Glenns Gone Sailing

Great Sale Cay (Cay, is pronounced Key in the Bahamas)

At 8:00 AM we pulled away from the bulkhead in fine fashion as we learned another navigational move purely by accident. The wind was blowing us against the bulkhead and when I tried to steer the bow out into the alley, the wind kept it from turning in that direction. While backing up to give us more pivoting room to make our turn, I noticed while I had the wheel turned toward the bulkhead while in reverse, the bow was turning the direction we needed it to go. So, Gary (Mr. Muscles) and another fellow sailor from the next boat slip, fended (pushed) us off the bulkhead while I kept it in reverse turning toward the bulkhead so the bow would make it’s path toward the fairway. Voila! The procedure worked beautifully and we easily made our way out the marina. (Do you remember the poem, “You Know You’re A Sailor When…”? If not, it can be found in the Archives of our website. The last line of the poem is, “ You know you’re a sailor when you realize there is always one more thing to learn about being a sailor.”

In talking to one of Ed’s boat slip neighbors, arrangements were made for another boat to join our flotilla while going through the shallow channel from West End to the east side of the Little Bahama Bank. Their boat draft is 5 ½ feet and the water was skinny for them. Ed continually called out depth readings over the VHF radio, guiding the other captain safely through the channel to deeper water. Once we were through the channel, the other captain decided he could proceed on his own to Mangrove Cay.

We saw “fish muds” for the first time today where the water appears to be a shoal area, as the color is lighter. Glancing at the GPS and depth meter confirms it is not a shoal, rather stirred up water. According to the cruising guide, there are several theories of the cause of fish muds. The most common theory is they are caused from bottom feeding fish.

Great Sale Cay is an uninhabited island. Nonetheless, it is a busy anchorage due to proximity. An 8 ½ hour sail from West End to Great Sale Cay was a comfortable day of sailing, so anchoring here for the night instead of pushing onward to other islands makes a lot of sense. Also, after 8 ½ hours, Molly needs to go ashore to take care of business. And after a hot day at the helm, Captain Gary needed a swim in the cool, refreshing Bahamian water – his reward at the end of a fabulous first day cruising in the Bahamas.

Gary enjoying the clear blue Bahamian water

3-25-11

While making arrangements for a taxi to take us to Freeport, Ed decided to take a local young man up on his offer to be our driver, after finding out a taxi would cost nearly $200.00. We paid the gentleman, Kenneth, half the price for a taxi, and ended up tipping him as well because we had such a wonderful time with Kenneth and his cousin, Alvin as our tour guides. Both of these Bahamian men grew up on the Grand Bahama Island and they told us a lot about the Bahamian culture as they pointed out sites of interest as we road around the island. (If you ever come to West End and you want a tour of the island from two very nice gentlemen, these guys love to make a few extra bucks if they have the spare time. Kenneth’s email address is: k.christie1979@hotmail.com  and he said he can be called from the marina office at his local number 242-443-4086.)

Kenneth and Alvin with the Glenns

Both Alvin and Kenneth are single men in their late twenties. Kenneth has done various jobs around the island, like working at the marina, and construction. Presently, he is in the sea fishing charter business. Alvin has his pilot’s license but isn’t flying right now, and he too is in the sea fishing charter business. It was a windy day today and they didn’t take fishermen out, so that is why they were free to escort us to Freeport.

Resort at West End, Grand Bahama Island

Kenneth also informed us of the amenities at the resort of Old Bahama Bay that are available at no charge to the boaters staying at the marina. By walking to the Tiki Bar on the beach at the resort, you can sign out a Hobie catamaran, bikes, or kayaks to use while staying at the marina. (Interesting that the marina didn’t tell us about these amenities.)

While driving us around the island, Kenneth and Alvin informed us of the industries supporting the local economy. Tourism is number one, accompanied by Polymers-a factory making Styrofoam cups, the Bahamian Brewery, the Fuel Depot*, the container ship port, a stone company, the Grand Bahama Shipyard, and numerous marinas. *We drove by the Fuel Depot seeing the huge columns of storage tanks of oil on one side of the rode and gasoline on the other side of the road. We also saw the enormous tankers off shore “off-loading” into pipes in the water that pumps the fuel to the depot. I never thought about how the process of getting fuel to the island is done before, and I found it to be fascinating.

