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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.
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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.
