A Period of Mourning

Officially back on US waters makes us really appreciate and miss the Bahamas. We miss the crystal clear and gorgeous waters, clean air, island attitude, lack of development, the people working on island time and the feeling of being in paradise. I guess the trade-offs are having everything you might need at your fingertips, fresh produce and good coffee. Leaving the Bahamas we feel that we only got a tiny taste of it and it makes us more determined than ever to find a way to get back sometime down the road.

Our baby step into civilization was spending a few days in Bimini, a bustling city compared to the peace and solitude of the Berry Islands. After we caught up on sleep from our crossing of the banks we took a walk around this island where we spent a considerable amount of time after our arrival to the Bahamas. Things haven’t changed much in three weeks. Still the same comings and goings – a man selling ‘fresh fish’ from his bicycle, school children dressed in uniform playing outside at lunch hour, the ice cream truck making it’s daily rounds sometime in the afternoon, or the whoosh of the golf carts passing you along the street always just a little too close for comfort. The only real difference was a few more tourists on the islands and the marinas had a few more boats as the peak tourist season nears.

(Ice cream truck making it's rounds)

(Only Bank in Bimini - the Royal Bank of Canada)

We stayed in Bimini for 4 nights while we waited for a weather window to cross back over to the States. Sal was still in Canada working away on his application process. We had a windy 24 hours in there but our last day was gorgeous and we took advantage to do the things that we love. After our usual coffee time on Chautauqua (11:00) with delicious fresh cookies from the local bakery we grabbed our swim and snorkel gear, a book and some sunscreen. I walked to one of the many restaurants and got a take-out meal, brought it to the beach and enjoyed some of the most delicious food – shredded lobster, rice, coleslaw, fried plantain and mac and cheese as I watched the waves coming in. After I managed to eat only about half of the food (had the rest for dinner) I read, then cooled off with a swim in the water. The day finished off with an ice cream before heading back to the boat and preparing it for the next days travel back across the Gulf Stream.

We were up by 6 and waited for enough light to navigate our way out of Bimini. Mom came with me and dad was alone but with his auto helm. Very light winds, but we raised the sails in hopes of catching a puff here and there. We used the Gulf Stream to our advantage taking us north back to Lake Worth (where our first attempt to cross from was). Only excitement was a US Coastguard helicopter circled close by to check us out. The Stream was calm except for the slow ocean roll. At about 4pm we finally got the wind that was forecasted, well a little bit more. A SSW wind behind us that created some nice sized waves. We were surfing down them at breakneck speed – I think I saw 9 knots on the GPS!!! The boat was rolling around quite a bit and mom and I hung on the last hour or so when it got windier and wavier. We were joking that we might need to tie ourselves down so we don’t roll out. I was happy once we sailed around the breakwater and into Lake Worth. We did a record of about 82 miles in 13 hours. It was dusk when we arrived but was lots of activity in the inlet. We had a rolly night until the wind died down.

The following day, after having met up with Sal (I hardly recognized him with his clean-shaven face and short haircut!) I attempted to get through customs. It was almost more of a struggle than the actual crossing trying to get through the bureaucracy of ‘entering the US’. After numerous trips between the second and third floor and almost 3 hours I finally emerged with a cruising permit, with a feeling like I was some sort of criminal and a desperate longing to be back in the Bahamas. Welcome to the USA! We moved to North Lake Worth where we have spent the past few days getting used to everything including indulging in some fine American cuisine.

(Portuguese man-o-war)

Saturday we decided to do some maintenance on the motor as Sal was able to buy some parts while in Canada. We’ve tried to get parts for our motor in various places but even Yamaha dealers rarely carry the spares we need because our 6 hp is not a very common motor size. Before we left the states about 2 months ago a part of the motor broke that was needed for charging the battery (called the voltage regulator).

So we had to rely solely on our solar panel for any sort of energy need. We were very frugal with electricity, only using the depth sounder when entering an anchorage and using our cabin lights minimally. Sal ordered this part while in Canada along with a replacement anode. So Saturday we decided to change the oils, and replace these parts. An hour and a half task at the most – WRONG! Once we got everything done (included a trip to the mothership to get some wire connection parts and search for the right sized bolt as the old one did not fit into the new part) we were then unable to pull the starting cord, once that was sorted we couldn’t get it to turn over, after changing the spark plugs, draining the carburetor (oil had somehow gotten in there) the motor finally started and yes, it now charges the battery J. This little project took about six hours to complete. Sal mistakenly thought that he would be coming back to holidaying.

