Friday, May 12, 2017

May 12

I know I said I had done my last post but just had to share several more.

We anchored off Great Sale Cay  in the Bahamas for a night in order to get an early start on Wednesday. Bo was able to dive the boat and change zinc and clean the grass growing off the bottom.
As we were getting ready for an early start 4 am Wednesday morning this was our last sunset in the Bahamas.
We had a great trip for the first day and about 11 pm that night then the Gulf Stream played its tricks on us and was nasty.  
Bo was able to fish again and you got it another Mahi.
We also had 2 travel companions, it was so funny. We have had these same birds before. One flew into the cockpit and checked us out then flew inside as the door was open and looked around flew back out and a little later brought his female friend with him, by then we had shut the door so they could not get in. Man they sat and waited to get in and just hopped around and would sit by us and then go back to the door and finally looked at us and flew away. It was almost like ok if we can't go in we will leave and never saw them again.
The last picture is of our morning off the shores of Florida.
We have truly had a blessed year in our travels and thank each of you for your notes and comments, it was great fun. We are now in St. Augustine for a month. Our friends on the 78 ft catamaran just came it and it is so exciting. We rented a car so we can go to Green Cove Springs for our mail, go to the grocery store and a few more errands.
Thank each of you again for letting us share out life with you.

Joyce

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

May 2

Another day in paradise.

Today was our second day with a golf cart, yesterday we spent the day on Tahiti Beach with friends from LA. We spent part of the day looking around and part playing bocce ball. There was a wind surfer that we kept watching and what strength.
Bo and I were so tired we got back about 5:30 and were in bed or I was by 7:30 and Bo came about 9. 
Today we had the cart for 1/2 day and just the 2 of us went and stopped at Abaco Inn and had coffee, look at it on line oh my goodness I could just come and stay here.
We then saw some people that were walking and they asked if we had gone down the road by the electric company and we did and this is what we saw.
You went down a 1 lane street and on both sides they had carved our the huge cliff stones so you could drive through and you saw the water, it was a wow moment.

Better eat some lunch as 6 are coming for supper to have some of Bo's mahi.

Joyce

Sunday, April 30, 2017

April 30

We just paid for another week in Hope Town. We love it here and plan to come next year and pay for a month.

We have met several other boats and have been busy socializing. Today Bo took me back to the beach so I could search and found some of the coolest coconuts so have some ideas with them already. Jaymi look out one is coming to you. At 4 we are back to the beach playing bocce ball and let me tell you it is so much harder then on a green grass or even smooth sand but so much sand.
One couple is from New Orleans the couple on the left, one from FL she took the picture and us. Today we are playing with 2 other couples so next year have to bring our bocce balls along.

Bo continues to work on Waterway Guide while I play. 

Hope to rent a golf cart tomorrow and look around the island. They have so few so it is really a job to get one. If the weather holds out we will to to Man o War and anchor out and see the island then back to Hope Town to prepare to leave for our trip back to the US.

Have a blessed Sunday from blue skies and blue water.

Joyce

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

April 26

We never did get into Spanish Wells, Bo worked all day yesterday so I had the tough job of using the binoculars and keeping an eye on people going in and out of town and boats around us. Tough job.

We decided to head back to Lynyard Cay. On our way back in the ocean Bo was fishing and caught 2, one a huge Barracuda which we do not keep but it took his lure. So he got a new lure and caught a Mahi, last year he caught a 55 inches and 36 pounds this year it was 44 inches and 20 pounds but man do we have some good eating .He will have 2 more chances to fish so who knows.

The starfish was under the boat when Bo was scrubbing the boat.
Not sure where we go next or stay here for a day but looks good for the next week to head to St. Augustine.

We are having fun.
Joyce

Monday, April 24, 2017

April 24

We left Hatchet Bay this morning, I had said we had to go in an inlet and the surrounding area was rock, so here is the entrance.
We are now in Spanish Wells for a few days and as we were crossing over to here just had to take a picture to share. I use to send these all the time but have not done this so much this year. Will write more when we go to town, we have about a 2 mile dinghy ride.

What more can I say.

