Our House - Jeanneau 40 DS

BOTO is the name of our house, here in the islands we have noticed that many homes are named, "Peach House" (happens to be the home of the local Veterinarian), "Lonesome Conch", "Cotton House", "Pink House", etc…. Ours is BOTO.
BOTO is a 2001 Jeanneau Deck Salon (DS) sailboat, constructed and launched in Les Herbiers, France in 2001. We acquired BOTO in March, 2006. Her LOA is 40', Beam is 14' and Draft is 4' 11". Her mast sits 56' above the water and she carries a Main sail and a 140% Genoa head sail for a total sail area of 820 sq. ft. . She weighs in at 25 GRT (56,000 lbs) empty, with 5,800 lbs. in her keel. With all of our electronic, anchors, rode, lines, supplies, fuel, water, etc…. we've added another 5,000 lbs to her. Still with all of this she can manage a respectable 5-6kts of boat speed under sail; while she can motor at a steady 7kts with her 57Hp Yanamar diesel.
Her main auxiliary power plant is the 57Hp Yanmar diesel with an 80Ah alternator supplemented by two 85W (5Ah each) Solar Panels and when 120V is available a 30 Amp battery charger. All of which provides a charge to our house battery bank which consists of four 100Ah AGM batteries plus an isolated Starter battery. The house bank provides enough juice, with constant charging to run all of the electronic gadgets that make our life afloat a little more comfortable. Some of these include; Refrigerator, 1.5cf freezer, 12V fans, VHF Radio, SSB Radio, Lights, Two (2) Chart Plotters (so we know where we are), Handheld GPS (so we know where we are when the Chart Plotters do not work), Navigation Lights, Navigation Instruments, 1.5 g/hr water maker, an assortment of electronic pumps to keep the fresh water flowing in the "pipes" and to keep all water outside of the hull, coffee maker, microwave, computers (2). In addition we have an 1800W inverter which converts the 12V DC power from the battery bank to 110V AC power. These items, while not a requirement to survive and sail, certainly make life comfortable. We have encountered vessels with 100x as much equipment as BOTO as well as folks with nothing more than a compass and some water jugs. Like anywhere we have lived it's a matter of what makes us comfortable not a need to keep up with the Jones' (although, some of the toys on the Mega Yachts are pretty cool).
Returning to her decks, BOTO's ground tackle consists of three (3) anchors. Her primary is a 45 lbs. Danforth attached to 150' of 3/8" High Test chain coupled with 250' of 5/8" Mega Plait Nylon Rode from New England Ropes. Her secondary anchor is a 45 lbs Bruce attached to 50' of 3/8" High Test chain coupled with 250' of 5/8" Mega Plait Nylon Rode from New England Ropes. Finally, her stern/backup anchor is a 35 lbs. Danforth with 25' of chain and 200' of rode. All serve to keep the boat where we park it. Speaking of which, we spend the vast majority of our time anchored, usually in some exotic location that one sees on the covers of travel magazines. When we reach such ideal locations BOTO becomes our stationary home base and we resort to our other means of water transport.
Our dinghy (aka "CAR", "DINK", "RIB", "$!**#?" when not functioning properly) is an Achilles 10'2" (every inch counts) inflatable, with an inflatable floor. The inflatable part needs some explaining, the three tubes which make up the pontoons of the boat inflate to 3 psi, not too bad. The inflatable keel, which runs the length of the boat, inflates to 3 psi, again not too bad. The inflatable floor which provides the stiffness for the boat to skim across waves and withstands the wear and tear from our feet and those of the two dogs, this floor inflates to just under 9 psi, very much a Royal PIA; literally as we only have a foot pump to pump up the entire dink. Who needs a gym membership; no amount of time on a Stairmaster can prepare you for inflating this floor. When she is fully inflated and ready to go we carry an assortment of items necessary to keep her and us afloat. Fuel aboard is five (5) gallons, with a reserve of ten (10) gallons strapped to the foredeck of BOTO. Our main engine is a 9.9 Hp two stroke Mercury, which gives us enough power to get up and go carrying BOTO's full crew. When we reach a port in which we will not be going any great distance in the dink we opt for the smaller/lighter 3.3 Hp two stroke Mariner, with internal gas tank. This little bugger is like the Eveready Bunny. The dink carries an additional compliment of ground tackle, that in and of itself would not do much for BOTO, however, in a pinch these anchors can be used to secure BOTO to trees, rocks or roots. A five (5) pound grapnel hook and a ten (10) pound mushroom are more than enough to keep the dink in place when we go ashore, or dive overboard to snorkel for dinner.
When not in use and whenever we are underway the dink is hoisted up on our davits. The davits are a stainless steel extension to the transom, two arms either side with connecting cross beams. A block and tackle system raises the dink with little effort, while the aft cross beams serve as mounts for various antennae. The custom arch which rises to bimini height holds our two solar panels and allows us to rotate the panels in order to track the sun throughout the day.
This brings us to the Cockpit (aka "Patio", "Back porch", "Sun Room"). The cockpit serves as our control center whenever we are under way. Here is located our helm and navigation equipment. All lines, sheets and halyards lead aft into the cockpit allowing us complete control without having to leave the comfort or safety of the cockpit. The area is protected from the elements overhead by the Bimini; this is a UV protected canvas cover which keeps out the sun. Forward of the helm is the Dodger a combination of UV canvas and Eisenglass, which keeps out the wind, sun and sea spray (to some degree). Whenever we are in port we are able to drop down the sun screen which as the name implies keeps us cool and shady while the tropical sun blazes away.
BOTO's cockpit is somewhat different from most sailboats in that the helm is mounted to a forward bulkhead, as on a powerboat, rather than to a binnacle midship. This gives us an enormous amount of space in which to relax and entertain. With a somewhat oval shaped sitting area we are able to accommodate ten to twelve people in the cockpit for happy hour, and can comfortable feed six for dinner at the folding/collapsible table. Of course some of the most pleasurable moments are two people, two dogs and two hot cups of coffee watching the sun come up; or, two cold cocktails and watching the sun go down.
