Palm Coast to St. Augustine

Today we planned a short hop up to St. Augustine and Camachee Cove Marina. Talk about a facility that has it's act together. Courtesy cars, dock hands with dinks that will take you around this expansive place, and a free glass with their logo when you dock here. Fuel isn't overly expensive either!

So we brought the boat further north. There were a couple of shallow spots but nothing of genuine concern. That set in when we went under the Bridge of Lyons which is under construction. There is a temporary bridge next to the original and if you elect to pass under the bridges when the channel is closed for construction you are on your own. So we did that since it would be a genuine pain to wait for the opening in the evening. Besides there have been numerous reports that the span east of the construction offered good depth and adequate clearance. What the reports did NOT indicate was the narrowness of the clearance due to the arch and the proximity of the casons to each other.

So we sweat a bit and passed without incident. Why was it challenging? There were a few knots of current coming at us since the tide was running from the St. A. inlet at the time. Anyone who has watched me dock knows that Freedom has a very slow wheel that requires quite a bit of input to get any results. But we made it fine.

Once tied up at Camachee the oil was changed and the samples were sent out for analysis.

Time to chill out!!

Up to New Smyrna Beach

We stopped here in New Smyrna after 62nm for the day. It was a chore since we were out for Deb's B-Day last night. Anyway, things went really well. We passed the Cape and using binnoculars we could see the next two shuttles cued up on the pads. Too bad we are not going to see them lift off.

All along the way the bozo's were back off and on, and now sitting here at the New Smyrna Beach Marina they are feeding on fish right off the stern of Freedom.

What we have here that is a bit different is Pelican Island. It's loaded with them.

Tomorrow we're off to Palm Coast.

GPS data has been updated but it's pretty much the same as the southbound track except for the turn into the marina.

A long over due update

So here we are back in the states. We had to sit it out at West End for a while because we don't have the luck of a following sea with a 17 foot Mako. Heck anyone can handle 5-7 following right Bob? LMAO!
Anyway we finally got a break where the GS was forecast to lay down to 2-4 and we grabbed it. Since the wind was clocking around from the west to east I expected to have the washing machine effect and my expectations were realized. The wind was never out of any quadrant for a prolonged period of time and the swells did not have a chance to settle into a predictable direction. Leaving West End we had the 2-4 on the mild side of the forecast, and it was off the port bow. Nothing serious but we were all wondering what was up with that since the wind was out of the west prior. We expected it off the stbd side. Anyway on we all went, probably 7 or 8 boats all left together. When we hit "the stream" things shuffled around and we picked up the waves from the east as well as the residual swell from the north. In essences, someone put us into the wash cycle again. No detergent, just all the action. We had 4-6 off the stbd side, and 2-3 off the stern. It made for an interesting ride.
This lasted about 3 hours. People in other boats told us after the fact that they were looking out from their lower stations at the waves. We, having only an upper station were forced to feel the rolling affect amplified by the elevation off the surface. It's a good thing for Bonine since in spite of this Deb was not a happy camper. Given the water, I had to hold mine until we were in 1-2 off the coast of Florida before I could leave the helm. AHHHHHHHH.....
Once settled in the folks at Customs worked with us and we cleared. All great people here, and fun to work with. They even reminded me not to forget Deb's birthday.
For the last two days we have been cruising north. Along the way we have stopped and looked at the local areas and done a little site seeing.
And we also have the dolphins chasing us again. Those bozos are great. You'd swear they were smiling at you when they jumped and slapped the surface upon landing.

Note Mom, is pushing the little one along. They both had quite a bit of fun out there. Every now and then mom would pop the little one and flip it over upside down.

Updated the GPS data, but it pretty much overlays the trip south. Ya think? It's a narrow channel down here folks...

Back in the USA!

We cleared customs and are back on the US mainland. It feels good to be back. Just about 5 months in the Bahamas and it literally flew by. So now we'll work our way back up the coast stopping here and there to get things done on Freedom before we haul her out and give her a break!

Freaking UnFreaking Real

Ok, here is the forecast for today. It kept us and many others on the dock;

AMZ650-670-230400- COASTAL WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM- 220 PM EDT WED APR 22 2009

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING REST OF TODAY NORTH WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET NEAR SHORE

AND UP TO 5 TO 7 FEET IN THE GULF STREAM.

Someone named Bob came across the Gulf Stream in the boat you see. Something like "who's yer daddy" was heard.

Still Hangin' at West End

Up to this morning the reports being issued by NOAA indicated that the Gulf Stream was going to be 2 feet or less. People have been arriving at Old Bahama Bay, the marina we are at, with anticipation of getting back to the States today. So we are going to be here a while longer.