International Bazaar at Port Lucaya

Other points of interest shown to us were the Customs Office, the Courthouse, various stores, hotels, resorts, 2 hospitals (health care is free to the Bahamians), schools, churches, restaurants and eateries.

Glenns and Byers at Port Lucaya

Alvin and Kenneth escorted us awhile at Port Lucaya, pointing out various places we might want to explore and then they left us to wander on our own for an hour before meeting us at a designated spot. Port Lucaya is where the big cruise ships bring their guests to enjoy an open-air market with all the touristy shops, restaurants and bars. Cheryl and I found a few items to purchase, helping the local economy. While waiting a few minutes for our fabulous tour guides to meet back up with us, we watched the entertainment at the square. The guys especially, enjoyed the Bahamian lady singer teaching tourists coaxed to the stage how to do a special dance she was singing about. The back side view from where we were watching gave the guys a splendid view of all the “shakin’ goin’ on”. Boy, could one of the girls shake her bootie!

By the time we rode back to the marina, we were feeling pretty comfortable with Kenneth and Alvin, and we asked them lots of questions about the local culture. They felt comfortable enough with us, that they even drove us through the “slums”, a place most tourists don’t want to see. Obviously, we are not like “most tourists” and we all wanted a real taste of what it’s like for everyone, rich and poor, to live on the island. We also rode through the posh area of new development at Old Bahama Bay, where the “rich Americans” are building fabulous homes overlooking the ocean. Kenneth told us Lady Gaga had stayed at one of the homes recently. I asked if she presented herself in one of her wild getups or if she dressed in normal attire. Neither one of the guys had the opportunity to see her. Ed asked if word got around the island quickly when someone famous comes to the island, and of course the answer was yes. Kenneth told us he has taken John Travolta and his son out to fish many times. In fact, he said he was preparing the boat to take the Travoltas out, when John’s son died. (Side note: Speaking of the rich and famous, when we were anchored at Lake Worth, Ed pointed out to Gary the home of the famous golfer, Jack Nicolas. We were anchored practically in his back yard. Little did we know when we were anchored at the same spot for almost a month in January, we were neighbors to such a celebrity.)

On the trip back to the marina, we talked to the guys about their “broken English”, only spoken to fellow Bahamians. When they speak to tourists they use proper English grammar, well spoken and courteous. We coaxed them into telling us about some of the local slang used commonly among the Bahamians and these are some things we learned: When a Bahamian can’t remember a word, they say “timgum” for the word they can’t remember and keep going forward with the conversation. In other words, they don’t let the lack of remembering a word interrupt the flow of the conversation, and they don’t belabor over conjuring up the word like we Americans do. Every Bahamian uses the phrase, “Mudder sick it” which is used to express frustration.  “Mamadoo” or “Gussymae” is their term for, shall we say, a fuller figured woman.  Our favorite phrase is “Conchie Joe”, referring to a white Bahamanian.  My new nickname is Conchie Jean. 

When we got back to the marina, Kenneth and Alvin joined Gary for a cold drink aboard White Swan and looked around the boat since they had never been on the inside of our model. Interestingly, they have never sailed on a big boat before, just the small Hobie Cats.

Gary went to the Tiki Bar with Ed and Cheryl and another couple the Byers had met moored next to Lady Bug. I started feeling badly around 3:00 while in Freeport, and chose to stay aboard White Swan.

Postscript: 3-26-11 AM I’m still not feeling well but our plan is to go on to Green Turtle or Marsh Harbor and see if this is from something I ate and dissipates or if it’s a relapse of c.diff. If I’m still sick by the time we get to a port that has an airport, we’ll fly back home. Dang!!! We are hoping “this too shall pass”.

Following Lady Bug out the Lake Worth Inlet 3-24-11

White Swan is welcomed by the Sunrise over the Atlantic as she takes her maiden voyage to the Bahamas.

Gary and I anchored White Swan near the Lake Worth Inlet at Singer Island last night. Ed and Cheryl took Lady Bug to a boat slip at a marina near the inlet, so they could do what they needed to do ashore before leaving for the Bahamas. We met this morning at the turning basin and headed out the inlet by 7:00 AM.  As we went out into the Atlantic Ocean, we were greeted by a welcoming sunrise, reassuring us it was going to be a beautiful day.

