Lee’s father has taken a turn for the worse, so we are now back in Canada. He is being moved from the Newmarket hospital to paliative care in Haliburton tomorrow (Feb 15).
Silver Maple has been put in storage in Green Turtle Cay in the Bahamas. Our plan is to resume the trip next year and carry-on south for further adventures.
Thanks to all of our followers. Will resume blogging next year.
We have updated the house photos at www.silvermapleblog.wordpress.com.
Randy’s son, Jackson, has been with us the last ten days on the boat. He headed back home today. It was a great visit — snorkeling, swimming, fishing. Now he’s back to the snow and cold. We miss him already!
MONDAY, DECEMBER 31st — DAY 132 (New Years in Hope Town, Bahamas)
New Years Eve dinner with Doug, Ellen, Sarah, Emma, Jackson, Lee and Randy
TUESDAY, JANUARY 1st to WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2nd— DAY 133 and 134 (Great Guana Cay, Bahamas)
On New Years Day, Doug and Ellen and family take off on their boat, ‘Trillium,’ and head back to North Carolina. We leave Hope Town on ‘Silver Maple’ for Great Guana Cay. It’s a nice day so Jackson tries his luck at trolling for fish off the back of the boat while we are under way. Randy set up a holder for the fishing rod a few weeks ago. We’ve done some fishing, but haven’t caught anything — until now.
Lee and Leo on the way to Great Guana Cay
Jackson preparing to fish off the back of the boat
He has a bite!
Jackson hauls in a beauty! Fish for dinner!
At Great Guana Cay, we anchor out in Fishers Bay. It’s beautiful. The next day we go ashore to see Nippers Bar & Grill and hang out at the beach. Later that afternoon we head back to the Marsh Harbour Marina and have dinner at the Jibroom restaurant at the Marina. It is Rib Night and they have some of the dock guys demonstrate ‘Rake and Scrape’ music. This Bahamian form of music involves running a screw-driver along a saw blade in time with the music.
Leo and Randy go ashore for Leo’s morning walk at Great Guana Cay
Beautiful morning in Fishers Bay
Jackson and Randy on the beach in front of Nippers
Jackson and Leo enjoying the water
Rib Night at the Jibroom Restaurant
Jackson tries ‘Raking and Scraping’.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 3rd to FRIDAY, JANUARY 4th — DAY 135 and 136 (Marsh Harbour)
Thursday morning we are at the Ferry dock in Marsh Harbour by 8AM to meet Justin and his fishing boat ‘Local Boy’ that Randy has chartered for a half day to go deep-sea fishing. At quarter to 12, we still haven’t had a single bite — then all of a sudden, three hits! Fish for dinner again!
Lee and Jackson on ‘Local Boy’ heading out to do some deep-sea fishing
Randy in the Fighting Chair waiting for the fish to bite
Still waiting for the fish.
We land 2 and a half-fish called Wahoo. Half of Lee’s gets eaten by something else as she reels it in. Justin said it was probably a barracuda. Should have reeled it in faster!
Showing off our catch
On Friday (today), Jackson is off to the airport at 8:30AM. He should have arrived back in Toronto around 9PM. We really enjoyed his visit and miss him already. Have a good semester at university, Jackson!
Getting in the taxi. Bye Jackson!
We have had a wonderful Christmas in the Bahamas with our many new friends. And, we are very happy to have Jackson back as part of the crew while he visits during his Christmas break from University of Guelph. He will be here to ring in the New Year with us. Yeah!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23rd to MONDAY, DECEMBER 24th — DAY 124 to 125 (Great Guana Cay to Marsh Harbour)
On Sunday, we head to Great Guana Cay with two other boats, ‘Dawn Treader’ (Dawn and Ron) and ‘Kankita’ (Sharon and Pete) to go to the pig roast at the world-famous Nippers Bar and Grill. We moor Silver Maple in Fisher’s Bay. It’s a popular spot! And, a lovely day and evening.
