Settling into the Elbow

 We've been on Elbow Cay a little over three weeks now and we're getting acclimated to life on the boat again. It's about time we were getting used to the boating life given we've been aboard Freedom for 6 weeks.
 Initially the temperature was warm and the wind light. Without a functional generator we were concerned about our supplies since the inverter's bank of batteries is finite. We rarely let the inverter drain them for more than 12 hours before we give them a complete recharge. At 1200 dollars for a set of batteries we like to go easy on them. If another storm caused an extended power outage we were going to be in a difficult position that depended on one of the alternators associated with the engines. While they have decent output at 90 amps, running up the engine to charge the batteries would certainly make enemies in the harbour. So after removing the bad parts from the generator we knew what we needed and ordered them from Don Hillman Power Systems in Fort Lauderdale.
 I have to admit they were very good at locating the parts and getting them out to us in very short order. Normally marine parts are not subject to import duties so we were surprised to see a couple of hundred dollars tacked on to the package by Fedex! As it turned out the documentation we shipped over via email was somehow removed from the package thus there was no proof that I purchased it, and that it was bound for a boat. That meant I had to pay the duty or the parts would go back to the States. After some emails and phone calls, Don Hillman Power stepped up and reimbursed us for the duty charges while they work out the issue with Fedex. With all of the parts installed and the system flushed out, new antifreeze poured in, the genny fired up and ran a good load for an hour so it seems that situation has been resolved.
 That resolution put our minds at ease and we moved on to important things like beach combing, hooking up with the gang over here again, refinishing teak, and generally speaking, chilling out.
 As a matter of beach combing we have walked the entire East Coast of Elbow Cay and while there is a noticeable change in the dunes, most of the houses were not damaged by Hurricane Sandy. However the bulldozer is back pushing sand back into place for the second year in a row. Some houses seem to be particularly prone to beach erosion due to their location with respect to reef structures or the lack there of. However workers are busy getting things back into shape and it won't be long before it's difficult to tell Sandy was in town.

 Houses located a little off the beach dunes were much better off as usual. Curly Tail's place remains unscathed offering him the luxury of basking in the sun outside the front door while others are sweating out repairs, improvements or accelerated maintenance. I thought we had the life but then we saw this place and wondered what his career was that left him so well off. Beer on the upper deck, two cars, a plane and a boat in the yard as well. Life's good. The lizard has been here at least 5 years that I know of and I have to admit he keeps this place well. That is, in spite of all the storms the place still looks great.

 But enough of the affects Sandy had on the Cay, it was our good fortune to get a day of calm winds leading to flat water on the Sea of Abaco and that can only mean one thing. Get out in the dink. With that we took off in Madonna and went around the West side of Lubbers to one of Deb's favorite shelling beaches. It wasn't long before we found a number of interesting shells to add to our collection. Moving on from Lubbers we headed South West until we arrived at Snake Cay inlet. This spot generally offers some excellent views of spotted rays but today there were none around. It could have been the run about that shot into the inlet before us but I am thinking the tide was dead low and they left for deeper waters. Since the view lacked the usual water life we left and went back North and stopped in at Lubbers Landing on the East side of Lubbers Cay.
 Here we split a fish burger and had a beverage while enjoying the excellent view of Tiloo Cut.Once lunch was finished we finished up our day on the water with the ride back to Hope Town.

The Trip to Hope Town

 As to how this trip stands up against those past, generally speaking we had an excellent ride weather wise. We chose to move the boat with the weather and ignore some maintenance until we arrived in our slip at the Hope Town Inn and Marina. This meant a quick departure from North Fort Myers on 10/16 when we saw a Gulf Stream crossing opportunity approaching on the upcoming weekend. We hustled out and made our way across Lake Okeechobee only to discover a raw water pump failed on the port engine. This was a God send because it forced us to skip the opportunity to cross the Gulf Stream in very favorable conditions. While the crossing would have been very calm, staying in the Bahamas during a hurricane like Sandy leaves a little to be desired.
 Fortunately, we did not have to wait long for another opportunity to cross the Gulf Stream  and the folks at Sunset Bay were their usually great hosts allowing us to take advantage of the monthly dockage rate. In spite of being stuck there for hurricane Sandy and being stuck on the boat for an extended time, it all worked out very well. With the wind blowing 30 to 40 knots we were constantly being blown off the dock which stretched the lines and prevented us from keeping the stairs installed. Since I have long legs I could get onto the dock and bicycle for supplies but Deb was stuck aboard rocking around 24/7 for at least three days. Cabin fever was evident and constant. The lines had to be tweaked regularly and chafe guards had to be re-installed as well.
 But we caught another great weather window on  11/3 and left Sunset Bay for the North Palm Beach marina where we spent the night in anticipation of leaving for West End early the next day. We had been kicking around whether or not to leave on Monday or Tuesday but once again the threat of bad weather closing the window left us no option but to pick Sunday as the departure day and so it was. Out on the water early we had the sun right into our faces and it was warm. We were glad when the sun rose enough to be blocked by the hard top over the helm. Initially as we looked out at the horizon we saw calm water and continued on. Instead of the 1-2 feet of waves at 12 seconds which would have been very calm we had 2 feet at about 4-6 seconds, on the beam, and we rolled. Not terribly but enough to make walking around aboard Freedom challenging.
 However once we were in the Gulf Stream several miles off shore, things settled down and the ride was comfortable. Moving around on Freedom became much easier so the monotony of sitting in one spot for 8 hours was not required. In fact, I was able to leave the helm for a break once in a while. When the water is rough Dan has to stay put since the Admiralty does not enjoy driving the boat in those conditions.
 Arriving at West End we fueled up and cleared customs. I have to admit customs at West End seems to be one of the better experiences. Even on a Sunday. No extra "charges" were incurred and we were in our slip at a 25% discount thanks to our membership in the Royal Marsh Harbour Yacht Club. http://www.rmhyc.com/ If you boat in the Abacos joining up is a very good idea. Plenty of good folks and activities at Boat Harbour. We didn't walk around Old Bahama Bay much because we intended to stay one night and take advantage of the good weather to cross Little Bahama Bank to the East Side. Having stayed at Spanish Cay in the past that was our plan but calling ahead we learned they were still recovering from Sandy and could not offer good services at that time. Hopefully they have resolved the weeds in the water issue and their restaurant has re-opened. Not being able to stop at Spanish increased the length of our days travel to 100 nautical miles.

