In between Holidays with good weather

 So the initial holidays are past and for the most part everyone can look forward to the New Year having had all of the family together for celebrations. While we are located remotely we still manage to have a good time during the holiday season with many folks down here. We also have folks back in the States working with us to make things happen thus enabling our comfort and continued success.

 For example, Vic's DC http://www.vicsdc.com/ worked with me over a scratchy internet telephone and email connection when our starboard engine's alternator failed. In spite of the remote location and difficult connections we were able to diagnose a balky alternator on the starboard engine and facilitate repairs with a minimum of replacement parts. An alternator may sound like a simple item to swap out but when they are gear driven and almost 30 years old parts are difficult to come by and easy to damage when maintaining them.    

 Today I installed a new voltage regulator on to that alternator and it sprang back to life. This was a wonderful Christmas present as it means we can move the boat around with more confidence now since we don't have to worry about draining the battery on the starboard engine. While the load on this battery is light, the notion of not having a fall back alternator when running off shore in another country is intimidating. 

 As well, Village Marine converted our water maker to a higher powered 220 VAC unit free of charge (excepting my labor) and with new membranes installed it is producing water at a decent rate and good quality.

 So some of the mechanical issues that have plagued us have been resolved and the outlook for heading South to the Exumas in the Spring of 2011 is improving. Given some say oil will hit new highs again in 2012, it would seem our decision to retire at our earliest opportunity was a good decision. If it gets as high as it did in 2008 the boating industry is going to take yet another serious hit to its bottom line since no one will want to pay to play. Regardless of our ability to pay the notion of scarce oil will put a damper on anyone's travel plans and that scarcity has taken a toll over here already. There are a number of facilities that have not had fuel available for traveling boats let alone golf carts on their islands. People like to knock the development of electric cars, but if they can make them better I am sure sunny environments like the Bahamas will benefit from their efforts. 

  

 ANYWAY,

 Today we found ourselves here on a very pleasant day with light winds and calm water within the Seas of Abaco. A great day to get out in the dink. Having explored quite a bit of the area we decided that since the dink was running so well we should take a shot at Man O War Cay. The information I have indicates this Cay (pronounced key) has been named after the Man-O-War bird or Frigate. If you have more detail feel free to comment. Looking at this Cay along the main road at "The Narrows" we can clearly see the Atlantic side which is inside the reef, and the Sea of Abaco on the left. If you click on the right hand photo you will readily see the difference in sea state. Certainly we were not up for a ride on the Atlantic which has been stirred up quite a bit lately. In support of this we encounterred 1-2 foot swells and chop when traveling over the bars in between Elbow Cay and Man-O-War Cays. Even though these areas are inside the barrier reef, plenty of water was coming in beyond them to upset the ride. Otherwise we were able to maintain about 13 knots of speed in both directions. I should have brought the dive suit with me since we were traveling over prime conch grounds but having two in the freezer already is plenty and there is no need to waste it. 

 But I am ahead of myself.

 Last night we were down at the Sea Spray resort and Marina where a rather impromptu fund raiser occured. In what seems like a couple of weeks, a pleasant young woman named Lauren Chu organised The New Entry Band and Dan Baily with the Living Rhythm band along with Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to put on a great show that had what must have been 500 people hopping. While the Chili's are not my favorite band, without question Chad is a fantastic drummer who fills any void the other musicians might leave open. Watching him play one could easily see his head moving at least 5 to 6 times as fast as the beat of the music thus defining the tempo. 

 The fund raiser was for Every Child Counts here in the Abacos http://www.everychildcountsabaco.org/ and without question the bands did a fantastic job of bringing in the crowd AND entertaining it.  All of this was for a good cause and contributed towards making this one of the best concerts I have attended in recent memory. It took me back to some of the block parties I was lucky enough to attend in NYC. It was that kind of environment. Everyone was up close with the band and dancing within 10 feet of them. It seemed as though the band and the crowd all fed off of each other making for a lively experience.

 Very cool.

 It was fun to listen to the drum exchanges between the African bongo played by Dan and the minimal drum set that Chad was working to extremes.

 It was enough to keep me up past 10:30 last night. Wow. Good training for New Years Eve I suppose. No dis, it was indeed a great evening. 

  

 The GPS tracks of the trip in the dink have been updated, and I've uploaded some photos into the photobucket at the link provided in the blog body.

A walk on the beach

 While the weather here in the Abacos has been relatively stable things are happening in the Northern Atlantic, and those situations have been propagating their large swells all the way down here. Since the ocean swell was out of the North and East while at the same time the wind was out of the West it made for some scenic views from the shore line. The waves were rolling in and their tops were being ripped off by the wind. Generally speaking the ocean didn't look too bad at first, but a circumspect examination of the horizon indicated the water was high out there. Whenever the horizon appears close in, it's because the wave height is extreme.

 In evidence of this notion people taking their boats around Whale Cay were reporting swells between 5 and 8 feet. Certainly this is beyond our comfort zone but a good sail boat with the sheets up would be relatively stable in spite of the water. I've been out fishing in a 26 footer in that kind of water and it all depends on the boat. And this was the sentiment we heard along with the wave heights. The reports generally indicated it was doable but that caution should be exercised. 

 However our interests at this point were simple. All we were interested in was getting a little exercise via a walk on the beach.  It just so happened we wound up at "On Da Beach" which is a conveniently located spot on the Atlantic side of Elbow Cay. It's convenient because it is a decent walk South from Hope Town. Not too far mind you, but enough to justify having a beverage before the return trip. 

 After stopping in at On Da Beach, we walked down on to the beach and headed North towards Hope Town. Along the way back North we watched as a Heron (?) landed on the beach and froze in its tracks. As we approached it was content to sit tight and not move a muscle so we wondered if it was on the hunt. The closer we got the more apparant that became. Right in front of this little guy was a crab hole and he was not going to give in and retreat thus losing out on the prospect of a tastey morsel. He let me get within maybe 10 feet and didn't flinch. We didn't get to see him pounce but I'm betting there was enough persistence there to capture the quarry. Usually a relatively small bird will not let a person get to close so I felt lucky to get a shot yet not disturb the hunt.

