Long Overdue Post - The Circle Has Been Closed

 My apologies for not posting more regular, it would be easy to say that I was too busy but that is only half the story, I was also too lazy.  We have returned to the States and moved up to North Carolina. I will try to point out some of the highlights.

We finally left our favorite spot in the Raggeds and had to start moving back north.  We left Hog Cay and sailed and motored, depending on the winds, through the night up to Blackpoint Settlement. 

Here we stopped and took a day to rest and wait for better conditions. The next leg was to leave on an early tide out the inlet and sail/motor across Exuma Sound to Eleuthera where we continued up to Tarpon Bay to anchor for the night.  In the morning we moved up to Hatchet Bay to sit out a front that was moving in.  During the night the winds kicked up to 20+ knots with a lot of rain.  We sat out the weather for another day and then continued on to Egg Island at the north tip of Eleuthera to spend the night and prepare for the jump to the Abaco's.  

At first light we started out crossing the Northeast Providence Channel and came in at Little Harbor Inlet.  Since there was still daylight we continued up to a new anchorage for us at Iron Cay and dropped anchor.  In the morning we launched the dingy and went exploring the East Abaco Creeks National Park.  We motored up through the small islands watching the rays, fish and turtles and enjoying the solitude.  In the afternoon we pulled anchor and motored up to Marsh Harbor to top off the fuel.  After the fuel stop we continued on to Great Guana Cay to anchor for the night.  The next morning we headed out to go around The Whale.  The inside passage between Whale Cay and great Abaco is too shallow for us so we needed to go out into the ocean and back into the Sea of Abaco to get to Green Turtle Cay, another of our favorite places.

We arrived at Green Turtle just in time to duck into a protected anchorage for a major storm coming off the coast of Florida.  We dinghied to shore several times to join friends and make trips into town. We spent about a week until we were able to move into Black Sound and tie up at Donny's Dock where we would be staying for awhile. Ten years ago we came to Green Turtle Cay for the first time and met Donny, I say that he adopted us and we became family.  While here we help out with the running of the marina and any variety of other activities.  We wanted to be here in April since it would be Donny's mothers 90th birthday and Cori had promised she would be there.  Cori spends a lot of time visiting with her and helping her get around running her many errands.  We did take some time away to visit several of our favorite spots either by dinghy or Hi Flite but always coming back to Donny's.  After the birthday party we were planning to come back to the States but were asked to stay to help run things while Donny made a trip to Florida.  While here Cori helped out a friend with some sewing projects for a charity event and projects for several others.  Yes, she travels with a sewing machine and a lot of supplies. 

Time was running out and we needed to say good by to everyone and continue on.  We left Green Turtle and sailed/motored depending on the wind to Fort Pierce Inlet and motored up to Vero Beach Marina to pick up a mooring and get some rest after a 186 mile trip.  After our one night of rest we dropped the mooring and continued on Cocoa Beach to anchor for the night. From there we moved up to New Smyrna Beach and anchored.  We spent several days in New Smyrna doing some sightseeing, maintenance and waiting.  We had been having some transmission problems and had been babying it to get back.  We know a good mechanic in Daytona and had called and made arrangement for a replacement transmission to be installed.  We were waiting for it to arrive before moving to Daytona.  Just short of a week it arrived and we moved to a marina in Daytona for two days while the transmission was replaced.  We left at high tide on the third day and continued up to St Augustine where we made a short stop for fuel before starting off for North Carolina.  

We left Daytona on Thursday and arrived on Sunday.  The trip was mostly uneventful until a small front came through Saturday night and put the winds on our nose and kicking up the seas causing us to run a zig zag course to make headway until it calmed down the next day.  It wasn't dangerous just uncomfortable.  We had been in worse.  We came in Beaufort Inlet and continued up the ICW, Intracoastal waterway, to Broad Creek and our friends Jerry and Donna's dock.

We have closed the circle, We had left the dock on 11/29/24 after several delays and returned 5/26/25.  We had traveled 2289 nautical miles or 2634 statute miles, about the same as traveling from New York to Los Angeles but at a speed of about six miles an hour.  Basically you could pass us if you were riding a bicycle.

Hi Flite has now been hauled out for the season and we will be heading back to South Dakota and our little off grid cabin.  I hope you enjoyed following along on our travels.  If you find yourself in the Black Hills area give us a call.

Time in the Ragged’s

 It’s been too long since I’ve updated. We have been in the Ragged’s, specifically Hog Cay for a couple of weeks. Here is what’s happening:

We had a weather window that looks good for the trip from Green Turtle down to Long Island, but our part had not arrived. We had explained that we were going to catch this opportunity if it had arrived or not. We have been operating the refrigerator by turning it off and on much like the thermostat would do. We left Green Turtle on the high tide and motored to Whale Cay and proceeded south. The forecast was for light winds on Sunday but a favorable wind Monday. The winds never showed up and we motored for the two day trip, arriving at Long Island around 3:30 am  Tuesday a trip of 251 miles. 

In the morning at high tide we moved to the fuel dock and filled the tank. We are not able to get fuel in the Ragged’s so this stop was essential. Wednesday morning the winds arrived and we pulled anchor to sail off to the Jumentos, the southern uninhabited chain of islands. Having good winds we chose not to stop for the night and continued to Hog Cay anchoring arriving around 1:00 am traveling 101 miles. We made it to our destination. In the morning we moved closer in to the shore and settled in. 

Our plan is to stay here or in the area until the end of February. We have been spending our days either on the boat, hanging out in the tiki hut with other cruisers, hiking the many trails that have been cleared on the island, weaving baskets using the native silver palms, teaching others how to make baskets and walking the beaches looking for sea beans that have washed ashore. 

This is an example of one of the baskets and some of the sea beans, this one is called a “hamburger” and there are not as many of them compared to the “sea heart”. These are seeds that wash down the rivers in South America and float in the currents landing on beaches in the Bahamas and further west. We have lots of hearts from previous years and are concentrating on finding the hamburgers. Of course we still don’t know what we will do with them. 

We have been having excellent weather with a dominant wind from the east with the island blocking it. We had one weather event where a front went through and the winds clocked from south to west to north then settled back from the east. A wind with west in its direction is dangerous since there are few anchorages that will protect us but this time the winds were light and we didn’t have to move. One of our cruising friends has arrived and he has parts onboard that can fix the refrigerator problem using parts he scavenged from refrigerators that were in one of the islands dumps. He has also repaired our Spot satellite locator so we are able to send location messages again. 

Our days consist of checking the weather in the morning, both local and long range for the area, taking care of any maintenance and projects that need attention, going ashore to hang out or hiking to one of the ocean side beaches and sharing sundowners at the hut with other cruisers. 

It’s a touch life but someone has to do it. 

That’s about it from here, in a couple of weeks we will be moving back up to the Abaco’s to spend time with friends there and pick up our part that arrived after we had left. 

In the Bahamas

We are in the Bahamas, more precisely we are at Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos which is the northern group of islands.

After spending a week in Vero Beach preparing and waiting for a weather window we moved down to Fort Pierce.  There are several spots that the cruisers use to make there way to the Bahamas and Fort Pierce is one of the furthest north.  We chose this locations because it was going to be a short window and we would not have time to move further south.  With advice from our weather advisor we pulled anchor at 3:00am on the 19th.  We made our way in the dark out the inlet and set course taking into consideration that the gulf stream would be crabbing us north.  It was another motorboat ride with the winds not cooperating.  The seas had not had a chance to calm after the previous winds and it started out as a rough ride with it calming as we continued on.  By the time we crossed onto the Banks the seas were down to two feet and less.  We continued overnight and arrived at Green Turtle Cay at 7:00 am Friday morning.  We anchored outside the settlement and waited for high tide to move into Black Sound and tie up at Donny's Docks.