As we anticipated the day, the excitement of taking our own boat to the Bahamas for the first time was exhilarating. As I said before, “There’s nothing like doing anything for the first time.”

We went out the inlet at low tide, making an easy exit. The wind was out of the west, helping us as well. The wind remained W to WSW from 10 to 15 knots, providing us with more speed as we motor-sailed across the “stream”. Steering up to 20 degrees off course, kept us on the rhumb line on our GPS, as we followed Lady Bug to the Bahamas. The larger swells in the middle of the stream, necessitated keener attention at the helm. The feel of the wheel as we steered was similar to what we experienced in the BVI (British Virgin Islands) when we chartered a sailboat there and sailed around the north side of Tortola in the open sea.

Three hours out, we could no longer see the buildings on the shore at Palm Beach. We spotted the water tower at West End from ten miles out on the other side. We had no sight of land for around five hours (thus our rite of passage). It took us 9 ½ hours to make the crossing.

Watching the depth meter while getting closer to the Bahamas was interesting. It went from 599 feet ( which is it’s max) to 126 feet as we crossed the bank and quickly dropped into the 20’s. While we were out in the stream, the GPS showed the deepest water was 2585 feet.

Yellow Quarantine Flag above US Flag

Raising the Bahamian Flag after clearing customs

As soon as we were “on the bank”, we lowered our sails and raised our yellow quarantine flag. The quarantine flag had to be flown until the captain (only) goes ashore to clear customs. Then the flag is taken down and the Bahamian flag is raised above the US flag.

Ed called the marina on the VHF radio and made docking arrangements for both boats. While listening to the marina’s instructions on where we were going to dock, we kept looking for an open slip and found none, only to realize they were putting us at the bulkhead in the middle of the fairway. I was at the helm, as Gary has to be the muscles to push us away from what ever I might be getting ready to hit, when at the last minute I realized what was happening. I’ve never docked White Swan in such a tight place before and luckily had no time to think about it and panic. Amazingly I maneuvered her around and with the help of the dockhands and Gary, put her right into place beside the bulkhead. My head swelled 10 times it’s normal size as my ego rejoiced at my skills (a.k.a. luck).

Upon arrival, we congratulated Captain Ed, for a perfectly sailed route to the entrance of the Old Bahama Bay Marina on West End, Grand Bahama Island. We decided to celebrate by having dinner at the restaurant at the marina. Afterward, we toasted with champagne and strawberries aboard Lady Bug.

Celebration Dinner at Old Bahama Bay Marina

Gary’s lifelong dream became reality today. I’m so grateful I got to share the experience with him. Aware that not everyone gets to see their life’s dreams become reality, we feel blessed and are thankful to God for the day.

Lady Bug going through bascule bridge at Jupiter

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, always a pretty site

Tomorrow I plan on going to the marina to do laundry while Gary goes with Ed to West Marine to buy more fishing lures. 

While at the laundry, I’d like to get as many pictures posted to our website as I can, since I’ve finally caught up on writing the blogs.

While we are in the Bahamas, our only means of communication will be via e-mail. It’s our understanding WiFi is not available everywhere in the Bahamas, but we will post blogs and check e-mails whenever possible.

You can always see where we are by going to the SPOT link, as SPOT will be on whenever we are moving and will continue to transmit anywhere we are. Hopefully, the next blog you read will have been written in the Bahamas.  SO EXCITING!!!

Short walk to the ocean, via path from Peck Lake

Ah yes, the ocean at the end of the path at Peck Lake

Peck Lake is about 20 miles north of Lake Worth (where we anchored for most of the month of January, when I had MRSA). The charm of Peck lake is it’s protected anchorage and close proximity to the ocean. It is so close, we can hear the ocean from our boat. What a pleasant sound, and it’s the only anchorage we’ve found with such an amenity. For that reason, this anchorage quickly became one of our favorites. According to the forecast, it looks like it will be at least a week before we will get a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream, so we opted to stay here for awhile before going to Lake Worth, using the inlet there to make our crossing to the Bahamas.

Gary coming from a swim in the ocean

Man of War on the beach looks like a beautiful bubble, but it's poisonous.

