Island Life

A day in island life

On Monday, we arrived in Great Harbor Cay of the Berry Islands of the Bahamas. We spent the afternoon getting the paperwork completed to clear in through customs and immigration. Since we had done an overnight sail to get there, it was an early bedtime. 

On day two, we needed to get SIM cards for our phones so that we can communicate with all our friends and family. We rode the dinghy in to the government dock and asked the locals for directions. We began walking in the direction that they told us but we were a little unsure. We flagged down a car to double check that we were going the right way and he said he would give us a ride since it was pretty far. When we got to the phone office, we thanked him but he offered to wait for us and give us a ride back. His name was Chester. He was off work today from working on the island where the cruise ships land. They call it CocoaCay(the charts call it Little Stirrup Cay).  The people of these islands are so nice!!

The afternoon was spent on sewing projects that we brought along. Soon, we will have all new cockpit cushions. It’s nice to have something to work on because the weather is supposed to get messy for the next couple of days.  Rain and wind are forecast. At least there isn’t a weather alert for iguanas falling from trees like there is in south Florida!!

And then the winds and rain came!  We knew when we left south FL that there was some bad weather coming in the middle of the week and it did!  The cold front that caused all the falling iguanas in FL made it here in the afternoon and it blew like a madman all night and into midday on Wednesday. Several boats were unable to maintain their anchor position. Some drove around in the dark all night rather than trust their ground tackle. We had put out a second anchor in the afternoon in anticipation of the blow. I wasn’t going to have a repeat of what happened to me in Cocoa!!

After the weather settled down, we rounded the corner of Great Harbor Cay (pronounced key) for a place in the southern Berry Islands. We anchored in a place called Bird Cay to wait for one of our buddy boats to catch up. Then, we sailed across Northwest Providence Channel to New Providence (Nassau). Generally, we try to limit our time in marinas and particularly in Nassau. Next day, we were off the dock. And in two days were in the Exuma Islands of central Bahamas. Paradise!!

A day of relaxation, snorkeling, bottom cleaning and enjoying the scenery!  That night, the winds went from zero (glassy calm) to twenty knots from the west south west at around 20 knots with very poor protection! One of our buddy boats drug anchor at 2 AM (thank God Ann was awake to see them) but suffered no damage. Needless to say, Ann was fully awake for the rest of the night. Next morning, finding a calm spot to anchor was a priority. 

The cold fronts of the US bring us winds clocking around and blowing like stink. They do the same thing in the FL Keys. Here, one must be vigilant about finding an anchorage with wind protection from directions other than prevailing winds.  The waters are relatively easy to read for depth because the visibility is so great and with mostly sand bottoms the holding is excellent (if you have the right ground tackle and enough scope).

On board S/V Alibi is a beautiful carved wooden box. Our third crew member was promised to be released on a beautiful sandy beach for never ending joy. That will be a bittersweet day but we made a promise that we must keep.....

2019 and Beyond!

It has been hard to get motivated to write the blog. Roxy will always be missed by us - she was such a special dog!  I’m sure she is running free and enjoying lots of play time. 

After we picked up her ashes, we began the trip south in Alibi. It was beginning to get cold up there!!!  We made pretty fast time and were motivated to get to Cocoa, FL - where our pick up was and hopefully find a marina home. Not so lucky!!  We got to the Cape Canaveral, Cocoa, Merritt Island area just fine. Every place we called required insurance on the boat to rent a slip. Bummer!!

Also, on the day we had Roxy put to sleep, Darrell’s mom suffered two spinal compression fractures. We had a flight for him from Orlando to fly home to be sure she was okay to continue living alone. Ann stayed with the boat since we were unable to secure a marina berth. Except for one instance, all was well. Just a dragging anchor and singlehanded crew getting the boat safely squared away.  Mom was sufficiently rehabilitated to continue living at home with some home health nurses and therapists doing follow up. 

It was even too cold in central Florida for this wimpy south Florida girl!!  So we headed south to Key Largo. We needed to get some things from our storage unit and complete the paperwork for renewing our captains licenses. We arrived on January 1 and even got to see the New Years fireworks display from around Ocean Reef. 

Approximately two weeks to get all our appointments, papers, and moving stuff on and off S/V Alibi.  We even spent an exciting 24 hours with Darrell getting his heart checked out in Mariners Hospital.  Next to wait for a weather window for crossing the Gulf Stream.....  We had been able to stall around long enough for two boats that we met in Dowry Creek Marina to catch up to us. They want to travel with us. 