Saturday morning we were up and walking into town to enjoy our favorite Bahamian breakfast of stew fish or in this case stewed grouper.  Of course being the weekend the ice cream shop was open and we made the trip there three evenings in a row.  Christmas was close and Cori joined in several morning for the 5:00 am caroling, I only made it on Christmas Eve.  This is a tradition on Green Turtle to welcome the spirit of Christmas.  Christmas Day was quiet and we were invited for dinner with friends.

We have been hanging out with friends, attended several evening social hours, Cori has done some beach combing and we have been acting like tourists.  There have been a couple of days that Donny is out giving tours and once again Cori and I are tasked with running the marina helping boats come and go.

New Years Eve was quiet on the boat and we didn't bother to stay up untill midnight.  New Years Day however is a big day on Green Turtle.  It is the annual Junkanoo, similar to Carnival in the Caribbean.  The event is highlighted with a parade of costumed dancers of all ages, drummers and cow bells.  It is very colorful and very loud.  The town is small so the technique is to find a spot to watch and after the parade passes we move to another location and catch the end of the parade.  There are many vendors selling their wares, food and drinks.  It is a very festive day.

The one problem we have is that the thermostat for the refrigerator has broken.  We are able to bypass it and keep the unit running but getting a replacement is a problem.  I put out a request for a repair person and got the number for the same person that repaired the refrigerator when we were here ten years ago.  Now we are waiting for the part before we continue on.

Made It To Florida

We are now in Florida, specifically Vero Beach also known as Velcro Beach waiting for a weather window to make the crossing to the Bahamas.

We left Broad Creek in North Carolina on Friday and made our way down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) to Beaufort Inlet timing it so that we went out the inlet just before sunset.  We chose this time to leave so that we would approach Frying Pan Shoals in the morning.  We continued on planning to go to Fernandina Beach which would take about sixty hours.  Along the way we determined that at the speed we were traveling, which was a combination of sailing and motoring, we would arrive in Fernandina during the dark of night.  We decided to change course a bit and continue on to St Auguatine where we would arrive just after sunrise.  We try, if at all possible, to not arrive at night. Monday morning we made our way into the harbor and anchored once again off from the fort and settled in to rest. In the morning we launched the dinghy and made our way to the dinghy dock to check in with the marina and get a dinghy pass and key cards for the showers.  Once clean and smelling nice we hiked with one of our propane tanks to the hardware store to have it refilled.  On the way back to the boat we stopped for lunch and once again made a change of plans.  We were moving on.

Once back on the boat we pulled anchor and continued down the river planning to anchor for the night along the way.  There are a number of areas where there is reported shoaling and we found one and went aground.  Fortunatly it was soft mud and we were moving very cautiously so it was easy to back off and manuver around.  By now it was about an hour before sunset and we were not going to make it to our planned anchorage.  Since there was some deeper water close by we moved over and dropped anchor for the night.  In the morning with a higher tide we moved on with plans of passing through Daytona Beach.

As we approached the Daytona area we felt a very serious vibration coming from the prop.  My thought was that we picked up a line on the prop and it had gotten wrapped.  We could still move but there was a banging on the hull at low speed.  Checking the charts we found there was a boatyard near us and after a phone call we pulled in to get hauled out and find the problem.  Once again the tide was against us as it was too shallow for the boat lift slings to get under us.  With a bit of ingenuity they were able to get us lifted and moved onto land.  At this point we found that it was not a line wrapped but that a bearing that supports the propshaft had failed.  This involved calling in a mechanic to remove the prop and bearing and install the new one.  Fortunately we knew a good mechanic that we had dealt with before and he was the one suggested to us by the boatyard.  The next morning Al showed up with his equipment and went to work.  By mid-afternoon the repair was complete and we were back in the water.  We spent the night tied to their dock and in the morning with a rising tide we headed out again.

The next day we continued on to Titusville and anchored with the Cape Canaveral launch sites in view and dropped the anchor.  We had always wanted to see a rocket launch and there was one scheduled for the next night.  We spent the day relaxing and that night just after midnight we were able to watch one of the Space X launches.  We were about ten miles away but it was spectacular.  In the morning we continued on eventually arriving in Vero Beach.

Vero Beach is often called Velcro Beach because it is a staging area for boats planning to jump to the Bahamas and sometimes there is a long wait for the right weather window.  Looking at the forecasts we plan to stay here for a week before moving on.  We know several other cruisers here and there is a very active group and the city is what we call "cruiser friendly" with conveniant bus service to the marina and a variety of activities.

It's Time to Go Again

 It's time to start our winter cruise.

We have been back to the boat since the middle of October.  We spent a week getting the boat ready including new bottom paint.  Once we were launched we moved up the waterway to our friends Jerry and Donna's home dock on Broad Creek.  We have spent the time preparing for the winter, such as grocery shopping for six months of provisions, getting the dinghy and outboards ready, restiching some of the canvas and the multitude of things that have to be done to keep our home afloat.  Eventually almost everything is ready and then we waited for a weather window.  We prefer to travel offshore so that means we need a three to four day window with favorable weather conditions.

If we can believe the forecast we may have such an oportunity tomorrow.  Our plan is to leave Broad Creek, go up the Neuse River to the ICW (Intra Coastal Waterway) to Beaufort Inlet and sail/motor to Fernandina Beach on the Florida Georgia border.  This should take about sixty hours.  If it becomes necessary we have multiple bail-out points along the way.  You cannot trust the forecast so it pays to be prepared with a Plan B, C and even D.

Once we are in Florida we will be looking for an oportunity to make the jump to the Bahamas.

We Closed the Circle

We have closed the circle and are back in North Carolina. 

We left Eleuthera pulling anchor a little after midnight and crossed the Providence Channel arriving at Little Harbor Inlet and continuing on to Elbow Cay by mid-afternoon, a trip of 67 miles.  We had planned to anchor outside Hopetown for the night but we were offered the use of a mooring and we took advantage of the offer.  We went into town and got two loads of laundry done celebrating the trip with a few cold Kalik beers while waiting for the laundry.  The next morning we dropped the mooring and proceeded to Boat Harbor Marina to take on fuel.  From there we continued to Scotland Cay to visit friends.  We spent two days visiting with Rita and Will and enjoying being at their dock.  From there we continued on to Green Turtle Cay to spend some time with our friend Donny.

In the past we have made the crossing from Florida to Green Turtle to spend time at Donn's Docks before continuing further south. This year we promised him we would stop on the way back at the end of our season. While there we spent time revisiting the island and visiting with old and new friends.  We were monitoring the weather looking for an opportunity to make the trip back to the States.  After a week we had a short window forecasted and we said good-bye and started out.  We made the trip across the Little Bahamas Bank and made the crossing to Fernandina Beach in a three day, 352 nautical mile trip.  Arriving at Fernandina Beach we picked up a mooring, checked in with Customs and Immigration and rested up from the trip.  The next morning we checked into the marina and when we said we were gong to walk to Walmart to pick up some things Charlie offered us the use of his pickup.  With that out of the way spent some time in the Captains Lounge sucking up their wifi. After two days we had a good forecast to make the rest of the trip to North Carolina.  First we needed to top off our fuel.  The fuel dock is still out of commission since the last hurricane so we emptied the jerry jugs we carry and with another loan of Charlie's pickup for trips to the gas station with the jugs we had the tank topped off and rode the outgoing tide.

