Open Water SCUBA Diving Certification

Well, we are entering into our seventh week tied to a dock at the Ocean Reef Yacht Club, they make it just too damn attractive for us. We’ve gotten a little lazy and the girls love being right next to shore. We’ll be moving next month sometime…somewhere, but until then we will enjoy. So, what do we do with ourselves when we have land at hand and nothing but time? Much like Burgess Meredith we enjoy reading.

Although we actually get to read a lot and watch reruns of our favorite TV shows online, we also join in the various activities here at ORYC; Bingo, Karaoke, Sing-Alongs, Movie Night, etc…. In addition we, or should I say Vicky, decided to conquer a fear. We decided to take up Scuba Diving and today we completed our third and fourth dives with Grand Bahama SCUBA (http://www.grandbahamascuba.com/) going first to sixty feet onto a wreck and then later to forty feet onto some coral heads.

Our previous Scuba attempts were so called “resort” courses where you receive a few pointers then it’s off to twenty or thirty feet. OK…I made it to twenty or thirty feet and Vicky made it back to the beach! She just couldn’t get comfortable with the breathing. This time around we’ve done it right with Fred and Melinda Riger. First, with some pool side instruction followed by a couple of shallow dives to get ourselves accustomed to the equipment as well as just being, and breathing!, underwater.

For those that are wondering, Insurance companies rank SCUBA the 64th most dangerous recreational activity, the 63rd is Bowling. Scuba diving is very safe if you simply watch your air gauge. If you end your dive with plenty of air there is plenty of time to ascend slowly eliminating any of the ill effects such as the bends.

We both still enjoy snorkeling but there is something very special about the weightlessness and the relaxing feeling of simply ‘cruising’ around under water taking your time to observe the marine life. For the most part you are able to simply observe. Fish just swim around without paying much attention to you. That is…unless it is a remora!

A remora is a suckerfish that likes to attach to other fish (mainly sharks). They do this with their slat-like flat portion behind their head. They create a suction and take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine mammals. By sliding backwards they can increase the suction and they release by swimming forward.

On our third dive there was a remora that must have mistaken us for a ‘large marine mammal’. He started following us and was actually quite pesky. He was only a few feet long, with no teeth, so he wasn’t scary but pesky none-the-less. Imagine Vicky’s surprise when he snuck up from underneath her belly and decided he wanted to attach himself to her. Yep, it took her a few minutes to get her breathing back in rhythm! When we surfaced after our dive we asked Fred and Melinda about the remora. We found out he hangs out at this dive spot regularly so they have named him Edward. They couldn’t tell us why they chose the name Edward, could it be the flat head?

So, the homework is done, we have completed our training, the dives were spectacular and our certification cards will be in the mail! It was not only fun but we can now say we actually accomplished something while spending our 2 months tied to a dock on the Grand Bahamas Island!

Puppy Ponderings

Hi! The humans have been giving you the low-down on our sailing adventure so far. We wanted to give you our side of the story!

My name is Mija (little girl in Spanish) and I just had my 8th birthday on July 1st. I sure am glad they decided to do this cruising life while I was younger! It is a lot of work keeping watch to make sure they don’t screw up out there. I also need to ‘run the rails’ periodically to make sure the coast is clear. While on my run it is important to bark at the waves to make sure they know who is in charge. I knew there was stuff under the water and this one day we were visited by Dolphins. They are big and grey and fast; I knew there was stuff under the water.

I am the eldest and have seen more of the world than that pip-squeak Chula. OK, truth be told, the only thing I have seen that she hasn’t is the state of CA but I don’t let on. I just let her think that before she arrived I led a life of high adventure.

How do I like the cruising life? Well, when the humans first bought the boat I wasn’t too thrilled. The first time out I laid on the cockpit floor and shook like a leaf! After a few times out I got my sea legs and now I am just a salty old dog. The only thing I like better than when we are out sailing is a dinghy ride! When they start lowering the dinghy I go crazy making sure they know I expect to come along for a ride.

Alright…Chula wants to chime in.

Hi, my name is Chula (cute in Spanish) and even though I am the youngest (three) I am 10 pounds heavier than Mija so everyone thinks I am the oldest. I am not sure why but humans have a need to point out my size. And, it is always the ones who are carrying extra ‘junk in their trunk’ that point out my size! Takes one to know one!

I love to eat! Thankfully the humans loaded up the v-berth with 150 pounds of our dog food along with puppy treats. Out in these remote islands you can’t find dog food so it was good thinking on their part! Not that I wouldn’t have minded eating human food!

Oh, the other thing the humans loaded up on was puppy pee-pads. Not for me mind you! I have great bladder control. The other one, well let’s just say she sometimes can’t make it through the night. They have dedicated one of the heads for her. They turn on a night light and put a pad down each evening. She is SO spoiled!

