Life Is Short...

Yes, Life is short. It may not seem that way when the normal 9 to 5 seems to never end. When the children's needs never seem to stop. Or even when work demands or everyday stresses seem to take all day and then some, to squeeze into the always busy schedule. Why in the world do we always seem so tired, I swear we seem to squeeze every last drop of time out of every single day and we are always so damn busy and... then something happens, and we realize that we almost missed the important part of life. That part that makes us whole, and compassionate and well, human I guess. We feel this part of life when we relax, and when we let go of the stresses that we and society have placed upon us. When we are free and able to let go of all those things that "normal people" take for granted. Cell phones and gym memberships and car insurance and union dues. Sometimes it takes a lot to rattle that cage, to get your attention, to snap out of it. Sometimes it only takes a single moment in time. A sentinal moment that makes it all suddenly crystal clear, so obvious that you wonder, what was the thought process that kept it from you all this time. For us, being free from the norm meant exploring by boat, taking on the unknown and embracing the sea to find new shores and new experiences. It has become a way of embracing something new, and yet fearful at the same time, and also something that most people find out of the ordinary. We have spent time on the oceans, fishing and traveling, but not at a great distance, and we wanted more. We did not want to find ourselves old and incapable of doing these things, and so we set our selves upon making this happen while we are relatively young. What a life we would have had if we had realized this much younger in our lives. What adventures we would have had, with the gift of youth and the spirit of adventure and energy the young have! While we are not old at all, we are not young either, we know this for sure, and we envy the young people that have decided to embrace the sea, the challenges and hardships, the rewards that a life on a sailboat exploring can become. Don't wait until the perfect moment to go, to have kids, to move to a better place, to go back to school, to anything. Make your decision and go for it. For us, we should have gone along time ago, in a smaller boat and on the cheap would have been just fine. Go now, just go. The things that you want in life, go find them and make that happen. Do not let life go by, and find that you cannot do things, because you are too old, too poor, or too sick. Go now, go now... go now. We love you John. Hang in there.

We've got your back, we love you...

Hurricane Seasoning

Hurricane seasoning is not a spice, although it sounds like it would be a good one. Hurricane season is the dreaded time of year that sends boaters flying, sometimes quite literally. It is that six months or so during the summer months that the intense heat lends favorable conditions to the formation of afternoon thunderstorms, and occasionally, a tropical storm or hurricane. It only makes sense that these things are to be avoided, and most prudent boaters keep a close watch on the weather during the summer months. Some, like us, spend the summer hurricane seasoning somewhere "safe", at a marina or a dock. It is really hot in the tropics too, and we choose to refresh the pot-o-gold this time of year by, well, by... working. There. I said it. Nothing better than a paycheck to put a smile on your face, and nothing worse than a Monday morning on your way to earn the thing. So, we continued our Reverse, Reverse.. Take it Back Now , Ya'll theme and headed for Miami again.

We lifted the anchor at Mackey Shoal, on the Bahama Bank, and pointed the boat due west, toward Florida. It was a nice morning, but by 10:30 the wind had almost stopped, and so did we. So we motored our way the last 20 miles to Bimini, and pulled up to the dock. This was the first time we had been in a marina since we left the same spot a couple months before! We almost felt guilty plugging the power cord into the power pedestal and turning on the A/C! Almost. Guincha was in climate controlled canine heaven.

It was just a few hours later that the anvil shaped clouds started circling the boat, like angry Indians with huge bolts of lightening instead of arrows. The rain that came was amazing, and if it were not for the gajillion volt lightening bolts, it would have been good to scrub a bit with the deck brush. The salt was all gone from the boat by the next morning, and we had plans to go by ferry to South Bimini, and check out Ponce DeLeon's fountain of youth. It is supposedly located there, and we wanted to see it and bring back some water for our friend Lisa who told us about it.

However, by 09:00 in the morning, the clouds were again circling us, and the war-cries of angry thunderclaps were getting close already. We decided to stay inside the covered wagon, and guard the air conditioning. We were actually pretty tuckered out, and the thunder and rain was a bit too much for us. Sorry Lisa, next time. You look great anyhow.

Reverse, Reverse- Take It Back Now Ya'll

Well, what's this all about? We have definitely been busy, and this will require some rewind of the last couple weeks. And since we call our headsail Casper, because of the way it dances up and down when it is not deployed, here is a cool video that is all about Reverse, Reverse; Take It Back Ya'll, and is by DJ Casper!

OK, you can practice later. Right now we need to update this blog. We left the Land and Sea Park in Warderick Wells early, at first light.

