FISH ON!

Sometimes you get lucky.  The other day I was lucky enough to be invited to go on a fishing trip.  The day would be spent trolling for whatever is biting using lures, not bait.  We left at 08:00 sharp and cruised the 5 miles to the south Man of War cut.  There are several cuts to go from the Sea of Abaco (where we are located) to the open Atlantic Ocean.  Navigation through the cut can be treacherous if the conditions are not just right.  Although the passage is 10-12’ deep, it is not too wide and there are waves breaking over the coral reefs on either side.  If there is a big swell on the ocean, it is a white knuckle ride.  Oh, and did I mention that there are no buoys to mark the channel?

Once outside, the plan was to follow “the wall” which is the line where the Bahamian Bank drops off into the ocean.  The depth falls from less than 100’ deep to 10,000 feet deep within the distance of a few boat lengths.  We traveled back and forth along the wall with 4 lines trailing in the water.  It is just a waiting game now.  3 hours slowly go by and then one of the reels gives a little “click”.  Then “click click click” and then Z zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  Someone yells “Fish ON!  Everyone scrambles to their feet.  The captain takes control of the fishing rod and sets the hook, and hands the rod to me.  The fish continues to take more line and the captain gives the command for the boat to turn to port (left).  The fish will take all of the line if we don’t get the boat turned around in time.  Adrenaline surges as I continue to fight with the fish alternately taking up and giving up line.  It is amazing how much power the creature has when it decides to dive deep or turn and run.   Finally, after 20 minutes of work, the catch is at the transom of the boat and I have landed a 42” long Wahoo!  The rush is so intense that after the fish is secure in the cooler, I sit down shaking from the experience.  It will take 10 minutes for the shaking to stop.

We continue to fish for another couple of hours and land a dolphin (no, not a porpoise) aka Mahi Mahi and a small tuna. The dolphin was struck by a shark on it’s way to the boat but the damage was only slight.  Another trip through the reef passage is anticlimactic although no less dangerous.  Once back at our marina, the captain cut up the fish and we enjoyed a fish dinner of fresh Wahoo cooked to perfection by Mary.  Maybe I will be lucky again.

Fun times!

The season has begun and the local communities are keeping us busy with unique events.  
On the Saturday after American Thanksgiving, Hope Town hosted it's 17th annual Box Cart Derby.  Where would the event take place, well on 'The Big Hill' of course.  We took the ferry from Marsh Harbour to Hope Town for the day as the winds had been blowing strong and the Sea of Abaco was a bit too rough for MASCOT.  As it was, the ferry rocked quite a bit and took spray over the top of the boat!  Locals on the ferry told us to start walking toward the hill and someone would probably stop and pick us up because that's what they do, otherwise it would be about a mile.  We were walking with a crowd of about 15 people when low and behold a guy with a flatbed truck stopped to give us all a ride.  They were just finishing up the preliminary time trial races when we arrived and the carts were all hooked up like circus elephants waiting to be towed back to the top of the hill by a golf cart.  The event was a quite well attended and the food and drink stands were doing a brisk business.  There is an element of danger in this sport as the faster carts can reach 10-15 MPH down the hill and occasionally there is a crash or roll-over.  Sure enough, a cart piloted by a 13 year old kid started to wobble and then rolled completely over!  On the ferry back to Marsh Harbour, he showed off his scrapes and bruises, and shrugged as though it was not a big deal.

Like circus elephants heading back up the hill

A view of the pit area

Drinks anyone - $5.00

Close race

 During the same week,  Marsh Harbour had it Christmas Festival located at a gravel lot used for such celebrations.  We biked over and when we arrived the main road (the only road) was closed to traffic.  Dressed in official costumes and pith helmets, The Royal Bahamas Police Force Band started marching.  The band marched back and forth for about 25 yards, turning back into itself at the end of each run.  They played traditional Bahamian songs and Christmas carols for about 45 minutes.  Inside the 'fair grounds' were a stage, food stands, craft stands, a beer stand (3 for $10!!) and lots of local color.  A little lighter in the wallet and heavier in the belly, we headed home.