Everyone’s favorite question is, “Where do your dogs go potty?” Silly question! We are dogs so we go ‘outside’. When we are underway sailing or at anchor that means the outside rails of the boat. Sometimes we go up on the anchor locker. Our favorite time to go there is a night time so if Ed gets up to check on the anchor in the middle of the night he can find surprises! We hear some dogs ‘hold it’ until they get to shore. Why would you do that? It is so much fun to watch the humans pick up after us!

I have a lovely, thick black coat which makes cruising a bit more challenging. In the sun I get REALLY hot! I prefer to stay in the cockpit in the shade while Mija runs around the rails of the boat. My boy, Ed, is so good to me. The life jacket I used to have is one of those orange contraptions with a big Velcro band that went under my tummy. Whew…would I get hot! So, he went on line and found these really cool inflatable life jackets (Critters Inflatables) and what a big difference! Mom found a white t-shirt too that they wet down and put on me occasionally. I look so ridiculous in it that I put my tail between my legs when I wear it! OK…it does help keep me cool though.

Alright Mija, your turn.

Ball! While Chula and I don’t have much in common, the one thing we both are obsessed with is our ball! Our favorite thing is to go to the beach and chase the ball. I used to be afraid of the water. Matter-of-fact, I wasn’t even a good swimmer. When we lived in Long Beach, CA I wouldn’t even put my paws in the water’s edge. Now…I barrel right into the water. Most of the time though I let Chula swim out get the ball and take it from her when she gets to the beach. She needs the exercise!

I don’t like to be left behind on the boat when the humans go anywhere. I let them know by howling at the top of my lungs when they leave. It isn’t so much that they are leaving us behind as the fact that when the dinghy motor starts up…I want to go for a ride. A dinghy ride is my ultimate favorite thing. All they have to say is, “dinghy ride”, and I go crazy!

We are at a marina right now in The Grand Bahama Island. That means the humans have taken their bikes out of the lazarette. They also have this really cool dog cart (Crooser Carrier) that they can attach to one of the bikes so we can go places with them. Usually they take us to the beach! We didn’t like the cart too much at first and we barked non-stop to protest. Then, the benefits started to dawn on us. There are screens on all 4 sides so we get a really nice breeze….especially if Ed peddles fast! Then, of course we are in the shade. Lastly, Ed gets to do all the work while we relax!

So, how do we like our lifestyle? We love having the humans around all the time. They used to leave for 8-10 hours a day before we took off. They said something about needing to make money to buy dog food and puppy treats. We aren’t sure how they can afford our food now but we are happy to have them around more.

We will be leaving the Bahamas shortly and going to other islands. The humans just spent a day sending emails and filling out paperwork so we will be able to go to these other islands without being quarantined. I am not sure what that means but they say it wouldn’t be any fun. Can you imagine, some of the islands, like Jamaica, won’t even allow us to come there! If you show up at an island that doesn’t allow dogs, or without the right paperwork, they say they may even euthanize us. Again, not sure what that means but I hear it is worse than being quarantined! Mom says Noonsite is a good website for this kind of information. What we don’t understand is why the humans don’t need shots or proof of their good health. From what we hear, they can have things a LOT worse than fleas or ticks!

Let me tell you, before we left, we went to the vet so many times. I hate going to the vet so I am glad that is done with! We had to meet the PETS requirements (Pet Travel Scheme) for some of the islands so we were chipped, got a new rabies shot, got titer-tested and had a bunch of new shots that are required over here.

There is only one big responsibility we have while cruising. We have heard of these things called Pirates! The humans say that is a glamorous name for a thief! It is our job to bark whenever anyone approaches our boat. We haven’t mastered how to stop wagging our tails while we are barking but we hear it helps make you look tougher. Don’t tell those Pirates that we really are only hoping that they brought puppy treats!

In general, we LOVE cruising! We still get to sleep the day away like at home. But, instead of those boring walks around the block we get to play in the sand and the water. The humans love having us around because it makes the boat feel like a home. They even say it is worth the extra effort it takes to fill out the paperwork required to bring us along. If you are going to bring your puppy dog(s) along with you cruising (why wouldn’t you?!) here are some tips.

