Still at GreenTurtle Cay

The weather forecast this morning was not good -- lots of showers and thunderstorms crossing the little Bahama Bank which is where we would be today. We elected to wait another day. The weather window is remaining open.

In the mean time we went for dinghy ride into Black Sound and the lagoon across from the Bluff House. Lots of wrecked boats on the shore line -- this hurricane hole is NOT living up to its namesake.

Changed the spark plugs in the dinghy outboard motor. I thought it wouldn't get us back but it did.

We will try to leave again tomorrow morning.

Enough fancy eating -- tonight is spaghetti and meat -- the meat is a "surprise" meat. They said it was hamburger and we will find out.

Ready set GO!

Ohhh boy. Looks like our weather window has arrived.

We are heading to Great Sale Cay tomorrow and spending the night. Sunday we will head to the northern banks near White Sand Ridge and head out. Depending on how it goes we might make Fort Pearce, Cape Canaveral, or even Brunswick Georgia. Depends on weather and how we feel in the gulf stream.

Today we made final preparations. I dove on the boat bottom and cleaned it with the last 1000psi in my scuba tank, we went to towns and provisioned for a few more days -- mainly Oj and Gin and Coconut Bread.

It was off and on showers this morning so we had to work around that. I dove on the boat bottom and when I came up it started to rain so I took my shower stuff to the showers here and took a nice long hot one. When I came out it was pouring rain so I didn't even dry off and put my wet swim trunks on and put my back pack in a garbage bag and walked in the driving rain to the boat where I dried off and put dry clothes on. Actually great fun. The pool here was full of young kids swimming in the rain. Great fun.

The trip to town was a bit rough in the dinghy but we had a great time once we got there. We went to Shorty's Take out and had lunch. It was good and relatively cheap. We both had lunch dinners and drinks for $24. That is what one lunch is any other place. Then off to grocery store, liqueur store, and bakery. Have got to get one more Coconut bread for the road.

The McIntosh bakery was at its best today. They had coconut cream pies, key lime pies, with huge domes of merangue, cherry pies and all other assortments. Ummmm good but we left with only the coconut bread and Mark had a coconut ice cream for the road. A great afternoon in GTC.

Cleaned up on the boat this afternoon and made more preparations to depart tomorrow. Topped off the diesel full and water tanks and put the dinghy and motor away. If it is not raining in the morning we will be off -- I never leave in the rain!

Wish us luck and check the position reports on this web page to track us. We will be out of cell phone and internet until Monday or Tuesday.

See were we ended up.

Doing the Turtle Shuffle

Well I was told I still have to leave the Green Turtle Club marina on Saturday the 8th because of reservations.

This caused a lot of consternation. The weather forecast was for frequent severe thunderstorms Wednesday through Friday and a lesser degree on Saturday. The wind on Thursday was supposed to be low 20s gusting to 30s and I did not want to move my boat out of that slip and around all the mega yachts that have already arrived in the Marina -- it is tight.

We decided to move out Wednesday in only moderate wind and try and get a mooring ball in White Sound. I first dove on the propeller to check its condition. It had a lot of very fine grass like structures growing on it as well as the rest of the bottom but they brushed right off -- no barnacles. We then checked out and left the marina -- it was blowing moderately but we made it out with out any white knuckles or yelling -- a good thing. We saw a nice orange mooring and went for it. Well it took 4 attempts to finally get the bridle attached and then we could read the little float that said "RESERVED" -- aaaack. The wind was the factor. It would blow us away before we could attach the bridle.

What to do.. There was no other viable mooring available so I called the Bluff House Marina and they said I could stay tonight but they had reservation and I may have to move tomorrow. Ohh well, Chris Parker was calling for the worst storms tonight into tomorrow so we took a slip. That went pretty well and we were all tied up. Good thing because during the night we had numerous storms roll over and one had lightning so packed together that it looked like a continuous light!

It was a nice day. We met the folks on the 2 other sailboats here and they are all holding to cross back to the US too. Sounds like we might have a buddy boat or two which would be grand. The rest of the afternoon was on again off again showers.

For you cruisers here in the winter where most boats here are either sail or trawler, both marinas are full of large powered mega yachts now. No wonder they wanted me to be gone. These folks spread BIG money around although most are quite rude -- could be that "Kalik drip" they have all day long.