Royal Bahama Police Force Band

Local Bahamian food stand

 The next weekend was the Combustion Music Hope Town Music Festival.  The event was at four different outdoor venues and spanned over three days.  The artists were all songwriters from Nashville and were combining a vacation for themselves with performances for us.  The songwriters hail from Nashville and are responsible for over 70 number one hits.  We took MASCOT over to Hope Town and attended the last two of the four shows.  It was FANTASTIC!  The format was very casual with each songwriter (there were 12 of them) performing a couple of their songs.  Some of the songs were recognizable and had been recorded by big name Nashville stars, while others were new and will be recorded.  It was a very intimate setting and the performers joked with each other and told stories while they played their acoustic guitars.  There was no stage, just a platform set up on the sand.  We sat on chairs with our toes in the sand, stars above us, palm trees swaying in the breeze, tremendous sound and fireworks to complete the evening.  The whole thing was free!  They passed the hat (literally) and over the four events collected $50,000 (yes fifty thousand) to aid Hope Town Fire & Rescue, Every Child Counts, and Friends of the Environment.

Afternoon session

Evening session

Chris Farris of Combustion Music on his way to congratulate volunteer fireman

Events like these could never happen in 'The States'!

Thanksgiving Feast - Bahamas Style

Thankful and grateful to be blessed with dear family and friends.

We were invited along with 20+ other boaters to have Thanksgiving at a private home at Winding Bay, about 45 minutes, by car, south of us.  The hosting family of 5 went out of their way to make us comfortable.  Little did we know what a treat this would be, camaraderie of boaters, incredible location absolutely delicious food.  We started out with an enormous buffet platter of conch salad, shrimp, lobster and what seemed to be an endless supply of stone crabs followed by turkey & fixings and also baked ziti.  And of course, pie!  How lucky are we to have shared this experience with old friends and new friends.

Thanksgiving Feast!

John, our host, setting up buffet

Thankful for the beautiful sunset on a perfect day

Life in the Abacos

We are settling in quite nicely at the Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour Marina in Marsh Harbour.  We are one of the early arrivals at the marina, only about 12 boats here so far. During peak winter season, there will be 30-40 boats in the marina.  

We cleared customs on Green Turtle Cay and hoisted the Bahamian flag

Activity Calendar:  We manage to stay very busy, to follow are some of the activities.

• Walking - one of us walks early morning
• Happy Hour - every day at 5:30 (we only have apps. on Sunday's & Wednesday's thankfully)
• Mah Jongg - Mon/Wed/Fri
• Pickleball - Tue/Thur/Sat
• Grocery Shop - Thur (or whenever we need something)
• Pool activities - anytime
• Coconut hunting - anytime
• Boating excursions - anytime
• Boat projects - when there is time
• Bocce - coming soon
• Bridge - coming soon

Coconut succumbs to the hatchet

Scott's 1st Coconut Custard Pie (of course we needed to sample it)

Last Saturday, 14 of us climbed aboard "Teamwork" a 34' PDQ trawler catamaran belonging to RMHYC member Roger.  Our destination was Elbow Cay for lunch, beach combing, swimming and fun.  On the way home we stopped for a swim and to look for sea turtles (we saw several).  The team on Teamwork arrived back at our marina at dusk, just in time for cocktail hour!

Jumbo Jenga challenge

Break from beach combing

IT'S GO TIME!

In order to cross over to the Bahamas, a few things need to align.  The boat and crew need to be ready, the provision list needs to be completed, and the weather needs to be just right.  Well, that alignment is about to occur at 0400 tomorrow morning, Thursday November 12^th.  We have been working hard to get everything ready and have been closely watching several different weather forecasts.  A good “weather window” only comes around once in a while so when it does, we need to take advantage of it.

We will likely have a restless night tonight contemplating tomorrow’s crossing.  It is a 54 mile open ocean crossing from Lake Worth (Palm Beach) inlet to the Bahama Bank.  Although once we reach the bank we will still have another 45 miles to go before we stop for the night, the most worrisome part will be behind us.  The open ocean between Florida and The Bahamas is many thousands of feet deep and is home to the Gulf Stream.  The Stream is a river like current within the ocean and flows northward at about 3 miles per hour.  Any wind out of the north will buck against the current and make for a very bumpy (and possibly dangerous) ride.  Once we reach the bank, the water shallows to only in the range of 20’ deep and becomes much friendlier.  The forecast for tomorrow is for light winds from the south.  Nice!

