Month: March 2010

We hadn’t been listening to the VHF or the South Side Cruisers Net on Channel 18 at 7:30am and so had not been in contact with the cruising community for the last week or so.  We had kinda taken a break after the constant drone experienced in G-Town.  We do however have a great internet connection and have been spending some of our free time doing research and checking out what sorts of attractions Turks and Caicos has to offer for when we are underway again.   This is how we met up with Byron and Polly also known affectionately as 2 gringos.    They have been living here on Provo for 5 years along with their Dog, Dooley the Deranged, and writing about their experiences.   I contacted them via e-mail to let them know how much we were enjoying their blog  www.2gringos.blogspot.com and to let them know we would be here at the shipyard for at least another week and if they happened to be in the area to stop by and say hello.  Well the very next day, they did just that.   I heard Mike talking to someone in the yard and when I stepped out and saw who it was I yelled, “Hey, I know that dog from the internet!”  In our conversations they described themselves as cruiser gonnabees, not cruiser wannabees and enjoyed the tour of Dancing Dolphin.   They have been looking at the Gemini Cats as they want a boat with very little draft to take into vast amount of skinny water in and around the T&C.  Anyway, Byron and Polly reminded us about the Net and told us that South Side Marina hosts a cruisers potluck every Thursday, and they had wanted to go check it out, so we made plans to do just that.  Polly and Byron came by with Dooley and took us around to see some of the Island we had not yet checked out and then we headed back to their home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Banks and across the Wetlands next to the Shipyard.   Polly made a delicious brochette and we brought some of our Blackfin Tuna and some Red Beans and Rice for our contribution to the BBQ/Potluck.    We arrived at South Side Marina and enjoyed visiting with some other cruisers again.  Simon who manages the Marina is extremely obliging.  Talking about where everyone is headed has us ever more eager to be back out there on the water too.   After the Potluck we headed back to Polly and Byron’s and continued to enjoy ourselves into the wee hours of the morning (For me a little too much), before they brought us back to the yard.     We really enjoyed their company.   We are honored that they invited us to spend time with them during our stay and feel we have made some wonderful new friends.   Thanks Byron, Polly and Dooley the Delightful.

2Gringos

Us with Dooley the Daring

Flamingos near Byron and Polly’s Home

Except for Mighty Mouse who is locked up on their floating dock we are without transportation which is just as well as there is not much here on the island that is accessible by Dink. We rented a car for a day from one of the local guys here at the marina took a little drive around the island and stopped at Da Conch Shack where we sampled their conch salad and had a couple of rum drinks.   We also went by the grocery store to pick up some staples but will wait until we reach the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico to Reprovision.  The prices here on food and drink are astronomical.   At least double US prices and on some things triple.      Arg! Matey, the cap’n has taken to rationin’ the Rum!

We have taken Mighty Mouse out for a spin a few times to break up the monotony of the boatyard life.  We explored some of the canals around the Marina, and saw a young sea turtle.   We have also gone out into the sound to swim and escape the heat and the bugs.  We snorkeled around a wrecked barge and saw some beautiful big reef fish.  Makes us wand to go and get a fishing permit.

We have been taking morning walks through the community near the yard and are always greeted by numerous Island dogs.    Most of these dogs all look the same, short hair, lean, floppy ears.  They take their guard dog jobs seriously enough to warrant a raucous round of barking whenever someone comes near.    Rusty who is on duty here at the yard is much more laid back, almost too laid back.  She will come and lean on you if you stand still for very long.   She has joined us on our walks and smiles now when she sees us heading for the gate.    We commented that with all of the “For Sale” signs, we could be walking down one of the gravel roads in Pagosa Springs.  Ok, except for the fact that we are in sandals, shorts, and t-shirts in the middle of March.

While the Crew works we are treated to a daily concert by the Yardbirds.  The lineup has been inspired by the Crews hard work and include:  “The Sun is Shining”, “Slow Walk”, “Gotta Hurry”, “Shapes of Things”, “Boom Boom”, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor”, “Bye, Bye, Birdie”, and of course, “Stroll On”.  Seriously though, these little guys are Ruddy Turnstones, and they cruise around the yard and the docks.  The come running and flying when there is food to be had.  They have a very distinctive black and white pattern on them that can only be seen when they fly.  They seek out any shade in the heat of the day, even our shadows if there is nothing else close by.

