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The end is near
June 18, 2025
Of the cruise. One more planned stop on the itinerary then home.
Key West is, well, Key West. We spent 3 nights there at the Galleon Resort and Marina, which was 1 night too many. We have been frequent Key West visitors over the years and now there is just not that much to see and do. One trip up and down Duvall Street and you’ve seen everything there is to see.
We found our favorite rum bar and I did a flight. I think I may have found a new favorite among the 5 that I sampled. We ate at a new restaurant and tried the offerings of a new craft brewery. We did Mallory Square for a couple of evenings. And we lounged around the pool.
I doubt we will stay at the Galleon again. Aside from being tired and a bit run down they flat out don’t like dogs. There are signs at each entrance to the resort that dogs are not allowed on the premises. At the docks there are numerous signs demanding that you “curb your dog off premises”. In other words, have your pup poop on someone else’s property.
Eddie and Sandy can’t read.
We left Key West at 6:30AM and pulled into Smokehouse Bay in Marco Island at 7:00PM. It was a long day with 3’ waves for most of the way and ended with us making our way back to the bay and anchoring in a thunderstorm. We rode out the rain inside with the generator running and enjoyed the air conditioning before turning it off and turning in.
The next morning, we weighed the anchor (still 88 pounds) and washed the goo that gives Smokehouse Bay its nickname off the chain. The bottom here is a mixture of mud and sand that sticks tenaciously to anything that comes in contact with it and has the consistency of shit. Weighing the anchor here is a slow process as every foot of chain needs washed to keep the shit out of the chain locker.
We made Ft Myers about 1:00 yesterday and picked up a mooring ball. After an afternoon at the beach, we had the pleasure of the Florida afternoon thunderstorms. Which, of course, means closing up the boat and running the generator for air conditioning. Ahhhhh.
Tomorrow morning, we will leave for T’ween Waters, a luxury resort and marina, to join a cruise with several members of our boat club. We plan on spending two nights with them then make the 5-hour cruise home. This is a different way for us to end a cruise. Typically, at this point we would be balls to the wall to get home.
Not all change is bad, I guess.
CIA Out.
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Back in the USA
June 12, 2025
We are back, have been since Monday the 9th, and are staying at Marlin Bay Resort and Marina, a very nice place to be.
The gulfstream crossing was boring and uneventful, just like you want it to be. Going against the current makes for a longish trip. 12 hours to go 70+ miles. We spent the night tucked in behind Rodriguze Cay solidly anchored with a nice breeze coming through the cabin. It was a delightful end to a long day.
The next morning, we weighed the anchor (I wonder where that term came from, it still weighs 88 pounds and probably always will) and set course for here.
And for 3 days we relaxed.
We got the bikes out and did about 10 miles a day. We made tripe to West Marine for boat parts and Publix for food. We put the boat back together a bit, did some laundry mostly in the morning then spent the afternoon by the pool sipping fufu drinks.
The first morning Eddie decided to meet the corgi a few boats down. The corgi didn’t appreciate Eddie’s advances and bit him on the nose. Actually, drew blood. Eddies terrier instincts took over and it was fight on. Eddie slipped his leash, so I got in the middle, again. Several well placed kicks got Eddie to back away and I took the opportunity to scoop him up and end the altercation. There was just a little blood from Eddie’s nose and no harm to the corgi.
But once again our dogs managed to embarrass us.
Tomorrow, we leave for Key West. The plan is to spend 3 nights at the Galleon Marina in downtown Key West then a week heading back to Punta Gorda.
But the best plan on a boat is no plan so where we stop nobody knows. Except maybe Poseidon. And he is laughing at us.
CIA out.
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Cruising, not all fun and games
June 7, 2025
The motor is fixed, and we are back underway could have been the title of this entry. But Linda suggested this heading and I agree, this trip has been different than the previous three.
