Yes, it has been some time since you have heard from us. We are still in St Augustine, FL, sweltering in the heat and humidity. It’s October, a time when our expectations lean towards cooler nights and breezier days. Not so this year. Even locals are getting tired of the heat and wondering where the cooler weather is. In the meantime other parts of the nation are experiencing early snows with temperatures in the, too cold to want to know range. I can’t help but wonder if this will be a year of extremes.
We have put SongBird up for sale, so it’s with a degree of sadness that I write. As you may or may not know Carey has designed and developed two, three wheeled vehicles, the Rocketship (RKTSHP) and the SoLo. Both projects seem to be taking off at the same time, requiring us to return to California. We are quite excited about the possibilities regarding these two projects and will keep you informed of the progress and our plans as they unfold.
As I take a moment to think about the past year and a half I am overwhelmed with memories, fun, hard, happy, and sad times, incredible beauty, and incredible people. Life on SongBird has been a great experience, as well as a great home, as she has so faithfully served us. I can’t believe we are going to have to pass her on to somebody else already. It will be a sad day when the time comes but we are so thankful for all the tremendous experiences and the opportunity to do such a thing.
We are also thankful we took this time out of our lives to pursue a longtime dream, and would not change anything. It is ending sooner than we planned but then when do things work out according to our exact plan? Life is too short not to go for the gusto and adventure when the opportunity arises.
It’s with great fondness we recall all the new friends we made, the places we saw that we could not have seen otherwise, and all the experiences we could have never dreamed of, that will stay with us forever. The ideal of sailing is true. Sitting on the bow of your boat with the one you love, the wind in your hair, the ocean spray in your face, dolphins jumping in the bow wave, counting huge starfish that you can see 20 feet down below. You can’t help but consider the beauty, the peace and the privilege. The autopilot steers the boat while the sails catch the wind, allowing you to relax and soak it all in. The air is warm, fresh and clean, it is hard to imagine anything else other than that one moment in time. These times may be few, or short lived, because the wind may shift requiring you to leave your place of wonder to trim a sail or two… the dolphins will move on to another adventure and more than likely a wave will come up splashing you back to reality, forcing you to face your tasks at hand. But the thing is, it’s all true, the wonder, the adventure, the beauty, the joy, the peace. You can’t escape it, and you sure don’t want to.
The ideal of a simpler life, consuming fewer resources, facing life challenges that do not include traffic and air pollution, awaits those who cruise. You learn how to take care of everything yourself and find innovation in areas you never considered imaginable. You learn to make friends quickly with those who are not always like you, but who would give you the shirt off their backs in a minute, because you all share one thing in common… you live on a very small boat in a very large ocean.
It is cheaper to cruise then to live on land, your lifestyle is much simpler, your footprint much smaller and your needs and desires much different. Laundry is expensive to do but you don’t wear all that many clothes, and when you do, you wear the same item often. Your wardrobe is simple, can easily be washed in a bucket and hung in the rigging. Gas costs more, but you rarely need any when you sail. Food is expensive but the ocean provides many meals and if you eat like a local you keep your costs down. You don’t have a mortgage or rent… anchoring is free. Communication is not as easy, but then, is it worth fast internet speed to be stuck in a cubicle? A doctor’s appointment will cost you less, as will a dentist. You get a lot of exercise, you walk everywhere. When you need a ride somewhere, someone will help you out and you will have made a new friend. You have time to read books, write, visit with new friends, play cards, learn tournament bocce ball, watch old movies, and pray. You have time to snorkel and dive, watch fish, hunt for seashells, and sea glass, make jewelry, design purses. You can let out all and any creative juices you want to explore but never had time for, unless it requires a garage and power tools! You will meet people of all faiths, including those who share your God. You will find yourself encouraged, challenged and stirred. You will have more of a sense of life and how you want to live it.
The reality of sailing is also true. Such things as seasickness, waves dumping gallons of water on top of your head without notice, losing things overboard, broken parts and the inconvenience of the dying engine are only some of things to be contended with. It’s a hassle being on a boat when you need to use crutches, other then the fact that you never have to go far. You may feel damp and cold at times but if you stay south, not often. You will never shovel snow but you may have to bail the dinghy after a rain.
The things we learned while contending will stay with us for a lifetime… some things will remain useful while other things we may never have to deal with again. One thing is for sure, we never knew there were so many uses for beer cans, 5200 (every cruisers glue solution), and wine corks! No cruiser should leave home without being well stocked in these items.
Life is truly good on a boat, but since all things come to an end, we have to say goodbye to the “good life” and move on to a new adventure. I will miss this life, this adventure, this amazing time. I sing as SongBirds sails sing, in perfect wind, and a perfect sea. Life is good on a boat.
For Carey to have his vehicles put into production is quite an accomplishment and blessing and one we look forward to, and we really miss rides on the RKTSHP.
If you know someone who wants to move forward in their dreams towards the cruising life, SongBird is for sale and ready to cruise the world. She is truly the happiest when out on the ocean sailing her heart out. You can feel it in her sails and hulls.
A few bits of news: SongBird and Carey and I are going to be in a movie. Well who knows what will be edited out, but at least SongBird will make the cut. The movie is Grazia based on the book Grace. While our friends Rich and Else were out visiting, Rich and Carey met the guy who was doing the location scouting and discovered he needed a boat. Carey gave him our card and a week later he showed up to check it out. He said they would be back in a week. Sure enough we got a call that they would arrive in an hour. We met everyone, they did the shoot and then we all went to lunch. It was really fun and everyone was so nice!
In Sept. Carey and Jared spent two and a half weeks in Savannah installing Willow’s new engine. In the meantime Ruthie came down to spend some time with me while we waited for our husbands to return. Ruthie had been in New York with her mom for her grandpa’s funeral, at which time they also discovered one of her brothers has lymphoma. Michael is responding well to treatments but of course it’s a long hard road.
My sister, Lani, and Eddie were out visiting Eddie’s parents in Daytona so were able to come to be with us for a day. It was wonderful seeing them! We all ended up stuck on the boat for the day since it rained most of the time, but we managed to humor ourselves. As I mentioned Rich and Else came out for a visit which was really fun and wonderful. We love having friends come! They made us feel like we were on vacation! My youngest son Jeff will be here next month, and then in Dec. we are headed to CO. Jared and Ruthie will be in VA for Nov before heading to CO in Dec. It is going to be great to see friends and family! We will probably be in CA in Jan. so are very excited about seeing Carey’s kids and grandkids. It’s been too long since we have been with our families, we can’t wait!
We still have our same phone numbers, although Carey does not usually have his phone with him, besides he can’t access his voice mail. It’s still best to call us on my phone number. We can’t receive text messages on our phones so if you try we won’t get it. Well, I think that covers it for now on our end. Please let us know how you are and what you are up to and of course if you are ready for a trip to FL!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Mates Land Log 7.30.09
THE LATEST AND GREATEST BREAKING NEWS!!!! JARED AND RUTHIE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!!!
St Augustine is full of old buildings, quaint shops and plenty of history. This being the oldest European settlement in the United States, St Augustine has survived a myriad of wars and battles starting over 50 years before the first pilgrims landed at Plymouth. The oldest house, the oldest schoolhouse and the oldest drug store, all stand here in what is called the Oldest City of God. We have enjoyed staying here with its friendly people and rich history.
We are currently living the marina life which includes showers, laundry, a dock to step out on, so no dinghy-ing to shore, and power for a window air conditioner that sits on a top hatch. We have no anchor to worry about dragging and no limit as to how many friends can come visit, since we no longer have to use the dinghy to get them to the boat. There is a restaurant in front of us with some great live music if we choose to open the door and listen. We have made new friends and have settled into a daily routine… well, that is if falling off the boat is something you call routine.
I had been cleaning the boat and had just started with some cleaning of the lines. I took a large step from the top deck onto the first top swim step. There is a small, foot step to make for an easier step, but I bypassed this so I could step stretching over the lines laid out on the swim step. From this first large step I am not sure exactly what really happened, but when I put my foot down it started to slip, I tried to catch myself but I was by now doing the splits with one leg stuck high on the deck while the other slid out in front of me. I think I tried to grab the raid-arch, but only managed to jam my fingers and slam my back leg, which I think set me on my tush. I’m pretty sure I caught a cleat with my foot while bouncing up and over the side of the boat. I then landed on top of the line hanging from the side of the boat and tied to the dock. I held on thinking for a brief moment I might be able to crawl across the line, without landing in the nasty water, to get to the bottom swim step. What I was thinking... I have no idea, other then the fact that I have watched too many movies where stuntmen do these types of things. Before I could bring myself to reality that this would never work I flipped around the line and fell in the nasty water. Falling in the water in a marina creates a belief that surly one can walk on water and not have to actually swim in the muck. Believing in miracles did not help me this day and I realized I was going to have to find a way out of the water. I swam to the back swim ladder and tried pulling it down so I could climb up and out of the muck, but the line I had landed on caught the ladder when I pulled on it which only caused the ladder to hit me in the head…. You ask, where was Carey during all of this; well, he was sitting in the boat reading, not having any idea what was happening. With no hero in sight to rescue me I had to pull myself up onto an inverted ladder and lay there until I could regain my wits. I saw there was no other way out of this lovely water, so with a quick look around to see who was or was not watching, and with great effort, I ungracefully climbed back on to the boat. Hosing myself down with fresh water and assessing my injuries, I could not figure out what else I had hit on my way overboard. I had bruises all over my legs, arms and other unmentionable places. I had cut and sprained my ankle, and my head was growing a knot the size of Kansas. Life on a boat can be dangerous! I have healed and the bruises have all faded way. I am now on crutches after some minor foot surgery, which is not near as painful as when I fell off the boat.
If you want to see the latest development with Carey’s trike (the SoLo) you can check out the pictures at http://www.motiveind.com/ click on the portfolio tab. There is a picture of the SoLo with “website coming soon” written across it. If you put your cursor over the picture other pictures will show up in the frame to the right. We are excited to see what might come of the project.
My sister and Eddie are coming for a visit in Aug., Else and Richard, friends from Colorado are coming in Sept. and Jared should be back down in a month. Jared and Ruthie have been in Maine living the farming life while their boat is still in Savannah. Jared will be coming down to work on the boat engine and will stop in for a quick visit with us.
As it turned out, Carey and Jared went up to Savanna to put the new engine in, while Ruthie came down to hang out with me. We had a great time together and plan on driving up to Savanna once the guys are done with the engine installation. They seem to be having their own adventures.
I think that wraps it up for now.
St Augustine is full of old buildings, quaint shops and plenty of history. This being the oldest European settlement in the United States, St Augustine has survived a myriad of wars and battles starting over 50 years before the first pilgrims landed at Plymouth. The oldest house, the oldest schoolhouse and the oldest drug store, all stand here in what is called the Oldest City of God. We have enjoyed staying here with its friendly people and rich history.
We are currently living the marina life which includes showers, laundry, a dock to step out on, so no dinghy-ing to shore, and power for a window air conditioner that sits on a top hatch. We have no anchor to worry about dragging and no limit as to how many friends can come visit, since we no longer have to use the dinghy to get them to the boat. There is a restaurant in front of us with some great live music if we choose to open the door and listen. We have made new friends and have settled into a daily routine… well, that is if falling off the boat is something you call routine.
I had been cleaning the boat and had just started with some cleaning of the lines. I took a large step from the top deck onto the first top swim step. There is a small, foot step to make for an easier step, but I bypassed this so I could step stretching over the lines laid out on the swim step. From this first large step I am not sure exactly what really happened, but when I put my foot down it started to slip, I tried to catch myself but I was by now doing the splits with one leg stuck high on the deck while the other slid out in front of me. I think I tried to grab the raid-arch, but only managed to jam my fingers and slam my back leg, which I think set me on my tush. I’m pretty sure I caught a cleat with my foot while bouncing up and over the side of the boat. I then landed on top of the line hanging from the side of the boat and tied to the dock. I held on thinking for a brief moment I might be able to crawl across the line, without landing in the nasty water, to get to the bottom swim step. What I was thinking... I have no idea, other then the fact that I have watched too many movies where stuntmen do these types of things. Before I could bring myself to reality that this would never work I flipped around the line and fell in the nasty water. Falling in the water in a marina creates a belief that surly one can walk on water and not have to actually swim in the muck. Believing in miracles did not help me this day and I realized I was going to have to find a way out of the water. I swam to the back swim ladder and tried pulling it down so I could climb up and out of the muck, but the line I had landed on caught the ladder when I pulled on it which only caused the ladder to hit me in the head…. You ask, where was Carey during all of this; well, he was sitting in the boat reading, not having any idea what was happening. With no hero in sight to rescue me I had to pull myself up onto an inverted ladder and lay there until I could regain my wits. I saw there was no other way out of this lovely water, so with a quick look around to see who was or was not watching, and with great effort, I ungracefully climbed back on to the boat. Hosing myself down with fresh water and assessing my injuries, I could not figure out what else I had hit on my way overboard. I had bruises all over my legs, arms and other unmentionable places. I had cut and sprained my ankle, and my head was growing a knot the size of Kansas. Life on a boat can be dangerous! I have healed and the bruises have all faded way. I am now on crutches after some minor foot surgery, which is not near as painful as when I fell off the boat.
If you want to see the latest development with Carey’s trike (the SoLo) you can check out the pictures at http://www.motiveind.com/ click on the portfolio tab. There is a picture of the SoLo with “website coming soon” written across it. If you put your cursor over the picture other pictures will show up in the frame to the right. We are excited to see what might come of the project.
My sister and Eddie are coming for a visit in Aug., Else and Richard, friends from Colorado are coming in Sept. and Jared should be back down in a month. Jared and Ruthie have been in Maine living the farming life while their boat is still in Savannah. Jared will be coming down to work on the boat engine and will stop in for a quick visit with us.
As it turned out, Carey and Jared went up to Savanna to put the new engine in, while Ruthie came down to hang out with me. We had a great time together and plan on driving up to Savanna once the guys are done with the engine installation. They seem to be having their own adventures.
I think that wraps it up for now.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Mates Log 5.24.2009
We set anchor at St Augustine at 6pm just as the lightning starts and a front passes by. We are glad to be anchored and wonder about Willow and Diapensia. Jared calls that night... they are having some problems. Two bolts from the engine mounts backed out, one hit the flywheel, was bent and then sheared off… the other went through the crankcase and the engine has blown up!
They were trying to sail up the Intercoastal Waterway, since their engine was dead, to get to Savanna. They didn’t make it… one of the squalls hit them broadside and pushed them onto a sandbar, which grounded them. They had to wait hours for the tide to rise. I’m not sure but I think they had an anchor out to help keep them from getting pushed up on the sand bar any further due to the wind. The rode broke and they lost their anchor. They called for a tow once off the sand bar and were towed all night to Savanna, about 45 miles away. The engine is not salvageable and they are now stuck in Savanna looking for an engine. They are currently anchored but not in a very good place, it’s tight and they are getting beat up from the wind being on their stern… long story but they have to have two anchors out (but left with only one) so they won’t swing with the wind… there is not enough room to swing. (Ben and Jamie left for VA once they landed in Savanna, who could blame them!) We hope to be of some help, somehow.
We are still in St Augustine waiting out weather… today we are sitting in a storm of 35 knots of wind and constant rain. The boat is getting a good, and much needed wash. Jared and Ruthie are hunkered down in Savanna with the same storm system. Diapensia has gone on and should be home soon. In the meantime we have been hanging out with some old friends (the Dill’s) from my Crested Butte days, which has been a great treat.
…. Here is the long and short of it…. we spent almost 2 weeks getting saturated with rain and hammered by wind while we were anchored out. We dug trenches in the muck and the boat produced a huge crop of mold. So we decided, why go all the way up to Annapolis which would take us weeks just to turn around in 5 months to head south to the Caribbean. We are here, we have friends here and it’s cheaper… so we are staying.
Ruthie is with us right now helping Mark and Katie set up a coffee kiosk, Jared is back on their boat in Savanna putting in a new motor that we were able to find, and Carey and I are looking for a car. We are now living in the Oyster Creek Marina, have a new address and are enjoying showers and new friends.
St Augustine is a lovely old town established in the 1600’s. The historical district is full of old buildings, homes and businesses. I don’t have pictures yet since the sun just came out 3 days ago. We plan on being here through hurricane season (the end of Oct.) so come visit! …Or wait until we are in the Caribbean.
You can now call, write or email us and we don’t have to wait out weeks before getting back to you. Also, if we missed any emails during our time out please forgive us. By the time we would get to our email there would be so much junk mail that it was easy to miss “real” emails. We will soon be looking for jobs and settling into “normal” life.
