Port Lucaya, Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, 4-9-11

We left Highbourne Cay for the North Side of one of the Berry Islands.  It took us about 12 hours to get there.  We got to where we wanted to anchor at about 7:00 PM, just before sunset.  We were the only boat anchored in the bay.  The next day we left for Nassau, passing between the yellow and white banks, where there is coral head.  We saw and had to avoid about a dozen coral heads.  This is not a trip to take on a rainy, overcast day or at night.  We spent the next day in Nassau, shopping downtown and at the straw market.  We also walked around the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.  We felt like we were back in civilization.  The grocery store shelves were full, unlike many of the other islands.  On the trip to Port Lucaya, we caught two barracuda.  One was eaten by another fish, probably a shark as I was reeling it in.  All that was left was the head when I got it to the boat.
                                    Sunrise at Highbourne Cay

An easy life stop sign on Highbourne Cay.

On a hike at Highbourne Cay

Hiking at Highbourne Cay

We followed the sign to see a natural spring.

                               The beach at Highbourne Cay

                                 Another beautiful sunset

                  Sharks where they feed them at the fish cleaning station

                                The beach at Highbourne Cay Marina

                  The harbor in Nassau can be a difficult place to anchor

                                     Erin at the Nassau straw market

                                             On Paradise Island

All that was left of the barracuda

One of the fish I caught

                          Another beautiful sunset in the Berry Islands

This is the first I have seen the Ocean so calm.

                 The ship used in the Pirates of the Caribbean Movie

                                The ship again, up close

                                      The ship again up close

Highbourne Cay, Bahamas, 4-4-11

Erin and I are in a marina at Highbourne Cay, in the Exhuma Island of the Bahamas.  We asked our third crew member to leave in Staniel Cay, (our stop of a few days ago) as we were having personallity clashes. 

The weather is great as usual.  80 during the day and about 70 at night.  The winds are almost always out of the East to South East and are pushing us along our desired route.  We had 18 to 22 knot winds today with 5 to 7 foot waves on our trip up from Wardwick Wells Cay.  We did some hiking in the Exhuma Land and Sea Park yesterday and this morning.  We have not been in a marina since we were in Rum Cay.  Today is a day to have our laundry done and catch up on some internet tasks.  The water here is crystal clear.  On our approach to Conception Island we could see the bottom at 100 foot depth.  We plan to leave for Nassua on Wednesday and go through the Bahama Bank.  That is a little scary, since there are coral heads in the bank and at times the water depth is only 6 foot or less.  We will be following a recommended route and keeping a watch.

We see flying fish about every 10 minutes on our open sea passages.  They are very interesting.  I think we see so many because they think the boat is a big fish that is going to attack them. 

                           At sunrise on our way to the Exhuma Islands.

                                             Erin at the helm at sea.

                        The dolphin I caught, I also caught a smaller one.

                                  On the hook at Conception Island.

                         Erin eating Mahi-mahi that we caught (she normally does not like fish).

                                    On the internet at Flying Fish Marina

                                             The beach at Rum Cay.

                                      The Grocery store on Rum Cay.

Were the water depth goes from 2000 feet to 50 feet the color changes.
                                  At anchor on Conception Island.

                                  On a hike at Wardwick Wells Cay.

Hiking at Wadwick Wells Cay.

                            The ocean side of Wardwick Wells Cay.

                              One of the beachs at Wardwick Wells Cay.

Clarencetown, Long Island, Bahamas 3-27-11

We are in Flying Fish Marina in Clarencetown, Bahamas.  It has been a long time since we have been in a marina.  The weather is still great.  We have been taking short hops, usually going for about 24 to 29 hours between stops in anchorages.  I caught a dolphin yesterday off the back of the boat.  We have been grilling it and enjoying fresh Mai-mai.

                                  The Crew for the trip back.

                                          The fishing is good on the boat.