Lee and Randy at Nippers
Our new friends, Sharon and Pete (from the boat ‘Kankita’) at Nippers
Sunset at Great Guana Cay, with water that looks like liquid metal
Heading back to Marsh Harbour for Christmas
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25th to WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26th — DAY 126 to 127 (Marsh Harbour)
For Christmas we are back at the beautiful Marsh Harbour Marina. We have a quiet day. It’s 80 degrees F. For Christmas dinner, the owners of the marina cook a turkey and all the people on boats bring side dishes for a great pot-luck, Christmas dinner.
Leo opening his Christmas gift
Christmas festivities at the Marsh Harbour Marina
On December 26th (Boxing Day), Jackson arrives! He spends some time resting by the pool and then joins in the sunset conch horn blowing. Great to have him back!
Jackson resting up after trip here
Jackson joins in blowing the conch horn at sunset
It’s a beautiful sunset
Leo with his doggie friends, Lucy and Eli at the sunset conch horn blowing festivities
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27th to FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28th— DAY 128 to 129 (Lynyard Cay and Tahiti Beach)
The next day we head down to one of our favourite places, Lynyard Cay. We anchor with ‘Promises Kept’ (Debbie, Dennis, Tara, Tessa and Eli) for the evening.
The full Silver Maple crew is back together!
Debbie and Dennis (from ‘Promises Kept’) come by for a visit on Silver Maple the evening before they leave for the Exuma Islands
On Friday, Debbie, Dennis and family leave us for the Exuma Islands further south. Very sad to see them go, and we sincerely hope to run into them again during our travels. We head back north with Silver Maple and do some snorkeling at beautiful Pelican Cay on our way to Tahiti Beach.
Jackson snorkeling
Beautiful Pelican Cay
When we arrive in Tahiti Beach, Sharon and Pete on ‘Kankita’ meet us. We go to the Junkanoo parade together at Seaspray, the local marina and restaurant. To get there we have to take the dinghy a mile and a half in the dark. The parade is really fun and colourful.
Junkanoo parade is part of holiday celebration
This young fellow is very good!
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29th to SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30 — DAY 130 to 131 (Hope Town)
On Saturday, we head to Hope Town and leave ‘Kankita.’ Sharon and Pete are heading back to Marsh Harbour for New Years, and we plan to spend it in Hope Town with our friends Ellen and Doug and their daughters, Emma and Sarah, from Southport, SC. They are bringing their boat ‘Trillium’ across to the Bahamas and we are expecting to see them on the 30th, but they show up on Saturday! Great to see them again. Sunday we spend at the beach and relaxing.
Sunrise at Tahiti Beach
‘Trillium’ arrives a day before we expect her and docks next to ‘Silver Maple’ in Hope Town
Jackson with Sarah and Emma at Captain Jack’s for dinner
Another gorgeous Bahamian sunset in Hope Town
Ellen, Doug, Emma and Sarah with Lee and Jackson on the beach near Hope Town
Tomorrow is New Years Eve. We will be celebrating the arrival of 2013 here in Hope Town. Should be fun!
All the best for the coming year to everyone! Cheers!
Although we are here and not sending out Christmas cards or doing the usual holiday visits, spending time with friends and family back home, you are all in our thoughts and we hope everyone is having a great holiday season.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 17th to TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18th — DAY 118 to 119 (Hanging out at our new favourite place, the Marsh Harbour Marina)
We have settled into a routine and seem to be using the Marsh Harbour Marina as our base these days. It’s a lovely marina. The town of Marsh Harbour is just a short bike ride or dinghy ride away. Best of all, we have made some great friends here.
