s/v Serendipity

O beautiful for spacious skies.....

2011-06-27T10:05:00.000+11:30

It's hard to believe our latest adventure is over, but we're anxious to check up on the family, spoil the grandkids some, and drive on the right side of the road. We arrived in Ft. Pierce around 10 a.m. and continued north on the ICW (where's that gorgeous aqua water??) to Vero Beach and the marina (AIR CONDITIONING!!). The Captain got the spare alternator rebuilt, bought 6 new golf cart batteries (his allowance is already gone for the year), and got in touch with Captain Wade (remember his butt on the bucket during the teak work?) to make arrangements for repairing the compression post. After a bus trip for some reprovisioning, we called Westland Marine in Titusville to arrange for putting the boat on the hard for new bottom paint and the repair.

The ICW is quite a change from tootling around the islands, not only for the huge homes but also for the water traffic. One of the bridges had a work barge parked right in the middle; it looked close, but then the tops always do too. We timed our trip to Westland carefully, because we had to get through the bascule bridge before it closed for rush hour traffic (which would require us to maintain a holding pattern in the wind-less HOT waterway while we waited). Our engineers and accountants figured and ciphered till we got to the bridge, confident that we'd made good time. Imagine our surprise when we found a new high-rise bridge, which required no opening! The cruising guides haven't recorded it yet (as of 2011), but it was no mirage. We were also surprised at Westland, since the other times we've been here it was a true working yard with a tiny, dark bathroom/shower facility, an office in a trailer, and no laundry (we had to sneak over the fence to the city marina). This time we found a huge new facility with large, clean tiled bath/showers, a laundry room, a big lounge with TV, wi-fi and small kitchenette, and new offices. Very nice!

the flanking jet skis look like police escorts for Summer Wind

move that barge!!

the bridge is tall enough now

Neptune welcomes us to Titusville

Westland Marina

We visited our favorite wi-fi spot and bakery from previous trips, Sunrise Bakery, for breakfast, then showed Rusty and Nancy a bit of Titusville (doesn't take long). Later we called George and Terry, friends from Serendipity's first voyage to the Bahamas, and they picked up Summer Wind and Serendipity's crews for a dinner and swim at their gorgeous home in Cape Canaveral. We caught up on our travels and made plans to spend the night with them as we head out of Florida.

the gang at...where else?....the bar

would you ever leave this lanai??

George, our cook

a.k.a. The Naked Chef

George and Terry in their beautiful kitchen

The saga continues with renting a rental car to pick up a rental car, taking down the sails, stowing the dinghy, removing canvas and covering the boat for its haulout, unloading food/clothes/electronics for the trip to Tennessee, and burning up in the heat! Summer Wind has left us, headed north for New Bern so they can visit their kids and grandkids and check on their house in Tennessee. Another chapter is ending....

goodbye to Summer Wind

they're outta here!

Ponderings

2011-06-27T09:46:00.000+11:30

Remembering our adventures (with the help of lots of photos) is so much fun, and it's been quite a journey. This is the first time we've visited both the Exumas and Abacos in the same trip, and we were surprised at the differences. The people of the Exumas seem to be a little hesitant at first, but so very warm when they decide you're okay. The hesitancy may be because of the old black/white issues, or it may be because so many tourists have misbehaved that they're suspicious. The people of the Abacos, a little less hesitant but never quite warming up as much, are very British in demeanor and very polite. The children both places, without exception, are so well behaved and well mannered. They always look immaculate in their school uniforms, even at the end of the day (how do they DO that???), and whenever you see them they always say either good morning, good day, or good afternoon, followed by madam or sir. The gentlemen and young men in the Abacos (especially in Marsh Harbour) say "my lady." Sigh, swoon. We sincerely hope tourists don't change these gentle people and their customs and habitat. They may not have as much materially as some of us, but they're doing fine without it. Both places are beautiful and we're delighted to have visited them, but our tastes tend more toward the more rustic Exuma Islands. We definitely plan to return to the Exumas (come join us!), and would like to return as givers rather than takers; we plan to deliver more schoolbooks and would like to contribute in other ways (to be determined).

Mangrove Cay

2011-06-27T09:43:00.000+11:30

Our next day was HOT HOTTER HOTTEST. We made it to Mangrove on smooth, crystal clear water and dropped the hook. We decided to leave around lunchtime the next day so we could prepare the boat for our crossing and also arrive at the anchorage in the cooler evening rather than the hot afternoon. The Captain tightened all the rigging, checked the water in the batteries (which were misbehaving a bit even after the replacement alternator was in), checked other fluids, and we lashed everything down since the wind was picking up (defying all predictions). We left as planned, with the contingency that if the wind didn't die down we would bypass Memory Rock as our last anchorage and continue overnight to the States. When we passed Memory Rock we were rocking and rolling and figured if we were going to rock and roll anyway we might as well be making headway on our journey. Thankfully we'd already made the travel preparations for our crossing, so we hunkered down for an overnighter. We had good wind for the Genoa, but couldn't use the main because of the loose and shaky mast rigging. We also had to turn on the engine periodically to charge the batteries (but had to keep an eye on them to keep them from overcharging). Soooooooo, about 22 hours later and with very little sleep, we arrived in the U.S. But we had a beautiful full moon, very little traffic, and no casualties with either crew or boat contents.

our travel beacon

lookin pretty scary after an all-nighter

land ho (I think she's on the beach)

the homes are a teeny bit different than the ones in the Bahamas

The exit

2011-06-27T09:36:00.000+11:30

Summer Wind and Serendipity planned to visit three anchorages on our way back to the U.S. The first was Great Sale, where we arrived at our anchorage after a Great Sail. It was warmer than it had been for the past few months, but there was a little breeze (if you held your mouth just right and stood on your left foot and crossed one eye). The trip was fairly uneventful, but we did feel (and hear) a BIG thump while under sail. We were afraid we'd hit something (like a submarine or a huge whale) but didn't see anything around or behind the boat. We speculated about all the possibilities but didn't know the truth till we dropped the hook and went below. The bathroom door was about 1/2" off, the floorboards were loose, and the rigging from the mainsail was loose. Turns out the compression post that supports the mast had crashed through its plate and took a downward journey. Thankfully, it's repairable and didn't cause a trip cancellation....we just can't shut the bathroom door or use the mainsail.

Summer Wind in a gorgeous sunset

Last beach day

2011-06-27T09:31:00.001+11:30

Our last time together with September Song and Tide's In was a beach day at Allen's Pensacola. They're headed to the U.S. at a much faster pace than our sailboats, and planned to do a long haul to St. Augustine (plan was later changed due to winds and weather). We played on the beach with the girls (Cassie and Godiva), created Wilson with a coconut and some other beach finds, and did a little reminiscing about our months together in Paradise. It will be strange traveling without our social chairman (Bob), our travel coordinator (Stephanie), our nurse (Pam, who dispensed jello and pudding shots in medicine cups) and our conscience (Stephen, who tried desperately to make us behave....till he didn't). It was a great beach day with a gorgeous sunset, complete with a goodbye conch chorus from all the boats in the anchorage.

watching for huge orange starfish, huge turtles...I'll miss this gorgeous water

last beach day for the gang

soaking the shells in the "looky bucket"

the sun sets on our last night together (waaaaah)

goodbye September Song and Tide's In -- we'll miss you silly kids!!

We'll miss our companions, and hope to see them soon and travel together again. It's so nice to get to know and enjoy fellow boaters and friends. We've had buckets of fun and made some great memories. We love you guys!

Winding down

2011-06-27T09:17:00.000+11:30

Even though we'd planned to cross to the U.S. almost two weeks earlier than we did, it's still hard to believe it's time. We spent a last day at Marsh Harbour, where we re-watered, re-laundered and re-rummed. Tide's In, Summer Wind and September Song stayed in the marina for engine repair (Summer Wind) and to welcome the Gypsies, who came to visit and recharge the party batteries of the group. Check out September Song's blog for a recap of their return to Nipper's.....Stephen has finally come out of his shell!

September Song, Tide's In and Serendipity anchored at Baker's Bay for a final delicious dinner of the mahi caught in the Exumas, and we also tried the recipe for Bahamian baked macaroni and cheese. We cajoled the cook at the bakery in Marsh Harbour into giving us the recipe, so we managed to add several fat grams and calories to our dinner on September Song. Pam brought her now-famous jello shots for dessert, and we managed to dispose of them with great haste. We bade a sad farewell to the Gypsies, and Tide's In and Serendipity left for Green Turtle the next day after some shelling on Shell Island, created by dredging for cruise ships to enter Baker's Bay. Even though the cruise ships have discontinued their trips to Baker's Bay and Shell Island, the island is still inhabited by some very noisy and territorial birds. They'll let you take shells, but you will NOT get close to their nests!

Green Turtle is a small Cay, with resorts and homes on one end and the settlement of New Plymouth on the other. The homes and resorts are fairly elaborate, and the houses in New Plymouth are quaint but there seemed to be more in need of repair than in other villages we've visited. The museums are in older homes, and the displays are most informative. The historic pink jail was complete with gallows, what must have been miserably hot and airless cells, and steps to nowhere. We traipsed through the village and made our way to Pineapples, a small bar/restaurant on the end of town. It's small, but the food is good and the salt water pool is inviting.

a few fixer-uppers (the houses, not the people)

wish we'd read this at the beginning of the trip!

interesting campaign platform

now THESE are banker's hours!

stencils all around the house

steps to nowhere, gallows on the right, and cells in left background -- at least the jail's a cute color

Jaybird, Pam and Stephen at Pineapples

cute little rental cottage

we surely will remember these shores

the Green Turtle Cay fire department

We enjoyed a lovely happy hour(s) on Tide's In. The sunsets were different than what we were used to since there were homes and foliage in the background, but still amazing.

Pam's treasure trove, displayed on Androsian fabric

gorgeous sunset

After a rainy day of reading and boat chores, we spent the third day catching up on wi-fi and laundry, then had happy hour(s) on Serendipity. That silly Stephen insisted we crash a wedding after dark, so we boarded their dink and headed out to capture the reception. But the wedding bonfire had already been extinguished, so we aborted our stealth wedding mission and rested up for September Song and Summer Wind's arrival the next day.

We were forced to revisit Pineapple's with the new arrivals, and the food and beverages were at least as good if not better than before.

cheers!

colorful bartender in a colorful place

Back to Marsh Harbour

2011-06-12T08:39:00.001+11:30

We returned to Marsh Harbour to reprovision, but the wind predictions (and the possibility of a tropical storm) dictated that we spend a few days. We meant to visit more islands and cross back to the U.S. with Jesse and Brittany, but unfortunately those plans had to change. They managed to get a return flight from Marsh Harbour for Saturday, so we spent their last few days in the marina. At least we had a really good sail on the way back.

new captains?

