Bahama Bound (5)

Vessel Name: HOT CHOCOLATE
Vessel Make/Model: C&C 41
Hailing Port: New Bern, NC
Crew: Bill and Sandy
About: Sandy's first Bahama cruise - Bill's fifth!
Extra: Looking for FUN, SUN and RUM!
16 January 2014 | Chub Cay Club
16 December 2013 | Vero Beach Marina
08 December 2013 | St. Augustine
08 December 2013 | St. Augustine, FL
08 December 2013 | St. Augustine, FL
03 November 2013 | New Bern, NC
11 October 2013 | New Bern,NC
Recent Blog Posts
16 January 2014 | Chub Cay Club

FINALLY in the BAHAMAS!!

12/12 VERY WINDY!! Didn't pull anchor until 9:45 am waiting to see if the wind would subside. It did NOT. The boat rocked and rolled all night. Bill woke up at 3:00 and never got back to sleep. I slept with no problem! It was good that we only had about 25 miles to go to get to Vero. COLD and [...]

16 December 2013 | Vero Beach Marina

To the Bahamas SOON!!

This blog thing is not working well because we have either had no internet connection or crappy internet connections. Will see what I can do!

08 December 2013 | St. Augustine

Bahamas Trip 2013 - 2014

I just finished laundry and Bill is coming back in on the dinghy after changing the oil in the engine. Guess this was the right day to pick for both these projects!!

08 December 2013 | St. Augustine, FL

Bahamas Trip 2013 - 2014

I'm back. Will try to give a concise overview of the past 3 1/2 weeks!!

08 December 2013 | St. Augustine, FL

Bahamas Trip 2013 - 2014

OK - here goes! Bill and I left New Bern @ Noon on November 14, 2013. Not too bad when we left the dock. However, the weather was all down hill from there!! Anchored in Cedar Creek that night and it was SO cold I didn't want to get out from under my blanket to cook. Had soup and sandwiches. Next day I donned the long johns, sock and glove liners, and hoodie. Should have done that the night before!! I didn't get out of my long johns and hoodies until right before Fernandina Beach this past week!! Will continue again soon. I am doing laundry and my session is expiring.

03 November 2013 | New Bern, NC

Still Home

Our trip has been delayed due to a death in the family. Plan to set sail ASAP!! Just and FYI - I am not a good writer so don't expect much!! I will do my best. Does not appear that we are able to post pictures on a "Free" Sailblog account.

FINALLY in the BAHAMAS!!

16 January 2014 | Chub Cay Club
Cool and Windy!!
12/12 VERY WINDY!! Didn't pull anchor until 9:45 am waiting to see if the wind would subside. It did NOT. The boat rocked and rolled all night. Bill woke up at 3:00 and never got back to sleep. I slept with no problem! It was good that we only had about 25 miles to go to get to Vero. COLD and WINDY the WHOLE WAY! Rollers in the ICW that pushed us! Good that they were with us and not against us! Saw several dolphins along the way. Got to Vero @ 1:30 pm. The place was packed with some rafting. The Dockmaster said that he thought there might be an empty mooring or two and that we should just look and take what we could find. Found an empty one. Wind blowing hard - 25 knots! I was behind the wheel and Bill went to grab the ball. Our communication system did not work - lost a boat hook because I couldn't see the ball and/or Bill telling me to go forward. Finally moored. I decided that it was too cool and windy to leave the boat. Bill was fine with that decision because he was tired from fighting the wind and white caps in the ICW We sat in the cockpit and enjoyed pretzels and an adult beverage. I had a white rum w/fresca and lemon - not bad. We need to drink the white rum because the dark is gone! Hailey "FACE TIMED" us. Showed her the anchorage. Talked about school and Christmas. She showed us their decorated house and the snow (2") outside. Also showed Bill his wrapped Christmas present from her. She shopped at her school again this year. She had to hang up in a hurry - her Dad came home and they had to get to Jakob's basketball game (?). I made hamburgers into Swiss steak and made instant mashed potatoes. Not bad. Also had our homemade applesauce and five bean salad.

12/13 (Vero Beach) We left the boat early, caught the bus, did the transfer and went to Wal-Mart to drop off my two written prescriptions. Per my call to First Health the week before all the pharmacy had to do was to call them and I could get a vacation override so I would have enough medications until May 2014 when we get home. WHAT A FIASCO!! Finally got things semi worked out but Wal-Mart didn't have enough to fill either one that day. Said they would be in Monday! Finally, after a four hour trip on and off buses and walking to and from bus stops at Wal-Mart we were back to the boat without accomplishing much of anything!! Neither of us had eaten yet so we walked to the beach and had late lunch/early dinner at Mulligan's Bar and Grill. Great meal - Clam strips for Bill and Fish Tacos for me. Stopped at PNC Bank on the walk home.

12/14 (Vero Beach) Spent the day with Skip and Rita. They had Skips cousin's car. Went to Publix to provision. GREAT to have a car so we only had to lug the goods on and off the dinghy! Took Rita to get her hair done two doors down from Mulligan's on the beach. Skip and Bill had beer at Mulligan's while I shopped at a wonderful "Kitchen to Table" store n the corner. They had my copper skillets. One of the owners told me that they were hard to get but when we get home give him a call and he will try to order the stew pot I have been looking for. I loved the whole store!! When Rita was done we walked to Kilwan's had ice cream and bought fudge! Stopped at another kitchen store on our walk back to the car. On our way back to the boat Beery's (Take Two) invited over for drinks on their catamaran. Back to the boat and had fudge for dinner!! I love Kilwan's maple walnut fudge!!

12/15 (Vero Beach) Gertie and Manana arrived today. We all walked through the residential area to the beach and had dinner at Mulligan's. We had heard that the Ocean Grill had wonderful food but they were not open yet for dinner. The group decided we all preferred bar food that night anyway!! Walked back to the marina on the main "Beachland" street. Nice evening with new friends that now didn't seem so new!

12/16 (Vero Beach) Got up and did laundry waiting for Wal-Mart to call. No call so about 2:00 I called them. Another FIASCO!! First I was told that they didn't have them and that everything would be in Thursday. Then I was told that they did have them. Finally, they had the Syntroid but the girl who did the ordering on Friday didn't order enough of the Calcitroil!!! I complained and asked if they could transfer the prescription to another pharmacy down the road. The girl offered to call Sam's and talk to them. Luckily Sam's had it so NOW once again, both prescriptions were to be filled. By this time it was too late to take the bus to Wal-Mart and besides I hadn't gotten the final call that the prescriptions were ready - wasn't going to trust them until I knew for sure! Had a good day otherwise. We had appetizers and dinner on Kamouraska (Skip and Rita) along with Dawn and Dan (Gertie) and Manana (Nile and Linda). Kamouraska is a beautiful Green 44' Island Packet! We had great dinner - ham, sea scallop salad, pasta with tomato sauce, beans and rice and Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies for dessert. Nice evening again with good friends!

