Yesterday Paul and Matt spoke with a local that, I think, used to do some fish guiding work. He and Matt met shortly after sunrise to take a trip to try and do some fishing. No luck with the fishing...but evidently and amusing dingy ride with the surf level coming in/out of the channel to Little Harbor.
We moved the boat outside of the Harbor to await the end of the fishing fun...and taking the guide back to town. U/W again..this time to an achorage between Lubbers and Elbow Cay within view of Tahiti beach. Once again, due to weather/seas, we skipped the intermediate snorkel spot..which was a plus because it allowed us to get into our anchorage before low tide struck...(we came in from the south which has shallower water than approaching from the north)
Cool snorkeling here...while not tons of fish...was neat anyway. Saw a submerged lawn chair, many starfish, some conch, random small fisht and a larger fish 1.5-2' long i would guess. The highlight was a submerged 55 gallon drum that had become the home a a Lionfish.....this fish was a cool find by Captain Paul who said that they are rather rare here...twas the first one I had seen. Initially looks like a small fish..but when irritated it puffs out (tis also poisonous). When puffed out it reminded me of a giant spider hanging from something...very cool.
Had burgers and dogs at anchor this fine night...entertainment was (most of) the crew deciding it was dancing on deck night.......
I also learned about a musician named Jerry Jeff Walker (if memory correct) amusing songs...somewhat similar to Buffett.
...all crashed by 2130....another day when it was great to be out on the water..and not in the office...
Monday, April 6, 2009
Day 6 - Wednesday...Onward to Little Harbor
Up by 8...overcast temp in the 60's. Perfect for my morning swim....(and no one else was interested). Listened to the local forecast (marine version) on ch 93.5 or ch 68 (marine vhf) for local weather, sea state information, tides...done with some fun local color.
U/W by 0900 enroute to Little Harbor with the hope of a side stop for a snorkel. Water too rough in the desired snorkelling spot today..so straight in to Little Harbor. Ran aground in the shallow channel..for a short bit of time. This cat can power through and not get caught like some of those monohulls with the bigger keels might have. Definitely want to hit this one at high tide (or close to it...to allow for some slop). Also tough to determine shallowest spots to avoid in my opinion. Made it in and grabbed a mooring ball. We got it on the first attempt.
Ashore to tool around this part of the island....a fairly destroyed lighthouse, Pete's Pub, an interesting local artist and some caves were explored by most. Had Queen Triggerfish here for dinner...an interesting white fish that was not flaky, nor was it like a swordfish in texture...kinda like a chicken cutlet (for texture).
Back to the boat....a noisy night on the mooring ball....with the cat having a wider cleat setup as compared to the monohull, the eye of the mooring line can slide a bit which can cause noise. Good thing to experience......
U/W by 0900 enroute to Little Harbor with the hope of a side stop for a snorkel. Water too rough in the desired snorkelling spot today..so straight in to Little Harbor. Ran aground in the shallow channel..for a short bit of time. This cat can power through and not get caught like some of those monohulls with the bigger keels might have. Definitely want to hit this one at high tide (or close to it...to allow for some slop). Also tough to determine shallowest spots to avoid in my opinion. Made it in and grabbed a mooring ball. We got it on the first attempt.
Ashore to tool around this part of the island....a fairly destroyed lighthouse, Pete's Pub, an interesting local artist and some caves were explored by most. Had Queen Triggerfish here for dinner...an interesting white fish that was not flaky, nor was it like a swordfish in texture...kinda like a chicken cutlet (for texture).
Back to the boat....a noisy night on the mooring ball....with the cat having a wider cleat setup as compared to the monohull, the eye of the mooring line can slide a bit which can cause noise. Good thing to experience......
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Day 5 -Tuesday
Woke up early...caught sunrise...then back to bed for a few more winks. U/W ~0900 to make the "No Rock" passage heading back toward the Marsh Harbor area. Shallow ~3 (wondering where the zero point truly is for this boat's depth finder)..used spotters...much calmer passage...definitely hit it around high tide.
Decided to push past Marsh Harbor and look for a deserted anchorage for the eve...so no day stops. I (with some Bonnie help) made lunch for the crew of PBJs today. Finally had an opportunity to do a bit of pure sailing. twas fun to not have the engine noise. Moved along nicely with a reefed main, jib and the ongoing good winds 20 ish or so today.
Anchored off of Tiloo Cay north of the long sandbar on the chart..winds out of the east/se (if memory correct) so decent calm anchorage.