From the cockpit the companionway leads to three steps down into the main salon. Here is our living quarters (very nautical) otherwise known as the house. When descending the stairs (one comes down backwards) to the left or starboard is the galley. Here we have our refrigerator, large enough to carry all the fixins for Thanksgiving along with cold drinks on the bottom. The four burner stove with oven, large enough to cook said Thanksgiving dinner and bake the appropriate pies. Dry locker/beer and soda ice cooler and the two tub sink; Microwave, spice racks, utensil trays, coffee maker, pots-n-pans and all of the assorted kitchen needs one would normally find (we like to eat well). There is also the door to the "SHED".
The Shed is our storage closet. BOTO has two berths, one forward V-berth, one aft port side. There is an option for a third cabin, or in our case the area is made into a storage space. The Shed is approximately four feet deep and four feet wide by three feet high. In here we carry the majority of spare parts and tools needed to keep us afloat and enjoying ourselves. Opposite the rear wall of the Shed, is our starboard lazarett. This is another large storage area accessed via a large hatch in the cockpit. In this lazarrett lives the generator, bicycles, dog carrier, beach chairs and umbrella, rags, engine oil and fuel equipment, emergency tiller, spare lines, manual bilge pump(s), and anything else we can squeeze in there. The Shed is much like any basement or attic in any house. It serves an important function, however to venture into the Shed is to spend an entire day moving boxes and squatting in uncomfortable positions reading barely legible text hoping to find that one item you really need. Of all the spare parts and tools we carry the one we most often need is the one we do not have, which gives a good reason to grab a few cold beers and go about the anchorage visiting other boats until we find what we need.
Leaving the galley and the Shed and facing immediately to port is one of our two heads (aka Bathroom, WC, Toilet, and Shower). This is about the size of an airplanes restroom (a small airplane). Her we have a sink and toilet along with standard storage for toiletries. The faucet extends to mount on the wall and serve as a shower with the water draining overboard. As a side note: when underway and travelling in the out islands where fresh water is scarce we will combine shower day with laundry day. This exercise involves placing dirty clothes on the floor of the head and after adding some soap stomping on the clothes while showering. The final rinse is for both the clothes and the body. In this manner water is conserved and our wardrobe is rid of salt (ever present) and dirt. The clothes and the person then go above to air dry. Back to our tour.
Aft of the head and running along the port side is our Aft Cabin. This cabin consists of a Queen sized bed, three book shelves, clothes closet and tool rack(which takes up the second half of the clothes closet and contains those tools needed on a daily basis). The cabin boasts two portals and one 12v fan along with enough headroom for a Ewok to walk upright. Seriously, there is plenty of leg room for the horizontal person, but anyone taller than a Hobbit needs to be careful. When we are without guests the aft bed serves as a storage area and reading room. When guests arrive we stuff all of the stored items elsewhere, or we eat them. The stored items, not the guests.
Moving forward, we enter the main salon. This is our living room, den, family room and dining room all rolled into one. Here we have a U-shaped settee (couch) with ottomans or a dining table along the starboard, to port we have to overstuffed (kinda) chairs either side of the chart table/table for two. The deck salon is so named due to the main salon being raised approximately two feet above the forward and aft cabins. This in turn raises the deck roof giving us a 280* degree view from the main salon via large, tinted windows. This also makes BOTO a very light and airy boat below decks. Along the hull either side of the main salon is storage for our dishes, glasses, books and ships papers. The electric subpanels along with radio equipment and stereo live here as well. Below the seats themselves is storage for food, our freezer, liquor cabinet, water maker, HVAC system, pots and pans. Under the floorboards is more storage for spare parts, the wine cellar and primary water tank (50 gal.) as well as access to all electric wiring and plumbing.
Moving forward we come to the V-berth, so named due to its location in the forward peak or "V" of the boat. Here is our stateroom. Another Queen sized bed with storage along either side for books and clothing. A clothes closet, desk and shelves add to the storage room. The second head is located to starboard while the second water tank (25 gal) is below the bed to port. Underneath the bed is a vast area of storage, here are our winter clothes along with some formal wear (ya never know), dog food ( at the time of our departure we carried close to 200 lbs. of dog food), plus an assortment of items that we will likely need some day, just not today.
That's the long and short of it as they say. You may have noted that the key theme throughout this narrative is storage. While supplies throughout the Bahamas are accessible they are not always available or timely. The further out we go the less likely we'll find what we need, hence the need to carry what we need aboard.
BOTO has a fresh water capacity of 75 gallons between two tanks, plus another five gallons on deck in a container complimented by a water maker capable of 1.5 gal/hour. Her fuel capacity is fifty (50) gallons of diesel plus another twenty (20) gallons carried on deck in containers. This gives us a motoring range of approximately 500nm. For the dink we carry fifteen (15) gallons of gasoline. Our food stores are sufficient to feed the two of us for at least a month, supplemented by fresh fish and we are unlimited.
Our little floating world is fairly self sufficient and with fair winds our range is unlimited. The days and nights are full of activity, some work some play but there is always something to do. The inherent nature of living aboard makes for a physically active life which both tires us while strengthening us. Hauling 50 gallons of water from shore to Boto via the dink is quite an exercise, especially when you consider the weight of water and the need to balance yourself and the water in a pitching rubber float. Our anchor chain weighs 1.5 lbs per foot; we usually anchor in 10 to 15 feet of water with a 7 to 1 scope, so between 70 and 105 feet of chain. Coupled with the anchor that is 150 to 200 lbs of deadweight under water. When the windlass doesn't work it takes a little effort to get the anchor on board. The constant rocking of the boat is always good for a workout, too. We mention these not to complain but to illustrate a day in the life, one which we are enjoying more and more with the passage of time and with each new experience

