Persephone in NY

5/12/11

Simple phone conversations with family and friends in NY that began with, "We're supposed to have some snow flurries..." persuaded us to linger on our trek north this spring.  Instead of the 48 hours from Norfolk, VA to New York City on the ocean we went up the Chesapeake Bay.  There are thousands of rivers, creeks, villages to explore. 
Here's our sunset view from a typical anchorage, this one on Goldsborough Creek off the Tred Avon River, behind a marsh, up a creek, osprey soar above, local waterman on work boats setting lines to catch blue crab. 
A peaceful place.  :

Just around the corner is Oxford, MD where we met  up with my parents and their Richardson Boat Owners group.  The club had picked Oxford for their spring rendezvous (via car).  We enjoyed our time together.

 
 Karen, Nancy (aka Mom), Don (aka Dad) at the Hinckley Boat Yard.

Persephone anchored just off the town.

Next....up the Chesapeake, down the Delaware to Cape May, NJ and onto NYC.

Sailing downwind on the Delaware Bay to Cape May, NJ

We've arrived in NY City and transited the Hudson River too many times to count.  Yet it's always a thrill.  To be so close to the city.  Buildings, lights, people, cars, trains, planes, ferries - the evident pace amplified from our point of view. 

Coney Island

Verazzano Bridge with freighters anchored

The scenery of the Hudson, breathtaking.  We take our time, moving with the current on the flood tide and stopping to anchor when the ebb begins to flow against us.  Here we are just north of West Point at Pollepol Island. 

The arsenal at Pollepol Island

We hoped to be able to visit Pollepol Island with Bannerman's castle remains and arsenal from the early 1900s.  But, NY now owns the island - the crew on the dock declared the island too dangerous for us to visit, unless we came over on a tour boat from Newburgh for a guided tour.   $30 per person.  So, over to the mainland where we tie the dinghy to shore, climb up the rocks, walk down the railroad tracks to the highway.  Exercise and new sights is what we were looking for.  Just a half mile walk up the highway we find hiking trails and climb Breakneck Ridge.  Much safer.  Ha!

I take a shot of Jerry as he climbs up from below.

Persephone at anchor below with Pollepol Island and Bannerman arsenal remains.

Here I am with a commanding view of the Hudson Valley below.  Everything so green.  Dogwood in full bloom. Feels like spring. 
Today we arrived in Kingston, NY where we will take the mast down and head to the Erie Canal.   We just received word that the canal, which has been closed due to flooding, may open this weekend.   We'll let you know.
Happy Spring! 
Karen and Jerry

4/23/11
Fernandina Beach, FL - back to the US, land of ice cream, cheap broccoli and free water!  Doesn't take much to make sailors happy. 
Sailing buddy, Chris Jones drove up to Fernandina for a quick visit and Jerry's lobster chowder for lunch.  Then Jerry booted Chris back to shore and we headed for the ocean.  Chris provided our dinner for that first night on the ocean.  From the Bistro Aix Restaurant, where Chris creates exquisite dining experiences for Jacksonville residents, he boxed 2 types of roasted chicken, whipped potatoes with an au jous gravy, and carrots, brussel sprouts, turnips, and greens to saute.  Wow!  Delicious!

The 59 hour sail was uneventful, other than the thunk! we felt somewhere off the coast of South Carolina.  I think we hit a whale!  A big enough thunk to let us know we hit something substantial.  It was dark so no sightings, no damage to the boat, just a big thunk and the entire boat shuddered.  We motor sailed amid light tailwinds.
Dolphins darted around the bow at various points 20 miles or so offshore.

Another visitor joined us in the cockpit I noticed when I went on watch at 9 pm.  There on the seat near the wheel was a little bird all fluffed up with its head under its wing.  I gently tossed a towel around it to block the wind and left a plate with water and flax seeds.  In the morning when the sun came up and warmed everything I uncovered the bird.  It jumped up and sat looking at us for a while before it took off.