We look forward to hearing from all of you! Ta-ta for now!
They were trying to sail up the Intercoastal Waterway, since their engine was dead, to get to Savanna. They didn’t make it… one of the squalls hit them broadside and pushed them onto a sandbar, which grounded them. They had to wait hours for the tide to rise. I’m not sure but I think they had an anchor out to help keep them from getting pushed up on the sand bar any further due to the wind. The rode broke and they lost their anchor. They called for a tow once off the sand bar and were towed all night to Savanna, about 45 miles away. The engine is not salvageable and they are now stuck in Savanna looking for an engine. They are currently anchored but not in a very good place, it’s tight and they are getting beat up from the wind being on their stern… long story but they have to have two anchors out (but left with only one) so they won’t swing with the wind… there is not enough room to swing. (Ben and Jamie left for VA once they landed in Savanna, who could blame them!) We hope to be of some help, somehow.
We are still in St Augustine waiting out weather… today we are sitting in a storm of 35 knots of wind and constant rain. The boat is getting a good, and much needed wash. Jared and Ruthie are hunkered down in Savanna with the same storm system. Diapensia has gone on and should be home soon. In the meantime we have been hanging out with some old friends (the Dill’s) from my Crested Butte days, which has been a great treat.
…. Here is the long and short of it…. we spent almost 2 weeks getting saturated with rain and hammered by wind while we were anchored out. We dug trenches in the muck and the boat produced a huge crop of mold. So we decided, why go all the way up to Annapolis which would take us weeks just to turn around in 5 months to head south to the Caribbean. We are here, we have friends here and it’s cheaper… so we are staying.
Ruthie is with us right now helping Mark and Katie set up a coffee kiosk, Jared is back on their boat in Savanna putting in a new motor that we were able to find, and Carey and I are looking for a car. We are now living in the Oyster Creek Marina, have a new address and are enjoying showers and new friends.
St Augustine is a lovely old town established in the 1600’s. The historical district is full of old buildings, homes and businesses. I don’t have pictures yet since the sun just came out 3 days ago. We plan on being here through hurricane season (the end of Oct.) so come visit! …Or wait until we are in the Caribbean.
You can now call, write or email us and we don’t have to wait out weeks before getting back to you. Also, if we missed any emails during our time out please forgive us. By the time we would get to our email there would be so much junk mail that it was easy to miss “real” emails. We will soon be looking for jobs and settling into “normal” life.
We look forward to hearing from all of you! Ta-ta for now!
Mates Log 5.15.2009
Greetings from St. Augustine, FL! Yes we are back in the US trying to remember we have cell phones, traffic, dirty sea water we can’t use, radio stations, and mass communication! It’s been an adjustment but we are glad to be “home”… for the most part.
We left Compass Cay April 24; our journey is now taking us back to the US where we will wait out hurricane season. Our plan is to spend the summer in Annapolis, MD working and doing a few more things to the boat. We first head north to Wardrick Wells where we spent my birthday. Jared, Ruthie, Ben and Jamie decorated the boat with homemade streamers, cooked dinner and made a cake while we were out with Jimmy and Renee and their daughter Carman having drinks and pupu’s at the local Tiki bar. When we went back to the dinghies we found a huge, Happy Birthday Lisa, dug out in the sand… it was wonderful! A good time was had by all and once again I enjoyed the feeling of being so well loved by family and friends.
The next day we all got up early to head to New Providence. I have to admit we leave about an hour behind the other two boats. At some point during the day we will pass them, leaving them behind to be only a speck on the horizon. Catamarans are much faster than monohulls. We anchored on the west end of New Providence in a lovely bay surrounded by homes, docks and trees. I could not take in enough of the beautiful water knowing that all too soon we would no longer be enjoying this pristine ocean, no longer able to just jump in when the urge hit, no longer able to wash dishes in sea water and no longer able to see the bottom… all things that are part of our daily lives and routine.
We have a favorable south east winds the day we leave… we finally drag out the spinnaker, a sail we have not yet used. This is a big colorful sail that hangs over the bow of the boat and is used in downwind conditions. We reread our sailing book to refresh our memories and hook the sail up. Poof! She opens up out of her sock and we pick up speed! We love this sail! It’s so colorful and big… we make some sheet adjustments and sit back and relax for hours!
Willow, Diapensia (Jimmy's boat) and SongBird are now so far apart that we can no longer use our handheld VHF to communicate. We turn on the Big Daddy of VHF’s (OK this is just the VHF wired into the boat). We make plans to anchor on the bank where we will wait for the other two boats to catch up. We find a sandy spot where the three boats will comfortably fit. We avoid sea grass, as the holding is not as good as sand. While we are waiting for the other boats a US Coast Guard helicopter shows up and starts circling us… they hail us on our radio wanting to know if we have seen an upside boat with a red hull… they are searching for a boat that has sunk and turned over. Once again we are thankful for our seaworthy boat.
Willow and Diapensia show up, anchor, and head over to our boat for dinner. Jimmy ties a line from his boat to our boat so they can pull themselves over… this allowed him not to have to put his motor on his dinghy (the current was too strong to row over). Some of us girls are sitting outside, enjoying the fresh breeze and stars when we started to think that maybe Willow had moved a little. We asked some of the others to take a look, no one thinks she has really moved. We settle back into our pleasant environment and again relax. Once again, we check on the other boats, we are now convinced that Willow is leaving us all behind and with no crew! We all help Willow’s captain and crew into the dinghy with pots, dishes and cutlery and send them off to chase their rouge boat, but no one thought to offer a flashlight! Fifteen minutes later they call on the VHF letting us know they are all safe and sound and that Willow had dragged almost half a mile. They think they will stay put and get a head start in the morning… sure…
With some difficulty we get Diapensia’s captain and crew in their dinghy (the current and tide was making for some wild water) and on to their boat. We clean up a little and head to bed. I had noticed that Willow had decided to re-anchor near us, so once again we were all snug in our little group. Ten minutes later Jared calls us and says he thinks we are dragging anchor, I of course think he is just trying to play a trick on us since he moved Willow backup with all of us. He finally convinces me to go outside and take a look. Sure enough, we are no longer near Willow and Diapensia! We wonder why our anchor alarm is not working and if we had reset it. The anchor has reset itself, but will it hold? All of us are now wondering if we should just way our anchors and drift… we are after all headed in the right direction and there is nothing in site. I can't bring myself to want to do this. It is nerve racking, no one gets much sleep that night as we are all jumping up checking our anchors. We ended up dragging three times almost ¼ of a mile before we finally settle in. The thing about dragging your anchor is you don’t feel it. The conditions are such that the water is rough, since we are a light boat we easily bounce and move around so there is already a lot of movement going on. It's unnerving. Morning comes and we all head North West to Bimini.
We plan on spending a day in Bimini. We hope to do one last snorkel trip and find conch for dinner. We also hope to use up the last of our Bahamian money at the grocery store before we leave. I don’t feel so well so Carey and I pass on the water activities. We do head to town to see what we can find at the market. The stores are small and really don’t have much in them. You might describe them as an under stocked gas station market, and at half the size. There are three of these markets on Bimini, all on the same road about a mile in length.
The conch hunt is a success!! Nine conchs will be joining us for dinner. We make conch salad and conch fritters… truly a conch feast! The nine of us cram around SongBird’s table and dig in. Hands are flying everywhere, no one is really sure what plate they are using as we are all having to share since there is not enough room for everyone and everything. This is our last night in the Bahamas, we are all a bit sad.
Early Sunday morning we leave heading for Palm Beach, FL. We will be crossing the Gulf Stream so have to plan our course accordingly. The stream runs about 2.5 knots so will push us north. Again we set out the spinnaker and make 8 knots in 12 knots of wind. We end up being too conservative and come out of the stream too soon. We get into Palm Beach around dinner time. Willow and Diapensia show up a couple of hours later and with problems.
Willow has broken two motor mounts. The next day they get towed into the marina and wait for a welder. We stay in Palm Beach for almost a week, waiting for repairs, weather and the re-supplying of the boats. Palm Beach is your typical coastal city full of high rises and boats. The marina has the least expensive laundry we have seen yet… a dollar for a wash and a dollar for a dry. This beats $10 a load in Staniel where someone else does your laundry for you, there are no laundry facilities where you can do your own washing.
Our time in Palm Beach does not start off well. First thing in the morning we notice Diapensia has been boarded by the harbor patrol. Hmmm... not a good sign, but we can't imagine what they are looking for. Generally it's drugs but why Diapensia? We quickly head out in the dinghy to check in at the customs office. On our way back we notice Willow has now been boarded by harbor patrol. We know we must be next since we are all traveling together. Jared dinghys over to tell us they are looking for drugs. They had a tip two boats came in late at night that are smugglers. None of us are happy about the searches. We know we all look rough around the edges, after all we are cruisers, living a life of freedom and unconventionalism. Hair is long and wild, skin is darkly tanned, beards are scruffy and our clothes are rather well used. Jared returns to Willow and finally gets one of the rude harbor patrol guys to listen to his question: why are you searching us since we are a group of 3 boats? They don't believe this long haired, rough around the edges guy, so gruffly ask, where is the other boat you are traveling with? Jared points to us, anchored next to him. Who is that, he demands! My mom... They quickly end making a mess in Willow and leave. They had completely torn apart Diapensia and Willow, and were quite rude as well... based on a random, vague tip. We are all happy to see them leave.
May 9th Willow and Diapensia pull anchor around 9pm headed straight for Charleston. This will be approximately a 52 hour trip. We choose to stay the night in Palm Beach and get up early the next day to leave. We will not be able to make a 52 hour trip with just the two of us; sleeping 2 to 3 hours at a time for more than 2 days is not something we would like to do… anyway we don’t have to be north of Cape Hatteras until June 1st. We do hope to meet up with Willow somewhere along the way.
We leave Palm Beach the next morning at seven. We decide we will go ahead and travel a 24 hour trip so we have a better chance of catching up with Willow and Diapensia. It’s lonely sailing alone, as we have become accustomed to having everyone nearby and within radio distance. The winds are light and the sea is too dark to see anything in the water. This day I am missing the Bahamas tremendously… the water, the fish, the people and the closeness of all the islands. We are going to have to travel over 600 miles to get to our final destination… today it seems so far away.
They say sailing is hours of boredom and moments of sheer terror… the next couple of days are full of boredom. I find I can hardly stay awake on my watches and I only want to sleep when I am not on watch. We don’t have many sails to change as the wind is steady, but still light. Sometime around midnight Carey gets me up to help him take down all the sails, we will have to motor. The wind is all over the place, North East, South West, South, South East and only 5 to 10 knots. At 3:30 am I get back up, Carey is dead tired and needing to sleep. I try and keep myself outside so I don’t fall asleep but it’s freezing cold. I duck inside and decide I will read. This is what a watch looks like when you are inside reading… you read for 10 to 15 minutes then you jump up, go outside, look around for any sign of a boat, check your heading and duck back inside for the next 10 to 15 minutes. You do this for two reasons, one, this is about how long it will take for another boat to show up, and second, this is how you keep yourself awake. You can find yourself on the chart, but there is nothing there but water, and you may become painfully aware of how slow your progress is… I prefer not to participate in this exercise in the middle of the night.
Carey relieves me around 7:30 am and I head down for more sleep. I wake up a few times but nothing in me will allow me to rise or open my eyes, so I keep going back to sleep. I know Carey will wake me if he gets too tired. Finally I drag myself out of bed to find we are still motoring. Well, I knew this before getting out of bed since one of the engines sits right on the other side of hull from our berth. Carey has changed our course and we are headed for St Augustine, FL. We have run out of wind and are running out of fuel. The weather is just not cooperating.
We left Compass Cay April 24; our journey is now taking us back to the US where we will wait out hurricane season. Our plan is to spend the summer in Annapolis, MD working and doing a few more things to the boat. We first head north to Wardrick Wells where we spent my birthday. Jared, Ruthie, Ben and Jamie decorated the boat with homemade streamers, cooked dinner and made a cake while we were out with Jimmy and Renee and their daughter Carman having drinks and pupu’s at the local Tiki bar. When we went back to the dinghies we found a huge, Happy Birthday Lisa, dug out in the sand… it was wonderful! A good time was had by all and once again I enjoyed the feeling of being so well loved by family and friends.
The next day we all got up early to head to New Providence. I have to admit we leave about an hour behind the other two boats. At some point during the day we will pass them, leaving them behind to be only a speck on the horizon. Catamarans are much faster than monohulls. We anchored on the west end of New Providence in a lovely bay surrounded by homes, docks and trees. I could not take in enough of the beautiful water knowing that all too soon we would no longer be enjoying this pristine ocean, no longer able to just jump in when the urge hit, no longer able to wash dishes in sea water and no longer able to see the bottom… all things that are part of our daily lives and routine.
We have a favorable south east winds the day we leave… we finally drag out the spinnaker, a sail we have not yet used. This is a big colorful sail that hangs over the bow of the boat and is used in downwind conditions. We reread our sailing book to refresh our memories and hook the sail up. Poof! She opens up out of her sock and we pick up speed! We love this sail! It’s so colorful and big… we make some sheet adjustments and sit back and relax for hours!
Willow, Diapensia (Jimmy's boat) and SongBird are now so far apart that we can no longer use our handheld VHF to communicate. We turn on the Big Daddy of VHF’s (OK this is just the VHF wired into the boat). We make plans to anchor on the bank where we will wait for the other two boats to catch up. We find a sandy spot where the three boats will comfortably fit. We avoid sea grass, as the holding is not as good as sand. While we are waiting for the other boats a US Coast Guard helicopter shows up and starts circling us… they hail us on our radio wanting to know if we have seen an upside boat with a red hull… they are searching for a boat that has sunk and turned over. Once again we are thankful for our seaworthy boat.
Willow and Diapensia show up, anchor, and head over to our boat for dinner. Jimmy ties a line from his boat to our boat so they can pull themselves over… this allowed him not to have to put his motor on his dinghy (the current was too strong to row over). Some of us girls are sitting outside, enjoying the fresh breeze and stars when we started to think that maybe Willow had moved a little. We asked some of the others to take a look, no one thinks she has really moved. We settle back into our pleasant environment and again relax. Once again, we check on the other boats, we are now convinced that Willow is leaving us all behind and with no crew! We all help Willow’s captain and crew into the dinghy with pots, dishes and cutlery and send them off to chase their rouge boat, but no one thought to offer a flashlight! Fifteen minutes later they call on the VHF letting us know they are all safe and sound and that Willow had dragged almost half a mile. They think they will stay put and get a head start in the morning… sure…
With some difficulty we get Diapensia’s captain and crew in their dinghy (the current and tide was making for some wild water) and on to their boat. We clean up a little and head to bed. I had noticed that Willow had decided to re-anchor near us, so once again we were all snug in our little group. Ten minutes later Jared calls us and says he thinks we are dragging anchor, I of course think he is just trying to play a trick on us since he moved Willow backup with all of us. He finally convinces me to go outside and take a look. Sure enough, we are no longer near Willow and Diapensia! We wonder why our anchor alarm is not working and if we had reset it. The anchor has reset itself, but will it hold? All of us are now wondering if we should just way our anchors and drift… we are after all headed in the right direction and there is nothing in site. I can't bring myself to want to do this. It is nerve racking, no one gets much sleep that night as we are all jumping up checking our anchors. We ended up dragging three times almost ¼ of a mile before we finally settle in. The thing about dragging your anchor is you don’t feel it. The conditions are such that the water is rough, since we are a light boat we easily bounce and move around so there is already a lot of movement going on. It's unnerving. Morning comes and we all head North West to Bimini.
We plan on spending a day in Bimini. We hope to do one last snorkel trip and find conch for dinner. We also hope to use up the last of our Bahamian money at the grocery store before we leave. I don’t feel so well so Carey and I pass on the water activities. We do head to town to see what we can find at the market. The stores are small and really don’t have much in them. You might describe them as an under stocked gas station market, and at half the size. There are three of these markets on Bimini, all on the same road about a mile in length.
The conch hunt is a success!! Nine conchs will be joining us for dinner. We make conch salad and conch fritters… truly a conch feast! The nine of us cram around SongBird’s table and dig in. Hands are flying everywhere, no one is really sure what plate they are using as we are all having to share since there is not enough room for everyone and everything. This is our last night in the Bahamas, we are all a bit sad.
