Wind Dancer Cruises

Race Week 2012

2012-01-21T05:32:00.000-08:00

Once again we sail out to watch the races, taking with us friends, Luke, Mary Jim, Ed, and Barb. What a gorgeous day! Warm, sunny, breezy, one of those rare days when the elements twine together to form perfection...... we watched all three races for the day and once again managed to find ourselves on the course with the mini-maxies bearing down on us. We had been staying safely in back of the starting line to view the start of each class, not realizing that several hundred yards behind us was the turning buoy for the mini-maxies. Oh well, it certainly makes for an excellent view of the race.

A beautiful day on the water with exciting races.

Home to Key West

2011-11-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

The trip from Charleston to Key West, continually interrupted by spinoffs from the tropicalstorm, now a hurricaine, in the northern Atlantic, delayed us by at least a week, as we hopped in and out of harbors, idly awaited better winds at anchor, and motored down the Intercoastal. Finally on November 9, 2011, we reached Miami and raced through the city to get to our anchorage in Key Biscaynne before sunset. We'd often sailed past Miami, but this was our first venture through the cty and we found the sights intriguing; freighters being loaded, ferries and pleasure craft swept by, and buildings and statues rose up before us.

From the anchorage, we could see Miami glistening inthe night, and again in the rosey haze of the morning sun. Two more days of travel awaited us, long days with gusty winds from behind, shifting and bursting from 10-25. We anchored one last night in the keys, near Long Key, just beside the Channel Five bridge, before arriving home again in Key West, greeted by friends and ready for the sunsets in Key West. Off the boat until January, we go to our other lives, this time Christmas in Illinois and an adventure (on land) in New Zealand.

North Edisto River to St. Augustine Heavy Winds and Rough Seas

2011-11-17T06:17:00.000-08:00

October 30th, we rendezvoused with Buddy Boat, Sand Castle, and anchored in Steamboat Creek, off the North Edisto River. The plan was to leave at first light. Our anchorage was nestled in a marshy tidal creek with nothing visible, except the marshy grasses, trees, a distant dilapidated barn, and a gazebo, a pretty anchorage.

Morning weather brought bad news of storms and heavy winds off shore, so we decided to motor on to Beaufort throught the Intercoastal. By the time we arrived, the weather forecast was more benign so at 3 pm, we left via Port Royal Sound and were instantly sailing in an 18 knot wind, directly behind us. This was another night of remembering that weather forecasting is never an exact science. The winds increased through the night and by midnight we were experiencing steady 25 to 30 knots winds with gusts to 34 and 7-9 foot waves and averaging 8.5 knots over ground with the just the jib. Wind Dancer and San Castle were not alone out there, at least a half dozen boats traveled southward with us that night, visible both by their winking mast lights as they dipped into troughs and soared over wave crests and their blips on the radar screen.

Two experiences marked the passage. At about 4 am, a strange light appeared, moving oddly up an down and even directly into our eyes. Checking the radar, we realized that the lights belonged to a boat moving directly across our path. The night was pitch black, the moon had set (more on that later). The closer the boat came to us, the odder it seemed. We couldn't see any navigation lights, only a powerful white spotlight raking the seas, flashing into our eyes and up again skyward. Suddenly, we were aware of a huge black shape on the horizon, visible only as an absense of light. The object moving toward us, a little to close for comfort, was a tug, pushing an enormous unlit barge. There was the explanation of the spotlight, which was a warning. We veered off sharply to ensure that we came no closer.

Back to the moon. I had the 1 am to 4 am watch and was seated behind the wheel, feeling only slightly unnerved as we screamed through the night at hull speed on a vehicle with no brakes and limited manueverability. I had been keeping my eye on the other boats and radar images to insure that that all was well. Suddenly, I saw what appeared to be a sailboat with a pale red spinnaker bearing down on us from out of nowhere! We were on a collision course! I yelled at Rick to come up on deck and grabbed the wheel, prepared for evasive action. Within seconds, I realized, somewhat abashedly, that the red spinnaker was the crescent moon setting in the west and there I stood, on deck, hands on the wheel, preparing to change course to avoid a collision with the moon. Such are the things that happen in the lonely dark hours of the midwatch on an overnight sail.

We survived until morning, but decided to duck into the easy Jacksonville, Florida entrance and finish the day by motoring to St. Augustine. The entrance was not difficult despite waves so large that we lost sight of our Buddy Boat between them, and despite the fact that an inbound Coast Guard Cutter passed us in the channel and a small freighter passed us outbound. We slept peacefully that night tied to a mooring ball in the St Augustine City Marina.

Why A Man's Work is Never Done

2011-11-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

While anchored in the Rhode River, in Maryland, Rick noticed one end of the radar reflector had come loose. In order to fix it, he had to climb the mast to the first spreader, an irritation, but not too time consuming. Once there, he noticed that the cotter pin securing the upper stay was broken. That required a little additional work. Might as well check the other stay. So he swung over to inspect it. That cotter pin was missing entirely. While watching him from below, I noticed a string floating through the air. It seemed to come from the top of our spinnaker halyard.

So, let's check that out, even though it required climbing on up to the top of the mast. The stray string proved to be a broken messenger line, not a problem now, but could be if we decide to add additional halyards in the future. Rick also checked our VHF antenna, which we had noticed drooping sadly. Hmm.... the housing that holds it to the top of the mast appeared to have rusted most of the way through....more projects for the future. No, there is never a "single" project that takes minutes to repair. One ALWAYS leads to another and another and another.......

Beaufort, NC to Charleston

2011-11-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

Exciting start to our overnight transit to Charleston, 20 knot winds, 5 foot waves and two warships in the Beaufort channel. Wind Dancer earned her name as she danced from wavetop to wavetop. Six hours later, the wind dropped and dropped and dropped. By morning we were motoring on glassy seas, our wake the only disturbance on the watery surface. Not much value to a sailor, but the beauty of the sunrise, the chance to see the Atlantic as she is rarely seen, was priceless.

We stayed in Charleston for 3 days and experienced winds that were to plague us the rest of our journey to Key West. A stationary tropical storm continued to spin out waves of Northeast winds. During the Charleston stay, where we anchored in the Ashley River, across from the City Marina, in 18 feet of water, two unoccupied boats broke loose from their moorings and marched backwards through the anchorage, narrowly missing the catamaran behind us. One, a two masted ferro cement ketch, was resecured by the Coast Guard near the Ashley River Bridge. At sunset we saw a man silohetted against the skyline, and presumed the owner had come to check on his boat. The morning revealed an alternate purpose as we observed the two masts of the sunken ketch angling from the water. Another boat, a derelict with the mast lashed to the deck, swung into a previously sunken boat, causing its mast to splash into the river, and float to a spot just beside our boat, where it sank.

Our Charleston Anchorage

We did solve the mystery of the leaking shaft seal here after a consultation with Jean Michael, who works for the Benetau dealer in Charleston, confirmed Rick's suspicion that there are two rings to the seal and he needed to insert the applicator deeper into the second ring. Happily that solved the problem.

Charleston is also the home of an assortment of wonderful restaurants, museums, and stores and good friends Charlie and Jennifer Black, two talented artists, who were with us on our tour to Madrid.We met them for lunch at one of those wonderful restaurants, and afterwards toured an interesting antebellum estate.

The house was particulary interesting for the slave quarters visable in the picture. The quarters were small one and two room "apartments" which opened out into a common hallway on the second floor of the building which housed the kitchen and laundry.

Mill Creek at Night

2011-10-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

This time at Solomons Island, we chose to anchor about a 1/2 mile up Mill Creek, a right turn north after entering the main harbor. How to describe it.......I wanted to take a picture to hold in my memory, but a camera cannot capture the beauty of the night. Stillness like a mirror, with each light doubled in the darkness, strings of fairy lights the length of a dock, above and below. Anchor lights are hung from the mast tops like stars in the sky, and hung again beneath. In the center of our view, lining the water, massive oaks and maples, blooming blacker thasn the night. A full moon, hazy in the misty sky, gives a pale glow. Across the water, a man's deep laughter, is answered in kind by the soprano lilt of a woman. Crickets whisper ashore and ducks murmer somewhere, unseen in the darkness. From another direction, distant notes of a flute float through the night. We sit a long time in the cockpit, becoming one with the moment.

Annapolis: Reunions and the Boat Show

2011-10-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

We'd scheduled our arrival to coincide with Rick's 45th class reunion at the Naval Academy at the end of September/beginning of October. Much to our delight, the winds picked up just as we left the Patapsco River into Baltimore and left most of the debris, including tires and metal tanks, behind us. So we sailed at last in the Chesapeake and into Annapolis Harbor. It is easy to see why they call themselves the boating capital of North America. We spent 10 days in Annapolis, 6 of them on a mooring ball. Land activities occupied most of our stay. Thursday night was our reunion cocktail party and we had a chance to renew our friendship with Bob and Taffy Walker. At the dinner dance at the Calvert House on Saturday, we spent time with Mike Polanski, a classmate both at the academy and at the University of Michigan graduate school.

Friday, Erin and Roy arrived to join us and we watched the USNA parade with all its wonderful pagentry, including a marching bagpipe Scottish band and the spinaakered sloops sailing by in the background.Saturday was the Navy/Air Force football game with more military pagentry. Our seats were in the 3rd row of the end zone, where we were able to see Reggie Miller, the NBA Pacers star and an interview of the Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta. The game was a heart-breaker, with Navy coming back in the 4th quarter to tie the game, only to lose in overtime. Afterwards, we took Erin and Roy to a dinner at Harry Browne's restaurant, pricey, but fabulous seafood.

SUnday morning, niece Stacy and her friend, Will, joined us for brunch on the boat and a tour of the Naval Academy. Having family join us is one of the pleasures of travel.

We contemplated moving on Monday morning, but just outside the marina, with a perfect front row seat for the upcoming boat show was a free mooring ball (free as in vacant, the town charges $25 a night, but you get shower and laundry priveledges). The skies cleared at last. Glorious soft breeze and sunshine. During the next three days, we witnessed the amazing site of floating piers being erected, with boats streaming in the moment the last pice of each dock was secured. On one of the days, we visited the Annapolis State House, oldest in the nation, and for 9 months, the capitol of the US. Our friend, Sid Mohsberg, a University of Michigan classmate, took us to dinner at the Annapolis Yacht Club, where they make the BEST crab soup ever, even bringing a small decanter of sherry for the final touch. Sid did a visit to the boat before dinner.

We attended the boat show on Thursday and Friday, buying a few toys and supplies for the boat. This is a picture of the dinghy dock, a real challenge to come and go each day, with dinghies 3 deep and the water closed off by logs to prevent anyone tying onto the boat show docks. Everyone tied with long lines and the trick was to push away as many boats in as many directions as possible to work your way loose. Dinghies were used freely as boarding bridges by all those attempting to reach the dock.

Friday, at the boat show, we discovered good Texas friends, Lee and Donna White and entertained them on our boat the following morning.

Saturday afternoon, we met Navy friends Vern and Pauletta Peters for lunch at the unique "Chick and Ruth's Deli" in Annapolis, crab cakes the size of your fist!

The water traffic there is unbelievable. One evening at sunset, we watched the Naval Acadmy sloops, with blue and gold spinnakers flying, the return home of two separate racing fleets of small Laser type sailboats, dinghies zipping from boat to shore, a fake pirate ship motored past, mega-yachts floated into a marina, water taxis, and every form of boat under sail and power plied the waters, including kyaks and rowing skulls. Sitting on our mooring ball, we felt like a stalled car on the freeway. All in all, Annapolis was a really fun place to be.

Baltimore!

2011-10-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

The weather continued cloudy and windless as we chugged from Rhode River to Baltimore. Signs of the recession were evident as we passed 6 anchored ships just before crossing under the Bay Bridge, which joins the mainland to the Eastern Shore. Debris from Hurricane Irene had been floating past us for much of the time, but became a problem as we approached Baltimore. Pieces of docks, plastic, metal tubs and partially submerged trees floated all around us. We did lots of zig zagging and still managed to be alarmed by a thump under the boat as we missed spotting something.