  Moving on it seemed like things were laying down as the afternoon wore on which is a good thing for the folks looking to head South from Green Turtle etc.. But the forecast is against them. A quick check of Windfinder.com for Green Turtle indicates some significant wave heights for the next several days. Hopefully things work out for them with regard to their destinations and the holidays.

All conched out

 Today was one of those days we come to the Bahamas for. The sky was clear and blue, while the winds and water were calm. So let's go out for some conch we thought, and that we did. Upon departing Hope Town Harbour we were greeted with flat water all the way out to the reef that isolates the Sea of Abaco from the Atlantic. Today there was no need of insulation from the Atlantic as the Atlantic was calm as well. In fact boats coming around the Whale reported that the only rough water they encountered was from the wake of another boat.

 It didn't take us long to locate some conch that meets the harvest criteria. They were all over the place and given how calm the water was we didn't need the look bucket to spot them.  I was able to run  the dink at 16 knots and see them well enough to decide whether or not they were keepers. We passed up quite a few before settling in on a spot to jump in for the harvest.

 And that was an experience. I'm very happy I had the 3 mil suit on because it was not exactly warm water. Can you spell "Pucker"? But after a moment or two in the water I was more or less, ok less, acclimated to the temperature. Fortunately, in no time at all I had three keepers in the dink with Deb. I was glad I picked over where we wanted to stop as I was only in the water a few minutes at most. Perhaps the water temperature was an incentive to making quick work of the harvest.

 After collecting the conch we motored out towards the reef hoping to take in some underwater sights via the look bucket. Given we did not actually cross over the reef 'proper' we never got a look at the spectacular sights a reef provides, but we were able to spot several varieties of fish, no lobster antennas but plenty of fish. Perhaps next time. 

 After a pleasant ride back to Hope Town I unloaded the conch at the dock and pulled the animals out of the shells. At this point I gave them to Deb to skin since I had to run across the harbour to purchase fish from Down Deep Charters. I had a great excuse to skip out on skinning these crites. Down Deep was at the dock and had plenty of Grouper, Lobster and salads at a reasonable price. With this perfect excuse to bail out of skinning a slimy tough skinned crite I dumped and ran. The best part of this was knowing that I left the eye stalks on the animals so when Deb started to work on them the eyes were staring at her. 

 Anyway, we have conch for various recipes, as well as fresh grouper and lobster tails. And Deb will have nightmares due to the eye stalks staring at her. There isn't a cloud in the sky and the sun is going down on a very pleasant Bahamian day.
 The GPS data is up to date including the run in the dink.

She's still doing cart-wheels

 With a long awaited break in the weather we were able to get out onto the Sea of Abaco in the dink and get around. So we took a ride from Hope Town around to White Sound where we pulled in at the Abaco Inn for lunch. In the past we learned to expect a good lunch with a terrific view and we were not disappointed this year.

 The tuna appy and shrimp po-boy were both very good and thoroughly enjoyed. We enjoyed them almost as much as we enjoyed the view of the Atlantic with the people surfing and fishing in the calm seas. 

 On the way back about half way in between White Sound and Hope Town there is this statue of a girl doing cartwheels. It looks like she is still at it. I'm thinking this is some of the work out of Pete's Pub which is located down South a bit in Little Harbour.

Elbow Cay and not exactly Bust

 For a while we thought we were never going to arrive. But through determination and quite a bit of sweat in the form of exertion and concern, we have finally pulled into the Hope Town Marina. While the facility is undergoing an extreme make over, Aaron is terrific and doing everything he can to ensure we have a pleasant stay. Let's face it given the location he doesn't have to work too hard to enable that.

 The ride over from Guana Cay was a bit lumpy with maybe 1-2 feet of chop on the Sea of Abaco as we crossed the openings between the Cays along the way. And of course, we were greeted by a boat headed to Marsh that wanted to play chicken and refused to back off or steer a bit to indicate he was yielding right of way in spite of our being the stand on vessel. That's two years in a row someone off of Man O War has pulled this stunt. But given all the room out here, it's not such a big deal as much as it is a message to people coming to the Bahamas.

 Once beyond ManOWar the Sea of Abaco laid down and we pulled up to the slip in the marina for a month's stay. With the transom facing East we have great sunrises and the aft deck stays cooler in the afternoon. Even though this side of the harbour has no access by road, everything is very conveniently located across the harbour only short dink ride away. Usually several folks are aboard their boats out in the harbour making for a pleasant dink ride with social calls along the way.


A little video of Freedom on the move near Spanish Cay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woBj-ec7twc 

 The GPS data is up to date, and the photo bucket has several new photos including a view of the area around the light house.  

Around the Whale

 Ever since we arrived at the Bluff House on Green Turtle we have had an eye on the weather since we want to spend the holidays in Hope Town on Elbow Cay. Hope Town has a bit more happening than other places in the Outer Islands thus making for a better experience. Especially on New Years Eve.

 We did manage to get the dink in the water yesterday and head over to New Plymouth. The Sea of Abaco had laid down in the afternoon so this was an uneventful ride in the dink. From my point of view New Plymouth is looking better in and around the harbour. Perhaps everyone has been busy with paint as well as patching up here and there. It just seemed a bit brighter this year. Sadly groceries were a bit on the cher side compared to the other outer islands.

 Over the five days leading up to our departure from Green Turtle we spent (probably) a total of an hour a day checking and rechecking various sites to see how the weather models were progressing as time went on. Throughout our 5 night stay the preoccupation was "how will the Whale look tomorrow". We based our criteria for departure on light winds for a couple of days along with lower swells either locally generated by the wind or, distantly generated in the Atlantic. With the winds we had upon arrival it was a no brainer we were going to be on Green Turtle a bit. We needed to be patient and let things lay down. 

