The Crossing

December 17, 2011 - Log Entry - The BIG DAY - Crossing into the Bahama

Hanging out the night before the BIG CROSSING!

0000 -  Bedtime, after last minute calls to family and stowing of gear and looking at charts and weather
0255 - Alarm goes off, ugh
0330 - Engine on, wake up Justin, say goodbye's, untie from his boat
0345 - Off to the Bahamas!!  Ballyhoo in tow (looking to catch dinner)

Life Harness on!  Safety First!

1000 - Fish On!  Not enough time to tighten the drag and it gets away with our lure, bait and all the new fishing line.  Mike sees it jump after it gets away and says it was a 4 foot Wahoo!  It leaves me a souvenir, burning my fingers on the line, ouch.
1100 - Fish On Again!  This time the other pole.  It turns out to be a 2 lb. black fin tuna that we reel in not even realizing it is there at first.  Unfortunately, we release it before discovering that it is an excellent eating fish.  Luckily our friends, Skip & Carol on Rapsody, caught a 40 lb. mackerel, so there will still be fish for dinner.

Mike with his black fin tuna

1130 - Another Fish On!  It's a Wahoo again, but it gets away, fortunately it doesn't take the lure and the line this time!
1200 - First sight of the ISLANDS!  It has been a great motor cruise across the Gulf Stream.  Very comfortable, not too rollie or choppy of a ride and NO SEASICKNESS.  Sun is out and Mike and I are lounging as the auto-pilot does all the work.
1245 - Mike hoists the yellow quarantine flag until we clear Customs in the Bahamas.  We are using Han's yellow shirt for the flag.

Mike hoisting the quarantine flag - Han's yellow shirt.

1330 - Enter channel into Bimini, crystal clear waters, can see the bottom as if you are looking through glass, cannot describe how beautiful it is!!
1400 - Arrive at Blue Water Marina.  Get help with dock lines and Mike goes in to clear Customs.

Tanqueray at the dock in Bimini at Blue Water Marina.

1600 - Walk into town, which is literally one one-lane road.  Visit beach on west shore.  Most beautiful beach and water that I have ever seen!


WE MADE IT!!!  Sun is out, water is beautiful, white sand on our feet, fresh fish for dinner, conch in the freezer and rum in our cups.  What the life!

Nelly Chronicles Part 6 & 7

Nelly Chronicles Part 6 & 7
By "Daubie" Jim Daubenberger

At last I have a plan. I can't believe it has taken me so long, but finally I know how to get rid of the old one. Today while I was performing my mid morning meditation it suddenly came to me. I will use my "Cat Powers" to drive him from the boat. Every time he gets comfortable I will lay down across from him and give him the evil eye. It has worked for eons for my predessessors. No human can withstand for long the "cat eye". He will fold in no time, I predict. There will be no respite. Here he comes, I begin immediately.

Part 7
Well, I've done it at last, the evil old one has packed his bags and I have complete access to the back of the boat. I think I'll move in back there as soon as the stench of him is gone. His blankets are pretty comfortable, the best part is that I can sneak back where none can find me and if they leave the locker door open, I can escape to the outside.

Well, thank the great cat for smallis favors. The old one is out the door, but this has been the most miserable two days of the whole cruise. We have been safe and sound at the dock since yesterday morning and I have been locked away down below the whole time. My people have been off galavanting, they come back full of laughter and sunshine and I have spent my whole day, the sunset feeding time and the morning sunrise sitting on the top step with my nose pressed tight against the laxau watching those miserable, shiny black grackles land right in my cockpit and strut about as if they owned the place. I'm going crazy I have to get out there. I'm going to have grackle fricasse if I can just sneak past my guards.

There's also some big yachts out there that need exploring. And there's the rub. I think my people thinkk that the people on those yachts don't want me there. Or maybe they're just jealouse cause I can get on those big yachts and hang out. I'll bet some of those big yacht people would like a cat. They've got plenty of room for a big litter box - hmmm. Maybe I should move up,, wonder if I should go power or sail.