The harmonic balancer arrived at Staniel Cay Yacht Club on Wednesday morning as promised. With a little cajoling I was able to convince the staff at the Exuma Park Office to give Steve and I a ride on their patrol boat to retrieve it. All it took was a cash contribution to the staff happiness fund.
The twenty-mile trip was made at almost full throttle in their twin 300HP 40’ aluminum police boat. It was a Disney “A” ticket ride. We took the inside route and saw the islands from a vantage we would not have had without the ride. There are a lot of privately owned and occupied islands here, more than just the famous people you hear of. And there are a few that just make you gasp go WOW!
I was a bit worried as we arrived at Staniel Cay. The only invoice I have received so far was for $76.00, the basic charge for freight from Makers Air. In a phone conversation the night before I was told I would need to pay Makers $135.00 to guarantee space on the next available flight. In addition to this charge there was to be another invoice from the importing agent for the VAT tax and duty. When we arrived at Staniel Cay I had received neither. I went to the office prepared with cash and VISA card in pocket.
The lady at the counter directed me to a room filled with boxes. Fortunately, mine was on the top and in the front. I got it and went back to the desk. The lady asked me to sign for it and that was it. No shake down, no other invoices, nothing.
I was almost giddy.
Since you cannot dispose of any trash in the Land and Sea Park, I unboxed the part at the marina and left them the box. The part inside was black, shiny and beautiful. I clung to it as if it were gold on the boat ride back.
Steve helped with the installation and thankfully had the proper tools. The next trip I take on CIA will include a better stocked tool locker, just need to find the space to put them. After 3-4 hours of beating the part with a sledgehammer and torquing it on with a 2’ breaker bar the harmonic balancer was on, and alternator reinstalled.
We started the motor and everything worked. Hallelujah!
So, Thursday we motored to Shroud with Steve and Diane and spent the afternoon doing the “washing Machine” again with them.
Cruising involves making decisions based upon weather forecasts. Most serious cruisers use three sources and for long range outlooks the three will rarely agree. But as the date gets closer the forecasts will tend to merge and start to forecast in unison.
While we hate to have a schedule on a boat we have always wanted to be back in Ohio by the 1st of July. So, working our timeline backwards with time to go south through the Keys and arriving home in time to get the boat and house ready for the summer hurricane season meant we would need to cross the gulf stream around the 17th or 18th.
Every forecast I looked at showed a front coming through that week making the gulf crossing uncomfortable, or worse, unsafe.
So, we are now on our way back to the USA.
Last night we stopped at Morgan’s Bluff on the north end of Andros Island. There was a neat Pub/bar there called “Below Decks” (original, huh?). Today we are crossing the Bahama Bank and will anchor behind South Riding Rock which is just a large rock. And tomorrow we should cross the gulf stream. And after that we will spend some time in marinas in Marathon and Key West before heading home.
The opening title stems from some of my frustration from this trip. We have never been so hampered by the weather. Typically, the later in the season you make this trip the more settled the weather. Not so this time. The wind has been incessant and the seas rough. We seem to have had thunderstorms weekly. More stuff broke than usual, and I’ve spent way more time in the engine room than I wanted. One of our dogs almost drowned. The refrigerator won’t cool, and the beer has been warm. It’s been a frustrating trip.
But Linda and I love doing this. Cruising, as in life, throws surprises and challenges at you. So far as a team we have faced each one and triumphed. Well, maybe triumphed is a bit strong, but we have persevered. There has been more fun and joy than frustration.
Which is why we do this.
CIA Out.
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Stuck in Paradise
June 2, 2025
We are back in Warderick Wells, been here for a couple of days and will probably be here a few more.
But since we were here we’ve seen most of what we came here for. We spent 2 nights in the mooring field at Cambridge Cay which is the gateway to several of our favorite places here, especially snorkeling at the Sea Aquarium.
Snorkeling at the Sea Aquarium is very much like swimming in a fishbowl or in an actual aquarium at the zoo. The water is incredibly clear, the coral beautiful and 1000s of amazing fish that will come to you and eat frozen peas out of your hand. It’s a very popular place so we feel fortunate when we have it to ourselves.
