Clarencetown, Long Island, Exumas, Bahamas

Well, last post says April 1, but I had written it earlier.  I am still trying to figure out this bloodspot site.
Anyway, we have been in Clarencetown since Thursday, March 28.  Very small little settlement but nice people and 2 good restaurants - Outer Edge at flying fish marina and Rowdy Boys  up the road.
We left Georgetown for Long Island, spent one night at Calabash Bay, then went to Rum Cay for a few days.

The crooked docks at Sumner Point marina on Rum Cay.

Picture of our chart plotter showing our boat on the way to Rum Cay (boat shaped black icon).
You can how the depths change so rapidly from 1000's of feet.  Our destination was within the circle.
Yellow is land.

Walking these crooked docks at Rum Cay is an adventure in itself.  Ray is under the shelter.

This is still Rum Cay - just waiting for some new investors.  Actually, the Bahama islands have many abandoned projects scattered all over the place-constuction equipment rusting away, vehicles, materials.  It seems people have big plans but for various reasons just walk away.  One well-known person was Roger Staubach.  We think the government is often corrupt, then there is the weather (hurricanes), and the difficulty getting supplies.

Ray and friend Brian went swimming in this fresh water pond on Rum Cay

In front of the Last Chance grocery store on Rum Cay

Playground on Rum Cay

Sculpture by Bobby at Rum Cay - made out of brain coral 

Lots of study before we leave for the turks and Caicos

    We heard via the cruising grapevine that dockage was free at Sumner Point marina so decided to give it a shot.  Unable to raise them on the VHF radio, we anchored outside their channel and Ray dinghied in to check it out.  We had to wait until high tide to get in and then it was still a scary experience, winding around coral heads and sand bars.  I felt like closing my eyes !

    Hurricane Sandy came here last fall, damaged some of the property and blocked the channel, so they just dredged and opened it up March 8th.  Since the facilities are not up to snuff the owners are just charging for whatever we use but no dockage fee.  Originally, this place was really nice with a restaurant on site, but is now down on it’s luck.  But we love it here, just enough people at the docks for some fun but basically quiet. 

    The owner, Bobby, is an artist and has made some amazing sculptures out of coral.  His girlfriend, Gro, is from Denmark, has sailed all over the world, and met Bobby here.  people seem to come and go. Right now a gorgeous girl named Michelle is staying indefinitely and making jewelry, while her boyfriend is making money taking people scuba diving.  Only 60 people live on the island, and there is no industry other than the occasional cruiser or sportsfisherman needing something.  The only restaurant, Ruby’s, needs notice if you want a meal.  The grocery store is open about an hour a day and keeps the lights off to conserve electricity. 

    However, this is the perfect out-island to experience.  As you walk along, everyone says hello or waves.  Beautiful isolated beaches.  If only we could catch a fish!

When we leave here we start the final chapter of our Bahama cruising guide - it is called 

“Far Horizons - the Bahamas south of the Tropic of Cancer”

Georgetown

We left Walderick Wells and had a great sail to Galliot Cut, where we anchored, along with Ann and Art from Discretion, to start the run to Georgetown, Great Exuma Island the next day.  With the weather report, we all agreed the next leg would also be a great sail, but oops...the wind was “on the nose”, instead, so we had to motor all day into the wind and seas, which made it pretty rocky.  Not dangerous, just not fun.  As we went into the harbor, which is huge and takes another hour to reach a good anchoring spot, we heard from Ann that their engine was not working, plus Art was very seasick.  After anchoring, we kept in touch but they were having trouble getting in the “cut”  between the reefs to the harbor while just under sail.  After tacking back and forth a few times didn’t work, Ray went out in our dinghy and lashed it to the side and powered them through the reef.  

Once they caught the wind again they were towing him!  Anyway, we were so glad to see them drop the anchor near us right before it turned dark.  They are real troopers and we spent some quality time with them all week.  Ray was the rescue guy , towing another dinghy one day, and another day helping someone whose dinghy had been “holed” by another dinghy’s prop while up on the beach. Boy, was that guy bummed.

Georgetown has the highest cruising visitor totals in the Bahamas - hundreds of boats leave their home ports in New England, Chesapeake Bay, etc., to anchor in the protected harbor every year, creating their own floating town.  They arrive in Nov. and leave in the Spring for the trip back to the US.  There are all kinds of activities - bridge, volleyball, crafts, regattas that benefit the islanders.  Most are retired folks , although there were some young people, some with children.  

They make delicious fresh conch salad here.  first we watch them dig it out of the shell, then they cut up the conch, add tomatoes, onions, peppers, then lime and orange juice to marinate.  But they serve it right away so a little weird to eat something that a few minutes ago was squirming.

We're anchored out there somewhere

We dinghied through here a lot from our anchorage to the main town.  

Georgetown, Exuma

Arrival in Georgetown Saturday, lots of fun and many cruisers.  Our friends on Discretion, Ann and Art, are leaving their boat here and flying home for awhile - we will miss them.  

Ann looking for shells on deserted beach on Stocking island, Exuma.

The bathroom at Big D's restaurant in Georgetown

Beautiful beach on Stocking Island

Cruising child having fun on the "chat 'n chill" beach

We attended a meeting for cruisers t listen to someone who has done the trip south many times give us advice.