My parents have made arrangements to get their boat hauled and stored in Indian Town next week. We are all heading that way, where we will probably part ways in Stuart. My dad’s major concern now is that the snow will be gone in Canada for when he gets back.

Changing Plans and the Turning Around Point

(My favourite beach in the Bahamas - Great Harbour Cay)

So I got a slip at the Great Harbour Cay Marina on Wednesday and that way the following day when Sal would arrive, I would be able to meet him at the airport. I got on the internet for the first time in a few days and was a bit concerned when I saw 5 emails in my inbox from Sal. Titles contained some red flag words such as 'email me back asap and STRESS STRESS STRESS'. I opened one after the other and found out through email and a skype call later how his plans were about to change mine. Sal had gone to Ottawa to fill out some paperwork, and just after they asked him in an interview. (Which is very exciting news and good luck Sal on Monday!!) He decided to postpone his flight for a week in order to stay for the interview. I was looking forward to having him back, but another week alone would be manageable. However my dad had plans to get back to the States and get home as soon as possible… I’m not sure why, I could stay here for at least another few months if not longer! So we checked the weather and there was a good window for crossing back across the banks to Bimini on Friday night. After a bit of discussion, it was decided that mom would come with me on the boat and dad would go by himself because he has an autohelm, where I do not and the predicted 14 or so hours that it would take to get there would be too much for me to do, especially being over night.

So with that all settled we were able to enjoy our three days in Great Habour…

Our first day there we got a ride into the village of Bullocks’ Harbour and did a bit of groceries. The mail boat came in that day (Tuesday) which meant that all the groceries for the week had arrived. Last time we were here the shelves were a bit sparse, in contrast to today where there was fresh fruits and vegetables and boxes upon boxes of food and supplies. We are so spoilt in Canada with the quantity, quality and diversity of foods we have available ALL THE TIME in the grocery stores. At home you think of what you are going to make, get all the ingredients and then make it, compared to here where you seeing what there is available, remember what you have stored away and then make do with what there is. I like the idea of getting what you are going to need for the week from what’s available and using it. It’s so simplistic. You don’t need freezers full of food and you don’t get food going bad because you just get only what you are going to need which equals less waste.

There was a bit of action around the docks on Thursday morning as a family of manatees was spotted. A momma, poppa and a baby whom frequently come around the marina. A couple kids got a hose with fresh water and the manatees swam up and started to drink from the end. They also seemed to like getting sprayed with the hose on their backs and would turn over onto their backs to get their bellies sprayed. They are such quiet, docile creatures. Unfortunately for them it isn’t always an easy life with all the boat traffic in the harbour, as evidenced by the mother who had a fresh gash on her back and an old scar on her tail of where she has had close encounters. I was told that it’s rare for Manatees to be seen in the Bahamas but since Florida has started to get really cold winters, there are more and more migrating over. If I were a manatee, I too would take up residence in the Bahamas, much warmer, cleaner and a lot less boat traffic. The boys then got a boat brush and were giving them a bit of a back scratch and belly rub. It was really cute.

From beaches in Bimini and the Berry’s, the one on the western side of Great Harbour Cay, in my opinion is the nicest one I’ve seen. Beautiful white sand, shallow turquoise waters - it’s a beautiful spot. I decided to show it to my parents as my mom loves going to the beach. The beach must be at least a mile long so we decided to take a leisurely walk down the beach before stopping and eating our picnic lunch (tuna sandwiches) along the way. Of course, the only time it has rained in the past month was today as we were walking along the beach. It was just one cloud and passed over us in a few minutes, leaving lightly clouded, sunny skies behind.

Along our way, we saw a man pulling up a surfboard onto the beach. He greeted us and asked us if we wanted to see his plants. Now I have to try to describe this man to you. He was absolutely amazing. Picture the mad-hatter crossed with Willy Wonka of horticulture. He was naming off Latin names of different orchids he was growing and all the plants, bushes and trees he had started from seeds. I hardly understood a word he said except a key lime tree and a papaya tree. He had flowers growing in coconut husks hanging from a giant tree, and beautiful flowering plants and trees all around. My mom who’s the gardener was in amazement. He was also a beachcomber and had hundreds and hundreds of items organized all along the walkway to his house. To top it all off, just before we left he beautifully recited to us a poem from the book he had written. The unexpected adventures are the most fun!