Other places convenient to Cambridge are Rachel’s Bath and the caves at Rocky Dundas.
Rachael’s Bath is a pond formed when the waves from the Atlantic crash across a small strip of rock filling the pond with sea water. The pond is shallow, and since the water is still the sun warms it to a temperature close to hot tub territory. It’s a very relaxing place to visit and just soak, like a bath!
We’ve been to the caves at Rocky Dundas before and they are still amazing. Swimming through the entrance they unfold as light shines down from the openings in the roof of the caves. They are a “must visit” place when in the Exumas.
Next up was Staniel Cay, home of the pig beach and Thunderball Grotto.
The pig beach is self-explanatory; you dinghy ashore, and pigs come out into the water to greet you and ask for handouts. It’s actually not so much as asking but demanding. And if you don’t comply, they have been known to get into your boat to look for food. With some of the pigs weighing several hundred pounds the results from climbing into a boat can be interesting if not catastrophic.
Staniel Cay is also home to Thunderball Grotto made famous from the James Bond movie “Thunderball”. While the caves at Rocky Dundas are nice, Thunderball Grotto is spectacular. The grotto is much larger than the caves at Rocky Dundas with multiple entrances both above and under the water. There are a lot of fish swimming among the crevice’s and the bottom structure is interesting.
It is also very crowded with people.
Next was Black Point, the furthest point south on our trip and a rendezvous with our friends Steve and Diane. Steve and Diane are fellow DeFever owners and live aboard their 49 Raised Pilothouse Aurora.
The first night we had a pizza at a small restaurant in town, it was delicious! The next day we rented a golf cart and Steve played tour guide and showed us a lot of the islane we had not seen before. A castle and a hidden beach were the highlights of the tour that we ended with a serving of a very good Conch Salad.
Which brings us to yesterday, a not so good day.
I thought we were having an alternator problem, a problem for which I have spares for and able to solve. That wasn’t it though. It is a harmonic balancer with a pulley problem for which no one would ever think to have a spare on board for. And with the pulley thingy spinning freely on its hub we have no alternator and, more importantly, no engine cooling water. Nor did I have an impact wrench or a gear puller to get the harmonic pulley thingy off.
This is where the beauty of the camaraderie of cruisers come together. I was discussing the problem with Steve on the VHF. A fellow cruiser was listening in that just happened to have an electric impact driver on his boat. Steve had a gear puller on his. So we all met in my engine room to remove the part. 2 hours later it fell off the motor and into the bilge. A good thing.
Yesterday, Sunday, I emailed Brian at American Diesel, the go to guy for all things Ford Lehman motors. This morning he emailed me he had the parts in stock. So now I’m making arrangements to have the parts shipped to a marina 12 miles away. When they get there we will get CIA to the anchorage close to the marina on one engine, anchor and use the dinghy to get the parts and install them while we are at anchor. Then we can resume our voyare.
Well, that’s the plan anyway.
CIA out.
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The Exumas or The Beauty and the Beast
May 25, 2025
The beauty of the Exumas is indescribable by me, an ordinary someone that occasionally strings words together. The shades and hues of the water defy my words, the range and subtlety of the colors as they merge the sandy browns, then greens to the majestic blues into a picture that for a moment captures……perfection?
We have tried to memorialize it in pictures; our iPhones just do not have the capability to recreate beauty as we see it. The clarity of the water; to lay on its surface with a mask and snorkel on and see the bottom 20’ down as if you were suspended over it with nothing but air between you and the below. To watch fish swim in 3 dimensions. To lay in water that is so close to body temperature above all is akin to sensory deprivation and over stimulation simultaneously.
Does this make sense?
As I mentioned before, Friday we were back at Shroud. Just after breakfast we took Eddie and Sandy back to the beach where Sandy had her issue. But this time it was different. No tennis ball to chase into the water. They still swam, but this time with their mouths closed. And they both still, ahem, had a ball.