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National Family Regatta, Georgetown Exuma

Our company now gone, we readied ourselves for the next week. We had been told that Fowl Cay (a small cay with an amazing little resort on it owned by Sandals) was looking for a new couple to manage the property. It was an excellent opportunity to work in this incredible part of the Bahamas, the Exumas, where the water, snorkeling and scenery are simply outstanding. Were we ready to ‘go back to work’? Maybe not quite yet but it would have provided us the opportunity to live and work in paradise for several years while bolstering our cruising kitty that would allow us many years of continued cruising. With our resume in hand we headed off to Fowl Cay for our interview. Unfortunately, we were a bit late in hearing about the opportunity because a couple had already been selected. Better luck with the next opportunity that arises!
The next stop? Back to Little Farmers Cay on our way to George Town to yet again meet up with Wayne and Beth (Gypsy Moon) and later in the week, Peggy and John (LVD). While here we might as well try to fix the generator….AGAIN! We continue or love-hate relationship with this piece of equipment (a Fischer Panda). We love having it when it works…hate spending the time and MONEY! to fix it. The few hours of use we have gotten out of it currently puts the cost at about $100/hour to run it (repair costs only…not original equipment cost). You do the math! Henry, from s/v Phoenix volunteered to come over and assist in the repair. Ed crawled into the ‘pit’ to remove the head and do the investigating. Ah, the head gasket is broken and a push rod is being chewed up by the compression spring. Didn’t that head just get replaced last October? There is water in the cylinders. Oh my, isn’t this why we had to get a new head…last October? A portable Honda 2000 is starting to look attractive! We could have purchased two of them by now!
We are back in George Town for the National Family Island Regatta. Sleepy George Town transforms itself for this event. Small kiosks (shacks) are erected along Government Dock and the temporary setup is called the ‘Fish Shacks’ where conch, fish, ribs, chicken, guava duff (nummy dessert) and, of course, beer are available at the shacks. Large speakers are erected and pulsating music (LOUD! with enough base to serve as resuscitation if you have cardiac arrest) plays from mid-morning until the wee hours of the next day. Bahamian boats, from surrounding islands, arrive for days on large boats before the sailing races begin.

We hear that you can sometimes volunteer to crew on one of the boats for the races…and this gets Vicky excited! While walking mid-day around the Fish Shacks with Beth, Vicky had a tall Bahamian named ‘H’ approach her and say, “Hey beautiful, how would you like to crew on our boat the Six Sisters”? Wanting to crew on a boat, and with that incredible compliment, how could I say no! The next day I am to crew on Six Sisters.

The traditional Bahamian sailboats are amazing. They are nothing like a cruiser’s modern sailboat. No winches, no auto pilot, no engine, simply the wooden boat, rudder, sails and lines…all of which are often in need of repair! Ed took Vicky to Six Sisters, which was anchored in Kidd Cove, a few hours before the race to help them ready the boat for the race. Sails and lines were in the process of being checked. One of the lines, at the top of the mast, was fouled so we brought Six Sisters over to the large, two-decker mail boat at Government dock and laid up next to it. After much ado, the crew got the line unfouled and we made our way to the starting line…with only minutes to spare before the race began!
The anchor is dropped and the sails are lowered at the starting line as we take our place, number 17. The one-minute gun goes off and we readied ourselves to quickly hoist the sails while bringing in the anchor. Oh, and also trying to miss the surrounding boats! The starting gun goes off and Six Sisters is off and running. Cooking! Wow, this boat is fast…could we have a chance at winning this race? We are in the front running!

There are cruiser’s boats on the perimeter of the race course. The wind direction brings the race boats close to these boats. We came so close to one boat that the bow sprit actually ‘shaped’ through our jib sail! It is time to tack toward the first mark. Vicky is on the pry. There are two boards that cross the mid-ship perpendicularly. When the boat heels to port the boards are out to the starboard and you slide either way out on the end or move in trying to keep the boat on an even keel. When the boat tacks you must slip under the mast, pull the board to the other side of the boat and quickly get your butt out on the pry to keep the boat from tipping!
Time to tack! Ready set…GO! Wait, something is wrong! Darn. Our jib sheet got stuck and we struggle to come around. We needed to fall back and then come about again. Could it be? Suddenly we are in last place! Well, nothing to do but finish the race now. Six Sisters is a fast boat so we manage to catch up and overtake two boats during the final lap so we manage a third from last place. There are three more days of racing…tomorrow we will do better!
Steve, another cruiser who was sailing with us, couldn’t make it the next day so I encouraged Ed to take his place, telling him that he had to experience it. Ed was all in so the next day the crew took off early to sail a bit and work out the bugs before the race began. Wow, we are looking good! It is time to make our way to the starting line. The anchor is dropped and the sails are down. We are ready! Then, out comes a boat carrying two Bahamians who were to sail on the boat but hadn’t shown up earlier. With the addition of these two men Captain Rev had to admit that there was too much weight on the boat. Ed and I volunteered to get off and we hitched a ride with Butch and Jacquie from Tropic Bird in their dinghy. Ed didn’t get to race but he got to experience sailing on a Bahamian boat. What fun! Truth be told…my butt was happy to not be on the pry for another day!
That night Gypsy Moon, LVD, Tropic Bird and Boto head to the Fish Fry for libation and dancing in the streets. It is Jacquie’s birthday so we must celebrate! All of that sailing and then dancing the night away…we are slow to get up the next day and just a little stiff! Oh, are we glad we decided to do this cruising business when we were younger!
Saturday night is the wrap up of Regatta and a lot of fun. The Royal Bahamas Police Band is the highlight of the night. The streets are packed with spectators who were treated first to the local Exumas High School Marching Band. They will be a tough act to follow! After the parade the trophies from the sailing races will be awarded followed by more music and libations at the Fish Shacks.
Regatta is over and a lot of boats are starting to make their way back home or to other parts further south. We say ‘Goodbye’ to many of our friends and start making new acquaintances. We have decided to stay in George Town for a few weeks until we are certain our ‘tick thing’ is OK (more on that) and then we will be heading north toward the Abacos.
The ‘Tick Thing’ - The Reader’s Digest version. There are Brown Tick is the Bahamas and it has taken the lives of several dogs so everyone if diligent about treating their dogs properly and vigilant about checking them for ticks. Our dogs are actually so well medicated that the ticks don’t want anything to do with them. Oddly enough, most folks aren’t worried about ticks and….humans! We weren’t! Well, it appears that one of the ticks we found must have laid larvae on our boat, in Vicky’s bin where she keeps her bras. They got onto her back and were snacking on her for their first meal. They leave behind a toxin that itches to beat the band! A visit to the doctor and the vet confirmed that it is indeed tick larvae. So begins the bombing of the boat, the numerous loads of laundry in hot water + bleach, the non-stop spraying and cleaning. It has been two weeks and we seem to be under control of the situation. It takes 10-12 days for any illness to show up if it was transmitted by the tick. So far…so good! If you are reading this and you want more detailed information…because we are now Brown Tick experts….we have a ton of statistics and advice. Simply email us at svboto@yahoo.com
The next plan is to go to Cat Island, Eleuthra, the Berry Islands and the Abacos so stay tuned.

