Back in the Ragged's

 We made it down to the Ragged Islands in time for the Valentines Party.  It is one of our favorite places.

Our last two days in Blackpoint included a grand opening party for the new deck at Loorraine's Cafe.  We partied with a group of friends and met many other cruisers including JoDanna who is from Thief River Falls MN, just twenty miles from where I grew up in northwestern MN.  February 1st, Wednesday, we pulled anchor and made a short trip back up to Stanial Cay to top off the water and fuel.  We will be moving into a remote area and will not have access to either of these.  First we needed to be at Little Farmers Cay for the Five F's Festival.  We had a nice sail and dropped anchor off of Ty's Club which will be party central for the festival.  The Five F's (First Friday in February Family Festival) is an annual regatta of the Class C Bahamian Sloops.  It had been canceled the last three years so everyone was ready for a party. The boats and crews come from many islands and are accomplished sailors.  The boats are built in the tradition of the Bahamian fishing sloops and have a big sail requiring the crew to hike out on boards in order to keep the boat upright in the winds.  It is very entertaining.

The party started on Thursday with a Cruisers race that took place just off our stern which gave us an excellent opportunity to cheer on our favorites.  That was followed up by a party at the Yacht Club, yes, this little island has a yacht club.  The next morning the fleet arrived, some sailed in, some were towed and some were on the the supply boat.  The race is unique in that instead of the typical pre-race maneuvering these boats are anchored at the start line and at the whistle they haul in the anchor, once the anchor is on deck the sail can be raised and the race is on, Usually with a lot of confusion and bumping of boats and sails as they try to separate themselves from the confusion.  We take the dinghy to watch the start and then follow the fleet around the course which goes through the anchorage.  The finish line was just in front of Ty's so the crowd is able to watch.  There was another race in the afternoon.  There were about a hundred boat in several anchorages which means there were a lot of people for this small island and town.  It is the major event of the year so the restaurants and vendors are making the most of it.  It was a good time, the beer was cold, the food was good and we visited and met a lot of good people, locals and cruisers alike.  By Monday we were one of only ten boats still here.  We took the day off since the winds would not be favorable for the trip to the remote Jumentos.

Tuesday morning we pulled anchor as the sun was coming up and started off.  First we were motoring with almost no wind, slowly the winds built and we hoisted the sails and sailed while watching the skies as the dark clouds moved in.  Just as the winds switched from six knots to twenty we dropped the mainsail to keep the boat under control.  Once the front had passed we raised the sail and continued on under full sail.  Eventually the winds settled to around fifteen knots we dropped the main again and continued sailing with the headsail and the mizzen.  Our destination was Flamingo Key in the Jumentos and we expected to arrive around 9:00 pm, well after dark.  Since everything was going well we decided to continue on during the night.  About an hour after the sun set a big full moon rose in the east and we had plenty of light to sail on.  We arrived at our destination of Hog Island in the Ragged's about 2:00 am and dropped anchor off from the other boats.  In the morning we moved in closer to shore and have been here since.

It's been windy but the island blocks most of it and the shelter hut we hang out at is well protected so we seldom notice it.  One of the big drawbacks of the area is that there are very few places to go to get protection from west winds.  We had a blow forecast that called for the winds clocking from SW to W to NW then back to NE.  Most of the boats moved off to find protection but we chose to stay and ride it out.  The winds didn't blow from the SW very long before they made a fast switch to NW and blew in the 20's for most of the day causing the seas to get rough.  It wasn't any worse then some anchorages we have been in and the next day it was back to the NE and being blocked by the island.  The cruisers that come to the area and especially Hog Island have built a network of trails on the island and hiking across to the ocean beaches is a popular activity.  Once on the beach we start the search for sea beans and other interesting debris. Unfortunately the beaches have a lot of debris washed up on them with most of it plastic.  Evenings are spent with the cruisers gathering at the tiki hut for sundowners and to watch the sun go down watching for the elusive "green flash".  There are a number of other impromptu activities such as musicians bringing in their instruments and basket weaving classes.  I am on my third basket since arriving.