Lake Sylvia

Yes, that is our sailboat, the one that looks like a dingy, on the right.  We rafted up to our friends, who were on a 45 foot ketch, named Even Song.  This was my first experience rafting up to another boat and it is a lot of fun being able to jump from boat to boat and not have to climb into a dingy, possibly get sprayed with salt water and/or get stuck out in the middle of the harbor with your outboard not starting (these have been some of our experiences so far!)  Nelly especially loved the extra space to explore and canvas to jump around on.  

Lake Sylvia is the free anchorage in Fort Lauderdale, a quiet escape from the busy city and mega yachts.  Here you can actually meet boaters on similar size boats as yourself.  We spent 2 weeks in Fort Lauderdale outfitting our boat for the Bahamas.  Boat life is a lot of fun, but it is not always fun and games, especially in the beginning!  So, if you think we are just relaxing in the warm 80 degree weather drinking gin & tonics (what other drink would we have, with a boat named Tanqueray!) with nothing to do, see the list that I've provided below of what we have done these past two weeks while at the dock in the Riviera.

1.  Bled the engine

2.  Installed new/working refrigeration

3.  Changed out all the inside lights with LED lights (energy conservation for our 2 small house load batteries)

4.  Installed an outdoor cockpit LED light

5.  Hooked up the auto-pilot

6.  Bought a spare anchor and anchor rode

7.  Strengthened the dingy davits

8.  Re-bedded multiple fittings

9.  Installed a new battery charger and inverter

10.  Fixed carburetor on dingy outboard

11.  Provisioned the boat with a year supply of food and supplies

12.  Stowed all the new supplies

13.  Bought several spare parts in case something breaks down in the Bahamas (i.e. fuel filters, oil filters, hose clamps, wire, hose, you name it, we have it!)

14.  Installed salt water pump (this is to help with conserving fresh water when doing dishes)

15.  Change fuel filter

So, don't feel too jealous of us just yet.  After Saturday when we cross into the Bahamas you can start feeling jealous!  

Transient

We've been in and out of several marina's and small port towns already and I keep getting asked the same question, "Are you a transient?"   I looked up the definition of transient and found the meaning to be:

•  A.  a guest or boarder who stays only briefly

• B.  a person traveling about usually in search of work

• C.  a temporary oscillation that occurs in a circuit because of a sudden change of voltage or of load 
• D.  a transient current or voltage

C and D are amusing to me, since I'm an electrical engineer by study and in my work/cubicle life, I run thermal & transient stability studies on the power system for the West Coast High Voltage Transmission System. 

But now, having taken the year off to sail the Intercoastal and down to the Bahamas and possibly beyond, "transient" has a new meaning.  I'm not in search of work, well, at least not yet, I am lucky to be on sabatacle and have my job back at the end of the year, but I am a guest or boarder who stays only briefly.  Wikipedia defines transient slightly different, "a term used to describe the wandering poor, better known as a homeless person, bum, hobo, etc.".   

This definition better fits Mike and I as we are definitely wandering and quickly working our way to being poor! A friend asked us the other day, "How do you tell the difference between a homeless person and a boater? A boater doesn't have greasy hair." Well, I'm sure going to make sure I wash my hair now! Both Mike and I are beginning to show signs of grease. Uh Oh!

The Nelly Chronicles Part 5

The Nelly Chronicles Part 5
By "Daubie" Jim Daubenberger

These people are just not that easy to train. How many times do you think I'll have to crap on their bed before they learn to provide me full access to a clean litter box? I mean really how hard is it. They thought I would be satisfied to poop on a screen poised above the litter and I have to say I tried the arrangement and found it completely unsatisfactory. Then it got really stormy and the door to the room they call a "head", what's that all about, and locked me out of the litter box again. When a girls got the runs she needs access. Well, I jumped up into the forepeak, but before I could bury the evidence in that damn quilt I got busted. Everybody threw a fit of course, and I had to have a time out outside which was just fine with Me. So now we're stuck out in the anchorage with howling norther making waves against the current. It's a little rough this morning. I had to pee really bad and I let them know. I also refused to use that screen contraption they're so fond of. Finally they took it out and hallalooya, put my box out in the cockpit. Finally I'm getting them trained a little.