Clearly we have out done ourselves with this year’s Christmas decorating
The beautiful Marsh Harbour Marina and Jib Room Restaurant
View of sunrise from Silver Maple during morning coffee
Randy learning to play dominos with new friends at the Marsh Harbour Marina
The boat next to us called ‘Dawn Treader’ has a boat pet too! Cody the cat on watch in the morning
Our boat pet
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18th to THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20th — DAY 120 to 121 (Snorkeling in Sandy Cay and anchoring at Lynyard Cay)
On Wednesday, we head out with two other boats of friends from the Marsh Harbour Marina — Debbie, Dennis, with their daughters Tara and Tessa, and dog Eli, on ‘Promises Kept’, and Sharon and Peter on ‘Kankita.’ It is a perfect day. We sail to Sandy Cay where we dinghy over to the reef to do some snorkeling. Afterwards we anchor just off of Lynyard Cay close to a beautiful beach.
‘Promises Kept’ and ‘Kankita’ next to us on the way to Sandy Cay and Lynyard Cay
Leo enjoying the trip
Great day for a sail. ‘Kankita’ and ‘Promises Kept’ in front
Captain checking the sails
We put up the big sail — first time since we left Lake Ontario
The next day we spend the morning on the beach and then head back to Marsh Harbour. It’s another beautiful day for sailing, but bad weather is moving in so we want to get back into harbour before it arrives on Friday.
Sunrise over Lynyard Cay
Gorgeous beach with the boats anchored nearby
The group on the beach
Leo and Eli enjoying the beach
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21st to SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22nd — DAY 122 to 123 (Back in Marsh Harbour)
Friday was windy and stormy. Glad we are back in harbour.
Today, Saturday, is nicer, but it has cooled down to the 60s. We finish up Christmas shopping. Lee does some baking. In the evening, we join friends at the end of the dock for sunset cocktails. Once the sun drops below the horizon, it is tradition to sound the conch (pronounced ‘conk’) shell horn, which Ron from ‘Dawn Treader’ demonstrates.
Sunset cocktails on the dock
Ron blowing the Conch horn
Randy consoling Leo, who is afraid of the Conch horn and starts barking at it
Tomorrow (Sunday) plan is to head over to Great Guana Cay to go to a pig roast at Nippers, which is a well-known bar and restaurant here. Monday we will return to the Marsh Harbour Marina and stay here for Christmas. Jackson arrives on Boxing Day on the 26th to stay with us for the week. We are really looking forward to seeing him!
Crista and Fritz from Switzerland have gone home, and we are carrying on with our visits to various spots in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas. Although its just a few days from Christmas, it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Even with the decorations the locals have put up and those that other cruisers have hung on their boats, somehow the 80 degree F weather just doesn’t give you the same holiday spirit as the snow. Regardless, we continue to have a great time and are meeting lots of wonderful people and cruisers, like us.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8th — DAY 109 (Snorkeling and scuba diving in Man-O-War Cay, Bahamas)
On Saturday morning we head out from Man-O-War Cay with a local dive guide named, Michael (Dive Time) to Fowl Cay where there is a great reef and protected area for snorkeling and scuba diving. It is a beautiful day — sunny, 80+ degrees F and not too windy or wavy. Randy, Michael (the guide) and a fellow from the UK named, Graham, scuba dive while I go along with them watching from above with my snorkel. We see lobster, ray, turtle, barracuda and schools of large fish. Just fantastic!
Silver Maple at the dock on Man-O-War Cay
On our way to Fowl Cay in the Dive Time boat
The scuba diver, ready to go in
Ready to go snorkeling!
When we get back to Man-O-War Cay, Crista and Fritz are there having lunch. We agree to meet up later in Great Guana Cay and have dinner at Grabbers along with their nephew, Mark, and his girlfriend, Julia.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9th to WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12th — DAY 110 to 113 (Wrapping up visit with Crista and Fritz)
When we get up on Sunday, it is cloudy, but looks like the rain will hold off. It doesn’t. Just after we pull away from the dock the skies open. It rains sideways. We, and everything on the boat are soaked. When we arrive in Hope town it is still raining. Later we hear that we have received over 2 inches of rain.