We reprovisioned, delivered some toys and cards to children on the island, and visited several restaurants (Snappas, Mangoes, Conchy Joe's) for lunch, dinner and happy hour -- favorite by far was Conchy Joe's. The atmosphere is decidedly casual, but Joe's daughter can make conch fritters, cracked conch, conch salad, and trigger fish so good you want to cry. So we cried a lot.

casual dining at Conchy Joe's

and low overhead

Of course all that seafood makes you thirsty too.....

We had a cookout poolside one evening, which ended with a food frenzy. Sailors in the slip beside Serendipity were leaving their boat for a time, so they brought their refrigerated food to us to share. What should have been a lovely act of charity turned nasty, with all the Admirals in our fleet fighting over the bounty (and even stealing cheese and smuggling it). The donor heard the commotion from her slip in the marina, so the next morning she avoided the fray and just left a bag of produce near the pool. Brittany represented Serendipity since the Admiral was gathering up dishes, and she held her own remarkably well wih the cougars.

poolside dining

Our next-to-last evening was spent listening to music in the cockpit of Serendipity (compliments of Bob and Stephanie's Barefoot Man CDs), blowing the conch horn at sunset, reminiscing about this and other trips, making plans for future trips, dancing, and cross-dressing. Hey, I never said this sailing stuff was for amateurs!

Brittany graciously shares her tankini top

father/son **sh*t-eating grins

dancin to "Jeff the Muff Diver"...who can't even swim!!

Thankfully the injuries healed and the seas calmed down well enough for at least one snorkeling trip. We walked around the island to Mermaid Reef (with a brief stop at the Jib Room so the owners of Abaco pub crawl t-shirts could check another block). Even though they were almost mobbed by fish who were used to being fed on the reef, Jesse and Brittany had a chance to snorkel and get some great underwater shots.

foot day 5

last lunch at Snappas

It was very sad to see them pack up on Saturday morning, since they make great visitors and crew (this is their third time on Serendipity). We'll miss them terribly, but will get to see them (and our other children and
grandchildren) when we get to the US in late June. Their sweet cab driver promised to deliver them safely to the airport, so we hugged hard and sniffled a little and headed back to a very quiet sailboat.

come back!!

sad goodbye faces

safe trip!

Tilloo and Lynyrd Cays Revisited

2011-06-12T07:31:00.000+11:30

Since we enjoyed our previous beach bonfires so much, we wanted to share them with Jesse and Brittany. The rest of our group graciously agreed to revisit some of our previous haunts, so we headed for Tilloo with its great beach retreat. We anchored close to the beach and managed a few daylight hours to shell and play horseshoes, then some great evening hours to watch the gorgeous sunset, roast hot dogs and make s'mores. The highlight of the evening for Brittany was the phosphorescence (mermaid sprinkles). She couldn't get enough of the amazing lights, and even got into the dinghy after we returned to the boat so she could wave her hands (and the boat hook) in the water and try to capture it on film. Once again, photos don't do justice to the beauty we've witnessed, but it's always fun to try.

girls can too play horseshoes!

Stephen plays much better if he's goosed

Jay and Bob back from thieving chairs at another beach

the younguns

The next day we went to Lynyrd Cay on the Atlantic side to search for sea glass. We all collected quite a bagful, along with shells, so everyone can expect seaglass and shell treasures for Christmas. We then loaded into the high-speed dinghies (September Song and Tide's In) to visit Pete's Pub at Little Harbour for lunch. The food was as good (and the beer as cold) as we remembered, and we had a very exciting ride back to the boats. The waves and wind were honking, so we zoomed back bumping all the way. We were glad we'd visited the facilities before heading back (and those who hadn't weren't found out since we were all soaked). A great revisit to Tilloo and Lynyrd Cays for everyone, and thanks to our fellow travelers for indulging us.

searching for sea glass

they believed us when we said we'd be right back!!

foot day 4

Hopetown

2011-06-12T07:03:00.001+11:30

Even though we had walking wounded, our next stop involved some walking.

Foot day 2

We eased into Hopetown Harbour (with almost 1/2" to spare under the keel) to pick up a mooring ball. The Harbour was heavily populated by boats, and offered a gorgeous view of the town. We walked around the town admiring the quaint cottages (it felt like Cape Cod in the Bahamas) with their gingerbread trim and inviting entrances and lawns. We trekked over the hill to the beach, then started to gather for refreshments.

We had begun to have hints that Jesse and Brittany have the metabolism of ferrets. Since we old poops metabolize slowly (if at all), we were used to meals and the occasional hors d'oeuvres (which sometimes replace meals). The younger ones didn't eat much at one sitting, but required feedings about every 45 minutes. We indulged one such feeding at Cap'n Jacks. More conch for Jesse and Brittany, who pledged to leave no conch untasted while in the Abacos.

cute little woodwork whales

welcoming entrance

beautiful and bright Bahamian color scheme

The next day Summer Wind and Serendipity stayed over to visit the lighthouse. We're so glad we did, because it was not only amazing in itself, but also offered an outstanding view of Hopetown, the harbour, and the waters surrounding.

what a great doorknob!

Summer Wind and Serendipity in the mooring field

foot day 3

Great Guana, Batman!!

2011-06-10T03:19:00.000+11:30

Bob and Stephanie visited the Abacos last year, and had some great recommendations for the flotilla. One was Nippers, a very colorful place on Great Guana Cay. Even though Jesse and Brittany had been in the Abacos for barely 24 hours, they jumped in with both feet (no pun intended....read on) when we visited Nippers. We left Treasure Cay on a rising tide and anchored off Great Guana. The first destination after tying up the dinghies was Grabbers, a tiny bar on the beach with a tiny pool and gift shop (staffed by a lovely and helpful young woman and her daughter).

Grabbers

Stephen directs the group

After quenching what would turn out to be a monstrous thirst as the day wore on, we headed up the hill to Nippers. The walk was most interesting, and within minutes we saw a very colorful place ahead. The tables and umbrellas are beautiful, with loads of color. Their gift shop was great fun, and Jesse continued his Abaconian introduction with a Cuban cigar. T-shirts were purchased, as were Tervis Tumblers with the Nipper logo and designs. With the tumblers came a coupon for a free frosty beverage, with refills discounted afterward.....with free floaters....

The lower of two pools had swinging hammock chairs situated so you could dangle your feet in the water while swinging. We decided the people in the upper pool might be warming the water for us, so we moved up and continued to solve the world's problems with frosty beverages. Stephanie wasn't warned that there were 151 floaters in her beverages, so she felt ambushed later in the day.

Colorful adult day care

Swingin and swimmin


Bob loves this place!!

After the swim/float, we went to the beach to Photo Op Rock. Rusty and Nancy shamelessly made out in the surf, while Jesse and Brittany waded out to the rock, thoroughly enjoying the light surf and anticipating the great photos we could get.

get a room

blissfully unaware

can't see what's building behind them

The rock is made up of dead coral, which has to be negotiated carefully. They got into position for the shots, and we got some great ones. Just before the rogue wave sneaked up behind them. They got smacked soundly and went down onto the coral.

gotcha!

Not good (even though Jesse held onto his Nippers tumbler through it all). They limped out of the surf with one seriously scraped knee (Brittany) and one sliced up foot (Jesse). After a rinse it was determined that the Nippers first aid kit was in order for Jesse.

first aid at Nippers

He got a cleanup and bandaging and we started down the hill to the anchorage.

Sir Galahad administers first aid on the trail

Stephanie helping Bob and Pam down the hill...hee hee hee

The cut really could've used stitches, but Jesse turned down repeated offers from all of us. Since we were far away from medical help, we pooled our first aid resources and treated them both with antiseptics, peroxide, butterfly bandages and loads of advice. Thankfully, they both healed well enough to get in the water several days later, even though it bites to have to stay out of sand and water on a vacation in the Abacos!

foot day 1

Ze Plane! Ze Plane!

2011-06-06T09:47:00.000+11:30

Finally, we get to see some of our kids after 5 months (that's a record). Jesse and Brittany arrived on Wednesday to see the Exumas and celebrate their 1-year anniversary. They were due in Treasure Cay around 11:30, so we pulled anchor and headed into the marina to meet them. Unfortunately, there were two plane delays in Atlanta which resulted in a missed connection in Miami. We passed the time with lunch and a walk on the beach.

Lunch at Treasure Cay

They were rerouted to Marsh Harbour a few hours later, so after a few phone calls (thank heavens for Nancy and Rusty's phone!) and a $100 cab ride they arrived. The beach at Treasure Cay is too beautiful to describe, and looks more like a travel brochure than reality.

unbelievable!


Father/son beach hug

First surf walk

The whole famn damily

Jesse and Brittany were definitely ready to see the beach, so we took a short walk there before adjourning to the pool so they could meet and have happy hour with their 6 new adoptive parents. There was no adjustment period required, so they got the first of many conch fritters and rum beverages and settled in.

Instant island girl

Man O' War Cay

2011-05-25T15:01:00.000+11:30

On Man O' War Cay, almost all the residents seem to be descended from the Alburys. That's the name on most of the businesses and almost all the plaques on the memorial. The township is very proud that the winner of the Bahamas Student of the Year is from Man O' War, and she's an Albury. She also happens to have been blind since birth, so the news is as humbling as it is exciting. As in all the Bahama Islands, you get the sense that the whole village raises the children. The town is fairly heavily populated to be so small, but everything is very neat and well-groomed. The inhabitants travel about the island in golf carts and on cycles, so the streets are narrow and the pace is slow.

happy faces everywhere!

the bank doesn't have to be huge when the town isn't


nor does the high school

Of course no island visit is complete without a beach trip, so we retired to the beach after strolling through the town. Joe and Salty joined us (he's traveling solo now since Julia flew back to NY) for a last evening before he starts back to the U.S. He's used to single-handing (well, Salty actually contributes four cute paws), but both he and Salty like it a lot better when Julia's there! There was a beautiful sunset to wish them safe passage.

poor salty in Time Out

On Sunday September Song picked up the sailors for a fishing trip. We motored for over two hours in search of fish. Stephanie was at the helm while Bob, Jay and Rusty loaded the outriggers and planned where to put all the huge fish. Turns out the huge fish had other plans, so with the exception of one very unhappy barracuda, no aquatic life was disturbed. But it was a beautiful ride and the view is quite different from the fly bridge of a huge trawler than it is from the cockpit of a sailboat.

the Nancys and Godiva saying fish prayers

Stephanie searching for fish

Jaybird faking a catch

Movin on

2011-05-25T14:04:00.000+11:30

Our next short trip was to Mattlow's Cay (privately owned). At the risk of sounding redundant, there were beautiful beaches surrounding the anchorage and the caretaker of the island was very gracious when he advised us not to venture onto the island because there was a "guest" there. The available lots were selling for between 1 and 4 million, so of course we all purchased on the spot.