We had anticipated a short stay in Baltimore, but were mesmerized by the changes which had occured in the past 20 years. The Inner Harbor pulses with life and activity. We stayed three days and discovered on the thirs day that we could have done it all for free rather than the $2 per foot fee, charged by the marina. There is a public anchorage, in front of the Coast Guard Lightship museum. Baltimore deserves two thumbs up for its renewal of their city's heart, the waterway. We took advantage of the first sunshine we'd seen in over a week to walk up Federal Hill to the park and look below at our marina and the harbor.

The Inner Harbor is surrounded by brick walkways, jogging paths, a volleyball pit with 7 courts and nightly games, museums, stores, restaurants, and marinas, all served by a fleet of buzzing water taxis. For $10 you can buy a pass and ride all day. We walked most places, but on the third day, rode out to the inspiring Fort McHemry, home of the Star Spangled Banner and the defense of Baltimore in the war of 1812.We also visite all four historical boats anchored in the harbor itself and walked and dined in the Fells point area, which still has streets looking much as they did in the 1700s.....if you discount the cars. We walked one evening in the spitting rain for tapas at happy hour overlooking the wooden ship Constellation. Nights in the city aboard the boat were a treat A nice visit and one we would repeat.

Rhode River and the Annapolis Gam

2011-10-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

We arrived on a Thursday night for our first meeting of the SSCA, the Seven Seas Cruising Association. The Rhode River, part of the West River, is a popular spot and often houses crowds from Annapolis and Baltimore on summer weekends. The anchorage includeas a huge pond-like area, fully protected from winds and waves on the bay. There are three islands there, one which is now under water, but pretty clearly marked by bouys. About 45 boats were anchored there with room for another 45. The actual gam, a gathering of boats and boaters, took place at Camp Lett, a YMCA camp on the shore. The event exceeded our expectations with 200 attendees and really informative lectures on electronics, cruising the Chesapeake, cruising cheaper (Rick liked that one), interpreting marine weather, and several travelogue sessions. We had a chance to listen to Lin and Larry Pardey, world famous cruisers, as they shared their amazing adventures about being boarded by 5 Arabs with machine guns and rounding Cape Horn in their 28 foot sailboat, which survived the hurricane force winds they encountered.

The adventure on the Red Sea was particularly funny. After going through the canal, Lin and Larry anchored near shore. Five Arabs boarded the boat, demanding their passports. Lin and Larry didn't think they were official and were reluctant to release their passports, so Lin scrambled below and filled some papers with signatures and postage stamps from all the countries thay had visited. No one boarding could read English, and they seemed satisfied with the stamps and started to return to shore. By this time, the sun had set, and the wind was howling. The Arabs were unable to row their small boat back to shore. After almost an hour, they seemed exhausted and in danger of being pushed out to sea. A fishing boat anchored near by and the Arabs tried signalling to it......by shooting their machine guns. This terrified the fishermen, who pulled anchor and sped away. Finally, Lin and Larry threw them a line and pulled them back to the boat, but before allowing them on board, Lin insisted that they put their maching guns in a garbage bag, which was stored safely below. The five Arabs spent the night curled up on the deck of their 28 foot boat. Lin spent the night hoping they didn't realize that down below thwm sat a Jewish girl holding their machine guns in a garbage bag.

St Michaels via San Domingo Creek

2011-10-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

In mid-September, we returned to Wind Dancer and were once again motoring on the Chesapeake. No wind from the Solomons to San Domingo Creek. No wind, but plenty of clouds. Still, meandering past low bushy islands and ancient brick lighthouses has its charm. The channel through the Choptank River, into Brod Creek and finally San Domingo is full of twists and turns and switchbacks, but easy to follow. Oystermen and crabbers line the way in the early hours of the day, hauling thewir catch into their unique, shsallow draft, broad backed boats. We found a lovely isolated cove about a mile from the creek's end in the town of St. Michaels. The depth in most of the cove was 7 feet .

Dusk was lovely with beautiful reflective waters and a few elegant, but unoccupied homes ashore. We heard that Dick Cheney has a house on the creek. The following morning, we roide the dinghy to a public dock on the back side of St. Michaels. A few boats were permanently tied there and one other dinghy, so we climbed up and walked into town via Chew Street. St. Michaels is a "destination "spot on the Chesapeake. Everyone says not to miss it.We weren't disappointed., quaint town, lovely old church, interesting stores, museums, and restaurants. We spent most of our time at the maritime museum, which housed all sorts of beeautifully restaored wooden boats, a lighthouse, and other buildings, including the cottage owned by Frederich Douglas' sister. Other buildings tracked the history of the Chesapeake Bay. We also enjoyed wonderful crab cakes at a local restaurant.

The Weitzells Join Us in Solomons

2011-07-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

The end of our summer cruise is especially fun for us. Erin, Roy, Morgan, and Dylan join us for the 4th of July weekend in Solomons. We luck out and get the last....and the only large transient slip at the Navy Recreation Center here. The boat is a bit crowded with 6 sleeping, but there is plenty to do here.

We go to the Calvert Marine Museum, where we see a megladon and a lighthouse and learn the history of the Chesapeake.

We also swim in the pool, one of FOUR pools at the complex, sail to Vera's White Sand Beach Club for lunch on the St. Leonard Creek, take a dinghy ride, go to the reconstructed St. Marys City, an 800 acre park showing life in the 1600s, and finish the weekend with 4th of July fireworks, viewed from the boat, after which, Rick makes a fantastic smooth landing back into our med-mooring slip in 15 knot winds in the pitch dark with a line of boats hot on our tail.

The Chesapeake At Last

2011-07-07T11:10:00.000-07:00

After three years of telling everyone that this was the year we'd sail to the Chesapeake, we finally arrive through the intercoastal waterway at Portsmouth , Virginia, and even though we once lived here, the sudden introduction into urban sprawl stuns us. Instead of the quiet of the Bahamas and North Carolina, there are huge cargo ships resolutely plying the waters, Naval vessels line the rivers, and tour boats, pleasure boats, and ferries dash between them from shore to shore. Interesting to watch, and we do watch to insure that these giants do not run us down.

We spend the night at Tidewater Yacht Marina in Portsmouth. It's a little pricey, but it is our anniversary, and the marina nestles into the old port area of the town. Beautiful historical homes and gardens make for a wonderful walk in the evening. In the morning, we start our journey south, passing the unique lighthouses that mark the shoal waters of the bay.

On the night of June 26th, our stop is a lovely anchorage in Jackson Creek at Deltaville where a beautiful sunset breaks through the clouds.

Morning means the end of this particular cruise is drawing to a close. We motor on to Soloman's Island, Maryland where we will meet our daughter, Erin, son-in-law, Roy, and grandchildren, Morgan and Dylan.

Chugging Through North Carolina

2011-07-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

We spent 2 days in beautiful Beaufort. Friday night, cleaned up and somewhat rested, we ate at The Grocery Company, a great Beaufort restaurant. Our son Ryan and his finacee Sabrina drove down to see us. We drove to Morehead City and ate at the Sanitary Fish Company. With a name like that, we're not sure how they remain in business, but there is seating for 400, at least 300 filled, and the food is fabulous. Ryan and Sabrina left Sunday, taking Don with them, back to Raleigh, where he could catch a plane for home. That night Beaufort was rocked with a huge thunderstorm and 76 mph winds. The boat survived, being nicely tied to the dock, but there was damage to many surrounding boats as anchor lines failed in the harbor.

While at the Beaufort City Marina, we had the pleasure of meeting Anthony, from Ireland, and his friends from England/Scotland Duncan and Dorothy. They were headed for the Chesapeake also, and for the next four days, we kept company on the journey. Our fiirst night we anchored in Broad Creek, where Rick and Cookie had anchored last fall on a trip to Bath, NC. The second night we settled in a small creek, Upper Dowry Creek, near Bell Haven. Duncan, Dorothy, and Anthony joined us on Wind Dancer for cocktail hour. Forest fires nearby gave an eerie cast to the sunrise in the morning. We motored, chugging along without much wind to Alligator River Marina on our third night. There appeared to be no safe anchorages at the end of the day. Wind Dancer and Anthony's boat, Wild Fox, made it to a marina, and through another storm, with 35 knot winds, but unfortuately Duncan and Dorothy on Hunda, with its 7 foot draft, could not get into the shallow waters of the marina and had to journey another 20 miles to an anchorage. They were caught in the storm while transiting the river. The 4th night, after motoring through the intercoastal waters of North Carolina, the three boats tied up at Coinjock Marina and said our goodbyes over an unexpectedly fantastic dinner.

Dorothy, Duncan, Anthony, Rick, and Cookie at Coinjock Marina

The intercoastal waterway in North Carolina is convenient and avoids the hassle of giving a wide berth to Cape Hatteras, but the waters are bracken, and we left a yellow wake behind us. After four days, the boat sported a brownish mustache where the brackish waters flowed across the bow, and another on the stern. There isn't much sailing to be done either, except in the Pamlico River. The trip was interesting to do this time, miles and miles of wilderness and cypress swamps, but we would not like to do it every year as we moved south again in winter.

The Long Ride Home

2011-07-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

This was the hard part, the part where Don as our crew earned his keep. Three days and three nights we stood our 3 hour watches. Some of the trip was great, we sailed with fair winds through the heart of the gulf stream, reaching the amazing speed of 12 knots! However, once we reached the coastal waters, wind and weather turned against us. Winds from the north and east put an end to pleasant sailing. Our second night the boat rocked and pounded into east winds and oncoming waves and no one slept. The third night was slightly better, but we still rocked and pitched in the following sea. Storms chased us up the Georgia and Carolina Coasts. The winds shifted to the SW, coming directly behind us. On our third full day, with the wind still behind us, and fuel running short, we raised the spinnaker and sailed in inconsistent, gusty winds, which puffed from 5 to 15 knots and angled back and forth, 30 degrees behind us. For over an hour, the spinnaker snapped and heaved and finally the shackle separated spilling the sail into the water. Rick and Don were able to pull the sail back aboard, and an inspection proved that we were lucky. The sock that encloses the spinnaker remained attached to the halyard, so we were able to lower it to the boat and the only problem was with the shackle itself. So we pulled out the main again and moved at speeds of 3-5 knots in the water for the next 5 or 6 hours, until we were confident that we had enough fuel to motor the remainder of the way to Beaufort, North Carolina.

One of the unique features of the crossing was the mascot which found us about 70 miles off the coast of Florida and stayed with us until we tied up at the pier in Beaufort. Bob (or Betty) the Bird was exhausted and starving when he landed on the boat. Cookie fed and watered him, while Rick and Don muttered and cleaned up bird poop. He spent one night in the bathroom, when he flew into the boat and could not be caught. When we finally got him out to the cockpit again, and used the companionway bug screen to keep him out, he spent the second night sitting on a line attached to the radar arch. On our approach to Beaufort, he sensed the land and made flight after flight toward shore, returning each time to the security of the boat. About the same time, he began hopping on our shoulders and pecking at our fingers....a strange way to thank us for bringing him back to shore.

We made Beaufort in the morning just 73 hours after leaving the Bahamas, passing a great freighter as we entered the harbor.

On to Green Turtle and Great Sale

2011-07-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

We have waited on the weather, once again. It is the wisest thing to do. Today we must exit the bank for a 2 mile jaunt through the Atlantic and back again around the island they call "The Whale". This spot can be plagued by winds and waves they call, "The Rage", when the ocean boils around the invisible reef and no one ventures out, but on this calm day it is hard to imagine. We slip in and out of the reef, with the waters, placid, the difference between a lion and a house cat. So calm is the day that we must motor the entire way. Our timing was good though because by the time we reeach Green Turtle, the winds have picked up and we anchor for the night in bumpy waters. Green Turtle is an old and quiet town on a small cove. One end of the island has a new resort, but we enjoy the our excursion into the old town and to Pineapples, the poolside bar whose fame had preceded it. We found it just as enjoyable as our friends who had visited before..