Leo getting wet in the pouring rain — and not happy about it
Having fun in the rain. Its coming down so hard that you just have to laugh
The next day we spend in Hope Town cleaning up and trying to get things dried out. Later we have cocktails on Silver Maple with Deana and Ted from Annapolis who just arrived on their boat, ‘Odyssey.’
Back in Hope Town on a beautiful morning — thankfully the rain has stopped
Tuesday we head back to Marsh Harbour and spend the day with Crista and Fritz. They have rented a car, so we drive around the island. It is very rural and mostly reforested pine forest.
Rental car reminds you that in the Bahamas they drive on the other side of the road
Out for a drive with Crista and Fritz
Taking a break at Pete’s Pub in Little Harbour
Near the end of the day, we stop at a new real estate development area where Fritz was told by the car rental people is the best place to see the endangered Abaco Parrott. When we stop the car, Fritz says, “well, lets roll down the windows and see if we can hear any parrots.” As if on cue, four parrots fly towards us and land in the tree next to the car. Unbelievable and very funny since we really weren’t expecting to see any. The birds aren’t the least bit afraid of us as we get out of the car and take pictures.
The endangered Abaco Parrot — we see four!
Wednesday, Crista and Fritz leave ‘Cloudy Bay’ at the dock and join us on Silver Maple for a sail. We anchor and have lunch by Fowl Cay. Unfortunately, the current is too heavy to do any snorkeling, but its a lovely day.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13th to SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16th — DAY 114 to 117 (Treasure Cay and back to Marsh Harbour)
On Thursday, Crista and Fritz fly back to Switzerland and we head out in on Silver Maple to Treasure Cay. We have heard from other cruisers that it is a lot like Florida. When we get there, (once again in the pouring rain) we find a real estate development of condos. Not very interesting so the next morning we go back to Marsh Harbour.
As we enter the harbour, we see ‘Promises Kept’ moored in the bay. We met Debbie and Dennis when we were in West End and spent a few days with them in Great Sale Cay, but haven’t seen or heard from them since. Great to see them! We agree to meet later for happy hour and dinner.
The last two days we have spent here at the Marsh Harbour Marina. Its a very friendly place, so we aren’t in any hurry to leave. Yesterday we rode our bikes into town to the farmers market. Later, we had dinner at the Marina restaurant and watched a rake and scrape band. Rake and scrape music is basically played by keeping beat using a screwdriver that you rub over a saw blade. I get up with one of the other women, Sharon, to give it a try. Fun!
Today we did our cleaning chores and we are now relaxing. We are thinking of heading to Sandy Cay early in the week to do some more snorkeling and anchor out for a few nights if the weather is good.
All is well! Its been very windy since we got here with occasional rain, but we really can’t complain about the 75 – 80 degree F weather given back home we hear it is now snowing!
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1st to MONDAY, DECEMBER 3rd — DAY 102 to 104 (Stuck in Hope Town, Bahamas on Elbow Cay)
Because of high winds and unsettled weather we stay in Hope Town for a few days. The wind is blowing us on to the dock at almost 30 knots — too much to exit our slip safely (or at least not worth the chance). We head to explore the lighthouse that’s not a far walk from the marina. After climbing the stairs, we enjoy the amazing view. The Elbow Cay Lighthouse is one of the last three, continuously operated, kerosene-fueled, hand-wound rotation lighthouses in the world.
Elbow Cay Lighthouse
Walking to the lighthouse in Hope Town
View of Hope Town Harbour from the lighthouse (Silver Maple is tied up at the dock on the extreme right of the photo)
Finally, on Monday we are able to get away and head up to Marsh Harbour. Our friends, Crista and Fritz from Switzerland arrive in the morning, and we meet them on the dock just before noon. Great to see them! We have dinner at a nearby restaurant called Mango.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4th — DAY 105 (Marsh Harbour, Bahamas to meet Crista and Fritz then off to Sea Spray, on Elbow Cay)
In the morning, we head out in a convoy to Sea Spray on the south end of Elbow Cay. Crista and Fritz, on their rental boat, ‘Cloudy Bay’, immediately have problems with their navigation equipment so they follow us closely for the 2 hour trip and into the marina at Sea Spray. It is a beautiful day, so we put the sails up on Silver Maple. Gorgeous! One of the best sailing days yet.
