If you love jellybeans come sailing in Maine!
They’re everywhere!

Someone took a gigantic bag, ripped it open, and threw it across the water. They’re beautiful and come in all sorts of colorful combinations and flavors.
Maine has 5000 miles of coastline and it is surrounded by jellybeans.
Many jellybeans have things called toggles attached.
That means when you think you are going between 2 jellies, you are not.
Look closely and they are different sizes, and often Not the same color.
The trickiest flavor of all is black licorice.

Difficult to see in full sun, but then take the sun away, add fog, high tide, and waves, and the black licorice could be swallowed.
Yesterday I heard someone talking to the Coast Guard about how they had a jellybean line stuck on their prop and needed help.
So far we’ve only tasted one, and by throttling into neutral, heading up and raising the daggerboard it slipped off but not before we dragged it 200 yards or more.
Sometimes both of us take a side to keep watch but we are getting better at going it alone.
It’s like a slalom course that is ever changing with colors that have no pattern except for an occasional string. And since we are driving a double wide, we have not just one but 2 chances for catching a jelly! It’s not surprising the super yachts are not up here hanging out anymore. The jellies have multiplied and the captains don’t want the hassle.

As for what lies beneath, the lobsters are plentiful and they love this environment.
The fishermen throw back small lobsters, the very large ones, and mommies with eggs. Lobsters migrate close to shore in the summertime as the water is warmer and they eat crabs, shellfish, and have only a few natural enemies that include the Wolf Fish, Beluga Whales and tourists.

We love watching the lobster fishermen and women hauling and weaving in and out of their own maze of jellies.

Did you know in the old days we were not allowed to serve lobster more then twice a week to prisoners as it was considered inhumane? They were considered bugs. Now just mention lobster with melted butter and presidents, kings, queens, and everyone without an allergy to shellfish drools.

Every restaurant has lobster on the menu and it has been an independent study of mine to find the best recipe and dish.
So far the club sandwich and plain old steamed lobster have been favorites. The Lobster rolls are served everywhere. Placed on toasted buns they vary in style and I need to try more before I can declare a winner.

If you want to read good books about lobsters check out The Lobster Chronicles written by Linda Greenlaw, and The Rusticators.

We had a wonderful week with the OCC Ocean Cruising Club cruising to different islands and harbors and making new friends. We’ve also been visiting friends and family and even had a chance to raid Martha Stewarts garden one night by flashlight! We felt like Peter Rabbit with Mr. McGregor lurking.

One more week of dodging and quite frankly we will be relieved to not always be watching the road and instead relaxing and sailing as it should be.

Provincetown is at the tip of Cape Cod, “P” Town, and just north is the Stellwagen Bank where whales love to fish. And I mean LOVE!

We were treated to a magnificent show of Fin, Humpback, and Minke Whales on our way to Marblehead. They swam around and then underneath us after we took sails down and motors off. Vulnerable? Maybe… but it was worth it! Afterwards we just had to buy our very own whale carving and he sits proudly in the salon. We rode our bikes around the national park and enjoyed a nice lunch and the street scenes too.

On a short stop in Hyannis before P Town we saw our friends Mike Easton, Todd Ricardi, Christina, Dino, Tall Guy, Jeff, and more racing F18’s.

In Marblehead we visited many friends, made new ones of future Gun Boat owners Seamus and Amy, and enjoyed the hospitality of the Eastern Yacht Club and their pirate weekend of fun and debauchery. Right up our alley!

Paolo and Charlotte joined us for a charter to Maine and we took off for Ipswich, Mass with Tigger.

A beautiful purple beach, which was also a bird sanctuary, was our broad vista with no other boats in sight, and after a long walk we took off for Kennebunkport.

On our way we picked up another stowaway. Normally we have a bird and name it Petey, but this one was named Batman the el bato. He hung fiercely to the jib and when we finally stopped we had to unroll the jib to get him off as we were not sure if he would come inside at dark and eat all the bananas.

Kennebunkport has a very narrow channel and we decided to take a look before dropping anchor outside when the harbormaster reported they could not accommodate our size. The shoreline was picturesque and we found a dock to tie up for dinner. We were squatters for the first time. Walking around the harbor I had my first Maine lobster of what would be a daily occurrence. Had to start out right with a steamed one! Then bought a mug and now am on an independent study of all lobster dishes.