Crew dinghy'd ashore...i stayed on board..knees not up for the challenge. Decided to snorkel...very cool.. More starfish,littel blue and yellow fish by the few rock clumps. Also swam under a pier and disturbed a 3' ray..not sure who was more startled....way cool to see though.
Good meal of grilled chicken on boat tonight. Peaceful eve with no boats around. Lost 2nd game of Cribbage to Bonnie so far this trip....not good.
Decided to push past Marsh Harbor and look for a deserted anchorage for the eve...so no day stops. I (with some Bonnie help) made lunch for the crew of PBJs today. Finally had an opportunity to do a bit of pure sailing. twas fun to not have the engine noise. Moved along nicely with a reefed main, jib and the ongoing good winds 20 ish or so today.
Anchored off of Tiloo Cay north of the long sandbar on the chart..winds out of the east/se (if memory correct) so decent calm anchorage.
Crew dinghy'd ashore...i stayed on board..knees not up for the challenge. Decided to snorkel...very cool.. More starfish,littel blue and yellow fish by the few rock clumps. Also swam under a pier and disturbed a 3' ray..not sure who was more startled....way cool to see though.
Good meal of grilled chicken on boat tonight. Peaceful eve with no boats around. Lost 2nd game of Cribbage to Bonnie so far this trip....not good.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Day 4 - Across the Cuts
A good night sleep on the boat. Had some minor issues....maybe the local water...so a light breakfast. U/W mid morning (ish) heading to the NW end of Great Guano Cay to hopefully find a spot to park the boat so our two divers can go diving. Got up there and didnot find the "supposed" channel in...and the surf was looking kinda rough so diving was cancelled...instead we went to Shell Island (aka Spoil Bank Cay). Most of the crew went ashore via dinghy to look for shells...i stayed on board to relax/read and snorkel. They enjoyed their shell hunt..and I enjoyed my snorkel. Water was again cool.
Onward to Green Turtle Cay...On this trip we were exposed more directly to the Atlantic Ocean as it pours into the Sea of Abaco through two relatively small channels between the islands. These channels are known as Loggerhead Channel and Whale Cay Channel..passing by (are you ready for this) Whale Cay..no whales sighted. roughest passage of the trip here...swells in the 5' zone with some larger...the largest one broke high enough that I got soaked....and unfortunately for someone..a hatch was left open and a mini lake was made on their bed. (Poor Chris and Brad..hopefully that is how to spell Mrs. Brad's name)
Once through the channels we ducked back inside and went up behind Green Turtle Cay through some very shallow water...which we "bounced" off of a few times. Had spotters up front trying to visually determine the safest passage. Anchored behind Green Turtle Cay...went ashore in search of entertainment and food....found golf carts. (Story omitted..one of the few bits of mini drama involving golf carts, and an accidentally split party...one group at Pineapples and the other waiting for the group back at the dinghy.....)
In town ..(New Plymouth Town) we found Sundowners and little else. Ran into the group that we would see off and on again there..and learned about another way back through "No Rock Passage" that while not recommended due to water depth, was much more protected from the waves.
and then another night of sleep on the boat
Onward to Green Turtle Cay...On this trip we were exposed more directly to the Atlantic Ocean as it pours into the Sea of Abaco through two relatively small channels between the islands. These channels are known as Loggerhead Channel and Whale Cay Channel..passing by (are you ready for this) Whale Cay..no whales sighted. roughest passage of the trip here...swells in the 5' zone with some larger...the largest one broke high enough that I got soaked....and unfortunately for someone..a hatch was left open and a mini lake was made on their bed. (Poor Chris and Brad..hopefully that is how to spell Mrs. Brad's name)
Once through the channels we ducked back inside and went up behind Green Turtle Cay through some very shallow water...which we "bounced" off of a few times. Had spotters up front trying to visually determine the safest passage. Anchored behind Green Turtle Cay...went ashore in search of entertainment and food....found golf carts. (Story omitted..one of the few bits of mini drama involving golf carts, and an accidentally split party...one group at Pineapples and the other waiting for the group back at the dinghy.....)
In town ..(New Plymouth Town) we found Sundowners and little else. Ran into the group that we would see off and on again there..and learned about another way back through "No Rock Passage" that while not recommended due to water depth, was much more protected from the waves.
and then another night of sleep on the boat
Day 3 - Setting Sail
Up bright and early to shower on shore for the last time for a while (yeah boat showers). Another fine breakfast at Curly Tails (Curly Tails has a sign a big local lizard type hanging on a wall with a really long curly tail....). Today Salmon, cream cheese and bagel. Underway in the generally noonish time frame from the Marina. Twin props looks like they are useful, as expected, in the tight Marina for getting out of the slip and underway.