 We could have gone around yesterday in the morning and in fact several of the boats left White Sound either for Dont Rock or the Whale Channel out to the Atlantic. I gave a call out to some folks that were traveling around the Whale and they reported it was "do-able, not a bad ride" but the forecast indicated improving conditions on the Atlantic over night so we sat it out. The additional wait paid off and we were rewarded with mild swells once out side Whale Cay all the way to Loggerhead Channel. The only time things were remotely dicey was when we crossed over the bar at the North East end of Whale Cay.  Here we were greeted by 4 foot rollers at about a 3 second interval but thankfully the bar is narrow and we were through this in short order. Once out in the Atlantic we found ourselves in 2-3 with about a foot of chop on top. It was a following sea as well which made for a decent ride.

 Once around the Whale and into Loggerhead Channel the water settled down and I was able to engage the autopilot through Bakers Bay to Orchid Bay. This part of the ride was very comfortable because now the apprehension of being out in the Atlantic was over, and all we had in front of us were the submerged steel pole that were used to mark Loggerhead Channel for the cruise ships that never came. Originally Loggerhead was dug out for cruise ships. The idea was to provide a stop for them that encouraged the local economy. It's a shame it didn't work out, but in another sense perhaps that's a good thing. A review of what has happened in Freeport and Lucaya might give pause to this sort of development in the future.  

 Anyway, we're safe in the shallows of the bank again and that is comforting. The only down side is that we have yet again disturbed Ray. On the upside, our buddy the green heron is still seeking out transom lights in his quest for bait fish snacks. I went to get a photo of him but the new camera has a distance sensing light that is kind of bright in the dark and it scared him away.

 I've loaded up the GPS data and we'll put more photos in the bucket when we arrive in Hope Town.

Across the Little Bahama Bank - Sunrise to Sunset

 We left the dock on Saturday 12/4 just prior to the crack of dawn as the sky was lighting up. Heading out onto large water there is always a sense of apprehension but they were assuaged quickly. The Northwest Providence Channel was calm so once we cleared the shallow water I pushed the throttles to the stops and Freedom responded. We hopped up and we started making great time towards the Grand Lucaya Waterway. This was important since our total planned trip was about 94 nm and we had to maintain at least 10 knots to get to Spanish Cay before sunset. Having the calm water at the outset was certainly beneficial.

 It also helped us avoid all of the dive shop mooring balls and crab pot floats we encountered along the way. Having wasted no time out on the N.P. Channel we turned into the Waterway and pulled back on the throttles since the canal and its side canals have many houses with docks and boats exposed to our wake. But we did manage to keep a decent pace in the canal and after a couple of hours we could make out Dover Sound. However there was a work barge visible and we did not know if it was blocking the channel leading out of the water way. This channel is about 2 boat widths wide with little room for error. Fortunately the barge with crane were pushed up onto the shallows and well outside the channel.
 Since we had been waiting for high tide and weather (wind) to line up with our arrival we were pleased to see that we timed it well and we had plenty of water under us as we lined up in the channel leading from the water way. Just consider that plenty of water in this case means 4.5 feet under our depth sounder transducer, which only leaves a couple of feet under the keel, props and rudders.
 Once out on the sound we motored along at about 9 knots and to our surprise we picked up a little shove from tide that moved us along at about 10.5 knots or so it seems. This was great news for us and in spite of the wind out of the North and the developing chop we made great progress rounding Mangrove Cay on schedule.
 That was when I looked at the gauges again and saw the starboard alternator had stopped working. At this point we were about 1/2 way along and we both knew that turning back was not a good option since the tide was going out and that would take away all of the clearance we needed to get back into the water way. So on we went with Deb at the helm while I reviewed the schematics for Freedom's DC power. Luck was on our side since all of the important equipment was being supplied by the port side alternator. The starboard alternator and battery merely supplied the power for the starboard gauges, starter motor and generator starter. With the built in solenoid to jump the engines from each other we felt safe continuing since in addition we have to 8D AGMs to draw on if we need to start the generator.

 Once we turned to the ESE to track to the South of Great Sale Cay the wind started to clock around to the WNW and then from the West while the water laid down becoming calm. While progress is slow at 10 knots and you're all alone out there, with a change in weather coming during the evening, sometimes you get a pleasant surprise and ours was a playful dolphin that jumped along with us for a minute. By the time we had the camera ready it was gone.

 It wasn't long before Little Abaco came into view followed by The Center of the World Rock, which was our decision point. Once here we planned to review our progress and decide if we had time to travel to Green Turtle Cay. We don't travel at night and the time was tight. But our nav software told us we would arrive at sunset so we pushed down the throttles for a while and ran at 16 knots to provide a buffer in the schedule. As we turned into White Sound the sun was setting on a long day but a day of excellent progress in spite of the alternator calamity.

 Given the battery charged overnight and started the engine the next day we figure we are good to move on to Hope Town where we will reside for a few months. While Freedom is getting on in years I'm still glad we chose her since her engines are all mechanically injected and throttled. All we need to be able to do is start them. And hopefully that's what they will continue to do.

 But right now we're very glad to be at the Bluff House Marina on Green Turtle Cay. Running the extra distance paid some very large dividends because the wind kicked up considerably over night and it has made the Sea of Abaco quite choppy. This would have made a stay at Spanish Cay a bit more uncomfortable because the wind was out of the West and brisk. Here on Green Turtle we are much better protected and we don't have to worry about slogging it out in 1-2 feet of chop which is something a beautifully restored Bertram Moppie(?) appears right at home in.

 The GPS tracks have been updated but given the bandwidth here additional photos will have to wait but we'll get them into the bucket soon. I'll post a link to them then.