When we arrived at the anchorage, Serendipity rafted to September Song. While refueling in Nassau, our overzealous dock attendant pulled the boat too close to the dock and a piece of blade snapped off the wind generator. Thankfully, the piece landed on the boat. Bob suggested the raft-up so we could reach the blades (it's tough to climb the arch on the outside and balance while working on the moving blades). Bob and Jay removed the blade, epoxied the pieces, and solved several world problems over rum. The next day we repeated the rafting process and they reattached the blade. It seems to be working (just a bit wobbly), so we're able to supplement the solar panels for power again.

Captains Bob and Jay de-blading the wind generator

Bob and Stephanie invited us all over for fish tacos that night (still enjoying their huge catch from Black Point), so we celebrated life and fish and good friends and beautiful places. I know, I know, life is tough.......

Marsh Harbour

2011-05-25T13:46:00.000+11:30

Our next destination was Marsh Harbour, into a marina, to explore and reprovision (re-rum). Serendipity is always the last boat anywhere, since we're the slowest, but this time we outdid ourselves. Due in part to the full moon, the tides were more extreme than usual. It was mean low tide, and there were boats running aground everywhere. Since we have a 6' draft, we were advised by Rusty (who had already plowed a new channel with his keel) to wait a bit before entering the harbor. So we dropped the hook and had a leisurely lunch, watching the depth sounder all the while. We made it into the dock later, only dredging a small channel as we pulled in.


Yikes!

Julia got the unfortunate news that she was needed back in New York, so we had a farewell dinner at Mangoes that night.

Peter, the friendly bartender at Mangoes

We hit town (on foot of course) the next day to visit grocery stores, seafood stores, spirit stores, and to generally look around. The grocery store was huge and very well stocked (compared to some we've visited in the past few weeks that only had two sweet potatoes and a maxi pad), so even though we're provisioned well enough to live for several years of course we bought more. Thankfully, produce has been available almost everywhere, so we get fruit and salad ingredients when we can (even if we pay almost $2 per tomato).

Stephen and Pam headed for Bristol Spirits

Captain at the local drive-in movie

We wound up the day with happy hour and a cookout at the pool, comparing shopping stories and meeting new best friends.

Bob loves his noodles

We decided to stay over another day, since the winds and weather were somewhat threatening, so we strolled the island in a different direction. The Captain found a conch horn (we're practicing -- some of our neighbors think there are bull elephants mating in the area) and we found coconut bread and macaroni and cheese so good it didn't even make it back to the boat. It's a quaint town, with lots of ferries to and from other islands.

been a while since we've seen this name!

Tilloo Cay

2011-05-25T06:37:00.001+11:30

We took a short trip the next day and anchored at Tilloo Cay. We hit the beach and were surprised to find awnings, picnic tables, 3 big grills (without tanks but with plenty of debris on the grates), chairs, and a horseshoe pit! We sat in the shade, chatted, and watched the not-so-competitive horseshoe games. Quite a few cruisers before us had contributed to make a pleasant play area.

horseshoe strategy

Godiva patiently waits for the lazy humans to throw her tennis ball

The next day we visited Cracker P's for lunch, which was a short dinghy ride from the anchorage.
The setting is gorgeous, with the beautiful Tahiti Beach across the bay.
After lunch and of course a ring-toss game for the guys, we went next door to Lubber's Landing, which is a surprisingly neat little place.

Nancy adjusts umbrella on unique outdoor table

our gorgeous and gracious hostess

the chicks in the nook

There's a bar, uniquely decorated and with a lounging nook large enough to sleep a crowd, a small shop to support Abaco animal rescue,

indeed

and cottages available with a private beach (although we keep quoting the "All Beaches in the Bahamas are Public" sign we saw in Staniel Cay). The cottages were very small, but appointed with flowing gauze canopies over the 4-poster beds,

nice touch on the cottage bed

kitchen counter and shower tiles made of recycled glass bottles, tile floors, and just enough space to be a cozy retreat for two people (and one very cute cat named Speedo that accompanied us on our tour).

Speedo, King of the Abacos

There was a large basket of snorkel gear on the terrace of the bar, available apparently to anyone who wanted to use them. What a great place!

Lynyrd Cay

2011-05-25T05:37:00.000+11:30

Our next stop (after a VERY bouncy trip) was Lynyrd Cay. We anchored and immediately went to the beach, where the dogs romped and the girls searched for sea glass.

We decided to visit Pete's Pub in Little Harbour the next day for lunch. We had a great trip to Little Harbour, doubling up in the faster dinghies since it was a long ride. The pub was decorated with t-shirts (and some shorts and boxers and hats -- how do you leave a pub when all your clothing is hanging on the wall?) left by previous patrons. The lunch was great, the gallery next door had impressive sculptures (with impressive price tags), and it was a beautiful day -- so beautiful that we'd all left the windows and hatches open on our boats.

no nonsense here!

the calm before the storm

When Rusty noticed the sky was getting darker and darker in the direction of our boats, we jumped into the dinghies and sped back. It was like riding a mechanical bull under a waterfall -- especially when we stopped and the wall of water washed over the fronts of the dinghies. We made it back before getting a free interior boat wash, but just barely! The storm was pretty rowdy; our anchor drug so much during the 40 mph winds and 4-5' seas that Jay had to drive against the wind until it was over to keep from dragging into another boat or onto the rocks. We did need the free boat wash after the trip from Spanish Wells, but not necessarily a pressure wash and blow dry.

To Eleuthera

2011-05-25T04:46:00.001+11:30

After a peaceful anchorage on Saturday evening at Rose Island outside of Nassau Harbor (complete with fireworks in honor of Mother's Day Sunday), Serendipity and Summer Wind sailed to Spanish Wells in Eleuthera. When we got there, we reconnected with September Song, Tide's In, and Sea Pearl, who had taken a different route from Black Point in the Exumas. It was nice to see them again, and Bob (our social chairman) had already made reservations for a delicious dinner at Gap. Spanish Wells and the Abacos are different Bahama Islands than the Admiral had seen before (the Captain had visited them on charters years ago). The natives are descendants of British Loyalists (who left the U.S. believing they would prosper in the Bahamas by gaining the British trade), and are predominantly Caucasian with distinctive British accents. The inhabitants of Nassau, Andros, and the Exumas are descendants of slaves and are mostly black, with accents that resemble the Gullah of Charleston. The towns are small villages with cottage-like homes, narrow streets and very neatly tended lawns, whereas the Exuman homes seem built to withstand the elements and are mostly concrete structures situated somewhat randomly on the islands. We wandered the streets for a bit, having arrived late in the day, and enjoyed catching up during and after dinner on all that had happened in the week or so we'd been apart from the trawlers.

what a gentle way to say "slow down"

the Nancys on the ferry

Jay, Pam and Bob on the ferry

We took the huge fast ferry from Spanish Wells to Harbour Island, which was a wonderful (and friendly) place to visit.
We rented a golf cart so we wouldn't miss anything, and with Captain Jay as our driver we chugged up some hills we didn't think we'd make (especially when we increased our number to 8 in the 6-person cart).

all aboard!

We lunched at the Blue Bar,

outdoor seating at its finest

boys gone wild

a gorgeous restaurant overlooking the pink beaches (pink because the sand is mostly comprised of crushed coral). Stephanie and Nancy found that the rum punches did indeed punch.

sleep it off, girls

When we got back to Spanish Wells, we found Captain Ron on the dock as we left the ferry (and all this time I thought he was on Serendipity!). He'd been in business there for quite a few years and was happy to show us his pet fish at the dock.

We hired a pilot to guide us out of Spanish Wells, because the water gets mighty skinny on the way out; even the ferry took a rather circuitous route the day before. The guide tied his tender to September Song and took over her helm until we were well into deeper water. It's always good to have local help and knowledge.

September Song piloted by a native with his boat in tow

we set him free when the water got deep

Leaving Black Point, headed north

2011-05-08T00:59:00.015+11:30

Our last night in Black Point, Bob and Stephanie (m/v September Song) invited us over for dinner. Not just any dinner, but a FEAST made possible by the 3 very large dolphin they caught the day before. It was the perfect ending to a great visit in Black Point, and we very much appreciate them sharing their catch. We spent our last afternoon in Black Point finding sea glass at the beach with Bob and Stephanie while Cassie and Godiva scampered about in the waves, chased balls, and dipped in their own private puppy spa.

We headed north on Monday to Hawksbill Cay, and the wind gods smiled on us all day. We sailed the whole way, as did Summer Wind. It was so quiet you could hear the Captain grinning all day. Of course the water is always beautiful in the Exumas, but to be able to move quietly through the water makes it that much more special.

Summer Wind under sail

When we got to Hawksbill, we dropped the hooks and spent a lazy evening before exploring the island the next day. The Captain remembered a cairn on top of a hill which contained a metal box with a journal in it for travelers to sign. We scaled the rock hill to check it out, but unfortunately only the cairn remained. Or maybe since it's been over 25 years the box is buried way, way down. We crossed the island afterwards to visit the gorgeous beach on the other side and guess what? MORE beautiful water and white sand as fine as powdered sugar. After the play day we headed north again to Shroud Cay.

Rusty beginning the mountain climb to the cairn

Serendipity on the hook at Hawksbill

beautiful setting for parking the dinghy

the chicks on the beach

Rusty and Nancy hiking to the well

Shroud is famous for its streams running throughout the island, which gives you a chance to explore the foliage from a different perspective than the beach (or whacking your way through the scratchy bushes). We spent the whole day exploring, had a beach picnic on the other side of the island, then swam and played on the beach before heading back to the boats for another lazy evening.

We're being followed!!

Captain Ron on his way to Cuba

too pretty to capture on film.....but we keep trying!!

Rusty and Nancy free-ranging

Our next day was spent with sails up again....with a little assistance from the motors to give us a boost and recharge the batteries. Our solar panels and wind generator certainly help with the batteries, but we still have to heat water (and of course make coffee in the mornings) so we give them a little help whenever we can. We arrived in Nassau by early afternoon, which was a good thing since our dinghy motor acted up during our cruises in Shroud the day before and the Captain needed to scoot to the Yamaha service center. We had a looooooooong experience with the same motor in Nassau a few years back, so he wasn't thrilled.

Friday morning found the Captain replacing the connections on the fuel hose, a spark plug, and checking connections on the motor. For the moment (fingers crossed, please) it appears to be working better, so we'll visit Starbucks (to check e-mail, update blogs, have a chai latte), the grocery store for produce, the liquor store for Bahamian rums, do laundry, and have PIZZA (we're so easy to please)!!!