 Even though we left with the dawn our arrival at Green Turtle was projected to be after sunset and that turned out to be the case. If the weather had been foul our option to continue on would have been less appealing and perhaps have us staying at Great Sale or Crab Cay for the evening. But it was indeed very calm. The water was cloudy which made the long day stretch out a bit but since it was so calm and overcast it turned out to be an easy passage. The sky was so overcast and hazy that at times we could not discern the horizon and this made for an amusing moment. Of in the distance I saw and airplane coming at us and thought we were going to get buzzed yet again. What this was in reality was a boat coming at us. A smack on the back of my head brought me back from the doldrums of driving the boat all day in flat water.
 And if that didn't happen the alarm that started blaring would have done it anyway. We have an alarm on the boat that sounds for various reasons like oil pressure, high water, etc.. It can also be enabled to sound if the generator fails and we lose A.C. voltage. That happened and I quickly turned the helm over to Deb and went down into the salon area which was air conditioned. Not really wanting to open up the hatch that is over the space between the engines, I did anyway and a thick cloud of burnt rubber smelling smoke wafted up into our living room.
 Swell. That could mean fire.
 There was none and that was a very good thing because we were only half way to Green Turtle a little beyond Great Sale Cay. Seeing no fire or other immediate danger, I cracked the generator enclosure and found that the belt driving the antifreeze pump had parted company with the pulleys and was laying in pieces on the floor of the enclosure. So I shut the water inlet for the generator down, opened the windows and aired out the boat to get it habitable again. And we continued on with our stand by power inverter driving the freezer and ice maker. This change in our abilities forced the notion we were going to continue to Green Turtle upon us. Seeing boats wrecked by Sandy along the way we were not exactly encouraged.
 When we finally arrived at Green Turtle Cay the sun had set and our plotters had us going directly towards the inlet. Feeling unsure of the passage since reports indicated missing markers, we moved on and to our pleasant surprise the first two makers into White Sound were lit! Deb had our search light on the remaining markers and we made our way up to the Green Turtle Club docks where we spent the night yet again receiving a very good discount but this one came as a surprise to us. As it turned out they gave us a stout break because they were still recovering from Sandy and their restaurant was also closed.
 The next morning we took our time leaving the club which survived Sandy really well. They were busy putting in some new floors, drying out office supplies and memorabilia. Upon arriving at the Whale Cay channel we found water calmer than any we have ever experienced there and that was a relief. So our weather window was cooperative and we made it to the Hope Town Inn and Marina without any more issues, well almost. We filled up Freedom and the cost of fuel was 5.72 or so. At 120 gallons it adds up fast.
 In light of that last issue we decided, it's only money and went to lunch at the Hope Town Inn and Marina where Deb enjoyed the red conch chowder, and I had a blackened Mahi Rolly Polly. With a couple of cold ones, life was good!    

And it's time once again

 Normally we would leave the North East or more specifically the Kingston N.Y. area at this time of year and head South to Freedom which was stored on the hard somewhere in Florida. Since we sold the condo back last October and we were homeless over the Winter, and living on the boat over most of the Summer, we had no fall colors to fill our eyes this year. Oh well. Freedom stayed in the water except for a brief haul for bottom paint and other maintenance. Given all of these changes this view of the Caloosahatchee River during a regatta will have to suffice. This is a sunrise view as opposed to the usual sunset photos from the condo in Port Ewen we have provided in the past. But I like it. Instead of the sun going down in the Fall signifying the end of a day, what we have here is a good deal of energy heading out onto the river on sailboats at the beginning of a day.

 Mind you, this first photo is not an all encompassing view. In fact, it doesn't even cover a quarter of the boats that were on their way out onto the river. Maybe this second photo lends a little insight, but in my opinion, you had to be there to take it in. This was a wave of small sailboats all heading out at once. It makes me wonder what the shoreline activities were like because the number of boats leaving from the same location was very high. But it all looks like it went off very well. The winds were predictable and steady leading to what looked like an easy sail away from shore and onto the river.
 So instead of driving South with a carload of supplies for Winter, what we did have was the business of locating a new condo as well as the associated activities. We had to have the POD shipped South and unpack it. Then we flew North and rented a truck so we could drive the remaining furnishings stored by relatives in NYS back South. By the way this was a slightly better than "break even" task economically speaking.  If we had to do it again, we probably would have left it all behind with relatives and back filled it down here in Florida.
 With all of that behind us, we pulled out of the marina with Freedom loaded to the over the side thruhull fittings. There wasn't any room left aboard for supplies. I have to admit the chore of loading Freedom went much more easily this year because of the boat's proximity to the home. New batteries for the inverter went in with the help of my brother. Jon, I cannot thank you enough! Only 157 pounds each going into a very bad location in the bilge. Additionally various groceries and a freezer full also found their way aboard before we left for the East coast of Florida. As the time to leave approached we saw a window to get to the Abacos that was wide and calm. It was just what we were looking for to make the journey. We had shipments coming in and decided to leave them behind hoping our new neighbors would forward them along for us.The opportunity to get to the Abacos in three days of easy travel does not come frequently. Besides we wanted to scope out the Alligators on the canal across Florida. Even the large ones were shy this year and we were lucky to see a few swimming away from us as we approached them as slowly as we could.
 As it turned out, Freedom spit out a raw water cooling pump going across the Lake. It wasn't a very serious failure and thankfully it happened in fresh water. We were able to run on both engines all the way to Stuart where we stayed at the Sunset Bay Marina. A very accommodating place where Sam the dockmaster makes life easy and everyone looks to help. But that is our impression of living in Florida vs. the North East in general. It seems people are more pleasant down here because they don't have to deal with Winter. Anyway, the water pump set us back a day and we still could have crossed to the Bahamas that Saturday. However, with a new subscription to Chris Parker's weather service we learned that a low was going to develop and move through the Bahamas. His forecast was spot on, and convinced us that we should stay put since we lost the 3rd day of the window we needed to get to Hope Town.
 We all know how that turned out. Hurricane Sandy formed. It hammered the Abacos and moved on to wreak havoc in the North East United States. What a mess. It's difficult to comes to terms with the devastation this storm caused in the marine industry let alone housing. But then, they all had to know they were close to the shore and rolling the dice. Look out, yet again, a Nor' Easter is forming and this could be #2 in the 1-2 series. We certainly hope not!
 Stalling for a week due to a water pump was the best thing that could have happened to us. Eventually another window opened up, and we moved the boat to North Palm Beach, sat there a nite, and then early in the morning we moved to West End the Bahamas.
 It seems they fared well over here as far as Sandy goes. There is damage, but Old Bahama Bay is open for business and grateful to get any our sour economy is willing to deliver.

 
 

Some new paint and a new home

 Freedom made it through the stay on the hard well and went back into the water with some over due maintenance completed as well as the new coat of bottom paint. None of the maintenance we had performed was all that serious but it needed doing and adds a certain amount of comfort to our stay aboard.
 While Freedom took a break, we were staying at a hotel in Fort Myers Beach that offered us a great view of the Gulf of Mexico, and a pool but little else. So that gave us the incentive to look at all the property we could since we had decided the area we were in was where we wanted to settle in the foreseeable future. After all, Fort Myers Beach is really quite a pleasant stop but doesn't offer that much as far as good dining goes. It's somewhere between the Bahamas and the Jersey shore. Perhaps that offers too much leeway to consider but it's the best I can offer at this time.
 Eventually we settled on a condo in North Fort Myers. The area is on the outskirts of Fort Myers, and in a decent neighborhood. Yes, there are better areas nearby like Naples but the expense in that area is extreme so we avoided it. Cape Coral offered some really affordable housing, and we probably could have gotten one with a dock for Freedom. But Cape Coral has been beaten up by storms and all in all, it was a bit too residential for us. As far as Naples goes one realtor expressed it by saying "she'd rather be a pauper in Naples than live anywhere else". Having experienced the outlying areas of Naples that were affordable it was obvious we'd rather be a mulatto in Fort Myers in a nice place than a pauper in Naples. One thing we did learn about Florida was that for the most part no matter where you go within the areas we found interesting, you will have some sort of association fee regardless of owning a home or a condo. In our minds, the fees for some of the condos, were more in line with our expectations than many of the houses. Eventually we located a facility that had a very good blend of services at a reasonable price that was very competitive with a house. In fact it offered more for the money. 
 Once that decision was made, all sorts of other activity was initiated. The POD had to be shipped South and to the association. Arrangements had to be made to pick up the rest of our furnishings that had been scattered about various locations with relatives.