Tonight we are anchored in Lake Worth (Palm Beach), only a short distance from access to the ocean.  There are many other boats anchored here and we expect that there will be a small parade of boats leaving tomorrow morning.  During the “crossing”, we will be out of sight of land for about 25 miles and will be comforted by the sight of other boats on the horizon.  It’s time for bed now.  0400 comes quite early.

Starting to provision for the Bahamas at Palm Coast 

The Man in the Boat

Somewhere along the way, South Carolina I think, we encountered a green canoe with a man sitting low in the stern paddling along.  He appeared to be traveling, not just out for an afternoon.  His boat had a crudely rigged sail made of an old plastic tarp and a long stick for a mast.  On the waterway we really don’t see that type of thing often so it stuck in my mind.  Over the next couple of weeks, we saw him a few more times.  Apparently when we stopped for the night and sometimes for a couple of days, he kept moving so we would leap frog with him.  Each time we saw him, we became more and more curious about his story.  Well, don’t you know that we were in Fernandina Marina on Amelia Island, FL. and paddling from under the pier comes this green canoe!  He paddled right by our boat as we lay tied to the dock.  I jumped up and went to the cockpit and called to him and he stopped to talk.  I told him we had seen him several times and asked where he was going.  He said “here, this looks like a nice place”!  I asked where he started and he said Alexandria, VA.  That’s a trip of almost 900 miles by canoe. 

There is always a back story.  He told me that he was recently homeless and decided he needed to move to warmer weather to survive.  He had been living with his last living relative, his mother, and that she recently died.  After that and to make matters worse, the apartment in which they had been living burned.  He was then staying temporarily with a friend but needed to find another option. His friend gave him the canoe, took him to Walmart to get some clothes (all his stuff burned in the fire!) gave him a little cash and off he went.  We talked for a few more moments and I told him where he could get some water.  He was looking for a shower so that he could clean up.  He was going to look for a job and asked where the library was so that he could look through newspapers.  I said “Good Luck” and he paddled away.  He never asked me for anything.

I realized that I did not even know his name.  I watched as he came alongside one of the docks and prepared to climb out of his boat.  I walked over to him and asked his name and he said it was Bill.  I handed him $20 to help him along.  He was very gracious and I could tell that he really needed it.  He said that everywhere he went, the people he met were very kind to him.  Some gave him shelter when there was bad weather.  Some gave him groceries and supplies.  I told him he should write a book.  The waterway is full of stories like Bill’s.

The Wild Horses of Cumberland Island National Seashore

We've seen the wild horses as we passed by on our Loop trip but never up close and personal.  So glad we were able to stop this time, what a beautiful national park with 36,000 acres of maritime forest, beach, lakes and marshes.  Unfortunately, the northern end of the island was closed to visitors for hunting of wild hogs & deer using primitive weapons only.  There was plenty to see on the southern tip, including wild horses, wild turkey and various ruins.   The armadillo eluded us this time but we'll find it next time!

Canopy of Live Oaks

With temps in high 80's the horses weren't too wild

Dungeness Ruins date back to 1884

Buoys?

With just a few hours to come up with a costume for a Halloween Party at Brunswick Landing Marina, we created these lighted ICW buoys (identified by the triangle and square above the number).  We figured it was apropos for a marina party.  Funny thing happened, some people were asking what we were.  Yikes, hope we don't see these people on the waterway!

GO BULLDOGS! (since we are in GA)

We had one more stop in South Carolina before we moved on to Georgia.  Our friends, Chuck and Claria, live in Beaufort SC and generously let us stay at their dock for a visit.  Claria served a wonderful dinner and we reminisced and traded war stories about our adventures.  The next day we contacted other boating friends Oliver and Sally who also live in Beaufort and the 3 couples spent time at a local harvest festival and shared more stories over cocktails.  We met both couples while on our Great Loop adventure in 2007-2008.  The boating lifestyle is really more about people and friendships than it is about the actual boating.