From there we sailed up to Georgetown Island and the Robinhood Marina. Shrouded in fog we picked our way through the jelly bean haze of lobster pots. The views are stunning up here. In the Med everyone said you must not miss going to the Greek Islands. They were correct. On the East Coast everyone says you must not miss going to Maine. Ditto on that!

Our guests have friends who picked us up and took us to Boothbay for lobster club sandwiches, icecream, and shopping.

Our next favorite port was Camden. Quaint with old ships taking folks out for pony rides, the harbor is small but large enough for lots of moorings and yachts of all sizes. Eric worked here on 115’ schooner Mary Day back in his 20’s and has fond memories of the ship and people of Penobscot Bay.

The Camden Yacht Club was hosting an OCC Ocean Cruising Club brunch and we went as we are brand new members and don’t know a soul. You have to have crossed an ocean to be a member and the benefits include port captions all over the US and other countries. We look forward to getting to know some of them and so far the hospitality has been more than gracious. Their Maine cruise starts today so we will join up for a few days before doing our own thing again.

Before I forget, I have to add that even before all of the whales tales and lobster’s, we had a sweet reunion with friends in Hadley Harbor.
Sarah and Brad Cavanah met us on other yachts and a surprise visit with Marshal and Pete Lawson was a bonus! I learned how to find Quohog clams with my toes and Brad happily opened them up for all to enjoy.I decided long ago not to eat shellfish raw, especially filterers. That has all been thrown out the window as we travel to places where you eat them from right next to the place they cam from. Look around, no pollution, go for it. At least I hope so! Anyway, it’s all delicious and I’m up for doing as they say – when in Rome…

Hard to believe we have not been home since January.
The shift is we call this home now and when people ask where we live it feels like a tricky question. Happy we have our San Diego base and knowledge that we will return in September and some day for good. But for sure we are not ready to stop this wonderful great adventure!

If you know anyone who wants to join us on a charter this winter in the Caribbean send them to our newly launched website!

elgatoadventures.com

Building a strong team is about maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses.

Eric and I are a good team.

We communicate in a good way, and work well together sharing the same goals, values and passions.  We complement each other in our skill sets.

I like to cook.
He likes to eat.

I break anything that can be broken.
He likes to fix things.

I drop things overboard.
He likes to swim.

He likes to go up the mast.                                                                                                                 I’m afraid of heights.

He’s an engineer.                                                                                                                                 I’m a communicator.

I let lines out and he pulls them in.

We are a good team!

As for our victory lap as GF Betsy calls it, it’s been a whirlwind of many ports and friends as we work our way up to Maine.
We left our small cat racing friends in Sandy Hook, NJ on July 3rd and headed to the Statue of Liberty, picking up daughter Lucretia and her friend Zach, and dropping off our delivery crew and good buddy John Forgrave.  The currents rip up here so we cruised the Hudson before passing through Hell’s Gate. We were rewarded with a beautiful sail to Connecticut and set anchor at dusk while watching fireworks.

This was Eric’s homecoming as he lived in Ct for 30+ years raising his kids and they were there to greet us as young Eric turned 21 and wanted to celebrate with family and then friends in NYC. I managed to sneak away for a day to visit the Adams/Gardner clan of sister Elizabeth. Her family keeps growing and glowing!

From there on to Newport with a stop in the Thimble Islands and Stonington where trimaran friends came out on SUP’s to visit. Watermelon martinis with mint leaves were a big hit that night.

Arriving in Newport was nostalgic. Both of us have raced here countless times over the years, but arriving on our own boat was really special. There are SO many boats and yachts of all sizes and Newport embraces sailing like no other place in our country. Everyone is out there during the summer but we hear it’s a ghost town in the winter.

We sailed up to Bristol to visit Mo and JB and to hear Tucker Thompson deliver his AC speech at the hershoff Museum. Loe and behold there was America3, and I got a chance to check out the bottom one more time. Spent 10 months scrubbing and sailing her so it was a nice reunion of sorts.

We sailed down to Jamestown and an overnight at friends Chick and Alexis Piles before back to Newport.

Big events like the NYYC Race Week and Sail Newport were scheduled and we entered both. Eric raced the F18 while I raced on Flow, the 60’ Gunboat. Sliding down the hill at the NYYC’s extremely steep hill on cardboard was a highlight at the awards party!

