Sunday, Feb. 10
Wow, the Super Bowl was only a week ago. We've been several places before
and after the big game, nut actually made a point of being at a marina to watch
the game. It always makes me feel American and I enjoy the commercials. The
game actually ended up being exciting too.
On our way down to Little Harbor we anchored at Tahita Beach for a couple of
days but couldn't go to Cracker P's because they aren't open the first half of the
week. Cracker P's has a reputation as laid-back island pub on the "must visit"
list so we'll try to catch it later. We also had hoped to snorkel at Sandy Cay,
part of Pelican Cays National Park but the weather didn't cooperate. It was
windy and rough both days we passed through that area and although it looked
beautiful we had to pass by. Lynyard Cay had a beautiful area to anchor in the
lee of the island just off a sandy beach and we spent a pleasant afternoon and
night, enjoying the star-filled sky.
Little Harbor is a small protected harbor at the southernmost part of the Abaco
Sea and is the jumping off point for cruisers heading south to Eleuthra and the
Exumas. It has room for 15-20 boats on mooring balls and anchors and has a
very unpretentious and "feet in the sand" atmosphere. Here there are more full time/
cruisers passing through and swapping stories, hanging out at the only
establishment, Pete's Pub which has a "temporary appearing" permanent structure
which lends to the ambiance. There is a heavy use of scavanged materials and
tarps, giving it a rustic appearance. It is a fun place and full of characters as you
might guess. We spent four days there due to the high wind enjoying ourselves,
and wanting to stay for Pete's Annual Birthday Bash.
Pete is the son of parents who came to Little Harbor in the 1950's and established
an artists colony. Randolph Johnston became a world renowned bronze sculptor
working with the "lost wax" process of casting and has created commisioned
pieces on display all over the world. Pete, his son, carries on the foundry and
there is a nice galleryhere. They do pours every couple of weeks and we enjoyed
getting a private tour from Richard, his French foundry manager/artist.
Here we met a young couple who spend a short summer season working in
Prince William Sound, Alaska on a 50 foot salmon fishing boat earning enough
to spend the rest of the year cruising on a sailboat. They are about 30 years old
and very personable. She has spent her whole life on a sailboat and is the cutest
Alaskan salmon fisherman I've ever seen.
Another couple we met here is Max and Tracy from Australia. We spent the next
week or so in the same anchorages with them and enjoyed finding out about the
Australian culture and getting to know them. As a whole we have found cruisers
to be people who enjoy life and new adventures and interesting people to talk with.
Mike and Chris Link on "Missing Link" pulled into Marsh Harbour Friday and it
was nice to reconnect with them. They were a huge help to us as we planned our
trip down here and have lent us charts, guides, and the benefit of their experience.
Some of you know them from Geneva Marina and the fact they grew up in Madison.
I'll send some pictures soon but I'm about to lose my internet connection so I better
sign off for now.
"Legacy"
Monday, February 11, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Meeting Neighbors
Meeting Neighbors Finally!
This is the first time I ever traveled 2600 miles to meet neighbors for the first time.
Mike and Gloria Gaffney are from Madison, Ohio and own a home four doors down
from ours but we've never been able to connect with them in person. I've spoken to
Mike several times and exchanged many emails with him but we finally connected
with them down here in the Bahamas. They have kept a boat down here for many
years, visiting it from their home in Maine and we met them last Sunday at their
boat in the Abacos. We had a delightful visit, as I had expected from what I already
knew of them. Hopefully we'll get to see them again while down here.
We are presently moving about the islands, walking some beaches, hopefully
snorkeling some new spots, and anchoring out and enjoying the beautiful islands
and sunsets. We've been having quite a bit of wind with even more forcast so we
try to find protected spots, moving around to find shelter from the wind and waves
while anchored. We both are enjoying being on the move again and experiencing
new places.
This is the first time I ever traveled 2600 miles to meet neighbors for the first time.
Mike and Gloria Gaffney are from Madison, Ohio and own a home four doors down
from ours but we've never been able to connect with them in person. I've spoken to
Mike several times and exchanged many emails with him but we finally connected
with them down here in the Bahamas. They have kept a boat down here for many
years, visiting it from their home in Maine and we met them last Sunday at their
boat in the Abacos. We had a delightful visit, as I had expected from what I already
knew of them. Hopefully we'll get to see them again while down here.
We are presently moving about the islands, walking some beaches, hopefully
snorkeling some new spots, and anchoring out and enjoying the beautiful islands
and sunsets. We've been having quite a bit of wind with even more forcast so we
try to find protected spots, moving around to find shelter from the wind and waves
while anchored. We both are enjoying being on the move again and experiencing
new places.