12/17 (Vero Beach) Went to Wal-Mart and Sam's with Dawn and Linda. That was an all day trip!! Got my medicine and groceries. Ate at Burger King. Got back to the marina and Bill came in to get me and the "stuff".

12/18 (Vero Beach) Went to a Chinese Buffet at Chef Lin's for dinner with "Gertie", "Manana" and "Kamouraska". Huge buffet like the one in Erie by the Movie Theater. Took the bus to dinner but had to walk home the 2 1/2 miles because the bus stops at 6:00 pm this time of year. Long walk but nice!! Skip/Rita and Bill/I stopped at the Riverside Cafe at the end of the bridge for a beer. The rest of the group went back to their boats. We had a neat surprise at the bar. The place was packed!! Jake Owen (we had no idea who he was) and another guy were playing and singing. I asked the nice young man (who looked like Jimmy Legg) beside us at the bar who Jake Owen was and he said that Jake was a "local country singer/songwriter made big" and he plays at the bar every time he comes to town. Jake just won '"New Country Artist of the Year". And the other guy playing was Scotty Emerick, another local guy, and he had won "Country Songwriter of the Year" (or something similar) seven times!! Scotty was great too. "Jimmy" said that Scotty didn't have the "Hollywood Look" to be a country singer. I would disagree! Walked back after one beer. Great day!

12/19 (Vero Beach) Took the bus to the beach with Dawn and Linda while Bill changed the hosed on the engine. Had ice cream at Kilwan's again and bought MORE fudge - maple walnut and chocolate walnut. WINDOW Shopped a little. I bought a cute Vero Beach t-shirt. Sat at the Beach for awhile and watched Dawn put her feet in the ocean. Walked back to the marina. Stopped at PNC. The Cruiser's in the mooring had a get together at the picnic shelter from 4:00 - 6:00. Lots of people showed up! Bill and Margaret from Margarita were there. They had been sick so we didn't see much of them during our stay in Vero. Said our good-bye to all. Not sure if/when we will see them again.

12/20 Left Vero about 10:30 and headed south. We had originally planned to go to Fort Pierce but it was early when we got there so we decided to keep on going. Finally ancored in Gensen Beach. FACE TIME with Hailey and the Palas family on their way to the light show at Kennywood Park. Had the rest of the frozen Sea Bass and salad for dinner.

12/21 Left Gensen Beach @ 8:30 so we would be able to make ALL the bridges! Beautiful day! Saw my FIRST Manatee - just the nose and back! Crazy day with the bridges and pleasure boat/fishing boat traffic. Anchored in Lake Worth @ 2:30. Ella FACE TIMED us shortly after we got anchored. Showed her all around the anchorage and Palm Beach to the south of us. She thought it was cool!! Played the "I'm thinking of ---" game. Went to Publix and bought hamburger and buns for dinner, water and miscellaneous items. Checked out the restaurants close by for tomorrow with cousin Ron and Winnie. Used my new backpack again! Used our collapsible cart for the first time. Got back to the boat after dark. It we a rough ride! Had an easy dinner and played Spite and Malice. Sandy won!! Thought Bill was going to win but I pulled out at the end!!

12/22 Got up and did some chores - filled the dinghy gas can, got the water that we bought last evening off the dinghy because the water was too rough to get it off last night and took showers. Went into the dinghy "tie up area" in VERY choppy waters - didn't get wet (yeah!). HOWEVER, tied up in waters way up my thigh!! Needless to say - I was wet!! Walked up to Publix's strip mall and met Bill's cousin and his wife from Fort Lauderdale. They drove up to meet us here since we are not going through Fort Lauderdale. We will be going on the outside from here because there are seventeen (17) draw bridges between Lake Worth and Fort Lauderdale!! Had drinks at Bonefish. Then we got in the car and drove to Jupiter. Had drinks at a bar on the water. Then we had a wonderful lunch at Schooners. Everyone loved their meal! Finished our visit with drinks back at Bonefish!! After Winnie and Ron left, Bill and I went to Starbucks for coffee and the internet. I was going to get us Lemon Pound Cake to have with our coffee BUT the lady ahead of me bought all six in the case! What a bummer!! Back to the dinghy. The tide was out so I didn't get wet again! The trip back to the boat was pleasant since the water had settled down. Sat out in the cockpit for awhile. Lesa called. Ella and Matt were body boarding. She said Ella wants to go way too far out - she has no fear. Talked about Ella's Christmas presents. She and Ella are now off until Jan 2nd and the 6th respectively. Continued to sit in the cockpit. The lights around us are so neat. Palm Beach lights almost looks like the Vegas Strip from here. A wild power boater screamed through the anchorage well after dark, weaving through all the boats. Heard the Manatees under the boat all evening! (They sound like a fog horn) Bill "talked to the animals". The Manatees almost seemed to answer him. Did my journal. Bill worked on his Sudoku. Ate fudge and cheetos! Planning a quiet day on the boat tomorrow! Looks like we will be here at least through Christmas!

12/23 LAZY DAY on the boat even though we were both up early. I reorganized some of our canned foods and cleaned the head. Bill listened to the weather, cleaned the transom on the boat and just sat! Put together our list of last needs for the Bahamas. Talked to the Gormley's and Tridicos on the phone. And enjoyed the sun and sights around us. Had Rum and Coke in the cockpit before dinner. Leftover hamburgers and cauliflower for dinner. Bill sat in the cockpit and I wrote this journal and played games on my phone and computer.

12/24 Dinghyed in and went shopping in the morning at Publix. Bought shrimp, flounder, scallops and sushi for Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners. Pulled anchor and went to the North Palm Beach Marina to pump out, get fuel and fill the water tanks. Had shrimp and sushi for dinner. Both were great!! Talked to all the grandkids/daughters!! Both daughters were having snacky foods for Christmas Eve like we did when they were kids.

