The Trip - Log entries from start to 1/7/09

Restart of trip to the Bahamas

12/23/08

After two plus days of addressing overheating and a depth sounder problem, we headed down the Manatee River out into Tampa Bay. There was a 10-20 knot following wind all the way through the channel markers. We used the jib and had to jibe several times. Then we headed SW with a beam reach – mostly having speeds of 5-6 knots/hr. Finally we were into the Gulf of Mexico. The water turned an emerald green and the waves were 3-4’. We turned south with the wind on our nose. Just like a seesaw in the playground we went up and down – looking at the sky and sun and then slicing down into the sea. This boat is designed along the lines of old working boats built to handle rough conditions.. Through several hours of heading into the wind, hardly anything came out of place below. There was even an old paraffin oil lamp sitting the sole in the cabin that never moved. John and I took turns at the helm. John preferred to recline in the cockpit using the autopilot. I liked to stand up and manually steer the wheel and survey the water in front of us. Coming out of the Bay and all down the Florida coast and inland waters, there are crab pots with associated buoys, everywhere! We came close to a few. We saw several dolphins – some swam right under us. Now we’re here on anchor just inside Longboat Key. We sailed more than 30 miles to arrive at a location just 9 miles (geographically) from where we started. It really took it out of us but we had a great sail. Tomorrow we’ll have another 30 miles but in a straight line – and into the wind again. The forecast for Naples is 10-15 knot winds from the east – good!

12/24/08

We motored most of the day down to Venice in smaller waves than yesterday with the wind on our nose. We fueled up at the Crow’s Nest after entering through the jetty entrance from the Gulf. Then we proceeded to get grounded in the “Public” anchorage. Some other boats were there but evidently had shallower drafts that ours. Two men in a powerboat helped us off by taking our main halyard that raises the mainsail and towed us out of the sand/silt. Then two other guys in their dinghy with two dachshunds and beers in hand told us about the public dock just a stones throw away across from the Venice Yacht Club. Just off the dock was a small park maintained by the club, complete with bathrooms, electrical outlets and water. We had our hobo dinner of collard greens with vinegar, refried beans with vinegar, Pace’s salsa, beer and wine.

12/25/08

Low tide, but enough depth to leave. The outside sea was calm. Fish were jumping up in the air. Saw some big turtles. It was a partly cloudy day. On came the diesel motor to get us down the coast - keeping up with our schedule of trying to get a decent distance every day. Of course, I’d rather be sailing! We ducked into Charlotte Harbor just off the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) channel and dropped the hook. Saw some sharks swimming nearby. Slept well.

12/26/08

Sailed mostly for 4 hours in the AM. 6-6.5 knots/hr. Turned towards Naples and decided it was too far, so we headed into shore. Then we decided to set a course for/near Marathon in the Keys. Then the wind died down to nothing, so we headed directly to Naples/Wiggins Pass. On the way in, the wind picked up but we continued anyway. We anchored offshore in 14’. The weather was clear with 5mph breeze.

12/27/08

Headed toward Cape Romano sailing then motoring. Couldn’t get to shore or inlet before dark, so we continued that direction in big swells. Finally in 10’ and over a sand bar, we dropped the anchor. A very rough night pitching and rolling. I put on my snubber (a combination of line and shackle/thimble/hook) to take the shock of movement off the chain, and transferred it to the bow cleats.

12/28/08

Found the snubber had worn through during the night and was lost overboard. Sailed toward Little Shark River until the wind died down and we started the engine. It promptly quit. I spent the rest of the day changing out the main fuel filter and bleeding the fuel injectors – once I figured out the problem. I configured a new snubber and installed it before heading to bed.

12/29/08

We sailed till the wind died down and started the engine and “cruised” to the Little Shark River. Two hours before sunset we made it to the mouth of the river and just up on river left we dropped the anchor. Very peaceful night and sunset with a new moon. No no-seeums and Guinness Stout in the cockpit. John cooked potatoes/onions and collards. Wine was served. WDNA from Miami was on the radio. Very cool! Great Jazz!

12/30/08

Sailed to Marathon on Long Key/Florida Keys. Picked up a mooring ball in the Marathon City Marina – a superb facility with 165 mooring balls and all the amenities a sailor could want. During our stay there till 1/5/09 we got more groceries, fuel, spare fuel and oil filters and rebuilt the carburetor on the outboard motor. We also visited with the owners (James and Ellen) of a sister ship, Solution – another Allied Seawind II. New Years Eve was a bit noisy. We waited for a forecast of southerly winds – which are perfect for crossing the Gulf Stream. Finally they were predicted and we set out for Channel Five. Other people had even left from Marathon for the Bahama Banks.

