Cruising the BVI's with the Minielly's

Hi, it's Sue and we've just returned from spending 12 amazing days cruising the British Virgin Islands with Gary, Janine and the boys. Gary asked me to download some photos as communication connections are very slow and difficult to access these days, and they've not been successful in uploading much lately due to technical issues. I said I'd be happy to take on the assignment of Guest Recorder/Reporter upon my return to the world of high speed 'everything', and isn't that the truth -- after enjoying twelve days of slowwwwww, I must say it's a bit of a shock to get back to the world of alarm clocks, cell phones, schedules, deadlines etc. etc. which is a major contrast to life on the boat where the days events and activities were planned each morning, sitting on deck with a coffee, looking at the waves, weather and every conversation started with, "Well, where are we going today?" It actually took us three days to discover that the only clock onboard was out by two hours (due to being accidentally readjusted during the Pirate Takeover and Treasure Hunt, but that's another story...)

Here's a photo of the crew of the SV High Five, taken on April 12th.

Bradley, Tavish and Richard have all grown at least 4 inches taller, it seems. Everyone is a golden brown, in spite of the 30 SPF sunscreen. Clothing choices consist of sunglasses and swim shorts/suits which makes it much quicker when going for a swim, snorkel, swinging from the halyard (what a blast!!) or diving off the front of the boat.

We spent a good deal of time playing in the water; the snorkelling was amazing. We had the opportunity one afternoon to swim with a sea turtle, who was not bothered by 7 people following behind, over and under him as he lead us around the cove. That same afternoon we swam with fish that looked like salmon (sorry I can't remember their name; where's Richard when I need him!!) and were approx. 4-5 feet long, which was a little awkward at first until we realized that they didn't care about us either. Then there was the day we snorkelled over top of the stingray for a while-- snorkelling in the BVI's is truly like swimming in the tropical fish tanks at the aquarium with no boundaries. You can see to the bottom of the ocean at 50 feet the water is so clear!

Live entertainment at Happy Hour!

I am also pleased to report that the boys are working very diligently on their schoolwork each day (right boys???!!!)

Oops, that's better!!

We met up with Gary's sister Nancy, Bob,Catherine and Alex for a few days. We also had a chance to meet some of the wonderful new friends the Minielly's have made along the way from SV's Salt and Light, Losloper and Migo.

Anyway, enough chat from me, but suffice to say that we had an unforgettable time cruising the BVI's with our dear friends. They are all healthy and happy together in paradise and most definitely having the time of their lives!

The end of another beautiful day in paradise!

Thanks for all the wonderful memories,

S&S

Cruising the BVI's with the Minielly's

Hi, it's Sue and we've just returned from spending 12 amazing days cruising the British Virgin Islands with Gary, Janine and the boys. Gary asked me to download some photos as communication connections are very slow and difficult to access these days, and they've not been successful in uploading much lately due to technical issues. I said I'd be happy to take on the assignment of Guest Recorder/Reporter upon my return to the world of high speed 'everything', and isn't that the truth -- after enjoying twelve days of slowwwwww, I must say it's a bit of a shock to get back to the world of alarm clocks, cell phones, schedules, deadlines etc. etc. which is a major contrast to life on the boat where the days events and activities were planned each morning, sitting on deck with a coffee, looking at the waves, weather and every conversation started with, "Well, where are we going today?" It actually took us three days to discover that the only clock onboard was out by two hours (due to being accidentally readjusted during the Pirate Takeover and Treasure Hunt, but that's another story...)

Here's a photo of the crew of the SV High Five, taken on April 12th.

Bradley, Tavish and Richard have all grown at least 4 inches taller, it seems. Everyone is a golden brown, in spite of the 30 SPF sunscreen. Clothing choices consist of sunglasses and swim shorts/suits which makes it much quicker when going for a swim, snorkel, swinging from the halyard (what a blast!!) or diving off the front of the boat.

We spent a good deal of time playing in the water; the snorkelling was amazing. We had the opportunity one afternoon to swim with a sea turtle, who was not bothered by 7 people following behind, over and under him as he lead us around the cove. That same afternoon we swam with fish that looked like salmon (sorry I can't remember their name; where's Richard when I need him!!) and were approx. 4-5 feet long, which was a little awkward at first until we realized that they didn't care about us either. Then there was the day we snorkelled over top of the stingray for a while-- snorkelling in the BVI's is truly like swimming in the tropical fish tanks at the aquarium with no boundaries. You can see to the bottom of the ocean at 50 feet the water is so clear!

Live entertainment at Happy Hour!

I am also pleased to report that the boys are working very diligently on their schoolwork each day (right boys???!!!)

Oops, that's better!!

We met up with Gary's sister Nancy, Bob,Catherine and Alex for a few days. We also had a chance to meet some of the wonderful new friends the Minielly's have made along the way from SV's Salt and Light, Losloper and Migo.

Anyway, enough chat from me, but suffice to say that we had an unforgettable time cruising the BVI's with our dear friends. They are all healthy and happy together in paradise and most definitely having the time of their lives!

The end of another beautiful day in paradise!