12/25 Weird Christmas as it was my first without the kids/grandkids. Hailey "Face Timed" us all excited about her Christmas gifts! Took us all over the house showing us her loot! Found out later that Santa had forgotten a bag of presents on the porch and they were all hers!! He must have been in a hurry! Hailey thought maybe her Mom had played a trick on her and took them from under the tree and put them on the porch! When she started the story, Stacy thought the ending was going to be something else - like a revelation for a 4th graders. NOT YET!! Talked to Jakob. He was pretty laid back - like a normal soon to be fourteen year old!! Showed us his new clothes, shoes and head phones. Not sure how many head phones a boy can have!! Talked to Ella in San Diego. She was quite happy with her Christmas too. Had seafood for dinner. Put a picture of our Christmas meal on Facebook. Quiet evening - MUCH too quiet for me!!

12/26 Made two trips to Publix to provision in case we get to cross soon. Bought boxed wine, bottled water, beer, food and paper products - ALL the REAL necessities!! Left Lake Worth in the afternoon and anchored at Peanut Island just past the inlet so we could go off shore early in the morning to Miami.

12/27 Motor sailed to Miami - 60 miles from inlet at Lake Worth. Left Peanut Island about 6:30 and arrived in Miami about 5:00. It was a pretty good ride. Winds at 15 - 20 Knots most of the way with rolling seas. Not bad, I enjoyed it. A little difficult to go below to get food! Now I know why sailors get there food ready prior to a crossing!! When we got into the channel in Miami, we couldn't go straight to our mooring field, had to go around the channel with all the Cruise Ships due to security. Prior to 9-11 you could use that channel. You can use it now only if there is one or no cruise ships in. Went past the city, through the railroad bridge and under the high rise bridge. Had to wait for a cruise ship to turn around in the turning basin. Listened to "When you wish upon a star" from the Disney Cruise Ship. Also heard "Goofy" on the PA System. Anchored in front of the Miami Yacht Club. We are right in the middle of it all! Can see the city, Miami Beach/South Beach and all the cruise ships. Beautiful sight at night! Hoping to cross to the Bahamas maybe Thursday.

12/28 Stayed on board all day. Watched cruise ship activity. Had originally thought we might be able to cross to the Bahamas tomorrow but weather reports changed!! Surprise! Surprise! Ellen and Bill Beery on "Take Two" arrived and anchored right beside us. Went to their boat for drinks and snacks. They had also wanted to cross tomorrow but agreed that it was no longer a good idea.

12/29 Stayed on the boat all day as a leak in the gas line to the outboard squashed our plans to go ashore. Rowed to Take Two for drinks again.

12/30 Bill rowed into the Miami Yacht Club. We signed up for at least three days of use of the Club. Got directions on how to get to West Marine on Douglas Street. Made reservations for MYC New Year's Eve dinner and celebration. Got the bus across the street from "Jungle Island". Bus took us to Government Station where we got the Metro-Rail to West Marine. $4.50 each round trip. By the time Bill had gotten and paid for his items to fix the leak, we were starved! Asked if there was some place local to eat and was told only Wendy's. We decided against Wendy's and headed back to town. We figured we could find something to eat there! Got off the Rail at Government Station and started to walk to find food! There was a little bar/restaurant right across from the station that fit the bill especially since it didn't look like there was anything else close! Had sandwiches and the BEST homemade chips either one of us had ever had!! After late lunch/early dinner, we decided to try the Metro Mover instead of trying to figure out the bus thing back. Took the Omni Outer Loop back to the Omni Station which was the first stop the bus into town. From there we walked across MacArthur Causeway High Rise Bridge back to the Yacht Club. Bill rowed back to the boat. Fixed the leak! Found out later that the Beery's made the same trip to West Marine today about 1/2 hour after us!!

12/31 Talked to Beery's. They are going to the New Year's Eve dinner at the Yacht Club with us. None of us have party clothes so no one will have to feel out of place - we will ALL be out of place. The manager at the Club took our money yesterday even though she knew we would be there in boat clothes! We all decided to go to Miami Beach/South Beach for the day. Started out and the outboard engine JUST QUIT! So no Miami Beach for us today!! Bill was bummed. Had no idea what was wrong. Started the unbelievably difficult hunt for a Mercury Engine Repair Mechanic!! Took showers and dressed for the party! Beery's towed us into the New Year's Eve Celebration. What a feast for the eyes. It was definitely worth the price of admission. The food was good. No appetizers as the brochure had indicated. Each couple bought a bottle of wine to share. Mostly Latin music and lots of dressed up Cuban women with their not so dressed up men! Had a great evening! Got towed back to the boat before midnight. Bill and I sat in cockpit and waited for the fireworks. They were well worth the wait!! They were going off all around us. The main ones were in over the city of Miami and over Miami Beach/South Beach. The ones in Miami Beach were like watching a constant finale for fifteen minutes.

1/1/2014 Bill continued to try to find someone to fix the outboard. Got lots of numbers to call tomorrow. Dinghyed into Miami Beach/South Beach with the Berry's. Ellen and Bill went for a bike ride. Bill and I walked down Lincoln Street with all the shops and outdoor restaurants and then to the beach. We had lunch at Paul's. Great food!! Ate outside. We then walked to Miami/South Beach proper. Got caught in a short downpour! Bought a shirt and hat at one of the tourist shops! Walked back to the docked dinghy to meet the Beery's. Went to Publix, which was right by the dinghy dock, to get a few things. Can't go past a grocery without stopping when you are on a boat - especially when you are on a boat without an outboard!!

1/2 Spent the day on the boat. Bill continued to try to find someone to fix the outboard. Had drinks on Take Two with the Flynn's and Harris's.

1/3 Orange Bowl Day and it's right here in Miami!!! Bummed around all day on the boat. Went for drinks and snacks on Dodona (Bill and Roberta Flynn), with City Girl (Jimmy and Debbie Harris) and Take Two (Ellen and Bill Beery). The Flynn's and the Harris's are not going to the Bahamas. They are going to spend the rest of the winter probably in Marathon and possibly some other parts of the Keys. The Beery's towed us to the Flynn's boat!! Left early enough to listen to kick off on Sirius Radio. Buckeyes played Clemson and LOST!! Could have won but Miller threw an interception instead of a touchdown pass!! Buckeyes lost the game and their coach (Woody Hayes) the first time they played Clemson.

