Family Visit

We had a great day with Joe and Jo on Thursday, March 28th.  They came on board about 1030 and we immediately set out on a little tour of the area.  While the four of us caught up on each other's lives, we cruised up and down Haulover Canal so the Joes could see some manatees.  We also saw dolphins and several herons.  We had a good lunch, and chose a spot to watch the launch of the last of the Delta rockets. This was supposed to take place at 1:40 pm, then 2:40 pm, and then it was scrubbed altogether.  Oh well.

We turned back to Titusville and had dinner out at Pier 220. It was Joanna's birthday and the very kind waitress put a candle on her dessert and organized other eaters into a birthday chorus.  We all had a great time.

They helped us untie and we left them to their Uber back to Orlando while we relocated to a more protected anchorage to ride out the wind.

We've been here ever since, in the northeast corner of this section of river, anchored in the lee of the NASA railroad bridge.  We've seen two more satellite launches.  Dan has spent much of the days washing and waxing the topsides.  I learned to bake bread with einkorn flour, and ancient, unprocessed wheat that is very healthy and gut-friendly.  The bread-making process is very different because the dough needs a lot more time to rise, but the result is worth it.

Today Dan spotted what we thought was a manatee in distress, tangled in a crab pot warp.  We watched at the pot buoy bobbed and jerked and the manatee kept surfacing to snort and cry out.  Other manatees were hanging about.  We called the Florida Wildlife people to report it and their first question was does the buoy have a radio antenna on it?  Sure enough, it did.  This is a tagged, manatee, they told us, tethered to that buoy by a four foot line attached to its tail.  It probably wasn't in danger, but they asked Dan to make sure that other manatees weren't endangered since it is mating season, and manatees can form a ball of activity.  Dan carefully took the dinghy out to see.  No entanglement, but the nearby manatees seemed to take exception to his intrusion and surrounded him, splashing a lot. Dan agreed to get right out of their way.  

That was our Easter Sunday excitement.  Hope your day has been just as lively and as interesting! 

Hanging out in Titusville

We've been on one side or the other of Cape Canveral - a few days in the Banana River, a few days in the Indian River;  we've anchored on the northwestern shore by the NASA railroad bridge and on the northeastern shore by the same bridge, across the ICW channel.  When the wind has clocked around, we've raised anchor and moved, for better protection from the 16-22 knot winds.  

One day Dan took the dinghy to poke along the shore and came back with a good load of booty - cupboard doors, an American flag in decent shape, a Frisbee and a soccer ball.  That is the third soccer ball he's found on this adventure.  He also discovered a graveyard of horseshoe crabs.  I looked it up - there have been massive die-offs of horseshoe crabs in this area for the last four years.  Scientists are unsure why. They wash up dead in the shore in droves. So sad to see.

Yesterday morning we woke to hear a lot of splashing around us and went out to find manatees cavorting right next to the boat.  We've since found out this is mating season.  They have some stamina!  They stayed around the boat all morning.  

Today we moved across the river to the Titusville Marina to get some fuel and water, and had a little fun giving a manatee a drink of fresh water. 

 As we pulled away from the dock, we received word from AGLCA local harbor hosts John and Sharon that they were en route to us with a delivery of bottom paint that they had kindly picked up for us at West Marine.  The Marina directed us to the nearby boat launch ramp, as they couldn't allow us to just hang out at the fuel dock, so we moved to meet Sharon. She and John hope to do the Great Loop in the near future, and signed up to be harbor hosts to meet other Loopers in the meantime.  We were happy to give her a boat tour.  

Dan decided to take advantage of our tie-up at the launch ramp to wash the topsides, and I walked down to the boatyard to pick up some Amazon packages they've been holding for us. We decided that since we have the time, we would haul out to paint the bottom. This will happen next week.  In the meantime, Dan has gone on an Amazon shopping spree, sending the purchases to the boatyard.  I picked up what I could carry.

Now we are anchored in yet another corner of this area, where we'll ride out tonight's thunderstorms and be in the right place to pick up son Joe and daughter-in-law Jo tomorrow for their day with us.  We are certainly getting to know this area! 