Crista and Fritz on ‘Cloudy Bay’
Randy and Leo on the dock at the Conch Inn and Marina in Marsh Harbour
Sails up on the way to Sea Spray on Elbow Cay
Beautiful blue Sea of Abaco water
Crista and Fritz on ‘Cloudy Bay’ following closely behind
When we get to Sea Spray, we head out in the dingy to a beach nearby called Tahiti Beach. Beautiful. Leo loves running in the sand and on the sand bar. It was a bit wavy on the way back so we get covered further with more salt water. Dinner that night is in the Boat House Restaurant at the marina. Very quiet — only one other table, but very good.
On Tahiti Beach
Dinner at the Boat House Restaurant at the Sea Spray Marina, Elbow Cay, Bahamas
Leo on the dock at Sea Spray Marina, in front of ‘Cloudy Bay’
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5th to FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7th — DAY 106 to 108 (Hope Town to Man-O-War Cay, Bahamas)
The next morning it is a lovely day. Sun is shining, but the forecast is for thunderstorms and high winds the next evening and day. We have to cancel our plans to anchor out that night, and head to Hope Town instead. We wait for high tide so that we can exit safely the marina channel, which has a shallow area. Hope Town is a close half-hour trip so we are tied up at the dock within an hour. That night we head to Captain Jack’s restaurant in town for wing night.
Silver Maple and Cloudy Bay at the Hope Town Inn and Marina
Over night the winds pick up and the rain comes. The next day is relatively nice though. We go for a walk in town and the four of us have dinner on Silver Maple.
On Friday (today), the day starts out really nice, sunny and 80 degrees F, but a squall rolls in late morning. Randy and Fritz rent kayaks from the marina and get caught out in the storm. But it clears, so by 2pm we are off. Crista and Fritz on ‘Cloudy Bay’ head back to Marsh Harbour to pick up their nephew and his girlfriend, who are going to join them for a few days. We head to Man-O-War Cay just a short hour sail away.
Tomorrow (Saturday) we have scheduled a guide to take us snorkeling (Lee) and scuba diving (Randy) at a nearby reef in the morning. Really looking forward to it. Crista, Fritz and their Nephew, Mark, and his girlfriend, Julia, will be regrouping with us Saturday afternoon in Man-O-War Cay. From here, plan is to all head to Great Guana Cay for the Sunday Pig Roast at Nippers.
We continue to work our way south through the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas. The weather has been mixed — sunny, cloudy, windy, rainy — but its generally very nice and in the mid-70s. Hard to believe it is almost December!
Back home, work on our new house is progressing. To see the progress go to the blog site (www.silvermapleblog.wordpress.com) and click on the ‘Our New House Back in Canada’ page.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25th to MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26th — DAY 96 to 97 (Leeward Yacht Club on Green Turtle Cay)
Our first day at the Leeward Yacht Club in Black Sound on Green Turtle Cay (Island) is Sunday, but we head into the nearby town of New Plymouth in our dingy to get a few groceries. We hear there is a store open until noon. The town overlooking the Sea of Abaco, is gorgeous with pastel painted buildings and homes.
Later we ride our bicycles to one of the beaches nearby and have dinner with our friends, Carolyn and Peter.
Leo in the dingy heading to town
New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay is a picturesque little down on the sea
Homes in pastel colours
Beautiful beach nearby
Leeward is full of Canadians! This row of boats includes folks from Montreal, Ottawa, Thunder Bay and Nova Scotia
Silver Maple, as the sun sets, is tied at the end of the dock at the Leeward Yacht Club on Green Turtle Cay
Visiting Carolyn and Peter who come every year to the Bahamas from Oakville, ON
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27th — DAY 98 (Orchid Bay on Great Guana Cay)
While at Leeward, we wait for a weather window to make the next required ocean crossing around Whale Cay. Tuesday is the day, and when we head out the sun is rising and the winds are good, but on the nose — so no sailing.