1/4 JAKOB'S Birthday!! He's fourteen (14)!! Another day with no dinghy motor!! Kathy and Joe Gormely arrived around 9:00 am. They came on the outside from Lake Worth. Had to wait outside the channel for correct current/tide and all the cruise ships and tankers leaving and entering the harbor. They anchored, dropped the dinghy and came over to chat before the went to bed since they had been up all night. Bill and I spent the day with Ellen and Bill. Ellen's friend BJ (who was born in Sewickley PA) came in her car and got us all about 10:00 am. First we went to Fairchild Botanical Gardens. They were gorgeous!! Took the train ride then walked around until it started raining. From there BJ drove us around Coconut Grove. We toured her new house, went to Whole Foods (ate lunch there - sushi for Bill and me), went to Trader Joe's and drove around U of Miami campus. Got back to the boat about 6:00. Great day!! Joe and Kathy came over on their way back to their boat from showering and eating at the Yacht Club. Shortly after they got on the boat Ella Face Timed me. She was so excited. With a BIG smile she said - "Mimi, I have the best news, I got a Guinea Pig!!" When she was in Pittsburgh in August she had "Fluffy" (the Pittsburgh Guinea Pig) in her arms almost the entire time!! She told me the whole story and showed me all the stuff that came with "Chloe". Chloe is a rescue Pig!! When I asked her what Bruiser thought of the Pig she said "shoo - we don't say the word cat, that means death!!" Hung up and had a couple drinks and oyster crackers with Joe and Kathy! They left - we went to bed. Fun day!!

1/5 Got up bright and early to get ready to leave with the Beery's. Ellen's friend (BJ), that she met in New Bern at the Master Gardener's Program, now lives in a rental in Miami. BJ started working for the University of Miami's Medical School Marketing Department in October. BJ picked us up at 10:00 to go to Fairchild Botanical Gardens and to give us a tour of Miami. The Gardens were beautiful! We took the hour tram ride to see the entire Gardens initially. The Tram Driver was extremely knowledgeable and was a wonderful guide. It started raining shortly after the tram ride so our visit to the Gardens was cut short. Afterwards, BJ took us to the house she and her husband just purchased as they are selling their house in River Bend and moving to Miami. We also went to Whole Foods where we had lunch - Bill and I had great sushi! Then we went to Trader Joe's. It was wild and busy. Bought 2 bottles of "2 Buck Chuck" which is now $2.99 a bottle. Didn't have room for the amount I would have liked to have purchased!! BJ showed us the City Marina and the Coconut Grove area. Looked like a good place we would like to go back to see. Got back to the Dinghy about 5:00. Had a great day. Before BJ left she gave us some Star Fruit from a tree at her new house. Went back to the boat. Saw the Gormley's soon after returning to their boat from showers and beverages at the Yacht Club. They came over for a quick drink before we all crashed!

1/6 Got up and bummed around. The Beery's left to go spend a couple days on a mooring in Coconut Grove. Bill and I felt that it is too crowed over there and that we enjoyed the calm of this anchorage (EXCEPT for the banging halyard of the live aboard next to us!!) Around 11:30 Kathy texted and asked if we wanted to take a walk over the bridge into Miami. We said sure since we have NO dinghy engine AND we enjoy the Gormley's company!! They came and got us around 1:00. We dinghyed into shore and walked into the city. Got on the Metro People Mover (free) and decided to ride around the city on the outer loop and the inner loop. First rode to Brickel since BJ had told us that it was an up and coming community. Thought we might be able to find a nice little bar for a beer. Everything looked very industrial at the stop so we continued on to the Financial Center. Got off and found a nice Mexican restaurant. Had a couple beers and chips out on the street cafe. It poured rain while we were there. When the rain got lighter we went back to the Metro and road back to the Omni Station with some help from locals! Bill got a call from the mechanic when we were on the "people mover". They know what's wrong with the engine but they don't have the part to fix it. Bill told them they we wanted to leave Friday. We will wait and see!! Walked to the city marina to check it out. Then we walked back over the bridge. Went to Joe and Kathy's boat for drinks and snacks. It started to blow! so Joe dingyed us back to our boat. It blew ALL night!!

1/7 Made soup (? Or something similar!!) from all the leftovers and soon to be rotten "stuff" in the frig. Not bad. Could go up against a can of "Progresso"! Boring day down under al by ourselves! It was ugly and COLD outside!! We both had sweats on all day!! Bill read most of the day and took a nap. I played games on my phone/computer and did Sudoku. Need to knit so I have something to show for it!! Played two games of Spite and Malice and I won both even though Bill got more wild cards!! He says he didn't!! It wasn't my idea to play the second game!! Kathy called and they are going to the laundry and grocery tomorrow and they will tow us in! Yeah!! Can't wait to have all of our clothes clean!! To bed about 9:30

1/8 Got up early to get ready to go to do laundry. UGLY out! Rained most of the night. Misting when we got up. Suppose to rain all day and it looks like it will. We decided not to go with Kathy and Joe - even though they are still going!! Guess we are wimps!!! It's a long ride to town and several blocks to the laundry. Neither of us wants to be soaking wet when we get back. Laundry will have to wait until another day. Friday (on the phone) looks like sun all day! Bill listened to the weather this morning. Had originally thought we could cross sometime this week. All depends if we get our engine back in time. I worked on this journal most of the day because I was way behind! Bill read and played solitaire. We both took showers on board- felt SO GOOD!! We need to do laundry!!

1/9 Spent the day in Coconut Grove. Went on the bus to Government Center with Kathy and Joe. Got the Metro-Rail to Coconut Grove Station then took the 249 Bus to the city. On the bus ride we went past the City Marina, Fresh Market and several restaurants on the water. BJ had shown us all this on Sunday. Kathy and I went into several shops while Joe and Bill found an outdoor bar. Met up later with the Flynn's, Beery's and Harris's at Duffy's Sports Bar. Had drinks and dinner. Took the 249 Bus back to the Metro-Rail, the Metro-Mover to the Omni Station then walked back across the bridge to the Yacht Club. Big day and lots of fun!!

1/10 Bill went into the dinghy dock about 8:00 to pick up the outboard engine. Yeah!! He came back to the boat, we did a few things then went to South Beach to do laundry!! The laundry was on Alton Street. We docked at Publix and walked to the laundry with the cart from Staples. The sidewalks were all torn up so it made it a little difficult since we had to go back and forth across the street a couple times. Spent about three hours doing four loads of laundry. Not the greatest Laundromat but it worked!! I was very happy to have all my clothes clean!! Had lunch at Panera across from the Laundromat. Their soup and salad tasted SO good. Had $.99 desserts since we each had a meal. Also bought a couple bagels, French bread for our brie and a small loaf of sourdough bread. Stopped at the Epicure Grocery for a few things. It was a really neat place. Got lunchmeat and cheese for the crossing Monday, a beautiful head of romaine, a couple different kinds of potatoes, bananas and bread. I could have easily filled a cart but the boat was full!! Got back to the boat, put our clothes away and started dinner for us, the Gormley's and the Beery's. We had the brie and bread, chicken, zucchini, salad and instant mashed potatoes for Joe. I was trying to clean out the frig so I can find things!! Think I am ready to cook from all the cans on the boat!! Beery's and Gormley's have decided to cross tomorrow afternoon. They plan to pull anchor at 4:00 and leave. Bill nor I want to sail all night (in the dark) get there before daylight then be wasted for the next two days. Sunday is not a good weather day to cross so we are planning to cross Monday.