A. Start the vaccination and paperwork 3 months before leaving.
B. Micro-chip your dogs. You have to get a new rabies shot after chipping your dogs…no matter when the last shot was administered.
C. Some islands require a titer test which really simply verifies that the most recent rabies shot worked. This test takes 30 days after the rabies shot and blood work are done. The vet sends in the paperwork.
D. Go to Noonsite and the island’s websites to determine requirements. IE: The Bahamas require Lyme, Leptospirosis, Adenovirus and Coronavirus shots which you may not need in the USA. The only vet in the USA that we could find that had these vaccines was Banfield. If they are new shots for your dogs then they will need a booster shot one month later.
E. Bring their food. Dog food is hard to find in the ‘out islands’ and if you find it the price is dear! We brought 150 pounds of dry dog food stored in large Ziploc bags. We put their food in one of those large plastic bins, with a screw top lid and seal that you can find at Pets Mart, to keep it fresh.
F. Bring along an airline approved pet carrier and the associated tags/labels required in case you need to return to the states with your pet.
G. Bring plenty of Adams Flea and Tick spray. The islands abound with these buggers and this appears to be the product that works best.
H. Bring plenty of Advantix Flea and Tick monthly treatments (available at Banfield). This also is the preferred brand for the islands.
I. Bring plenty of dog shampoo. Your dogs need a fresh bath to get rid of the salt water the same way you do!
J. Bring a clipper and extra blades if you need to groom your dog. You won’t find dog groomer’s on too many islands. Bring a nail clipper as well. We use one of those Pedi Paws which work great…just bring along extra C-batteries.
K. Bring plenty of their medications. We use Sentinel Heartguard that also has a flea and tick sterilizer in it.
L. Bring plenty of ear cleaner. We use the liquid cleaner as well as the ear cleaning pads you can get at Pets Mart. You will go through more than you expect because of all the swimming.
M. Bring pee-pads if you can train your dog to use them. Placing one down every night can prevent an accident on your rug!
N. Oh yeah….don’t forget the puppy treats!

Our month of June has been spent learning more about The Grand Bahamas Island as well as our neighbors. The cruising community is SMALL. You run into the same boats along the way and while at a slip in a marina…the community is down right TINY. And, life on the island….well, let’s say that it is very connected.

The first week at the dock a Sunday night potluck dinner was planned. Happy hour (drinks and snacks) and potlucks are the highlights of cruising. If you leave the dock make sure you have plenty of snicky snacks and potluck makings as you will be sure to need them! So, we all meet at the far pool for the gathering and we get to meet some of our neighbors we hadn’t met yet. The picture is of the second potluck, which is much smaller as people leave for the summer months!
Barry (of Dee Dee and Barry previously mentioned) loves to greet newcomers with the question, “Have you ever met a pirate?”! What we didn’t know is that Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest was filmed right here off The Grand Bahamas Island. They used locals for many of the pirates because the first week of filming on the rough seas wasn’t meant for some of the Hollywood types cast for the parts so they quickly packed their things and went home!
Well, as the month has passed we have now met our fourth ‘pirate’. These guys had a blast doing the film and the camaraderie still remains. Tom (curly hair) and Barry (grey hair) live at our marina, the other Barry lives in Old Lucaya Village and Jim (who we met last night at the Sand Bar) lives on the island. These guys look pretty darn respectable so it is amazing what the make-up artists could pull off. Every day they would show up at 6am, spend 2 hours in make-up and then potentially end up shooting only a 10 minute segment! Here is the cast of characters!














It has been three weeks and we decided it was time to leave the dock for a sail! We have some really nice ‘time-share’ folks near our unit and they have two 13 year-olds so we invite them to join us. They are so excited because they have never been on a sailboat! We offered Dramamine to the crew before we left but everyone declined. Well, we ended up on a short cruise when one of the boys had to use our stern rail waste basket and then his aunt started looking a bit green around the edges! Ah, but what fun we had watching those two boys all week diving for conch and lobster as well as fish for grouper, trigger fish, hog fish, margate and flounder. We were even invited to join them for a fish fry where we sampled all the fish!

We're on a Sailboat, Aren't We.......?