My sibs Joe and Elizabeth and their mates Kelley and Maurice joined us in Newport and we sailed to Martha’s Vineyard via Cuttyhunk. Kelley’s niece Holly and family live here and we took them sailing and then enjoyed a BBQ at their house.

After returning the sibs to Newport we hosted an open boat party and visited more sailing buds including the Priors, Dory Vogel, Vanicek’s, Carol Vernon, and Barnitts. A tour of JB’s company  in Bristol that uses a giant 5 axes CnC machine was impressive. He can make anything!

Currently we sit peacefully at anchor after a great weekend back on Martha’s Vineyard. Clay Feeter and family came to visit his daughter who moved here to work with horses, and we all connected with a sail on the Gato followed by dinner at Nevin and Stina Sayre’s house. Clay publishes the popular magazine Standup Journal and Nevin is a windsurfing legend who started the pro tour back in the good old days. Clay can tell stories about us that we both forgot as he has always been a journalist so it was fun going down memory lane. And the interesting tidbit is he was Eric’s roommate when Eric worked at Hobie Cat! Nevin still rips on boards but now mostly on a foiling board while kiting. Stina Sayre creates a beautiful line of high end women’s clothing here in MV, and their kids are great sailors too.

Last weekend Michael Easton, GF Lindsay and his parents came over from the mainland for a sail.

Yesterday Nevin and Eric went kiting in Cape Poge Bay off Chappaquiddick while I searched for shells and took photos.

Today a visit to beautiful and quaint Edgartown for homemade ice-cream at Mad Martha’s,  and tomorrow we sail to Nantucket where I will search for the man who once lived there according to a famous limerick.

Life is Good!

After leaving a pleasant peaceful anchorage in Charleston with delays due to increment weather, we headed north towards NJ.

The forecast included at least 1 of 4 days of rain and possible thunderstorms. It’s summer so that’s to be expected. Growing up in Miami it was a daily occurrence with the Everglades heating up and the skies opening. After living in San Diego I’ve lost that familiar feeling and am a big scardy cat now. Being a yacht owner adds a whole new twist. Thunderstorms are a yacht owners nightmare. Getting hit equates to losing all electronics and months of work to replace all the goods and rewire the whole lot. Plus who wants to be onboard for that! Take your metal rimmed glasses off and touch nothing is my motto. If off watch, climb in bed and pretend it’s not happening.

The first night was beautiful. The sunset, the stars and then the moon did not disappoint. John Forgrave flew from LAX to help us deliver and the extra set of hands makes our journey more enjoyable and easier on the sleep hours. He’s a great friend and a good sport who’s experience is mostly from racing Hobie 16’s. So we teach and play and laugh and fish and eat.
The 2nd day we were headed towards the Capes.
Why do the Carolinas name all the points scary names like Cape Fear and Cape LookOUT! The 3rd one heading north that is known for kicking sailors asses and is nicknamed the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” is Cape Hatteras. Shipwrecks abound as currents collide. Storms are a regular occurance as the continent bends at a distinct point.
Cape Fear was easy breezy. We passed Cape LookOUT at dark and were on our way towards Hatteras when the storm engulfed us. There was no turning back now.
We’d been watching the lightning in the dark skies with low lying clouds to the East and now they were on the West too. Counting the seconds before the big bang it was 20 and the radar was showing same. Until it didn’t. In my head are the lyrics somewhat modified – Clouds to the left of me, lightning on the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you. When the lightning lit up the sky we could see it all. The clouds – you’ve seen them. The kind with fingers that reach down and look like they want to pluck something out of the ocean. It was only a matter of time before we would get nailed. We rolled up the jib, main was already down, and the wind went from 20-40 knots a minute later. The rain pelted us and the only good thing was it wasn’t cold. The lightning had gone from being left and right to straight over head but not doing that loud BAMM! that was happening to our East. It was staying above us, but not hitting the water. Thank God! Meanwhile my brother had just driven with his wife to NC to visit friends on the outer banks. They knew we were out there, and only 40 miles away but no way would we go inside an unfamiliar harbor at night. That is a rule that should not be broken. An hour later the storm subsided and at 5AM the sky had calmed down. At sunrise pilot whales came to our bow and greeted us and the day with their songs and playful jumps. With 2 hulls we get twice as many playing on our bow wakes and sitting up front watching the show is always a treat.
The camaraderie of sharing an intense experience that is not artificial (scary movie, rollercoaster ride) bonds us even more, and we get the chance to retell our story to each other in the years to come.
Sailors get to do that if they sail long enough. We remember the times that define us – our courage, strength, decisions, judgement and the experiences that take us there.
Am I still a big chicken about lightning storms? Absolutely! But when it was happening was I freaked out? No. The jobs at hand were what counted. Concentrating on being safe and getting through it was the focus. But I will tell this story again. And the lightning will be bigger, the storm and seas wilder, and like all good fish stories, maybe a tad longer than what we really saw.