High tide that afternoon was around 5:30 so we left the boat around 3. The current was swift and we were making good progress with minimal motoring until we saw the turtles. We had to go even slower so we could watch them. They were taking advantage of the current as well, moving swiftly with seemingly minimal effort. I got close enough for a couple of GoPro videos, hopefully they will be good enough to share.
The Atlantic side was crowded; the “Washing Machine” was on and turned up to high! As the tide changes the water flows from one side of the Cay to the other. At mid-tide the current can get as high as 2-3 knots. Someone had strung a rope across the narrow part of the creek so those inclined could try to grab and hang onto. You could almost waterski. For several hours we, and dozens of others, had a great time! Individually, couples and even lines would drift down the “Washing Machine” playing in its mild turbulence and some trying to swim upstream.
It was a great day.
Saturday we returned to Warderick Wells and was assigned a ball just in front of the beach. That afternoon the tide was low so we took the dogs to the dry sandbars for a run. And a swim. And a bark fest. After being cooped up on the boat they enjoy their freedom, and the sandbars are a great place to let them run amok.
There is a traditional cruisers Happy Hour at Wardrick Wells at 4:30 on Saturdays. Sometimes even the park HQ staff attend. At yesterday’s happy hour we had the crews of 5-6 boats and Cherry, the long time Queen of everything Wardrick Wells. Her voice greets us every morning on the VHF radio at 9. She directs traffic in and out of the harbor and assigns the moorings. She admonishes those that misbehave (navigate) badly and praises those that make arrangements outside of the 12-1 lunch timeslot (me! LOL).
At Happy Hour we met crews on other boats from Orlando, California, South Carolina and friends of Gary and Julie Towns from Illinois. The camaraderie of cruising becomes apparent when people of disparate backgrounds join together at events like this and make new friends, some that will last a lifetime.
Today the main event was to trim the dog’s nails. That was quickly tossed aside when we considered our snorkeling options. Slack tide was about 12:30 and there have been several sites at Waderick Wells we have wanted to try.
We were not disappointed in the decision to forgo a dog manicure for a swim. The coral at the first site, Judy’s Reef?, was among the best we’ve seen so far. And as it is by a cut to the Atlantic Ocean the water was exceptionally clear and warm.
The second site had some nice coral but the exciting part of the dive was the turtle that we were able to follow. For probably 5 minutes he/she swam at a pace we could keep up with. It was so graceful and moved with seemingly little effort.
Tomorrow we are planning on moving to Cambridge Cay, one of our favorite spots with some marvelous snorkeling sites just a short dinghy ride away.
So far this has been about the beauty of the Exumas, Sadly the beast is here, and it is ruining what makes this place special.
The beast is the charter industry, from crewed mega yachts to the self-captained bareboat rentals. And I hate to paint all with the same broad brush they are ruining what makes this place special.
The mega yacht crowd is mostly charter based, very few owners are ever here. The crew is solely focused on their guests and maximizing their tips. When it comes to pleasing their guests all courtesy to those around them and the environment goes “poof”.
For example.
At one snorkeling site around Oyster Cay, shortly after we got into the water to snorkel a reef, a mega yacht tender arrived and put 5 young men into the water equipped with lobster ticklers, snares and a couple of spear guns. Then the Captain proceeds to chum the water around the boat. All so his guests could possibly spear a fish while putting others not in his party at risk.
We got out of the water and moved on.
The tidal creek at Shroud Cay has a sign at the entrance, No jet skis, No jet boats and No wake. I guess English proficient is not a requirement to captain a boat here.
Here at Warderick Wells the rules do not apply to the Mega-yachts or charter crowd. The channel is narrow, the current swift with many boaters swimming off the back of their boats. But the mega yacht and charter crew zip along at high speed. Can’t let your guests wait even if they hit a boat or a swimmer!
