Soul Healer Cruising the Caribbean tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-05-07:/blog/?domain=soulhealer 2007-10-23T12:48:26Z Ali-Mike img/travel-blog-feed.png One Last Word tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-09-14:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=35&entryid=23928 2007-10-23T12:48:26Z 2006-09-14T13:38:08Z This blog was created while on route so the entries are ordered starting with the most recent. This means that you'll need to read the entries backwards. And if you've just now come to this blog, we'd encourage you to start at the beginning. Scroll down and click the May 2006 archive entry located on the right side of the page. When that page loads, scroll to the bottom of the page. You're now at the beginning. Scrolling up gets ... This blog was created while on route so the entries are ordered starting with the most recent. This means that you'll need to read the entries backwards. And if you've just now come to this blog, we'd encourage you to start at the beginning. Scroll down and click the May 2006 archive entry located on the right side of the page. When that page loads, scroll to the bottom of the page. You're now at the beginning. Scrolling up gets you to the next entry. Do the same thing when you get to the June entries, except that you'll need to additionally select the oldest set of entries (at the bottom, start with page 5, then 4, and so on).

The crew of Soul Healer hopes that you enjoy our adventure. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at mlahrkamp@bitstorm.com.

Enjoy!!!

One Last Word remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Back Home In Toronto tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-07-04:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=34&entryid=16061 2006-09-14T13:30:05Z 2006-07-04T16:51:39Z Mike: Alison and I are now home in Toronto and getting the last arrangements made to have our boat trucked up. We've added a few more pics to the blog and will post a few more when we've organized the 600+ photos and get the 35mm ones developed. I tell ya, when you have a digital camera, one can get pretty snap happy. We hope that everyone who followed us has gotten at least a chuckle and maybe we've ... Mike: Alison and I are now home in Toronto and getting the last arrangements made to have our boat trucked up.

We've added a few more pics to the blog and will post a few more when we've organized the 600+ photos and get the 35mm ones developed. I tell ya, when you have a digital camera, one can get pretty snap happy.

We hope that everyone who followed us has gotten at least a chuckle and maybe we've even sparked a bit of interest for the sailing life in our landlubber friends (maybe they'll even come out for an afternoon sail now).

Alison and I would also like to thank everyone who offered suggestion as to what to miss / not miss and everyone that offered some heads up on weather. Your interest in our adventure and safety was truly appreciated. We're now looking forward to getting together with our friends and boring everyone with our numerous pics.

Back Home In Toronto remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Lauderdale tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-30:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=33&entryid=15732 2006-09-14T13:28:49Z 2006-06-30T16:16:30Z Mike: Soul Healer arrived at Port Everglades in the early afternoon. She stayed offshore for about 1/2 hour to allow a thundercell to pass and then proceeded to the 17th St. bridge. The clearance is reported to be about 55' which is what we figured our height, not including VHF antenna had to be close to. The bridge will open on demand on the hour and half hour. Calling the bridge at 1:55pm got the lady operator to ... Mike: Soul Healer arrived at Port Everglades in the early afternoon. She stayed offshore for about 1/2 hour to allow a thundercell to pass and then proceeded to the 17th St. bridge. The clearance is reported to be about 55' which is what we figured our height, not including VHF antenna had to be close to. The bridge will open on demand on the hour and half hour. Calling the bridge at 1:55pm got the lady operator to insist we come closer and read the bridge height from the scale provided at the bridge's base. It showed between 53' and 54', so again the request was made to open the bridge. Now she came back with that the next opening would now be 2:30pm.

Continuing on to Hall Of Fame Marina and our slip was straight forward and didn't really cause any difficulties, save for not really knowing where it was. There's a lot of docks in those waters on the intercoastal. We asked for directions and they provided some guidance by having someone stand at the end of their dock waving their arms. Anyway, boat's safely tied up and the packing begins for our crew.

It's been an exciting month. It seems that we were leaving the BVI only yesterday, but looking over our log shows all the places that we've been to. And all of the incredible places visited during our approximte 1100nm voyage.

Lauderdale remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Blue Water Resort, Alice Town, Bimini tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-30:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=32&entryid=15730 2006-09-14T13:27:25Z 2006-06-30T16:03:09Z Mike: Bimini came into view over the horizon just before lunch. Coming around the northern point now required heading south toward the channel shown on our chart. We had talked with the flottila out of Ft Lauderdale and they'd told us that Bimini had been dredged and they've created a new marked entrance channel. Since some of them were on 46' boats that draw more than ours, we got on the sat phone and reserved ourselves a slip. ... Mike: Bimini came into view over the horizon just before lunch. Coming around the northern point now required heading south toward the channel shown on our chart. We had talked with the flottila out of Ft Lauderdale and they'd told us that Bimini had been dredged and they've created a new marked entrance channel. Since some of them were on 46' boats that draw more than ours, we got on the sat phone and reserved ourselves a slip. Good thing too, since they're expecting a full house due to the upcoming 4th of July weekend. Sure enough, there was the new channel all staked out, so we turned in and enjoyed about 15' of water all the way in to the slip we'd reserved at the Blue Water Resort. After fueling at the fuel dock, we backed our boat into our assigned slip, and then it was time to try their pool... very refreshing and greatly appreciated.

Bill, Ann and Brian decided to rent a golf cart and tour the island. It's a small place so it wasn't surprising to see them back in about 1 1/2 hours. Alison and I strolled around Alice Town and later dock talked with others in the marina. There were a number of boats getting ready to jump the gulf stream to Florida, so boat names were exchanged and plans made for meeting on the other side.

Later on, just after sunset, another sailboat came in and not seeing the sand bar, drove up on it at high tide... not good. A number of people assisted and with everyone's help, got him off and tied to a dock. An arguement ensued because a power boater with his 50+' trawler didn't like that he had to share the 100+' T dock with a sailboat. Of course, he didn't assist. You just gotta wonder.

The weather looks good for the crossing tomorrow with forecast light winds (which we've had now for a number of days) and a relatively flat seas. We'll be leaving at high slack tide which should be about 6:30am and getting to Port Everglades in the early afternoon where we have a slip reserved at the Hall Of Fame Marina.

Blue Water Resort, Alice Town, Bimini remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Banking in the Bahamas tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-27:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=31&entryid=15537 2006-09-14T13:24:09Z 2006-06-28T01:45:04Z Mike: 27 Jun Ok... so you're probably thinking that we're talking about trundling over to some banking branch and making a deposit or withdrawal, or something like that. Actually, we're talking about being anchored smack dab half way across the Grand Bahama Bank. The water depth is 18 feet and the only thing in sight is miles and miles of boundless ocean. That plus one other boat that chose to drop the hook near where we are. I ... Mike: 27 Jun
Ok... so you're probably thinking that we're talking about trundling over to some banking branch and making a deposit or withdrawal, or something like that. Actually, we're talking about being anchored smack dab half way across the Grand Bahama Bank. The water depth is 18 feet and the only thing in sight is miles and miles of boundless ocean. That plus one other boat that chose to drop the hook near where we are. I guess that there's safety in numbers. There's hardly a breath of wind and the water's flat calm... and it's expected to stay that way for the next number of days. Tonight, we've fired up the barby and will be sizzling up some steaks, with fresh garlic.