After our afternoon at the beach, we got back and treated ourselves to an ice cream! Mmmmmmmmmm. It was St. Patrick’s day but I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t have any plans and had just finishing talking to Sal with an update of our tentative sailing plans, settling down to an evening of reading (It was a novel based on the history of Ireland – does that count for Irish spirit?) when the dockmaster of the marina invited me to his ‘impromptu Savannah St Patricks’ day party on the dock’. I had a fantastic time and met so many interesting people. A much talked about topic was the fact that a supermoon was happening in two nights time. Now, you may be asking me what is a supermoon? Well let me explain: From my parents and a couple other people, I’ve learned that Saturday night, on the full moon, the moon will be closer to the earth than it has been in 18 years! The currents are predicted to be very strong and tides about 6 inches higher/lower than normal.

(Beautiful sunset marking the beginning of a long night)

Before I knew it, it was 4 o’clock Friday afternoon and mom and I were pulling out of the dock for a long night passage across to Bimini. Predicted forecasts of NE winds around 10-15 knots. We had our sails up and making good time until after dark when surprise surprise the forecast lied and the winds died. I guess it’s better than having too strong of winds but with the seas rolling us and our sails slamming with the roll of the boat it looked like it was going to be a long night. We pulled our sails in to stop the flapping and vainly tried to let them out when we felt the wind pick up ever so slightly only to have to pull them in a couple minutes later. With the motor blaring we made our way across the banks. After about 2 am the rolling subsided, as we were farther in on the banks so the ocean swell wasn’t affecting us. The moon was very bright as it was only one night before the supermoon. We did see a couple small freighters around but overall it was a very uneventful night. By dawn we were in sight of Bimini and safely anchored just before 10am. It took us about 18 hours to do a total of 87 miles.

Saturday was pretty much a write-off as everyone was too tired to do much, but we did get to see the infamous ‘supermoon’ as it rose at 7:44pm

(supermoon rising)

My Week as a Single-hander

Tuesday March 8^th, Sal caught his flight back to the states, then a connecting flight to Toronto. I had the Internet for a couple nights when we were in Little Harbour and found out that he had made it back to Canada safely, not without them losing his baggage first though! Oh the hassles of flying. He will be arriving back Thursday morning and I am very much looking forward to seeing him again. I’ve had no one to talk to, beat at crib, or argue with, except my parents of course – they can’t wait for Sal to get back.

One thing I’ve learned by being by myself is the need to prepare before heading out. When it’s the two of us, one does one thing while the other does another thing. We’ve gotten really good at working together and have developed a routine that works for us. By myself I have to get everything ready to go before heading out because once on the way I have to stay by the tiller to steer. No running around getting this or that. We do have a ‘tiller tamer’ that helps to keep course, but it can’t be trusted for long before it starts to slowly turn and will eventually have the boat going in circles. It becomes a dash below when I need to grab something to eat or go quickly to the toilet. I didn’t do too much sailing only a little here and there when we moved from one cay to the other but enough to get a feel for what a single hander goes through.

We have three pillows on the boat, two for sleeping and one that we use as a backrest. Ok, when I say we, I mean I use as a backrest. It’s an ongoing complaint that I get two pillows while Sal gets one. It’s just easier that way. Anyways while Sal has been gone I’ve been enjoying using three pillows! I’ve gotten quite comfortable with three and it won’t be easy giving one up when Sal gets back…

Tuesday after Sal left I headed to Hoffman’s Cay to meet my parents. They were anchored off a beautiful little beach. I brought them back gifts of fresh water and some fruit, bread and cookies, which were happily received. While we were gone they had gotten a few conch and went with a group ashore to extract the meat. So that night we had homemade conch ‘cakes’. The next day I went with my parents to the infamous Blue Hole on the island. It was a short walk to a large deep blue water hole. We think that it goes all the way under the ground out to the ocean. It even has tides! Anyways I took a dip in it and swam around. It’s kind of eerie not being able to know what’s underneath you. There are about four fish that live in the blue hole and people will drop in a little food for them, so when they hear people at the surface they will swim up to check out to see if there’s anything for them.