Yesterday two boats from the Moorings charter company arrived. They were traveling together. In the crescent there is a 2-3 not current. Coming by us both boats misjudged the current and came within a couple of feet of hitting CIA. Then they both forgot the briefing on channel markings and ran their boats up onto a sandbar.
Cherry was yelling from the HQ deck and calling on the radio. The crew managed to back off then run aground again. After an hour of entertainment both were attached to mooring balls.
Last night, shortly after midnight, I was awakened by a foul smell. It was the unmistakable aroma of a holding tank. My first thought was ours had sprung a leak. I grabbed a flashlight and looked in the bilges and at the fittings. Hmmm, no shit. So, I stepped outside for some clarity of thought and the source of the aroma became obvious. A charter boat moored upstream from us decided to empty its holding tank. No shit.
The Exuma Land and Sea Park gets little funding from the government. They are understaffed and under funded. The mega yacht and charter crowd knows this and comes here and does what they wish with little or no impunity. When we were here in 2017 it hardly seemed to be an issue. Each year though it has gotten worse.
It’s not the private boats. Those that cruise on their own boats here are respectful of the environment and the people. They follow the rules and try to be good stewards of the cruising community.
Its those that are here solely for the profit or the renters that are clueless that are the issue.
I wish I knew the answer.
CIA Out.
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Medical Emergency in Paradise
May 23, 2025
Not Linda or I but Sandy.
I’ve posted mostly about the beauty of the Exumas, the clarity and hue of the water and how much we enjoy cruising to more remote places. It can be a paradise here, but Wednesday we had a medical emergency and the challenges of what we do came front and center.
Wednesday, we anchored off Shroud Cay and had dinghied to a beautiful remote beach to let the dogs run and swim. Sandy, our 1yo Jack Russel Terrier, and Eddie, her older and larger uncle, were playing fetch with a tennis ball. I would throw the ball up on the beach, or to wading depth and sometimes out into the water and she would compete with Eddie to get to the ball. Sometimes she won and gleefully retrieved the ball. Both were having a great time until, with a tennis ball in her mouth, she inhaled some sea water. She got to the beach, dropped the ball and lay down in the sand. This 16 pound ball of energy wasn’t going anywhere. She became limp and her breathing labored. Her eyes were glazed, and she was unwilling to move.
We gathered her and Eddie and returned to the boat. Thanks to Starlink we were able to contact our vet in Ohio who told us we should get her to a vet here ASAP.
So at 4:30 in the afternoon we weighed anchor and set off for the 8-hour trip to Nassau.
Enroute, Linda called a veterinarian clinic in Nassau that had an emergency number and was able to discuss Sandy’s symptoms with a doctor. He agreed to meet us that evening if needed or first thing the next morning.
I called the marina we had just stayed at to see if they had a dock for an after-hour arrival, they did not. Rats, that would have taken a couple hours off the trip. So, we set course for the West End anchorage at NP. It was going to be a 8-hour trip with the most challenging part after sunset and in the dark.
Thankfully Sandy seemed to stabilize somewhat during the voyage. Though she hardly moved, her gaze continued to be fixed with cloudy eyes and gums still ashen, her breathing became more regular. She coughed and vomited seawater several times, a good sign.
While underway Linda made arrangements with a taxi company to pick her and Sandy up at 8 in the parking lot off the beach where we would land the dinghy. She called the veterinarian to let him know our plans and he agreed to see Sandy the first thing in the AM.
We entered Nassau harbor around 10 and the night was moonless, so I was happy for the lights surrounding the channel. At 12 we reached the anchorage and with the help of Radar and AIS we found a spot among the other boats to drop anchor for the night.
Thursday morning Linda prepared to take Sandy to the Veterinarian’s office. Sandy’s condition seemed to have improved overnight. Her breathing was more normal; she was alert and gums pinker. The veterinarian examined her and confirmed she had trauma from sea water aspiration but now seemed to be recovering on her own. He did not recommend any further treatment but to continue to monitor her and watch for a cough.