As for the fish stories, we have caught a Little Tunny, King Mackerel, female Dorado, and a Skipjack Tuna in 2 days. The Dorado was the only one we kept and 2 dinners later we are hoping for more! We remind ourselves that we are sailors, not fishermen, so anything we catch is a bonus!

We’ve been in the states since May 8th.
Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Jupiter Island, St Augustine, Beaufort SC, Charleston and tomorrow we leave for Cape May, NJ.

Southern hospitality is legendary and we’ve experienced it in every port. Our mast is too high for the ICW (Inter Coastal Waterway) because the fixed bridges are 65’ and we are 72’ so we sail outside and that makes choosing weather windows trickier. There are great guide books for the ICW but not so much for the outsiders who need to know the best places to come inside. We are learning. In fact, cruising is all about learning.
Active Captain turns out to be a great app and boat owners weigh in on places which helps to make good decisions. This has helped us a lot.

Back to the hospitality thing.
The further north we go in the southern states, the more southern it gets, and the more we feel and experience this charm. Not that down south we didn’t feel it. But it is different here.
Example: We followed some shrimp boats into the ICW about half way between Hilton Head and Charleston,  and anchored in a small remote inlet next to low lying grassy fields that looked like a gator would slither out at any moment.

It was exactly like you’d picture in the movies. In fact we later found out it was where they filmed the Forrest Gump shrimp scenes. After a nap and a little exploring we were invited by a father son combo who owned a house nearby, George and John, for a beer that turned into a shrimp feast. John, the son took us around the island to see ruins of plantations and when we returned, George had cooked dinner.

We started outside with the shrimp looking through the moss covered trees out towards the water while the sun set. When the bugs started to eat us, we went inside for the perfect southern dinner of black beans and rice, delicious fresh fish, fried plantains, and French blueberry cake with Tuscan wine! It just happened to be our 2 year anniversary and we will always remember how cool that was.

When we sailed into the Charleston Harbor after a 50 mile beautiful downwind spinnaker sail and full main in 18-24 knots, we dropped anchor and 20 minutes later Eric crewed in a beer can race with Trey, a guy we met a few years back in St Thomas.

The next night we celebrated our anniversary with a night on the town and Treys friend Boris set us up with reservations at 2 restaurants and champagne at each one as a surprise! We LOVE the food here – Charleston is known for it’s fine cuisine. And the hospitality? It continues to make us smile.

Yesterday we went to Ft Sumpter where the Civil War started. The story is not pretty, but it’s nice to think how far we’ve come as a nation with a black president and mixed races being common now.

John Forgrave has joined us for our sail north. That extra pair of hands gives us more rest and good conversations!

 

Here are several photos from our time in Miami, Jupiter, West Palm Beach, and beyond. With all the work on the website, I didn’t do much blogging. I did however continue to snap away with phone, camera, and iPad!

 

MIAMI, FLA

 

JUPITER ISLAND, FLA

PALM BEACH,  FLA

ST AUGUSTINE, FLA

DATAW ISLAND, SC

CHARLESTON, SC

Tonight we will cook some shrimp onboard after taking a horse carriage tour of Charleston.  The boys are running new lines for our daggerboards while I finish this.

The reward will be another great meal onshore! Last night we were treated by John to oysters, fried green tomatoes with pork bellies, duck, salmon, and shrimp pasta followed by bread pudding.  Thank goodness we ride bikes to work some of this off! It’s REALLY hot though so we cannot drink enough water. My skin is glowing. 🙂

 

Tip #1: There are two kinds of captians in the Bahamas. Those who have run aground, and those who are going to run aground! We are somewhere in between with a touch.
Tip #2:  Having a grill helps keep the heat outside the boat!
Tip #3:  Air Conditioning is extremely refreshing when there are mosquitos, rain and the temp outside is making you sweat!
Tip #4 Have your deck brush ready when you see a shower approaching.