So yesterday, we decided to stay another day in Nassau. We had a flex day still left on our schedule, and we decided that we'd rather spend it in Nassau instead of the middle of the Bahamas Bank. I figured that I may as well take the opportunity and try to get our brand new 40A battery charger replaced since it had gone DOA on us. I also figured that Nassau would have a facility for the replacement of the charger, so I climbed down into the bowels of the aft fender locker, removed it and with charger under arm, Alison and I took a walk from each chandlery to every marine store. And were totally out of luck. We returned to the boat dejected, with the inoperable charger still under arm. As we passed some new friends on their boat a few slips down that we had met earlier in the day, Dave recognized what I had and asked what was up. I explained that we had a new charger that had gone toes up, and he said to wait right there. He opened his locker and after rummaging for a few moments, extracted an almost identical unit and said it was ours if we wanted it. He had upgraded and removed his unit but had never taken it off the boat. We were speechless. What are the chances that someone almost in the next slip would have the exact charger that we needed, didn't want it anymore and felt that we were worthy enough to offer it to. Unbelievable! We were dumbfounded at the generosity! I installed his unit and it worked like a charm. Later, we made sure that his generous nature was rewarded with a big bottle of rum. Top class people.

During the afternoon, a contingent from a Ft Lauderdale yacht club descended on the marina. Two of the boats we recognized from Normans Cay, where they had anchored beside us and dinghyed over for information about what we had found while exploring Normans Cay. We helped tie a number of boats up and just dock talked for awhile. Great people. We had a few people over to our boat for 'afternoon tea' (generously proportioned rum concoctions for those not familiar with my ways). This life style is sure tough.

Later that night, Alison and I checked out this new restaurant called the 'Jumbey Cafe' which is located in an authentic Bahamian home. It's right across from the Nassau Yacht Haven where we were docked and had only been open for 2 weeks. Well, we walked through the door and about 20 people all shouted 'Soul Healer' at the same time. It was everyone from the Florida flottila. More drinks, more laughs and good times. The food was out of this world and reasonably priced. I insisted on thanking the chef personnally and then spoke with one of the owners, Jennifer, and said that she needed to give the chef a raise. We'll certainly make a point of returning there the next time we're in Nassau and I'd highly encourage anyone else to check them out. And next time, we're gonna save room for their Pineapple Bread Pudding!

So now the plan is to get to Bimini tomorrow sometime by the early afternoon, refuel and launch for Ft Lauderdale on Thursday.

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Banking in the Bahamas remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> The Discovery of Atlantis tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-25:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=30&entryid=15374 2006-09-14T13:20:00Z 2006-06-26T03:00:04Z Alison: Today was an early start (7am departure), leaving Leaf Cay in the Allans Cay group and heading for Nassau. We did hoist the sails to give the motor a little bit of wind assistance (and I say little because the winds were still light). The most excitement we had on this passage was going through the Yellow Bank, where we needed someone on constant bow watch looking out for the coral heads that are scattered throughout the ... Alison: Today was an early start (7am departure), leaving Leaf Cay in the Allans Cay group and heading for Nassau. We did hoist the sails to give the motor a little bit of wind assistance (and I say little because the winds were still light). The most excitement we had on this passage was going through the Yellow Bank, where we needed someone on constant bow watch looking out for the coral heads that are scattered throughout the bank. We got through the bank without flattening a coral head and continued on our route to Nassau.

As indicated in the Cruising Guide, as we entered Nassau Harbour, we radioed Nassau Harbour Control and requested permission to enter the harbour. Once we received permission (do they ever not give permission?), we continued on our way to Nassau Yacht Haven where we had reserved a slip for the evening. After getting the boat fuelled, watered and safely secured in our slip, it was play time. Oh, did I mention that it took us 1.5 hours to get our 17 gallons of fuel. Just as we finished fuelling our boat, a big party barge pulled into the fuel dock behind us, effectively blocking us in. We had to wait until the party barge finished fuelling (about 1 hour), so that we could get away from the fuel dock and get to our slip. They only pumped about 500 gallons but the guy on the pump was really slooowwww.

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After hot showers and cleaning ourselves up, Mike and I headed over to Atlantis, the opulent resort located on Paradise Island, formerly known as Hog Island. I guess they figured it wouldn't sound too good to have a world class resort on an island with a name like Hog. We stood in awe at the mega yachts tied up in the marina there. Someday? These boats made Soul Healer look like a little guppy. We wandered through the aquarium, where there is a glass tunnel that makes you feel like you are in the water with all the different fish (and yes, there were sharks as well). We also checked out the different buildings on the resort and marveled over the marble carvings, mosaics, tile work - it was almost too much to take in at once.

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We had hoped that Nassau would have reasonably priced hi-speed internet so that we could upload some of our pictures from the last couple of days. Unfortunately, economical internet access doesn't exist here yet, or at least we didn't find it, so you'll just have to wait another couple of days for pics.

Tomorrow, we're heading off towards Bimini. The plan now is to sail to the Northwest Channel and then anchor for the night somewhere on the bank.

The Discovery of Atlantis remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Day Of The Iguanas - Leaping Lizards tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-24:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=29&entryid=15297 2006-09-14T13:17:18Z 2006-06-25T00:30:04Z Mike: 24 Jun Today's adventure started at 10am. Ya, I know, it was later than previous days. This was because we were only travelling 12nm today, up to the Allans Cay group. There was no wind, so we motored. Didn't even bother to hoist the main which we've done on other motoring days. This isn't to say that there were no adventures though. As we entered the anchorage area, we managed to ground the boat. No sweat though, we only ... Mike: 24 Jun
Today's adventure started at 10am. Ya, I know, it was later than previous days. This was because we were only travelling 12nm today, up to the Allans Cay group. There was no wind, so we motored. Didn't even bother to hoist the main which we've done on other motoring days. This isn't to say that there were no adventures though.

As we entered the anchorage area, we managed to ground the boat. No sweat though, we only put the keel into a sand mound. We dug into it with the surrounding water being 6' or more and the charted depth showing the same. Anyway, since we came in on the low tide, all we did was wait for the tide to rise. We floated off and moved the boat a few hundred feet.

The Allans Cay group are the only islands in the Bahamas that have humongous iguanas still inhabiting it. And they're big. The biggest we saw (from nose to tail tip) was about 3 feet. That was on Leaf Cay. Alison and I took about 2 dozen pics. When we went ashore, the beaches were barren. However, the bushes were rustling. Not knowing what to expect, we stood at the edge of the water, snorkel gear in hand ready to beat a hasty retreat. Can iguanas swim? Then they appeared. First one, then more. They were inquisitive and approached, en mass. And can they move fast when they want, although none actually came up to us within reach. Amazing creatures for our day and age.

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While snorkeling, a sunken vessel was discovered on the bottom a few hundred feet from the beach. It appears to have been there for some time. We also saw a magnificent spotted eagle ray lolligagging beneath the surface. He was a big one.