After White Swan and Lady Bug were securely anchored in a shallow part of Peck Lake, the five of us (Ed, Cheryl, Gary, myself and Molly) went to the beach on the ocean side. There are two paths from Peck Lake that cut through the Hobe Sound Preserve (which is approximately ¼ mile wide) allowing access to the ocean’s beach. There is a water shuttle from a nearby community continually making rounds to bring people back and forth to the entrance of the path. The beach is several miles long, accommodating the small groups of visitors. Gary and I went to the ocean everyday. Gary went early in the morning for his power walks and then accompanied me later in the afternoon for a less vigorous walk and time sitting on the beach. I enjoyed getting my feet wet while walking the shore with Gary. He enjoyed an occasional swim in the ocean.

Much of our time at Peck Lake was spent with each boat’s occupants doing “their own things”, but we had happy hour on Lady Bug the first night we were here, and Cheryl prepared a delicious dinner for all of us the next night. She realizes I’m not up for reciprocity quite yet, but our time to host gatherings will come. We also went to the beach together a couple of times. Occasionally, Gary went with Ed to walk Molly. 

Supermoon over the ocean

Supermoon behind Lady Bug 3-19-11

One night while I was talking on the phone to our boating friend, Pat, she told me to go out and look at the moon because it was a “supermoon”, which happens only once in every 18 years. The moon is closer to the earth than usual and looks larger and that is why it’s called a supermoon. I wanted to see it shine over the ocean, so Gary and I hopped into the dinghy, in our pajamas, and went to the beach. It was worth the effort and there were quite a few people on the beach enjoying the spectacular view.

Molly stayed aboard White Swan while the guys caught those floppy ol' fish.

3-15-2011

After my extended illness, we think it is safe for us to venture out again aboard White Swan. With a backup plan for treatment if I have a relapse, and the necessary provisions aboard, we left our home port on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 1:00 in the afternoon.

Pat and Tom

Doug

Matt

Jim and Sarah

Ed and Cheryl own the other Gemini in our marina and they along with their doggie, Molly, are one of the two couples we traveled with the last time we tried to go to the Bahamas. The two Gemini sister-ships are once again going to travel together with the same destination in mind, the Bahamas.

Our first day’s agenda was to travel to Sebastian and anchor there for the evening, so we were in no rush to get an early start. The 20 mile trip took a little over 4 hours of motoring. It was a nice, easy trip down the ICW. We noticed more water fowl this time than what was present in late December and early February when we traveled this section of the waterway. Other than that, the ambience of the waterway, with it’s little islands throughout this section of the ICW, remained just as enchanting as always.

We caught up with Lady Bug in time to go into the anchorage together. Ed, Cheryl and Molly went ashore for awhile, but we chose to stay aboard White Swan and have a relaxing evening before a long travel day tomorrow.

Gemini "Alley Cat" going out the Florida Channel, Key Biscayne

As we bounced out the channel we passed another Gemini catamaran, Alley Cat. We met the nice couple who is cruising aboard Alley Cat during our days spent at No Name Harbor. They were on their way to Titusville to meet up with other cruising friends.

As we turned north after the last Florida Channel marker, we sailed with full sails taking us at a speed of 6 to 7 knots with swells hitting us on the side. The semi-rough ride was not ideal, but we made it to the Ft. Lauderdale inlet, traveling 27 miles in six hours. That sounds like a long time to go 27 miles, but it was good time for sailing, with nothing but the wind as power. Sweet!

There was a lot of boat traffic leaving the port as we came in, but we easily navigated to our anchorage for the night at Lake Sylvia. Alley Cat arrived a short time later. The nice couple chose not to go with us to explore the area via dinghy. We found many mega yachts at the nearby Ft. Lauderdale marinas (the norm for southern Florida).

Tow Boat U.S. pulling another Tow Boat U.S. at Ft. Lauderdale. These are the guys we depend on when White Swan breaks down...HELLO!!!

2-2-11 Another early start puts us motoring back out Port Everglades Inlet around 7:30 AM. The wind was lighter today at five mph and the swells were only 3 feet. The channel was clear of boat traffic as we left Ft. Lauderdale.

We motor-sailed all day and arrived at Palm Beach Inlet by 2:45 in the afternoon, logging 38 miles, taking 7 ½ hours. We anchored for the night near Singer Island.

