1/28/20

1/28/20

We love it down here in the Ragged Islands! The beautiful water, sea life, remoteness...no boats loaded with tourists going by any anchorages down here!

Taking a lunch break on Hog Cay after working on the hiking trails across the cay.

  The only problem is there is no protection from westerly winds.  Westerly winds come along with the cold fronts that barrel off the east coast.  When those cold fronts are strong enough they can even make it far enough south to the Ragged Islands.  And the only thing we see when looking west from the Hog Cay anchorage - water.  No land for keeping the seas down with a cold front.
So, with a cold front approaching, we hauled anchor and had a lovely sail in 8 to 15 feet of various shades of turquoise water 13 miles north to Buena Vista Cay.  Buena Vista has a little bit of a hook shape at the south end so we can tuck in to try to hide from the seas the westerly winds will stir up.  When the front actually came through there were 5 sailboats and 4 Bahamian fishing boats hiding from the northwest winds.

The calm that usually arrives before the "storm" provide perfect days for snorkeling.  Anywhere down here in these remote cays are reefs and ledges underwater to find fish and lobster.  We load the dinghy with fins, snorkels and masks, spears, weight belt, gloves, water bottles and put on our wetsuits.  We're out exploring for a couple of hours - me admiring the thousands of living creatures underwater.   Jerry looking under each ledge, into every nook and cranny stalking fish and lobster.  Every time we go out (as you'll see in the pictures) Jerry returns to Persephone with a bucket of seafood.  Nothing like fresh fish!  Fried in butter, grilled outdoors, baked.....I have a vacuum sealer onboard so we're able to preserve the excess.

Fish....

Lobster....

More fish.....

Fileting the fish on the back of the boat.

After the westerly winds we sailed north up to Flamingo Cay.  A guy dragged anchor here at Flamingo earlier in January and ended up on the rocks.  (If you want to hear more of the story go to youtube, find trekkers tales, and look at his shipwreck video.)  The guy took what he could off his boat, was rescued by another sailor who just happened to be in the area, and abandoned the boat.  By the time we arrived the boat had been pretty well stripped.  And with the west winds the boat, that may have been salvageable, was ground up pretty good on the rocks.  We salvaged the few remaining parts on the boat which were easy to access as the boat was pretty wrecked.  Anything on the boat would soon be ground to pieces as much of it already was.  We anchored there for the night and watched four local fishing boats, 2 fishermen on each boat, come in on their 25-30 ft cuddy cabin boats.  They all had baskets full of lobster to clean up and put in their coolers onboard.  They use an air compressor with something called a hookah for fishing.  They're able to dive down deep to find lobster while breathing air from a long hose hooked to the compressor.  We watched them clean their catch, shower by dumping salt water over their heads, and settling in for the night. 

Flamingo Cay wreck

2 days before the boat was mostly in tact!  The power of the wind and water!

After checking out the wreck we headed back south to Double Breasted and met up with Bluejacket and the other boats that were at Hog Cay before the cold front.  Double Breasted provides some protection from the south and west and more cold fronts were predicted.
The Bahamian Defense Force had been here in the area for the last week.  A Haitian raft wrecked on the ocean side at Double Breasted.  31 people were rescued and taken by helicopter to Nassau.  Our friend Barbara was walking the beach and came upon a body - one of three found that day.  What a sad situation.   Imagine the desperation required to take to the sea on a sailing raft to escape.  It's amazing any of them survived with the strong easterly winds they must have experienced on the way from Haiti to the Bahamas.  (link to a local new report:  https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/01/27/bodies-found-in-ragged-island-chain/)

Bahamian Defense Force Ship

Bahamian Defense Force on Double Breasted looking for survivors or bodies.

So that's what's been going on here besides our routine visiting, games, reading, cooking, cleaning, etc.  Yesterday, as another cold front passed through, the rains came down.  Jerry was just finishing fileting his catch.  We put up the water catcher to collect water for our tank and Jerry did laundry with water that filled up the dinghy.  Right now the life lines are covered with our laundry clipped out to dry.  Our current plans are to hang out down here in the Ragged Islands.  I'm getting ready to go out to kayak.  Jerry has his wet suit on ready for Jerry Luh to pick him up.  He's asking what I want for dinner tonight - snapper, hogfish, lobster?  Decisions, decisions..............