Tomorrow, with an early start, we're off to Nassau, where we have a slip reserved at the Nassau Yacht Haven, thanks to satellite communications technology. Then it'll be off taking in the nightlife and the casinos and checking out the aquarium at the Atlantis Resort, although nothing can compare with seeing marine life in its natural habitat, right under our boat. In following days, we head for Chubb Cay, Bimini and then Ft Lauderdale. The end of our adventure is drawing nearer.

Day Of The Iguanas - Leaping Lizards remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Leder's Lair and McDuff's Are Gone tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-23:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=28&entryid=15223 2006-09-14T13:12:21Z 2006-06-24T01:25:02Z Mike: 23 Jun So today we stopped at Normans Cay, sailing close hauled on a north wind of about 10kts up from the Marine Park on Warderick Wells, 17nm to the south. Entering the cay area at low tide, we touched bottom in the sand - the chart suggested that we'd be in at leat 2 meters of water and we only need 1.7m. I guess we hit an underwater sand drift or something. We were idling on the ... Mike: 23 Jun
So today we stopped at Normans Cay, sailing close hauled on a north wind of about 10kts up from the Marine Park on Warderick Wells, 17nm to the south. Entering the cay area at low tide, we touched bottom in the sand - the chart suggested that we'd be in at leat 2 meters of water and we only need 1.7m. I guess we hit an underwater sand drift or something. We were idling on the way in and were showing in excess of 6kts on the GPS speed log - lots of current. No sweat though and we anchored just fine. There's a whole lot of current flowing and when I tried to snorkel our anchor set, I just couldn't get there. In the evening we were one of 5 boats at Normans. Amazing how earlier in our travels we'd be the only boat.

Norman Cay is the site of drug lord Carlos Leder's empire. Here he ran his multi-million (billion?) drug supplying empire in the 70s. Today, all of the trappings - the grand house, the dock, the runway and the semi sunken drug transport DC3 are still there. The buildings are standing but in disrepair 30 years after. Most of what was has been overgrown but the locations of the terraced gardens are still evident. While the guide book suggests that there are bullet holes in the walls, we only found the holes that nails that were fired into the conrete walls to hold panelling were. No bullet holes.

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We snorkelled the DC3 at low tide. It's mostly intact but the years have taken their toll. Much is now encrusted with coral growth. The friendly fish that hung around had obviously been fed by visitors.

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Lastly, after a long walk down the runway to where McDuffs was supposed to be, all we saw was a sign tht McDuffs was under new ownership and was gone. No more to be!

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All together, a relaxing day on the water. Tomorrow, we head on to Allens Cay to see the Iguanas.

Ann:
The motley crew finally finished off the birthday celebrations in style... we've now had cake three days in a row and are glad to see the end of the chocolate colossus.

Alison made the acquaintance of a feline resident of the island, who really would have appreciated a tidbit or two. Not a stray, because he was sporting a collar.

There were a number of guesses as to how long the private airstrip was... but after having walked 3/4 of the distance in the heat of the day, my tired old feet didn't really care. Screams were heard from this country girl as she encountered the killer 3" geckos on the path.

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A beautiful complete rainbow set the ambience for a lovely dinner of barbied chicken with peas and rice - Caribbean style - an original recipe cooked up by the deck fluff. It will be really hard to top this birthday!

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P.S. For my dermatologist - tan's looking good... so business is looking up for you.

Leder's Lair and McDuff's Are Gone remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Of Swimming Pigs, Blowholes and Boat Names tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-22:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=27&entryid=15155 2006-09-14T13:08:12Z 2006-06-23T02:20:03Z Mike 22 Jun Today, we left the tranquility of Staniel Cay and headed around to west side of Big Majors Spot, just around the corner from where we were. This spot is known for its swimming pigs. We anchored and Alison, Ann and I dingyed toward the shore... no pigs in sight though. So I started calling out 'Soouuuihhh'. I don't know, sounded like something pigs would expect to be called by. Anyway, it worked, and two porkers ... Mike 22 Jun
Today, we left the tranquility of Staniel Cay and headed around to west side of Big Majors Spot, just around the corner from where we were. This spot is known for its swimming pigs. We anchored and Alison, Ann and I dingyed toward the shore... no pigs in sight though. So I started calling out 'Soouuuihhh'. I don't know, sounded like something pigs would expect to be called by. Anyway, it worked, and two porkers appeared on the beach and ran toward us and came out into the water. Alison and Ann tempted them with carrot sticks and one swam out to the dinghy to get his tasty treats. Cool! Flying pigs as screen savers are OK but swimming pigs are a step above.

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We continued on to Warderick Wells. We took the inside route on the west side of the Exuma island chain. There wasn't any wind, so today was motoring the 17nm that we needed to travel. The average depth was no more than 15 feet... it's something to be cruising along at 6 kts and seeing the bottom streaking along just below the keel. We also kept a bow watch where 'volunteers' stayed at the bow looking for any coral heads and shallow areas, although the route that we'd planned didn't show any and none were observed.

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We got to Warderick Wells at about noon. This is a Marine Park. We checked in with the Park Warden, paid the $20us mooring fee (no anchoring is permitted) and headed off on a mission of discovery. There's a 53' whale skeleton on the beach, an area on the ocean side that has lots of blow holes (these are where incoming waves, after having crashed into the rocks, shoot into the air through holes that have been worn into the rocks), and a monument that previous cruising visitors have created and consists of articles that show they've been here (mostly pieces of driftwood which have the boat's name, crew and date carved or written on them). Later in the afternoon, some of the crew took the dinghy and went around to Emerald Rock for a snorkelfest and over to the nearby beach to view the ruins of a mid 17th century loyalist plantation settlement. Overall, Warderick Wells is a spot that is truly spectacular and should not be missed.

Tomorrow, we plan to visit Norman Cay to visit the mansion ruins of the drug lord Leder's fallen empire. There's supposed to be a DC3 semi submerged just off the drug lord's private runway. Check back and we'll let everyone know.

Of Swimming Pigs, Blowholes and Boat Names remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> A Cave Of Many Colours tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-21:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=26&entryid=15069 2006-09-14T13:05:26Z 2006-06-22T02:03:45Z Mike / Alison / Ann: Today was an early start - 7am at the high tide. Not all were as eager to get going this morning as indicated they would the night before. At promptly 7am, the big diesel was roared into life and sleep was shaken from those not already on deck. With Brian at the helm and Alison at the bow watching for the shallow spots, our group made our way out the cut to the ... Mike / Alison / Ann: Today was an early start - 7am at the high tide. Not all were as eager to get going this morning as indicated they would the night before. At promptly 7am, the big diesel was roared into life and sleep was shaken from those not already on deck. With Brian at the helm and Alison at the bow watching for the shallow spots, our group made our way out the cut to the open ocean. It's amazing how the tidal flow out the cut, which was opposite the wind, kicked up a tumultuous maelstrom. Alison had a roller coaster ride. The rest of us stayed dry however.

Since the winds were light, we motored, arriving at Staniel Cay at about noon, which was just about low tide. We anchored just off the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and put the dinghy together and headed for Thunderball Grotto - the scene of the James Bond movie of the same name and another movie Splash. Alison, in full snorkel gear, rolled in in true diver fashion and promptly stood up in waist deep water. A bit embarrassing for her given all her preparation.

