by Judy Handley | Apr 26, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 116: Island Tour and Dinner with Totem
Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Weather: Partly Cloudy, E 10 knots
Location: At Anchor in Rock Sound, Eleuthera
It was a long but great day. We picked up the rental car and were on way to touring the island of Eleuthera by 8 am. We drove north to a place called the Glass Window Bridge and worked our way south. The first stop, the Glass Window Bridge, is the narrowest part of the island at only 30 feet wide where you can see the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Exuma Sound to the west. We climbed the prickly limestone rocks to a high spot to take photos and saw two water spouts in the Atlantic. We then drove a little south and climbed through those prickly limestone rocks once again to get to the Queen’s Bathtub which is a series of natural tide pools where you can sit and soak up the sun in warm water if the sun is shining. Unfortunately, we were there when it was cloudy and the tide was coming in, so the pools were not as warm as they could have been. Yet, the view of the Atlantic Ocean was gorgeous. Next, we had lunch at Daddy Joe’s and continued our trek back to the south. We made stops at a couple of beaches, in Hatchet Bay, and in Governor’s Bay. The two bay stops were important as it helped Sam and Dawn make a decision on our next stop. Hatchet Bay has a very narrow entrance and Governor’s Harbor is beautiful, thus much more alluring. So tomorrow we will sail from here to Governor’s Harbor. The homeward bound part of the trip was spent trying to find one of the pink sand beaches that Eleuthera advertises so I could take a sample home. It was a great day and I hope to post photos tomorrow once we reach Governor’s Bay.
But our day was not over when we returned from the island tour. Sam and Dawn had invited Totem’s captain and his three children over for dinner tonight, and what a delightful evening we had together. Totem is on her way home to Washington state after their 9-year circumnavigation. The three children are now 17, 14, and 12. They have grown up and been educated onboard and are three most impressive teenagers. Niall (pronounced like the River Nile), the oldest, could go to college this fall, but he wants to remain on the boat until they complete the circumnavigation when they cross their path in Mexico. So he will be applying for colleges this fall. While we talked about their adventures in Papua New Guinea with all of its World War II history, Mairen and Siobhan (pronounced She-vaughn) built card houses. It was fun to watch them work so carefully to keep the card structures from falling. And all I could think at the end of the evening is that it would be wonderful if all children could be so lucky as to experience the world as they have. This family was in Falmouth last summer giving a talk at the Falmouth Academy. I had been invited by friends Bruce and Jane Wooden to go, but I didn’t make it. This was just one more reminder of what a small world it is.
by Judy Handley | Apr 25, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 115: The Ocean Hole and A Gift
Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Weather: Beautiful Day with Winds W 10 knots
Location: At Anchor in Rock Sound, Eleuthera
Plans to tour the island by rental car were changed when we arrived at the gas station/car rental and found they are no longer are in the car rental business. They tried to help us find a car by calling various people in town, but a rental was not in the picture for today. Since we had our snorkel gear with us for the island tour, we simple changed plans and walked to a place called The Ocean Hole.
This is a somewhat salty deep water hole (sink hole) right in the middle of town. There’s not a huge variety of fish, but near the ladder where you get into the water, there are lots of fish waiting to be fed by tourists.
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It was only 9:30 am when we left the ‘hole’, so Sam and Dawn followed up a lead on a rental car we got from another couple who came to snorkel and feed the fish at The Ocean Hole. They said to go to the supermarket and talk to the manager. Since we had backpacks and snorkel gear, I volunteered to wait with all of our things at the dock and let Sam and Dawn do the car rental hunt. I sat on the dock being a sun worshiper and took the opportunity to call my sister to check on my brother-in-law’s progress. He is still in the rehab center and doing so much better than he was this time last week. He has been in a rehab center for the past week, but the doctor is going to release him to go home on Wednesday. He is being released from the rehab center because he has made such good progress. Let’s hope that progress is enough to make the transition to home go smoothly. Hang in there, Joe. You’ll soon have that knee working like new.
Now back to the car rental hunt . . . it was unsuccessful. There was a car available for tomorrow, but nothing for today. We discussed just how to amend our plans and finally decided that we would stay here for another day and tour the island from this location tomorrow instead of traveling north to Hatchet Bay. Dawn called Hatchet Bay car rental possibilities looking for something to rent there on Thursday, but she could not get anyone to commit to a set reservation. So we’ll stay here for tomorrow, probably sail to Hatchet Bay on Thursday, and then do the overnight crossing to the Abacos on Friday into Saturday morning. But there is huge ridge of high pressure that might cause the returning trade winds to be a little stronger than Sam would like. If that scenario plays out, we will skip Hatchet Bay and go straight from here to the Abacos.