As we update our blogs, Nancy and I comment on how most of our pictures (and entries) are very similar. After all, we are doing the same things with the same people. So if you need more pix, visit Summer Wind's blog. And soon we'll be back with September Song, so check them all out.

We got all the chores done, had a leisurely dinner, and even briefly attended a function hosted by the crew of a VERY large yacht in the marina (BAB). The boat, At Last, is normally chartered, but during a hiatus the crew decided to clean out the fridge and freezer and invite all the marina guests to a shindig. We didn't plan to attend, but of course the Captain made a few new best friends (one of whom was the chef on At Last) and managed to snag some of their beverages and some rum cake (heavy on rum, light on cake).

At Last

Black Point

2011-05-02T08:07:00.001+11:30

A short trip from Staniel (8 miles), Black Point is a great anchorage with really good holding. We arrived by lunchtime, so had a leisurely dinghy ride to the cleanest, most well-equipped laundromat we've seen since ......well, ever. It was already clean enough to perform surgery, and the proprietress continued to clean while we were there. There was a small store attached where you could buy local arts and crafts, boat parts, hardware, posters, and some non-perishable items. You could also get a haircut, take a shower, buy coffee and carrot cake, and trade books. A total full-service facility in two rooms. With a view!

Canadian, Bahamian, and US flags

Captain Laundromat

Does it look like this outside your laundry room?

Dinner reservations were made in advance (and bread ordered) at Lorraine's, a place we'd visited before and loved. She can make fried conch so tender you'd never know it started life as a big rubber band. There was a group of 13 for an amazing dinner of fish, macaroni, peas and rice, slaw, corn on the cob, pineapple pie and rum cake. Lorraine's mom baked the bread, which made an amazing breakfast dish the next morning. It wouldn't be possible to eat there very often, because the food's so good and plentiful that you'd have to be hauled out on a stretcher! The food is rivaled only by the ambiance.

Cute little guys playing outside the cafe (Lorraine's son Joshua is on the left)

Dinner crowd, with Lorraine

Sunday the Admiral attended church in Black Point to deliver cards from our granddaughter Madison's Awana group in Georgia. Imagine how surprising it was to see that the Pastor had baked the bread for breakfast, and Lorraine was the drummer! It was also a surprise to have a tambourine, but it certainly came in handy. The congregation is small in size, but huge in the Holy Spirit. They were very welcoming, and the children plan to reply to the cards from the children in Georgia. That would be a nice pen-pal setup.

Beautiful sanctuary of Gethsemane Baptist

The lovely ladies get a golf cart ride home

The Admiral gets a dinghy ride home

Last day in Staniel

2011-05-01T08:51:00.001+11:30

All good things must come to an end, so Friday is the last day in Staniel. The day was well spent -- we checked e-mail, updated the blog, hung a Concord Yacht Club burgee inside the Yacht Club, and were forced to consume many, many Kaliks while we waited for blog photos to upload and a part to arrive for someone who'd already left Staniel (torture, pure torture).

We brought 6 cases of schoolbooks from Florida to deliver to Staniel Cay All-Age School. The books were donated from Florida schools, and the effort was organized and implemented by the Seven Seas Cruising Association. Volunteers who are visiting the Bahamas pick up books at SSCA functions and deliver them to either Staniel Cay, Blackpoint Cay, or Little Farmer's Cay. Since we didn't know exactly how far south we'd make it this year, we chose Staniel. The Principal of the school is Mr. Denny, and he and his wife live in a small cottage beside the school and teach all ages from K-8 (high-school-age children typically go to Nassau to finish school). They were happy to receive the books, and hopefully they'll make a difference in the lives of these gorgeous smiling children. Rusty and Nancy helped us dinghy the books in from the anchorage.

books in the dink

book delivery crew on the beach in front of principal/teacher's house

the Captain and Mr. Denny

After the book delivery and blog update, it was time to head for the beach -- to play and also to feed the SWIMMING PIGS!!! My FAVORITE attraction in the Exumas!! These suckers will swim to your dinghy for a snack (and try to get in if you don't comply quickly); they live on the island and come to the beach whenever they see someone arriving. They've been fed well and regularly by people in the anchorage, and have no fear of human interaction....as a matter of fact, they initiate it. Even though pigs don't appear to be aerodynamically designed for swimming, you'd never guess it to see these guys.

yay! breakfast is here!

on your mark, get set.....

I think I can, I think I can

lettuce? where's the fruit?

curb service

The little feller hardly got any food; the big ones yammered at him and would chase him back when the food hit the water. Unfortunately, the Admiral throws like a girl, so most of the things tossed his way fell short and the big ones got them. But he got a few apples and a carrot or two.

Staniel Cay

2011-04-30T05:47:00.001+11:30

Thursday was the day to visit the island for the first time in a few years. We walked through the town with Rusty and Nancy, visited a few shops, talked to the locals, and ended up finding Bob and Stephanie in Big Dogs waiting for their fresh bread to be ready. After a short visit there, we headed back to Staniel Cay Yacht Club for happy hour and a great dinner. Stephen and Pam joined us for dinner, and Joe and Julia showed up later for a post-dinner happy hour.

The town is so neat, with a combination of both beautifully groomed and junky-looking lawns, colorful cottages, and unique shops and homes. The foliage is also gorgeous, with a surprising combination of plants.

The bougainvillea bunch

the clinic

the school

the church

poinsettias growing wild

cotton (!!)

beautifully groomed cottage

if this isn't named the dreadlock plant, it should be

Happy People restaurant

well said

Even though Stephanie told us to "get a life," Bob and I thought this was a wonderful invention -- baby seat attached to the lid! And the coast was totally clear when Bob went in the Ladies' Room with me to see it and take a photo.

'Nuther favorite place and some favorite folks

2011-04-30T04:55:00.002+11:30

We reluctantly left Warderick Wells, but had a great incentive to travel further south. We love Staniel Cay also, and had good friends there waiting patiently for us to catch up with them. Bob and Stephanie on September Song had been hailing us on the VHF for days, but couldn't hear our response. We e-mailed when we could, telling them we were headed their way when the weather gods allowed. Wednesday was the day, with favorable winds (but not the sailing kind). We arrived in Staniel early afternoon, just in time to head for the beach where firewood was being gathered for an evening bonfire. We weren't sure if it was Redemption Island or Exile Island (it was Wednesday, after all), but the beach was great. We caught up with Bob and Stephanie, Stephen and Pam (m/v Tide's In), Patrick, Amy and Aspen (m/v Island Girl), Bob and Elaine (m/v Mar Azul), Barb and Dave (m/v Hallelujah), Linda and Al (m/v Signature), and Joe and Julia (m/v Sea Pearl). Rusty and Nancy (s/v Summer Wind) traveled with us, so there was quite a crowd on the beach for fun, sand, cooking, sharing dishes, and of course an adult beverage or two.

September Song patiently waiting

aaarrrrrrgh!

previous visitors left a motley assortment of tables and chairs

A rainy day and a play day

2011-04-27T11:28:00.001+11:30

There were near drought conditions at Warderick Wells, so we continued our tradition of bringing rain to places we visit. Monday was a very windy and rainy day, but we didn't mind because it washed the salty boat very nicely. The Captain was worn out, because he'd open all ports and hatches every time the rain stopped, then close them five minutes later when it started again. But it was fun for the Admiral, kind of like watching a hamster on a little wheel. Speaking of hamsters, one species VERY happy about the rain was the hutia (hoo-tee'-ya). They're rodents (endangered and indigenous to the Exumas) that resemble small guinea pigs, and they only drink fresh water. That can be a huge problem in drought conditions, so they eat vegetation to get moisture which is pretty tough on an island with finite space and vegetation. The rain must have made them very happy.

Henry Hutia

Tuesday dawned gorgeous and sunny, so it was designated a play day. We took a hike on the island and found some driftwood to make our sign for Boo Boo Hill. The Hill has a huge mound of signs created by cruisers and left in a pile for other cruisers to view (and to revisit in future years). We had arts & crafts session at the tiki hut, where the Captain created our sign. We then hiked up the hill to place it among those of our friends and soon-to-be-friends. We tried several neighborhoods on the hill, visiting Summer Wind and September Song before finding our final roosting place.

Captain creating

Little lizard pointing the way

Should we live next door to Summer Wind?

Or September Song?


How 'bout under Island Girl?

Transportation doesn't have to be a problem for some people....ze plane! ze plane!

No explanation necessary -- read the sign

The water is too beautiful to describe or photograph. It's in tiers of color, ranging from light aqua to almost royal navy velvet. From the boat, from the beach, and even from the hills on the island, it's impossible to get a photograph that does it justice. Everyone just needs to come here.

The beach is a great place to hang out, and we spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the water and scenery.

This poor guy died from starvation. A 52' sperm whale who ingested so much plastic that his stomach was filled. PLEASE be careful how you dispose of your waste!!

Jay and Rusty on the hike across the coral beds

The mighty sailing vessel Serendipity in the mooring field

Beach invasion!!

One of our very favorite places in the Exumas

2011-04-26T06:09:00.001+11:30

It's Warderick Wells. A beautiful little Cay, headquarters to the Exuma National Park, with a beautiful protected anchorage. The beach is so pretty (even the bleached carcass of an unfortunate whale has its charm), moorings are in a circle with small sand bars in the middle (where puppies love to scamper), and the scenery is unrivaled.

On our trip from Nassau to Shroud Cay (with winds and waves slightly higher....like maybe double...what was predicted), we got a radio call. We'd lost Summer Wind (Rusty and Nancy) in Marathon, since they left early to get friends to Nassau for a flight home. As we passed Norman's Cay, they hailed us, having waited there for us till we made our way south. They followed us to Shroud, where we both anchored and got together for a long-awaited reunion happy hour. We then made our way to Warderick the next day.

Summer Wind in Shroud Cay after a patient wait

Part of mooring field in Warderick Wells

View of mooring field from Park office

Park office on left; ranger house on right

Easter table

Miss Nancy's Easter bonnet

We were happy to have made it to Warderick when we did, having spent Easter here before. The Park provided a ham, and all the cruisers brought pot luck to the home of Peter, the administrator of Exuma Park. The house is amazing, airy and open with porches all around for a spectacular view from any angle. It was a great way to spend Easter, meet new friends, and enjoy the view. Nancy was the only one clever enough to create an Easter bonnet on her boat, but it was stunning!

We saw Nassau

2011-04-26T05:48:00.000+11:30

Having spent a over a month in Nassau a few years back, we're partial to the island. Thankfully, even though the trip was a little bumpy, it was far smoother than the last time we pulled in. Pulling into the harbor you see the lighthouse, Atlantis on Paradise Island, several cruise ships, the yoga retreat, and a dockhouse (people actually live there). The Mail Boat was leaving the island just as we pulled in.....colorful transportation for the mail!

