George Town, Great Exuma
I'm sure by now most of you have been thinking that maybe the earth really is flat and we sailed over the edge! Sorry about the lack of blogging , it has been a challenging winter! We made the decision in January that we wanted to revert to our original plan which was to explore the Caribbean in the winter of 2010, then stay in Grenada and/or Trinidad for the summer and fall. It's with heavy hearts that now instead of heading south to the Caribbean we have to return to the states for repair; our trip south will have to wait for another year. We have been plagued with weather issues from the beginning of the winter, so many strong, cold fronts that we were often unable to move, sometimes being held up for 5 - 7 days at a time; sometimes 3 in a week! We've also experienced a variety of boat issues, either ourselves or our buddy boat Lapidus, rarely concurrent, so we just kept getting further behind time-wise. Right now our issue is engine related and that is why we are returning to the states. Parts and good mechanics are not abundant here or even in Nassau. We figure we are better to be in Fort Lauderdale, heart of expertise and all that we may need .
Just so you don't think all is glum, we added two new bits of equipment this winter that have improved our cruising lifestyle tremendously - a watermaker and a generator to heat the water it makes!
Currently we are in George Town, Great Exuma in the Bahamas, just days before the opening of Family Island Regatta. The Bahamian A, B and C class boats are arriving from all over the Bahamas, some arriving by cargo ship, some towed into the harbour, and some trucked in, apparently there will be up to 55 boats in one class alone! We're told the competition between the various island crews is very intense and the race course can get pretty ugly at times.
Recap of our travels so far this winter. After 6 weeks in the Florida Keys (we had planned on 3) we sailed from Marathon on February 8th, across the Gulf Stream and cleared into the Bahamas at Chub Cay, in the Berry Islands. Originally we intended to make landfall at Nassau Harbour on Providence Island, but wind and seas did not cooperate. Two days later we left The Berrys , arrived and spent four days in Nassau. From there we meandered down the Exuma chain, spending a day here and there, most often because of strong cold fronts going through, we stopped at Norman's Cay, Halls Pond Cay, Staniels Cay and Little Farmer's Cay before arriving in George Town end of February just in time for Cruisers Regatta. As we travelled down the island chain it was like coming back for a home reunion; we heard many boats we knew on the VHF. We expect to leave for the states sometime next week, providing we have cooperation with weather.

Florida Keys:
While in the Keys, we really enjoyed the time we spent with friends from last season, it's a very active social scene - work on boat jobs or run errands during the day, quiet evenings at home or Sundowners with friends, our boat or theirs and out to some event 2-3 times a week, despite the cold (as you know on a boat it s even colder then the temp says). We attempted to leave for the Bahamas on February 2, but our buddy boat Lapidus, a Valiant 42, had electrical issues as we started out, confusion over same send them aground. The crossing had to be aborted, we returned to port until those could be addressed, then the weather held us up yet another time. It was definitely winter weather there.
The Crossing: Good forecast to leave February 8 and off we went. The benign crossing didn't work out as forecast, the un-forecast wind and seas that developed against us nullified any benefit from the Gulf Stream current. Ploughing into the heavier than anticipated seas the engine would almost stall and we figured we must have air in the system or dirty fuel clogging the filters; but fortunately each time it stalled, the engine would come back and return to proper RPMs. However, it was a tad hair-raising until it did! As dawn approached and we were on the banks, we had good wind, fairly calm sea and were actually able to turn off the engine and just sail - we grinned at each other and remarked " this is what it is all about". By mid-day the wind and waves building again, we knew we couldn't get to Nassau, 25 knots of wind and 8-12 foot seas right on the nose so we changed destination, engine on and headed for Frazer Hog Cay in the Berry Islands. The going was still very tough and after a few hours we finally pulled into Chub Cay rather than put ourselves, boat and stalling engine through another 1 ½ - 2hours of torment.
Comfortably tied to the slip, it was difficult to belief what a confusion of wind and waves it was outside of the protected marina. Two nights in the Marina and much needed sleep, we were ready to go again.

