Guana Cay, Abacos December 15, 2008

Our Dinghy too far from the water!

The beach outside Nippers

Sea Star, Windsong and others anchored at Guana Cay, Bahamas

December 15, 2008 Abacos, Marsh Harbor and Guana Cay
Hello Everybody,

Today Sea Star and Windsong are waking up at Guana Cay in light, easterly winds after a rather bumpy and raucous evening. We moved from Marsh Harbor yesterday around 10:00AM in moderate breeze, 15-23kn and had a sail to Guana about 8miles away in the Sea of Abaco in three foot swell. Our sail with reefed jib was over before we knew it. We pulled into the dark, turquoise water and anchored at Fishers Bay to the west of Settlement Harbor, in grass or maybe sand. There were other boats in the harbor first, so we were left near the entrance in a 13 foot deep spot where some swell wrapped around the island and rocked us when the wind blew stronger at night- but we did hold.

Strange things seem to happen when cruising. Where else could you be bailing out the family car (dinghy) as it was filled with water by another boat’s generator water? Dan, Jamie, off Windsong, and I went to explore Guana after we anchored. It was a lovely, sunny, windy day and Dan was in search of Patriot’s football. We jumped in our dinghy and visited Grabber’s, an island bar and grill, then continued up a winding path to Nipper’s, a second sports bar and grill. Nipper’s overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and has a rocky reef close to the beach. Yesterday, because of the windy conditions, awe inspiring waves were breaking on that reef. The entertainment of the afternoon was watching a kite sailor swoop and glide and jump at least 30 feet in the air while playing in Atlantic ocean surf. We watched him for about an hour off the deck, then had dinner at Nipper’s famous Sunday pig roast. The food was plentiful and tasty.

Then it was time to return to our boats before dark. We had to push and pull our dinghy back down the beach and into the water, as the tide left us high on the sand. We watched in amusement as another dinghy group tried with eventual success to return their dinghy to the water, but in doing so, two members of that group fell in the water and as they all laughed and had a great time getting back out to their boat, I started snapping pictures. They were anchored just behind us in a 46 foot Moorings catamaran.  Dan and I went to get an email to send the pictures of the adventure to them and were welcomed aboard. We chatted with them for about an hour and it was time for us to go back to Sea Star.

Well, when I looked down into our dinghy from the deck of the catamaran, I saw that our dinghy, tied onto the stern of their boat was chock full of water so that the gas tank, oars, my backpack were all about to float away. I thought surely it would sink and should have already sunk! I called to Dan and he jumped in and started bailing with a small dinghy bailer as the gear still floated around inside. We soon realized that someone on the catamaran had turned the generator on with us tied right where the cooling water shoots out from the boat-and therefore into our dinghy. With much laughter and joking someone else produced a bucket and one of the women and I jumped into the dinghy along with Dan to bail. When we were close to bailed out I realized our backpack had been soaked along with everything else. Dan started the motor, relieved that it did start, and we motored back to Sea Star in the dark, where I discovered I had more bailing to do from the front bow locker. What a mess! But everything is in the process of drying out and we met some more great people and had an experience not really possible on shore!!

Marsh Harbor, Great Abaco Island December 8, 2008

Hello Everybody,
Our third Abaco stop is at Marsh Harbor on Great Abaco Island. This is a popular stop for cruisers as Marsh is a larger town and has many facilities, such as groceries, shops and lots of restaurants. Sea Star is happily anchored in the harbor anchorage in 10-15kn winds with a gentle roll from the ferry boats. It's convenient to park the dinghy at various docks near the three marinas, if visiting their facilities, or at the public dinghy dock, to visit the town or walk toward the beaches.

Our first evening we visited a bar restauant called Wally's where we tried their special Wally drink, then we ate at Mango's and returned to the boat.

Our second evening,we joined up with a couple from another boat, Wendy and Dave from Florida, and we walked to one of the marinas across on the Sea of Abaco side, walked the beach and across their condo property and stopped at Snappas Restaurant for appetizers on the way back to our dinghies. I read for a few hours and went to bed around 11:00pm, very late for most cruisers, I hear.