We settled into one of our favorite anchorages just outside Sampson Cay to get ready for our company. Who should be there but Vic and GiGi from Oconee! What a nice surprise so we joined them for happy hour and Vic shared his underwater photos of the spots we were soon to snorkel with the Olson’s. Can’t wait!


We filled up water, fuel and tidied up the boat. Then off to Staniel Cay to get the last of the provisions because company is coming in one more day! There is a quick cold front scheduled to blow through tonight (yep, again they say it should be the last one of the season!) and we decide to stay put since it was to move through quickly. Well, blow it did…with a brief burst of rain at about 11:30pm. Now that that is out of the way we have 2 straight weeks of projected BEAUTIFUL weather as a high pressure ridge hangs out over the Bahamas. The Olsons live right because we had amazing weather for their entire stay!



Off to pick up the company from the airport as they are scheduled to arrive at 2:45pm. I am 15 minutes early with Kaliks in hand for the adults and a Sprite for Jake. At 3:30pm I decided to check in with the local flight agent, who also is the cashier at the local general store, and I am assured the plane is on its way. The little twin engine plane, from Nassau, finally arrives at 3:45pm. Not bad considering everything runs on Island Time! The first passenger out was Harvey as he basically unrolled himself out of his pretzel-position and poured out the side door. Gretchen and Jake came out next looking a bit ashened. Apparently it was a bit of a claustrophobic 30-minute flight. You knew it had been an interesting flight when the Kaliks were refused, even by the veteran flight attendant Gretchen!



We took a short walk to the dinghy and piled in…luggage and all. By now the Olson’s were probably wondering what they had gotten themselves into but once we reached Boto, settled in, went ashore to walk to the northern point of Sampson Cay for a look at the incredible colors of the water (with Kaliks in hand), the plane and dinghy ride were forgotten! Let the adventure begin!



There is something magical about having guests. Day-to-day chores and maintenance projects go to the back-burner and it is all about FUN!


The next day Jake, Harvey and Ed hopped in the dinghy with fishing gear in hand and headed for Pipe Creek. They dropped off Gretchen and Vicky on the beach for a relaxing morning of soaking up some sun. That afternoon was the expedition to Thunderball Cave snorkeling at slack tide (right when it switches between high and low tide so the current is less). We had met Zach (also 14) and Alex at Sampson so they planned to join us. Just as we were departing No Agenda (Susan and Ray) passed by and invited us to a fish fry on the beach afterwards. How could we refuse as the fishermen from Boto didn’t get any fish that morning!

Thunderball Cave was really neat. This is where they filmed a scene from a James Bond movie. You swim into a cave that houses beautiful fish that hang out in the shade of the cave. Then, off to Pig Beach on Big Major for the fish fry. There are pigs and goats on Big Major and cruisers leave leftover food for them on the beach. If you are lucky you will catch them on the beach eating and sometimes they swim out to meet your boat! I thought Gretchen was going to hop back into the dinghy as one pig rushed out to meet her!!












Jeanie and Jim, from Pirate, had caught a bunch of fish and they are set up to feed a crew. They brought their portable deep fryer to the beach and made conch fritters, cracked conch and various fried fish along with homemade, hand-cut French fries! Nummy! Together with the macaroni salad, cabbage salad, corn on the cob, brownies and cheese cake…no one left hungry. Pirate even had beach games so it was a real treat. Jake even got to go on a Jet Ski ride with Zach. The slow dinghy just won’t do now!


The next day we go for our first sail up to the Cambridge/Bell Island area for snorkeling. It is a preserve where you can’t take fish, conch or shells so it is teaming with fish, sand dollars galore, etc. Harvey really got into sailing and in no time was at the helm. The chart plotter really captured his attention and he was amazed at how easy sailing can be if you use Auto Pilot.
That afternoon we piled into the dinghy and went to the ‘Sea Aquarium’. It isn’t a normal glass aquarium. It is a mooring ball that you can tie up to by a reef where there is spectacular snorkeling. We went to an amazing beach to dry off and warm up where there were hundreds of sand dollars on the beach. Then it was back to Boto for ‘Boto Burgers’ and rum punch!

The next day we went over to the Rocky Dundas and snorkeled briefly until Harvey spotted a shark. Not one of the nurse sharks that are all over and won’t bother you, but a BULL shark! Harvey, the next time you spot a shark it would be a good idea to tell your wife so she isn’t the last one in the boat! We decided it might be time to head across to Compass Cay, dry off and hike over to the marina for a burger. The 1.25 mile hike to the marina was pretty interesting. They have marked trails but the trail ended twice at water so we had to wade to get to the other part of the trail. The trail was called the ‘Jungle Trail’ and you did feel like you were on a safari! While we ate we watched the kids swimming and playing with the nurse sharks at the marina. They were so friendly so not all sharks are scary. But, since I can’t tell the difference I’ll stick with a shark is a shark!

The next day we are off to Black Point for the Junkanoo. It was Family Island weekend where kids that attend school in Nassau or other places come home for the week of Easter. Basically the kids on the islands go to an all-grades school until 6-8th grade and then must go to a boarding school at one of the larger cities to complete their schooling. There were a lot of kid’s activities (games, clowns, face-painting) followed by a basketball tournament and then the Junkanoo band and dancing. A lot of the basketball players were also in the Junkanoo band so it was hard to imagine where they got all the energy to play and then dance for hours.