Mary, Chuck, Claria, Sally, Scott & Oliver

With the Carolinas in our wake, it was on to Georgia where the water is shallow and the current is swift.  We timed our departure to coincide with the rising tide to ensure safe passage through some of the many shoal areas.  Georgia has tides averaging 8’ which is comparable to the North Shore of MA.  This comes in quite handy when the waterway at low tide is only about 3-4’ deep in places.  Too much tide height is not always a good thing either.  Our first stop in Georgia was Delegal Marina on Skidaway Island.  The evening tide was exceptionally high at 10’ caused by astronomically high tides (full moon etc.) as well as strong onshore winds which pile up water in the small creeks.  As the tide went out, our dock became hung up on the piling.  Had we not noticed this condition, the results would have been very bad.  A little persuasion with a battering ram did the trick and the dock dropped about 20” under my feet!  Other than the near disastrous mishap, the marina was great.  Dockmaster Billy could not have been any nicer to us.  The island is a wonderful place with 6 golf courses and beautiful homes on streets lined with palm trees and live oaks dripping with Spanish moss.  Just by staying at the marina, you are granted visitor privileges at the local country club restaurants.  We drove a golf cart (at night!) to one of them and had a wonderful dinner.  

1-Scott noticed something didn't look quite right here.

2-With the battering ram used to knock it down.

3-Problem averted - back to normal

Other stops in Georgia included Sunbury and Darien, neither had we visited before.  Both had funky restaurants and local color and both were recommendations from boating friends.  Word of mouth is the best travel guide.  We will likely visit them again some other time.  As I write this we are at Morningstar Marina at St. Simons Island and the dock parties are in full swing.  This is the big weekend of the Georgia / Florida football game and people from all over the state descend on this area.  St. Simons Island is ground zero.  Go Bulldogs!

Bucket of clustered oysters - oh my!

Entering South Carolina

The water level in SC from heavy rains has created concern to boaters navigating the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW).  We closely monitor various social media lists for updates.  The main message is proceed with extreme caution, mind the buoys and go slow.  Boats are responsible for their own wake and under these conditions sending any kind of water toward yards, homes and businesses would be horrible as they try to recover.  

We spent a couple of days tucked into Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach where we also took on fuel at $1.98/gallon which is a great price, the lowest we've paid on this trip so far.  They carried a full line of homemade jams, jellies and chutneys made by R.E. Kimball Co. in Amesbury, MA.  Small world!  We were told to visit Brookgreen Gardens, with sculpture gardens, native wildlife zoo and lowcountry history & wildlife preserve.  Lucky for us, there was a Uber driver at the marina who was available to take us over to Murrells Inlet.  It was the perfect day to walk around the gardens and visit the animals.  I highly recommend checking this out if you are in the area. 

Diana of the Chase

Pegasus

Pancho Sanchez

Scott in the Live Oak Allee

Inside the waterfowl aviary for afternoon snack was very fun!

Charleston is a great place to visit by boat, or land.  We are docked at the Maritime Center right in downtown so everything is close by, and if it's not we hop on the DASH Trolley and it takes us all over for free.  It's been an eating frenzy since we arrived, there are so many great restaurants.  Trip Advisor had 799 restaurants listed!  We went back to a few we really enjoyed the last time here, 82 Queen and Hominy Grill.  Excellent meals at both.  We did try 167 Raw for oysters which was really good.  Only 18 seats and there was a waiting line out the door when we left.    Great recommendation - thanks Bill Callahan!  Harris Teeter beckoned us to pick up a few items before heading back to the boat after a long day of eating, shopping and enjoying the sights of Charleston.

Guess where?

Braised Beef & Grits w/Fried Egg, Biscuit and Boiled Peanuts - my kind of lunch at Hominy Grill

Military Action & Bug Weaponry

After stops in Belhaven and Oriental NC (good sushi at M&M’s Cafe!) our next stop was Morehead City to meet our friends, Louis and Diane, whom we met on The Loop trip.  One of the wonderful things that happens in boating is that people you meet along the way become instant friends, and friends do what friends do.  They carted us around, showing us their home turf and taking us anywhere we needed to go including to some of their favorite local restaurants (Cox Family Restaurant for fried chicken livers and El's Drive for shrimp burgers to name a few).  Thank you Louis & Diane!  