We spent another three days traveling 349 nautical miles in light winds arriving Beaufort Inlet after midnight and anchored near the Coast Guard Station.  We normally avoid entering a harbor at night but this inlet is well marked and we have several previous tracks to follow.  In the morning we pulled anchor and moves to Taylors Creek in downtown Beaufort and settled in for a couple of days.  We made several trips into town to help with the local economy at several restaurants, bars and pubs.  After the weekend we decided to move up to the Neuse River and anchor in Clubfoot Creek next to our old marina.

Now that we are back we are making the arrangements to be hauled out for summer storage.  We thought we were on a list at one of the yards but when we called they had no record of it.  Now we are working on plan B with calls in to several other yards.

Our winter cruise is now over with us covering 2317 nautical miles or 2666 statute miles. That is just short of a trip from New York City to Los Angles but traveling at about six miles an hour.  At least we didn't have to climb any mountains.

What is next?  Once we get the boat hauled out we will be loading up a rental truck with some of the stuff we have in storage here and bringing it with us to South Dakota.  We have a number of projects at the cabin we hope to get completed and plan to enjoy relaxing there before returning to the boat in the fall.  If you are in the Black Hills area this summer we would enjoy your company.

Each tick mark is our location at 6:00 am and 6:00 pm each day.

Starting Back

We have started back through the Bahamas working our way back to the States.  When we arrived we asked for a ninety day cruising permit and our time is counting down, we are inside of the final thirty days.

What have we been doing?

First and foremost  we wanted to spend as much time as we could in the Jumentos/Raggeds.  This is part of the southern area of the islands and is the most remote.  We have moved around to several of the islands while here but have once again spent most of it at Hog Cay.  Hog Cay is the central gathering place in the Raggeds and at times had up to forty boats which to us is too many, thus the side trips to other islands to enjoy the solitude.  We also have had more then normal weather events that have caused us and everyone else to move to protected anchorages.  One such event lasted a week with winds in the 20-40 knot range from several directions, most from the west and northwest where there are the least number of anchorages to find protection.  That doesn't mean we are confined to the boat, we were still are able to go ashore for gatherings, beach combing and kayaking.  There are trails that have been cleared on many of these islands so there is more opportunities to get off the boat and and get a little exercise and help with trail maintenance.

The most enjoyable is spending time on shore at the tiki hut visiting with friends, weaving baskets and watching the sunset looking for the elusive "green flash".  Usually there is a big party around Valentines Day put on by the locals from Ragged Island but this year it has been postponed until March and we will not be able to stay for it.

After about two months we had to say goodbye to our friends and start working our way north.  We started out on Friday the sixteenth pulling the anchor at 7:00 am motored for a bit to give the batteries a charge then hoisted sails and had an almost perfect day of sailing with fifteen knots of wind on the beam, the most efficient point of sail doing six to eight knots of speed..  We continued until sunset when the winds dropped to 10-13 knots and sailing four to six knots until 3:00 in the morning when we dropped anchor by Blackpoint Settlement.  We had covered 122 nautical miles or 140 statute miles.  Our alarms went off three hours later and about 7:00 am we again pulled anchor and motored out Dotham Cut and turned north for Eleuthera crossing Exuma Sound.  This time we had lighter winds from behind us and motored through the morning.  In the early afternoon the winds had shifted and increased allowing us to hoist the sails and shut off the motor.  We arrived at Rock Sound Eleuthera about 5:30 traveling 60 nautical miles or about 70 statute miles.  We had traveled 182 miles in two days sailing most of it.  This would normally have taken about four or five days to travel under normal circumstances.  One of the reasons we were in a hurry was that there was a forecast for another front to move down with high winds from the west and northwest and we wanted to be in the protection provided in Rock Sound.  The next morning before the winds kicked up we made a run to the grocery and liquor store.  We were low on a couple of items and I needed a loaf of bread for my lunches and was just about out of rum.  Back in the dinghy we had a wet ride back to the boat because the winds were kicking up and we got splashed a lot on the trip.  We then spent the next couple of days on the boat with the exception of one trip to the beach to visit with some of the other cruisers.

Thursday, the 22nd, we pulled anchor about 6:00 am and headed further north.  We needed an early start because there is a small cut between the island that has a strong current running except at tide change.  It is important to time your arrival at what is called "slack tide" in order to avoid the current.  Not to be surprised but the cut is called Current Cut.  The forecast called for light winds but they got it wrong and after motoring into the wind for several hours we made the turn to the cut and were able to sail once again.  The winds were in the 15-20 knot range most of the day with one gust hitting 25 knots.  we were fortunate to arrive at the cut at the right time and proceeded through.  If we had missed the tide change we had an anchorage picked out to wait to try again in the morning.  We proceeded to Meekes Patch near Spanish Wells and dropped anchor to await the upcoming weather front.  By the next morning we had thirty boats around us all waiting out the expected winds.

Our next destination is the northern islands called the Abaco's.  This involves a fifty mile jump in open ocean waters so we are waiting for the weather to move through and the arrival of east winds to sail across.  Once there we will make a couple of stops before arriving at Green Turtle Cay to see our friend Donny and spend a couple of days at his marina.  We will be monitoring the weather as always but will be looking for a window that will allow us to make the jump back to the States and work our way up to North Carolina.

Spending Our Time in the Bahamas

 Our last post had us in Georgetown on Great Exuma Island in the central Bahamas.

After several days of strong winds we left heading to the Southwestern area called the Jumentos/Raggeds.  We had moved the boat to an anchorage near town and made several runs in the dinghy to fill water jugs to top off our water tanks.  By midday the winds were dropping and we headed out.  We did a combination of sailing and motoring along the way.  The route takes us through some shallow areas where we were our depth gauge was showing only 2-3 feet below the keel much of it in the dark since we were traveling overnight.  There were storm clouds all around us with a lot of lightning but they all passed by without hitting us.  It was interesting watching them on our radar.  There are a number of small islands to stop at but this year we passed them by in order to get further into the Raggeds.  We finally stopped the next afternoon at Double Breasted Cay which would offer some protection from the forecasted winds.  Cori took the opportunity to kayak to shore to check out the beaches on the ocean side. After a couple of days we pulled anchor and continued on to Hog Cay, one of our favorite spots.  This is about as remote as you can find.  There is a small community on the next island with about sixty residents and is closer to Cuba then any other community. This will be our fourth time coming here and we want to spend as much time in the area as we can.

We started by hiking one of the trails to the ocean side to look for sea beans and to collect palm fronds to start weaving baskets again.  The winds have been strong but we are protected by the island so it was comfortable.  There was a forecast for a front coming through that would have winds from the west.  We are not protected form the west.  We moved with several other boats to an area between Ragged Island and Little Ragged Island.  Here we were protected on all sides.  We took the opportunity to spend several days walking the beaches on Little Ragged for more sea beans.  I have mentioned sea beans in several other post and what they are is seeds, ranging from about the size of a quarter to a half dollar that float down the rivers in South America into the ocean and the winds and currents wash them up on the beaches in the Bahamas and further west to Central America.  There are several types and this year we are limiting ourselves to the type called "hamburgers" which look like a small hamburger.  They are rarer and harder to find.  The more common are "sea hearts" which are larger and shaped somewhat like a heart.  It quickly becomes an obsession.

