Time to refresh

The trip from Bellhaven to Coinjock was uneventful and then we left Coinjock Tuesday morning at 0630 for the final leg of the journey to Oxford and the point of beginning.

We just missed the first bridge opening but got some reprieve by a barge coming southbound so the North Landing Bridge opened early. From there the group of boats at the opening traveled through the bridges together. When we got to the Great Bridge Lock there was an issue with the locks so we lost about 45 mins while the problem got resolved. After that there was only the Gilmerton Bridge which now opens on demand so we made it through Norfolk fairly easily compared to other passages. We stopped by mile 1 at Ocean marine for fuel since their fuel price was $1 less than Oxford's.

As we journeyed up the Elizabeth and James River there was little wind but once out on the Bay we picked up a nice sea breeze and sailed. We were able to sail most of the evening until the wind slacked off and clocked more behind us. So we motored until we started making our turn into the Choptank. We were able then to sail right to the Tred Avon where we began motoring to prep for our landing. Since it was still early we motored slowly so we would get there after 0800. We arrived at the marina about 0830 concluding the trip that began 4 December.

The rest of the day we started getting things ready for the work we need to do and preparing for our trip to Chicago.

Thursday morning they hauled Amekaya so we could do some bottom work before continuing. After looking at the bottom in daylight it looked even better than I thought after diving on it. The bottom was extremely clean. No doubt the 11 kts offshore took care of any growth. We bought a Max-prop folding prop to replace the OEM fixed blade prop that we used instead of the Vari-prop from the PO.

While in the slings we asked for our weight. The advertised empty weight of our boat is 33,000# but the hanging weight of our boat was 42,000# without much water on board. A big difference in weight. So fully provisioned the boat will be over 43000#.

We are now on the road in Chicagoland visiting family and friends for a few days while the bottom dries before working on it. Seems really odd to be sleeping in a bed that's not moving, not wearing bathing suits or having boat chores to do.

Next update when we get back to the boat.

One more night

This morning we left Cherry Point and journeyed up to Belhaven, NC. The trip was a very short 60 miles. Tomorrow we need to do 80 miles and we will be in Coinjock, NC. That will be the last stop before we get back to Oxford, MD where we started on Dec 4. This trip began then and we have traveled probably close to 2500 miles and after one more stop we will be back where it all started.

Our northbound travel began in the Exumas after leaving Georgetown and though we knew that we were headed back, we had lots more to see and do in the Bahamas. But crossing back to St Augustine and then the passage back to Beaufort crystallized the idea that we were headed back to the land of no palm trees and cold. 

As we traveled south there was excitement in every mile as we raced to escape the cold and the dreams of new places to see. Now, it's all places we've been, everything is old and the warmth of summer will mask the return to familiar places.

But each mile is still another mile covered through the self-reliance that has gotten us this far and will drive us forward to many new places and adventures.

So tonight we enjoyed meeting new friends at Dowry Creek where they had a holiday pot luck and happy hour before an early morning departure to Coinjock, the last stop before returning to Oxford and a respite to do repairs and take care of our medical needs for the year.

   

We just need to remember this isn't the end but just another passage. 

Back in the land of leaf trees

We arrived in Beaufort, NC in the late morning hours of Monday, 18 May, finally settling at the dock around noon. Current and wind were significant considerations as they always are a Beaufort Docks. But, with a little jockeying we got neatly into our slip ready to refresh from our 2 days offshore.

Overnight the coolness forced us to put on heavier clothing than we were used to wearing. The cool breeze off the water kept things comfortable but not as warm as we've become accustomed to. When we stepped off onto the docks the heat of the day became apparent but we needed to wash the boat before we could open any ports or hatches. Since we just had a long motor we needed fuel as well. At Beaufort Docks they can fuel you right at the slip.

After doing the obligatory chores we showered for the first time in a few days and enjoyed a happy hour at the Dock House before going for a short walk to dinner at Spouter Inn which was busy for a Monday evening. We sat out on the dock in the freshening breeze. With summer coming the town was full of tourists and there was a large party next to us. Once again as we did on Marsh Harbor we got engaged with them and had a nice conversation before we left. Seems it was a family reunion with folks from all over the Country. Interesting that they chose Beaufort. It is a very nice quaint little waterfront town and once again we became part of the scen ery to the crowds walking the docks looking at the boats.

