4/12/16

Easter weekend anywhere in the Bahamas is loud we’ve discovered!  Families that have moved to larger islands for school or work come back to their family islands to celebrate with family and friends.  Our last night anchored at Black Point was loud!  The whole weekend was filled with activities for the locals with a band at Regatta Park on Saturday night which played until very late.  Sound travels well over water.  We were up early Easter morning to sail with Bluejacket to Rock Sound on Eleuthera about 60 miles away.  Another nice 12-17 knot sailing day with the winds on the beam.  The first mahi we catch is a bull as big as me.  The second is small and we’re able to pull it aboard easily.  Good thing.  By mid-day Jerry realizes he has the beginnings of a cold.  Donna and Jerry come over for a mahi dinner when we anchor at Rock Sound.  And rock sound is what we heard all night!  Much louder than the music at Black Point.  They played until 2 am and started again around 4 am.  The Bahamians know how to celebrate!  While at Rock Sound I went snorkeling with Jerry Luh.  Coral crabs abound in the 3 rocks we snorkeled around.  He came back to the boat with crabs and a lobster in his bucket.  I took out conch from the freezer and make a big pot of soup.  I know you’re supposed to have chicken soup for a cold.  I figure conch soup will do.  While at Rock Sound I’m able to get the companionway sanded and 4 coats of varnish on.  We sail up to Governor’s Harbor on my birthday, the 1^st.  Jerry is still sick but he makes a chocolate birthday cake (Mom’s recipe – a favorite) and Donna and Jerry make a steak dinner.  Yum!  I walk around Governor’s Harbor with Donna and Jerry.  There’s a beautiful pink 2 story building on the point that is the library.  Not many settlements in the Bahamas are lucky enough to have a library like this!   I had planned on taking pictures the next day but we ended up leaving instead.  Another cold front coming and Governor’s Harbor has no protection from the westerly winds.  My birthday evening, after dinner was spent sitting on the bow of the boat looking at the stars and listening to the jazz and blues bands playing on shore.

The 50 mile sail the next day downwind was to Royal Island, passing through the top of Eleuthera on the way.  We’ve zipped through Current Cut in the past doing 11 knots as the current was with us.  This day we had about 1 knot against us.  Royal Island is a great place to anchor with all around protection.  I put the last coat of varnish on while Jerry rested. 

Monday we motored a few miles to Spanish Wells settlement where Bluejacket was anchored.  Spanish Wells is an industrious settlement, their harbor filled with fishing boats.  Lobster season ended on 4/1.  The houses are neat with flowers in their yards.  We were able to find an abundance of fruits and vegetables at the grocery store there.  I met friends of Jerry and Donna’s who live in the settlement for 8 months of the year – the other 4 back in the Massachusetts area where they were from.  They have shelves and boxes of books all organized for swap.  Cruisers or anyone can bring in their books and find some to take home.  It is a great service for those of us who have read all the books on board as Jerry has.  Jerry felt good enough to walk around town while I took pictures of the flowers and he coughed.  We sailed back to Royal Island and hiked the trails the next day.  The trails are paths created by a bulldozer about 10 years ago.  Lots were marked and there were plans for a development.  We see this all over the Bahamas.  Reality took over, no one bought in, the developers probably lost a lot of money, and the remnants of their dream remain.  One sign on a lot remains – “Turtle Beach 0.51 acre”.

With a favorable forecast we were up at 4:30 out of Royal Island at 5 am to sail  55 miles north to Little Harbor in the Abacos.  The wind was the direction forecast but instead of decreasing stayed about the same all day around 15 knots gusting up to 20 at times.  The southeast 8 foot sea swell and the wind chop made going into the cut at Little Harbor against the ebb tide interesting.  No autopilot for Persephone for those conditions.  Jerry took the wheel and kept sight on a house on shore in the harbor to steer through the entrance with reefs on both sides, the swells pushing us around the current pushing us out.  The anchorage at Lynyard Cay is calm.  Nice to be anchored along a stretch of white sand beach early in the afternoon.  Reading, Scrabble, showers, and spaghetti for dinner.  Donna and Jerry on Bluejacket and a number of other boats taking advantage of the window come in to anchor.