After several days the forecast was for the winds to lessen and we moved back to Hog Cay.  More boats were arriving and we started getting together at the tiki hut in the afternoon for sundowners and visiting.  

Christmas Eve we spent at Hog Cay and Christmas Day we were included  with several other cruisers to join the residents of Duncan Town for Christmas dinner.  The cruisers brought deserts and the community provided everything else.  There were as many cruisers as there were locals including the crew from the Defense Force boat  After dinner there were fun games for the adults and children.

The forecast once again talked of winds from the west and we dispersed to a variety of protected harbors. This time we moved up to an area between Buena Vista Cay and Low Water Cay.  We had never anchored there before but it was reported to be a secure anchorage in a west wind.  We ended up having the anchorage to ourselves.  When the front arrived the winds clocked around from SE until it was from the NE.  When it was coming from the south we found we were exposed to waves causing a rolling motion but calmed when it shifted to west.  We stayed for three days dinghying to the close by beaches to once again look for "treasures".  

New Years Eve we pulled anchor and moved back to Hog Cay.  When we arrived we found we were the only boat in the anchorage but the other boats came back from where they had been hiding over the next couple of days.  Once again we all settled into the various activities of hiking the trails, walking the beaches, socializing at the hut and meeting in the late afternoon for sundowners and watching for the elusive "Green Flash" at sunset.  On the 3rd we joined a group of cruisers have lunch in Duncan Town.  While there we had a jerry jug filled with gasoline to keep the outboards and generator running and picked up a couple of items at the grocery store.  All and all it was a very good day.  

The days were beginning to blend together so for some variety we decided to pull anchor and move up to Double Breasted Cay for a couple of days.  This gave us a couple of different beaches to search for "treasures".  We spent four days there while the other boats came and went and on our last night we were the only boat in the anchorage.  While there we were able to see another rocket go overhead after a launch from Cape Canaveral.  We once again pulled anchor and moved back to Hog Cay.

The forecast is calling for high winds but not from the west so we will stay and ride it out here.  We had plans to make a run to Duncan Town for gasoline before the winds kicked up.  There is a local fisherman that has gas shipped in and we contacted him to be sure it was available.  He offered to deliver some and today he showed up with five gallons and took our empty jug to refill and returned it along with two cold Kalik beers.  We are still fighting a problem with our batteries and keep having to run the generator to keep them topped off.

It may seem like we are doing nothing but sitting at anchor and that is true.  The majority of time spent cruising is just sitting in a location and enjoying yourself.  This is our favorite area and we arrived early this year to just sit back, relax and enjoy the experience rather then keep on the move.

In the Bahamas

We are in the Bahamas and enjoying being back.

We left Fort Pierce at first light and motored south against mild headwinds working our way down to West Palm Beach.  The winds had started to build so we made the left turn to cross the gulf stream overnight under sail.  Once across we again turned south and motor/sailed to the Great Bahamas Bank.  We were again able to sail as we crossed the Bank.  During night #2 we moved into The Tongue of the Ocean, a deep area between the different island groups.  We continued on until we reached a channel that is shown on our charts and crossed the banks to Big Majors Spot and anchored just after sunset.  Big Majors Spot is famous for the pigs that will swim out to your dinghy as you attempt to come ashore to feed them.  Any Google search will bring up many photos and videos.  We anchored for the night and in the morning we moved to the fuel dock at Staniel Cay to top off the fuel tank.  Leaving the fuel dock we worked our way around Harvey's Cay sailed down to Little Farmers Cay to stage for the trip through the cut between islands the next morning.  In the morning we caught an outgoing current going out the cut into Exuma Sound.  Turning south we then sailed down to Great Exuma Island and motored into Elizabeth Harbor and set anchor near several of our cruising friends.  We had arrived at Georgetown.  397 nautical miles, or 456 land miles in five days.   The harbor is large and last time when we were here there were over three hundred boats. It's still early in the season and there are only thirty boats with more arriving every day.  We dinghied into town the next morning to check in with Customs and Immigration.  Once cleared in we visited the phone company store to get a sim card for our Bahamian hotspot.  We suspend our US phone service and rely on the hotspot for data and phone service while we are in the islands.  The next stop was at a restaurant to celebrate arrival with a Kalik, a local Bahamian beer.

The winds are blowing in the 15-20 knot range so we will stay here for a few days.  We have checked out several of the hiking trails, relaxed on the beach, collected shells on the ocean side and visited with friends.  When the winds let up we will continue on.

Our Spot position locator has died and I am experimenting with other means to show our travels.

Winter Cruise Is Underway

We have started our winter cruise.

The survey is done with no serious issues, the part arrived and has been installed and we have started off.

We spent a couple of days in Oriental waiting on a water pump that gave out.  The town has two docks that cruisers can stay at for 48 hours free of charge.  We were allowed to stay a couple of extra days since without the pump we could not run the engine.  Once the pump was installed we left the dock and moved down to Morehead City and anchored to wait for a weather window to move on.  Several days later on Saturday we had a good forecast and we headed out the entrance setting a course for Beaufort SC. The opening was for only two days and after sailing and motoring we arrived midday on Monday and moved up a creek to wait out the weather.  The forecast was correct and we sat out several days of the wind blowing hard but we were well protected.  Thanksgiving morning we headed off again with our next stop St Augustine.  We arrived midday on Friday and set anchor by the fort.  Saturday we dinghied into town and got together with several other cruisers for drinks and stories.  After dinner at our favorite barbeque place we went back to the boat for the night.  We planned to move on Sunday but it was a rainy chilly day so we stayed at anchor.

Monday morning we caught the first bridge opening and moved down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) making a long run of eighty miles and anchored for the night at New Smyrna Beach.  We were only fifty miles from Cape Canaveral and were able to watch a rocket launch that evening, once it cleared the buildings that were in our way.  The next morning we started off early again and made a sixty mile run to Melbourne FL and anchored for the night.  The next morning we were underway early again to make our way to Vero Beach.  Vero Beach is very cruiser friendly and is often referred to as "Velcro Beach" since it is hard to leave once you show up.  Cori has gotten several loads of laundry done, I have worked on getting the boat ready for the next leg and we have made several trips on the free bus to stock up on groceries for the winter.

We have just about everything ready and will be moving on further down the Florida coast before making the turn to the Bahamas.

End of the Summer Cruise

Our summer cruise has come to an end.  That is not all bad because it means that the winter cruise is getting underway.

At last blog post we were just inside the Dismal Swamp Canal with friends.  From there the three of us, Hi Flite, New Song and Packet Dreams, moved down the canal to the visitors Center which is a combination of highway/canal visitor center and highway rest stop.  The next morning we left continuing down to the South Creek Locks.  After locking down we continued to Elizabeth City.  Elizabeth City is very cruiser friendly with several free docks available.  The three boats decided to stay at the Mid Atlantic Christian University docks.  These people are very friendly, they gave us a ride to and from the laundromat, offer use of the showers in the gym, use of the cafeteria for our meals and a firepit for an evening fire, all of which we greatly appreciated.  In the morning, after a breakfast in the cafeteria, we moved down the river, crossed the Albemarle Sound and anchored for the night at the Alligator/Pungo Canal.  In the morning when the fog cleared we continued down the canal crossing the Pamlico River and anchored for the night in Goose Creek.  The next morning we continued on to the Neuse River and moved up Broad Creek to tie up at the dock at our friends, Jerry and Donna on Bluejacket.  