Small fry in a big fish pond

Here at the Grand Bahama Yacht club we've learned some humility. But only up to a point. The Affinity Yacht sporty off our bow facing starboard is quite a boat and it dwarfs Freedom.

They pulled in a day after us and proceeded to have all sorts of issues that included power and etc.. After flicking breakers on all the power towers (ours included) several times, my patience ran out and I let the owner hear it. At least I am not alone. The crew quit the day they arrived with some rather unflattering words.

After all of this, with several folks aboard working on the boat, the dockmaster knocks on the side of our boat hoping we have some duct tape to lend him. Yes, now he wants my duct tape also.

 Ok we let him have some.

 After this we took a ride in the dink to blow it out for the season. As it turns out we got about a mile away from the facility and the next round of Dan vs. Tohatsu was rung in. Sadly, there was no scantily clad woman nearby holding up the round number. Deb and I smelled some gas. I pulled the bonnet off the outboard and sure enough there was some gas leaking from the accelerator pump. Fortunately it only leaked at high rpm so we could safely putt back to the marina at a slow speed.

 Given our experiences with this outboard last year, this season we left with a complete rebuild kit in our bag of spares and I went to work on the carburetor yet again. This time I think it's really fixed but time will tell. For the first time in many years I have not seen gas weeping out of the accelerator pump bellows after a good run.

 As far as moving on goes, we are hoping the predictions for Saturday hold up so we can make a run for Spanish Cay. It's a long run of about 100 nm that we need to get done in a hurry because there is foul weather coming and we don't want to anchor out in it. Thus what we would do over two days normally will be done in a single day this time. There were some days we could have made the trip if the tide aligned with our departure of the North end of the Grand Lucayan Canal but with the tide running high late in the day we could not make the trip. The North end of the canal dumps out into a stretch of pilings that mark the most shallow water we have ever taken Freedom through. Tomorrow morning we should have high tide there, and that gives us a couple of feet of water under the running gear to spare so we'll plan to be there then.

A Big Move Today!

 Not.

 We moved from the Port Lucaya Marina over to the Grand Bahama Yacht Club. While the Port Lucaya Marina is right in the center of activity for the area, we get a better rate here so in the interest of saving some dollars we moved over. It was extremely convenient to stay there a couple of days to take care of fueling and checking in, but after that, moving over to Grand Bahama is a good deal. If you look at the GPS track I loaded you will see exactly where we are and it's a great spot. Bow in with a bit of a view off the aft deck where we can have dinner in privacy.

 By the way they have a fabulous swimming pool here, the WIFI seems a bit more stable, and we don't have all the arrogance of a Megayacht running its generator all the time to save dollars over the locally billed electricity rate.

 But we will miss the restaurants the locals hang out in at Port Lucaya while over there. Agave, was terrific place for a beverage and food. It was a Latin inspired fusion sort of place and the food was terrific. While we only had a couple of appetizers they were excellent. The calamari was tender and well spiced as was the shrimp bruscetta. Their margaritas were very good also and I recommend their Golden Cadillac. Since it was happy hour they were half price and well worth the expense.
 The real loss at hands of the economy at the Port of Lucaya was Jade. They did excellent sushi and rolls. Alas, they are also gone now another sign of the times.

 Anyway here we will remain until what looks like Sunday when the tide and winds align to allow us a good traversal of Dover Sound. The North end of the Grand Lucayan Waterway is not to be taken lightly. Anyone with expensive running gear (most boats) will want to ensure that if they pull 4 feet of water, they had better time their arrival for a rising tide or at least high tide. Given all of the work we invested in this past stay at Indiantown we are hesitant to risk it even having passed through that area at mid-tide.

 It isn't all that bad though. I've added some photos to the bucket outlining what happens here once in a while. It seems they had some photo work to do down here. Someone rented a boat and said if you want photos of this girl you will have to pay. Believe me, who ever sponsored this shoot paid. And big time. And they got ripped off. Up close she wasn't all that much to look at.

 Stay tuned, we'll be on the move again soon enough.

http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh40/danno53/Boating%202010-2011/

Gulf Stream crossing, you're doing it wrong.

 As part of the preparation for the Gulf Stream crossing we regularly checked the weather looking for a break that included low sea height projections from a few sources. While they might all use the same data or models, some have a person look it over and add the human spin to it. The forecast for Saturday November 27 was very good. All sources agreed that the waves would not be significant, the period of time in between the waves would gradually grow to about 10 seconds, and that there was only a 20 percent chance of showers. With that news we spent quite a bit of time the night before making sure we had everything locked down, stowed and accounted for. The ditch bag was loaded a bit more than usual, the PLB was secured as well as the dink, and bolt cutters were made available in case we had to drop the dink in a hurry.

 We planned our departure from the dock at the municipal marina by the 3rd avenue bridge for about 6:00 AM. This would put as at the inlet after the arrival of the cruise ships in Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale, Fl). This information is available on the web at http://www.porteverglades.net/cruising/arriving-and-departing/ on one of their radio buttons. They were all supposed to be docked by 6:00 AM. However our arrival at the inlet was greeted by the Carnival Miracle. Out in front was the Homeland Security inspired escort. Note the boats out in front of us are just off the shore of the inlet considering when it will be safe to sneak past the transom and get to the serious business of fishing. Everyone is obliged by law to keep about 100 yards off of these ships. We waited with them and after about 10 minutes of idling we all left the inlet.

 Getting outside we were greeted by an accurate forecast. It was even better than we had hoped. The water was calm and we were making about 9 knots on our course made good for West End. We were surprised that there were not many folks out fishing, perhaps they were home sweating off the holiday. But they were out there and we could hear reports of some good luck on VHF 68. 

 Eventually we hit the Gulf Stream and the water color shifted to an appealing blue. Our speed over the ground picked up as the stream current swept us North towards West End. We were now making 11 knots over the ground. Life is good we thought since this meant we would be arriving earlier than we planned, something like 1:15 PM.