For now the seas are calm not like last night and a great forecast for several days.
Joyce


Sunday, April 23, 2017

April 23

Yesterday we left Rock Sound at 9:00 am and got to Hatchet Bay at 2:45. It was a total of 35 miles so those of you that are non sailors can see what a long haul it can be. We had a great sail going about  8 knots for about 3 1/2  hours then had to motor sail for the next 2 hours. Our total time was  5 1/2 hours. It is a narrow cut into a well protected harbor and we got in with no problem. We are anchored in 30 ft depth to drop our anchor then dropped back to about 10 ft.

We have spent the entire day on the boat as there has been squalls passing over us all day with at times strong wind.

No pictures sorry.

We plan to leave tomorrow and start our trip back to the Abaco's then to the states. This has been quite a winter. We got started so late  then the weather has been a huge issue for us. This has been a great experience this year to go,see and do so many different things.

We took a pork loin and cut it into steaks and put it on George Foreman, with potato salad and veggies, sounds good to us.

We will keep you posted on where we go tomorrow, think we will go back through Current Cut then Spanish Wells. We have another front coming which could change that plan also.

Sun where are you.

Joyce

Friday, April 21, 2017

April 21

We have been in Rock Sound for 3 days. In those 3 days we have covered a lot of ground. This is usually a place that people go to on their way back home through to get to the Abacos. It is usually a fairly full harbor but since we are the late ones there have been maybe 3 power boats and 13 sailboat. As of today there are 5 sailboats left and all power are gone. There is a front coming and we will leave early tomorrow for Hatchet Bay and then may be anchored there for maybe 3 days before we can go further north. The Norway people are going also.



Sorry for the poor picture we were eating lunch at Sammy's and the light was terrible.


There are 2 what they call dinghy docks here. One is close to us and it will hold maybe 3 dinghy's. You need to put out a back anchor and your motor has to be us as in order to get in when the tide is low you use your oars. It is close to a restaurant and the grocery but you have to watch our you don't want to swing as there is a lot of junk in the water you don't want to hit.








You can see the boat that is tied up there full time. You then see a ladder that you climb,it is high tide now so you can go in. Next door is a great restaurant .


The other dock is a little further down and at one time it had been a huge pier but now only the pilings are left and the ladders for the dinghy's is great, a strong dock and then cement dock. There you also have to be careful not to swing to far as there are lots of huge cement structures in the water behind you. At this end of town are most businesses.



So far we have been to town every day and sometimes 2-3 times, making up for the 11 days of sitting on the boat.

Todays adventure is to go in and walk to the Ocean Hole . When we were at Ocean Hole and Bo was flying his drone it brought attention and one was 16 year old Christopher.




He was awesome and think our kids in the US need to take lessons from these kids. Always yes mam, thank you, it is that way all over down here. It was spring break so he had come to work with his mother and was going to go swimming in the Ocean  Hole.

The hole is 600 ft. deep and connected underground through a passage to the ocean and is over 300,000 years old. It is suppose to have medicinal help also, there were so many fish wanted a hand out and we forgot it.

We later met Christopher as we were walking down a street and all of a sudden a voice called out to us and he came running down the street I could not help but give a big hug. I forgot to say he is a triplet and the other 2 are girls.


 Yesterday we took our laundry into a gas station called Dingle's and they called a lady to come and get it. It was 3 big loads. She washed it, dried it and folded it for $21. I will save all my laundry for this kind lady.

We are meeting people we met here from Norway for lunch at Sammy's then back to the boat get some things done so we can leave tomorrow early .

 We need to make water and Bo has several things to do.

This is a place we would come back to for sure. The people are so friendly and helpful. Next year one of the car rental places is hopefully going to have some golf carts and bikes for rent. That would have been great as it would have been fun just to ride around all the streets to see what is there.

We met a minister Brad and will stay in contact with him and bring items back to Rock Sound for his congregation so if you think about it we will bring items when we see any of you. School supplies and so forth.
Now this is shopping!! At one end of the strip is a hardware store, next to it groceries, then liquor then car store. Across from it a bank. In front is the gas station we need to live like this one stop shopping.


Calmer winds....

Dreamcatcher