This is our last night of cruising in the Bhamas and Sand Castle joins us for a final cocktail together before we set sail for home. Tomorrow will be the island of Great Sale, an uninhabited stopover for most who travel between the Bahamas and the north.

At Great Sale, we watch our last Bahamian sunset, and Rick and Cookie blow our island conchs for the last itme until we return to Key West in the fall.

Hopetown in the Abacos

2011-06-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Hopetown in the Abacos is your dream town of sailing to the Bahamas, a seaside village with pastel cottages and a quiet harbor with moorings for the cruisers. The town was settled by loyalists fleeing America. It has undergone many reinventions from farming to fishing to wreckers, and is currently a vacation spot, par execllance. There are museums, a lighthouse with a kerosene lamp, built in the 1860s, trails, cottages in lush gardens, sand beaches, reefs for snorkling, hotels with views of both the Atlantic and the harbor, quaint groceries, one run by baker, Vernon, who bakes wonderful homemade breads and fills his store with the aroma and with homemade signs, jokes and wise sayings.

We catch a mooring ball in the circular harbor within sight of the lighthouse and enjoy our stay, prolonged a day by bad weather, which kicks up the Atlantic and drops several inches of rain onto the island. It's not a bad place to be stuck for an extra day. Don also treated us to dinner at a harborside restaurant, and here we were afraid he'd ask to be paid for his crewing.

Passage to the Abacos and Little Harbor

2011-06-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

We hire a guide to go through the reef at Spanish Wells, and Don who was skeptical of the need, watches with wide eyes as we weave in and out of the rocky corl heads, following our guide into the safety of the Atlantic. He becomes a believer. Because we waited for light winds and calm waters, to reveal the edges of the reef, we motor sail much of the way to the Abacos and anchor inside the reef again. To celebrate Jan's birthday, we ride in the dinghy 2 miles, past the opening of the reef and through the 2 foot waves pouring in. Let me advise you that a two foot wave is much larger when you are riding in a one foot high boat. We are headed for Little Harbor.

Little Harbor, home of the famous Pete's Pub and the Johnston family's art gallery. There are wonderful metal sculptures to be found there. So we went to help Jan celebrate her birthday. What we didn't know was that Pete's Pub ends its day at 5:30, and we didn't get there until 5:00 and the kitchen was closed. They did have an excess of conch salad though and offered it gratis with plastic cups and spoons. Best conch salad ever! We gorged ourselves.

The views from a walkway on top of the hill overlooking the bay on one side and the Atlantic on the other were pretty spectacular too.

On To Eluthera, highlighting Royal Island and Spanish Wells

2011-06-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

At Cambridge Key we say goodbye to Jose and Char. They will remain in the Exumas while Wind Dancer and Sand Castle set sail for Eluthera. And we do set sail. A glorious breeze from the southwest scoots us across the Exuma Sound and we anchor that evening in Rock Sound. Eluthera was settled by English families looking for religious freedom and their descendants still live there. While we don't make it ashore in Rock Sound, we do enjoy our glimpse of the white Anglican church in the harbor. The town has a more European look than those in the Exumas. During the night, warnings of high winds expected have us scrapping our plans for a leisurely trip through the island and we decide to make a run for the Abacos, where we are supposed to meet crew member, Don Hutchins, who is to join us for the last two weeks of the adventure. The plan is to make a run for Spanish Wells, which involves a 10 mile dash across the Atlantic and then back on the bank near Royal Island, from there make another mad dash across the Atlantic and through the reef where we are to meet Don. Of course, it doesn't work out that way. A 12 hour sail with 15-20 knot winds gets us to Fleeming Cut where suddenly our speed drops from 6.5 to 3.8 and the steering feels odd. We decide it must be the current, and turn on the engine. It sounds fine, but we are still struggling through the cut, across the Atlantic and make Royal Island just as the sun goes down. As we anchor, an enormous tumbleweed of woody stemmed sea weed floats free from our keel and rudder. Royal Island curves into an almost complete circle and forms a cove, sheltered from almost every wind. It was the private hideaway of a Florida millionaire from the 1920s-1950s. Now, a group of developers, including Roger Staubach, plan to fill the harbor with a huge marina and divide the property into multimillion dollar lots. We think we found the spot where you sign your contract for your ocean view lot.In the 1920s, a truly unique house, with living areas sometimes open to the outdoors and separate guest houses and kitchen buildings was built, but the house is deteriorating. Nature will always reclaim, what man does not maintain. Roofs have caved, walls have crumbled, re bars have rusted, and lovely mosaic tiles have chipped away.

Before leaving for Spanish Wells, Rick checks to ensure that all the seaweed is off the rudder. It isn't and he makes dive after dive bringing up handfuls of the seaweed which was wrapped tightly around the rudder. We arrive in Spanish Wells, but locals tell us the winds are already too high to make traveling through the reef safe. So, Don has to change plans, flying into Spanish Wells, and we are forced to spend several days in beautiful Spanish Wells, where we are amazed at the vitality of the town. The island was settled by English loyalists, fleeing the newly formed United States. There are still signs of their early life style, limes, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, and wild cotton plants still struggle in the soil. Goats and sheep eat the course island grass. Below is a picture of a wild growing cotton plant over 6 feet high.

Their industrious nature is evident too. Spanish Wells produces 70% of all the Bahamian lobsters, dozens of immaculate fishing boats line the harbor. For a small town of only 1500, the amount of activity is astounding. Everybody works. There are busy shipyards, unique mini-ferries take cars and people to the main island of Eluthera, the Nassau to Governors Island ferry stops here twice a day, and fishing boats, which are not currently fishing, bring in supplies almost hourly. Residents line up at the docks with golf carts and pick-ups. They pick up huge quantities of paper towels, baby cribs, and electronics. They load on frozen fish, empty propane bottles, and cases of bananas and mangoes.You can find everything you need...we were even able to replace our computer charger at the local computer store...and found a real supermarket willed with fresh produce and every kind of fresh, canned, and frozen delight we'd been missing for 4 weeks. Most amazing to us was athat a small community of Mennonites live here. A boat near us in the marina was occupied by a family of three. The mother washed out diapers by hand and put the diapers out to dry on the life lines of their sailboat. She wore an ankle length dress and, head scarf, and apron to do so. Another Mennonite man, wearing suspenders and a full beard operated one of the single car ferries.

The day Don was to arrive, Luke, Jan, Rick and I took the super ferry through the coral reefs to Governors Island. We passes our mooring field on the way.

On Governors Island is the famous pink sand beach, where movie stars and the rich and famous tan themselves...but not while we were there.

We arrive back at Spanish Wells within a few minutes of Don, who had arrived from Seattle via a plane to Palm beach, a cab to the train station, a train to Fort Lauderdale airport, a flight to Nassau, another flight to Eluthera, a taxi to the passenger ferry, and a passenger ferry to Spanish Wells. It takes a dedicated crew to work so hard to arrive!

By arriving in Spanish Wells, Don is able to see the beautiful sand bottomed Bahamian waters of blue before we head north to the green glass waters of the Abacos.

Big Major Cay

2011-06-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

After visiting Black point Settlement, we returned to the Staniel Key area where our 3rd Buddy Boat, Atlantica awaited with Jose and Char Pagan. After a 10 day delay in their departure, Jose and Char finally caught up with us at Big Major Key. Our cruise took on a whole different character. Jose is the ultimate extrovert. He organizes work parties, play parties, and expeditions. We have rotating dinners together on Atlantica, Sand Castle and Wind Dancer as we anchor at Big Major near Staniel Key. To solve our battery charging problem, Jose recommends that we remove the isolator between the batteries and the alternator. It works! We can now charge our batteries at about 20% an hours versus 2% in 8 hours! Luke and Jan loan us their 2nd computer, and voila, our communication problems are solved. I love this buddy boating thing!

Also in the Staniel Key /Big Major area are two sights not to be missed. Thunderball Cave, the cave used in the James Bond movie Thunderball sits on a small island nearby. The cave has holes in the ceiling where shafts of sunlight filter through the water in a dazzling display of light. Schools of fish sparkle in and out of the cave entrance hoping for a handout. ANd if that isn't interesting enough, then just grab your dinghy afterwards and ride over to the bay at Big Major where the swimming pigs live. These pigs are used to handouts from the dozens of boats anchored in the bay and will eagerly wade out for a treat. They really should be called the wading pigs, because they turn back to shore when their feet cannot reach the bottom. The other treat for us at Big Major was the nightly display at sunset, always beautiful, always different.

Rick and Cookie diving Thunderball Cave

Black Point Settlement

2011-06-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

Black Point Settlement, another key in the Exuma Chain, was settled by freed slaves. The town is tidy and has a beautiful blue water bay, and high hills overlooking the Atlantic, also, the best bread in the Bahamas, baked by Lorriane's mother. Lorraine is the proprieter of the best restaurant on the island, a place with wifi and CNN news oin a flat screen TV. The day we were there, the equivalent of UPS arrived, a shallow draft Landing Ship arrived, pulled up to shore, rolled down the front and offloaded and onloaded deliveries. As on Staniel Key, groceries arrive by supply ship once a week, an in bad weather or with other complications, may take longer. Life is slow.

Sand Castle and Wind Dancer are to the far right of the bay.

Staniel Key

2011-06-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

Staniel Key has a great marina and a great restaurant/bar, a respite for travelers with boating needs. We packed in fuel and water, reverse osmosis water, which proved to be quite good. Our near disaster there was caused when the marina staff waved us into a slip which was still occupied by a small motor boat, backing frantically out of our way. Staniel Key is populated by a mix of black slave descendants and white ex patriots. The town's groceries and bakeries are identified as "the blue house, the yellow house, etc. If you want great bread, knock on the door of the yellow house and get some coconut bread . The town was poor, some sad little buildings sagged here and there, but people were industrious and always helpful and friendly. We stayed three days, hiking, replenishing, trying in vain to repair the energy problems, watching the sand sharks in the marina swim below the boat and the dinghy, and enjoying the island.

A second problem surfaced when a power surge rendered our computer recharger inoperable. We could no longer charge the computer to send emails.

Exuma Land and Sea Park

2011-06-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

Exuma Land and Sea Park, without a doubt, the lovliest of our island cruising. We stayed first in the north mooring ground on Wardwick Wells at the park head quarters. A strong current winds through the mooring, creating a blue salt river. At low tide, the white sand and shallow waters rise out of the swift moving river. Boats twist and float at odd angles, depending on the caprice of wind and tide. Ashore are myriads of trails. Signs identify the island flora. Two hundred years ago, great forests of lignum vitae, a hardwood prized by sailors for their ships, covered the islands. These were harvested and the soil blew away in the wind. Now the sharp limestone bones of the island lay exposed. Sand anchors the hardy scrublike bushes, whose leaves are working to replenish the lost island soil.

At Wardwick Wells is Boo Boo Hill which is piled high with driftwood boat signs, painted or carved by cruisers. Above one beach sits the remains of a loyalist home, a tiny cabin of limestone with interior walls of smoothe morter. The house was tiny, but a three foot tall rock wall across the island reveals their industry. The wall was built to keep pirates away from the settlement.

Rocky blowholes near Boo Boo Hill explode with surf on windy days, and even on a calm sunny day, forced air blasts from the holes. We did a lot of snorkling in the park, first at the gorgeous mooring field, and later at Cambridge Key. The park headquarters contains an incredible coral garden, with purple fans waving in the current, yellow brain coral, giant lobsters, schools of darting neon blues and yellows, rainbow hued fish, fish of black and silver, yellow and black angel fish. More colors and kids of fish and coral than I'd ever imagined. At Cambridge Cay, we dinghied about a mile to a "sea aquarium", a rock wall of a reef, teeming with beautiful fish of colors too brilliant to be believed. Also at Cambridge Key we crossed the Conch Inlet to a cave for more snorkling. At this cay, we were joined by our second buddy boat, Atlantica, with Jose and Char Pagan. Cocktails on the beach made for a fun evening at Cambridge.