We also took another trail across Hoffman’s to the ocean side. There is another gorgeous beach littered with shells. Mom and I picked up a few neat shells there. Dad likes to look for ‘treasures’ washed up ashore. It must be the frugalista in him. He’s brought back a fender and some other odd items.

On Thursday we returned to Little Harbour Cay as a front was forecasted to come through that night. It looked menacing the dark sky approaching. Florida reported very strong winds and even a waterspout warning. We were hoping for some rain, as it hasn’t rained here in a long long time. All we got was a few sprinkles and some wind but that was it.

Our food supplies are dwindling down to rice, pasta and cans. Coffee and cookies are a rationed item and junk food is a thing of the past. I was looking at a bag of chips in Great Harbour but at $5.50 a bag I had to pass. The dinner menu hasn’t suffered much, just gotten a little bit more creative. We are missing fresh meat and when we learned that Chester had cheeseburgers on the menu, we couldn’t resist temptation. Mom treated us to a meal out which satisfied the craving. Now only if I could get my hands on some icecream…

After three nights at Little Harbour Cay we moved back up to Hoffman’s for 2 nights. We found a few coral heads that we swam around and saw some neat fish. I think snorkeling is my favourite part of being here. To get a glimpse of an underwater world is so thrilling. I’m still a little fearful of encounters with sharks and continually look around but seeing the different types of fish and the coral is worth the minimal risk. Yesterday I saw a huge Nassau grouper hiding behind a tiny little bit of coral.

Today I took the trip back across the banks to Great Habour Cay. I had the sails up and motor off and enjoyed an easy sail, thought it was a little tense when I went over shallow patches of 2 ½ feet! Parent’s took the outside route battling the waves. Tomorrow I’m going to get a slip in the marina and hopefully meet Sal at the airport on Thursday.

The Middle Berry's

How quickly the time has passed.

Leaving off where I had left, back at Bonds Cay where Chautauqua and Second Wind are the only two boats anchored off this uninhabited island…

The day after Sal had speared his first fish, dad had also managed to catch his first fish with the fishing rod. Our luck looked like it was about to change. He caught a small grunt, which he cooked up and made a great ‘pate’ appetizer before dinner. We also did a little bit of exploration, visiting a gorgeous beach just north of where we had anchored. At the beach we walked around, had a picnic lunch and enjoyed the view. Afterwards we tried again to do a little spearfishing but came up short, I was a bit scared from the shark encounter the day before. I kept picture them creeping up on me. We did find a couple conch and brought them to the beach to extract the meat from the shell. We had read up on the procedure before and had the book to reference the pictures. “Simply break the shell in this certain place and cut the muscle of the conch and it will slip right out.” – that was how it was supposed to go… unfortunately our little experience didn’t go so smoothly. From the beginning we were in debate about exactly where to make the break in the shell. Our conch (whom I named “Mollusk”) didn’t look anything like the picture. Mom thought that he happened to be a male, while I thought maybe a different breed? Anyways we made a few holes, then a few more, cutting not the muscle but the guts, conch slime all over us, can’t get this sucker out, what a disaster! It was a brutal conch massacre when we had finally got the majority of the meat out. We tried to hide the shell out of embarrassment. The Bahamians would definitely know it was a first attempt. Conch – easy to get from the sea… harder to get from the shell (if you have no idea what your doing). We will see a pro do it later and make it look like there’s nothing to it.

We decided to go snorkeling along the shore. Sal brought his spear along, just in case. We had gone about 10-15 minutes when a school of large-ish blue runners came to check us out. Sal took aim and landed on. He hit it in the back, and since the fish was quite big it was putting up a struggle. While Sal went to retrieve the fish and spear, I decided to get into the dinghy so I could take the fish from him. Except, when Sal handed me the spear I took it the wrong way and the fish slid right down the shaft into the water where he swam away as if nothing happened. Meanwhile I was left feeling guilty that I had just let dinner swim away. Lesson learned: hold the spear down so the fish won’t slide off and get away!