Since we'd been in the Bahamas for a few days, we thought it was about time we checked into Customs. We stayed on the hook in the harbor the first night (after calling Nassau Harbor Control for permission), dodging a few French Canadians who appeared to have anchoring privileges (private joke). When we pulled anchor the next morning, we found we'd acquired a souvenir or two -- there was a large clump of concrete in the anchor flukes, attached to a thick mooring line and a tire! They wouldn't bounce off, so we took them for a ride to the marina so we could disengage them with a boat hook. We pulled into Nassau Harbour Club the second and third nights, feeling the need for water to wash the crust off the boat, laundry facilities, and possibly internet (which we found at Starbucks for only the exorbitant price of beverages).

We got cleaned up, put back together, plugged in, and hit the town. We walked the 2-3 miles to downtown, visited the straw market, had ice cream, sampled local rums, stopped by the Green Parrot and Harbour Central Marina for old times' sake, then walked back to the Poop Deck for happy hour. If you ever go there, DON'T leave without a fresh mango daquiri. YUM.

We spent the next day catching up on internet, washing clothes, filling the water tanks, and getting ready to head back out. We left early Friday morning and made really good time to one of our favorite anchorages in the Exuma Park.

The Bahamas, Mon!

2011-04-26T05:45:00.001+11:30

We left Rodriguez Key early Saturday morning to cross the Gulf. It was a wonderful day, nice winds and gentle waves. We sailed....yes, SAILED the whole way, with a little assistance from the engine from time to time. We'd planned to stop in Bimini for an overnight and to check in at Customs, but with the winds in our favor and time on our hands we went on to Gun Cay to anchor. It's such a pretty (tiny) Cay with a lighthouse, and it was nice to be not only on the hook but also in the Bahamas and in the gorgeous water.

When we left Gun, we obeyed the wind and sailed to an anchorage on the bank (even though the Captain swore on a previous trip that he'd NEVER anchor on the Bahama Bank again). The holding was good, though, and we settled in for another beautiful night. There were storms all around on the radar, including a giant storm cloud that appeared over Miami.

We watched it diligently, both because the sun was setting under it and because it could potentially give us a good boat wash to get all the salt off the deck (Serendipity looked more like Krispy Kreme).

The next morning, we planned to go to Frasier's Hog since we've never been and so we could check into Customs. However, once again we obeyed the wind and sailed on to Little Whale Cay. The evening was beautiful, and even though the ride was....let's say bumpy because that sounds better than butt-kicking....it was still a good day. Little Whale is a private island with a few homes, a pretty little white church, and a beautiful beach.

Back that sucker outta here!

2011-04-25T03:52:00.001+11:30

With help from our fellow boaters and dockmates, we left Thursday afternoon (after one last quickie trip to Dockside) to fuel up and anchor outside the harbor for an early departure the next morning. We hugged and hurried, leaving LOTS of good friends and times behind!

Waving bye to Dockside

Pirates Jake and Ed seeing us off

Passing by Rick and Deb on the hook

What are they doing here? We just left them!!

When we got to Burdine's to fuel up, we were surprised to see Phred and Candy on the dock! They''d driven down just after we left the dock, so we got to see them one more time. After we got fuel, we dropped the hook outside the harbor and enjoyed the delicious smoked fish dip Phred and Candy gave us when left and saw a GORGEOUS sunset through the Seven Mile Bridge. Sad to leave, but good to be moving (and untied) again!

Leaving the gang

Dockside memories

2011-04-25T03:31:00.000+11:30

Anxious as we are to get into the Bahamas, it's not easy to leave Dockside. We seemed to always migrate there at least once a day, if not more, and it was nice to have a place to congregate. On our last evening in Marathon, Candy brought her now-famous pudding shots to share. No one liked them (36 disappeared within minutes), especially Phred.

There were several regulars at Dockside, but the ones we always saw (and the ones who definitely worked the hardest) were John and Deb. They got the place started back up, did the work of 8-10 people, kept the place running, and were never ever without a smile. We'll miss them!

John and Deb

Just a little sip for Katie?

The other end of Captain Wade

An extra treat on our last night was when a customer got up to play his trumpet....which he did very well. It didn't seem to matter to him that he was 93!

Our torch is out in Marathon

2011-04-25T03:03:00.000+11:30

We had one last night of watching Survivor with Phred and Candy and their three furry critters. We had a standing date for Wednesday nights there, and we're sure the cats knew when we were coming. It was always fun to share snacks, beverages, commentary on the show, and of course get fur fixes from the cats.

Spencer always met us at the door, and was quick to let us know (with a gentle tap) if we were ignoring him. Sassy was a little lazier, and would usually snore on the couch during the show. Jake, the formerly shy one, finally starting coming out to visit.

Hey! You stopped rubbing me!

Thanks, Mom, for buying throw pillows to match my eyes

I'm the oldest and they won't leave me alone!

We'll miss our Wednesday nights!

Even Zorro leaves a mark

2011-04-25T02:59:00.001+11:30

We visited Dockside (surprise!!) and noticed that the inhabitants of One Palm Tree Court (a section designated on the dock for gatherings, not unlike our Table of Wisdom) had installed a commemorative plaque. It was lovely, and we immediately decided we deserved at least equal (if not WAY better) space. Monday was Old Lady Day at Beall's Outlet, so we decided to look for a suitable symbol of our gathering place. We spent quite a bit of time there, shopping frantically for our 15% discount items, and completely forgot to look for our symbol. Thankfully, we remembered during lunch and stopped back by to shop. The gods of discounts were on our side, because we found The Perfect Item. It was big enough to write all our boat names on, it was tacky enough to truly symbolize our personalities and times at the Table of Wisdom, and it was discounted 95%. Then we got an additional 15% off the discounted price. You heard it here first, folks.....59 cents. We reluctantly let Candy foot the entire bill, since the rest of us won't let go of laundry quarters. We hurried back to begin the arts and crafts session (Katie and Therese had enough supplies to start their own Vacation Bible School) that would make our plaque complete.

Proud of our handiwork

Standing under our lovely fish

Summer Wind and September Song had already headed for the Bahamas, so we added their names out of kindness. Of course we expect them to send Candy wads of money to repay her for the plaque. We also added Captain Wade, since he'd spent so much time working on our deck and hanging out afterwards that he was a member of the team.

Chick trips

2011-04-10T03:08:00.001+11:30

Not to imply that a 36' x 12' space is too small for a couple....not at all. But even the best of friends need time apart, so........when the girls get a chance to leave the boats for a while, we JUMP. One regular trip is to Beall's Outlet for Old Lady Day (Monday) for our 15% discount on swimsuits and other good stuff. We've also been known to head to the Big Pine flea market to search for things we didn't know we needed yet.

But the best trip to date is a visit to the Turtle Hospital. We'd been planning to go for some time, so Katie, Therese (we lured her away from Rick's grindstone), Candy and I finally made it. Our tour guide was a young lady who's been working with turtle rescue groups for 5 years and at the Marathon hospital for several months. She was very informative and well-spoken, and we learned a lot about turtles and their plights.

One of the major problems turtles suffer is impaction, most often caused by ingestion of foreign substances which can't be digested. Plastic is the worst offender, but some turtles have had metal objects (fish hooks, magnets, etc.) removed, and some have undigested shells as well. Impaction causes gas problems, and some turtles suffer from "bubble butt," where their rears stick up and don't allow them to submerge in search of food. Obviously this leads to weakness, anemia, and eventually starvation. The rescued turtles in this condition have weights affixed to their shells to allow them to dive (and they're also treated with fiber, oils, and Beano...really...and sometimes surgery to relieve the impaction). One turtle (available for adoption) is even named Bubble Butt.

Weight attached to shell to allow turtle to submerge

Bubble butt floating

Other turtles suffer from injuries caused by boats -- either propellers or collision. Some of them have shells or flippers damaged to the point that they can't survive on their own and they become permanent residents of the hospital. Others have received spinal injuries that keep them from surviving predators or from finding their own food (one poor fellow could only travel in circles, which usually created enough wash to send his food away from him when he did manage to spot it). Another lost the use of his back flippers, which of course makes it hard to forage or escape.

Injured shell/spine from boat propeller

Bubble butt, sliced shell and paralyzed back flippers

Some turtles were injured when they became trapped in line or nets, causing damage to or loss of their flippers. Usually they can compensate for the loss of one flipper, but more than that makes it difficult to survive.

Poor Bev lost her left front flipper

The culprit

It was interesting to note that the turtles have a Table of Wisdom in their pool! Did we start the trend or did they?? The turtles are rehabilitated if possible, then released into the wild. The surgeries and treatments performed at the hospital are amazing, and it's a great facility to visit (and support).

Feed me!

The hospital is in a former hotel, which was donated by a local businessman after hurricane damage. The renovation included keeping some of the hotel for use by the employees, and several of the employees have their own efficiency apartments on site. There's also a pool and it's on the bay, so there are certainly worse ways to live.

The end of our outing was at Burdine's, famous for their Chiki Tiki Sunset Bar and mostly for their amazing sandwiches and huge baskets of crispy fries. We bellied up to the trough and thoroughly enjoyed lunch. When we left we closely resembled the turtles we'd just visited.

Teak or tiki?

2011-04-10T02:06:00.000+11:30

It's not all fun and games, kids, because upkeep on a boat is sometimes grueling. (Of course if you've postponed it, it's worse.) The teak deck on Serendipity was in need of renovation, so with the help of Captain Wade (s/v Coastin), a friend from our first visit to Marathon several years ago who has maintained his own fleet of shrimp boats and Captained/maintained/renovated several other boats, the project was begun last week. So the deck's a mess with tools and sanding dust and buckets and such everywhere. The guys found a comfortable (?) way to work, with boat cushions on top of upside-down buckets. They lean over the buckets so they don't have to squat or crab-walk around. After a big lunch it's best to stay in FRONT of them, otherwise they seem to have found a good (if not attractive) position.

Before

After

All the screws (800 of them) had to be removed, all the caulk removed from the seams, all the teak pre-sanded, all screw holes countersunk for the replacement (and some of them epoxied), then all the screws replaced with 5200 as a sealant. THEN the caulk had to be replaced between each strip of teak, new bungs inserted and trimmed, and the final sanding performed. And it's hotter than dammit these days. And even though there have been drought conditions in Marathon for several weeks, rain was predicted last Tuesday and Wednesday...then Monday night. So Jay and Wade worked like little beavers all day Monday to get the screws back in so we wouldn't have a sieve for a deck. And JUST in the nick of time, because the skies opened up Monday evening and the winds howled. Thankfully, the 5200 and the screw replacement was mostly successful, because we only found one leak. Of course it was over the v-berth, so Jay slept with a mixing bowl and a beach towel at his head. About time he got the wet spot.

