all, the large, spacious Harbor can, and often does, accommodate 300+ boats at one time. Cruisers come for the winter or just visit a while.

We like the beaches, the hikes up to the Monument, and socializing with other cruisers. Of course, we’re always involved in boat projects, maintenance, restocking, planning. And then there’s reading and DVD time. We are currently anchored just off Volleyball Beach, near Chat and Chill and the Conch Salad Stand.

Our new Spectra water maker makes living aboard much easier. We began to notice that our tank level was going down faster that we thought we were using water. When you have to fill water jugs to have water, you have a pretty good idea about your water consumption. We had no extra water in the bilge and we checked and rechecked every hose and connection. Larry discovered the water was going out a thru hull because of a bad solinoid on the water maker. We just received a new one yesterday and should have it on by tomorrow.

Our wind generator also quit, even though it had been upgraded with a new kit last summer. After completing several troubleshooting tests, Larry was able to order replacement parts at no costs, but installing the new kit and parts will be time consuming and not easy while at anchor.

Daily, on the Cruisers's Net, boaters request information, advice, help, tools, etc. And, usually immediately, someone comes back with a reply. We all benefit from this great network.

A hike up the trail to the Monument offers a grand view as well as a close up view of the osprey next.

Good to Go!

2010-03-20T08:17:00.000-04:00

Our creative plan to receive the custom manufactured bell-housing worked - more or less. Shipped to Ft. Lauderdale, then flown to Staniel Cay on Watermakers Air, the part was stuck at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. With no one available on this island to pick it up by boat, we made arrangements with Flamingo Air to fly it to Little Farmer's, but the only flight with the correct flight plan was for Friday, four days later. At Terry's suggestion, we had it put on the mail boat when it stopped by Staniel Cay Thursday. But, when the mail boat arrived here, the captain mistakenly included the part with another order bound for another island, and off went the bell housing to the Research Center on Lee Stocking Island. But cruisers came to the rescue! The sailing catamaran, Nike, departed the Research Center Friday morning with our bell-housing. A few hours later, the boat was on the mooring by us and we had our part.

Then, the fun began for Larry. Several days later, he had the new bell-housing in and everything back together. It didn't always go smoothly. Had this happened in the States, we would probably have used a boat yard (and Tow Boat US to pull us in), but that's not really an option in the Bahamas. No boat yards in this area and certainly no Tow Boat.

When it was time to start the engine and check for alignment, the engine wouldn't start, but eventually that problem was solved by repairing a wiring problem. Then the engine over-heated and now that problem is solved (well, it seems to be).

While awaiting the part, we had two anchors out as well as being on a mooring. This mooring field is in a little leg of water close to a shallow sandbar on the south west corner of Great Guana Cay, across the bay from Little Farmer's Cay. With fronts containing strong winds (35knots +) and unable to start our engine, we put two anchors out. To get out of this arrangement, Larry brought the CQR in by hand; then at high tide, we untied from the mooring and brought in the big Bruce anchor with the windlass (touching bottom several times). That's when the engine started overheating, but before we turned off the engine we were able to move to a bigger mooring ball in deeper water.

After those really windy fronts, the weather is now nice and boats are on the move (other boats!). We've met new cruisers and caught up with past acquaintances. We were glad to have a nice visit with Jim and Nancy on Solitaire. Ocean Cabin is a popular gathering place daily at 5:00 for cruisers, many of whom stay for the best lobster, cracked conch, and conch fritters in the Bahamas. The restaurant is so well known that boaters stop here going down the Exuma chain and again when going back up the Exuma chain. Not only is the food delicious, but Terry and Ernestine are great hosts and island treasures. After dinner, they lead the group in singing the Little Farmer's theme song. Guests are made to feel special. Last year, we were there for my birthday. Lots of friends (some new), great food, birthday song and cake! Thursday night, a couple was celebrating their 43th birthday. Of course, Terry had found a Happy Anniversary song that everyone sang, or at least tried to.

Beautiful Little Farmer's is one of our favorite stops. All the island residents are friendly and helpful. Little Jeff and the other local fisherman are back at the docks everyday about one, cleaning their fish, conch, lobster and selling it to those of us looking forward to a very fresh dinner. They are also always available to take people out to fish or dive. Today we purchased a grouper and a lobster to grill for dinner tonight. All very delicious.

Saturday morning - leaving for Georgetown, about 40 nautical miles.

Little Farmers Cay

2010-03-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

One of the most picturesque islands and a truly Bahamian community, Little Farmers Cay is a special place. Our idea was to stop here for a short time, continue south down the Exumas to the Research Center for a visit, and then sail on to George Town to regroup and plan our next passage.

We've been here a week, with no date of departure set. But our reason for staying so long is mechanical. We are having a bell housing manufactured; it will then be sent to Watermakers Air in Ft. Lauderdale, and next flown to Staniel Cay, which is about fifteen miles north of here. One of the island boaters from here will pick it up for us. Then comes removing the current bell-housing that has broken away from the motor mounts and installing the new one.

As said, this is a special place and we are among friends. During our nearly week-long stay here last March, we became well-acquainted with many of the local residents on Little Farmers as well as retired cruisers living on Big Farmers. Terry Bains, a driving force behind the success of Little Farmers, knows our circumstances, and we appreciate him checking on us daily, plus he and all the residents are willing to lend a tool or give a helping hand as needed.

We've been here through two fronts, one with 35+ knots of wind. Today is nice, so we'll be off the boat, getting in some hiking on 'paths' of rock and shrub (yes, low elevation, but higher than most islands) and beachcombing. The N/NE wind is clocking, bringing stronger SE/SW winds tomorrow and then NE/NW 20+ with 30-35 gusts and with possible squalls Wednesday. We'll probably stop by Terry and Earnestine's Ocean Cabin Restaurant (home of delicious lobster, conch fritters, cracked conch, etc.) today, since Tuesday and Wednesday will be boat chores and projects plus reading, while we're rockin' and rollin' on our mooring ball and anchor.

Terry gave us this noni fruit. The small tree with elliptical leaves, white tubular flowers, and yellow fruit goes well with the colorful houses, flowing palms, and blazing shrubs in this Polynisian-looking settlement (pics next time). Following Terry's directions, I blended the fruit (the fruit has a rather an unpleasant odor) with a little water and strained it to remove the seeds.

I had read about the health benefits of noni and even once brought home a small bottle from the health food store. It was colorless and odorless, obviously a very diluted second-cousin to this whitish pulp. We added it to our breakfast smoothie, which is always a one-of-a-kind concoction made in our powerful Blendtec machine. This version included fresh cabbage, carrots, sprouts, apples, and frozen blueberries with a good dose of noni. This morning, we added the pulp to cranberry juice. Larry liked it better than I did. We have one more fruit. Any suggestions?

Staniel Cay & Big Major's Spot

2010-02-24T17:05:00.001-05:00

We traveled the Bank from Little Hall's Pond Cay to an anchorage in Staniel Cay. The 'path' out was narrow, but the fifteen nautical miles was soon covered and we were anchored very close to the Thunderball Grotto. When we went into the spectacular skylit underwater cave, slipping in was easy, swimming out another story. The thousands of colorful fish and marine life have no problem though. We brought a squeeze bottle filled with cous cous and we were covered with fish with every squeeze. Sweet.

Piggy Beach on Big Majors Spot was even better this year with piglets everywhere. We took turnips, carrots, and cabbage. They ate it, but they probably had their hearts set on Hamburgers and Fries.

Lots of dingy rides and beachcombing. Time spent at Staniel Cay Yacht Club enjoying Bahama Mamas, Kalik, Cracked Conch, and Fresh Mahi Mahi Burgers and also playing a little pool. Our last night on Lapidus was Surf and Turf, with Georgia shrimp and grass-fed beef-steak. But all too soon, Saturday morning came knocking. It was time to take our precious cargo to the Staniel Cay airport where they would spend too much time in Nassau, then Miami, and finally, a long flight to L.A.
We miss them.

For more about this trip, visit http://http://www.bewellgroomed.com
For more pics, visit http://gallery.me.com/natecreates#100160
For video, visit http://devoutdabbler.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/devoutdabbler

This lovely little beach is another picture from Norman's Cay. It's also a good picture of our two Honda motors for Lit'l Lap. We bought the small one at the Annapolis Boat Show. It's nice to have a backup, but we really bought to have a lighter motor to get down for those one-night anchorages and/or short dingy rides.

Bahama Fun with Family & Friends

2010-02-23T11:33:00.018-05:00

After two nights at the Chub Cay Marina, we sailed across the Northwest Channel in the Tongue of the Ocean into Nassau Harbor Club Marina, again for protection from another approaching front with strong wind. Being in a marina allowed us easy access for shopping, laundry, and meeting our daughter Kenya and son-in-law Nathan. After an overnight flight from L.A., they arrived in Nassau February 14. The next morning, Solar Eclipse and Lapidus left Nassau for a stop in Norman’s Cay, close to 50 nautical miles.

Crossing the Yellow Bank is necessary on routes from Nassau to the Northern Exumas. Our new crew was on the bow, enjoying the sun and turquoise water, but also keeping an eye out for large black coral heads off our bow that seemed too close to the surface. We had no problems and a great day of sailing, though we did have to motor sail part of the way. Norman's cay is popular, and we dropped anchor in a large group of other boats. The water is beautiful, the sand is white, and McDuff’s (great hamburgers and conch) is fun.

Weighing anchor Tuesday morning, we set sail for another adventure. We entered Exuma Sound through Norman’s Cay Cut, very narrow with 2.5 meters over rock. Though the cut is challenging, we were soon in the deep cobalt-colored Sound, for a 22 nm run to Little Hall’s Pond Cay, a private island owned by Johhny Depp, but also a dingy ride from a natural sea aquarium. The light wind became strong and gusty as we put down our sails and inched our way through Soldier Cut, described in the Chart Book as “use only in excellent conditions.” The thought crossed my mind that maybe we should have picked destinations that we had already previously visited, but Kenya and Nathan helped us pick our way through and didn’t seem to notice the sound of our hearts (or way it just mine?) pumping.

We snaked along three nautical miles of avoiding shallow coral and sliding sand bars took a while, but we did take pictures of Captain Jack’s Sparrow’s place as we slowly made way through the beautiful area. We saw masts from the mooring in Cambridge Cay a mile away, but as we motored around the end of Little Hall's Pond Cay, we and Solar Eclipse had a private anchorage. We skipped the anchorage noted on the chart to gain a little protection from the gusty northeast wind behind a small, unnamed island, which gave us a great place to explore, along with the Sea Aquarium, nice snorkeling short dingy ride away.

Though privately owned, Little Hall’s Pond Cay, as well as four other neighboring private islands are part of the Exuma Land & Sea Park, a no-take marine conservation park that covers 176 square miles of cays, rocks, and reefs. Many Bahamians are voicing concern about the development on these privately owned cays causing harmful effects on the Park. I think their fears may turn out to be justified, though, at least for now, the development seems modest.

When not underway, we enjoyed just being together. Snorkeling and beachcombing are great activities, but enjoying great meals and rum cocktails are high on our list as well.

Another one-night anchorage and Lapidus and Solar Eclipse set sail for Staniel Cay and Big Major's Spot, islands we visited last year, and loved!

To be continued……..

Return to the Bahamas

2010-02-10T15:09:00.008-05:00

We are in the Bahamas, Chub Cay Marina in the Berry Islands to be exact. With all the fronts arriving this winter, weather windows have been few. After listening and talking to Chris Parker (weather guru) Monday morning, we, as well as Doug and Marlene on Solar Eclipse, changed our Tuesday departure to Monday to catch a new forecast for a better weather. Our plan was to sail overnight with arrival in Nassau Tuesday afternoon, a 220 nm trip. We expected a really mild NE wind of 5-10. But, it was always 10-15 and turned East by afternoon. We knew we would be heading into the wind, thus the light wind would be better. We motor sailed from Marathon into the Gulf Stream, hoping for a lift to South Riding Rock. We didn’t get much push from the current, but at least, the wind was not causing confused seas against the current’s NE flow.

The wind clocked SE as expected, but, again, was stronger than expected, in the 20’s, with higher gusts. The SE wind put a little air in our sails, at least, though we were close hauled. By mid-morning Tuesday, the seas on the Great Bahama Bank were big, wet, and rolly. We left the Bank moving into the deep Northwest Channel knowing that it can be a slog with a SE wind, and it was, keeping our speed 4-5 knots.

We also knew that we would not make the last 49 nautical miles to Nassau by dark, and we we needed a protected place to stop for the night. The forecast for Tuesday night and Wednesday was S/SW/NW 20-25 knots with 30+ knot squalls. The Berry islands have a few choices. But finding a spot that offers protection as a strong wind clocks is difficult.

We decided on a mooring at Frazier’s Hog Cay, if we could contact them and if they had any left. Then the large trawler in front of us said on the VHF that he was going into Chub Cay, a well-protected marina on our route and 35 nm closer than Nassau and 7 nm closer than the mooring at Frazier’s. Both cays are part of the Berry chain. We had not considered Chub Cay because we had been told that it was closed. The wind picked up and started clocking to the south, giving us a better sail for the last five miles. The trawler, Solar Eclipse, and we were in and secured in a slip by 4:30. Other boats came in for shelter as well. We are glad this beautiful marina is open, though the club house is not. Sure, one reason is that we needed shelter. But marinas and other businesses in the Bahamas have felt the results of the poor economy of the United States and other countries. We all benefit when they stay in business. We get to visit hundreds of beautiful cays and gain access to marinas, fuel and supplies when the need arises. And, of course, they benefit from tourism and business.

Another front, much stronger than this one, is forecast for Friday night and Saturday. So, we may only get as far as the Nassau area for a few days.

We were in Boot Key Harbor too long. We worked on the boat, caught up with cruiser friends, and met new boaters. We also nearly froze for a couple of weeks. I understand that those of you who have experienced blizzards and extremely cold temperatures are probably not going to offer much sympathy, but traveling across the Harbor in our convertible (dingy -no ragtop) on a day with a stiff north wind and a temperature in the 20's (including the wind chill) is just not fun, plus it's usually wet. Moderate weather returned, with temperatures usually in the 70's.

Larry, all bundled up while getting water.
As always, the dingy dock is crowded.

The days went by really quickly. Working on projects always involves needing another tool or a part, so a trip in the dingy to the Marina and a walking trip of two or three miles to Home Depot or West Marine is required and them back to the boat in the dingy. Publix and Winn Dixie are cose to each other and about three miles from the marina, round trip. Just carrying two or three boat bags at a time means lots of grocery trips and plenty of exercise. The best hardware store, Walgreens, Office Depot, and a great Cuban Restaurant are five miles one way, so that's a Taxi. Everything just takes longer. It's the cruising lifestyle.

Marlene, Larry, and Doug just hanging out.

Stone crab, one of our favorite foods from the ocean, is in season. The claws are filled with delectable sweet, white meat. A quick walk from the marina is Keyes Fishery, a great seafood/bar restaurant that serves stone crab during happy hour for a dollar for each crab claw. The Florida stone crab loses its limbs easily to escape from predators or tight spaces. And their limbs grow back. For food purposes, the crabs are caught in cages and one claw is removed (none on egg bearing females). The crab is then returned to the water and the claw regenerates.

We'll miss the stone crabs, but we are glad to finally have made it back to the Bahamas; even though we're seeing little good weather this week, next week sounds great.

We wer

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T09:06:00.003-05:00

Along with good friends, we brought in the New Year listening and dancing to a great blues band at a local restaurant/bar known for its wings, which we also enjoyed.

The walk from the marina to the bar and back was lit by that gorgeous 'blue' moon!

We wish you a great day today and every day this year.

Larry and Paula

2009-12-25T08:14:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas
We wish you Peace, Health, and Happiness this Holiday Season.

From Larry in the beautiful Florida Keys.

I am visiting my Mom and family in Ponca City, OK. A blizzard yesterday insured a white Christmas for most of Oklahoma.

Marathon, FL Boot Key Harbor

2009-12-15T12:29:00.008-05:00

We left our Lake Worth anchorage late in the afternoon, Thursday, December 10; soon we were viewing this gorgeous sunset over downtown Palm Beach. We had a great overnight sail past the bright lights of Fort Lauderdale and Miami. We sailed past the Key Biscayne channel and into the Hawk Channel around 8:00 a.m., with lots of sunshine -just as we planned. Nice when the plan works.

With 15-20 knots of wind, sailing was still great. By Friday afternoon, we turned off the course to anchor just off Rodriguez Key, well-past Key Largo, but about forty miles from Marathon. We anchored in about eight feet of water. We were off again before 8:00 Saturday morning. The wind dropped to 8-12 knots and the water was smooth. We just relaxed and enjoyed the slow ride and the clear blue water. Hawk's Channel is well-marked and is mostly 13-20 feet deep. It runs between the ocean side of the Keys and a line of natural reefs, so the seas are smaller than outside the reef.

We motored into Boot Key Harbor and picked up a mooring ball. The Christmas Light Boat Parade was later that evening, so we had a nice show. In addition to slips, the Boot Key Harbor City Marina boasts a large mooring field, with about 225 moorings. It's used primarily by sail boaters, both seasonal visitors and live aboards.

We're getting adjusted to living without being plugged in to electricity at a dock. We'll see how well our new solar panels work for us. We're still working on projects, and still adding to the list. Most importantly, we have new places to explore and new cruisers to meet.

An Ambitious Run

2009-12-10T09:40:00.009-05:00

From the Deep South of historic Brunswick, Georgia to cosmopolitan Palm Beach, Florida, a 305 nautical (350 statute) mile jump.

Our two-night run down the coast started at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, December 6. Going out with the tide on a chilly, cloudy day, we had a fast trip out the fifteen-mile Saint Simon channel, well under two hours. In the Sound, the fast ride was rough, due to a stiff northeast wind meeting the strong east traveling current. Out of the channel, the seas were more comfortable than in the sound, but not much. With a forecast for wind and temperature changes as well as possible rain and a slight chance for squalls, weather conditions were not great. Knowing this, our plan was to stay within three nautical miles of land when possible; seas just get bigger the further away from land that you sail.