After a stormy night it has been a quiet windy day with just a couple of showers. I cleaned the knot log transducer and launched the dinghy. Installed new cam cleats on the dinghy davits. The old ones were slipping occasionally. We met the locals on a Catamaran on that orange mooring so it was good we didn't stay until kicked off. My old slip at the Green Turtle Club had a small mega yacht in there this afternoon.

So far they have not asked us to move. I hate when I can't have a definite plan!

Mark and I went to lunch at the Tranquil Turtle Beach bar here today. There were only a couple of folks there and we got waited on quickly. We ordered a couple of Kaliks and then tried to order lunch but she wouldn't take the order. "We are out of gas but more is coming". Grrrr this is the same place where my Christmas Dinner -- Special Sweet and Sour Chicken dinner -- consisted of 3 wings and a broken drum stick.

Well the threat of rain was high so we just enjoyed the bar and finally ordered about 45 minutes later. I had the Cracked Conch and it was good. Long lunch -- we didn't get back on the boat till 2:30pm

We have just been puttering around the boat and trying to look scarce so they don't ask me to leave -- wishful thinking I guess.

So we will probably be here tonight. I sure don't want to anchor out here because the holding is poor.

Now what's for dinner?

Another Fun Day

Aaaack it poured rain till about 11am. then we took a golf cart into town to hit the grocery stores we didn't hit yesterday. Finally got a little lunch meat -- ouch -- $7.10 for a 10oz package of ham.

Then on the way back the golf cart quit running -- had plenty of gas but was not pumping it. Fortunately I had my Bahamas phone and I called Brendell and he sent another cart out. After 30 minutes and being a feast for mosquitoes we headed back and got caught in a blinding rain. Oh yeah we got wet.

We had a nice lunch of leftovers and lunch meat.

I then changed the primary diesel filter on the main engine. The old one did not look bad but now I know we are starting with a good one.

I then checked with the office to see if I could stay another 2 days -- Thursday and Friday -- forecast bad weather those days. They said they had to check with management -- later they said NO -- they were full up.

After a little hiatus I filled the water tanks. Looks like we have to leave here tomorrow instead of Thursday. They have a reservation for this slip. I don't know how they are going to get here because the weather is forecast real bad Thursday and Friday. Thus I need to leave tomorrow while conditions are still mild and go to either a mooring ball, Bluff House, or anchor.

Weather looks good for Saturday on so that is when we will probably start back.

Ohh well.

Just as I was heading out for a late shower tonight I noticed the kitchen sink faucet leaking around the handle -- even when it was off. I had put a repair kit in it 2 months ago but now it leaks again. After studying it awhile Mark notice th water coming from the base rather than the top. I tore it down again and pulled the whole faucet off. Ahhh there are O-rings in the base. I remembered the repair kit had some but I thought they we for a different faucet. Fortunately I hadn't thrown them away and they fit fine. Faucet no leak now --- ahhh feels good. Nice way to end the day -- looks like a shower in the morning though

Back in the Bahamas

Arrived back at Green Turtle Cay yesterday afternoon. Great Trip.

Wow everything came off like clock work yesterday. It was an early start with me getting up at 3:45am but it was worth it. We had a 7:15am flight out of RDU to Miami. The airport was not crowded, made it through boarding pass assignment with minimal hassle (You can't use a Kiosk when doing a one way ticket to the Bahamas). Breezed through TSA and the plane left on time. The only issue was that I left my Iphone in the car. I didn't want to put Karen through the hassle of coming back to the airport or delay my processing so I let it go -- may regret that later.

Arrived in Miami on time and found our departure gate was on the same concourse but at the extreme other end. We came in on gate 7 and would leave on gate 55!! We tried the Sky Train and it was a breeze from there.

The flight from Miami to Marsh Harbour was on a Brazilian built Jet and it was fast -- 29 minutes. Wow it took us 26 hours by boat!!

Arrived in Marsh Harbour and worked through customs and immigration and then grabbed a cab to Treasure Cay. I wanted to go to the marina for lunch and the grocery store there and the cab driver told me "good Luck". This was a holiday weekend here and today Monday was a religious holiday the stores would be very low on supplies and most would be closed. We went to the Ferry dock and had lunch there. Took the 1:30pm Ferry and were in Green turtle about 2pm.

WOW....

The boat looked good. No visible damages, no odor below, and fired up the AC units. It was very warm and sticky.

I was hot and sticky since I lost my acclimation to this heat. We rented a golf cart and went to town for groceries. Only lowes food was open and they had a lot of empty space on the shelves and the really good meats were gone as well as lunch meats. We wanted to go to Sids early this morning but it is poring rain right now... Soon we can go I hope.