Thunderball Grotto - what can we say - words don't adequately describe it. We'd include some pics, but they were shot with the underwater camera, so you'll have to wait until we get the 35mm film developed. In the meantime, here's how we'd describe it: picture this - fighting against a strong current through a very narrow passageway to come into a cavernous space, complete with vegetation hanging down from a large opening in the dome top, shafts of light illuminating the pool of colour, coral, rocks that appeared iridescent, schools of brightly coloured fish....and did we mention the current? It actually shot us out when it was done with us. Spectacular!!!!!

Next we went to Staniel Cay Yacht Club for our happy hour, with an extra special greeting committee waiting for us.....dozens of sand sharks, gars, a puffer, rays and myriads of other fish - they were waiting to feed on unsuspecting arriving dinghy people. Everyone was careful getting out and up onto the dock. See the pics:

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We went back to the boat for a 15 minute snooze, change of clothes and then it was back to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club for dinner. And celebration of Ann's birthday (yes, we did order a birthday cake for her!). After a scrumptuous meal, the waiting staff came through the restaurant singing 'Happy Birthday', and carrying a huge chocolate cake. Everyone else in the restaurant joined in the singing. We did our best with the cake but we are still going back to the boat with enough leftovers for a number of days.

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With the early start we had this morning, the crew's bagged - party poopers. Tomorrow, we get to sleep in a little later since our distination is Warderick Wells Cay, about 17nm. But we'll be stopping to see the swimming pigs and then at a sea aquarium at O'Briens Cay.
The

A Cave Of Many Colours remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Fire In The Sky tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-21:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=25&entryid=15024 2006-09-14T13:01:17Z 2006-06-21T10:50:03Z Mike: 19/20 Jun We had been anchored over at Volleyball Beach on Stocking Island and needed to return across Elizabeth Harbour to collect our newest crew member. We also needed water so the best solution was to visit Exuma Docking Services and get the water, diesel and dingy outboard gas replenished. The fuel was the easy part. One of our crew, no names, had torqued down the forward water filler cap which now required removal by chiselling. I was not ... Mike: 19/20 Jun
We had been anchored over at Volleyball Beach on Stocking Island and needed to return across Elizabeth Harbour to collect our newest crew member. We also needed water so the best solution was to visit Exuma Docking Services and get the water, diesel and dingy outboard gas replenished. The fuel was the easy part. One of our crew, no names, had torqued down the forward water filler cap which now required removal by chiselling. I was not in my happy place to say the least, but we did get the cap off and the tank filled. Overall, we've used about 30 gal of diesel to travel the over 800nm covered so far. Gotta love sailboats.

Bill and Brian headed to the airport to pick up Ann leaving Alison and myself to look after some boat maintenance issues. These included the fixing of a poorly installed new shift lever and the correction of a minor electrical problem that was supposed to have been fixed during the month long refit prior to our adventure. At the same time I checked the other head's holding tank to ensure that a repeat of the other day's head problem did not have the potential to happen again in that head. Alison also spent considerable time trying to remove the stains left from the colours that ran from the new nationality flag that we'd bought in the BVI just prior to departure from there. Unbelievable that a marina parts supply shop would sell items for boats that weren't colour fast. They'll be getting an email from me when I get home!

After loading Ann aboard, we moved to the tranquility of Volleyball Beach again since the winds and water had kicked up and staying at George Town would be uncomfortable. The St Francis Resort and Marina offered the evening's fare. Co-owners Tony and Suzy and their dog Nina treated us like royalty... we were the only guests that evening, and had a great time.

After retiring to our bunks, we were awoken in the wee hours by a dazzling light show outside. I have never seen so much lightning off in the distance ever before. While topside, a dolphin lazed about. While we never really saw him, we certainly heard his unmistakable sounds. At about 4am, we were all awakened again, but this time by torrential rainfall and thunder and lightening directly overhead. I sat up for the next hour watching the anchor drag alarm to ensure that we weren't somewhere we weren't supposed to be. In between flashes, the mast and rigging of another boat loomed precariously close. Fortunately, everything stayed where it was supposed to be. The downpour continued until about 10:30am when the rain abated and the sun finally broke through.

Setting sail, our destination today was Lee Stocking Island, about 20nm up the Exuma chain. There's a Marine Research Station located there, but we arrived too late in the day to get a tour of the facility. The wind had been light, and with our late start, we elected to motor sail in order to arrive before the sun got too low to allow visually navigating through the reef into the anchorage. Mooring balls were required but they're free. Right after we secured to one and shut down the big diesel, we noted a delicate fragrance eminating from below deck. It wasn't the head though. All hands were mustered to search their respective quarter for the offending stinky. This was located and religated to a line and cast off the transom of our boat. Surprisingly, it attracted a school of yellowtail jacks. Well, to each their own.

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While snorkelling the waters here, some of the crew saw what they believed to be a sand shark, complete with ramoras attached. I didn't, so I'll just take their word for it. For dinner, a feast was prepared on the barby and a bottle of champagne was popped to celebrate Ann's arrival.

In the morning, we're heading on to Staniel Cay, the site of the water scenes for, among many, the James Bond film Thunderball. We hope to explore the same caves. To get there in a reasonable time, we cast off at 7am, right at high tide in order to arrive by early afternoon. Hopefully we'll get some great shots that we can post.

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Fire In The Sky remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Wasting Away In George Town tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-19:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=24&entryid=14874 2006-09-14T12:47:30Z 2006-06-19T18:29:22Z Mike: So today was supposed to be an R&R day. You know, the kind of day where you simply float, snooze, suck back a few brewskis and generally veg. Somewhere between the yawn and snooze came the pungent odor that could only come from a head. Alison came up on deck and told me that I should pull my feet out of the warm waters that flowed past our transom. The quizzical look from me had her fill ... Mike: So today was supposed to be an R&R day. You know, the kind of day where you simply float, snooze, suck back a few brewskis and generally veg. Somewhere between the yawn and snooze came the pungent odor that could only come from a head. Alison came up on deck and told me that I should pull my feet out of the warm waters that flowed past our transom. The quizzical look from me had her fill in that one of our crew had just dumped their holding tank - -right there in the harbour - in about 6 feet of water. Going below revealed Brian standing ankle deep in the head (the door was open) with effluence at his feet. He was pushing the overboard shower pump out button for all he was worth. Oh the sight! Oh the stench! Oh the inhumanity! OK... so after the laughter subsided, I took the cover from where the holding tank should be and lo and behold, there it lay, out of its mount, the pump out hose ripped from its fitting spewing its 'shit' out. Over the past week, we'd cleaned that head a number of times already due to odor. Now we knew the problem. Anything that went into the holding tank was vented directly into the head. Brian did what I believe was the right thing... as soon as the tank was full and it overflowed into the head, he dumped the tank overboard. Better outside than inside I agreed. During the reassembly and clean up, I noted the following: 1) one screw that holds the strap that holds the tank in place had been ripped out completely, 2) the pump out hose was disconnected, 3) the venting line was plugged. So what happened? Our best guess is this: As the tanks was filling through use while at anchor it was getting heavier and was beginning to bulge (nowhere to vent to). The bulging tank actually caused the retaining screw for the retaining strap to pull out of the bulkhead it was attached to. The weight of the full tank was now free to fall about a foot down. The hose that attached to the deck pump out couldn't support the weight and separated. The result was the spilling of the tank contents behind the paneling and draining onto the floor of the head.

