273 Miles to Home - April 28 - 29

The conditions couldn't have been better to drive us 273 miles to home in two days from Manasquan, NJ. Wind, waves and tide carried us up the rest of the Jersey Coast, through NYC and up Long Island Sound to Old Saybrook the first day. We intended to stop for a night at Cuttyhunk but again the conditions were too perfect to pass up. We flew up Buzzard's Bay and caught the tide in the canal. Again we thought we would stop at the east end of the canal but Cape Cod Bay was flat and it was cold. The comfort level of the boat moving with the bus heater running was enticing. Chicken went in the oven at Harding's Ledge and we pulled into Hull just in time for dinner at 6:30.

Seven months and a week have passed since we closed the door to our house last fall. It feels good to be home!

The photo of the right whale is a reminder to be on the lookout on the water. Four years ago, we crossed paths with many of these guys off Farnum Rock so we were watching. This is one of two we passed off Manomet Pt. Stopping to figure out how many and what direction they were moving, they took a close pass before we were able to move around them. Wonderful sight!

Morehead City to NJ - April 11 - 27

Click for photos

We know we have gone full circle when we run into fellow boaters we first met in Cape May last fall, all of us headed home. Craig, Amy and their lab Willow aboard Robin were already pulled into the dock at Chesapeake City before we arrived. We have been traveling the same course since pulling into marinas and anchorages trying to dodge and wait out bad weather. Both boats had a nasty run 2 days ago traveling up from Atlantic City.

We got a bit wet inside and the outboard motor got soaked while Robin almost lost their dinghy. Currently they are about 20 miles south at Barnegut Light while we traveled further up to Manasquan to dry out, work on the engine and do laundry. Tomorrow the hope is to continue on through NYC into Long Island Sound. Here’s a short recap over the last couple weeks.

4/11  MM 205  Morehead City, NC — Our first encounter with Will & Halcyon on Omhe 3, a Lyman Morse from Bath, ME who we travel with for 6 days.

4/12  MM 174  River Dunes Marina, NC — This was our second attempt to get to Oriental but there was a boat show going on and too windy to stay at the outer marina so we continued 8 miles up to River Dunes to join Ohme 3. This is a planned community that is still being developed but with a protected well run marina great for stormy weather.

4/13  MM 135  Forest River Marina, Belhaven, NC — 3 nights for another round of bad weather, getting up at 4 a.m. in sheets of rain for fender and line adjustment and on Ohme, a popped fender. We were both pinned to the windward side of the dock in 50+ mph of wind. Good opportunity later on to take the golf carts out shopping and dine at Spoon River on their first public opening night since recovering from last fall’s hurricanes.

4/16  MM  50  Coinjock, NC — Last night and meal before we parted ways with Ohme. 

4/17  Into the Chesapeake to Salt Ponds Marina, Buckroe Beach, VA — Many bridge delays with a fallen telephone pole causing bridge closure, RR Bridge repair and passing trains on the next RR bridge.

4/18  Solomons Island, MD — We hoped to meet George here with his new puppy but didn't happen. We stayed 3 days anyway to visit the Calvert Marine Museum and avoid more wind.

4/21 Chesapeake City Dock, MD — Just an overnight in a convenient, beautiful spot where we reconnected with Robin.

4/22  Utsch’s Marina, Cape May, NJ — 2 days. One we thought for laundry but we got there before the plummer and the second for me to take a run down to South Meadows looking for birds I haven’t seen in months and possible migrants.

4/24  Atlantic City, NJ — Overnight anchored in the cove with Robin.

4/25  Barnegut Bay Area, NJ — Probably the worst run we have had for 7 months was coming up the NJ shore. We bailed at Barnegut Light to regroup and continued in the NJ ICW up to Manasquan.

MM 402 - 295 - Georgetown to Carolina Beach SP - April 6 - 10

If I tried to search for a great egret preening like this, I would be hard pressed to find him but this guy landed right by our boat in Georgetown posing and preening for a good 20". 