Early Sunday morning we leave heading for Palm Beach, FL. We will be crossing the Gulf Stream so have to plan our course accordingly. The stream runs about 2.5 knots so will push us north. Again we set out the spinnaker and make 8 knots in 12 knots of wind. We end up being too conservative and come out of the stream too soon. We get into Palm Beach around dinner time. Willow and Diapensia show up a couple of hours later and with problems.
Willow has broken two motor mounts. The next day they get towed into the marina and wait for a welder. We stay in Palm Beach for almost a week, waiting for repairs, weather and the re-supplying of the boats. Palm Beach is your typical coastal city full of high rises and boats. The marina has the least expensive laundry we have seen yet… a dollar for a wash and a dollar for a dry. This beats $10 a load in Staniel where someone else does your laundry for you, there are no laundry facilities where you can do your own washing.
Our time in Palm Beach does not start off well. First thing in the morning we notice Diapensia has been boarded by the harbor patrol. Hmmm... not a good sign, but we can't imagine what they are looking for. Generally it's drugs but why Diapensia? We quickly head out in the dinghy to check in at the customs office. On our way back we notice Willow has now been boarded by harbor patrol. We know we must be next since we are all traveling together. Jared dinghys over to tell us they are looking for drugs. They had a tip two boats came in late at night that are smugglers. None of us are happy about the searches. We know we all look rough around the edges, after all we are cruisers, living a life of freedom and unconventionalism. Hair is long and wild, skin is darkly tanned, beards are scruffy and our clothes are rather well used. Jared returns to Willow and finally gets one of the rude harbor patrol guys to listen to his question: why are you searching us since we are a group of 3 boats? They don't believe this long haired, rough around the edges guy, so gruffly ask, where is the other boat you are traveling with? Jared points to us, anchored next to him. Who is that, he demands! My mom... They quickly end making a mess in Willow and leave. They had completely torn apart Diapensia and Willow, and were quite rude as well... based on a random, vague tip. We are all happy to see them leave.
May 9th Willow and Diapensia pull anchor around 9pm headed straight for Charleston. This will be approximately a 52 hour trip. We choose to stay the night in Palm Beach and get up early the next day to leave. We will not be able to make a 52 hour trip with just the two of us; sleeping 2 to 3 hours at a time for more than 2 days is not something we would like to do… anyway we don’t have to be north of Cape Hatteras until June 1st. We do hope to meet up with Willow somewhere along the way.
We leave Palm Beach the next morning at seven. We decide we will go ahead and travel a 24 hour trip so we have a better chance of catching up with Willow and Diapensia. It’s lonely sailing alone, as we have become accustomed to having everyone nearby and within radio distance. The winds are light and the sea is too dark to see anything in the water. This day I am missing the Bahamas tremendously… the water, the fish, the people and the closeness of all the islands. We are going to have to travel over 600 miles to get to our final destination… today it seems so far away.
They say sailing is hours of boredom and moments of sheer terror… the next couple of days are full of boredom. I find I can hardly stay awake on my watches and I only want to sleep when I am not on watch. We don’t have many sails to change as the wind is steady, but still light. Sometime around midnight Carey gets me up to help him take down all the sails, we will have to motor. The wind is all over the place, North East, South West, South, South East and only 5 to 10 knots. At 3:30 am I get back up, Carey is dead tired and needing to sleep. I try and keep myself outside so I don’t fall asleep but it’s freezing cold. I duck inside and decide I will read. This is what a watch looks like when you are inside reading… you read for 10 to 15 minutes then you jump up, go outside, look around for any sign of a boat, check your heading and duck back inside for the next 10 to 15 minutes. You do this for two reasons, one, this is about how long it will take for another boat to show up, and second, this is how you keep yourself awake. You can find yourself on the chart, but there is nothing there but water, and you may become painfully aware of how slow your progress is… I prefer not to participate in this exercise in the middle of the night.
Carey relieves me around 7:30 am and I head down for more sleep. I wake up a few times but nothing in me will allow me to rise or open my eyes, so I keep going back to sleep. I know Carey will wake me if he gets too tired. Finally I drag myself out of bed to find we are still motoring. Well, I knew this before getting out of bed since one of the engines sits right on the other side of hull from our berth. Carey has changed our course and we are headed for St Augustine, FL. We have run out of wind and are running out of fuel. The weather is just not cooperating.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Mates Long Overdue Update
Mates Log 3.29.2009
Sunday March 29th we left Marsh Harbour heading south to Little Harbour. This will be our staging point for exiting the cut to leave the Abacos heading south down to the Exumas. The weather has not been agreeable for weeks now. The winds have been SSE and we are headed south. We spend 2 days at Little Harbour but are only able to get off the boat one of those days. We are anchored outside of the harbor so have to dinghy into this quaint small berg. Little Harbour consists of one outside bar, a bronze foundry/gallery and maybe 40 homes. There are those who have stopped here on their way south and have never left… we can see why. The roads are sand and only wide enough for one car. The people are friendly and the scenery is lovely. We have pupus’ and drinks at the sandy floored bar and chat up other cruisers. Our dinghy ride back to the boat is a wet and wild one, which has us laughing most of the way!
Tuesday we head south. The weather is lovely although the winds are still not in our favor, unfortunately we will have to motor. It has been an unusual year for cold fronts and winds (so the locals say) so heading south we are looking forward to warmer weather, warmer water and some spectacular snorkeling.
The day is unbelievable and I am on watch! The glistening water, the calm sea, the clear sky, all request that we take pause. I reflect on our time, our trials, our triumphs, the things we have learned and accomplished… the new friends we have made and what is ahead. Pausing brings on heavy eyes with the calm rocking of SongBird, the cool breeze, the warm sun and the, unfortunate, drone of the engines… I fall peacefully asleep. I wake up with the dropping of my head and look over to port side. I am not fully awake as I have not decided that I want to be awake yet, although I am on watch. I see what looks like two large inner tubes or tires floating in the water, and wonder what they are doing out here in the middle of the ocean, and why they are SO large. You know what this is like… you are not fully awake, you are seeing something out of the ordinary, and your mind just cannot put it all together since it is not yet fully functioning.
Well those inner tubes turned out to be whales! Can you believe it! I jump up to get a better look and to confirm what I now felt sure I was seeing. Sure enough it is two whales about 50 feet off our port beam. I couldn’t even figure out how to holler for Carey with any kind of intelligence… I must have managed some kind of sound since he came quickly outside. It was wonderful! During the entire crossing we saw 10 whales, spouting, broaching and cruising. What a great day!
We head into Royal Island Harbour to anchor for the night. This small island is now in the process of being developed, although progress looks slow. Back in the fifties it was owned by a private individual who had built a large home and estate here, from the look of the ruins it must have been quite nice in its day. Unfortunately no one is allowed to come ashore, so no exploring here. It’s a great anchorage though, protected, small, clean and free. We take the dinghy and go into Spanish Wells, just a small berg with lovely scenery and we meet Sarah who has Sarah’s Straw Works and Souvenirs. We chat Sarah up for a spell and learn she makes all the baskets she sells. True beauties.
We are now waiting for the weather to turn so we can continue sailing south to Normans Cay where we will meet up with Jared and Ruthie and friends.
In the meantime we are biding our time with a routine of boat projects, general maintenance, and exercise. The water is warm so we jump in and swim around the boat a few times every day. For projects, Carey has installed outside stereo speakers, drain cups under the cockpit area and daily we make water. I have done laundry (not in a laundry mat), made bread, general mold control and washed down the boat. My favorite project was sanding and polishing our Lexan windows that had crazed so bad that we could hardly see out… they may not be clear as day but you can now see out of them. I never even knew sandpaper came in 2500 grit! After our daily swim we rinse off with fresh water and sit outside to eat our dinner or pupu’s. We watch the sun set and listen as boaters blow the traditional conch shell at sunset.
We feel our bodies are experiencing renewal and regeneration, at the same time we have also been experiencing a spiritual renewal as well. We feel washed and refreshed in many ways and are so thankful for this time… it is a gift we do not take lightly. The market is awful, the economy is a mess, stress is high, taxes are higher and the wave of life feels more like a riptide. We are thankful to be here, doing what we are doing, living as we are living. You are welcome to come for a visit.
4.4.09
The winds have finally changed so we are now able to head south to Normans Cay. Normans Cay used to be owned by the drug runner Carlos Leder, when the Bahamian government was willing to “look the other way” regarding all of the drugs that were brought through here to the states. Once cruisers started turning up dead because they wandered too close to this pristine island the government started to do something about the drug traffic problem in the Bahamas. The island still sports a runway which is used for private planes, a very small beach resort and a dock. There is a ditched DC 3 in the lagoon and still many ruins on the island. The scenery is lovely, the water is incredible and few live here.
We hook up with Jared and Ruthie who had picked up their friends Ben and Jamie in Nassau. We also meet Jimmy and Renee who first met Jared and Ruthie in FL. Yeah, it’s a long story and not necessary…There are now 8 of us hanging out and cruising together. We spend more than a week here, snorkeling, fishing, and beach combing. We collect wood and head to a small spit of land with one lone palm tree and have a bonfire on the beach. I wish I could explain to you exactly what the water looks like here. It is clearer than up north, it's bluer but in some areas greener… no, more clear emerald. You can see a hundred feet under the water. It is quite amazing!
Our first day here, while the tide was going out, we couldn’t believe we had not gone aground or at least close to it. The water looked 3 feet deep and the tide was not fully out… we quickly turned on the depth meter, it read 9 feet… it can’t be right… we jump in and sure enough we couldn’t touch the bottom! We knew we would be fine according to the charts but we still confirm everything with visual aid.
Normans turned into a dream come true, the unreal life, relaxing in the sun, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and bonfires on the beach…the ideal tropical life. The weather is perfect, the breezes are perfect, the water is incredible, the kids (I know they are adults but they will always be my kids) spear fish every day for dinner, we snorkel and swim every day, explore beaches, play games and have potlucks on our boat. The coral is healthy and colorful and the fish are beautiful… and tasty for that matter.
We are enjoying getting to know all our new friends, and of course are so blessed to be able to be with family as well! We often wish all our family and friends could be here with us in this incredible place. We celebrate Carey’s birthday with a dinner party, maple walnut cake, and ice! It’s a toss up… ice or cake? Both are a rare treat!
4.9.09
We head south to Warderick Wells which is located in part of the Land and Sea Park. All the water and wildlife is protected in this area consisting of 176 square miles. There are marked trails, staff, a bookstore and moorings in the bight. We all anchor out on the south end where you can anchor, as long as you are on the sand. Coral heads pop up everywhere so we have lots to explore. We pick the one that looks like the best spot and all take a dive. The coral, the fish and the plants are all spectacular! We see the most fish here and the healthiest coral yet! Friday night is happy hour at the park headquarters, we all head in to meet other cruisers. I fill Carey up with 2 beers and drive the dinghy home. I will interject here that this is the first time I have actually driven the dinghy… for various reasons that I won’t go into other than to say it really helped my driving having Carey drink 2 beers! After his two beers I was able to drive 'just fine' and was actually 'quite incredible'!!
Sunday is Easter and there is going to be potluck at the same location. The park provides the turkey and ham... the amount of food is amazing! A time of prayer was had and all gave thanks. We met people from all over and really had a great time. This place is lovely and I’m sure you are surprised to hear that! Enjoy all the pictures… they are worth more than a thousand words!
4.13.09
We leave Warderick Wells and head to Staniel Cay, which is about 15 miles from where we are. It’s a two hour sail, the winds are 7 knots and we’re doing 7 knots. Staniel has an airport, three grocery stores and two bars. There is a local woman who makes all the bread; her mom started the business 30 years ago. It is still located in their house. Coconut bread is available at 4:30pm and white bread at 5:30pm. Our second week at Staniel you could only get 3 loaves of day old coconut bread because everyone was down in George Town for the regatta, so it is not made everyday. This is a weeklong event of Bahamian sailboat races and is the Bahamas equivalent of the Olympics… the island that wins the race has bragging rights for the next year. Every local attends this event… they camp on the docks, set up food carts and party for the week. The mail boat picks up some of the boats and hauls them down to Georgetown while others sail down. We are not going that far south this year so will not be attending. :(
At Staniel we snorkel Thunderball where the James Bond movie was filmed. The amount of fish is great! We take canned corn to feed them while we are snorkeling. When Carey started feeding the fish I could only see a frenzy of fish and his fins… it was unbelievable!! I was wishing I had an underwater camera! At Staniel you will also find swimming pigs… they live on the beach near where we are anchored. These pigs swim out to your dinghy and try and crawl in with you, looking for food! They are fed only by the cruisers and eat well! They are big pigs and very clean! See included pictures.
Staniel has a live band which consists of one of the ladies from one of the grocery stores, the dive guy and an assortment of other locals, including special appearances from some of the local kids who sing in the church choir. They are “The” band and call themselves “The Ragged Reef” and play at both of the local bars. I would not describe bars here the same way I would in the states. Here the bar is the social center, the gathering place, the center where you find out where to get water, take your trash and do your laundry. You are free to use their VHF radios to make your calls. There is a good chance you can get a map of town here and find out most anything you need to know. This is the place to meet the locals and other cruisers alike.
Our last day at Staniel we all go bushwhacking to the other side of the island where there is a 35 foot sailboat on the rocks. We think it looks like it has been there for maybe a month. It’s an eerie feeling looking at this boat knowing that it could happen to any of us. The chart shows this as an anchorage but says “poor holding”. We feel certain this is what happened to these people… their anchor didn’t hold. The boat is pretty well stripped and just lying in its watery grave, waiting for the time when all its bits and pieces will be broken up and taken to sea or left on the coral. It’s quite sad. We all continue to diligently dive our anchors and avoid areas with “poor holding”.
4.20.09
We leave Staniel and head north to Compass Cay which is about a 45 minute trip. We are now on our way back north. Jimmy and Renee have family visiting for the rest of the week so did not leave with us. They will call before they start to head north and we will meet somewhere along the way. We are all trying to decide where we want to leave the Bahamas from, so we can go north. Carey and I feel more limited since we do not have any extra crew with us. Renee will be leaving Jimmy but he has 2 or 3 friends coming to help him get back, Jared and Ruthie have Ben and Jamie… this allows for easier watches along the way. Heading north from the Abacos to N Carolina takes about 3 days if you head due north … watches are required this whole time. If any of you want to fly out and crew with us back to the states let us know! Otherwise we will head east to FL and then north so we can take it in steps and anchor along the way to rest.
Compass Cay has a small marina and about 2 houses on it. The attraction for us is the snorkeling and protected waters. It is beautiful here… I’m sure you are sick of hearing that by now… anyway, there are lot s of beaches to explore, coves to check out, coral to dive and water to swim in. We are the only boats anchored here.
This morning we caught rainwater in buckets so we could do some laundry. It’s amazing how many times you can reuse the same water. We continue to learn simpler ways of doing things, conserving water and energy, recycling has a new meaning and leaving as little impact on this planet as possible becomes natural. We didn’t set out with this in mind, it just happens when you live on a sailboat. We had to buy 80 gallons of water and 24 gallons of gas… we spent $100. I thought wow that’s a lot but then I realized we had not gotten gas or water for a month and then it didn’t sound so bad! Jimmy and Renee have only used 28 gallons of water in a month… how do they do it?! I hope to learn.
Today we all took the dinghys to a crescent beach on the ocean side, named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Not a person in site. South we see 3 planes doing tricks and wonder what they are, who they are, and where they are from. We don’t have to wait long… they quickly approach and fly right over us. These guys see us waving and jumping up and down so they fly low and at extreme angles so we can see them and they us. There are 3 of them…Yaks, with radial engines and are Russian trainers. They remind me of old war planes from WWll and I half expect bombs to start falling from the sound of things. They are painted perfect and you can tell these guys are having a good time… so are we!! They passed us twice and on the second time around fly REALLY low and right at us!!! We were all so excited to see this display and just for us… we all got goosebumps!
It's April 21st, another lovely day has passed as we get ready to head over to Willow (Jared and Ruthie's boat) for dinner and games. I know these days will end and will not ever be repeated, I want to take in each moment as much as I can… the making of new friends, the spectacular scenery and the simple lifestyle. We are glad to have family here to share it with.
Lessons Learned:
There are many uses for beer cans:
Use as a plate to cover holes in cockpit areas.
Use the bottoms as a holder for a carbon filter (from a used water filter). Cover the vent hole to the toilet so it doesn’t smell when flushing.
Fill with rocks, tape hole, may now be used as a noise maker at Junkanoo.
Keep extras around for future uses that you have not yet discovered.