After picking up a rental car we started our projects.  We made several trips to the storage unit swapping out summer stuff for winter stuff trying to get ready for the trip south.  There were multiple trips to provision and pick up some boat parts we had ordered and delivered to friends.  Cori got out her sewing machine and materials and worked on a couple of projects.  After nine days at the dock we moved down to Oriental.  We need to have the boat hauled out of the water to have an inspection, called a marine survey, performed to satisfy our insurance company.  We made arrangement at one of the boatyards to be hauled out and have a couple of maintenance issues taken care of along with the survey.

At this writing the survey is complete with no major issues, the final report will arrive in a couple of days, and we are waiting on a part that should be here in the morning at which time we will be moved back into the water.  There is a weather front forecast so we will stay in the area over the weekend and then head out on our next adventure.

The final numbers on our summer cruise 1576 nautical miles or 1813 statute miles.  About the distance from New York City to Chicago and back.

Our plans, always subject to change, are to make several jumps down the eastern seaboard arriving in Florida.  Once there we will wait for a weather window allowing us to cross over to the Bahamas.  Most years we stay in the islands for six months but this year we are planning to only stay for three figuring mid December to mid-March.

Maine Recap

We have left Maine and are working our way down the East Coast.  I wasn't able to post updates because almost everywhere we went we had very poor to nonexistent cell phone coverage.  We are currently just south of Norfolk VA.

Where did we go and what did we do?  Here is a recap:

Leaving Portsmouth we started moving up the Maine coast first stopping at Richmond Island, a little short of Portland, and anchored for the night.  In the morning we started on our way but quickly discovered a problem and moved over to an empty mooring to tie up and figure out the problem.  We spent the day working on a cooling water problem and the next day continued on our way to Boothbay Harbor.  We had been here before and decided to revisit.  We rented a mooring that allowed us a short dinghy ride to the dock and walking distance to downtown.  On the third day we dropped the mooring, moved to the other side of the harbor to take on fuel and continued on our way.  Once out of the protection of the bay we found ourselves beating into a headwind and waves.  Since we are not on any kind of schedule we diverted into the next bay and picked up a mooring for the night in Christmas Cove off of the Damariscotta River.  In the morning the wind and seas had calmed down and we continued on to Long Cove just off from Tenants Harbor.  Unfortunately we had to motor instead of sail.  In the morning we launched the dinghy and went to shore on Clark Island to hike the trails there, part of the Clark Island Preserve.  After lunch back on the boat we dinghied over to High Island and hiked the trail there.  We use a combination of apps that show us the trails in the areas we are at.  The next morning we moved up Penobscot Bay to Vinalhaven Island, motoring through the fog, our first foggy day.  We had decided that with the limited time we had left this would be as far up the coast as we would go.

We chose to go up into Southern Harbor since we had not been there before and it was in walking distance to the town of North Haven.  We rented a mooring for the night and while in the boatyard to pay they helped solve one of my outboard problems by giving me several pieces of fuel line and parts off of a scrap outboard.  They also provided information on other anchorages in the area that we had not been to.  The next day we dropped the mooring and headed down to Hurricane Island which was new to us.  The island has a research center which provides moorings and a dock and a number of hiking trails.  The island was the location of a major granite quarry and the trails take you around, through and above the quarry.  We spent three days hiking the trails on this island and dinghying to a nearby island to hike the trail there.  On the dinghy ride we noticed a couple of heads popping out of the water and stopped to watch a dozen seals watching us.

By now the weather alerts were warning of the former hurricane, now tropical storm heading towards Maine.  We moved up to Perry Creek, one of our favorite anchorages and picked up a mooring there.  We spent several days hiking the trails and relaxing on the boat.  The storm tracked further east hitting up by Arcadia National Park and we only experienced some winds up to 20 knots and rain.  We also had our second day of fog.  We also made the short dinghy ride around the point to North Haven to pick up cellular service and attach to WIFI while having lunch.  Business taken care of we headed back to the boat for a couple more days.

By now it was time to start heading back, the temperatures were dropping, days in the 50's and nights in the 40's and we don't have heat onboard.  Consulting with our weather advisor and checking several weather sites we found a window that would allow us to make the jump to the Cape Cod Canal and move into Buzzards Bay, a 25 hour trip.

We moved down the bay and spent the night at Allen Island and prepared to leave the next morning.  The day started out with light winds but the forecast was for the winds to build from the southwest and west allowing us to sail instead of motoring.  The forecast was off on the timing and the winds didn't arrive until around midnight blowing up  to 20+ knots.  We arrived at the Cape Cod Canal at 9:30 the next day just in time to ride the current trough the canal.  Once through the canal and at the entrance to Buzzards Bay we usually pick up a mooring to prepare for the next leg.  This time with advice from friends we stopped in Onset and rented a mooring for two days.  Cori took the opportunity to get some laundry done and pick up some groceries and I worked on another mechanical problem.  We also took the bus for some shopping and had lunch and dinner ashore instead of on the boat.  Our next jump would be to Norfolk VA which would take four days.

We were advised that due to weather moving up the coast we needed to be in Norfolk by Wednesday afternoon.  We finalized preparations Sunday morning and headed down Buzzards Bay and out into the Atlantic.  We had good winds and were able to sail, going past Block Island in the late evening.  From there we set a straight line to the mouth of the Chesapeake.  We had winds overnight in the 20's so we only had a reefed headsail and the mizzen doing 6-7 knots.  Unfortunately the seas were big and we were getting bounced around a lot.  By morning the winds and seas dropped down but we were able to continue sailing. One of the things that broke the boredom was the arrival of a small bird followed by a second.  They spent the afternoon checking out the cockpit and flying below to check out the rest of the boat.  Eventually they settled into the v-berth to spend the night.  About mid-morning they both decided to try making their way back to shore, I hope they made it. By mid-day the winds had shifter and were too light to keep the sails full so we started motoring.  Nothing else exciting happed the rest of the day which is a good thing.  Sunrise Wednesday morning we were approaching the mouth of the bay and we decided to continue on to the anchorage at hospital point in downtown Norfolk.  While passing through the naval base and looking at the variety of ships we had a submarine go past us on their way out to sea. We dropped anchor in Norfolk just after noon after sailing/motoring 440 nautical miles, or just over 500 miles in about 73 hours.  What so we do on these long passages?  We take turn being on watch, there is always someone in the cockpit keeping a lookout usually listening to music, podcasts or an audible book.  The other is either relaxing or sleeping, eating when convenient.  That afternoon I set about solving an oil leak problem, more about that later.  Once that problem was solved we pulled anchor and moved up the river and took the turn to follow the Dismal Swamp Canal.  Once through the lock we pulled over to the free dock and tied up.  Once settled in we walked up to the shopping area for lunch and picking up some groceries.  That's where we are now, taking a break and recharging the batteries, literally, there are power outlets on this dock.