The downside of the first visit to the park was the realization that not only was our wind generator deceased, but the alternator was only charging the batteries at a rate of about 2% an hour. Our solar panels could keep us at a steady level during the day, but each night we lost 12% of our battery capacityWe decided a quick run to the marina at Staniel Kay was necessary to replenish batteries, which had dropped to an alarming 58% .

Norman Key

2011-06-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

If it's Saturday, it must be Norman Key. We moved on down the Exuma chain about 15 miles to anchor on the west side of Norman Key, another privately owned island. Once occupied by a drug runner, Carlos Lederer, cruisers were known to disappear in this area back in the late 70s and were presumed to have been murdered by the drug lord. Drug running was shut down over 30 years ago, and all that remains of this era are some bullet ridden and decaying buildings and the deteriorating carcass of a plane in a small bay.

There are a few houses here, beautiful sandy beaches fronting on aqua waters, a small resort, a runway, and a bar and grill, McDuff's. A planned larger resort does not seem to be materializing. The island would seem too unoccupied to support a bar/restaurant, but while we were there, two small planes landed and people appeared for late afternoon lunches. There was also a skeleton, standing in the corner. We are not certain, whether these skeleton's are left over from the drug running days or just a sign of the off beat humor of the islanders.

Highborne Cay and Allen Cay

2011-06-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

After seven days of travel we have arrived at our destination, the chain of Exuma Islands in the Bahamas. On the 11th of May, we crossed the Yellow Bank, standing watch on the bow for coral heads. Highborne Cay is our first stop. Highborne is a privately owned island, but friendly to cruisers. A dozen of us from small motor cruisers to enormous mega yachts, sit in the shelter of her lee shore. There is lots to do at Highborne Cay. We stopped during a hike through the island to enjoy the local humor at the "bus stop".

The island had beautiful beaches.

And we could find lots of conchshells....but they were usually inhabited.

Our first full day there, we investigated the Allen Cay iguanas, who we shouldn't have fed, but did. If you happen to do so yourself, please note that they adore crackers, enjoy green peppers, but turn up their noses at carrots and celery. Who knew iguanas were such picky eaters? We also found time for a swim in the beautiful blue waters.

Working our Way to the Exumas

2011-06-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Water as far as the eye can see in every direction. For two days, we had great sailing across the bank. The first night we anchored in 18 feet of water just past Mackie Shoal. The second was spent at a mooring ball iat The Berry Islands Club. We dinghied ashore to pay at a tiny bar, weith dinner set for 8 at the only table. We heard the food was wonderful, but reservations were required. Outside, tied to the dock, were strung several lines of live conchs...a "farm" to provide fresh conch for the diners. It was there that we discovered our wind generator was not operating properly, something that plagued us the rest of the trip. Instead of a nice steady whirl of energy, the internal regulator continued to slam on the breaks at odd times.

On May 12th, we crossed to New Providence Island, where the capital, Nassau sits. We anchored in the shelter of Athol Island watched the sun set over the enormous Atlantica resort.

Bimini or Bust

2011-06-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

We left Boca Chica on May 4th with buddy boat Sand Castle en route to a 6 week cruise to the Bahamas. The first leg took us across the gulf stream on a gorgeous Saturday. The water was so calm that it was hard associate it with the stories of rough and dangerous crossings. Bimini was our first exotic port, our first real cruise destination. Not at all what we had pictured, but interesting. The waters are as blue as reported, the skies as sunny, and the people as friendly. We didn't expect the poverty, the neglected buildings, and the closed businesses. We found the rusting hulk of a shipwreck leaning against its western shore, the crystal water breathing in and out with the waves and an Ernest Hemingway favorite bar, burned to the ground long years ago, only the arched entry remaining. Later we enjoyed a fun dinner reunion with the 3 motor cruisers from Boca Chica, Dan and Karen Schroeder on Iron Jib, Ron and Robin Jung on Back Again, and Dave and Sandy QAuick, on Comfort Zone. Later Chip and Joanne, who spent the past few weeks in Bimini joined us.. we paid our $300 entry fee and walked the island.

Last Visitors Before Leaving the Keys

2011-04-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

We had some other visitors too....Rick's cousins, Carol and Alan Brandenburg, their children, Katy and Billie, and Rick's Uncle Bill spent a day with us sailing and kyaking. Our last visitor was a manatee that thrilled us all with his friendliness.

Gail and Kia returned to visit again this spring. We found a new site to visit, a Coast Guard Vessel on display, and introduced them to several spots we have discovered since their last trip. In addition, the gals at the marina had a ladies night out at sunset in the dinghies.

Another Championship Under Our Belts

2011-03-15T03:39:00.001-07:00

This year we added to our Conch Blowing Championship collection with a 4th win in the group catagory with our performance of The Dancing Queen. Again our group of 40 to 70 somethings, all going on age 8 entered the Key West Conch Blowing competition, part of our contribution to Key West as the best slightly wacky place to be.

And after our victory, a fine celebration at the local establishments.

The Barones Visit Paradise

2011-02-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

Our good friends and neighbors, Linda and Gary Barone finally made it to Key West. Since we don't spend enough time in Dallas any more, we were thrilled to have them here.

A lot of our fun comes from enjoying the great restaurants here in Key West and eating on the boat too. We did manage to tour the Zachary Taylor Fort, spent some time at the marina beach, and show them the Shipwreck Museum, the Truman museum, and discover that we can actually tour the bottom floor of the Southernmost Gueest House.
They've added something at the Truman Museum, a sand sculpture that the artist told us might last up to a year or two. To us, it looked like another way history meets the funky in Key West.

And the Winner Is. . . . . . .

2011-02-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

January in Key West means the start of this years Wreckers Race series, a highlight of the winter sailing season. For this race, 40 sailing vessels from an 18 foot Hobie Cat to two masted schooners plied the waters between Key West Harbor and Sand Key, on the reef. At least eight boats from Boca Chica marina raced, including dock mates, Jose Pagan, with his 49 foot Juneau, and Ron Marchman, with a 55 foot ketch. Our crew, Jan and Luke Sand, Bob and Gail Bert, were joined by fellow Beneteau owner, Stuart, and his friend Sid. Bob won his class in the Port Huron to Makinac Race this past year and became our tactician and spinnaker man. Rick steered, and the rest of us did as we were told.

The race was a six and a half mile dash down wind with spinnakers flying all around. Bob worked his delicate touch and magically turned our asymetrical into a psuedo full spinnaker as it ballooned out in front of us. We pushed across the line as the 5th boat, first in our class of monohulls over 30 feet.

At the close of the day, the winners are announced during the celebration at Schooners Wharf. Blue skies, fair winds, good friends, warm temperature, aqua waters and a first place finish. Sailing doesn't get any better than this....neither does life.

Marina Talk

2011-01-29T10:18:00.001-08:00

I have recently discovered that the men in the marina speak another language. Interestingly, there are a number of English based words in this language. I sometimes suspect that it is in reality a secret code. It goes something like this: "It has a 4 way injector and an overflow tank."

"This is a fluid dilema. If it's on the uphill side...... You are sucking air through a fitting." (OH MY. THERE HAS TO BE AN EASIER WAY TO GET AIR!) "The accumulator is doing what it is supposed to be doing." (AND WHAT DOES AN ACCUMULATOR ACCUMULATE?)

"I need to install a galvonic isolator." "Oh yeah, I put mine in as soon as I bought the boat." (SO NOW I WONDER WHAT ARE GALVONS AND WHY DO THEY NEED TO BE ISOLATED. ARE THEY ANTISOCIAL?)

"Ned is having his fuel polished today." (DEAR GOD, HAS IT COME TO THIS? I MEAN, THEY ARE ALL FANATIC ABOUT THEIR ENGINES, BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH. DO YOU SUPPOSE HE USES "PLEDGE?")

"The joker valve isn't working." (NOW I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT JOKER VALVES. IF IT ISN'T WORKING, THE TOILET BACKS UP AND THE JOKE'S ON YOU.)

I need to replace the Y valve in the sewage line." "Isn't it a gate valve with a center screw? Maybe the screw just needs tightening." "That would be the easy answer. I suspect the screw is stripped." (DOES THIS MEAN WE HAVE A NAKED SCREW? WHAT DOES A SCREW NORMALLY WEAR?)

"There is a capped off valve down there. It's a pickup valve." (NOT SURE I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT.)

"I have the male end. (WELL, I KNEW THAT.)"I need the female end." (RIGHT NOW?)

"I plan to strip the varnish and either leave it naked or apply teak guard." (HONESTLY,MEN, THEY ARE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT SEX.)

Actually, I have no interest in breaking this code because the one thing I have noticed is that if you are the one who speaks the language, you are also the one who is lying on the floor of the bathroom, sweating and cursing and up to your wrists in sewage....AND I'M not going there.!

The Gunns in Key West

2011-01-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

Kit and Tom Gunn, who visited two years ago, returned to spend more time with us. We did a lot of eating and, like others who spend time in Key West, they suddenly found themselves perfectly willing to become a part of the funky lifestyle, pausing at a Mallory Square shop to become temporary pirates and attending the conch blowing cocktail hour on the dock. We introduced them to our new personal favorite singer, Howard Livingston, who has a Key West band and songs with wonderful lyrics that catch the true laid back flavor of living in the keys.

And of course, we ate the requisite meal at Geiger Key, our secret Locals Only spot.

First Sail of the Year.......out to watch Key West Race Week

2011-01-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

Some actual boating. We headed out the channel to the race course only to encounter a fog patch so dense that we couldn't spot any channel markers at all, and in the narrow channel, surrounded by mangroves growing on reef, with fishing skiffs and skidoos appearing suddenly in side channels, the radar readings were not sufficient to guide us. It took three tries before the fog thinned, at which time we realized that we had been only a hundred yards from deep water each time we turned back.

>
We caught the start of the Melgas 24 and J105 classes, then moved on to the course with the big boats, where we watched the US Americas Cup entry, the Oracle, compete with boats from Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Canada, and the UAR. Also watched the Titan blow away the others in the Maxi class. Next weekend, we do the racing in the first Wrecker's Race of the season.

First Visitors for the New Year

2011-01-25T06:50:00.000-08:00

Our first Key West Visitors, Don and Susan Hutchins. Don had sailed with us from Key West to Fort LAuderdale several years ago and all three of us had a vested interest in convincing Susan of the joys of Key West living since she was considering wintering over next year with their RV. So, we tried to show her why we are so enamored of the keys with a sampling of everything....the museums, the conch blowing on the pier, the restaurants, Mallory Square, the charm of the Victorian houses set in lush, tropical vegetation, and the rustic quiet of Geiger Key. We think we succeeded!

Don and Susan have other friends here and the ladies dined at The Banana Cafe's rooftop venue on day for lunch and all enjoyed a fabulous 5 course dinner at the home of Steve and Jane the following night.

Home Again in Key West

2010-12-21T04:58:00.001-08:00

It's good to be "home" for the winter. After a second day of downwind spinnaker racing with Sand Castle, we arrived at Boca Chica with fog horns blaring and friends waiting to take our lines as we approached the dock. Just as the snowbirds left one by one in the spring, so we we return in the fall. Cocktails and conch blowing began on a Monday as the first returnees arrived. We sailed in from Boot Key on a Wednesday, and by Friday, there were 17 of us enjoying the sunsets over the marina once again. We celebrated with the Vetrans Day parade and a happy hour at Kellys. Happy to be here.