We also had the chance to see a couple Bahamian race boats being constructed. Our next stop, after the Olson’s depart, will be the Family Island Regatta in George Town where we will see these boats race.

All good things must come to an end so we must head back up toward Staniel Cay so we can see the Olson’s off at the airport the next day. With Harvey at the helm we sailed to Big Major for our last night of playing with the pigs, sipping rum drinks and thinking about how fast the week went.


Thanks for the good memories Gretchen, Harvey and Jake!

Little Farmers Cay, George Town and Long Island

Why the long lag in updating our blog??? Well, we have been in some remote areas where they have internet via satellite and more often than not you get kicked off in the midst of using it….over and over. The WiFi access page even tells you that ‘Hey, this is WiFi in the Bahamas so get a Kalik (Bahamian beer) and just take your time!” We have also been busy socializing now that the weather has improved.
Well, we managed to stay in Little Farmer’s Cay for almost two weeks to…can you guess? What else, but to sit out not just one but several cold fronts. (Since we write so much about these cold fronts we thought we’d give you a glimpse of what they look like as they come through.) It was a lot of fun between the weather!

When we first arrived we had lunch at Ocean Cabin and just as we finished a boat coming in went onto the sand bank (yep, on the charts!) and then proceeded to get their painter line from the dinghy wrapped around their prop while trying to reverse off. So, ba ba ba da ta da…Ed to the rescue. He grabbed his snorkel gear and dove on the prop to unfoul the line. After that he hopped into Terry’s boat (from Ocean Cabin) where they kedged the boat off the shallows. Vicky was watching from the beach and talking to the locals because this was BIG excitement. During conversation Hallie offered to teach us how to line fish. This sounded fantastic so we made arrangements for the next morning.

How to line fish? Simply take a spool of fishing line, tie a hook (a special Bahamian knot), add some sinkers (very scientifically located) and grab yourself a few fresh conch for bait and you are set. We had 8 fish before we knew it. 4 trigger fish, a conie and a big-eyed Tommy. I should have taken pictures so you would believe it! Afterwards Hallie showed us how to clean them as each fish is prepared differently. Right next to us was a fellow who was skinning and cutting up the heads of two goats they had just butchered that day. They don’t waste a thing!

Mija and Chula got to run around with the local dogs so had a great time. The crazy one....that would be Chula....has decided if we don't remember to bring their squeeky ball to shore then coconuts will do the trick. She is obsessed! She finds one and then insists upon carrying it with her on our walks. She does get a LOT of looks! The locals at Little Farmers now know her as 'Coconut'. Paul and Sharleen, this is also the place to come to play Dominos! There is a game always going outside of Ali's liquor store.

We did run into Beth and Wayne, from Gypsy Moon (last seen in Nassau) which was a fun surprise. They knew Debbie and John from Aqua Vita and Doug and Cindy from Never Say Maybe from their Florida and Intercoastal trips in the US. So, the circle of friends grows larger. We also ran into Bruce and Dawn from Lady Hawk (last seen in Warderick). We all had a great time at Little Farmer’s but the weather was breaking and it was time for new scenery so off to George Town we went.

All in all a pretty good day of sailing in light winds until suddenly 5 miles from George Town Doug radios out to tell us his engine has died. After many attempts to get her going again it was time to tow them in before evening settled in. With Boto in the lead, Aqua Vita towing Never Say Maybe and Gypsy Moon at the caboose end we paraded into George Town! The next day many ‘heads’ were in Doug’s engine, filters, you name it and the problem couldn’t be remedied. So, while waiting for a professional repairman to come in a few days, one guy stopped by to check it out. He said, “I don’t think this is your problem but it appears that one of your wire ties is crimping your fuel line a bit.” Wouldn’t you figure…that was the problem!

A couple of other boats, with friends we had met along the way, had set off well before us that day to George Town. On one of the boats they had a man-over-board. All’s well that ends well, but I can tell you that having cocktails with them while recounting the events left me with two thoughts: 1.) I will keep wearing my life jacket at all times while sailing and 2.) It is amazing how difficult it is to spot someone in the water and then get them back INTO the boat. Best to stay on the boat!

OK…we are FINALLY in George Town…’the holy grail!’ It is amazing how popular this place is with over 300 boats in Elizabeth Harbor. And, a bonus! It was the last week of the two week George Town Cruiser’s Regatta when we got here. Amazing! I won’t remember all of the activities but there were 2 sailboat races, a bridge tournament, a sand golf tournament, a sand castle building contest, a cooking competition, a volleyball tournament, a cruiser’s VS the locals softball game, a Rock and Roll dance party and on, and on, and on! Tons of activities. I think the best description I have heard so far is that it resembles ‘Adult Daycare’!

When Vicky heard there were volleyball games every afternoon at Volleyball Beach she was all over it. It has been 10 years since she has played on a sand volleyball league and she wanted to see if she still ‘had it’! The 9-man team play was fun but it is awfully hard to get much play in with that many people. One game she never even touched the ball! Apparently her play was good enough that she was told she could ‘try out’ for the regulation team. What an honor….no? So, the next day Vicky went to join the Big League. After 6 matches she threw in the towel. It was like going from 1 to 100 overnight. She was bushed and for days could hardly get out of the dinghy!

And, did we mention that the weather…and water…are finally warming up! We were so excited that we decided to have our first company over for dinner because we could eat in the cockpit! We had snapper and cornbread, Dawn and Bruce brought Bahamian macaroni, Beth and Wayne brought black beans and rice and for dessert it was gingerbread with lime sauce. Ah, what a spectacular night with good friends.

After a week of fun in Georgetown it was time to go off to a more remote and less active island! At 8:30am Gypsy Moon and Boto weighed anchor to set off for Long Island. After clearing the south end of Georgetown we decided we liked our heading so instead of following the Rhum Line through shallower water we continued outside in the deeper water thinking we would tuck in further down the line. We should have had a clue when Gypsy Moon came over the radio inquiring as to where the heck we were going. We told them and they said....OK?!!!