 When we finished packing the POD back last October, it was fully packed and everything was either in a box on a shelf that was strapped in with wide nylon tie downs, or it was wedged in with cushions and covers to prevent it from shifting. We actually planned the layout using a scale model of the POD and scale sized puzzle pieces. It was fun to have company experiment with the puzzle. All of that payed off well and virtually nothing was marred or otherwise damaged during the shipping and storage of the POD. I think perhaps one piece had a mar that looks like it will "buff out" but we haven't gotten to that yet. I will say that the 1/2 inch foam pipe insulation offered in Hope Depot can be folded up to make very effective cushions. Just put some tape around it to hold it in a flat configuration. Other helpful padding included cheap throw pillows from SAMs Club.
    So the POD eventually made it here and having Freedom to live on at the foot of the condo is a blessing. We could unload and unpack the POD and still have a very convenient place to crash after a hard days work in the heat. I easily lost almost 10 pounds moving everything around. When the POD was emptied and all of the contents had found their new place in the condo, we looked around and thought, we need more and there is more in NYS we have to get. So we made reservations for a flight, a car for errands up North and a truck to bring it all South.
 While we were up North we visited and as a matter of course, that 10 pounds I shucked while unloading the POD all mysteriously reappeared. In fact that brought along a couple of friends. The ride South didn't help any either since we subjected ourselves to quick meals at junk food havens over four days of driving.  All totaled it was 1435 miles from Kingston to the condo. Thank goodness the Ipod connected to the stereo in the truck, and more fortunately we were able to find a cable to recharge it at one of the truck stops we bought gas in. At 10 miles per gallon, do the math. The POD was actually a very good deal. Just make sure to pack it tightly, lash it down, and pad everything if you chose to go that route.
 On the way South we chose the (perhaps) less traveled route South via I81, I77 and then to I95 once back in South Carolina. When we arrived in Florida we crossed over to I75 via 301 through the likes of Lawley and Waldo. Once on 301 in Florida we were reminded of how lucky we are. Not only that, we are reminded of how easy it is to get nailed for speeding. We managed to escape any penalties and perhaps that was because of the warnings. Several miles outside of these towns there are full sized bill boards announcing "Lawley Speed Trap 2.5 miles ahead". When you get there, at the main intersection are a mess of police sitting around at the flashing school zone sign. By the way, there is no warning of reduced speed limits.
 But it's all good and we have arrived safely and in time to prepare Freedom for the impending arrival of Isaac. Whether or not this storm tracks right over us or not is still up for grabs and hopefully Freedom gets through it all. The condo has furniture and is now livable and it is certainly better than a beach front hotel room with a very noisy air conditioner, or another next to a rail road depot. 
 

Over the Lake to Ft. Myers

 The intention was to leave Sunset Bay Marina and head out across Florida hoping to get to the other side of Lake Okeechobee in time to find dockage well along the canal towards Ft. Myers. As it turned out the weather would not cooperate on June 6th for us to leave at the crack of dawn. There were some very strong cells nearby and they were traveling right across our intended path. Given the intimidation from the weather we stuck it out another hour and the situation improved. We left knowing that we would be pushed to make the far side of the lake when considering we had to clear a few locks in the canal. But the worst of it was that the locks were running on a strict schedule resultant from low water levels in Lake Okeechobee.
 Locking through can present some challenges to schedules and this day proved to clearly demonstrate the notion that schedules and boating are diametrically opposed to each other's end. Getting to the St. Lucie lock was uneventful and timed well enough. We found ourselves in line with several other boats but despite the 20 minute wait for the lock opening everyone was well spaced and cooperative. The passage through the lock was smooth and not the least bit aggravating as everyone followed the lock master's instructions.
 This left us with a long stretch of the canal before we would arrive at the Mayaka Lock on the East shore of Lake Okeechobee. Since the lake was low and the locks were running on a schedule we checked our distance and set our speed. That way we would arrive at the lock an an appropriate time thus limiting the amount of idling around waiting for clearance into the lock.
 However soon enough we arrived within radio range of the lock and heard there were issues associated with the doors. Transiting the lock was going to be delayed. In fact the lock master encouraged us to tie up at a marina until they had determined when the lock would be functional. After discussing this with the lock master via VHF radio, I checked this status on the Internet via our Verizon Air Card and found no reports or notices to mariners. Given this lack of incident reporting I looked up the local office of the Army Corp of Engineers and called to ask what was going on. Since they did not know about the issue, they promised to check into it and get back to us. While waiting for a call back we arrived at the lock and hailed the lock master. To our very pleasant surprise, the situation was resolved. Amazingly the electrical issues had been resolved even though the electrician was still an hour away. Subsequently the main office informed us they had never known this lock to break down. Interesting. Glad I called. Someone else may not have been very happy about the phone call.
 Anyway there were many of us delayed at the lock entrance and with the doors opened up we all passed through and onto Lake Okeechobee which was (fortunately) calm. Threatening storms were traveling South of the lake leaving us a clear weather passage across. It was about this time we discovered we had a hitch hiker aboard but we welcomed the company since it would be after bugs we did not want traveling with us. It moved around here and there and eventually joined us on the bridge where we attempted to feed it with bugs we had caught. None were accepted so perhaps we misjudged the health of our companion. The injury to the tail (click on the photo to see it) made us think a bird dropped it from altitude onto the aft deck hard top but eventually we figured it just hopped aboard using one of the lines fastened to the dock since it was lively enough.
 Across the lake and back into the canal we easily passed the construction area that was rumored to be a difficult passage and made our way to the town of Moore Haven City Dock. While there isn't much happening here, the stop is well received as a place to pull in for a night after a long day on the water. Note, don't go swimming here or just about any other place along the canal. There are plenty of alligators willing to make your acquaintance as a young local learned today (7/10/12). I have to say (I was going to say I have to hand it to him but that would be in poor taste) the young man had to be tough to get away with his life in spite of losing part of his arm. While alligators are shy and disappear as Freedom approaches, it is obvious after this attack that swimmers present no threat to their existence. If traveling in the canal down here keep a look out, and if you are close to the water surface, mind your environment frequently and carefully. While working on the outboard in the dinghy last year I was warned I had company approaching from a blind spot. It is rather uncomfortable to have them sneaking up on your as you sit on the tube of a dink with your back to them.
 But regardless we spent a restful night in Moore Haven, and left the next day for Ft. Myers. It all went well enough with only one incident involving a pushy captain at the Ortona Lock. He was in such a hurry to make the 1 o'clock opening of the Franklin Lock that he ignored all lock master orders and plowed through the canal out of order. All of us in the lock were happy to see him leave, and we were happier to see him held up at the Franklin Lock. As it turned out it was impossible for him to get there in time for the early opening in spite of his haste. He must have been waiting an hour for the lock to open when we arrived and pulled up right behind him. After entering the lock the master approached us and we had a pleasant, long conversation about lock manners and how the other boater was apologetic and concerned about our presence. Ok, I was a bit vocal on the radio at the prior lock. The master agreed the other captain was out of line, and asked if I had issues with him. I said no I did not, provided he behaved in this lock. He did, we all moved on, and yet again we had another hitch hiker we had to release upon arriving at the dock.
 Right now Freedom is on the hard taking a break. Her bottom is a bit scruffy so we have taken her to the yard to have it cleaned up. It shouldn't be long before she is floating again and we are back aboard using her as a base while we house hunt. The haul out had to happen. At full throttle she could only make 16.5 knots instead of 21 and her engines would over heat if we ran her there more than a few moments. Hopefully she acts better once she is back in the water with a clean bottom and a fresh coat of bottom paint.    

