29 October 2016 | Georgia, USA
29 October 2016 | Georgia, USA
08 October 2016 | Brunswick, Georgia, USA
07 October 2016 | Hotel on West Side of Hwy I-95, Brunswick, GA, USA
07 October 2016 | Brunswick, Georgia, USA
06 October 2016 | Brunswick, Georgia, USA
05 October 2016 | Brunswick, Georgia, USA
04 October 2016 | Photo off Outer Banks near Cape Lookout, North Carolina.
27 September 2016 | Piankatank River, Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, USA
22 September 2016 | Current Position - Sassafras River, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA
16 September 2016 | Orient, Long Island, New York, USA
11 September 2016 | Ebenecook Harbor near Boothbay Harbor, Maine, USA
07 September 2016 | Penobscot Bay, Maine, USA
05 September 2016 | Penobscot Bay, Maine, USA
04 September 2016 | North Haven, Vinalhaven, Maine, USA
28 August 2016 | Castine, Maine, USA
27 August 2016 | Belfast, Maine, USA
12 August 2016 | Mount Washington, New Hampshire, USA
06 August 2016 | Canada/USA Border Crossing
04 August 2016 | La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada
Flopper Stopper Comfort
01 March 2013 | Rock Sound, Eleuthera, The Bahamas
Vicki - Air 18.7C/66FC, 8/8 Cloud, Sea Temp 30.4C /87F, 12 kn NW
This week we've moved from Harbour Island on the north end of Eleuthera to Rock Sound Harbour at the southern end of Eleuthera. As one of the beaut benefits of our previous piloting experience with Little Woody was a carrot cake baked by Mrs Little Phyllis Woody, we asked Little Woody to pilot us out through the reefs and rocks again. We intended going west on the ocean side of NW Eleuthera, but Little Woody knows these waters extremely well and took us through the shortcut to Spanish Wells, his home town and down through the narrow channel alongside the town's fishing wharves and docks saving us around 12 miles thus staying in shallow waters. He regaled us with many more stories along the way and kept us entertained for the hour and a half it took to get us safely on our way.
Our flopper stoppers were taken out of storage this week as we haven't needed them since September last year due to the anchorages being so flat. This week the winds have not behaved themselves. The island of Eleuthera runs SE to NW. It is preferable to have the predominant winds out of the east so that we can comfortably stay on the west side of the island but we've had winds out of the west which means that most anchorages are exposed. This is not too much of a problem though with the flopper stoppers which work beautifully. We have the largest size, a No. 5 which is 900 mm across, and they are suspended from our cranes. They allowed us to stay happily in anchorages on the way down to Rock Sound that normally would be uncomfortable. Once those flopper stoppers are deployed and sitting 1 - 2 meters under the water, the change in the boat motion is incredible. I've included a link on the side bar to the right of this blog if you want to see more information - see Flopper Stopper Info under Favourites.
One of the main attractions at Rock Sound is Ocean Hole, a circular inland salt water lake 1 mile from the sea joined to the ocean by subterranean channels. It floods and ebbs with the tide. Locals believe it is bottomless but it was explored by Jacques Cousteau who could not find the connection to the ocean. It is more than 600 feet deep. It is full of beautiful reef fish and one can swim or snorkel in the lake but no fishing is allowed.
Every single person we've encountered in town has greeted us with a friendly smile or wave, whether they are driving, walking or even inside their homes. There are lots of photos in the Photo Gallery for your enjoyment.
(Fortunately there have been no further experiences with low flying unlit large helicopters.)