Another Loss

2010-12-21T04:38:00.000-08:00

Such a sad November for us. Rick's brother Barry passed on after a valiant fight with melanoma. He was a good man, a loss for all of us. He was honest, loyal, and had a warm laugh that cheered you just to hear it. As Rick wrote in Barry's eulogy: he loved his family; he loved his job; he loved travel; he loved a good meal; he loved life. Barry was not ready to go and we were not ready to lose him, but these are not choices we are allowed to make. Life moves on and gaps appear where loved ones used to be. Barry and his wife Denice visited us in Texas in 2004 and sailed with us on lake Texoma. At the time of his diagnosis, we were planning to spend time together in Florida and hoped to have Barry and Denice join us again on the boat in Key West. This was not to be. Instead, we spent time at his home, speaking of cherished moments, that for a short time, took us back, and brought alive memories that sustained us all.

The Race to Marathon

2010-11-11T04:39:00.000-08:00

Last spring we bought an asymetrical spinnaker. Rick said it would make downwind cruising easy. I said I thought spinnakers were hard to handle. "Not this," Rick insisted. "When you are cruising, you just set the sail and leave it."
So why was I not surprised, upon leaving Rodriguez Key for Marathon, with our buddy boat Sand Castle, to hear Rick barking orders, "Grind in the spinnaker, let it out. Bring it in. How much is the luff curling?"
"Ummm......"
"Okay. Switch places. I'll handle the spinnaker."
So I steered, but the orders continued. "5 degees to the left. What's the wind speed? What's the wind angle? What's your course?" Followed by frantic grinding in and letting out of our sail. "Okay, NOW what's the boat speed? What's the wind angle?What's the wind speed?" Followed by more frantic grinding in and letting out of the sail.
"But I thought you said when we cruised, you just set the sail and left it?" I commented.
Rick looked at me in disbelief. "It's a race," he said. "There are two boats."
And just across the water sailed our buddy boat, Sand Castle, with Luke standing in the cockpit, one eye on his sail, also frantically letting the spinnaker out and bringing it in.
Rick always said that for the man it is the journey, for the woman it is the destination. When we arrived in Marathon, Rick grinned and said, "Helluva day!" I was exhausted.

South to Key Biscayne

2010-11-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

The two day sail from Beaufort to Fort Pierce had plenty of wind, although not always in the right direction. We made our sea rendezvous with buddy boat, Sand Castle, skippered by Luke and Jan Sand. At sunset, we jib sailed and I caught this view of their boat. We arrived in Fort Pierce, refueled, and anchored for the night in a cove south of the Fort Pierce inlet and under the bridge. The second day was to take us to Rodriguez Key. However, we didn't count on 15-20 knot winds on our nose, hitting the full 3.5 force of the Gulf Stream, thunderstorms, and waves slowing us to a crawl after just four hours of great sailing. At the Fort Lauderdale channel at 4 am, we encountered several cruise liners in the process of entering the harbor. The situation had us doing a sudden reversal of course as one behemmoth, accompanied by a pilot boat cut across our bow. We may have had the right of way, but demanding your rights is not always the best plan. After just over 24 hours of slow going, we welcomed this gorgeous sunset near Miami and opted to bail out at Key Biscayne to avoid the 25-30 knot winds scheculed for the next day. As we sit at anchor and feel the blow here in No Name Harbor, we are happy with that decision.

And we are off!

2010-10-30T08:56:00.001-07:00

Beaufort, SC is one of our favotite ports. With either a night at the city docks, or an anchorage next door, you are in the heart of the city. There are nice shops, tours to take, good restaurants, a nice coffee shop along their beautiful new riverwalk, and small town charm, including a Halloween Trick or Treat evening where hundreds of children in costume trick or trated their way through town and ended the evening watching an outdoor playing of "Casper The Friendly Ghost outdoors on the riverwalk. If you stay at the marina, they provide a courtesy can for grocery shopping. Another benefit is that we have severazl friends nearby, including Luke and Jan Sand who we will "buddy boat" with on our way back to Boca Chica in Key West. Last night we had dinner at their house on Dawtaw Island and planned our course, checked the wind and tides, decided on the initial rendez vous site, with lots of flexibility for unexpected changes in weather and wind. Earlier in the day, Jan andCookie had shopped and stocked the boats. We leave in the morning at first light for the next stop about 325 miles (and 2 days) south in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Ready to Sail South

2010-10-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

We transited from Charleston to Beaufort, South Carolina, arriving at dusk and anchored in the Beaufort River just south of the city docks. The river was crowded with boats poised go south an dwe anchored a little further into the channel that we'd have liked. NO matter, or so we thought, no one will pass by before morning, and we planned to tie up to the city marina and stretch our legs ashore for the first time in 5 days. So, of course at 6:45 am, in the dark, the heavy thrum of a straining engine gets louder and louder. One hundred yards away is the beginning of the largest parade of vessels we've ever seen on the inland water way. An ocean going tug floats past pulling some sort of structure that looks like a3 story hotel with all lights blazing, behind that, a second, smaller barge marches by. The second grouping consisted of an other ocean going tug, pulling a huge barge with a steam shovel on board, connected to a SECOND, smaller tug, which in turn was connected to another vessel, that started as a barge, but diminished to a snakelike tail of several hudred yards, supported in the center by a THIRD tug. The initial tugs were sporting lights, white over white over red.....which indicates tug in tow with poor ability to manuever.....not what you wat to see when your boat is too far into the channel.

Storm in Charleston Harbor

2010-10-30T04:43:00.001-07:00

One of the beauties of cruising is that life is still unfolding with new "firsts", not all of them positive. In Charleston, we had our first close up and personal storm at anchor. Just at sunset, the sky darkened and vicious black clouds bubbled skyward. Lightening flashed everywhere, from cloud to cloud and sky to earth and water. We sat through it, Cookie with a flashlight and fire extinguisher within reach, and Rick, keys in the ignition, standing on the top stairs in the companionway, watching for boats dragging anchor in high winds that were predicted, but thankfully never materialized. Still, it was enough of a blood stirring adventure to add to our growing collection of crusiing firsts.

Southbound Again Beaufort, NC to Charleston

2010-10-25T12:18:00.001-07:00

It's the end of October and time to return to the south. As with the migrating birds, the chill at night in North Carolina tells us it is time to return to more temperate climes, and we hope to keep the warm weather with us as we return to Key West this fall. Ryan and Sabrina see us off in Oriental.
So, we motor through the cut from the Neuse River to Beaufort, NC and stop there at the City Docks, a marina way overpriced, but oh so nice to visit for a last bit of fuel, water, electricity, wi-fi, and peaceful views of the watery landscape.

Since the weather is never perfect and we have long given up being purists, we decide that getting to Charleston by dark the following night and avoiding a 48 hour punishment to our bodies that would accompany the sail only transit, we motor sailed in 5-10 knot winds, arriving in Charleston 32 hours later in gorgeous, sunny weather. Along the way we were accompanied by our usual visitors, a playful group of dolphins, and a few jelly fish.

We entered Charleston waters with a closeup encounter with a small fishing boat whose ventures must have been successful if the site ot dozens of birds riding homeward on the boat was any indication. We also happened upon a Sunday race, with spinakers flying, and a struggling sailboat, seeking to lash sails to the boom in the channel entrance. That reminded us why we are no longer sailing purists and have our mainsail inside the mast.

Fort Sumter, with its Civil War history, as always, is a first site on entering the harbor.

Cruise to Bath, NC

2010-10-19T16:52:00.001-07:00

We set sail the 13th of October for Bath, NC, The perfect winds, which have eluded us for most of our cruising, pushed us gently from Oriental to Bath Creek, where the town claims to be the oldest in North Carolina. High banked and about a 1/2 mile wide, the creek narrows at the entrance to the Pamlico River and stopped, for us, at the highway bridge, in town. We enjoyed a lovely sunset in peaceful waters here.

Cookie's sister, Cynthia and husband Jim, met us there and we spent 2 days at the Bath Motel and Marina, a three room resort with one of the three rooms occupied by the handy man, who did a mediocre job of cleaning the restrooms. But the owner was cheerful and nice and included in the $1 a foot cost was a free mug advertising the Bath Motel and Marina and historic Bath. We had a great time exploring Bath, with a informative visitor's center and 3 homes from the 1700s available for tour,and the tales of colonial history and Blackbeard, the town's most famous resident. Having company aboard also meant having a car available and we visited other towns.

We saw Cypress Landing, a nice community with a great marina just 4 inches too shallow. Our boat would need boots to tiptoe through the muddy bottoms there. We saw Washington, a potentially lovely town with a nice riverfront, a few good restaurants, and manyt sad empty storefront windows. We happened upon a lovely, wine/cheese, bookstore where we met the owner and learned of his "other place" in Bellhaven. So the next day, we drove to Bellhaven for a fabulous lunch at the Wine, Words, and Back Bay Cafe, a combination wine shop, bookstore and gourmet restaurant. If you get to Bellhaven, it's worth a stop, homemade bread and soups, so good you can taste the garden and a crab quiche that melts in your mouth.

We returned to Washington for dinner at Pias for an equally good dinner, with Manchego encrusted grouper. There we joined friends oif Cynthia and Jimmy's for the evening.

The next day was a 6 hour sail, flying downwind on a broad reach to Broad Creek, a lovely anchorage, (except for the mosquitos)with lots of room and a view of forests and the winking lights from a few elegant houses on the shores around us. We completed the journey back to Oriental with a screaming jib only race up the Neuse River with 15-22 mph winds. Happy to tell you, we blew past the other boats, including those which were motor sailing.

Relaunch in Oriental

2010-10-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

At last, our return to cruising at the beginning of October. We relaunched October 7th, with a new bottom job, a replaced nipple on the shaft seal cooling water connection (like I know what I am talking about.) all I know is that "the idiots used brass instead of bronze and it stuck out to far...a disaster waiting to happen". We also had some stays rebedded where a leak had developed and the hull was waxed. Then Rick and Cookie spent 3 days reassembling all the parts that had been disassembled for "hurricaine season." All this took place at Deaton's Yacht Service, lovely, friendly people, and highly recommended.

Honor Thy Father.......

2010-10-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

This summer was a most difficult season. As we age, so do those we love. And we are now in the winter of our lives, that last quarter when friends and family begin to leave us. In January, we learned of Rick's brother's terminal cancer, and in June, my father began his final descent toward the end. We made multiple trips to Illinois to see both. In August, I lost my father. He was a good man, a gentleman of the old school, who even when he lost almost everything else, tried hard not to be a bother to anyone and to be polite always. I never heard him say an unkind word to anyone. He was, in addition, both a brilliant and humble man. These are the things I learned from my father: to be excruciatingly fair; to be kind to others; to be honest, always; to never spend more than you have and to save for the future; to take responsibility for yourself and your community; that knowledge and education are priceless; that sacrificing for those you love brings its own reward; and that family is most important, above all. I may not always have met his standards, but I thank him for setting them.

Oh the places you'll go. ......and the people you'll meet

2010-07-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

Cruisers are people who go interesting places and who meet interesting people. We met one such person in Oriental, North Carolina. In Oriental, we met fellow Illinoisan, Buzz Gentes, from Champaign, who decided retirement needed some challenges. So he acquired a 15 foot sailboat, minus a mast, two Honda 2 horsepower engines, a couple of 3 gallon gas tanks, and after some careful planning, set out to comlete The Great Loop. The Great Loop, for sailors, is a badge of honor, a goal of many; it is a watery circle which goes thousands of miles through all the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi, around Florida, up the east coast and back into the Great Lakes. There are several alternative connections along the way. Buzz began last November and as of the first of July had made it as far as Oriental, NC. He's not sure if the smallest boat to make the trip, but he's certainly close. You can follow his travels on the Dalomar at www,thedalomar.com

North Carolina Cruising

2010-06-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

Southport is home to the Provision Company, a marshside restaurant that operates on the honor system for drinks. You help yourself at the refridgerator and tell the cashier what you've had when you leave.