Heading into Double Breasted after a morning of snorkeling.

Anchored off the west side of Buena Vista before the cold front.

Persephone at anchor.

1/14/20

Happy New Year!

While Karen was spending the holidays in NY and Maine Jerry was in the Exumas in the Bahamas.  He had lots of wind and lots of rain at the end of December.  The nice thing about Georgetown is no matter the wind direction you can cross the harbor to one side or the other to find protection to anchor.  There's also a grocery store for "fresh" produce and water available at the dinghy dock.  He actually used the camera a few times while I was gone to document important events......(and had a written caption prepared upon my return)

Persephone's crew was unprepared for Captain Jerry's wild sail across the harbor in 30 knots of wind and boisterous seas.  Only the princess stands fast.

 Back in NY....

As always, Brian and Deb took good care of me when I arrived in Syracuse!

Maine - Owen’s 16^th birthday – 12/25/19 – Susan made Mom’s cream cheese fudge cake recipe by request.                Clockwise from left: Me, Sydney, Kira, Susan, Owen, Tom, Dad, Mom.  

 

Maine - Our last early morning puzzle building session with our coffee and tea.  And maybe a piece of Mom’s Finnish Pulla (sweet bread with cardamom). 

Back in the Bahamas......After a week at anchor in Georgetown Jerry decided on a lively sail north to the Black Point/Staniel Cay area where Jerry and Donna were anchored on Bluejacket.

Bluejacket and Persephone anchored near Black Point.  Taken from the top of our friend's place appropriately known as the Sandcastle.  I'm sure you've seen pictures each year as we stop to visit Doug and Jean.

A view of Persephone at anchor looking out the glass doors of the Sandcastle.

One more shot of Persephone from the top of the Sandcastle.

My flight arrived a few minutes early at Georgetown, the taxi was waiting and I hopped in and held on tight for the 15 min. ride to Exuma Market to meet Jerry.  Jerry was just tying up at the dinghy when I walked down the dock.  In 15 minutes we were aboard Persephone, had the dinghy and outboard hauled on deck, the sails up and we were on our way out of the harbor.  The winds were light but would be building within 24 hours and would stay 25-30 knots for the next two weeks!  We high-tailed down to Hog Cay in the Jumentos on an overnight sail.  I think this happens whenever I fly back to Persephone - off the plane and off we go!
It was a nice sail and the winds picked up with a squall, as predicted, to rinse off the boat just as we approached the Hog Cay anchorage at 7 am the following morning.  8 boats here including Jerry and Donna on Bluejacket.
We've been here a week now enjoying the company of the other cruisers every day around sunset sitting under the Hog Cay Yacht Club thatch roofed shelter at the beach gazing out at the sunset and anchorage. 

I arrived with a cold so I’ve been wearing a face mask, been banned from the galley, and have almost finished off my bottle of hand sanitizer.  Jerry works forever making all the meals and cleaning up after.  Fresh bread, homemade pizza, scalloped potatoes and ham, omelettes!  We’ve snorkeled a little here within 100 yards of the boat – just long enough for Jerry to bring back and cook up snapper for lunch.

Snapper with rice and carrots prepared by Chef Jerry.

The winds continue to blow and squalls pass but we’re in a fairly well protected anchorage here with spectacular views, warm air, good friends, and some sunshine.  The only inhabitants of Hog Cay are goats and lizards; the nearest grocery store and water 100 miles back north in Georgetown.  Sure is peaceful!  We look forward to staying here for a number of weeks.  And even though we’re out in the middle of nowhere we have wifi and we look forward to hearing from you!

Karen and Jerry
 

12/10/19

With west component winds we decided to sail on down from Georgetown to Clarence Town on Long Island.  Haven't been there by boat in years!  Jerry had his lines out on the sail down and provided dinner and lunch and dinner and lunch......

Cero we believe, of the mackerel family.