Road Trip!

 There are several of us sitting at West End Grand Bahama waiting for good weather to cross the Gulf Stream to Florida. Every now and again it looks good, like perhaps this last Friday. We all woke up early and looked over the weather with our VHF radios on. The stream looked fine, the wind looked good as well. But the radar for the Southern crossing from Miami to Bimini was all lit up, and it looked like it was moving North. Once reviewing that it wasn't long before we all shut off the radios and went back to bed. No one wanted to chance an encounter with severe thunderstorms in the open water.
 Later on we all realized we should have gone because it all stayed East of our lines of travel but as they say hind sight is a clear view of your own butt in public. It's also 20-20. With emotions running low and energy levels faltering due to poor sleep habits caused by the stress of the crossing, it was decided.
 ROAD TRIP!
 Me, being the easily swayed gullible fool (yet subsequently knighted) volunteered to rent a van and cart as many as could fit into it to Lucaya. I was only interested in going to Lucaya and that is the way I presented it to the folks sitting around the table at happy hour. Everyone agreed that was a good idea and that splitting the cost of travel was appropriate. So the next morning I rented the ride.
 We worked with Eric who is recommended by Old Bamaha Bay and he delivered us a van in great condition. It all worked, the A.C. was strong, the tires good and it was ready to roll. So we all piled in. I had five brave souls in my hands that were totally unaware of what I had done as a teenager in cars. They did however know an idiot drove his boat over us on Great South Bay N.Y., so apparently they had thick skin, were forgiving, or, had several transgressions in the automotive field that were on par or surpassed my antics dulling their senses.
 Anyway, we had about 9/16 of a tank of gasoline in the van when we pulled out. I had my cell phone and Glenn had his Ipad. What could go wrong? Pulling into Lucaya we stopped at the Market where all tourists of Grand Bahama pay homage. We walked around looking at the wares and past the conch fritter stand that Judy wanted to engage. Having sampled these in the past I discouraged the purchase and we went straight to the important matter of locating cheap booze. Having located this on the marina side of the Market, we loaded up and wound our way back to the van passing all sorts of T-shirt and craft type stores. Along the way it was decided that we were going to proceed past the Market for lunch to Bahama John's which is supposedly located nearby near the Bahamas National Trust Park which was just after the bridge over the canal. Deb had read reviews and found all were positive so it looked like a good mark. Foot on the pedal, hands on the wheel having loaded up the field trip I went off not remembering where we were or any of the driving I had done in weeks past down here. But with Deb's guidance we found ourselves (note I am sharing blame now) headed East out of Lucaya on our way to the lightly populated outback area of Grand Bahama.
 We paused while on the bridge over the Grand Lucayan Canal which has a vertical clearance for boats of 26 feet and looked over the turquoise water in both directions. Deb and I reflected on time we drove freedom through a brush fire for a bit and we moved on telling folks with us about how a little more down the road we wondered if we were going to be able to return because we had to drive the car past a brush fire near the road. I think it was at this point the outback environment, less than a 1/2 tank of fuel and our stories all combined in Stu's head because he asked, "So are you going to take us out here, dump us and take our money? Because all I have is 70 bucks and you can have it if you let me out now". Ok, I wore through that thick skin I assumed they all had. Not really. It was said in jest. I'm absolutely sure of it. I think. Anyway we were all laughing and it wasn't long before we were upon the park maintained by the Bahamas National Trust. I asked if we should stop and Deb suggested that the rib shack was close so we continued on. Deb said it was only a couple or three miles more. Stu is looking over my shoulder at the gas regularly now, I am giving Deb the evil eye because I did not want a long drive, the restaurant was new to us and everyone is wondering why they committed to sharing the expense of the van.

 I have to admit the years with me have prepared Deb for this experience well. Many remarks with regard to our predicament were articulated in a random fire, no, gatlen gun fashion. The quips started and they were relentless. I was no help because I was worried that I had led all of these people into this deal and had (ok only an ounce) concern for how it would work out for them. In reflection though what else were they going to do but sit on the boat (thanks for the absolution Glenn!). A sample of the remarks were all based on how long it took to get there and then find it closed for various reasons that included profiling, day of the week, how the owner felt, and the ability to find product out here.
 But we pressed on passing gas stations, an occasional establishment offering cold beverages, and miles of landscape that was not the least bit habitable or friendly to a 6 pack of people heading into no where. In fact I asked Glen who had the Ipad, "so Glen you hooked up"? "Yeah". "So where we going?" He said, "It looks like we are going into nowhere".
 With the Gatlen gun aimed at Deb and I since the gas was running lower and we passed gas stations, we slowed down a bit we arrived in High Rock where I saw a police station and BTC office. I pulled in and both were shut. Across the street was a clinic with a car in the lot so I walked in as another parked. Even though someone in that car was most likely infected with a highly contagious form of flesh eating bacteria I went into the empty clinic and knocked on the window. A young boy comes out and says wait. I indicate ok and the "flesh eaten" victims walk in. I look them over helplessly and consider they may be ok and ask if they know where Bahama John's is and she says oh, that place? It's out in Pelican Point, you cannot miss it. She was certain and confident. A good Bahamiam lady bringing her kid in for something. So I walk back to the van which is still running and sitting there. I consider that a good sign because they did not mutiny and leave Debbie in the police lot on the ground and drive off after running her over.
 I get in, and say it looks like Pelican point (almost to the end of East End Grand Bahama now) and the Gatlen gun starts spinning again. We're all pretty resolved to the notion that about a 1/4+ tank of gas left means turn around and we are not there yet. So we all pressed on. We had sincere reservations, but we pressed on. Deb got some ugly stares from me because remember, I did not want to pass Lucaya and we were well beyond that now.
 So we arrive in Pelican point and slow down. There's nothing there but houses. We have no options and continue on slowly, in a very depressed state of mind, to find a small sign pointing to a shack on the beach. It's Bahama John's!! So we have arrived. Upon looking at the place I was a bit set back on my heels because while there were cars there, we did not know if they were still in use, or abandoned by people that had eaten and died. But in we went.
 We were promptly greeted by Bahama John who stands as tall as I do but has all of his weight shows extremely well. When we shook hands it took effort to keep my arm from coming out of its socket. He went on to say I was well fertilized. I was going to say I also fertilize well but Deb was behind me and being the driver I was not going to have the advantage of alcohol to dull the pain if I opened my mouth.
  No one else was seated so we grabbed a table large enough for all of us. It was freshly wiped by the staff and the rag was clean containing some bleach that was obvious due to the smell. A good sign I thought. John goes on to make sure the welcome is adequately expressed in a booming voice that has positive tones and puts the mind at ease. He tries to ask a couple of questions about everyone so that he learns something about his customer base. He also talks about how long the trip is out to his place and how he has fallen asleep at the wheel since he drives from Freeport every day. And then he asks, knowing I was the driver, "So did you think he was taking you out here to rob you and dump your bodies?".
 Everyone looked at Stu (and me). The food came out in short order and it was without a doubt one of the best meals I've had in the Bahamas. So if you are looking for barbecue over here, talk to the man. He has it figured out. The beach here is also special and stretches quite a ways so walking the beach either before or after a meal is a good opportunity.
 Back at West End we thought about the next couple of days, and the weather. Stu stuck his nose out into the stream on Sunday and was immediately rejected. We all lent him quite a bit of respect due to the experience level he had judging the water.
 Eventually on this past Monday the water laid down and we all crossed over to the St. Lucie inlet. Using this inlet saved us a day on the ICW going North to the canal across Florida. While we all had some apprehension about the inlet, it proved to be easily navigated and we arrived at the Sunset Bay Marina for a rest stop on our way West.
            