When you anchor in an area where there is a strong current, there is a good chance that conditions will be such that you will sail up over your anchor when the wind fights the current. When this happens to us our anchor bridle rubs (chafes) our whiskers (low lines that help hold our screecher in place). Chafing is not good… we have tried a variety of things but when the winds are just so the problem reoccurs. Yesterday Carey finally figured out if he puts out a drogue (something that creates drag) it solves the problem. You can buy drogues or you can concoct one… which is what we did. He got out our biggest, thickest rope, tied knots in it and attached a 5 gallon bucket. It worked perfect!
Below is a notice from one of the internet connection websites at a local bar. Kalik (pronounced “click”) is a local Bahamian beer (keep this in mind).
Reminder:
This service uses a satellite uplink for all traffic. On its best day, it will seem slow compared to any land-based service. It is 22 thousand miles to the satellite, which means it is 44 thousand miles before your request hits the Internet, and 44 thousand for the data to come back. No matter how you slice it, 88 thousand miles may take more than a few seconds for a response. So remember, you're in the Central Exumas with the most beautiful water and Cay's anywhere on the planet. Fast Internet is available at most office buildings and cubicles in the states… would you really want to trade where you are for a cubicle?
The secret to happy surfing on a slow network:
1. Click on the link
2. Take a drink of your Kalik
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until network appears to have blazing speed.
Sunday March 29th we left Marsh Harbour heading south to Little Harbour. This will be our staging point for exiting the cut to leave the Abacos heading south down to the Exumas. The weather has not been agreeable for weeks now. The winds have been SSE and we are headed south. We spend 2 days at Little Harbour but are only able to get off the boat one of those days. We are anchored outside of the harbor so have to dinghy into this quaint small berg. Little Harbour consists of one outside bar, a bronze foundry/gallery and maybe 40 homes. There are those who have stopped here on their way south and have never left… we can see why. The roads are sand and only wide enough for one car. The people are friendly and the scenery is lovely. We have pupus’ and drinks at the sandy floored bar and chat up other cruisers. Our dinghy ride back to the boat is a wet and wild one, which has us laughing most of the way!
Tuesday we head south. The weather is lovely although the winds are still not in our favor, unfortunately we will have to motor. It has been an unusual year for cold fronts and winds (so the locals say) so heading south we are looking forward to warmer weather, warmer water and some spectacular snorkeling.
The day is unbelievable and I am on watch! The glistening water, the calm sea, the clear sky, all request that we take pause. I reflect on our time, our trials, our triumphs, the things we have learned and accomplished… the new friends we have made and what is ahead. Pausing brings on heavy eyes with the calm rocking of SongBird, the cool breeze, the warm sun and the, unfortunate, drone of the engines… I fall peacefully asleep. I wake up with the dropping of my head and look over to port side. I am not fully awake as I have not decided that I want to be awake yet, although I am on watch. I see what looks like two large inner tubes or tires floating in the water, and wonder what they are doing out here in the middle of the ocean, and why they are SO large. You know what this is like… you are not fully awake, you are seeing something out of the ordinary, and your mind just cannot put it all together since it is not yet fully functioning.
Well those inner tubes turned out to be whales! Can you believe it! I jump up to get a better look and to confirm what I now felt sure I was seeing. Sure enough it is two whales about 50 feet off our port beam. I couldn’t even figure out how to holler for Carey with any kind of intelligence… I must have managed some kind of sound since he came quickly outside. It was wonderful! During the entire crossing we saw 10 whales, spouting, broaching and cruising. What a great day!
We head into Royal Island Harbour to anchor for the night. This small island is now in the process of being developed, although progress looks slow. Back in the fifties it was owned by a private individual who had built a large home and estate here, from the look of the ruins it must have been quite nice in its day. Unfortunately no one is allowed to come ashore, so no exploring here. It’s a great anchorage though, protected, small, clean and free. We take the dinghy and go into Spanish Wells, just a small berg with lovely scenery and we meet Sarah who has Sarah’s Straw Works and Souvenirs. We chat Sarah up for a spell and learn she makes all the baskets she sells. True beauties.
We are now waiting for the weather to turn so we can continue sailing south to Normans Cay where we will meet up with Jared and Ruthie and friends.
In the meantime we are biding our time with a routine of boat projects, general maintenance, and exercise. The water is warm so we jump in and swim around the boat a few times every day. For projects, Carey has installed outside stereo speakers, drain cups under the cockpit area and daily we make water. I have done laundry (not in a laundry mat), made bread, general mold control and washed down the boat. My favorite project was sanding and polishing our Lexan windows that had crazed so bad that we could hardly see out… they may not be clear as day but you can now see out of them. I never even knew sandpaper came in 2500 grit! After our daily swim we rinse off with fresh water and sit outside to eat our dinner or pupu’s. We watch the sun set and listen as boaters blow the traditional conch shell at sunset.
We feel our bodies are experiencing renewal and regeneration, at the same time we have also been experiencing a spiritual renewal as well. We feel washed and refreshed in many ways and are so thankful for this time… it is a gift we do not take lightly. The market is awful, the economy is a mess, stress is high, taxes are higher and the wave of life feels more like a riptide. We are thankful to be here, doing what we are doing, living as we are living. You are welcome to come for a visit.
4.4.09
The winds have finally changed so we are now able to head south to Normans Cay. Normans Cay used to be owned by the drug runner Carlos Leder, when the Bahamian government was willing to “look the other way” regarding all of the drugs that were brought through here to the states. Once cruisers started turning up dead because they wandered too close to this pristine island the government started to do something about the drug traffic problem in the Bahamas. The island still sports a runway which is used for private planes, a very small beach resort and a dock. There is a ditched DC 3 in the lagoon and still many ruins on the island. The scenery is lovely, the water is incredible and few live here.
We hook up with Jared and Ruthie who had picked up their friends Ben and Jamie in Nassau. We also meet Jimmy and Renee who first met Jared and Ruthie in FL. Yeah, it’s a long story and not necessary…There are now 8 of us hanging out and cruising together. We spend more than a week here, snorkeling, fishing, and beach combing. We collect wood and head to a small spit of land with one lone palm tree and have a bonfire on the beach. I wish I could explain to you exactly what the water looks like here. It is clearer than up north, it's bluer but in some areas greener… no, more clear emerald. You can see a hundred feet under the water. It is quite amazing!
Our first day here, while the tide was going out, we couldn’t believe we had not gone aground or at least close to it. The water looked 3 feet deep and the tide was not fully out… we quickly turned on the depth meter, it read 9 feet… it can’t be right… we jump in and sure enough we couldn’t touch the bottom! We knew we would be fine according to the charts but we still confirm everything with visual aid.
Normans turned into a dream come true, the unreal life, relaxing in the sun, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and bonfires on the beach…the ideal tropical life. The weather is perfect, the breezes are perfect, the water is incredible, the kids (I know they are adults but they will always be my kids) spear fish every day for dinner, we snorkel and swim every day, explore beaches, play games and have potlucks on our boat. The coral is healthy and colorful and the fish are beautiful… and tasty for that matter.
We are enjoying getting to know all our new friends, and of course are so blessed to be able to be with family as well! We often wish all our family and friends could be here with us in this incredible place. We celebrate Carey’s birthday with a dinner party, maple walnut cake, and ice! It’s a toss up… ice or cake? Both are a rare treat!
4.9.09
We head south to Warderick Wells which is located in part of the Land and Sea Park. All the water and wildlife is protected in this area consisting of 176 square miles. There are marked trails, staff, a bookstore and moorings in the bight. We all anchor out on the south end where you can anchor, as long as you are on the sand. Coral heads pop up everywhere so we have lots to explore. We pick the one that looks like the best spot and all take a dive. The coral, the fish and the plants are all spectacular! We see the most fish here and the healthiest coral yet! Friday night is happy hour at the park headquarters, we all head in to meet other cruisers. I fill Carey up with 2 beers and drive the dinghy home. I will interject here that this is the first time I have actually driven the dinghy… for various reasons that I won’t go into other than to say it really helped my driving having Carey drink 2 beers! After his two beers I was able to drive 'just fine' and was actually 'quite incredible'!!
Sunday is Easter and there is going to be potluck at the same location. The park provides the turkey and ham... the amount of food is amazing! A time of prayer was had and all gave thanks. We met people from all over and really had a great time. This place is lovely and I’m sure you are surprised to hear that! Enjoy all the pictures… they are worth more than a thousand words!
4.13.09
We leave Warderick Wells and head to Staniel Cay, which is about 15 miles from where we are. It’s a two hour sail, the winds are 7 knots and we’re doing 7 knots. Staniel has an airport, three grocery stores and two bars. There is a local woman who makes all the bread; her mom started the business 30 years ago. It is still located in their house. Coconut bread is available at 4:30pm and white bread at 5:30pm. Our second week at Staniel you could only get 3 loaves of day old coconut bread because everyone was down in George Town for the regatta, so it is not made everyday. This is a weeklong event of Bahamian sailboat races and is the Bahamas equivalent of the Olympics… the island that wins the race has bragging rights for the next year. Every local attends this event… they camp on the docks, set up food carts and party for the week. The mail boat picks up some of the boats and hauls them down to Georgetown while others sail down. We are not going that far south this year so will not be attending. :(
At Staniel we snorkel Thunderball where the James Bond movie was filmed. The amount of fish is great! We take canned corn to feed them while we are snorkeling. When Carey started feeding the fish I could only see a frenzy of fish and his fins… it was unbelievable!! I was wishing I had an underwater camera! At Staniel you will also find swimming pigs… they live on the beach near where we are anchored. These pigs swim out to your dinghy and try and crawl in with you, looking for food! They are fed only by the cruisers and eat well! They are big pigs and very clean! See included pictures.
Staniel has a live band which consists of one of the ladies from one of the grocery stores, the dive guy and an assortment of other locals, including special appearances from some of the local kids who sing in the church choir. They are “The” band and call themselves “The Ragged Reef” and play at both of the local bars. I would not describe bars here the same way I would in the states. Here the bar is the social center, the gathering place, the center where you find out where to get water, take your trash and do your laundry. You are free to use their VHF radios to make your calls. There is a good chance you can get a map of town here and find out most anything you need to know. This is the place to meet the locals and other cruisers alike.
Our last day at Staniel we all go bushwhacking to the other side of the island where there is a 35 foot sailboat on the rocks. We think it looks like it has been there for maybe a month. It’s an eerie feeling looking at this boat knowing that it could happen to any of us. The chart shows this as an anchorage but says “poor holding”. We feel certain this is what happened to these people… their anchor didn’t hold. The boat is pretty well stripped and just lying in its watery grave, waiting for the time when all its bits and pieces will be broken up and taken to sea or left on the coral. It’s quite sad. We all continue to diligently dive our anchors and avoid areas with “poor holding”.
4.20.09
We leave Staniel and head north to Compass Cay which is about a 45 minute trip. We are now on our way back north. Jimmy and Renee have family visiting for the rest of the week so did not leave with us. They will call before they start to head north and we will meet somewhere along the way. We are all trying to decide where we want to leave the Bahamas from, so we can go north. Carey and I feel more limited since we do not have any extra crew with us. Renee will be leaving Jimmy but he has 2 or 3 friends coming to help him get back, Jared and Ruthie have Ben and Jamie… this allows for easier watches along the way. Heading north from the Abacos to N Carolina takes about 3 days if you head due north … watches are required this whole time. If any of you want to fly out and crew with us back to the states let us know! Otherwise we will head east to FL and then north so we can take it in steps and anchor along the way to rest.
Compass Cay has a small marina and about 2 houses on it. The attraction for us is the snorkeling and protected waters. It is beautiful here… I’m sure you are sick of hearing that by now… anyway, there are lot s of beaches to explore, coves to check out, coral to dive and water to swim in. We are the only boats anchored here.
This morning we caught rainwater in buckets so we could do some laundry. It’s amazing how many times you can reuse the same water. We continue to learn simpler ways of doing things, conserving water and energy, recycling has a new meaning and leaving as little impact on this planet as possible becomes natural. We didn’t set out with this in mind, it just happens when you live on a sailboat. We had to buy 80 gallons of water and 24 gallons of gas… we spent $100. I thought wow that’s a lot but then I realized we had not gotten gas or water for a month and then it didn’t sound so bad! Jimmy and Renee have only used 28 gallons of water in a month… how do they do it?! I hope to learn.
Today we all took the dinghys to a crescent beach on the ocean side, named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Not a person in site. South we see 3 planes doing tricks and wonder what they are, who they are, and where they are from. We don’t have to wait long… they quickly approach and fly right over us. These guys see us waving and jumping up and down so they fly low and at extreme angles so we can see them and they us. There are 3 of them…Yaks, with radial engines and are Russian trainers. They remind me of old war planes from WWll and I half expect bombs to start falling from the sound of things. They are painted perfect and you can tell these guys are having a good time… so are we!! They passed us twice and on the second time around fly REALLY low and right at us!!! We were all so excited to see this display and just for us… we all got goosebumps!
It's April 21st, another lovely day has passed as we get ready to head over to Willow (Jared and Ruthie's boat) for dinner and games. I know these days will end and will not ever be repeated, I want to take in each moment as much as I can… the making of new friends, the spectacular scenery and the simple lifestyle. We are glad to have family here to share it with.
Lessons Learned:
There are many uses for beer cans:
Use as a plate to cover holes in cockpit areas.
Use the bottoms as a holder for a carbon filter (from a used water filter). Cover the vent hole to the toilet so it doesn’t smell when flushing.
Fill with rocks, tape hole, may now be used as a noise maker at Junkanoo.
Keep extras around for future uses that you have not yet discovered.
When you anchor in an area where there is a strong current, there is a good chance that conditions will be such that you will sail up over your anchor when the wind fights the current. When this happens to us our anchor bridle rubs (chafes) our whiskers (low lines that help hold our screecher in place). Chafing is not good… we have tried a variety of things but when the winds are just so the problem reoccurs. Yesterday Carey finally figured out if he puts out a drogue (something that creates drag) it solves the problem. You can buy drogues or you can concoct one… which is what we did. He got out our biggest, thickest rope, tied knots in it and attached a 5 gallon bucket. It worked perfect!
Below is a notice from one of the internet connection websites at a local bar. Kalik (pronounced “click”) is a local Bahamian beer (keep this in mind).
Reminder:
This service uses a satellite uplink for all traffic. On its best day, it will seem slow compared to any land-based service. It is 22 thousand miles to the satellite, which means it is 44 thousand miles before your request hits the Internet, and 44 thousand for the data to come back. No matter how you slice it, 88 thousand miles may take more than a few seconds for a response. So remember, you're in the Central Exumas with the most beautiful water and Cay's anywhere on the planet. Fast Internet is available at most office buildings and cubicles in the states… would you really want to trade where you are for a cubicle?
The secret to happy surfing on a slow network:
1. Click on the link
2. Take a drink of your Kalik
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until network appears to have blazing speed.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Staniel Cay
Today it April 14th. We are in Staniel Cay snorkeling, fishing and enjoying this amazing water! We do not get much internet, groceries or phone service. I have not done an update to even post. So this is to say we are fine, fit and happy. We met up with Jared and Ruthie, their friends Jamie and Ben are with them, and more new friends, Jimmy and Renee (closer to our age) have joined us on their boat. We are all cruising together and having a great time. It’s been fun and we are so happy to be farther south. More will come when we have more time!
Love, Carey and Lisa
Love, Carey and Lisa
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Mates Thoughts
Donald Stevens… just had his 29th birthday… a kind face… endless expressions… gestures to match… friendly…funny… thoughtful… hungry for someone to listen… hungry from someone to talk to…voiceless. We first met Donald in the pizza place on a Friday night while we were still on the hard, he was friendly and seemed to appreciate that I was trying to talk to him. He wanted me to know where he lived and how old he was… he had so much to say that he could not voice. He was very funny while trying to tell me that white guys can’t hold their liquor and that beer makes them so tired they just go to sleep. (We were all headed to Junkanoo that night.)
Most folks seem to think he can’t hear or isn’t very smart… they are wrong. Donald just can’t speak… he can make noises and say a couple of words or parts of words. He was not taught sign language but uses consistent facial expressions and gestures for his communication. The doctors here in the Bahamas don’t know why he can’t speak so they can’t help him. I wish I knew if he could be helped in the states.
I see Donald just about every time I go to town, no matter what part of town I am in. He hollers at me if I am far, he hides from me if I have not seen him but will be walking by, he always comes up to greet me with a warm hug or a kiss on the hand. I cannot help but ask myself why do I keep running into him… why do I see him everywhere…why is he so excited to see me… and what can I offer him… I am compelled to offer him something… not a “something” that is a thing or even all that tangible… but the intangible “things” that he, like the rest of us need…love… a listening ear… a kind word… friendship….