Saturday, the 18th was the day of the party.  Maxine, who runs the small grocery store on Ragged Island hosts a party for the cruisers and locals.  Sun shades are raised around the hut, people bring chairs, tables are set up and the food is brought over.  The food is precooked but heated over the firepit until time to eat.  I won't go into all of the food available but it is all typical Bahamian cuisine finished off with deserts the cruisers make and bring in.  After the meal there is an auction where we auction off items that the cruisers have donated with the funds going to the school on Ragged Island.  It was damaged extensively in a hurricane several years ago and they are hoping to reopen next year, if they can hire a teacher.  The auction has been going on for a number of years and it is one of the ways the cruisers are repaying the locals for their hospitality as we visit their islands. 

Sunday morning it was interesting to watch the boats head out of the harbor going in the various directions and by Monday half of them were gone. It's Tuesday and we are down to fifteen boats.  The Ragged's and Jumentos are remote islands and the cruising guides warn you of the fact you must be self sufficient.  There is one small settlement on Ragged Island but fuel, water, parts and provisions are not available.  This is one of the reasons we love it down here, it is easy to get away to another close by island and be totally alone with nature.

We have been in the Bahamas for three months and were able to extend our cruising permit for another 100 days.  We plan on visiting several of the island in the area, combing beaches and relaxing before moving back up to the Central Bahamas and the Outer Islands before it is time to work our way back to the States.

Now in the Exumas

We have been on the move and are now in the northern Exuma's.

We spent a week in the harbor at Hope Town on Elbow Cay.  Several of our other cruiser friends are here so we were able to spend some time with them.  Hope Town is the home of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse, more commonly called the Hope Town Light.  It is unique in that it is the last lighthouse in the world that is still lit by a kerosene lamp and the lenses are turned by a drop-weight that is hand cranked back up every two hour thus requiring an operator to be on duty every night.  There have been many proposals to update the light but it is now considered a National Treasure and will continue to operate in the old way.  The lighthouse has been turned over to a foundation that is dedicated to preserving it.  This last year it has been going over a complete renovation including removal of all old paint, sealing any cracks in the concrete walls, repairing hurricane damage and a new paint job.  The windvane at the top was damaged in Hurricane Dorian and has now been repaired and is again showing the wind direction.  While we were up in the light there was a crew painting the exterior metalwork around the windows that protect the lenses.

When our week was up we dropped the mooring and made a stop at the fuel dock to top off both diesel and gasoline before heading out on the high tide.  The winds were light so we ended up motoring down to Lynyard Cay to spend the night before making the jump to Eleuthera.  We pulled anchor at first light and headed out Little Harbor Cut and with light winds on the nose we motored to Spanish Wells on the northern tip of Eleuthera arriving prior to sunset. The next day we made a trip into town to hit the grocery store, have lunch and some adult beverages.  The next day we made a big move of two miles to Meeks Patch since that would give us some protection from the winds and would have a bit less rolling.  The next day we were debating moving down to Current Cut to wait for the next day to go through the cut but instead we found that the conditions were good for going through so we continued on to the Glass Window.  Current Cut is a problem when the tide is rising or dropping with a strong current through the cut.  It is important to time it for slack tide or when the tides are changing and the current drops.  We were a little early but only had about 1-2 knots against us as we went through.  Once at the Glass Window we went ashore and walked up to the bridge to take in the view.  The Glass Window is spot where there is a small barrier between the sound and the ocean.  In storms or rough weather the ocean waves crash though the opening and the view from the bridge is impressive with the deep blue of the ocean and the light turquoise of the sound. While here we spent some time visiting with friends on G and Kenebeck,  We met Steve on Flash and were invited over to Seas the Moment for drinks and snacks. We have been running into G and Kenebeck since we were all together at Donny's at Green Turtle.  We moved next to Hatchet Bay which is a very well protected harbor and spent several days as the winds blew once more.  Again we were able to spend some time with G and Kenebeck since they were also here to get out of the blow.  I was also working on a ;low voltage problem and took the opportunity to recommission the water-maker.  We would now have to make our own water since there will be few opportunities to buy water as we move on.  Wishing to charge the batteries and run the water-maker we motored down to Tarpon Bay at the southern part of Eleuthera and prepared for the jump to the Exuma's.  

