Aaaah! I can almost feel the warm sun of South Florida. We’ve been stuck in Brunswick for far too long. The weather has been cold and the winds have been out of the North for the past week. But, a bad day on the water is better than a good day anywhere else. Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel or sunshine and good weather on the horizon. First a quick hop down to Fernandina Beach then . . . ? Before long, Ft Lauderdale and Miami and the Bahamas. Oh! Did I say, “We?” Meet my first mate, Kathleen.

We’ve spent the past week or two like tourists. We’ve been to St Augustine and I didn’t even go into Sailors’ Exchange! We did have a fine lunch amidst the pigeons at the Conch House

and drank from the Fountain of Youth where we walked with the peacocks. We’ve admired the beautiful live oaks and Spanish Moss on St Simon’s Island.

A visit to Jekyll Island is on the calendar as long as we are stuck in Brunswick. Naturally, Dock 6 has provided ample friendship and the Happy Hour, while sometimes a bit chilly, was none the less happy. Barbara and Manfred on s/v Balimar celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary and provided champagne and assorted nibbles. The weather, for a change, cooperated with sunshine. We are looking forward to seeing our friends in locales further south.

ROLL OUT THE BERYL!

Beryl paid a visit to Brunswick Landing Marina. She brought rain, wind and an incredible rainbow.

BLM loves a party! Tropical storm or not, the show must go on. Memorial Day, Sherri’s first party of the year. The day dawned with rain and wind and a hundred boaters anticipating a party. The south side of the dock house at dock one was sheathed in plastic, the bath-house likewise. At 2:30, the food started pouring in and the rain as well. The Dogg Brothers set up shop and the music began.

Earl from Painkiller and Lee from Morning Glory cooked up the steaks and the party began. The weather was no match for the merrymaking and the rain dried up and the sun came out. Those who have spent much time at BLM know that they can count on each other for a good time at any time. Beryl, eat your heart out!

Bahamas 2011-12

I haven't figured out how to embed a video into the blog but here is a link to the slide show that I created https://vimeo.com/42771249 Be sure to turn on your sound, go to full screen display. Pause the show for 10 minutes or so in order to allow the show to buffer completely. Stay tuned for our next adventure starting next week!

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!

Haute Culture

It's been over a week since we had access to the internet, so this post is a bit overdue.
It was a weekend of high culture in the Abacos. First, there was the Barefoot Man concert at Nipper’s. Then, the world’s shortest St Patricks’s Day parade. Finally, an afternoon of Rake n Scrape at Grabber’s.
The Barefoot Man is a musician based in the Cayman’s. His rowdy and bawdy music is somewhat reminiscent of Jimmy Buffet’s. It celebrates such things as “Thong Gone Wrong” and "Fake Boobs and Belly Buttons." The story starts a few years ago when the Barefoot Man owned property on Guana Cay on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, a beautiful sand beach and a lovely barrier reef. The plan was to have a quiet getaway where he could escape nightclubs, bars and drunken crowds. Alas! Someone built Nipper’s right next to his property. Nipper’s—THE destination in the Abacos for yachties looking for great snorkeling, revelry, good times and the weekly pig roast. “The best laid plans . . .”
There is a silver lining. The Barefoot Man had such good times on Guana Cay and at Nipper’s that he puts on an annual FREE concert there. If Nipper’s is a mecca for partiers the rest of the year, it is absolutely Nirvana when the Barefoot man performs. Nipper’s colorful deck miraculously doesn’t collapse under the weight of the crowd. Rum punch, Kaliks, dancing and bikinis accompany the music.






























Then, there is always the chance to make new friends!


And, dance with old ones.


















www.barefootman.com

Next, back in Marsh Harbour, we have the World’s Shortest St Patrick’s Day Parade. Sixty or so boaters don the green, arm themselves with bells, whistles, pots, pans and conch horns. The raucous group.
Led by a bevy of bikinis, moves down Bay Street for about 3 blocks to Snappa’s Grill where a free drink awaits them. Live music, corned beef and cabbage, rum, Kaliks; it just doesn’t get any better! Oh, and more new friends. And a chance to get together with old friends, Jim and Ellie on s/v FinniRish

Finally, back on Guana Cay, Grabber’s presents Brown Tip, a Rake n Scrape group whose ear-splitting music is punctuated by the raspy rhythm of metal scraping across the teeth of an ordinary handsaw. The dancing is well lubricated with Kaliks and Grabber’s special frozen rum concoction.



We enjoyed the show with our friends Bil and Maureen, s/v Kalunamoo.

HOPE TOWN

We spent nearly two weeks at Hope Town, located on Elbow Cay a few miles south of Man O War. Remember Man O War, Paradise Found? That description may have equally applied to Hope Town a few years ago. Like many other villages in the Sea of Abaco, Hope Town was settled by loyalists who fled the US after the Revolution. It is a picturesque little town with small, colorful houses, lots of flowers and narrow streets and lanes. There is only one real street that forks into two branches for a short distance. That street is navigable by small cars and trucks but the most common form of transportation is the golf cart. The lanes are so narrow that they are accessible only to pedestrians and bicycles.

A few years ago, Hope Town was probably like Man O War today. However, tourism is booming there. Most of the cute cottages are for rent. Hope Town Marina and Villas is in the midst of a major renovation adding a poolside bar and more villas and condos. The marina and mooring field enjoy a high rate of occupancy. Hope Town is not the quiet place described by cruising visitors of a few years ago. It is still a nice place to visit but certainly not a backwater stop. However, Bahamian life survives despite the influx of tourists.

The town is home to one of the famous lighthouses of the world.
http://www.visithopetown.com/lighthouse.html The candy striped tower rises 124 steps above the mound upon which it stands. It is one of the few remaining lighthouse in the world still illuminated by kerosene. The mechanism that rotates the light is a clockwork mechanism that is powered by a huge weight and must be rewound every two hours. The 8000 pound burner and its fresnel lens rotate on a pool of mercury that reduces friction. A light push of the hand is enough to turn it. Construction of the lighthouse was opposed by inhabitants of Hope Town who made their living salvaging valuable cargo from ships that wrecked in the shallow waters. In one incident, salvers rescued the cargo of a ship en route to Cuba—slaves. They took the human cargo to Nassau where they were set free.




Peter, in his never-ending quest for the best conch salad in the Bahamas was happy to find a challenger for Bimini’s Friendly Joe. Conky Joe, whose real name is Peter, makes an excellent conch salad. He minces all the ingredients, especially the conch, very fine. The ratio of conch to veggies is high. Conky Joe does not use hot sauce but adds just enough scotch bonnet peppers to brighten the flavor with a little heat.
We rented a golf cart with Bill and Maureen from s/v Kalunamoo for a tour of the island.
About three miles south of Hope Town is Tahiti Beach. At low tide, sand flats extend way out into the Sea of Abaco. Shell seekers wade in the shallow water looking for prized shells. The tour took us past Abaco Inn where you can watch the sunrise and set over the water, perched as it is overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Sea of Abaco. Lunch there delivered a new twist on the ubiquitous conch—conch sashimi; thin slices of conch drizzled with wasabi cream sauce and lime juice and served with soy dipping sauce—excellent! Maureen and Claudia pronounced their umpteenth Tropical Island Drink – Bahama Breeze one of the best!


We celebrated Claudia’s birthday with Mike and Janice on m/v Dual Dreamers. This is their first trip on their Carver 390, a roomy and comfortable motor vessel. Lunch with them was delightful.


Hope Town was a wonderful place to spend time and we highly recommend it to anyone who passes this way--lots of history, things to do and wonderful people.