Blue Heron
| Vessel Name: | Blue Heron |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Hallberg Rassy 43 |
| Hailing Port: | Delaware City, DE |
| Crew: | Bob & Eric Frantz |
| About: | Bob retired in January, 2011 from a career as an environmental attorney and manager, and Eric earned his Bachelor's Degree from The George Washington University in Washington, DC in December, 2010. They began their circumnavigation February 6, 2011. |
| Extra: | In the words of that great American author, Mark Twain, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” |
19 June 2012
The Blue Heron did it!
Today is the 500th day since we began our adventure around the world. We did it! We've completed our circumnavigation! We have not only crossed our wake but have passed the point from which we originally set sail on February 6, 2011. All that remains is to get us and the Blue Heron home. She has [...]
13 June 2012 | Fishing Bay Harbor Marina, Deltaville, VA
Waiting to get back on our way
We passed Little Creek Marina in Norfolk, VA during the middle of the night last night -- that's where our dream voyage began 16 months ago. We then made our way to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay where we were greeted with a howling hello in the form of 30+ knot winds on the nose. Making any headway was almost impossible so, we have diverted for safe harbor once more to wait for this weather system to pass. If anything, the North Atlantic lives up to it's reputation as being predictably unpredictable. Now, we wait (impatiently) for another weather window so that we can make our way home.
12 June 2012
Big Fish - take a look
Our steady progress and, generally, uneventful passage thusfar was punctuated with excitement yesterday afternoon when Eric called out, "I've got one!" He caught a White Marlin in the late afternoon. The fish fought hard and we had quite a time getting the fish on board. The fish measured 6'4" and [...]
09 June 2012
on our way north
This morning we left West Palm Beach at 8:15AM and are making our way north. We're hopeful that weather will be in our favor the entire final passage home -- we'll see. We've started with the benefit of both the gulf stream and favorable winds and are moving along at about 9 knots.
05 June 2012 | Cannonsport Marina, Palm Beach Shores, Florida
weather detour
We're stopping in Palm Beach for a day or so to wait out some weather due to come offshore from the Carolinas. Then we'll continue our northbound journey for home.
Grenada Updated
We arrived early in the morning into Le Phare Bleu Marina and Resort on the southeastern side of Grenada. The marina was first class, the type we hadn't seen since Australia. Grenada is a very yacht friendly country and keeps a customs office at the marina, which made clearing in quick and easy. It was a stark difference from the running around and waiting required in Brazil.
Grenada isn't a big island, only about 10 miles by 20, so we decided to rent a car to get an idea of the area. All foreigners must have a local license to drive, so the rental company drove us to the local police station. Ten minutes and $20 later, we were licensed drivers. If only our DMV's could function like that. However, what our country lacks in DMV efficiency, Grenada lacks in road signs. We saw almost none the entire day of driving, which made for tricky navigation. There are no posted speed limits, just unmarked speed bumps lurking in unexpected places. After a few wrong turns, we made our way to the Belmont Estate, a cocoa plantation in the northern part of the island. The folks there gave an interesting tour, which showcased their traditional processing techniques and offered a chocolate tasting.
From 2012-04-02 Brazil-GrenadaDriving around Grenada showed us the huge difference between the touristy St. Georges and the poorer, more traditional fishing villages.
After spending a few days in anchorages on the southeaster coast of Grenada, we sailed around to an anchorage situated between St. George's Harbor and Grand Anse, on the west side. St. George's is the capitol of Grenada and a major tourist hub, with cruise ships stopping almost every day.
From 2012-04-02 Brazil-GrenadaSt. George's
Grand Anse is a beautiful two-mile long beach area with a slightly more laid back feeling. It also happens to be home to an IGA supermarket, filled with the kind of food that we hadn't seen in months, if not since we left the States. We spent a couple of days checking out the area and then pulled up the hook and sailed north for the island of Carriacou, at which we are currently anchored.
From 2012-04-02 Brazil-GrenadaTyrell Bay
Carriacou is a comparatively quiet island, but immensely popular with cruisers. We anchored for a night in Tyrell Bay and then moved to Sandy Island, across from the main town of Hillsborough. Sandy Island is literally a strip of sand no longer than 300 yards and is part of a maritime preserve. The snorkeling was fantastic.
From 2012-04-02 Brazil-GrenadaWe checked out the next day and are now working our way through St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
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