I have mentioned several maintenance issues along the way.  A boat is a combination of a house and a car with a lot of the same issues.  This time I had issues, again, with our 3.3 horsepower outboard.  I have two carburetors for it and often switch back and forth depending on how cooperative they are.  This time I tried swapping parts between them to get one that ran right. Among the problems was that the fuel line had gotten hard and could not be used again.  This was one I got from a scooter repair shop in Florida.  The boatyard we stopped at in Vinalhaven gave me a possible replacement and also pulled several of different sizes and lengths from scrap motors.  I also got another replacement carburetor off of one of them.  It turned out that the new hose fit and when I tried the new to me carburetor it ran better than ever. Problem solved for now.  Another issue was the cooling water.  The engine is cooled by seawater pumped through a heat exchanger and pumped out with the exhaust.  One morning as we got underway we noticed there was no water coming out.  We were able to get to a mooring and tie up before it overheated.  I spent the day taking almost all of the cooling system apart trying to solve it.  I finally got it working by rerouting some hoses using a variety of adapters to accommodate different hose sizes and added a pump into the mix to push water to the engine to help the main intake pump.  This got us on our way and was solved, temporarily, with adapters and new hoses from the hardware store in Boothbay Harbor.  The next issue I had was the fresh water pump acting up.  We take what are known as "navy" showers where you get wet, shut off the water, soap up and then rinse off.  During my shower when I tuned the water back on to rinse off there was no water.  I have a washdown pump at the bow that I use to wash the mud off the anchor and chain.  It also had valves that will allow me to switch it to fresh water.  While still soapy I had to access the valves in the v-berth to switch to fresh water and then go up on the bow to rinse off.  After several attempts at troubleshooting I got the pump working and tried again to finish my shower and once again I was left covered with soap and no water.. One more time up to the bow to rinse off with very cold water.  It was a good thing we didn't have neighbors.  The next morning I went to work on finding the problem.  There was an electrical connection to the pump that was loose and decided that was the best time to fail.  New connections were made and better crimpers and connectors have been ordered.  The biggest issue was an oil leak.  When arriving at Onset I found that oil had been spraying in the area around the new transmission.  First I confirmed that it was not transmission fluid.  I finally found a spot on the hose connecting the oil filter to the engine.  The filter is separate from the engine with two hydraulic hoses to make it convenient for filter changes.  I tried sealing it with rescue tape and wrapping it with oil absorbent pads.  When we arrived in Norfolk I found that we were low on oil and the pads were soaked.  After calling several shops to find replacement hoses I went to work on removing the old.  I found I didn't have the proper tools but got by with a crescent wrench, vice grips and a screwdriver.  I was able to get them off struggling with the connection to the engine which has a very small access area.  The next morning we dinghied to shore and walked the almost three miles to the shop.  They were able to make them while we waited and took an Uber back to the boat.  I had done enough walking.  For some reason they went on easier then they came off.  So far there are no leaks so I must have done it right.  Next was cleaning the area with degreaser and cleaning the bilge.  Problem solving is an important part of cruising.  It' not all rum punches and sunsets.

We had a great time visiting some of our favorite spots and discovering new ones and will miss being there but the Bahamas are calling.

These photos can be enlarged if you click on them.

Back On the Water

We are once again on the water.

After our time in South Dakota we rented a car, loaded it up and drove back to the boat which we had left in New Hampshire.  The transmission was ready but there was one part that they could not order until we arrived.  After giving them the information they needed we went about getting the boat ready.  First we needed to deal with the rental car.  In ordering the car for a one way rental we had return it to an agreed agency.  This one was in Manchester N.H. about an hour away.  In order to drop off the car and return to the boat we first had to rent another car locally, drive both to Manchester, drop one off and return to the boat and then return the second car a couple of days later.  It's all about logistics.  We needed a gallon of paint to touch up the bottom and the closest dealer was near Boston, so off we went to Massachusetts.  Having the car made everything easier making runs for groceries, boat parts and to treat ourselves to several meals out.  After a couple of days we had to turn in the car hoping we didn't need to make anymore trips.

We planned to have the boat launched as soon as the transmission was in but Mother Nature had other plans.  Hurricane Lee was churning out in the Atlantic and no-one had a good idea where it was going to make landfall, but Maine was definitely on the list.  We worked on getting the boat ready while watching the hurricanes progress.  As predicted the hurricane was going to impact Maine and since Maine is just across the river we were going to have to deal with the storm.  As the storm got closer it became apparent that it was going to shift to the east and, luckily, we would only feel the effects of the outer bands.  Friday was a beautiful day and I took the opportunity to apply the paint to the bottom and get ready for the rain and winds.  Saturday started off with rain but quit about mid-day but the winds built.  Taking a break from sitting on the boat we walked down to the harbor and realized that the boat was sitting in a well protected spot.  The winds were much higher down by the water.  Sunday and Monday were rainy just as forecast.

With the storm moving on we were scheduled to be launched.  After lunch on Tuesday the lift arrived, picked up Hi Flite and brought her down to the harbor.  After being lowered into the water they let us stay in the slip until the water calmed as the tide changed.  There is a very strong current in the river as the tide rises and falls with a bit of calm water as the tide changes.  Once the current dropped we moved out to a mooring ball to spend the night and preparing to leave the next morning at low tide.  We needed to leave at low tide because of a bridge we have to go under.  The top of our mast is almost fifty feet off the water.  The bridge we were going under is listed at forty-six feet of clearance.  There is about six feet of tidal range which means that at low tide there SHOULD be fifty two feet of clearance.  It was a very tense moment when we went under the bridge when we first arrived and it was just as tense going out.  Once out into the main river channel we proceeded down the river and back to the Kittery Point anchorage to spend the night before continuing on in the morning

We had hoped to be back on the water soon after arriving and moving up the Maine coast visiting some of our favorite anchorages and exploring new one.  Circumstances changed that and we ended up spending over two weeks on the boat waiting to be launched.  We planned on spending about a month before starting our way south but we will have to cut that short to stay ahead of the weather.  We have our next week planned and then will be playing it by ear letting the weather dictate what we do.

It is good to feel the boat moving gently below us again.

A Slight Change In Plans

Our plans have changed, as usual.  Once we made it to Maine we were going to work our way up to Harpswell, put the boat on a friends mooring and spend the next couple of months in South Dakota working on our remote cabin.  Due to the problem with the transmission we have hauled out at Portsmouth NH and will leave the boat on the hard for the next couple of months.

The transmission is water cooled and the cooler has failed letting water into the transmission.  Fortunately the transmission continued to work enabling us to get to Kittery then motor up the river to the marina to be hauled out.  We were able to find a well recommended mechanic to do the transmission overhaul.  We anchored off of the Kittery Town Dock for the weekend and on Monday we borrowed a car and visited and called marinas looking for someone that could haul us out in a timely manner.  We chose Great Bay Marina as they could haul us out the quickest.  We needed to time the tides so on Tuesday we pulled anchor and headed up the river.  There were two bridges to be concerned about, the first was a drawbridge that opened on the hour and the half hour.  We rushed to get there for the three o'clock opening and continued up the river fighting a current.  We needed to be at the last bridge at low tide.  The bridge has a vertical clearance of 46 feet.  Our mast is 50 feet off the water.  The marina assured us that at low tide the clearance is 53 feet.  We arrived just as the tide was turning and started for the bridge.  As we got closer it looked like we were going to hit it.  Looking up at the mast when going under something almost always looks like you are going to hit it no matter the amount of clearance.  We were so sure that we were going to hit that we did a quick reverse and motored around while calling the marina to verify the height.  Being assured that it was more than 50 feet we tried again and made it.  It was the most terrifying feeling that at any moment there would be a crash.  It took some time after for the nerves to calm down.  We picked up a mooring and spent the night planning to be hauled out the next morning.  We were glad to be on a strong mooring because the current rips through on every tide change.