The Abacos are the northernmost islands of the Bahamas.  We anchored in Little Harbor for a night, beachcombing the stretch of sand near Pete’s Pub and then made a 20 mile trek to Guana Cay where we met up with Ron and Deb of Scheherezade .  Ron and Deb are from Baldwinsville, NY; Jerry’s hometown.  Jerry wanted to have a treat and go out to eat at Nippers on Guana Cay.  They have an all-you-can-eat pig roast that left Ron and Jerry aching after two heaping plates of bbq pork, peas and rice, watermelon, and more.    The next day we had a beautiful sail with 15 knots of wind on the beam to Man-O-War Cay.  The island seemed to be in full bloom as we walked the narrow golf-cart friendly streets.  As always, the industrious locals were busy building boats at Albury’s Boat Shop, sewing bags at Albury’s Sail Shop, working on houses, cleaning the streets.  Everyone came over to Persephone in the evening to have Jerry’s oven-baked mahi for dinner, Donna’s Key Lime pie for dessert, and a rowdy game of cards after.  The stars were bright for everyone’s dinghy ride back to their boats late.

The next day on to Elbow Cay where we anchored just off Fry’s Landing in just enough water.  (3 inches under the keel at low tide)  Blue Jacket and Persephone crew went ashore to Dan and Sharon’s home for the evening.  Dan and Sharon are from Oriental, NC.  Dan had made a fresh conch salad and Sharon whipped up a variety of sides which included warm-from-the-oven focaccia bread and a bean dip.  A pleasant evening of conversation and a coconut de-husking, cracking, and shredding session followed.  We had picked up the coconut in Governor’s Harbor in Eleuthera and were hoping for an opportunity to open it.  Dan has a coconut opening station – an old pick ax mounted to be able to get into and peel off the husk.  Much harder than it sounds I suppose.  Everyone had a sip of the coconut water and then we used the coconut shredder Jerry S. had made a couple years ago from a scrap piece of stainless to shred the coconut.  I just took the loaf of coconut bread from the oven!

Next stop will be Marsh Harbor to do laundry and buy some fresh fruits and veggies.  Then north through the Abacos to wait for the right weather to hop to the east coast. 

Albury's Sail Shop - Man-O-War Cay, Abaco

Albury's Sail Shop

Albury's Sail Shop

Jerry S made a birthday cake for me!  Donna's lighter is the candle.

Thanks for the birthday dress, Jerry and the gin and chocolate Donna and Jerry!

Looking back through Current Cut, Eleuthera

Bull mahi caught on the way to Rock Sound from the Exumas

Trail to the beach at Man-O-War Cay

How the other half lives - helicopter and blow up slide incuded

View of Persephone anchored at Royal Island

Spanish Wells - Had to take this photo - thought you'd like it Chris!

Nice car!

Spanish Wells - looking towards the harbor

Spanish Wells

Coconut bread and Jerry's coconut scraper.  You actually sit on the board to scrape.

Mahi dinner at Man-O-War with Donna, Jerry, Deb, Ron

Bananas on Spanish Wells

3/24/16

Mahi party on Persephone at Thompson Bay, Long Island

Happy bunch of bats in the cave.  Aren't they cute!!

Making our way towards the back of the cave.

Great place to explore!  Great home if you're a bat (or cockroach or crab...)

The entrance to the cave at Thompson Bay, Long Island.

Dean's Blue Hole.   Diving platform for competition anchored here.

Jerry Luh snorkels at  Dean's Blue Hole.

Dean's Blue Hole, Long Island.

Columbus Monument - northern tip of Long Island.

Columbus Monument - nice view!

Especially for Chris Jones - Bloody leg tuna mess.

Bluejacket at New Bight, Cat Island.

Bob the Builder steers.

Farmers Market, Salt Pond, Long Island

Firelight with their spinnaker!

Firelight with half a spinnaker!

Kirsti from Firelight captured the green flash at sunset.

Group photo at the Hermitage, Cat Island.

A view of Father Jerome's hermitage from our anchorage.  Batelco tower in the foreground.

Jerry's view from the roof of the hermitage.

At the base of the trail to the hermitage.

The arch at the beginning of the trail to the hermitage.

Jerry tenderizes the conch for conch chowder.

The white tip shark behind Persephone following the lure.

Woo Hoo!  Now we're moving!

The tuna that turned into dinner (x3).

Trail to the hermitage.

Another shot of the white tip shark.