But even close in, the waves were six feet and rolly. The wind was NE, then East @ 20 with sustained gusts of 25. We were on a beam reach and heeled over enough that moving around was accomplished only by holding on to handrails. We had complete cloud cover and rain showers, then the moon and stars joined us for a while as we continued our fast voyage.

By Monday, the wind was mostly north and the ride more comfortable. The wind continued to change often, N, NE, and E. Like the wind direction, the wind speed was just as unpredictable, from light and variable to 20 and gusty. Monday night brought the right wind and weather. With a good point of sail, we had the perfect sailing night. We thought we would go in either the Ft. Pierce Channel or the Lake Worth Channel, depending on how many miles we covered. We passed the Ft. Pierce Channel around 4:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, so of course, we continued to Lake Worth, fifty-some miles further south. South wind was forecast for Tuesday night, but it arrived earlier. As long as it was southeast, we kept our speed up as we motor-sailed, but when it changed to due south, we were making less than five knots. We still made it to the Lake Worth Inlet in time to travel in the short inlet and have the anchor set by 2:30.

We had wanted to leave Wednesday afternoon for a one-night trip to an anchorage just south of Key Largo, a distance of seventy-five miles. The last thirty-three miles are in shallow Hawk’s Channel and should only be done in daylight. But the forecast was still South wind and 20 knots, so we stayed at the anchorage in Palm Beach for one more night, which gave us another night to rest. We'll leave early this afternoon to make that next leg.

Being on the hook again! Lovely!

Projects & Provisioning in Brunswick

2009-11-26T10:48:00.001-05:00

We wish each of you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. We will enjoy the feast with other boaters and the staff here at Brunswick Landing. The Marina is furnishing turkeys and ham and everyone will bring a dish.

We took this picture looking west from our boat in our slip. We caught just a glimpse of the sun in a little break in these sassy-looking clouds. The forecast for today and all weekend is sunshine! Yeah.

We've been busy with projects and provisioning:

At the end of the day (right around cocktail time), we like to see what we can check off of our to-do list. We always have some progress to note, but we've been adding unexpected projects to the seemingly never-ending list. Three days in a row and three more projects. First, the sump pump in the shower quit. Then the head would not flush. Last, the fresh water pump quit. The sump pump works again, after Larry took it apart and cleaned it thoroughly. Fortunately, we had a new fresh water pump on board, so we again have fresh water. But fixing our Lavac, vacuum-flush head became a major project. First, the bilge pump was cleaned and new seals added. Then, we replaced the lid and the seals that go on it. But it was still a no-go-and not just for the head, you know. All the sanitation hoses have now been replaced and our system works like new.

While not ever 'glad' to have new projects, we're glad that all of these break downs happened while we are still in a slip and have a pickup to run errands and buy parts and replacements.

We've also been able to complete some projects that we did have on our list: a partial list includes working navigation lights, working cockpit speakers, another spice rack, a better location for boat ladder, and polished stainless. We will replace one of the regulator's for our solar panels when it arrives.

Our dingy was in the water for about three weeks in July while we were adding solar panels; this time was long enough for the rib to be covered with barnacles. New to this experience, we sought advice about the best removal process and received several different remedies. We poured vinegar on the dried barnacles, waited a couple of hours for the vinegar to go to work, then scraped the hull and tubes. This procedure worked great for us and we will not be leaving our dingy in the water again -not here anyway. Barnacles and other growths happen fast in Georgia's coastal waters, mainly in July and August. We had to hire a diver to clean barnacles from our prop and around our through hulls when we went to Charleston; at haul out, we were not surprised to find lots of barnacles on our keel and hull.

While we still have a few small needs, the biggest project now is to finish the installation of our Spectra water maker.

Taking care of a boat and its many systems is an everyday job and stuff needing fixed or replaced is ongoing. But major provisioning is only needed for those extended cruising times away from the easy shopping that we are all used to. We have just provisioned for our second season of cruising.

The pantries, cupboards, bilges, and all other storage areas are full. Our trip to Jacksonville to pick up parts for the head also included stops at Whole Foods, Total Wine & Liquor, Costco, and Sam's. We had a full pickup by the time we left Jacksonville.

We installed a shelf under the top drawer in the v-berth - seven more bottles of wine. Also, under the bottom drawer, seven more bottles fit snugly on the sole plus a small bilge under the sole holds three more. This bilge in front of the drawers holds eighteen.

We have one small bilge in front of the table that holds six bottles and two large bilges like the one on the left under the table. They are three-bottles deep plus open up the sides for several more bottles.

I have a much better handle on both wine and food inventory than I did last year and I like the way I have my pantry and cupboards arranged and labeled.

Our large pantry and cabinet in the galley help me keep foods organized and handy. We also use two cabinets in the salon for food storage. Our 'holding' storage is a huge area under our v-berth. Our mattress is hinged in the middle, so we can get to this storage fairly easily. We also store boxes of wine in the storage under the mattress in front of the chain locker.

We're loving the beautiful fall weather. It's so different from the hot, humid days and many thunderstorms that we had all summer. Boat projects, chores, and dock visiting are a lot more enjoyable in mild weather. Just on our dock of sixteen boats, four Canadian boat owners have recently arrived and are readying their boats to go the Bahamas, or the Dominican Republic, or Cuba. They drive down from their homes, work on their boat as needed, and then take off. Next spring, they sail back to a slip in Brunswick, ready their boat for sitting in a slip for six months, and drive back to their Canadian home. The couple from British Columbia said their drive here was 5,000 miles. The marina allows boaters to leave their vehicles in the marina's large parking areas. We're glad to be able to leave our pickup here when we sail to Florida and then on to the Bahamas.

When will that be? We thought that we would be in Florida by now, specifically in the Keys. We're looking forward to a new place, but until we leave, we're very OK here in Southern Georgia. We're staying busy, the weather is pleasant, and lovely historic Brunswick is across the street, where several good restaurants are always welcoming to boaters.

SPLISH SPLASH '09

2009-11-06T15:57:00.009-05:00

Lapidus went back in the water Wednesday morning. The topsides are beautiful, the bottom job looks great, the prop has been adjusted, motor mounts have been replaced on engine, and a transmission kit installed. We had not planned on replacing the transmission kit, but when it was discovered that we had a leak, we decided now was the best time to do it since the boat was already out of the water. So, instead of three weeks, four weeks were needed.

As soon as she was in the water, we moved Lapidus to one of the Boatyard slips. This time, we knew not to pull in with the strong current; instead we chose a slip that allowed us to go in against the current. No Problem.

The rest of the day we moved back on board. We had quite a few clothes and books, plus we had bought several items (some large) at the boat show. We also had food; we didn't eat every meal at restuarants, plus we bought food for the refrigerator and freezer that could now be turned on again. On our sail up from Charleston, the halyard for the mainsail had split as Larry was lowering the sail, so he put up a new halyard and changed the oil while I put our load away. It was a long day, but we were glad to be back in our home and sleeping on our cozy V-berth on our very comfortable thick mattress.

We had talked about cruising down the ICW to Beaufort, SC. Cruiser friends tell us that this is a scenic area of the ICW and has few shoaling areas. Days are getting shorter, so we would probably have to anchor two nights on the way. Rather than travel the ICW in Georgia, which has lots of shoaling areas, we would then go out the Port Royal Sound from Beaufort to Brunswick, which would still be an overnight trip. So that would be three nights to get to Brunswick. Nope, not for us, at least not this time. We chose to go north from the Boatyard back to Charleston where we would stop for fuel and a pump out, then out the channel and south to the St. Simon inlet to Brunswick. So the next morning (Thursday) we left the Boatyard at 8:30, meeting other boats traveling south on the ICW. At the Wapoo Creek Bascule Bridge we made at 9:30 as planned!), we were the only boat traveling north, but three were going south, also traveling the ICW. It's a popular activity this time of year.

Going out with the current in Charleston, sailing on a beam reach, and coming in with the St. Simon/Brunswick current -all added to our great sail. We were in a slip in Brunswick at 11:00 Friday morning. A much faster trip than the ICW. We don’t always do that well with time, but we did this trip. We’re pooped after we sail all night, but a good night’s sleep and we’re fine.

Sunset while Underway, Wednesday, November 5th

Now, we are working through our list of “To Do’s” and To Buy’s”, so we will be well-stocked and supplied as we head south ---and we are ready to do that. Our insurance company requires that we be north of Cumberland Gap, GA from June 1 to November 15. So, we’ll be looking for a good weather window soon.

We loved Charleston. We had a great little place to stay, but the wifi hookup was iffy, so we had no chance to post while we were there.

Guests caught fish and crabs in this creek on the inn's property. We had no place to cook such yummy catches, but we found these swings to be the perfect place for a cocktail and viewing lovely sunsets.

There is so much to see and do in the Charleston area: from the historic downtown to forts to plantations to beaches to well-designed parks, all places where lots of walking improves the outing. Marshes, rivers, creeks, ocean, and thousands of very old live oak trees all add to the natural beauty.

And the food is fabulous, choices of local fresh food and fish with the very best Southern food. Cheddar cheese grits goes with just about everything.

This park was developed around a marsh and has miles of trails.

The entry to Charles Town Landing, the original site for the city of Charleston.

The Roads Back to Charleston

2009-10-26T15:20:00.000-04:00

After the great Annapolis Boat Show ended, we decided to take a side trip before we returned to Charleston to our boat. Thanks to an idea from Kenya, we drove across the Maryland state line to visit wineries in Pennsylvania's Dutch Country Region, in scenic York County. We didn’t make it to all thirteen wineries, but we were pleased with the quality and selection of wines that this established wine region offers. The oldest, Naylor Wine Cellers, was established in 1975 (uncorkyork.com).

We would have liked to visit Philly, but the cold front that arrived with wind and rain reminded us how much we don’t like cold weather. A self-guided viewing/driving trip would work. We drove the Civil War Trail through historic Hanover, admiring the unusual and historic homes and churches. In Gettysburg, we joined the other vehicles in the drive-through Memorial Park, learning more about some of the biggest battles and events in our nation’s history.

From Gettysburg, we did head south. We had gone west to Gettysburg, so we drove the Shenandoah Valley interstate though West Virginia and Virginia. Last year, we very much enjoyed driving this highway from Knoxville, TN north to Charlottesville, so we were glad to drive the north half of one of America’s most scenic highways. Shenandoah Valley is bound by the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east and the Appalachians on the west, as well as the Potomac River on the north and the James River on the south. With better weather, we could easily spend several days exploring the trails and caverns as well as visit the small towns and museums. Still, the drive was beautiful, with the rain gently falling on the spectacular fall foliage.

Charleston greeted us with chilly weather, though not nearly as cold as where we had been. In fact, on the day we were back in Charleston, snow was falling in Pennsylvania!

After the cold front, warm seasonal weather returned with 70+ temperatures. Along with monitoring the progress of our boat, we're enjoying the Charleston area.

Lapidus On the Hard

2009-10-13T09:10:00.003-04:00

As planned, we were away from the docks by 8:30 for our five plus nautical miles down the ICW to Ross Marine. The cool morning air greeted us as we motored around the tip of the peninsula past the Charleston Yacht Club Marina and the City Marina, then under the suspension brindge.

We missed the 9:00 opening for the Wappo Creek Bascule Bridge. When we called for the opening, the Bridge Tender said we were too far away to make the bridge opening. Well, we were pretty darn close, we thought close enough to make it. A bascule bridge takes a bit to raise, plus bridge tenders do not stop traffic until the exact opening hour, so the opening would not have been at exactly 9:00. But we were the only request for an opening and we weren’t right at the bridge, so she chose not to open the bridge, thus the heavy flow of traffic that crosses over the top of the bridge was not interrupted. Without other options, we motored around for thirty minutes. In this lovely area of the ICW, the channel wide and deep. The tide was still slack so we had no current problem. When we called for the 9:30 opening, the bridge tender requested that we come as close to the bridge as possible and be ready for the opening! Right! We eased up close but still at a safe and comfortable distance; then, with bridge up, we sped under the bridge (sped is such a relative term in sail boat language).

We continued up the Wapoo Creek for a while; then we followed the ICW as it turned into the Stono River. We were now in a hurry; we might lose that valuable slack tide. We radioed Ross Marine for a slip assignment, but the person filling in for the weekend told us to take any empty slip, not a good idea. As we pulled into the closest slip, we realized how strong the current now was that we were motoring into.With the boat cross-ways in the slip, Larry stayed at the wheel while the dock guy, the captain of the sailboat close by and I quickly moved the dock lines and were able to pull the boat stern-in into the next slip. What an ordeal! But we were now safely secured in a slip and the haul-out was not scheduled for a few days.

We had the rest of the day plus the next to drive a rental car to Brunswick to get our pickup. In addition to the road trip to Brunswick and back to Charleston, we would be driving to and from Annapolis and probably a side trip. Of course, after we take the boat back to Brunswick, we’ll be driving a rental up to Charleston to retrieve the pickup. We plan to leave the pickup in Brunswick for the winter while we are in Florida and the Bahamas.

Back at Ross Marine, we met with owners and the general manger to go over what will be done. Projects will include a bottom job, new zincs, the max-prop adjusted, and sanding and painting the bad spots on the topsides. This damage happened while we were tied to a dock in Mayport, Florida during a bad storm with 50+ knots of wind. The dock (which was on old, worn-out fuel dock) rubbed the paint off on two places on the topsides. The boat yard needs three weeks to complete these projects.

We packed our bags and readied the boat for haul out. At slack tide, we were told to leave our slip and tie up broadside on a long dock. Then we were to leave the boat and watch as two guys (obviously experts at their job) pulled the boat by hand into the lift. They just kept moving the lines and coaxing our 16 ton boat around the corner of the dock and centered in the slip. We were told the current is just too strong to drive a boat into the lift. We totally understood since we had not been able drive her into a slip.

With Lapidus on the hard and arrangements and schedules agreed upon, we took off for the Annapolis Boat Show, a long way from Charleston, SC! We met up with lots of old friends at the show as well as at functions and parties close to the show. And we made lots of purchases - most of them planned.

We have time for a few side trips on our way back to Charleston.

Lapidus Sails Again

2009-10-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

Our overnight sail to Charleston on the outside was immensely satisfying. We've had a full summer, but sailing has been missed. After leaving our slip (we feel like we own it after over four months), we had to return. Our speed was slow even considering the current, so we knew we had a barnacle problem. We were fortunate to quickly locate a diver to clean the barnacles off our prop; we were out again and on our way at 2:15 p.m. The trip was a fast 25 hours; this includes three hours out of the East River and St. Simon's Sound and almost three hours in the Charleston Channel to Charleston Harbor. Our new Alpha Auto Pilot (now known as AA) seems to like us. We have a bit of a learning curve to really allow it to perform to its potential, but it's already so much better than Mr. Otto, who must have been a little worn out; he sure couldn't hold a course for long.

Lapidus was also delighted to be on open water again. With a West/Southwest breeze we danced along briskly on a beam reach. When the wind shifted to the northeast, we were close hauled, but still sailing along nicely. Savannah and Charleston are large shipping and commercial ports, so we weren't surprised to have lots of ships for company, most of them at night. We range out on our radar to check for traffic often. Our AIS provides the position, course, and speed of a ship as well as its name and identification numbers. We know it greatly increases our safety at sea. Plus, when we hail a ship by its name, we almost always receive a response. Using the EBL (Electronic Bearing Line) on our radar, we can determine if we are on a collision course (or uncomfortably close) with these behemoth guys. The two ships we hailed both immediately said that they would alter course. The words of one captain were, "Don't Worry. We will take care of you." The accent came close to convincing us we were in a Russian spy movie, but the ship changed course, and all was well.

The channel into Charleston is long, but very wide and deep. In fact, a pleasure ship also heading into Charleston passed us just as a tug pulling a barge headed out to sea passed - three of us side by side and room to spare. Charleston Harbor is lovely, large and alive with activity. In addition to sail and power boats of all sizes, several tourist boats were cruising, including one large schooner. Many church steeples are viewable above the historic buildings. These steeples are the tallest structures; no skyscrapers in downtown Charleston. We plan to spend more time in Charleston after the Annapolis Boat Show. I think a quick review of the history will make seeing it more remarkable.

This is a stock photo, so it will not enlarge, but it does show a nice view of downtown Charleston from the harbor

We took a slip for the night in the Maritime Center. We were, of course, tired , but we also needed to check the tides for our trip to Ross Marine south of Charleston. The tides are significant and the current is strong. Our route would include a Bascule Bridge opening and we did not want to be going with the current if we had to wait on the Bridge to open (which is almost always).

We checked the tides for both the Bascule Bridge and Ross Marine on the ICW and the Stono River. Though they are less than four miles apart, the tide at the boatyard is an hour and a half later! That should work out OK, but we would need to be out of our slip at high tide to catch slack tide for the bridge - that meant leaving by 8:30 a.m. We took a shower, had dinner on board, and were in bed just after dark.

Sharing Cool Travel Spots

2009-10-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

In late August, I was in Oklahoma; Larry took needed time away from boat projects to drive to Oklahoma to see mom and family and to pick me up. We picked a couple of places to stop and treat ourselves to two mini vacations on the way back to Brunswick.

First was Ernest Tubbs’ historic record shop in Nashville. In business for over 62 years, the shop specializes in hard-to-find recordings and still hosts a live radio music show from its own stage every Saturday night at midnight. A display of old albums had various price tags; those with the album still covered in plastic were marked several hundred dollars.www.etrecordshop.com

Our goal was to listen to live music, so our next stop was a few doors down the street where we had Bar-B-Q and listened to live music. The two guys were great musicians and did a nice job singing traditional country music.

We visited the famous Tootsies and several other fun bars, each one loud with live music. As the day turned into evening, the bars filled up with tourists and the bands cranked up. After exhausting ourselves and our eardrums, we called an end to super-fun day.

One surprising tourist attraction is Nashville’s Parthenon, the only full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Originally built in 1897 for Tennessee’s Centennial Exposition, the Parthenon serves as the city’s art museum and is the centerpiece of a beautifully landscaped urban park. The 42-foot Athena, placed in the center of the Parthenon, is the most striking feature. We really enjoyed the architecture, history and art. The cool morning was also perfect for a walk around the park’s water gardens.