So here's what we did: Removed the mounting for the other half of the strap that was still attached, threw away the vastly undersized screws that were originally installed and put in more appropriately sized strap screws. Next was to detach the vent hose and clear it out. Not having a plumbers snake handy, we took apart a wooden close pin and with pliers expanded the steel spring which ended up being about 6 inches long. This we used to clear the throughhull fitting from the outside. Next was to reassemble everything and start pumping to fill the tank. After about 50 strokes, I realized that the overboard drain was still open, so I closed it and started again. This time, we did see the vent discharging as it was supposed to.

A swim over to Volley Ball Beach was the next order of the day, at the least to get rid of any possible residue that may have attached itself to me from the morning's adventure.

Later in the day, we popped over to the St. Francis Resort and Marina which had just opened two months earlier. We did two loads of laundry, ordered a pizza and enjoyed $3 beers. We met Tony and Suzy, the owners, and their dog Nina. They've got a great location and offer great food at reasonable prices in a brand new facility. Check out the pics below. Good times!

Alison: Yes, I can honestly say it was a shitty day in paradise. But I guess this gives us an idea as to what cruising life is all about - there are some days of relaxation, and there are other days where things on the boat need to be fixed. But what better place to have to do work on the boat! We are really getting into the cruising life style. Going ashore and talking to other cruisers. And for us, it's learning from their experiences sailing in the Bahamas and specifically the Exumas - what anchorages we should visit and which we should avoid. And then there is dingying our dirty laundry ashore to a laundry facility and then dingying our clean, fresh smelling laundry back. Mike and I spent the afternoon planning our route from here, through the Exumas and on to Nassau. We've been here in George Town a few days now and we're starting to look forward to moving on and exploring more of the Bahamas. But we're here until Monday when we pick up Ann (Bill's girlfriend), who is joining us for the remainder of the trip.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a day of relaxation.

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Wasting Away In George Town remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Breezing Into George Town tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-16:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=23&entryid=14574 2006-09-14T12:42:28Z 2006-06-16T15:21:21Z Mike: Yesterday, we left our sand beach oasis at Point Santa Maria and sailed the 20nm to the south east entrance for Elizabeth Harbour. From there, it was about 2nm through reef and sand bar infested waters requiring Alison (bow babe) to be point person at the bow while we advanced at a miserly pace based on instructions from her. As our sailor friends already know, this is George Town. Also known as Chicken Harbour owing to the ... Mike: Yesterday, we left our sand beach oasis at Point Santa Maria and sailed the 20nm to the south east entrance for Elizabeth Harbour. From there, it was about 2nm through reef and sand bar infested waters requiring Alison (bow babe) to be point person at the bow while we advanced at a miserly pace based on instructions from her. As our sailor friends already know, this is George Town. Also known as Chicken Harbour owing to the many sailors that venture south, this point is the last of the easy sailing points on the way to the Caribbean. From here, the going is southeast toward the Virgin and Leeward Islands. Right into the prevailing winds. The distances get greater between landfalls necesitating overnight passage making. Bruce Van Sant, the author of the book "A Gentleman's Guide To Passages South", dubbed it 'The Thorny Path'. Many never go any further, concerned with weather windows and all manor of other foibles. So this is as far as they get. They stay and enjoy the company of numerous others in the same situation. There's daily volley on the beach and endless pot lucks.

We anchored just off from Regatta Point, and while the crew put the dingy together, I got shined up, possibly even looking respectable for the customs and immigration folks who were in need of a visit. This was taken care of without difficulty or delay, but the cruising kitty took a hit with the $300US fee. Still, I'm not complaining, the weather's great, we've sailed practically the entire way with the fuel tank just starting to show below the full mark, the spinnaker's been full and the crew is working well together although I wonder whether I'm getting my fair share of the rum rations.

Today will be a day of floating. No wake up call was set for rise and shine this morning. Just sleeping in as long as we wanted. The guide book suggested that there was a cruiser's net, but we couldn't find it. About 9:30am, a dolphin and her young pup appeared beside our boat and entertained us with hours of cavorting around the boat. Check out the pic. Alison and I wasted no time in getting in the water with our snorkel gear and underwater camera. You'll all have to wait for those shots since they're 35mm. While they didn't come up close to us like they do at Marineland, they came well within camera range. The hams! The young one was especially playfull, leaping out of the water and landing on her (his?) back. It's incredible to hear the sounds that they make. Awesome!

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Lunch was had over at the Peace and Plenty - a great resort with great food and reasonably priced. Tonight, we'll hang out here at George Town and tomorrow we'll move over to the anchorage at Stocking Island to see what sort of mischief we can get into there. We'll be here now for a number of days awaiting the arrival of a fifth crew member, Ann, who's Bill's S.O.

We haven't posted in the past few days due to internet difficulties, but having access to high speed internet allowed Alison and I to upload some of the pics we'd taken over the past two weeks and post them up to the blog. They're put under the section that's appropriate, so you'll need to scroll back and take a gander.

Regarding the outboard engine problem, I had fashioned a replacement gasket and installed it. I'm happy to report, that so far my amateur fabrication and repair is working well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's a lasting permanent repair.

Lastly, we'd like to thank everyone who emailed us regarding the tropical storm (Alberto) that was brewing in the gulf. We did know of it from the daily weather reports and forecasts that we collect via satellite each day. It was hundreds of miles to the south west and never a threat.

Alison: It's hard to believe that we are actually here in George Town. We've heard so much about George Town from other cruisers and now we finally get a chance to experience this place for ourselves. Although, after navigating our way in, we did wonder if it was called Chicken Harbour because people, once into the harbour, need to gather their courage to navigate themselves out. It is beautiful, with a turquoise waters and sand beaches. Of course, the momma dolphin and her baby were the hightlight of the day.

We said good-bye to our newly made cruising buddies, Steve and Wendy on Obsession. While we're spending a number of days here, they are heading off for the Florida coast.

Tonight, it's off to shore to sample Bahamian cuisine. But before that, it will be an afternoon siesta and then before dinner drinks onboard. Yes, it is a tough life!

Breezing Into George Town remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Good Times at Point Santa Maria tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-15:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=21&entryid=14495 2006-09-14T12:36:44Z 2006-06-15T15:52:16Z Mike: 13 June We're now at Point Santa Maria at the north end of Long Island. We're just a short sail now from George Town. We'd actually planned other stops, but based on the winds and seas, stop overs such as Rum Cay just weren't going to happen, what with their east and south exposed anchorages. This evening, we met up with our buddies from last night, Steve and Wendy from Obsession, and collectively put together a feast aboard their ketch. ... Mike: 13 June
We're now at Point Santa Maria at the north end of Long Island. We're just a short sail now from George Town. We'd actually planned other stops, but based on the winds and seas, stop overs such as Rum Cay just weren't going to happen, what with their east and south exposed anchorages.