We really enjoyed getting to know our teaching charter guests Michael and Lisa Britt. Sharing the stoke with a couple who want to throw off the dock lines is exactly what we love!  In a few months they will be cruising from San Francisco to Mexico, including participating in the Baha Haha, with stops in California along the way. Owners of a Catana 471 named Footloose, very similar to ours, made it fun and rewarding to sail together.  Lisa is an experienced golfer embracing this new world of sailing with Michael, who is a life long sailor and always dreamed of setting sail for distance horizons. When they met, it was magic so they sold the houses and bought a cat. They read about us in Latitude 38 and booked a charter to see what they could learn from us before embarking on their own great journey.
We flew the spinnaker, used satellite navigation, tried not to run aground, worked on weather routing, caught fish, taught how to make sushi, and improved Lisa’s SUP skills among other things.  Lots of good times, laughs, sharing tips and we learned a few tricks about Catana’s from Michael as well!

 

 

As for the islands, everyone who’s been there knows the Abacos are special. Only 200 miles from Miami and you are in an archipelago of small islands, each with it’s own history of families that helped develop them.

First stop was Hope Town on Elbow Cay. This light house is unique and beautiful with a view of the Sea of Abacos and the Atlantic Ocean. It has Fresnel lenses and recently used a kerosene burner for the lamp. The view from the top was fabulous and we got a good look at the island and the boat.

 

We met several Albury’s on Man O War, including the oldest living gentleman who kept talking to us from his balcony, even while we politely crept away.

For Guana Cay,  we were told Nippers Pig Roast on Sunday is a tradition and should not be missed. Reminded us of a cross between Willy T’s, Foxy’s, and Key West. Another excuse for folks to drink too much and dance. We watched the locals and tourists bump and grind, took photos and after one look at the food, skipped the pig to go back and have homemade Moussaka.  Mmmmm

On Man O War we rented a golf cart and discovered a very interesting tree.

In Little Harbor, our last stop before departing,  we took a mooring, did some SUP exploring, beach combing, and checked out Pete’s Pub, the small island bar with locals and boaters congregating. It was Cinco de Mayo, and Eric and I celebrated our one year at sea anniversary with Michael and Lisa!

When it was time to head towards the states, I had mixed feelings. As excited as I was to be heading “home”, it also meant this was the end of our foreign adventures, or at least it will be until next winter.

Michael and Lisa caught each caught a Barracuda as we were leaving the Bahamas.

We sailed into Miami at twilight threading the channel between the famous Stiltsville while watching the Miami skyline come to life. Like any big city, they look best at night when all concrete fades away and the multi colored lights display shapes and location.

Currently on a mooring at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, we couldn’t be happier. We’re next to a small island where we often see, and sometimes at night hear the dolphins swim by. Neighbors are friendly, and Fresh Market is a short hike away. West Marine – OMG! It’s culture shock to have so much readily available and reminds us how much the USA knows how to produce, sell, and get er done.

Next week we start cruising north before the official start of hurricane season June 1.

Until then we hope to see as many friends as possible and our dance card is quite full!

 

Home is where you were born.

Home is where your heart is.

Home is where your house is.

Home is where your anchor is.

Home is where you live. 

All of these ring true.

And right now being back in the vicinity of my first home is very special.

Sailing into Biscayne Bay at sunset, and Jr. High friend Diane and husband Kenny waiting for us with champagne was sweet. And my sister and brother in law who still live here are the next best thing to the parents being here. 

The one thing I was regretting was my parents not being here to see us arrive.  Mom and Dad would have been so proud and happy to see us sail El Gato into the bay. They were the reason I love the sea and I never forget that. Dad loved sailing from the time he was very young and sailing on this bay. No bridges to Key Biscayne back then. Mom was a lover of cruising and dad loved to race and cruise. Holidays spent with all 4 kids cruising Bahamas. It stuck with me.

Being on a mooring at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club makes me smile.  Our club, Coral Reef Yacht Club is a long walk down the road and yesterday we did a trifecta. Fuel at Key Biscayne Yacht Club, a cocktail at CRYC and back home to CGSC and dinner on board. 