We enjoyed many reunions in Key Largo and came to the realization that Key Largo will always be home!  If we missed seeing you this time around, don’t worry - we will be back. We’re just not sure when....  This could be another Caribbean Cruise or just another trip to the Bahamas. Only time will tell!!

Roxy

Roxy went to the Rainbow Bridge on Monday, October 28th, 2019 (nine years to the day since I lost my mother). We had a weekend of special meals and tons of love.  The transition was very relaxed and the staff at Pamlico Animal Hospital were kind, compassionate, and caring.  

On Friday, I spent several hours pouring over thousands of pictures of her taken over 14+ years.  We have had a great time being her peeps!!  She definitely has had a rich life living on a boat as a gypsy and watching divers’ bubbles on dive boats. 

She now is pain free and running - jumping like she did when she was young. Her vibrant and spirited personality will live on in our hearts and the many stories we have to tell of her shenanigans.  Her earthly body was reduced to ashes and they will be permanently placed on a beach in the Bahamas - someplace she loved.  For a happier post go back and read the blog post from February 2, 2014 - the blog is from Roxy’s perspective. 

She was always pretty good at making her wishes known and had become even more assertive in her senior years.  When she wanted me to know that she was still hungry, she had learned that knocking her empty food bowl across the floor of the boat would get my attention.  I'm quite sure that her entrance into the afterlife was probably punctuated with that action since the appointment at the veterinarian was at precisely the time she usually let me know it was time to eat.  

As for her peeps, they are trying to stumble through the days without her. Looking forward to the day we will be reunited at the Rainbow Bridge. Below are a few of the many pictures we’ve taken that show her huge personality through the years. Enjoy your white sand beach and turquoise water, Princess Roxy!

Roxy at 3-6 months of age.

Roxy at about 6 months to one year - still very hyperactive.

Roxy and Darrell playing in June or July 2005.  She was about six months old.

Roxy pointing birds on our deck.

Roxy on the S/V Lillian.

Long Island, Bahamas.

Roxy and Ann in the kayak in Marathon.

Roxy watching diver bubbles.

Roxy and manatee - photo credit John Greenwalt.

Riding on the dinghy.

Roxy and Darrell in the dinghy.

Roxy begging - what she does so well.

Roxy and Journey begging from mom - 2016.

A favorite - she was happiest on the sandy beaches!

At home in TX - I was that crazy dog lady!

Roxy tending lines on the sailboat.

On a walk on the beach.

Where we will meet again.

Road Trip from North Carolina to Texas

We rented a car for a trip back to Texas to visit family and friends. We decided it was about time to see some of the countryside around us while making a pilgrimage back to the Texas panhandle. The boat was safely tucked into a slip in Dowry Creek Marina bear Belhaven, NC. 

The only calendar on the trip was to be in Amarillo by October 18 - Ann’s Daddys birthday. So we loaded up the car with Roxy and her stuff plus lots of warm clothing. When we reached western North Carolina, we were not disappointed!!

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a must see. Don’t be in a hurry if you take the route but plan on lots of beautiful vistas!  We spent about four hours going 100 miles and thoroughly enjoyed it. After that, we were ready to hit the interstate and head west. 

We arrived in Pampa, TX by Saturday morning to go see a flag football game starring our grandson, Lyric. Then we went to see my mother-in-law and on to see my dad. Sunday evening, we spent relaxing and visiting with the kids and grandkids plus their extended family. 

The week was filled with visits with friends and family. On Friday, a highlight was to be able to celebrate my dad’s ninety-second birthday. Saturday brought more football and baseball and last minute visits. 

On Sunday, we left to head east again with planned visits with friends along the way. Another short foray into the Blue Ridge Parkway was well worth the detour. The leaves had increased their fall color while we were out west. 

The last stop of the trip was a big highlight for us both but mostly Darrell. We went to Charlotte to the offices and shop of Joe Gibbs Racing Team. Jason Shapiro gave us a grand tour of the facilities. It is mind boggling!!  We spent the night and enjoyed a much overdue visit with Nicole and their girls who are growing up WAY TOO FAST!!

The next day we left late and still made it back to the boat by about 3PM. It was a wonderful trip but it’s always great to be home. 

Blue Ridge Parkway

Linley making us breakfast

Daddy and I - 92 years old!

Having a birthday celebration.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Darrell got to visit JGR Racing Shop!

Chesapeake Eastern Shore

Magnificent late summer and fall weather has been the case. Cool evenings and nights without the hundred degree heat indices during the days. 