This evening, we met up with our buddies from last night, Steve and Wendy from Obsession, and collectively put together a feast aboard their ketch. The stars were all out and we were even able to eyeball track some satelittes as they crossed the sky. The moon rose about 10ish adding to the atmosphere. The party continued 'till almost midnight at which point our contented crew, now totally played out, headed for our bunks.

Good Times at Point Santa Maria remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Clarence Town - Long Island tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-15:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=20&entryid=14494 2006-09-14T12:35:05Z 2006-06-15T15:49:25Z Mike: 12 June Today's sail took us from Landrail Point on Crooked Island to Clarence Town on Long Island. Departing at about 8am and with a clear blue sky and 10 kts breeze, we were able to average 6kts through 2-3' following seas for the 38nm passage. Arriving in Clarence Town in mid afternoon, we set the pick in 6' of water over sand in calm water. No sooner had we finished anchoring when a large ray swam under out ... Mike: 12 June
Today's sail took us from Landrail Point on Crooked Island to Clarence Town on Long Island. Departing at about 8am and with a clear blue sky and 10 kts breeze, we were able to average 6kts through 2-3' following seas for the 38nm passage. Arriving in Clarence Town in mid afternoon, we set the pick in 6' of water over sand in calm water. No sooner had we finished anchoring when a large ray swam under out boat.

A short while later, the next boat over from us (actually, the only other boat in the bay), came over and offered us some hospitality on their boat. Their names were Steve and Wendy and they'd been living on their 42' center cockpit ketch rigged Robertson-(something) for the past six years. They had a playfull and excitable young dog named Coco who just couldn't get enough of Alison and a parrot called Azul that had a colurful vocabulary and kept us entertained. Steve and Wendy are on their way to the US coast (like us) but are fast tracking covering as much distance as possible each day (not like us). As the sun set over this pristine achorage, we bid our new friends farewell and safe travels and headed back to our boat to make supper which consisted of chicken on the barby and fixin's along with a bottle of wine. It's amazing how at 10pm, nobody's able to keep their eyelids open.

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Clarence Town - Long Island remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> One Beautiful Anchorage After Another tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-11:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=19&entryid=14197 2006-09-14T12:32:47Z 2006-06-12T01:30:05Z Mike: 11 June We slept like logs. The anchorage at Atwood harbour on Acklins Island was as calm as if we had been tied up at a slip. Somewhere around 9am, we finally mustered and got underway. Destination: Landrail Point on Crooked Island, an island anchorage of about 34nm distance to the west. Winds were light at less than 10kts and dead astern. The seas were relatively calm the entire trip. Today's highlight was the stingray that we disturbed ... Mike: 11 June
We slept like logs. The anchorage at Atwood harbour on Acklins Island was as calm as if we had been tied up at a slip. Somewhere around 9am, we finally mustered and got underway. Destination: Landrail Point on Crooked Island, an island anchorage of about 34nm distance to the west. Winds were light at less than 10kts and dead astern. The seas were relatively calm the entire trip. Today's highlight was the stingray that we disturbed as we dropped the hook in 13 ft of water over sand. So far, no other boats have passed us on our travels. We pretty much own the water.

Sitting at anchor enjoying a bottle of Shiraz, we watch the moon rise and illuminate our surroundings. Someone wondered about what might be happening back home. Frankly, nobody cared.

Tomorrow, we continue on our journey to Clarence Town on Long Island. It's only about 30nm distant so this should be an easy sail.

One Beautiful Anchorage After Another remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> First Night In The Bahamas tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-10:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=18&entryid=14139 2006-09-14T12:31:31Z 2006-06-11T01:45:02Z 10 Jun Mike: We left the Turtle Cove Marina just after noon yesterday. Because of the planned passage to Atwood Harbour on Acklins Island was only 115nm, by leaving at noon, we expected to arrive shortly before noon the following day, in excellent light for navigating in through the reef here. Of course, the tide was just about at it's lowest and wouldn't be rising again until after 4pm. We could have left earlier, but we needed to settle up ... 10 Jun

Mike: We left the Turtle Cove Marina just after noon yesterday. Because of the planned passage to Atwood Harbour on Acklins Island was only 115nm, by leaving at noon, we expected to arrive shortly before noon the following day, in excellent light for navigating in through the reef here. Of course, the tide was just about at it's lowest and wouldn't be rising again until after 4pm. We could have left earlier, but we needed to settle up with the marina and do some last provisioning. So once again, we bottomed on the way out of the channel from the marina. For those contemplating visiting this marina, there's no laundry, showers or restroom. In fact, there's nothing. Just sand. And you'll be paying premium pricing. They only provide 240V so if you need an adapter, it'll cost you for two days since they rent them from 12am to 12am. There's a minimum charge for water and electricity, even if you don't use or want them. Lastly, they don't like sail boats. We found this out as we casting off the dock lines. The manager was on the dock and let us know in
no uncertain terms that 'rag fliers' were nothing but trouble. I guess we don't buy enough fuel, water or electricity while sitting in one of their slips.

Anyway, the sail throughout the night was smooth and we averaged 5kts while passing south of Mayaguana, north of Plana Cays and into Atwood Harbour on Acklins Island. There was one other cat in this bay ringed by beach and favoured by clear blue waters. After getting the hook set into the sand in 6' of water, the call of the warm water beckoned, so a snorkelfest was launched. The bay wasn't teaming with marine life but we did see colourfull Caribbean fish (don't ask me what kind), sea cucumbers, conchs and even a manta ray. Life is good!

Part of my afternoon was spent fabricating a new gasket for the outboard. In order to get it down from Toronto, I had to separate the power head from the shaft. What I should have done was pack a new gasket, but you who know me will understand. I'd tried to reuse the old one but it blew out on the first hard run. Lots of noise and exhaust. So I'd picked up some gasket material at an auto shop in the BVI and it was only today that I actually found the time to fabricate and install it. When I try it out on the dingy, I'll let everyone know whether I'm a mechanic or not.

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Tomorrow, we expect to head over to Landrail Point on Crooked Island, a distance of less than 30nm.

Bill: We are finally in the Bahamas. I have never seen such unspoiled beauty. Can you image sailing in heaven. Sailing in ocean waters the colour of indigo, gentle breezes and then to come into a beautiful bay and not a soul in site. No hotels on the beach, no roads; just absolutely nothing except crystal clear waters the colour of turquoise. Later this afternoon I saw a stingray swim by just off the bow of the boat. I could spend forever here. We celebrated with a bottle of champagne tonight. So far, as of today, we have travelled about 650nm which is approximately 2/3 of the trip and the boat has not beat anyone up yet. Gee Dave, no stubbed toes.