Yesterday was just gorgeous and we tried a drink at a third hot spot- The Jib Room at Marsh Harbor Marina where we met another couple of retirees who are traveling on their Nordhaven motor yacht.

Marsh is a comfortable place and I can envision being here for Christmas, possibly. There will be a celebration in the town and a cultural event called Junkaroo with music and colorful costumes.

The weather is going to be windier and a cold front is approaching and will be over us around Thursday. The wind last night kept us awake at only 18-20kn We expect possibly 30 when the front comes through. The waves on the Atlantic inlets are rising, so the weather is not condusive to water things at the moment.

Enjoy your Christmas preparations. We are thinking about you all at this time and trying to work out likely visits ASAP.

Click on black square movie to open slideshow.  Open to full screen for best quality.

Behind a condo at Marsh Harbor

I could get used to this!

Christmas is coming to the Bahamas

On a walk with Wendy and Dave

Dan and I Bahamas 2008

Green Turtle Cay, Abacos, Bahamas Dec. 1, 2008

Hello from the Bahamas to Everybody,
Today Sea Star is anchored in White Sound, Green Turtle Cay. We are in about 9 feet of water in a high tide. Following the Bahamas Chart Kit and the Steve Dodge, “Guide to the Abaco” carefully, there has been enough water for our five foot draft all across the Bahama Banks.

Dan and I spent Thanksgiving in North Palm Beach Marina as we had just commissioned our Spectra 400 watermaker there. When it was up and running, and we saw a weather window suggesting very light wind for crossing the Gulfstream, we decided the time was right to go. In Vero Beach and at Fort Worth anchorage, all the talk between cruisers was about when to go, how to best cross, how to provision, the incredible 3 knots or more of current and how that threw any boat off course- although we are a sailboat we heard any northerly wind could be a problem, and the wind speed was supposed to become 20-30 during and after an expected low pressure. Southern Florida was going to be windy and cold we surmised from the NOAA forecasts, leading to uncomfortable Gulfstream conditions in the next few days. The stream is only 54 nm to the Bahama Banks from Forth Worth Inlet where we decided to cross, but all the guides suggested we really respect the current and be careful to avoid wind against current conditions.

To prepare to leave quickly we had a few things to do. We had to provision for as long as we could. Obviously, people eat in the Bahamas, but stores are supposed to be few and supplies limited, so a long-term cruiser tries to bring specialty and personally desired items for making meals when “on the hook” with few amenities. In our case we had to think Kitty Litter and Purina as well as filling the freezer. The exciting part of getting ready was to purchase new fishing gear, especially lures guaranteed to catch Wahoo, sailfish or Dolphin-Dorado---and I especially requested lures that would not catch Barracuda! The friendly guys at Fisherman’s Center on Blue Heron Drive, Riviera Beach fixed us up rigging with all wire and helping with selecting the arsonal.

Leaving through Fort Worth Inlet at 4:00PM on a Friday was almost surreal. It was a warm and sunny afternoon after many days of cool weather and boats of all sizes, from a cruise ship to little dinghies, were packed with partying Floridians as we traveled the few miles through the inlet and out into the Atlantic. As expected we encountered the Gulfstream about 5-8 miles out and throughout the 50-60 miles to the Bahamian Banks. The current set us to the north as we tried to travel west. Our winds were light and from the northwest, so we were able to motorsail with our mainsail out and maintain 6knots. We arrived on the banks at 1:30AM on a low tide, probably not the best time, but we traveled at about 5knots and were careful to avoid the shallows.

There are places to stop and to anchor, but watching the weather we felt we had to continue on to find a harbor protected from the south for the predicted strong southerlies by noon on Sunday so we kept on motoring along trying for Green Turtle Cay. As we checked our time passing Spanish Cay, a privately owned island, we realized that we would not make it to Green Turtle in time to check into the Bahamas on Saturday, but Spanish Cay had Immigration, also. By 4:00PM we were docked at Spanish Cay Marina and Resort and being checked in by a sweet Bahamian Custom’s officer.