A recent conversation raised the question of how many miles have we put under the keel since we left Texas Nov. 11, 2009, the answer is 2,100 nm (just over 2,400 statute miles). After reviewing the log we noted some interesting statistics regarding these miles. Of the 2100 miles we spent almost 550 of them and 20 days travelling in the ICW between Texas and Florida. We originally thought it would make a nice start to the journey; we would be able to visit some of the smaller communities along the U.S. Gulf Coast, towns and places that we would otherwise never see. While this turned out to be true, especially for those areas far from any highways, we must say that having done it once we have no desire to ever do it again. By the time we made it to Alabama we were more than ready to hoist sails and kill the engine. As we crossed Mobile Bay we had the chance to raise the sails, but not rid ourselves of the engine at least not for an entire day. The thing about a sailboat is that no matter how hard one may try you cannot sail into the wind; in the case of Boto we can at least get very close (approximately 25 degrees to the wind). Although we can sail directly down wind, that is with the wind dead astern (behind us) it does take some extra effort and requires a good deal of attention to keep the sails full. The final factor for a sailboat of course is the need for wind, sufficient wind to move the vessel through the water at an acceptable speed (we’re not exactly sailors, we’re Cruisers we like to be comfortable and to arrive at our destinations at a reasonable hour, that is in time for happy hour at sunset), so for us we like to maintain a boat speed of at least 4-5 kts.
Given all of the above, the statistics show that at most we have our sails up about 50% of the time and then only half of that time is spent actually sailing without use of the engine. It is inevitable that when we want to head North, South, East or West the wind will be right in our face; or if not in our face then it is too light to move us forward at an acceptable speed; if it is not too light or in our face, then the seas will be from a counter direction making for a rather bumpy ride. As I said, we like to be comfortable.
As we sit comfortably at the Ocean Reef Yacht Club in Freeport, Grand Bahama we tallied the miles and found that from 11/11/09 – 5/30/10, almost seven months we have travelled a little over 2,100 nm, of which:
* 1,094 nm motoring
* 782 nm motor-sailing (with the miles split roughly 50/50 favoring either engine or sail which means that during those trips we switched from engine to sail and sail to engine while at some times utilizing both.)
* 228 nm sailing
That’s not to say that while motoring we did not have wonderful sights, but the quiet and peacefulness that comes with sailing cannot be beat.
Of course there were many times when we could have opted for a longer travel window which would have allowed us to sail off the wind more, rather than directly into it and there were times when we could have changed our destination to accommodate the winds. While we have made the most of those days and nights when we could sail the reality has been that in order to make headway and keep us safe and comfortable we needed to or wanted to motor/sail or just motor.
As we move into the summer months the trades are more and more out of the E/NE, with some time in the SE. Of course the winds are also much lighter more often than not, so good sailing days will be fewer and the courses we wish to sail may not always be accommodated by the prevailing winds. We’ll just have to wait for our weather. In the meantime, we’ll enjoy our time afloat regardless of being under sail, motoring, at anchor or tied to a pier.
Two thousand miles in seven months, in a former life that was one month’s commuting distance at least we haven’t been stuck in traffic and the scenery has been much nicer too.
A footnote to the above, after sitting at the marina for three weeks we decided it was time to shake out the sails and enjoy a day sailing. With no destination in mind and with a favorable forecast we tossed of the lines and headed out into the Northwest Channel. The forecast was for ESE winds at 10 to 15k with 2-3 foot rolling seas. In fact we had 15-20k with 5-6 foot seas still a good day sailing. With some company aboard we enjoyed cruising along the coast of Grand Bahama Island, whichever direction the wind took us. That is we enjoyed it until the larger waves caused one of our guests to hug the rail (get seasick) and until the clew on our mainsail blew out, rendering the mainsail useless, more on that later. So we headed back to ORYC, but it was still a great few hours under sail. As for the torn mainsail, now we have something to do.

Friday, May 28 The winds are suppose to be light for the next several days so we decided it would be a good time to make our way north to see the Glass Window which is an arch opening between the Atlantic and the west coast of Eleuthra. We should be there in time to have lunch and make our way west to Current Cut. The only true way to see the Glass Window is from the water because when we crossed over it on our road trip you can’t see the ‘window’ below the road. Early pictures of the ‘window’ are pretty spectacular but it had been hit hard by a rogue wave so it now looks a bit battered. We motored into the light winds that were on our nose. When we turned to sail west…ah, the wind switched to…you guessed it…on our nose!

We reached our anchorage on the east side of Current Cut as the winds are to be out of the west. We set anchor, had happy hour and then dinner. Then, you guessed it…the wind changed direction and came out of the east. It made our night just a little bumpy but the winds were fairly light. We have set the alarm for an early start so we can make our way through Current Cut on a slack tide (the change from high to low tide when the current is the least). It is an intricate approach and Ed did a spectacular job of bringing us into the cut through some shallow water which is a bit difficult to see in the early dawn hours.

Saturday May 29, We are on our way to the northern most part of the Berry Islands. The ‘Berries’ are beautiful islands but most of them aren’t accessible via a 5’ draft sailboat so we have opted to bypass this chain of islands. We reached our anchorage that was described as lovely in our guide books. What we found is that several cruise ship companies are in the process of developing a stop for their guests. The protected anchorage is now closed off with floating buoys so we backtracked to Goat Island where we saw another sailboat anchored. There seemed to be good protection from the east so we tucked in close to the island. Then, around 10pm the swell from the incoming tide started coming in from the north as we were pointed into the easterly winds. This causes a side-to-side rocking motion that isn’t very comfortable. It actually makes you start to question the wisdom of cradles that rock babies back and forth! By 2am we finally decide it might be worth the effort to make an adjustment to our position so we got up and Ed added a second line from the stern cleat of the boat to the forward anchor line. This creates a quasi-bridle on the side of your boat and gives you the ability to place the boat 30 degrees or so off the wind. While we still rolled a bit it was a marked improvement so we headed off to bed for the next 4 hours before the alarm goes off!