We were overjoyed.
So Thursday, after another 6 hour leg, we are back at Shroud Cay resuming our trip.
Sandy is still not 100% but is much more herself today than she was yesterday.
So the cruise continues.
CIA Out.
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It has been awhile
Has it really been 10 days since I posted? Wow, it has! But I have a good reason. Brother Garry and his bride Sheila have been cruising with us for the past week and we have been having a great time with them.
We left the anchorage on the west end of New Providence on Monday the 12th bound for Palm Cay Marina on the southwest end of the island. It was a 3 hour trip that took 5. We took the northern route and went through Nassau harbor. There were 4 ships at the cruise pier; 2 Royal Caribbean, one MSC and the Disney Magic. The other 3 ships dwarfed the Magic. We have cruised on her with our kids and grandkids and didn’t think she was all that small. In between the other 3 she looked tiny. But I’m sure its horn outclassed any of the others. For those that have cruised the Disney line you know what I mean, for those that have not here is a sample.
Having been on a cruise ship that stopped in Nassau I cannot imagine 3 super huge cruise ship and one moderately sized one dumping all their passengers there. Where do they go? Senor Frog’s can only hold so many. We did see quite a few large 3-5 engine boats loaded with passengers while we were in the Exumas though, maybe they were feeding cruise ship passengers to the fish.
Exiting the harbor the seas shifted from relative calm to relative uncomfortable. Relative to riding the bull in Urban Cowboy. We were going into 3-5’ seas and the our speed was slow. A few times we managed to bury the bow and ring the discomfort bell. The discomfort bell is our name for the ship’s bell, a mandatory piece of equipment that only rings (on its own BTW) when the ride becomes uncomfortable. Ten miles and 2.5 hours of bell ringing we reached our destination.
Palm Cay Marina is nice by Bahama standards and operated to Bahama standards. It is relatively new with a lot of condos and housing being built. When we stayed here in 2017 there was a clubhouse with a pool and some other amenities but little else. Now it is home to Dream Yachts and Moorings charter operations and dozens of completed units.
But the Bahamas mentality is creeping in. Restrooms with no toilet paper. Two pools with water so murky in one that you could just see the bottom and broken glass on the deck. Two courtesy cars, both broken down. No one answering the radio on approach. And 40’ docks with 50’ boats stuffed in the slips blocking the 60’ fairways. Doing the math that leaves 50’ to turn a 45’ boat with no bow or stern thruster 90 degrees and back into a slip. All while the wind that day was blowing 20 knots.
I very politely (for me) declined that dock and put CIA on a tee head and refused to move.
The dockhand saw my point and agreed we could not safely get into the assigned slip, the office person saw her computer screen and said we had to move. Finally, she came out of the office and walked down the marina to where we were docked. She saw for herself the space issue and finally, after some negotiation (bribe) relented to allowing us to stay where we were.
Garry and She arrived in the middle of this, welcome to the Bahamas mon!
The weather kept us in port for two days and nights. Rain and thunderstorms don’t make for comfortable passages, so we went to Atlantis, the ritzy development on Paradise Island.
Years ago we visited Atlantis with our friends Doug and Deb. Back then we had a good time walking through the Casino, looking at the mega yachts and walking past the overpriced shops and through the Aquarium. The only areas off limits to non-guests were the pools, beaches and water park.
This time was a bit different.
The cruise ship passengers that couldn’t get into Senor Frogs or fed to the fish were here in mass. The only area open to the nonpaying public was the Casino. And it started to rain. Hard. So no walking the docks to gape at the ostentatious displays of wealth docked there.
Making the best of a soggy situation we took refuge in a restaurant for beverages and appetizers. In true Bahamian fashion the service was slow, and the beverages overpriced. But the company was great and the food good so not a wasted day after all.