The next morning we pulled anchor at sunrise and motored following the charted waypoints until we moved into Exuma Sound and then set the sails and sailed to Warderick Wells Cut and entered the Exuma chain of islands.  Warderick Wells is the center for the Warderick Wells Land and Sea Park.  On our trip across we had winds that increased all day and were forecast to continue for several days.  Once we were anchored we spent the next day on the boat since the seas were rougher than we wanted to be out on in the dinghy.  The next morning we dinghied in, registered, paid our park fee and checked out several of the hiking trails.  The next morning we decided to move a little further along and were hoping to pick up a mooring at Cambridge Cay, another part of the park.  Hearing that the moorings were full we stopped instead at Compass Cay which is just out of the park.  The next day we took the dinghy up to Cambridge Cay to check out the trails there.  The next morning, Saturday, it was windy with winds in the 20's and the boat was rolling a lot in the wind/tide combination so we pulled anchor and moved to Blackpoint Settlement.

In our previous trips to the Bahamas we had tried to go to Blackpoint several times but that was back when we had transmission problems and gave up and returned to the States.  On our trip back through the Bahamas during Covid we stopped at Blackpoint just long enough to do a load of laundry and moved on.  That time we were one of only two boats in the harbor.  This is a very popular spot so the absence of cruisers was very unusual, but everything about the Covid years was unusual.  This time there are about sixty boats in the harbor and a lot of activity.  There are several boats we have met before and some that we only know from the single-side band radio nets and we have met several others while ashore.  Cori is taking advantage of nearby beaches to go beachcombing and there is a party scheduled tonight to celebrate the opening of a new deck at one of the restaurants.  The islands are still recovering from the devastation of hurricane Dorian.

It's the end of January and we have been in the Islands for two months now.  We have several islands we have plans to go to for various events but otherwise we are just "wandering aimlessly through the Exuama's".

I tried including some photos but can't get them to download but here is our recent track.

Now Moving about in the Abacos

We are once again on the move.

We arrived at Green Turtle Cay and tied up at the dock at Donny's Marina.  Donny is a friend we met on our first trip to the Bahamas and we have almost been adopted by him.  We don't normally stay at a dock but Donny insists.  This year was a little different.  Donny was going to take a trip to Florida to among other things, meet his new granddaughter.  We were tasked with helping run the marina while he was gone.  We helped him with a variety of projects including Cori accompanying him on several of his "Turtle Tours" where he takes visitors out for a day to see turtles, rays, snorkeling, etc.  We stayed for a little over a month, the longest we have been at a dock since we started cruising.

The stay on Green Turtle was capped off by their Junkanoo Carnival on New Years Eve and then a fishing trip on New Years Day.

On Monday, the 2nd, we untied the lines and caught the afternoon high tide and left to continue our adventures.  First step was to move around Whale Cay to access the lower Abaco Cays.  Due to a large sandbar and shoaling it is necessary to go out the Whale Cut into the ocean and then back into the protected waters of the Sea of Abaco.  This can either be a non-event or impossible depending on the sea state.  This time it was a non-event as we were able sail from Green Turtle and with a couple of tacks sail out the cut and back into the protected waters.  We continued on to Bakers Bay and set anchor for the night.  Bakers Bay is at the northern end of Great Guana Cay and is very private.  Just about anyone you can think of that has a lot of money has a home there including several movie stars, sports figures and business owners.  It is very private but we can still anchor in the bay.  The next morning we moved on, again enjoying a great sail, to Man O' War Cay.  We anchored out instead of going into the harbor but spent several days ashore checking out their progress recovering from hurricane Dorian and walking the beach looking for "treasures", i.e. sea-glass, sea beans and shells.

Our next move was to Elbow Cay where we anchored off from the lighthouse.  The lighthouse has just undergone a refit with among other things a new paint job.  This lighthouse is famous for being the last manned lighthouse using the original kerosene light and hand cranked clockwork to turn the lenses in the world.  The next morning we moved further down the island and went ashore to check out the beach for more treasures.  It got a little windy so we just spent the next day hanging out on the boat.  Saturday we pulled anchor and moved back up to Hope Town and moved into the harbor and picked up a mooring ball.  We had delayed entering the harbor for a couple of days waiting for high tide.  We are planning to spend a week here before moving on.  Sunday we took the walk to the On Da Beach Bar for adult beverages, music and a fundraiser for the schools music program.  Several of our cruising friends were there so everyone had a good time visiting before we all move on the other destinations.