Sam was successful in uploading the new updates for the autopilot when we arrived here and he took advantage of our down time today to get those installed. After lunch Dawn and I went into town so I could upload a few photos to the website, but it was so slow that I didn’t make much progress. I was using free wifi at a local craft store called The Blue Seahorse, so while I uploaded photos, Dawn took the opportunity to talk to the owners of the shop about the things they make and sell and about some of the places we hope to visit on the island. When we returned to Windbird, we took her out to do the sea trials with the auto pilot. The conditions were good—not much wind, near slack tide, and calm seas—and the system said all were successful. We’ll find out when we sail out of here on Thursday if it works as well with wind and sails up, but both Sam and Dawn are encouraged. This is the auto pilot that was installed after lightning struck Windbird during the first week they owned the boat. It is a top of the line Garmin but has never worked just right for them. I sure hope the updated software and today’s trials set things right.
And now about the gift. It all started this afternoon when Dawn and I were walking down the street to go to The Blue Seahorse. On the way we met Marcus, a sailor from San Francisco they had met in Georgetown. We talked for a bit and Marcus mentioned that a restaurant on the ocean side of the town had been highly recommended to him. He wanted to go there for dinner and asked if we would like to go as well. He called the place Rose’s and after he tried to call and I tried to call, we gave up the idea of going there. But just before 5 pm, Rose called back. She said she would pick us up on the dock at 6:30 pm. I don’t think any of us really knew what to expect, but Rose and her little restaurant were the ‘gift’ I mention in the title of this log. Rose is a Bahamian woman of many stories.
First, her restaurant and Northside cottages she rents out are at the end of the world. It is only a couple of miles from town, but it is remote.
Rose and her husband purchased the property and moved here from Freeport on Grand Bahama Island seventeen years ago to build their dream house on the ocean. Just after moving, Rose’s husband died leaving her with six children. Rose was raised by her grandparents when her mother died when she was very young. The grandparents made sure she got a college education and Rose did the same for her children. Rose has lived alone since her husband’s death and has built a beautiful life. Her college educated children now live all over the world. One is in Canada, one in Switzerland, one in Australia, a grandson in England, and on and on. So tonight, she not only prepared and served a wonderful dinner for us, she shared her family photo album and all the stories that go with it. She has visited South Africa and has a picture of herself shaking Nelson Mandela’s hand and pictures of herself in cities around the globe. Meeting her was a true gift. Before we left, she sang a little song to us. “Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away; love is something if you give it away, you end up having more.” The second verse was about sharing your wealth, and the moral of the story is that if you don’t, you are the loser. Her stories, her songs, her jokes and laughter, and her positive outlook on life are an inspiration and gift to each of us. Thank you, Rose.
Now to bed. We leave here at 7:15 am to go get our rental car to see more of this island that becomes more interesting the longer you are here.
by Judy Handley | Apr 24, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 114: Spinnaker Run to Eleuthera
Date: Monday, April 24, 2017
Weather: Beautiful Day with Light West Winds
Location: At Anchor in Rock Sound, Eleuthera
Today was a beautiful, sunny day but the winds were light. Sam and Dawn have never sailed with Windbird’s spinnaker, so that was the adventure for today.
It was much easier than they anticipated and we had a great sail for most of the day. But as the winds got even lighter, 6 to 8 knots true, we were going slower than desired even with the spinnaker, so at that point we turned on the ‘iron genny’ and motored the last bit into Rock Sound.
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We plan to rent a car to see some of the island tomorrow and at the end of the day will make a decision as to whether we will leave here on Wednesday morning or spend one more day. In any case, we will have internet for the next couple of days, unlike the last four days we spent in the Exuma Land and Sea Park. Also, I wanted to mention that the people on Totem, the boat we went over to visit, are slowly headed home to the Pacific Northwest to end their circumnavigation with three children onboard. The woman, Behan, discovered my logs before heading out around the world and it was really great to meet someone who had used my logs as they sailed. She now writes her own blog which can be found at sail@SailingTotem.com.