Our new acquaintances aboard Alley Cat stopped by to chat for awhile and wanted to know if we wanted to go ashore with them, but we had to decline because of my current necessity to stay near the “head“. This nice couple from Kentucky, cruises every winter in Florida and sometimes the Bahamas. We hope to meet up with them again.

Container ship going by us at Lake Worth Inlet

2-3-11 For our last hop “outside”, we left Palm Beach Inlet (aka Lake Worth Inlet) at 7:30 in the morning with the lack of wind power to aid us. The wind didn’t even measure on our wind meter and the seas were calm.

We motored at a good speed, 5.5 mph, under an overcast sky and light winds from the northeast, until the wind shifted directly from the north at which time the seas brought three to four foot swells right on our nose. This slight change in wind direction slowed our speed down to 4 to 5 mph.

This trip offshore was the longest day of the three days we traveled “outside”, taking nine hours and traveling 49 miles. We arrived at Ft. Pierce Inlet around 4:30 PM and proceeded north another three miles up the ICW to a new anchorage for us. (Boaters, we turned east at the R174 marker to follow the local channel past the spoil island on the right, and then turned in to anchor behind the spoil island in four feet of water. White Swan’s draft is only two feet.) It was a calm anchorage, as the spoil island gave protection from the ICW boat wakes.

2-4-11 After a 39 ½ mile journey, motoring 7 ½ hours up the ICW, we arrived at Telemar Bay Marina, our home port. The trip was uneventful other than having to motor through dense fog for the first four hours. We went slowly and used the chart plotter and radar to help us navigate through the markers until the fog lifted. Under normal circumstances we would have waited for the fog to subside before traveling, but we wanted to arrive at our home port in time to get my specimen culture to the lab before it closed for the weekend.

As soon as White Swan was securely tied in our boat slip, Tom Dennis gave me the specimen bottles needed for lab cultures our family physician ordered, and Gary immediately drove them to the lab. We had made all these arrangements while in transit: After a phone call consultation regarding my illness with our family doctor, Dr. Caroliese Schmidt, our friend, Grace Belcher, who is also a patient of Dr. Schmidt‘s, went to pick up the written order and specimen bottles. She gave them to Pat and Tom Dennis, our friends who live-aboard at Telemar Bay Marina. And then Tom presented them to me upon arrival, giving Gary enough time to get them to the lab before it closed. (As I’ve said before, it takes a village to raise the Glenns.) Our long distance arrangements worked like clockwork. Now we have to wait for three days for the results.

We stayed overnight on White Swan, before going back to our home in Melbourne the next day, unaware of the long recuperation that lay ahead.

POSTSCRIPT:

Long story made short: Numerous tests and numerous trips to Dr. Schmidt and a gastroenterologist indicated, without a positive test result, my illness was clostridium difficile (aka c. diff.), caused from all the antibiotics taken to cure the MRSA. Treatment: another antibiotic, Flagyl, plus probiotic pills and a strict diet. The only good thing that came from all this is I’ve lost some weight, but this diet is not recommended!

While I recuperated at home, Gary stayed busy working on White Swan. He took out both gas tanks and thoroughly cleaned them and added a second fuel filter on the fuel line, so when too much condensation occurs in the line causing the engine to stall, he can simply switch it over to the backup filter (brilliant). He changed the oil and the filters; varnished the salon’s dining table and experimented with various types of varnish on the back side of our berth’s closet doors, as eventually his goal is to varnish all the wood inside the boat with the hope of eliminating most of our mold problem; and he accomplished a lot of other little fix-ups necessary before we start another cruise. His time was well spent and, as always, productive. He has White Swan ready for her next adventure.

I did manage to pull off a surprise celebration for Gary’s birthday on February 6th. E-mail made it easy to contact everyone to show up on the afternoon of his birthday to surprise him. Grace insisted upon getting the cake and ice cream for me and it was a blessing that she did, as my morning would not have allowed me to leave the house. Gary and his guests enjoyed the wonderful chocolate cake with a cheesecake center. Grace got the cake from Toojays, a gourmet deli at the Melbourne mall. The guests stayed an hour or so for a proper celebration of our special guy’s special day.