On Tuesday morning we had our leisurely breakfast of blueberry pancakes since our trip that day was short. Storms were forecasted for later in the day so we did want to get in before then.

So about 1030 we got out being able to use the tide to help us get out and up the ICW.

We got into Cherry Point about 1430 which was just about the time the storms were supposed to hit and we went through a few showers on our way to the marina. Cherry Point MCAS is about 10 miles up the Neuse River from the ICW and we had deep water all the way to the entry channel and once inside the water is deep.

The dockmaster and several folks from the marina were there to hep us tie up and shortly after we did the storms hit and it rained heavily for several hours.

We plan to stay at Cherry Point to visit my son Jeremy and his family until this weekend before we head back to Oxford to pull the boat for work and get ready for our cruise to New England this summer.

It's a lot cooler here and the trees have leaves on them. Quite different from where we've been. We already miss the warm clear water and palm trees blowing in the trade wind. It won't be long before we are heading back that way for a long cruise.

Farewell to the Land of Palm Trees

We departed St Augustine with the 1130 opening of the Bridge of Lions. Tide was flowing out strongly so we had a quick ride down the river to the channel but knew that the tide going into an opposing swell would not be pleasant. In the Bahamas they call that a rage when the wind and swells oppose the tide. Many ocean passages are impassable during a rage.   

Our final views as we were leaving the warm climate that we crashed into in mid-December with a 57 hour offshore passage and now we were heading back to the land of cold and no palm trees. It was like taking a plane flight only longer when we came down leaving cold and waking up in warm and surrounded by palm trees. Since mid-December until now in mid-May we were living summer in tropical surroundings (Except for the quick trip north to sell our 380). 

As we motored off into the future blue it was really like going back in time heading back north. As we came out of the channel we were propelled by the outgoing tide but the incoming swells caused what looked like a boiling sea in the cut and in the channel as breakers crashed to shore on each side of us. The turbulence subsided when we got into deeper water and when we got to the sea buoy we routed our course to the 1st way point about 110 miles northeast that would put us in the Gulf Stream.

The seas were running 3-5' and at times 4-6' right on our nose. Initially the wind and waves were both on the nose so I pulled out the main and fell off several degrees to get lift to help cut through the waves. Eventually the wind began clocking to the south and we could work our way back to our course as the waves continued to reduce our speed. We passed several other sailboats heading in a similar direction. We started building speed and at about 2300 and about 20 miles before our initial way point we routed to our second way point since it was on the same heading. The first night was rough and we took turns sleeping in the main salon.

We hit our second way point about 1100 in the morning and the waves were beginning to come down in size. When we hit our third way point about 1800 on Sunday the seas were laying down and we were still hitting great speeds. While on the way to our first way point we began hitting 9+ kts and from there until well after our third way point we were pretty consistently running 9-11 kts with a high of almost 12 kts although the chart plotter is showing a high speed of 13 kts.

From our third way point we set a direct course to Beaufort about 110 mi NNE. Following our course on shore our first way point was only as far north as Fernandina Beach, Fl but as far east as Charleston, SC. Our next way point was as far north as Savannah and as far east as Myrtle Beach. Our third way point was as far north as Charleston but was farther east than Cape Fear, NC. When we hit our final leg made vertical progress quickly. In our offshore passage we passed hundreds of cruisers strung out along the ICW from Jacksonville to Morehead City.

While offshore we passed very few ships or other vessels. About 0300 Monday the wind came up just behind our beam. With about 60 miles left we pulled out the sails and turned off the motor. We were able to sail right up to the Beaufort channel. As we approached the channel it looked like we were coming in from way offshore when our course from the south actually took us right into the channel because the shore runs almost east-west from Cape Lookout by Beaufort.

We got into a slip and began to cleanup. Surprisingly we weren't as tired as we thought we would be so we worked n getting the boat ready for the next couple months of inshore travel.