Check it out.
by Judy Handley | Apr 23, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 113: Squally Day in Hog Cay
Date: Sunday, April 23, 2017
Weather: Overcast and Squally, Winds SSE 20, Gust to 25+
Location: Warderick Wells South, Hog Cay Anchorage
As expected, today was spent on Windbird waiting for this weather front to pass. The rain started during the night and the wind has maintained a steady 20 knots with gusts to 25. When the gusts come through we get jerked around just a bit, but it is fairly calm in this anchorage to be as windy as it is. With this weather, we all decided to do rainy day activities. Dawn baked this morning
while Sam did planning for the next few days. I have worked all day editing underwater photos and naming videos from our snorkeling adventures. They have the Humann, Deloach Reef Fish and Reef Creatures Identification books onboard to help me. From time to time, Sam, Dawn, and I consult on exactly what kind of fish we really did see. We have learned that what we thought we saw is not nearly as accurate as looking at the photos or pausing videos to study the fish characteristics. Right now it is late afternoon and Dawn is watching a movie while Sam is writing his monthly article for Flying magazine.
He needs to send that in once we get back to the land of cell and internet service. I don’t think I mentioned in a previous log that in the May issue of Flying magazine, Sam’s monthly article includes a two-page spread photo of Windbird at anchor. I excited to read the article and am hoping to find a copy at the airport in Atlanta on the way home. Today he is writing about his experience of working his way up to becoming a captain at Compass Airlines for six years before getting his position with Delta flying Boeing 757’s and 767’s. Luckily for him, during the winter cruising season, flights in his fleet are down by 28 per cent. So for right now, Delta is happy to let him have the time off to cruise during the slow flying months. It’s a good deal for Delta and a great opportunity for Sam and Dawn. But he goes back to work in June and it is time to get Windbird back to the US East Coast for the summer. They have chosen to spend the summer near Annapolis so Sam can easily get to the airport in Baltimore. The first leg of the trip to Annapolis is to get the boat to Marsh Harbor in the Abacos. From there I will fly home and they will prepare for their passage to the East Coast. They hope to get to Georgetown, South Carolina, just north of Charleston to get new canvas for the cockpit enclosure and then they will head to the Chesapeake Bay. But first we have to get to Marsh Harbor in the Abacos so I can fly home. Due to tides, today Sam changed our itinerary. We have eliminated Spanish Wells from our trip northward. If weather permits, tomorrow we will head to Rock Sound in southern Eleuthera. We plan to spend Tuesday there and rent a car to tour the island. On Wednesday the forecast is for almost no wind or variable winds at best, so we’ll probably motor northward to Hatchet Bay. From there the plan is to head west to Fleeming Channel and do an overnight to somewhere near Marsh Harbor. If this plan sticks, we should be there by Friday. But as always with sailing, you make plans and then you adjust them as you go. We have had no internet service since Black Point, but once we reach Eleuthera, we should be back “online” for a few days. I’m getting anxious to hear how my brother-in-law Joe is recovering from his knee surgery last week. Hopefully he is doing great!
by Judy Handley | Apr 22, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 112: Emerald Rock to Hog Cay
Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017
Weather: Overcast and Rainy Early, Sunny PM; Winds ESE 20
Location: Warderick Wells South, Hog Cay Anchorage
The title of this log is Emerald Rock to Hog Cay because we did move anchorages this morning, but it should have been called “A Wild Ride to and from the Malabar Cays.” First, I’ll tell you about moving anchorages and then I’ll tell the story of wild ride.
Sam and Dawn invited Dan and Isabella over for a breakfast of Sam’s specialty, Mexican Eggs. Breakfast was delicious and then we listened to the Park’s morning radio check-out and check-in of boats for Park moorings. Both Windbird and Epiic had hoped to get a mooring in the north anchorage to ride out the nasty weather front headed out way, but there was only one spot in the north anchorage so we both took the two moorings available in Hog Cay. This required us to go out and around the Park into the Sound and then south to this hidden, and very tiny, anchorage. We were bashing down the Sound against the wind for a couple of miles, so it was slow going. It was overcast with sprinkles as we did this, but once we made the move and got settled, we were all very happy with the location. It is a beautiful anchorage and well protected.
