The Deed is Done

  We hate to say it but Freedom is on the hard. This was like having a tooth pulled. It was back in October of 2010 that we moved aboard and while that starting point seems quite distant, it tends to lend insight into what we have been about for the last eight months.
 As far as the act of  having the tooth pulled goes we have come to the conclusion that setting aside one day to remove items, and finish cleaning up is totally insufficient. It's not as bad as moving from one apartment to another excluding furnishings, it's worse. The reason being we are the landlords and we know what we need to have when we return. It's not like we can give up a month's rent in security when we walk away (not that anyone would want to do that these days). So when we go down this path again we'll make sure we have at least two days set aside to unload. Note this does not include washing her down, changing oils and all of the other mechanical preparations for storage. Adding all of that up will extend the time required significantly. But as they say it is what it is, and Freedom is taking a well deserved break.
 We put 158 hours on the engines this year and all things considered it went extremely well. Freedom covered roughly 1200 nautical miles over all sorts of water. That translates to an average of about 7.6 nm per hour. Not bad for a 25 year old boat with ancient Detroit 6-71TI technology driving her. Most of it was shallow but we had the deep big water also. You know it's big water when you see the U.S. Navy heading out into the Atlantic and points East. You also know it's big water when the swells come at you and there are no harbours to duck into. We got to know this feeling well on our way to Royal Island from Little Harbour in the Abacos.  This was probably the most risky passage we had given its distance from the States but the risk was mitigated by the notion we traveled with others we knew. At least most of the way. Well, ok, it was only over the most remote sections. Anyway, it all went well and fortunately it went well for those folks also.
 But it's all good. We had a great time traveling. As long as one studies the available forecast data and looks out for changes the chances are quite good that a pleasant passage will result.
 This year we ran into many familiar faces in the Abacos and rekindled several friendships. We spent hours on beaches without another soul around and found many unique shells to add to our collection. We also finally reached the Exumas on the third attempt. It seemed that Freedom was not ready the first two years and she groaned a bit this time but whenever we called on her to deliver she did so without hesitation and most importantly she did so with ease. In spite of some rough water between Fleeming Channel and Nassau, water spouts of West End, and shallow water around the Florida Keys, Freedom kept plodding along smoothly.
 Along with Freedom being such a good sport this year, the weather turned out to be exceptional. We found that out of the last three years, this year was best. Many folks that have Wintered over proclaimed this year the best out of the last five! We'll take it!
 But now it's time to turn our attention up North again. And with that, we'll probably slow down the rate of updates until we get back to Freedom. So with that we'll see y'all later.

Naples up to Fort Myers

 Our ride up to Fort Meyers was prefaced with the notion that we could be in for some rough water. Having been tossed around between Fleeming Channel and Nassau we were concerned for what lay in store for us on this portion of our trip.
 But we've had a couple of good nights in Naples at the City Marina. It was located convenient to many places within Naples, well run, and the fuel was well priced given we got a 10% discount having purchased 200 gallons. Actually it was 197 but the attendant was very understanding. Given our average speeds were a bit high to move us through some rough water, we received reasonable economy from Freedom.
 However our concern regarding the weather on the GOM was not warranted. As long as we stayed within a mile of the shoreline we had calm seas with a light breeze keeping the bridge at a comfortably cool temperature. So we chugged along on a holiday in the U.S. expecting to be confronted by crazed boaters getting their last run of the Summer in. Yet again we were pleasantly surprised to have nothing but pleasant encounters with other boaters. Everyone was well behaved making the passage easy.
 Ft Myers is home to several points of interest including the Edison and Ford vacation homes. Considering their wealth I have to admit they lived in what would appear to be modest accommodations. The settings the dwellings find themselves in is very appealing being riverside and Edison had a penchant for importing many different varieties of plant life and trees. The tour of this attractive site is informative and well worth the stop. I'm sure everyone will learn something while enjoying the scenery. By the way did you know that Edison was Ford's mentor? Just how far this man's creativity went is amazing. 
 Arriving in Ft. Myers signals that our trip is at an end. The 2010-2011 boating season is over and we will be putting Freedom up on the hard for the Summer. If it wasn't for the threat of Jury duty I have postponed already we probably would have stayed aboard even longer this year. At this point we'll have less to talk about with regard to boating but that doesn't mean we won't be working the subject. We're already considering the "honey do" list Freedom is demanding.