We were dead tired but the evening that followed was exceptional. The Spanish Cay owner, Don and his crew made us feel special. “Come on in,” Don’s voice boomed on the VHF when we called to ask about dockage, “the hot tub’s ready.” When immigration was over about 30min. after docking, we headed to the Marina building and up the steps where we met an obviously relaxed young couple, sipping on Kalik beer. The four of us enjoyed the exceptional sunset with drinks from the Sports Bar while basking in the outdoor hot tub next to the pool. What a way to complete a passage! We then had a gourmet dinner in the restaurant at the Marina, enjoying the specialty cracked conch and black grouper. Sunday morning the wind was blowing 20-25 from the south, so we had a challenge leaving the Spanish Cay docks, but the crew held us off the pilings from the next dock over and we were off to Green Turtle Cay where we expected to sit out the Sunday night to Monday low pressure system. It’s a little cold, and a lot rainy, but we are here at anchor in White sound.

Bahama bound and first stop in two days

Lake Worth, FL November 25, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I'm cooking a turkey and fixin's on the boat tomorrow. We'll be at anchor again, so no internet.

A decision has been made. We are Bahama bound as soon as weather looks right for a Gulf Stream crossing from here. We'll let you know where in the Bahamas as soon as we know. We have had cool mornings and evenings and warm days for a few days. We even broke out the shorts here in North Palm Beach. I now am wondering what to do with all the cold weather clothing we don't have room for on board!

Trying to do all the things necessary for a time on the Islands has become priority. I've been told to shop for as much food and liquor as a boat can handle, as the groceries are limited and not located where cruisers want to stay in the quiet, outlying anchorages. We'll be trying to figure out the way to import family and friends for a visit.

Dan and I have been thinking more and more about fishing, so we needed to recheck our supplies and purchase some new "can't fail" lures. They are beautiful, shiny with big eyes on the front nose part. Some are designed to swim under and some on the surface. Fishing off a sailboat will be a new experience.

We can't wait to be in and under the water. We purchased a Hawaiian Sling and a lobster loop in hopes of fun times and big game-
And I'm sure hoping for water warm enough to be inviting for a snorkle.

Today we stayed at North Palm Beach Marina. Dick Murrey finished the install of our Spectra MPC-5000 watermaker, so we should always have fresh water and plenty of it if all goes well. We had not had trouble with carrying water. Our Island Packet 440 sailboat carries 290 gallons at each fill. When it is warmer more showers and rinsing of our snorkle gear will use more. We had been limiting water used to maintain and clean the boat to only at marinas. Salt water needs to be rinsed off whenever possible.

I'll write more in a few days. It might be from Bahamas!

Vero Beach - November 21, 2008

November 21, 2008 VERO BEACH MOORING FIELD

We are on a mooring at Vero Beach in Central Florida. As I look off my stern I'm ten feet from mangrove type bushes and the field beyond. The field alarms Maggie because it is the dog walking area, and soo close! A short dinghy ride is Riverside bar and Restaurant. The marina- Vero Beach Municipal- is very cruiser friendly and provides bus service to everywhere for a reasonable fee, and moorings are $12 a day. The way things work here is rafting of as many as three boats to one mooring is expected. It seems safe enough in this creek to do that, and we are rafted, carrying another boat our size. It makes for new socializations and has been fun. We will move on toward Rivira Beach and commission our water maker on Wednesday. A water maker is a machine that makes fresh water so we do not have to find harbors to fill the water tank for drinking and cooking. A necessary upgrade for safer water, we think.

Some highlights have been watching the Space Shuttle go off last Thursday- a bright explosion of light followed by a long bright streak for about a full minute- wonderful! We were anchored in St. Augustine at the time, South of the Bridge of Lions, and yes we did twist our two anchors together! We will consider long and hard about the use of two anchors as we could not move the boat even in an emergency, unless we had untwisted the rode of the second anchor, first.

The Intracoastal Waterway has provided us with lots to see and the depths have been fine. Every day we travel there are dolphins, we saw a manatee and the bird life is spectacular; diving pelicans, white pelicans, osprey, a Bald Eagle, egrets, Woodstork. Seeing those things breaks up the intensity of staring at the red and green markers in the narrow channels. We have stopped at St. Augustine, Daytona Beach anchorage, Titusville, Eau Galle at a lovely park by marker 11, and now have spent two nights on mooring at Vero- whoops I mean VELCRO Beach. Vero is called velcro by cruisers because many just stay at this friendly, accomodating mooring field as long as possible! Some others such as Danand I used the busses to restock and are ready to move on. Also it is too cold for any beaching.