Rumor has it that the old gieser is leaving tomorrow. Well there's some good news. I'll have Mom & Dad all to myself. I vever trusted that old guy he was too weird. He was always giving my parents advise about cat related things. I think he's the one that suggested putting the screen in my litter box. Hell that's the only dirt on the whole damn boat and they cover it up with a screen just to make their lives a little easier. Well, I showed them, I turned their whole bedroom into a litter box.

It's a constant battle training these humans. First I become little miss b*@!*, then when they do what I want, I cozy up to them and purr a little. They'll get it eventually, just a little more training. It's exhausting work, but what else do I have to do, I'm a cat.

Provisioning

Imagine going to the supermarket, well, first imagine walking 2 miles to get there, and then proceeding to buy all the non-perishable food that you can think you'd possibly need or want for one years time. Well, I can tell you from personal experience that one shopping cart is not enough! Try more like 3 carts, full to the brim, and once they are organized and bagged it's more like 4 carts.

Five hours at the grocery store is, for most normal people, an unbearble amount of time to be buying food. We literally walked down every aisle and hoped that there would be enough cans of pears, dried fruit, tuna, salami, canned vegi's or pasta sauce in stock. You know you are from a 'Different World' (i.e. a boater), when you are pushing multiple grocery carts and people start staring at you like, "Is there some Apocolypse that I didn't hear about?". Well, that's what you call "Provisioning" your boat for a year sailing trip.

Then trying to figure out where you are going to fit all this food you just bought in your 32-foot boat that's already crammed with gear, clothes, spare parts, tools, that is the true test. We stowed the food under seats, in plastic bins in the aft cabin, in lockers and shelves and in little nooks and crannies that you wouldn't even know existed, all places that the food will not spill out when the boat is heeled over sailing.

Before our big provisioning excursion, I had been doing some of my own "market research" via other sailers. I asked them questions on the types of meals they cooked on their boat, what non-perishable foods they recommended, anything they wished they had brought more of and how they provisioned their boat in a place where food is not as easily accessible as in the U.S. nor as cheap. I got some great ideas from numerous people and Mike and I began writing out our Master shopping list.

Luckily, in my favor, I grew up with a mother who is an all time bargain shopper, spends hours in the grocery store and provisions her house on a weekly basis for the 'Apocolypse'. We never lacked on choices for cereal in the morning or food in the cupboards. So, with that notch in my belt, I did not miss a beat when we started buying everything on our list and more as we began filling cart after cart of food. Thank you Mom!

What I learned from this shopping extravaganza is that you can rest assured that Mike and I will be eating well this next year, even if it is from a can!!! We will be catching lots of fresh fish, lobster and conch to add to our provisions. If you like food, look for future meal descriptions and pictures in our Boat Food page.

Isle of Venice

If I was asked to describe Fort Lauderdale in one word, I'd have to choose "Venice". I never would have thought that would be the word of choice to describe a place in Florida, but it's true. Fort Lauderdale is an intricate system of canals, waterways and bridges that run up and down the whole city. Beautiful, multi-million dollar homes, yachts and sailboats line these canals, making it even more impressive!

We've been here now for over a week and have been staying at a small dock in one of the canals, where we've been able to work on repairs, outfit and provision our boat before crossing over to the Bahamas. The road leading here is named Isle of Venice (how fitting)!