After this week we plan on to leave the Abacos and jump down to Eleuthera Island and see some of the central Bahamas.

Now in the Bahamas

We have arrived in the Bahamas on 11/24/2022, Thanksgiving Day.

We rode out Tropical Storm Nicole in Beaufort SC and fortunately it followed a path that was inland from our location.  We had several days of wind and rain but no winds over 35 knots.  Other locations were not as fortunate.  Our main concern was the warnings of possible tornados as the rain bands moved through.  Where does one go when on a boat?

On Sunday 11/12/2022 we pulled anchor and moved down river again to stage for an early start for our overnight trip to St. Augustine.  The next morning we pulled anchor just after sunrise, 7:00 am, and followed the route down the river and out into the ocean.  We had favorable winds and set sail for St Augustine but staying about ten miles offshore.  We sailed overnight and the next morning when about three hours out the winds died and we motored the rest of the way arriving at noon.  We anchored just off the Bridge of Lions and relaxed.  There is a strong current in the river and when the tide changed we had a catamaran anchored near us moving too close for comfort along with being too close to some docks so we pulled anchor and moved to another location.  In the morning we moved to a mooring for the next two days.  This gave us access to the marinas services such as the dinghy dock, showers, and laundry.  We were on a mooring next to Jim and Laurie in Kismet and after lunch with them we did a bit of shopping for boat stuff.  The next day my ankle was really bothering me and hard to walk on so we made a trip to an Urgent Care clinic.  There I got a shot and a prescription.  I had also arranged for a prescription to be sent to a pharmacy here and Cori got to do the four mile round trip to pick them up while I stayed on the boat and charged the batteries.  That evening we went to dinner with our friend Jim who has a boat in NC but lives nearby in Florida.  Allie and Ryan on Wabi Sabi drove down from where they were working on their boat to pick up some parts we brought for them  Later Jim and Laurie off Kismet and Fred and Ruth from Shooting Star joined us.

After checking the weather we decided to just motor down the ICW to prepare for the crossing rather then going offshore to Fort Pierce.  The first day we motored and arrived at New Smyrna Beach just a couple of minutes late for the scheduled bridge opening.  We maneuvered around for half an hour until the bridge opened and we could pass through.  It was 5:30 and near sunset so we anchored just down from the bridge for the night.  The next morning at 7:00 am we pulled anchor and continued on stopping for the night at Melbourne.  The next day we continued on arriving at Vero Beach at noon.  After checking in and topping off the fuel and water we moved out to share a mooring with Mike and Jean on Desderata II.  Several of our cruising friends were already here or on their way.  With rain forecast for the next day we caught the bus to the grocery store for last minute supplies.  Sunday it was raining and we spent the day on the boat.  The rain let up the next morning and we made another run for groceries and lunch on shore.  The next day was raining again but Desterada II left and Wabi Sabi came in to raft up with us.  

The next day we planned to leave early but it was too foggy to go anywhere.  About an hour later the fog cleared enough that we could see the channel markers and we headed off.  By mid-day we arrived at Fort Pierce and headed out the inlet bound for the Bahamas.

We first motored south along the coast until St Luci Inlet then turned east for the Bahamas.  We went south first to compensate for how far north the Gulf Stream would push us as we crossed it.  The next morning we were across and into the shallow water of the Bahamas.  We decided to continue on to Green Turtle Cay arriving about 4:00 pm on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.  We anchored off the town and the next morning at high tide we moved into Black Sound and tied up at Donny's Marina.  After a short trip to check in we were officially in the Bahamas and celebrated with a couple of Kalik's, a Bahamian beer.  That evening we had a late Thanksgiving dinner with Donny and Mary Earl.

We are hanging out at the marina helping Donny with projects and plan to take some day trips to neighboring islands.  Green Turtle Cay is a fun place to be over Christmas and New Years so our plan is to stay here and move down the island chain after the new year.

North Carolina to South Carolina

We have started our next cruise.