We arrived in Beaufort at midnight (with Bluejacket behind us), anchored, and put on the sail cover with 5 minutes to spare before the wind picked up, the rain pelted down, and the lightning surrounded us.  We were happy to be in port!  There is a boardwalk to view the wild horses, tidal flats and beyond toward the ocean in Beaufort.  Jerry and Donna joined us for a walk.

After a few days stay in Beaufort, NC we visited with our friends Don and D at their dock behind their house in Oriental, NC.  Visiting, telling stories, playing games, Jerry helping with projects......another wonderful visit with our boating buddies.  While staying at Don and D's protected dock up a creek, surrounded by trees, the wind blew.  Just a mile away in Oriental harbor the winds gusted to near 50 mph.  We saw top winds of 11 knots.  While in Oriental, I took my sea glass jewelry to the local Farmers Market thanks to D who loaned me their van, folding tables and chairs!   My new creation, using 2 pieces of sea glass to make a sailboat, was a big hit.

From Don and D's dock we sailed (at 2.5 knots) to Donna and Jerry Luh's dock (from Bluejacket) about 10 miles away.  Another dock!  Our anchor had almost  a 2 week vacation!  We named Donna and Jerry's dock "Luh's Landing Marina, Limo and Food Emporium".  There were always 2 or 3 extra boats at the dock, cruising friends stopping to visit. 

Donna had no difficulty feeding 12 people at every meal!  Jerry made sausage rolls for everyone one night.  Our last evening after dinner of ham and homemade pierogies the house was filled with music.  Jim from "Salty Paws" played his guitar, Bentley from "Salty Paws" played his banjo, Mary played her accordian and I strummed along on guitar.  Everyone sang along.  We had a blast and were sad to say good bye.

Sunrise from Luh's Landing

Another sunrise as we leave Luh's Landing

Strong winds from the east and then from the south helped us sail north for the next 2 days to Elizabeth City, NC.  No motor needed.
Our travels will continue north, up the Dismal Swamp Canal to Norfolk and beyond, trying to adjust to the change in temperatures.  For us, it feels like summer is over and fall is upon us.
Until next time,
Karen and Jerry

4/4/2011
Our last update was from Georgetown, Exumas in the Bahamas.  From there we had a fantastic sail to Dotham Cut with 20 knots of wind on the stern the entire way.  Our 6:25 am departure enabled a daylight arrival in Pipe Creek. Donna and Jerry of "Bluejacket" had just set their anchor when we pulled in. 
Here's Persephone and Bluejacket anchored in Pipe Creek.....  

There's one strip of deep water to anchor in - just beyond our boats is a reef and then deeper water. 
The wind howled for a number of days while we were hiking, hunting/fishing, kayaking, and exploring the cays. 
Here Jerry and Jerry sit at the south end of Thomas Cay chatting about sailboat construction, fishing, and autopilots while I sat in the sand a picked through the shells. 

Everyone in the anchorage joined in a rehab of the "Pipe Creek Yacht Club" - a jetsam arrangement that's been collected, constructed, and added to through the years.
  The Clubhouse.

       The Yacht Club Members on this particular day.

Our next stop - Hawksbill  Cay where we heard our friends from Ithaca, Lee and Sherry on Alesto, were moored.  Over Hawksbill Cay we hiked to the ocean side beaches.  Together we walked and talked onto the north end of the cay.
A picture perfect spot......

It was low tide and the shallow waters had dried out.

Sherry walks the beach. 

Lee ponders the scenery.   
Then, a scrumptious dinner aboard Alesto and a fast-paced game of dominoes.


The next day, northward to Norman's Cay.  We snorkeled on a few reefs and Jerry speared dinner...