Sunday, May 30, Again, we are up at the crack of dawn to make our way to our new ‘home’ in the Grand Bahamas. After much reading, talking to other cruisers and inquiring as to costs we decided to spend the month of June at the Ocean Reef Yacht Club between Freeport and Lucaya. We are looking forward to tying up to a dock, plugging in the shore power and turning on the air conditioner! We are met by Anthony and Judy as we entered the marina. They gave us a hand as we pulled into our slip and then gave us the ‘local knowledge’ about the marina. They have been here since last December so they are the resident experts!

There is something always going on at the marina because it has time share units surrounding it. Every Saturday a new batch of time share owners come in for a week of fun. Saturdays they take the van to the grocery store and liquor store for the new arrivals. We enjoy having an air conditioned ride instead of peddling to the stores! Mondays the resort hosts a Bahamian dinner along with rum punch. Tuesdays are karaoke nights. Wednesday night is ‘jam’ night where the cruisers with guitars and yukes play at the bar/pool area. Thursdays are movie night starting at dusk with a large outdoor screen. Friday is the Fish Fry where the bus takes you to the local fish fry shacks for dinner. Ah…and every morning there is tennis at 8am where they provide the rackets. As you can tell this is NOTHING like being ‘on the hook’ in the remote islands but it is a fun, nice change of pace.

The first week that we are here we met a ‘time share couple’ from Oregon (Don and Terri) that were a lot of fun. They had a car and invited us to join them at the Lucaya Marketplace on Friday night where there are lots of bars, shops and bands. We had a great time until a random 60 knot storm blew through. Chairs, umbrellas and debris went flying all over. The rain poured down in buckets. When it started to let up we made a mad dash for the car to head back home and see how the puppy dogs and boat faired the blow. All power was out on the island. SIGH…We found everything in fine order so we brought our rum punch and candles up to their unit for a night cap. Within an hour all power was restored so we retired to our boat. It sure was fun to go out on the town as we opt not to ride our bikes in the dark!

The forecast has consistently been the same since we arrived in the Grand Bahamas….90 degrees or so with humidity and a chance of thunderstorms every day. We decided it was finally time to venture out to one of the beaches and not wait for that ‘perfect day’. With the dog carrier, holding Mija and Chula in tow, we headed to the west end beach. We found a lovely secluded spot to set up our Beach Tent. Thanks Warren, Eileen, Grant and Abigail, the wedding gift is certainly coming in handy. The water is warmer than bath water along the shallow water’s edge and gets just a bit cooler as you make your way out to deeper water…just the way I like it!

There are about 10 boats in the marina with cruisers on the boats. The rest have been left here for the summer and are unoccupied. The day after the 60 knot blow another boat arrived at the marina…Dee Dee and Barry. They had NOT had a fun night at anchor and were happy to be back to the dock. Essentially this is their home base and they were just returning from a 6 week trip mainly in the Exumas.

Dee Dee and Barry ‘live’ here so they have a car. Yeah…that thing with 4 wheels that go around! They have offered to take us to the Sand Bar on Sunday night where Steve Davies plays. Steve sang back up in the Edison Lighthouse Band (remember ‘Love Grows…Where My Rosemary Grows!). We vow to not behave like dogs, hanging our heads out the window and wagging our tails, when we get to go on our car ride to the bar!
We arrive at the Sand Bar. There is literally sand on the floor…inside. Amazingly this makes for easy footwork while dancing! As the bar started to fill up with patrons we started noticing that they all appeared to be Ex Pats from somewhere. Dee Dee and Barry are able to fill in the details on many of the locals. There are many interesting stories behind each person, without the insider details though…we all look the same. Flip flops, t-shirts, beers in hand, laughing, singing…having a ball! And, no one has more fun than the owner. He loves to impersonate Elvis and Steve lets him (but we noticed that the owner’s microphone is almost muted so that Steve’s lovely voice can drown him out!) OK…I am not going to throw stones though because Vicky’s rendition of Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack on karaoke night was, well….a bit strained!

Stay tuned…Mija and Chula just chimed in and they would like to give you the low down on the cruising life from a puppy dog perspective. Coming soon…..

Friday May 17, we got up at the crack of dawn (6am!) to set sail for Eleuthra. We are enjoying the longer days of sunlight so it is easy to make good headway and still get to your destination in daylight. Most guidebooks recommend never entering a new harbor at night and we have planned accordingly…always having the anchor down by sunset. We must agree it is much more relaxing not to mention safe!
We skirted by Little San Salvador. We had tentatively planned to spend a night off the west end but there was a Holland Cruise Line boat and guests there (the island is privately owned by Holland). There are a lot of privately owned islands in the Bahamas but Bahamian law dictates that all beaches (up to the water line) are ‘God given beaches’ so we are able to at least dinghy ashore and walk any beach. Even with this law, Holland Cruise Line probably wouldn’t be happy with us crashing their beach party for their guests so we moved on to Rock Sound, Eleuthra.
Rock Sound is a fairly protected anchorage from all wind directions which is a rare find in the Bahamas. We had settled winds throughout our stay but it was nice to know we could stay put in any weather.