Thanks for all the wonderful memories,

S&S

Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic

We took a trip on the local bus from Luperon to Santo Domingo on the South coast of the DR. Bus ride was an experience in itself. The rules of the road are different in the DR in that there aren't any. The bus is like an old Greyhound only they put benches in the aisle as well so 6 people sit across each row. Janine had the seat directly behind the maniacal driver looking out the front window. The trip was like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride with a twist --for the first hour we acted as the local school bus and stopped every quarter mile to pick up children as the occasional grandma with a live chicken. After this we got onto the highway where our speed excelarated and the lines on the road got fuzzy. The driver proceeded to pass cars down the middle of the highway, forcing the cars on BOTH sides of the road onto the shoulders where families on motorcycles (5 people per cycle) were travelling the wrong way against the traffic. It was mayhem!! After five scary, long hours we finally arrived, with quaking legs, in Santo Domingo. We took a taxi to the hotel we had heard about but when we got there it was a different hotel but it was clean and reasonable and they provided us with an extra bed so we stayed. We headed out to find dinner and were immediately approached by a local 'tour guide' who, after helping us find the hotel, took us to a local dominica restaurant where we sampled some of their local fare (beer). It was late by the time we finished dinner so we headed back to the hotel room and enjoyed some cable TV--what a luxury!!! We slept amazingly well, considering the hotel room did not rock and enjoyed long, warm showers in the morning. Clean and rested we set out to explore the city. It is very old with a lot of history involving Christopher Columbus. Again, we were approached by a tour guide who spoke english, french and spanish. He guided us through churches, forts, the old mansion of the dictator, a cigar factory and a few gift shops. After the tour, we took a taxi to the waterfront where the large hotels are located. It was expensive and 'touristy' there but gave us the opportunity to walk several miles back to the colonial district where our hotel was located. It seems no matter where you go we keep bumping into people we know -- Santo Domingo was no exception as we kept bumping into our cruising friends from Luperon throughout our stay. We stayed in Santo Domingo one more night and took the luxury bus back to Luperon as we could not face the local bus trip again. When we arrived back in Luperon we had a special surprise waiting for us -- Salt and Light and Wandering Dolphin had caught up to us at last!

Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic

We took a trip on the local bus from Luperon to Santo Domingo on the South coast of the DR. Bus ride was an experience in itself. The rules of the road are different in the DR in that there aren't any. The bus is like an old Greyhound only they put benches in the aisle as well so 6 people sit across each row. Janine had the seat directly behind the maniacal driver looking out the front window. The trip was like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride with a twist --for the first hour we acted as the local school bus and stopped every quarter mile to pick up children as the occasional grandma with a live chicken. After this we got onto the highway where our speed excelarated and the lines on the road got fuzzy. The driver proceeded to pass cars down the middle of the highway, forcing the cars on BOTH sides of the road onto the shoulders where families on motorcycles (5 people per cycle) were travelling the wrong way against the traffic. It was mayhem!! After five scary, long hours we finally arrived, with quaking legs, in Santo Domingo. We took a taxi to the hotel we had heard about but when we got there it was a different hotel but it was clean and reasonable and they provided us with an extra bed so we stayed. We headed out to find dinner and were immediately approached by a local 'tour guide' who, after helping us find the hotel, took us to a local dominica restaurant where we sampled some of their local fare (beer). It was late by the time we finished dinner so we headed back to the hotel room and enjoyed some cable TV--what a luxury!!! We slept amazingly well, considering the hotel room did not rock and enjoyed long, warm showers in the morning. Clean and rested we set out to explore the city. It is very old with a lot of history involving Christopher Columbus. Again, we were approached by a tour guide who spoke english, french and spanish. He guided us through churches, forts, the old mansion of the dictator, a cigar factory and a few gift shops. After the tour, we took a taxi to the waterfront where the large hotels are located. It was expensive and 'touristy' there but gave us the opportunity to walk several miles back to the colonial district where our hotel was located. It seems no matter where you go we keep bumping into people we know -- Santo Domingo was no exception as we kept bumping into our cruising friends from Luperon throughout our stay. We stayed in Santo Domingo one more night and took the luxury bus back to Luperon as we could not face the local bus trip again. When we arrived back in Luperon we had a special surprise waiting for us -- Salt and Light and Wandering Dolphin had caught up to us at last!

Approaching the Turks and Caicos

We left Rum Cay early in the morning, at high tide, with the guide boat again, and set sail for Mayaguana in the company of Losloper (from Alberta) , Migo, and Beach Magic, both from Quebec. It soon became apparent that we had left too early and that landfall at Mayaguana was going to be in the DARK! Not being big fans of darkness and coral reefs we chose to continue sailing on to Turks and Caicos. As we sailed along the North side of Mayaguana, blotches appeared on the radar. The first one was a cruise ship who’s upper deck disco reflected off the clouds providing an interesting light show. The second one was a squall. We quickly started the engine and rolled up the genoa, the main was already reefed, and the wind piped up to 25 or 30 knots. We motorsailed for a few hours, our autopilot keeping us close to the wind and away from the land. Around 3:30 am the engine sputtered and then was silent………..I hate it when that happens……... Fortunately we were clear of the island and there was good wind. So we were able to bear off a bit and sail for Provo in the Turks and Caicos. After the sun was up Janine piloted the boat and Gary spent time in the engine compartment trying to figure out what was wrong. It seemed there was a blockage at the fuel intake, inside the fuel tank. After a few hours it became apparent that a good plan B was in order. After a call to the shipyard/mechanic we were able to arrange for a towboat to meet us in the Sandbore channel. Arriving early, we proceeded to short tack up the channel, trying to shorten the tow as much as possible. The sailing was great until we heard Bradley exclaim “hey dad the spreader fell off” Gary jumped to the leeward side and….well….the spreader had fallen off.! ………..I really hate it when that happens……... Quickly we furled the jib (one small rip), dropped the main and set the anchor. We were able to get the spreader reattached just as the towboat arrived. Once in the Shipyard, the mechanic, Ryan, was able to clear the fuel intake. Then the tank was drained and all of the fuel filtered (twice). We found a small piece of chain that used to hold the fuel cap to the boat lodged inside the intake of the transfer pump. We believe this to be the culprit. With the engine now in working order, Gary replaced all the retaining bolts on all of the spreaders (one of the rivets had corroded out) and took the jib off to the shop to be fixed. We were lucky, the problems we had, although potentially big, happened at times when they were least threatening, and we were able to handle them without major difficulties. We have now reviewed and checked everything we can think of (again) so the next thing to go wrong will be something we have not thought of yet.

