We skipped 34 bridges! December 3, 2013

When we were in Cocoa, we did a big provisioning trip to Sam's Club and stocked up. Before we left Stuart, we decided we should make a run to Walmart and "pick up a few things"we thought we might need before we cross to the Bahamas.




This is Dan in the dingy with our Walmart supplies. Yes, Laurie also rode in the dinghy from the dock to Glory Days.

When boats travel south in Florida they are faced with the decision of going "outside" in the Atlantic or staying "inside" and going down the Intracoastal Waterway (commonly know as the ditch). We were faced with this decision when we left Stuart and headed to Miami. As with most sailing decisions, each choice has it's pros and cons.

When you go outside, you are faced with having to go in and out of the inlets (channels that connect the ocean to the ICW), which can have strong tidal currents, large ships, and confused waves. The outside also can be rough and offers little protection and limited opportunities to get back to sheltered waters. The advantage to going outside is that you can make better time, you don't deal with drawbridges and you can keep moving when the sun goes down.

The inside route provides great protection from waves, there are a lot of places to stop and lots of other boats around. The big drawbacks are that you can't travel at night, there is little opportunity to sail and there are LOTS of bridges. There are 34 drawbridges between Stuart and Miami. At each you have to request an opening. Some open on request and some bridges have their own schedule and require waiting for an opening.

We decided to brave the Atlantic and go outside. We left Stuart and went out the St. Lucie Inlet and turned south. The Inlet was a bit wild, with confused seas and lots of current, but the Atlantic was docile, with small waves and a gentle swell. The wind turned out to be lighter than predicted which forced us to motor-sail, but we made great time and went through the night.





After about 16 hours we arrived at the Miami, Government Cut and headed in.





This is what we missed by going outside. (We copied this photo from our friend's blog. They went inside).

The only excitement was when a Coast Guard boat pulled along side (in the pitch dark) and questioned us over the radio about where we were coming from and where we were headed. Before he left he also asked, "Captain, are your running lights engaged?" Dan replied, "yes they are," and the Coasties went on their way. Some time later, Dan, being perplexed by the question, went forward and discovered that the forward running lights were not operating. Continuing through the night and into the Miami Harbor with no forward lights was a bit unnerving, but caused no issues. It turned out to be a burned out bulb.



Now we are at the Dinner Key mooring field at Coconut Grove, just south of Miami. We have continued to have problems with our dinghy motor and Dan has given up trying to fix it and has turned it over to a mechanic. When it is repaired, we will head further south to the Florida Keys and watch for a favorable conditions to cross to the Bahamas.




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Location:Coconut Grove, Florida

Happy Thanksgiving to all, November 28, 2013

Last year at Thanksgiving time we were racing down the Intracoastal Waterway along the Georgia cost. We were running from winter and trying to make it to St. Mary's, Georgia for the annual cruiser's Thanksgiving celebration. We stayed ahead of the bitter cold and made it to the celebration and enjoyed dinner with a 150 other cruisers that were doing the same thing as we.



This year we are in Stuart, Florida, which is about 275 miles south of St. Marys, Georgia. We thought we were well ahead of the cold until we woke up this morning and it was 45 degrees. It was still much warmer than the reported 15 degrees at our home in Tawas, Michigan. By dinner time, it was 72 and very pleasant for our outside gathering.




We are staying at Sunset Bay marina and they put on a Thanksgiving feast that rivaled St. Marys. The marina provided turkey, ham, dressing, potatoes and gravy and the cruisers brought a dish to pass.




There were over 100 people in attendance and no one went away hungry.



The dinghy dock was crowed with inflatables as everyone gathered to enjoy the feast among the "cruising family." We shared the day with our friends, George and Jackie from Heritage, Guy and Louise from Miss Ellie and Chrissie from Chances. Everyone seemed to agree that if we could not be with family, it was good to be with friends. We all have much to be thankful for.


After too much food, wine and laughter, it was back to the boat in time to enjoy another Florida sunset.



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Location:Stuart, Florida

Life on the Intracoastal Waterway, November 22, 2013

Tonight we are at the city marina in Fort Pierce. This is the view from the back of our boat. It looks like each power boat gets two palm trees.

We stopped here because it is a convenient spot to access the airport and go to the U.S. Customs and Boarder Patrol office. We were told by other cruisers that if we went to CBP, we could enroll in the Small Vessel Reporting Program which would allow us to check in with Customs by phone when we return to the States and not have to go to a CBP office. We scheduled an appointment at the airport and arranged for a cab to take us there for our "individual interviews." The cab ride took longer than the "interview," which consisted of handing our passports to an officer and then waiting until he checked his computer to make sure we were not terrorists. When he was satisfied that we were "okay," he returned our passports and told us we could go. Now, when we return from the Bahamas, we can call CBP and not show up in person. It seems like a strange process, but if it somehow makes the country safer, we can put up with the inconvenience, and the $35 cab ride.