There is yet another Blue Hole in Rock Sound. A Blue Hole is a very deep pool of water that is fed from underground tunneling that has made its way from the eastern Atlantic shore. People jump into Blue Holes...usually on a dare. They are very dark/deep so there is no telling what kind of creatures are lurking in there. We opt to look from the side and take photos of the aquatic creatures! The Blue Hole has a bunch of sea turtles in it all 'begging' at the side of the pool where tourists throw in stale bread for them to eat.

Monday, May 17....A tough day. Today my cousin's family is holding funeral services for their 21 year old son, Dylan Stiegers. He sustained a head injury while playing college football and it was a rare accident indeed. They asked us to say a prayer and sprinkle some sand at sea because he loved the ocean. While we were in town that day there was a local man making bouquets out of the flowers from the island. Dylan, Godspeed.

Tuesday, May 18th….Happy Birthday Ed! Today is going to be a play day! We went ashore and walked to the market for a few items. The market was a mile away from our boat so a loaf of bread and some cookies hardly seemed worth the round trip! We scoped out a place to beach the dinghy closer for when we do our major reprovisioning! Then it was back to the boat where we broke out the noodles and the floating lounger. We played in the water, off the back of the boat and even the puppy dogs joined in. We found out the Mija likes to float on one of our seat cushions! The water is getting warmer and is ‘just right’! Tonight is Mahi for dinner followed by a port we received as a gift from Robert and Joann Nadler, bottled in the year Ed was born. Nummy!

Bare Footin’ and Konaloa are also in Rock Sound. We have been at several of the same anchorages with them along the way. Bare Footin’ are friends of Steve and Ann Bolin who were in our marina in Kemah, TX. (the world keeps getting smaller). We had heard the South Palmetto Point Settlement was having a Home Coming celebration over the weekend so we decided to make our way north to check it out. A bit of grocery shopping, refueling and the purchase of 5 DVDs (yes, we now have movies on our boat!) we are ready to take off the next day. Tonight…movie night! FYI: Pirate Radio is a fun movie!

Friday, May 21st…..South Palmetto Point is a lovely spot. We had a choppy 24 mile ride north but once we reached the lee of the shore it was settled water and very scenic. The beach is set up for the event with food booths and the prerequisite DJ/band stage with very LARGE speakers. Bahamians love their music LOUD, so loud that you can’t talk to the person next to you. In fact, the volume is just about perfect from the cockpit of your boat a few hundred feet away! The first night we met Skip and Sharon Warner who own the Barefoot Beach House just up the beach. They have 3 guest quarters in a house right next to their home that they built themselves. We had admired the home and they invited us to come the next day for a tour. The bottom floor is a workshop (Hairy…you would be impressed) and an art studio. The upstairs is their living space with a stunning view. If you would like a nice get-away…this is a neat spot. The owners are delightful! http://www.thebarefootbeachhouse.com/

Sunday, May 23rd…..Time to head north to Governor’s Harbor. It is a whopping 7 miles so we had a visit with the Warner’s and took off at 5pm for a quick run up the coast. Ah, another lovely spot. We are really enjoying Eleuthra! It turns out that the next day there is going to be a Whit Monday celebration. Our timing has been unplanned but perfect! Everything is closed on this holiday so laundry will have to wait! 10am the marching band from Hatchet Bay kicked off the event. Then, at the main square gazebo all of the Methodist churches from the island came together for song and services. Even the church service had the BIG speakers and it was LOUD!

We have decided to rent a car to see the northern part of Eleuthra. We would like to see Harbor Island where the older Loyalist homes have been nicely preserved. One choice is to stage your boat at Spanish Wells and then have a captain pilot your boat across the northern part of the island called the Devils Backbone (lots of coral heads, reefs and wrecks scattered along the way!). It costs $75 each way for a pilot so we opted to rent the car and see even more of this lovely island. We just have to remember to stay LEFT.

Tuesday, May 25th….. Here’s how one rents a car in the Bahamas. First gather up all of the dirty clothes for a trip to the laundromat. Pile into the dinghy and go ashore, then walk the mile or so to the laundromat. While the four loads are in the washing machines ask the owner is she knows where we can rent a car for the day, actually the best time frame is 12 to 12, that is a 24 hour period from noon till noon. Of course she knows where to rent a car, however unlike in the states where we would be given directions to the rental office in the Bahamas she calls the rental agency and asks if there is a car available. After some conversation Vicky gets on the phone and it is then agreed that there will be a car left at the library for us, sometime that morning. Once the laundry is finished we fold it up in dry bags for the trip back to the boat and pay for the laundry. We also pay for the rental car in cash. It seems the owner of the laundry lives next door to the owner of the car rental company so she’ll drop off the money that night. Back to the boat to put away the clean clothes and pick up the dogs and our lunch basket. Then swing by the library to pick up the keys and fill out the paper work for the car. The paperwork is a simple receipt showing our name and the rental fee, no credit card required let alone a drivers license. Off we go in our rental car, simple as that. Of course the steering wheel is on the right side of the car and we have to drive on the left side of the road, but that’s another story.