Starboard's looking GOOD

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

2011-03-30T04:46:00.002+11:30

Bob (m/v September Song) has been planning a surprise 60th birthday party for Stephanie for a few weeks now, making preparations long distance while they were in Sarasota for a DeFever rendezvous (at which their two dogs Cassie and Godiva made a presentation). She wasn't totally surprised, since some friends called with regrets the day of the party, but she was somewhat taken aback by the crowd and of course the wonderful decorations, which were the finest Daffy Doug's and Dollar Tree had to offer.

Bob hired a great band (Tim Dee and Jim Hill) and Dockside made some delicious appetizers. Bob even had drink tickets for all the guests! There were the regular dock possums, some DeFever friends who will be traveling with all of us to the Bahamas, and lots of old and new friends. The cake was big enough to share with the whole restaurant, and some kids at a nearby table enjoyed Stephanie's scented bubbles.

There was laughing, dancing, some real and gag gifts, and a great evening of fun. One guy in the bar apparently was worn out just from watching the party!

Thanks to Bob for the great food and music, and thanks to Stephanie for finally joining all the rest of us in our 60s.

Tennesseans are taking over the Keys

2011-03-30T03:54:00.001+11:30

It's great to have 4 boats from Tennessee at Dockside, and even greater to run into Tennesseans here and there. It's happened so often during our travels that we shouldn't be surprised, but we always are. Last year in Key West we ran into friends Steve and Peggy from Kingston at Schooner Wharf (our home away from home), having had no idea they were anywhere near us. We joked about coincidences and caught up on several years' worth of news.

When we went to Key West last week to get our U.S. re-entry certification, of course we were in Schooners. And once again, out of the blue, there was Steve! They'd come back to Marathon for several weeks in their motor home, accompanied by other friends from Kingston. Turns out some of them knew some of us (or our kids knew each other), and we had a fun visit.

Steve and Peggy and their friend Nancy (I can remember her name) came to Dockside to visit Monday night, and we decided to run into each other accidentally again. What a treat!

Who are the people in your neighborhood?

2011-03-30T03:26:00.000+11:30

Sunday was a slow day, since the fishermen were all worn out from sacrificing bait and everyone else was recovering from the not-fish fry the night before. So we took a well-deserved trip to the pool to cool off and let our cabana boy (William) serve us poolside. Not everyone was lazy though, because just before the pool trip, we spotted two kayakers zipping through Boot Key Harbor and into the marina docks.....Phred and Candy!

Chicken of the Sea

2011-03-30T03:20:00.002+11:30

The guys have been itching to go fishing for weeks, and Saturday was finally The Big Day. Rick and Therese (m/v Capt. 'n Hook), friends from Twin Dolphin in Bradenton, have lots of fishing gear and a great boat for the trip. Captains Rick, Bob (Floating Stone), Bob (September Song), and Jay (Serendipity), accompanied by the lovely Therese and Katie, spent all day in the hot sun trying to catch dinner. The potato salad and slaw were already prepared, so all we needed for another dinner at the Table of Wisdom was the catch of the day. We all rushed to the dock when they arrived back around 5 to see if dinner would be mahi, snapper, grouper, or something else.

The rotisserie chickens went well with the potato salad and slaw, and the hors d,oeuvres and tossed salad were great too.

Friends in low countries

2011-03-26T09:57:00.000+11:30

Bob and Katie wanted to have a low country boil, and of course everyone agreed. It took a few days to get a date set, but they finally just said "okay, Thursday." They did the shopping, prepping, cooking, and presentation, and they're definitely hired!

Everything was delicious, and we even overlooked the slight smell of fire in the hedge from the shooting flames around the cooker early in the afternoon. William's on a new diet, which meant he couldn't enjoy everything in the pot, but we all ate enough to make up for it. Apparently Rick ate enough to make Debbie think he'd overflow.

Thanks to Bob and Katie for a GREAT meal!

Did someone lose their Keys?

2011-03-26T07:58:00.000+11:30

We applied for our Local Boater's Option cards (which allow us to call Homeland Security when we arrive back in the States after our trip to the Bahamas, instead of taking a taxi or bus to Customs and Immigration), and had to pick them up in Key West (oh darn!!). We took six couples in two vans just to make it an event, and of course after visiting Customs we went first to Schooner Wharf to make sure Michael McCloud and Cinderella were doing okay without us. Thankfully, they were fine, but we stayed several hours just to make sure.

We stayed in touch via cell phone, so when we got a text that part of the crew was at Rick's, we headed over to check it out. The performer (Chris Gustelli) was great, so we spent several hours listening to his music. He probably wasn't too thrilled that the spring breakers he'd expected were almost all on Social Security, but he had a repertoire that would please any age group. We were by then able to dance like gazelles and sing like birds, so we accompanied him on many of his oldie tunes. Phred and Candy volunteered to be DDs, so they behaved and had cokes at the bar. Bob and Katie and Rusty and Nancy tried out for Dancing with the Stars, while Judy and Katie discussed their scores.

Fur fixes and fine feathered friends

2011-03-26T07:39:00.001+11:30

We were happy to see Bob and Nancy (m/v Miss NanSea) again this year, since we missed seeing them in Ft. Myers as we'd planned. We met for lunch earlier in the month, and of course they arrived in their usual style, complete with helmets and reflective vests.

As an animal lover, the Admiral is always in search of fur. Last year at Dockside, Bob and Nancy indulged with Buffy, who was quite the boat kitten. Buffy has grown up enough to invite us over for happy hour and dinner, so we visited Miss NanSea at Coco Plum marina this week.

The evening was great, and even though Bob was suffering from a toothache, he persevered and we thoroughly enjoyed happy hour and conversation, Nancy's casserole (FRESH tuna!!) and dessert beverages and of course Buffy's performances as he tried to indulge the humans on board. He did roll his eyes a time or two, but tried not to laugh out loud.

Nancy modeled her new great shirt for us -- quite the social statement for boat people!

Moon over Marathon

2011-03-26T07:17:00.001+11:30

Last Saturday night was the Super Moon, fuller than it's been in 17 years. There are several repercussions of the gorgeous moon, however, like extreme tides and excessive facial hair. The moon brought out the madness on the dock at the Table of Wisdom, supplemented by margaritas from Rusty and Nancy.

As always, the evening started out calmly with everyone being polite and chit-chatting about current events, airborne particles, astronomy, health food and such. Then, as always happens, things got a little rowdy.

We try to never criticize the artistic expressions of our friends and fellow cruisers, so if William likes his hat we think he should keep wearing it....and maybe we'll find him some flipflops to match.

Our new neighbors Todd and Paula joined us later in the evening, and Paula told us about her stint as a Rich Dumb Young Nymphomaniac onstage at Sloppy Joe's in Key West. She didn't demonstrate, because the dock is really splintery, but she's promised to perform later if the time and place and music are right. Hopefully the fact that they slipped quietly out for the Bahamas early the next morning has nothing to do with us.

Now what is it you do all day?

2011-03-26T06:48:00.000+11:30

We hear this question a lot, particularly from un-retired friends. Who live in houses. The answer is......we don't really know, but it takes up a lot of time and energy (and funds). And it's fun. We've welcomed back friends from years past, made new friends, and voted others off the island. During the day we work on the boat some, go to the beach to clean the dinghy and play, visit grocery and other stores and do laundry individually and in packs, bike or walk to restaurants or interesting landmarks, and make plans for future events while trying not to make any plans. We've also been to a great movie theater, which has new movies in a very small and comfortable setting with affordable tickets, food and beverages. The King's Speech is definitely worth seeing (maybe more than once) if you haven't already.
The Marathon Seafood Festival was fun last year, and of course we couldn't miss it this year. The music's great, the seafood plentiful, and the vendor and artisan booths fun to visit. We met some new best friends and enjoyed our old best friends. Think we'll be here for our third?

Our last beach trip was well attended, with gypsies Jake and Amy and Ed joining us for the first time. We cleaned the dinghy (thanks Phred!) and enjoyed the gorgeous water and weather (we also got to see someone run aground, which is always a treat if it's not your boat).

We're so glad Dockside is up and running, both the bar and the restaurant. The St. Patrick's Day gala was so well attended we had to hold onto our seats to keep them. Joe Mama, one of our favorite Marathon entertainers, was back and was VERY well received by sweet Abby, great-niece of Bob and Stephanie (m/v September Song). Bob and Stephanie left for Sarasota for a couple of weeks, so we just kept Bob's brother Ron and his wife Rena as our own relatives. They were joined in their second week by daughter Rhonda, her husband Bill, and daughter Abby. They MAY not have had fun at Dockside, but if not they fake it well! We'll miss them when they head back to cold weather and funny accents. Jay and Phred played golf with Ron and Bill last Sunday, so they're now officially part of the dock possum crew.

Fleas and pizza

2011-03-01T03:54:00.000+11:30

Saturday was the huge nautical flea market in Islamorada, and Bob and Stephanie graciously offered us a ride. Jay found a new wet suit, since his had mysteriously shrunk a LOT since he bought it 30 years ago (when he purchased everything else he has). Suspecting that there were still fleas we hadn't seen, we went to the Big Pine Key flea market on Sunday to get new Conch Republic flags. Big Pine is close to Summerland, so we headed further south to visit with Bill and Charlotte, friends we met on our trip down from Tennessee two years ago. They also happen to be friends of Bob and Stephanie, so we introduced them to Rusty and Nancy and enjoyed a visit in their gorgeous home on the canal.

Afterward, stomachs growling, we went to No Name Pub for their world-famous fabulous pizza. We waited outside with a large Hispanic biker gang for our table, then enjoyed the scenery (loads and loads of dollar bills) and delicious pizzas inside.

That's not me on the bar stool behind Jay, but it could well be if we don't change the lifestyle to which we've become accustomed!

Grand reopening

2011-03-01T03:43:00.000+11:30

To celebrate our arrival in Marathon, Dockside reopened the bar (which has been closed since last summer). We appreciate the gesture, and Friday night's "soft" opening (for marina residents) was great. Dockside provided barbeque and chicken, and all the marina residents brought pot luck. There was a huge crowd of very happy people. Happy hour prices were in effect all weekend, and John provided live music. We were surprised when Roy also played and sang -- very well (we didn't realize he'd been a musician for many years). The staff of Dockside did a great job of getting ready for the party, and they couldn't stop grinning all night from the joy of being open again. Hopefully the restaurant isn't far behind. Dockside has been a fixture in Marathon for many years, and is a favorite local watering hole.