So we relaxed for our one night on Beaufort. 

Another tank of gas and back to sea again

We made it St Augustine Tuesday after our overnight passage from the Bahamas. Getting there late we picked up one of the few remaining moorings and waited until morning to call in to Customs and Border Patrol SVRS since the numbers I called were only working 8-5.

So Wednesday morning I called in and after some time was able to finally connect with the right agent and got our clearance to reenter the US. SVRS is an effort by the government to facilitate entry for small boaters who frequently go in an dout of the country. It takes some prep and coordination but it sure beats going to a customs office at an airport and standing in line.

Then we moved into a slip at the St Augustine Municipal Marina as early as we could so we could begin the work we needed to do. On the way in we topped off our fuel tank for the first time since Man O War Cay. It was nice to see fuel prices with a 3 handle instead of a $4 first digit as it was everywhere in the Bahamas.

We knew our visit to St Augustine was going to be short and intense. In about 3 days we cleamed up the boa from several days offshore, visited our storage unit in Jacksonville to get some things we needed, did some provisioning and spent some time with one of my daughters and her family.

After rushing around for a few days while enjoying the charming St Augustine we made ready for our departure on up the coast. So about mid-day Saturday we undid the docklines and left for Beaufort, NC. A trip of about 370 miles. Probably more if you count slip to slip. 

Home is where our boat is

What an enjoyable night our last night in the Bahamas turned out to be. We got into Grand Cay and was able to tie up to Rosie’s Marina. The marina was not fancy but in better condition than many other places we’ve seen. It was part of a little enterprise that included guest cottages, a restaurant, liquor store and the government dock.

We had the lobster dinner with a couple of cold Sands beers to celebrate our last night in the islands. Price was reasonable compared to most of what we saw on the other islands.

Then this morning we began our trip after waiting for low tide to pass. The harbor channel and area around the dock was shallow so we wanted to be sure if we got stuck the tide was going the right way. But, we made it out successfully after sliding across the sand coming out of the dock and once clear of the shoals got our sails out and had a nice sail until we needed to turn west. The wind was east-southeast so it was dead behind us. We could have gone out a thorny pass to the ocean but opted 

(our last view of the Bahamas)

to stay on the Bank for comfort and to get as far west as quickly as possible to pick up the Gulf Stream. So to sail the course we raised the spinnaker and sailed. We sailed the entire way off the Bank but the wind was waning and night was coming so we didn’t want to fly the Spinnaker at night 

so we opted to motor sail and hopefully when we turn north in the Gulf Stream the wind will be on our beam and we can sail from there.

As we got away from the Bahama Bank the swells built to at least 3-5' and wind continued from behind and we were running at 9-9.5 kts toward the stream. We had waypoints in the stream and when we got close to that lay line we turned to get out of the way of the Disney Dreams cruise ship coming at us. After we turned I pulled out the jib and cut the engine and we were flying. We were rocking along over 10 kts and hit 11-11.5 kts at times. But it didn't last. The wind quieted down and got right behind us and eventually the rocking overcame the power of the sails so we had to go back to power. We continued running at 9-10 kts all night and came out of the stream about 0800 but with the strong swells behind us we continued running between 8-9 kts all the way up the coast to St Augustine.

During early Monday evening several squalls appeared around us but none came close. As night fell we saw lightning in the sky off in the distance but nothing close. When the moon finally rose the sky and sea were beautiful with the phosphorescence lighting up in our bow wave and in our wake animating the water along our track.

Monday morning the wind died but with the swell we continued running quickly. At one point 3 spotted dolphins were swimming under our bow. We went up to the bowsprit and watched them swim to keep up and dive under the bow surfacing frequently for air and even jumping over the wake. The only distance between us was the boat free board. They swam with us for close to 5 mins and were quite an enjoyable amusement.