Interesting scenery along the 20 mile intercoastal run from Southport to Wrightsville Beach. You can really see the change from the lowland marshes to the pine flats further north.

The ride from Wrightsville Beach to Beaufort,NC was against us again, 15-20 knots of wind, exactly behind us. Do the winds only come from the NE or SW on the east coast? We were able to motor sail and again watch a dolphin show along side the boat.

In Beaufort and Oriental, we spent time with Ryan and Sabrina. They joined us Friday and we toured Beaufort, NC, with its charming old homes on the waterfront. The city docks are on the main street of the town and provide a great view of town and the still wild island opposite. There we took self-guided tour of a nautical museum and an old burying ground.
Rick and I celebrated our 44th anniversary there. Saturday, Rick, Ryan, and Sabrina motored up the intercoastal to Oriental. Not much happening in Oriental, despite the presence of over 1,000 sailboats, so we drove to New Bern, which offers a great variety of places to tour, a replica of the Royal Governors home,Tryon Palace; beautiful shaded streets, with old homes, and interesting history presentations given by costumed docents. Unfortunately, we were too late for the tours, but enjoyed the general ambiance of the town, cocktails at agreat bar/restaurant in an old warehouse called Morgan's Tavern and Grill and dinner at MJ's Raw Bar with wonderful seafood and a unique customer. A mallard regularly appears at the door, peeking in, until the waitstaff bring him crackers and water. After he has eaten his fill, he flies home.

Going North....Very Slowly

2010-06-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

We started as per plan, leaving Boca Chica for a short sail to Boot Key Harbor. Boating, however, never goes according to plan. Our GPS began blinking and disappearing. The wind was absent. So we motored to Boot Key. The following day we enjoyed a wonderful sail to Rodriguez Key where we anchored. In the morning, we watched a beautiful sunrise over a mirrored ocean, lovely, but that meant no wind and a long motor to No Name Harbor on Key Biscayne. From there, we stopped at Fort LAuderdale, to fix the ailing E-80 and enjoy our favorite port. Unfortunately, we missed the weather window and our plan to catch the Gulf Stream and sail to Beaufort SC in 2 days went out the window. The winds were 15-20 out of the NE, the direction we were trying to go and the 5-7 foot waves slowed us to the point where we realized we couldn't get there, without exhausting ourselves and our gas! So we discovered the joys of the Intercoastal Waterway and anchored our way north via Lake Woth, Fort Pierce, Cocoa, Daytona, St. Augustine, where we stopped long enough to have dinner with the Cloughs, and into a marina at Fernadina Beach. The trip from Jacksonville to Fernandina wa hair raising. The lowest tides of the year. We ran aground in the center of the channel with 100 yards of shallow water in every direction. Shortly after resuming our efforts, the depth gage read 5.8. We draw 5.8! So we turned around to wait out the tide in slightly deeper water. Finally an angel power boater came by and lead us through 5 miles of shallow water with directions and his depth sounder. We arrived at Fernadina in time for sunset.

The sail from Fernandina to Beaufort was fine. Lovely wind from the right direction.At Beaufort, SC, we spent time with Gail and Kia Malott at their home and on our boat. Unfortunately, family illness meant we left our boat at a friend's slip in Hilton Head and took a 2 week trip to Illinois.

Cruising the Keys Weekend at Boca Grand Key

2010-05-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, gave us the opportunity to try out our new asymetrical spinnaker as four boats from Boca Chica sailed west from the marina to the uninhabited key of Boca Grande, where we anchored for two nights suspended between two seas. On the one side was the Gulf of Mexico, on the other, the Atlantic Ocean. The water is shallow there. We snorkled where two wrecks wallowed on to sandbars in stormy weather. The first day, the snorkling was cut short as four teenagers who had been there also came flying out of the water and into their boat, shouting "Bullshark! Bullshark!" Our snorklers did the same and chose to walk on the beach of the island instead. We were anchored in sight of the Marquesas and could watch the light where divers are still retrieving treasure from the Spanish treasure ship Atocha. We entertained each other at night for dinner and mwt for more snorkling and a walk to the islands hidden lagoon in the morning. All followed by another evening of fellowship and a fast sail home.

The Annual Migration of The Snow Birds

2010-05-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

Each spring,a time arrives when our winter in Key West must end. We snowbirds move north, back to our other lives. Pete and Jane, who must cross the Gulf of Mexico and travel upstream against the currents of the Mississippi River to Minnesota, are always the first to leave. I have a special admiration for Jane, who despite being on oxygen and in a wheel chair chooses not to miss out on any of life. All week, friends have been drifting away, some by car, but more often by boat.

As they leave the pier, we gather to blow our conchs, the melancholy song of the snowbird. The boats slip through the mooring field and out into the channel, day by day, one by one, until all the snowbirds have left.

I am reminded of a day in Spain when I watched a festival in the park below our house. Everyone was in costume, music thrilled, sevillanas were danced, horses broke into sudden gallops through the crowds. At once, gunshots were fired, a signal for departure and all the happy people climbed into oxcarts, and horse drawn carriages, and decorated pick-up trucks with blaring Spanish music. They climbed two and three at a time onto magnificent, broad backed Andalusian horses and they all rode away and their music diminished behind them.

Leave-taking has such poignancy. We know that life will never be the same. We will never have this winter with its own particular combination of joy and friendship again. Whatever the future holds, this time has passed into memory and we cling to the moment until the boat rounds the corner, leaving our sight, and the last mournful note of the conch floats away with the breeze.

More Family

2010-05-01T14:24:00.001-07:00

Key West continues to mean family visitors. Rick's 85 year old uncle, cousin, and her children sailed with us in the Key West waters. Later we took them to a favorite dinner spot at Geiger Key

National Conch Blowing Championship

2010-04-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

One of the charms of Key West is the loopy life style where the focus is the simple joy of a good time. The Conch Blowing Championships are held here each year. For those who don't know, a conch is a large beautiful shell. When you cut off the tip, and blow through the hole, the sound can have the lovely purity of a french horn. When you put 8 or 10 together, the sound has all the characteristics of a traffic jam in a parking garage. This year's singles champion played actual music on his conch, and pulled off the incredible feat of blowing 2 conchs at once.

Our Boca Chica Marina residents, with as much enthusiasm as talent, formed a 12 person band, with an 11 woman dance team and performed our musical conch version of YMCA. We literally blew away the competition. To wild applause and audience participation, we pulled off an unprecedented 4th title...and spent the next 6 hours celebrating our victory.

Wreckers Cup Race #2

2010-03-03T07:39:00.001-08:00

Racing with the Big Boys: In February, we competed in the second Wrecker's race. Participants ranged from a 17 foot trimaran to schooners over 90 feet. We came in 5th in the category of boats over 40 feet. The day is great fun, more party than race. Our marina sent 6 of the 40 or so boats participating (and probably 40 marina residents as crew) , with at least 2 more retired military boats in the fleet. Our crew were Jan and Luke Sands, and their friends Bob and Gale Bert, long-time Beneteau racers, who taught us how to fly our borrowed red, yellow, blue, and white spinnaker.

Still Finding New Things To Do In Key West

2010-02-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

In February, Cynthia and Jimmy came to visit. We proved there are still new places to see in Key West....including visiting Fort Zachery Taylor and mugging for the camera at Hog's Breath Saloon.

We took our obligatory company sail. Right now, we are merely live-aboards and day sailors, but the day sails are fun. We put Cynthia in charge and she proved to have the right touch. Later, we had our last dinner together on the boat.

Mike and Debbie Leave Again

2010-02-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

This morning we bid farewell to Mike and Debbie. As with the departure of all long time residents, they were sent off with the same conch blowing that accompanies the farewell to the sun each day. But with a departure, the conch seems to take on a meloncholy tone that says, I wish I could go with you or we will miss you here in Boca Chica. Watching the boat sail a way makes you long for adventure in new places and diminishes our community by the departure of a member. But, Mike and Debbie's leave takings are unique here. They have left 17 times. Four times they returned within hours. Sometimes they returned in days. Once they went to Marathon, 45 miles to the north, and stayed for a month before returning, and one time, they made it all the way to the Bahamas. Time will tell.

Last week Terry and Cindy left...again. They left last year for South America, stopping overnight 70 miles away in the Dry Tortugas. Wild winds running counter to the Gulf Stream, snapped their boom as they left the Dry Tortugas. So they limped into a Florida port for repairs. While there, a massive storm battered their boat against the docks causing $60,000 in damage. This year they tried again, stopping once more in the Dry Tortugas. When they left, heavy winds crashed over the bow, slowing their progrss and soaking them, Terry fell ill, and they decided to return to Boca Chica to regroup. They left again Monday, and yesterday we received an e-mail from Mexico. They were victorious. They claimed that bands played, parades were held, and people applauded wildly as they sailed into Mexico at last!
Each departure is a small victory over stagnation that can too easily dull our lives, and each new port an even bigger one.

The Peters Visit Key West

2010-02-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

Our second set of visitors, Vern and Pauletta Peters came with restaurant reccomendations and after testing them out, we have added Michael's restaurant and Sarabeth's for breakfast to our must do in Key West list. There is way too much to do, so they have to come back to finish seeing Key West, but they left with an armload of T-shirts and a conch shell, which they promised to blow on their DC balcony.

We discovered a new way to have a great time in Key West...the annual "Wrecker's Cup". The race began as a simulation of the origins of Key West as a thriving community. Back in the 1800s, ships often ran aground on the unmarked Florida reefs. Salvage companies set up in Key West in great numbers, to rescue passengers and to salvage the cargos. Tall lookout towers were built and the call, "Ship ashore" rang out across the island sending slavage crews aboard schooners racing to claim the floundering ship as "theirs", oh, and to rescue passengers and crew. The Wrecker's Cup" still has a 1/2 dozen local schooners racing from the port of Key West to a part of the Reef, Sand Key, which is mostly basically under water. In addition to the schooner's about 30 other boats race. There are no rules, except the rule that you can't whine and there are no protests allowed. Boats heckle each other on the radio, etc. It's a fun day. So we raced the boat (which I swore we'd never do) with friends Vern and Pauletta and fellow sailors and friends Luke and Jan Sands. Perfect day with winds of 15 knots. The race was all down wind, which was a disappointment to Pauletta, so we treated her to a close hauled screaming upwind tack, all sails flying, on the way homee, and she loved it. At the end of the race, while dousing the code 0 sail, we even performed a rescue of our own, as Rick's beloved Mt Gay Rum, Chicago to Mackinac race hat blew overboard. We saved the day with that rescue.

2010-01-19T06:17:00.000-08:00

Our first guests for the season are daughter Erin and son-in-law Roy. We had a great time seeing Key West and watching the races, up close and personal. While looking for the upwind marker, we noticed boats bearing down on us from all sides. Seems we had found the course. Exciting view of the races. During their week, we visited several museums we had missed last year and revisited the sunsets at Mallory Square and the Half price Happy Hour at Alonzos.

No Name Harbor in Key Biscayne

2009-11-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

On our way back to Key West, we stop at Key Biscayne just south of Miami. This time around, we have time to walk to the lighthouse and explore the park. We only spend one night and then set sail straight for Key West, courtesy of an electrical mystery which causes our battery to fail to recharge normally despite wind generator, solar panels, and the efforts of the engine.

After an exhausting 20 hours, during which Rick had a smile pasted on his face and kept saying, "Hellava sail!", as I clutched the sides of the boat to keep from sliding off the seat, and we screamed down the Hawk Channel in the dark, close hauled, at 7.5 knots, we arrived at 8 am in Key West. Happy to be back!

