3/1/23

 Every day we wake up and look at our surroundings and know we are so lucky to be here in The Bahamas, in the Ragged Islands.  Every day is a blessing.

We've had many days of brisk easterly winds.  Most days we hike someplace on the island which involves dinghying to shore, walking on the trails up and down the hills from the sound side on the west to the ocean side on the east. The goats we disturb along the way baaaa to let us know they're not happy about having to give up their shady spots when we're too close.  There are more trails here at Hog Cay than ever before.  On the ocean side we look for sea glass and whatever else may have floated up on the beach.

Karen walking on the ocean side.

Trail markers come from the ocean side beaches.

Markers from the "Creepy Doll Trail"

Minnie Mouse has an almost matching pair of baby shoes from the beach.

Walking along the trails on Hog Cay is good exercise and entertaining.

I'm grating one of the coconuts from Hog Cay with the special coconut grater Jerry made years ago.

 I come back from the "yacht club" hut on the beach with my basket making materials.  There are many silver thatch palms and a number of basket makers here at Hog Cay.

One of the extremely rare items that can be found on the islands down here are vintage glass fish floats.  I've found a couple of them over the years.  One morning, on our walk to the beach, I was saying to Jerry that I wished I had one of the floats I'd found onboard now.  I don't need a fish float nor do I have a house to display what I've found.  I could have put a float in the Valentines Day Party auction.  There are many cruisers who have never found one that would love to have a chance to buy one.  Since I didn't have one onboard maybe I could find one though there are people here seriously searching each day.  We got to the end of the trail at the ocean side, I walked off into the bushes and within minutes came out with a glass float!!  I found a glass float to donate for the auction!

The glass float I found at Hog Cay.

According the the European Glass Floats book - Peser is a company in France that made glass floats.

I find it amazing that floats like these have survived thousands of miles in the ocean to be tossed up on the beaches here on Hog Cay.  Much of the coastline here is harsh rock and it takes some serious wind and waves to toss them up as far up as where they are found.

We're used to seeing US Coast Guard helicopters sporadically surveying the islands.  Maybe looking for refugees trying to sail from Haiti to the US?  Maybe looking for drug runners?  Maybe just recording our boat names and locations?  It was unusual to see a Coast Guard plane.  And it was flying low!  I waved as it looked like it skimmed just above the tallest masts in the anchorage.

A US Coast Guard plane checks us out.

Flying low!

Our friends, Dustyn and Brandon with their dog Rita arrived aboard "Ada" at Double Breasted Cay just north of Hog Cay so we took a sail up to meet them.  Here's the video of our arrival (we only sail - haven't started the engine in a month).

We ended up moving around a bit with Ada when a cold front came through.  There's no one good anchorage for a cold front where the winds clock from the south to the west to the north.  Persephone and Ada both sailed back to Hog Cay.  We tried trolling while sailing on the ocean side from Raccoon Cay to Ragged Island with no luck.  Here we are coming in at the cut between Hog Cay and Ragged Island.

The big event here at Hog Cay is the annual Valentines Day Party hosted by Maxine from Duncantown on Ragged Island  She and others from Duncantown (population about 30) cooked up a feast of peas and rice, Mac & cheese, grouper, stewed goat, coleslaw and more to bring by boat a couple of miles to Hog Cay.  It was the biggest gathering yet with almost 50 boats in the anchorage!  Locals from Duncantown attended as well.  Cruisers donated to pay for the food and donated items from their boats for an auction.  All proceeds from the auction went to the school at Duncantown.  (Many of you may remember that hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Duncantown.  A new community center is almost finished which includes a new school and government offices.)

Here's Maxine serving up 2 kinds rice.

It was a huge gathering of dinghies for the Valentines Day Party.

The auction after lunch to benefit the school in Duncantown.

Valentines Day Party 2023 at Hog Cay

After the Valentines Day Party we sailed back north to Raccoon Cay with Ada.  Our last chance to visit with them before they headed west to Staniel Cay to pick up company.  

Persephone and Ada anchored at Raccoon Cay.

Dustyn, Brandon, Jerry and Rita at Raccoon Cay.

Dustyn, Brandon, Jerry and I went snorkeling at Raccoon Cay and brought home dinners.  We helped add to Brandon and Dustyn's "strategic lobster reserve".  They have company coming!

Brandon and Dustyn made pizzas for our last dinner together before they sailed off.  Lobster pizza with lots of fancy toppings!

After our goodbyes we sailed back to Hog Cay.  Sailing into the anchorage at Hog Cay always gets some attention....

Back at Hog Cay Jerry made a new sign for Persephone.  The one we had made previously was gone.  We found a rudder along the ocean side beach and dragged it home.  With some paint and a lot of planning, Jerry came up with a new sign.  All I had to do was paint in the lines.

Persephone sign at the Hog Cay "yacht club"

Jerry spears a 10 lb grouper on opening day of Nassau Grouper season.

Time flies down here....it will soon be time to start heading back to the states and my sister Susan has booked a flight to join us in the Abacos.  That's a long way from Hog Cay in the Ragged Islands.  We'll be heading back towards Georgetown in a week or so and then on up the Exumas to make our way north.  You should be able to see where we are by clicking on the SPOT link in the upper right had corner of the screen.  Zoom in and out and change the date range on the SPOT page to get a different view.  If you have a chance, we love to hear from you!  

Karen & Jerry

SV Persephone

2//5/23

 We've been thoroughly enjoying the Ragged Islands.  A picture is worth a thousand words.

Anchored at Raccoon Cay.