Once out of the Marina today goal is a short motor sail to some place off of Great Guana Cay for a lunch stop. First snorkel attempt of the trip. Saw and touched my first Starfish. Very cool. Water cool but pleasant (others thought the water was cold..believed to be in the 60's for temp). Starboard engine had an ugly vibration when put under a bit of power. Found out that the shaft was not packed tightly...i could move it by hand. After the lunch and snorkel time...we motored over to our protected anchorage by Great Guana Cay (pronounced Key) near the town of Settlement(?).
Happy hour occurred (this will be a theme). Then we dingy'd in to shore and wandered around the island. Started off at Nippers looking for a pig roast that was not...First shot with the local rum drink "Goombay Smash"...tasty. Nippers had a good view of the Atlantic Ocean side...glad we were parked on the calmer side. Saw someone kite sailing in the surf..looks cool. Wandered to Grabbers next...also a nice little bar/restaurant with live music. Ran into a group of people that would shadow us off and on for the whole trip (they had about 10 of them on a large power cat charter for the week).
Back to the boat for an early bed. As expected the light pollution was minimal and the stars and constellations were cool to see. Bonnie was playing with her glow in the dark star chart....as some of you can imagine.
Noticing that the water depths are a bit shallow and that tide times could become important. Also not tons of nav aids...but enough in daylight..and the GPS system is nice and seems to work.
Once out of the Marina today goal is a short motor sail to some place off of Great Guana Cay for a lunch stop. First snorkel attempt of the trip. Saw and touched my first Starfish. Very cool. Water cool but pleasant (others thought the water was cold..believed to be in the 60's for temp). Starboard engine had an ugly vibration when put under a bit of power. Found out that the shaft was not packed tightly...i could move it by hand. After the lunch and snorkel time...we motored over to our protected anchorage by Great Guana Cay (pronounced Key) near the town of Settlement(?).
Happy hour occurred (this will be a theme). Then we dingy'd in to shore and wandered around the island. Started off at Nippers looking for a pig roast that was not...First shot with the local rum drink "Goombay Smash"...tasty. Nippers had a good view of the Atlantic Ocean side...glad we were parked on the calmer side. Saw someone kite sailing in the surf..looks cool. Wandered to Grabbers next...also a nice little bar/restaurant with live music. Ran into a group of people that would shadow us off and on for the whole trip (they had about 10 of them on a large power cat charter for the week).
Back to the boat for an early bed. As expected the light pollution was minimal and the stars and constellations were cool to see. Bonnie was playing with her glow in the dark star chart....as some of you can imagine.
Noticing that the water depths are a bit shallow and that tide times could become important. Also not tons of nav aids...but enough in daylight..and the GPS system is nice and seems to work.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Day 2 -Exploring Town, Provisioning and Pre-Board of the 43' Cat "Boss Lady"
Day 2
Woke up to an overcast day....but the pool water still felt nice. The part of the crew wandered over to check out our digs at the Lofty Fig. Then on to breakfast [left one of the cohort behind....one to many Kaliks the night before perhaps :) ]
Breakfast at Curly Tails...had a good spicy eggsandwich called the Turkish.
Post breakfast we did a group wander around our section of Marsh Harbor. Some trinket selling shores along the main drag....this was followed by a wander toward the main section of town in the early/mid afternoon for lunch at Snappers (i think)..more fresh fish (blackened grouper)..yum.
Onward to the local mart for the chaos of provisioning. It was chaotic....8 people trying to work together to get both the general group things and some individual items in a somewhat crowded grocery store......
Followed by an extensive trip around town looking for 5 gallon jugs of water....3 gas stations, 1 water supply store later....we were able to procure 3 of them.....
Back to the boat for loading up. Oh...how could i forget...we also, while walking to the grocery store...hit the beer/wine/liquor store to provision the boat for the week (an interesting bill and a whole other story......).
Loaded up all of our gear on the boat...and for those of you that have done this before...it can be a warm sweaty pain in the but....however...with 8 of us generally working together in ways to stay out of each others way....it went ok. For my part, I got to pass things from the pier to the boat and to take away garbage (cardboard on boats is bad ususally...must avoid the possible cockroach eggs). Followed by stowing away my personal gear in the huge room that Bonnie and I shared. (See video for just how large that room is...by monohull standards).
After that the sun was setting and we were all kinda worn out. Not much occurred that night...just ended up snacking and sleeping on the boat....and checking out some of the boat parts.