Currently we are at the Carolina Beach State Park Marina at the south end of Snow's Cut, a favorite place we have visited by land & sea. After getting a call from Steve & Ellen working their way home from AZ via FL, we are staying an extra day so we can rendezvous and catch up.

Journey over the last several days:

4/06  MM 402  Georgetown, SC — Anchored off the town

4/07  MM 346  Myrtle Beach Yatch Club, SC — Stayed an extra day because Cape Fear River is being completely closed down for a large crane that is being brought in.

4/09  MM 295 Carolina Beach State Park, NC — Great trails and awaiting the arrival of Steve & Ellen in Speedy. 

Mile Marker 1014 to 430 - March 20 - April 5

Click for photos

Only 1014 statue miles to go from the north end of Lake Worth in West Palm, FL to Norfolk, VA. Going south last fall, a lot of time was spent in the Chesapeake and less in the ICW (NC, SC & GA) so the plan is to reverse this going north. Moving the way we are, it is difficult to keep up so here's a log to help jog my memory with one comment for each stop to keep it short.

3/16  MM 1014  Old Port Marina, Palm Beach, FL — Windemere stayed behind waiting for crew.

3/18  MM 966  Ft. Pierce City Marina, Ft. Pierce, FL — Connected with Dave & Dianne on Argonaut.

3/20  MM 915  Eau Gallie Marina, Eau Gallie, FL — Best Wednesday night potluck dinner & artist community.

3/22  MM 878  Westland Marina, Titusville, FL — Rented car for birding at Merritt Is and Windemere caught up for a night & left to sprint home.

3/24  MM 796  Marineland Marina, Marineland, FL — Sunsets, dog friendly beach and river to sea hiking trails.

3/26  MM 778  River’s Edge Marina, St. Augustine, FL — Refuge from a storm.

3/28  MM 703  Cumberland Island, Brickhill Creek at Plum Orchard, GA — Beach hike oceanside, horses and serenity.

3/30  MM 653  Darien docks behind Skipper’s Fish Camp, Darien, GA — Quite a journey upriver but nice dinner out.

3/31  MM 600  Delegal Creek Marina, Skidaway Island, GA — Gated community w/good facilities (but no lounge for Harry) and a funky loaner golf cart for errands.

4/02  MM 535  Beaufort City Docks, Beaufort, SC — Walkabout town and drinks w/Bill, Anne, Barbara & Dave

4/04  MM 462  Toler’s Cove Marina, Mt. Pleasant, SC — Bare bones, no showers, one pink portapotty in a modest gated community but a good one nighter stop.

4/05  MM 430  Leland Oil Company, McClennanville, SC — One of our favorite towns but the bugs were too vicious this time.

And Windemere has made it home safe and sound!

Back in the US - March 16 - 19

Click for photos

Although overcast and cloudy, the trip across the Gulf Stream was a pleasant 4.5 hour trip. Bottles cast out and mahi caught on the Windemere, we anchored up in Lake Worth for lunch and customs. For those who set up their CPB ROAM app (Customs & Border Patrol Reporting Offsite Arrival Mobile) ahead of time, clearing customs took minutes. For others, well there was pain . . . 

On to Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach where Diane flew home and Peter will hold up for crew coming in on Thursday. Meanwhile we continued on to Ft. Pierce to meet up with Dave & Dianne on Argonaut and will continue up to Eau de Gallie for a couple nights and then to Titusville for 2 more. Maybe Windemere will catch up.

Because it is rainy, cold and miserable today, here are a few more photos from the sunny Bahamas.

Click for photos

Time to Head Home - February - March 15, 2019

Click for photos

Cruising up the Sea of Abaco with a brisk NE breeze on the starboard quarter was a gift on the first leg of our journey home. Traveling through cuts to the open ocean have become more familiar after many trips out fishing in the deeper waters for mahi, wahoo and whatever else hit the rods so getting around Whale Cay was no big deal with 5’ swells. One to two hour shifts work on long days like this but today was just a pleasure running with the wind and waves. Harry made up coffee and toast from bread that Bill gave us freshly baked by his sister Daisy that was enjoyed along the way. 