Since we left St. Augustine on November 14th, we have enjoyed a leisurely trip down the ICW. We anchored out the first two nights before arriving at Cocoa and the home of our friends, Bob and Donna.




This is the view from their condo, with Glory Days tied to their dock. While we were there, we were treated to incredible hospitality, great food and conversation. They loaned us their car to go to the grocery store and to Sam's Club to do our major provisioning in preparation for the Bahamas. We filled the back of their SUV and then loaded everything onto the boat.





While we were with Bob and Donna, went to dinner at Port Canaveral and watched three cruise ships leave the port. From our table we could see the passengers on the railings waving goodbye.

We left Cocoa on November 18th, which is the day the MAVEN was scheduled to be launched from Cape Canaveral. The MAVEN is an unmanned mission to Mars which will orbit the planet and collect data.

As we motored down the ICW we heard the Coast Guard on the radio directing boats away from the "restricted area" and we heard the countdown, but were too far away to really appreciate the launch.



This is a picture we took from the boat as the rocket was launched. Not too spectacular.

Next we stopped at Vero Beach. Many cruisers congregate at Vero as they migrate south. It is often referred to as Velcro Beach because it is hard to pull away from. We don't have the same fondness for Vero as others seem to and after three nights, we were ready to push on south.

We have had lots of discussions about where we want to spend Thanksgiving, and right now it looks like Stuart may be the place. For now, we continue to enjoy the relaxed cruising life and try not to plan too far ahead.



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Location:Fort Pierce, Florida

It's official, we love St. Augustine. November 3, 2013

There has been a long lag between blog posts, in large part because we have not moved the boat in nearly a month. Our life here has fallen into a pattern of working on boat projects and enjoying the city. We have really appreciated this relaxed pace which has allowed us to get a lot of things done without rushing.

Nearly every morning we get up and go for an hour long walk through the city's various neighborhoods. After the walk it is time for breakfast and then on to the project for the day. We have redone much of the exterior teak, cleaned and polished the stainless and the brass, re-wired a pump, replaced some water hoses, sanded and refinished the cockpit table and done other "sprucing up." The boat is once again looking pretty sharp and everything seems to be working. Dan also spent the better part of two days getting the dingy motor in working order.



We have also done some of the "touristy stuff" like riding the Green Trolly. The ride takes you through the city and is narrated by well informed drivers who describe what you are seeing in an entertaining way. The Trolly makes 15 stops at points of interests and you can hop off and explore and then re-board when you are ready.




We wandered the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. This is the spot where Ponce deLeon landed in 1513 and claimed Florida for Spain.



We both drank from the Fountain of Youth, and immediately felt refreshed and more youthful.




Peacocks roam freely around the park.



Leaving the park we went down Magnolia Drive. We were informed that National Geographic named this street the 6th most beautiful street in America. We were thinking, "10th at best." The Spanish Moss that hangs heavy from the trees was used by early settlers as stuffing for mattresses. Henry Ford also used it in the seats of the Model T cars he built. The settlers knew that the moss needed to be boiled before using it. Boiling kills the chiggers that live in the moss. Henry Ford didn't and this lead to the nation's first automotive recall.



We viewed the grand hotels that were built in St. Augustine by Henry Flagler.



We have found lots to do here, including the Greek Festival, a Blues Festival, Sangria Sunday and the First Friday Art Walk. We have enjoyed some great meals at local restaurants and a couple of Happy Hours at outdoor bars.

It looks like we will be here for a couple more weeks and this is going to be a tough place to leave.



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Location:Hidden Harbor Marina, St. Augustine, Florida

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, October 13, 2013

This will be Glory Days' home for the next month or so. We are back on the boat after about four months away and it feels good. We are at Hidden Harbor Marina which offers us easy access to downtown St. Augustine.

In early June we had the boat pulled and put in a boat yard in St. Augustine. We then rented a car and drove to Michigan. We enjoyed having some extended time to reconnect with family and friends who we had missed so much while we were off sailing. While we were in Michigan we bought a condo in Tawas City, so now we have a home on land to return to when we are done sailing.



This is the view from the deck of our new home.

After leaving Michigan, we travelled to Tennessee to attend the wedding of our nephew, Jared. While in the area we spent three days exploring Nashville. We loved the city and the influence that music has on the culture. Everywhere we went there was great music playing by talented artists that are trying to "make it."