We left the next morning with a course from Nashville to Birmingham, then a slow but beautiful drive across the Northeast Georgia mountains to Helen, Georgia. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Helen is a recreation of an alpine village. Complete with cobblestone alleys and old-world towers, the village boasts specialty and import shops offering everything from candle making to cuckoo clocks. Our pickup automatically turned into the winery at the edge of the village. Nice wines, great information. We bought a few bottles and were soon in our room at Unicoi State Park and Lodge. Set on a pristine lake in the midst of 1063 acres of woodland, the lodge, built in 1972, stands in the heart of the park. After a short hike on one of the trails, we had dinner in the lodge where we enjoyed fresh trout caught in the streams on the lodge grounds.

The next morning we were ready to see more of this beautiful area, so we hiked up to Anna Ruby Falls, a scenic recreational area that boasts twin water falls. Two thundering rush of water flowing over the rugged cliff face is created by two creeks that are fed by underground springs, rain, and snow.

A few hours later, we were famished when we sat down for lunch at the Old Bavarian Restaurant in downtown Helen. The marinated Reuben sandwiches and a German beer were satisfying and delicious. Plus the accordion player/singer, whose hometown was Munich, Germany was entertaining.

We can make the Oklahoma trip in two days, but adding our mini-vacations along the way makes the trip much more enjoyable and just added two extra fun-filled days.

Where Did the Summer Go?

2009-09-29T11:56:00.003-04:00

Long time, no blog. Since returning from California in July, I have spent much of the remaining summer back in Oklahoma. Mom is experiencing a serious health problem, but she's taking the necessary steps to beat it and those of us who know her well have no doubt that she will. Mom lives on by brother and sister-in-law's horse ranch, so their being close-by is great for all of us.

The pelicans have stopped by on their way south. So they're thinking it's fall.

Here in Brunswick (yes, we're still here) the air has suddenly cooled today and it is actually feeling fallish. Some boat projects have taken longer than planned, plus, not surprisingly, we have had some unexpected projects. The generator required lots of attention. A stuck valve required investigation and then replacement of both valve push rods. Larry also replaced the exhaust gasket and the impeller. He then made an internal RPM adjustment. To have better access to the generator, he cut a whole in the fiberglass in the engine room! Another unexpected project was a new Balmar regulator, now installed and working. A new admiral panel (cockpit gauges) and lines have been installed. All tests are A-OK for these new projects. Our solar panels and controller, our wind generator, and our Link 2000 battery monitor are doing what they are supposed to, and with the generator adjustment, we should be pretty darn self-sufficient once the Spectra water maker is installed (Big job, Larry has removed the old one ). Larry plans to install it in late October. We’re also adding a storage shelf in the aft cabin. We had to relocate the fan and we've added stainless steel bars which will be the base for a shelf. Placed sbove the mattress cushions, the shelf creates much needed space without compromising the sleeping area for guests.

So, a fairly productive summer, considering... We are retired, you know, so no eight-hour project days for us! This area has experienced rain and thunderstorms above normal all spring and summer. Not only does this weather pattern become tiresome, it also slows down boat projects and presents very few favorable weather windows, which is one of the several reasons we didn’t get away from here to sail north to Annapolis. During one major lightning storm, seven boats sustained damage from lightning strikes, though we were thankfully not one of them. None of the owners were on board, so the marina had to notify them. Not the kind of news you want to hear from your marina. Thus far, we’ve had no hurricane, or even tropical storm threats.

Like other places, boaters here consider social times important. Some evenings we meet other boaters on the docks for a sundowner. We have boater friends here that we knew from the Bahamas, plus we’ve met many other nice boaters with whom to share tales and talk about future plans. We’re on Dock 1, so we meet a few of the transient boaters. We were outside earlier today talking to a couple with a two-year-old daughter. They’ve sailed here from Europe and are on their way to Deltaville, Virginia to spend the winter at a do-it-yourself yard. In less than an hour, we found out both negative and positive information about places in the Caribbean, specifically, negative about Trinidad and positive about the St. Lucia, the French Islands, and the ABC’s. We were able to give them a little info too, so we all benefitted. By the way, you might recall Deltaville is where we took our boat last summer and we finally left to head south on December 5 – with frost on our glass enclosure.

We're watching the weather now and getting everything put back in place on our boat. We are planning to be underway to Charleston by the end of the week, where we'll have the boat hauled for a bottom job plus more. It's about 150 miles, so we'll do an over-nighter. While the boat is out of the water, we'll spend a few days in Annapolis at the Boat Show. Hope we see you there.

Back on Board

2009-07-22T17:30:00.001-04:00

Lapidus has a full crew of two again.

My trip to California to stay with daughter Kenya and son-in-law Nathan was soooo nice. We spent time in Kenya's studio (www.bewellgroomed.com), at the beach, at farmer's markets, in great restaurants, shopping, and hanging around the house and yard - home of giant sunflowers. The gorgeous weather was made even better by the cool ocean breeze. Most evenings found us in the back yard where we enjoyed a log in the firepit with our dinner and a glass of wine, watching lots of kitty antics. Dinner at Joe's Restaurant where Nathan is a manager was a treat for our friend Pam and me one evening when Kenya was working. The food is always amazing at Joe's: unusual (at least for me) and made with the freshest ingredients. Nathan does a great job and it's fun to watch him at his craft. After dinner, we were off to a Joan Baez concert at Santa Monica Pier. We joined the thousands already there to listen to the legendary folk singer delivering song after song in her pure soprano voice.

While I was in California, Larry kept the projects going. Projects that are completed (or getting close) include new batteries, link 2000, solar panels, upgrade kit in wind generator, restitching and repairing canvas and main sail, and new autopilot. Sea Trials are scheduled for this Friday. Yippee!The new water maker just arrived; Larry plans on installing it in September. Also, we will probably have a bottom job done in August as well as the Max Prop adjusted.

We kept the small solar panels above our bimini and added these two large ones just above the davits.

With boat projects and visiting kids, parents, brothers, sisters, and friends in Oklahoma, Texas, and California, we're having a full and rewarding summer. A year will probably be gone before we get to connect with most of these great people, so we appreciate getting together with them for a bit. We wished we had been able to see many other good friends. We needed another weekend so that we could see our sailing friends at Texoma. But with major boat projects underway, we had to get back. We didn't take enough pictures, but did snap a few.

Larry with his sister Madelaine and daughter Deborah just after dinner in Oklahoma City, at Lakeside Grill. We stayed with Madelaine while we were in Oklahoma City and very much appreciated her generosity.

Traveling north of Oklahoma City to see my mom and brother Rick and sister-in-law Liz gave us a chance to see Rick and Liz's beautiful Manalarga Marchadors, gaited horses from Brazil.

Dinner at Ciola's, one of Austin's many great restaurants, with son Trent and daughter-in-law Cristen. Other evenings, we dined in their beautiful Austin home, enjoying dinners prepared by Cristen, who is an excellent cook. One special night, our plans included dinner and live music at Shady Grove, one of our favorite Austin spots, where the venue lives up to its name. Jimmy LaFave, also one of our favorites, wowed us with his folksy, bluesy music.

Kenya and Paula enjoying lunch at at this cute little vegetarian restuarant in Redondo Beach. They make the biggest and tastiest veggie burger.

Kenya and Paula lunching at the Beverly Wilshire -in Beverly Hills, of course. When you click on the picture for full size, you can see the Rodeo Drive sign! We were actually toasting Larry's birthday. He makes a great martini, but could not make his own birthday martini because he could not find the vermouth or the olives. (He really missed me after that.) He went out for Mexican food and a Margarita.

Hope your summer travels have enabled you to connect with friends and family.

Time for Visiting

2009-07-07T19:30:00.007-04:00

The short break from blogging that I planned to take has turned into a long one. We've been busy with projects and we've also been away from the boat.

Leaving Lapidus under the watchful eyes of our dockmaster, our electricians, and our boat neighbors, we spent a few weeks traveling via plane and pickup to visit friends and family, to have doctor and dentist checkups, and to sight see a bit.

We flew to Oklahoma City and retrieved our pickup from storage. Most of our large, extended family lives in Oklahoma and Texas. We traveled the highways and were fortunate enough to spend time with mom, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and many of their family members.

Austin, Texas was our last stop to visit family. We had decided that we wanted our pickup on the east coast, so after spending several days with son Trent and family, we left Austin to drive back to Brunswick. Never people to miss a pretty beach, we turned south at Mobile, Alabama and drove to the lovely Gulf Shores area. A one-night hotel stay in Orange Beach gave us time for a couple of walks on the beautiful white sand, which we learned was quartz that washes down the river from the Appalachian mountains. We continued our coastal drive to Pensacola, where we observed beautiful blue-green water paired with the white sand. Then, we were back on I10 for the long dive to Jacksonville, then north on I95, eager to be home on Lapidus.

Larry is working on his boat projects as well as overseeing the jobs that we have professionals working on. No pictures yet, but the new solar panels are up and the wiring is almost completed.
I was back on the boat for less than a week and then traveling again. I am in California visiting our daughter Kenya and her husband Nathan, as well as our ‘grandkits’ here on the ‘kitty ranch.’ The weather is gorgeous and I’m greatly enjoying my stay. We have planned a few projects for me to ‘help’ with while I'm here, but mostly, I’m just on an nice vacation.

Provisioning / Where's the Appetizer?

2009-06-06T13:21:00.017-04:00

Our pantry and other storage areas are much less full than when we left Deltaville, Virginia on December 3, but we still have plenty of groceries in the pantry and cupboards. In addition to the fish and lobster we purchased from Jeff, the diver, in Little Farmer's, we returned with several packages of ground beef and steak. We're already thinking of the changes we'll make in provisioning for our next trip to the Bahamas.

The cruising books tell us to provision heavily because food in the Bahamas is much more expensive than in the States, plus we may not find what we want. That statement is misleading. The grocery stores in Georgetown, Exuma; Rock Sound, Eleuthera; Spanish Wells, St. George; and Marsh Harbor, Abaco are large markets with great selections. Most cruisers will visit at least one of those areas and they will be able to restock. Paper products and snack foods such as chips and crackers are noticeably more expensive than most of us are used to. We still might take less Bounty and Charmin next season; they take up lots of room and are readily available. Prices obviously are not as low as the Walmart Special prices, but after what we had heard, we were pleasantly surprised. Smaller groceries are scattered around the cays, but they have limited products and usually only one or two brands. We always visit these small stores at least once when we are anchored in the area. For all markets, when possible, we shop as soon as possible after the mail boat has supplied the store with fresh food and supplies. Buying the freshest lettuce and spinach really makes me happy.

In almost every village or town, homemade bread, eggs, plus fresh fruit and vegetables are sold by individuals, or sometimes in the market -always at a reasonable price, plus the opportunity to meet and talk with the baker or the gardener.

Thoughts on provisioning for our next trip to the Bahamas:
We'll take fewer canned goods; they are available everywhere. We came back with vegetables, fruit, and tomatoes.

I like to add soy milk to my coffee. We add it to our oatmeal and I use it in cooking, but we often did not finish the carton before its expiration date. I also have dry milk on board, which works fine in coffee, cereal and cooking, and takes up much less space than soy milk cartons. For a glass of milk, both homogenized and bottled milk are available in the larger markets.

We will not completely fill our freezer before we leave. We plan on fishing (line behind the boat) while we're underway plus we can easily buy fresh fish, conch, and lobster. We discovered frozen vegetables are quickly freezer-burned in a boat freezer, so we'll buy available fresh vegetables that will be much tastier.

We only took one case of beer from the States, which didn't last long. That was OK, because we quickly developed a taste for a Bahamian beer, Kalik (K lick'). In Georgetown, a case is $36.00 -pricey, but it's really good! We'll plan on drinking Kalik when we return, though not every town has a liquor store.

We still have bottles of wine stored in the bilge and we came home with two boxes of white wine, but we have been out of the Black Box Reserve Merlot for two months. Boxed wine (sans the cardboard) store a little easier than bottles, but we were unable to find a comparable box wine in the Bahamas. There is a good selection of bottled wine; most were not familiar to us -probably good, just unfamiliar. We did buy a French red wine that was inexpensive and tasty. Our wine storage areas will be full before we leave. Liquor is about the same price as the States, except for Bahamian Rum, which is yummy and less expensive than rum here.

We provisioned about right on many items including coffee, oil, pasta, aged cheese. But, we may store less of these and other items, with the plan to replenish as necessary -maybe bravely trying other brands.

I only took one sea salt and one pepper, both in large grinders that were not refillable. After these were empty, I finally found a shaker of sea salt (small grind) and a shaker of already ground pepper.

And, most importantly, I did not take enough supplies nor enough of a variety of supplies for the appetizers that we took to the numerous 'Sundowners on the Beach' and to friends' boats for cockpit get-togethers.

A plate of Cheese and Crackers seems to be the simplest appetizer, plus changing it up is so easy by serving a different cracker and a different cheese than the last time. Aged cheese stays fresh for a long time and fits in the floor of the fridge easily, but crackers! I took at least ten bags of a variety of crackers, removing the cardboard before storing. They go fast. In the Bahamas, the cracker choice is slim: mostly Ritz or Club Crackers - both OK, but not much surprise to them.

Cream Cheese makes a great foundation for appetizers. I took several packages and did not think to buy any while we were in Georgetown. A month later, I found some in the frozen food area of a small store. The appetizer I made with the thawed cream cheese tasted great, so I will freeze a good quantity for the next season's round of parties. who knew?

Other foods to have on hand:
chips and salsa (chips are easier to find than a selection of crackers)
canned shrimp, crab, and tuna, sardines, anchovies
bacon bits
jars of olive tapinade
jars of marinated artichokes
nuts
fresh fruit
fresh veggies

Try one of these for your next appetizer creation:
Eggplant Spread (or Broccoli or Butternut Squash)
Steam or boil two trimmed eggplants until tender.
Drain liquid (reserve)
In blender or food processor, puree eggplants, adding 3 T olive oil
Add reserved liquid or more olive oil to reach the consistency you want.
Salt and Pepper as needed

Cream Cheese/Artichoke Spread
Cut Cream Cheese (must be at room temperature) in half lengthwise
Cover one layer with chopped marinated artichokes
Top with remaining layer of cream cheese
Cover with chopped marinated artichokes
Sprinkle with toasted almond slivers

Bon Appetit

Georgia

2009-05-28T17:50:00.010-04:00

We pulled into a slip in Brunswick Landing Marina in Brunswick, GA on Sunday, May 24. Our time here will include installing new batteries and solar panels and checking out the entire electrical system.

We were stuck in Mayport, FL for five days. After 13.3 inches of rain, Mayport, Jacksonville, and surrounding areas were looking for sunshine and so were we. The St. John's River flowing (more like running) by Mayport hosts numerous fishing boats, cruise ships, a casino ship, pleasure craft, and a ferry that takes cars and passengers on the water portion of A1A between Mayport and St. George island. The ferry is pictured on the left.

We took a beating from the storm, the current, the flooding water, the large boat traffic and the dilapidated fuel dock that we were tied to. We lost four dock lines and have a noticable spot on our hull that will need to be refinished.

Both a large Naval Station and Coast Guard Station are headquartered here. So their craft are on the water often as well.

We thought we would just travel up the ICW to Fernandina, FL, but the rain continued, flooding began, and the Coast Guard cautioned that the ICW was hazardous due to debris. The weather, soon labeled as a Nor'easter, calmed some but hung on during the week.

Deciding that we just had to leave, on Saturday morning we untied the lines and headed back out the long St. John’s channel. This Navy submarine was coming in. The Coast Guard let us know to 'Stay Away' from both the submarine and the large navy shop going out the channel.

After several hours, with rain falling and a likely chance of a squall, we turned into the St. Mary’s channel to spend the night in Fernandina.

Located on Amelia Island in the northeast corner of Florida along the Atlantic Coast, Fernandina is a Victorian seaport village with small-town charm, southern hospitality, and rich history.

In the early 1900’s, Fernandina’s docks were among the South’s busiest and the numerous saloons offered a welcome to ships from across the globe. The Palace Saloon earned the distinction of being the “Ship Captains Bar.” Today, the saloon still has the original inlaid mosaic floors, embossed tin ceilings, and a 40-foot bar lit with gas lamps.

Having visited the area while attending a tile conference on Amelia Island years ago, we enjoyed touring the town again.

The ICW between Fernandina and Brunswick is very shallow with lots of shoaling, so we went back out the St. Mary’s channel (9 miles), 20 miles north to the St. Simon channel, then 10 + miles to Brunswick Landing. We saw no sunshine, but we encountered no squalls or even rain, so it was a good trip and we are delighted to be in a slip for a while.

Now Why Did We Leave the Bahamas?

2009-05-21T08:46:00.007-04:00

Three blogs in three days! But this third blog brings our travels up-to-date and is posted from our current location of Mayport, FL, twenty miles from Jacksonville.

Larry's log of our crossing:

Saturday morning, May 16, Sea Dancer, Southern Estates and Solar Eclipse leave just ahead of us as we all go west across the Abacos and the Little Bahama Bank. With a light wind at our backs, we motor sail. Late in the afternoon, our friends turn southwest to stop at an anchorage by the Mangrove waypoint for a couple hours of rest and then sail on to Ft. Pierce, FL, while Paula and I keep going west for we are going to Brunswick, GA to work on our boat. Doug on Solar Eclipse, had recommended someone there to help us with some of the work.