The people of Man-O-War, those that live and work here year round are what make this place special. They are open, kind and speak from their heart. They are interested in what you are doing, helpful on how to fix things, where to find parts and how and where to fish. They talk, listen and share their lives. We pass fish along when we catch it and often receive fruits, veggies and today bread in return. Even when the boats come back empty, fresh tomatoes and bananas appear. One quick story about a boater on our dock who went to the grocery store to get some fish. In the market the fish is frozen and runs about $30-35 for a serving for 2. He commented that it was more than he wanted to spend. About an hour later, a man showed up at his boat carrying a bag of fresh fish. The man’s wife worked at the grocery store, heard the conversation and sent her husband down. This is just one example of the random acts of kindness that happen here.

There are several different types of boating folks. Those that moor their boat, those on a slip at the marina and the transients folks that come in for 1-2 nights. And then there are the fishermen, power and sailors that cruise from harbor to harbor while others like ourselves choose a home base and cruise for several days in between the fronts. We have reconnected with friends we met 4 years ago and made many new ones. Friends Toni and Sally put on an amazing going away gathering and everyone pulled themselves from their bunks to see us off the next morning.

When we made the decision to head home during the next weather break, I knew there were a few more adventures to be had. I really wanted to get out to Fowl Cay before we left. This is a group of very small islands that are part of the park system w/in the Bahamian National Trust. The real attraction is the snorkeling and diving offshore on the reefs but I wanted to explore, look for shells and snorkel closer to shore. It is a 2 mile run north from MOW so on a calm morning, Anne & I headed out in the inflatable while the guys went fishing. 

Part of the reason I hadn’t gone earlier is because a boat carrying anywhere from 50 to 90 Haitians shipwrecked on the reef at night several weeks back. They had traveled for 7 days over 600 miles when their boat broke up. It wasn’t until morning before authorities realized what had happened. Only 18-19 survivors were found, many dead amongst the broken sections of boat and others missing. One can only hope that some did make it to shore or were picked up during the night but no one will ever know or say. For people to risk so much, life in Haiti has got to be pretty bad. It was sobering when we got to the island to see a tribute made up of backpacks, shoes and parts of the boat to the people who died. 

On the bright side, birding has been great. I’ve been able to join up with groups, met fellow birders and helped out with the piping plover survey by finding a few banded birds. Todd with the Wildlife Conservation Foundation of NJ came to the Abacos with a National Audubon team so we were able to meet up. The highlight of our day wasn't plovers. It was coming across 6 white-tailed tropicbirds circling low overhead. These birds are usually seen one at a time far out to sea. They nest on MOW and the nearby islands from March through July.

Fishing has been spectacular. Harry has learned a lot going out on the Bimini Twist, a 42' Duffy sports fishing boat with Captain Gene, Roger and Knox. Rigging, setting up ballyhoo, finding weed lines and the secret spots. Jeff & Readith came along on the Windemere many times and shared their knowledge as well. Fish has been good and plentiful!

Many more stories to tell and photos to post but for another time. It is late and we are starting our sprint home. Yesterday we got to Great Sale Cay and today West End on Grand Bahamas. Tomorrow will see us across the Gulf Stream to the US dropping 3 messages in bottles along the way.

Man-O-War - Dec 25 - Jan 26

Pictures say a thousand words!

Click for photos

Man-O-War Christmas - Nov 26 - Dec 24

Click for photos

Merry Christmas to all our friends & family from Man-O-War. 

What was suppose to be a weekly post has morphed into a month. With Sam (broken wrist and cast) & Diane arriving the beginning of December and the rest of the McDonnells following 2 weeks later, it has been nonstop fishing, snorkeling and island hopping since.