Garry played chauffeur in the rent-a-wreck we got at the marina. It rattled and shook but got us to Atlantis and back to the marina parking lot where we turned the rent-a-wreck into an amphibious vehicle. Garry traversed flooding that went over the floorboards. Way over, As we exited the too deep water the rent-a-wreck started to emit another ominous sound akin to filling the crankcase with gravel.
At press time Garry was still waiting for the call that he had bought the rent-a-wreck.
The forecast for Wednesday was for improving conditions and totally wrong. The 1-2’ waves became 2-3’ and on the nose. The partly cloudy skies filled with dark, pendulous (I’ve always wanted to use that word in a sentence) clouds that were heading our way. We tracked the rain on radar, altered course to miss it until the storm engulfed us.
We secured the bridge and made our way below. The rain reduced visibility to about 100 yards so we used AIS and radar to spot conflicting traffic. The thunder was constant, and Eddie was not at all happy about that. Several flashes were accompanied by an almost immediate clap thunder. Way too close for my liking. But the one that really made me jump was close enough we could hear the sizzle from the super-heated air with a simultaneous blinding flash and BOOM!
I was sure we had been struck but a quick look around revealed no damage or exit wound. The mast and antennas were intact, the radios worked and the engines still ran. And everyone’s underwear was clean.
The rain stopped and the sky cleared as we anchored at Shroud Cay. Dinner was tasty, beverages bountiful and sleep came easy that evening,
Thursday morning we did the tidal creek at Shroud. We stalked several sea turtles as we slowly made our way across the cay. Where the creek empties into the Atlantic Ocean is one of the loveliest places I’ve seen. Unfortunately we were doing a whirlwind tour of the best of the Exumas and didn’t have time to float through the “Washing Machine”.
A noon departure put us in Warderick Wells around midafternoon. Linda worked the warden over on the phone and got us on the wait list for a mooring ball in the crescent. She did such a good job we had our pick of at least ten open moorings.
The lack of cruising boats this season has been a bit puzzling. On previous trips here the anchorages and mooring fields have been packed. This year not so much. We are about a month later than previous trips but I wouldn’t think that would make such a difference. And hurricane season is still a few weeks away.
At Warderick Wells we climbed Boo Boo Hill to look for the name board we left in 2017 (probably on the bottom of the pile), snorkeled the coral heads at Emerald Rock and lounged at the beach.
Saturday we went to Norman’s Cay and snorkeled on the crashed DC3. Being an aviation enthusiast Garry researched how the DC3 had ended up here. Rumors had the DC3 overloaded with pot and stalling on the climb out. Another rumor was that a pilot attempted to leave the island without paying for his cargo. What Garry discovered was that fat, drunk and stupid is no way to do touch and go’s in a DC3.
Sunday we were back at Palm Cay Marina for our guest’s departure on Monday. This time as we approached the marina our radio calls were answered. We got the tee head dock I had requested without paying a bribe, er extra fee. As we lounged around the pools Garry avoided the rent-a-wreck office; the car was still parked in the same spot he left it.
We had dinner that evening at the restaurant in the marina. The service was excellent, the food delicious and the cost……. Well, it’s the Bahamas Mon.
It’s the Bahamas Mon continued on Monday. Garry had scheduled a ride to the airport with a pickup time of 7:00. After receiving a message around 6:30 that he had already been dropped off it took a few calls to convince the operator that he was, in fact, still standing at the end of pier 3 waiting on his ride. The car finally arrived at 7:30.
We were trying to get a courtesy car to make a grocery store run. I went to the office and Ms. Queen of the marina told me there was none available, the one they had needed to go to a mechanic. “What about the other one?” I asked. “We only have one” she replied. “Your website says you have two.” “We only have one” was her simple and direct reply. Through the window over her shoulder, I could see both cars beside each other in the parking lot.
It was a good day for a bike ride.