Here we are still in Provo and we are finally seeing some advancement toward our goal of getting our repairs done.   Michael and I have busied ourselves with various boat projects and with fending off the hordes of mosquitoes who seem to think that repellent is some kind of gravy over the main course.   We are currently on the hard in the Caicos Marina Shipyard and are whittling away at those things that we have the knowledge to deal with ourselves while the Crew here handles those repairs that are beyond our capacity.

We will feel much more secure heading south for the remainder of our sojourn with everything in working order and therefore that much easier to maintain.  The people here at the Marina have been wonderfully accommodating.   Upon our arrival here, a week ago, we hailed them on the VHF and they sent a boat out to lead us through the coral heads and into the Marina.   They had DD hauled that same day and have given us an estimate for repairs.   All of the Crew here at the Marina have been very respectful, helpful, and kind.

Caicos Marina & Shipyard

March 8th

An early morning uninvited Guest greeted us from the bow of our boat.   He was a bit annoyed when we came up from below and disturbed him from what I’m sure he thought was a lovely perch.   We lowered Mighty Mouse and dingied over to the dock and hiked over the hill to the Government Dock where it was rumored we could check in.   The security person at the gate told us to come back at 3:00pm and he would have someone from customs and immigration meet us there.   We walked around a little and found the Rock Carvings on top of the hill we traversed that were carved by stranded Mariners.  Some were quite elaborate and the earliest was from 1767. (http://tcimall.tc/chalksound/Carvings.htm)   We made our way back by the designated time.    Security was strict at the Government Dock and we had to show ID before we were issued security badges to enter the complex.   We met with the Customs agent at the Port Authority building first.  The boat was given a 7 day permit to remain in T&C.   We explained that we might be here longer, if we needed to ship in parts for repairs.  We were told if we chose to stay after the 7 days we could purchase a cruising permit for $75.00 USD.  Immigration was more accommodating and for $15.00US granted us a Visa till the end of the month.   He could not however make change for a larger bill.  He suggested we walk down to the Gas Station/Convenience Store to get change while he waited.   We walked about ¼ mile down the road and were told by the Clerk that they too could not make change as there had just been a shift change and the drawer did not have enough.   We were directed to another convenience (and I use this term loosely) store who also did not have change.   We walked back to the Gas Station and waited another 20 minutes until a couple of people came into buy gas at which time we were able to make a purchase and come away with the correct amount of change for the immigration officer.   We walked back to the Government Dock and completed our check in.   Definitely a learning experience.   We will try to keep some smaller bills at the ready when entering a new place.

March 6^th & 7th

We left Rum Cay early in the morning and made our way southeast toward Mayaguana.  We had light winds again still from the North which gave us a broad reach to motor sail.   The swells became big again once we left the lee of the Island.  We traversed most of the way in 6 – 8 ft swells but they were fairly regular at about 11 second intervals and so were not to worrisome.     Mike had both fishing poles rigged and we trolled as we made our way South.     Mikes ocean Rod that was a beautiful gift from the Butler Family had not seen much action since we began this journey but not for the lack of trying.    At around 11:30am I had the helm and Mike was below reading and resting, as we would be sailing all night.  Suddenly,  Mike’s pole began buzzing and I yelled “Fish On!” and slowed the boat.   I was just reaching for the pole and Mike was emerging from the Salon when the other rod also started buzzing.  I yelled again “ Two Fish On!”   The Autohelm steered the boat and we both got to reel in a blackfin Tuna,  10lbs and 7lbs respectively.     It was a great rush!   Mike cleaned the fish while we were underway and I packaged the steaks and put all but one package in the freezer.   We will no longer be fish starved.  Hooray!   We continued on our journey and although we had a fish on 2 more times both bit through or broke the lines…..In which case it was probably better that we didn’t bring them in.   The freezer is not that big.     We made great time to Mayaguana  arriving at 2:30am under a sky full of stars and a glowing ¼ moon hanging low in the sky.  However….we arrived too early to hazard an entrance to the bay.  Most of the Islands are surrounded by Coral Reef and are better approached in the light of day.    We decided that since we had already traveled this far and we only had another 39 miles to get to the Turks and Caicos we pressed on.  Upon entering the Channel to the T&C the changes in the colors of the water was dramatically defined.   There were quite a few coral heads and we found that our GPS only covers the Bahamas so we entered using only our Paper Charts, and eyballing the Coral Heads.   28 hours after leaving Rum Cay we anchored safely on Mike’s Birthday in Sapodilla Bay on the Lee side of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos.  We ran up the yellow Q flag and  I spent the afternoon baking him a Carrot Cake in our BBQ that actually turned out great!  I think I’m finally figuring out how to bake in it.    We had seared Blackfin Tuna Steaks with Wasabi for dinner and the Birthday Cake for Dessert.  We also had a good WiFi signal and so Mike was able to Skype with Family on his B-Day.   It was an exhausting but wonderful experience.  We will officially check into the T&C tomorrow.