Saint Augustine Harbor- November 14, 2008- Friday evening

Hi Readers,
I have had very limited access to internet and I previously wanted the blog to be in order by sequence of where our visits have been since late June 2008. I've found it too difficult to post regularly, so I will post when I can from now on and add pictures as soon as I can.

FLORIDA
Hooray for the warmth of Florida. Dan and I have loved all the places we have been- but as many of you have heard from us we have been cold for a long time! For anyone just stumbling upon this blog, Dan and Kathy Chevalier retired in 2008. Our first leg of an undetermined trip was to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. There are some blog entries about those travels.  Check 2008.

The next leg of the trip brought us back to the East Coast and we have traveled along the coast since early September 2008 using the intracoastal waterway and a few hops into the Atlantic along the way.

Our current position is St. Augustine, FL on the east coast. We are anchored south of the Bridge of Lions in 15kn wind and often opposing current. Today was lovely and warm from early morning until now as I sit in the cockpit writing. What I see is the lights of the city and Anastasi Island ringing us. There are probably fifty cruising boats here and a few that look like permanent fixtures-old and deteriorating.

We were cautioned our first night that two anchors, bow and stern were needed in here to keep the boat from dragging at the changing tides, and we have done that although we worry about our two anchors fouling. Wish us luck!

So what is next? We plan to spend tomorrow, Saturday, in St. Augustine ashore sightseeing.

Petites, Newfoundland - abandoned five years ago August 21, 2008 MY WRITING IS TRUE BUT WHY THIS IS LIKE THIS I DONT KNOW

Petites Newfoundland

Outport towns.

That term is used to describe communities unconnected to the rest of Newfoundland by roads. They are too difficult to build over the high and rocky slopes or over ponds or lakes. It is/was a group of families bound together and dependent on each other by the activity of fishing.

To complicate the lives of these hardy people, they live on a coast buffeted by gale force winds on a regular basis and a place where fog appears in huge banks and lasts for days. This year the people we speak with agree there has been at most five summer temperature days and days without fog in June, July and August! Before this trip, I found it difficult to envision what an outport town was, and what happened when the Canadian government decided it was time to shut a town down.

The Newfoundland coast was settled because of the fishing industry. People depended on fishing for cod from the large schooners, working building and repairing boats, or working drying and packing cod for transport. The schooner would sail out to the Grand Banks, or the St. Pierre Banks in all months and in all weather and lower the small boats. The dory men would lay out the lines of 1500 hooks and tend them. There were hundreds of these fishing schooners. In the 1950’s the schooners were replaced by newer technology-the engine. The sails were removed and the engine made way for the trawler and the laying out of lots of nets. For a while the new technology made lives easier. More and more cod was caught, salted and sent out for export. In a short time the cod fishery was depleted. Many families had settled in the harbor towns along the coast and were making a good living by fishing.

Newfoundland became part of Canada March 31, 1949.  Fishing, boat building and other ocean related jobs were available then.  One by one the towns were abandoned as men looked elsewhere for jobs to raise their families. By 1965 many of these towns had been resettled, or offered government incentives to move to more thriving, larger communities.

When resettlement was necessary and offered, the subsidized ferry boat supply service and basic utilities were shut off. If a family wished to stay, they were on their own. From what we have heard, the family is allowed to rent the family home for five years at a time by paying the government a small payment, maybe $100 to $300 to use the house. Eventually the homes fall into disrepair, the sidewalks crack the weeds overgrow and very few people live in the community- and those hardy folks try to make out the best they can.

Unfortunately there is no more lucrative cod fishing on the southern coast of Newfoundland, nor are the fisherman hanging around the docks expecting the fishery to revive-  but they are also angry at the government regulation. The people settled in the harbor towns were self-sufficient types- eventually forced to move to make a living. Some preferred the hardship the lack of basic services would cause, as the towns lost residents and the ferries an other supports were withdrawn. Some towns are still dying and resettlement still happening as we traveled in 2008.