Clarence Town is a very quiet place - many homes abandoned after hurricane damage several years ago.  The people that live there wave as they drive by and are welcoming.  Clarence Town is known for the two churches - one Catholic and one Anglican both built by Father Jerome.  He designed many hurricane-proof stonework churches on Long Island with thick walls and barrel vaulted roofs in the early 1900s.

Clarence Town, Long Island Catholic Church

View from the Catholic Church

Anglican Church (less than 1/4 mile from the Catholic Church)

Anchored at Clarence Town Harbor.  A yacht is the only other boat here.

If we have need for a sign, someone locally has a thriving business!

I took this picture with my sister in mind who worked for a sign company near Rochester years ago.

Long Island is appropriately named.  Here's the chart of Long Island with a circle around Clarence Town.

When the winds turned east we sailed back north up the east coast of Long Island, around the top, and down the west side of Long Island to anchor in Thompson Bay (the X on the chart).  So we sailed about 60 miles to end up about 16 miles from where we started!
Dolphins frolicked along the bow on the way!

One of our favorite hikes here.....

From the beach we take a trail to the main road - the Queen's Highway.  Yup, this is it.  The highway.

Walk about a mile or more to Pole #108 where you'll see beach trash marking the pole.

Follow the beach-trash marked trail.

At the highest point on the trail you can see the dark blue ocean to the east and the light aqua shallow banks to the west.

Beach trash used to make a trail marker used to make a hideaway.

Home sweet home?

Down the hill to the sounds of the waves crashing to the beach!

A peaceful place to ponder.  Not a raked and manicured beach on a resort but a natural Bahamian beach that "collects" plastic and other bits, some natural some man - made, from 100s or 1000s of miles away.

It's hot and sticky, the wind is E 15-20 gusting to 25.  Had our first little rain shower this morning since we arrived in the Bahamas.  We'll head back to Georgetown sometime this week as I'll be flying home for Christmas and driving with Mom and Dad to Susan's in Maine.  Jerry, as always, has no interest in going anywhere the temperature may fall below 70 and will be aboard Persephone..........
Happy Holidays!
Karen & Jerry

11/28/19

Happy Thanksgiving!  I'm typing with the laptop on my lap in the cockpit.  The sun is brilliant behind the sun shade zipped onto the back of the bimini.  A nice breeze blows through the boat wafting stuffed turkey smells from the oven.  The sailboat pie, cranberry sauce and apple sauce are done and cooling.  Big meals take orchestration with a 2'x3' place to stand in the galley and 2 burners on the stove.
We had memorable visits in Stuart with Dale and Roni, Aunt Susan and Ken, and Arnaud with his grandson, Benedicte's son, Ocean.  Time passed too quickly when we were in Stuart.

Ocean, Dale, Roni, Karen, Jerry

Aunt Susan, Ken, Jerry

The view from Aunt Susan and Ken's place looking out toward the boats anchored on the St. Lucie River.