In the morning we dinghied in and made the final arrangements to be hauled.  We were scheduled for slack tide when we would have the least amount of current and at 11:00 we dropped the mooring and motored into the lift only to find that we would have to back in to be lifted.  Backing out, making a u-turn and backing into a narrow spot is not my favorite maneuver.  This time with no current or wind it looked like I had been doing this on a regular basis, if they only knew the truth.  Once out of the water I was amazed at the condition of the bottom.  There was no growth, no barnacles and a quick power wash made it look freshly painted.  I strongly recommend Sherwin Williams bottom paint.  After taking a lunch break they moved us to the yard and got us set up convenient to water and electricity.

Once we were settled in I went to work on pulling the transmission.  With only a couple of problems it was free of the engine but needed to be lifted out and lowered to the ground.  Fortunately we are a sailboat and have block and tackle and plenty of rope onboard.  Once lifted into the cockpit we lowered it to the ground using one of our halyards used to raise sails.  One big project completed.

This morning we needed to pick up our rental car and our friend Adina offered to give us her car or to take us.  Once back to the marina with the car we loaded the transmission and delivered it to the mechanic.  I explained that we would not be back to pick it up until late August so there was no rush.  Once back at the marina we started loading the car.  We have a full size SUV and it will be packed full.

Over the next few days we will be driving back to Spearfish SD to spend time with Cori's Mother and siblings and work on the cabin.  This years big project will be to finish the solar electric system to make us self-reliant.  Last year we were using a portable generator to keep the batteries topped up.  I also expect that there will be time to relax and have some fun.

That's what has been happening and what we expect to happen, only time will tell.

I won't be posting any updates until we are back on the boat, late August or early September when we plan to visit some of our favorite places in Maine before being chased south by the cold.

We Have arrived in Maine

 We have arrived in Maine but just barely.  We are on the Kittery Maine side of the Piscataqua River looking across to Portsmouth New Hampshire.

We waited a week at Norfolk and Hampton VA for a weather window to allow us to go offshore to Buzzards Bay MA instead of traveling up Chesapeake Bay and down the Delaware River then jumping off at Cape May.  This route would be shorter and require less travel time.  We spent several days with fellow cruisers in the Hampton area and were able to attend the Blackbeard Pirate Festival which commemorates the defeat of Blackbeard the pirate.  It was very entertaining and educational.  I was able to watch a demonstration on how rope is made and there were several canons of various size being shot off.  Once again we were able to get together with my Great-nephew for dinner and a visit.

The forecast was favorable for a Monday departure and at 6:30 AM we pulled anchor and started motoring out of the Chesapeake Bay and into the ocean.  Once clear of land we turned North-northeast for Buzzards Bay.  The winds were light and we had to motor but there was a promise of the winds increasing.  Unfortunately the winds that we got were from behind us and we did not have enough apparent wind to sail.  The apparent wind is the actual wind on the sails when you factor in the boats speed.  For example, we had ten knots of wind from behind and the boat was moving at five knots we would have five knots of apparent wind not enough for us to sail.  Because of this we continued to motor on.  The forecast was for the winds to shift from the northwest but when they did they were under ten knots so we continued motoring.  This continued through the night and in the morning we were able to sail for a short time before the winds dropped off again.  We continued motoring.  Wednesday, day three, we had about four hours of favorable winds and we were enjoying the sail when once again the winds died. During the night we passed by Block Island and continued up Buzzards Bay.

On day four we arrived at the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal in time for the tide change and had a favorable current to go through the canal.  Last time in the canal we did not have a favorable current and had to fight a two to four knot current making the passage much longer.  Once out of the canal we set course for Gloucester MA.  Once again we didn't have enough wind to sail.  We arrived at Gloucester and attempted to anchor in a small bay rather then go into the main harbor.  We were unsuccessful in getting a good set so we continued on to Thatcher Island.  The cruising guide said that there were several guest mooring there.  We arrived and picked up a mooring and shared the harbor with one other boat.  We had not been here before and the two lighthouses were so interesting I had to look up the history.  Very interesting island with the first lighthouses built by the British before the Revolutionary War all the way to the island used to hide someone in the Witness Protection Program.

This was our first stop in four days.  We had motored/sailed 461 miles in 84 hours, most of it motoring.  We carry 80 gallons of fuel and another 15 in jerry cans on deck.  I have always calculated that we could motor around 400 miles before adding fuel.  When we arrived at the anchorage the fuel gauge was getting very close to empty.  By not pushing too hard and maintaining our speed round five knots we were able to conserve fuel.

The next morning as the fog cleared we were getting ready to continue.  We added the fuel from the jerry cans, checked the engine and v-drive oil and the transmission.  Here we had a big surprise, instead of bright red transmission fluid we had a dark grey sludge.  I suspected water had gotten into the transmission, possibly from the transmission oil cooler.  I pumped out the sludge and refilled with fresh fluid, started the engine and did a quick test, the transmission worked shifting forward and reverse.  After completing our preparations we restarted the engine and continued on, hoping to sail instead of motoring.  I did notice that our exhaust had some oil in it telling me that the transmission oil cooler was most likely the problem.  We tried sailing for several hour but the winds were shifting and too light, so again we were motoring.  By mid-afternoon the winds came up and we were once again a sailboat.  We were heading to Kittery Maine to visit friends we made in the Bahamas and we were able to sail all of the way into the harbor dropping the sails just before we reached the anchorage.  After three tries to get the anchor set we finished off the day with adult beverages.  During the day we had been calling different facilities to find a mechanic and where we could keep the boat for the duration of the repair.  Checking the transmission we again found the grey sludge.  No matter what the cause is I am sure the transmission will need to be rebuilt, it's not designed to run with salt water.

This being the weekend we are spending time on the boat and will be visiting our friends.  Monday we should have a better idea of what our options are.

Waiting on Weather

 We have been waiting on weather in a variety of locations for the last few weeks.  First we waited a couple of days before leaving the dock we were staying at.  Once we had good traveling weather we headed up the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) pushing hard.  Our first day we moved up the waterway, crossed the Pamlico River, traveled through the Alligator/Pungo Canal and anchored for the night about halfway up the Alligator River.  In the morning we pulled anchor planning to cross the Albemarle Sound.  The wind kicked up to 20+ knots and we pulled over to wait for the winds to drop.  The Albemarle Sound is notorious for being extremely rough in high winds.  After a couple of hours the front had moved on and we continued on crossing the Sound and entering the Pasquotank River.  Leaving the Alligator River we had two choices on how to continue, up the North River following the conventional ICW or up the Pasquotank River following the alternate ICW going through the Dismal Swamp Canal.  Due to the heavy boat traffic and problems with bridge and lock maintenance we chose the lesser used Dismal Swamp route.  We bypassed Elizabeth City and found a quiet anchorage next to Goat Island for the night.  In the morning we continued up the river and caught the 11:00 am lock opening, locking up to the canal.  Once out of the lock we continued to the Dismal Swamp Canal Visitors Center dock for the night.  The canal parallels Highway 17 and shares a rest stop/visitors center.  They provide free dockage for boats traveling the canal.  Also at this location is the Dismal Swamp State Park Headquarters and hiking trails.  We stayed an extra day to check out the park and hike several of the trails.  During the day several other boats moved on and others arrived.

The weather forecast was for high winds offshore for the next several days but we were ell protected in the canal.  After staying two days at the visitors center we continued a short way up the canal tying up at another free dock.  This was along the Dismal Swamp Canal hiking and biking trail that was a part of Highway 17 in the past.  Along with the dock the State has also built restrooms for the boaters and hikers/bikers.  It has the added benefit of being far enough away from the highway that it is very quiet and peaceful.  Two other boats joined us at the dock and we stayed for two days relaxing and hiking up the road. 