From there it was on to St. Augustine to get the boat ready and back in the water.


After lots of cleaning and waxing, it was time for the Travel Lift and in the water we went.

The hurricane season doesn't technically end until December 1st, (but is generally considered to be over on November 1st) so we are committed to staying in St. Augustine for a while. Although this area is not immune to hurricanes, it is considered to be a safe spot and has not taken a direct hit since 1964. We like the odds, as does our insurance company. So for now we sit.

In the meantime we are enjoying St. Augustine. We have been here a little more than a week. Each morning we have walked and explored. This is the oldest city in the United States and it has retained a lot of the "old feel."









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Location:St. Augustine, Florida

We Reached, June 2, 2013

The Bahamians have a term for arriving at a destination. They simply say, "we reached." When we arrived in St. Augustine on May 31st, we felt like we reached.




The above picture shows what has happened to our Bahama courtesy flag after flying for five months in the windy Bahamas. We will need to replace it before we return next winter.




We spent 18 days working our way through the Abacos. We visited the towns of Little Harbor, Hope Town, Marsh Harbor, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana and Coopers Town. All were unique and interesting, but what we really liked was getting out to the less inhabited islands and walking the beaches. Laurie has enjoyed collecting shells on these beaches.




This is a "signing tree" at Allen's Cay. This is a spot where people leave signs and momentos to commemorate having been here.


This is us in front the "signing tree." The hard hat we found on the beach and decorated is above Laurie's head.




This is Dave and Teresa, a couple from Nova Scotia that we met in early May at Davis Harbor on Eleuthera. We have been bumping into them regularly as we have travelled and have enjoyed their company. They are doing a long offshore leg to North Carolina as they head home.

After leaving Allen's Cay, we moved to Great Sale Cay to prepare to cross the Little Bahama Bank and the the Gulf Stream and on to Florida. The forecast came together and we left Great Sale at 9:00 am on May 27 (Memorial Day). It took most of the day to get across the bank and just before dark the water depth plunged from 20 feet to over 2000 feet deep. We had planned to fish when we hit the Gulf Stream, but it was much too rough to consider fishing. There was no way we could land and clean a fish in 7-8 foot seas.

It was a remarkable crossing in that we sailed nearly the entire way under a full moon. With the aid if the current in the Gulf Stream, we were at times making over 10 miles per hour. We also did not see another boat the whole way. We arrived at Cape Canaveral at 8:00 am, covering the approximately 180 miles in 23 hours. We were tired, but happy to have the crossing behind us.



We relaxed for two days at Canaveral before moving north. We were faced with the choice of going outside and sailing along the coast in the Atlantic or going up the Intracoastal Waterway. The forecast was for continued strong winds and big waves on the Atlantic, so we choose the ICW.

After two full days on the waterway. We arrived in St. Augustine and tied up to a mooring ball. This is a place Leo and Dan had stopped on the way south in early December, but Laurie had not seen.




We will do some sight seeing and make a plan for storing the boat, then it will be on to Michigan for the summer.

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Location:St. Augustine, Florida

Hello Abacos, May 13, 2013

After three nights in Hatchet Bay, on the island of Eleuthera, we sailed west and north to Spanish Wells. It was sad to leave Hatchet Bay, as it has become one of our favorite spots. On the way to Spanish Wells, we passed through Current Cut. This spot is significant because the current RIPS through here with the changing tides. We timed it with a falling tide and had the current with us and at times we moved along at 10 mph.




Spanish Wells was a good place to stop to get fuel and rest up before our 55 mile crossing to the Abacos. The wind never really picked up enough to just sail, so we motor-sailed and fished the whole way.




Just before we got to Little Harbor our new fishing reel started singing, indicating we had a big strike. Dan managed to land this nice Wahoo. Wahoo are big fighters and very tasty.

Little Harbor was our first stop in the Abacos. This is a picturesque spot and home to the Randolph Johnston art studio. Randolph Johnston was a dynamic sculptor who moved here from the States in the late 1940's seeking a quiet spot to live and work. He became quite famous and was featured in Life Magazine. The foundry, studio and gallery are now operated by Randolph's son Pete.








We toured the complex and then relaxed at Pete's Pub, which has become the center of activity in Little Harbor.




From Little Harbor it was on to Hope Town. Hope Town is a very quaint Bahamian village with narrow streets and pastel colored cottages.


It is most famous for the lighthouse. This lighthouse was built in 1864 in spite of the resistance of the locals. They knew that the light would hamper their lucrative business of salvaging the ships that ended up on the reefs.