Around midnight, we entered the Atlantic and headed into the Gulf Stream. The wind was light and the seas were 2-3 feet, very comfortable conditions. We angled our direction so that we would be in the Gulf Stream for as long as possible, letting it push us along. We were 50-60 miles off shore. We would leave the Stream as we headed toward the Ponce de Leon to spend Sunday night in Daytona Beach. The wind continued to be light, and even with the Gulf Stream current, our progress was not as good as I had planned, and making the Ponce de Leon inlet before dark was not looking good. I avoid going into an unfamiliar inlet at night. Paula suggested we go in at Cape Canaveral, but it was still early in the day. I said, "Let's just sail on to Georgia; we can make it before the bad weather and we will be there." Big Mistake! We continued to go with the Stream for a while, but then angled away from it; we needed to get out of it as the front, and possible north wind, approached. Counter current, eddie, I don't know! Here comes the wind, rain, lightning and we are going very slow. By morning winds are in the 30's, and up to 40 knots. The seas are building larger and the swells were too. We are going so slow that we can't make the Brunswick inlet (40 nautical miles away) by nightfall. Paula said it seemed as if we were in slow motion as we watched the boat travel the waves and swells so expertly. We decided to turn toward St. Mary's inlet (20 nautical miles due west) on the Georgia/Florida border. I build up some nerve to make the turn and three big waves pass and then a smaller one that I turn on top of. I don't believe it. We are going 8 knots with 3 reefs in our mainsail with no staysail or jib up. We were going 2 knots before we turned. I don't like the angle of the waves going to the St. Mary's inlet, so we turn just a few degrees to port and go to the Jacksonville, Florida inlet on the St. Johns River. A pod of dolphins joined us for an hour, adding a bit of sunshine to a rainy, windy day.

We stopped at the first marina we came to, which is in Mayport. The marina is being remodeled, so we are tied up on the outside of the only dock left and have had sustained 40 to 50 knot wind and 10 inches of rain. We have 8 docks lines on and every fender that we have plus a few from the marina. We are in the process of replacing our voltage regulator, which was apparently hit by lightning, though we never saw it happen. Our wind generator also is not working and was probably also hit, but we'll have that checked later.

We were never in any danger of anything happening to us, but weather service, such as Chris Parker (a former sailboat cruiser) weather reports, are so good these days that you do not need to get into bad weather while cruising and be uncomfortable at sea. Although it was kind of fun!

Only a Few More Stops

2009-05-21T06:00:00.005-04:00

We left Hope Town for a one-night anchorage off Great Guana Cay. On the beach, we could see evidence of the beginnings of a resort that was never finished, not an unusal sight in the Bahamas. The next morning we traveled the Whale Cay Cut and Passage. The Passage goes through the cut to the ocean and then back through a narrower cut into the Sea of Abaco. Rocks and coral close to the marked passage make this passage a little intimidating, but the channel is deep plus we had fairly calm seas and winds and motor-sailed though the passage uneventfully.

Green Turtle Cay was a short twelve miles away and we dropped anchor just off the settlement of New Plymouth, the only settlement on the island. We enjoyed walking around this historic town that has retained its old-world charm. In the center of town is a large bronze sculpture garden in memory of the Loyalist settlers. We had been told to be sure to stop at Miss Emily’s Blue Bee Bar for a Goombay Smash, so we did and we certainly were not disappointed. Somehow, we knew to limit ourselves to just one. We bought a few groceries and enjoyed browsing a shop that was filled with specialty and island-made gifts.

We would have liked to stay another night, but lots of wind plus squalls with even higher wind were predicted. Like our friends on Mariah and Gypsy Song, we planned to sit out the weather between Manjack and Crab Cays, just a few miles from Green Turtle Cay. Before we left, we motored into the Green Turtle Cay Marina for our last opportunity in the Bahamas for fuel and water. The marina is in a small body of water on the cay called White Sound. The channel is less than six feet, so we went in on a rising tide. We pulled up to the dock for fuel and water; as soon as we moved off the dock, Solar Eclipse pulled up. As we motored out of White Sound, the tide was already going down, and we were all relieved to be back out in 8-10 feet of water for our short trip to the anchorage. Who would have thought we would be glad to see 8-10 feet of water?

Five miles later, we pulled into the protected bay of Manjack Cay. We quickly saw why this lush island is popular among cruisers. The area is beautiful with several beaches and the anchorage is a large protected bay. We had over twenty boats, but we were not at all crowded. Surprisingly, we could get wifi, if we sat in the cockpit and had direct line of site to the tower. A family in one of the two inhabited houses on the cay has erected a tall tower and is OK with cruisers picking up wifi. They also encourage cruisers to explore the beaches. In shallow water just off the beach by their house, they have built a small tiki-style hut that has drop-down swings and hammocks. Several trails have been cleared and are well-marked, including one to the ocean side beach. We enjoyed beachcombing and spotting rays, starfish, turtles, conch, and fish in the crystal clear water. We walked the ocean trail that had been cleared of mangroves and other shrubs/trees. Those of us on Solar Eclipse, Mariah, Gypsy Song, Ariel, and Lapidus plus guests from a few other boats gathered for a breakfast on the beach and an evening cookout with a bonfire on a different beach.

Aware that our days in the Bahamas were numbered, we wanted to enjoy all the last precious days. We had several rains with increased wind, but the weather was more enjoyable than stormy.

On Saturday, May 16, at 6:30 AM, Chris Parker reported that Saturday and Sunday offered a fairly good weather window; then weather would deteriorate again. This was a surprise; we thought we would be tucked in for a few more days. Ron from Sea Dancer and Southern Estates had anchored in the bay the night before. Ron checked with Chris on leaving Saturday with the destination of the Ft. Pierce Florida inlet. We also called in during Chris’ SSB weather report requesting information about going feven further north than Ft. Pierce. Our destination of Brunswick, GA was probably too far for just two days, but we hoped we could go in the Ponce de Leon inlet (Daytona Beach). Chris encouraged everyone to be in by Sunday evening before a cold front developed around 30N, the Jacksonville area. By 8:30 am, Sea Dancer and Southern Estates were underway; an hour later Solar Eclipse and Lapidus were also headed across the Sea of Abaco, USA bound.

Touring the Abacos

2009-05-19T17:20:00.003-04:00

Five miles after leaving our overnight anchorage in Royal Island, we turned north toward the Abacos. We had a great sail for the remaining 49.30 miles to first destination, Little Harbour. We really enjoy sailing with Doug and Marlene on Solar Eclipse. It’s their first trip to the Bahamas too, so all of us are always excited to see new places. Even on long sails such as this one, we drop anchor within about 15 minutes of each other. From Halifax, Nova Scotia, they are seasoned sailors who raced competitively for many years. They always have great sail trim on their 38-foot Island Packet. There are as many Canadians as Americans cruising the Bahamas and most those we have met have a racing background.

We had been told that the anchorages on the beaches around Little Harbour are beautiful and that Pete’s Pub is not to be missed. All of the is true, but we discovered much more.

Randolph Johnston was an assistant professor at Smith College in Massachusetts. In 1950, he resigned his position; he and his family began the search for their own island on which they would carve both a home and a sculptor’s workshop. They sold their home, stored their art, drove to Florida, flew to Nassau and took the mail boat to Man-O-War Cay, known for building quality boats. Here, they had their schooner Langosta built. After much sailing in the Bahamas, looking for their personal island, they discovered Little Harbour, only a few miles south of Man-O-War cay.

While at the Gallery on Little Harbour, we purchased one of the four dusty, yellowing Artist on His Island, which was printed in 1975, and includes many entries from Professor Johnston’s original diary as well as a number of the artist’s drawings. The excerpts are beautifully written and highlight adventures, misadventures, trials, and triumphs. In the art world, Randolph Johnston is considered one of the great sculptors of the twentieth century. But this family’s amazing life on the island remains relatively unknown.

While other families do now also live on the island, much of Little Harbour remains in the hands of Professor Johnston’s three sons, but only Pete maintains a relatively high profile with a gallery devoted to his father’s work, his work, and the work of other local artists, and Pete’s Pub, a shack bar on the beach that turns out really good pub grub and is a fun place.
For more info, vist www.petespubandgallery.com

After leaving our lovely anchorage, we sailed out of Little Harbour with Marsh Harbour as our next stop. We could have stayed in the shallow bank side, known in this area as the Sea of Abaco. We chose to go out the cut and sail on the ocean side; the route was straight and more direct. From Marsh Harbour we planned to make short sails to other cays and their unique settlements.

Marsh Harbour is the “big city” of the Abacos. The harbor is spacious and secure and the town offers many facilities for boaters. We saw cruisers at anchorage that we’ve met along the way, plus we were able to catch up with many of them at the local Happy Hours.

One day when the wind was light and the Sea of Abaco pretty calm, we decided to take a dingy trip to Man-O-Was Cay to visit some friends of Doug and Marlene’s and tour the island. We didn’t see the anchorage as we thought we would, so we pulled into the marina and went ashore. We quickly discovered we had motored to Great Guana Cay, not to our planned stop. Unless there is a landmark, such as a Batelco tower, the cays in this area look similar, and we had just not headed east enough when we left Marsh Harbour. We had a good laugh and thirty minutes later, we were meeting Tuck and Kathy on Mariah and Jake and Amy on Gypsy’s Song. After a beer and another chuckle about our dingy travels, we all went into town for lunch and to walk around this community of Loyalist descendants, known for their shipbuilding. Today their heritage of Abaco runabouts is seen in the United States as well as the Bahamas (the ferry boats). Our five-mile trip back to Marsh Harbour was rough, but, thankfully, the shortest trip of the day.

In the Abacos, everyone stops by Marsh Harbour, but after catching up with other cruisers, boat maintenance, and provisioning, most of us are ready for a quieter anchorage. We tied up to the docks of Marsh Harbour Marina for fuel and water, and then sailed to our next anchorage, a beautiful beach on Elbow Cay, just outside the harbor entrance to Hope Town.

While Marsh Harbour is the hub of the Abacos, Hope Town is the jewel. The main businesses can be found around the waterfront of this well-protected harbor. Originally designed for pedestrians and their carts and wagons, narrow concrete paths are set between New England style cottages that are painted every color and every color combination: pinks, greens, turquoise, salmon, yellows, blues, gray, and white and decorated with gingerbread or filigree work. The small town is quiet, clean, charming, and quaint.

Hope Town and cruisers anchored just outside the town are watched over by the still-functioning red-and-white striped lighthouse. We climbed the winding steps of this 120-ft.
beacon to get an inside view of the hand-wound kerosene light and the magnificent prisms and also to take in the amazing 360-degree view. A keeper lives on site to nightly light the only manned lighthouse remaining in the Bahamas.

For Mother’s Day, Larry treated me to a special brunch at Harbours Edge. Sitting on the ocean-side waterfront veranda, listening to live music, watching the water splash across the reef, enjoying delicious food and unlimited bubbly --- lovely! Then, back on the boat, I took a little nap. Later that evening, Doug and Marlene came over with a beautifully grilled pork loin. I opened a bottle of bubbly, and we toasted the spirit of Mother’s Day and enjoyed a great dinner and planned our next anchorage.

SPANISH WELLS

2009-05-13T14:15:00.001-04:00

A tidy,colorful little community and usually grouped with Eleuthera in tourist guides, Spanish Wells, St. George is much different from the other towns we have visited lately. Famous for its prosperous fishing fleet, Spanish Wells supplies much of the Bahamas’ commercial crop of lobster, conch and fish. Ronald, better known as ‘Ole Pot,’ was pleased to let us know that his fleet supplies lobster to all Red Lobsters. In addition to fishing fleets, water taxis as well as flat bed barges transport passengers, cars, and ‘whatever’ to Gun Point, a short trip to the east end of the main island of Eleuthera. The only businesses in Gun Point are Gene’s Ferry Dock and Liquor Store; people must use the busy water taxis to travel to work in Spanish Wells or to work on the mainland, not to mention those needed trips to the only liquor store. In addition to the water taxis and the flat bed barge, the Fast Ferry picks up passengers for trips to Nassau or Harbour Island. A cargo ship, tanker, or mail boat arrives in Spanish Wells almost daily.

The island is small and we walked the mile or so from the dingy dock to the main shops several times. Only one main street goes through the town, and the vehicular traffic is heavy, with golf carts, scooters, cars, and pick ups constantly traveling the narrow street that leaves little room for pedestrians. We soon discovered that walking the side streets results in a great way to see the town, and is a safer walk as well. Colorful cottages and splendid well-kept gardens and grounds cover the landscape. While many of the homes are historical, a number of large, modern homes sit on great lots overlooking the water, more evidence of an industrious and affluent island. The island is narrow and small houses and businesses back to the pink coral beach on the north side.

We shopped found at the large Food Fair grocery. Our stash of dark chocolate is alarmingly low, but we’ve had no luck replenishing it. We are rationing, but it will soon be gone.

We found wifi at Computer Concepts for $10 an hour. but it was a good, fast hookup. After two hours, I was mostly caught up checking our post mail (we have SBI mail forwarding), reading and responding to email, conducting banking, and posting a blog. I could always use more time for all of those activities.

CW’s, a tiny little grocery, has one washer and one dryer for pubic use, and we were glad to wash two loads. My mom asked me how we managed since it was usually weeks before we had washing facilities available. We have lots of wash cloths and undies, plus I wash our quick drying shirts and shorts in a bucket, using a plunger to agitate the clothes. I use seawater to wash and fresh water to rinse. It works. But it’s always nice to meet a washer and dryer.

A few diners are open for lunch, but we only saw a small snack shack open for dinner. No alcohol is served; in fact, no alcohol is available on the island. Founded in the 17th century by the Eleutheran Adventurers who left England looking for religious freedom, this independent, little town of 850 people does not depend upon nor does it cater to cruisers.

The town has its own Reverse Osmosis plant for water, which is what everyone drinks. We weren't out of water, but are always looking for an opportunity to fill our tanks. We worked out a plan to buy water from the local water plant, which is run by one couple. Both we and Solar Eclipse pulled up to Ron's dock and Shell station, where the water plant delivered 10 five-gallon water bottles for each of us to the dock. We had to pour them in, but that was easier than hauling our water cans to them, and then pouring the water in our tanks. In fact, if we wanted to wait one more day, they would bring a small water tank to the dock and we could just put it in our tanks with their hose; however, the weather was right and we were ready to go. We topped off our diesel tanks, and with our expert plan of leaving Spanish Wells at high tide, we sailed away. Having plenty of water under us made this trip much more pleasant than the trip into Spanish Wells. In less than two hours, we were anchored in the protected anchorage of Plantation Island, with plans to leave early the next morning for a 54-mile sail to Little Harbour, Abaco.

Road Trip to Harbour Island & Sailing to Spanish Wells

2009-05-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

Continuing our road trip:

Back on the road after leaving the breathtaking views from the Glass Window/Bridge, we drove through the small villages of Upper and Lower Bogue, past the N. Eleuthera Airport to the Three islands Dock where we parked. A fabled Bahamian hideaway, Harbour Island was once only accessible by private boat. Today, visitors and locals come and go by air, ferry, and water taxi. Our ten minute water taxi ride ended at the government docks of Dunmore Town, the only community on the island. After renting a golf cart, we were soon driving around the scenic, busy little town. Doing a great job of driving on the left, Doug parked our cart so we could walk on the famous beach.

Made of tiny grains of coral and shell, the three-mile pink beach is one of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches we’ve seen. We left the beach to do more exploring in our golf cart. Locals, many of whom are descendents of the Eleutheran Adventurers, run an assortment of shops, galleries, and restaurants. This small, hillside village is full of color from the flowers and the cottages. Many of the charming cottages were built in the late 1700s and early 1800s, during the days of prosperous shipbuilding.

Dunmore Town is home to luxury resorts and house rentals. Two visiting mega yachts had entered from the Atlantic side, the only route into the harbor. We were surprised to see several beautiful and stately banyan trees. After a snack and a Kalik at Harbour Island Marina, we returned our golf cart, quickly caught a water taxi, and drove back to our homes in Rock Sound. For more pictures of Harbour Island’s pink beaches: www.harbourislandlanding.com

With a forecast for a south wind, we chose a day with 15-18 knots from the E/SE to sail twenty miles north to Governor’s Harbor, with an anchorage that offers protection from all but W/NW. We will be sailing to Spanish Wells and getting further north will give us a better starting location. But just as important is being in a safe harbor from the coming S/SW wind. With strong, spring winds, finding the anchorage that offers protection from the current wind direction is important for safety and comfort. Governor’s Harbor is another appealing village. The steep hill around the harbor has many colorful colonial houses and businesses. Bougainvillea grows abundantly and cascades over garden walls.

The next day, we again sailed north, this time anchoring in Hatchet Bay; it would offer us protection from the wind clocking to the north plus we again lessened the distance to Spanish Wells. Hatchet Bay’s narrow opening is carved through a high rocky cliff. A lake already existed, and adding the opening resulted in an all-around protection harbour. The government has added free moorings; two were available when we arrived. After gaining info from a boater in the harbour, Solar Eclipse secured one of the two moorings, leaving the mooring in deeper water for us. Doug lowered his dingy to motor the area around his mooring, determining that if the wind clocked (as was forecast) and if it was at low tide, Solar Eclipse would ground, plus as the boat swung around, it would likely hit a large rock. Solar Eclipse left their mooring and rafted with us, which was lovely. Rafting eliminates getting in the dingy to have cocktails with another boat; all that is required is stepping from one boat to the other.

We stayed at Hatchet Bay two nights, waiting for a weather window to go to Spanish Wells. Due to fronts moving from the U.S. to the Bahamas, we’ve had qually and windy weather for the last week. At least the few rains have washed a little salt off of our boat! The wind clocked around and with a forecast for an east wind, which is the wind we wanted, we left the protected harbor.
Sixteen miles northeast of Hatchet Bay, we crossed the swift, deep Current Cut. Our Explorer’s Charts state that this cut is one of the strongest and fastest cuts in the Bahamas and to plan carefully for the safest crossing. We planned to cross at low tide with the current ebbing off of the Bank and the wind behind us. We listen to Christ Parker’s weather on SSB and often call in for more specific information regarding our exact location and destination. As usual, his forecast was right on. Just before entering the cut, we started our engine for more power to go with our sails. The sails, plus the wind and running current behind us, propelled us quickly through the impressive cut.

We were not in a hurry to reach Spanish Wells, now only ten miles away. Low tide at Current Cut is thirty minutes prior to low tide at Spanish Wells, so while our plan to cross the cut was perfect, we were not anxious to go into shallow Spanish Wells at low tide. To gain time to allow the tide water to rise at least at little, we sailed the eight miles to Meek’s Patch with only one sail up. As we passed the waypoint to go the two shallow miles to the entrance into Spanish Cay, we started our engine so that we would have power if we grounded. Solar Eclipse was ahead of us, and no call from them on the VHF was good news. We draw six feed to their five and a half and we touched the sandy bottom a few times, but no grounding.