We left our friends dock to move down the river to Clubfoot Creek.  This is where we lived at Matthews Point Marina.  The marina has new owners and is now Bishop's Marina.  We anchored off from the docks to spend more time preparing.  We had left Cori's kayak with our friends Bill and Helen and we brought that back to the boat.  We have other friends here that helped us out, Wayne repaired the wiring on a water pump for the water-maker, Louise took Cori to town for more provisioning and Vic loaned us his car to run errands.  Finally after a hectic two days we felt we were ready and with a promising weather forecast we pulled anchor and started the new adventure.

On Tuesday, November 1st, we pulled anchor and motored down the ICW from the Neuse River to Beaufort Inlet and at 3:00 pm we headed out the inlet and started off, hopefully to Florida.  Initially the winds were on the nose but the forecast was for them to clock around from the northwest.  We motored along and about 9:00 pm the winds had shifted enough that we could shut down the engine and begin sailing.  Later during the night the winds dropped and we had to start motoring again.  By sunrise the next morning we had made our way past Frying Pan Shoals.  The winds had started to come up and by changing our course a little we were once again sailing.  We sailed all day running from 4-6 knots with the winds from behind.  We continued on this course into the night.  Eventually the winds shifted more to the northeast and we adjusted our sails and altered our course putting us once more on a direct line to Florida.  The winds had been building and we were seeing 15-20 knots of apparent winds.  When you add our boat speed, which at that time was 7-9 knots, we were in 20-25 knot winds with gust up to 30.  We were seeing boat speeds we had only had while being pushed in the gulf stream.  Along with the winds increasing, the seas were building and we were getting pushed around by the following seas.  This unexpected speed was causing a problem.

Traveling at our usual 5-6 knots we were expecting to arrive at St Augustine sometime Friday morning.  By increasing our speed we would by arriving in the middle of the night.  St Augustine Inlet is not somewhere I want to arrive at night.  Due to the shifting shoals the buoys that mark the channel are periodically relocated and are not accurate on our charts and chartplotter.  It can be done at night but daylight and binoculars make it safer.  With the combination of poor arrival time, the increasing wind and rougher sea conditions we made the decision to alter course and make for Beaufort SC.  We continued on to Port Royal Sound going up the Beaufort River and anchoring in Cowen Creek around 2:00 pm on Thursday, November 3rd, a trip of 320 miles.  We spent the night in this quiet anchorage catching up on our sleep.  After checking the weather forecast we decided that we would wait until conditions improved before continuing.  We pulled anchor and continued up the river and anchored across from Downtown Beaufort.  In the evening we went ashore to check out the town and their "First Friday" event.  This is when the shops are open late, music is broadcast in the streets and the merchants are offering complimentary drinks (my favorite) while we perusing their stores.  The next morning we went ashore to be tourists.  I love a good museum and found that the Beaufort History Museum was outstanding.  The volunteers provide an outstanding tour and history lesson.  From there we walked over to the St Helena church and cemetery checking out graves dating back to the Revolutionary War.

Sunday morning we pulled anchor to move to another more protected anchorage.  The forecasts were predicting that the low pressure system off of the Bahamas would form into a Tropical Storm and was heading to the east coast.  Monday we went ashore to check out the new area and hit the grocery store again.  

Now it is Tuesday and we are monitoring the weather forecasts since Tropical Storm Nicole is causing hurricane warning in Florida and is expected to track up the east coast after making landfall in Florida.  We are thankful we did not make it to St Augustine.  For now we are safely tucked away in Factory Creek with the anchor well set and what I think is the proper amount of chain played out.  We just have to wait and see what happens. 

Preparing For the Season

We are back on the boat and preparing for our winter cruise.

On October 2nd we picked up a rental car, loaded it and started our way back to Hi Flite.  First stop was at Cori's sister's near Sioux Falls SD.  The next morning we continued driving nonstop until arriving at her brothers in Virginia.  The next day we made a run to Annapolis to pick up the paint we needed and then down to Deltaville to check on Hi Flite.  We were happy to see that she survived the summer without any problems such as mold, which was our main concern.  For the next couple of days we commuted to the boatyard to prepare for life aboard again.  After dropping off the rental car we moved aboard working on various projects.  The hull got two coats of wax, the bottom got sanded and a fresh coat of bottom paint, the sails were bent on and the canvas and solar panels were installed.  We felt we were ready and scheduled a launch date.  The fates were against us when the boatlift had a flat tire and it took two days to get it repaired.  We were not in any hurry so it wasn't a big inconvenience.  Once in the water we moved to a slip and finished our preparations.