I suppose when I mention Long Island you think of expressways and New York City.  The Long Island down here in the Bahamas is the opposite.  80 miles long and 4 miles wide at the most with one two lane road – The Queens Highway running the length.  When we left Georgetown heading east to Long Island we expected to be tight to the wind as the prevailing wind is easterly.  Instead, we sailed wing on wing at 7 knots using the spinnaker pole to travel the 40 miles to Thompson Bay on Long Island.  Persephone led the way with Bluejacket and a few others behind.  We were greeted to Thompson Bay with a VHF radio invitation to a dish-to-pass beach gathering by the cruisers already anchored there.  Ann of “Krazy Lady” from Oswego was there and she and Jerry discussed repairing her broken boom.  The next day we boarded Krazy Lady, took the sail off, and dinghied her boom back to Persephone where Jerry took apart the fitting at the front of the boom where the rivets were ripping out of the aluminum.  He cut ¼ inch of aluminum off the boom, redrilled and riveted the fitting back on.  Ready to install and sail!  You know the story of the elves and the shoemaker, the elves come in and make the shoes.  Well, elf doesn’t rhyme with Jerry so I’ve been saying Jerry Jerry the boat fixing fairy since he sails into an anchorage and in no time at all has fixed someone’s broken boat parts.  He’s not sure he appreciates the fairy part of  that expression.

There are many caves carved in the coral of this island and one nearby our anchorage.  Jerry Luh came with us to go exploring.  The cave goes back in about 100 yards and is so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face if you turn off the flashlights.  The sound of bats fills the cave and a few fly around.  Some joker left a small plastic skeleton curled up in a corner!

Donna and Jerry decided to rent a car and invited us to do an island tour with them.  Down the Queens Highway we go to Dean’s Hole on the east side of the island.  This is a 663 ft. “hole” at the water’s edge in the coral where they hold free diving competitions.  (Google Evolve Free Diving for more information from our friends, instructors, and champions Ren and Ashley.)  Jerry Luh brought his fins and snorkel and swam around the blue hole trying to peer into the depths.  The water was a little cloudy as the winds were whipping the seas into the bay.

Next stop Clarence Town where we’ve been to before by boat.  There are two churches in Clarence Town built on the hill with spectacular views.   One Anglican and one Catholic both designed by Father Jerome (who eventually became a monk).  At Clarence Town we saw more damage caused by hurricane Joaquin that pummeled Long Island last October.  It sat right over  Long Island for a couple days blowing roofs off houses and bringing the sea up on the west side of the island causing destruction.  As we ventured further south in the car, towards the town of Hard Bargain, there were many vacant homes.  Some vacancies due to Joaquin, others empty as families have moved to Nassau and other locations to try to make a living and raise their families.  The salt ponds at Hard Bargain were crusting with salt around the edges (no rain in the last month or more) but no industry there anymore.

Our lunch stop was at a “take away”.  We ordered the food, they cooked it up, and we took it away in a foam box.  We held onto our boxes at the picnic table as the wind tried to take away our foam boxes of food!  The chicken, fish, peas & rice, and coleslaw were excellent!

The northernmost point we visited was Columbus Monument on the northern tip.  The “road” to the monument would have been better suited for an ATV; not a small rental car.  A chain on posts used for a railing helped us climb the steep rocks to the monument.  What a wonderful view!  There are a number of dedicated Columbus sites in the Bahamas as he “first” explored and “discovered” the land.

Our tourist adventure ended that evening with a stop at Club Washington where a number of cruisers and some locals were gathered for drinks and a fish dinner.  It was close to 8 pm when we pulled into the driveway of the rental car business (also their home) and walked down to the dinghy dock to go home.

Before leaving Long Island Saturday we took advantage of the Farmer’s Market.  Fresh home grown tomatoes, green peppers, watermelon and more were on display.  We also bought a bag of local sea salt someone had gathered.  Then off to the northern tip of Long Island to anchor for the night where we had a perfect view of an amazing green flash at sunset.

The next day we sailed from Long Island to Conception Island, an uninhabited island where we snorkeled the reefs, walked the beaches, and explored the mangrove creeks.  Beautiful elk horn coral reefs but not many fish. Tons of turtles in the mangrove creeks as we dinghied, kayaked in and then floated out the creeks with the tide.  Conception Island is also where we took our scrapers in the water and scraped the barnacles off both Persephone and Bluejacket.  More dinners to share with Bluejacket and Firelight along with another green flash sunset.