1/11 Did dishes from dinner last night - took awhile!! Straightened up a little. Went over to say good-bye to Joe and Kathy and Bill and Ellen. Watched them pulled anchor at @4:00. Took pictures of them leaving. Heard them on the radio a couple hours later. Did some organizing down below! To bed early.

1/12 Prepared for crossing to the Bahamas. Went to Publix for last minute essentials - beer, boxed wine, water, fruit, TP, baggies etc. Came back and put stuff away. Put the outboard up and the dinghy on the deck. Talked to all the kids/grandkids/brother since we have no idea when we will have Wi-Fi. To bed by 8:00. Set the alarm for 4:00 am!

1/13 (BAHAMAS!!) Got up at 4:00 am.. Left Miami anchor at 5:30 AM. Bill wanted to wait on the Cruise Ships. He had called the Coast Guard yesterday to check their arrival/departure schedules. Got out to the channel with no delays. Past a Freighter and a Cruise Ship coming in to Port of Miami. There was a dredge at the edge of the channel on our course so we had to go around it. On course! The seas and the wind were much higher than predicted all day. The ride was not as comfortable as we had planned but not bad. Bill was behind the wheel except when he went down to check and adjust our course. He barely ate all day. Things settled down to predicted levels a few miles from Cat Cay!! Got to Cat about 4:30 pm. The Dockmaster said that Customs and Immigration were there until 5:00. On the way in the channel a little plane took off from the island and came DIRECTLY over us. We both were holding our breath waiting to make sure he cleared the mast!! It was close!! Docked and Bill went up to check us in. He brought the papers back to the boat - at least 4 different forms, 3 - 4 pages each and all asking the same questions! Our names, address, nationality, birthplace, boat name, documentation number etc etc. By the time he had completed all the paperwork I had the documentation number, the weight of the boat, etc. memorized! We were finally in and replaced the Yellow Quarantine Flag for the Bahamian Flag. While Bill was with the Custom's people I took pics of the sunset and Pelicans sitting on posts! When he was finished we walked around the Club grounds a little. Nice restaurants and an outside bar. Cat is a private island so we were not allowed to wonder far. Checked out the showers and the trash bins! Had dinner on the boat - hot dogs on good fresh buns from our trip to Publix on Sunday. Also made a big salad with the last of the lettuce. Drank the bottle of Champagne we bought for New Year's and didn't drink. Made a form of Mimosas! Played Spite and Malice - Sandy won again!! Bill says he's never playing with me again!??? We both read and fell asleep. It was really warm. No covers!

1/14 Got up at 6:30 to take showers before we left. I had a little gecko visitor in my bathroom and no outlets for my hair dryer. Had to go the au-natural look today. Took more pictures. One was of our first sunrise in the Bahamas. Walked around a little. There was a big sign with the list of current residents on site. One was James W. Buffett. Went back to the boat. Bill had to fix the main sail. I kept taking pictures! We got fuel before we left. At the fuel dock I asked the Dockmaster if that was the "Real Jimmy" and he said yes. Jimmy is a member of the Cat Cay Yacht Club and had been doing a charity event in Miami. So he just came on over the Cat. He said that he comes here often because it is so peaceful. I asked if he had been at the bar the night before and the Dockmaster said no that he had been at a friends house playing with them. I would have been bummed if we'd missed seeing him at the bar! I saw a huge Ray swimming away as we left the fuel dock to sail into that beautiful aqua blue water. Great sail all day!! Waters were shallow - 8 to 9 feet most of the time. Bill had planned for us to anchor just south of Russell Beacon - a light/marker in the middle of the ocean. However, Russell Beacon was nowhere to be found!! Bill radioed a large fishing boat passing by and was told that the light had been gone for a year! So we still anchored on the Great Bahamas Bank right in the middle of the ocean south of nowhere. The moon was full so it was really beautiful but still a little spooky for me. Ate the last of our good little buns with the great luncmeats from the Epicure Grocery for dinner.

1/15 Left our anchor in the middle of The Banks abojut 8:00. Had a great sail through the Tongue of the Ocean - 6000 feet deep. The marker/light between The Banks and the Tongue of the Ocean was also gone! Made it a little difficult missing some or the rocks around the area. Got to Chub Cay just as the weather ahead of us started to look a little threatening. Listened to some boaters on the radio talking about the squalls. The Dockmaster led us to our dock in his dinghy. Helped tie us up and hook up our electric. Went to register and was given a nice overview of the facilities. There was a beach and pool on our side. Then across from the marina where we were docked were small run down buildings that housed the laundry, showers, Island Store and the Bread Lady. Not likes ones we have at home!! Took a walk and lots of pictures. Started to collect my shells! Bill is thrilled! Came back to the dock and we had three new neighbors - a sailboat with a couple from Nassuha, NH, a sailboat with a guy from Maine sailing alone, and a couple and "Ralph" the dog on a power boat from North Dakota. The power boat couple had a semi converted into a camper and pulled there boat behind it. They driven to Miami and then motored to the Bahamas. They are on there way back to Miami. Had drinks at the bar in the Restaurant. Enjoyed talking to the Bartender. He told us all about the famous people who have come here and those that come all the time. He has made a lot of friends with people from the US so he has places to stay if he wants. Said he has been to Raleigh several times. He loves Nascar and RIck Hendrix told him to call when he gets to Charlotte! Back to the boat for dinner, reading and bed. Tried to get on the Wi-Fi today with no luck!

