BOUGAINVILLEA AND SPIDERWORTS

I think we’ve finally become accustomed to life on terra firma. When I stand in the shower, the world no longer seems to be rocking! By the time we got home, the dogwoods and redbuds had already shed their blossoms. We missed the daffodils and fruit bloom. We’ve traded drinks in the cockpit for drinks on the deck, bougainvillea for spiderworts and irises.

The poplar flowers are abuzz with bees gathering nectar and pollen. Blackberry winter arrived and we wondered why we gave up the balmy Bahamian days that our friends are still enjoying.

Our arrival in Brunswick was a real homecoming. Sherri and Cindy were on hand to catch our lines and give us big hugs. We spent five days in Brunswick enjoying the freedom of not having to get underway and not having to look at the weather. The time was especially enjoyable because we were able to spend time with Matthew and show him some of the sights around Brunswick. Finally, we bit the bullet and began the process of getting stuff off the boat and into the car. It took 3 days and the car was packed. Then, of course, we had to stop in Atlanta to buy cheese and booze—3 cases of rum! Where to put it? There’s always room for another bottle of rum!

So, our departure from Now or Never! is a bittersweet experience. On one hand, we miss all the friends we made this year and all the friends we’ve accumulated over the years. On the the other hand, we are looking forward to watching another season in the woods and anticipating a new adventure in the coming weeks. Stay tuned and join us as we toast all our friends, present and future.

We spent a pleasant few days at Ft Pierce. First of all, we re-connected with friends. There were Dave and Laurie on s/v RJ Greenstone and Don and Ann on s/v Dream Chaser. Both couples are fellow denizens of the infamous dock six at Brunswick Landing Marina. Then, Rich was on hand to catch our lines when we came into the fuel dock at Harbortown Marina. Rich tuned our rigging last fall and installed a new roller furler. He kindly offered us the use of his Bronco over the weekend so we were able to do everything we wanted to do in Ft Pierce. There was the farmers’ market, perhaps the best in Florida and then there was Mangrove Mattie’s where they offer an “all you can eat, all you can drink” champagne brunch on Sunday—fabulous! Supper at Buoy 12A was magnificent and we got to repeat it a few days later with a special guest. Our friends Bill and Maureen set sail for Charleston and marked the official end to our Bahamian holiday. We felt all alone as they pulled away from the dock.

Claudia developed a mild (and we hope temporary) case of night blindness so we were concerned about our trip north. The trip is a thirty-six to forty hour passage to Fernandina Beach. Obviously, part of the trip must take place at night and Claudia can’t see! What to do? As it turned out, it was easy. We asked Matthew, our son, if he’d like to make the trip with us. “Oh please, don’t twist my arm!” We borrowed Don and Ann’s car and picked him up at West Palm and had another wonderful supper at Buoy 12A.


The trip north was largely uneventful, light winds, calm seas. Somewhere along the way during the second day, we snagged a really nice King Mackerel. Later, just off the St Johns Inlet we caught two fine tunas! What fun. I never thought I’d say, “Let’s bring in the lines, I don’t want to catch any more fish!”




Ceviche never tasted so good! Fresh fish, never frozen!

Our arrival at Fernandina Beach seemed to be timed to a falling tide. We arrived at the inlet at about 10 PM. The next 4 or 5 miles took us 4 hours at speeds at around one knot! We pulled into the fuel dock at 2 AM! These night-time arrivals have got to stop! We spent a couple of days at Fernandina Beach. Mainly to eat at “le Clos,” one of our favorite restaurants. Has anyone noticed that our travels seem to center on restaurants and food?

Our departure from Fernandina was again marred by an opposing tide. The current was inbound while we were outbound. Then we arrived at St Simons Sound on an outgoing tide. A trip that should have taken 8 hours or less took us nearly 10 hours. From the water, everything was the same; the St Simons lighthouse, the Sidney Lanier bridge . . . Pulling into the slip at Brunswick Landing Marina was as close to Heaven as I care to get at this time. Sherri and Cindy were there to catch our lines. It was almost as if we’d never left. Another adventure sets the stage for the next. It has been fun to have Matthew on board with us. He has been a great hand and we are proud of him.

Last Punch in Paradise

The last tropical drink has been drunk and the last conch salad has been tasted. The curtain is dropping on another cruising season.

Before leaving the Bahamas, we spent a couple of wonderful days at Manjack Cay. The tiny island is inhabited, but just barely. There is no town, no public water, no public power and no place to spend money. Claudia and I felt a certain kinship with the couple who make their home there—miles from anyone, completely dependent on their resources. It must be everyone’s dream—move to your own tropical island. It reminded us of our escape to the middle of the woods.

Our return trip differed from our outbound trip because the wind was in our favor. No longer were we fighting the trade winds that brought prosperity to the New World. We could raise our sails and shut off the motor. All we could hear was the sound of the boat sluicing through the water. This is why we sail. Our new roller furler and the finely tuned rig turned Now or Never! Into a fine sailing machine. She sails like a dream.

After a short revisit to Foxtown, a squally night at Great Sale Cay, we headed for West End, Grand Bahama where we started our adventure. We crossed paths with John and Jan on s/v Graduate, fellow denizens of Brunswick Landing Marina. They were headed East whence we had come and we, of course, were headed West. It’s a small world and the connections you make where ever you go are important.

We, along with s/v Kalunamoo left the security of the marina at Old Bahama Bay and anchored in rolly seas so we could head West in the wee hours. Claudia and I grilled some of the last of the fresh lobster for supper. Although the anchorage was rolly, it presented us with a fine final sunset in the Bahamas. Then, at 2:30 AM we left the Bahamas in virtually windless conditions. At least the seas were benign. Fourteen hours later, we pulled alongside the fuel dock at Harbortown Marina in Ft Pierce. Rich, who tuned our rig before leaving the States, happened to be on hand to catch our lines. It was a fine homecoming.

We had not planned on cruising the Abacos. Now, our séjour there is over. We are glad that we ended up there and we cherish the friends we made. Cruising is not about the destinations, it’s about the things you do and the people you meet. Our journey is not complete and we are looking forward to each new day.

Oh, about the tropical drinks and the conch salad. Erica at Teaser’s at Old Bahama Bay makes the best piña colada ever. Conchy Joe in Hope Town runs a close second to Friendly Joe on Bimini. Uncle Lionel on Green Turtle does pretty well. Kendrick at Marsh Harbour runs a close second or third and his fruity conch salad is truly unique. The girls at Conchy Joe’s in Marsh Harbour do OK, but maybe my judgment is impaired but the fact that the girls are real lookers!