The time had come to finally tuck in and head southeast to our destination so we took out the charts to pick our course. Could it be possible? The charts all said, ‘un-surveyed’ across the area we needed to cross. We then noticed the area indicated a reef and sandbanks all along the area where it dropped from deep water to shallow water. As we inched our way toward where we wanted to cross the water was breaking and rolling over the reef…many areas where you could see the sand above the water. Humm….what to do? Cross that one spot that appeared deeper (meaning no visible sand and less rollers) or go back to Georgetown? We circled back and talked it over. We decided it appeared we could make it through the small cut so again we inched our way through with Vicky on the bow looking for anything that might be a problem. We carried 9 feet of water through the cut but we had dry sand immediately to port and starboard. I think we held our breath the whole way through the cut. Then, we picked our way around the un-surveyed sand bars and FINALLY hit the Rhum Line. We had a Dah…Ahah! moment and decided the Rhum Lines are on the charts for a reason so venturing out into un-surveyed water may be a thing of the past!

Long Island is exactly that…a long island. It is approximately 70 miles long with lots to see so Gypsy Moon and Boto decided to rent a car. We had it from noon to noon the next day so the first day we headed south. Ed volunteered to drive and had some help from the passengers plus the big KEEP LEFT signage to help him drive on the ‘wrong side of the road’. Wow…hard to imagine but Ed hasn’t driven a car since November 9, 2009!
It is less developed to the south so it was mainly a scenic tour the first day. We had packed our lunches and so headed toward the water for a nice lunch spot. While we were eating lunch we took a peek around. There were some goat’s feet hanging from a nearby tree. Just over a bit were the hides being tanned. Then we saw the large rock with blood on it. A local, Andrew, stopped by to see if we wanted any fish and informed us that we were eating at the spot they called The Gallows. Appropriately named!

The next stop was Deans Blue Hole. It is fascinating because you can stand on a sandy bank and only a few feet away the water drops to 663’ deep. What is even more fascinating is that there are Blue Hole diving contests. Apparently the diver stands on the platform and a weighted line drops them. They release the line after getting as deep as they can and surface on their own. We heard that 500 or so feet was the record. YIKES...no gear!

The islands all have an amazing amount of churches on them for the population. There are old churches in ruins and old churches where restoration work has restored them. In the 35 mile drive south we must have passed 20 churches!

On our way back, Vicky had spotted a road that made a loop off the main road (at least on the map). We decided to take the detour for a change of scenery on the way back. The primitive road led us out to the abandoned Salt Ponds and the related support buildings. Then the roads started branching out all over. After several attempts to find the main road back, we ended up back-tracking to the main Queens Highway (highway meaning the one, double lane road that normally runs the length of the island!). OK…Vicky gets to sit in the back tomorrow and isn’t allowed to navigate!

The next day we were off bright and early to the north end of the island. We stopped at Cape Santa Maria for an incredible breakfast and then started our way back to our starting point. The next stop was Stella Maris which is an older resort on the Atlantic side of the island. The photo shows you a natural pool carved out where the tide comes in from both sides. Very cool.
That night the cruisers in Thompson Bay decided to have a bonfire. Everyone brought the typical happy hour food plus their cocktails and met on the beach. It was a great evening on the beach even though the no-see-ums and mosquitoes have started coming out at sunset. We were a bit eaten about the ankles so it is time to bring out the bug spray!

Well, it is time to head back to George Town to rendezvous with La Vie Dasante (John and Peggy Patterson’s boat….the friends that met us for dinner in Marathon, FL). Yes, we have finally started to loop back to places where we have been before. It had to happen eventually as we will be touring the northern end of the Bahamas next. LVD had sailed directly to Georgetown from Stuart, FL only to leave the boat on a mooring ball with plans to come back the end of April. We had a delicious meal with them as they cooked up everything perishable that couldn’t be left on the boat. What they didn’t cook that night went back to Boto so we feasted on egg salad, potato salad, chicken, hot dogs and cookies courtesy of LVD!

We spent several days in George Town provisioning for our trip north back to Staniel Cay to meet up with Gretchen, Harvey and Jake (friends from MN who are coming for a week). Our next stop north was Little Farmer’s Cay again. It is nice to be back in this quaint island. Our friends, Bruce and Dawn on Lady Hawk, are also here. Dawn is an avid fisher-woman but hasn’t fished in the Bahamas in their 3 years of cruising these waters. So, Vicky picked up Dawn the next day and they gathered some conch (for bait) and proceeded to catch 1 trigger fish, 2 parrot fish, 1 sand fish, and 3 conies. Not a bad haul for 3 hours of fishing.

Meanwhile, back at the boat, Ed had is head in the engine compartment doing maintenance on the 57hp Yanmar as well as the 4kW generator. Who would ever believe that he has become mechanically inclined in the last several months?

We are now back at Sampson Cay getting ready for our company. Basically, you can’t buy much more than the basics (except at big cities like Nassau) at the grocery stores so cooking and baking is a must. It was oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies one day, ginger cookies the next and on to banana bread. Next are corn bread muffins and brownies! As a side note from Ed; I’m not allowed to taste any of these baked goods, as they are for our company; I did get to eat all of the burnt ginger cookies though. The weather has been great and we were actually HOT the other day. It won’t be long before we will probably be wishing for that ‘cold front’ weather!

Well, we continue to move to the next spot with protection from the upcoming weather. This isn't all that bad as each new destination always has something new and exciting to see and do! Our weather holes lately were Sampson Cay and we are now down in Little Farmer's Cay. Here is a little bit about each.

Sampson Cay: After leaving Warderick Wells we headed toward Staniel Cay. On our way we decided to stop just north at Sampson Cay. Our 'stop' ended up being 12 days! We anchored out the first day and went ashore to visit the island. We thought it was a private island but it is...and it isn't! It is owned by one owner but he put a lovely marina, store, restaraunt and some accommodations on the island for other to use and they use it occasionally as well.