 But we started seeing some ominous clouds. After checking WxWorx radar we noted that some of them had some very active centers. There were cells that had the peak color for reflectivity. Knowing people that were in Lucaya last March when the Tornadoes hit we were concerned and steered North for a while to avoid them. This put us on a course away from West End and everything else including what appeared to be all of the storm cells. We watched this for a while hoping that the cells would dissipate since many had already. But that was not to be as eventually we saw the first of many water spouts. Fortunately it was about 12 miles off the bow (click on the photo it will be easier to see). This got our attention in a hurry since no one wants to get hit by one of these things and the clouds started to line up behind us on a course to West End. That is to say, they were going to line the course we needed to follow to our destination. Because we had tried to go North for a while (see the GPS track) we now had a line of storm cells developing behind us and to the South West as well as a line going to West End. We were boxed out of West End and Florida was looking like where we should go. This is happening in the middle of the Gulf Stream. Better than half way across.

 By this time I had tuned the radar to spot the water spouts and it was doing a good job of letting us know where they were forming. We continued North hoping the cells would dissipate but in a while one started forming right over us. I asked Deb to look up and behind us but there was nothing there. Thinking this was an anomaly I continued on with a wary eye on the radar. Then the blob on the screen started growing, and that was when I said to myself, later for this, and pulled a donut in the Gulf Stream. This is quite visible on the track as well. What I did was swing around and look for a break in the clouds. Once at the break we cut under them and got on the East side of the freight train.

 Sure enough not long after we left that area a spout dropped down making us glad we left that spot but wondering what else was in store for us. And there was more. The show started to intensify and spouts started dropping in a line to the North of us, following the cloud line. We were now only 6 miles off of the line and some of the spouts were quite threatening. We were clearly able to see the water spray up at their bases and how they changed color when they touched down. We supposed they got darker with all of the water they ingested.

 With the cat and mouse game in full play we tried steering a course that put us towards Grand Bahama in between West End and Lucaya. Every now and then things started to improve and we were actually within 10 miles of West End. We kept poking towards West End until the "BOW Echo" came on the radar screen. Those are associated with severe Tornadic activity. This put us on course to Lucaya with all possible speed of about 17.5 knots in a beam sea of about 2-4 and a period of about 4 seconds.

 Farque'

 And by the way, to our "pleasant" surprise another squall line developed to the South of us moving North and this was headed for Lucaya. Fortunately this only indicated rain and gusty winds, with no bright echos within it. Freedom had the salt washed off her before we tied up at the dock.

 We pulled into the Port Lucaya Marina, and to our advantage they fueled us up while we filled out all of the required immigration and customs forms. Happily they granted us the full 6 months as opposed to the 3 months others were seeing at other stations. Filling out the marina guest information and turning that in was all that was left of a long day. Instead of something like 73 nautical miles on the water, or 86 nm to Lucaya directly, we wound up putting in 100 nm screwing around in the Gulf Stream. It's not all bad, because in spite of all of the heavy handed throttling, we still wound up with 1nm/gallon. Even though we like almost 2, 1nm/gal under the circumstances was well received. 

 In retrospect, I'm wishing I had taken some more photos of the spouts. Even some video. But we were too occupied with where we were, where we were going, the water, the gauges, the radar, the plotter, and WxWorx to relax enough. The first one we saw was cool. It was 12 miles away, and we thought it was a loner. Wow, were we wrong. When the large one showed up 5 miles off our port side with all of the spray at the base, we were more interested in making tracks instead of watching it. 

 So here we are, and we are safe thank you, pondering what the next batch of forecast data has in store for us. We still have to make our way around the North side of the Bank to the Abacos. Given all of the issues launching the boat and waiting on weather it looks like we will skip over Guana Cay until March so we can be on Elbow for the holidays.

   

No it's not broken down.

 I've loaded a video of a tow on Facebook: Tow in progress Sorry this is on Facebook but I didn't want to upload it twice. Next time I'll load to Youtube.



 These photos ought to provide enough insight regarding navigation on the New River. Here we see a generic Mega Yacht being towed up the New River. When they pass by us they are quite close at perhaps 10 yards or so. And they are moving right along with a tow on the bow and one on the stern. Note the stern tow is facing away and being pulled backwards. 

 When traveling up the river everyone is obliged to be listening on VHF Channel 9, since the tow operators will announce their position and what they are up to. It's good to know about these movements because it is very narrow on the New River in many sections. And that is why the mega yachts have tows to get them up and down the river.  

 But it doesn't have to be a mega yacht to fill up the New River in a hurry. There's always the African, oops, Jungle Queen going up and down the river with tours. Last year we had the distinct pleasure of meeting up with this boat at the weary hour of 5 AM. We were departing for the Bahamas early in the morning so we could make Lucaya before sunset. Just as I managed to leave the other side and get Freedom swung perpendicular to the current, here comes the Queen (no saving graces were said or heard) around this corner. It stopped maybe 10 yards off our port side and then started to dart back and forth as though he was in a hurry to keep going. But the bridge wasn't open so we danced a bit with the Queen until she decided I needed some room to finish the turn and get out of her way.

 And that we did

Up the New River

 We wanted to economize a bit so we moved up the New River to the Ft. Lauderdale Municiple Marina which occupies quite a bit of the river front from downstream of the 3rd Avenue bridge to upstream beyond the Andrews Avenue bridge. If you look at the webcam you will see our transom faces the third avenue bridge.
 Looking at the GPS track one can see there is a confused path up between the bridges. We reserved in advance and were assigned spot #31. The attendant told us it was between the bridges. When we arrived we went between the bridges which required the 3rd avenue bridge to open. This bridge gets a huge amount of river traffic requiring openings. Anyway once inbetween the bridges with the 3rd avenue bridge closing we spoke with the marina and the spot was on the down stream side.
 Being in current in a tight area with traffic is not exactly a relaxing situation. Especially since an 80 footer had to squeeze by us while I was on the phone with the marina. Learning where we were supposed to be, I asked the bridge to open again and since timing is everything, we had the tide running and a string of emergency vehicles that had to cross the bridge before it could re-open.  