10 Reasons Why We Love Fort Lauderdale

2009-11-09T04:33:00.000-08:00

10. It's a great full service place to wait out bad weather for a jump to the Bahamas or the Keys.
9. There are interesting museums here.
8. We were able to catch up with Cookie's brother Bill, Jill, and the La Points, who were on their own cruise.
7. They have mooring balls here for $30 a night at the city marina.
6. There are 6 washers and dryers and a TV lounge at the marina.
5. The beach is 2 blocks away.
4. There are cool restaurants within walking/dinghy distance.
3. They have a weekend trolley (free on Fridays) that goes to a shopping center with a grocery store, hardware store, and boating store.
2. We love the concept. There may be more canals and rivers here than in Venice and when the bells ring and the bridges raise, all the cars stop, because this is a town for BOATS.
And number 1. It's 82 degrees in November!

Rough Passage from ST. Augustine to Fort Lauderdale

2009-11-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

The weather was forecast to be winds of 10 to 15, with deteriorating conditions, but was already above 15 when we left the harbor. By dark we had gusts to 27 and were surrounded by a boiling sea where waves collided in every direstion, eventually settling for 4 to 6 feet waves that rocketed into us from the north. Imagine black night, running downwind with the jib all unfurled, the howl of the wind in the stays, the seethe and bubble of the passing waves, and the creak and groan of the wood interior as it responded to the stress of wave and wind. Could it get worse? Did I mention the pouring rain at midnight? or the Bahama bound cruise liner that was following a path directly behind us at 4 am, at the exact same time that a fishing trawler pulled up on our right about a mile away? On the radar, I watched as the cruise liner closed in, 6 miles, 5 miles, 4, 3. I could see the lights and the enormous bulk of her getting closer and closer! Finally, I turned to starboard, directly into the path of the fishing boat, preferring to take my chances with a boat twice my size rather than a 500 foot cruise ship! As soon as I turned toward the trawler, he sped up and passed us in 5 minutes. On Thursday, we fought through 6 to 8 foot waves and gusts to 30 as we pounded our way to Fort Lauderdale. We are happy to be snug in Fort Lauderdale now as conditions outside have worsened and the wind now howls at gusts up to 40 with 7 to 9 foot seas.

Charleston in October

2009-10-31T04:23:00.000-07:00

In Charleston, we anchored in the Ashley River for several days and then moved over to the city Megadock, which had all sorts of megaboats tied up. It looks as if the parade of boats going south has started early this year. While in Chaleston, we had a chance to catch up with friends Charlie and Jennifer Black. They are both talented artists and fellow residents of our tour in Spain.

We toured Charleston with Ryan and Sabrina who drove down from Raleigh to join us for a long weekend. Charleston has wonderful and historic houses and we took a carriage ride with Bill, the wild horse who took off at a trot every time we hit an intrersection. He must know somwthing about Charleston drivers. The Charleston Harbor gave us a chance to sail to Fort Sumter and put Ryan to work on the boat.

We also celebrated Sabrina's birthday at Rue de Jean in Charleston, where the lamb dinner was so good I had to be restrained from licking the plate!

We say farewell to Ryan and Sabrina and the next day to Charleston also.

The Intercoastal from Beaufort to Charleston

2009-10-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Beaufort Bridge opens on demand, except during rush hour. Since we wanted to hit Brickyard Point during high tide, we chose to leave at 6:45 am. Unfortunately, the sun doesn't come up until 7:30, so we found ourselves leaving the dock and going through the bridge in pitch black, with flashlights and navigation lights. Do you see the wool hat, heavy duty foul weather gear, gloves? The temperature was 41 degrees, with a brisk northeast wind. This is South Carolina in October. What's wrong with this picture?

We had oour first experience calling the coast guard when we discovered an empty skiff floating through the current: "Coast Guard this is sailing vessel Wind Dancer
reporting a 19 foot Carolina skiff floating unattended at green marker number 165. South Carolina registration is SC 3462BK; repeat South Carolina 3462BK. Do you copy? Over" "Roger that Wind Dancer. can you give us your position? Over" "Was there any fishing gear on board?" "That's a negative." We were so cool with our official boat talk.

At 2 o'clock, sorry, that's 1400, we arrived at Toms Point Creek and turned off the Edisto River into the tidal creek to anchor for the night. Lots of discussion as this is our first attempt at anchoring in current and tide. We wait anxiously for the tide to change, wondering if the anchor would hold. Gently, with scarcely noticeable movement, we float to face the opposite direction. So, we stop worryiong and enjoy the wildlife eating supper, just a few feet away and watch the sunset over the marsh.

Still in Beaufort

2009-10-18T07:11:00.001-07:00

During our stay in Beaufort, we spent time in Savannah with Gail, Kia, and their daughter, Michelle, and grandson, Colton.

Gail, Rick, and Cookie took an interesting historical walking tour of Beaufort in the rain.

Beaufort, South Carolina

2009-10-13T04:51:00.000-07:00

From Hilton Head to Beaufort, SC, a puffy breeze took us across the Port Royal Sound and up the Beaufort River. Gail Malott and Pam Minton came to Hilton Head for the 4 hour ride. Rick's caption for this picture is "How Many Women Does it Take to Steer a Boat?"

Being in Beaufort meant Cookie was able to celebrate her birthday with friends. Gail Malott baked a kahlua cake for the BIG 65.

The Journey

2009-10-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

For a woman, the destination is the thing, for a man, it is the journey. Rick complains that our blog is too little about water, and too much about land, so to accomodate him, here are pictures of our journey from Cape Canaveral to Hilton Head Island, SC, a distance of about 250 miles. Favorable winds, at last, with 20+ knots from the west. Rick wrested control from the autopilot to enjoy the thrill of the ride as we skimmed across the open ocean on invisable wings of wind. Ever curious dolphins chased us, looking up at us as we looked down at them. In the evening, heavy winds and a beautiful sunset with ragged clouds announced the qpproach of the front. The only negative, although we made it to the entrance of the channel to Port Royal Sound in just 36 hours, we arrived after dark and spent a second night at sea, sailing slowly back and forth all night with furled jib and reefed main, watching the glittering parade of freighters and barges float past us on the sea highway to Savannah.

UNDERWAY AGAIN....Fall Cruising 2009

2009-10-05T09:07:00.001-07:00

Boats are not like houses and cars. If you leave a boat with everything working just fine, and you come back to set sail, something has always broken. So Rick had to repair one airconditioner and fix the toilets...again. as we prepared to get underway this fall. The plan is to leave tomorrow for places north and places without the no see'ums that have flocked to our boat in the otherwise perfect Harbortown Marina here in Cape Canaveral.

Repairing the marine toilet, changing oil in the reversing gear, reweaving the dinghy davit pulleys, left and right. Such are the joys of boat ownership. But then all guys like projects. Right?

Dolphin Watching

2009-06-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

One of the great experiences of ocean sailing is dolphin watching. They aren't much, but these are my two best dolphin pictures. They followed us many times, swimming in our wake. The dolphin under our grill was a gray dolphin, but as we went further north along the Florida coast, we saw more and more Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, like the one swimming just underwater beside our boat. Unfortunately, the camera has to have a much quicker shutter speed to catch all the leaping and surfacing we witnessed. In addition to the dolphin shots, I have 47 pictures of water, taken moments after the dolphin went under. The most interesting dolphin event was in the harbor at St. Augustine where a small pod of dolphins fished for their dinner, throwing 12 to 18 inch fish into the air and catching them. Anyone out there know why they were doing that?

Jacksonville in a HEAT WAVE

2009-06-22T05:07:00.000-07:00

Jacksonville was memorable for the heat wave while we were there. The heat and humidity were opressive and put a damper on our memories. Their River walk was very nice and our stay at the Navy Base allowed some unique sights...a high school ROTC camp took place there as did Navy Patrol training. And, we did have beautiful sunsets in a quiet cove.

2009-06-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

St. Augustine is charming. We toured the fort, the oldest house, the beautiful museums and Flagler College, the old Spanish Quarter, the local lighthouse. The only glitch in the plans was that the early heat drove us to a marina, where we could have air conditioning on the boat. Still, we lucked out and had a slip with a gorgeous view of the marsh.

ST. Augustine was great fun as we had a chance to reconnect with Cookie's cousin Suzette and her family and our old friends from days in Madrid, Paul and Manila Clough.

Cape Canaveral

2009-06-22T04:39:00.000-07:00

One thing we discovered...our wireless coverage....the one where they stand in the swamp and say the internet can't hide from you....well, apparently the swamp was not in northeastern Florida. Our wireless was so poor, we couldn't interact with the blogger. SO here is the delayed version. We stayed in Cape Canaveral several days, touring all the space facilities. We got to touch a moon rock and see the current shuttle (at least the fuel tanks) ready to launch. One of the events was a speech by an astronaut Roger Crouch, very inspiring. He was not accepted into the astronaut program until age 56, despite getting a Phd in science and applying every year as pilot, mission specialist and payload specialist. They finally accepted him and he went into space twice. His message was never give up your dream. Our next adventure...the port of St. Augustine.

Fort Lauderdale to Cape Canaveral

2009-06-06T05:50:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed a week of intermittent rain and sunshine in Fort Lauderdale and managed to have our refridgerator /freezeer repaired once and for all...too much freon, even after having some taken out in Key West. So now our freezer stays happily at 18 degrees vs the 34 degrees previously. We had a marvelous sail to Lake Worth, 10-12 knot winds and a friendly gulf stream and anchored in a large anchorace with about 50 other boats just south of the harbor entrance. The following day, we motorsailed to Fort Pierce and found a tiny anchorage next to an intercoastal bridge where we tucked in for the night. Here is a picture of Rick, planning the next sail, just after sunset.

On June 5th, after dodging two large thunderstorms at sea by using our Sirious Weather system, radar, and the chart plotter, and manuevering cleverly across the seas, we were feeling pretty cocky. The rain shower in the picture was our only rain. It was actually very pretty. Each heavy drop causes a tiny splash that gives the whole ocean the appearance of endless blue water with dry ice floating just above its surface. We lost our cockiness shortly after. Just as we entered the Cape Canaveral channel, an intense thunderstorm erupted, a sudden shift and burst of wind, lighting and thunder everywhere and rain so intense our only option in a strange channel was to stay, almost motionless within sight of the one channel marker we could still see. Just as the rain eased and we could make out the dim shadow of the shoreline again, we received a radio message asking all vessels in the channel to contact the cruising ship "Monarch of the Sea" which was leaving the dock to sail through the channel.....we did make it past the ship and to safety, but the chief engineer (Rick) had to spend some time trouble shooting some of our electronics, which seemed to have reacted poorly to all the lightning discharges nearby.

Crusing to Fort Lauderdale

2009-05-28T06:19:00.000-07:00

A daylight cruise to Fort Lauderdale allows Don a last chance to captain the boat and Cookie to watch Miami slide by to the west. We arriveed in Fort LAuderdale in the early afternoon. We are staying at the city marina here for a week. Don leaves us here. We'll certainly miss him, especially when just Rick and I have to secure the boat alone!

The joys of autopilot.

2009-05-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

We arrive in daylight on May 26th at our goal, No Name Harbor, a tiny almost circular harbor in the middle of a state park on Key Biscayne. We anchor, take a quick swim, row the dinghy over to the retaurant on shore. Lots of heat and humidity have us sitting in the shade, reading books until it is cool enough to hike. Instead, of a hike, we spend our time preparing for a storm. The wind almost drives one boat onto the rocks, as the couple barely manage to pull anchor and move. All boaters batten down and sit in their cockpits in rain gear, waiting. We are ready for this baby. In a masterful anticlimax, the wind dies and after a few drops of rain, the clouds separate and drift away, just in time for lime marinated chicken and white wine.