The next morning we motored out into the Bay and started south.  Of course the winds were on the nose so it was a motorboat ride to Hampton VA where we anchored for the night.  The next morning we moved through Norfolk and the Navy Base down to Chesapeake VA where tied up at the free dock at The Great Bridge.  It is called The Great Bridge after a battle that occurred there which eventually forced the British out of Norfolk and eventually the battle at Yorktown which ended the Revolutionary War.  Early the next morning we and several others started down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway).  We reached the Albemarle Sound and since the winds were blowing 15-20 knots we pulled over to anchor for the night.  Albemarle Sound and River are well known for getting rough when the winds pick up and since the forecast was for lighter winds the next day we didn't see any reason to get beat up.  The next morning with light winds we sailed across the Sound and continued motoring down the Alligator River and through the Alligator/Pungo canal anchoring for the night in Slade Creek. somewhere we hadn't been before.  The next morning after the fog burned off we continued to Broad Creek.  We moved up the creek and tied up at Donna and Jerry's (Bluejacket) dock to continue preparing.

Cori has her sewing machine out and is doing some repair to the canvas and headsail and I have been working through a list of small projects.  We have made several trips to town for provisions and supplies getting things organized for the upcoming trip.  We will be stopping off at Clubfoot Creek to pick up a number of things we have had shipped there and pick up Cori's kayak that she left there.

We don't know how soon we will be leaving for the Bahamas, it will depend on the weather.  Our plan is to move to Florida then make the jump across to the Abacos and spend Christmas and New Years there.  From there we will move down the Islands with plans to spend time in the island group called The Raggeds.  We plan to return to the States around April or May.

We Closed the Circle

We closed the circle.  We are back in Clubfoot Creek where we started the season.

With a forecast of fair weather and winds that would last four to five days and our check-out papers stamped we left the dock on Sunday afternoon at high tide and started our way back to the states.  We had a nice sail to Powell Cay where we started the motor and went out the cut into the ocean.  We were greeted by a pod of dolphins.  We had a number of waypoints to follow provided by our weather forecaster and we started off to our first waypoint just as the sun was setting.  With light winds almost on the nose we adjusted our course but soon found we would be traveling too slow and far off of our planned line.  We again started the motor and adjusted course to the waypoint.  We continued through the night and the next day.  The winds shifted to be off our stern and was not strong enough to keep the sails full so we continued motoring.  We continued on our course experiencing some eddies off the gulf stream slowing us down into the 4 knot range instead of the 5-6 we were traveling. Wednesday we got into the gulf stream and our speed jumped up to 6-7 knots and we were able to sail giving the motor a rest.  We also took advantage of the conditions to transfer the diesel we were carrying in jerry jugs to the main tank.  We were not sure if we would have enough fuel to motor all the way.  Around 11:00 pm the winds died off, we were out of the gulf stream and we had to motor again.  Thursday morning at 10:00 am we arrived in Beaufort NC and dropped anchor in the harbor.  We went for lunch with Donna and Jerry from Bluejacket who had arrived from the Bahamas the day before.  Friday we spent on the boat recovering from the trip and checking on some problems.  Saturday morning we pulled anchor and motored up the ICW catching a rising tide.  Once into the Neuse River we continued on to Clubfoot Creek and anchored off the marina.  The circle was closed.

We left November 8th and  traveled a total of 2244 nautical miles or 2582 statute or land miles which is about the distance from New York to London.  We visited several islands that we had not been to before and plan to go back.  We met up with many of our friends from previous years, made a lot of new friends and met many of the locals.  Once again the Bahamians demonstrated that they are the most friendly and welcoming people on earth and we are looking forward to returning next winter.

So what is the plan?  We are going to spend a little time in North Carolina sorting out what we need to keep on the boat and what goes to storage.  From here we will move up to the Chesapeake and get hauled out for the summer.  We plan on spending the summer in South Dakota working on the property and cabin we bought.  

I have never mentioned it but if you click on the pictures they will enlarge to full size.