 Swell.

 Once downstream of the bridge again we find that someone is in the spot we were assigned. Talking on the phone with the marina once more we worked out another spot just down stream of the bridge and turned around once more. In the middle of our turning around the bridge opens and sure enough the Jungle Queen is coming at us blowing her whistle to let us know down stream vessels have the right of way. Like I didn't know it. I managed to get Freedom swung around and on the wall just as the Jungle Queen floated by.

 We've had better boating experiences. At least the marital issues that can creep into special times like this didn't invade the situation.

 But we're in and tied up and safe. A whopping 3.6 nm on the GPS today. I'll update this entry with a couple of photos including a shot of the Jungle Queen to add some perspective to the story. Perhaps sometime I'll have a wifi hotspot that allows folks to point the webcam and look at video. Adding to the fun on the day the generator refused to put water over the side so I'll be in the bilge trying to square that away. It's a good thing we always check for water when starting engines, the generator or the airconditioning. Especially in this case since it is a water cooled exhaust. It sounded louder than usual to me and the proof was no water going over the side.

Ft. Lauderdale on the ICW and the wait for a crossing begins

 Yesterday we moved the boat down to Ft. Lauderdale from North Palm Beach with the hope of getting into a geography that supports a more comfortable Gulf Stream crossing. Last year we learned that the wave heights taper off since more of the coast of Florida is sheltered by the Bahama bank. In other words, more of the Gulf Stream is protected by the bank the more South we move the boat.

 We were wishing we moved the boat down on Monday to capitalize on the Wednesday through Thursday weather window but there is no need to rush and this way we have a better handle on the boat and what it needs. As we settle into a rhythm and develop more confidence we have the boat issues resolved the peace of mind goes up supporting confidence in the Gulf Stream crossing. Looking out at the stream over the palm trees one has to wonder why we sat here in Ft. Lauderdale.

 So did we miss a window or avoid a train wreck?  Both. We could have crossed over today and made Bimini easily. We probably could have made Lucaya or West End as well. But considering the outlook towards the end of the day and a forecast that was shifting in a negative direction we elected to sit here in Ft. Lauderdale until the next window. Given the notion that the word "probably" entered the scenario, we bailed out. Over the last couple of years we have had weather windows slam down on us and the last thing we need is to have one come down on us when we are in the Gulf Stream. So we'll hope for a window that offers us a cushion of fair weather after our planned crossing. It's always better to leave some room in the itinerary for unexpected events.

 This is not a bad thing because we can focus on more preparations while we enjoy the sites and sounds of Ft. Lauderdale. There are much worse places to be stuck waiting for weather to improve. The area offers many places to dine, as well as a long clean beach to walk. Early in the morning there aren't so many folks on the walks but this is a far cry from the emptiness of the Bahamas and the peace that brings. No honking horns, or crowds to deal with. Since the Gulf Stream doesn't look as though it's going to settle down for a while we will be moving up the New River and closer to shops of necessity instead of curio shops.

Getting her ready and the trip to Lake Worth

 I know.

 It's been a while since I wrote about our progress. We've finally had some break throughs enabling Freedom to move on. It seems like we were in and out of the water 4 times before the shafts were finally straight enough to run with. Each lift is no small task and very stressful. To put it into perspective, think about someone coming along with a crane and lifting up your house every few days. Anyway after letting Freedom rest in the water subsequent to the last launching the dial indicator told us there was virtually zero run out at a point about 1 foot from the hull exit point. Finally, no drunken drive shafts wobbling through the hull.

 I have to hand it to the folks here at Indiantown.

 They took a loss for the sake of dignity at the expense of the shop that was working on our prop shafts. We are very happy with the folks here.

 So we took her out and ran her up. The Detroits screemed like 426 CID two stroke diesels do, and we plowed along at about 19 knots. It's not fast but that's good speed considering Freedom weighs in at 20 tons, we have plenty of the stores aboard, and a full load of fuel. I was surprised she wound up that fast. But in keeping with our luck up to that point the port engine sprang a fuel leak. Since this was a trial run for the work we had done the mechanics were aboard. After we turned around he ran up to let me know there was antifreeze everywhere on the port engine.

 Insert expletive. "Farque" works for me.

 I asked where the leak was and he said the aft most part on the inside of the engine. I said that isn't antifreeze and he said it was. He asked if we used the pink antifreeze and I said yes, but there is no way there is AF coming out of the engine there. So I went to the bilge and sure enough it was diesel. It's pink like antifreeze but easily differentiated from AF. Before leaving the helm to Deb I had throttled back so by this point the leak subsided. He indicated it was a cooler, and subsequently I pulled it out and had a look because it was soaked with diesel. It was NTF proven by a pressure test that was not required IMHO. My next guess turned out to be the correct assessment of where the fuel was coming from. It was a fuel pressure activated switch that turns on the engine hour meters and other trivia. Once replaced the leak was resolved and subsequently verified by throttling up Freedom at the dock in neutral. 

 With a sigh of relief since this was only 35 bucks and sweat equity to resolve we kicked back for the Saturday evening marina sponsored BBQ. It's a great time where the marina kicks in a main course and everyone in attendance brings a side and their own beverages. Lately everyone needs to relax because many of us here have been slogging through some major repairs. After eating, a married couple brought up their guitar and organ from their boat and began to play. They have done this for several weeks here and they are pleasant folk fun to listen to and be around.  

 But we heard yet another rendition of "Hotel California" that they like to play for the crowd at the marina. After hearing some of the repair stories people were going through we began to associate their singing of "Hotel California" with the plight of many of the boaters here. You know the lyrics "you can check out but you can never leave?". Many people were waiting on new engines, insurance claims and other issues. Every time they played that song it started to ring home adding to the incentive to move on.