1/5/09

Anchored (on the Caribbean side of the Keys) just off Hwy 1 at Channel Five – in 13’ amongst a circle of crab pot buoys. A very quiet anchorage. There we stayed till the next day when we made our way offshore to the blue water and the Gulf Stream.

1/6/09

We sailed all night and made Gun Cay at the crack of dawn. After coming through the cut, we soon dropped the hook and hit the sack. What a passage!

1/7/09

We motored from the anchorage to the “Recommended Route” on the chartplotter, then set the sails. You could see the shadow of the sails on the bottom. We were followed by a ketch and catamaran. They were quite some distance behind us and then the catamaran hoisted its spinnaker. The wind was good (NE) and we were staying on course. Then the wind changed and the cat caught up with us and passed. We had to go off course to get better winds. We sailed all day and past sunset until 10pm. The moon was out and you could still see the shadow of the boat on the sand below the surface. We then dropped the hook in moderately rocking/rolling choppy seas. The moon shone through the night and was a bit cool. Heard that it was 54 degrees in Miami tonight. Another snubber is in place now – heftier line and tygon tubing for chafing prevention. John’s asleep below – after starting in on some reading. The boat is rocking side to side and up and down. Still he sleeps. Tomorrow, Morgan’s Bluff to check into customs and immigration and pay $150 to cruise for 3 months.

Zooming in on photos

To Zoom in on the photos, click on them and they'll be blown up so you can see more detail. Also in the "address" in the upper left hand of the new window, you'll be able to make out the title that I couldn't figure out how to fit under the photo. Enjoy! Michael

Finally back in Arkansas!

Hello All!

We've finally arrived back in Fayetteville. I still haven't unpacked the car and have a bunch of boat laundry to do and a load of mail to cull through.

I've uploaded some photos from the trip and will be posting some of my entries in my log soon when they're transcribed. It's good to be back although it's a bit shocking to see the damage left from the ice storm that swept through the Ozarks a while back. The impact of it can only be felt by seeing the results. I'd seen a similar natural event in Little Rock a few years ago, but nothing like this "disaster". Hopefully you are were spared any major damage or injury. Something always happens while I'm away!

So, again, stay tuned for the postings of some comments from the ship journal.

Peace and Love to you all,

Michael and John

Photos from the Journey

Boca Grande

Greetings from the "rough" on the 9th fairway at Gasparilla Golf Course, Gasparilla Island. We're anchored offshore about a good 7 iron shot away. We made 47 nautical miles today with a SW wind on the beam. Unfortunately NOAA Weather Radio is predicting North winds tomorrow which would be "on our nose" - rough and questionable to sail our chosen course. So we'll be motoring the infamous "Ditch": the Inner Coastal Waterway (ICW) to Venice and on Saturday, Tampa Bay and a berth at Rivertown Marina on the Manatee River, just down from where we began this adventure. It'll be great to be back on land again! We'll have to unload the boat and get her cleaned up and then head up Hwy 75 toward home. At least that's the plan - which is always subject to change on the high seas. Stay tuned!
M&J

Good morning from the west coast of Florida!
Soon we'll be weighing the anchor here at the inlet to Marco Island. We made 55 miles yesterday after spending the night in the mouth of the Little Shark River. There's a cold front coming our way and the winds look favorable. Yesterday we had a combination of the foresail with whisker pole and the diesel engine. The wind and 4' waves were on our stern. We were flying up to 7.3 knots. With impending fronts, the wind will "clock" around - today from the southwest to the northwest, giving us the best speed.
My apologies for not putting up more photos. But when we get to a wifi cafe, they'll appear.
Gotta get going. Coffee will be ready soon!
M&J

Back in the USA!

We are now on the north side of Rodriquez Key just a mile off Key Largo, Florida. We anchored around 10am Sunday and promptly collapsed in sleep, having been awake for over 48 hours. We're heading back to Marathon today and then northward to Tampa Bay. Arrival time unknown. I hope you are safe and warm. Sorry we missed the Ice Storm in Arkansas,
Stay tuned,
Michael & John

Notes prior to anchoring in Georgetown

There are heroes in the seaweed,
There are children in the morning,
They are leaning out for love,
They will lean that way forever.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Hello from Patience off the shore of Cave Cay, on the Great Bahama Banks.