On March first we left the isolation of Bonds Cay and went to Little Harbour Cay. We moved for a change of scenery and also another cold front was coming through. This anchorage would provide protection from all wind directions. It’s very shallow in some areas and without channel markers getting in can be a bit tricky. We pulled up our centerboard and rudder and got it just fine, while my parents went aground a few times unable to find ‘the way’. My dad elicited the help of Chester, the sole inhabitant on the island, who also runs a restaurant called Flo’s on the island. He navigated them in easily from land, telling them via the radio if they needed to head more to port or starboard. The front came through that night and the wind blew strong from the east for the next 4 days! We could hear the wind and the waves crashing into the island on the other side but only felt a slight breeze here and there. We spent the next 4 days safely anchored there with 2 other boats. One was two young guys that we happened to meet along the ICW about 3 months earlier and another boat was a homemade catamaran with a couple who have cruised the Bahamas for many years. Each night we would get together at Flo’s and watch tv, have a few beers and chitchat. We did a little exploration but only within the protection of land as we could see the giant waves coming in from the ocean between Little Harbour Cay and Bonds Cay.

- We got our first coconuts

- Walked to the other side of the island and saw the waves crashing into shore making us glad to be on the other side

- Got a lesson in how to easily get the conch out and cut it up (thanks Chester!)

- Dined on the most delicious greasy conch fritters

- Had our trumpet conch (going to make a horn out of it) escape out of the bucket and he ran away not to be found by us

Sat March 5^th was our last night at Little Harbour Cay, we were heading out as the wind was supposed to die down overnight. We were at Flo’s using the internet. Sal checked his email and saw one from the Ottawa Police, asking him to come in NEXT FRIDAY! What a reality check. Oh ya, we have to get jobs when we get back to the real world. So we asked Chester the best way to get to the States and he recommended we get to Great Harbour Cay (about 15 miles to the north) and get a flight back to the states from there. So Sunday morning we got up and left Little Harbour Cay and my parents for Great Harbour Cay. We went across the banks arriving just after 1pm. We got a slip at the marina there and inquired about flights. The next one going to Fort Lauderdale was on Tuesday. That would give him enough time to get back to Canada, get a much-needed haircut and drive to Ottawa. We spent two nights in the friendly town using our time to explore the area, stock up on some fresh food, water, and do the laundry. I said “see you in 10 days” on Tuesday morning as I cast away from the docks to head back by myself to meet my parents at Hoffman’s Cay.

I arrived at Hoffman Cay after a nice sail across the banks. The wind was starting to pick up after I arrived so it was good to have a protected anchorage. It will be a weird 10 days without Sal – whom I’ve been within 10 feet of, for every minute of the last 180 days!

(Will add more pictures later, the internet is soooo slow)

The Lower Berry's

The Berry Islands

I’m writing this post Sunday February 27^th but since we have not internet here, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to post it.

So on Monday morning we went into Bimini for some last minute supplies: top up our drinking water (40 cents a gallon), get some last minute groceries, a couple bottles of Bahamian rum, some freshly baked cookies and we were ready to go. We set sail towards Cat Cay about 10 miles to the south. Our last sail in this direction was great, this time the wind was on our nose, the current was against us and the waves were pushing us back. It took us almost 4 hours to do the 10 miles. Once we got to the other side of Cat Cay we were on the bank (which meant we went from about 500 feet to about 6 feet of water). The banks are very shallow (from about 1 to 15 feet). We would start our 62 mile crossing of the bank at 10pm. Once at Cat Cay we anchored and relaxed for a bit before having dinner, and getting any last minute preparations done before we left.

(Sun coming up after a long night of travel)

