February | 2018 | Silver Maple Blog

Friday, February 2nd to Monday, February 12th

The weather has been windy and rainy since we got here, so we haven’t been able to get off the dock. Regardless, we’ve been enjoying Hope Town and all the fun people we meet here. Lee is feeling much better and is pretty much back to normal. Yeah! We keep busy with boat chores and just hanging out. Randy has been doing lots of varnishing and waxing. Silver Maple is looking great!

Captain hard at work varnishing the cockpit table

Randy’s work pays off! Table looks amazing!

Randy gets a visit from the resident Manatee while he is waxing the hull

Saying hello!

Likes a little pat on the head and belly rub. Too cute!

Hope Town harbour looking like a postcard

Lee joins the painting group in Hope Town for the morning

Curly tail lizard poses for Lee while she is painting. Sorry, painting trees and ocean today!

Happy Hour with all our boating friends

In the bar at the Hope Town Inn watching the Superbowl. Yeah, Eagles!

Great a capella group called Shere Khan from Princeton University gives benefit concert in Hope Town

Out for dinner at the Abaco Inn on Elbow Cay with friends Gloria and Jim (from Charlotte, NC on Jimandi), Debra and John (from Annapolis, MD on Mandalay) and Louise and Guy (from Vancouver, BC on Miss Ellie)

Out for a beach walk on Elbow Cay

Stopping for a cocktail at On Da Beach half way though our beach walk

Bellying up to the bar at On Da Beach. Lovely spot!

Sunrise over Hope Town Harbour

Hope Town Marina looking lovely at sunrise on Elbow Cay in the Bahamas

Good news! This week, the weather has changed! It’s been gorgeous so we take a trip down to Lynyard Cay and Tahiti Beach.

On the water again, finally!

Gorgeous day!

Sails are up!

Lee at the helm

Captain says the sails are looking good

The delivery boat on its way into Hope Town bringing supplies to the island

Captain Randy!

Next week we have visitors coming, Stacia, Paul, and their kids Celia and Andrew from Ann Arbor, MI. It will be cozy with all of us on the boat, but should be really fun. Looking forward to it! Yeah!

Thursday, January 11th to Thursday, February 1st, 2018

The start to the 2018 sailing season wasn’t as smooth as we would have liked, but we are here in the Bahamas now, so life is good. Lee contracted something called Valley Fever when we were in Scottsdale in the fall, so Randy went down alone to Green Turtle Cay in the Bahamas where Silver Maple is stored to get her prepped and into the water. Then, he single-handed her from Green Turtle Cay, through the Whale Cay ocean passage to Marsh Harbour, where he picked Lee up about a week and a half later after the doctors finally gave her the thumbs up to travel. The sailing season is finally underway!

Silver Maple being loaded on the crane at Abaco Yacht Services on Green Turtle Cay

Going into the water

Ready to go!

So, our Bahamian sailing season is underway, but Lee is still taking it easy and continues to recuperate. Much better to rest and heal in the warm weather than in the winter at home in Canada.

Lee with her feet up recuperating

Coffee time!

Beautiful day for a run from Marsh Harbour to Hope Town

Captain Randy is happy to be back

When we arrive in Hope Town, it was like we had never left. All our boating friends are here, as well as some new folks to join the crowd. Randy plays in a Bocce Ball tournament and although he doesn’t win, he somehow manages to score the best looking partner when they do the random draw for teams. Hmm..

Silver Maple settled into her slip at the Hope Town Inn and Marina

Out for lunch at Cracker P’s with cruising friends, old and new

Hope Town Marina and Hope Town Harbour are looking full

View off the back of Silver Maple in our slip at the Hope Town Inn and Marina

Hope Town Inn and Marina

Randy and his Bocce Ball partner, Molly, from Denmark

The competition is fierce… ha!

Game spills onto the beach

More Lee’s speed as she continues to recover

We’ve been mostly taking it easy so Lee can get back on her feet, but there are always chores to do on the boat to keep busy. The weather has been a real mixed bag, with cool temperatures one day, rain the next, then heavy winds and some beautiful warm sunshine thrown in. Next week the weather is supposed to be nice, so hopefully we will be able to get out on the water for some sailing.