1/16 Bill got up and listened to the Bahamas weather report. We had planned on leaving and sailing to Nassau. Bill has no interest in Nassau but I have never been there and would at least like to go through it. Based on the weather report Bill decided that we should wait until tomorrow to leave. Great day at the Marina! Defrosted and cleaned out the refrigerator, both finished our books, restocked, walked around and talked to our neighbors. One of the neighbors told us about some clean conch shells just discarded at the beach. So we took a walk. Stopped at the Island Store to check it out. Bill bought a bottle of Kalik to drink on the walk - not like home!! We had been told by another man we met on our walk that the Bread Lady had baked bread today. Stopped by her house and bought some sandwich rolls. Then went on and found the conchs. Brought back the prettiest of the five to take home. Hope to find more along the way - Bill, not so sure! Went to the Restaurant and had Salads, Conch Fritters and drinks. Had to get out my sweatshirt to go to the restaurant! Came back to the boat and did Face Time with Ella in San Diego and Jakob and Hailey in Pittsburgh. Had a great talk with chatty Ella!! Talked to Jakob about Basketball. Hailey had just gotten home from the Urgent Care. She broke her miiddle finger on her left hand right at the base at cheerleading practice doing a back flip. They splinted it and she has to go to the orthopedic doc tomorrow, probably to cast it. Tom took a picture of it before it was casted and it didn't look good. I worked on my journal. Bill got on the internet. Ready for a new adventure tomorrow!! It was good we didn't leave today - it blew hard all day!!

I AM ALL CAUGHT UP ON THIS BLOG!! We are having a GREAT TIME!!

To the Bahamas SOON!!

16 December 2013 | Vero Beach Marina
70's and Sun
This blog thing is not working well because we have either had no internet connection or crappy internet connections. Will see what I can do!

11/30 Left Thunderbolt early with no real plan except to continue heading south as fast as possible to get warm!! IT WAS BRUTALLY COLD and WINDY today! Still in long johns, turtlenecks and hoodies under a winter coat!! At about 11:00 Bill decided that he was frozen and done being cold for the day!! Besides, it was the day of the OSU/Michigan game!! So we anchored in Kilkenny Creek in time for kick off. Listened to the game on the Sirius Radio. OSU won!! Barely!! Then listened to the Alabama/Auburn game. Auburn won! Barely! Both were wild games. Played Spite and Malice. Sandy is currently 4/4!! To bed @9:30.

12/1 - Left KilKenny Creek about 7:45 am. Not as cold as yesterday. It actually got nice in the afternoon and we were able to remove some of our top layers!! The ICW was a little dicey today. I had to go down under several times to watch the Garman to assist Bill in staying in the deepest water. Plowed through the Mud River - WELL NAMED!! Anchored in Wally's Leg @ 3:30. We were able to sit outside for awhile. I snapped green beans and drank Rum and Coke (practicing for the Bahamas). Leftovers and green beans for dinner. Played Spite and Malice - Bill finally won. Now 4 to 1!! Bill is not happy!

12/2 - Left Wally's Leg @ 7:30 am. We were in the open ocean and sounds several times today. Went past the Submarine Station. Weather kept getting warmer all day!! Yeah! Able to shed the long johns et. al. about noon. Got to Fernandina @ 3:30. Dinghyed in to sign up, showered and went back to the boat. Our first time in the dinghy since we left. Went in to shore later to walk around and for dinner. Met Skip and Rita (met at Beaufort SC.) at the dinghy dock. They were having dinner on shore with the couple on Sanderling - anchored ahead of us. (We were on mooring #9, Rover from MN was on #8 behind us and Skip and Rita were on #7 behind Rover). How ironic!! We walked around town a little. Rita had informed me that they had wonderful little shops all over town. SO TRUE!! We had dinner at Brett's Cafe - the Marina Restaurant. Delicious! I had the best Shrimp Alfredo - very light and had spinach and tomatoes. Bill had Fish and Chips - said they were delicious too. Not Fried for me after my evening at Tubby's in Thunderbolt!! Back to the boat in the dark!! First time in the dinghy this trip. There will be MANY MORE engine on/off times in the future!! In and out of dinghy!! Looking forward to it!

12/3 - Spent the day walking around Fernandina/now called Amelia Island. Had breakfast at the Coffee Shop on the main street with LOTS of passengers from the newly docked Cruise Ship (America Line?) Found Fred's - an amazing discount store - everything from clothes to some food. Very neat! Bought socks and 2 Suduko Books! Took the Trolley Tour of the northwest side of the island. Took us past the beach. Met Dawn & Dan (Gertie) and Chrisy and Roger (Sanderling) on the Trolley. When done we planned on meeting for dinner that night but needed to wait for Nile and Linda (Minana) who were suppose to come in later that day. Bill and I had lunch at the Crap Trap. Delicious crab soup!! Walked and walked. Bought fudge and pralines at another candy store! Went through the Picker's Market - a neat antique store! We all went to dinner at Pepper's Mexican restaurant - delicious!! Froze walking back to our dinghys!! GREAT DAY!! GREAT NEW FRIENDS!!

12/4 - We are still here - Amelia Island! Decided to stay another night because we were having too much fun bumming to do our chores - Laundry & Internet!! Good thing because it was foggy in the morning!! Sanderling left in the fog! Bill took me, the laundry and computer to shore and went back to the boat to work on the leak in the "stuffing box". Laundry went well. Unfortunately I was not well prepared for the internet project!! Had only half the charging cord and the computer was down to 7%! And, I brought the wrong username/password for our Sail Blog. Was able to get on the web for a short time and put a note on FACEBOOK for Eileen and Susan! Met up with Dawn and Dan in the lounge. Planned to each buy shrimp at the Seafood Co. and eat dinner together on Hot Chocolate tonight. After our chores BIll and I walked around again. I got a shirt and hat and we had "Working Cow" ice cream - delicious!! Went to the Seafood Co. and bought Jumbo Shrimp for dinner, Large Shrimp for salad later, and Chilean Sea Bass for ??? Also got skewers and cocktail sauce. Dawn and Dan came for dinner with a salad, chocolate pudding and their shrimp. I made instant mashed potatoes and salad dressing with my NEW olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Bill grilled the shrimp. During dinner Bill got a phone call from the Hoffman's (Eileen) - good friends from Ohio. She and Harold were in Jekyll Island. She had seen my post on FACEBOOK earlier in the day and realized they were about 1/2 hour from us. So we planned to spend the day together in Amelia Island tomorrow. Staying another day! Great place to just hang!

12/5 -Got up and cleaned up the boat in case Eileen and Harold came back out with us. Went into shore to wait for the Hoffmans. They got there at 10:00 - exactly when Harold said! Went to the Coffee Shop for a light breakfast. Walked the city. Stopped at Fred's again and got paper products and some cleaning supplies. Had help carrying!! Eileen took us to WalMart so I could get my Syntroid. Insurance would not let it go through. Had been told I could get it after 12/4/13 - now they say 1/4/14!! Need to call First Health. Went to lunch at the Crab Trap - not quite as good as the first time Bill and I were there - but good. Walked around the "Picker's Market" again. I bought an adorable little metal Christmas Tree trimed with red and gold "closed" bells!! $15.00!! Had drinks on the deck at Bert's Cafe at the Marina before Hoffman's left. They were headed to Savannah GA and Charleston SC to spend some time. Told them about the Pralines!! at the Savannah Candy Co. No dinner for Bill. I had a quesadilla and veggies. Played Spite and Malice. Sandy beat Bill again!!! Now 5 to 1!! Early to bed!!