We entered Spanish Wells Harbour, which is actually just one long cut running between Spanish Wells on the north and two small islands on the south. We followed the channel to our reserved moorings. This mooring field somehow works, but the moorings are very close together, the sandbars are too close both in front and behind the boats, and the mooring ball is a challenge to pick up in the strong current.

With a forecast of windy and qually weather (again) for the next five days, we would be in Spanish Wells for a bit.

Eleutheran Island Road Trip

2009-04-29T10:26:00.000-04:00

While staying in the Park, we made plans with Doug and Marlene (s/v Solar Eclipse) to start a new adventure. We would sail to Eleuthera and explore, explore, explore. The large area includes the island of Eleuthera plus Harbour Island, Spanish Wells, and Royal Island and a few smaller cays.

Eluethera Island would be our first destination. Founded in 1646 by the Eluetheran Adventurers, who came from England seeking religious freedom, the island is rich in history. It boasts pineapples, quaint villages, friendly people, and, more recently, prosperity. Some descendents of the Adventurers live on the island along with many descendents of loyalists' slaaves.

From Warderwick Wells, we motor sailed through the cut into the Exuma Sound. We turned off the engine, raised all the sails, and sailed northeast in a brisk wind with following (but rolly) seas. Soon our depth finder quit functioning; we were in very deep and cobalt-colored water. We had been cruising the shallow Bank side of the Exuma’s for nearly a month, and we were once again amazed at the purple-blue water of the Sound, so very dark, it can look black, depending on the angle of the sun. Everything is more on the Sound: more wind, higher waves, bigger sea swells and faster speeds. We made excellent time crossing the 29 miles on the Sound; then we were in The Bight, the shallow water on the west, the side we were on, plus the south and north sides of Eleuthera Island. The east side is the Atlantic. The Bight is turquoise but lacks the clarity of the Bank in the Exumas, perhaps because the long island of Eleuthera has only one cut for the ocean water to rush through the area, causing a good flushing and cleaning. The southern end of Eleuthera is shaped like a whale’s tail and our first waypoint in The Bight, Powell Point, is right on the tip of the port side of the whale’s tail. The next ten miles covered three more waypoints, each one requiring a course change that helped keep us off the shifting sand bars and the scattered coral heads. For protection from the south south/west wind, we anchored in the Starved Creek area. We were well protected from the wind for the night.

The next morning, we weighed anchor, motored two miles into Rock Sound, and again dropped the hook. The wind would be clocking and we had good protection from the west, north, and east. The middle of Rock Sound is less than six feet at low mid-tide; we joined the other three sail boats in 7.5 to 8 feet of water not far (but far enough) off the rocky east side.

Rock Sound is a good stopover for provisioning; the community businesses welcome boaters and will deliver supplies to the dingy dock. We shopped the well-stocked grocery and liquor stores and filled our empty 20 lb. propane tank (we carry two). In the central part of town, an attractive park area surrounds a natural blue (ocean) hole. Said to be bottomless by the locals, it is really an inland salt water lake, a mile from the ocean, yet it is filled with salt water and sea life and has ocean tides, so some connection (though as yet unknown) exists between this amazing hole and the ocean. Swimming is allowed, but not fishing. Dozens of fish hang around the outside edge waiting for a handout of breadcrumbs.

To see more of this diverse island plus Harbour Island, we rented a car for a road trip. Our query about how long it would take us to reach Harbour Island was met with, “it’s a long way, at least an hour and a half.” Living on an island that is about 60 miles long and narrow, except on both ends, creates a life style that is far different from the life style that most of us are used to. An hour and a half would get us out of Oklahoma City, but would only be half way to Lake Texoma. Of course, a road trip of any length is now a rarity, but traveling an hour and a half in a sailboat is a very short trip.

The drive up the island was fairly slow. The Queen’s Highway on Eleuthera is narrow and curvy with no shoulders or center line, though it does have good signs, especially for the curves. Larry did a great job of driving on the left side, though he and all of us had a few starts when seeing a vehicle coming around a curve driving on the left. It would be on the correct left side, as we were, but it looked completely wrong. None of that stopped us from enjoying our scenic drive, with constant views of either the Bank on one side or the Atlantic on the other, sometimes seeing both easily.

After passing through several villages, we stopped at the Glass Window Bridge that was once a natural arch undermined by the ocean, thus forming a “look through” window. Several years after the natural arch broke through, a narrow manmade bridge was constructed across the rock gorge, once again allowing locals and tourists access between the north and central parts of the island. Every few minutes, an Atlantic roller surges in or a powerful swell hits the rock spine beneath the bridge, foaming and throwing walls of water, ending in a cascading waterfall. Almost yearly, the Glass Window claims at least one victim, carried off the bridge by walls of water 100-120 feet high.
We finally dragged ourselves away from the magnificent views and the glimpse of the power of the 3,000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean. Our next stop is Harbour Island, known for its gorgeous pink sand beach.

Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park

2009-04-24T13:22:00.013-04:00

With our fuel and water tanks and storage jugs full, we enjoyed a leisurely sail of 19 miles from Sampson Cay to a mooring ball at Warderick Wells Cay, home to the headquarters of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park . Because we had waited so long for the fuel, we arrived late in the afternoon, just past low tide (shallow!). The tidal current was already strong, so picking up the mooring and holding on to it long enough to tie on to it was challenging. Tied up to mooring, engine off - Coctail time.

Covering 176 square miles, the Park is the first land and sea park in the world. It includes 20 named cays and stretches southward 22 miles from its north boundary. The Park is a no-take zone by both land and sea – nothing living or dead can be removed from the Park. This year we explored only Warderick Well Cay; future visits to the Park will include checking out other areas.

The Bahamas National Trust builds and manages the nation’s park system. Throughout the country , 25 national parks exist, covering 700,00 acres of land and sea. In addition to providing opportunities for people to experience a national environment, the Trust organization also supports environmental research and education, historic preservation and sustainable development planning.

Established in 1958, the Exuma Park is one of the largest and is an extraordinary natural area. Whether exploring the underwater beauty of the coral reefs or the pristine beaches, whether hiking the trails to observe the many species of birds, fish, or other wildlife, whether having a cocktail with friends watching the spectacular sunsets ----- this is the perfect place to be.

We snorkeled all the reefs around Emerald Rock with Marlene and Doug (s/v Solar Eclipse). We saw more varieties of coral and much healthier, colorful coral than we’ve seen thus far in the Exumas., though we did see some bleaching and green algae growth which is attributed to warmer waters caused by global warming. The barrel and vase sponges also were colorful and healthy looking. The Sea Fans were large and beautiful,; a conch and a crab were moving about. We also saw a nice variety of tropical fish as well as snapper, yellow fin tuna, and other game fish. Thunderball Grotto at Staniel Cay has a far greater number and variety of tropical and game fish, but those tame fish stay in the cave area and are fed by and surrounded by snorkerlers on a daily basis. So, while the fish in the Park aren’t scared away by snorkerlers, they do not congregate in large numbers and they are not expecting a hand-out, mainly because since feeding them is not allowed.

Going at slack tide to avoid the strong tidal currents, the four of us also snorkeled The Rangers Garden. The large reefs are cleaned twice a day by strong tidal currents and were more colorful than the reefs around Emerald Rock. We had been exploring the reefs for quite a while when Larry swam over to me and said, “Shark!” at which time I immediately swam toward the dingy while Larry got Marlene’s attention and she was quick to alert Doug. Just a few minutes later, we were aboard our dingy’s! Larry then told us the shark was eight to ten feet and he wasn’t sure what kind it was, but he was sure it was not a Nurse Shark, known for rarely being aggressive. We all voiced that the shark was probably not the least interested in us but we all agreed we were through snorkeling for the day. From the poster at the Headquarters, Larry identified it to be a Lemon shark and, apparently, there are many of them around the cay and they do not bother swimmers. We ‘knew’ that, but the next time we see one swimming close by, we’ll probably take the same action.

The Park provides information and location of several other good snorkeling spots, places where swimmers can observing large lobster ‘walking’ on the bottom or explore fragile reefs formed by stromatolites, the oldest evidence of life on earth,.

A trip to the Park would not be complete without hiking the Boo Boo Hill Trail. Started as a commemorative to drowning victims of a ship wreck just off the cay, the Hill is now the spot where cruisers leave a piece of wood
marked with their vessel’s name, the date, and any other information they wish to add. Boo Boo Hill provides magnificent panoramic views of much the central Exumas. We spent a couple of hours hiking many of the trails, enjoying the plants, trees,
wildlife. The little lizards are close enough to touch.

Saturday’s are Sundowners on the Beach with the Park providing the ice. Nearly all the cruisers staying on the moorings and in the small anchorage show up. The gathering provides an excellent opportunity to catch up with other cruisers that we’ve met in other areas. We may not have seen them in a month or we may have just seen them in the last place we were and we’re traveling in the same general direction. Get-togethers are also the perfect place to meet new friends.

No facilities exist for trash disposal or for acquiring groceries, fuel or fuel. While there is no phone service, wireless internet can be purchased at the headquarters, which also features a small gift shop, welcome center, book exchange, and displays, very helpful in identifying the Park’s marine and land life.

Information from the Park literature:

If snorkeling: Take Only Photographs – Leave Only Bubbles

If hiking: Take Only Photographs – Leave Nothing but Footprints

Water, Water, Everywhere and . . . .

2009-04-20T14:33:00.009-04:00

Our Water Maker does not work! It came with the boat and has never worked. We were told to not start it up in the murky waters of the Chesapeake or the ICW, so as soon as we arrived in Florida, Larry replaced all the seals and the membrane and tried everything else the company suggested. With no other options, we bought five water jugs while in Florida. He checked through the whole system again in Georgetown, replacing some seals again, but it still functions poorly. So, we make plans to fill our water jugs and our tanks. Pulling into a marina and just filling up our tanks seems like the logical step. But we rarely go to a marina in the Bahamas. The routes leading in are often to shallow for us (though some we could get into at high tide). Plus, most of the cays we visit have no marina.

Here are our five water jugs and two gasoline jugs.
(Reminder -just click on pics to enlarge them)

We hold approximately 88 gallons in our tanks plus we carry about 30 gallons in our jerry jugs. We average under seven gallons a day, and we avoid getting too low on water. We’re always planning our next ‘water collection’ as soon as we begin using our second tank

Filling our water jugs in Georgetown was free and fairly easy. The Exuma Market has installed a water hydrant at the Dingy Dock. Cruisers may have all the Reverse Osmosis water they need for no charge.

In Black Point, cruisers needing water tie up at the Dingy Dock, carry the jugs up the ladder to the dock, carry the jugs to the city hydrant, and then reverse the process with the heavy full jugs. The six foot ladders that go straight up to the deck are tricky enough without carrying jugs full of water. Of course, once at the boat, the jugs are lifted onto the boat and used as needed. The Reverse Osmosis water is free, but the settlement asks cruisers to make a donation both for water and for the trash that they leave. We were in Blackpoint twice, so each time we collected water.

The next time we needed water, we were able to pull into a marina. The marina at Staniel Cay was doable, but not easy and too far from our anchorage. Four miles after we left our anchorage west of Big Major Cay in the Staniel Cay area, we turned toward Sampson Cay Marina. The route is straight forward and deep enough for us to easily pull up to the fuel dock. A beautiful anchorage is just outside the marina, and several sail boats were anchored. The marina has many boats in slips, but they are luxury yactts with a few large power fishing boats. We filled up our tanks and jugs and paid $ .50 a gallon for the water.

Marinas in the Bahamas frequently run out of diesel and gasoline. The fuel boat at Sampson Cay Marina was unloading fuel when we arrived, so we filled up our diesel tanks. Since we rarely go to a marina, we carry diesel jugs as well as gasoline jerry jugs for our Honda motor that makes our dingy go fast, so we filled those up as well. We don’t go through fuel as fast as water, but we grabbed the opportunity. Larry didn't mind buying the two red jugs, but he was really reluctant to buy the seven diesel jugs. But so many cruiser told us that we should have them on board that he gave in and bought them. They may not look too pretty, but we are glad we have them.

Lots of cruisers have a working water maker and many others desire one, though there are those who choose not to invest in an expensive water maker that uses precious amps and requires regular maintenance. We on Lapidus are looking forward to having a working water maker.

OK! Enough about water makers. and fuel as well. I'd rather just share tales and pics of all the beautiful and fun places we are lucky enough to be visiting. But, we also have to deal with 'real life' necessities.
Bottle of rare wine? Steak? We can only imagine why this sea plane landed just long enough for a crew member from the Mega Yacht to pick up something that apparently was much needed by the owner. Our anchorage just off Big Majors often had more Mega Yachts than sail boats and smaller power boats. Fowl Cay Resort and its $100 dinners is close by. Its ‘reservation only’ dining is rarely visited by cruisers, but stays busy with guests from its five bungalows and the luxury yacht owners.

2009-04-13T13:57:00.019-04:00

Thunderball Grotto
This picturesque hollowed-out cave was the location for the filming of the James Bond movies Never Say Never Again and Thunderball, as well as Splash. A varied and beautiful assortment of fish live in and around the cave. The grotto is best visited at slack tide and low tide. At low tide, swimmers have enough room to enter the cave with heads above water; otherwise, a quick underwater dip is required. Due to our long walk on the ocean side, we arrived a little later than planned, and, while it was still low tide, slack tide had passed and the current had already become strong. While Larry easily maneuvered to the other side and back, I would snorkel to about the middle and then be pulled back at the entrance by the current. I just kept swimming back in! Thousands of colorful fish swim all around you and they do like to be fed. Fish food or even cooked rice in a water bottle with a small hole in the lid is easy to shake and the fish rush to the treat and to you or they will eat out of your hand.

Sunlight shines through the natural skylights where rain has eroded the rock. Natural entrances are on both the east and west end. The next time we visit, I'll enter one end and flow with the current out the other end. This natural fish bowl is amazing. The Thuderball islands are protected by the Bahamas National Trust, so no fishing allowed.

Thunderball Club is a short boat ride away and is packed with photographs taken during the 007 filmings. Sean Connery looks so young -and gorgeous! With a daily Happy Hour and lots of atmosphere, the Club is a popular spot for cruisers.

Nurse sharks and rays are numerous around the docks at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. They are great subjecst for photos, but their interest in the area is far more primal.

Fishing guides and their paying anglers usually come back from a fishing trip in the Exuma Sound with a nice catch of mahi mahi, dorado, and tuna.

Dinnertime

Lovely rental cottage avail- able at Staniel Cay Y.C.

This area covers several islands. Small reefs with good snorkeling are found around the islands. We snorkeled and walked the trails to the Ocean Beach and to the Ocean Park. We are seeing cruisers that we met in Georgetown, which then leads to sundowners and catch up time.

We also had two days of too much wind and rolling plus some much appreciated rain. My skin needed a break from the sun and these were good days for boat maintenance.

Catching up - then Staniel Cay

2009-04-06T15:39:00.012-04:00

While in Little Farmer's Cay, we visited J.R.'s shop. After careful selection from so many choices, we purchased a Phoenician Bahama Mama. A wood carver extrordinaire, J. R. specializes in various Bahama Mamas as well as eagles, owls, parrots, osprey, and fish. He is well-known throughout the Exumas for his beautiful carvings from Wild Tamarind wood.

Our last full day in Black Point was perfect for a snorkeling adventure with Jeff and Tessa (s/v Inamorata). After our long dingy rides, we stopped on Gaulin Cay South. We were surprised when Iguanas came out to the beach to great us. We had read that the next cay north, Bitter Guana Cay was home to a protected Iguana habitat. A narrow cut separates these two cays, but the cut does not keep the iguanas from crossing to Gaulin Cay South. They seemed pretty tame and expectant of a snack, but we were empty handed; they soon grew bored with us and climbed the rock wall of the cay and hid in the brush.

Just north of the cut, a regal osprey was on watch
guarding its nest on this well-selected cliff.

As we snorkeled and free-dived (no free diving for me, but I want to!) several small reefs, we saw a variety of colorful fish from just a few inches to over a foot. Purples, blues, yellows, and oranges from the reef fish along with the coral, sponges, fans, and sea urchins plus a few crabs - like swimming in an aquarium.

Leaving Black Point, we had fast and rolly passage to the Staniel Cay area. A favorite spot for cruisers, this busy area has much to offer the cruiser. Taking advantage of the flights from Nassau and Fort Lauderdale landing daily on the 3,000 foot airstrip, cruisers arrange meeting dates to pick up their family and friends who are coming to visit. In addition to the the Staniel Cay Marina facilities, moorings and anchorages offer lots of locations and protection choices.

We are anchored west of Big Major Cay. We have a bit of a dingy ride over to the Staniel Cay Village. We can go to the south of Big Major or the north, through a little cut by Fowl Cay Resort. The north route is a little longer, but is so much drier. We pack our computers in waterproof (not completely accurate) bags and then put them in our backpacks (which we wear), but arriving somewhere with only a little damp 'dingy butt' is surely preferable to being soaked with waves coming over the bow or side.

Visiting Pig Beach on Big Major Cay is a must and we are just a short dingy ride away. 'Wild' pigs roam the the south part of the island, but are always close enough to the beach to hear a motor. They are so glad to see what you have brought them and they will swim out to you and your dingy. We took raw carrots (which they loved) and cauliflower (which they finally ate).

We are enjoying the area and activities and will be back soon with more tales and pics.

Little Farmer's Cay

2009-04-01T01:03:00.002-04:00

Little Farmer's Cay is south of Blackpoint (on Great Guana Cay) so we backtracked about nine miles. Because we were a little concerned about the shallow route leading into Farmer's Cay, we by-passed this beautiful area after we left Cave Cay. Nancy and Jim on Solitaire know the area, so they offered to lead us and three other boats into Little Farmer's Cay. Our planned departure time insured that our arrival would be at mid-tide, so with adequate water under our keels, we all made it safely in and were soon on mooring balls.