Reunions, regrouping and refreshments

2011-03-01T03:03:00.000+11:30

We found Mariah (our former dock neighbors in Twin Dolphin) on a mooring ball when we arrived in Marathon, and cajoled Tuck and Kathy into joining us at Keys Drinkeries (and Fishery) for sundowners and crab claws on Sunday evening. Nancy passed the sobriety test by pointing toward the light.

We rode the bus to Marathon on Tuesday to meet up with Steve, Kelly, Gerry and Sharon (our Ft. Myers friends). We'd described the colorful bus trips of the past to Rusty and Nancy, and they were anxious to add to their experiences of life in the Keys. But the ride down was very tame -- people on, people off. We arrived in time for breakfast at Schooner Wharf (sudsy breakfast) before meeting the Ft. Myers crew at the Raw Bar for Steve's traditional oyster shooter. Then back to Schooner's for lunch and listening to Michael McCloud. We're so regular there that we get local pricing and the waitress saved us a table while we were at the Raw Bar. Seems like a pattern developing here....

Not wanting to seem like total bar flies, we left Schooner's. And went to the Green Parrot. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to the Ft. Myers crew there, but hope to see them all again soon.

We visited the top of the Holiday Inn to give Rusty and Nancy a great view of Key West. They seem to be adjusting well to this lifestyle.

We were disappointed that Rusty and Nancy didn't get the full bus experience on our ride down, but the ride back renewed our faith in all things colorful. A man sat down in front of us who was either smuggling week-old fish in his pockets or had digested and rejected bad fish earlier. He was having conversations with himself, and shook his head a lot when he was losing the argument -- which stirred up his "aura" a little too much. We had to rub hand sanitizer in our nostrils to keep from losing our KW refreshments. We were soon distracted when the crack whore with an iPod boarded and danced and gestured wildly to the music. She also held her cell phone up and waved it around, either taking photos of herself or waving her own candle or getting signals from her home planet. She drew the attention of the rasta carrying all his worldlies in a hospital bag. He'd lost his shoes on the beach (someone stole them while he was sleeping), but had non-skid socks on for the bus ride. He tried to hit on Miss Music by donning all his cool t-shirts at once, while explaining the benefits of each one. Thank heavens for characters (except maybe the dude with the fish)!

Back in the saddle

2011-03-01T02:21:00.000+11:30

We did some serious training in Ft. Myers Beach to prepare for Marathon. You have to run with the big dogs here -- there's no porch. The table is totally prepared (thanks for Bob for the Clorox de-cootie job and Katie for the lovely tablecloth and Rick for the candleholders and Jaybird for the imported umbrella and Capt. Wade for pilfering chairs from Dockside) and has been christened as the Table of Wisdom (since there's already a Table of Knowledge in Dockside and a Tree of Knowledge at City Marina). No rum punches or potlucks yet, but lots and lots of philosophizing, singing and problem solving. Can you tell William's happy to be here???

Jim and Kathryn (on another house call from Freundship Marine) visited the table, and described the session as going "from Mensa to Dependsa" -- you start out with imparting wisdom and degenerate to drooling.

On your mark, get set......Marathon!!

2011-02-19T00:38:00.001+11:30

We arrived in Boot Key Harbor late Wednesday afternoon, and were happy to see the familiar landmarks -- Seven Mile Bridge, Lazy Days, Panchos, Burdines, etc. One new sight was Summer Wind, our friends Rusty and Nancy's new boat, anchored outside the harbor. They were waiting to come into Dockside the next day and spotted us as we arrived. We were able to get our first glimpse of their new boat through the binoculars.

When we arrived at Dockside, we had a great welcoming committee and dock hands. William and Judy were already docked, and Bob and Stephanie (m/v September Song) and Bob and Katie (m/v Floating Stone), friends from last year in Marathon, were all on the dock to help us tie up. What a great sight (and great help)! We tried our best to catch up on what had happened over the past year, but it may take more time over the next month. Bob and Stephanie were kind enough to host happy hour on September Song so we could begin. Their lovely girls, Cassie and Godiva, were excellent hostesses, although Godiva was too sleepy to pose.

We can't wait to visit with all the friends we met last year, and begin to set up our Hospitality Station on the dock. Our table (kindly donated from One Palm Tree Court last year) is waiting for our personal touches before it can resume its job as potluck, hors d'oeuvres, and adult beverage holder. The Captain seems to think it will also be a sewing table, but serious negotiations will have to take place before that happens.

Out to sea

2011-02-19T00:10:00.000+11:30

Monday morning was fuel-up and water-up at Ballard's (best place to get diesel), then out to sea! Goodbye to Ft. Myers mooring field for a while, anyway.

The weather was beautiful, warm and sunny with just a little rocking and rolling. We were able to put up the genoa for most of the day, and made good time to our first anchorage in the impressive Marco Island bay.

Day two was also beautiful, winds of course not always as predicted, but still some good motor sailing and we made good time. Our anchorage on the second night was outside Shark River (we could maybe have gotten in, but would have waited a looooong time for the tide to come up before we could've gotten out -- we did a light touch on the way out of the anchorage), and after the winds shifted we had a comfortable rock to sleep. On Wednesday, we flew not only the genoa, but the MAIN! Yes, that big white thing we usually use to store dirt daubers! Caught Optimystique with sails flying ahead of us, and had three gorgeous days of travel south.

We're happy to report that even though we saw many, many crab pots on the way (and not all of them out of the usual traffic lanes), we missed them all! Well....we did slice the marker of one in half, but no animals were harmed in the filming or production.

Goodbye to Ft. Myers

2011-02-18T23:47:00.000+11:30

It was hard to leave, because we always have fun here; it's a great mooring field with dinghy dock, nice laundry/shower facilities, and lots of fun places at the beach. But....we must head south. Freundship Marine came through for us yet again -- Todd made a house (boat) call to help figure out why the XM weather wasn't coming in, and also to try and diagnose our battery charging problem. Even though he felt miserable with allergies, he worked into the night and almost all the next day getting us ready to roll (float) again. We're pretty sure they'll start screening their calls better from now on.

We were invited to a fish fry Sunday night at Steve and Kelly's apartment, which isn't an unusual event at the beach. But you have to understand Southern boys to know why Steve would catch his fish in Tennessee then clean and freeze them so he could bring them to the beach. But we're sure glad he did! What a spread -- crappie filets, hushpuppies, slaw......some good eatin!! We'll miss those crazy kids (well, at least for a week or so till we meet them in Key West). Serendipity's crew was late to the fish fry, since we were trying to catch up on everything before our departure Monday morning, but at least some attendees were able to be there when the sun was still out (photo credit to William).

Steve took some great sunrise shots of the mooring field while we were there, and was kind enough to share them.

Sand between our toes....and other places

2011-02-11T04:31:00.000+11:30

This beach is gorgeous, and apparently well known, since it's usually very busy and full on pretty days (and even on some not-so-pretty ones). We've enjoyed walking and visiting on the beach, and will, as always, miss Ft. Myers Beach when we leave. Steve and Kelly, our friends from Tennessee, are regulars on the beach -- same location, same time, every day. They're now golden brown and sandy and loving every minute of it.

Visits and eats and beaching

2011-02-10T04:09:00.000+11:30

We had a great visit Tuesday with Pat and Dan, friends we met in Marathon on our first cruise. They've recently bought a sailboat, and are excited to start boating again after a hiatus from being liveaboards for several years (one of which included their 4 kids and a dog!). Their time on land is well-spent though, since they're keeping new great-grandbaby Gabriel so his mom can finish school. It's time to get that baby on the boat now so he can learn to sail his great-grandparents around when they're old and goofy. Just in the nick of time!

William and Judy joined us, and we took Pat and Dan on a sort-of typical day tour for us. We did a beach stroll, saw a truly one-man band in the plaza, had lunch at Bonita Bills, drinks on top of Lani Kai (where we could spot Serendipity and Optimystique in the mooring field), brews at Wicked Wings, and pizza at Surf Pie (they serve all-you-can-eat on Tuesdays as a cruiser appreciation gesture). Too full and nearly freezing from the wind and dampness, we deposited them back on the dinghy dock so they could drive back to North Ft. Myers.

A second home?

2011-02-09T02:46:00.000+11:30

We've had so much fun at Wicked Wings; it was one of our favorite haunts last year, and we're so regular there now that they call if we don't show up (not really, but we're sure they would if they had our number....actually they DO have our number, but not our phone number). It's a cozy place on the beach with a great view, some really wicked wings, and of course cold brews (entices Jaybird and William like dogs to a fire hydrant).

The owner, Eric, is very friendly and the staff is wonderful. It's such a fun place to people-watch, enjoy the beach view, and get to know the staff, who are all young and friendly and cute and hard working and very interesting. They have jet skis, beach chairs and umbrellas, parasailing, and lots of great sand to play in and on. There are lots of places to stop while beach-walking, but Wicked Wings is by far our favorite.

They now have a new volleyball net, and since it's a Miller Lite logo product, Jay and William are pretty sure they're personally
responsible for it.

Sooper Bowl Sunday

2011-02-07T05:41:00.000+11:30

We started the afternoon with a visit to LaOla in Times Square, where Steve and Laurie were playing (we're shameless groupies). The owners of LaOla are relatively new (a little less than a year), and anxious to provide great quality and food and service and fun. They're succeeding! Fresh and tasty guacamole and salsa, really cold drafts, and of course excellent music. We found ourselves in the gallery on their facebook site (www.laolafmb.com) on Monday. Yet another good reason to visit Ft. Myers Beach (the restaurant, not us dancing).

We were invited to a Super Bowl party, and even though we have no strong alliance to either team it's an excuse to meet new people and have a party, so who are we to say no?? We joined Jerry and Sharon in their gorgeous and unique home on the bay, Steve and Kelly, William and Judy, and long-time friends and neighbors of Jerry and Sharon. There was too much good food (a lot of which is now in our big round bellies), lots of chatter, and a good game. We were able to tie our dinghies up at Jerry and Sharon's dock (instead of walking from the dinghy dock), but had quite a jump down into them when we left, since the tide was VERY low.

Night music

2011-02-07T04:44:00.000+11:30

We were so happy to find the Laurie Star duo still in Ft. Myers, as we've been fans for over 6 years and have totally worn out their CDs purchased here on our first cruise. We've been to hear them 3 times so far this week, with plans to go back today (Sunday) for their afternoon debut in the town square. Even though we didn't think it was possible, their sound has gotten even better over the years and it's such a treat to hear them. We've now added 3 more CDs to our collection, and look forward to wearing them out as well. There are plenty of good reasons to come to Ft. Myers Beach, and they're certainly one of the best.