Tommie is just hanging out too.

Back in Florida

 We had a lovely crossing from the Bahamas on Thursday, March 14.  We got up well before dawn and quietly slid out of the marina into the ocean.  It was just a little rolly at first and then smoothed out as the wind died down to less than 5 knots and the sun came out.  Dan set out his fishing rods.  We got a bite at the edge of the Gulf Stream, as we neared Florida.  It was a big one, a fighter.  Dan let it tire itself out for good half hour.  But when we hauled it in, we saw the teeth.  Another barracuda.  

We passed up our intended destination at Stuart and entered Florida at Fort Pierce, about 5 pm.  Check was a breeze - no glitches or need to apply multiple times on the Roam app like last year.  We spent a very quiet night in Faber Cove, though we were disappointed to see that the town is discouraging anchoring there now by placing moorings randomly about.  We were the only anchored vessel this year.

Friday we took our time setting off, and only cruised 14 miles to Vero Beach.  We found a dubious dinghy access to the local Publix - Dan tied up to a hole in the seawall of a small shoreside park - and stocked up on fresh produce.  It's always a trip to see a giant grocery store after the tiny places in the Bahamas.  Back at the boat, Dan realized there was a space launch that evening and we made sure to be outside when it was happening.  I'm sure this is no big deal to the people who live here, but we are always thrilled to see a launching. 

We spent the weekend in Palm Bay.  We anchored near the mouth of Turkey Creek and took the dinghy up the creek to the home of our longtime friends.  It's always a pleasure to spend time with them and catch up on each other's lives.  Dave and Dianne cruised with us twice a summer back when we owned and ran the Maine windjammer Schooner Lewis R French. We've remained good friends ever since.  Dave is now in assisted living; we had a good visit with him and the bonus of seeing his son Scott there.  We took Dianne and other local friends Ed and Joyce out for dinner, and on Sunday had a St. Patrick's Day lunch of corned beef and cabbage with Dianne at her favorite neighborhood restaurant.  

Monday (March 18) we moved on, again, not going very far.  We've never explored the Banana River, and we found a nice anchorage here.  Despite the surrounding shoreside community, there are few boats except for college crews and kayakers.  We are the only ones anchored.  We hunkered here for yesterday's thunderstorms and today's North wind blow.  Tomorrow we'll head up toward Cape Canaveral to be in place for another space launch on Thursday. 

Time to Say Goodbye to the Bahamas

We have enjoyed our time in the Bahamas. We will miss the warm weather, the friendly people, and the solitude of isolated places.  I will miss the daily swimming!

A weather window has opened up and we are taking advantage of it to cross back to the US tomorrow, Thursday March 14th.  This is earlier than we anticipated, but it is too perfect to miss.  After several passages that were bouncy or rolly or both, we had agreed that we would wait for the calm crossing.  Little did we know that it was sooner than we expected!

From Harbour Island we moved north to anchor in an area known as Meek's Patch before heading up into the Bight of Abaco.  This is the inside waters between Great Abaco Island and Grand Bahama Island.  It is seldom traveled by cruisers - partly because it is shallow and has very few settlements, and partly because the holding is generally poor.  Our best anchorage was on Friday night March 8, off Sandy Point.  We ran into Steve and Julie on Erben Renewal  whom we'd met in Rock Sound eight years ago, when they'd owned a Kadey Krogan and we had the Willard motor sailor.  They moved around the point to anchor in anticipation of the coming front with storms and SE wind,  we moved on to anchor in Basin Harbour on Big Cay on Saturday. 

The reviews were spot on - though the chart made it look like a perfectly protected harbor, the wrap around current and the marly/cement-like bottom made it a poor choice for the night.  Dan got in the water to hand set two anchors (bow and stern) in holes, and he tied a line around the bow chain to a coral outcropping.  We would have moved, but the sun was setting and traveling in the dark in the Bahamas is just not a good idea. It was a bouncy night and neither of us slept well. 

Dan had to dive to unset the anchors and remove that line in the morning so we could move.  The strong wind and current made anchor raising a bit of an adventure, but we got it done and moved across the Bight to a slightly better anchorage with more wind protection for Sunday the 10th.  The wind shifted in the night to W, and had another bouncy night.  