Being back in the states has its advantages. West marine and grocery stores with anything and everything – wow!  So basically instead of spending all our time enjoying where we are, back in the USA, we are working or I should say Eric is working super hard on replacing solar panels, an alternator, upgrading wiring systems, and a dozen other things that we couldn’t do until now. BFF Gloria of Glotech is onboard guiding and helping Eric through the process.

Finding the balance of work and relaxation is important.  I crashed hard after our teaching charter and caught a cold so I’m getting some much needed R and R and TLC with a hair cut, pedicure, and buying and cooking foods I’ve missed.  Not that we did without, it’s just so much easier here.  So while there is certainly culture shock at the speed and quantity of people, we do get to go back to El Gato and have our quiet time. Except for the Cardinal we named Petey who is a noisy guy and is driving Eric nuts.  He tries to prevent Petey from coming (new meaning for poop deck) and I am out there putting paper towels and taking photos and talking to him.  

Oh and as far as culture shock goes, the Cuban and other Latin American accents surround us and in that sense we re not culturally deprived.  

I love America, feel very fortunate to be from here, to be back here, and hoping Berny teams up with Hillary.  Foreigners we’ve met are scared shitless that we my be stupid enough  to elect an orangutan. I keep assuring them we’re not.  Let’s prove it!

This post was written while waiting for my genius appointment at Apple.  Next blog will be about Abacos. 

But first I have to get my external HD to work!

“It’s Better in the Bahamas!”
I remember hearing and reading this when I was young, coming here with my parents by sea plane or on our boat from Miami, and later when I started doing long distance races to Bahamas. SORC, Memorial Day Regatta, any excuse to cross the Gulf Stream and be here.
There is truth to the statement It’s better in the Bahamas.
What’s better?
1) The water. I’ve never seen such gorgeous hues of blues and turquoise in layers on the horizon. Looking down in deep water, or in shallow, the colors are breathtaking and a camera does not do it justice. The Med, US East or West Coasts, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, sorry, but this water wins.

2) The Beaches. The whitest whites of the most pure sands, set against a blue water, and blue sky which can reflect the turquoise on one side of an island and true blue on the other. You can see both at the same time where the island separates them.  You can easily have a beach all to yourself anytime. They are everywhere!

3) The friendly people. The locals we’ve met are happy, content, and smile a lot. Ask a question and they try to help. The Greek Islands felt like this too. When you live on an island like these, Bahamian or Greek, why wouldn’t you be happy?!

4) Fishing. We’ve caught fish almost every time we sail if we put the lines out. Yes some have been thrown back, and some have escaped our clutches, but we can’t complain. There is such a thing as too much fish on a sailboat.

5) Related to 4, the seafood. Every restaurant has conch, fish, and shrimp on the menu. You can tell when it’s fresh because it takes the cook (yes, one cook per establishment) about an hour to make your meal. But just like the sign at the restaurant says, “One Cook, One Line, Good Food Takes Time.” If you can’t stand the wait for the fresh fish, you can always go catch one and serve it up for yourself!

We’re having a great time with daughter Chelsea on board and yesterday was one of those days where you say “YES! We are so happy to be right here right now!” It’s been my dream to come back here and play as my memories of childhood days are so great, that to repeat them as an adult has been a top priority.
And I am so lucky to have Eric in my life, living the collective dream, and sharing this with our kids! So far 3 out of 5 have come to visit and we expect the other 2 this summer. 5 means the boat is too small for everyone, especially if they want to bring friends.

We’ve visited Booby Cay, Mayaguana, Acklins, Long Island, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Staniel, Warderick, and Shroud Cays in the Exumas, and are about to explore the Abacos.

Super fun to see a friend from the “old days” of Windsurfing, Dave Calvert and meet his wife Trish. They built a house on Cat Island and showed us Hermitage and a good time.

 

We had one of those perfect days while off Staniel Cay!

It started with 6AM wake up and departure from Eleuthera to Staniel Cay Exumas. Port tack close hauled we caught 2 Dorados that escaped. Heave to! One escaped right after the photo op, and the other never touched our deck. But we still have Marlin and Tuna in the freezer so it’s OK. Upon seeing the channel, we carefully navigated through the opening between reefs, and wound our way around the small Cays to find an anchorage right next to the Thunderbolt Grotto. It was filmed in the 1968 007 movie of same name that Eric saw for his 7th grade birthday party.