Key Largo to Naples

 We've moved quite a bit over the last several days. Our time on Freedom this season is coming to an end and soon enough we'll put her on the hard and drive North. We don't want to but it's inevitable. Anyway the reason we are going all the way around the Florida peninsula is because the Okeechobee Waterway is very low. The locks are on a restricted schedule and only one of the routes across the lake is marginally passable for us. Under these circumstances hearing debris banging against the (expensive) running gear is more likely.
  But it's all good and we have enjoyed staying in various places along the way around. Key Largo was fun and the pool at the Anchorage was good and we had good company there. Several of us shared conversation about politics, economics and boating while enjoying our time in the pool. As an added source of entertainment there were a few boat loads of folks that were practicing their docking skills. Fortunately we were buried deep within the marina thus isolated from their maneuvers.
 The establishment is actually a time share but they rent out slips to defray other expenses. Across the waterway was a large tiki bar and if we did not intend to crank out the miles we probably would have stopped in.
 Moving on from here we went down to Marathon and the Banana Bay Resort and Marina. It's a well laid out facility with a terrific pool and a small poolside tiki bar. The restaurant is currently closed but everything else appeared to be up and running. The docks are only a couple of years old and work well for a boat our size. But then boats much larger really should not be taking the Southern route along the Keys. The water is that shallow.
 At first we started with depths around 10 feet up by Miami, and that gradually diminished here to about 6 or 7 feet. We were quite concerned initially but then we became accustomed to this amount of water under the keel. With the depth sounder set at 5 feet we lumbered along at our relatively slow pace clicking off the miles. About half way down, the depth reduced to about 5 feet and the sense of imminent grounding grew. So we set the depth sounder to 3 feet and continued albeit a bit slower and more attentive to the color of the water. Once in a while near passages to the East a pod of dolphins would ride along with us and their company was appreciated because it distracted us from the possibility of a grounding.
 But nothing happened and we had a great stay at Banana Bay for a couple of nights. We dined out at the Barracuda in Marathon where I sampled their HOT calamari and shrimp. They're not kidding. It's all of that HOT. The interior is simple but loaded with some really good Barracuda art and sculptures making it a fun place to have a meal.
 Once on our way to Everglades City the depths improved and again a family of dolphins swam alongside for several miles. Going up into Everglades City was another interesting passage that wound around mangroves and through some shallow spots. Up in the City we tied up at the Everglades Rod and Gun club which is an interesting place that only accepts cash and personal checks. The lobby has several antiques, stuffed animals, and plenty of old American sentiment. However all of the dock poles lean to the water and happen to be at a perfect height that gets under the teak hand rails along Freedom's perimeter. Not good. So I installed just about every fender we had between Freedom and the poles enabling the overnight survival we had. The area looks well kept as though this is a good community. While some of the waterfront docks are a bit worn from flooding etc. the houses were all well kept and the lawns were mowed. This is a refreshing scene compared to some we have witnessed while house hunting in Florida.
 Going back out towards Cape Romano we were greeted by the lone dolphin who passed under us even though the depth was only 8 feet. Then we heard the updated forecast provided by the coast guard.
 I have to admit they are busy down this way with recreational and migrant boaters. We heard several maydays, and a call about a raft loaded with migrants. Back on the forecast, they changed it to mention the wind was out of the South East, and look out for our favorites, dangerous water spouts.
 "Kewl".
 We saw a cell out in front of us that was directly in our path around the Cape Romano Shoals Light. By the time we were into the open water the waves picked up to a couple of feet plus. Of course there were the occasional swells blending into the water that made for some sudden rolls since all of this was directly on the beam and we had little choice given we had to clear the shoals. All of the reading we had done indicated one should clear all of the shoals by going around the Light. There are several passages through the shoals of 20 feet or more and after an hour of rocking we decided there was plenty of room to travel between the 2nd and 3rd banks. The added advantage of shortening the trip to Naples was that it turned off the rocking and left us in a following sea that was much easier to manage. I just had to watch the charts and depth to make sure we stayed in the path through the shoals. 
This path also took us away from the cell which subsequently gave up and dissipated. So we settled into a more comfortable ride and finished up in Naples with a Tcell on shore sending bolts to the ground on a regular basis. Fun to watch from a distance. On the way into the inlet we were greeted by all of the boaters returning from the Gulf of Mexico that wanted to beat the storm and there's always one Sea Ray in the bunch that rocks everyone at speed. He probably thinks a rain water wash down is a bad thing. If you're in the area, look out for Toot-Sea. She rocks.
 Deb found that there are something like over 500 restaurants in Naples. Fortunately we found a decent Sushi Shop named Thai Sushi Too and they delivered to the marina. With a little left over Saki it was all good after some long days on the water.
 And with a walk around town the legs are stretched out and we're now ready for our next stop Ft Myers. Once we're located there we'll get serious about cleaning up Freedom and getting her ready for storage over the Summer.  