Ya think?

From the NOAA Web Site:

Small Craft Advisory UPDATE TO ADD THUNDERSTORMS ATLANTIC WATERS



AMZ600-GMZ606-211430-
SYNOPSIS FOR JUPITER INLET TO OCEAN REEF FL OUT TO 60 NM AND FOR EAST
CAPE SABLE TO BONITA BEACH FL OUT TO 60 NM-
540 AM EDT TUE APR 21 2009


.SYNOPSIS...
WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING WITH HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY AND MOVING INTO THE
ATLANTIC THURSDAY.

$$
.GULF STREAM HAZARDS...SEAS TO 7 FEET TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY
WEDNESDAY.

THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THE WEST WALL OF THE GULF STREAM AS OF
APR 20, 2009 AT 1200 UTC...

6 NAUTICAL MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF FOWEY ROCKS.
12 NAUTICAL MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF PORT EVERGLADES.
7 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF LAKE WORTH.
5 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHEAST OF JUPITER INLET.

THIS DATA COURTESY OF THE NAVAL OCEANOGRAPHIC OFFICE.

$$

UPDATE TO ADD THUNDERSTORMS ATLANTIC WATERS



AMZ650-670-211430-
COASTAL WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM
20 NM TO 60 NM-
540 AM EDT TUE APR 21 2009

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

REST OF TODAY
SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS BECOMING WEST 5 TO
10 KNOTS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET SUBSIDING TO 2 FEET OR LESS. INTRACOASTAL
WATERS A LIGHT CHOP. SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT
WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS BECOMING NORTHWEST. NEAR
SHORE...SEAS 2 FEET OR LESS BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FEET. IN THE GULF
STREAM...SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FEET. INTRACOASTAL
WATERS A LIGHT CHOP.

We're over at West End safe

We're across the Bahama Bank after stopping for an overnight anchorage at Great Sale. All is well. We are wishing we ignored the forecast for Tuesday so we could have been in Florida today but that's the way it goes. If we had taken the chance we might very well have been pounded by the severe thunderstorms that hit Green Turtle and Guana Tuesday night. Since Sale is north of the big islands and the storms track over them as we learned later, we would have been ok (we think).
In any event coming around the North side of Abaco on Wednesday the water was calm and we had a very smooth ride. As we approached Sale Cay we were able to get a relatively close look at the blue hole just South of the Cay since we took the Southern route around Sale this time. It didn't seem all that large but there was quite a bit of color associated with it since the water was decidedly royal blue and it was surrounded by what appeared to be shallow water with rocks and coral. A good reason to stay clear of it.
When we anchored we threw out a Bahamian moor since we knew the wind was going to clock around. During the process of dropping the anchors I had the added treat of the windlass relay seizing on retrieve. When the breaker was turned on it started to haul the anchor in. Fortunately this was quickly resolved by opening the relay cover and separating the parts that tack welded themselves together.
We turned on the transom lights at night and we were able to attract a decent sized school of shoal/bait fish but nothing exceptional. All of the hot dog pieces I threw into the water did nothing to attract anything of size.
When the sun went down we could see all of the storms forming over Grand Bahama and Abaco again. All night long we heard the booms south of us and knew that they were getting the much needed rain. There was talk about the cisterns running dry on Green Turtle.
In the morning hauling up the second anchor was no sweat since we wound up with that anchor just off the port side. It all came up quite conveniently no windlass required. So we ate breakfast and then hauled up the second anchor with the repaired windlass and off we went. Today we had about 2 feet on the beam that subsided as the day went on.
Pulling in to Old Bahama Bay we were pleasantly surprised to fill up Freedom at 2.80 a gallon, be welcomed by 2 for 1 happy hour and complimentary conch fritters.
However, when coming back from happy hour we saw soot on the stbd side of the transom. Something is not happy but there are no other indications. We were loafing it at 9 knots both days so getting back to the states is going to be handy for the sake of engine work should we need it.
The weather looks like it is going down hill for a crossing. At this point if we are lucky we are thinking Sunday. But that is a large maybe.

Another new boating friend

Here's a photo of our new friend. We met her out on Crab Cay. We were just finishing up our lunch when Deb saw her out of the corner of her eye. She was at the far end of the beach. We're betting she got a whiff of our lunch and decided to try for some.

Porky slowly made her way up the beach and came right up to us. We suspect that she was probably dropped off here to fend for herself. We'd heard that this was a popular practice on Big Major's Spot down in the Exumas. Perhaps it is catching on up here in the Abacos. People drop off the pigs and let the tourists feed them. When they are good and fat they come back and take them away. This particular pig was furry, so we thought maybe this was actually a wild boar.