At 10 pm we cast off from Chautauqua and headed out into the dark. There was a light 5-10 knot south wind and waves under 1 foot. Sal and I raised the main, jib and mizzen, killed the engine and enjoyed the peacefulness of sailing at night. An almost full moon rose just after we left, lighting a trail in the water for us. It was a sail that makes all the more uncomfortable sails worth it. We were talking and listening to some music, just enjoying the peacefulness when my dad’s voice blares over the VHF “hey, going this speed we won’t get there until tomorrow night. Start your engine” BAHHHHH, so we killed the serene atmosphere and started the ole’ engine. We motor sailed until morning. We hit a couple very rough patches where the waves were large and coming from every which way, which makes sleeping below when its your turn almost impossible. But that lasted for only an hour or so and then things became smoother. At dawn we were making good time and the wind had picked up a tad so we shut off the motor and sailed almost the rest of the way. Once we crossed the banks we had to make a quick jump out into deeper water (called the “Tongue of the Ocean”) and then into our anchorage. Once the water dropped down to over 100 feet, the colour of the water was stunning. It was the richest navy blue I have ever seen. I kept staring at it, which wasn’t good because I was supposed to be steering. We were anchored by 2pm off of Frazier Hog Cay. The water there was so clear we could see every blade of grass under us 12 feet down. We cleaned up quickly and had a much needed afternoon nap. We got up for a quick dinner of Kraft Dinner and then fell back asleep. Before falling asleep we took a moment to appreciate what a beautiful evening it was a rare night with not a breath of wind or ripple on the water and the stars above shining brightly.

(Baracuda visible in 11 feet - the water is so clear here)

We have had no luck with the fishing. Sal had his yoyo out for most of the crossing and dad had his fishing line out but alas not even a bit. So I figured we might have better luck getting conch, since that would just require us to find one and pick it off the bottom. So the next day we took a snorkel around. There were starfishes everywhere, lots of sand dollars and even some sea slugs, but not a single conch, only the leftover shells. We did see a ray lying peacefully by the beach, but nothing good to eat. The only time we saw some conch was stacked high on a fishing boat going to some be sold somewhere.

We spent 4 nights at Frazier Hog Cay before heading out. Our 3^rd night the wind piped up and caused it to become very rocky and roll-y. Both Sal and I weren’t sleeping so well as we were getting jostled a little, but when I looked out was startled to see the rocky shore quite a lot closer than when I last checked. We quickly got up and moved back further away, triple checking that our anchor was holding. I guess it is a good thing we weren’t sleeping so well or we might not have noticed it until too late!

(crossing the banks to get to Bonds Cay - we are in about 3 1/2 feet of water)

Yesterday we moved about 7 miles to Bonds Cay. It is said to be owned by the singer Shakira. It’s completely uninhabited at the moment though. My parents took the outside route going into the ocean, while Sal and I on our shallow draft boat took the inside route. We snuck safely over a depth of 2 ½ feet, cutting the distance needed to travel in half. Once anchored the first thing we wanted to do was swim around. We got our masks, snorkel and fins and started exploring. Sal had his spear in the hopes of catching dinner. We had only been swimming for about 5 or so minutes when a small school of yellow/amber jacks (we think) came by and got a little curious coming right up close to Sal. He took this opportunity to take a shot and lo and behold he had hit one! I was yelling commentary to my parents who were nearby on the boat. “He sees a fish” “He shot a fish” “He’s got a fish, He’s got a fish!”. He quickly got it out of the water as fast as possible not to attract attention from any unwanted inhabitants (ie sharks or barracudas). He got it onto the dinghy and into a bucket. After admiring it for a bit longer, mom joined us and we went looking for more. One more and we would have a meal for four. We didn’t see many fish, but then came upon a few lone coral heads. There were a few little fish around them including 3 small lionfish (an invasive and poisonous species). We came across a few more small schools of fish and Sal took another few shots, but didn’t make contact. I wanted a turn so got the spear and tried aiming a few times. Mom suddenly turned around and yelled SHARK! I turned my head in the water and got a glimpse of two huge black creatures 20 feet away swimming in our direction!!!!!!!!!! We all jumped into the dinghy as fast as possible, relieved that dad had it close by. All were a little surprised and freaked out! We are not sure what kind they were as none of us was brave enough to stick our heads in for a second look. That killed the idea of swimming any longer for the day. We did have one good sized fish, about 1 foot long. We took it to shore, gutted it and then put on the BBQ for dinner. We were a little concerned that it might have ciguatera but after reading a few fish books thought it might be ok since it was so small and there were no large reefs around. It was absolutely delicious, soft, tender and a light fish flavour.

(Pictures are on parents camera - will post them once I borrow it)

We hope to do some more snorkeling and hopefully get dinner again tonight but I know for sure that we will all be a little more cautious and be on the lookout.

(The Berry Islands are Gorgeous!)