Key Largo

 We had a great ride down to Key Largo today, and for those that happened to watch the helm cam it was probably pretty dull. It was surprising to pass "Stiltsville" and see these houses out near the Atlantic that are built in shallow water. It makes you wonder about the die hard attitude that leads people to take on that sort of risk versus the weather.
 Today's hop was relatively short but helps us break up the trip to Ft. Myers enough and more importantly kill time while the wind blows. Hopefully by taking our time on the Atlantic side the Gulf side will calm down enough to let us anchor out where or when ever we feel like it. Since the weather patterns have changed the predominate wind direction is out of the East. Having this on our side as we move up the West coast of Florida has proven to provide benign wave heights good for motor boat traveling.
 And being back in Florida those loveable dolphins are at it again. I finally caught a short video of them diving under the bow of Freedom as we moved along at 7.5 knots. It always bothers me when they do this and I think they know it. They finish the dive under the bow by popping up for air in our stern wake where they ride along with us for miles.

Miami and wow is life different or, is it normal?

 When I last wrote, we were in Nassau at the Atlantis Marina. I may not have accurately described what that facility is like and words are probably inadequate anyway. With some time to burn I'll discuss a few aspects that perhaps lend insight. It's huge. I believe I spoke about how I thought the rest of the island suffers rolling outages to keep Atlantis "hot" and after being there a couple of nights without so much as a blip in the voltmeter I have convinced myself that many people on Nassau put up with power shortages for the sake of the Atlantis.
 But what a place. I have to admit having Freedom tied up there was probably cheaper than renting a room but consider the price of bringing her there. I'm sure the rational mind will agree if you are going there once, flying in is going to be cheaper than coming by boat. These days the fuel bill alone will set you back enough to justify the room. Freedom get's 1-2 nmpg ok? If it's almost 200nm to Nassau from Florida (let alone NY) so do the math. I am sure you will agree! In spite of the expense we enjoyed quite a bit of what the place has to offer. Heck we walked around 90% of the place. They have tunnels with portals into the aquariums, and many spots from which to gaze down into the pools of fish. The water parks are quite good and the adventurous will enjoy a number of the slides. Couples will also enjoy riding the double tube rides. On the plus side of our stay, the freezer on Freedom was still well stocked so we did not have to eat out. Let's face it, a 50 dollar entree is going to impose a penalty on many budgets.
 We had a great time regardless.
 On the way to Chub Cay we were pleasantly surprised to see a couple of our modern destroyers heading out towards the Atlantic via the North East Providence Channel. The good thing about this was the consideration they showed to all of the boaters out that day. With Summer approaching the Bahamas busy season gets going with a significant increase it boat traffic. Regardless of being in the big water, we were never out of sight of other pleasure boats. If anyone was within a couple of miles of the Navy the Navy hailed them identifying their pleasure boat style, size, speed and course. Everyone answered which I thought was wise. Considering what happened to the U.S.S. Cole my thoughts are that only an idiot would not have a watch going on VHF 16 and refuse to answer the hail. I sort of think the use of deadly force would be authorised if the wrong boat got to close. We were within 3 miles and happy enough with that distance. Clicking on the photo will provide a better image. I wanted to hail #95 and express our gratitude but they were busy. Next time I think I will make the effort to hail and thank them. It's gotta go over well.