Besides visiting and provisioning for the winter in the Bahamas we had to put down our umbrella-decorated punches, get out of the hammocks and address a few issues.  (We don't really have any umbrella-decorated drinks or hammocks onboard but I thought it made a better story!)  The parts for the boom vang - the gas shock arrived.  Jerry put that back together and also repaired a block that broke.  We exercised and lubricated the spinnaker pole.  When we were on our leg down to Ft. Pierce it was not cooperative due to sitting all summer and mud wasps attempting to ensure their species survival.  The outboards both required some maintenance - cleaning and corrosion control.  What next?
One afternoon, coming back from a walk to the hardware store, we saw a boat we'd seen back in Oriental, NC.  We came alongside to introduce ourselves and chat.  The retired Danish couple sail and live on their 29' sailboat.  They left Denmark 2 1/2 years ago most recently coming down the east coast of USA.  Their plans were to head to the Bahamas for their first time.  We loaded them into our dinghy with their small glasses of sunset-toasting wine and drove over to Persephone.  Jerry showed them our Explorer Charts for the Bahamas and made a phone call to find how they could download the Explorer Charts themselves onto their OpnCpn navigation program.  After our visit, toast to the sunset and "see you in the Bahamas" salutations Jerry ferried them back to their boat.  Living aboard affords us the opportunity to meet people from all over the world!
Friday, with chores done (again) and the food lockers overflowing we decided to head to Lake Worth and catch the next weather window to the Bahamas.  We stopped and topped up the diesel and water then set off for St. Lucie inlet to the ocean.  Light winds 30 degrees off our starboard with the motor to help we made our way south.  And found the secret to a squeaky clean bilge!
A couple of months ago we found a big jug of concentrated Dawn dish liquid had a crack in the plastic.  At least a quart of soap leaked down into the bilge.  It was cleaned up as best we could.  Nothing wrong with a little soap in the bilge.  Then as we sailed south from St. Lucie inlet Jerry turned on the faucet - no water.  We scampered all over looking for a leak in our water system.  Ah ha!  Aft cabin - starboard side!  Bedding, pillows, mattress soaked!  Dripping cupboards above where all my soaked clothes are along with the water hoses that go to the aft deck shower.  After pulling everything out of the aft cabin and throwing it up on deck we discover a split hose.  80 gallons of water soaking everything and filling up the bilge.  80 gallons of hot soapy water pumped over the side with the bilge pump.  We continued our sail to Lake Worth with plans to refill the 80 gallon tank when we arrived.  We still had 40 gallons in the 2nd tank.  On we sailed with full main, jib, quilt drying on top of the bimini, sheets clipped to the shrouds, clothes hanging on every inch of lifeline.  What a sight for those beach goers who brought binoculars!

The sailboat quilt Mom made for me years ago.

Saturday - I get up and see the wind has already clocked to south of east.  Time to go to the Bahamas!  Jerry jumps up, hauls the anchor and mainsail and we're off.  40 gallons of water is plenty!  The first 12 hours are tight on the wind; choppy waters until we reach the banks where the waters are smooth and the winds clocks more to the south.  The next morning the winds drop, the sun is out and baking us as we enjoy a pleasant sail down the Tongue of the Ocean and across the banks south of Nassau sitting on the aft deck marveling at all the stars in the sky.

Sailing to Georgetown

So, here we are in Georgetown with a clean bilge and a stuffed turkey in the oven.  After clearing in to customs and immigration we pulled out our 5 gallon water jugs.  The Exuma Market dock has a water spigot where we filled the water jugs and dinghied them back to the boat, hauled them on deck, and poured them into the tank.  Three trips - 110 gallons of water onboard.  (Which we'll be using to clean up the mess we made in the galley today.)  Happy Thanksgiving!

Jerry peels apples on deck for our pie.  The monument at "Monument Beach" in the background.

"Sailboat Pie" made with Granny Smith Apples and Cranberries

Time for dinner!

11/17/19

We made it!  To sunny Florida!  After a wonderful visit at Donna and Jerry's we skidaddled once chores were complete, cupboards filled with food, and Jerry's root canal complete. 
We had big north winds to push us south from Beaufort, NC to the St. John's River where we stopped to let a cold front pass through.  Ron and Deb on Scheherezade sailed along with us.

The leg from Beaufort, NC to St. John's River, Jacksonville, FL was rolly with following seas.  Dolphin were leaping out of the waves all day long.  What a show!  I tried to video and if you watch carefully you'll see a few.  Then back onto the ocean before the next cold front.  Another fast sail south to Ft. Pierce, where we had a scrumptious dinner aboard Scheherezade, and then motored the rest of the way to Stuart, FL. 
More rain and fronts passed through as we worked on maintenance projects on the boat................

Jerry works on rebuilding the water pump from the engine.

We took off the oil cooler from the engine, pressure tested it, and put it back on.

We'll be here in Stuart, FL visiting with Dale & Roni, Aunt Susan and Ken, Arnaud.......while waiting for parts to fix our rod kicker (it holds up our boom - the gas shock in it blew out) before heading to the Bahamas.  Send news - what's going on with you?

10/22/19

"Bluejacket" (Donna and Jerry), "Dyad" (Dave and Kathy), "Salty Paws" (Jim and Bentley) and "Persephone" are in their "spots" once again at Luh's Landing on Broad Creek, Oriental, NC!