Nassau: The sail to Nassau started out quite well, though the forecast was for wind and sea to build through the day, and it did. Fortunately we'd made reservations at the Nassau Harbour Club Marina and we checked in with the Habour Master just about 4 o'clock, at the slip before 5.
We spent a couple of days looking after the usual chores i.e. scrubbing the boat, doing laundry, etc., then we took one of the local buses from the marina to spent some "tourist time" in the historic part of the city. The public buses are called Jitneys, seems you can get on most anywhere, you just flag it down like a taxi, and then when you want to get off you tell the driver "stop" and pay the fare of $1 - regardless of how far you traveled! We wanted to see the changing of the guard at Government House, so asked for sure if the bus we were getting on went there - well it did, but the route took us all over town on the way, we almost missed the show. The ceremony was really quite moving, well worth the bone-chilling bus ride, the Nassau Police Marching Band was terrific, they played many lively selections as they marched back and forth. The drummers wore leopard skin tunics and were very creative with their drum sticks, the major domo was pretty fantastic too (what a Dude!). Afterward we wandered around, had a walking guide so we could identify the various sites, visited the straw market, had lunch - all touristy stuff. Another day, as we were "stalking" boat parts, we bought some spiny lobster from a fisherman out of the back of his truck and that evening we shared a fantastic repast of grilled lobster with our buddies on Lapidus. Next day their company arrived from California and we started our way to Staniels Cay, where their guests would be flying out a week later. Sometime during those few days in Nassau, Doug removed, dismantled, cleaned and re-installed the starter, as the engine had been increasingly difficult to start.

Exumas: I've already mentioned (above) the anchorages where we stopped along the way, catching up with boats known from the previous season and meeting new ones as well. From Staniels Cay we headed to Black Point Settlement and the best Laundromat in the Bahamas, but it was such a beautiful day, and we were sailing, so we decided to go a little further, laundry could wait!
Entering Little Farmer's Cay we were directed in by one of the locals, tide was falling but he assured us there was still more than enough water for our drafts; his instructions were very confusing (to us) and before you knew it both boats managed to go aground. It was quite an energized hour-plus before we were pulled off and safely attached to a mooring ball - the channel was too narrow for swinging at anchor - because, of course, there was to be another cold front coming through with winds clocking all the way around. Lapidus had to disentangle the dinghy painter from around their prop and shaft before getting to the mooring, then Doug had to go up the mast to re-rig the lazy jacks that were torn away while we were hauled off the bottom using the main halyard. It seemed an appropriate time for a cold beer! We met many wonderful and delightful locals that evening , including a precocious seven year-old who welcomed us to the island as we stepped onto the dinghy dock. Probably a thank you for the "arrival entertainment" we'd provided earlier that afternoon. Next day Lapidus realized they had broken engine mounts from the torque of the painter around prop and shaft; not a good thing out in the "boonies" as we were, distracted by this activity, we went aground - again!
Being a weekend, they were unable to reach either Westerbeke or Valiant re the engine, so we worked on our Watermaker - as yet we had not put it into service. What a joy to be free of that knee jerk when you have a job that needs a fair quantity of water, trying to bathe in an amount more suited to a canary, sometimes even cooking pasta seemed wasteful. It has been such a relief to live somewhat less frugally water-wise and to be independent from searching down water, it's not the price (much less than the cost of a watermaker for sure) , but availability. There are only three places in the Exumas where you can get water and they don't always have it! Now, having the evil water-monkey off our back, we could take greater advantage of the generator to heat that water; showers no longer than 1 minute of spray were a bygone, well abandoned, indignity. I may only spray 2 minutes but it feels so luxurious. We are still careful about water but it isn't the monkey on our back that it used to be.
Anyway, we stayed several days with Lapidus until they had all parts, etc. ordered and organized for shipment; confident they had all in hand, we moved on to George Town. It was actually three weeks before they received their parts, had the engine back together and made their way to GT. Their tale of "all things Bahamian going awry" in this endeavour is quite a story - but finally it worked out and we were hooked together again.