Although handicapped, nothing has stopped Sam. He has been recording his catches on his cast that read something like this - yellow tail & mutton snapper, trigger fish, porgies, Nassau grouper, a remora that he was "triple dog dared" to put on his back - not, white marlin on a light casting rig, mahi, Spanish mackerel and wahoo. And then there was the shark that got away! Harry caught many as well. We have been eating a lot of fish!

I was able to join in on the Christmas Bird Count on Great Abaco, hopefully the first of many trips across the Sea of Abaco. The weather has been almost constant fronts with heavy winds so we have been staying close to MOW with day trips to nearby islands. More later when things settle down!

Across the Gulf Stream & Bank - Nov 16 - 25

Click for photos

With Jim arriving on the 17th to join Windermere and a weather window opening up on the 18th, we left VB to rendezvous with everyone, anchoring off the public docks of West Palm several miles south of the inlet. Although a very convenient spot with easy access by foot or free trolley to a nearby Publix, West Palm was jumping with activities and bands that played well into the early morning hours. All good but we moved the following night up to the inlet for an early start.

Early start as defined by Peter — “getting up at 4, motoring over to the municipal marina fuel dock to get Nina ashore and out the inlet before 5.” The first few hours were dark with choppy sloppy confused seas. More than expected but daylight eased the pain and it got better about half way across. We reached the bank by 10:30 and Great Sale Cay by early afternoon. Not a bad day’s run.

Spanish Cay, a private resort island, was the choice for clearing customs. The resort provides “office space” in their bar and subsidizes having an officer come to the island accommodating guests. I knew it would be more laid back but didn’t expect sipping a drink while filling out the many forms! What we didn’t know was that the resort charged a $50 entry fee to access customs unless their slips are used. All still cheaper than going through West End. The only caveat was that Customs & Immigration are two separate departments. Only a customs officer was at Spanish (& Green Turtle) Cay to issue the cruising/fishing permit but limited to a 90 day stay. We will have to ask for an extension down the line.

Giving Jim a chance to see different islands, we skipped from cay to cay. Spanish to Manjack Cay for a quick row to the beach, swim and watched a family feeding rays and a couple lemon sharks. I gave it a try but didn’t like 3 rays swimming between and around my legs rubbing up against me like cats. Then on we went to Green Turtle Cay for 4 nights renting a golf cart and exploring the island end to end. The Bahamians celebrate Thanksgiving the same as we do so there were many restaurants to choose from. We had a great turkey dinner at Harvey’s Grille in Black Sound with a Bahamian flavor of conch in the stuffing.

One more special stop for Jim at No Name Cay where he found his calling with the swimming pigs. On Sunday the 25th we made our way around “the Whale”, a nasty stretch of water around Whale Cay that is exposed to ocean swell and narrow passages through reefs to Man-O-War Cay where we will call home for the next several months.

Vero Beach - Nov 11 - 15

Vero Beach is another one of those stops where you can get anything done and stay in a holding pattern until the winds are favorable to cross over to the Bahamas. The VB City Marina has all the amenities including incoming mail and affordable moorings making it possible. The deal is that you must be willing to raft with others. Peter moved the Windemere down from Suntex Marina just a couple miles north and picked out the first mooring (#1) as you enter the lagoon that was perfect for good air, boat watching and very close to the dog park and a restaurant. 

Getting to a vet for the Bahamas pet paperwork was the last remaining thing we had to get done. Our first morning, Nina & I headed to the park to ask around about vets and met Margie & Molly. An appointment was made and Molly was good enough to drive us there - one example of the wonderful, helpful people we meet along the way.

VB has a network of 15 bus routes for their county public transit service that is free. We also discovered that a 1 mile dinghy run down and across the ICW to AW Young Park got us a quarter mile from several shopping centers with a Publix, West Marine and many other stores. The time has come to look out a week at the weather and all we see are northerly winds. A hole may open up around the 19th. If so, we’ll make a move down to West Palm. The challenge aside from weather is Nina’s health certificate from the vet is suppose to be dated within 48 hours of entering the country, an impossible requirement coming in by boat. Today will continue to be a weather watch so could be a quick move any time now.