 Moving on to Chub Cay we elected to stay off the beaten path at the Berry Island Club. Certainly at 2 bucks a foot the price was right and if you are patient the WIFI is free. They are working on the place and given the situation we are not the least bit sorry for staying there because we know it supported some folks that could use it. Yes, Chub Cay also needs support but wow did the folks developing that place have cash going in. We found the channel into the Berry Island Club well marked, the power was adequate, and the environment quiet except for some locals walking out to the end of the dock to fish. It's exposed to the East but with luck once can look at the weather and if the slip assignment works the boat won't be set on the dock all night.
 From here at the Berry Island Club we set out at 7 AM for Bimini. It's a long ride to Bimini at 9 knots, something like ten and a half hours. Listening to a pair of  6-71TIs drone on for that amount of time wears on you. But we broke up the trip with frequent bilge checks, lunch, snacks, and while one played electronic Yahtzee the other looked out for shallow water and debris. Occasionally much to our enjoyment a pod of dolphins would come out of nowhere and glide right at the bow of Freedom, dive under us and pop up in the wake only to move on without riding along for a while. Perhaps they knew we were not Bahamian because the dolphins in Florida almost always hook up for at least a mile or two. This time across the bank we had no hitchhikers in the form of lost birds so hopefully they all made it home that day.
 Arriving at Bimini, we were severely disappointed to find out our reservation at the Bimini Blue Water marina was lost. That left us without a spot for Freedom. We were very upset given how long we had traveled and that the reservation was made two days ago. Along with this a fishing tournament was underway at the Bimini Big Game Club so we were wondering where we would be at the end of this long day. Fortunately the prepaid BTC cell phone still had some minutes and we relieved to learn that the BBGC had a spot for us. It was not exactly the smoothest approach I made when I pulled in. The tidal current pulled us right up to one of the glossy sporties sitting on a T head. Everyone scrambled but I managed to hit all the levers and move Freedom around the bow and anchor of the boat without incident. Regardless of the long day I should have been more on my game.
 Since BBGC was expensive compared to the Bimini Blue Water we cut our time in the Bahamas short by a week. We were going to stay longer but the cost and facilities issues just didn't line up elsewhere. So various vendors missed out on our dollars. Oddly enough, passing by the Blue Water we saw the slip we stayed at last year was open. We chalked it up to being a "Bahamiam Ting" and moved on to the Gulf Stream the next day.
 But it all worked out well. That took us across the Gulf Stream towards Miami in good water since the forecast was promising. Initially the seas were confused but only 1-2 feet in height and Freedom handles that well. Once out into the stream proper, things settled down into a gentle roll out of the South East and we were making good time. We had a few occasions where we encountered commercial traffic and we had to dodge them, but otherwise the crossing was good. You might think that out running a tanker or bulk carrier is an easy task in Freedom but those large boats move quite well and looking at the distances and closure rates on the radar will put the fear into anyone.
 Back on the military theme, the Coast Guard was stopping many vessels that left Bimini and Cat Island and boarding them as part of our homeland security efforts. All vessels except one answered their hails and it was a go fast doing 43 knots. I'm thinking they radioed ahead instead of continuing the chase. It was interesting to hear others talk about flashing their badges to the CG folks in an effort to mitigate their boarding. All in all that act was no help and we were glad to see that the CG ignored the badges and proceded with their work.
 Now over here in Miami, we are surprised to realize that taxis, wifi, dockage, and many things other than fuel are cheaper in the Bahamas. Filling Freedom hurts but a 25% break in the cost is welcome.

 And that's the last time we come home to be here in time for the Rapture.

 The GPS data is current and there are new photos in the bucket.