Fun sign at the beach showing distances - Pittsburgh is on there - 1073 miles

March 14, 2013

Hoping to leave Walderick Wells tomorrow if winds below 20 kts.  Here are a few memories.

March 12, 2012  Walderick Wells. Exuma Cays, Bahamas

Main street in Alicetown, Bimini.  Ended up really liking Bimini because the people are so sweet and friendly, but it is a tired, poor area.  But we like to see where the people actually live their lives, rather than just resorts.  And it is a step back in time where everyone knows you and lives are simpler.

Three Amigos - Art, Ray, Dave

We rode in the back of a pickup truck to Edith's restaurant on Bimini.
While on a walkk earlier inn the day, she drove past us and gave us a flyer and said she would come to get us at the marina.  We were a little nervous as we did not know what the food would be like but it was delicious.  The best part is that we gave some business to a wonderfully sweet woman who is ambitious enough to go out and get some business.  She had no help, just an elderly brother-in-law who did the serving on her deck.  A unique experience.

This is a picture of our chart plotter while under way to the Exumas from Bimini.  It's a little crooked as we were sailing well - you can see SOG top left (speed over ground) is 7.6 kts/hr and that is fast sailing for us.
The picture shows our boat - the black boat-shaped icon - going through what is called "The tongue of the ocean" and this pic shows why.  We left Bimini in the morning and then at night we entered into deep water (white color) 2,000-7,000 feet from really shallow 6-20 feet (green/blue color).  The yellow areas are land - Andros island on the right, New Providence Island on the left with the circle marking Nassau.

In Bimini

In Bimini, people bake in their houses and just put a sign on the street directing people to their houses.  We bought bread from this nice lady.  They just sell right out of their kitchens.

Sunday, March 3rd, 2013

Definition of a weather window for cruisers (otherwise known as the Big Wait"):Waiting for three days of predicted high pressure with winds having no northerly component.   Why?
Because we have to cross the Gulf Stream, which is flowing north, and if it hits wind coming from the north the seas get all "kicked up'.  Since I am a sissy sailor, that is a no go.  The weather here in Florida this year has not been very cooperative.  Every day we wait for the word from the weather guru, Chris Parker, who advises us when to go.  We all refer to him as "Chris" - 'nuff said, we all know him, though have never met him.  His job is only to predict for sailors weather conditions and we trust him.  Cruisers are always saying "Chris said..."   But just to be safe we all double check with at least 3 other weather sites on the internet.   What people did before all this advice and technology, I don't know.
Anyway, planning on leaving for Bimini on Tuesday.

This is the bench seat in our main salon FILLED with food for the next few months.  When closed and cushion on it you can't even tell.  There are storage places like this all over the boat but this is the biggest.  We have 8 cases of beer stored all over the place.  Then paper goods take up a lot of room.  I know where it all is !  Ray has to depend on me.

March 7 -  Happy Birthday Charlotte

Made it to Bimini Tuesday, March 5, easy trip though light winds so had to motor the whole way.  So much fun to get in with a whole group of people.  Celebrations ensued.

Bimini in sight, beautiful clear blue water.

Remains of Earnest Hemingway's establishment

Saturday March 2, 2013

Hello from No Name Harbor in Florida.  We have been here an amazing 10-11 days - who's counting?
Of course, it is all the weather's fault.  Our weather here has been fine but we hesitated to cross over to the Bahamas due to some bad weather due there.  In hindsight, we could have done it but were afraid we would not reach a safe harbor in time to get a good place.  What happens in the cruising world is:

1)  We check various weather sites every day and discuss them at length with other cruisers.
2)  Then we figure out where to go as the winds will change and where we will end up is good for crossing -  but not for anchoring!
3)  We know everyone already in the Bahamas will head for that safe place and get all the mooring balls, leaving us to anchor out in high winds with poor holding.
4)  Alternative is marina but do we want to spend the money?
5)  Ok, lets just stay here and enjoy ourselves and be safe
6)  10 days later we are antsy & no good weather window has appeared!

So, we have explored Miami a little, had lunch at an Argentinian restaurant (great skirt steak), and had a lot of happy hours with other cruisers.  
No Name harbor is in the Bill Baggs Florida State Park in Key Biscayne.  Lots of weekend activity but quiet Mon- Friday.  We are enjoying the Hispanic culture and food, not to mention dolphins, manatees and other sea life who show up in the water around us.

Eating out with friends at the Boaters Grill at No Name Harbor.
Dina, ginny, Ann, Art, Jesse, David

Diana from GeoNova made a big pot of Broccoli soup one day, then dinghied around the anchorage to share with friends!  We just handed down a small saucepan and she ladled it in.  A sailor of many talents.

Diana also makes jewelry - here we are showing the bracelets she gave us as mementoes.
Ginny is getting into the jewelry making also. It would take too long to go into Ann's accomplishments
 I make reservations quite well.

The grilled whole fish at Boater's Grill - incredibly good.  this baby cost about $36

After a day of provisioning in Ft. Pierce - priorities?
the fun part is finding a place to stow it all - and there is a lot more stuff than this.

View of Miami river from the people mover - reminds us of the Chicago river with palm trees.

Boats at No Name Harbor. We are in the middle behind the boat with tan canvas.