Finally, we're underway again!
First we have to say how grateful we are to Dick and Carol Tuschick for their wonderful hospitality and care for us at Camp Carol. To say they are terrific is an understatement.
The long-awaited water maker arrived on Christmas Eve day. We scratched our heads and pondered how this monstrous 200 lb and multiple-piece equipment would fit in the boat. Jim and Joanna Arnold came over to help sort out the problem. Thanks to Jim and his engineering mind, and Bob's "this won't beat me" attitude, we figured where to put all the pieces, and then Bob spent days getting it all together.
Christmas gifts were opened in the cockpit in 70+degrees, and then we spent a wonderful day with Jim and Joanna. Maggie fulfilled a dream by walking on a beach Christmas day.
Knowing that beachcombing in the Bahamas is only days away, we got a headstart on shellingwithbob.com - Joanna gave us good advice on the right shells to look for and how to make bracelets. (OK, so now you know your Christmas gift for next year!)
Jim and Joanna cast us off the Camp Carol dock on Tuesday about 12:30 after a hectic morning getting everything ready.
We wondered if we'd know what to do once we started the engine. It all came back, even for Rosie who spent the day curled up under her tent. We anchored the first night just a few miles down the ICW. It felt so good to be back underway. Anchored in Peck Lake, we spent the evening fighting off the no-seeums, swatting and scratching for hours. They came right through our mosquito netting. We finally had to seal the boat and turn on the air conditioners to stop them from coming in. Bob spent hours trying to kill the little critters before they got us, unfortunately there were just to many so we scratched all night long!
On Wednesday we motored just ahead of a front to the north, bringing rain as it proceeded south.
Continuing down the ICW and Bob's flawless timing for the 7 bridges we went under, we anchored in Lake Worth about 1:00, staying ahead of the front. We had just enough time to put the enclosure around the cockpit before the rain hit. We spent the afternoon working out the kinks for the new email software that we'll use with the satellite phone, and listening to Herb on Southbound II report weather for cruisers. We're getting back in the groove.
Up early and underway at 6:30a Friday, we went to Ft Lauderdale for last-minute errands before another long holiday weekend. We thought we would cross the Florida straits on Sunday.
We arrived in Ft Lauderdale in the hustle and bustle of many motor boats, with Bob repeating again and again, "if only I had a gun..." They had no consideration for the effect of their wakes.
Ft Lauderdale is filled beautiful homes and boats along many canals; most are beautiful, and then this (above)!! We got into Lake Sylvia about 2:30, but not without going aground for the first time since we left in September. We were stuck for 15 minutes, fortunately on an incoming tide that got us off. We anchored in the quiet lake in front of a beautiful house.
This turned out to be a great place to do our last minute errands, following Skipper Bob's directions on exiting the lake and finding the local spots.
We had a quiet evening, and got up early to leave at high tide about 7:00a; we do learn lessons! Again, we got to the bridge at just the right time. On our way out of the channel, we were halted by the biggest cruise ship we've ever seen, the Caribbean Princess. Bob commented that it would be a perfect day to cross; Maggie stated that she had work to do and mail to post; Miami it is.
Heading toward Miami, we received a call from Dick Tuschick, suggesting that the weather was perfect to cross ... NOW! He told Maggie that she could finish work in Nassau. After two minutes of thinking about it, we altered course, heading east across the Gulf Stream - go for it! What a way to end the year!
We made final calls from our cellphones to let our family know we were leaving, and settled in to experience the crossing. It was smooth, as we watched the skyscrapers disappear behind us, and then finally saw land (Bimini) about 3:30p. We were thrilled to see the turquoise water and feel the warm air around us. Rosie doesn't have her sealegs back yet, and spent most of the trip in her seasick position.
We anchored in the Grand Bahamas Banks about 4:30 for an early dinner, with absolutely nothing around us. We watched the sun set, and acknowledged how fortunate we are. It had to have been the darkest night we have ever experienced. Not a soul within sight!
Up early on Sunday, January 1, we charted the course for Chub Cay to check in to the Bahamas. We had our breakfast underway at our new cockpit table; it was smooth sailing (or...motoring, with the wind off our nose). Bob worked on the water maker (which hasn't worked since we first installed it at Camp Carol) while Maggie and Rosie had the watch. Soon, the noise of the fishing reel brought Bob to the deck - he caught his first big one!
Not being a fish we recognized, we tossed it back and decided on pork for dinner. We saw about a half dozen boats all day, and anchored on the Banks for the second night, with no land around; we did see a couple of boats anchored in the distance.
We left at 7:00a, and went through Northwest Passage light with 3 other sailboats, which we passed along the way. Beating into the SE wind and getting pounded by the waves, were were glad to enter Chub Cay about 11:30. Only to discover that the marina, fuel dock, and customs/immigration were all closed for renovations. We looked at the predicted weather and decided to anchor off the southeast side of Chub Cay, off Frazers Hog Cay. Bob dove to clean the bottom of the boat, and Maggie did laundry, using her new Wonderwash Machine. We continue to say Life Is Good.
It's Tuesday morning; we're on our way to Nassau.
Happy New Year!!!