Approaching the Turks and Caicos

We left Rum Cay early in the morning, at high tide, with the guide boat again, and set sail for Mayaguana in the company of Losloper (from Alberta) , Migo, and Beach Magic, both from Quebec. It soon became apparent that we had left too early and that landfall at Mayaguana was going to be in the DARK! Not being big fans of darkness and coral reefs we chose to continue sailing on to Turks and Caicos. As we sailed along the North side of Mayaguana, blotches appeared on the radar. The first one was a cruise ship who’s upper deck disco reflected off the clouds providing an interesting light show. The second one was a squall. We quickly started the engine and rolled up the genoa, the main was already reefed, and the wind piped up to 25 or 30 knots. We motorsailed for a few hours, our autopilot keeping us close to the wind and away from the land. Around 3:30 am the engine sputtered and then was silent………..I hate it when that happens……... Fortunately we were clear of the island and there was good wind. So we were able to bear off a bit and sail for Provo in the Turks and Caicos. After the sun was up Janine piloted the boat and Gary spent time in the engine compartment trying to figure out what was wrong. It seemed there was a blockage at the fuel intake, inside the fuel tank. After a few hours it became apparent that a good plan B was in order. After a call to the shipyard/mechanic we were able to arrange for a towboat to meet us in the Sandbore channel. Arriving early, we proceeded to short tack up the channel, trying to shorten the tow as much as possible. The sailing was great until we heard Bradley exclaim “hey dad the spreader fell off” Gary jumped to the leeward side and….well….the spreader had fallen off.! ………..I really hate it when that happens……... Quickly we furled the jib (one small rip), dropped the main and set the anchor. We were able to get the spreader reattached just as the towboat arrived. Once in the Shipyard, the mechanic, Ryan, was able to clear the fuel intake. Then the tank was drained and all of the fuel filtered (twice). We found a small piece of chain that used to hold the fuel cap to the boat lodged inside the intake of the transfer pump. We believe this to be the culprit. With the engine now in working order, Gary replaced all the retaining bolts on all of the spreaders (one of the rivets had corroded out) and took the jib off to the shop to be fixed. We were lucky, the problems we had, although potentially big, happened at times when they were least threatening, and we were able to handle them without major difficulties. We have now reviewed and checked everything we can think of (again) so the next thing to go wrong will be something we have not thought of yet.

We are still out here

It´s been too long since our last post. We are alive and well in the Dominican Republic. We are doing well. We will be in Puerto Rico in a week and communications will improve. We have pictures, and stories to tell but can´t seem to get them uploaded.

We are still out here

It´s been too long since our last post. We are alive and well in the Dominican Republic. We are doing well. We will be in Puerto Rico in a week and communications will improve. We have pictures, and stories to tell but can´t seem to get them uploaded.

Escape from Chicken Harbour

The Great Escape We Made it out of Georgetown!! Early Tuesday morning we pulled anchor and headed out of the anchorage. We were joined by Losloper and headed out Conch Cut together. We had to sail very close to the wind (and there wasn't much of it) so we kept the engine going and motor sailed. The fishing lines out right away and within the first hour Losloper called us on the radio to say they had landed a nice size Mahi Mahi. We were very excited for them and happy that they were willing to share it with us as we didn’t have any action on our lines at all. By 1pm we had arrived at our intended destination, Calabash Bay on the Northern end of Long Island. The North entrance looked a little sporty with the huge swells breaking on the reef to the lee of us. The prudent (scared) sailor in us decided we should go around to the southern entrance which was much wider. It turned out to be a good decision as we discovered the south side of the bay had less swell. With the anchor set we had a nice afternoon/ evening with the crew of Losloper. We bbq’d their fish on our boat as we have the bigger bbq. This big bbq has proven to be a good investment as twice now we have friends who have caught fish too big for their own. The MAHI WAS FANTASTIC!! There truly is no comparison to fish that is freshly caught. We were all very tired and had another day of travel the next day so it was an early night. Unfortunately it was not a restful night as the Northeast swell met the southwest wind chop and the boats spent the whole night rolling. We hoisted our anchors at 7am and headed out of the bay enroute to Rum Cay. To get there we headed around the north end of Long Island where the shallow bank meets the open ocean and produces large swells. We watched the swells that seemed the size of buildings approach us, and then we gently rode up the front and down the back sides. As we got into deeper water the swells subsided. Open to the Atlantic Ocean the wave period (time between the waves) is long, so even though the swell was 8 – 10 feet high they are 10 seconds apart (100meters or more) and the ocean feels reasonably flat. Sumner Point Marina in Rum Cay welcomed us and even provided a guide boat to bring us in the channel through the reef. If you know where you are going it seems easy, but here really is no room for confusion. We planned our arrival for high tide but at times we still only had a foot or so under the keel. It was Wednesday night, so the marina’s restaurant was closed as “everyone” went to the Oceanside for the Bahamian buffet. There were 3 catamarans in the marina, and they had rented golf carts, so we were treated to a ride down the dirt track to the restaurant. A good time washad by all. The next morning we slept in and made the boat ready for our next passage.