While traveling, we saw and purchased a copy of Chesapeake by James Michener. What a great volume to accompany our travels!!  

Our next stop was the first on the eastern shore of the Bay. St. Michaels is a great little town that we were told by more than one person not to miss. They were right!!  And like I’ve already said, the museums just keep getting better. This one did not disappoint us. We had a seafood feast on the waterfront that was outstanding. 

Next stop was Oxford, another historic town noted in the book and mentioned by locals. Small but great historic buildings. Home of the oldest operational ferry in the US. 

Cambridge was just across the Choptank River from Oxford. We spent a few days there waiting on weather. A bus ride away from Walmart!  Fresh crabs 🦀 right off our stern. Live music one night from Snappers. Great town!!

As we headed south, there were fewer places to visit on the eastern shore so we were content to revisit some like Solomons Island, Reedville, and we didn’t want to pass up Deltaville. There was a crab feast being held at the Deltaville marina that was fantastic!

We waited for just the right weather conditions to leave for Norfolk and we were rewarded. We had a great downwind sail to Norfolk. This time around, the anchorage was pretty rough at night (midnight) from the barges so one night was enough. 

We had another good crossing of the Albemarle Sound except that the wind direction wasn’t the best. Fortunately though, the sea conditions were benign. We made good time and stopped again at Dowry Creek Marina - we just love it there. 

The nights are starting to be a lot cooler. Days are still warm. We sailed to New Bern, NC and were able to tour downtown. We got to go to a dinner there and visit with people we met down in the Caribbean several years ago. We would have stayed longer but they didn’t have space for us at the marina. 

We stopped overnight in Oriental and came back home to Dowry Creek Marina. Darrell pulled the propeller off the boat to have it changed to better match our new transmission. A shop in Beaufort did some change to the pitch and it might be enough. Otherwise, we’ll get a new propeller. 

We picked up a rental car in a nearby town yesterday. Now we’re getting ready to take a road trip east. We’re excited to see family again!!

Upper Chesapeake Bay

With fuel and cigarettes, we are now ready to move on up the Bay!  WHEW!!  Next stop Solomons Island. Mercy sakes we have never seen so many marinas and so many pleasure craft (especially sailboats) in one place!!!  We picked up a mooring here and made use of the bicycles to explore this pretty gem. While we were there, we went to the Calvert Maritime Museum. The museums just keep getting better and better. This one did not disappoint!!

We were able to spend some time investigating the problem with the windlass and got it fixed. It was an electrical issue that was hard to track down but we did get the gear oil changed while we had it off (usually a major PIA!). Now we can sleep a little easier - lol.

We made a couple of stops on our way to the next destination - Annapolis. One was exceptionally pretty in South River. One day, we put a few extra travel miles under our keel. We were motor sailing north when we heard a mayday call over the radio. We quickly discovered that we were close to the boat on fire!  We turned and quickly headed in their direction. Since sailboats are so slow, they were assisted by faster and closer boats before we could reach them so we turned back on our path. Glad it had a good outcome!

After researching in our travel books, we decided to view some of Annapolis from Back Creek - a little less busy they said. We spent Labor Day weekend on a mooring here. We made the hike to get groceries which was a little over one mile each direction. Not bad but those groceries get heavy on these treks!!  After the crowd started clearing from the holiday weekend, we moved around to Spa Creek for a couple more days. We were rewarded for our patience. We spent a glorious two days enjoying the tours of Annapolis Naval Academy. Wow is that an impressive place!!  We plan to encourage Lyric and Linley to consider trying to make this their college choice!!  If you could see the formation for meals to get all 4,500 students into the cafeteria - jaw dropping!!

So, with Devil Dorian no longer wreaking havoc on the Bahamas, we needed to figure out where we were going to go. 

The path when it finally started moving again would take it across North Carolina (near where we made close friends in our extended time there) and a few hundred miles within our current location.  With the predictions, we decided to return to the South River, up Harness Creek. The anchorage is so beautiful and protected. The shore excursions to walk Roxy are to Quiet Waters State Park and they were!  We had very little wind and rain from Dorian. Thank goodness!!  

Temperatures are not as hot as they had been in July and August. Plus we want to find a place that we can safely leave the boat for a few weeks - if there are no hurricanes threatening!  We hope to take a road trip and drive to Texas for a visit. Pray for good weather!  It's time to head south and explore the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay..