The next day we listened to the weather forecast and a blow was expected on Wednesday with another storm coming through on Friday/Saturday that had the potential to be a 'Super Storm' with 50+ knot winds. It didn't take much convincing but two other sailboats were headed into the marina and encouraged us to do the same. We took a slip for one night and checked into the forecast further. We went back to enquire about staying through Saturday. They had already placed bets that we would be back in wanting to stay on! They won! Actually, the weather just missed us and landed east of the Bahamas...but we sure did sleep well. It was our pricey treat at $2.75/foot per night PLUS water and power so tried to pretend we were on our own private island. We took morning sunrise walks out to the gazebo on the south end of the island and watched the sun rise while sipping coffee. Then we would bring out the squeeky ball and give Mija and Chula their morning workout!

Between the inclement weather we took a side trip to Staniel Cay where we bought a whole chicken and some ground beef to augment our pantry. We dingyied over to Big Major, Thunderball Cave and up Pipe Creek where we ran into Soulmates and Lady Hawk. It is amazing how you bump into the same fun folks along the way!

There was happy hour on the dock every night to watch the sunset and to look for the Green Flash. It is a BIG deal to spot this tiny, elusive flash of light! At happy hour we met some cruisers, No Agenda (Ray and Susan) from Dallas originally. They have a 70' power boat and invited us for happy hour the next night (Valentine's Day). We passed by the next night and Vicky was amazed since she had never been on a larger power boat. Imagine a king size bed, granite in the kitchen, a treadmill on the fly bridge, five levels! Spectacular and first class. Suddenly our 40' monohull sailboat seems small.

Ah, the weather has turned nice and we must leave our 'private island' paradise. So, off we head to Black Point. It was a big 10 or so miles so we leisurely got up and made our way down. It is a nice little community where apparently Lorraine's coconut bread is a must have. We unfortunately missed the store hours so left the next day empty handed and headed down to Little Farmer's Cay. Another lovely spot. So nice that we decided to stay for the weather blowing in on Monday, Wednesday and the weekend....or should we say 'until the next good weather window to Georgetown!

When we first got to Little Farmers we stopped by Ocean's Cabin restarant for lunch. Ed had lobster salad and Vicky had the turkey and cheese sandwich and, of course, Kalik (beer). After lunch several boats had difficulty coming into the anchorage (shallows that are on the charts but not so easy to spot). Ed ended up helping Terry Bain (local) pull off two boats and had to dive on one boat to unfoul a dingy painter that got stuck in the prop while the boat was trying to get off the sand bank. It was quite the site to watch Terry attach a line to the halyard and heal the monohull sailboat while pulling. While watching from the shore, Vicky was talking to the locals and lamenting that Boto had not caught a fish yet. Halle (Jeronimo) offered his services to teach us how to fish Bahamian style. We took him up on it and went on our few hour lesson the next day.

We started our lesson by getting conch for bait (and a few to eat). Then Halle taught us how to fix the hand line, hook and bait. We went to a point, dropped the anchor and BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM...we had 4 trigger fish. We pulled up and went across the harbor. Next thing it was BAM, a Coni, then BAM...a Big Eyed John. After two more of each...we had more than we could eat so we called it a day, went to the beach and cleaned our fish. Yes, it was more work than catching them! We prepared them 4 different ways and are still trying the results, all excellent so far. Looks like we won't starve now! What fun!

Warderick Wells and Sampsons Cay: At Least It's Not Cold

N24*12.513 W076*28.394 : This is our current location, tied up at the Sampson Cay Marina, with the forecasted front we decided against anchoring between Little and Big Majors Islands. After having spent Monday, 2/8, anchored just outside the harbor, a wonderful star filled sky and a gentle rocking of Boto lulled us into a peaceful nights sleep. Tuesday, 2/9, brought a beautiful sunrise and a promise of another wonderful calm day. Well that is what Tuesday was, but the forecast for Wednesday through Sunday is not so wonderful nor peaceful. We dinghied into the marina and checked on the availability of a slip for two nights, not a problem. We later learned after we tied up and went to check in that the folks in the office had taken bets on us wanting to stay even longer; and after getting the weather update we made such a request and thankfully they had already penciled us in through Sunday.
So we were assigned to Dock 2, Slip 1, right up against the bulkhead. Let us go into some detail here; Boto is 40' LOA, with another 4-5' of Davit hanging off the stern although high above the waterline the davits do pose an issue when docking. With three fishing boats ranging from 15-25' tied up along the bulkhead in front of us and a MiniMega Yacht (it's only 55') tied up behind we were going to have to parallel park Boto in a space which is about 46' long.. Our plan was simple, come in hot at a 45* angle to the dock, Vicky tosses the bowline to someone on shore then grabs the stern line, meanwhile Ed throws the wheel hard over to Port and pushes the Yanmar Full Reverse, flawless plan. Keep in mind that the lanes between the slips are very narrow, that's VERY NARROW, as in we would not be able to abort and turn around.
So here we come and as usual just as we make the turn into the lane the wind pipes up on our backside pushing us towards the bulkhead, even with Boto in reverse we were making headway. After Vicky threw a vicious forearm at the MiniMega (MM) fending off our beam, she tossed off the bow line then grabbed the stern; meanwhile our intrepid skipper threw the helm hard to Port and went full reverse as the back end slid effortlessly into the dock. Oh, all of this was accompanied by the shouts of TOO FAST, SLOW DOWN, STOP, LOOKOUT. Those doubting souls ashore, all they could do was stare in AWE as Boto and her Crew made it look easy, there were the usual attaboys, and good job Captain afterwards, but the crew simply went about their chores of securing Boto. After everyone had departed and things were ship shape the crew reviewed the landing, with nervous laughter and a cold beer, Hey better lucky than good; And remember any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.

Now for our weather forecast:
Wed 2/10 PC winds NW 20-25k, gusting to 30k Thr 2/11 PC NNW 20-254k, moving NNE and dropping to 5-10k Fri 2/12 MC E-SE swinging to the SW at 25-30k in the morning, kicking up to SW 40'-50k in the afternoon Sat 2/13 Who cares about the clouds, Squalls, SW 40-50k moving to NW and dropping to a calmer 20-25k Sun 2/14 Valentines Day, ahhh, N 10-15k, calm seas Mon-Tues, it starts all over again.