After a late lunch, we got ready to go snorkeling at the Malabar Cays. We could see the little islets from our old anchorage at Emerald Rock, but from here we would have to dinghy around the bottom of Warderick Wells and go about a mile and half to two miles to get there. The Park information says to only snorkel there in settled conditions, but we decided that 20 knots of wind was settled. Besides, the sun was shining, the skies were blue, and we wanted to get into the water. Dan decided not to go, so we went to Epiic to pick up Isabella. Just as we approached Epiic, Isabella dropped one of her dive fins in the water the current sent it flying toward us. We tried unsuccessfully to pick it up as it flew by but we only succeeded in making it sink. So Sam dove in the water and I took over the dinghy maneuvering. I had to pick Sam up to give him a ride as he also got caught in the current, but he knew where the fin had landed and we finally got it. Then the three of us headed out. It was a wet ride as we had spray from the waves, but as we learned on the way home, the ride out was really calm in comparison! Mark and I had snorkeled the Malabar Cays a couple of years ago and we never really found the spots indicated on the Park map. And the same thing happened to us today. So we finally gave up and snorkeled on the north side of the Cays as Mark and I had done previously. There was no good place to anchor the dinghy, so I stayed while the others went in to decide if it was worth it. It was, so Dawn came back to the dinghy to take over so I could get in the water, but I told her I would just jump in and trail the dinghy behind me since the current was not too strong. The most exciting thing was that we got to see the Queen Triggerfish that we didn’t see at Emerald Rock yesterday. And like the Peacock Flounder
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Once again, Dawn served a great dinner of Indian Butter Chicken. And after dinner we were all invited over to Epiic. Even though they insisted, I didn’t go because I thought I should give Sam and Dawn time alone with their friends, and it wasn’t until after they left and I started writing this log, that I realized just how tired I was. So I have a feeling it is going to be early to bed for me tonight.
by Judy Handley | Apr 21, 2017 | 2017 Life Logs |
2017 Life Logs, Day 111: Black Point to Exuma Land and Sea Park
Date: Friday, April 21, 2017
Weather: Partly Sunny; Winds E 20
Location: Warderick Wells South, Emerald Rock Anchorage
The sail from Black Point to the Exuma Land and Sea Park today was delightful. For the whole trip, it was much calmer than out in the Exuma Sound yesterday. The auto pilot was still not totally behaving, so we hand-steered a big chunk of the day. But no one on this boat minds that. For those of you not familiar with the Exuma islands in the Bahamas, the Exuma Land and Sea Park is the jewel for cruisers. The park headquarters is called Warderick Wells and there is a north anchorage close to the headquarters office and three anchorages to the south. All of the park anchorages have mooring balls, but when we arrived in the south anchorage known as Emerald Rock, we anchored next to Sam and Dawn’s friends on Epiic. Dan and Isabella are from Canada and are brand new to sailing. They are in their early thirties, but after experiencing two very successful business ventures, they are now hoping to live aboard and sail fulltime. Sam and Dawn met them while both couples were doing boat work in Charleston, South Carolina. When we anchored, Sam and Piper went over to say hello and then after lunch we all headed out in our dinghies to snorkel. The first stop was very close as it was coral heads just off Emerald Rock. When Mark and I were here in 2015, our friends Kevin and Claire were with us. When we snorkeled Emerald Rock, we saw the most beautiful Queen Triggerfish, but she was nowhere in sight today. But we did see a Nassau Grouper that was fun to follow, Peacock Flounders that changed colors to blend with the background, a beautiful Queen Angelfish sporting her bright blue and yellow colors, and a couple of big spiny lobsters. At least we thought they were big until we went to the next snorkeling spot, Ranger’s Garden, in the north anchorage. Here we got to swim with a beautiful spotted eagle ray and a hawksbill turtle, and we saw the mother of spiny lobsters and the biggest Queen Angelfish any of us had ever seen. And as I was snorkeling back to the dinghy I heard a loud snapping sound in the water. I looked around and found a red lionfish with his poisonous fins spread out. When small fish swam by he snapped those fins together making the loud sound. I have seen lots of lionfish, but never have I seen them hunting before. Ranger’s Garden has beautiful purple sea fans swaying in the current. I snorkeled here two years ago, but somehow didn’t remember the sea fans. They were beautiful.
We returned to the boat to get ready for Happy Hour on Windbird. Dawn and I both have long hair and shampoo and rinse it in the water before getting on the boat to rinse off with the fresh water sun shower. Well, on this day we had company for our in the water rinse-off. There were two big nurse sharks that had been hanging out under the boat all day. These guys are not usually dangerous, but they are sharks and when Dawn got in the water to rinse her hair, Sam was on lookout. And sure enough, one of the big guys starting swimming toward her. So she got out of the water ASAP. I still had to rinse my hair and decided to do it in the dinghy by using the bailer to pour salt water over my hair. That took care of most of the soap so I just had to be in the water for a few seconds before getting onboard. A shark is a shark, and I’m just not comfortable when they head in my direction!
Once we were all clean and dry, Dan and Isabella came over for Happy Hour. We had a great evening together and when they left, Dawn grilled steaks for dinner. The Windbird Resort certainly has the best food in the Bahamas. Thank you, Sam and Dawn.