The car is great and we head to Harbor Island. Taking the pedestrian ferry across the bay to the island where we step back in time a few hundered years with all of the Victorian homes, tressels and smiling happy people. We’re greeted at the dock by a young man asking if we wish to rent a golf cart when we tell him we’ll be walking he gives us a map of the island and says to have a good day. Off we go in the heat. With the dogs in tow the strategy for the day is to see the entire island while hitting every shade tree we can find. The trees are GREAT. huge, beautiful flowering trees, it’s amazing that some of these trees have survived the storms over the years. The island is very clean and the homes and buildings are nicely maintained. As we wander the side streets and alleys we get an eyeful of what life might have been like in the Bahamas during the 18th Century. With a visit to the pink beaches on the Atlantic side the girls are able to run in the surf and cool off while we meander along the beach enjoying the view. After wandering about for a few hours the four of us are hot and tired, so we seek shelter in the shade of leanto in the Conch section of town. Here we have a few icy cold Kaliks Golds (more alcohol content!) while chatting with some of the locals who are also enjoying the shade. All of the adults are kept amused by the antics of Mija and Chula trying to get a French fry from the little girl out with her Grandmother. After this much enjoyed break we are told that before we leave the island we must put some sand in our shoes (sandals) to ensure our safe return one day. Of course we have sand in our shoes, we always have sand in our shoes, in the dogs paws, between our toes, etc…… Guess that means we’ll always enjoy a safe return to all of the Bahama Islands. The final stop on our Harbor Island tour is at the Romora Bay Club. We have seen the signs advertising the islands only, FROZEN Goombay Smash, and after the heat of this day FROZEN is good. Oh yeah...the cushy couch and umbrella didn't hurt either! With our frozen cocktails in hand we climb aboard the water taxi “Lady M” for our trip back to Eleuthra.

In addition to being able to see an entire island from the interior, the other wonderful thing about rental cars is the AIR CONDITIONING. With the air on full blast and Mija and Chula crashed in the back seat we’re off again. Visiting the Preachers Cave, where the original Eleuthra explorers spent their first shipwrecked years, we meet up with Farrel and Tina, he’s Irish she is Canadian and they met in Freeport. Farrel is a musician and confirms that we must stop by Elvina’s bar later that evening for the weekly jam session of local musicians as well as world reknown rockers such as Lenny Kravits. With empty stomachs and some time to kill we’re off to the Rainbow Inn where we enjoy the meatlovers pizza. While most may think this odd let us tell you after two weeks of Mahi Mahi, no matter how fresh the fish, it is time for some red meat. The pizza didn’t disappoint either. With the sun setting off the balcony of the Inn’s restaurant and a good time with the owners we are ready for a night on the town. Well, truth be told it is already past our bedtime and things don’t start hopping at Elvina’s until the wee hours, so off we go for a final-final and some conversation at the bar. With just a few guys pickin away on the stage we have a chance to visit with some folks and get some of the local color for the island, by now it is 10pm and well past cruiser midnight, so its off again back to the boat for a good nights rest.

Many folks ask what it is we do all day? Sit around and enjoy fruity cocktails with umbrellas in them. Well, we don’t use umbrellas. Given that we have the rental car until noon of the second day we’re up and off early, 10am. A great breakfast along the Atlantic and then its time for chores. The car will make it easy to carry water from the towns supply (water weighs a little more than 8lbs per gallon our two jugs when full are 50lbs) after taking on water its time to hit the Shell station (it’s the only game in town, otherwise I’d stay away from Shell) to get some diesel, again tis better to drive it back than walk it back. We try to keep it simple. A few items from the grocery store and it’s time to return the car (1230, oops we’re late). So park the car at the library and leave the keys at the desk and back to the boat (the car was picked up sometime during the evening, we think, as it is not there this morning). Wash the decks, clip the dogs, vacuum the cabin, make some drinking water (the town water is for showers and dishes), oh its sundown time for one of those fruity cocktails, sans umbrella. My how the time flys.
Up with the sun and check the weather, looks to be another fine day, where shall we go next?