Escape from Chicken Harbour

The Great Escape We Made it out of Georgetown!! Early Tuesday morning we pulled anchor and headed out of the anchorage. We were joined by Losloper and headed out Conch Cut together. We had to sail very close to the wind (and there wasn't much of it) so we kept the engine going and motor sailed. The fishing lines out right away and within the first hour Losloper called us on the radio to say they had landed a nice size Mahi Mahi. We were very excited for them and happy that they were willing to share it with us as we didn’t have any action on our lines at all. By 1pm we had arrived at our intended destination, Calabash Bay on the Northern end of Long Island. The North entrance looked a little sporty with the huge swells breaking on the reef to the lee of us. The prudent (scared) sailor in us decided we should go around to the southern entrance which was much wider. It turned out to be a good decision as we discovered the south side of the bay had less swell. With the anchor set we had a nice afternoon/ evening with the crew of Losloper. We bbq’d their fish on our boat as we have the bigger bbq. This big bbq has proven to be a good investment as twice now we have friends who have caught fish too big for their own. The MAHI WAS FANTASTIC!! There truly is no comparison to fish that is freshly caught. We were all very tired and had another day of travel the next day so it was an early night. Unfortunately it was not a restful night as the Northeast swell met the southwest wind chop and the boats spent the whole night rolling. We hoisted our anchors at 7am and headed out of the bay enroute to Rum Cay. To get there we headed around the north end of Long Island where the shallow bank meets the open ocean and produces large swells. We watched the swells that seemed the size of buildings approach us, and then we gently rode up the front and down the back sides. As we got into deeper water the swells subsided. Open to the Atlantic Ocean the wave period (time between the waves) is long, so even though the swell was 8 – 10 feet high they are 10 seconds apart (100meters or more) and the ocean feels reasonably flat. Sumner Point Marina in Rum Cay welcomed us and even provided a guide boat to bring us in the channel through the reef. If you know where you are going it seems easy, but here really is no room for confusion. We planned our arrival for high tide but at times we still only had a foot or so under the keel. It was Wednesday night, so the marina’s restaurant was closed as “everyone” went to the Oceanside for the Bahamian buffet. There were 3 catamarans in the marina, and they had rented golf carts, so we were treated to a ride down the dirt track to the restaurant. A good time washad by all. The next morning we slept in and made the boat ready for our next passage.

Georgetown

When we arrived at Georgetown the second time there were 25 other boats that arrived on the same day, bringing the total close to 150 boats!!!! This time we anchored a little further away from the action, around the corner at Sand Dollar Beach. We soon however found ourselves back on Volley ball beach sipping blender drinks, talking with other cruisers, while the kids swung, (again) unsupervised, from the trees. Georgetown is a highly organized place, kinda like summer camp with booze, many cruisers make it the focal point of their winter itinerarys. The 8am cruisers net on the vhf radio is awash with the activities of the day: Iron Yoga at 8:30, Bridge at 1300, Volleyball (it is volleyball beach of course) from 2:30 onward, Beach church, Trivial pursuit, Texas hold’m, Potluck from 4pm onward at sanddollar beach, an outboard for sale, someone looking for a part for a wind generator, propane truck 11am Saturday, fundraiser for a local business on satuday afternoon, etc ,etc. you need a daytimer just to keep up!!!!! We don’t have one. Several of the kid boats we met in the US (Salt and Light, Solange, San It I, Sucia, Meander) are a week or 2 behind us and it is tempting to wait for them, but if we stay here too long then we won’t have the time to spend at other places further south. It is a tough decision We are watching the weather and hope to move south east to Rum Cay, and the Turks and Caicos soon.

Georgetown

When we arrived at Georgetown the second time there were 25 other boats that arrived on the same day, bringing the total close to 150 boats!!!! This time we anchored a little further away from the action, around the corner at Sand Dollar Beach. We soon however found ourselves back on Volley ball beach sipping blender drinks, talking with other cruisers, while the kids swung, (again) unsupervised, from the trees. Georgetown is a highly organized place, kinda like summer camp with booze, many cruisers make it the focal point of their winter itinerarys. The 8am cruisers net on the vhf radio is awash with the activities of the day: Iron Yoga at 8:30, Bridge at 1300, Volleyball (it is volleyball beach of course) from 2:30 onward, Beach church, Trivial pursuit, Texas hold’m, Potluck from 4pm onward at sanddollar beach, an outboard for sale, someone looking for a part for a wind generator, propane truck 11am Saturday, fundraiser for a local business on satuday afternoon, etc ,etc. you need a daytimer just to keep up!!!!! We don’t have one. Several of the kid boats we met in the US (Salt and Light, Solange, San It I, Sucia, Meander) are a week or 2 behind us and it is tempting to wait for them, but if we stay here too long then we won’t have the time to spend at other places further south. It is a tough decision We are watching the weather and hope to move south east to Rum Cay, and the Turks and Caicos soon.