Donald seems so hungry for these basic human needs that I wonder what his world is like. I watch the awkwardness of people who don’t understand so are uncomfortable around him… I see no bitterness in Donald only openness. He is often spoken to as though he is ignorant but he is not, he can read and write… and I see no resentment in him… how has Donald stayed so innocent... I don’t know, but I pray it continues.
I hope we keep running into Donald while we are still here… he challenges me… he challenges my ability to love, to communicate and to be comfortable with the unfamiliar… I need and welcome this challenge for I know it will cause me to grow… to look past myself… and to see the needs that are before me daily, not only in Donald but every person I pass on the street. We are one family called to love one another.
Love is an action word… requiring something of us… is never passive… and a need in every one of us.
Wishing I was better at it, Lisa
Most folks seem to think he can’t hear or isn’t very smart… they are wrong. Donald just can’t speak… he can make noises and say a couple of words or parts of words. He was not taught sign language but uses consistent facial expressions and gestures for his communication. The doctors here in the Bahamas don’t know why he can’t speak so they can’t help him. I wish I knew if he could be helped in the states.
I see Donald just about every time I go to town, no matter what part of town I am in. He hollers at me if I am far, he hides from me if I have not seen him but will be walking by, he always comes up to greet me with a warm hug or a kiss on the hand. I cannot help but ask myself why do I keep running into him… why do I see him everywhere…why is he so excited to see me… and what can I offer him… I am compelled to offer him something… not a “something” that is a thing or even all that tangible… but the intangible “things” that he, like the rest of us need…love… a listening ear… a kind word… friendship….
Donald seems so hungry for these basic human needs that I wonder what his world is like. I watch the awkwardness of people who don’t understand so are uncomfortable around him… I see no bitterness in Donald only openness. He is often spoken to as though he is ignorant but he is not, he can read and write… and I see no resentment in him… how has Donald stayed so innocent... I don’t know, but I pray it continues.
I hope we keep running into Donald while we are still here… he challenges me… he challenges my ability to love, to communicate and to be comfortable with the unfamiliar… I need and welcome this challenge for I know it will cause me to grow… to look past myself… and to see the needs that are before me daily, not only in Donald but every person I pass on the street. We are one family called to love one another.
Love is an action word… requiring something of us… is never passive… and a need in every one of us.
Wishing I was better at it, Lisa
Mates Log 3.18.2009 Dragging Anchor
Well we did it… we dragged anchor. Imagine you parked your car in the driveway, you have left with friends for dinner and when you return home you find that your car has rolled out of the driveway and is now across the street in the neighbor’s yard and stopped just short of hitting their house. This is what it is like when you drag an anchor in a crowded harbour. Obviously this is not a good thing but it is something that we hear happens to everyone and more than once. We hope to be the exception and never have it happen again but what are the chances of that! We do have an anchor alarm but when you aren’t on the boat to hear it going off it’s not all that great…
Last night we went out to dinner with some friends, as we were leaving the restaurant some other friends came walking up looking for us to let us know our anchor had been dragging and that SongBird was headed towards the dinghy dock and other boats (they kept thinking about our new paint job!). I can’t tell you what went on while we weren’t on the boat but I guess SongBird was getting hailed like crazy until someone radioed that we were out to dinner. (Our dinghy was still at the boat since we got a lift with our friends) Well we all hurried back to the boat and sure enough SongBird was not where we had left her but she was no longer moving towards the other boats. Fortunately our friends stuck around to lend a hand. We missed our first attempt at re-anchoring (those pesky motors are SO unreliable… and oh and did I mention that it was stormy out, of course it was that’s why the anchor dragged!) anyway we became precariously close to another boat… our friends used their dinghy as a tug boat and big fender to stop us from hitting the other boat (you gotta love those inflatable’s at times like these!) Get this, the other boat captain was so laid back about the whole thing he offered to let us raft up for the night and deal with it in the morning when it would be light out! We all wondered later what was in his water! We finally got the anchor reset and everyone was relieved. Again yet another reason cruisers drink so much! We settled in and watched the movie Captain Ron; things no longer looked so bad!
I want to mention here that it was quite interesting to see how the other cruisers responded. All were ready to help and all were being respectful of what the captain wanted or didn’t want. You could tell they had all been in that same kind of a circumstance themselves… you know the one we all love and dream about… the husband and the wife are in a situation where they will have to work together in a way they have never encountered before, the stress level is high and danger lurks around the corner and it never turns out pretty?
When you are not being observed the conversation may sound something like this:
Husband: Go start the engines.
Husband: I said start the engines now!
Wife: I’m trying to but these stupid things keep dying!
Husband: Put port in gear now!... Stop!!!... Now Starboard
The engines die again and the wife tries to let her husband know but the wind is howling in her face while her husband is forward of her so he can’t hear a thing.
Husband: I said starboard now #@%*!! What are you doing back there?!!!
Wife: I am trying to keep these stupid engines running! Now… what do you want!?
Husband: I told you I wanted starboard!!!
Wife: Sure you do…but I am not going to do it because we will hit that other boat don’t you see it!!?? Would you please look where we are first before you just start yelling at me?!!
Husband: This is not working!!!... #@%*
(Actually we don’t cuss at each other like this but it can get testy at times)
Here is the same conversation when you are being observed:
Husband: Honey would you please start the engines?
Husband: Honey have you started the engines?
Wife: Oh honey, I keep trying but they keep dying.
Husband: Well sweetheart can you give me some on the port engine? Stop… now starboard… good!
Wife: Honey I’m doing my best but these engine just are not staying on.
Husband: OK sweetheart, but can you try and give me some more starboard?
Wife: Oh honey there’s a boat too close so I’m going to change our position is that OK?
Husband: Sure dear just do what you think is best.
Wife: How’s that?
Husband: Perfect.
Wife: Oh honey, didn’t that go well!
At time like this you are very thankful for an audience… and last night we had an audience. J
Carey was reminded of
The Hot Rodders Prayer:
Now lay me down to sleep
I parked my Hot Rod in the street
If it should roll before I wake
I pray the Lord will pull the brake
Our changes:
The Cruisers Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep
I anchored my boat in the deep
If it should drag before I wake
I pray the Lord will make it retake
(Well there wasn’t a lot to work with!)
I have posted some pictures of what we were able to see of the space shuttle launch. The first is the trail from the initial launch and the second picture of the cloud looking thing is the second stage. It was great being able to watch this take place! The pictures of course are not very good at all and can never reflect the changes of colors and the intensity we saw. The whole bay was hootin’, hollerin’ and clappin’.
That’s all for now folks!!
Mates Log 3.18.2009 Dragging Anchor
Well we did it… we dragged anchor. Imagine you parked your car in the driveway, you have left with friends for dinner and when you return home you find that your car has rolled out of the driveway and is now across the street in the neighbor’s yard and stopped just short of hitting their house. This is what it is like when you drag an anchor in a crowded harbour. Obviously this is not a good thing but it is something that we hear happens to everyone and more than once. We hope to be the exception and never have it happen again but what are the chances of that! We do have an anchor alarm but when you aren’t on the boat to hear it going off it’s not all that great…
Last night we went out to dinner with some friends, as we were leaving the restaurant some other friends came walking up looking for us to let us know our anchor had been dragging and that SongBird was headed towards the dinghy dock and other boats (they kept thinking about our new paint job!). I can’t tell you what went on while we weren’t on the boat but I guess SongBird was getting hailed like crazy until someone radioed that we were out to dinner. (Our dinghy was still at the boat since we got a lift with our friends) Well we all hurried back to the boat and sure enough SongBird was not where we had left her but she was no longer moving towards the other boats. Fortunately our friends stuck around to lend a hand. We missed our first attempt at re-anchoring (those pesky motors are SO unreliable… and oh and did I mention that it was stormy out, of course it was that’s why the anchor dragged!) anyway we became precariously close to another boat… our friends used their dinghy as a tug boat and big fender to stop us from hitting the other boat (you gotta love those inflatable’s at times like these!) Get this, the other boat captain was so laid back about the whole thing he offered to let us raft up for the night and deal with it in the morning when it would be light out! We all wondered later what was in his water! We finally got the anchor reset and everyone was relieved. Again yet another reason cruisers drink so much! We settled in and watched the movie Captain Ron; things no longer looked so bad!
I want to mention here that it was quite interesting to see how the other cruisers responded. All were ready to help and all were being respectful of what the captain wanted or didn’t want. You could tell they had all been in that same kind of a circumstance themselves… you know the one we all love and dream about… the husband and the wife are in a situation where they will have to work together in a way they have never encountered before, the stress level is high and danger lurks around the corner and it never turns out pretty?
When you are not being observed the conversation may sound something like this:
Husband: Go start the engines.
Husband: I said start the engines now!
Wife: I’m trying to but these stupid things keep dying!
Husband: Put port in gear now!... Stop!!!... Now Starboard
The engines die again and the wife tries to let her husband know but the wind is howling in her face while her husband is forward of her so he can’t hear a thing.
Husband: I said starboard now #@%*!! What are you doing back there?!!!
Wife: I am trying to keep these stupid engines running! Now… what do you want!?
Husband: I told you I wanted starboard!!!
Wife: Sure you do…but I am not going to do it because we will hit that other boat don’t you see it!!?? Would you please look where we are first before you just start yelling at me?!!
Husband: This is not working!!!... #@%*
(Actually we don’t cuss at each other like this but it can get testy at times)
Here is the same conversation when you are being observed:
Husband: Honey would you please start the engines?
Husband: Honey have you started the engines?
Wife: Oh honey, I keep trying but they keep dying.
Husband: Well sweetheart can you give me some on the port engine? Stop… now starboard… good!
Wife: Honey I’m doing my best but these engine just are not staying on.
Husband: OK sweetheart, but can you try and give me some more starboard?
Wife: Oh honey there’s a boat too close so I’m going to change our position is that OK?
Husband: Sure dear just do what you think is best.
Wife: How’s that?
Husband: Perfect.
Wife: Oh honey, didn’t that go well!
At time like this you are very thankful for an audience… and last night we had an audience. J
Carey was reminded of
The Hot Rodders Prayer:
Now lay me down to sleep
I parked my Hot Rod in the street
If it should roll before I wake
I pray the Lord will pull the brake
Our changes:
The Cruisers Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep
I anchored my boat in the deep
If it should drag before I wake
I pray the Lord will make it retake
(Well there wasn’t a lot to work with!)
I have posted some pictures of what we were able to see of the space shuttle launch. The first is the trail from the initial launch and the second picture of the cloud looking thing is the second stage. It was great being able to watch this take place! The pictures of course are not very good at all and can never reflect the changes of colors and the intensity we saw. The whole bay was hootin’, hollerin’ and clappin’.
That’s all for now folks!!
Last night we went out to dinner with some friends, as we were leaving the restaurant some other friends came walking up looking for us to let us know our anchor had been dragging and that SongBird was headed towards the dinghy dock and other boats (they kept thinking about our new paint job!). I can’t tell you what went on while we weren’t on the boat but I guess SongBird was getting hailed like crazy until someone radioed that we were out to dinner. (Our dinghy was still at the boat since we got a lift with our friends) Well we all hurried back to the boat and sure enough SongBird was not where we had left her but she was no longer moving towards the other boats. Fortunately our friends stuck around to lend a hand. We missed our first attempt at re-anchoring (those pesky motors are SO unreliable… and oh and did I mention that it was stormy out, of course it was that’s why the anchor dragged!) anyway we became precariously close to another boat… our friends used their dinghy as a tug boat and big fender to stop us from hitting the other boat (you gotta love those inflatable’s at times like these!) Get this, the other boat captain was so laid back about the whole thing he offered to let us raft up for the night and deal with it in the morning when it would be light out! We all wondered later what was in his water! We finally got the anchor reset and everyone was relieved. Again yet another reason cruisers drink so much! We settled in and watched the movie Captain Ron; things no longer looked so bad!
I want to mention here that it was quite interesting to see how the other cruisers responded. All were ready to help and all were being respectful of what the captain wanted or didn’t want. You could tell they had all been in that same kind of a circumstance themselves… you know the one we all love and dream about… the husband and the wife are in a situation where they will have to work together in a way they have never encountered before, the stress level is high and danger lurks around the corner and it never turns out pretty?
When you are not being observed the conversation may sound something like this:
Husband: Go start the engines.
Husband: I said start the engines now!
Wife: I’m trying to but these stupid things keep dying!
Husband: Put port in gear now!... Stop!!!... Now Starboard
The engines die again and the wife tries to let her husband know but the wind is howling in her face while her husband is forward of her so he can’t hear a thing.
Husband: I said starboard now #@%*!! What are you doing back there?!!!
Wife: I am trying to keep these stupid engines running! Now… what do you want!?
Husband: I told you I wanted starboard!!!
Wife: Sure you do…but I am not going to do it because we will hit that other boat don’t you see it!!?? Would you please look where we are first before you just start yelling at me?!!
Husband: This is not working!!!... #@%*
(Actually we don’t cuss at each other like this but it can get testy at times)
Here is the same conversation when you are being observed:
Husband: Honey would you please start the engines?
Husband: Honey have you started the engines?
Wife: Oh honey, I keep trying but they keep dying.
Husband: Well sweetheart can you give me some on the port engine? Stop… now starboard… good!
Wife: Honey I’m doing my best but these engine just are not staying on.
Husband: OK sweetheart, but can you try and give me some more starboard?
Wife: Oh honey there’s a boat too close so I’m going to change our position is that OK?
Husband: Sure dear just do what you think is best.
Wife: How’s that?
Husband: Perfect.
Wife: Oh honey, didn’t that go well!
At time like this you are very thankful for an audience… and last night we had an audience. J
Carey was reminded of
The Hot Rodders Prayer:
Now lay me down to sleep
I parked my Hot Rod in the street
If it should roll before I wake
I pray the Lord will pull the brake
Our changes:
The Cruisers Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep
I anchored my boat in the deep
If it should drag before I wake
I pray the Lord will make it retake
(Well there wasn’t a lot to work with!)
I have posted some pictures of what we were able to see of the space shuttle launch. The first is the trail from the initial launch and the second picture of the cloud looking thing is the second stage. It was great being able to watch this take place! The pictures of course are not very good at all and can never reflect the changes of colors and the intensity we saw. The whole bay was hootin’, hollerin’ and clappin’.
That’s all for now folks!!
Mates Log 3.15.2009 Guana Cay
Guana Cay is a great place, we can picture ourselves living here. This place has a great feel to it, and reminds me of the small mountain town of Crested Butte, Colorado where I used to live years ago, before the streets were paved. Most of the streets in this quaint place are made of sand and it’s an easy walk from the Sea of Abaco to the Atlantic Ocean, where you may find a raging sea or a nice calm for a snorkel on the reef. There is a weekly potluck, bocce ball tournaments, live music, and beach cleanup, just to name a few things. You can call the states for free from each of the three local bars and there is free internet. There are a few small trucks on this quaint island, but the normal mode of transportation is golf cart, which may be named and brightly painted.
The cruising community is really very small and it doesn’t take long before you run into someone who knows someone, or something about you or your boat. Last week Jeff stopped by in his dinghy with his two boys. He had heard us (SongBird) hailing another boat on the radio earlier in the day. He had to come by and check us out, to see if we were the same SongBird that used to belong to his friends… sure enough we were or more accurately she (SongBird) was. Jeff took pictures so he could pass them on to the previous owners to see what we had done to her, and how she was looking. We have since been in touch with them.
Yesterday we went with a small group to clean up a beach. Well it doesn’t take long before you wonder when or how they will stop producing plastics, or think of some way to deal with this enormous problem. Every piece of trash we picked up was plastic. The impact on our environment is horrific. I could not help recalling the dead baby Gooney birds out on Midway Island that had died from starvation because so much of the “food” that the parents brought back was plastic. After they would die and their feathery bodies had decomposed, there would be left, a pile of plastic. I have seen many birds wrapped in those six pack rings. Seeing the shiny plastic glimmering in the sun, thinking it was food, swooping down trying to pick it up, only to get caught around their necks, unable to ever get the constriction off. Depending on its location they may live the rest of their lives with the constriction, or die of starvation due to the impediment. I know this is depressing, but at some point the reality has to be faced and addressed… not sure how or if that will ever happen, but it sure needs to.
The weather has been sunny and warm, the winds are going the wrong direction for us to head south and the seas are too big in the Big Pond, so we are waiting. We finally started up our water maker. This is the most amazing thing we have on the boat! This contraption, which is a series of long cylinders, takes seawater, of most any condition, (does not have to be clean sea water) and turns it into the sweetest water I have ever tasted! It makes about 15 gallons of water an hour! Of course we would never rely on this mechanical contraption for our water, but we will make as much of our water as possible since it tastes so much better.