Our good weather window of no westerly winds was coming to an end son and we wanted to see the hermitage Father Jerome built on Cat Island.  Off we go trying out the spinnaker for the first time.  It would have been great but there just wasn’t enough wind.  We were going so slow some kind of reef fish followed right at the transom at the water’s surface.  Jerry reeled in his hand line and saw a 10 ft white tip shark following the lure.  It lazily swam around the transom following the lure every time Jerry dipped it back in the water.  Kinda like playing with a cat and a piece of yarn.  Incredible to watch and so close we could have reached out and touched the shark!  No wind made the water perfectly flat and crystal clear.

From that point we put away the spinnaker and became a fishing boat instead of a sailboat (although we had full sail up).  Just before Cat Island we got a hit on the handline and Jerry pulled in a yellow tail tuna.  At the same time the rod and reel started spinning – a fish there too!   It took 45 minutes of reeling and struggling to finally see a shark on the line.  At that point it pulled hard enough to bend the hook and get away.  Yeah!  We don’t want to have to land a shark to get back the lure.  Excellent tuna steaks pan seared in oil for dinner.

For our one day at Cat Island we hiked with Bluejacket and Firelight to the hermitage on the top of Como Hill, the highest hill in the Bahamas at 206 ft.  Father Jerome, an architect and then priest, was sent to the Bahamas in 1908 after a hurricane damaged England’s churches.  He built and restored many churches in the Bahamas – hurricane proof stonework with thick walls and barrel-vaulted roofs.  When approaching New Bight on Cat Island Father Jerome’s hermitage or retirement home appears to be a castle atop Como Hill.  When we got to the hermitage at the top we found essentially a 3 room structure with doors and windows at the correct proportions to make the place look like a castle from afar.  We had to duck through the doors to explore the hermitage.  What a peaceful place to think and admire the vistas.  From our chartbook, “As you walk through the archway at the property’s entrance at the base of the hill, you will be struck not only with his gift of architecture and stonework but also with his genuine and humble devotion to God, which carries all the way up the hill through his Stations of the Cross past the replica of Jesus’ tomb with its rolled-away stone and to his stoic living quarters and small chapel for private devotions.”    He renamed the hill Mt. Alvernia and built another church on the island to lead.  He sounds like a most interesting man!

We walked a couple of miles to the market and were pleased to find bananas then back to “town” where I sang at the post office with the woman belting out One Day At A Time while she sorted through the stamps.  Love the Bahamians!

A cold front was approaching in a day or two so we set the spinnaker and had a super fast sail to anchor between Big and Little Majors – protection from the wind in all directions.  Firelight had their spinnaker out as well….for a couple of hours and just as we sailed up to take pictures of them the spinnaker blew out from the top and fell to the water.  No problem – they rolled out their jib and continued along taking some great pictures of Persephone under sail heeled over doing 8 knots.   Thanks!

So, after a few days at the Majors we headed back to Little Bay around the corner from Black Point to visit again with Doug and Jean of Sandcastle.  Another super spaghetti dinner with 9 at the tables at the castle.  We also rode in the back of Doug and Jean’s pickup to attend happy hour at Scorpio’s in Black Point.  Rum pumch, dinner and then the music.  Dad – I know you’d be glad to know I didn’t miss a beat and danced every dance.  Donna called me the energizer bunny.  We’ll be here in Black Point for a few days before heading off to Rock Sound on Eleuthera.

Send news when you can!

Karen, Jerry and Builder Bob (a 6" refugee found on the beach on Long Island)

3/3/16

No matter where you are in the world the popular topic is the weather.  This winter has been unusually windy and cool here in the Bahamas.  We missed some of the worst weather by arriving late here this year in February.  Those here at the beginning of January tell stories of a weather system called a derecho with 100+ mph gusts of wind from the west causing havoc and damage for those in unprotected anchorages.

Today is the first period of lite/no wind in the month we’ve been here.  The last time I wrote we were in Blackpoint.  We sailed from Blackpoint around the corner to Little Bay and anchored in front of a sandcastle on shore.  The sandcastle is the home to friends Doug and Jean and it is a 3 story home they built themselves that looks like a sandcastle complete with 4 turrets.  We spent the week anchored next to Bluejacket going to shore each day with Donna and Jerry to help Doug and Jean, who had just arrived at Sandcastle, to get their home back into working order.  The work, visiting, and meals shared came to an end when the next cold front was approaching and we sailed north.