Grandpa and Grandma’s visit

Gary’s parents flew into Staniel Cay (www.stanielcay.com) a few days before Ina flew home so we were able to celebrate Christmas, and birthdays for both grandma’s (Dec15th and 16th) Bradley and Tavish (Jan 7th) and Richard (Jan14th) with a great meal at Staniel Cay Yacht Club (thanks Grandpa). We stayed in and around Staniel cay for a few days before a leisurly sail across the banks to Blackpoint Settlement. Sailing on the banks is still difficult for west coast sailors. The water is between 12 and 20 feet deep and is crystal clear, with a bright blue hue. It looks like you are sailing in the shallow end of a swimming pool and we find ourselves constantly checking and rechecking the charts and the depth sounder. The winds were 5 to 10 knots and the sky sunny, making it a brilliant first sail for Grandpa and grandma. After anchoring in 9 feet of water and snorkeling out to check the anchor, we went ashore Joan, the manager at Staniel, lived in Blackpoint and had recommended DeShamon’s restaurant for great pizza. Asking about the restaurant at the top of the dock we found Diane, the owner/chef and her husband Simon, who showed us, were their place was and said for us to come back at 5:30 when Diane was finished her day job and could come and open up. This gave us time to walk through the town. Dinner was spectacular, cold beer and Pizza…….. Two of our favorite food groups. Blackpoint Settlement is home to a great Laundromat so the next day was filled laundry and boat work. Little Farmers Cay Yacht Club was the next stop. (don’t let the name fool you) The approach off the bank is shallow, even by Bahamian standards, so at high tide we approached the cay from the west. The charts of this region are notoriously inaccurate, and here there was some disagreement with the paper charts, the cruising guide, and the electronic chart plotter. The first thing you believe is your eyes, and after averaging out all the other inputs we were soon around all the hazards and enjoying a cold beer at the Yacht Club. . Little Farmers Cay Yacht Club consists of a run down fixed dock that cold hold 4 or so boats and a bar/restaurant with a couple of rooms attached. Our host, Roosevelt Nixon, was the dockmaster, bartender, and innkeeper. Although he claimed to have “the best chef on the island” we chose to wander down the road to the Ocean Cabin restaurant where we all enjoyed Carribean lobster and other local cuisine. Here we met a danish couple with a 5 yr old and a 5 month old girl. Soon the 5 yr old was playing games with the boys and Cadeesha, the owner’s daughter. Little Farmers Cay was a quaint little town, the only sour spot was paying our bill at the Yacht Club when the propieter tried to short change us. The weather was fairly calm the next day, the 14th of January, the 9th birthday of one Richard Keith Minielly. It was a great day for the ocean run to Georgetown. With fishing lines out we exited the cut at Little Farmers with 3-4 knots of adverse current out into the Atlantic, in search of fish! Along the way we talked on the VHF with Sunspot Baby, a couple we had met in North Carolina as well as numerous spots along the way. They mentioned that they were going to stop a few miles north of Georgetown at the Marina at Emerald Bay. This is a newly built high end marina with a “no frills” dock that has no services, but is very reasonably priced. This and the promise of FREE showers and laundry was all we needed and into the marina we went. The wind was forcast to build and clock to the west and then north the next night so we stayed and crashed the pool at the Four Seasons Resort next door. The next day we walked 2 miles north to have lunch, with Sunspot Baby, at “Big D’s” beachside conch bar. A spectacular setting with great local food. Georgetown Great Exuma is a sort of Mecca for boats cruising in the Bahamas. Stocking Island, which protects Georgetown and Elizabeth Harbour from the Atlantic Ocean is home to the; Chat and Chill bar and Grill, several completely enclosed harbours and several miles of sand beaches with good anchorage/protection. When we arrived there were close to 125 boats already here. We found a spot just off of “volleyball beach” and soon were enjoying a cold drink on the beach while the kids met some other kids and were soon swinging from the trees. Keith and Ladora were scheduled to leave on Monday morning, just as another “norther” was scheduled to arrive with 20-25 knot winds. Not wanting to see them arrive at the airport soaking wet from the dinghy ride across the bay we sailed back north to the marina at Emerald Bay, had free hot showers, did some laundry, and had another great meal. Monday morning came too soon. Two weeks of Grandma and Grandpa had gone far too quickly. It was sad to see them go but this was all the time their busy travel schedule would allow. After a week in Florida with Pat and Jim they are off to Palm Springs with Ron and Erica, then after Keith’s University Engineering reunion, May 24th, they are planning to come find us again. With Grandpa and Grandma on their way we took the next weather opportunity and returned to Georgetown.