Mike and Goria Gaffney on their catamaran "Starship"
Race Day
Cruisers Become Racers
Many cruising sailors race during the season back at their home ports and when they
go cruising they sometime welcome a chance to do some racing in beautiful surroundings.
Sailboat races are held every two weeks down here outside of Hopetown and two boats
from our marina decided to join ten other boats for the race so other people from the
marina volunteered as crew on the two boats. We had a great time getting ready for
the race and competing on a very windy day. The competitive side of the racers showed
as equipment needed for cruising was stripped from the boats to lighten them to
"racing" form. The important thing of course was the fact that our boat (Jim and Ann's)
won bragging rights in a close well-fought battle. The local sailing club hosted
everyone afterwards for a nice post-race get-together, serving some wonderful fish
and chips.
Many cruising sailors race during the season back at their home ports and when they
go cruising they sometime welcome a chance to do some racing in beautiful surroundings.
Sailboat races are held every two weeks down here outside of Hopetown and two boats
from our marina decided to join ten other boats for the race so other people from the
marina volunteered as crew on the two boats. We had a great time getting ready for
the race and competing on a very windy day. The competitive side of the racers showed
as equipment needed for cruising was stripped from the boats to lighten them to
"racing" form. The important thing of course was the fact that our boat (Jim and Ann's)
won bragging rights in a close well-fought battle. The local sailing club hosted
everyone afterwards for a nice post-race get-together, serving some wonderful fish
and chips.
Cleaning the bottom of our boat with a brush
even though our boat wasn't in the race. Both
boats in the race cleaned their boat bottoms
to make them faster for the race. The water
is so clear it is easy to see the bottoms.
Jim at the wheel, with Ann during the race.
Notice we were heeled pretty good due to the wind.
The racing crew on "Ubiquitous", all smiles.
Marsh Harbour Marina
Ping Pong Tables and Conch Horns
Our home base for 41 days was Marsh Harbour Marina, a place where we made good
friends and enjoyed the comeraderie of like-minded people. We made several trips of
1-4 days at a time while here visiting the area islands and towns and it was a good base
for receiving guests. The owners, staff and fellow boaters make it a great place, but also
make it difficult to leave. But we did leave on the 27th heading for points south and
then back around to islands to the north that we bypassed on our way in to the Abacos.
We will revisit the marina in a few weeks before heading back to the US.
The marina now has a ping pong table which Pete and I helped build and it has been
a welcome addition to the facilities. It turns out there are quite a few players there
and the table has been getting a lot of use.
The other thing I got involved in was making horns out of conch shells, which we play
at sunset each evening. It has become quite a tradition for all to meet out at the end of
the dock each evening and we had about ten horns playing on many evenings. I have
been trying to perfect the art, choosing different size shells and making different size
mouthpieces. The horns have all different tones, some discordant, making a cacophany
of sound when played together. We selected three horns with good harmony and play
them like a bell choir, adding a new twist to the concerts. I finally was able to make a
horn that has two different tones, approximately an octave apart. When OSU fanatics
visited us to play euchre we had the conch choir play the intro to the OSU alma mater.
They recorded it to maybe share on facebook or youtube.
Our home base for 41 days was Marsh Harbour Marina, a place where we made good
friends and enjoyed the comeraderie of like-minded people. We made several trips of
1-4 days at a time while here visiting the area islands and towns and it was a good base
for receiving guests. The owners, staff and fellow boaters make it a great place, but also
make it difficult to leave. But we did leave on the 27th heading for points south and
then back around to islands to the north that we bypassed on our way in to the Abacos.
We will revisit the marina in a few weeks before heading back to the US.
The marina now has a ping pong table which Pete and I helped build and it has been
a welcome addition to the facilities. It turns out there are quite a few players there
and the table has been getting a lot of use.
The other thing I got involved in was making horns out of conch shells, which we play
at sunset each evening. It has become quite a tradition for all to meet out at the end of
the dock each evening and we had about ten horns playing on many evenings. I have
been trying to perfect the art, choosing different size shells and making different size
mouthpieces. The horns have all different tones, some discordant, making a cacophany
of sound when played together. We selected three horns with good harmony and play
them like a bell choir, adding a new twist to the concerts. I finally was able to make a
horn that has two different tones, approximately an octave apart. When OSU fanatics
visited us to play euchre we had the conch choir play the intro to the OSU alma mater.
They recorded it to maybe share on facebook or youtube.
Trying out the new ping pong table with Jim.
Directing the conch choir of three harmonious horns.
Some of the assorted conch horns showing huge variation.
The Jib Room Conch Orchestra
Ben and Katie from "Buckeye" join us for OHIO.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The "Harem"
Tuesday, Jan.15
Some people thought there was probably too much estrogen onboard but it was an
enjoyable visit by Sue (Carol's sister), Raina (Sue's daughter), and Dorian (Sue's and
our friend). After they left, the neighboring boats remarked that it had sounded like
we were always having a good time.