It's an amazing location, sooo much better than an actual marina for many reasons. First, it's way cheaper, only $150 for the week and that includes the pools, bbq grill, shower and laundry facilities. Second, every single person at this dock is friendly, willing to offer a helping hand, and provide advice or spare parts to help us get ready for our voyage. Some are also heading South, others live on their boat, but will not be traveling this season, but all of them have great stories and advice and are fun to be around. And last but not least, we have some of the best hosts in all of Fort Lauderdale here (Justin & Will) who have taken us on countless trips to West Marine, let us use Port Supply (big savings), helped us with projects on the boat, driven us to the grocery store numerous times, and shared dinners with us in the evenings. Of all places to be preparing a boat, this is it! Plus we are not stuck out in an anchorage where I can not get to shore to go for a run and release some of my bottled up energy!

On a side note, my first experience running in Fort Lauderdale almost got me arrested! Only our second day here. We had anchored for two nights at Lake Sylvia and Mike and Justin were planning to take the dingy carburetor apart to try and diagnose it's problem, I decided to go for a run. So, I had Mike drop me off at a small bridge on the canal and I got off and ran for an hour. It was a great run, hot and humid, but it felt good to move my legs again after 5 days of traveling on a 32 foot boat and not much shore leave.

Anyways, I was waiting at my drop off point to be picked up and all of a sudden a cop car backed up with her lights on and began asking me for my name and information. I was a little confused, "Is it illegal to run in this town?". I gave her my name, well my maiden name, that's not really a lie, right? And she gave me a warning and went on her way.

In the meantime, I'm wondering if she's going to write me a ticket or take me in. I hope not, that would really ruin my day and my great run. I tell her I'm from out of town and didn't realize this was not a spot to get onto land, I just wanted to go for a run, geez! Finally, she rolls away and Mike returns on the dingy, which he had turned around when he saw the cop. What was he planning on doing? Let me get arrested? At least I could have called him for my one phone call! Thankfully I made it back to the boat, but it's nice to be at a dock slip now where I won't get arrested when trying to get onto land to run. Who would have known you could get in trouble by trying to stay in shape! Well, it was worth it!

Nelly Chronicles Part 3 & 4

Nelly Chronicles Part 3 & 4
by "Daubie" Jim Daubenberger

I need to go back and straighten out a little detail that I'm quite sure will be misinterpreted if others tell the tail. My people have been putting a lid on my "box" when they don't think I'll be needing it. If they're put off by it...just think how I feel. Anyway, the other night Mike put it in their "poopy bathroom" and closed the door, then he went to bed. The old guy, to his credit, suggested I might need to use it, but Mike said no problem, I could hold it for 12 hours.

Well, about 3am I had to go, I mean bad, so I went up forward and tried to wake my people. NOTHING. I pawed at Sara, I was getting frantic, finally I couldn't hold it any longer. While I was burying it in her blanket she woke up and told Mike I needed the "litter box". (Too late babe). He got up and set it up but the deed was done, or should I say the "peed" was done.

So they threw all thier bedding in the "cock pit" (still haven't seen that rooster) and moved into the bunk in the salon.

The old guy woke up an hour later, guess he had to pee too, and gave them one of his blankets, and that's why I got shore leave, cause they needed to do laundry.

Part 4
Okay, I've had it now!! Just when I was getting the hang of it and starting to feel ok about the the whole motor thing and the no land thing and the litter box that moves around and gets a lid on it half the time, just as I was beginning to get comfortable. They get up this morning, almost before daylight, clammer around banging about making all kinds of racket, start that infernal machine, which I have to tell you every damn time it starts I have to take a serious shit, and off we go again!

When I look out, I see that those other boats are all going down the channel we were in yesterday, but my people are going the other way. I try to point this out but they just laugh like they always do...isn't Nelly amusing. How condescending, and all the while the Idiots are going the wrong way.

Suddenly, the boat is moving very strangely. It's trying to fly, I think, and there's no land in front of us. This is not funny!! An hour later I can't see land anywhere, the lid is on my box cause, I took a big dump...and frankly I'm a little nervous. I think I'll eat something. I want to lay down but everything is moving. I have had it with this program. I should have stayed at home with Susy, she understands me.