Nice morning for the Whale Cay crossing
Crossing Whale Cay
After we do the Whale Cay crossing, we arrive safe and sound in Great Guana Cay and tie up at the Orchid Bay Marina. Unfortunately, it is another very deserted place and we are the only boat there. Everyone tells us that we are early and things will get busy in December. Hope so! Its a bit weird there being so few people around.
We tour the island on our bicycles and visit the world-famous, Nippers. This bar is on a beautiful beach with some of the softest sand we have ever seen. It feels like all-purpose flour to touch.
Silver Maple alone again, this time at the Orchid Bay Marina on Great Guana Cay
Orchid Bay is very nice, but empty
The famous Nippers Bar and Grill on Great Guana Cay in the Bahamas
Lee and Randy in Nippers
Beautiful soft sand on the beach in front of Nippers
Sun setting on the Orchid Bay Marina on Great Guana Cay
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27th to FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30th — DAY 99 to 101 (Hope Town Marina, Hope Town, Bahamas on Elbow Cay)
The next day we head to Hope Town on Elbow Cay. It is a beautiful calm morning, and the water is so clear that we can see star fish on the bottom when we are in 12 ft of water. Incredible.
Calm morning heading to Hope Town
Nice sunrise
Approaching Hope Town
When we arrive in Hope Town, the marina is very nice and there are lots of boats and other cruisers around. We sit by the pool and then take the ferry shuttle to town across the bay from the marina.
Leo hanging out by the pool
Hope Town, Bahamas on Elbow Cay
Golf cart is main form of (land) transportation
Randy and Leo in Hope Town
Silver Maple in the Hope Town Marina with lots of other boats. Yeah!
More pool time
View off of the back of Silver Maple here at Hope Town Marina
Shortly after we arrived in Hope Town, the weather has been rough with winds of 25 mph, so we have stayed put and enjoyed the town and island. Tuesday we head to Marsh Harbour to meet our friends, Crista and Fritz who are arriving from Switzerland and renting a sailboat for a week to join us. Really looking forward to seeing them!
Since our arrival in the Bahamas we have visited, West End, Great Sale Cay, Spanish Cay and are now in Green Turtle Cay enjoying the sunshine. It is lovely here! You’d never know its almost December…
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17th to MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19th — DAY 88 to 90 (West End to Great Sale Cay)
Saturday starts off with pouring rain, but clears by late morning with a spectacular rainbow. Since being in the Bahamas, we have seen many rainbows. An indication of the unsettled weather we have been having, unfortunately. But it turns out later to be a lovely day, so we enjoy Mimosa on the deck. Later we have cocktails with our friends Debbie and Dennis (with daughters, Tara and Tesse, and dog, Eli) on their boat ‘Promises Kept.’ We agree to depart together the next day and sail to Great Sale Cay.
It’s a beautiful morning when we leave for Great Sale Cay, with ‘Promises Kept’ following close behind. When we put up the sails, we pull away from them. Later Dennis is hailing us on the radio by the name ‘Silver Bullet’, and continues to call us that for the days following. Pretty funny.
‘Promises Kept’ following close behind as we leave West End
Sailing to Great Sale Cay with water the colour of a swimming pool
Leo enjoying the wind in his face
When we arrive at Great Sale Cay, the island looks pretty much dead. All the vegetation is brown from the salt water damage it received when hurricane Sandy went through. This seems to the case across what we’ve seen in the Bahamas so far. Very sad. But the anchorage at Great Sale Cay is quiet and a close dingy ride for Leo to go onshore. He enjoys having Eli (dog on Promises Kept) to play with, although Eli seems mostly disinterested.