Chesapeake and Potomac River

Wow are we impressed with the sailing grounds in the Chesapeake Bay!  It bears respect akin to the respect for the ocean. There is a local cliche “the Chesapeake Chop”, for how rough it can get. And there are so many deep water rivers to explore!!

Our first trip up a River was to Yorktown on the York River. We had to anchor across from the famous battleground because the current can be up to 3 knots at the marina there. A few days soaking up a little Revolutionary  War history. 

Next stop was Deltaville where there was a lot of boat building back in the days of wooden boats. The Maritime Museum there was fantastic!  We spent a whole week there in a cozy anchorage. We paid a small fee and had full use of marina facilities for the week. 

One afternoon in the anchorage, Darrell decided it was time to clean the boat bottom. He didn’t don a wetsuit and he regretted that decision for a few days!  He was stung by sea nettles in several places - some very private!!  He’s decided that he was paid back for not being sensitive enough with dive and snorkel customers about their stings. He will be a lot more courteous and sympathetic going forward. 

On the advice of a friend and former dive customer, we rounded that peninsula to go see Urbanna. We were lucky enough to have dinner with Mark. A lovely town off the Rappahannock River. Some of y’all may remember the pictures of the old pharmacy bottles and soda counter. The general store was closed or we would have spent a few hours in there too. 

Reedville was the next stop on the same river. This little town is known as the Menhaden Capital.  They make omega oil and chum (fish bait) there. Imagine the odor if you can.....  We moved anchor spots a couple times based on wind direction. 

Next was the famous Potomac River of Revolutionary days. It is 100 miles up the river to reach Washington DC. Since we travel so slowly, it was a few days passage to reach our ultimate destination. The tidal flow in the river reaches a few knots and in a slow boat is a force to be reckoned with. We spent three or four nights in gorgeous waterside locations. 

And finally, we were rewarded for our efforts. We came by the National Harbor, under the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to begin seeing the easily recognized Washington Monument. We spent five nights on a mooring across from the Wharf. We did the first day without much of a plan and spent a lot of time walking. After that, we purchased tickets on a trolly tour to save our energy. We still put a few miles under our feet on those days too. We only had enough time to hit the highlights but we thoroughly enjoyed what we did see. Each Smithsonian museum needs at least a day or more so we only skimmed the surface in these. We saw the Arlington National Cemetery and the changing of the guard at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier. We saw war memorials and presidential monuments. We even took a water taxi ride back to National Harbor and did a little gambling in the MGM casino there.  Our nations capital did not disappoint!

The trip up the Potomac was a lesson in tidal flow (current) and wind direction. You know, we try to sail as much of the time as we can. It’s difficult to do in a narrow channel with the wind direction that always follows the course of the river!  However, we paid a little attention going back down river and at least used the flow to augment our efforts. It paid off with greater distances traveled per day and less frustration for the crew. The wind - well you can’t do much about that. 

Except pay attention to the afternoon squalls that develop and bring storms to cool off this heat. Our second day south we were doing that - watching the sky. Sure enough, around five or six PM there were developing squalls all around us. We headed into a creek and found a lovely spot to anchor. The storm came and went but was fierce with wind, lightening and a little rain. When the weather seemed calm enough, we went to bed. 

About 10:30, something woke Ann (she’s the light sleeper of the crew).  We had dragged anchor and were aground - listing to starboard. Unfortunately, it wasn’t low tide yet. For the next four plus hours, we leaned over to approximately 15-20 degrees. Nothing to do until daylight and tides to make getting her off possible. So Ann finally went to sleep and so did poor Roxy. It was difficult to walk at that slant for our aging canine!!  Morning came (with it high tide) and we started Alibi up and moved our anchor to a deeper location!!!  No problem!!

And I must add, things like this never happen when you are prepared!  We were starting to think about where we need to get fuel next. The windlass is acting up. AND most importantly, Darrell is out of cigarettes. 

So the next morning we were going to a marina close by to get fuel. We spoke to the dock master about the depths in the channel and according to him should have had enough water to come in and buy fuel. WRONG!!  Next to the second channel marker we were aground - stuck again right at 12 hours since the last escapade!!  With Darrell in the dinghy and me in the big boat, we were able to free ourselves. Fuel stop # 2 scratched!  

About twenty miles on down the river is a large river and Darrell spoke to them yesterday and they had fuel. So, off we go with enough wind to motorsail for a change. We have anchored in another lovely scenic little creek and the marina does not answer the phone or the radio. Meanwhile, Darrell is out of cigarettes and we are getting low on fuel. Stay tuned. . . .