OK, we’ve come from Tampa Bay to Longboat Key, Venice, ICW/Charlotte Harbor, Naples/Wiggins Pass, Boot Key/Marathon, Channel Five, Gun Cay (pronounced “key”)/Cat Cay/Bahamas, Morgan’s Bluff, West Bay/New Providence, Nassau, Allen’s Cay, Bahama Banks, Exuma Sound, Warderwick Wells/South Mooring/North Mooring, Cambridge Cay, Staniel Cay, White Point and Cave Cay. The sun is going down again in a most beautiful fashion. Since my laptops have weak batteries, they won’t run strictly on 12V, so I’m running my Honda generator. It’s warm and the fumes are something else. BUT I’m able to type on the laptop without a major stoppage.

We’ve met many people from different countries as well as the USA. We seem to be running into more Canadians than say the French or Argentineans. Nevertheless, English is the basic language around here. I’ve made the acquaintance of some young Bahamian women and men. They’re very delightful and after you get used to their way of speaking, it’s kinda fun communication. There’s various levels of sailors out here. I’m one of the relatively inexperienced ones and I can spot my peers. There’s others that you can tell right away, that they’ve been around, especially from the stories they tell or certain insights on techniques. I’m taking it all in and making mental notes for ongoing and future circumstances. This has been a great learning experience. Not only in sailing but in the operation and maintenance of Patience. From the log of the first owner, it shows that she’s been down here two times before. With such a shallow draft, we’re able to go where most other boats don’t dare. Timing the tides helps too. With my XM Weather subscription, I’m able to get the forecast for the next several days for this area, which is a great way to plan whether you can sail in a certain direction if at all. For instance, on Wednesday the winds are suppose to shift to the South. They’ll be coming right at us if we were heading South, which is not a comfortable and could even be an impossible direction to sail. So we’re getting up early tomorrow morning to make a passage on the Exuma Sound – where there’s deep water and big waves – down to Conch Cut and The Great Exuma Cay where the city of Georgetown awaits the two Arkansans. We’ve already got the main sail double reefed so we won’t be tipped so far over by the 15-20 knot winds from the east. It’s always exciting out there and especially when you come into a “cut” where the channel is usually narrow and the waves and current are against you. You’d have to be here to experience that!

I’m going to close this note and say HELLO! to you all. Until next time, stay tuned. I’ll be getting some more photos together for upload to the website as well.

Love,

M & J



PS: We were sailing on the Exuma Sound the other day and really enjoyed the Inauguration Ceremony. Everyone we’ve met has expressed joy and hope for the future. That includes us. A new beginning!

Correct Location: Warderwick Wells

I wasn't even thinking when I gave our present whereabouts. My apologies. It's Warderwick Wells and I'm Michael! Peace and Love from the South

In Nassau since yesterday!

We got into Nassau yesterday sailing from West Bay. Great breezy sail!
Shaft stuffing box leaking like the faucet was left on. Had a mechanic tighten it up.
We're on shore now and doing laundry and picking up a few parts. Later we'll get to the market. Everything is good. The weather will be from the north/northwest and good to get going toward the Exumas. Then there'll be more gaps in communication. I transcribed and copied what I wrote up days ago. Sorry for the syntax, context and other literary omissions. But we're here and doing well. Lots of money around here and it's reflected in the price of things. More later. Love to you all, Michael