When we heard them Friday evening at Nervous Nellie's, Steve had a maraca-type shaker that totally entranced the Admiral. Hoping to figure out the construction, I watched and listened to each shake and noticed that it had a wooden handle, metal cylinder, and what appeared to be strings of metal beads circling the cylinder. Imagine my delight when we went to Bonita Bill's Saturday afternoon to watch the old northern snowbirds dance and body-spell to Peppermint Patty (this is not made up!!) and they handed out shakers for a song....made of beer cans filled with BBs (ours was a Miller can) that closely resembled the sound of Steve's maraca. For those of you who know the Captain, you know that getting a beer can full of BBs is much more likely than getting a musical instrument (particularly since the Admiral has a tin ear and no rhythm). Can't wait to start my own band!!

In front of us in the mooring field are Gary and Micky on m/v Little Mick from North Carolina. We met them last year and are happy to visit with them again (and to also hear someone with no accent).

Snow? what snow?

2011-02-07T02:46:00.000+11:30

We've heard the weather is bad all over the country, even in mid-Georgia (where one snowflake is an event). You'd never guess it to look outside our portholes and hatches, though; it's been either 80 or very near all week, sunny and gorgeous. The beach is beautiful, with white sand finer than sugar and enough breeze to keep you cool (sometimes even chilly, but we don't dare complain). The sky is a beautiful bright blue, and the clouds wispy and snow white. Oops, mentioned snow again.

We're enjoying walks on the beach, people-watching on the beach and streets (you know...the people who think they look good in things on vacation that they look REALLY bad in at home?), listening to good music, eating great seafood (and some wicked wings), meeting new friends, and NOT doing boat projects. This is the rest period between getting the boat ready to travel again and our arrival in Marathon (where we hear the party's already started). The mooring field is mostly full but not overcrowded, we've always been able to tie up at the dinghy dock, and the Miller brewing company was obviously notified in advance that Jay and William would be here.

We were happy to reconnect with friends Steve and Kelly, who we met here last year. They're from Tennessee (we found them because they were the only people who didn't have an accent) and rent a house on Estero Island every February. Kelly keeps a running list of which restaurants have the best deals, happy hours, and specials, and she's our source of knowledge for the fun and food on the island. We'd like her a lot better if she didn't look so good in her swimsuit.

We called old friends Norm and Sally (dock neighbors at Blue Springs Marina in TN), who have recently bought a condo in North Ft. Myers. They drove down to visit for happy hour one afternoon and then again for a beach day. We caught up on what we could remember (didn't take very long) and enjoyed the company and the weather. We kidnapped them and wouldn't let them go back home till they'd been initiated at Wicked Wings (where Jay and William have saved thousands of dollars on buy-one-get-ones). They're happy to be snowbirds, and seem to be happy off the sailboat (they took a trip south from Tennessee, which was aborted after much boat trouble and last year's cold winter).

Serendipity unplugged

2011-02-07T02:29:00.000+11:30

Ah, the water, the sky, the birds, the waves.....it's good to be moving again. We traveled straight through from Bradenton to Ft. Myers Beach, covering the distance in about 21 hours. We left Twin Dolphin around 11:00 a.m. Saturday and arrived in the mooring field about 8:00 a.m. Sunday. It was an uneventful trip, with very little boat traffic on the water and good weather for travel. At least that's what the Captain said; the Admiral took a Bonine at noon (just in case), and she was blissfully asleep during his watch, her watch, their watch, and sometimes in between. She managed about 2 hours' watch between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m., but that's it. Highly recommended way to crew!

We were met in the mooring field by William and Judy in their dinghy, and they spared us the agony of defeat and the possibility of losing our boat hook (and the Captain's patience) by handing us the pennant for the mooring ball......best hookup we've ever made! It's great to be back in Ft. Myers, and after a brief nap (for the Captain; for some reason the Admiral is very well rested) it will be time to explore. And call friends here. And enjoy the great appetizers and happy hours we've come to know and love. On our first visit here we planned to stay a day or two and spent more than a week. Since then we've been known to spend more than two weeks......we'll just have to see how the weather cooperates and how much we can get into.

Special thanks to Melinda for the navigational aid before we left.

And it's goodbye again....

2011-01-30T02:10:00.000+11:30

After a great stay at Twin Dolphin, it's time to move again. The boat is (pretty close to) ready, mostly put back together, and totally covered in green outfits. We've been leaving for over a week, so the marina residents are probably taking up a collection to finally get us out of town. It's hard leaving our friends (and critters) here, but we hope they'll all visit us in Marathon and that we'll run into them along the way somewhere. This is one awesome marina, and C Dock RULES!

We had to pry the lines loose, since it's been 7 months since we've moved. After trying to remember how we actually moved Serendipity, Lyle assisted by towing our dinghy out into Manatee River for us so we could make our exit from the slip. We're sure our dock neighbors were anxious to get us on our way, but it was hard to say our goodbyes and we have so many memories of our stay here. The staff at Twin Dolphin makes so many efforts for the residents, it feels like family and home.

We'll also miss our friends at Mattison's, where we spent a fair amount of time having fun and enjoying both the ambiance and the great eats (not to mention the happy hours). The great staff (Red and Jeff and Erin and Kelly and Greg, among others) was fun to get to know, and they're so hard-working and efficient it's amazing they even have time to be so friendly.

We're glad William and Judy talked us into coming to and staying in Bradenton. This is the neatest place, with a small-town feel but big-town amenities. We'll miss the great waterfront area, the farmer's market, the downtown festivities and activities, and the fun places to visit. But surely we'll be back at some point.

One last wave to Lyle and Twin Dolphin and Mattisons!

The Captain gives birth

2011-01-26T01:10:00.000+11:30

We tried a Maryland stuffed ham on our first journey, in one of our favorite places (Solomon's Island). We bought it in a deli and meant to take it back to the boat for lunch. After one sample in the dinghy, all we took to the boat was an empty container. We got the recipe at the Welcome Center and it has been guarded more carefully than our wedding pictures. It's complicated and time-consuming, with a corning process for the ham, pampering and rubbing, soaking and soothing, rest periods, then finally the chopping and stuffing session. Jay mentioned it to Greg, the chef at Mattisons, and they decided to give it a try.

The original plan was before or during the holidays, but with some ham mixups and Christmas in Tennessee, the delivery was finally scheduled for January and labor was induced. It took quite a few trips to and from Mattisons, and a few false starts, but the ham debuted this week. Jay will miss the fun in the kitchen, and of course we'll miss all the good food they produce. The ham was outstanding!

Bustin' moves and casting off

2011-01-26T00:36:00.001+11:30

We enjoyed a goodbye cookout with Todd and Allyson (with Sarah, Gracie and Nathan), Jim and Kathryn (with James and Max) and William and Judy. These lucky sisters live near each other and their husbands work together, and their get-togethers are always fun and busy with kids and dogs and cats and laughter all around.

We all were encouraged (coerced) to dance with the Wii, and the results were enlightening and hilarious. The kids were the winners, but the grannies and grandaddies held their own (controllers). There's a video of the Captain that will have to go viral when the Admiral can download it.

After a great evening, we retired so William and Judy could begin their journey south the next morning. Since Serendipity still had jobs to finish (still don't know why they're not all done!!), we'll be a few days behind them. All lines were finally pried from the dock and Optimystique headed out on a cool but sunny Sunday. It looks pretty empty in the slip beside us, but we're almost ready!

You've got a Freund

2011-01-19T13:56:00.000+11:30

There were so many boat projects to get ready to head south again, some new electronics to install, and some troubles that popped up without our permission. And some were totally out of our realm of expertise. Enter Freundship Marine....ta da!!! Jim and Todd and Robert have worked on our boat before, and we're never disappointed. If they don't have it or can't order it, they'll just design and make it. We truly appreciate all their hard work, especially late at night and on the weekends. They're the very best when it comes to marine work, and so far there doesn't seem to be anything they can't do!

We'll miss them for all their hard work, but mostly because they're such great guys and good friends.

Rapunzel, rapunzel

2011-01-19T13:35:00.000+11:30

The Admiral has been confined to the tower over the Twin Dolphin offices for crimes as yet undetermined. The Captain KNOWS she hates to sew, so why on earth did he buy her a sewing machine (now named Chucky after the sinister doll in a horror flick)? And purchase fabric and supplies and such? Then set up a room for her to sew in forEVER? There will be outfits for everything on the boat, awnings over every part of the boat, screens over and around everything on the boat, and possibly a shroud for the Captain (surprise, surprise). At any rate, it's much easier to sew and measure and cut fabric in a big room with a long table than to set up shop in the dinette of the boat. And the view from the windows of the sewing turret is spectacular. The Manatee River, the bridge over the river, the pool and palm trees of Twin Dolphin.....can't beat it! Sooooo, the sewing is almost done for now (dinghy chaps and front awning postponed till Marathon), and we thank Mike for generously loaning us the tower.

Drummers drumming, lords leaping

2011-01-19T13:24:00.000+11:30

William and Judy took us to Siesta Key for a great sunset ceremony one Sunday evening. It's a weekly event, with drummers and dancers and hoopers and frolicking and romping and such. The Drum Circle consists of anyone who shows up with a drum, and they play together....loooooooong songs. While they play, the audience (which consists of whoever is there) participates if they choose. There were small children dancing and chasing one another, adults dancing and chasing one another, and people with hula hoops (try doing THAT if you haven't in a few years) of all ages. At the beginning of the ceremony, a small mound was built up in the sand with flowers on top and a garland all around. The centerpiece suffered some when it was remodeled by some children, but served as an altar of sorts to honor the sunset. It is a gorgeous beach, and the sunset was spectacular. The most interesting view, however, was the people.

So many lunches, so little time.......

2011-01-19T13:19:00.001+11:30

How we ever found time to work is beyond us, but we sure enjoy NOT working (at a paying job, that is). Paul and Gail and Pat and Kat forced us to join them for lunch at Mattison's so we could catch up on our respective Christmases and hear all about Pat and Kat's new (HUGE) boat. Haven't seen it yet, but it sounds like a great way to camp (with washer/dryer, dishwasher, icemaker, several staterooms and heads, etc.). We feel really sorry for them, but tried hard to sound enthusiastic......and not green. Hopefully we'll all catch up on the water next time instead of in a restaurant.

Florida invaded by Volunteers!

2011-01-19T13:14:00.001+11:30

Our good friends Bob and Mary visited their condo in Indian Rocks early in January, and we had a good time visiting with them there. The second week of their visit, good friends Dan and Lucretia (also from Tennessee and our home marina) came to visit as well. They came to Twin Dolphin for a catch-up session and a great lunch at Rod and Reel. William and Judy joined us, since they're old friends of them too. It wasn't exactly toasty Florida weather, but a great time was had by all. And it's always nice to spend time with people who actually speak without an accent!