Parting Shots

 With a bit of a heavy heart we left Hope Town today. It was a rather sudden decision to leave this morning but it all worked out well. Sadly we did not get to say good by to everyone we should have but I am sure they will understand. Normally people will announce their arrival or departure during the morning "Cruiser's Net" on VHF 68. By the way one can listen to this b'cast on the Internet thanks to Outer Island Internet. At Outer Island Internet one can click on the audio services link and follow the next links to hear what is going on. The "net" and the volunteers that make it happen do an excellent job of keeping the inhabitants of the outer islands informed with weather, community and commercial activities.
 Our decision to leave was almost cast, but not until after coffee, breakfast and the net did we decide it was time to go. The largest contributor to the decision was the weather and sea conditions going around Whale Cay. Ultimately our goal today was only about 25 nautical miles away but the path included a stretch in the Atlantic as well as traversing Whale Cay channel. We had several serious storms move through the area including one last night so there was a certain amount of apprehension associated with the path. After all wave height predictions for the Atlantic were high. But -
 The storm wind was out of the South. That, in my humble opinion would knock down any prevailing swell out of the North East and we always have swell from that direction. Subsequently in the morning the wind was due to be out of the West. That would line up well with an out going tide when we arrived at Whale Channel. Given these assumptions, we shoved off and reviewed the openings to the Atlantic at Hope Town, South Man O War, and North Man O War channels as we passed them by along our way to Green Turtle Cay. To our surprise all of the openings to the Atlantic were all relatively calm. Less than 2 feet and very little breaking on the reefs. So we skipped over Guana Cay and Nippers. After all., there are only soooo mannnyyy frozen nippers one can consume in a Winter and we had our fill. We proceeded into Loggerhead Channel after passing Bakers Bay with high hopes of a smooth passage to Green Turtle Cay.
 In reality, it went very well. The seas were out of the NNW and about 4 feet with one or two feet of chop on top. While relatively closely spaced, by putting the throttles forward to the tune of 10 knots the bow lifted up and Freedom punched into it like it was business as usual. Afterwards we did (however) find a few items had shifted in the cabinets when they were opened later on. Spice jars, utensils, all sorts of things unloaded when the doors were opened. Anyway the only uncomfortable portion of the ride occurred when we had to turn to the West to cross over the reef and head into Whale Channel. That put the seas on the beam and we rolled a bit but it didn't last long. In a short while we were back on the Sea of Abaco inside the reef in docile water.
 Cool. We have arrived at the Leeward Yacht Club in Black Sound. For a  26 year old boat Freedom ran well and brought us to the next stop handily. While this marks the start of the trip back to the United States its all good.
 Closing out the season on Elbow Cay, the Hope Town Inn and Marina is coming together. They have opened up the pool, restaurant and bar as well as several rooms and the new docks. In support of that notion we had lunch pool side at HTM and it was quite good. Since they have brought in an award winning chef the food offered is well prepared. Daily specials are interesting and reasonably priced. While the above photo is at Leeward, and they have a great facility there, the HTM facility (at right) is expansive and filling a void the boating community has had in Hope Town for many years. Once all of the dock power comes online and the rooms are completed this is going to be a terrific stop in the Outer Islands of the Abacos.
 Hopefully we get to enjoy all of this again next Fall. We're sad to leave but it's time to go. 

Spring has definitely Sprung

 Here it is the end of April which ends yet another month, our forth month this year in the Bahamas. Once we arrived over here, things have gone well enough and in spite of our lack of movement we have had a good time and look forward to more. Along with the end of April we have Deb's birthday on which she reached the milestone of 31 yet again. But coincident with this time of year many of the folks we know move back to the States. But it's not all bad, and new folks come into the Harbour all the time to hang out with us stay outs.

 In the last entry I mentioned that I had the opportunity to get up into the Hope Town Lighthouse in the early evening as Sam's guest so I could watch the ignition of the light. Sam shares the duty of maintaining the light as well as helping out as dock master here at the Hope Town Inn and Marina. Having missed one opportunity due to a long lasting party, on this second opportunity I made my way up the lighthouse stairs and waited for Sam. On queue he shows up and proceeds to unlock the upper deck of the light that contains the lamp and other gear. Little did we know what we were getting into as 4 of us clambered up the narrow stairs into the rotating lens and lamp deck. I'll guess it has an internal diameter of 10 feet of which space has to be left so as to stay away from the lens. There was just enough room for the five of us up there when Sam ignited the lamp.
 Let's say I'm lucky to still have eyebrows. While that is a bit of an exaggeration, consider what it would be like to sit inside a Coleman lantern OK? While that comparison sounds out of place, the light is basically illuminated by a very large mantle fueled by kerosene instead of white gas. This photo is representative of the lamp in the early stages of lighting but well after the initial WHHOOOMMMMMP. Fire shoots out all over the place and after some adjusting the flame settles down and brightens. After watching Sam work the lamp to get more out of it we all worked our way down the ladder feeling lucky to have hair on our heads yet grateful to know people like Sam are still out there keeping a light lit. We all put a donation into the box at the bottom of the stairs at the ground level. It's great to see history like this in action.
 One of the social events here in Hope Town is the full moon drift. As you might be able to figure out, it normally happens on an evening coincident with a full moon. Normally someone will make an announcement on VHF 68 during the morning cruiser's net broadcast indicating the drift will occur and where it will start. This particular drift was well attended and given my invitation to go up into the light we had to sit this edition out. In spite of not participating as fate would have it the winds carried them past our transom where we were the butt of many remarks about not drifting. It was all good and hopefully we have the opportunity next year when the weather cooperates and the crew is willing!
 I should have taken some pictures of the fishing I was able to get done. Since the weather laid down I chartered with Local Boy, Hope Town Fishing and I am happy to say Justin and Peter did a terrific job of finding some fish and keeping the trip interesting. It was only a half day charter but we managed to land 5 Wahoo and a Mahi. Upon pulling into the dock Justin and Peter filleted the fish and wrapped it up providing some excellent pointers on storage and preparation. For example, did you know that fish will discolor if you wash it in fresh water and freeze it? Interesting and we noticed that our Mahi looked better when thawed versus some of the fish we've bought in NYS.
 This was not the only fishing adventure I was fortunate to experience as a new friend invited us out on his Hatteras Sporty for a day of fishing. This trip turned out to be a bit slower with regard to the catch, but we still managed to pull in a couple of Mahi, one being a very good size. We probably would have done better but a couple of rookie mistakes kept us out of the school of fish we located. First, we backed over the fishing lines while I was pulling in the first Mahi, and second I snagged up some lines in a teaser. Both resulted in stalling the troll to the point we lost sight of the fish. The pole in this photo is bent because the line is thoroughly wrapped up in both props. I was especially happy I had no mask, snorkel and fins with me since I would have been diving the boat well off shore in several thousand feet with seas of 3-4' rolling the boat around. Think about being under a boat when the waves drop it on you. It can get very ugly in a hurry and fortunately that was not the case this day.
 So it goes. I started to type this back at the end of April, and here it is May 10th already! May is going by too quickly and we have pretty much attributed this to the notion that at the end of May we start moving back to the States. With any luck Lake Okeechobee will not drain off too much more and we can still make it across to the West coast of Florida. But if the lake level does drop traveling through the Florida Keys won't be so bad.
 By the way, it's images like this that make me feel ok with being a power boater. Bob our neighbor getting it done at the top of the mast...
 