(dinner and then some).
I found a prize underwater as we took a drift dive (held on to the dinghy as the current pulled us through the anchorage at a knot or two while looking down).  I spotted something shiny - a fishing spear laying on the bottom.  Think of it as shopping.  Jerry's birthday was coming up soon and I had no gift.  Walla!  Just what he wanted and needed!
One of my favorite sights in the Bahamas is from the anchorage at Norman's Cay looking south.  I call this Lone Palm Island..... 

    Someone added a bench under the palm to be able to sit and watch for a green flash at sunset with an unobstructed sunset view to the west.  Nice!
Next stop in the Bahamas - the Abacos - the northernmost islands of the Bahamas about 100 miles away. 
Lynyard Cay in he Abacos - one of the many beaches we walked in search of sea glass.  Jerry put together some wood washed up on the beach to make a lounge chair at our favorite sea glass collecting spot.  Here,  Jerry from Bluejacket relaxes and enjoys an ocean view

as we stand in the water grabbing for sea glass before the swells take it away.  

Further north, at Elbow Cay we stopped to visit a North Carolina friend, Dan.  He and his wife built their cottage here on Elbow Cay. 

Here's another view taken from across the harbor...

The old dive shop (with the roof taken off) is in front of his place.  This picture was taken from across the harbor, at a boat restoration business.  They specialize in repair of Bahamian built boats.  Here are some projects in various states of repair (or disrepair).......

Dan also took us out in his runabout to snorkel the reefs off Elbow Cay. He drove the boat through the maze-like channels between coral reefs and stopped while we jumped over the side for a look.  Jerry Luh shot a huge Nassau grouper.......  Grandpa Grouper!

The last island we visited in the Abacos was Double-Breasted Cays.  Here's the view looking out from our anchorage.

Donna and Jerry of Bluejacket pulled in behind us.    

Donna at the helm.  
You know the story - we snorkeled, Jerry and Jerry went hunting, I kayaked, we shared dinners and played games.  It's a tough life.
Jerry and Jerry's fish pile (plus a conch and some lobster).

Jerry walking on the tidal flats off Double-Breasted Cays. 

2011 is the first year in many that we celebrated my birthday with others.  Most years we're at sea on April 1st.  This year Jerry made a delicious pineapple-upside down cake, Jerry and Donna prepared a steak dinner with all the fixins, they sang Happy Birthday and I opened presents.  Thanks!
Here we are aboard Bluejacket before dinner.

The next morning, we're off.

Bluejacket behind us leaving at sunrise.   
48 hours from Double-Breasted to Fernandina Beach, FL. 
Here's a sunset shot from Allens-Pensacola Cay in the Abacos.  A fitting end picture for our Bahamas travel tales.

Karen n Jerry
ps  Here's one of the cero that Jerry caught........

And here's a cero when another fish gets to it before you can pull it in.......