George Town: We were able to sail most of the way from Little Farmer's, just a beautiful day, probably another 6-8 sails in view. Attending a weather seminar the next day, we were reunited with many friends, activities were planned, Cruiser's Regatta was just starting and - bonus- my sister, brother-in-law and their close friends were arriving in a couple of days, renting a condo on the beach. The first day they were here we couldn't get off the boat, 25-30 knots, gusting close to 40 and the chop in the harbour made it impossible to get into a dinghy but it was a beautiful, though windy, day ashore and didn't hamper their fun. As we didn't have a Bahamian phone, they used our handheld VHF to communicate with us and we managed a fair amount of together time and activities.
Since we first launched last fall, we have had increasing difficulty to start the engine; thinking it might be the starter itself, we organized the purchase of a new one (as a spare) from the Yanmar dealer and had it shipped from Nassau. Doug kept working away at the whole "starting" issue, I felt I was apprenticing to be a diesel technician, but we couldn't seem to find the problem. Finally a fellow cruiser, who is a diesel mechanic, but leaving the next day, gave Doug the name of "the best diesel mechanic in Florida" and the daily phone calls started. Trouble shooting this and that over a 10 or so day period.
The good news - the problem was finally diagnosed ,
The bad news - the injector pump and injectors were going for a vacation in Florida
The good news - they should be back in about 1 week.
The bad news - the four day Easter shut down started the day after the parts where shipped out of Florida; it was 2+ weeks before we received them.
Of course we moved to a mooring ball to dismantle the engine and we are still here, parts re-installed, the engine is still too difficult to start on its own. Hence the decision to cancel our Caribbean plans and return to the states for repair.
Despite the prolonged and unplanned stay here, we have managed to get some time away from the engine room - go to the beach, play Texas Hold'em (Doug not me), dinghy rides and Sundowners with friends.
While waiting for the return of our parts, we went to the Anglican Church in town for Easter Service and what a service. The church was packed, the music was extraordinary, between congregation and choir anthems, there must have been about 10 hymns and songs of praise. They have a lot of pageantry in the Bahamian service - which we knew from last year in Rocksound, Eleuthera - but it was well done and seemed appropriate. We were surprised, when the service ended, we had been in church for 2 1/4 hours! We had also gone to the Beach Church (nondenominational) Sunrise service held over on the ocean-side beach at 6:30am; it was pretty terrific too, standing on the beach with the waves thundering onto the shore, emphasizing the power of nature, and gospel music abound.
If you recall I do not like wet and bumpy dinghy rides, so although still pretty much a wimp, when it comes to the dinghy and a choppy harbour, I have developed a new technique to cope. I place a floating, life-style cushion on the floor in the bow, (so I don't have to sit directly on the sharp anchor) forward of the seat, I sit on the cushion facing aft so that I can't see the waves coming and put my hood up over my head so I don't take all that spray in my (some of them still golden) now humidified, curling locks. Works pretty well, looks like Doug is alone in the dinghy but for the most part I arrive pretty dry.
Today: Well, I started this blog update two days ago, now today is the Eve of Family Island Regatta, we intend to be out to see the first race tomorrow at nine a.m. (Island time of course). The harbour has bloomed with the Bahamian racing boats, canvas ratio to size of boat is extraordinary - I think you have to be a very brave soul to get into one. The mast is 2 ½ times the length of the boat, the boom is 1 ¼ times the length of the boat and the crew hike out on boards that extend 2-3 meters beyond the gunnels, and they go very, very fast. No navigational equipment is allowed - not even telltales for the wind! I cannot fathom what it must be like to tack, move the boards to the other side and slide out again! Oftentimes they travel so fast that the bow gets driven way down under the waves, some will actually sink on the course - or so we've been told. Pretty exciting and adrenaline driving, but for me I think it will be better to be a spectator than crew - so, although I do like racing, I have not volunteered for a crew position, just in case you were wondering about that!
After repairs in Florida, we are contemplating a trip to the Chesapeake, really what we had planned for last summer - but of course didn't happen because of the "bottom job" that was dictated when we hauled out for a simple "bottom paint".
Anyway, that's our update, belated as it may be. Hope all is well with you and we will keep in touch as we hope you will also.
Marlene & Doug
Aboard Solar Eclipse