Last night we went to the Green Turtle Club for dinner. We had to get a table inside because the mosquitoes are Voracious!! Even the screened in area had them. Then it was back on the boat to do more unpacking and system startups and in bed just after 9pm. It had been a long day but a GREAT travel day.

Time to go forage for some more food now.

Crying Uncle and another INTERMISSION!

Ohhh man I come to you all with a heavy heart tonight. Our weather window has not appeared yet and it will be at least another 2 weeks before one might appear. Several folks we know took the marginal weather windows recently that we passed on and they had an uncomfortable time. All made it but it was no fun for them. Unfortunately our patience and needs are not limitless so we are going to have to put the boat up again (this time at the Green Turtle Club) and travel back to the homestead via American Airlines. Fortunately we are not traveling with a stroller so should be okay. Hey I wonder what all those "Sky Marshalls" are doing on these planes that we as tax payers are paying for. Couldn't they intervene if an air rage instance goes to fista cuffs??


The forecast weather for Saturday and yesterday was bad. It turned out WORSE. Last evening we had a wind average in the 30s with gusts in the low 40s. This morning we saw 2 anchored boats up against some docks and 2 others all twisted together and trying to untangle their anchor lines. I wonder if others broke loose last night and were able to reset themselves. It was comfortable here at the dock and we even turned on the AC so we didn't have to listen to the wind whistling.

Well back to the unpleasant intermission. Tomorrow we are taking a ferry to Treasure Cay then a LONG Cab ride to Marsh harbour to catch a plane. We will go through Miami this time then onto RDU. Airport/plane time is 5 hours but 3 hours of ferry, taxi, and check in. What else would be doing tomorrow eh?

I'm not happy about this but I am looking forward to coming back in early June and taking the boat back across to the USA. We have never been here that late and it will be an adventure to enjoy really mild conditions and lots of heat. Hey cooling off is just a dip over the railing! Hey maybe when I return Karen can stay home and one of my old sailing buddies can come over and we can take one of those marginal weather windows and make BIG tracks home. Otherwise it will be the comfortable baby steps back.

Over the rail cooling - well yes and no. Saturday a sport fishing boat came in and they cleaned their fish at the head of the dock. Ohhh Man we had 3 Nurse sharks come in and one was at least 5 feet long and there was a 5 foot manta ray swimming with them and a couple of barracudas. Ohhh man it was just 3 weeks ago I dove here on the bottom of my boat and cleaned it. I looked for fish but saw none. I would have been quite uptight if one of these babies had showed up.

Well the weather looks good for flying tomorrow so hopefully it will be a good trip.

Right now it looks like intermission will be over around June 5th and then we will bring Temptation home.

Like Moses and the promised land

Aaaaaack still in GTC area.  We can see the promised land (Florida) but just can't get there ---yet.

We had no weather window this week then one suddenly appeared and everyone is chomping at the bit to use it.  Unfortunately it is constantly shrinking and is now down to 12 hours on Friday and still with 3 - 4 foot seas in the Gulf Stream.  That is doable by many folks but not us. Then again maybe.

Gosh we have been patient but 3 weeks and stil not a go for us.  We will wait some more.

In the mean time we are anchored at Manjack Cay and enjoying this pleasant undeveloped area.  There is great sea glass hunting nearby but with the winds 15 - 20 it's is too rough for the dinghy ride of 2 miles.  I guess we are just whoosies.

We thought we would take this window anyway but the fates had other ideas.  We pulled anchor this morning and motored the 6 miles back to the GTC settlement in what should've been 10 - 15 kts but found 20 plus. We anchored and launched the dinghy in rough conditions.  I went to 2 stores and got what we needed. Then back on the boat and loaded the dinghy to leave.  It was tough in the bouncing waves. Then we discovered that our fresh water pump was running all the time --not really pumping.  So I had to troubleshoot that and fix it.   Once loaded and recovered we took off towards Powell Cay where our contingent was supposed to be hanging out but then learned they went further towards Foxtown and anchored behind Crab Cay..  the wind was behind us and I still doubted we would take this window.  If we decided to not take it we would have to motorback in stronger winds tomorrow sooo we diverted to Manjack and anchored out of this wind.

Tomorrow we will either go on for the crossing on Friday or head back to GTC to find safe Harbour for the expected very nasty weather this weekend into Monday Tuesday. What can I say?.