After the grocery store bike ride we unhooked the electric and I took a picture of the meter reading. At Palm Cay Marina all electricity is metered. I went to check out and settle up and gave Ms. Queen of the marina the meter reading. She closed the text messaging app, opened the calculator and entered my number and the number she had in her file as the starting reading. She came up with 187kwh at .85/kwh. When we were here a week ago we used 54kwh for two nights! WTF!!
So we negotiated. Her opening offer was 40, my counter was 20. We settled on 27.
It’s the Bahamas Mon.
Yesterday we had a beautiful cruise to Highbourne Cay with calm winds and seas. We dropped our anchor by a fellow DeFever owner that I knew from participating in the DeFever Forum, Pete and Deanne. We invited them over for docktales and appetizers and got to know them. Today we rode our dinghies to Long Cay and snorkeled 3 pretty nice coral heads and a reef. Linda did three snorkels, I did two. I saw a shark that wasn’t a nurse shark on the second stop and wouldn’t be coaxed back into the water. The other idiots just kept swimming like it was nothing. Which it was.
Tonight we are wondering if we have a problem with our refrigerator. The freezer is working well but the refrigerator section isn’t going much below 50 degrees. We pulled it our to inspect the coils, they were clean. We reinstalled a shelf in the freezer that may have impeded air to the fridge. We may have so much food in the fridge that removing the heat from all that mass may just take time. But we are closely monitoring the temperature with fingers crossed it cools overnight and we don’t lose much food.
Unfortunately we do not have another refrigerator in the ship’s spares.
CIA Out.
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They are Laughing Gulls who got the last laugh after they pooped all over the dinghy and motor 🤣 🤣
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Rockin’ and a Rollin’ at New Providence
May 10, 2025
We left Soldier Cay for New Providence Island on the 8th, a window of lower winds and calm seas had opened up, so we took advantage of it to make the 40+ nm crossing. Now we are at an anchorage on the west end of New Providence Island that started out as a wonderfully comfortable place to be when we got here, today not so much.
Before we left Soldier we hopped in the dinghy to explore some of the Cays to the south, particularly Hoffman Cay. It was a ride of about 5 miles there and back and presented us with some fabulous scenery.
We explored a bay that had sea turtles, rays and starfish. We followed a shark. We beached the boat and hiked to a blue hole. We came to the Berry Island chain to see new places and things in a chain we had not visited before. And it was well worth our time and effort, the Berry’s seem to be a well-kept secret among cruisers. The area was pristine and beautiful with numerous anchorages.
The seas on the leg to New Providence were the calmest we have had since the west coast of Florida. The calm lasted for two days; CIA was as steady as if we were at a dock. Yesterday we launched the dink, took the dogs for a walk and explored a bit.
We are anchored next to the Lyford Cay Club. Take a minute and look it up. Click on the link. It is one of the most exclusive enclaves in the world. Mere Billionaires can’t make the cut here. You need to be renowned for something as well. And it is so exclusive mere mortals like us are not even allowed to touch their soil. All of the beautiful beaches and community around us are off limits. No Trespassing. Verboten.
So, except for the little expedition yesterday we were confined to the boat.
That’s not a terrible thing. I’ve caught up on some small boat projects, Linda has been emersed in her book. We play Euchre and Backgammon regularly. The food has been excellent and the boat comfortable.
Until today.
The wind has shifted and freshened. In fact, right now it is very fresh. Our anchor is set very well so there is no worry about drifting. It’s the damn swell that is making life uncomfortable now, much like we experienced at anchor at Cat Cay.
But uncomfortable is a relative term. There really are not any anchorages close that are any better protected so that means going into a marina. But marinas on New Providence are either so exclusive they will not take transient’s like us (see Lyford Cay above) or so expensive the cost will make your eyes water. The Bahamian’s are very proud of their damn rickety fixed wood docks.
So here see sit, rockin’ and a rollin’ until basic economics take over; it’s the guns v butter curve you see. When will the boat’s roll exceed my bank roll? Stay tuned to find out.
CIA, OUT.
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