When we got to the St Augustine sea buoy and turned toward the channel the sky started to darken and show signs of an impending squall. We kept a weather eye on it but were really focused on finding the channel. We've come in this inlet in the dark 2x but never in daylight. We've come out but we just followed our track. The marks area all floating marks because they are moved frequently as the shoals shift. We never saw any water less than 15' of water and  eventually found all the marks and worked our way in against the out coming tide, the now gusting wind and the northbound swells against the tide.  Eventually we got behind the shore and the swells abated but the wind built and once inside the pass the current lessened and we got up to the Bridge of Lions and onto our mooring about 1930 and settled down to dinner and to bed.

Our home is now in St Augustine for the next few days. In the army we used to say that our home is where our hat is. Now, home is where our boat is and it is no longer in the Bahamas but back in Florida,

Waiting to launch

Today, Sunday 10 May, Mother's Day in the rest of the world, we left the pretty confines of Spanish Cay and motor sailed up the Grand Cay. The last civilization in the Bahamas before jumping off into large expanses of water leading to the US mainland.

Sail Cay Rocks

With each step our Bahamian experience comes one step closer to ending. It has been an incredible run and even though it has been less than 2 months it seems like it was a lifetime because the weeks flew by so quickly and we have done so many things and seen so many places. Down at Emerald Bay we crossed into the tropics and now we are at the same latitude as Stuart, Florida.  When we dock again we will be in St Augustine almost 7 degrees further north and then 8 more to go until we're back in the Bay.

Our motor sail today was very pleasant. The wind was about 10 kts most of the way but almost dead behind us. I would have liked to sail in it but we needed to make it Grand Cay and get ensconced near a wifi so we could download our final weather charts before leaving tomorrow. That meant we needed to arrive before it was too late. We had our sails up the entire trip getting at least a half-knot of lift from them and were able to average at 7.5 kts so when we made the final turn I poled out the headsail and we went wing-on-wing with the engine off. I even pulled out the staysail for extra lift and that worked until the wind got way behind us. So we were able to sail the final leg.

As we got close to Grand Cay the radio was really quiet. There were no AIS vessels on our screen and we became concerned that things might be closed when we got here so I tried to reach folks here with little success. Finally I found a note in the cruising guide to call "Love train" on VHF 68 and I did and got a response. We got a slip, wifi and dinner reservations. Everything worked out. So we're sitting here tonight after dinner listening to the music from a local lounge with the breeze ripping while we enjoy our last night in the Bahamas.

In the morning we clear out of the marina, wait for low tide to pass and then head out to the deep blue ocean.

Next update from St Augustine. This morning I filed our float plan with the US Customs and Border Protection Small Vessel Reporting System so when we get back all we need to do is call in to clear through customs and immigration and we'll be back legally.

A small step

Today, Saturday we left Guana Cay early so we could go through the Whale Passage at a slack tide. We reasoned if we did that there would be the least likelihood of issues with current and tide running against the wind.  So we left our mooring at just about sunrise and motored to the passage.

Whale Cay.

The Whale passage is notorious for rages caused when large swells come in from the north with heavy winds and then run against the current. In all the Bahama passages rages occur when the tide runs against the wind but the Whale can be especially treacherous. However, this morning it was easily negotiable.

After we made the passage out the cut and back into the Sea of Abaco it was still early so we took advantage of the little wind there was and sailed. For the most part the wind was behind us but about halfway there the wind came up to the beam and we shot out and made our intended stop jut after noon.

We took a slip at Spanish Cay Marina, one of the last places (or first places depending which way you're going) in the Abacos for support before heading out across the Bahama Bank and then into the ocean.

A pleasant place. 2 Nurse Sharks patrol the depths for fish thrown from the many fishing boats the visit the marina and clean their catch. This little fella was beneath Linda's lounge chair at the pool.

Tomorrow we go to Grand Cay. The last inhabited Cay in the Abacos on the way north and west. After than St Augustine.

Leaving the shelter

We’re now in passage mode again. We left Man O War Cay this morning about 930 and motored the short 8 miles over to Great Guana Cay. When we started out the wind was only about 5 kt but in the middle of the Sea of Abaco it increased to about 10 kts and we could have sailed. But, we had less than an hour to go so I decided we would just motor to our destination. I will have to change the engine oil in St Augustine when we get there so motoring is not a worry. I changed it in Marathon and currently have about 110 hour on the oil. The manual says to change it every 150 hours.