Also finally felt like i was truly beginning a vacation......
Woke up to an overcast day....but the pool water still felt nice. The part of the crew wandered over to check out our digs at the Lofty Fig. Then on to breakfast [left one of the cohort behind....one to many Kaliks the night before perhaps :) ]
Breakfast at Curly Tails...had a good spicy eggsandwich called the Turkish.
Post breakfast we did a group wander around our section of Marsh Harbor. Some trinket selling shores along the main drag....this was followed by a wander toward the main section of town in the early/mid afternoon for lunch at Snappers (i think)..more fresh fish (blackened grouper)..yum.
Onward to the local mart for the chaos of provisioning. It was chaotic....8 people trying to work together to get both the general group things and some individual items in a somewhat crowded grocery store......
Followed by an extensive trip around town looking for 5 gallon jugs of water....3 gas stations, 1 water supply store later....we were able to procure 3 of them.....
Back to the boat for loading up. Oh...how could i forget...we also, while walking to the grocery store...hit the beer/wine/liquor store to provision the boat for the week (an interesting bill and a whole other story......).
Loaded up all of our gear on the boat...and for those of you that have done this before...it can be a warm sweaty pain in the but....however...with 8 of us generally working together in ways to stay out of each others way....it went ok. For my part, I got to pass things from the pier to the boat and to take away garbage (cardboard on boats is bad ususally...must avoid the possible cockroach eggs). Followed by stowing away my personal gear in the huge room that Bonnie and I shared. (See video for just how large that room is...by monohull standards).
After that the sun was setting and we were all kinda worn out. Not much occurred that night...just ended up snacking and sleeping on the boat....and checking out some of the boat parts.
Also finally felt like i was truly beginning a vacation......
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Day 1 - The travel day
Up a bit before 6am and on the road by 0638. Fast acceptable traffic for a friday morn to the Richmond airport. Took off from Richmond around 0920 to Charlotte NC...onwards to Nassau, Bahamas (through customs) to Marsh Harbor, Bahamas..arrive around 1750. Small airport....did not even go inside..the luggage was left on a cart by the exit gate. Travel was relatively smooth.
Got lucky and found 4 other crew members (whose flight was a bit delayed) getting into a cab for a drive to the various lodgings. Cabs are not cheap here 5 of us spent about 30 bucks for a (maybe) 3 mile ride.
Unloaded at the Lofty Fig (nice place pictures to come). Jumped in pool....ah that felt good. Met the rest of the crew in our Captain's Room at the motel associated with the Moorings (boat charter company) Had a happy hour..then the rest of us went up to Curly Tails for a few more and some food. I was diggin' being in shorts and short sleeve shirt even with the nice breeze. Finally feeling relaxed.....awesome fresh, fresh, fresh, fresh, fresh, Grouper fingers for dinner...accompanied by a couple of rum drinks and mildly amusing live music.
Crashed around 11...could still hear the bar music in the background (glad we stayed at the Lofty Fig instead of at the Marina......)
[admin notes: pictures were taken from 2 different cameras..my Kodak digital and my RCA Small Wonder which also did the videos..currently I have posted the Lobzilla video on google videos and the all of the Small Wonder pictures on my Picasa photo gallery which is linked here...more photos later which show the Lofty Fig to start with...and our end residence at Treasure Cay at the end]
Got lucky and found 4 other crew members (whose flight was a bit delayed) getting into a cab for a drive to the various lodgings. Cabs are not cheap here 5 of us spent about 30 bucks for a (maybe) 3 mile ride.
Unloaded at the Lofty Fig (nice place pictures to come). Jumped in pool....ah that felt good. Met the rest of the crew in our Captain's Room at the motel associated with the Moorings (boat charter company) Had a happy hour..then the rest of us went up to Curly Tails for a few more and some food. I was diggin' being in shorts and short sleeve shirt even with the nice breeze. Finally feeling relaxed.....awesome fresh, fresh, fresh, fresh, fresh, Grouper fingers for dinner...accompanied by a couple of rum drinks and mildly amusing live music.
Crashed around 11...could still hear the bar music in the background (glad we stayed at the Lofty Fig instead of at the Marina......)
[admin notes: pictures were taken from 2 different cameras..my Kodak digital and my RCA Small Wonder which also did the videos..currently I have posted the Lobzilla video on google videos and the all of the Small Wonder pictures on my Picasa photo gallery which is linked here...more photos later which show the Lofty Fig to start with...and our end residence at Treasure Cay at the end]
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