We were blessed by great weather and had a chance to visit some great harbors,
snorkel a couple of times, have good conversations and laugh a lot. One of the
memorable times was getiing to go up in the Hopetown lighthouse at dark with the
lightkeeper while he lit the kerosene lamp. This lighthouse is one of the few remaining
kerosene - lit lighthouses in this part of the world and Sam has taken over as keeper
after the death of his father. Sam is a young Bahamian who was very gracious and
passionate about his duties as keeper. He works the 6:00pm- midnight shift, winding
the mechanism every two hours ( a physical job) and remaing vigilant by the light.
He allowed us to crawl out onto the catwalk surrounding the light after lighting it
and it was awesome to view the operating light from that vantage point. Sam is a
dockhand at the Hopetown Marina where we stayed and that is how we met him.
Limbo night at the Jib Room here at the marina in Marsh Harbor was a lot of fun.
Raina did well at the limbo and became known around the area as the "Limbo Girl".
While snorkeling at the local Mermaid reef we now have seen eleven different
species of fish and some lobsters. We also got to do some good sailing while the
ladies were here, which is always fun, especially while checking out the starfish as
we pass over them. The one day we slowed way down when we were joined by
some dolphins, including some young ones.
We are presently still dealing with some refrigeration issues but we're limping along
okay. We will probably stay at our present marina for a few more days and then
explore some new areas around the Abacos for a while, anchoring most of the time.
The locals are saying the weather has been nicer this year than normal for December
and January which is fine with us.
Some people thought there was probably too much estrogen onboard but it was an
enjoyable visit by Sue (Carol's sister), Raina (Sue's daughter), and Dorian (Sue's and
our friend). After they left, the neighboring boats remarked that it had sounded like
we were always having a good time.
We were blessed by great weather and had a chance to visit some great harbors,
snorkel a couple of times, have good conversations and laugh a lot. One of the
memorable times was getiing to go up in the Hopetown lighthouse at dark with the
lightkeeper while he lit the kerosene lamp. This lighthouse is one of the few remaining
kerosene - lit lighthouses in this part of the world and Sam has taken over as keeper
after the death of his father. Sam is a young Bahamian who was very gracious and
passionate about his duties as keeper. He works the 6:00pm- midnight shift, winding
the mechanism every two hours ( a physical job) and remaing vigilant by the light.
He allowed us to crawl out onto the catwalk surrounding the light after lighting it
and it was awesome to view the operating light from that vantage point. Sam is a
dockhand at the Hopetown Marina where we stayed and that is how we met him.
Limbo night at the Jib Room here at the marina in Marsh Harbor was a lot of fun.
Raina did well at the limbo and became known around the area as the "Limbo Girl".
While snorkeling at the local Mermaid reef we now have seen eleven different
species of fish and some lobsters. We also got to do some good sailing while the
ladies were here, which is always fun, especially while checking out the starfish as
we pass over them. The one day we slowed way down when we were joined by
some dolphins, including some young ones.
We are presently still dealing with some refrigeration issues but we're limping along
okay. We will probably stay at our present marina for a few more days and then
explore some new areas around the Abacos for a while, anchoring most of the time.
The locals are saying the weather has been nicer this year than normal for December
and January which is fine with us.
"The Harem" at Nippers' Beach.
Desmond, the Limbo Guy carrying Raina, the
"Limbo Girl" under the limbo bar. Desmond
later cleared the bar at 18" high and said he
once cleared 12". It's amazing to watch.
The Hopetown Lighthose from the catwalk
after lighting.
Heading out to Mermaid Reef.
Enjoying the beach at Nippers.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Enjoying the Bahamas with guests
Saturday, Jan. 5
Heidi and Jeremiah arrived on the day after Christmas after leaving Cleveland an hour
before the storm hit and we had a great week together. They brought with them some
Christmas gifts and goodies from home which we enjoyed including "snow in a can"
from which we made a legitimate snowman (semi-legitimate?). We got to show them
some of the sights and islands we have enjoyed, snorkeled, biked, walked the beaches
and relaxed. Some of the days were a little cloudy and breezy but we had a good sail
day going to Treasure Cay. They were ready for some relaxation and that's what we did.
That, and going to a New Year's Eve dinner and party their last night. They, too fell in
love with Bahamian bread. It is soooo good.
We had a great snorkeling day at Mermaid Reef, very close to our home base. Jeremiah
was swarmed by the fish at the reef. He also found three nice conch shells on the beach,
one of which we'll make into a conch horn.