First Night In The Bahamas remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Off To The Bahamas tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-09:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=17&entryid=14021 2006-09-14T12:26:10Z 2006-06-09T15:00:53Z Mike: We're just about to depart from the Turtle Cove Marina. We're waiting for the tide to rise since we bottomed in the sand in the channel coming in yesterday. We'll be skipping Mayaguana and Plana Cay and shoot straight for Acklins. This'll be an overnight sail of about 115nm. We'll be south of Mayaguana, cut up between it and Plana and then head for the northern part of Acklins. So far, the weather's been just about perfect ... Mike: We're just about to depart from the Turtle Cove Marina. We're waiting for the tide to rise since we bottomed in the sand in the channel coming in yesterday. We'll be skipping Mayaguana and Plana Cay and shoot straight for Acklins. This'll be an overnight sail of about 115nm. We'll be south of Mayaguana, cut up between it and Plana and then head for the northern part of Acklins. So far, the weather's been just about perfect for all our passages. Anyway, by going to Acklins direct, we'll have two extra days to play elsewhere in the Bahamas - Clarencetown or maybe Georgetown.

Some of you noticed that the dates appear to be wrong. We've now found that when we post from the boat via satellite while underway, the posting appears up to a day or more later on the blog. So, we'll start putting dates at the top as well as part of the posting. Next time we get high speed access, we'll be posting more pics.

The boat's been reprovisioned now and we're ready... come on tide!

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Off To The Bahamas remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Arriving In The Turks & Caicos tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-08:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=16&entryid=13985 2006-09-14T12:24:48Z 2006-06-08T20:23:29Z Mike: We're here! I'd post some pictures, but the internet connection just isn't allowing it. Last night was the first time that the winds pretty much died altogether, so we ended up motoring the final 60nm throughout the night. Amazingly calm out on the Atlantic. We arrived this morning at about 8:30am at Caicos' Sellars Cut entrance through the reef that's all along the north shore of Providenciales which locally known as Provo. Being unfamiliar with the entrance, we took ... Mike: We're here! I'd post some pictures, but the internet connection just isn't allowing it.

Last night was the first time that the winds pretty much died altogether, so we ended up motoring the final 60nm throughout the night. Amazingly calm out on the Atlantic. We arrived this morning at about 8:30am at Caicos' Sellars Cut entrance through the reef that's all along the north shore of Providenciales which locally known as Provo. Being unfamiliar with the entrance, we took the guide book's suggestion and called for an escort to guide us in to the Turtle Cove Marina complex. We touched bottom in the actual entrance to the marina even though the guide book and escort indicated that there would be 7' MLW. After clearing customs, we fuelled and watered the boat, scrubbed the salt off and tucked her into a piling slip. Bill and Brian headed off for sight seeing while Alison and I lounged by the resort pool, sipping on cold ones and working on gettin' our land legs back. After all, we'd been to sea and out of sight of land now since Sunday.

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If I'm not mistaking, the Turks & Caicos were at one time being considered as an addition to Canada. Wonder whatever happened to that? Too bad it didn't happen, 'cause the construction here is going strong. Prices for property is unbelievable. The island is very picturesque and Alison and I can see coming back for a holiday.

Tomorrow we'll be heading off again and maybe doing a jump all the way to an anchorage (Atwood Harbour) on the northern end of Acklins Island in the Bahamas. This would be an overnight passage.

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Arriving In The Turks & Caicos remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Now Passing North of the Dominican Republic tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-08:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=15&entryid=13954 2006-09-14T12:22:27Z 2006-06-08T12:04:41Z Mike: It's Tuesday. We've now been at sea for over two full days. The boat's systems and crew are working well together. We've broken up the night into three watches of three hours each: 9pm-12am, 12am-3am and 3am-6am. The rest of the day is covered by whoever is topside and wants to. There's nothing out here: no ships or other boats passing us by today. We feel truly alone. Only the automated voice from the San Juan weather office reminds ... Mike: It's Tuesday. We've now been at sea for over two full days. The boat's systems and crew are working well together. We've broken up the night into three watches of three hours each: 9pm-12am, 12am-3am and 3am-6am. The rest of the day is covered by whoever is topside and wants to.

There's nothing out here: no ships or other boats passing us by today. We feel truly alone. Only the automated voice from the San Juan weather office reminds us that we are not alone. Although we have an HF receiver set aboard, we haven't turned it on. Really no need since we're having a great time in stable weather. And just when you think it can't get any better... DOLPHINS! Must have been about 20 of 'em. Frolicking in the bow wave. I'd read somewhere that this was supposed to be a sign of good luck or a safe passage. We don't know, but they added to the whole trip.

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For those interested: We did 142.5nm in the past 24 hour period which means that we averaged about 6kts. Our current position is now over 100nm off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic on a course of 305M bound for Provo in the Caicos. Our actual position is N20°45.76, W068°40.3. Current conditions are seas <4' and winds about 10kts. We want to make landfall at 9am on Thursday, so have reduced speed to around 5kts so that we'll make the landfall after first light in the morning.

Now Passing North of the Dominican Republic remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> We're On Our Way! tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-08:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=14&entryid=13953 2006-09-14T12:17:44Z 2006-06-08T12:04:38Z Mike: We cast off the dock lines at 3pm yesterday and sailed west along the south shore of Tortola and deaked through Thatch Cut to our starting waypoint. Winds were from the south east at about 10 knots with seas 1 foot or less giving us a smooth ride. The 3/4 moon set just before 2am leaving an inky blackness that was punctuated by countless stars in the sky and phosphorescence in our wake. Everything on the boat ... Mike: We cast off the dock lines at 3pm yesterday and sailed west along the south shore of Tortola and deaked through Thatch Cut to our starting waypoint. Winds were from the south east at about 10 knots with seas 1 foot or less giving us a smooth ride. The 3/4 moon set just before 2am leaving an inky blackness that was punctuated by countless stars in the sky and phosphorescence in our wake.

Everything on the boat is operating smoothly. The engine purrs. The rigging is sturdy. The boat is sound. We've downloaded the weather forecasts and GRIB weather overlays for the chartplotter via our sat link and what we see is pretty much what we'll have for the coming days.

Today we flew the new spinnaker for several hours. This was after about an hour of setting it up. Darn if I didn't get the various lines all interfering with each other. Thank goodness for Bill and Brian who helped and showed the error of my ways. It was great, just set it and forget it. Our current position as of 6pm today is N19°27.18, W066°41.30, about 60nm north of the eastern end Puerto Rico.

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  • Note the flag... Haarrr!!!

This evening Bill fixed up a chicken and rice dish on the barby that just couldn't be beat. Does life get any better?

Bill: Brian and I stood the 12am to 3am and 3am to 6am watches respectively. Our only sighting all night was a cruise ship going by off on the horizon in the middle of the night. During the day, the only ship we saw was a container ship. We'll now be starting our second day at sea and have travelled 120 nautical miles and still have about 300 to go to the Turks. Winds are 10-15kts, seas are running about 8ft. We are certainly having too much fun. I for sure want to sail my boat down here. Was there ever any doubt?