Shrimp boat in Bogue Sound

El's Drive-in: Best Shrimp Burger ever!  The cars pull up and waitresses somehow keep everyone's order straight.  There must have been at least 25 cars there when we went for lunch.

After spending 2 days it was time to move on down the waterway.  Bogue Sound was rough when we arrived 2 days prior but docile when we left.  We passed a couple of shrimp boats with their nets dipped in the water.  This stretch took us through Camp Lejeune NC which is a training camp for the marines.  The waterway goes right through one of their firing ranges and is sometimes closed for an hour or so while they have live firing exercises.  Dozens of signs warn of “Un-exploded Ordinance Keep Out”.  They were not firing so the waterway was open and we traveled past old military relics that were used for target practice and are showing the wounds of battle.  In the distance there are several great ‘Booms’ as they fire big guns in (hopefully) another direction.  Our destination is a place called Mile Hammock Bay.  This is a dredged harbor maintained by The Marines for their use.  Pleasure boats are allowed to anchor here but don’t dare go ashore.  It is very protected from the weather, and The Enemy as well.  We arrived about 14:00, the first boat in however 4 more boats arrived before nightfall.  During the afternoon we were entertained by a parade of small boats at high speed with about 8 occupants each and all of them hunched over as they fly by while helicopters of various types circled overhead.  Then more large ‘Booms’ where we can feel the concussion of the shock wave.  There was something happening on shore that we can’t quite figure out.  A large machine is being used by 5 Marines to inflate some sort of bladder thing, perhaps a hover craft?  Just when they finish, they deflate it again!  As night falls, parachute flares are fired in sequence into the distant sky to illuminate the area beneath and unseen helicopters continue to fly in the night sky.  We hear sounds on the shore but it is too dark and we cannot see what is happening. Must be top secret.

One of the many fly-overs while we were anchored.

I bet you are wondering about 'bug weaponry'.  Well, we were forced to purchase fly paper and a fly swatter, as well as Thermacell Mosquito Repellent (manufactured in Bedford, MA).  The fly paper did attract some but the fly swatter won hands down.  With all the rain we figure we need to be prepared for the influx of mosquitoes we may encounter.  We'll have to update you later on the effectiveness of Thermacell.

Entering the Intracoastal Waterway

We’ve been on the move, making good progress on our southbound migration.  Crossing Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk is always interesting, there is so much going on.  The CG Cutter, Forward, cruised alongside the main channel announcing their intention to come about between the Bay Tunnel/Bridge and just off Hampton, VA the entire time we were crossing the bay.  We’d see container ships far off in the distance and then all of sudden they were big as can be coming in behind us.  Passing the military fleet is very impressive, whether they are in port short term or longer in dry dock for maintenance.

Ever Dainty - Singapore

BAE Systems Dry Dock

 The Dismal Swamp Canal is one of two routes from Norfolk VA to Albermarle Sound and is “the one less traveled by” so which did we choose?  It is rich in history and lore, and dates back over 200 years.  Today it is on the National Register of Historic Places and is used for recreational boats but in the past it was a route for barges laden with goods and passengers.  The Halfway House hotel (guess where) is said to be where Edgar Allen Poe wrote “The Raven” during one of his stays there.  Robert Frost was not born yet.

Mile Marker

Blimp Hanger & Blimps - Elizabeth City NC

After the two routes rejoin, the waterway opens up into various rivers and sounds and the miles pass by a little more quickly.  The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway or ICW is marked every mile from Norfolk VA (mile 0) to Miami FL (mile 1089).  In many places there are physical mile marker signs that are fun to watch for.  Places along the route are identified by their mile marker.  As I write this, we are at a marina in Belhaven NC, mile 136.  Only 881 more to go until we cross to the Bahamas!

The loaner golf cart in Belhaven came in handy for a grocery run

Heavy rains - high winds - coastal flooding >>>>Joaquin

First of all, we are safely tied to floating docks at Oyster Farm-Kings Creek Marina in Cape Charles, VA.  We had planned to be here this week anyway while attending an MTOA (Marine Trawler Owners Association) northern rendezvous, but heavy rains and high winds have delayed our departure to next Tuesday or Wednesday (hopefully).  The good news is, we are here with 9 other MTOA boats.  Today we had a potluck lunch and have plans to gather a few more times over the next few days.  The marina has been very accommodating to us, offering free dockage beyond what we originally planned.  When Joaquin was more of a threat, they even offered their villas at no charge if we needed to get off our boats.