Jim and Nancy know many of the 54 residents and our especially close to Terry and Ernestine, who own and operate the exceptional Ocean Cabin Restaurant and Bar. Terry and Ernestine also own six of the mooring balls and cottages for rent. They are the main promoters of this small cay that is largely undeveloped and maintains an independent, self-sufficient lifestyle.

Once we there, we were quickly hooked on the island, its residents, and the residents (four houses) on Big Farmer Cay.

In addition to our group of five boats, other cruisers arrived over the next several days. Eating at Ocean Cabin always included many of the cruisers. Lunch one day happened to be on my birthday. Selections included Grouper Fingers, Chicken, and Conch Burgers -plus a little birthday cake.

Lobster was the main event for a large gathering one evening. Earnestine and Charlene remove the tail from the shell, marinate the tail, replace it in the shell and bake it until it is pure perfection. The addition of Bahamian side dishes and wine completed the meal.

One fun excursion was a trip by dingy to Oven Rock Cave, a 90 foot land cave on Great Guana Cay that has a natural swimming pool and limestone 'art gallery' plus many interesting stalactites. Jeff and Tessa (s/v Inamorata), Nancy, and I enjoyed a swim in the cool, clear water while Jim and Larry took pictures. Before we left the area, we walked to the ocean side for a little beach exploring.

Saturday was a fun and fundraiser day for Little Farmer's All Age School. The twelve students in the school, all the cruisers, and residents from Little Farmer's and Farmer's Cay celebrated the day with great food, fun games and activities, plus plenty of socializing. Larry enjoyed a fried Hog Snapper while I had Roti and Curry Chicken; both dishes were new to us, but, of course, delicious. Grilled like a tortilla, Roti is thicker and contains shortening or lard. The Hermit Crab races offered us a chance to place bets on our choice(s) for win, place, and show. The crabs that were trying to climb out of the bucket before the race started were often not the ones who took off for the finish line once the bucket was turned over and the race began. A fun day celebrating the importance of education!

Jeffery and Aiden (plus others) spear fish and catch lobster and conch for a living. We were thrilled to purchase eight lobster, two grouper, and three hog snapper that Jeffery had recently caught, cleaned, and frozen. Jim and Nancy filled their freezer with lobster from Aiden. Lobster season ended March 31, so we timed our purchases well.

Blackpoint, Exuma

2009-03-25T12:32:00.007-04:00

After five weeks in Georgetown, we weighed anchor on Tuesday, March 23, 2009. We came straight to Georgetown from Fort Lauderdale (with one stop in Nassau to check in), so as we listened to other cruisers talking about the great places in the Exumas that they had visited on their way down to Georgetown, we were very much looking forward to working our way slowing up the cays. Once out of Elizabeth Harbor and through Conch Cay Cut, we sailed northeast in the Sound with light southeast wind and moderate seas.

Our first destination was Cave Cay, a distance of 37 nautical miles. The narrow, deep Cave Cay Cut current was strong, but the light wind became a light breeze and we were at mid high tide, so we left the main up and motored easily through the cut. Once inside the cut and on the Bank side, we could see that the sandy bottom twelve feet below had many two to three foot rocks. With three other boats already anchored and not wanting to anchor on a rock, we took longer than usual to pick a good spot. At the same time, Flight, a Valiant 40, was anchoring close by. While at a Sundowner gathering on Hamburger Beach in Georgetown, we met Jeff on Déjà Vu. He had told us to be on the the lookout for Don and Kathy on Flight as they were on their way down the Exumas. After chatting with them on the VHF, we put Lit’l Lap in the water, picked up Don and Kathy on Flight, and dingied into the narrow entrance to Safe Harbor Marina. The Marina is open though no boats were docked. The owners have installed wind turbines for power and are building rental cottages. The small, nearly round harbor provides protection in bad weather. We hope this newly developed harbor is successful. We ended the evening on Flight, having a Kalik and a good visit with Don and Kathy. They are from Aransas Pass, Texas. Jeff is from Austin, but spends much time in Aransas Pass. So we all have lots in common.

The next morning, the dingy went back on the davits and the motor on the rail. Our next stop was Blackpoint, a slightly less than fifteen mile trip. We sailed in the shallow waters of the Exuma Bank, following the dead-on routes from the Explorer Charts. We put up the sails, but before we got the engine turned off, it died. We had plenty of wind to sail, but a boat engine ‘dying’ on its own causes great concern. About the same time, the chart plotter would 'just' add a waypoint and start following it AND Mr. Auto Pilot would not function. So, I sailed while Larry went below to see what was going on. He found a burst fresh hot water hose that was spewing water on the engine and on boat wiring located close to the engine. He was able to cut off the hose and clamp it. So that was fixed, but we were sure we still had problems. As we approached Blackpoint, we tried to start the engine, and, of course, it didn’t. We made a decision to turn into a small bay just before the point that marks the turn into the main anchorage bay. Since we were under sail only, we thought an empty bay was preferable. After making sure our anchor was secure, we lowered the dingy and went to the main harbor and settlement of Blackpoint. In Lorraine’s café, we unexpectedly met up with our friends Jim and Nancy from Solitaire. So, of course, we joined them and their friends, Jeff and Tessa from Inamorata, for dinner. Lorraine’s prepares delicious native food. Our group’s choices included fresh grilled grouper, conch fritters, and chicken. Dinner was served late, and we had a long ride back to Lapidus on a very dark night. Thankfully, we had turned our anchor light on and had a flash light in our dingy.

Back to our engine –We would try to start the engine the next morning. Then the plan was to follow the trouble shooting Westerbeake guide plus try other ideas we had been given. When Larry pushed the starter button, the engine did start, though it took it much longer than usual. Apparently, all the wiring had to dry. We then moved our boat into the main anchorage, so we could more easily fill our water jugs. The next day, both Jim and Nancy and we moved back to the smaller bay. The forecast called for several days of strong northeast wind. By anchoring as close as possible to the beach, we were much better protected in the small bay.

Mike and Kathy on Sapphire and Jeff and Tessa are anchored here as well, so we’re having a great time getting together for cocktails, snacks, and games. The area has great snorkeling and pretty good spear fishing. From this side, we can easily walk to the Sound and Blackpoint is about a mile. The non-touristy settlement is neat and brightly painted. A modern laundry, three restaurants and grocery are the main businersses.

Internet is available at two of the restaurants. Connectivity is limited and always slow. But, I will post an update as often as I can.

Fun Everywhere

2009-03-15T07:00:00.002-04:00

In addition to the numerous activities that are available daily, even more activities and events are added during the two weeks of the Georgetown Cruisers' Regatta. Special volleyball, golf, Texas Hold 'Em, Trivial Pursuit, Bridge, and Botche tournaments, plus Red Hot Night No-Talent (with tons of talent) Show, Coconut Race, Scavenger Hunt, Arts and Crafts, Sand Sculpture and Variety Show give everyone a chance to participate. Featured races are the 'Around the Island' race and 'In the Harbor' race.

We teamed with Wayne and Isabelle for the Coconut Race. Using flippers only in a dingy, teams try to load floating coconuts into the dingy. Much like an Easter Egg Hunt, with less precise rules and lots of buckets of water thrown on opponents. Then, back on land, we paired up and placed a coconut belly to belly for a short walk without dropping the coconut; then the coconut was butt to butt for the next short trip. Too much fun!

We were also in the Scavenger Hunt with two other couples. They had kids in the children's division and both kids and parents were both competetive and creative. While some items were easily located, other items were bizarre, including red high heels, red shoelaces, red bowtie, etc. Teams could find items on their boats, ask other cruisers for the items, or even go to town. But, the hunt was on Sunday, so most of the small number of stores are closed on Sunday. Our team tied for third, thanks to our teammates' creativity and red markers!

We've played Texas Hold 'Em twice, with Larry winning the pot the first night we played and making it to the final table the next time. All of these events draw 60 and up participants. So, when you sign up, you're probably in for several hours.

The weather this week has mellowed: less wind and warmer temps. This is the weather everyone says we should have been having all along. We're not complaining; 70 degrees in the daytime is great, especially if you're used to Oklahoma winters. We do enjoy less wind, which means smaller waves and less chop in the Harbor; staying dry and keeping our items dry while we're running around in Lit'l Lap is much more pleasant than arriving soaked.

All items in this pic are Bahamian. We purchased the straw bag and the basket from the lovely ladies who wove them. The lobsters were bought from a local diver. The bread is from a local baker, Mom's Bakery. The papayas, bananas, plantains, coconuts, tomatoes, lima beans (known here as green beans), sweet potatoes, and squash are from the Exuma or Barraterre (very close by) islands. Not pictured, but delicious and available daily, are eggplant, cabbage, onions, bell peppers, and lots of hot peppers. The limes (all citrus fruit) are grown on a farm in Nassau. Producing citrus trees were destroyed in the 1999 Hurricane. The rum is also produced in Nassau.

The Bahamians are so friendly and gracious. They offer their foods and crafts day after day, always showing their gentle personalities and smiling faces. We love shopping with them, but we also enjoy talking to them about their crafts or their recipes. The large squash shown above looks like it's related to the zucchini, but it's so different. I was told to remove the seeds and peel it; then it would be good fried, stewed, boiled like potatoes, or it could be used in bread or made into soup. I cut it up and simmered it in onion and garlic, then added tomatoes and Italian seasonings with the intention of serving it over pasta. After tasting it, we were pleased with the firmness of the squash and decided to have it as soup with, of course, bread. The lobster were also delish. Larry split them open, added lime juice and olive oil, wrapped them in foil, and grilled them 15-20 minutes. Yummy!

We anchor in Elizabeth Harbor between Elizabeth Island and Georgetown, Great Exuma. A walk and swim off Elizabeth Island is our favorite afternoon activity. Here, we are on the Sound (Ocean) side of the island.

Little Exuma

2009-03-10T10:12:00.029-04:00

Arranged by a cruiser for cruisers, an afternoon tour of Little Exuma was fun and educational. The waters are so crystal clear that the tropical fish several meters below the water are viewable and the small 12 square-mile island offers lots of history. The island is now connected to Great Exuma by bridge.

On the road to Little Exuma, we passed the hamlet of Rolle Town. It was once, like Rolleville to the north, owned by Lord Rolle. Today, it is populated with the descendants of his former slaves. This sleepy town has some 100-year-old houses.

Our first stop was the Great Salt Pond. In 1788, Little Exuma produced more than 100,000 bushels of salt and was considered an important, if not the most important, salt producing island. Most of the salt raked was exported to the Colonies on the North American coast. The salt ponds in Exuma comprised 223 acres and continued to produce large quantities of salt into the 1860s. This stone marker was erected to guide ships into the shallow, coral filled waters.

Hermitage, a plantation constructed by Loyalist settlers, is the last surviving example of the many plantations that once stood in the Exumas. Arriving in 1784, the Kendall family established their plantation at Williamstown. Coral and other fossils are present in the limestone used to construct the buildings. With their slaves, the Kendall family began growing cotton. Cotton proved uneconomical, so they, as well as most of the Loyalist settlers, left the Bahamas. In 1838, slavery was officially abolished; many former slaves remained on the land and eventually became land owners themselves. The Bahamas Islands were a colony of the United Kingdom, but much of the government of the country was conducted in the country by local Bahamians in the House of Assembly. The islands became a nation on July 10, 1973, which is the date celebrated as Bahamian Independence Day with an island party not to be missed.

Katherine, our tour arranger and guide, asked a local tour guide and a descendent of slaves to share his knowledge of the family and the area with us. We also visited an old family tomb just down the hill from the plantation. No traces remain to identify the family, but the tomb was most likely owned by a plantation owner.

Our last stop was to the well-known Santana's for a delicious Bahamian dinner.

Our lobster was perfectly prepared and yummy! Santana's is owned and operated by one of Mom's (from Mom's Bakery) daughters. We also

enjoyed perusing the photo album filled with pics taken of local as well as the cast and crew of Pirates of the Caribbean II, filmed in the area.

A lovely day in a paradise.

Bahama Magic

2009-03-04T10:12:00.012-05:00

The Bahamas are great tablelands of limestone, coral, and sand. More than 700 small islands (cays) and several large islands sit on top of a plateau covered with shallow water and surrounded on all but one side by dark, sapphire blue deep, deep water. The turquoise banks and white sand beaches along with specks of emerald present a brilliant vista that encourages all onlookers to pause often to take in the splendor. Cruisers trek to this paradise year around, but especially November through May.

A tremendous volume of water enters and exit the large areas of shallow water, named the Little Bahama Bank and the Great Bahama Bank, with each tidal current. This flushing action keeps the waters on the Bahama Banks very clear, adding to the beauty of the area. But, with small islands close together, the tidal water enters and exits through fairly narrow channels, (cuts) between two islands. Cruisers traveling these cays often cross from the Banks (shallow water) to the deep water and from the deep water to the Banks. Each cut, or narrow channel, is different and all require the utmost attention. If wind and current oppose each other, crossing the cut is not advised since a Rage may develop with waves breaking across the entire cut.

After we left Nassau, we crossed the Highborne Cut from the Bank to the deep water Exuma Sound. We had some swells and light wind. Larry steered Lapidus straight through the middle of the cut while both of us watched for rocks and coral close to the surface. We left the beautiful turquoise Bank of shallow water for the deep water Sound. Hours later, we turned toward the first waypoint to Georgetown and were soon entering the wide cut into Elizabeth Harbour and more turqouise water.

We're still in Ge orgetown, along with about 300 boats. Boats leave to cruise other areas, but are replaced by new boats arriving. There are many anchorages, and, currently, we are off Chat and Chill and Volleyball Beach, though we are quite a way out. Activities are held daily on the the main beaches by the anchorages. Volleyball, painting, swimming, yoga, Texas Hold 'Em - these are just some of the choices available to participate in. Cruisers take their dingy to other beaches to swim, chat, eat, or join an activity. Depending on where a boat anchors, the dingy trip to Georgetown is from one to several miles one way. Also, depending on the wind and boat activity around Georgetown, the dingy ride may be a wet one. Georgetown's friendly merchants offer groceries, water (free), fuel, and the coveted wifi. Exuma Market is very well stocked. Homemade bread and pastries from Mom's and fresh local fruits and vegetables available at the Straw Market add to our dining enjoyment.

A boat parade later today will kick off the annual Regatta. In town for the Regatta, Chris Parker, the weather guru, presented a great weather seminar and has been speaking to small groups.

Meeting other cruisers and being a little active is fun, but we're mainly enjoying the beautiful area and 70 degree weather. Finding a stretch of empty, secluded beach for walking and swimming is easy even with so many cruisers in the area. And reading both for the pleasure of freading or needed knowledge (Chris Parker's weather book, for example) rounds a perfect day.

Georgetown, Exuma - Bahamas Baby!

2009-02-22T10:16:00.008-05:00

We have been wireless challenged and busy entertaining for the last week.

So, for a little catch-up of what's been happening on Lapidus:
Leaving Fort Lauderdale Thursday, February 12, we headed across the Gulf Stream with our first way point set for Great Issac, a distance of 83 miles. Our crossing was great and we made super time. Instead of taking the usual route through the shallow Great Bahama Bank, we chose to stay in deep water for our overnight trip. Heading east in the New Providence Channel, we had ships on our radar througout the night, often six at a time. Cruise ships, tugs, tankers, motor yachts and the Nassau mail boat kept us company, but many different routes were being followed; we only talked to two big ships and they both altered their course to stay clear of us.

We were soon taveling south passing the Berry Islands on the deep water side. Our last stretch was south east to Nassau; we were in a slip by 11:30 a.m. Friday, February 13. After checking in with customs, walking around town a while, and enjoying a great dinner at the Poop Deck of Yellow Snapper and Bahamian side dishes, we retired early to be rested for our overnighter to Georgetown. We fueled up and left Nassau for the Highborne Cay Cut by crossing the Bank. We went through the cut in shallow water with the sun over our head and the water much less rough than it can be if the tide, current, and wind are in opposition. In the Exuma Sound (more deep water), with the light wind on our nose), we motored the last 80+ miles. By 8:00 a.m., Sunday morning we were at Conch Cay Cut, then followed the way points into Elizabeth Harbour, and dropped the hook. Our trip was close to 300 miles and 52 hours boat traveling that included two overnighters plus one night in a slip.

We immediately went to work cleaning up the cockpit and boat plus getting the dingy, Lit'l Lap, and motor ready to go. We were in Georgetown enjoying a beer at the Peace & Plenty when our daughter Kenya and friends Sherry and Pam arrived in a taxi from the airport around 3:30.
We made it!

We spent the next week enjoying this beautiful island surrounded by gorgeous turquoise water and enjoying our great times together. Kenya and the girls flew home Saturday and we miss them already.

We have pics and much to talk about. We have to come to town to get on the internet -at least for now. More to come.

Ft. Lauderdale

2009-02-04T14:00:00.000-05:00

We left Vero Beach January 24th and snuggled into a slip in Ft. Lauderdale late Wednesday afternoon, January 25th. Vero Beach has no inlet to the ocean, so we followed the Intracoastal Waterway south to the Ft. Pierce inlet, just a reverse of our trip north on the ICW to Vero Beach a week earlier. The latest forecast predicted 20+ knots, but the ICW was OK. After a couple of hours, we turned west off the ICW and soon were through Ft. Pierce and entering the inlet out to the ocean. There, as quickly as we committed to going out the inlet, we faced new circumstances. We could see that the waves were high and the water was rough, but still did not expect what was happening. The bow would rise up high out of the water, then slam back on the water with the bow heading into the water and we had quite a ride. We thought about turning back, but that didn't seem like a good prospect, so we just kept going. We could see the ocean and could tell it was not as rough as the inlet. We just keep moving, and once we got out of the inlet, the gusty wind and whitecaps actually looked good. As we talked through what had happened, we realized that the east wind was meeting the tide going out and causing a nasty inlet.