The view from Raccoon looking south.  We walked the entire beach.  It was a lovely morning.

Hiking around Raccoon Cay.

We see many of these walls in the Raggeds.  At one time, they tried farming here and keeping animals penned in. 

There's nothing like the water color here in The Bahamas.

From Raccoon Cay to Double Breasted Cay to Hog Cay....we have been snorkeling and working at building and maintaining the trails at Hog Cay.

Hiking with Jerry Luh on Hog Cay.

Jerry shot an almost 9 pound lobster!!

Our first snorkel trip.  Jerry and Jerry display their catch.

A view of the anchorage at Hog Cay taken from one of the southern trails.

An overlook shot of the southern part of Hog Cay.  Lots of flat land below with Silver Thatch Palm trees.

Looking north from the newly created west rim trail.

Another shot from the new west rim trail.

Years ago we made the "baby head trail".  The doll parts are still here!

Most evenings we gather with the other cruisers at the Hog Cay thatch roofed hut by the water to watch the sunset...hoping to see a green "flash".  

We're not guaranteed a "green flash" but always an unobstructed view of the sunset.

1/14/23

So, as I suspected, I stepped off the plane, Jerry met me at the airport, then onto the bus towards downtown and the docks.  Persephone was actually docked at the West Palm City Docks awaiting my arrival.  Jerry had everything ready to go including dinner.  After a late dinner we motored a couple of miles to the anchorage near the Lake Worth Inlet.  3 hours of sleep and then off to the ocean at 1 am with a 10-15 knot southeast wind.  With the motor at the lowest rpm Persephone can point upwind 30 degrees off the bow and fly.

Here's the view from the cockpit during my watch at sunrise on Thursday:

And then I admired the moon rise Thursday.  Notice the difference in weather conditions?

Our route takes us from Lake Worth Inlet across the Gulf Stream.  The Gulf Stream current pushes us north as we try to sail southeast towards Freeport.  As we near Freeport the current eases and we easily make our way southeast across the Northwest Providence Channel.  We cut across the banks west of the Berry Islands to the Northwest Shoal light and towards the Tongue of the Ocean south of Nassau.  From there we cross the banks to the Exumas.  Sailing the banks is virtual snorkeling - the water is so clear, as we sail along every feature and every creature is in view.  On this trip we sailed east across the banks to Norman's Cay passing through Norman's just before sunset.  The weather was so nice, the water and surroundings to picturesque, we brought our dinner out to the cockpit and ate watching the sun go down as we continued sailing, southeast again, on the Exuma Sound towards Georgetown.  

It wasn't long after the perfect dinner, I went to bed, and Jerry was on watch until 9 pm.  Squalls came through with 30 knot winds and then went to light winds on and off during Jerry's watch.  He was exhausted reefing the sails and then shaking the reefs out.  By the time I got up to do my 9 to midnight watch the weather had settled and we enjoyed a nice sail on the Exuma Sound timing our arrival at Conch Cay Cut at sunrise.

Georgetown: customs and immigration, some fishing supplies, and bananas!

90+ bananas on a stalk are heavy and  attract attention at the dinghy dock.

Sure hope they don't all ripen at the same time.  We found there's nothing like home grown bananas here in The Bahamas!  Small but full of flavor!

We waited a few days, visited with some old friends and then hit the road again - on to the Jumentos!  Most people wouldn't consider heading to the Jumentos where there's little protection from westerly winds when a strong cold front is forecast.   I guess we're not most people.  We anchored in the Jumentos at the south end of Buena Vista Cay along with 8 other boats.  We had squalls come through with rain and the wind has been howling all day.  By Monday the weather should be settled and we can continue south to Hog Cay and to meet up with Jerry and Donna on Bluejacket and more friends we haven't seen in a while!

Send news when you can!

Karen and Jerry

1/4/23

 1/4/23

Happy New Year!  I am sitting at the Syracuse Airport writing an update while waiting for the plane to head back to West Palm where Jerry awaits aboard Persephone.  The plan is to leave for the Bahamas soon after my arrival - sound familiar?  I remember one New Year’s Eve, arriving at West Palm, rushing to the boat and sailing off with fireworks to celebrate.

Here’s what Jerry missed in Newfield, NY at my parents for the last few weeks: (ok - he may have missed seeing friends and family but NOT the weather!).  Thanks to Brian  and Deb who are such good friends providing airport transportation, a place to stay, entertainment, and conversation.   Kind of like family really.  

I made a snowman!

Cross country skiing around the yard.

Pakkala Saturday night pizza

My brother Brian stops by to visit when my sister Susan drives down from Maine.

Another Saturday night Pakkala Pizza night!

Cross country skiing on Susan's property in Ithaca.

The view of heavy snow on the trees in the yard.

I even got to shovel the driveway a few times trying to hurry before our neighbor Bruce arrived with his plow to spoil my fun!

I made some wool hats in Mom's sewing area in the shop.

I had a wonderful time and tried to help out as much as I could.  Jerry was busy in FL keeping the boat in tip top shape, making preparations to go to the Bahamas (many trips by bike to the grocery stores), filling the water tanks, topping off propane tanks, cleaning the propellor from all the plants and animals trying to make homes, and so much more.

Jerry ashore in West Palm with Christmas sand sculptures in the background.

If you want to keep track of our sailing - click the SPOT GPS in the upper right hand corner.  My big brother Brian paid for 4 months of SPOT!  Thanks Brian!  I will work on another post after we're in the Bahamas. Please keep in touch.  We appreciate hearing from you.

Happy New Year!

Karen and Jerry