Catch of the Day/ Blackfin Tuna

Michael’s B-Day Sunrise

Dramatic and Defined Color Changes

Happy Birthday Sweets

Michael’s Birthday Sunset

March 5^th, 2010

The Name alone sounds enticing.  Well we weighed our options…..take 2 days to travel south around the southern end of Long Island and across to the Ackins and on to the Turks and Caicos or take one day to travel north around the north point of Long Island and across to Rum Cay.   We listened to the weather forcasts for the coming days and opted for the latter.   The Winds over the next few days are to continue to come from the North and begin switching to the Northeast and then East.   We made our way north on the same path as we had taken the previous day.  The seas had indeed calmed down immensely and the wind had lightened as well.  We were joined by a friendly young dolphin who swam from his mother up to our boat to play for a few moments.   We always take this as a good omen.     Once around the point we had a broad reach that although light enabled us to make good time over to Rum Cay.   We anchored well before dark, relaxed and enjoyed watching children play on the beach and a young man who paddled across the bay standing on a surfboard.    After yet another beautiful sunset we prepared ourselves mentally for the next leg of our journey.   Tomorrow we will travel from Rum Cay down to Mayaguana on an overnight sail that should take us about 23 hours.

Rum Cay Sunset

March 4, 2010

We have torn ourselves away from Georgetown and are underway once again.    We spent the better part of the day before reorganizing and mentally preparing ourselves for the sail.   “Getting our head back in the game” as our friend David so aptly puts it, was our goal.   We had stowed our gear, took the engine off Mighty Mouse and raised and secured her on her davits.   We arose early and made our way out of our cozy anchorage, past our favorite snorkeling spot and into the cut to head over to Long Island.  The winds  had subsided at least a little to the 15-20 knot range but the seas had yet to calm down and we found ourselves once again in 10ft swells which on our initial course had them hitting us broadside, not very comfortable.   We changed course and headed southeast along the coast of Little Exuma and the turned east past White Cay.  This took us across the banks where the swells were considerably less.    Upon reaching Long Island we headed north again along the coast but as we left the banks the swells increased again and we were headed into the wind and waves nose first.  We slogged our way north for a few miles and upon seeing Joe’s sound, the only protected anchorage in that area, full, we opted to turn around and head back south and spend the night in Thompson Bay, Long Island.   With the wind and waves on our stern the trip back south was again a breeze.   We anchored in Thompson Bay just before sunset and settled in for the evening.   We will make our way north again tomorrow hopefully after the seas lie down just a bit more.