 
  

It Figures

 Once Rich heads home the weather lightens up. We had aspirations of getting Freedom to Little Harbour while Rich was here but the Atlantic never laid down enough. In spite of the Atlantic and relatively rough water coming in North Bar inlet, we did make it in the Albury with Rich. And we are grateful to have gone via the Albury instead of Freedom, but the notion of hanging out there for a few days AND getting back without a thrashing, was always in play. Sure enough once he left the Atlantic laid down and we were able to take a ride to Little Harbour with Freedom. Many had the same idea. It didn't work out for at least one boat. Stories have been circulated about the circumstances leading up to the accident in the photo and I won't go into them. Suffice if to say, the very South end of Lynyard Cay is not a sensible place to cross the reef and leave the Atlantic. 
 The sea conditions of the days leading up to our departure were similar to those we had prior to our washing machine adventure back in 2009, but, the Atlantic had more time exposed to light winds when we finally left. The winds were out of the South West again. Terrific we thought. Winds out of the West and a rising tide out of the East into North Bar Channel. But with a certain amount of indifference we pulled out of Hope Town an hour after low tide and headed South. On this passage between Lubbers Quarters and Elbow Cay we left two small patches of sand plumes in our wake as opposed to a sand churn a quarter of a mile long. Just a bit better at hitting the magenta line between Elbow and Lubbers Quarters I guess. Once out on the Sea of Abaco "proper" we hit the wind chop that stayed with us for the rest of the trip. No big deal, about a foot or two of chop out of the West. All reminiscent of '09. But we kept on going and once we rounded Tiloo Bank and headed to Pelican this was behind us and the ride was actually quite smooth. Not that it was that rough earlier on the Sea of Abaco, the water worked with us instead of slapping us on the side. Since we were now aligned against the tide running into North Bar, our speed slowed about a knot but we kept plodding along. Amazingly and in contrast to our expectations, once we rounded Channel Cay all we had to work against was the wind chop out of the West, and this was when the tide was running into the inlet with an opposing wind. Cool, and that worked for us!
 Hooked up to our high end mooring at Pete's Pub it was time to relax and settle into a different, no, eccentric environment where the main street is about 10 feet wide and composed of powder soft sand. In all fairness the moorings at Pete's are well maintained and stout. I am thinking the anchor used is a full yard of concrete and part of ours is visible in the upper right hand corner of the photo. We had absolutely no concerns using the mooring. Little Harbour is well protected on all sides, and with the secure mooring there was nothing to worry about.
 Well almost nothing to worry about. We were getting ready to have lunch at Pete's (by the way, they have awesome fish sandwiches) which meant making sure the boat was secure and we had all we needed. Check the lines to the mooring, get the travel bag ready and start to go down the side ladder into the dink when Deb asks, "Hey, isn't that boat is drifting?" So I turned around and looked out the port side wing door with her and said, "That's a 55 or so Ocean Alexander motor yacht". A 1997 copy could be had for about 1/2 a million. This was a more recent edition. No way anyone would be dumb enough to let that slip off a mooring. It just doesn't happen. So we stood there another moment or two watching and it dawned on me that yes, this boat was moving. I said, "Hmm. It looks like the engines aren't running, Holy Crap it IS ADRIFT!". Ok, perhaps there is a certain amount of editorial license in the vocabulary representing the expression of surprise. But, and you knew this was coming, I am sure you got my drift.
 So we threw our stuff into the dink and chased down this boat which weighs in at about 20 tons with our 18HP dink. Yeah, sure. We got this. So I grabbed the errant line hanging off the bow and started to turn the boat which was about to lean on another boat at anchor. It was a futile exercise as with the wind all we could do was slow it down. Fortunately another center console saw we were in trouble and stopped by. Between the two of us we managed to pull the boat away from the sail boat and stabilize the situation. We were shouting at each other about how to proceed when this man comes out to the bow of the boat and asks, "What the heck is going on here?".
 I was going to say we were hijacking your boat and taking it to Cuba to facilitate some illegal immigration  (good money in that I hear) but I elected to "fill him in". After some hurried and tense discussion he offered up the notion that he should start up his engines. We all agreed with some sarcastic enthusiasm. You know, like no kidding Sherlock? Ya think? Once all tide up again, Deb and I went to lunch where the crowd at Pete's Pub was sitting back with beers and their signature drink the "Blaster" enjoying the show. They say no good deed goes unpunished so I am wondering how this will be rewarded.
 It's all good and after a dinner with friends at their house we decided that with the calm water and rising tide we should head out into the Bight of Old Robinson for some exploration with the dink. Over the years we have always wanted to get into the tidal areas West of the Bight. This stay lined up well with tide coming in later in the afternoon and light winds. So I fired up Google Earth and located what I thought were three Blue Holes, saved their locations and plotted some courses into our hand held Garmin GPS. Some times I impress even myself. I was three for three and we floated over three rather large blue holes with incoming tide. They are most impressive geological structures and they beg you to jump in and snorkel or dive them. We stuck to the look bucket to play it safe and while at the last of the three Jan saw this monument in the distance so we investigated it. As it turned out, we were over the very spot the three poor souls passed on at, on their anniversary of April 2. Spooky to say the least. I mean, really. I did not know about this event or where it happened and we wound up there that day. Glad we didn't dive the site and our hearts went out to the families involved. I'd say we spent more than several minutes paying our respects. If you want to explore these sites open up the Voyage 2012 tracks and select "Blue Hole Dink". If you play the track this would be the last blue hole we visited. On this somber note we left the tidal areas, and went back to Little Harbour.
 Closing out the days spent at Little Harbour we realized that even though we brought Freedom down, spent three nights on a mooring ball, ate lunch out, and had a small bar bill, we had a great time for less money than it took to rent the Albury 20' for a day and the ride back through North Bar was calm. So it was "all good".
 Settling back into life at Hope Town, we attended a Light House lighting, and watched the full moon dink drift go by but that's a matter for another entry.
 