That being the case, we left for another Cay in case "Hubby" was around.

Manjack Key via Dink

Today was probably the farthest we have gone with the dink on the sea of abaco. The wind was light and the sun was out so we went for it. We left Green Turtle Cay (Bluff House) and shot out towards Manjack Cay. Note locals call this Nunjack.
When we got out there the tide was low. It was so low that even with the dink we could not get out between Crab and Nunjack Cays towards the ocean. We were stuck in the weeds a couple of times. It was fun to watch a couple with their children slog through it to get to the deeper water. They offered to haul us through since all we had were flip flops and they had sneakers but I told them not to worry about it. Heck, let them and their kids walk on some beaches no one else has been on in a while right? So we backed out and dinked along to the south side of Crab Cay where there is a great beach. We pulled up and ate our lunch and were relaxing when all of a sudden Deb says hey, somethings coming towards us! There was a sense of urgency in her voice. Looking over I see what caught her eye and realise yes, it's a pig! No banjo music, just a pig.
So we entertained this a while after jumping into the dink and moving out into a little deeper water. Yes, I oink'd at it and it responded by coming closer. I think it was a female. Maybe that had something to do with it? That doesn't say much does it?
So from here we moved on to Fiddle Cay where we beached the dink again and chased a ray around on the sand bar. There was a swing hanging from a tree that overhung the water but my butt was too heavy for it so we left it alone for the kids.
Since time had passed we decided to go back around Crab Cay and head for the area which opened up to the Atlantic. A couple of hours had passed and the tide came in so we were able to make it out to the opening we originally tried for. There were plenty of young Baracuda and several Nurse sharks. Perhaps a young hammerhead as well. Trigger fish and starfish were all over the place as were the rays. It was fun to walk along the beach and have the nurse sharks coming right at us. All we had to do was hold still and watch.
We actually made it in between the two cays all the way out to the Atlantic but we decided to leave the dink just inside the inlet. It was quite small and lined with jagged rocks the likes of which can tear into an inflatable dink easily. But that was not the worst of it. Once outside if one wanted to beach a dink one had to dodge all of this sharp rocky shorline for a couple of yards of sand.
Being several miles away from anything of substance we elected to leave the dink inside the inlet and walk around a ways.
It was then getting late in the afternoon so we beat it back to Green Turtle in time for the Parrots to give us the evening fly over with all of their sqauking. While they sound rather abrasive, it was still refreshing to the ear none the less.
I've updated the GPS track data but with the slow internet response we are paying 80 bucks for 2 weeks, I have no photos yet. But they'll get there.

Extreme Dinking to NoName Cay

I guess they ran out of names. There are so many Cays (pronounced Key) down here that this time they drew a blank. It's actually an interesting stop since there are a few picnic tables set up here and there.

Rumor has it that Santa visits this small beach also.

Anyway it's a few miles in the dink out to the Cay so we shot out there while the weather was good and hoped for the best on the way back since the forcast was for improving weather. We did some shelling whenever we could but given we were in the lee of the island there wasn't much to be found. Except conch shells. They were everywhere. I suspect that the locals find them out in the shallows and bring them to the picnic grounds for a snack. All of the shells we saw had the hole up towards the small end indicating someone harvested the snail and threw the shell over the side for it to wash up on the beach.

But we saw a good sized Trigger Fish, and some more rays. Not the spotted ones, but the McUgly guys with the barbs.

All in all a smooth ride and it was great to hit some beaches that are off the beaten path. The only sad part of this is that there is plenty of debris from boats, or garbage scows, that washes up on the shore. Pretty sad given the environment here.

I've uploaded the GPS tracks for the day.

Around the Whale at Green Turtle Cay / Bluff House

We made it around the Whale and through the inlet today. The worst of this trip was the Sea of Abaco heading out to the Whale. It was 2-3 square on the beam. Originally the forcast was for 4-7 outside the Whale on the ocean. The wind was supposed to be out of the South East which would have meant for the higher seas. As it turned out the wind clocked around much more quickly than anticipated and wound up out of the South West thus beating down the ocean to about a foot of chop. It stayed like this once on the ocean and layed down once we were back inside. All in all an uneventfull (we like it that way) ride.
We are stern to White Sound here, so we have a great view as long as no other boats pull in. I'll fire up the cam for a bit later on.
We're tired from all the shuffling and it's hot and sticky down here. Nothing a safe arrival cocktail and a dip on the pool won't cure.