We're On Our Way! remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Almost Ready for the Sail to the Turks and Caicos tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-03:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=13&entryid=13402 2006-09-14T12:10:54Z 2006-06-04T01:35:33Z Alison: Today, the plan was to head up to North Sound, Virgin Gorda and get ourselves prepared for the 3-4 day sail to the Turks and Caicos. Unfortunatley, our electric windlass decided not to cooperate when we were ready to haul up anchor at Marina Cay. Brian and Mike's muscles were put to the test as we had to manually haul up the anchor. We did continue on our way to North Sound, where marine maintenance ... Alison: Today, the plan was to head up to North Sound, Virgin Gorda and get ourselves prepared for the 3-4 day sail to the Turks and Caicos. Unfortunatley, our electric windlass decided not to cooperate when we were ready to haul up anchor at Marina Cay. Brian and Mike's muscles were put to the test as we had to manually haul up the anchor. We did continue on our way to North Sound, where marine maintenance is available at the Bitter End Yacht Club. We had a great sail up, past the Dogs and into the Sound.

At the Bitter End, we hailed the marine technician who dingyed out to our boat to check out the windlass. After a couple of hours (and a couple of hits on the windlass with our hammer), the technician did get the windlass working, but not realiably. We have decided that we'll go back to Road Town tomorrow to get the necessary parts replaced on the windlass and then head off for the Turks and Caicos mid-afternoon.

We spent the rest of the day here starting to get the boat ready for the passage (putting on the jacklines, checking the harnesses, working out the course), and a little snorkelling where Bill and Brian saw lots of conch and a shark.

After drinks on board, Saba Rock enticed us for more drinks, dinner, and more drinks. Ohhh-haa, and free internet access.

We couldn't resist getting our picture taking with the pirate welcoming us ashore!

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The Kids are Worn Out By 9:30pm
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Almost Ready for the Sail to the Turks and Caicos remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> Cheap Rum in Paradise tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-03:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=12&entryid=13399 2006-09-14T12:08:53Z 2006-06-04T01:16:56Z Brian and Bill (June 2): Bushwackers! We rediscovered Bill's favourite drink in the BVI here in Marina Cay (even though Bill couldn't remember the name!). We're sitting up at the Sunset Bar, enjoying the bitchin' views, Bill presented the crew of the good ship Soul Healer, with personalized Canadian, doo rags (see a picture of the fearless crew below). Thanks Ann! They're awesome! To get a picture of the crew, we enlisted the help of the drunken ... Brian and Bill (June 2): Bushwackers! We rediscovered Bill's favourite drink in the BVI here in Marina Cay (even though Bill couldn't remember the name!). We're sitting up at the Sunset Bar, enjoying the bitchin' views, Bill presented the crew of the good ship Soul Healer, with personalized Canadian, doo rags (see a picture of the fearless crew below). Thanks Ann! They're awesome!

To get a picture of the crew, we enlisted the help of the drunken table next to us. However, the evil omens were upon us, and the photo babe handily allowed our new digital camera to meet the ground with case denting impact. Fortunatley (for us), there was no damage done to the camera except for a dent.

The Canadian doo rags attracted the attention of a hot babe (and her new husband). Turned out, she was from Toronto, and new buddies were made. Anyway, we ended up being the last dingy to weave our way across the anchorage back to the boat. Sleep came swiftly to the weary.

The Motley Crew
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Cheap Rum in Paradise remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> More Mayhem at the Airport tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-03:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=10&entryid=13396 2006-09-14T12:07:28Z 2006-06-04T01:08:30Z Mike (June 1st): OK... So I ordered some new sails from Doyle in the Barbados and had them delivered to the BVI. That was the plan. What happened was that nobody seemed to know what happened to this sail. So finally, we got a notification from the airline that they located the shipment and we could pick them up from the airport. We picked up a mooring ball in Trellis Bay, hopped into the dingy and headed for shore. For ... Mike (June 1st): OK... So I ordered some new sails from Doyle in the Barbados and had them delivered to the BVI. That was the plan. What happened was that nobody seemed to know what happened to this sail. So finally, we got a notification from the airline that they located the shipment and we could pick them up from the airport. We picked up a mooring ball in Trellis Bay, hopped into the dingy and headed for shore. For those who may not know, Trellis Bay is right at the airport. In fact, the runway flight path goes right across the bay. Anyway, Alison and I realize as we got to shore that we didn't have our departure clearance papers (the sails were sent 'Yacht In Transit' for tax exemption reasons) and now have to go back to the boat to get it. While the time burn is only five minutes, this is gonna hurt. We finally get to the airport and get the airline's agent who pops back into the customs area. The world is golden... not. She pops back out at what is now 4:33pm and tells us that customs has gone home at 4:30pm. D'ya see how those five minutes figure in? Anyway. She chearfully also tells us that customs will reopen for us on Tuesday, this being a long weekend in the BVI. This is not good since this is Friday! Ouch! I throw a foot stamping episode and she relents and fetches us a customs agent who normally works arriving passengers and not cargo. Since the shipment was labelled 'Yacht In Transit', no customs or duty charges apply, so she was prepared to release the sail shipment to us. But where was it? A search of the unclaimed baggage was no joy. Next was a call to the cargo terminal, but more no joy since they'd already left. By chance, Alison saw a box sitting by a baggage conveyor at arrivals and inquired. There it was! It had been sitting on the floor for almost a week. Amazing that no one messed with it. The box was heavy, so I hijacked a porter cart, loaded it on and proceeded to head out to the airport back to the bay. I told Alison not to look back for fear someone was noticing the heisted cart. We got to the dock, unloaded and returned the cart to the airport with no-one having taken notice. Whew!

More Mayhem at the Airport remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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]]> We Don't Gotta Go Naked tag:travellerspoint.com,2006-06-03:/blog/?domain=soulhealer&thisblog_entryid=7&entryid=13390 2006-09-14T12:02:23Z 2006-06-03T23:35:15Z Alison (June 1): Yes, our luggage did arrive. A day late, but it did finally make it. It seems that our luggage had the opportunity to do a little site seeing in San Juan. While we were waiting for the taxi to deliver our luggage to the base, it was off to Road Town for provisioning. And then a stop at Tico's for refreshments (we couldn't go any where without an ample supply of beer, rum and ... Alison (June 1): Yes, our luggage did arrive. A day late, but it did finally make it. It seems that our luggage had the opportunity to do a little site seeing in San Juan.

While we were waiting for the taxi to deliver our luggage to the base, it was off to Road Town for provisioning. And then a stop at Tico's for refreshments (we couldn't go any where without an ample supply of beer, rum and wine).

Boat is now fueled, watered and ready to depart. We're off to Norman Island (The Bight), where Bill and Brian showed their boat handling prowess. Then it was off to the Caves, for a snorkel fest. The colours in the caves were amazing, and we saw lots of crabs clinging to the walls. We were thinking that dinner might be surf and turf but the surf wasn't that easy to catch. So, instead we had amazing steaks that Mike BBQ'd on board.

If you want to see some pics of us having a great time, check out this website - 'http://www.digiproofs.com/ecom/page_view.pl?p=3YswO49'. Yacht Shots BVI takes pics of boats in the BVI and post them onto the web for purchase. That's us on the boat! Eat your hearts out!

We Don't Gotta Go Naked remains copyright of the author Ali-Mike, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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