 In spite of the dull drums this maintenance has driven home we were in Stuart on Saturday to visit West Marine on US 1. It happens to be relatively close to the airport where they happened to have an air show running this past weekend. It wasn't a very large show but it managed to draw an Airforce contingency that included an F-16, an F-18 , various transports, and private stunt planes as well as crowds. We pulled into the parking lot at West Marine and to our surprise we had a great viewing of an F-18 pulling slow passes, full after burner ballistic shots, and 85 degree banked atmosphere shredding passes that went right overhead. We could clearly see the air condensing over the wings as it passed about 300 feet overhead totally banked pulling "G"s. I saluted the pilot and I could clearly see the helmet that's how close it was to us.

 It scared the heck out of Debbie it was that loud but wow, was that cool. I wish I had the camera. Dang.

 And today we moved on. Finally. Freedom behaved within expectations and brought us to Lake Worth and the North Palm Beach Marina. Along the way we were met by two exceptional AH's. One plowed along right at us and refused to back down. It was a good rocking. Then there was the bimbo driving her boat right at us with her leg hanging over the side. Yes, she was alone in the boat. If she fell in, it was going to get ugly. Given we know several people that have fallen out of a running boat left unattended, she had us concerned. We're unsure what her agenda is but some might think she was advertising.

 I've created a new link off of the blog to the latest GPS data called "The 2010-2011 Voyage". It will contain the Google Earth compatible tracks so the trip can be reviewed. Depending on how you set up the tour play options it can be interesting. Particularly when reviewed from a higher altitude so you can see the properties that are along the ICW.

 Some people know how to live. We do ok, but some people REALLY know how to live.

 The first photo is Jupiter inlet. It looks placid enough but they are saying the Gulf Stream is still running high seas and it starts about 4 miles off shore lately.

I think I'd rather see dolphins next to Freedom

 Today we had Freedom hauled yet again. So far this commissioning has to be the worst we've ever experienced. Freedom has been lifted and re blocked in the work area, lifted and launched, hauled and blocked and launched, hauled inspected and launched, hauled and blocked and launched, and we anticipate this will happen one more time tomorrow.
 See something missing in the photo? In between all of the hauling, blocking, and launching etc., both sets of running gear found their way to a propeller shop. Today we removed some of this reworked hardware and brought it back in so the owner of the propeller shop could review the work.

 It did not go well. He was certain we would find the shaft was true, but much to his dismay that was not the case. I was able to observe some of the measurements. As they approached the problem area the dial indicator moved quite a bit and I looked at the owner, the team leader for the marina, and said, I think we are out of here now. That was as if to say we know where the issue is, the shaft is still bent.

 Not too much time went by before I heard the owner screaming at the employee. Right about that time I told the marina's team leader it was time for us to leave. Since Freedom had been re floated with a stub shaft installed we had a place to run to. If you click on the photo of Freedom you will see the bright spot at the back end of the intermediate strut. That's the end of the stub shaft we are using to keep Freedom afloat while the real shaft is repaired.

 While we were moving about taking care of the re floating details left unattended to while we went to the shop, a bit of company swam up to the side of Freedom.

 Ali was in town. Real stealthy. Not even a ripple in the water when it moved. Real peaceful looking as it slithered by. Unless you were looking for it it probably would have gone by with us thinking it was a log in the water.

 Hopefully we keep floating.

Another turn of the wheel.....

 All of the Kings Men have fallen on their faces. After pulling shafts, props, and couplings for all of the running gear, reworking it, and then reinstalling it, the same problem exists. I didn't even need to sea trial the boat to spot it and flag it again.

 So Monday we get hauled again and they go to work. If we are lucky someone will find out what is happening here.

 With that, I'm going in. LATER!

Back on the hard...

 As we reviewed the situation yesterday, we said out loud, "this is really gonna suck". Anyway it is what it is and Freedom is back up on the hard. We're not sure what the cause of the issue is, but it's better to get it resolved before we leave this marina and travel on risking more damage. Misaligned or bend shafts can lead to other failures that raise the cost of "poker".

 So what happened?

 At idle in gear tied down at the dock the port side propellor shaft was visably oscillating. One could look at the shaft seal and see it wooble quite a bit even at low speed. Good thing I checked it before we left.

 We're not sure yet but we suspect one of two things happened on the port side. The flange attached to the propellor shaft that mates the shaft with the transmission is warped or, the shaft is bent. I installed new shaft seals prior to the launch. That entailed separating the transmission and propellor shaft flanges, removing the flanges from the shafts, installing new seals, and then reattaching everything. The port side flange was a bear to remove from the propellor shaft. Quite a bit of pressure on the "gear puller" was required before it popped loose. That could have warped 1/2 inch steel. Tough to imagine I could do that with a few bolts while using a pattern of tightening to distribute the load but it's certainly possible. 

 Part of the process of reinstalling all of this was to hand lap the shafts into the flanges again. They are a self locking tapered fit with a key. While this was a chore considering the flange weighs about 15 pounds it all looked good. I should have stuck a dial indicator on it though. We all believe this was not the source of the issue. The pros removing everything this time have no explanation.

 So the running gear went to a shop for examination with all sorts of high tech gear and lathes. While all of this is happening we are dumping the GFO packing and Buck Algonquin spud type seals for Tide Marine dripless seals. Even though we were only idling at the dock in gear I could not get the temperature of the packing fittings on the shaft below a very hot to the touch temperature. Perhaps with two coils instead of three we'd get the temperature down but all recommendations were for three. Even with a large gap between the ends allowing for expansion on the starbord side, they both ran hot at a very loose setting of the spud.
 Fortunately we have great people around us here at Indiantown Marina. I can't say enough about them.