As I peruse the e-mail I've sent from the Bahamas and study the photos I notice the ideal life depicted...fresh seafood, beach walks, bonfires on the beach.  I won't spoil your image of our life aboard by including pictures of fixing, taking apart, repairing, maintaining and cleaning gear on board from toilets to inverters to outboards and sails.  Salt water, sun and corrosion take their toll on a daily basis.  Instead, I'll continue to send pictures of beautiful places, seafood (minus the cleaning the catch then the boat scenes), parties, and beaches.  It makes a much better story.
For the last month we've been in the southern Jumentos of the Bahamas.  Between Buena Vista to Double Breasted to Hog Cays shown in some of the pictures I sent a few weeks ago.  Only a short sail to hop from one to the other. We've been enjoying the company of many sailors but mostly our friends on Bluejacket, Jerry and Donna.  Dinners together, conversation, games.....    Jerry and Jerry LOVE to hop in the dinghy with their flippers, snorkel gear, wetsuits, and spears.  They dinghy from the protected western side of the island to the eastern shore and the cuts between the islands.  The "big water", where the seas drop off, there are many reefs, and current.  Habitat for fish and lobster.  Or hunting grounds for the Jerrys.  The Jerrys make a good team spending hours diving on reef upon reef and coming home with smiles and buckets of seafood.  Donna (who loves to pamper us "kids")  and I have had chances to visit, take walks, and work on projects together when we can meet during hunting.
All the fishing necessitated a trip to Duncantown for more gasoline for the dinghy's outboards.  We sailed to Southside, the southernmost anchorage in the Jumentos, and hiked up the hill about a mile with computers and gas jugs in hand.  The pink building, the Bahamian government administration building for Ragged Island, is the place to go with your computer to check e-mail.  Charlene, who works there, came in to check on us and cranked up the ac for us. A little later she brought us water.  How's that for service!?  People are friendly here and eager to help out and take you under their wing.  As we walked out of town with full loads someone was yelling to us.  We turned and waved back shouting hello.  In a few minutes a golf cart arrived and Sam introduced himself and told us to have a seat.  He kept saying, "You're my people.  My people don't need to walk."  So Jerry, Jerry and I took a seat with the full gas jugs and computers overloading the cart making the tires squat.  It was a white-knuckle ride as Jerry Luh and I sat in the back facing aft and my Jerry sat up front talking with Sam.  Every time Sam turned to look at Jerry to say something he'd veer off the hard dirt road, swerve off to the shoulder, and then back.  It was a much appreciated ride nonetheless.
The big social event of the season down here at Ragged Island/Hog Cay is the Valentine's Day Party hosted by Maxine who operates Maxine's Food and Notions Store (a total of approximately 125 sq. ft. of store).  She's the one who has enabled the cruisers to come and stay in the area.  The boaters call or visit Maxine with their grocery and supply list.  She takes the lists, calls her daughter in Nassau who goes shopping on her day off for the things on the lists. The items are loaded onto the mailboat and delivered on Thursday (or there abouts) to Ragged Island.  Maxine takes all of the supplies and stores them until the boaters pick them up.  Any extra supplies are added to her store inventory for the rest of us, who haven't called with a list, to purchase.  She charges whatever the price was on the receipt from the store in Nassau.  Hard for us Americans to fathom such a generous practice!
Maxine throws a party for the cruisers on Valentines Day.  This is the third year of the event and she invited the cruisers and the locals at Ragged Island and the school (all 9 kids plus the principal/teacher and other teacher who happens to be the principal's wife).  There were a total of 38 boats all anchored at Hog Cay for the party - the most boats they've ever had at one time down here.  Junkanoo costumes and goat-skin drums were shipped in from Nassau for the occasion.  As you'll see in the pictures, the event was a huge hit!  Maxine had cooked (mostly by herself) turkey, ham, chicken, fish, peas and rice, mac & cheese, coleslaw, bought beer and soda and all the accessories to serve and eat.  Wow!  The party was big hit.  The cruisers also conducted an impromptu auction and raised $700 for the Duncantown School.
The winds, which have been predominately northeast, were forecast to be southeast for a while.  A number of sailors, including ourselves, took advantage of the wind-from-the-right-direction and ended our visit to the Jumentos by sailing northerly.  One day from Hog Cay to Buena Vista, another from Buena Vista to Water Cay, and the next day from Water Cay to Thompson Bay, Long Island.
Long Island is  60 miles long and only a few miles at its widest point.  The beaches on the eastern side of the island are lovely - Jerry and I spent the day walking in the soft sand and hiking up and over the sharp craggy sections. Today we're sailing north from Long Island up to Georgetown, Exuma under full sail, bright sun, and southerly breezes.  Wish you were here.

Jerry and Jerry's catch one day.

This fish came with its lunch poking out - lobster.

Lobsters for dinner again?!

Judy the resident Ragged Island nurse on left with Genesta at the party.

Genesta dances with the Junkanoo costume and bells.

The goatskin drums and costumes are entertaining.

Donna holds a tired party girl.

The kids get to leave school early - here they arrive by boat for the party.

The kids and staff of Duncantown School, Ragged Island.

From our Long Island beach walk.