As we hang out here in Oriental for the next week or more visiting with family and friends, doing provisioning, working on a few projects, making a dentist appointment, kayaking the creeks I thought you'd enjoy an entry from 15 years ago.  Brings back memories!  And we're much farther ahead this year than we were in 2004! 

October 19, 2004

After rushing around in 40 degree temperatures – loading treasures, blocking and covering the car, doing laundry, cleaning up some of the messes we’d made at the Date’s Estate, we said goodbye to Curd, the cat, and shoved off.  We waved to Curd, the one being who will truly miss us, breakfasts together, companionship, laps of cold milk from Jerry’s bowl, deburring, and scratching behind the ears.  He stood on the dock in the drizzle and watched us, perplexed, as we headed out onto the Oneida River.

It’s a relief in many ways, even though there will be things we should have done and things we’ve probably forgotten, a relief to actually be leaving, not to just prepare and talk about leaving.  Finally on our way!

The 5 to 10 knot wind on Oneida Lake turned out to be 15 to 20 from the east.  A choppy ride indeed.  We weren’t planning on any bashing about until NY Harbor at least but there we were, slam, bang.  The 20 bags of cereal in the bow may be powder by the time we get to Sylvan Beach!

It was a most enjoyable ride for me, Karen.  Jerry was in charge of the helm so I went below.  What should I do on this four hour trip?  Cook something to warm up the cabin!  I peeled 3 humungous northern spy apples we had picked Monday, sliced them up, and put them on the stove to cook for applesauce.  Next, preparations for chicken stew.  What better way to warm up the cabin and simmer smells for the captain to dream of as we bounce across the lake.  Fiddles, small metal arms that clamp to the rail around the stove, prevent the pots and pans from sliding around while enroute.  I haven’t had time to enjoy cooking a meal for quite some time.  Most of our meals this fall have been thrown together after working on boat projects all day.  By the time we got to Sylvan Beach everything was ready for a heart-warming meal.  Cooking so preoccupied my thoughts that I forgot all about our dilemma in the middle of the lake.  The weight of the mast and dinghy (filled with water from waves) was too much for the radar arch on the starboard side.  One of the posts popped a hole into the hull on deck as it came down with a wave.  Our mast and everything on the radar arch (dinghy, anchor, solar panels, outboards, radar, barbecue grill, and wind generator) could have gone over as well.  Jerry jerry rigged support to ease the load on the leg that made the hole through the fiberglass. Jerry will be able to grind the fiberglass and patch the hole with resin and cloth (which we have on board) after we get to Kingston, NY to put up the mast.  For the time being, and the peaceful canal ride that lay ahead of us, the boat will be fine.

10/20/04

Today is Wednesday and we sleep in until 7:30.  It is a luxury to go to bed so early (8:30 to read) and sleep in so late.  It is also a necessity as the temperature is about 40 and we have no heater.  Before we can leave I have a bill I have to mail.  Every morning for the last 2 months or more we’ve started our day with a 3 mile walk or a bike ride.  It felt good to get up this morning and walk to the post office.

Another gray day today as we motor east on the Erie Canal.  Jerry and I take turns at the helm which consists of sitting in the companionway on the tent stool (which I broke later in the day), staring ahead through the plastic window of the dodger, and pushing the buttons for the autopilot to stay in the middle of the canal.  The one who is not steering can sit in the cabin under the blanket or with a burner turned on to warm up.  By sitting in the companionway to steer you can keep some of your legs near the warmth coming up from the cabin.

The traffic on the canal today consisted of two trawlers headed west.  There were a number of workboats on the canal dredging, tugs with barges moving around mud, and areas where cranes were taking the mud loads off the barges and piling them on shore. 

Sitting on the tent stool staring out the front for hours gives lots of time to look at trees, water, and herons.  I spent a lot of time studying the colors of the leaves on the trees, the shapes of the trees, the ways the trees grow, the shapes of the branches.  Have you ever noticed how different trees are?  Some trunks and branches are straight, straight up, straight out, straight.  Others start straight at the bottom, split in two, and wind up to the sky.  And then others curve up a bit, branches go here and there twisting and winding with no apparent symmetry.  I like to look at trees.