Thompson Bay Long Island

Well after nearly 6 weeks in Elizabeth Harbor, Georgetown, Exumas, Bahamas,  we managed to escape with our sense of adventure still intact.   I thought since I had not written much during this time you might like a little more detail into our time spent in Georgetown.    It is easy to get sucked in by the whirlwind of activities and atmosphere of the cruising community of G-Town and the festivities of Regatta.   It was a terrific place to entertain our family and friends as it had plenty of things to keep our minds from focusing on the continuing stream of north winds and cold weather…..Ok,Ok…..I know cold is a relative term for most of you back in the states.   The Georgetown Cruising Community has been described as, Adult Daycare, Sun City on the Sea, or Old Folks on Boats, primarily because of the general age of those who participate, volunteer, and coordinate the Regatta.   Michael says the last time he cruised there seemed to be a lot more young cruisers than he sees now.  I remind him he was of that younger crowd and is now older as well.  Many spend their entire winter here and return year after year.  This is after all what they use to refer to as Chicken Harbor as folks from the states would come this far and never venture further south.    During our stay, our mornings would usually start off with us tuning up the SSB radio to catch the weather from Chris Parker whose broadcasts became somewhat redundant with the projection of yet another cold front heading for the Bahamas.  We would gage the strengths and wind directions of the impending storms and choose which anchorage we would sit out the weather in.   Some of our favorites during our stay were Sand Dollar Beach, for its wonderful trails, long beach walks, shelling, and close proximity to afternoon fun volleyball (which both Mike and I loved), Crab Cay for its great protection from the weather and its short dingy ride to town,  and Red Shanks for its feeling of remoteness and beauty.   Our mornings also included faithfully tuning in to the Georgetown Cruisers Net broadcast on VHF Channel 68.  It features included a recap of the local weather, Community Announcements (activities), Regatta Announcements (contests, t-shirt sales, etc.), Boaters general (Items wanted/or available/lost & found /etc.), New Arrivals,  Departures, and a thought for the day.   The chatter over the VHF Radio was occasionally an annoyance at which time we would just shut it off but much of the time it was a source of entertainment.  There were some real characters in the Harbor who were very creative with their transmissions and one wonders if they actually scripted some of the more hilarious conversations and announcements.   Boats with names like Borrowed Horse and Mosey came up with some great ones.   Dan (Borrowed Horse) was the Self Appointed, unofficial spokesman for ARG!(Alcohol Research Group) and would coordinate weekly meetings/happy hours on the beach.   Ken (Mosey) aka Mr. (Are ya ready?) his moniker call before every serve at volleyball, also would keep us informed and entertained during the worst of the weather that passed through G-Town, (always promising warm fresh baked cookies prepared by his lovely wife Christie, at the height of the squalls and storms to any who wanted to dingy over to their boat!) The coconut telegraph was definitely in full swing and nothing was discussed over the VHF that you didn’t want everyone to know.  Boats and their crew would rename themselves or were given other names by their friends to try and achieve some anonymity on the Radio….next to impossible as voices were clearly recognizable and were followed shamelessly by all who knew them.  It was common place to hear, break! break!, and have someone join in your conversation.  Our afternoons were spent mainly on the Volleyball courts, weather permitting and we enjoyed a number of fun events put on by the dedicated volunteers of the Regatta committees as well as a number of evening spent a some of the more colorful local establishments.   We met and enjoyed the friendly people of Georgetown and treasured the company of our new friends as well as the joy of sharing a bit of our new lifestyle with old friends and family.   We gathered as many of our friend’s e-mails and or contact information that we could prior to leaving G-Town as we look forward to keeping in touch with them and perhaps meeting up again Down Island.   We loved our time fishing and snorkeling around the area and thrilled to the wonderful tastes of Lobster, fish, and conch dishes and appetizers prepared both by locals and copied to the best of our ability back on the boat.   We understand why cruisers return year after year to spend their winter in Velcro Harbor and we were honored to add the name of Dancing Dolphin to the border of the Georgetown Cruising Regatta Mural and the Guest book at the infamous Chat n Chill Bar on Volleyball Beach.   For us though, other Islands are calling and the continued, albeit atypical, North Winds are encouraging us to move ever southward.   The time has come to take our leave of Georgetown.  We will continue our sojourn taking with us some wonderful memories and of course a 30^th Annual Georgetown Regatta T-Shirt.

Feb 25 – Mar 3

Mike has continued to improve and is himself again.   He is still coughing but is back to his old ornery ways.   I thankfully never did come down with whatever the boys had.    We need to have some repairs done to the boat and we were hoping to travel up to Spanish Wells but the weather fronts just keep on coming and it looks like our chances for going back north are pretty much non-existent.   The weather has continued to present with an El Nino pattern of continued cold fronts and we were expecting gale force winds that thankfully passed to the north of us last night.   With the wind insisting that we abandon our northerly plans.   We have adjusted our attitudes and will now change our latitudes.  We are expecting NW to N winds at between 12 – 20 knots over the next 5 days so we will head south to the Turks and Caicos next and will check out the boatyard there.   We spent this last week connecting and gathering contact information from many of our new friends that we have met while staying in Georgetown.  We also were privileged to attend Chris Parker’s weather seminar on the 27th.   He travels here to the Bahamas once each year to share with the cruising community his vast wealth of knowledge regarding the weather.    We danced the night away at the opening day dance and no-talent show for the 30^th annual Georgetown Regatta.   I was also honored to be invited by a group of musicians to sit in on their jam session and learn some new stuff on the guitar.    We will miss the many activities and amenities that this Velcro Harbor in Georgetown has blessed us with during our stay but we are itching to be on the move again and spent today getting Dancing Dolphin ready to head out to the big blue again.   We have shared our plans with a number of other boats and it looks like we will have a flotilla leaving with us.   We will travel to Long Island tomorrow and then on to Rum Cay and then South.    I will be writing more often now as there will not be as many activities to keep me away from the computer.    Please comment whenever you can.  We enjoy knowing that you are along for the sail!