Monday we moved to Mangrove Cay, seeking protection from the NW - N wind.  Again, the holding was poor, but there was no current here, and we didn't worry as much about dragging.  We got in some snorkeling though there wasn't a lot to see, and Dan found a life jacket and a fender in the beach.  (Most of our lifejackets and fenders are rescues.)  

Tuesday we solidified our plans to cross back to the US on Thursday and moved out of the Bight of Abaco into the bank north of Grand Bahama Island and joined a florilla of Bahama entrants at Grand Sale.  They are all beginning their Bahamian adventure as we are finishing.  I got one last swim in while Dan changed the oil.  

Today, Weds March 13, we had a beautiful, calm cruise over to West End.  The water was crystal clear.  We stopped to watch a green turtle swim by.  We tried anchoring off the beach at West End, but again, the holding was poor, so for peace of mind on our last night here we decided to take a slip at the Old Bahama Bay Marina.  This is a beautiful marina, with all the amenities one needs and wants.  We enjoyed a dip in the pool, a hot shower, and an excellent dinner at the marina restaurant.  It was a great last night here.

 

Harbor Island/Dunmore Town

On Monday (March 4) we said goodbye to Hatchet Bay and headed north to Spanish Wells, a small town on St. George's Cay, just off the northern tip of Eleuthera. Our plan was to get fuel and then see about getting our laundry done.  The fuel dock was a bit of a challenge, and turns out there are no laundry facilities in Spanish Wells unless you stay at a particular (and pricy) marina.

With a strong SE wind blowing, we ended up setting an anchor and using it to back down alongside the fuel dock, which was almost too tall for us to get lines around the pilings.  The dock is accessed by a long flight of stairs, and the fuel dock worker comes by golf cart, at an pre-arranged time.  His name was Devon, he was very friendly, and he did cast us off when we had fueled up.  It was, by far, the most challenging fuel dock we've ever gone to, but we managed it.

We spent Monday night there at anchor, but after learning there was no laundromat, decided to leave on Tuesday morning.  Dan wanted to make the passage through the Devil's Backbone, a long section of connected reefs on the east side of northern Eleuthera.  The chart does show a passage but it is narrow, with shallows, reefs and coral heads on both sides, and it's recommended you hire a pilot to guide you.  But conditions were perfect - no northerly wind or swells, morning sun above or behind us, and great visibility to see the different colors of the water - so we set off slowly to cruise the seven miles or so along Devil's Backbone to the bay between Harbour Island and Eluethera.

This is what Devil’s Backbone looks like in real life.
Below is the Navionics chart.

Harbour Island and its town Dunmore Town is the most touristy place in the eastern Bahamas.  There are many hotels and resorts, lots of restaurants and bars, and two marinas that seemed to cater to large yachts. And they have a laundromat! 

Dan and I went ashore Tuesday to walk the town and have some lunch. We found a nice airy restaurant and settled for splitting a couple of appetizers because it was a little pricy for our budget.  (We found the tourist boutiques to be the same...)  I did the laundry and found a great little produce store with lots of variety: Pineapple Fruit and Veggies.  Across from Pineapple's was a small pavillion where a group of men were playing dominoes with cheery, noisy abandon.  I was amused to listen to their discussion of US politics, as they speculated on the outcome of Super Tuesday.  

The Bay side is where the marinas and tourist places are, the ocean side contains the more exclusive resorts and a mile of the cleanest beach in the Bahamas.  We walked it today (Weds March 6) - Dan said it was "boring" and I said it reminded me of Hilton Head.  

The downside of this island is the spring break atmosphere - lots of loud music, lots of people zipping around in golf carts, lots of fast boats careening through the water taking people wake boarding or snorkeling.  We ended up moving to a quiet anchorage away from it all for both nights.  

Hatchet Bay/Alice Town

We spent four nights in Hatchet Bay/Alice Town, in northern Eleuthera.  This is an extremely protected body of water with a very narrow entrance.  It looks more difficult than it is.  There were about a dozen others anchored when we came in and another ten showed up within the next 24 hours, in anticipation of the predicted 20 knots of wind on Friday.  We arrived Thursday (Feb 29).