Next stop Norman’s Cay: we will be meeting Jared, Ruthie, Jeff and friends of Jared’s and Ruthie’s whom we have not yet met. Jared and Ruthie have left FL and are sailing that way, they are currently waiting for a weather window at Chub Cay. They will be picking up Jeff and their friends in Nassau then head to Norman’s. We will then all head down to the Land and Sea Park in the Exumas and spend some time exploring the sea life, and doing some volunteer work. We hear there is some of the best snorkeling down there, the water will be warmer and they say it is even more spectacular then what we have grown accustomed to here in the Abacos.
That’s it for now. Love and sun, Carey and Lisa
Observations and notices:
The bank in Hope Town is open one day a week: Tuesday’s from 10-2.
Notice in Dr’s office: Please turn off all cell phones and VHF radios.
Closed for inventory: Mon, Tues and Wed.
The distance on a map to local sites is determined from the one stop light in town.
When riding the bus you will probably stop for gas along the way but no worries they don’t turn off the engine so no time is lost… it’s all Bahamian time anyway.
When it rains there is a good chance the streets will flood so wear shorts and old shoes.
Carry a stern anchor when going to the public dock with your dinghy; you will be required to use it.
No worries if your dinghy doesn’t have running lights for night use… no one else does either. Forget lifejackets or any safety equipment for that matter.
The liquor store will open your bottle for you if you don’t have an opener on you.
When you live on a boat you never know who may stop by and say hi just to get to know you or ask about your boat.
The local black Bahamian will generally be dressed looking like an American (gansta, hoodie, gang banger, you pick a word you like) but will flash you a huge smile, wave and offer you a ride.
Most cruisers are older than us, although not all… they are a wild, energetic, eclectic, individualist, friendly, free group of folks whom we enjoying getting to know.
The cruising community is really very small and it doesn’t take long before you run into someone who knows someone, or something about you or your boat. Last week Jeff stopped by in his dinghy with his two boys. He had heard us (SongBird) hailing another boat on the radio earlier in the day. He had to come by and check us out, to see if we were the same SongBird that used to belong to his friends… sure enough we were or more accurately she (SongBird) was. Jeff took pictures so he could pass them on to the previous owners to see what we had done to her, and how she was looking. We have since been in touch with them.
Yesterday we went with a small group to clean up a beach. Well it doesn’t take long before you wonder when or how they will stop producing plastics, or think of some way to deal with this enormous problem. Every piece of trash we picked up was plastic. The impact on our environment is horrific. I could not help recalling the dead baby Gooney birds out on Midway Island that had died from starvation because so much of the “food” that the parents brought back was plastic. After they would die and their feathery bodies had decomposed, there would be left, a pile of plastic. I have seen many birds wrapped in those six pack rings. Seeing the shiny plastic glimmering in the sun, thinking it was food, swooping down trying to pick it up, only to get caught around their necks, unable to ever get the constriction off. Depending on its location they may live the rest of their lives with the constriction, or die of starvation due to the impediment. I know this is depressing, but at some point the reality has to be faced and addressed… not sure how or if that will ever happen, but it sure needs to.
The weather has been sunny and warm, the winds are going the wrong direction for us to head south and the seas are too big in the Big Pond, so we are waiting. We finally started up our water maker. This is the most amazing thing we have on the boat! This contraption, which is a series of long cylinders, takes seawater, of most any condition, (does not have to be clean sea water) and turns it into the sweetest water I have ever tasted! It makes about 15 gallons of water an hour! Of course we would never rely on this mechanical contraption for our water, but we will make as much of our water as possible since it tastes so much better.
Next stop Norman’s Cay: we will be meeting Jared, Ruthie, Jeff and friends of Jared’s and Ruthie’s whom we have not yet met. Jared and Ruthie have left FL and are sailing that way, they are currently waiting for a weather window at Chub Cay. They will be picking up Jeff and their friends in Nassau then head to Norman’s. We will then all head down to the Land and Sea Park in the Exumas and spend some time exploring the sea life, and doing some volunteer work. We hear there is some of the best snorkeling down there, the water will be warmer and they say it is even more spectacular then what we have grown accustomed to here in the Abacos.
That’s it for now. Love and sun, Carey and Lisa
Observations and notices:
The bank in Hope Town is open one day a week: Tuesday’s from 10-2.
Notice in Dr’s office: Please turn off all cell phones and VHF radios.
Closed for inventory: Mon, Tues and Wed.
The distance on a map to local sites is determined from the one stop light in town.
When riding the bus you will probably stop for gas along the way but no worries they don’t turn off the engine so no time is lost… it’s all Bahamian time anyway.
When it rains there is a good chance the streets will flood so wear shorts and old shoes.
Carry a stern anchor when going to the public dock with your dinghy; you will be required to use it.
No worries if your dinghy doesn’t have running lights for night use… no one else does either. Forget lifejackets or any safety equipment for that matter.
The liquor store will open your bottle for you if you don’t have an opener on you.
When you live on a boat you never know who may stop by and say hi just to get to know you or ask about your boat.
The local black Bahamian will generally be dressed looking like an American (gansta, hoodie, gang banger, you pick a word you like) but will flash you a huge smile, wave and offer you a ride.
Most cruisers are older than us, although not all… they are a wild, energetic, eclectic, individualist, friendly, free group of folks whom we enjoying getting to know.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Before Paint Pictures
We have included some before pictures of SongBird so you can appreciate how she now looks. It was not an easy job as you can see.
Mates Log 3.8.09
When we came into Hope Town the other day, we saw a mooring ball we wanted to pick up. You remember mooring ball adventures from a previous posting… Well, all was going perfect! Then the starboard engine died! We thought Carey had taken care of the problem with the engines dyeing, but evidently it didn't stick. This is the point where everything falls apart. We can’t pick up the ball because we don’t have the steering control that is needed. Carey is trying to start the engine but we are gaining on other moored boats. At this point I decide I better try and start the engine while he watches where we are going so we don’t hit anything… it’s almost too late… Carey keeps repeating, sweetheart, sweetheart… the repetitiveness of these words is really a cry for help, but nothing else was coming from him... just sweetheart, sweetheart……. I started to look around to see if I could figure out what was going on… and sure enough there was a boat, a big catamaran right next to us, Carey is trying to negotiate a turn, things are not going well.
I had no fender out to grab and run with. So I ran forward empty handed and cruised the deck waiting to see if and where we would hit this other big boat... We missed her just as Carey gunned SongBirds one working engine… oh saved again!!! Good job captain!
I occupied myself with trying to start the one failed engine, the harbour here is packed with boats and I was not sure I wanted to watch as our hero maneuvered a 25’ wide newly painted boat among such a cluster. I peeked over once in a while to make sure he was still breathing. I gave up on the engine and helped where I could with water depth and hiding mooring balls. We came around again to the mooring ball we wanted, Carey offset our approach to account for current and tide so I was able to snag the mooring and bring it up. Perfect! He did it! Nothing hit, nothing damaged and no one died (except for that darn engine!).
Honey I think we need to buy for wine if our engines are going to keep dying like this.
Today we went aground in our dinghy. Of course it was much easier getting it off the bottom then a 40’ catamaran. As soon as Carey got out of the boat we started to float. But, we enjoyed the adventure and the simplicity of it… and the lack of stress it created!!
We have included a couple of pictures of a traditional Abaco sailing and sculling dinghy. Weiner Malone is the primary builder of these boats and is now 80 years old. Rumor has it he never admires boats (since today most of them are fiberglass) but was admiring our dinghy and was glad to hear that we had built it ourselves. He really liked her lines and thought her quite lovely. I felt proud.
We are not going to be able to head south yet. Our weather window closed in on us, so we are going to head north for some exploration. Once we see a window opening we’ll head south down to Staniel Cay. It sounds like we will meet up with Jared and Ruthie, who will be sailing in from FL. We will hang out in Staniel Cay until April 1st or so when Jeff will fly out and hook up with all of us. We are then off to the Land and Sea Park in Exuma.
Lesson Learned
Never think you have any problems resolved, they are only in a state of suspension until further notice.
When in small places or if there are any boats anywhere near… get out a fender to carry around just in case you need to fend off another boat, or something worse.
Buy more wine or take up drinking beer, it’s cheaper!
I had no fender out to grab and run with. So I ran forward empty handed and cruised the deck waiting to see if and where we would hit this other big boat... We missed her just as Carey gunned SongBirds one working engine… oh saved again!!! Good job captain!
I occupied myself with trying to start the one failed engine, the harbour here is packed with boats and I was not sure I wanted to watch as our hero maneuvered a 25’ wide newly painted boat among such a cluster. I peeked over once in a while to make sure he was still breathing. I gave up on the engine and helped where I could with water depth and hiding mooring balls. We came around again to the mooring ball we wanted, Carey offset our approach to account for current and tide so I was able to snag the mooring and bring it up. Perfect! He did it! Nothing hit, nothing damaged and no one died (except for that darn engine!).
Honey I think we need to buy for wine if our engines are going to keep dying like this.
Today we went aground in our dinghy. Of course it was much easier getting it off the bottom then a 40’ catamaran. As soon as Carey got out of the boat we started to float. But, we enjoyed the adventure and the simplicity of it… and the lack of stress it created!!
We have included a couple of pictures of a traditional Abaco sailing and sculling dinghy. Weiner Malone is the primary builder of these boats and is now 80 years old. Rumor has it he never admires boats (since today most of them are fiberglass) but was admiring our dinghy and was glad to hear that we had built it ourselves. He really liked her lines and thought her quite lovely. I felt proud.
We are not going to be able to head south yet. Our weather window closed in on us, so we are going to head north for some exploration. Once we see a window opening we’ll head south down to Staniel Cay. It sounds like we will meet up with Jared and Ruthie, who will be sailing in from FL. We will hang out in Staniel Cay until April 1st or so when Jeff will fly out and hook up with all of us. We are then off to the Land and Sea Park in Exuma.
Lesson Learned
Never think you have any problems resolved, they are only in a state of suspension until further notice.
When in small places or if there are any boats anywhere near… get out a fender to carry around just in case you need to fend off another boat, or something worse.
Buy more wine or take up drinking beer, it’s cheaper!
Tattoos
Relieve your fears all. The captain does not plan on getting a tattoo of the Bahamas. Captains always talk big, big stories, big boats, big fish and big tattoos. SongBird's captain has always threatened to get a tattoo (the details change monthly). So have no fears when we send you pictures of the Captains latest tattoo, at least not until you see the Captain included.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Mates Log 3.5.09
We did it!! We’re done!! If we could we would invite all of you over for a celebration party!After 8 long weeks, I would like to take this time to be reflective, pass on scholarly wisdom gained from our time, and recreate the profound lessons learned… but frankly it was a lot of blood, sweat and tears, dirt, grit, bad chemicals, achy muscles, and incredible pain that got us to this point. The wisdom we gained was more along the lines of what type of pain reliever to use for what ache and how to get out of bed in the morning when movement would not come and body parts were seized up. No great wisdom is needed to know that the boat interior needs wiping down so we don’t keep living in all the cuprous oxide of the highly toxic copper bottom paint.
We cannot express how glad we are to be back in the water and no longer on the hard. If we had to write a song about our last 8 weeks on the hard it would go something like this to the tune of “Sittin on the Dock of the Bay”.
Sandin in the morning sun
Be paintin when the evenin comes
Rollin and tippin this cat
Then we’ll do it all over again
Workin on the boat all day
Grindin and scrapin away
Workin on the boat all day
Sandin all the time
Left our home in SoCal
Headed for the life of fun
All we found was hard work
Dude, will this boat ever be done
Sandin in the morning sun
Be paintin when the evening comes
Workin on the boat all day
Sandin all the time
Dude, will this paint ever be done
Every day it’s more of the same
Have ten gallons of paint to apply
So let’s “roll and tip” again today
So I’ll struggle gettin out of bed
And my body will keep feeling dead
Will we be able to move again
And Advil remains my friend
We’re sittin here resting our bones
And this tiredness won’t leave us alone
Three thousand miles we roamed
Just to make this boatyard home?
Sandin in the morning sun
Be paintin when the evenin comes
Sandin in the morning sun
Sandin all the time
Sandin in the morning sun
Be paintin when the evenin comes
Sandin in the morning sun
Sandin all the time
Carey is convinced I can now only see the color green (the color of the old nasty bottom paint and salon sides). I do think he has most of the green out of his beard and eyebrows, but you should see his feet and knees!! I think it will take some time to get all the green out of Carey.
We are currently anchored in Marsh Harbour and, it is good. The winds are blowing like crazy so we are waiting until tomorrow to leave here. We will head south to Little Harbour also on Abaco and hopefully meet up with friends we met while on the hard. We will stay there for a few days and do nothing but snorkel and relax. At least that is the plan but we all know that can change at any given moment.
I cannot tell you all that has happened, well I suppose I could but I doubt I could keep your attention and interest. Anyway, we were invited to a comedy show by the guy who sells bootleg videos out of the back of his truck (all videos that we have seen here, even in stores are bootlegged, so this is not unusual). Well, Frankie drove miles out of his way to give us a ride, and show us around on our way to the place, the show was held at a church. Once we were seated I kept hearing… Lisa, Lisa. Well I thought surely that would not be Lisa me since we hardly know anyone here, being stuck in the boat yard and all. But sure enough… it was me. Victor and his family (the ones who invited us over for a shower and tubby) were at the show with friends!
Once the show was over we waited outside for Frankie (he did not go because he had to work) to come and pick us up. Well… a couple came up to us and asked us if we needed a ride back to town, since they were going that way. Of course we took it so Frankie wouldn’t have to take us back. so far out of his way. As I have mentioned before everyone is SO nice and helpful here.
Sunday we were offered a truck to use (a guy next to us working on his boat) so we could go do all of our laundry and re-provision for our departure. This was huge! We would have been making many trips to the store in the dinghy and it would have taken us 2 days to accomplish it all.
Monday morning SongBird went back in the water without incident other then the “windicator” getting snapped off by the travel lift. Carey made an easy fix of it so no problems there. Once floating we tied up to the boatyard dock, bought ice and invited Captain Morgan for a bit of celebration. We actually sat in the cockpit, cushions out, drinks in hand and pupu’s for a moment of thanks. We had never done this before, and if we had we could not remember ever feeling that relaxed.
Water and gas were the chores of the next morning and then we were off to Marsh Harbour. Wish I could say we had a great sail but we were headed close to weather so we motored all the way. We went into town to drop off some books that we were done with, and ran into Russ, who we had met at Junkanoo. It ends up that they are anchored right next to us. For being on the hard, not getting to town much, and rarely being able to socialize it has been amazing how many people we now know, and how many we run into while out. This is life in a small town, although Marsh Harbour is larger than most in the Bahamas. We do like it here and it is a nice size place, a lot smaller and nicer than Nassau, but big enough for its own airport.
We are getting ready to leave tomorrow for Little Harbour, hang for a few days until the weather suits us, and then off to Eluthera. Not sure how long that will take, not sure if we have to or need to stop along the way and not sure when we will get there… oh yeah, not sure how long we will stay. Shawn from the boatyard wants us to look up his mother while we are in Eluthera. From there we are headed to the Land and Sea Park at Exuma Cay. If you volunteer you get your mooring for free. Russ told us that everyone volunteers, which is funny because you work like you are on a chain gang for 8 hours, saving a $15 mooring fee. Cruisers are a weird lot.
We may head down to Georgetown once we leave the park. This will depend on the date. We have to start heading north in April/May so we can be in N Carolina by June for hurricane season. We will then hook up somewhere with Jared, Ruthie and Jeff. Jeff may come down to help us get back north but it’s too early to tell what will happen.
Well, that’s the short of it. Check out SongBirds new eyes and paint. I’m not sure when or where we can get online again so if you don’t hear from us for awhile, it’s OK.
Cheers and love… Carey and Lisa
Lessons Learned
If you are old, pay someone to paint your boat (start saving now)
Take Advil with your vitamins (don’t wait until you think you will need it… you WILL need it!)
Do not paint in 25 knot winds no matter what your time schedule is
Install a sling to help you get out of bed in the morning
Take seasick pills after having been on land for 2 months
Put your glasses on when trying to get the green off your body
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Mates Log 2.18.09
Well, we made it back to Marsh Harbour and we have a four month visa! We spent 2 days in FL running errands and driving down to the Keys to visit Jared and Ruthie, who are now in Marathon at this time living in a large friendly boat community. Ruthie’s mom and a dear friend of hers were down visiting for Ruthie’s birthday. It was wonderful seeing all of them again!