It was better than Milos!!! Which is saying a lot because we absolutely loved it there. The Grotto is a cave inside of a small island that has an underwater entrance and exit, so the tourists (like us) get to it by snorkel. Once you’ve passed the sub-sea level entrance covered in tropical fish, there is a large opening lit by holes in the top of the cave that let light shine through. The pictures show how cool it is, but really, being there is always better and photos can’t compare.

Deciding to go for a tour as there are Cays and Cays and Cays with small and large beaches of the whitest white, we cruised on Raton and took very few photos as it wouldn’t do it justice.

However on one of the beaches we saw a big fat pig, as the guidebooks had warned. As we approached, a huge spotted pig (not the British dessert) came out to the boat looking for a hand out. Once it realized we hadn’t brought treats with us and instead were playing paparazzi, he skulked back towards the shore. (When we returned the next day, we brought him and his buddies treats.)

We grabbed the kite board and Chelsea and Eric took turns skurfing. Chelsea saw a surf break so we went there and watched her catch a couple waves.

We went to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club which seems more like a restaurant bar than a YC, and there were about 40 nurse sharks looking for hand outs from some guys cleaning fish or conch.

Huge Manna Rays were also present, and we often saw them as we were cruising around on Raton.

Evening was spent going ashore to look around and we found a locals restaurant that served up the best coconut shrimp, cracked conch, and blackened fish! Cheap too.

Yes indeed, it IS better in the Bahamas!

 

Today we stopped in Clarence Town on Long Island.

We wanted to see the famous Dean’s Blue Hole, the deepest hole on the planet so they say. 663’ deep. Evidently there is a competition beginning soon. Curious, we took a taxi ride there only to arrive as something bad was happening. There was a small crowd by the waters edge and as we approached we could see a body in and half out of the water. A Japanese free diver was lying on the beach with two guys kneeling beside her. Not breathing. In the background, the platform where they free dive. Up in the rocks, behind a memorial for 3, there is a large tank with a very long blue hose attached and one guy, a diver, was forcing air into her lungs with the regulator. The other, a bystander like us, was assisting and rolling her on her side to let water pour out. We stood back and watched and held our breaths. Finally she started breathing on her own. Her friends were frantically trying to figure out what to do and how to get her to a hospital. Our driver stepped up but not before Eric brought the 100 pound tank down the rocks and helped get it to the taxi so she would have it just in case.
It was surreal. And of course the question must be asked. Why would anyone do such a thing? Dive without oxygen to a depth so deep that you will either make it, or drown. I don’t get it.
There were no SCUBA safety divers, and the visibility was poor. I had the notion before we left to bring flippers and mask and pretend and take a photo holding onto the rope.
Instead, we climbed up some rocks and jumped off a cliff.
Scary, but safe.
I respect others who take calculated risks.
My whole life I’ve done my fair share and am lucky to still be around. But with age comes wisdom and a greater appreciation for the beautiful thing we call life.

Editors note: We learned when our driver returned that she made it.

There’s a saying that goes “It’s  better in the Bahamas”.

The water and the sand is – that’s for sure!

 

 

Pictured are highlights of the past 600NM’s
Today we depart for the Bahamas with daughter Chelsea. 700 islands, most of these small cays (pronounced keys), surrounded by reefs.
Both Turks and Caicos and Bahamas belong to the Lucayan Archipelago which is made of limestone and coral, and the color of the water is stunning. No more volcanic Jurassic Park scenes for us this season!
We are not bordering the Caribbean Sea anymore. Technically we are in West Indies.

Some history. Bahamas comes from Baha Mar = shallow(low) sea. Columbus made his first landing here when “discovering” the new world. Lucayans were the locals before the Spanish annihilated them. A peaceful culture unless made to fight, they gave us many words that we use today.
Avocado, barbecue, canoe, Carib, cannibal, cay, hammock, hurricane, iguana, maize, manatee, potato, and tobacco are all Lucayan in origin.

The TCI’s served us well as a stopping point to drop off Michael and pick up Chelsea, while docked at a small marina called Turtle Cove complete with small turtles. Highlights included catching our first Marlin and learning how to clean conch.  Michael was a nice bonus in helping us sail here after jumping on a flight one day after calling to say hi. Timing is everything!