  

Small boat travels

 So with Rich's vacation winding down we figured getting out into a run-about would work well towards the goal of capping his vacation with a good and different experience. The Atlantic has been stirred up quite a bit and a window of calm weather approached that meant we had the opportunity to either move Freedom for a weekend, or rent a boat and travel about the Sea of Abaco. The dink is ok for two when it is flat calm but unacceptable for three even then. It only takes a light breeze to turn a few miles in the dink into a very sour experience. Little Harbour was on the plate, and North Bar Inlet was in between us and Little Harbour. It can get damn ugly there. Souls have been lost trying to enter it, and experienced freighters have run ground there in foul weather. All of this as recently as this past year.
 Regardless, all along we had been hoping to get to Little Harbour and other spots during the vacation. Since the Atlantic and Sea of Abaco were rough, and hearing of the reputation Albury Brothers boats have, I picked up a 20 foot center console from Island Marine on Parrot Cay. http://www.islandmarine.com/ They have a great operation going and they offer several models and sizes to work with every one's budget or preference. I had called every boat rental shop over here within easy access of Hope Town and all of their boats were out! With good weather approaching everyone else had the same idea. But Island had a 20 footer instead of the 23 I hoped for so given it was close to what I was looking for we jumped on it because this was the last boat available in the area. That, and I figured a smaller boat with a low center of gravity and plenty of pep is going to be better than Freedom in the rollers and chop that North Bar can present. Deb and I have been thrown around in Freedom down there and were up for some change given all the circumstances.
 So with what was supposed to be a calm forecast we hopped into the Albury and went over to Man O War from Hope Town to check out Dock and Dine. The ride North was smooth and the boat performed very well. Upon sitting down, we observed that they had just finished seating a table of about 20 people and many others followed us in. In spite of this and very fortunately for us our waitress had mercy (we didn't need to ask) and pushed our order into the kitchen. The large table was full of fussy patrons that had many questions and they were going to chew up all the staff resources. So we had a great lunch, one of the best Mahi burgers I've ever had. No beers, since Man O War is dry but since we were boating it was all for the better.
 And we left the restaurant and proceeded out of Man O War into the Sea of Abaco and met 1 or 2 feet of chop. At this point I decided to see what the boat was made of and pushed the throttle forward. The bow rose up a bit and the chop disappeared in spray to the sides of the boat leaving us dry. Wow, this is a good thing I thought, and the ride stayed that way all the way back to Hope Town except for one point when everyone tried to talk to me. Since I could not hear anything, I slowed, and they got soaked with the change in the boat's attitude. Needless to say they encouraged me on. You know, never mind? Bwa ha ha! Anyway upon entering the channel into Hope Town we were greeted by a float plane banking steeply to pass around the point with the Light House. Yep. It was going to land and it did, right next to us. It was far enough away to be safe yet close enough to be cool. So day one on the Albury went very well.
 Day two was predicted to be the calmest water day we had the boat so we (not really we, but in hind sight everyone agreed it was an ok call) decided to try for Pete's Pub in Little Harbour. The notion was that if North Bar was acting up we could always turn around. Once aboard we set out, and went to Snake Cay which is sort of on the way. The sun was up and the tide was changing making for a possible good experience there and the gamble on the detour paid off. Spotted eagle rays were all over the place and they treated us to several jumps right out in front of our ride. Yet again, we have disturbed Ray. Having determined Ray has had enough of us we moved on towards Little Harbour and our entertainment at North Bar Inlet. Moving around Tilloo Bank and then heading East towards Pelican Cay I had suspicions that things were a bit sloppy at North Bar and when we approached Sandy Cay my thoughts were justified.
 We ran into what some minds will call 4-5 foot seas that were quite closely spaced. It's not like they were 4-5 immediately. As we moved closer to the inlet they grew. This is when I realized the Albury was making life easy for me but only to a point. Everything has a limit. I found the crew's limit after launching off two waves. After the first wave I was able to yank back the throttle in time to keep the engine from over revving when we completely left the water off the second wave.
 Slowing down turned out well and we moved on through this with relative ease finally arriving behind Lynyard Cay where things settled down substantially, leaving us with a smoother ride to Little Harbour. With our goal in sight and relatively calm (yuk!) water we rode on into the Harbour knowing it went much better in the Albury than it could have ever gone with Freedom.
 I settled into diet Coke and the crew enjoyed Pete's Pub's signature drink the Blaster followed by beers. I guess they were anticipating the ride back North to Hope Town. But we forgot about that for the time being (their task at forgetting having been booze enhanced) and enjoyed walking around in the foundry there, as well as checking out the light house and light that are no longer functional. The light house was blown away many years ago, but the modern light was knocked out by Irene. Once back from the light we stopped in for a quick visit with friends and then made our way back to the boat.
 Once outside the harbour we learned that the water calmed down significantly so we stopped in at Lynyard for a bit of beach combing and then pressed on to Sandy Cay hoping to pick up a mooring ball for a few minutes. Once there, we learned North Bar was not going to be as cooperative as the Little Harbour inlet so I gave up on the mooring and we shot North to Hope Town and the relaxing view offered up by Firefly on Elbow Cay. It wasn't long before we capped this day off on Freedom! Looking back on the day and others with the Albury I'd say the mission was accomplished and we had a great time using the run about instead of Freedom. But the excitement wasn't over.
 We took Rich over to Marsh Harbour the day before his flight left and spent the night at the Harbour View Marina. This is (as well as all of the others around here) a good stop in town that offers access to restaurant row as well as shopping and other services. After a great dinner out at the Conch Inn we conched out on Freedom. Somewhere around midnight I woke up because Freedom was bouncing up and down like she was doing 15 knots in rough water.

 A super cell had formed and moved just North of us. We were fortunate to be tied up at the dock as some folks on the hook learned the hard way that Mother Nature can be quite the adversary. In fact at least two boats only yards away from us lost their enclosures and one over in Hope Town was blown ashore into the rocks. Supporting the notion it was windy one station recorded winds in excess of 70 miles per hour.
 It's all part of It's Da Bahamas Mon....