Our first stop was Big Major’s Cay known as Pig Beach.  There are always pigs on this island.  Cruisers come by to see the pigs, bring them some treats, and take their picture with the pigs.  Best fed pigs I know of!  The pig population changes when the pig providers need some pork and of course there are always new litters of pigs to replace the old.  While we were here we dinghied to Staniel Cay where Jerry and Donna were anchored and we found Deb and Ron (from Baldwinsville, NY) on Scheherezade at the marina.  They were having engine trouble again and were deciding they’d have to sail or be towed to Nassau to find a mechanic.  Jerry went aboard, found out what was wrong and had the engine running that afternoon.  For those interested in the diagnosis: broken spring in the engine shut off that wouldn’t allow the engine to start.  Also, the bleed screw broke when Ron was trying to bleed the system.  Enough engine talk.  They were VERY happy to have the engine working and VERY happy not to have to go to Nassau for repairs!

Next anchorage for us – Pipe Creek where we had to come in at high tide.  Pipe Creek always means a walk over the hill to the beach to find sea glass.  We enjoyed the company of Donna and Jerry anchored next to us, having dinners together and games after.  We noticed the increase in small boat traffic flying by carrying tourists.

Our next sail was from Pipe Creek to Georgetown.  We came out of a cut between Thomas Cay and Overyonder Cay onto the Exuma Sound.  We were tight to the 10-12 knots of southwest wind for the first part of the trip which clocked around as we sailed south.  By the afternoon, the cold front had passed and we enjoyed the northwest wind behind us.  No fish but a beautiful sail again in record time.  We’re so pleased with the sailing performance of the new Persephone!  Jerry connected the inner forestay for part of our trip and we hauled up our hank on storm jib.   Two jibs flying and the mainsail. We’ve never had a cutter rig before!  Nice!

On the approach into Elizabeth Harbor and Georgetown we could see all the masts.  Over 200 sailboats along Elizabeth Harbor’s anchorages.  The week of the Cruiser’s Regatta was underway with sailboat races, a variety show in town, and many other activities.  We anchored at Sanddollar Beach with Donna and Jerry on Bluejacket nearby.  We have a long dinghy ride powered by our 4 hp outboard across the harbor to town or to another part of the harbor to join in the festivities.  One of the highlights was our ride to the north end of the harbor, a hike up the hill to “the monument” a tall spire where we could see the harbor in one direction and the Exuma sound in the other.  The perfect vantage point to watch the 40 boats in the “round the island race” sail through the harbor, out the north exit to the sound and back in through the south entrance, a total of 18 miles.  There was another Karen at the monument with her VHF providing commentary on the race from that vantage point.  We had our binoculars with us and helped with the commentary.  Jerry Luh showed up and  then Sherry from Alesto.  We soon had a good crowd on the top of the hill enjoying the beautiful day, scenery and the race.   Jerry and I watched the race finish with front row seats with Lee and Sherry aboard Alesto (from Ithaca).  Lee’s sister was crew aboard Triad, the trimaran that finished first going along at 10-12 knots the entire race.   Fast!

In addition to the regatta  activities we’ve been visiting and working on projects. We have two areas of varnish in the cabin that we were going to do last summer.  I have the first two coats on! 

Jerry, Jerry and I went on our first snorkel excursion out of the harbor with light winds.  Lobster and French fries for dinner.

No plans exactly to how long we’ll be here, where we’re going next – so pretty much the usual.  Thanks to Donna and Jerry I am able to use their wifi on their phone to post this! 

Best wishes and hope to hear from you!

Karen and Jerry

Persephone with 3 sails flying!

Jerry looking for sea glass at Pipe Creek.

Karen with sea glass treasures at Black Point.

Jerry Luh stands on Thomas Cay at Pipe Creek looking out to Joe Cay.

Jerry with his plate of mahi I cooked at the Sand Castle.

Donna puts the finishing touches on the banana cream pie she and I made for the Sand Castle dinner.

We watch a sea plane getting ready for take off at Pipe Creek.

Jerry takes apart the jib furler winch to clean it and give it a coat of new winch grease.