Today, the candy-stripped landmark still stands as sentinel to Abaco. The lighthouse is one of three oil-burning, hand-wound lighthouses in the world. The lighthouse keeper must climb the 101 steps to the top every two hours to hand crank the weights that operate the beacon.




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Location:Hope Town, Abacos, Bahamas

Beer with Crack. What's next? May 4, 2013

While walking through the liquor store, Dan discovered a new Bahamian beer that he had not seen before. The store owner said it was becoming very popular with the local men. It doesn't really have Crack in it, but it is strong. Similar to a malt liquor. Bahamian men tend to like their beer strong, often drinking Guinness, so it is understandable that they would like Bush Crack. We found the name funny on several levels, but the beer was just okay.

We continue to work our way up the islands at a leisurely pace. On April 29, we left Cat Island and headed toward Eleuthera, with a plan of stopping on the way at Little San Salvador.




Carnival Cruise Lines owns Little San Salvador and when we pulled into Half Moon Bay, our intended anchorage, found this ship in the anchorage. There was a a lot of activity, with para-sailing, glass bottom tour boats and shuttles back and forth to shore. We decided to move on.

We pulled in to Davis Harbor Marina, and for the first time in over 50 days, we tied Glory Days to a dock for the night. It seemed good to take long showers and give the boat a good washing, but a neither of us slept very well. We concluded we are so accustomed to rocking at anchor, that being still at a dock feels unnatural.





We left Davis Harbor at mid-day and had a wonderful sail up the coast. On the way we landed three Mahi-Mahi. Laurie caught this one and she now holds the boat record for the biggest fish, (sorry Leo).

Our fishing reel broke several days ago, so we are now only hand-lining. This involves dragging the lures on heavy monofilament line attached to a length of clothes line. When the fish hits, we put on gloves and start hauling. Not very sophisticated, but pretty effective. Just like Hemingway's, "Old Man in the Sea."

We now have a freezer full of Mahi and are finding lots of ways to prepare it.




We stayed three nights in Rock Sound enjoying the sights and the people.


Now we are at Governor's Harbor and plan to continue our slow progression north with a tentative plan to cross to the Abacos in the next week.

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Location:Governor's Harbor, Eleuthera

You need to be flexible, April 27, 2013

After our friends, Kaye and Leo left, we stayed another night in Salt Pond before heading north to Cape Santa Maria (again). On the way, we took this picture. After all this time in the Bahamas, we continue to be amazed by the beauty of the water and the sky.

We anchored just south of the Cape, near the Columbus Monument (again) with a plan to head to Rum Cay in the morning. After we left the protection of the anchorage and got out into the Atlantic, we realized that getting to Rum Cay was not going to be easy. The wind was just off the bow and the seas were running 7-8 feet. After some discussion, chart work and more discussion, Laurie said, "We need to be flexible. Let's go with what the wind is giving us and head for Cat Island. Rum will be there for another time." We turned to the north and enjoyed a wonderful close reach to the south tip of Cat Island.

After the sails were set, Dan deployed the fishing lines and we trolled the entire way. We hooked four Mahi Mahi. There are no pictures to post because we lost all four. We were very disappointed not to have fish for dinner and to put in the freezer, but the excitement of hooking and fighting four fish made the time fly by.

We continued up the west coast of Cat Island and dropped anchor at the settlement of New Bight.




New Bight is the site of Father Jerome's (John Cecil Hawes) Hermitage. Father Jerome was first an architect and later an Anglican Priest. He came to the Bahamas in 1908 following a hurricane which devastated the islands. He designed and built many hurricane proof churches which are still standing today.




Father Jerome built the Hermitage atop Comer Hill in 1937. At 206 feet, this is the highest spot in the Bahamas.




As we climbed the stone staircase, we passed Fathers Jerome's "Stations of Christ."

Father Jerome lived here in solitude until his death in 1956.


He apparently didn't have a lot of dinner guests, because there is only one chair in the place.




Walking from the boat to the grocery store we passed many ruins of Loyalist plantations. The Loyalists came to the islands at the time of the American Revolution, bringing with them slaves to work the plantations. When slavery was abolished, the plantations were no longer sustainable and the Loyalists left the island, leaving behind the newly freed slaves.



In the afternoon, we stopped by Duke's Deck for cold beer and Rum Punch. As Duke made conch salads, the bartender entertained us with stories and then showed us how to play the saw. The saw is part of a musical style called Rake and Scrape, which is very popular in the Bahamas.




We each took a turn, but were not invited back to play with the band that night.

After two nights at New Bight, we moved a few miles up the coast to Fernandez Bay.

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Location:Fernandez Bay, Cat Island, Bahamas