Settled in the anchorage at Great Sale Cay with ‘Promises Kept’ by sunset
Randy and Dennis with dogs, Leo and Eli on shore at Great Sale Cay
Rainbow at Great Sale Cay
Vegetation on the island at Great Sale Cay is brown from hurricane Sandy
We stay in Great Sale Cay the next day so we can try out the watermaker (which turns saltwater into drinking water for us). It works great! While Randy is working on that, Lee does some fishing (no fish). Later in the afternoon the rain and storms move back in. It is another rough night on the boat with waves and wind which seem to pick up every night and keep us awake.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20th to WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21st— DAY 91 to 92 (Spanish Cay)
When we leave Great Sale Cay for Spanish Cay, it has stopped raining, but we can see the storms all around us. ‘Promises Kept’ have decided to stay for a few more days, so we head out on our own. At one point along the way, while Lee is below in the washroom, the wind and rain hit us full strength and it is pouring sideways into the cockpit. When she comes back up, it is a monsoon. We are soaked. Leo is disgusted. By the time we hit Spanish Cay, it has stopped raining but everything on the boat seems to be wet from rain and the waves.
Rainy weather as we head to Spanish Cay
Starting to dry out from the rain
More swimming pool water. Beautiful!
The marina at Spanish Cay was hit hard, not only by hurricane Sandy this year, but also, Irene, last year. The managers seem disheartened, and the place is just barely open. Most of the facilities are closed and the beach is a mess. We are the only ones at the marina. The island itself is lovely and we enjoy some walks and biking. After a couple of days though, it started to get a bit creepy being the only ones there so we head out.
Leo in Spanish Cay looking longingly as he waits to have some fun
On a bike ride around Spanish Cay
Beaches are devastated from the storm — what a shame!
Leo playing with his new friend, Hurricane (named because he was rescued as a puppy out of the water of hurricane Irene last year), at the marina in Spanish Cay
Silver Maple alone in Spanish Cay
Hurricane waits at the end of our dock for Leo to come and play
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd to SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24th— DAY 93 to 95 (Bluff House at Green Turtle Cay)
When we leave Spanish Cay, the wind is blowing up to 30 knots at the dock. But, we are determined to move on. With the help of the manager and a friend of his, and some excellent piloting from Randy, we are able to get out of the slip unscathed.
The trip from Spanish Cay to Green Turtle Cay is VERY wind and rough. It is so windy that we don’t bother putting up any sail. With the engine idling, we are still doing 6 knots because of the wind blowing us from behind. When we arrive three hours later in Green Turtle Cay, it is a relief to be safe in the marina at Bluff House.
Rough and windy trip to Green Turtle Cay from Spanish Cay
The marina at Bluff House is great. Nice restaurant and pool. The day we arrive is US Thanksgiving so we do turkey dinner at the restaurant. The next day we enjoy the pool and relax.
US Thanksgiving dinner at Bluff House Marina in Green Turtle Cay
The view of Silver Maple from the pool at Bluff House
Today, we are moving just across Green Turtle Cay to the Leeward Yacht Club, where our friends Peter and Caroline (from Oakville, ON) keep their boat. They arrive tomorrow and we plan to have dinner with them when they get in. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the Grey Cup (Canada’s answer to the Superbowl) will be televised, so we will have to check in online to see how its going. Go Argos!
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12th to WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14th — DAY 83 to 85 (Waiting in West Palm Beach, FL)
We spend our time waiting in West Palm preparing for the trip, including taking Leo for his final vet appointment to complete his immigration paperwork, buying groceries and doing laundry. After nearly a week, we were getting tired of being here. On Wednesday morning, the decision is made to do the crossing on Thursday. The winds aren’t going the direction we’d like, but they will be light enough that it should be okay. Final preparations are made and we move to a marina closer to the inlet so that we are close to the ocean to start the crossing first thing in the morning.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15th— DAY 86 (The Crossing)
We we get up in the morning at 4 AM and are on the water shortly after 5 AM. It is dark when we start, but the sun comes out just as we head out of the inlet into the ocean. We are with two other sailboats doing the crossing. One, Randy connected with the day before on the VHF radio and we agreed to meet up in the morning.