So, here we are in Jacksonburg.  You know – Jacksonburg, Lock 18 on the Erie Canal.  We tied up to the lock wall, had dinner, listened to a dirt bike riding around the grounds, and the occasional train not too far off.  After having baked potatoes for dinner the cabin is warm and toasty, the lights low as Jerry reads out loud from Moby-Dick.  I’m glad my mattress isn’t made of corn cobs and broken crockery. 

Did we ever tell you how much we prefer to sail on the ocean rather than the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway)?  On the ocean we wait for a good weather window, head out and keep a watch schedule.  No worries about keeping in the channel, running aground, traffic, radio chatter, and no bridges.  But the ICW route allows us to stop and visit with friends.  And to make progress south when there are no offshore weather windows.

Last post I wrote we had arrived in Norfolk where we tied to a dock in the Portsmouth ferry basin.  Our friends Steve, Heidi, and Addi came to visit.  What a joy to spend time with 4 year old Addi.  Oh yeah, Steve and Heidi too.

Heidi, Steve and Addi come aboard Persephone in Portsmouth, VA

Karen, Addi, Jerry

Then we headed north out of Portsmouth!  Yes, north.  We had word that our friend from St. Thomas, Kari, was flying in to visit her family near Deltaville.  With south winds we sailed north in the 90 degree temperature (our apples are NOT liking the heat).  Nice visit with Kari, her grandson Braxton and Kari’s Mom and Dad.  Another bonus – we stopped at the Deltaville Library and visited with another friend, Tom, who is a librarian there.  

 

Peaceful picture perfect anchor spot in Jackson Creek, Deltaville, VA.

Kari's Mom and Dad, Braxton, Kari

Kari, Braxton, Karen

The day after our visit in Deltaville was the day that the wind was coming from the north so off we head back to Portsmouth.  We were tight on the wind, heeled over to start our 40 mile jaunt (hold on apples!), going 8 knots before turning with the wind on the beam.   An overnight at “our spot” in Portsmouth before heading through Norfolk and the beginning of a series of railroad and vehicle bridges.   Thankfully, most of the vehicle bridges are now 65’ so we don’t have to call and wait for an opening.  Just one – the Gilmerton which has a railroad bridge right next to it on the south side.  The railroad bridge is usually open/up and only closes automatically when a train is coming.  Luckily, after waiting for the Gilmerton to open for us, the railroad bridge didn’t start to close until we were through both!  And listening to the vhf radio we hear that the railroad bridge was in the closed/down position for an hour.  Glad we made it through before that train!

Tied to the dock after the Great Bridge bridge. 

Next through the Great Bridge lock and the Great Bridge bridge (opens on the hour), the Centerville Bridge (broken for vehicle traffic but good for us!), the North Landing Bridge (had to anchor and wait an hour for an opening)…..see!   This is why we prefer the ocean route!  (But no weather window to do so.)

After crossing the Albemarle Sound we anchored in a protected spot (South Lake).  Here we waited while a low pressure system churned off the coast making the wind blow from the north at 25 knots gusting to 30.  Great for heading south but the next bridge, the Alligator River Bridge, is broken!  By Friday, after working on the bridge for 4 days, the bridge engineer scheduled a few openings, and the low pressure system churning off the coast was named Melissa.  Melissa is heading north and east – goodbye Melissa.

Two days of sunshine, warm weather, the smell of pine and little boat traffic to arrive in Oriental.  https://towndock.net/harborcam  A spot at the town dock was open so we pulled in, did 3 loads of laundry and went to the Bean for ice cream!  Lots of visiting here – so many friends we’ve made.  After dark we hear a knock on the hull – it’s Ann (she and Neville have a Cape Dory motor sailer).  She wants to know if we need anything and comes aboard for a visit and stories of her adventures as a single hander in Ireland and England.  Ah!  Nice to be back in Oriental!  We'll be here a few days before heading north.  Yes, back north 10 miles to Jerry and Donna's place on Broad Creek.

Happy Columbus Day

Karen and Jerry