Grandpa and Grandma’s visit

Gary’s parents flew into Staniel Cay (www.stanielcay.com) a few days before Ina flew home so we were able to celebrate Christmas, and birthdays for both grandma’s (Dec15th and 16th) Bradley and Tavish (Jan 7th) and Richard (Jan14th) with a great meal at Staniel Cay Yacht Club (thanks Grandpa). We stayed in and around Staniel cay for a few days before a leisurly sail across the banks to Blackpoint Settlement. Sailing on the banks is still difficult for west coast sailors. The water is between 12 and 20 feet deep and is crystal clear, with a bright blue hue. It looks like you are sailing in the shallow end of a swimming pool and we find ourselves constantly checking and rechecking the charts and the depth sounder. The winds were 5 to 10 knots and the sky sunny, making it a brilliant first sail for Grandpa and grandma. After anchoring in 9 feet of water and snorkeling out to check the anchor, we went ashore Joan, the manager at Staniel, lived in Blackpoint and had recommended DeShamon’s restaurant for great pizza. Asking about the restaurant at the top of the dock we found Diane, the owner/chef and her husband Simon, who showed us, were their place was and said for us to come back at 5:30 when Diane was finished her day job and could come and open up. This gave us time to walk through the town. Dinner was spectacular, cold beer and Pizza…….. Two of our favorite food groups. Blackpoint Settlement is home to a great Laundromat so the next day was filled laundry and boat work. Little Farmers Cay Yacht Club was the next stop. (don’t let the name fool you) The approach off the bank is shallow, even by Bahamian standards, so at high tide we approached the cay from the west. The charts of this region are notoriously inaccurate, and here there was some disagreement with the paper charts, the cruising guide, and the electronic chart plotter. The first thing you believe is your eyes, and after averaging out all the other inputs we were soon around all the hazards and enjoying a cold beer at the Yacht Club. . Little Farmers Cay Yacht Club consists of a run down fixed dock that cold hold 4 or so boats and a bar/restaurant with a couple of rooms attached. Our host, Roosevelt Nixon, was the dockmaster, bartender, and innkeeper. Although he claimed to have “the best chef on the island” we chose to wander down the road to the Ocean Cabin restaurant where we all enjoyed Carribean lobster and other local cuisine. Here we met a danish couple with a 5 yr old and a 5 month old girl. Soon the 5 yr old was playing games with the boys and Cadeesha, the owner’s daughter. Little Farmers Cay was a quaint little town, the only sour spot was paying our bill at the Yacht Club when the propieter tried to short change us. The weather was fairly calm the next day, the 14th of January, the 9th birthday of one Richard Keith Minielly. It was a great day for the ocean run to Georgetown. With fishing lines out we exited the cut at Little Farmers with 3-4 knots of adverse current out into the Atlantic, in search of fish! Along the way we talked on the VHF with Sunspot Baby, a couple we had met in North Carolina as well as numerous spots along the way. They mentioned that they were going to stop a few miles north of Georgetown at the Marina at Emerald Bay. This is a newly built high end marina with a “no frills” dock that has no services, but is very reasonably priced. This and the promise of FREE showers and laundry was all we needed and into the marina we went. The wind was forcast to build and clock to the west and then north the next night so we stayed and crashed the pool at the Four Seasons Resort next door. The next day we walked 2 miles north to have lunch, with Sunspot Baby, at “Big D’s” beachside conch bar. A spectacular setting with great local food. Georgetown Great Exuma is a sort of Mecca for boats cruising in the Bahamas. Stocking Island, which protects Georgetown and Elizabeth Harbour from the Atlantic Ocean is home to the; Chat and Chill bar and Grill, several completely enclosed harbours and several miles of sand beaches with good anchorage/protection. When we arrived there were close to 125 boats already here. We found a spot just off of “volleyball beach” and soon were enjoying a cold drink on the beach while the kids met some other kids and were soon swinging from the trees. Keith and Ladora were scheduled to leave on Monday morning, just as another “norther” was scheduled to arrive with 20-25 knot winds. Not wanting to see them arrive at the airport soaking wet from the dinghy ride across the bay we sailed back north to the marina at Emerald Bay, had free hot showers, did some laundry, and had another great meal. Monday morning came too soon. Two weeks of Grandma and Grandpa had gone far too quickly. It was sad to see them go but this was all the time their busy travel schedule would allow. After a week in Florida with Pat and Jim they are off to Palm Springs with Ron and Erica, then after Keith’s University Engineering reunion, May 24th, they are planning to come find us again. With Grandpa and Grandma on their way we took the next weather opportunity and returned to Georgetown.