12/6 - Up at 6:30 and off about 7:45 am due to some fog in the distance. Plan was to try to get to St. Augstine today if at all possible since the fog delayed us a little. Buckeye's play the Spartans tomorrow night at 8:00 pm for the Big Ten Championship. We want to be somewhere that has a sports bar so we can go watch the game! MADE it to St. Augustine!! Gertie, Sanderling and Manana were all there! Went in the dinghy to check in and saw Ellen and Bill Berry on Take Two. They were having drinks in the cockpit with friends they met along the way. Layed back night!

12/7 - Got up and had a late breakfast on the boat. Then went in for showers.. Came back to the boat - dressed in OSU gear!! Went back in. The Daytona Boat Club was having a gathering right there on the dock. One of the men stopped us to talk about OSU. BIll told him that he had a friend in Daytona that lived by the Sea Breeze Bridge. The guy said that one of their members lived there. As Bill was asking him the guys name, Dave Carraci walked up. Bill recognized him immediately. Dave had no idea who Bill was!! Talked and planned to have dinner together tomorrow night in Daytona. He said Mary (his wife) was in town shopping. We left to go to town and as we crossed one of the streets Bill spied Mary. Talked and she siad that they had plans Monday night so they would come down to Titusvill Tuesday and take us to dinner. Walked around town for awhile. Had delicious Kilwan's Waffle Cones and bought pralines and fudge. Went to JP Henely's early to be sure to get a seat for the game. Sat at the table alone for almost two hours when Dawn/Dan, Chrisy/Roger, and Linda/Nil came in to drink with us until the game started. While we were drinking Kathy/Kim and Anne/Joe, who Sanderling had met earlier, came in for a drink! Fun time. Chrisy on Sanderling is like the GREAT "cruise director"!! They left and we ordered dinner. Horrible game!! Spartans out played us BIG time!! All bummed we dingyed back to the boat and went to bed - after midnight!!


12/8 - FOGGY - DENSE FOG ALL DAY!!! Did laundry and our blog up in the laundry room/lounge. Bill changed the engine oil. The marina had a place for used oil/filters/oily rags. Bill came to the lounge when he was done and got on the internet. I was hungry @ 4:00 pm so went to OC White's and got two bowls of their soup de jour - Roasted red pepper w/Crab - delicious! Met up with Dawn/Dan, Roger/Chrisy and Anne/Joe up in the lounge for awhile. Came back to boat in DENSE fog. No socializing or dinner out tonight!! Darn. Had Ham, Potatoes and Salad. Not a bad cruising meal! Will continue to buy Ham for those quick meals since it keeps so well Bill ready for bed before 9:00!!

12/9 - Fog in the morning. Waited for awhile - looked like it was lifting. Left the ball and went to the fuel dock for fuel, pump out and water. Before we were done, the fog came in and was so dense we couldn't see the moored boats. Slowly went back to the mooring ball and sat. Made coffee and started applesauce with the old apples. FOG lifted - so we left shortly before 10:00. Bill hoped to get to Daytona before dark!! Took lots of pictures today. Easy trip. No shallow spots!! The ICW ran right beside a road next to the ocean for a short stretch. Got into Daytona Beach at 5:00 and anchored by the Sea breeze Bridge. Sat out in the cockpit until almost 7:00. Beautiful night. Could hear the music from the bar across the ICW. Fun place to anchor! Several boats anchored around us. Good thing we stopped. The Sea breeze Bridge measured 63' when we got here and Hot Chocolate draws 63' 4"!! Should be ok in the morning. Made a breakfast meal for dinner. Had homemade applesauce too. I put lemon juice and nutmeg in it along with the sugar and cinnamon. I liked to extra flavor - so did Bill! Will do it again. I worked on my journal and Bill planned tomorrow and worked on his Sudoku.

12/10 - Up early and off to get through all the bridges before the Memorial Bridge closed from 7:45 to 8:45. Success!! Dave Caracci called us from his condo as we went past!! Still on for dinner tonight. They will pick us up at 6:30 pm. Texted with Dawn from Gertie about getting together in the future. Will probably see them in Vero Beach. Got through all the bridges with no delays. Past New Smyrna, Ponce Inlet, and through Haulover Canal - a Manatee Zone. Bill saw one Manatee. Both of us saw lots of dolphins (got a partial picture) and pelicans on an island after the canal - got good pictures. Took pictures of the Space Center from the Indian River. Too far away. Should be able to get closer pictures tomorrow when we leave. Great day!! Lunch - exact same as yesterday - pizza quesadilla, carrots and celery w/ PB!! Moored at 2:30 pm. Sat and relaxed, getting ready to go take showers. Took the dinghy in, registered, took a shower and bought a wild colored "Island Life" t-shirt. Went back to the boat and changed clothes. Left our shower stuff and hurried back into shore before the rain. Sky looked nasty and dark to the Northwest of us. Dave and Mary came and we went to the "Dixie Crossroads" for dinner. Mary said that it is crazy busy on the weekends. Had Rock Shrimp - delcious - very similar to lobster. Great evening. I enjoyed listening to all the stories from Bill, Dave and Mary! Back to the boat a little after nine. It never rained but it was ROUGH going back to the boat. Ladder was very slippery! I took my time and was very careful. Getting on and off the dinghy at a dock is a real challenge for me! Sudoku, journal, pralines, fudge and bed!!

12/11 - It BLEW and ROCKED most of the night last night!! Had the front hatch open when we went to bed. The breeze felt great!! Bill closed it during the night because he heard the water coming up on the deck. Bill replaced the impellar on the Jen-set water pump before we left. Left @ 10:00. In the Indian River all day. Took pictures of Cape Canaveral from afar! Past Coco FL. Had a sleeveless top on part of the day!! FIRST PART!! Took pictures of Melbourne and sent to Lesa (my daughter). She went to school there for a year. Anchored in Rock Point behind three little islands and about 7 miles south of the bridge in Melbourne. Had chips and salsa in the cockpit with our rum and coke - still practicing!! Poached sea bass, rice and salad for dinner. Frig is getting empty! Will be in Vero tomorrow so we can go shopping. Quesence (Kathy/Kim) from Canada is anchored with us along with two other boats. Kathy and Tim were anchored behide us last night. Played Spite and Malice - Bill won - now 5 to 2! Getting TOO close!! Sudoku, journal, fudge and music! Nice breeze. Great night.