Life on the road and at Indiantown

 We left NY for Florida last Wednesday setting aside three days of driving at 8 hours per day. Traffic was good and on every day we made great time down I95 towards Florida. There was only one major delay where a bridge was being raised to allow taller traffic on I95. Several of the bridges passing over I95 have been raised already but as fate would have it while traversing North Carolina they had both Southbound lanes closed at one of the older I95 crossings. All traffic had to exit I95 then cross an intersection and then get back on I95. It sounds simple but the traffic had to squeeze down to a single lane. We were lucky we left early in the day so we were only backed up in traffic about a mile deep when it caught us. 

 Arriving in Savannah, we had a great Sushi dinner out with Michele where we combined efforts to consume 6 rolls. Great food at Miyabi in Savannah.  

 We were lucky we left NY when we did because that got us to Indiantown in the early afternoon on Friday. If we arrived on Saturday we would have lost the ability to work on Freedom for two days because they don't run the travelift on weekends and the boat was not in the work yard. After driving 8 hours, we unloaded the car hoisting everything up about 10 feet onto Freedom, and then we helped move the boat and reconnect it to some power. A long day. 

 The boat made it through the Summer very well. Having a dehumidifier running aboard with an over side drain kept the insides dry. This kept just about everything free of mildew. But grinding off all of the scale on the rudders, trim tabs and propeller shafts was a 2.5 day chore with 40 grit sand paper on a 5 inch random orbital sander. It was like trying to sand concrete. This photo of the aft most strut displays the level of encrustation that was common to all of hardware under the waterline. At first blush it doesn't look dense enough to be a problem and that's what we thought. We know much better now. There has to be a better way that works for the EPA. Anyway the shafts are cleaned up and can slide through the cutlass bearings easily and that facilitates removal and installation of shaft seals which let go and started leaking water into the bilge back in the Spring. When they quit working we were traveling to the Berry Islands across the Northwest Providence channel (big, deep water) from Lucaya. While the Eastern opening of this passage is mostly protected from the open Atlantic, it can still get ugly out there. But we waited quite while for calm weather and it paid dividends plus. The water was very calm for that crossing.

 With four full days of work done we still have two more and if we keep at it Freedom will be in the water Friday! But we still have install new shaft seals, lap the shafts into the flanges, connect the shafts to the transmissions and repack the rudders before we wash and wax the hull. By hand of course. I have to work off all of the conch fritters I consumed last season in the Bahamas somehow.

 Once in the water we are thinking it will be another week afloat before we start moving again. With all of the work going into Freedom we want to make sure she hasn't sprung a leak or two. And there are all of the electronics to reconnect and check out also.    

Tropical "storm" Nicole and getting ready

 Nicole came up our way and left quite a bit of rain in the hills to the Northwest of Kingston. Given some of the roads up around the Rondout Reservoir and Askokan offer good scenery we opted to go for a ride.

  The roads of particular interest were Route 42 and 55A. The later was open for all we wanted and so was Route 46 leading to 42. But 42 was closed somewhere along the way so we could not traverse the entire length. We did go up the road from each end, and while traveling from one side to the other we were able to locate many waterfalls that were in full force. As you can see the leaves have not started to change much yet so perhaps we'll need another ride so we get to see them before heading South.

 Parts are coming in all the time and we have a mountain in the basement that has to fit into the car. By the way, I am hoping our new webcam will behave well when we are hooked up to hotspots that play well with it. As it turns out some hotspots don't allow people to sign into the cam so merely looking at the photo will have to do. I'll update the blog with the link to the camera when it's stabilized as much as it can.

Battleship Cove

 Looking for anything boating related we can occupy ourselves with these days without Freedom we happened upon the opportunity to get out to Fall River Massachusetts where Battleship Cove has been set up. Here everyone can find a collection of warships that is open to the public at a reasonable price.

 In this shot I am standing within the bridge of Big Mamie, the USS Massachusetts. There are several restoration efforts under way and one of them is the bridge. This view is so clear because at this time there are no forward windows in the bridge. Most of the bridge related equipment has been removed as well.

 Even though Big Mamie is not one of our largest battleships, being a member of the South-Dakota class at 680 feet and 35,000 tons, it's immense. Everyone is free to walk around the boat and visit all of the decks. We spent quite a bit of time aboard and managed to get lost a couple of times. There are many passage ways that wind around the lower levels of the turrets, and they do extend down into the boat many levels.
 Nothing is held back and people may also review the engine rooms if they want to. There are safety shields in places and the catwalks are open so it's easy to get the full perspective.

 We toured all of the other warships in the cove and the USS Lionfish stood out as my personal favorite. It's a Balao-class submarine and if you want to know how cramped things can get in a submarine this is the place to learn. It won't take long to develop a special respect for submariners. Last year aboard the USS New Jersey at Camden I was informed by crew that I was "too tall for battleship duty". Having banged around aboard the Lionfish I'm thinking I'm not fit for submariner duty either.

Included in the list of exhibits are helicopters, airplanes, armament, beautiful examples of accurately restored PT boats complete with engines and drive gear, and even a Russian built missile corvette. With so much to look at make sure you have sneakers as opposed to brand new sandals that carve into your feet. Note to self, don't do that again.  

 Outside Battleship Cove, we were happy to have a long overdue dinner out with our boating buddies from the Bahamas and spend some additional quality time aboard their yacht. Another plus came our way since they gave us a tour of the locale aboard their dink, even making it around Bassetts Island in spite of the chop coming in from Buzzard's Bay. All in all it was a great weekend to be out and about in spite of the looming danger presented by Hurricane Earl. Fortunately Earl turned out to be an excuse to have a hurricane drill. Certainly it was a chore for those that had their boats hauled but I'm thinking it's cheap insurance to make the effort and be ready. 

 Earl barely lived up to a Winter weekend in the Abacos and hopefully that trend continues with the Hurricane season leaving everyone without any more damage that it has already caused.

 Added a link to the bucket folder for 2010 through 2011.