Posting January 14, 2009

Left Channel Five just outside of Hwy 1 bridge at 2pm headed to the Gulf Stream. First we had to negotiate hundreds of crab pot buoys before even getting to the drop off of the banks into the deep blue water. When we reached the drop off we raised our sails and sailed on a great SE wind. We were near to our maximum speed. The sun was getting low in the west and the clouds were beautiful. The waves were manageable and quite tame. Big rolling waves. Soon the sun set and the moon came up. We were cruising in the dark but you could still see around you – the waves and the immediate area. The moon rose and stayed with us most of the night till it set in the west too. Along the way we were warned to keep an eye open for ships which might be coming and going into and out of the Miami area as well as other destinations. Sure enough, there was a small light in the distance, which got progressively closer and turned into separate lights. From the pattern they told us that she was going to our stern. We could tell by the green bow light. If one of the ships spotted didn’t move from your observation position on the boat you knew it was heading right at you. That made for some intent looking into the night. Another one appeared from the opposite side and got closer, but we could finally make out a red light meaning it was also going to pass on our stern. Actually both those ships (freighters) passed port to port. “Ships passing in the night”. Next came what appeared to be masses of light off our port bow a ways away. It turned out to be either a casino or cruise ship going very slow from left to right. We gave her lots of lea way to her stern and kept sailing. Finally there came another one from our port bow. It was very small in the beginning and then larger as she got closer. By the pattern of lights we could tell that she was heading right at us. Then maybe a mile off she started to turn off and go past our stern. The pilot or captain probably picked us up on his radar. As it got closer we could make out its bow wave and dark hull. It was a tanker with a long flat deck between the stern superstructure and the bow, moving at a pretty good pace. All these ships were pretty much in the Gulf Stream, which gives more speed if you’re going with the current.

The wind was still coming from the southeast at 10-15 knots and started to get faster. We furled in out jib sail about half way and “dumped” the main sail by letting it out so it couldn’t catch much wind. This was all done to keep us more upright instead of healing at such a high degree. John was so low that he could put his hand out and touch the water as it went rushing by. In the midst of getting the sails trimmed, his pillow went overboard. Oh well. Consulting the chartplotter and our position and speed, we determined we were going too fast – sometimes over 8 knots! – and we had to really slow down. So in came the jib till just a tab flew which decreased our speed, but less than a knot. We sailed into the darkness as the moon had just set.

Finally, the dawn started coming. We were about 8 miles off the banks and our destination: Gun Cay (Key) – Cat Cay (Key) channel. We had to turn in that general direction and fight 6-foot waves that were coming from our starboard and stern. John was at the wheel steering us into the path of the following wave so that it wouldn’t hit us from the rear quarters, thus rolling us into a contorted gyrating mass of fiberglass and metal. In front of us we could see land (Gun Cay) and we dropped sails and motored toward the east. As we approached it got lighter and lighter. Then we could make out the lighthouse on the little island. The wind was blowing from our starboard stern quarter and the waves were behind and ahead of us, six feet high (and low) and the sun started to rise – right in our eyes. We revved up the diesel engine for steerage and proceeded toward the limestone rocks and shore. The “channel” on the chartplotter and cruise guide showed a straight path east, right up to Gun Cay and then an immediate hard turn to starboard missing the key and then just past the point another hard turn to the port. All along we were being bumped around up and down and sideways. I was looking at the chartplotter and telling John which way and when to turn. It was pretty treacherous and right on the edge. My stomach had butterflies going into the approach. Finally around the point and veering off to the port, there appeared the anchorage with one sailboat. It was time to drop the anchor in about 13 feet and head down below to clear out a space to make our beds. Everything else could wait and it did. We napped through the day and tidied up. That evening we had a very good sleep. The next morning after coffee and tea we headed off for the NW Channel and then Morgan’s Bluff on Andros Island to clear in with customs and immigration.

Weather window waiting

We're anchored at Channel Five on Long Key in the Florida Keys waiting for the winds to come around from the south. Right now they're from the east at 10 knots. Tomorrow afternoon we'll be heading southeast to counteract the Gulf Stream which flows in a band at about 2-2.5 knots 19nm offshore. With a favorable south to southeast wind we'll get a good start. From there we'll sail at least 15 hours through the night to reach South Riding Rock - a distance of around 92 miles. The Moon will be illuminating our way - hopefully.

Final jumping-off spot for The Bahamas

We made it to Marathon, Florida in the Florida Keys - on the Caribbean side. That was the day before New Years Eve. Since then we've been tackling a problem with our dinghy outboard motor. It's a Yamaha 4hp and was stored by the boatyard in Palmetto, Florida with the gas still in the tank and carburetor. I've taken it apart and it ran but not perfectly, which is what I wanted for a safe trip across the ocean. A local marine repair fellow was highly recommended and I motored to shore and removed the carb and hiked to his place of business. He showed how to break it down and clean it and showed me where the shellac had spread to jets that had previously been cleaned.
Now it's running great and so we're off tomorrow after a visit to a car parts place to pick up a few belts and gas additives for the inboard diesel engine. I'll be uploading photos when we get to an internet cafe, so stay tuned. Michael