Alice Town was pretty much the same as we remembered - a little shabby with a rundown dinghy dock, but very friendly.  Emmett's enterprises - bar & grill, small grocery store, car rental - is still there, but he doesn't scoop ice cream anymore.  Ice cream is available as sandwiches, bars, and a small selection of pints in the grocery store freezer.  We had hamburgers and fries there on Friday night, after the windstorm blew itself out. 

One of Dan's desires for this trip was to revisit the caves we'd stumbled upon eight years ago.  On Saturday morning (March 2) we headed out, equipped with flashlights and water.  We remembered it was quite a walk from town.  The landscape sort of looked the same - scrubby farmland, old silos. I'd looked up our blog from eight years ago, and we knew to look for the twin silos that marked the entrance road that led to the caves.  After about an hour's walk we found the twin silos.  But no road.  Not even a path.  Huh.  We decided to keep walking and remarked that we didn't remember the beach so close to the road.  When we got to the sign informing us we were at restricted community of Rainbow Bay, we knew we'd gone too far.  We were on the Queen's Highway - the only major road that traveled the length of Eleuthera - so we hadn't taken a wrong turn.  Coincidentally the 16th annual Bahamas Hope Challenge was taking place on this road, and many bicyclists and a few joggers were passing us. We caught the attention of one woman walking her bike up the hill and she told us, yes the caves were by the twin silos, just look for the "red road" and the sign.  She also told us the Challenge was to raise money for cancer diagnosis and treatment. 

So we turned around to walk back to those twin silos, wondering how we could have missed our destination.  On the way we saw wild cotton, reminders of the times when British loyalists tried to establish plantations in the Bahamas, after they'd fled the Carolinas during the Revolutionary war.  They never did make a go of it - Bahamian soil and climate just aren't conducive to that kind of landed gentry life - but the reminders are all around:  ruins, like the silos, volunteer seedlings, like the cotton plants, and the population - 80% are descended from the black slaves brought here to work the land for the plantation owners.  

When we reached the silos, we searched for that red road, but found only one leading to the area dump.  We did find cell service - which had been very spotty all throughout Hatchet Bay and Alice Town - and a Google search showed us the caves lay on the other side of town.  Somehow we had walked to the south on Queen's Highway, instead of the north.  We walked at least 6 miles on Saturday. 

Sunday morning we tried again.  This time we disembarked at a small launch ramp instead of the town landing, so we knew for sure which way north was.  About ten minutes into our walk Emmett came along and asked us if we wanted a ride.  Sure, we said.  He chattered the whole way to the caves - whuch did have a sign pointing down the red road, directly across from the twin silos.  "I'll be damned."  Dan said when we saw them. Who would have thought there would be two sets of twin silos anout equidistant from Alice Town on the Queen's Highway?  

Instead of dropping us off, Emmett offered to take us to his farm for a tour.  We jumped at the chance.  He drove on for another half-mile and turned down another red road.  He has quite the farm and a lot of plans for expansion.  He sells produce to the local restaurants.  In fact, he produced a couple of knives and bags and put us to work for the restaurant Front Porch.  I filled a bag with arugula and Dan cut a bag's worth of parsely.  Emmett proudly showed off his peppers and pineapples and pumpkins, yanked a few carrots from the ground and gave them to us, along with a cucumber.  Then he looked at the time and hustled us back into the car.  He had people waiting to rent this car, he said, and he was late meeting them.  He dropped us off at the entrance road to the caves and sped off.  

We ate one of the carrots as a snack, took off our sunglasses and donned our headlights and went down into the cave.  This cave goes on for at least a mile, but we weren't feeling that adventurous.  We picked our way through the treacherous and sometimes damp footing until we reached a point where it was pretty wet and decided to turn around.  The walls were covered with people's names, with some dates listed as early as 1890.  When we got back to the entrance, we met the people who had rented Emmett's car.  Dan hoped if we dawdled on the way home, they'd come along and offer us a ride, but we ended up making it back on our own.  We probably walked at least 10 miles this weekend!