The Albury Ferry heading into Settlement Harbor on Great Guana Cay.

We got a mooring in Fishers Bay in Great Guana Cay and there were no other boats here. We dropped the dink and ran into the Dive Guana dock. 8 years ago when we chartered here I did a dive with them so it was déjà vu. Anyway we inquired at the dive shop about paying the mooring fee and the young fellow who was holding down the shop while his boss was away said someone would be out in the morning to collect. We told him we expected to leave early. He said to stop back later. We did and the shop was closed.

Anyway, we walked over to Nippers for lunch and to hung out at the bar. What a cool place. It is what every dock bar wants to be. A cool bar, lots of different seating arrangements, a cool pool, wifi and a beautiful beach. Add to that a great view and you have it. Plus it doesn’t get cold here (or at least too cold). After lunch we went for a swim until the skies looked threatening.

This afternoon a storm blew up and while it didn’t come by here there was lightning and thunder in the distance so we came back to the boat to be sure everything was secured and to be on the boat in case of any emergency. The storm never got here so we just chilled out.

At 5 o’clock or actually later we dinghied in to Grabbers Beach bar which was at the end of the Bay. When we were here 8 yrs ago our crew had dinner there one night. Well the bar was also way cool. So we worked email and enjoyed a couple of Red Stripes. Seems they were out of Sands Beer and lobster (plus a few other things). Not sure why they were inventory challenged (other than lobster is out of season) because one of the things I’ve noticed about the Abacos compared to the Exumas is they seem to get freight here regularly. In the Exumas they said they got mailboats at least 3 times a month but nobody knew when. In Man O War I saw freight deliveries 3 times this week. I guess the Abacos have a better logistics system.

Tomorrow we go through the infamous Whale passage. It is frequently very difficult but we’ll see.

More tomorrow.

Time to get on down the road

The winds and weather have finally calmed down. Tonight at sunset the water was nearly glass-like for the first time since we've been here in this beautiful place. With the calm it is time to move on even though we've enjoyed our time on this little island. But, since the storm hasn't moved far enough north, we can't jump off tomorrow to St Augustine as we hoped. So we're going to spend a few days moving north and west through some other islands and then jump off with a shorter trip to St Augustine.

Tomorrow, Friday, we plan to make the short trip over to Great Guana Cay just 10 miles north to hangout at Nippers. A well-known beach bar and resort with lots to do and some other cool places on the island. Saturday our plan is to take a longer sail for about 40 miles northwest to Spanish Cay and then Sunday another 40 mile trip to Grand Cay. From there the Gulf Stream is about a half-day sail where we can turn north and pick up speed using the current flow.
 
I've made many comments in other blog articles about the island we're leaving but it is such a pleasant place and even though they only have a few restaurants they are very good. Tonight we ate at the little restaurant by the marina and had very nice and fresh salads with a veggie pizza that was as good or better than most pizzas we've had.

But overall the island is clean, orderly and prosperous unlike many other islands in the Bahamas. The original settlers of these islands were Americans who left the America during the revolution because they remained loyal to the British crown. They are very much like people on Virginia's Eastern shore who were similar and actually still speak with a similar brogue.

But many of the homes here grow fruit and vegetables in their yard. The stores are well stocked. There is a hardware store here that has as much stuff as many Ace hardware stores in the US. When we visited other islands the stores had nothing in them and nothing much was being grown. I don't have information about all the factors but I'm curious what is different here that makes these islands so much more productive and attractive. There are also far more people in these islands probably because there are jobs here. But, most jobs and opportunities are from entrepreneurs who are performing a need in the community.

Folks in the Abacos are very religious and on this island everything is closed on Sunday (even the marina office) and alcohol is not sold on the island. But whatever it is the island is almost completely built up now with many beautiful houses.

Well, tomorrow we start our trip back to the US where we will work through the issues we've uncovered in the boat, visit family, take care of medical events and spend the summer in New England visiting friends and enjoying the sights.