Bahamas Trip 2013 - 2014

08 December 2013 | St. Augustine
STILL DENSE DENSE FOG!!
I just finished laundry and Bill is coming back in on the dinghy after changing the oil in the engine. Guess this was the right day to pick for both these projects!!
11/26 - Still in Beaufort, SC Walked around town. Got candy from the Chocolate store for our nightly dessert! Bought more delicious Oil and Vinegar from the Olive Store here. Got coffee at the Common Ground Coffee shop. Went to Old Bull Tavern for drinks with Skip and Rita. Had heard about it from a local live aboard. Couldn't eat here because they were totally full with reservations. So had beer and dinner at Luther's. Can't go wrong with this place. Great evening with good new friends. I love meeting all the new sailors and spending time together! I am sure there is more to come!!
11/27 - STILL in Beaufort, SC COLD & RAIN!! Some people have left to have Thanksgiving in Isle of Hope but we decided this is a good place to just sit. Neither of us are excited about cold and rain in the ICW! Plenty of shops, bars, restaurants, showers, laundry, courtesy car etc here to keep us busy!
11/28 - Thanksgiving Day in Beaufort, SC. Had dinner at St. Helena Episcopal Church. Free/donation. It was delicious!! All the traditional foods and wonderful homemade pecan pie!! Walked and walked after dinner.
11/29 - FINALLY able to leave Beaufort, SC Headed to Thunderbolt. Got there @ 2:00. Had planned to meet Bill's cousin about 3:00. Called her when we got in and they were already on shore. They had seen us coming in, took a picture of us and it was already on FACEBOOK!! Wild!! Had drinks and appetizers with Terry and one of her friends. Bill and I stayed for dinner. Walked back to the boat and crashed!

MORE LATER!!

Bahamas Trip 2013 - 2014

08 December 2013 | St. Augustine, FL
STILL Dense Fog
I'm back. Will try to give a concise overview of the past 3 1/2 weeks!!
11/14 - Cedar Creek for a COLD night. Anchored with a Star Wars looking Motor Cat and a Cat from the UK!!
11/15 - Left CC and headed to Mile Hammock Bay - STILL COLD!!! Under the Atlantic Bridge and I was in new charted waters!! Mile Hammock was a great anchorage. Lots of other boats. Played "Spite and Malice" card game - Sandy won!!
11/16 - Left Mile Hammock Bay and headed to Carolina Beach for a mooring. Lots of shallow spots today. Several bridges to wait for. Saw the open ocean for the first time. Went past Surf City and Wrightsville, NC. When we got to Carolina Beach, a grandpa with his three granddaughters came out in a dinghy and collected our mooring fee. Nice place!
11/17 - Foggy morning delayed departure until Noon. Traveled to Southport and docked at Southport Harbour Village Marina. Great place. Clean, nice shower and bar next door! Watched the end of the Steelers beat Detroit game. Had laundry facilities but we didn't need to do laundry yet. Dockmaster was OCD!! Nice guy!
11/18 Left Southport early and got to Barefoot Landing Marina early enough to SHOP!! Cute little shopping are with great Olive Oil/Balsamic Vinegar Shop and Fudge and Praline Shop. Ate appetizers at the Flying Fish Bar for dinner. WONDERFUL!! I bought a brown hat at the Lids Store. They embroidered HOT CHOCOLATE on the front and my initial on the side. Couldn't find one that would work for Bill. Will have to keep looking.
11/19 - Stayed at Barefoot Landing today due to wind and cold!! Went to Happy Hour at T-Bonz. Beautiful bar!! They brought it in from an old bar in Chicago.
11/20 - Left and went to Minim Creek. No real adventure! JUST COLD!!!! All we wanted to do was get south to WARM!!!
11/21 - Anchored in Stono River. MORE COLD!!!
11/22 - Washapoo Creek???? Eventful day!! Ran aground in the MIDDLE of the channel @3:00!! Depth meter indicated 3.5 under us, however, Bill measured 6' on BOTH sides of the boat. Waited for the tide to go down (at 20 degrees - a little challenging!) Then waited for the tide to come up! At about 8:00 the depth meter went from 4.5 to 8 in minutes. We swung right off. Had to anchor in the DARK!!! Not my favorite activity! I just did what Bill told me to do!
11/23 - Left (Rock Creek) @ 9:00 due to fog. Woke up earlier to the sound of duck hunters. Looked out and they were everywhere! Got to Beaufort, SC @ 11:30 am. Got showers - YEA!!! Walked around the city. Found Nippy's Bar and had lunch to the music of a local band. Went to Luther's and watched the OSU/Indiana game. Had pizza at the bar.
11/24 - Beaufort, SC - Had breakfast at Blackstone Café with 10 other cruisers(both sail & motor (BIG)). Got the courtesy car with the cruising women and went to BI-LO for groceries. Bill and I went to WalMart later to get one of my prescriptions and other supplies. Did laundry. Great laundry facility (Susan!). Met Rita and Skip on a sailboat form CT. Had dinner at Luther's with Barb and Jim on SKAT from NWCM!!
11/25 - STILL at Beaufort, SC COLD - RAIN!! Stayed in the boat all day!! Realized from FACEBOOK that Bill's cousin from Vegas is in Tybee Island with friends. Called her and planned hopefully to meet in Thunderbolt Friday.

MORE LATER - time is about to expire!!

Bahamas Trip 2013 - 2014

08 December 2013 | St. Augustine, FL
Dense Fog Today!!
OK - here goes! Bill and I left New Bern @ Noon on November 14, 2013. Not too bad when we left the dock. However, the weather was all down hill from there!! Anchored in Cedar Creek that night and it was SO cold I didn't want to get out from under my blanket to cook. Had soup and sandwiches. Next day I donned the long johns, sock and glove liners, and hoodie. Should have done that the night before!! I didn't get out of my long johns and hoodies until right before Fernandina Beach this past week!! Will continue again soon. I am doing laundry and my session is expiring.

Still Home

03 November 2013 | New Bern, NC
Our trip has been delayed due to a death in the family. Plan to set sail ASAP!! Just and FYI - I am not a good writer so don't expect much!! I will do my best. Does not appear that we are able to post pictures on a "Free" Sailblog account.

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