In the last few days a lot more people have come into the marina so there is more going
on now. We just met a younger couple from Florida but originally from Columbus, which
could be guessed from their boat name, "Buckeye". They had been dying to play euchre
because no one down here plays so we joined them on their catamaran last night for some
fun.
Right now we are eagerly awaiting our next guests who should arrive in an hour or so,
Carol's sister Sue, her daughter Raina, and Sue's good friend Dorian. I'll be the only guy
aboard. Pray that I don't drown in all the estrogern aboard. Actually I'm looking forward
to their visit.
Heidi and Jeremiah arrived on the day after Christmas after leaving Cleveland an hour
before the storm hit and we had a great week together. They brought with them some
Christmas gifts and goodies from home which we enjoyed including "snow in a can"
from which we made a legitimate snowman (semi-legitimate?). We got to show them
some of the sights and islands we have enjoyed, snorkeled, biked, walked the beaches
and relaxed. Some of the days were a little cloudy and breezy but we had a good sail
day going to Treasure Cay. They were ready for some relaxation and that's what we did.
That, and going to a New Year's Eve dinner and party their last night. They, too fell in
love with Bahamian bread. It is soooo good.
We had a great snorkeling day at Mermaid Reef, very close to our home base. Jeremiah
was swarmed by the fish at the reef. He also found three nice conch shells on the beach,
one of which we'll make into a conch horn.
In the last few days a lot more people have come into the marina so there is more going
on now. We just met a younger couple from Florida but originally from Columbus, which
could be guessed from their boat name, "Buckeye". They had been dying to play euchre
because no one down here plays so we joined them on their catamaran last night for some
fun.
Right now we are eagerly awaiting our next guests who should arrive in an hour or so,
Carol's sister Sue, her daughter Raina, and Sue's good friend Dorian. I'll be the only guy
aboard. Pray that I don't drown in all the estrogern aboard. Actually I'm looking forward
to their visit.
Opening the Christmas gifts from home.
"Decompressing", island style.
"Snow in a Can" snowman.
Ladies, here's what you can do with your guys.
Heidi, the intrepid snorkeler.
Heading back in after some great snorkeling
at Mermaid Reef.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Awaiting Guests
Wednesday, Dec. 26
We're here at Marsh Harbor Marina awaiting the arrival of Heidi and Jeremiah who
will be with us for the next week. They were leaving from Cleveland just as a major
storm was arriving so we're hoping their flight has been uneventful. Carol and I have
spent the last couple of weeks scoping out the vicinity for good places to take them.
Our visit to Hopetown was enjoyable. We were on a mooring ball at the base of the
famous lighthouse so the view was special. The harbor there is very protected but has
a shallow entrance that has to be approached at high tide. Many of the harbors here
require arriving at least at half tide if not full. Hopetown is very picturesque with
many quaint shops and brightly colored small homes. They also have more landscaping
than other towns. It felt like Christmas there because there were several marinas and
homes with Christmas lights and there were lights strung on the lighthouse. I've
realized that Christmas lights are an important tradition for me when I didn't have
them.
We're here at Marsh Harbor Marina awaiting the arrival of Heidi and Jeremiah who
will be with us for the next week. They were leaving from Cleveland just as a major
storm was arriving so we're hoping their flight has been uneventful. Carol and I have
spent the last couple of weeks scoping out the vicinity for good places to take them.
Our visit to Hopetown was enjoyable. We were on a mooring ball at the base of the
famous lighthouse so the view was special. The harbor there is very protected but has
a shallow entrance that has to be approached at high tide. Many of the harbors here
require arriving at least at half tide if not full. Hopetown is very picturesque with
many quaint shops and brightly colored small homes. They also have more landscaping
than other towns. It felt like Christmas there because there were several marinas and
homes with Christmas lights and there were lights strung on the lighthouse. I've
realized that Christmas lights are an important tradition for me when I didn't have
them.
Moored in front of the famous lighthouse,one
of the few still lit by kerosene lamp.
View of Hopetown Harbor from the top of the
lighthouse (our boat is at the lower left).
Yeah, Christmas lights!
Christmas in Hopetown
Back at Marsh Harbor Marina on Christmas Eve we all got together up at The Jib Room
for hors d'ouvres and merriment. There is a great group of people staying here and the
staff is wonderful. Christmas day the owners provided turkey and ham and we had a
super potluck dinner. Several of the people at the docks received conch horns for Christmas,
I had made one from a found conch shell and at sundown we gathered together to herald
the setting of the sun, a Bahamian tradition. What we lacked in quality of sound we made
up for in volume, outblowing the folks from across the harbor at the other marina.
Christmas potluck
Heralding the setting of the sun.
The consensus of the canine spectators
was that we were making an awful racket.
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