Out on the ocean, it is nice seeing the other boats along side. Somehow it is comforting. And, although crossing the Gulf Stream is rough, we are okay. No serious sea-sickness. Silver Maple handles it beautifully.
The boat, Valerie Arden, crossing to the Bahamas with us
Captain is holding on in the rough Gulf Stream waters
As we approach the Bahamas, the seas level-off enough to sail and later become very calm as we arrive at the harbour at West End on Grand Bahama Island. When we get in shortly after 3 PM, the other boats travelling with us, who have done the crossing many times, say it is the best conditions they have ever had. Hard to believe. Not sure we would have been up for it being any more raucous than it was.
Waves calm and winds shift so that we can sail for a few hours
Randy on deck as we approach the Bahamas
Calm waters as we enter the harbour at West End on Grand Bahama Island
The sun sets in Old Bahama Bay Marina in West End, Bahamas, and we are settled in for the night
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16th— DAY 87 (First day in the Bahamas!)
Hard to believe after the months of travel that we are in the Bahamas! Today we spend relaxing at the beach near the marina and at the pool. Very nice. It is lovely here.
This fellow watched us as we had morning coffee on the deck today
Silver Maple on a sunny Bahama morning
Beautiful beach at the marina
Randy and Leo enjoying the beach
Silver Maple as our first day ends in the Bahamas
Plan tomorrow is to move on, probably to Great Sale Cay about 45 miles away, if the weather is good — but we hear storms may be moving in, so we will make the call in the morning.
We are in Palm Beach, Florida waiting for good weather to cross over to the Bahamas. Our journey down the east coast is complete! Woohoo! Now passing time doing final preparation and provisioning for the trip, while we wait for just the right conditions to make the crossing.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5th to SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11th— DAY 76 to 82 (Finishing Florida — Vero Beach, Stuart, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach and waiting)
On Monday, we leave Cocoa and head to Vero Beach. The Inter-Coastal Waterway in Florida is lined with lovely, huge homes through this area. When we arrive in Vero Beach, the marina is quaint with some ‘regulars’ who seem to spend hours sitting on lawn chairs outside of the main marina building. You can’t past them without some kind of comment. We walk into town for dinner, which is more of a beach strip — but its a lovely evening.
Incredible homes along the Florida Inter-Coastal Waterway (ICW)
The Captain and Leo (freshly groomed and feeling more comfortable in the Florida weather without his big fur coat)
Silver Maple in Vero Beach, FL
Back on the water Tuesday, we stay just ahead of the storm (nor-easter) as we head to Stuart, FL. We dock just before the storm, which turns out to be only a few sprinkles when it arrives in Stuart — unlike the horrible weather folks got up north.
Now we are in Florida, we are doing short trips each day to check out marinas along the way as potential places to keep the boat next year. This is a one way trip and the plan is to find a place to keep Silver Maple somewhere south so that we can come back and visit next year. Stuart is one of the places that is a potential place to keep the boat.
Storm clouds looming as we head to Stuart, FL
Hey! We are being passed by other Canadians!
Pending storm provides some nice wind for sailing
After the storm passes, the cold front moves in. It is a chilly morning when we leave Stuart and head to North Palm Beach. When we arrive there, the parts and mail we had forwarded are waiting for us, so we spend a couple of days working around the boat and catching up on things.
Florida palms along the ICW
More Florida wildlife
On Friday,we head to West Palm Beach. It’s still cool and below normal for Florida (low 70s F), but its sunny.
For the first time we see blue tropical-like water. We are getting close!
Mega-yachts on the way to West Palm Beach
Beautiful morning in Florida
We have now completed the trip down the coast and are waiting for just he right weather to make the crossing to the Bahamas. We need the waves to be small and the wind to be blowing the right direction. Unfortunately, the forecast doesn’t look good, so we could be here for a while. Will keep you posted!!
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