The wind was perfect for a downwind sail, and we were making great time. The decision was made to go all the way back to Nassau in one run, and we did, with just enough light in the day to run the dog in for a quick stop onshore.

The next day, we went to shore, and found a great couple that agreed to take us to the store. They refused any money, and showed us where the bank was, and the nicest grocery we saw in the Bahamas, a huge Fresh Market! We got some groceries and ice, and some fresh veggies too. Thanks Calvin and Lynnette for the ride, sometimes nice people just do things for others because they are nice people. It turned out that Lynnette spent a great deal of time as a youth, living on Long Island Bahamas with her aunt! What a small world, and no wonder she was so nice.

We spent 2 days in Nassau, and with the wind across the beam, we headed Northeast across the Tongue of the Ocean and into the Northwest Channel. This is a cut that we went through on our way east, and it is where the 10,000 foot deep Tongue of the Ocean meets the shallow Bahamas Bank. We could see the entrance to the cut a mile away, because the 20 knot wind that was pushing us along, was blowing right into the rushing tide in the cut, and there was a huge, mile long rip current with crashing waves that we could see. We decided to take down the sails, and motor through the narrow cut with the best maneuverability using the engines alone. This proved to be a wise decision, because as we entered the cut, we realized that there was a huge current that was also going sideways. This tried to turn the boat to the left, and if the sails had been up, we would have probably lost control. There was another sailboat several miles behind us, that had been following us across the passage, and we looked back to see them completely sideways, and very close, if not on, the hard bank. They had entered the cut under full sails, and probably got caught in the side current we experienced. The sails were quickly dropped, and the boat was re-centered in the cut quickly, and they resumed course. A good thing, as we did not want to turn around to assist them, but were prepared to do so if needed. We would because that is what sailors do, we are ready to help if needed. We will Reverse, Reverse- and we will Take It Back Now Ya'll, if we need to! Just ask. Seriously.

On to Mackey Shoal we went, for another anchor out night on the rolly Bahamas Bank. As the night passed, so did the wind and waves, and by morning light, the wind was down to 12 knots and the waves had subsided too. Oh yeah, just in case you followed the link to the video above, the Bahamians know how to dance too ya' know. Check this out, a great song and video, although the resolution is low.

New Video: The Climb Up Monument Hill

While we were in Georgetown, in the Exumas, Bahamas, we tackled the climb to the top of monument hill. There is, of course, a monument there, and we wanted to see it. So, we grabbed Guincha, and some water, and up we went!

Our plan was to find a trail to the top, and we did, but later we found out that there is a much easier trail than the one that we followed. Figures. It was pretty steep at a few places, but really not that bad. The view from the top was worth the effort.

Joyce found out that the monument was originally used as a marker to let passing ships know that there were provisions here, in town. Now, it is used as a trailhead, and as a nesting location for Osprey.

Warderick Wells - Boo hoo! (first post by Joyce, previously stricken by stage fright)

We sailed to Warderick Wells Cay from Staniel Cay as a stopover on our way back to Nassau. Warderick Wells is part of the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. The Exumas Land and Sea Park was established by the Bahamian Parliament in 1958 and encompasses 176 square miles. It is a no-take zone for both land and sea - no shells, no conch, fish, plant life etc. The Bahamas National Trust, a non-profit, non-governmental agency manages this park and all 27 national parks of protected areas in the Bahamas.

Warderick Wells houses the headquarters for the Exumas Land and Sea Park. There are no facilities such as provisions, restrooms or trash dumping here. There is Wifi access for a fee and ice is available. It is a beautiful cay with rocky bluffs, sand dunes, mangrove creeks and sand flats. Mooring balls are set in a strip of deep blue water. Pets are allowed on the beaches, but not on the numerous trails. We were told that this is to protect the wildlife. Too bad, because Guincha loves to lead long hikes in the hot sun, as you saw on our hike up Monument Hill in Georgetown. We did see several of the curly tailed lizards running about. However,we were not lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the endangered hutia. Hutia are large nocturnal rodents about the size of a rabbit or guinea pig and are the only land mammal native to the Bahamas.

As we pulled our dinghy up to the beach, we were greeted by the skeleton of a 52 foot sperm whale, which washed up on the beach in 1995. It supposedly died from eating a plastic bag.

Snorkeling areas are abundant in the crystal clear water, but currents are extremely strong and we never did get the timing right to see those sites during our short stay.

