01/17/2006, Great Harbor, Bahamas
After a good weather day spent crossing the Great Bahama Bank and a calm night anchored on the bank, we headed north to Great Harbor because the wind was forcast to get much stronger and come from the wrong direction. It is a little confusing about the weather problems here in the Bahamas. Since we arrived in the Bahamas January 12, 2006, there has been very little rain and it has generally been between 75 and 85 degrees with mostly sunny skies. So why do we wait for weather so much? Well, the answer, for us anyway, is a combination of personal tolerance for uncomfortable travel and the unique structure of the Bahama Islands which are a combination of areas of very deep ocean and relatively shallow banks. Depending on the local details of depth, wind direction, location of islands and tide, some very large chop can build up (i.e., short waves of 8 - 10 feet). These are not long ocean rollers, but steep waves close together. When these conditions are expected, we have a choice of staying where we are, putting up with the rough seas, or going somewhere else. We chose the later option when the decision was made to come to Great Harbor. Our anchorage on the banks, while protected when the wind was light and from the east, was going to become very rough as the wind got stronger and moved to the south. Instead of driving into predicted 8-10 foot choppy waves on the way to Nassau, we went to the marina at Great Harbor instead. It was a very pleasant trip because we were going with the wind and islands offered protection from the worst effects.
It was a fortuitous decision because we were here for six days and the place was delightful. There were several other boats here for the same reason and we enjoyed their company, organizing the usual happy hour pot lucks on the dock. Great Harbor has a small settlement with a few stores and restaurants, great beaches, and lots of opportunities for kyaking and biking. Surprisingly, there is a golf course and a friendly group of people with vacation homes here. The island's history is interesting. It was developed in the early 70's by Las Vegas gangsters who built a fancy casino, dug out a very nice harbor, built a world class golf course, condos, etc. Well, for whatever reason (bribes not paid, bribes paid to someone else.....) the whole place went backrupt after a few years. All this development attracted people who built vacation homes. These folks still use their vacation homes and are keeping 9 holes of the golf course and a private club going. Every Saturday night they have a dinner at the club, and people staying at the marina can come. It was a really interesting evening because we were able to get acquianted with another aspect of island life. Although I think this group truly loves their beautiful island homes, they also like to get together and meet new people.
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01/15/2006, Bimini, Bahamas
Well, I am finally getting started on this blog thing. This message will be short because it has take a lot longer than I figured to get the whole thing set up. Also, to be truthful, we spend some time on a neighboring boat consuming some wine and snacks.
We are in Bimini, Bahamas (not quite as romantic as it sounds -- still third world) and will leave tomorrow weather permitting. However, the sun and water are fantastic. Since we began this journey May 29 in Charleviox MI, we have come 3000 miles (give or take), had a new grandson, and many other adventures (mostly pleasant).
But tonight, I am off to bed and will send more details and pictures later.
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01/06/2006, No Name Harbor, Key Biscayne, Florida
This harbor is an almost perfect anchorage with protection from all sides. It is also part of a state park and a very nice place to spend a few days waiting for weather before crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas. About half of the island is part of the park and the rest is residential and rather upscale (Remember Nixon's Winter White House?). It was a nice bike ride to shopping, etc and the park was lovely with bike paths and beautiful beaches.
Nearby in Biscayne Bay were several abandoned stilt houses which we rode out to see in the dinghy. These used to be inhabitated by squaters until they were heavily damaged in a hurricane or storm.
Paul was still recovering from the flu Exie and Manny shared, so the days of R&R were good for him.
Although going to the Bahamas from Key Biscayne is not a very long crossing, it can be extremely rough because very large ocean waves can develop when the wind is blowing against the Gulf Stream. Therefore, most cruisers wait in south Florida for a "weather window". Here we met up with the two other boats (Tusen Takk II with Barb and Chuck and Seaclusion with Pat and Ted) we had arranged to cross with. We all got along very well and spent about two weeks together before arriving in the Exuma Islands.
By the way Tusen Takk means "a thousand thanks" in Norwegian (in case anyone was curious). And I never found out why this anchorage is called No Name Harbor.
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11/29/2005, Manchester, TN
Zachary Michael Moeller arrived November 29, 2005. He weighed in at a little over 7 pounds and he is terrific -- a real sweatheart. Laurie and Zach are both doing great. He mostly eats, sleeps, pees and poops, and cries just enough to keep his parents alert. They would like a little more sleep, but are grateful for whatever they get. I was there for three weeks and loved every minute. Since he came about 10 days early, I left Paul in Charleston, SC. A couple of friends came to help him finish taking the boat to Florida. Then he joined me at Laurie and Trevor's in Tennessee. We made a quick visit with Wendy's family in LA before returning to the boat. I loved seeing all my grandkids, and, guess what, there are more pictures of the little darlings in our photo gallery. Does that surprise anyone?
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