The wind was becoming south east, and thus, pretty much on our nose, so our progress was not great. Soon, even our slow progress stopped. Around midnight, about the time that we passed the Lake Worth inlet, we were slowed to about one knot. Again, we thought, "What is going on?" We were less than three miles off shore and on the edge of the Gulf Stream, but this powerful current included a weather induced Atlantic rip-tide (didn't figure that out right a way!). We tried both heading further out to sea and closer to land; we could pick up a knot, but were being blown too far off course. This went on for a few hours, so we decided that at dawn we would turn around and go in the Lake Worth inlet. As soon as we turned around, we picked up speed and were soon traveling 11 knots --yup, that's how fast that current was moving. We were only about four miles from the inlet and were there so quickly. Several ships were anchored outside of the inlet; we did not want to have to wait on all of them to go in during daylight. We were lucky (finally). It wasn't quite yet light, one ship started into the inlet, and we followed it. Before long, we were back on the ICW and glad to be there for the rest of our trip to Ft. Lauderdale.

Going south from Lake Worth, much of the the ICW becomes a narrow land cut that is lined with houses, hotels, and condos on both sides. The views are views and landscapes are quite varied, but all beautiful. For the next 41 miles, we had 21 restricted bridges to go through! Most open on the hour and half-hour, while some open on the quarter and three-quarter hour. Two miles to travel before a bridge opens in 30 minutes means adjusting your speed so you don't arrive too early; four miles to travel in 30 minutes means pushing your engine for a bit so you don't have to wait another 30 minutes. We were able to get a good flow going; a couple of times the bridge tenders knew we were coming and kept the bridge open just a little longer.

By 4:30 we were in a slip Bahia Mar marina. We are, like many other cruisers, awaiting a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream and spend a few months in the Bahamas.

St. Augustine to Vero Beach, FL

2009-01-19T10:07:00.000-05:00

Our beloved staysail in the trash in Beaufort, NC. We cut off several pieces large enough for tote bags.

Leaving Beaufort, NC, January 11, 2009.

Founded in 1564, St. Augustine is America's oldest permanently settled European City. It is a charming and quaint city with grand architecture serving as tributes to past explorers and entrepreneurs. The founder, Ponce de Leon, was sure he had discovered the Fountain of Youth; with a visit to St. Augustine, you too can sip water from this famous fountain.

Braving the unusual cold wind, we shopped, dined, and appreciated the varied architecture. We enjoyed dinner at the Habana Village Cuban Restaurant. We opted for Lechon Asado, meltingly tender roast pork marinated in lemon and garlic. Luis Mario and his Latin jazz added to the lovely evening. Had we not still been tired from our three-day passage, we would have joined others on the dance floor.

After such a great dinner, we retired early with plans for leaving for Vero Beach Sunday morning. Bundled up in the cold morning air, we left the marina around 8:30 headed for the 5-8 foot swells in the ocean. Just as forecast, the waves soon subsided and we were on a comfortable passage.

By afternoon, we shed layers of clothes and relished being in a light shirt and pants plus we rolled up the 'glass' to enjoy the typical Florida climate. Sailing about three miles off shore, we were able to see land and buildings -coastal cruising is great. Hope we can do more of it. Another beautiful sunset to enjoy! The north wind was light, so we motor sailed.

Soon after sunset, as we sailed further offshore to go around Cape Canaveral, we again donned as many layers as we could. We found out a rocket was to be launched that night. Around 8:00 p.m. the Cape Canaveral watch officer hailed a vessel 35 miles south east of us. The vessel was too close to the area from which a rocket was to be launched before midnight; the watch office gave him a course to follow that would put him out of the area. He also said the large rocket should be sighted from as far away as Miami on such a clear night. We certainly wanted to see the launch. At midnight, Channel 16 announced that the rocket would launch in one minute. Viewing the rocket launch from out boat was amazing. The rocket seemed to go right over our boat. Pretty Cool!

The light wind changed to S-SW so we were still motor sailing. Sunday morning, around 8:30, we put down the main sail and made our way though the Ft. Pierce inlet and onto the ICW. Fort Pierce is about 14 miles south of Vero Beach, which is on the ICW; therefore, we had to go back north on the ICW. Another inlet, Sebastian, is closer to Vero Beach, but mariners are cautioned about its "Monster Hole" and strong current. Fort Pierce looks very inviting; the day was warming quickly and anglers and boaters seemed to be everywhere.

We had a short delay in being assigned a slip in Vero Beach Municipal Marina (busy place). As soon as we were safely in a slip, plugged in, and finished with paperwork, we walked a short distance to a great little waterfront restaurant under the bridge, the Riverside Cafe. We even finished our first 'coldie' before Happy Hour began at 4. After steamed mussels, conch fritters, spinach salad, and tuna sandwich, we waddled back to our boat. We chose sleeping over catching the sunset.

After a good night's sleep, we're ready to begin a few boat projects and to have a long visit with our friends: Nancy and Jim on S/V Solitaire and Di and Jay on S/V Far Niente. Their boats are on a mooring ball in this marina. Both couples now own places here in Vero Beach.

We'll also be making plans to cross the Gulf Stream and visit the Bahamas!

P.S. Forecast for this area for tomorrow: the worst arctic cold front in five years.
Gads! Cold weather has followed us since we left Deltaville!
Luckily, here in beautiful Florida, it shall quickly pass.

January 15 - Successful Passage to N Florida

2009-01-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

We are now in a slip at St. Augustine Municipal Marina. We were close to the inlet before daylight, but waited until sunrise to go in. We also waited for an opening of the Bascule Bridge, then stopped at the Marina diesel docks to fill up before pulling into a slip. For the approximately 390 mile trip, we had a variety of weather. Rain, gusty wind, and rock and roll seas started Monday afternoon and continued through most of Tuesday. Part of that time, we made great progress, while at other times, going was slow.

We were looking forward to Wednesday with a forecast of sun and N/NW 10-15 knots; that forecast was perfect. The dolphins enjoyed the day as well, swimming and playing and staying with us for quite a while The sunset was beautiful and was followed by so many stars and later a big moon kept us company. It did not, however, keep us warm. We were not ready for how cold the nights were, regardless if the day had been rainy and cloudy or sunny. As the trip progressed, we had three or four layers of coats, sweatshirts, leggings, and/or pants under our foul-weather gear. We had our enclosure zipped, or the air would have been even colder. We mostly stayed in the cockpit, sleeping (or something like it) or resting when not behind the helm, checking the horizon, chart plotter, and radar. Since we don't have much off-shore experience, our adrenaline remained pretty high and we just didn't sleep much. Larry is grabbing a few Z's, but I'm still a little hyped. That actually might be from the five cups of coffee I had this morning with out delicious omlets at Athena's. Bedtime will come early this evening.

Both of the boats that started with us in Beaufort stopped in Charleston. We knew good weather was coming Wednesday and going into Charleston after dark did not appeal to us, so we continued, as both S/V Slocum and S/V Argonauta plan to do later.

We feel great about our passage. Our 'Real Shake Down Cruise' crossing the Gulf Stream and back was not scary, but it was not pleasant. This trip had a little weather, but was a great experience, plus we had no boat issues and no seasickness. Also, we just are not fans of the Intracoastal Waterway. The short days make it hard to arrive to the next destination on the waterway before dark, the scenery is undoubtedly much better in the fall and spring, we have a 6' draft and the shallow waterway is less than that in so many places, and the wind blows the water out of the Sounds, making more shallow places. We traveled very few days with no wind. Plus, we motored on the ICW; sailing is mostly not a good option.

We'll be here two or three days. Vero Beach is our next stop.

Leaving Beaufort - January 12, 2009

2009-01-12T09:07:00.000-05:00

Beaufort offers much to transients; in fact, quite a few boats winter over here. We've met great people, but we're ready to move on. We have a new batten in our main, a new starter battery, made several other repairs, and adjusted/changed lines. We're ready to go, but we'll be without our new staysail until Florida.

We are buddy boating with Bryn and Scott on Arganauta and Tom on Slocum. Tom will stop in Charleston; we might, but if the weather stays with us and all goes well, we'll keep sailing south. Two boats left yesterday, one stopping at Charleston, the other sailing to Key Biscaine.

So, we say goodbye to this busy little seaport town, all our new friends, the porpoises, pelicans, and wild ponies (on an island across from the waterfront) and hello to more southern waters.

The Mighty Gulf Stream

2009-01-01T16:03:00.000-05:00

"It's been rough and rocky traveling, but I'm finally standing upright on the ground.
After taking several readings, I'm surprised to find my mind is fairly sound."
-Willie Nelson

The four of us could easily relate to those famous song lines as we pulled back into Beaufort, NC at 8:00 a.m., December 31, after 63 hours and 350 miles.

Though the details are a little difficult to sort, here's the tale from our Real Shakedown Cruise:

We set sail on Sunday, December 29, at 3:30 with a good weather forecast (light wind!) and a course for the Grand Bahamas. We sailed southeast, knowing the Gulf Stream would take us north, then we would sail south to the Bahamas. Sunset on our first day was lovely with comfortable seas.

The wind picked up as we entered the Gulf Stream, which pushed us along, adding to our speed. We sailed with a reefed main and a staysail. The sky was clear and with countless stars, it resembled a giant pincushion that could not hold another pin.

Soon, seasickess came aboard. In different degrees, we were all affected. The high winds, rough seas, and waves crashing us from all sides contributed to the Mal de Mer. I was fine until I went below Monday morning to make coffee -which no one touched. I had to hold the kettle on the stove and then hold on to the French Press, so I was below too long and joined Larry, Jim, and Patrick in those uneasy, nauseous feelings.

After dark, with gusts up to 39 knots and rough seas, we furled the staysail. It fouled and we could not make enough wraps to get it all in. With a jackline attached, Larry went up on deck to try to put a wrap on the loose sail, but it was too high up the furler. The wind and rough seas eliminated using the bosun's chair, so we could only hope the staysail would be OK. When we were far enough across the Gulf Stream, we turned south.

The saga continues. Electrical problems were the next main event. Late, Monday the beloved auto pilot stopped functioning. We took shifts hand steering, dealing with heavy weather helm, due to the Gulf Stream and high wind. Every hour or so, another instrument would go out. We ran the genset for a while, but it did not seem to be charging the batteries enough to keep us from losing instruments. We turned off all the instruments except the running and steaming lights and started the engine. With a torn staysail that was starting to shred and unable to troubleshoot our electrical problems, we decided Tuesday morning to return to the coast where we were sure we could get the necessary repairs.

The wind stayed with us as we crossed the Gulf Stream going east and rain joined us. We were about the same distance from Wilmington as Beaufort, but with the wind and current, we would make Beaufort a lot faster. With the engine running constantly, the batteries did charge by mid-morning Tuesday and we turned the instruments back on. The wind and the Gulf Stream helped as have a fast trip and we arrived in Beaufort at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.

We do have some minor electrical issues, but we now know, that in addition to our wind generator and solar panels (which didn't have enough sun to be of much help), we have to run our engine more often to ensure our batteries stay charged.

We also need a new starter battery and ignition switch. Last, our Reverse Cycle Air and Heat panel flashes a Lo Power message that indicates we have lost gas in the system. That too, shall be addressed.

We're talking to a sail maker here in Beaufort that may have a used sail that will fit. We're also talking to Mariner Sails in Dallas. Either way, the tell-tales are in good shape and we plan on them being on our next sail.

Our friends, Bryn and Scott, left two days before we did for the same destination. When we returned to Beaufort, they were back here too. They had no mechanical or sail issues, but the Gulf Stream just beat them up and did not want them to cross. Their ocean going 35' Young Sun kept them safe, but they do have to self steer, which is exhausting. We were all glad to see each other.

A captain and crew in a catamaran were preparing to leave soon after we left, with a course to Bimini and then St. Martin. They probably flew across, but it couldn't have been comfortable.

I've read that crossing the Gulf Stream takes both strategy and luck. We could have used a bit more of both, but we will surely benefit from the experieces we've had on our Read Shakedown Cruise. Our salty and cranky dockmaster insists that he would rather cross the Gulf Stream here than in Florida. But, for us, we'll be heading down the coast as soon as we have everything ready to go and a decent weather window. The weather forecasts may not be right-on for coastal weather, but they are certainly superior to the ocean forecasts.

From Beaufort, NC, Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T09:12:00.000-05:00

From Beaufort, NC, we wish you
a happy and healthy Holiday Season.

And Active

"Christmas, my child, is love in action."
Dale Evans

Oriental to Beaufort, NC

2008-12-23T06:10:00.000-05:00

We finally left lovely Oriental, NC on Saturday, December 20. After such great hospitality, including a Christmas town parade and party, a party with the WINOS and a Wine Tasting event, we thought we should leave now or just stay permanently.

Oriental officially has more boats than people (3 to 1). Slightly less than 900 residents, Oriental boasts a lengthy number of social events and activities. Great restaurants, excellent shopping, art galleries, outdoor excursions -a great destination. Many of the retirees share their experience of visiting by boat (some by car) and liking the area so much that they decided to retire here.

The name of this nautical town is unusual, and the unusual story behind it is fitting. While fishing one day in 1870, Lou Midyette found shelter from a storm at the center of five creeks. He liked the area so much that he and his family settled there and the town of Smith's Creek began. A few years later, Rebecca Midyette, Lou's wife, was visiting a friend in Manteo when she spotted the name board for the USS Oriental, which sunk in a storm off the Outer Banks in 1862. She considered it a great name for her home town, and residents agreed. The town of Oriental was formed in 1899.

Befitting its name, Oriental also has the Oriental Dragon. Each New Year's Eve, the dragon becomes active, leading a parade and appearing at activities throughout the day and evening. Permanently, this beautiful dragon lives in the Duck Pond by the Town Docks.

We enjoyed our time in Oriental, but we needed to resolve several boat issues and prepare the boat to go off shore. Pete, owner of Seacoast Marine Electronics, has our chart plotter functioning properly (well, mostly) and installed Sirius Weather and Radio. Deaton's Boat Yard arrived promptly both times we called them. We really appreciate Joe Valinoti, an experienced sailor and delivery captain, for spending time with us and with Lapidus, sharing his knowledge and skills. He and his wife Paula graciously involved us in Oriental's activities.

Now that we are in Beaufort (Bo-furt), we are taking care of some smaller projects ourselves as well as rearranging items and supplies to make room for two crew members. Seasoned sailors Patrick Gould and Jim Scheer will be joining us as we sail to the Bahamas. Patrick, a retired scientist from the west coast, sailed the Pacific for mnay years and has ocean crossing experience. Jim, retired from R&D in radar and now teaching radar for Georgia Tech, also has extensive sailing experience. We found them through networking in Oriental. They live close by in the New Bern area and we're glad for them to join us. Our plan is to sail off shore as the weather permits. Four of us to share watches and chores will add safety and enjoyment to this adventure. We're looking for a weather window on or soon after December 30.

Beaufort, an historic seaport established in 1722, has its own charm. We'll share more after we have a chance to check it out.

December 11 - Oriental, NC

2008-12-06T16:28:00.000-05:00

On December 5, we stopped for the day at the Atlantic Yacht Basin, MM 12. A diesel mechanic successfully took care of our oil leak before the end of the day.

On Saturday, December 6, we had a light day of 38 miles to Coinjock, NC. At our request for an opening at the Centerville Turnpike Swing Bridge, the bridge keeper said to proceed to the bridge, which we did very slowly, probably much too slow for the bridge keeper. She said she would open it when we were closer. As the bridge swung open in our direction, we certainly felt we were way too close.

The other opening we needed was also a swing bridge; this one opens on the hour and half hour. We were happily able to get through behind a power boat, even though the time was six minutes after the hour. This bridge was not intimidating.

The afternoon was chilly but sunny when we arrived at Midway Marina in Coinjock. We decided to finally christen our boat.Many thanks to Ronnie, the Dock Master, for taking the pics.

We ended this lovely day with dinner at Crabbies, a favorite stop for cruisers. My grilled grouper with crab and Larry's seafood pasta were both fresh and yummy.

Sunday, December 7
Leaving Coinjock (MM 50) early, we were in the Albemarle Sound, a large body of water that covers 50 miles, by noon and soon we had 27 - 31 knots of wind and rough, confused seas for most of the 14-mile long crossing. The Sound is shallow and a stiff wind makes the conditions worse. We grounded at MM 83, just as we were coming out of the sound and very close to the Alligator River Swing Bridge. The Bridge tender might not have opened the bridge due to the wind, but we didn't find out. Tow Boat US came as quickly as they could; by the time they were able to pull us off, sunset had passed and darkness was close. We docked at Alligator River Marina, just a mile away. We had been concerned about our boat icon on our chart plotter. If the bow is in the channel, the stern seems not to be. After we grounded and the wind blow our bow off the channel, we could tell our stern was definitely out of the channel. Not good. We'll have an electronics person check it out as soon as possible. We also have a problem in our gear linkage; moving from neutral to forward or reverse is becoming more difficult and makes docking difficult.

Monday, December 8
The Alligator River Swing Bridge opened for us and we traveled the narrow but scenic Alligator River-Pungo River Canal and arrived at Dowry Creek Marian a little after two - a much better day.

Tuesday, December 9
We started early for the fifty mile trip to Oriental, NC, but we came in well after dark because we grounded again, partly because of the chart plotter heading not properly functioning, but the wind conditions were 20+ knots, which lowers the water depth in the Bay and Neuse Rivers that we were traveling. We're glad we have unlimited towing with Boat US. We had no costs, but the invoices were over $750 each. Coming in after dark was challenging; the dockmaster at Oriental Marina stayed late to talk us in and help us dock.

Wednesday, the 10th, Eric, a great mechanic repaired our shifting problem. Peter, an electronics expert was here Wednesday afternoon and is here again today. Issue with chart plotter is not solved at this time.

So, hear we are in the quaint little town of Oriental, called the sailing capital of North Carolina. Our friend, Jenny, has told us what a great area this is and we agree. We're staying at least through the weekend, maybe longer, depending on repairs and weather. Oriental's Spirit of Christmas is Friday and Saturday; a few pics will catch some of the friendly faces we've seen.