One very intriguing feature of Warderick Wells are the Stromatolites. They are layers of lime-secreting bacteria trapped with sand and sediment and are alive and growing like coral reefs. These rare prehistoric rocks produce high amounts of oxygen and are believed to have played a valuable role in the development of earth's atmosphere three and a half billion years ago. The only open marine environment where modern stromatolites are known to prosper is the Exuma Cays.

At Waderick Wells, the best spots are on the mooring balls, and we called the day before to see about getting one the next day. We were told "We do not take reservations, we give them out the same day by order of arrival, but we will put you on the list for tomorrow". ??? OK, so when we got there, we radio'd in and were assigned #11. Really? #11? The number 11 is, by the way, shrouded in superstition and controversy. As one number higher than 10, it is seen in the bible as the opposite of 10, representing disorder, irresponsibility, and judgement. The apostle John saw 11 things in connection with the final judgement in Revelations 20:12-14. The significance of September 11 is undeniable, and even the Free-Masons held the numbers 11 and 33 as extremely significant. But, hey, this is just a mooring ball. So, we tied up, no problem.

That night, the wind came up, and although we were safely tied up to mooring 11, the sound of howling wind in the rigging woke me up. A strange wail, the rigging was making sounds like I never heard before. It was a high pitched sound, like wind sometimes makes as it works it's way through the wires of the rigging, but it was also making another sound, lower in pitch, and it sounded like "Ow, wow, wow". I saw flashes of lightning through the port, and went up on deck to see what we were in for. The boat had turned 180 degrees on the mooring, and was facing the screaming wind. I worked my way forward, to check the lines we had fastened to the mooring ball. I looked down at the mooring ball, and saw the number 11 in the reflection of the lightning that was building around us. But, I saw something else too. The silhouette of a man, a black outline of a man with a hat and coat standing on the beach only 40 feet from me. His coat was blowing in the wind, his legs firmly planted on the rocks below him, arms hanging straight down at his sides. I could not see his face, but in the next flash of lightning, his mouth was open, and I could hear the rigging saying " How, how, how"... Goosebumps all over, I ran inside, and closed the door, afraid to look outside and see him again. I woke Chris up, and he looked around for the man, but he was gone. We were wide awake now, and over coffee, we decided to look around at dawn, several hours away. By morning, the sky was clear and the wind was gone. We found out that morning, about the legend of Boo-Boo Hill.

There are 7 miles of walking trails, including the popular Boo-Boo Hill, not Boo hoo. The top of the hill provides a fantastic panoramic view. This hill is so named because it is haunted by the souls of a missionary ship that crashed into the reef below, sinking and taking everyone on board with it, on a stormy night like the one we just had. Legend has told that you can hear the souls singing on moonlit nights. You can also hear them whispering through the nearby blowholes. At the top of Boo-Boo Hill stands a pile of driftwood, inscribed with names of vessels who have visited. The plaques and signs are offering to Neptune in exchange for safe passage and to soothe the haunted souls. I climbed the hill with our backpack full of painting supplies, while Chris hauled a rather large chunk of driftwood that we found. We painted it at the top of the hill and presented it. And, you know, we have had safe passages!

The Captain's Curse

When I was a kid, I used to read adventure books, stuff like The Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, that kind of stuff, and I would dream about what the future held in store for me. The fun and excitement that waited for me as I too could venture out, and try my hand at exploring the unknown, was something that I looked forward to. Later, my horizons expanded, with the addition of works by Bradbury and Asimov. It seems that science fiction was the best way for me to get lost into an unknown world of endless possibilities and the wonders that only the imagination can create.

Growing up in Florida, along the coast, there was, for me, always the lure of the sea. The unknown was there, the unseen, the danger was there. It was the perfect starting pad for a future of exploration. I learned to scuba dive, and years later was forced to actually take a course and certified to get tanks filled. Scuba diving was as close as you could get to traveling to another planet, and still stay on earth. The animals are different, the place looks different, even the atmosphere is toxic to humans! But, I learned that with this expansion of my universe, there was also responsibility. The equipment needed proper care and maintenance, the conditions needed to be right, the weather must be known. Failure to address these, and a dive trip could become deadly, and they still do. Multiple divers die every year, just in the Florida Keys alone, where our home is. Each time I read about someone, I wonder what went wrong, was it preventable, or was it just a really bad day for somebody. Yes, it is tough to be a carefree explorer. Being spontaneous requires a lot of planning!

Boating is no different, there are lots of things to plan for, and care for. The responsibility usually falls on the owner/operator, the Captain, to make sure the boat is seaworthy, and the plan for the day is a sound one. Should we go, or stay? Is this a good spot to anchor, or should we move? Can we sail there in a long day sail, or do we need to consider an overnight trip, or do it in two days? There is a saying, "Six of one thing, or a half dozen of the other", meaning that sometimes there just isn't a clear cut answer, you just make the best choice you can with the information that is available. This is the part that can make you a bit daffy, and sometimes make you look like a goof.