Back to Nassau

 After a night out at Shroud we moved Freedom back up to Highbourne Cay where we were going to spend three nights. We had this tentative plan to take advantage of an approaching good weather window to cross from Highbourne back up to Nassau so as to enjoy a smooth ride. Being a bit more conservative with our planning after our experience with the ride from Spanish Wells over to Nassau we were hesitant to take a chance on the weather again. But Highbourne is expensive for what it offers and they were a bit inattentive there. Lets face it, 50 or 60 bucks a night for power is a bit on the cher side or reality even if they need to generate their own power.
 With our original reservation we were offered a couple of nights in a comfortable slip but after that we were going to have to move to an alternative to make room for a long term resident. We had no issue with this and were willing to play along. However, whenever I asked where we would be next we got a less than substantial commitment like "somewhere over there". Having refused a slip "over there" already we began to think about moving to Nassau earlier. On the second day I again asked where we would be and I received another less than definitive answer so we got serious about moving on knowing others had issues with their reservation "system". When Saturday rolled around we looked at the forecast and decided it was adequate and left for Nassau. In hind sight we made the right call since Sunday the bank was much more rough based on our observations from the shore of Nassau which we made during our drive around the island.
 The boat ride up to Nassau was uneventful and calm because the water turned out to be a foot or less of chop which was well within our threshold of discomfort. Upon arrival we tied up at the Nassau Harbour Club where we spent 3 nights. While the price was reasonable and the water unlimited the water was not potable. A test of the water with our hand held TDS meter indicated that it was at least double and almost triple the World Health Organization standards for dissolved solids. So I washed the boat with it. If it was just the water quality we would have been ok with a longer stay but the club is frequently rocked by boats in the harbour and, electricity is frequently off. We suspect that it is off due to rolling black outs that enable B.E.C. to keep Atlantis "hot". The lights are always on over there.
 As I forwshadowed on Sunday, having plenty of time with nothing to do we rented a car from Budget and drove around the island. If you think the U.S. has issues with immigration you have not seen anything yet. I won't go into it but suffice it to say there are serious issues developing in the Bahamas and there is no way anyone could encourage me to purchase property here. It would not matter if it was the outer islands, Nassau or Grand Bahama. Along the way around the island we passed by many upscale developments that have fallen into total disrepair. It's remaniscent of what we have seen all over Florida in our travels there.
 But in spite of the outward appearance we enjoyed the ride having stopped in at the Compass Point Inn for lunch. After another day at the Nassau Harbour Club we decided the weather would  soon look good enough for a crossing to the Berry Islands followed the next day by a crossing to Bimini. With the anticipation of only a couple of nights more in Nassau we moved Freedom to Atlantis.
 Given it's 4.50 a foot plus utilities to keep a boat in a slip here, there was no way we were going to stay here until the weather and water settled down. This is why we started at the Nassau Harbour Club. The notion was to time our stay with Atlantis with an approaching weather window and move on after a night or two.
 Hopefully the plan pans out and we wind up with a smooth crossing to the Berry Islands in the near future.
 I will say that Atlantis offers a means to ease back into life in the United States. The Abacos are wonderfully quiet during the Winter, offering one a distinct change from life in surburban NYS. At least here, while there are crowds waiting in line for water slides etc., there are no cars honking horns and syrens screeming. Neither of which are aspects of living in NYS that we look forward to.
  

Shroud Cay

 We stopped in at Shroud Cay after leaving Warderick Wells for a night in another spot with some natural attractions. The mooring field is totally exposed to the West as are most anchorages down in the Exumas but we paid close attention to the forecast allowing us to anticpate a restful night at a remote location.
 Since we filled up the dink at Staniel Cay we had plenty of fuel in it to carry us around and after launching it we left for the North end of Shroud Cay. The water was calm enough so we crossed over to Little Wax Cay (I have no idea how they dream up some of these names) landing Madonna for a walk on the beach.
 There is an obvious difference between the beachs of the Exumas versus those of the Abacos. They are much cleaner in the Exumas. Up in the Abacos plenty of plastic and other forms of debris land on the beaches making shelling a sometimes disturbing passtime. It's pretty shameful to see those beaches as cluttered as they get with bottles, cans, flip flops, and all sorts of rubish that floats in. Beach glass is fine, since it can be used to create something artistic like jewelry but the amount of plastic that washes in makes me look out into the ocean wondering what people are doing out there.

 Anyway, since taking anything out of the Exumas Land and Sea Park is in violation of their regulations we left any interesting shells we saw where they were as much as we didn't want to. After the walk we left for the return to Shroud Cay and located the entrance to Sanctuary Creek. Since the tide was coming in we made our way up the creek all the way to the Atlantic side.  This was the most interesting part of the stay at Shroud Cay that we found although with persistance someone could probably locate better snorkeling than what was charted as Neptunes Oasis.
 Speaking of snorkeling, Thunderball Groto back at Staniel Cay was the highlight of our swimming. If one waits for low slack tide, one can enter into the cave and exit the other side into an area of coral and fish that will surely please most. I cannot remember a snorkel that was packed with as much variety and color of fish, sponge and coral unless it was much farther South.
 After all of the riding around was done we packed up the gear and loaded the dink onto the davit at the transom of Freedom. We settled into the sunset hoping for the green flash but a cloud line on the horizon prevented the possibility of one appearing.
 Once dinner was done and we laid down for the evening the wind clocked around and the dink started squeeking against the davit with the wave action. If the CIA needs help I have something that will probably work as well as water boarding.