Both Carey and I felt out of it, to some degree. I’m not sure how to explain this but things seemed wrong, odd, or weird. I would call it culture shock. I felt this same way after returning to the states from living in New Zealand years ago. We missed our simple life style, our small footprint on the planet, and our own cooking. Yes, can you believe it, we missed MY cooking! I felt this was a great triumph and one worth noting. We felt as though we were returning home when we landed in Marsh Harbour and getting back to the boat was a joy. How weird is that! It was fun to see the Abaco area from the air.
We had hoped to visit with friends and make lots of phone calls but it's amazing how little time there is in Ft Lauderdale and how fast that time moves! We came back to the hotel room after visiting Jared and Ruthie to find our computer compromised. We have no idea what happened but all our settings were changed, tool bars were missing, and passwords were deleted on some sites. The desktop was rearranged, programs were missing from the start bar, the trash was dumped, and all history was deleted. We ran our antivirus and didn’t find anything so are not sure what happened but we felt violated in some weird way.
We are back in the grind, working on the boat. We plan to paint the bottom this Sat and get back in the water next week. I won’t hold my breath but I think we can do it. Again, I can’t tell you how much I miss being on the water.
The picture was taken today and hopefully you can see how much better SongBird looks. We’re worse for the wear but the boat is great!
Cheers to you all! Carey and Lisa
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Mates Log 2.12.09
Well it’s official, we are now illegal aliens. We aren’t sure how we acquired this status but we did. Tomorrow, Friday Feb. 13th, we will be flying back to FL until Monday Feb 16th so we can avoid being jailed, fined and deported, never to return to the Bahamas and losing our boat. There is so much that we are still learning and not always in good time. We’ll let you know how it goes, no one thinks we will be detained at the airport but we can’t be sure. If you don’t hear from us in two weeks please send someone to find us, you can start in Marsh Harbour, Abaco and if we are not there you may want to try Nassau, New Providence.
Seriously though, somehow we misunderstood when our visas expired. We thought they expired on the 18th of this month when in reality they expired a month and a half ago. We went today to get them renewed and the woman told us we had to leave… now… not in a few days, when we would be done with the boat. We could not get out of here fast enough!
We hope to post some more pics while we are in Ft Lauderdale, we don’t know where we are staying yet but we can let you know in case you need or want to reach us while we are in the states. Anyway, that is the short of it for now.
Hiding and lying low, Carey and Lisa
Lessons Learned:
OH YEAH!!
Seriously though, somehow we misunderstood when our visas expired. We thought they expired on the 18th of this month when in reality they expired a month and a half ago. We went today to get them renewed and the woman told us we had to leave… now… not in a few days, when we would be done with the boat. We could not get out of here fast enough!
We hope to post some more pics while we are in Ft Lauderdale, we don’t know where we are staying yet but we can let you know in case you need or want to reach us while we are in the states. Anyway, that is the short of it for now.
Hiding and lying low, Carey and Lisa
Lessons Learned:
OH YEAH!!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Mates Log 2.3.09
We are happy to report that we got both hulls and the bridge deck painted and all in one day!! This, of course, does not include all that happened before the paint… the prep work…
There were cracks between the bridge deck and the amas that required grinding out, fiber glassing, filling, more sanding, and priming… there were unused thru- hulls that were removed, filled, sanded and primed… there were dings that were sanded, filled, more sanding, and primed… there was taping off… there was sanding the entire boat and wiping it down… whew! There were backs and shoulders thrown-out and new muscles developed that had never before been developed… and there were days where getting out of bed was the first big chore to face…
Carey has done an amazing job… he still is. All this does not include the bottom of the boat. He is furiously sanding all the barnacles off. We don’t have much in the way of trick power tools so for the most part all of this is done by hand. He completely wore out one sander, which we replaced but has not really been of much use.
Last week we put the first coat of paint on… I am Roller and Carey is Tipper. This means that I first roll a section of paint; Carey comes behind me and goes over it with a paint brush. It sounds rather simple really, but doing it in 25 knots of wind proved to be a challenge! The paint Gremlins came by and threw the plastic paint tray liner right past us, so we taped it to the tray. Then every time we tried pouring the paint out of the gallon container the wind would blow the paint right on by if we had not created enough of a wind block. The boat isn’t quite high enough off of the ground so by the time we were finished Carey had a head full of paint. Fortunately we did not have to shave his head but it was touch and go there for awhile.
Carey painted the trim piece he had to replace (the rub rail which we are sure we will get much use out of!) blue, which is the same color we had painted the door and the dinghy trim. We included a pinstripe on the area where the side windows are on the salon. Now we are looking for a good pair of 'eyes' to put on the bows. We had chosen to paint SongBird all white because this color has the longest wear against UV damage and is the coolest, but white has no character so we had to do something!
The boat looks perfect from 10 feet back and at night it’s incredible, so we are quite pleased. We still have the bottom to do. This is the messiest part of the project. Ablative paint has copper in it so is toxic and sticks to everything. A shower is required after working on it for the day and this is no easy task in 28 knots of wind. As I have mentioned prior we have to take our showers outside and try and create some kind of privacy shield… so last night Carey put up some plastic that we could sit under. We tied it down under the locker lids and hung it from a line above the bimini. I know… you have no idea what I am talking about and unfortunately I did not take any pictures…. next time.
I have been painting the deck, the swim steps and putting the second coat of paint on in the cockpit area… again in 25 plus knots of wind. The weather has been really nasty for here. Gail force winds and rain are making it a challenge. I would also say something about the temperature…. But…
I will try and include some pictures of the local money, it’s really very lovely and we enjoy spending it when we get the chance… unfortunately that’s not very often. Bahamian and US money is all used interchangeably here.
Cheers! Roller and Tipper
Definitions:
Amas: the hulls of a catamaran (or the outer hulls of a trimaran)
Rub Rail: this used to be the rubber rail that went down the sides of SongBird. They are used for running into things so you don’t damage your boat. Carey says we try not to rub them but if that was true then they would be called don’t-rub rails. Men just don’t get it. We replaced them with fir.
Salon: this is the top inside area of a catamaran. Our galley, nav station and seating area are located here.
Thru-hull: these are holes in the hulls or amas, with valves, below the water line for such things as the toilet dump, and salt water intakes.
Lessons Learned
Don’t paint in 25 knot winds if you can at all help it.
Wear a hat when painting
Take lots of Advil
Sleep vertical so it’s easier to get out of bed in the morning
P.S. We have both coats of paint on the boat now… the bottom is still in progress.
There were cracks between the bridge deck and the amas that required grinding out, fiber glassing, filling, more sanding, and priming… there were unused thru- hulls that were removed, filled, sanded and primed… there were dings that were sanded, filled, more sanding, and primed… there was taping off… there was sanding the entire boat and wiping it down… whew! There were backs and shoulders thrown-out and new muscles developed that had never before been developed… and there were days where getting out of bed was the first big chore to face…
Carey has done an amazing job… he still is. All this does not include the bottom of the boat. He is furiously sanding all the barnacles off. We don’t have much in the way of trick power tools so for the most part all of this is done by hand. He completely wore out one sander, which we replaced but has not really been of much use.
Last week we put the first coat of paint on… I am Roller and Carey is Tipper. This means that I first roll a section of paint; Carey comes behind me and goes over it with a paint brush. It sounds rather simple really, but doing it in 25 knots of wind proved to be a challenge! The paint Gremlins came by and threw the plastic paint tray liner right past us, so we taped it to the tray. Then every time we tried pouring the paint out of the gallon container the wind would blow the paint right on by if we had not created enough of a wind block. The boat isn’t quite high enough off of the ground so by the time we were finished Carey had a head full of paint. Fortunately we did not have to shave his head but it was touch and go there for awhile.
Carey painted the trim piece he had to replace (the rub rail which we are sure we will get much use out of!) blue, which is the same color we had painted the door and the dinghy trim. We included a pinstripe on the area where the side windows are on the salon. Now we are looking for a good pair of 'eyes' to put on the bows. We had chosen to paint SongBird all white because this color has the longest wear against UV damage and is the coolest, but white has no character so we had to do something!
The boat looks perfect from 10 feet back and at night it’s incredible, so we are quite pleased. We still have the bottom to do. This is the messiest part of the project. Ablative paint has copper in it so is toxic and sticks to everything. A shower is required after working on it for the day and this is no easy task in 28 knots of wind. As I have mentioned prior we have to take our showers outside and try and create some kind of privacy shield… so last night Carey put up some plastic that we could sit under. We tied it down under the locker lids and hung it from a line above the bimini. I know… you have no idea what I am talking about and unfortunately I did not take any pictures…. next time.
I have been painting the deck, the swim steps and putting the second coat of paint on in the cockpit area… again in 25 plus knots of wind. The weather has been really nasty for here. Gail force winds and rain are making it a challenge. I would also say something about the temperature…. But…
I will try and include some pictures of the local money, it’s really very lovely and we enjoy spending it when we get the chance… unfortunately that’s not very often. Bahamian and US money is all used interchangeably here.
Cheers! Roller and Tipper
Definitions:
Amas: the hulls of a catamaran (or the outer hulls of a trimaran)
Rub Rail: this used to be the rubber rail that went down the sides of SongBird. They are used for running into things so you don’t damage your boat. Carey says we try not to rub them but if that was true then they would be called don’t-rub rails. Men just don’t get it. We replaced them with fir.
Salon: this is the top inside area of a catamaran. Our galley, nav station and seating area are located here.
Thru-hull: these are holes in the hulls or amas, with valves, below the water line for such things as the toilet dump, and salt water intakes.
Lessons Learned
Don’t paint in 25 knot winds if you can at all help it.
Wear a hat when painting
Take lots of Advil
Sleep vertical so it’s easier to get out of bed in the morning
P.S. We have both coats of paint on the boat now… the bottom is still in progress.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Mates Log 1.24.09
We will mark last night on our calendar as a great night. We were invited to dinner and a shower. Who could ask for more! Victor, his wife Dina and their two children Halee and Erin were amazing. Victor does the supply ordering for the boatyard here in Marsh Harbour, so we have visited with him just a little in the office and maybe a minute or two while we are working on the boat.
Victor is a nice guy from Nassau who moved here with his family a few years ago to get out of the city and improve their quality of life. His wife Dina is a black Bahamian from the same area while he is a white Bahamian. They call their children “bright”, not referring to their intelligence, which of course they are quite smart, but due to their skin color. Most of the Bahamas are open to interracial marriages, although a few of the outer Cays are not. Dina was telling me that her family is so proud to have bright grandchildren and that in time they will become their own race according to “They” who determine race. This must be the “Race Committee” who sets these standards and preside “Somewhere”.
I enjoyed listening to Dina tell stories about her family, I felt taken back into a time where what family you came from was important and gave you admittance into someone else’s family. Some of it sounded like “Alabama” since no one strays too far from home, not that there is any practical way to leave or go anywhere else for that matter, so cousins marry cousins and no one thinks twice about it… and everyone is related!
Dina then sent me to the bathroom for what she called a tubby, which is a good soak in the bathtub. It was heaven, I love a good soak on a cold night and lately I had been dreaming about the long lost hot bubble baths that I once enjoyed as a landlubber but gave up for this life of…. Oh yeah…adventure. I felt a little awkward not having to rush, pump and hide (standard operating procedures on the deck of SongBird) but I managed to do my best at relaxing. I even attempted to put some makeup on, it had been so long that I forget the order of what goes on when and where so had one eye that was a little worse for the wear, regardless I did look and feel better!
We enjoyed grilled Bull Fish, which is a local white mild fish, conch fritters with spicy dip, a salad and the tiniest fresh corn on the cob I have ever seen, but so sweet! This family was just a joy to us, to offer us showers, food, and friendship was beyond our ability to express our true feelings of thanks.
We miss our friends, we can’t just call someone up and say hey, let’s get together or what are you doing, or anything else for that matter. We rely on the people around us to be friendly and open to strangers. This has given us a broader perspective of the big picture when it comes to strangers in a strange land. I love living free to invite anyone over at anytime… not the people you know but the ones you don’t. I love the freedom to give someone a bit of food just because they are working near your boat and look like they could use a hand of kindness. The people who offer us a ride, just because we are walking down the road and look like we need a ride. The stranger who invites us to come to dinner and use their shower just because we need one, the people who offer the shower on their boat for our use just because they have one and we don’t... these are the acts of kindness that cannot go unaccounted for. We have to return the kindness, we are responsible to return the acts of generosity and we become driven to do the same for others. We may say we are strangers in a strange land but we aren’t, not really. We’re from the family of humanity, born on the same planet, breathing the same air, passing the same unfamiliar person who wants a friend and needs to be loved. Does our perspective grow small the longer we live in the familiar, the unchallenged, the unbothered, and the unthreatened? Maybe, mine did. So now living in the unfamiliar, full of challenges I am gaining a new perspective, or more accurately remembering an old perspective… hold your hands palms up, then you will be open to give and receive at all times.
Well, enough of that, I do really wish I was a wordsmith, had clear thoughts, could keep things in their right tense, be eloquent and well… make sense, then I think I would enjoy writing more and you dear friends would enjoy reading this blog much more betterer!
Victor is a nice guy from Nassau who moved here with his family a few years ago to get out of the city and improve their quality of life. His wife Dina is a black Bahamian from the same area while he is a white Bahamian. They call their children “bright”, not referring to their intelligence, which of course they are quite smart, but due to their skin color. Most of the Bahamas are open to interracial marriages, although a few of the outer Cays are not. Dina was telling me that her family is so proud to have bright grandchildren and that in time they will become their own race according to “They” who determine race. This must be the “Race Committee” who sets these standards and preside “Somewhere”.
I enjoyed listening to Dina tell stories about her family, I felt taken back into a time where what family you came from was important and gave you admittance into someone else’s family. Some of it sounded like “Alabama” since no one strays too far from home, not that there is any practical way to leave or go anywhere else for that matter, so cousins marry cousins and no one thinks twice about it… and everyone is related!
Dina then sent me to the bathroom for what she called a tubby, which is a good soak in the bathtub. It was heaven, I love a good soak on a cold night and lately I had been dreaming about the long lost hot bubble baths that I once enjoyed as a landlubber but gave up for this life of…. Oh yeah…adventure. I felt a little awkward not having to rush, pump and hide (standard operating procedures on the deck of SongBird) but I managed to do my best at relaxing. I even attempted to put some makeup on, it had been so long that I forget the order of what goes on when and where so had one eye that was a little worse for the wear, regardless I did look and feel better!
We enjoyed grilled Bull Fish, which is a local white mild fish, conch fritters with spicy dip, a salad and the tiniest fresh corn on the cob I have ever seen, but so sweet! This family was just a joy to us, to offer us showers, food, and friendship was beyond our ability to express our true feelings of thanks.
We miss our friends, we can’t just call someone up and say hey, let’s get together or what are you doing, or anything else for that matter. We rely on the people around us to be friendly and open to strangers. This has given us a broader perspective of the big picture when it comes to strangers in a strange land. I love living free to invite anyone over at anytime… not the people you know but the ones you don’t. I love the freedom to give someone a bit of food just because they are working near your boat and look like they could use a hand of kindness. The people who offer us a ride, just because we are walking down the road and look like we need a ride. The stranger who invites us to come to dinner and use their shower just because we need one, the people who offer the shower on their boat for our use just because they have one and we don’t... these are the acts of kindness that cannot go unaccounted for. We have to return the kindness, we are responsible to return the acts of generosity and we become driven to do the same for others. We may say we are strangers in a strange land but we aren’t, not really. We’re from the family of humanity, born on the same planet, breathing the same air, passing the same unfamiliar person who wants a friend and needs to be loved. Does our perspective grow small the longer we live in the familiar, the unchallenged, the unbothered, and the unthreatened? Maybe, mine did. So now living in the unfamiliar, full of challenges I am gaining a new perspective, or more accurately remembering an old perspective… hold your hands palms up, then you will be open to give and receive at all times.
Well, enough of that, I do really wish I was a wordsmith, had clear thoughts, could keep things in their right tense, be eloquent and well… make sense, then I think I would enjoy writing more and you dear friends would enjoy reading this blog much more betterer!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Mates Log 1.23.09
This on the hard stuff, working hard and freezing has not been our idea of a good time. Carey’s body is starting to show signs of wear, I am now sick and the weather is very cold. We are still working away because we pay for everyday we are here, so we have to make the most of our time so we can get off this land and head south to warmer weather.