Granny's Visit

We picked up Ina a few days before New Years in Nassau. We spent 3 nights here. After a bit of shopping many loads of laundry, and a walk around the mega resort Atlantis, we filled the boat with water and fuel and headed off to the Exuma cays. Our first stop was Allan’s Cay, home of the endangered iguanas. We anchored late in the day after a great sail across the yellow bank and then a 3 hour motor straight into the wind. Losloper, from Alberta was already anchored. This was New Years Eve! After a nice dinner, we got together with Losloper for some New Year’s bubbly and cake. As we were about to retire for the night we heard a boom and looked out to see a fantastic fireworks display on nearby Staniel Cay, what a great surprise, by about 10:30 we were all asleep. Happy 2008!! In the morning we swam and visited the beach. As we arrived at the beach the iguanas came out of the scrub looking for hand outs. Although you are not supposed to feed them, many of the tourist boats feed them grapes from a stick. Here we met a family from England, with 2 kids, aboard the catamaran L’Adventura. They, unfortunately, had been struck by lightning earlier in their trip, and ended up spending a lot of time fixing, and replacing all the electronics. This is the second boat we have met that has been hit. We were able to exchange some books with the kids, which is great as we were in need of some new ones. This family is on the same itinery as us so we will see them again in the future. New Years Day, we exited Allen’s Cut out on to the ocean. The weather forcast was for a “norther” to blow in, the next day so winds were calm and the sea reasonable. After a couple of hours fishing,we didn’t catch anything but saw a bunch of bait fish and several “fins”, which would be from schooling tuna. We entered Highbourne Cut and found our spot at Highbourne Plantation Marina. Other than the dinghys from some of the yachts we were the smallest boat in the place. Several of the big (120’ – 150’) charter yachts were in as well as a dozen or so 50’ – 75’ trawlers and sport fishers. Only 2 other sailboats, a 50’ and a 60’ both from Nassau. We hung around for 3 days, because of the front passing through. The winds clock around from the usual east, through the south, west, and then the north and build in strength as they shift making many of the regular anchorages uncomfortable, and some dangerous. This was a very nice place to be weathered in. The island is 3 miles long with paved roads for walking and some beautiful beaches. Although the weather was cooler than usual the boys were still keen to skim board, they had fun until they were a little blue with cold. There was a lovely deck to sit and have a sundowner on. By the 4th, things had moderated enough for us to go. On our way out of the marina we bought 2 lobster and 3 conch from a local fisherman and later Janine and her mom whipped up some curried lobster the next day we had cracked conch and fries, both spectacular meals. Our raw water engine cooling chose today to quit so as Janine and crew sailed the boat Richard and Dad changed the impellor. Losloper, who had been anchored at Highbourne followed us into the anchorage at Skipjack point, Normans Cay. This Cay once belonged to a drug lord and was the center of a huge smuggling operation. All that remains today is an airstrip and a crashed DC3 in the lagoon. McDuff’s Bar and Grill has sprouted up between the airstrip and the beach, a nice little restaurant with 4 cabins for rent. Over our years of planning this trip we have often read about Macduff’s so it felt like we had reached another milestone. After we anchored we took a short walk and had a couple of beers and a snack. The next day we took the dinghy around to the lagoon and saw what was left of the plane. It was still fairly windy so we did not snorkel at the plane, but let Janine and her mom out at the dock, while the boys and dad took the dinghy back around to the anchorage. The race was a tie and we all walked into McDuff’s at the same time. Losloper was already there, having had lunch. After a visit and the requisite couple of drinks we were back to the boat for our cracked conch and fries for dinner. Leaving on the high tide in the morning we sailed south and took a mooring at Warderick Wells, in Exuma Park. Right underneath out boat was the remains of an old boat sunk as an artificial reef which protected dozens and dozens of small fish. Even Granny put on her snorkel gear and although she is not used to getting into the water very quickly, she jumped in to see, she provided us with some comic relief with her squeals and squacks. We had several laughs at her expense over the next while. It’s a good thing she is such a great sport! The Cay has many trails, one of the biggest hills in the Exumas,(almost 75’ high) and a mangrove swamp in the middle. Many of the plants have signs telling all about them. Richard took a real interest in the plants and compiled a list of useful plants incase we get shipwrecked. He has learned about plan “B” from his dad. After walking up the hill and seeing the outer coast, we went around to the sheltered side and tried to find some coral heads to snorkel on. Mother Nature had different ideas, and covered the sky with clouds, taking away the light and the warmth of the sun. Only a few brave souls got wet andwere rewarded with some colorful fish and coral but not the turtle we were hoping to see. After a while we were back to the boat. Staniel Cay was the next stop. The first night we anchored in the bight at Big Majors Cay, a quarter of a mile away and the next morning at high tide we pulled into the marina. Low Slack water was in the early afternoon and gave us the chance to snorkel the Thunderball Grotto of James Bond fame. We were able to swim into this underground cave and saw hundreds of fish. Including a Lion fish, Trigger fish, an angel fish, and countless others. Because it is a park site and there is no fishing, and because many people feed them, the fish have no fear and swim right up to and around you. The current was strong by the time we were going so we all had a good workout. The morning of January 9th we tied to the dock at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, and we set about cleaning the boat up and organizing all our stuff. At 3:30 pm Keith and Ladora (Gary’s Parents) arrived in an 8 seater Cessna belonging to Flamingo Airlines. After we got everyone setteled back to the boat Grandpa treated us all to a spectacular dinner at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. The next day we celebrated the boys birthdays and they opened a bunch of presents. In the afternoon we went to the beach to see the free range pigs. Granny was not quick enough with the food scraps we had brought along and the boar took a nip of her wrist. Fortunatly, although he did break the skin, she was not badly hurt. Because of the aggressive nature of the pigs, our beach trip was shortened. Janine and Granny tracked down the local nurse and Granny got an overdue Tetanus shot. That night a bunch of Ladies from the island put on a beach BBQ, and the whole group of us and a dozen or so other cruisers had a great meal. Friday morning we went to the airport again and said a tearful goodbye to Granny. We wished we had a camera with us, seeing granny standing on the wing of the small 6 passenger airplane with her hair blowing straight back is a vision we are not likely to forget. It was a great visit, and we look forward to seeing her again in the spring. She later told us she settled in as the copilot/stewardess for the rest of the flight!! Grandpa and Grandma are here!