Night Passage

2009-05-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

We left Marathon at 5 pm on May 25th for an overnight sail to Key Biscayne, south of Miami. Sunset was a round globe of fire disolving into a hazy horizon, followed closely by a sliver of a silver moon dipping out of sight. The cockpit is lit by the electronic glow of charts and radar images, blinking buoys marking the reef line the route to the east. A string of car lights and houses shine off the port bow. Faint traces of daylight reveal towering cumulus clouds. Jagged streaks of lightening cut from sky to earth to the westt, but overhead, a million, trillion stars. When you live in city lights, you forget the clarity and brilliance of a sequinned, starry sky. There is little wind. I hear the thrum of the engine and gurgle and splash as the boat rises and falls with the waves. The air is so soft and warm, you can feel it on your skin. Night sailing is a spiritual experience. You can connect with the universe at sea at night.

We dodged the first three storms, but the third one caught us at 2 am. A sudden howling wind rattles the stays. Vicious slashes of light and the crack of thunder. Heavy rain slams onto the boat. The flash of light reveals our isolation. When you are alone in the water in a storm , the 54 foot mast being the highest item around brings some anxiety to the situation. We were lucky to be on the edge and within the hour were back into the other world with a ceiling of shimmering stars.

2009-05-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

Our cruising begins with a short 40 mile sailk to Marathon, in the Florida Keys. Marathon has over 200 mooring balls in a secluded bay, all provided for a small fee by the city. We tie up to a mooring ball and dinghy over to a great doockside restsaurant for a shrimp rueban sandwich.

Here is a picture of Wind Dancer moorted at Marathon.

Leaving Key West

2009-05-28T05:22:00.000-07:00

Before leaving, we had dinner with crew Don Hutchins at Geiger Key, a great place so hard to find, you need local knowledge.

Leaving Key West, But We'll Return

2009-05-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

We have developed something the locals call KD or Key Disease. This is an infectious disease that causes the victum to want to stay in the Florida Keys. There is no known cure, so we are treating the symptoms by getting a permanent boat slip here, at least for the next year. We found there were too many places not yet visited and too much fun to be had here in paradise. (Also known as Key West) We are, however, leaving tomorrow for somewhere further north. The final destination is not known at this time, and we do have to be back in Dallas at the end of June, so we will have to leave the boat somewhere in northern Florida or possibly South Carolina for some time this summer. We'll travel at least as far as North Carolina in the early fall before returning to Key West for next winter in late November. This gives all of you who weren't able to visit this year a chance again next winter. This week, friend and fellow grandparent of our newest grandson, Don Hutchins flew down to sail with us from Key West to Fort Lauderdale. We had to do the grand tour and he has already signed up as a return guest next winter. Next stop Marathon Florida

Friday Nights at Boca Chica

2009-03-01T05:37:00.000-08:00

Every Friday night the marina bar and grill has a special dinner and live music. We walk up for Mongolian BBQ. Hank and Bridget, who have a boat 2 slips down, join us. Zack Seamiller is the entertainment. He's a skinny late 30 something who pretends all night that he has a three piece band backing him up. Rick and Hank, an ex-marine, exchange Viet-Nam era stories and Bridget, who is new to boating, tells me in her lilting southern accent about her difficulty with nautical terms. "Hank told me it's not my living room, it's a salon. 'No way,' I said, 'a salon is where I get my hair done.'" Zach sings Bruce Springstien and strikes dramatic poses. We chuckle appreciatively at his antics. By 6:30 the place is rocking, filled with old sailors and impossibly young jet pilots. We switch from single beers to pitchers and I am on my third glass of wine. We hoot and holler and applaud Zack. We applaud his imaginary band. A drunken old salt, with a walrus mustache and a Key West tan, dances across the floor carrying 3 beers and a plastic glass of rum and coke. We applaud him too. Zach is singing an original song called, "I'm not Jimmy Buffet, but I like to get drunk and screw." We are laughing at everything. Zach does a great Bob Dylan and Elvis, and a fair Santana. We switch to tequilla shots with lime and salt. Zach tells stories about growing up poor in the bayous of Pittsburgh, eating collard greens. We're howling at his jokes with our new best friends, Hank and Bridget. We shout and sing along to Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone." We check the time and it is only 8:45 and the room is spinning. We manage to hang in there until the bar closes at 10:00 and the music stops. The whole evening has been such fun that we make plans to listen to Zach again, the next day, at "Sloppy Joes", the bar Hemingway made famous in Key West. This is a picture of us at Sloppy Joes. Thank God no one had a camera at the Boca Chica bar and grill where we were 20 again last night.

What We Do When We Aren't Doing Anything

2009-02-25T07:51:00.001-08:00

Here is a typical day at the marina when we have absolutely nothing scheduled.

Cookie: watches the Navy Seals float down from the skies with their parachutes in the rosy dawn; watches the minnows, the reef fish, and baby barracudas as they sun themselves in the shallow water at the head of the pier; reads a book; checks email on the computer; watches the jets do fly bys and landings, writes in her journal, watches the white egrets stalk their prey with regal steps in the shallow waters; talks with friends in the laundry about cruising, watches a glorious, romantic sunset with a glass of wine.

Rick: pumps out the head; takes the tank covers off to see why it still says 1/4 full and be sure the $200 tank indicators and /or the pump is operating correctly; decides everything is fine, but maybe hosing out the tank while it is open is a good idea; checks batteries with expensive volt meter; writes down "need (expensive) AMP tester" on list of thingts to buy at West Marine; reorganizes cockpit lockers to correct list (tilt)to starboard; replaces everything because it was handier the other way; helps neighbor reposition his engine; talks with neighbors on the dock about how to solve boat problems; watches a glorious, romantic sunset with a glass of wine.

Kit and Tom Gunn Visit

2009-02-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

Our friends Kit and Tom came for a brief visit. We have our own "tour" now, which includes the "must sees" of Ernest Hemingway's House, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, and the magnificent sunsets at Mallory Square. With Kit and Tom, we once again we watched the street entertainers there. O.K. cat owners, tell the truth. Can you train your cat to do ANYTHING? Rick refuses to watch the cat show any more and excuses himself for a beer, but it is always a hit with our guests because of the cats and the crazy frenchman who shouts at the cats in accented french, throughout the show, "Hurry up. Take your time." Stay right there. Do what you want." The restaurants here are wonderful and we have tried a lot of them during the past 6 weeks, including this Cuban diner called Pepitos.

The Malott's Visit

2009-02-15T07:44:00.000-08:00

Cruising might seem like a solitary venture, and it can be, but it is also about people, the new friends you meet, the old friends who visit, and the friends that you reconnect with while cruising. Gail and Kia Malott visited from SC. While they were here, we enjoyed gorgeous sunsets, enrolled Gail in the conchestra, explored Key West, and sailed.

Joining us on a sail were Ray and Carol Houle. Ray is an old raquetball partner from Rick's Navy Days. They are also sailors, and we tried out our Code Zero sail for the first time.

Getting Culture

2009-02-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

We took time to visit several museums, including this one featuring Key West artists.

The Morphetts visit to Key West

2009-02-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

Our friends Steve and Carolyn Morphett, from Dallas, via Austrailia, visited at the end of January. We had a great time sailing, touring, and watching those incredible Key West Sunsets.

The Conchestra

2009-02-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

The marina has its own tropical tradition. Each night at dusk, groups gather at the end of the piers to "play the sun down". The air fills with a sound like a traffic jam in a parking garage, but they succeed in their mission. By golly, the sun goes down every night as they play.

An Elegy to an Anonymous Death

2009-02-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

Life and death continue, even in paradise. Four days after we arrived in Key West, the man at the head of our pier died, sitting in his cockpit, under the stars. I do not know his name, although we had several conversations and petted his two dogs each time we passed. He was a disabled vetran, living alone on his boat, with the dogs for company. The day he died, a crusty sailor from a nearby boat walked into the dense srubbery and cut branches and flowers to place on his boat. Someone hung an American flag from his bow to honor him. That night, a fellow sailor snuck aboard his boat to turn on his navigation lights. So all night long, the green and red lights on port and starboard stayed lit.... lights meant to guide him home.

2009-02-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

While Jim and Linda were here we sailed out to watch the NOOD sailing races during Race Week in Key West. Over 150 boats, including racers from Canada, Italy, Sweden, Great Britain, and Germany competing in 10 races over a 5 day period. Exciting to be in front row seats from our boat.

The Sound of Freedom

2009-01-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

We are staying in a military marina, a unique experience. We sit adjacent to a jet runway. Periodically during the day and night, the roar of jet engines fills the sky. The price of a cheap marina fee, I thought, until the man in the next boat looked at the sky and smiled, "THE SOUND OF FREEDOM," he said. Yes, indeed. It is. And that's what I think now each time a jet thunders past.

Key West Impressions

2009-01-28T17:50:00.001-08:00

Key West is charming and corny, quaint and oddball. Here is probably the largest collection of Victorian houses in the country. The architecture has an island flavor with pastels, shutters, and yards of lush, exotic plants. There are lots of bicycles here and a lot of old men with Ernest Hemingway beards. One passed us in a tired old 70's car with a gray parrot sitting on the back of the passenger's seat. The main street blooms with tourists walking past t-shirt shops, boat chandleries, key lime pie outlets, outdoor restaurants strung with fairie lights, and transvestite clubs where "ladies" lounge with artificial boobs and too much makeup. I saw a sign that said "Old Hippies Store" and I do believe this is where they have all gone. At sunset in Mallory Square, old men with iron gray hair walk tight ropes, train cats to leap through hoops, play music and juggle for the dollars that tourists throw into their hats.

2009-01-19T12:27:00.000-08:00

Cookie's brother Jim and wife Linda have joined us as our first visitors here in Key West.
We found Jimmy Buffets Margauritaville Cafe with no problem.

2009-01-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

Our 24 hour sail from Charlotte Harbor to Key West started out beautifully, 10 kt winds, a sunset at sea, grilled steak, baked potatoes, and ice cream for dessert. We lost our wind atnight and had to turn to the engine, but by 4am, we were back to 6-8 foot seas and 20 knot winds. Our arrival at Key West included a surprise wave through the stern that soaked us to our calves and taught us that we better close the hatches if the waves are that size! We arrived at the Navy Marina here. Great facility! We have a nice laundry and shower, a private beach, and a cool bar. What more do you need?

2009-01-19T12:14:00.000-08:00

Forty-eight hours later, we put into Clearwater, Florida and Tom left us fro frigid Michigan. Rick and Cookie sailed a 24 hour sail in calmer weather to Charlotte Harbor, Florida where we spent two days, one exploring Boca Grande tied up at a marina with showers and dinner out, and the other anchored off Useppe Island, while a cold front passed through. Rick wanted a picture in his merchant marine captain's bars.

2009-01-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

We, that is Rick, Cookie, and Tom Gunn, left Pensacola for the ultimate port of Key West JAnuary 7th. We learned several things on our second gulf crossing. One of them being that Cookie can indeed get seasick. The gulf lived up to its reputation with 6-8 foot waves at 4 second intervals. Tom and Cookie were soon wearing patches that proved to be a lifesaver. Here is a photo of Tom and Rick, looking salty.

2008-12-09T04:01:00.000-08:00

WindDancer was lproperly christened with her new name and launched with champagne.

In November, we traveled back to Pensacola and did a lot of work on the boat ourselves. Good friend Tom Gunn joined us and we are in the process of making a sailor out of him. In return, he promises to come with us on our first leg of the trip to Key West in January.

2008-12-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

From May through November we added a growing number of "must haves" to the boat including dodger, bimini, new electronics, radar, inverter, and bow thruster. Boat as Bottomless Pit has begun.

Wind Dancer in Preparation

2008-12-04T04:42:00.000-08:00

May 2008
We sailed our new boat from St. Petersburg, Florida to Pensacola via Caravelle , Appilachicola, and Port St. Jo to be fitted for cruising. Encountered along the way was our first overnight sail, wonderful courteous service at The Moorings in Caravelle, fabulous oysters and shrimp at Boss Oyster house in Appilachicola, our first under the bridge experience there also, first river passage to Port St. Jo, and first storm at sea with a rough finish into Pensacola Bay at 4 am with 8 foot following seas, fitful rain, and distant lightning...no bimini or dodger, That was yet to come.