Bridges & Naval Shipyard

2008-12-05T19:13:00.000-05:00

The tugs and the Naval Shipyard are intimidating enough, but add eight bridges and one lock, and uneasiness and awe describe the emotions. We were off to a great start, with bridges opened as we came through, until the seventhbridge, the "Steel Bridge" which opens on the hour. We arrived at 9:07 as the bridge was closing; thus, we circled and fought the pushing current until the 10:00 opening. Then we rushed to the Great Bridge Lock, which also opens on the hour, luckily, it was still open when we arrived around 10:30, so we cleated to the side wall for the short rising to the water and headed toward the Great Bridge Bascule at Mile Marker 12 (we started the day at Mile Marker 0.4). We did have to wait until 11:00 for the opening. The Atlantic Yacht Basin is just past this bridge; we pulled in and docked to have a diesel mechanic check our oil leak. The knowledgeable mechanic at Atlantic Yacht Basin found the problem and several hours later had the issue solved. The Deltavillains Schroeder Boat Yard was supposed to have checked and replaced as needed the filters and hoses on the engine, but that was the leaky area. Oh, well. We're good to go Saturday morning. Twelve nautical miles, bridge and lock experience, and a repair that ended well -a pretty good day.

2nd day Heading South -Bahamas Bound

2008-12-04T19:26:00.000-05:00

We left lovely Yorktown early and worked our way back out to the Bay. We arrived in Norfolk, Mile Marker 0 on the ICW at 2:30 and we stopped for the day because we could not make it through the bridges by their published closing time, most at 3:3o, one at 4. The weather report was correct today: windy and stormy seas. The choppy seas were a bit uncomfortable, but more so were the many commercial vessels, mostly tugs pushing, pulling or leading container ships. They took the channel,

sometimes hailing you to move out of the channel, sometimes not hailing you and you just knew to move out of the channel

So, tomorrow are the bridges. We were not too unhappy to put them off for one more day. We are a bit over whelmed with so much new info and action, but loving it all at the same time.
Weird? You can see from the cockpit pic that we have charts everywhere, as well as 'Otto,' our favorite guy, binoculars, and anything else we can grab to 'help' us.

Goodby Deltaville (Deltavillains describes a few folks)

2008-12-04T06:30:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, early am, December 3rd:
Simple Plan. Spend months preparing, then start the engine, untie from the dock, and head out. But, wait, we didn't move. An exceptionally low tide had us grounded! We had moved our boat closer to the front of the marina to a dock with cleats only and no pilings to not only escape the strong wind but to also have a faster get-away. The dock was supposed to be deep enough for our 6' draft and we had no trouble docking there.

So we did a few more chores, wiped the remaining frost from our enclosure, questioned Mother Nature, and had a good laugh. Around 11:00, still not tied to the docks, Lapidus started floating. We quickly started our engine and crept out into the shallow narrow channel. Our depth finder indicated several times that we should be grounded, but we kept moving, so we were probably traveling in mud. Grounding in this channel is all too common.

With the wind and the current on our nose, we motored; our speed was much less than we wanted. But, the sun was shining, our enclosure kept us warm, and we were on our way. What a beautiful day.

The Hampton Roads harbor is home to vessels of all kinds, including commercial and military. We did not want to face this nautical freeway after dark. So, around five, we turned into the York River channel and went up the river to Yorktown. This area too has some commercial and military traffic, but it's not heavy and the river is wide and deep. We moved to the edge of the channel as a tug pulling a large barge passed us, and we followed him in. We were docked by 8 and enjoying a cocktail in one of our favorite spots that we often visited when we were staying in Glocester. We had not planned to visit here on our boat. But we didn't plan to leave late and dock at night at an unfamiliar dockage. So go plans. All in all, we loved our first day headed south.

So, today, we'll plan to enter the Hampton Roads harbor and Elizabeth River. The first 8 miles from Mile Marker 0, Norfolk, are congested with six bridges that we have to go through. More about that later.
My connection is iffy here. More pics tomorrow (if I can hook up).

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T18:42:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving in Deltaville, VA. –not what we planned, but in addition to being thankful for our friends and family, we’re thankful for our home on the water and the many great people in this small community that make their living from boaters. These past few weeks have been full of projects, mostly completed, but not quite yet. I’ve been thinking of a quote by Hillary Clinton while she was still First Lady. “It takes a village” is a reminder that educating our children involves all of us. As a former educator, I know how important these words are, but right now, this quote reflects what has been going on on our boat.

Crews who have been working on our boat include canvass, sail makers, air/refrigeration, rod rigging, line rigging, electronics, and plumbing. Having professionals available has enabled us to check all equipment, making repairs and replacements as necessary. We’ve replaced the Hot Water heater and replaced our new inverter for a larger one. We’ve added lighting, stereo and speakers, and CruiseNet (a wifi extender). Our new chart plotter was installed while the boat was on the hard, and we later decided to upgrade to the newest radar as well. Our electronics guru is having a heck of a time getting the Furono NavNet 3D chart plotter to work correctly and to synchronize with the other equipment on the boat. One nice feature of the chart plotter is we can view and make points/routes on our flat screen TV in the cabin. We’ve also used this time to get to know our boat. She’s quite a change from a 30’ Catalina and this area is quite a change from Lake Texoma.

Deltaville is located at the end of Route 33 on the Rappahannock River and the Chesapeake Bay. Over thirty marinas and boat yards surround the narrow finger. At the end of the finger is historical Stingray Point. On July 17, 1608 John Smith and his crew were fishing in the shallows of the Chesapeake Bay, spearing fish with their swords. Smith unknowingly speared a cow-nose ray; as he attempted to pull it off of his sword, its barbed tail sank into his wrist, causing immediate pain and considerable swelling of his torso and arms. Smith, fearing death, instructed his crewmembers to dig him a grave. But in a few hours he recovered enough to eat the stingray for dinner! Smith named the location "Stingray Point" after his painful experience.

In addition to the marine experts in Deltaville, many fishing boats go out daily. A local fish shop does lots of business plus the local restaurants offer fresh catch everyday including grouper, rockfish, oysters, scallops, crab. In fact, today at the Galley Restaurant, we enjoyed fried oysters along with Virginia ham and turkey. But the fish variety and numbers are far less than when John Smith was exploring and charting these waters. Efforts are being made to sustain the fish, mainly by taking better care of the Bay.

I missed posting for a great but different holiday. This marina takes Halloween seriously. The slice of pizza and the Miller beer are Jack and Craig, the owners of Regatta Point Marina.

Happy Thanksgiving and keep your fingers crossed for our heading south next week.

Quick Update

2008-10-20T22:20:00.000-04:00

Moving out or moving in - just exhausting. But after two months of living in a hotel room, our bodies needed some conditioning. Our moving aboard is not completed, but we've made great progress. The boat already has a large inventory of items, so going through everything and deciding what stays and what goes takes a while.

We kept our plans to attend the Annapolis Boat Show since our boat needed fluids and everything checked before it could be moved to our new slip at Dozier's Regatta Point. We have been to the Boat Show four of the five years we've been sailing. Usually, we look, dream, buy a few items, and just enjoy the outing. This year, of course, we made purchases of specific items and equipment we wanted plus we wanted to talk to the reps about some of the equipment already installed. Wednesday night before the show, we met up with a great group for dinner, including former and present Cedar Mills Marina folks.
Left to right, Kate (who hosted a lovely happy hour in her Annapolis home), Steven, Larry, Paula, Di, Jay, Bob, Bev, Kathy, Mike, Nancy, Jim, and Steve.The food was excellent, but the artwork stole the show. Check out the swan carved from a turnip.

Annapolis is such a beautiful city. And the views of the boat show are impressive, especially from Pusser's patio.

Virginia and Maryland have many rivers, but the Potomoc River that separates the two states is certainly one of the most famous.

We are really pleased with our new marina -nice facilities and a great staff. The best feature is viewing all the boats that stop by for the night, or maybe several days, depending on the weather.

We'll have more pictures of Lapidus soon, but these two show our current favorite additions. The custom-made seven inch thick latex mattress is the most comfortable mattress ever!
This week, our balmy weather ended abruptly with a cold snap. The enclosure offered needed protection from the rain and wind.

We'll be traveling until October 28. We'll be attending our son Trent's wedding. He and lovely Cristen live in Austin, but the wedding will be in Boerne, Texas, an historic resort town in the Hill country. We will also be leaving our pickup in OKC and flying back. Yes, the pickup is currently loaded with items that didn't make the cut. We have great storage, but ........

This schooner is in Yorktown, one of our favorite places. It takes paying passengers on a short excursion of the river. Mainly, it just adds another beautiful dimension to a lovely area.

SPLISH SPLASH

2008-10-07T15:28:00.000-04:00

Nice to not see a ladder leaning up against Lapidus. Of course, you might also notice there are no sails on the boat. The sails were removed for UV treatment and will be put on while the boat is in the water. The attractive white hull and the royal blue boot stripes make a nice background for the name and hailing port. Plus the blue goes great with the new toast canvas. New thru-hulls. Check out the trip to the water below.

And that's how it's accomplished. More to be done
now that she's in the water, but what great sight!

Boat yard Time

2008-09-29T13:54:00.000-04:00

Lapidus is still on the hard, BUT (drum roll) the long awaited air handler is to be delivered today. So, we're planning on getting wet by the end of the week.

Parts not being shipped as scheduled as well as projects not being completed as scheduled by the boatyard have become the standard. Plus, sometimes, projects just don't go as smoothly as planned. Whatayougonnado? Deltaville is home to several boat yards, and Schroeder Yacht Systems was recommended' to us as one of the best and most efficient yards. Hmmm!

Reverse Cycle Heat and Air, Generator, AIS, Furuno NavNet 3D Chartplotter ---lots of new items to add to our enjoyment and safety and to become familiar with. The EPIRB and Winslow Liferaft are back on board after being updated. And much more has been done. I'll be posting pictures soon.

We've also experienced our first hurricane (rain and wind for this area) and our first Nor'easter (more rain and much more wind plus really high tides and rough seas). Mostly, though, the weather has been about as gorgeous as Virginia. We spent a beautiful day at the In-the-Water Virginia Boat Show, on the Norfolk waterfront on the Elizabeth River. In fact, we took the ferry from Portsmouth to Norfolk, crossing the river where we will be sailing as we head south. Pretty cool!

We took a little side trip to Hertford, NC for our first taste of North Carolina Bar-B-Que. The food was delicious and we thank Ginny, one of our good friends from Cedar Mills Marina (Shawn and Ginny on S/V Ta-Keel-AH) for the tip.

Last weekend we attended the SSCA GAM in Annapolis. We met up with Jim and Nancy Aadland, S/V Solitaire. They kept their boat at Cedar Mills Marina when we first bought our Catalina 30; now they cruise full time. They introduced us to other cruisers at the GAM and we met many others as well. We look forward to seeing these friends as we head south and while we're in the Bahamas.

Right now, we're just excited that we really are going to have our boat soon.

Beaverdam State Park

2008-09-05T13:49:00.000-04:00

Today, along with everyone else, we're awaiting the arrival of Hanna. The locals say we need rain, but are wishing for moderate amounts plus less wind than predicted. They still remember the damage Isabelle caused several years ago. Lapidus is still on the hard, and hopefully, safe from the coming tropical storm. Progress continues to be slow; that's about all I can offer without whining.

Every day before we (or sometimes just Larry) go to the boatyard to work on Lapidus and/or oversee current projects, we like to get a little exercise. Recently, we discovered Beaverdam State Park, a beautiful lake and recreational area. The 635 acre lake and surrounding nature and hiking trails present a spectacular way to begin the day. Usually we walk the trails, but a canoe trip was perfect for capturing a few pics of another lovely piece of Virgina.a.

The Colonial Triangle

2008-08-24T15:32:00.001-04:00

While we await the launching of Lapidus (no set date yet), the Comfort Inn in Gloucester (pronounced Glaw' ster) has offered us great conveniences: close to Deltaville, wireless, pool, breakfast, a laundry room. We're fifteen minutes from a beach plus close to lots of Virginia history.

Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Jamestown offer a big day (could easily be days) of the history of colonial times and the beginning of America. Once designated as the capital of the Colony, Williamsburg is easily reached off I64, but the three areas are connected by the scenic Colonial Parkway. We've discovered 'Parkway' in Virginia means scenic and slow, but mainly scenic with no views of commercial properties and very little traffic. -a good choice when it's offered

In 2007, Jamestown celebrated 400 years as being the first permanent English settlement. Wow! To put that in perspective, in 2007, Oklahoma celebrated its 100th year of statehood.
Archeologists are currently unearthing the remains of the first fort built in Jamestown.

Just twelve miles away lies Williamsburg, well-known for Colonial Williamsburg, the restored Historic Area of the city, and for the adjacent College of William and Mary, established in 1693, the second-oldest university in the United States.

Yorktown is most famous as the site of the surrender of General Cornwallis to General George Washington in 1781. The impressive Victory Monument commemorates the battle, which ensured freedom for the citizens of America. Today Yorktown is a beautiful little town with historic homes. The town is built up the hill from the banks of the Yorktown River, which has a great beach.

History is fun!

Virginia Beach

2008-08-21T07:24:00.000-04:00

With 35 miles of beach, Virginia Beach is an American destination for a classic beach vacation. Lots of activities are available in this large beach area that is roughly divided into the Chesapeake area, Resort area, and Sandbridge area. We enjoyed one of our favorite activities at this bar and grill in the Resort area: drinking coldies and listening to good Music.
The views from the top floor were gorgeous. A great place to watch other activities including surfers, sand castle engineers, and bikers on two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and even four-wheelers pedaling on the boardwalk.

We then walked along the edge of the water, feeling the soft sand, the waves, and the warm rays. Virginia Beach's motto, "Live the Beach Live," would be pretty easy to get used to.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, both a tourist attraction and travel convenience, is an engineering wonder that spans 17.6 miles, connecting Virginia Beach's mainland to Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Larry is in front of one of the four Yankee Stadium sized islands, all made of riprap (car-sized boulders) and then filled with tons of sand and rock.

Piers and restuarants on the islands create
destinations for tourists and anglers.
The feisty wait staff at the Sea Gull Pier Restaurant ensures a fun atmosphere.

Two underwater tunnels, each about a mile long, protect
two important shipping channels, the Thimble Shoal
Channel from the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Channel.

This huge tanker is crossing over the Thimble Shoal Channel.

Following its opening in 1964, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was selected as one of the "Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World."

Virginia Rocks

2008-08-16T18:33:00.000-04:00

Tennessee continued to be green and beautiful and we left Knoxville driving north into Virginia.

We needed a break from too much traffic; we needed a little adventure. So, while driving through the Jefferson National Forest, then the Washington National Forest in the Shenandoah Valley (think The Virginian) of Northwestern Virginia, we hopped off I 81 and enjoyed even grander views traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway. The word Parkway does not exactly go with this windy two-lane highway that goes up a mountain and then down a mountain and through quaint little towns. These little towns have visitor centers with nice people who are glad to see any visitor who stops in for a minute. The 'Parkway' was the main road before the Interstate; then, all travelers at least passed through the small villages. It is now known as one of Virginia's Scenic Highways; and it is very scenic, though, it's still very lightly traveled. We were neither followed nor following closely; in fact, we met maybe three vehicles and a few hikers.

On this road, we were amazed by the fog or mist. The heavy, moist air caused steam to rise from the highway, creating this fog or mist. We thought it was just all the hot air from the semis on the interstate close to us. It was unusual, seemed mysterious, and was very elusive to those seeking to capture it in a picture.

This sign is interesting. In June and July, when the sun shines on the cliff, dusk will be in twenty minutes. No need for a clock for the village close to this cliff!

Plenty of scenic lookouts encouraged the very few travelers to catch their breath and enjoy a break from the heavily traveled interstate.

We met up with I 64 at Charlottesville, and set our course east/southeast through Richmond, then took Highway 33 to Deltaville, on the Chesepeak Bay. Our boat is in the boat yard in Stingray Point.

Lapidus is looking great; we love the new blue boot stripe, well stripe, and eye brow! The boat yards needs one more week to finish everything. We're glad we're here to be able to check on our boat every day!

OK, so we have a little time. We're close to the water, but the beach would be even better. Virginia Beach is next on our trip!

Plan B

2008-08-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

Full-time cruising to new and exotic locations has been our plan for several years. But, we've often said that if cruising was not possible, we would instead travel the highways and byways of the U.S. Doing so would be our Plan B. We would be driving to Deltaville because we had our personal and boat items to move into our boat. So, a little of Plan B was available to us.

Driving east on I-40, on a cool August Tuesday with overcast skies, we felt excited to be on our way to Virginia and our boat, Lapidus. Leaving beautiful eastern Oklahoma behind, we were amazed at the gorgeous views Arkansas continually presented. Boston Mountains, Dardanelle Lake, many smaller lakes, countless trees and hills, plus small areas of farmland and meadows dotted with cattle -all kept our interest; soon, we were in Memphis, our destination for the night.

We checked into our room and walked to famous Beale Street where we grabbed a booth at The Pig and enjoyed a slab of ribs with both sweet and hot sauce. Delish -though both sauces are very different from our usual indulgence of Texas and Oklahoma Barbeque sauces. A few blocks down, we took a seat in B.B. King's Blues Club for a session of blues offered by the B. B. King All Stars. What a treat. Great food, excellent blues -gotta be happy with that.

Larry thought we should drive by Sun Records, the recording studio that first signed Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and many others. The famous studio, owned by Sam Phillips, is now a museum.

Before we left Memphis on Wednesday, we toured Graceland. A must, if you love Elvis , and who doesn't? Viewing the vast collection of record awards and stunning costumes stirs up a variety of memories. Graceland is stately and beautiful, though small for even a large house by today's standards. The interior is over-the-top, but definitely gorgeous.

We'll enjoy Plan B for a few more days.

2008-08-08T07:31:00.000-04:00

July has turned into August and we’re anxious to be underway. Our Valiant 42 is in Deltaville, Virginia having “spa” time. A new name, new color for boot stripes, a generator, air conditioning, chart plotter, and a few maintenance jobs are taking a little longer than planned, but we know the results will be worth the wait.

We are in Oklahoma City, so following the daily progress of our boat has been challenging. We just sold our home and will be driving to Virginia next week. We will be aboard soon and will be sharing our time on the water with you.

Join us on the water!

2008-06-15T19:51:00.000-04:00

s/v Lapidus will begin cruising in July 2008. We look forward to sharing our adventures with you, so check in often!