Gary's birthday celebration 2-6-11

 Hail, hail, the gang is all here for Gary’s birthday celebration.  From Left to Right:

Doug, Pat, John, Anna, Tom, Matt, Gary, Grace, Lady Bug (Cheryl’s mother), Cheryl & Ed

The next day, we motored the short distance back to No Name Harbor so we could tie up to the bulkhead and ride our bikes to the doctor’s office for my follow-up appointment. Feeling a little stronger, I felt I could ride the bike if we took our time. The doctor was pleased that I was better but concerned that I was not well. He wanted to wait until the lab results came back before any further treatment, which was a wise decision.

After spending the rest of the day at No Name Harbor, we motored back to Hurricane Harbor to once again spend a quiet night anchored there. The back and forth between the two anchorages became our routine for the next three days while we awaited lab results.

No Name (Busy Little) Harbor, on weekend

No Name Harbor's bulkhead on the weekend

On Saturday, the 29^th, we decided to make the short trip to No Name Harbor early in the morning, thinking the bulkhead availability would be slim on the weekend. We were right, beyond our expectations. When we arrived there, the bulkhead was wide open and we got to choose our mooring spot. By the afternoon the small anchorage and the bulkhead was packed with boats. We counted 25 anchored boats and 25 boats moored to the bulkhead with more coming and going through the busy little harbor. It was fun and entertaining watching all the families and groups of people partying in a carnival type atmosphere.

Gary riding bike on wonderful bike trail at Bill Baggs State Park

I felt well enough to go on a bike ride with Gary, so we rode to the beach and sat for awhile before going back to the boat to motor back to our overnight anchorage. On the way back to Hurricane Harbor, Gary and I had a spat after I warned him about getting too close to a shallow area. After anchoring, I retreated to our berth, leaving a cold chill in my wake. I guess we were both on edge due to my illness and not knowing really what was wrong with me. We just needed a little space between us for awhile, which is an important issue with cruising couples. As personal as this entry is, we felt it important for people to realize the cruising lifestyle is not always as glamorous as it appears. There are good days and bad days for those of us who choose the cruising lifestyle, just as there is for landlubbers.

The next day the chill was still in the air as we motored back to No Name Harbor. I wanted to get off the boat for awhile myself, and decided I should walk a little to help build some strength back into my body. When we arrived, we found at least ten boats still moored to the bulkhead, having spent the night, despite the park’s regulation of no overnight mooring to the seawall. There was an open spot with easy access and we slipped into it.

No Name Harbor, just when we thought there was no more room...

No Name Harbor, pinned in at the seawall

I was unable to get away from the “head” long enough to go for a walk, but I enjoyed watching the boats and people. Gary walked, rode his bike to Winn Dixie, filled a water jug from the harbor’s restaurant (not a common practice for boaters), and also enjoyed the Latino families and friends having a great time visiting with each other, eating, and playing loud Latino music. We felt like we were in another country. The only English spoken were from the few transient boaters and greetings from the Hispanics as they passed by. Our impression was this: there are a lot of rich Hispanics in Miami and Key Biscayne with big power boats and they all go to No Name Harbor to party on the weekends. About the time we thought another boat couldn’t possibly moor to the bulkhead, another one would inch it’s way up to it and find a way to tie up. Gary counted over 50 boats and at one time there was a traffic jam. What a zoo! At 5:00 PM we were still blocked in at the bulkhead, but at 5:30 the boats started to clear out and we were able to push White Swan away from the seawall and motor back to our nice, quiet anchorage at Hurricane Harbor.

1-31-11

We motored to No Name Harbor, finding an empty bulkhead with the partiers gone, leaving the small harbor to it normalcy once again. We tied up for the day, allowing easy access to the land.

Our long awaited call from the doctor revealed a negative test for Salmonella. Concerned, because I was still not well, we decided to head for home the next day. Many of our friends at our home port of Telemar Bay Marina and Melbourne, offered to come and get me to drive me back home, and help Gary get the boat back, but due to the type of illness and not being able to leave the security of a nearby “head”, we choose to take White Swan home ourselves.

Our last night at Key Biscayne we anchored outside Hurricane Harbor, north of the entrance, since the wind was calm and the shallows gave protection from power boat wakes. The forecast for the next day was conducive to going outside, the ocean route, to head north. We had never gone out the Florida Channel around Key Biscayne before so we decided to follow that route instead of going through Government Cut to get to the ocean.

1-31-11 Our last sunset over Key Biscayne before heading home