We had a lovely stay at the Emerald Bay Marina, just north of George Town, for 6 days! They had a special running that included free laundry so we proceeded there to continue bombing the boat and washing EVERYTHING. That may not seem like a big deal financially but we spent almost $100 doing laundry in George Town so by our math we came out ahead on the deal! Plus, we didn’t have to load our dinghy, tie up at the dock, walk 8 blocks to the laundry…you get the picture!
When we arrived at the marina, Simpatico (Greg and Jo) were there as well getting ready for their trip back to Florida. The marina is part of the Sandals resort and had an incredible clubhouse. There was a 60 inch TV (yep, hadn’t seen one of those in a long time) and movies you could check out. So, we popped popcorn, mixed our favorite beverages and joined Greg and Jo for ‘movie night’!
There is also a good vet in George Town so we had made an appointment to have Mija’s teeth cleaned. We rented a car to get her there and toured the island for most of the day. We headed south to the bitter end of the island where we found a great outdoor bar/restaurant where we stopped for refreshment and liming with some cruisers that were there. And yes, Chula loves beer!

Well, it was fun to be at a dock for a while where the puppy dogs ran like crazy but we are ready to set off again for some more scenic island hopping. Sunday (Mother’s Day) we are off to Cat Island. This is a different island from Cat Cay where we first checked into the Bahamas back in January. We are getting better at remembering the island names which is no small task considering there are over 500 islands (or close to that!) with several having the same name!
We arrived at the north bight in Cat Island in good time. Most of the wind is now coming consistently from the east (with some NE and SE in there) so anchoring in the lee of the islands is easy without having to worry about those cold fronts bringing west wind. Oh yeah, have you noticed we stopped talking about cold fronts! Could they be finally over???
Cat Island boasts the highest point in the Bahamas, at Mt. Alvernia, at a height of 206 feet. At the top of the peak is Father Jerome’s Hermitage. At the age of 62, the architect, turned priest built this small replica of the hermitages found in Europe. There is a beautiful 360 degree view from the top. Inside there is a guest book and we noticed a couple had just signed in from Beach City, TX. When we came outside there was a man who said, “How ya’ll doin?” so by deduction we asked if it was them. We started talking on the walk down and it turns out that Tom and Janice Hitchcock (on M/V Reprieve) know the market director from my previous job so…Dan Bellows…they say ‘Hi’!
That evening we also got a Mahi (Pompano Dolphin)! He was a handful and will feed us for weeks. Did we catch him you ask? Well, no. As we were having our Sun Downer in the cockpit a boat came up and asked us if we wanted one of the four they had in a bucket. They were from M/V Who Cares. The ‘mother ship’ (a very large boat) comes down for a month and all they do is fish. There are two arms coming off the ship that tethers two good sized fishing boats to it. Every day they were off with the sunrise and fished all day. It was a big task just to clean this guy so it was very nice to have them do the hard work of landing it for us! Ed has replaced the reel on the rod (the first one broke when he caught something BIG) and as soon as we have room in the freezer we will start fishing again as we sail.
Next we made our way a whopping 7 miles north to a new anchorage at Fernandez Bay. It is a beautiful bay with great reefs for snorkeling and a lovely resort. They welcome cruisers ashore and invite you to dine with them if you give them notice. We heard there was lobster on Wednesday evenings so since there is an upcoming birthday (Ed adds a digit on the 18th!) we decided to make it an early celebration. We dined with a nice couple from Maine that is on the island to get married the following week. They both worked at the Maritime School and it was fun to hear about their education program.
The next day we decided it was time to go snorkeling as the winds had died down a bit. We dingied ashore with the dogs, suited them up with their life jackets and started swimming out to the reef just off the beach. Beautiful! Ed decided to bring the dogs back to shore and Vicky continued to snorkel. All of the sudden she notices a 3-4 foot fish with a very toothy grin following her. She kicked her fins in the fish’s direction…still there. She went right; she went left….still there. Now she is getting a bit panicky because it doesn’t seem to be afraid of her and likes to come way too close. Luckily Ed decided to get the dogs in the dinghy and come looking for me as I had skirted around the point out of view. I quickly hopped in the dinghy gasping as I was beginning to hyperventilate! A quick look in the fish identification book we have quickly confirmed what Ed suspected…it was a barracuda. And, as it turns out they are very inquisitive (i.e.: come too close!) but won’t harm you. Just don’t wear any shiny things in the water or be bleeding (good advice…as if you would be snorkeling if you were bleeding!) So, we get back to the boat and Ed is relaxing in the cockpit when he sees this large fish hanging out below. You guessed it…a barracuda. Vicky insists it was the same one continuing to stalk her!
Well, it is time to start thinking about the next destination. We are off on Monday toward Eleuthra. We may stop along the way at Little San Salvador. It is privately owned by Holland Cruise Line but you can anchor off the west end. If making good time we may go straight to Rock Sound, Eleuthra. We hear it is one of the best and most-reasonable places to reprovision so we are looking forward to that!