Granny's Visit

We picked up Ina a few days before New Years in Nassau. We spent 3 nights here. After a bit of shopping many loads of laundry, and a walk around the mega resort Atlantis, we filled the boat with water and fuel and headed off to the Exuma cays. Our first stop was Allan’s Cay, home of the endangered iguanas. We anchored late in the day after a great sail across the yellow bank and then a 3 hour motor straight into the wind. Losloper, from Alberta was already anchored. This was New Years Eve! After a nice dinner, we got together with Losloper for some New Year’s bubbly and cake. As we were about to retire for the night we heard a boom and looked out to see a fantastic fireworks display on nearby Staniel Cay, what a great surprise, by about 10:30 we were all asleep. Happy 2008!! In the morning we swam and visited the beach. As we arrived at the beach the iguanas came out of the scrub looking for hand outs. Although you are not supposed to feed them, many of the tourist boats feed them grapes from a stick. Here we met a family from England, with 2 kids, aboard the catamaran L’Adventura. They, unfortunately, had been struck by lightning earlier in their trip, and ended up spending a lot of time fixing, and replacing all the electronics. This is the second boat we have met that has been hit. We were able to exchange some books with the kids, which is great as we were in need of some new ones. This family is on the same itinery as us so we will see them again in the future. New Years Day, we exited Allen’s Cut out on to the ocean. The weather forcast was for a “norther” to blow in, the next day so winds were calm and the sea reasonable. After a couple of hours fishing,we didn’t catch anything but saw a bunch of bait fish and several “fins”, which would be from schooling tuna. We entered Highbourne Cut and found our spot at Highbourne Plantation Marina. Other than the dinghys from some of the yachts we were the smallest boat in the place. Several of the big (120’ – 150’) charter yachts were in as well as a dozen or so 50’ – 75’ trawlers and sport fishers. Only 2 other sailboats, a 50’ and a 60’ both from Nassau. We hung around for 3 days, because of the front passing through. The winds clock around from the usual east, through the south, west, and then the north and build in strength as they shift making many of the regular anchorages uncomfortable, and some dangerous. This was a very nice place to be weathered in. The island is 3 miles long with paved roads for walking and some beautiful beaches. Although the weather was cooler than usual the boys were still keen to skim board, they had fun until they were a little blue with cold. There was a lovely deck to sit and have a sundowner on. By the 4th, things had moderated enough for us to go. On our way out of the marina we bought 2 lobster and 3 conch from a local fisherman and later Janine and her mom whipped up some curried lobster the next day we had cracked conch and fries, both spectacular meals. Our raw water engine cooling chose today to quit so as Janine and crew sailed the boat Richard and Dad changed the impellor. Losloper, who had been anchored at Highbourne followed us into the anchorage at Skipjack point, Normans Cay. This Cay once belonged to a drug lord and was the center of a huge smuggling operation. All that remains today is an airstrip and a crashed DC3 in the lagoon. McDuff’s Bar and Grill has sprouted up between the airstrip and the beach, a nice little restaurant with 4 cabins for rent. Over our years of planning this trip we have often read about Macduff’s so it felt like we had reached another milestone. After we anchored we took a short walk and had a couple of beers and a snack. The next day we took the dinghy around to the lagoon and saw what was left of the plane. It was still fairly windy so we did not snorkel at the plane, but let Janine and her mom out at the dock, while the boys and dad took the dinghy back around to the anchorage. The race was a tie and we all walked into McDuff’s at the same time. Losloper was already there, having had lunch. After a visit and the requisite couple of drinks we were back to the boat for our cracked conch and fries for dinner. Leaving on the high tide in the morning we sailed south and took a mooring at Warderick Wells, in Exuma Park. Right underneath out boat was the remains of an old boat sunk as an artificial reef which protected dozens and dozens of small fish. Even Granny put on her snorkel gear and although she is not used to getting into the water very quickly, she jumped in to see, she provided us with some comic relief with her squeals and squacks. We had several laughs at her expense over the next while. It’s a good thing she is such a great sport! The Cay has many trails, one of the biggest hills in the Exumas,(almost 75’ high) and a mangrove swamp in the middle. Many of the plants have signs telling all about them. Richard took a real interest in the plants and compiled a list of useful plants incase we get shipwrecked. He has learned about plan “B” from his dad. After walking up the hill and seeing the outer coast, we went around to the sheltered side and tried to find some coral heads to snorkel on. Mother Nature had different ideas, and covered the sky with clouds, taking away the light and the warmth of the sun. Only a few brave souls got wet andwere rewarded with some colorful fish and coral but not the turtle we were hoping to see. After a while we were back to the boat. Staniel Cay was the next stop. The first night we anchored in the bight at Big Majors Cay, a quarter of a mile away and the next morning at high tide we pulled into the marina. Low Slack water was in the early afternoon and gave us the chance to snorkel the Thunderball Grotto of James Bond fame. We were able to swim into this underground cave and saw hundreds of fish. Including a Lion fish, Trigger fish, an angel fish, and countless others. Because it is a park site and there is no fishing, and because many people feed them, the fish have no fear and swim right up to and around you. The current was strong by the time we were going so we all had a good workout. The morning of January 9th we tied to the dock at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, and we set about cleaning the boat up and organizing all our stuff. At 3:30 pm Keith and Ladora (Gary’s Parents) arrived in an 8 seater Cessna belonging to Flamingo Airlines. After we got everyone setteled back to the boat Grandpa treated us all to a spectacular dinner at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. The next day we celebrated the boys birthdays and they opened a bunch of presents. In the afternoon we went to the beach to see the free range pigs. Granny was not quick enough with the food scraps we had brought along and the boar took a nip of her wrist. Fortunatly, although he did break the skin, she was not badly hurt. Because of the aggressive nature of the pigs, our beach trip was shortened. Janine and Granny tracked down the local nurse and Granny got an overdue Tetanus shot. That night a bunch of Ladies from the island put on a beach BBQ, and the whole group of us and a dozen or so other cruisers had a great meal. Friday morning we went to the airport again and said a tearful goodbye to Granny. We wished we had a camera with us, seeing granny standing on the wing of the small 6 passenger airplane with her hair blowing straight back is a vision we are not likely to forget. It was a great visit, and we look forward to seeing her again in the spring. She later told us she settled in as the copilot/stewardess for the rest of the flight!! Grandpa and Grandma are here!

Only a few more days till Christmas.

This morning, Dec 22 there were Christmas stockings hanging in the salon, although it’s only a few days till Christmas. Although we watched ELF on the computer last night, it does not seem real as we are sitting around in our bathing suits, snorkeling and going to the beach. Dec 23, Frosty the Snowman was the movie of choice and a few presents were wrapped, ginger bread cookies were made, and candy canes were revealed from their hiding places. With or without decorated trees, lots of presents, snow and all the commercial hype, it will be Christmas in 2 days! Christmas Eve Solange and Salt and Light arrived at White Cay. Denny and crew had landed a good sized blackfin tuna, and since we have the biggest bbq dinner was on High Five. We made the mistake of leaving the boats rafted together after dinner and at 3am, when the tide turned and a squall came through, the anchorage got too rolly for a raft. Fortunately the moon was full, so light was not a problem, and after a few tense moments the boats were apart and a bit more sleep was to be had before Santa arrived. Christmas day, Santa and his elves had found us and found a way to park the sleigh to deliver some boogie boards for the boys and some other presents. Dvd movies were a big gift on all the boats and before lunch 10 kids were hanging out on our boat watching the new Pirates of the Carribean movie. The adults took this opportunity for some exploring in the dinghys and some snorkeling. Hoffman’s Cay is home to a “Blue Hole.” A short walk from the beach, in the middle of the island the trail comes out onto a bluff overlooking the pool. Less than 100 yards across with 20’ vertical walls the water is over 600ft deep and a brilliant shade of blue. After an hour or so of swimming and jumping off the cliffs into the water it was back to the boats. All the boats brought their food to the beach in the anchorage for Christmas dinner. Ham, pork loin, tandori chicken, rice, bread, and of course the traditional Christmas s’mores, were enjoyed around a campfire. Losloper was the first to head the 7 miles south to Cabbage Cay, followed by Salt and Light, and High Five, and the day after by Solange. Dinner was at “Flo’s Conch Bar” a small family run restaurant. Alone at the top of the dock, surrounded with a midden of conch shells the family serves up a feast of conch fritters, cracked conch, lobster, fish, conch salad, and hamburgers. The beaches were popular spots the next day, the kids were practicing with their Christmas skim boards, everyone enjoyed snorkeling in the shallow water. Bands of coral contained dozens of brightly coloured fish, and the nearby grasses gave up 8 conch Some of which we butchered into our own conch salad. We were given some lobster from another cruiser, bbq’d up some steaks, and had a great dinner, for in the morning it was off to Nassau to pick up Granny……..but that will be another blog entry.