February! Wow, how time flies when you are having fun. We made our way over to Allan's Cay (Key…is how they actually pronounce it around here) on Monday, 2/1, in good weather with just a few passing showers. Rain in 70+ degrees is almost enjoyable when we look back at the rain we had in 35 degree weather! And it comes with benefits. One, it washes the salt off your boat and two it can produce a rainbow…and a spectacular one at that! The anchorages were fairly occupied so we spent the night on the 'Bank' just to the west of the cay.

With everyone scouting for good anchorages to ride out the upcoming storm front (will they ever stop coming???) we decided we liked the looks of Warderick Wells Land and Sea Park. Tuesday, 2/2, we decided to try Allan's Cay later in the season and head down to our next 'hunker down' spot. Warderick Wells, inside (with 360 degrees of protection) was full when we got there but we took a spot just to the south by Emerald Beach and put our name on the waiting list. We had the most beautiful beach almost all to ourselves with a swim pontoon platform right off our stern. Because it is a park, fishing is not allowed so we also entertained ourselves watching the fish right from our cockpit. We didn't even need to jump in and snorkel the water was so clear and some of the fish were SO big!

The next morning they had a spot for us so we moved into our temporary home for the next 5 nights. This park is a 'must see' for anyone coming to the Exumas. They have miles of incredible hiking trails, reefs for snorkeling, fantastic beaches and the park HQ where the finches will eat right out of your hand.
Basically, when you come into the anchorage it makes a big U. The U is carved out by the current and is about 10-12 feet deep. BUT…just outside the swinging room of your boat is 1-3 feet of water depending on the tide. You can see what we mean in the picture of the dogs playing in the water. This is the middle of the U at low tide where we went to play ball.
One of the hikes brings you up to the top of Boo Boo Hill where there is a blow hole and a view to the Exuma Sound (east) and The Banks (west). The picture is looking toward The Bank and shows the boats in the anchorage. Yes, the deep blue water is the 'deep' water and the light blue is the 1-3 feet of sand. Pretty narrow and shallow but we are slowly getting accustomed to it! What's the worst that could happen….go around?....done that before!

In Nassau, Tom and Cathie (Interlude, who we met in Marathon, FL) told us to look up Rob and Mary (Sojourn). We didn't get a chance in Nassau so as luck would have it they were at Warderick Wells. We enjoyed a very nice happy hour with them on board their boat. Ed and Rob started talking boat geek (yes, Ed is now a techie!) and determined they both had MMSI numbers and wanted to try them out. I must admit, I was impressed. In non-techie, using the VHF radio they programmed in our number, like speed dial, and it actually called our VHF radio. It even rings like a phone….something I haven't heard in a long time! Ah, the only downside would be that it has a 20-30 mile range but very Maxwell Smart-like and cool.
We also met numerous others and I am sure our paths will cross again. The cruising community is quite large but amazingly small at the same time. Most we talk to are cruising 'for the season' and then heading back home. We haven't met up with any other boats that are continuing down the island chains but we know they will be out there!

The big, huge storm front that dumped tons of snow in the NE has now passed and so we made our way south to Sampson Cay. Now everything is a hop, skip and a jump away. I think we went 14 miles today…what a treat. After dropping the hook we went up to the marina. Lovely! I don't think I have seen a nicer one yet but will keep you posted. At $2.75 per foot it should be nice right?! There is a small general store, restaurant, bar and about 10 guest cottages/rooms. Us…we are in our floating hotel! The dogs went to the beach again….yes, more sand in the boat, and then we dingied over to check out our next anchorage for the west blow coming Wednesday and the front coming this weekend. I know, you people in the north are saying stop your whining but I want to know, "When will this winter weather end!" We have heard this has been an unusual year but we don't have anything for comparison so to us it has been fine. Really, it just takes planning so that you are comfortably settled for the upcoming 5 days worth of wind. Ah, that word comfortable! Yes, we are cruisers…not sailors. We like being comfortable.

Morgan's Bluff-Andros Island

Legend has it that the dread Pirate Morgan buried treasure on Andros Island, in the area now called Morgan's Bluff; we shall see if we can find it. Failing that we'll settle for a Kalik Gold. We're here in Morgan's Bluff protected from all but North Winds taking some time to enjoy and absorb the fact that we are in the islands. Mija and Chula certainly enjoy the Bluff as they get to go ashore and run without a leash in and out of the water chasing the ball, the wingding and the waves, oh and of course, CHula gets to chase her Coconuts, she just loves 'em (this dog ain't right). The last two days have been great at anchor, no worries about moving, especially as we can see the ten feet down to the anchor to check on it and Ed has dove on it twice to make sure it is dug in.
As we sit getting ready for dinner before heading ashore to the beach and the small fishing harbor complete with bar/restaurant and live music; we watch the M/V Titus, this is the second time we've seen here, taking on her load of fresh water (4MMG) for Nassau. She'll be back within 24 hours. Andros Island is one of the exceptions in the Bahamas as it has its own fresh water supply from inland lakes, these lakes are being harvested for other islands. The welcome has been great from long term cruiser/residents as well as from the Bahamians, last night we were treated to Crab and Duplings ala Monroe, a locale fisherman. Tonight we shall have a taste of the Bahamian music nightlife, all within a few hundred yards of our back porch.
Tomorrow, Monday, we shall take the circus bikes and head the few miles to Nicholl's Town a settlement of some 600 people and the seat of local government. These excursions are very tiring to plan so as usual we will turn in sometime around sunset; OOPS, forgot about the music tonight, guess we'll have to sleep in tomorrow morning hope no one misses us.
We'll this is our first SSB update, that's the HITECH usage of radio waves, so we hope this comes across ok. We hope to do a spread, ala Homes & Gardens in the near future to welcome everyone into our new abode, until then Keep Smiling and Keep 'Em Guessing.
Adios

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