   

A little excitement to mix things up

 The last month we whiled away time at the Sea Spray Resort and Marina and then returned up to the Hope Town Inn and Marina which continues to move forward in its development. Along the way these past weeks we attended a Hope Town Fire and Rescue Fair, did some shelling, endured a stretch of high winds, and went to pick up Rich in Marsh Harbour so he could vacation away from the misery of Winter up North.
 BASRA or Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association and the Hope Town Fire and Rescue teams are volunteer organizations that provide medical assistance, fight fires, and assist stranded mariners. Considering the area these two teams provide assistance for, it's no surprise they are spread thin. Even on Great Abaco, the island is protected solely by volunteers. A quick look at this link http://www.basra.org/fleet.html will illustrate how little BASRA has to work with, and looking here http://www.hopetownfirerescue.com/apparatus.htm points out what is available to assist those on Elbow Cay. Certainly BASRA has full plate. So when they have fairs to generate some cash we attend and purchase a few things to help out. They do a great job of helping people out and making the Abacos a safer environment.
 The United States Coast Guard is also a valuable player over here and we see them once in a while. The cutters are present in the Gulf Stream when we cross and their helicopters are seen on patrol along the East Side of the Cays every once in a while. In fact one of their planes performed a number of low passes over Hope Town while the Hope Town Fair was active. They are always a welcome sight whether or not we are traveling as we occasionally hear of someone in distress.
 As usual during the Winter here in Abaco, we get high winds that can last quite a while and this year was no exception. On a few occasions it blew at levels near gale force for a day or so. Here in this photo we see the road linking the North and South communities on Elbow Cay. This portion of the road was severely damaged when hurricane Irene scored a direct hit on Elbow Cay but it is passable now since sand has been pushed back up into place from the Atlantic side beach to support it again. It has been reduced to a single lane but it is passable and everyone cooperates. The stone blocks are new this year and provide a certain amount of safety to the vehicles that make their way towards the Abaco Inn, Sea Spray, and the communities South of White Sound which would be on the left. Since the sand was pushed up to the road and vegetation has not had a chance to take root, the dune is starting to take over the road. It's not all bad though because the sand is filling the pot holes that can rip an axle out of a small truck or bend the frame of a golf cart. But it beats rolling down the dune to the right which is about 20 feet high and a steep angle of about 30 degrees. Walking South to Sea Spray or the Abaco Inn on the beach is certainly possible and quite pleasant but during periods of high winds, one pass on the beach is all you need for a year's worth of facial exfoliation. These tans are expensive and we don't want them blown off in an hour.
 Back on the 9th of March we moved Freedom over to Mangoes marina and restaurant in Marsh Harbour. The dock master Ray was really busy because as we were approaching half of the boats at the marina decided to leave and he was making sure it all went well. Finally he got us into a slip and tied up with power and water. In fact he hopped on and grabbed a couple of lines to make sure we did not mash our freshly painted bow pulpit into the main dock. Since we were in Marsh before Rich arrived it gave us a chance to rent a car and perform some shopping. Note, I had not driven in several months then, and, they drive on the correct side of the road here. Suffice it to say Deb had some practice with the word "LEFT!". Fortunately it went well. All of the shopping and the trip to the airport went very smoothly if only for me. In the evening we settled into a great dinner at Mangoes followed by a beverage on the aft deck and a nights rest.
 It's a good thing we rested well.
 The trip back to Hope Town Harbour was calm which allowed me to open up Freedom in an attempt to shake off some of the beard growing below the water line. Since she sits around quite a bit the growth starts within a few days of docking and builds quickly. In full bloom can take 10 knots off the 21 she is capable of. That day all we could muster was 16.4 after a good stretch at full throttle. Anyway given the increased pace before we knew it we were idling along within the narrow channel into Hope Town Harbour when it happened. A boat issued a security call saying it was 30 feet wide and coming into the channel from the Harbour. I replied we are in the channel, being followed by the ferry and we have no where to go. He responds don't block the channel. At this point that is an impossibility but we have no option other than to stop and move as close to the channel edge on our starboard as we can. Fortunately the ferry stops as well, and then, here comes this spindly trimaran with an outboard out of a blind corner. We hailed him again demanding him to move to starboard and he just missed us. In passing he and his crew exclaimed they could not steer. Since he missed us I am thinking he is not capable or willing to spend the effort required to steer but that is my opinion. Subsequently we heard he has a bad habit of pulling stunts like this. At the time and as part of our passing I offered him some direction and related a bit of judgement many were able to hear. Hollering security on the radio does not grant you passage in a narrow channel. That is a negotiated process and failing negotiation, which he had the burden of accomplishing, all vessels are required to take all possible actions to avoid an accident. All this because he couldn't wait a half a minute. Once tied up at the marina we were approached by a few folks that heard the passing situation develop on the radio and they offered their condolences and support regarding the encounter.
 Anyway it's all good no one was injured, and no damage was done. Since we were keeping a sharp lookout in a busy narrow channel it went as smoothly as it could given the pushy uncontrolled attitude of the trimaran operator. Being tied up and safe we began to consider our options for lunch.
 This is when the saturation effect started. Rich and I stepped on a scale upon his arrival aboard Freedom back on the 9th. Given this is a vacation scenario we anticipated some weight gain and decided to make a contest of it. Exactly which way the contest turns out is yet to be decided. That is, do we race for the most or least gain?
 In preparation of his arrival and even before we left Florida we stocked up on good booze, mixers, and beer. Now it's only one week in, and it's all gone. Something tells me I'm going to lose the bet on weight given diets that include deep fried pickles, wings, conch fritters and crab dip. As if that wasn't enough to push the needle on the scale over, we took Freedom to Guana Cay for a weekend.
 The Barefoot Man was in town and we decided to break up the monotony by hitting Nippers during one of their busy weekends. Friday afternoon the Barefoot Man and his band put on a show that pulled in people from all over the Abacos. It was a zoo. Image about 1000 mature people singing the refrain to Smokie's "Living Next Door to Alice". We stayed long enough for three frozen Nippers and moved on to Grabbers for a snack. The music was good, so was a walk on the beach, but we needed some space and moved on. We were re-introduced to the policy at Grabbers where they hold your credit card while you sit there. We told them we would never be back. More over, the menu there has been reduced to a very few fried items which were good, but did not seem satisfying. Perhaps we are a bit spoiled by the good lunch work being done at Firefly. By the way, some of the Grabber staff were at Firefly the Monday after the Barefoot Man weekend! I guess that says quite a bit given they have to ride about 12 miles in a boat to get there.
 The next day we are back at the marina with an uneventful crossing from Guana Cay back to Elbow and getting into the dink. We're interested in lunch over on Elbow Cay so we are going to dink across the harbour, land, and then take a walk to On Da Beach. Before getting far at all we hear some strange noises coming from the boat next to us. She is a well outfitted Flemming and this raises concern. After all, the boat is well designed and manufactured thus the brand is held as a highly regarded passage maker. We ignored the noise initially thinking it was the air conditioning but as we motored around it's starboard side we saw water going over the side from a discharge we had never seen active before. I decided lunch was going to have to wait and went back to the transom and hopped aboard. Since the owner, a good man, had shown me where the keys were prior to flying out, I opened her up and it wasn't long before I found the issue.
 It was merely a HIGH WATER ALARM.
 Swell.
 No, not waves (swells) in the bilge, just an exclamation of how I felt at this point being on a strange boat in that was in distress. I called the marina crew on the phone several times and only got phone mail. So lunch was going to have to wait even longer while I tried to resolve an issue on an expensive boat I did not own and didn't know anything about. Eventually I was able to sort things out and get the boat stable. After a few more calls on the phone I managed to reach someone and pass the baton associated with making sure the boat stayed afloat.
 And finally things are settling down a bit. But we need to restock the cabinet and it's expensive out here. Back to box wine and mixed drinks with cheap rum! We have to keep Rich happy and ignorant of the notion that the weather is unusually warm in NYS this Winter.