We joined MTOA over a year ago, knowing the organization would be an important resource for us. As first time attendees to one of the events, we were welcomed by fellow boaters with open arms.  For 3 days we attended sessions on everything from 'Fire Hazards - Prevention & Avoidance' to 'Apps, Navigation Systems & Options for Integration' to 'Maritime Law' and 'Insurance' and many more.  Also on the agenda were options to explore Cape Charles.  We signed up for a delicious and endless supply of steamed oysters and clams on the waterfront.  One afternoon, Scott toured the local Coast Guard Station, Cape Charles Yacht Center and Museum while I enjoyed a much needed pedicure and manicure.  Since we would be staying longer than planned, our boat neighbors gave us the keys to their car so we could re-provision groceries, beverages and hardware store items.  We have met so many wonderful people here, all with the same passion for boating and willingness to help each other.

Endless buffet of oysters & clams

Delicious = Happy Face

Pot-Luck Lunch

Cruising Chesapeake Bay (Eastern Shore)

Internet connectivity has been bad for a many days so we have some catching up to do!

We had a wonderful time in Havre de Grace but after two days it was time to move on.  The forecast was favorable when we went to bed but when we awoke at 06:00 a Small Craft Advisory had been put up on the NOAA marine forecast. This did not make sense since the waves were only forecast to be 1’ high!  We decided to leave anyway and had no problems.  We found out later that small craft = 20’ vessels on the Chesapeake.  The wind and waves were behind us in what is called a ‘following sea’.  The plan was to go to Rock Hall, MD but we did have bail-out points picked if things got too rough.  Rock Hall is another nice, quiet, organized, clean town.  We walked to town to get a flag pole at West Marine.  Mary has felt the boat was naked without a proper Stars & Stripes flying from the transom.  On the way back, we got a ride from the Trolley, actually a trailer type thing with seats similar to what you might find at Disney World.  In this case though, it was towed by a Jeep driven by a guy named Gary at a much faster speed than I think it was designed to go!  Hold on!

Monument to Oystermen - Rock Hall, MD

With the flag stick custom fit to the necessary dimensions and finished with teak oil in the shop (engine room), the next morning we left Rock Hall with our new flag flying.  The next stop was St. Michaels where we anchored in the basin and took the dinghy to town.  There are many shops and restaurants (I like the restaurants) and after some excellent Oyster Po Boy sandwiches and beer, we went back to the boat for a nap.  Have I mentioned how important naps are in a successful journey by boat?

The sun came up at about 07:00 and was shining brightly.  We had not seen it for a couple of days so this was looking to be a good day.  Again, the wind was a little strong but was behind us (see ‘following sea’ above).  Our intention was to go to Cambridge, MD and stay on a free dock that was listed in one of our guide books. Well, it did not look that good when we arrived so we changed plans and anchored in a beautiful cove off the Choptank River.  Typical of this kind of journey, last minute changes sometimes yield a better outcome than the original plan.  Hot dogs, corn on the cob, and macaroni salad for diner.  What could be better?

Anchorage on Choptank River

Cocktails on the aft deck

Sunset is a time to reflect & appreciate the day we've had

It’s not always sunshine and a following sea.  The next day was one of those days.  We headed to visit our friends Carol & Lee on the Wicomico River.  The day began with fairly light winds, the usual following sea and overcast skies, although the temp was quite comfortable.  Sometimes it is better to travel when it’s overcast because you don’t have the sun glare to play tricks with your eyes.  About half way through our 7 hour trip, the wind turned to the east and started to blow 20-30 kts.  To make it even more challenging, this was an area with fish traps (weirs) that forced us further away from the coast.  When we finally made the turn to go through Hooper Strait, the wind and waves were hitting us square on the nose.  All we wanted to do is to get to the other end of the trip without a mishap because as they say, that would be bad.  We did make it without incident and decided to stay a couple of days, let the weather blow through and visit our friends.