The outport town of Grand Bruit with fewer than 70 families was about to vote on whether to resettle. There appear to be about 10 people as year round residents with more people arriving to enjoy the family home for a few months in the summer, perhaps as many as 70 people in the summer.

One of these towns we visited by dingy from our anchored boat a few days ago was closed five years ago.
The town of Petites is located on the south coast in Harbor Le Cou. The town has no road access.  Access from the west stops at Burgeo. Access used to be government provided by the coastal ferry and private boats. This has to be one of the most beautiful places on the south coast and has an unspoiled beauty: harbors, fresh water, towering mountains, wildflowers and abandoned houses with absolutely no people- well actually three families are using their homes as camps and trying to make their homes livable. Because access to supplies is difficult and no one lives in them, the remaining folks might remove parts from the abandoned homes as they need them, or burning other parts in their fires. As we walked the concrete walks or wooden walkways through the town, we could see the hurriedness with which people left the town and their possessions behind. In one home a doll startled us looking out from a corner. In another house the rugs were perfect but the wires in the walls were removed through large gashes into the sheetrock. Clothing was strewn around a home as if someone was simply sorting the wash.

Dan and I couldn’t help but reflect on what the occupants may have felt at leaving this glorious scenery behind-even as they understood there was nothing more for them in Petites. They may not have starved as there are some fish if you have a boat and can afford the price of gas, or caribou or moose to hunt in summer, but there is no way to continue to make a living.

So we visited these outport towns in flux – most will not be there in 10 years. As anywhere, people cope differently. Some people move on. We heard many of the families have someone away working in the oil business on the offshore platforms and are paid well. If a person makes a certain amount of money in a seasonal job, they can collect unemployment for the time the climate makes the job unavailable. Some might move to a new town where they may have a family member and retrain for some job that the government provides. Their fathers and grandfathers were fishermen and they want to be on the water. It seems that many are doing a lot of wishing for the life that was once a possibility. There are gorgeous parcels of land and houses to be purchased for what might be considered cheap. The residents don’t see the value in all this oceanfront property because of the problem of supplies. We met a man who purchased a shed on harborfront land for $1200. There are innumerable offerings such as that- but you can’t help feeling badly for a past way of life that only the rich could now enjoy if they could stand the isolation, climate and inconvenience. The scenery is lovely enough for us to consider it and think about plunking a sailboat right out front.

Dan found Petites to be very picturesque

Outside of church shown below

What could be behind the blue door?

Jamie reading the sermon

Newfoundland South Coast

So many wonderful places to visit.  Here are some pictures and memories from the south coast of Newfoundland heading west.  We did not choose to visit St. John's as the weather was windy and it would have been a challenge to get there .  When traveling the coast in summer you can expect wind, wind driven waves, and 40% of the days average some fog.  We felt we needed to use our days to head west and south toward the the Cabot Strait, by end of September.  Some places we visited by our 45 foot Island Packet Sea Star were

Seals on rocks,  and wildlife was seen on the tops of the hills above the fiords.

Hunting cabins seen up Grey River fiord.

Traps near MCcallom waiting for the correct season.   

Aquaculture is being tried.  The fish, cod and haddock etc. are few 

Motoring into a private anchorage.  Not many tourists or or cruising boats sail here.

Colorful docks are everywhere.

Stretch of ocean waters and pop into a wide fiord

I'm in full wet suit gear.   In the morning we often had to dry walls on the inside of boat from condensation and roll the dodger to improve visibility.

Beautifully painted fishing boat.

(below is out of sequence)

French ISLANDS PIERRE AND MIQUELON

We have sailed our first overnight cruise  and landed in France!  Well, islands with amazing beauty, prolific wildlife and incredible wines and cheeses that belong to France, residents speak French and consider themselves French in many ways.  Here we are tied to the dock.

Neat as a pin houses, shops and restaurants.

Boats are kept from being swept away by tieing with capsans

Dan and Kathy on a rock in "France."

  

Many friendly  villages to visit.

Hiking  right through the town of Francois

We see these blows off Miquelon about 20 miles from Grand Banks

  Next entry will bring us to the beginning of return trip.