Sometimes a decision just has to be made, and the consequences dealt with. But, the decision must be made. That's the Captains Curse! It's tough to be in charge sometimes, tough to make the right call, but to be indecisive is worse. It can be just as bad to make no decision, to be paralyzed by fear. Well, fear is a part of being on the ocean, and can be a healthy thing too, but it can also be bad. So, make the decision, and let the cards fall as they will, it will be fine. And it usually is, things work out in the end.

Nighttime is when all things weird happen on a boat. Every sound is a potential disaster, unraveling in the darkness. The captain of course, is the one who is in charge of investigating and dismissing most of these sounds. The truth is, almost always, things are fine, it's just a noise or whatever, but not always. And that is what makes the Captain get out of bed at night to go see, just look at the previous blog post from Jan 11, 2015, titled "What The... Who In The...!!!".

The responsibility is worth it of course, to do these things and to see and experience the awesome world we are in makes it so for us. I will take those sleepless nights, those scary storms, those wet dingy rides... there is always something new to see. It's just over the horizon, right around the corner!

Thunderball Grotto

We left Georgetown after a crazy night of howling winds, and wondered why we climbed the monument and didn't leave yesterday instead. The anchor was up and we were moving before 06:30, out into the swells in Exuma Sound. The sail was good, we were running with the high winds, and as the swells built with it, we had to slow down a little. The trip included going through a cut, a passage between the ocean and the shallow banks on the east side of the Exuma chain. These cuts have wicked currents, and when this current flows into big swells and high winds, the waves pile up and stand tall. These standing waves and opposing currents are dangerous, and can cause a loss of control. No, not bladder control, although that is a possibility, we are talking boat handling control. These cuts are narrow, and rocky too, so control is important not too get turned sideways and founder. So, we slowed down, and went through Galliot Cut just at the end of the incoming tide, and it was a breeze.

The sail to Staniel from the West side of the island, was great, we had 18 knots of wind and the boat was flying along at 7 to 8 knots, fastest we saw was 8.3 for a while. We dropped anchor in a small anchorage just off the entrance to Thunderball Grotto, and ran Guincha to shore for a break. As we were ordering a post-sail beer, we ran into Scott and his wife Narrissa, and their baby Gordon! Scott is the son of our friend Jeannette from Long Island, and he works not far from here on Overyonder Cay. What a small world, we fished with Scott the day we went tuna fishing!

Way back in 1965 there was a movie made here in the Bahamas, and a portion, a very small portion actually, was filmed right here in the underwater cave that is known as Thunderball Grotto. Yes, you guessed it, the movie was a James Bond film called Thunderball, starring Sean Connery as James Bond.

The movie is about international outlaw group Spectre having gotten their dirty rotten hands on a couple of nukes, and then demanding a Brazilion British pounds for their return. Somehow, the moviemakers decided to hire none other than Tom Jones (remember "What's Up Pussycat", arghh! ) to perform the intro song for the flick. It is miserable, absolutely the worst Bond song ever, but the silhouette of the nude girl swimming aimlessly around in circles during the song and opening credits helps a lot. Anyhow, I am not sure if it was called the Thunderball Grotto before the movie, it was probably just called Grotto. After the movie came out, they changed the name to Thunderball Grotto I am guessing. But later, they brought Bond back here for the filming of another flick, "Never Say Never Again", and they didn't change the name to "Never Say Never Again Grotto", even though the Grotto got a good deal more movie time in the second film. Who decides these things anyway, go figure.

It is important to enter the Grotto at slack tide, as there there is a strong current that enters from one side or the other, as the cave has several entrances. Two of these are exposed at low tide, so you can swim, or preferably, snorkel right in without doing the Aquaman routine through the entrance to gain access to the open area inside.

Once inside, the cave is round, like a rotunda, with an intersting domed ceiling that is probably 30 feet high. The roof has several openings in it, that let the sun beam down, lighting the inside in an eerie random fashion. There are lots of fish inside, and they are used to curious swimmers feeding them scraps, so we brought along some bread which they swarmed instantly. The areas outside the grotto were better lit, and the rocks were hosting a huge variety of soft and hard corals, as well as lots of tropical fish. It was definitely a worthy visit, and we would come back here to "Thunderball-Never-Say-Never-Again-Saltrun-Grotto". Check out our latest video, an underwater look at Thunderball Grotto!