Red Hook, St.Thomas, March 2,2011

I found a restaurant with e-mail access so here is my update.  Nicki has gone home and I am single handling.  Erin shows up on the 15th and another crew member I got off the Internet, Clark.  We will be heading to Peuerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Florida and up the US Coast.  Attached are some of the pictures in the USVI.  I made a trip to St. Croix which is 40 miles from St. Thomas.  It was like I was no longer among the charter boats.  It took about 7 hours to get there.  I was the only one anchored in the non-permanent residents bay and the only one anchored at Buck Island.  Christiansted, St. Croix was an interesting town.  I am back in Red Hook Harbor, St. Thomas today.  I changed the oil on the engine today and caught up on my laundry.  Normally I am anchored in a bay or tied to a mooring in a bay.  I have been working on developing a route for my trip back. 

Clark will be sailing with us to Florida then another person, Ralph, will be sailing with us the rest of the way.  I have been snorkeling a couple times a day in the bays.  I have seen a lot of sea turtles, 4 bottle nosed dolphins, lots of fish, a barracuda, sting rays, and flying fish when I am a little further from the coastline.

The pool at the Marina at Nanny Cay that Nicki and I enjoyed for several days.

                        One of the places Nicki and I were moored.

                               In a bar in Charlotte-Amilie, St. Thomas

 The docks in St. Croix are minimal.  No fingers out from the main dock.  You have to tie to the posts and get off the front of your boat to get to shore.  I anchored out in St. Croix, so I did not use these docks.

                            Christiansted, St. Croix along the shoreline.

Note the water color anchored off Buck Island, St. Croix.

 The dinghy on the fordeck for the 40 mile open ocean trip over and back from St. Croix.  Going to Buck Island from Christiansted, St. Croix while I was pulling the dinghy behind, the fuel tank flipped over and bouced around like it would have gone overboard if it was not tied to the dinghy.  That was a short 5 mile trip, but the seas were up to about 6 feet and not spaced very far apart.

                  This is how the mooring balls look and how to tie to them.

                                   Another beautiful sunset.

 This is how I got the motor on and off the dinghy.  I used the topping lift and ran it through the eye where it nomally attaches to the end of the mast.

                                Another sunset from on of the bays.

The beach at Buck Island, St. Croix.

                            A beach we moored off of in the BVI.

2-10-11, Nanny Cay Marina, BVI

We finally decided to give take a break from anchoring or mooring and spend 2 days in a marina.  That gives me time to catch up on my blog and enjoy a normal resort vacation for a couple of days.  We have been traveling from St. Thomas to some of the USVI out islands, St. John, and many of the British VI out islands.  While in St. John, I noticed that my raw water pump was leaking a little.  We docked in Red Hook, St. Thomas and I took the pump to Offshore Marine Co. They put a new seal in for me.  They had the right parts.  When I started the engine back up, the pump leaked worst than before.  It was Sunday and Offshore Marine was closed.  I took the pump apart and figured out what they did wrong and now it is as good as new.    
The weather is beautiful.  80 degrees every day and 73 degrees every night.  When it rains is rains for about 10 minutes and then it clears up.
My refrigerator works great now that I have the solar panels installed (two 135 KW panels).  With the water temperature at 78 degrees and the warm temperatures, I need to keep the refrigerator on all day and run it for a couple hours at night.  At night I run the engine to power the refrigerator, but during the day the solar panel easily do the job.
Nicki has been here for the last 4 weeks and she is going back to Florida in another week.  I will be on my own for a few weeks until Erin comes back down and we start the trip back through the Bahamas.

                          Some of the island iguanas.

                        Where the sat while I was in Florida for a month.

 Nicki enjoying a drink before lunch at a resort we stopped at.

Enjoying the nice weather and a drink before lunch.

A resort we anchored at.

The new solar panels installed.

Jan. 13, 2011 St. Thomas, USVI

Nicki and I are at the boat in St. Thomas.  We are docked at Crown Bay Marina waiting for the solar panels that I ordered.  They arrived at the seaport last night and I should have them tomorrow sometime.  We will probably head out Friday or Saturday to a bay with a beach.  We walked over to the area where the cruise ships dock today.

We were in Michigan last weekend to remind us how cold it is back home.

                     One of our Iguana friends sunning on the rocks

                 A large cruise ship, where our boat would fit into one of the rooms.

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