It has been in the 50’s the past few days and it is predicted to stay this way through the weekend, this is not usual for this place either. We don’t have heat, we don’t have insulation and we don’t have hot water, except for what we boil. Normally these things are not an issue but lately I have been dreaming of sitting in a huge hot bubble bath and feeling warm all over. We have a pump sprayer that we use for a shower which works well but when the wind is howling at 30 knots and the air is cold and raining we elect the military style of bathing. Our hair suffers.
We hope to be here for only a week more, but as I recall we are usually way off with our departure dates. Make it two and we’ll let you know!
Thanks for staying in touch, it’s a little lonely here so we love your emails! We really miss our kids.
Lisa and Carey AKA Sick and Tired
Life on Abaco:
The Atlantic Ocean is called the Big Pond.
There is one radio station.
Weather is broadcasted twice a day at 7am and 8am and only Monday thru Friday.
Every morning the radio starts with devotions and then a good morning to those people who are having to get up so early (7am) to go to work and where they are working.
All day Sunday is Christian broadcasting.
We have been enjoying all the Bahamian style music.
We have never had to walk the full way to and from town, someone always stops and gives us a ride.
There are three pay phones in town but only one works and they are all located outside the phone company office.
Cruisers net is broadcasted on channel 68 on the VHF radio from 8:15am to 9am.
Weather, national, international, financial and sports news are all broadcasted along with island activities. Cruisers and businesses from all over the area participate.
Everyone here is happy to see Obama as president.
It has been in the 50’s the past few days and it is predicted to stay this way through the weekend, this is not usual for this place either. We don’t have heat, we don’t have insulation and we don’t have hot water, except for what we boil. Normally these things are not an issue but lately I have been dreaming of sitting in a huge hot bubble bath and feeling warm all over. We have a pump sprayer that we use for a shower which works well but when the wind is howling at 30 knots and the air is cold and raining we elect the military style of bathing. Our hair suffers.
We hope to be here for only a week more, but as I recall we are usually way off with our departure dates. Make it two and we’ll let you know!
Thanks for staying in touch, it’s a little lonely here so we love your emails! We really miss our kids.
Lisa and Carey AKA Sick and Tired
Life on Abaco:
The Atlantic Ocean is called the Big Pond.
There is one radio station.
Weather is broadcasted twice a day at 7am and 8am and only Monday thru Friday.
Every morning the radio starts with devotions and then a good morning to those people who are having to get up so early (7am) to go to work and where they are working.
All day Sunday is Christian broadcasting.
We have been enjoying all the Bahamian style music.
We have never had to walk the full way to and from town, someone always stops and gives us a ride.
There are three pay phones in town but only one works and they are all located outside the phone company office.
Cruisers net is broadcasted on channel 68 on the VHF radio from 8:15am to 9am.
Weather, national, international, financial and sports news are all broadcasted along with island activities. Cruisers and businesses from all over the area participate.
Everyone here is happy to see Obama as president.
Paint and the Gremlins
Mates Log 1.22.09
I painted today. I’ve been painting a fair amount lately. Today I decided to paint the bathroom, it’s not a huge bathroom but it’s a nice size, especially for a boat. I don’t really like painting, I’m not all that great at it and I usually end up with as much paint on myself as what I happen to be painting. I have been painting the deck of the boat and it has actually been going quite well, the paint stays on the deck and I walk away not looking like a paint bucket. Yesterday I mentioned to Carey that I felt I was getting better at this painting stuff and feeling more confident in my abilities.
In my confidence I decided to paint the bathroom. All was going well until half way through the project when the paint gremlins showed up. I’m not sure where they come from, and I have never actually seen one but I know they exist. I have also never been able to avoid the paint gremlins, but was hoping my luck had changed since the deck paint had been going so well. You know you have been attacked by the gremlins when you walk away from your painting project full of paint.
The gremlins started by splattering paint on me. I would turn around and there they were slapping paint on an arm or a hand or a neck. I would bend over and the next thing I know there would be paint on my pants. I had to duck to get into a tight spot and sure enough they put paint in my hair. Next they started attacking the woodwork trim so I knew things were going downhill fast. I was going to be doomed if I didn’t do something soon. I started to hurry, trying to get done before any more of these devious creatures showed up and the boat and I ended up in some real trouble!
I only had a little bit of painting left on the floor. I don’t understand how they do what they do but they are good at it. I was grateful that I was almost done; I back up to get more paint on my roller when all of a sudden the paint bucket shows up on my left foot! I am now left with having to stand on one foot while I finish my painting. I start to move things out of the way so I don’t get paint on anything else, since by now I am a walking paint tray. I’m hoping the paint gremlins have left so I can clean up my mess in peace. But noooo… they aren’t finished with me yet. Every time I move paint starts flying off of me and on to something else! This is now truly becoming a disaster. I don’t call Carey for help because no one wants to this watch this kind of madness.
I stop, drop and roll down the hull until I come to the two steps that go up to the salon. I am pretty sure I have now outsmarted these gremlins and they will leave me alone. I crawl up the steps to the galley. I discover that I also have paint on my one paintless foot, the only thing I thought was left on my body that was not full of paint. I surrender, I start yelling into the air that I don’t care how much paint they get on me, or anything else for that matter, go ahead paint away you beasts! Nothing happens… I have now taken the fun out of their game.
I put the foot that had landed in the bucket in the sink, my attempts with water and rag had turned out to be futile. My position is now left foot high up in the sink, bum half on the counter, and right foot hanging down, not quite reaching the foot pump on the floor that sits part way under the counter. I stretch as much as possible and those long toes that my sister always made fun of, come to my rescue. I can just barely pump water onto my foot so I am able to get the worst of the paint off. The next foot is much easier and I am once again standing on my own two feet.
I start the slow process of cleaning up the mess, which of course by now has spread to the galley. Carey walks in and I tell him to forget I ever said that I was getting better at this painting stuff… he takes one look at me and says “Maybe I’ll just have those leftover biscuits for lunch today.”
I painted today. I’ve been painting a fair amount lately. Today I decided to paint the bathroom, it’s not a huge bathroom but it’s a nice size, especially for a boat. I don’t really like painting, I’m not all that great at it and I usually end up with as much paint on myself as what I happen to be painting. I have been painting the deck of the boat and it has actually been going quite well, the paint stays on the deck and I walk away not looking like a paint bucket. Yesterday I mentioned to Carey that I felt I was getting better at this painting stuff and feeling more confident in my abilities.
In my confidence I decided to paint the bathroom. All was going well until half way through the project when the paint gremlins showed up. I’m not sure where they come from, and I have never actually seen one but I know they exist. I have also never been able to avoid the paint gremlins, but was hoping my luck had changed since the deck paint had been going so well. You know you have been attacked by the gremlins when you walk away from your painting project full of paint.
The gremlins started by splattering paint on me. I would turn around and there they were slapping paint on an arm or a hand or a neck. I would bend over and the next thing I know there would be paint on my pants. I had to duck to get into a tight spot and sure enough they put paint in my hair. Next they started attacking the woodwork trim so I knew things were going downhill fast. I was going to be doomed if I didn’t do something soon. I started to hurry, trying to get done before any more of these devious creatures showed up and the boat and I ended up in some real trouble!
I only had a little bit of painting left on the floor. I don’t understand how they do what they do but they are good at it. I was grateful that I was almost done; I back up to get more paint on my roller when all of a sudden the paint bucket shows up on my left foot! I am now left with having to stand on one foot while I finish my painting. I start to move things out of the way so I don’t get paint on anything else, since by now I am a walking paint tray. I’m hoping the paint gremlins have left so I can clean up my mess in peace. But noooo… they aren’t finished with me yet. Every time I move paint starts flying off of me and on to something else! This is now truly becoming a disaster. I don’t call Carey for help because no one wants to this watch this kind of madness.
I stop, drop and roll down the hull until I come to the two steps that go up to the salon. I am pretty sure I have now outsmarted these gremlins and they will leave me alone. I crawl up the steps to the galley. I discover that I also have paint on my one paintless foot, the only thing I thought was left on my body that was not full of paint. I surrender, I start yelling into the air that I don’t care how much paint they get on me, or anything else for that matter, go ahead paint away you beasts! Nothing happens… I have now taken the fun out of their game.
I put the foot that had landed in the bucket in the sink, my attempts with water and rag had turned out to be futile. My position is now left foot high up in the sink, bum half on the counter, and right foot hanging down, not quite reaching the foot pump on the floor that sits part way under the counter. I stretch as much as possible and those long toes that my sister always made fun of, come to my rescue. I can just barely pump water onto my foot so I am able to get the worst of the paint off. The next foot is much easier and I am once again standing on my own two feet.
I start the slow process of cleaning up the mess, which of course by now has spread to the galley. Carey walks in and I tell him to forget I ever said that I was getting better at this painting stuff… he takes one look at me and says “Maybe I’ll just have those leftover biscuits for lunch today.”
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Mates Log 1.15.09 On The Hard
On the hard…Marsh Harbor Boat Yard, Marsh Harbor, Abaco, Bahamas:
Today marks our tenth day on the hard. “On the hard”… did you know most of you live “on the hard”; of course not, you thought you lived on land. Well, if you are a cruiser and your boat is on land, assuming your boat has not gone aground or been thrown up on land by a hurricane, you live “on the hard”. Hopefully, your boat is in a boat yard by intent at which time you can announce you live on the hard. It’s a different lifestyle on the hard; for starters, there is no movement, at least not in our current world. I found that when I heard a boat coming by the yard I had the expectation and sensation of rocking that would normally be created by a wake. This is where Pavlov’s dogs conditioning came into play and started messing with me. It took me about a week before I stopped rocking all together. Of course there are some disadvantages to living on the hard; if you fall overboard your chances of breaking a leg are greater. Since you can’t dump your toilet or get it pumped out your goal is to try and put as little water in your holding tank as possible, this causes air pollution that requires an air quality alert. So instead of the old, sick, and young having to stay inside until conditions improve, all are required to stay outside until further notice (a true disadvantage at night). Your air freshener bill increases as you count the days before your departure, which you can’t really predict because everything depends on how long your body holds up under all the work.
We spend our days grinding, sanding, patching, sanding, painting, sanding some more and painting again… actually Carey spends his days this way while I mix mine up with making new hatch covers to replace the ones we lost while submarine-ing, cleaning, de-molding from the same said event and reorganizing. I am also looking at what we need to move to take weight off forward and move more aft. While in Hope Town we noticed how far below the water line the bow of the boat was sitting. I figured we had to be taking on water somewhere and was concerned we might slowly sink. Carey checked forward and could not find anything so he felt sure we’d be OK for while anyway. Of course this type of thing is what my dreams are now made of… or more accurately my nightmares! Once we were out of the water I opened what are suppose to be air tight compartments for flotation at the very front of each of the amas (how’s that for a term? These are what the hulls are called on a catamaran). Sure enough the starboard side was full with about 70 gallons of water! We aren’t sure if the locker floor cracked while we were pounding our way to “the cut” or if it had been going on for some time, but either way it was a lot of weight and explained the “sinking”. One more thing to repair.
I recently discovered the difference between a rope, a line and a sheet, although they all look like what I have called rope my whole life. I can only hope to get it right in the throes of some unforeseen stressful situation and not embarrass myself in the process. When a rope is connected to a sail it is now called a sheet and if a piece of rope is in use on a boat it is now called a line, everything else is a rope until further notice.
We are now in a fight with the local flies and no see ums’… those nasty little bugs you can’t see but are all teeth. They like this place and enjoy coming inside out of the weather. Another thing we do is examine the bottom of the boat… a lot. The more Carey looks at what needs to be done, the more he finds to do, so is considering quitting now.
It’s two miles to town, and floods when it rains. It costs $5 and hour to be online if you bring your own computer and $10 an hour if you use their computer. Salad dressing is $11 a bottle. Everyone here is very friendly; we were sitting down taking a break while looking at the map when some kids pull a U-turn in their car to ask us if we needed help. The only pay phones in town are at the phone company office, there are three, they never all work at the same time. Laundry is $2.50 per wash and 25 cents a minute to dry. There is no social life in the boat yard. There is no produce at the grocery store on Tuesdays, until late in the day. There is no public transportation but anyone will pick you up and give you a ride if you stick your thumb out.
On the news this morning the announcer urged parents to be sure to send their kids off to school with a jacket and not just a sweater, since the high temperature was only going to be seventy-two degrees today and not to worry, this cold snap would only last a couple of days.
Everyone smiles and says, how are you. There is not a lot of cussing here and kind words are many. Christianity is the national religion and all the locals believe God smiles on the Bahamas… we think they’re right.
We miss our kids terribly!!
So there you have it, nothing new, nothing exciting and nothing much to report. Just workin’, grindin’, sandin’, patchin’ and paintin’ and livin’ the life on the hard.
Today marks our tenth day on the hard. “On the hard”… did you know most of you live “on the hard”; of course not, you thought you lived on land. Well, if you are a cruiser and your boat is on land, assuming your boat has not gone aground or been thrown up on land by a hurricane, you live “on the hard”. Hopefully, your boat is in a boat yard by intent at which time you can announce you live on the hard. It’s a different lifestyle on the hard; for starters, there is no movement, at least not in our current world. I found that when I heard a boat coming by the yard I had the expectation and sensation of rocking that would normally be created by a wake. This is where Pavlov’s dogs conditioning came into play and started messing with me. It took me about a week before I stopped rocking all together. Of course there are some disadvantages to living on the hard; if you fall overboard your chances of breaking a leg are greater. Since you can’t dump your toilet or get it pumped out your goal is to try and put as little water in your holding tank as possible, this causes air pollution that requires an air quality alert. So instead of the old, sick, and young having to stay inside until conditions improve, all are required to stay outside until further notice (a true disadvantage at night). Your air freshener bill increases as you count the days before your departure, which you can’t really predict because everything depends on how long your body holds up under all the work.
We spend our days grinding, sanding, patching, sanding, painting, sanding some more and painting again… actually Carey spends his days this way while I mix mine up with making new hatch covers to replace the ones we lost while submarine-ing, cleaning, de-molding from the same said event and reorganizing. I am also looking at what we need to move to take weight off forward and move more aft. While in Hope Town we noticed how far below the water line the bow of the boat was sitting. I figured we had to be taking on water somewhere and was concerned we might slowly sink. Carey checked forward and could not find anything so he felt sure we’d be OK for while anyway. Of course this type of thing is what my dreams are now made of… or more accurately my nightmares! Once we were out of the water I opened what are suppose to be air tight compartments for flotation at the very front of each of the amas (how’s that for a term? These are what the hulls are called on a catamaran). Sure enough the starboard side was full with about 70 gallons of water! We aren’t sure if the locker floor cracked while we were pounding our way to “the cut” or if it had been going on for some time, but either way it was a lot of weight and explained the “sinking”. One more thing to repair.
I recently discovered the difference between a rope, a line and a sheet, although they all look like what I have called rope my whole life. I can only hope to get it right in the throes of some unforeseen stressful situation and not embarrass myself in the process. When a rope is connected to a sail it is now called a sheet and if a piece of rope is in use on a boat it is now called a line, everything else is a rope until further notice.
We are now in a fight with the local flies and no see ums’… those nasty little bugs you can’t see but are all teeth. They like this place and enjoy coming inside out of the weather. Another thing we do is examine the bottom of the boat… a lot. The more Carey looks at what needs to be done, the more he finds to do, so is considering quitting now.
It’s two miles to town, and floods when it rains. It costs $5 and hour to be online if you bring your own computer and $10 an hour if you use their computer. Salad dressing is $11 a bottle. Everyone here is very friendly; we were sitting down taking a break while looking at the map when some kids pull a U-turn in their car to ask us if we needed help. The only pay phones in town are at the phone company office, there are three, they never all work at the same time. Laundry is $2.50 per wash and 25 cents a minute to dry. There is no social life in the boat yard. There is no produce at the grocery store on Tuesdays, until late in the day. There is no public transportation but anyone will pick you up and give you a ride if you stick your thumb out.
On the news this morning the announcer urged parents to be sure to send their kids off to school with a jacket and not just a sweater, since the high temperature was only going to be seventy-two degrees today and not to worry, this cold snap would only last a couple of days.
Everyone smiles and says, how are you. There is not a lot of cussing here and kind words are many. Christianity is the national religion and all the locals believe God smiles on the Bahamas… we think they’re right.
We miss our kids terribly!!
So there you have it, nothing new, nothing exciting and nothing much to report. Just workin’, grindin’, sandin’, patchin’ and paintin’ and livin’ the life on the hard.
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