The weather was still bad offshore so in the morning we made another short move up to the Deep Creek Lock but stopped to tie up to the free dock just before the lock.  We waited at this dock for three days waiting for the weather and winds to improve.  We had several days of rain but were protected from the winds.  While here we were able to visit with my Great-Nephew who is stationed at Fort Eustis for training.  It had been six years since we had last seen him.  The next day Cori's brother delivered a package we had shipped to him and we got a chance to catch up with him.

Finally the weather improved and after spending a week in the Canal we moved into the lock and locked down to continue on to Norfolk.  In the past we have transited the canal in a single day and again two days.  A week to go eighteen miles is almost a record.  After stopping to top off fuel we moved up the Elizabeth River and anchored at Hospital Point in Downtown Norfolk.  The next day it rained and the winds picked up again.  We spent two days at anchorage letting the weather move on then motored down the river and across the James River to anchor outside of Hampton VA.  Yesterday we dinghied into town with two other boats that we had met in the Dismal Swamp to have lunch and beverages.  Today we dinghied to Downtown Hampton to attend the Blackbeard Pirate Festival.  Lots of vendors, food, information and cannons being shot off.  The people dressed in costume were also very entertaining.

This morning the weather forecaster told us that by Monday the weather patterns will change and we have a very good chance to make our run up to Buzzards Bay in New England, a three day offshore passage.  We may have finally gotten the change in the weather everyone traveling North has been waiting for.  Our weather forecaster has been saying that the last six weeks have been very unusual and not typical spring weather.  That is still a couple of days off so we will see how accurate he is.  If this works out we will then pass through the Cape Cod Canal and continue up to Maine.

Obviously we did not make straight runs like this map shows but followed the waterways. This is the map from our Spot Locator showing the locations we stopped along the way.

Once Again We Have Closed the Circle

We have closed the circle on our Winter 2022-2023 Cruise.

We left North Carolina on November 1st going to South Carolina then onto Florida.  After Florida we made the jump to the Bahamas.  We spent several months in the Abaco's, moving down to Eleuthera in the Outer Islands then to the Exuma's.  From there we made the jump to the remote Jumentos/Raggeds.  Leaving the Raggeds we moved up to Long Island then out to Conception Island for the first time.  We then made a several day passage back up to Eleuthera then back to the Abaco's.  Our final leg was a four day passage from the Abaco's to Beaufort North Carolina arriving May 11th.

During the trip we were able to reconnect with friends we had made in previous years and make many new friends.  Among the highlights were Christmas and New Years at Green Turtle Cay, the Five F's Festival at Little Farmers and once again the Valentines Party in the Raggeds.

We traveled 2291 nautical miles or 2636 statute miles.  This is the approximate distance between Boston and Los Angeles but traveling at about six miles an hour which is about the speed of a bicycle.

We have been spending the last week at a friends dock getting prepared for the Summer 2023 Cruise.  The plan is to sail up to Maine.  From there we plan to take some time off the boat to visit our property in South Dakota and finish some projects there.

Offshore passage to North Carolina, each mark is 12 hours

Our route this season

Back in the Abacos

We are back at Green Turtle Cay again.

We were down at Spanish Wells on Eleuthera Island preparing for the jump to the Abacos. Our plan was to move out to Egg Island, anchor for the night and leave for the 60 mile jump to the Abacos.  It didn't work out that way.  About twenty minutes into the move the engine quit again.  We had enough wind to sail over to Meeks Patch and set the anchor.  Once the engine cooled a bit I started troubleshooting with the help of Jay on Minks.  They anchored nearby and came over to help.  With his having experiencing the same problems we finally found the bad connection that was causing the shut down.  We were ready to leave in the morning.

About 2:00 am Cori was up and restless so she talked me into leaving early.  We pulled anchor, motored around the Egg Island cut and set the sails.  I went back to bed.  We had almost prefect sailing conditions showing speeds of 7-9 knots.  As we got closer to Little Harbor inlet the seas were beginning to build.  Our early start gave a a great trip.  We arrived at Lynyard Cay and dropped anchor near Jera who we had met earlier in the season.  The next morning we pulled anchor and moved up to Hopetown.  While at anchor at Lynyard Chris and CC on Safari sailed past to say hello.  They had rented a mooring in Hopetown for the month and offered it to us for the night.  While in town Cori took care of several loads of laundry, got a haircut, then we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at the pool at the marina and inn visiting with several other cruisers.  The next morning we dropped the mooring and stopped at the fuel dock to top off the tanks and jerry jugs.  We sailed up to Scotland Cay to visit Rita who was our basket weaving teacher down at Hog Cay.  Fortunately for us they have a dock we could use for the night.  After a nice visit, tour of the island and a great meal we headed back to the boat.  At high tide the next morning we slipped the dock and headed for Whale Cay.  We went around the Whale and continued on to Green Turtle Cay.  We refer to "crossing the whale" as you are forced to go around Whale Cay going out one cut into the ocean and back into another due to shallow water.  If timed with the right sea and wind conditions it is a pleasant ride.  If the conditions are not favorable it can be a dangerous or an impossible trip.  We had mild conditions again.  It's all about the timing.  We anchored off of New Plymouth.

The weather forecast was calling for several days of strong winds and rain showers ranging from northwest clocking around to southwest for the next few days.  We moved up to Manjack Cay and anchored to sit out the weather.  The forecast was correct and the conditions were not comfortable.  At one point we were sure that the anchor had dragged before resetting itself after a wind shift.  We spent the time monitoring the chartplotter and anchor alarm to determine if we moved again.  For the next three days the winds blew in excess of 20 knots as we rode it out.  I was able to take care of a couple of maintenance items and read while Cori worked on making more baskets.

Once the winds had blown themselves out we moved back to Black Sound and tied up at Donny's dock once again.  We spent the next days visiting with friends, helping at the marina and working on the projects list. Donny has a boat in the marina that was damaged in the hurricane and it will be taken out and scuttled.  Before that can happen we went through it salvaging what we could, especially the winches. We also made several trips for breakfast and lunch at some of our favorite restaurants.   We are big fans of the stewed grouper that is offered for breakfast.

After ten days at the dock we wanted to go out exploring for a few days.  We moved up to Manjack again but this time we were able to get off the boat to hike the art trail and the ocean trail to the beach on the other side of the island.  While there we met several new cruisers and spent some time with them. We had one evening of high winds and rain with the boat near us dragging down on us during the night.  These things only seem to happen at night.  They did a good job of getting their anchor up without fouling ours and got themselves re-anchored.  The next day we moved back to anchor outside of Black Sound again.  We dinghied in since Donny had told us he had some things he would need help with.  We spent a little time in town and picked up another case of Cuba Libre Mojitos since Cori is not able to get them in the states, they are made in Cuba. The next day we dinghied in again, helped with cleaning out the last of the boat getting it ready to be scuttled then went for lunch in town with the crew of Sienna's Choice.  High tide was mid-afternoon and we brought Hi Flite back to the dock.  There is forecast for strong winds from the southwest and west for the next couple of days so we will ride it out in the comport of the marina.  Of course we have become regulars at the ice cream shop.  

We are now checking the weather to make the trip back across the Gulf Stream to the States.  Until then we wait for the right conditions.