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....